AN: my apologies, and in my defence this time a large amount of the set back was due to my computer xD it had to go in for a little operation and I was without my files or internet for a week, and so lost the creative plot for a bit as well.
I'd also like to apologise in advance for a little Lyme related propaganda courtesy of Lynn and Rosie ;) due to certain rules on this site names of real people and so on can't be mentioned, but the research and 'guidelines' and statistics I have referenced from true sources, so feel free to look it up in detail if you have the time.
Anyways, ShadowWarrierOmega and troyboltonsgirl for their reviews, and HeartofFyrwinde for their undying support and idea bouncing. I'm throwing a virtual picnic you your collective honour! :D
The Plot Thickens
With Mel well on the road to recovery, Leo was becoming something of a nightmare to handle.
He had been perfectly happy to throw his weight in to help the Committee while she was incapacitated, and then to trail her when she started to get up and move around. Now that Mel was almost completely healed, and had been deemed fit to go home, he was a right bundle of energy that didn't quite know how to discharge itself quietly. It turned out on the day Ansem said she could go home that it was also Kyo's birthday – any plans she had made for him had gone out the window for many and various reasons. So instead, they just spent the day together; eating ice creams, hanging out, letting her younger brother bore her to death over some video game Joey had leant him.
Mel had wanted Kyo to have her sole attention, since she couldn't always be around to give it to him, and had been far less able to be appropriately attentive towards him recently. Leo hadn't taken that entirely well, and while she was gone Aqua took charge of him – and Aqua just so happened to be paranoid about something happening to him, so he wasn't allowed as much freedom as he was used to. Normally, he could stretch his wings and fly around for a bit by himself before coming back to pester them all for food and attention, but that was more or less prohibited under Aqua's regime. The fact that he also vehemently refused to carry anyone but Mel except under the most dire of circumstances contributed to his careful and enforced watch.
Ven folded his arms and cocked his head to one side, watching Leo sulk in a patch of sunlight and glower at anyone who walked past. He had stopped intermittently growling in frustration after he scared the living daylights out of Rosie as she hurried by on other business earlier in the day. Poor guy…it wasn't fun being cooped up and unable to go anywhere.
After a warning growl, Leo submitted to Ven's presence, and allowed him to sit down beside his head where he could get a good scratching. As Ven rubbed his feathers down, dislodging the very last tattered remains of his winter coat, he thought about the last week. A lot had happened, and then a lot had not happened.
So they knew of the possible existence of two poems, that may or may not have some more clues to the mystery surrounding Leo's existence.
And in the process of trying to exchange as much information as possible, Aqua had found a kindred spirit in Rosie – she loved to bake. After swapping their knowledge on Keyblade lore, and then on spells, followed by a few anecdotes dating back to their time as students of their various callings; by the time they were through Ven guessed they could have written the Worlds' most comprehensive encyclopaedia of baking. Of course, he was glad Aqua and Terra were still on speaking terms, and that he'd heeded Ven's council, but that didn't mean he appreciated finding them all over each other ever time he turned a corner… Okay, that was possibly an exaggeration, but Ven wouldn't let it slide so easily, and exaggerations were the best way to wind Terra up.
Aqua had been a bit embarrassed with herself, but Rosie used the same calm and easy manner with which she handled Lynn to smooth the issue over. When the topic of baking came it, it had pretty much sealed the deal of their friendship; Aqua enjoyed having someone of her gender and of near enough her own age to talk to about it; since Mel was capable of only a sponge cake and had no natural talent for the practise (as well as a more powerful love for shiny crystalline objects) and Terra liked the more savoury cooking. All Rosie had said when Ven tried to tease Aqua over the whole thing was: "Stress does odd things to us, and I can see there's been plenty of that around here in spades recently," and refused to comment upon it any further, no matter the baiting and from whom.
Ven watched them now, writing something down on a piece of paper and gesturing over it as though they were making plans; Rhiannon wasn't around, but Lynn was, and she was sat with Lea by the edge of a fountain, munching on ice cream and gesturing in a rather flippant manner as she spoke, eyes closed with a bored expression on her face. Whatever she had to say was funny, because Lea kept sniggering into the back of his hand. Ven was wondering where Terra was, when he heard someone call his name; looking up, he saw Terra approaching, flanked by Sora and Riku with Kairi not far behind.
"Hey guys!" he grinned.
Leo bounced to his feet and rushed them with more vigour than usual, which resulted in a mass pile up. He slunk away dejected when he was admonished, and curled into a ball to watch them reproachfully as they picked themselves up.
"What's with him?" Sora asked as Leo hid his face under his wing and ignored them all.
"Leo's being…" Ven cast around for the right word. "Leo. Aqua doesn't want him off by himself, and Mel's not around to take him flying right now, and there's not much to do at the moment so he's bored."
"N'ahhh." Sora's face fell, and he raced off to cheer Leo up.
"We had an idea!" Kairi crowed happily.
"Oh yeah?" Ven saw Terra's grin and wondered if he should be afraid or not.
"We're going home tonight." He explained. "And since everyone's been working so hard, we figured a party was in order."
"A party?" Ven asked, a bit dazed. "Why?"
"Cause Mel's all better!" Kairi insisted. "Isn't it a great idea?"
After she had left to follow Sora, Ven turned to Riku who had that long suffering look on his face and said slowly, "This could go either way."
"Those two…" Riku groaned.
Aqua was a bit hesitant when the idea was pitched to her, despite the enthusiastic expressions surrounding her. "Well, I guess its okay…as long as we're not causing too much trouble."
"Will there be booze?" Lynn asked, looking a little hopeful at the prospect.
"You should really-" Rosie began, but shrieked when Rhiannon swooped in out of nowhere and grabbed her from behind. "Don't do that!" she spluttered, clutching at her heart as the older woman sauntered away, grinning. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"
"Ehh," she waved the issue away vaguely. "You're such a terrific sport!" Rhiannon had to duck Lynn's fist, and they stood for a moment staring each other down in silence before giving chase without a word.
"Evie, your arm!" Rosie called after them, but it was no use.
"You girls just do your thing and make it all fluffy and heart shaped," Terra said teasingly to Aqua. "Sure you can handle that?"
"Do you have a death wish?" Ven blurted out, watching Aqua's expression closely.
"Just sayin'," Terra grinned, quickly side stepping out of range.
"Well," Rosie said slowly, still watching Lynn in the distance with a worried look. "I do happen to have some heart shaped cake trays with me…"
Aqua turned slowly and deliberately to face her, frowning thoughtfully. "What time is it?"
"About half eleven." Riku supplied.
"And this party, if it goes ahead?"
"Maybe sixish?"
Aqua looked at Rosie. "Is there enough time?"
Rosie considered this for a moment carefully. "If we get cracking right away, probably. Although…" she turned again in the direction Lynn had gone. "I don't like the idea of her running loose such as she is. She could do some more serious or permanent damage to her shoulder if she's not careful…"
"That's okay, we'll keep an eye out," Ven promised her.
"Please do. She's already walked into three walls this morning."
"What?" Terra snorted with laughter, which she ignored.
"Essentially, Evalyn is so preoccupied with the task at hand of being normal it is effecting her attention span and spatial awareness to the point that she doesn't see things coming until they hit her in the face." She didn't know whether to be humoured or exasperated over the issue. "Quite literally."
And so, the two women went off to terrorise the kitchens, and Terra helped Ven to keep an eye on Leo.
