Chapter 43

Rescue We made it into the Oracle Headquarters, but there's no hint of where Natalia and Ion might be. We'll have to stay low while we look for them.

Man, Anise must be really worried about Ion.

Guy tracked the young soldier checking every door they saw the moment they reached the Oracle Headquarters. Not that the others weren't checking the rooms, too, but she would run ahead of everyone else and kept muttering to herself "is it this the right one? That one over there?" It reminded him of the time Raine explored the Zao Ruins for collectibles, with her falling behind, searching, and then running ahead to search some more. Anise had said Ion and Natalia were in here somewhere and how she found out, Guy wasn't sure, but she must've learned something that told her they were in danger. Why else would she be so desperate to find them? Was she really afraid they would hurt their own leader and the princess of Kimlasca? He supposed so since she'd been acting this way ever since they caught up to her outside the cathedral.

Not that he blamed her for wanting to find them as fast as possible. The cathedral was huge, yet it was nothing compared to the training grounds. Several floors of doors and gongs littered the place and Guy felt a wave of exhaustion just looking around at it all. Or what he could see of it anyway. The training grounds were so big there wasn't enough lighting to view it in its entirety. He wondered if anyone hid and waited for them in some of the shadowy places, but getting close enough to fight was the only way to find out.

Nobody so far.

So they walked with Jade and Tear in the lead, heading for the next room. Luke and Mieu hung back with Guy who stopped to wait for Anise.

"It's all right, Anise," Guy said, finally, when she closed the door to yet another unoccupied room. "We'll find them."

"I know Mohs won't hurt them," she replied. But the knowledge didn't seem to settle her at all. She chewed her lip as she scoured what she could see of the grounds. He wasn't even sure he'd ever seen her so worried before. She passed him up and they started moving again.

The training grounds looked old, though, covered in dust in some areas and a drab brown architecture Guy wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't for Raine's influence. The designs were simple to accommodate massive structures and for the first time, he wondered about the origins of this place. He knew that the cathedral had been around for years, but how old was it really?

He admired the Daathic designs molded on the door in brass each time he opened them. This time, he saw a weapons rack against the wall where one item in particular caught his eye. It was a staff, one that matched the staff Raine always carried, but this one couldn't be hers. She wasn't here! And of course if the Oracle Soldiers had one, they likely had several. Interesting that they used the same thing she did, though. How did she get one? He closed the door and moved on.

At one point, three guards showed up out of nowhere, but that didn't matter. He and Luke made quick work of them and carried on with the search. Anise fell back to check another door while Guy headed for the next one up ahead, tucked into the corner of the walkway. As Guy approached, he thought he heard something, the sounds sharpened into metallic clicking as a doorknob rattled and the sounds of a lock being picked. "Hang on." Rather than passing around the corner, the others stopped and faced him, including Anise rushing over from the back. "I think I hear something." He pressed his ear against the door. "Natalia? Ion?"

The clicking stopped.

"Guy?"

What? Wasn't she supposed to be in Sheridan? How in the hell did she get here to Daath?! "Raine! What are you doing in there?"

"Trying to escape," she replied angrily. It was a sharp tone he'd heard before, but not from her. He stepped back. "What does it sound like I'm doing?" He supposed so but how did she get here?! Did she even make it to Sheridan and Class M? Or did the knights find her when they left her behind in Port Belkend? Whatever had happened to her, it wasn't what he expected at all.

"She's obviously testing the doorknob for functionality," Jade said, shrugging his shoulders as Anise approached the door. "Perhaps we should leave her to it. After all, she is a big girl and doesn't need us to protect her."

"Leave me in here, Jade, and I swear the next time I see you, you'll be using my staff to cast fonic artes from your ass!" Anise pulled pins from her hair to pick the lock. Guy jumped back to let her.

Unfazed from the threat, Jade smiled and shrugged. "My, my. She's feeling a bit wayward today. In that case, I suppose we'd better let her out and get back to our search."

"What's the matter, Colonel," Anise asked, giggling as she worked the lock, "not looking forward to sitting uncomfortably?"

