A/N: Wow. This is the part where I once again apologize for not having updated in for-ev-er. But here's the good news! I'm not dead and I do plan on finishing this fic! Thank you so much to Crazybout Tos, Lord Yuan, KratosManiac, MindTricks, Sesshomarubaby18, ToastyFrigginFresh, & Ethereal Thoughts. Maybe some of you will be kind enough to review again? (PS I've decided to stop whining about horrible titles and allow you to assume that they're all going to be bad.)

Angel's Crossing

The two strolled side by side, hand in hand, Anna laughing and talking about this and that, and Kratos wearing an expression of pure contentment, listening to her babble. Summer had ended and the first few months of autumn had slipped away; it was nearly a year now that Kratos and Anna had been traveling together. A change had come over Kratos, though it was nearly imperceptible to most people, it was glaringly obvious to the likes of Yuan. His eyes once dull and lost to the tedium of his existence were now bright and full of an eagerness to live, to feel, to be.

They were traveling with the intention of meeting Yuan in Asgard to discuss his plans to send them to Tethe'alla on their quest to find a way for a human to wield the Eternal Sword. Their time had been spent since leaving Isoold searching for clues and instructions that might help them defeat Mithos. Sylvarant, it seemed, was devoid of any legend about such power, and they were beginning to suspect that they would need the Royal Academy's recourses to find anything. Anna was thoroughly excited by the prospect of a journey to this new world. Kratos had filled her with stories of the prospering world and its wonders, while in return she told him about her childhood, life at a human ranch, and how she had made her escape. Both felt that they were getting the better deal out of this exchange.

Upon arrival in Asgard they broke from routine and headed straight to the most expensive inn where Yuan would be waiting for them. He was sitting patiently in the lobby, and appeared to be lost in thought; however, at the sound of the opening door he snapped to attention and rose to greet them. He nodded to Kratos, then hugged Anna and said, "Hello, Anna, how are you?"

"Never better," was her usual reply.

"Well, in that case," said Yuan, smiling at her, "My room's upstairs. We'll talk there." One thing Anna had noticed about Kratos and Yuan was that they rarely actually greeted each other. It was as if little or no time passed between their visits; like two inhabitants of a single house who have no need to greet each other every time they see one another in a different room.

Yuan closed the door behind them, and after ensuring that it was locked, joined them around a small table.

"Okay, we've worked it out and tested it," Yuan began, "Sylvarant's Otherworldly Gate is just outside of Palmacoasta and made up of a small ring of trees. Unlike Tethe'alla's Gate, which is active only during the full moon, Sylvarant's gate is only open during the new moon. This means that unless you can wield the Eternal Sword in two weeks you will probably be there for at least six weeks. Now, although you won't have to worry about Desians in Tethe'alla, you won't be completely safe. Once Mithos finds out you are there, and he will find out, you will have the church looking for you, which brings me to my next point." Yuan rose and walked over to the base of the bed where a large trunk sat. Lifting the lid, he revealed neatly folded clothing. He removed four outfits and laid them on the bed. Anna and Kratos joined him by the bed to view the clothing.

"I suggest that you go to Meltokio first, that way you can speak to the Chosen's family without the persecution of the church. I've picked out clothes of the upper middle class. I think that they will be the safest." Anna's dress was long, and more ornate than any dress she had ever seen before.

"I get to wear that?" she asked in awed amazement.

"Yes, do you like it?" Yuan inquired.

"It's beautiful!" The fabrics were sewn in a somewhat simple fashion, though the sea foam green and light yellow colors overlapped to form a more ornate appearance. For Kratos, Yuan had chosen a navy blue number with crème colored pants.

"Okay, these should be okay until they realize you're in Tethe'alla. After that you'll wear these." Yuan gestured to two sets of church vestments.

"You'll play the role of traveling priest and his trainee. If anyone requests your services, Kratos can deal with them and Anna, you can pretend to be 'merely' observing."

"But can Kratos pass as a priest?" Anna asked with some uncertainty. Kratos gave her an exasperated look.

"Anna. Who do you think wrote the Book of Martel?" Anna flushed.

"Right. I forgot."

Yuan continued, "Now you're not going to want to stay long. The Church has a stranglehold on the people of Tethe'alla. People will be a lot less willing to help when threatened with eternal damnation. " Kratos nodded.

"When will we leave?" he asked.

