(Long-ish Author's note at the end of the story)

Ice and Stone

Chapter 21

Miku stood up after what seemed like hours, her legs weak and threatening to give way again. She had tried, hadn't she? And she knew it would be like this. So why was she so shocked and so hurt? She shook her head and stepped forward, almost falling, but Luka had caught her firmly, pulling the princess to rest against her.

"I've got you."

Miku doesn't say anything much, but Luka brings her back to her room, and waits for the princess to regain her senses. They failed. They tried to warn Leon about Tonio, but the king just flared up at them. It seemed that he refused to believe that his supposedly innocent, noble cousin would do something like treason. And it scared both girls because they knew that was exactly what Mendax would do. He could fool the King, and that meant he could fool so many more people. Who would believe them?

Miku sighed and fell into her bed in a mess, not bothering with a bath. Her tears still flowed from her face, and she willed them to stop. It wasn't as though Leon would die. They could still save him. She shouldn't mourn for nothing yet. She was so, so tired, and as she battled her drooping eyelids, she felt soft hands run through her hair, pushing her now messy bangs to the side. She registered a kiss on her forehead, and then mumbled gibberish before blacking out.

Luka sighed and stroked Miku's hair before blowing out the candle and returning to her room. She didn't know what to say, how to react to the situation. No reassuring words could come out of her mouth. Perhaps, perhaps she might find it better to be there for Miku silently. She had definitely fallen for the girl, and she couldn't remember the last time she saw a happy couple before she entered the castle. What did they do? Oh well, the people she had seen were half dead, the female usually pregnant and wasting away, while the male had either ran off or died trying to get food. She had no idea how she was supposed to behave. And it wasn't the right time to ask anyone, not with all the havoc going on now. She landed on her bed, emotionally drained and unwilling to get the servants to draw a bath.

As she was about to sleep, a sharp rapping on her door broke her out of her drowsiness. She groaned and opened the door.

"Terribly sorry to bother you, honourable bodyguard, but two messages have been sent to you." A male bowed twice, and nervously presented two folded pieces of paper, one slightly creased, and bent his back bowing again before scampering off.

Luka managed a quick 'thank you', before locking the door. Two messages. And here she was, thinking she could get some sleep.

The first letter, folded neatly and written in eloquent slopes and curves was from Ruko. The message was simple, no formalities or titles.

Luka,

Please free yourself to meet the Stalkers tomorrow. I understand it may be unpleasant. They might have taken lives to save their own, but do realize that they are now on our side. I shall arrange for them to meet you and Miku after lunch.

Ruko

Luka sighed, dreading daybreak, and opened the second letter, this one scrawled messily, a few smudges, but still legible.

I'm terribly sorry about everything, Luka. I did not mean to hide things from you, but if I told you the truth, would you still trust me?

Luka almost put down the letter, knowing it was frustratingly true, but the next sentence caught her eye.

Miss Gumi is safe with me. She does not know of your presence yet. She cried herself to sleep. She is eating well, and making friends with the Kagamine twins. Perhaps you would like to meet her tomorrow?

I do not ask for your forgiveness yet, because I cannot demand such a thing from you. Your forgiveness is yours to give, not to request. However, I do hope that your hatred for me will subside gradually. You are more than my trainee, you are my friend, and I do not want to lose this friendship.

Good night, and rest well.
Lily

Luka folded the letters and made sure to throw them in the fireplace in the morning. She slipped them beneath her pillow, and sunk into her bed anxiously. The only time she didn't have thoughts bombarding her was when she was asleep.

Ruko wrote furiously, hoping that her message would reach her kingdom on time. Tonio had met her in the corridors before she retreated to her room. He had also shared with her that after a week's time, Crypton would be improving. He winked at her, and she returned a cool smile. He was a fool to trust her. Perhaps it ran in the family. Leon trusted Mendax, and Mendax oddly trusted her. It seemed that blood ties were ignored in this vicious trade.

Ruko knew that they might not stop Tonio Mendax on time, and if they failed to do so, Miku would be the next target. With the royal family dead, and no heirs left, the next ruler would be related by blood. And since Tonio would be so conveniently there, he would be chosen as the next rightful ruler.

