Episode 19: Divisiveness
The bunch of them had crashed not far from the kitchens on one of the lower decks. They had found enough bread, meat, cheese, vegetable, fruit, water, milk and wine to make them all full and happy. Merle was gnawing on a huge sandwich when she looked up. "This is the best supper! No servers no plates no portions – just eat as much as you want!"
Koneko agreed from a matching sub. "Mmmph!"
"Thanks for opening the kitchen up, Dryden!" Yukari called from a cheese sandwich.
He swallowed. "Sure no problem."
"This meat's go a great tang to it." Amano said. "Its like turkey with kick."
"I'm surprised you didn't compare it to chicken." Yukari teased him. "Doesn't everything taste like chicken?"
Amano looked at his dinner. "I guess it could be chicken."
"This isn't pheasant is it?" Daiji asked from the arm of the chair.
"No, its turkey." Van answered.
Amano slapped Yukari in the arm. "See! I told you!"
Suru looked up form trying to force-feed Leptelepitos a block of cheese. "You have turkey's here?"
"Yeah, are we not supposed to?" Merle asked.
Suru returned to mashing dairy against wood.
"I forget how alike Gaea and Earth are." Hitomi said in a voice that sounded amused with herself. "Sometimes I get the two places mixed up."
Yosu cast an eye over to Van who felt his glare and returned it. Daiji noticed the exchange occurring over her head. "I can understand how you could do that."
"But I love it here!" She said, all smiles. "I love the landscape and the culture and I love all of you! I wish I could stay here forever!"
Yosu's eyes broke the stare and dropped down to the floor. Van's narrowed ever so slightly to take on a sheen of victory.
"But Hitomi, what about us?" Jiai asked.
"Yeah," Yukari called in mock outrage, "what are we? Five minutes ago?"
Hitomi was struck with guilt. "Oh Yukari no!"
The redhead smiled at her. "I'm kidding Hitomi! You'd never really stay here forever would you?"
Amano shook his head. "Of course she wouldn't, she hasn't even finished school yet!"
It was Yosu's turn to look victorious.
"So how much is different between Gaea and Earth?" Millerna asked. "I find it interesting."
"Me too," Dryden said, turning around from where he was sitting caddy-corner on the couch. "Its fascinating!"
Hitomi laughed, she could tell by the look on Millerna's face that she found his thirst for knowledge absolutely adorable. Jiai found her cheeks pinking up as well. Hitomi smiled. "Well, the sky is still blue, so is the sea. The grass is still green. There are still trees and flowers and cities full of people."
"But what's different?" Merle pressed.
"Well they don't have beast people." She said.
Merle's ears came up. "Huh?"
"Everyone on Earth is human." She said.
"You mean there are no Draconians either?" Merle asked.
"Nope, just humans." She answered. "But there are all different kinds of humans with different color skin and different appearances, so I guess its kind of like Gaea."
"What about government?" Allen asked. "How many countries are there?"
"There are tons of countries!" Hitomi said. "Hundreds! But there aren't so many kings anymore; at least it doesn't seem like it. Most of the big countries have Presidents or Prime Ministers who are elected officials instead of inherited…"
"Elected?" Millerna asked. "You mean not even of royal descent?"
"Yep, just normal people who want the job." Hitomi said.
"It must be weird." Merle shrugged.
"Who cares?" Dilandau snapped form across the room. He was watching Hakai burn plant leaves with his matches. His head felt better with each blackened, crinkled remain.
Van stopped waging a silent war with Yosu and turned the object of his negativity on Dilandau. "When are you going to turn back inside out?"
"That's a good question." Millerna said. "We promised to get her back as soon as possible."
Amano slouched. "I don't think Dilandau's gonna cooperate like Celena did."
"As long as he's entertained what's the harm in keeping him?" Daiji shrugged. Many among them turned an outraged eye and he took a start. "Whoa! I didn't mean anything bad, all I'm saying is that it can wait if it has to until Celena comes back on her own or at least until Dilandau gets comfortable enough with us to stand us turning him back. We don't want him to hurt himself after all." Allen grumbled to himself in a surprisingly Amano-like fashion. Daiji picked the end of his sandwich back up. "It at least can wait until we get to wherever we're going."
"Where are we going?" Jiai asked.
"We're heading to Fried for repairs." Dryden answered.
Seguir had been sitting silently against the leg of Hitomi's chair trying not to be a distraction, but looked up with a start when he heard this remark. "Fried!?"
"Do you have a problem with that, Nadeje?" Allen snarled.
"Yes." He got up from the floor. "You can't go to Fried."
"What!?" Van shouted. "What gives you authority to declare what we can and cannot do!?"
"Cool down, Van, don't overreact." Dryden bade.
Daiji joined him. "Yeah, Seguir's one of us now."
Yukari nodded pointedly. "We should hear what he has to say at least."
Dryden messed with his glasses. "Okay, now, why can't we go to Fried? Is there something wrong?"
Seguir felt awkward again. Butting into their affairs seemed like putting his sanctuary at risk, and he was on thin ice with the group anyway. Still, his input was important to their safety and he tried not to sound like he was lecturing when he spoke again. "Fried is crawling with Faction operatives. From what I understand much of the military, palace guard and several of the prominent positions are Factionaries. It where the Faction first came together…"
"Really!?!" Koneko cried. "The start of it all was in Fried?"
"But your Trapan sounds Zaibachian." Van said.
"He's not MINE." Seguir said, a little disgusted. "But he is Zaibachian, yes. The Faction exists beyond countries. They are trying to bring the whole world under Draconian rule. It began in the mountains on the Friedian/Zaibachian border where the Master has his Safehouse. Fried was the first Government to be conquered because it was so weak after the war."
"No!" Allen cried, suddenly and somewhat inappropriately. His thoughts were strongly on his son and as Seguir was speaking images of Chid as a prisoner or worse dead, his father's blue eyes frozen gaping at the bottom of some dark pit painted a shocking portrait of disaster on his mind. The Knight clenched his fists. "I don't believe you!"
"Actually, it's got credence." Dryden said, a hand on his chin. Allen's head snapped quickly around, blond hair flying about in a veil. The merchant continued with detached and logical reasoning; he had no familiar ties to Fried. "No one in my circles have done any business with Fried for months now. Nothing good comes out of it and no one thinks to go in, but it was never a big money maker anyway."
"If that's the case, I'm worried about Chid." Millerna muttered. Allen's taxed nerves turned quickly to her. "He is my nephew… I hope he's alright."
"I'm sorry, Millerna, I forgot your sister was the queen…" Dryden apologized. He tried to sound reassuring and made Allen's stomach knot. "I'm sure Chid's fine… He's young, and a new ruler… they probably wouldn't have to do anything drastic to take over power. Nothing dangerous, I'm sure he's fine. I don't think they'd hurt him, don't worry."
Jiai looked to Seguir. "Would they hurt him?"
