The Day the Moon Shines
By: deep.Indigo

Chapter 14: Kotoba ni Suru Hodo Kuzurete Yuku
(Enough to Put It Into Words, I am Crumbling)






"It...it's not true," Vyse whispered, still frozen to the spot, staring with anguished eyes at the man he thought was his friend. "Ramirez..."

Ramirez did not turn aside his silvery blade. "In respect of the time we spent together, I'll give you at least the chance to draw your weapons," he said curtly, eyes hard and unrelenting.

Only Fina and Vyse didn't need prompting; Aika indeed had already had her weapon out, starting to form a defensive circle with Enrique against the jeering Valuan soldiers closing in on them. Gilder, having spotted trouble as soon as he saw it, was away from the group, helping the crew members who were still left out in the open get inside to the dock area and fighting off any soldiers that attempted to interfere, but Enrique, Aika, Fina and Vyse were all trapped by their former ally.

"Ramirez, stop!" Fina cried, stepping forward quickly to join Vyse and clasping her hands over her chest. "Why are you doing this?!"

"Fina, don't even bother talking to him!" Aika yelled, the heat from the flaming buildings causing beads of sweat to form on her brow. "He's been the enemy all along!"

"At least one of you understands," the Silvite Admiral commented, expression unchanging. Yes, as the enemy, he could face them without any heartache... "Vyse!" he called. "I am not your friend. I have never been your friend. I told you that again and again, but you never did listen." His smile was cold and empty. "After a while, it simply became easier to pretend to let you have your way. It even worked to my advantage; no matter how suspiciously I acted, you either let it slide or forced yourself not to notice. If you had been paying attention, you wouldn't be as shocked as you are now, would you?"

"It's not true..." the Blue Rogue repeated in a whisper, motionless.

Enrique stepped forward, his rapier at guard position against the soldiers, still waiting for the order to attack. "You obviously had this planned for a while, Ramirez," he said with a quiet frown. "Since Yafutoma, perhaps? When Belleza and Vigoro arrived to 'convince' King Mikado to join Valua."

"Very astute," the Admiral remarked coolly. "Yes, while we were there, I managed to contact Belleza and form this plan with Lord Galcian through her."

Reflecting on it, he was surprised no one had caught on to this, least of all Vyse. In his weakness, he had been dropping hints left and right of his imminent betrayal, yet he heeded them... Well, as he told Vyse just now, one only hears the things one wants to hear when someone one likes is involved.

"So...so everything you've been doing since then..." Fina whispered, her green eyes filling with tears, "was it just to fool us? Did you mean any of the kind things you said? Ramirez..."

The Admiral would have loved to have told her the truth about everything, about the Elders, about their mission, about the Crystals and the Rains of Destruction, and about her so-called love for him. He did not gloat often, but it was always so satisfying when he did. However, he chose, this time, to be succinct.

"Fina..." Ramirez said quietly, his emerald eyes boring into hers. "I have always hated you."

She took a step backwards, looking for all the world as if he had just backhanded her out of the blue. "Ramirez..." the pale blonde young lady squeaked, on the verge of bursting into tears. "It's not—"

"IT'S NOT TRUE!!" the brunet rogue interrupted with a scream, finally breaking out of his trance-like state of shock. Throwing his arms out and looking at the silver-haired young man pleadingly, Vyse beseeched, "Ramirez, it's not true, right?! You weren't deceiving me all this time, right?!"

Ramirez's laugh was hollow and scornful, and the Valuan soldiers around him snickered as well at the pirate's denial. "Vyse, take a good, long look around you," he commanded, "and ask me that again."

"How..." he whispered, then took a step forward and demanded, tortured, "How could you? How could you lie to me like that?! I believed in you!!"

How...how could you lie to me like that?!

The Silvite's eyes widened slightly as the familiarity of those words struck home. This was...this was just like that time...

/No! It's not!!/ he scolded himself, shaking his head once. /This is different from when Admiral Mendosa betrayed me. He was wrong, forcing the Ixa'takans to longer hours simply to make a personal profit; I'm doing this for Lord Galcian, for the good of this world. I'm not the same as that man!!/

He closed a mental door on the nagging doubt that perhaps, in spite of his loyalties and vows, this wasn't the right thing to do, that he was doing the wrong thing not just by betraying Vyse but by returning to one who demanded that he destroy someone who was not a bad or—naïveté aside—weak person. Turning back was not an option; it never had been.

"Enough of this," he growled, glaring at the brunet pirate. Pointing his blade outwards to aim directly at Vyse, Ramirez commanded, "Attack!"

Everyone reacted at once—the Valuan soldiers stormed in to obey the order, Enrique and Aika moved to engage them, Fina quickly followed suit in spite of her emotional distress, and Vyse swiftly drew his cutlasses to block Ramirez's charge. It really was like a nightmare—he hadn't seen that hateful mask of an expression on the silver-haired swordsman's face in a long time.

"Why did you betray me?!" Vyse wanted to shout as he barely blocked another vicious attack, but he merely gritted his teeth and slashed at the Silvite. He didn't want to hurt Ramirez, but he was no fool—the Silvite was definitely aiming to kill him. Hadn't he said so yesterday? 'My instinct is to kill, Vyse, and when I draw my sword, that intent is never far from my mind.' Yeah, that blade was definitely naked, and Ramirez sure as hell didn't look like he was playing around.

The sixth Admiral of the Armada dodged the thrust, hitting the cutlass with Ilazki and sending it wide, then lunging forward. The tip of his blade met the flat of Vyse's other cutlass, and metal sang on metal as Ramirez forced his opponent back.

Vyse, who managed to avoid getting stabbed through the chest, fell back and sliced the air as he brought his cutlasses into a guard position before him, intending to counterattack when Ramirez next struck. Instead of egging him on, though, as he normally did when he used that technique, the captain of the Delphinus yelled, less a question than a confirmation of something they both already knew, "You're really trying to kill me!!"

Ramirez didn't answer, instead choosing to narrow his eyes in brief contemplation of his next move. As he stood there, Vyse continued, "Were you really manipulating me all this time?! Did you really take advantage of me?!"

Silence was the Silvite's only reply, lowering Ilazki slightly to glare at the pirate.

"Were you laughing at me all along?!" the brown-haired Blue Rogue yelled, perspiration beading on his face, hoping in spite of recent experience that Ramirez would say that he did care about him, that he would not have done this if it weren't for Galcian, for whatever, as long as he said something to let him know he hadn't been completely mistaken! "Thinking, 'Vyse, it's a good thing you're such a trusting idiot, or else my job would be a lot harder'?!"

"You're quite perceptive all of a sudden," Ramirez remarked in a neutral tone, and Vyse's heart shattered. The Admiral then leaned back slightly, his sword hanging back behind him a little with its point to the ground, and waves of magic began to swell around him. Half-clutching his left hand at his side, he raised that hand to his right shoulder, his elbow even with his left shoulder, as he chanted, "Moons, give me strength." Ramirez then thrust his palm forward and straightened his posture, shouting, "Drilnos!!"

The golden light of the Yellow Moon surged through the battlefield, and the Air Pirate didn't have to turn around to see that his friends had been affected just as he had been by the spell, which weakened his defensive stance.

The young Admiral quickly advanced and thrust, and Vyse, whose concentration for his counterattack had been broken by the spell, only barely managed to force the attack aside enough to make it only score a slash across the side of his ribs rather than through them. As he stumbled back, desperately blocking Ramirez's expert swings and only managing to deflect the strikes that would have meant certain death, he was reminded of their match yesterday. The Silvite's fighting style now was both like and unlike how he had fought then, and were he not distracted, he might have been able to pinpoint exactly what the differences were. As it were, he was too busy with keeping out the death strikes, even as his strength trickled out bead by bead from the wounds multiplying across his body.

The crack of falling wood diverted his attention for a split-second, one that cost him. With a snarl, Ramirez charged and slashed, sending the rogue flying back and crashing in the dirt with a cry of pain.

Knowing his life depended on it, Vyse flipped back up onto his feet to move into a guard position, but he didn't know how much more he could take without a Sacres crystal or spell; right now, he was sweating, bleeding and breathing heavily. If he tried to heal himself, Ramirez would use the opportunity while he wasn't defending himself to take him out. He didn't know how Enrique and the others were doing, but he had to assume that they were busy fighting those soldiers and couldn't spare the time to heal him.

/Shit,/ Vyse swore mentally. Ramirez's next attack might be his last one, especially if he used a special move...

/Wait. A special move?/ He narrowed his brown eyes slightly. /Right! If I can get a good Pirate's Wrath in, then maybe I might have a chance.../ That was, of course, assuming that Ramirez didn't finish him off first, but he had to be optimistic. The brunet rogue defended himself as best he could as the Silvite approached unhurriedly, gritting his teeth as he glared up at the image of Death with wavering eyes, praying to the Moons that something, somehow, distracted or delayed his next attack.

And somehow, his prayers were answered. Ramirez lifted his silvery blade, but hesitated as he looked upon the rogue, a troubled emotion Vyse couldn't identify clouding his face. It broke with shock, and the Silvite took a step backwards, as if he had just seen something frightening. The Air Pirate furrowed his brows in confusion, but he wasn't one to pass up an opportunity, and he prepared his S-move.

Before he could attack, though, three things happened at once. Not too far to his right, he heard Aika and Fina yell out spells at the same time—and then felt the effects of the healing Sacrum and power-boosting Incremus course through his body. Almost immediately afterwards, a Valuan soldier also chanted the incantation for an Incremus, and Ramirez, too, glowed red as his power increased. He glanced at the girls with a grin of thanks, seeing the green and red lights surround them and Enrique as well as they moved back into position to defend themselves against the soldiers—who numbered fewer than he last remembered, he saw.

Turning with a grim frown at his former friend, Vyse raised his right cutlass with a fierce battle cry, lightning bolts gathering at the tip. Ramirez began to cast another spell, but the spiral of wind that coursed out from Vyse interrupted his concentration, and with a snarl of, "Pirate's Wrath!!" the Air Pirate released his sword chi at the Admiral. It hit him full in front, knocking him back but not down, hurting him badly but not so much that he was out of the fight—far from it. Ramirez paused only to briefly touch a bleeding head wound before narrowing his eyes at Vyse and advancing forward.

Seeing a chance to seize the offensive advantage, Vyse charged with a battle yell, thrusting with both cutlasses. Ramirez blocked them both, but the ferocity of the pirate's attack surprised him, and even he with his skill had to place his left hand on Ilazki's handle to keep his ground.

Now standing nearly face-to-face with the silver-haired swordsman, the Blue Rogue growled as he poured all his strength into pushing his blades forward and forcing the Silvite Admiral back, "So none of it really meant anything to you? Any of the time we spent together? You told me I was the closest friend you'd ever had! Was that just a lie to get me to put my guard down?!"

"What you're essentially asking is why I chose to betray you," Ramirez stated flatly, green eyes as cold and flat as the silvery metal of his blade. "I'll tell you, then. In comparison to Lord Galcian, Vyse, you are..." he threw his weight into his attack and forced Vyse back with a sweep of his blade, "...insignificant!"

So said the façade of ice. Pulsing beneath it was a hot palpitation screaming to be released, to stop this madness before Ramirez did something he would always regret, to give up, to accept his punishment...

Ramirez knew, though, that no matter what he did, it was too late.

Vyse stumbled back and moved into a guard position; behind him, Aika and Fina ran up to join him.

"Vyse, we're here to back you up!" the orange-haired girl yelled, stepping up with her boomerang ready to fly. "We got rid of those other Valuan guys, no problem, so we thought you could use a hand!"

"Thanks," the brunet rogue smiled, however grimly. "Where're the others?"

"Enrique went to help Gilder get everyone else to safety," Fina told him, Cupil orbiting her head. She turned her gaze to Ramirez sorrowfully, but said nothing to him.

The captain of the Delphinus faced the Silvite Admiral once again. "You're outnumbered," he stated, "and you're running out of soldiers to help you. Do you still want to fight us?"

Ramirez merely narrowed his eyes without a word, holding his sword guardedly.

"Ramirez, it's still not too late," Fina pleaded, stepping out into the open. "You can't possibly have meant what you said just now!"

The Silvite swordsman's blood curdled with rage at her point-blank refusal to accept the truth. "What if I killed you, Fina?" he inquired, his tone glacial. "Would you believe I meant it then?"

"I—" she began, but it was too late. With a short sigh, he had covered his eyes with his left hand.

"Where there is light..." he began, sliding that hand down his murderous face, "...there is darkness."

