AN: nearly called the "garuda" a "rocagong" kind of a big difference there. *plays Eye of the Tiger in the background for no reason...*

Chapter 10

"The funny thing is," Marta said, drawing Emil's attention. "I think I still remember how to do that dance. I thought for sure I would forget it."

Emil flushed. "That was the first time we held hands too."

"Ugh. I forgot how sickening the two of you were," Tenebrae sighed.

Looking down at the Centurion briefly, Emil met Marta's gaze next and they both burst out laughing.

They had spent the majority of their walk to Asgard in silence. It was nice getting to travel with Marta again, even though she walked a lot slower than he was used to. As they approached the mountain, the wind picked up from occasional breezes to a constant low moan that pushed dust and leaves in random directions back and forth across the road.

"How are we going to get past the garuda?" Marta asked, looking up at the cloudy sky, one hand holding her hair out of her face as the wind began to blow harder.

Emil stepped close behind her and put his arm around her shoulders to help brace her. "We don't even know if they've started getting aggressive yet or not."

"We don't have the time to go to Hime and try to find a winged dragon," Marta leaned against him.

"Perhaps I might be of assistance then."

The pair turned to look at a slender half-elf with dark hair. Emil's brows rose as he recognized Yuan, but hesitated to speak when he saw the man's dark expression.

"Although, out here is not the best place to talk. Come. I have a room at the inn." Yuan walked ahead several paces before turning to look at them. "Are you waiting to blow away?"

"N...no," Emil said.

Marta shook her head and hurried forward. "Uhm. Sir. You seem to... know us?"

"Of course I know you," Yuan said. "Your presence here confirms suspicions Martel and I have had for several days." He shot a dark look at Emil again.

"Wh-what did I do?" Emil balked, falling further behind.

"We will talk in the inn." Yuan led the way at a fairly fast walk, partially aided by the wind. A sudden gust of wind slammed into them just as they reached the door, ripping it free of Marta's hand. She tumbled to the floor as Emil quickly grabbed her, shoving Marta into the building. Once she was safe, Emil grabbed the door but struggled to pull it shut. Yuan gripped him around the waist and hauled. The wind change directions just as suddenly as it had started. The door slammed, throwing Emil and Yuan backwards into the floor.

Marta offered her hands down to them both. "That was close," she said. "You almost landed on me."

"Sorry," Emil said automatically and accepted her help up.

Yuan dusted off as he stood. "This way," he said, already heading towards the stairs.

Marta's gaze met Emil's. She shrugged and headed after Yuan, her hand trailing on the banister. Emil watched her for a second, struck again by how odd it was to see her as a fourteen year old again. Shaking his head, he followed up the stairs, feeling ill at ease when the inn keeper gave him a side-eyed look with a slight frown.

"You should tell him not to judge us. You could crush his skull with your boot."

Emil tripped on the last step up and sighed.

Yuan's room was the second door and as they entered, the half-elf closed and locked it behind him. Turning to face the pair, he folded his arms with a deep frown. "I don't know how to say this politely," he started. "But if Ratatosk thinks he can simply do what he likes with the world, regardless of anyone else's feelings on the matter, he needs to be taught another lesson."

Marta backed away a step. "Wh-what do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"This," Yuan gestured vaguely in the air, "Turning back time. You don't think Martel wouldn't have noticed what you did? Or me for that matter? It's a little hard to hide that kind of thing. Especially when it's seven years."

"Hey!" Marta objected. "Why are you blaming this on Ratatosk?" She thumped her fists on her hips.

"Because the mana from the old Kharlan tree was used to do it," Yuan interrupted before Marta could continue. "The only one with access to that is Ratatosk." His gaze switched to Emil.

Lifting both hands and backing away, he shook his head as he stammered, "I - I don't know anything about that!"

Yuan advanced on him. "Then ask the one who does. I know you are in contact with him. Or could take me to see him personally. The Otherworld Gate is locked. Don't think I didn't already try to get to the bottom of this on my own."

"Don't yell at Emil!" Marta grabbed Yuan's arm, hanging off it to hold him back. "He didn't do anything!"