If they could not fight Tonio, they had to have an escape plan soon. Ruko could claim that a royal in her kingdom fell sick, and arrange a ship back, but would Mendax suspect anything? Furthermore, if they left early, Mendax could very possibly push the blame to them.

Ruko growled, turning her head to Teto, who was sleeping on the bed they shared. Haku slept in the other corner, snoring slightly. They were both precious to her, and she would save them, reputation be damned. Lives over name and fortune. She finished her letter, and finally released her pet eagle that was smuggled in. She attached the message securely to her eagle, and opened the windows quietly.

In the pitch-black darkness of the night, a silhouette burst from one of the towers, and soared through the chilly air, headed towards Piapro.

Ruko was not one to pray. She had confidence and trust in herself and her comrades, but this time, her folded fingers met her forehead, and she sighed again. It was late and she was tired, but she couldn't sleep. She watched the nearly invisible speck disappear, sometimes illuminated by the dim glow of the shrouded moon.

One day to reach Piapro, and probably two days for her eagle to rest and return. She really hoped that Mendax wouldn't push his plans forward.

Lily was in Gumi's room, unexpectedly. The green haired girl had let go of Lily some time ago, but Lily insisted on staying, bidding the twins a good night before settling herself in the padded chair beside the bed.

Her main worry was the girl waking up and feeling terrified and alone. And she wanted to be there, like how she wanted someone to be there for her when she first entered. Sadly, she did not have the luxury of company. But why deprive others of it? She glanced at the sickly girl. She was in a worse state than Luka when she first arrived. Luka was much healthier than her, and Luka was definitely not healthy then. This girl was sick, but Miki had mentioned that Gumi's lungs were weak, and the weather added to her condition. She just needed warmth and vigorous activity.

Gumi's brow furrowed in her sleep, and her arms twitched slightly, her fingers moving around. Lily reached for her hand, wrapping her warm fingers around Gumi's cold ones.

"It's alright, I'm here. Go back to sleep. It's fine." She cooed, not caring if the girl could hear her. But strangely, Gumi's movements calmed down, and she returned to her sleep.

Lily yawned, still not letting go of Gumi's hand, and nodded off soon after.

Morning arrived, and with it, a fresh batch of snow, white powder falling onto the ground in clumps, delighting the children in the farming district, and making everyone else grumble as the cold weather continued. Winter had been unexpected and clearly unwanted. The longer winter reigned, the more time wasted for farmers. Nothing could grow in winter, absolutely nothing. They still had to provide food for the castle, and for their own homes. If winter continued for more than one season, they would be doomed. The whole of Crypton would be doomed.

Kaito scratched his head, wrapping his blue scarf tighter around his neck. Along with Mendax and Ruko, he had arrived at the farming districts to check on the food supplies. A few peasants eyes them with distrust, especially at Tonio and Kaito's fine dressing. Kaito's light blue coat that kept him sufficiently warm was made of material the others had never touched. And Tonio… well, in pristine white clothes, he would have stood out anywhere. Ruko was the only one dressed more casually, trousers, dull brown boots, and a plain dark blue jacket was enough for her. Her long hair was tied up in a single ponytail, and she had made sure to remove all expensive jewelry, except for the ring that marked her as Piapro's Heir.

"How is the progress?" Mendax asked the guard, who stiffened and bowed the best he could.

"We have gathered sufficient food, sir. Would you like a tour of the farming district?"

Tonio peeked in, stretching his neck as he did so, before grimacing slightly at the squalid conditions. "Thank you, but I'm afraid we have to return to the castle."

The guard nodded, and waited in awkward silence as the numerous carts exited the gates. They left, Tonio walking ahead and slightly quickly. He felt disgusted, having to step so close to… to disgusting, poor people. His lovely coat felt dirty already, just from being near that sickening place. They provided food, and that was enough. He saw no reason to enter. But maybe… maybe he could get someone else to do that job for him. He looked at Kaito, and smirked. Maybe tomorrow he would kindly recommend the pathetic excuse of a man to go.