"It's okay, we'll be going home soon." Terra said soothingly, and Leo wriggled out of his grasp neatly in one lithe movement.
Ven frowned, remembering what Maleficent had said, and that robed stranger. "What do you think it means?"
Terra sighed and seemed to deflate where he stood. "Ven, we've been over this a million times already."
"Yeah, I get why they'd be after him," he said indignantly, watching Leo sit back on his haunches. When he stood straight on all fours, his withers were higher than any of their heads, and Aqua had predicted that his final dimensions would exceed even this – and he wasn't even a year old yet. "But…why the Keyblade," Ven gestured with his left hand, looking at it before: "and a dragon," looking to and gesturing with his right hand. "Why those two? I mean, it could just as easily been a Mage thing, right?"
"Like I know," Terra snapped irritably, though he brightened considerably when Leo snaked his neck around and started grooming his hair with a contentedly thrum.
"You need a hair cut." Ven commented, and ducked.
"Shut up…"
Leo's head snapped up suddenly as they were preparing to fight, and flattened them both in his mad rush to reach the end of the square. They retrieved a rather windswept Mel from being smothered to death by the excitable dragon; she looked well, if a little fatigued, and brushed off any suggestion of taking a nap.
"I'm absolutely fine, I just raced Kyo down to the market and back." She insisted. Leo rammed his head into her torso, and she beamed up at him and pulled him into what would have been a bone-crushing hug if not for the sheer size of him and her own rather diminutive stature.
"Why'd you do that?" Terra asked mystified, but Ven had an idea.
He laughed and said, "He dared you to do it, right?"
"He is of the opinion that my inability to sprint more than ten metres at a time is the object of much hilarity." Mel said with dignity. Leo croaked and made that grating sound in his throat, and she rubbed her face into his neck. "But that doesn't matter, because I have you. I don't need to sprint when you can just flatten everyone with your wings alone."
"That's a little vindictive of you." Terra said teasingly as they prepared to leave.
Mel shrugged and gave him a very innocent look, reminiscent of Kyo. "Well…Riku thinks I should flaunt my position a little bit more. He reckons no other Keyblade Master would ever want to cross me, because of Leo." She gestured at the brute sat back on his haunches and huffing with pride, eyes closed and head tilted at a dignified angle. "I confess, the idea may have some merit, if I were of a certain persuasion. Sadly, I like being run of the mill, so I think perhaps we won't go around toppling people over in such a manner."
Leo gave her an aghast look before pretending to faint and rolled onto his back, legs stuck up in the air at silly angles with his tongue lolling out of his mouth. They three of them descended into paroxysms of laughter for quite a while at his antics.
"That would be most unfair and spiritually unbalanced." Mel remarked once they had established some decorum.
They hadn't taken more than a few steps when they heard Sora and Riku shouting from nearby.
"Hey! Catch it!"
"Don't let it get away-!"
"Guys-?"
"Hey, look!" Ven pointed at a raven as it swooped through the square, the boys hot on its tail with Kairi trailing behind looking a little lost. He gave chase, instantly thinking of Maleficent's bird, and he could tell Terra had the same idea. Mel hung back, a little reluctant, and so Leo refrained from chasing as well, though his head kept swinging from Mel to the rabble before him with confusion.
They would have caught the raven if not for Baldrick. Ven had yet to hear him utter a single sound beyond panting heavily in the heat (not a bark or a growl, or even a whimper) so when he barrelled out of nowhere with the loudest, deepest booming bark he had ever heard, it startled them all. Obviously thinking the dog would move out of the way, Riku kept on running until he collided with Baldrick, who singularly failed to retreat and fell over, taking Terra with him.
With the dog barking so loudly, Rosie came to investigate, and the raven flew to her like a moth to a light bulb, cawing loudly and indignantly.
"No, no, no!" she said frantically as Sora tried to turn on the bird. "Don't hurt him! He's from the Guild,"
"Huh?" Sora blinked, all wide-eyed and innocent while the rest of them nursed their bruises. "That bird?"
"Yes, he's my Mentor's familiar. Settle down, Cadogan!" she said, trying to encourage the raven to settle on her fist. "Sssh, sssh. All right, boy. It's okay; you gave us all a turn, arriving like that! That's not your style at all, is it?" she smoothed his feather's down, and Baldrick settled by her feet, as quiet as ever. "You have a message for me, don't you? I didn't think we'd have a response so quickly."
"That's your bird?" Riku demanded, rubbing a sore spot on his arm with a scowl.
"Most Mages who serve as Mentors to the older students have familiars to carry messages." Rosie explained calmly, soothing the poor startled bird. "My Mentor happens to have a raven. I can understand the more ominous associations these birds have, but…" she smiled sheepishly as she stroked the bird's feathers. "They'll really not all that bad."
Ven turned dramatically to Mel, the only one of them to resist the urge to give chase, and she stared back at him almost as startled as the raven himself.
"Well?" he demanded in a monotone.
"Raven Medicine is the Medicine of Magic." She reported succinctly. "And they are also the patron of smoke signals."
"Oh, I didn't know that," Rosie commented with interest. "Sssh! It's all right, calm down, old boy," she murmured as Aqua appeared on the scene.
"What's going on here?!" she demanded.
"Nothing!" Sora waved at her brightly.
"False alarm…" Riku grumbled.
"I like Ravens." Mel said quietly as everyone settled down again, and Rosie took the letter she had received to discuss with various people, Aqua and Merlin included.
"But I thought it was Maleficent's raven!" Riku insisted. "How was I supposed to know?"
"Well, we know now." Sora pointed out, completely unfazed by the turn of events.
"So, what else does a raven stand for?" Ven poked Mel in the ribs, and she thought about it for a moment.
"Astral travel, through your dreams that is. Magic, like everything can be used in a balanced or unbalanced manner – 'witchcraft' in many worlds is frowned upon, so the raven became in many places a negative symbol and associated with wrong doers. They're also carrion eaters, which reinforces the negative stereotype. But in some cultures, Raven is revered as something akin to a god, and is often referred to as the Trickster Raven."
"Oh, I thought that was the Coyote?"
"Well, yes, but there are several legends that speak of how the world was formed, how people came to be, and the most common one about where the sun and where fire came from, all of which were instigated by Raven who tricked various other entities to hand over a particular tool or attribute, like fire, and then gave it to the people." Mel explained in her usual calm tones. She was a bit startled to find everyone watching her and listening intently by the time she had finished her speech. "At least, it is to the best of my understanding. Obviously every culture has a different version of events, but quite often I find Raven crops up in these sort of things…"
By this point, Kyo had wandered over with his two friends, and piped up with a frown, "Mel? Why's a raven like a writing desk?"
Ven sniggered at her blank expression that slowly modulated into a frown as she shook her head and said, "Is this a trick question?"
"I dunno. Lea was reading this thing in the library yesterday and he said something, and then Lynn said something else-"
"Get to the point," Joey whined, gazing longingly at the ice cream Sora had 'appropriated' for them all.
"Well, basically," Kyo went on, "Lynn turned round and said: why is a raven like a writing desk, and Lea couldn't answer her. And I want to know! But she won't tell me!" he tugged on her left arm pleadingly.
"If there is a meaning to this phrase," she said slowly, disengaging her arm and taking his hands in hers. "It eludes me. I've never heard of it before, and I can't think of an appropriate answer at this moment in time." When Kyo gave her a wounded look, she said, "What's wrong?"
