The Day the Moon Shines
By: deep.Indigo
Chapter 10: Ai-suru Koto no Imi sae Mada Shiranu mama
(Still Not Knowing Even the Reason for
Loving As It Is)
Vyse peeked at Ramirez out of the corner of his eye. The young Silvite man was cool and stand-offish as usual, but there was something wrong today; Vyse could sense it. He seemed more...quiet, and withdrawn. Ruefully, the Blue Rogue acknowledged that Ramirez was always like that, too, but... Usually, his introversion had an aggressive 'don't touch me or I'll stab you' feel to it. Today, it was more demure; more like the message being sent was 'don't hurt me'. Had that incident at the party affected him so much? He had seemed much quieter the last few days, but Vyse had just brushed it off as Ramirez being himself. But as he looked over at him now... There was no doubt about it. Vyse approached the young man and placed a hand on Ramirez's shoulder.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked as he did so.
Ramirez flinched and slapped Vyse's hand away, turning to face him as if being attacked. When Vyse stared at him, surprised and a little hurt, the Silvite swordsman blinked and flushed, looking away. "Oh, it's only you," he muttered.
"Who did you think it was going to be?" Vyse asked, furrowing his eyebrows. Ramirez's semi-violent reaction meant he had been caught off-guard...and that seemed very unusual, just as Vyse had thought.
Ramirez shook his head. "Nothing. I'm sorry. You just...startled me."
"That's not like you," Vyse stated quietly. "What's wrong?"
The snowy-haired swordsman turned his back to him. "Shouldn't you be flying the ship?" he queried, obviously attempting to dodge the question.
Vyse saw clearly through it, though. "That's what I hired a helmsman for 10,000 gold for," he replied. "What's wrong?"
Ramirez glanced over his shoulder at Vyse with a glare and a blush. "Do you have to be so persistent?"
The brunet rogue made a face. "Do you have to be so antisocial?" he countered, crossing his arms. "I'm just worried about you."
The young Admiral averted his gaze. "Why?"
Vyse sighed at Ramirez's attempt to once again deflect the conversation. "Because I care about you. Is that a good enough reason?" he said before asking once again, "So, what's wrong?"
The Silvite gazed slowly and silently up at the Blue Rogue before him. /'I care about you...'/ he repeated to himself before lowering his eyes. "It's...sort of personal."
The scarf-wearing Air Pirate rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well, I don't want to pry into your private life, but if you do want to talk about it...." He trailed off, looking at the shorter man for a response.
The Admiral looked at him again. "....." The edges of his lips quirked upwards in an almost-smile, and he shook his head. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Vyse," he said, "but..." He clenched his teeth slightly. There was no way he could tell Vyse the reason for his melancholy...
Vyse shrugged slightly. "Well, that's all right. If you ever want to talk about it, though, I'm willing to listen. Just try to cheer up a little, okay? It's not like even you to be like this."
"I know." The young swordsman glowered at the floor. "It's not as if I want to feel this way."
Vyse smiled and patted Ramirez on the back. "That's the spirit," he said, trying to encourage him. "Just keep thinking like that, and you'll be back to normal in no time."
Ramirez flinched.
Vyse blinked at the young swordsman's reaction. "...Did I say something wrong?" he asked.
The silver-haired Admiral looked away and downwards, so that his bangs covered his eyes. "...No." /You said something terrible./ "It's nothing." /...that you would approve of./
"....All right." Gazing at Ramirez for a moment, Vyse turned, and headed off to the bridge, to check on the distance they had yet to go to the Lands of Ice.
Ramirez shut his eyes tightly to keep from watching the Blue Rogue
leave and to recompose himself; it wouldn't do at all if anyone else
started noticing his gloom. Being in love with Vyse was awful; everyone,
it seemed, was starting to be able to tell that something was wrong.
His frozen façade was starting to crack and melt, and that was
something he'd created to protect himself from those who would
deliberately wound him. If it broke off now like pieces of an iceberg,
who knew how badly he would be hurt?
As the Delphinus descended through the floes of ice, its reinforced
hull crushing the glacial layers, Fina fretted inside. It had been
nearly eight years since Ramirez had first descended to Arcadia;
back then, he had been such a sweet, caring boy, who always put her
wellbeing before his own, even if sometimes he was sort of distant and
sad. The two had been inseparable in their youth—although, then again,
there hadn't been any other children at all. But even so, they had been
happy together, the two of them and Cupil and Hahaue. But when Ramirez
and she had been reunited in Valua not that long ago, he had been
completely different; instead of being kind and gentle, he had been
cold, heartless, unfeeling.
/What had happened to him to change him so much... But now,/ she thought with a faint, worried smile, /it seems he's returning little by little to the old Ramirez. Although it's subtle, I've known him better than anyone, and I could see vast differences between Ramirez when he first joined the crew and Ramirez now. He even apologized for his rude behavior! Certainly, he's still cool and aloof, but he's still much better than he used to be. Vyse is such a good influence on him.../ she added to her musings a bit sadly. /Still, I wish he would open up to me a little more. I'm his old friend, after all.../
Although she hated to admit it, she was rather jealous of Ramirez's growing relationship with Vyse. It was true that they spent the most time together, since they shared the same room while on the ship, but didn't her childhood with him mean anything? Even if Ramirez was still hostile sometimes to Vyse, it was no longer as bad as Esperanza or even Yafutoma. She could see it, or so she thought; Vyse's attempts to befriend Ramirez, although he had been discouraged for a time, were getting through to him. But if the two of them became friends, what would she mean to him? What would she mean to Vyse?
Fina flushed slightly. Although she dared not admit it to him, either now or then, the young Silvite lady had had a deep crush on Ramirez. They were close in age, and he treated her well, and it was only the two of them; how could she not fall for him? But it was the Ramirez from back then that she loved. The hostile Ramirez who had spent seven years in Valua was a stranger to her... That's why she had begun to fall for Vyse—she had seen parts of Ramirez from back then in him, especially when contrasted to the new Ramirez, and especially when Vyse had gone out of his way to save her as well as his father and the other Air Pirates, even though he had no reason to do so. Nowadays, though, Fina was beginning to see a return of Ramirez's old self, and her original feelings were reviving. So now that Ramirez and Vyse were becoming friendlier with each other, little by little, she didn't know what to do about her feelings for them both...
A light tap on Fina's shoulder caused her to jump in fright. Turning around quickly, she saw Aika staring at her quizzically.
"Oh, Aika!" she breathed, relieved. "You startled me!"
"Sorry about that," Aika replied, still observing the young Silvite lady. "Fina, are you okay? You seem a little pale."
"Oh! Yes..." Fina murmured, lowering her mint green eyes. She was silent for a moment longer, and when Aika didn't leave, she continued, "Actually, Aika?"
Aika smiled, as if she had been waiting for that the entire time. "Yeah?"
Fina hesitated for a few seconds, then, lowering her voice slightly, she continued, "Aika, I know we're about to enter Glacia, but once we've retrieved the Purple Crystal, could I talk to you about something?"
The orange-haired piratess nodded. "Anytime you wanna talk, Fina, I'll be here for you," she smiled. "That's what friends are for, after all!"
The delicate Silvite smiled gratefully in return. "Thank you."
The trek into Glacia was slightly convoluted, with some perilous
downward slides and a generous heap of monsters, but other than that,
it wasn't difficult or particularly dangerous.
Ramirez felt uneasy. Oh, it wasn't as if the way hadn't been completely unblocked, but the three trials, if they really could be called that, were amazingly easy multiple-choice questions; anyone with any knowledge of the Purple Moon could solve them with no problems. The Purple Civilization was supposedly populated with geniuses; why would they make the path in so easy? The obvious answer, he mused, was that it was a trap—perhaps this was a fake entrance, and the real entrance was hidden somewhere where only the Purplites knew. This area could lead to a simple dead end; getting in would be easy, getting out would be tremendously difficult. Ramirez could imagine several ways to make that possible, some of them quite unpleasant. But still, a dead end wouldn't be enough; what if an army invaded? Just a dead end wouldn't be enough to hold them all off; there had to be something more...