The moment Tonio stepped foot in the castle, he seemed to breathed more easily, as though the air outside was filled with toxins that scraped away at his lungs. He put on his usual smile, and headed to the dining hall. He was hungry, and it would be nice to see the amount of food piled on the table. It would remind him that Leon was being stingy to his guests. To have one empty plate meant that there was not enough of that food. And it was a terrible thing to do. When he became King, he would make sure that others would be happy with his display of wealth and abundance. He smiled, absorbed in his daydream, and walked off without Kaito and Ruko.

"What's his deal?" Kaito mumbled, and Ruko shrugged. "Probably seeing how much food he can obtain after ursurping Leon."

"Ah, that reminds me! I have to bring Luka to the farming district one day! She asked to go."

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt, although we are short on time. She did manage to survive in that harsh terrain for so long, maybe she'll spot things that will be essential there." Ruko mused. "Make it within this week."

Luka yawned discreetly, wiping the moisture from her eyes. Last night she had knocked herself out, and woke up a little later than usual. Lily was annoyed that morning training was interrupted, but told Luka that it was okay. She had arrived at Miku's room formally, and both seemed awkward with each other at first, just standing a few inches away, the open door between them. Then Luka smiled and offered her arm to Miku.

Breakfast was… mundane. Most of the guests had left, but around five remained. And of course, one of them was Tonio. She ate normally, since the ambience of a feast was gone, and more seats were available.

She had intended to meet up with Gumi after breakfast, but felt guilty about skipping morning training, and decided to train instead. She wasn't exactly fine with Lily yet, but a night's rest had given her time to cool down.

"You're yawning and you want to train." Lily shook her head. "You really should perk up, wash your face, or something. Maybe we should postpone training." She flipped her Kriegshwert up, letting it spin in a 720 degree act before catching it and keeping it in her scabbard.

"It's fine, I-" Luka started, but Lily shushed her.

"Let's just rest. And see Gumi. You must miss her dearly."

Luka smiled gratefully, and Lily punched her in the arm. It was her turn to make things right.

"Come on, let's go."

Gumi was bored and rather embarrassed about yesterday. Sure, she had been known as the most expressive kid in the neighbourhood, even before it was ruined. But for her to break down and sob into a stranger's arms? Oh goodness, it was so shameful and it made her feel like a kid. But Lily was nice to her, and so were Len and Rin. They looked rather similar. Were they related?

Gumi wondered on, a dozen questions occupying her mind, when the door opened.

"Oh. Lily!" She exclaimed, watching the first person enter. The second person stepped in after her, quietly shutting and latching the door, and Gumi gasped.

"L-luka?" She felt tears coming on again, and wanted to hide her face.

"Gumi." Luka said, and ran towards her bed, hugging the shocked girl.

"I'm so glad you're alive, I, we, we thought! We thought you were dead! If you're alive, does, does that mean Gakupo?" Gumi looked up hopefully, and Luka's stony, impassive face broke the news to her. "Oh." Gumi sniffed a bit. It was one thing to assume Gakupo's death, but it was another to confirm it.

"I'm sorry, Gumi. I really am. I'm sorry it took so long." Luka murmured and hugged Gumi closer, both of them mourning the incomplete reunion.

They stayed there for some time, Lily slipping comfortably into another chair, and watched the teary duo sober up.

"How did you get caught, Gumi?" Luka asked. She knew that Gumi was the one usually kept safe in the building, so the chances of her capture was low.

"I… I went out to get food, Meiko was injured by a Stalker!"

Lily winced. 'Oh, that's going to bring back the tension.'

Luka paid no heed to Lily. "And?"

"I kinda decided to go out by myself and look for food instead…" Gumi mumbled like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

"You fool! You're not the healthiest of all of us and you still went out in this terrible weather! You could have gotten yourself killed!" Luka scowled, and flicked Gumi on the forehead.

"But we needed food…"

Luka froze. Ah right, her abandoned plan. To save Meiko, Gumi, Piko, and Yuki. Food. She was supposed to bring back food for them. But she didn't. And because of that, plus a few other incidents, Gumi actually had to venture out with her weak lungs and physique and almost died.

