Sonata to Memnto Mori

Chapter 9: Festa

Arzenal Hangar

Blaze was in his usual spot for when he was in the hangar, a laptop hooked up to Barbatos as he worked on tuning up it's systems, currently letting a check run on it, playing his ocarina once more as he waited for the process to conclude.

"Just another routine day… simple and boring…" Blaze thought, ceasing his playing and tapping on the keys of the keyboard once a jingle sounded to show that the scan was done, looking through the data, "Everything is in order… nothing is wrong or out of place…"

"There you are!"

Blaze turned and looked down, spotting Naomi with a small grin on.

"Should've known you'd sneak off here… on our big day off no less." Naomi chuckled, Blaze turning back to the laptop.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Blaze muttered, obviously lying through his teeth, and Naomi puffed out a cheek as she clambered onto the Barbatos, placing her lips right near his ear.

"Oh you know perfectly well what today is." Naomi whispered, Blaze shuffling to the side.

"Nope, no idea. Just another ordinary day." Blaze muttered.

"Ah come on! It's the Festa, don't act like you forgot!" Naomi laughed, grabbing Blaze by his arm and dragging him off of his machine, though Blaze brought her to a halt.

"No, seriously, I need to finish it…"

"No you don't. I know how you feel about the Festa."

Blaze just looked the side, and Naomi chuckled, tripping Blaze with a quick sweep and dragging him off again.

"Not working! You're going to the Festa with me, and I'm not taking no for an option! Now come on, we need to go get changed, it's tradition after all!" Naomi laughed, Blaze letting out sigh.

"GOD DAMMIT!"

XXXXX

"Haagh… and this is why I hate the Festa…"

Blaze sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, no longer in his uniform for once, wearing an open, navy blue beack shirt that bared his chest, and black board trunks that bore a dark blue pattern on them… and all around him, the various Norma milling about the stalls, all dressed in swimsuits, kept staring at him…

The Festa, the one day out of the year that the residents of Arzenal could have fun without restraint, taking place on the beach inlet that marked the island, stalls and activities of all sorts marking the place for the Norma to take part in before the events later in the day.

But, there was a particular reason Blaze didn't like the Festa. In fact, he rather enjoyed it… aside from the fact that every year since he'd turned thirteen, Jasmine had taken to introducing a new prize to some of the events… Him.

Not only had a contest among the best pilots on Arzenal been established via use of the training simulators for a now yearly battle royale where the top four had to face Blaze in a final match (which he'd won every year since it began), some sporting events gave the winner the chance to enter ANOTHER competition series arranged by Jasmine herself for a prize many on Arzenal could not resist: A night where they could have Blaze to themselves.

"How I've always weaseled out of that one, I do not know…" Blaze sighed as the thought passed his head, standing up and starting to meander around, though a particular crowd drew his attention, "Oh yeah, that game… the one where you can try your luck and see if you can handle the Barbatos…"

Blaze chuckled as he sauntered towards the crowd, a wry smirk on his face as he saw the group of Norma looking at the viewscreen that showed the inside of the simulator, which for this one day, was one of several that would be taken outside for the battle royale event, which if Blaze remembered timing, would be soon.

But, it was a well known fact on Arzenal hardly anyone but Blaze could handle even the simulated Barbatos, and seeing as how the training simulators very accurately replicate the feeling of piloting a para-mail, the beastly Barbatos kicked the rear of many a Norma with it's simulated version. So, everyone decided to make it one of the betting contests during the early parts of the Festa.

On record, Jasmine loaded her coffers with the failed bets every year.

"So far, everyone who's tried it has failed of course." Naomi appeared right beside Blaze, "Heck, I saw Hilda stumbling out earlier, and boy was she cursing up a storm too."

"Figures… who's inside the simulator now?" Blaze hummed, folding his arms.

"Ange, to everyone's surprise… she was pretty confident she could manage it… everyone bet she wouldn't do it." Naomi informed, and Blaze sighed.

"I'd be surprised if she lasted longer than the thirty second record truth be told. How long did Hilda last?" Blaze inquired.

"Twenty-five seconds. She got close." Naomi mused, looking to the timer that was on the screen nearby, "Hmm, fifteen seconds… Ange is halfway there."

