Sorry for the wait everyone. And for the last few chapters...I went to reread them to get inspired for this one, and I found plenty of grammatical and spelling errors. Need to pick up my game a little. Hopefully my next update will come within a month of this one. I have plenty of time in the summer, since all I'm doing is working.

Anyways...Enjoy! Read and review, as always.

Oh, and sorry there's no new material, if you get an alert. Not sure if updating the story will do that...just a few fix-ups.

Fight to protect another

Though it seemed like only seconds had passed, Jack awoke to the alarm he'd set the night before; it was six a.m., and his mind was still buzzing. He'd hoped a night of rest might cool him down, but it seemed that he wasn't going to be at his best today…again. Not that it mattered, really; he was supposed to train with Ridley today. While he knew she'd be trying, he also knew that by now, his capabilities were far beyond hers.

Making his way out of the room, holding his training gear in one arm with his sword in the other, he headed toward the training room, the halls void of any other people. As he made his way into the room itself, the sound of his footsteps echoed off of the walls; he could get used to this early morning routine, he thought. It was a good way to clear his thoughts, and the need to keep up appearances was void when there was no-one around.

At that, though, he paused; was he going to be here long enough to adjust to a routine? What was his next move? He knew what was coming, but he still hadn't thought of a way around it. He had to look at the pieces, try to figure out what to do next. Above all, he had to make sure that the same thing didn't happen twice; Ridley couldn't be hurt again. That was what mattered most.

Giving a sigh, he leaned against a wall and slowly slid down. His will was starting to slip away; it had only been one day of intense training, and everything was slowly going downhill. Was it because someone else knew? No…it was because one of the people he wanted to save specifically knew, he corrected. This was all turning into one huge mess, and he wasn't exactly prepared to handle it.

"I never was the smartest guy, was I…" he spoke to the empty room, giving a weak smirk. "But this isn't like before…I can't just go rushing in and hope everything turns out okay. I need to plan this out…where's the root of the problem?" he asked himself, closing his eyes to concentrate. Who had started this chain of events? After a few seconds, his eyes snapped open.

"Cross…" he said through gritted teeth. His foolish bigotry was what had started this entire series of events. In the end, he was a hindrance, and he needed to be taught a lesson. Just as he thought he'd take out some of his aggression on a nearby target, he heard the doors creak open, and found his partner for the day standing, looking down at him. She seemed a bit better off than him, but then again, she was also about an hour and a half earlier than he'd asked her to be here.

"Well, looks like we're both early. That should help," he said, tossing the training device towards her. She caught it, albeit a bit surprised at his cheery demeanor. When she'd walked in, it looked like he was angry…but now he was back to what she'd come to guess was his usual self.

"Couldn't sleep…" she muttered, looking at the training device. "What do I need to do?"

"Well first of all, put that on and do whatever you'd do for a regular warm up. You need to get used to the way it restricts your movements…just please, keep it on a lower setting for the time being," he said, giving a light grin to her as he cracked his neck, doing a few makeshift pushups and sit-ups. Ridley stared at him for a few seconds before finally starting to work her way into the equipment.

The difference was not as powerful as the last time; Jack must have lowered the level for her. She didn't like to admit that he was better, but she was thankful she could move. Starting her routine with her regular stretches, she could feel her muscles tensing up. Rather than bringing her dismay, she felt excitement. She could really improve this way, and then, he'd be nothing but another stepping stone in her career. At least, that's what she would've said a few days ago. The situation was different now. After seeing how distracted Ridley had become, Jack walked up to her and snapped a few times in front of her face, making her jump.

"Hey, I need you to focus. Come on now, we're going to start," he said, pulling her back to reality. "Go on, pick up your axe. We're gonna start off easy," he said, setting his sword against the wall. "Just try and hit me." She stared at him a bit stunned. Was he so arrogant that he'd really fight her without a weapon? He was asking for the wounds he was about to get. Nodding with her teeth gritted, she rushed at him, swinging her ax down at his head, he sidestepped the blow, and her weapon hit the floor, causing a small indent. Whistling lightly, he shook his head.

