Bless This World With A Stranger

by RhineWrites

Arc 14: Fantasia Tales

74. A14-3: A Break from Time

As the light of the Fantasia shimmers brightly, a new story begins its telling...

{|} Story 3: A Break from Time {|}

} Dear Diary {

"My name is Aqua, princess of the Kingdom of Tides. Until just recently, I was living a normal life inside my family's castle, enjoying my days doing pretty much whatever I wanted to do, in between having to learn things that I would need to know for when I became the queen one day."

"Boring stuff, really. But I still had to learn it, if only to make father happy."

"However, a few days ago, I did something really dumb in hindsight, sneaking out of the castle to go to some special fair that was being held in honor of the calendar turning over into a new millennium or something. I guess it wasn't so bad though, seeing as I met and became friends with..."

"I'm getting ahead of myself. Maybe I should start from the beginning here. You see, dear diary of mine, it all started..."

} The Millennium Celebration {

[The day started off like so many others, with me waking in my bed after having another perfect night of slumbers and dreams.]

As the morning sun crept in through the frilly curtains of the window, the loud and obnoxious sounds of snoring could be heard. The source of these noises was one young girl of fifteen, laying all sprawled out her bed.

The covers had been kicked to the floor, her sheets were a mess from plenty of tossing and turning, and the sheer size of the snot bubble growing and shrinking from her nose with each breath was nothing short of impressive.

The girl then goes from laying on her back to turning on her side, then turning again and again and again, the act of too many turns in one direction ultimately sending her falling from her bed and crashing onto her floor, which triggered her awakening for the day.

In fact, this was how she usually woke up each morning.

Sitting up, the girl, her eyelids still droopy with plenty of bags beneath them, looked around her room and making her wonder the exact same question she always had whenever she found herself waking like this.

"Where's my bed at?"

[After waking up, I made my way over to the vanity in order to fix myself up, to make sure I looked my best for the day, not that me doing such a thing was necessary. After all, I'm ALWAYS looking my absolute best when I wake, just like I always look my best twenty-four seven. Aren't I just awesome like that.]

"God damn it, this happens every single day with me. My hair's... OW... all twisted and knotted up from bed head. Seriously, why does this always happen with me. If it wasn't for the fact my long, beautiful blue hair always looks amazing when it's done right, I'd actually consider cutting it short so I wouldn't have as much of a hassle here."

complained the girl as she worked tirelessly to get her hair looking presentable. Seriously though, she loved her long, luscious hair by there were times she just wanted to chop it all off and so she wouldn't have to deal with all the headaches it gave her.

"Lady Aqua, have you awoken yet?"

came a voice from outside the girl's bedroom door. Aqua sighs before shouting back-

"Yeah, I'm up Cecily... and I could use a little help here, if you don't mind."

[A brief mention of my attendant, Cecily, as I can't recall if I have ever mentioned her before. She a beautiful and kindhearted girl. Not as beautiful and kindhearted as me, but still enough to be worthy of praise. Always having my back and always relied upon to say exactly what I need to hear from her.]

"Your hair is a total mess again, isn't it lady Aqua. So much so that one can't help but wonder just how you really go about sleeping at night. Then there's that poor bed of yours. I mean, just look at how messy it is. If I didn't know better, I'd say you had yourself quite the wild night last night. What, did you manage to sneak a guy, or a girl, into your room to PLAY the night before?"

"Quite you. Less talking, more brushing."

commanded Aqua as she allowed Cecily to work on her hair. While she could take matters into her own hands and do it herself. She knew it would take her hours to get the job done and even then, she was very likely not to do it perfectly.

Cecily, on the other hand, was a total wonder. She had this kind of magic about her to make the impossible possible, like getting her impossible hair to do what was needed and expected of it. Cecily was also a perfect source for hearing all the juicy gossip that was going around.

[After finishing helping me with my hair, my attendant and trusted friend told me what would be awaiting me this day, duty wise I mean.]

"There, all done and perfect... as usual."

said Cecily as she finished her work, then stepping back to admire her latest success job while also allowing Aqua her own space to do the same. Aqua looks at herself in the mirror, admiring how she looks as she runs her fingers through her now silky-smooth hair before looking back at Cecily and giving her a thumbs up.

"Perfect indeed, my closest friend. Perfect indeed. (stands) So, let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. What's my schedule looking like for the day?"

"Hm, let me take a look..."

Cecily pulls a piece of paper out from her pocket, unfolds it, then begins to read the contents aloud.

"What do we have here. Looks like you have a... right now breakfast. Then, you're nine o'clock is... nothing. Your ten o'clock is... nothing. Then you have lunch at eleven, followed by... nothing, nothing, and a little more nothing until your afternoon snack and tea, followed with plenty more nothing until dinner, then nothing some more, and finally bedtime. Yeah, looks like a pretty busy day for you."

"Hm, I see, I see. We'll, I guess I better get start... wait, you said I have NOTHING to do today?"

"Apart from breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks, and dinner... nope, nothing at all."

"... Huh, that's weird. I mean, I usually have SOMETHING I need to do, usually something dull and boring. You know, like having to sit through all those stupid histories of the kingdom lectures and all that training I have to endure on how to be a proper ruler for this kingdom once I become queen."

"I feel your pain, lady Aqua."

[It was at that moment I would hear the sounds that would change my life forever.]

Without warning, a series of loud banging sounds could be heard coming from outside the window, making both Aqua and Cecily jump in surprise.

"Oh no, we're being invaded. Quick Cecily, go grab all the food and drink you can and bring it back here. We can then barricade my bedroom door and hide away as father goes to deal with this matter."

More banging then is heard, making Aqua really freak out; enough so that she dives back into her bed and hides herself under the covers.

"Oh no, it's too late. I'm sorry, my friend but it's every princess for herself."

Cecily, while also panicked at first, quickly composes herself before moving to the window and taking a peek outside. After a moment, she flings open the curtains to get a better look outside.

"What are you doing, Cecily. Don't go opening my windows like that. What, are you trying to let the enemy know where to find..."

"It's alright, lady Aqua. There's no invasion happening. Just the common rabble throwing a little party down at the ground square."

"Huh? Party?"

Aqua crawls out of bed and joins Cecily at the window. Indeed, there did appear to be going on at the Grand Square, the center of the city located just outside the castle grounds and, from what Aqua could recall, is where all the commoners would gather whenever there was an important proclamation to be announced by the chancellor.

"Looks like the celebration has finally begun, huh lady Aqua?"

"What celebration? And why the fireworks too? Don't those idiots know you won't be able to see them in all their brilliance during the day? I mean, what a bunch of idiots."

"True, but perhaps they have a different intention behind setting some off now. As for what's being celebrated. I'm guessing you don't really know, do you."

"If I did, then I wouldn't have asked now, would I."

"Good point, lady Aqua. Well, you see, today just so happens to be the first day of the Millennial Celebration."

[The Millennial Celebration. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement.]

"The what?"

"The Millennial Celebration. A special event that can only be held once every thousand years. It was a decision by your father, at the request of the citizens of the kingdom, to hold this most special of celebrations over the course of the coming week, with the final day being THE big day."

"... That sounds really dumb, if you ask me. I mean, celebrating just because a hundred years as passed is just so... so... pedestrian."

"Actually, I believe a millennium means a thousand years, lady Aqua. One-hundred years would be seen as a century... I think."

"Who cares. I still think it's all stupid."

[Naturally, I wanted to go down and join in all the celebration.]

"I take it you wouldn't want to head down from the castle and join in all the fun then?"

"Hell no. Having to mingle with all those dirty, filthy... do you have any idea how long it would take me to wash of that commoner ilk I'd be exposed too off my delicate body once I got back to the castle after just a few minutes down there?"

"I can understand your worries... but I thought you liked bathing for long periods of time."

"I do, totally. But I like lounging about in the waters as opposed to having to worry about doing any serious scrubbing for the sake of getting clean."

"Good point. Oh well, you not wanting to go down there is probably for the best as I doubt your father would consent to you going... before the final day, that is. Just to give you a fair warning, I think you'll have to appear before the gathered crowds with you father during the final day of the celebration. Probably to show support of to say something inspiring I believe."

"Ugh... I guess I can handle a little suffering, just so long as I don't have to shake any hands before or after that."

"I completely understand. Personally, I'd rather not go down there either. Sure, it may sound all fun on paper, but I doubt all the games they're hosting will be any fun... or fair. Then there's the food which will probably be all bland tasting and then there's the free booze anyone can drink, despite their age."

"I hear ya, I hear... wait, did you just say FREE BOOZE?"

"Yes, I did. Unlike the refined and dignified drinks we have her inside the palace, the drinks the commoners have is said to be a lot stronger and more regret instilling, in the form of severe headaches and many mistakes one will likely make while intoxicated."

"Sounds... scary."

It was the exact opposite of scary in Aqua's mind. While she loved the taste of the fine wines they had on hand in the palace, she found they never did anything to truly satisfy her desires. However, the idea of feeling the far more potent drink of the commoners touching her lips...

The very idea got her all excited in more ways than one.

