CHAPTER 6
All Good Things

"...So you see Fina, me and Aika love each other very much, in fact, we were thinking about marrying soon, but we still love you, only a little less that's all."

Daniel stood by the meeting room door, one boot up against the wall, his armsroughly folded against his chest.

According to Vyse, he and Aika had been seeing each other secretly for over two years, and at the point were Fina had seen them kissing, Vyse had just proposed.

In the end, Aika said she had had things to do and hadn't come, but despite Daniel's protests, Vyse had decided to talk with Fina anyway. Daniel reluctantly agreed.

Fina now stood up from the table and walked over to the window, and gazed out over Crescent Isle.

"So you want me to stay?" she asked, not looking back.

Vyse stood up and walked behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Daniel tensed, Vyse was beginning to get physical with Fina. Towards the end of the discussing, Vyse had been making several odd movements towards Fina.

For starters, he had sat opposite her, instead of at the head of the table where he usually sat, and was constantly hold her hands. At first this didn't seem unnatural, but he began to notice Fina going a cute shade of red.

Daniel suddenly realised that Vyse had been stroking her leg with his foot, thinking that the Captain wouldn't notice.

Now this latest development was starting to irritate him. Why was he doing this? Was he flirting with her? Why?

Slowly he circled his arms around her tiny waist, leaning his head gently on her shoulder.

"Do you really want to leave all this?" Vyse whispered in Fina's ear, "Do you really want give up the Pirate lifestyle, just because Aika's marrying me?"

Fina was growing more and more uncomfortable. Vyse had never given her this much attention before, it scared her. She wanted to leave, but Vyse was slowly willing her to stay.

Finally the captain couldn't take it anymore.

In one swift movement Daniel drew his sword and let it's tip rest gently on Vyse's neck.

"Mr. Vyse," He said coldly, "Would you kindly refrain from, how should we say?" he smirked slightly, "Man-handling Fina? I would greatly appreciate it, as I would think, would Fina."

Fina shot him a look of gratitude as she gently removed herself from Vyse's grip, while Vyse himself remained frozen, scared, that if he moved, the sword might cut him.

"You do realise that you've got the saviour of Arcadia under your blade?" Vyse asked, his voice a little shaky.

"I couldn't care less if you were God Almighty Mr. Vyse," The Captain said coldly, "You should never touch something that isn't yours to touch."

Vyse ignored him and looked at Fina with pleading eyes.

"Fina don't go, you'll regret it, you know you will. If you leave here, you'll be sorry."

Fina backed towards the door and fumbled with the latch.

"I...I need some time to think about this," she said quietly, before opening the door and running out.

Daniel kept his blade where it was until she had left.

He then removed it from it's place, before sheathing it.

"I suggest you practice what you preach Captain " Vyse spat, "Fina doesn't belong with you, so you leave her alone, you here me!"

The Captain's eyes narrowed.

"Fina can do what the hell she likes Mr. Vyse, I will not stop her if she decides to stay. But mark this Captain. If I hear, that you've so much hurt a hair on her head, I swear on the Code of the Valuan Navy, I'll kill you."

Vyse just stood there stupefied as The captain walked out of the meeting room, slamming the door behind him.

A few hours later, Fina called a meeting to reveal what she had decided. She had been thinking it over for well over 3 hours, and was now ready to face Vyse, Aika, and his crew.

They all gathered in the Meeting Room, including Daniel, who stood near the window, lost in deep thought.

"What if she doesn't want to go? What if she wants to stay" he thought to himself.

"Then she stays, you return to Valua, and you never see her again." a voice in his head said simply.

"Captain Mackenzie?"

Daniel looked up, to find himself looking into the eyes of Aika, who looked back at him with concern.

He smiled at her, for he had nothing against her.

"Miss Aika," he said formaly with a bow,"What can I do for you?"

She looked a bit uncomfortable, but continued anyway.

"Fina told me about what happened in the Meeting Room this morning. I'm sorry if Vyse inconvenienced you."

The captain sighed.

