Author's Note: This is a disclaimer. None of the characters in this story belong to me, and neither does the manga/anime.

This story was based on the Titanic, a ship that sank exactly 100 years ago from this day. I wrote this story as a tribute; many inaccuracies are found in the facts in here, therefore please don't be offended Titanic fans...^^; (I am one as well, but there are just some things that aren't recorded in history). I wrote this because there needs to be more love for Gauron and Sousuke. I've made a bunch of notes, all marked with an "*," therefore if you care to see them (though I'll try to refrain from making too many notes for those who don't like to see them), scroll through to the bottom after reading. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

-CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY-

To the residence of Sergeant Sagara Sousuke

Sousuke,

I know you've been working hard both at school and at home protecting Miss Chidori. I've decided to grant you a few days of break from your mission. Kurz and Melissa have agreed to this as well, and will be taking over your duties.

You'll find a ticket included in this envelope- use it to take a rest and relax once in awhile. Best wishes.

Teletha Testarossa

Captain of the Tuatha de Danaan

P.S. Unfortunately, I can't come along with you this time…but I'll be sure to be there the next time we go- together!

P.P.S. If you don't go, I'm demoting you.

-END DOCUMENT-

The dreadful words stare back up at me from the page as I read it, over and over again.

Captain…I know your intentions are well meant, but who ever heard of taking a vacation in the middle of an important mission? Sighing, I reach inside the envelope in which the letter came from and warily pull out a ticket hidden in the corners of the stiff, navy blue cardstock, that's printed with the formal seal of Mithril. They must've insisted that the Captain send all her messages this way, for she was rarely formal when the matter at hand included only the two of us alone, something that was often painfully embarrassing.

A bright whirlwind of colors jumps out at me from the formal, glossy ticket. "Heroic*- one of the fastest, finest, and safest liners of all time. The Heroic will be sailing from the Osanbashi Pier* on April 14th. FIRST CLASS PASSENGER TICKET #17754-C62," it reads.

What a nightmare. I haven't got time for pretty little boat rides when I'm on a mission.

Setting aside the ticket and its companions on the kitchen table, I slump into a chair just as Melissa arrives from her grocery shopping.

"I'm home!" She calls cheerfully. She must've bought a load of alcoholic drinks.

Not too thrilled to see her (for she had condemned me to this fate), I get up and walk into the front hallway. "Melissa," I say, my voice even, "have you heard about this?" I hold up the unwanted ship ticket. Coming closer and setting down the bags she brought back, she peers at the ticket, then at the envelope, then glances at my face. I try to keep it expressionless and devoid of emotion.

Sighing, she walks past me, relocating the bags onto the counter. "Lighten up Sousuke. You're always so stiff." She pops open a can of beer and takes a long, heavy swig. "Really, this is the first vacation you've had in like…" A pause. "…years."

"Untrue," I retort. "There was that time when…"

My voice drifts off into the still, empty air. Nothing seems to come to mind.

"When what?" She prompts, expecting an answer.

"When…when we all gathered on the Tuatha De Danaan last year," I falter for a moment. "The captain threw a party."

Melissa rolls her eyes, exasperated. "Is Mithril your life or something?" She throws up her hands in the air. I flinch. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't be passionate about your job, but when your life is fighting in the military, you don't get to see the beauty of the normal world." She guzzles down the rest of the beer, then wipes her mouth on her sleeve.

"I haven't got time to see the normal world. I've got to protect Chidori. Besides, you're forgetting that I have seen the normal world. I go to school everyday."

Melissa stops what she's doing and stares at me for a long, long moment.

"You're hopeless, Sousuke," she replies finally. "I haven't got anything to say to you except to go on that cruise." And with those last totally deadpan words, she turns her back to me, signaling the end of the conversation.

Feeling totally resigned, I fall onto the floor, my heart as heavy as a weight. Why didn't anyone understand? Something could happen to Chidori while I was gone and while Kurz and Melissa were off guard. With the three of us here, we'd have a better chance of surviving if some terrorist group targeted Chidori. And what if Gauron showed up?

Gauron.

Gauron.