He followed Vyse and the others as they walked through yet another doorway into a thick bank of fog. Ramirez was mildly worried at the fact that he could barely see a foot in front of him.
It was with that thought that Ramirez realized that they were all in serious danger.
"Vyse, WAIT!!" he yelled, shoving Fina out of the way to run up to Vyse and grab his shoulder, pulling him back before he could disappear completely into the fog. Vyse took a step back to maintain his balance, the smaller man's pull almost causing him to fall, and then stared back at the male Silvite.
"Ramirez, what the hell was that about?" he asked in a tone that suggested an answer best be forthcoming. Around them, the heavy fog began to clear.
The young swordsman took a breath, annoyed at Vyse's words. "Vyse," he began. "Don't you think getting in here was a little too easy?"
"A bit, I guess," Vyse replied, still not sounding appeased. "Why?"
Ramirez scowled. "Vyse, you are aware that we are underneath a glacier, correct?"
"...Yeah. And?" the Blue Rogue replied, not entirely sure what Ramirez was getting at.
The pale swordsman sighed and shook his head. Was Vyse really this much of an idiot? "I was thinking before we got this far," he said, frowning as Fina, Aika and Enrique surrounded the two. "If the Purplites were so intelligent, why would they make the entry so easy? The answer was that it was either a dead-end or a trap. Now consider this: we are inside. Inside a glacier, yes, but inside. So why would there be fog as dense as what you just unwittingly walked into?" The fog of which he spoke had cleared by now, so Ramirez merely pointed downwards in the direction in which Vyse had walked. "Look."
Vyse looked.
And jumped back. "Holy crap," he breathed. Looking down again, he realized just how close he had come to a fall. Normally he didn't dwell on things, he just charged right ahead—but this was really too close for comfort. Staring at the drop into Deep Sky for a moment longer, Vyse straightened and then turned his gaze to Ramirez, who was scowling slightly, obviously expecting an apology.
"You saved my life," the young captain said incredulously.
Ramirez's reaction was slight in movement but still profound: both eyebrows went up, his expression smoothed out, his eyes widened, his back straightened. After a moment of consideration, he replied, "So I did."
"Thank you," Vyse said fervently.
The reaction, again, was minor but intense. All very slightly, Ramirez's expression clouded, his eyebrows lowered, his eyes narrowed, and the corners of his lips turned down. "Don't," he said in a clipped tone before turning his back to the brunet pirate.
"Why shouldn't I?" Vyse queried, amazed. "If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be falling!"
"Somehow I doubt that," Ramirez replied. "Knowing you, you would have grabbed onto the edge at the last second."
Vyse sweatdropped. "I'm pretty lucky, but I'm not that lucky. Geez."
"Leave him alone, Vyse," Aika spoke up then, sounding amused. "He's just embarrassed 'cause he saved your life after swearing he'd kill you."
Ramirez glared over his shoulder at her. "It would be remarkably unsatisfying to let Vyse's own stupidity finish him off after I suffered a defeat at his hands," he snapped.
"So you really don't think he would have grabbed onto the ledge!" the orange-haired rogue grinned.
The white-haired swordsman rolled his eyes. "We should get going," he suggested coldly.
"Right, right," Aika cheered, a musical tone in her voice. Exchanging not-so-subtle grins with Vyse, Enrique and Fina, they and Ramirez began the trek down the icy path to the mysteriously abandoned capital of the Purple Civilization.
The city, although majestic and brilliant, was eerie in its emptiness and continuing functionality. Although there was not a soul whatsoever to be found anywhere, all the mechanisms—floating, constantly moving discs that traveled from place to place, carrying travelers across the city—kept on working, showing no sign of failure even now, hundreds of years after the initial disappearance of the Purplites. Each member of Vyse's party wondered and speculated about what had happened to the ancient civilization, but aside from a giant carving on the side of one of the buildings, there were no clues whatsoever. Enrique had been the first to notice it and point it out, and Vyse had asked Fina and Ramirez if they could read it, but Fina merely shook her head, and Ramirez pointed out that they were Silvites, not Purplites, and therefore would not know the language. Aika speculated that it might have had something to do with the absence of the Purplites, but Enrique pointed out that it could be anything, from a threat to a warding spell to an advertisement to mere graffiti; they had no way of knowing. Accepting that, the five moved on, navigating the twisted pathways and fighting off the monsters thriving in the city of ice. It was tough, but even the giant monster that appeared at the end of one pathway was no match for their combined strength, and when they continued on past it, they found themselves in a giant, misty cave. This time, they hesitated, wisely remembering what awaited them the last time they entered a foggy room, but out from the haze appeared none other than Drachma, the aged captain of the Little Jack, the ship on which Aika, Fina and Vyse had traveled for a time.
Aika greeted him joyously, flinging herself around his neck, and Vyse and Fina also hailed him enthusiastically, although not to Aika's extreme. The gruff air captain greeted them in his normal way, virtually ignoring Enrique and Ramirez, who both hung back in the background, even when the fog cleared enough to reveal the gigantic purple arcwhale, Rhaknam—or rather, the Purple Gigas, Plergoth, slowly dying, the remnants of the Little Jack still attached to it via the Harpoon Cannon. Ramirez and Enrique, having never met the brusque man of the air before, did not comment on his story of staying with the massive Gigas even since it had returned here, despite Drachma's grievances with the pitiable creature. Apparently, Plergoth/Rhaknam had at one time been a normal arcwhale, but the Purplites turned it into the Purple Gigas by placing the Purple Crystal, now flickering at the top of its body, into it. Unlike the other lunar civilizations, they had not built their Gigas, they had used the power of their Crystal to mutate an already existing creature into one. Ramirez marveled quietly at the sort of genius it would have taken to not only come up with that idea but to make it work; then again, he mused, maybe it was because they couldn't make it work entirely—in other words, relinquishing anyone's control over the Gigas by sacrificing possession of the Purple Crystal to create it—that there were no more Purplites. It was an interesting idea, but Ramirez certainly wasn't going to start discussing it with Enrique, especially since Drachma had very clearly expressed his loathing for the Admiral who had nearly wrecked his ship and stolen his chance at killing Rhaknam himself.
Before long, Plergoth died, dropping the Purple Crystal to the floor and leaving it for Vyse to retrieve. After many trials and tribulations, the group managed to take the Little Jack out of the cave and to the outside, near the Delphinus. Drachma refused to join the crew, saying that he needed time to reconsider his purpose in life now that Rhaknam was dead, and without ever even learning Enrique or Ramirez's names (although he did stare suspiciously for an uncomfortably long amount of time at the latter before deciding to ignore him after all), he left. Vyse had let him go, understanding his need for privacy for reevaluating his existence, although the farewells were not without shades of sadness. Still, they had acquired the Purple Moon Crystal, and it had been much easier than the acquisition of the Blue Moon Crystal, so they were not down for long, boarding the Delphinus and setting off again into the endlessly spreading blue sky.
Vyse, Enrique, Aika, Fina and Ramirez had a brief meeting in the control room to discuss what to do next: go straight to Crescent Isle, or to stop somewhere on the way first to replenish fuel and supplies. Although the first had its merits, and it meant spending less wasting of time, all agreed that since fuel was nearing the halfway mark, it was better to make a pit stop to avoid running out on the way back and suffer an even greater waste of time. That decision, of course, lead naturally to wondering where they should go.
"Say, why don't we head north to Pirate's Isle and say hi to your mom and dad, Vyse?" Aika suggested, clapping her hands together. With a grin, she continued, "You can show off what you've done so far to Cap'n Dyne!"
"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Fina beamed. "We could see everyone again and see how the rebuilding of the island is coming along! We could even help out!"
Vyse considered the suggestion seriously, but he couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face at the prospect of bragging to his father on how far he'd come in such a short amount of time. He was about to accept the suggestion when Enrique spoke up.
"Pardon me, but isn't that your father's base, Vyse?" he queried.
"Yeah, so?"
"It was attacked and ravaged by Galcian, correct?"
"Yeah, so?"
"Wouldn't they be using supplies and such for their own island? How could they give us anything when they have to use everything they have for themselves?"
"..." Vyse wittily replied. "Point taken. Let's go to Sailor's Island."