"I'm gonna start counting down… ten…" Blaze murmured, continuing to count, "nine… eight… seven… six… five… four…"

BZZZZZZ

"Twenty-six seconds." Blaze deadpanned, the simulator opening, a dazed Ange stumbling out, followed by Momoka trying to steady the girl, who immediately shot a glare at Blaze.

"Hey, you!" Ange snapped, stalking over.

"I have a name Ange." Blaze muttered.

"Yeah whatever, but what the hell is up with that machine of yours?!" Ange spat, Blaze's wry smirk returning.

"Why I have no idea what you mean, it's just fine, even in the simulation." Blaze chuckled, Naomi sighing and putting a hand on her forehead.

"BULL SHIT! How the hell do you handle something that almost turns you to paste in the seat?! Even the Villkiss isn't THAT crazy, and it's a tough ass machine!" Ange growled, Blaze closing an eye.

"How hard were you hitting the accelerator?" Blaze chirped, Ange blinking, Blaze then pulling his pendant out of his shirt's pocket, "Like your ring and the Villkiss, this pendant is the "key" for Barbatos… but, the main trick with Barbatos is knowing how to handle it's acceleration. It's got a beefier power source than other para-mail, so it makes up for being larger by having more raw power… the reason everyone has issues with the simulator is because they're so used to being able to go full throttle right out the gate… Barbatos won't let you do that, well, unless you want to get forced back into the seat."

"Yeah, I noticed, the damn thing kicks like an angry horse." Ange scoffed, stalking off.

"Uhm… I'm sorry, on behalf of Lady Angelise!" Momoka made a quick bow, and Blaze handwaved it.

"It's fine Ms. Momoka… I'm used to how Ange acts, trust me… everyone is." Blaze murmured, Momoka bowing again before chasing after Ange, "Welp, I'm gonna go find a place to camp out for a while."

"Ehhh?! Why?!" Naomi yelped.

"I'm gonna get my ass dragged back here for the finale of the royale, and until then, I want to stay clear of anything so that nobody gets ideas. It's the Festa, I'm liable to get lifted off somewhere if I'm not careful! This is the one time of the year Jasmine starts taking advantage of how people try to jump me, and I will not have it this time!" Blaze stated, throwing a finger skyward, and Naomi laughed.

"You are such a dork sometimes. Alright then, just stick with me!" Naomi grabbed Blaze's arm and started dragging him off, "Stick by me, and you'll be fine, so come on, let's see what's around and have some fun! It's my first Festa after waking up too, so you're treating me!"

"Now you're just forcing me!"

Naomi just laughed as Blaze sighed, keeping up with pulling him alone for the various, but typical, attractions of the Festa, the time flying by, and the trips around the food stalls an such stopped once an announcement was made by Jasmine taking the stage.

"Alright, you all know what time it is! Those of you who signed up, get over to the simulators we brought out!" Jasmine declared, the crowd cheering.

"Oh! It's time for the royale, isn't it!" Naomi hummed, and Blaze clicked his tongue.

"Well, that's my cue." Blaze chuckled.

"Eh?! You're not gonna watch?" Naomi gasped.

"I like to be surprised at who the Final Four is. I get dragged into this thing at the end all the time, so I like to be surprised by who the final constants are. I'll see you when it's done." Blaze chuckled, and Naomi snickered, jabbing at him with an empty skewer.

"Oh no, I'll be seeing you in the final round! Hehe, I'm entering, and you can bet I'm gonna be in the Final Four!" Naomi chuckled, "Now go off and find something to do!"

Naomi pushed Blaze off and out of the crowd, the young man chuckling, and as he walked off, he undid his braid and pulled his hair back into a simple low ponytail for ease, putting his arms behind his head as he meandered to the shore, taking a seat at the lapping water and just keeping an eye on the horizon as he put his chin on a hand.

"Well… now I'm bored…" Blaze sighed, and then be plinked when a pair of soft objects pressed into his back and slender arms wrapped around his front, "Ersha?"

"Caught you! Hehe, I was waiting for when Naomi was going to let you go." Ersha giggled, placing her chin on Blaze's shoulder.

"I thought you were in the Perolina costume." Blaze murmured.

