"Ooh... That is so nice." Sheena let out a full-throated moan as she slid into the neck-deep water of the hot spring, submerging herself to her chin in the hot water. She could hear the agreeing sounds of contentment from the girls around her, and opening one eye, she grinned as she saw their expressions.

Colette looked as though she had been transported to heaven, her eyes were tightly closed and a huge grin had spread across her creamy features. Her blond hair tied up into a tight bun to stop it from getting wet, she was leaning her head back against the rocks and sighing out loud in sheer ecstasy. "This is wonderful..."

"I agree. I could stay here forever if my body didn't need nourishment." Presea agreed with a tiny smile of her own, shaking her head to feel a slight weight on her pigtails. When she looked, she let out a small giggle when she realized the tips of her hair had turned dark with water. Glancing to her left where Sheena sat, the hunter exchanged a grin with the ninja and commented pleasantly, "It's so much better than walking around the city, that is for certain..."

"Yeah, Meltokio was way too crowded, this is definitely my version of paradise." Sheena laughed out loud, curling her arms around her knees and glancing up at the open sky above them. There wasn't a cloud in sight, the azure blue overhead only dimmed by the heady steam rising off of the hot water. Closing her eyes lazily, she let out a happy sigh of pleasure and let the hot water begin to work its magic on her tense muscles and hardened skin. "I definitely am not getting out of here until I've forgotten how to move my legs..."

"That sounds like a good idea." Colette giggled in agreement glancing down to see her reflection in the crystal clear water. Wiggling her toes, she giggled once more and stretched her arms out in the crisp air of the afternoon. While the temperature had dropped a little in the northern hideaway, the open bath's heat more than made up for it and had given them a perfect slice of paradise to complete their week-long vacation. Feeling slightly impish at the idea, she told Sheena playfully, "Mmm... I might not even leave when the boys get here, hehe..."

Sheena snorted and raised a wet hand to cover her giggles, knowing it would only make her seem worse if she downright cackled with mischief. The idea seemed completely perfect to her, though a smaller voice whispered in her ear how much better it would be if Lloyd was with her. Ignoring the seductive thought and giving into her inner player, she locked eyes with Colette and grinned darkly. "I'm all for mutiny." Colette leaned her head back and giggled even louder than before, prompting the ninja to turn to the smiling Presea and ask pleasantly, "How about you? Think we should send the boys on their way and keep the springs for ourselves?"

While knowing what the proper answer should have been, the little axeman paused on her reply when she saw the mirroring smiles of her two comrades. She knew it wasn't a time for logic and while they both sounded serious enough, she also knew that they were jesting without truly knowing. Smiling in response to this strange knowledge and the welcoming sensation it brought her, she nodded her head slowly and said plainly, "Yes, I agree. I'd rather not leave at all."

Colette grinned broadly at Presea's playful words, and the blond angel promptly abandoned her seat to float over to Presea, hugging the girl. Presea let out a small squeak of embarrassment but she replied almost immediately, yet another thing that made the chosen grin from ear to ear. She had been watching closely at Presea let her cold heart warm and stumble through emotional barriers that no one else had before. 'I'm proud of her accomplishments, she's worked so hard!' "Good, then we all agree that we're not leaving!"

'Not all of us...' Sheena found herself thinking with a small frown, her glee dimming as the empty place in their threesome seemed to grow in her eyes. She had noticed the change in Raine's demeanour from the moment she'd saw her that morning, there was a weary look to her face, a pain that she was trying to fight on her own. She had barely spoken, let alone smiled on their entire outing, even the tentative mention of the possibility of ruins on the far side of the island went unnoticed, much to their shock. 'Something's wrong with her... She hasn't been herself all day...'

Colette noticed Sheena's preoccupation first, and she felt her lips turning down from her smile into a frown. The ninja's topaz eyes were worried as they gazed at the chapel by the spring, the hotel and place of worship where Raine had retired to for 'rest'. None of them had attempted to convince her otherwise, unconsciously knowing that she could not be persuaded. 'Something's wrong with the professor... She won't talk about it but we all know that there's something wrong with her... I wish she'd talk to us...'

"Do you think it's because we're children?"

Both Colette and Sheena swung around in surprise when Presea's voice rang out as clear as bell over their thoughts, and the girl turned the same shade of pink as her hair when she realized she had spoken aloud. She sat tall however and took a deep breath to calm her erratically racing heart before repeating her question in a much more quiet voice, "Do you think... Do you think that Professor Sage won't confide in us because we are children in her eyes? Because we are her students?"

Sheena blinked once, then smiled ruefully when she realized that Presea's question held more water then she had thought. 'It makes sense now that I think about it... She's a teacher, it's her responsibility to take care of her students first, then herself... She wouldn't want to worry us.' She answered slowly, though part of her prickled at the idea of being thought of as a child, "I guess that could be it... But we've been through so much together, you'd figure she'd see us as comrades and not children after everything..."

