Author's note: Here we are, updated quite soon to make up for the late update before. =]

Chapter 18

Commotion

Urrgh. Everything is fuzzy. I don't remember falling asleep. Where am I?

Ariette was lying down on the bed with her eyes half open. She was back to normal and she started getting up. Her head turned this way and that, realising the room was not the same as the one she had been in before. She had a look of shock and horror on her face, and she got up. She fell instantly to the floor. She got up, holding onto the bed, and panted. She realised her legs were partially paralysed and so, she could not do anything but crawl to the door and look out into the corridor.

Where am I? This corridor isn't the same! This isn't Leon's ship! Oh dear, I've been abducted! I wonder if the others are alright? I must find them, and fast! But how, in my current condition? Hmmm…

Ariette crawled through the corridor and bumped into a pair of legs. She looked up and saw a looming black clad blond, who looked rather surprised. She growled and backed up a little.

"Oh, you're awake now? That's great!" The man said. Ariette tried to get up, but failed abysmally.

"Get away from me or I'll scream! Just because I can't walk doesn't mean I can't hurt you," Ariette said. The man's face dropped a little.

"Hey, I'm not gonna hurt you, you know. I helped you that time, remember? With those bastards testing on you," Cliff said. She looked at him angrier and growled.

"I see, and now you're abducting me? Where are the others? What have you done with them?" Ariette hissed. Cliff shook his head.

"I've not abducted you, alright? And your friends are fine. If you come in here with me, I'll explain everything," Cliff replied. Ariette made a noise of contempt and tried to get up again, lunging for Cliff. She fell over and he caught her, keeping tight hold of her. She tried to escape, wriggling all she could without the use of her legs.

"Calm down. You need to chill out, ok? Now come quietly," Cliff said. Ariette screamed and Cliff quickly took her into the main room, where numerous of the occupants had already got up to see what was going on.

"Ahhhh! Let me go this instant!" Ariette screamed, making all those who were advancing to see what was happening walk backwards.

"Ariette! You're awake!" Claude said, but thought better of going towards her, as she looked enraged. She managed to get free and fell to the floor once again. She tried to get up.

"Argh. Dammit," Ariette shouted. She hit her legs a couple of times and surprisingly for her, it worked. She got up carefully and raised her hands at Cliff. He put his hands up, gesturing for her to stop, telling her it was stupid. She launched herself at him and he jumped out of the way. She growled again and summoned her chakrams, and ran towards him in full rage. He put the back of his fists up and caught the spiked chakrams with them. Blood trickled down his hands in a small wave and he gasped in pain.

"Damn, what's WITH you? Stop this nonsense and sit down! If you haven't already noticed, your brother and friends are not in any danger," Cliff said, gasping from the spikes digging into his skin. Cries of 'stop' and 'that's enough' could be heard in the background, but Ariette was too angry to notice anything. She released a chakram and tried to slash him from below, leaving slight cuts to his middle torso and making him gasp in pain.

While all this was happening, Albel walked in, unnoticed, towards the fridge, which was situated opposite the lounging area, where the battle was taking place. He opened said fridge, taking something out and throwing it over his head. This can of cheap diet orangeade hit Cliff over the head, but he failed to notice this pre-emptive attack and carried on trying not to get hit by the huge clawed chakrams that were trying to tear him into pieces. Albel kept rummaging through the fridge and, finally, brought out a can of Dr. Pepper; his favourite. He also took a chocolate muffin out while he was at it. He walked by the battle, standing there looking to and fro at the exchanges. He shook his head and walked off a little.

Ariette was still in rage and she was pushed back by Cliff. She panted, finding her strength dwindling. She growled once more and ran towards him. She was going to strike the now bloody Cliff, but was stopped, feeling an arm around her waist.

"HEY! Let go of me this minute, or I'll-," she shrieked. A muffin was stuffed into her mouth.

"Or you'll what? Quit this fighting. I haven't woken up just to hear you fooling around with this idiot," a voice behind her said. She wrenched his arm from her and stood and stared at the black clad guy who grabbed her. He was standing there, like nothing was happening and with a look of boredom on his face.

"You, where have I seen you before?" Ariette asked.

"How would I know? I wasn't even alive 400 years ago," Albel grunted back. Ariette looked confused.

"400 years ago? What are you talking about?" Ariette said.

"Albel, you're awake! And you're looking as normal as ever," Maria said. Albel looked down at himself and back up with a cynical look on his face.

"Huh, well I do seem to be awake, is it that obvious?" Albel said spitefully.

"You were in a coma. You should be resting," Maria said.

"Oh, so now you're my mother? Can't a guy walk around after having a little sleep?" Albel hissed.

"A little sleep? You were in a coma," Maria said. Albel shook his head angrily.

"Coma…sleep, what's the difference?" Albel replied. He walked off to exit the room and turned his head for a minute.

"And you with the red hair, I'd practise some patience. Otherwise you'll end up like Fayt and your brother. And no one needs another hot headed brat around here," Albel said, before walking out into the hallway to his room.

"How do you even know me? And who are you calling hot headed?!" Claude shouted. Dias shook his head and muttered 'idiot' under his breath.

"What's going on here? Why do I get the feeling I'm alone? Everyone seems to be with the abductors…what's happening?" Ariette screamed, before falling unconscious again. Claude ran to catch her and held her sadly for a while. He picked her up and placed her under the covers of his bed and sat by her side.

