The Day the Moon Shines
By: deep.Indigo

Chapter 8: Ikiru Koto ha Itami wo Shiru Koto
(To Live is to Know Pain)






The sun was a few hours past its zenith when Vyse brought the Delphinus into the dock of Sailor's Island, and with great zest, he and his companions and crew members left the great ship, chattering amongst themselves, most of them grateful for the brief but necessary respite; they were running low on both fuel and food, and needed to restock. The only one quiet was, as usual and as to be expected, Ramirez. A few other boats had docked at the same time as them, and to their immediate right was a small ship with an equally small crew carrying off a rather unusual cargo. The group, upon reaching the end of the dock, watched them curiously; the crew, consisting of five young people, was unloading musical instruments. One woman in particular, a lovely young lady with long blonde hair, was pulling with some difficulty a baby piano across the wooden dock.

"That piano looks heavy..." Fina observed. "Why don't any of her companions help her?"

"They have things they're unloading, too," Aika noted. "It's kind of mean to leave it to her, though. She doesn't look like she should be lugging around something that big at all. She might hurt herself." Thoughtfully, she added, "Say, we don't have anything to carry off; we could always offer to help. What d'you say, Vyse?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Vyse replied, taking a step forward.

At that moment, the young lady slipped, and with a startled cry, began to fall, the piano beginning to slide over her.

Vyse, his reflexes taking over, ran, leapt forward and caught the woman in one arm and the lurching piano in the other. It caused him a considerable amount of pain, but as he managed to swallow that down, the move looked very cool to everyone watching.

"Wow, nice save!" Aika said, impressed. "Figures he'd go through that trouble for a pretty girl, though..."

"It wouldn't be very nice to let a man fall, either," Fina commented.

"Yeah, but in a guy's head, there's a big difference between another guy and a cute girl," Aika replied with a smirk.

Fina blinked, looking nonplussed. "Really?"

Ramirez, though listening to the exchange, said nothing and betrayed no facial expression. However, internally, he growled, /It would figure, for him to chase after a girl in trouble... He has no shame./

"You okay? Nothing hurt?" Vyse was saying to the young woman.

"Yes, I'm all right; thank you," she replied, sitting up and brushing strands of hair out of her face. She looked up at him with eyes the gray of a rain cloud.

Pulling the woman to her feet, he commented on the near save. "That was pretty close, huh?"

She nodded, and as if in reply, she said, "Thank you. I really don't know what would have happened if you hadn't been there."

The young pirate scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "No, it's okay..."

She smiled, seemingly amused by his actions. "May I ask who you are? My name is Arianne."

Vyse grinned a little. "Arianne, huh? That's a pretty name."

She smiled back brightly. "Thank you. It's kind of you to say so." She glanced over his shoulder at Enrique and the others, who were now approaching. "Are these your companions?"

"Oh, yeah," Vyse said, turning to them. "These are—"

Before he could continue, though, one of Arianne's crewmates, a young woman with short brown hair, ran up to her. "Arianne! I heard you cry out, but I was so far away. Are you all right?"

Arianne smiled at her, and replied, "Yes, thanks to this man," indicating the brunet captain.

The young woman smiled in return. "I'm glad... If you're okay, I'll finish unloading. See you inside, Arianne!" With that, she turned, and hurried aboard the small boat again.

Arianne smiled after her crewmate and turned her gaze to Enrique, Aika, Fina and Ramirez. "It's nice to meet you all," she said to them. She nodded to Enrique, and continued, "Especially you, Prince Enrique." She looked at Vyse then. "You would be the infamous Air Pirate Vyse, wouldn't you?"

Vyse stared for a moment at her, then recomposed himself. "Yeah, that's me," he replied, inwardly debating whether to ask how she knew. Shrugging it off, he instead asked, "How do you know Enrique?"

"That's easy. I'm from Valua," she smiled.

"You're...Miss Arianne, then? The musician?" Enrique asked then. He smiled at her and inclined his head politely. "I've heard some of your music. You seem quite talented."

Arianne blushed and smiled appreciatively. "It's an honor to hear that from you, Your Majesty."

The young prince's face flushed slightly. "Please, don't bother with such formalities when we're so far from Valua and all its politics. Just call me Enrique."

As Vyse watched this exchange, a sudden question came to his mind. "Hey, Arianne, are you from Upper or Lower Valua?"

"I am from Upper Valua."

Aika and Vyse both stared at her for a long time before the former commented, "No offense, but you seem really different from most Upper Valuans."

The golden-haired young woman laughed a little. "Thank you." She looked then at Enrique and tilted her head slightly, as if observing him. After a moment, she said, "You certainly don't seem brainwashed, Enrique, as the official report from Valua says. You're traveling with Vyse of your own will?"

Enrique nodded and explained briefly his reasons for it.

At the end, Arianne was chuckling slightly. "It's nice to know Valua has one responsible ruler."

Vyse and Aika had to laugh at that as well. After a moment, Enrique asked the blonde woman, "So, what are you doing here, Arianne?"

She smiled at him again. "We were hired to perform here," she replied. "It's this evening, at the local bar." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then asked, "Would you like to come? It's the least I can do, in thanks."

"I'd love to, but it's not just my decision," Enrique replied. "Well, Vyse? Aika? Fina?"

"Sounds like fun," Vyse said, grinning a little.

"Yeah, I'm in!" Aika added. "Right, Fina?"

Fina smiled and nodded. "It sounds like it will be enjoyable."

Arianne smiled over at Ramirez then, who had been virtually ignored up until that moment. "What about you?" she inquired brightly.

Instead of replying, Ramirez stared at her evenly, as if to silently ask why she dared bother him.

Vyse grinned nervously at his behavior, and interjected, "Ramirez...isn't much for conversation. Or being around people. If anything, he's just gonna say 'I'm not interested', or something to that effect. Isn't that right, Ramirez?"

The white-haired man shifted his gaze over to the male Blue Rogue. ".....I don't mind going," he said, without a trace of sarcasm.

Vyse stared back at him. "Really?" he said, incredulous.

Ramirez closed his eyes, and replied in an even tone, "You don't know me as well as you think you do, Vyse."

Through all these proceedings, Arianne kept silent, watching the two.

"Great!" one of Arianne's crewmembers, a tall young man with dark chocolate-colored hair, said then, approaching. "We'll see you tonight, then. I'm Miran, a member of the Arianne troupe."

"Miran..." Arianne said softly, looking up at him.

