A crackle of energy flashed against the pillar of the Phen'Doe Mar, making Kieran wince.
"What the hell are they firing at us?!" he asked over the din of unfamiliar noise.
Cuore was crouched beside him, hands on the platform in front of her, head ducked down so that the Phen'Doe Mar hid her from the shots.
"SevRhens."
He stared at her, wincing again when another bolt struck near they're hiding spot. "A what?"
"It's a type of Lunarian weapon," she explained, sparing him a brief glance. "they are long range armaments designed to fire off discharges of magical-like energy."
She turned back towards their attackers, "I would not suggest getting struck by one,"
Kieran stared at her flatly, "No duh."
They both cringed when another fired straight over their heads.
They had warped right into the base of what Kieran assumed was a black market or Scorpion Gang hideout, coming face to face with a dozen or so men and women dressed in basic clothing. They had immediately drawn their unfamiliar weapons and started firing.
"Can't you use some magic?" he asked.
Cuore shook her head, "I'd need to see what I'm aiming at or I might make this whole cavern collapse. I assume we're underground."
"Then what do we do? They've got us pinned down and we're all out of SevRhens," he stated sarcastically.
Cuore frowned at him and closed her eyes, bringing to murmur under her breath in a pattern Kieran was getting used to hearing.
"Emperor of flames and heat, come and grant my enemies defeat! Rubicante, I summon thee!"
Kieran wasn't a huge fan of magic. He didn't hate it, but he found it a bit unnerving and more trouble than it was worth. But still, there was something about the way Cuore cast spells and summoned Eidolons to her side that was…enticing.
He could feel the air around her fizz with the magic she called forth, it was as if she was bending the laws of nature to her will. Her voice almost sang the words of the complex summonings, and yet there was something innately familiar about hearing her speak that way.
The emperor of fire appeared with a flick of his cloak, but he was quick to drop down next to his summoner when a shot from one of the SevRhen's barely missed his head.
"Lovely situation you've found yourself in," Rubicante commented.
Cuore flashed him a grin, "Isn't it?"
"I assume you have a plan?" he asked.
She nodded and peeked over the platform for a spilt second before turning to face him, "Do you think you can melt their weapons? SevRhens are made of metal, after all."
Rubicante's expression was dry, "And how am I going to get close enough to do that?"
She rolled her eyes and Kieran frowned, "They hold them outward, can't you get them from here?"
Rubicante cast an annoyed look at him.
Cuore grinned, "Come on, Rubi, it's time to show off. I could always summon Barb out here to take care of it or Mi-"
"No need to insult me," he muttered, standing up.
Kieran watched closely and even then missed everything that happened; Flames danced around their attackers but didn't actually hurt them very badly, it seemed. Their weapons did melt and the few people that did fire off shots merely missed with the low visibility.
As the weapon's fire stopped, Rubicante snapped his fingers and the fires died instantly. Those that had been knocked to the ground in the commotion stared with wide eyed at their new foe while those still standing took off down a rocky corridor.
One man pointed his still-operational SevRhen at the Eidolon, but Rubicante just frowned, reached out and tapped the top of it with his fingertips.
"I wouldn't do that," he commented calmly.
The metal device melted halfway.
The remaining forces scrambled to their feet and took off and Cuore shook her head, "Let them go, we have to figure out where we are."
Her Eidolon nodded and then grinned at her, blowing some excess smoke from his hands.
Cuore rolled her eyes as she got to her feet, "Show off,"
"And?" Rubicante asked, shrugging.
Kieran stood as well and looked around. The walls were brown sandstone, etched into a crude room with jagged contours. The Phen'Doe Mar was at the center with only one exit. There were a few crates and barrels stashed in the corners of the room.
Curious, he wandered over and pried the lid off of one to take a look at the contents.
Cuore came over as well, leaving Rubicante to trail after her. She made a confused face, "Bananas?"
Kieran shook his head and dug a little deeper, revealing glass bottles of golden liquid.
"Elixirs," he commented, pulling one out and holding it up to the lantern light in the room. "Illegal and toxic. This is clearly the black market's hide out."
Cuore nodded but then swayed on her feet, reaching a hand to catch the edge of a crate but missing it regardless.
Kieran caught her by the shoulders before she fell completely to the ground, mentioning, "I wish I had one of these that wasn't noxious. You look like you need one…"
She shook her head and raised a shaky hand to her forehead, "No, I'm fine."
"Liar," he hissed under his breath.
She glared at him, though she looked mildly amused, as if she knew he wasn't really all that angry. He was more worried and shifted his grip on her so she could lean more weight on him, commenting, "We should rest here for a moment before trying to continue onward."
Cuore frowned, "We don't have the time,"
"I'm not arguing with you,"
"And I'm not resting."
He sighed and shot her a pointed look, "Then what are you doing right now?"
Cuore's eyes narrowed, but Rubicante interrupted and gently pried his summoner away from the dark haired young man. Kieran made a face at his protective, almost resentful expression, as if it was solely Kieran's fault Cuore was worn out.
"You should rest, and you should dismiss me. It's draining your energy." Rubicante told her.
She grinned up at him, "But I need you here to clear us a path in case we run into anymore bad guys,"
He sighed but nodded, "Very well."
"And I'd better not catch you healing them…"
They proceeded onward, keeping one eye out in the darken tunnels for more trouble, but also learning as they went.
"These are…" Kieran said, pausing to run his hands along the tubing on the wall, "Oh…what's the word…I saw them in Babil."
Cuore glanced over her shoulder to see what he captured his attention and nodded, "They are fluorescent microfilaments. They supply light."
"How do they produce such a bright, white light?" he asked, hurrying to catch up.
She continued to walk once he was back with them, and Rubicante glanced back to shake his head at them both, though he said nothing and continued to lead.
"They contain a trace amount of mercury, and that is contained within the shell, if you will. A substance is used to-"
She trailed off and paused, cocking her head to one side, "Did you hear that?"
"That bang?" Kieran asked, stopping at her side and drawing his weapon in one fluid arc, "Yes."
Cuore drew her katanas and nodded, frowning.
They crept along the wall carefully, following the small noises they heard coming from up ahead until they stopped outside one of the large metal doors. For once, it was flung open, revealing a storage room inside.
There were boxes, and sacks, but most of all there was a long table set up in the middle of the room with clearly Lunarian tech scattered about.
Cuore's eyes widen and Kieran glanced at her, likewise surprised by how much there was. If all the doors in this place hid similar rooms, then the world was littered with more Lunarian garbage then anyone had thought possible.
These pieces were just stolen from the divine delta. The Scorpion Gang had to have found them in more places than that.
As they processed what they saw, they overheard a conversation, "I'm not really sure what this is supposed to do," one man said, fiddling with a device in front of him.
A woman across the table shrugged, "Who cares? We'll make something up when we try to sell it. No one's going to question us."
"Belladonna likes to know what everything does, though," he complained, breaking a piece off and wincing.
His associate frowned at him, "Well, I don't see her down here helping,"
"Don't say that so loudly!" he hissed.
Cuore glanced at Rubicante, who frowned, and Kieran noted that they said nothing, yet seemed to be having a conversation. He sighed lightly, annoyed at being ignored and waited to see what they were going to do.
Kieran made note that she completely ignored him since the archfiend had joined them, and he mused that perhaps she had favorites among her Eidolons. After all, none of the others had remained in this world this long.
