Welcome back everyone! Last time we saw Marta, she was able to secrue a victory against Vermillion after losing her first sparring session. Despite getting into it, Marta walked aways with a degree of pride and came out with Selene as her "official" spell casting teacher.

However, Tenebrae sensed a presence not too far behind them. Who or what could be following them? Once we check back into the present, we'll find out.


Grass Field Outskirts [Present Day]

To say Marta and Vermillion got TOO into their sparring match was an understatement. Despite it being a sparring session, the two girls clearly got heated. Granted, Marta didn't want Vermillion to take it easy on her and she had to give it her best, but if felt like they got carried away.

"Wow... you two really went at it, didn't you?" Genis said, not expecting Marta and Vermillion to give it their all in this.

"Don't remind me... I know I got carried away." Marta said with a groan of disappointment at herself. While she felt somewhat proud to actually score a victory, she did overdo it.

"Hey, no need to get down Marta. We can all get carried away. Right Zelos?" Lloyd followed, trying to reassure Marta in some way, prompting a look of curiosity from the young girl along with everyone else present.

"Yeah... I remember the time we had that one sparring match. Sent me flying into a wall with a Double Demon Fang..." Zelos said, recalling the one time he and Lloyd sparred sometime after dealing with Mithos, but before the abnormal weather happened. The look of his face screamed 'Don't think I forgot man!'.

"Yeah, after you sent me through the window of your mansion with a Sonic Thrust! Let's be thankful you didn't send me flying into Seles' room..." Lloyd rebutted back at Zelos. Needless to say, everyone was surprised that the sparring they had involved some semblance of property damage. Hearing this made Marta happy that neither she or Vermillion subjugated each other to the point of being put through over-the-top slapstick violence out of a puppet show.

"Hey! I know better than to send anyone, bud or otherwise, into my sister's room like that!" Zelos argued back, doing his best to restrain himself for that crack. Marta and Emil could only chuckle lightly at the scene. As Emil looked back at Marta, he couldn't help but feel that if he had a sparring session like with Richter or Lloyd, would have they gotten carried away as well? Emil didn't know the answer despite his own dislike of fighting, but he knew that people can get competitive.

But then Emil recalled what Tenebrae said toward the end of the recent part of the story.

"Tenebrae, you mentioned that you felt someone not too far behind, right? Who was it?" Emil asked the Centurion, wondering who he felt was following them. Was it Richter? Alice? Decus? All three of them? Or could it have been Scarlet and Lavender? He noticed Marta looked a little bit uncomfortable and yet...

"Well, that leads into what I'm about to say next..." Tenebrae replied as he prepared to talk about what happened next until...

"If it's okay Tenebrae, can I talk about this next part with you?" Marta replied, knowing full well how this next bit brought a mixure of emtions that she feels she needs to say as she recalled this part immensely. Tenebrae could only nod as Emil and the others paid attention.

"So, what happened?" Colette asked as everyone noticed how tense Marta and Tenebrae were.

"It all occurred after Lady Marta had her last training session with Vermillion two days later..." Tenebrae replied as he and Marta recalled an event that the young hoped would happen... but not in the way she imagined...


Grass Field Outskirts [Fourth Day with the Special Unit]

There was deep breathing as Marta held her hands on her knees with Vermillion having one hand on hers as the two fought to a stalemate. Despite that, there was no denying that Marta had gotten the hang of battling opponents like Vermillion as Tenebrae could attest too. Even so, Marta's slowly improved and has a better understanding of how to fight those who use swords and shields.

"Well done Lady Marta. You've improved since we began, although you took quite a risk with that Photon spell..." Vermillion said, having ended up at this point due to Marta managing to cast Photon despite still needing practice with the spell in question.

"Might as well... have our last session... go out with the new spell Selene taught me." Marta replied to the Lady Knight. Despite her exhaustion, she was able to give a bright smile to Vermillion.

"You certainly left a good impression. With that, your practice sessions with me are complete. It appears you understand yourself better in regards to combat now." Vermillion replied as she stood up and placed a supportive hand on Marta's shoulder, with the young girl placing a thankful hand on the Lady Knight's hand.

