I walked around the village, I haven't slept all night, but I sure was getting hang of walking again. I noticed the blue haired girl walking up to Aphmau's house. I jogged over to her. "Hey! It's... Katelyn right?" I asked.

She turned to me. "Uh, yeah, you're (Y/N), right?"

"Yeah... where are you going?"

"To talk to Aphmau... do you... need something?"

"No... May I join you? Or if it's a personal matter I can just... wait-"

"What are you trying?"

"I want to try, and... make friends. I guess, or if not friends maybe allies?"

"Why?"

"Never know when you'll need someone with combat experience on your side." I mumbled. She nodded.

"Well, feel free to come in, I'm just giving her a wake-up call."

"Sounds good! ...By the way. If there's ever time would you mind helping me with my sword fighting?"

"Sure, maybe today?"

"Thanks!" I smiled as we made out way up the stairs.

"Why aren't you asking Garroth, though? Aren't you guys like... close I guess? I mean he always talked about you in a way that didn't say it was you."

"Well, usually I would ask him... but I'm still mad at him." I crossed my arms.

"Can you remind me what he did?" She asked.

"He left me here while you three went to O'Khasis, and any of you could have potentially... died." I sighed.

"And why does that bother you so much?" She asked, stopping at the top.

"I don't want to lose him again." I said looking down at the village, catching sight of him. I smiled, and looked at Katelyn. "Anyways, let's go wake up Aphmau!"

I skipped up to the house, and we walked in and ran upstairs. I opened the door slowly, "Hello, Aphmau."

"Hmm?" She hummed, she looked rather sick.

"Hey, Aph are you okay? You don't looks so good," Katelyn took a step closer to the bed. Aphmau looked over at us.

"You don't exactly wake up perfect either Katelyn!" She replied.

"I think she means you look ill Aphmau," I said, pointing to my stomach. "Oh! Uh, I'll go get you something to eat!" I ran down the stairs, and headed to Kawaii~Chan's house. On the way there I ran into Garroth.

"Good morning (Y/N)!" He smiled.

"Morning Garroth!" I replied, trying to walk around him, but he stepped in front of me. "Excuse me."

"Are you headed somewhere?"

"Yes, now if you'd just-" I tried to side step him, but he just followed. "Are you doing this on purpose?"

"Does it look like it?" He smirked. I sighed.

"I'm trying to get to Kawaii~Chan's, would you please excuse me?" I asked.

"Would you mind if I escorted you?" He asked.

"Yes, I would mind very much, I don't need an escort."

"You never know when Ivy will be back-"

"I don't know who Ivy even is," I said, pushing him aside. He followed me as I continued to walk. I stopped, and turned to him. "Why are you really following me?"

"Are you avoiding me?" He asked.

"Just because I haven't talked to you since you kissed me yesterday doesn't mean I'm avoiding you... it means I'm thinking." I replied, and continued to walk.

"About what?" He said running up next to me.

"Just thinking."

"Well, you have to be thinking about something."

"You're right I am thinking about something, but I'm not entirely sure why I even am thinking."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know why I'm alive, I don't know what's wrong with my brother... I don't know where my father is, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm trying to figure it all out right now, but the only thing I can do is just try to keep myself busy." I let it all out, and sighed angrily. "Instead of asking me pointless questions couldn't you try to help answer some of mine?" I asked and found myself staring into the blue eyes of his.

"I only know one of those things you listed. It's about Laurance."

"Okay, then tell me." I felt like my chest was collapsing on me.

"He's shadow knight." I felt my knees go weak, but I kept them in tact.

"H-He is?"

"Yes and he's currently... in an unstable state." He mumbled. I nodded.

"So why'd you put him in the cell?"

"Because he needed to cool off. He almost killed you again-"

"And why would it matter I would have been dead again."

"Because I need you to be here to help me. My hometown was taken over by Tu'la, and I don't know if my parents are okay. I need moral support-"

"Why mine?"

"Because you're the person I trust the most right now." He said before walking away. I stood there very still, and looked up, and watched him walk away. I shook my head, and continued to Kawaii~Chan's.

I came up to her door, and even before I could knock the door swung open. "(Y/N)~Chan!" She smiled.

"Hi, Kawaii~Chan. I came to see if you had anything Aphmau could have for breakfast?"

"Oh! Here!" Kawaii~Chan handed me a basket, and smiled. "Make sure to tell Kawaii~Chan if Aphmau~Senpai likes it!" She smiled and closed the door.

I made my way back, and leaned against the wall while Aphmau ate.

After a while Aphmau, Garroth, and Laurance left to run an errand as Garroth put it. In the mean time Katelyn was helping me get into the swing of things. And Travis I guess, but he was just there for "moral support". I'm pretty sure he just wanted to be pervy.

I picked up my sword which was feeling lighter now, and watched Katelyn with a close eye. She swung her flaming fists, and grinned. "Tired yet?"

"I couldn't be more awake," I replied. I held my sword at the ready. She charged me, and I immediately flipped over her head, but the contact the ground made with my feet caused me to double over.

I leaned over in the grass, clutching my stomach. I was so dizzy, it made me feel sick. I stood up sickly as I felt my ankles mend. Katelyn tossed her weapons aside. "Are you up for some hand to hand combat?"