"The Professor is the Professor." Colette said simply, though her lips were still tugged downwards into a sad frown. Her eyes were dark with concern and she twisted her hands together unconsciously. Another unconscious movement brought her hand up to her throat to gently touch the surface of her crystal before she continued, "She always thinks of us as students first... She loves us."

Sheena smiled wearily, knowing that Colette's logic was as simple and pure as the snow that fell in Flanoir. She could still hear the half-elven woman's words echoing in her head in the tone of a mother. 'She's right... Raine is a professor first before anything else...' Breathing a loud sigh, she glanced into the concerned faces of her young friends and then asked softly, "Does anyone have any idea what's bothering her?"

"I don't really know, she's seemed alright since we came to Meltokio, is must be something that just happened." Colette suggested thoughtfully, glancing to her right and left to see how Presea and Sheena took the suggestion. Both of them looked as equally thoughtful as she, giving the young Chosen a boost of confidence that let her continue. Her cheeks reddened slightly and she looked down even while she spoke, "I... I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this, but, um... I think the professor and Regal have been... getting really close lately, you know...? M-Maybe they... had a fight? She... She didn't say goodbye to him this morning..."

Presea blinked twice before she closed her eyes tightly, allowing her mind to filter over the last week. Almost immediately her eyes opened and her mouth popped open to form a silent 'o' of surprise. 'She's right!' Her mind calm and focussed, she jumped as she realized the two lone adults of their party had rarely been out of reach from each other since the beginning of their vacation.

"I didn't even think of that." Sheena mumbled sheepishly, raising a hand to rub at the back of her neck in embarrassment. Her face felt hot and biting her lower lip, she told herself weakly, 'That's because I've been so focussed on Lloyd this past week, of course I barely noticed anyone else... But... Thinking about it now, she was pretty cold to Regal this morning, barely gave him a nod when he gave us all goodbyes... That is strange...'

"Perhaps we should ask if there is anything we can do to help?" Presea questioned aloud, biting her lower lip, her eyes clouded with worry. She tugged absently on the wet end of her pigtail, looking down at the water as if there was an answer there.

"I don't know they might need to settle things between themselves." Sheena knew the words weren't her own as she spoke them, she could almost hear Raine's voice in her mind echoing the words she herself had once said. She said them anyway, though the taste of the words were oddly foreign and she knew that even though she believed it, she would never follow them. 'I'm so going to end up talking to her later, aren't I...?'

"That sounds oddly familiar." Presea said dryly, though a hint of a smile had lifted her mouth as she looked pointedly at Colette who was giggling, and for her credit, looked abashed, just a foot away from them. Sheena rolled her eyes to the sky, but that only ended up sending another wave of giggles from the corner of the spring where Colette had relocated herself.

"Yeah it does sound oddly familiar, I heard it's been said a lot when I wasn't around." Sheena muttered sarcastically, but the tone didn't meet the way her lips threatened to quirk, or the light that danced in her eyes. She knew that the stress should have nearly been driving her insane, but the contentedness she had felt since she had first found herself in Lloyd's embrace was enough of a tranquillizer to calm her. 'I need this kind of thing... More than I thought I ever would...' A little smile quirking her mouth, she leaned her head back against the hot rocks and murmured to herself, "I'll need to thank him when I see him tonight..."

"Gotcha dreamin'!"

A splash of hot water hit the unprepared teenager straight in the face, and spluttering and trying to regain her equilibrium, a second round caught her in the ear. "What the–" The moment she tried to curse a third splash, this time from the right caught her, and without a thought she returned the favour and immediately drenched the laughing Presea.

"I didn't do it!" Presea knew the lie was only going to get her in trouble, but she was overwhelmed. There was a strange giddiness that refused to be controlled by logic or will, and it simply demanded obedience for whatever it was making her body do. Despite herself, she found herself listening to it and laughing hard as Colette splashed Sheena full in the face again.

"You're the devil!" Sheena growled in faux-annoyance, springing for the blond with deadly intentions. Colette squealed in delight, managing to duck into the water to escape the tackle, ending up beside Presea, laughing fit to burst as her hair came loose of the bun and spilled down her shoulders.

"I am not, I'm the Chosen!" Colette squealed back, her tiny body quivering as she dodged another of Sheena's attack, catching the summoner again in the face with another well-aimed splash. She didn't know what had caused her to start the game, but she had done it anyway, knowing that something had to be done to maintain the levity that kept them all sane. Laughter rang out from the spring as they continued the game, as they let themselves be what they were for the first time in what seemed like centuries. Children.

Raine could hear the girlish shouts of laughter from her room, and despite herself, she smiled as she glanced sheepishly out the window. The three were playing like children in the spring, ignorant to the world around them as they enjoyed themselves in a rare moment of playful levity. "It's good for them I suppose..."