"Aww, but it would such a shame to skip on visiting Cap'n Dyne and everyone else! It's right on the way if we go straight north!" Aika protested. "And c'mon, you haven't seen your family in forever, Vyse! We've still got half a tank and we've got four of the six Crystals, we can afford to make a quick overnight visit or something! Enrique, you want to go see too, right? I mean, there's an island platform floating a little overhead, and the sunset is just beautiful from there, and the stargazing is awesome! I know you'd love to see it!"
Enrique sweatdropped at the scarecrow-haired rogue's wheedling, but smiled regardless. "That sounds very nice," he said diplomatically, "but shouldn't the mission come first?"
Aika pouted. "Well, what do you say, Vyse?" she inquired her childhood friend, shifting the focus of her attention.
Ramirez frowned at the pirate girl. "Aren't you going to ask me what I think?" he questioned her, annoyed.
"Don't be so self-centered," Aika promptly replied, to which Ramirez scowled. "C'mon, Vyse, what do you say?"
"What do you think, Ramirez?" Vyse questioned, causing his childhood friend to sweatdrop and glare.
The young Silvite swordsman almost smiled briefly, gratified by at least Vyse's concern in his opinion, but it was gone before it ever appeared. "I would like to avoid being lynched by an angry mob," he replied.
Vyse stared. "What?"
"I was Lord Galcian's vice captain when he attacked your father's island," Ramirez explained. "Your father and his crew would not be pleased to see me again."
"...Erm." Vyse considered this. "I could talk to my dad about it. You aren't an enemy anymore, after all."
Ramirez was silent, his expression stony. "Do as you please."
The young pirate frowned. "Don't act like that," he scolded the shorter man. "I'm not about to let you get hurt while you're a part of my crew!"
The Silvite blinked once, but other than that, his expression did not change, and he did not volunteer a reply.
There was a moment of silence, then Vyse sighed and turned to the others. "We've got time to get the rest of the Crystals," he stated. "The Armada can't break the seal binding the Yellow Gigas, which has the Yellow Crystal, and the Silver Crystal is just out of their reach completely, right?"
Fina nodded, saying, "Yes, it's on the Great Silver Shrine."
Ramirez flicked his eyes briefly over to his old friend, choosing to remain silent rather than comment.
"That okay then, Enrique?" Vyse grinned at his blond-haired friend.
The young Prince smiled in return, nodding. "You do have a valid point, and family is very important," he replied. "We do have some time, and there is undoubtedly something we can do for your former crewmates, still having a great deal of money, fuel and supplies. We could donate some before stocking up again at Sailor's Island and heading back to Crescent Isle."
"Great, then it's decided!" Vyse announced. "All hands, set sail for Pirate's Isle!"
"Aye-aye, captain!" all but Ramirez shouted in unison. That one simply said, "...Yes, sir," and did as he was told regardless.
All throughout the ship, the members of the Delphinus' crew prepared its flight, and once the Delphinus had set sail into the freezing sky, leaving the crew to relax slightly, Fina glanced over at Aika. Catching her eye, the pale-haired young lady nodded and went to leave. As Aika followed her, Vyse turned from his sailing to his childhood friend.
"Hey, where are you two going?" he inquired, curious.
Aika grinned and held up a hand. "Don't you worry!" she replied. "It's just been a long day, and we girls have to freshen up when we can. We won't be long, so relax and focus on not crashing into any giant floating rocks."
Vyse made a face, but turned back to his navigation regardless. "Be back soon, okay?"
"No problem!" the redhead cheered, leaving with Fina. "See you!"
The two of them, after leaving the boys behind, chatted idly while they walked up to the Silvite girl's room. They weren't interrupted on the way there, and when they were in private, Aika leaned back against the shut door.
"So, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked, folding her arms behind her head.
"Um..." Fina glanced away, blushing slightly. "Actually, there's something I want to confess..."
Aika blinked twice. "...Eh?"
"I'm sort of embarrassed to admit it, but..." Fina continued, holding a hand to her chin. "But I really, really need your advice, Aika..."
The carrot-topped Blue Rogue visibly relaxed. "Oh, okay. Wait, hold on," she said quickly, "let me guess: hmmm... You have a crush on Vyse!"
"Huh?" Fina uttered, blushing crimson. "I, uh, well, I, um—"
Laughing, Aika shrugged. "It's okay, I understand how you feel completely. But you know..." She smiled wistfully. "That makes us rivals."
"Ah, no, no, no, no!" the verdure-eyed girl said quickly. "I like Vyse, but I'm in love with Ramirez! You misunderstand me, Aika!"
The pirate girl froze, apparently not expecting that. "Eh?" she said, sweating a bit. "Ramirez?"
Still blushing, Fina nodded shyly. "I've had a crush on him ever since we were young," she admitted. "He's always been kind to me..."
Making a small noise, Aika uncrossed her arms from behind her neck and re-crossed them in front of her chest. "He's not all that kind now," she pointed out. "Although, I have to admit, I never expected him to save Vyse's life like that. I guess I could see where you're coming from. He might have his good points," she mused.
Fina sweatdropped. /Might have.../ she mentally repeated before saying, "I know you don't like Ramirez, Aika, but you don't know him like I do." Her expression growing fonder, she continued, "He really is getting much better, much more open with us..."
"Hmmm..." Aika murmured, regarding her friend. "So what do you need my advice for?"
"Well..." Fina hesitated briefly, then continued, "Even if he is getting better...there's still a lot of things that he's bitter about... I'm sure lots of awful things happened to him during the past eight years, and I want to ask him about it and help him, but I'm sure he'll tell me it's not my business, or that he doesn't want to talk about it..."
"There's no helping that," Aika said. "He needs time to get over himself. Plus, the things that happened to him might be too personal to talk about, even to you. He could be embarrassed or ashamed of whatever happened, or maybe it's too painful for him to say. Then again, maybe he's just being an uncommunicative bastard, but since you like him enough to say you love him even after he mistreats you, and he did save Vyse back in Glacia without thinking twice about it, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt." She grinned at Fina's exasperated expression. "Yeah, generous of me, huh?" Aika laughed and added, "I'm kidding, of course. But I think the best thing you can do is just stay with him and stay understanding. When he's ready to talk to you, he will. Of course, he might need a hint or two to let him know that you're willing to hear him out, so don't be afraid to give him a few signals now and then. Plus," she continued almost as an afterthought, "guys are hopelessly dumb. They always have to be so macho, and they think they can't accept help from a woman or they'll be less manly or something similarly stupid. Either that, or they just don't get it, and no matter how many hints you try to drop, they won't figure it out until you smack them upside the head. This is called TMS—Typical Male Syndrome. One or both versions strike all men, which makes life for us women a lot tougher, unfortunately."
"You sound as if you're speaking from experience," Fina noted.
Aika laughed nervously. "Well... You know Vyse. He's a wonderful guy, and I trust him with my life, but...Moons, he's just so dense sometimes." Shaking her head, she wistfully said, "We've been together since childhood and he still hasn't figured out how I feel..."
Fina smiled gently. "TMS is tragic, isn't it?" she said playfully.
Aika laughed. "You got that right!" she replied, shaking her head. "Honestly, men... They're all hopeless. Hey!" The woman rogue's brown eyes lit up as she took hold of a brilliant idea. "Why don't we help each other, Fina? I'll help you out with Ramirez, and you help me out with Vyse. It'll be a lot easier to get them to clue in if we're working together!"
"But how?" Fina inquired, blinking. "It sounds good, but..."
"Let's see..." Aika pondered the problem briefly. "The next time you talk with Vyse alone, why don't you hint that you aren't romantically interested in him?"
"I sort of am, though," Fina confessed then. Hastily, seeing Aika's stare, she added, "It's only because he reminds me of the way Ramirez used to be, though! I understand that you love him, and I won't get in your way, Aika. It would be unfair of me to try to take him from you."