"Oh, it's not that," Jade answered her. "I just think she gets more use out of that staff than I would. I should hate to deprive her of it."

"JADE!"

Even Guy hesitated to open the door.

The door opened and Raine couldn't be happier to see Guy and Anise on the other side with Jade just behind them. Her eyes swept to the right where she saw Tear and Mohs's words threatened again, 'Yes, I suppose that does explain what she said…' Was she really the one who told Mohs about her? —Wait.

Wasn't Tear supposed to be in Yulia City? Why would she be here? If Tear was here…. Did that mean—

No.

Oh, no.

Raine quickly turned away to the left. There, on Jade's other side, stood Luke with his hair cut short. Was it Luke? It must be. Mieu sat on his shoulder. And besides, Asch wore black and looked grumpy. Damn. Why did Luke have to come here? Didn't he know this was the most dangerous place for him to be? Of course he would've woken up and went looking for Guy, but… why, of all the places they could've gone on this planet, did Luke want to come here?! How did he even get inside safely? Weren't the knights looking for him? Raine felt a strange sensation as she stared at him, a mix of dread and apprehension, as if her worst possible reality mocked her from the echoes of Mohs's threats. Apparently the hallways didn't have any more air than the study room did.

Never mind that for now.

Instinct and her body wanted her to just run, to avoid the hell that Mohs's options offered to her; the door was open, she could escape and leave these people behind, but even as the thoughts screamed at her to run, she couldn't just do that. Guy was here. Safety was here. And so was power in the form of Jade. If he was the kind of man who would abandon someone in his group, he would've shown that side of himself by now. Maybe Luke would be safe with them, though he probably had no idea what lay in store for him. Raine had no intention of hurting him but if she didn't, Mohs would ensure he died somehow.

If Luke had known, though, would he still have come here?

And if Mohs found out she was traveling with the man she was supposed to kill, he would cut off the deal and demand she be killed right alongside him. With Tear here, too, what would it mean? Did she even know that Luke was marked? If she didn't, it was highly likely that Mohs would learn about it. But even knowing that, she just couldn't say anything. She could only stand there with her heart breaking for him and her feet unwilling to leave her friends behind.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Luke told her. She felt too numb to hear it, it sounded more like a distant cordiality. She turned to Jade and made her decision. He was the most powerful person in the group and therefore the safest to follow. Her best option was just to keep her head down, hurry back to Sheridan, and hope Class M managed to fetch her Rheaird.

They continued through the cathedral. Raine kept to Jade's back with her bag slung over her shoulder. It felt strange not having her staff and she found herself carrying a closed fist, imagining that the familiar bar was still there. She never listened to her surroundings so closely before as she scanned the cathedral for any sign of life besides them. The shadowy places drew her focus the most often. Was it possible someone could hide there?

She didn't ask why the rest of the party was here, but Guy asking for Natalia and Ion through the door was explanation enough. They were here, too. Which was probably why Mohs wanted her to focus on Luke's death and not Natalia's. That must be it. Luke was still at large, so to speak, and Mohs apparently had no idea where he was. But he knew Luke was still alive even though he hung back at Yulia City. Did Tear have enough time to say something to him…? Raine listened to the heels of Tear's shoes and wondered once again. Was the "she" Mohs mentioned really Tear?

"Do you not have your staff?" Guy asked. Raine shook her head and responded in a low whisper, "they took it from me."

At that, his face lit up. "Hang on, guys. On our way back out, we have to stop at one of the rooms again." He pointed back the way they had come and smiled at her. "I know where it is. I just wish I'd realized what it meant when I saw it." She managed a weak smile back at him. In the face of her situation, she'd never appreciated his presence more.

[Changes]

I can't believe it, but we ran into Raine! Apparently someone brought her here, too. I wonder why. She didn't really tell us anything about it. Thank goodness we accidentally found her. I wouldn't have even known she was in trouble or to even look for her. But as soon as we freed her from the room, she looked at me weird, like she was sorry to see me. Is she mad at me after all? She must be. She didn't even respond, even when I said I'm glad she's safe.

