The second chapter is often one of the hardest to write because of continuance… But here it is. Updates will be once every 2 weeks on Tuesday. Earlier or latter depending on what my schedule is.

Title from "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap. I guess the titles are going to be based off of song titles that I was listening to as I wrote these. Hopefully they'll match up in more than melody... Also, piano version of 1000 Words from FFX-2 was also a theme in this.

I read on the Tales wiki Aselia that Walter was 17, but I'm disregarding that fact and placing him around 18-19 instead. He seems more mature then that, so I'm sticking with my legal, spicy food-loving Wally!

Chapter 2 - Hide and Seek

Sunbeams shone through the window as birds chirped their songs outside. The sky was clear, and so were the curtains, which let sunlight show directly onto a sleeping man's face. Clenching his eyes, he murmured something drowsily and pulled a blanket over his head to hide the protruding light from his face. A few minutes of rolling over, he growled and sat up, blinking an few times and hiding tired eyes from the window.

Walter slid fingers through his mussed hair and rubbed sleep out from the corners of his eyes. However true the statement that Ferines followed the sun, he still hated mornings. Because of the times he spent as a spy on the Legacy, he was still used to their late schedules, even now. Though something also told him his exhaustion was also attributed to his rising from the grave yesterday afternoon.

Looking around, memories of past events reached his mind from the familiar surroundings. Gaze drifting over to the immobile form in the other bed, he shifted through some of his options in his mind. Second chances… he had to change something. Obviously, Senel had done a well-enough job convincing the Merines to not go through with the Cataclysm that Nerifes was calm. So that's out of the way… Speaking of which, where was everyone at this point? Was the Merines still in the Village of the Ferines, or here in Werites Beacon? And for that matter, was the Village still safe?

What-ifs ran through his mind, and his mind was decided… Though because it was risky showing himself yet, he considered gathering information another recon mission. Hell, he already had his old clothing already, why not? So, in a short amount of time after that was determined, he showered and was ready to leave once more, but something made him want to leave a message to Beatty of where he was… Weighing different options in his head, he simply just wrote a note and left it on the window seat.

A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him like a tidal wave as he was neared the door, making his knees buckle under his feet and holding a hand to his head as his vision blurred. Flashes of memories from the past flickered through his head: Running through the streets of a town at dark, his feet pounding against pavement, gasps for air filling the air. Turning a corner, he dashed behind a crate as three large men ran past, not giving the alleyway a second glance.

Flash. He was back in the present, and the tiredness was beginning to fall away like shackles. His eyes slowly cleared, and he stood up and allowed his mind to take control again. Walter's eyes narrowed at the sudden wave of exhaustion that had hit him from our of nowhere… He filed it away for later thought; there were more important things to think about at this moment than sudden dizzy spells and long-forgotten memories. He was probably still tired anyway.

He quietly closed the door behind him, suddenly realizing he had arrived with nothing but the clothes on his back. Ergo, he had no money on his person. An aggravated sigh left his mouth, and with another shred of self-dignity gone, he walked in the direction of the city's fountain plaza with an empty stomach and questions on his mind.

x x x

Norma lazily opened her eyes and yawned loudly from her place in her bed… She could have sworn she had heard a thump from downstairs… She shrugged and got out of bed, stomach rumbling as she got dressed in her normal peppy dress. Brushing her hair, she noticed a small piece of paper sitting innocently on a window seat, the white note a sharp contrast from the forest green cushions under it. Curious, she picked it up and began to read it silently:

Beatty,

Went out. May be back sometime.

Norma quirked a brow at Walter's very short note and plain handwriting. "…Well that was short and to the point…" She remarked aloud. But, he was deciding to stick around, so she wasn't complaining. Shrugging, she folded the small piece of paper and stuck it in her pocket, grabbing her traveling bag with her gels and notebook inside. Walking out onto the streets, she mildly wondered where Wally was as she wandered over to the bakery to see what kind of sweets she could buy for lunch (she guessed the time to be around 10:00) All the breakfast pastries would be gone by now, so why not aim for lunch? So, she trotted over and ordered a turkey Panini, happily munching on it as she wandered around town.

x x x

Walter was leaning against a tree in the shade near the fountain plaza, listening for any interesting tidbits of information to leak in through the citizen's conversations. So far, it wasn't proving very interesting. The only things that seemed to be even remotely concerned with what he was looking for was how the nearby Port was getting a lot of new foreigners coming from the mainland, and someone's grandfather going 'senile'. His stomach growled loudly and he groaned irritably. Not to mention he was starving. He hadn't eaten anything since he got here, and that was at this time yesterday. No… Walter wasn't the most happy camper around.