He stepped forward, and the trio tensed, but he hadn't taken three steps before his form shimmered and disappeared.

"What the hell?!" Vyse shouted, twisting around to search for his vanished enemy. "Where did he go?!"

Around them, though they could not see him anywhere, they heard Ramirez call out, "Sword of the Dark Moon!"

Fina gave out a strangled gasp, covering her mouth in terror.

"What?! What is it?!" Aika demanded, alarmed both by her reaction and the shnking noises slicing past them, though they still saw and felt nothing.

"This technique—!" the young Silvite lady choked. "It's one of Ramirez's strongest attacks, known as the Silver Eclipse!!" Turning to her friends, she cried, "Aika, Vyse, be careful!!"

Her warning was too little, too late, however, as Ramirez reappeared in a silvery shimmer and swung his sword one last time.

Silver light like a sword slash surrounded the three and tore through their bodies, sending blood spraying from their gashing wounds. With screams of pain, Vyse, Aika and Fina collapsed, completely at the Admiral's mercy...of which, of course, he had none.

Ramirez remained where he stood for a moment, gazing out at the night sky beyond the flames, letting heat waves run through his hair like the wind. "Vyse," he said quietly after a moment, as a pair of Valuan reinforcements climbed down from the Monoceros, hovering overhead, via rope ladder. "Last night, I had a nightmare." The Silvite glanced behind him at the brunet pirate, who was struggling to lift himself from the ground. "You were in it."

"Glad to hear it," Vyse hissed through gritted teeth, managing by way of propping himself up with his cutlasses to get to his feet, however unsteadily.

The Admiral ignored the comment as his men landed around the trio. There was no way they would be able to survive this, he knew... He would kill them all, just as he was meant to do. No matter how heartlessly he tried to treat the pirate, though, in facing the end, he felt he had to say something...

"In that nightmare," Ramirez continued, "...you died. And you died, and then you died." He glanced back over his shoulder. "And then you overpowered me. However..." The Silvite then turned to face the Blue Rogue, and finished, "that was just a dream." He lifted Ilazki and tilted the blade to reflect the firelight and crimson moonlight, which mixed with the blood dripping from its razor edges to create a premonition realized. "This...is reality."

With a snarl, Vyse leapt forward and attacked Ramirez out of desperation—he couldn't afford to lose here, now! He had to at least protect Fina and Aika! With those sentiments surging and strengthening his willpower, he struck the first time, slashed the second, was blocked the third and fourth. Leaping up, both cutlasses poised to tear into Ramirez's flesh, the captain of the Delphinus screamed, "CUTLASS FURY!!"

Having had two out of four attacks score a hit, Ramirez was not about to allow the attack without a fight back. It was more out of reaction than any preconceived tactic, however, that he glanced up with gritted teeth at the bloodied rogue hurtling down to assail and raised Ilazki to greet him on his way.

"VYSE, NOOOOO!!" Aika and Fina shrieked, the former, having forced herself to her feet, running two steps before she collapsed.

The Blue Rogue sank onto the blade with a sickening tearing noise up until his torso met the hilt. The pain, both physical and emotional, was unspeakable, and the expression of horror he knew was on his face could only be matched by the one he saw through hazy vision on Ramirez's.

Ramirez buckled slightly, having to take a step backwards to steady himself, as the Air Pirate nearly landed on him, neatly run through. He stared at the brunet, who miraculously landed on his feet, as he stumbled backward, letting the silver blade slide gently out from his guts. The hit, through sheer luck, had pierced low on Vyse's left side, which meant that it hadn't punctured any major organs, but panic suffused itself through Ramirez anyway. Having been run through with that amount of force, it was likely that Vyse would die anyway unless he found immediate medical attention.

But—that was what he wanted! That was what Lord Galcian wanted—Vyse's death, so that the troublesome Air Pirate couldn't meddle in their plots any longer!

Jade eyes wide and trembling, Ramirez realized, the reformed ice on his heart cracking into three pieces, that he deeply wanted Vyse to live.

He stepped forward quickly, wrapping an arm around the Blue Rogue's shoulders and steadying him as he tilted dangerously. The young ship captain glanced up at the Silvite with eyes sliding in and out of focus, and choked out, "Ra...mi..."

The last of his consciousness slipping away from him, Vyse collapsed and sagged against the one who had aimed for his life, his cutlasses slipping out of his grip.

Ramirez's tormented affection for Vyse won over common sense and his better judgment for the moment; he knew he had to act quickly if he wanted to save the dying rogue. Striking lightning-quick on a reasonable excuse, the Silvite glanced sharply at the Valuan soldiers advancing on Aika and Fina to finish them off.

"You two," he called with the force of a command, grabbing their attentions immediately. "Forget the girls. Take Vyse aboard the Monoceros and see that someone attends to his wounds properly. Be quick about it—he won't last for long in this condition, and be careful. He has enough holes in him already."

"Sir?" one soldier queried, confused.

"We are taking him alive, as my prisoner," Ramirez explained flatly, narrowing his eyes. "So do not make me repeat myself."

If the assassin soldiers had any other questions, they wisely held their tongues. They simply took the rogue's body and, prompted by a sharp glance from their superior, the dropped cutlasses, and began to drag them all up the still hanging ladders.

The redheaded pirate girl stood again, her knees quavering, tears streaming down her bloodstained cheeks. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Ramirez?!" she sobbed, her brown eyes twisted with fury and fear. Behind her, with the looming threat of the soldiers gone, Fina began to chant a Sacrum spell.

"Careful," Ramirez replied coldly. "I have no reason to take you prisoner. Executing you here and now indeed would probably be the best course of action."

"Then kill me!!" the boomerang-user snapped, her health beginning to return as the green magic surrounded her. "But don't you dare take Vyse away from us!!"

"Unfortunately, I'm not asking your opinion in the matter," the Admiral stated callously. He glanced at Ilazki; there wasn't a cloth handy to wipe off the blood, so he slashed the air and let the crimson liquid fly off before returning the blade to its silver-colored sheath. "Your lives are not worth the time it would take to extinguish them."

Aika gritted her teeth, joined by Fina, who stood by her side. "You...you bastard," she hissed, her fists clenched as tightly as rock oysters.

Unfazed by the redhead's insult, Ramirez instead focused his attention on the sound of cannon-fire issuing not from the Serpens or the Monoceros, but from the Delphinus. Enrique and Gilder must have boarded it and set sail to drive them off... His ship was hit, and Lord Galcian's warship moved to intercept it.

Cursing silently to himself, he flexed his left hand. He didn't have the time to claim Fina's Silver Crystal, much less reveal to her the truth of which she was so nauseatingly uninformed. No matter; he still had his Silvite ship, and it would be far more satisfyingly ironic to murder one of the Elders for his Crystal shard, anyway.

He smirked mirthlessly at his childhood friend. "Fina," he said quietly, yet powerfully. "I find the very continuation of your existence detestable. However, if I can make you suffer, I'm willing to let you live a little while longer." Grabbing hold of the remaining rope ladder and signaling for the Monoceros to take off, he called down as he rose into the air, "Wait for it, Fina! You'll wish I had killed you just now!!"

"Shrivel up and die, you BASTARD!!" Aika snarled as Fina collapsed to her knees in tears, hurling her projectile towards him. Though it moved swiftly, Ramirez still struck out with Ilazki, sheathed, and sent the boomerang careening back down to the island like a bird with its neck broken, to land impotently in the spring.

Eyes glittering with malice, Ramirez shouted, "You should feel thankful that I'm in such a merciful mood tonight!!"

Unable to do anything and knowing it, Aika released the air in her lungs in the loudest shriek of hatred she could manage, then fell to her knees, sobbing and pounding the scorched earth with her fist. "Vyse!!" she yelled through her tears, already worried sick about her best friend. Reaching for the Monoceros, as if she could somehow reach it in spite of everything, the redhead screamed in grief and rage, "VYYYYYYYYSE!!!"

Her only answer was her own voice echoing through the night, as the two Valuan warships briefly fought with the Delphinus, and then retreated toward the horizon.

Aika had only just begun to recover through the sheer power of her stubbornness, though Fina was still a wreck, when Gilder and Enrique came running twenty minutes later, after the Delphinus had stood watch in case the warships returned, docked and unloaded.

"Aika, what the hell happened here?!" the older Blue Rogue demanded, concerned and alarmed by the state the girls were in as well as the liberal amounts of blood on the ground. "Where's the kid?!"

The orange-haired girl stood shakily, her cheeks bright red and blotchy with tears. "Ramirez," she spat, despising the man with all her being. "That...that... He took... Gildeeer!!" She sobbed anew as she ran forward and flung herself into the stunned Air Pirate's arms. "Gilder, he took Vyse!!"

Enrique, who was helping Fina to her feet, glanced sharply at the traumatized pirate girl, blue eyes wide with bewilderment. "Ramirez kidnapped Vyse?" he repeated, astonished. "But...why? Why didn't he just kill him?"

Aika merely shook her head to indicate that she didn't know any better than he did, her face buried in the dirty-blond pirate's ruffled shirt.

"I think," Gilder said, his voice and expression both uncharacteristically but appropriately grim as he comforted the distraught redhead, "that we'd better get everyone fixed up and sort out what the hell just happened, and then figure out what we're doing next, because even if Vyse isn't dead now, once they get him inside Valua, he will be."

There was not a word or motion of dissent among the other three.



When Ramirez reached the deck of the Monoceros, his concern for the Air Pirate jumped; there was a good deal of blood slopped haphazardly about. He bit back a snarl; clearly, in spite of his express orders, those two soldiers had not been especially gentle with his injured body. The silver-haired swordsman strode inside the battleship, muttering a Sacres spell as he walked and letting it heal some of his injuries. Reaching the bridge, he was greeted by his Vice-Captain, Lucreze, a man of only decent skill and intelligence but excellent propensity for fulfilling orders precisely and without question or argument.

"Lord Ramirez, sir!" he said sharply, saluting and falling in line behind the Silvite as he marched up to the Captain's position of the bridge. "You're injured?"

"It's nothing," the Admiral snapped in reply. "I have had the leader of the Air Pirates, Vyse, taken prisoner. I commanded those who took him on board to seek proper treatment for his wounds, but if they were too incompetent to follow my instructions not to aggravate his injuries, then I doubt they were competent enough to have him healed."

"Sir, I have actually already received word from the soldiers in question," Lucreze replied respectfully. "The Air Pirate should be in the medical ward on the third level, but I will send someone to confirm his condition immediately."

"Once you have done so, send a request for open communications to the Serpens," Ramirez commanded curtly.

"Yes, sir!" Lucreze saluted before faithfully and speedily fulfilling his orders. As he went, the Admiral turned to the crew below.

"Prepare defensive and evasive maneuvers against the Delphinus," he addressed his men without emotion. "I have no intentions of getting in a drawn-out battle with them."

With a chorus of assenting voices, the crew of the Monoceros prepared to make Ramirez's instructions a reality. The Silvite Admiral stood above them, gazing out at the Delphinus and Serpens exchanging fire as he quickly formulated the best, most believable story to present Lord Galcian. It would have to be a damn good one to convince the Grand Admiral why he captured the Blue Rogue rather than killed him...

Like a battle plan, the tactical genius mapped out his words, drawing upon his knowledge of and experience with Vyse and his crewmates and twisting it when necessary to create a perfectly reasonable strategy worthy of if he had had it in mind the entire time. By the time communications had been opened, he had a full, if not completely detailed, stratagem planned out, and prepared to speak with his lord.

"Lord Galcian, this is Ramirez," the Silvite spoke in the radio transmitter before the captain's seat. "I respectfully request that we leave Crescent Isle and return to Valua."

The radio crackled and came alive, and Galcian's surprisingly clear voice sounded. "Well met, Ramirez. I assume you have a good explanation for this request."

"Of course," the Silvite replied neutrally. Very calm, very calm, no need to be suspicious... "I have taken Vyse, the leader of the Air Pirate rebels, captive. He is, as I have observed during my time among them, a sort of pillar to the rest of the pirates—they look to him for leadership, guidance and support. Without him, they would not be able to function." It's not a lie, it's not a lie, every reason to believe... "As opposed to giving them a swift, merciful end now, I thought it appropriate to separate them from their leader and send them down a spiral of despair before they meet their end along with any others that oppose us, as punishment for daring to rise against us in the first place."

"This is your own personal revenge as well, isn't it, Ramirez?" Galcian surmised, but since he sounded amused rather than stern, the sixth Admiral decided to let him think so.

