Groove Adventure Rave Fan Fiction ❯ Groove Adventure Rave: The Journal ❯ All I Need ( Chapter 3 )

Groove Adventure Rave: The Journal
By Adam Carr

Groove Adventure Rave is copyright of Konami and Kodansha. No infringement is intended.


Okay, part three, and for all your romantics out there, you should like this one.
Romance is still a genre I'm trying to get better at, and I hope this isn't too cheesy for your tastes. As always, give me feedback and reviews. They do help me get better.
Also, I didn't write the song in this story. I and Haru suck at songwriting. This song is The One by DeeDee. Copyright of her.
Enjoy






The air was colder now, and she huddled her knees to her chest in order to gain some warmth through her thin nightshirt.
Elie took a deep breath. It was pointless being afraid of this. After all, Haru had coped with his father's death pretty well…. Outwardly.
But what had he been thinking. She was afraid that he was still depressed, even more than after Shuda had died… well, had apparently died.
"Come on." She berated herself. "Haru… he may be vulnerable, but not that much. He would have coped. And if he hasn't…. I'll help him. Whatever it takes to make him feel better."
She turned the page, and read through some text regarding their arrival to Rabarrier, and their meeting with the town's guardians Solacido and Remi. Then, she found what she was looking for….

>I cannot believe this.
I…. I've found my dad.
Ever since that fight with Shuda, I've been wondering if I would find Father. And I was utterly terrified I would. Shuda had said he worked for Demon Card, and when Remi told me the leader of Demon Card is called Gale… well, I ran straight to their headquarters. I had to know. I know I don't know much about Dad, but I'll refused to believe that he would join them. Sister told me he had gone to look for Rave. Why would she lie?
Thankfully, it was not the case. It turns out that King, the leader of Demon Card, happens to have the same name as Dad. In fact, when the two had a little duel with each other, he said something about the two being friends as kids.
I had trouble believing that. How could Dad associate himself with the ruler of Demon Card?
We didn't get much chance to find out. King summoned some kind of power, and the whole tower transformed. Right before us, this massive building just morphed into something from a nightmare.
In fact, that's were I'm writing this from, in the lobby. Good thing I brought this with me. We're taking a breather, before we head for the top of the tower and face King. Together, the two of us should be able to defeat him.
I'm looking at Dad now, while he's examining his sword. It's weird, I would have thought he would have been a lot more talkative. Surely he wants to know what I've been doing the last few years.
He hasn't talked much. In fact, the only time I've seen him smile was when he rescued me from a long drop, and asked for my help in defeating King.
I could understand that he's concerned about the upcoming battle, but he can't be that concerned. He tells me he'll explain everything after its all over.
But really, I wonder if he really cares at all. I look at him, and his eyes just look so haunted.
What's happened to him these last few years? Why did he never come home? Does he know Mother is dead? What's his connection with King?
I don't think he's about to tell me soon. I guess we're just going to have to beat King.
But this waiting… it feels horrible. I just want to get to know him. I've don't know what it's like to have a Father. That has been one of the things I always wanted. Now my Dad is here, and he doesn't seem interested.
All I can do is have faith and hope this turns out all right…..>

Elie read the passage with sadness. Haru must have heartbroken when his reunion didn't turn out as planned. But… the aftermath of the battle with King…. How had he coped? She turned the page to the next entry. It was dated the day after Gale's death…..

>It's not fair. It's just not fair.
My father is dead. And all for nothing.
When we got to King, he explained the whole thing to us. How this whole thing with the ultimate Dark Bring was just a decoy to get me and Dad here… so I could watch him die.
He told me all about the origins of Demon Card. How he and Dad started it as a peacekeeping force, but then Dad left and married Mum on Garage Island. King meanwhile, began twisting Demon Card for his own power-gaining purposes, using the Dark Brings.
Dad pleaded with him to give up, but he wouldn't. So Dad called the army in to arrest him. But it all went wrong. They killed King's wife and son. And so, he spent the rest of his life plotting against my father. He had placed a Dark Bring in Father's head…. And then….. he….. he……..>

The writing began to turn shaky, and the passage ended. Elie could imagine why. She had been shocked about the revelation of King killing Haru's mother as anyone.
After a lengthy pause, the writing continued….