He smiled down at her and looked at Vyse and his companions. "We'll be at Polly's. The performance starts at twilight. Don't be late or you'll miss out, understand? By the way, Arianne, me an' the guys finished unloading the instruments while you were talking. We'll see you inside Sailor's Island, all right?" Without waiting for an answer, he laughed, waved at the group, and ran off.

Arianne shook her head, chuckling a bit at the respective expressions on Vyse's and everyone's faces. "Miran is a little abrupt, but he's right," she smiled. "I still have something to get from my ship, so I'll see you all inside later, all right?"

"We'll look forward to it, Arianne," Vyse grinned, and he and the others turned to the doors to Sailor's Island and began to walk off. Ramirez glanced after them and waited a moment before walking after them.

Arianne grabbed the fabric of his jacket before he could go, though. When he glared back up at her, she smiled sweetly. "Do you mind if I speak with you for a moment?" she inquired politely.

He scowled slightly at her. "What do you want?" he asked, bluntly, but he did not try to escape her grasp, either.

"I was just wondering why you're traveling with them," Arianne inclined her head slightly to indicate Vyse's leaving form, "since you don't seem to enjoy their company."

"...I have my reasons," he said simply, not willing to part with more information than necessary.

Arianne smiled down at him, irritating him; why did this woman have to be taller than him, anyway?

"What might those reasons be? You don't look like an Air Pirate, after all..."

"It's none of your business," he replied, not caring how suspicious that sounded. Why did she have to pry into his concerns?

"Hmmmm..." Arianne regarded Ramirez curiously for a minute or so before saying, "You're not traveling with them of your own free will, are you?"

He glared at her, growing increasingly irritated at this line of questioning. "...What does it matter to you?" he said, not bothering to hide the rising annoyance in his voice.

The lady Valuan shrugged her thin shoulders. "It's none of my concern, but you interest me," she told him. "Your...how should I put it?... You seem as if you're in pain, but you're trying to keep everyone around you from noticing."

The silver-haired man eyed her suspiciously. "How would you know?" he asked, or rather, demanded.

She smiled widely. "Your body language," she said simply.

He stared at her mistrustfully, confused. "My what?"

"Bo-dy lan-guage. The art of speaking without words. The way a person holds himself; a person's expressions; the looks in a person's eyes; a person's subtle movements; these are all parts of body language. These things, among others, tell me much more about you than your words could ever convey. They tell me, 'I don't belong here. I don't want to be here. But there is something binding me here, and so I must stay.'" Arianne lifted a hand to cover a smile at Ramirez's stunned expression.

Thoroughly unsettled, he took a step backwards before composing himself. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he stated in a flat tone. "Leave me alone."

She laughed a little. "I hope to see you tonight. You're Ramirez, right? I heard Vyse call you that."

Ramirez didn't answer. There didn't seem to be a need for it. He turned, and headed in the direction that Vyse and the others had gone in, not bothering to say goodbye.

Arianne smiled faintly, then turned, and went to collect the things she needed from her boat.



As the sun began to set, Vyse and the others made their way to the local restaurant, managed by a middle-aged woman named Polly, where Arianne had said she would be performing. Enrique had told them about some of the young lady's works, and from what they'd heard, Vyse, Fina and Aika were eager to listen to Arianne live. Ramirez didn't know whether he wanted to hear the girl play; normally she wouldn't have concerned him in the least, but she had made some unnervingly accurate guesses about him. If he attended her performance, what else would she be able to 'guess' about him? Considering what he had to hide, he didn't particularly want to chance finding out. However, there was no way of conveying this to Vyse without a lot of awkward questions, and considering how much the captain of the Delphinus was looking forward to the performance, it was unlikely that Ramirez could talk him out of attending. So, with an internal sigh, the emerald-eyed Silvite resigned and steeled himself, trailing into the pub restaurant after Vyse and the others.

Arianne was inside, sitting at a large piano that took up an entire corner, and surrounding her were two young women and two young men with a violin, cello, another violin, and a harmonica, tambourine and guitar, respectively. Ramirez knew little about music, but the motley look of them all had him wondering what kind of sounds they would produce. Enrique spoke well of them—well, of Arianne, in any case—but that didn't really prove anything to him.

The sunny-haired young woman smiled at them as they entered, her gray eyes lingering on each of them for a second. The performers with her, crewmembers on her boat, grinned and waved at the group, a silent thank-you for the help earlier, and when Vyse and the others (minus Ramirez) returned the favor, they turned back to tuning their respective instruments. The five chose a table close to Arianne and her companions and took their seats, with Enrique closest to the wall, Fina to his left, then Aika, Vyse and finally Ramirez.

When they sat, Vyse nudged the young Admiral with his elbow. "Hey!" he said in a low voice, knowing that whispers carried, and not wanting to disturb Arianne and the others. "Do you have to be so antisocial?"

Ramirez looked at him oddly before shrugging.

"You could at least be a little more polite," Vyse continued when he said nothing.

Ramirez chuckled darkly, shaking his head slightly so that his bangs covered his face.

"Yeah, you do that," the Blue Rogue grumbled, turning away to direct his attention to Aika.

Ramirez glanced at him from underneath his bangs. He still didn't understand why Vyse bothered with him... He redirected his gaze over at Arianne, who had begun to play the piano; an overture of sorts, he assumed, since her companions weren't playing their respective instruments yet. It was a serene tune, somewhat nostalgic, a bit sad; Ramirez couldn't recall ever hearing it before, but he had to admit that it sounded nice. Next to him, Vyse and the others were chatting in low voices, and Ramirez didn't particularly care. Check that; Ramirez found himself watching Vyse through his bangs, careful not to be noticed. He thought of several nights past and suppressed a shiver; when he'd had the nightmare about Hahaue, he had become completely vulnerable to the Blue Rogue... It seemed that Vyse had kept his word and not mentioned or alluded to it, but Ramirez had no idea of what he might tell his friends when he wasn't around. It was extremely uncomfortable, sitting this close to a person to whom he had quite literally cried on; and there were still those unwelcome thoughts that refused to be banished...

No, he could rid himself of them anytime he pleased, Ramirez corrected himself. He just hadn't had the proper time or opportunity to do so. /I'll have to rectify it soon,/ he mentally muttered.

He folded his hands in front of his face to hide the flush rising into his cheeks. The action did not go unnoticed, as Vyse was not the only one being discreetly watched.

"Hey."

Ramirez, startled, glanced up at a girl standing over him, but saw immediately that she wasn't talking to him, since she was looking at Vyse, who had also turned to stare at her.

