The Day the Moon Shines
By: deep.Indigo

Chapter 15: Soshite Tabi ha Hajimaru Kimi to Futari Dokoka he
(And Then the Journey Begins to Somewhere Together With You)


By the time Vyse and Ramirez were but a speck on the horizon and gone, the Delphinus had found and engaged the Monoceros. The battleships raged against each other, but the Valuan flagship, missing its captain and in a frantic frenzy attempting to find him, soon found itself at a severe disadvantage and, since Ramirez was not around to tell them otherwise, the crew chose to surrender in return for their safety. Aika of course agreed, being a Blue Rogue and thus disinclined to hurt others unnecessarily, on the condition that Vyse was returned to them immediately.

There, the problem cropped up.

"Sir, we can't return the Air Pirate," one of the guards, removed from his post to search for their captain, said desperately to Lucreze. "He's not here. He escaped from his cell somehow since earlier this morning, when Lord Ramirez came to check on him!"

"If Admiral Ramirez and the prisoner are missing..." Lucreze muttered, sweating underneath his helmet, "then what are we supposed to tell the other Air Pirates?" He shook his head. "No, His Highness Prince Enrique should be among them. Brainwashed or not, he wouldn't allow the slaughter of surrendered Valuans." With a heavy sigh, the vice-captain said, "We have no choice. We'll have to tell them he isn't in our possession any longer."

The message was relayed, and it of course sounded awfully suspicious to Aika.

"Not in your possession?" she repeated back to them over the ship radio, frowning. "Where the heck is he, then?"

There was a pause as the message looped around the bridge of the Monoceros and a reply returned. "We don't know."

"Where is Ramirez?" she queried fiercely, almost slamming her hands against the panel. "I should be getting my answers from that back-stabbing bastard, not from some underling of his! Put Ramirez on the line right now!!"

"Sir, the Air Pirate—she wishes to speak with Lord Ramirez," the soldier on the communicator told Lucreze, alarmed. "What do we do?"

"No choice," the vice-captain said grimly as he walked purposefully over to the soldier's seat. "I'll speak with her myself." He traded places and, clearing his throat, announced to Aika, "I am Lucreze, the Vice-Captain of the Monoceros. Admiral Ramirez is not here, so I will have to negotiate with you in his place."

"Not there?" Aika said disbelievingly. "So Vyse and Ramirez are both conveniently missing," she went on, her tone switching to sarcasm. "Do you really expect us to believe that?"

"If you don't believe me," came the stiff reply, "then feel free to board and search this ship yourselves. Do you think we would have lost to you so easily if Admiral Ramirez hadn't been missing?"

There was a small noise of alarm from Lucreze, and his side went silent; apparently, he had said something that he thought he oughtn't have said.

"Missing?" the orange-haired pirate girl said back, her eyebrows furrowed, to Enrique, Gilder and Fina, all standing a short distance away. "Where would he go?"

Glancing at the men in bewilderment, Fina inquired, "Do you think it might have some connection with Vyse's absence?"

"It's plausible," Enrique frowned, holding a hand to his chin. "But the problem with that is—why? And how? I hate to say this, but Vyse certainly isn't a match for Ramirez in combat..."

"He might not have fought him," Gilder interceded. "He could have lucked out and knocked him out, like he did when he first brought Ramirez aboard the Delphinus."

"Hmmm..." Enrique murmured. "It's a possibility. I certainly wouldn't put it past Vyse... That still doesn't answer where Ramirez is, though."

"Well, this all could be a trick," Aika interjected. "Maybe Ramirez is there, and he's trying to trick us into close-range combat. Even if we have the advantage in the air, if we're fighting face-to-face... We don't have any proof that they're telling the truth. We could be walking right into danger if we do like that Lucreze guy says."

The red-jacketed Air Pirate nodded thoughtfully. "But if we don't take him up on his offer, we'll never know," he pointed out. Drawing his gun and grinning, he winked and added, "Better to regret something you did do than something you didn't, eh?"

The substitute captain grinned. "You've got a point!" she said cheerfully. "Can't rescue Vyse if we're not willing to take a few risks!" She turned back to the communicator and declared, "We'll take you up on your offer, Lucreze. We'll board the Monoceros right away, so in the meantime, have all your men put down their weapons, and nobody will get hurt!"

"Understood."

The other side shut off, and without wasting a second, Aika headed up to deck, the others following closely after. They were glad to see it wasn't a trap after all, but they weren't so glad to see that Lucreze had been so fully honest with them. A couple of hours later, when none of them had found any traces of Ramirez or Vyse on the ship, not even in Ramirez's quarters or in Vyse's cell, and the only mark of anyone's departure was a single missing lifeboat, they reconvened on the deck of the Monoceros with the vice-captain.

"Vyse must've taken a lifeboat and split, but that doesn't explain where Ramirez is," the redheaded girl declared to Lucreze, thoroughly vexed by the fruitlessness of their search. "There must have been some clues—something he said, something suspicious about his behavior! Can't you tell us anything?"

"I'm really not obliged to tell you anything about that," the Vice-Captain pointed out. "In addition, if either Lord Galcian or Admiral Ramirez found out about it, my life would become significantly worse, assuming I managed to keep it. It's bad enough that I made the decision to surrender to you in the first place." He shrugged. "Besides, Admiral Ramirez is a very private man. If something had been amiss or bothering him, he would not and did not show it."

"Aika, let's get going," Gilder said, turning to the younger girl. "No point in trying to question this guy any more."

Enrique nodded in agreement. "If Vyse really did take that lifeboat, he can't be too far away," he added. "We should be able to overtake him easily in the Delphinus."

Looking thoughtful, the captain of the Claudia interrupted, "Actually... Nah, I'll tell you later, in better company," he finished when all eyes turned to him. "For right now, let's get out of here."

The three others nodded, and with but a glance at the vice-captain of the Monoceros, they boarded the Delphinus and began to move away.

"So what was it you wanted to say, Gilder?" Aika queried once they'd set sail.

"I'd just been thinking," the dirty-blond pirate said, contemplating the unlit cigar in his hand. "If we fly around looking for Vyse, what's to say all number of Valuan ships won't try to follow us and get him first? The Monoceros might be too damaged to do any of that, but that doesn't stop them from sending a report to any ships in the area. And if they find Vyse first..."

"So what should we do instead?" Fina inquired, hands clasped worriedly over her chest. "We've got to save Vyse somehow..."

Gilder shook his head. "Vyse is a big boy," he assured the young Silvite lady. "If he could escape right under Ramirez's nose all by himself, he can get back to Crescent Isle by himself, too. It might be better if we carry about our business and draw Valua's attention away from whatever he's trying to do. They're going to figure we're searching for him, after all, right? So if we go away from where we think he is..."

"...then they won't find him either, right?" Aika finished thoughtfully. "I don't know. Do you really think it'll be all right, Gilder?"

"We've got to make Vyse proud, right?" the older pirate winked, grinning. "Besides, I've got some tasty information that can't wait, now that we know he's out of the Armada's hands." He glanced out the windows at the endless blue spreading before him and continued, "There's this information I got the other day—it appears Valua has begun advancing into the lower altitudes... I heard that north of Pirate Isle, somewhere beneath the clouds, they're building a base on Dangral Island. It's just a rumor, but I heard that they're building a ship that can go into Deep Sky..."

"Deep Sky?!" Aika repeated with a gasp.

"Yes," the shades-wearing Blue Rogue nodded. "Beneath the thick layer of clouds, immersed in total darkness, there is a 'bottom' of the world. No one has ever seen what's below the clouds..." he added pensively. "Some people say that it's completely dead..."

"What does the Armada want that's in Deep Sky, though?" Enrique murmured.

Gilder shrugged, but the redheaded girl looked thoughtful. "Fina," she said, "when Alfonso attacked and captured you, your ship sank beneath the clouds, right?"

"Yes," the Silvite girl nodded, looking amazed at this revelation. "The Silver Crystal! Ramirez must have told Galcian that it's located on the Great Silver Shrine!"

"So Valua's aiming to find Fina's ship to get the last Crystal," the blond Prince concluded grimly. "We can't let that happen!"

"That's right," Gilder agreed. "Vyse will be all right on his own. The best thing we can do is to distract Valua from him."

Aika folded her arms and nodded, smiling. "You'll be coming with us, right, Gilder?"

"You have to ask?" the savvy pirate grinned back. "I've already come this far. Might as well stick around for the rest of the ride!"

Smirking, Aika winked, "That is, until Clara shows up, right?"

Gilder made a face. "Don't jinx it, you."

The pirate girl laughed along with Enrique and Fina, then turned to Lawrence, the helmsman. "Well, you heard the man!" she said cheerfully. "Set course for Dangral Island in lower sky, near Pirate Isle!"

The hired helmsman complied with a single quiet, "Aye-aye," and immediately the Delphinus began to sink. As they traveled, the Prince happened to glance at the Silvite, and her anxious expression piqued his concern.

"Fina, is something the matter?" he queried, turning to her.

"Eh?" she uttered, giving him a surprised glance. "Oh..." She dropped her gaze. "I was just thinking about Vyse and Ramirez..." Looking worried, she faced Aika, Gilder and Enrique, who were all watching her now, and said, "Do you think it's possible that...that they left the Monoceros on the same lifeboat?"

