JUST LOVE

Chapter Thirteen

Ryudo and company stepped out of the Skyway Station entrance. It was in the middle of the day and they finally reached Mirumu. Ryudo looked around and noticed that nothing had changed... except a crowd of people started to gather around them. Ryudo felt uncomfortable being confined in a small space. "Hey! Get out of our way!" he yelled. The crowd just ignored him.

"Hey look! It's Miss Elena!!!" one person said excitedly.

"I can't believe she's here in Mirumu again!!"

Skye took to the air from Ryudo's shoulder and smiled at Elena. "I take it that this is your fan club."

A man tried to push Lance out of the way in an attempt to go up to Elena and get her autograph. "Piss off," Lance hissed with a glare and pushed the man back to the crowd.

Something clicked in Elena's head. "Oh my!!" she gasped.

Ryudo stretched his arms out and stood in front of the famous singer to prevent the fan club from advancing on her. "You people are crazy!! Get lost!!"

Again, the crowd ignored the Geohound and pushed him down to the ground. They strode towards Elena and crowded her. They started asking her all sorts of questions like, "Can I have your autograph?!"

"Who are these people you're with?"

"Is it really true you're involved with a Geohound?"

"Who's the Ninja? Is he a new bodyguard?"

The only thing Elena could do was smile and fake laughs at her fans. It was like this every time she had a concert. She liked the attention, she liked being adored, and she liked making people happy with her songs but sometimes things would get a little out of hand. Her fans had really crowded her now, she felt sick. She could hardly breathe and her body felt cold and shook a bit from being trapped. She had the urge to knock them down and run to an open field.

Lance growled to himself, he just had enough. The Ninja unsheathed his Falchion and yelled, "HEY!!" He caught the attention of the fan club. He swung his katana in the air and spoke as cold as he could, in monotone and with a death glare to match of course. "Get the hell away from her unless you want this," he swung his katana again, "being shoved into your stomach. What do you say, hmm?"

The crowd looked at Lance's Falchion and watched it glisten under the sunshine for one whole second. After that, they let out screams and stormed away.

Skye laughed a bit. "Finally."

Elena turned to Lance and smiled at him. "That was not very nice you know."

"Does it matter? They're gone, aren't they?" Lance replied and sheathed his katana.

Ryudo groaned in pain and stood up from the ground. "Ow, my fingers and my head got stepped on... damn rat bastards..." he muttered as he dusted dirt off of his clothes.

Elena put her hands together on her chest and looked worried all of a sudden. "That just reminds me. My one month vacation was up two days ago. I wonder what my manager is thinking right now," Elena said. "I... I should send a message to my manager for an extended absence."

Skye landed on Ryudo's shoulder. "Do what you need to do, right Ryudo?"

Ryudo nodded. "Oh... uh... right." The Geohound pointed at a restaurant across the street. "Meet us there when you're done."

"Thank you." Elena took a respectful bow and left.

"Damn, not only is this trip putting her in danger, but it's interfering with her career too," Ryudo thought.

Skye looked at the Geohound's face and read his mind. "Pity," he said to himself.

Ryudo, Skye, and Lance crossed the street and went in the restaurant. At the entrance, the three met two familiar faces; Sandra and Aira.

"Hello there," Sandra greeted.

"Hi! It's... uh, nice to see you again," Ryudo replied, a bit awkwardly.

"Hi Lance!" Aira smiled at the Ninja.

Lance gave the little girl somewhat of a friendly look. "Have you been staying out of trouble?"

"Yes," Aira nodded.

Ryudo nudged his head towards Lance. "Hey Aira, you know this guy?"

"Yes, he helped me get my mother's necklace back when a drunk from a bar stole it from me," Aira answered.

"So, what brings you back here in Mirumu?" Sandra asked.

Ryudo scratched his head. "Well... to make a long story short, I'm looking for Millenia and Roan. You guys seen them by any chance?"

Sandra shook her head. "No, but I heard stories of a red head with black wings attacking a young man yesterday."

Ryudo frowned. "Sounds like Millenia but I don't see why she'd attack someone. Hmm... do you know anything else?"

"No, I'm sorry," Sandra said.

"Don't worry about it," Ryudo told her.

"Well, we better get going. It's good bye for now," Sandra announced and took Aira's arm.

"Good bye," Aira said while she waved her hand in the air.

"See you later," Ryudo said and watched the two leave. When Sandra and Aira were out of sight, Ryudo sighed and went to the dining room with Lance trailing behind him. The two sat down on a table, across from each other.

"I'm guessing Melfice and the others are in St. Heim by now," Skye said.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too," Ryudo agreed. "I wonder if they're all right. Who knows what's-his-face can do or what kind of dirty tricks Gatta can pull on them if they do meet each other?"