"Marta," Yuan said firmly and sighed, straightening from his angry lean. "You don't understand the seriousness of what has been done to the world. It isn't just that time was turned back, but that it was incomplete and the tension between what the world is currently and the way things should be could very well rip the world apart." He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I get that there's a problem, but you don't have to yell at Emil," Marta said firmly. "He didn't do it."

"He is Ratatosk. Ratatosk is Emil. Regardless of which side of him initiated the action, they're equally responsible for fixing it."

"If... if I even knew what happened," Emil said in a small voice. "Ratatosk isn't answering though, and I know its because he's ignoring me."

"Then you will need to take me through the Otherworld Gate," Yuan said firmly.

Emil shook his head. "We might not have time for that. Alice and Decus are demon possessed and out to destroy the world. They already stole Solum's core and destroyed Luin."

"They might be doing us all a favor then. By releasing the mana of the people who were suddenly brought back to life, it eases the tension."

Marta released Yuan's arm and backed away in shock. "So you... You're saying..."

"We should just let the people of Palmacosta die?" Emil asked. "But..."

"But this is Alice and Decus - who know what happened and are now demons!" Marta raised her voice. "She can't be doing it for any good reason! I think she wants to destroy the world so she can be on top," Marta said. "That was what she wanted last time we saw her."

Yuan shook his head and side stepped to sit on the foot of the bed with a heavy sigh. "They will die again no matter what you do now to save them," he said. "As the world returns to what should be, they will too."

Marta collapsed back against Emil and he placed his hands on her shoulders. "I won't accept that," Emil said firmly. "Why do only a few people remember what happened?" Emil asked. "Why do you remember?"

Lowering his hands to his lap, Yuan looked them both in the eyes. "I am the new World Tree's guardian. I was shielded by Martel, as was Lloyd. He wanted to come look for you himself but I sent him on a different mission. As the mana that was used to create this time warp runs out, more people will remember what happened and more people will revert to what or who they currently are. Such as you being twenty-one instead of fourteen."

"Is there absolutely no way we can save anyone?" Marta demanded.

Yuan shook his head.

"But we can't just let Alice and Decus run around and do what they want," Emil objected.

"I honestly cannot remember if I used the remaining mana of the Kharlan Tree or not, nor do I know why or what would have prompted me to do so. However it seems to have been used. I didn't think to check the Kharlan roots when I was checking the gate."

"Oh now you're talking to me?" Emil demanded as he turned his face towards the wall. He swallowed the sick feeling in his gut, his fingers tightening on Marta's shoulders.

Yuan shook his head. "No. You don't understand. This is not a true time warp. Nothing else in the universe was set back seven years. Even then there wasn't enough mana to complete the change. Darris-Kharlan is still seven years distant from us. The new World Tree is still seven years old."

Marta shook her head. "No... No." Bowing her head, she clenched her fists. "Its not fair!"

"Your definition of fair has nothing to do with reality," Yuan said.

"Is what he's saying right?" Emil asked Ratatosk.

"Probably."

"You can't save everyone," Yuan pointed out. "I understand that you want to, but physically it isn't possible."

"Richter and Aster are working on getting the people of Palmacosta to take shelter while we awaken Ventus," Marta said.

"We're hoping to be able to take out Alice and Decus before they become any stronger," Emil added. "That should give us more time to figure out how to save people on a more long-term scale."

Marta shifted uneasily. "Why do you look like that?" she asked.

"There was another reason why I went looking for an audience with Ratatosk. Martel said there's a foreign body in the world. She can't identify it, since the new World Tree doesn't have enough power to stretch its influence across the world. But she said it came through about the same time when the world was reset."

"The guy with the sword?" Emil said, brows knitting. "Marta and I were visiting Ratatosk and Richter when something happened, but I can't remember it clearly. We might have been attacked and I'm not sure if the guy with the sword was Decus or someone else."

Yuan closed his eyes a moment and sighed. "I sent Lloyd to go find the foreign body. It isn't demon... It isn't from this world at all. But they have a weapon that uses magitech, leaving places completely devoid of mana. If only Kratos were here, he would be much better suited to finding this person."