"Not bad, but we need you to have a bit more power than that, don't we?" he asked, grinning, intentionally provoking her. This was the best way to show her that she had limits, and she needed to know them. Leaning and dodging, he kept that stupid smirk on his face. He could see her eyes livid with the rage of being helpless. He'd felt it more than once, so he could recognize the look. But this wasn't the time to reminisce; he needed to keep on his toes. After fifteen minutes, Ridley was panting, covered in sweat, her ax resting on the ground while she used it as support, kneeling. Jack, panting lightly himself, walked over to her and crouched.

"That's your limit right now. Even without that training device, you would've only lasted a few more minutes. I couldn't have dodged every attack if your movements if you hadn't been restricted, so don't feel so hopeless," he said, looking her in the eyes with a simple smile. "Ya did good. You just have to know where your abilities are right now. From there, we can improve." Pulling at the chain on the back of the device, it loosened and slipped off her body.

She was too tired to argue. Her muscles were taut, and her rough breathing was keeping her from getting out a full sentence without being interrupted. She couldn't fight against him when he pulled the training gear off of her. That was a low setting? She was already exhausted, and she knew they weren't done. How could he put up with all the pain? She watched him slip the device on himself and increase the setting to his level.

"Now, it's your turn to help me. You can have five minutes to cool down, but I need you to be able to swing your ax at me when you're done," he said, stretching casually.

"You're not human," she spat, her breath returning to her. "You're insane. How the hell can you keep going?" she asked, falling onto her rump, still clutching the handle of her weapon. Jack looked down at her thoughtfully before something clicked.
"Ridley…why do you fight? Why are you a knight?" he asked calmly, looking up at the ceiling. Ridley opened her mouth to answer, as if the answer should've been easy, but she found that she had no words.

"I…My family name. I fight to honor the Silverlake name," she said, almost feeling foolish for saying it. She knew his reasons were more serious, but that was what she had clung to for years.

"I'm not saying that's a bad reason…but a very strong person once told me something that I think you should hear. She said 'Only those who fight to protect another are able to acquire true strength.' It's something I've taken to heart…and when you have that motivation, you find yourself fighting harder than you ever thought possible," he said, closing his eyes. He'd have to talk to the Chief soon. He was sure he could trust her, even in the darkest moment.

Ridley watched the boy in awe. Fighting to protect another is what gave someone true strength? No wonder he could go on even through these extremes. He wasn't just fighting for one person; he was fighting for everyone he could imagine. Family, friends, comrades…he was doing it all for them. And what did she have? Who could she fight for? She hadn't really made friends, and she wasn't close to her father. She looked at Jack again before sighing. She only knew of one person she could fight for at this point. And he needed all the help he could get. Standing shakily to her feet, she found her bearings and raised her ax.

"Alright, farm-boy. Enough chit-chat. Let's see if you're still so quick on your feet when I'm not in that metal death-trap," she said, talking as cheekily as ever, but with new motivation. She would fight to make him better. She would fight by his side to make sure he didn't end up dying before he was done. She would keep him in check, if that was possible. It was all she had to defend at this point. But if Jack was right, it would give her a reason to train harder than before.

Grinning, Jack nodded, readying his sword. Things had gone exactly as he'd hoped, and she was up and ready with a renewed vigor. I just hope this will be enough. Whatever she's fighting for, it needs to be something important, he thought, ignorant of what that cause was.

After a few hours of practice, the pair found themselves exhausted, both using their weapons as crutches. They couldn't help but laugh at themselves in the last few minutes of their fight, as both were fighting so poorly that they found it comical. Jack told Ridley that they were done for now, and that they both needed to clean up. Ridley nodded her agreement, and the pair went their separate ways. Both went to clean up, but from there, the paths they took differed immensely.