"Tomorrow night. If you leave here tomorrow morning with Noishe, you should arrive in the evening. I will meet you there."

"What if we're attacked?"

"I doubt that will happen; however, just in case, I have made contact with the Renegades. They are willing to form a truce in order to escort you to Tethe'alla.

Anna sat quietly listening to the two men hammering out details. They were so meticulous. So careful not to leave any possibility for error. All apprehension was dispelled from her mind and she was left with only excited butterflies in her stomach. Her thoughts of Tethe'alla soon enveloped her whole attention, until the mention of her name brought her abruptly back to Sylvarant.

"...Anna will have to be carried. It's too dangerous to use any other form of transportation to get to the mainland. Unless we use rheairds, but that's a little unreasonable. Is that okay with you?" Yuan was now addressing Anna directly.

"Sure," she replied. Not quite knowing what she was agreeing to, but since Kratos' look was unconcerned, she was not worried.

"It's settled then. I will take my leave. I purchased this room for the night. You may have it if you wish," Yuan said, as he stood up.

"Thank you, Yuan." said Anna, rising to give him a hug, "we'll see you tomorrow, then." He nodded and shut the door behind him.

The next day was a long time coming as far as Anna was concerned. Her excitement merely mounted as the day progressed. The distance between Asgard and Palmacoasta seemed much longer than usual.

The sun was setting just as they reached the clearing where Yuan and a couple of Renegades stood.

"Excellent timing," commented Yuan, glancing at the sky, "are you ready?"

"Yes, I believe so," said Kratos, dismounting Noishe, then turning to help Anna do the same.

"Good. It will be safe to rest here until midnight. The Renegades and I will stand guard, though I don't think we have anything to worry about.

Kratos and Anna lay in their sleeping bags near a campfire that had been prepared by the Renegades. They and Yuan were nowhere in sight.

"Hey, Kratos?" Anna asked.

"Yes, Anna?"

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you. About you and Yuan."--She paused. Kratos did not respond so she continued--"How come you and Yuan have different colored wings?" Kratos smiled to himself at this.

"It's because we have different mana signatures... Yuan can explain it better than I can... Think of them as physical representations of the soul. Half-elves and elves can read them and understand them better than we can, but what I understand from Yuan, is that they change as we change. If I had had wings as a child, the color would have changed many times before they settled on the color they are now. However once one gets to be about twenty-five, the colors start leveling off and generally stays the same for the rest of one's life... Unless something happens."

"Something happens..." Anna repeated.

"Yes. For instance, when we first became angels, my wings were blue like they are now, Mithos' were multicolored, Martel's were pink with a touch of purple, and Yuan's were green... but then when Martel died, both Yuan and Mithos' wings became the same color as hers. When Mithos reverts back to an age that was before her death, they become multicolored again."

Anna thought about this. Thought about the pinkish-purple glow that had saved her in the desert and shivered.

"He loved her very much, didn't he?"

"Yes. He did." She wrapped the blanket tighter around her, as a great wave of pity swelled in her. She didn't want to know how he felt, couldn't imagine what it would be like if something happened to Kratos.

The next thing Anna knew, Kratos was gently shaking her shoulder.

"Anna, wake up. It's almost midnight." All of their things were packed up. Each of them took a bag. Anna said good-bye to Noishe who would stay in case someone in Tethe'alla recognized him for what he was, and then she, Kratos, and Yuan approached the center of the ring of trees.

The sky was clear, stars shone brilliantly in the heavens, but the moon seemed to have disappeared from the sky.

"Okay," Yuan said, "Get ready. It may feel a little strange." Suddenly an odd light appeared. Anna clutched Kratos, burring her face in his chest, and shutting her eyes. There was a sudden blast of cool air then the next thing she knew; she was opening her eyes in the blinding light of a warm Tethe'allan afternoon.

Anna stared out across the ocean; the wind whipped through her hair, catching it and tossing it carelessly about. They had appeared on a small island bedecked with large stone pillars. The waves crashed against the rock, and the smell of salt was thick in the air.

"Welcome to Tethe'alla," Kratos murmured in her ear, so as to be heard over the sound of the water. She turned and smiled at him, in doing so she caught sight of the Tower of Salvation, which extended into the air far beyond her sight.

"Oh my, goddess," she breathed, practically bending backwards trying to see it's top, "Is that the Tower of Salvation?"