Seguir shook his head. "I don't know. It depends on who is running the occupation. Trapan likes to put locals in charge of their own countries to make the transition unnoticeable to the people. Its up to the new leader how the takeover is pulled off."
"It was violent in Zaibach." Van recalled.
"But it was peaceful in Asturia and Fanelia." Amano said quickly. "So there's hope enough."
Hitomi looked to Seguir. "But we can't go in…even to check?"
Seguir sighed. "I wouldn't feel comfortable letting you all in there. It's an accident waiting to happen. All it would take would be one Factionary recognizing you and all of us would be in danger."
"So even if we don't try anything heroic and just go for repairs the risk is high." Millerna said, crestfallen."
Amano sighed as well. "That ends that."
"Wait." Allen was persistent and dead set on keeping the option open. "Fried is.. is an ally! It is our duty to defend it from invasion!"
"That's not what you said about Zaibach." Daiji retorted.
"Zaibach was different." Allen said, feeling threatened by Daiji's tone.
"I don't see how." Yosu said snippishly.
Allen's logical resistance the day before had come back to haunt him, but he put his foot down and assumed a concrete, albeit irrational determination. "I'm going! It's my duty to free the Duke! I'm going into Fried no matter what."
"I can't let you do that." Dryden said, sounding dutiful. "It's illogical. I don't see the point."
Hitomi glanced around at those among them, growing nervous. She knew why Allen was so desperate to get into Fried and was trying hard to remember whom else she'd told about Allen's sire. The knight wasn't choosing to expose himself to the public, and even though she and Millerna already knew; what kind of catastrophe could ensue if one of her party made a slip. Jiai tugged Millerna. "But isn't Chid his…"
Millerna put a finger to her mouth. "Shh." But was reminded, herself, why Allen had such a fervor. She turned over her shoulder and looked up to Dryden. "Maybe there's still a way we can help."
Seguir tightened his face a little, really hoping that the matter had been dismissed. The merchant looked own to her. "How's that?"
"Well, we have two ships…" she recalled, "perhaps Allen could take the Crusade into Fried and investigate."
Allen was deeply touched that the Queen was taking his side and stepped forward more calmly. "That is an excellent plan. That way we can go into Friend and you can go elsewhere for repairs. It will waste no time and we will regroup again when we are both ready."
Dryden put a hand to his chin. "It could work, but I still don't see the point."
"Chid helped us in the last war." Millerna said, crafting an excuse. "We owe it to him to at least find out what happened. There is also a lot of information to gather should the Crusade find the "Safehouse" Seguir was talking about. We could learn some valuable things, and the ship would hopefully be far away from any real towns in the mountains while they look."
"It would be useful to investigate the point of origin." Van agreed. "We learned some from the Zaibach exercise, but we still don' know everything we could. Perhaps Fried will give us a clue about who the Master is or what his next move will be."
"He could still be there you know." Yosu added. "If he is, taking out the leader is always the card that makes a castle fall."
Allen's heart was pounding as he searched their faces. Millerna looked to him and gave one final argument. "Allen really feels that he needs to go in, just like when I wanted to go to Zaibach. We should use as much effort to make this real for him as we did for me."
Hitomi held her breath. She didn't know why, but somehow Dryden had assumed complete authority over the decision when in reality he had no more power to dictate what the knight could or could not do than his double did. Still her hopes hung in the moment while he deliberated, knowing that he and Allen had never truly gotten along and that she, too wanted the Knight to find his son. Dryden's green eyes set and he nodded. "You're absolutely right, Millerna. We owe Allen as much. Its only fair that his interests be taken as seriously as anyone else's." Hitomi smiled broadly and looked to Van in excitement. He didn't understand why.
Allen let out a sigh and found that he was actually grateful to have the merchant's help. "Thank you for allowing me to go. I'll make the preparations and leave soon, we'll arrange a meeting place."
Dryden looked surprised at him. "Hold on! What do you think you're going to do? Go the whole thing alone? No way, we counseled and plotted the last adventure together, naturally the whole group is going to want to do the same for you."
"Yeah, I want to go!" Yukari cried. Amano was shocked.
"And you're going to need backup." Van added. "We will work it out now and the groups will part this evening with full knowledge of exactly where each other will be and what they will be doing."
Millerna smiled up at Allen. "We care too much about you, Allen, to let you go by yourself. You should know that!"
Without realizing it, the knight was blushing as he stared wide-eyed at the fifteen friends he'd forgotten that he had.
Escaflowne
They had been flying all night and all day over the Ventrag Mountains and up the forested border between Asturia and Fanelia. Now, a keen eye to the west betrayed the first hints of the Adynatons and the wet country of Chesario beyond. Torsion was growing exhausted. She was unaccustomed to having the use of only one arm, and although her Maginot had been re-outfitted for right-handed controls, it was a challenge to know exactly what the levers and switches did and the flight-booster controls were difficult to manipulate with one hand. Her am was shaking as her exhausted muscles tried to maintain a steady course.
Prestress and Vector were following just behind like good soldiers, one on her left and one on her right. Vector, his arms showing no sign of fatigue, could sense the overtaxed state of his new commander's mind and body. He looked to Prestress out of the corner of his eye. The beast man was level, at least according to his own philosophy. Loyalties only mattered when they were returned, and the means were only acceptable if the ends were justified. This little desertion of theirs was placing them in copious amounts of trouble but he didn't care. The truth was that he didn't care if he cared. The state of the Faction was now unbalanced and he had to do his part to equalize it as far as he was concerned. He neither felt Vector's eye nor Torsion's pain.
Vector realized that Torsion needed a rest, but didn't expect her to take one. She would plow on ahead to Asgard if it made her remaining arm fall off. It would be up to him to take the initiative. He gunned his engines to tighten their formation and shouted to the other two. "The sun is peaking, we should take some time to recover and regain our strength."
Prestress turned his gold eyes out of his grille and said nothing. Torsion relaxed her speed and sank back into a line. "We have to get to the Mystic City before Trapan."
"I know." Vector assured. "But we can take an hour. We need to organize our thoughts in any case. We should land."
She sighed, realizing for herself just how cramped she was getting in her cockpit. The border of Deidlas was just creeping below them as they left the land of Fanelia behind. The pine forests grew thick and reminded her of earlier that week when their party had stopped her on their search for the Nadejes. It was night. Virial had given them three hours to do with as they pleased. AS she recalled, she had sought out a patch of moonlight to stretch her wings and find some privacy. Virial had followed – she realized that that was when she'd met Glaucus for the first time even though she didn't know it then. It made her feel more sick and drained than she ever had. The trees held less magic in the daylight. "Alright, let's land here but not for long. We've got a future to save." She pressed her boosters downward, the two levers cradled in the palm of her right hand. She noticed the ache growing in her biceps as she steered.