"Thanks Vermillion." Marta replied with a smile as Vermillion nodded. It was strange as even though Marta can't see her face, she can somehow tell when Vermillion is somehow smiling back at her. With thay, the girls walked over to them, once again commending both Marta for improving and Vermillion for her exemplary skills.

"Now that Marta's passed Vermillion's sessions, how about I teach her next!?" Topaz added up, clearly ready to teach and spar with Marta next. This earned sweatdrops from Marta and everyone else aside from Tenebrae. The Centurion of Darkness knew based on Topaz's fighting style, she can easily teach Marta how to fight opponents who use martial artes, but...

"No Topaz. While I have no doubt you would be a good sparring partner, you'd more than likely break every bone in Lady Marta's body before she'd even get a hit in, even if you did take it easy on her." Vermillion declined, knowing full well that the Martial Artists shouldn't be the first or second sparring opponent at least.

"Y-Yeah, I agree. Sorry Topaz, maybe after my second sparring partner." Marta apologized nervously, clearly not wanting to hurt Topaz's offer. After all, she's not ready to be wearing arm slings or leg casts.

"Aw man... okay, if you amd Vermillion say so. But, who's gonna be your next sparring buddy? Selene's your magic teacher and will most likely be your last sparring partner, so is it going to be Emerald or Azure?" Topaz complained before relenting, at least understanding what everyone's saying.

"How about Emerald? I would like to spar with her next." Marta added on, earning a surprised look from the kunoichi as well as the others. That's not to say that Emerald's not a great fighter, she certainly is, but the girls are concerned she woukd take it easy on Marta.

"A-Are you sure Marta? I'm not that great compared to Vermillion..." Emerald stuttered a bit. Despite overcoming her panic attacks, she's still a tad timid.

"You are strong Emerald. However, when we spar, I don't want you to hold back, okay?" Marta reassured Emerald with a wink, having seen Emerald's strengh when she fought Alice and the Cave Bear she sent after them.

"O-Okay... I'll do my best to teach you how to face opponents like myself..." Emerald replied nervously with a slight blush, clearly embarrassed and honored at the same time.

"Alright, now that we're done, let's find a lake so Marta and Vermillion can take a bath. We don't need you two smelling like sweat." Azure said with a slight smirk and a teasing tone, which earned a slight blush of embarrassment from Marta and made Vermillion raise an armored hand to smell herself. Tenebrae figured that even the most stoic people can be a bit sensitive based on the Lady Knight's reaction.


Riverbed Path

Upon finding a river and cleaning up, Marta, Tenebrae and the others continued on their way, following the riverbed on a walkway of stone. Selene was once again telling a story about her and Soleil, much to everyone's interest. Tenebrae however, still had a strange feeling that they were being followed and he felt that Marta needed to know about this. He than stepped back to where Marta was as she took in the sights around her.

"Lady Marta?" Tenebrae asked the young girl as she turned to the Centurion as they kept walking.

"What is it Tenebrae?" Marta replied as Tenebrae got her attention.

"I hope it's just my imagination, but two days ago... I have had a strange feeling that someone isn't too far behind us. I think someone might be following us..." Tenebrae whispered to Marta as he didn't wish to cause a scene with everyone else. Hearing this caused Marta to stop in her tracks and looked at Tenebrae with a serious look.

"Are you sure?" Marta whsipered back to him. Was it Alice again? Or was it somebody else?

"I'm not sure. That's what worries me." Tenebrae responded as he can't sense anyone's presense besides Marta and that's only because of Ratatosk's Core that he can get a lock on her. It was around this point the others noticed Marta and Tenebrae falling behind as they came right back to them.

"Hey! Marta, Tenebrae! Why are you guys falling behind?" Topaz called out as she and the rest came up to them, only to notice the two with serious expressions.

"H-Hey, what's the matter?" Topaz asked the two as it looked like they saw ghosts. Marta looked at Tenebrae with the two nodding in agreement.

"Tenebrae says he believes someone if following us from two days ago." Marta answered Topaz's concerns as the rest of the girls took in what they heard. Selene then turned to Vermillion...

"Vermillion? Do you have a new premonition?" Selene inquired, hoping the Lady Knight saw something like this coming.

