The Love of two Blue Rogues
Chapter Two- Kokoro no Boken no Hajime (The Beginning of the Adventure of Love)
The sound of shifting rock and groaning metal upon metal boomed in the cavern like port held deep inside of Crescent Island as the legendary Blue Rogue, Vyse, hurried his crew to finish their preparations on the Albatross II. His crew had decided that he needed time away from the island and the problems that plagued him, one of those problems was standing next to him at that very moment.
"Hans, how is the engine doing?" Asked Fina who was busy going over various items with certain crew members like Hans.
"Just fine Ms. Fina," called Hans from the deck, "she's ready to go for a round the world trip if her captain wants her to." At this, Vyse laughed, shook his head and turned to go see if he could rouse Don from the cantina, seeing as how Lawrence had left soon after the wars and never been heard from again. Don had indeed taken off on his own after the wars, yet he like a few others of his crew had eventually come back to serve under Vyse again. "Can't sail her all the time", he thought to himself, "and I can't think of anyone more trustworthy of handling my baby than Don."
As soon as Vyse had passed by the lift he looked about his island with a sense of pride and accomplishment of what he had done. Then…BAM! Before Vyse took another step he felt someone leap on him from behind. Before Vyse could turn his head to see who had decided to hitch a ride on his back, two hands wrapped around his eyes and wouldn't allow him to turn his head.
"Ok, whoever's on my back better get off before they get the fun job of cleaning the Delphinus from the bow to the stern", Vyse growled, trying to shake the oddly familiar feeling person off his back who seemed to take delight in their captains' torment. A familiar giggle reached Vyse's ears. "I know that...", with a hint of a annoyance in his voice Vyse said, "Aika what in the hell are you doing, you're supposed to check with Osman over our supplies!"
Aika giggled even more as Vyse tried in vain to shake her again. "You know Vyse, you never could shake me off your back when we were kids. What makes you think you can do it now", she teased. Aika began to run her hands through Vyse hair playfully. At this, Vyse growled slightly and sighed as he sat down quickly forcing Aika to give a gasp of surprise. Taking the most of the opportunity, Vyse quickly grabbed Aika's legs and forced them from their vice like grip around his waist.
"Hey when did you stop being so dumb, huh Vyse?" She teased once again messing up his hair, "Besides Osman already oversaw the loading process everything we need is on board the Albatross II so stop worrying and have a little fun before you have to leave, ok?"
Vyse smiled as his friend messed up his hair, then reaching up and started messing with her hair in the same way too. Soon, both were rolling around on the ground each trying to mess up each others hair. Such laughing and yelling soon came to an end when a voice cut though the gaiety.
"Vyse, Aika what are you two doing?" Fina's gentle yet curious voice from the opening to the port asks. "If you two were going to play why didn't you invite me too." Fina put on her best hurt face that she could as she walked over to her two best friends. They were still trying to stand up but kept getting in each others way and falling down on themselves in a giggling heap. Fina couldn't help but giggle her self as she helped Aika and Fina up from the ground. "I'm so disappointed in you Vyse, your crew's getting ready to leave and you're here playing like a little school boy."
Aika, who was brushing her self off looked up to see the sweet mocking smile that Fina had taken to using while she was teasing Vyse. "Heh, she learns fast", thought Aika, "a little more practice and she'll know how to drive Vyse as crazy as I can".
Grinning shyly at Fina, Aika turned her head towards the flagpole in a move that she had already discussed with Fina, before they convinced Vyse to go sailing again. Fina gave one of her own shy smiles and turned to Vyse.
"Vyse? ," She asked as innocently as she could, "I think you've… well gotten out of shape these past few weeks, brooding in your room. I bet you could beat me in a foot race to the flagpole near the tip of the island."
Stunned by the innocent yet unquestionable challenge that her voice presented, Vyse blinked a few seconds before opening his mouth to say something when… BAM! Aika had leapt onto his back again but this time had her arms around his neck whispering into his ear, "If you really are a great a legend as everyone says your are, I think you can give me a ride up there while you're at it." Fina started laughing at Vyse's face as he suddenly realized that he had been trapped. Then, putting on his serious face as though he was facing down the Armada again.
"Ok I see how this is…you two think you got me beat huh? "Vyse just smirked and got himself ready to run, "Ok girls but when I win guess who gets to clean the Albatross's deck for the whole trip".
At this Aika just gave a short laugh while Fina got her determined face and got herself ready to run as well. Some of the other crew members who had been on night watch were just wakening up and were going for something to eat when they saw their captain and his two friends in what looked like a foot race but with no one to count them down, so Pinta held up his hand.
"Ok on my mark….one….two…three…Go!"