>It is still hard to cope with. The fact that I know the true cause of Mother's death….. that fiend King…. She was just an innocent in all this…
When he said he had killed her, I went berserk. I pounced on King and tried to rip him apart. This monster… he had decimated lands for his twisted means, tried to hurt my friends, and now I knew about his horrible revenge. He had hurt me more than that sword of his ever could. I wanted him dead.
But as I prepared to strike him, all that I had heard came into focus. And it hit me. This was what he wanted.
For me to kill him, to lose to the horror he had inflicted on my family.
This whole thing… it could have all been avoided…. Dad tried to stop King, but as a result, placed him on a hollow path of revenge.
Maybe that was what he wanted. To either kill me, or me kill him as a result.
When it hit me, I was kinda stunned. I had attacked before I even knew what I was doing.
The rage toward him was still there, but on a different focus. If I had to kill him, I'd do it for no other reason than to just stop his insane plans. Just to stop Dark Bring once and for all, and return home with Dad….
Heh, sounds simple enough. But in the back of my mind, somehow I knew there wouldn't be a happy ending. At least, not the one I desired.
At that point, Elie-chan had joined us, and she gave me the second piece of Rave. With it, Plue was able to give us a protective shield, and I managed to get an edge on King using the new Melforce sword. But then King pulled his trump card.
He used his Dark Bring power to transform into this… I don't know…. Beast like visage of himself. The way he fought was mad. He just kept coming at us with these claws… our blows did nothing, while he kept slashing… the look in his eyes… I'll never forget it. It was of pure rage.
But together, Dad and I finally defeated him. Dad delivered the fatal blow, but before King died… Dad said that he still considered him his friend.
I was stunned by that…. Despite all that King had done to him, he had looked past all the hatred, and seen King as the desperate man he had become.
At that moment, I admired my Dad like no one else before. That courage, the way he had sacrificed his way of wife to protect me and Cattleya… that was the type of guy I wanted to be. I was so happy. Now we could go home and be a family again.
But then it…… and then he…. Why?…… Why die just to save me……
It's not fair……..>

Elie wiped her eyes. She could still remember how Haru had cried after they had freed him from the rubble of the tower, where Gale had died saving him. For the days afterward while they rested in Rabarrier, he had just stared out the window like a ghoul, or slept in his bed. She had stayed with him all that time, she and the others comforting him when needed.
It was during that time with him, she realised, that her attraction to him had started. She had seen that even he could be hurt, and even he, who protected everyone, needed help when he was in trouble. For a while, she saw him as not the Rave Master, just a normal, kind boy named Haru.
And when she had seen him outside, practicing with his father's sword, she had never felt more elated, relieved that he was alright.
But was he really all right? Returning to reality, she turned to the next paragraph, which was dated several days later.

>It still hurts. I thought I would have gotten over this by now, this pain I feel inside. It's like some sickness, it keep following me.
I replay it over in my mind. I know I couldn't have saved him. I know he did it just to save me…
But I wish he was here. I wish he could tell me about his travels. I wish I could tell him about all I've done these past years. I wish we could go home and we could see our old house and he could see how much Cattleya has grown up and see Mother's grave….
Then I remind myself that he's gone, and the pain hits again.
But I can't let it get to me. I won't become like King.
Dad told me to carry on and save the world. He trusted me to bring peace no matter what. And I can't just stand by and let Dark Bring - the real cause of all this misery- get away with my parents death.
But it's hard. I want him hear, so he could teach me to be a better fighter, to guide and support me….
At least all my friends have been there. Everyone has been really supportive, even when I've shouted back at them. Even Let, who tells me he lost his girlfriend, has been a great help.
But Elie-chan was the best. Despite the fact that I told her to leave me, she just stayed by my side. All the while, she just kept comforting me. And eventually, I got past that stage of self despair and felt better.
Maybe she understands this better than most. She too, has never known what its really like to have a father. Or a mother. It pains me to think she has no parents, or the ones she cannot remember have forgotten about her.
I hate the fact she has all this over her head. The Etherion, the forgotten past, Resha… and now Demon Card. A girl as kind as her… she doesn't deserve any of it.
But we've all suffered loss and pain because of Demon Card. Musica lost his family. Let lost his girlfriend…. Heck, even Griff got bullied on his home island.
I want to stop it. Stop all this suffering for my friends, for me.
Dad….. Mum…… If you can hear me…. I promise…. I won't let you down. I'll stop Dark Bring.
I'll stop everyone's suffering.>