"Gah!" he took her by the shoulders and shook her, so Ven swooped in to prise him off of her hastily. "Mel! You're supposed to know these things! Why don't you know?!"
"You can't know everything in the universe." Mel's face was blank, her eyes bright with humour. "For one thing, you really would need a brain the size of a planet. And anyway, wouldn't it be very dull if you did happen to know everything there is to know?" Kyo stopped throwing a tantrum and stared at her in confused awe. "I like not knowing, it gives me something to wonder and think about. How boring would it be if you already knew all the answers to every question ever?"
"Yeah, I guess…" Kyo mumbled, hand on his chin and thinking very deeply on the issue. "Actually, yeah!" he brightened and bounced on the spot, making Ven laugh. "It is kinda cool to look up at the sky and think, why is it like that!"
"Yeah, but you already know that," Joey said snidely as the three of them tottered off together.
"Well, light refracts through the particles that make up the gases in the atmosphere, so-"
"Shut up! I didn't ask for a science lesson,"
"But that's not wondering, since you already know it." Ashy pointed out over Joey's complaints as they prepared to leave.
"Well, no, but – think about it!" Kyo gestured wildly as they approached a corner, and before they rounded it he said, "But why do those particles bend the light, and make it blue? And what about the angle of the light at different times of the day that makes the colour change to like, red and orange and stuff?"
"Because it's different?"
"No! I mean like, why does it even create a colour at all? What is it about gas and dust particles that make the light go those colours? Like, why not a green sky, or something…?"
Once Kyo was out of sight, Mel flopped backwards dramatically; Ven lunged for her, but Leo got there first with his enormous muzzle supporting her back as she leaned back heavily against him.
"Oh, what will I do with him?" she murmured, arm cast across her eyes to shield herself.
"I'm sure Ansem'll have an idea or two," Ven laughed, helping her to stand up straight. "Take it easy, right?"
"Oh, I'm fine. I just thought I might try a few theatrics to get my point across." She said brightly. "I love Kyo very much, and I'm very proud of him, but he really does do my head in at times. He won't be satisfied until either he has the answer, or he gets bored and moves on to something else,"
"Still, take it easy." Ven said sternly, knowing deep down she wouldn't take his words to heart. "You don't want to hurt yourself,"
Mel gave him a pleading look. "I'm fine. Kyo just bullied me into racing him earlier, that's all. Look," she stretched both her arms and adopted a stance to show off her newfound good health, and to demonstrate how her scarred limbs were no longer giving her trouble.
"Yeah but-" Honestly, Ven was turning into Aqua…
"Just watch," she insisted, turning around and walking a few paces away.
Ven yelped, and wasn't the only one to lunge after her as she tumbled forwards into a graceful cartwheel. She performed a couple of flawless somersaults before landing on both feet, stumbling only once as she straightened up, and beaming until she saw Ven's scowl. Leo had tried to chase after her as well, but instead of being indignant he gazed down upon her with pride in his eyes. Ven did not return the sentiment.
"Slow down, you could hurt yourself!"
"But," she spread her hands helplessly while Leo snarled at him. "I'm all right, really."
"You landed awkwardly," Ven insisted, and scowled at the look Terra gave him.
"I'm just a bit out of practise. Ven, please don't worry about me,"
"I tink this one'll live somehow," Rhiannon said loudly, clapping Ven on the back as she sailed past with Lynn trailing her in a vague daze.
"What the hell happened here then?" she asked blankly, taking in the scene.
"There was this raven," Sora leapt up to explain. "And we thought it was Maleficent's come to do some spying, but it was this raven that Rosie knows, and-"
"Ah, that'll be Cadogan." Lynn stated. "What's the feather ball doin' 'ere then?"
Ven turned aside from the conversation, still scowling. Okay, so Mel was loads better than she had been, but…when it had been announced her heart had stopped beating, he thought his own would do the same; she pulled through that in the end, but he had hated the powerless feeling of being unable to help. He remembered what it felt like to be the runt of the litter; the youngest, the smallest, physically the weakest; and all the love and care he had received from his surrogate family because of it. It was nice, being in a position to give back something of what he had been given – and Mel was the perfect candidate, really. And it wasn't exactly hard to become attached to her – not even half a year since they had met, and she was as an integral part of their lives as anyone.
It wasn't until Mel gently plucked at his sleeves with a placating expression on her face that Ven realised he was settling into a brooding mood rather uncannily like that of Terra.
"Honestly, I feel fine." She said quietly so only he could hear. "I don't want you to make yourself sick worrying about me."
"Just," he struggled for a moment before reaching for her and pulling the tiny woman into a bear hug. "Promise me you'll tell me if you're not feeling okay? Honestly, you're not a burden on us – I don't mind helping you, and I'd hate it if you hurt yourself because you didn't want to bother us."
Mel smiled and he felt the tight knot in his stomach ease. "I promise."
Terra coughed loudly, giving them a smarmy sideways look.
"And what do you want?" Ven snapped angrily.
"Touchy…" Terra smirked at him.
"I'm not surprised," Mel said softly, eyes half closed. "That Ven is annoyed with you, given the recent state of things, and the fact that you are constantly picking for a fight,"
Terra raised his eyebrows and folded his arms. "I thought you were on my side?"
"I'm on no side." She said simply, taking a step back with her arms extended and taking a small bow as she went. "I sit on the fence. I just state what I see, and you do have the tendency to stir things up most especially wherever Ven is concerned."
"You turned her against me!" Terra shot at him accusingly, but his grin was playful.
"Yeah, I'm just more awesome than you and she can see it," Ven said flippantly, throwing an arm around her, and grinning when Mel hugged him back. She couldn't reach very high without going on tiptoes, so she hugged him around the middle, smiling as well.
"I identify quite well with you."
"Huh?" Terra blinked, confused.
"We're both runts," Ven elaborated. "I mean," he turned Mel around so she was stood with her back to him and leant down to wrap his arms around her waist and lift her bodily off the ground. "Just look at her! She's so tiny you need a microscope to see her!"
"Oh," Mel's eyes went wide and she shook her head. "You've gone down in my estimation all of a sudden,"
"Yeah, kinda harsh Ventus," Lea sauntered by with his usual smirk. "I mean, her breasts aren't that small!"
"Mine are," Lynn said listlessly, looking down at herself. "I'm like a feckin' scarecrow. No meat on these bones," she tweaked at the hem of her shirt with a sigh.
"Aww, it's not so bad," Lea took a step in her direction but Rhiannon planted herself firmly in the way with a glare.
"I think," Mel said, wriggling without success in Ven's embrace. "If you did have a large bust, it would make your whole frame seem disproportionate."
Lynn snorted, and something like her usual grin appeared on her face. "You sound just like Kenny. He always said tactful stuff like that…"
"And I don't think I'm quite that small," Mel twisted round to look up at Ven. "Microscope…I feel insulted!"
"Aww, but you're just so small and cute and the perfect size for hugging!" Ven laughed, cuddling her up close to emphasise his point.
"In runts we trust!" Lynn said suddenly, raising her hand in a salute. To the blank stares she received, she said, "Rhi's about seven and a half years older than me, and Kenny's almost ten years older. I am very much the runt of our little family,"
"And didn't you ever let us forget it," Rhiannon grumbled.
"I'll, err," Terra coughed again with an evil glint in his eyes. "Leave you two alone then, shall I?" he beamed at Ven's black look before he turned around and walked away with a spring in his step.
