PART TWO - In The Library

The car pulled up in front of a huge house. The only other vehicle on the property was a motorcycle, meaning that no one else was home.

"I wonder if Dad ever finished working on my bike," Ran thought aloud. "I don't like having to listen to your rap music wherever I need to go."

"Oh quit your bitchin' and get an iPod," Ash retorted, turning the car off. "All righty boys, we're here." She pulled herself out of the car and stretched, while Ran walked over to her motorcycle and looked it over. "C'mon, let Dad handle your bike. We've got guests."

Ran just sighed. "You don't get it." She put her hand on the seat and said, "Besides, once this fiasco is over, I'll have to go back to school."

"Little Miss Gamer Princess is going to be a Game Making Queen," Ash called teasingly, only to have her sister throw that book at her head, to which Squall quickly walked in front and caught it.

"If it's not too much trouble, girls, let's simmer down," Squall said, taking the book and putting it inside the car. "It's not a good idea to tease people like that. They take their studies very seriously and expect others to treat it just as seriously."

"She's just my sister," Ash said, dismissing the whole thing.

He turned to face her and shook his head. "I'm serious. People that tend to be as withdrawn as Ran tend to get really worked up about whatever they are doing, and they are very sensitive about it."

She just shrugged. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was so offensive."

"You'll know for the future, and that's what matters." Squall said carefully.

Kratos pulled himself out of the car, looking at it strangely. He'd never been in a vehicle quite like that where he came from, and he found himself quite interested in the workings of the machine when he noticed that Ran had walked back over to the car.

"So, you guys wanna look through the library, do you?" she asked as both Squall and Kratos nodded. "Then come along." She walked up the front steps of the porch, leading the group to follow her. She pulled out a small plush red and white ball with keys on it from her skirt pocket and used it to unlock the door. "Ash, do you have any extra cash on you?"

"Why do you ask?" Ash pondered aloud, stepping into the living room and taking off her shoes.

Ran grumbled when she replied, "I think we'll be too busy to cook tonight. " She also took off her shoes and placed them next to the door, then started heading up the stairs. "So you might want to call for take-out at some point."

"Sound fair enough," Ash replied. "Okay guys. House rules. Shoes stay on that side of the carpet. If you don't like walking around barefoot, then we can loan you some slippers. When you're ready to go, your shoes will always be there. I had to get used to it, but Ran's always been a stiff for that kind of thing."

Squall took his shoes off and put them next to the door, then looked around the big house. The living room had a big screen TV with lots of electronics littered around it. A desktop computer sat on a small desk in a corner facing a huge fluffy couch and two recliners. Between them was a small coffee table with a bundle of mail. By the time Kratos had his shoes off, Squall had noticed a whiteboard on the wall with a chart on it. When he started to look at it, Ash just explained it cleanly.

"This house is big because there's a lot of people who live here. My sister and I are home a lot, but we also have two brothers that are in boarding schools across the country. We don't get to see Jeffery or Ralph very often. Then Mom and Dad also live here, too, but they are usually working somewhere," she explained quietly. "That chart details where everyone should be for that day, that way everyone knows where everyone else is without having to worry."

"You guys are always alone, then," Kratos said, almost as if he was asking it instead of just saying it.

"Pretty much," Ash agreed. "Right now, I've been wanting to spend time with Ran before she goes back to school again. She just got back from a culture study in Japan. She's serious about her game making dreams. Even though she's here now, she's pretty much always working, and she never really stops to have any fun."

Squall nodded. He understood that mindset well enough. "What about you?"

"I was always in my older sister's shadow. Here she was with great grades in school, got a full blown scholarship into the school of her choice, and Daddy's favorite," she muttered. "I wanted to go into creative writing and maybe support her in her dream, but, well, you know, I think she'd just laugh me off. I'm more like Mom, and I don't really know what I want to do with myself."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Squall said, noticing that Ran was waving them to come up stairs. "I think that she's ready." Kratos started up, as he had a few questions for Ran himself, and the first moment that Squall had alone with Ash, he stopped her to ask, "Have you ever discussed your feelings with your sister?"

"She doesn't listen to me," Ash said, looking away.

"I'm sure she does," he said with a slight chuckle, "I know a particular hard-ass just like her. So deep in thought and study that he doesn't know what's right in front of his face, y'know?"