Elie smiled. She felt at ease knowing Haru was not totally lost over his father's death. He was hurting still, but at least she and the others could help him through. And she promised herself, that when ever he needed her, she would be there for him.
But still, that question lingered in her mind. What did he feel for her? She felt slightly selfish for thinking about it now she'd read about his inner turmoil, but still, it nagged her. She had to know.
She flipped through the pages until she found the date of the next pivotal event in their quest, their arrival in the land of Symphonia. The date she found was of the day before they first entered the Edel Lake Casino….

> Ever get that feeling something's wrong with you, but you have no idea what? I mean, you know it's not a sickness, and you know you're not depressed or unhappy or anything, but you know your behaviour is different than normal. You act and do some out of character things, but you can't explain why.
That's been happening to me lately.
See, all this morning, we've been doing jobs around the town we're in to earn enough cash to buy our way into a passage through this massive storm. Musica and me have been washing dishes, Elie-chan entered a bikini contest…. Hardly dignified, but we need to get to Symphonia, where the next piece of Rave should be.
But while I was resting, Elie-chan suggested to us that we should go to this flying casino over Edel Lake, and win some cash. We all agreed….
Actually, it wasn't exactly like that. She told me first before the others. And she didn't really suggest it.
She… asked me out.>

Elie gasped. She DID remember that day. It was then, that her true love for him had begun. She smiled giddily, remembering Haru's reaction…

>….And before I even knew what I was saying, I said yes I would love too. She squealed happily, and flashed that lovely smile of hers before running off…..
Er… yeah, and I was just standing there, wondering why I said that. I mean, we have to get to Symphonia. This wasn't meant to be a pleasure jaunt.
But after a while, I just decided to try and enjoy the night. I honestly don't get what Elie-chan see in gambling. Why risk loads of money on something you have no control over?
But then things got really weird. Later on, Elie-chan asked me to come with her to get some new clothes for tonight. And again, I just said yes before I was thinking about it. I didn't know why. I hate shopping with my sister. It's a complete bore.
But when we got to this store, I felt compelled to watch her try on all these dresses. She must have gone through at least fifty. And I just kept watching her come out with new ones on, like some kind of tiny fashion show.
I was captivated. No matter what outfit she came out in, she just looked… words can't describe. The way she walked, the way her hair swayed and her skin shone… the way her eyes twinkled every time I said I liked it… totally gorgeous.
And when she thanked me… I'd never felt so happy…
I've keep acting odd around her. I keep calling her Elie-chan. It's driving me nuts!
Musica keeps hinting on me to just say I like her. I mean, really like her.
But… I can't like her. Not that way.
She's just my friend. My very close friend. I can't just ruin that just because I find her beguiling.
This date thing… I'll have to go along. But I don't think we can be serious. I can't really see a future for us two, apart from friendship.
Right now, I have to get my suit…>

Elie stared at the statement for the longest time…. As if willing for it not to exist.
She couldn't… didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to believe Haru was suppressing his feelings with no intention of telling her. Just for the sake of friendship.
Couldn't he see? Didn't he realise how much she cared for him? Was he that dense, or ignorant?
She laid the book on her lap, and sobbed quietly. Her dream now seemed a far off reality. Was this why Haru was acting strange? He was trying to avoid his feelings for her? She felt so… unwanted. In frustration, she threw the book onto the deck.
She then blinked as she looked at the page it had opened at. On one page, was a photo of her and Haru at Symphonia Castle… Haru was giving her a reassuring hug, and she looked to be enjoying it.
She then remembered that hug. It was after their first encounter with Lucia, King's son, and the Master of the supreme Dark Bring, Sinclair. She had nearly believed Lucia would have killed her, but again, Haru had defended her.
His selfless defence. The way he had comforted her when the painful memories of Resha had begun to surface. Had that been the concern of a friend… or something more?
That day… was the day she had finally given in to her feelings. The day she had stopped seeing Haru as her friend… and began to love him. Love him for his dopey, yet heroic attitude, his kindness, his devotion to those he cared about…. Ever since she had met him, her unusual life was no longer filler with loneliness. Through him, she now had friends, hope for the future…. A grasp for life.
It was impossible not to fall for him. And yet, she couldn't tell him. Even though she was always hanging around him or discretely flirted sometimes… he just didn't give any indication that he wanted more that friendship.
And now she knew that he didn't want to. She just wanted to give up hope right there and then. But a feeling within her, compelled her to read this all the way to the end. Perhaps the more recent events would explain Haru's current state of mind.
Sighing, the read the page….

