CHAPTER 11

CONFESSIONS OF THE HEART

Amelia walked through the winding corridors of the Delphinus, trying to find her husband.

It was twelve o clock at night, and she had woken up to find him gone.

Knowing he would be on the ship she had searched her from stem to stern.

Her only room left was the Galley.

The Galley was at the very back of the ship, and took up two levels.

Fina had explained that originally, the Delphinus had been a Prince's Flagship, Prince Enrique Vadeck, who had aided Vyse in the destruction of Zelos.

The Galley looked more like a Ballroom then a galley.

Above the floor was an elegant walkway that spanned the large room, also giving access to the Galley itself.

Below the Galley was more advanced then anything the Empire could ever create. It's back was lined with Replicators as Fina called them, allowing someone to replicate almost any kind of food.

Six large windows on either side went up to the ceiling, and it was here she found Daniel.

He was standing in-between two of the tables in the room, gazing out of the window at the slightly grey wall of the hanger out side.

"Daniel?"

The new Captain looked up at her, a sad look on his face, before looking out of the window again.

"Hey Amelia," he sighed.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she came down the spiral staircase.

He paused for a moment, before answering.

"I'm scared. I'm scared of what will happen tomorrow. I'm scared for the children. I'm scared for you."

She stopped short of him, "Me?"

Daniel finally turned to his wife.

"I don't want you to come tomorrow," he whispered, clasping her shoulders, "I want you to stay here, with Fina."

She looked at his eye in despair, "But why? Surely you want me at you side? Surly…"

She stopped as he placed a finger over her lips.

"If something would happen to me…just think of the children. They would be devastated. If they lost both of us…they wouldn't be the great kids they are now."

She looked down, before Daniel raised her chin with a finger.

"I'll always love you, no matter what happens. You're my world, my life, my love. No one could replace you."

Amelia looked at him, the tears starting to run down her cheeks.

"Daniel," she whispered, "I never thought I would say this but…I'm scared."

He looked at her in confusion, "What?"

"I'm scared that I'm going to lose you. I've already watched you die twice in two months goodness sake."

He shook his head, "I don't understand."

She looked up at him, leaning against his chest.

"I want you to promise me something."

She felt him nod.

"Promise me you'll come back alive Daniel. Back to me and the children."

He pushed her away slightly, a shocked expression on his face.

"I will stay in this planet with Fina until you return, but only if you promise you'll come back on your own two feet, not on a stretcher with a white sheet."

She clasped his head in her hands, "I love you Daniel, more then anything this universe can throw at me, and I would be devastated if I lost you…again. Promise me Daniel. If you love me, as much as you say you do, then promise me."

He gazed into her emerald green eyes, before leaning in and kissing her deeply.

She felt her heart pace quicken as they kissed, feeling his body against hers.

When they broke apart she smiled

"I'll take that as a yes."

Peter shifted around in his bed, trying to get to sleep, but he couldn't. Every time he tried to close his eyes, he found himself thinking of Jenny. Her soft dark hair, her sparkling blue eyes, he commanding personality.

Finally he gave up, he had to see her.

Donning a nearby dressing gown as he went, he quickly headed for the door, only for it to hiss open, revealing Jenny Desoto on the other side.

His jaw dropped.

Her long black hair flowed down her back, ending up down by her waist. She was dressed in a silvery nightgown that clung to her slender form.

She smiled at his shocked looking face.

"Hey Peter," she said softly, "Can I come in?"

"I…I…yeah sure," Armstrong stuttered, as he stood out of the way for her to come in.

She continued to smile, before walking past him and onto the Balcony, Peter following her.

"I've…I've been doing a bit of thinking," She began, resting her hands on the railing, "about…us."

"Us?"

"Yes," Jenny turned to look at him feeling very uncomfortable, "You remember that time aboard the station? The day before we were all thrown into this?"

Peter chuckled as he joined her on the balcony, overlooking the meadow, "How could I forget! Mikhail was teasing me about it. Apparently Susan blabbed."

Jenny frowned, "I wish she hadn't butted in like that," she whispered, "I never felt so…complete until that moment."

Peter looked at her in confusion. Despite what he had told Volenski, he had been flirting with Jenny, and to his surprise, she had returned his affections. If Susan hadn't suddenly 'walked' in on them, he was sure they would have kissed.

He gazed at Jenny thoughtfully, as she gazed out towards the Delphinus hanger, her face screwed up in confusion.

"Maybe I'll give her a little push," he thought to himself, "is there something you want to tell me?" he asked.

She looked up at him, an emotion he had never seen before in her eyes.

"Yes there is," she almost whispered, "From the moment I met you, you've constantly been in my thoughts and dreams. I can't get you out of my head. I think I….I…..I…"

"Love you?" Peter offered hopefully, his heart doing double time.

She looked at him, then down at her hands.

"Tomorrow may see the end of us," she murmured as the wind picked, moving her hair slightly, "I just needed to tell you, in case we…you know,"

Peter smiled as he took Jenny into his arms, "Yeah, I know, and I love you too."

