Questions, questions, questions... We're just getting started here people.
Everything will be clear by the time we're through. (Well, if you absolutely
MUST know, Roy's mother is Lani, but we'll get back to that) As for suggestions,
it took me two hours to verbally explain the plot alone (that is, without
character background or anything else) to my beta reader. Most important
elements, such as pairings, are already set in concrete, but not all suggestions
will fall on deaf ears, so feel free to suggest stuff.
~Enjoy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Waga inochi ikubaku ka aru yo mijikashi
{My life, — How many more days are there left [of it]? The night is brief.}
(a haiku by Shiki, translated by me)
Periwinkle in the east, indigo in the west, and the first ray broke over the farthest hilltop. The light crept over the expanse of plain and wood, pushing back the night as it forever ascended upon the castle. This ray broke again over the windowsill, landing on Garnet's eye. She remained asleep as her head lowered out of the line of fire, but when it rose again, the lid slid open and deep cocoa color took in the morning glory. A moment later, her head lowered again, and she closed this eye. But upon her third exposure to the sun, she opened both eyes and drew a deep breath. Dark hair glided towards her from the four corners of the bed, following her head as she lifted it from Zidane's stomach. He was still asleep. She crawled forward slightly and rested her head on her lover's chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her chin. She watched him awhile, his head rested upon the mattress, strands of ruddy gold spread about it all directions, and his slanted eyelids relaxed with their lashes laying upon his cheekbones.
He had not changed much. Just a deeper version of that boy she had met that fateful day, he was, but now she understood him. He was too peaceful like this, though. Playfully, she blew into his nostrils. He snorted softly in reply, turning his head to the side and bringing a hand up to wipe his eyes.
"Morning, Honey," she giggled as she brought both of her arms up to fold beneath her chin.
"Say it ain't so," he sighed, turning his cat-like eyes on her.
"It ain't so," Garnet said, with a grin, "although that's a lie."
"So it is," he grinned back. "You told a full-fledged lie, just for me."
"Anything for you, my sweet," her eyelids lowered slightly. Zidane purred slightly and rolled onto his side, depositing her on the bed beside him. After a brief frown of indignation, her expression softened as she brought her hands to his face and began to play with his hair. Likewise, his hands found their way to her back, and he gently caressed the years' worth of black, only ever let down for him. Once, twice, their mouths touched enjoying the familiar feel of the other's face, sighing in between.
"You'd best get dressed," she interrupted, although her eyes were full of the hope that he might change his mind.
"Mm," he nodded, "I can linger some more." His hands were through with her hair and were busy massaging her back as he drew her close, reveling in her scent and touch. She kissed him deeply.
"What'll I do without you for six whole weeks?" she complained, pulling back slightly.
"You'll run a country, same as you always do," he grinned roguishly, drawing a brief smile from her.
"I need you… I can't manage by myself…"
"You'll do fine," he said. "Besides, it's not like I'm leaving for good. Other people need me too."
"Mine!" Garnet grabbed him and held tight. He laughed loud and long, his chest quivering beneath her grasp.
"Dagger…" he tried to sit up. She didn't relent.
"I shan't ever get used to sharing you," she said. "But, I guess you're not mine to hog."
"I'm mostly yours, Dagger," Zidane smiled. "It's just that the weaker part of me that Terra owns is having a brief spurt of strength. It won't last."
"I understand," she released him. "As long as I always get the best part of you," she smirked threateningly as she brushed the inside of his thigh.
"Yes, ma'am," he snapped a salute, before he rolled over to get off of the bed. She caught his tail and stroked the end of it, causing a shiver to go up his spine. She loved it when he did that. He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow arched higher than the other. He snatched his tail away with mock disgust and made his way towards the bathroom, where he stopped and turned to her. "Come bathe with me."
~~~~
Choco preened his feathers as the family congregated outside. Zidane looked his children over, giving the youngest a hug.
"Don't forget to bring me something," Chizitsu reminded him.
"Sure thing," his father nodded, ruffling his hair. "I hope you like rocks." The eleven-year-old shrugged as Zidane moved on to Raven.