"No... strangely I haven't. I don't always get premonitions. Tenebrae, you say you felt a presence following us from two days before?" Vermillion asked the Centurion as Marta noticed Emerald walk up to some foliage, looking intently in front of her. Marta couldn't help but notice something's off as she listened to Tenebrae's reply.

"It is strange. I don't believe it's Richter or I would've have sensed Aqua with him. If it was Alice, then I would have noticed her monsters, so it's not her either. Lastly, if it was Decus, that rancid order would have given him away." Tenebrae explained while ruling most of Marta's potential assailants out. As Marta looked in the direction Emerald was, she agreed with Tenebrae's assessment.

"Based on what you and Marta told us about them, you're perspective is correct. And I highly doubt it's a bunch of bandits. We'd chase them away very quick." Azure followed up, agreeing with the Centurion's theories about that if it was Richter, Alice, Decus or a combination of the three, they would be exposed quickly. It was then Emerald began to turn away after apparently hearing something off.

"Than... who would follow us?" Selene asked her friends in kind and as she asked that...

*WHOOSH!*

A round purple object shot out and bounced into Topaz, knocking her into the lake with an audible splash before it bounced into everyone else, knocking Marta, Tenebrae, Emerald, Vermillion, Azure and Selene onto the ground as the strange object landed back into a small petite hand as the figure came out. As everyone got themselves up, they recognized their assailant...

"Lavender!" Marta called out to the purple haired girl, who wore an expression of regret and determination on her face. She than aimed her ball at Marta as she got to one knee with the others about to get back up.

"Don't move Lady Marta! If you do, I'll just knock you and everyone else down again! W-Wait... where's Topaz!?" Lavender replied in a hesitant voice before panicking at the lack of a certain martial artist. While a part of Marta was happy to see the vibrant girl, she knew this was not the time as she along with Scarlet were still loyal to Brute. The girls took brief glances at each other and just waited for one unaccounted member to come out of the lake...

*SPLASH!*

"Onyx Hammer!" Topaz yelled as she did a double overheld slam with her fists in front of Lavender, knocking her back onto her bottom. With that, Marta and everyone else quickly got back up onto their feet and pulled out their weapons. They'd rather not point their arms at their friend, but they can't afford to let their gaurd down against an opponent who can easily floor them. Lavender immediately got up with her ball, ready to strike!

"Stop making this difficult and come back to the Vanguard, Lady Marta!" Lavender shouted in frustration as she used both hands to spin her ball at a terminal velocity and used a energy focused palm thrust to send it forward while it was spinning in mid-air in front of her face.

"Rings of Saturn!" Lavender shouted as the spinning ball sent out rings of energy in every direction, prompting Marta and the girls to take evasive maneuvers to avoid the rings as this was primarily an Arte meant to restrain and capture their target. Their only chance to stop Lavender was to deprive her of her ball, the Indigo Bouncer. Considering that it can't be popped or destroyed, the only way to take it is to catch it before it returned to it's owner.

"Someone catch that ball!" Marta called out to everyone, prompting them to make an attempt for it. Just as Marta avoid the next ring, Lavender ran up and pushed her down to the ground. While on top of her, Lavender pushed her hands down on Marta's arm and her feet on the ground around her to restrain the young girl.

"It's over! I know you can't fight back or have the strengh to escape, so stop hurting your friends and your father!" Lavender yelled in anger with tears in her eyes, believing Marta to be in the wrong and that she can't do anything now, clearly forgetting what Emerald told her a couple weeks ago. Fortunately for Marta, the young girl bent her knees to put both feet on the ground and pushed off, flipping both herself up and Lavender over her body, prompting a look of shock, disbelief and surprise on the vibrant girl's face.

"HUH!?" Lavender let out as she landed and when she got up, Tenebrae appeared and caught the ball mid flight and Marta, as soon as she was standing back up, used her spinner to knock one of the rings into Lavender, ensnaring her in the process.

"NO!" *Grunting* Lavender shouted as she got caught in her own arte of all things. She struggled to break free, but she knew it's effects took a while to dissipate. She was at everyone's mercy now as Tenebrae flew down and handed Emerald her ball. With that Marta walked up, still keeping her spinner on in case Lavender broke free. She'd rather not have it out while talking to her, but it's clear that it's best to not let her guard down.

