Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original de Skies of Arcadia (Legends) characters. The new characters from this and/or other of the stories of the Saga are an exclusive creation of Doppelgänger Studios ©. The original Skies of Arcadia ®, Skies of Arcadia Legends ® are exclusive property of SEGA/Overworks. "Seeking for Rest" is an original creation of M. J. Márquez. Doppelgänger Studios©.
Session I: Left Behind…
'All my life... wasted to save Arcadia. Would have worth the sacrifice? The world doesn't move the same way it did before, now the things are more corrupt… I wish I could have the peaceful life I had when I still lived in Pirates Island… I wish I just could fix my mistakes…'
Vyse was quiet; resting and thinking laying down on his ship's deck, the Dreameater, the Black Pirates' ship which has got him out of a lot of troubles. He was staring the deep blue, stars filled sky. Only few clouds covered in small parts the beautiful purple moon which lightened the area known as the Lands of Ice. A cold breeze blown softly, awakening in Vyse both feelings of sadness and nostalgia…
For a moment he closed his eyes, inspired deeply the clean and cold air and let his mind go blank, listening to the low whisper of the wind when it collided with the ship. The quietness took over the ship for a while… But unfortunately, it didn't last too much…
"Vyse! Vyse!"
"…" Vyse wide opened his eyes and got sit abruptly, turning his face to see a big purple coloured bird posed in the ship. "Kiru" he said to then lay down again.
"Vyse! I have an assignment!"
"I hope it's something serious this time. What you got?" said Vyse a little upset.
"Tomorrow at Maramba! At Maramba!"
"Maramba? What am I supposed to do there?"
"Search for Felicity! Search for Felicity!"
"Felicity? Who told you this? And, where you've been the whole day?"
"Kuargh…" the bird made some sort of embarrass gesture and looked to other side to then turn around to see Vyse again.
"Well… I think it really doesn't matter too much after all…"
"Kuargh."
"What am I suppose to do when we arrive Maramba? Where is this 'girl' going to be?" asked Vyse making the quotes with his fingers.
"At the harbour! 8:00 a.m.!"
"Damn… We'll have to start navigating fast. Maramba is almost at six hours from here. We'll deport at 1 a.m. Maybe we could arrive there before our mysterious person does…" said Vyse looking at Kiru, to then turn his face to look the sky again.
"Kuargh…"
This assignment, strangely, made him think in a lot of things. He was the spoilt kid from Pirates Island, his father's proud, his mother's eyes, a best friend, and still, everything changed so quickly... He didn't have processed the whole situation completely, not even after five years...
'It's incredible that after having so many friends I'm now alone... If it's true that Kiru has been with me throughout all these years since we met in "those Islands" his company can't be compared with those I left behind… Maybe my family doesn't need me anymore… However, I'll give anything to be with them one more time' then he let go a sigh and closed his eyes '… I wonder if Aika and Fina miss me. I do miss them a lot... as much as I miss both of my parents...' Vyse stopped his thoughts for an instant. He seemed to be worried about something else 'I wonder how my father would be… My mother... It's unbelievable that I have to spend hours thinking on the past… I wish her to know how much I miss her… and how many times I have dreamed that we are together once more to be only to each other… Even though I don't know if she felt the same for me… Maybe I fell in love alone… But it's too late already to think about it… I've should confess her my feelings when I had the chance… I wish to have you here beside me… And so, forget all the things that disturb me…' "Maybe you've forgot me; but I want you to know that my love for you remains the same… …"
After those words Vyse closed his eyes and finally fell asleep…
The next morning, the Dreameater was very close from Maramba; Vyse spent part of the night navigating, to arrive at time to the meeting place. It was about 7 O'clock when they were approaching to Maramba.
The Sun begun to rise, and the heat was starting to be felt, even being softened a little by a fresh breeze. The imposing Red Moon still could be seen on the sky with its mixed colours, between blue, red and orange, along with few clouds which were coloured by the tones of the sunrise.
"Maramba on sight Vyse! Maramba on sight Vyse!"
"Shhh, I know... I would like to know on which harbour will anchor this girl."
"Maramba's main harbour!"
"You're sure?"
"Kuargh" replied the bird.
"Ok… I'm really surprised that you've got this much information. And I'm more impressed about you remembering it with the colour you have now."
Kiru was now scarlet red. Its feathers changed colour depending on the colour of the Moon which lightened the zone and it seem that aspects as its intelligence were affected by it.