Ven let Mel go and was about to chase after him when she grabbed his arm and refused to let go. "He's doing it to wind you up, and you're rising to the occasion, so he'll only do it even more."
"I'm gonna kill him," Ven snarled.
Mel gave him a steady look that had him feeling very ashamed of himself. "We both know you'd never do that."
"Listen to the Muse of Serenity," Lea said mockingly, and yelped when Lynn whacked him round the back of the head. "What-?!"
"Don't be such a dick," she said heavily, spinning around and stalking off without another word.
"I don't have to listen to any of you!" Ven snapped angrily. He felt a bit bad after the ensuing argument because Mel disappeared, looking decidedly upset, and when he eventually tracked her down she was sat at the edge of a pool with a fountain set in the middle. It had been badly damaged, though water still flowed through it steadily pell-mell despite the statue that had been all but destroyed. Leo was curled up beside her, running his teeth through her hair while she twisted something in her hands.
"Sorry…" she mumbled when he sat down and tried to apologise. "I'm just…" she hid her face in her hands. "Being silly…"
"No you're not," he said gently, trying to fix whatever it was he had done.
"No, it's…just that, while you were arguing with Lea, it just reminded me of Tom. I don't know why…" Ven's heart did an odd little…sort of wobble, really – when he saw a single tear slide down her cheek. "I just hope he's safe…I don't know what to think, or what to do…" she closed her eyes and leant into Ven's embrace when he reached for her, desperately wanting to give her some comfort. "I really hate the way he acts at times. I always have. But…he's not a bad person…and I love him all the same. I just…wish I knew; where he is, what he's doing. I just want him to be safe."
Ven took a deep breath to steady his own nerves before he spoke. "I'm sorry I reminded you,"
"How could you have known? It wasn't intended, and you can't control how I think and feel. There's nothing to forgive."
"I just…wish I could help you."
"Just don't let go." She murmured. Ven started at this, but she went on, "I can't imagine what I'd do without your support…" Mel smiled and let Leo lick her tears away before he buried his muzzle in her arms, thrumming softly. "Or you. I know you complicate matters just by existing, Leo. But you're the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm so glad your egg came to me,"
Leo chirruped as he used to when he was a hatchling, only the tenor of his voice had deepened considerably since then.
"I promise that I'll try to help," Ven told her once Mel had regained some composure. "Any way I can. I don't like seeing you upset like this…"
Mel's smile was watery but sincere. "Just that – that's enough." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek before leaning against him for support. "I couldn't ask for a better friend than you."
Ven smiled too, and closed his eyes, just enjoying the peaceful moment in her company, and the knowledge that just by being there he was offering something of the support she needed. When Leo snorted loudly right in his face Ven opened his eyes only to narrow them at the young dragon's stony golden gaze.
"Whatta you want?"
"Oh, of course I rely on you too!" Mel twisted around to hug Leo's enormous head close to her. "It's just sometimes I need to give other people attention too. I've been a terrible Keeper recently, haven't I? I've been ignoring you…"
Leo tried not to look too pathetic at these words, though he failed and looked rather pitiful as she fussed over him, and a little pleased when she left Ven's embrace to do so. Ven shrugged it off; Leo was still comparatively young, and he needed Mel's affection now more than ever, the way he had been going recently. He just felt better now, knowing Mel's concerns were also his burden to bear, and also that she was feeling better in both body and mind.
"It'll be all right," he said, rubbing Leo's favourite spot on his neck that was tricky for him to reach.
Leo groaned in approval and flopped to the ground in a contented heap.
XOXOX
After they arrived home to find Alexander reporting a near break in, Aqua felt more paranoid than ever – but she let the others talk her into calming down when they pointed out that the Scion had deterred the intrusion before it had had a chance to occur. Clearly, their plan had worked, and to very great effect.
It was surprisingly easy to fall back into a normal routine once they returned home, all in good health. Aqua and Ven bickered about reading and essay writing; Ven insisting that as a Master, such work was beneath him, Aqua insisting he couldn't afford to let his standards slip. Mel spent a lot of time reading in the library, and then a lot of time outside with Leo giving him attention and exercise, before collapsing into bed almost comatose with exhaustion. Terra was…himself in typical fashion, and at a few gentle promptings had taken up carving again with real fervour, as well as continued studies.
Lynn was still a bit all over the place, but she seemed a bit calmer – especially at the party that had been thrown allegedly for Mel's recovery (it was more like an excuse to unwind, and Joey and Ashy hijacked it for Kyo as well, but no one was really complaining). She had sat with Rhiannon and Rosie looking through some photos from the past few years on Rosie's smart phone. She oohed and ahhed and complained about missing out on certain events like trips to far away countries and threw a hissy fit when she saw some pictures of a convention of some sort where everyone dressed as a character from a fantasy game, book or movie. Aqua had been shown these particular pictures too, and she cooed over the young boy stood beside Rosie in a long green tunic that was too big for him, grinning from ear to ear. This was Luke, her eight year old godson, upon whom Rosie doted and adored very much; he'd desperately wanted to go with her to this event, and she had dressed him up as someone called 'Young Link' while she went as the 'Adult Link', dressed in another green tunic and bristling with home made paraphernalia. The most stunning part of the collective costume was a beautiful chestnut coloured horse with three black legs, one of them mostly white, and with a white mane and tail. Lynn couldn't get over this.
"But it looks like Epona!"
"That's her actual name." Rosie beamed, enjoying Lynn's reaction.
"Get out!" she poured over the small touch screen with amazement.
"Do you remember Kyle at the stables? Well, his son begged them to name the mare Epona when they got her because of the Celtic legends – or which ever it is, I don't remember. But when I asked him, he said it was really after the Zelda games."
"He looks so sweet," Aqua commented with a smile, looking at the little boy's great big enthusiastic grin.
"I adore him, even if he is a little toad at times." Rosie rolled her eyes dramatically. "I'm in real trouble with his father because I introduced him to Legend of Zelda and Sonic the Hedgehog. Never cared for football in the first place, and now I'm pushing him even further away from it…"
Lynn snorted. "Yeah right. Like Luke ever needed an excuse. How's the rugby going?"
"Top of his year." Rosie said proudly, and launched into a conversation about the boy's favourite sport with her.
When they were finished Aqua plucked at her sleeve to get her attention, and once she had it asked, "Hedgehog?"
"That's…okay, it's not really as odd as it sounds," Rosie insisted with a laugh.
Pop culture was never something Aqua had been able to follow, in any world, but she found it fascinating nonetheless to listen. Either way, Lynn was less prone to physical violence, which was always a good thing. Not that Aqua felt she was a bad person or anything, only that she had a tendency to stir people up with her, and Terra and Ven were quite good at getting caught up in it. Between Rosie and Rhiannon, Lynn had managed to find a calm plateau on which to sit while she sorted herself out. When they all went to visit a few days later and to pick up some supplies, she was struggling with herself while Rhiannon fluttered around her rather unhelpfully.
"Just-! SOD OFF!" she hissed, taking a swipe at her friend.
"Pet," Rhiannon began, but yelped and dodged out of the way as Baldrick came flying out of nowhere and raced past her to Lynn's side.
"You okay?" Ven asked, rather concerned.
"Rose's Mentor's in town, and I don't want to make any contact." Lynn gave him a pained expression. "And I just fell so very hacked off for no reason whatsoever…"
Rhiannon gave them all a pleading look.
