The rockfall was deafening, and Genis was almost glad it was dark so he didn't have to see the extent of it. As it was, he whirled around, heart thudding in his throat, and tugged at Raine's sleeve wordlessly, unable to speak. That fall had happened right behind him, and Rai and Lloyd had been there...

Raine put a comforting hand on the top of his head, and he could feel that she was about to say something moments before she called out to Rai and Lloyd. Genis let out a sigh of relief when he heard his brother call back, though he sounded a bit shaken.

When his sister ended with instructions to dig them out if they weren't back within a day, though, Genis felt his blood run cold. Right. They were potentially trapped down here. He bit his lip, feeling suddenly ill.

"Rai doesn't have a light, either," he realized aloud. "Raine..."

"He'll be fine," she said bracingly. "The two of them only have to make their way back up to the entrance, and it's a straightforward path. Anyway, I trust Rai at least to be able to retrace his steps precisely. They'll both be fine. I'd be more worried about us," she added under her breath, and started fiddling with the lamp, which had gone out. Genis wasn't sure if he'd been meant to hear that.

"We just have to finish the trial and then we'll be able to see them again," Colette said brightly, but Genis could hear the nervousness in her tone. Kratos's low voice sounded from somewhere just ahead.

"There's no point standing around," he said in that unfriendly way of his. "Let's press on." At that moment the lantern came back on, and by its light Genis saw Kratos turn away and start to walk onward, not waiting for a reply. Raine ushered him and Colette ahead.

"Go on," she said. Colette fell into line behind Kratos immediately and after a moment of hesitation, Genis followed suit, unable to keep himself from glancing back at the blocked passageway one last time.

They walked in silence for a long time, and when they reached any areas where thinking had to be done about where to go next, Genis allowed Raine and Kratos to do it, his heart really not in it after the unexpected split in members. It did occur to him that it was odd that Colette didn't need to help solve the puzzles in the ancient ruins, considering these trials were meant to be for the Chosen anyway, but he supposed it didn't matter if she got there in the end. At one point when they were walking down another long hallway, with a series of inscriptions on the walls that Genis simply couldn't bring himself to be interested in at the moment, he fell into step next to Colette, sensing her unease.

"Are you nervous about meeting Remiel again?" he asked.

"A little," she admitted, and Genis noted that he was currently talking to the more serious side of Colette, a side she rarely showed.

"You know, you can talk to us if you're worried about anything," he told her after a pause. "You don't have to act carefree all the time. It's okay to be scared or frustrated."

"Thanks, Genis," she said softly. He noticed she didn't deny it.

"Are you sure you can't tell me what's really going on?" he said finally. "I know there's something, you know. Something about this Journey none of you want me to know. You haven't told Lloyd either, have you?"

At least she didn't do him the indignity of denying that such a truth existed. "No, I haven't," she admitted, downcast.

"What about Rai?" Genis asked carefully. She didn't reply for a while.

"He knows," she said finally, and Genis let out the breath he'd been holding.

"I knew it," he muttered. "But how does he know? You wouldn't have told him and not me or Lloyd. You and Rai aren't even close."

"He...actually, he...somehow, he figured it out on his own," she murmured.

"He - ?" Genis shot her an incredulous look. "What? I guess Rai really must be smarter than I am. I'm pretty sure I have all the same information he does, and yet I haven't deduced anything."

"I don't think it's that he's smarter..." she started, then trailed off. "I mean...Rai, as far as I can tell, he's really...sad. And he keeps to himself, and thinks the worst of everything. I think he can pick up on...bad things...easier than most people."

"That's cryptic," Genis said, slightly frustrated. "So you're saying whatever this secret thing is about the Journey, it's a bad thing. Which I'd pretty much guessed already." He sighed. "Whatever, forget that for now. I guess if you don't want to tell me, there's nothing I can do. Now that I have your serious side to talk to for a moment, though, have you noticed how close Rai and Lloyd have been getting lately?"

"Yes," she said quietly. "Actually, I was going to ask you about that, too, Genis. I mean - it's good, of course, if they're getting along..."

"But you don't actually like it," Genis guessed, and the guilt in her blue eyes was answer enough.

"It's really wrong of me," she agonized. "I mean, I don't have any right to tell Lloyd who to be close with. And I think Rai is a good person..."

"I don't think you need to feel guilty," Genis told her bluntly. "You're in love with Lloyd." She blushed, but didn't deny it. "And you're going through some tough things right now, as far as I can tell - even if you won't tell me what they are. So it's natural you don't like that there's now an extra person to take away his attention. I don't think anyone would really blame you for that."

"It's so selfish, though..."

"I don't know how much I like it either," Genis admitted. "I mean, I think it's good that they don't hate each other for no reason anymore, but it feels weird, since they sort of used to communicate through me and that's not needed anymore. But it's more that it's something I'll need to get used to. In your case, though, your relationship with Lloyd is special, so..."