"If I may be so bold, my lord, for acting so selfishly without your permission," Ramirez stated politely, being completely honest for the first time.

"No, I approve. You have performed admirably in face of being surrounded by the enemy and apart from me," Galcian replied, his tone indicating he had never expected anything less. "Excellent work, Ramirez."

The white-haired youth acknowledged this undeserved praise with an intense feeling of anxiety and guilt that sank from his gullet to his guts. "You are too kind, my lord."

"Order your ship to withdraw," the Grand Admiral said then, after a shell struck the Serpens. "We will continue this conversation shortly, once we are a respectable distance away."

"Yes, my lord," Ramirez murmured. As he did so, the true weight of what he had done began to press on him. Certainly, he had saved Vyse's life by lending him the superior medical aid available on the Monoceros—magic alone wouldn't be able to save him, not with wounds that bad, and Ramirez knew there was no one on Crescent Isle with the ability to treat him—but at the same time, he had condemned him to certain death by execution. There was no possible way Ramirez could release him—doing so purposely would mean breaking his vows to Lord Galcian, and that was simply not an option. ...Yet hadn't he done that just now, by blurring the truth? Yes, Vyse was like a pillar to the others, but they would not give up or lose hope simply because he was gone. They would do anything in their power to try to save him, just as he would do in return. He had essentially lied to Lord Galcian. Hadn't he already broken his vow?

No, not broken, merely cracked—a crack that could be easily repaired, with Lord Galcian never knowing the difference. He would know, though, Ramirez fretted, and he would always have that hanging over him...

In addition, even now that the moment had passed, the Silvite still did not want the Blue Rogue to die whatsoever. Just as he couldn't break his oath, he couldn't let Vyse get killed. Ramirez could see no way to reconcile the two contradictory desires...

You know deep down inside that you're just as dirty as the Arcadians you despise. What's wrong with getting dirtier, then? Take what you want, Ramirez! Be it gold, power, justice, destruction, or even Vyse himself!

The words from his dream last night returned to haunt his thoughts. Ramirez understood that dreams were a reflection of the subconscious, a way for hidden feelings to emerge... Was it possible that his mind was telling him that dallying with the handsome rogue was a certain way to become, as the King of Diamonds had said, dirty? But he had spoken of collecting strength and power in the same manner as collecting gold and wealth...

The Silvite bit back a frustrated sigh; it wouldn't do to show any weakness in front of his inferiors.

"Ramirez," the radio crackled again; in his musings, Ramirez hadn't noticed how far they had gone already.

"Yes, Lord Galcian?" he responded.

"What do you intend to do with the Air Pirate?"

That was a difficult question to answer, since the Silvite had yet to plot out that part. He decided again to twist truthfulness, and answered, "I am not entirely sure yet, my lord; I have had a few different thoughts. Currently, he is in the medical ward; either way, he will only be of use to us alive."

"Tell me some of your ideas."

"Yes, sir," Ramirez replied, thinking quickly. "The Empire wishes for his head; I had thought that perhaps it would make a suitable farewell gift."

Galcian chuckled. "That it would," he agreed, "but I doubt you would glean any personal satisfaction from that."

"It is not a solution I find tasteful," Ramirez replied, amazed at how truthful he continued to be. "Another thought I had was to simply hold him hostage, in case the Air Pirates manage, on some off-chance, to pull themselves together long enough to attempt a rescue."

"In that case, it would be simpler merely to kill him and ensure that he can never escape again," Galcian reflected, causing Ramirez to stiffen. "He is, as he has proved in the past, far too skilled at that."

"That he is," the Silvite agreed in a controlled voice.

"What else do you have?"

Ramirez hesitated. "There is..." he said with some difficulty, because he had no other ideas, "...one more. I do not know if it is worth mentioning, however..."

"I shall be the judge of that. I respect all of your suggestions, Ramirez, so speak."

"Thank you, my lord," he murmured. He thought fleetingly of his duel yesterday with Vyse, and seizing upon that, the young Admiral began, "Vyse is...not weak."

"Go on," Galcian prompted.

"He shows potential for rivaling even my strength, one day," Ramirez continued, not wanting to insult his superior by putting the Air Pirate on his level. "I have confirmed this personally and through careful observation, m'lord. Because of that, I had thought it a shame to waste such promise..."

"Should he work against us, then that promise will only be a threat to us," the senior Admiral promptly replied. "If even you will acknowledge his power, though—you, Ramirez, who were humiliated by him—then his capability must indeed be great. Tell me, what is the likelihood of him swearing himself to me in exchange for his life, or perhaps the safety of his crew...and then the probability of keeping himself bound to that oath?"

That was the problem; Vyse would never, under any circumstances, ally himself with the Grand Admiral, and Ramirez knew it all too well. "Vyse is loyal," he chose to respond first, "fiercely so, sometimes. If it were for a friend, I believe there is nothing he would not do. However, even he has his limits. I..." He hesitated. If he told Lord Galcian that Vyse would never join him, it would be the same as piercing the rogue's chest by his own hand. But...he couldn't lie directly, not to the man who had been his mentor. He just couldn't. "I do not believe he would ever willingly swear himself to you, my lord."

"He is useless, then," Galcian said dismissively, confirming Ramirez's greatest fears. "I have no use for anyone who may betray me."

The Silvite tried to answer that, but found he couldn't. The comment had struck far too close to his heart.

"We will, as you first suggested, present him to Empress Teodora for execution," the powerful swordsman continued.

"Yes, m'lord," Ramirez murmured.

There was a pause. "However," Galcian added slyly.

"Yes, m'lord?" the young swordsman queried, knowing better than to hope.

"As we discussed earlier, the Air Pirate Vyse has proved extremely apt at escaping from even the most heavily guarded of prisons," the Grand Admiral said smoothly. "I know you are not happy with handing him over to the Empire, especially now that we are this close to the fruition of my plans, and have no real reason to cater to the Empress' desires any longer. If the Air Pirate attempts to break out before you reach Valua, well..." He chuckled. "You can hardly be faulted with having to executing him personally to prevent his flight, can you?"

It was quite a convenient loophole, and the thought of how it very neatly cut off all of his options made Ramirez's blood freeze. He truly was trapped... There was no decision forthwith he could make that would not damn him in some way.

/What...what can I do...?/ he wondered despairingly, even as he neutrally answered, "Understood, Lord Galcian."

"I will return to the Grand Fortress to speak with the other Admiral about what will occur from here on," the Grand Admiral continued. "Your presence, though desired, is not required; I understand that you will have several issues of your own to sort through. From there, I will be heading from here on to Dangral Island for a thorough inspection," he continued. "At your earliest convenience, sail to the Grand Fortress and meet me there, where I will brief you on what has happened in your absence. I assume you still recall what we are searching for in Deep Sky, so I will not pursue that subject. I leave the matter of the Air Pirate in your hands, so do whatever you deem appropriate."

"Understood, m'lord. I'll do so."

Communications cut out, leaving Ramirez feeling empty and drained. Lucreze, who had rejoined him by then, looked expectantly at him for his next orders. Restraining his growing depression, the Silvite obliged him with, "Set course for Valua."

"There is a particularly violent storm to the north currently, which blew in as we first sailed here," the vice-captain calmly informed him. "We will have to take the long way around the mountains. Is that all right, sir?"

Ramirez replied frigidly, "Is there any other choice? We can take our time. I am in no hurry, after all." He stepped past Lucreze and continued, "I'm retiring for the night to take care of personal business. Find an inconspicuous place to drop anchor, and allow the soldiers to rest and recover; we will set sail in thirty-six hours. As for the Air Pirate Vyse, once he is healed, set up sleeping arrangements for him in a high security cell and lock him up there. Make sure a warm meal is ready for him when he awakens, and that he actually eats what he is served; it won't do for him to starve before he can be brought to Valua. Post guards both inside and outside the room. Have them understand that they are not to interact with the prisoner beyond what is strictly necessary. Have his weapons and anything that was found on his person during treatment delivered to my quarters. Anyone who attempts to pilfer anything will answer personally to me."

"Yes, sir," the helmeted vice-captain saluted.

Pressing a hand to his left temple, which was now flaked with dried blood, Ramirez left the bridge, making a few more healing spells and a shower his first priorities. Vyse would still be unconscious for a while more, and aside from that, he needed time to recover; there wasn't yet a need to check up on him. Thirty-six hours until they set sail, and then the trip back to Valua would take at least two days from here, now that the shortest route was blocked. That gave him three nights and four days to think of something before they reached the Grand Fortress.

First things first, though. With a sigh, he made his way to his personal quarters.



A dull ache pounded at the back of his head as his eyelids twitched and began to flutter open. Somebody was talking, arguing?, with someone else not too far away to his right. He didn't recognize either voice. With a small moan, Vyse let his head fall in that direction, wondering what the hell was going on, and saw through bleary eyes two fitted Valuan soldiers conversing in front of a thick steel door.

"—bullshit, it is!" the one on the left was saying heatedly. "That damn Air Pirate's a menace! Why is Lord Ramirez wasting good food on him?!"

"Don't let him hear you say that," the second one said warningly. "I agree with you, it's a waste, but it's Lord Ramirez's orders, so we don't have any place to question them, unless you want to lose your life. Besides, the Blue Rogue will be taken to Valua in four or five days, and then he'll be executed shortly after. Even if he is a threat to the Empire, he's still human. He deserves a few good meals before he dies."

That woke up Vyse very well; there weren't many other Blue Rogues they could be discussing. Letting the covers fall from his bandaged chest as he pulled himself from his cot, the chocolate brown-haired youth threw his bare feet out onto the cold metal floor. He attempted to stand, but his wounds were still fresh, and with an aggravated wince, he fell back onto the cot.

The actions did not go unnoticed. Both guards were now watching him with pointed silence. The right-hand guard grabbed a standing tray next to him and carried it to the Blue Rogue, setting it before him. On it was a glass of milk—well, water and powdered milk, Vyse assumed—a large chunk of grain bread, and a covered bowl with a soup spoon over a napkin beside it.

When Vyse glanced up at the soldier warily, the soldier stated simply, "Eat."

"If I refuse?" the Blue Rogue ventured.

"Lord Ramirez has ordered us to make sure you eat," he replied stiffly. "So eat."

/Well, if I'm being brought to Valua for execution, he's probably not going to poison me in the meantime,/ Vyse reasoned grimly, and submitted, removing the tin covering from the bowl to reveal steaming tomato soup. The soldier returned to his post at the door while the rogue kept his eyes on the two suspiciously and grudgingly dug in, resolving to question the Valuans after he finished eating.

Although the meal was filling, his attempts at conversation didn't leave him nearly so satisfied, and after it was made very clear that the guards had weapons and armor, and he—wearing his usual black pants, chest and arm bandages, and nothing else—definitely did not, Vyse laid himself down on his cot and folded his arms behind his head, ignoring the twinges of pain that resulted, with a scowl at the ceiling.

All in all, it looked as if he'd made a huge judgment error, and he was going to pay for it with his life. He was especially frustrated to know that what Ramirez had said before was right: he should have seen this coming. Aika, his father, and even the Silvite himself had all warned him that Ramirez's allegiances were with Galcian alone. There had been so many clues he should have pieced together, and that he did piece together now with the power of hindsight. All those little comments, those things he did, that would have raised alarms in the heads of anyone who wasn't so determined to believe in someone who was plotting to betray them...

/How could I have been so damn stupid?!/ Vyse swore, clenching a fist. His only hope was that Aika and the others would come to save him, because in this situation, there wasn't a thing he could do except wait.

That hurt. It all hurt... The sword wounds on his body, the fact that his so-called friend had inflicted them on him, the fact that he'd been duped so completely, the fact that Ramirez still did this even after Vyse had offered to trust him without reserve, the fact that all his efforts had amounted to nothing, the fact that he had had his wings not just clipped but effectively sheared off...

/Ramirez.../ the Blue Rogue mentally whispered, shutting his eyelids tightly.

He didn't know how much time had passed, much less when he dozed off again, but the next thing he knew, the sound of heavy steel locks being undone and the cell door creaking open jolted him into consciousness. His head swimming, but at least not aching as it had been when he'd first awakened, the captive stared at the guards huddled at the door and murmuring something he couldn't clearly hear from here.

/Looks like they're just getting the food tray from before out of here,/ Vyse observed glumly, but he thought too soon. The guards indeed were performing that exchange, but when they glanced back at him and parted, the Blue Rogue sat up bolt-straight—

Walking in at an even pace between the guards was Ramirez.