"Yes," Kratos said following her gaze to the giant construction.

"Wow! I never imagined that it could possibly be so tall!"

"That's right, it stretches all the way up to Derris-Kharlan," Yuan said, shielding his eyes from the sun and looking in the general direction of the comet.

"The one in Sylvarant is just the same," Kratos added.

"Are you two ready?" Yuan asked. Anna and Kratos exchanged a glance.

"Yes," he said. Yuan gathered the bags that the other two held and Kratos scooped Anna easily into his arms.

The view of Tethe'alla from the air was incredible, though, Anna was slightly disappointed to note that they were heading away from the land and out across the ocean.

"Aren't you worried that we'll be seen?" Anna asked Kratos.

"No, this is an inconvenient passage for ships, you see that land mass up there?"

"Yes."

"That entire side of the continent is nothing but a long mountain range. There are no ports over here."

"We're also rather close to Flanoir. That area is very dangerous for ships," Yuan added.

When they had cleared the mountains, Anna caught her first sight of Meltokio and gasped. It was so much more magnificent than she had ever imagined.

"Goddess." She whispered, staring.

The trio landed in a wooded area not far from the walls of the city. Kratos and Anna would have to change before they entered the city. They went in different directions to change. Kratos came back in a slightly grumpier mood: he hated having to wear weird clothes. However, his displeasure at his attire soon evaporated when Anna emerged from the undergrowth, wearing the dress Yuan had supplied for her. In his slightly biased opinion, she was gorgeous. She had pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, with a few shorter strands of hair, hanging loosely beside her face.

"That bad, huh?"

"No." Kratos replied flatly, "You look nice." She grinned back.

"Well, this is as far as I go," declared Yuan, depositing the bags on the ground, "good luck, you two."

"Thank you, Yuan," Anna said, wrapping an arm around Kratos' waist and leaning up against him.

"No problem," he said with a smile, and then vanished into the woods.

Kratos led Anna around the walls to the gates of the city. Anna was in complete awe. She had never seen anything so magnificent. The colors were so vibrant and the clothes of the people they passed by were more extravagant than anything she had ever seen before. Just when she thought she had grown accustomed to the grandeurs around her, she caught sight of the Meltokio Castle, and froze on the steps.

"Dear goddess" she breathed, gaping at the construction, "Is that the castle? Didn't you say you used to live there?" Kratos smiled softly at her reaction.

"Yes, for a time. It may look big, but there are a lot of people living there, it's not just the royal family." He led her down a side street to the Chosen's house, which, as far as magnificence goes, was only second to the castle. The enormous buildings to either side of it paled in comparison. The manor was encompassed a stone fence that surrounded the lavish gardens. The two walked down the path to the grand doors. A butler opened the door; he seemed quite startled to see Kratos standing there.

"Lord Aurion, we weren't expecting you..."

"No. Sorry for our sudden intrusion. Is the Chosen home?"

"Yes, of course, come in."—Kratos and Anna entered the manor—"Please wait here while I send for him."

"Lord Kratos?" a beautiful blonde woman addressed Kratos. Her appearance was fitting of one who lived in such a house. Her face radiated with a natural beauty, her features seemed to be perfectly proportioned, with her lithe figure slipping smoothly into a very flattering, ornate, azure dress.

"Lady Wilder, I hope you are well," Kratos replied.

"Quite," she responded politely. The woman's cyan eyes darted swiftly at Anna before returning to Kratos.

"Forgive me," Kratos said turning to Anna, "This is my very dear friend, Anna"

"I see,"—she gave the two a knowing look—"I'm pleased to meet you Anna. Please, call me Mylene. I don't want you to worry about Lord Kratos' old fashioned chivalry." Anna nodded timidly. Kratos looked as if he were about to retort, when the door on the North wall under the stairs opened. A maid clad in a blue uniform entered the room, carrying a small red-headed child, who looked to be no older than two, if that at all.

"Thank you, Catherine," said Mylene, taking the child and dismissing the maid, who bowed slightly and left the room.

"Lord Kratos, Anna, this is the new Chosen, Zelos Wilder... my son." She spoke the last two words almost reluctantly. Zelos buried his face into his mother's shoulder, obviously shy, but Mylene took no notice.

"Of course," Kratos said, "I forgot. The new Chosen... Lady Wilder is your husband home." At his words Mylene pursed her lips into a cold, hard line, and when she spoke, her tone was like ice.

