Standard disclaimer: I don't own the series.

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AN: Well, here we are again. lol Heh, anyway, there's not much to note. The characters are currently in Crete and are about to meet up with Jin... or try to and see what they can learn about the Goddess Keys. OMG! It seems like everyone decided to respond all at once!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, here are the reviews:

Anime Monkey: Goodness, you're late. Haha! But better late than never, right? ^_- I was wondering if you got lost or something. Heh, anyway, yeah, Nina does tend to rant a lot, huh? She's almost as bad as Yuki sometimes... (that is NOT a good thing!) Orders from a new god? Gideon gave them their marching orders, but who's to say that HE'S not working for that new god? Just a theory... nothing evident yet. (snicker) So, you noticed Nina's outfit, eh? lol Good! I was wondering if someone got the joke. Yeah, it was suppose to look like Tifa's outfit... sorta. Heh... that cure is in the works. They had to leave Shevat before they were able to get anywhere. Hm, would it be a spoiler if I said that the cure DOES get done before the end of the "Goddess Keys" story arc? Heh, heh...

Good, you didn't kill me. That's always good! Anyway, that little joke about "old man" and "chibi-sama" will be running wild during the duration of the story. Yeah, Ryu was sad about that, though he was a little freaked out by Nina's actions against the Dragoons. Heh, really? I wanted to call Wyatt "chibi-sama," but I know that some people don't like reading random Japanese in fics. Especially if the story is suppose to take place ON ANOTHER WORLD. So... I decided to make the Japanese language one of the main languages in Ceres.

Oh, ho! What will happen when they find Jin... Heh, so, does anyone here have an older sibling? Especially one that likes to give you advice, whether you want to hear it or not? (I have two older sisters... :P) Haha! Will Ryu be cured of cymosion? Only time will tell.

Rogue Kaiser: Chibi-sama! I love it! Hee… seeing a pattern yet? The poor woman might have to end up joining them just to get them to leave her alone! Hee… Yeah, Strife’s in Urkan and he’s a dragon… or at least part dragon. Of course, Nina and company don’t know this. Only Nina’s mother. Oh, and for future reference, Strife’s is 25. Garr’s work is never done ^_^

Lord Kain: Hello again. Nina’s signing up to save the world. Heh, but she might be having second thoughts if her companions keep acting like a punch of kids. (snicker)

Nina Windia: Good day, Miss Windia! Long time, no see! Hee, I know. I thought that it would be funny to have a big, bad mercenary having to be dragged around by his charge.

Yup! They finally found each other. (Finally). Hee, I know. My fiance is shy, quiet, and kind… but ah, yeah. Hm, I’m glad that the chapter worked out good then. Heh, like I said, Ryu was just acting… sorta! Lol Oh! Um… only half of her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, with the bottom half hanging down. Do you know Minako/Mina from Sailor Moon? Yeah, that’s the hair style.

Um, did I mention I was a KH fan???? Heh, Red Ninja of LUV… wait til you see where that little plot is going…

That was not the last appearnce of the old man. He’s trying to build a giant robot… it might be the one from the first game… Heh, I’ll be honest, I almost named him Cloud, but felt that I was pushing it. There are two characters that already share names with other game characters… Anyway, Virgil is a cool name! Um… why does the Aeneid sound sooo familiar???

Yeah, Nina is pretty upset at this point. Um… yeah. That joke was in bad taste. Ah, crap. I just guess that shows how morbid Yuki is sometimes. Her way of dealing with trauma is to sometimes to use really warped or dark humor. I know that the joke didn’t work there. It was just a random thing that Yuki shouted. I’ll be more careful next time Nina! Thanks for the advice!