He looked more or less the same as usual, the distinct differences being the wicked-looking sword at his left hip and the dark expression on his face. His emerald eyes were fixed on Vyse, but when he had taken four long strides into the room, he glanced back at the guards.

"Leave us," he commanded, his voice like a plume of ice.

"Sir, but..." one startled soldier began.

Ramirez narrowed his eyes dangerously. "Do you think," he said even more frigidly than before, "that I cannot defend myself against one unarmed man? One whom I've already defeated?"

"My apologies, Lord Ramirez," the soldier amended hastily, quick to scurry out.

The Silvite Admiral returned his gaze to his captive. "Shut the door, but leave it unlocked," he added curtly to the remaining soldier. "The Air Pirate cannot get past me and he knows it."

Vyse, who had been glaring with doleful brown eyes at the apparently heartless swordsman, averted his gaze to the side.

This soldier knew enough not to say anything. "Yes, Lord Ramirez," he saluted, and left, following the sixth Admiral's orders as he went.

Vyse kept his eyes on the floor as he waited for Ramirez to say the first word. He didn't trust himself not to start yelling, and considering his position, that definitely wasn't something he wanted to do. The Blue Rogue noticed belatedly that the rest of his clothes were folded neatly at the foot of his bed with his goggle on top, next to his boots; he wondered if they'd always been there, or if they'd been put there after he'd fallen asleep.

He glanced, sweating slightly, up at the intimidating Silvite. It was especially worse when Ramirez was standing and he was sitting, because then he lost his height advantage... Why was he just standing there? What the hell did he want? With an irritated sigh, Vyse sat up straight again and, glaring back at him, asked brusquely, "What?"

The silver-haired Admiral still didn't reply at first, although his eyes did flicker with some emotion—melancholy? /But that couldn't be it,/ Vyse knew; /it doesn't make sense. All his plans have gone just the way he wanted; what's he have to be sad about?/

Vyse had no way of knowing that that was precisely why Ramirez was tumbling down a spiral of despair not unlike the one he had claimed the Air Pirate's friends would travel. Looking at the injured rogue now only served to remind him of what he was doing, and how, even though it was, according to Lord Galcian, the right thing to do, he felt utterly miserable about it. And no matter how much he tried to deny it, the entire situation had a feel similar to back then...

He had slammed his hands down on the table, facing Admiral Mendosa, who sat opposite him with a politely bewildered stare. The guards surrounding him also stared at Ramirez, as if wondering what in the Moons had gotten into the usually quiet and polite young man.

"M'lord!" the recently inducted soldier had cried. "Is...is it true? Is it true about the Moonstones?! And the Ixa'takan slaves?!"

Mendosa's smirk was rueful, but it nonetheless did nothing to assuage his fears. "I won't lie to you," he began, and the Silvite youth's hopes raised a little before they crashed and burned as the Admiral continued, "Yes, it is true." He shrugged slightly, still smirking. "But, what's the problem? Is there something wrong with making money? With desiring wealth and power?"

"You are forcing the Ixa'takans to work grueling hours in inhumane conditions!" Ramirez argued hotly, scandalized by the man's flippant attitude—an attitude he had never shown before now. Was this what Admiral Mendosa was really like? Had the Elders truly been correct? Had he been taking advantage of his trust this entire time?! Admiral Galcian's words returned to him then, and with them burning in his mind, the Silvite youth continued, "M'lord, you promised me... You told me that you would speak to Her Majesty in regards to the way the Ixa'takans were being treated!"

Mendosa laughed quietly, his smirk increasing. "You truly are naïve, aren't you? And what exactly do you think would have happened if I did that? Her Majesty would find out about my little scheme, and I would basically be signing my own death warrant."

The idealistic Silvite was rendered speechless for several seconds, staring as if mortally wounded at the man who had offered to be like a father to him. "How..." he whispered, "how could you lie to me like that?!"

Another small shrug. The Admiral no longer looked repentant in the least as he spoke, "It is quite unfortunate that things had to turn out this way, Ramirez. And to think I thought of you as a son..." He shook his head and continued, "Regardless, you have uncovered my plans and have left me with no choice." Waving a hand sharply, Mendosa commanded, "Guards! Seize him!"

"Everything..." Ramirez, whose world of ideals had shattered around him like a delicate orb of spun glass, whispered as Mendosa's men moved to do as they were told, none of them showing any hint that they had been surprised by this confession. "All that I have believed in..." Grabbing the handle of Ilazki and drawing the deadly silver blade, the broken-hearted young man raised his voice to the heavens, wrathfully, wretchedly, in a piercing scream.

"What did you take me captive for?" the Blue Rogue's voice sounded, cutting through his memories.

Ramirez's eyes narrowed as he regarded the scowling pirate. "If I hadn't, you would have bled to death, and I would have been forced to murder your friends as well."

"Ohhh, you would have been FORCED, eh?" Vyse snapped, narrowing his eyes, his barely controlled anger getting the better of him. "So you're saying that you didn't have a choice in giving Galcian the Crystals and stabbing us all in the back?"

"You don't understand," Ramirez began, but the Air Pirate wouldn't hear it.

"I don't understand?" he said incredulously. "You're still saying that after all this? Don't give me that! I finally understand perfectly!"

"No, you don't," the Silvite Admiral snapped.

"You had this planned since Yafutoma!" Vyse yelled. "You must have had plenty of choices since then to quit!"

"It's not as simple as that!" Ramirez replied, his voice rising. "I have my duties. I can't just shirk them for someone I haven't known for even two lunar cycles!"

What the white-haired young man said made so much sense that the Blue Rogue couldn't refute a word of it, and instead he glared hatefully at the floor. "So now what, then?" he muttered.

The Silvite Admiral hesitated, but he dully told Vyse the truth. "You'll be taken to Valua and most likely face a prompt execution for your crimes against the Empire."

"So you spared my life only to see me killed in public?" the Blue Rogue cried, eyes wide in outrage. "Ramirez, you're sick!"

Ramirez shut his eyes as he ground his teeth slightly. He hadn't meant it like that...but in the end, he knew that that was to what it amounted regardless. Perhaps it would have been kinder to let him die on his own terms, on the battlefield... At least there was some amount of dignity in such a death. But he had let his emotions get in the way, and Vyse would die before a roaring crowd, like his father almost had... "It...was...a mistake," the Silvite finally stated with some difficulty.

Vyse rolled his eyes. "So you accidentally brought me aboard your ship and had me patched up so I'd be all healthy for execution?"

"That's not—" the shorter swordsman began, but he hesitated, and turned his troubled gaze down to the metal floor. "I didn't want you to die," he murmured.

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SENSE DOES THAT MAKE?" Vyse bellowed, rising to his feet.

His jade eyes flashing with anger as he glared back up at the rogue, Ramirez repeated with a snarl, "You don't understand!!"

"Then enlighten me! What in the name of the six Moons don't I understand?!" the Air Pirate challenged the Admiral, spreading his arms.

Clenching his teeth, the silver-haired swordsman shot his hands up and grabbed Vyse by the locks of hair behind his ears, prompting a sound wince. "You idiot," he hissed, green eyes trembling with fury and emotional torment. "I love you!!"

A wide-eyed, open-mouthed gape met this sudden, completely unexpected confession. The pain caused by the Admiral pulling on his hair was forgotten, and when he remembered to breathe several seconds later, he stuttered, "Wh, what?"

Realizing that he was again allowing his tumultuous feelings to get the better of him but not caring one damn bit, Ramirez pulled harder as he tilted his chin upwards, forcing Vyse's face to meet his in a forceful, reckless kiss.

The double whammy made Vyse's brain freeze up as effectively as if Ramirez had cast Crystali on it, and as such, he stood there, numb, as his mind repeated, Oh shit, oh shit, he's kissing me, he's really serious, he's kissing me, oh shit, over and over again. At length, Ramirez broke away, releasing his hold on Vyse's locks gently and stepping away, his cheeks scratched with red, unable to meet the Blue Rogue's incredulous stare.

Vyse teetered on his feet, and then fell roughly back onto his cot, his arms hanging limply at his side. "You...you kissed me," he breathed, unable to take his wide eyes off of the Silvite.

"Yes," the young Admiral mumbled, his blush deepening as he raised a hand to cover his lips. "Yes, I did."

His mind still firmly anchored in the moment, the Air Pirate continued to gawk. "You—kissed me," he repeated, like a broken record.

"Yes," Ramirez muttered, his irritation growing.

"But—but why?" Vyse sputtered, still unable to grasp what had just happened.

Wearily, finally glancing down at the object of his affections, he replied, "I told you why."

Dazed, the captive stared off into the distance for a moment, then breathed, "Moons." He shook his head, as if to clear away the fog in which he had found himself, and gaining some mental traction, he shouted, "...What in the MOONS?" The young ship captain stood again, his anger returning to him. "You love me, yet you're sending me to die in Valua?! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Ramirez turned his back to him and walked away several steps. "More than you can imagine," he muttered.

Throwing up his arms in frustration, Vyse demanded, "So then what?! What was the point of doing that now?!" Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he inquired, "Are you saying that you'll let me live if I, I submit to you?!"

"I'm not like that!" Ramirez yelled, his back tensing visibly.

"You've been lying to me practically since the day I met you!" the usually cheerful youth snapped. "How am I supposed to know what you're like?!"

There was a moment of silence as Vyse glowered, seething, at Ramirez's back, waiting for his retort, but there came none, aside from his shoulders sagging slightly.

"Well?" the Blue Rogue finally sharply said. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ramirez straightened again, and this time he spoke, his voice slightly stiff. "Do you...hate me?"

Vyse laughed, but it was a reaction of pure surprise, not amusement. "Do I hate you?" he repeated. "Of course I hate you!! I gave you my sincere trust, and you took it, wadded it into a ball, and shoved it in my face! Do you think I can forgive you for what you've done?!" His words were too harsh, he knew, and somewhere in his mind, the incensed Blue Rogue realized he'd end up regretting them for sure, but at the moment he didn't care about the repercussions.

"Right...right," the Admiral mumbled, raising his left hand to his forehead, reminded all of a sudden of Belleza's words from when he originally shared with her the plan that brought him to this point in the first place:

"He'll hate you forever, you know—Vyse, I mean. There's no way a guy like him can ever forgive the type of betrayal you're planning."

"You lose, Ramirez," the Silvite whispered to himself through clenched teeth, hiding his face with one gloved hand. "And you thought you were so clever..."

"What are you talking about?" the Air Pirate almost yelled, roughly grabbing the Admiral's shoulder.

Ramirez spun about and smacked away Vyse's hand, his long bangs veiling his eyes. "Don't...get...too...familiar," he enunciated clearly, his head bowed slightly. "You seem to have forgotten that you're my prisoner."

"Trust me, I haven't forgotten," the Blue Rogue growled, but he did back away, having been reminded of his position.

"Then, since you still remember, you will quietly sit down and behave yourself," Ramirez said tightly. "I don't want to kill you, but if you cause too much of a fuss, or try to escape, I will have no other choice."

"I'm going to Valua to get executed in a few days anyway, what's the difference?" Vyse protested, but the headstrong young pirate sat down regardless. In spite of his nihilistic words, he still valued his life and didn't care to see it extinguished, and after his battle with the stronger swordsman, he didn't doubt that he would do as he said.

The action did not escape the Admiral's notice. Glowering down at him through the pale strands of his hair, he said in a low voice, "I thought that would convince you. He turned his gaze to the folded pile of Vyse's things. "Put your clothes on."

The captive bit back an insult or refusal; he had managed to sober his temper a bit, and besides, he'd meant to do that anyway. Without a word, he grabbed his undershirt, blue jacket—it had been cleaned and repaired very well, Vyse noted—scarf, goggle, belts and boots and began to don them one by one. As he did so, he finally got a good look around the room; even though Ramirez told him he shouldn't escape, and escape was pretty bleak whether he was told so or not, Vyse was an eternal optimist, and he had to check out his avenues anyway.

They weren't promising. It was not a small room, about the size of his room back at Crescent Isle, but it was utterly devoid of furniture other than the cot on which he'd been sleeping. The wall, floor and ceiling were all bare, gleaming, polished steel, but for an air vent that was far too narrow for him to try to squeeze into. The only exit and entrance was the door through which Ramirez had arrived. There were no windows; illumination was provided by electric lights hanging from the ceiling in long tubes. Vyse wondered what the lights were made of—if they were glass, he could try breaking them and using the broken edges as a weapon... It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing, and if he caught one of the guards by surprise, maybe he could take his sword...