"Lavender! Please calm down!" Marta shouted at her old friend from the Special Unit. She was so kind and cheerful, but now she's the exact opposite of how she was before if sneak attacking them along with her reaction to tackling her said anything.

"N-No! You abandoned us! Took away our chance to make the prejudice stop and ran away from your father! He told us to bring you back or he'll punish us for failing to bring you back alive!" Lavender shouted back in a venomous tone at Marta in anger and sadness, struggling in a futile attempt to escape. The young girl, realizing that is she wished to calm her old friend down, lowered her spinner and began to speak calmly...

"It's true that I left you without saying anything... and I'm sorry I hurt you. But if Daddy's threatening you like that, then it's obvious something is wrong with him. Don't you understand that this is why I ran off with Ratatosk's core? The Vanguard's goal is to establish peace and protect Sylvarant, not commit genocide!" Marta replied in frustration, trying her best to not get angry as she explained why she left. Deep down, she never wanted to leave her friends behind, but what else could she have done without being restrained or turned over to Brute almost immediately? While Lavender was struggling, her thrashing appeared to slowed down as she can tell that Marta was being sincere, but still appear to be conflicted. However, just as she stopped...

"Ash Wave!" Yelled a familiar voice as a blade of smoke-like fire flew by everyone into the lake, boiling it to scalding levels as the water turned red and bubbled for a good solid two minutes. Eventually, the water cooled down to it's natural clear color with a ton of dead fish and water monsters rising to the surface, being carried away by the current. Upon seeing Lavender's pale face and that familiar arte, Marta and the others, with visible sweat, turned around to see the one responsible for the dark scene they witnessed. Her spiky red ponytail and red katana with smoke coming off the blade was proof enough.

"Scarlet..." Marta let out in shock and disbelief as the strongest member of the Special Unit stood before them. If things were different, this would have been a joyus reunion, but it was the opposite considering Scarlet and Lavender's allegiance to Brute. Scarlet took a few steps before pointing her blade at Marta.

"I found you at last, daughter of Commander Brute. Your childish games end now. I suggest you turn yourself over and make this easy. Same with the rest of you." Scarlet said with a voice devoid of emotion. This was going south fast. What chance did she have against Scarlet? Even so, she wasn't going to comply with her demands.

"No Scarlet! As I told Lavender, I'm not going back! Not after what daddy tried to do!" Marta replied defiantly toward Scarlet. This did nothing to deter Scarlet and only seemed to annoy her.

"I owe your father for saving my life... and I don't see why the Tethe'allans shouldn't be punished for their crimes against us! You seen what they do and it's disgusting! Why shouldn't we kill them just as they would have done to us!?" Scarlet replied calmly before lashing out in anger as she swung her sword behind her with embers coming off it. Marta and the others recalled that the idea of meeting anyone good from Tethe'alla is alien to her, not to mention how Scarlet mentioned in anger of how they treated the Sylvaranti. It was then, they noticed tears leaking out of her eyes, but it appears Scarlet didn't notice.

"Not to mention... that... that... THAT ALL OF YOU ABANDONED ME!" Scarlet roared in a heartbroken cry as she swung her sword down, sending a trail of flames that caused everyone to scatter. As soon as Lavender was alone, Scarlet jumped over and tore the ring off.

"Stay here!" Scarlet said before charging after Emerald, who still has Lavender's ball. The kunoichi threw it up to Tenebrae before proceeding to fight the Crimson Swordmaiden as she clashed her Shiruken with Scarlet's sword.

"YOU! This is all YOUR fault!" Scarlet yelled as she broke away and swung down hard with Emerald leaping over her.

"My fault!? I'm not the one who lost my temper!" Emerald said as she threw two ice kunai at her, but Scarlet easily melted them as the Kunoichi proceeded to throw more.

"Yes, it hurt that Marta left without saying anything! But she had a good reason and it's not just stopping Commander Brute! It's to save the world from the weird weather!" Emerald continued as she kept throwing her knives at Scarlet, who spun her blade around like a windmill before stomping down and charged toward her, hitting Emerald in the stomach with the hilt of her sword.

