"NDS: Book 12—Neon: Chapter 82: Neo"

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And so begins Book 12, labeled Neon. It's funny, but every book does have a title. Book 11 was called "Onward Into Dreams", which is also the name of the epilogue to it, and as a inside-joke, the epilogue to Book 15, and essentially the epilogue to NDS in whole is "Onward Into…" The ellipse is meant to be there at the end, and it's not me trying to hide something. Still, anyway, I don't think you're interested in what I label the Books, and rather are interested in the continued adventured of the Maxwell Gang and their friends.

Truthfully, I will admit, I hate writing Book 12, and anxiously await writing Book 13-15, but 12 has to be written. It's one of those things you have to do. The only reason I hate writing it is because there is so much action going on in some of the fights that it's hard to write it. That, and I imagined all of the Book like, five months ago, so writing it now after already seeing it sort of ruins it and makes it harder for me to write it. I really have to learn not to think so hard about such things in advance.

Also, I learned writing that the word fiancée and fiancé are so difficult. I mean, it's so hard to remember that two e's means it's the guy and one is the woman, and I even question that now as I believe I am in the right. I'm pretty sure the one e is a woman…damn, now I'm doubtful, and that isn't good. Where is my dictionary?

Anyway, let's begin.

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It was another beautiful day as the sun rose above a standard Servor Company sandcraft. The blue sky overhead of the sea of water was grandiose, and barely touched by any wisps of white at all. Finally, a loud bang shattered the peace as Virginia put down some supplies on the deck. This model of sandcraft had the latch at the top and a rung ladder that went downward. It was specially made by Emilia so that Virginia could go from the area now deemed Valhalla and the rest of Filgaia. Emilia finished it up pretty quickly for her. It had only been six months since the two met once more and Virginia had come out of a false death.

As the sunlight in the craft faded went the heavy metal door was closed by Virginia, the fluorescent lighting took over. "Are you sure about this?" Pike, had asked from the helm. He was designated as the one to pick up the craft and bring it here so that Virginia could make use of it. In order to ferry people to her upcoming wedding. Still, as nice as Pike was, the job did sort of annoy him. It took him far from his home after all.

"Of course." Virginia answered. "I've invited my family and friends to this wedding, so going to Neon City to invite an old family friend should be only right."

"Actually…I was asking if you were sure about marrying Jet?" He responded.

"Oh…" It suddenly went quiet.

"Well?" Pike inquired.

"Of course!" She replied with a blush. Though, she will admit she did have some last-minute jitters forming, and two weeks early too. "Don't even joke about that Pike! I love Jet, and in two weeks, we'll be married."

"Well…he is a good guy."

"Right…and why you bothered to ask me that is beyond me. He should be lucky to have a friend that isn't part of the Maxwell Gang. It shows that he can even network."

Pike chuckled as she grinned. He stopped and looked at her more seriously, "Anyway, where is…Neon City anyway? I mean, last I heard about a year ago was that it was just some Ark of Destiny research and development place near to that…Blue Crane, I think you call it. Now it's suddenly a city, but the population only has increased by ten people from…like, I think the number was thirty at the start as well. I never heard of a place like that becoming a city with just an increase of ten people."

"It's just north of Blue Crane. I don't know what the Ark do there. But I think they work on new technology, and machines. That sort of stuff that Emilia or Clive would probably more interested in." She put a finger to her chin. "I think, they even made Dynamo there."

"Dynamo?" He questioned.

"A flawed robot creation the Ark created. Emilia and Jet easily defeated it long ago. I'm not too sure what it was or what it looked like since I wasn't there, but…it was some sort of robot with a flawed AI or something." She quickly explained.

"Wow. That sounds interesting." Pike remarked.

"Well, I think they started that project based on some scientist's plans years ago for metal replacement appendages. They would even work like a real arm or leg, and not just be for show. I hear they started developing them as weapons, and that's where the robot idea came from."

"That sorts of sounds…scary." Pike commented as he thought about robot warmachines that killed without any emotion.

"Well, I bet they've either perfected or scrapped the project by now."

"Still, I don't trust anyone who is like that." Pike explained. "I think the Ark of Destiny has become corrupt by now. Ever since Lamium died."

"You're just being paranoid." She remarked. "Now, let's go."

"Right." He slowly accelerated as he took them away from the shore.