We found Natalia and Ion in a room in the lower area of the Headquarters. They were both doing fine, too. That's a relief. Anyway...

Ion said that Master Van was trying to force him to open the Daathic seals on the Sephiroth. Just like Asch said, he must be trying to control the Sephiroth to make the Outer Lands collapse. It's too dangerous to stand around here talking, so we decided to return to the Fourth Monument Hill before doing anything else. But first, Guy wanted to stop at one of the rooms for Raine's staff. He apparently saw it while we were looking for Natalia and Ion.

Okay, something was wrong.

Guy watched Raine the whole trek back to the Fourth Monument Hill and she was way more jittery than usual. Her nerves definitely had the best of her as she glanced over her shoulder more often than he'd ever seen her, and for once, she strode closer to the front with Jade rather than at the back. Ion noticed, too, and frowned ahead of him as he watched her. Behind them, Luke kept a slower pace at the back with Anise, Tear, and Natalia ahead of him. Thank goodness everyone was unharmed, but clearly, Raine wasn't okay.

The way she stared at Luke when they freed her from the locked room contained such anguish, like she had something to say, until he declared his relief that she was safe. Then she turned away, hurried to Jade's side, and remained there ever since. Very strange for her, enough that Guy began feeling the same anxiety she projected the more he followed her. She was also quiet and nervous during the search for Natalia and Ion, barely answering Guy in a soft whisper whenever he asked a question. She lied about feeling okay until Guy decided to just quit asking. Once Ion and Natalia were found, Raine acted like she couldn't get out of the cathedral fast enough.

The sunshine and the outdoors made her paranoia worse, to the point of her ducking out of sight of anyone who looked like an Oracle soldier. He would've thought her head was fastened on by a swivel.

But why was she there in the first place?

That question had to have plagued the rest of the party the way it bothered Guy, but if it did, he didn't see any sign of it until they reached Fourth Monument Hill when Anise jogged to catch up to Raine. She turned around and walked backwards to talk to her. "What were you doing down there at the bottom of headquarters, anyway?" Now that he thought about it… Anise's anxiety about Ion and Natalia diminished when they found Raine. Huh. "We didn't expect to see you at all."

"You mean, you didn't go pick her up?" Confused, Natalia pointed at Guy. "I thought you had, since Guy and Luke are here, too."

"Yeah, I thought you went to Sheridan from Port Belkend," Luke said. That's what Guy remembered her saying. Wait, how did Luke know about that? He was in Yulia City when Raine parted with them. Maybe he should ask about that later.

"Nah," Guy said, "Jade came to get me at Aramis Spring, remember?"

"But Sheridan is on the way…." Natalia said.

"We found her in one of the study rooms," Anise said, "But I wasn't sure why." They all turned to Raine who glanced at them all with wide eyes like she got caught, and then she shrugged her shoulders as if to say it was nothing.

"Mohs had business with me is all." And she left it at that. No surprise there. The woman was nothing but secrets, though she might as well have been a robot with an automatic answer with the way she spoke. Guy could tell, though, she knew much more than she let on. She looked past them instead of sharing eye contact and her breathing still sounded like she'd run a marathon. Perhaps he would inquire later when privacy could be guaranteed.

That was… unless she invoked their pact again. He didn't hold out much hope for answers. He glanced over his shoulder once they reached the Hill. "Looks like no one's following us."

No one was following them?

Raine checked and sighed with relief. Good.

"Of course not," Tear said at Guy's observation. "I don't think they can abduct Ion in a public space." Raine turned to watch her. Abduct? Strange word for her to use considering she was Mohs's subordinate.

"But what do we do now?" Anise asked. "War's about to start and things look seriously bad!" So even they knew about the potential for war? Well that wasn't good. What if they wanted to try stopping it? Raine felt her chest tighten. No, that wasn't her concern anymore. She just needed to get to Sheridan. Nothing else mattered right now.

"Can't we just go to Baticul and stop my uncle?"