"Okay," Aika said, somewhat doubtfully. "Well, that's okay. You've got Ramirez, so it works out." She mused for another moment before continuing, "On second thought, just hinting won't work on Vyse. He might like you, after all, so you'll have to tell him straight-out that your heart's set on Ramirez. Knowing him, he'll try to help you get together with Ramirez after that, since he's trying to look out for that guy, too. Then you can suggest that even if you're not interested in him, Vyse could find that romance is closer than he expects, or something like that. If he needs it, you can say something stronger, although I'd appreciate it if you stopped short of 'Vyse, you dummy, Aika's in love with you!'. That would be super-embarrassing."
Fina winced and nodded, thinking of how mortified she would be if someone told Ramirez straight how she felt. "And then you tell Vyse how you feel after that, right?"
Aika blushed. "Err..." she stammered. "I...dunno if I could just tell Vyse how I felt... You understand, right, Fina? But then again, with guys, you have to tell it to them straight..." She sighed. "Well, that won't be for a long time anyway, so let's worry about that later. In the meantime, I'll help you with tips on approaching Ramirez. Remember to tell me about how it went afterwards, how he reacted and such, and exactly what you did; that guy's unpredictable, so if one method doesn't work, we'll have to work on a different one."
Fina nodded, eagerly awaiting her friend's advice, and the two young women continued to plot that way against their male counterparts, hoping that soon they would see the light and fall for the girls who were standing right in front of their eyes. It didn't take extremely long, but when they finally finished and returned to the control room, Vyse was somewhat annoyed with them for taking so long. However, he didn't press it, thankfully enough, and Aika and Fina merely took up their positions again, smiling clandestinely to each other. After that, the Delphinus' trip was relatively short, only a couple of hours, and when they arrived, almost the entire island was waiting for them. It wasn't surprising, seeing as the Delphinus was hard to miss, but Vyse was filled with such giddy excitement that he relinquished the wheel to Lawrence the helmsman and ran to the shuttle deck so he could quickly arrange transportation to his hometown. With a yell that was half a laugh, Aika ran after him, and Fina quickly followed suit. Enrique caught Ramirez's eye, then smiled and shrugged before going after them.
"You're all idiots," Ramirez muttered, not moving an inch.
Vyse and company took a small shuttle from the Delphinus, which merely floated nearby, to the docking island leading to Pirate's Isle, and Vyse jumped overboard onto Pirate's Island as soon as they were moving slowly enough for him not to end up hitting something. Aika again followed suit, but Fina and Enrique nervously waited for the shuttle to come to a complete stop before making a calm exit. When they joined up with Vyse and Aika, the two were already being greeted by a crowd of people, Vyse's mother and father included.
"It followed me home, Dad; can I keep it?" they heard their captain ask before the crowd erupted into laughter. Vyse's father, Dyne, just shook his head, but he was smiling as well.
"Only if you feed it more often than you did your first pet," he replied. "Died after the first week, didn't it? The poor goldfish."
This time, Fina and Enrique joined into the laughter along with Aika and even Vyse, and the crowd proceeded to embrace the latter two, congratulating them on their achievements and adventures, tales of which had reached even to their small island. After the uproar had settled down a little, the crowd took notice of Fina and Enrique, who had wormed their way through to join Vyse and Aika.
"Good to see you again, Fina," Dyne said, nodding to the pale-haired young lady, who smiled shyly and nodded in return. He looked then at Enrique. "And you're...?"
"This is Enrique, Dad, everyone," Vyse introduced him. "The Prince of Valua."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Enrique said politely, bowing slightly.
Dyne was duly impressed. "I'd heard the rumor that you'd kidnapped the Empress' son, but I wasn't entirely sure it was true until now," he addressed his son. "Hell of a feat, Vyse."
Vyse grinned. "Technically, I didn't kidnap him," he informed his father.
"That's right," Enrique added. "I joined Vyse of my own free will, and lent him my ship, the Delphinus, which you see behind us."
The middle-aged Blue Rogue laughed. "I'd heard that rumor, too," he commented. "Well? What are you all here for?"
"Aww, Cap'n Dyne, you're being mean!" Aika grinned. "Can't we visit once in a while?"
Vyse laughed and added, "We just came to say 'hi' and see if we could help out."
"And show off how you're captain of the world's most powerful airship," Dyne added perceptively.
His son grinned widely but didn't comment on that. "Dad, actually," Vyse added, growing more serious, "could I talk to you in private soon?"
"Sure," his father replied amiably, but something in Dyne's face hinted that if Vyse hadn't made that suggestion, he would have. "I'll meet you back at home in thirty minutes."
Vyse nodded and turned to the children of the island who now demanded his attention by clinging to his legs and insisting he play with them immediately. With a laugh, he agreed, and followed by Aika, Fina and Enrique, Vyse moved through the crowd which was now dissipating with the kids.
Dyne and his wife, Vasa, watched them go before heading back to their domicile. "He's certainly grown up, hasn't he, dear?" the latter commented.
"He has, in some respects," Dyne replied. "But in others, he's still a kid."
Vasa smiled fondly. "Still don't want to accept that Vyse is becoming an adult, whether you like it or not?"
"Now you're being rude," the middle-aged rogue said with a smile. "Vyse is still young, and he's done amazing things already, breaking in and out of the Grand Fortress, twice. He's also the first to ever openly oppose the Armada...and he's succeeding. He's already defeated several Admirals, according to the rumors...then again, according to one rumor, he also captured one of the Admirals, which is obviously not true."
Vasa laughed. "Still, only seventeen and your son's already done better than you ever have, dear!"
Dyne frowned as the two entered their house. "He might have outdone me already, but he's still lacking in experience. You can see it, right, Vasa? He's still as brash and hotheaded as he used to be."
"As you used to be, too," his wife reminded him with a grin. "Or have you forgotten how we met already, dear?"
Vyse's father's frown deepened into a scowl, but the emotion didn't carry over to his eyes, which sparkled. "Do you have any intention of agreeing with me at all about this, Vasa?" he questioned her, not quite able to keep the amusement from his voice.
The two of them sat at the table together, and Vasa replied, "Oh, not at all; Vyse is the same, just as rash and impatient as always, just with some more experience that unfortunately has only bolstered his ego and further convinced him that he's invincible, just like every other teenager before some sort of tragedy strikes. But, you know, that's part of his charm. I think—no, I know Vyse will be all right. People naturally like him and are drawn to him, and he likes people back. He'll do anything to protect the people he cares about; just consider the lengths he went to rescue you and the other men, Dyne."
Dyne silently acknowledged this as his wife continued, "He'll be fine because just as he protects others, others will protect him. Vyse has Aika, and now Fina and Prince Enrique, and I'm sure there are many others. I'm certain they'll always look out for each other—and that is Vyse's strength."
"You're right, Vasa," Dyne acceded. "Even though he can be dense,
overly stubborn, sort of naïve and sometimes foolish, he does have
his friends, along with an undefeatable attitude. That's the best
strength any man or woman can have."
As Ramirez waited inside the control room, at a silent agreement with
the dark helmsman not to strike up a useless conversation, he stared
out the windows toward the northeast, in the general direction of
Valua.
/It has been over two weeks since I gave that message to Belleza.../ he mused, thinking back to the night in Yafutoma when he had told Belleza to carry on his plans of betraying Vyse to Lord Galcian. /Perhaps I shouldn't have trusted her. She could have told him anything to make herself look good; of course, Lord Galcian wouldn't believe her, but even so, he still wouldn't know my strategy and how to act accordingly. Depending on how things go on both ends, that could have potentially disastrous results.../
As he mused, Ramirez became aware of a semi-large black-&-white bird that was steadily approaching the Delphinus. At first, he didn't pay it any heed, but as it drew closer, he noticed that it was flying towards him in particular, and that it had something attached to its right leg.
At that moment, the young Admiral realized what it was—what it had to be—and casually looked at and walked towards the exit. If his actions seemed stilted, there was a chance that the helmsman, whose name Ramirez had not bothered to remember, might suspect that something was amiss. Although it was unlikely that he would do or say anything about it, since he was the disgusting type that cared for money and nothing else, there was still a possibility which Ramirez didn't care to take; there was too much at risk to be that arrogant. So, the jade-eyed Silvite left as if to merely change scenery, quietly shutting the door behind him when he went. He nonchalantly walked to the quarters he shared with Vyse, retrieved a pen and a scrap of paper just in case, and made his way to the deck, where that young Valuan boy was thankfully not present for once—he probably had snuck onto the island to meet Vyse's family and former companions. For reasons Ramirez did not know or care about, the child seemed to greatly respect Vyse, which was understandable, all considering; the Air Pirate had impressed even him, after all. That respect also worked out well for Ramirez now, so he had no complaints.
