Laurenza: Poor Kitzie.
Thorn: We'll have to fix her when we get back.
Laurenza: *Nods.* So what else happened when I was… um… dead? What was that place we were in just then?
Kuja: Well, basically, it turned out that my spell was complete bollocks. It removed the Malaphaescite from you but it was still joined with your soul. Kitzie then separated it from the Malaphaescite and we then had to take you to Yochi to get your soul back in again.
Lierlo: We met some Necromancers and Kuja's sister Mihako. *Smiles some.*
Laurenza: Sounds like a whole lot of fun.
Tifanel: There was more to the story than that, but you're probably not interested in the little details.
Laurenza: Try me.
Ana: We told ghost stories, sang songs and, well, when we thought you were dead you kind of... weren't. You moved around and stuff.
Laurenza: I don't remember.
Kuja: It was pretty freaky.
Thorn: I... thought you looked peaceful.
Laurenza: Maybe I was. No soul, no emotions. Not a worry in the world.
Thorn: That's what I thought.
Ana: Yeah, but you tried to harass a Kattsui.
Laurenza: Right...
Kuja: Hey, that reminds me. *Turns to Lierlo.* Something I've been meaning to ask you for a while, Lierlo. How come people, like the Kattsui, can keep waltzing into Dalimoor when it's supposed to have that almighty protection, or whatever?
Lierlo: Well, to tell the truth, it stopped working ever since I was banished from the Spirit World. It needs the power of my father, Roreille and myself for it to work. Without mine, it doesn't.
Thorn: Why?
Lierlo: Well, it needs the descendents of the original creators of the Divine Protection to maintain it.
Kuja: Oh, that's almost interesting.
Thorn: Oh come on, Kuja, I would have thought that you above all others would be glad to see the Divine Protection gone.
Kuja: *Clenches his fist.* Shut up.
Thorn: *Smirks, folds his arms and slumps on the wall.*
Laurenza: Yes, I thought we were due for another Thorn-Kuja argument.
Lierlo: *Swiftly changes the subject.* Since we are doing the question and answer round, Laurenza, there was something I wanted to ask you.
Laurenza: Hmm?
Lierlo: Why is there a cat on your brooch?
Laurenza: *Shrugs* I like cats. Oh, and its the Rendemal family emblem. Why did you want to know?
Lierlo: I thought it might have something to do with your heritage, because for one moment, your soul had taken the form of a cat.
Laurenza: Really? That's... cool.

*Back at the castle...*
Kuja: Kuja go night-night... *Stumbles up the stairs to his room.*
Laurenza: I think I might go and see Kitzie.
Thorn: I'll come with you.
*They both head down into the dungeons and find Kitzie in one of the cells. She is almost unrecognisable now; she has grown larger and looks very Demon-like. She moves around on all fours, and her fur is longer and wilder than ever.*
Laurenza: Kitzie...?
Thorn: It's not her.
Laurenza: It certainly doesn't look like her, I know...
Thorn: She has a completely different personality. Our Kitzie is inside her somewhere.
Kitzie: *Spots them and launches herself at the bars, gnawing and scratching, trying to get out.*
Thorn: Oh god... there's nothing I can do to help her. She needs some strong, pure healing Magick, and I'm more about healing with darkness...
Laurenza: I wonder who can help her...?
Thorn: Well...
Laurenza: Hmm?
Thorn: I do know someone who's done this kind of thing before… She has very strong healing powers, but... she's done enough for me already.
Laurenza: But she has to help Kitzie! We can't just leave her like this.
Kitzie: Grrr!
Thorn: *Nods. He closes his eyes and a white light comes out of his stomach. It coils itself round him and shoots up into the air. It hovers there for a second before crashing down to the ground, creating a sphere. The sphere slowly fades and Jo is standing in the centre of it.*
Jo: I wondered when I'd be back here again.
Laurenza: You wouldn't happen to be a friend of Bo's, would you?
Jo: I'm his wife. And you must be Thorns wife. He described you very well when he was with us. You are his wife, aren't you?
Laurenza: Yes. *Doesn't quite make eye contact with Jo when she says that.*
Jo: Is something the matter?
Laurenza: *Avoids the question.* There's something wrong with Kitzie. *Gestures towards the cell.* We were wondering if you could help.
Jo: *Walks up to the cell, sees Kitzie and screams and topples over.*
Laurenza: Not the reaction she normally gets, hmm?
Jo: Oh, I'm sorry. I've seen worse than that, it just... shocked me, is all.
Kitzie: *Presses her nose against the bars, breathing hot air onto Jo.*
Jo: *Looks a little braver, then walks up to the bars.* Does she normally act like this?
Laurenza: No. Believe it or not, she's usually a sweet 8-year-old girl who likes to play hide and seek.
Jo: Hmm.*Closes her eyes.* I can feel her true being, playful and innocent, but she has a Demonic core. *Opens her eyes again.* Yes, this is her Demon side showing, probably brought upon by performing some kind of Demon ritual. Am I right?
Thorn: Yes.
Kitzie: *Snaps at Jo through the bars.*
Jo: *Jumps, but stays standing.* Well, I'm afraid that the only thing we can do is wait until she can find her innocent side again. She should be kept away from other people, and try not to feed her too much meat until she is better again. *Laughs* I sound like a doctor, don't I?
Laurenza: *Laughs too.* Yeah, a bit.
Jo: But I'm afraid it's the only way we can do it… cruel, but the only way.
Laurenza: Oh well, if that's only way to do it, poor Kitzie'll stay locked up.
Jo: It's kind of like weaning. If we don't expose her to pure energies, like humans and Spirits, she will slowly start to regain herself.
Laurenza: *Nods.* Thank you for your help.
Jo: Could I have a private word with Thorn before I go?
Laurenza: Okay. *She goes back up to the castle.*
Jo: How are you doing, since... it happened?
Thorn: Fine, I've been getting a little teary at times, but otherwise, fine.
Jo: Guilt is bound to make you do that, but if you feel sorry for what you tried to do, then it proves that you never wanted to do it in the first place.
Thorn: I owe it all to you and Bo. You've been a great help to me, and everyone else around here you've helped.
Jo: Well, we're helping people. I'd better be off now, anyway.
Thorn: Okay.
Jo: Ooh, before I go, one more thing. *Points to Kitzie.* Is that the same one that has a crush on Bo?
Thorn: *Smiles.* Yes.
Jo: Well, she may be a scary cat Demon-thing, but she has good taste. Okay, now I'm really going, but I'm sure I'll see you soon. *They hug.* Take care of yourself. *She vanishes in some white light.*
Thorn: Yes, I'm sure you will. *Thorn goes back upstairs.*