"Be good," he ordered. "Go easy on your mother."
"Of course," the princess flicked her wrist as if she needn't be told. Suppressing a sigh, Zidane turned to his eldest. Tabito was staring intently at the grass beneath his feet, his lips set in a line.
"Hey, you," the Highlander tapped the underside of his son's chin. "Keep your chin up. You have your whole life ahead of you, little man." The prince looked up and smiled, nodding.
"I will," said he. "Take care of yourself, dad."
"Will do," Zidane nodded, and patted his shoulder, and then moved into Garnet's arms, kissing her passionately. Tabito watched from the corner of his eye, Raven looked away, and Chizitsu turned around and began to whistle. After thirty seconds, the two pulled apart.
"Six weeks," the queen pointed a finger at her husband's face.
"Six weeks," he repeated, holding up a hand. She smiled, sighed, kissed him again, and then followed him over to the chocobo. The giant bird ruffled himself over and, "kweh," made it known that he'd like to get moving. Garnet was in no hurry.
"Zidane…" she whined softly, throwing herself into his arms as tears spilled over her cheeks.
"You'll be alright," he soothed, cupping her head in his hand. "Last time didn't kill you, and this time won't either. Trust me, Dagger. I should know you by now."
"I know," she sniffed. "But it's not easy to be left behind."
"Yeah," Zidane agreed, glancing at Tabito. "Well, I shouldn't keep them waiting. See you later, people!" Choco crouched as Zidane hopped astride him, and with a final wave to his loved ones the genome spurred his mount onward. The chocobo took to the skies in a flash of gold feathers, and fluttered off to the north, taking Zidane Tribal to New Bran Bal.
~~~~~
The Impossible gleamed in the afternoon sun as the Terran technicians checked it over once more. Zidane stood on the dock and watched. The airship was beautiful, the same prototype as the Invincible, but more colorful and detailed like an angelfish. It handled better than the Invincible had as well. He turned around when heard approaching footsteps. Mikoto, governess of New Bran Bal, quickened her stride and embraced him, greatly surprising her three advisors. Zidane chuckled as he returned his sister's hug. When she stood up again, her face was emotionless.
"You look well, Zidane," she observed. Her voice had once held far less emotion, Zidane knew.
"As long as I look good," he shrugged, "and you don't look so bad yourself." She frowned faintly, as if considering, before nodding once. He smiled back, and looked at the advisors. "Hey, guys."
"Hey," Geomo Neo answered with a grin.
"Hey?" Zeru Dikiti looked appalled.
"Yeah," Geomo nodded. "C'mon, we're all friends here."
"Maybe so," Zeru rolled his eyes, "but you really shouldn't talk like that in front of the populace…" Zidane watched them for a while. The two hardly ever got along, always arguing about everything, Zeru consistently practical and Geomo forever idealistic. Mikoto had kept them as her advisors for as long as Zidane could remember now. It was because they always gave the exact opposite view, she said. Zidane looked at the third advisor, Ketto Shisu, who was hanging back. He had been taken on five or so years ago, when Mikoto had decided that she needed more opinions. He only ever gave his opinion when it was either asked for or he felt it necessary. It was rumored that he had been a visionary back in those days, five thousand years ago. However, he never talked about the old Terra, as did most of the others. Zidane knew he had been involved with the Genetics Department before he became an advisor, but aside from that, knew very little about the man, other than that people said he was very smart. He smiled and waved a hand at him, and Ketto responded with a brief smile.
"We are ready for you to get underway," Mikoto announced, bringing his attention away from the advisors.
"That anxious to get rid of me, eh?" Zidane teased.
"Don't think like that," she shook her head. "We are merely behind schedule."
"Hello, Zidane," Geomo nodded, "and, um, good-bye, Zidane."
"Yes, have a safe trip and all that," Zeru rolled his eyes at his counterpart.
"Thanks," Zidane nodded and turned back to look at the ship. "To be honest, I've kinda missed piloting."
"Have fun, then," Geomo waved. Zidane rolled his eyes in unison with Zeru.