"BWAH!" Emerald let out as she coughed out blood before Scarlet kicked her down. Seeing this instantly upset Marta and she knew that if she wanted Scarlet to listen to her, she needs to fight. With that, Marta rushed in and...

"Cresent Dance!" Marta shouted as she unleashed her arte on Scarlet, actually damaging her as she slashed her right arm and and nicked her side, before she kicked her away. Scarlet stared at her former captain in surprise.

"You... used an arte...? And hurt me...?" Scarlet said in bewilderment as what Emerald told her was true. She's actually fighting now.

"You may be my friend... but I refuse to let you hurt the others like that!" Marta said as she ran over and proceeded to throw more slashes and kicks at her, only this time, Scarlet was prepared and blocked each strike with Marta barley managing to avoid Scarlet's own strikes. However, thay ended when Scarlet grabbed Marta by her shirt's collar and threw her overhead into the stone ground... and it hurt!

"UGH!" Marta let out as she blacked out for a moment. It was obvious that Scarlet wasn't trying to kill her or her own head would have been split open after she threw her. But this time...

"Viper Beam!" Azure yelled out as she used an arte she never used before. When Marta turned to see, it was a beam of electricity coming from her hand. Most likely from her cyborg parts.

"What the hell!? How did you do that!?" Scarlet yelled in shock and when Marta saw Lavender, she was surprised as well. Not that Marta can blame them as they don't know. As she stood up, she proceeded to heal herself.

"First Aid!" Marta casted it on herself, healing the damage Scarlet gave her. As soon as she stood up, Marta rushed back in with Vermillion coming with her. Marta gave her a reassuring smile with Vermillion nodding in agreement. As the young girl and Lady Knight began their assult, Scarlet replied in kind, fighting back both at once, however, she had little experience fighting Marta, which allowed her to get a few cuts and kicks in while fending off Vermillion, who's style she studied constantly.

Lavender however stayed back as she grabbed rocks and threw them at Tenebrae, who kept flying out of the way while keeping her ball away.

"Give me my ball back, you monster!" Lavender called out toward the annoyed Centurion, who just kept avoiding her until Selene grabbed her hands and wrested her around to make Lavender face her.

"Cut it out Lavender! Don't you understand!? Neither of us wins by fighting each other! If you're scared of Brute, why follow him!?" Selene cried out in frustration, wondering why Lavender continues to trust Brute in spite of the fear she now feels toward him.

"I don't want us to fight! I just... I just want our captain back! I just want to end the fighting with Tethe'alla! I'm tired of how they treat us like we're nothing! Marta... Marta made the pain more bearable because of her kindness toward us!" Lavender cried as tears escaped her eyes as Tenebrae observed and listened to the conversation while avoid the conflict down below and like when he first saw them, she and Scarlet took Marta's departure the hardest.

"I... I just had enough of this endless fight! I know genocide is wrong, but I just want it to END! Why can't it be simple!?" Lavender continued as her tears ran freely, revealing how she felt about the plan with the Mana Cannon. Selene still gripped her wrists tightly, but as Tenebrae observed, her eyes were filled with sympathy instead of resentment.

"Because nothing is that simple... I know because I lost someone dear to my heart... I could have killed the man who took him away, but I knew deep down he wouldn't want me to do so. He wouldn't want me to destory a whole country either! Besides, what about the people who DON'T persecute us!? You're fine with killing them too!?" Selene argued back toward the vibrant girl, knowing she needs to raise her voice to get the point across. While intially shocked at what Selene said to her about someone murdering someone close to her, Lavender still struggled.

"Please stop! I... I don't want to hear it!" Lavender shouted as she didn't want to listen, but Tenebrae knew that Lavender understood what Selene was saying is indeed true, but it's difficult to accept it.

"Look at my hand! The one with the ring!" Selene yelled back as Lavender took a look at her suggestion and for a moment, stopped upon seeing the amethyst embedded ring on her ring finger.

"This was given to me by my fiance before a Tethe'allan murdered him! I had a chance to kill the one who killed him, but I couldn't! Revenge wasn't the answer and neither is genocide! Tell me, would the people close to you want you to do this!?" Selene argued back, tears slightly forming in her eyes for once. At this point, Lavender ceased fighting against her as tears ran down her face with a look of realization. With that Tenebrae floated down slightly, but not so much that Lavender can steal her ball back.