Then again, she was still uneasy on her feet, and she hadn't used any other magic since powering the matter stream. Maybe she was relaying on Eidolon guardian to keep her upright.
Engaging in a fight against these few guards seemed to be a waste of time, but he wasn't sure what Cuore would decide to do.
She glanced at him and nodded her head in the direction of the furthest tunnel from them. He nodded understanding and they moved on.
Cuore's steps were soundless, and Kieran tried his best to mimic her as they walked, further into the lair. The stone hallways turned to twisting paths and the bright lights from before faded into patches of lanterns.
Once they were sure they were alone, Rubicante set a hand on her shoulder, making her look up and back at him.
"Release me back," he remarked, "You're tired."
She frowned and Kieran nodded, "I've got to agree. You're moving a little sluggishly."
She glared at him, but sighed and then nodded, dismissing her Eidolon back to the Feymarch before glancing down at her wrist, reading the output on the device she had attached.
"I'm reading power surges coming from this way. It's faint, but…I don't understand what it could be…" she explained.
"What is this spike?" Kieran asked, reaching over her shoulder to tap the display.
Cuore glanced at him, surprised, and he shrugged, "I've been keeping an eye on that thing. The Phen'Doe Mar spiked in different places, so, what Lunarian device makes that sort of power profile?"
"I'm uncertain," she commented, frowning, "It's not something very large, maybe…"
There were footsteps coming towards them and he grabbed her arm to pull her into the first alcove they saw, which seemed to be a smaller storage room like the others, though this one was thankfully empty.
Kieran pressed his back against the wall of the alcove and watched Cuore shut the display on her bracelet, plunging them into darkness.
A few people hurried by with snippets of conversations that didn't make much sense out of context.
They stayed where they were for a moment or two more and then Kieran sighed, "Can that Ii'Tash read all magic? Can you find the kids with it?" he whispered.
Cuore was frowning as she tapped the controls, "I've been trying, but I haven't been able to find them…"
She wandered out of their hiding spot and looked up and down the hallway, "I suggest we keep moving."
They started again and Kieran fidgeted, looking around, and finally drew Cuore's gaze. She frowned at him, "What is it?"
"This has trap written all over it," he commented. "All that weapon's fire when we first arrived didn't draw anyone's attention?"
Cuore pursed her lips, "A valid point…"
"We should be cautious." he warned, adjusting the grip on his weapon.
She nodded and they moved on, deciding to head for the power they were reading and go from there.
They encountered no more people, and that just made it all the more obvious they were walking into a trap. Cuore was doing a good job of pretending she wasn't unfocused, but Kieran could tell by her pace and less graceful footing that she was.
It wasn't until she actually did trip, making him catch her and hold her upright, that Kieran forced her to sit on a crate and take a break.
She complained, he ignored her and leaned against the wall opposite, keeping an eye on one passageway.
Cuore massaged her temples, "I am fine," she insisted.
"Uh huh," he muttered, crossing his arms and switching his gaze to the other tunnel.
She frowned at him and let her hands drop into her lap, shifting uneasily as she sat, as if she couldn't wait to be moving again.
Kieran frowned at her, "What is it?"
"I…" she bit her lip, "I don't…like the feeling of being vulnerable."
He just stared at her, "Who does?"
Cuore sighed and glanced away, "I feel safer around my Eidolons, but even then, I prefer to know that I can take care of myself…"
"You're just mad because it's me you're stuck with," he teased, hoping to get her mind off where they were for a moment.
She grinned at him, "Exactly. How awful."
"Your life is hard," he agreed in a joking fashion, pushing off the wall. "Come on, we should go spring this trap."
Cuore nodded and he held out his hand to her. She blinked at it and then looked amused. "Since when are you so nice?" she asked him, looking up.
He rolled his eyes and she hopped to her feet without assistance.
It took another fifteen minutes at least until they come within range of the unknown power spike the device showed them. Even this close Cuore mentioned she couldn't get a clear reading on what it was, and they stood at the threshold of one of the impressive looking metal doors.
They stared at it.
"What do you think is on the other side?" Kieran asked, idly twirling his weapon through his fingers.
Cuore shrugged, closing the Ii'Tash and drawing her katanas, "Giant monster,"
"Robot," he guessed.
She smirked, "Dragon,"
"Zombie robot dragon,"
They both exchanged a glance and then a nod, preparing themselves for what might be on the other side. Kieran knew they were probably in over their head, but they'd come this far and he'd promised her he would do whatever it took to find her brother.
They threw open the door and came face to face with a group of heavily armed men and women who opened fire with more SevRhens.
Cuore and Kieran ducked back around the door, only to see more soldiers running form both ends of the tunnels to meet them.
"Trap," both Cuore and Kieran intoned at the same time.
She flashed him a grin he recognized as a challenge and dashed forward to meet the first of the attackers head on. Before they had any time to discharge their weapons, she had sliced the weapons in half with one blade and knocked them back with another.
Spinning around, she called to Kieran, "Cover me while I summon!"
He gave her a look, wondering how exactly she expected him to do that but nevertheless ran forward and dodged one shot to flick his blade and disarm the nearest guard.
Deciding his swallow wasn't going to do him any good, he instead picked up the fallen weapon and held it at them, "I have no idea what this does, but I'd love to find out."
Those closest flinched, and Kieran pointed it instead at one of the barrels nearby, letting the bolt fire out and strike the object.
It went up in a burst of fire and smoke, proving that there had been something inside. It provided the distraction he was hoping for and he tossed the SevRhen aside, glancing back at his comrade to check on how she was faring.
Cuore's voice reached a fever pitch at that moment; "Embodiment of pain and night, come forth and end this fight!" Anima, I summon thee!"
The whole place trembled as the summoning crest flashed dark blue, and everyone froze.
There was something in the air, a tension that was almost painful against the skin, before all the false calm was shattered with an ear piercing screech.
It was inhuman yet terrifyingly familiar, and Kieran cringed as the beast rose behind Cuore, as if clawing its way out of the ground, though its hands were bound to its chest by thick chains.
The Eidolon was as scary as any monster that had ever been seen, and quite a few of their attackers ran, screaming, even before she tipped her head and screamed again.
Kieran winced and covered his ears, though that didn't seem to help the noise any. No, the shriek was soul wrenching, as if Anima were vocally ripping apart thoughts and dreams.
Cuore's touch on his shoulder lessened the pain somewhat and he glanced at her, apparently fine from her Eidolon's attack.
"Sorry," she said, looking apologetic, "I didn't think it would affect you, as well."
Those around them crumpled to the ground, falling into an unconscious state. Cuore waved a hand at Anima and her cry ceased.
Kieran closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping the raging headache he felt would subside shortly.
He glanced at those around them, lying in dazed heaps on the floor, and even without voicing his concern, Cuore spoke up as she nodded to Anima and dismissed her. "They'll be fine. Anima's paralysis only lasts for about an hour."
"And me?" he complained, rubbing the back of his neck, still out of it.
She smiled at him and brushed past, "You'll be fine in a few minutes, sorry about that."
They entered the previously guarded room, finding that all its occupants were in similar states, save for one, who was kneeling on the ground.
She looked up and smirked, pulling a helmet made of crystal off her head, flicking a visor back as she did so. Short, cropped blonde hair fell down and covered one eye as she stood.
Their weapons were at the ready as she tossed the crystal headgear aside, "Nicely done, High Summoner. I didn't expect to meet you here of all people, but I applaud you for felling so many of my comrades."