A figure entered the plaza that caught his eye, and his gaze lazily drifted over to him, nearly freezing when he did so. A boy clad in violet, a black ponytail, bells hanging from his collar… That boy… Jay was his name; he's part of Senel's group. Damned knives he carried had hurt like hell, especially when they were imbued with fire…

Jay looked around, as if looking for something, and Walter turned his head towards the stream before their eyes met. Walter's skin prickled at the feeling of eyes watching him, and he struggled to keep his expression blank. For a moment, it stayed there, but soon it left as he walked to a tanned man dressed in ridiculous white clothing. Walter took this moment to casually walk out of the plaza, even steps and a nonchalant persona he had practiced with.

Unfortunately, with his platinum-blond hair and dark clothing, he never was able to perfect the skill of blending into a crowd, and felt unnerved when he felt a gaze on him again. Jay obviously has had some practice in intelligence… Walter shoved hands in pockets as he headed in the direction of the inn, the boy following at a distance. When the Ferines reached there, he opened a door to the lounge downstairs and walked in, smirking to himself slightly. At least he was of age (or at least looked it) and could freely enter.

He quickly trotted upstairs to the inn and then Norma's room, trying the door. Locked… With that kid outside, he walked back into the lounge and sat down at a table between the pianist on stage and the door, listening to conversations and ignoring the hunger pains in his stomach. Letting his gaze wander, he looked around the place. The warm atmosphere and live music was something he admitted that the Orerines innkeeper did right.

"…Excuse me, sir…" Walter's ears pricked at the greeting and looked up at the tall man addressing him. Clad in blue and green clothes oddly resembling that of a Ferines, a long tied strand of dark yellow hair slung around the man's shoulder.

His hollow face looked down at him as Walter answered, "Yes?"

His eyes seemed to gleam strangely as he asked in a mild tone. "Your face looks familiar… Forgive me for seeming forward, but you would not happen to be a Ferines whom helped defeat that Crusand general in the battle here 4 months ago, would you?"

Walter immediately sensed something off about the way he phrased it… He suddenly wished he had that turban again (much as he disliked it). He looked over at the pianist on stage and smoothly lied, "I'm sorry, but no. Blond hair just happens to be a trait that runs in my family."

The stranger seemed surprised, and quickly apologized, "Ah, I'm sorry then! I thought I recognized you, please forgive this man's intrusion then…"

The blond shook his head and continued to face the pianist, but turned his eyes towards him, "Not a problem, sir."

"Well then, I shan't bother you anymore. If you'll excuse me." He laughed it off and left through the inn door upstairs. Meanwhile, Walter felt off about the entire thing, especially if this seemingly normal person noticed his heritage and face. This might be harder than he thought…

Quietly, he left through the inn entrance and then outside once more, noticing that the afternoon sun was beginning to dip below the city walls, and people were walking around to their early-evening dinner. A couple walked by him at a faster pace on the path as he strode down a few of the roads in the city, chatting about their most loved literature stories it sounded like.

Keeping an eye out for that annoying kid in purple, he walked down a street that took him past a residential area. He passed an elderly man sweeping his patio, eyeing him suspiciously and a few children swinging around a fencepost. His eyes drooped slightly at the sight, but pushed other thoughts out of his head as he entered a wealthier area of the city, some entrances sporting trellises covered in vines or roses. One particular house was in fact a small mansion complete with a sprawling yard and trimmed hedges. In front of the house, a few people were leaving, one an elderly lady in a pink and white gown and another a taller man in orange and brown with glasses-

Walter crouched below the fence-line, cape trailing around his ankles as he looked over the bank at them. More of Senel's group… That left the blue swordswoman, Senel, the Merines and the ditsy woman to find left. He narrowed his eyes slightly at the thought of the Merines still choosing to stay with 'her brother', though he wasn't even sure that was true at this point. Beatty said so, though…

A small voice spoke to him from behind, startling him, "Who are you looking at, mister?" He turned to see a small brown-haired boy beside him, possibly around eight years old, dressed in a patched shirt and sawdust-covered pants. He tilted his head at him curiously, "Are you peeking on those two in the garden over there?"