"N-no... they wouldn't... my parents... wouldn't like that... they don't even know that... I joined... the Vanguard... *sniff* I joined so they wouldn't have too... I wanted to punish them for hurting us... my parents included..." Lavender replied, before explaining why she joined the Vanguard to begin with.

"I thought that if I obtained peace through the liberation... I could make a difference... but... but...!" Lavender said as she fell to her knees with Selene letting go. For a moment, Tenebrae saw Marta through Selene as she was now behaving a tad more similar to her. She than knelt toward her.

"I... I don't want to be killed or be locked up by Commander Brute! I don't... I don't want to kill anyone either, not even those Tethe'allan jerks! But... but what can I do!? I'm not like Marta or Emerald!" Lavender cried as she didn't know what to do, clearly wishing to be brave like her former captain and the kunoichi.

"You can. Marta helped Emerald, Azure and even me heal from our emotional traumas... and if you and Scarlet allow us... she... no, WE can do the same for both of you..." Selene simply said to the girl who lost her vibrant outlook. Tenebrae, with some hesitation, floated down to Lavender with her ball. Depending on her response, he can easily fly back out of reach again.

"Wouldn't it be easy to understand by allowing Lady Marta to explain herself? Of course, she can't do that with how things are now. I can tell she means a lot to all of you, so imagine how she feels with you and Scarlet attacking her like this" Tenebrae said to Lavender, hoping to at least convince her. After a moment or two, she wiped her eyes and had a determined look on her face.

*CLANG!*

The battle between Marta and Scarlet raged on as Vermillion continued assisting the young girl with Topaz and a recovered Emerald joining in the fight. Scarlet couldn't make since of Marta's dance like movements as she kept getting in a few good licks on her despite holding everyone else off. Even more so as Azure kept firing pot shots to distract her. Despite being the strongest of the Special Unit, she was not at the top of her game.

"Dancing Swallow!" Marta shouted with her overhead slash, pushing Scarlet's sword down before doing her back-flip kick into Scarlet's chin. It was clear Marta was doing a number on her with help from her group until...

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" Scarlet roared as the heat begin to buidl around her sword and by extension the air around them. The heat was noticeable as Marta's breathing became shallow with Emerald, Topaz and Vermillion feeling the heat. Even Azure, who was nowhere near Scarlet, could feel it to the point her glasses fogged up.

'What's... with this heat...?' Marta thought as the rising temperature made her feel light headed. While she traveld the desert, it was never THIS hot and now she feels weak. Scarlet than raised her sword as it became engulfed in flames.

"Tch! Optic Blast!" Azure shouted as she fired her pink colored beam at Scarlet, but the flames drown the beam out.

"No way!" Azure shouted in disbelief as she one shot at preventing Scarlet's next attack was futile and then.

"Scorching Tempest!" Scarlet shouted as she stabbed the flame engulfed sword into the ground, creating a frie tornado that sucked in Marta, Emerald, Topaz and Vermillion. It even dragged Azure into the flames with Tenebrae, Selene and Lavender watching the horrid spectacle before them.

"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Marta cried out in agony as the flames signed and burned her. She could also hear Emerald and Azure cry out in pain while Topaz and Vermillion growled again the onslaught harming them.

"LADY MARTA!"

"MARTA!"

"N-NOOOOOOOOOO!"

Tenebrae and Selene cried out in horror at what they're witnessing while Lavender screamed in terror at what Scarlet was doing to Marta and the others as the fire tornado engulfed them. Eventually, the heat died down with the tornado, with Marta and the others falling down.

Emerald, lying face down and her mask fallen off with her outfit torn and signed, tried to push herself up, but fell back down.

Topaz laid on on her back gritting her teeth, covered in soot around her, struggled to get up, barley managing to do so into an elbow position.

Vermillion remained where she was, breathing heavily as her armor became heated. She dared not move or the armor would melt into her skin through the clothes she had underneath.

Azure landed on her side, electricity cracking through her whole body and steam emanating from her chest as she tried to cool her body down.

And Marta, laid splayed out on her back, breathing heavily as nothing prepared her for this. Despite this, she clenched her hands and stuggeled to get up, with the thoughts of her mom and the green-eyed boy along with the well being of her friends giving her the strengh to try and stand up... but...