"…Ice cream?" Ven suggested innocently, trying to help.
"That's a good idea. Ven, why don't you go with them?" Aqua suggested. "We shouldn't be too long, we'll catch up with you later."
At first she was a little miffed that Terra chose to run off with them, but he said playfullly, "Why'd I want to go shopping – like a girl?"
"We don't need them and their negativity." Mel said softly as they went in the opposite direction with Leo hanging over their shoulders.
"Or their Sun energy." Aqua joked.
"Oh, we have Sun energy ourselves." Mel said. "Just in lower concentrations." Her matter-of-fact manner with regard to these things was rather endearing.
They were chatting about energetics when Aqua heard someone calling for them, and turned to see Rosie jogging down the street behind them. "Hello!" she called, a little breathless.
"Hey!" Aqua smiled, giving her a hug when she reached them.
Rosie gave Leo a furtive look, and he tried to hide his annoyance by twitching his head to one side – the sudden movement merely served to unnerve her more. "Hello you three," she said, pulling Mel into the hug as well. "I have a favour to ask,"
"What is it?" Aqua asked as she straightened her clothes out after her run.
"My Mentor is here, and when I saw Terra and Ven I guessed you would be here as well. He has requested an audience with the High Master of the Keyblade." Her words were formal, her expression anything but. "If that is convenient. I don't want to detain you if you're busy,"
"We should have time," Aqua said, checking it on Mel's watch. "Shall we?" she said to Mel, who nodded.
"Come on Leo,"
Leo kept his distance as they walked, not wanting to upset Rosie and feeling a little irked by the situation, but keeping himself under control. They went to the boroughs, and headed towards Merlin's house; he was stood outside with an unfamiliar man arranged in purple robes that made Aqua think he had just walked out of a Harry Potter book, as well as a large buckle on his belt like the ones on Rosie's boots. Both men looked up, and Aqua saw he had a rather magnificent and frizzy grey beard; he was balding on top, though his hair was mostly dark brown flecked with white here and there. He wore rather thick-rimmed glasses, which he hastily removed and cleaned with his sleeve when Leo rounded the corner. Rosie scuttled to his side and formally introduced them all, including the dragon, before introducing her Mentor: Horace of Gent, of the Ladonier Guild. Aqua was a little unfamiliar with the Mage's ranking system, especially because it was in a language she didn't understand, but she guessed he was wedged fairly solidly in the middle somewhere.
"Absolute pleasure, I'm sure," he said in a very well spoken, very posh sort of accent, shaking everyone's hands before turning to Leo in a flap. The poor dragon sat back on his haunches, eyes wide with alarm at the sight before him, unsure of what to make of him or what to do. "Oh dear me! I seem to be ignorant of the customs for greeting a dragon,"
"This is Leo," Mel said calmly, running a hand over his right foreleg in a soothing gesture.
Leo stared at the man's watery blue eyes before bumping his snout against his outstretched hand. Once his salutatory dues were paid he scuttled backwards a few paces and sat down, tucking his legs in and eyeing Horace warily.
"Now then, now then – oh don't be silly, Rosaline!" he said to Rosie, who was giving Leo a sideways glance. "You can tell by his stance and posture he means no aggression by you! Come, come,"
Rosie flushed at the use of this name, and bowed her head as she scuttled to his side and gave Aqua a pleading look made somewhat comical by her Mentor's demeanour.
"Do you have that box I gave you, my dear?"
"Yes sir, right here." She murmured, rummaging in her enormous satchel.
"Yes, yes. Now then!" he clapped his hands together and gave Aqua a surprisingly penetrating look, and she instantly sensed that he was very good at giving an impression of dottiness, whilst actually being very sharp and switched on. "I hear that good old Master Kaoru of the Keyblade was part of a council not long ago with regard to this," he gestured grandly at Leo, whose eyes were closed and head pressed against Mel's body, humming contentedly. "Quite frankly magnificent beast, and – please dear, he won't eat you like the last one tried to."
Rosie reigned in the urge to sigh, and her expression was rather fixed as she produced a long, flat box from her bag.
"Anyway, moving on. If you could tell me the practical upshot of this discussion…"
Aqua shrugged grandly, not sure if she was disappointed or not about her honest answer. "We don't know."
"I beg your pardon, my dear?"
"We couldn't ascertain among ourselves what significance Leo has in the world, beyond being our friend." Mel said in a quiet but strong voice.
Horace smiled and bobbed on the spot with a hasty bow. "Well said, my dear, well said. I only ask because in light of what my student has told me I feel perhaps the Guilds may hold a few answers for you that we are all unaware of. After the rather patchy description I have been given to work with I have been ransacking every shelf in the library looking for these texts. You know, I do find this sort of classical history fascinating-"
Merlin cleared his throat loudly. "Quite, my old friend, but perhaps you should stick more to the point. I'm sure Melody and Aqua have other things to do, and I think Leo's getting a little hungry, aren't you old chap?"
Leo coughed to cover up a powerful rumble in his stomach that had all of the women giggling.
"Ah, yes. My apologies, High Master,"
"Please, there's no need to apologise," Aqua smiled; it was quite nice to see such passion for a particular subject, like how Ven's eye lit up when he heard training was to take place outdoors that day.
"Rosaline," Horace gestured to Rosie, who handed him the black case.
Before he could say or do anything, Lea strolled around the corner and made a beeline for Mel before pushing the wooden box Lynn had given her into her face. "Can't help, sorry Shortbread." He said dully. "You seen Lynn 'round?"
"Something about helping Joey with his geography," Rosie said with a wry smile.
"Nothing?" Mel asked, crestfallen as she looked down upon the plain and simple box with its essentially nondescript adornment.
Lea shrugged, annoyed with himself. "Well I did consider taking a hacksaw to it but I didn't think that would make me very popular. Toodles!" he waved carelessly over his shoulder as he sauntered off.
"Well that's annoying." Mel said under her breath, tucking it into her bag with a blank expression that usually meant she wasn't best pleased with the situation.
"Who was that young man?" Horace asked Rosie, side tracked.
"Oh, that's Lea. Err, Lea!" she called after him, and he turned with a puzzled expression, already half way down the street.
"What?"
"This is my Mentor, Horace. The one who owns the Raven everyone was raving about?"
"Oh. Hello!" and he went on his way without further comment.
"A little rude," Horace commented with a sniff.
"He's a bit preoccupied." Rosie explained. "A friend in distress," it was a half-truth, at any rate. It was unlikely he would connect their Lynn and Rosie's Evie on the basis of what had been said so far, and Aqua doubted Lynn would have wanted Rosie to tell him. She had been reluctant enough to come into contact with Yen Sid.
"Anyway, anyway!" Horace wasn't all that fussed about the issue, it seemed. "I do believe that what my student has stated is true – the Keyblade bearer aligned with the Dragon of the Keyblade is known as the Keeper." Horace had a way of speaking that would be very engaging to children and young teens, though it felt a little unintentionally condescending to be addressed in this manner as an adult. Aqua smiled to herself – he was very eccentric, and really rather likeable because of it. "And that would mean that Master Melody here is the Keyblade's Dragon Keeper,"
"Oh," Mel stumbled and rushed to correct him. "I'm not a Master, I'm still an apprentice."
"My dear, but you're a little old for that!" his eyebrows shot up.
"My…education has been patchy over the years." Mel said quietly, in a manner that Aqua recognised as guarded after spending so long getting to know her more subtle moods.