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In the town of Humphrey's Peak there was a calm breeze today. As laid-back and relaxed as ever, the town was. And in the northwest part of town was the home of the Winslett family, now expanded to have two more rooms. One for Kaitlyn and the other for Carole Enduro who remained at the house due to be taken care of. Clive Winslett, walked outside to reach the mail that was new for this fine afternoon. He found one single blood red envelope and paused before opening it. After a few eye scans he crumpled it up out of anger and tossed it aside. He suddenly looked to the sky as he fixed his glasses and then turned for the home. "Catherine…I'm going on a trip…"

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Night came fast to the world as a bluish purple tinted the planet's dirt ground. It was now that two travelers who were once Drifters, but now a teacher and a reporter came across the bridge into Humphrey's Peak. It had been a long travel by horse. Why they took a horse when this was the Age of Sandcraft, and they had a friend in the business, one would never know. It was probably just one of them sticking to the roots of transportation. Adven had the privledge of carrying a large gift box, wrapped and topped with a bow, as Sakura took the lead.

"Won't they just be surprised when we show up for dinner?" Sakura questioned, thrilled by what she was doing.

"I don't know…Clive and them probably get annoyed I'd think with everyone always visiting them." Adven negatively remarked. He would much rather have had Sakura be alone with him for real, and not be alone with her like he always was. Like this.

"Oh, I'm sure father will love my coming to see him. And I can't wait to see the others either!" She squealed out of delight, even after a long day of travel and packing.

"Father…he isn't even your real father." Adven mumbled. He shook off that odd feeling in him. He was not mad at Clive. But he was sort of jealous that the older man was getting more attention than him, even though it was of a different sort. "I suppose it'd be nice to see Clive and his family, as well as Carole, again." He happily remarked.

Suddenly, Sakura stopped walking and Adven eyed her cautiously. She had been acting odd over the last week, and she would often be sick, and he had no idea why. Plus, they had been eating some of the oddest things for meals. She spoke to him with a fondness to her voice. A soft question came from her beautifully painted pink lips: "Do you…think you'd ever want to be a father, Adven?" He looked at her as if she were an alien. He supposed she was trying to help him get pass the jealousy he held for her relationship to Clive, her 'father'. Still, he thought it were an odd question to ask him in order to have him sympathize with Clive's status and title. "Sorry." She remarked as she began walking again. Nearing the house of the Winslet's. Coming up the walk. "I was just wondering." She remarked. "I was sort of thinking I would like to be called 'Mama' someday, and I was wondering if my peers felt the same thing."

Adven simply followed her silently in confusion as they stopped at the door and Sakura knocked on it. Catherine soon answered it with a happy and welcoming smile. "Oh, I didn't expect company."

The couple entered the home as Catherine welcomed them. Sakura scanned the room as Adven placed the box down on the table and he noticed that Clive's real daughter was eyeing the package. He simply smiled and opened it to give her a book as Sakura looked to Catherine. "Say…where's father?"

She sighed. "He's gone on a bit of a holiday I'm afraid."

"Without anyone else?" Sakura wondered. It sounded odd.

"He simply said he had some business to handle out-of-town."

"That's odd." Adven noted as he came into the conversation.

"What is?" Sakura questioned.

"Nothing." Adven quickly dismissed his earlier remark. "I was just having a bad feeling, is all." He paused for a moment and put away his serious expression for a smile. "Listen, you have off from work for the next week and a half, and so do I, so let's just rest here a dew days, and wait for him."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, I'm sure that would be the best solution."

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The sun had gone up, down, and risen again before Emilia was on the walk up to the Enduro-Maxwell home in Valhalla. She had found it strange that Jet would contact her with the radio he had, and so she came as soon as possible in the still-named Second. As she repeated that name in her mind she realized Gallows was right six months ago, and she should really consider naming it something else. She decided, during this walk up to Jet's home, to name it SAND instead. It was simple, and easy to say, and basic, but still better than Second. She knocked loudly on the screen door and patiently waited for an answer, but found none. She heard a faint sound above her and climbed the exterior of the single-story home easily. It was there that she found the shirtless and sweaty Jet putting new shingles on the roof to the home.

She simply walk towards him as if mad at him. "So…why did you radio me to come here?" She questioned with attitude. "I thought the wedding wasn't until the end of the week."

"What does it matter, you're off from work this and next week, aren't you?" He questioned as he continued.

"I don't know how you found that out, but it doesn't explain why I came all the way out here to see you."

"Two days ago, Virginia and Pike left for Neon City to see a family friend and invite them to the wedding."

"So?"

"She hasn't come back yet, nor radioed me to say she's running late." He replied as he continued his work.

Emilia began to softly chuckle before going to a full-blown laugh. Finally she stopped, "Ha! You're worried for her then?" She barked with a smug grin.

"It's only right that I am." He coolly remarked as Emilia's intended insult didn't even stick to him. "I am her fiancee after all."

She backed off and threw on a stern look of question. She was about to see the Jet she fondly remembered. Her friend would be coming out of death for real finally. "So, what's the plan? I mean, why contact me for such a simple matter?"