The ring of engines tucked away and her Maginot's feet pounded into the ground splintering the branches of pines and sending fallen needles billowing up like a cloud. Vector landed next to her a little more heavily and Prestress touched down with less destructive force. Three hatches came open with puffs of steam and folding metal as their Draconian pilots emerged. Torsion's legs were shaking as she clambered out onto the plank. She had no idea that she was this physically spent and groped for the side of her machine as she tried to gain her balance. Having one dead arm strapped across her stomach didn't help. Vector came over and helped her down to the ground. "You've pressed yourself too hard, sir, you're still recovering from the injuries Resultant gave you. You need to give your body a chance to heal."
She was feeling awfully dizzy and found no point in arguing. "Alright, Vector, alright. I'll rest. " She stumbled away from them following the leg of her suit. She was feeling tight and really wanted to let out her wings. It seemed safe enough. Out they came, shooting just behind the straps of her sling and folding up into the air. She doubled over to keep balance, feeling the feathers settle against themselves. Feeling relieved and empty, she sighed and straightened. Only when she had her wings out did she feel unwound and free from all the twisting she'd built up, her exhaustion settled into an unconscious, blissful mist on her mind. She opened her eyes very slowly, the brown bronzing in the afternoon sunlight. She imagined for a moment flying in the sky, soaring over the Mystic City in a future where Draconians lived in the open. It was a sweet dream full of happiness. Glaucus was there wearing white with broad wings and a broad smile. Love would be dancing in his lavender eyes. She felt refreshed in this dream and had strength to start traveling again. She turned on her heel to join her two companions and caught sight of her white feathers.
Something stalled. Torsion began to tremble again, not understanding why. She kept thinking of Glaucus, his own private pain written on every feather and revealed so suddenly at the first sign of emotion. The last time they spoke, his wings were out. They almost kissed. And Areolar had stopped them. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she stumbled and slumped against the leg of the Maginot, rage and despair again on her mind. Areolar had killed him, too. Her brother had killed her commander and her lover. She saw blood and metal seeping out of his cloven cockpit. She could still feel the sick stickiness of the pool as she knelt in the rain. All the bottled, twisted, bound up pain and anger washed back over her and she fainted in the midst of the vortex.
Vector felt the rush and turned. Prestress dashed around her, hearing her hit with his impala ears. The beast man rolled her onto her side, and made sure she was all right. Vector leaned down with a groan. "She must have pushed herself harder than I thought."
"She is unconscious." Prestress announced. "But no worse than before."
"We will let her rest." Vector announced. "When she wakes again we will go. No need to push her any farther than she's pressed herself."
Prestress laid her back on the ground and stood. "Alright. I see nothing off balance with that."
Escaflowne
The Congruency, now Areolar's ship not Virial's, rolled out of the hanger at Zaibach Palace and took to the air. Areolar was standing strong and proud, commander of a force greater than his predecessor's and after the same target. Resultant stormed up the hall to the cockpit door. He lacked respect when he got his commander's attention. "Areolar!"
The captain's proud resolve twitched with irritation. "What is it?"
"Why aren't we going after Torsion and the others?"
"Because Trapan told us not to worry about them." Areolar answered. "They'll come to us in time."
"I can't sit here and trust that." Resultant fumed. "I want to find them now – make them pay for deserting."
"No?" Areolar asked. "You can't trust the decisions of your superiors!?" He was nothing less than annoyed.
Resultant saw he wasn't working and changed his approach. "Let me go after them. I'll find them. Give me fifty men." Areolar eyed him. Resultant engaged the door-in-the-face approach. "Ten – give me a detachment and I'll find them."
"No." Areolar stated.
Resultant was furious. "Why not!?!"
"I want you to leave my sister alone." The commander stated. "When she comes back she's going under my watch. I let her make her own mistakes for too long. I see now that she can be influenced by lies and false promises. No, I won't allow anyone near her. I wont allow anyone else to hurt her." His eyes became fiery as if a switch had been tripped in his brain turning him from slightly put out to a demon of Hades. He turned and stared at his 19-year-old so seriously that Resultant was shocked out of his determination. "You went against our agreement and injured my sister when I specifically warned you not to. Torsion's body is permanently affected because of your foolish actions. Don't think that will die as easily as Virial did, no. You cross me again and its over, understand… god or not."
"W-what?" Resultant had no words in offense or defense. He could barely rationalize how severely he had just been threatened.
Areolar turned to stare out at the parched grassland of Zaibach rolling underneath them. "You want to be here anyway. Our target is Escaflowne."
"Escaflowne!?!" Resultant cried, Torsion all but erased from his mind. "Vengeance is so close! I can nearly taste it!"
"Go revel somewhere off my bridge." Areolar spat.
Resultant fumed and stormed off, a nasty taste growing in his mouth for Areolar. The prospect of an impending face-off with Escaflowne could not help but lift his mood. He'd devoted his life to revenge. The sweetness of getting a sword in both the woman who rejected him and the man who took her from him still sang on his tongue. Those victories would always be diamonds in her crown, but Escaflowne was the brightest gem in the world in his eyes. "The whole war comes down to this…" He sneered through his red bangs. "Escaflowne was the leader in the army that stole my life. When I get a chance to let loose on the Murder Melef there'll be nothing left but a bloody ruin at my feet!"
Escaflowne
"Okay," Amano said, sitting down, "we're breaking into groups – who goes where?"
"I'm captaining the Crusade." Allen stated concretely. "And I'm bringing Gadess with me."
"Whoa? Why?" Yukari asked. "Don't you think Gadess ad the crew would be more useful here? This ship is bigger and we could run the Crusade by ourselves."
"Hold on –" Allen bade, "-what do you mean "we"?"
"Well, I'm Marlene aren't I?" Yukari asked. "I wanna go check on my son."
Allen seemed to be in protest but Amano stepped in. "If you're going I'm going." "You don't have to." Yukari told him appreciatively. "You probably should stay here to look after Hakai and Suru."
"Wait, should we write this down?" Jiai asked.
Daiji shook his head, amused. "'Ai, you and you're lists."
"I'll do it." Millerna volunteered. "Dryden? Where is paper and pen?"
He gestured widely. "Look around, there's bound to be some somewhere."
"Way to be organized." Koneko gave him the thumbs up.
"I found some." Millerna reported. She returned from a desk against the wall and sat down next to Dryden making two columns on the page, one for each ship. "Okay, now Allen is going on the Crusade and Yukari wants to go with him."
"I want to go too." Van reported. "If we find that enemy stronghold I want to be there for the invasion."
"So Van is going on the Crusade – " Millerna wrote.
"I don't want to go into that kind of danger." Jiai fretted.
"I don't either." Suru peeped. "Its too big for me."
"So Jiai and Suru are here." Millerna said.
"I have to stay here." Dryden said. Millerna looked alarmed and he laughed. "it's my ship, Millerna, I don't have much of a choice. I'm responsible for negotiating the repairs."
"Of course I can't believe I didn't think of that." Millerna said, writing his name slowly. "But I don't know what to do now. I wanted to go check on Chid, but I want to stay with you…"
"You should stay here, Millerna." Van voiced. Everyone looked and waited for him to support his stand. "There is no guarantee that we will find Chid, and you will be in the way if we take offensive measures."