Vyse steered the Dreameater to the place where the meeting with Felicity was supposed to be. Once he anchored he walked to the deck to go down to earth, been very sleepy for been navigating the entire night. Light fog was still visible, but it quickly vanished with the time and heat rise. He was also getting anxious; he wanted to know for what Felicity wanted him. He waited for approximately 30 minutes and he was more impatient seeing that the girl doesn't seem to show up…
"Where could this girl be?" whispered Vyse watching every direction trying to locate the girl, and finally he saw a female silhouette in the horizon, and it was getting close to him "so you finally decided to show up" he whispered.
"kuargh" said Kiru silently while flying to pose on Vyse's shoulder.
"If you burn my clothes again" said Vyse stopping the bird's descent for an instant "I swear I'll never let you pose on my shoulder never…"
When the girl arrived to where he was they both stared at the eyes for a moment and then she said "Vyse?" on a voice tone mixed with many feelings. It was certainly more an affirmation than a question actually.
"Yes" he replied.
"I know" she said almost containing what it seemed as a happiness rush.
'And why would she know? Will this girl...?' thought Vyse to then ask her "Why am I useful for to you?"
"To nothing, actually. I prefer to do myself what I have to if I want it done well" replied the girl with a smile.
"…" Vyse looked at her fix, wondering if she was crazy or not "If I'm not useful to you for nothing at all, why did you contact me?" he really didn't understand what was happening and also was getting angry.
"I wanted to see you" she said.
"… Do we know each other?" he asked after a moment of silence staring at her.
"Of course Vyse, don't you remember me?"
"..." Vyse looked at her from head to toes.
"Ah, I really don't believe that you've forgotten me."
"Felicity? I don't remember anyone called..." he said looking to other side, trying to remember someone with that name. The truth was that not even the girl's face was familiar to him he denied with his head before saying "I don't think so..."
"I don't believe you..."
"No, seriously" he said.
"Vyse, you really don't remember me? I'll give you a clue..."
"Argh, come on. Why don't you just tell me who you are!"
"Here's the clue:" said the girl ignoring what Vyse said "you and I were very close to each other for, let's say, a year?"
"..." he stared at her, getting angry, and closed his eyes to reply sighing "No."
"I moved to where you lived almost one and a half year before you get lost in the Lunar Islands..."
"Ah, ah. Nope. I don't know... Besides, there wasn't anyone called Felicity in Pirates Island..." he stopped for an instant and the girl completed.
"And, this isn't my real name..." she whispered approaching to his face.
"... Wait... Wait, wait, wait, wait..." Vyse was shocked "One and a half year before I get lost" he said counting with his fingers "You and I were close to each other and... Wait! Are you telling me that you are...? Fe...?"
"Uhuh..." said the girl getting excited because he knew who she was after all.
"Felicia? My…? You and I... My gi..."
"Yes Vyse, I am… Have you forgotten me already? You don't know how much I missed you all these years…" she told him while jumping over Vyse to hug him, making Kiru fall his shoulder without chance to fly to avoid falling.
"Felicia..." he said trying to get a little breath and let go from the wrap of the girl "it's you..." Vyse spoke making few stops "but... I barely recognized you..."
"Oh Vyse, you don't know how difficult was finding you, I've been searching for you for two years" told him Felicia very happy for finding him and doesn't listening to what he said.
"What!? Two years!?"
"I know this is a little surprising..." Vyse let go a sigh as Kiru posed again on his shoulder "You don't have to worry."
"Why is that?"
"I've make sure that no one follow me..."
"..." Vyse just looked at her astonished.
"What? What's wrong Vyse?"
"Nothing, it's just that... Wow... Felicia… you really look... I mean, you're very… Different" said Vyse a little blushed.
"What you mean? You don't like my appearance?"
"No, no. On the contrary, you look prettier than I remember" and now was the girl who blushed "And that haircut makes you look precious…"
"Oh, Vyse… Stop saying that, I'm embarrassed…" she said pushing Vyse's shoulder "I'm the same person, Vyse."
"No seriously... I didn't believe you'll look like this ever... Why do you think I didn't knew you?"
"Vyse!"
To be honest, Felicia was a very beautiful girl¹. She had chestnut coloured hair at shoulders height with a long, but thin, pony tail right behind her left ear and her eyes were a beautiful mix of grape green and grey, besides, she had the most charismatic smile Vyse have ever known...
"Have you grown a little, in these years?" asked Vyse.
"Not much, just one inch" replied the girl.
"It's something for me..."
She was a little smaller than him, but still was taller than Aika and her good physical shape could be seen...
"And, you've sure been exercising. That's what I call be in shape."
"Thanks..." replied the girl red blushed.
'A Pirate's suit? Would she be a Blue Rogue?'
Her Pirate suit makes her look very good. It was a mini skirt, ending a little up the thigh middle, it was dark blue coloured with a few cuts in the lower part, a very wide belt, brown coloured with a couple of chains hanging from it as well as a sword, a fitted blouse, black coloured, ending over her navel and the sleeves ended where the biscep begin and over it a sleeveless waistcoat, blue as well, ending at her ribs height apart of the traditional sailors boots in black colour ending below the knees...