"I didn't take Kratos for that kind of guy," she thought aloud with a giggle.

"It's not Kratos. He's actually more attuned to emotional responses than I am, not that is really saying much," he said with a nod. "I know she listens to you, but it seems to me like she has a wall up. If I had to guess, something hurt her before to make her so introverted."

"What lead you to that idea?"

Squall started up the stairs as he turned back to look at her, "People don't tend to get like that naturally. I think she's still hurting. She acts tough, like she doesn't care, but I know for certain she does." He sighed. To find a female version of himself surprised the hell out of him. "Ran's just trying to keep herself from being hurt anymore. As her sister, you should see that."

For a guy that hadn't known them for more than three hours at most, Squall had Ran pretty pegged once Ash took the time to think about it. They climbed up the stairs to find that Ran was sitting at her laptop computer, typing furiously. Kratos was looking at a bookshelf next to her, stopping every now and then to look down at what she was doing but not able to bring himself to say anything to her.

"Kratos tells me you are looking for a tome of some sort," Ran said as soon as she saw Squall in the room. "Tomes are ancient books in this world." She looked away from her screen when she added, "Not only are they ancient, but they're typically spell books."

"Is that true?" Squall asked, crossing his arms. "Look, Little Miss I-pretend-I-don't-care, I have to ask you something. And I want an honest answer."

Ran went back to her typing. "Shoot," she said flatly.

"Why did you say 'in this world'?"

Ash had to step in between the two once she realized that Squall had figured it out, too. "Look, I can explain," she said. "Really, I can explain everything."

"Oh really?" Squall tensed up, glaring at Kratos. "Do you realize what you pulled me from? Where the two of us are from?"

Kratos just shrugged. "My work on my world was finished. I figured when I landed here that this was a part of atoning for what I had done there." he said calmly. "If I was needed here, then I don't need to go back to a world where I'm not needed."

"I was the leader of an entire regiment of mercenary troops!" Squall shouted. "They can go nowhere without me! The two of you need to send us back to set things right. Why the hell did you call us from other worlds anyway?"

Ash walked up to Squall and looked him dead in the eyes. "Don't take this out on my sister. She didn't want to do it in the first place. I pressured her to do it," she said, her whole body shaking. "I'm guessing the book you're looking for is the 'Tome of Larissa LeLouch,' yes?"

"Yes!"

"We have it," Ran said, pulling it out of a drawer. "And if you want to go home, you'll have to consult the book." She looked at her sister, who jumped in fright from the death glare Ran had on her face. "Look what we've done. Send them home all ready." What hurt wasn't the fact that the spell she cast was useless, but the fact that she really did like Kratos and wanted to get to know him, even though she had no interest in men at all. "This is so stupid."

"But-" Ash said.

"No," Kratos said, carefully putting a hand on Ran's shoulder. "Squall, hear me out for a minute. It's not a good idea to go back to our original worlds."

"Why not?" Squall demanded.

"The girls don't know where the worlds we were pulled from are. So if you want to get more lost than you are all ready, then by all means go ahead," Kratos explained. "Ran, have you ever heard of a world called Aselia?"

"No," she replied. "Is that the world you're from?"

"Yes," Kratos said simply. "Since you've never heard of it, I know that you wouldn't be able to send me back there without any troubles. I'm not versed in magic that well, but you can't attempt a spell to transport someone somewhere if you don't know where they are going." He looked down to Ran, who was obviously hiding tears. The spirits were right when they explained that he would understand. "Listen. I know why you called me here. I can see it in your eyes. You put on a tough act, but you always have a sad, distant look on your face."

Ran shook her head. "No, no, no," she said curtly. "I am tough."

"If you say so," he said. "But if you ever need a pair of arms to run into, that's what they are here for. I mean, you both specifically asked for qualities than only two of us have, am I right?"

"The spirit that met us in the woods said that we had all the things you two asked for when you were summoning," Squall interjected.

"A spirit?" Ash asked. "That is curious. I didn't expect Larissa herself to get involved, though I guess she would since we're using her spell book."

"They told us if we found the 'Tome of Larissa LeLouch' then we would know everything we needed to know," Squall added. "And it looks like we have. A couple of selfish girls were playing with a spell book with forces they could barely control and pulled people away from their home worlds because they were lonely - without having a way to fix it."