"Now that I think about it, I'm sure everything will be free during the celebration. At least all the food, booze, and games to be found on the celebration square grounds. Anyways, should we head to the dining hall and have breakfast, lady Aqua?"

"Yes... yes, let's go. While my day may be filled with a whole lot of drink... I mean nothing, I still want to make sure I have all the energy I'm going to need to see it all through."

[And so, I had my plans for the day. I would go down to this Millennial Celebration and join in all the fun. Especially any fun that involved drinks!]

} Meeting... HIM {

[After having breakfast and returning to my room, Cecily had taken her leave to attend to OTHER matters. Honestly, I had no idea what it was she did whenever we were apart. It was fine though as I was confident she wasn't doing anything questionable around the castle.]

"Bow... bow I say, my lowly servants. Bow before your beautiful princess... CECILY!"

"Cecily, seriously. Aren't you worried you'll be caught acting like YOU'RE the princess and not lady Aqua one day?"

"Silence knave and kiss my adorable feet already."

[I had bigger things to worry about. First, I needed to get my hands on a disguise so I could blend in with the commoners as all my natural clothes would give me away in a heartbeat. The question now for me was... where could I find something cheap and peasant like to wear.]

"Ugh, I can't believe this. Me, princess and future queen of the kingdom... digging through the laundry of the HELP! Wait, why am I digging through their laundry, anyways? I could order one of them to go do all this for me... you know what, screw it. I'll just go with this outfit here."

[The attire I had ultimately chosen for myself was a sleeveless dress with a pair of undershorts that were hidden by the dress. I confess it was a little tacky in its overall design, aside from the color blue which I adore, but I actually liked it.]

"Oh god, I feel so unclean wearing this crap. OK, let's hurry out of the castle, get down there and drink myself silly for a few hours, then get back home before lunch. I can then eat and spend most pf the afternoon washing all this servant ilk off my delicate body."

[After having gotten into my little disguise, the REAL challenge began. How would I actually get outside the castle, especially with all the guards standing watch. Surely, they wouldn't just let me walk outside, would they?]

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

came one of the front gate guards as Aqua casually walked past them. Aqua freezes before nervously looking back at the two big, burly guards who were staring her down. She knew this was bad as they clearly realized who it was she was.

'Damn it, I knew I should have gone with the secret escape passage in times of chaos route over just walking outside. How do I possibly...'

The other guard steps forward now and says-

"Are you trying to skip out on your duties here, girl?"

Turns out, they didn't know who she was. Understandable, seeing as not every guard had actually seen their princess in the flesh before. Talk about a crazy oversight on the part of the king and chancellor. Thinking fast, Aqua comes up with a response.

"Quite the opposite, sir. I figured that... seeing as the Millennial Celebration is going on and all that I... that I... would head down there and find a proper souvenir for the princess. I mean, seeing as she won't be able to go down there with her father till the final day of the festivities, and only long enough so she can be present when her father makes his big speech, I felt... yeah."

The two guards look at each other for a bit, then back at her as the first one says-

"Don't be gone too long."

"And don't go slacking off and wasting time down there, either. If we find out you have been slacking, we'll report you to the chancellor without delay."

Aqua does a salute, saying-

"Understood, sirs. You can count on me to get in, get out, and get back here before you even realized I left, or my name isn't Aqua."

With that, Aqua turns and happily skips off down the path, failing to hear the guards commenting on her name, wondering why that name sounded so familiar and filled their thoughts with fear.

[Once I was away from the castle, I quickly made my way to the Central Square. Along the way, I met some very cute, cuddly, and oh so kind critters along the path.]

"Ah, save me from these feral doggies. I'm sorry I mistook your chew toys for trash and tossed them away."

cried Aqua as she ran for her life while a pack of guard hounds gave her a rage filled chase.

[After arriving at the Central Square, I took a moment to take in the sights, the sounds, and the wonders set up before me. I even found myself admiring the people and how happy they looked.]

Aqua panted and wheezed as she leaned against a stone column. As she started to recover, her eyes looked around the area, scanning anything and everything she could see. In truth, she wasn't impressed. Understandable, considering the fact she was use to the high society living that royals were used to being surrounded by.

"Booze... must find the booze. Need to... experience a... real buzz!"

[I then began exploring, finding myself wanting to play all the games, try out all the yummy looking food they had sitting out. Maybe even make a friend or two amongst the populace.]

Aqua continued sniffing the air like some blood hound, her thoughts focused onto finding a single thing, the scent of alcohol. She knew she would know it once it reached her nose, she was confident about that, actually.

Instead, all she could smell was the scents coming off the food and from the various people around here. Sure, she would admit that some of the food items she was seeing did look yummy, but she was smart enough to know that looks could be deceiving, and she wasn't dumb enough to be fooled by appearances alone.

As for the scents of the people? Honestly, they were making her want to gag with some of what she was smelling. Either it be cheap perfume or their natural body odor, it was all making her feel rather dizzy. Even the games, and the prizes they offered, didn't appeal to her.

No, all she wanted, all she needed, was the glorious booze that awaited her. If only she could find...

She comes to a stop, her nose finally picking something up. After a few more strong whiffs, she was able to zero in on the source. There, over on a long wooden table with several workers standing besides, was a ton of drinking cups and behind them all, tons of large barrels, all likely filled with booze.

"Finally, after all my search, I have finally found you, my sweet, beautiful... gah."

[It was then, at that moment, that I would find myself meeting HIM. The guy who would forever change my life and show me there was so much more to this world for a girl like me to experience.]

Aqua, her body having gone onto autopilot upon seeing the booze, had begun to run towards it, not paying attention to where it was she was going or or else was walking around the place. Because of this, she ended up colliding with some guy who was walking past the table the moment she had reached it, causing them both to fall onto the ground.

As Aqua groans, rubbing her sore bum, she begins to complain to the guy she had ran into.

"Owie, that hurt, you jerk. Why don't you watch where other people are going there?"

"What the hell are you talking about, blue girl? You were the one who went running into me there. I repeat, RUNNING into me. Why were you in such a hurry anyways?"

"Like I would expect someone like you to understand my... what are you doing?"

asked Aqua, realizing the guy, after getting back onto his feet, had walked out to her and was holding his hand out to her.

"What does it look like, idiot. I'm offering a helping hand here to help you back onto your feet. What, do want any help?"

"... No, I mean yes. Sorry, I'm not used to interactions like these. Also... thank you."

Aqua takes his hand, immediately taking notice of the callous nature of his touch. It felt rough and wild and for some strange reason, she found herself liking the feel his touch against her skin.

'I guess me falling onto my butt like I did must have made my head all loopy there. I mean, there's no way I'd enjoy touching this guy's hand and I definitely want him to touch me with them more... I mean I DON'T want that. I don't, I don't, I DON'T!"

Kazuma just looks at all the complex expressions Aqua was making and asks-

"Hey you, new girl in town, you feeling OK here? You're starting to act all... weird and such."

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Guess our little collision must have left me all scrambled inside my head. Give me a moment and I'll get myself all recovered here."

"OK, good to know. I'm Kazuma, by the way. Local champion of the kingdom's Junior Battler Division."

"Wow, that's impressive. Being the champion of... wait, you just said the JUNIOR Battler Division. Doesn't that mean you suck when it comes to the Advanced Battler Division."

"Can't really say for sure, seeing as I haven't been allowed to enter that one yet. Seeing as you're an outsider, I'll explain how it works here."

'I know how it works, dummy. I'm not an idiot, you know... but please, educate me all the same here.'

In truth, Aqua didn't know anything about the Battler Division, either one of them. She didn't want HIM to know that though.

"The Battler Divisions are broken into three tiers. Novice, Junior, and Advance. Novice is reserved for kids and isn't worth talking about. Junior is for teenagers and Advanced is exclusive to any adults who are current champions and those of high ranking, like knights and such. Currently, I'm about a year and a half away from being old enough to participate in the Advanced Battlers Division."

"I see... I did not understand any of that at all, Kazuka."

"It's Kazuma, actually. If it helps any, I guess you can call me Kaz for short. That's what my best friend calls me. So, what about you? What's your name if I may ask?"

[Seeing as he was kind enough to tell me his name, I figured it was only proper to give him mine as well.]

'Shit, I didn't think he'd ask. What do I do, what do I do? Maybe I can just use my actual name and he won't figure out the truth. No, that's too big a risk for me. I'll just give him some random name here and...'

"My name is... Aqua."

'Damn it!'

"Hm, your name is Aqua, huh? Same name as our kingdom's princess. Small world we live in. Anyways, I need to be getting on my way... wait, I have a question for you."

'Good, it didn't figure out my true identity here. Guess that means all you commoners really are... wait, he has a question?'

"What kind of question?"

"Well, I was thinking... seeing as you're new here and all and I need to kill some time before my BFF is ready for me to help her out, I was thinking... I guess... I can show you around the place."

[Of course, I accepted his offer to show me around right away!]

"I don't wanna."

} The BFF and Her Creation {

[After that, Kazuma began showing me around the grounds. We had ourselves a little drinking contest, ate some of the food, played some of the games, and even took a few minutes to sit and chat about this and that. In truth, this day was turning into the BEST day of my young life.]

"Ugh... when are you going to let me go already. I'm not your prisoner, you jerk."

