Chapter 17
Sol was sitting on the balcony railing. She was looking at the necklace she had found during the fight with Garon.
"Hey Sol." Jack came outside. "We're all eating. You should come eat too."
"I'm not hungry." Sol didn't look up.
Jack looked at Babbo. "Don't look at me. She's been staring at that thing since the battle. She won't respond with much more than a grunt. That was the most she's said all night." Babbo scowled.
"It belonged to my dad." Jack and Babbo looked at her. "It's his locket." She opened it and handed it to Jack. The two looked at the picture inside.
A tall man with spike blonde hair, dark purple eyes, and a goofy grin, had one arm looped around the shoulders of a woman with long red hair, green eyes, and a small smile. His other hand was resting on the shoulder of one of the two girls in front of them. She had bright red hair, amethyst eyes, and a brilliant smile as she hugged the girl next to her. That girl had short black hair, brown eyes, and a happy grin. She looked just like Snow.
Jack looked up at Sol. "My parents – Danna and Akane, Koyuki and me."
"D-danna?!" Jack yelped.
Sol's lip curled up in a mockery of a smile. "Yes. Danna, the leader of the Cross Guard, was my father."
"…b-but…that means…"
"He died fighting Phantom." Babbo said quietly. Sol's face tightened. She gave a sharp nod.
"Wait, this wasn't on the field when I was fighting Pano. How did it get on the field during your fight?"
Peta walked in the room. A nasty looking grin was on his face. Phantom and his white-haired, red-eyed adopted daughter, Lunestra, were standing on the balcony. Sensing his presence, they turned.
"I must say, you're plan to make Solara snap has had astonishing results." Peta said with a bow. "Suddenly, I'm hearing it all around me. 'Let me fight Solara!' Halloween! Chimera! Weasel! Girom has been particularly vocal. And others…"
Phantom grinned. "Even Halloween and Chimera? Remarkable. So she's even caught the eyes of the Knight class… but, no. Not yet. It would be disappointing if the games ended so soon. Right?" Lunestra nodded with a vicious grin. "We must let it grow and ripen… then we will bite." A cruel chuckle slid through his lips. "I must admit though, having you send the necklace down to the field during the battle was not my idea."
Peta raised his eyebrows. "Then whose was it? And how did you get Danna's necklace?"
"The King." was his answer to both questions.
"Phantom…" the three turned. A Rook was in the doorway. "I need to talk to you. You mind?"
"Sol… you know my dads gone. He died six years ago. He left one day, telling me to take care of Ma, and never came home." He help up his left arm, showing his Earth Scoop. "A man came to the farm with this ÄRM, saying it was my dad's and he wanted me to have it. Dorothy said there are hints that it was used as a weapon… I've been thinking… that my dad was one of the Cross Guard… and took part in the War Games! He was fighting to protect the world!"
Sol nodded. "Makes sense."
"How interesting!" Jack and Babbo jumped at the sudden exclamation. Sol simply glared at the man who stepped out of the shadows.
"Did you get a kick out of eavesdropping, old man?" she growled.
Gaira swallowed. "I apologize." Sol snorted, but let it drop. "Danna often spoke of his daughter… and there was a warrior you used a spade. But there are two vital differences between you two and them. The number of battles, and, especially for you," he pointed at Jack, "power." Gaira grinned. "You two opt out of the battle tomorrow… and I'll teach you how to fight."
Jack looked mildly terrified by the overeager old man, but he nodded after a moment. For several long moments, Sol did nothing. Then she said, "I want to go into the Training Gate… but I'm going to pass on the training… for now." Gaira and Jack looked at her in confusion. "I knew… theoretically, that Daddy was dead… but I never acknowledged it, so I never dealt with it. I need time to do that."
Understanding dawned on Jack's face. "And 60 days in the Training Gate is one day out here. That should be plenty of time!"
"Yes. Once I'm feeling more… at peace with it, I'll come join you for training."
"Ah… Ian, if I remember right. The one who selfishly picked a fight with Solara at the start of the war… lost… and saw destroyed… his most precious object."
"Put me through your toughest training. I want to start all over."
"Are you sure that's what you want?" Peta asked. "You'll die."
