exploring the factory

	   Guy: So you know Baticul was built in the crater made by a fallen
		fonstone, right? If we go in through here, we should be able to
		make it out through the crater wall.
	  Jade: (!)
	  Jade: Yes, of course. If this was a factory, then...
	  Tear: ...there would have to be facilities to dispose of waste water.
	   Guy: Exactly. The sewage facility here doesn't work anymore, but we
		should be able to go through it.
	   ???: My, you certainly do know a lot about it, Guy.
	   All: (!)

Natalia walks up to the group.

       Natalia: I found you.
	  Luke: What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?
       Natalia: Why do you think? Two bitter enemies are finally about to make
		peace. This is no time for a princess to be sitting at home.
	  Luke: ...Are you stupid? The world outside is no place for a spoiled
		little girl. You may wind up having to fight people, you know.
		Not just monsters.
       Natalia: Three years ago, at the battle in northern Chesedonia, I paid a
		visit to encourage the troops. I'm prepared for battle.
	 Anise: Raising morale and actually fighting are two different things.
		You're probably better off staying behind. (heart)
	  Tear: With all due respect, I'm afraid I have to agree.
	   Guy: Your Highness, I think it would be best if you returned to the
		castle...
       Natalia: Silence! I am a master of Lanvaldear-style archery! I'm also a
		studied healer! I'll certainly be more useful than this
		empty-headed Oracle Knight, or that uncivil one.
	 Anise: Anybody else think I should rip daddy's little girl a new hole?
       Natalia: How vulgar. You demonstrate your lack of refinement.
	  Tear: (angry)
	  Tear: This is some princess...
	  Jade: Well, now, this is getting fun.
	   Guy: ...This is why women scare me.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Natalia, the Seventh Fonist'                                     [SK160]
|
|      Natalia: Whew...I see that real battles never go as easily as training.
|	  Luke: So why don't you go back?
|      Natalia: No! I have no intention of returning to the castle. And besides,
|		did my healing skills not prove useful just now?
|	   Guy: You have a point... Until now, we've had to rely on Tear for
|		healing. Having another Seventh Fonist like you on the team
|		would certainly be an asset...
|	  Luke: Guy! You can't be serious! She'll make you do everything!
|      Natalia: Luke! I trust you have not forgotten our promise?
|	  Luke: Ah--
|      Natalia: And besides, you yourself chose to allow me to accompany you. I
|		expect no further complaints from you. Understood?
|	  Luke: ...Stupid, stuck-up, wannabe queen.
|      Natalia: Be quiet!
|	  Luke: Ow! Dammit! More like a wannabe dictator...
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `The Princess' Guards'                                            [SK079]
|
|      Natalia: We must get out of this place quickly!
|	   Guy: (Hey, Luke... You really think it's okay to bring her along?)
|	  Luke: (You think she'd go back if you told her to?)
|	  Jade: (It must be difficult work protecting a princess. You have my
|		sympathy.)
|	   Guy: (Your sympathy, but not your help, huh?)
|	  Jade: (Hah hah hah! I respectfully decline that privilege.)
|      Natalia: What are the three of you muttering about? If you have something
|		to say, say it out loud! Is that not the gentleman's way?
|	  Jade: Oh dear, we seem to have aroused her anger. Hah hah hah hah hah!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Further in to the factory...

	  Luke: Hey, Natalia! Slow down, would you?!
       Natalia: What? Are you tired already? How disappointing.
        Luke: Th-that's not what I'm saying!
	 Anise: ...Ugh. For a princess, she's got the stamina of a farm hand.
       Natalia: Did you say something?
	 Anise: Nothing!
       Natalia: Fon Master Ion's been kidnapped, remember? Besides, we need to
		work as quickly as possible for the sake of all who are
		suffering. Am I wrong?
	  Tear: That's true, but this area is dark, so I think we should be a
		little cautious.
	   Guy: She's right, Your Highness. Please, if you would, walk more
		slowly.
       Natalia: Guy! I told you not to treat me as a princess!
	   Guy: Oh, that's right. My humblest apolo--err, I mean, sorry.

The party wins the battle.

	  Luke: What the hell was that thing?
	   Guy: It's not one I've seen around here before. The inside looked
		like a spider.
	  Tear: Well, it's hardly surprising that an abandoned factory has a few
		spiders, but...
	  Jade: The oil it was feeding on may have caused a mutation due to
		fonon activity.
       Natalia: ...Tear?
	  Tear: Yes?
       Natalia: Thank you. You saved me. ...I'm sorry for the trouble I caused
		you and everyone.
	  Tear: (!)
	  Tear: It's all right.
	  Luke: No it's not. Don't drag us down, Natalia.
	  Tear: (...)
	  Luke: By the way, where's this sewage facility?
	   Guy: I imagine it's down below...hmm?
	   Guy: Hey, is that an emergency exit?
	  Jade: Let's take a look.
	  Luke: Okay, if we lower the ladder there, we should be able to get
		outside.
	  Mieu: Yes, Master. Once we get out of here, it's on to Chesedonia!
	  Tear: Chesedonia lies across desert. There should be an oasis midway,
		so we'll stop there to rest.
       Natalia: Guy, you head down first. Catch me if I slip.
	   Guy: ...You're telling me to do that knowing full well that I can't,
		right?
       Natalia: I need you to get over your phobia, or we'll have problems once
		Luke and I are married.

(after asch's second appearance)

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Asch Revealed'                                                   [SK083]
|
|	 Anise: Asch the Bloody... He looked just like Luke.
|	   Guy: A long-lost brother, maybe? I've never heard anything like that,
|		but... Natalia, do you know anything about that?
|      Natalia: No. Duke Fabre only has one son.
|	  Jade: There's no point in thinking about it with no information to go
|		on. Asking Asch directly would be the simplest route, but we
|		have other priorities right now. Isn't that right?
|	 Anise: Yeah. I'm worried about Asch, but for now, we have to find Ion.
|      Natalia: We certainly do. And since it seems Asch is the one who has
|		abducted Ion, perhaps we can get our question answered at the
|		same time.
|	   Guy: Let's hope so. Anyway, we might as well start out for that
|		oasis.
|	 Anise: Yeah, let's go!
|						   [Anise, Guy & Natalia leave.]
|	  Jade: ...Was this unavoidable destiny? Or might even this be written
|		in the Score?
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~