>Today has officially been the scariest day ever. I mean it. I've been nervous before, but still, I was able to keep the fear in check. The battle against King was the most serious foe I'd taken on, next to Sieg Hart, and though I was nervous, I was able to hold it down with my determination to beat him.
But after we got to Symphonia, we met someone… a guy more menacing that anyone I've ever faced.
He calls himself Lucia.
When he appeared, it was out of nowhere… and he kissed Elie. Right there, before we had a chance to stop him. And I just flew into a rage and attacked him. Again, me acting before thinking when around her…
But before I got to him… he threw Elie away and pulled out this sword…. King's sword, Decalogs. I was stunned. How the hell had he gotten hold of it?
He grabbed Elie, and summoned us to try and catch him. At that point, I was ready to tear him apart.
We managed to catch up to him, barring a few showdowns with the Orashion Seis. I went one on one with this Lucia. I thought I could take him… he seemed rather cocky…
But the sword then transformed like mine can, just like King did. He was obviously commanding a strong Dark Bring.
We fought like demons. But no matter what I did, I just couldn't get a hit on him. I used every sword I could, but he just kept countering me. It was all I could do to defend myself.
And through it all, he never said a word. No comments, no insults, no cheesy lines like every other enemy I'd faced… nothing… even Sieg Hart had been more vocal than this guy. I was starting to get scared. If I couldn't stop him, what would he do to Elie-chan or the others?
But the worst part was when we clashed swords, and I got to see into his eyes….
My God…. I'll never get those out of my mind. They weren't filled with determination like Sieg's or filled with bloodlust like King or Lance's….
They were yellow… but they looked dead. No emotion whatsoever, just these blank yellow eyes. It was like… he had no soul.
Was this the Dark Bring? Had all that power turned hi m into some kind of soul less monster?
Somehow, I managed to beat him off. But he swore he'd be back for a rematch.
I was breathless, shaking from the fear and adrenaline. I don't know how I had beaten him, but he had almost gotten me. I'd never been so close to death.
But as scared as I was for my life… I found I was more worried for Elie-chan.
She was feeling ill the whole time…and during that fight, she told me that she got memories.. of Resha Valentine.
She was totally scared, and watching her cry… I somehow felt her fear. I just got this urge to hold her.
I felt slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time, it felt nice. The warmth of her body, the way it felt under my hands….
Man, I hope she never reads this. She might think I'm some kind of stalker.
But it is unnerving. I… keep having dreams about her.
These dreams… well, they're not entirely unpleasant, but I can't quite understand them. Are they telling me something?
Right now, the group has to figure out what to do next. I'd better join them and check on Elie-chan.
If that Lucia comes back… I'll be ready for him….>

Elie sighed. He dreamed of her. And he had no clue why.
"I should just give up." She thought sadly. "It's obvious we'll only ever be friends."
Haru was wither totally clueless, afraid of relationships, or just not into dating. All he wanted from her was friendship. But if that was all she could give him, so be it. She couldn't bear to be apart from him.
She flipped the page, wondering what else he had wrote. She noted the next date written was the day they had met Seria the Mermaid… and begun their battle against the Dark Oni, Doryu. She suddenly felt frightened as she remembered that day, for two reasons. It had been the day she had been captured by Doryu and his sidekick Ogre. And also, when she had noticed Seria getting a bit too close to Haru… She was now deathly afraid that maybe Haru had a thing for the blue-haired mermaid. It sounded silly, but still….