As Pinta counted down both Vyse and Fina edged forward both ready to run. Then, as soon as Pinta had said 'go', they took off, first at a running pace, with neither getting ahead for a while until they had just run past the barracks. It was here where Vyse let out an extra burst of speed despite the added load of Aika's squirming body on his back. He soon pulled ahead of Fina who, while quite fit, couldn't compete with Vyse's strength and determination for revenge for their little trap. Panting and gasping, both Vyse and Fina both struggled up the slope towards the flag where Vyse's design still flew proudly, showing his group of rouges strength and resolve to be able to do anything.
Seeing this, Vyse felt his pride swell and without knowing he ran even faster towards it. He ran as if the flag itself showed his strength and that he deserved the praise and admiration it bestowed upon its captain and crew.
Fina gasped as she finally caught up to Vyse who had reached the flag long before her. Aika had gotten off Vyse's back to sit down on his right while he caught his breath, while Fina who had just reached to the flag sat down on Vyse's left. Both runners were still panting from the climb.
"I guess we were wrong about you Vyse," teased Aika, "Looks like you still are in shape…ok you can still be the captain." both girls couldn't help but laugh at the statement.
Vyse shook his head and started to laugh at both the girls. "Ha, really, well, I'm sure you'll be happy swabbing the deck on this trip then, girls!"
Both Aika and Fina stopped laughing and glanced at each other with worried looks on their faces. He couldn't have been serious about his statement before the race. Sensing what the girls were thinking, Vyse nodded his head and got his serious face on, in hope of scaring the girls a little. Of course he was not really planning to make them scrub the decks, but still wanted a little revenge for their little trap.
"But… Vyse" , both girls asked, looking very worried.
"Who is going to help you navigate the ship then?" Fina asked.
"Yeah you and Don are the only ones besides us who know how and you two can't do it all the way to Pirate Island!" ,exclaimed Aika who was getting worried he was really being serious.
Vyse shrugged and looked as though he was thinking about it, "Well I guess Pow can help me navigate…he seems like he could do a better job then you too" ,he said teasingly.
Both girls looked at him as though they would throw him over the side of the island, but instead settled on leaping on him knocking and holding him down so as they could exact their own revenge for his bad joke, both girls laughed as Vyse struggled valiantly but to no avail as both girls grinned at him. "Great ,thought Vyse, Fina's been taking lessons from Aika again…just what I need."
"So the great and mighty Vyse brought down by two little innocent girls huh…what's the world coming to Fina?" ,asked Aika,
Fina giggled as she started to mess with Vyse's hair. "I don't know Aika…I wonder who will save us the next time we get in trouble if Vyse can't even save himself!".
Vyse continued to struggle and was able to free his arms grabbing both girls in the process and bringing them down with him so that both girls lay on either side of him. Aika and Fina both gasped but soon grabbed back on to Vyse to keep him from getting up, and so the three friends were in a stalemate, both girls smiled at being so close to Vyse who wasn't at the time thinking of the ramifications of having the girls so close to him. Instead he was thinking about his favorite thing, the sky.
Vyse was quiet for a little while before speaking up. "So girls… where do you want to go after we visit Pirate Island…we could always…..", Vyse's voice broke off after realizing that both Aika and Fina were snuggling up against him while staring up into the sky.
Both girls had without knowing had indeed snuggled up against Vyse, each girl lost in her own thoughts but Vyse knew it didn't take a genius to know they were thinking of him. "Oh this is a sticky situation you let yourself get into………still… its nice to be close with them…especially her".
Vyse looked up at the clouds and noticed that one almost looked like Drachma, "Hey girls…you notice that cloud right there." As he pointed at it both girls looked up at it.
"Yeah… it looks like old Drachma…",Aika said with sadness in her voice as Fina nodded also looking sad. Drachma had visited them a few weeks before he died. His ship the Little Jack was found near Valua with him no longer in this world aboard her. His body was cast into deep sky with all the honors that a hero deserved, His ship was placed in Valua in a museum that the Emperor Enrique was building to honor those who had fought and died in the Crystal War.
Both girls snuggled even closer with Vyse both not wanting to feel the sadness that they all felt when they had attended Drachma's funeral and the memories of all the fighting and death that had happened in their lives. Vyse knowing that they wanted some comfort wrapped his arms around both of them and held them close as they all slowly felt the warmth of the sun calm them, lulling them into a sleep which was far more potent then any blue moon spell could be. It was a fight that the three bravest warriors of Arcadia did not win nor did they try, soon the saviors of the world were gently asleep in each others arms oblivious to the world around them.
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A few hours later…
Izmael was searching for the captain after he had disappeared while the Albatross II was getting prepared for her voyage. "Where could Cap'n Vyse be…well if he's went looking for Don then they probably got to drinking together" Izmael had to shake his head of this thought "No…the captain isn't one to leave his crew alone before a voyage…still he's been so remote lately".
