Author's notes: (there are actual notes this time, not just meaningless ramblings)

Sensou to Ai means War and Love in Japanese. I find it hard to believe I wrote this. War brings out the best and worst in people, and so does love. As they say, all is fair where those two conditions reign.

Hmm... I must have been in a really bad mood or really angry at a teacher when I wrote these parts of the chapter.

Oh yes, Midori is so much fun to write. Poor Sigurd. Please pardon the whimsicality of that portion. I really really needed to write something light.

One of my favorite classical movies is Lawrence of Arabia. The desert is neither friend nor foe. Respect it wisely, and perhaps from the red blood spilled on its sands, green life will take root.

The dia word Midori was referring to is "diathesis." It means a constitutional predisposition toward abnormality or disease. Amber Michelle of GA once informed me that the Xenogears Perfect Works book mentions about Sigurd being ill years after the game. Though the American or English version of Xenogears is my foremost source of information, I also like to follow what hints and bits I hear about from the Perfect Works book.

You know... the desert mutant army reminds me of the Zerglings in StarCraft.

Yui's uncle is an original character I created for my Xenogears fanfic Worlds Collide. His song, I made myself. I also have a tune for it, but I could only write the lyrics not the notes. If you want to see the whole song, click here.

About the range of Bledavik's barrier shields: The dome stretches over an area three times the size of the walled city proper itself. The barrier not only protect the cities but the surrounding farms and industries around it. The first mutant attack on the city commenced with the mutants attacking the city proper itself. In the second attack, the mutant army waited at the perimeter of the shields. The enemy was not able to hide itself as close to the city as in the first attempt due to Bart and Sigurd's thoroughness in bolstering Bledavik's defenses. Indeed, of the three main cities of Ignas, it is Bledavik, which now holds the keys to victory or defeat.

Anathema means an abomination.

Hmm... anyone who can understand what Johan is saying and not lose patience with him is quite a character. ... Nap... don't mind me. I'm just getting more and more fond of Seth, that's all.

Now... don't go accusing me of employing children as labor.

Concerning the children's ages: Rebuilding began five years after the game's end. So, Dan, Midori and Primera are about ten to fourteen years old. I'll have to research again for exact ages. I mentioned this just in case you are imagining the children at their ages during the Xenogears game.

Rebuilding has taken a dark cast. I so miss the light. Tempted I am to work on Hot Springs of the Aquvy chapter instead. *looks at how much there is left to type, sighs, shuts off the laptop and falls asleep hoping to dream of Houshin Engi instead*

Yen (June 2000)