As the late afternoon passes and the light begins to fade within Blue Crane the blue aura produced by the sun's fleeting touches colors the area. The group had now entered the other snowy part of Blue Crane earlier in the afternoon and the ship continued on it's way through the tunnels, their destination in reach now. It felt like they had traveled all the way around the planet by now. Onboard the craft everything was a simple and average day. At the moment Emilia was running a diagnostic on the craft to make sure it was fine, and Gallows was piloting at the helm. In the back room sat Adven who was playing a game of tic-tac-toe with himself. He was in some form of isolation ever since the hot springs. It was now though that his isolation was broken as Clive stepped into the room.

While Adven looked at the older man, Clive looked at the piece of paper. "Mind if I play?" Clive wondered.

Adven sat with hesitation. "No, it'd be a lot more fun that way I suppose."

Clive came into the small room and took a seat at the small table, in a spot adjacent from the brunette. After Adven set up the board Clive placed down an X in the middle of the board. "You've been travelling with Sakura for some time I hear." Clive paused. "Did I hear right?"

Adven placed a O just below Clive's X in the middle. "Uh…yeah. You heard right."

"Why?" Clive wondered.

"Because she needed someone like me. A friend." Adven replied as Clive put down an X to the right of the one he had in the middle, to which Adven quickly placed an O to the left of Clive's Middle X in order to stop a row of X's from being formed.

"That's not why." Clive quickly responded to Adven's reason. "You are a Drifter and a treasure hunter…but you stay in one town with her. Never leaving. And the only time you are not somewhere near her is when you come here to Blue Crane to get a house." Clive placed an X in the bottom right corner. "If I didn't know any better…"

Adven felt a sudden aggravation at Clive's words. "Don't say it! Don't even think it! If you have, forget it." Adven warned. "Sakura and I could never be together…"

"Why not?" Clive questioned.

A silence took the room for a good amount of time. Nothing occurred except for breathing and the occasional swallowing of spit from Adven. Finally the man with the long cloth of green wrapped around his head and tied into a tail placed an O at the top left of the board to stop an X Clive would put there to win the game. "Because there is no love between her and I." Adven simply said in a calm manner.

Clive looked him straight in the eyes. "Or…is it just one-sided." He placed a final X in the upper right corner, thus making a column of X's. With a strike through them he stood up on his feet. "A good game, Adven. We'll have to play again sometime."

After Clive left the room Adven stared at the game board in front of him with an empty set of eyes. Clive was right, it was unrequited in the end. At least that was all Adven could believe based on what he knew. Sakura…never showed him any sign of the feelings he had for her. Even with all the great memories he had with her. The ones where they would laugh in, and she was beautiful in. Those memories of all the times he was with her, in the far past and as of late when she allowed him to come with her to help with her food stand, and even after she left that to be a reporter. Finally he had something to say about it all, "Hey…I see how Clive beat me. It was hopeless for me to even try to succeed. He trapped me." He placed his finger on the page. Had he gone for the upper right instead of the upper left, Clive would have just put an X in the upper left and win. Clive was too smart for Adven. And Clive was too right as well as Adven's eyes lifted to look to the window that brought some dying light in.

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Virginia and Sakura stood in the kitchen busily preparing a meal. Sakura being the culinary genius taking the lead, but not banning Virginia from the job. Sakura, was able to put aside her rivalry, even though she felt one between she and Virginia regarding Jet. Though she swore to fight Virginia over her, Sakura knew it was Jet who mattered in the equation in the end, and so…she had to wait for him to decide the winner. Sakura and her love for Jet…but…then…there was…

"You're such a talented cook, Sakura." Virginia remarked. "Way better than me."

"Thank you." Sakura grinned as she cut a carrot. "You're not so bad, and I'm sure you'll be on my level soon enough." She continued with her task. "The only people who ever compliment me is Adven and yourself. Jet did once too, I suppose. Adven just overcompliments me so I can't be sure when he's telling the truth."

"Just don't get a big head." Virginia warned.

"I don't intend to." Sakura laugh.

"Say…why did you come to Blue Crane, Sakura?" Virginia wondered as she cut up a potato.

"Because…Adven came here." Sakura simply replied with a hint of confusion. She took the carrots and added them to the pot. It looks like it was beef stew again tonight.

"Right, but why?" Virginia continued to question. "He was planning to return as soon as it was over, and you would have been too late to help him out as it was."