As he pulled on his leather boots, he scowled at Ramirez, then crossed his arms silently, staring up defiantly at his former friend. The young Admiral returned the stare, but his gaze was weary, and after a moment without words, he shook his head slowly and walked to the door.

There, he stopped, his hand on the door handle, and turned back to look directly at Vyse. "I told you not to trust me," he said quietly, face set grimly, his green eyes reflecting the chaos in his heart. "I told you, over and over. Why didn't you listen to me?"

Vyse furrowed his brows, his lips parting slightly. Though still wishing to throttle the silver-haired swordsman, he was beginning to calm down, and Ramirez's words couldn't help but bother him.

The Silvite swordsman glanced away to the floor, his expression of brooding, regretful sorrow. "Nothing gets accomplished if all you do is believe," he muttered. "There are no such things as miracles..." he faced his back to the pirate once again, turning the handle, "...and wishes don't come true."

The Blue Rogue didn't know what to say, so he said nothing. He heard the Admiral murmur to the guards, "Remain where you are now. There's no need to be in the room with him; however, be sure to lock the door." He bleakly stared as the heavy door—at least three inches thick, he noted—slammed shut after the Admiral, leaving him alone.

With a frustrated sigh, Vyse stretched himself out on his cot, his eyes shut as he gave himself up to contemplation.

/...He kissed me,/ he mentally murmured, lifting one hand and dropping it to his lips as he blushed. /Moons, I still can't believe it.../ Vyse parted his eyelids, his anger waning into anxiety, now that he was left to ponder that part of his confrontation with Ramirez. /How long? How long has he been in love with me? I don't get it.../

He thought back to the day before yesterday, the clues that Ramirez had dropped. Like his betrayal, his confession shouldn't have been something that had shocked Vyse as much as it had.

/Moons!/ the brunet rogue swore, clenching his teeth. /Am I really this oblivious? Or was I just fooling myself, telling myself it was friendship and nothing more?/ He raised his hand, the one that Ramirez had clasped two nights ago, and consternation filled his eyes. /...No,/ he thought, /wasn't I wondering what it would be like to...be with Ramirez? And Ramirez as much as asked me if I was gay... Was I unintentionally stringing him along? Was he hoping I was in love with him, too? Shit!/ The Air Pirate sat up to hunch over his knees. /Was him asking me that his way of trying to get my attention?/

He stood and began to pace nervously. "Am I really so clueless that I need to get stabbed and kissed before I can see what should've been obvious the entire time?" he muttered, running a hand through his brown bangs. "I'd figured it out without realizing it, too!" he added, thinking back to that night during the installation of the Delphinus' new engine. "He had to insult me in the meantime, but he told me he liked me, and I thought to myself, 'Was it a love confession? But no, he's not like that!' Well, six Moons above, he was like that!!" Vyse stomped a foot, aggravated, and sighed.

/...I wonder,/ he thought, raising his brown eyes to the lights, /would things have turned out differently if I hadn't been so damn thick? Maybe Ramirez couldn't take it anymore... And shit, he even told me I'd been saying suggestive things! It must have hurt!/ Vyse groaned mentally, gritting his teeth and slapping his forehead in self-disgust. /Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! I'm such an idiot!!/

With a groan, he walked over to his cot and collapsed on top of it, kicking off his boots before resting his feet. Vyse remembered clearly how he'd pondered the other night what it would be like to get together with Ramirez... Well, fat chance of that happening now; he couldn't love someone he didn't trust, and after all this, there was no way he could trust the Silvite, possibly ever again. He had to wonder, though, if things had taken a different turn, if something, somehow, had gone differently. Would he have eventually fallen for Ramirez, like Ramirez had fallen for him? How had Ramirez fallen in love with him, anyway—and when?

"I need to talk to him again," he murmured anxiously, eyes on the ceiling. The captain of the Delphinus also well remembered his hasty words from just now, and as was expected, he regretted them. "Maybe, if we talk, we can work something out..."

He was still hurt and angered by the Silvite's betrayal; that was something Vyse continued to believe that Ramirez hadn't had to do. His trust in the white-haired young man had also been wrecked, and it would take a heck of a lot for it to be restored. Vyse wasn't sure it could be restored. But after going over their conversation, the brunet Air Pirate realized that things were hard on Ramirez, too—especially considering his depressing closing comments. Maybe they could come to some agreement if they managed to talk. Vyse wasn't about to apologize for anything; considering what Ramirez had done to him, the captive felt vindicated in allowing himself that! But there were plenty of other things that could be said...

That was, of course, assuming that he would get a chance to say them. The handsome Blue Rogue glanced at the door nervously; there was no guarantee that Ramirez would come to talk to him again, especially after how badly their conversation had gone. Vyse wondered if the guards would tell their superior if the prisoner wanted to talk to him... Probably not, but it was worth a shot. He had to at least try. The brown-eyed rogue needed to settle things clearly with Ramirez, anyway—there was just too much left hanging in the air as it was. Hell, even if he ended up dying anyway, at least he'd be able to have finished up business with one person.

With a sigh, Vyse began to do the only thing he could do at the moment: wait.



Ramirez was not faring as well as the Blue Rogue. The desolation he felt was overpowering, and he went through the motions of his day emptily, only waiting for time to pass until night and the futile chase of sleep came once again.

In spite of his best efforts, his thoughts continued to return to his failed attempt to speak with Vyse. It was natural that it would be a failure; it would have been strange if Vyse hadn't been angry with him. But he had told him his true feelings, and then kissed him... And the handsome rogue may as well have spat in his face. Again, not that Ramirez blamed him, but it still hurt, though he knew he deserved it.

/That conversation couldn't have gone any worse,/ he thought bleakly that night as he prepared for night, setting Ilazki down on his bed as he changed out of his uniform. /Although I suppose it's for the best... If Vyse hates me, it will be easier to watch him die.../ Ramirez shut his eyes and shook his head. /Who do I think I'm fooling? I'll be just as miserable no matter what I do. What a wonderful catch-22 I've created for myself.../

He wondered briefly if he should bother trying to talk to Vyse again. The Blue Rogue had made his feelings on the matter quite clear that morning, however, and to Ramirez, it hardly seemed necessary. The worst was likely what would happen, and the worst was that he'd humiliate himself again, or be forced to kill Vyse for one reason or another. If he couldn't slay the blue-clad Air Pirate in the heat of battle, he'd never be able to do it with a cool mind.

There was also the matter of his friends; he did not doubt they'd try to come rescue him. If they fought at a distance, using their airships, the Delphinus was nearly certain to win; it could fly and sink to heights the Monoceros couldn't hope to reach, and there was also the Moon Stone Cannon. However, if they boarded the Monoceros in an attempt to break Vyse out personally, as Ramirez thought they were likely to do, they were dead. He would have no choice but to fight them face-to-face again, and he would slaughter them; doing otherwise would be to fail Lord Galcian.

Ramirez could see no escape from the abysmally poor choices he had made. With a soft groan, he let his head sink into his raised hands. He had always prided himself on his careful tactics, his brilliant stratagems...yet even with all the skill he possessed, he was on the verge of crumbling, all for a love unrequited.

He dropped his hands and shook his head. There was still a little time; perhaps if he considered the matter a little longer, he would be able to conceive something... Ramirez was not the unflagging optimist that Vyse was, though, and his belief in himself was at an all-time low besides. Despair inflected in his every movement, the deeply wounded Silvite very gently turned off the lights and climbed into bed, his right hand on his sword, as he had grown accustomed to sleeping shortly after falling under Lord Galcian's command.

"Of all people, why did I have to fall in love with that one...?" the silver-haired swordsman murmured to himself. "Why... Why can't things ever be simple?" He closed his eyes tightly, futilely attempting sleep.



As it happened, Ramirez's predictions on the actions Aika and company would take were precise. That morning, the four had assembled in the meeting room, the rest of the crew busy at beginning the rebuilding of the island for their kidnapped leader, to discuss what should be done.

"Vyse cannot be left on the Monoceros," Enrique began the conversation, his fingers crossed. "If, as Gilder said yesterday, he is taken all the way to Valua, it's certain that his execution will shortly follow."

"I'm all for a rescue," the dirty-blond Air Pirate smirked, glancing at the girls. "I assume you ladies are, too?"

Fina and Aika nodded, their faces set with seriousness. "Vyse risked his life to save me," the former said. "I couldn't call myself his friend if I wouldn't do the same."

"Even if it means fighting against Ramirez?" Enrique inquired, his expression sympathetic in spite of his less than tactful words.

The white-clad Silvite girl averted her eyes. "...Even if it means...fighting against Ramirez," she agreed sadly.

"Ramirez has already said that he was using us from the beginning," Aika added, narrowing her brown eyes. "There's no reason for us to show any mercy."

"Not to put a damper on things, but considering how easily he beat you, Fina and Vyse up, I wouldn't be the one thinking about showing mercy," Gilder pointed out.

Aika gritted her teeth. "I know," she said. "Ramirez could've killed us easily. I think he only let us live because he wanted us to suffer. He and I were never crazy about each other, but I don't understand why he'd be that cruel to Fina, too." She glanced worriedly at her delicate friend.

Fina shook her head. "I don't understand either..." she murmured.

"Not like we'll ever find out," Gilder said sensibly. "What we're after is Vyse!"

"Right!" the redheaded girl nodded fiercely. "We'll set sail in the Delphinus to chase after, find and engage the Monoceros before the day is out! We can't afford to waste a single minute!"

The others all nodded, smiling. "And as long as Vyse is incapacitated, Aika, perhaps you should act as standing captain?" Enrique suggested.

Vyse's childhood friend started, surprised. "What? Me?"

"You've known Vyse the longest," Fina pointed out, smiling as well. "You'd know best what he'd do, so you'd be best to emulate his leadership skills."

"What Fina said," Gilder added, his smile easygoing. "Besides, you're the girl with the plan, Aika, not to mention the drive. We all want to save Vyse, believe me, but nobody here wants to save him as much as you."

The Blue Rogue girl blushed crimson, but she grinned regardless. "Thanks, everyone," she said warmly. "Now...let's move out!"



The next morning, the Delphinus had taken to high sky at top speed, assuming that the Monoceros had gone straight to Valua and hoping to overtake them. As such, when the Monoceros really unanchored from the mountain range separating the lands under the Red and Yellow Moons and set sail southbound, the mighty battleship was nowhere to be seen, and the two simply passed each other by without realizing it. Ramirez commanded his men to keep a watch out for the Delphinus, not knowing that it wasn't necessary, but occupying his mind with ship battle strategies at least distracted him temporarily from the misery that would otherwise consume him. The journey was a smooth one, with good winds and clear skies, the only upsets being the occasional monster attacks, but that was a given if you were sailing. It looked as if they might reach Valua on schedule, a mere two nights from now; perhaps not even that.

The thought did not bring Ramirez any comfort.

He stood above the others on the captain's platform, silently brooding. No one asked him what the matter was; the fact of the matter was that Ramirez did not care about the personal wellbeing of the men in his crew beyond the fact that they were whole and able to fight when called upon, and so in return they did not care about him, either. There were few in the Armada who cared about the dangerous, deceptively powerful man. It would be like worrying about a roc; there just isn't any need to spare it those kinds of thoughts. All that mattered is that they followed his orders; as long as they did that and did it well and promptly, all was well.

It was early in the afternoon that there was a disturbance in the day, though nothing that impeded the flight to Valua. One of the guards stationed outside of Vyse's cell arrived on the bridge and politely called for his captain's attention. Ramirez gave it to him, and the guard was not entirely thrilled to receive it, considering his reaction.

"Why are you here?" the white-haired swordsman demanded, eyes narrowed as he regarded the soldier. "I do not recall giving orders for you to leave your post."

Knowing very well what would happen if the conversation continued down this thread, the guard worriedly saluted and said, "Lord Ramirez, sir! I'm terribly sorry to disturb you, but the prisoner has requested to speak with you."

The Silvite narrowed his eyes, not revealing his simultaneous dread and curiosity. "Explain yourself," he commanded coldly.

"This morning, when given his breakfast, the Air Pirate expressed a desire to speak with you, Lord Ramirez," the guard restated. "He was ignored, as you commanded, but he was insistent, going so far as to attempt to escape. Of course, his efforts were thwarted, and he is currently still locked securely in his cell."

"Why are you telling me this now, several hours after the incident?" Ramirez queried, his tone dropping several degrees.

In spite of the frigidity, the soldier broke out into a sweat under his armor. "It...er..." he fumbled. "Well, to bother you with such a thing simply because a prisoner asks for it..."