"Ahh, I am sure you'll be a Master before this time next year." He said brightly, and Rosie acted rather interestingly; her head shot up and she gave Horace a rather searching look before turning her gaze to Mel. "Be that as it may! I would like to present you with this," he held the box like case out to her with a flourish, as though it were a sword.
Mel took it, and staggered slightly from the unexpected weight. Wide eyed, she turned it over and flipped a seamless clasp on one side, and Aqua gasped at what was inside once the lid was opened.
It was an ornate flute, made from some strong metal charmed for superior sound and endurance, and painted with real gold; it was dismantled into segments that were nestled in black velvet, and studded with small but precious gemstones. The most magnificent and beautiful feature was not any of these, but that once the flute was pieced together, it would resemble a long, slender, oriental dragon with one paw extended and containing a perfect sphere of some multicoloured crystal that kept changing colour.
Mel's eyes were impossibly wide, as were Leo's, and like Aqua they were both lost for words. Rosie gasped and her hands flew to her mouth – clearly she hadn't been in on this, but she turned to Horace in near panic.
"Where did you find this?!"
"It was in the archives, my dear. At the Ladonier Guild. Do be calm, you always were good at over reacting," he took her hands and patted them soothingly, but she wouldn't be placated so easily.
"What is it? What if someone notices it's gone?!"
"My dear Rosaline," he said with a weary smile. "You do fuss ever so. I only recently discovered it, and from what I gather it was part of an unfortunate collection of plundered items that the Guild never wanted anyone to know about, so there is no paper work to go with it. Obviously back in the day before the old King died," here he exchanged a grave look with Merlin, "A nefarious Mage took it from whoever owned it at the time, and I am starting to think in light of all this that it may have originally belonged to the Order of the Keyblade. Either way, the Guild has no use for it. And anyway, my dear! Even if someone notices it's gone, how on earth will they prove its theft without the paperwork to prove it was there at all in the first place? It is, as far as I can gather, already stolen goods."
"But what if Head Master Saran finds out?" Rosie was clearly worried, but obviously her Mentor was not.
Horace smiled and patted her on the head. "Rosaline, do stop fussing. You don't have your little medical condition to blame it on anymore. No, you always were a worrywart. It will be fine. And if what you have told me about Melody here is true, than we have done the flute a great service and brought it to a worthy owner!"
Mel clutched the case close to her chest and turned her startled gaze on the aging man. "I-" she swallowed. "I can't – accept this. It's too much-!"
"Nonsense!" Horace spread his arms wide. "It's positively a crime and a sin that this instrument has gone so long without being played! Rosaline here tells me you are a passionate musician, and I can think of no better or more fitting subject matter. Eh, old sport?" he directed at Leo, who started and snorted loudly, shaking his head to cover up his reaction.
Horace went to go and talk with Merlin about some matters of magical and political importance not long after their meeting ended, and Rosie walked with them to the shops, still in awe of the flute, and not a little bit worried.
"What's wrong?" Aqua asked her while she eyed the case anxiously.
Rosie frowned and said, "My Mentor is a bit eccentric…you probably guessed that. Well…the designated Head of the Ladonier Guild is Master Saran, who doesn't really like Horace or his teaching methods. Myself and my friends adore him, even if he is a bit scatty at times, although I can hardly talk… It's just that I don't want him to do anything that the Head Master could use against him. This flute," she gestured towards it and Mel's uneasy expression. "I just can't believe I've never seen it! I mean, it should be in a museum or something! Not stuffed into the library archives in a dusty old box where no one can see it. I'm amazed no one knew about it,"
"No one knew about Leo, either." Aqua suddenly beamed and hugged the great brute with a laugh. "Until he fell out of his egg with this really loud sound!"
Leo snorted and flicked her around the back of her head with the tip of his tail, rolling his eyes when Rosie stumbled out of the way hastily.
"I am sorry," she said sheepishly. "I have something of an irrational fear of dragons…" she rolled the sleeve of her top up and showed them a set of very faint scars. "It was treated almost instantly, and with magic, so I got off incredibly lightly, but if the Mage Knights had not been in the area at the time, I might have ended up as a snack for a Horn Tail."
Mel jumped. "Horn Tails are real?" she asked in a hushed voice.
"Well…yes, they are." Rose gave her a lopsided smile. "They just aren't from Hungary, that's all."
They met up with the others in the square outside HQ, with Merlin keeping Horace busy so Lynn would have enough time to slip away so she didn't run into the Mage and get recognised. Her well being and demeanour had improved, but she was still touchy about who knew about her 'condition'.
Ven and Terra were amazed and awed by the flute Mel had inherited, but Rhiannon and Lynn had a similar reaction to Rosie's.
"He'd be in so much trouble if they knew," Lynn said quietly while Rosie bobbed on the spot, fretting and working herself up into what Mel called a 'tizzy'.
"How the hell did they come by this, anyway?" Rhiannon demanded loudly. "And why shove it in a drawer where no one can see it? Christ alive! Master Sol'd have a field day on this one!"
Lynn smirked and adopted an unfamiliar accent, "A thing of beauty is a thing that must be shared with the rest of humanity in general! If nothing else then to show off your ability to appreciate such beauty!"
"Your Master was weird," Rosie shook her head and laughed. "He was a great, loving and knowledgeable man, but he was weird."
The two Keyblade Master's shrugged and sniggered behind their hands at this remark. Then Lynn fixed Rosie with a steely gaze that made her sigh.
"What now?"
"You should've hyperventilated and keeled over by now, or burst into tears and hit something – probably me. Why 'ent you dead yet?"
Rose made a gesture with her hands and fingers as though she were itching to throttle her friend. "I am symptom free. Stop harping on about it, Lynn!"
"Here," Rhiannon shoved Lynn out of the way. "She's better, get over it, flower!"
"But she's my lost sick ickle puppy-kins!" Lynn pulled her into a binding embrace from which she couldn't struggle free, even with only one arm doing the binding. "I can't just forget!"
"Give it a rest…" Rosie groaned.
"And speaking of harps," Lynn reached into Rosie's bag and pulled out a lyre made from carved wood. "You been down Annar way recently?"
"Cadvan gave that to me – give it back!" Rosie snatched at it. "It's not mine, it belongs to Maerad's brother!"
"Awright, keep your hair on!" Lynn grumbled. She gave Rosie a narrow look as the Mage hefted the lyre into the crook of her left arm and ran a finger across it's surface. "I still can't get over the fact that you're healthy."
Rosie gave her the most disparaging look Aqua had seen yet, and said bluntly, "Shut up, Evie," before holding her head high and marching over to where Ven was marvelling over Mel's new flute.
They settled down for a break and a social gathering before thinking about packing up and heading home; Mel and Ven started firing off theories about the flute and the box Lea had returned to her, while Aqua took a moment to unwind. Terra was having an antagonistic conversation with Lynn while Rhiannon attempted to follow Aqua's lead, and Rosie settled down to play the lyre after a few requests. It was a beautiful instrument, though she knew a very limited number of songs – most of them from various films and video games that Lynn recognised – and when asked she admitted she learned by herself (with a little help from an accomplished friend) and couldn't read sheet music.
Rosie was playing a lilting, lullaby sounding song when Terra asked suddenly, "What's this one called?"
"Zelda's Lullaby." Came the response.
"Oh." Terra said while Lynn sniggered.
Something was on his mind, Aqua could tell, and it wasn't long before he came out with it. "Rosie?"