Their laughter drifted from the hot springs up to the top floor of the small chapel, letting the half-elven woman know exactly what she was missing while she tucked herself away. With a rueful smile, Raine sat on the end of the small cot and winced when the flaring pain from her elbow told her she had yet to heal it. 'Ouch...' She slipped from her orange robe and rolled up the sleeve of her undershirt, checking the firm bandaging with a pained grimace. Though the blood had stopped flowing, the ringing ache still had yet to subside, giving her a worry that the wound had becomme infected. "I really ought to fix it..."

Her fingers gently brushing the white bandages, she made to begin undoing them almost out of habit before she stopped as soon as she had begun. 'No... I... I shouldn't... It's a good reminder of what I need to stop doing before it gets too out of hand...' Sighing in resignation, she rolled down her sleeve to cover the wound, glancing up balefully at the ceiling. The pain was strange, while she knew it originated from her wound and nothing else, the injury seemed to have spread up her arm and into her heart, making it a battle to even try and smile truly. 'What have you done to me...?'

"Raine..."

"Ughn! Dammit!" With more violent force than she had even assumed she had, she grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at the door. The resulting smacking sound gave her an dark pleasure, and she took a moment to calm her ragged breathing. The anger had dissipated as quickly as it had come, leaving her with a strangely empty feeling that she knew all too well. Forcing strength into her arms, she retrieved a second pillow and sent it flying against the door, but the smack was much less quieter than the first, and the echoing throb in her arm only made her feel all the more weary.

She heard a startled squeal from the hot-springs outside, and despite herself, she got to her feet and glanced out the window to see what had caused it. Sheena had crossed the spring to grab the laughing Colette in a playful choke-hold while Presea sat back, laughing delightedly at the antics of the two physically older girls. "They all look so young..."

"Eek, I give up! You win!"

"Not till you get yours for splashing me earlier, this is vengeance!"

"Nooo! Yeek!"

Raine watched with a mild amusement as Colette squirmed around as Presea began to tickle her toes, Sheena somehow managing to keep her hold on the squirming angel as they tortured her. The little blond wasn't using anywhere near her maximum strength to fight them, as if she had already surrendered to the revenge, though her laughter echoed loudly. 'Hmm...'

"Noooo!"

The professor found herself sitting on the edge of the bed again, watching the three play with an affection she recognized quite easily. It was the same maternal love she felt when she had watched Genis take his first clumsy steps towards her when he was so little, the same warmth she felt whenever she scolded Lloyd in his lessons. 'My... children...' Running a hand wearily over her face, she let the warmth soothe some of the hurt that still refused to go away. 'When did I let my judgement become so clouded by how I felt about them...?'

She winced then, the memories coming back with much more strength then she had ever thought they could have. Biting her lower lip and fighting hard to rid the pain they caused, she could only close her eyes and watch as the images replayed like crystal in her head. Each voice rang out with surprisingly clarity as though they were whispering into her ear and holding her hand, letting her know exactly how much emotion those words held.

"It feels kind of strange. I mean, you're my sister but at the same time... You were like a mother to me."

"Saving the world won't mean anything if we lose you!"

"You're just embarrassed at the compliment, aren't you Professor?"

"The bewitching female teacher... Hehehe."

"Professor Raine...?"

"You sound more like a mom than a big sister..."

'Genis, Lloyd, Colette, Zelos, Presea, Sheena... They're all my students regardless of how much or how little I've been able to teach them... I truly have failed as a teacher, haven't I...?' Laughing weakly at this, she allowed herself a moment to let the realization sink into her body and was surprised by the strange warmth the thought brought her. She felt a bitter smile spreading itself across her face and murmured to herself, "So instead of failure, I feel happiness..."

A gentle knock scared the half-elven woman out of her thoughts, and she looked up sharply at the closed door. Her heart pounding with too much speed in her chest, Raine had to take a deep breath so her fear wouldn't be betrayed before calling tiredly, "Yes?"

"Raine, can I... Can I talk to you for a sec?"

She hadn't even heard the laughter fade from the spring, and when she glanced at the clock she felt like she had been struck in the stomach. 'So lost in memory I lose out on time... What is wrong with me?' Taking a deep breath to settle herself, she didn't even bother to get up from the bed before she called tiredly, "Come in, Sheena..."

The ninja opened the door hesitantly, wearing a rueful expression that matched well with her flushed face. She entered quickly yet hesitantly, closing the door behind her with a soft sigh before she glanced at the sitting healer. Her eyes strayed over the bandaging on her arm, a question echoing in her worried topaz eyes. One hand went to the wet ends of her hair, and she toyed with them weakly as a hint of pink darkened the shade in her face.