"Then why tell me at all?" the Silvite Admiral inquired, his voice and expression not changing.

The soldier guard almost quailed under Ramirez's accusatory scrutiny, but he managed to stay his ground and reply, "You...we remembered recently that you had gone out of your way to speak with him yesterday, so we thought that perhaps you would be interested that the...Air Pirate made the request to begin with... Not that you are obliged to do as the prisoner asks, of course," he added hastily. "We simply thought that it may have been of interest to you..."

The green-eyed swordsman glowered at the soldier for a moment more, then turned his stare out to the sky beyond the ship's windshield. "You were right about one thing," he said curtly. "I am not at the Air Pirate's beck and call. If I speak with him again, it would be for my own reasons, not because he desired it." He shut his eyes. "Return to your post immediately. Considering the situation, I will overlook your discrepancy this once."

The soldier couldn't obey quickly enough, and he left Ramirez with much to consider. Vyse wanted to speak with him so badly he had attempted escape, unarmed, against four armed guards? That in itself piqued his interest, but he doubted that there was anything they had to say to each other...

/No,/ he corrected himself, /there is much we have to discuss. It's just that it will change nothing.../

Ramirez had been awake most of the night pondering his next courses of actions, but he could think of no way to spare Vyse's life without suffering severe repercussions. He prided himself on having been able to earn Lord Galcian's trust and respect; releasing the rogue would cost him all the work he had put into seven years of faithful service. The Grand Admiral's philosophy was to trust no one, after all; that he, Ramirez, would be able to have earned even a small measure of it was not something to be taken, or thrown away, lightly.

/I will probably have to end up killing Vyse after all,/ he thought bleakly. There was nothing he could do about that. Lord Galcian came before everyone else, even the handsome rogue he loved, after all; that was Ramirez's truth, his reality, the dogma from which he could not, would not, deviate his life. Even if he wanted the young ship captain to continue to live, there was nothing he could conceivably do to prevent his impending, certain death...

He continued to consider the situation with a grave mind and a fixed face, and in the end, he decided that after dinner, when Vyse would be given his second meal, he would go to speak with him. Ramirez truly didn't think anything would come of it, but if he was going to let Vyse die after all, the least he could do was grant what was likely to be the rogue's final request...

The heavyhearted swordsman's timing was precise; he arrived just as the guards were about to shut and lock the cell door for the night, having just escorted Vyse back from the bathroom after his dinner. A sharp glance and a cool re-invocation of yesterday's procedure was all that was necessary, and Ramirez was shortly gazing across the prison cell at Vyse, who was standing and staring at him with sad eyes. There was a large bruise on the rogue's jaw, to the right of his chin, but the Admiral chose to ignore it for now.

"You wished to speak with me," the Silvite stated, rather than asked.

The abnormally reserved rogue offered a half-hearted smile. "I started to think you wouldn't come," he commented.

Ramirez flicked his eyes to the side. "...I thought it only proper to honor a last request."

Vyse frowned, his brown eyes troubled, at that. "Can we talk about that?"

"That is why I came," the silver-haired swordsman pointed out.

"Ramirez," the Blue Rogue began, taking a step forward, "you told me that you don't want me to die. Trust me, I don't want to die either. Couldn't we try to work something out?"

The Silvite shook his head slowly, the white strands of his hair brushing against his slender face.

"But why not?" Vyse argued, taking another step forward. "I remember—Enrique mentioned that you're a tactical genius. It's got to be a cakewalk for you to think up a solution for this! I mean," and he painfully swallowed his pride, "look at what you did on the Delphinus, even though I was practically always with you! You had barely any resources, and look how well that succeeded!"

"Only because you're utterly blind," Ramirez muttered.

The Blue Rogue flinched at that; that was a sore spot for him. "I wanted to believe in you," he murmured by way of defense.

They were both silent for several long, awkward moments, neither of them able to look properly at the other. They both knew they had made several mistakes in dealing with the other; they were both wondering if they were the one at fault.

Finally, Ramirez sighed. "I...cannot release you."

"Why not?" Vyse queried, glancing up. "You love me, right?"

"...You already know the answer to that," the Silvite said in a low, angry voice, his furrowed eyes hard.

"Well...that's what I'm saying, then!" the rogue said, frustrated, his cheeks pink. "How can you send someone you love to the executioner's block? Aren't I too important to you for you to allow that?"

"Your attempts at emotional manipulation are ham-handed," Ramirez said coldly, although in reality they were sawing through his heartstrings.

Again, Vyse flinched. "I wasn't trying to manipulate you," he protested guiltily; perhaps he was, a little. "And even if I were, you manipulated me, so fair's fair."

"...Regardless," the Silvite murmured, eyes now reflecting his gloom, "I still cannot release you."

"...Because of Galcian, right?" Vyse queried, although they both knew it was a statement in spite of the upward inflection. When Ramirez did not answer, the rogue pushed on, "Don't you think there's something wrong with that? I know Galcian's like a father to you, but nobody should have to make anyone kill their loved ones! Or watch them die!"

Ramirez slowly raised his left hand and covered half his face with it, grimacing sorrowfully. "I have made oaths, vows, to Lord Galcian," he stated softly. "I am certain I have told you this before..."

"But still—"

"You are not listening!" the white-haired young man snapped, shutting his eyelids in anger. "There is one way you can live, Vyse. Lord Galcian is impressed with your strength. If you were to swear allegiance to him and him alone—in other words, if you give up being an Air Pirate to join me in fighting for him—then he would have me spare your life. I discussed this with him earlier; it is the truth."

"You've got to be kidding!" the brunet rogue protested angrily. "There's no way I'd ever work for Galcian—especially if it meant I'd have to give up the skies!"

The Admiral nodded curtly. "In your own way, you have your own oaths—to your friends, to your family, to yourself," he said, equally curtly. "You just now said that you would not break them for me. Why should I do the same?"

Vyse remained unhappily silent. Ramirez had an irrefutable point.

The Silvite sighed again. "It's not that I want to do this," he said, his misery creeping into his voice. "But I don't have any other choice."

The brown-haired rogue still said nothing; he only watched Ramirez sadly.

"I barely know you, too," the pale swordsman went on, "and I have been under Lord Galcian's service for several years. He has come through for me several times in several ways, like no one else ever has. I...depend upon him."

"Yeah," Vyse said quietly. He offered a small quirk of a smile and added, "He's like your dad, huh..."

Ramirez nodded once. "I don't have a proper family," he murmured. "Although...Lord Galcian and I are not equals—he is the teacher and I the student, and as such there is a line that cannot be crossed separating us—he is my only 'family'."

"What about Fina?"

The Silvite's eyes clouded as he furrowed his eyebrows, beginning to scowl. "I hate her."

"What?" Vyse gaped, astonished. "Why? That's not what you told me before!"

Ramirez looked at him witheringly.

"Well..." the headstrong Air Pirate hesitated, "still!"

The Admiral glowered at the steel floor. "Imagine this, Vyse," he said softly. "Imagine you and Aika are the only children on your birth island, that everyone else is an adult or an elder. Imagine that, all throughout your life, you were given books and tools and toy swords, whereas your female counterpart is given dolls and flowers, though fake since there are no natural flowers. No," he cut in when Vyse opened his mouth, "wait for it. Imagine that, while nothing is ever expected of Aika—as long as she is healthy and happy, that is fine for everyone else—you are expected to study, train, become a sort of champion for the rest of your people...

"You are never allowed any leeway to be what you want to be, and any deviance is punished without fail. It is made very clear throughout your life that your personal feelings are of no consequence, even as you watch all the adults fawn on your female friend, give her anything she could want without reserve or expectation—meanwhile, you are laden with expectations, and if you do not meet them, you are a disappointment, and informed of this unambiguously.

"Now imagine that in spite of this unfair treatment, Aika dotes on you, always assuming that you are her equal, never noticing that you two are treated very unequally." Ramirez's eyes, which had become like unyielding shards of emerald, narrowed. "Imagine again that you two are separated for several years after you have been given a mission, and along with that mission, a great deal of information that severely damages your view on what and who you are, as well as your purpose in living. You two meet again, and she has been given the same mission, but the adults have decided to edit out of her briefing the information you were forced to accept immediately. She knows nothing of how you've suffered over and over while on this mission, and since time has still been frozen to her since the last time you saw each other, she acts as if everything is the same, barely noticing you have sustained scar after scar—scars that are nowhere to be found on her pretty white skin.

"Wouldn't you hate her, too?" Ramirez hissed, teeth grinding together, eyebrows twitching with poorly concealed resentment.

His brown eyes sympathetic and moved, Vyse murmured, "Ramirez..."

The Admiral glanced down and away. "...Perhaps I've said too much."

"No... It makes sense, though," he added softly. "Back when we'd just defeated Gregorio on the Auriga, Fina sang for me, and later, you accused me of liking her better than you... It never used to make sense to me, and I'd always thought you'd been jealous of me and how close I was to her—but you were really jealous of her, weren't you?"

The Silvite swordsman kept his face obscured by his hair.

"Ramirez...hey...I've gotta know..." Vyse began. "Why...why are you in love with me? And for how long have you been...?"

"Why? Ha..." The Admiral gave a hollow little laugh. "If I could tell you that, I would. As for how long? I'm not sure of that, either. I realized it that night I spent conversing with Arianne, but I was attracted to you before that, too, and for a long while, I thought I was simply mistaken. It was only recently that I realized..." He breathed a ragged sigh. "...that there can be no mistake."

After a moment of ellipses, Ramirez glanced again at the bruise on Vyse's face. "I assume you received that when you tried to break out this morning," he commented.

"Oh, this?" The rogue rubbed the sore mark gingerly. "Yeah. I get the feeling those guards would've beaten me up a lot more if they weren't afraid of what you'd do to them. They seem terrified of you, you know."

"I don't suggest you try that again," the Silvite said without feeling, ignoring the comment. "I'm supposed to take you to Valua for formal execution, but Lord Galcian as much as said that I would not be punished if, while you were trying to escape, I killed you to prevent your flight."

Vyse didn't speak for a moment; then, he said, "So, if I try to run, you'll kill me."

Ramirez nodded.

"And if I just sit here, then I'll be taken to Valua and get killed anyway."

Ramirez nodded.

"What about if Aika and the others come to save me?"

"That's the same as if you attempt escape," Ramirez said dully, "except at least you won't die alone."

The Blue Rogue smiled hopelessly and sat heavily down on his cot, pulling off his Skyseer Goggle to rub at his eyes, then fold his hands over them as he leaned his elbows on his knees and in turn rest his head on those folded hands.

"What about when we're in the Grand Fortress?" he inquired quietly. "Any chance of me slipping off then and getting out somehow?"

"You escaped from the Grand Fortress twice," Ramirez replied just as quietly. "Lord Galcian will never permit a third time."

"You couldn't even happen to—"

"I can't," the Silvite interrupted him tersely. "...I'm sorry. But I can't." He shut his eyes. "...Perhaps you could have managed something in the Grand Fortress; perhaps. But you shouldn't have said anything to me about it. Now I'm duty-bound to prevent it."

There was a pause before Vyse raised his head and smiled wistfully, looking tired. "Oh, yeah," he said, "your duty."

"Please don't say it like that," the Admiral quietly requested.

"Can I ask you just one more thing?" the captain of the Delphinus inquired.

The Silvite Admiral hesitated, then nodded.

"Does anybody matter to you besides Galcian?" he questioned, gazing directly at the white-haired young man. "Anyone at all?"

Ramirez started slightly, as if he'd been pricked by a pin, and he shut his eyes in pain. "It's unfair of you to ask that..." he murmured. "You know...how I feel about you."

"It's just that..." the Blue Rogue frowned, his brown eyes now focused on some distant point, "it seems terrible to me that you'd give up love or even friendship for duty."

"Why shouldn't I?" Ramirez said, still quietly, opening his eyes to peer at his feet. "Since you hate me."

"...I went overboard yesterday," Vyse amended, though there wasn't much feeling in it. He ached inside terribly, knowing that his ex-friend, who claimed to love him, wouldn't so much as lift a finger to help him. The heavy reality of his situation was pressing down on him as well—he was trapped, and he himself had set the bait for it. Vyse could blame no one but himself for opening himself to Ramirez when even the Silvite said he shouldn't depend on him. The black beast called despair was crouching, eyeing the Blue Rogue, ready to pounce and feast on his weakened flesh... Vyse bit his lip unhappily and continued, "You're right, though. It'd be stupid for me to trust someone who's hurt me as much as you have again, and you can't have love or friendship without trust."

