Okay, Sorry it took so long, guys...

The chapter was done, but for some reason I didn't update.

...My grandma's comp was WAAAY to slow and I got like... grounded the next day.

Ganz: Wh...what?! You got grounded? For what reason, may I ask?

Er...

... Update time!


"Hey, where's the professor?" Lloyd asked, walking into the room "and Genis... and Kratos, Sheena and Colette... Wow... where did they go?"

"They apparently got apartments close to their jobs." Zelos said.

"Hey... then where's Regal?"

There was a silence, and they looked around the room in the Inn, "...I guess he wants to look around too." Zelos suggested absent-mindedly.

Lloyd paused, glancing around the half-empty room again, "I'll... go find him." he said, shrugging.

"Careful." Zelos said suddenly, "...I heard that there's some freaky disease going around... and it makes people attack you and stuff."

"I think I can handle it." Lloyd mumbled, turning from Regal and walking down the stairs, leaving him to sit alone with Presea.

...Which probably isn't a very good idea but... whatever...

xxxxxxx

--In the fountain square--

"Hey, what's going on here?" Lloyd asked, walking up to one of the women who stood near the fountain.

"Lord Star was attacked!" Said Sebastian from behind him. "He took his Saphire ring."

"Hm?" Lloyd turned to face the short golem. "attacked...? By who?"

"Nobody knows him very much... a few people recalled seeing him near Theatre Vancoor earlier today... but that's about it."

Paling, the eternal swordsman grimaced, "Ugh.. Regal...what are you doing?" he muttered.

"Pardon?"

"Er... nothing... So, where is he?"

"He fled into the armory. I hear he's holding the store-owner captive!"

"What?" Lloyd flinched, "seriously?"

"I'm afraid so."

"... I can handle this..." he sighed, walking over to the door and knocking.

"Hey, Regal." he paused, "Open up." he said loudly.

...It was a long pause before Lloyd knocked again.

"REGAL! Hey, open up!"

"Grahh!!" The door burst open and Regal came charging through.

"Ah!" Lloyd jumped back, getting out of the way just in time not to be hit by the door. He watched as Regal came to a stop and twirled around, his eyes were blindly red with anger. "Regal, what's gotten into you?" he mumbled.

"I took the ring because I WANTED it! There's nothing wrong with that!!" he growled towards Lloyd.

He examined him closely, his handcuffs were gone and he was baring his teeth angrily at the brunette boy.

"...Ah... Regal? Give Star his ring back and apologize." Lloyd furrowed his eyebrows at him. "stop acting like a child."

"NO!!" He charged again.

"W-woa!" Lloyd blinked, unable to avoid the attack. He was thrown back as soon as Regal's head came violently into his chest. Lloyd felt the wind get knocked out of him when his back hit the wall hard, his head was knocked back and slammed against the bricks just as hard, Regal was collapsed over Lloyd's legs and Lloyd was crushed between him and the wall.

"U...ugh..." he coughed, a small river of blood streaming down the corner of his mouth.

"Hey! There he is!" Guards came running up the stairs and over to Regal, who was knocked out by impact.

Lloyd pushed himself to his feet when they hauled Regal off of him and made motions and whispers to eachother.

"...Yep." one said, "this is definately Algandars..."

"Yeah, we should hurry and bring him to the castle.

"W-wait..!" Lloyd choked, then coughing up more blood.

"Stop, don't push yourself..." A long-haired brunette girl approached Lloyd, "here..." she held a hankerchief to his mouth and dabbed at it. "The back of your head needs treatment as well... but this is the best I can do for now..." she hummed, "...I'm Yuri... I think you should go with me to the clinic." she said, letting Lloyd whipe away the rest of the blood for himself.

"...Yeah, thanks." Lloyd agreed, seeing as how she wasn't one of the three girls who tried to kidnap him earlier.

xxxxxxx

"Lloyd, what happened?" Colette gasped, wide-eyed at the sight.

Lloyd and Yuri were walking down the path that lead to Olacion where they came acossed Colette who was with a bunch of girls who crowded around a spikey-haired boy who was petting a cat. Lloyd leaned on Yuri with his arm over her shoulder for support, she didn't seem to even care that blood was starting to get on her.