"He is upstairs. Shall I send for him?"

"No, do not trouble yourself, do you mind if I go find him?" Kratos asked.

"Of course not. Make yourself at home." He nodded and ascended the grand staircase to the second floor. Mylene set her son on the ground and turned to Anna, who noticed that the boy still clung to his mother's dress. There was a pause as the two watched Kratos leave, until Mylene (the trained hostess) started conversation.

"How are you liking Meltokio?" Mylene inquired.

"Oh, it's very nice. I mean, we just got here, but, well, its very beautiful," Anna responded, but it was hard not to take her eyes off the child, who stared right back at Anna with his big blue eyes. Mylene fixed an odd smile on her face.

"He looks just like his father," she commented off-handedly glancing at her son who was doing his best to disappear into the folds of Mylene's dress. Another silence.

"Now, where are you from? I've never seen you around Meltokio before."

"I'm from Ozette," Anna replied as instructed by Kratos and Yuan.

"Oh,"—Mylene frowned slightly—"Meltokio must seem quite grand to you then."

"Yes, I've never seen anything quite like it." Anna was spared from any more small talk with Mylene because at that moment Kratos reentered the room, accompanied by a man who could only be the former Chosen. He wore the richest suit Anna had ever seen: it was mostly black and white, but was accented by gold embellishments.

It was impossible not to mistake him for the young boy's father. His hair was bright red and pulled back tightly into a ponytail. His hair was straight, but Anna suspected that this quality might have been an artificial one due to the few strands that had managed to wave themselves again. His facial qualities were mostly the same, but his eyes were slightly greener than his son's.

Mylene's face turned to stone upon the entrance of her husband.

"Hello, my Dear," he greeted his wife. His voice was charming, but when he spoke to Mylene his voice had an almost sarcastic quality to it. Mylene nodded in response.

"This is, Anna, Lord Kratos' friend." Mylene introduced her to the former Chosen. He turned to Anna, and gave her a winsome smile.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the once Chosen said, taking Anna's hand and kissing it gently. She blushed, and glanced at Kratos, whose frown matched Mylene's, "Kratos tells me that you just arrived in Meltokio today."

"Yes, it really is a fantastic city," she reassured again, edging towards Kratos.

"Where are you staying?" Mylene asked. Kratos and Anna glanced at each other.

"No where right now," Kratos told her, "But I'm sure there is room at the local inn for us."

"Don't be silly," Mylene insisted, "We have plenty of space. Lord Kratos and his guests are always welcome."

"Perhaps you would like to join us for the spring ball we're hosting tonight?" Lord Wilder invited.

"That sounds lovely," Anna said excitedly, "But we have nothing to wear." Mylene smiled at her enthusiasm.

"That's not a problem," she told her, "We have tailors on hand that can make something for you." Anna grinned eagerly at Kratos.

"We appreciate your generosity," Kratos started, "but I'm not sure that it is in your best interests if you house us right now. We've run into a little... misunderstanding with the church."

"Lord Kratos, seriously," Lord Wilder replied, "We're the Chosen's family, do you really think that the Pope is going to try and give us any trouble?" Kratos was silent for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of the situation, knowing that the Chosen's protection was something that he didn't want to pass up.

"You're right, Lord Wilder. Anna and I would be very grateful to stay here. Just know that it won't be for long." Mylene nodded.

"I'll inform the staff to prepare a room for you," she said, then called the maid, "Catherine, would you show our guests to their room." –Room. Singular, Anna thought and glanced at Kratos again, whose face was unphased. Catherine escorted Anna and Kratos upstairs to the guest bedroom on the landing. Anna was thrilled. The room was more gorgeous and luxurious than anything she had ever stayed in. There was one huge bed against the North wall, table and chairs were set up in an inviting manner by the back window, and there was even a small sitting area.

Anna found herself quite unaccustomed to the service she and Kratos were given. After lunch, which had been served almost immediately despite the additional numbers, Anna tried to clean up her own plate instead of leaving it for the half-elves which only confirmed the Wilder's suspicions about the status of people from Ozette.

Just after lunch a small group of half-elf tailors came to fit Anna and Kratos for their formal wear for the evening. They spent the rest of the afternoon touring the streets of Meltokio; they eventually had to head to the slums so that Kratos could show Anna that the flourishing world was not perfect.