"You knew?!" Ersha blinked, Blaze nodding.

"I've known you my entire life, so of course I did." Blaze sighed, and then he blinked when Ersha stood and lifted him up, "H-Hey!"

"You need to relax Mr. Tense All the Time! And I have the perfect idea!" Ersha laughed, dragging Blaze off to his attempts at struggling.

"I do not like where this is going! Let me go!" Blaze snapped, Ersha shaking her head.

"Nope!" Ersha laughed, Blaze finding that she was dragging him off towards the massage booth.

"Nope! Nope, nope, NOPE! You know I hate being touched!" Blaze snapped, struggling more, Ersha tightening her hold on him and pulling him in.

"I brought him, just like I said I would!" Ersha chuckled, Blaze slumping in defeat as she placed him on the table and removed his shirt.

"Okay, fine, I give… just please tell me they're staying above the waist…" Blaze muttered, Ersha nodding.

"Yeup. Don't worry, I made sure none of them would try a thing." Ersha giggled, the Norma around shuddering, Blaze clicking his tongue, turning his attention to one of the screens that showed the ongoing pilot's royale… which of course was in the simulation set up.

"Wonder who's gonna make it to the end this year…" Blaze muttered, tuning out the feeling of hands pressing down on his back.

"Well, I'd guess among Salia, Ange, Hilda, and Naomi." Ersha hummed, sighing in content as she got her own massage, "You may actually have a challenge this year."

"Not if Ange and Hilda are in the final four. Those two couldn't work together to save their lives." Blaze muttered, shutting an eye, "Now if they could, perhaps they'd have a better chance at taking Barbatos down."

"It's almost odd how it's performance is so high… it's still a wonder you can handle it." Ersha hummed.

"Sometimes I feel like it wasn't even made to kill DRAGONs… but that's not my concern…" Blaze sighed, laying his head on his arms, "But, forget the para-mail, it's the Festa, we shouldn't be worrying about things like why Barbatos is a fucking monster of a machine."

"Hmm, agreed." Ersha hummed, "You at least managed to avoid getting swarmed this year."

"Only because Naomi stuck close… I was going to just sit this Festa out, but she wouldn't have it." Blaze murmured. "And then I'm gonna have to camp somewhere during the sporting events, cause you know how Jasmine gets with the prizes then…"

"Oh yes, that one… well, I already have part of a claim, so not that Naomi and I have much to worry about." Ersha chuckled, Blaze's face reddening as the girls around them started to get interested in the conversation.

"Please don't bring all of that up right now…" Blaze hissed.

"Sorry, I just like looking back on it." Ersha giggled with a hint of red in her face, Blaze hiding his face in his arms.

"Uggggghhhh…" Blaze groaned out his annoyance, though he peered up and opened an eye when he heard the click of Jasmine's megaphone.

"Alright, Blaze! Get your ass out of whatever hole you're hiding in and down here, it's time for the Final Four!" Jasmine declared, Blaze sighing as she specifically called him out.

"Well, that's my cue to go." Blaze got up and grabbed his shirt, throwing it back on, Ersha waving as he left.

"Good luck, and don't rough them up too much!" Ersha called out.

"It's a simulated battle, I couldn't even if I tried!" Blaze called back, chuckling as he left the booth and proceeded to where the simulators were set up, near the cove's entrance, Jasmine looking down at him from the stage.

"You got here faster than I thought you would have." Jasmine hummed.

"Yeah well I was nearby." Blaze huffed, catching his visor as Jasmined tossed it to him, "Alright, let's see who I'm up against."

Blaze hopped into the simulator as the crowd gathered again, the screen flickering to life of the battle field, a replication of the topside of Arzenal, Blaze finding himself set on the ground, the simulated Barbatos already in Assault Mode.

"Alright, you know what time it is girl! The Final Four pilot's against Arzenal's top pilot! The restriction here being that Blaze isn't allowed to fly, but, don't expect that to make it any easier on the finalists." Jasmine's voice came through, Blaze rolling his eyes.