"I am a doctor, Van." Millerna defended. "I wouldn't just be 'in the way'."
"Even so," Yosu surmised, "we probably wont be there on a peaceful trip. Write Chid a not or something but I don't think you should come."
"Allen, what do you think?" Millerna asked.
The knight was surprised that she would ask his opinion specifically. He'd gotten the feeling that he'd been replaced. Now as she appealed to him he found himself uncertain of an answer. He knew that Van and Yosu were right, but the selfish side of him wanted her along. Just he and she, without Dryden, like old times. But he was fooling himself. Old times were past and it wasn't his place to put her in danger for his own personal preferences. "Van is right, Millerna."
She sighed. "Okay, I'll stay."
Dryden slouched a little and brought his arms around her shoulders. "Makes me feel better."
She looked at him and realized that the alternative wasn't bad at all. "Okay, Dryden and I are here."
"Hitomi should stay here too." Yosu stated.
Hitomi was shocked. "But I can help!"
Allen looked seriously at her. "How?"
"Well – I – um…" Now that she was pendantless and doubleless she'd run out of assets. Still, like Millerna, she wanted to be useful and she wanted to be involved. She also wanted to be with the one she loved. "Van! You want me to come don't you!"
Van didn't look at her but closed his eyes instead. "I want you with me, Hitomi, but I don't want you to get hurt." She was crestfallen. "I think it's best if you stay behind."
"So Hitomi's with us." Millerna said, cheerily. Allen seemed disappointed at her mood switch. She smiled at the earth girl. "Don't worry, we can have a blast and help Dryden out."
"We'll help too right?" Koneko asked, nudging Merle. "We'll stay here hand help when we can."
"But I wanted to go with Lord Van!" Merle whined.
Hitomi frowned at her. "If I can't go you can't go!"
Van smiled to himself, then realized who he was leaving his two loved ones behind with. He turned a critical eye on Yosu. "Don't get any ideas."
"Who are you kidding? I'm coming along." Yosu said.
"No you're not." Allen told him. "What good would you do? You can't use a sword."
"I'm tough enough." Yosu said. "I'm strong. I want to be involved."
"We need soldiers." Allen said. "I appreciate your enthusiasm but I think you should stay. Van and I can take care of this."
"Hey, what about me?" Yukari asked, outraged. "We agreed that I was coming."
"I never agreed to that." Allen said sternly.
"But I CAN use a sword!" She protested. "And I WANT to save my double's son! I've got more of a legitimate reason to go than Van has, why can't I?"
"Well-" Allen began but Yukari cut him short.
"If it's because I'm a girl then shove it! It's a new century and I'm just as good as you are!"
Allen, of course, did not understand the earthism and couldn't comprehend why she was so upset. "What's wrong?"
"You are so totally unfair, that's what's wrong!" She shouted. Amano tried vainly to calm her down. "I don't need your permission to go, I'll go along if I want to!" She marched over and wrote her name on Millerna's list. "There! Take that Mr. Male Chauvinist!"
Amano whistled and gave Allen a look that read 'Don't mess with her'. He read it clearly. Millerna took up the meeting again. "So…whose left?"
"I'm staying with you guys." Daiji said. "Unless the rest of you think I should go."
"We'll be fine." Van assured, growing tired of the assignment game.
"And then there's Dilandau and Hakai." Millerna stated. She looked around. "Where are they?"
Yosu rolled his eyes. "Burning something probably."
Dryden' leaned forward. "What?"
Merle looked skeptically up at him. "Have you missed out on all the pyromaniac cracks we've been making?"
He ran his hands through his bangs. "Well, if they burn one of my studies I hope they save the spines so I can replace the books."
"I want Dilandau with me." Allen said firmly, taking most of them by surprise. "He has my sister hostage in that body and I'm keeping him under my watch at all times."
Hitomi shifted weight. "Do you really think that's such a good idea?"
"I won't be swayed." Allen said. "Yukari can come if she wants, but Dilandau is not escaping my surveillance."
"Well if you take Dilandau you'll have to take Hakai, too." Amano said.
Allen didn't like the idea of two Dilandaus. "Why?"
Amano sounded like it was obvious. "Well Hakai's his only friend. They keep each other occupied. Its your best bet for any kind of sanity on this trip."
Van grumbled under his breath and Allen sighed. "Okay, you're right."
"And with Hakai –" Amano added, "- You get me."
"Why you?" Allen asked.
Amano frowned. "Like you, I have a responsibility for Hakai and I'm not letting him go unsupervised into hostile territory."
"Yukari's coming." Van said. "She can baby-sit."
"That's NOT why I'm coming!" Yukari said pointedly.
Amano shrugged. "I'm pretty decent with a sword anyhow. And I wanted to come help Yukari from the beginning. I'll play babysitter if you want, but I am coming."
"Okay so Amano, Dilandau and Hakai are on the Crusade." Millerna documented. "And everyone else is here?"
"Read it off, Millerna." Jiai requested.
"Okay." She took up the sheet and struck an orator's pose. "On the Merchant ship are Jiai, Suru, Dryden, Me, Hitomi, Koneko, Merle, Yosu, and Daiji." On the Crusade are Allen, Van, Yukari, Dilandau, Amano and Hakai."
Hitomi suddenly realized who they were missing. Seguir was again sitting quietly beside her, nearly invisible through the whole exercise. She got the feeling that his mind had wandered and looked over to find him nearly asleep with his head in his hand. She interrupted the group. "What about Seguir?"
Everyone else seemed to have forgotten him as well and expressed various degrees of embarrassment or disgust depending on their feelings toward him. Seguir came back to the present when he heard his name. "What is going on?"
"We've split into our groups." Hitomi told him. "Where do you want to go?"
"He should probably go to Fried with Van." Yosu said. "Since he knows more about this Faction than any of us do."
"You all know everything I know at this point." He said. "Except for whatever tidbits might come to mind but the important parts have all been shared."
"But why would you stay?" Merle asked. "To be with Hitomi?"
Neither Van nor Allen seemed to be happy with that, but it got Dryden thinking. "He actually WOULD be useful here. Without switching around you haven't left us with much of a defense. Seguir was a captain of the guard. His sword fighting and strategy skills would come in handy. And if we are somehow caught by the enemy, his ties might get us out of a sticky spot."
"Except that I'm on the run too." He reminded him.
Dryden frowned. "That's true."
Daiji brushed him off with a "pfsh". "The whole place can't know that yet!"
It was a tough decision, but ultimately it came down to the fact that most of those who still strongly distrusted Seguir were on the Crusade and those who were ready to accept him back into their good graces were on the Merchant ship. It was the latter that finally claimed him. Millerna penciled him in her column. "I've been meaning to talk some things over with you anyway… and here would be best if you wanted to lay low for a little while."
"Plus I bet you need some rest." Jiai assured. "You've been through a lot in the past day alone. Some downtime will be good for you."
