Alrighty. Here we go again, eh? I really have nothing to say. Other than I thought about putting in a one-shot Christmas chapter just for the hell of it, but I'm not sure if I will or not. I got until Sunday and Monday as far as I'm concerned. If I do write one, it may interfere with the releasal of this chapter so for now, this is just a preview. Not only that, I think I may need to consult another author here on for ideas since I tend to get stuck a lot and need to bounce around ideas with others. I imagine that other authors here may know where I'm coming from.

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"Vent! What...oh my...what happened to you!?"

"Don't worry about me, Prairie. If you think I'm hurt, you should see Aile."

"What? Aile? Is she alright!?"

"Yeah. She'll live. Physically, she'll be alright, but she's a bit of a wreck right now."

"What?"

"See for yourself."

"Aile...oh my god...What happened to you two...?"

Aile shook her head and didn't answer. Vent frowned.

"It's best you don't ask..."

Upon return from rescuing the people that Hurricaune had captured. Vent and Aile had spent the next two days in the medical wing. Vent had hardly fought her at all, but that single punch and tornado ride did quite a bit of harm. Aile on the other hand had suffered the more brutal side to the pseudoroid. Their most common visitors had been Prairie, Rose, as well as Zero and the others. They also got visits from some of the Guardians that they didn't really interact with much like Flueve and Myuget. By day three, they'd recovered enough to return to their room. Aile was doing much better. Like she had said, her emotional status stabilized by the pair's first morning in the medical wing. Now the two simply spent well deserved down time. Luckly, there was no pseudoroid activity. As Vent and Aile were getting up and about more and more, they were spending more time together, yet they seemed to be the only people that didn't notice it. Prairie took great enjoyment seeing how clueless they were in regards to their feelings to one another.

"She's right on the edge," she would think.

"All she needs are a few more little pushes..."

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"Well, well. Finally able to walk around without supporting yourself on a wall are we, Aile?"

"Oh. Hey, Vent. Um...yeah...my leg doesn't hurt anymore."

"I'm glad to see you healed so fast."

"Me too. I guess I was really banged up, wasn't I?"

"Uh-huh. If you'll excuse me, I have something that needs my attention."

Vent turned to leave.

"Vent!"

"Hm?"

"I haven't gotten to say it since we got back, but...thanks for saving me back there."

"Aw, it's nothing. I would have been able to live with myself had I not been able to stop Hurricaune when I did."

"No! Vent, you're not giving yourself enough credit. You saved my life. Don't get all noble and modest on me. I gave my skills too much credit on my first time out. You're not giving your skill enough credit after you've been out there so long. So let's try this again: Thank you for saving me."

"Uh...well...you're welcome?"

Aile gave him a flat stare.

"I mean, uh...you're welcome!"

As hard as she tried not to, Aile blushed.

"Now that's more like it."

"...Are you bl--"

"Shut up!"

"Haha...you'll be fine in no time. So, I'll see you later?"

"Y-yeah."

As Vent left Aile frowned. Ever since Vent saved her, something had started moving. She shook her head and held a hand over her heart. It ached. It started aching everytime she looked at Vent.

"...What's happening to me?"

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"Harpuia? You wanted a word with me?"

"Vent, yes, I was expecting you. What took you so long. I called you ten minutes ago."

"Bumped into Aile on the way down here."

Harpuia muttered under his breath.

"Why do I bother asking?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

"So what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Harpuia yanked himself out of his thoughts.

"Oh, um, yes. After you defeated Hurricaune, I recovered the other half of my data."

"So that means you have your password again?"

"Unfortunately, no. My data was encrypted and it'll take some time before I can recover it."

"A typical good news bad news routine."

"I have more good news if it makes you feel better?"

"And that would be?"

"You can make tornados now that I'm back at full power."

Vent's eyes lit up.

"Yay!"

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"So you've found another biometal?"

"Yes, Vent, I have."

"Alrighty then."

Prairie gave Vent the details. Apparently, this pseudoroid had the second half of the data that Vent had retrieved from Luerre.

