A/N: Welcome readers. This is my first published chapter after nearly a 7 month writing hiatus. I probably should be working on my other in-progress stories, but I just didn't have the motivation for them at the moment. This story is currently a teaser project so I don't expect to put much time into it. As stated earlier, I'm overdue on my other stories already.

As to why I wrote this chapter or even consider writing an Ar Tonelico fanfic is because I really like this game. I fell in love with it the first time I played it when it just came out. I played it a few more times soon after, but it wasn't until only recently that I replayed it again after many years. Once again, I gained a new appreciation for it as I gained a better understanding of the lore, characters and setting. A really good piece of work in my opinion. This interest however is mainly focused on the first game. I did enjoy the series overall including Ar no Surge, but the other games didn't leave much of an impact on me, sadly. So that's why I'm writing a fanfic on the first game rather than on any of the subsequent sequels.

10/11/15 Update: To the mysterious guest reviewer, thank you for your review. I took your criticism into consideration and will address them here.

First, I am uncertain as to what part you had a problem with in regards to Lyner answering to a superior. As you said, he is certainly below Leard and Shurelia in rank so I think you may be referring to the captain of his squad. The captain's inclusion is mostly meant to show how I envisioned the Elemia Knights was organized which is kind of like a military group. As far as I know, no specific details were ever made about it in the game. Even if Lyner was ranked higher in Platina and the tower, it is irrelevant in the Elemia Knights as I envisioned. Experience and leadership is valued for squad leaders, not family connections. Also, I thought that all of the Elemia Knights served directly under Shurelia, rather than just Lyner and Ayatane. Regardless, this is how I'm making it. If this is not what you meant, then I apologize. But I don't know what else you could be referring to.

Second, I re-read the section regarding the photo again and it did made me laugh. I honestly DID NOT intend to suggest any sexual awakening. I forgot why I included those parts, but I did rewrote parts of that section. The photo and the "nostalgic" feeling that Lyner got from it is something new I'm creating so I won't go into too much detail about it.

Third, I know quite well about the memories that Lyner and Misha shared. The reason I included this part was because I wanted to foreshadow the reason why he couldn't remember her. This is an entirely original idea of mine. As far as I know, Lyner simply forgot about her and there was no external circumstance that made him forgot which I always thought was ridiculous. Humorous, but ridiculous. It should just be about 6-7 years since he last saw her and considering their deep connection and memories, I would think he remember something, even a small detail. So, I wanted to give a more concrete explanation as to his "memory loss."The head pains he suffered in this chapter is foreshadowing this explanation.

Fourth, I didn't really intend to show any deep connection between Shurelia and Lyner near the end...at least not at the level I had suggested originally. I mostly just wanted to create a melancholic scene of separation, but I guessed I took it too far. I rewrote that section as well.

Lastly, I know that I said it is a general novelization in the summary, but it doesn't mean that I won't add new ideas and events not found in the game. Phase 1 will follow pretty closely with the game based on what I'm planning. Phase 2 however will be pretty different as I try to converge both paths into one. Phase 3 will likely be somewhat different as well. In addition, I'm thinking of adding a Phase 4 which will be like an epilogue of sorts to the 1st game. Well, I haven't made any detailed plans to the story yet. I'm mostly running on the random thoughts in my head at this point. This is still a teaser project for me though. If this isn't what you wanted in my story, I will completely understand if you drop it.

Hopefully that's everything.

3/26/16 Update: Once again, I decided to edit this chapter a bit thanks to Soreile's review. Your comment about Tencho and the Star Singer makes sense so I adjusted the scene a bit.

I did believe that only 5-7 years had passed since Misha's departure so I still didn't think Lyner could just simply forget. Of course, I don't know for sure. It's certainly possible that Lyner could simply forget, but I still want to proceed with my original intentions.

Chapter I: The Journey Begins for the Knight of Destiny

"Hah!" With one powerful swing of his blade, the young blond man caused the surrounding trees to violently shake from side to side.

Lyner Barsett had just swung his blade for the thousandth time this morning, a strict daily routine that had started a few years ago. After wiping the sweat on his forehead with his arm, he relaxed his muscles and admired his beautiful large backyard filled with a number of shiny glistening green plants and vegetation, one of the few places where they existed within the constantly cold city of Platina. For him, his backyard was a perfect place to retreat and be alone considering that it rarely has any visitors, including his father who was constantly working.