Cuore frowned, "And you are?"
The woman smirked again, "Me? Well, I'm Belladonna, mistress of the Scorpion Gang."
Kieran knew she was up to something, but she made no moves and merely gestured to the discarded helmet, "The Lunarians made such…interesting items. That blocks magic, telepathy and provides information on targets just by looking at them."
She eyed Cuore, "Funny thing, though…couldn't read you…"
"I'm not surprised," Cuore muttered, lifting one katana and pointing it at her, "Where's my brother?"
Belladonna didn't reply and just held up her hand, palm upwards, "Do you know what this is?" she used her other hand to press it and a shrill siren went off, not unlike that of Anima's scream.
This one, however, didn't feel like it was ripping apart his soul, it was just annoying and Kieran used his free hand to cover his ear, wincing.
Cuore, on the other hand, screamed as if it hurt and dropping her weapons to the ground, clutching at her head. She collapsed first to her knees and then just as the device shorted out, she fell onto her side, eyes rolling into the back of her head.
Kieran knelt beside her worriedly and checked her pulse. It was racing, but it was steady, though she didn't wake up.
Belladonna sauntered over, smiling, "A stunner. They affect those with magic in their blood. Funny thing for the Lunarians to make, but I'm not complaining. That was my last one, but its well worth the effort to take out the only living Maenad."
Kieran glared at her and she grinned, pointing a SevRhen at him. This close, he could make out the bluish runes on the top and the pulse of power through barely visible channels along the sides.
"Your magic user is down, care to give up?" Belladonna asked, one hand on her hip.
He sighed, "I guess I don't have much choice, do I?"
"No," she chuckled, holding out her free hand. He reluctantly gave her his swallow and she took a few steps back, mentioning; "Don't worry, your little pet isn't dead, she's just resting."
"How do these…stunners work?" Kieran asked, keeping one hand on Cuore's arm as she slept.
The woman shrugged, "Hell if I know. I don't really get any of this tech, but who cares? I keep enough to keep me and my gang safe and the rest we sell to idiots who will probably fry themselves trying to figure it out."
He scoffed, "What's in it for you?"
"Gil," she said, shrugging. "What else?"
"How'd you get involved with the black market?" he asked shortly, somewhat glad she was chatty.
Belladonna leaned against an odd looking crystalline device behind her. It stood about six feet in the air and appeared to be cracked with the way sparks crackled along a thin looking scar along the edge of one side. It had a metal casing around the base and coils of steel wire wrapped around it, but it did pulse lightly.
"You're quite interested in me," she mused, eyeing him, "Guess it couldn't hurt to talk, seeing as I'll be killing you in a few minutes, anyway. Besides, it's been awhile since any guy was interested in talking with me…"
Belladonna braced her foot on the device behind her and rested the SevRhen on top of her knee, resting her arm but still keeping it poised to shoot him.
"Well, the Scorpion Gang has always had an interest in Lunarians and their advancements. Just think what these weapons and technology could do to our world if we figured out how to use them?"
"Yes," he said scathingly, "Think of all the people you could kill with advanced weapons."
Belladonna laughed, "It's not just about weapons, though yes, I'm in love with this little slinger, here…" she rubbed the top of her SevRhen. "I once cured a dying old woman of some unknown disease with a Lunarian orb. It shattered afterwards, but just think if we could make more of those?"
"So you're a saint?" Kieran asked, scoffing.
She shrugged, "Not exactly. I want money, remember? But people pay a lot of money for miracles. The black market was so small ten years ago…petty and trading mere swords from one kingdom to the other. Now they trade powerful items that are capable of more than anything we can dream up…"
She shrugged, "The Scorpion Gang finds the tech, the black market provides channels for us to sell it off. It's a win for everyone."
"And the elixirs?" Kieran asked, frowning.
Belladonna brushed dust off her black and purple jumpsuit as if she was disinterested in the topic. "What about them? The black market's bestselling product, I guess. The only reason I got involved was because I found the extra Serpent's Roads and who doesn't want to use them?"
He nodded towards the thing behind her, "And that?"
Belladonna looked over her shoulder, frowning, "I'm not sure…" She turned back and smirked, gesturing to Cuore's form still collapsed on the ground. "I'm hoping your pretty friend can help me with that one."
"What makes you think she knows anything?" he retorted. Surprisingly, he felt a surge of protectiveness over the woman's statement.
She chuckled lightly, "Oh please, I'm not stupid. You're from Baron; didn't you people ask her to help with your airships? She's some brilliant super genius, right?"
Kieran blinked and the woman smirked again, kicking his swallow that was at her feet, "This is a Baron make."
"You're from there,"
"Clearly," she bragged, pushing off the crystal behind her. "We always did make the best weapons,"
Kieran glared at her, "What makes you think that Cuore's going to help you with anything? You kidnapped her brother,"
Belladonna wandered over, SevRhen swinging at her side. She knelt in front of him and used her non-weapon hand to lift his chin, "Because she's not going to want anything to happen to you, of course."
He made a face and she smiled wickedly, "Don't worry, though; As long as she tells me what that thing back there does, I won't hurt you."
"You should be more worried about yourself," Kieran commented.
Belladonna raised an eyebrow, "Why is that?"
He smirked and clasped the two pieces of the Ii'Tash around her arm before flicking a switch on the side. It overloaded and with wide eyes and a cry, Belladonna reeled back as the device shocked her.
It burned out in a few seconds and he stood, kicking her fallen SevRhen out of reach as she clutched her arm to her chest, curled into the ground, pain flashing across her features.
"That's why," Kieran said, glaring at her. "You were right, after all. We from Baron are pretty good at figuring out how things work, aren't we?"
"Go to hell," Belladonna hissed, trying to pry the bracelet off her arm. She cried out in pain and he frowned, "I wouldn't do that. It's likely fused to your arm. A white mage might be able to get it off, but you're just going to rip all your skin off."
She glared up at him but he just grabbed her, hauled her to her feet, and pushed her to sit at the base of the glowing rock behind her. Kieran bent to pick up his weapon and scowled at her, "Now, where are those missing kids?"
Belladonna made a weird face, still clutching her arm, "That's what this is about? Some stupid kids?"
Kieran bent to retrieve her discarded SevRhen and looked it over, "I've seen what this can do, I'm curious though how much damage it does at point blank range."
She scoffed, "Are you trying to scare me? I've faced down soldiers from almost every kingdom, I've been locked in Lunarian strongholds…You're not going to make me talk."
Kieran grinned, "Well, you can talk to me, or we can wait for Curoe to wake up. Your choice."
Belladonna looked away, pursing her lips.
He shrugged and backed away, keeping an eye on her, "Alright, then we wait."
Cuore moaned and slowly opened her eyes. It took a moment for the room to focus, and then she felt her Eidolons hastily check on her. She took a moment to assure them she was alright, even if she was having trouble piecing together what had happened.
"Welcome back,"
She blinked and shifted to sit up enough to look towards the voice, "Kieran? What happened?"
"You passed out. Lunarian device." he explained, not really telling her much.
Cuore groaned again and tried to sit up, surprised when Kieran gripped her shoulders, helping her, and even more so when his fingers barely grazed her cheek.
"Are you alright?"
She blinked at him, confused as to why his tone of voice was different and distracted by the way he was half-hugging her. She decided her head was still muddled from the stunner.