*STOMP!*

"UGH!" Marta let out as Scarlet put her foot on top of her chest. As the young girl looked up at her face, Scarlet's eyes are laced with tears and her body shook from the kicks and cuts Marta gave her, mostly likely from the flames burning her injuries.

"Damn it! Why... why did you make me do this!? Why couldn't you have just surrendered!? Do you think I take joy in this!?" Scarlet said in a mix of seething anger and broken sorrow as she stared at the girl she called her captain and friend.

"Because... I want to... stop daddy..." Marta replied weakly through a squinted eye open as she winced in pain.

"Why? He's doing everything he can to ensure thay Sylvarant NEVER has to worry about those heartless barbarians ever again! And... and...!" Scarlet argued back, once again defending Brute's action before her voice cracked in sorrow.

"I trusted you! I really did! And you just... just betrayed your own father! He's all you have left of your family and you betrayed him! He loves you and I... I'll never have that with my father again! I wish I could, but he's gone! And... you betrayed me too! You're like the sister I never had!" Scarlet yelled as more tears escaped her eyes, each droplet falling onto Marta's face and chest, as if the young girl was barring the Crimson Swordmaiden's turmoil. What surprised Marta was how Scarlet felt about her, calling her the sister she never had.

"I loved you and everyone else! You were like a family to me! Lavender was all I had! We could have brought peace to Sylvarant together, so why prevent Tethe'alla from being destoryed!? ANSWER ME!" Scarlet yelled at the top of her lungs, wanting to know why Marta did what she did. With the little strengh she had, Marta brushed her bangs to show her Ratatosk's Core, earning a look of shock from her.

"To save... the world... from the abnormal... weather by... waking up Ratatosk... and stop... daddy's plan... I hate Tethe'alla... for how they... treat us... but how will... more violence solve... anything...? Why did my... father change... so much... into a terrifying man...?" Marta explained herself, with tears entering her eyes upon mentioning how her father changed. For a moment, the rage dissappeared from Scarlet's face as if she heared something she never considered.

"Are you... afraid of you own father?" Scarlet asked with widened eyes and a shocked tone, something the other girls, each with tears in their eyes at how Marta and Scarlet were acting, reacted with similar surprise as they realized how different Brute became compared to when they first meet him, so to Marta... she lost the loving father she knew. However, before the drama could continue.

*WHOOSH!*

A familiar purple ball struck Scarlet in the arm, knocking her away from Marta as she landed a good 20 feet away. As soon as she got up, she saw Lavender caught her ball as Selene stood her ground along with Tenebrae.

At first, a look of betrayal was etched on her face before it became one of rage as she stood up.

"I don't belive this... Lavender... you would betray me too!?" Scarlet yelled as her sword ignited again when she saw Selene run toward Marta and the others!

"Ice Needles!" Selene shouted as she shot ice near everyone, cooling their bodies and especially Vermillion's hot iron armor.

"HEALING CIRCLE!" Selene cried out as a blue healing circle surrounded everyone, healing the injuries everyone suffered as Lavender stepped forward.

"Scarlet... please stop... no more of this..." Lavender said with a shaky tone of voice, wishing to end this conflict once and for all. As Scarlet faced her, she saw Marta and the other rise, with some injuries remaining, but ready to stand again.

"Marta..." Selene simply said to Marta as the young girl wiped her eyes before stepping forward.

"Scarlet... I'm sorry I hurt you and left like that... I'm sorry to all of you... but you would have stopped or attempt to dissuade me if I told you about what I was going to do. But, if fighting me will get all that pain oit of you, I'm willing to do so. Not as your captain... but as your friend!" Marta boldy stated. In spite of the fear of Scarlet's rage, she was willing to stand up to her with bravery on her side. Scarlet could only eneter a fighting stance as the two girls stared each other down.

To Be Continued...


Marta and the others ran into Scarlet and Lavender once again, along with the pain and sadness from the Virbant Girl and the Crimson Swordmaiden coming forth.

With Lavender hvaing been reached through Selene, can Marta get through to Scarlet or will her attmept go up in flames?

Stick around to see how it goes next time!