"On the—Fina," Aika said, startled, "do you realize what you're saying?"

"Well..." she murmured, bowing her head again, "I know it's unlikely, but..."

"I can't even imagine the circumstances that would lead up to that," Enrique input. "But it is a possibility."

Lighting his cigar and taking a drag as he returned a silver lighter to his pocket, Gilder said, "Another possibility's that Vyse somehow pitched Ramirez over the side of the boat before escaping."

"You mean—Ramirez might be dead?" Fina cried, taking a step forward.

The red-coated Blue Rogue shrugged. "It's just as likely as Ramirez being on that lifeboat with Vyse, I'd say."

"Hmph," Aika muttered, arms akimbo. "Good riddance to him, if he is dead. We'll have to get Vyse to tell us what happened when we meet up with him."

The veiled girl glanced away at her friend's comment on the older Silvite. "..."

Noticing, Enrique said gently, "You still think of him as your childhood friend, don't you, Fina?"

"I—" the Silvite girl blurted out, looking over at him. She lowered her verdure eyes and murmured, "I need to know...what changed him so much from the Ramirez I used to know. What happened to make him so bitter and hateful...to force him to go so far as to say he hates me."

"Fina..." Aika said softly, her hands at her sides. She took a step forward and, resting a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, said, "Fina, I'm sorry. But even if you know why he's such a bastard now, that won't change anything. He's not the person he used to be. If he'll go back to Galcian even after Vyse offered him so much, he'll probably never be the person he used to be. You've got to accept that."

She shook her head, shaking her pale blonde bangs. "If only..." she said wistfully, "if only I could talk to him... If I had understood what he had gone through, maybe all of this could have been avoided..."

Aika glanced helplessly at Enrique and Gilder, but they both only shook their heads. The scarecrow-haired rogue turned back to the Silvite girl and said comfortingly, "No use in regrets, right? For right now, let's just face forward."

Fina hesitated, but nodded.
On an iron lifeboat fitted for twelve headed for Sailor's Isle, at the highest altitude possible, were just two men. Those two men sat wordlessly opposite each other, neither needing to steer their small vessel; it had autopilot, after all.

It had been hours since anyone had said anything, except for when Vyse cast Sacri on his bruise, and the Blue Rogue was wondering if he should break the silence. Ramirez had his sword on the seats next to him and was gazing at his knees. Vyse alternated between doing the same and glancing at his companion; there were a lot of things that needed to be said, but he had no idea what to say...

Finally, unable to stand the quiet any longer and desperate to hear anything, the Blue Rogue seized upon the first thing that came to mind and said, "Hey...last night sure was rough, huh? I mean, I don't know about you, but I didn't get a wink of sleep. Between thinking up an escape plan, trying to..."

Ramirez tuned out the Air Pirate's words, his jade-green eyes staring but unfocused. He didn't want to converse with anyone; he didn't even want to be here. Vyse was only suffering his company to keep him from doing anything rash, the former Admiral knew; even if they tried to pretend for the sake of keeping things civil while they had to stay together, things could never return to the way it was. The pale swordsman reflected that the time they had been spent together before had been a lie, anyway; friendship was an impossibility to one such as he. There was no place anywhere, in any form, for a traitor. All that he suffered, he surely deserved...though he couldn't help but want to escape that suffering.

"...and...and..." Vyse, finally noticing Ramirez's dead expression, leaned in towards him. "...Are you listening to me?"

The white-haired swordsman didn't react in the slightest.

"Ramirez? Hello?" he repeated, his concern growing as he reached forward and touched his companion's shoulder. "Ramirez?"

The Silvite jolted upright in surprise, eyes wide open. "Hmm?"

Relieved slightly that he finally had the other's attention, Vyse said, "You weren't listening to anything I was saying, were you?"

Ramirez bowed his head again, his expression returning to the way it was. "Mm."

Vyse sweated nervously. "Ramirez?"

"What?"

"Are...are you okay?" he ventured cautiously.

The Silvite swordsman was silent for a moment, though some emotion flickered in his otherwise lifeless eyes. "...No."

Swallowing hard, Vyse murmured, "...I'm sorry."

Ramirez said nothing, his expression blank.

"Well..." the Blue Rogue began hesitantly, "anyway... I was just saying how I hadn't gotten any sleep last night. I'm getting really tired now... You were probably up late doing something, too, right? I know you don't sleep really well normally..."

The Silvite still made no reply.

Desperate, the Air Pirate begged, "Ramirez, please don't ignore me!"

There were a few seconds more of silence before he murmured, "...I didn't sleep."

Gratified by the multi-syllable answer, Vyse babbled, "You too, huh? Guess we were both too nervous..."

Ramirez did not respond, and the two fell into an awkward silence.

"So..." the Blue Rogue began again after several empty moments, "...after this...you don't have anywhere to go, do you?"

/Thank you for reminding me.../ Ramirez thought glumly, but he only said, "...No."

"Maybe you could go back to the Silver Shrine with Fina?" Vyse suggested.

"I'd rather die," the Silvite stated flatly.

The silence wasn't as long after that, but it was still just as discomfited.

"...Was it really that bad?" the Blue Rogue finally quietly inquired.

"It's not a life to which I wish to return," Ramirez said simply.

"Well..." he murmured, glancing to the side, "I don't know where else you can go..."

Deadpan, Ramirez said, "Hell is always an option."

This time, the silence extended for several moments longer.

"...Ramirez..." Vyse finally tried. "...Hey...don't talk like that, okay? I didn't stop you from killing yourself on the Monoceros to let you kill yourself later, somewhere else..."

"I no longer have a place anywhere," the Silvite replied mechanically, as much to disagree with Vyse as that he honestly believed it. "It would be best if I died."

Rising to his feet, Vyse said tightly, "Don't say that..."

"...even though..." Ramirez continued softly, his white hair eclipsing his eyes, "...I am afraid of dying."

For the fourth time, neither said anything for several long moments, the Blue Rogue gazing down at his companion, the Silvite gazing down at his feet. Outside, the sky moved by lazily, and ahead, Sailor's Isle had appeared on the horizon. Even at their slow speed, it wouldn't be long until they reached it.

With a cough, Vyse sat and changed the subject. "So...speaking of the Silver Shrine...the Silver Crystal's up there, right? Fina said so." He offered a hesitant smile, hoping the ex-Admiral would follow his lead. "It's bad that Galcian has five of the Crystals, but at least he can't get the sixth, right?"

Ramirez looked up slightly, allowing Vyse to see his narrowed eyes, and didn't reply at first. When he finally did speak, he said in a low voice, "You shouldn't rely on Fina's information."

"What?" the surprised Air Pirate uttered. "Why not?"

"She has been fed lies all her life," the white-haired swordsman answered curtly.

Vyse sat up bullet-straight. "You didn't already give it to him, did you?" he questioned him, alarmed.

Ramirez glowered at the floor dourly. "...No. He doesn't have it...yet."

Calming down, the Blue Rogue surmised, "Meaning he'll have it soon. How?"

The green-eyed Silvite hesitated, then slowly held out his left hand before him and stared at his palm, as if there was some secret written there. "...I'll explain it later."

Mystified and somewhat bothered by Ramirez's actions, Vyse nevertheless acquiesced to this with a nod. "Well..." he said instead, "have you ever seen the Silver Crystal?"

"...Yes," the pale swordsman admitted. "Several times. Fina, however, has not."

"Why not?"

His expression darkening, Ramirez answered bitterly, "She doesn't need to know anything. She's Fina, the last of the female Silvites. She needs to be pampered and protected." His voice beginning to raise into a yell, he continued, "She doesn't need to know anything about the truth about the Silvites or our history!"

Startled by this outburst, Vyse only managed to say, "......Um......"

Ramirez almost went on, but upon hearing the small noise, he realized himself and returned to his former sullen, subdued silence.

"Ramirez..." the Blue Rogue began quietly, "just what do you mean by 'the truth'?"

"...I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell you," the silver-haired swordsman muttered. "Besides, I'm no longer following the Elders' will; I have no reason to keep it a secret." He took a deep breath, then began, "You know the general story about the Gigases, about the six civilizations, their struggles for power against each other."

"Yeah," Vyse said with a nod.

"You also know what Fina said before, just before Lord Galcian attacked."

The captain of the Delphinus frowned at the memory. "...Yeah."

"Her version is a highly warped version of the truth," Ramirez stated blandly. "What happened, hundreds of years ago, is that when the Gigases were rampaging across Arcadia, we Silvites decided that to subdue the endless warfare...we had to build our own Gigas."

The exclamation points were audible in Vyse's astonished gasp.

Ignoring it, the Silvite continued, "And we did so, naming our creation Zelos. Its power was well beyond those of any of the other Gigases, and once it was completed, we knew we had created a horror beyond the ken of man. However, we used it regardless, and it quite literally rained destruction on the other civilizations."

Raising an eyebrow, the Blue Rogue interrupted, "Wait, you're not saying..."

"Yes," the former Admiral interrupted back curtly. "Yes. We Silvites were the ones who brought about the Rains of Destruction."

