AN: Yay, you like me, you really like me!!! Reviews make me write faster
and I love 'em ^_^ Thanks to all of you that reviewed!
Frin- Thanks for making the criticism constructive!!! And as for why Folken wants Rose…you'll see ~evil cackle~ And yes, you were the first to review the chapter, arigatou!! And really, the other people were mean because they didn't like Mystic Moon people in the first place and in their minds she lied to them. Sorry about taking so long with the last chapter, writers block -_-
Kouhei- Sorry about the cliffhangers, call it an evil mastermind plan ^_^" Hmm…well…there are time differences between the Mystic Moon and Gaia, so Hitomi died 0-o ~ducks flames~ and you'll find out Rose's connection with the dragons when all is revealed..~evil chuckle~ And as to Folken not being dead….another mystery ^_^' sorry about not answering the questions very clearly, don't want to give away what little plot I have ~sweatdrops~ As for the mind control…I figured that's how they used the Fate Machine to take over Allen and Hitomi in the episodes…sort of my take on the whole situation. Hope I didn't confuse you too too much! And I'm honored that this is one of your favorites!!! ~feels loved~
Megumi of the Moon- Hmm well, as I said with Kouhei…I don't wanna sound rude…but I can't tell ya juuuusst yet ^_^"" (sorry sorry) And in regards to Rose telling Van….~cackles evilly again~ You'll have to wait and see :P But thankees for the reviews!!!
Rose groaned, shielding her eyes from the sudden light and trying to sink further under the covers. The said covers were pulled from her, and the sudden cold made her curl up. 'Come on Merle, just give me…'
" Five more minutes," she mumbled out loud, cracking one eye open. Shutting it immediately, Rose groaned again. Her head felt like it exploded.
" Come on girl, get up before I get angry." She frowned, shooting up in the bed, forcing her eyes open, ignoring the pain.
" Who the…" Last nights events came rushing back to her, and she gasped. Looking at the mattress, Rose scowled.
" Come on girl, aren't you going to greet us? We are, after all, your rescuers." Rose snorted.
" Like fun you are. Sorry, but I don't call being knocked unconscious being rescued." A cold hand gripped her chin and forced her to look up. Yelping, Rose glared into the face of the hand.
" You're hands are…." She stopped mid-sentence, blinking. The arm let her chin go, and she rubbed it absently, finally taking note of the other inhabitants. But….mom said…she backed up, pressing against the wall by the bed.
" But you're…you died!" The silver-haired man chuckled quietly. She looked at him, making a face.
" And you're…a girl." The cat-girl snickered, trying to turn it into a cough as the other man allowed himself a small smile, standing up.
" Rose, there are some things we need to explain, I think."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van frowned. He had been called to the stables early that morning, and he wasn't pleased with what he was hearing.
" You're saying Tenshi was stolen?" The stablemaster nodded nervously.
" Just last night. His tack is gone too, as well as a food bag. Nobody saw anybody suspicious leave the castle though, it was too dark." Van nodded, looking into the empty stall. Rose wouldn't be pleased, it was her favorite horse.
" Lord Van, Lord Van!" He sighed, rubbing his forehead as Merle came running into the stables, waving something frantically. She skidded to a stop, panting.
" Lord Van, have you seen Rose anywhere?" He shook his head.
" Merle, this isn't the time for…" Merle stomped her foot into the ground in an uncharacteristic display of anger.
" NOBODY has seen her!!" Van got an idea.
" Merle, Tenshi's gone. She probably just went for an early morning ride, that's all." Merle shook her head back and forth.
" Only if she went for a ride after the ball and stayed in the forest all night!" He blinked, and Merle sighed, shoving her fist under his nose and opening her hand. In her palm lay Hitomi's necklace. A shiver rushed down Van's back.
" But…she always wears that." Merle nodded.
" And her bed hasn't been slept in at all and some of her stuff is missing!" Van blinked rapidly, and then came to the only conclusion his mind could make.
" She went back home," he said quietly, looking at the empty stall. Merle screeched.
" WHAT?!?!?!" Wincing, Van cleared his throat.