By that evening Anna and Kratos' clothes were ready for the ball. A pair of half-elf servants whisked Anna into a guest changing room where she was dressed. She was shocked at the amount of work that the half-elves did, and how little they were appreciated for it, and she was astonished to learn about the status that they held in Tethe'alla.

Kratos on the other hand refused the help of the half-elves, feeling quite capable of being able to dress himself, and feeling no need for anyone to do his hair. Lying over one of the chairs in his and Anna's room was a pair of crisp, white trousers, a black waistcoat, a teal button-down, collared shirt, a royal blue tie, and (he thought) as if he needed any more clothes, a blue jacket, complete with coat tails, whose accent's matched his tie. A pair of black shoes sat beside what he felt was an excessive amount of clothing.

Having dressed himself he went downstairs to wait for Anna and the Wilders. Lord Wilder was the next to appear. His appearance seemed very much unchanged. It looked as though he had changed clothes, but it was hard to tell with Lord Wilder. Anna and Mylene appeared at the same time, and despite the fact that Mylene's ornate red dress was much more flashy, and that, objectively, she was probably the more prepossessing of the two, Kratos could not keep his eyes off of Anna.

Anna's outfit was the same colors of blue that his was, and seeing it on her, it was clear where the tailor's had gotten their inspiration. Her dress perfectly matched the azure shades of her exsphere. The dress itself was very simple (especially compared to Mylene's). A darker blue ribbon strapped around her neck, crossed just over the point where her exsphere was, before going all the way around the top of the dress. From the point underneath the ribbon, to her waist, the dress was teal, like Kratos' button-down shirt. The skirt part of the dress flowed out and was the same color as the ribbon. Anna's hair was pulled back out of her face with two small matching clips. She approached Kratos, beaming.

"We match," he muttered to her, somewhat horrified; she grinned and nodded.

"You look gorgeous," he told her. Her grin widened.

"Not quite as good as you though," she replied, and Kratos shook his head.

"You guys ready?" Lord Wilder asked, standing beside his wife. Kratos nodded, and offered Anna his arm (which she took).

Anna had never seen so many people at a dance. People wore dresses in every shade imaginable, and of course, all of them turned and stared when the Wilders entered the room. Kratos was pleased to see that Anna was not self-conscious about the scars on her back (souvenirs from the human ranch) as she had once been.

Although they couldn't help but dance at least a few times (fortunately Kratos led seeing as Anna was both unfamiliar with the dances and not exactly the most coordinated person in the room), Anna was content just to stand on the outskirts of the dance floor and watch the other guests. A good-sized group of girls had begun to form, all of them eyeing Kratos, and hoping that he was getting bored with his partner. No such luck.

"It really is very beautiful," Anna commented watching another couple swirl by them. Kratos had to lean over and speak in Anna's ear in order to be heard over the musicians, "Come with me, I know a place where you can get a really good view." She took his hand and he led her upstairs to a balcony that overlooked the ballroom, and continued outside, giving a wonderful view into the gardens.

"Wow, I never would even have known something like this existed," she breathed, doing her best to take everything in. Kratos smiled to himself, watching her face, and her eyes wandering across the ballroom floor, noting that Mylene and Lord Wilder were on opposite ends of the dance floor talking to other people. In the eyes of people such as the Wilders, Anna and Kratos might have been considered "simple," but as far as they were concerned they were both happy to blend into the background together.

Suddenly there was a loud bang that caused Anna to jump and give Kratos a fearful look. A second bang followed shortly after, at which point Anna buried her face in Kratos' chest, fearing for her life. Kratos couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"It's okay," he told her, "look." He led her across the balcony so that she could see the sky outside. She gasped, eyes wide as she stared up at the sky above them.

"What are they?" she asked in amazement.

"Fireworks," Kratos told her.

"Fireworks…" She repeated, as the sky was illuminated crimson for a second. Some of the guests had started making their way onto the lawn to watch the display.

"Hey Kratos."

"Hm?"

"I love you." He pulled her closer. How did one reply to that? He wracked his brain. Surely one does not simply say "I love you too" to the girl who gives meaning to your existence, who occupies your thoughts ninety-eight percent of the time, who somehow no matter how wrong you are for her sticks with you anyway. Somehow those four words didn't seem quite right.

Before he could say anything Anna was laughing.

