Hey, this one's a tad late. *nervous laughter* No, I'm not going to bore
you with all my reasons why it's so late, cause all you really want to
do is read it. It's a little longer than normal, in hopes of making up
for the lateness. Also, in hopes of making up for lateness, I put up my
unfinished website, which hosts this story. Character designs anyone? Check
out www.quadnine.faithweb.com/doaft/doafthome.html and let me
know what you think! (Note: they're FAR from complete)
Quickly, thanks to everyone who gave me Tabito feedback. It was more helpful than you probably think. My faith in my ability to create good characters has been greatly strenghtened by Tabito. Oi... too bad he's a fanfic character. -__- Ah well, I guess I'd better do this story justice then, eh?
~Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Otoshimizu tagoto no yami to narinikeri
{The annual water, run off, has become the darkness of the field.}
(a haiku by Buson, translated by myself)
Endless expanses of blue sky surrounded the world scattered with clouds. Raven stood at the front of the bridge with a look of divine concentration on her face.
"Higher," she commanded her pilot as the Hilda Garde VII neared the Alexandrian Plateau.
"Yes, ma'am," Faun answered and made to ascend the ship even more, although he doubted it could get much higher. To his surprised, the Royal airship rose quite well. The castle looked like a needle stuck in the ground beneath them when Raven finally said:
"Stop." Faun cut the thrust, and the ship came to hover far above the city, as Raven went out onto the deck of the ship. He didn't dare ask what she was doing, as he was frightened by the serious look on her face.
The princess calmly observed her kingdom as she murmured to herself. Finally she found what she was looking for and unleashed a long-range full Scan. Carefully she pored over the information that came up before her eyes. Engrossed in what she was doing, she did not manage to keep her gasp inward.
"What?" Faun called out. "What's wrong?" She raised a silencing finger in his direction. So that's what scared Tabi, she thought. How can anyone be so powerful? He's a monster… even I cannot generate that much power… Hm, I guess I must raise myself to that level. Incredible, but I suspect that mage just came from a lifetime of training. I just need to devote a few months, that's all.
"You," she turned around.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Take us to the Outer Continent," she ordered as she reentered the bridge.
"Um…"
"Now!" she raised her voice slightly. Cringing, he nodded and started the ship forward again, speeding them away from the places they called home.
~~~~~
"The fool," Shido muttered of Hadler Hoosick, whom they were leaving in charge of Alexandria for now. When Seraphim who was always quite ready to agree on that subject failed to respond, Shido glanced back. The albino was staring intently up at the sky. "Come along, we don't have time for dilly-dally."
"See you later, princess," Seraphim murmured before turning around with a grin on his pale features.
"What was that?" Shido frowned.
"Oh," the mage adjusted his hair. "Nothing."
~~~~~
"Curses," muttered Ashley de Granville as she watched the big noble and the little mage climb into the carriage. She slipped back behind the corner as she considered her options. "Ran away, my foot. His Highness Tabito is much to bold and brave to turn tail like that. They must have kidnapped him!"
"Really?" said a voice behind her. Ashley whirled around with a threatening look on her face.
"Where you spying on me?" her accusation turned into a squeak when she saw the tall man with bright red hair.
"Yes," Roy nodded. "Is what you said true?"
"Of course!" she said, indignantly. "But I shall rescue him, and no one can stop me!" Because if I save him, Ashley thought, he will realize how useful I am and will have no choice but to fall in love with me!
So that's what's going on, Roy scratched his chin. Huh… If I can save Tabito, Raven's brother, she'd have to appreciate my skills then. Hm… This girl seems to know a lot more about what's going on than I do. Maybe I should help her.
"I'm not trying to stop you," Roy put his hands up defensively. "In fact, I think I'll help you."
"Really?" Ashley asked, somewhat excited at the prospect of having a strong man to help her on her quest. On the other hand… "Why?" Tabito doesn't strike me as the kind of man who'd attract other men, but you cannot be too careful…
"Um, why?" Roy asked dumbly. That'd be too embarrassing to tell anyone. "Good acts for a good country!"
"Oh," she answered. Ah, so he's a patriotic chap. That's nice. "Okay, then. You see that carriage there? We have to follow it."