>Man, this is weird. I'm writing this underwater, yet the book isn't even damaged. A result of Seria's magic…
Seria? Oh, she `s this cute mermaid we've just met. She's taken us to her underwater town, and is using some kind of magic to allow us to breath and speak underwater. Pretty cool. I just wish we had met under better circumstances. Her town has been destroyed by a group called Onigami, a gang of demons separate from Demon Card.
Apparently, they want to drain the mermaid's magic to power some super weapon, and have kidnapped them all. Needless to say, we're all not pleased about this, though Let says we should continue on with out quest for Rave, and Elie-chan doesn't seem to like Seria much. Hard to see why. She's really rather kind.
Arrrgh… Why did I have to mention her name. Lately, I can't get Elie out of my head. No matter how hard I try, I can't stop thinking about her. It's really starting to worry me. These thoughts about that perfect body, that sunny disposition, her smile…
See? I'm even writing about her! I can't stop myself! Even when I look at Seria, who wears nothing but a bikini top and a smile, I still see her in my mind.
Ah, maybe this new mission of ours will help me straighten my head out….>

The next entry was only a page away. And it sounded urgent.

> Oh man, It's all going wrong.
These Oni are tougher that we thought. The leaders, Doryu and Ogre snuck into this base while me and Let were busy with their troops. Looking round, we found Musica had gone missing. All we could find was his necklace, which he never leaves. Plue seemed upset when we found him. He managed to explain to us via Griff that Doryu had made Musica disappear. I didn't quite understand, but it sounds bad. I hope he's okay…. But also, Doryu and Ogre have taken Elie and Ruby.
What a fool I am… I should have paid more attention… watched out for my friends….
I have to stay focused. Griff's gotten hold of a submarine, so we can catch them. I just hope we're not too late….
But I feel sick. I don't know… it's like a dull ache in my chest… I don't know what it is… I wish Elie was here now. I know she would be fussing over me by now, or teasing me just to make me feel better.
Funny…. I already miss her….>

The rest of this page, and the next one, were completely blank. Elie pondered on this for a second, so far Haru had left no page blank. She glanced at Doryu's name and shuddered.
She had little recollection of what happened in Doryu's lair, which was probably a good thing. All she could remember was laying in a cold space, feeling extremely tired. No doubt the exhaustion coming from being used to power Doryu's cannon. The group had told her that they had been looking for her for three days.
Three days caged in that place, haunted by the memory of Musica disappearing into another dimension, and the thought that the same might happen to Haru.
But again, Haru had prevailed.
She sighed and turned the page. It was nice the way he rushed to her defence, but surely he could just let her defend for herself if he didn't…..
Her eyes gazed down to the page she had opened. And she gasped. Her body couldn't move, stunned as she was by the pages she had revealed.
There were no words on the pages. Both of them were covered with a picture. A pencil drawing.
Of her. He had drawn her.
She studied the drawing. It was her, wearing a large shirt which only reached to her thighs… no doubt Haru had little skill in drawing clothes. In fact, the whole picture looked rather sketchy, with obvious eraser marks. But it was clear that he had put a lot of effort into this. He'd gotten her form almost perfect.
She was confused. What was this about?
Trembling, she turned the page. And then all breath exited her body. There, on the first line, were the words she longed to hear…