Allen cleared his throat. "I still want to take Gadess with me."
"Full circle!" Yukari cried. "Right back to the beginning!"
"We'll ask Gadess what he wants to do." Dryden resolved. "For now we need to start outfitting your ship! I've got excess on here, you can take some of my supplies and such."
"We'll get to work on it." Van agreed. The meeting adjourned and the party broke, filing out of the room to where they felt they needed to go. Hitomi tarried with her 'father'. "Where were you just now?"
Seguir sighed. "Where I've always been – back home living an unscarred life in a world where Atlantis never tried to resume power."
"I'm really sorry." She said. "This whole thing is wrong. Everyone should be a lot happier. People shouldn't be killed for no good reason."
"You don't have to be sorry." He answered her. "I was happy in my memory and if I'm never happy again, I'll at least have that to go back to."
Hitomi bowed her head and sank into another guilty silence.
Escaflowne
Dilandau and Hakai were not burning stuff. They were in Dilandau's room doing just about nothing. Hakai was laid on the floor building a matchstick cabin. He called up to Dilandau who was laying out in a funk. "Whaddaya wanna do?"
Dilandau took his time in answering, tracing a crack in the painted wooden ceiling over and over again with his eye. "I don't want to do anything."
"You're not a prisoner you know." Hakai told him with a pang of irritation. "You can do whatever you want."
Dilandau thumbed the scar on his face and stared straight ahead. "I don't want to do anything."
Hakai shoved himself to his knees and scowled at the foot of the bed. "What's up with you!?!"
"Nothing's up with me!" Dilandau spat defensively, springing up to stare at him. "Leave me alone!"
"I'm not gonna!" Hakai reported, standing. "You're my friend and I want to do something! I haven't had a friend around here until now and don't think I'm gonna pass up an opportunity to have fun!"
Dilandau studied him tediously with a twisted look on his face before flopping back down on the bed and staring at the ceiling. "I had friends once. I don't remember ever having a family so they were pretty much it. The helped me do everything. When we were little – like nine – we'd pull pranks and sneak out and stuff. That was good times, we were all alike…little bad boys making chaos."
"Where are they now?" Hakai asked. "We could find them and have some fun."
Dilandau grimaced, a stabbing pain growing behind his eyes. With each memory and every glimpse of Miguel, Chesta, Gatti, Guimel, Dallet and Viole the pain grew larger until it was enough to make his eyes blur with each throb. He could feel things happening in his head. Things seemed wrong. He focused intently on the crack in the ceiling, the jagged line blurring in spasms. He'd felt like this before. A wave of emotion made him question every particle of his being: a strange sense that everything about him, even his body was all wrong. As he recalled, these rapidly escalating feelings always led him to bad places – being in a cell, being strapped to a hospital bed with ghostlike forms sticking needles in him, being mysteriously six months older and in the company of people he hated and he fought hard to tamp it down. He bit his lower lip. To answer Hakai's question – to admit that all of his Dragonslayers were dead – he knew would push him over the edge. A pain hot enough to force tears from his eyes warned him that he was getting close to it as he considered the fact. He could feel a desire deep inside his being and could see the figure of a girl he'd never met waiting to come out of the dark and be with her friends again.
"Ooooookay. Well, whatever. WE don't need them! We'll go have an adventure on our own!" He grabbed Dilandau's hand, scaring the sixteen year old so badly that he nearly slapped him. In a daze, the albino was dragged up from the bed. "How do you make a pipe bomb? We'll hide it in the bridge! "Or under Amano's bed! That'd be sweet! Scare the crap out of him I bet! We'll have to watch through the keyhole do you think? Maybe stick one in Escaflowne. Van will sit on it and get his butt blown off."
Hakai was purely his double, no one else besides, and Dilandau could feel his headache lull as he was towed. Thoughts of the strange girl vanished back into darkness.
Escaflowne
Trapan was standing on the bridge of his flagship. True to form, he'd never really given it a name. He only called it 'the Ship' because that was what it was. It was superficial to call something as menial as transportation by a proper name. But the pendant he held in front of him, glowing bright pink at his touch, it had a name. The Power of Atlantis. And it deserved every syllable. This small stone was the key to unlock the fabric of time and space. It was the tool that would allow his people to change the course of fate. A slick grin seeped across his face. "How long?"
"We are on direct route to Asgard, sir." His captain responded. "We will be in the mystic city by tomorrow afternoon."
"Good." He said with a malice that caused Atlantis to glow as if to shatter. "Good." He turned and left, his cape billowing and marched away from all other souls on board. He retired to a private room, kept dark without any external windows. He walked to the center of it, the light of Atlantis leading his way as a policeman's lantern would light the fog on a dark night. He kneeled down in the center of the chamber so that the light of the pendant struck the walls and made all physical space seem lost to the four winds of Gaea. There, with the deep creases of his face lit with the pink of the ancient light, he took out the jeweled sword. "I am here, Master."
"Ah…"
The light of the handle glowed strongly, casting a glaze of green and pink over the slick black hair and closed eyelids. The weapon lay flat across his lap, the sharpened edge gathering the reflections of the two relics as they shone in harmony. There was a strobe like flare as the Servant heard his master's voice.
"You met me not… At the Stronghold."
"There were delays." Trapan replied.
"Fate cannot be delayed."
"There were justifiable delays." Trapan repeated, maintaining an air of self-righteousness even when communicating to his most supreme ruler. "We have it."
"Good." The aged voice replied, holding deep strength, wisdom and knowledge far beyond its own years. All this quality however, did not dull its bite. "Finally."
"I am on my way to deliver it to the Mystic City."
"I am waiting." The green stones let out a spark each time the word 'I' was spoken. "I am patiently and constantly waiting."
"The Master has already taken up residence in the Capital City?" Trapan asked the empty room. "He is not concerned with the exploits of his Servant? He does not expect him to fail?"
"You are a god, Trapan." The voice said, tersely. "But that does not make you free of my wrath. Keep your narcissistic pryings to and shallow titillations to yourself. The Fate Alteration device stands ready. It awaits its heart. Bring the Power of Atlantis to me, Trapan, bring it here with no excuses or justifiable delays. Once the powerful core starts beating we will forge our perfect world. The pieces are already falling into place. I have seen it in the stars. The world of beasts and humans will crumble and die. The light of the blue moon will be blotted from the night. The Kingdom of the Draconians meant by the initial design of Gaea will be reestablished under my leadership. There will be no second chances. There will be no delays. There will only be life in the way it should be. A life ruled by wings. A dragon's strength buried deep inside the heart of the Mystic City. Peace will not descend on Gaea again, it will flood it, taking up the fate of the planet where it left off generations past. Arrive here swift as the dragons themselves, Trapan, and see this timeline realign for the glory of all gods."
"Your glory is all that can be seen, Master." Trapan replied. "On dragon's wings my ship will come, bringing you your prize, bringing you your prize."
The light of the sword dimmed back to its normal smolder and the deep creases in the man's face faded back into shadow. He opened his pinpoint eyes.