" She went back home. Probably took Tenshi out for a ride, expecting to come back, and went back home." Merle's ears drooped.
" But…there was no light!" Merle looked around, and then back at the pendant. Van nodded, re-thinking his previous decision.
" We'll send a search party to look around Fanelia. If she hasn't returned by tonight then we'll notify Asturia and Fried, anywhere she could have gone." Merle was gone before he finished his sentence, and the stablemaster had disappeared long before that. He cast a glance back at the stall. 'But…why would she want to leave?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Naria tilted the chair back, flicking her dagger up and catching it, a bored expression on her face. Dillandu ran a hand through his hair in frustration. There was a quiet knock on the door, and Naria raced to answer it.
" Lord Folken." She bowed, going back to the her chair. Folken looked around the room and shut the door behind him as Rose walked out of a back room, eyes wide and looking deathly pale and shocked. He nodded at her.
" Rose, are you alright?" Rose glanced at him distractedly, blinking and looking slightly confused.
" Hi Folken. I forgot to ask you this. How have things been?" Folken allowed himself a small grin.
" Dead, you?"
" Brought to a new planet and captured by the bad guys."
" Ah." Dillandu muttered something under his breath about females. Rose looked at him.
" The entire capital?" He nodded once.
" By an old dead guy that stayed alive using green fluid that was famous on our planet." He nodded again, getting annoyed. She blinked.
" Oh, ok. Still adjusting." With that, she turned and walked back into the room that was now identified as a bathroom and closed the door behind her. Folken chuckled. Dillandu stood, growling.
" How long is she planning on staying there?" Folken watched in amusement as Dillandu gripped the wooden table, as if he was attempting to pierce the top.
" As long as she needs to, Dillandu. She's under a considerable amount of stress, and we don't know if she's gotten over the…incident…that brought her here," Folken said softly, casting a glance in the direction of the door. Naria sighed, standing up.
" I hate to say this…but shoo." Dillandu and Folken blinked at Naria. She made a shoving gesture with her hands.
" Girl talk. I don't think you want to stay here. I'm going to try and get her out of the bathroom." Folken nodded.
" When you do, ask her to come to the throne room. Lord Miguel wants to see her." With that, Folken picked Dillandu up by the collar of his shirt and hauled him out of the room. Naria sighed, knocking on the bathroom door.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Rose opened the door, walking over and sitting on the bed. 'Well, this turned out wonderfully. I leave Fanelia to avoid being hurt, and I get captured by the bad guys.' She glared at a wall for a moment before Naria sat on the bed beside her.
" So…are you going to be alright? Everybody is worried about you." Rose glanced at her against her will.
" Really?" Naria nodded, giving a half-smile.
" We may be the 'bad guys' as your mother and that boy put it, but think about it from our position. We only wanted everybody to become happy. It was Emperor Dornkirk that mutilated and rotted the idea into death and warfare." Rose swung her feet.
" I suppose…but then why did you kidnap me?" She could have sworn Naria winced slightly.
" Well, that's a little more difficult to answer. You see, we knew about the…situation…developing in Fanelia." A light clicked in Rose's mind.
" You had spies there." Naria nodded.
" Don't tell the others that I told you that. And seeing as you ran away, we wanted to take you here so that you could be safe. Because honestly, no matter where you went, as long as they were friends of Fanelia Van would come to get you." Rose frowned.
" Yeah well, judging by what I've heard, I doubt he'd go to that much effort." Naria chuckled.
" Only if he was told that you were there. He would have thought it was a duty to that seeress." Rose sighed, studying her feet. 'Why does what she say make more sense than what I've been trying to tell myself all this time? I mean, Van WILL rescue me once he finds out that I'm here. It's not even an option…right?' Naria tapped her on her shoulder, calling her attention.
" Rose…Van probably won't come for you, after those things he said. But you can be safe here, with us. You could work-" Rose jumped off of the bed.
" No. He WILL come for me!" Rose was upset that Naria had managed to find her doubts and push them. 'I will not let them get to me. He will come!' Naria sighed, standing and raising an eyebrow.
" How about this then. You wait here for…one month. If he doesn't come for you by then, you stay with us." Rose rolled her eyes.