"You're Vyse the Daring, aren't you?" she questioned, smiling charmingly. "Do you mind if I sit here?"

Vyse grinned. "Go ahead," he replied, upon which Aika started glaring at him.

The girl, a good-looking young lady with light brown hair and lots of the kinds of curves that guys liked, pulled up a chair between Ramirez and Vyse, leaning towards the latter. As Aika glared openly and Ramirez glared inconspicuously, the girl smiled and said, "Hi, my name's Melissa. I'm really glad you let me sit here...you know, I'm a big fan of yours, Vyse. I'm just amazed at how much you've done!"

Vyse's grin increased. "Well, I don't like to brag, but—ow!" He turned to glare at Aika, who glared back, having just kicked him under the table.

Aika pulled Vyse close and hissed in a low voice, "Vyse, what are you thinking?!"

"What are you thinking?! What's gotten into you, Aika?" he hissed back.

She made a face at him. "Vyse, have you completely forgotten what happened the last time a good-looking girl approached you out of nowhere?"

Vyse made a face of his own. "You've got to be kidding."

Melissa waved over at the impetuous redhead. "Is she your girlfriend, Vyse?" she inquired, still smiling ingratiatingly

"What? Oh, no," he replied, turning back to her quickly. "Just a childhood friend. This is Aika, and next to her is Fina and Enrique. Oh, and to your left is Ramirez."

The brunette nodded to the three, who returned the gesture with varying levels of enthusiasm, and then smiled over at Ramirez, whose knuckles were going white under his gloves. "These guys are all your friends, Vyse?"

"Heh..." Again, Vyse grinned nervously. "Yeah, more or less, I suppose."

Ramirez flinched slightly and resisted the urge to smash something.

"So anyway," the brunet rogue continued, "what did you want to talk to me about, Melissa?"

She grinned and drew her legs together, facing him fully. "Well, actually," she began, blushing a bit, "I was wondering how long you were going to be in Sailor's Island, if maybe we could get together tomorrow sometime and hang out... You could tell me all about your adventures, if that's all right..."

"Wow, really?" Vyse asked with a smile, not quite getting it. "Sure, I'd love—ow!!"

"We're leaving tomorrow. Sorry, Melissa, but this dummy won't be going on any dates anytime soon," Aika stated, having just kicked Vyse again.

"Aww...really?" Melissa queried, pouting.

"Yeah...sorry about that," Vyse said sheepishly. "Forgot all about it."

Aika smacked him over the head. "How could you forget about something like that?!" she demanded. "We're on a schedule!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry!" the young rogue protested.

Melissa watched the exchange for a second more before sighing and turning to Ramirez. "So...Ramirez, isn't it? Are you with them?" she asked, indicating Vyse and his companions.

"Whatever it is you're trying to do, I'm not interested," Ramirez stated flatly.

The curvy brunette pouted and looked hurt. "That wasn't nice," she said. "How can you be friends with Vyse with that attitude?"

Ramirez dropped his folded hands to the table and turned his verdure glare full force on Melissa. "I don't care what you think of me," he said, his voice and eyes frozen. "Get. Lost."

She didn't need to be told twice. Melissa scurried out of her seat and took a new place at the bar, where a number of other people had collected.

Vyse gave Ramirez an irritated look. "What was that for?" he asked. "She didn't do anything to you."

"What's it to you?" the silver-locked Silvite replied, also irritated.

Arianne's piano playing drifted to a stop, silencing Vyse's retort. With a thoughtful look, she stood and bowed to the people in the pub, who applauded politely. A small crowd of people had accumulated, although most of them were there more for the food and drink than for the music. However, Arianne smiled at them all.

"Thank you all for coming this twilight," she stated clearly, a certain musical tone present in her voice. "My name is Arianne, and for the next half-hour, I'll have the pleasure of performing for your entertainment. I hope you all enjoy my music." She sat and, preparing to play again, "My first song for tonight is one of my more recent pieces, a song called Sound Life. Please enjoy yourselves." And with that, she began to play, her crewmates joining her. The fourth musician, the one with three instruments who had introduced himself as Miran earlier, chose to play only the guitar, the other two instruments lying at his feet.

The music was well-done and beautiful, and as it played, Ramirez began to realize why Enrique praised them, though he had apparently only heard a small amount of their music. As such, he listened when Arianne began to sing until her lyrical voice faded away, and as the music continued and then rested to a halt, the people in the pub applauded enthusiastically; even Ramirez put his hands together a couple of times before leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

The twilight gave way to evening, and the performance continued; between songs, Vyse and Enrique exchanged whispers that Aika and Fina joined in on, none of which Ramirez bothered to listen in on. The music was well-done, and it was moderately enjoyable; the only thing that irked him was that all of the lyrics of each of Arianne's songs seemed entirely too...cheerful. They all had a ring of the extolment of the wonders and joys of life, and Ramirez knew the seedy underbelly of existence too well to connect with them well. Still, lyrics aside, the music was enjoyable, and Arianne seemed to be ignoring him, so he wasn't overly concerned.

The performance came down to the last song, and the young Valuan lady stood once again; this time, however, she bore a slightly sad smile. She whispered something to her companions, then faced the crowd.

"It's a little unexpected; I was going to play something different for the finale, but I had a little change of heart," she said, scratching her cheek. "What I'm going to play is the first song I wrote and composed by myself. It's from...well, probably all of you understand what I'm about to say, but all people undergo a time in their lives when they suffer unbearable sorrow and pain. For some people, that sorrow and pain overwhelms them and takes away everything they hold dear." She flicked her eyes over to Ramirez, an action he did not miss. With a jolt, he realized: She's talking to me.

Arianne bowed slightly. "This song is from that time of my life," she stated softly. "I hope you'll all forgive me for being selfish, playing this for you..." She sat, and her fingers hovered over the keys. "The title is Komm, süsser Tod, meaning Come, Sweet Death."

And she played. How she played; the melody, punctuated by the tambourine, was sweet and sad and nostalgic, like the solo tune she'd played at the beginning. The cello joined in, and then the harmonica took over the main melody, with Arianne's piano moving to the harmony line.

And she sang.

"I know, I know I've let you down; I've been a fool to myself... I thought that I could live for no one else... But now, through all the hurt and pain, It's time for me to respect The ones you love Mean more than anything.

"So, with sadness in my heart, I feel the best I could do Is end it all And leave forever... What's done is done, it feels so bad; What once was happy now is sad; I'll never love again, My world is ending..."