"What are you talking about? You're the one who's been following ME around since I made the offer. See, I'm not even holding your hand here. You've been following me under your own power here, girl."

"Only because you're controlling my body somehow."

Despite her turning his offer down, Aqua had still ended up joining Kazuma with wandering around the whole place. Well, Kazuma had realized Aqua's focus had been on all the booze and had asked if she wanted to have a little drinking contest with him, which she had accepted without pause.

A few rounds later, a now drunk Aqua asked Kazuma to show her around the place. She had eaten some food, saying it tasted horrible despite continuing to eat everything she could get her hands on. She played several games, losing each and every one, and complaining about it the entire time.

She started talking to some people, puking like crazy onto one of them when all her wobbling about proved too much for her stomach to handle. Now somewhat more sober than before, Aqua was sitting on a bench with Kazuma sitting at her side, rubbing her back to make her feel better.

"So, think you'll be alright now?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Have to say... never knew the taste of booze could be so powerful, so alluring, so... dangerous after the fact."

"Have you never drunk any booze before?"

"I have... but my father always has it watered down before I can drink anything. Says it's to make sure I don't become a sad little bum like my mother had been in the years leading up to her death."

"... Maybe you shouldn't drink any more then. I mean, if it was the curse of the bottle that killed your mother, then..."

"It wasn't any curse of the bottle that killed my mother, it was simply food poisoning that did her in. I'm sure of it as I've never heard of anyone ever dying from having too much to drink in their lives."

"... You have lived a very sheltered life, haven't you?"

[After taking a moment to rest our legs, Kazuma remembered he had to go meet with his friend, to help her out with something important. He asked me if I wanted to come with and seeing as I still had a little time left before I needed to be getting back to the castle, I naturally accepted his offer.]

RING-RING-RINGGGG

The sudden ringing sound that had blasted out makes the two of us jump. Realizing that it was coming from his pocket, Kazuma pulls the strange looking clock out and looks at it.

"Well, I have to be taking off now. Time for me to go meet that friend of mine I was talking about before."

"Hold on. What's the deal with that strange looking clock? Why was it making such an annoying sound for? I've never heard of a clock doing that before, except for those old grandfather clocks rich people have in their homes."

"Oh, this old thing? My friend made it for me a few years ago. Said it was to help remind me on when we were supposed to go meet up to have fun. She often likes to point out how I tend to lose track of time if she's not around to remind me. Hate to admit this but she's not wrong."

"And I guess the ringing it does helps the further serve that purpose. Makes sense, though I still think having something like that around would be annoying."

"Yeah, it can be. Well, I better get going otherwise she'll chew me out for being late."

Kazuma then goes to walk away but stops after a few steps and looks back at Aqua.

"Say, wanna come with? My friend is planning on unveiling her latest creation and she wants me to help her out with that. You'd get to be amongst the first to see it in action."

"Not interested. I don't really care about stuff like that. I think I'll just go have myself another drink or two then I'll be heading back..."

"Oh yeah, speaking of. She told me her old man would be offering his special Ultra Deluxe Whammer Jammer for all attendees to enjoy as thanks for coming to the show. Stupid name, I know, but he claims it will hit your brain like a meteor falling from the sky, unlike other drinks you'll find around here where those will only make you feel like you had your head ran over by a buggy. I've always wanted to try that drink out myself..."

"I'm in!"

said Aqua, deciding she also just had to try that interesting sounding drink with the goofy name.

[As we walked to where Kazuma's friend, and her dad I guess, would be waiting, I realized something was missing from around my neck.]

"By the way, Aqua. Does this belong to you by any chance?"

Kazuma then holds out a necklace for Aqua to look at.

"Hey, that's my Deep Blue pendant, the last gift mother game me before she died. Why do you... thief, you stole that from me when I wasn't looking, didn't you?"

"Don't be an idiot. If I had stolen this from you, I wouldn't be asking you if it was yours because I would already know the answer."

"Then why do you have it in your hands?"

"Because, dumb-dumb, I found it laying on the ground beside me after we bumped into each other. I'm guessing it must have fallen off you somehow when we both were sent to the ground."

"Yeah, right, like that makes any... actually, that does make sense, seeing as it has always come off very easily. I've been meaning to have that issue fixed but I keep forgetting to do it. Silly me, huh?"

Aqua then conks her head while sticking her tongue out playfully. Kazuma hands her the pendant back, which she quickly puts back on.

"Right... So, let's hurry our pace here. I'm already running behind as it is."

[We soon reached this side area, where I quickly spotted two giant tube things, each big enough to hold a person inside. Before them, down on her knees doing some work, was a girl who failed to notice our arrival. Off to the side were several barrels of booze, waiting to be tapped. Kazuma then stepped forward to announce our arrival.]

"Hey Lynn, your BFF has arrived. So, what is it about this little toy of your you need to me... GAH!"

Kazuma goes reeling back as he gets hit by a flying wrench, sent at his noggin' by the girl named Lynn. Aqua goes rigid as she watches Kazuma fall back onto the ground, then back to the girl to see her now standing and looking at Kazuma with a wild look.

She then stomps her way over, grabs onto him, and starts yelling at him while shaking him wildly.

"You moron, do you realize just how late you are? Three minutes late. That means you owe me big time here, buddy. In fact, to repay me, I'll expect you too... (now sounding curious) What's this? Bringing some unknown girl around for my grand reveal? Is someone on a little date here?"

Lynn then let's go of Kazuma, causing said boy to fall back onto the ground as Lynn turns her attention fully to Aqua and gives her a little look over. She then says-

"So, who are you and what's your relationship with this sad sack of a man here?"

"Um... my name is Aqua and I guess you could say... he's been my guide, showing me around the place."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really Lynn. I just bumped into her about an hour again and have been showing her around. She didn't say it out loud but I'm guessing you must be from the southern half of the continent, am I right Aqua?"

"Ah... um... yeah, that's it exactly. I'm from a little village to the far south. Doubt either of you have ever heard of it before."

In truth, she knew nothing about anything located outside the kingdom. Hell, she didn't know all that much about things that could be found within the kingdom either. Lynn looks her over for a few moments, then says-

"Eh, no big deal. Anyways, my name is Lynn. Local genius inventor and BFF to this guy here. Nice to meet you, Aqua."

"Yeah, nice to meet you... I guess."

[My gut told me that Lynn and I would become fast friends. After that, Lynn explained what her little machine here did and what she needed Kazuma here for.]

"So, want to tell me why I'm here, Lynn?"

"What, you mean having you here for emotional support isn't good enough for ya?"

"Ah, well... I mean..."

"(laughs) Relax, Kaz. I'm only messing with you. Seriously though, I do need your help here. You see, what you two see before you is this world's first ever teleportation device. With this baby here, anyone will be able to travel anywhere in the world faster than you can blink an eye."

"Wow, amazing. That sounds so cool."

said Aqua, unable to stop herself from walking forward to better gaze at this device of Lynn's While she wasn't known for being all that bright, even Aqua understood how amazing, and useful, having such a device on hand could be for everyone.

"Yeah, that does sound cool, Lynn? And the reason why you need me here is...?"

"What do you think? I need a guinea pig and who else would be willing to do this for me other than you."

"I knew it. Now answer this question for me. WHY should I risk my neck to help you out with this?"

"Hm, you do ask a good question, especially seeing as all my previous small-scale test have seen more failures than successes..."

"Then I'm definitely saying no now."

"Now, now Kazuma, don't be like that. Hey, how about this as your reward for helping me... and if you come out of this intact."

Lynn then whispers something into Kazuma's ear, making him blush just a little before letting out a sigh. He then says with a somewhat defeated tone...

"Fine... but you better keep to this agreement. Don't forget, the last time I did you such a big favor, you promised to do something very specific for me... something I'm still waiting on, by the way."

"No you're not. It may have been a little delayed, but I fulfilled my promise the other night, when you and me were alone at your place while our parents were off at that special event in Parm. Remember, what happened after we drank a little too much at that time."

"Oh right... that was a FUN night!"

"For many reasons. Now, I need to finish making final adjustments here so give me a moment and once dad get back with an audience for us to show this off too, we'll begin."

[After that, we simply had to wait till everyone else had been gathered, which was around fifteen minutes or so. Once the crowd had gathered, Lynn called Kazuma up to her so they could show off her teleporter machine.]

"Thank you, thank you everyone for coming this important moment in the history of humankind. For those of you who may not know me, my name is Lynn and that over there is my father, Taben. Together, we handle all the great inventions of the age that you use to make your lives better."

Everyone claps at hearing her words as Taben does a little bow. Lynn then continues-

"Now, as for why I have asked you all here today. I wish to reveal my latest creation, perhaps the greatest creation that will cap off the old era and begin the brand new one. What will it do, you may be wondering. Well, what do you say we find out... with some help from my best friend here. You may know him, you may even like him, but I'll introduce him all the same. The current holder of the Junior Battler Division championship title, for three years running I might add, Kazuma."

Kazuma then makes a battle stance, getting the people to clap again. They didn't seem all that impressed though. Maybe even their clapping was because they had been asked to clap by Taben beforehand, maybe they were told they'd get some booze if they did so.