"Yeah yeah… now let's see who I'm up against, since they do use personal machine data for this…" Blaze hummed, scanning around to see which machines were circling overhead, and he showed no surprise to see Naomi's Arquebus, and near it was also Salia's own light blue Arquebus… and then he saw the familiar Villkiss and Hilda's crimson Glaive, at which Blaze gave an amused chuckle, "Well would ya' look at that…"

Blaze clicked a switch, his machine drawing it's sword and storing the rifle, and Blaze cracked his knuckles to boot.

"Alright then, so as you know I'm not allowed to use my thrusters for flight… but…" Blaze then swerved out of the way of rifle fire, Hilda already shooting at him.

"Yeah yeah save it! I'm just here to kick your ass!" Hilda responded, Blaze smirking.

"I didn't think anything less really, but, should you really be shooting off on your own?" Blaze hummed, dashing back when Hilda tried to crash down on him with her machine's sword, the two weapons clashing as Blaze countered. "Because a lone Glaive doesn't stand a chance against Barbatos head on!"

The Barbatos kicked the Glaive right out of the way, Hilda maneuvering upwards, but as she did, Ange outright blasted Hilda out of her way, Blaze sighing as he countered while Hilda's damage para-mail hit the ground.

"That was for stuffing lingerie into the real thing!" Ange snapped as her machine landed, Blaze sighing as she then turned to him, "And now, to get some payback on you as well!"

"This is supposed to be a thing where you guys work together, and instead you shoot one of your team in the back for something petty… yeah this is so gonna go great for you Ange." Blaze let out a breath, the Barbatos taking a stance.

"Please, don't act so cocky you ass." Ange snapped in response to Blaze's sarcasm, her machine aiming it's rifle at him, Blaze swerving out of the way, and above (technically), Naomi gave a sigh as she watched the Barbatos easily outmaneuver the Villkiss after it rose up, even without leaving the ground.

"You'd think they'd stop trying to hurt each other for a second and try to take Blaze on together… everyone in their right mind knows that Barbatos is just as good on the ground as it is in the air, if not better…" Naomi sighed, "What do you think Salia? Wanna take a chance and get Blaze while he's distracted?"

"Let the two of them fight him by themselves, I don't care. If Blaze takes them down, then we can duke it out if we beat him. And odds of Blaze winning are pretty high since those two can't work together." Salia replied, Naomi nodding as Hilda ended up pelting the Villkiss with enough bullets to blast off an arm.

"Yeup…" Naomi nodded, and back "below", Blaze had his eyes narrowed in annoyance as Ange and Hilda resorted to shooting at each other while yelling about what they were doing at the same time.

"Did you to forget that you're supposed to be fighting me?!" Blaze snapped, both the red and white machine turning to his own.

"STAY OUT OF THIS! I'LL KICK YOUR ASS ONCE SHE'S DOWN!" Both girls snapped that at the same time, Blaze's eye twitching as they went back to trying to shoot the other down, and Blaze sighed as he readjusting his grip on his controls.

"Fuck it…" Blaze sighed, cracking his neck, his machine blasting forward, two quick slashes with the dash cutting right through the Villkiss and Glaive, the simulated machines stuttering before phasing out, "Keep your focus you two."

"Ange and Hilda, eliminated!" Jasmine declared, Blaze clicking his tongue, turning as Naomi and Salia landed.

"So now it's down to you two." Blaze chuckled, Naomi and Salia immediately aiming at him, "And just cutting to the chase, fine by me!"

"Well there's really no reason to talk!" Naomi chuckled, lifting up to dodge the Barbatos' sword, Blaze shooting out of Salia's line of fire as she shot at him.

"No time for small talk if we want to win this!" Salia added, rushing forward, her sword colliding with Blaze's.

"Agreed. Then bring it!" Blaze chuckled, pushing Salia back, both machines allowed to fly facing the beast on the ground…

XXXX

"Salia and Naomi, eliminated!" Jasmine announced the end of the fight, the remaining three simulators opening, "And for the fifth year in a row, Blaze wins again… tch…"

Naomi and Salia stepped out of the simulators and sighed in the face of their loss, while as of now, Hilda and Ange were nowhere to be found, and Blaze let out a breath as he stepped out of the Barbatos', though as he turned, something smacked him in the back of the head, causing him to stumble a bit as it fell into the open simulator.