"Phew, it's just about time for a break," he said before lying down on the grass. "A nap is always the best reward after a long workout." He murmured and closed his eyes, a blissful expression appeared on his face. His nap was cut short however when the large device on his wrist began to beep loudly. With a irritated groan, he got on his feet and pressed a button on the device.

"What is it, Ayatane?" Lyner asked without even attempting to hide his annoyance.

"Hmm? Did I wake you?" Ayatane surmised with a soft chuckle.

"Like you don't already know. I always take a short nap after my workout."

"I know. That's why I'm calling to remind you that our squad's patrol will start earlier today. I was quite certain that you'd forget."

Lyner scratched his head after listening to Ayatane's words. "I feel like I remembered...or not...When was this announced?"

"Remember last week when squad 3's captain asked us to switch with his squads' time because he had something to do today? I recalled a certain someone agreeing to the proposal without a second though."

Lyner could hear an audible sigh coming from the other end of his device. "O-Oh yeah. Now I remember. Ha ha ha ha. Thanks for the reminder."

"Our shift starts in about 40 minutes so get ready."

"I'm on it...Although, my dad told me to go to the Cathedral before my shift so I'll stop by there first. If I'm late, just go ahead without me. I'll try to catch up."

"I'll relay that to our captain," Ayatane said before hanging up.

"Awwww, no more time to relax on this beautiful day." Lyner quickly showered and changed from a plain t-shirt and shorts to a thick short sleeved brown shirt and dark leather pants. He also donned his white cape with a white gauntlet on his left arm. Finally, he attached his shiny white blade to his belt so he now looked like the many other Elemia Knights.

Platina wasn't a large city, but it did took some time to get from one point to another. Lyner hitched a ride on a trolley near the residential area and traveled across the city. Life was relatively peaceful and it was mostly thanks to the Elemia Knights such as Lyner for maintaining that peace. He smiled as he watched the many citizens of Platina happily continue on with their daily lives.

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep protecting these people and this place I call home."

Rather than continuing all the way to the cathedral, he stopped at the nearby Apsaranika Park. This large recreational area is the main plaza of the city. With a large playground, a tall hill that overlooked much of the city, and several diverse food stands, restaurants, and department stores, it was usually the most liveliest area of the city. There were even times when he perched on top of a rooftop and admired the view before he was yelled at to come back down.

Probably the most famous part of the park was the massive Statue of the Songstress and the Guardian. Lyner stood in front of it and admired the shine that reflected from it. The Songstress was a young woman that was in the middle of singing a song while the Guardian was a swordsman who sat near her, listening to her song while keeping his attention on the surroundings.

"Truly beautiful isn't it?"

Lyner turned around and saw a man wearing a small white chef's hat who was also admiring the statue. "Ah, Tencho. Didn't notice you there."

"For you to not notice my presence, you must have really been engrossed with the statue. Even though you normally just past by it without much thought." Tencho stroked his small beard and smiled at Lyner as if he caught him doing something embarrassing.

Lyner shrugged his shoulders. "You're right, but for some reason, I just had the urged to admire it today."

"Well, nothing wrong with that. It's a beautiful statue after all that reflects the special bond between Reyvateils and those that protect them. I think it was also modeled after a legendary Reyvateil and her protector from ancient past. I read it from a book I found in the library. Pretty romantic don't you think?" Tencho playfully elbowed Lyner.

"Hmm...I guess. Although, I'm not much of a reader."

Tencho's smile quickly turned upside down as he shook his head disappointedly. "What about the Reyvateil in your squad? Anything between you and her?"

"Not really. There are two other people in the squad. And besides, I think she likes our captain."

"What! A relationship between a Reyvateil and her protector, that's like every man's dream!"

"I don't really think that's true..." Lyner quietly denied.

"If only I can live that dream!" Tencho grabbed his head and shook his body. "But I had no physical skill whatsoever so I wasn't hired. Curse my weak body."

Lyner watched Tencho awkwardly squirm around on the ground and looked for a few words that would ease his problems, but instead, his stomach began growling. "Oh yeah, do you have any Funbuns left? I skipped breakfast and now I'm starving."

"Funbuns?" Tencho stopped squirming and stood straight up. I have a few left that I haven't sold yet."

They walked to the nearby food cart with about half a dozen golden colored buns shaped liked a small bird behind a glass compartment.

"I'll take that one," Lyner said, pointing to a Funbun that was slightly larger than the rest.