~~~~~
The sun waned against the western horizon, filling the sky with warm pieces of itself. Tabito's limbs were starting to give out after the hours of high speed flying. He was beginning to wonder if it hurt Marital to hang on by holding his mane, when he saw the coast of the Outer Continent ahead of them. Using all the strength he had left in his legs to hold on, he let go with his left arm to point out the destination to his mount. Flicking an ear in response, Marital spilled the air from his wings and dove for the city, nearly losing his rider in the process.
"Slow down," Tabito muttered, knowing it was useless to try to yell over the wind, but complaining about it made him feel better. Hoisting his balance back into place with his aching muscles, he turned his attentions to the Guardian of New Bran Bal. Marital, being an eidolon, would have no trouble getting through. However, Tabito, being a hybrid, might have. Conceivably, his Terran blood would let him through, but his Gaian blood would keep him out. He tightened his sore knees against Marital's sides, so that the eidolon would know if he fell off. The horse glanced back at him questioningly, as if suggesting that they land outside. In a rush of urgency, the two-tone spurred him onward.
The barrier around the Terran colony was meant to keep the native Gaian creatures from interacting with the biologically recreated Terran ones, but would let a member of the Terran race through. Marital passed though it like it wasn't there. Stretching out his palm, the half-Terran hoped for the best. A tingly sensation trickled over his hand and up his arm. He watched in amazement as the barrier broke into liquid prism around him, and tiny rainbows broke out over his skin. He smiled briefly at it, relieved, and then turned his attentions back onto the tasks at hand.
"Marital, the capitol!" the prince pointed toward the marble building that lay ahead. But the winged horse had already figured as much as he swept over the city streets and flared his wings and landed on the front steps of the political center of the nation reborn. Using the inertia of the flight, Tabito leapt from his horse to land before the great door, but just barely, as his sore thighs nearly gave out. After slowly regaining his balance, he turned and called, "thank you," to his eidolon before running inside. Aching though his muscles were, he worked them for all they were worth as he dashed for Mikoto's office. Who put these stairs here? he complained to himself. I hope I'm not too late. Finally, he thrust the door open to the workplace of the governor, where he stood panting in the presence of her and her three advisors.
"Prince Tabito?" Geomo interjected more than asked.
"Then it's true," Zeru dropped his head, letting loose with a harsh sigh.
"Huh?" Tabito blinked. Ketto simply stood there looking generally unhappy.
"He doesn't know, Zeru," Mikoto stated after studying her nephew for a moment. The two's looks of confusion and disappointment melted into those of compassion and sympathy.
"What don't I know?" Tabito choked on the words as he began to think he already knew. Zeru and Geomo exchanged glances as Ketto looked away. Mikoto's ever-placid green eyes were tinged with sadness as she regarded him. Trembling like a leaf in a harsh wind, the Crown Prince inched his way forward to rest his weary hands on Mikoto's desk, and with his eyes shut against the world, he pleaded, "Oba-san… Tell me."
"We received word from Lindblum," she said, after a quick pause. "Alexandria has fallen into the hands of a noble from a minor state, Hadler Hoosick of that place named after himself." She paused again as violet eyes stared blankly at her, the mind behind them either unwilling or unable to register what it was being told. Mikoto continued in her monotone voice: "He is holding the kingdom under the accusation against you that you and your sister have either kidnapped or murdered the Queen, and are now trying to conquer Lindblum with the possible assistance of the Terran people. It is most unfortunate that you have turned up here, Tabito." Mikoto paused again, longer this time, as she watched the information register on her nephew's face. He slowly stood, trying to regain as much dignity as possible as he recounted events from his own point of view.
"We were attacked by a fleet of five warships and approximately two hundred armed fighters," he said softly, but steadily. "As you know, we are forbidden to have a significant armed force ourselves, so we had merely the police force and the castle guard to protect our citizens. I sent word to Lindblum asking for help, but as we were steadily losing and I doubted that we could expect their help when…what with the situation with Ark…so I came here looking for help and…" His composure began to break apart as he gulped back waves of emotion, but he was still significantly self-controlled when he finally shouted: "Do you mean to tell me that they broke through Chizitsu's eidolon barrier?!" The advisors again exchanged glances as Mikoto rose from her seat.
"Tabito, I don't know what you're talking about," she said as flatly as ever. The normal calm in the prince's voice turned to trembles as he continued to fight against the feeling of dread that was taking hold of his being.
