A/N: Thank you, Raven, for this chapter! =^-^=

Chapter 27: More Genis!

Sybak's entrance was not guarded, meaning their little stunt worked. The Papal Knights would be busy searching for them in the other continent by now, but it wouldn't be long before they noticed their escape. Although Genis wanted to explore more, even have a chance to visit the university's library, the party couldn't stay long after last time.

Genis was surprised he even wanted to when he was exposed as a half-elf there. Maybe he was getting homesick himself, else why would he long to go back to school at a time like this? Or maybe it was his wish that Raine would be there, strict as ever, her only concern being to teach to the best of her capabilities, finish her material of the day, and make sure Lloyd wouldn't sleep in class yet again. Genis was sure if his sister was here, she would still be giving them schoolwork to make sure they, mostly Lloyd, didn't fall behind.

As they walked into the city, a familiar silhouette came into view. Kratos. Everyone tensed. Genis and Lloyd moved in front of Colette, their weapons at the ready. He heard the rest moving to guard her back.

Kratos just watched them. "I have no intention of fighting you inside the city," he made short work of Lloyd, disarming and throwing him to the ground.

He sheathed his sword before passing through the group, stopping besides Colette.

"Chosen One," Kratos turned to her. "If you wish to live, you must remove that worthless Key Crest."

What's he talking about? Genis turned towards Kratos. The ominous words brought back the many dangers of the exspheres to his mind, Marble's fate being the worst of them. But Colette's was a Cruxis crystal, which didn't cause the same side effects. She had worn it since the day of the Oracle, and the only bad effects he knew about were the whole angel transformation and the Toxicosis Raine mentioned before. If that's so, why did it need a Key Crest to be suppressed like an exsphere? None of this made sense to Genis, there was so much they still didn't know about Cruxis crystals. Many questions ran through his head while not noticing Kratos look at him.

"Genis."

Genis tensed and glared at Kratos.

"I'll be clear only once. Your sister is not in Cruxis's hands." Kratos walked away.

Genis's glare dissipated and ran after him. "Wait!"

Kratos didn't stop. Genis had half a mind to follow, enemy status be damned, but Zelos put his arm in the way.

"Wait kid. He could be using that to separate us."

"He could know something!" Genis snapped.

"Genis, Zelos is right," Sheena joined. "It's dangerous if you go alone. We can't trust his word."

Genis deflated. They were right. Kratos said he didn't want to fight them there but that didn't stop him from planning an ambush by using Genis's desperation against them. If he got captured, Colette could easily give herself up and their efforts until now would go to waste.

"Anyway, it's more likely the professor is in Sylvarant," Lloyd said.

"We still don't know if that's true," Genis countered weakly.

"I don't think Kratos is lying either," Colette said.

Genis turned to Colette, whose smile was dull. "How can you be so sure?"

"Just a feeling."

Genis didn't dare say anything else and looked away. He wasn't going to admit it out loud, at least not now, but he was on Colette's side on this one. Not because he trusted Kratos, there's no way he would ever do it again, but because if it was true, his sister was not in grave danger. Being the Renegades' prisoner or lost in Tethe'alla weren't better options at all, yet Yggdrasill's ruthlessness was far too imprinted in his mind, and he didn't want to imagine what would happen to Raine if she was captured by Cruxis.

Just this time, Genis let himself hope.

Entering a sewer was not something Genis wanted to repeat after the nuisance Meltokio's sewers were. Unlike those though, this one was a quick trip that led them inside a lab under Sybak's university. Various people in lab coats were moving around doing their jobs. What Genis paid attention to was that everyone there were half-elves. Just like in the Elemental Research Laboratory.

Genis sighed, it's the same no matter where we go. The party approached a woman with green hair, slightly pointed ears, and glasses, the supposed Kate he'd heard about. A half-elf too. The woman's face turned shocked when she saw him. Lloyd had told him they made a deal with her to help Presea if they brought Genis here, because to her, there was no way humans would ever associate with half-elves of their own volition.

If I was born in Tethe'alla instead of Sylvarant, would I think the same? Sylvarant was no paradise for half-elves, but what Tethe'alla did was inhumane. Humans saw them as scum of the earth and treated them worse than beasts in the wild. There's no way anyone would live comfortably at the idea of being locked up to work for the sake of their oppressors and never see the light of day for the rest of their lives. Genis could only wonder, if they had succeeded on saving Sylvarant, as asinine as the thought was, and the Desians moved over to Tethe'alla, what would the half-elves here do? He doubted they would keep their heads down.

