Diary ~

Well, that was something to remember. At around noon, I told them that Rose and I were going out on town to shop. Albert looked up from the intricate Serdian runes on his lance. "You and Rose are going to go shopping?"

"One more word, your majesty, and I cut off all that pretty hair, got it?" Rose snarled. "Claire asked me for a favor, and I'm going."

Dart had seemed a little skeptical but he said as long as we were back before the Queen Fury was ready to sail, it was all right. Rose complained about the lousy excuse again until we reached our destination. She was confused that I had a friend in the tavern, and thought it was female.

I told her that my friend was a man, and when I went in, my eyes took a while to adjust and by the time they did, Lloyd had disappeared. The glimpse of silver hair leaving through the back door in a hurry was what told me he had fled.

He wasn't an easy person to follow. If it weren't for Father's training, I would never have been able to keep up with him as he darted through alleyways and up a wooden ladder up to rooftops, leaping the spaces between them easily. I wonder how many years he has been training, and how much older than his appearance he actually is.

I yelled at him that it was okay, to stop running. He didn't.

Lloyd cast a look over his shoulder only once, and I was glad that I was too far away to see his eyes because even at that distance I was sure that they would be filled with emotion I would never want him to direct at me.

He leapt between two buildings placed precariously far. He tripped on his landing, turning it into a roll and standing up again immediately. That stumble gave me just enough time to catch up, flying through the air.

But alas, I had miscalculated the distance, as I had before, the first time in Hellena Prison. Damn, either I'm getting old, or not practicing enough. My toes just barely made contact with the rooftop, but my balance was off and my heels slid off the side, followed by the rest of me. Father would be so angry if he had seen what a mistake I had made.

I grabbed the edge with my fingers, and spat a curse. The ground was maybe three or four stories down, I think. But then again, I was kinda panicked at that time, so maybe I was exaggerating. I didn't want to move much, considering my arms were struggling to pull myself up. I don't think that I am that old that I would die from the fall—after all, I am a fighter—but it would definitely result in a broken leg or two and that would be unpleasant.

He appeared, silhouetted against the sun like some sort of dark angel. He bent down, grabbed my arms, and hauled me up onto the rooftop, onto my feet.

Before I could thank him, he spoke. Actually, yelled it more like it. He didn't release his grip on my arms, used it to shake me. "I trusted you!" He said, and I remember shivering, not so much with the anger that I knew was supposed to be there, but with the pain that had replaced it. His voice was quiet but firm. "I thought we had an understanding. I thought you were different from the rest of them."

I will never be able to forget that pain in his eyes. He looked like he was shattered. "I am, Lloyd." I protested vehemently. I tried to free myself, but I was right; he was much stronger than I am. "I am different from them, and I do trust you."

"Then why did you bring her? The Old One, of all of them!" He shook me again until my head wobbled on my shoulders and the world spun. "The Original! It would be better off if you had brought your empty-headed son!"

That brought me back to my senses. I steeled myself. "Dart is not empty-headed and I resent the fact that you call him so. He's a bright boy, though rather stubborn and unused to new revelations, which is why I didn't bring him along. I brought Rose because I know that she'll be able to shed some light on your goal."

"You told her of my dreams?" Now Lloyd's voice was just a whisper, and his eyes were pools of his own blood. His grip tightened again, this time almost in desperation, as if by clinging to me he could prove his own existence. I know that I winced. There are still red marks on my skin.

I also remember my exact words. "No, I did not. It wasn't in my place to tell her. I told her nothing of you. If you will just stop running and listen to what she has to say, then perhaps you'll understand."

Well, at least he wasn't shaking me anymore. Some of the pain had receded from his eyes, but whenever I recall his face, I can see that look of pain.

"Look, I think that we're friends. And I take care of my friends. I don't betray them. Your dreams are the highest part of your thoughts, and you trusted me enough to tell me about them. I wouldn't violate that. Now trust me enough to let me help you." Now that I think of it, I sound like that psychologist that Shana's mother had persuaded me to see for a while. "If what I'm thinking is right, then this may the both of us understand better."