"That's..." Vyse began in amazement, but Ramirez didn't let him get his say.

"But that, of course," he went on, "is not the end. We could not control Zelos. We ended up sealing it in the continent of Soltis, of which the Great Silver Shrine was a part, and send Soltis down to Deep Sky while gathering the most powerful of the Silvites in the Shrine and sending ourselves above Arcadia, far away from the reach of the destruction, far away from Zelos."

"That's..." Vyse murmured again, wide-eyed. "Oh, Moons..."

"Cowardly, yes," the green-eyed man stated without emotion. "We had a history of looking down on the other races; at that time, we simply made it more literal."

"What about Zelos?" the brunet questioned. "Is there any chance the seal could break?"

"On its own? None," Ramirez said promptly. "It has to be broken, and that is not an easy task. It would take the combined powers of the six Moon Crystals to do so."

"Wow..." the brown-eyed rogue breathed. "So, then, you guys came down here to get the Crystals and make sure nobody would manage to wake Zelos up, then?"

The former Admiral smiled and laughed cynically. "Hardly," he said, his tone conveying a sneer he didn't show. "My task was to gather the five Crystals so that we could cleanse Arcadia of humanity once and for all."

Taken aback, the Blue Rogue said, "What?"

"Yes. The Elders intend, once they come in possession of all six Crystals, to use them to raise Soltis, revive the Silver Gigas, and once again command the fall of the Rains of Destruction," Ramirez explained with a twisted, humorless smile.

Staring horrified at the descendant of the ones who summoned the end of the Old World, he stammered, "That's—that's sick!"

"Yes, I know," Ramirez replied with a short dip of the head.

"What gives the Elders the right to make a decision like that?!" Vyse demanded, his righteous anger now taking control.

"The Elders place very little value on life or death," the silver-haired man stated calmly but bitterly. "To them, they are nearly the same thing." With another empty, detestable smile, his eyes glittering with animosity, Ramirez added, "When Hahaue died, they told Fina and me that she had simply returned to nothing, so there was no need to be sad or upset."

Vyse couldn't speak, so filled with outrage was he.

The Silvite shrugged, as if his own overpowering emotions could be dismissed so easily. "In a sense, they are correct," he said lightly. "When you are dead, there is nothing. No pain, no sorrow, no anger...no joy." He bowed his head deeper and murmured to himself, "No love."

Catching the last two words and uncomfortably wishing he hadn't, the Blue Rogue finally managed to inquire, "...But...why? You guys don't live on this planet... How do you know we're scum?"

"We had been watching Valua's actions. Well," he amended, "the Elders had been. That technology was not one to which Fina or I had been granted access. I didn't even know we could watch Arcadia that closely until I was informed of my mission."

"How did you take it?"

Ramirez frowned, glancing up. "What do you mean?"

"Well, just learning...all of that," he replied awkwardly. "And then being told that you had to help destroy everything. If you were as much like me as a kid as I've heard, I know you would've wanted to explore Arcadia, not break it."

The Silvite didn't answer at first as he gazed at the Blue Rogue; finally, he averted his gaze and muttered, "...You are correct. I...internally, I did not take it well. But I was not given a choice. I was to go, to complete the mission, and that was that."

"But it didn't turn out that way," Vyse said, rather than asked.

Ramirez shook his head. "No. I was out of their influence once I descended to this world. I had little intentions at first of returning. Then, after Admiral Me—" he abruptly cut himself off and began again as if nothing out of place had occurred, "after a certain incident, I decided that I would return to the Elders' mission." Vyse blinked curiously, wanting to ask what happened with Admiral Mendosa, but he wasn't given a chance to cut in since the Silvite went on, "But as I became more and more acquainted with Lord Galcian, I came to realize that he alone could and would save this world, and I decided I would follow him exclusively."

"...Wait, come again?" the captain of the Delphinus said, his question about Mendosa forgotten as he stared at his companion. "Galcian? Save the world?"

The former Admiral shed a small smile. "Yes, you don't know, do you?" he reflected. "About his true intentions."

Vyse stared for a moment before inquiring, "Okay, what am I missing?"

Ramirez frowned. "...That is not for you to know."

"Aw, come ON!" the Blue Rogue protested. "It's not like you're working for him anymore!"

That was precisely the wrong thing to say, as it prompted the white-haired young man to face Vyse directly and narrow his brilliant green eyes at him in a black glare that had in the past frozen the bowels of professional soldiers. "Despite," he began, his tone matching the frigidity of his gaze, "that I have betrayed him for you, I still have a great deal of respect for Lord Galcian, and will not reveal to you the secrets he has entrusted to me." He shut his eyes, folding his hands in his lap. "It will all become clear shortly, anyhow."

Cringing slightly, Vyse silently glanced away as Ramirez spoke, scratching at his scar as he watched Sailor's Isle come closer and closer. When the Silvite finished, he frowned slightly; he didn't like how those words sounded like a promise... Instead, he chose to inquire, "You'll really tell me where the Silver Moon Crystal is, right? There's no way I'm letting Galcian get his hands on it. No matter what his plans are, as long as he's hurting people to fulfill them, I'll stop whatever he's doing."

Ramirez had to admire the strength of Vyse's conviction in his words, foolish as it was; well, that indomitable spirit was also part of what made him so appealing... "You cannot stop Lord Galcian," he said quietly. "Having fought me before, you know how strong I am." He paused for a few seconds, then with a slight sigh, finished, "Lord Galcian easily outmatches me."

"Even if you say that," the undaunted rogue grinned, "I'm still not going to give up." Since the Silvite's only reply was a single ellipse, Vyse stood and walked over to the controls, his gaze on the bustling isle of commerce. "We're almost to Sailor's Isle," he said, if only for the sake of saying something. "I guess we'll stick together for a few days longer." He glanced back at his silver-haired companion and added, "I'll shop around the island, get us some supplies and food, and ask around to see what ships are going where, and when... You just get us a room at the inn and stay there, all right? I'll lend you the money."

Knowing that he had plenty of it, having had it taken and returned along with his other things, Ramirez just nodded. There was no reason to ask why Vyse was mitigating him so few duties; after one is burned the first time, one is always more cautious about touching the stove, so to speak.

Listening to the Blue Rogue hum a forcedly jaunty tune to himself, the ex-Admiral stared morosely as they crept up to the back of Sailor's Isle, where few eyes would be watching, and rose to the edge, up to the supplies tower. Without a word, Vyse snuck in a window, and Ramirez followed after, though not before overloading the lifeboat's autopilot, ensuring it would crash down beneath the clouds masking Deep Sky, leaving no trace of their arrival.

"You like to be thorough, don't you?" Vyse murmured, climbing down the ladder.

The former Admiral shrugged before following suit, and when both reached the bottom, the Air Pirate snuck a peek outside.

"The Armada isn't going to swoop down on you," Ramirez commented offhandedly. "If you've had no major problems after escaping the Grand Fortress twice, then I doubt they'll crop up now."

"Problems have already cropped up," the brunet rogue replied, casting his companion a meaningful glance.

The pale swordsman didn't reply. He understood, guilt gnawing again at his heart, Vyse's implication.

"I'll go on ahead," the Blue Rogue said, glancing out again. "You just head straight to the inn."

"All right," Ramirez murmured, and after gold exchanged hands, the two men crossed the bridge and headed in different directions. He only said the barest of necessary words to the innkeeper, and when the gold exchanged hands once again and a double was procured, the Silvite headed upstairs, and choosing a bed at random, he collapsed on top of it, despair once again welling up inside of him.

"What am I doing...?" he said softly, covering his eyes with the back of his left hand. "I was supposed to die... I let him talk me into this. I suppose I really don't want to die..." He sighed deeply. "Ever since I fell for him, I've known myself to be weak, but I hadn't realized I was this weak..."

Falling into silent contemplation, Ramirez mused that with Vyse gone, there was nothing stopping him from sliding his blade across his neck now...except, of course, for his own pride. It was one thing to commit suicide in the iron confines of his personal flagship; it was another thing entirely to do the same thing in a bright, sunny inn room on an island filled with civilians. Though he had fallen this far, though he had no right to be so self-centered, he still couldn't tolerate the thought of his remains being mishandled.

It was as good a reason as any not to kill oneself, he supposed, and thus Ilazki stayed in its sheath. And besides, the former Admiral reasoned ruefully, he probably owed it to the Blue Rogue to see him partway home safely. When they split paths for good, he could find someplace quiet and private to die. Or perhaps, he reflected, it would be simply easiest to surrender his body to the skies. He smiled morbidly. It would certainly ensure that his corpse would never be mishandled, since there wouldn't be any corpse to mishandle.

With a short sigh, Ramirez sat straight and threw his legs over the side of the bed before standing up and drawing the curtains. It was far too bright for his tastes, and he didn't want anyone glancing in unnecessarily. Sullenly, he wondered how long it would be until Vyse returned as he slowly removed his jacket, gloves and boots, carefully laid them over a chair, and rested once again on his chosen bed, pausing long enough to lean Ilazki against it.

