Author's note: You thought I was gone? No, I was just very, very busy with many different things. Namely, going to graduate school (and graduating), my father's death, and finishing up a historical novel series for publication (currently searching for a literary agent for that, not that you asked). However, in the time since I finished, I went back to an old fandom that has been dormant for a long time, and one that I was hoping to finish: Allison and Lillia. I wrote the first ever fanfiction for Meg and Seron involving finding the coordinates to a long-lost treasure. Now, it's time to finish their adventure at last.
After so many years, I am proud to present the followup to Meg and Seron: Secret of the Firefly.
Disclaimer: I do not own Meg and Seron, or Allison and Lillia. Meg and Seron are characters of Keiichi Sigsawa and the anime is the property of Madhouse Studio. I only own the story and original characters here.
Meg and Seron: Maximilian's Treasure
by Historyman101
Chapter One: Domestic Politics
April, 3306 World Calendar
South of the Capital, there was a place renowned for its hot springs. The Academy Photography Club had designated it as the place for their spring vacation, that is, with one crucial exception. Saya Kobayashi had said to all of her club mates she only planned on staying for one day. Ostensibly, it was to attend to family business back home, but it was a veil to mask her true intentions: to finally claim what was hers. Seron Maxwell, the academy's star and idol, was now officially taken by a Bezelese girl, Megmica Straussky. Of course, with all the photographs of them lip locking plastered around the school, it left many a girl crestfallen. Saya, on the other hand, felt nothing but contempt and betrayal for the young boy…and his newfound love.
Just the thought of that ditzy girl made Saya seethe in anger. Damn that Bezelese girl! What had Meg achieved that she did not? She was the offspring of the Roxchean Chiefs of Staff! Her parents were well-known members of society! Her rival was a simple transfer student. It wouldn't matter for long, Saya thought. She had ways with getting what she wanted.
"Ms. Kobayashi?"
Just then, her train of sinister plotting was interrupted by one of her friends at the hot spring. There were five of them altogether, and they were determined to have her participate in this activity as a club. Saya wiped away a strand of midnight black hair from her face and darted her eyes to the speaker, a dark-haired underclassman. In the aftermath of Saya's spat with Seron and the entourage of his Newspaper Club, there were rumblings amongst the others she was in over her head.
The fact it was she who caught Meg and Seron together that night gave rise to fears she was taking this matter of love too seriously than others.
"Yes, Lydia? What is it?"
"Is something bothering you?" the dark-haired underclassman, Lydia, asked.
"Nothing," Saya lied. "Nothing at all. Why?"
"You don't have to hold anything from us, Ms. Kobayashi. It's okay."
Saya scoffed.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
A brunette girl in Saya's year spoke up, seeing through her facade.
"Stop being coy, Saya. It's obvious to us that you haven't been yourself since you saw Mr. Maxwell with Ms. Straussky. Something is going on in your head and we have a right to know what it is."
Saya sighed and ran her fingers through her black hair as she slowly sank into the spring. The water and hot steam consumed her and seemed to fuel the rage and anger bottled inside her.
"I plan on getting Seron back, of course. He is my future husband, after all."
"So, you plan on stealing him away from his girlfriend?" Lydia remarked.
"What girlfriend?" Saya shot back. "You mean that Bezelese girl? Last I recall, she had nothing to her name. She hasn't done anything to earn the title 'girlfriend.' He and I were engaged to be married! It was a family agreement. Doesn't that mean something?"
"Sounds rather cliché if you ask me," a redhead sitting across from Saya commented, sullenly.
Saya's head swished around and her brown eyes threw sharpened daggers at the redhead.
"You are in no position to judge me, Frances!"
The redhead sank further down the hot spring, not wanting the wrath of Saya to be unleashed upon her.
"Maybe you should try to reconsider," Lydia offered. "This is the 32nd Century. Arranged marriage isn't something anyone does anymore. You shouldn't have to follow your family's wishes if you don't agree with them. Besides, you heard what Seron said: it's an agreement he barely remembers. Chances are his family didn't tell him one thing about it."
Saya glared at her dark-haired friend.
"And just what does that mean?"
"You should find someone else worth your time. Besides, you're not actually in love with Mr. Maxwell, aren't you?"
Saya said nothing to that question, one she preferred not to answer. In truth, she didn't quite know the reasons why she was doing this herself; all she felt was betrayal of an agreement between families. It had to count for something.
"Hmph, enough already. I have no time for this nonsense! If you won't help me, then I best be on my way."