'Wow. She looks beautiful... and what a change.'
At that moment she could even be, more beautiful than Fina…
He'd never seen Felicia dress like that, instead, she always wear long dresses and of a single piece, and she looked a lot like Fina, but at the same time they were very different.
Felicia stared at Vyse, expecting for him to say something, but due to the fact that he didn't mention any word at all she decided to ask him few questions…
"So Vyse, since we're talking about our clothes, why do you dress in black now? The blue always looked good in you."
"… What?" said Vyse still muddleheaded about Felicia's look "Oh… I don't know. Maybe it was a change I wanted to give to my life… The truth is that I don't have a specific answer for that. And what about you?"
"Ah, you mean my suit? I joined your father's ship crew."
"I understand" 'I was right after all' he thought "Felicia, Why don't we go to a more private place where we could talk alone?"
"Ok, I know a pub that's nearby here, it's pretty quiet..." she replied.
"Fine" said Vyse turning around to let go a sigh "Kiru, I want you to go and take care of the ship, ok?"
"Kuargh!" replied Kiru.
"Oh no" said Felicia.
"What?" asked Vyse.
"Don't ask it to do that, it's just a defenceless bird, and doesn't want to be alone, aren't you?" she said to the bird as she caressed its head.
"No! Kuargh!" replied Kiru.
"... Vyse" said Felicia a bit scared taking her hand off Kiru's head "don't tell me thaaa... that... it just re... re... repli... replied me..."
"Of course I haaaaaaaaaveeeeee! KUARGH!"
"VYSE!" shouted Felicia "What kind of beast you have!?"
"Beast!?" said Kiru.
"It's a long story, if you want to hear it we better go to somewhere else, and Kiru stays in the ship, or else he won't stop talking about his 'achieves'" he said making the quotes signal with his fingers "Go to the ship Kiru" he said making the bird fly to the ship "Could we go now?"
"..." Felicia simply agreed with her head...
"Thank you" ... and both left the place.
After walking quiet and silently through the centre of the city they finally reached the pub, but it wasn't as "quiet" as Felicia ensured.
"Is this really, quiet?" said Vyse shocked to see that some kind of very loud musical show was performed, and also were a bunch of drunk Pirates, whistling to Felicia.
"Who are you whistling at you bunch of useless vultures!?" she shouted, making the Pirates shut up "See? It's very quiet" she said drawing a smile on her face.
"Yeah, right" said Vyse smiling as well 'After all her character remains the same as the first time we met…' he thought.
Flashback...
Six and a half years ago...
"Hi, I'm Vyse nice to meet you" he said extending his hand to the chestnut haired girl as she looked at him with her beautiful green eyes.
"Vyse... I'm Felicia..." she said without holding Vyse's hand, so he retracted it.
"I hope you feel... welcome here. It's a small Island but..."
"Small?" she interrupted "It's a miniature! How do you live here?"
"..."
End of Flashback...
'Yeah, for sure she's still the same...'
Both walked to a table placed on a lonely corner and they sit and started chatting… After half an hour they had spoken about almost everything, not extremely detailed, but Vyse discovered few things. Still, there was something that was bothering him a lot...
"So, Felicia… You're saying that everyone in Pirates Island is concerned about me?"
"Yes Vyse… They all have spoken about you. From the crew of your ship, to your parents..."
"What about Aika y Fina?" asked Vyse.
"…" Felicia made like a dislike gesture and replied "Aika is the new captain of your ship, Fina is the vice captain... They gave me this" said Felicia handing a letter to Vyse "somehow they find out that I was going to contact you, so they asked me to deliver you this letter."
"…" Vyse stared Felicia's face, then turn the face to the letter.
"And? You won't take it?" asked Felicia.
"No" replied Vyse pushing away the letter "it was nice... but they must understand that I... I'm part of their past" said Vyse looking to other place "things… are not longer as it were before… we've all changed Felicia" he said looking at her again. "Do me this favour, tell them that try and forget me... I... belong to a past that must remain behind... thus the things will be better... for all of us..."
But Felicia slapped him very hard "Especially for you I believe" said Felicia taking the letter from the table very pissed "If you don't want to read it, fine! But..." she stopped a moment to take a breath "but I think they'll love to know that their old friend received it gladly."
"Felicia..." said Vyse still holding his red cheek.
"Vyse, you must understand, it's no longer necessary that you continue hiding" said Felicia holding Vyse's hand on the table and trying to calm down "... Keep the letter" and she put it again on the table "when you feel ready to read it, do it..."