By now, the violins and cello had joined in, adding to the bittersweet song. Ramirez felt distinctly uncomfortable again; he knew that she'd directed that message and this song to him, and he had no idea why. He wondered if he should confront her after the performance was over...

"I wish that I could turn back time, 'Cause now the guilt is all mine; Can't live without The trust from those you love; I know we can't forget the past—You can't forget love and pride; Because of that, It's killing me inside..."

The tune changed abruptly, the piano now taking the main harmony with the other instruments supporting. The cellist picked out a pizzicato on her instrument, and Arianne sung again; however, Ramirez stopped paying attention, focusing inward instead to brood. Perhaps it was paranoia on his part, but... Well, there was something eerie about that woman regardless.

Arianne and her group continued to play heedless, and several minutes later, they finally wound down the music into completion. The pub resounded with applause; regardless of the depressing nature of the lyrics, the song seemed popular. They were given a hefty amount of tips for their performance, and after the pub cleared out a bit, Vyse and his companions approached Arianne to congratulate her on her beautiful performance. Ramirez watched them but did not join them; he had mixed feelings about the last song, and wasn't sure he wanted to approach the weird young lady.

He stood, and headed towards the door, but did not exit. He stood, away from the crowd, waiting for things to clear up a bit, hoping that he could slip out without Arianne noticing.

No such luck. She spotted him, and excusing herself from Vyse and Enrique, made her way over to the silver-haired Admiral.

Ramirez breathed a curse and glared at her as fiercely as he could. That glare had made fully grown men avoid him completely, but Arianne only backed off a few steps, hesitated, regarded him for several seconds, then smiled and approached him anyway.

That seriously annoyed Ramirez. What did she think she was doing, anyway?

"Hi," she said almost shyly once she reached him. "What did you think of the concert, Ramirez?"

He scowled at him. She bowed her head slightly, but beyond that, she didn't back away. With a resigned sigh, Ramirez said somewhat grudgingly, "It was okay."

"Just okay?" she inquired with a mischievous grin. In the background, Vyse and Enrique, chatting amongst themselves, headed back to the inn with Aika and Fina, glancing over at Ramirez long enough before coming to the mutual agreement that letting him socialize was a good thing, and that the silver-haired man would eventually return of his own accord.

Ramirez scowled at her. "Why are you bothering me?" he asked, irritated. "Don't you have anything else to do?"

"Now that the concert is over, I am free for the evening; my friends don't mind taking care of the instruments for me," she replied. "Besides... I was watching you the entire time," Arianne commented with a playful smile. "It was very thoughtful of you to sit so closely."

Ramirez scowled. "What are you getting at?"

She shrugged a bit. "I just wanted to talk to you for a little while, if that's okay. My songs didn't seem to be getting your attention, so I decided at the last minute I'd do something that might be more meaningful to you." Her smile became slightly more despondent. "It seems it worked."

Ramirez hesitated, and then shrugged callously. "If you really want to talk to me that badly, then go ahead," he told her, keeping his tone aloof. "But I'm not much of one for conversation."

She laughed a little, the brightness returning to her smile. "Vyse commented on that earlier," she reminded him. "But that's okay, Ramirez. Body language, remember." Grinning, her gray eyes sparkling, she continued, "Do you mind if we chat at the inn? We'll have more privacy there."

Ramirez tensed and looked her over skeptically, at which she laughed out loud.

"I'm not planning anything evil," she said, amused. "I said I just want to talk, and I meant it."

Ramirez made a face. He definitely didn't like her far-too-astute 'guesses'. "There's no way you could do anything to me that I didn't want, anyway," he muttered.

"Right, because you're a soldier and I'm just a musician girl," Arianne agreed jovially. "And before you ask, Ramirez, you have the bearing, stance and discipline of a trained soldier...plus, civilians usually don't walk around with that hanging at their hips," she added at his curious stare, gesturing at the Yafutoman sword at his belt. "Not to mention you're in uniform."

"Pretty good," Ramirez said begrudgingly; he didn't like being seen through so easily. "Are we going to your room or not?"

She smiled and, with a small indication of her head, she left the pub and walked down the street to the inn, with Ramirez following after. The two went up to her room, and Arianne seated herself on a chair while Ramirez leaned against the window next to the bed.

The two of them began to talk then, and Ramirez was surprised at how bold she could be; she spoke to him immediately of politics, war versus peace, and the human condition. Although reserved at first, he soon matched her enthusiasm, and for over two hours, the two debated on the nature of humanity and what sort of result was waiting for the species. Her stance was geared toward pacifism, which annoyed him, but he had to admit that it made for good debate, and her arguments were at least intelligent and perceptive. As the night continued, their conversation turned from debate to more light-hearted topics, and Ramirez admitted that he was enjoying himself. Although he certainly wasn't inclined to trust Arianne, she certainly could manage a lengthy and meaningful exchange, and that made her company surprisingly agreeable.

However, the dialogue took a turn when Arianne suddenly looked at him seriously, and began, "It's been fun talking with you like this, but... I know who you are. You are one of the Admirals of the Valuan Armada; more precisely, the Sixth. What I don't understand is why you are flying with Air Pirates..." She took a breath, and continued, "I know the Armada is opposed to pirate activity of any sort, so..." She trailed off, leaving the room quiet as she waited for him to respond to her statement.

Ramirez was stunned. "How...when did you figure it out?" he managed to ask after a few long moments of silence.

"It's easy to put two and two together, Ramirez. I am a Valuan, and you wear the uniform of a high ranking officer of the Armada. Besides, I know the names, at least, of all the Admirals." Now smiling, she continued, "Now that I've answered your question, would you do me the favor of answering mine, please?"

He stared at her mistrustfully. "What do you want to know?" he muttered.

"I'd like to know why the Sixth Admiral of the Valuan Armada is traveling with Air Pirates, when I know for a fact that Lord Galcian hates them," Arianne stated plainly. "I can't picture such a man ordering this."

He looked away, unwilling to say anything at first. "...I was captured. By them." He related this material grudgingly, not wanting to reveal more than was necessary.

Arianne blinked, apparently surprised, and tilted her head slightly, studying him closely. "Have you tried to escape?" she inquired. Her gray eyes narrowed slightly when he did not reply. "I see...you haven't," she observed, not missing some small action Ramirez hadn't realized he had betrayed. "Why not?"

"That...that's..." Ramirez mumbled, looking away. There's no believable lie he could tell her, and he certainly wouldn't betray the truth...

Arianne regarded Ramirez silently, her pale face unusually serious. "There's someone you like, isn't there," she stated, rather than inquired, quietly.

