Longer chapter this time, folks! You know the drill--if you like it, please review, and I'll put up another chapter! If you don't like it...well, review anyway, please. It might be a little longer than usual between chapters--not any three months, as happened when I was on vacation, but a while longer because I am getting a job. Blerrrugh.





I don't own Julia, I don't own Tasuki, or Chichiri, or Link, or Laguna, or the jeans that I'm wearing today, or the house I'm living in, or the keyboard I'm typing on, or the fold-up chair I'm sitting in. Get the point? ;)













OLD FRIENDS





Time slowed for Laguna as her name, unbidden, fell from his lips.

The courtiers to either side of him might as well have been statues, for all that he noticed their movement. The air suddenly seemed chill to him, and charged with electricity; his mouth was dry and the blood pounded in his temples, but all of that was secondary, hardly noticeable, as her hazel eyes fell on him.

Her perfect lips parted, and a tiny line marred her brow, as she saw him; her right hand flew to her mouth, and the sound of her strangled gasp fell like a stone into the now-silent hall.

Her Guards, thinking that her reaction was one of fear, moved to block Laguna from her and drew their weapons as one, but their motion jerked her from her shock. Lifting her skirts, which were crimson(She always did look good in red, Laguna thought uselessly), she flew down the dais and across the deep carpet towards him.

Tasuki's eyebrows fairly vanished into his hairline as he cursed in surprise, and Chichiri yelled something that Laguna didn't hear, for here she was, a foot away--and then she was in his arms.
Her dark hair fell about the both of them as she held him.
His arms came up around her, one long-fingered hand running along her shoulders as he sobbed in wonder. "Julia--Where have you been all these years? What--"
He fell silent in disbelief. Her hazel eyes sparkled with tears as she gazed up at him.

"Laguna...I..."

She shook her head and laughed, and the sound of it startled her courtiers from their amazement.
"This is not the place nor time, my only." She murmured, composing herself instantly.
She stood tall, and Laguna was suddenly struck by how royal she was. This was not a woman that played the piano in bars for other people's amusement! This was a Princess, and her face left no doubt of it.

As she turned to her courtiers, Laguna couldn't help but notice the strands of silver in her chocolate hair, or how long that hair was now--well below her waist. She was still as slender as the young woman he had known, but her eyes held wisdom. No wrinkles had yet settled in her face, but there was the faint trace of many years of smiling and frowning. Her hands, though! Laguna thought. She still has the hands of a girl.
His ears finally let him listen to her.

"I apologize, my people, but today's audience is at an end. This is my best and oldest friend, and I would hold counsel with him."

Without another word, clutching Laguna's hand in hers, she turned and strode regally up the carpet again. Rather than climbing the dais, she went through a small door to the left of it.

"Fuck." Tasuki said succinctly. "Follow 'er, then?" Link, his eyes wide, only nodded, and Chichiri shrugged. "Nothing better to do, no da." Tasuki made a brief detour to grab his tessen before they followed Laguna and Julia through the door.



As soon as they were no longer under the eyes of her people, Julia whirled to face Laguna. "How did you get here? What is going on? This is--I mean- -I do not understand!"

Her hand had not left his, and the other one climbed to his lapel, caressing it despite her confusion.

Laguna grinned. "I have no idea what is going on. I was in bed when it happened. I remember a flash of silver light, like lightning, almost, and then I was in the middle of this field, and there were these other three, and one of them isn't human, not that I'm sure the other two are, and neither of them are from here either, and we decided to go South because at home we all live in the South, and then Captain Osso caught up to us, and so here I am."

He ran out of breath, and let his words wind down, still amazed to see the woman he had loved a lifetime ago. Late, of course, understanding struck him.

"Julia--Queen? I don't understand! How did you become royalty?"

He shook his head roughly, trying to settle his brains. "I'll believe anything. I'm more than half convinced that I'm still in bed."