"Luke, have you forgotten?" Tear asked. "Mohs has His Majesty's ear. It would be running right into enemy territory." Enemy? Did Tear turn against Mohs at some point? What happened? Raine wasn't sure what to think.

"I'm afraid Tear may be right," Natalia said. "Father trusts Mohs."

"Then why don't we petition help from Malkuth's Emperor Peony?" Ion suggested. "He doesn't want war, and he would have gotten word of any signs of Rugnica's collapse." Rugnica? Where was that? Was it related to Akzeriuth? Raine pulled her map from her bag and looked it over. Oh… Rugnica is the continent with Engeve and—oh no! Saint Binah! That's where the Rheaird is!

"Rugnica is collapsing?!" The shrill tone of her voice startled the others.

"They didn't tell you about it, Raine?" Natalia asked with concern written all over her face. "We learned of it at the Ortion Cavern what Van was doing."

"What Van's doing?" Raine had a bad feeling about that. "What do you mean?"

"Oh?" Jade began. "Now you care what he's up to?" She ignored him.

Guy answered her. "He's apparently trying to destroy the Outer Lands, though we don't know why. We just know the Sephiroth around Rugnica aren't enough to hold it up anymore. I guess Asch said something about that happening."

"No, no, no, no, that can't happen!" Raine stuffed her map away and carried on down the path in a hurry. "If Saint Binah falls into the Qliphoth, it'll disappear!"

"Raine…."

She stopped and turned around to face the others. "Don't you know what that means? I'll lose the Rheaird!"

"Interesting. I thought your focus was finding Genis." Jade grinned like he'd just caught her in a lie. "Why the sudden attachment to the Rheaird?"

"It's not sudden, Colonel," Anise muttered.

"That doesn't matter. I have to get to Saint Binah and get the Rheaird. I can't let it fall into the Qliphoth! There's no way I'll get it back!"

"Why not use the Albiore?" Guy asked. "That machine can fly just as well."

"I told you, I need the Rheaird." She stopped to catch her breath. What was the excuse she gave them before? She couldn't remember.

"It's even too big if it's all you have?" Raine glared at Jade. Oh, yeah. That's what it was. Well, that excuse wouldn't work anymore.

"It's not finished!" Raine cried desperately. More than that, it's useless, but how would they believe that? "And besides, am I to just march into Sheridan and deprive them of their Albiore? In contrast, they won't hunt me down for using the Rheaird."

"I'm sure you could just ask them," Natalia offered. Raine groaned. There really wasn't much to say to that. Life or death, depending on Class M's mood, they may or not help, but if she wanted to believe they would fix up her Rheaird, why not believe they'd offer to take her somewhere she needed to go?

"Besides, we haven't heard that Saint Binah has fallen yet, just that it's sinking," Tear said. "We might still have some time." Did they really have enough time? The panic in Raine's chest suggested otherwise.

And what about Akzeriuth? "Akzeriuth disappeared almost instantly."

"You mean you don't know?" Jade asked, smirking. "How unlike you."

Now that she stopped to think about it, it made sense. The land fell when Luke destroyed the pillar supporting it. The rest of the area was attached to land still supported by other pillars. That would make a difference, wouldn't it? Still Raine couldn't ease her panicked breathing. Too much relied on that Rheaird. "I just… I can't lose it."

"How do you plan to move it?" Guy asked. "You just said they haven't finished the Albiore." Raine exhaled a sharp breath and shook her head.

"I'll find a way." She had to. If she lost the Rheaird, she was doomed to become a fugitive, Mohs's pet, or dead. She had no other options. Raine pulled her map back out to look it over. How long would it take to get there? How long would it take Class M to finish the Albiore? If nothing else, she could probably use a carriage or something to haul it somewhere safe, but where? If Van was going to drop more than Akzeriuth, how many more places would fall before he was satisfied? No, she had to find a way to protect the Rheaird. Her best option was going to Sheridan, but with the threat of war, she likely couldn't travel so easily between countries.

She glanced up at Jade. "Is it possible to take a ship from here to Sheridan?"

Anise's face lit up with alarm. "What? No! Don't try to leave Daath Bay by yourself."