The master had left him again and his audience chamber was naught but a dark empty room. He sheathed his sword with a swipe and a click. He then reached for his lantern, the prize of the master, the heart of Fate, and wound it back around his wrist. He would tell the crew to double their time and chase dragons to Asgard. He was to be the second to the ruler of the world, able to place all mortals, gods men and beasts alike, below him. Something about that selfishly pleased him. "Its not bad for the rest of the world. They no longer have to worry about daily life and individuality. WE will have leadership and it will ease their pain."
Escaflowne
It was well past noon, and Torsion had slept motionlessly where they had left her by her melef. Prestress was sitting across form Vector with his back against a tree. "When shall we wake her?"
"No hurry." Vector answered. "She is fine. If we must remain here all night than we shall."
"Out in the open?" Prestress asked. "Not all are as level as I am. If I were to lead the Faction, I would let defectors go without question, but Trapan will not."
"Why is that?" Vector asked.
"Because human nature desires revenge. In order to right a wrong done to you, you go out of your way to track down and injure the wrongdoer. That is a waste of time and effort, but that is what our nature provides for us."
"And you do not struggle with this?" The other asked.
"I do, but I hold to a system that sees an alternate end." Prestress informed him. "If you were to leave us suddenly never to return, it would be obvious that you would have nothing to do with me, therefore I must let you go and seek to have nothing to do with you, therefore maintaining balance."
"You would not be hurt if I betrayed your trust and loyalty to pursue my own interests?"
"Personal feelings mean nothing." Prestress answered. "I must believe that to maintain balance."
"I'm glad that I mean so much to you." Vector shook his head. "You must have loved Resultant."
"He, especially, will be looking for us." Prestress assumed. "And Areolar. They wish to seek out Torsion because of their personal ties to her."
"I believe that you are right, at least about that last part. But they should be hours behind us at present."
The sound of churning air could be heard coming toward them. Prestress stared upward as he came to stand. "You may have spoken too soon."
"Is it them?" Vector asked.
Prestress saw the vessel come into view over the trees. "It is Trapan."
"His ship is moving fast." Vector agreed, backing up to catch sight of it. The transport came speeding overhead, cutting through the sky with tumultuous rumbling. The treetops moved in the ripples of sky left trailing in its wake. Pine needles rained down like threatening rain. Vector became resolute. "They should have been able to see us from that distance."
Prestress narrowed his golden eyes. "Yet they did not stop nor even slow. Perhaps they have more pressing matters at hand, or a plan to send others after us."
"The Mystic City." Vector stated. "He is headed there, and there is no way we can beat him to it now, even if we followed dangerously close behind."
"Is there a town nearby?" Prestress asked.
"Skortsky." Vector answered affirmatively. "It is a border town about three miles west. It is mall, but full of foreigners… a city of trade."
Prestress paused, something less than "even" seeming to come over him. Stiffly he headed for his mecha. "I know a place we can go."
"A place?" Vector asked, suspiciously.
Prestress stopped again while his hatch opened and stared down at his giant companion, through is sharply slanting though freshly deepened impala eyes. "Gather Torsion and bring her with us. We are headed for the town. There is a hiding place there that I know of." Vector stared into him. "It is the home of my mother."
Escaflowne
"Hakai!!!" Suru wandered through the halls of the ship. "Dilandau!?!"
Koneko and Merle were behind her. Koneko cupped her hands. "Crazy boy!!! Whitey!!!"
Merle did the same. "Chicken!!! Pyro!!!"
Suru looked at them, her blue eyes seemed a little hurt. "That's not nice, you shouldn't call them names."
"We're just kidding around." Koneko told her. "We'll find the dweebs."
"Lord Van told us to." Merle said with a scoff. "So we'll find 'em."
"I'm sad they are going." Suru sighed. "I will miss them."
Koneko took a double take. "What?"
Merle cocked an eyebrow. "What for?"
Koneko tightened her pigtails as she changed her tone. "Now, I can understand missing your brother, maybe, but I don't know why you'll be sad about loosing Dilandau. I'm happy to see him go."
Suru fingered Leppy behind her back and spoke softly. "I like Dilandau."
Merle sank down to her haunches. "Again, I ask 'why'?"
"He's not a bad person." Suru said. "he has Celena in him, so he can't be a bad person."
"He's Celena's complete opposite." Merle cried. "The point is that he HAS no Celena in him. She's all someplace else. What we have leftover is what Dilandau is! He's not even sane! I don't see how you think you like him."
"I do like him." Suru said again. "He's my brother. I like Hakai too. Its mean for you to call them names."
"Okay, okay Su, fine." Koneko complied. "Even if both Dilandau and Hakai are crazy, dangerous and detestable in every possible way, we'll not call them names while you're in earshot."
Suru accepted it without statement. "Hakai!!! Dilandau!!!"
Merle came up next to Koneko. "Where do you think they'd be?"
"I dunno." Koneko shrugged. "This place is so much bigger than the last ship."
Merle sniffed the air. "Hold it, I got a lead… I smell smoke."
Suru looked down the hall. "I see it I see it! It's coming out of that door down there." She took off for it.
Koneko smacked herself in the head. "Typical."
"Of Suru or the boys?"
"Both."
The two girls joined Suru at the end of the hall. She'd frozen in the doorway, staring at Hakai and Dilandau who were marveling over a pillar of flame. From what they could pull from the scene, they had constructed a matchstick jenga tower complete with a fuse of matchsticks stretching across a polished wooden table. They'd just recently lit the matchsticks and begun the chain reaction leading to the blazing structure they saw before them now, listing dangerously to the side. It had taken nearly a full minute, but Suru finally screamed.
Dilandau flinched and covered his ears, then turned around to face them. "What the - !?!"
Koneko pointed an accusing finger at the tower. "What are you doing!?!"
Merle joined her cry. "What're you all crazy?!"
Suru covered her eyes. "I don't like it! I don't like it at all! I'm scared!"
"You don't need to be scared, Su." Hakai told her. "I burn stuff all the time and you weren't scared before."
"It's going to fall!" Suru fretted, near tears. "It's going to fall! It's going to burn everything! Please put it out!"
"You're fine." Hakai assured, but Dilandau was perplexed. For the first time in his life he actually wanted to put out a fire. A cheer from his double spun him back around to face his construction. The back wall was giving way. Merle let out a scream as it fell backwards toward a fully stocked bookcase. Dilandau could see the scene ready to unfold in a few seconds: Suru in tears watching the heat and destruction ripple the air about the shelf, pages shooting up from devoured books like dying fireflies, the smoke and steam lighting the terrified girl in an evil glow. His eyes snapped to the teetering building as it began its descent with snapping matchsticks. He reacted before he realized what he was doing.
Both Suru and Hakai screamed, each for a different reason as Dilandau hurdled the table and knocked the tower away from the books with his bare hands. The matches smashed and shattered on the tabletop, spilling embers and debris across the shiny plane. A couple pieces hit the found and caught the carpet on fire. The top of the tower landed on an open book and took.