"OK Kazuma, just step inside here and we'll get started."

Lynn then motions for Kazuma to step inside one side of the machine which he does, though it was obvious he was a little nervous about doing so here. Once he was in the pod, Lynn whispers something to him before closing the door. She then makes her way over to a control panel, then looks back at the crowd and says-

"OK people, do me a favor and cross your fingers here. Maybe even say a prayer or two for my buddy in there because... I'm not one-hundred percent sure this is actually going to work out for him."

"Wait Lynn, I'm having second thoughts here..."

shouted Kazuma, now trying to escape after hearing Lynn say what she said-

"Sorry, can't hear you over me doing... THIS!"

[Lynn activated her machine, making Kazuma turn into little sparkles of light which are quickly sucked into the top of the pod he was in. A few moments later...]

Everyone waited for Kazuma to reappear inside the other pod, but nothing happened. One second become two, then four, then eight. Lynn began to panic as it never took this long for anything to return, in either pod.

"Lynn...?"

asked her father. Lynn looks at him and says with a shaky voice.

"Dad, I think I might have just killed my BFF here."

Before anyone could say anything, particles began to rain down from the other pod, reforming into Kazuma who was looking rather pale now. Lynn quickly opens the door and Kazuma wasn't shy about throwing himself out, falling onto his hands and knees as he breathes heavily.

Lynn looks at him for a moment, feeling relieved that he was both back as well as him appearing to still be alive and not missing any visible body parts. She then looks to the crowd and says-

"Success. While his return was a little delayed, he still returned and is doing well."

"I'm... going to kill you, Lynn."

"There's some tweaks I'll obviously need to make with this machine, but I hope you all will look forward to the day when you too will be able to travel anywhere in the world within a matter of seconds."

"Can we have our booze now, Taben?"

[It had been amazing. Seeing Kazuma actually go from one pod to another. I wanted to do that too.]

After everyone had been given a pint of the drink they came here for, they crowd left the area to return to the festival. Taben watches them go, then looks back to Lynn, who was rubbing Kazuma's back, and says-

"That could have gone better."

"Yeah, that's true. It could have gone worse too. So, are you REALLY doing OK here, Kazuma. You don't feel like you're missing anything important, are you?"

"No... no I don't think so. I might need to find a bush to hide behind so I can give myself a proper look over here in a bit. So, about that promise of yours..."

"Kazuma, shush. My dads in earshot, remember. (leans in close) Don't worry, I'll be stopping by tonight... your mom is going to be stepping out again for the night, right?"

"Yeah, as far as I know."

"Then I'll be coming by later. On another topic, how do you think that girl you met early thought of all that?"

"Hm, good question. Hey Aqua, did you enjoy all that... Aqua?"

Everyone realizes Aqua was MIA. Had she left as well? The sudden sound of the pod closing brings everyone to looking at it.

"It's my turn now, right. Hurry up and beam me. Beam me already."

"Aqua, that's not a toy. Get out of there before you do something to break the..."

The machine suddenly begins to power on, being driven by some unknown force. Aqua, who had been excited to do this at first, suddenly wasn't so excited anymore.

"... Actually, I'm having second thoughts about this. Kazuma, Lynn... Lynn's dad, can someone please get me out of..."

And then there was a bright flash of light and...

[OK, I admit. Not the smartest thing I've done in my life. How was I supposed to know the machine would activate on its own. As weird as that was though, it was nothing when compared to what happened to me next.]

Aqua let out a groan as she regained consciousness.

"Ugh, that hurt a lot more than I had expected. Hey Kazuma, why didn't you warn me that it would... hurt so... much?"

Aqua realizes something was off. Instead of being back at the plaza with Kazuma and Lynn, she was now in the middle of some forested area that didn't look familiar with her. What was worse was the sound of snapping twigs that was getting louder and louder.

"Ah, I think I'm ready to go home now. Kazuma... Cecily... daddy, anyone... please help me..."

And then several figures dressed in heavy plated armor appear, all with spears aimed right at Aqua, making her start crying from sheer fear.

} Aqua the... Goddess? {

[I was scared, very scared as I didn't know what was going to happen to me. After these strange figures had grabbed me and taken me back some their base, which was some temple like structure, I didn't know what was going to happen to me. I just hoped rescue would come soon.]

"Ah man, this is THE life. Being pampered non-stop, be waited on hand and foot. I don't know who these guys are and what the deal is but if this is the treatment I can expected to be given moving forward, I think I'll stick around. Hey you, bring me more wine and munchies... pronto."

After her little run in with those guards, Aqua had been brought back to a temple like structure located at the top of a hill. As she got closer, she found herself thinking a lot of the scenery reminded her of the hill the castle had been built on but didn't give it to much thought.

After all, you've seen one building on a hill, you've seen them all, right?

Anyways, after arriving, they had offered her some nice, beautiful clothes to wear, made from some amazing feel against her skin silk and had started treating her like she was some goddess descended from the heavens or something, which was even better than she had been treated back home. Because of this, she was in no hurry to leave. In fact, she was thinking about staying here long term if this was the treatment she had to look forward to going forward.

There were some strange issues about this place. Like...

'Hm, I wonder why these people keep calling me Eris though. I've told them I prefer it if they would call me Aqua, but they still keep up with Eris this and Eris that. Oh well, who cares about a name. Besides, Eris isn't a bad choice for a new name for me. Not as great as Aqua but still OK.'

There were also the occasional strange glances she would get from some of her attendants too and she would sometimes hear them mummer things like "Didn't lady Eris use to have longer hair?" or " Is it just me or has the color of her hair and eyes changed since she went missing?"

Strange things like that, though Aqua didn't bother to dwell on such things for too long. Just then...

An older woman comes walking into the room, claps her hands together, and says-

"Everyone, please leave us for now. It is time for the lady Eris to enjoy her bath."

'I like baths. I could use one too after everything I've had to suffer today.'

Once the other servants had left, the older lady escorts Aqua into a side room where a large, beautiful bath awaited her. It was clear the waters were like a natural hot spring based on the coloration and the light steam that filled the air.

The older lady asked if she would need any help undressing, though Aqua assured her she would be fine. Once she was alone, Aqua quickly removed her clothes before doing a cannon ball into the waters and began to play around alongside cleaning her body with some exotic soaps.

[It was then that my savior arrived, there to see me safely returned home.]

Aqua was lounging back against the side of the bath when she heard the sound of a window being opened. Thinking it was that older lady, perhaps letting some outside air in or letting some of the building steam escape, Aqua didn't let it bother her. And then, a few moments later...

"Aqua, is that... you?"

"Mm, that's the Goddess Aqua, surely you know that al... wait, that voice."

Aqua finally opens her eyes and looks around, quickly finding Kazuma standing off to the side.

"Kazuma, you're here. Does that mean..."

she says as she quickly stands. Did this mean her perfect life now was over? That she would have to leave this wonderful place? No, she wasn't going to leave and if he tried to force her now, she would scream and call for help. She would say this guy planned to defile her or something.

"Yeah, I've come to... Aqua, do you remember your current state of..."

he said while turning his blushing face away, though not quite enough to not be looking at her. Aqua was confused, wondering why he was acting as he did. She then looks down and remembers; she was naked right now and currently; he was getting an eyeful of EVERYTHING she had to offer and show.

Screaming while covering herself up, she dives back into the water, as deep as she could go, before sending him a deathly glare and saying-

"Perverted creeper!"

"That coming from the girl whose so stupid, she forgot she was naked to begin with and thus gave a young, somewhat horny teenage guy a showing of her bod without him needing to ask her too. Now, let's stop wasting time and get out of here before anyone finds out I'm here."

"... I'm not going."

"Great, I'll just look away as you get changed and... wait, what?"

"I said I'm not going. I like it, no... I LOVE it here. These people treat me like I'm a literal goddess, even have called me one, which is a nice, big upgrade from what I was getting before. You think I'm going to just leave all that and go back home? You must be incredibly stupid to think that I would."

"I see, so then you must be this GODDESS ERIS girl I've been hearing about since I arrived here. You know, I've seen a picture of this Eris. She's pretty cute and I guess I can see the resemblance between you two, face wise that is. But surely you don't think you can keep fooling them for long, right?"

"Why not? It's worked for me so far."

"Maybe, but I don't think it'll last forever. I mean, you have long blue hair, she has REALLY long lavender colored hair. You have blue eyes, her are also lavender colored. This is all based on the paintings and statues I've seen of her. It's only a matter of time before someone realizes you aren't her and when that happens..."

"When that happens?"

Aqua was curious. What would they do if they did learn she wasn't this Eris person. Instead of saying it verbally, Kazuma just slices the air before his neck, the implications of where clear even to a not so bright girl like Aqua, who quickly covers her neck before saying-

"You need to get me out of her, Kazuma. I don't want to die. I REALLY don't want to die here."

"Then get out of that bath, get dressed, and let's get going already. The sooner we can sneak out through that window, the better our chances of escaping here."

[Together, me and Kazuma began to make our escape from that place. However, something would happen that would put a halt in our escape.]

Aqua nods before moving to exit the waters, but stops as a strange feeling started to come over her.