He was starting to give in now. Thank the…(can't say gods, now can I?) stars, I was about ready to give in.

"Besides, that way we can talk to each other without sneaking around all the time."

He paused for a moment and swallowed before releasing me. There was silence. He stared at his boots, and I tried to restore the feeling to my arms.

"Well?" Lloyd said hoarsely. "Aren't you going to hit me?"

"What?"

"Every time we've met, you've tried to hit me."

I thought about it for a moment, then kicked him in the shins. It seemed appropriate at the time, but now that I think about it again, it seemed rude.

He stumbled back on his other foot, gingerly rubbing his injured leg. "I think you broke it." He said, his charming smile returning to his face.

"You big baby." I shoved him good-naturedly. Strange, I've only known him a while yet I seem to be so comfortable around him. "And aren't you going to buy me a drink? You seem to do that every time we meet."

"Get away from her!"

Rose had found some way of getting across the gap perfectly because when she landed, she already had her sword out. "Get away!" She commanded again, and as she landed, slashed out.

"No!" I don't know when I decided to throw myself forward.

The pain didn't settle in until a few seconds after the cut was made. Shana has helped me to bind it, and I had looked into the mirror. It was a long gash, not the deepest one I ever had, but I couldn't help crying out then. Arms enfolded me, and at first I thought it was Rose before Lloyd's voice murmured from somewhere around my head, "Are you all right? You didn't have to protect me."

"Rose, wait, don't." I twisted myself sideways to stare at Rose, stopping her from lifting her sword again. She was in battle mode, twitching as if anticipating a fight. Sometimes she seems more animal than Human or Dragoon. "This is the friend I've told you about."

"Claire, in case you're drunk again, this is Lloyd. He tried to kill you and Lavitz."

"Accidentally."

"How do you accidentally try to kill someone?"

I told her to keep the accusations and questions until later, and she did. Ow, my back hurts again. I remember standing, wavering, but keeping my balance and asking Rose about the Divine Moon Objects. "What are they?"

"They're objects created by the Winglies. They hold great magical power."

"What were they created for?" It was just as new to me as it was to them. I was improvising as I went along. Kinda dangerous, when you're playing with those two.

"I'm not sure. Charle Frahma didn't tell me everything."

I pushed Lloyd off to the side where I could speak to him without Rose hearing. Naturally she was rather upset by this, but remained silent. "You are getting the Divine Moon Objects so that you can release the Moon Child in the Moon That Never Sets, am I right? That's how you will create your utopia."

Looking over at Rose, he nodded.

"You're wrong. Rose, tell us again about the Moon That Never Sets, and about your secret."

It was her turn to be pained now, and frightened. "Claire!"

"Trust me. I trust the both of you, and believe me, this will clear up a lot of things."

Rose stared at the ground, and when she nodded, I told Lloyd everything about the truth of the Moon Child and the truth about Rose.

Needless to say, the news hit him hard. He was speechless for a while, and I took the time to convince him that he was being led in the wrong direction. Whoever it was posing as Emperor Diaz was a true manipulator, molding Lloyd's mind to his will like this.

It was even harder to convince Rose to let Lloyd come back with us. But after wailing and begging and tugging on her sleeve and just the right amount of the guilt factor, I managed to pry a reluctant sigh from her, an agreement.

But then, I had more difficulty getting Lloyd to come back with us.

At first, it was, "I'm not going back into a nest full of Dragoons. They slaughtered my people."

"Winglies killed my friends! Your emperor personally killed my fiancé!" Rose screeched back, half-drawing her sword, and it was only then that I realized her underlying hatred and pain. I started crying then because her fiancé was my husband too. Zieg…

Gods, I'm going to cry again if I start thinking about him. Must keep writing. I yelled at the both of them, poking them to get their attention. "This is pointless. The Dragon Campaign was over eleven thousand years ago. Get over it. Rose, you know why I would hate Winglies as well. And Lloyd, I am still your friend despite the fact that my son is the leader of the Dragoons! Get over this stupid feud that's been going on for eleven thousand years and grow up. It's over. We have a Wingly girl traveling with us anyway and there is no discrimination toward her…except when she steals my dessert, but that's it. So get over it."