"Well, not only do you have the only sandcraft that I know of that can get me, I radioed Clive and got Catherine who said he went to Neon City two days ago on business."

"Yeah, my mother told me a similar thing when I radioed them." She remarked. "It sounds odd of him to do such a thing."

"Plus, it's the same place Virginia and Pike are." Jet concluded. "Let me finish up here and then we'll head to Neon ourselves."

"Sure." Emilia paused. "Should we tell Catherine or anyone else about this?"

"No. There should be no need to." He answered as he was nearing the end of his work. He woke up early in the morning and started and was nearly done now. That was why the ladder that Emilia never saw or used was on the other side of the house. "We are only going to make sure Virginia and Pike are okay. There's no point in worrying Catherine or your mom. Your mom's heart probably couldn't handle another worry anyway."

"Yes…but only physically." Emilia noted as she dropped to the ground and decided to go inside.

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The day was nearing it's end in Humphrey's Peak, and it was an awkward moment as Adven dressed in a dark blue trenchcoat with a blood red bandanna around his neck, threw a brown satchel around his shoulder. It snugly fit him. He was a bit hot now, but his destination was known for being cool due to winds that came towards it from Blue Crane. Sakura lifted a similar satchel strap over her head and let it rest on her body. She flattened out the wrinkles on her long black skirt that allowed her plenty of movement, and then she fixed the blue coat she wore over a long sleeved shirt. She touched her skin on her stomach and wore a sour face as she noticed that she must be getting fatter because the skirt did not fit as well. Still, she moved her eyes to look at Carole and the Winslett women. Letting the length of a green headband fall from her wrist. Adven's old headband that she tied loosely to her wrist.

"So, you are off to Neon?" Catherine wondered.

"Sakura wants to go, so I'm going after her." Adven simply explained.

"I will be fine." Sakura said. "I just worry about dad. He should be back by now. You did say he didn't pack anything, after all. So it had to have been a short trip."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck then. All I can do to help is make you food for the journey there." Catherine simply said with a sigh.

Carole nodded. "I would like to help as well, but…I can not do such any longer."

"It's no problem you two," He noticed the Winslett daughter, "three. You've helped us out enough."

"Right. Stay well until we return." Sakura said softly as she hugged them farewell and left, as the Winslett women went back to business.

It was Carole and Adven who stood staring at each other. "You reluctantly follow her like a puppy, Adven." She remarked. "It's hopelessly romantic, but overall sad."

"I know it could be pointless…trying to have her honestly love me, but…what can I do?" Adven said with a smile. "I just love her too much." He painfully explained. "It has only been so long that I've known her, and only for two years has she known how I've felt. With whatever pain it is she carries due to her father…and her own insecurity…I mean, I can only see more time passing, but no matter what, I'm happy. I'll be happy in whatever manner she wishes to end this."

"What heart I have, is with you Adven." She remarked with a slight bow of her head.

"Thank you." Adven nodded. "I should go and catch up before she gets angry at me." He quickly left the house as Catherine walked to her with a smile.

"You let the foolish Adven off so easy?" Catherine joked.

"I'm only surprised that he does not see that she loves him." Carole smiled as she sat at the table with Catherine who sat down just before. "I suppose I can't be the only one who has noticed how faithfully she wears that old headband of his around her wrist."

"No, you aren't." Catherine returned. "It is her only sign of outward love for him, after all."

"Ah, to be young again…" The two women smiled and laughed as if the only two to understand the joke. If only they knew the dark clouds that were slowly wrapping their hold on Filgaia.

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Okay, there's the long setup for Book 12. Obviously, it's sort of different. That, and it's loaded with some foreshadowing. Books 12-15 sort of deal with some of the relationships as subplot, and so, you see I've really got one for Adven and Sakura, who will spend most of the books just trying to get together, but Sakura has some things weighing her down, two of which haven't even been mentioned yet. Also, there is one more existing relationship subplot that deals with getting two characters together, but that will mainly be solved by Book 13. That couple not being Virginia and Jet who will have some troubles just getting to their wedding that takes place in a week.

It's me, you should know that I won't make anything easy on my characters until it's over. Still, there is one thing about Books 12-15 that go against something I wanted to have based on Book 11, and that was that, we never see Adven and Sakura together, but rather just hope that they will someday. Now I have to give an answer to that, but that also makes me feel good that I can give Adven either the worst day, or best day of his horrible life. Being that Books 12-15 are actually with a negative and sad overtone, despite a wedding taking place at the end of Book 13, I can only say that a lot of things are going to happen. And fights will be gory and full of blood sometime.