Shutting his eyes though he knew sleep was an impossibility, the white-haired man idly pondered this brief journey with Vyse he was undertaking. Well, it wasn't much of a journey, since it would inevitably end in his death one way or another—that was the way of all journeys, he ruminated; the journeys that began with birth, that was—but it would be nice, he mused, if it could stretch out longer than what was projected. Again, it was his weakness, but now that his death was stayed for a short while longer, he found the thought of telling his unrequited love farewell, forever, more and more difficult.

Ramirez could never forget what he had been, who he had betrayed, and what he had left behind. But if he could live the rest of his short life with Vyse, he might be happy...

/No, I wouldn't,/ he told himself, his sense of reality returning. /There is no way I could be happy with Vyse; it's only his pity and conscience that keeps him from abandoning me completely. Though he told me he forgives me, I doubt he would have said such a thing had I not offended his senses by attempting self-murder. Even if he does not hate me, we cannot go back to the way we were. I can't ever regain what I discarded. I will never, ever retain his foolish blind trust again—as I never should have./

Trapping himself in with his dismal thoughts, Ramirez repeated the words of retribution repeatedly, forcing himself to believe that. He had no future, especially not with Vyse, and he could not permit himself even a grain of doubt otherwise. After all, giving in to despair, to self-hatred and the darkness of his mind, was leagues better than the alternative.

It was far too cruel to allow hope to wrap her thorny vines twixt his tormented body...to let her calm his thrashing and slowly tear him asunder with a sweet smile.
Though it was a far cry from sailing the air currents, the warm breeze, sunny skies and friendly bustle of Sailor's Isle lifted Vyse's mood considerably, though he knew when he was done he would have to return to the inn where Ramirez was waiting. Vyse had friends and contacts on Sailor's Isle, and after setting up a meeting in the afternoon with one of them, an old friend of his father's named Johan, the Blue Rogue went shopping to kill time. His reputation as Vyse the Hero had thankfully earned him a discount at the items shop where he stocked up on Sacres Crystals, and such and the equipment shop, where he bought a few changes of clothes, and after telling Anne at Polly's pub about his adventures and troubles since getting her mother to join his crew—leaving out the part that he was still traveling with Ramirez—she treated him to lunch on the house and loqua so cheap, it may as well have been free, too.

It was good business, as it turned out; several people who entered the pub recognized the infamous Blue Rogue, and as he told stories to them, too, they bought more than enough to cover Vyse's meal. The time until the young ship captain's meeting passed quickly, and when it came, the Air Pirate had to hurry, and even then he was a few minutes late reaching the balcony at the end of the island, where Johan was waiting.

"Yer late," the bearded older man said gruffly, his arms over his chest.

"Sorry, sorry!" Vyse said with an apologetic grin, winking and holding a hand vertically in front of his face. "Lost track of time... I appreciate you doing this for me, Johan."

"Nah, if 's for Dyne's son, a few minutes don't matter," the brown-haired man said with a smile. "You said you're in somethin' of a tight spot, did you?"

Vyse nodded and explained the situation to Johan. "Do you think you can find me a ride back to Crescent Isle?" he finished. "Once I get back to my base, I promise I'll make it worth your while."

The bearded sailor chuckled, and at the younger Blue Rogue's quizzical look, he explained, "I remember doin' these kinds of favors for your old man twenty, twenty-five years ago, back when we were both kids, like you. Figures that here I am, hearin' the same lines from his kid. You really are your father's son, Vyse."

The blue-clad rogue laughed, placing his fists on his hips. "I'll take that as a compliment!" he grinned. "So can I count on you, Johan?"

"Leave it to me, Vyse," the older sailor grinned. "Findin' a ride for one person shouldn't be too tough—"

"Ah," the captain of the Delphinus interjected with a nervous smile, "sorry. I forgot to mention, I've got...someone else with me." He was fair loathe to say 'a friend'.

"Two people?" Johan frowned. "Well... That'll be a little tougher. I should be able to find you someone who'll take you at least to Nasrad in a few days." He looked thoughtful for a few seconds, then added, "Say, Vyse, speakin' of Nasrad, there was somethin' I wanted to ask you..."

"Yeah?"

The older sailor's frown deepened, creasing his forehead. "Now, don't get me wrong. I've known your father since we were both your age, and so I've known you since you were just a babe, so I know you'd never do anything like this."

"Yeah?" Vyse asked again, sweating slightly, thoughts of accusations concerning Ramirez forming.

"Well, it's just that there's been tales circlin' that you've turned Black Pirate."

Vyse stared; he definitely hadn't expected that. "What?"

Johan smiled with a short nod. "That's what I'd thought. Y'see, you, or someone lookin' just like you, 's appeared on the bounty list at the Sailor's Guilds, 'long with your two lady friends, Aika and that girl Dyne told me you'd all rescued from the Valuans—what was her name again?"

"Fina," the stunned Blue Rogue told him automatically. "You've gotta be kidding!"

"'s no joke," Johan said grimly. "They say you and your two friends've been terrorizin' innocent people and taking their money. 'Course, it's not true, but someone's still out there, tarnishin' your name, Vyse. When you get the chance, you'd better confront 'em."

"Thanks, I will, Johan," Vyse replied, equally grimly.

"I understand that those three hang 'round near Nasrad, 's why I thought of it," the older rogue went on. "If you stop off there 'fore you head to Crescent Isle, make sure to keep an eye out for 'em, y'hear?"

"I'll do that," the Blue Rogue nodded.

"Ye'll have to, I 'spect," Johan muttered, stroking his beard. "Well then, I've got t' take care of some other business, and I 'magine you've got others things to do, too, Vyse. Ye're staying at the inn, right?" At the young rogue's 'uh-huh' of assent, he went on, beginning to walk down the street to the docks, "When I've got news for you, I'll leave a message at the desk. You take care of yourself, 'hear?"

Vyse grinned. "You too, Johan!" he called, then headed for the inn to drop off the things he'd bought so far.

As he walked in, he caught sight of the mysterious merchant who sometimes hung out in the lobby, and decided to see if he had anything new. As it turned out, he had a limited supply of wooden chess sets picked up during his travels, and thinking of how difficult it had been to maintain a conversation with Ramirez, Vyse bought one, glad that they'd have something else to do.

/It'll be good to have around later, too,/ he thought as he told the innkeeper that he'd had someone rent a room for the two of them earlier that day and asked for and received his room key. /It's been so long since I've played last! I could have a few matches against Aika, and we could teach Fina how to play.../

His spirits still high in spite of Johan's dampening news and the fact that he was going upstairs to where Ramirez was, Vyse made his way to his room. The first thing he looked for was, of course, Ramirez himself; he saw him lying on one bed with his sword lying against one of the posts and some of his clothes draped over a chair.

Wondering if he might be asleep, which would explain why all the curtains were drawn, the Blue Rogue said softly, "Ramirez? You awake?"

The white-haired man didn't reply; after watching his chest rise and fall slowly for a few moments, Vyse decided he was slumbering, and thus set his things down quietly before sitting down on the bed that was left and looking again at the former Admiral's now calm face.

/I could do well with some sleep myself,/ he thought with a big yawn, the buzz he'd gotten from his streak of good fortune wearing off and the darkness of the room inviting. /Still got a few things left to do, though.../

Vyse still sat there long enough, looking at Ramirez, to notice that the shorter man's bangs were a mess across his face. He stood to move to brush them away, but he hadn't taken a step before he reconsidered it. He didn't know how lightly Ramirez slept; doing that might wake him up, and that'd be a shame—it looked like he wasn't having any bad dreams for once. Besides, if they weren't bothering him now, he shouldn't feel obliged to do anything extra, the Air Pirate reasoned.

He sat back down and rubbed at his uncovered eye, then gazed again at his resting companion thoughtfully. /It's sort of interesting.../ he mused. /Even though he betrayed me, I still worry about him a little... Well, he used to be my friend once. I guess it's natural.../ Vyse raised his vision to the ceiling, recalling how, just a few nights ago, he had been wondering what it would be like to be in a relationship with his moody companion. /Considering it turned out that he's in love with me, I've got to wonder what Ramirez would say if I told him that.../

With another yawn, he stood and headed for the door, knowing he needed to finish things up before he could let himself go to bed. /Better not tell him, though,/ the Blue Rogue decided. /It's not as if I was thinking seriously... It would be cruel to make Ramirez think I was interested in him, when I can't even trust him anymore./

There was a nostalgic twinge in his heart for the transient days when he did trust the silver-haired swordsman, however naïvely, and a hesitation; then Vyse quietly left the room, shutting the door behind him.
Evening had fallen and the stars were shining gently when Vyse returned to the room, carrying with him groceries, new armor for himself, and a quick dinner Anne had thoughtfully packed for him. Ramirez was sitting next to one of the windows, leaning on the windowsill, watching the night sky, surrounded by darkness.

Vyse set his packages down and fumbled for one of the lamps, then lit it. "Ramirez, what is with you and not having any lights on?" he asked.

"It's easier to stargaze without bright lights around," the pale swordsman murmured in reply, not looking over at the Blue Rogue.

/Makes sense,/ the Air Pirate admitted, and he picked up the bagged meal before walking over to his companion and offering it. "Here, you must be hungry."

Ramirez glanced up at him then, his expression neutral but not harsh, and accepted it. "Thank you."

