Mindless Banter? You Decide…

Van sighed as he looked over the bills of all the caterers and businesses and services that he had hired for the wedding. They charged him twice as much as the normal bill because he had canceled the date for the wedding. If there was any time he needed someone to talk to, now was the time.

There was a knock on his office door.

"Come in."

"Van?"

A brown-haired woman stood in the doorway. She seemed a bit shook up.

"Hitomi?"

"Let's talk."

"Alright, let me just file these bills away," he said as he pushed them off to the side of his desk.

She smiled.

"I'm glad someone's smiling around here since the wedding shower."

"We never finished that. Even my Italian ice went uneaten."

"I know, Hitomi. But we have to do this as a family, and Naria is as much family to you as she is to me."

"But a warrant? And dead or alive? Isn't that a bit extreme? I mean, one million GP was enough."

Hitomi sat down on the couch in the office. Van sat down next to her.

"Look at us now, Hitomi. Years ago, we were young, confused, and we had so much to prove. Now we're mature, we know what we want, and we've accomplished great things."

"I know. You were so brave. If I had even an ounce of the courage you had…"

"You do, Hitomi! You just don't have the means to fight. No one taught you how to swordfight, and I bet you never had to learn how to defend yourself in school. I could teach you, but I'm not exactly the best swordsman around. Allen should probably teach you."

"No. I'd prefer to be taught by you rather than Allen, just so I could be with you."

Van got a funny feeling.

"Well, I promise you, no matter how this turns out, we will have the best wedding that ever transpired on Gaea."

"You're right, Van. Family life is hard to enjoy if you have no family. We need to save Eriya and Naria from Dilandau. Besides, Folken can't raise Bren alone."

"This is true. I can just imagine my brother trying to change a diaper."

"You'll be just like him. I'll be stuck feeding, changing, rocking, burping her, and chasing her around."

"Him. You're going to give me a son, so he can take over when we die."

"No! I'm going to give you a daughter—"

They both looked at each other.

"Twins!" they exclaimed. They broke out in hearty laughter.

"I'm glad we were able to talk. Talking is something I don't do enough of, Hitomi. And I've heard that communication between a couple is essential to a relationship."

"Gee, Van, you're starting to sound like a psychiatrist."

"A what?!"

"A psychiatrist. A doctor who studies crazy people. Like you know who."

"Oh."

"Look at you, Van. You're older now, you grew out your hair, and there's this thing that wants me to say you're a boy, but you're a man. I know that now."

"And I can't stop looking at you, Hitomi. Your long brown hair is a lot better than that boy's haircut you had. Whose idea was that, anyway?"

"Mine, Van. I thought it would make me more aerodynamic on the running track."

"Oops, sorry. How come I always manage to say the wrong thing at the wrong time?"

"You're a Fanel. It runs in the family," she said with a smile.

"Anyway, back to my cheesy dialogue…"

Hitomi laughed.

"Still, you've changed so much. If I thought you were beautiful before, I just can't express how gorgeous you are now."

Hitomi could do nothing but smile.

"It seems nothing could ruin this moment, Van," Hitomi said.

A servant popped his head into the room, and got their attention.

"Your Highness, Allen Schezar has just injured himself!"

Normally, Van would've reamed him out about privacy.

"I'll be right there!"

*   *   *

The two found Allen sitting on a chair, getting a wound bandaged up on his hand.

"Are you all right, Allen?"

"Just a scratch, Van," he said. "Nothing to worry about."

"What happened?"

"I cut my hand while peeling an orange with an odd-shaped knife. It's over there."

Van looked at the knife. It was a strange knife, one with a zig-zag blade.

"I guess that teaches me not to use weird knives."

"I thought it was something serious, you ditzy blonde," Van said, and then gave him a noogie when no one but Hitomi was looking. Hitomi laughed.

Alena came in, and rushed to Allen's side.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" Alena said to the Asturian man.

"Yes, thank you. I should probably not move my sword hand for a few days."

"I'll take good care of you," she said.

Hitomi seemed concerned about Alena.

"Alena, are you sure that you can handle thinking up a plan and helping Allen?"

"I'm a grown woman, Hitomi. I can juggle things. What's one or two more?"

"What is the plan, Alena?"

"I've no idea. It seems like I'm going to fulfill my original mission."

"What's that?" Celena said.

"Taking out Dilandau," Allen said. "She's actually a soldier who ran away from Zaibach."

"So, Myriad Windclaw has resurfaced."

Folken appeared from the shadows.

"Who?" everyone asked.

"Myriad Windclaw. The first soldier created from the science of life-creation."

Alena was stunned. Maybe she could finally get some answers!

"You know about me?"

"Of course I do," Folken said. "Especially when I was updated about the project daily. Tell me, have you ever wondered where you got your 'qualities'?"

"Never."

"Well, you must be extremely lucky in life."

"Not lucky. Just really fortunate."

"And you are a Draconian?"

"Yes."

"And you have the markings of a leopard-person?"

"How did you know?"

"You have psychic powers, obviously."

"No doubt."

"And you have the heart of a fighter?"

"Yes."

"Uncanny swordsmanship?"

"Practically unmatched."

"I suggest you think it over. Think about those around you, the qualities they possess, and think about how they parallel your own."

"I'll do that."

"I'm sure you'll be surprised to figure out the truth."