"Mhmm?" she asked, fumbling the chord.
"I don't get something."
"Join the club." Lynn stated. "Let's get some jackets,"
"Sssh." Rosie said soothingly. "What is it, Terra?"
He frowned before asking, "Lynn makes it sound like you were really sick at one point."
Lynn snorted angrily. "Sound like?!"
"And you say this Lymes disease thing is a big problem in your world, but you had to medicate yourself to get better. If it's really that big a deal, why aren't the people in power helping?"
Lynn snorted with laughter and Rhiannon clapped her hands together before rubbing them dramatically and saying, "I smell a conspiracy!"
"No it isn't." Rosie said heavily.
"Yeah, cause what happened was – there was this whole thing, right?" Lynn beamed fully, leaning forward with glee. "It's a conspiracy theory involving Nazi scientists using biological warfare against Europe by harnessing the power of ticks to-"
"All right, Lynn? Please be quiet before you damage our reputation any further. I do not need anyone else thinking Lyme patients are all complete lunatics,"
"Well, technically you are though, right? Or you were. Okay, okay! I'll shut up!"
"Good." Rosie set the lyre aside, and smiled at Ven when he looked at it with interest before handing it to him with a request that he be very gentle. She then sat up straight and crossed her legs, placing her hands on her knees and titling her head to look up at Terra. "Well, what it really all boils down to in its simplest and most basic form – is power. In my world, sadly, power is obtained through money and political clout. So essentially," she gestured with her hands and the direction of her gaze. "You have the genus of bacteria called Borrelia, which is closely related to the bacteria Treponema pallidum that causes syphilis, and they are both spirochetes that are treated with long term courses of antibiotics. Lyme disease presents in many different ways, and because 'flu like' symptoms can be for any number of different illnesses, it's little wonder it gets misdiagnosed a lot. But the crux of the problem is that the big drug companies-"
"Mostly American," Lynn slipped in.
"The United States of America span the majority of an entire continent." Rosie said patiently. "The United Kingdom and Europe in general are a bit smaller. Not that Europe is without its own political corruption, because it isn't. You cannot say that one is worse than the other. Please be quiet. All right, so the drugs that can help cure Lyme have been around for years, and their patents have run out, and there's little you can do to change the chemical compounds to justify a new patent and therefore more money. So it's not in the financial interest of these big drug companies to sell these drugs because they won't make any money from it. The peer review panellists for the scientific world at large, especially in the medical circles, often have a vested interest in the drug companies; so these high up individuals with all this money and political influence – i.e., power – can go up to these people doing the reviewing and tell them that if they want those shares to churn out a healthy sum of money they need to reject any research that comes to light suggesting that Lyme disease exists in a chronic state and can persist after short term antibiotic treatment. And oddly enough, with Lyme disease being misdiagnosed as many mental health problems, as well as things like multiple sclerosis, for which these companies are forever churning out new drugs for, it doesn't seem in financial terms to be the best option to admit to, and treat people for Lyme disease. This is why Lyme patients are often pegged as conspiracy theorists because the governments are going to listen to the one with the biggest wallet and most persuasive argument, and the people with Lyme disease in chronic stages are often too ill to work and therefore have no money to throw around. So with the bigwigs in the scientific community spewing out this rubbish, it filters down through the medical system until you get to the hospitals and doctors surgeries, and of course they are going to believe the word from on high over that of a patient who is presenting with so many and varied symptoms, and comes to the table apparently knowing more than the doctor about the subject. I appreciate that can be off putting and intimidating."
"They need to man up and stop pandering to the official guidelines set out by those dick heads in the States," Lynn snarled.
"And risk losing their licences and their livelihoods – yes, they'll really do that after the witch hunts they've had in the past." Rosie said a little sarcastically.
Aqua was a little stunned and lost by this speech. "But…" she shook her head. "I don't understand. That doesn't make sense."
Rosie shrugged helplessly, and looked upset herself. "It's just a horrible and grossly unfair situation for all of us. I mean, I'm better now, better than I have been in years, but my dad and two of my brothers are still really ill. I'm hoping they can use the same regime I did, their doctors have agreed to do routine blood tests to check they are all right in that sense, but my younger brother's having a real battle with his GP right now about it."
"Poor Eric…" Lynn's face fell. "He been okay?"
"The seizures have been a little worse lately, but not as bad as they were that Christmas. Oh!" she jumped at something. "I just remembered, before I forget!" she suddenly grinned, and it lit up her whole being. "Feed the conspiracy theorist!"
"Go on then. It good news or what?" Lynn demanded enthusiastically.
"Sounds depressing…" Terra muttered, clearly sorry he had brought up such a harrowing topic that clearly still held sway over Rosie's life.
"No, this is good news." Rosie beamed. "It's a few steps in the right direction of showing up these bastards for what they really are, and setting the stage for when these organisations and drug companies will be forced into admitting the truth and look either at best idiotic and stupid or at worst heartless money grabbing-" Lynn supplied a few degrading names for these people, and Rosie gave her a stony look. "What did we talk about?"
"I'll be quiet…" Lynn sighed heavily and reluctantly, angling herself away from Rosie.
"Right. Well, there was a study by a pathologist in the State of New York on the brains of elderly people who died from Alzheimer's and dementia. They looked at a large sample from within that state and had to come to the conclusion after they ran a few tests, including a PCR test, and cultured live Lyme spirochetes from brain patients' tissue, that…I think it was seventy percent or something in that region? I'll have to double-check that, but it was certainly over half of the patients that they had to surmise that they had died because of Lyme disease. Borrelia spirochetes damage the brain and leave very distinctive lesions, which in late stage syphilis can happen as well. It's very different to the biological cause of Alzheimer's, and dementia, which are both associated with the break down of communications between parts of the brain as you age – very and distinctly different to the damage caused by bacterial infections, such as spirochetes. And this research was rejected for publication-"
"Bloody hell! 'Ent that surprising! Not like that sort of research tows the party line,"
"The reason given at the time was that it would cause panic to the general public." Rosie shrugged again.
"Bullshit!" Lynn shouted.
"Please, there's no need to shout!"
"Absolute bollocks! That which you do not know most certainly can hurt you!" Lynn was all but frothing at the mouth.
"And!" Rosie giggled unexpectedly. "You'll love this! The estimates for cases of confirmed Lyme disease per year, at the beginning of this year, were about thirty thousand in the States."
"Riiiight." Lynn frowned. "What you driving at then?"
"A couple of months ago the 'authorities' bumped it up to three hundred thousand and admitted that their sampling methods and the fact that many cases go unnoticed or are misdiagnosed – never any mention about pre-existing and chronic stage patients, but you know," she smiled wryly. "One step closer to admitting they are all in the wrong about the situation."
"That's like ten times higher! What the frack are the doing?!" Lynn ranted angrily. "Aww mate! They are so up to something with that announcement! I don't trust those bastards,"
"I never said I did, but there you go. I had a few people coming to talk to me who used to doubt all my 'conspiracies' on the subject, admitting there's something fishy going on here."
"Yikes," was all Terra could think of to say.
"Yeah, her world's screwed up. I mean, really fecked up the spout."
"Yes, thank you Lynn." Rosie said, trying to frown and not smile at the same time – and managing to fail. "I was aware of that the moment I entered the Lyme War zone."
"That's just so…" Aqua didn't even know what to say.
"Feckin' screwed up." Lynn supplied helpfully.