As he entered the cantina he noticed Urala was cleaning up the cantina, with Don's help of course "Hey Don… have you seen the captain around? he's been missing since he went to go look for you".
"Well…I haven't seen him but someone said he was racing Fina to the flag at the tip of the island with Aika on his back" replied Don as he handed dishes to Urala.
Izmael grumbled a little as he started to walk towards the flag, "How can man who saved the world and even journeyed to one of the moons be so…childlike just when his crew is about to go on a voyage?"
Still grumbling Izmael got halfway up the slope when he saw the man…no boy who escaped from the Grand Fortress not once but twice, the boy who had seen the very surface of the world and defeated creatures of world ending power. Sleeping soundly with the girls who had been with him through it all lay snuggled beside him sleeping gently as babies. Izmael had like most people forgotten that Vyse was still very young, he himself couldn't even remember when he was twenty one, Everyone thought Vyse to be some superhuman capable of commanding the moons themselves, but he still was so young and recovering from the effort it took to defeat Ramirez and deal with the death of a close friend. And now a problem that everyone knew about from the Emperor of Valua to that wandering Domingo… that his two friends would one day ask him which one he loved more…it was for this that few people really wanted be Vyse despite his fame and fortune.
Izmael was just about to turn and leave, to allow his captain and friends to sleep a little longer when he noticed that his captain while holding both girls close was holding one of them really close, Izmael shook his head as he went back down the slope. "The Cap'n picked his girl alright maybe not in his mind but in his heart…couldn't say I wasn't that surprised that It was her…".
Don had just finished the dishes and was just stepping out of the cantina when he saw Izmael coming down the slope and called to him "Izmael did you find the captain?". He didn't speak again till Izmael came down the slope after motioning for him to be quiet.
"Yeah I did Don but he's sleeping with Aika and Fina"
"Your kidding me…both of them at the same time ouch!." Don rubbed his hurt leg after Izmael had kicked him " What in the name of the green moon was that for"
"You need to keep your head out of the Loqua, Don…I meant he's taking a nap near the flagpole with the girls". Izmael wasn't too happy with the fact that Don would even suggest that the captain or that any of the girls could do that but Don was Don and it wouldn't have been too hard to misconstrued what he had said. " Look Don don't tell the crew ok I think the captain and the girls all need the rest…you see I think he's chosen what girl that he really loves."
At this Don leaned forward intently, the very thought that the age old problem that had plagued the captain was soon going to be solved was too much for anyone not to be interested in. "Really which one did he chose Izmael, come on ya gotta tell me!?"
Izmael looked around before motioning for Don to come closer so no one could hear them as he whispered the name into Don's ear. Don stood up and shook his head and laughed before taking a drink from his ever present Loqua bottle. "Hahaha i knew it! Hans owes me thirty gold pieces now...don't worry Izmael...i won't tell a soul...not for all the Loqua in the sky!" Don then headed towards the docks to tell everyone that the captain would be late but to continue preparing the Albatross II. Izmael decided to stay back and keep anyone from accidentally waking the captain from his much deserved slumber.
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Fina's Dream~
"Vyse…Vyse where are you?" , Fina was walking in a cold dark corridor which seemed to lead on to nowhere, She felt so cold and lonely that she knew only Vyse could comfort her. She didn't know why or how but she knew deep down that only Vyse could. And that's when his outline appeared ahead, "Oh Vyse… there you are… where were you and why are we here?". However someone else was beside Vyse, it was Aika and she had a sinister look on her face as she spoke mockingly to Fina, "You want your Vyse little freak?…why would he want some mass murdering bitch from a dead race. you can't have him, He's all mine now…isn't that right lover?". Fina gasped in surprise at Aika's words.
Fina gasped in horror as Vyse turned, but it wasn't Vyse… It was…Ramirez !? who had a loving look as he took his arm and wrapped it around Aika and brought her close. Aika giggled and kissed him as he raised his sword and pointed it at Fina who was sobbing and crying at this point. "That's right…and we have no need for this worthless, ugly, hag." Aika giggled again and begin to kiss him lovingly when something in Fina snapped. for the first time in her life she felt a total loss of self control as a blood red veil seemed to settle over her vision. with all the rage that her heart could muster she started moving forward. "Aika…I'll…I'll Kill you for this!" , Fina was just about to leap at Aika when Vyse/Ramirez spoke again "You will never touch my love…for this you must die…" At the end of his words a hole opened under Fina and drug her under as she screamed his name one last time.