" If he doesn't come for me by then he couldn't take me from here by force." Naria chuckled. Rose calmed down a bit.
" And if he comes?" Naria tapped her chin for a moment.
" If he comes, we'll let him take you back to Fanelia. No resistance from anybody." Rose looked out the window. 'If I'm wrong…' she narrowed her eyes, clenching a fist. 'If I'm wrong, then Van can shove his sword into very unpleasant places!'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
" I see. Very well Naria. We planned on some sort of diversion anyway, we might as well use that. Are you certain that those flares will work?" Naria nodded.
" Yes Lord Miguel. They'll imitate the pillar of light, making Van believe that she went back home. And then we'll have the daughter of that girl to attempt the experiments on." Miguel sighed, standing from his throne.
" I told you, I transferred all power to Lord Dillandu. Leading made me feel uncomfortable anyway." Naria smiled.
" I wouldn't know, Miguel." Miguel chuckled.
" How is she doing?" Naria chuckled.
" Well, after she got mad at him, she got upset, then doubtful, and then mad again after we made out little deal. It seems that her emotions regarding him are quite conflicted at the moment." Miguel nodded, looking out a window in contemplation.
" When he doesn't come and get her…she'll need a stabilizing factor." Naria nodded.
" Lord Folken thought that it would be best to wait until after the allotted time period, Miguel. Then we'll know for sure." Miguel turned to look at her.
" Of course. We'll wait for a month."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van sighed, looking out his study window. Allen walked in and smiled.
" You know, watching the grass grow isn't going to get her found any time soon." Van jumped, turning away from the window flushing guiltily. Sighing, he raked his hand through his hair.
" They've been looking all day and they haven't found her yet. What if something happened to her?" Allen joined him at the window.
" You've seen what she can do. I'm sure she's fine, just a little lost and most likely very annoyed. The ones who find her will probably wish they didn't." Van chuckled slightly. 'It's probably true, too. Of course…then she's going to want to talk to me.' He winced at that. Allen cleared his throat.
" There's one other thing…you know that allowance that you gave Rose to spend while you were gone?" Van nodded, not liking the hesitant tone in Allens voice. What did she do now?
" She bought an Arethian sword." Van whirled.
" What?!? Why did she feel the need to buy one of those?" Allen shrugged, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
" Well, for one, she said it was better than an ordinary sword, and lighter. For another…she thought that it was 'pretty.'" Van blinked.
" Pretty?" Allen nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching. Van tried extremely hard, but he couldn't resist.
" I guess she indulges in her 'girly' side more often than we think, hm?" That set them both off. They burst out laughing, slumping against the wall to keep themselves standing. A small worry kept in the back of Van's mind however, and he turned again to the window. 'Please come back Rose…and in one piece.'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Rose sighed, wandering around the corridors. She had been doing exactly that for the past half-hour, and had seen nobody.
" Where IS everybody?" She wondered out loud, her voice echoing off of the dark walls.
" Off on a training run, that's all." She whirled, a hand pressed to her heart.
" JEEZ Folken, don't do that to me!" He chuckled, falling into step with her as she started walking again. She looked at the walls.
" Is the whole place like this?" She looked at him, both amazed and a little creeped out that he looked normal when he was…well…dead. He nodded.
" It takes a while to get used to it, I suppose." She shivered.
" It gives me the creeps. But that's ok. Van'll be here soon to come and get me." Rose squashed the growing pit of doubt in her stomach. 'When mom was here, Van got her the same day! Although…she DID talk to him mind-to-mind, and he did love her.'
" Somebody is looking a little upset. Anything I can do to help?" She looked up at him.
" I guess…I mean, you knew your brother better than anybody, right?" Folken nodded.
" I suppose so. What is it that you need to know?" Rose stared ahead at the corridor, weighing the questions in her mind. There were so many! Mom told her a lot about this place, but her mom only knew so much.
" How did you get your brother to like you? I mean, there must have been a time that you two fought a lot." Folken chuckled beside her as they rounded a corner.