"Finally. We can figure out what it is Serpent was so desperate to hide from us. Alright I'm going."

The doors opened and Aile stood in his way.

"I'm going with you."

"No, you're not. You're still injured."

"I don't care."

"I do."

"I'm going."

"No, you're not."

"I am."

"You're not!"

"Do not coddle me, Vent. You said the last time that you'd never forgive yourself if something happened to me when you could have been there to stop it, didn't you?"

"Which is why I don't want you to--"

"Which is why I want to go with you. You're not the only one who thinks that. I share your thoughts on the matter."

"...Alright. Sorry."

She smiled. Finally, she was getting through to him, which was no easy task.

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The mission was in a deep water filled area. Vent and Aile had changed their biometals around a bit. Instead of Model L, Aile had Model H in hopes that she could try the air dash. Much to her dismay, it didn't work underwater. In exchange for Model H, Vent had recieved Model L, which he used the moment he saw water. Visors covered their mouths and noses as the submerged.

"Alright, Aile, let's get going."

"Right."

It didn't take long for the two to see that the area was ridden with spikes. Zero sighed.

"Goodie. Spikes. I love spikes."

Vent nodded.

"You always did strike me as the rebel type."

"..."

"What?"

"The one time I use sarcasm, and no one can tell I'm using it. Why?"

"Because you're such a sacrastic bastard most of the time anyway."

"Oh, up yours, X."

Vent frowned.

"Well, I doubt that anything but Model Lx can get through a space that narrow without hitting spikes."

Aile frowned.

"Which means I have to turn back, yes?"

Vent's eyes glinted behind the visor over his eyes as he looked at Aile. She could tell just from the look in his eyes, that he had a sly grin to accompany it under the oxygen visor.

"Vent what are you planning?"

"C'mere."

"Uh...okay?"

She did as she was told.

"Okay, now-- waaaaaaah!"

Vent hoisted her up in his arms and moved through the passage. Aile couldn't have been more happy that a visor covered her face. Her face must have looked like a cherry. As Zero and the others snickered, they came out the other side of the path and Vent put her down. She avoided looking him in the eyes, her heart racing again.

"Y'know, you could give me a little warning next time."

"Sorry. Figured you'd catch on."

"Whatever, let's just get a move on."

No matter where they went, there seemed to be no short supply of Mavericks. They were busy the entire way. At one point they ran into an eel-like mechaniloid taking up residence in some of the local scrap. With both of them hacking away at it, it was sushi by the time they left. Aile's temper was getting the better of her.

"I'm getting really friggin' tired of this."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The two made their way to the very end. The large garage door loomed before them.

"Vent, why the hell do they put these doors here? It's like a big sign saying 'Hey, bad guys live here, be ready!' or something like that."

Leviathan laughed.

"They've been doing that since my time."

Zero nodded.

"And since my time."

X folded his arms.

"And Dad once told me that they did that when he was still around too."

Vent shrugged.

"I guess villians like these aren't big on brains?"

Inside was a giant...who-knew-what-the-hell-it-was. Regardless it was obviously a pseudoroid. Leviathan would have recoiled had she not been merged with Vent.

"Serpent...g-gave my power...to...to that ugly thing!? ...I think I'm going to be sick..."

The pseudoroid was obviously offended.

"Ugly? Watch how you talk to your elder!"

No one said anything for a moment until Vent, Aile, and basically everyone else other than the giant pseudoroid burst out laughing. Aile had to support herself on Vent, who was doubled over.

"Elder? Who the fuck are you kidding!? You're straight out of the factory! Elder? My ass!"

Vent's words had clearly degraded the robot.

"Wh-why you little! I'll teach you to mess with Leganchor!"

Zero smiled and pointed.

"He's even got a funny sounding name!"

"THAT'S IT!!!"

Four massive prongs launched off Leganchor. Everyone scattered. Vent cursed.

"Damn it, Zero, you took it too far!"

"It's what I do!"