Aika's Dream~
"We did it Vyse!," exclaimed Aika in a very excited voice, " Look at all this gold and its ours all ours", She turned laughing expecting to see Vyse smiling, but gasped and saw him with his back turned kissing Fina. "Vyse…how could you…just like that as though I meant nothing to you", Aika started to sniffle when Fina hugged Vyse and flashed her a very sinister smile "That's right you ugly tom girl…Vyse is a real man and he doesn't need to love one...hes mine now...a real man for a real woman!"
"We'll see how pretty you are after I mess up that delicate face of yours you lying... backstabbing…slut…," As Aika was about to find more words to use, Vyse turned around and turned into…Vigoro!?.
" Hey red…look don't get so upset baby cakes I got plenty of time for two of you … but this lovely thing comes first right sweet stuff"?. Fina laughed and started to rub her hands on Vyse/Vigoro's broad chest "That's right Stallion…I'm far better then that wanna be man over there". Aika's face turned red with hatred and anger as she ran forward to attack her ex friend Fina when Vyse/Vigoro suddenly grabbed her neck and started to twist. Aika shouted his name before the darkness over came her.
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Real World~
Both girls woke with a start and quickly leaned over to check if their Vyse was still the same when. Wham, both girls hit each other on the head knocking the other one back.
"Fina…how could you", exclaimed Aika's in a very angry voice, "How could I!? How could You!" Fina replied. Both girls stood up looking ready to tear into each other when they heard a gentle almost laughable snore from Vyse as he slowly started to wake up.
"Hey girls…whoa…how long have we been asleep?" Both girls looked down at Vyse and their anger was quickly extinguished as both were relived to see he was still the same old Vyse and both quickly helped him up.
"It was just a dream how could I have been ready to attack my best friend like that", Thought Aika, "She's my best friend and I was ready to beat her over a silly dream. Thought Fina. Both girls grinned at each other and hugged each other both feeling silly and foolish for the near fight each had almost caused.
Vyse for his part had no clue on what was going on and scratched his head. "Girls…what are you two so excited about… its a nice day I know and were going to be sailing again but…", Both girls just laughed relived that their Vyse was still theirs and still available too, so relived where they that both girls quickly hugged Vyse on the before backing off, blushing slightly, and running back down the hill.
Looking and feeling more confused then ever, Vyse just shook his head...he had just woken up from the strangest dream...about her. His thoughts however were not allowed to run their course as Izmael interrupted his captains thoughts, "Cap'n Vyse I just noticed two lovely young girls running down the hill blushing…care to explain?" Izmael said half jokingly, really wishing to know what had caused the girls to blush so.
"Well Izmael…I don't know all of a sudden I heard a loud noise and woke up to see both girls standing over me like they were about to attack each other…" , Vyse yawned and shook his head before continuing. "Then they helped me to my feet and hugged me on the before dashing off…so I have no idea why".
Izmael shrugged before turning to look down on the lake. "Cap'n all I can say is that this…well this is the voyage I think you should take your pick".
Vyse sighed before standing beside Izmael and looking down on his friend. " Your right Izmael, She can't seem to wait any longer…I have to tell her now so she knows…but I still don't know if I can hurt the other one …after all she's been through you know".
Both men reminded quiet on that note, neither really wanting to say anything more but Izmael knowing himself to be the older and wiser man spoke up. "Vyse…I've lived pretty long…can't lose to that old fart Brabham you know" ,Izmael looked down into the pond, staring long in deep as if into his own soul, " And when it comes to girls…you have to tell the one that you love that you love her as much as she loves you, otherwise you might lose her forever"
A passing cloud cast a shadow on both men as Vyse realized that he never wondered why neither Brabham or Izmael had wives, as long as they lived he thought they would have found someone near and dear to their heart's. Looking back down at the old man he had forgotten that Brabham and Izmael had been friends for so long even they forgot when they had first met.
It hit Vyse like a ton of bricks, that perhaps Brabham and Izmael both had loved someone long ago, but like Vyse neither wanted to hurt the other and though they reminded friends both still had a broken heart. "Izmael…I didn't know…" Vyse's voice trailed off as the old carpenter looked at him with sad eyes.
"Just don't do what this old fool did…make your choice on this voyage Vyse or you may not get the chance again." Izmael gave a slight smile before turning away to head back to the port "The Albatross II is ready when you are Vyse…just give the order Cap'n and we'll begin this adventure"
Vyse watched as Izmael began to walk slowly away, thinking of what Izmael had said and what he felt inside his heart. "He's right…its time I made a choice…I can deny myself nor her anymore………well Vyse lets begin this adventure…The beginning of a whole new life for...us". Smiling to himself at how sappy he suddenly sounded he gave one last longing look at the flag that represented what and who he was before turning to follow Izmael and indeed begin on of the toughest missions he ever undertook.
The sun slowly crept behind the western sky saying another sweet farewell to the islands and its people, It was the setting of the old days and the beginning of the new.