" Yes, we fought. But not very often, as Varie and Goau were watching us almost all of the time. And then there was Balgus, after Goau passed away. And I don't think that I can give you the information you want." Rose flushed at that.
" But, he didn't spend all his time insulting you or bugging you or ignoring you or…" she glared at him when he smiled. 'Well, this is getting me nowhere fast,' she thought irritably. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Folken guided her down a hallway.
" Rose, perhaps he was just trying to act normal. Didn't he act odd around your mother as well?" Rose blinked. 'Now that he mentioned it…'
" But it still doesn't excuse what he said yesterday…" she clenched her hands into fists. Folken coughed.
" Rose…you had been here for 2 days when you woke up. Dillandu hit you rather hard." Rose nearly tripped.
" HE did that to me? I'm gonna KILL him!!" She seethed inwardly. That…that jerk!! How dare he…both of them! Folken seemed to sense her growing anger and took his hand from her shoulder. Oh yeah…she glanced at him.
" Hey…Folken…" She looked at the ground, unsure of whether or not she should breach the delicate subject.
" Yes?"
" Can I…I mean…would it be too much trouble if I could…uh…look at your arm?" She looked up, almost in apology. He raised an eyebrow at her.
" My mom told me about it, and I always wanted to know what it looked like. Although, I'm beginning to realize that mom was kind of biased over a few…uhm…details." He laughed.
" Later. Right now, you have a meeting with Dillandu and Miguel." She shivered again. 'Dillandu creeps me out…I mean, he may be a guy now, but his past hasn't exactly been stainless. More like…blood soaked and violent. And I've never even MET this Miguel guy. Then again, I've never actually met any of them before. Man, this is so weird!' They walked through the hangar for the 'melefs. She cast a glance out the window. '3 days counting today…Van, where are you?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
" Are you guys ready?" Dillandu shifted in his guymelef, glaring at the device held in his Crima claw. 'All this trouble just to get a girl.' When the other 'melefs responded, Dillandu grinned, casting a glance at the stars. As soon as the moon hit the edge of the mountain, then they would set off the flares.
" Let's get ready to have some fun boys." He chuckled. 'Soon I'll be able to get him back for everything…for my face, AND for the endless days floating around in nothingness. Oh yes Van, you'll be getting exactly what you deserve.' The moon moved closer to the peak of the mountain.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van sat on the roof, absolutely dismal. He didn't understand. They had searched Fanelia, sent messages to Asturia, Fried and Basram, who did searches of their own, and still they couldn't find her. ' Why did she leave? Wasn't she happy here?' His head sunk further down in between his arms. ' What if it's because of me? I ignored her, and then I yelled at her, and then…but she didn't know about that night! Nobody was around to hear it, it couldn't have been that.'
" Lord Van?" Merle poked her head up and clambered onto the roof, sitting beside him. Sighing, she placed a hand on his arm.
" She'll come back, don't worry Lord Van. We'll find her for sure!" Van sighed. He couldn't shake a nagging feeling in his mind that something was wrong. Looking up, he watched as the moons bottom edge rested against the peaks of the far-off mountains. Then, suddenly, his world was turned upside-down.
" Lord Van!!" Merle nearly shrieked, clutching his arm as they stared at the sky. A giant pillar of light illuminated the sky briefly before disappearing.
" Rose!!" He was dimly aware that he was shouting her name as the last bit of light faded from the sky, and that he was standing up. Flopping back onto the roof, he stared ahead in shock.
" She really left…" he muttered, Merle still clinging to his arm.
" Oh Lord Van…this wasn't the way it was supposed to go!" He blinked, turning to her.
" What do you mean Merle?" Her eyes widened and she clamped her hands over her mouth. He frowned at her, and she sighed, looking to the side.
" Rose…that time that she acted like a noble…she wanted you to notice her, Lord Van." Van blinked.
" But…why?" Merle sighed in frustration, standing up and heading to the exit.
