Chapter 19

Pozun cleared his throat nervously. "Second game over! Victory to MÄR!" He activated Andata, sending the team and himself back to Reginlief.

The audience cheered. "Incredible! Another win!"

"Not only that – it was the girls who did it! This is one powerful team!"

"Too bad the guy lost." One man poked at Nanashi.

"Oh, shut up!" Nanashi's face flushed from embarrassment.

As Ed ran over to Snow, crying and singing her praises, Alviss studied Dorothy. Dorothy… I'm just glad she's on our side.

Just then, Dorothy's head turned sharply. "They're coming."

"Eh? Who's coming, Mistress Dorothy?" Ed asked.

The air began to shimmer, indicating someone teleporting in. People stepped back, not sure who it was.

Jack, Babbo, and Solara appeared. Jack was bent over, gasping for breath. Solara looked tired, but not much else to the audience.

Dorothy lunged. "I knew it! Sunny!"

Solara neatly side-stepped her and Dorothy slammed into a surprised Jack. As those two squawked in surprised and displeasure, Gaira showed up.

"Just as I thought. You took them both with you. How did then do, Gaira?" Alviss asked.

"Hmm… Jack's fun to teach, at least. Solara on the other hand… she's hard to read, but very efficient. I only taught her for half the time I taught Jack, but she's farther along in her own training and so outstripped him easily."

Alviss frowned in confusion, and over to Sol as Snow walked up to her.

"Sol?" The two looked at each other for several long moments. Then Sol smiled. It wasn't very big, and was somewhat sad, but it was honest and real. Snow smiled brightly and hugged Sol.

While this was taking place, Babbo was boasting that he had come up with a new form. Sol glanced at him. "First off, what are you bragging about? I made. Second off, it you don't stop," she now gave him a nasty smile, "I'll make you show it off now."

"Eep!" Babbo squeaked. "This is ARM abuse I'll have you know!" Sol laughed. The sound was harsh, but not as rusty as if use to be.

"Excuse me." Pozun asked for their attention. "Congratulations on your second victory! I wish you had time to enjoy it… but it is time for use to determine the number of participants and the field for tomorrow's battle. If you would, princess?"

Princess Sayori threw the dice from the balcony once again. Pozun examined them. "Five vs. five! The volcano mountain range!" he announced.

"Volcano? Lovely." Sol commented.

"I want booze!" Babbo demanded.

"Pardon me…" A young man with shoulder-length, wispy blond hair approached them. "Th-that was an incredible battle! I look forward to meeting you… tomorrow!"

The group looked at each other than back to him. "…who are you?" Jack asked.

He gasped and started waving his arms around. "Oh! M-my! I'm sorry! P-popping up like this without even introducing myself? I'm so sorry!" He giggled nervously. "I am Rolan… of the Chess Pieces. I believe I'll be taking part in tomorrow's battle… so I wanted to make your acquaintance."

Snow stared. "He's a Chess Piece?! But he doesn't seem like a bad guy at all!"

"Indeed." Ed agreed. "I suppose there must be pleasant people even among the enemy…"

"I doubt that." Sol said. She and Babbo speared him with hard looks. "Looks can be deceiving."

Rolan cringed under Sol's scrutiny. "W-well then… if you'll excuse me!" He took off running.

"Why did he introduce himself?" Jack asked.

"Phantom's screwing with us." Jack looked at Sol, confused. "Rolan's personality makes him seem harmless, but he's not. That was a Knight." The others looked after Rolan with varying levels of surprise.


Sol listened as the others told her about the days battles. As Snow predicted, Sol was not happy about Nanashi's stupidity and hit him over the head hard enough to knock him out. "He wants to lose due to idiocy, he can go without women for the night."

People gathered around bonfires, drinking and partying to celebrate the second win. Gaira began to reminisce about nights like this with Danna. "On days we were victorious, we shared drinks and laughed."

Alviss and several others cheered, remembering.

"Back then, Danna regaled us. 'I've come from a different world,' he said. And he told us stories from that world! Stories about his wife who wrote books… and his daughter."

As more people seemed to get down, thinking about how Danna was gone, Jack and Snow looked at Sol. She was looking at the fire, not seeming to pay attention. Then Snow had an idea.

"You know, I bet Danna never told stories about himself." Sol looked up, as others looked at Snow with confusion. "Uncle Danna had quite a few interesting stories of his own, right Sol?"

Sol stared for a moment, then suddenly, she snorted. "You mean like the time he tried to change the car battery and gave himself a several hundred volt shock?" Snow giggled as Sol cracked a grin.

"Or perhaps you're referring to the time he fell asleep in the shower, woke up, and ran out into the living room naked thinking the house was on fire because the bathroom was full of steam?" Snow was cracking up, while the others just looked surprised. "Oh the best part of that one was that mom's writing group was over. And Betty, the oldest, wolf whistled." The story sounded to ridiculous, that others started laughing. "Daddy turned beat red and ran back into the bedroom. He refused to come out till after the ladies had left."

Sol continued to fell stories of her dad's real world goof, making everyone laugh. Only Dorothy, Alviss, and Jack found themselves questioning Snow's statement of "Uncle Danna." When had Snow met Danna?


Later that night, after Sol had deposited a mildly drunk Snow in her bed, Ed stopped her.

"Uh, Miss Solara?"

"Hm?"

"C-could you… help me?"

"With what?"

"I… I can't sleep."

*Blink* "Okay." BANG.


The next morning, Pozun greeted the team. "So, battle three begins today. Who will be… the five warriors from MÄR?"

Solara, Alviss, Jack, and Snow stepped forward.

The audience questioned why Nanashi and Dorothy weren't stepping up. Dorothy giggled and chirped that she wasn't in the mood. Nanashi was walking away with a girl.

Belle fluttered over to a door and cleared her throat. "Not to worry! We've got one more member! Come on out… number five!"

Ed stepped out of the dark doorway. "Good morning… friends."

The audience went nuts. "It's Alan! Danna's right hand man during the last war games! He's still alive!? Unbelievable… who knew MÄR had an ace like that hidden up their sleeve…?!"

"Took you long enough." Sol commented.

"Tch. I'd have been here a lot earlier if that dog had stopped mother henning so much that he gave himself insomnia!"

"Alan! It's really you!" Gaira exclaimed.

"Well, Gaira… my old friend! You can call me Ed now."

"Sorry… I failed the test prior to the war games and was disqualified from joining the battle!" Gaira gritted out.

Pozun cleared his throat. "That's true. And you can't participate either… since you didn't take the test." Pozun swallowed nervously when Ed turned to look at him. "I-I know you were one of the stars last time, but I cannot recognize you as a participant."

Ed glanced up. "Hey! You! Tomato!" Halloween was standing on the ramparts of the castle. "Six years ago we fought to a draw, remember? So? Don't you want to settle it?"
For several long seconds, the courtyard was silent. Then, "Pozun!" Halloween barked.

Pozun cringed. "Ah… yes! Mr. Halloween, sir!"

"I have just received a message from Phantom. And, by a happy coincidence, his sentiments are the same as mine. As a special exception… we recognize Alans's participation in these war games!"

"T-then… Gaira too…?!" the audience begged.

Halloween snickered. "On that, Phantom and I are also in agreement. 'We have no use for the old coot'!" Halloween cackled as Gaira ducked his head in furious embarrassment.

Jack tried to cheer him up pointing out that he was still being really helpful by training them. Solara nodded in agreement.

Pozun cleared his throat. "Then take these five combatants to the volcanic mountain range – Andata!"