Folken turned somber.

"I wonder where Eriya and Naria are…"

Sister, Sister

"General Naria Jhourin, requesting to see the prisoner in Cell B-4."

The guard looked up at her, and then turned back to the folding file. He pulled out some papers from the section labeled B-4 and read a brief description.

"Cell B-4, Jane Doe, Class R prisoner, current status, sleeping. Excuse me, General?"

"What is it, officer?"

"Why is a Jane Doe a Class R prisoner? Class R is reserved for royalty and anyone related to royalty."

"You'll keep your mouth shut unless you want to spend the rest of your career at the polar ice caps."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Can I have the key?"

"Here you go," the young man said as he handed her the key.

"Thank you."

Naria continued walking.

She came to a cell, opened the door, and locked it behind her. She covered the window by taping a handkerchief to the window. She turned on the light, and saw her sister unclothed, and latched to the wall.

The Zaibach guards must have treated her terribly. They probably just stripped her naked to get a rise out of her.

Eriya had bruises and cuts on her body, none of them serious. She also smelled like she hadn't taken a bath in about three days. She seemed sullen, her eyes closed.

"Wake up, sister."

"N-Naria? Is Folken still away on campaign?"

"No. You're here, in a Zaibach prison."

Eriya wanted to cry, but her eyes were so red, she couldn't cry anymore without hurting her eyeballs.

"Have you come to take me out?"

"It wouldn't make sense, Eriya. If I let you go, Dilandau would launch a manhunt in Zaibach, and an attack on Fanelia."

"So what do I do? I'm scared, Naria. I'm completely at your mercy."

"You're damned straight you are, you pussy," Naria said.

Eriya was petrified.

"That's right! Naria, I'm back!"

Naria flinched, and said, "No, Dilandau! I won't let you do this to my sister! I love her!"

Naria flinched again.

"Shut up, you ugly bitch!"

Naria flinched a third time.

Naria screamed, holding her head.

Eriya was silent as Naria stood there, head tucked into her chest.

Finally, she slowly lifted her head.

"Naria? Are you all right?"

"I'm better now," the weary catwoman said.

Naria placed her hand on Eriya's cheek and looked into her eyes.

"I'll take good care of you, sister."

Naria then kissed her sister on the lips, forcing her tongue into her mouth in one quick motion. Eriya bit into Naria's tongue and lower lip with her fangs, forcing her sister to pull it out.

"You little bitch," Naria/Dilandau said as she tasted her own blood, "You'll pay for that."

Naria/Dilandau backhanded the catwoman hard enough to knock her out.

"I'll enjoy killing you almost as much as killing Van."

Take Me As I Am

            Alena sat on a balcony of the palace. She looked around her, and began thinking.

We need to launch an attack on Dilandau without facing the Zaibach Vengeance Army. But how do I do that? Do I do it nice and sneaky? Yes. That's how I do it. I sneak in, trap Dilandau and I in an area, and begin the psychic battle. And I must fight for Naria, for I fear more than just Naria's soul may be at stake here. If Dilandau wins, he may take over my body, and a psychopath with psychic powers is the LAST thing Gaea needs to deal with right now.

Wait a minute! Sgt. Fernsaarin is still here! I'll talk to him!

Alena pulled her jacket around her shoulders. It got awfully cold this time of year.

"Alena?"

She turned around, and saw Allen standing there in the doorway.

"Alena, I just want you to know that whatever you're going through, I'm right with you, every step of the way. If there's anyway I can help you, just let me know. If you want me to fight someone for you, I will."

"There is something you can do for me, Allen," Alena said, standing up from her chair.

"What is that?"

She took hold of the young man.

"Hold me. Hold me close to you, hold me tight and never let go."

Allen put his muscular arms around her. He thought about what might be going around inside her head right now.

"I'm sorry if I've caused you any trouble with my careless accident."

"It's not you, sweetheart. It's the Leopard Sisters and Dilandau. And me. And my past. I wish it were all just a fabrication. A story that was just made up by some scribe who had nothing better to do than make up untruths about us all. But it's not. It's my life. Before I met you, I had no problems in my life whatsoever. Now that I've met you, my life has been nothing but hardship. I hate to say that but it's true. I love you so much, Allen, but it seems like the baggage that comes along with you makes it not worth it. Please tell me things will get better."

"I can't, Alena, and you know that. I can only hold on to you and stand tall against the storm that is called my life. Sometimes I think there are no constants in my life. It seems like the only two constants in my life has been your love for me and my love for you. "

"Allen, I just love you so much. I can't express enough how much I love you. Sometimes, I see you smile. I just love that."
"And when I'm awake in bed, you're asleep with your arm around me and your body is close to mine, I love feeling your hot breath in my ear."

"And I love it when you kiss my neck, right below my ear, under my jaw."

"I was thinking the same thing about you," he said.

"Dou you realize we're starting to talk dirty? I love it when you do that. It makes you seem like such a bad boy."

"Well, I can swipe some whipped cream from the royal kitchen and maybe I can meet you in your room afterwards."

"Oh, you bad, bad man! Are you serious?"

Allen grinned.

"I'll be there, you naughty pervert! After I speak with Celena."

Allen kissed his future wife on the lips and walked into the palace with his hands in his pockets, whistling a tune.

No wonder Folken and Eriya have been happily married. Maybe Folken's on to something…