" You figure it out Lord Van…I'm going to bed." Van blinked again. 'Rose wanted me to notice her? Why?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
AN: My my my, Van really is dense, ne? Ok, I admit that nothing really happened in this chapter, but I needed a transition -_- So, Van thinks she went home, now what's Rose going to do?? Duh duh duuunn…Reviews make me write faster ^_^
Frin- Thanks for making the criticism constructive!!! And as for why Folken wants Rose…you'll see ~evil cackle~ And yes, you were the first to review the chapter, arigatou!! And really, the other people were mean because they didn't like Mystic Moon people in the first place and in their minds she lied to them. Sorry about taking so long with the last chapter, writers block -_-
Kouhei- Sorry about the cliffhangers, call it an evil mastermind plan ^_^" Hmm…well…there are time differences between the Mystic Moon and Gaia, so Hitomi died 0-o ~ducks flames~ and you'll find out Rose's connection with the dragons when all is revealed..~evil chuckle~ And as to Folken not being dead….another mystery ^_^' sorry about not answering the questions very clearly, don't want to give away what little plot I have ~sweatdrops~ As for the mind control…I figured that's how they used the Fate Machine to take over Allen and Hitomi in the episodes…sort of my take on the whole situation. Hope I didn't confuse you too too much! And I'm honored that this is one of your favorites!!! ~feels loved~
Megumi of the Moon- Hmm well, as I said with Kouhei…I don't wanna sound rude…but I can't tell ya juuuusst yet ^_^"" (sorry sorry) And in regards to Rose telling Van….~cackles evilly again~ You'll have to wait and see :P But thankees for the reviews!!!
Rose groaned, shielding her eyes from the sudden light and trying to sink further under the covers. The said covers were pulled from her, and the sudden cold made her curl up. 'Come on Merle, just give me…'
" Five more minutes," she mumbled out loud, cracking one eye open. Shutting it immediately, Rose groaned again. Her head felt like it exploded.
" Come on girl, get up before I get angry." She frowned, shooting up in the bed, forcing her eyes open, ignoring the pain.
" Who the…" Last nights events came rushing back to her, and she gasped. Looking at the mattress, Rose scowled.
" Come on girl, aren't you going to greet us? We are, after all, your rescuers." Rose snorted.
" Like fun you are. Sorry, but I don't call being knocked unconscious being rescued." A cold hand gripped her chin and forced her to look up. Yelping, Rose glared into the face of the hand.
" You're hands are…." She stopped mid-sentence, blinking. The arm let her chin go, and she rubbed it absently, finally taking note of the other inhabitants. But….mom said…she backed up, pressing against the wall by the bed.
" But you're…you died!" The silver-haired man chuckled quietly. She looked at him, making a face.
" And you're…a girl." The cat-girl snickered, trying to turn it into a cough as the other man allowed himself a small smile, standing up.
" Rose, there are some things we need to explain, I think."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van frowned. He had been called to the stables early that morning, and he wasn't pleased with what he was hearing.
" You're saying Tenshi was stolen?" The stablemaster nodded nervously.
" Just last night. His tack is gone too, as well as a food bag. Nobody saw anybody suspicious leave the castle though, it was too dark." Van nodded, looking into the empty stall. Rose wouldn't be pleased, it was her favorite horse.
" Lord Van, Lord Van!" He sighed, rubbing his forehead as Merle came running into the stables, waving something frantically. She skidded to a stop, panting.
" Lord Van, have you seen Rose anywhere?" He shook his head.
" Merle, this isn't the time for…" Merle stomped her foot into the ground in an uncharacteristic display of anger.
" NOBODY has seen her!!" Van got an idea.
" Merle, Tenshi's gone. She probably just went for an early morning ride, that's all." Merle shook her head back and forth.
" Only if she went for a ride after the ball and stayed in the forest all night!" He blinked, and Merle sighed, shoving her fist under his nose and opening her hand. In her palm lay Hitomi's necklace. A shiver rushed down Van's back.
" But…she always wears that." Merle nodded.
" And her bed hasn't been slept in at all and some of her stuff is missing!" Van blinked rapidly, and then came to the only conclusion his mind could make.
" She went back home," he said quietly, looking at the empty stall. Merle screeched.
" WHAT?!?!?!" Wincing, Van cleared his throat.
" She went back home. Probably took Tenshi out for a ride, expecting to come back, and went back home." Merle's ears drooped.
