What, what? Urby is re-writing Crimson?
Yeh...I'm doing this series over. If you must know why, I'll have to say 'artistic evolution'. If this reason should not suit you, sah, I suggest you e-mail me. I don't bite, man. Okay, that's a lie.
So, people who read this: I HUMBLY SUGGEST YOU REVIEW. If you already have for that chapter, do so anonymously, so you can make a certain I very happy. Tell me: am I improving on what you remember the old chapter was? Which version do you like better? (I hope it's the new one-afu.)
New readers: Since I'm leaving the old chapters up until I finish their revamps, DON'T READ AHEAD. Doing so will spoil you/burn your brain/may be inaccurate due to changes I make.
Mnyyyah, now that that's done - to zhe stor-ee!

"Morning."

"Morning..."

"Say, where's Lloyd?"

"A hundred gald says he's still in bed."

"Oh."

The guy in question was still sleeping very deeply in his tent, noshing lazily on the corner of his blanket. His only reaction to the shadow looming over him was to roll over and chew on his pillowcase instead.

"Lloyd..."

"Shmmmyummm...no hot sauce, please..."

"Lloyd!"

"MiammmyummColle..."

"Lloyd Irving! If you do not get out this minute - !"

No one would ever know what would happen if he didn't leave, because Raine dragged him out of his sleeping bag and dropkicked him out of the tent. (Read the italics with flair!)

"Whoo!" Sheena remarked as the boy sailed over everyone's heads. "Look at 'im go!"

"A hundred gald says he stays in the air for more than five seconds!" Genis sniggered.

"Well, with some luck, he'll stay in the air. I'm eating his breakfast," the summoner reached for his plate.

"Don't you dare!" Lloyd leaped from the ground where he landed (after exactly five point two seconds of airtime) "You'll be sorry...'cuz I'll...I'll...don't eat it!"

"A hundred gald says that..."

"Would you stop it?"

"Mmmrph..."

So, as the group settled down to eat (or nibble, or gobble, or inhale) their food, everyone felt like it was the start of one of those long days.

Presea (who was one of the mid-nibble, mid-gobblers) looked up.

"Presea?" Genis squeaked around his fork.

She stood up from the rock she was sitting on, almost knocking her plate upside-down. (The horror!) "That!"

"That...what?"

"That noise," Presea backed up to the back of the camp where the weapons where stored. "There is an enemy presence close by."

As soon as the word 'by' faded, a band of monsters leaped in the camp, knocking over a few tents and all but yelling 'boo!'

As much as these were somewhat weak monsters, the band couldn't help but panic as they fled for their weapons, but found them being guarded/sat on/eaten by a few of the critters' pals.

Presea, the ever calm one (go Presea! Regal don't count today, he's missin' his boots) grabbed the nearest thing and jumped into the fray. However, because luck decided to be a beech that day, the 'nearest thing' was the bowl of stew they were eating, which the monsters seemed to love. In fact, they loved it so much, they mobbed her for it.

Fortunately (because fortune was being kinder than luck) Colette came to the rescue, throwing Pow Hammers and chakrams and yelling to scare all the baddies away. Am I using too many 'ands'?

"Are the monsters gone?" squeaked a shaking mound of small elven spellcaster who had hidden himself under his sister's bedrobe. So that was the suspicious wiggling!

"It seems so," Raine tried to kick the boy away from her legs. "Stop being so clingy!"

"Besides, your lady is in distress," Zelos bent over. (Whether it was to talk to Genis or look up the Professor's robe, we shall never know...)

"I am...alright," Presea wobbled to her feet, the pot of stew shoved squarely on her head. She span in a few circles while she tried to orient herself.

"In the unharmed sense?" Genis stepped up to tap the pot lightly. "I...I think I'd not be okay with a pot on my head..."

"Vision and hearing impaired...problems walking. I do not think this is 'okay'."

"Ah...! I'll...I'll get it off!" Genis scrambled to get the thing off her head.

After a bit of back-and-forth 'ow's, the cursed thing was free, and the only thing that gave away who it was on in the first place was the Cruxis Crystal that remained shiny despite the ordeal. The soup had turned Presea's hair a sort of orange-yellow, so hey! It could have been Colette! And Presea looked a bit ticked, which is a rather rare expression to see on that face!

"Is everyone else okay?" Raine dusted off her robe.

"Colette!" Lloyd shouted in a very not-indoors voice (which matters not since they are outside) taking the girl's hand. "Where's this from?"

"Don't...it's from now, I guess," Colette took her hand away. "It's fine, though."

"It may be 'fine' now, but we can't have you hurt. Besides, it could get infected," Raine shook her head. "Goodness! This is rather deep..."

"But it's nothing you can't fix, right?"

"Oh, you hush! I've mended bones, this is nothing," Raine waved a bit of healing energy over the wound, making it disappear.

"Feel better?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah," Colette poked her arm, seeing it was fine.

"Nothing else?"

"Nope."

"Sure?"

