Hikaru: I bought Wild ARMs V. Whoot. And I got an art book! ( 3's Avril)

--

Senel hated waiting. He sat on the edge of the shelf of Dangral Island onto which the base flatbed for the elevator leading into Deep Sky had been built by Valuans. He dangled his legs, watching the railing that led into the sea of dark clouds, hoping every second for the flatbed elevator to appear ...

Senel remembered how Shirley would play with her teriques when she was bored, back in the village where she'd been born and raised. The little blue butterfly-shaped teriques would flutter around the flowers among the real butterflies, and the insects were none the wiser, accepting it among their flowers as they gathered nectar. To Senel, teriques in general meant peace and tranquility.

He frowned. He'd seen teriques a lot lately ... and when they were used, none of them meant what he supposed they were. First Walter used his teriques to attack Senel aboard his ship before he washed up on the Legacy. Then Stella had to use her teriques to save the Gadorian capital from the Nerifes Cannon, and then Shirley ...

Senel closed his eyes, shaking his head vehemently. No, there was no use dwelling on the past. If Shirley and Stella still had their wits about them (which Senel never doubted), then everything was all well and good on Melfes. Everything would be fine. Senel had to concentrate on his current mission. He'd only worry about Melfes when he returned.

Just as Senel finished that thought, the floor gave a great shudder, and he leapt to his feet in anticipation. Surely enough, riding up the red and silver railing out of the clouds was the flatbed elevator. A smile tugged at Senel's lips. Finally, he'd be on the move.

But as the elevator got close, Senel saw something else on it: a man of tall stature, built and bulky, clad in some armor and shouldering a big gun-like weapon. Senel backed from the edge, fists clenched as his eres and Silver powers formed within him.

When the elevator came to a halt at the Dangral shelf, Senel grew uneasy. This man was a landmass in his own right. He was at least between six and seven feet tall, and powerfully built with huge, muscled arms and legs. The man blinked upon seeing Senel, and then he laughed with gusto, a deep rumbling noise audible from miles away.

"Bwa ha ha ha! How very amusing! So little Rami wasn't the last young Silvite man!"

Senel arched an eyebrow, confused. He'd identified this man's body type with Vaclav, and assumed he'd be the same ... but this man sounded ... like an easygoing fellow. Like one who was the happy drunk at the local bar.

Cautiously Senel stepped forward, never lowering his fists.

"Who ... are you?" He asked tentatively.

The man burst with laughter again, walking off the elevator. Senel noted that he was covered in cuts and bruises. Evidently he was just in some sort of fight.

Grinning wide amiably, the man said, "I am Vigoro, Admiral of the Third Fleet of the Valuan Armada. Pleased to meet another Silvite, although it's a downright pity you're not a woman ..." he looked Senel up and down. "You'd have made an amazing beauty."

Senel knit his brows together, bursting out, "What in the hell are you talking about!?" in mortification.

Vigoro laughed again, walking on by past Senel, into the Dangral base. "Fina and Ramirez are in the Lost Continent. Good Luck."

Senel stood rooted to the spot for a full minute before he clambered onto the elevator.

--

There was no other word for it. Walter Delques was downright pissed. The Ferines from all over the world were coming to the Legacy, and other Ferines settlements were being erected in different areas on the Legacy. The Merines herself had gone with Maurits to rally them, and it was for this Day of Diplomacy thing going on.

Sure, Walter promised Stella (who incidentally was handling things with the Ferines while the Merines was gone) that he'd try to accept the fact that Nerifes desired peace between Orerines and Ferines ... but the hate just wouldn't leave him so easily. No way could he forgive all the Orerines had done, under leadership of Vaclav ... all those Ferines that were tortured and killed, men, women, children, elderly, it didn't matter to them ...

Walter stopped walking, surprised. His absent walk around the village had subconsciously taken him to Stella's house. Because Stella was the only remaining family of the Merines, her room was nearly identical to Shirley's. Walter frowned deeply; what should he do? How was he supposed to feel? He never was a hateful person at heart, but when he thought of those filthy Orerines--

Dejected, Walter decided to pay Stella a visit. Since the Merines was gone, talking to Stella was the closest guidance he could get right now. And he chose a fitting person to speak to--Stella Telmes, the Guiding Star.