The bird, which Ramirez knew to be a monochrome cormorant, native to Valua and several islands under the influence of the Silver Moon, was resting on the Delphinus' guardrail, cleaning its wing. As he calmly approached it, it looked up at him, its beady eyes bright. Like a good messenger bird, it stood still when he reached it and took the piece of paper attached to his leg, and again like a good messenger bird, it remained to wait for the return message that Ramirez was to write.
Smiling slightly, the silver-haired swordsman unrolled the small piece of paper and perused it. The message was written in military shorthand, an abbreviated form of written language adopted for the Valuan armies and navies to convey important messages in as short a space as possible—and to keep those messages secret from any spies intercepting them. Ramirez could tell immediately that the message was from Galcian from the carefully drawn insignia in the lower right corner, a special symbol known only to his closest followers. The message was clear; although nothing, least of all Ramirez, was named directly—too risky in case the message was intercepted—Galcian wrote that he approved of his plan, forgave the actions he would have to take against him in light of the overall gain, that he expected more details in the reply, that he should send word when all of 'them' were acquired, and he would in turn take time to strengthen other areas and make plans to come for him and 'them' when word was sent and the signal given.
Ramirez read the message several times in order to memorize it; then, once he had done so, he destroyed it, tearing it into several small pieces and throwing them overboard. He wrote a brief reply detailing that only one of 'them' was left, that roughly three to four weeks would be needed to acquire it, that 'his' base was located on an island in the land of the Red Moon between eastern Valua and the city of Nasrad, and that he expected to see Ilazki there. Ramirez did not hesitate in naming his sword from the Great Silver Shrine; very few people knew it was called Ilazki, after all, so it made no difference, and it also made it very clear as to who was writing the note. Ramirez drew Galcian's insignia in the upper right corner to mark to whom it was written and, without bothering with a signature, attached the note to the cormorant. Once it was tightly and securely fitted, the cormorant cried, then raised its wings and set off into flight, flapping towards the north, back to Valua.
Smiling slightly, he watched it go until it was a mere speck in the
sky and was gone.
As Ramirez had been further detailing his treachery, Vyse had entered
his home, where his parents were waiting, and sat down next to his
father. His mother nodded to them both and quietly left the house,
leaving the two to speak privately.
When she was gone, Vyse started, rather awkwardly, "Hi, Dad."
"You must be glad now that you can get away with calling me that," Dyne observed.
The young air pirate grinned. "Heh," he laughed, "I remember when you'd be telling me every other sentence not to call you Dad."
Dyne lifted his eyebrows. "That's because you could never get it through your head that I'm your captain, not your father, when we're out sailing," he reminded him. "When you're a father someday, maybe you'll understand."
Vyse made a noise remarkably similar to 'pshaw'. "My kids will call me Dad and I'll be damn proud of them for doing it."
Dyne shook his head, although he wasn't upset. "Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about, Vyse?" he inquired.
"Ah...right," Vyse said, faltering for a second. "Actually, I wanted to tell you that Enrique isn't the only Valuan in my crew."
Dyne stared.
"Ramirez—you know, the Admiral?—joined me a while back, too," Vyse continued.
Dyne did not stop staring. "Ramirez," he repeated. "As in short silver hair, long wicked-looking sword, Galcian's right-hand man Ramirez."
Vyse sweatdropped. "Uh, yeah," he said. "That Ramirez."
Dyne crossed his arms and asked the obvious question with his dark brown eyes.
"I, uh, defeated him in fair combat, and he agreed to join me," Vyse fibbed.
"Vyse, don't lie to your father," the more experienced Blue Rogue snapped.
The younger pirate's sweatdrop increased. "I'm not lying!" he persisted. "That's what happened! Sort of. Almost. Kind of."
"Forget about that, then," Dyne said, clearly annoyed. "What in the six moons makes you think having him around in the first place is a good idea?"
"It's okay, Dad," Vyse insisted; "Ramirez is a part of my crew. I trust him."
The senior Blue Rogue frowned. "Vyse, you may say you trust him, but are you sure that's a good idea? After all is said and done, Ramirez is an Admiral of the Valuan Armada, and was Galcian's own Vice-Captain. Who do you think his loyalty belongs to?"
Despite his father's sage words, Vyse remained obstinate. "Ramirez is my friend," he said. "I know he's loyal to Galcian, but I'm sure we can work something out so that there doesn't have to be any conflict in the future."
The older Blue Rogue peered at his son for a moment, then shook his head in resignation. "You're the captain of your own ship now, Vyse; you have the right to make your own decisions for your own ship, even if I disagree with them. However, you have to keep in mind that your decision doesn't just affect you; it affects everyone else in your crew. If Ramirez, for some reason or another, turns out to be untrustworthy, you have to care take of him."
"Dad, he saved my life," Vyse argued. "I'm pretty sure he's trustworthy."
"He could have done that to lower your guard," Dyne pointed out. "A strategy meant to make you think he's becoming your friend."
"Sorry, but I think I have a better judge of character than that," Vyse said, affronted.
Dyne shook his head again. "You're young yet, Vyse, and you've always been lucky," he said. "I just hope you stay lucky."
The young air pirate refrained from rolling his eyes. Just because he was captain of his own ship didn't mean his father couldn't smack him over the head for being an impertinent ass. "Right, Dad."
"By the way, Vyse, did you know Valua is offering a million gold for your head?" Dyne commented.
Vyse's jaw dropped. "Wow," he breathed. "A million gold? Just for me?"
"Dead or alive," his father added.
"Wow! The Valuans must really hate me!" the young rogue said, impressed. "I should be afraid, huh? A lot of people are going to be attracted by a bounty that big. But for some reason, I'm not worried at all." He grinned. "After all I've been through, I honestly don't think there's anyone in the world who can beat me."
Dyne considered his son and the danger he had put himself in by accepting Ramirez as a crew mate. Perhaps it was just that the older Blue Rogue didn't know the circumstances; perhaps Vyse really had befriended Ramirez, or somehow convinced him to abandon Galcian and become an Air Pirate. Dyne thought that highly unlikely, though; people's loyalties, if they were worth anything at all, did not shift that easily. But still, Vyse wouldn't hear anything about it; probably Ramirez saving his life, however that had happened, had convinced him that the sixth Admiral was trustworthy, even if he was not. Regardless, it was now Vyse's life, and he was the one who would have to suffer from his own mistakes as captain of his own ship and crew.
Coming to that decision, Dyne replied, "If you say so, Vyse."
"By the way, Dad," Vyse added, "do you mind if Ramirez comes onto the island?"
Dyne stared at his son yet again.
"I won't show him or tell him about underground!" Vyse said quickly, reading his father's expression. "He's into stargazing too, and I wanted to show him the view from Lookout Island. But this is your base, after all, so I didn't want to bring him here without your OK."
The older pirate frowned severely, but it was tempered slightly by the thought that Vyse was at least asking him for permission first. "A lot of people here won't be too happy to see Ramirez's face," Dyne warned his son. "Since he's already seen the surface of Pirate's Isle when he devastated it for Galcian," and Dyne was slightly satisfied to see Vyse flinch at the truth, "it won't make any difference if he sees it again, but as long as he doesn't know about the underground, then I can accept that. However, for his safety, you'd better make sure nobody sees him. You might want to wait until after dark to bring him up. I have one question, though. The Delphinus can go much higher than Lookout Island, so why don't you just go stargazing on that?"
"Dad, it just doesn't have the same ambience," Vyse replied in a tone of 'that's so obvious, how can you even ask that'. "My childhood and Ramirez's were pretty alike, so I thought he'd appreciate seeing the stars the way I did when I was a kid."