Raine couldn't help the weary smile that spread on her face, knowing fully well why Sheena had been the one to try to speak to her. 'Payment...?' Despite the mild prickle of annoyance that begged for solitude, she gestured to the end of the bed for Sheena to take a seat beside her, unconsciously pulling her sleeve down to hide her injury. "Can I help you?"

"Well, we're gonna be leaving soon and Colette and Presea are still changing so I figured I could get a second alone with you..." Sheena explained half-heartedly, raising a hand to rub at the back of her neck in a sheepish gesture. It had only taken her one glance to see the truth before Raine had built her facade around her, she had seen the pain, pain that was so shockingly familiar it was a true battle to keep her surprise to herself. 'Those eyes... It's... It's almost like I'm looking into a mirror...' She took a breath, readying her courage and stubbornness in one go so she could fight the battle that was more than likely going to erupt in the room. "Raine, I... We... We know that something's bothering you... Do you... Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Nothing–" Her protest died out mid-sentence as she watched Sheena cock one eyebrow in disbelief, lips thinning into a stern line. Cowed yet not sure why, the teacher tried again only to find that her words had deserted her, leaving her with an oddly empty and cold feeling coursing through her entire body. 'I can't lie...' Averting her eyes out of embarrassment, she tried to ignore the laughter ringing in her mind at her own childish actions. 'But I can't tell her... What in the world...? When have I ever felt the need to act so... childish?'

"You look like I did... not too long ago." Sheena disliked the bitter taste the words left in her mouth, but they weren't without truth as she spoke them. She could see herself almost, as if she and Raine had switched positions. She was the one sitting on the edge of the bed, hands clasped together in her lap, head bowed and shoulders slumped, as if to protect herself from the outside world. 'And to hide a love so strong it was painful to carry...' She reached out and placed her hand gently on Raine's shoulder in a gesture of invitation, and her voice was soft as she continued, "I... I can't be sure, but... I think... I think I know what's wrong. The circumstances might be a bit different, and maybe you do or don't feel as strongly as I did, but... The feeling's the same. It's not easy to hold that burden, trust me, I know... But it is easier to talk about it."

"It's strange, I'm being lectured on a subject I already know by a student that I once taught on the exact same lesson." Raine muttered darkly under her breath, though she felt worse when she watched Sheena flinch as though she had been struck. Immediately restrained by her guilt, she bowed her head and murmured a quiet, "I apologize... I shouldn't be so harsh knowing what I know..." She raised her head a little, catching sight of Sheena's warm but still questioning face, and asked weakly, "How much do you know?"

"Not all of it really, but enough to guess. I know you've been getting really close to Regal the past few days, maybe as close to him as I've been getting with Lloyd." Though her face pinked at the very mention of the man she had so willingly given her heart to, Sheena forced herself to continue. Raine's slightly smug look only spurred her on, and she rushed through her words now, "Stop looking at me like that, you helped me there and I want to return the favour!"

"Sorry..." Raine apologized through a short burst of laughter, though she knew she was embarrassing the summoner she couldn't help herself. 'She just looks so much like a young woman, nothing like she used to be when we first met... She's matured so much, she no longer is that uncertain and frightened child she was only a few months ago.' Finally able to control herself and with Sheena a bright crimson at her side, Raine apologized a second time, continuing sheepishly, "It won't happen again, I promise... I appreciate the kind words as well..."

"So...? Will you at least try to tell me what's wrong?" Sheena prodded gently, every fibre of her body demanding she retreat and pretend she had never noticed a thing. As an assassin, she had seen the secretive guard that the half-elf kept up around herself, warding off any and all attempts at a try to dig into what made her what she was. She kept her griefs hidden, almost as if they didn't exist, though her pain was as real as the water she so much despised. 'But... She can't keep holding all of that in. It's not healthy and she knows it.'

"You saw my arm." The subject change was swift and it baffled Sheena, but even knowing that she knew no other way to begin an explanation. When the ninja finally nodded slowly, Raine touched the dressing calmly and continued in a low voice, "I... I did it to myself... It's true, I have been growing very... fond of Regal over the few days we've been able to spend time together... But... I don't think I can keep on growing so close to him."

"Why? You looked so happy together."

"Alicia."

The answer was simple and swiftly delivered, something that both surprised and nearly disappointed the ninja. Sheena could read the anguish that was barely hidden in the professor's normally guarded eyes and that surprised her too. 'It hurts her so much... No wonder she's been hiding herself away, it's all she can think about... Martel, this sucks for everyone...' The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, neither too sure of what to say or how to say anything that managed to get into their minds.

"Please don't tell anyone else..." Raine murmured in a pleading voice, her eyes lowered to hide the tears that threatened to spill down her face as she tried to control herself. The pain was intense, rivalling the agony she had felt when she watched her brother turn his face away from her with tears in his eyes as she stood alone in the shaking room of the tower. 'It's like part of my body is just gone... When did I start loving him? Why can't I control myself?' "I know it's a selfish request but I..."