Vyse denied Felicia's request with his head. She sighed and looked to the table to take the letter.
"Fine!" she said very angry.
"Felicia..." interrupted Vyse.
"No! I know it's difficult for you to see me again in this situation! I know it's hard for you to reencounter your past... and more this way and, I'm sorry Vyse but... someday it has to happen. Sooner or later you will have to face it..."
"I'm confused. That's all. I thought you'll be mad at me..."
"And I am!" she said angrily.
"Well, this is very surprising for me... Meeting you like this..."
"Fine..." she finally admitted "as I said, I owe you an apology, I know this wasn't the best way but I'm sure it was the only way to contact with you."
"No, it's not that, it's just... I really don't know... what to think" said Vyse staring fix at the table.
"… I know how you feel… I feel it myself once…" said Felicia lifting Vyse's face with her hand to look him in the eyes "I felt that way when I knew that... When I knew that you get lost in the Lunar Islands. I felt like... a part of me was snatched away... Maybe you don't want to, but I believe that everything will be better if you decide to visit Pirates Island."
"…" Vyse didn't reply. He simply turned his face around.
"You should think about that" told him Felicia as she lifted from the chair to kiss his still red cheek "you know you'll always be welcome on the Island that saw you grow. Think about that. Oh, and I'm sorry I slapped you... But you deserved it" she said turning around to leave "goodbye Vyse, it was good to see you after all this time" she said feeling that she failed to convince him to return.
"... Felicia wait!"
She stopped and turned around to see Vyse..
"..." Vyse lifted from the chair and approached her.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
Vyse looked at her in the eyes, she started to get nervous, and suddenly he kissed her, she replied the same way, feeling shocked. Everyone in the pub cheered the kiss between them. They make a very nice couple.
"..." Vyse slowly got away from her and before she had a chance to continue walking he said "You know I missed you... A lot..."
"Really?" she said on a joker tone with her face a little blushed "I can't tell..." she said laughing.
"Argh, shut up..." he replied laughing as well. He breathed and said "I'll take the letter."
"... Are you sure? Why you changed your mind so quick?"
"... It's just... I don't, want to keep hiding, you know? I would like to return... to see them... everyone... soon."
Felicia smiled "You know they're waiting for your return, take your time, but not too much, uh? Here, the letter is yours..." she said handing the letter to Vyse.
"Thanks" he replied.
"Oh, and by the way, I'm still pissed at you for thinking that way."
"I'm sorry..."
"I think it's ok. It's natural that you think that way after all that happened." Vyse stood silent just looking Felicia's face. She finally decided that it was time for her to leave him alone. After all he needed time to think and consider which options he had.
"I guess I'll be meeting you all soon..."
"Well then, see you soon..." said Felicia.
"See you..." replied Vyse.
Felicia winked him one eye, smiled, turned around and started to walk...
"Hey, Felicia..." 'Felicity?' he thought. The girl turned around to see Vyse "... I love you."
"..." she smiled "I love you too..." and then continued walking without turning back.
"Hey that girl was in love with me!" said a drunken Pirate.
"No she was in love with! Me!" replied another.
Both Pirates started a fight, which joined the rest of drunken Pirates of the pub. Vyse was still standing in the middle of the pub, staring at the letter, without noticing what was happening behind him until a bottle crashed on his head.
"Ow, Argh... Hey! You'll pay me for this" he said to the Pirates saving the letter on his pants...
When he finally left the pub he was thinking about what happened with Felicia.
'How can she be so calmed after all these years?'
"I love you too..." he reminded her words before leaving him.
'I thought she'll be mad at me... Everyone, for leaving them behind all these years, but I was... wrong... They still think about me…'
Vyse was walking through the streets of Maramba, thinking on what will happen after his encounter with the past, when he crossed a corner he noticed that two girls were talking, when he looked at them detailed he find out they were Aika y Fina, so he turned the corner again, he didn't want to be seen by them, not yet at least.
Didn't Felicia tell him that she hasn't been followed? Maybe she didn't know? But, if she wasn't followed what were the girls doing there?
Vyse tried to not be seen by them, so he quickly left the place.
'I better move on. I should left the Island soon. I need time to gather my ideas…'
Vyse, after leaving behind the girls without being noticed, was boarding his ship. He was thinking on the things that will happen on the incoming days...
'I believe that we already spent too much time here' he thought "Maybe we should get going, don't you think Kiru?"
"Kuargh!"
"Ok, let's get out of here."
Immediately, the Dreameater was leaving Maramba's main harbour.
'I had the chance to see three of them. I wonder when I would see the other two…'
Author's Note: ¹As reference to the appearance of this character I inspired on the actress Amanda Bynes (when she had brown hair) if you want to have a better idea of how does Felicia look alike.