"Yes, Lloyd. You can stop bothering me now."
"You know, my little angel," Zelos leaned in, "if he's bothering you I can make him go away."
"Lloyd, make Zelos go away!"

Time has passed gozaru.

The wind played with Sheena's hair as she contemplated the bubbling pot in front of her. Funny how unappetizing starting ingredients could become something anyone would eat.

And currently the thing she was tending looked like something no one would even put in their mouth.

Funny how much that could put a damper on one's day.

Sighing, she shook the little bottle of Red Satay over the pot. Well, better than Raine, right?

Unfortunately, (fortune's turn to be a beech) the absentminded, sort-of rough shake caused the entire bottle to dump a very-much-too-much amount into the stuff. The bubbling curry belched lazily, a fat bubble popping in her face.

Now her night was officially very, very bad.

Apparently, her gloom was visible, because Colette approached her friend worriedly.

"Sheena," the blonde began, "what's wrong?"

"Pfhhh," Sheena hit her knee listlessly. "Nothing's wrong. Considering I've just condemned everyone to death with this dish, I feel absolutely chipper."

Colette looked into the pot suspiciously, tensing when a bubble popped ominously. After blinking a few times, she took a spoon and sampled a bit of the death dish.

"I don't think it's too bad."

"Really?" Sheena looked up without moving her head.

"Not at all," Colette licked her lip, taking out plates. "I'll serve everyone, okay?"

"Thanks," Sheena shuffled around the utensil bag for spoons.

"Cheer up! At least we didn't get eaten by those monsters earlier today, right?"
"Yeah..."
"...Are you really alright?"

"Just...a little...you know...yeah."

"Ah..."

"You know."

"No, I don't."

"Ah..."

"Is it ready?" Genis peeked over the girls. "I'm starving," he lunged for a bowl before waiting for a response.

This seemed to round up the others, because they gathered around the campfire soon afterward for their share.

But the stuff turned out to be so hot they couldn't even touch it.

"A new weapon!" Genis held up a bowl with great flair, and then having to drop it and blow on his burning hand. Or he could have been acting. I don't know.

"Well um," Lloyd stared at his portion, poking it with a spoon. "Do...we have anything else?"

"Canned preservatives," Presea held up a jar.

"We can't eat jam, though."

"Yes we can!"

"It's not healthy."

"Are you saying this is?"

"..."

"Oh, I win!"

Colette placed her plate aside. "I'm done," she announced. "I'm going for a walk."

A few members mumbled 'see ya's, but Raine eventually got up to follow her.

"And what are you doing here?" Raine asked, finding Colette sitting on a hill.

"Professor!" the girl jumped. "I didn't think you'd come up here."

"Well," the older one knelt, "I'm supposed to be looking after you all, and you're not what I'd necessarily call 'alright' right now."

"R...really?" Colette blinked, tipping her head a little.

"You've been eating less, less often," the Professor played with a bit of her hair. "Are you lapsing into any form of Toxicosis now?"

"N...no," Colette shrunk down. "I feel fine."

Raine cast her a sideways glance. "Well, if you aren't...just say so."

"I will."

"Well, we should be getting back," Raine got up, shooing a few blades of grass that clung to her robe. "And...are those your chakrams with you?"

"Yes...you know, for the monsters?"

"I see..."

Monkey Morning!

"Hey Lloyd."

"Sssubatzzz...leevemealoooone..."

"Wake up, redboy! There's something you wanna see...!"

"Noooo...wanna sleep..."

"You're going to be a lot redder in a minute...!"

"Shmmymmm?"

"Fireball!"

"I'm up! Put it out! Ouch!"

"Morning."

"Morning..."

"Say, where's Lloyd?"

"It's hottt!" the guy screamed, streaking past. 'Streaking' due to lack of clothes. But worry not, no one saw anything special.

"Incoming!" Sheena threw a bucket of water on him.

Lloyd stood drenched for a moment before shaking himself (woof afu.) and grabbing Genis by the neck of his shirt.

"Alright, I'm awake. What do I want to see? Quick, before I kill you." he growled, steaming slightly.

"Your gal," Genis fussed with a button on his sleeve. "Is hurt. Badly."

"Colette!" Lloyd gasped, dropping Genis immediately.

Colette was sitting away from the normal hubbub of the group, heavily bandaged on her arms.

"Colette..."

She turned to face him, her eyes glistening in the tree-filtered sunlight. He knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What happened?"

"I don't know," Colette hung her head. "I remember being...it was...I don't know. I woke up with them."

'Does...does it hurt?"

"No, but they were bleeding a lot," she paled at the memory. "There was no sign of anything that did it. Lloyd, I'm scared..."

Lloyd pulled her close to him, running a hand through her hair reassuringly. "It's going to be alright."

"And you two!" Genis yelled in a sing-song voice, interrupting their moment, "need food! And I! Am too lazy! To give it to you! So you! Will have to get it!"

Lloyd huffed and glared at the little mage.

"And you. Are dead."

AFUUUU!

Is it just me, or is Presea out of character? D:

And um. Review. Please.