"Okay, that'll be 70 leaf."

After he made the payment, Lyner chomped into the piping hot bun and savored its taste.

"You really do like Funbuns don't you?" Tencho asked with a large grin.

"Of course. One of the best parts of life. I don't know what to do if you're not around."

"If only there were more people like you." Tencho sighed with disappointment before he suddenly recalled something. "Since you're already here, let me show you something." He began searching through his large bag near his feet.

"What is it?" Lyner asked after finishing his Funbun.

"This." Tencho pulled out a t-shirt with a picture of a Funbun printed on it. "I've finally completed the prototype for the Funbun T-Shirt after you gave me the idea for it."

Lyner held the shirt in front of him and admired the Funbun print. "That's great! I'll take one. How much?"

"Not for sale my friend." Tencho took back the shirt with a grin. "This is just the prototype. But tell you what though, I'll send you a free one after I mass produced it."

"Thanks a lot!"

"No thanks needed from my best customer. And that reminds me..." Tencho took out a small photograph and handed it to Lyner.

"What's this?"

"You know how I like reading old texts in the library right? Well, this picture fell out of one of them. Can you find out who this girl is?"

"...What girl?" Lyner furrowed his eyebrows. "I see a lot of people walking and talking to each other in this photo."

"Look more closely, at that girl in the background," Tencho ordered, pointing a finger at the top of the photograph. "See her now?"

Lyner focused on the aforementioned spot. "Yeah, I think I do."

"Pretty cute isn't she?" Tencho asked with a wide grin on his face.

Lyner spent the next minute quietly examining the photo with a young girl casually walking near the group while eating an ice cream cone. Her long light blue colored hair fluttered behind her as if the wind was gently blowing on them. There was something nostalgic about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

While Lyner continued to examine the photo, Tencho continued. "She seems to be around 15-16 years old. Pretty young for my taste, but it should be fine for you. Although I don't think she's alive anymore. Based on the text I was reading and the photo's condition, the picture was probably taken hundreds of years ago."

"Then why are you asking me to find out who she is if she's likely dead already?"

"Seeing as how you're Commander Leard's son, I thought you could get access to a database or something for the people who lived here. I'm more interested if she has any descendants still alive though, particularly one that is my age."

"...I guess I could look into it."

"Thanks, I could always count on you." Tencho took Lyner's hand and vigorously shook it.

"How about letting me have this photo as payment?"

"Why do you want that for?" Tencho's lips quickly curved into a wide smirk. "Don't tell me you want to use that photo and...Well, you're a healthy growing young man after all. I won't judge."

"That's not it!" Lyner spat. "I just...kind of have this weird nostalgic feeling whenever I look at it."

"Why would you feel nostalgic about it?"

"I don't know, I just do."

"Well, I guess you can have it. I don't have much use for it anyway."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Speaking of which..." Tencho looked up at the sky and furrowed his eyebrows. "How long has it been since you showed any interest in a girl?...I think it was when she left wasn't it?"

"She?" Lyner looked at him with a puzzled expression before his eyes winced as a surge of pain ran through his head.

"Ah actually, forget I said anything," Tencho quickly said with a flustered expression. It didn't appear that he noticed Lyner's momentarily state of pain. "Anyway, aren't you supposed to be heading somewhere?"

"Huh? Oh yeah." Suddenly remembering his appointment, he said, "I'm probably running late now so I gotta go. And can you drop this photo off at my home? I don't want it to get damaged during my rounds."

"O-Oh okay."

Lyner hurriedly headed off toward the Grand Cathedral, wondering about whether he had actually had an headache of sorts.

Platina's Grand Cathedral was one of the largest structures in the city. It covered nearly an entire neighborhood block which was understandable, given the fact that the Cathedral was where Platina's leaders gathered in making decisions that affected the entire city's day to day operations. It was a majestic place that invoked feelings of awe and wonderment, but not to Lyner. He hated this place.

After stepping through the massive and heavy double doors, he entered a large room full of busy workers. "Hi, I'm here to see my da-I mean...Commander Leard," Lyner said to the nearby receptionist.

"Please go on through. He's already waiting for you."

With a heavy sigh, Lyner went further into the cathedral until he reached a small altar at the end of a long hallway.

"You called for me?" Lyner grumbled.