> I love her>

>I've been sitting here in the dark for what feels like ages. I can't sleep. All I feel is lonely, con fused… and something else I can't understand, because it has never happened to me.
I've been restless these past two days, as we've been looking for Doryu's base. Two days putting up with Let and Griff arguing, and worry about Musica. Ruby and Elie. Truthfully, I know Musica and Ruby can look after themselves… but Elie-chan…. God I miss her.
Ever since she was taken, I've just felt so useless. And for a while, I didn't know why. I knew things were boring without her to cheer us up, but even I thought I could put up with a few days without her jokes. I guess not.
Tonight, I just felt totally down. I couldn't stand it. Usually, we would talk for ages, our whole group. But now they're missing…
I stared at the book for so long, trying to think of something to do in it. I decided to draw, just to distract me. All I wanted was to doodle.
But instead, I drew… her. I just felt compelled to draw Elie.
Something took me over. I wanted to do the best picture possible. I thought of my best memory of her. Just seeing her smile and look cute as she always does.
When I finished, I looked at what I'd drawn… and I felt a little better. Just seeing her again, if only on paper, brought back a good mood. But she was still far away, and I wanted her next to me.
Right there, it hit me. I need her. I need her to life the doldrums from my life. I need her to brighten the place with her smile.
I love her.
I sat there and thought about her. All the different facets of her.
I knew she was beautiful. But I never really appreciated just how stunning she really is. The way she moves, it's so graceful.
Her curves, no matter what she wears, no matter how dirty or scarred she gets, it all just seems to flow together, from that golden hair of hers, to her legs. Kinda like a sculpture. Heh, sounds stupid I know, but I've never described someone like her before, so I'm rather inept.
But she is not all looks. I thought that from the start, but there are woman who look just as good as she does…
No, it's not her body (not totally) It's just her.
I love the way she whines cutely when she doesn't get her way. I love that she is always smiling, and just does whatever with great determination. I love that she lets nothing stop her when she wants something. I love that she always cheers us on and supports us. I love that even when things seem down, she just has to smile and everything seems alright again.
She's not perfect. She can be stroppy, annoying, childish… like anyone else I guess. And then there's that damn Etherion.
It's not fair to her. She deserves to be happy always. And let, she has no memories, no way of finding her parents, and a magic within her that could kill her. She gets upset when she thinks about those things. And I hate to see her upset. When she cries, it's like she's in the worst pain imaginable. And it hurts me too. She needs happiness. In her unusual life, it brings out the best in her.
Sometimes I wonder if we were fated to meet. I go crawling under a casino table, and meet a girl who is not only connected to Rave, but extremely cute and loving too. I mean, what are the chances?
Why didn't I see it sooner? Looking back, I guess I started feeling for her soon after that fight with Sieg Hart. Seeing her asleep.. she wasn't the tough, sexy tomboy Elie. Just a lonely girl who needed help. And after the fight with Lucia.. damn, I was falling for her and I didn't know it.
I'm a fool. I could have found something, but now she's gone.
Damn, now I'm angry. I keep thinking I should have saved her, and stopped Doryu and Ogre. I should have tried harder.
But I'll try now. I won't rest until I find her, and all our friends. Screw Rave, it can wait another fifty years if it has to.
I won't give up. Elie-chan, I will find you. And no one, not Doryu, Lucia or anyone will stop me….>

Elie dropped the book, and stared at the page with tear-filled eyes. Hands shot to her mouth to suppress a loud gasp.
All at once she felt euphoric. Glee swept over her instantly.
He loved her. All the while he had seemed to be just a friend, he actually loved her. He cared for in a way no one else had ever done.
She looked at the sleeping teen with all new admiration. She wanted to wake him, tell him that she mirrored his desire…
But something still bothered her.
"What? You know he loves you!" She screamed in her head. "Just tell him and end all this pretense."
That was it. She didn't understand why Haru never told her himself he loved her. She read it in the book, but she wanted to hear the words from his mouth. She wanted him to declare it to both of them, not just write in a book.
"What's stopping you?" She breathed.
She grabbed the book again. There had to be some reason. It was harder to read, her mind distracted by the wonderful thought that the man she cared utterly for was devoted to her too. It was all she ever wanted. But for now, she couldn't have it. Not yet. First, she needed to help him.
She noticed the dates were getting closer to the current day….

>Well, after that little adventure with the mermaids, we're back on track, and with a brand new Rave. I'm curious as to what this one will do. In the last battle with Doryu, I managed to unlock the eighth form, Million Suns. Only two more to get.
The mermaids were kind enough to give us a boat to continue our quest in. Not as comfortable as Musica'a airship, buy hey, can't be choosy. Seria was really sad to see us go… in fact, she kissed me.
I feel slightly bad, since I reacted badly to it. I figure Seria developed some kind of crush on me back there, and though she is a lovely woman, I can't really see myself with her. Apart from the whole human-mermaid thing…. My heart is already taken.
Ah well. I'm sure Seria will find someone for her. She's too nice not to have men take notice of her.
She won't have problems. Unlike me.
I know I love her. Hell, when we found her, weakened because of Doryu's cannon, I actually cried. I was just so happy to see her in the flesh again, and it made me realise she's more beautiful than I ever imagined.
I almost told her right there and then, but suddenly, Doryu challenged me to a duel.
And afterwards, while we were celebrating with the mermaids, I plucked up the courage to tell her. But I couldn't.
For one thing, she wore this tiny green bikini, and the way she moved in the water… well, lets just say it got hard to concentrate. In fact, all these naughty thoughts kept ringing in my head, and I couldn't control my embarrassment. I never even imagined I could have those thoughts. No one else has made me think like that.
But there was something else… a fear… I can't explain it, but for an instant, I was deathly afraid that she might refuse me.
Then I turned tail and danced with Seria.
God I felt bad. Maybe she had wanted to dance with me. Guess I'll never know…..>