Dilandau grabbed at his hands, stripes of burned skin stretching pink across his palms. Suru let out a cry. "Dilandau!?!"
Hakai waved his fists in the air. "WHOOT! That was awesome! That was so awesome Dil, you just smacked that thing and it went FWOOSH! Wow! Firebomb!"
Merle ran and began stomping out carpet bonfires. Koneko slammed and suffocated the flames between the pages of the torched book. Suru ran straight for the sixteen-year-old against the wall. He looked up and met her eyes, his red irises contracting at the sight. His skin hurt, his head hurt, and he was more confused, both emotionally and socially, than he thought he had ever been. Suru took his injured hands from him. "Are you okay? Did you get burned?"
He studied her with a new mind, suddenly feeling like he was facing someone he had never met but knew very well. She rubbed his stripes as he stammered. "Wh-who are you?"
"Dilandau!!!" Koneko shouted over Hakai's head. "I think you're nuts! First you set the fire then you attack it!? You make no sense at all!"
"I will wrap this for you." Suru announced. She left him standing there to find a bandage.
Merle sighed, the last of the fires reduced to a black patch in the woven rug. "Oh my gosh, am I glad that we're leaving you behind."
"Who's leaving who behind?" Hakai asked.
Suru found a handkerchief in a drawer and returned to bind Dilandau's open hands. "You'll be better now." He could only stare at her.
Koneko batted at the smolders of loose matches on the table and spoke without a glance to the two boys. "I so agree Merle, when they go we'll finally get a chance to relax without worrying if they're gonna blow us up or something."
"Wait! Who's leaving!?" Hakai asked again, this time at a yell.
"You and Dilandau are going with Lord Van and Sir Allen in the Crusade." Merle reported.
Dilandau heard the names of the two people he hated the most in the world and snapped immediately back to himself again. "WHAT!?! Stuck on a ship with Van and Schezar!?! No way! I'm not going!"
"I don't think you've got much of a choice." Koneko said. "They won't let you stay. They don't trust you."
"Then I'll leave on my own." Dilandau resolved.
"They're not going to let you do that either." Merle sniggered. "They'll drag you along if they have to but you're going no matter what."
"I'll kill them!"
"Don't do that!" Suru cried.
Dilandau flinched and turned away. Merle's right eyebrow arched far up her face. "Heeey! What's wrong with you? I thought you were a psychomaniac. What's with all these pauses and freezes."
"Shut up." Dilandau spat. "Mind your own frick'n business."
Koneko frowned at him. "Well, if you're not going to come quietly we'll just have to tell Allen and he'll come and get you." She crossed her arms. "He's not leaving without you, you know."
"What does Schezar care!?" Dilandau snapped.
"He wants to make sure you're okay." Suru offered innocently from his side.
"And I come too?" Hakai asked. "Is Amano going? That's why isn't it!?"
"Amano's going." Merle answered. "Band Yukari too, they're babysitting you."
"They are not!" Hakai protested. " I'm not being babysat!"
"You've been babysat this whole time!" Koneko said, critically. "Come on, girls, let's go get the cavalry."
"Fine, enough talking." Merle agreed, cocking her hips. "I'm tired of dealing with you! C'mon Su."
The two girls and turned and moved importantly out. Suru followed but gazed sadly back at Dilandau and Hakai. Her blue eyes saw a future where the two of them were somewhere apart from her, doing things she wouldn't know they were doing and getting into danger that she wouldn't know they were in. She paused then passed out of the doorway leaving the two of them feeling confused and concerned in their own private ways.
Escaflowne
"Okay so you've got food, water, medicine, weapons, extra parts, what else do you need?" Dryden asked, checking a list Millerna had so lovingly made for him before he had a chance to do it himself.
"Dilandau and Hakai." Amano said, adjusting the belt and sword strung through the loops of his black slacks. "Then I guess we're good."
"Here are the maps of Fried." Gadess reported, "And I pulled out the ship logs from the last time we were there. I thought they might be useful."
"Thanks Gadess." Dryden said. "I'm sure it will help when they're looking for the Safehouse."'
"Okay, I've moved all my stuff back to the girl's room in the Crusade." Yukari announced. "You guys can share the room next door again if you want… I'm sure Allen will want to take back his fancy one upstairs."
"You can use the crew quarters too." The sergeant offered. "You guys really are the crew now, after all."
"That's' a good point." Amano nodded. "Maybe we'll store Dilandau and Hakai there."
Van stormed up with his hand on his Fanelian sword. "How long until we take off?"
"As soon as everyone gets here." Dryden answered. "It shouldn't be long."
"I wish they'd hurry." Van said. "I want to get this over with."
Hitomi Jiai and Millerna arrived with a bag. Hitomi waved. "Van! Van!" She rushed up and pressed a small package into his hands. "We wanted to help since we couldn't come so me made you sandwiches! I hope that's alright!"
Van blinked a couple times at her cheery face then took up the sandwich and adopted a more compassionate tone. "Thanks, Hitomi, of course it's alright."
She hung her head a little, her hands on his hand. "I'm sorry I didn't know your favorite kind. I just made what I thought you'd like."
"If you made it for me then I'm sure its fine."
"Amano! Yukari!" Jiai ran and gave them food as well. "We made some for you too!"
"Thanks Jiai!" Yukari smiled. "That's really nice!"
"Yeah thanks." Amano nodded.
Millerna held the bag and looked around. "Where's Allen?"
Everyone exchanged shrugs. Dryden answered her. "Getting ready I suppose. Who can tell?"
"Just wait around, he's got to get here sometime." Yukari assured her.
As if on cue, the knight clomped up in his boots and white sleeves, his eyes set as if he had a purpose. "Gadess!"
His first mate turned. "yes sir?"
Allen cast a look to the others and became businesslike toward Gadess. "I want you along."
"Sir?" Gadess walked over to make their conversation more private. "You want me and the crew on the Crusade?"
"I don't care if the crew comes or not."
"That's good because they really are needed here." Gadess replied. "They can barely run this ship with as many hands as they have. The four remaining workers couldn't do it on their own."
"I just want you along Gadess." Allen restated. "Someone else who knows how the ship works and has a good hand with a sword."
"I have a commanding position on this ship."
"Let Dryden take care of it, it's his responsibility." Allen said.
Gadess paused and then responded. "Alright, Boss, as you say."
"Good." Allen bobbed his approval and moved away to speak with Dryden. "Are we prepared?"
"Pretty much." He replied. "We know where we are meeting up, correct?"
Allen nodded professionally. "Fa Xian on the Gorge of Wasiey."
"The Egzardian border?" Van asked for clarification. "That's where you'll get repairs?"
"That's right." Dryden replied. "Egzardia has pretty much ignored its government and become a trade state. I've got a name there, so…"
"You'll wait there and get repairs for ten days." Allen said. "If we don't meet you there by then…"
"Or if we are found by the enemy before ten days are up…" Dryden added.