"It's fine, I won't tell a soul." Sheena promised with a little smile, reaching out to gently place her hand on her comrade's shoulder. The healer's normally pale complexion was dusted with a gentle pink tinge that reminded the ninja of how young she truly was. 'Even though we all think of her as a mother-like figure, she's really not all that older than we are...'

"Thank you..."

Sheena slowly clambered to her feet, wondering why she suddenly felt so much colder when she made to leave the professor to herself. Glancing towards the door, she felt her body hesitate before she could actually leave the bedside, her eyes magnetically moving back to the silent woman. She paused for one moment, taking in Raine's weary expression, then murmured, "I'm going to check in on the girls to make sure we're all ready to go... Ten minutes?"

"Ten minutes will be fine, thank you." Raine answered with what she hoped was a reassuring smile, though she knew she didn't nearly have enough energy to truly put a strong emotion into it. She watched Sheena hesitate, her eyes torn and bottom lip protruding between her teeth as she struggled to make her decision. With a soft sigh, the healer nodded towards the door and instructed her calmly, "I'll be perfectly fine. Go on. I'll see you in ten minutes, no later."

"Alright..." Knowing she wouldn't be able to go if she looked at the half-elven woman's expression, Sheena kept her eyes on the ground and quickly fled the small room and closed the door with a snap behind her. Her knees shivering, she gave herself a moment, leaning against the wall and taking a deep breath. 'It was... It was suffocating in there... Was that the atmosphere around me too back then...?'

Sheena ran a hand over her face and let out a quiet sigh, letting the tension melt away from her shoulders as she reminded herself she was no longer the woman in that room. 'But I was at one point... That I can't ever forget...' She winced and bit her lower lip before she let herself shiver and begin to walk across the hall to where the other girls had roomed. 'C-Colette...'

She didn't have a chance to set her hand on the doorknob before it flew open, revealing the wide-eyed Chosen her mind had just been on. Colette smiled apologetically as she read the surprise on the ninja's face and drew back with a soft giggle, "I'm sorry, I heard your footsteps and I just knew it was you... Are you okay?"

"I'm okay, I'm just kinda... zoned out." The ninja apologized hastily, raising a hand to once again rub at the back of her neck before she felt her stomach clench at the lie. She knew without looking up from the floor that Colette didn't believe her lie, and her heart thumped twice with painful aggravation. Smiling ruefully, she looked up to see Colette's wide eyes and felt her well-built composure slide from her body like a leaf falling from a tree. 'I...'

"N-Nah, it's alright... I'm just a little... breathless."

"A-Actually... C-Colette, can I talk to you for a second...?" Sheena smiled nervously as she watched Colette smile and slip from the room smoothly, closing the door with a soft click. Hands folded primly in front of her and blue eyes bright and curious, Colette was the picture of innocence that only left the summoner feeling worse. 'How could I...' "Colette, I..." Unable to look up to see the bright blue eyes that never held blame of anger, she murmured to the ground and let the words spill from her lips, "I'm sorry for how I've been treating you the past few days. I've been really horrible to you."

"Sheena, if anything, I've been the one who's been horrible to you." Colette replied with a small frown, drawing Sheena's attention so quickly the blond jumped at her wide-eyed stare. Smiling sheepishly, the blond kicked gently at the floor and wrung her hands weakly. The emotion clawed at the inside of her chest, fighting desperately to be let out but she clamped the lid down as she continued, "I... I know that you've been in love with Lloyd for a long time... When you talked to him in Flanoir... The way he smiled at you when he went outside... I just knew that I didn't... I didn't have a chance."

Blinking in complete confusion, Sheena heard something tear in her chest when she saw the pained expression on the blond's face. The guilt came as though it was a natural occurrence to her now, causing an even greater ache in her ribcage. Wincing but forcing to keep herself silent, she held her tongue and watched as Colette raised a hand to brush the back of it over her eyes. Her face seemed tortured, even worse than the agonized expression she had worn when she realzied she could no longer speak.

"I won't lie... I..." Colette heard her voice break as she tried to speak, and the noise was coupled with the aching pull of her heart letting go and letting a final bitter sob escape it. Using more self-control than she knew she had, her cerulean blue eyes locked on startled topaz, and she continued very softly, "I'm fond of him... I think I... I think I always was... very fond of him. I don't know when I... When I realized that he didn't feel the same way about me, b-but... I... I didn't, I didn't want to let him go. I was jealous that he saw you the way I wanted him to see me..."

"C-Colette..."