Heh, thanks. I know that Nina’s usually very perky… that wouldn’t fit with her father and people being dead and her feeling sad and guilty about it. Nina’s not snapped back to her normal self yet, but she’s not going to be moping and crying about what happened either. Hee, thanks. Wondered why Gideon wasn’t seen in earlier chapters? If I showed him, then I would have to show Legence and the Swords. You didn’t forget, he didn’t seem that evil in the other chapters. Maybe. Heh, I’m glad you remember the angel called Legence. That’s important. Remember, the demon god was referred to as Legence by Nina when she saw him. Wyatt wasn’t really introduced until this story arc. Um, he was in Lahan during the first chapter of Act II. He has issues with Transell too. Wyatt is the Director and Rep. Trustee of the Godwin Foundation. That place is explored later in the story. (for the record, Wyatt was in Act I. He was the red headed kid that was always shown with Shelley)

Ah, I know. :P I too am guilty for using ramdon Japanese in English fics. Some of my earlier fics have stuff like kawaii and baka. Hee, thanks! Ah, good. I wanted Yuki to seem Japanese. I use to be a VERY BIG anime nut back in the day… so, a little of that must have rubbed off on Yuki. But, it really as to do with the culture of Crete. Sorry if I didn’t really show that. Thanks. Wyndia is more of a western Europeon country, etc. I thought it would be cool to have things a little different. I remember the Fou Empire. Hee!

I think that no one saw that coming. Wait til you see what happens next. (snicker). Maybe. You are correct with that one. That’s what happened with Mina. Are we gonna meet her later? Maybe… She is an Avatar….

Good, I’m glad that you like what I did with Nina. I don’t think that Nina will ever completely snap back to her old self. Yeah, she might still have the happy crazy Nina mode, but not like before. Haha! Wait til you see what the Red Ninja of LUV will do! Mwahaha!

Heh, I’m just glad to see that you read the story and reviewed! It means that I didn’t drive you away in shear panic and terror yet!

Well, here's the next chapter!

Oh, I normally don't do this, but I have been reading through the BoF section lately (ie within the last year or so) and have come across some good stories! And they are multi-chaptered!

Two of the current stories that I am following are Ascents and A Princess' Duty. They are really good reads! You should go read them! And then review, cuz there's nothing that a writer likes more than to be told what the reader thinks about their stories. See, if not for Nina Windia's comments, Ryu would still be a perverted womanizer and half the cast would have been introduced in like three chapters back during the Childhood story arc!

See, reviewing is good! So... GO REVIEW!!! (smiley face)

“Couldn’t we hail a taxi or something?” Ryu asked, “I mean, its not that I don’t mind walking…”

“You’re just lazy, admit it!” Yuki laughed.

“Could you two please quit arguing?” Nina muttered darkly.

Nina frowned to herself. It was as if the two of them merely existed to argue. Three hours of walking through downtown Crete was beginning to wear on everyone’s nerves. And it didn’t help the fact that Crete was known for it’s hot summers. She knew Yuki was vocal, she just didn’t know that Yuki would resort to whining just to pass the time.

Ryu on the other hand….

When she had first met Ryu, he seemed like a very sweet, kind young boy. That was one of the first things that had attracted her to him. When he had gone missing, she had almost lost it completely. Then, she found him again.

Ten years is a long time. Many things can happen. People can change in a heartbeat.

She was forever grateful that the perversion was just an act. But, seeing Ryu in the nightclub, acting like an ass all over again… just made her want to beat the crap out of him.

She knew she was attracted to Ryu. She knew that it was more than just a little crush, or even an infatuation. She really did love him. It was somewhere around eight years ago, when she turned 12 and hit puberty that she realized that it wasn’t just missing her best friend, she was pining over him.

The mere thought of her, the princess of a world nation, pining over a missing boy, had made her laugh a little when she was younger. It made her feel better. And then reality set in once again and she was reminded that he was gone and probably not coming back.

She had told Yuki as much. She didn’t want to, but Yuki was 14, dating, and the only other girl that she could think to ask. Asking her mother was out of the question. She would have rather had to put up with dealing with Seeker than to have the queen know of her most personal feelings.

Ryu was cunning, smart, charming… in her mind, the list just went on and on. She knew that Ryu liked her, too. Yuki had said as much. She learned a while back that Yuki had said that she was something she called an “empath.” Nina, ever curious, asked what that was supposed to mean. Yuki had said that she could read emotions.

Yuki then said that it was part of her magical girl alter ego, the Red Ninja of LUV. Nina then had to resist the urge to scream. Yuki watched way too much anime.

Nina was pulled out of her musings by the sudden ruckus that Wyatt was making. He was yelling at Yuki and Ryu for calling him short once more. Well, it was more like they were making short jokes at Wyatt’s expense.

