Wow. It has been like, a majorly long time since the last chapter. Sorry. It's partly because I've had a bit of writer's block, but mostly because I've been lazy. Umm, I don't think I have anything else to say now, so, the next chapter!

They sat there for quite some time. Eventually, Kaeshya regained some composure and brought herself back to the now, instead of the past. After Kaeshya's tears ceased, she stood and walked closer to the edge, looking at the now just starting to set sun. She was at first startled that they had sat for so long. It had been late mourning when she had experienced her long fall. She contemplated Folken's statement of the Zaibach empires goals. Perhaps, perhaps, they could do it right. Kaeshya spoke to Folken without looking away from the sunset.

"You're really going to risk what happened to Atlantis in the hopes of achieving a perfect world?"

"Yes. It is a chance we will take. But I believe that fate can be avoided. So does Dornkirk."

"You want me to help you?"

"It would certainly be appreciated. Your skills are formidable." Kaeshya smiled at that. No doubt she must seem like close to the ultimate soldier. She was fast, strong, not exactly a bad fencer, and on top of it all, she had wings!

"You know that helping you to the machine would be going against what I swore to do and have done for many hundreds of years?"

"That is apparent from what you have said. But you could help make the process claim fewer lives."

"It seems that saving lives would not be an important item on your agenda. You are quite pragmatic."

"True. But I would rather not have to kill people, but am willing should the need occur."

"I cannot take you to the machine, but can perhaps locate the other thing you search for, if you convince me your precautions are sufficient to prevent a catastrophe." The discussion continued past dusk, and several hours into the night. Folken was rather amazed at Kaeshya's stubbornness, because he thought he would be able to convince her quickly that Zaibach's plans were good and right, but it took rather longer than anticipated. Eventually though, Kaeshya did agree to at the very least, not interfere with them, and possibly to help them find what they were looking for.

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It had been a week or so since the Kaeshya had recovered her memories and in that time, she had noted a fleet of similar floating castle things assembling, and then the whole fleets movement over the ocean. Then of course there had been the whole little Dilandau goes off looking for Escaflowne and burns an allied city to the ground incident. Kaeshya had tried to stay out of that one, but was just a bit appalled at Dilly's (she had started calling him that in her mind because it was easier to say) errr, pyromania. She'd also managed to convince Dilandau to let her try to teach his slayers better swordsmanship. It was easy to convince him. She had idly said that she was sure that she could beat any of them in less than five minutes. He had of course been offended and dared her to prove it, which she did. The poor slayer (Kaeshya thought his name was Viole) took quite a beating. Apparently for whatever reason, Dilandau hadn't the time to train his swordsman. Today was the first morning they would be hers to train for a few hours. Kaeshya grinned evilly at the thought. She walked to the large training hall (and only got lost twice!) and moved to the center of the empty room. She was going to try something which she hadn't done in a long time. Kaeshya turned her awarness inwards thinking strongly about the billions of tiny machines she knew were in her, flowing in her blood, residing in her muscles, even filling empty spaces between organs. She "told" the nanobots what she wanted them to do, actually an implant in her brain formulated her though into precise instructions for every nano-machine, and relayed the command. Very slowly, the veins near the skin layer turned a very silvery color. Soon, the color had spread out form the veins to atop the skin, looking as if a network of mercury-like filaments covered her skin. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. The lines spread over all her body, except the head. Even more slowly, the lines seemed to expand, making wide bands of silver. Eventually, these met each other forming a continuous coating. The stuff hardened, except at the joints, were it remained much softer, and a duller color. The rigid sections were a whitish grey, the soft parts close to black. From a distance, I looked very much like Kaeshya wore her clothing over a full suit of armor, which it essentially was. She opened her eyes, and removed her ship suit, since she didn't need it's meager protection at this point. She removed it's belt however, and strapped it, sword and all. It was only then that she heard shuffling and whispering behind her. She turned, to face all of the slayers, who currently looked rather dazed.

"Good morning. I will be instructing you today. We will start with short duels so that I can assess how good you are. Who's first?"

"Um, excuse me for asking, but shouldn't we use practice blades. That…armor…that you're wearing doesn't look very strong."

"It's quite strong enough, and you, Migel, have just volunteered. Come here." Kaeshya drew.

"I really am quite concerned that if I hit you that armor will break! I don't want to hurt you, because Folken would have my head if I did!" The rest of the slayers laughed, a little nervously.

"Then I'll just make sure you don't hit me." Migel laughed.

"You may have to eat your words!" He came at her quickly, blade flashing. Kaeshya parried easily, and counter-attacked. She pressed Migel hard, and he blocked madly at her rain of blows. She slowed, and he came back at her again. She parried most of his blows with ease, and some with a little more effort. However, she did not turn to the offensive. "Why aren't you attacking?!"

"Because you're holding back."

"I am not!"

"You are."

"Liar!"

"Prove it! When you are not holding back perhaps I won't either!" Kaeshya's voice was taunting as spoke. Migel turned livid, angered, and began to press harder. Soon Kaeshya was satisfied that he was not holding back, and executed a complicated parry/attack, the end result being Migel's blade flung to the side and him clutching his bruised hand.

"You could have don that from the beginning."

"True."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because now I know how good you are." Kaeshya turned back to the main group of slayers. "Who's next?" And so went the day, and more days, as the great fleet of floating castles crossed the ocean.

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"Where are we going Folken?"

"Freid."

"That names means little or nothing to me. Show me a map." Folken did and Kaeshya raised her eyebrows. "You're certainly going the right direction." Kaeshya's face took on a look of deep thought. She spoke suddenly after a rather long pause. "I have to go." She moved quickly towards the balcony of Folken's rooms.

"Where to? Why?" Folken was almost frantic as he asked these questions, and followed her quickly out onto the balcony, where she had sprouted her wings. "Can't you tell me?" Kaeshya turned, looked up at his face. She grabbed him and kissed him deeply, then leaped off the edge into the air. Folke was rather to stunned to follow and the last word he heard were Kaeshya saying "I'll see you in Fried!"

Well, end of chapter. I have nothing else to say but: REVIEW!