"There was this mage," he explained as he realized that he could barely stand, he was shaking so hard, "in the attack force. I'd never witnessed some of the magic he could perform in all my days. So incredibly powerful… Chizitsu suggested that he erect an eidolon barrier to safeguard the castle and inhabitants while I got help. It—it seemed like a good idea… Oba-san…the mage defeated Chizitsu? The barrier was up when I left…"
"All I know is that they claim that Chizitsu was killed in the attack on the castle," Mikoto paused again as Tabito's eyes slid closed and his chin dropped onto his tremulous chest. "Forgive me," she apologized. "I suppose I might have broken that more gently."
"Please tell me that's not true," the young prince's voice was barely a whisper between his broken gasps for air.
"By that you are asking me to honestly say what is not true—"
"Shut up," Tabito barked before turning his back to her and whimpering a few curses.
"Hey!" Geomo shouted back indignantly, as Ketto finally spoke for the first time:
"How dare you speak to—"
"I am not well suited for emotional situations," Mikoto interrupted, forgiving Tabito's outburst despite the offended reactions of her advisors. She then turned back to the offender as he began walking out the doorway. "Where are you going?" He stopped, but he didn't turn around.
"It is of no good for me to be anywhere but…" he trailed off as he began to walk away again.
"Stop," Mikoto said. "You're not thinking clearly."
"Oh?" Tabito glanced over his shoulder, even his bi-colored eyebrows trembling with sorrow and fear.
"If you return to Alexandria now, they will most conceivably kill you."
"I know," he glanced at the floor, biting his lip. "If you'd excuse me, Governess, I shan't burden your people with the mistrust of those I've offended and be gone from their land."
"I will not excuse you, Prince Tabito," she answered. Her advisors were dumb-founded.
"Your Ladyship?" Tabito meekly turned around, unsure of how to respond.
"Did you not come to me to ask for help?" asked the toneless voice. "Did you not come to warn us of an unknown danger? And did you not even come yourself, the leader of your kingdom? This being so, it would be all out cruel, ungrateful, and conceited for me to turn you away. I will not allow you to damage my reputation like that, your Highness."
"O-oba-san…" the Crown Prince stammered, nearly at a loss for words, "but… your people—"
"Not one member of the Terran race would be able to look Zidane in the eye if we allowed something to happen to you." Each of the advisors, who had been trying to say something up until now, fell silent. "We are not an ungrateful race, Tabito."
"I…" Tabito looked as if he could barely stand, and yet he continued to fight for his poise as he found himself arguing for his own death, "I have done nothing that you should be grateful for."
"We were unaware of an enemy mage before now," she argued back. He stopped and stared into her eyes for a while. They seemed to be made of glass. Why am I fighting this? he finally wondered. She's trying to save me.
"Oba-san, I…" his knees gave out, but Mikoto darted forward and caught him before he hit the ground.
"It's all right," said she, as she held his trembling shoulders in stiff arms. "I would never let them hurt you. You're safe here." The distressed hybrid rested his head against her chest, realizing that she did not care, and tried to catch his breath for he was completely overwhelmed. Presently, he found his body calming down, for his mother used to hold him like this when he was younger. He realized then how much he missed her, his father, and even his sister. And now his brother was gone forever. He could never go back. "You're safe here," Mikoto repeated, still holding him as stiffly as before. She wasn't much of a comforter, but Tabito knew that she meant well.
"Thank you," he murmured as his eyelids became to heavy to hold open any longer. Gently, Mikoto slid the leather bo strap off of his shoulder and over his head and lay the weapon on the ground.
"He's exhausted, poor thing," she reported to her advisors, who had just crowded around. "Someone, make up the couch for him to sleep on. I'll stay here with him tonight."
"You need your sleep too," Zeru argued. "I'll look after him."
"That's kind of you, Zeru," Mikoto shook her head, "but I think I should. I don't like this situation one bit. Besides, our reporter in Lindblum will probably have more information for us before the night is through."
"That is if he's not already running back here to save his life," Ketto remarked. "Egads, Mikoto, do you really want us all to go to hell that badly?"
"I'll work something out," she answered.
"Hmph," he growled. "All out war to save one man? I've never seen the like."
"They'll think we were involved regardless of what we do," Geomo snorted as he scuffed at the floor with the toe of his shoe.
"You could have let him go of his own accord," Zeru added.
"All good reasons aside," the sarcasm was lost in Mikoto's flat voice, "it would have been a waste."
"Good reasons?" Ketto asked.
"Yes, the reason that he is my nephew, and, therefore, I should protect him. Aside from that, I don't like what is going on. It's too strange, the way these coincidences keep occurring. Tabito's very close to these occurrences, and I don't think he's slept through them. My guess is that he knows quite a bit."