She rose up from the spring, the mist conveniently covering her tan-skinned, buxom figure, and stomped out from the establishment altogether. She had heard quite enough of the garbage these "friends" were giving her. So much for their support; she would have to do this alone. It was time she left to begin the expedition.
"I will not be brushed aside," Saya muttered angrily to herself, "I will not give up just because he found someone else."
The Capital Terminal was extremely crowded, mainly with students heading home for spring vacation. On the far platform, a lonely regional train with Tuscan red passenger cars waited for orders to depart from the conductor. Its destination was a small port city on the river, and a place of interest for a group of six young students of the 4th Capital Secondary School.
Meg and Seron walked together, hands locked together admiring the train that would carry them to the beginning of their newest adventure: a search of Green Island for the treasure left behind by Meg's grandfather, Maximilian. However, Seron expressed fears of something larger and closer to home than any mishaps he and his friends may encounter on the island. Namely, the threat of Saya Kobayashi.
He truly didn't know how he could have forgotten such an important linchpin in his life as her. Despite Meg's continued and heartfelt feelings of forgiveness, Seron still could not help but feel some guilt for neglecting to remember or mention it. Throughout the taxicab ride to the station, he thought long and hard about what to do.
"Stop looking so gloomy, Seron!" Meg said, pouting. "We won't be in Montessaret until tomorrow! What could happen to us in that time?"
"Sorry. I'm just thinking." Meg couldn't help but smile at that.
"You're always thinking. Well, turn that brain of yours off for a while. This is supposed to be a fun spring break, isn't it?"
Seron couldn't help but keep an eye on his four friends. Now that they were a couple, the stoic boy would be expecting more teasing from them. As he thought just what manner of torture he could endure from them, Meg's gentle hands touched his face, and brought him back to gazing only into her dark indigo eyes.
"Seron," she said, slightly more stern than before, "you don't have to hide anything from me. What's bothering you?"
"Well…since we're a couple now, I am wondering just what the others will say. Larry's already started on the jokes, and you know how Jenny can be…"
"If she tries something, she answers to me."
Without another word, her lips pressed to his in a soothing kiss. In that instant, all of Seron's fears and concerns melted, leaving only the gentle scent of perfume in her hair and the faint taste of strawberry shortcake from her lips. She was known to have a passion for sweets. Something he would have to keep in mind for this journey.
"Hey lovebirds!" Jenny called. "The train's about to board! Better hurry or you're gonna get left behind!"
Seron, snapped out of his personal heaven, proceeded to head on over there, with an aggravated sigh. Meg could only giggle, seeing a small hint of irritation on his face that their moment had been interrupted. It didn't bother her in the slightest, since she knew it was the start of something, rather than the end.
The two boarded the train following their friends, just as the conductor gave the last call. They had only started down the narrow corridor between the seats when the engine blew its whistle. Suddenly, the cars lurched forward at the first chuff of the engine, meaning the train was now on its way to their port of call.
The momentum was so sudden it almost sent the young students toppling over each other and falling flat onto the carpeted floor, baggage and all. Jenny caught herself on a vacant seat, and manage to save the whole crew, but it just made the matter of filing away their belongings more pressing.
"Okay, club," she said, the early morning light highlighting her ruby eyes, "first thing's first: we find our compartments and put away our baggage. Once that's done, we'll all meet in the lounge car to talk about how this whole expedition shakes out!"
"Don't we already know what will shake out?" Natalia asked.
Jenny said nothing, but averted her eyes in slight embarrassment.
"S-sure, we do. Just gotta go over it one last time, you know?"
"You forgot, didn't you?"
Jenny didn't answer, as it was clear to Natalia, who only knowingly shook her head. The troupe made their way through the train, searching for their room numbers. The train would arrive in Montessaret the following morning, and they would need their rest. Travelling to and exploring Green Island would be no small task, and demand every ounce of energy.
Meg found her room, which was a triple shared by Natalia and Jenny. Seron, Larry, and Nicholas' room was right across. Meg stepped in, and was immediately enraptured. On one side of the compartment stood a small door to a full bathroom, complete with a sink, toilet, shower, and complementary toiletries. On the other side were two beds bolted to the wall in a bunk style, like what she would find in a scout's camping ground, flanked by a third just underneath the compartment window. They were covered with white sheets, topped by a matching pillow with a small wrapped piece of chocolate placed on top. It was like living in a hotel on wheels.
"How much did you spend to get these rooms?" Meg asked.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Jenny reassured her. "Won't set us back too much; this is nothing compared to securing a ship and diving equipment!"
