Me: darn it!

Lloyd: what's wrong now?

Me: I can't get anyone to work for me tomorrow night! I told them a couple weeks ago that I couldn't work cause it was my grandpa's birthday but NO! They have to schedule me to work that night and now I can't get anyone to fill in for me and its getting me P.O.ed!

Lloyd: That would be kind of frustrating.

Me: just when I was having a good week too…(sigh) I'm sorry to be complaining like this but I'm just so mad! I'm one of those people who hold their emotions in till they explode or they can't express them except in pen or type.

Lloyd: Hold your emotions in? Isn't that bad for your health?

Me: yeah, it's a wonder why I'm not bedridden from all my stress…

Lloyd: please, just don't explode on me.

Me: don't worry. I promise I won't take it out on you or the readers.

Lloyd: that's a relief. So what's the chapter today?

Me: I think…maybe a mix chapter. It'll be odd but not too bad.

Lloyd: ok…Jen Rem doesn't own ToS or FF. Only Tiamatt, the Oblivion Blade, Ash, and Eria.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Kayla whined she walked beside Vincent past a sand dune. The undead man just sighed and ignored her as he looked at a compass and then down at the map in his hand. "I swear we just passed that pile of sand twenty minutes ago."

"Kayla, I know you're tired and hungry but please, do us both a favor and be quite for a moment." Vincent asked, glaring at the dragoness and then returning to his navigation. "Triet appears to be just to the north of here. We should reach it in half an hour if we keep a steady pace."

"Ok. Man, I never want to see another desert after this." Kayla sighed as they resumed walking.

"This is nothing to the desert surrounding the Gold Saucer. You couldn't travel on foot through that territory without being pulled into the sand." Vincent told her.

The pair traveled in silence for a while, Kayla occasionally slipping Vincent a sideways glance and blushing as Vincent struggled to keep his mind off the woman he had been traveling with the last few months. The both of them had opened up to each other and told the other of their past and had felt a deep connection. However, neither of them admitted it. Finally, Triet came into view, just as the sun started to set over the desert sand.

"Come on!" Kayla cried, grabbing Vincent's hand and dragging the man behind her as she rushed into town. "Now there has to be an inn somewhere…Ah! There it is!" Vincent barely had time to recover when he found himself once again being pulled by the arm.

"Kayla, please release my arm." Vincent asked. The dragoness gave an embarrassed smile and released his hand. "Thank you."

"Are the two of you looking for a room?" the innkeeper asked as she examined the odd looking pair.

"Um, yes. Two please." Kayla replied.

"Make that one." Kayla turned in shock at Vincent.

"Why one?"

"I don't sleep much, or did you forget that?" Vincent replied.

"Oh yeah…um, one room is fine." Kayla told the receptionist.

"Ok, room 3 is yours. It's just up the stairs." The innkeeper smiled as she handed the key to Kayla.

"Thank you." The dragoness bowed her head. "Oh, can we have some food taken up to the room."

"Of course. It will be there is in a moment."

"Thank you." Vincent replied, following Kayla to the room.

The inn room was small but cozy. A large queen bed sat in corner and couch sat in front of a fire placed used during the cold desert nights. Kayla instantly leapt on the bed and lay down, enjoying the soft mattress beneath her. Vincent sighed but could keep a smile from his lips.

"Ha! You smiled! I got you to smile!" Kayla cried as she sat up and laughed at the undead man. Vincent's face instantly straightened.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied coolly.

"Yes you do!" Kayla said, standing up and approaching him. "You're just denying it, just like you denied that you liked the kiss!"

"Why do you make these lies?" Vincent asked with a sigh.

"You like me don't you?" the dragoness asked, a smile on her lips.

"As a friend, yes." The gunman replied. "But nothing mo-" He was cut off as Kayla swooped in and locked her lips with his before pulling away.

"If you don't like me as nothing more than a friend then why are you so red?" Kayla teased.

"I…uh…I…" Vincent couldn't get the words out of his mouth.

"I knew it!" she was grinning from ear to ear. "You've fallen in love with me."

"I…uh…I…" Vincent stammered. "Uh…and what if I do?" he finally asked.

"Maybe…I love you back…" Kayla replied, face red as Vincent felt happiness spread throughout his entire body. "Maybe…do you think…"

"We could be…" Vincent continued.

"Maybe." Kayla said with a small smile playing on her lips. Vincent returned the smile and pulled her close, his lips connecting with hers.