"That's not a good reason at all," Ketto shook his head incredulously.
"You're a lot like him, Ketto," Mikoto observed aloud, much to the advisor's apparent chagrin. "You know the political rules, but you don't seem to realize that often the only real way to do the right thing is to break those rules."
~~~~~
Much to Lance's surprise, the door that he had been trying to open for the past eon suddenly opened and deposited him on his face on the ground. He was just as surprised as he was hauled upright by his arms and yelled at by someone:
"Who are you?"
"Captain Lance Steiner, of Alexandria," Lance answered just as he realized that he had been captured by Lindblum guards and probably shouldn't disclose that information. But it was too late by then.
"Take him to Lady Eiko immediately!" the one who apparently was in charge ordered the other two. For the few minutes that it took to get to Eiko's throne room, Lance wondered what he'd tell her. Hello, Regent, I've come to free the princess… That probably won't go over too well. All too soon, he was before the Regent of Lindblum. She might have easily been his older sister, what with her age, but the blue-haired summoner was one of the most powerful people in all of Gaia. She was definitely not one to be taken lightly.
"What are you doing here Lance?" she asked, seeming completely amazed to see him.
"Tabito sent me to see how her Highness was doing," he suddenly blurted, "I took a wrong turn when I got here though." By the time he had gotten to the second part, Eiko was no longer listening.
"Tabito did?" she looked confused. "He didn't really trust me with his sister, like he said in the letter?
"Letter?" Lance was confused now.
"He sent me a letter explaining the reasons that proved Raven's innocence, ending it with 'I trust your judgment in the matter.' I found it very convincing…" When did he find time to do that? wondered Lance, as he suddenly felt very guilty about his attitude towards Tabito's approach to the matter.
"Lady Eiko!" cried another guard as he ran in. "Princess Raven has escaped and stolen the Hilda Garde VII!" Immediately, Eiko turned to stare at Lance.
"It must have been Roy Coral!" Lance blurted triumphantly, then noticed the stares he was getting. "He told me he was going to try to rescue the princess," he explicated, "but I did nothing about it, since I figured he had no chance of—"
"Lance," Eiko interrupted with a serious look on her face, "we need to talk."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In case you hadn't already figured it out, "Oba-san" is how one would address one's aunt in Japanese.
I shall endeavor to get the next chapter up on time at all costs of sanity and other things!
Quickly, thanks to everyone who gave me Tabito feedback. It was more helpful than you probably think. My faith in my ability to create good characters has been greatly strenghtened by Tabito. Oi... too bad he's a fanfic character. -__- Ah well, I guess I'd better do this story justice then, eh?
~Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Otoshimizu tagoto no yami to narinikeri
{The annual water, run off, has become the darkness of the field.}
(a haiku by Buson, translated by myself)
Endless expanses of blue sky surrounded the world scattered with clouds. Raven stood at the front of the bridge with a look of divine concentration on her face.
"Higher," she commanded her pilot as the Hilda Garde VII neared the Alexandrian Plateau.
"Yes, ma'am," Faun answered and made to ascend the ship even more, although he doubted it could get much higher. To his surprised, the Royal airship rose quite well. The castle looked like a needle stuck in the ground beneath them when Raven finally said:
"Stop." Faun cut the thrust, and the ship came to hover far above the city, as Raven went out onto the deck of the ship. He didn't dare ask what she was doing, as he was frightened by the serious look on her face.
The princess calmly observed her kingdom as she murmured to herself. Finally she found what she was looking for and unleashed a long-range full Scan. Carefully she pored over the information that came up before her eyes. Engrossed in what she was doing, she did not manage to keep her gasp inward.
"What?" Faun called out. "What's wrong?" She raised a silencing finger in his direction. So that's what scared Tabi, she thought. How can anyone be so powerful? He's a monster… even I cannot generate that much power… Hm, I guess I must raise myself to that level. Incredible, but I suspect that mage just came from a lifetime of training. I just need to devote a few months, that's all.
"You," she turned around.
"Yes?" he answered.
"Take us to the Outer Continent," she ordered as she reentered the bridge.
"Um…"
"Now!" she raised her voice slightly. Cringing, he nodded and started the ship forward again, speeding them away from the places they called home.