The last two words piqued Meg's interest.
"Diving equipment?"
"That's what I said. We're not just exploring Green Island: we'll be diving down to the shipwreck!"
"Diving down?" Jenny sighed.
"Is there an echo in here? Of course! We can't assume the treasure isn't inside the ship."
Meg sat down on the bunk bed, slightly overwhelmed. It was one thing to go down to the island and search it for the treasure, but actually diving underwater to the wreck itself? Just how much had the club invested into finding her grandfather's treasure? And that was saying nothing about the potential underwater risks as well.
"I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet, Jenny. I-I mean, w-what if there are ancient skeletons inside, guarding it?"
Jenny snickered at Meg's reason for apprehension.
"Oh c'mon, Meg, use your head! It's just an old shipwreck, not a dungeon!"
"Besides," Natalia offered, sliding her suitcase into the closet, "we're getting help from the Roxchean Navy. They're lending us a submersible to explore the ship in depth."
"Why didn't either of you tell me that sooner?" Meg sighed with relief. "Well, thank goodness for that. Now, I don't feel so nervous."
This did not even entertain another problem; dealing with Saya in the future. Her very appearance intimidated Meg in many ways. They way her cold eyes glared at her. The condescending, over confident tone of voice. Her tall stature and curvy figure. Meg never thought she would ever have a rival for Seron's love. She undoubtedly was planning something to upset their entire expedition. Every insidious picture of how she could run interference flashed in her mind like a slide show. How far would she go to stop them? What would she do to win Seron back? What if she succeeded?
The Bezelese girl glanced at both classmates and blinked. She flashed a smile of illusion, not wanting to burden her friends. Not when they were enjoying themselves.
"Is something wrong, Meg?" Jenny pressed.
"No way! I'm fine, really." Natalia, who was more observant, already saw through the façade Meg created.
"You are worried about Kobayashi, aren't you?" Natalia asked.
Meg looked back at Natalia, surprised that she could already tell what was on her mind so quickly. She wished she had such sharp perceptive skills like her brown-haired friend. She slowly nodded her head, fear in her indigo eyes.
"She seemed really serious about winning Seron over. I don't know what she's capable of."
"Meg, we're all here for you. If Saya tries anything, she'll have to get through us first. Right, Jenny?" Jenny grinned as she adjusted one of her butterfly hair ornaments.
"You've worked too hard to give up Seron, now. If you really love him, you gotta be ready to fight for him, too."
"F-fight?"
"Of course. Like, if she tries to kidnap him or something, you whack her upside the head!"
Jenny demonstrated with a swing of her fist through the air, followed by a roundhouse kick. She almost knocked over a bedside lamp in her excitement, and hit the door frame. Natalia's eyebrows rose skeptically at her friend's display.
"Don't you think that's going a little far, Jen?"
"Why? A girl's gotta fight for what she wants, doesn't she?"
A girl's got to fight for what she wants.
Those last words were etched into her brain, and provided her with a greater resolve. She was never the type of girl to resort to any sort of combat. Megmica Straussky's appearance was paperweight compared to Saya Kobayashi. But, when push comes to shove, she knows how to whack a thug or two with a pipe or a bat…or a phone receiver. Seron was surprised more than once with what she was truly capable of when under pressure.
The Bezelese girl nodded to herself, taking note of Jenny's advice.
"Thank you, Jennifer, Natalia. I am so glad to have friends like you."
"Think nothing of it," Natalia said, smiling. "You know, I'm actually a little jealous."
The Bezelese transfer student tilted her head in confusion. She never thought she'd hear those words from Natalia, who always seemed confident and a model student.
"Jealous of me? How so?"
"You've gotten farther with Seron than I ever have with Larry. You two only met last summer, and now you're an item! I'd say that's an accomplishment."
A lock of her violet-tinged hair was twirled around her finger as Meg blushed.
"Well, we've only just started dating, after all. We just kiss and hold hands from time to time. Waiting for someone to confess their feelings is a huge challenge but in the end, it was worth the wait."
"All the more reason you need to protect what you have now."
"Too true."
Jenny burst out of the girls' compartments, and led everyone to the lounge car. Seron, Larry and Nicholas had to dash through the vestibules, lest they be shut off and lose sight of their classmates. Seron's eyes were focused like a sniper on his target: Meg's pigtails, bouncing with each step taken as she walked in-between the seats, laughing and chatting with Natalia and Jenny.