*Back up in the castle, Laurenza, Ana and Kuja are stood talking. Kuja has a book under his arm, so he obviously didn't go to sleep when he went to his room.*
Kuja: I am a complete moron.
Ana: We could have told you that a long time ago.
Kuja: No, what I'm saying is that the reason my spell screwed up was so pathetic and stupid. If I hadn't made that one idiotic, tiny mistake it would have worked.
Ana: You are a complete moron... We wouldn't have to have gone through all of that crap if you had just done it right.
Laurenza: What did you do wrong?
Kuja: Oh, I put one too many syllables in one of the Magick words. And I know that that was the problem, because... *Smiling, he presents his own shard to them.*
Ana: *Starts punching him in the chest repeatedly.* Dumbass! Dumbass!
Laurenza: Ana, leave him alone.
Kuja: *Pushes Ana away from him.* Now, I will go and get some shut-eye. Thorn, do you mind? *Hands him the shard.*
Thorn: Have I been reduced to this? *Floats this shard and smashes it just like the other.*
Kuja: I would do it myself but I'm a little low on the Mana right now.
Thorn: Here. *Passes pure Magick through his hands and floats it to Kuja.* I've got plenty, have it.
Kuja: Just what the doctor ordered.
Thorn: Hmm... Giving out Magick to everyone, it's as if Christmas has come early.
Ana: *Giggles.*
Kuja: Good night to all. *Kuja goes to his room.*
Ana: I'm bored. *Runs off to find something interesting to do.*
Laurenza: *Sighs.*
Thorn: Is something the matter?
Laurenza: Do you think that we'll be able to lead almost normal lives now?
Thorn: Not remotely. There is always a problem.
Laurenza: I wonder who will try to kill us tomorrow?
Thorn: My bets are on me.
Laurenza: That... was a joke, wasn't it?
Thorn: I hope so.
Laurenza: I think... I think I might take a leaf out of Kuja's book and go to bed.
Thorn: Yeah... me too. *They all go to bed.*

*The next morning. Lierlo is sat in his room talking to Lu. Lierlo is holding a sealed envelope.*
Lierlo: Please, Luchianno. It would mean a lot to me if you did this for me.
Lu: I'm not a mailman. In fact, right now, I'm not even a man.
Lierlo: Luchianno, I know you have connections. It would be much easier for me if you helped me out, as the postal service is just not fast enough.
Lu: The Time Tunnels are not to be used willy-nilly, Lierlo. They're not there for me to be running letters back and forth between different worlds.
Lierlo: I'm begging you.
Lu: Oh, okay. But only cos you're your father's son.
Lierlo: *Snorts at the mention of Siun.*
Lu: But if the big guys in the Spirit World find out I'm helping an excommunicated Spirit, my job'll be on the line. I'm already this close to being blacklisted cos of Ana's little escapades through time.
Lierlo: Thanks so much, Lu. *Hands him the letter.*
Lu: Yeah, whatever. *Opens a portal and steps into it, closing it behind him.*