"Why not, Anise?" Natalia asked, concerned about the energy of Anise's reaction.

"Well," Anise replied, speaking slowly and her eyes darting side to side. "They had a reason to bring her here to the headquarters, didn't they?" She looked up at Jade with a lot more confidence. "If she tries to leave Daath Bay on her own, she won't be under Ion's protection anymore and they'll probably bring her right back." Crap! She was right. Frustrated, Raine stamped her staff in the dirt road. Now that Mohs knew she was an alien, she was in danger with him. The moment she arrived in Sheridan and Mohs found out she had left Luke alive, everyone would be in trouble. Even though he promised to give her time, who else in the Oracle Knights knew that? If she didn't do as she was told, as she promised she would, she would be caught and killed. She was sure of it. Especially now that she ran away.

Which meant, she would have to enter Sheridan Port in a way that wouldn't draw attention to her. She supposed she could stowaway, but she'd have to be extra careful not to stand out.

"If anything," Guy added, "we know they're persistent. Do you at least know what they wanted?"

Everyone noticed she didn't respond. They all stared at her. "Do they see you as a threat somehow?" Jade asked Raine. His tone, for once, was a lot more serious. She couldn't speak the truth. The lie wasn't forthcoming. Why was it so much harder to think lately?!

"A heretic most likely," Raine said finally, "given some of the things I've said about the Score." That, they should all understand and sure enough, even Luke nodded. She had tried to be careful about what she said around people, but who knows who might've been listening in. It was a good enough excuse.

"In that case, Anise is right," Ion said. "It's probably better to stick together for now."

"Maybe you could see if the emperor would offer a ship," Guy suggested.

"With the threat of war," Jade replied, "I doubt Sheridan would be too welcoming of a Malkuth ship. You can try going through Chesedonia, but you might get stuck at the border."

"Or," Anise piped up, "maybe you can hide among the knights in armor. I'm sure if you think about it enough, you'll find a way." Maybe, but Raine could tell, her easiest route this time would be to appeal to Peony. With imperial backing, she wouldn't have to sneak past guards and she might even have some protection from Mohs.

"Would the emperor be willing to help me?" Raine besought Jade, trying to hide her desperation but her question still came out as a plea.

"I'm sure he'd at least hear you out," Jade said. "He's more interested in peace than following the Score." He paused and his tone returned to normal. "I might even be able to put in a good word for you… if you don't give me a good reason not to." Raine raised her fist at his smile, but then she released the tension in her jaw. He was teasing her and she knew it. But why now? She shook her head.

"Right, okay. Let's go see the emperor then. Once I get his writ, I can charter a boat to Sheridan from Chesedonia. From there, I'll have them bring the Albiore to Saint Binah, but whatever happens, I cannot lose that Rheaird."

Anise let out a sigh of relief. "Sounds like a plan."

"Okay, let's do that," Luke said. "But what about us now? Where'll we get a ship to Malkuth?"

"Asch left the Tartarus in Daath's harbor for us," Jade said. "Let's head there."

"He did...?" Luke paused. "Okay. The harbor's northwest, right? Let's go." Raine nodded and followed the path in the lead, a new concern piled onto her many worries. Were they really going to make it in time? If she couldn't fetch the Rheaird before Saint Binah fell, she was never going to get it back. Mohs would definitely see fit to get rid of her. Worse still, she would never see Genis again.

"Hang on." Guy raised his hand and glanced past Raine. "Can we stop at Aramis really quick?"

"Is now really the time?" Anise asked with exasperation. Raine agreed with her wholeheartedly.

"No, I can't afford wasting time on side trips." Honestly, she'd been pretty clear about her urgency to get the Rheaird, right?

"What is so important that you want to stop there?" Natalia asked Guy.

"I, uh… I made a promise and I want to keep it." Guy rubbed the back of his head. "I know we're in a hurry, but I promise it'll be quick. Please?" No one verbally objected, although everyone's body language suggested they'd rather not, with rolled eyes, heaved shoulders, and Jade shaking his head with a muttered, "you youngsters." To her surprise, Guy turned to her.