Meg…
Even though they were official for only two days, it seemed like a lifetime ago when he finally swallowed his fear and said the words he longed to say. Sitting across from her in that café, all the pent-up emotion and stresses finally released, was the most blissful moment of his young life. It was a shame, he thought, that the date had to be spoiled by Saya and her shutterbugs.
He quietly shuddered, thinking of all the nefarious plots Saya could be hatching. Now that she knew what they were planning, she was undoubtedly trailing them as well. She probably had her own expedition ready. Of course, it wasn't to harvest any treasure in the Firefly or on Green Island. It was to pull him away. If they were to plan this trip well, he thought, they had to be ready for Saya getting in the way as well.
In the lounge car, Jenny pointed to a circular wooden table, with six seats surrounding it. Just what they needed. They all congregated around the table and sat down, whereupon Jenny rolled out a large map of Green Island and the surrounding area for all to see. With the exception of Natalia who found a small leather-bound menu to peruse through, all eyes were cast onto the map.
The island itself was long and thin in its geography, marked by low-altitude mountains in the south and wide plains in the north. A small cove formed a dimple on the eastern side of the island, closest to Roxche. The remains of villages were marked with small dots in various places across the island, along with battle sites marked with crossed swords. Most forebodingly to Meg, there were several areas marked by polygons with striped patterns, indicating former minefields and areas filled with undetonated explosives. A dark reminder of the island's violent past.
"Okay guys," Jenny started, "here's the deal. Thanks to Seron figuring out the coordinates from the scrolls, we know that the Firefly was scuttled somewhere around here…"
She pointed to the cove on the eastern coast of the island.
"…at Freiburg Cove."
"Do we search the cove, first?" Nicholas volunteered, fiddling with his long hair.
"No. First we need to find the shipwreck of the Firefly itself. After we find it and search the wreck, then we go into Freiburg cove."
Jenny's ruby eyes glinted with intent as they shifted focus to Larry.
"Larry, did you say that the Roxchean Navy is providing us a submersible?"
"Yes, they are," he confirmed. "They're also bringing a reconnaissance plane should we want to scout out the surrounding areas. They'll be waiting for us at the Montessaret docks when we arrive there tomorrow."
Jenny beamed, her teeth almost blinding Seron's normally stoic cobalt eyes.
"Great! What's the name of their ship again?"
"The Sailfish."
"Jeez, Jen," Natalia joked, looking up from her menu, "we've barely started this trip and you've already forgotten the name of our ship?" Jenny pouted.
"Like you forgot the opening movement to the Ballad of Colonel MacMillan?"
Natalia said nothing to her retort, but her spectacles disappeared behind the menu as she slumped in her chair.
"Anyway, we'll also be exploring on the island itself."
"How do we know where to look for the treasure?" Larry asked.
Meg leaned in and offered an explanation.
"We are going to follow my grandfather's path on the island. He managed to link up with Bezelese troops a couple days after landing, and stayed on while trying to contact the Navy."
"Do you have a map of where he traveled?"
"I found it in his journal. I'll show it to everyone when we start."
A waiter dressed in a black tuxedo stopped by the table, and interrupted their impromptu briefing.
"Pardon me, but is there anything I can get for you lot? Something to eat or drink?" Natalia nodded and motioned the waiter to her.
"Yeah. Could you get me the Deluxe Walnut Parfait? This one?"
She pointed to an item on her menu. The waiter smiled and nodded.
"Certainly, madam. It'll be right up."
Jenny shot an incredulous glance at her friend and chief editor.
"A parfait this early? Really?" Larry likewise was perplexed by Natalia's choice. Even if she was the biggest eater in the group, she had standards, surely!
"Yeah, we haven't even had dinner yet."
"Oh, c'mon, we're on vacation, right? That means it's okay to break a few rules."
No one objected, seeing this as natural for Natalia. Her appetite would drive their club to bankruptcy one day. Jenny returned to the matter of exploring the island, and allowed Meg to fill in the details.
"Since my grandfather essentially landed on the Roxchean side of the island, he had to travel north and west to reach the Bezelese forces. So we start here…"
She pointed to "Freiburg Cove."
"…and then head up towards Cape Laz. That's where Bezelese troops landed in the war." Jenny grinned with optimism.
"I wonder what treasure your grandfather was hoping to give to his sons. Maybe gold? Or rough-cut diamonds? Or maybe the plans of some secret superweapon?"
"You read way too many adventure novels," Natalia observed. "The Green Island War was only about 30 years ago. However, blueprints for a superweapon might not be too farfetched. Meg, did your grandfather ever mention something like that in his journal?" Meg shook her head.