At least in Sylvarant, some half-elves were still taken in by kind people, like Harley in Asgard. Raine and Genis had some numbered encounters like that before reaching Iselia, people that didn't care what they were, and although they couldn't do much, just giving them a measly piece of bread or a roof to cover from the rain had saved them from dying countless times.

It didn't make him like humans any better, but kindness wasn't something Genis would ever deny. Lloyd and Colette didn't hesitate to treat him the same as always, Sheena was like a second big sister after all their time together since she joined, Zelos was a jerk, but he never directed actual disgust at him and he did cover him in battle when necessary, which Genis respected. Presea… she was still a coin in the air. Genis wished for the sake of his blossoming feelings that she would accept him anyway, even if they stayed friends in the end.

"…We call it the Angelus Project," Kate said.

The name caught his attention. Kvar said the same thing in the Asgard Human Ranch.

Kate approached Presea, but she rebuffed the action and ran to the back. Genis and Colette went to her side. The little girl's expression remained blank, though her body was stiff as a tree. Both he and Colette didn't dare touch her in fear of retaliation while hoping their close presence would be enough to calm her down.

Genis turned back to Kate's explanation, how the Angelus Project was an experimental way of turning exspheres into Cruxis Crystals.

"She's just like Colette."

Colette flinched. "If we leave Presea like this, what will happen to her?"

"When the parasitic process is complete, she will die." Kate said matter-of-factly, not reacting to how everyone startled.

"That's horrible! Please save her!" Genis yelled. "What did she ever do to you?!"

Lloyd intervened, his voice uncharacteristically severe. "You promised. You're going to save her, right?"

"A promise is a promise," Kate said.

Kate told them about a dwarf named Altessa who had participated in the experiment too, the Pope being the one who gave the order. Genis cringed, not that human again! When Zelos insulted him, Kate reacted badly. Genis was aggravated, how could she defend one of the people responsible for perpetuating the mistreatment against her own? But by the look on her face, it seemed to go deeper than just mere religious loyalty. Genis had a couple of ideas why but didn't voice them.

Lloyd determined they should go find Altessa, so they should head to Gaoracchia Forest. Going by what Zelos said back in Meltokio, Ozette was on the way. They could finally take Presea home.

Before they left, Genis approached Kate.

"Has there been anyone new here lately?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Kate was confused.

"My older sister is missing. Her name is Raine, and she looks just like me."

Kate regarded him for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I haven't seen anyone like that. If she got arrested, she could have ended up in any research facility around Tethe'alla."

"I see."

"I'll keep an eye out, in case you come back."

"Thanks," Genis said weakly.

"Still, what a coincidence. A man just came by asking the same question."

Surprised, Genis reacted. "Who?"

"Kratos Aurion. He was here for other reasons but came down to ask us about any half-elves coming here recently."

"Just what is he up to?" Lloyd grimaced.

The party walked away from Sybak silently. Genis and Colette remained in the back. Although they had gotten information on how to help Presea, the search for Raine was still in square one. Genis hated this. It was a relief she wasn't imprisoned in Sybak, that said, it didn't eliminate that Raine could be out somewhere in Tethe'alla, an easy prey for the Papal Knights. He kept praying for her safety.

There was also Kratos's strange behavior. Ignoring the adamantite thing or how he still took time to admonish Lloyd whenever they crossed paths, he seemed to be looking for Raine too. Genis didn't want to think he was trying to help due to guilt or something else. However, he wouldn't refuse this because it could mean finding his sister sooner. And he was still thankful about Kratos sharing that Cruxis didn't have Raine.

With the storm raging inside him, Genis was slow to notice Colette's gloomy demeanor. Kratos's words to her still bothered him, even more so after what Kate told them, so he reached out and took her hand.

"Colette, are you okay?"

She looked at him and forced a smile. "Yeah, Genis. Everything is fine."

"Are you sure? You're not sick again, right?"

Colette shook her head. "If anything comes up, I'll let everyone know immediately."

"Okay." Genis smiled back.

Colette ran ahead to walk besides Lloyd. Genis didn't follow, doubts surging. Could it be the Key Crest Lloyd made wasn't enough and was making Colette sick like it did to exsphere bearers without it? It wasn't beyond her to hide things from them again, just like when she was transforming into an angel.

Sometimes, Genis wished Colette was a bit more selfish.

Even in the heat and sandy wind, the desert oasis was a welcome sight. Several ruined buildings lay scattered around a well with fresh water and an open pond with a giant fonstone in it. This place must be centuries old! Raine felt her excitement increasing.