"Hmph," the middle aged man standing at the altar replied with a grunt. He wore a white robe and black shoulder pads and along with his eternally stern face, created the impression that he was some kind of evil wizard or sorcerer. However, he was actually the second in command of the city and had incredible political influence and power. "How many times do I have to remind you to fix that attitude of yours while you're here?"

"Maybe one more time," Lyner mumbled with defiance.

Leard scowled at Lyner's response, but decided to quit while he's ahead and didn't bother saying anymore about it. "So? Have you given some thought about working with me here as a government official?"

"What?! That again?" Lyner shouted with anger. "I told you that I'm not going to quit the Elemia Knights. I can't just sit behind a desk while the other knights and Lady Shurelia are protecting the city from the Viruses."

"You fool! The knights and Lady Shurelia will do fine without you. What this city needs more is a capable leader who can manage this city in the years to come. I will eventually retire so I need you to take my place."

"But I'm no good in those types of things."

"It's because you're stubborn as a mule and refused to even give it a chance!"

"Who's a stubborn mule?!"

The two locked eyes and angrily stared at each other, growling like wild beasts fighting for territory. As usual, the first person to back off was Lyner.

"Anyway, I'm not going to quit and that's that. If there's nothing else, I'm heading off to start my rounds."

After taking a mere few steps towards the exit, the ground began to violently shake, threatening to knock Lyner off his feet. "W-What's going on?! What's happening?"

"This is..." Leard mumbled.

"Commander!" An Elemia Knight barged into the room and he was followed by a young woman and two other men. The four were noticeably injured and suffered various cuts and bruises.

"Report!" Leard ordered.

"Y-Yes. We were on patrol as usual and while we were near the Altar of Apostles, we met a large number of Viruses. But that's not all. We also encountered a mysterious new Virus that we couldn't stop." The knight groaned and clutched his bloodied shoulder.

"Was there anything else you noticed about the Virus?"

"N-No," the young woman replied. "It all happened too fast that we didn't have much time to get a good look at it."

"Is that Virus the caused of this quake?"

"I'm not sure about that."

"I see..." Leard began stroking his beard. "Good work on reporting back. For now, get treatment for your wounds."

"Thank you, sir."

"Hey!" Lyner called out to the Elemia Knights before they left. "Did you see Ayatane or any of my squad members?"

"You're Lyner from squad 4, right? Then no, I don't think we saw them." The young woman turned to her squad members who all shook their heads.

Lyner balled his hands into fists and said, "Then I gotta go."

"Wait, Lyner!" Leard ordered. "Just where are you going?"

"Where else? To find my squad members and fight the Viruses of course," Lyner replied as a matter of fact. An irritated expression appeared on his face for being stopped mid-way.

"You should wait here and assess the situation before running off to your death."

"There's no time for that! Lives are at stake while we stand here and talk."

Just before Lyner and Leard got into another heated argument, a deep authoritative female voice pierced the thick tension between the two of them.

"Have you found what is the source of this quake, Leard?" A woman covered in large white armor appeared and floated towards the angry duo. The top half of her face was covered by a large helmet.

"Lady Shurelia," Lyner happily greeted.

"It seems like a large number of Viruses have appeared at the Altar of Apostles including one that is unknown," Leard began. "We don't know its type or rank, but it's quite clear that we're not dealing with an ordinary one. I believe they are the result of this quake."

Shurelia remained quiet throughout Leard's explanation and she continued to do so even after he was finished. Lyner had no idea what she was thinking or feeling behind that large helmet of hers, but he knew that she'll come up with a good plan of action. Suddenly, she declared, "Leard! I'm going to the Altar of Apostle so you take over command from here. Give the order to all off-duty Elemia Knights to maintain the final defense line near the entrance of the underground section. Lyner, you're going with me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I understand, Lady Shurelia," Leard replied. "I'll keep the city safe until you return and give the to the Elemia Knights in your place." When Lyner was nearly out of sight, Leard called out to him. "Lyner, don't do anything foolish."

"I won't!"

The Altar of Apostles was located in the underground section of Platina and is accessible from the park. The section was similar to the inner areas of the tower which included countless corridors, walkways and dark blue walls that were made up of durable materials. Because of the layout, a person could get lost in here for days if he wasn't careful. Even Lyner had yet to memorized the layout so fortunately for him, he had Shurelia to lead the way.