"I'm fine," she whispered, catching his hand and removing it from her cheek.
Kieran nodded towards the other side of the room, but didn't release her completely, "Meet Belladonna, leader of the Scorpion Gang. She has no idea what that thing does behind her and she suddenly become quiet when I wanted to know anything about the missing children."
Cuore glared at the woman and she glared right back, obviously knowing they were talking about her.
Cuore got to her feet, annoyed Kieran insisted on helping her, and finally pushed him away with a slight frown. Turning her attention to the woman in front of them, she was overcome with the urge to smack her in the face.
Here was the woman who had taken her brother from her, who had poisoned the world with her vile elixirs and who had, just a moment ago, tried to kill them.
"It's just us. The door is locked and I moved all the others out into the hallway in case they woke up." Kieran explained.
Cuore nodded and walked forward, "Good."
Belladonna gave her a once over, "Oh, is this the part where you torture me and I spill all my secrets?"
Cuore found her attitude about the situation to be repulsive, adding fuel to the fires of her rage.
The woman must have noticed how it affected her because she smirked, "Oh, does my sarcasm bother you? Too bad, sweetheart. I've got nothing to say to you, and you're crazy if you think you're getting out of here alive. My men will come too and they vastly outnumber you, even with your witchy powers."
Cuore noted the Ii'Tash attached to her forearm and the burned skin around it and decided to ask Kieran about that later.
"Where is my brother?" Cuore demanded.
Belladonna raised an eyebrow, "How the hell should I know?"
Enraged, she reached out and snagged the front of the woman's high collared shirt and pulled her to her feet, snarling, "Don't waste my time! Where is my brother?!"
Belladonna laughed in her face, though she winced at the rough treatment, "Your brother…was he that cute kid with the sage hair? Are you hoping to find him? Is that it?"
Cuore trembled and Belladonna whispered, "Emphasis on the word 'was' in my last sentence."
Her temper boiled over and she slammed the arrogant woman into the crystal behind her, having trouble deciding what spell to use on her. Melt her skin with inferno? Freeze her soul with whiteout? Crack her bones with cataclysm?
With a wince, the woman just chuckled again, "Everyone is so scared of you, Maenad. It's kind of laughable, actually."
Cuore snarled at her, "I know you're lying! Where is my brother?"
Belladonna just frowned and said nothing.
"I have ten Eidolons who heed my orders, two katanas forged out of rare Lunarian materials and a dozen deadly spells at my disposal, please, continue to waste my time…"
The woman winced when she was slammed back again but still wore an annoying smirk, "Oh please, if you kill me I can't tell you anything, and none of my men will, either. You're wasting your time on trying to threaten me, I've heard it all before."
Cuore trembled with all the force of her emotions; rage at this pathetic woman trying to stall her, hatred that such people existed in the world in the first place, guilt that Leo had been taken and she hadn't found him yet.
"Your dearest little brother is gone," Belladonna mocked, grinning up at her.
There were warnings from her Eidolons, but Cuore ignored them and released the woman, letting her fall to the floor with a surprised exclamation.
Her voice was deadly calm.
"Do you honestly think that I'm in any mood to play games?" she hissed. "I'm a Maenad, do you know what that means?"
The woman watched her carefully and Cuore knelt down, narrowing her eyes and running her fingers along Belladonna's temple, "It means, you stupid, pathetic sample of inferior design that I can slip my way into your mind and shred your memories until I find what I want."
"Cuore…"
There was a warning tone in Kieran's voice, and she paused, watching as Belladonna swallowed thickly, still trying to put up a brave front. "You'd never cross that moral line,"
"Watch me." she retorted.
The woman's gaze flickered in Kieran's direction, "He wouldn't let you."
"He's not the one whose brother you took," Cuore reminded her sharply. "Tell me where Leo is. Now. Or I go digging into your skull and see what secrets I find."
She was surprised when Kieran grabbed her arm and hauled her away; surprised and annoyed.
"Alright, stop it." he commented, frowning at her. "You're not yourself."
"She is-"
He tightened his grip on her arm, "Yes, I know. She's awful, she's weaker then you are, she's clearly telling you lies, but…" he sighed and his intense tone faded into a softer one. "This isn't like you. Not like the Cuore that I know."
She dropped her gaze, annoyed he was telling her the same thing her Eidolons would if she hadn't silenced their portion of the link for a moment.
"Look, I get it, okay? You're mad, you're hurting but Cuore, this isn't right." He told her quietly. "I might do the same thing if I were in your position but I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't stop you from going something that you'd regret."
She closed her eyes, "Your right."
It was hard to admit that, and hard to let go of all her wrath but he was right. What she was considering doing was wrong. She'd always known it was wrong.
Belladonna laughed from behind them, "Ah, I knew it; your all talk."
Kieran glared at her over his shoulder and Cuore frowned, annoyed.
"Let me go and I'll tell you where your brother is, deal?" she asked, tipping her head to one side in a mocking fashion.
Kieran glared at her, "You're trying to bargain your way out of this?"
"What?" she asked, shrugging.
Cuore crossed her arms, "Are you sure I can't just read her mind?"
Belladonna chuckled, "Every second you waste talking to me…well, need I say more?"
"Fine," Kieran snapped, pointing at her, "We'll let you go after we've seen if this information is any good you have."
"No deal. Freedom first."
"And what's to stop you from just running off?" he asked, frowning. "We're not stupid."
Belladonna shrugged one shoulder, "Whatever. I'm not saying anything unless I'm promised a full pardon."
There was a tense standoff and Cuore was surprised when Kieran glanced at her and then turned back to Belladonna, muttering, "Fine."
The fact that he was willing to let this awful person go for Cuore's sake both flattered and bothered her. They had little choice, but she still found it disgusting.
Because of her feelings on the matter, as conflicted as they were, she stayed away as Kieran finished negotiating with the sickeningly arrogant woman and watched with annoyance as she walked by, intent on leaving and stopped at Cuore's side to grin.
"Your brother isn't here anymore. He summoned some…thing and scared my men half to death. I let him and his little pals run off into the snow. They've likely frozen by now. I heard a storm was coming."
Cuore was too stunned to move, but Belladonna stopped at the door and tossed them a smile with one last comment; "Good luck,"
Leo was alone, with the other children, out in a snow storm.
She raced for the nearest exit, fearing that Belladonna's sardonic words were true. If they were, she'd never forgive herself.
She could hear Kieran following behind her, and luckily they easily backtracked to the exit, coming across no one but already knocked out members of the gang from their visit.
The exit was a stark contrast to the inside of the caverns and they paused at the edge of the snow, looking out into the white wasteland.
"I can't believe you just let her go," Cuore said quietly.
Kieran shrugged, "She's got an Ii'Tash fused to her arm. Are you telling me there's no way to track that? Besides, I'm still holding out hope that Baron is going to show up any minute."
She grinned as they stepped out into the frosty fields. Snow was falling rapidly and Kieran shivered, "It's colder up here,"
"Our elevation is higher," she replied, looking over the endless terrain. Her heart sank as she saw how much ground they had to cover still. The kids were out in these elements and lost, what were the chances of finding them at all?
"That reminds me," Kieran said beside her. "What was that thing behind her?"
Despite the dire situation, Cuore grinned and turned to him, "A rock."
"…What?" he said, confused.
She chuckled and started down the hill, "It was just a piece of rock. There's nothing special about it."