Marta covered her face with her hands and groaned. "So many things that need doing and so few people who can do them..."

Gently squeezing her shoulders, Emil looked at Yuan and opened his mouth just as Ratatosk interrupted him. "Alice and Decus must be stopped. That is a priority. If they continue to sew destruction, chaos, and death, they quicken the reversion of the world, but also weaken my gate. Also, the mana they are releasing by killing these people isn't returning to the cycle. As much as I can tell with only a few of my Centurions awake."

"What?" Yuan asked.

"Ratatosk said that the mana from the people of Luin wasn't returned to the cycle. He might be wrong about that since he doesn't have all the Centurions awake, but..." Emil said. "Is it possible that Alice has some way to absorb the mana she's releasing?"

"Probably," Yuan said at the same time. "There's magitech that could be used to store mana until its needed."

"Alice and Decus are killing people to collect their mana for some terrible reason that only they know," Emil said. "Yuan, help us stop them. Even if... Even if we can't ultimately save these people when things go back to how they're supposed to we can't let demons run unchecked."

Pinching the bridge of his nose again, Yuan sighed.

...

"So that's it," Aster said, sitting back as he spread his hands. He had given them the short version of the story that Tenebrae had told him, Aqua had shown up halfway through and merely moved to sit on the side of the table next to Aster, gaze unfocused and directed towards the ceiling.

Raine shook her head again, which she had been doing practically throughout Aster's explanation. "I almost can't believe it, but... I remember some of those things. Even though they don't seem to have happened."

"I don't remember any of it." Genis shrugged. "Although, you do look weirdly familiar now that I think of it."

SLAM!

Aster fell backwards out of his seat with a shout then blinked up at Tiger where the younger boy stood with both fists on the table, glaring down at him.

"You're saying that I die too and that - that pervert stole my name and ruined my reputation? And - and on top of that I die and so do my parents?"

Genis tipped his head to the side and sighed. "If you were eavesdropping, the least you could do is actually listen."

Tiger slammed his fist on the table again and turned a heated stare on the half-elf boy. Genis slid his chair backwards. "I won't!" Tiger shouted. "I will not die. I'm gonna show that name-stealing pervert! I'm gonna make Marta like me and I'm gonna punch that lying creep in the face!"

"Lying?" Genis wheezed.

"He said Ratatosk was his twin!" Tiger straightened and flexed his fists with an indignant stare at Aster. "You're going to help me defeat him!"

"I - what?"

"You're his little brother, right? Don't you hate him?" Tiger demanded.

"Ah... no?" Aster could feel sweat collecting on his brow. Slowly climbing to his feet, he set the chair upright and scratched the back of his neck. "Look, Tiger. You..." He sighed. "Yes you were supposed to die, so was I and if you were listening to that part then you know Emil isn't really my brother or twin or any relation to me at all."

Tiger nodded firmly. "He stole your face. Aren't you mad?"

"No." Aster shook his head again. "Because Emil, and by extension, Ratatosk loves this world and wants to do anything he can to protect it. However Emil came to be doesn't really matter. Not to me anyway. Especially not now. I'm alive, however that happened. I'm going to do what I can to stay alive now and help as many people as I can do the same. What you do with your life now is your choice." He prodded the younger boy in the chest with a finger.

Eyes widening, Tiger straightened, hands falling to his sides. "You're right," he said and grinned. "I should avenge my parents!"

"Uhm. Are they dead?" Genis asked.

Raine had her hand over her eyes.

"Not yet. But you said that uhm. Decus and Alice destroyed Luin, right? And they're evil demons now, right? And they're gonna attack Palmacosta next, right? So help me train!"

Shocked, Aster shook his head. "I don't know how to fight!"

"What? You hang out with that dirty rat and Richter and run around the world getting into trouble!" Tiger lifted both hands in shock then clenched his fists. "Then both of us should train!"

"I... think not," Aster said in a weak voice.

"I'll help you," Genis said. "I think Aster and Raine have some researching to do."

"You don't want to be involved?" Raine asked.