There was a minute of silence between the three, all of them buried in their thoughts. After awhile, a waiter came up to them. "Good afternoon gentlemen, how may I help you?" he asked.

Ryudo made a gesture with his hand for him to hold on. "Could you give us some time? We're waiting for someone."

"Certainly." The waiter turned around and left.

Elena then came and sat next to Ryudo. "I am sorry for keeping you waiting. It took some time but I convinced my manager for an extended absence."

"Great timing," Ryudo said sarcastically.

***

"LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" Millenia shouted while she pounded the energy wall that sealed their prison cell. They have been captured by Gatta and were now deep in the Cathedral Knights' base of operation with their weapons and Mana Eggs sealed away in another room. Millenia sighed in exasperation and turned around to face her friends. Roan and Tio sat side by side on one corner while Melfice sat by himself on another corner. Millenia strode towards Melfice and sat next to him. "How are we going to get out here?" she asked impatiently.

"I'm still working on that," Melfice replied.

Roan looked at Millenia. "How did you get captured anyway Miss Millenia?"

"When I flew to the other side of the gate, a Cathedral Knight sneaked up from behind and knocked me out before I could let you guys in," Millenia replied.

"They knocked us out too after we surrendered for your safety," Melfice said.

Tio frowned a bit. "I wonder how Ryudo and the others are doing. Do you think we will see them again?"

"Let's hope so," Melfice sighed.

***

Ryudo and company stood outside the gates of St. Heim. It was night fall, it was the perfect time to sneak into the city. Ryudo looked at the gates of the city. "Damn, they closed the entrance. We'll have to find another way in."

"Do you think Gatta is expecting us?" Elena asked.

"Probably," Ryudo nodded. "We're in the enemy's nest, you should always expect the worse."

"I'll scout ahead," Skye announced. The eagle spread out its wings and took to the air.

"But I just hope that Gatta or that mad man back from Garlan did not get the others," Elena said.

Lance looked up and stared at the dark sky. "Nekura... I wonder if you'll show up."

Skye finally returned and landed on Ryudo's shoulder. "There's Cathedral Knights posted every where. We'll have to find another way in."

Ryudo put his hand under his chin. "Tight security, huh? If Melfice and the others got here, the best thing to assume right now is that they got captured. If we try to sneak through the gate, chances are; we'll get caught."

"Where are we going to find another way in?" Elena asked.

Lance sighed to himself in irritation. If he was alone, he could sneak into the city without being seen, something Ninjas did best. However, he had company this time and they are not exactly masters of stealth. The Ninja looked down and saw something on the ground. It was a manhole. He walked towards it, bent down, and lifted it. "Hey, let's use this to get in."

Ryudo and Elena turned towards the Ninja. "Do you even know where that would take us?!" Ryudo asked, a bit roughly.

"It is worth trying Ryudo. We have nothing to lose." Elena walked towards the manhole and climbed down to the sewer below.

"Hmph." Lance gave the Geohound a mocking look and jumped down to the sewer.

"So Lover Boy, are we going down there or what?" Skye nagged.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going but if something goes wrong, it'll all be his fault," Ryudo complained and climbed down. "I'm surprised there's no guards here," he commented as he jumped off the ladder and onto the floor.

"I guess it's true when they say there's no such thing as a perfect defense or security," Skye remarked.

Ryudo and Elena nodded in agreement and the gang started walking down the sewer. After awhile, the gang met a dead end with a ladder that would lead them to the surface. Ryudo climbed the ladder first, all the way to the top and with one hand, he lifted the manhole a bit. He peeked through it to look for any signs of danger. The place was clear so he climbed to the surface and a few moments later, Elena and Lance joined him. The group found themselves in an alley.

"Where are we now?" Elena asked.

"I know this place," Lance replied. "We're in the back alley of the church we previously visited."

"How convenient, we're just in the right place. But I'm betting the entrance to the underground factory is guarded though," Ryudo said.

"I'll take care of the security," Lance volunteered and jumped to the church's rooftop. The Ninja ran to the other end of the roof. He jumped off and landed gracefully on a balcony. Lance turned towards a glass sliding door and entered it. He found himself in the second floor of the church, the section where the choir sang. He strode silently towards the floor's railing and looked down. The entrance was right beneath him and there were two Cathedral Knights guarding it. "It's time to end this."

Lance unsheathed his katana and leapt off the railing with his weapon held downwards. The Ninja plunged the Falchion deep into the Cathedral Knight's back. He then turned to the other and twisted its neck. The two fell onto the floor and did not get up again. Satisfied with his work, he picked up the Falchion and turned towards the entrance. "After this, I'll take care of Nekura and then Elena," he thought and entered the underground factory.

***

Ryudo thumped his foot on the ground impatiently with his arms crossed. "Damn that guy!! Is he coming back or what?!! It's almost been fifteen minutes since he left!!" Ryudo muttered.