Walter pulled the boy by the arm down and shushed him, but noticing his fearful eyes, stuttered out, "Erm… I'm on a mission, and I can't be seen by them, so stay down, ok?" The boy nodded with wide eyes. He breathed out and turned to look at the pair again.

The kid asked another question, "Are… are you a spy, like a secret agent?"

Walter rolled his eyes, "Sure, lets go with that…" He muttered aloud.

"Cool! I guessed you were, 'cause your dressed like a spy, and you have a cape. Capes are cool-looking! My friend, he plays a game called Legends, and this guy has a cape 'cept he's a bad guy, but you don't look bad except for your clothing. He says bad guys always wear black, but I said that not all bad guys wear black! I mean, look at…" Walter resisted the urge to slap his forehead as the child chattered on.

He tried to concentrate on the two figures in the yard, ignoring hunger pains, chattering children and an incoming headache. Then, the crystal eren nodded one last time to the woman and began to walk towards them. Cursing under his breathe, he tried to run, but the kid had grabbed onto his leg. Cursing even more, he grabbed him by the back of his shirt and bolted down the street, carrying the child with him. "C'mon kid; our cover's been blown." He looked down the street and saw no one on the street, but also no place to hide.

Cursing yet again to himself, he summoned his teriques and felt black wings sprout from his back. He kicked off the ground and rushed to the other side of a house, hiding behind part of a roof. In the time he did this, he failed to notice the child's look of awe on his small face. He crouched down and watched as the man looked around at the sudden sounds of flapping wings, then seemed to disregard it and walk down the street.

Walter waited until the coast was clear until he flew back to the street and gently touched down, wings disappearing as he did so. He set the kid down on his feet and crouched down in front of him, "Now kid, don't say anything about this. I mean anything, just forget this ever happened, and so help me if you do I'll…" He trailed off when he saw that talking to the stunned and awe-inspired child was futile. He sighed and stood up to walk away when he felt a small tug on his cape. He looked down and saw his tiny face looking up at him like… like he was his idol or something- oh Nerifes, what did he get himself into?

"Are you… are you a superhero…? Or magical or something?" His eyes got bigger and filled with a shining that was only present in children with heroes in their life, oh god…

Walter swallowed and exhaled heavily, Dear Nerifes, he's in deep… He crouched down in front of the kid and spoke again, "I'm not magical or a hero. I'm just…" He paused, shaking away faint memories in his mind. "...different."

The child tilted his head at that, and thought about something his parents kept telling him. The Ferines sighed again, and put a hand on the kid's shoulder, "Listen…" He started. "Don't ever treat people differently than you, ok? Kindness can go a long way for people… Just… promise me that." He said with difficulty. Lord knew he was bad with kids, though Orerines children probably weren't as bad as their parents were most times. They didn't learn how yet.

The kid nodded with a grin, one of his canine teeth missing, "Okay mister!" He put out a thumbs up in front of him for good measure.

Walter had to smile at him; he only hoped it'd stick. He ruffled the kid's hair and stood to walk away, "You take care of yourself."

The kid interrupted him as he turned to walk away. "Wait a minute mister!" Walter turned back to him. "…What's your name? Mine's Travis!"

Walter thought to himself for a moment, then decided too little people knew his real name for it to matter anyways. It wasn't like Maurits or any other Ferines would ever meet the kid. "…Delques. You probably won't remember it, but it means 'Black Wings'…"

His eyes sparkled as he quietly tried to repeat it, "Duckets."

Magical moment ruined, the man sweatdropped, "Del-ques." he repeated.

"Duh... Cuu-es?"

"Oh, just call me Walter..." He threw his hands up. For Nerifes sake, he wasn't a grammer teacher. The kid seemed to accept it as his answer, and didn't seem the least bit phased by his frustration.