"Great! Let's go, Raine. I can't wait to show you."

"M-me?!" This was about her? What on earth could he want to show her here?

[Changes]

We fled as far as the Fourth Monument Hill, but it looks like nobody's coming after us. I guess they can't go and kidnap their leader in broad daylight... They're not an evil organization, after all.

At this rate, a war's going to break out, and there's still the possibility that St. Binah will collapse. But considering that Uncle sent me to Akzeriuth, I have to assume Mohs has his ear. In that case, we decided it would be best to rely on Jade's connections to get help from Emperor Peony of Malkuth. Raine said she'll see if he can help her cross into Sheridan for the Albiore so she can get the Rheaird before Saint Binah falls. I wonder why she's so focused on that thing? She almost acts like it's life or death.

Fortunately, Asch left the Tartarus in Daath Bay for us, and it's capable of traveling on the sea, so we're going to take it to Malkuth. The port's northwest of the Fourth Monument Hill. We have to hurry.

But first, Guy wants to go back to Aramis Spring. He said it was for a promise. I wonder what promise he made?

Aramis Spring

Raine walked alongside Guy and peered over her shoulder often enough that he thought she would strain her neck. Even though the others came along, Guy wanted to show her the spring privately, so he asked them to wait outside the tunnel. Exasperated, Anise demanded that they don't take long. Raine agreed, but Guy scratched the back of his head and got nervous.

"I don't think anyone will expect you to come this way," he told her, though he knew full well that she wouldn't stop checking no matter how much he tried to console her. What surprised him, though, was why she didn't ask about this excursion. Perhaps a part of her knew? He had no idea.

They wandered through the cave system and with each puddle that crossed their path, he could tell Raine got more and more agitated, especially when one puddle was almost knee deep with no way around it.

"I promise, there's no current here. It won't carry you away." Not like at the Fubras, anyway. Raine tested the path with her staff and held her bag up above the water; it obviously took everything she had to keep going. Even as shallow as the water was. He'd never imagined anyone would have a phobia as intense as his, but watching her now, just like before, she looked wholly terrified. The same as he had felt before when he'd been surrounded by giggling maids.

But something else bothered him.

"Is everything okay?" Guy asked.

"That had better not be the reason for this." She glared at him.

Ah! There it was. Guy shook his head. "No, I meant it about the promise. And you can invoke our pact anytime. I've just never seen you this frightened. You've been off since we found you."

"I don't remember any promises you've made to me."

A deflected. Just as he expected. "I do. The one on the ferry to Kaitzur." He paused. Apparently she didn't remember. Well, now was not the time to remind her. If she knew what he had planned, she might back out. But then she dug into her bag and pulled out a book. Her notebook! Did she write about that? Sure enough, she flipped through its pages looking. Apparently she never found it because she read a few pages and snapped the book shut. She didn't think it was important enough to remember, he supposed.

"If it truly was a promise, I didn't know about it."

Guy exhaled in relief. "That's okay. You'll remember when we get there."

"That was a promise?!" Raine stopped in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by cliffs at all sides. Next to the cliff, one small pool fed into another and another, with a small spout flowing from a crack in the cliff face. She knew they were near a river when she heard water flowing outside the cave, not to mention the flowing water inside the cave, but she thought she'd made it clear to Guy that she didn't exactly want anything to do with it. But now he stood at the edge of the Aramis Spring and she watched Guy step into the center of the top pool that flowed into smaller pools downriver. No way. There was no way he was getting her in there! "You off-handedly said you wanted to teach me to swim. I didn't think you were serious."

He held out his hands, inviting her close. "Come on, this is perfect place to help you with your phobia." Guy bent over and held his hands in the water before starting back towards her.

"No." She couldn't possibly say it any more firmly than that. But he stepped up to the edge of the water and held out his hands.

His gloves were completely dry. In fact, his whole body was.

"How did you—"

"I don't know how it works exactly, but I do know that Luke and Tear came out of here completely dry. I asked Luke about it and he said it's the way the spring works. The Sephiroth keep you dry. There's no way you can drown here, so what better place to learn how to swim?"