They hurried down a few corridors and gates until they stumbled onto a few knights in the middle of battle with a number of shadowy entities in the shaped of dog like beasts. Some of the knights were exhausted and filled with fatigue including their Reyvateil who was struggling with her singing. The only one who appeared fine was a young white haired man in red crimson armor wielding two sharp curved blades called katanas.

"Ayatane," Lyner called out.

"Hmm? Lyner and...Lady Shurelia?"

"Stand back and leave the rest to us," Shurelia ordered the exhausted Elemia Knights who happily obeyed.

"To be allowed to fight with Lady Shurelia, I'm honored."

"Enough chit chat, let's go!" Lyner shouted as he swiftly cut down a Virus.

Ayatane smirked and followed suit with a lightning quick follow up to the next Virus. The battle was far from difficult because these specific Viruses didn't have many options, but to lunge and claw at their enemies. While a bit fast, they weren't enough to stop Lyner and Ayatane who were two of the most skilled knights. All it took were simple swordplay to bring the Viruses to a stop. In the meantime, Shurelia began singing a song and a large blue ball of light filled with powerful energy soon appeared above her head.

After finished off his 20th Virus, Lyner paused for a moment and counted off nearly forty more remaining. "This is taking too long."

"True, but we have Lady Shurelia on our side, remember?" Ayatane gestured toward Shurelia who just finished her song.

"Hah!" Shurelia threw her right arm forward and the massive ball of light flew towards the two and the remaining Viruses. After Lyner and Ayatane jumped out of harm's way, the ball of light enveloped the Viruses and reduced them into dust.

"As expected of Lady Shurelia," Lyner applauded, in awe of her power. "She's definitely in a league of her own."

"Of course," Ayatane agreed.

"What happened while you were here, Ayatane?" Shurelia asked.

"Well, squad 4 began patrolling after we realized that Lyner would be late. Everything was going fine until we felt a violent shake coming from the Altar of Apostles. We then confronted a large number of Viruses and after we took care of them, we split up with me staying here and holding off the Viruses. The captain and Anna continued toward the Altar and I haven't heard from them since."

Shurelia brought a hand to her chin as she thought about the situation. After muttering a few incoherent words, she said, "We will proceed toward the Altar and rescue anyone along the way. Everyone should fall back to the final defense line. We will try to fix this problem ourselves."

"Yes ma'am!"

The group continued to their destination and was able to unite with several more Elemia Knight squads who were also patrolling during this time. Some were severely injured while others suffered only minor scratches and bruises. Either way, they were all ordered to retreat to the final defense line. It didn't take long after for Lyner's group to reach the Altar of Apostles.

"I feel a powerful entity inside," Shurelia declared from outside the Altar's door. "Be on your guard."

Lyner and Ayatane simply nodded their understanding.

"Then, let's head in."

Taking point, Lyner charged in first and immediately noticed two individuals struggling to stand on their feet. "Captain, Anna! You're both still alive!"

"Huh? Lyner, Ayatane and...Lady Shurelia! Thank god you're all here. Be careful of this Virus, it's nothing like we've ever encountered before." The captain gestured towards the massive wolf-like beast with a long horn standing in the middle of the Altar. It quietly growled as it watched the Elemia Knights.

"Retreat to the final defense line," Shurelia commanded. "We'll take it from here."

"Thank you, Lady Shurelia," Anna said as she and the captain moved toward the door.

Lyner ran in front of them to cover their escape. As soon as they had left, the beast became hostile as it began approaching the three remaining knights. It bared its sharp fangs at them, getting ready to strike.

"Let's quickly take it out," Lyner said, readying his blade.

"Wait, we should analyze it first," Shurelia said as she began chanting another song and the Virus was then enveloped in a blue light. "Analysis finished. It's not a type that we've handled before. I don't have any other information so anything can happen."

"Even though I can feel its power from here, it should still be just another Virus so all we have to do is overwhelm it with our attacks," Lyner said, growing very impatient.

"Wait for Lady Shurelia's orders," Ayatane warned him.

"Lady Shurelia!"

Shurelia sighed and said, "Okay. While we're in a dangerous situation, we still have to do something. Just be careful." Once again, she began singing the song that created the massive blue energy ball.

"It's about time," Lyner said with a grin. "Take this!" Lyner quickly dashed forward, dodged the Virus' attempt to pierce him with its horn and struck the Virus in its abdomen. "It's tougher than I thought." To his surprise, the slash only left a shallow cut on its thick armor.