Tensely Walter knocked on the door, the coral material making a satisfying bounding sound. The door, shaped like a flower petal, slid open, and Stella was at the threshold, a look of surprise on her face.

"Walter!" She said, stepping back to let him in. Walter ambled into the house while Stella shut the door behind him.

"I don't get it ..." Walter said, his voice wavering. He faced Stella, eyes wide. "What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to feel about this Day of Diplomacy?! I hate all Orerines with all my heart and yet ..."

Stella put a firm hand on Walter's shoulder, and he fell silent. She sat him down at her table, and she sat down beside him. Stella looked Walter straight in the eye.

"Walter. Answer me honestly and truly. Look at Senel. Look at Senel and all his friends. Can you truly say, honest to Nerifes, that he and his friends are bad people?"

Walter blinked, confused. "Of course I can say they're bad people--"

Stella shook her head. "Actions speak louder than words. Think."

Walter tried not to, but instantly thoughts of Senel's actions and those of his companions rose to the surface of his mind. The first one he could think of was the incident three years ago, when the village was attacked by Vaclav ...

"Senel kidnapped the Merines three years ago." He said flatly.

Stella shook her head again, her voice soft but strong. "Did Senel ever hand Shirley over to Vaclav or anyone else who would use her for her power?"

Reluctantly, Walter replied. " ... No."

Actions speak louder than words. Senel had only been trying to save the Merines ... Shirley from danger. Senel had even saved Walter from certain death by rescuing him and Fenimore from the Waterways. His friends had even healed Walter when in truth they had no obligation to ...

Tears beaded at Walter's eyes.

" ... I know they're not truly bad people. But they're Orerines ..."

"Not all Orerines are the same, Walter. Where Vaclav killed countless Ferines and would have killed me and Shirley in his conquest for power, who were the ones who stopped him? Who were the ones who saved us?"

Walter took a few moments to find his voice. " ... Senel and his companions."

Stella nodded, softly smiling. "I know it's not easy to smile and forgive. But all things begin with trust. If we can't trust them, how can they trust us?"

Walter nodded numbly, finding truth in Stella's words. The Orerines of four thousand years ago might have tried to snuff out the Ferines ... but now, when the Merines tried activating the Wings of Light, were they, the Ferines, no different than the Orerines of ages past?

The very thought of that angered Walter. No, the Ferines were a much more respectable people than the Orerines! So there were Orerines that were inclined toward peace rather than war, so what? Walter would make sure that the Ferines wouldn't repeat the mistakes of the wayward race.

Walter nodded again, firmly this time. "Yes, that's true. If we had killed them all, we would have been no different than the Orerines four thousand years ago that tried to snuff us out."

Stella smiled broadly, standing up. "Good. I'm glad that you're willing to change, Walter."

As Walter left Stella's room, he felt a pang of guilt.

I'm sorry, Stella ... Shirley.

--

Hoseia smiled triumphantly as he caught the wavelengths of the communication units of the Great Silver Shrine. He immediately logged onto the device that allowed him to speak with the Elders.

A holographic screen appeared before him, and he saw into the Elders' Chamber. All six of them looked the same they ever had, aged, withered. If not for the Shrine and their Silver crystals, they probably would have perished long ago.

"Elders," Hoseia said, and on the screen they all looked up. Elder Prime smiled wryly.

"I have not heard your voice in a long time ... Hoseia Tempestas."

"Well, I'll be damned," Hoseia replied with a chortle, "you managed to live longer than four thousand years. And you even remember me."

The Elders chuckled. "We truly long nothing more than to return to a state of nothingness. But we cannot do that until we confirm whether or not Arcadia today can survive."

Hoseia's demeanor became serious, all friendly chatter long gone from him. "Prime, be frank with me. What are you having Senel do on Arcadia?"

"He is in the Lost Continent as we speak, reviving Zelos before Ramirez and Galcian can put him to use."