“But really!” Yuki laughed. “You didn’t know that ‘wyatt’ meant ‘little warrior?’”

Ryu laughed. “What? Really? Okay, now THAT is really funny.”

“Will you two shut the fuck UP?!” Wyatt shrieked.

Okay, the boy was only 12. He should not have had a mouth on him like that. But then again, she recalled a time that another 12 year old had a foul mouth. Yuki was potty mouthed. Nina briefly wondered if the two of them could be related. She chuckled to herself and quickly pushed the idea out of her head. There was no way the two of them could be related.

Wyatt seemed to be able to take care of himself, though. He was the leader of a world power, after all. But there was something oddly haunting about those dark blue eyes. Something almost… ancient about the look in that boy’s eyes.

But, at that moment, Wyatt looked like a small child fighting with two other small children over something incredibly stupid.

Nina sighed and fought the urge to roll her eyes. She finally turned her attention to their unofficial leader.

“Ryu, please knock it off,” Nina said in a calm, unnerving voice. She then turned her attention to their unofficial tour guide. “Yuki, how far are we from Jin’s house?”

Yuki grinned. “Oh, we passed by it a few times already.”

”What?” Ryu and Wyatt deadpanned.

“Yeah… Um… see that house? Yeah… that’s where Jin lives…”

“And… you didn’t tell us sooner… WHY?!” Ryu snapped.

“It’s freaking hot!” Wyatt wailed.

“I… just… oh do we have to see him?” Yuki whined. “I mean… couldn’t just skip this and…”

Nina had enough. She knew that Yuki’s relationship with her older brother was sometimes strained, but they were on a mission to gather information about the Goddess Keys. They needed to find them before Transell did. Nina’s fists clenched at the thought of the man that killed her father. He would pay for that in the end.

“Yes, we have to see him,” Nina said. “Yuki, we’re hot, tired, and annoyed. And in a huge hurry. You can put aside your… whatever for a few hours and talk to your brother.”

“FINE…” Yuki whined as she walked into the front yard and walked up to the doorbell.

After the third ring, the door opened to reveal a woman with shoulder length blond hair, dressed in a sleeveless blue top and capri jeans. She smiled at Yuki, and then glanced over Yuki’s shoulder to see the rest of the group.

“We’ve been expecting you,” Yui Uzuki smiled.

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“Your plan has backfired,” Legence said.

Gideon said nothing. He merely stood in front of the crystallized statue of the deceased Valerie Laurante. After hearing of Transell’s defeat at the hands of three wanderers, he had gone to the innermost chambers of the castle. He went into the secret rooms only when he felt the need to be alone.

That was why he was there now, and not in his personal chambers. He wanted to be alone. The queen of Wyndia had contacted him not long ago and practically demanded an explanation as to why his people attacked her kingdom.

He had explained that Transell and his men were traitors and he knew nothing of the assault against her kingdom. The queen did not look convinced by any means, but she did seem to accept his explanation. She accepted it because his nation was much more powerful than hers, and after suffering such a loss, she could not afford to be attacked a second time.

He knew it was only a formality. If she had the power, she would strike against him without hesitation. He also knew that someone had tipped off the king. When he discovered who, he would make them suffer.

Transell had reported that someone had taken the Goddess Key and left the capitol of Wyndia. The Sky Key would have to wait. He ordered Transell to seek out the other keys instead. But now the world was wary of Transell and his search for the Goddess Keys. He had to take a different approach.

So, now he would have to send out the other Swords to help Transell with the job.

“You will have a minor problem with that plan,” Legence said.

“And what of it?” the king asked.

“You are short one Sword,” Legence pointed out. “What will you do about the Sword of Wind?”

Gideon smiled. “I do believe that you know of someone who will be most suited for that task.”

“Of course,” Legence said.

Gideon said nothing. He turned his attention to the other two attendants in the room. The torchlight flickered wildly off the cold, stone walls. Two figures walked into the center of the room, where their king was standing.

One of the figures was a young woman with long blond hair, dressed in a form fitting black and purple strapless dress, elbow gloves, and black high heels. The other figure was a Shell clanner man, dressed in the armor of a Dragoon.