Yet again, Dyne stared at his son, but this time doubts began to fill his mind. Had Vyse really befriended Ramirez? The way he talked about him, it certainly seemed as if he had... Then again, Ramirez could be tricking Vyse. But was it in his nature to do so? In the little Dyne had seen of Ramirez, he seemed like a cold, humorless, yet straightforward young man; he seemed that he would prefer an honest battle to tricks and treachery. But again, Dyne didn't know the full situation, so it might not be the case...
Dyne realized that he was again over-thinking what was not truly his business. For his own crew's sake, he had to consider all the angles of a given situation to keep everyone safe, but Vyse was no longer part of his crew. Vyse was his own man now, and if he was to learn anything at all from life, he had to fend for himself, even against those who might deceive him.
So, again making his decision, Dyne just said, "Just be careful, Vyse, and watch what you talk about," and that was that.
Vyse smiled. "Thanks, Dad."
Ramirez gazed out from the edge of the Delphinus' deck at the colors
painted in the sky by the setting sun. Though he had returned inside
after sending off the cormorant, he found that being outside agreed
with him better than being pent up inside, since he could be in
solitude on the deck, and returned there to ponder the various major
issues in his life. Initially, he considered the letter he had just
sent, and what strategy to implement against Vyse and the others while
Lord Galcian was taking care of things in Valua. His current strategy
of ingratiating himself to them and winning their trust seemed to be
working, especially after he had accidentally saved Vyse's life
recently. Even that girl Aika had been impressed, and although Ramirez
had not appreciated her teasing at all, she was the greatest obstacle
to making everyone complacent, and the incident had played a major role
in beginning to change her mind. Still, there might come a time when
the plot came undone prematurely, and in that case, a backup plan would
be necessary. This brought to mind Ramirez's...feelings...for Vyse.
He had tried his best to forget about them, to crush them out of existence with indifference, but whenever he thought even fleetingly of them, they would clamp onto his mind with the tenacity of a barnacle, irritating him to no end. Ramirez didn't even understand why he felt that way; Vyse had attempted to win his favor with kindness, but Ramirez had had more than enough experience with those who used kindness as a method of treachery and deceit. He himself was using that tactic, and so far it was working. Why should a maneuver he was employing succeed against him? No, despite all of Vyse's actions and words, and in spite of Ramirez's grudging respect for him, the Silvite swordsman still couldn't bring himself to trust him. They were, contrary to Vyse's efforts, enemies, and nothing could change that—not even the transient emotion called love. Ramirez didn't even understand what love was, so how could he say that he truly felt it? Besides, Vyse was flanked at both sides by two attractive women; he would never choose another man over Aika or Fina. There was no point for Ramirez to chase an unrequited love, especially one for an enemy, so it was better after all to chalk it up to confusion and temporary weakness.
But even telling himself, Ramirez couldn't help but still feel a little depressed and jealous.
To take his mind off of that, he had switched his focus to Fina and the piece of the Silver Moon Crystal inside her body. Though they had been friends since childhood, they were on opposite sides now, and Ramirez knew that he couldn't afford mercy to anyone, even sweet, simple Fina, who didn't understand anything, probably due to the Elders fawning on her, as they had since her youth. When all of the other Crystals had been collected, Ramirez had intended on returning briefly to the Great Silver Shrine to kill one of the Elders—preferably Elder Prime—and take his piece of the Crystal. However, with Fina here, that meant when the time came, he could eliminate her and take her Crystal, removing the need to return to the Shrine. It would be much more convenient and efficient, but... Ramirez still wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do with her. It wasn't really her fault that she was a naïf, and it was just pitiful how she continued to dote on him even after he had been cruel to her... In the end, he decided that the matter wasn't pressing, nor was it necessary. After Lord Galcian had five of the Crystals, there was no way Vyse could oppose him and hope to live; Ramirez could have plenty of time to return to the Shrine and take whichever piece of the Silver Crystal he pleased.
When that was finished, he returned to contemplating his backup plan for in case something happened to alert Vyse and the others of his plot to betray them. By then, though, his personal feelings had bled into the matter and sabotaged his train of thought, causing him to lose focus and stare blankly, even now, at the boundless sky while no strategy formulated. It was while Ramirez lost himself in the land of twilight, under the moon, that he suddenly became aware of someone approaching him from behind.
Stomping on his initial reaction to turn swiftly around and demand who was there, Ramirez instead straightened his back slightly to indicate to the intruder his awareness.
"Hi," said Vyse, joining him in watching the sunset. "Gorgeous, isn't it?"
Ramirez said nothing at first, but only glanced briefly to his right, where Vyse was leaning against the guardrail, and cast his glower down into the sky. He would stay calm, he would not act flustered or embarrassed... "It's all right."
The young captain admired the dying light on the horizon with a nostalgic smile. "It wasn't that long ago when I was watching this sky with Aika and Fina, saying how I wanted to go beyond the sunset," he commented. "And now look at me. Heh..."
/You can't go beyond the sunset, Vyse; the Sun is a massive orb of combusting gasses, burning millions of miles away,/ Ramirez mentally answered. What he actually said was, "...You're...quite the romantic."
Vyse grinned, turning to his silver-haired companion. "You think so?" he queried. "But you're pretty romantic at heart too, huh? Mr. Wilwarin Is My Favorite Constellation."
Ramirez grimaced. "I'm not talking to you now."
"Hold on, I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Vyse said quickly, biting back a laugh. "Say, speaking of constellations, there's a great view of the sky from Lookout Isle, the lookout post above Pirate's Isle. Since it's getting dark, I can sneak you on without anyone noticing, and we can stargaze together."
The Admiral stared. Was Vyse taunting him? Did he realize...? Switching his expression to neutral, he inquired, "...Isn't that a lot of trouble? We could easily watch the stars from here. It would cause less trouble, too."
Vyse shook his head. "No way!" he said firmly. "I always went to that island to stargaze when I was a kid. It has to be there!"
The white-haired swordsman scrutinized the brunet before him. "Vyse, what are you trying to pull?" he asked guardedly.
Vyse blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? It's a place full of my memories. I just wanted to share that with you...thought you'd like it, since we had similar childhoods."
The emerald-eyed Silvite didn't know how to react, so he reverted to his natural persona and replied, "We are nothing alike."
"Oh, don't do this now," Vyse frowned. "I really don't want to pick a fight with you. So do you want to come with or not?"
"...Do you want me to?"
"I wouldn't be asking you if I didn't."
"...All right, I'll go," Ramirez finally relented.
The brown-eyed captain smiled and just shook his head. "Do you always have to make things more difficult than they have to be, Rami?" he queried dryly.
Ramirez frowned. "Didn't I tell you before not to call me Rami?"
"Sorry, slipped," Vyse apologized, waving a hand. "Although...I'm pretty sure I've called you that before besides that first time, and since then, this is the first time you've complained."
He was thrown for a moment, but he ultimately stated smoothly, "I must not have noticed those other times. Let's go."
"Yeah," the young Blue Rogue replied, glancing at the horizon. The sun had already sunk, and the crimson and gold in the sky were giving way to the deep indigo and plum of evening. If they left now, they probably wouldn't be seen; they just had to be careful. "Just follow me."
The two silently departed together, making their way through the Delphinus and taking the shuttle back to Pirate's Isle. The abundance of shadows and Ramirez's already dark clothing served to hide him well enough, and nobody noticed them as they two walked to the ladder leading up to the island. It was hardly an island, really, Ramirez found; more like a small chunk of land floating above Pirate's Isle, but attached by a ladder and equipped with an all-enclosing wooden fence and a bench. He supposed the locals just called it that.
Vyse collapsed against the bench, throwing up his arms and folding them behind his head, happily turning his gaze up at the blackening sky. Ramirez, not quite as enthusiastic as his companion, merely sat down on the bench next to where Vyse was resting and leaned back to observe the slowly emerging stars. To the west was the Evening Star Phosphorus, glowing brightly in the sky near where the sun had set. Emerging on the other side of the horizon was Illumina the Great Mirror; nearby was Claria the Sacrificial Maiden.
"You know, before you passed out back at Crescent Isle, I asked you if you could tell me the constellation legends you had where you came from," Vyse commented. "I don't know if you remember or not..."