With a small yawn, the captain of the Delphinus headed over to his bed, sat down heavily and began to pull off his boots, discreetly keeping his eyes on Ramirez, who brought his meal over to the nightstand separating their beds. The former Admiral didn't notice, or perhaps pretended not to notice, and it wasn't until he had begun to eat that Vyse threw himself back onto his bed.

"Ramirez?" he said, pulling off his goggle to rub at his eyes. "Just wanted to let you know, I've got someone working on getting us a ride out of here."

The Silvite made a small noise of acknowledgement.

"It's to Nasrad, though..." the Blue Rogue went on. "I know that's not a good place for you, but if you want, I can ask him to get you a separate ride."

There was a short pause as Ramirez took a sip of his water. Then he replied, "Ultimately, it won't matter, but do whatever you please."

Vyse frowned. "What do you mean, 'ultimately, it won't matter'?"

"You have no intentions of looking over me forever, do you?" Ramirez replied calmly. "You only brought me along because you were afraid of what I would do to myself had you not made that offer."

The Blue Rogue narrowed his brown eyes as he realized the former Admiral's intentions. "...You still think you have to die," he stated, rather than asked.

"You needn't feel so guilty over me," the Silvite said offhandedly. "Not when I'm the one who wronged you."

"It's not about guilt!" Vyse said, upset, rising to his feet. "It's just wrong to kill yourself!"

"As wrong as being homosexual? More? Less?" Ramirez queried, his tone light but with a hard edge.

The Blue Rogue, rendered temporarily speechless, sat back down.

"If it's according to your set of morals, I've already collected a great deal of sins," the Silvite went on, now tersely. "What's yet another sin to round them all off? Besides," and he speared a steamed vegetable on the end of his fork, "I don't want to be told what's wrong and what's right from you, an Air Pirate."

"I'm not just an Air Pirate!" Vyse snapped hotly.

"Yes, you're a Blue Rogue, aren't you?" Ramirez said dryly, setting down his fork. "The 'good' pirate. But no matter what principles to which you adhere yourself, you still steal for a living. Or does your lifestyle suddenly make stealing okay?"

"It's not as if we're stealing just for ourselves!" the captain of the Delphinus retorted, his ire growing. "We help others with what we take, and we never target defenseless ships!"

"But you are still taking things that don't belong to you," the Silvite said evenly, glaring at Vyse with narrowed green eyes. "No matter how you go about it, no matter who you target, no matter what you do with what you've stolen, it's still a crime!"

Narrowing his eyes back, Vyse demanded, "And you're the one who judges people for their crimes, hmm?"

The shorter swordsman fell silent, glancing away, knowing fully well that his recent actions rendered him unworthy of passing judgment on anyone or anything.

"Maybe what we Blue Rogues do is wrong," the young captain granted when Ramirez didn't reply. "But we do them for the right reasons! That can make all the difference in what makes a crime a crime! Your problem is that you think is such black-and-white terms!"

"Your problem is that you believe that such things as morals exist to begin with," the white-haired man muttered angrily. "There's no such thing as 'good' or 'evil'—they're just concepts created by humans to rationalize otherwise irrational behavior!"

Thoroughly exasperated with the Silvite's see-sawing opinions, the Air Pirate argued, "But if that were true, you wouldn't have let me go, would you? Because if there really isn't any good or evil, as you said, there wouldn't have been a reason to feel guilty about it! Just now, even, you said you'd wronged me! And if you really believed what you just said, that everything's morally ambiguous, what would be the point in hating people like you do?" Throwing up his arms in irritation, he declared, "Moons, Ramirez, you're such a hypocrite!!"

"If I'm a hypocrite, then so are you, Vyse!" the ex-Admiral snarled, getting to his feet. "Do you really think that your actions have only positive repercussions?! Do you think it's really the Upper Valuans who suffer when you attack Valuan warships? Of course not! That's not permissible in Valuan society! It is inevitably the Lower Valuans who are forced to work harder for lower and lower pay to make up for what you pirates steal!" As the young ship captain stared open-mouthed at Ramirez in shocked revelation, he continued, "Do you really think you're doing the world a favor?! It's precisely that self-centered arrogance that made me despise you all! You disgust me, Vyse!!"

His desire to defend himself returning, the Blue Rogue rose to his feet to match his companion and yelled back, "If I'm so disgusting, why did you fall in love with me!?"

Ramirez flinched and averted his gaze to the floor, his teeth and fists tightly clenched. Several long seconds passed without comment before the pale swordsman murmured, "...I thought you were different."

"And I'm not?" the young ship captain demanded.

The Silvite didn't reply.

"Everything you've said so far has been about Air Pirates and Blue Rogues in general," he continued, a little more gently now. "Am I still not different?

"...You're still convinced that you're in the right, no matter what you do," the ex-Admiral muttered. "But that's not always the case. What is good and evil to you may not be the case to someone else.

Frowning, the Blue Rogue inquired, "Doesn't that apply to you, too?"

"...I used to have a set of beliefs..." Ramirez nearly whispered, "and nothing could make me question them. They were what gave me stability, a foundation from which I built the way to live my life..." He looked up at Vyse, his eyes wavering, and swallowed hard. "You single-handedly destroyed that foundation. You, and you alone, are the one who makes me wonder if I have been following the wrong path for all these years." As Vyse looked at Ramirez, his brow creased in sadness, the Silvite glanced away and murmured, "You made me..." He paused, a flash of fretfulness flitting across his face, and plunged forward, "...fall in love with you."

Quietly, the Blue Rogue said, "I didn't make you do anything."

"I know." The Silvite sat, resting his face in his hands. "I know. But whether or not you intended for any of this to happen...it did anyway."

There was a moment of self-conscious silence before Ramirez dropped his arms onto his knees and glanced up at Vyse, his set expression indicating barely restrained words. Discomfited, the Blue Rogue stared back, and he stepped back slightly when the Silvite suddenly stood and glared fiercely into his eyes.

"Vyse, do—" he began, but Vyse spoke at the same time with, "I—"

Ramirez fell silent, and the Blue Rogue, glancing away and rubbing the back of his neck, murmured, "...I'm tired. I'm going to bed."

The silver-haired youth fell silent, his green eyes reflecting his hurt, and he hesitated, his lips partly slightly as if to say something, an argument or perhaps a question. But the moment passed, and he bowed his head, his pale bangs obscuring his face.

"...All right," he said simply, and he returned to his nearly forgotten meal, turning his back to Vyse as he resumed eating.

Vyse watched him for a moment more, the fingers of guilt prodding him mercilessly, and biting back a sigh, he pulled off his scarf and jacket, and after throwing them on one of the posts at the foot of his bed, he crawled under his covers and shortly after fell asleep, exhaustion conquering sleepless anxiety.

The ex-Admiral stared blankly out at the stars as he supped joylessly. If Vyse hated him utterly, it would be easier to forget his damned feelings and surrender himself to the oblivion of death. But it seemed that it was not so easy—either for Vyse to hate him, or for him to get the Blue Rogue to despise him. He had half-hoped as the argument escalated that the object of his ill-advised affections would turn his back on him for good, to declare that he would have nothing more to do with him. Ramirez knew how to deal with being hated; he was used to it. Loathing was practically one of his life's principles. But he would not accept pity...

Glancing at the Air Pirate's slumbering form, he whispered, "I don't want you to feel sorry for me. If you must hate me, hate me—at least then I wouldn't be taunted by a hope that cannot be realized. But I don't want your compassion. I spit upon your sympathy. I am wretched enough as it is without your commiserations. Since, as you say, you cannot love me, abhor me! At least then I have something against which I can fight, something against which I can defend myself..." Returning morosely to his meal, he continued mentally, /When you grant me kind words, I lose my will to struggle... Like on the Monoceros, when you asked me to go with you. In the end, I couldn't say no, because you poisoned me with hope.../

Finishing his meal and drink, Ramirez set down the remains of his dinner and crossed the small gap between his bed and Vyse's to sit next to the Blue Rogue's slumbering form, gazing briefly at his knees, then twist his body around to lay his eyes wistfully on the Blue Rogue.

He smiled briefly, despondently, as he watched the young captain rest. /I don't want to live, but I don't want to die, either. How pathetic I am.../ he thought, then drew his legs up onto the bed to balance himself as he leaned forward and stroked Vyse's hair. "You're such a heavy sleeper," he murmured. "You wouldn't wake up even if I watched over you like this for the entire night, would you?"

The Blue Rogue snored softly in reply.

Ramirez laughed quietly, and its melancholy sound faded into the pitch. Still running the backs of his fingers against Vyse's brown locks, he said what he could not before. "Vyse..." he murmured, "do you know how painful it is to be this close to you, yet still separated from you? You can't, can you? Everyone who's important to you will receive you with open arms..." He leaned his head against the headboard, gazing down at the brunet, and continued, "I always knew that I was never on Lord Galcian's level, that I was simply an assistant to his plans. In spite of my latent talents and skills, I had no true significance if I was not doing something for his sake. Thus, there was always a line, a barrier, marking the difference between us. A great deal of the time I never registered it was there, but on some level I never forgot about it once I realized its existence."