Ramirez blinked, the comment catching him off guard. "Excuse me?"

"One of your crewmates. You remain for that someone's sake; am I correct?"

The silver-haired Admiral didn't know whether to laugh or shake his head in disgust. "What are you talking about?" he inquired dryly. /You don't know how wrong you are, Arianne.../

Her smile returned, now also quiet. "Shall I be more direct, then?" she inquired. "I imply that you're in love."

He choked, then broke out into laughter. "In love?" he repeated scornfully. "Even if I were, I would never allow such weak sentiments to hinder my duties."

Her smile changed into one of someone winning an argument. "Do enlighten me, then, as to the reason why you remain with them," she requested politely.

Scowling, he again averted his gaze. Even if he did think up a believable lie, he didn't think he was a good enough liar to deceive the uncannily perceptive woman.

Crisscrossing her fingers over her lap, she ventured, "Perhaps it's the girl with the pale blonde hair?"

"Fina? Hardly," he said dryly. "I just grew up with—hey, wait a moment! I am not in love," he insisted, having been caught off guard momentarily. "And don't even mention that orange-haired scarecrow girl," he added with a glare.

Laughing, she queried, crossing her arms, "Oh, so you're like that, are you?"

Her peered at her. "Like what?"

"Ohh, I wonder if I should say it..." she sighed, her eyes mischievously bright. "You become so agitated when I say things you don't like to hear, after all."

"If you're going to say it, say it!" he snapped, crossing his arms.

Looking up at him with a smile, she met his challenge. "In that case, I'll say it outright: You like men." Smirking, she continued, "So who would it be in that case? The refined and charming Prince Enrique? Or perhaps, considering your repressed nature, you find the wild and carefree Vyse more appealing."

He gawked at her, stunned speechless. Turning away quickly, clenching his fists so tightly they shook, he glared wide-eyed at the floor and raged internally, /That...that woman!! How dare she?! Me? In love with Vyse?! Preposterous!! I—I can't even believe she would stoop so low as to suggest it!! First of all, there's no/

His train of thought violently derailed, however, when it impacted with the memory of—of that dream...

/Have you found someone you can love?/

Covering his mouth with one hand, his eyes twitching, Ramirez recalled what happened after that; he had woken up, and so besieged with guilt had he been that he had wept—and in Vyse's arms, no less.

And he had enjoyed it.

/But—but love? With another man?/ Ramirez thought, suppressing a shiver. /I hardly consider myself to be a pillar of good virtue, but I know at least I am above some immoralities, and homosexuality is one of them./ Narrowing his eyes, he continued, /Oh, certainly I have no interest in women, but people at large are disgusting anyway, so that hardly means that I prefer men./ Beginning to pace, crossing his arms, Ramirez ranted on, /Homosexuality of any kind is base! I've known that since child—/

And again, he stopped, suddenly realizing that he hadn't "known" it, he had been taught it. The Elders had quietly impressed him with it through his life, without him ever realizing it—until now, when he actually took the time to think about it.

/...That still doesn't make it right,/ he assured himself quickly, though he could not deny that his logic had been irrevocably shaken. He had always been inclined to disbelieve their dogma, after all, though their propaganda about the evils of Arcadians, at least, was true... /And that certainly doesn't make me...that way. But...but I.../

As the silver-haired Admiral brooded, Arianne watched him silently with wide eyes. After waiting what she thought was a reasonable amount of time, she ventured, "Um...Ramirez, are you all right?"

His thoughts interrupted, he glared at the taller woman. "Do you really," he demanded icily, "think I'm such a man?"

Her smile returned. "What would you say if I told you 'yes'?"

He sneered, nearly snarling. "And what," he again demanded, "makes you think I'm such a man?"

"Starting with the obvious," she replied, bemused, "how about how upset you became when I suggested it? You always take it worst when I'm right, it seems."

Ramirez clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes.

"Like that," she noted. "Secondly, I told you that I was watching you today. You brushed off that woman without a second thought, but you seemed rather jealous when she was paying attention to Vyse. Perhaps you didn't want her to steal his affections when you desire their sole possession?"

"Shut. Up," he hissed. "I am NOT in love with Vyse!! How could I, when he's—"

"Your enemy?" she guessed. "A detestable Air Pirate? The scum of the earth?"

"EXACTLY!" he shouted, now beyond caring who overheard. "I couldn't possibly be in love with an enemy!!"

"Love cares nothing for such things," she countered calmly. "It erases race, background, financial status, education, allegiance—everything. And it's a good thing it does, since if it didn't, those perfect for each other may never receive a chance to connect. Aren't you discriminating against Vyse because of your biases? You should at least ponder it fair-mindedly before you reach a conclusion."

He glared at her venomously. "Vyse and I," he said with deadly quiet, "are enemies. We could never be together."

She regarded him, sadness coloring her gray eyes. "But is a man who, despite your being a prisoner, treats you with respect and care an enemy?"

"Yes!!" Ramirez protested, throwing his arms down in frustration. "Why won't you understand?! He opposes Lord Galcian, and will continue to do so! My loyalties are with Lord Galcian alone!! Therefore, Vyse is my enemy!"

"Love does not preclude falling for someone fighting for a different cause," Arianne said. "In the same way, just because two people care for each other deeply does not mean that they will always fight on the same side."

Ramirez thought then of how Enrique chose to fight against Gregorio, despite that the Ironwall Admiral was like a dear family member to him, and shook his head. "He's still my enemy," he said with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"You can still be in love with him," Arianne countered calmly. "And he doesn't have to be your enemy, Ramirez."

Ramirez shook his head again, this time more violently, and bowed his head into his hands. "He can't!! We can't...I can't be in love with him..."

"Denial is a powerful force," Arianne noted. "Tell yourself something enough times and even lies will become truth."

Ramirez flinched again, cursed inwardly, and straightened his posture. /I...perhaps I do have some...unreasonable affection for Vyse, but I can stop those feelings,/ he reassured himself, composing himself. /So it doesn't matter if I play along for a little while./

"...Let's assume, for hypothetical purposes, that I am," he said in a curt tone; only a slight undulation in the undertone betrayed his true anxiety. "What difference would it make? He is not in love with me. Unrequited love is useless."

"How do you know?" she inquired, blinking. "That he doesn't love you."

He stared. "Women like him," he stated, as if it should be obvious. "He likes women."

"How do you know his preference, Ramirez?" Arianne asked, slightly amused. "For all you know, he could be pining for you even as we speak."