Fayt got up and walked to Albel's room, where he was lying on his stomach. Fayt walked in and stood some way off from his bedside.

"How are you feeling, Albel?" Fayt asked. Albel shuffled and turned to face him, propping himself up onto his right elbow. He looked downwards, as if he were deep in thought.

"I feel strange, like something dreadful is going to happen in the near future. The dreams that haunt me…they are no longer those of my past, but of strange things that do not seem to exist," Albel said. "There's something about that red head too. She is at the pinnacle of something I don't know." Fayt looked at him and shook his head.

"But we won't know until nearer to the time, will we? I think since you were right about the strange presence on that icy planet, we have to consider your premonitions as something that could possibly come true. If you get anything more, then let us know," Fayt replied. He was about to leave, but Albel got up a little and grabbed his arm and pulled him back a little, until they were nearly nose to nose.

"Do you think of me a freak now? I know this isn't normal. What am I? How is this happening to me?" Albel said, in a nervous and slightly higher voice than normal. Fayt blinked and shook his head.

"Albel, you know what I think of you. You are my friend and friends don't abandon and think little of each other in tough times. I think it may be your troubled past that has led to you getting some sort of psychic ability," Fayt said. Albel blanched and let Fayt go.

"Who am I? What am I? What purpose do I hold? Damn it all! I have a feeling it's her fault. I know it is," Albel hissed. Fayt shook him a little.

"Get a grip on yourself! Maybe these new powers will help us! Look at Mr. Claude and his friends. Because of you, they are alive and well again. This has never happened before and you are the hero of this. So wake up and smell the coffee, will you?" Fayt said. Albel glared at him.

"I hate coffee. And who are you to talk? You said the same things when you found out you had those powers," Albel said. Fayt explained that anger is the first reaction, but that Albel should get used to it. Fayt walked out and Albel sat there, confused.

An hour later, Ariette woke up slowly. She saw Claude staring into the distance when focus finally came back to her. She reached up for his face, which made him snap back to reality and stare down at her worriedly.

"Claude? What's going on? I-I'm scared," Ariette said. Claude smiled gently and put his hand on her face.

"Everything's alright. There is nothing to be afraid of," Claude said. He explained what had happened and she sat in silence.

"Does that mean mama is-?" Ariette started. Claude nodded sadly. Her eyes watered and she started sobbing. She grabbed Claude's jacket and he held her there for a while.

In the main room, Maria was typing into the main computer. She suddenly looked surprised and lent back in her seat to stare at the screen some more. Claude walked in, pulling Ariette by the hand into the lounge area.

"Hey, are ya feeling any better?" Cliff asked Ariette, who looked up in tears.

"I'm sorry for lashing out. I don't know what's gotten into me. I never used to be like this. Thank you for rescuing me that time," Ariette sighed.

"Don't sweat it. Who knows? Maybe those jerks who tested on you did something. Just don't beat yourself up about it," Cliff said. Ariette nodded and wiped her face a little. Maria walked up to the lounge area.

"Hey, Fayt. I have just made a startling discovery. I was researching Mr. Kenni's bloodline, and it seems he wasn't the last Kenni. Mr. Kenni's father had a brother, and his bloodline carried on through him. Kenni lasted a good number of years, for about three hundred years. Then the last Kenni, a daughter Leila, married a Leingod…" Maria said. Fayt stood up.

"What?!" Fayt exclaimed. Cliff laughed.

"Yes. You and Mr. Kenni are vaguely related. Great cousins times by about a hundred. Or something of the sort," Maria laughed. Fayt looked at Claude, who had fallen asleep before Maria's speech. Fayt sighed.

"Well, I guess there's nothing wrong with that," Fayt said. They all laughed. Hours went by and Claude and Ariette finally woke up.

"What? We're related? Oh yeah…we did have an aunt and uncle. That makes sense," Claude sighed. Ariette was looking down and sighed. Claude saw that she was still feeling blue and put his arm around her. She smiled upon him and rested her head on his shoulder. Rena was sat next to Celine and Celine leaned over to talk to her quietly.

"Hey, darling, aren't you jealous that Claude is spending more time with Ariette now?" Celine whispered, giggling a bit. Rena smiled.

"Ariette's his twin, of course he needs to spend more time with her. What's wrong with you Celine?" Rena asked.

"Nothing, I was just testing you. I mean, it wouldn't be the first time you were jealous of someone else, darling," Celine laughed as Rena hit her on her arm. They both laughed and linked arms, smiling at each other. Aniki saw this display of affection and tried to get in on it, linking his arm with Celine's. Celine shoved him away lightly.

"Can't you see we're having a girl's only time, darling?" Celine asked, as Aniki started sulking.

"What are we supposed to do now? Our home is gone and the Earth has probably left us behind in technology," Ariette said. Claude rubbed her back and reassured her that everything will be alright. She nodded and said no more.

"Hey, darlings, where is the young man who saved our lives? We would like to thank the person who got us out of the frost bite, you know," Celine asked.

"He's moping in his room at the moment. And I don't think he would be too concerned about getting a thank you," Fayt replied. Everyone sat around talking happily and Ariette eventually stood up, saying that she needed to be alone for a while. Claude tried to argue, but she was gone in a flash. He sighed and brought Rena closer.