Raine shook her head, nearing panic. "No, we don't have time for this."

"I know, but how about all you do is step into the middle with me. I'll work on my phobia as you work on yours." He held out his hand and she stared at it. Would this really work? Could this really help her get over her fear? Raine did remember feeling the fire of learning back on the ferry, but facing it now felt impossible. Why should she when she faced a world full of people out for her blood? What was the point in learning something if she was going to die soon anyway?

But all she could manage in her refusal was a weak, "We really should head for the Tartarus."

"Please?"

Then she saw the look in his eyes, the kind of look Genis gave her when he wanted a toy to play with and she couldn't afford it. This really meant a lot to him, though she wasn't sure why. He flexed his fingers in encouragement. All she knew was that if they didn't leave Padamiya, Mohs might catch up to her. Everything after that would be disastrous. But after all of her experiences here on Auldrant, there was one thing that remained consistent, one thing that she could count on, even when she fell into the ocean at Choral Castle. He had this one favor, he called it a promise, and as much as she didn't want to work on her phobia right now, she saw the pleading in his eyes and remembered how excited Genis was to finally get his kendama from that old man.

"This means that much to you?"

He nodded. "I don't want you to be afraid anymore."

Of what? Dying? It certainly wasn't about drowning. Still… the longer she delayed here, the more likely Mohs would catch up to them. She might as well.

Slowly, she reached out a hand, keeping her eyes trained on his face. The glove truly was dry. Not that she expected it to be a lie, but she had just watched him run his hands through the water. Raine heard a deep intake of breath and she looked up to see Guy had closed his eyes. As afraid as his body said he was, he tried to keep himself under control. A small spark within her lit up with the desire to honor his resolve. This meant a lot to him, enough that he worked against his own phobia to see this through.

Raine straightened. "Okay, I'll go with you but you will make two more promises: I won't get wet and you won't let me go."

"I won't let you go." Then he paused for another deep breath. "And… you can't get wet, it's impossible." She stepped along the bank until the next step would land in the water, and hesitating, she held her foot just above it.

"It's okay," Guy said, sensing her hesitation more than seeing her. He tugged gently and she closed her eyes to take her step.

He was right. She didn't get wet. Surprised, she watched the water flow around her feet with each step to the center of the fountain. How did this work?! Fascinated, she bent and ran her hands through the water, too, and stood to check herself over. She really was dry! Guy stood near the middle but took a step back.

"See? You can't get wet here, so it's impossible to drown."

"MARVELOUS!" Excited, Raine swept her hands through the water all around the fountain, almost like a kid playing for the first time, nearly dancing from the joy of it. There really was no way for her drown here. She reached into the water again and again, waving through it and she could only feel the slightest breath of spray, but the water itself ran off from the pressure of the Sephiroth, almost like tiny beads. Several times, she dipped her fingers and then examined them closely, transfixed by this new phenomenon. She actually enjoyed standing in a puddle of water.

How odd.

Raine stopped smiling and froze at the center of the fountain. All around her, the water was pushed away so she couldn't even feel it, but in her excitement at not getting wet, she couldn't even feel her fear of it. Despite standing in what looked like a depth of twenty centimeters of water. What was happening here?!

"Is something wrong?"

"No. We should get going." She hurried back to the bank without looking back at him. But she couldn't help but suppress the feeling should she make it out alive, she might actually come back to this place to study it some more. There was no way she would tell him that though.

A/N: Hi, Ya'll!

Despite what was left to do on this chapter, it was harder than pulling teeth to make those changes happen. . But I endured and finally pulled through!

I still want to add some "stage" detail and body language, but I'll do that at a later date. I've been really struggling with productivity so I'm going to say it'll be a month before I post 44 just to be a little reserved about it. Until then, enjoy Jade's poking Raine with a stick. Eventually she's bound to explode and bite his hand off, but even I dunno when that will be. XD

Until next time, be well! Take care of yourselves, and I hope your month is enjoyable!

~~Kat =^-^=