Ramirez blushed furiously and turned away, heart pounding.

"However, I don't think that's the case," she added. "But that doesn't mean that couldn't change. People will respond to your true feelings. If you treat him well and are honest with how you feel, he could fall in love with you."

He shook his head again. "No...I don't want that..." Ramirez said faintly.

Arianne looked at him with a mixture of wonder and melancholy. "You would rather be alone?"

"I'm used to that pain," he muttered, glowering away at the wall.

"...That's sad..." Arianne stood and, walking over to him, rested a hand on his shoulder. "Even if you're used to the pain, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to be happy..."

"How could I be happy with him?!" Ramirez yelled, too distressed to pull away.

"I don't know," she said softly. "If you tell him how you feel, maybe you can find out."

"Stop it!!" Now he twisted around and pushed her away. "Don't touch me!! How can you say those things?!" he snapped. "You don't even understand my position!! I haven't even said if I love him or not!!"

"Do you love Vyse?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know!!" he cried, frustrated. "How could I know?!"

She smiled faintly. "Ask your heart," she replied. "Without prejudice or denial, ask it if you love him. If it tells you 'yes', then you know. And if it tells you 'no', then you know, too."

Ramirez was silent.

Arianne took a step forward, her hands clasped before her. Though he refused to meet her gaze, she stared at him forthright. "Ramirez, if you do love him, tell him," she urged him. "You'll regret it if you don't."

"Why should I tell him?" he mumbled. "It will only cause me grief..."

"Love is beauty, but love is also pain," Arianne stated seriously. "And it can't be done halfway. If you want to grasp what you desire, you have to reach out for it first. You can't just do nothing and expect to be fulfilled; nobody knows what you want but you."

He groaned and, sitting down heavily on the bed, buried his face in his hands. "What if I'm not sure what I want?"

"Then that's another journey you'll have to undertake," Arianne replied. "One day, you will probably be forced to choose."

"That won't happen," Ramirez stated flatly, dropping his hands to his lap and glaring up at her. "My loyalties are with Lord Galcian alone. I will never betray him."

"You say that now, but the time may come where your loyalties will grow to include Vyse."

"Don't joke like that," he snapped, standing up. "Me, loyal to that idiot?" He shook his head in disgust. "I grow sick of this. I'm not in love with Vyse. I'm not going to fall in love with Vyse. Whatever it is I feel for him now, I can easily stop."

"How do you think you can stop it?" Arianne inquired softly, overlooking his confession.

"...I don't know," Ramirez admitted. "But I can will them away."

She smiled at that. "Can you will away your pain? Your grief? Your loneliness? Your anger? Your hatred? Your suffering?"

Ramirez didn't answer.

"Then how do you think you can will away 'love'?"

Ramirez didn't want to answer.

Arianne shook her head slightly, her golden bangs swaying across her forehead. "You're not alone," she told him gently. "There are others who have suffered, are suffering, and will suffer the way you have. And that's all the more reason to open your heart to others and connect—you may find someone who understands you." She offered her hand. "Do you want to be friends?"

The verdure-eyed Admiral stared at her as if she had randomly babbled incoherent nonsense; perhaps to him, it was. "Friends?" he repeated in disbelief. "With you?"

She smiled a little. "Am I that disagreeable?"

He frowned slightly. "You certainly haven't made my life any easier."

"'Life is pain,'" Arianne quoted. "'Anyone who tries to tell you different is selling something.'" She shook her head. "I'm not trying to con you or deceive you, Ramirez. I just want to be your friend."

"Vyse said something like that to me, too," Ramirez noted. "Sorry, but I can't trust you."

"Oh, dear. That is an impediment to friendship, isn't it?"

Ramirez couldn't tell if she was serious or joking.

Arianne glanced outside the window; the sky was an inky pool of nothing. "It's probably very late by now," she commented. "We'd probably best both retire for the night."

Ramirez shrugged a bit and moved to the door. When he began to turn the doorknob, though, Arianne called out to him.

"Wait," she said. Ramirez hesitated, but did not look behind at her. "Think it over during the night. You should think about your feelings for Vyse, too. If you really do love him, you'll need someone to talk to about it, right? And knowing the type of person you are, you'll want to keep it a secret from as many people as possible..."

Ramirez silently acknowledged that he wouldn't want anyone knowing if he were in love with Vyse.

"But I already know. If nothing else, because of that, you can talk to me."

He shrugged in an attempt to be callous. "Your offer is kind," he said with a faint trace of sarcasm, "but I prefer to take care of my troubles by myself."

"You will make yourself alone."

"I like being alone."

"Do you?"

Ramirez opened the door and left. Arguing the point with her had already caused him enough distress; he didn't need or want to embarrass himself in front of her a second time.



Ramirez didn't sleep at all that night. After changing into his night clothes, he had halfheartedly settled in his bed, the closest of three to the window, and had spent most of the night tossing and turning. It didn't help that Vyse slept in the bed next to his, and whenever he shifted that way, it put the cocky young rogue directly in his field of view. He didn't want to consider what he felt for Vyse; he feared what answer he might find.

The heavens were pitch black, though the stars glittered across its canopy, when Ramirez gave up on futile slumber and rose from his bed to change back into his uniform and situate himself on the windowsill to stare out and up at the constellations. He sought after and found Wilwarin; the celestial picture of the fluttering butterfly gave him a small measure of comfort. He had not been able to see the stars in Valua, as the skies there were obscured by the dark storm clouds that hung eternally over that land.

Behind him, he heard a sudden noise, and turning his head, saw Vyse get up out of bed. After watching the Air Pirate stumble towards the bathroom, he returned his gaze to the skies beyond the window. A few minutes later, he was startled when the young man, returning to his bed, noticed him, and spoke to him.

"What are you doing?" the brown-eyed man said with a yawn, settling back into his bed.

Ramirez's reply was simple and to the point. "Stargazing."

Vyse, rolling over, wrapped the blanket around himself and mumbled in reply, "Okay. G'night," before falling asleep once again.

The Silvite Admiral kept his gaze fixed on Vyse for several moments more, watching him peacefully sleep. The room was dark, so Ramirez couldn't see his face clearly, but he could imagine the undisturbed expression on the Blue Rogue's face as he slumbered.

Ramirez's chest ached, and he had a sinking feeling he knew why.

/...Do I love him...?/ he mentally whispered, drawing his knees to his chest.

Surrounded by darkness and starlight, gazing at Vyse, resisting the urge to climb down from his perch on the window and watch over the sleeping pirate, something in him whispered in reply:

Yes.