"AH! Meiko's injured? We- we have to find them!" Luka exclaimed, worried. One injured Meiko and two defenceless kids were easy targets for Stalkers.

"I could help with that." Lily offered, and Luka hated to admit that Lily was right. The three stalkers would help greatly in searching for them.

"I guess so." Luka muttered, and Gumi just thanked Lily over and over again.

"It's alright, we are going to fix this." Lily promised, no silly smile or grin on her face. She stuck out her pinky in a childish gesture.

Gumi took it without any hesitation. She was so confused and scared, but she held on securely to Lily, trusting her as though she was the brightest light in the darkest night, illuminating a clear, safe path for her. She looked over to Luka, who seemed to accept the fact that Lily would undoubtedly be someone important to Gumi, who smiled just a little.

"We are going to fix this."

Luka returned close to lunch, and she seemed a great deal happier. Miku was the complete opposite, which each passing moment

Lunch was an event Miku was dreading. While her stomach had needs, her emotional stability was coaxing her into spending the better half of the day in bed. But she was the princess after all. If she failed to turn up for most of the time, questions would be raised. And given Leon's current shaky relationship with her, those innocent questions could worsen the situation. In the morning, Leon had avoided eye contact with her, laughing and joking with Tonio and well, he could have joked with everyone else except her. He would even joke with the servants instead of his own daughter.

She approached the dining hall entrance with Luka, turning slowly before a figure brushed past her. She was about to tell off the fellow with no manners, when she realized that her father had stepped away without looking back again, hastily striding into the dining hall. No eye contact. Again. Miku was frustrated, and Luka looked at her in concern.

"It is fine. Let us proceed." Miku mumbled, and Luka held her tongue. They were meeting the three stalkers after this, and Miku was stressed out as she was. Unwanted advice or words would just… Luka shook her head. She had hoped talking about Gumi with Miku would work, but as she shared various stories and encounters, Miku had simply nodded blankly, and responded with "that's nice" and "I see". She was obviously still upset over last night, and Luka wondered how long this would last.

The sliding door opened, and Meiko got up fairly quickly as the servants entered to change the bed spreads. Miki had placed a heavy, wide curtain for Meiko to hide behind for this scenario. Meiko was tired, but was feeling much better, and Miki had marveled at her rapid recovery. Meiko had attributed it to the good food here. She was fond of the meat, and ate it ferociously; both angry that she had to dine here while others starved outside, and determined to fill her stomach and heal quickly. She had heard from Miki, who had heard from her benefactor, that there was a group in the castle planning to change things. That sounded a little vague, but Miki seemed rather happy with it. And since Miki seemed like a good person, the change must be good.

"Alright, they're gone." Miki whispered, and Meiko stepped out from the suffocating curtains.

"Thank you. Is there… I can't stay here forever, and I was thinking if I could go outside or something."

Miki's eyes widened, and she brought her hands up, shaking them. "What? Erm, no! You simply cannot leave! First of all, you are still weak! And it's dangerous out there! Please!"

"But I have to go. I really can't stay here, Miki. I'm imposing on you and to be honest, I hate the castle. I hate being in the castle. It's comfortable, but it disgusts me. I feel like I'm a traitor. I walked out to find missing children in the cold, but I end up alone here, with blankets, and a proper bed, and food. Alone. I should find these kids now."

"But you shouldn't leave! You can't!" Miki insisted. "Well, there were some people from beyond the walls who are in here now, maybe you know them?"

Meiko shook her head, the action making her a little giddy. "If they made it here, I doubt they would be as lucky as me to be alive. I would rather hold onto the thought that they're hiding elsewhere." She suddenly wobbled on her feet, panting as she perspired.

"Meiko!" Miki rushed forward.

"I'm okay!" Meiko growled, but swayed forward.

"No you're not. You're shivering. Are you running a temperature again?" Miki placed her hand on Meiko's forehead, and the brunette was too overcome with chills to swat away Miki's hand. "You're burning up. Here, sit on the bed. I'll get a cloth and water." Miki pushed Meiko, who was too weak to protest.