" But…there was no light!" Merle looked around, and then back at the pendant. Van nodded, re-thinking his previous decision.
" We'll send a search party to look around Fanelia. If she hasn't returned by tonight then we'll notify Asturia and Fried, anywhere she could have gone." Merle was gone before he finished his sentence, and the stablemaster had disappeared long before that. He cast a glance back at the stall. 'But…why would she want to leave?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Naria tilted the chair back, flicking her dagger up and catching it, a bored expression on her face. Dillandu ran a hand through his hair in frustration. There was a quiet knock on the door, and Naria raced to answer it.
" Lord Folken." She bowed, going back to the her chair. Folken looked around the room and shut the door behind him as Rose walked out of a back room, eyes wide and looking deathly pale and shocked. He nodded at her.
" Rose, are you alright?" Rose glanced at him distractedly, blinking and looking slightly confused.
" Hi Folken. I forgot to ask you this. How have things been?" Folken allowed himself a small grin.
" Dead, you?"
" Brought to a new planet and captured by the bad guys."
" Ah." Dillandu muttered something under his breath about females. Rose looked at him.
" The entire capital?" He nodded once.
" By an old dead guy that stayed alive using green fluid that was famous on our planet." He nodded again, getting annoyed. She blinked.
" Oh, ok. Still adjusting." With that, she turned and walked back into the room that was now identified as a bathroom and closed the door behind her. Folken chuckled. Dillandu stood, growling.
" How long is she planning on staying there?" Folken watched in amusement as Dillandu gripped the wooden table, as if he was attempting to pierce the top.
" As long as she needs to, Dillandu. She's under a considerable amount of stress, and we don't know if she's gotten over the…incident…that brought her here," Folken said softly, casting a glance in the direction of the door. Naria sighed, standing up.
" I hate to say this…but shoo." Dillandu and Folken blinked at Naria. She made a shoving gesture with her hands.
" Girl talk. I don't think you want to stay here. I'm going to try and get her out of the bathroom." Folken nodded.
" When you do, ask her to come to the throne room. Lord Miguel wants to see her." With that, Folken picked Dillandu up by the collar of his shirt and hauled him out of the room. Naria sighed, knocking on the bathroom door.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Rose opened the door, walking over and sitting on the bed. 'Well, this turned out wonderfully. I leave Fanelia to avoid being hurt, and I get captured by the bad guys.' She glared at a wall for a moment before Naria sat on the bed beside her.
" So…are you going to be alright? Everybody is worried about you." Rose glanced at her against her will.
" Really?" Naria nodded, giving a half-smile.
" We may be the 'bad guys' as your mother and that boy put it, but think about it from our position. We only wanted everybody to become happy. It was Emperor Dornkirk that mutilated and rotted the idea into death and warfare." Rose swung her feet.
" I suppose…but then why did you kidnap me?" She could have sworn Naria winced slightly.
" Well, that's a little more difficult to answer. You see, we knew about the…situation…developing in Fanelia." A light clicked in Rose's mind.
" You had spies there." Naria nodded.
" Don't tell the others that I told you that. And seeing as you ran away, we wanted to take you here so that you could be safe. Because honestly, no matter where you went, as long as they were friends of Fanelia Van would come to get you." Rose frowned.
" Yeah well, judging by what I've heard, I doubt he'd go to that much effort." Naria chuckled.
" Only if he was told that you were there. He would have thought it was a duty to that seeress." Rose sighed, studying her feet. 'Why does what she say make more sense than what I've been trying to tell myself all this time? I mean, Van WILL rescue me once he finds out that I'm here. It's not even an option…right?' Naria tapped her on her shoulder, calling her attention.
" Rose…Van probably won't come for you, after those things he said. But you can be safe here, with us. You could work-" Rose jumped off of the bed.
" No. He WILL come for me!" Rose was upset that Naria had managed to find her doubts and push them. 'I will not let them get to me. He will come!' Naria sighed, standing and raising an eyebrow.
" How about this then. You wait here for…one month. If he doesn't come for you by then, you stay with us." Rose rolled her eyes.
" If he doesn't come for me by then he couldn't take me from here by force." Naria chuckled. Rose calmed down a bit.