"I guess," Sakura thought over her response. "I was worried about him." She responded, grabbing a celery stalk to chop up. "All the times I'm separated from…friends," She paused following a short pause between from and friends. "Well, I mean, I worry about friends when they are not with me. There are some, I worry about more. When Adven told me about Dal, and how strong he is, and how he was coming to get his deed, I was worried he wouldn't win. That he couldn't win. I knew I had to come help him, even if I would have been late." Sakura finished chopping the celery. "That's why I came."

"I can understand that." Virginia replied. "I worry about Jet, and the others every time they go into danger."

Sakura nodded and they continued their preparations for the stew.

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Up above the craft and on the roof a cold wind was blowing Jet's gray flap of hair about. His cheeks colored pink due to the chilled winds. At least he had his warm clothing on as well as his dual scarves. Staring to the front of their destination as the sun was leaving the tunnels and dark was coming. Jet had realized now how far he had come, and that he was worth something here.

Without a noise Jet stood from his spot. "Adven." Jet said simply as he had noticed Adven's arrival on the roof regardless of sound.

As the wind blew Jet's hair forward towards his face now since he was not facing the front, the wind instead blew Adven's hair back, as well as the thin piece of clothing that was tied around his head. Adven wearing his trenchcoat. "This is it, Jet." Adven said with finality in his words. "This will be our final battle!" He declared in words. "We will finish the fight we started back in Dolza."

With his scarves flowing in the wind towards his frival Jet questioned this. "Will you tell me why I'm fighting you?"

"Forget the reasons!" Adven shouted. "We will fight without the use of any weapons. Only our hands and such."

"Fine." Jet conceded. "Then let's begin, shall we?"

Adven started off slow, but picked up pace quickly as he ran at Jet. "Surging Punch!" With his negative feelings placed around his right fist he punches out at Jet who is just able to block it with his forearms up.

"A new attack?" Jet questioned. "How about this? Lion's Rage Punch!" The blue lion faced attack knocks Adven backwards with some damage done.

"Surging!"

"Lion's Rage!"

"Punch!" The two declared as the light blue attack of Jet's collided with the purple one of Adven's, and as the two forces did so they were both thrown back with damage done.

Adven, with all his rage coming out, quickly comes back into the action. "Negative!"

Jet was quick to counter. "Positive!"

"Cannon!" Both declared as they then followed up with their respective ending to the phrase. The attacks quickly collide and negate themselves, becoming unstable the blast lash out at both of them, sending them back in pain.

As they both stood gasping for air with lowered stamina Jet began what they were both thinking. "These attacks we use…"

"…Are no way to settle this." Adven concluded as they both took a breather, but Adven was still as determined as ever to win.

"Dinner!" Virginia remarked as she placed bowls of stew for seven at the kitchen table. There came Gallows in a hurry followed by Emilia and Clive soon after. As everyone took their place and Virginia and Sakura finished serving the food they sat down. "That's odd." Virginia said, "Adven and Jet aren't here. I guess they're held up by something." Virginia simply said sitting down as well and everyone began to eat. Adven and Jet had come up with a way to see who gets bonus food, and that was by simple competition. First person to the meal gets bragging rights and a extra helping. As everyone ate their hot soup-like meal, Sakura remained with her bowl untouched.

"But…They're both missing." She mentioned. After a second of thoughts she shook her head. "No…they aren't…I mean, they wouldn't…" She stood up sending her chair to the floor. "We need to find them right now!" She demanded as she moved to leave the room.

After a moment, by the time she left the room, Emilia put her spoon down realizing the same thing Sakura did. "She…might be right." She stood up and everyone else followed after them.

With a grunt Adven's cheek was stretched and his head was knocked and forced to look right as Jet's fist connected with it. Just as soon as the flesh on Jet's hand had left the flesh on Adven's cheek Daisuke was hit on the side by Adven's lower leg, kicking the gray haired young man backwards. Their eyes went to one another's with malice, more so from Adven, and the two went into a grapple and all seemed equal until Jet was able to flip Adven over his head and onto the metal roof of the sandcraft. Even without breath Adven's body still moved. It was in auto now and nothing would stop him from winning it seemed. He was an automaton made to defeat Jet beyond a arguable doubt. Adven, with all his negative feelings spouting out, and all his rage, his jealousy, greed, lust, all of it was clouding his vision and it was not becoming surprising that Jet was the one with the least injuries. Had Jet the same injuries Adven had, Adven would have been the victor five minutes ago, even before dinner started just one minute ago. Still, alas, Jet was the more level-headed one here.