"But why? I ate enough, I ate!" Meiko huffed. "I should be fine by now!"

"You're too angry and hot-blooded. Have you been sleeping well?"

Meiko had actually stayed up, plotting her way out of here and thinking of Gumi and the two children. Even if she wanted to sleep, guilt kept her awake.

"I've slept better." She grumbled, and gave up fighting with Miki. 'Just for today, you win.'

Lunch was a rather tense meal for Luka. She was well aware that Miku had been keeping an eye out for Leon, but the King was too occupied with chatting (with Tonio Mendax, urgh.) and drinking. But Miku seemed to have found a new sort of resolve, and nearly crushed Luka's arm with her grip as they left, meeting Ruko at their usual empty room.

"Ah, there you are, my dearest cousin and possible new cousin." Ruko winked at Luka. "On a more serious note, I hope you don't fight with them."

"I probably won't." Luka said, and Miku looked at her, her grip tightening threateningly. "I mean, I won't. Absolutely not." She winced and Miku's fingers relaxed.

"Good. Well then." Ruko opened the door and ushered the two women in.

"Oh! Hello!" A short blond whose hair stuck out in random tuffs greeted cheerfully. He was in a casual outfit, a white tunic and light pink trousers. He bounced off the table to join his counterparts. "I'm Yuu!"

A darker skinned man with spiked black hair who was dressed in black, from his long sleeved jacket to his boots, nodded curtly, and caught the blond before he crashed into them.

"Greetings, ladies, I am Kyo. Please forgive Wil's silence, he does more than he talks." A brunette with shoulder long hair and adorned with a simple blue coat and black pants bowed respectfully. He was the tallest among the three of them.

"And we're the ZOLA Project!" Yuu exclaimed, and nearly punched Wil as he raised his hands.

Luka felt that all of them seemed generally harmless, especially the shorter one. Well, maybe not Wil, she thought, as she eyed the stoic man.

"I am Princess of the Crypton Kingdom, Miku." Miku finished, and a silence filled the air before Luka realized she had yet to speak.

"Oh! I'm Luka, and I'm the princess's bodyguard. I'm… sorry about that yesterday."

"Hey, that's alright, my lady. It is understandable, considering your background. But rest assured, we try not to harm your people." Kyo bowed again, and Luka felt goosebumps crawling up her hands.

"Yeah! We only get the very, very sick ones, like, those who are dying!" Yuu proclaimed, and Luka must have looked mortified, for Wil covered Yuu's mouth immediately.

"Ah, but only occasionally, I assure you. We have to prove ourselves, after all. And we choose those who would be better off dead. Hypothermic, wasting away, those who are truly at death's door." Kyo clasped his hands together.

"Alright, enough with the formalities." Ruko said sharply. "ZOLA here will look for survivors beyond the wall, and find them shelter. Since you missed yesterday's briefing, I suppose it would be better if I explained it to you face to face."

Miku calmly sat down on the only chair left, and Luka stood beside her.

"Teto, Haku, and ZOLA will venture out at appropriate timings with some food, small ones, of course. Sliced sausages, cheese, bread, whatever is about to be thrown out after meals. It's a big risk they're running. I will still try to befriend Tonio Mendax and find out what exactly he intends to do. Len and Rin will be scouting for allies, Lily is in charge of gathering them and giving them instructions. Kaito's watching Leon, and you two… that leaves you two." Ruko paused. "Have you two done anything yet?"

Luka looked at Miku, who nodded. "We tried to warn Leon, but he took it badly. From the looks of it, he has yet to tell Mendax about it. If that scoundrel has yet to pay me a visit, he still remains unaware of my conversation with my father." Miku's fists tightened. "And we have to take him down soon. We have to destroy Mendax before he destroys everything else."

"Your determination is applaudable. But have you any plans?" Ruko asked. "You have to be prepared for failure as well, as much as that thought scares me."

Miku nodded. "I suppose you have an idea?"

Ruko exhaled loudly, and pressed her fingertips against each other. "I would like you to restrict your movement, Miku. So far, Tonio Mendax does keep an eye on you."