"Squall, please don't judge us," Ash said.

Squall just shook his head as he shrugged. "I can't judge someone that did the only thing in their power to try and help their sister warm up to life," he said. "Though I am a bit peeved. My entire life I went through harsh training for my job as a solider of sorts. If I would have known that, maybe I would have taken it a bit more easy. Though, honestly, you should have given it a bit more thought than you did."

Ash sighed with relief. The last thing she wanted was for the guy she called from another world to be upset with her. He had been understanding up until that point, even if he was extremely mad about the whole situation of being pulled from his life back on Gaia. "Sis, I'm gonna call for pizza," she said, walking out the door.

"That's fine," Ran replied softly. "Get one of those cakes, too."

"Good idea!" Ash's call came from the stairs.

Squall found himself unable to stay mad about it anymore. "You know, Ran," he said, catching her attention. "Your sister really cares about you."

"I'm aware of that," she said. "It's just the way she goes about things sometimes."

Kratos then added, "She hurts just as much as you do. I don't know exactly why, but the two of you must have gone through something to require help from another world to get over it."

"Yeah," Ran agreed. "Right before I left for my study in Japan, her boyfriend was in an accident. They were really in love. I thought that when I left, she'd be okay since she'd have him to keep her company. Well, during my flight over there, he died in his hospital bed. Flat out. When I landed, I got her message on my phone. She spent the better part of a year in this house by herself, what with Mom and Dad always coming and going at random. Ash went into a downward spiral. I've only been back about two weeks now, and in a few more, I'm supposed to go back. I'm so close to graduation that I can't quit for her sake, and there's no way we'd be able to manage the both of us on my monthly checks in Japan of all places." Her eyes shifted. "Guy after guy after guy. No one could fill that void in her heart. She's changed since then."

Squall took all that in before turning to walk out the door himself. "I had best go check on her."

Ash put down the cordless phone, as she had finished ordering the three pizzas and a cake from the local delivery service. Now she was going to wait there in the living room until the food was delivered, with her thoughts to keep her company. She plopped onto the big fluffy couch to ponder the current situation.

She pondered on everything that happened since she and her sister had woke up that morning. Both were as friendly to each other as usual, though Ran was doing more of her break homework and Ash was just trying to get her to put her work down for a few minutes at least. They both ate breakfast, feeling as if the day was going to be special somehow. It was strange how Ran would suggest eating lunch out. Normally, she'd just eat a typical ham and cheese sandwich at home without thinking much past her work. It was out there, outside the delicatessen, where she laid eyes on him for the first time. Oh how on Earth was this going to work right?

It's not a good idea for me to treat him like 'okay, I just summoned you. Now I'm going to hump your brains out', Ash thought. One night stands found at a nightclub must be less awkward than this. At least then both parties know what they're getting out of what's to come.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but notice you didn't come back," Squall said from the foot of the stairs. "I came to see if you were all right."

"Well, it's best I wait for the food to be delivered. I have no idea how hungry you guys might be," she said, trying not to let her mind sink into the gutter. "I'd rather not get wrapped in something and not hear the doorbell."

"I'm sorry if I'm not what you wanted when you cast your summoning spell," Squall said bluntly as he sat down in a chair across from her. "Kratos and your sister seem to all ready understand each other, and here we are, disagreeing at every turn. Maybe your spirits didn't look carefully enough for you."

"It's not hard for everyone to disagree with me at every turn," Ash said. "Everyone treats me like a fish out of water. I'm used to it."

Squall just looked around the room before he added, "Just because you're used to it doesn't make it right."

"You don't have to try to pull one over on me. Really. I just wanted my own little piece of heaven, and for my sister to have one, too. Like I said before, I didn't really want to ruin anyone else's life. Hell, Ran was convinced that the spells wouldn't even work in the first place. She even deliberately asked for things that she knew she'd never get just to prove a point," Ash explained. "If you want me to send you back, I will."

He looked up at her with his beautiful blue-green eyes. "You don't need to. I understand why you did it, and I don't blame you. I just think you should have had a bit more foresight. A life as a solider isn't exactly fun all the time, as you can probably guess. I don't know if I can help you as much as you need. I don't know if I am what you need at all. That won't stop me from trying, at least." He reached his hand out to her in a gesture of good will and faith, and she sat there, shaking.