"What the hell?" Blaze muttered, Jasmine standing nearby, "Oh… what, mad cause you lost the bets I'd lose again?"

"You know it. You think you'd lighten up a little bit at times." Jasmine huffed.

"Hey, at least this year the fight was actually a good one." Blaze retorted, "And just what the heck did… JASMINE WHAT THE HELL?!"

"What? It's just a box of male contraceptives." Jasmine scoffed, picking the box up, Blaze's eye twitching.

"I know what the hell they are! Why did you peg the back of my head with it?!" Blaze snapped.

"Just in case you need them." Jasmine snickered.

"Wow… just… just wow." Blaze muttered, and he turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder, being faced by Naomi and Salia, batting aside the box as Jasmine stuck it near his face, outright hissing at the woman to back off.

"Hehehe, well, looks like we lost." Naomi chuckled.

"And we got so close too…" Salia sighed.

"You did, and it was well played, you two actually used the fact I was restricted to the ground to your advantage in full. Nice job. Now if Ange and Hilda had been any help I think you guys would have beaten me." Blaze mused, his arms folded, the two girls glancing at one another.

"Seriously?!" Naomi and Ersha were shocked at Blaze admitting the mere possibility of him losing… but then again, they knew him well enough that it was almost expected.

"Yeup, I really could have lost that one… now if you'll excuse me, I need to split before the sporting events start up, I am not gonna stick around so Jasmine can rope me into her crazy ideas!" Blaze turned to leave, though he turned when Salia grabbing the tail of his shirt.

"When you get back… can we talk about something? In private…" Salia murmured, and Naomi gleaned a small grin.

"Uhm… sure, no problem. Now if you'll excuse me…" Blaze nodded, dashing off as Salia let go, and Naomi pat the girl on the shoulder, giving a thumbs up.

"Nice going! Also, I heard about how a little while ago you tried making a move… good on you, almost beating me to Blaze." Naomi chuckled, Salia blinking as the pinkette turned.

"Huh?! W-What do you mean by that?! You two haven't… done anything have you?!" Salia yelped, Naomi chuckling.

"Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to figure that out on your own!" Naomi laughed, trotting off.

"That's not fair!" Salia followed after Naomi, the pinkette's laughing still in the air.

With Blaze

"Now, where to camp out for a while? I have until the fireworks show starts at the least to stay in the clear… maybe I could go to the hangar bay and watch from afar, hell, I could probably take a nap before then too."

Blaze kept muttering to himself as he wandered the halls, his hands behind his head as usual, though when he heard voices and footsteps, he pressed into the wall and peered around the corner, blinking in surprise to see Hilda leading Momoka along with a gun at the maid's back.

"What the heck is going on here?" Blaze thought, reaching under his shirt and pulling out his pistol, taking out the clip to check the bullets, and then an idea popped into his head, a brief moment passing before he quietly followed Hilda along, keeping the red head in sight as he kept pace, and to his surprise, he ended up tailing the two all the way up to the main runway, where the VTOLs of the inspection team here for the Festa were parked. "Now why would Hilda drag… oh, I see… heh… wonder how long Hilda's been planning this for."

Blaze let out a quiet, almost amused chuckle, and he started to get curious when he saw Ange dash by, pushing a cart loaded with weapons and a panicking girl in royal dress with her, coming to a stop when she saw Hilda, and Blaze shook his head.

"Well, today just got a helluva lot more interesting. Heh, well, if they're gonna desert, I can a, report them, or b, have some fun with it." Blaze smirked to himself, the answer simple as he spun his handgun for a second, "Option B."

Blaze quietly walked out from his hiding spot, keeping in just the right spot so Hilda wouldn't see him behind Ange, and as the two girls spat, Blaze made Ange go quiet by seemingly appearing out of nowhere behind her, his pistol pressed into the back of Ange's head, Hilda aiming right at Blaze on a reflex, Momoka yelping.

"Well what do we have here? From the looks of things, I'm seeing two offenses, kidnapping a human, and attempt at desertion. And on the day of the Festa no less, definitely a smart move." Blaze chuckled, Ange glancing back at him, though Blaze kept his gun on the back of her head.

"Damn… since when did you get here?" Ange spat.