"All right," he answered, heading for the transporter. "See you all later." The group murmured their good-byes and watched him fade into green data that streamed up through the underside of the Impossible and into her interior. Fifteen minutes later, all systems were go, and the Terran airship hummed to life, lighting up and lifting itself from the docks. Slowly it rose, unfurling its pectoral sails from its sides. As the ship levitated, the pilot turned its nose up to the sky, until it stood on its tail. In an instant, the Impossible jolted out of its lazy ascension into a full-fledged take off, roaring as it shot up and through the clouds, whisking its lone passenger away into the stars. Soon, it disappeared from sight, the setting sun losing its shadow in the opposite horizon..
~~~~~
Raven wandered through the soldier's training grounds, eating an apple as she went. It was still several hours until lunch, and she did not feel like studying any just yet. She stopped when she caught the sound of sparring men in her ears. She twisted her head this way and that, looking for the source. Quickening her pace, she followed the clashes of swords until she came upon the two opponents. Brown curls slick with sweat, Lance swung his blade up under his father's, trying to disarm him. Steiner stepped back, his weapon only getting nicked, and then drove forward. Lance recovered quickly, however and managed not only to get out of the way but also to smack the flat of his blade against his father's fingers as they came close. Steiner yelped, but didn't lose his sword until Lance smashed down on the base of it with his.
"Good show," Steiner gasped and smiled. Lance bent down, picked up the Excalibur, and handed it back to him.
"Have another go at it, father," he suggested. Steiner shook his head and sat down.
"No more," he stated. "I'm getting a little old for this."
"You only need a break," Lance insisted, but Steiner shook his head and sat down.
"That's enough for today."
"I'm yet getting warmed up," the younger knight sighed. He started when an apple core hit his armor with a clang.
"I'm bored," Raven said as she took two rapiers off of the wall. "So I won't use magic. How does that suit you?" Lance stared at her, dumbstruck for a moment.
"Princess," he stammered slightly. "I shouldn't feel comfortable fighting you…"
"I'll go easy," she shrugged, turning to him with a short sword in each hand.
"But… I'm sworn to protect you," he stammered more. He had only ever fought with Tabito, and those were for mild bouts of gentleman's rapier and dagger that he was always beaten soundly in, partially because the prince's accuracy was unmatched, but mostly because Lance was afraid of hurting him.
"You're hardly capable of hurting me," Raven sneered, as if reading his mind.
"I know I've never beaten his highness," Lance winced, "but…still, my mind's not at peace with attacking you."
"I'll cast Protection upon myself, then, although that will make this an extremely boring match." He sized her up for a moment, wondering if "Protection" would even up the scale at all. He was three times her size. He never got a chance to reply, for Chizitsu came running into the arena.
"Raven!" he cried. "Come quickly!"
~~~~~
It's not fair, Faun thought for the fortieth time. He's got the money, the power, the girls, and the body. But the jealousy was his own fault, he knew. It was he who had been begging Tabito to model for him. The prince lay on his side, propped up on one elbow and a couple of pillows, in the nude. His wiry frame wrapped in slender muscle and coated with lightly tanned skin. He was oblivious to the all but the book that lay open in front of him, and whatever he was whining about just then.
"If you're not fidgety…" Faun snorted, "Tabby, it hasn't even been twenty minutes since your last break."
"I can't help it if Chateau's ridiculously boring," the prince retorted.
"Chateau?" he asked, mispronouncing the name.
"Evil philosopher…author of this piece of rubbish," Tabito explicated. "How much longer?"
"Okay, okay," Faun sighed, "just lift your eyes for a moment so I have something to work on." Tabito complied, looking straight at the door. Faun whistled softly as he studied the light on the hybrid's eyes. "How am I gonna do that…?" he wondered.
"Oh, please," the subject snorted. "Just mix red and blue. Even I know that—" Just then, the door burst open. In an instant, the naked crown prince flipped over the back of the couch and hid behind it. Faun let out a long hiss of annoyance until he realized that the intruder was Raven, at which point he himself blushed. She was looking at his unfinished painting. Tabito watched from his cover, waiting for the quip about it not being art until it was on canvass or something. It never came.