"But…it was glowing," he argued, following after her.
She shrugged, "That was a piece of the moon they used as a ship. That's why it was giving out a slight power spike. But truthfully, it's completely useless unless someone were to melt it down and use it for scrap metal."
"Irony." he mused.
They started to walk but it quickly became obvious that they wouldn't have an easy time finding the kids. The worst of the storm seemed to be over, but the fresh snow covered any possible tracks. The area was deathly silent, the way it always was in winter, and there were no signs of movement as far as the eye could see. There were patches of trees and ground cover, but nothing that would led them to the missing children.
Cuore's legs gave out underneath her and she fell to her knees, drained.
Emotionally, physically and mentally drained.
It had been a hard road, one filled with unease and torment and after everything they had been through, it was going to end like this.
So close yet so far away.
She braced her weight on her hands and hung her head, feeling tears pool under her lashes.
What did they do now? Where did they go from here?
"Cuore?"
She pulled her fingers into the snow, fisting some of the powdery substance between her fingers. "I…I don't know what to do."
She hated feeling so useless, so helpless, so unsure. It was hard to even know where to go from here, since the situation seemed horrible hopeless.
Kieran hesitantly set a hand on her shoulder, kneeling beside her, "Hey, we'll find him."
She bit her lip, "I've already told you; you can't promise me that."
"I promised you that we'd try," he countered.
She glared at him, "We did try, look where that got us!"
"So what? We give up? When we're this close?" Kieran argued, squeezing her shoulder. "Come on, Cuore. Pull yourself together."
She wanted to believe him, she wanted his words to move her into action, but she found herself unable too. Everything just seemed so hard, suddenly…
There was a rumble overhead and they both glanced upwards, seeing an airship flying above them. It's shadow passed over, blocking out the sunlight for a brief moment.
Kieran made a face, "Really? One airship? Wow, thanks. Your faith in my word is amazing…"
It went overhead, making the tops of nearby trees dance briefly. The rumble slowly faded and he sighed, "Well, I did tell them to go to Fabul…"
Cuore opened her eyes and stared at the snow beneath her, "Maybe…we should do the same?"
"It's worth a shot. The kids might have gone that way, too. And even if they didn't, we can get help. I think we've gotten as far as we can without help."
She nodded, distracted, and stood, trying her best to defeat these unhelpful emotions. Phoenix said she had to face them as she would a foe. Cuore found that description to be perfectly apt.
They changed direction slightly and followed on the ground the same path the airship had been seen taking. Still, it would take them a long time to reach Fabul with their current pace.
There was a rustle off to the side and they both drew their weapons, staring into some underbrush that was littered along a winding, uneven pathway.
Cuore squinted into the bushes, trying to make out what it could be, when the rustle moved to the left. She glanced over and saw a boy fall out of the scrubs, landing flat on his face with a surprised sound.
There were whisperings and a little girl poked her head out to prod the boy's shoulder, "Felix! I told you to be careful, I heard something…" she trailed off, eyes wide as she spotted the other humans.
Cuore blinked, surprised at seeing children, and lowered her blades.
The boy, apparently named Felix, sat up and rubbed his head before freezing once he spotted them too.
They were frozen in fear, it looked like, and Cuore was too surprised to say anything at all.
Then there was another sound of movement and a familiar boy stepped out from around a taller brush, face wary, "Hey, what…"
Leo's expression brightened, "Cuore!"
There was nothing in the world that could have felt better than seeing him and hearing his voice. The relief Cuore felt was almost painful.
Her katanas slipped from her fingers as tears stung her eyes, "Leo!"
He moved to run towards her but she was faster and dashed over, dropped to her knees and pulled her younger sibling into a bone-crushing embrace.
"Oh, little brother," she whispered, one hand caught in his fluffy hair and the other wrapped tightly around his smaller frame.
He chuckled weakly, "Sissy…I knew you'd find me."
Her tears finally fell at that and she gave him another squeeze, feeling him return the embrace with his own tiny arms.
Cuore finally realized she needed to make sure he was alright and she pushed him away, hands on his shoulders, to look him over.
His skin was cold to the touch, his cloak was missing, she noted. Worst of all he seemed tired and shaky, and there were bruises on his face.
Her hand softly brushed aside his bangs, "Oh, Leo…"
He smiled faintly, "I'm okay."
She wasn't so sure, but then he sort of half-fell against her, leaning heavily into her and resting his head on her shoulder as he looked back.
"Guys, it's okay…"
Felix stood and brushed snow off his clothing while Rainbow nervously brushed at her hair, obviously realizing they could move now.
Leo grinned up at her, "These are my friends."
Cuore smiled at them, hoping they would relax now that they realized no one was in danger anymore.
"Everyone, this is my sister, Cuore."
He gestured to them, "That's Felix, and Rainbow, and Raj and…"
Leo made a face, "Where's Titania?"
The others all looked around, confused, and it was Raj who frowned and spoke, "I really don't know…she was here a second ago…"
Rainbow tugged at her disheveled appearance before reaching into her pocket and pulling out a crumpled note, "She gave me this a few minutes ago and told me not to read it…I didn't really know what it was…"
Leo made a face and Cuore reached out to take it from the little girl, holding it down so Leo could see it while she read the apparently missing little girl's note.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I have to be home before the sun sets today, you see. One of my aunts found me and is writing this for me. She said that people are coming to find you. She says you'll all be safe. I'm glad to have met you all. Thank you. Titania."
Leo made a face again, "I don't get it…where'd she go?"
"Maybe she's in Fabul," Cuore suggested softly, still holding him close.
Raj snorted, "Nice of her aunt to tell us this in person!"
Rainbow rolled her eyes, "Gosh, stop being so mean."
"Yeah," Felix muttered, fixing his hat.
There was a familiar rumble overhead and everyone looked up, Kieran was the first to make a comment, "They must be circling since we weren't in the city,"
Cuore nodded and picked her brother up so she could stand, "We should have them fly the children back to the city so they can rest."
He nodded and glanced over at the kids who were staring, awed by the sight of the large ship in the sky.
"Hey, any of you want to ride an airship?" he asked.
Rainbow's eyes widened, "For real?"
Raj wrinkled his nose, "Are those things safe?"
Kieran grinned at him, "You can always walk the rest of the way,"
Raj glared at him. Leo giggled and buried his face into his sister's neck to try and muffle the sound.
She gave him another hug, silently vowing to never let him out of her sight again.
The airship must have spotted them because it circled around once and then shifted over to land in an open space nearby.
Kieran waved the other children over, "Come on, first one there gets to see the engine room."
They all perked up and raced towards the ship, while Cuore glanced at him, amused. He shrugged and walked past her while she slowly made her way through the snow, refusing to release her brother.
Leo spoke up as they walked, "I knew you'd come find me. Whenever I got scared, I just reminded myself that you were coming."
Cuore hugged him tightly and kissed his forehead, "Always, little brother. Always."
She closed her eyes, "I'm sorry it took me so long,"
"It's okay. I didn't make it easy. We had to run." he explained, arms wrapped around her neck.
They came within range of the airship and Cuore noticed that the kids were already talking excitedly about the ship, the little girl being brave enough to reach out and stroke the side of it.
Cuore was surprised when Leo wriggled in her arms, clearly wanting to be put down. She was reluctant to do so, but he finally flashed her a grin, "I'll be fine sissy. They're my friends."