Hoseia's blood ran cold. "What?! What about Kratos--"

Elder Prime's voice was cold, edged with a frozen triumph. "Safe up here, in the Great Silver Shrine with us."

Hoseia's jaw worked, nothing of speech coming from his throat. No ... Prime and the others surely weren't thinking of using Senel to bring about the Rains ... and have Senel and the other young Silvites on Arcadia perish in the Rains!?

"Dammit! Elders, you are insane!" Hoseia regained composure, breathing deeply. "But, no matter. Even if Senel doesn't know reviving Zelos might bring about the Rains, surely Ramirez and Galcian would tell him. After that, there's no way Senel would--"

Elder Prime cut him off midsentence, his tone grave. "No, I'm afraid that's not so. We've never done it before, but from up here, we Elders can take control of another Silvite's power. Ramirez and Fina are too strong; they know how to manipulate their crystals well. But Senel, newly awakened as a Silvite ... doesn't. When he comes in contact with Zelos, we will take control of his crystal ... and bring about the Rains of Destruction on Arcadia."

Hoseia banged his fist on the floor beside him, startling Reno and Nievia. " ... And what about Auldrant?"

Elder Prime's tone remained sadly grave. "We won't call the Rains until after Zelos has saved Auldrant."

Hoseia drummed his fingers on the metal floor he sat on, thinking fast, a million ideas rushing through his head.

Finally, he smiled. "All right, that's fine." And with that, he closed the comm. link to the Great Silver Shrine.

Reno's eyes were frantically wide. "The Silvite Elders called down the Rains?! And they're doing it again?!"

Hoseia nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "Yes. I need to be on Soltis before Senel contacts Zelos."

Nievia folded her arms, frowning. "But you have no means of reaching Arcadia, let alone Soltis."

"No, I do." Hoseia's wide smile showed off his almost ivory teeth. "I just need to pay a visit to Jay the Unseen."

--

Tear was sitting at the table in her room of the Great Silver Shrine, brooding. She was not used to being idle. All her life she was constantly on the move, doing something, if only it were doing errands for the Order of Lorelei back home on Auldrant. But the Elders made it plain that Senel and only Senel was needed to complete this ever-so-critical task of obtaining the lost means of ridding the fon belt of its obstruction.

But Tear didn't want Senel to go down to Arcadia all on his own. From the time she met him in the Quiet Lands, Tear had grown fond of him both as a friend and as an ally during battle. In fact, even if Senel was nearly entirely different, he reminded her of a certain red-haired noble on Auldrant ...

At the thought of her friends on her home planet, she frowned. Right up to when she left Auldrant with Kratos, the leaders of Auldrant had their citizens move into emergency underground cities in the case of a severe natural disaster. Tear had been to those underground cities herself a fair few times. They were, thanks to lost Dawn Age fonic technology, in every way like the cities on the surface--except it was devoid of true sunlight. Granted, on the surface nowadays, no real sunlight could reach because of the dense black thunderstorm clouds.

Tear thought of all the major cities on Auldrant--Yulia City, Baticul, Grand Chokmah, Daath, and a fair few others--being battered by constant thunderstorms and rough seas, hurricanes, twisters, and desert storms, and earthquakes. Baticul was surrounded by natural walls in the crater in which it was built. Undoubtedly the walls might cave in during powerful earthquakes, and Tear shuddered to think of the flooding that would occur if a rogue wave came from the sea.

Grand Chokmah would the be one in danger from water damage, since it was built on the water. Earthquakes might very well sever it from the mainland as well. Daath was by the volcano, so it was danger of hurricanes and sudden eruptions. Yulia City had stood over the course of two thousand years, but it was never a good thing to depend on technology that one hadn't the slightest idea of its workings.

Tear sighed. It did no good to constantly worry. The disruption had not been going on for very long, only half a month at best. And if Senel hurried to this Lost Continent the Elders spoke of, collateral damage would be minimum.

The most important thing, after all--human lives--had already been preserved.

--

The silence was awkward. Kratos avoided looking at the monitor screen, the device he was currently using to converse with his son. The son he left two years prior, to drift aimlessly on a comet-planet, destroying Exspheres and discarding them into the vaccuum of space.