He slid his fingers under a layer of Vyse's hair and sighed, "With you...it's similar, but different. There is a barrier between us, and sometimes, I can sense it so strongly that for a few brief seconds I can see it..."

The Silvite laughed again. "Don't you think there's something hopelessly foolish about me for chasing after you, clinging to you, even though I can feel the wall blocking me from you?" he inquired rhetorically. "Do you think, perhaps, it's the last traces of the me that was like you, back when I was innocent—when I believed in Arcadians as fully and wholeheartedly as you believed in me? Perhaps the Ramirez Fina and Doc knew isn't as dead as I had thought he was... Perhaps the me of those days is reviving in response to my loneliness, which I only remembered in all these years after I met you... Or perhaps he simply began to reawaken when I saw him in you."

Vyse of course offered no reply, and with a depressed sigh, Ramirez ran his fingers through the rogue's hair. He continued to keep watch over the Blue Rogue for several hours, when he silently slid off the bed to pace restlessly, then settle near the uncloaked window to stare out at the stars. He repeated the process, often shuffling the order, until well past the sky outside the westward-facing windows grew tinted with pink, when Vyse finally began to stir awake; it was only then that he ceased his prowling and retreated to his bed, lying down and staring up at the ceiling. He listened to the young captain make small noises, turn over, and shortly after begin to snore again: he had gone back to sleep.

Shutting his eyes, Ramirez attempted to follow suit. There was nothing else to do, and now that he had finally laid himself to rest, he was too dejected to rise again.

When Vyse did awaken for good a couple of hours later, he got out of bed and stretched noisily, glancing furtively at the other bed as he did so. Ramirez looked asleep, but considering he'd already gotten a few hours in earlier, the Blue Rogue didn't know if he really was resting, and after their argument last night, he didn't know if he wanted to check just yet. He whittled away his time by getting dressed, eating, heading out for a walk around town, talking with the people he met on the way, staring suspiciously at the thunderheads beginning to build on the northern horizon, admiring the ships out on the docks, eating again at lunch at Polly's, and repeating his morning activities. Eventually, however, he knew he had to return to the inn, and when he did, the silver-haired swordsman was practicing his footwork, his sword, sheathed, in hand. He halted in one graceful mid-step as soon as Vyse opened the door, stared at him for a split-second, then tossed his sword onto his bed and looked away.

"Looks like you're up," Vyse said awkwardly, then cursed himself for saying something so stupidly obvious.

"...Yes," Ramirez replied, still keeping his gaze on the floor.

"So...how are you?" he inquired, walking into the room and pushing the door shut behind him.

The former Admiral shrugged indifferently. "As well as could be expected, I suppose."

"Did you sleep at all last night?" the rogue ventured, and was puzzled when the Silvite's shoulders stiffened.

/Did he notice? Was he awake?/ Ramirez wondered frantically, on the verge of mortification. He wouldn't be able to bear it if Vyse had heard what he'd said last night—

"Um, are you okay?" Vyse inquired, taking a step forward.

The former Admiral quickly turned his back to him and didn't reply.

Thinking he had the answer, the rogue softly guessed, "Bad dreams again, huh?"

"I don't care to talk about it," Ramirez said stiffly, though he was pleased to let Vyse think so. "And you? How did you sleep?"

Smiling, though slightly nervously, the pirate answered, "Heh, the usual. Aika says I sleep like a rock..."

"That's...good," the Silvite said without any enthusiasm.

A lull came again in their conversation, now a common thing between the two men. Vyse, glancing away and laying his eyes on the chess set he'd bought yesterday, lit up with a smile and queried brightly, "Say, Ramirez, you probably play chess, right?"

Finally, the former Admiral glanced over his shoulder at the Blue Rogue, his eyebrows arched, and he replied with a quiet, "...Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Well," and the young ship captain picked up the wooden chess case, "I bought a chess set yesterday, to help pass the time—you want to play a few games?"

"You'll lose," Ramirez stated plainly.

Vyse rolled his eyes. "It's just a game."

"I'm just warning you," the Silvite frowned. "Fine. There's nothing else to do, anyway."

The Blue Rogue set up the chessboard on the floor quietly, sitting cross-legged. "Which side do you want to be?" he queried as he set up the pieces.

The Silvite kneeled down on the opposite side. "I'll be black," he replied. "You need all the advantages you can get."

Vyse rolled his eyes again as he placed the pawns appropriately. He knew white always went first in chess, and didn't mind that, but he didn't appreciate the slight that came with the gesture.

The first game concluded as Ramirez had predicted—and so did the second, third, fourth, and fifth. It was getting harder and harder for Vyse to laugh off each loss, so as he set up his side of the board for the sixth game, he brought up what he'd asked the former Admiral about the other day.

"So," he said, glancing up at the Silvite, who was also resetting his pieces, "you said yesterday that you'd tell me about the Silver Crystal..."

"...Yes," Ramirez murmured, staring down at the board, "but perhaps it would be better to show you." Moving the chessboard aside, he took Vyse's hands into his own, an action that caused the young pirate's eyes to widen, and a faint blush to form across his face.

"Uh, Ramirez...?" he began nervously, uncertain at what the Silvite was trying to do. "What's this got to do with—"

Looking up from their joined hands into Vyse's eyes, the former admiral cut him off. "You'll see."

Vyse stared back, uncomprehending, until a sudden warmth began to pulse where his hands wrapped around Ramirez's. He looked down, startled, and was further astonished to see a silver-white light shining from his hands as a crystal orb half-emerged from Ramirez's left hand.

"The Silver Moon Crystal..." Ramirez murmured, the unearthly light playing across his face, "...is right here."

The brunet man stared back up at the Silvite, confusion and amazement plainly written across his face. "It...it's in your body? How did it get in your body?"

"It's not a thing that is unique to me," the white-haired man explained, his voice oddly soft. "All Silvites are born with a piece of the Silver Crystal in their bodies. This is one of the things that marks us as differing from humans."

"Does...Galcian know about this?" the Blue Rogue asked.

"Yes," was the simple reply.

The captain of the Delphinus looked back down at the shimmering silver stone for a moment, in silent awe of its splendor. "If...if you've had it all this time," he eventually said, looking back up into Ramirez's eyes once more, "...how come you didn't give it to him?"

The Silvite dropped his eyes slightly, gazing at their intertwined hands. "The Crystal is the source of our life energy. If it is taken from our bodies, we die," he stated, not looking up again, any trace of tenderness gone from his voice.

"...I see," Vyse frowned, gazing back down at the glittering gem again. On impulse, he began to gently trace the contours of the crystal, and when the former Admiral didn't admonish him or protest, he continued. He had, of course, touched Moon Crystals before; however... Well, the others had certainly been beautiful to behold, but they were cold to the touch. This stone was warm—it was alive. Somehow, that made all the difference...

Ramirez just watched as the brunet rogue ran his fingers across and around the Crystal, and felt heat rise to his face. "Vyse..." he said softly, unable to take his eyes away from the Air Pirate.

The sound of Ramirez's voice made Vyse look up at the Silvite abruptly, and he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty. "Ramirez..." he murmured.

Their gazes held like that for a moment longer, before Vyse realized something, and dropped Ramirez's hand like a hot coal as he leapt to his feet. "Fina!" he cried. "What about Fina? If Galcian knows about the Silver Crystal, then—"

"Does it matter?" the former admiral muttered, staring down at the floor as the Silver Crystal retreated back into his left hand. "Besides, Lord Galcian would rather take it from my body. He would accomplish two goals that way."

The young captain stared down at the Silvite in shock, taken aback by his callousness. "Don't you care about Fina at all?"

Ramirez clenched his right hand into a fist, and snapped, "Why should I? She has all of you to take care of her! She deserves nothing from me but my hatred!"

"Hey, don't say things like that!" Vyse yelled back, his anger aroused. "Nobody deserves hatred! And for the sake of the Moons, she cares about you! She loves you, dammit! How can you say you hate someone who loves you?"

The silver-haired swordsman glared up at the other man. "Didn't you hate me, if only for a while, though I told you I loved you?" he asked, his voice as cold as the landmarks around Glacia.

The young rogue's expression became a stricken one. "I... I didn't mean it..." he said softly, turning his eyes to the wall to his right. "I was upset then. It was something I said without thinking about it. And I've forgiven you now, in any case."

Ramirez shook his head. "Sadly, I neither forgive nor forget. Fina would take everything I desired from me and never even realize she was doing it." He hissed, "I cannot forgive her...!"

The Blue Rogue gazed down at the bitter Silvite, a trace of pity upon his face. He sighed, and sat down on the floor again. "Hey, Ramirez," he began after a few minutes, his tone a little gentler, "would Galcian really go after you before Fina?"

The green-eyed swordsman shrugged slightly. "I don't see why not. As I said, he can kill two birds with one stone that way."

"But...he trusted you. Don't you mean something to him? At all?" the brunet youth asked.

Ramirez did not reply at first. "...I did, before I betrayed him. Now, though...."

"So because of a few moments of weakness, he'd have you killed after you've been working for him faithfully for—for years?" the Blue Rogue asked, throwing up his arms in disbelief.