Miku flinched at that statement. It made her feel so vulnerable, so watched, so…

"Very well." She spoke softly.

"Luka… as for you, I heard that you want to go to the farming district. To be honest, I think that you are equipped with a different set of skills that we are. You have survived outside for so long, and maybe you will notice things we have not. Perhaps you might get a new weapon there as well. There is a blacksmith in the farming district. Tomorrow, or the day after, hopefully."

Luka nodded.

"Ah, and ZOLA. Sorry for the delay, but would you mind if I tasked you with another mission?"

Wil shook his head, Kyo smiled, and was about to speak, when Yuu piped up. "What are we gonna do?"

"Well, Luka has a few friends out there. If it's not too much trouble, could you keep an eye out for…" Ruko raised an eyebrow at Luka.

"Two small children and a girl around my height. The children are about… this tall?" Luka gestured. "One has black hair, that's a girl, and the other, the boy, has white hair. They are called Yuuki and Piko. The other one is called Meiko, and she has short brown hair. She… she's kinda violent though. Can you find them?" Luka paused. Something was missing. "Please?" Ah yes. That.

"Anything you ask for, my fair maiden." Kyo smiled charmingly, and Luka jerked back.

"Harassment." Wil stated, and Kyo frowned.

"Nonsense, I was just being nice."

"Nah, you're a pervert, Kyo. I'm sorry, Lu-ka! Kyo is an idiot."

"I'm not an idiot, you brat." Kyo argued, and in a split second, Yuu seemed to change. His eyes grew slightly narrower, and his smile vanished.

"What did you say? Is that how you should treat your leader?" He stepped forward, and despite him being a head shorter than Kyo, he managed to push back the brunette.

"Yuu." Wil grabbed the blond, who switched back again.

"AH! I'm sorry, teehee."

Luka was intimidated but amazed. She had expected the more vocal Kyo to be their leader, but it was short, cute-looking Yuu. He was probably around Rin and Len's age, and the thought of either twin leading them was disastrous.

Ruko sighed. "Alright, thank you, dismissed." She rubbed her temples and strode out first, her dark blue coat vanishing behind the door quickly. She was fast to leave. That young boy – Yuu, the youngest stalker at the age of 15, scared her. Stalkers had killed. They all had killed to be recognized as a stalker. It was part of their acceptance trials. She had learnt from Kyo that they all trained in pairs, and for their final test, they had to fight to the death, and the winner would be given the title of a Stalker. It was never, mentioned to them, and Kyo had shivered, relating his own tale – how he bonded with his partner, how they made a pact to grow stronger together, and even explore past the walls together. But what terrified Ruko was that Yuu was the only one who killed his partners in training matches. The boy was dangerous, triggered by certain words, and would be filled with a murderous rage after that. Only his last partner, Wil, managed to calm him down. The Stalker Captain had decided to promote the both of them after that. The strongest, and the one who could calm the strongest.

Ruko pressed harder, eager to return to her room. She was more eager to quickly leave Crypton with all of them, and return to the safety of Piapro.

End of Chapter 21

Ah yes this is much later than I expected, but my break is busier than I expected it to be.

Thank you, Truna, and One-x-Three for reviewing previously. I am flattered.

It has two years since I started writing, and I remember the first time posting something here on FF. It was scary, I didn't know what to expect, I was nervous, I was excited, I was mentally screaming and slapping myself after I posted my first story. But I was mostly happy, so happy that I could have danced, but I have two left feet and would have injured myself had I done so.
I'm really, really grateful for all the support received, whether you are a reviewer, a reader, someone who doesn't really check out my stories but still talks to me, someone who has been with me since 2012, someone who has just found me. I have really enjoyed these two years on FF.
And if you're contemplating posting a fic here for the first time, and you're unsure, just do it. You have no idea where it'll lead you, and that's probably the best part.

Stalker01, music96ninja, Ae, I do recognize you as my first few reviewers (cringes at the thought of my old fics), and I'm glad that you guys have stuck with me from the beginning, when I was still trying to find my writing style.

It has really been an amazing time here, and I thank all of you for your support.

–Stealyourfood