She smiled, no hint of blame or malice in the expression though her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears. She reached forward, her hand gentle as it touched Sheena's. The emotion was still there, screaming and fighting to be released and cause hell, but it was stopped by another emotion, a stronger and warmer one that controlled her very being. Silently thanking Martel for the control she didn't know she had, the angel let the warmth spread, then murmured, "You're my friend. I... I understand now that he won't ever see me the way he sees you, and it doesn't make me angry..." She was quick to add as Sheena looked somewhat disbelieving and apologetic, "S-Sad, yeah, but not angry... But I have so much to be thankful for, I have great friends and even though I know that Lloyd will never see me like he sees you, I can still be happy, I can still live my life. I can't be angry at you, you're my friend Sheena. You'll always be my friend."

Sheena moved without a thought, yanking Colette forward by her collar, winding her arms tightly around the stunned blond's tiny form. She could feel Colette tensing in shock, but she didn't care, forcing her teeth together so she didn't outright sob. Her heart nearly burst inside her chest with torn emotions, a relief and sort of pain that made it difficult to breathe and think. It was like a tiny explosion has occured inside her, demanding action that she barely understood. "You idiot!" 'Why...? Why?' Closing her eyes as the tears began to flow, she whispered raggedly, "I don't know what I ever did to deserve a friend like you, you stupid, klutz of a Chosen..."

"I'm so glad you didn't kill me." Colette mumbled through a hiccup of her own, reaching up to numbly return the warm embrace, burying her face in Sheena's shoulder as her thin body began to quiver. 'I feel so stupid, but so happy at the same time.... I want this. I want to keep all of my friends close to me forever, Lloyd, Sheena, everybody...' She heard Sheena reply with a sound that mixed a laugh and a choked sob into one, and she giggled weakly into the shoulder of her friend's kimono. "I'm serious, you're my best friend."

"I'm glad I didn't kill you too." Sheena replied with a weak giggle of her own, well aware that there was tears burning in the corners of her eyes. The feel of her heart expanding in her chest made her ribs ache and lungs cry out for mercy, but she couldn't find it in herself to let the blond go. Her pride demanded to hide her still-forming tears while her heart told her to relax and calm herself. The words fell so easily from her, as though she had always been sure of where the tiny angel belonged in her heart, another part of the fmaily she had never let herself have. "I love you too Colette..."

"Whoa, I swear this place just keeps getting bigger!"

The loud exclamation brought them both rudely back to reality. The two broke apart as though they had been shocked, both grinning sheepishly while turning a shade of pink for nearly being caught in the sisterly embrace. Laughing as she recovered, Colette nodded to the stairs that led down to the foyer, a bright smile growing on her face, "I think that was Lloyd's voice. We should go and say hi."

"You just wanna say hi to Zelos." Sheena shot back smoothly, falling back into old pattern of teasing as though nothing had happened between herself and the blond Chosen she cared so much for already. She watched with a smug grin as Colette turned a bright shade of pink, lowering her eyes to the floor with a squeaky giggle of embarrassment. "C'mon, let's go down and get 'em. I'm sure they missed us too, even if they're too 'man' to admit it."

Colette giggled as she locked her arm with Sheena's barely able to quit her body from shaking with mirth. It seemed so natural to laugh and smile at the summoner, as though nothing had happened, as though the previous tears hadn't even occurred and their weak words meant nothing. The old pattern had been renewed yet changed, there was a new link in their bond that made it all the more tighter. 'It's... okay...'

They moved slowly down the stairs, peeking around the corner to make sure they hadn't been spied, giggling quietly to themselves like schoolgirls. Neither of them were quite sure what it was that made them act that way, perhaps it was the new levity they had experienced just a short hour ago, or it could have been something different altogether. It didn't really matter one way or the other, when they glanced from their sneaking at each other, they shared a secret grin that only seemed to make it natural.

"Hey, I thought you beautiful hunnies would be gone by the time we got here!"

Sheena found herself smiling at the loud and boisterous voice of the redheaded Chosen who had once made waking up an annoyance. Turning to see Colette's shy smile, she gave the tiny angel a little nudge in his direction, knowing without a doubt that the blond had missed him every moment they had been separated. She wasn't disappointed, Colette nearly fled her side and hopped down the stairs, tripping over her own two feet when she touched the bottom.

Zelos moved fluidly to make the save, catching her before she had a chance to begin to fall. She blushed crimson at her blunder, and he simply chuckled and ruffled her long hair in an affectionate gesture that only made her blush worse. Sheena noticed with a raised eyebrow at how casually Zelos' arm rested around her shoulders and the way the angel didn't make any attempt to move away from the embrace.

Her attention was successfully diverted when she heard the chuckling voice of her swordsman, and turning her head she saw him standing by the door with a grin so bright it could have lit up all of Meltokio with light to spare. Feeling her face splitting into a smile to mirror his, she cleared the last few steps with a graceful jump and landed only a foot away from him as her face began to warm. "Hi."