"The fool," Shido muttered of Hadler Hoosick, whom they were leaving in charge of Alexandria for now. When Seraphim who was always quite ready to agree on that subject failed to respond, Shido glanced back. The albino was staring intently up at the sky. "Come along, we don't have time for dilly-dally."
"See you later, princess," Seraphim murmured before turning around with a grin on his pale features.
"What was that?" Shido frowned.
"Oh," the mage adjusted his hair. "Nothing."
"Curses," muttered Ashley de Granville as she watched the big noble and the little mage climb into the carriage. She slipped back behind the corner as she considered her options. "Ran away, my foot. His Highness Tabito is much to bold and brave to turn tail like that. They must have kidnapped him!"
"Really?" said a voice behind her. Ashley whirled around with a threatening look on her face.
"Where you spying on me?" her accusation turned into a squeak when she saw the tall man with bright red hair.
"Yes," Roy nodded. "Is what you said true?"
"Of course!" she said, indignantly. "But I shall rescue him, and no one can stop me!" Because if I save him, Ashley thought, he will realize how useful I am and will have no choice but to fall in love with me!
So that's what's going on, Roy scratched his chin. Huh… If I can save Tabito, Raven's brother, she'd have to appreciate my skills then. Hm… This girl seems to know a lot more about what's going on than I do. Maybe I should help her.
"I'm not trying to stop you," Roy put his hands up defensively. "In fact, I think I'll help you."
"Really?" Ashley asked, somewhat excited at the prospect of having a strong man to help her on her quest. On the other hand… "Why?" Tabito doesn't strike me as the kind of man who'd attract other men, but you cannot be too careful…
"Um, why?" Roy asked dumbly. That'd be too embarrassing to tell anyone. "Good acts for a good country!"
"Oh," she answered. Ah, so he's a patriotic chap. That's nice. "Okay, then. You see that carriage there? We have to follow it."
The sun waned against the western horizon, filling the sky with warm pieces of itself. Tabito's limbs were starting to give out after the hours of high speed flying. He was beginning to wonder if it hurt Marital to hang on by holding his mane, when he saw the coast of the Outer Continent ahead of them. Using all the strength he had left in his legs to hold on, he let go with his left arm to point out the destination to his mount. Flicking an ear in response, Marital spilled the air from his wings and dove for the city, nearly losing his rider in the process.
"Slow down," Tabito muttered, knowing it was useless to try to yell over the wind, but complaining about it made him feel better. Hoisting his balance back into place with his aching muscles, he turned his attentions to the Guardian of New Bran Bal. Marital, being an eidolon, would have no trouble getting through. However, Tabito, being a hybrid, might have. Conceivably, his Terran blood would let him through, but his Gaian blood would keep him out. He tightened his sore knees against Marital's sides, so that the eidolon would know if he fell off. The horse glanced back at him questioningly, as if suggesting that they land outside. In a rush of urgency, the two-tone spurred him onward.
The barrier around the Terran colony was meant to keep the native Gaian creatures from interacting with the biologically recreated Terran ones, but would let a member of the Terran race through. Marital passed though it like it wasn't there. Stretching out his palm, the half-Terran hoped for the best. A tingly sensation trickled over his hand and up his arm. He watched in amazement as the barrier broke into liquid prism around him, and tiny rainbows broke out over his skin. He smiled briefly at it, relieved, and then turned his attentions back onto the tasks at hand.
"Marital, the capitol!" the prince pointed toward the marble building that lay ahead. But the winged horse had already figured as much as he swept over the city streets and flared his wings and landed on the front steps of the political center of the nation reborn. Using the inertia of the flight, Tabito leapt from his horse to land before the great door, but just barely, as his sore thighs nearly gave out. After slowly regaining his balance, he turned and called, "thank you," to his eidolon before running inside. Aching though his muscles were, he worked them for all they were worth as he dashed for Mikoto's office. Who put these stairs here? he complained to himself. I hope I'm not too late. Finally, he thrust the door open to the workplace of the governor, where he stood panting in the presence of her and her three advisors.
"Prince Tabito?" Geomo interjected more than asked.
"Then it's true," Zeru dropped his head, letting loose with a harsh sigh.
"Huh?" Tabito blinked. Ketto simply stood there looking generally unhappy.
"He doesn't know, Zeru," Mikoto stated after studying her nephew for a moment. The two's looks of confusion and disappointment melted into those of compassion and sympathy.