"But I did. I did!" Elie said loudly to the page. Even though Seria was her friend, she had felt extremely jealous that Haru had danced with her.
But at least, knowing he had been scared, comforted her somewhat. She was still scared at this whole concept of being loved. She had no idea what to do…
What would happen when she told him how she felt? If she could get the courage up.
She shelved the question for later, and continued reading…..

>But I've got an idea. I figure I just have to pull all the stops out. Really sweep her off her feet.
I bought a pendant for her from Periall Village. It'll look amazing on her. But to really win her heart, I'm gonna sing a song.
Yep, I, Haru Glory, will make a fool of myself and sing. But if it makes her smile, it'll be worth it. I just hope she likes the words. It was hard to write this at first, but after a while, it gets kinda natural. Maybe I could make a career out of this…>

Attached was a piece of paper with a song on it…


I wonder where you are, when you are far away
I wanna be with you, every night and day
I'm looking for an answer in your eyes.
I'm searching for your love, deep inside

Your eyes, are the ones I'm looking into
Your voice, is what I hear
Your lips, are the ones that I've been kissing
Your touch, is what I need

I wonder how you feel, my love for you is true
I'd walk a thousand miles, just to be with you
I'm looking for an answer in your eyes.
I'm searching for your love, deep inside

Your eyes, are the ones I'm looking into
Your voice, is what I hear
Your lips, are the ones that I've been kissing
Your touch, is what I need

>Not bad, eh.? I figure if I could get hold of an electric guitar and hide it on the ship, I could pull it off.
I just hope Elie's the romantic type….>

Elie gasped. This morning, when he gave her the pendant… he had meant to tell her. Expose his love for her. She felt slightly giddy, knowing she had come that close.
And the song…. It felt so touching. Never before had she believed that a man would at least admire her, let alone pen songs for her.
She saw that the entry was dated before Jegan had attacked, and Julia had returned to her human form. The group had relocated to Musica's airship.
She flipped to today's entries. She read about how Haru had chickened out of performing his song, and felt sorry for him. He must have felt extremely embarrassed…
Her eyes focused on the current entry. This one had been written… only a few hours ago. As she read it, confusion shaped her expression.

>God I wish I could get away from all this. Just disappear and not have to worry about Demon Card following me.
That damn Sinclair… I wish I could destroy it, end all this. But no, I have to keep it with me and make sure Lucia doesn't get it. That bastard, I wish he would leave us alone…
Today, we got attacked by some Demon Card tool in a ship. He wasn't too hard to get rid off. But he hadn't come after me. He was after Elie-chan.
Damn it, why her? She's so sweet, so innocent. There is hardly a bad bone in her body. Why the hell does she have to hold the Etherion power?
Why does she stay with me, and risk her life? She doesn't hate Demon Card, like the rest of us do. She has no reason to fight.
She doesn't deserve this. I don't deserve her. Not for what I make her put up with.
I wanted to tell her today. I choked. But now I now the reason why.
Subconsciously, I knew it could never be.
It hurts to know that. But I have to put up with it. It's best for her. Her life will be better for it.
If I have to, I'll carry on with my quest alone, until there's no more danger.
I'll do it for her…>

Elie stared at the page in horror and confusion. She didn't understand.
He loved her, but now wanted nothing more to do with her?
What had happened? Why did he sound so miserable? Was it something she had done? The questions rattled around her head, to an extent when she could hardly concentrate on them.
She turned the page, hoping for more answers. But there were none. This was the last entry.
Tears flowed from her eyes. She felt lost. What could she do?
But before she could ponder that, a cry of horror broke the silence.
"AHHHHHHH!"
The book was snatched from her hands, and she looked up into the wide eyes of Haru.