Ridley wanted to rest up for a few hours, though she planned to do some training on her own later on. She couldn't let Jack keep getting stronger, while she waited and only grew when he was willing to help her. After showering, she lay back on her bed and yawned lightly. "Farm-boy, you're better now, but you won't be for long…" she muttered, closing her eyes, exhaustion taking over her body for the time being.

Jack, however, had other things in mind. Even if his body was exhausted, he could still work toward his goal. He just had to be careful about it. He had three things in mind to do today. First, he wanted to go speak with Elwen. Second, he needed to speak with Larks, and gain his confidence. And finally, he needed to see if he could get any dirt on Cross. Right now, he couldn't handle him in a fight, but he wanted to make sure he had the upper hand in case it came to it sooner rather than later. After cleaning off the grime of training, he switched into his casual clothing and made for the gate. He spoke with the guards on his way out to make sure he could get back in when he was done in town. He pointed at his face, making sure they recognized him as a knight this time around.

Strolling down the hill towards Theater Vancoor, Jack smiled lightly. Though his body was stressed, his mind was at ease. How long had it been since he'd been able to walk through town? How long had it been since he had been named an enemy of the kingdom, and was attacked on sight by people he had called his friends? He shook that last thought off. This was a second chance, and he was going to make sure things went differently. Looking up at the sign above Vancoor's door, he grinned and walked in.

Upon his entrance, a few heads turned. The regular group was playing cards at a table in the corner. Gene and Carlos soon lost interest in him, however, and he walked up to the counter. Thanos stared the young man down, assessing his ability, before speaking. "You wanna join Vancoor, kid? I think you may have some potential." Jack smiled and shook his head.

"Not today, Thanos. I was wondering if I could speak with Chief Elwen," Jack said, causing the man to raise an eyebrow.

"Oh? And who are you to ask to speak with the chief?" Jack thought a moment before answering, making sure to word the phrase carefully.

"Truthfully, I'm no-one right now. But I think if you asked her, she'd let me talk to her. My name is Jack Russel. Can you at least ask for me?" Jack asked politely. The man behind the desk sighed before standing. "Fine. Wait here, kid," he said, walking up the stairs. Jack leaned against the desk, closing his eyes. For a moment, he felt at ease; as that moment passed, he felt himself tense up. His eyes shot open, and he jumped to the left, dodging a sword-swing by a familiar, gruff looking man.

"What the Hell!" Jack said, drawing his sword. He didn't mean to sound so immature, but he was caught completely off guard. Deputy Gerald grinned, letting his arms fall to his sides. "Wow, kid. You're pretty good. Considering how off guard you were, I'm surprised you came out unscathed. You might even get bonus points for that," he said, laughing heartily.

"Sorry, Deputy, but he isn't taking the test," Thanos said, approaching from the stairwell. The Deputy turned to look at him, and then shook his head.

"Well isn't that a damned shame. He has potential," the man said, sheathing his swords. As the man headed up the stairs, Jack watched him until he was out of sight, sheathing his weapon as well. I forgot how eccentric he was about that test, Jack thought to himself, looking to Thanos.

"Can I go talk to her?" Jack asked a tad irritated, but Thanos merely grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, she said you'd know where she was," he said, taking his seat behind the desk. Jack nodded and headed up the familiar staircase, stopping just outside her room. He raised his hand to knock, but he was cut off before it connected with the door.

"It's open," the voice called from within, and Jack opened the door casually, walking towards the nearest chair and throwing himself into it. The woman in armor looked at him with a curious look, analyzing his exhausted state. "You've been training hard, Jack. But there's no need to rush." Jack looked up at her with a weak smile, shaking his head.

"I had a feeling you'd remember. Or maybe I just really wanted you to remember…" he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. "But you're wrong. We need to rush. We can't assume time is on our side…I need to stop this before it starts." Elwen looked at the young man and sighed, taking off her helmet and placing it on the desk.

"Tell me how we got here, and then we can gauge our options."