"Let me try." Ayatane jumped high into the air and made a cross slash on his descent. Just like Lyner's attack, Ayatane's slash left only a shallow wound. "This may take a while."

Lyner and Ayatane continued their quick onslaught while swiftly evading the Virus' claws, horn, or bite attacks.

Eventually, the Virus grew restless and made a deafening howl. It changed its target and charged at Shurelia.

"Where are you headed off to?" Lyner asked. "Your fight's with us!" He entered into a stance where he appeared to have sheathed his blade and it began to glow with a bright green aura. "Take this! Impulse!" With a quick horizontal swing of his blade, a large green wave of light shot out and struck the Virus from behind, knocking it into the wall. "See? Not difficult at all. Just another Virus."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Lyner," Ayatane said as he readied his blades once again.

The Virus quickly got back on its feet and charged them like a raging bull. Lyner had barely evaded it in time, but did suffer a cut on his arm.

"Lyner, are you okay?" Ayatane asked.

"Yeah, no problem. Just a small cut." Lyner made a sweeping cut at the Virus's front legs. The attack wasn't enough to knock it down, but the Virus did swiftly counterattacked by trying to bite off Lyner's arm which would have fallen off if not were Ayatane's quick intervention.

"You're getting too reckless," Ayatane warned as he struck the Virus at the base of its neck.

"Thanks, Ayatane. That was a close one." Lyner created some distance between him and the Virus to catch his breath.

"Everybody back off now!" Shurelia suddenly said as she finished her song and flung it towards the Virus.

Ayatane had gotten out of range in time just right before the ball of light had completely enveloped the Virus with a loud explosion.

"Is it finally over?" Lyner asked as everyone's focus was on where the Virus was last standing. Once the smoke cleared, they were all shocked to find that the Virus had escaped unharmed. "Impos-" Before Lynder could finish his sentence, the Virus charged at him at a much faster speed and made contact with his body, knocking him into the wall. If he didn't raise his right gauntlet in time to help fend off the attack, he would have suffered a mortal injury from the horn.

"Lyner!" Ayatane attacked the Virus from behind, but his blades met nothing as they passed through it. The Virus then disappeared and reappeared behind him.

With one swipe of its claws, the Virus slashed Ayatane in the back. The attack wasn't strong enough to completely penetrate his armor however.

Lyner followed up with a jumping strike, but his blade passed through the Virus' body as well even though it was clearly in front of his eyes. It was as if he was fighting an illusion.

Changing tactics, the Virus roared and released intense energy from his mouth like a flamethrower. The force knocked the three knights off their feet and toward the Altar's entrance. The Virus however didn't follow them and instead opted to observed them.

"We must retreat at once," Shurelia decided.

"What! We can't just run away," Lyner protested. "We're Elemia Knights. It's our duty to fight Viruses."

"Don't talk back to Lady Shurelia!" Ayatane shouted.

Without feeling offended, Shurelia said, "Look at the bigger picture Lyner. We're not in any condition to fight this Virus now. If we lose here, how can we protect Platina?"

"But, Lady Shurelia...," Lyner said, still feeling conflicted.

"I understand how you feel, but as a Knight of Elemia, you must make rational decisions."

"I-," Lyner began, but instead took a deep breath. "I understand, Lady Shurelia. You're right."

"Good. Now let us retreat at once."

The three ran toward the entrance, but the Virus wasn't going to let them get away so easy. It unleashed a ball of energy from its mouth and struck all three from behind, knocking them outside of the Altar.

"It seems like the Symphonic Power Lines in this area has been damaged," Shurelia commented. "Without them working properly, we can't repel the Viruses from harming Platina."

"What? That's never happened before," Lyner said with disbelief.

"Actually, it has happened in two of the great disasters in the past. We must get back quickly and hold an emergency meeting before this problem gets on the scale of the previous disasters."

"R-Right."

Without another word, the three ran with all of their might back to Platina with the dangerous Virus right on their trail. Around the mid-way point, the Virus appeared only a few feet behind them.

"It's here!" Lyner shouted as the Virus unleashed another energy blast. With no time to dodge, the party put their guards up except Ayatane who dashed forward. They were all blinded by a bright light and were surprised to find the energy blast had vanished as if it was never there.

"Whew, that was a close one," Ayatane said.

"What happened, Ayatane?" Lyner asked.

"No time to explain. You both should hurry and return."

"What about you?"

"I'll hold it off here."