"Hey you." Lloyd answered with a smile, not waiting for her permission, tugging her into his arms for a bear hug that left her breathless. Taking a moment, he nuzzled against her neck and inhaled deeply, enjoying the warmth that flooded his body at the floral scent that drove him wild. He had felt spectacularly cold the moment he had watched her leave the mansion, but that feeling was gone the second he'd seen her at the foot of the stairs. "Missed you..."

"I missed you too, even if it's only been a few hours." Sheena answered with a soft laugh, standing on tiptoe to brush her lips against his cheek. It had only been a few short hours since she had left the mansion with the other girls of their party, yet being in his arms now made that short time seem like years. 'Is this what really happens when you're in love...?' "How was the first part of your day?"

Lloyd chuckled sheepishly, using his free hand to rub at his nose as a flush made its way up his neck to settle in his face. She grinned knowingly at him and it only made it worse, and he coughed once as he explained, "It was alright I guess, we didn't do much beyond hang around the mansion and talk... I'm sure you girls had more fun then we did... I don't think we're made for talking and hanging out like you girls are, no offence."

"None taken, it may just be a difference in the sexes." Sheena answered with a shrug, glancing around to see Genis talking animatedly with Presea about something that had the pink-haired girl grinning from ear to ear. Zelos and Colette seemed lock in a conversation that kept their backs to the others, though every so often Colette would giggle out loud and playfully swat at Zelos' shoulder. Raising an eyebrow when she realized that one of the males wasn't accounted for, she turned back to Lloyd and asked quietly, "I don't wanna pry, but... Has Regal been acting out of the ordinary lately? Like, did he seem off to you?"

"Off...? Now that you mention it..." Lloyd glanced around too, as if worried at the president was there and could hear him, then he lowered his head to whisper in her ear, "He did seem a bit more quiet that usual, like he didn't talk at all with any of us. Genis challenged him to a chess match and totally whipped him, I was really surprised. Regal didn't even seem to care, it's like his mind was somewhere else. I noticed he didn't even say goodbye to Raine when she left... Do you think they had a fight?"

Sheena smiled wryly, picking her words carefully before she began to explain. Her promise to Raine tugged at her loyalty, but her love for Lloyd made it difficult to hide anything from him, knowing he'd sense it. Deciding to compromise though she knew it would be difficult, she explained carefully, "I think Raine feels guilty about liking Regal because he's been suffering for Alicia, you know? She doesn't want him to feel even worse because he may or may not like her back in the same way."

"If they got into a fight and Regal's acting this way, I say he definitely has to like her." Lloyd frowned, not liking the thought of his professor and the man he'd come to admire feeling so depressed. Sheena's expression was similar and he sighed, leaning down to kiss her smartly on the cheek, continuing wearily, "This sucks... Was Professor Sage acting bad too?"

"Yeah, she didn't talk much to any of us, and when we got here she said she wasn't feeling too well and locked herself in one of the rooms upstairs..." Sheena explained with a growing frown, glancing at the ceiling as though she could see the professor still in the room on the end of the bed where she'd left her. "I think she's beating herself up. She doesn't like to admit it when she's feeling sad..."

"I don't think anyone does, which might be a problem." Lloyd grumbled once under his breath, hearing Sheena giggle once at him before she nuzzled playfully against his neck to try and coax him to smile. He grinned obediently, and earned a quick kiss on the mouth for his trouble before he grew serious. "We ought to try and help them, knowing how stubborn the professor is and... Well, how Regal is, they might never solve their problems on their own."

"Well I know Raine's still upstairs... Maybe we could get Regal to go up there somehow to talk to her?"

"Maybe..."

He knew it hadn't been proper of him to eavesdrop, but the moment he had heard Sheena murmur his name his ears had perked and he couldn't help but listen. He had smiled wanly when he'd listened to Lloyd quietly talk about him, but he knew every word had been truthful, so he had said nothing.

His attention however had truly been piqued when he heard Raine's name, and despite himself he listened quite attentively to the rest of the conversation. He had seen Sheena's eyes gaze unconsciously through the ceiling to where he supposed the half-elven woman's room was, and despite himself he felt his legs moving towards the stairs to get himself there.

He had seen her expression before she'd turned away the sheer agony and guilt that clouded her normally so expressive eyes and his heart ached for seeing that pain there. He hadn't understood then, unsure of what he had done to create those saddened eyes. The words of his two younger comrades had unlocked the simple puzzle, giving him a new picture to look at. A picture that completely bewildered him even though it was so familiar.

Guilt. He was no stranger to it, but it did surprise him that she was feeling it for him. He found himself wondering why the thought hadn't occurred to him earlier, it seemed so simple to him now. 'She worries about the promise I made... When in all reality, shouldn't I be the one concerned over breaking my word...? She... She worries about my emotions more so than her own...'