"If you're lucky." Lunestra chirped.
"After what I just saw… I don't have any choice." His breathing grew harsh. "I'm going to claw my way to Knight class… kill Solara… then kill the one who made Gido look the way she does."
"So tomorrow is another three-on-three, eh?" Nanashi said, reclining on the couch.
"That's what Pozun said. Three-on-three at the Desert Fields." Dorothy replied.
"Since Jack and Sol are going into the Training Gate… I think it should be me, Dorothy, and Nanashi." Snow said.
Alviss frowned. Before he could form a protest, Nanashi spoke up. "Come on, Al. You three got to have your fun today. Tomorrow, it's our turn!"
"…very well."
"And I shall have two beauties all to myself!" Nanashi laughed. Snow looked at him blankly, while Dorothy rolled her eyes.
Pozun looked at the three in front of him. "Well now… you're the three for today's War Game? A completely new roster, mmm? O-kay!" Pozun giggled.
The audience was concerned. "Where are Sol and Jack?" Someone asked.
"Knowing those two, they're probably training! Don't worry!" Dorothy chirped, waving them off.
"But Alviss…"
"Don't worry about it! Leave it to us today!" Snow's enthusiasm caused the men to shut up. Snow then turned to Ed. "Speaking of missing… Ed, isn't it time you turned back into a human?"
Ed whimpered. "Well… the trouble is… I've had insomnia…"
Nanashi was confused, having never met the "other Ed," let alone seen them swap. Alviss looked away to hide his annoyance, while Belle snickered at the dogs mother-henning. Dorothy huffed in disgust.
Pozun cleared his throat. "Allow me to bring you to today's arena. Are you ready?" The three nodded. "Andata! To the Desert Fields!" The four shimmered and disappeared.
The audience members protested. "How are we supposed to know how the battles are going?!"
Ed also started panicking, till Alviss pointed up. "Look at the moon." Everyone looked up. It was once again a mirror. But now it was displaying a desert, where four people were just appearing.
"Oh… wow…" Snow looked around wide-eyed.
"It's so… vast!" Nanashi felt mildly intimidated by the empty space. "Is this were we'll fight?!"
Dorothy giggled. "Lots of room to go crazy in!"
Pozun shifted nervously. "Yes, well… let's get on with it, shall we? Chess Pieces – appear!"
Some distance away, three figures appeared. "Maira!" was a black robed figure with a white mask that bore red markings under the eyes. "Loco!" A young girl with blonde hair in pigtails with a white mask with a red line crossing the left eye attached to one pigtail and a large box sitting like a backpack on her back. "Fugi!" A young man in a bi-colored outfit, a white mask with four red slashes and an exposed left eye, and a wild hair-do.
"Opponents at last!" Nanashi exclaimed with excitement. "I'll begin with-!"
"Oh no you don't!" Snow barked, startling him. She stretched a bit and did some quick breathing exercises. "You wait! I'll go!"
Nanashi just nodded with a mildly confused expression. She really is… in her own special world… He watched as she skipped out. How do I argue with that?!
Fugi walked out to meet her. Snow held her head high. I can do this! I'll make you proud, Sol!
Sol stared out at the landscape under the swirling purple sky. Babbo sat quietly next to her. Finally, Babbo spoke.
"You miss him."
Sol looked at him. "Yes… I've always been a Daddy's girl."
After a moment, he said, "Tell me about him."
Sol's eyes widened. Then she gave Babbo a small, sad smile and began to tell Babbo stories of her father as tears slowly trickled down her face.
Phantom walked into the room and bowed to the tall woman standing near a large crystal ball. Her long pink hair reached down to her butt and stood out sharply against her floor length black dress. She had on five or six extravagant looking ÄRMs, in addition to regular jewelry, and a black cloth covered her lower face.
"So Snow finally steps up. After all this time running away, who'd have thought she'd be joining the fight against us? How are you feeling… my Queen?"
Though her lower face was hidden, there was no doubt that the Chess Piece Queen was smiling. "Splendid. The woman I've been wanting to meet… the woman whose been wanting to meet me… I suspect the War Games this time around… will be quite interesting Phantom.