His role here completed, Walter walked back down the street, cloak fluttering behind him, and leaving a kid with one hell of a first impression behind him.

x x x

Norma left the inn with a questioning expression on her face. Since last night she hadn't a clue where her new roommate had disappeared to, and his note hadn't elaborated on his location either. May be back sometime… Hell, may be back now or never is more like it. However much it may have infuriated her, it still peaked her curiosity about where the heck he was. She walked down to the fountain plaza, and looking around there, found no one save a couple in one corner who she'd best leave to themselves.

Scratching her forehead, she turned a corner and saw someone walking back to the inn, someone in a cloak and dark clothing. Knowing one of very, very few people that could be, she trotted after them at a quickened pace. When she had finally reached the inn, she walked upstairs, trying to avoid any dirty looks from the innkeeper who was chatting up some fierce looking lady who was having troubles with her room.

When she looked down the hall from her room, she wasn't nearly so surprised to see Walter sitting against the door, cloak draped around his arms and sides. She walked up to him and tapped her foot impatiently. "Hey Wally. Where the heck were you all day, I've been looking for you since noon!"

He turned his head to look at her, bangs shifting slightly. He then looked back towards the ground, chin propped on his arms. "Looking for information…" His tone seemed off for some reason… Almost pained?

Norma lightened her tone towards him, asking, "…You feeling alright?"

"Hungry." He replied back.

"Wha…?" The answer surprised her so much it made her pause. "You forgot to…? You should have eaten something, dummy!" She retorted back, not very sympathetic.

"Couldn't…"

"Well, why not?"

"Had no money…" Walter mumbled.

"…So you haven't eaten all day?" Norma questioned, noticing he had been away all day.

"Yes."

"How long has it been since you've had anything!"

"Do you mean before we fought at the Mirage Palace, or since I've been resurrected? If the latter, then no, I haven't really eaten anything at all for a while…" He retorted, flushing when his stomach let out a quieter growl.

"You're crazy! You can't go that long without eating! C'mon, my treat!" She tugged on his arm and pulled him to his feet with a bit of struggling, pushing him towards the lounge-slash-restaurant. The two entered the downstairs, then chose a table and Norma quickly ordered something. "Geez, Wally. Way to go starving yourself like that."

Walter gave her an incredulous glance, "It's not like I meant to have empty pockets when I came back, Beatty. How could I have bought anything without any gald?"

"You could have asked nicely, or just freeload and start a tab or something!" Norma waved a hand at the restaurant around her. Her eyebrows rose on her forehead in what looked like a seductive expression, "Or work over some sort of deal or something like that~." She trailed off, grin threatening to spread across her face.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, grabbing the nearby glass that a waitress had passed them and chugging half of it.

"Speaking of which, Wally…" His eyebrows twitched downwards at the nickname. "Any clue why you didn't come back in your other clothes?" Norma asked, playing with the corner of a napkin.

When the glass clinked back down onto the table, Walter shrugged, "How should I know… I guess the world didn't want to see someone who looked like a zombie wandering around terrifying the poor citizens." Not the least bit light on the sarcasm, that one…

"Ha ha. Seriously, you'd think most people would reappear like that. What's up with that?" She said, nibbling on her bottom lip.

Walter ran through the thought in his head as well… Sure, it was good camouflage from Senel's group, but did that mean he went down the supposed wrong path as the Merines' guardian…? He blinked slowly, puzzling over the circumstance of what his actions led to, starting from when he met the Merines, Senel and the taller crystal eren at Lumen Spring and so on.

A few moments later, he was lost in his thoughts, and Norma was studying his far-off expression out of the corner of her eyes while they waited for their food. Personally, Norma's stomach grumbled, but she ignored it… As for Wally, she felt sure that he was hiding part of the story from her, and the stubborn girl was sure to try and get it. Finally, when their food arrived (the seafood bread bowls from the bakery), blew a small stream of bubbles into his face with her mithril straw. It was enough to get his attention, and he looked about to scowl before catching a whiff of the food in front of them. "Food's ready, Wally~!"

He took up a utensil and retorted, "I'm aware of that, Beatty."

