A/N: Yeah, so… I have no excuse. I was slacking off, and I'm sorry if I made you wait. But to make up for it, I will (officially) introduce a certain Krytian.

I just wish I had more reviews to my first story :( Oh well, I guess it can't be helped. So to Hikari-Chimedekina-Neko, thanks for the review. For those who are reading, feel free to give suggestions or criticize, but not flame.

30- Mysterious Alluring Woman and Wicked Ragou

Flynn Scifo and his unit, Sodia and Witcher, are all sitting around a table, seemingly thinking up of a strategy. They all led their eyes to the sound of a door opening to see Estelle and her friends coming in. "Hi Flynn, how are you?" his longtime friend greeted.

"I'm doing fine." He answered. "And what about you? I hope you didn't get yourself in more trouble."

"N-no… of course not…" Once again, Flynn's words have brought guilt upon her. Shaking it off, she asked him "So did you go to the magistrate's palace?"

The knight nodded. "I did, with a search permit from the blastia research lab."

"Really? So what did you find?"

Flynn lowered his head. "Nothing. Ragou refused to give us entry."

Needless to say, the party was shocked to hear such news. Just when they thought they could get a new lead, it has been crushed by the cruel magistrate.

"He even attempted to provoke us," Witcher continued. "'If you truly think I'm hiding blastia, then try to break your way in' he said."

"Wow, what a cocky bastard." Rita commented.

"He knows that we have no authority to do that…" Sodia snarled. "He's mocking us!"

"Well, isn't he right?" Rita dryly replied.

Sodia glared daggers at the guild member. "What did you say?" She would've torn her to bits if Witcher hadn't intervened. "Sodia! Calm yourself!"

"Geez Rita, just whose side are you on here?" Karol sighed from the outburst.

"It's not a matter of whose side I'm on." She answered. "If you think that you're right, shouldn't you just bust your way in?"

"That would be unwise." Flynn shook his head. "He's setting a trap."

"A trap?" Yuri asked. "What kind of trap?"

"Ragou wants the Imperial Guard to make any mistake so that he can use it as an excuse to raise the authority of the Council." Flynn explained. "If we attempt an assault, he'll hide the evidence and feign innocence."

"Wait…" Karol mulled. "Are you saying that Magistrate Ragou is with the Council?"

"Yes, both the Imperial Knights and the Council are important organizations that support the empire." Flynn then lowered his head in disgust. "But Ragou seems to have forgotten this."

Estelle clenched her fist in anger. Just hearing more of the magistrate's evil deeds and corrupt methods made her hate him even more. She could not forgive that wicked man. He had to be punished.

"So we're not dealing with any normal magistrate." She muttered under her breath.

"So does anyone have any bright ideas on what to do next?" Rita asked the whole group. After a moment's silence, she sighed. "…anyone at all?"

Witcher, seeming to have thought up of something, spoke up "Perhaps… if there was some sort of disturbance inside the palace… the Imperial Knights would be allowed to move in, under the guise of emergency prerogative."

Yuri brightened up hearing this. "Oh yeah, I remember that rule. 'The Imperial Knights may employ emergency prerogative in emergency situations, regardless of authority.'"

"So all we need is for someone to sneak in and cause trouble?" Estelle asked, eager to help.

Flynn spoke in concern to Estelle. "Estellise, I know you want to help, but…"

"But I shouldn't get reckless, right? I promise I'll be careful."

Now with a new plan and a new hope in hand, the team sets out to the task. On the way to the palace, Estelle saw that the situation from the rain was getting worse; now people were beginning to get diseases from the unmerciful downpour. Estelle felt sad and angry; sad that the poor people had to suffer so much, and angry that that empire did nothing to help. This brought up unpleasant memories from her knighthood. She immediately cast those thoughts aside when they reached the palace.

"Damn, this place just keeps getting bigger and bigger." Rita commented, still awed by the structure of the palace. "Are members from the Council that important, or is this palace just for show?"

Estelle answered Rita's question by mentally recalling a book she once read during her knighthood. "'The Council is a body of nobles who support in the administration of the empire'. This means they basically represent the empire's best interests."

"You don't say…"

"So how do we get inside?" Yuri asked. "Asking nicely won't work at all."

"Maybe we could sneak around the back." Karol suggested. "It shouldn't be too hard."

"I wouldn't be doing that. This palace is surrounded by a wall, so I'm afraid it's impossible to break in like that."

Everyone turned to the source of the new voice to find a Krytian woman with long, blue hair and rather… revealing clothing. Estelle noticed that this Krytian woman was the same one that she met in the dungeons back at the capital. 'What's she doing here?'

Karol, who was startled by the stranger, was about to scream until the Krytian woman put her hand quickly, but gently, over his mouth.

"Now, now. If you start screaming here, you'll only cause trouble." She whispered, motioning to the guards guarding the entrance.

"Uh, r-right." Karol agreed, calming down a bit. "But who are you?"

"Oh don't worry. I'm sure your friend over there will introduce me." The Krytian replied, motioning to Estelle. Everyone turned to the pink-haired girl for an answer.

"D-Don't look at me like that! I barely even know her!" she protested.

"Oh, don't be such a grouch." The stranger spoke in a mock hurt tone. "Don't you remember all the good times we had together, Ms. Estellise Heurassein?"

Estelle was taken aback when she heard her name. "Huh? How do you know my name?"

With a grin, the Krytian showed her the wanted poster. "You're quite popular around Terca Lumeris."

"Oh, that."

"So anyway, can you tell us your name?" Yuri asked the stranger.

"Hmm? Well…" she pondered. Estelle wondered if she wanted to hide her true name. "I suppose you can call me Judith."