"Well, there's some progress, and I stand as an advocate of this treatment regime. It's a war we will win in time."
"Good luck to you, mate." Lynn pulled a face. "You know, I never did get over the paranoia you instilled in me about ticks…"
"Good!" Rosie said firmly. "I won't stop screaming at you about it, either."
While they all sat and digested this, Rhiannon frowned deeply before nudging Rosie in the ribs. "Hand on, pet. I thought the conspiracy was that it was biological warfare."
"Well…that's one view," Rosie admitted. "There were some German scientists who went to America after the Second World War who had worked in a similar field, though they probably moved to try and rebuild their lives. But, this theory is disproved by the fact that a Stone Age man was found frozen in the Alps a few decades ago, and a team of scientists ran tests on his body tissue and found Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes there."
Lynn was lounging at her ease, one hand behind her head and face tilted skyward. At these words she jerked and fell over the edge of the crates she had been splayed across. She swore, and clawed her way up again before fixing Rosie with a look. "Burg…thing, whatever! That's the North American strain, right? That's what you had,"
"Mhmm." Rosie nodded.
Lynn raised an eyebrow and let her chin fall against the top of the crate dramatically. "In Europe?"
"I know it doesn't quite add up, and I do not know any more than you do at this point." She spread her hands apologetically. "With some more unbiased research we might know one day. But anyway!" she waved her hands and shook her head. "Let's talk about something else!" she turned to look at Mel, who was looking rather forlornly at her. "Have you tried the flute yet?"
"What?" Mel jumped. "No!"
"C'mon! Give us a tune, Blondie," Lynn jeered before ducking the blow Rhiannon attempted to deal her.
"I can't-!" Mel protested. "I mean…just- just look at it!"
"Yeah, I am." Lynn strolled up and loomed over her, hand on hip and staring at the offending instrument. "That's a mighty fine looking piece of music making equipment!" she straightened up and gave Rosie a sidelong look. "I still think old Horace is gonna massively get it in the neck if the Demon Headmaster hears about this."
"Quick, Mel!" Rhiannon shouted, making poor Mel jump yet again. "You make up an excuse if the Mage Brigade come a'knocking, y'hear me, flower?"
"Yeah! You found it in a dumpster!" Lynn added, and Rosie sighed heavily, eyes closed and clinging to what little dignity there was to be had.
"Or maybe under a chair in a disused pub," Rhiannon went on.
"N'ahh, that's a stupid suggestion!" Lynn rounded on her. "Try a little imagination, Yeesh!"
"Oh, and a dumpster's imaginative, is it now?" Rhiannon bristled and rose to the challenge.
Terra raised an eyebrow at Rosie, who was turning a blind eye on the situation. "Aren't you going to do something?"
"Who, me?" she was surprised at the suggestion. "Those two are usually like that. They are both asking for a fight – it's perfectly normal behaviour for tham and of little cause for concern. Come on, Mel. I'm dying to hear what it sounds like!"
Mel was biting her lip and looking from the flute to Aqua for support. "But I…its too…ahhh!"
"Well, look at it this way," Ven said bracingly as Leo sidestepped out of Lynn and Rhiannon's way, in turn making Rosie take a sweeping step back to hide behind Terra for protection. "The Mages will think twice before harassing the High Master's apprentice for a missing item, that they probably don't know about anyway."
Rosie leant around Terra's side with a reflective expression as Baldrick trotted over, eyed by Leo closely. "Now there's a thought…" she murmured.
XOXOX
Maleficent swept back and forth across the room before turning to sit pensively at the table and watch the images conjured from afar play out before her. The dragon was too strong and too heavily guarded to attack head on…
He was also too headstrong and wilful for his own good.
If they could injure the beast somehow, slow it down…get the dragon either by itself or catch him with a comparatively small group, they might stand a chance. Especially if the dragon was infirm.
This plan was going to take a lot of delicate finesse… Now, if Pete were to direct the Heartless, and Tomasa was to use the Void Stones, over which he had an excellent control by now…
Yes, this might work. But it would all hinge on the movements of the Keyblade Masters and the dragon himself.
She would have to watch very closely. Maybe send Tomasa out for recon purposes, keep him occupied and out from under her feet. Let the boy plan his petty schemes – his cousin was of little interest to her, just that dragon.
Maleficent sighed when she heard Pete calling her name, and turned to meet him as he entered the hall.
"What is it?" She did not need such distractions right now…
"Some of the Heartless acting up." He shrugged, looking a little troubled. "That there Island of Berk – they keep attacking without orders! Can't get them to listen to me,"
There's a surprise… "Is that all?"
"Just wanted to check the schedule for tomorrow!" he said hastily.
The door went just then, and Tomasa walked in with his head and shoulders high, completely blanking Pete – which of course irked him greatly.
"What news do you have for me today?" Maleficent asked gently, hoping her irritation wasn't showing.
Tomasa opened his notebook and flicked through the pages idly, affecting an attitude more careless than he truly felt. "Mel's got a new flute, the Nobody nearly broke its neck, and Sora was talking about some stuff that's happened with friends in other worlds.
"Do tell," Maleficent said, trying to contain her eagerness.
Tomasa checked his notes again before saying, "Some person's had a kid and getting them Christened, and some person called Mulan's getting married and China needs more warriors, or something…"
Maleficent mulled this over for a while, and the two of them stood there watching. She questioned him further on the relative dates for these occurrences, and all Tomasa knew was that Sora would be going with Donald and Goofy to help this Mulan friend in five days time, and this Christening was going to take place the following day.
The world in which it would take place was one Maleficent was unfamiliar with, but it didn't take long for her to realise it was Ursula's home world. Of course, the old sea witch was long gone, but…Maleficent did seem to recall the woman once mentioning she had a rather vindictive and spiteful younger sister.
And this mission Sora was going to embark on was apparently one of peace; protecting the princesses of one kingdom while they travelled to another. It took a little more digging by magic to ascertain this, and Tomasa had left by then; Pete hung around, though his presence was a burden upon her patience.
Eventually, Maleficent had a plan, and she expanded upon it before giving Pete orders.
"Right! Listen to me you imbecile. I do not want any failures this time, am I understood?"
"Yes boss!" Pete jumped to attention hastily.
"Very well," Maleficent went through everything in her head one last time, stroking the orb at the end of her staff as she did. "Listen very carefully, Pete. I will not tolerate any more failings on your part. Now, I want you to be there when the peace delegation that Sora and his pitiful lackeys are accompanying, and I want you to kidnap the princesses. Let the Heartless deal with the fools, but I want those girls within my grasp. I will go and have a little chat with Ursula's sister and see what we can…stir up together."
Pete nodded, frowning deeply with concentration. "Got it."
"In the mean time, I'd like you to create a little diversion. It shouldn't be too difficult, with Sora and the others in one world, for you to leave a trap for the other Masters and their dragon in another."
"Huh?"
"I need a world with plenty of open water. I have a Heartless in mind that would be the perfect tool to wear that dragon down. If we can injure it, we stand a better chance of apprehending the beast."
"Oooooh," Pete grinned. "I know just the one! Leave it to me!"
"Very well. I want you to make sure that world has their attention, and that you are not present when they arrive. I do no want them aware of what we are planning."
"D'ahhh…" Pete looked rather puzzled as Maleficent sailed past him towards the door. "What is that, exactly…?"
Maleficent made a noise of disgust and didn't deign to answer. "Just stick to the plan you idiot!"
XOXOX