" And if he comes?" Naria tapped her chin for a moment.
" If he comes, we'll let him take you back to Fanelia. No resistance from anybody." Rose looked out the window. 'If I'm wrong…' she narrowed her eyes, clenching a fist. 'If I'm wrong, then Van can shove his sword into very unpleasant places!'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
" I see. Very well Naria. We planned on some sort of diversion anyway, we might as well use that. Are you certain that those flares will work?" Naria nodded.
" Yes Lord Miguel. They'll imitate the pillar of light, making Van believe that she went back home. And then we'll have the daughter of that girl to attempt the experiments on." Miguel sighed, standing from his throne.
" I told you, I transferred all power to Lord Dillandu. Leading made me feel uncomfortable anyway." Naria smiled.
" I wouldn't know, Miguel." Miguel chuckled.
" How is she doing?" Naria chuckled.
" Well, after she got mad at him, she got upset, then doubtful, and then mad again after we made out little deal. It seems that her emotions regarding him are quite conflicted at the moment." Miguel nodded, looking out a window in contemplation.
" When he doesn't come and get her…she'll need a stabilizing factor." Naria nodded.
" Lord Folken thought that it would be best to wait until after the allotted time period, Miguel. Then we'll know for sure." Miguel turned to look at her.
" Of course. We'll wait for a month."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van sighed, looking out his study window. Allen walked in and smiled.
" You know, watching the grass grow isn't going to get her found any time soon." Van jumped, turning away from the window flushing guiltily. Sighing, he raked his hand through his hair.
" They've been looking all day and they haven't found her yet. What if something happened to her?" Allen joined him at the window.
" You've seen what she can do. I'm sure she's fine, just a little lost and most likely very annoyed. The ones who find her will probably wish they didn't." Van chuckled slightly. 'It's probably true, too. Of course…then she's going to want to talk to me.' He winced at that. Allen cleared his throat.
" There's one other thing…you know that allowance that you gave Rose to spend while you were gone?" Van nodded, not liking the hesitant tone in Allens voice. What did she do now?
" She bought an Arethian sword." Van whirled.
" What?!? Why did she feel the need to buy one of those?" Allen shrugged, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
" Well, for one, she said it was better than an ordinary sword, and lighter. For another…she thought that it was 'pretty.'" Van blinked.
" Pretty?" Allen nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching. Van tried extremely hard, but he couldn't resist.
" I guess she indulges in her 'girly' side more often than we think, hm?" That set them both off. They burst out laughing, slumping against the wall to keep themselves standing. A small worry kept in the back of Van's mind however, and he turned again to the window. 'Please come back Rose…and in one piece.'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Rose sighed, wandering around the corridors. She had been doing exactly that for the past half-hour, and had seen nobody.
" Where IS everybody?" She wondered out loud, her voice echoing off of the dark walls.
" Off on a training run, that's all." She whirled, a hand pressed to her heart.
" JEEZ Folken, don't do that to me!" He chuckled, falling into step with her as she started walking again. She looked at the walls.
" Is the whole place like this?" She looked at him, both amazed and a little creeped out that he looked normal when he was…well…dead. He nodded.
" It takes a while to get used to it, I suppose." She shivered.
" It gives me the creeps. But that's ok. Van'll be here soon to come and get me." Rose squashed the growing pit of doubt in her stomach. 'When mom was here, Van got her the same day! Although…she DID talk to him mind-to-mind, and he did love her.'
" Somebody is looking a little upset. Anything I can do to help?" She looked up at him.
" I guess…I mean, you knew your brother better than anybody, right?" Folken nodded.
" I suppose so. What is it that you need to know?" Rose stared ahead at the corridor, weighing the questions in her mind. There were so many! Mom told her a lot about this place, but her mom only knew so much.
" How did you get your brother to like you? I mean, there must have been a time that you two fought a lot." Folken chuckled beside her as they rounded a corner.
" Yes, we fought. But not very often, as Varie and Goau were watching us almost all of the time. And then there was Balgus, after Goau passed away. And I don't think that I can give you the information you want." Rose flushed at that.