"You don't have to say anything. I know you love me too." He leaned over and kissed her. When he pulled away, he held her shoulders gently and stared into her eyes.

"I do," he told her softly, "I love you."

Upon their arrival home, Kratos and Lord Wilder decided to head to the castle to see if the royal library had anything that could help Kratos and Anna on their quest, thinking they would probably be the only ones there at this time.

Anna started going up the stairs, but Mylene called to her.

"Anna. Would you mind waiting for a second. I'd like a word." Confused, Anna turned and followed Mylene into the back gardens.

They stood along the rose-covered walls in silence; the sound of a gently pattering fountain was the only other noise in the night.

"I know you do not think very highly of me," Mylene started abruptly, glancing over at Anna who was gazing without seeing at the flowers, "I've seen the way you look at me when I'm with my…family." Anna shot a startled look at Mylene who was still gazing at her. Mylene gave her a slight smile before continuing, "I know you'd never say anything about it. No, you're much too polite for that, and I appreciate it. I don't know. Maybe you're right to think that way.

"I never wanted this life. There are people who would kill to be in my position, and I know I should be grateful…but it's not that easy. I was born into the middle-class where I expected to stay for the rest of my life, and I was happy with that fact. I didn't want to be anything else.

"Then they announced that the Chosen would be married, not by class, but by blood or something. I didn't really understand. Of course as you can imagine, there was great excitement. The Great Chosen would finally promise himself to just one woman. All of my friends wanted to be his wife, but not me. That wasn't how it was supposed to work. I was meant to fall in love, not have someone chosen for me because of status or something. All I wanted was to marry a man who loved me. I wouldn't be so lucky." Her words were bitter, and Anna was now staring at Mylene who was lost in thought.

"Then they announced that I had been selected to marry the Chosen. I was appalled. I couldn't imagine what I'd done to deserve this fate. And of course most of my friends… well I guess they weren't much of friends, stopped speaking to me out of pure jealously and resentment at the fact that I was not happy with what I'd been given. I feel completely alone sometimes."

"But what about your son? What about Zelos?" Anna asked. Mylene glanced at her.

"What about Zelos? Zelos is the reason I had to marry the Chosen to begin with."

"But, he's your son. Don't you love him?"

"Love him?"—She was thoughtful for a moment—"He looks just like his father… I don't know. Maybe I should. But every time I look at him I think about how he is the reason that I was forced to get married—now Anna, please, don't look at me like that, really don't think I haven't tried. But somehow I can't get those kind of thoughts out of my head."

"…I suppose it can't be easy for Zelos," Anna said after a second.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the kind of life that's going to be thrust upon him. He has no choice at all but to be the Chosen." Mylene snorted.

"You've seen my husband. He's certainly be burdened by that title." It was impossible not to hear the sarcasm in her voice.

"No, I suppose he hasn't been…" She thought of the way that the Wilders had appeared that evening. They put on a show of a happily married couple, but it was so clear that they were not. It was really quite sad.

"Well, I appreciate you at least listening to me, even if it doesn't change your mind about the type of person I am. Kratos says that you're leaving tomorrow."

"Yes, if he finds the information that we're looking for."

"You are very lucky Anna. I envy you. It's not every day you find a man like Kratos Aurion."

"No, it's not." Anna agreed.

"He's very lucky too, you know. It's not everyday one finds a girl who would fall in love with a man like Kratos Aurion."—Mylene smiled at her—"Goodnight, Anna. I'm going to go ahead and turn in for the night."

"Goodnight," Anna returned, though she did not follow Mylene in. Instead she stayed in the garden taking in the thick scent of roses, waiting for Kratos to return.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed it! Please read and review!

You might have noticed that this one seemed longer than the others. It is. I'm sorry. I will say that it underwent several different drafts. There was one version where they didn't go to Tethe'alla, one where for the first half Anna went on a long, dark, angsty story about her time spent at the human ranch (I'm trying to stay away from angst for now because it's inevitable that it end there later), and there was one that just got started and didn't seem to go anywhere. Anyway, the reason this is so long is that I really didn't want to cut the dance (because it's kinda cute and I like it) and I didn't want to cut the bit at the end with Mylene. I feel that her side of the story often isn't taken into consideration, and while I don't agree with her, I think her views needed to be voiced. And there you have it! I hope to have the next chapter finished soon.

-Linkite