"But that's impossible," Shurelia protested.

"We have no time to argue!" Ayatane shouted in an unusually loud voice. "I'm sorry for what I'm about to do." He concentrated his energy and quickly released it which launched Shurelia and Lyner across the room and through the next gate.

"Ayatane!" Lyner ran back to the room, but the gate had closed before he could get there. "Damn it!" He angrily struck the gate with his fist.

"Lyner, this area will be occupied by the Viruses soon so we should hurry out," Shurelia said in a calm and composed voice.

"But, we can't abandon Ayatane," Lyner protested.

"It's not like I want to leave him there," Shurelia sadly replied. "But there's nothing we can do here. If we return, we at least may find a way to save him and this whole city."

Lyner took one more look at the gate and muttered, "Ayatane, hold on. I'll save you soon." He then lead the way back and once they were just about near the exit, the Virus appeared once again and blocked off their path.

"Down that corridor," Shurelia ordered.

They avoided another energy blast in time by turning to a nearby corner and they were now standing in front of a small gate. The Virus appeared to have lost them as it didn't pursue them at the moment.

"If that thing is blocking the path then we can't get back to Platina," Shurelia calmly said which didn't sit well with Lyner.

"Don't you care about Ayatane at all? How can you stay so calm?"

"I am the leader of Platina so I can't let my personal feelings and emotions cloud my judgment. If I do, it will only end up getting more people hurt..." Shurelia quietly trailed off so that Lyner couldn't hear her clearly. She let out a heavy sigh and continued in her calm voice, "Lyner, listen to me. We can't take care of these Viruses the conventional way we've been doing up until now. What you saw with that Virus was that it turned itself into energy and transported its physical body away. That's why we couldn't hurt it."

"Then it's impossible to beat it," Lyner said, despair beginning to take over his mental state.

Shurelia shook her head. "No, there is one way. We must use a Hymn Crystal."

"...You mean the ones that the Legendary Holy Maidens used to save the world a long time ago?"

"Yes, specifically we want the Purger Crystal. However, that Crystal is not here on Platina."

"Then where is it?"

"On the Wings of Horus, a floating continent several stones below where we are."

"The lower world? I thought we weren't allowed down there?"

Ignoring Lyner's question, Shurelia continued, "This is going to be a dangerous so be very careful. Take the airship behind this door and descend down to the Wings of Horus and retrieve it."

Lyner gazed down at his feet and reflected at the heavy task that was just entrusted to him. "But what about you?"

"I...am in charge so I cannot leave while the Viruses are still on a rampage."

"But...I can't leave you behind!"

Shurelia gave him a smile that rarely appeared on her face, "Don't worry...I will be fine."

The thought of leaving his superior who he greatly respected behind to her death made his heart heavy.

"Let's hurry," Shurelia quietly said.

They entered the door and came upon a large blue plane in an opened hangar. "Do you know how to fly it?" Shurelia asked.

"I think I do. We received some flight training early on."

"Good, now take this." She handed him a brooch.

"What's this for?"

"It has a 3-D diagram of the Purger Hymn Crystal so it'll be helpful to you."

"Thank you and Lady Shurelia...please hold on until I get back," he pleaded.

"I will and take care of yourself too."

Lyner steeled his resolve and nodded. "I'm heading out." Without wasting any more time, he quickly entered the airship. After pushing a few buttons and pulling a few levers, the aircraft had turned on. "Liftoff." The airship slowly levitated before the thrusters were turned to maximum output. The airship shot out of the hangar like a rocket and flew through the thunderous cloudy skies.

"What is that?" From behind a few clouds, a large black dragon appeared and shot out of an energy blast at him without any warning. There wasn't enough time to completely dodge the attack so one of the engines was struck sending the ship spiraling down towards the continent below like a falling meteorite. Try as he might, he couldn't stabilize his descent so he concluded that he was going to crash into the forest that had came into view.

"Is this the end for me? I'm sorry...Lady Shurelia." That was the final thought he had before the airship made contact with the ground, creating an earth shattering boom before everything became completely dark.

A/N: I hoped you readers enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm not an exceptional or even a good writer which is ironic considering what I actually do in real life, but I think it's still readable. Any comments, reviews or even questions would be greatly appreciated.

As to when the next chapter is released, I have no idea. I don't have much time to devote to writing and even if I did, I might use it to work on my other stories. Well, who knows what will happen.