That was until Luke started acting strangely, talking to someone, and complaining about a headache. Guy explained that this was nothing new, but then Luke suddenly clutched his head from the headache and collapsed to the sand. Raine had a few doubts about this being nothing new. Especially when practically everyone converged to him. Then again, maybe it was something Guy was used to. He stayed next to Jade.

"Luke! Are you all right?" Anise was first to reach him.

Mieu wasn't far behind Anise. "Master, do you feel sick?"

"Hold on, Luke." Tear helped him stand up. Or did Guy stay back because Anise and Tear were the first ones to reach Luke?

"Hearing imaginary voices again?" Guy asked. Imaginary?

But Luke shook his head. "I doubt that was just my imagination..."

Interesting. "What tells you that?" Raine asked. "Voices no one else can hear is the very definition of auditory hallucinations."

"You said something about 'Asch'..." Natalia said. She approached him with her hands out as if wanting to take his hand. "Did you mean that Oracle Knight?" She ended up not touching him at all. Of course, it must've been confusing to see Asch when thought Luke was her fiancé. Then Raine wondered, did Natalia catch on that Luke could be a replica?

"That was definitely Asch's voice," Luke said. "He said he was with Ion in the Zao Ruins..." Ruins? Raine's interest immediately piqued. Forget the God-Generals, she wanted to see what kind of ruins they were!

"Ion's there?!" Anise perked up. Oh, and of course, retrieving Ion took priority over exploring ruins, but that meant they might actually go. After all, they went to Choral Castle because the God-Generals had kidnapped one of their allies, and Ion was far more pleasant and high-ranking than Luke was. Not to mention weaker and less able to defend himself.

"The Zao Ruins?" Jade asked. "From 2000 years ago?" Two thousand years?! Raine couldn't contain her excitement.

"We should probably go take a look," she said. Guy raised his eyebrow for a moment but then laughed.

"Of course you'd want to."

"Where are they?" Luke asked.

"I'm afraid I don't know. I'd be most grateful if the leader of this mission would find them for us..."

Not amused, Luke replied, "You really like to be a jerk, don't you?"

"Not at all. I'm so good-natured and honest, it almost hurts." Raine rolled her eyes. Good grief, Jade. Ever the type to find humor and he makes a statement like that.

"Colonel!" Tear said. "Please stop teasing Luke."

"In that case," Jade turned to Raine. "I recommend first asking our resident ruin scholar."

Wait, what?!

Oh. Shit.

Everyone turned to Raine, who of course had no idea what to say. "Just a moment." She pulled out her map and looked it over. Where would be the best place for some ruins to be? Ugh, they could be anywhere! This desert was huge and her map from Elder McGovern gave her no clues whatsoever, even if she could read all of the text.

"Failing that," Jade said, noticing and correctly deducing her problem, "we can also ask around town."

She folded up her map and followed the others. "Yes, that sounds like a grand idea. Let's do that." Guy wasn't the only person to think it strange, but all she had to do was shake her head.

He sighed and let it go without asking. The others didn't hide their confusion at all.

Calling Voice

Just when we reached the oasis, I heard Asch's voice in my head. It was like the voices I hear when I get those headaches, but I knew it was Asch this time.

Asch told me that Ion's in the Zao Ruins. Why? He's our enemy, isn't he? Is he trying to make fun of us or what? I'm worried he's set a trap or something for us, but we don't have any other leads at the moment, so I guess we might as well head for the Zao Ruins and take a look.

A/N: ...Yeah... half-way into January and the only part I wrote was 622 words long. Thank you, Raven Tsurara, for giving everyone something to read! LOL I have a reason for the delay, though. Not a good one, but a reason nonetheless.

So, I've been looking ahead to the next big chunk I have written and I felt there's a decent gap in logic between then and now. There are a few more things I need to wrap up before I can say the next several chapters are ready for finalizing. I spent my time on that instead of finalizing my ~600 words for this chapter and letting you all know what I'm up to. :D

So, in light of all of my efforts and this delay... Chapter 28 is almost ready and will be posted, I'll say... sometime early February knowing my crappy reputation for being on time, but 29, 30, and 31 need some love, so they might be a little farther out than my usual 2-4 weeks I've been shooting for. Also, I've done a vague calculation, and I think this story might actually get to be about 100 chapters long. It might be shorter than that, it might be longer, but based on its current pace, I would say that's a decent guess for now. I hadn't actually broken it up into chapters until I started with Raven and realized that I need to have an idea when I need her parts of the story, so... yeah... :)

Anyway, thank you all so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed Raven's chapter, and I'll see you all soon.

~~Kat =^-^=