“Iris Dante,” Gideon said to the woman. “Rekks Counsei.”

The two Swords bowed and then straightened up. “What is your command, your highness?” Iris asked in a silky voice.

Gideon nodded. “Dante, go to Worent and find out if they hold a Goddess Key. Counsei, go to Ceres for the Earth Key.”

The two of them nodded and vanished in a plume of dark fire. Legence walked back around and placed his hands behind his back.

“And what will you have me do?” Legence asked in a mocking tone.

Gideon gave him a stony look. “I want you to retrieve my last Sword. You have someone in mind. Go get that person.”

Legence gave Gideon a mock bow and vanished. Gideon turned back to the statute of his late wife. The only thing that Transell had managed to do right was to force his prodigal son out of hiding. He just now had to get his hands on the Destined Child and then his plans would be complete.

Just a little more time and he would have what he wanted.

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“You knew that we would be here?” Yuki asked as she took off her boots and placed them on the floor next to the door. She then slid off her jacket and hung it up on the coat rack.

Ryu realized that Yui’s home was a traditional home, so he removed his cloak and shoes. Nina and Wyatt soon followed suit, but Wyatt didn’t take off his trench coat. Yui led the foursome into the living room.

The first thing that Ryu noticed that the room was neat. Not just neat, but spotless. From what he remembered of Jin, the man did not seem like he was all that concerned with cleanliness. Yui must be the neatfreak of the relationship.

Several bookshelves filled with books were sitting up against the far-left side of the four-wall living room. A large, liquid screen television was sitting up against the right wall, with a pair of large speakers on either side of the screen. Several potted houseplants were littered around the room. A large, leather sofa was in the center of the room, with a wooden coffee table in front of it. A large picture window was on the far right of the room.

Ryu figured out that the Uzuki’s must be pretty damn well off. Yuki’s apartment did not look this nice… or this clean. As Ryu was trying to figure out what cleaner Yui used to make her house look so spotless, a loud yell was heard from the kitchen, followed by a loud crash.

Yuki did not even bat an eye as she sat down on the sofa. Nina gave Yui a concerned look before seating herself down next to Yuki. Wyatt followed suit and sat down on one of the chairs in the room, except that he sat down backwards in the chair and crossed his arms over the back of the chair.

Ryu inclined his head towards the kitchen with a questioning look in his face. Yui merely smiled and said that it was nothing. She then asked them if they wanted anything to drink. Ryu asked for something strong, Yuki asked for cola, Nina asked for water, and Wyatt said he was fine.

Yui then walked into the kitchen. Ryu turned his attention to Yuki and asked her what was up with Yui and her knowing that they would be arriving. Nina was more than happy to answer that question.

“We called ahead,” Nina said while Yuki erupted in a fit of giggles.

Wyatt watched as the three “adults” joked around and sighed. He leaned his head against his arms and idly wondered what he had gotten himself into. He blinked when he felt something tug at the hem of his beloved coat. He turned his head slightly and glanced down to see a little girl with chin-length brown hair, dressed in a pink and white jumper, holding the hem of his coat.

“Uh…?” Wyatt wasn’t quite sure what to say. Fortunately, Yuki decided to save him the trouble. For once.

“Hi Momo!” Yuki said. The little girl smiled and waved back. She seemed more interested in trying to relinquish Wyatt of his beloved coat than to go over to her aunt and say hi.

A moment later, Yui reentered the room and handed out the drinks. Behind her was a slightly irritated Jin, who was dressed in a short sleeved shirt and jeans. Yuki stared hard. Jin must have been doing yard work. Her brother was not known for wearing jeans. As Yui walked over and picked up Momo, Jin looked over at his little sister and her friends.

Jin grimaced at Yuki’s outfit. “What are you wearing?” Jin asked.

“Um… it’s this thing called clothes,” Yuki snapped.

Jin made sure that Yui and Momo were out of the room before continuing. “You look like a hooker that just came back from the red-light district.”

“I… what?!” Yuki snapped.

Wyatt grinned slightly. “I think I like this guy…”

Yuki jumped up and nearly clobbered Jin. The man easily dodged her attack and moved out of the way. Yuki stood a few feet away from Jin, fuming.