"I..." Colette hesitated. "I want Lloyd to be happy. So it's a good thing if he has more friends around him that make him happy - but there's something inside me," she lowered her voice further, "something that wishes that it could be just me. That I could be enough." She shook her head. "But I shouldn't think that way!"

"I think it's fine," Genis said bluntly. "As long as you don't go murder Rai to keep him from stealing Lloyd, you're probably in the clear."

Her blue eyes filled with horror. "Genis!"

"I was joking, joking. Sorry." He sighed. "Anyway...talk to someone when you're feeling down, all right? Whether that's Raine or Lloyd, or even me. I'm always ready to listen, too, you know. But it might not be a good idea to go to Rai," he added dryly. "I doubt he'd appreciate it."

"You know, I actually kind of...accidentally cried all over him before we left Iselia," she admitted, and Genis stared at her in shock.

"What, really? I didn't know that. Wait, he...let you?"

She nodded, and it was hard to tell in the dark, but it looked like she might be blushing a bit.

"Huh."

"I mean, he did seem kind of annoyed," she said, sounding embarrassed. "He got mad at me, but he also seemed like he was worried, and he didn't push me away. So...I think he's really a good person, deep down."

"Well, I knew that," Genis said, "but Rai's...I mean, sure, he's a good person. Technically. But he doesn't usually see a problem with hurting people when he thinks they're being stupid. So I'm surprised he was that understanding of you. Not to sound like I think he's a jerk," he added hurriedly. "But you know what I mean."

"He's also kept his promise not to tell Lloyd," she continued. "I mean, about...you know...the Journey, I mean."

"Yeah, yeah, that thing I can't know either," Genis said, and a bit of irritation was audible in his voice. "It's still - woah, Colette, watch out!" He pulled her to the side just in time as an enemy emerged from the shadows, suddenly glowing with fire. Genis fired up a spell at top speed. "Icicle!" The odd ball of fire fizzled and died and Genis turned to Colette, who was shaking. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said. "Thanks, I didn't notice that."

"No problem."

"Are you children all right?" Raine asked, taking a few paces back towards them. "I heard fighting."

"This weird...glowing ball-thingy attacked us," Genis reported. "I took care of it, though."

"Good job," Raine praised him. She frowned. "That's odd...we haven't encountered many enemies since entering, though it seems there are some. I wonder..."

"Maybe the rockfall scared them away or something," Genis suggested.

He stayed alert the rest of the way through, and Colette kept a tight hold on her chakrams, but nothing disturbed them all the way until they reached the altar. And then a huge, flaming lava beast burst out of nowhere, snarling at them and balls of fire spewing out of its nose.

...This would be a long fight.

"Ah. About that rockfall..." Remiel cleared his throat and Genis shot him a suspicious look. "It was...part of the trial," he said. Genis got the distinct impression that Kratos was giving the angel the evil eye. Remiel added quickly, "So of course, it'll be cleared out again. And I will ... graciously provide a warp pad for you in this room for easy return to the entrance."

Remiel was definitely suspicious, Genis decided. Rai had always seemed to think the idea of Cruxis was stupid, and Genis was starting to agree with him. Remiel didn't seem like he was truly a divine being - he just came across as a pompous, arrogant, bastard who was playing a role - at least once the initial awe wore off. Even Colette appeared less than impressed, though she kept her head bowed and all her body language respectful. Genis found himself wishing he hadn't said that line about Remiel being Colette's true father - if that was true, she had a pretty damn annoying man for a father, one who didn't mind having her potentially killed in rockfalls.

Genis didn't pay all that much attention while Remiel finished off his usual speech, but when multicolored wings sprouted from Colette's back he felt his jaw drop in astonishment. He ran over to her. "Colette - that's so cool," he said in awe. "Can they - are they real, or just mana constructs? They have to be mana constructs, right?"

"Well, I can move them…" Colette said uncertainly, and demonstrated by giving her wings a few experimental flaps. Then suddenly they disappeared and she turned around and smiled at Genis. "And put them away."

"So mana constructs, then," he said in amazement. "I wonder if, with enough practice, I could learn to construct some for myself…that would be so amazingly sweet."

"It probably wouldn't be easy," Colette admitted. "I'm not…doing anything to make them appear, really. It feels like they're just a natural extension of me."

"Still," Genis said wistfully. "It would be so cool…"

"Let's get going," Kratos said shortly, and Genis couldn't help but glare at him.

"Well, someone's a mood-kill," he muttered, but followed the others to the warp anyway.

He wondered how Lloyd and Rai were doing outside, whether they'd be surprised that everyone else was back so soon. He thought back to his earlier conversation with Colette and then shook his head slightly, banishing the thoughts. It was all too complicated.

He'd let Lloyd deal with this on his own.

A/N: I know that was a bit short. Next one will be up shortly.