"It's more than 'a few moments of weakness'," the Silvite muttered. "Lord Galcian had no need for those who—oh, why do I even bother?" he groused. "You never understand, no matter how many times I try to explain."

The Blue Rogue frowned slightly, hurt, and changed the course of the conversation slightly. "Why did you tell Galcian about the Silver Crystal? Weren't you worried he might have killed you for it?"

Ramirez was again silent for a moment, then sighed, giving in. "He had to know; it was his right," he said wearily. "And if he had decided that my life should be exchanged for the furthering of his plans, then so it would have been."

Vyse stared at him, his expression pained. "Ramirez..." he breathed, "you don't—you shouldn't..." He trailed off, and shook his head. "What about me?" he questioned, his voice quiet. "Didn't you...at least worry a little that I might—"

"—kill me for the Crystal?" the former Admiral finished. "Well, because I didn't think you would. Besides," he added, gazing down at the floor with an odd little smile, "I...don't think it would be so bad, to be killed by you..."

Vyse gaped at the Silvite in stunned silence, before he pulled the chess board back between them again. Changing the subject completely away from the morbid topic at hand, he asked, "Hey, would you like to play another game? I have to beat you one of these times."

Ramirez's expression grew cold and neutral at that, and he replied, his tone betraying neither his thoughts nor his feelings, "...All right."
Vyse left the inn room eventually, forced by necessity—he still had a great deal of paranoia concerning returning to the room and finding Ramirez in a pool of his own blood, but there were still things he had to do, and he couldn't get them done while watching over the ex-Admiral, nor did he think it a good idea to bring the morose Silvite with him. The weather outside didn't help the Air Pirates's anxieties, either; the skies were deepening gray, and the fierce way the winds were blowing, the Blue Rogue knew there would be a bad storm by that evening. He sought out Johan quickly, hoping to hear good news, that passage had been found. However, when he met with the older sailor, he was greeted grimly.

"Vyse, I've been lookin' for you," said the bearded man with a frown, pulling him into the Sailor's Guild.

"Did you manage to find a ride?" the young rogue said quickly, but the look on Johan's face dashed his hopes.

"I still need time, but so far, t'tell you the truth, it doesn't sound like too many folks are willin' to lug about a wanted Air Pirate," he replied. "Many of 'em admire you for what you've done, but it's one thing t'think you're doing a fine job and another t'risk Valua's wrath by helpin' y'out, it seems."

The captain of the Delphinus nodded, discouraged but not disheartened. Lots of people had lots to lose, after all; though he didn't agree with their choices, he didn't fault those who didn't make a fuss or help those who did. "Well, we've still got time," he smiled.

"Actually," Johan said, his frown deepening, "you don't. Part've the reason why people are reluctant to give you a ride is 'cause they're saying that a few Armada ships're coming here for a stop-off. Bullshit, I say. What supplies could they get here that they couldn't get from their own outposts?" He shook his head. "No, I think they're looking for you, Vyse, so if you know what's good for you, you'd better get out of here as soon as the storm blows by."

"But if I don't have a ride—" the young rogue protested, eyes wide with alarm.

Johan cut him off with a chuckle. "Are you a pirate or aren't you?" he queried. "Sneak aboard a ship. There's a bunch still docked, an' they'll likely set sail just after the storm passes. That's the best you'll get, I 'spect. Just hope the Armada doesn't decide to 'inspect' any of the boats, hey?"

"All right," Vyse smiled. "Thanks again!"

"You take care've yourself, you hear?" Johan smiled back.

The young rogue nodded. "Oh, one last thing," he added. "Could you send word to my parents that I'm all right? And Aika and the others, if you see them?"

"No problem," the bearded sailor said gruffly. "Now you and your friend best be gone from here soon, so you'd better head back to where you're staying and pack up whatever you've got."

Vyse nodded, and the two exchanged good-byes before leaving for their respective places. The Blue Rogue watched the clouds worriedly as he went; they looked awfully swollen, like they'd burst open any second. They remained intact, thankfully, as he walked, and even when he reached his room and looked in on Ramirez lying on the floor and playing a game of chess against himself, the storm still hadn't broken. The Air Pirate looked curiously at his companion manipulating both sides of the field, and kicking the door shut behind him, he approached.

"What kind of strategy game is it if you already know all the moves your opponent's going to make?" he wondered aloud as he sat down. "Here, let me play you again."

"No; this way, I actually get a challenge," Ramirez replied in a neutral tone as he studied the board.

The Blue Rogue hid his annoyance and protested, "But, c'mon, chess solitaire? How much fun could it be?"

"It's not supposed to be 'fun', it's practice," the former Admiral stated, capturing a black rook with the white Queen. "Chess is a game of war strategy. If you play both sides with no intention of allowing either to lose, then you have to plan each move meticulously carefully. If you have holes in the strategy for one side, you will spot it as you move against yourself, and you will know to defend and attack appropriately." Contemplating the field again, he continued, "I typically stalemate, but I believe that is the best result, personally. I have no desire to let either white or black win, and if either lost, it would clearly be a result of my own carelessness." He took hold of a black knight and said decisively, "I hate myself when I get careless."

Vyse, who had been watching Ramirez with a sort of growing wonder at this ostensible return to his old self, frowned abruptly. "You should never hate yourself," he said just as decisively. "Everybody makes mistakes. It's part of life. The important thing is to always accept who you are, and if there's a part of you that you start to dislike, change it to something you do like."

The pale-haired Silvite gave Vyse a withering glare and returned to his game without a word.

Wondering helplessly if it was at all possible to say the right thing to Ramirez, the Blue Rogue instead cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, you should finish up soon. We need to get our stuff together."

The Silvite glanced up in surprise. "Yes?"

"Seems like the Armada's heading here soon," he explained. "We don't want to be here for that."

Ramirez's eyelids dropped slightly. "Ah, I see." He gazed down at the board, resting his chin on his folded hands. There were several more seconds of silence before he softly suggested, "Leave me behind."

The Air Pirate's response was both immediate and predictable: "No, never."

"It would be easier for you, wouldn't it?" the shorter swordsman argued patiently. "You can leave me to the mercies of the Armada. They are my people, so to speak, to an extent."

"But you defected," Vyse argued back.

"For you, yes," Ramirez blandly replied with a nod. "But you're already free, a few hitchhikes away from your base and your friends. You don't need to feel obliged to block me from my ultimate fate any longer."

"Does friendship mean anything to you at all?"

"You should already know the answer to that," the Silvite said flatly.

The Blue Rogue shook his head firmly. "No, I don't know at all," he said grimly. "I don't understand you at all. I think I've finally realized that. I don't understand why you would reject my offers to accept you and go back to Galcian if friendship and love are more important to you. I can't understand why you would decide not to kill me and even spare my life if your duties are more important to you." He shook his head and sighed. "Ramirez, just like you kept saying, I don't understand. But right now, I can live with not understanding. Right now, I just want to help you."

"There's something wholly irrational about wanting to help someone who nearly killed you," the Silvite noted coldly.

"Look, you've proved nicely that, yes, I am an idiot," Vyse said impatiently. "So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop rubbing it in. I. Am. Not. Leaving you here! So c'mon!"

Ramirez gazed at the stubborn rogue with dark eyes, but rose and began to put away the chess pieces. "How will we be leaving?" he asked quietly.

"We'll have to stow aboard one of the ships at the docks," the Blue Rogue replied as he gathered together the things he'd bought the day before. "I had someone helping me out, but he couldn't find us a ride soon enough, and with the Armada coming..."

"It may be a false rumor," the Silvite suggested, handing him the chess set.

"I'd rather not risk it," Vyse replied, taking and packing it. He glanced out the windows; he would have heard it if it had started raining, but he wanted to check visually anyway, and it looked like it hadn't yet begun. "Get dressed, okay? We'll go after it starts raining...go under the cover of the storm. It looks it'll be a downpour, and nobody will see us sneaking around in that."

The former Admiral nodded, slightly surprised by the Blue Rogue's planning, and did as he was told.

"I bought some extra things of clothes," Vyse mentioned as he passed a few of the bags to Ramirez. "We can change into those once we've safely stowed away."

"Right..." Ramirez said vaguely, returning to a cagey demeanor as he accepted the packages.

Vyse frowned slightly at his unenthusiastic reply, but whatever comment he had to make was cut short by a sharp clap of thunder and the sound of rainwater suddenly striking the roof, windows and street, and from that moment on, they were both silent. They waited perhaps a half hour before setting out, the Air Pirate leaving behind at the innkeeper's counter several extra gold, a smile and a "We never stayed here" before they went. The former Admiral glanced at that scene, and thought fleetingly of how, a few weeks ago, seeing that would have lowered his opinion of Vyse, but now, he wasn't sure what was to be admired and what was to be reviled anymore...

They were both thoroughly soaked within ten seconds of stepping outside, but hunching over to protect their parcels, the two young men walked quickly through the slick streets, followed by rolls of thunder.

To Ramirez, the heavy downpour was almost soothing. It was like an emission from the heavens meant to cleanse the earth, to wipe away all that was filthy and depraved... He almost felt better as the water plastered his hair to his face and seeped through his clothes, soaking his skin. It was as if, if he could stand still and gaze up at the storm clouds long enough, even his dirty hands might be purified.