“I do NOT look like a hooker!”

“Hm…” was all Jin said.

“I… FINE!” Yuki snapped. She crossed her arms and vanished in a plume of light.

Ryu, Nina, and Wyatt glanced over in Jin’s direction. “Um, where did she go?” Nina asked.

Jin shrugged crossed his arms. About five minutes later, Yuki reappeared in another plume of light. Instead of her “hooker” look, Yuki was dressed in something different. She was wearing a red tang-top and a pair of khaki capris. She had on short, brown jacket that had long pieces of material attached to the short sleeves fluttered behind her as she moved, and a pair of brown slip on shoes.

“That’s better,” Jin smirked. Yuki merely glared at him.

Yuki took her seat next to Nina again as Jin seated himself on one of the other chair in the room. The five of them just sat in silence for a moment, before Ryu opened his mouth to speak.

“Um, thanks for meeting with us,” Ryu said.

Jin nodded. Ryu continued. “Well, you know why we’re here, so I guess we can cut to the chase. What can you tell us about the Goddess Keys and why would a rouge Dragoon captain want them so badly?”

Jin grimaced. “Are you familiar with the Legend of the Goddess?” Only Ryu and Yuki nodded. “Okay, the legend says, ‘When the Dragon Family was at the peak of its power, a goddess of desire appeared. The goddess, Tyr, granted wishes. The Dragons fought each other for her power. Tyr encouraged the fighting and watched the war between the Dragons escalate. When the world was at the brink of destruction, a warrior stepped forward. The Warrior battled Tyr with his seven companions and locked her up using six keys. These “Goddess Keys” were scattered throughout the world and hidden away. The Light Dragons balanced the power of the family and peace reigned.’” Jin recited.

Ryu looked confused. “I thought there were seven.”

Jin nodded. “Yes, but the legend only speaks of six.”

“I wonder why?” Nina said.

Wyatt frowned. “Okay, but what does this have to do with our current mission?”

“The keys were created with the sole purpose of sealing Tyr… or Myria away. They were created to be unbreakable and all powerful. Also, each key was able to do something. The Sky Key, for example, was used to control the weather system at the Spyre, better known as Angel Tower now. The Earth Key could cause earthquakes. The King Key could activate a giant, stone robot. The Light and Dark Keys had domain over day and night. And the Time Key could control time and space.

“These keys on their own were dangerous if in the wrong hands. Together, they were able to free Tyr from Auga. Since the keys couldn’t be destroyed, the Brood felt that even with the destruction of Tyr, they should scatter them once more. Of course, today only three locations are known.”

“Two,” Nina said. “Strife took the Sky Key from Milliené’s Temple.”

“Strife…?” Jin asked. “As in Virgil Strife? You know him?”

“Uh, he’s my bodyguard,” Nina said. “Do YOU know him?”

“Eh, only in passing. SO. Two locations are known. That’s a bit of a problem. Okay, if I’m not mistaken, rumors state that the Grassmen have the Light Key and the Worens had the Dark Key, but it was stolen by the Navare Guild.”

“Navare?” Ryu asked.

“So say the rumors. No one knows where the Time Key is.”

“So, why would Transell want the keys?” Yuki asked.

Jin’s face darkened. “Project FATE.”

Yuki’s head snapped up. “What?!”

Wyatt’s face was unreadable.

“What’s Project FATE?” Nina asked.

“Fourteen years ago,” Jin started, ignoring the heated glare that his sister was giving him. “There was a project that was trying to harness the powers of the gods. Ah, at the ruins of Caer Xhan, they found a device… a gateway if you will, that could “link” a person with the power of the gods. The device and its core unit, a bio-android code named Fate were transferred to Lahan in order to do research on them.”

“My mother was used as a test subject for that experiment,” Yuki bitterly spat out.

“Of course, the more a person is linked, the more difficult it becomes to unlink them. Most lose their consciousness after prolonged exposure,” Jin said. Jin turned to Ryu. “Ryu, do you remember why you were in Lahan?”

“To find a cure for cymosion…” Ryu muttered.