The name brings up a sting of memories, as well as a tight clenching feeling in my stomach. Ever since he first hijacked the plane with Chidori and her classmates inside, he'd been showing up and messing with my plans at the most inconvenient times. It was as if he was taunting me. No, I was certain that he was. I could even hear his voice in my head, saying, Kashim, Kashim over and over again.

The name didn't mean much to me anymore. It was just a part of the past that I'd left behind when I became "Sousuke." But the way Gauron said it left a ring in my head after every time he did. Even long after he was gone, I could hear his rough, yet smooth voice lingering in my head, teasing me, mocking me, stirring up a rainbow of nostalgia: Kashim, Kashim. You'll never catch me. You're mine.

…But the idea of Gauron being alive had to be utterly ludicrous. Surely the man was dead.

Right?

After that last clash in Helmajistan with our Lambda drivers, I had definitely finished him off. Even a man with bit of titanium stuck in his head, and a bit of luck, and perhaps a bit more of skill couldn't keep evading death.

Right?

Then why was I feeling so unsure?

…And why did I feel as if I wanted to see him alive?

I must be going insane from this stress.

The days passed by quickly, and soon the doomed day of April 14th* rolled around.

"Make sure you've got all your stuff," Melissa reminds me, gently, although my mood on the ride to the pier was quite foul if I had to say so myself. Kurz pushes open his door and helps me lug my bag out from the trunk of the car.

"You didn't have to help me," I say. "I haven't got much."

This was true. Perhaps I was accustomed to traveling long distances with little or something, but I only had a single bag that contained my spare clothes, equipment to maintain my hygiene, and of course, a few guns and hand grenades. Melissa had grumbled when she saw me packing them in last night, but said nothing.

"Yeah, yeah, just remember to have fun!" Kurz slaps me on the shoulder, sporting a broad grin.

"Make sure to enjoy it for both of us too," Melissa winks. Then she shoves my bag into my hands and shoos me toward the pier. "Hurry now, you don't want to be late."

I take a few steps toward the gigantic, gleaming liner. "Here we go," I whisper to myself. I glance my back over my shoulder one final time, hoping for a way out. But Melissa and Kurz are gone. A sigh escapes from my lips involuntarily.

A crowd of passengers line up to file onto the stairway leading into the ship. Looking around, I notice that nearly all of them look rich, carrying huge gold purses and wearing precious stones on each finger. Figures, I think. Only the rich have the money and liberty to spend their money on such a ridiculous affair as a cruise.

I train my eyes upwards, looking to the crew of the Heroic. They are lined up, too, and their bright white uniforms and white sailing caps make them look more like naval officers than crewman. One thing to be relieved about. Perhaps if a crisis came, I could rely on the crew to be efficient and decisive. I wonder how their captain is.

Scanning their shirts for the traditional captain's emblem (four golden stripes), I finally spot it on the sleeve of the man at the end of the line, furthest from me. His stature was tall, and he seemed lean and firm. I could spot a few scars running the length of his arm. Good, he's got some experience.

I try to catch a glimpse of his face, but his cap obscures it in shadows. Somehow, though, the contour of it seems awfully familiar…

Startled, my eyes widen as the captain turns his head directly my way. Perhaps he felt the weight of my stare. He reaches for his cap, and then lifts it, saluting me, but also lifting the shadows from his face.

This can't be happening. I must be dreaming.

My heart stops in horror as Gauron flashes me a grin, waving his captain's hat.

*Heroic- not a real ship. I named it this way because the Olympic was named after the Greek Olympians, the Titanic after the Titans, and the original name of the Britannic was to be the Gigantic (believe it or not, after the Giants). All of these ships are sister ships, owned by the White Star Line. Therefore, you can kind of guess by now that the Heroic was based on the Greek Heroes.

*Osanbashi Pier- An international pier located in Yokohama, Japan. I chose it because it's the closest one (I believe) to Chofu, Tokyo, where Jindai High School (the fictional one based on a real one in Chofu) is located.

*April 14th- This isn't the actual date that the Titanic set out on on its maiden voyage (April 10th). It's just that the story would've dragged on a bit too long for my liking if I set it at April 10th.