Ramirez's chest ached, and now he knew without a doubt why.

Turning to look out the window again, the young Admiral hugged his legs. His face stricken, he stared up at the tiny sliver of white light that was the Silver Moon, a silent promise that tomorrow the night sky over Sailor's Island would be only stars.

/...I'm really in love with Vyse.../ he thought in a slight daze. /How could it have happened? How could I have let it happen? I don't understand...why do I even feel this way towards him, of all people?/

Ramirez glanced over at Vyse again, his heart filled with despair. "What am I going to do...?" he whispered.

Above him, the stars continued to twinkle in the solitude of space.



The next day, Vyse awoke in a good mood. Yawning and stretching, he pushed aside the blankets and stood. It was then that he spied Ramirez, still sitting on the windowsill. Vyse stared. Wasn't he in that same position at whatever ungodly hour Vyse had woken up at to go to the bathroom? Had he slept at all?

Quietly, Vyse made his way over to Ramirez, but before he could reach him, the silver-haired young man twitched slightly, having turned his head a fraction of an inch to look at the brunet rogue.

"What?"

Vyse stared again. "Did you sleep at all last night?" he queried bluntly.

Ramirez turned away. "Do you care?"

"Uh...yeah, I do," the Air Pirate said, eyebrows raised. "How are you going to function when you haven't had any sleep? That's not healthy!"

He shrugged slightly. "You probably haven't noticed since you're always asleep in minutes, but I never rest well," Ramirez informed him. "I've been functioning well enough for the past several years; a loss of two or three hours on any given night is no big deal."

"Two or three—are you saying that's all the sleep you get a night?!"

"Four if I'm particularly drowsy."

Vyse gaped, mouth wide open. /Four hours at best?! No wonder he's messed up!!/ he thought. Recomposing himself, he asked, "Have you always slept like that? Did you sleep like that in your hometown? Does Fina sleep like that, too?"

"You ask too many questions," Ramirez replied, irritation evident in his tone.

Vyse shook his head. "That's insane," he said. "Four hours a night? Insane..." He walked away, muttering, and changed into his normal clothing.

Ramirez still stared out at the morning blue sky; it had been depressing, watching the stars fade when dawn came... He supposed that it should have been uplifting, or something like that, but he felt too akin to the night for it to affect him that way.

He heard in the background that Enrique had awakened; he and Vyse were talking about something or another—Ramirez didn't care enough to listen in. He had too many problems of his own to care...

When Vyse called to him that they were leaving, Ramirez slid down from the windowsill, and keeping his expression carefully neutral, followed them to the first floor of the inn, where Fina and Aika, who had slept in their own room, were waiting. He went with them all across the street to Polly's and ate breakfast with them at the bar, but didn't pay much attention to their conversations; when he was done, he simply set down his utensils and unobtrusively watched Vyse.

At the moment, he was sharing a joke with the girls, who were both laughing; Enrique was smiling and shaking his head. Polly, the heavyset woman who ran the restaurant and pub, was laughing, too; it made Ramirez wonder what he had missed. Vyse grinned at the four of them, and turned to Polly, who was gathering up plates now.

"Say, Polly," he said, "I have a ship of my own now, and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind joining my crew as cook. You up for it?"

/Forthright,/ Ramirez noted with some surprise. The middle-aged woman was surprised, too.

"You sure about that, Vyse?" she asked. "I don't know...just getting up and leaving this restaurant...I have my daughter to think about, after all..."

"Do it, Mom!" came a girl's voice from behind them. Ramirez turned slightly to see a young girl bearing a number of dirty plates and a striking resemblance to Polly. "I can handle things around here by myself, and besides, you've always said you wanted to sail the world and find my dad ever since he disappeared when I was a baby... You know, I don't even remember his face anymore. If nothing else, do it for me!"

Polly's face broke into a huge smile and, wiping at her eyes, she nodded. "Of course... I have to find Robinson and show him what a wonderful daughter he has. I'd be glad to join your crew, Vyse!"

Vyse grinned that cocky little grin that Ramirez had grown used to seeing. The sight of it made him distinctly uncomfortable, and as he and the others were distracted with making arrangements for Polly to join them when they were to leave shortly, Ramirez slipped out of his chair and surreptitiously left the pub.

The bright light outside irritated his eyes; shielding his face for the moment it took for his eyes to adjust, Ramirez sighed, ambivalence in his heart.

Considering how he had recruited those two sisters in Yafutoma, the old sword smith past the air rift to that country's north, and the kid and young man here on Sailor's Island, Ramirez supposed that it shouldn't be any big surprise that he'd still be trying to get more crew members, but there was something about Vyse's methods that continued to amaze him. How was it that the arrogant idiot could charm so many people into following him? Ramirez's natural response would be to assume that his followers were idiots too and leave it at that, but due to his world having been turned upside-down just last night, he couldn't leave it at that. Not anymore.

Walking to the docks to wait for the others, he sighed inwardly. His feelings would make this much more difficult than he had anticipated. But, he reminded himself, despite his feelings, he was loyal to Lord Galcian first. Even if it meant his own unhappiness, he did not have a choice in the matter. In a way, that made it easier; putting Lord Galcian above everything and everyone else meant that he wouldn't have to sort through his tumultuous emotions. It meant he wouldn't have to think...

He looked up suddenly, startled. Having been wrapped up in his ponderings, Ramirez had reached the docks sooner than expected, but that wasn't what had jolted him from his musings. Arianne was standing in front of him, gazing at him levelly.

"...Yes?" he asked her, trying to keep his tone level.

"Are you all right?" she inquired quietly.

He shifted his gaze to the ground. "I'm fine..." he replied in a tone that would indicate to most people that he was, in fact, not.

Arianne sighed, her expression becoming sad. "Have you asked yourself?" She didn't need to add what he had asked.

The young Admiral did not answer at first; then, finally, "Yes."

"...And the answer?"

Still not meeting her gaze, he did not say a thing for a full minute. "...Yes," he said at length, inwardly cursing for even admitting it to someone other than himself. Though, he reasoned, it didn't really make a difference, since she already knew, in a sense.

"You are...suffering," she noted sadly.

He did not respond, and merely stood there, hating her pity.

"Why do you do that? Shutting yourself off from others...do you think you can protect yourself that way?" Arianne questioned, anguish tainting her words. "Do you think you won't be hurt that way?"

He looked back up at her, his expression blank. "What does it matter? It's not your problem..." he said, quietly.