Julia was laughing under her breath, and at his final statement let it all come pouring out of her. Her high, joyful laughter echoed from the ceiling and Laguna grinned in reply.

"I...I suppose that you know about my husband." The term, from her lips, held no love. "After you vanished, he was so kind to me." Her gaze sharpened. "I wept for you! Where did you go? He told me you were dead!"

"He sent me on a suicide mission with Kiros and Ward. We left the army, but we couldn't get home. I almost died...I was sick for a very, very long time." He shrugged. "I would have come back if I could. In return for keeping me safe, I kept my healers safe. I ran the perimeter, killing monsters, and after a while, it was what I wanted. It let me heal in more ways than one."

Julia's eyes were bright again. "That bastard hurt us both." She murmured. Laguna smiled. "Things work out, Julia. How did you get here?"

"I left him. I fought to keep Rinoa--she was my daughter, and she was so beautiful, I wish you could have seen her. But he had more money, and certainly more sway with the government, so he won her; and I was told to never attempt to contact her again.

"Anyway, one night I was walking out through the town, trying to get up the nerve to do anything that would change things, and I heard a voice. It was a man's voice, calm, quiet, and he was talking to me, but I couldn't see him anywhere.

He said 'What have you to hold you here?' By that time I had nothing, and I told him so. 'Then, Daughter, would you go somewhere where you would be needed and loved?' I laughed at him. I thought I was delusional, probably ready to walk off a pier or something, so I said 'Oh, certainly. Take me somewhere that I can do good, and not get hurt by it.' And suddenly, there was a wind, and a silver light, and I passed out. I woke at the steps of this palace." Her voice was low, and her eyes gazed on something that Laguna could not see.

"I was lucky. Had the guards found me first, I would have been hurried away, and I know not where I would be now. Instead, the first person to see me was the Queen.

"The Queen had a habit of talking walks before the sun rose. Any normal royalty would have to fear assassins, or kidnappers, but she was a mage--a mage!--of no small skill, and nothing could come near her without knowing it. She was very old, though, and seeing me asleep on the steps of her palace touched something inside of her. She woke me, gently, and when I had tried to tell her what happened to me, she took me inside. 'Now, girl,' she said, 'Strange things happen in this kingdom, where the magic is thick, so I have no trouble believing you.'

'I was twenty-five when I came here, Laguna. I was a girl, a child. Tatoria treated me as she would have one of her own children, had any of them survived more than a week from birth. She taught me the ways of Kerranon, this place, and in the end, she made me her heir. She died ten years ago, and by that time, her people knew and trusted me enough that there was no trouble when I took the throne. And Laguna--" She sighed now, shaking her head a little. "The thing of it is, I am doing good here, and though it is hard, and sometimes I do suffer for it, I am still able to do good. Your appearance worries me, happy as I am to see you."

Laguna's mind was reeling from the tale. "Julia, I have no idea what is going on with me. I heard no voices."

"Neither did we, na no da." Chichiri's voice came softly to them, and Julia stiffened.

"Of course, there are three more."

Neither she nor Laguna had noticed them standing in the doorway. "Introduce yourselves, please." She commanded, all manners again.

Tasuki arched an eyebrow. "Fuckin' royalty." He said wryly, ignoring a glare from Link. "I am Genrou, Seishi to the Priestess of Suzaku Himself. This is Ri Houjun, fellow Seishi of the God Suzaku, and Warrior Monk for him also. "

Chichiri was surprised at his sudden courtly language, but would not mention it before the Queen, regardless of whether or not Laguna knew her.

Link smiled. "I am Link of Hyrule, Warrior to the Sages." He fell to one knee before Julia, bowing his head. "It is my honor to come to thy presence, lady."

Julia ducked her head in return, acknowledging courtly ways. "And mine to have thee, Warriors. I take it you are all as confused by your presence here as I?"

"No shit, girl!" Tasuki said. "What the fuck is going on here? That's all I want to know."

Julia snickered before regaining her composure. "Well, then. It seems that we should speak with my Counselors."