"I didn't," Ramirez replied quietly. "I assume you want me to tell you one now?"
"If that's okay."
"Hmm..." The young Silvite shut his green eyes, trying to recall how that particular legend went. "Let's see... If I recall correctly, your favorite constellation is Michaol the Fallen Angel, so his story will suffice... It might be different from what you're used to. Silvite legends have stayed the same as they were in the past while Arcadian legends have changed, sometimes rather radically. You might not like it."
"Not like Michaol? Unlikely," Vyse scoffed. "C'mon, stop stalling."
Ramirez frowned slightly, but shrugged. "All right..." Gathering his thoughts, he began, "Originally, Michaol was the brightest, most beautiful angel under God's command, so noble and powerful that even God Himself thought of him less of a servant and more of an equal. Michaol was one of the original seven angels—perhaps the very first angel—the legend doesn't specify.
"In either case, Michaol was one of the Archangels who assisted God in creating reality, the heavens and Arcadia and its six Moons; another was Ilazki, a female Archangel and right after Michaol in terms of power and greatness. When all the celestial objects and living creatures were finished, God was completely exhausted and needed to rest lest He destroy Himself, but He was worried about His creations; if he didn't watch over them, who would? None of the Archangels could think of an answer except for Michaol, who boldly stepped forward," and around here, Ramirez was beginning to enjoy his storyteller role, "and suggested that they, God's first creations, should be given the honor of protecting Arcadia while He rested.
"The other Archangels and God all thought that this was a splendid idea, so God assigned each of the rest of the Archangels to each of the six Moons, and told Michaol to stay with Him as He rested. Michaol, however, was upset with this decision. Why was he, who was the greatest and most glorious of the Archangels, denied a Moon? Could God not easily make a seventh Moon, just for him? But God was exhausted after all, and said He could not make a seventh Moon for Michaol, and in any case, God wished for Michaol to remain with Him, so that he could protect Him while He slept. Michaol pretended to accept this, but secretly he resented God's decree, and decided to himself that as soon as God closed His eyes, he would go to Arcadia and claim the world itself as his charge."
Ramirez paused for a moment to rest his tongue. With some surprise, he realized he couldn't recall the last time he had spoken so much at one time for merely recreational purposes...
When the Silvite had not continued for several seconds, Vyse spoke up, "Ramirez?"
"Just catching my breath," he replied. "How does it compare with your version, Vyse?"
After a slight pause, the captain of the Delphinus answered, "It's a little different. But keep going. Please."
The young swordsman was reminded faintly of his time with Hahaue years ago, when he would sit at her feet, resting his head on her lap, and she would sing to him or tell him stories while stroking his hair... Ramirez stiffened. He was over her death; it happened nine years ago, and he had dealt with it in his own fashion. In addition, he was a soldier, hardened by both battle and experience—he had no use for pitiful nostalgia for things that could not be changed, that could never return.
But even so...even so...
Vyse glanced back up and blinked in surprise when he saw his companion hunched over, his expression one of the devout misery of one who cannot surrender his pain-filled past. "Ramirez..." he began, "hey...are you okay?"
The green-eyed man quickly glanced in the opposite direction. "Mind your own business," he said in a strangely restrained voice.
"Hey, don't give me that, not when we were just starting to get along!" the rogue exclaimed, getting to his feet. "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Ramirez murmured, still looking away. /Why am I this weak, no matter how much I struggle to become stronger.../ "Do you want to hear the rest of the story or not?"
The captain of the Delphinus looked at Ramirez worriedly. "If you're upset about something..."
"I'm fine," he said flatly. "In any case, Michaol waited until God laid down to rest and fell asleep before he flew down to Arcadia. He traveled the world for a long time by foot and by wings, flying to every place where he could not walk. The world was incidentally said to originally have been one large chunk of rock with bodies of water instead of air between land, and the sky was only above the earth, not under or around it. There were no flying islands or continents or anything of that sort—"
"Weird," Vyse breathed, now again enthralled by Ramirez's story. "Sorry," he added when the Silvite tensed. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Continue."
"Arcadia was a world of earth and water, not air," the Admiral reiterated tersely. "And Michaol loved it. He wanted to stay on Arcadia forever and rule over it, usurping God's power by claiming to be their creator. The other Archangels saw what he was doing and were angry, but they were also afraid of him, and they were more obedient, and stayed in the realms of their respective Moons, using their powers to indirectly help the Arcadians against Michaol, who acted as a tyrant against them.
"However, eventually, God awoke, and when He arose fully rested and saw that Michaol was not with Him, He was angered, terribly so when He saw that Michaol was on Arcadia, presuming His role as their creator. God went down to Arcadia and demanded that Michaol return to the heavens with Him, but Michaol refused, because he liked it where he was. God was then infuriated and demanded again that he return to heaven, lest God unleash His divine powers upon Michaol, but Michaol only laughed and said he was better and more powerful than God, and then struck God to prove his superiority.
"God struck back, and the two proceeded to fight viciously, using all of their power more and more until Arcadia was broken and fragmented around them, nearly destroyed, but still in large pieces. Finally, the other Archangels used their power to aid God, and in that moment, God laid His hands upon Michaol and tore his wings asunder and threw his battered body into the stars among the heavens, where it stayed as a constellation.
"God then looked upon the damage he had wrought in His battle and grieved. However, the six Archangels, led by Ilazki of the Silver Moon, banded together, and they helped God piece Arcadia together again into the world we know today. God charged Ilazki and her people, the Silvites, with watching over the new form of Arcadia and making sure that no one else tried to gain control of it, and then left to make sure Michaol was truly finished, and to continue the creation of the rest of reality, of a universe of countless other stars and planets."
Ramirez took a deep breath, finally finished with the story, and waited for Vyse's reaction. He certainly hoped the rogue appreciated the story; it had dug up all sorts of sorrowful memories...
Vyse was silent for a moment before he quietly said, "I really don't like how that ended."
"That's the original, true form of the legend," Ramirez murmured in reply, slightly irritated. "How does your version go?"
"There are a bunch. The beginning is more or less the same in all versions—the seven Archangels, tons of other normal, unimportant angels, God creating Arcadia and being helped by the Archangels, especially Michaol and Ilazki, telling all the Archangels but Michaol to bind themselves to the Moon, then going to sleep. Some versions say that Michaol helped God out, some say that only Ilazki helped out, some say none of the Archangels helped out, some say God wasn't exhausted but wanted to sleep anyway and took Michaol with Him... Lots of different versions, as I said. My favorite version, the one I grew up on, though, was a version where Michaol was the leader of the Archangels and had this awesome silver sword that could tear through the heavens. It was forged by God and given to Michaol as a sign of trust. Did Michaol have that sword in the original version? I mean, I know you didn't mention it, but you could've forgotten."
"Hm." Ramirez tried to remember, succeeded. "Yes, he did. I forgot about that part because it didn't have any bearing on the story...ironic, that. Anyway, God made a brilliant silver sword, gave it to Michaol, which Michaol used later to oppress the Arcadians. God took it back after he threw Michaol in the sky and gave it to Ilazki instead."
"Yeah, some versions of the legend say that God threw the sword with Michaol into heaven, and others say he gave it to Ilazki," Vyse recalled, nodding. "Anyway, Michaol had that sword, and when God finished creating the world and went to sleep and had Michaol stay with Him, Michaol grew anxious because he was worried about Arcadia. Sure, the other Archangels were watching over it, but they didn't love it like he did, and they weren't close to the living things on Arcadia itself, and he wanted to protect them. So he left without God's permission to travel around Arcadia, and spent centuries there protecting the Arcadians. Ilazki got really pissed at him and told him to return to God, but Michaol refused, saying that he would protect Arcadia with his sword. That was always my favorite part!" Vyse nearly gushed, getting to his feet. "You know, it's 'cause of Michaol that I decided to use swords instead of guns like my dad. Swords just kick ass! And that whole 'I'll protect Arcadia' thing—I really admired him for that. That's just what the strong should do, protect the weak! I mean, what other reason is there for becoming strong?"