It ate at him even though he found himself concerned for her, a strange gnawing sensation that turned his soul two ways before it spun on its own, completely confused. He could still hear Alicia's soft voice gently scolding him, coupled with the warm sensation of Raine's lithe body pressed against his own. 'Ah...'

He was well aware of climbing the stairs two at a time, even though his mind had yet to fully digest all of the information he had been presented with. He followed Sheena's gaze to the room at the farthest end of the hall, though he paused before he could knock. 'What should I.... even say to her to begin with...? I... I am sure that these feelings I have will not go away, nor do I want them to. I am content to be with her. More so than I have been in a very long time... But how...?'

To his surprise the door swung open while he was lost in thought and he had no time to step backwards before she stepped right into him. Reacting instinctively, he caught her hands before she stumbled backwards, keeping her upright with one soft tug of his arms. "Ah, Raine..."

"R-Regal?" Raine stammered, well aware of the blush that was spreading across her face as she realized how close she was to him. His hands gently enclosed hers, and for the life of her she couldn't find the power to jerk them free. Instead she stared numbly up into the surprised face of the man who had been haunting her. 'Wh-What is he doing here...?'

"I... I would..." Regal cursed himself inwardly for his inability to speak, and with a hoarse cough he gave himself a second to recover. Her eyes were wide as they stared up at him, almost frightened, and he hated himself for seeing the anxiety building in her pale expression. His hands loosening on hers, he brought them up absently to touch her reddened cheek, brushing his thumb tenderly over her skin. "Raine, I would like to speak with you, if you don't mind... There is much I need to say to you."

Her mind commanded her body to run, to jerk away from him and flee before she let her heart take over and destroy all of her rational thought. His hand was warm against her face, caressing her so soon she was aching all over with a primal surge of desire that did strange things to both her body and mind. She had never had much trouble thinking clearly before, but a simple touch made it nearly impossible to form coherent thought, let alone words. 'Say no, just say no and slam the door in his face, do something, anything!'

He had leaned down until his mouth brushed against her ear, his arms looping over her head to tighten gently around her waist to hold her. The embrace was shockingly familiar though she could only count on one hand how many times she had been in it, and despite herself she stepped forward and rested her head against his shoulder. 'I...' She could feel it, the warm desire that made it difficult to breathe and demanded compliance and when he took a step forward to enter the room, she automatically took one back to let him in. The door shut behind them with a soft sigh.

AN

Cliffhanger? XD Of sorts I suppose. Damn did this take long enough to finish or what? (sweatdrop) I don't know what's wrong with me seriously, it's been getting increasingly difficult to roll out the updates. I'd love to blame writer's block but it's worse than that, I have no idea what's wrong. Maybe I've lost the touch? (shudders horribly) Good god if that's the truth, I want someone to come up to me and shoot me right between the eyes, and I don't care who it is, just do it. If I ever lose the ability to write, there is seriously no reason for me to live anymore. Writing is my life, it's who I am and losing that is like losing my soul. (Evie: You already sold your soul for a parking space in hell, what are you talking about?) Begone plot-fairy from hell. (grumble)

Ah, so yeah, where was I... Oh yeah, review responses XD Blahah.... Before I do that, my sincere apologies for the lousiness of this chapter XD I don't know what's wrong with me but this is the third rewrite of this chapter so I'm putting it up before I blow my own head up. Sorry.... T.T

Brave Soul: A glomp is a really fast and kinda of leaping hug, lol, it's below a tackle in the "violent" department, so think of it as a really energetic hug, lol. XD I just felt touched so I really had to do it to show ya how much I appreciated your review. Hehe... And aww, did I get you attached to RegalxRaine? That makes me feel oddly proud and really bad at the same time... XD I never was one to try and force my pairings on someone else, though I damn well love to ship 'em... I don't mind helping you make an account if you'd like XD

Sychotic: XD You're not the only one who thought like that! First time I fought him, (and I mean the first playthrough I ever did...) I got my ass pwned each and every time I fought Kratos. He seemed invincible, which annoyed me since I hate losing... XD Hehehe. Ja, sorry about this chapter too (eheh) damn writer's... cramp?

Lloyd Irving Aurion: Hehe, you've got a point, breaks can help when the creativity still flows. Doesn't seem to be flowing right now though, dammit, lol. Hmm, a series of shots after Luin? That sounds pretty good, I'll give that some thought... Anything in particular you're thinking of?

The Raven: (grins) Yay I made a fan squeal! (feels special) XD

So once again, god damn the writer's cramp. XD Btw, if I disappear for a long period of time, I apologize because it's either me fighting of writer's block, or my computer finally succumbed to the blasted virus that got rid of my background and replaced it with what looks like a message from 4-chan telling me that my system's infected. -.- My comp looks fine, and it's working fine, but blah. I've backed up all my work, hoping for the best because nothing else seems to help and just waiting for the crash day. XD See you guys soon! (hopefully)

Sky