"Try my," I tossed my sword at Travis, which he caught. I charged Katelyn this time, throwing a punch at her head, she caught my arm and twisted it behind my back, I grunted in response. Then managed to flip her over my head, slamming her into the ground. I pressed my knee on top of her chest, and pulled my silver dagger out of my boot, and pressed it to her throat.

"That's not hand to hand," she snarled.

"Do you think your enemies are going to play fair?" She didn't respond. "You need to learn you back up plan. Play their own game, but better." I raised my eyebrows, and got off of her. I held out my hand which she excepted. "Anyone can betray you. Even the ones closest to you."

She smiled. "You're pretty smart for a dead girl."

"Not dead anymore," I replied, snatching my sword from Travis. "Call me whatever you want I'm not dead."

"Fine... where'd you learn all this anyways?"

"I used to read whenever I got the chance, every word I soaked up like a sponge. Everyone said I was probably going to be a scholar... I guess fate had different ideas... huh?" I smiled. I hooked my sword to my belt, and walked off.

I walked into the village, and found Garroth sitting on one of the tree roots. I sighed, and climbed my way up to him and sat down. "What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"Just... confused."

"Why's that?"

"Do you think I'm like my brother?" He asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not exactly the best person to be asking that."

"Right. I forgot. You never met him." He shook his head.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We went to see Hyria, Lucinda's mother, about the relics-"

"And you didn't bring me?" I hit him in the shoulder, angrily.

"Look I didn't even know what we were going for at first, but Hyria seemed to know quite a bit about your relic."

"How do you know what relic I have?" I asked. "I never told you."

"You told Travis. He can't exactly keep his mouth shut," Garroth shook his head, smiling. I felt his fingers wrap, around the back of my hand, and I glanced at out hands then at him. He was looking right at me.

"G-Garroth." I mumbled. He tightened his grip on my hand, tight enough that made me believe that he though I was going to leave. "I'm not leaving again."

"But I feel like if I let go then maybe you will," his eyes had a sad look in them, and I felt really hurt seeing him like this. I noticed him leaning closer to me, and I don't know what came over me, but I grabbed the side of his face, and pulled him into a kiss.

He almost immediately pulled me closer to him, and felt tears roll down my cheeks, and I smiled a little in the kiss.

"HEY! GET A ROOM!!!" I heard some on yell. We broke apart, and saw Aphmau, Katelyn, Dante and Travis. I started blushing, and turned away. Garroth started laughing softly.

He gently touched my arm, and I faced him. "It's okay they left... except Aphmau."

"Figures," I smiled. He stood, up and so did I. We walked over to a more private place, hanging over the water, and sat back down.

"So, I heard you were training with Katelyn not too long ago?"

"Yes, I just wanted to try, and get back into moving around."

"How'd you do?"

"I broke both my ankles, but I beat her."

"You broke both you ankles?" He asked wide eyed.

"Yes... they healed, quite quickly actually," I said rolling my foot.

"You heal?"

"Extremely fast now. I also broke my fist punching Travis... wait didn't Travis tell you that?"

"I don't remember." He admitted.

"Ah, well I punched him for being a perv, and to be honest his face was like a rock." I laughed. Garroth started out at the water.

"Well, tomorrow Lucinda invited you to a "spa day"."

"A what?"

"You know a spa day where you just relax, and what not?" He said in the most simplified words. I nodded.

"Okay, but, why?"

"I think Aphmau just needs some girl time, or something like that," he shrugged.

"Well, okay." I nodded.

"So, training."

"Please don't bring it up again."

"I was going to ask if you wanted to try me."

"You probably got ten times better over the eighteen years-"

"Three years."

"What?"

"I only got better over the course of three years. The other fifteen were spent in the Irene Dimension," he sighed, standing up and stretching.

"You actually went to the Irene Dimension!?" I asked standing up.

"Yes, but I'd rather not talk about it right now..." he trailed off. I nodded.

"So, what about training again?"

"Fight with me." He drew his sword, and smirked. I drew my blade, and took a deep breath. He charged at me, and I swiftly knocked him off his feet, and he landed on his stomach. I pointed my sword at the back of his neck.

"I think I won Garroth," I smiled. He sighed, and held up his hands. I let him stand, and I smirked. Then in almost two seconds he had snatched my sword, had one blade pressed against the back of my neck, and the other over my gut.

I felt the slight poke of the blade in my gut, and I backed up immediately. Memories flashed through my head as I kept backing up. "(Y/N)!" I heard my name being screamed as my foot slipped, and I lost balance, and fell off the root.

The world below was within reach, I could almost taste the hard rocks, but the impact never came. I opened my eyes and saw Dante had caught me. I sighed in relief as he laid me down. "Are you okay?" He asked. I nodded absent mindedly. "Garroth, are you okay up there!?"

"I'm coming down!" I heard a heavy thud next to me, and a grunt. Garroth's figure appeared over me. "(Y/N), are you okay!?"

I nodded, and sat up and noticed his leg twisted in a weird way. Without thinking I grabbed his forearm, tightly, and he gave me a weird look, but I could hear his leg moving  back into place.

He sighed in relief, and looked at me. "Thanks."

"Yup..." I nodded. I laid my head back down, and stared at the sky. "Makes up for yelling at you yesterday."

"Heh, I deserved that." He replied. I stood up with a little help, and Garroth walked me up the tree house, and I laid down in one of the beds, and slowly fell asleep.

Before I was fully out I felt lips press against my forehead, and the whispers, "I still love you."