It was a calm and peaceful Valentines Day in Boyzby, as the sweet clamor of lovers filled the air.

The gift shop was piling, and the hotel was really getting full. All the couples were wearing smiles and

blushes, as were the singles: waiting patiently by the Love Goddesses' statue. Smoochy, the god of love

was making his rounds again, cohering with the local ladies, much to their distaste. Everybody seemed to

be out in the city right now, except for one important person: Meis Triumph. He was perched atop a hill,

beneath a pine tree's shade gazing intently at Boyzby, his ebony hair whipping his face as he wore his

goggles atop his head, and his red traveler's cloak. It was already five years after the Dark Acolyte's

invasion, yet the world still took pride with his party. Meis, now a fully accomplished Spirit Blacksmith

was still beaming as he wore his Master Jyabil's clothes that fitted him snugly, yet a dark and horrible pain

still festered in his heart of gold. After the journey, all his friends were still safe and began to lead a normal

life; Muza was happily married to Wyna, blissfully voyaging the five seas with their kids. Kyleen had

become a great "financial" helper as she fought off all the would-be scumbags in her hometown. Soushi on

the other hand was said to have started a new dojo that taught all the skills he had absorbed during their

journey. Nelsha? She was last seen modeling, uh no, make that nursing, a ballroom girl? Well, Nelsha

seems to be all right in any sense. Meis on the other hand reopened the smithy in Boyzby, where his

charisma piled more and more (it seemed the women were really addicted to blacksmiths, be it Jyabil or

Meis), yet he always seemed to have a heavy heart that he tried desperately to lift alone. Why? Because one

very important person didn't come back. "Sodina" sighed Meis as he lay on a hill, staring at the

infinitesimal blue sky. A slight breeze passed by, ruffling his ebony dark hair, he grasped his hammer, and

it felt warm to the touch and began to glow with a golden mist. Meis stood up, raised his hammer to sky

and bellowed "SODIN!!" A figure bursted forth, first a dragon, then a fairy, then a wolf, then a jinn, then a

hydra.then a female figure. The mist began to envelop him; warmth and comfort flooded every part of

Meis's body. The gold mist took shape into a human figure . "Happy Valentines, Meis" said the golden

Sodina as Meis shed a small tear. He sat down, as the ghostly Sodina followed beside him. She sighed and

began to speak, but Meis cut her off. "Sodina, why do you still stay with me?" he said in a devastated tone.

"Why Meis, don't you want me to stay?" she replied. Her voice was cold, dark and so far away that it

seemed that she bore no feeling or emotion. "Its just because, well." Meis didn't know what to say. He

had loved Sodina so much when they first met, even more so when he began to know her, but the fact that

he loved a ghost seemed so.irrational. Sodina looked to the heavens and smiled at Meis "Meis, I know

that every time you summon me to this world, you waste away a little part of yourself in the process.your

heart." Sodina touched his cheek; Meis grasped it with one hand and began to cry. ".And that was the part

I loved about you Meis, and still do." Meis stared at her, she always seemed so distant, yet now she talked

so earnestly to her.it felt like she was dying yet again. "Meis, I want you to live your life as you and the

Spirits see fit, .and blocking all other people except me isn't it." Sodina smiled, as she began to fade.

"...I guess being a womanizing pervert is what you really are, Meis. It'll help you get back on

track..." she whispered. Meis stood up and said, "What if I don't find her?" Sodina began to grow

closer, giggling as though knowing some unknown wisdom. "Don't worry.you will." she whispered to

his ear. She gave him one fleeting kiss, as she vanished into golden mist. Meis stood up, fastened his

hammer to his side and grinned, "Time to hit it off!" he bursted enthusiastically as he ran all the way back

to Boyzby.

"EEK!!" screamed a voice. Meis stopped dead in his tracks. What he saw seemed awfully familiar

somehow: eight thugs were surrounding a girl, a pale blonde girl with cerulean eyes, carrying a basket of

groceries. Meis shook his head, as he tried to remember what it was and drew out his sword, it had been a

long time since he had fought, but his blade was still tempered with Sodina's light. "C'mere girly, and give

us all you're money!" said a thug in the girls right. "Hyuk! Hey, that rhymes! Hyuk.OW!" said another

thug as the leader smacked him on the head. "Idiot! That isn't important!" said the leader as he drew out his

knife. Meis jumped right in and brandished his sword "Hold it right there!" he shouted. "No, this isn't

necessary.!" whispered the girl as she held unto Meis's cloak. Meis smiled and said to her in a confident

air "Don't worry, I'll only rough 'em up a little!" The girl blushed heavily. "We'll see who'll get roughed up!