"No." Genis shook his head as he stood. "I'd hold you back. There's a lot you'd both have to catch me up on. Tiger, was it? Let's go find somewhere we can practice."

"All right!" Tiger pumped his fist into the air. "I know just the place!" Turning, he dashed off with Genis hot on his trail.

Aster sighed, rubbing his temples with both hands.

"So first we should work on writing everything down," Raine said.

"Yeah, then see what other resources we have available to expand our knowledge," Aster agreed. "We need paper."

"I'll get the paper, you start finding some books." Raine cheerfully said and walked away at a fast clip.

Aster watched her go for a moment before shaking his head and going towards the card catalog near the front entrance of the library. Aqua trailed after him, giggling softly. "Richter said you would find some way to write your book about Ratatosk as soon as you got the chance. Is Raine's name going to be on it too?"

"Maybe in a footnote, she didn't help with any of the actual research," Aster said as he opened drawers and began flipping through the index. He had already selected the titles of several books by the time Raine approached him, carrying a stack of papers.

"Here," she said, "Trade. I'll get the books, you start writing."

Aster handed her his card and took the stack from her, heading back to their table to start working.

Floating beside him, Aqua perched on the edge of the table again, head tilted to the side. "I wish I could help," she said.

Looking up at her, he smiled. "You already have."

Raine returned with several books, then sat down to begin reading them as Aster worked on adding his latest information to the research notes he already had which had prompted him to start this journey in the first place. After reacquainting himself with where he had left off before, he pushed the notebook over to Raine so she could read that as well and get a better understanding of what kind of information he was looking for.

Lifting his head, Aster twisted side to side, popping his back with a sigh.

"At last he comes up for air," Richter said.

Aster started and turned to look at the redhead, and beyond him to a bald man and Hawk. "How long were you standing there?"

Richter smiled. "We just got here. But considering the mess you two have made, I'm guessing you've been at it for five hours straight."

Looking around in shock, he finally spotted a clock on the wall. "Ah... ha... ha... I guess so?" He grinned and scratched the back of his neck. "Here," he picked up his stack of papers and held them out to Richter. "We'll still need to do a final draft on it, but a majority of the information is there, I think..." His gaze slid to the bald man who was frowning at him. "Oh, where are my manners." Standing, he held his hand out. "I'm Aster Laker, researcher from Sybak."

"Brute Lualdi," the man said and hesitated briefly before taking Aster's hand.

"You're looking at me like you remember something?" Aster asked.

"No, I'm still not convinced of this time warp, but you and Richter do look familiar for some strange reason," Brute said and shook his head. "As it is, I don't think I could convince the people of Palmacosta to abandon their houses on a mere hunch and vague feeling of doom."

"Even though Luin has already suffered at the hands of this demon?" Aster asked. "Sir, we aren't sure when she will show up, but the demon likely will and we need to take precautions to save as many lives as we can."

"Where would we even take them?" Brute asked. "The bay isn't safe, the surrounding countryside isn't safe."

"The Dynasty Ruins," Raine said, looking up from her notes.

"Also full of monsters," Brute said.

"But, you have the Lord of Monsters and his Centurions on your side," Raine said and looked from Richter to Aster.

Aster nodded. "Emil would certainly help secure a space big enough for everyone."

Brute shook his head again. "There's another problem. You don't know when this demon is coming. She could show up in the next ten minutes or in the next ten days. I can't have everyone trek over to the Dynasty Ruins on the off chance that we'll even get there in time for her to not notice."

"What about an evacuation plan?" Raine asked. "So that there is less confusion when the attack comes and just have the destination be the Dynasty Ruins?"

Quickly nodding to Raine, Aster turned back to find Brute apparently considering this.

"We would still need to make sure the route there is cleared of hazards," Brute said. "But an evacuation plan sounds reasonable." He nodded to them all before turning and leaving, Hawk falling in behind him.

Richter sighed softly and pulled out a chair to sit at the table, finally looking at Aster's stack of papers.

"Raine, are you still here?" Genis asked as he dodged Brute and Hawk. "You are not going to believe this." He leaned on the table. "That Tiger kid. He's... crazy."