As Adven moved for Jet, the scarf-wearing man jumps to the air and sends his knee into Adven's forehead. In complete defeat and sudden impact Adven is sent in a stumble backwards until his body gave out on him. It seemed all of Adven's invincibility was now gone, and all his wounds and bruises were catching up on him. With bitter tears falling slightly he hit the metal roof with a thump. Within seconds he had formed fists and clenched his teeth as he tried to stand, but he only managed barely raising his head. "I won't lose this battle!" He roared. "I can't! It's too important to me now…" He faded as he fell to the cold, cold metal to rest. If he was given only about a minute he knew he could be standing again. He looked to Jet as his anger and fury evaporated, but enough was still there in him, as his anguish continued, and would never end for him. "I'm…in love with Sakura, and I won't let you have her!" Jet lost his glare instantly as the reason behind the fight came to light. "She…she…she told me, she loved you." Adven muttered as Jet slowly looked to the roof in a thought. Adven had the strength to slowly stand. "I can't lose. Because I'm the one who loves her!"

"Adven." Jet looked to his frival with compassion. "Adven…Adven I do—"

It was then that Sakura was able to climb onto the roof as she took center stage and the others who were following simply became faded in the background. "I knew it." Sakura simply said with bitter feelings. She was disappointed in what was happening. "You two were fighting again. Why must you fight? You both disappoint me." She shook her head it was hurting her so, and she did not understand what they were doing. "Will you both stop? I don't want to see either you two hurt."

"Adven?" Jet wondered as he glanced at his frival. Questioning how this would end, with them going in to eat, or with Adven attacking again.

"What do you think?" Adven simply said to Jet. "I'll do it…because…I…you know."

Jet nodded. "I'll do it because I don't want to know that that was the reason we fought."

Adven looked at his frival seriously. "You…mean to say—"

"Remember," Jet began. "One person can think one thing as much as they want, but the other party involved isn't expected to follow suit. You should know that much being the first party for so long now."

Adven nodded. "Thanks."

Jet grinned as did Adven as they looked at the group. "…now, I suppose it's time for dinner." Jet hummed as he patted his stomach. "I'm going to beat you to dinner y'know?"

"I think not!" Adven gloated as they both ran for the ladder quickly and were soon inside.

Meanwhile, the remainder of the Gang stood in bewilderment. At least Sakura herself was relieved that it was all over between them now. "I'm happy about that." She smiled. "At least they stopped."

Emilia scratched her head. "But…who won?"

"And what were they talking about?" Virginia wondered.

"I guess we just won't ever know." Clive commented as he fixed his smile with a grin and returned inside right after Sakura.

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Well, that's it. It's over. Jet vs. Adven…it wasn't the greatest battle, but it had less action since it wasn't a pure fight. Adven was not clear headed after all. Had he been, then there would have definitely been a great fight that would be too large for that small rooftop. Unfortunately, this is guaranteed the last fight that Adven is involved in until the next book, and this is chapter 64, and book 11 ends at chapter 80, so that's a lot of chapters lacking any real Adven combat for me. I really love Adven, in that non-gay, he's my favorite character I've created ever way. He's also the easiest for me to draw as well, for some odd reason, but in Books 12-15 as well as the epilogue to Book 11 (where it originally ended) he is lacking the green cloth that he wrapped around his head like the Karate Kid, so when I draw him for those they look strange and unfamiliar to me. Mainly because Daisuke (the main character of NDS that Jet's character in this version usually takes place of) and Adven look the same, except in NDS Daisuke has a small ponytail and has true orange hair, and Adven has his headband and brown hair, so remove the ponytail from Daisuke and the headband from Adven and we have a conundrum if I don't color them. Er, anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and were actually also able to get the gist of what went on, because once again, just like last time, I didn't tell you what exactly went down just yet. I don't know, tell me what you believe is going on so I can continue writing without bothering to hide things I know you know already. That, and I just like to know. At least you got double chapters. I figured I would just push out these last two chapters so I can start the final story arc of NDS. Get ready, because for the next so may odd days you will be seeing the foundations of the ending, as well as the ending itself. Lots of stuff will happen, and so on. I'll go start it now in fact.