"I hope so." He whispered softly as Kayla laid her head on his shoulder…

Two weeks later…

Kayla and Vincent stood in shock as they looked at the huge dragonic aerospace ship that had just appeared in just above them in the sky and had landed in a clearing. Its scarlet sides glittered brightly in the Slyvarantian sunlight as it's engines died down and the name of the ship became visible.

"Ragnorok." Kayla read out loud, taking in the immense size of the ship.

"This must be the one used during the Sorceress Wars." Vincent added.

"Where the hell are we?!" the couple turned to see three young men walk out of a door that had just opened on the side of the ship.

One had short red hair and bright yellow eyes. He wore a red shirt with a flaming wing embroded on its sleeves, and a sword with a red and gold bird for a hilt hung from his side. The second man had dark brown hair that was neatly trimmed, with silver eyes and wore a silver shirt with a moon pierced with a sword on its sleeves, and a Gunblade was slung across his back. The final stranger had silverish blue hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore a blue shirt with a rolling wave on its sleeve and a bow and quiver was visible over his shoulder.

"Shit it bird brain!" the silver-eyed man snapped.

"Make me mutt!" the red haired retorted sharply. The two glared at each other, neither moving as their friend sighed.

"Nightfire, Marth, please save your fighting for the real battles." The archer said, trying to quell his friends' anger.

"You must be the trio Tiamatt used to constantly complain about." Vincent said, grabbing the strangers' attention.

"And just who the hell are you?" the one called Nightfire snapped, glaring at Vincent but suddenly gulping in fear in realizing who he had yelled at.

"I can't believe it!" Marth gasped in shock.

"Vincent Valentine! But you're dead!" Nightfire stammered.

"…" The third examined the gunman and the woman beside him. "Where are we?"

"Jo! How can you be so calm?" Nightfire asked in shock. "For all we know we could be dead!"

"You're not dead. You've just been pulled through a dimensional rift into the world of Slyvarant." Vincent replied. "You three are Nightfire, Marth, and Josin correct?" the three nodded.

"Vince, who are they?" Kayla asked, hand ready to grab her sword in case of trouble.

"They are friends of Tiamatt. They might be able to help us." Vincent informed her.

"Whose she?" Nightfire asked, pointing to Kayla.

"Name's Kayla and Tia's my imoto, so if you're friends with her than I guess you're ok." Kayla introduced herself.

"Imoto? Isn't that 'little sister'? I thought she had no family." Marth wondered.

"Family isn't always blood Marth. You should know that better than any of us." Jo explained. "Your father considered Tiamatt like a sister."

"…" Marth was silent as he remembered the few years he had with his father, Oblivion.

"Hey! Are we invisible or something?" Kayla yelled at the trio. "You know we need to find things from Earth and Gaia like Imoto asked us."

"Tiamatt? She's here?" the trio said in unison. "Where is she?"

"She's traveling on the Regeneration Journey with Kratos." Vincent explained.

"Who the hell is Kratos?" Once again the language came from Nightfire.

"Her boyfriend." Kayla replied. The trio's jaws dropped in shock.

"What? You have to be kidding? Tiamatt in love with someone other than Sephiroth. That's a good one." Marth laughed.

"She is not the same Tiamatt you knew." Vincent sighed. "She's changed a great deal."

"Maybe we should explain this in town." Kayla offered, a sudden, strange yet not unfamiliar feeling coming over her.

"Lead the way." Jo replied.

The group made their way towards Triet which was only fifteen minutes walk from where the Ragnorok had landed. Vincent and Kayla walked ahead of the Trio, Vincent filling Kayla in on what he knew of the three newcomers.

"Kayla, is something wrong?" the gunman asked, noticing a worried look on the dragoness' face.

"I…don't know…" Kayla mummered, placing her hands over her stomach, her thoughts wandering back to a night of weakness. "I…think I …" Kayla shuddered and a feeling of foreboding swept through her mind. "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah." Nightfire mumbled quietly.

"What was it?" Marth asked.

"…" Jo was silent like normal.

"Tiamatt." Vincent said.

"It felt like…something bad is happening to her right now or something is going to happen." Kayla said softly.

"But what?" Nightfire asked.

"Please let her be safe…" Kayla whispered.

Derris Kharlan

Kratos sat in his chamber reading over reports as Cloud sat curled up in the corner of the desk. He smiled as he paused from his reading to pet the paragriff, his thoughts on the woman who had trusted him with the strange creature.

"I wonder how she is?" the seraphim asked to himself as Cloud lifted his head into Kratos' hand for a scratch. Suddenly, the bird squawked in alarm and a shudder went down Kratos' spine. "Tiamatt!"

Me: Read and Review Please!