#100 - Umbrellas

Capell is desperate…

Timeline – Port Zala, during the Luna Rain is now in Fayel

"Capell…" Aya trailed off, staring off into the distance. Capell looked at her before he looked in the same direction as her only for to still when he saw the sight. The Luna Rain was now falling steadily off in the distance, obviously over the Dunes and Fayel. "That's never happened before." Aya looked at Capell.

"We should stay here to stock up and rest before we head to Fayel," Capell told them. "I don't want to risk putting you all through the rain too soon after the Timberlands." Everyone nodded and went off in their separate ways while Capell dropped deeper into his thoughts, trying to think up a solution for their problems.

"We're going through the Desert," muttered Capell. "If the Luna Rain is in Fayel, then it will be over the other places and that means we'll have to go through them." He paced back and forth a few times, drawing curious looks from onlookers before he looked up and caught sight of a swinging sign in front of a shop and an idea hit him.

With a bright smile and a bounce in his step, he walked over to the shop and let himself in, browsing through the selections to see what he could find. The shopkeeper eyed him for a moment, wondering why Lord Sigmund was browsing through his store when the young man let out a delighted cry, startling the shopkeeper.

Capell could not believe when he found the perfect solution. He browsed through the colours before picking out all the ones he thought were suitable for his friends before hurrying over to the counter to pay for them.

The shopkeeper arched an eyebrow when he saw the products that Lord Sigmund had brought to the counter to pay for. He looked at the Liberator leader with a curious expression before pushing it to the back of his mind. He tallied off the products before looking at the leader told him the price.

Capell was more than happy that he had made sure that he had been saving up all the Fol they had been getting on their missions, killing monsters and payments for doing things. Most people would have spent them on weapons but as they had artisans, healers, and cooks in the group, it was easier and quicker to have these things made rather than spending lots of Fol.

He paid for the products before putting the rest of the money away; making a mental note that he should find a safer place to put his money away. It would not do for someone to steal it. He picked up the products, thanks the man behind the counter before walking out of the door, almost skipping in delight.

The shopkeeper just shook his head, Lord Sigmund was sure different from what they all had heard and thought he would be.

"Capell?" questioned Aya when she spotted Capell coming out of the shop with his arms loaded with umbrellas. Capell spun around when he heard her voice and smiled brightly. The smile was infectious that Aya found herself smiling back, wondering what was going on with him.

"Where is everyone?" Capell asked. Aya shrugged.

"They are around, I was just going over to see the Twins and Gustav to make sure they weren't feeding him any sweets," Aya explained.

"Great, I'll come with you!" he told her, moving closer to her. Aya just shot him a funny look before she nodded. They met up with the twins and Gustav before Capell gestured them to follow him as he spotted Edward, Touma, and Komachi near each other. Once they all met up, they found Dominica, Kristofer, Seraphina, Michelle, Savio, Kiriya, Balbagan, and Eugene.

Once they all had joined up together, they all stood in a semi-circle with Capell in front of them, still holding onto the umbrellas.

"Everyone here?" asked Capell and got nods. "Great! I have a present for you!" he handed them all each an umbrella, apart from Savio, Touma, and Seraphina.

"Umbrellas?" asked Aya as she peered closely at the shiny red plastic before looking at Capell, who nodded.

"Why did you buy us umbrellas?" Edward asked warily, not sure if he wanted to hear the answer.

"Because of the Luna Rain," Capell informed them.

"Wha?" demanded Vic. "What do ya mean, because of the Luna Rain?"

"You are susceptible to becoming vermiforms if you are in the rain therefore if you have an umbrella – you can be protected," Capell informed them. "I don't have the time to be playing the flute to protect you as I'll be head fighting off any monster that attacks us. You just have to stay under the umbrellas and look pretty," informed Capell.

"That's very sweet of you Capell," Michelle said, all for the idea.

"The boy has lost the plot," muttered Kiriya as he stared at the black plastic of his umbrella before his eyes narrowed, wondering if Capell was trying to make a point with the colours. He would not put it past him to do so.

"Why don't Savio, Seraphina, and Touma have umbrellas?" Michelle wondered; it was not like Capell to be so un-thoughtful.