A knife of guilt stabbed the Silvite again as he weakly began, "I..."

He didn't finish. The Air Pirate had lowered his face back onto his folded hands. Ramirez watched silently, anxiety scrabbling at the corners of his mind, for a moment; every once in a while, the once cheerful youth's shoulders shook as occasional sharp, shuddering gasps issued from his mouth. Though the Admiral knew exactly what his captive was doing, he didn't want to register or even recognize it. Ramirez knew the pain of betrayal too well to want to acknowledge it...he knew he wouldn't be able to do what had to be done if he did.

When a drop of something slid swiftly across the young captain's left hand from under his eyes and leisurely dropped to the floor, though, the guilt-ridden Silvite finally ventured, "...Vyse?"

"...even though I believed in you..." was the barely audible, whispered reply.

Feeling like the scum of the world, Ramirez almost took a step forward, raising a hand as if to try to comfort Vyse, but he hesitated, and slowly let his hand and gaze fall. He had done this—he had been the one who had dragged Vyse down to his level. Their increased similarities had not made him any more satisfied than he had thought he would have been weeks earlier; rather, it made him miserable that the Blue Rogue's once sunny disposition, to which Ramirez had been attracted in the first place, had been reduced to this dismal shower of tears.

Wordlessly, the silver-haired Admiral turned to the door and grasped the handle. He stiffened slightly as he heard his once-friend repeat something twice under his breath—surely not meaning to be heard, but being overheard anyway—and, fighting the urge to break down completely, Ramirez opened the door and shut it quietly behind him.

The heavy, final sound of metal closing on metal, however subdued, was a discordant screech to Vyse, who was as naturally inclined to the open skies as a wild bird. His heart aching, he allowed himself to weep for several moments longer to relieve his building stress before he pulled himself together, wiping away his tears on his sleeve. The Blue Rogue took a few deep breaths to calm himself, and then, because after all his philosophy was that 'impossible is a word people use to make themselves feel better about giving up', once again began to assess the situation.

/It looks grim,/ he thought, his face set, /and I don't know if I can get out of this alive... But at least it's only me captured, and not everyone, too. They'll come to help me for sure—I know it! I just have to worry about getting out of this ship. The problem is getting past those guards, getting my weapons and stuff, not getting caught by Ramirez, and finding where they keep the lifeboats.../

He didn't add the fact that all five Crystals were now in Galcian's possession to his list of worries. He had enough hurdles to cross at the moment.

Vyse stood and once again looked around his cell, this time forcing himself to have a more positive mindset. The air duct was too small for him to crawl through, but he was practically an escape artist legend among the Valuans; if he could pry it off, then find someway to hide himself from sight, they might think he'd used that to run away and leave their posts. Then he could sneak out, find his weapons...

The Air Pirate frowned worriedly at that. He had no idea where his weapons were. Maybe it would be better under the circumstances to give up on them; he could buy new weapons, armor and equipment, after all, but he couldn't buy a second chance at life. If he found them while searching for the lifeboats, then great, but if he didn't see them, then he'd just leave them, he reasoned.

Encouraged and not nearly as upset as he had been just before Ramirez left, Vyse continued to make his plans. He couldn't rely on his former friend for anything, much less to have a change of heart and decide to help him get away, so he had to do this on his own. It was a lesson bitterly learned, but one he wouldn't soon forget. And so what if he said he'd kill him if he tried to escape? The captain of the Delphinus was a goner either way, so at least he could take a risk and make a break for it. The worst that would happen was the same thing that would happen if he obediently stayed here, anyway, and the best was that he'd get out of here alive and return to Crescent Isle and Aika and the others in one piece. That, in Vyse's opinion, was worth risking his life.



The tortured Silvite was not faring nearly as well as the Blue Rogue emotionally. Barely able to keep up a decent front for his underlings, he agonized about what needed to be done and what should be done.

/Killing Vyse or letting him die... Is it really the right thing to do?/ he asked himself repeatedly. /What Lord Galcian is doing is supposed to balance the evils of this world...but Vyse is not evil. Aside from opposing Lord Galcian and the Valuan Empire, he has done nothing wrong. Indeed, in his mind, Lord Galcian must be the same as the Valuan Empire; Vyse knows nothing of his true plans, after all. And the Valuan Empire is undeniably, disgustingly corrupt; the fact that he opposes it speaks well of Vyse's character... Why, then, should he be made to suffer so much?/

Although he had begun to become set in his decision that Vyse would die despite that he had no desire to see him killed, Ramirez's choice had been heavily upset by the two things Vyse had whispered to himself while weeping in despair: "I don't want to die... I don't want to die."

Those words followed Ramirez throughout the rest of the day, until late at night, when the Monoceros had set anchor and everyone was sleeping or about to go to sleep. Rather than resting, which he wasn't likely to have been able to do even under ideal conditions, he paced nervously, contemplating everything up until then. The strategic genius had dissected what he knew of Vyse, of the Grand Admiral, of the people of Arcadia, of his experiences both old and recent, and the conclusion that he was beginning to form was nothing short of blasphemy.

/Is it possible that Lord Galcian...is mistaken?/ he wondered, his brow creased. /It can't be... I have been shown again and again through personal experience that humans are disgusting creatures, unworthy of pity or mercy... But still, Vyse is... And the people around Vyse, too... Yet I cannot betray Lord Galcian,/ the Silvite added helplessly. /He has done so much for me... If I were to turn my back on him for mere personal desires, then I would have no right to continue to live.../

He hesitated suddenly, and let his gaze fall to his hip, on the silver sword he'd wielded since childhood. He had sworn to lay down his sword and his life for Lord Galcian, in precisely those words... Ramirez furrowed his brows slightly and averted his jaded eyes from Ilazki.

"Perhaps," he murmured to himself, distressed. He didn't want Vyse to die, and he didn't want to fail Lord Galcian. It was the only solution he could see that would allow him to spare the one he loved and stay true to the one he served.

Was that what it came down to, though? Was he really so out of options that he would resort to something that desperate...? He was supposed to be strong, yet he was fully willing to do something like that...

He glanced out a window at the star-strewn night sky, and after a few moments of effort, picked out the Fallen Angel, Vyse's favorite constellation. Looking upon it reminded him of that night when the two of them had stargazed together, along with their conversations... He had shed tears that night, he recalled. Not many—just a few—but tears were tears. Thinking too long of his surrogate mother tended to do that to him... The lonesome Silvite sighed mournfully. He was not emotional often, tending to keep them well under wrap, but when they slipped out, they were often violent, powerful, sometimes threatening to overtake him...

He wondered if he wasn't letting his unhappiness triumph over him.

He then wondered if he cared, or indeed if it mattered.

The Silvite Admiral again recalled that night under the stars with Vyse, and something occurred to him. It had been that night when he had thought he had conquered his chaotic feelings for the dashing rogue, though in reality it had simply grown stronger than him, and in his foolishness, he had thought to himself that he had defeated himself.

The young man laughed. It was a laugh that would make small children weep, and he laughed it softly and for a long time, shedding a nihilistic, melancholy smile like pale moonlight. Oh, yes. He certainly had defeated himself...fatally so.

It wasn't something he wanted to do, but he hated all of his present options as powerfully as he currently hated himself. This conclusion was the best he could manage.

Soon, it would all end. His conflict, his loyalty, his love...everything.



At four in the morning, when the sky was an endless cloak of darkness illuminated by the stars and the Moons, the entire Monoceros was still but for one man. Ramirez, who carried with him his sword as well as Vyse's things, walked purposefully first to the area where the lifeboats were kept, in one of which he carefully placed the Blue Rogue's possessions, and then to the high security cell where Vyse was kept. Four guards were keeping watch even now, though they were of course not the same men as before.

It was easy to get rid of them for Ramirez. He merely told them he needed to check on the prisoner, and while he did so, all four were to head back to the ship barracks and send in their replacements. When the replacements came, he said, he would be finished and the door would be locked, so they needed only stand guard.

Ramirez's underlings did not question him; it sounded reasonable enough to them, and even though it was odd that the captain of the Monoceros would come himself, well, it was reasonable that if he was checking on the prisoner, he'd kill two birds with one stone and have them change things. They were tired, anyway, and they were glad to receive these orders. And so, the Silvite Admiral was free to enter the cell without witness.

Vyse was not inside—or so first glance told him. The grate to the air duct had been forced off, and the covers to the cot were conveniently placed so that they hid whatever might be under it. After briefly checking that the Blue Rogue was not behind the steel door, Ramirez walked over to the cot, and with the tip of his sheathed sword, lifted the sheets.

The Air Pirate stared up at Ramirez with the look of a fox that has been caught sneaking meat from a storehouse.

"You were planning on escaping," the white-haired young man stated.

"Errr..." went Vyse. He could hardly deny it, after all, when it was so obvious.

"Even though I told you if you were caught, I would have to kill you?"

The captain of the Delphinus crawled out from under the cot and stood, shrugging slightly. "If I'm going to die anyway, I have to bet on the one percent chance that I can break out of this ship alive," he replied with a small smile.

The Silvite youth returned the smile, and it worried Vyse how heartrendingly lonely it was. "Fortunately, you no longer need to worry about it." He turned to the doorway and began to walk. "Come with me, quickly."

The Air Pirate didn't move; he just stared at the Admiral. "What's going on?"

Ramirez stopped, keeping his back to the one he loved. "...I'm letting you go."

Vyse's reaction was expected: "......What?"

"Hurry up," the Admiral urged. "I sent the guards away, but the relief will be coming shortly to replace them. You have to be out of here before they arrive."

Fully expecting a trap of some kind but not knowing what else he could do, Vyse obeyed and followed Ramirez out, the only pause being when his silver-haired companion shut and locked the door behind them.

After they were several hallways away, the brunet warily spoke again. "Ramirez, what are you trying to pull?"

The jade-eyed Silvite sighed. "I'm letting you go," he repeated himself. "Or do you want to stay?"

"No, but..." Vyse protested, still apprehensive. "What brings this on?"

"What does it matter?" the captain of the Monoceros replied unemotionally.

The Blue Rogue narrowed his brown eyes. "It matters a lot," he argued. "You nearly killed me, kidnapped me, kissed me, and told me you couldn't release me when I tried to cut a deal with you. Now I want to know why you're letting me go free all of a sudden."

Ramirez was silent for a moment as he continued to lead the handsome rogue through his flagship; Vyse had the impression that he was trying to decide on his words. "I thought about many things for a long time," he said finally, "and after a while, I managed to think of a way to let you go and not break my vows to Lord Galcian."

"Yeah?" Vyse said interestedly, though half the interest was borne from his misgivings. "How?"

"You will be free," Ramirez said simply. "That is the only part you need to know."

The Blue Rogue frowned deeply as he eyed the Admiral exasperatedly. "Ramirez, are you aware of how much you contradict yourself?"

The uniformed Silvite ignored the slight. It wouldn't matter how he was insulted in a short while, after all.

"This all is pretty hard to swallow," Vyse continued, "after what you pulled. I have no reason to trust you—not anymore."

Ramirez flinched slightly, but thought, /It's as much as I deserve.../

"How do I know this isn't a trap?" he inquired when he received no reply.

"What would be the point of a trap when I could simply draw my sword and bury its point in your chest?" the Admiral inquired morosely.

After several seconds of silence. Vyse swallowed, hesitated, then began, "Uh, by the way, about my equipment..."

Ramirez led him down a staircase, and with his eyes cast downward, the Silvite replied, "I already put your things in a lifeboat. We're almost there, by the way. The boat you're to take will have one of the doors opened partially. I placed your cutlasses and other things under the front-most left-side seat."

Furrowing his brow, his misgivings growing the more and more he got the feeling that something was amiss, the captain of the Delphinus queried charily, "You said that you sent the guards outside my cell away before you got me... Does your crew know you're doing this?"

"No."

The Blue Rogue fell silent, wondering what in the Moons was the other part of Ramirez's plan. He didn't see anything special in the circumstances into which he was being lead; how was what Ramirez was doing this going to make sure that he didn't break his vows to Galcian?

After a moment, Ramirez halted and pointed down the corridor they were in at a hallway branching to the right. "Keep going down here and take that right down there," he instructed his companion. "It leads to a staircase; take that straight down. There will be a doorway, and past it will be the lifeboats. Yours is the one almost in front of you, to your left." He stepped back to allow Vyse to pass. "Now go. If you head southwest, you should be able to reach Sailor's Isle."