"Tabi, get decent and get into the throne room right away," she said.
"What?" he frowned. "Why?" Raven's eyebrows rose in an uncharacteristic expression of distress.
"It's dad," she whispered then disappeared back down the hallway. His heart caught in his throat and his stomach froze.
"Wha…?" he croaked then scrambled for his undergarments.
"Tabby?" Faun questioned, but the prince dashed out the door, clad only in loose boxer shorts. Tabito ran through the castle, refusing to think of what might be wrong. He flew up the stairs and managed to avoid barreling over the female servants at the top. He was faintly aware of them watching him as he made the last sprint for the large door to Garnet's chamber. The hinges groaned and bent out of shape when he slammed the door open, but he paid no mind.
"What has happened?" he demanded. Garnet sat in a chair, staring into nowhere, her face bloodless and pale. Raven stood beside her, a worried hand resting on her shoulder. Chizitsu looked sorrowfully up at him, his arms wrapped protectively around himself.
"Last night," he began, his voice tremulous, "they lost contact with the Impossible. They sent out the other ships right away, and searched everywhere…but the Impossible is nowhere to be found."
"Airships don't just disappear," Tabito said slowly, as what he had just heard began to register.
"No, they don't," Raven agreed flatly.
"You can't come to that conclusion straight away!" he cried. "Any number of the things might have happened! The Impossible is the fastest ship in the fleet! It could've had any number of malfunctions and probably just got sidetracked…"
"Or maybe a random worm-hole just opened up right beside it for a split second and zapped it to a far reach of the universe in the blink of an eye," Chizitsu added dryly. Tabito didn't have to know what he was talking about to know that his younger brother was being sarcastic. It made him angry.
"Come off of it, people!" he shouted. "You should know better than to give up hope immediately. Any of us should be much stronger than that! I know you know better than that!" Garnet lost it then and burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. Raven quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders. Tabito sighed distraughtly, and yet, "Mother, it will be all right—"
"Shut up!" Raven snapped, causing her elder brother to jolt backwards. Her expression softened slightly as he turned his perplexed eyes on her where she held her mother comfortingly. "You sound too much like dad."
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Questions? Comments? Anything else? Review!
See you next Saturday...
~Enjoy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Waga inochi ikubaku ka aru yo mijikashi
{My life, — How many more days are there left [of it]? The night is brief.}
(a haiku by Shiki, translated by me)
Periwinkle in the east, indigo in the west, and the first ray broke over the farthest hilltop. The light crept over the expanse of plain and wood, pushing back the night as it forever ascended upon the castle. This ray broke again over the windowsill, landing on Garnet's eye. She remained asleep as her head lowered out of the line of fire, but when it rose again, the lid slid open and deep cocoa color took in the morning glory. A moment later, her head lowered again, and she closed this eye. But upon her third exposure to the sun, she opened both eyes and drew a deep breath. Dark hair glided towards her from the four corners of the bed, following her head as she lifted it from Zidane's stomach. He was still asleep. She crawled forward slightly and rested her head on her lover's chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her chin. She watched him awhile, his head rested upon the mattress, strands of ruddy gold spread about it all directions, and his slanted eyelids relaxed with their lashes laying upon his cheekbones.
He had not changed much. Just a deeper version of that boy she had met that fateful day, he was, but now she understood him. He was too peaceful like this, though. Playfully, she blew into his nostrils. He snorted softly in reply, turning his head to the side and bringing a hand up to wipe his eyes.
"Morning, Honey," she giggled as she brought both of her arms up to fold beneath her chin.
"Say it ain't so," he sighed, turning his cat-like eyes on her.
"It ain't so," Garnet said, with a grin, "although that's a lie."
"So it is," he grinned back. "You told a full-fledged lie, just for me."
"Anything for you, my sweet," her eyelids lowered slightly. Zidane purred slightly and rolled onto his side, depositing her on the bed beside him. After a brief frown of indignation, her expression softened as she brought her hands to his face and began to play with his hair. Likewise, his hands found their way to her back, and he gently caressed the years' worth of black, only ever let down for him. Once, twice, their mouths touched enjoying the familiar feel of the other's face, sighing in between.