Elena clasped her hands together on her chest. "I wonder if Lance is safe. I hope the Cathedral Knights did not get him."

"Maybe we should go in there," Skye suggested.

Ryudo's smirked. "I was about to say that. Hmph, I'm not waiting for that guy to come back. Come on, let's go in there."

The three left the back alley and went to the church's front door. Ryudo hesitated to open the door for a moment, he wondered if there were Cathedral Knights inside waiting to ambush him. With a deep breath, he opened the door slowly. Ryudo unsheathed the Granasaber and entered the church. He looked around and saw no one in the holy temple. He then motioned with his hand for Elena to come inside.

Elena saw the two Cathedral Knights that Lance killed and ran towards them. "Oh my..."

Ryudo scowled. "So he did get the guards but I don't see why he didn't come back to tell us. That rotten..."

"Ryudo!" Elena scolded. "What if he got captured?!"

Ryudo felt a dagger in his heart. Elena was taking Lance's side. Why would Elena stick up for the Ninja? "Gah... why are these things in my head?!! I've got better things to worry about right now... I'll deal with this later," Ryudo told himself mentally. The Geohound ignored Elena's question. "Come on Elena, let's see if Melfice and the others are here." Ryudo entered the factory with Elena following behind her and Skye on his shoulder.

***

Lance crawled through an air vent to prevent himself from being detected. The Ninja stopped crawling as he heard a sob from below. He looked down and through the screen, he saw people in cages crying and sobbing. "Probably the citizens of St. Heim. So, this is where they're held captive."

Lance continued to crawl through the vents. His main objective was to learn more about the enemies. Leaving the party and sneaking around in the vents was the only way to get past the security systems around the enemies' base. If Ryudo and Elena were with him, they would be easily detected. Lance stopped as he heard bleeping noises. He looked down and below him was a room with computers. "This would have to do..." The Ninja punched out the screen and crawled out of the vent.

Lance seated himself on a computer and started to look for information. He typed on the keyboard quickly and soon information about Cathedral Knights was displayed on the screen. "What?!!! This can't be real!!!" he gasped after he read. "Damn... this is messy..." He stood up from the chair and put his hand under his chin to ponder his next move. Lance put his left hand forward, aimed for the computers, and fired a big ball of fire. "DARK FLARE!" The computers in the room bursted into flames and the alarms in the base began to blare. "That's my cue." The Ninja picked up the screen from the floor and jumped back to the vent. He put the screen back in its place as if it were never touched and left.

***

The alarms blared like crazy in the base's command room and it irritated Gatta. "What in the name of Granas is happening?!! Are we under attack?!!" Gatta asked.

A man dressed in a white robe on a computer answered. "Sir, there was an explosion."

An old man in a white robe then entered the room. "Where is the explosion?" he asked.

Gatta bowed to the old man. "Cardinal Uru, we're under attack."

"We can't find it Cardinal. We lost some power, energy, and resources due to the explosion," another man on a computer replied.

Gatta punched the wall. "Damn!!! It's probably HIM!!!"

***

The Cathedral Knights that guarded Melfice and company left their post as the alarms went. Millenia stood up from the floor and arched an eyebrow. "Hey!! Where are they going?! What's going on?!"

"The base is probably under attack," Roan suspected.

"Ryudo?" Tio frowned.

"Maybe," Melfice nodded.

Millenia poked the energy wall with her index finger. It flashed for a moment and then vanished. "Hey!! We're free!!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Whoo, finally," Roan sighed in relief.

The group left their cell and found their weapons and Mana Eggs in the cell next to theirs. They picked up their weapons and equipped them.

"Let's get out of here!!" Melfice said. Millenia, Roan, and Tio nodded in unison and the four ran down the hall way. The group's escape got interrupted by Cathedral Knights here and there who tried to bar their paths but they just made quick work of them. The group turned to an adjacent corridor and bumped into someone and everyone fell on the floor.

"This is really not my day..." Ryudo groaned as he stood up and looked at the people who ran into him and Elena. "Melfice?"

Melfice looked up from the floor and stood up. "Ryudo?"

"Brother, I'm glad we found you!!" Ryudo exclaimed.

"Me too Ryudo," Melfice nodded.

Millenia frowned. "Say? Where's Lance?"

Ryudo rolled his eyes. "Hmph, that guy ditched us. Who knows where he is?"

"We have to leave this place," Roan suggested.

"It is dangerous in here," Tio added.

"We cannot leave without Lance," Elena disagreed.

"Yeah, we can't just leave the guy in here," Millenia said.

"Millenia too? What's going on here?" Ryudo asked himself.

The vent above the group shook and the screen popped open. Lance crawled out of the vent and landed in front of the group. Everyone stared at him but he ignored it. "I've got some information that would interest you but... we should get out of here first. It's about the Cathedral Knights..."