"Nh..." Lloyd eyed the boy then looked at the still-approaching blonde.

"...Oh!" Colette turned half-way, motioning to the boy who Lloyd was just eyeing, "that's Vitas..." she said, smiling. "...Now, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I was just going to get this treated." he stated.

"Oh... that's a relief." The girl sighed, "I'm sorry."

"..." he blanked, "For what?"

"I wasn't there to stop whatever caused this."

Starting to grow a bit frustrated, Lloyd shifted, causing pain to shoot sharply through his entire right side.

"Nh..." he flinched, furrowing his brows a bit, "It's... not your fault, you dork..." he groaned.

"Oh... okay, you're right... I'm sorry."

"Stop. apologizing."

"O-okay..." Colette bit her lip. "...Here, let me help." she said, walking up to him.

"Are you sure?" Yuri said, as Colette steadied him.

Yuri watched as Colette made sure Lloyd was comfortable before she did anything.

"...?!" The brunette girl's eyes grew wide with disbelief as the petite blonde brought the brunette boy (who was twice her size) onto her back with ease. "Wh...wha..." she found herself speechless as the girl turned to her.

"Oh! I guess he's lighter than I thought... I can carry him on my own then." she said, smiling.

The only thing she could bring herself to do was give a slight nod. Feeling shaken, eyes wide, she was frozen to the spot.

"Bye then!"

"Bahh..." Yuri's eye twitched, she waved blankly, even when Coletteand Lloyd left, staring forward as if her soul had just drifted out of her.

xxxxxxx

"Hmm... you shouldn't be so reckless... you won't be able to move for a good three days..." Morfin said, "or at least... I'm not letting you leave this clinic..." an evil smile spread acrossed his features. "What I say always goes... and I'm sure of that."

"See, Lloyd? now you'll have plenty of time to heal!" Colette clapped.

"That's not it! I have to go to the knight trials tomorrow!"

"Knight trials?" Morfin blinked, "sorry, you'll be missing those... guess you'll have to settle for being in a normal guild unless you want to wait another week."

"N...No..." The boy groaned, but then regretting it when he started spewing blood again.

"Oh dear... If you keep moving like this you'll be here longer than you want to be..." he said, there was something that Lloyd could identify as a threat behind the 'kind' way he spoke.

Colette reached forward and whiped the blood away with her sleeve, not caring about stains for the moment. "I guess... I'll visit you until you get better, okay Lloyd?" she grinned, "Get well soon!"

And with that, she bounced to her feet and skipped towards the stairs.

"W...wait!" Lloyd croaked, as Morfin injected him with something swiftly.

"No wails for help, now..." he chuckled, turning from Lloyd and leaving him to sleep.


Well... umm, that turned out a little creepier than I was going for...

Ganz: Well... there is always the option of...well... altering?

...Nyehh...

Ganz: Hmm?

I want to keep it how it is... Besides, people are waiting for me to update on my other story too...

Ganz: ...Rika, why did you get grounded?

I ah... well, I didn't really do anything, it's only because my little brother was being an utter brat of a crybaby just to get my mom to pity him...

Ganz: ...hm?

I kicked him, xD

Ganz: What?! that's a horrible thing to do to your brother! Why did you do that?

Well, maybe it's because he started throwing stuff at me and then when I threw it back he got all angry and started to come up to me threateningly, holding his fist up. I pushed him away from me so I wouldn't get hit... He came up to me again, snarling, starting to throw a punch. I kicked him this time, hoping to keep him down. He was GOING to get up again, but no, he thought that he could make me seem like the bad guy by acting hurt. So he started crying.

Therefore... since he never really touched ME, though he was going to... I got fuckin grounded because he was being a jerk.

Mom didn't believe ANYTHING that I said and completely took his side. What bull...

Ganz:... I think you over-did it...

... (glares) he deserved it, he threw a punch at me but I dodged it... so I can't say he did anything but...

Ganz:... Well, you should still try and get along with him. He IS your brother after all.

...Yeah...

Review!