"I just tailed Hilda while she kept the maid at gun point. I was heading this way too, as a matter of fact, but not for the same reasons." Blaze stated, looking at Hilda, "And I'd put the gun down if I were you Hilda, you wouldn't hit me."

"Like hell! Back off, unless you want me to shoot you dead! In fact, I'd probably prefer it if the latter happened." Hilda snapped.

"What, and risk having me blab to the higher ups? You're either really confident I won't say anything, or just stupid." Blaze scoffed, and when Ange tried to swing her elbow back at him, Blaze reacted and caught the blow, pinning Ange to the ground and aiming at Hilda after dodging a bullet, "Nice try. Oh, and by the way, this pistol fires 45. Caliber shots, so it hurts like a bitch if you get shot by them, but, getting shot hurts like a bitch anyway."

"Damn… I've had this planned for too long… I really will kill you! Hell, I've wanted to for a long time! So either leave and keep your mouth shut, or just fucking let me kill you!" Hilda snapped, Momoka's eyes stuck on Ange, and Blaze chuckled, lowering his gun and pulling Ange up, pressing his gun into her back, and once he got close, he pushed her off, Ange turning with a bit of surprise on her face.

"If you're planning to ditch, then take out the watch girl up in the tower first, and leave when the fireworks are going, you'll have cover then… if you make it back alive, I'll pay you a visit while you're in solitary." Blaze turned to leave, the three girls blinking.

"Wait, you're seriously just gonna let us go?! Isn't that something you'd get in trouble for?" Ange scoffed, Blaze turning around.

"I won't get in trouble if nobody figures out I had a part in helping you guys get out of here… which I honestly don't. And not like I could chase you with my para-mail, it's the Festa, I'm restricted from it! So good luck on the mainland, hope you find what you're looking for!" Blaze called out, and before he rounded the corner, he stopped, "Oh, and one more thing."

Blaze turned and took aim again, Hilda and Ange aiming their own weapons, and Blaze snickered, pulling his pistol back and popping the chamber… not a single bullet in the firearm, Ange and Hilda's eyes widening in surprise.

"This wasn't loaded at all." Blaze snickered, dashing around the corner as the two started shooting.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Hilda yelled.

"YOU WERE JUST MESSING WITH US?!" Ange raged, Blaze laughing as he left, coming to a stop once he was a few levels below, leaning on the wall as he laughed.

"Hahahahaha! Ah man that felt good… hehehe, good thing I had that dummy clip on me, or else I couldn't have pulled off that bluff." Blaze chuckled, spinning his gun and then replacing the dummy clip with the real thing. "Now, let's see if I can find a good spot to camp out until the end of the Festa why not?"

A Few Hours Later

Blaze returned to the beach just in time to see the closing announcement for the sports events ending, the crowd beginning to disperse as the girls started to meander around, and as Blaze neared the shore, Naomi trotted up to him.

"There you are! Geez, where did you go?" Naomi asked, leaning on her knees.

"Went back to our room and took a nap." Blaze stated, bluntly to boot, and Naomi sighed.

"Well, maybe it was for the best… so, take a wild guess at who won the sports event!" Naomi chuckled, Blaze raising a brow, "Chris!"

"EHHHH?!" Blaze yelped, jumping back a bit in surprise.

"I know right! Everyone's face when she went ham and just started blowing everyone out of the water was hilarious! Nobody saw it coming!" Naomi laughed, but it began to die down as fireworks began to burst in the sky, everyone stopping and looking at the show as lights began to fill the sky, and Blaze let a smile form as he saw Naomi's face light up, "Pretty…"

"But not the prettiest thing here." Blaze chuckled, Naomi blinking. "That would be you."

Naomi felt her face warm up from Blaze saying that, the young man giving a warm grin, and Naomi chuckled, looking forward again.

"You know… sometimes I wonder… is this really… real? Or am I still in a coma, and just having some kind of dream? One where everything is going right…" Naomi murmured, and she blinked again when Blaze laced his fingers through hers, holding her hand tightly.

"It's real… all of… you waking up, our friends, everything that's happened… none of it is some kind of dream, I promise." Blaze stated, Naomi leaning on his arm.