My little speech made both of them speechless until Lloyd finally said, "That's not the reason. Well, some of it is. But…" And he looked up with pain-filled eyes again, blood eyes, and said that he had caused irrevocable wrongs against us and that he could never come into our hospitality. Begging and wailing didn't work, so I tried reminding him of what Rose had done and how Dart and I had accepted her. I had to threaten that I wouldn't go to see a doctor about that nasty wound on my back before he would promise to come with me, if only for today.

Not to mention how hard it was to convince Dart and the others to accept Lloyd! Stars above, this is tougher than those Virage battles. I'm too tired to write down exactly what happened in all of them, but…ah, I think I can stay awake long enough to reenact that memorable moment at the inn.

Rose entered first and Dart looked like he was going to ask her where I was. But he didn't need to because I stumbled in with Lloyd supporting me, and it was easy to see why they would think he had attacked me—considering the fact that my blood covered both of us, and the way he was holding me was the way one would hold a hostage.

I could definitely see Dart reaching for his sword and yelling, but I stopped him in time, snapping out his name and holding up my hands to ward off everyone else.

Very quickly, I explained everything, leaving out Rose's true identity in respect to her, merely telling them that the Moon Child was the evil one and that Lloyd had been manipulated into getting the Divine Moon Objects that would release hell.

That it was easy enough for them to understand. But when it came to trusting Lloyd…

"Mom, you must be under a spell or something because Lloyd tried to KILL you! He's wounded Lavitz, and he fed the Serdian war!"

"It wasn't his fault, son."

"I have to agree with Dart, Claire." Father mused, absently cracking his knuckles as if unconsciously wanting a fight. "Lloyd can't be trusted."

My knees gave out, and it was only Lloyd standing behind me that kept me from falling. At this, Shana insisted that she heal my back while we spoke. As she called on her Dragoon Spirit, I said that Lloyd had been manipulated, and that it wasn't his fault.

There was lots of arguing, protesting, debating. Rose stood on my side if only out of loyalty to me, which earned her some nasty looks from Dart, who soon ceased that as soon as I glared at him.

Meru gave in next, saying that everyone deserved a second chance as long as he knew what he did wrong and was willing to help us. Perhaps the fact that both she and Lloyd were Winglies had something to do with it.

Kongol, unsure about what all the fuss was about, merely said that if Lloyd swore his loyalty to us, then why not? Shana then agreed, saying that she trusted my decision, which sort of swayed Dart a little. The frown started to disappear from his face anyway.

"Claire, this is insane. He almost cost you your arm." Father said.

"I'm sorry." Lloyd said quietly, more to me than to Father.

"And he nearly killed your son's best friend. How can you forgive him so easily, or trust him?"

This was turning into a classic father-daughter argument, with Father's fists balled and me with my hands on my hips, sort of, as much as I could without falling over.

"Don't speak as if he isn't right here. What you say now hurts him as well."

"Claire, I really couldn't care less. Get away from him. Now." His voice was too-familiar, the voice of my master, not my father.

But that time I dared to lift my chin and say no. Which shocked everyone.

Father and I had a staring contest for a while before he finally sighed and glared at Lloyd. "I see. Very well. But keep an eye on him."

Only Albert and Dart remained against this, and probably because of what had happened to Lavitz and me.

"Majority rules, kiddo. You're outnumbered. You lose."

"Not necessarily." Meru whispered quietly. "As leader, Dart could overrule us."

"Shush." I told her, and staring down Dart the way a mother does to her son, I won.

So right now, I'm sharing a room with Shana again, and Lloyd has his own, because it would be unwise for him to room with one of the males. God only knows how many broken bones each would have by morning.

Tomorrow, the Queen Fury sets sail with nine new passengers to the island of the Sea Dragon, so that we can kill it and keep a promise to a little boy. I just hope that things can remain civilized until then.