"You'd best get dressed," she interrupted, although her eyes were full of the hope that he might change his mind.
"Mm," he nodded, "I can linger some more." His hands were through with her hair and were busy massaging her back as he drew her close, reveling in her scent and touch. She kissed him deeply.
"What'll I do without you for six whole weeks?" she complained, pulling back slightly.
"You'll run a country, same as you always do," he grinned roguishly, drawing a brief smile from her.
"I need you… I can't manage by myself…"
"You'll do fine," he said. "Besides, it's not like I'm leaving for good. Other people need me too."
"Mine!" Garnet grabbed him and held tight. He laughed loud and long, his chest quivering beneath her grasp.
"Dagger…" he tried to sit up. She didn't relent.
"I shan't ever get used to sharing you," she said. "But, I guess you're not mine to hog."
"I'm mostly yours, Dagger," Zidane smiled. "It's just that the weaker part of me that Terra owns is having a brief spurt of strength. It won't last."
"I understand," she released him. "As long as I always get the best part of you," she smirked threateningly as she brushed the inside of his thigh.
"Yes, ma'am," he snapped a salute, before he rolled over to get off of the bed. She caught his tail and stroked the end of it, causing a shiver to go up his spine. She loved it when he did that. He glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow arched higher than the other. He snatched his tail away with mock disgust and made his way towards the bathroom, where he stopped and turned to her. "Come bathe with me."
Choco preened his feathers as the family congregated outside. Zidane looked his children over, giving the youngest a hug.
"Don't forget to bring me something," Chizitsu reminded him.
"Sure thing," his father nodded, ruffling his hair. "I hope you like rocks." The eleven-year-old shrugged as Zidane moved on to Raven.
"Be good," he ordered. "Go easy on your mother."
"Of course," the princess flicked her wrist as if she needn't be told. Suppressing a sigh, Zidane turned to his eldest. Tabito was staring intently at the grass beneath his feet, his lips set in a line.
"Hey, you," the Highlander tapped the underside of his son's chin. "Keep your chin up. You have your whole life ahead of you, little man." The prince looked up and smiled, nodding.
"I will," said he. "Take care of yourself, dad."
"Will do," Zidane nodded, and patted his shoulder, and then moved into Garnet's arms, kissing her passionately. Tabito watched from the corner of his eye, Raven looked away, and Chizitsu turned around and began to whistle. After thirty seconds, the two pulled apart.
"Six weeks," the queen pointed a finger at her husband's face.
"Six weeks," he repeated, holding up a hand. She smiled, sighed, kissed him again, and then followed him over to the chocobo. The giant bird ruffled himself over and, "kweh," made it known that he'd like to get moving. Garnet was in no hurry.
"Zidane…" she whined softly, throwing herself into his arms as tears spilled over her cheeks.
"You'll be alright," he soothed, cupping her head in his hand. "Last time didn't kill you, and this time won't either. Trust me, Dagger. I should know you by now."
"I know," she sniffed. "But it's not easy to be left behind."
"Yeah," Zidane agreed, glancing at Tabito. "Well, I shouldn't keep them waiting. See you later, people!" Choco crouched as Zidane hopped astride him, and with a final wave to his loved ones the genome spurred his mount onward. The chocobo took to the skies in a flash of gold feathers, and fluttered off to the north, taking Zidane Tribal to New Bran Bal.
The Impossible gleamed in the afternoon sun as the Terran technicians checked it over once more. Zidane stood on the dock and watched. The airship was beautiful, the same prototype as the Invincible, but more colorful and detailed like an angelfish. It handled better than the Invincible had as well. He turned around when heard approaching footsteps. Mikoto, governess of New Bran Bal, quickened her stride and embraced him, greatly surprising her three advisors. Zidane chuckled as he returned his sister's hug. When she stood up again, her face was emotionless.
"You look well, Zidane," she observed. Her voice had once held far less emotion, Zidane knew.