"Aqua...?"

"... Kazuma, I feel... strange, cold. What's happening, why does my body feel like it's being..."

Aqua didn't say anymore, couldn't say anything more as she slowly faded into nothingness.

[What happened to me then, I honestly don't know. Everything was dark and cold. I couldn't speak or move or even hear. I could feel myself fading away into the void and I was sure I was going to die. But if that was the case, I wouldn't be writing this now. Instead, Kazuma, and his friend Lynn too, would somehow find a way to save me and restore me back to my normal self.]

The next thing Aqua knew, she was back in the bath like nothing had happened. There was no sign of Kazuma anywhere though. Checking herself over, Aqua determines she was indeed back and all there. With that confirmed, Aqua's next action was very much understandable.

She screams at the top of her lungs, gets out of the waters, and finds her new bed which she goes to hide beneath the covers, saying she'll never leave them again.

A few hours later, she was forced to leave them by the older woman and the guards before being dragged out into a large room, where she found Kazuma and Lynn waiting for her. She was then presented before a girl with long lavender colored hair and eyes who looks at her, then says-

"You all really thought this girl here was me? I mean, sure... I guess I can see the resemblance between us by way of our faces. But other than that, we don't have anything in common."

"We're so sorry, lady Eris."

[I had met her, Eris... my own ancestor from the past. It turns out she had been kidnapped while out for a walk one day and in the search for her, they had found me instead. Not sure why the guards had mistaken me for her but maybe they were just tired or something?'

After that, Aqua was told what had happened after she had disappeared. Kazuma, needing to make an escape, had ran into Lynn, who had finished forging her little gate key so she could follow him into the past.

Oh right, it seems Aqua had been sent back in time four-hundred years, to the founding days of the kingdom.

This Eris who lived here was THE Eris, first queen of the kingdom. After realizing that, Lynn determined that by Aqua's unexpected trip to the past, she had altered the future which caused the future queen to be killed instead of saved. To avoid this fate, Kazuma and Lynn had set out to the place the queen had been rescued from before in the true timeline to save her themselves.

They also had help from some female knight who had been made to suffer a curse which had turned her into a goblin like creature and went by the name Darkness. Together, the three of them made their way through the old temple, found the real Eris, and saved her from becoming ingredients for some soup.

"And what became of this Darkness girl?"

asked Aqua. It was Eris who responded by saying-

"Darkness is a little shy about her... condition. She said until she can beat the Dark Witch, the one you cast the spell on her, she cannot return and act as my bodyguard proper. Really, it's a long story that I'm sure you three wouldn't be interested in."

"Actually, we'd like to hear it."

said Lynn after she and Kazuma had looked and nodded at each other. However, Aqua...

"Long, huh? Probably means it's all boring too so we'll take a pass. Anyways, we do need to be getting back home now, am I right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"We do need to be getting YOU back home, Aqua."

Eris nods, then stands and says-

"Then safe travels on your return home. If you three should ever find yourselves back here again, please do stop by and say high, alright. Especially you, brave sir."

It sounds like the future first queen may have a liking for Kazuma which makes Lynn poke his sides while grinning and Aqua cocks her head in confusion as Kazuma blushes. After that, they do a little bow before leaving the temple.

[With that, we made our way back to the very spot I had arrived at before, the same spot I'm assuming they had also arrived at.]

"You know, now that I think about it, all this does strangely line up with what I remember being said about the origin of the kingdom."

"How so, Lynn?"

"Well, I recall reading the future queen Eris had been kidnapped and had been saved by three brave warriors; one of whom was named Darkness. The names of the other two have been lost to time though."

"Sounds boring if you ask me. So, who's the name of the guy my ancestor Eris is going to hook up with? Who is the first king of the kingdom, I wonder?"

asked Aqua, making Lynn think about that.

"Actually, it would be lady Eris's son who would become the first king as, if I remember it correctly, Eris is said to have never married. She did have a lover though. While his name isn't known, likely because it was a big secret or something, I'm sure he must have been strong and handsome and a real hero too... both in and out of bed."

"So, basically the exact opposite of Kazuma here then?"

both Aqua and Lynn giggle at that one while Kazuma huffs at that, then says-

"Hey, I'll have you know I am strong. I've been told I'm rather handsome too. And as for the whole bed thing, how would you even know, Aqua, when you and I have never shared a bed before."

"And we never will which I am totally fine wi... wait, you just said ME back there instead of me AND Lynn. Does that mean you two have..."

"No comment!"

said Lynn. A few minutes later, they had reached the spot in question where Lynn then explains how things worked with her gate key and how time travel worked.

[And with that, we would return home. It should have been the end of my, our, adventures. Instead, it was only the beginning.]

} On the Run {

[After passing through this strangely designed tunnel, one that seemed to have a lot of clocks floating around it for some reason, we emerged from the other side and found ourselves back in the spot Lynn's little pod things were located.]

After stepping out of the gate, Kazuma takes in a deep breath, then says-

"Breath in that air. It's good to be... is it just me or is the air around here less inviting that it once?"

"Probably the pollution content in the air in our time. Things have become more industrial over the last four-hundred years. Speaking of, I need to get home and start looking through my books, make sure the new history of the world still matches up to what I remember it being before."

"Is something like that really an issue?"

asked Aqua, looking at Kazuma and Lynn.

"It's a possibility, yes. I mean, unless the whole 'you going back in time and the two of us going back to save you' was all supposed to happen, the three of us being there would have had some impact on the timeline. The question is would it have been enough to actually change anything in our present."

"Well, looking around the place, I would say not much has changed if anything at all."

said Kazuma, getting Aqua to nod in agreement. Aqua then takes notice of the sky and realizes something important, something VERY important.

"Oh crap, the sun's starting to set. I need to get back to the castle like NOW or else father's going to scold me for sneaking outside."

"They castle? Why would you need to go there, Aqua?"

"(sigh) Kazuma, you haven't figured it out yet, have you?"

"Figured out what, Lynn?"

"That this Aqua here is Tides crown princess Aqua. You've been hanging out with and went on a rescue mission to save THE princess Aqua!"

Kazuma takes a moment to let that all sink in, then goes pale as he realizes an important truth.

"I'm in big trouble, aren't I?"

"I would say so, unless Aqua can do something for you. You WILL do something to keep my buddy here from getting into trouble, right Aqua?"

"Huh? Oh sure, leave it to me. Everyone at the castle is practically at my beck and call anyways. I just tell father that Kazuma here saved me from some ruffians after I had snuck out of the castle and took it upon himself to see me safely back home. He should be fine then, maybe he'll even get a medal or something."

"You hear that, Kazuma. Everything should be fine. Now, do her a favor and escort her back home. I'll swing by latter so we can chat... and so I can keep my promise to you."

"Fine, fine, I guess I can do that. Not like I have anything better to do now... except go home and do nothing."

"Good, good, then let's hurry before father starts sending guards out to find me."

said Aqua, already pushing Kazuma away. Lynn waves her goodbyes as they go before turning back to examine her pods. As for Kazuma and Aqua, they began their trek to the castle.

[After saying goodbye to Lynn, Kazuma escorted me back home. Once there, we were greeted by the worried chancellor and after explaining everything to him, he assured me Kazuma would be well rewarded for his efforts. I would then return to my room and spend the rest of the evening lazing about, like I often did.]

Upon reaching the castle, the front guards were quick to react upon seeing Aqua. At first, they believed Kazuma to be some kidnapper, here to demand ransom for the princess, but Aqua assured them that Kazuma was a friend and was simply helping her return home. After that, they stepped inside where the chancellor greeted them warmly.

"You've caused quite the commotion, lady Aqua. Disappearing on us like that. Almost gave your father a heart attacked because of how worried he was."

"Yeah, that's my bad. I honestly thought I would be back in time for lunch but... things didn't go quite as planned."

"I can't wait to hear all about it then. So, who's this with you?"

"Names Kazuma, sir. I'm the one who kept an eye on Aqua and made sure she was able to make it back home to you all."

"I see, I see. Well then, that means we own you a little something. If you would come with me to meet the king, we shall see you get what you're owed. If you will excuse us, lady Aqua."

"Sure, no problem. I'm wanting to go take a little nap before dinner anyways."

Aqua then turns her attention to Kazuma and bows, then says-

"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually had a lot of fun today. Thanks for that, Kazuma. Maybe if you actually do make it to the Advanced Battlers Division, I'll get to see you in action and maybe, just MAYBE, I'll even do a little rooting for you."

"Until then, I guess. See you around, princess Aqua."

With that, Aqua took her leave and returned to her room where she quickly fell asleep.

[I should have known at the time something was off. Maybe I wasn't paying attention at the time? Perhaps I had been too tired? Either way, I should have seen what was to come next.]

A few hours later, Cecily had woken Aqua up, having brought her dinner to her. Aqua liked whenever this happened, her getting to have a meal in bed. That meant she didn't have to go far after eating before being able to lay her head back down and sleep some more.

Cecily had also brought her own meal along too and as the two girls ate, Cecily decided to say-

"Oh, by the way, bet you probably didn't hear the news yet."

"What news?"