"Is it really so strange to you that someone would care about you and wish you happiness?!" she cried.

"You don't even know me," he replied, eyes hardening. "Why do you care about how I feel?"

She shook her head. "You don't understand," she replied. "I don't want anyone to be unhappy. You...you've been hurt deeply, in a way I can't yet fathom...and I can't stand that." She blinked, and the action sent tears cascading down her cheeks. "I want to help you. Do you think I approached you for no reason?"

There was a long pause of awkward silence. As she dried her tears, Ramirez stood there, uncertain of what to do or say. After a moment, he opened his mouth, but was cut off by the sound of approaching footsteps. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Vyse approaching with a barely suppressed smile on his face.

Inwardly he cursed. Undoubtedly, the young rogue, seeing the two of them together again after they had spent so much time together the night before, was coming to all the wrong conclusions, and as such would surely comment on it. Before Vyse could say anything, he instead asked of the brunet man, "What do you want?"

Vyse grinned then. "Nothing, nothing," he said lightly. "I just noticed that you'd left without saying anything, and I got worried and went to look for you."

Ramirez blinked. "You were...worried about me?" he repeated, feeling slightly flustered.

Vyse looked down at him. "Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?" he asked, some slightly confused.

Ramirez blinked twice rapidly and looked away, scowling at how his heartbeat was increasing so quickly. "Nothing, I guess," he muttered. "So you found me. As you can see, I wasn't up to anything suspicious."

The young captain smiled a little, and nodded. "Well, if you're ready, I can get the others, and we can get going," he said, waiting for the smaller man's reply.

"I'm ready," Ramirez replied sullenly.

Vyse smiled again. "Well, just wait here, okay? I'll be right back!" With that, Vyse turned and headed back into town.

Arianne watched him leave, but Ramirez just glared at the ground between his feet. Once he was gone, the lady Valuan turned to Ramirez.

"What are you going to do?" she asked quietly. "To confess your feelings to him, I mean..."

The silver-haired swordsman smiled mirthlessly. "'Confess'?" he repeated. "I am not going to 'confess' anything to him."

Arianne stared at him silently. "You may regret that someday..." she said at length.

He shrugged. "I don't know anything about that."

They both remained silent, not saying another word to each other, until Vyse returned with the others.

"It's nice to see you again, Arianne," Enrique smiled at the young lady. "I truly enjoyed your music; I wish you the best of luck in the future."

She smiled in return. "I wish you luck as well." She nodded to Vyse, Aika and Fina in turn. "It was also good to meet all of you, too. I hope we'll meet again sometime in the future."

Vyse smiled and replied, "I hope so, too. I really liked that concert."

Ramirez remained silent, as usual.

"You know, Fina, you and Arianne should get together sometime and sing together," Aika commented jokingly, gently elbowing her friend. "Your voice is at least as good as hers, after all. You two would make a great duet!"

Fina blushed and smiled shyly. "I..."

Arianne laughed, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. "Perhaps we should do that sometime, Fina," she offered.

Fina replied softly with an honest smile, "I'd...like that..."

Vyse grinned at this exchange, but interjected, "Sorry to break it up, but I guess we really should be going, huh?"

The golden-haired musician girl nodded. "The same for me. May we meet again someday."

Vyse smiled and waved, and moved to leave. His companions followed him, except for Ramirez, who glanced at Arianne first.

"I assume you have something to say to me first," he muttered.

She smiled at him. "I just want to be your friend," she said, quietly. "Just think on that..."

Ramirez regarded her silently, unsure of how to respond.

"Hey!" Vyse called to them, running up. "Ramirez, what are you waiting for?"

"...I was just talking a little with Arianne first," he replied, slipping into an unemotional mask.

Vyse smirked and joked, "Saying goodbye to your girlfriend?"

Ramirez's eyes narrowed, and without answering, he walked past Vyse to join the others on the miniature boat that would return them to the Delphinus.

"I'm not Ramirez's girlfriend," Arianne pointed out.

Vyse grinned nervously, shutting his eyes. "I was just kidding..." He opened his eyes and smiled more seriously. "Say, Arianne, I was thinking...do you want to join my crew?"

She blinked, surprised. "You want me to join your crew?"

"Yeah. You could help keep morale high with your playing, and your friends can join too, if you all want. So will you?"

Arianne considered the proposition for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm still on my own journey," she told him. "And you're still on yours. Maybe sometime in the future?"

He grinned. "'Someday' is better than 'never'," Vyse replied. "See you later, then!"

She smiled and nodded, and with a wave, the two of them parted ways.



NOTES:
We own nothing except our ideas. Don't take our ideas. All properties of Skies of Arcadia/Eternal Arcadia [Legends] belong to everyone it is to whom they belong.

Ayu: A baby piano is, contrary to what it sounds like, a very big fuggin' piano. It would not be fun if one ran over you.

Ianthe: Yes, we know Arianne is Mary Sue-ish.
Ayu: We apologize for it. If you can tolerate her coming back a couple of chapters more, her character gets better-rounded.

Ayu: Arianne is named after the vocalist for Komm, süsser Tod, an insert song from The End of Evangelion, which, yes, was the song transcribed in the story.

Arianne: "'Life is pain. Anyone who tries to tell you different is selling something.'"
Ayu: This quote is taken from The Princess Bride, by S. Morgenstern. In the book, Fezzik's mother says it, but in the movie, Westley says it.

Ayu: Previously, due to...all sorts of circumstances, Vyse hadn't had the time to recruit crew members. Now he's making up for lost time, which is why that's being mentioned all of a sudden. In case people didn't get it, Vyse recruited Lawrence (the prostitute ^^;;) and Pinta between arriving at Sailor's Island and going to Arianne's concert. In the re-writes, we'll be introducing the crew members sooner to make it more sane.

Ayu: The title of this chapter is a line from NOIR's opening theme, Kopperia no Hitsugi (Coppelia's Coffin), by ALI PROJECT. The song Arianne sings is Komm, süsser Tod, from The End of Evangelion. Full lyrics to both can be found at my lyrics site, Campus Lyrics!, the link to which you can find below.

Contact deep.Indigo: deep.Indigo@negativenergy.zzn.com
Contact Ianthe of d.I: ianthefira@rangersgrove.zzn.com (URL: Ranger's Grove (rangersgrove.tripod.com))
Contact Ayu of d.I: ensoph@goddess.zzn.com (URL: ~ T H E : E T E R N A L : M I N D ~ (theeternalmind.sterlingsylver.net))