"You don't have to pretend to be so nice to me," she said.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Who said I was pretending?"

"No one's ever been so patient with me. Ever."

"Isn't that why you decided to summon companions from another world?" Squall asked, "Because you needed something this world couldn't give you?"

Ash felt herself shake until tears formed in her eyes. "All of you are liars, even the kindest among you," she blurted. "No one sticks around, no matter how nice they start out. In a way, Ran's way of handling it was right."

"In a way, she was. It would lead her down a path of cold loneliness until she died, but she wouldn't be hurt by others," he said. "I know this for a fact. I've been there, done that." When he stood up and walked over to her, she started to scoot away. Before she got too far, he wrapped his arms around her and held her still. "I can't help you if you don't let me."

Ran glared at the cracked cover of the old raggedy spell book. As she pushed up her glasses, she said, "This is the book that we used to call you guys over here. It's something of a family heirloom on Ash's side. Her mom had it and gave it to her sometime after our parents got married."

"Wait, you two are not of the same parents?" Kratos asked.

"Nope. Dad divorced when I was a little kid, and I don't know the lady who had me at all," Ran said passively. "Not that it matters, since we have a big family now. I don't know exactly why Dad and Mom married, really. I never paid that much attention to care."

Kratos just shook his head. "Oh, you care," he said, poking her a little. "You just don't know how to handle it, so you pretend not to."

"I always thought they just got married because Ash and I got along so well as kids," Ran said with a slight shrug. "Ralph and Jeffery never really interacted much before. They don't go to the same school now either. Dad started making more money once he started his machine fix-it shop, and then our lives really turned around. We got this big house, I was able to start planning my college studies, and everything seemed to fall into place. We were all living our own lives, and this right here was home base for everyone when they needed to rest. When the shop expanded to a small franchise, things got even better, but we all started to get even more distant." She looked out her window. "Even I did."

He tipped his head to one side, then also started to look out the window with her.

"So now you know our story," Ran said, looking back at her computer.

"Hardly," Kratos said with a grunt. "You haven't told me anything about why you called someone with my features. Why is it that someone like me, who has come from a world filled with monsters and much less technology than what is found here in this world, has the specifications that you asked for?"

"That's a very easy question. I asked for a person I couldn't get here in this world on purpose," she said carefully. "If you'd like to know why, consider this." She turned the monitor of her laptop to face him, where she all of her attention had been going before. "My sister teases me about my dreams of creating video games, but it's true. Before Mom and Dad tied the knot, I practically lived in these."

Kratos stared at the screen, full of pixels that reminded him of his home world. Swords, thatched-roof houses, the most advanced transportation being a cart pulled by a horse… "Are you sure you've never been to Aselia?" he asked. "This looks like a recreation of what is found there."

"I figured as much," she said, "because what I asked for are qualities found in many heroes from that kind of world. I've dreamt of being in those worlds so long that no man here ever catches my eye. I mean, your name is Kratos. You were either from ancient Greece or an RPG like world."

"Talk about fetishes," Kratos murmured to himself.

"I guess you could call it that," Ran said hesitantly, turning her computer back the way it originally faced. "I thought I could avoid getting close to anyone else if I loved a kind of guy I'd never meet."

He sat down across from her, looking at her anime wall scroll infested side of the room, and said, "You surrounded yourself with nonexistent people."

"Works better that way," she replied.

"No, because you forget there are people in the flesh that need you."

"What?"

"Your sister, for one."

Ran gave her new friend a look. "There was a point where she was so happy with her boyfriend, she didn't need me around. That's why I thought it was okay to go on a culture study on the other side of the world."

"She always needed you to be there for her, even if she was happy," Kratos stated. "You didn't like the fact that you weren't being given any attention by anyone, so you decided instead of hurting, that you'd cut them off? Completely? Caring for people you can't ever be around when there are people in the flesh that need you?" He stood up to get closer to her, when she noticed that she wasn't even trying to retort anything he had said. "What happened to you to make you like this?"

She couldn't really say anything. "I realize you deserve to know, because it's why I called you…"

"What are you going to do with me, because I'm in the flesh. I'm real. I exist."

"I know you do," Ran said, bowing her head. "I know you're here now. I… I have to change."