She sighed, but smile, and gently set him down on his feet.
Leo raced over towards them, calling out something about how airships weren't as cool as Eidolons.
Amused, Cuore chuckled and silently thanked her Eidolons for their help, telling them to find Fenrir and thank him, as well.
"He didn't have to come to my brother's aid…"
"The Feymarch adores Leo," Phoenix mentioned. "Fenrir says it was his pleasure to assist."
Curoe smiled, but worriedly played with her sash around her hips. Fenrir had bound himself to Leo by coming to help him, and the way was not approved by the Eidolons entirely. Still, if there were no hard feelings, then perhaps everything was fine.
Leo looked over and called, "Cuore! Can you summon something?!"
She grinned and nodded, whispering a quick, sing-songy spell and bringing forth the cheeriest of Eidolons; Midgardsormr.
He winked at her and she giggled, knowing he would enjoy playing with the children.
"Hey kids! Wanna hear a joke?" he asked, slithering through the snow towards them. They squealed and giggled, and Leo shot her a happy smile.
She realized her back felt lighter than it should and sighed, realizing she'd left her katanas back in the clearing. She'd have to retrieve them before they left.
Not only that, but she owed them help with rounding up all the Scorpion Gang members, tracking down Belladonna and figuring out what to do with all the stolen Lunarian tech and illegal elixirs.
She sighed. There was still so much to do.
"I just want to go home…" she thought wearily.
"Blade dancer,"
Cuore turned at the familiar nickname and reflex took over, leading her to reach up and snag her blades out of the air. She frowned at Kieran, who had thrown them, and he just grinned back.
"I figured you would want those,"
She nodded and sheathed them, "Yes, especially since we need to go deal with the Scorpion Gang hideout."
Kieran shrugged and gestured behind him, "It's fine. There's another airship coming and I already told them where it was and what was going on."
Cuore frowned lightly, "But…"
"Don't worry," he said, shrugging again, "Baron is slow but they get it. I'm just glad Kain's not here…he's going to be mad…"
She smiled sympathetically, "I know. We should get these kids back to Fabul so they can rest, but I will help you explain everything and deal with this mess we've made."
Kieran shook his head, "No, you take your brother and go home, Cuore."
She blinked, "What?"
"I already told captain what's-his-face that he's too take you back to Eblan and take these other kids back home. The reinforcements will handle the crime situation."
"But…I should stay and help explain the situation…and wait, how come they're listening to you?" she said, tipping her head to one side.
Kieran winced, "They aren't. I lied. Said it was Kain's idea."
She just stared at him. He shrugged, "What? He's going to mad anyway, I might as well abuse a little power while I can…"
"But this is my fault, all of it. I should-"
He groaned, "Go home."
"Are you…sure?" Cuore asked, staring at him skeptically.
Kieran nodded, "Yes, more airships are already on the way. They'll be here shortly. Take your brother and go home, Cuore."
She hesitated and he made a shooing motion with one hand, "I'm serious, go!"
She smiled, then, noting the hint of amusement in his voice.
"Thank you," Cuore said, half turning as she spoke, already taking steps towards where her brother was waiting.
Her smiled widened when she saw him talking animatedly with his new friends, no worse for wear after his ordeal.
Still, everything could have turned out very differently, and the possibility of what could have been haunted her.
Leo meant the world to her, and she failed him.
Everything had worked out in the end. Leo was safe, they had found the other missing children, stopped the masterminds of this plot and discovered even more long buried secrets of the Lunarians.
None of it would have been possible if she had been alone in this endeavor. When she failed, someone else picked up and did what she couldn't.
Cuore paused and took a moment to watch her brother argue with the older boy, Raj, about something before he gave up, rolled his eyes and turned his back, deciding to ignore him.
Sometimes the best friendships and bonds were formed out of opponents; Sometimes that tension was needed to strengthen and sharpen, like iron against iron to forge an impressive blade.
Bonds were what made life worthwhile and meaningful, and without them, everyone would be forced to stand on their own.
And alone, what could someone hope to do?
"I'm glad Leo has found some comrades…" she thought, amused by their antics.
Alone she would have failed to find her brother, of that she had no doubt, so she turned, glancing back over her shoulder.
It was spontaneous; she was caught up in sentimentality and giddy with joy at rescuing Leo.
At least, that was how Cuore justified running back over and tossing her arms around Kieran. He had obviously not been expecting it, half turned away as he was, and stiffened at the contact.
"Thank you," Cuore whispered, closing her eyes and refusing to feel embarrassed for the action.
There was a spilt second in which she thought he might shove her away and ask what she was thinking, but then he sighed and relaxed. He freed one arm from being pinned and wrapped it around her shoulder, apparently accepting the embrace.
"You're welcome."
She smiled, somewhat surprised by the soft tone of his voice though it pleased her. She could get used to hearing him talk to her like that.
Cuore pulled back, leaving his arm to slide off her shoulder, releasing her, though she didn't move away just yet.
Instead she leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Kieran froze again, obviously caught off guard.
Cuore flashed him a grin, "I owe you one, Kieran Astor."
Before he could recover enough to speak or move, she dashed back over to where Leo was, tired but alive and well, spending time with his friends.
"Alright, let's get you home." She said, smiling.
They looked relieved, and Leo hugged her around the waist, "I'm ready to go home, sissy."
"Me too."
As they boarded the airship, she squinted and noticed the others incoming from a distance and bit her lip, feeling badly for leaving Kieran to deal with all of it on his own. But, he had told her to go, so she would.
It was her duty to make sure the children got home safely. She would do the best job she could.
"Sissy!"
Cuore's eyes snapped open at the loud, excited call of her brother just as he threw himself on her sleeping form.
The air was pushed out of her and she coughed lightly before grinning at him, "Yes, little brother?"
The smile on his face was so large it was almost frightening as he looked down at her, "Cuore! You have to come downstairs! Mom and dad just told me the best news ever!"
She grinned, "Did they now?"
"Yeah, come on!"
He hopped up and down on her bed and she giggled, rolling onto her side and giving him a light push, "I'll be right down, how about you go on ahead?"
Leo sighed, but hopped off the bed anyway, "Alright, but you better hurry! This is the best news!"
Cuore sat up and watched him dash out of her room, smiling.
This was her home, and everything was right in the world so long as she was here, and so was her family.
For all of the darkness she had run into over the past week while searching for Leo, coming back here to her family completely safe and intact made up for it.
She was grateful beyond words.
Cuore slid from under her covers and brushed her long, teal hair over one shoulder, looking out the window and pressing her other hand's palm flat against the cool glass.
It was snowing, almost so much that it was a whiteout, but she still smiled.
The world wasn't perfect, but it was still her home.
Since her return, she had endured quite a few reprimands about her behavior and how she had handled the situation.
Mostly her parents were overly worried about the whole thing, but relieved they were both alright.
She hadn't lied exactly to save face with them and the rest of the world; she had just edited the truth lightly.
The story she told would be almost perfectly accurate, just with a few minor changes.
Rather than tell her parents that Mysidia had been unhelpful and almost completely the opposite, she'd said that their investigation with the black market put them on the right track.
After all, she'd learned plenty in Mysidia, just not from the authorities.
Rather than explain that Kain had been trapped for days in meetings with Mysidia's council to try and gain access to their evidence to help, she just told everyone that Baron had given her invaluable information on the subject.