"Well, I think I'll need a bit more proof tonight… something special." Naomi chuckled, Blaze's face reddening a bit, and he chuckled.

"Alright, I think I can manage." Blaze mused, and he blinked when he saw Salia looking back at them. "Mind if I go? Salia did want to talk to me after all."

"Sure, go ahead. Hmmhmm, try not to accidently shoot her down okay? If she confesses… well…" Naomi hummed.

"I may just let her know I… already know." Blaze sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"Well don't be harsh about. She's tried too hard, now stop talking and just get it done!" Naomi chuckled, pushing Blaze off, the young man stumbling a bit, sighing as he steadied himself, Salia walking over then, the two more or less alone in the space that was allowed.

"Hey. So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Blaze hummed, putting his arms behind his head, Salia nodding.

"Yeah… just… something I've been wanting to say… for a while." Salia muttered, taking a breath, her hands tightening, "Come on Salia, you can do it… right now is the perfect time…"

Salia looked up to look Blaze straight in the eyes, the young man lowering his arms, and Salia shook her head for a moment.

"Blaze… you… I…" Salia let out another breath, getting herself calmed down, "You mean a lot to me… and… I mean it… you just mean so much to me… I… I… love you…"

But as Salia said the last two words, fireworks cracked in the sky, and for a moment, she felt like Blaze hadn't heard her, but, instead, she noticed that Blaze's expression darkened, but, Salia was surprised when he put a hand on her head.

"I know… I've known for a long time Salia… but… right now… I can't… not completely…" Blaze withdrew his hand, Salia's eyes widening.

"You've… known?" Salia gasped, Blaze nodding.

"Of course I did… but… for now… I just can't… It's… a problem with myself." Blaze sighed, not being able to look Salia in the eye, "I don't want to see that face… not that heartbroken expression…"

"But… why? You and Naomi are closer than ever, and so are you and Ersha! So… why?" Salia grabbed Blaze's arms, and he kept looking away, "Please, look at me and tell me…"

"I just… can't… I want to but I can't…" Blaze muttered, and then Salia stepped back, but, Blaze grabbed her hand, "It has nothing to do with you Salia… but… right now…"

"No… I get it…" Salia muttered, also turning away, "I'll just… wait… or something… I don't know…"

Salia slid out of Blaze's grasp and left, Blaze tightening his hand and letting out a breath, looking out to the now fading second volley of fireworks, taking in a breath and steadying himself…

And then he started singing…

Kaze ni toban el ragna Sadame to chigiri kawashite

Kaze ni yukan el ragna Todorokishi tsubasa

The entire crowd present immediately grew silent, turning to Blaze as his voice began to carry out over the bay… singing the same song that he was known for playing on his ocarina at times… the one taught to him ages ago.

Hoshi ni toban el ragna Banri wo koete kanata e

Hoshi ni yukan el ragna Setsuna... Eikyuu wo

Nagare nagare itsukushimu

Mata seishi no yurikago de yawaku

Awadatsu

Aa... Sen no toki no Rinne no tabi

Tsunagi au Te to te sagashi motome

Kokoro kawashi Ibuku kaze yo

Arata na sekai wo tobe

Blaze let out a breath and a slight sigh as he finished, opening his eyes, putting a hand on the back of his head as he let out a chuckle.

"Ehehe… spur of the moment thought I guess?" Blaze chuckled, already backing up from the hungry looks in some of the girls' eyes, and as Blaze had to make a run for it, above, there was a particular shine coming from the Barbatos now… and words rang out from it, words that would remain unheard that day…

"Confirmation of sound key received… Lumiere system… online…"

A/N

And there was…

Blaze: HOLD IT HOLD IT! What the heck was that?!

What?

Blaze: The whole rejecting Salia thing! What was that?!

Uhhh… plot point for later?

Blaze: Oh because she needs to be hurt more… BS, total frickin' BS.

CAN YOU JUST LET ME GIVE THE NEXT CHAPTER PREVIEW?!

Next Chapter Preview!

Blaze: So, you're the first one to make it back, huh, Hilda?

Hilda: You wouldn't get it… there's no way you could…

Blaze: Probably not… but that's the difference between you and me.

Next Chapter: Differences and Similarities