Confused and still feeling that something was not quite right, Vyse hesitated, then said the first thing on his mind. "What's going to happen to you?"

Ramirez glanced away, his eyes empty. "...Does it matter? I'm a traitor."

Apprehension gnawing voraciously at the Blue Rogue's senses, he murmured, "...Yes, but..."

The Admiral shut those hopeless eyes. "You should leave. If you dawdle, I can't guarantee that you won't be seen."

Vyse stood poised between staying and fleeing for a few brief seconds, nodded, hesitated again, and then ran to where Ramirez had indicated. The silver-haired Admiral watched him go, listening to his rapid footsteps sink down into a lower level of the Monoceros and fade away.

With a wistful smile, not surprised that he had not received so much as a word of gratitude but wounded by it nonetheless, the Silvite wandered to the wall to his right and leaned his back against it heavily.

"......Why?" he whispered, turning his pain-filled emerald eyes to the cold gray ceiling. "If this is the right thing to do, why does it still hurt so much? Is there any way I could have avoided this suffering? Is this my divine punishment for falling in love with Vyse...?" Ramirez drew Ilazki from its sheath, its emergence not heralded by as much as a whisper of metal on metal. He held the blade aloft, its silvery surface glinting from the artificial lights, and the reflection of his eyes flickered with melancholy.

"But soon," he murmured, gazing at himself on the deadly blade, "it won't matter. Nothing will matter anymore. All that I've endured throughout my life will soon end..." His throat tightened involuntarily as he drew the sword to his neck, and Ramirez shut his eyes tightly to stave off the tears that fought to burst free. "I don't want to feel anything anymore......"

/Lord Galcian.../ he thought miserably. /I didn't leave behind even a letter explaining myself. All you will have are my pathetic remains, and the final piece to unlocking the power of Soltis and Zelos. I know I cannot be forgiven, but please allow me to beg for your forgiveness regardless.../

He wavered. Though he knew he was a self-centered traitor, Ramirez still feared the oblivion of death, and could not slice his own neck as he had intended right away. It struck him idly that even in death, he would continue to favor Galcian over Vyse, and appropriately so; he had, after all, sworn to lay down his sword and life for the Grand Admiral. And that was he was going to do...for eternity.

At least in slaying himself, Ramirez thought morosely, he would be of some use to the Grand Admiral, even as broken as he was now...

/Vyse.../ he mentally murmured, steeling himself. /Even though I've spared your life now, with Lord Galcian soon to be in control of Soltis and the Silver Gigas, there is no way you will be able to see your next birthday. I am sorry... You are right not to trust me.../

Shutting his eyes tightly, he began to tip the edge of Ilazki forward.

A moment before, Vyse had reached the doorway leading to the lifeboats—to his freedom—but though the miniature iron ships waited patiently for him in a neat line, he didn't pick out the vessel Ramirez had prepared. He didn't pick out any vessel at all. He simply stood where he was, peering at the floor with a troubled expression. His former friend's behavior had been nothing short of peculiar, and although perhaps the rogue would have been better off wondering if Ramirez was leading him into a trap, he was instead worrying about the pale swordsman. He had seemed so...desolate. Vyse also knew that Ramirez was a tactical genius, but he couldn't understand how doing this was supposed to not betray Galcian, as he'd said it would.

/There's something not right about this,/ he insisted to himself, on the verge of running back to where the Admiral was, just to make sure everything was all right. /I should go back... He as much as told me not to come back, though.../

He hesitated, not wanting to return without a reason to offer to the Silvite. With a sudden smile, he thought, /Wait, but I never thanked him! Even if he has a plan, he must be risking a lot to let me go like this. Even though he betrayed me, he didn't have to do that. I should at least show some gratitude!/

Glad to have an excuse both to confirm what was happening and to see Ramirez one last time, Vyse sprinted back, jumping up the stairs two at a time, hoping there weren't any soldiers to hear the clinking of his boots on the metal floors. It occurred to him that if Ramirez had left the area, he was almost certainly out of luck, because he didn't know how to navigate through the Monoceros, and if he got lost, then he would have thrown away his chance. That took the backseat, though, as he rounded the corner and saw the Admiral leaning against the wall down the hallway, holding his sword to his neck.

"RAMIREZ!!" Vyse screamed, launching himself forward, the Silvite's so-called plan all of a sudden becoming clear. The green-eyed swordsman stared at him in surprise, thankfully frozen long enough for Vyse to reach him and wrench his hands away from his body.

"Vy...se..." he whispered, wide-eyed, his fist still tightly closed around Ilazki's handle, though the Blue Rogue held it firmly away from his neck.

"Why?!" the deeply upset rogue demanded. "Why were you trying to kill yourself?!"

Ramirez blinked rapidly, then murmured, "Why shouldn't I?"

"It doesn't solve anything!!" Vyse yelled.

"On the contrary," the Silvite rebutted with an empty smile. "It solves everything. Lord Galcian has no use for traitors, and by releasing you, that is what I've become. However, if I die, I can at least perform one last service for him. By sacrificing myself for him, I will have properly protected my oaths."

Vyse shook his head in disbelief. "Don't do this," he urged desperately.

"Why not?" Ramirez inquired impassively. "I am a traitor. I've betrayed you. I've betrayed Lord Galcian. I am undeserving of the trust of the two men for whom I care. I have no reason to continue to live."

"You can't be serious," Vyse croaked. "There's gotta be something else you can live for..."

"There isn't," the young Admiral replied. "I have nothing and no one aside from Lord Galcian and what he has given me. Losing his trust means losing everything." He tried to shake the Blue Rogue away, but failed. "I'll be executed in your place, anyway; soon Lord Galcian will unfurl his plans, and he has no use for those who are not unwaveringly loyal to him. At least this way, I can die on my own terms."

"How could he execute you in my place?!" Vyse cried, horrified by how blasé his ex-friend was. "Aren't you overreacting, to try to kill yourself over this?!"

"It's not your concern anymore," the silver-haired young man argued without emotion. "If I die, you won't have to fight against me. That will be good for you, right?"

"Don't TALK like that!!" the Blue Rogue nearly screamed. "Suicide is never a good solution! I know there's another way!"

Vyse's eternal optimism slicing deeper into Ramirez's heart than any barb, he snapped, struggling again, "What is this other way of yours, then?! You can't answer, can you! There is no other way!!"

The Air Pirate scuffled with the Admiral for a moment, Ilazki glittering dangerously above them. "There is another way!" he stated firmly as they fought. It was a way about which he was highly reluctant, but he couldn't leave Ramirez to get executed, and he couldn't let him kill himself. The solution, then, was clear, and managing to force Ramirez's wrists against the wall, he looked the Admiral in the face and said quietly, "You can come with me."

The Admiral's eyebrows rose as his lips parted in shock; then his expression changed to one of hurt, and he glanced away. "You must be joking."

"I wouldn't joke about something like this," Vyse assured him, his face set with determination. "Come with me. Please."

"But..." Ramirez began to weakly protest, "I betrayed you... You're just asking me so my suicide won't weigh on your conscience, aren't you?"

The Blue Rogue was silent for a few seconds before he quietly replied, "...I can't stand suicide. I can't believe that people will just give up when things look bad." Ramirez relaxed slightly, and Vyse stepped back to allow him some room as he continued, "...Besides, you were once my friend. And I still owe you for saving my life in Glacia."

"I almost killed you a few days ago," Ramirez murmured.

"But you didn't, and even though you kidnapped me, now you're letting me go," the brown-eyed rogue said firmly. "I still owe you."

The Admiral shook his head vehemently. "How far could you travel with me?" he demanded. "You intend to return to Crescent Isle, don't you? Do you really think I could return with you to there?"

"It'll be all right!" the Blue Rogue insisted. "Look, if you won't come with me, then I'm going to stand right here until you change your mind, and if your men find us, then you're going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do!"

"If my men find us, I'll be forced to kill you," the Admiral snapped. "Don't be foolish! Get out of here!"

"Not without you!"

"I'm not worth anything to you!! I betrayed you!"

"I don't care! I won't let you kill yourself!"

There were several tense seconds of silence as the two men glared at each other. "You're just not going to listen to reason, are you?" the white-haired swordsman said angrily.

"Reason!" Vyse repeated incredulously. "So says the man who thinks committing suicide will make it all better!"

Ramirez sighed, irritated, and said quietly, attempting to calm down, "I don't. Have. Anything. Even if I were not executed, I would lose all of Lord Galcian's favor, and you yourself told me you hated me."

The Air Pirate regarded the Silvite reflectively. "Do you want me to say I forgive you?" he queried softly. "If so, then fine. I forgive you. So please..." He stepped in closer, still holding Ramirez's left wrist, and rested his left hand on the Silvite's shoulder. "...come with me."

A look of panic flitted across the Admiral's face as his cheeks turned red, and he froze for a split-second before panic was shoved aside by fury. "It's dirty to manipulate other people's feelings!" Ramirez snarled, pushing away.

Vyse was not swayed. "If I'm dirty," he said seriously, still holding onto the Silvite's wrist, "then so are you."

That silenced the white-haired swordsman effectively. You know deep down inside that you're just as dirty as the Arcadians you despise. What's wrong with getting dirtier, then?—so the King of Diamonds had told him in his dream. But...

"I don't want to be dirty," he whispered, breaking down in spite of his continued protests. "I don't want to be the same as you..."

Yet he knew he was already tainted. He was in love with another man, wasn't he? And a would-be hated enemy, no less. That was unclean in itself, Ramirez knew...

"Ramirez," Vyse said softly. "Despite what you might say, you're still human. No human is perfect, and nobody's better than everyone else. And...you shouldn't feel ashamed of how you feel, either. I might not love you back, but still, I'm not a judge of your emotions. No one is. Whatever you feel is right for you."

/Stop talking like that!!/ the torn Silvite thought fiercely. /Don't you know you're killing me with hope?!/

But it was precisely because of hope, with her talon-like claws and poisoned kiss and the sneaking of her thorny tendrils around his neck with a mocking laugh, that his will was buckling and his desire to live was once again surging.

"Please," Vyse repeated, pleading. "Come with me."

"I..." Ramirez said faintly. He still held Ilazki loosely in his free right hand, and as he gazed up into the Air Pirate's concerned face, he entertained a brief thought of slaying him then and there, with Galcian never being the wiser of his wavering... But the thought faded as quickly as it had come, struck down both by Ramirez's love for Vyse and his knowledge that even if the Grand Admiral never knew, he would. And so, he slowly returned the silver blade to its jagged sheath.

"All right," he submitted wearily.

The Blue Rogue's smile shone, and the sound of their footsteps the only herald of their departure, the two made their way to the lifeboats and flew from the iron womb of the Monoceros.





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:
In many 26-episode anime, from typically episode 14 on, all hell starts breaking loose. Isn't it appropriate that TDtMS, with a projected 26 chapters, fits that as well? ^^;

Ianthe: If you saw this coming, your name is probably Kanzaki Hitomi. And put those tarot cards away, missy, you're only going to land yourself in a lot of pain and misfortune.
Ayu: Speaking of the tarot, the playing card/tarot card match-up last episode, yes, was done on purpose. Not too difficult, seeing as current card decks are derived from tarot card decks...just minus the Major Arcana.

Ianthe: Huzzah for Lloyd Alexander. If you catch the reference, you have my undying love.
Ayu: Thanks to Siren-chan for the hope imagery, by the same token, incidentally. Not that it's really something for which I should be thanking you...

Kinzoku: If any of you want to give them crap about Ramirez trying to kill himself, I remind you that he did commit suicide in the name of Galcian in the game.
Ayu: Gave up his Silver Crystal, and thus his life, to give Zelos free reign over its actions, all to avenge Galcian's death. (*sagenods*)

Ayu: This one was a little over 34 pages... I fear I've created a new chapter length standard for myself... In the past, if chapters got this long, we'd break them in half—that's what we did with the Yafutoma stories... But this is really a new record. Ianthe wrote some, but most of it was me, and I wrote this in one week. My. o_o;

Ayu: We finally have fanart! Yaay! Kinzoku drew it for us, saying, "I figured if you two can spend so much time on making a quality fanfic, I can spend a couple hours on fanart to show my appreciation. So yeah... it's in COLOR. Feel speshul." And we do. Thank you, Kinny! Here's the URL: members.lycos.co.uk/stonefurwolf/ramivyse.jpg There's also an adorable piece of fanart from Eeveelover, which can be found here: e, Campus Lyrics!, the link to which you can (indirectly) 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))