“Yes, but that’s not all,” Jin sighed. “You’re father wanted to use you as part of the experiment. He thought that since you were the Destined Child, you would be able to link successfully with the gods.”

Yuki and Ryu both stared at Jin. Nina shook her head. “You knew?”

“I… had to beat it out of Aaron, but yes. I knew what happened… but it was already too late to stop Aaron from harming our mother… and the Dragoon attack on Lahan.” Jin explained. “…There’s some stuff that I was involved in, things that do not pertain to this conversation, but what I can tell you is that it involved the Church of Ladon, as well as a group of demon worshipers. I only discovered what happened when I heard Ryu and Yuki’s Call all the way back in Lahan. I was in Lahan for a little while, but had to leave on business. If I had known what was going to happen, I would have stayed.

“But, I didn’t… Several others that I was traveling and I with quickly returned to Lahan, only to find it up in smoke. I found Ryu and…”

Ryu nodded. “I know. There’s no need to explain that part.”

Jin nodded. “Needless to say, I think that it was when Ryu was linked up with the system and Fate that the cymosion interfered with the system and caused a system crash. Seeker did something that unleashed the Red Dragon, a very powerful technique that Fate possessed, and the Red Dragon went berserk. My theory is that the Dragoons were dispatched to cover up Gideon’s involvement in the mess.”

“So, that’s what really happened…” Nina said.

“But, what does the keys have to do with any of this?” Yuki asked.

“The keys could access the gate’s full potential,” Jin said. “You see, the gate was created from the ruins of the Obelisk and Auga. I don’t think I have to explain any of that, do I?”

Everyone shook their heads no.

“You see, the keys represent balance. Each has an opposite… just like everything else in the Grand Design. Ryu would have been the perfect host if not for the fact he was infected with that cysmosion. Something about that interfered with the link process.

“The Holy Swords currently has the gate hidden somewhere and needs the core unit, Ryu, and the keys to operate it properly.”

“Holy Swords?” Yuki asked.

“Gideon’s personal guard,” Ryu explained. “You think that the Dragoon’s are bad, wait ‘til you see these guys in action.”

“Right, and not just Brood are members of the Holy Swords. Anyone with greater power if anointed as one,” Jin explained.

“Okay, so where does this all lead us?” Wyatt asked.

“Transell is currently gathering the keys. You have been asked by the queen of Wyndia to gather and find the remaining keys before Transell does. The closest one is in Rosethrone; the Earth Key. Go there and get it before they are attacked like Wyndia was.”

Nina nodded. “Okay.”

Jin smiled slightly and turned his attention to Ryu. “If you guys try to go after the Light Key, you will have to go through the Sea of Trees. There is only one person that I know of that can guide you safely through there.”

“Bunyan,” Ryu said. “I know… but…” Ryu looked down. “I know that he’s alive… but I killed him. I can’t face him… not yet…”

“Cyrus said that he was working on getting us permission to enter Worent to search for the Dark Key,” Yuki said.

“The King of the Pearl Kingdom has the King Key,” Nina said. “Should we also go to the Pearl Kingdom and ask for the key?”

Jin shook his head no. “The king will come to you when you need him. Don’t worry about him or the key. He can take care of himself.”

“You know the guy or something?” Ryu asked.

Jin ignored the question. “Okay, you all know what you have to do. Rosethrone first, then you can decide what to do after that.”

Yuki nodded. “Right, sounds like a plan everyone!”

“You will need permission to speak with Namanda’s Avatar, though,” Jin said.

“Eh?” Wyatt asked.

Ryu felt the Dragon’s Tear burn against his chest. He lifted the Tear out from underneath his shirt and noticed that it was burning brightly. He held the Tear over in Jin’s direction and noticed it was flashing rainbow. Yuki glanced over and noticed the Tear.

“SHIT!” Yuki wailed. She looked straight at Jin. “You’re Destined! Does that mean that you’re coming too?!”

“You do need permission to speak with Harmony,” Jin explained in a calm voice. “And… I happen to be her personal physician…”

Yuki looked up at the ceiling. “Did I do something horrible in a past life or something? For what am I being punished? Oh, cruel fates, what have I done to incur your wrath?”

Wyatt smirked. “Payback’s a bitch, eh?”

 

To be continued…