"…you move on up north to Deidlas."
"Shi Qu De is the town that services that border." Dryden said. "I was just there earlier this month. If it doesn't work out there we'll head to Skortsky on the Deidlan side, but I don't see us having any trouble. Since the Egzardian trade system is independent from the government it would be hard for the Faction to have any footing."
"We can only hope." Allen said sternly. "In all honesty we shouldn't take ten days, but if worse comes to worse don't hesitate. We must end up in the Mystic Valley before the world comes to an end."
Daiji trotted up. "Hey guys? Casting off?"
"Not quite." Dryden replied.
Amano explained further. "We're waiting for Merle and Koneko so come back with the Demon Doubles."
"Lord Van! Lord Van!" Merle's four-legged form was seen coming across the hanger.
Yukari laughed. "Man! Our timing around here is perfect today!"
Van answered her call, noticing three girls and no boys. "Where are Dilandau and Hakai?"
"They refused to come Lord Van!" Merle cried. "We tried our hardest but they wouldn't come!"
"They tried to set the ship on fire but when we told them they had to go on the Crusade with you and Allen they got all stubborn." Koneko explained.
Suru sulked over and stood next to Yukari, looking glum.
Allen and Amano adopted identical looks of frustration and outrage. Allen growled. "I should have known he'd resist."
Amano did the same. "Hakai, the bonehead… figures as much."
They both, in perfect unison, stomped their right foot, shook their left fist and announced for the hearing world; "I'll get him"; then left in a fury. The rest took about three seconds to recover from the shock and find the situation hysterically amusing.
Yosu and Seguir were also making their way to the docking bay. By chance they ended up walking together. Seguir was again in his own head, thinking this time of his conversations with Trapan and Haman, searching for any important details he might have forgotten. If there were anything he needed to share he would soon loose his chance. Yosu stared at his back with distinct skepticism. After about a minute of blistering dislike he quickened his pace and came alongside him. "Ackhem."
Seguir came back to the present and looked down to the orange-haired boy.
Yosu eyed him studiously. "What exactly are you to Hitomi?"
"What am I?" He paused. It was a good question. He was her double's father, but hat didn't necessarily make him anything special to her. Still, the two of them had a bond, a unique bond that perhaps had never before been shared by two people in the history of Gaea or Earth. His pause made Yosu even more distrusting. After some deliberation Seguir decided on a title that seemed most appropriate. "I guess I'm a friend." He looked down to his younger companion. "I guess that's the closest thing I can call it."
"A friend?" The two of them stopped in the hall facing each other. The 35-year-old felt yet again like he was on trial. Yosu set his eyes seriously. "Well, as a friend, what are your intentions toward her?"
Seguir laughed but quickly stifled it, the exclamation taking he, himself by surprise. After becoming calm he answered. "I really don't know what you think I am. If you think I'm-"
Allen and Amano stormed through the middle of the conversation kicking up a whirlwind. It passed shortly as the captain's golden locks vanished around the corner.
"-going to hurt her," Seguir finished, "then you're as far from the truth as you could be. She's too much like Ayen. I could never lay a finger on her."
"So you think of her like a daughter." Yosu reasoned, one orange eyebrow cocked.
"Yeah I guess so." Seguir nodded. "I'll protect her from the Faction and the Master. And because all of you are dear to her, I'll serve you to the last. I suppose she is my chance to make amends…"
"You're backup daughter?" Yosu was merciless.
Seguir felt deeply ashamed. "I don't want to think about it like that."
Screaming broke the air of the hall as Allen and Amano reappeared, each with a Dilandau double under their arm. Dilandau and Hakai were making a royal fuss of it.
"UNHAND ME SCHEZAR!!! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR IT! PUT ME DOWN NOW!!!"
"I HATE YOU AMANO!!! I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU!!!!"
Seguir and Yosu paid more attention this time and when the two Allens passed Yosu stepped after them. "They must be getting ready to leave."
"If we follow the yelling w should find the way in time to see them take off." Seguir agreed. "Shall we?"
"Hmph." Yosu let the way.
Amano and Allen loaded their boys into the ship as cargo, locking them in Celena's room by the bridge before joining the rest of the departing people in the hangar. Millerna stepped up "I made you something to eat Allen. We thought you would be busy running the ship so Hitomi, Jiai and I made food for everyone."
Allen looked down at her and felt better, getting all his anger out on Dilandau made him feel more normal now as he ran his hand over her blonde hair. "Thank you Millerna, you're always thoughtful."
Millerna blushed. "Take care of yourself Allen."
"Bye everybody!" Yukari chirped. "We'll see you all in a few days!"
"Goodbye Yukari!" Hitomi smiled, trying to be optimistic. "Be safe until you get back."
"Oh I nearly forgot!" Millerna move to Yukari and pressed an envelope into her hand. "I wrote a letter to Chid. Please give it to him if you see hi. And tell him his Aunt Millerna thinks of him."
"Okay, Millerna, sure thing." Yukari assured.
Suru hung her head. "I wanted to say goodbye to Hakai and Dilandau but they are already inside…"
"I'll tell them you said 'bye' Su, okay?" Yukari said sweetly.
Amano scratched the back of his head. "We'll give them a knock in the head for you."
"Van…" Hitomi rushed forward and hugged him. Allen and Yosu eyed them. Seguir looked at the ground again. The Lunar girl pulled partly from her lover's grip to train her green eyes on his face. "I miss you already. Please come back safely… we haven't been able to spend much time together…"
"I'll always come back to you, Hitomi." He smiled reassuringly. "Like a strong man once said… I have a lot of preciousness to protect here."
Hitomi pulled her lips tighter, remembering the man he alluded to, the Silver Chief of the Chesarian Fox tribe. She quickly wiped her eyes to discourage any future tears from forming there. "You are my preciousness, Van. I love you."
He bent in and kissed her cheek, making her pink up brightly. Yosu cleared his throat. Allen suddenly remembered they were leaving. "We should cast off."
"We'll keep a lookout for you the whole time." Dryden called as they boarded. "Don't take any chances!"
"I can't make any guarantees." Allen reported, staring down at him as the others passed behind him into the ship. "If I must, I must. But don't worry. On my pride as a Heavenly Knight of Asturia I will bring everyone home."
Dryden nodded and the hatch closed on the Crusade. The new crew arrived at the bridge where Gadess was waiting for them. He saluted Allen. "Captain."
Allen saluted back. "Prepare for departure."
"Yes sir!" Gadess readied the rest of them. "Amano, take the levistone station. Yukari, you're on heat and propulsion. Van, if I could ask you to be lookout and gimbal monitor? Thanks. I have the helm. I brought Katz as engine hand. Everyone ready? Yukari, engage the burners. Levistones steady? Cast off!"
The ship rose from the floor of the hanger and tipped its nose out toward the open mountain air. Those remaining waved goodbye as they split their party in two and headed in separate directions toward uncertain ends.
To be continued…