She frowned at him, "What, Norma isn't easy enough to say? Your just like Chloe calling Teach and Senny, Coolidge and Raynard. It's boring!"

He slurped the soup, "I don't care if it's boring, it's better than 'Stupid Orerines', isn't it? Or would you rather I call you that?"

Norma pouted, "That's no fair!"

He ignored her and blinked down at the steaming bread bowl. "Needs more spice." He said, then took another bite.

Norma gave him an odd look before trying it herself. "It tastes fine to me…"

"There isn't any spice at all in it; the flavor's all wrong…" He muttered aloud, eating anyway before his stomach growled again.

"It's chowder, it's not supposed to be spicy." The bread bowl was one of her favorites here; it was perfect! How dare he insult it!

He was silent for a moment, then spoke again to himself, "…Maybe garlic powder would do the trick?"

"Oh, you are hopeless; just enjoy it for what it is! It's great as is, it doesn't need a ton more spices and ingredients tossed into it!" Norma blurted, exasperated. "What, were you raised on curry and chili peppers or something!"

He shrugged, "I was just critiquing the soup-"

"And back talking one of my favorite dishes!" She let out a frustrated breathe, then noticed one of the other patrons staring. Lowering her voice to a normal volume, she began again, " Next time, get curry or something like that…" She thought over the menu before remembering they didn't serve it here… What he didn't know won't hurt him.

Walter looked up at the ceiling for a moment with the spoon leaning against his lips. "Curry… …I haven't had that in years." He said to himself quietly, almost reminiscing, but loud enough the girl seated across from him heard the remark.

"'In years…?' You make it sound like your as old as Teach!" She remarked, scraping the side of the sourdough bread loaf with her spoon.

His eyes became sharp, his guard up again. "The older crystal eren with glasses?" She nodded. He exhaled and turned his gaze to the piano on stage; Go Shiina didn't arrive at the restaurant until the evening rush and on weekends. "How old is he…? Early thirties?"

She tapped a finger against her chin. "…Twenty-nine, I think."

His lids narrowed at her in disbelief, "Do I look twenty-nine to you?" Thirty! Was that how old she thought he was! He barely looked over twenty-one, let alone ten years over that!

Norma propped her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, "Well then, how old are you?"

Walter gambled on telling her, and lost the inward game of rock-paper-scissors against common sense. "Eighteen."

Norma's eyes widened a little at that. "Really!" Her surprised look disappeared in turn for a grin, "Ha, you're still a kid then!"

He downright scowled at that comment, "I'm not a kid, and I'm not going to tolerate being called that by a fourteen year old!"

"Hey, I'm sixteen!" She retorted bristling. Walter ignored her and instead chugged down a few more swallows of water, yawning afterwards.

Norma glowered at being ignored, finally giving in when she couldn't take his indignant silence anymore. She pantomimed writing a check to a nearby waitress, who came around with the bill. "Fine, fine, you win! Seriously though, you don't look eighteen…" He raised an eyebrow at her, indicating for her to continue. She took up a thoughtful pose, pretending she was the famous Thinker statue and scratching her chin in thought… thoughtfully. "You look more around the twenties stage to me, just starting to enter the middle-age category!"

His eyes narrowed in annoyance, anger slipping in at the edges. "Watch it, Beatty…" He warned, glare biting into her.

She pulled out some gald, trying in vain to ignore his gaze. "Alright, sheesh… Can't take a joke, I see."

"Not when I'm the butt of the joke."

"Remind me not to pay for your meal ever again, Mister Humorless."

The two soon left the restaurant, where the older yawned widely and wanted to go back into the room. Norma gave him an odd glance, "It isn't even eight-thirty yet; how can you be tired?" He did seem to be sporting some faint circles under his eyes.

The Ferines blinked slowly, weariness seeping into his limbs again. Even for a Ferines who tended to go to bed early, he wasn't nearly this tired when he was still on his first life. He had even slept in this morning, maintaining the Orerines standard of laziness most were used to, and he was still tired. "I don't know. I just feeling like I'm going to fall asleep…" He drifted off, eyes bleary with sleepiness.

