CP: SORRY!! I didn't have much time to write…
Jade: it should have stayed that way too.
CP: you're always so mean to meeeeeeee!! ToT
Syora: it's okay paw-chan. I'll always be nice to you.
Cp: YAY! –glomps Syora-
Peony: CP owns only the unfamiliar!!
"what the hell…?! It ain't dyin'!" Luke complained
"this isn't good. Our attacks aren't hurting it at all." Tear analyzed
"allow us." Said a familiar voice.
Tear and luke turned to see jade and a girl with long black hair and gold eyes. She didn't look like she could fight.
"who the heck are you?" Luke asked.
"leave the inquiry for later. I'll use fonic artes to take care of this. You can just sit back and watch us work." Said the girl.
"you can't order me—" luke began but was interrupted.
"let's leave this to him. We'll buy time by taking on the liger queen. Don't let her attacks hit him." Tear scolded
"I know! I know!"
The girl ran past the two in a flash and attacked the liger queen. She didn't pay much attention to Luke and Tear. She fought with her bare hands but was obviously causing a good amount of damage. Luke and tear did their best as well. Jade finished it off with a blessed drops spell.
"anise! Can I speak to you a moment?" Jade called after the fight.
"yes colonel! Did you call me?" Anise skipped over to jade.
"okay… understood. In exchange, you have to keep a good eye on Ion."
Anise ran back towards the entrance. Jade looked over to his partner to find her at the liger nest.
"…this left a bad taste in my mouth." Luke whined.
"you're quite kind. Or perhaps just soft…" Tear commented.
"… and you're cold!"
"oh, dear. Lover's quarrel?"
"shut up!"
"Colonel Curtiss… we don't have that sort of relationship."
"I'm joking, and please, call me Jade. I'm not accustomed to being called by my family name."
"Jade…" came a soft silky voice.
Jade looked over to the girl. She was holding a baby liger in her arms. It was amazingly still alive. "Can I keep it?" she asked in a sad pleading voice.
"Syora… fine, just don't expect me to feed it."
Syora's face lit up. She skipped on out to the entrance.
"…Jade, I'm sorry for running off and doing this." Ion apologized.
"it's unlike you to do something like this when you know it's wrong."
"together with Yulia, the cheagles are the foundation of the order of Lorelai. I felt I had to take responsibility for any trouble they had caused."
"and that's why you used your power? Didn't the doctor tell you not to?"
"…I'm sorry."
"and you've involved civilians as well."
"hey old man, he's apologizing right? Give him a break." Luke interrupted.
"oh. I expected you to complain about being dragged into this. I'm a bit surprised."
"Jade!! Hurry up!" Syora called.
"well, we don't have much time, anyway. I'll stop the lecture at that."
"the letter arrived, didn't it?"
"yes. Now, let's go ahead and get out of this forest."
"no. we have to go report to the elder." Mieu whined.
"a cheagles speaking a human language?"
"it's the power of the sorcerers ring. Jade, can we stop by the cheagles home?" Ion explained.
"alright, but please don't forget that we haven't much time."
"Luke, thank you for your help. Please join me for just a little longer." Ion said to Luke.
"well, I've come this far. Might as well." Luke sighed.
Syora was waiting for them. She had heard the entire conversation. They headed towards the giant tree that the cheagles stayed in. Syora waited outside with the baby liger that she named Kiro. It seemed to be attached to her by now. Jade came out before everyone else, which gave them a few minutes alone.
"What in the world possessed you to adopt a liger?" Jade asked.
"He has nowhere to go. No one to look after him. He … reminds me of me."
Syora starred off into the distance. She didn't realize how much her words hurt Jade until after she had seen his face. But she didn't have the time to apologize because the others came out. She knew how much Jade didn't like showing affection in public. She would have to wait until they were alone. She sighed and followed in the back with Kiro. It didn't take them very long to reach the entrance again.
"hey, isn't that your body guard?" Luke asked.
"yes, that's anise." Ion answered, completely unaware of what was happening.
"welcome back!" Anise said in a strange tone.
"greetings, anise. What's the status of the Tartarus?" Jade asked unfazed at all.
"it's in front of the forest, just like you asked. You said to hurry, so we came as fast as we could."
Soldiers began to run in and surround Luke and Tear. Syora moved up beside Jade with a questioning look.
"hey! What's going on?" Luke shouted in surprise.
"restrain those two. They're the ones who've been emitting the seventh Fonons." Jade ordered the soldiers.
"Jade! Don't do anything to hurt them…" Ion pleaded sternly.
"don't worry, we won't kill them. … Assuming they don't resist." Jade assured Ion.
Luke& Tear: "…"
"be good, kids. Take them away. Syora, make sure they don't do anything reckless."
"Okay. Um…"
"Yes?"
"I need to access the weapons room later…"
"-sigh- here." Jade handed Syora a key.
Syora led the way to the Tartarus. Jade, Ion, and Anise followed a few minutes later.
CP: sorry it's so short. It's a lot longer on the fourth chapter. And thank you Culinaromancer & TechNomaNcer28 for the reviews. Like my rules go. One chapter for one review. So enjoy the 2nd and 3rd chapters!!