"I think it's due to the fact they are not affected by the rain or Capell had merely ran out of fund spending our Fol on these ridiculous solutions," Edward informed her, wryly.

"Hey!" Capell shouted, offended. "We have more than enough Fol – I have been making sure you all don't go ahead and buy tons of things you don't even need, especially since you can make them. Savio, Seraphina, and Touma are not affected by the rain and they can help me with the fighting."

"So, we're just supposed to stand by and watch you fight while looking pretty under an umbrella?" Edward asked and Capell nodded with a bright smile, pleased that people now understood his intention. "Are you crazy?!" Edward suddenly demanded, making everyone jump from the volume of his voice. "We do not have time for these games! We have chains to cut, monsters to kill and…and…and…"

"Revenges to act out?" jumped in Aya, wryly. Edward nodded wildly.

"Yes! And revenge to act out," Edward finished.

"And how do you plan on getting revenge for Sigmund if you are a vermiform?" Capell asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Edward's mouth just opened and closed soundless before he glared at Capell then down at the dark blue material of his umbrella before his eyes narrowed, wondering if Capell was trying to make a point with the colours.

"That is not quite a logical idea," Seraphina spoke up. "People can not battle if they are holding umbrellas. It is proven that men can not do more than one thing at the time."

"Hey!" Rico and Edward cried, insulted. Eugene just pinched the bridge of his nose while Kristofer shook his head, amused.

"My darling, do not worry your pretty little head with the facts of men. You just focus on your beautiful self," Kristofer assured her, taking her hand. "I will protect you by carrying your umbrella for you."

"I can see why Capell got him the multi-coloured umbrella," muttered Vic as she looked down at her own umbrella. It was a bright green colour with little dots of hearts. Vic wondered if Capell even knew what kind of umbrella, he had bought Vic before she shook her head, Capell was blind as usual, and she was safe.

"I was just trying to be thoughtful," informed Capell with a wounded expression. He had learned that by using that on Aya, he could get away with most things so he figured that it could work on everyone else.

"Oh, it was a sweet thoughtful thing, Capell!" Michelle assured as she rushed over, flinging her arms around Capell's body and pressing her busty chest to his chest once more. A dopy grin appeared on Capell's face over the hug only for him to sober when spotted Aya glaring at him.

Clearing his throat, he gently pushed Michelle away and gave her a small smile.

"Thank you, Michelle, you always knows how to make me feel better," he told her. Michelle giggled. Capell looked over to Aya. "I just didn't want to see any of you turn into vermiforms because you had been exposed to the Luna Rain too long. It was hard enough seeing Edward turn like that; I couldn't cope if it had happened to you." Aya felt her heart melt before she reached over and hugged Capell.

"You really are being more thoughtful," she told him. Capell just tried to hide the dopey grin of having another girl pressed up against him. He did not know what it was that just made him seem so huggable to girls but he needed to find out what it was so he could exploit it.

"I only just want to protect you," Capell told her, wanting her to keep hugging him. Aya, on the other hand, figured out and pulled away, glaring at him. He just smiled sheepish as him before he looked at the others to see that they were all trying out the umbrella and…glaring at them? "Is everything okay with the umbrellas?"

"Is there any reasons to why you have given us the colours you have?" Eugene asked the question that had been annoying everyone. Capell frowned, looking closely at the colours of the umbrellas before shrugging, confused.

"They match your clothing?" he asked. Startled, everyone looked down at himself or herself to see that he or she were indeed wearing some of the colours that match the umbrellas before chuckling.

"Then everything is fine," Edward assured, clapping Capell on the shoulder. "Are we ready to head to Fayel?" Capell nodded, "Alright! Let's get moving!" Everyone followed Edward and Capell toward the arch that would take them out of Port Zala and into the Ordain dunes when Aya spotted something about her umbrella and it hit her.

"Capell!" shouted Aya as she glared at him, her hands planted on her waist. "You told me you didn't see anything!" Capell blanched as he realised why he bough the red umbrella for Aya.

The End

I hated the bloody Luna Rain. I think Michelle became a vermiform at one point – I am not sure, all of a sudden, my characters were dropping dead so luckily, I was right next to a teleporter so I was safe and escaped through it.

I could not help but wonder what Capell would think when it came to the Luna Rain – imagine the gang having umbrellas. That would have made a sight.