"Not that I can recall, no." Jenny slumped in her chair, slightly dejected.
"This really is a mystery…"
"I'm sure we'll find out what my grandfather meant, one way or another."
"Yeah, I guess. Anyway, that's about the gist of what we're doing on Green Island. Any questions?"
Seron, who had been silently absorbing the discussion this whole time, now saw the moment to bring to light the one threat they all faced. One far greater than any hazards they might encounter on Green Island or in the depths of the Lutoni River. He leaned in, tugged at a lock of his ebony black hair, and Meg instinctively shifted her gaze to him.
"There's just one problem that we're facing."
"What's that?"
"Saya Kobayashi."
Instantly, a dark cloud cast a shadow over the table, and all members of the club fell silent. Only the rhythmic clicking of the wheels was left in their ears. Saya Kobayashi. The name alone was enough to stop the entire world from spinning. Her arrival into the case and her photograph stunt at school created a huge upset. The Church Brothers, who had hounded them before for the scrolls, and now were surely sitting in cells, seemed miniscule compared to the threat posed by that girl. For what seemed like hours, no one could speak, as if Saya was present among them, muzzling them.
"What about her?" Larry said, finally.
"She's undoubtedly going to run interference with our expedition. I suspect she may be planning her own as we speak. If we run into her on Green Island, what do we do?"
"If she wants to get her hands on the treasure," Jenny challenged, "she'll have to get through us first! Whatever Sir Maximilian left behind rightfully belongs to Meg!"
"Saya's not interested in the treasure. At least, I doubt she is."
"What are you getting at?"
Seron, in a rare display of passion, pounded his fist on the table.
"Don't be stupid, Jenny!" he retorted, his cobalt eyes alight with fire. "Saya is looking to get me! She's hoping to drive Meg and me apart! And if plastering a photograph of us all over the school is evidence enough, she will do anything, and I mean anything. I wouldn't be surprised if she even resorted to murder. We could all be at risk, here."
Natalia leaned in, over her menu, and offered his encouragement.
"Seron, we're all here for you and Meg. If Saya tries anything to get at either of you, you won't be alone." Nicholas nodded.
"I agree with Natalia. We're your friends, aren't we?"
"We won't let that witch Kobayashi get in the way of your romance!" Jenny added.
Meg, her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright, spoke up to Seron too, and confirmed what everyone else said.
"You see, Seron? We're not alone. Everyone in the Newspaper Club is behind us if Saya tries anything. Besides, even if it was just us, we've gotten out of fixes before. Remember when the Church Brothers held us hostage in their manor?"
Meg's words provided the balm that soothed Seron's soul, just as it always had. Of course he remembered. He remembered the event somewhat fondly, though he'd rather keep that to himself.
"Yes, I do. Somehow we managed to escape together."
"Exactly. So, we'll get through this together, just like we always have."
Seron smiled, and his senses relaxed as he rested his head closer to hers. He felt emboldened and uplifted by Meg's thoughtful and kind words, and couldn't hold himself back anymore. Their lips inched towards each other with a gentle touch, and he let forth a sigh, content in knowing that nothing could now interrupt his moment of intimacy with her.
"Thanks, Meg."
"Jeez, you two," Nicholas cracked, "get a room or something."
Blushing madly with embarrassment, the two teenagers inched away from each other. They had almost forgotten they were in public, and with friends. Seron was about to slug his friend when the entire table burst out laughing. Even Meg, as mortified as she was to let her passion get the best of her, couldn't help but laugh as well. Seeing her laugh erased all traces of his anger.
At that moment, the waiter came by, and presented Natalia with a towering parfait in a clear glass. Walnuts drizzled everywhere like snowflakes, a hill of whipped cream towered above the glass' lip, and a cherry on top of the whole meal. Jenny was lost in reverence, while Larry could only look at her meal in disbelief.
"There's no way in the world you can hope to eat all of that," Larry said skeptically. Natalia grinned, seeing it as a challenge.
"Well, now I've got to eat it all, to prove you wrong."
"Please, don't, Naata!" Meg begged. "You'll get sick!" Natalia laughed off her cautions.
"I've eaten plenty of daunting things in my life, and I haven't gotten sick yet!"
Not ready to back down, Natalia promptly dug into her dessert before dinner, and left everyone in shock. Larry could only shake his head as he looked on.
"You've never had stomach problems? Ever?"
"Nope. Don't you remember, when we were nine, and I ate that ice cream sundae whole?"
"Big deal. Anyone can do that."