"Well, from what I've been told, the chancellor arrested this dangerous criminal who had invaded the castle with the intentions of kidnapping your very self, lady Aqua."

"What? When did this happen?"

"Several hours ago, I believe. He was taken before the king, put on trial, and is currently rotting in a cell with his execution being set for first light tomorrow."

"Boy, that all happened fast. I hope that jerk's death is a painful one."

"I agree. Also, why wouldn't it be a quick thing. After what happened with the first queen Eris centuries ago, the law in the kingdom has always been rather swift. Also, get this, during his trial, he claimed he was innocent, that he and you had been friends. Can you actually believe it?"

"He said what? Damn that liar. Perhaps I should be there at first light to watch his head role myself. Ah, who am I kidding. I won't wake up till at least after eight in the morning. Let's forget all that talk for now and focus on what's really important: the food and drink here."

"I'll drink to that every time, lady Aqua."

Never once did Aqua consider that the person being put to death could be Kazuma himself.

As the night went on, Aqua found sleep to be difficult to achieve. Was it because there was a part of her trying to help her realize that the so-called criminal was actually Kazuma? No, her reason for having trouble sleeping was far more personal to her.

"Damn it, I need booze. I need some REAL booze here. Not that cheap ass, watered down stuff we have here in the castle. I want to real thing that can lead one to do things they'll regret later. After having a taste yesterday of that kind of drink, I can't go back to what I was raised on,"

Aqua looks at her clock, seeing that it was two in the morning. She then hatched her plan. There would be a guard change happening at five which means the front gates would most likely be unguarded for a minute at most. She would sneak back out then and see about getting some more of the good stuff.

Maybe even find a way to bring some back with her too.

Smiling, she closes her eyes to try to get a little sleep here so that she could be ready for her important mission.

[About ten-minutes to five, I was up and dressed, sneaking my way through the halls. Luckily, and also strangely too, there weren't many guards walking around. Had something happened to pull them away from their usual patrol routes? I didn't know nor did I care as that meant I had an easier time making it down into the entry chambers. And it was there that I found myself reuniting with my friends.]

Aqua peeks around the corner, finding the two guards who were supposed to be on guard duty missing. She knew something was strange here as there was still a couple of minutes left before the shift change. Still, this also meant she didn't need to wait either.

As she goes to sneak out the gate...

"Are we in the clear yet? I don't see any of the guards behind us now."

"I'm fine with that, though don't expect me to stop running till we're as far from this place as we can get."

Aqua, realizing she knew those voices, spins around just in time to see Kazuma and Lynn come running into view, running quickly down a flight of stairs.

"Hey, it's you two. What are you doing here so early in the..."

"You, the turn coat princess."

"Yeah, what he said. And after everything he... that WE did for you too. Why did you have him arrested, tried, and put on immediate death row, Aqua?"

"I did what now?"

One quick explanation later...

"Ohhhh, so YOU were the guy Cecily told me about, Kazuma. The guy who supposedly broke into the castle to kidnap me. Why did you do that? I thought we were friends."

"You idiot, weren't you paying attention before? After you took off, the chancellor ordered the guards to dog pile me and tie me up. I was then taken before your father, then to that fancy looking court room where they accused me of all these false charges and crimes against the kingdom before saying I was guilty and would be put to death by morning."

"And when I heard about all this, from the message that had been sent to Kazuma's mom, I came to the castle and blasted my way into the prison to save his ass as he is my best friend... and I still need his help with some things to just let him die."

"Really, but that doesn't make any sense. I mean, I told the chancellor what happened so why would..."

"Look, it's the prisoner and his accomplice... shit, they've captured the princess. Everyone, triple time."

shouted a guard who had finally arrived on the scene. A few moments later, the room was filled with more guards than you could count using both hands and feet. Kazuma and Lynn quickly turned and ran out the castle, with Aqua following after them though she didn't actually have a need too.

"Aqua, why are you following after us?"

"Kazuma's right. This is only going to make things worse for us both now."

"I'm sorry, but my body is acting on its own. Besides, those guys back there look really scary, and I don't want to be left alone with them."

"Even though they're YOUR knights?" (x2)

[After that, we ran for a bit till we were cornered, thus forcing Lynn to use her little gate key thing, as she was detecting a power... something in the air she could tap into. With no other choice, the three of us jumped into a newly opened gate and were on our way into a new adventure.]

} Post Apocalyptic {

[What can I say about where we ended up. It was cloudy, cold, and barren without a soul to be seen anywhere. Still, we were nothing if not optimistic about our chances in this new place.]

"Wah, it's cold out here. Someone... someone please warm me up already."

cried Aqua, remaining in a sitting position while Kazuma and Lynn were actually busy looking the place over.

After emerging from the portal, the trio had found themselves arriving beside a broken fountain. Around it was a a plaza which saw it ground having been smashed and in ruins. Further out were buildings unlike any they had ever seen before, also in a state of ruin.

There was no plant life, or any sign of life to be exact. The sky was dark and full of ominous clouds. A harsh wind was blowing, and the air had a bitter cold feeling to it. And as for the air; it was stale and felt lacking something they couldn't quite guess at.

As Aqua began to repeat her cries, Kazuma huffs and says-

"You know, Aqua. Maybe instead of just sitting on your ass there, you can try to get up, move around, and do something here. If nothing else, moving around should help warm you up, even if only a little bit."

"But it's so COLDDDDD!"

"What did I just... (sigh) Lynn, please tell me you have something here we can work with?"

Lynn who was holding some strange looking device on top of the gate key, keeping them connected together as well, takes a few moments before finally looking back at Kazuma and says-

"I got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is there isn't enough chrono energy here for me to reopen a time portal with."

"Probably for the best, seeing as if we went back NOW, we'd likely have to deal with the castle guards again. So, what about the good news?"

"The good news is that I am picking up traces of strong chrono energy off in that direction. (Lynn then points to the east). More bad news, the energy isn't close by. We are going to have to do a bit of walking here."

"How much exactly?"

"Even worse news... at least twenty to thirty miles of walking."

"Oh great, at least we have such lovely weather to see us on our little trek!"

Kazuma was obviously joking about that, something Lynn was well aware of as she gave him a nod. Sadly, Aqua wasn't quite so smart as to realize it as she says-

"Lovely weather? What are you, an idiot or something? You are, aren't you. You must be such an idiot that I... I'm just going to call you an idiot from now on."

"Don't do that, I'm warning you."

"And as for us walking THAT far too? Why don't you just kill me now and be done with it."

"Her suggestion is rather tempting, Lynn."

"Aqua, first off, Kazuma wasn't being serious when he said this was lovely weather. He was being sarcastic, in fact. You DO know what sarcasm is, don't you?"

"Oh no, how would such a sheltered girl like myself ever know the meaning of such a commoner word like that one?"

"Apparently she does know what it means."

Actually, Aqua really didn't. How she had spoken sounded sarcastic to be sure, but it hadn't been intended to sound that way, this tricking the others into thinking she did know the meaning.

Lynn then points to the north and says-

"Luckily, we may not need to walk that distance as I'm detecting something to our north that's giving off a small amount of energy. Not much, mind you, but maybe just enough to we can use it to help us reach the source of the chrono energy faster."

"How much of a walk will that take us?"

"About five miles, give or take. Anyways, we should start walking before something happens."

"Why, why did you say that? What do you think could happen here, Lynn?"

"Relax, Aqua. All I'm saying is we should get on the move here. I have no idea what could be out there and that alone is enough to scare me. That should scare you too. Now, let's stop wasting time and get walking already."

[We then began our walk to the small energy source Lynn had detected. As we went, we had to rely on this old try and true method to help keep each other warm.]

Fifteen minutes later, the threesome walked down the damaged path, shivering from the cold. Aqua seemed to be the most affected by the cold, though Kazuma and Lynn were also hugging themselves in an effort to warm themselves up, even if only a little bit.

Kazuma has an idea which he then tells the girls-

"Hey, I know you two may not like this idea but maybe you should both press your bodies against mine so that we can share body..."

"Oh, so not only are you an idiot, but you're also a pervert. I shouldn't be so surprised though, seeing as you tried to jump me when I was BUTT-NAKED in the bath not to long ago."

"No, you brainless moron, that's not what I was meaning when I said what I said. What I mean is..."

"Kazuma's right, Aqua... though his choice of wording leave a lot to be desired. If we're all huddled together, we can share body heat which should help us feel a little bit warmer than what would would otherwise."

Lynn then moves closer to Kazuma, not hesitating to hug herself as closely as she could against his body. They then look at Aqua, waiting for her to do something while giving her an inviting gaze.

After a thinking about it, Aqua finally sighs and says-

"Fine, fine, I'll join in this little hug there... but I swear, idiot. That hand goes below my waste, you won't be getting that hand back, I swear it."

A little while later, the three had finally reached the source of the smaller energy Lynn had been detecting, this bringing their little huddle to an end. Kazuma was a little sad about that as that meant he wouldn't be feeling Lynn and Aqua's boobs pressed up against him.

Granted, Lynn had nothing on Aqua when it came to her chest but as far as Kazuma was concerned, boobs were boobs and he LOVED boobs.

Lynn moves over to the source of the energy, a strange looking machine that appeared to be... something.