"As long as I look good," he shrugged, "and you don't look so bad yourself." She frowned faintly, as if considering, before nodding once. He smiled back, and looked at the advisors. "Hey, guys."
"Hey," Geomo Neo answered with a grin.
"Hey?" Zeru Dikiti looked appalled.
"Yeah," Geomo nodded. "C'mon, we're all friends here."
"Maybe so," Zeru rolled his eyes, "but you really shouldn't talk like that in front of the populace…" Zidane watched them for a while. The two hardly ever got along, always arguing about everything, Zeru consistently practical and Geomo forever idealistic. Mikoto had kept them as her advisors for as long as Zidane could remember now. It was because they always gave the exact opposite view, she said. Zidane looked at the third advisor, Ketto Shisu, who was hanging back. He had been taken on five or so years ago, when Mikoto had decided that she needed more opinions. He only ever gave his opinion when it was either asked for or he felt it necessary. It was rumored that he had been a visionary back in those days, five thousand years ago. However, he never talked about the old Terra, as did most of the others. Zidane knew he had been involved with the Genetics Department before he became an advisor, but aside from that, knew very little about the man, other than that people said he was very smart. He smiled and waved a hand at him, and Ketto responded with a brief smile.
"We are ready for you to get underway," Mikoto announced, bringing his attention away from the advisors.
"That anxious to get rid of me, eh?" Zidane teased.
"Don't think like that," she shook her head. "We are merely behind schedule."
"Hello, Zidane," Geomo nodded, "and, um, good-bye, Zidane."
"Yes, have a safe trip and all that," Zeru rolled his eyes at his counterpart.
"Thanks," Zidane nodded and turned back to look at the ship. "To be honest, I've kinda missed piloting."
"Have fun, then," Geomo waved. Zidane rolled his eyes in unison with Zeru.
"All right," he answered, heading for the transporter. "See you all later." The group murmured their good-byes and watched him fade into green data that streamed up through the underside of the Impossible and into her interior. Fifteen minutes later, all systems were go, and the Terran airship hummed to life, lighting up and lifting itself from the docks. Slowly it rose, unfurling its pectoral sails from its sides. As the ship levitated, the pilot turned its nose up to the sky, until it stood on its tail. In an instant, the Impossible jolted out of its lazy ascension into a full-fledged take off, roaring as it shot up and through the clouds, whisking its lone passenger away into the stars. Soon, it disappeared from sight, the setting sun losing its shadow in the opposite horizon..
Raven wandered through the soldier's training grounds, eating an apple as she went. It was still several hours until lunch, and she did not feel like studying any just yet. She stopped when she caught the sound of sparring men in her ears. She twisted her head this way and that, looking for the source. Quickening her pace, she followed the clashes of swords until she came upon the two opponents. Brown curls slick with sweat, Lance swung his blade up under his father's, trying to disarm him. Steiner stepped back, his weapon only getting nicked, and then drove forward. Lance recovered quickly, however and managed not only to get out of the way but also to smack the flat of his blade against his father's fingers as they came close. Steiner yelped, but didn't lose his sword until Lance smashed down on the base of it with his.
"Good show," Steiner gasped and smiled. Lance bent down, picked up the Excalibur, and handed it back to him.
"Have another go at it, father," he suggested. Steiner shook his head and sat down.
"No more," he stated. "I'm getting a little old for this."
"You only need a break," Lance insisted, but Steiner shook his head and sat down.
"That's enough for today."
"I'm yet getting warmed up," the younger knight sighed. He started when an apple core hit his armor with a clang.
"I'm bored," Raven said as she took two rapiers off of the wall. "So I won't use magic. How does that suit you?" Lance stared at her, dumbstruck for a moment.
"Princess," he stammered slightly. "I shouldn't feel comfortable fighting you…"
"I'll go easy," she shrugged, turning to him with a short sword in each hand.
"But… I'm sworn to protect you," he stammered more. He had only ever fought with Tabito, and those were for mild bouts of gentleman's rapier and dagger that he was always beaten soundly in, partially because the prince's accuracy was unmatched, but mostly because Lance was afraid of hurting him.