Which was true; Cecil and Rosa had told her everything, right before they told her not to get involved.
And instead of tattling on Kieran for breaking nearly every rule he could, she said that he had been her greatest alley.
That was the truth. She wouldn't have found her brother without his help.
It was better her family thought he had been ordered to accompany her, to help her, to be a hero. Baron would save face with her parents, who were rightly annoyed about Leo being in danger, and Kieran would hopefully gain an image other than Kain's grumpy apprentice.
Overall, she wanted everything to go back to normal. Some of what had happened was her fault, and she wouldn't let anyone else's life be ruined because of it.
Friendships needed to stay intact, alliances strong, and emotions cooled.
"Everything worked out in the end," she mused, hopping down the stone steps outside her room, hoping to catch her brother.
She twisted her hair into a braid as she walked, light on her feet, "I do hope Kieran didn't get into too much trouble because of all this." She sighed and tied off the end of her braid with a white ribbon, "I also hope our next meeting won't be so awkward. We're not so different, he and I…"
Leo bounced from around a corner and she jumped, surprised.
His eyes lit up, "Did I just…scare you?"
Cuore made a face, "I was lost in thought,"
He wasn't listening and dashed off, "I just snuck up on Cuore!"
She rolled her eyes and hurried after him, "You did not little brother!"
They ran through the halls, him instancing to everyone that he had snuck up on her, and she instantly denying it.
"I was lost in thought!" she demanded as they skidded to a stop in one of the larger dining halls.
Leo grinned at her and hopped back a few steps, "Nah uh, I just totally snuck up on you!"
Cuore pursed her lips, annoyed but also amused, "Unlikely. My senses are heightened to-"
"Cuore, let someone else be good at something once in a while," Rydia teased, sitting in one of the chairs.
Cuore made a face, but Leo just grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her further into the room, practically radiating joy. "Sissy, sissy, guess what?" he asked her, holding onto her hand with both of his.
She shrugged largely, "Yes, you said there was news." She glanced at her parents slyly, "I have no idea what that could be."
Leo didn't give them a chance to answer and just blurted out; "I'm going to have a little sister!"
He sighed dramatically, "Finally!"
Cuore grinned and ruffled his hair, "We're going to have a little sister," she corrected fondly.
He nodded, "Yeah! I'm going to be the best big brother ever, I swear."
He was gone in a flash, calling over his shoulder, "I need to tell everyone!"
Edge opened his mouth to probably veto that idea, but Leo was already gone and he ended up just sighing.
Cuore smirked at both of them and put her hands on her hips, "It's about time you told everyone,"
They both stared at her for a moment and Rydia finally frowned, "You knew?"
"How?" he father asked.
Cuore chuckled and shook her head, "Mom's moods are horribly unbalanced lately, she's wearing different dresses and I caught her consuming unusual foods."
Rydia looked thoughtful, "I haven't been eating anything strange lately…"
"I saw you mix vinegar and brown sugar into your rice and eat it."
Edge cringed, "Ew, gross."
Rydia looked sheepish, "Its good!"
Cuore rolled her eyes with a smile, "So yes, I had guessed already." She chuckled again and remarked, "You better hope you are having a little girl, because Leo has his heart pretty set."
Her family was safe, and happy, and there was nothing better than that.
"It's good to be home."
It was so cold out on the west tower's torrents that the glass of water sitting on the ledge next to Kieran had frosted in the time he'd been sitting out.
It was midday but the chill in the air suggested it was perhaps the dead of night. Gray clouds were hanging overhead, and there had been a few flurries of snow throughout the day.
It was the heart of winter in Baron at last.
The investigation into the vandalism in Cuore's rooms had been dropped and largely forgotten in the last week, especially now that she had returned home.
Home, safe and sound and with her little brother beside her.
Despite the incident being dropped, Kieran had received two more weeks suspension for breaking the last one. At the same time, his obnoxious roommates had gotten some of the credit for helping with the rescue of the children while he heard anything but praise.
He had just shrugged it off and decided to spend his forced time off doing something productive.
Seeing the inner workings of so many Lunarian devices, and hearing Cuore describe them had given him some inspiration the last few days.
There was still a lot he needed to work on and even more that he needed to understand, but he had a few ambitious plans rattling around in his head.
They should at least be written down before he forgot them while he had the time to think on them.
He'd gotten a surprise letter from Cuore just a few days before.
She'd been grounded, and scolded, for everything that had happened. Not that her parents blamed her about Leo's kidnapping, but they had been upset she hadn't sought them for help.
Cuore lamented in her letter how she hoped he hadn't gotten into too much trouble because of her, and mentioned that whatever was in her power to fix, she would.
Because, she'd finished, she understood political games, she just preferred not to play them.
He'd grinned, having heard about some of what she'd done already, but knowing he would likely hear more and more gossip as time went on. Besides that, thanks to what they had uncovered, Belladonna had been found and imprisoned, the hideout had been cleared and all the illegal goods, Lunarian and otherwise had been confiscated.
Cuore was devious, but she was also sympathetic with those she cared for, and her sense of justice was incredibly strong.
She'd wouldn't have believe him if he told her, but she was as far removed from the Maenads as anyone could get, as far as he was concerned.
Love, something the Maenads weren't created to understand, let alone feel or reciprocate, was what drove every single minute of her life.
Love for her family, love for her Eidolons and her friends. Love of what was right, and what was good and true.
Cuore was a remarkable person, in more ways than one.
Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs and Kieran frowned, not in the mood to see anyone. There was a reason he was hanging out in the cold, up on one of the tallest portions of the castle.
He may have gotten airsick, but he didn't mind heights in the least. More irony.
Kain wandered up and Kieran nodded a brief greeting before going back to his notebook. The diagram he'd just finished was detailed he took a moment to admire it, especially since it was unlikely that the craft portrayed would ever come off the paper in front of him.
"I wondered where you had gotten off too," his mentor commented, taking in the roof with a quick glance.
Kieran shrugged, "I wanted peace and quiet, not Hobby telling me about bundt cake, Jansen talking about his latest girlfriend and Tycho complaining about his armor not being shiny enough."
"Was that a subtle hint you want me to leave?" Kain asked, giving him a funny look.
"When am I ever subtle?"
"Point taken." his mentor replied.
The engine design he'd spoken with Cuore about was promising, even she had said that. But there were variables he couldn't figure out. The way the Lunarian matter stream devices worked intrigued him because of the massive power output they must use.
They were powered by magic, or at least an energy discharge not dissimilar to magic.
What if airships could be powered by the same forces?
"This just came," Kain commented, waving a folded letter in the air with one hand. "I thought you might find it interesting."
Kieran spared a quick glance up before he went back to his calculations, grinning slightly. "Oh, someone got out the royal seal, must be a big deal. I take it Izayoi was here for a visit?"
The second part of his comment was glossed over, but his mentor did unfold the letter while mentioning, "Yes, the royal seal. Edge only uses that when he's serious."
Kieran closed his notebook to give his mentor his full attention, only somewhat curious what the letter contained. After all, he'd been in the middle of a complex series of calculations and designs for a promising airship engine that would make Cid and Luca jealous.
"The letter is all formal, too," Kain commented sarcastically, "But here's the part I thought you would find interesting."
Kieran found it hard not to laugh at the way Kain's voice inflection changed when reading the passage, as he could assume it was meant as an imitation.
Conscious or otherwise.