"So... any ideas on what that thing is supposed to be, Lynn?"

asked Kazuma. After a few moments...

"Hm, seems to be a vehicle of some kind. Exactly what I was hoping to find when we got here. Give me a few moments to see if I can get it working here."

"Cold... cold... so cold..."

Kazuma rolls his eyes before walking over to Aqua and pulling her into a hug.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing to me now? You better not..."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember. Below the belt... will lose a hand. Don't worry and just enjoy this while it last, Aqua."

"... Well, I do like hugs. Fine, but no funny business."

Aqua then hugs Kazuma back. Lynn spares them a glance and smiles. She wonders if Aqua knows how happy she was looking with Kazuma holding her. She then goes back to her work and soon enough, says-

"Bad news. This thing isn't going to be running anytime soon. Guess we'll need to start walking..."

"Hold that thought, Lynn. This isn't the only one of those things in the area. If the issue is with parts on that one, then maybe you can find parts on the other you can use as replacements?"

"Hm, that's... actually a good idea there, Kazuma. I'll see what I have to work with."

[With that, Lynn continued her work while me and Kazuma worked on keeping each other warm. While I was worried Lynn might be freezing without getting body heat from us, she didn't appear to be suffering any here. Perhaps when she was working, silly thing like the weather meant nothing to her. Finally, after a lengthy wait...]

"And done... I think? Only one way to find out for sure."

Lynn then hops onto the vehicle and after looking at the controls, finally finds a switch that looked promising. While slow, the machine did finally come to life, even lifting off the ground to reveal it was a kind of hover bike. Lynn takes a moment to figure out how to work it then looks at Kazuma and Aqua and says-

"Well, hop on if your coming with."

Kazuma lets go of Aqua and hops on right behind Lynn; the two of them sitting very close together. Was it Kazuma who was pressing his body against hers or had Lynn actually pushed back to better be pressed against his? Aqua wasn't sure but she was really beginning to think there was more to their friendship than she knew.

Kazuma then looks at Aqua while rapping his hands around Lynn's waste and says-

"Well, you coming or staying?"

"Isn't that obvious, idiot. Like I would ever choose to stay here alone."

Aqua then runs over and hops on as well, moving close enough to Kazuma to be pressed against his back. While this wasn't her idea of a good time, she had to admit she was feeling warmer do to her doing this with him which made it bearable for her.

"OK you two, hold on tight. I really have no idea how this baby works here but I have a feeling we're about to find out."

[As the power in this vehicle roars, we zipped off across the land, now heading to the source of the chrono energy Lynn had detected before. Oh yeah, I'll write this down here as a just in case I forget to ask them later... what does it mean when Lynn says chrono energy?]

} Little Sister Series {

[After several hours of riding across the desolate landscape, we finally reached our destination; a series of factory like structures with clear signs this area had been used for productions of some kind.]

Aqua had likely fallen asleep as she was snoring, rather loudly at that, by the time Lynn said-

"Look there, that building that's coming up. I'm pretty sure that's our destination."

"Good thing too as that one light on the console has been flashing red for the last few minutes.'

said Kazuma. It wasn't just the flashing of the red light, but also the signs that the little hover bike they had been traveling on had started to slow down. Finally, the red light stopped flashing and all power within the bike seemed to die as the machine became slower and slower till it came to a dead stop alongside it no longer hovering off the ground.

"Mm, what's going on?"

came a sleepy sounding Aqua as the stop had been enough to rouse her from her slumber.

"End of the line, sort of, princess. The bike just died."

"Oh, the bike died. That's... wait, it actually died? No, that's... does that mean we have to walk now?"

Lynn, who had already hopped off, was kneeling down beside the hover bike and giving it a little look over. She says to Aqua as she's doing this-

"Bad news, we do have to start walking from here, yes. Good news, I'm pretty sure that building just up ahead is our destination."

"It is... what building?"

asked Aqua, looking around. Kazuma points off to the side, allowing Aqua to spot said building in question. While it wasn't close-close to them, it wasn't that much of a walk away either. What's more, the building Kazuma was pointing too wasn't alone as there was another, much larger building not much further away beyond the smaller.

Aqua hops off the bike, allowing Kazuma to do so as well, before running a few feet towards the smaller building, then looks back at the other two and says-

"Then what are we waiting for here? Let's get out of this cold and inside that place already."

"Lynn, how's the bike looking there?"

asked Kazuma, ignoring Aqua as his attention was on Lynn, her attention still on the bike. After a moment, Lynn finally stands and looks at him.

"Sadly, her moving days are over... unless we can find a way to power her back up. The power core is completely drained here. To bad too as I would have loved taking this little baby for a ride some more."

"Hm... I know the feeling."

said Kazuma, giving Lynn a playful, coy look that makes her blush a little while also smiling a little deviously too. This was something normal that came with their long time friendship over these last few years, playful flirting with one another.

It was understandable really as for Kazuma, Lynn had really been his only female friend, till meeting Aqua, and likewise, Lynn only ever associated with Kazuma. Sure, they knew other people but they really only ever interacted with each other, so naturally for them, it was fairly obvious where things would ultimately end up between the two...

"Why are the two of you just standing around for? It's only getting colder in here so get your butts in gear or I'll leave you both behind!"

shouted Aqua, already having started heading towards the smaller building and had taken a moment to look back and see Kazuma and Lynn still by the hover bike. The two longtime friends look at her, then at each other and sigh. They could never have any fun moments whenever the princess was around.

They then began to follow after Aqua who had resumed her walk to the smaller building.

[Upon reaching our destination, we found our ability to be hampered by an unmovable door. Luckily, we would find someone, a rather unique person at that, who would be able to help us out here.]

After reaching the building, the trio needed to take a few minutes to walk around it, looking for a door they could use to get inside. However, there didn't appear to be any visible doors anywhere. It was only by sheer dumb luck that they found it, the door that blended in far to well with the rest of the structure.

Once inside, they were greeted by an unexpected sight as the place was littered with tons of...

"Little girls? This place has a ton of broken little girls inside it."

said Kazuma as Aqua lets out an eep sound while hiding behind him.

"This place is a bad place, isn't it? I mean, see what happened to all those girls on the ground; all torn up and dead looking. We need to get out of here right now before..."

"Don't panic, Aqua. I think something funny is indeed up. Let me see here..."

said Lynn, already having stepped forward and was now kneeling down again, examining the motionless girls on the ground.

Aqua continued to repeat how they needed to leave this place at once, making Kazuma say-

"Well, at least there's one good thing about this place, princess. It's warmer than it is outside."

"... Oh yeah, it is warmer in here. I suddenly don't mind all these creepy looking girl dolls lying around."

"Actually... calling them dolls might be an accurate term there, Aqua."

said Lynn as she stood up.

"What did you discover?"

"That these girls are indeed dolls, but different than any doll I have ever seen as they have technology inside them. I think they may have been a kind of machine, capable of walking and perhaps ever talking at some point or another."

"Ew, who would want to have something like that?"

asked Aqua. Kazuma shrugs, then says-

"You'd be surprised sometimes. Maybe someone was lonely and saw one of these as a chance to have a child. Maybe a parent would buy one for their child so they could have a playmate. And maybe there are those who would have... more perverted intentions, though I hope none of these could be used for THAT kind of thing."

"I agree with you there, Kazuma. Like that one guy back home whose always drunk and tried to hit on me that one time... before you started hitting on him REPEATEDLY in order to get him to back off."

"Wait, I didn't know you were gay, Kazuma!"

"I'm not gay, Aqua. When Lynn said I was hitting a certain guy repeatedly, she meant it in the literal sense as I kicked his ass after he started groping Lynn's butt."

"Which I also added my own little brand of ass kicking to as well. Anyways, the chrono energy is coming from further in so let's go find it and get out of this place."

After walking around the place for a bit, the trio found what they were looking for, except they had one little problem to deal with.

"Well shit, the door won't open."

said Kazuma after making several failed attempts to force it open.

"Nooooo, why god why. I want to get out of here already and go back home. I'm tired of being inside this dark, gloomy, and cold place. I want to go where it's warmer so I can take a nice long bath."

whined Aqua as Lynn examined the door, finally noticing the red light above it.

"I think this door doesn't have enough power to open. In fact, the energy readings for this whole place seems rather low too... wait, there's something else."

Lynn then scans the room slowly, soon spotting one particular doll that looked to be in better condition than the others. By that, I mean she was actually fully intact. Walking over to it, Lynn kneels down and looks the girl over.

"I think I can activate this one. It seems either someone turned her off in the past or she may her turned herself off somehow. Now let me see here..."

"Um, Lynn... you really think turning her on will be a good idea? I mean, what if it... she decides to attack us once awake?"

"Then you better get behind me, just to be safe, Aqua."

says Kazuma, getting Aqua to nod before doing as he suggested and hiding herself behind him, though she does peek out enough to watch. After feeling up the doll, Lynn finally finds her power switch and flips it, causing her eyes to start glowing.

"Ten percent... thirty percent... sixty percent... eighty-five percent... full power achieved, now rebooting main memory core. Entering awake mode... Hello and good morning, pa... hm?"