"You're hardly capable of hurting me," Raven sneered, as if reading his mind.
"I know I've never beaten his highness," Lance winced, "but…still, my mind's not at peace with attacking you."
"I'll cast Protection upon myself, then, although that will make this an extremely boring match." He sized her up for a moment, wondering if "Protection" would even up the scale at all. He was three times her size. He never got a chance to reply, for Chizitsu came running into the arena.
"Raven!" he cried. "Come quickly!"
It's not fair, Faun thought for the fortieth time. He's got the money, the power, the girls, and the body. But the jealousy was his own fault, he knew. It was he who had been begging Tabito to model for him. The prince lay on his side, propped up on one elbow and a couple of pillows, in the nude. His wiry frame wrapped in slender muscle and coated with lightly tanned skin. He was oblivious to the all but the book that lay open in front of him, and whatever he was whining about just then.
"If you're not fidgety…" Faun snorted, "Tabby, it hasn't even been twenty minutes since your last break."
"I can't help it if Chateau's ridiculously boring," the prince retorted.
"Chateau?" he asked, mispronouncing the name.
"Evil philosopher…author of this piece of rubbish," Tabito explicated. "How much longer?"
"Okay, okay," Faun sighed, "just lift your eyes for a moment so I have something to work on." Tabito complied, looking straight at the door. Faun whistled softly as he studied the light on the hybrid's eyes. "How am I gonna do that…?" he wondered.
"Oh, please," the subject snorted. "Just mix red and blue. Even I know that—" Just then, the door burst open. In an instant, the naked crown prince flipped over the back of the couch and hid behind it. Faun let out a long hiss of annoyance until he realized that the intruder was Raven, at which point he himself blushed. She was looking at his unfinished painting. Tabito watched from his cover, waiting for the quip about it not being art until it was on canvass or something. It never came.
"Tabi, get decent and get into the throne room right away," she said.
"What?" he frowned. "Why?" Raven's eyebrows rose in an uncharacteristic expression of distress.
"It's dad," she whispered then disappeared back down the hallway. His heart caught in his throat and his stomach froze.
"Wha…?" he croaked then scrambled for his undergarments.
"Tabby?" Faun questioned, but the prince dashed out the door, clad only in loose boxer shorts. Tabito ran through the castle, refusing to think of what might be wrong. He flew up the stairs and managed to avoid barreling over the female servants at the top. He was faintly aware of them watching him as he made the last sprint for the large door to Garnet's chamber. The hinges groaned and bent out of shape when he slammed the door open, but he paid no mind.
"What has happened?" he demanded. Garnet sat in a chair, staring into nowhere, her face bloodless and pale. Raven stood beside her, a worried hand resting on her shoulder. Chizitsu looked sorrowfully up at him, his arms wrapped protectively around himself.
"Last night," he began, his voice tremulous, "they lost contact with the Impossible. They sent out the other ships right away, and searched everywhere…but the Impossible is nowhere to be found."
"Airships don't just disappear," Tabito said slowly, as what he had just heard began to register.
"No, they don't," Raven agreed flatly.
"You can't come to that conclusion straight away!" he cried. "Any number of the things might have happened! The Impossible is the fastest ship in the fleet! It could've had any number of malfunctions and probably just got sidetracked…"
"Or maybe a random worm-hole just opened up right beside it for a split second and zapped it to a far reach of the universe in the blink of an eye," Chizitsu added dryly. Tabito didn't have to know what he was talking about to know that his younger brother was being sarcastic. It made him angry.
"Come off of it, people!" he shouted. "You should know better than to give up hope immediately. Any of us should be much stronger than that! I know you know better than that!" Garnet lost it then and burst into tears, burying her face in her hands. Raven quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders. Tabito sighed distraughtly, and yet, "Mother, it will be all right—"
"Shut up!" Raven snapped, causing her elder brother to jolt backwards. Her expression softened slightly as he turned his perplexed eyes on her where she held her mother comfortingly. "You sound too much like dad."
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