" But, he didn't spend all his time insulting you or bugging you or ignoring you or…" she glared at him when he smiled. 'Well, this is getting me nowhere fast,' she thought irritably. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Folken guided her down a hallway.
" Rose, perhaps he was just trying to act normal. Didn't he act odd around your mother as well?" Rose blinked. 'Now that he mentioned it…'
" But it still doesn't excuse what he said yesterday…" she clenched her hands into fists. Folken coughed.
" Rose…you had been here for 2 days when you woke up. Dillandu hit you rather hard." Rose nearly tripped.
" HE did that to me? I'm gonna KILL him!!" She seethed inwardly. That…that jerk!! How dare he…both of them! Folken seemed to sense her growing anger and took his hand from her shoulder. Oh yeah…she glanced at him.
" Hey…Folken…" She looked at the ground, unsure of whether or not she should breach the delicate subject.
" Yes?"
" Can I…I mean…would it be too much trouble if I could…uh…look at your arm?" She looked up, almost in apology. He raised an eyebrow at her.
" My mom told me about it, and I always wanted to know what it looked like. Although, I'm beginning to realize that mom was kind of biased over a few…uhm…details." He laughed.
" Later. Right now, you have a meeting with Dillandu and Miguel." She shivered again. 'Dillandu creeps me out…I mean, he may be a guy now, but his past hasn't exactly been stainless. More like…blood soaked and violent. And I've never even MET this Miguel guy. Then again, I've never actually met any of them before. Man, this is so weird!' They walked through the hangar for the 'melefs. She cast a glance out the window. '3 days counting today…Van, where are you?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
" Are you guys ready?" Dillandu shifted in his guymelef, glaring at the device held in his Crima claw. 'All this trouble just to get a girl.' When the other 'melefs responded, Dillandu grinned, casting a glance at the stars. As soon as the moon hit the edge of the mountain, then they would set off the flares.
" Let's get ready to have some fun boys." He chuckled. 'Soon I'll be able to get him back for everything…for my face, AND for the endless days floating around in nothingness. Oh yes Van, you'll be getting exactly what you deserve.' The moon moved closer to the peak of the mountain.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Van sat on the roof, absolutely dismal. He didn't understand. They had searched Fanelia, sent messages to Asturia, Fried and Basram, who did searches of their own, and still they couldn't find her. ' Why did she leave? Wasn't she happy here?' His head sunk further down in between his arms. ' What if it's because of me? I ignored her, and then I yelled at her, and then…but she didn't know about that night! Nobody was around to hear it, it couldn't have been that.'
" Lord Van?" Merle poked her head up and clambered onto the roof, sitting beside him. Sighing, she placed a hand on his arm.
" She'll come back, don't worry Lord Van. We'll find her for sure!" Van sighed. He couldn't shake a nagging feeling in his mind that something was wrong. Looking up, he watched as the moons bottom edge rested against the peaks of the far-off mountains. Then, suddenly, his world was turned upside-down.
" Lord Van!!" Merle nearly shrieked, clutching his arm as they stared at the sky. A giant pillar of light illuminated the sky briefly before disappearing.
" Rose!!" He was dimly aware that he was shouting her name as the last bit of light faded from the sky, and that he was standing up. Flopping back onto the roof, he stared ahead in shock.
" She really left…" he muttered, Merle still clinging to his arm.
" Oh Lord Van…this wasn't the way it was supposed to go!" He blinked, turning to her.
" What do you mean Merle?" Her eyes widened and she clamped her hands over her mouth. He frowned at her, and she sighed, looking to the side.
" Rose…that time that she acted like a noble…she wanted you to notice her, Lord Van." Van blinked.
" But…why?" Merle sighed in frustration, standing up and heading to the exit.
" You figure it out Lord Van…I'm going to bed." Van blinked again. 'Rose wanted me to notice her? Why?'
* * * * * * * * * * * *
AN: My my my, Van really is dense, ne? Ok, I admit that nothing really happened in this chapter, but I needed a transition -_- So, Van thinks she went home, now what's Rose going to do?? Duh duh duuunn…Reviews make me write faster ^_^