Lynn has to jump back as the doll sudden jumps up onto her feet and begins scanning the room. She was small, about the size of a human child of age seven or eight. She had somewhat curly blonde hair that reached down to her shoulders and bright blue eyes. After looking around for a moment, she finally looks at the trio and says-

"Hm, I cannot seem to find papa anywhere. Would you three happen to know where he is?"

"Um... no, not really. We only just got here a short while ago and found you and all of this?"

said Kazuma, motioning to the rest of the room. The doll looks around again, finally realizing the current state of the room.

"Oh wow, I must have been is rest mode for a LONG time is all my sister units have suffered power failures and broken down like they did. Then there's the room itself. There used to be so much more light in here. Let me see, checking what my internal clock has to say... oh, I've been in slumber mode for nearly five-hundred years... that would explain things here."

"Hey, I know this must be really interesting to you two but can we have her open that door so we can make our escape already."

asked Aqua, getting Lynn to look at the doll and ask-

"Before that, can you tell us your name, little... doll girl. My name is Lynn, the guy beside me is Kazuma and the girl hiding behind him is Aqua."

"My name... oh, you mean my designation. I am Esteroid Series 70. ID number ANA-8456870. But seeing as I know calling me such would be difficult for humans, you may call me the name my papa always called me, Anna!"

After that, Anna revealed that the room they were in was currently in low power mode and if they wanted to use the door to reach the chrono energy source they had been detecting, they would need to head over to the main facility and increase the flow of power to this private lab.

[Once Anna had told us what we needed to do in order to escape, we also learned one of us would need to stay behind so we could open the door in case the power failed before we could return. While being left alone wasn't my idea of fun, I graciously offered to stay behind and do the job for them.]

"Also, just so you all know, one of you will need to hang back and open the door the moment the light above it turns green."

"Why's that, Anna?"

"Because after all these years without people being around, there's a chance the power core may not be in the best of states. Because of this, who knows how long the increase in power to the lab will remain. It could last for years or could fail only after a couple of minutes. So, to play it safe, someone should stay behind and open the door the moment the light goes green."

This gets the trio to start thinking on who should hang back. It was felt Kazuma should go because his skills as a fighter might be needed inside... wouldn't they? Lynn wanted to go as she wanted to see if she could find any information about what had happened to this world, its people, and how far into the future they had actually gone.

Anna needed to go before only she knew where it was inside the main facility they needed to go and what to do. And Aqua needed to go because who would want to trust her with a potentially important job here. Just when a decision seemed to have been decided upon...

"Oh yeah, I should point out that there will likely be security drones that will attack us once inside, assuming they are still active that is. Not surprising seeing as none of us will have clearance to actually be inside that facility."

"I'll stay here then."

} Into the Unknown {

[After convincing the others that they should go with Anna, I remained behind to watch the door, like a hawk. My unblinking gaze always on the red light, patiently waiting for it to turn green so I could press the button Anna said to press the moment the door could be opened here.]

Aqua was snoring loudly, having decided to lay down only moments after Kazuma and Lynn had left with Anna. At first, she had been watching for the light above the door to turn green. But after a couple of yawns and droopy eyes, Aqua had passed out, mumbling how she wished she had some booze in her sleep.

And then, after who knows how long, she received what she deserved, a kick to her side from Kazuma.

"Gah, what the hell, idiot? You don't just go around kicking someone when they're trying to sleep."

shouted Aqua, jumping her to feet before grabbing Kazuma and starts shaking him while yelling at him. In response, Kazuma knocks her hands away before shoving a finger into her forehead and returning with-

"Why shouldn't I have kicked you, you selfish bitch. What was the reason for you staying back behind here while me and Lynn went with Anna to up the power to this place?"

"Um... because I didn't want to risk my beautiful body facing off against dangerous guards inside that place you three went too... by the way, how did that go?"

"Not too bad, all things considered. Had one particular close call near the end but... don't change the subject. You were supposed to keep an eye on that light there over the door; to make sure you had it open the moment the light turned green just in case it didn't stay green long enough for us to get back."

"... Oh yeah, I was supposed to do something like that, wasn't I? (conks her head while making a sheepish look) My bad!"

"You better believe it will be YOUR bad if we can't get that damn door to open. Hey Lynn, are we all good here?"

"Luckily, it seems the door auto opened the moment the light turned green. Not much, but maybe just enough that Anna can use her insane strength to force it the rest of the way. Anna, if you... would?"

"In a moment, in a moment. I want to see how mister Kazuma is going to punish miss blue hair for being a moron."

A few minutes later, Anna finally opened the door after watching Kazuma and Aqua attempt to strangle one another. With that done, and the visible globe of chrono energy before them, Lynn looks back at Anna and says-

"Thanks for all your help, Anna. For both what you did for us before inside the main facility and for forcing the door open the rest of the way. So, what are you going to do now, Anna?"

"What do you mean 'what am I going to do?' I'm going to go with you guys. What, did you think I was just going to stay back here and do nothing for the rest of my existence? Hell no, there's nothing left to do here from what I'm aware of. However, if I go with you three, I'm sure I'll be able to have a lot more time to have some REAL fun!"

Lynn wasn't sure about this, making her look back at Kazuma who simply gives her a smile before saying-

"I don't see the harm. In anything, having someone as insanely powerful as Anna is, having her at our side could be useful in the future, especially considering what we have potentially awaiting us?"

"Ah... what is that supposed to mean? What could be possibly awaiting us apart from returning home?"

"We'll tell you once we're someplace a little more agreeable, environmentally speaking."

"OK, I'm fine with waiting if the wait is for someplace nicer and warmer."

Lynn then looks back at Anna and says-

"Well, if Kazuma says it's cool, then it's cool with me too. Just make sure you don't let anyone else know about you being a robot girl, alright. Where we're from, someone like you isn't really a common thing to see."

"Understood. I will present myself as if I was just a regular human girl, the same as any other."

[Once Kazuma and Lynn had returned with Anna, and the door to the inner chamber finally opened, we were finally able to leave this place and with Anna coming along for the ride. While I had been confident our adventures would soon be over, little could I have known that our little adventure was only the beginning.]

} In Conclusion {

"And then, after stepping through the portal and passing through the tunnel filled with many floating clocks, we found ourselves arriving at the most unusual and strangest of place yet, the..."

"Aqua, what are you doing?"

asked Kazuma, drawing Aqua's attention away from writing in her diary to look at Kazuma.

"What does it look like I'm doing, idiot? I'm writing inside my diary so if you wouldn't mind..."

"... Do you always commentate what you're writing in your diary when you're writing in it?"

"Do I what?"

"He means vocalize what you're writing down, saying it all aloud to yourself."

says Lynn, making Aqua just stare blankly for a moment before finally saying-

"What are you talking about? I don't do that."

"Anna, if you would."

Anna nods at Lynn's request then repeats the exact words Aqua had read aloud before, even doing a perfect imitation of her voice too. Unable to accept the truth, Aqua quickly shuts her diary before crying about how everyone was being so mean to her.

Kazuma sighs, then says-

"OK enough with all the comedy here, people. We have a a dark, dank cave we'll have to travel through in the morning. Possible filled with monsters too so we should get some sleep while we can."

"Kazuma's right. Night has fallen and we aren't exactly in friendly territory here. Anna, we'll be counting on you to keep watch for us as we sleep."

"You can count on me, master Lynn."

"Wait, hold on a second. I haven't finished updating my diary yet. I still need to talk about how we ended up inside the weird world of nothingness, save for that strange structure... and that old lady... and those time gates we can use to travel around. Then there's that stuff we learned about the end of the world and..."

"Aqua, either save that for another time or write that all down quickly then get to bed. And do note, if you do decide to stay up a little longer to write all that down now and as a result, don't want to get up when it's time to get up, WE WILL LEAVE YOU BEHIND IN THE MORNING. Understand?"

"... I'll be going to bed now."

With that, Aqua tucked her diary into her pouch and curled herself up all nice and snug like beneath the blankets. She wondered what adventures awaited her and her new friends but knew it was only a matter of time before they would all find out. Soon enough, she was fast asleep.

And of course, she didn't want to wake up with the others despite going to bed at the same time. What do you think the others did?

{|} Fin... and to be continued... {|}

AN: We have reached the end of another story told to us by the Fantasia. Our next tale will be focused on Megumin so look forward to that here soon.

On the subject of this chapter, for those of you who may not know what the inspiration for this chapter, it is based around the plot of the SNES game Chrono Trigger. And as for why our cast is... well, cast as?

Kazuma is playing the role of Chrono, Aqua is Marle, Lynn is Lucca, and finally we have Anna playing the role of Robo.

Going beyond them and looking at the larger cast, we would have Darkness playing Frog (what her cursed form is based on is undecided, but it won't be a frog), Iris would be playing Ayla, Megumin as Magus, and Yunyun as Schala.

Funifura, Dodonko, and Arue would be filling in for Slash, Flea, and Ozzie. Lynn, Cielo, and Erika would be playing the role of the three wise. Beyond them, I don't know. This is just the cast layout I would be going with if this was a full-length series and not just a one-shot. Well, I better get to working on the next chapter.

Till next time...