"Yeah, but…without…the brain freeze…"
The tempo of her eating slowed, and she rubbed her head, as if suffering from a migraine. Natalia, the biggest eater of the whole club, and possibly the whole school, was stricken with the brain freeze she claimed she never had. Now it was Larry's turn to laugh as Natalia stopped for a moment and recovered. A hint of pink rushed across her cheeks, revealing her shame.
The troupe talked on, while Natalia ate away at the parfait, detailing future plans for the expedition. Spirits were high among them all, assured that they would walk away with one of the greatest treasures in history. For Seron, one thing was unequivocally certain: this would be an adventure like no other, especially now that he had Meg by his side.
It turned out that Natalia's appetite knew no bounds, and by the time they had all decided to retire to bed, the parfait was completely gone. Meg was utterly amazed at her "bottomless stomach" as she called it, though Larry could only remark how one day, she'd meet something she couldn't eat. That day just hadn't come yet.
"You'll die before you see the sun rise on that day, Larry," Natalia boasted as she closed the door to the girls' compartment behind her.
In the meantime Larry joined the other boys who were changing into their pajamas. Seron, in particular, had already sat down on his bunk, opening up the sheets. He looked up to the ceiling in a daze, noticing the logo of Confederation Rail painted in the middle. Larry noted the wariness in his friend's cobalt eyes. Even if they had only been a couple for a little under a week, Seron still knew little in the ways of courtship. What did couples do together that set them apart from the world? Was it as simple as spending days together? Locking lips? Exchanging gifts? Or was it something more, on a higher plane that he could not hope to grasp?
Larry knew in an instant his friend was troubled. Whenever something weighed heavily on him, Seron would always stare into space with a contemplative look in his eyes.
"You're quieter than usual, pal."
Seron shifted his head to Larry's. No change was made to his blank expression, but the façade was thin and easily cut through.
"I'm just rather in shock that Jenny got us such lavish rooms. I expect a compartment like this on the Transcontinental Express, not a regional train."
"I guess. Now, do you want to tell me what's really bothering you?"
The young boy ran through his silky black hair and sighed.
"Larry, I know I should feel happy, but I don't. Meg and I are official, but…I feel like nothing has really changed. Am I doing something wrong? What really goes into being a couple?"
The muscular blonde boy thought about it for a moment. Truthfully, he was as lost as Seron was. He had never had a girlfriend, or even a crush. Up to this point, all his advice was merely about how to be closer to Meg, how to support her, and how interact around her before the moment of confession finally came. If it weren't for the whole business with the treasure, they'd probably continue on with spring vacation on campus as normal. What did couples do together normally?
"Well…I guess you'd be wooing her much more than usual."
Seron raised an eyebrow.
"Woo? How do you mean?"
"Compliment her, I guess. Or say something suave."
At that moment, Nicholas emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his head in turban-like fashion. He was in the middle of buttoning his pajamas as Larry gave an example.
"Maybe say something like this: guess what I'm wearing? The smile you gave me."
Seron nodded, thoughtfully. Nicholas cut in.
"What are we talking about, now?"
"I'm in need of assistance," Seron explained. "I'm trying to figure out what more I can do or say with Meg, now that we're…together."
Nicholas smiled, and seemed to have one line of his own. With a swift movement, he pulled the towel off his head, and his long dark brown locks floated out behind him as he said,
"How about: did you get a parking ticket? Because you have FINE written all over you!"
Dead silence filled the compartment, sans the train wheels clicking on the rails. Seron visibly cringed at the thought. If he said something like that to her, she might slap him and dump him on the spot!
"No offense, Nick," Larry broke in finally, "but that's…really…cheesy."
"You know what?" Seron offered. "Forget I even asked. I suddenly realize why you two are still single."
With an exasperated groan, Seron let his head fall back onto the pillow as his eyes shifted up to the window outside. Trees zipped by in a green blur as the sky began to darken with the coming of night.
"Maybe this is just something I need to figure out on my own…"
There'd be plenty of time to figure out what to do, he thought. He just hoped that nothing would spoil this time he had with Meg. A safe, uneventful journey. That was the best he could wish for.
Author's Note: I have already completed this story, and it's relatively short (much like the previous one was). To keep a reasonable schedule, I will be posting the chapters weekly, with the next one coming this next Sunday. I've learned that part of being a good writer on this site is to maintain a consistent schedule, and that means planning and writing out the stories in advance. It's the best way to really work, I've found, so you are not leaving people hanging.
Until next Sunday, people.