Ramirez stared at his companion, blinking in amazement at Vyse's naïveté, but the young air pirate didn't seem to notice. Vyse continued to energetically ramble, a grin on his face and a glint in his eyes, "I want to protect the people I care about too, just like Michaol! I've always thought that way ever since I first heard that legend! But I'm not gonna end up like Michaol did. If you die protecting the people you love, then they'll just get sad over your death! I don't ever want to hurt anyone like that, so I'll protect everyone and make sure I stay alive, too! 'Cause the only one who sees my life to the end is me! I'll never give up, not to anyone!!"
As Vyse strayed further and further off-topic, the young Silvite continued to stare, until he started to smile slightly, closed his eyes and started to laugh.
Vyse halted, his train of thought derailed by the sound of Ramirez's laughter. The strange thing, though, was that it wasn't derisive, sarcastic or cold... It was genuine laughter, quiet but warm, like a patch of morning sunlight. The sound of it surprised Vyse, but after the first few seconds of adjusting to Ramirez, of all people, laughing, he smiled.
"Hey, what's so funny?" he asked, sitting down next to his fellow swordsman.
Ramirez covered his mouth with his left hand, but his shoulders continued to shake for several seconds before he straightened and replied, smiling slightly, "You are. You're such a child, Vyse."
Vyse laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I overdid it a little, huh?"
Still smiling, Ramirez shook his head. "It's all right," he assured him. "Your childlike enthusiasm is...endearing."
The brown-eyed rogue's grin returned. "You really think so? I wouldn't think you'd like that in a person, what with your whole 'the world is out to get me' attitude."
"Innocence is nice, but it usually doesn't last very long," Ramirez replied, his smile beginning to fade. "It's sort of refreshing to see it in someone as old as you."
"It's refreshing for me, too," Vyse smiled warmly, his eyes on the silver-haired young man, "to see that you can appreciate that."
There was a long moment of silence that stretched out between the two, and as Ramirez gazed back at him, he was overcome by a wave of emotion and began to blurt out, "Actually, Vyse, I—"
/I love you./
But was that true anymore? Ramirez found that, even at this close proximity, his chest didn't feel tight, and his face wasn't hot. He felt comfortable, even relaxed, but those signs of his previous affections seemed to be gone. Almost laughing again, Ramirez realized that he'd done it; he had conquered his emotions! He had nearly lost to them a few seconds before, but he stopped himself in time. It wasn't love or anything like that after all; he had been just confused, and seeing Vyse like this had cleared his thoughts. Although Ramirez didn't understand how it made a difference, it seemed to have been the catalyst, and that was good enough for him. He'd defeated himself.
"You what?" Vyse prompted after Ramirez was silent for too long.
"Ah—" With a start, Ramirez realized that he may have stopped himself and conquered his misguided feelings, but he had still started. Thinking quickly, he continued, "I've made my decision. I won't kill you after all." /It may be a bit of weakness on my part, but Vyse isn't really a bad person,/ Ramirez added mentally. /He doesn't need to die. I can devise an alternate solution./
Vyse laughed. "Hey, that's good to hear!" he grinned. "What made you change your mind?"
The Silvite smiled a bit. "This and that," he replied. "Finish your version of the Michaol legend, would you?"
"Oh! Right," the brunet rogue said. "Let's see, was talking about Michaol and Ilazki arguing... Yeah, Michaol said he'd protect Arcadia with his own hands, not watch over them coldly and from a distance like the other Archangels. So Ilazki—I really don't like her for doing this, but she was trying to do what she thought was right, so I can forgive her—went off to wake up God. God came down to Arcadia, saw she was telling the truth, and got all pissed at Michaol, told him to get out of Arcadia. Michaol refused, saying that since he helped create this world, he had a right to help look after it. God then decreed that Michaol was to be cast out of heaven for disobeying his orders, but Michaol said he hadn't done anything wrong and challenged God to a duel. God accepted, and they fought, but since they were so powerful, whenever they swung their weapons, the world around them was destroyed, bit by bit, until it was all in pieces. The legend I was used to never said what Arcadia was like before it was destroyed, so I always assumed it was the same way, by the way.
"Anyway, when Michaol realized that if they kept on fighting, they'd destroy the world, so he threw down his sword and surrendered. God took his sword and threw Michaol out of heaven, but placed his image in the stars out of respect. God then put the world back together with the help of the other Archangels, especially Ilazki, and when it was done, He gave Michaol's sword to Ilazki and told her to take care of it and have the people under her protection wield it responsibly, since, you know, silver sword, Silver Moon, yeah.
"Now, what happened to Michaol in the end, that varies," Vyse continued after a slight pause. "The version I first heard said God damned him, sealed him in the world of the dead at the center of Arcadia and turned him into the King of the Dead. Another version says he still wanders the world even today, and the third that I can recall is the same as your version—God ripped him apart and threw him into the sky, where he turned into a constellation. Either way, it really bothered me that Michaol just wanted to protect Arcadia and God threw him out of heaven for it. I guess with the version you grew up with, what with Michaol being portrayed as an arrogant bastard—I really don't like that, I'm sorry, but it bothers the hell out of me—you aren't going to agree with me, but I'm always going to be on Michaol's side. He really didn't do anything wrong, after all."
As Vyse finished his version of the story, Ramirez couldn't help but smile again. Vyse's sense of indignation and righteousness... They were so pure that Ramirez just knew that he couldn't possibly be faking them. It was...cute, really. With a suppressed chuckle, the silver-haired swordsman realized that he finally understood why people followed Vyse; he was a sincere, pure person, and others could sense that. Even if he was an idiot, and not especially strong, Vyse did have talent and charisma. Even Ramirez himself, who loathed him at the beginning of this journey, couldn't continue to hate him after getting to know him better...
Ramirez hesitated, internally frowning. He liked Vyse. He didn't love him, but he liked him. Vyse was a good person; he really wasn't like the people in Valua, who faked kindness and such to deceive others. Ramirez was certain of that now. However, Vyse was still his enemy, and Ramirez already had set into motion plans to betray him...
He shook his head slightly. He was, for the first time in a very long time, content...perhaps even happy. Ramirez could always dissect the meanings in search of a reason or an excuse in the morning; for now, he could pretend that he and Vyse really could be friends.
"Something wrong?" Vyse inquired, tilting his head slightly to get a better look at Ramirez's face.
"No, not really," Ramirez lied. "I was just thinking about various things. Let's get back to stargazing, okay?"
The young captain smiled and nodded, and the two sat there, looking
up at the stars and talking, anxieties forgotten for the time being,
for hours and hours into the peaceful night.
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.
Ianthe: Fina and Aika will not, I repeat, not become
a shoujo-ai couple later. That would be contrived. Not that we have
anything against it...
Ayu: I like Aika/Fina!
Ianthe: ...but it just doesn't fit with how we've set up the
story. Readers, you do it first.
Ayu: Since Vyse's mom is never given a name in-game, I gave her one: Vasa. Honoring my roots, this is the name of a famous Swedish ship...that, uh, sank on her maiden voyage. Ahem. Also, technically, it's pronounced 'Wasa', but it's spelled 'Vasa', and the normal reader will not be able to tell the difference, so whatthehellever...
The bird...a monochrome cormorant...
Ianthe: Ayu-chan and I had been watching Sailormoon S
when we wrote this (die, Mimet, die!), so that's why it's a cormorant.
And if anyone is complaining, remember that this is a different world,
and here, a cormorant might be an entirely different kind of bird than
what we know.
Ayu: The name Ilazki, which is used for Ramirez's sword as well as the Archangel of the Silver Moon, is taken from the Basque goddess of the moon. Also, when romanized in Japanese, it reads Irazuki, which, with the right kanji, means "thorn moon". Originally Ilazki was just the name of Rami's sword, but since Ianthe-chan and I are lazy, we used the same name for the Archangel of the Silver Moon, too. It still works.
Ayu: The title of this chapter is a line from the serial experiments lain insert song, Kodoku no Signal (Signal of Solitude), by Nakaido "CHABO" Reichi. Full lyrics can be found at my lyrics site, Campus Lyrics!, the link to which you can find below. Also, in this chapter, I hid a song title Easter egg. Find it and earn anime fandom brownie points!
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))