"I shouldn't have lashed out like that," he said quietly, "I was ordered to protect Fina at all costs until she said otherwise. I was just doing what I though was necessary."

She gently put a hand on his shoulder, feeling the cold of the metal pads beneath her fingertips.

"You love her don't you?"

Daniel looked up into her eyes, and nodded silently.

"But Vyse loves her too, just not in the same way." she continued, "He loves me, but he doesn't want to loose Fina. I can't explain it in words, but all I can say, is that whatever she says, one of you will be happy, but the other will be totally devastated."

The Captain opened his mouth to say something about if she decided to stay, then he would totally agree to it, but at that moment, the door of the Meeting Room opened and Fina came in, an unusually calm about her.

Aika walked over to her and whispered something to her, to Which Fina replied. Aika then walked back to Daniel, a knowing smile on her face.

"What did you ask her?" he inquired.

"You'll find out," she whispered back, still smiling.

"Can I have your attention please?" Fina asked, and almost immediately the entire place went quiet.

"As you know, a week ago I ran away from this place," Fina began, "I had no intention of coming back. But after a request from Emperor Enrique, I was returned safely by Captain Mackenzie."

Vyse smiled smugly from his corner. He knew Enrique would have sent her back. She belonged here.

"When I returned I had the chance to talk over the reasons for my running away. Once I had finished, I was given the choice of whether I could stay, or return to Valua, or to be left at another place for me to continue my life. I have now made my choice"

She looked around the room, taking every face, to remember.

"She has to stay" Vyse thought to himself,"there's no way she would leave, no way whatsoever."

"She's going to stay" Daniel thought sadly,"And I can't say I blame her. Why spend the rest of your life under the dark, miserable skies of Valua, when you could live on a island such as this"

Fina's gaze finally set on Daniel, who couldn't bare to even look her in the eyes. He just stared at his shoes, looking convincingly pathetic.

She took a deep breath and finally gave her choice.

"I have decided...to return to Valua with Captain Mackenzie."

A hushed silence fell across the room as Daniel looked up suddenly, a look of such gratitude and love in his eyes.

She gazed back at him, smiling softly at him.

"NO!" Vyse screamed, "NO I WON'T HAVE THIS! YOU CAN'T GO, I WON'T ALLOW IT! NEVER!"

He suddenly glared the Captain.

"YOU!" he shouted" YOU'VE BRAINWASHED HER OR SOMETHING! YOU CAN'T HAVE HER! I'LL KILL YOU!"

He suddenly drew his sword and charged at the Captain.

Daniel did said nothing for a moment, before drawing his own sword.

"My righteousness be my shield," he muttered"Shield Of Justice!"

Out of nowhere a large silver bubble suddenly enveloped Daniel. As Vyse's sword came down, It simply bounced right off again.

Vyse stepped back in surprise, although he shouldn't have really. He had seen Enrique use the Justice shield hundreds of times, no doubt The Captain would no it too.

He was just about to launch another attack, when Aika stood in his way, her face hard.

"Aika?" he gasped, "get out of the way!"

"Let her go Vyse," he said coldly, "let her do what she wants, if she wants to go with the man she loves, then let her go with the man she loves."

"She doesn't love him!" Vyse spat,"She can't love him, there's no way..."

"You want prove?" she asked him poking Vyse in the chest, "here's your prove!"

As she stepped aside, Vyse's jaw dropped.

Fina and Daniel were locked in passionate embrace, kissing each other with a passion, totally oblivious to the fact they were being watched.

A chorus of "ohh's," and "Ahh's," echoed through the Meeting Room.

"Now I don't know about you," Aika said aloud as Vyse sank to his knees in shock,"but I think that makes them in love, don't you?"

A couple of the Air pirates nodded in agreement.

The two lovers finally broke their embrace, looking deep into each others eyes.

"I love you Daniel," she murmured.

"I love you too Fina," he whispered back.

They walked out of the Meeting Room together, totally unaware of everyone else, as they headed towards Fina's room to pack.