Norma's eyebrows furrowed and looked down the path towards Will's house. She was going to meet up with them tonight, he had something important he wanted to discuss with them, but Wally looked like he'd pass out at any time. She closed her eyes and growled softly to herself. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside the inn, watching with an unsettling expression how he seemed to sway slightly. Tromping up the stairs, she unlocked the room and they let themselves inside.

Walter walked over the wall and leaned against it, his head seeming like it was full of fluff. What is the matter with me? He held a hand to his forehead to try and clear his swimming vision.

She looked over him, a worried feeling in her gut. What was going on…? She walked over and looked into his face, "You ok, Wally?"

He didn't answer for a moment, holding a hand against the wall, "…I don't know. All of a sudden this wave of exhaustion hit me, and it feels like I can't stand…" He blinked hard and focused his gaze on the window, but that seemed to unsteady him even more, and he swayed on his feet.

Norma put an arm on his back, "…C'mon, you're going to bed; I'm not luggin' your heavy self over there over there."

His hand slid along the wall as his feet moved, and his mind flipped back to a distant place in the Wings of Light. Surrounded by automaton, was working in an unfamiliar room on the Whisper Crystal. A flash, then he was walking along a hallway, sliding a hand along a cold stone wall. Wet coughs echoed through the hallways as flecks of blood covered his other hand, absorbing and staining his white sleeves. Flash, he was back in his own shoes, and near the bed. He fell onto it with a flop, enjoying the comfort it gave. Sweet, sweet downy comforter, you are a lifesaver.

Norma looked down at him and crossed her arms. "Aren't you going to at least try to come up for air?"

A muffled answer from the blanket, which she guessed was no. Rolling her eyes, she pushed his shoulders over (He was lighter than she expected, but he was still like dead weight.) so that he was at least on his side. He breathed slowly, eyes closed and slowly slipping away into a dreamless sleep. She knelt on the floor and propped her arms on the edge of the bed, looking over at him. "Aren't you at least going to remove your shoes?"

It took a moment for blurry ice-colored eyes to slowly open. "No… Too tired…" He closed his eyes again, rolling onto his back for more comfort, cloak spread over one side of the bed. He didn't even comment about how close she was to invading his personal bubble of comfort. Overall, he looked like the poster child for someone who needed sleeping medication.

Norma looked at his chest rising and falling, and it reoccurred to her a small comment back at Maurits' hermitage before the Fun Bunch attacked Vaclav at the bridge. Walter had stood outside, uncovered blond hair seeming dark against the crisp white of his ordinary Ferines clothing. He was so different and, dare she say it again, cute she had thought him a different person. He proved himself a cruel jerkass later on, but that still dissuade her from the fact he wasn't one of the worst looking guys in the world. Those thoughts hadn't arisen once since their quest, but looking over him now, they were beginning to trickle back into her subconscious.

"Are you awake, Wally…?" She softly asked, a thought taking root in her list of need-to-knows.

His eyes clenched tightly together for a moment, then they opened, not really focusing on anything. "What is it…?" he asked slowly. The world felt slower… Darkness was still flickering in the corners of his vision. He looked over at Norma, who's hair was beginning to reflect some of the faint moonbeams permeating the window. The Crystal Forest flickered through his mind, but he ignored the memories for now.

Norma opened her mouth to say something. Why are you really alive again? Why do you hate the Orerines so much? Why did you wear that stupid turban in the first place? Why… Questions died on her tongue, but instead she smiled. "Night."

His expression didn't change much at that soft reply, instead nodding slightly and falling back into dreamland, not reemerging again for a number of hours. She quietly stood up and looked over by the foot of her bed. Taking a spare blanket, she draped it across him, then padded out to go see Teach and the others. Turning back for a moment, she took in one last visual image of his sleeping form, practically comatose form under a single blanket and hair shining in the moonlight, before closing the door.

x x x

No real afterthoughts this time, other than I should be doing my homework at this time…

-REVIEWER FEEDBACK AKA: Thanks for the Reviews!-

Shirogane Naoto - Hey, my first reviewer! Personally, I've never really thought about Wally and Bubbles together until now. They compliment each other's personalities, and as my favorite characters I was wondering how they would act if romance was brought into the mix. Then the story kind of... Ran away from me. ^^; Glad you enjoyed it!