"What don't I know?" Tabito choked on the words as he began to think he already knew. Zeru and Geomo exchanged glances as Ketto looked away. Mikoto's ever-placid green eyes were tinged with sadness as she regarded him. Trembling like a leaf in a harsh wind, the Crown Prince inched his way forward to rest his weary hands on Mikoto's desk, and with his eyes shut against the world, he pleaded, "Oba-san… Tell me."
"We received word from Lindblum," she said, after a quick pause. "Alexandria has fallen into the hands of a noble from a minor state, Hadler Hoosick of that place named after himself." She paused again as violet eyes stared blankly at her, the mind behind them either unwilling or unable to register what it was being told. Mikoto continued in her monotone voice: "He is holding the kingdom under the accusation against you that you and your sister have either kidnapped or murdered the Queen, and are now trying to conquer Lindblum with the possible assistance of the Terran people. It is most unfortunate that you have turned up here, Tabito." Mikoto paused again, longer this time, as she watched the information register on her nephew's face. He slowly stood, trying to regain as much dignity as possible as he recounted events from his own point of view.
"We were attacked by a fleet of five warships and approximately two hundred armed fighters," he said softly, but steadily. "As you know, we are forbidden to have a significant armed force ourselves, so we had merely the police force and the castle guard to protect our citizens. I sent word to Lindblum asking for help, but as we were steadily losing and I doubted that we could expect their help when…what with the situation with Ark…so I came here looking for help and…" His composure began to break apart as he gulped back waves of emotion, but he was still significantly self-controlled when he finally shouted: "Do you mean to tell me that they broke through Chizitsu's eidolon barrier?!" The advisors again exchanged glances as Mikoto rose from her seat.
"Tabito, I don't know what you're talking about," she said as flatly as ever. The normal calm in the prince's voice turned to trembles as he continued to fight against the feeling of dread that was taking hold of his being.
"There was this mage," he explained as he realized that he could barely stand, he was shaking so hard, "in the attack force. I'd never witnessed some of the magic he could perform in all my days. So incredibly powerful… Chizitsu suggested that he erect an eidolon barrier to safeguard the castle and inhabitants while I got help. It—it seemed like a good idea… Oba-san…the mage defeated Chizitsu? The barrier was up when I left…"
"All I know is that they claim that Chizitsu was killed in the attack on the castle," Mikoto paused again as Tabito's eyes slid closed and his chin dropped onto his tremulous chest. "Forgive me," she apologized. "I suppose I might have broken that more gently."
"Please tell me that's not true," the young prince's voice was barely a whisper between his broken gasps for air.
"By that you are asking me to honestly say what is not true—"
"Shut up," Tabito barked before turning his back to her and whimpering a few curses.
"Hey!" Geomo shouted back indignantly, as Ketto finally spoke for the first time:
"How dare you speak to—"
"I am not well suited for emotional situations," Mikoto interrupted, forgiving Tabito's outburst despite the offended reactions of her advisors. She then turned back to the offender as he began walking out the doorway. "Where are you going?" He stopped, but he didn't turn around.
"It is of no good for me to be anywhere but…" he trailed off as he began to walk away again.
"Stop," Mikoto said. "You're not thinking clearly."
"Oh?" Tabito glanced over his shoulder, even his bi-colored eyebrows trembling with sorrow and fear.
"If you return to Alexandria now, they will most conceivably kill you."
"I know," he glanced at the floor, biting his lip. "If you'd excuse me, Governess, I shan't burden your people with the mistrust of those I've offended and be gone from their land."
"I will not excuse you, Prince Tabito," she answered. Her advisors were dumb-founded.
"Your Ladyship?" Tabito meekly turned around, unsure of how to respond.
"Did you not come to me to ask for help?" asked the toneless voice. "Did you not come to warn us of an unknown danger? And did you not even come yourself, the leader of your kingdom? This being so, it would be all out cruel, ungrateful, and conceited for me to turn you away. I will not allow you to damage my reputation like that, your Highness."
"O-oba-san…" the Crown Prince stammered, nearly at a loss for words, "but… your people—"
"Not one member of the Terran race would be able to look Zidane in the eye if we allowed something to happen to you." Each of the advisors, who had been trying to say something up until now, fell silent. "We are not an ungrateful race, Tabito."
"I…" Tabito looked as if he could barely stand, and yet he continued to fight for his poise as he found himself arguing for his own death, "I have done nothing that you should be grateful for."
"We were unaware of an enemy mage before now," she argued back. He stopped and stared into her eyes for a while. They seemed to be made of glass. Why am I fighting this? he finally wondered. She's trying to save me.