There were things, however, that no amount of rainwater could wash away.

He followed Vyse to the docks wordlessly; they wouldn't be able to hear each other through this cacophony, anyway. They could barely see each other, and he thought briefly of deliberately separating himself from Vyse...but no, the faithful rogue would certainly seek him once he realized he was gone, and there was no place for the former Admiral to go anyway, either here on Sailor's Isle or indeed anywhere else in the world.

The two made their way to the docks and targeted a small ship at the far left, slightly smaller than the Little Jack and built similarly, and more to try it than expecting it to work, Vyse pulled at the hatch where the ship's lifeboats were likely to be. He was amazed to find that it was unlocked and came up easily, and he and Ramirez snuck inside with nary a hitch. It seemed too easy, and the Blue Rogue wasn't sure whether to be suspicious or guiltily grateful that the ship's owner was so trusting. After quietly shutting the hatch behind them, he took a glance around. There were a pair of lifeboats, naturally, but there was curiously also a large piano in one corner, and in another, a high pile of crates, tall enough and wide enough to hide several people—probably this place was also used as a storage room. Vyse and Ramirez made their way over there, since there were no other hiding places and they didn't dare to explore the rest of the boat, and nestling themselves there with their parcels around them, they sat.

The Blue Rogue was the first to speak. "We should probably change out of these soaked clothes," he said delicately, not wanting to make the suggestion but knowing they couldn't stay drenched.

"You can," the wet Silvite murmured. "I'll stay covered, thank you."

Vyse began to argue, but thought better of it as he rummaged through the clothes bag as silently as possible. He had actually bought clothes with Ramirez in mind, thinking that the notorious former Admiral would need a different look, but he'd have to make do. With a glance at the shorter man, who kept his head hidden between his knees, he began to strip off his sopping garments one by one, ringing them out as best he could and hoping nobody came in and noticed the pools of water. Blushing and hoping his companion wasn't peeking, Vyse even removed his underpants, though he was quick to replace them, and after using one of the spare shirts as a towel, changed into dry clothes. He was without shoes, but that was all right; the Blue Rogue was actually wishing for some warm blankets, but there wasn't any helping that right now. He didn't know where the people who owned this ship were, and it wasn't a good idea to try to rummage through their things lest he get caught.

"You really should change into something dry," he commented softly, settling back down. "You're going to be really uncomfortable in those sopping wet clothes."

"I...would rather not, for reasons I should think are obvious, even to you," Ramirez replied stiffly, and Vyse blushed and didn't chase the subject anymore.

"I don't know where this ship is headed, you know," the Blue Rogue said instead, "but once it gets in the air, I could try to talk to whoever's in it. Doc's boat is near here; I'm sure he'd be glad to let you stay with him."

Vyse's words gave the former Admiral many mixed feelings. He had no desire to see the man he had once considered a friend again; Doc would surely want to talk about Mendosa, and what Ramirez had done to both the late Admiral and his flagship, the Aquila. Those were conversations the Silvite did not want to have... But on the other hand, Doc was probably the only person who would give him sanctuary, if only long enough to confront him about their former mutual employer. If Admiral Mendosa had regarded them both as like his sons, did that make them brothers? It would be like Doc to think so, and even if they got along poorly, he probably wouldn't cast him out after hearing his story, even he heard it from Vyse... It would be a place to stay.

The problem was that Ramirez simply did not want to stay there.

He sighed and shook his head. "What you say may be true, but I have many reasons why I don't want to see his face again," he said with great reluctance—the Silvite swordsman was certain that the brunet rogue would have questions.

And he did, so the expression on his face said clearly, but Vyse merely pursed his lips and let the matter pass. "So then what are you going to do?"

Ramirez shrugged. He already had a perfectly viable solution, but the Blue Rogue had made it quite clear on several occasions that he didn't want to hear about it.

"...Maybe we should think about that later," Vyse murmured, perhaps sensing the answer that his companion had given many times before. "There should still be a few things of food left in the packages we brought, but I'm not hungry right now. If you want to go ahead and eat, I'm not stopping you."

The damp swordsman murmured something that Vyse couldn't hear in reply, and the Blue Rogue stretched out onto his back, folding his arms under his head, with a small, tired exhalation. Perhaps he'd take a small nap, get some of his energy back; he hadn't gotten as much sleep as he'd have liked on their first night at Sailor's Isle, and in these dry clothes, with the somnolent sound of the storm around him, it sure would feel nice, even if it was this cold...

He was snoring within five minutes.

Ramirez watched him carefully for nearly fifteen minutes more after that before cautiously getting to his feet and rummaging through the parcel from which Vyse had gotten his clothes. Although he enjoyed his privacy, he didn't enjoy sitting in drenched clothes, and if the Blue Rogue were asleep, though it was still embarrassing, he could use this opportunity.

Ilazki waited patiently for him as he changed and even had the boldness to search a few of the crates for towels or a blanket. He found none of the former and only one of the latter, and spread it gently over Vyse; in most of the crates, he had found musical instruments and spare materials for their repair and upkeep. The Silvite had a strong feeling he knew whose ship this was, and he wasn't sure whether to dread or rejoice meeting that woman's friend, who had sworn to take revenge on him...

Swiping away the water that had collected on the wooden floorboards and grabbing a few things to eat, Ramirez picked a resting spot at Vyse's feet and began to watch him sleep. There was a certain pleasure in gazing at his peaceful face, and the Silvite youth smiled slightly while he gazed at the Blue Rogue. He wouldn't mind nodding off, either, but he didn't want to risk being caught unawares by the owners of this ship.

He sat with his chin resting on his knees and his arms wrapped around his legs, watching over Vyse. Somehow, he felt better—perhaps it was the lengths to which the Air Pirate was going for him; perhaps he was beginning to accept that he would not be loved. But whatever the reason why, Ramirez watched over Vyse calmly, only moving to munch on an apple or an orange or a piece of bread.

Over an hour passed that way, but for the food, which was consumed before the first twenty minutes were over. The storm was still raging outside, and it didn't sound like anyone had come near this area of the boat. Ramirez wondered for a while if he should try to clean up rest of the water around them, but his indifference to his fate idly suggested that he sit where he was and continue watching his slumbering companion, and since he knew that woman wouldn't allow Vyse to be hurt, he heeded its advice.

The second hour had just passed when the Blue Rogue's previously serene sleep became disturbed. A shadow of fear darkened his tranquil expression, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he began to stir, in the throes of what Ramirez knew must be a nightmare. When Vyse began to whimper, on the verge of thrashing, the former Admiral leaned forward on his knees and reached out to touch him out of concern—but he pulled away and retreated back to the corner with Ilazki, his gloom returning. Considering all that had happened recently, Vyse's nightmare was likely to be about him; he had no right to try to comfort or awaken him...

A sudden noise pulled Ramirez's attention away from his companion: the noise of the door to the cargo hold opening and someone walking in. He grabbed his silver sword by the sheath immediately, heart thumping as he listened to the person journey to the center of the room, perhaps ten feet away from where he was hiding, and stop. The storm was loud, but Vyse had making a good bit of noise himself, and Ramirez wasn't willing to bet that he wouldn't be heard. There was also the matter of the rainwater that would be pooling around where they were...

There was a small laugh, a kind one, a male one, as that person walked with heavy feet toward the crates. The former Admiral was nearly certain it was the ex-rebel...

"Stowaways, huh?" That clinched it. That was his voice, and in a moment, he wouldn't sound so friendly. "C'mon out, I won't hurt you. Unless, of course, you give me good reason."

/Good reason would, in my case, include existing, no doubt,/ Ramirez mentally muttered. He would have much preferred not getting killed by someone who hated him as wildly as that man did. But now that they were found, there was no helping a confrontation, and the former Admiral would have to take what he could get. At least this way, he reflected mildly, Vyse couldn't revile him for committing suicide, although to him, sacrificing his life to protect him would probably amount to the same thing...

And so Ramirez stood, bearing only Ilazki in his right hand and a reckless plan in his mind, and stepped out from behind the crates.

The dark-haired man before him, Miran, looked surprised, but his expression changed very quickly to one of murderous intent, and quickly and quietly, he drew three throwing daggers from his coat and held them out before him.

"Why," he said with his teeth bared, "fancy meeting you here."

"I, too..." Ramirez replied evenly, raising his sword in front of his chest, "am quite taken aback to see you." And with that, he very deliberately dropped his weapon.

Behind him, Vyse whimpered again, still locked inside of a nightmare.



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: OCs are a pain. I realized/remembered recently that Valuans tend to have Spanish names, and nobody among Arianne and company has such a name. Arianne and Miran more or less can't be changed since they've had pretty major scenes. The other three, to whom far less attention has been paid, and Miran's late brother and best friend, can have their names changed to something more suitable. Guide for next chapter: Arthur—Fidel, Noelle—Tierra, Catalina—Rosalind, Leo/Leonidas—Leo/Leonardo, Jake/Jacob—Juan. We'll assume Arianne and Miran's parents were being weird when they named them. e_e

Ayu: The lyric-title this time is taken from Romancing Train, the second ED to Final Fantasy: Unlimited. Full lyrics can be found, as always, at my lyrics site, 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))