Rita raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "'I suppose?' Just who the hell do you think you are?"

"Rita!" Karol scolded his 'fan'. "Please excuse her miss."

The woman, now known as Judith, simply replied "I'll pay it no mind."

Starting to get annoyed, Estelle tried to remain polite. "Well Judith, it was a pleasure to see you again. Now if you don't mind, we're a little busy right now."

"Busy trying to get inside the palace?" Judith guessed with a smile. "I'll show you how it's done." And with that, she walked towards the entrance to work her charm.

"Hey, shouldn't we stop her?" Karol asked in concern. "What if she gets in trouble?"

Estelle for one, who remembered that Judith was the one who helped her escape, decided to trust her. The Krytian helped her before; she can do it again, right?

However, after the stranger's brief conversation with the guards, the men ran to where the party was hiding.

"Uh, they're coming this way." Yuri pointed out. Judith, who told the guards about the intruders, winked and waved at the others before walking off.

"B-but why did she…?" Karol stuttered, shocked at what happened.

"Just wait until I get my hands on that Krytian freak!" Rita snarled, extremely infuriated. "Nobody uses me as a decoy and gets away with it!"

Wanting to just hurt someone from her anger, she decided to vent it out on the approaching guards. Seeing as fire magic wouldn't work in the rain, she instead casts another spell, a yellow circle forming beneath her. Knowing she didn't have much time, Rita releases the weaker version of the spell.

"Thunderbolt!"

The electricity, along with the rain, proves a mighty combination of an attack as both guards were knocked out with one hit. Now satisfied, Rita dusted her hands "Well, let's get going."

When she heard no answer, she looked behind to see everyone else lying on the ground.

"Rita…you…shocked us…too…" Yuri spoke weakly.

"Wh-what? I, uh…sorry."

"Ugh…whatever…" Estelle groaned, leaning on the wall for support. "Just…be more careful…next time…"

"Seriously Rita…" Karol grunted, trying to get up with little success. "You really…need to keep a lid…on that temper of yours…"

And so after a few apple gels and healing artes, everyone began to look for a way inside the palace other than the front door, for it would be too obvious. Looking for an entrance to the side, they ran into a familiar Krytian.

"YOU!" Rita growled at Judith, anger returning.

Judith simply smiled at them. "So I see that everyone is doing fine. As much as I'd love to stay and chat, I'm afraid that I'm quite busy." Walking into an elevator, she bid farewell to them with a "See you around."

"WAIT!"

But it was too late. The elevator had closed, and went up. Getting inside another elevator, they activated it to chase the stranger. Unfortunately, it went down instead of up, leading them to the underground of the palace.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X

Deep in the underground of the palace, the others were waiting for Karol who was working on the elevator to go back up. While waiting, a foul stench filled the air, a mixture of two rotting stenches. Estelle could tell that one was blood, but couldn't make out the other one. Just what was it? She didn't want to know.

"So any luck, Doc?" Yuri asked the boy.

The little genius shook his head. "Nope. The elevator can't be operated from down here. We'll have to go on foot."

Rita looked ready to complain, until Repede started growling, warning them of danger. Reptilian-like monsters approached the newcomers, hungry to eat their flesh. Everyone drew their respective weapons to fight back.

"So you think Ragou is raising these monsters?" Karol assumed as he burned away the monsters charging at him.

"I wouldn't be surprised. He did have the Rhybgaro." Rita answered before electrocuting the beasts with her magic.

"Question is…why is he raising them?" Estelle wondered while attacking another one, fatally stabbing it in the back.

As Yuri finished off the last one with a fury of swings, he could've sworn he heard a cry for help. "Hey, you guys hear something?"

"Papa… Mama… help… me…!"

Now everyone heard the cry for help, with Estelle the most eager to help.

"Someone's in trouble! Come on, let's go!" She then ran ahead without waiting for the others.

"Estelle, wait up!" Yuri's call proved useless, since everyone else ran after her. "Damn, Flynn wasn't kidding when he said that she was reckless." All he could do now was to follow the others to help the poor soul lost in this hellhole.

A/N: There we go! Now it's Skit Time

Yuri is Normal

Estelle is Italics

Rita is Bold

Karol is Bold and Italics

Shocking

Ow… owowowow… ouch…

What are you whining about now?

I don't really blame him. You did a big number on us back there.

I already said sorry! So lay off!

We'd appreciate more than apologies you know.

Like what?

Show that you're really sorry… instead of just saying it…

I wasn't talking to you, runt! –Punches Karol-

Oww!

-In pain- Ack!

Hey, what happened now?

It could be that we still have electricity flowing through us. And when Rita punched me, she must've been shocked.

-Smiles- You don't say…

-Scared- Estelle… I don't like that look on your face…

Oh Rita~ -approaches Rita-

OW! What are you- OW! Quit it! OW! Get away! –Runs off with Estelle chasing-

Yuri, aren't you going to stop them?

No, not really. I wasn't too happy either about last time. This ought to teach her a thing or two at least.

I guess so…

Judith

Estellise, you'd better bring that Judith jerk to me right now!

-Shocked- What? Why me?

Well, aren't you friends with her?

No! Like I said, I barely know her! What made you think that?

Let's see, you met her in jail and she helped you escape. Not to mention that she seems to know a lot about you. Am I right?

Uh…

She got you there, Estelle.

I'M SO GONNA-

-Stops her- Don't. You'll know what happens if you do.

I do have to admit, while that Judith lady was a bit strange, she didn't look like a bad person.

Aside from nearly getting us caught, which means she's not all good either.

So just who is that lady?

You got to give her credit for being so mysterious.

A/N: Done with this chapter! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!