Leganchor's prongs froze the walls and floors. How it didn't freeze the entire water, no one, not even Leganchor himself, bothered to question. Other than that, his arsenal was pretty much worthless as long as they stayed in the water. He would try to find them with spotlights and then fire his prongs again. He would try to suck them up into his turbines. He even released a ice dragons, which were promptly turned to dust. With Aile blasting Leganchor with Model Fx and Vent hacking him to bits with Model L, it wasn't long before the massive beast was on his last legs.

"Damn it...no...I will not die like this!"

Vent scoffed.

"Give it up, noob, it's over."

"I AM NOT A NOOB!!!"

"You're fresh outta the factory. You're a noob. No...you're a n00b!"

"HOW DARE YOU!? Damn it!!! If I die, I'm taking the smart ass with me!!!"

Leganchor's prong fired out just enough to tap Vent's armor, which, unfortunately for him, was enough to freeze him to the floor.

"Oh, shit!"

Leganchor re-aimed.

"The next one takes off your head!"

For Aile, everything seemed to slow down. A terrible fear came to life inside of her, but this was different from when Hurricaune had a death grip on her. If Vent died, then she would die. Her body acted without command. She jumped at the chain that held the prong onto Leganchor, cut it, and grabbed it. It stopped short of Vent's face. Aile redirected the prong and threw it straight through Leganchor's head. Nothing happened. No one spoke. Leganchor let out a yell before his fusion core overloaded and he exploded. As he died, the ice around Vent melted. He clutched his chest, his eyes wide.

"That...was terrifying..."

Aile dropped to her knees.

"You have no idea..."

"Aile?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you..."

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Vent and Aile sat in their room. They had recovered the last of the data from Leganchor and Prairie was busy decoding it. Serpent must have encrypted it. Vent was playing one of the ancient Nintendo DS Lite systems and an equally ancient copy of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin. He lacked his usual hype that he had when he usually played video games. Aile quietly read more of Vent's manga. Or at least she tried.

"Are you sure you're okay, Vent?"

"Yeah, I said I'm fine."

"You were frozen in ice from the neck down. That could do some damage."

"It's okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"No cold?"

"No."

"No numbness?"

"No..."

"...No freezer burn?"

"You're really are worried about me. That's a switch."

Aile muttered to herself.

"No...it's not."

"What?"

"...I said no it's not."

Vent smiled.

"Glad to hear you're worried about me, but don't worry too much. Bad for your health."

"Yeah."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to check up on that data."

"Alright."

With Vent out of the room Aile's thoughts came to her easier. Her thoughts dwelled on Vent more than they had been. And that fear. It was even worse than when Hurricaune was about to kill her. Leviathan put her hand on Aile's shoulder.

"It's really bothering you isn't it?"

"What?"

"Look, I'm not going to fool around with you this time. You know what's happening to you."

"Aile, think about it. Was that fear you felt really from the thought of your death if Vent died?"

What if Leviathan's words had some truth to them? She had felt so confused since he saved her. Now whenever she saw Vent her heart would race. He would smile and it would skip a beat. It was such a powerful feeling that at night, she would dream of the moments before Vent left to deal with Puprill. The time they had been so close, except the alarms didn't go off and Vent didn't leave. It went on to become something more. That fear. She knew what it was. It wasn't fear of dying after Vent died. She wasn't scared of dying at all...

"...I...I..."

She was afraid of Vent dying. Of losing him.

"Why? Why now? I've known him for ten years! Why is this happening to me now!?"

She kept trying to deny it to herself over and over, but whenever she tried to tell herself there was nothing between them, her heart ached horribly and she knew. The fight with Leganchor had cut it and she couldn't deny her feelings anymore.

"I'm in love with Vent."

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Man, it take's a lot to get back into the swing of writting after the holidays. I have nothing much to say. I got Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin like I thought I would and as a result I almost couldn't update the story by when I said I would! But I did! I cut it close (10 minutes) but I did it! Anyway, next Friday is the next target for updating. Hopefully, this will be where it starts getting really good, eh?