"So ... how've you been?" Kratos asked, drumming his fingers on the smooth metal table of silvery white.

"Fine." Lloyd answered. In two years he changed little. "Sheena moved the people of Mizuho to Sylvarant. Presea's helping Regal with his business, which is booming since it now has headquarters in Sylvarant. Regal's using his company to help put Sylvarant together politically, since the Desians pretty much destroyed any organized government. Zelos and Colette are dealing with the abolishment of the Church of Martel, and Genis and the Professor are traveling."

Kratos sighed; one of relief or otherwise, he didn't know. The only certain thing was that Kratos felt incredibly foolish the way he had up and left his only family, entire planets away, and he had no idea how he was doing or even if he was still alive. When he received word from the Silvite Elders on Derris-Kharlan that they abducted his son to ensure his cooperation, Kratos had been scared to death.

He was sorry he ever left Aselia, and he wanted nothing more than to spill it to Lloyd and tell him he'd never leave him again. But now, here they were, face-to-face (at least via the communications device), and Kratos found he couldn't quite say it.

Instead, he thought of something else, something that had been bugging at him.

"Lloyd ... who abducted you? The Elders are far too fragile to be moving from the Shrine."

That, and they had no ships for interstellar travel--only to get down to Arcadia and back.

Lloyd's eyes went wide as he considered the question. "Hmm ... You remember how I was collecting Exspheres, right? And Dad helped me built my boat so I could travel on the seas, too. Well, I was en route to Luin in the river, and in broad daylight there was this ... black mist."

Kratos's eyebrow went up, and his lips parted. "Black mist?" He repeated.

Lloyd nodded onscreen, running a gloved hand through his reddish brown hair, which was unruly as it had ever been. "Yeah, black mist in broad daylight. It covered my ship, and I couldn't see anything. It was cold, and I heard a voice ... and then next thing I knew, I was up here in the Shrine."

Kratos considered this new tidbit of information. "Black mist" sounded like a characterisitic of the "Derines" that Jay mentioned in the Quiet Lands, and apparently the person controlling the black mist teleported Lloyd to the Great Silver Shrine. Kratos frowned; he had a good idea of who might've done it.

"That sounds a lot like the Darkites from the Dark Civilization of Old Arcadia. But the question is ... who? According to Silvite lore, the Dark Gigas went out of control and spontaneously exploded, and the Dark energy of its crystal infected the skies, becoming the Dark Rift. The Darkites and their civilization was apparently lost."

Lloyd shrugged. "That doesn't matter now. What matters is that I'm here, and I'm all right." He gave Kratos a questioning look through the computer screen. "Right?"

Kratos smiled softly. Of course his son was right; he always did have a knack for these kinds of questions.

"Yes, of course. You're right."

--

Never did Senel feel so utterly alone as he did when he rode the elevator leading into Deep Sky. The dark clouds swirling below him were foreboding, ominous, sparkling every so often with blue lightning. With the winds whipping about him, chilling him to the marrow, it felt as if he were descending into deepest reaches of the underworld.

Already it was difficult for Senel to see very much of anything beyond his own hand in front of his face, only lit up by the occasional bouts of lightning dancing within the clouds of the Vortex.

"I ... wish I had my own teriques," Senel said idly. At least if he had his own teriques, he could have a companion that would literally light the way for him.

After what felt like hours on the flatbed elevator, it came to a shuddering halt, and Senel knew he'd arrived at the Lost Continent in the Deep Sky. He clambered off the elevator, blindly feeling his way; he felt the same smooth metal with grooves engraved in it, just like at the Great Silver Shrine.

As soon as he touched the metal walls, the grooves lit up with silver light, and the entire hallway was illuminated for Senel to see. He blinked, his eyes unused to the light. He walked forward, eyes wide, jaw agape.

"So ... this is Soltis."

Senel had reached the home of the Silvites.

--

Hikaru: Sorry it's late! Anyway, I couldn't think of anything to call the inhabitants of the Black/Dark Moon besides Darkite (which sounds kinda weird) that would stay with the -ite thing.