"Oba-san, I…" his knees gave out, but Mikoto darted forward and caught him before he hit the ground.
"It's all right," said she, as she held his trembling shoulders in stiff arms. "I would never let them hurt you. You're safe here." The distressed hybrid rested his head against her chest, realizing that she did not care, and tried to catch his breath for he was completely overwhelmed. Presently, he found his body calming down, for his mother used to hold him like this when he was younger. He realized then how much he missed her, his father, and even his sister. And now his brother was gone forever. He could never go back. "You're safe here," Mikoto repeated, still holding him as stiffly as before. She wasn't much of a comforter, but Tabito knew that she meant well.
"Thank you," he murmured as his eyelids became to heavy to hold open any longer. Gently, Mikoto slid the leather bo strap off of his shoulder and over his head and lay the weapon on the ground.
"He's exhausted, poor thing," she reported to her advisors, who had just crowded around. "Someone, make up the couch for him to sleep on. I'll stay here with him tonight."
"You need your sleep too," Zeru argued. "I'll look after him."
"That's kind of you, Zeru," Mikoto shook her head, "but I think I should. I don't like this situation one bit. Besides, our reporter in Lindblum will probably have more information for us before the night is through."
"That is if he's not already running back here to save his life," Ketto remarked. "Egads, Mikoto, do you really want us all to go to hell that badly?"
"I'll work something out," she answered.
"Hmph," he growled. "All out war to save one man? I've never seen the like."
"They'll think we were involved regardless of what we do," Geomo snorted as he scuffed at the floor with the toe of his shoe.
"You could have let him go of his own accord," Zeru added.
"All good reasons aside," the sarcasm was lost in Mikoto's flat voice, "it would have been a waste."
"Good reasons?" Ketto asked.
"Yes, the reason that he is my nephew, and, therefore, I should protect him. Aside from that, I don't like what is going on. It's too strange, the way these coincidences keep occurring. Tabito's very close to these occurrences, and I don't think he's slept through them. My guess is that he knows quite a bit."
"That's not a good reason at all," Ketto shook his head incredulously.
"You're a lot like him, Ketto," Mikoto observed aloud, much to the advisor's apparent chagrin. "You know the political rules, but you don't seem to realize that often the only real way to do the right thing is to break those rules."
Much to Lance's surprise, the door that he had been trying to open for the past eon suddenly opened and deposited him on his face on the ground. He was just as surprised as he was hauled upright by his arms and yelled at by someone:
"Who are you?"
"Captain Lance Steiner, of Alexandria," Lance answered just as he realized that he had been captured by Lindblum guards and probably shouldn't disclose that information. But it was too late by then.
"Take him to Lady Eiko immediately!" the one who apparently was in charge ordered the other two. For the few minutes that it took to get to Eiko's throne room, Lance wondered what he'd tell her. Hello, Regent, I've come to free the princess… That probably won't go over too well. All too soon, he was before the Regent of Lindblum. She might have easily been his older sister, what with her age, but the blue-haired summoner was one of the most powerful people in all of Gaia. She was definitely not one to be taken lightly.
"What are you doing here Lance?" she asked, seeming completely amazed to see him.
"Tabito sent me to see how her Highness was doing," he suddenly blurted, "I took a wrong turn when I got here though." By the time he had gotten to the second part, Eiko was no longer listening.
"Tabito did?" she looked confused. "He didn't really trust me with his sister, like he said in the letter?
"Letter?" Lance was confused now.
"He sent me a letter explaining the reasons that proved Raven's innocence, ending it with 'I trust your judgment in the matter.' I found it very convincing…" When did he find time to do that? wondered Lance, as he suddenly felt very guilty about his attitude towards Tabito's approach to the matter.
"Lady Eiko!" cried another guard as he ran in. "Princess Raven has escaped and stolen the Hilda Garde VII!" Immediately, Eiko turned to stare at Lance.
"It must have been Roy Coral!" Lance blurted triumphantly, then noticed the stares he was getting. "He told me he was going to try to rescue the princess," he explicated, "but I did nothing about it, since I figured he had no chance of—"
"Lance," Eiko interrupted with a serious look on her face, "we need to talk."
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In case you hadn't already figured it out, "Oba-san" is how one would address one's aunt in Japanese.
I shall endeavor to get the next chapter up on time at all costs of sanity and other things!