"We would like to thank the kingdom of Baron for their assistance and efforts in finding the kidnapped Leo Geraldine and in their ongoing investigations in regards to the trade of illegal elixirs and weapons. Especially those efforts of Kieran Astor, who High Summoner Cuore informs us was above and beyond that of his assignment."
Kain shot him a sharp look. Kieran just blinked at him innocently.
He shook his head and looked back down to finishing reading; "We are grateful for your efforts and would like to offer any support in ongoing inquiries."
"Well, they could have been pissed," Kieran quipped, shrugging.
Kain folded the letter back up, "Yes, but I was told, even outside of this letter that apparently Cuore has claimed that we were of great help, and that without our help she wouldn't have found Leo."
He snorted, "What help is what I want to know. I spent two days in meetings with Verian Dahl to try and get clearance to assist, while you and her went gallivanting across half the world, breaking laws and international treaties,"
He frowned thoughtfully, "And somehow, Cuore has spun a tale that extols our virtues, as if we helped her at all, and sets Mysidia up to claim they were in on it as well! She's lied just enough so that everyone comes out looking crystal clean and manages to make it all right!"
Kieran grinned and reached out to pick up his glass of water, "I heard about Dalton's promotion,"
Kain scoffed and crossed his arms, "Yes, for his outstanding efforts in disbanding the black market underground within the holy city of Mysidia."
His tone was dripping in cynicism.
"Oh please, he didn't do anything." Kain finished, glancing off to the side.
Kieran shrugged one shoulder, "I hope he enjoys his new office,"
"And you," his mentor said, rounding on him and pointing his index finger, "Your assignment?"
He grinned, "What? Would it have sounded better to say I broke a few dozen rules while suspended from active duty?"
Kain was frowning at him, "You have got to be the only person I know who gets a commendation from another kingdom and at the same time, gets six demerits from his own."
He took a sip of his water and then held up the glass, commenting, "It's a talent."
His mentor rolled his eyes, "Sure, we'll go with that."
Kieran looked over his design and shook his head, erasing part of the engine design with the intent of starting over. There was a pause before Kain spoke up again, his tone somewhat confused.
"Aren't you even a little put out about all this?"
Kieran looked up, shrugging, "Dalton may have gotten all the credit, and I may have six or so more demerits on my record, and another few weeks of suspension but…" He smiled slightly and looked out over the snowy city, shrugging again. "Five children are back home with their families today, the black market's crippled for the time being, the Scorpion Gang is all but dispersed and the leader of the Magicite was thoroughly whipped in a magical battle."
He looked back at Kain, "I'd say it was a good day."
"Who the hell are you and where is my apprentice?" Kain asked, rising an eyebrow.
Kieran rolled his eyes and buried his head back in his book, "Crystals, don't be a jerk, Kain."
"There he is." his mentor quipped.
Kieran flashed him another grin as Kain turned to walk away, pausing to remark, "You should enjoy all these days off while you still have them,"
"Please, I have weeks of leave time saved up," he countered. It wasn't like he ever took them.
Kain started back the way he'd come and held up his hands in surrender, "If you come back in this good a mood after seeing Cuore, maybe I'll ship you two off together more often."
"Oh, but then who would keep all of you in the castle entertained while I was gone?"
"Somehow I think we'd manage,"
Kieran snickered and leaned back against the stones behind him, taking another moment to look out over the city. The adventure had been well worth it.
They hadn't just rescued the kids, or made the world a better place; no, they had somehow rescued themselves and made their lives a better place as well.
"Cuore, I owe you one," he thought, going back to his notebook.
Whatever happened next, or whenever the two of them ended up, he had every confidence in their newfound friendship.
Author's note: That's it, folks! The end of My Brother's Keeper. (Time for a really long author's note...)
I have to apologize for the rushed feeling of the last two chapters...I was forcing myself to write them. I knew I needed to finish this story sooner rather then later, because the longer it sat the less chance there would be for me to finish it. I do not want to be one of the many stories on this site that slowly die...
I've become discouraged with my writing and a bit fed-up with this fandom and this site. (I don't want that to sound like I'm blaming anyone, because I know the problem is solely mine)
I need to take a break, perhaps...? I had plans to write two more chaptered stories ("Shards of History" and "Into Darkness") that came after this one, but at the moment that might not happen...
Anyway, enough of that; let's talk about the story!
"My Brother's Keeper" was written mainly to explore the relationship of Cuore and Kieran, I won't lie. They become friends in this one! Also, it was written as a way to have Cuore grow as a person. She is so good at a great many things that I needed to put her into a situation she couldn't solve on her own. She was forced to except help, something she doesn't really like. And worst of all, that help came in the form of the unlikely enemy-turned-friend.
The story was also written because I wanted to focus on a different 'kind' of Final Fantasy story...so many of them the heroes are stopping some force from outside; aliens, demons, unexplained forces, etc. But what about normal people? They can be just as evil and cruel, without outside influence. I wanted to explore that option and write something in a more 'realistic' setting.
Of course this world has crime. Of course this world has power-hungry people. Of course this world isn't all rosy and bright just because the world was saved from uber beings.
I also loved exploring Leo's character. He's such a fun character. He has just enough of his parents in him to make him a funny contrast walking around. And his team, so to speak, are wonderful as well. (There is more to their stories...)
A couple more things...
Kieran. Why is he so good at so many things like airships and tech? Because Cuore needs a love interest that can at least keep up with her. Honestly, she does. They don't really have to be like her, but they have to be able to handle her and all her flaws. Why is Kieran's background so normal? Because, Final Fantasy always has heroes that have some really crazy backstories...half-alien, half-esper, half-dead, half-insane, half-notallthere, half-robot, half-dream, half-annoying, half-related to the rest of the cast, half-royalty. (I made some of those up...or did I?) So, I wanted to make a character that, truly, has no special talents but is still awesome. Hence Kieran.
Lunarian: It makes sense to me that there would be a littering of some of their tech on the blue planet...there's no way, after teaching magic, building the tower, showing people how to build airships, building the Serpent's Road, leaving the Lunar Whale that they wouldn't leave some garbage lying around. I also worked quite a bit on their language, and although it may not seem important, it was fun. I have a codex and explanation on my computer of all the words/phrases/rules I came up with.
There were, as always, in-jokes and references galore in this story. As per the usual, I won't list them all, but here were a couple:
The Scorpion Gang is actually a very minor villain in another Square game (An old one,) Secret of Mana. They appear...for some reason...and make you fight a robot, and then...they're gone. But hey, I needed a name for a gang!
Kieran's roommates were named after Star Wars characters to continue the tradition of Biggs and Wedge.
Augus was named after a villain from the Breath of Fire (Another RPG) series, who is also minor and runs a similar scheme like this one. (I was lazy and needed a name)
Dalton. Named after a minor character in Chrono Trigger, actually. Plus, the name is annoying to say...it makes you instantly hate that person. Go on, try it.
I think that about covers it...
I know there seemed to be things that were left open, or maybe as a set-up for future stories, and you would be correct. I'm sorry if these seem annoying that they were left open, but I did have plans to work them into much, much more. See the above.
And again, I'm sorry if these two chapters aren't very good, but despite not feeling any inspiration to write them, I did have fun with quite a few scenes.
As always, thank you, thank you, thank you to all my readers! You all are great, and thanks for joining me on this adventure! We'll see where the future leads from here, won't we?
~Fin
~Moonclaw~