Get 'im!" screamed the leader. They all rushed blindly at Meis, knives drawn and with mad looks in their

faces. Meis crouched down, as they charged ahead, taking the defensive. A whirl of wind and dust issued

forth and the sounds of heavy slashes filled the air. As the dust settles, all were left standing. The thugs

stared at each other and began to laugh. "Ooh, the kid with the sword thinks he can actually hurt us! Freak!

That didn't even hurt!" cackled the leader, yet Meis was still smiling. The girl stared at Meis behind his

cloak, then at the thugs with a look of expectancy. As the thugs stopped laughing, the drew out their knives

yet again. "Now, where were we." the leader said grinning. Meis sheathed his sword, and snapped his

fingers. BOOM! Three brilliant explosions blasted beneath the thugs, spiraling them to the sky until only a

lone star is left. Meis began laughing, as he patted his sword, "Well, at least you didn't snap this time,

buddy!" and continued laughing, as finally he remembered why it was so familiar.this was how he met

Sodina. "Excuse me, um sir" whispered the girl as she tugged his robe yet again. He turned to the girl, and

gasped. She was blushing deeply in scarlet, and trying not to look at him, and whispered "Thank you.for

saving me." Meis continued staring at her in awe. "Uhm, can you please stop looking at me like that sir"

as she blushed into a deeper shade of red, covering her face. "Uh, oh sorry" flustered Meis as he fiddled

with his fingers. "Uh, I'm Meis. And you are?" Meis said as he held out a hand, yet he couldn't take his eyes

off her. Why? Well, except for the hair and the eyes, she looked exactly like. "Sodina" replied the girl as

she took his hand.

Meis took a deep swig from a mug of Fire Whiskey and smiled, he had suddenly remembered and

old man and Muza feinting from Fire Whiskey. He stared around the restaurant, all the other guys were

talking with their girlfriends, and the bartender was still very busy, even as the sun began to set. Meis

turned to Sodina, she was eating her ravioli, and he smiled; he could see her flush into a tinge of red. "Do

you like ravioli?" asked Meis, Sodina nodded without a word. Meis raised a brow and said sarcastically

"Don't you at least want to talk?" Sodina stared at him. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, smiled and

nodded again. Meis took another swig and said, "Do you live around here?". She shook her head in

disapproval "Me and my brother just moved here last month." Startled, Meis asked "Older brother or

younger?" "Older." She answered, as though obvious. Meis beamed; this seemed so similar, that it was

freaky. He stared outside and saw the sun dipping to the horizon in deep vermilion. "It's getting late, do

you want an escort home?" sighed Meis with a look of expectancy. Sodina blushed even more, and nodded

still. Meis stood up, so did she carrying her groceries. He took her free hand and smiled at her, she flushed

even more. "She so much like her, but so very different." He thought in his head as they walked past the

solemn streets. They stopped at the edge of Boyzby, near a suburban home. "Uhm, would you like to come

inside?" she said, finally showing a bit of confidence. "I'd love to." Meis replied, now taking her hand. As

they walked to the porch, Meis smiled at Sodina, as she smiled back, turning the knob easily.BOOM! Out

bursts a man, toppling over Meis. "Oh man.gah!" screams Meis as two brawny hands clutch his collars.

"What did you do to my sister?" said a strangely familiar voice. He looked down at his captor; he had

strangely blue luminescent eyes, and a familiar face. "J-Jyabil?" whispered Meis as he tried to wriggle

free from his hands. "Trey! Put him down!" shouted Sodina's voice. With a bit of distaste, Trey gently

lowered Meis down. "Gah!" wheezed Meis as he felt his neck; it became bright red with the strain. "Really

now, Trey. Is that any way to treat your new master?" scolded Sodina at Trey. Meis's eyes grew wide with

shock "Whoah! Who said anything about mastering somebody!" but the two didn't listen to Meis's plea.

Sodina was smiling and so did his brother. "Y-you're Meis Triumph!" shuddered Trey. "Uh yeah.you

look very familiar? Why is that?" said Meis as he scratched his head. No doubt about it, Trey looked

exactly like Jyabil's twin brother.if he was still alive and 20 years younger! Treys inched slowly towards

Meis, with a look of astonishment, awe and pride. His hands were moving as though ready to grope

his.something. A teardrop forms on Meis, as he laughs sarcastically, taking, itsy bitsy steps back.

Suddenly a nerve forms as he says to himself: "The Spirits have one sick sense of humor." "MASTER!

PLEASE TAKE ME AS YOU'RE APPRENTICE!" Trey screamed with all his lungs, as he leaped into

Meis with open arms. All the people around them stared and started whispering to each other. He began

rubbing his cheek against Meis's. "Trey I think you knocked him out cold!". "What! NOOO! Quick, I'll

give him mouth-to-mouth!"

"The Spirits have a REALLY sick sense of humor!"

- To be continued! - ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( (