He felt her heartbeat quicken as they stood there in moonlight, their silhouettes combined in the darkness.

He didn't know what the future held for him, or for Jenny and the others, but right now he didn't care. All he cared for right now was Jenny, and the feeling of finally being loved.

I stood by the wreckage of the Legacy, my head filled with questions as the first rays of sunshine poured over the horizon. Was it truly my destiny to save mankind? I was a guy who was thrown around by his own mother when he was twenty for God's sake! It seemed unlikely that someone of my…stature could save an entire galaxy.

"Well, you know what they say," Fina's voice seemed to say in my head, "Small person, big voice."

I turned to see her standing there, her silvery dress flowing out behind her.

"I'm taking that I can talk to you in my head because of the Silver Crystal?"

Fina giggled and nodded, "You are correct, the Silver Crystal gives us the gift of telepathy. You can read another's mind."

I smiled, "Now that could be quite handy," I said aloud.

She nodded. I watched as she cast her gaze down at the floor.

"I…erm…have a few things for you." She murmured as she pulled something from behind her back.

I gasped, "Is that…the Map?"

She shook her head, "No, this is the only Key to an old experimental Gateway Station, the most advanced and up to date map I could find. With it, I integrated a activation system into the floor of the Bridge of the Delphinus. It will not open a gate to another region if you are in space, but it will open the Gate to this planet only when you are on this planet will it open a gate to another planet or region. When you collapse the sun, use this to make your escape."

I gazed down at the sphere, remembering the code to open it as though I had reawakened it for the first time.

"Fina I…"

It was then that I felt it.

It was like the cold ocean had coursed over me in an angry torrent, the feeling pulsing through my veins like it was my blood.

I gasped sharply and clutched my chest, but as quickly as it came it was gone.

I looked over at Fina. Her eyes were wide and she was breathing heavily.

"Did…did you feel that?" I said in barely a whisper.

Fina swallowed and nodded, "It was a dark feeling," she murmured, "Almost as if…"

"I would never be happy again," I finished as I tried to catch my breath.

Fina looked over at me, her eyes filled with fear.

"I have only felt like this once before, and that was when Ramirez summoned Zelos. The darkness was so intense I almost passed out. A being of darkness has been born. That is the only thing that would create such a misplacement of balance."

"Noycorp," I muttered, clenching my fist, "This has something to do with Noycorp."

Fina nodded, before turning and heading for the house.

"Come with me," she motioned, "in light of this event, I have a few more things for you."

I gazed around the room in awe, I had never seen a place like it.

It was a fairly small room, no bigger then my Bedroom at the Kings Ransom.

It was lined with objects that looked as though they had been collected from a different time.

There were swords, books and about a hundred other objects crammed into the room. One that caught my eye however, was a small picture, on top of a chest of drawers.

It looked as though it had been taken on the front deck of the Delphinus. People stood around the outskirts and background of the picture, cheering for the couple in the middle.

On the left, was a young man, no older then me, with a mop of brown hair, wearing what could only be described as a tuxedo, although it looked slightly used. He appeared to be kissing a youthful looking woman, wearing what looked like a wedding dress, her platinum blond hair flowing over her shoulders as she kissed the man back.

"If I had to take a guess," I said aloud as I looked intensely at the woman, "I'd have to say that was you," I pointed to her, before moving my finger to the man, "Which makes this guy…"

"Vyse Dyne. You are correct," Fina sighed and smiled as she gazed at the picture fondly, "And you are also correct in thinking, that he is…was…my husband."

I glanced over at Fina. She seemed sad, as though she was remembering something bad.

"I'm sorry," I sighed as I put the picture down, "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No no, no Daniel it's ok," she smiled up at me, "I put Vyse's death behind me a long time ago. I will never forget him, nor will I Aika," she indicated to a solo picture of a tall, leggy red head, who was in a flirty pose and doing the peace sign, "Or my other friends, "She pointed to another picture of a group, mostly cheering, while three characters, Vyse, Aika and Fina, all stood in the middle, look happy and proud of themselves, "They are a part of me, and they always will be."

She shook her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't bring you here for a lecture on friendship," she gave a sheepish grin, "I'll have plenty of time to do that when you get back."

"Yeah," I sighed and looked back at the pictures, "If I come back."

I suddenly felt pressure on my cheek as a hand forced me to look back at Fina.

"You will come back," she said determinately, before adding shyly, "Or else Amelia will kill me because you didn't fulfil your promise."

I raised an eyebrow at this, "So you heard our conversation?"

"More like heard it in my dreams. That and Commander Desoto and Doctor Armstrong admitted their feeling for each other."

I blinked before smiling, "Always thought they should get together."

Fina giggled slightly, before taking my hand in hers.

"I said I have something to give you," she said as she pulled me to the back of the room, "And I must give it to you, just in case."

As she pulled me to the back of the room, before flicking a switch to the side.

My jaw dropped in amazement. From top to bottom there were five different weapons.

At the top was a sword with a large blade, a dragon mark on it's tip, along with a smaller blade just below.

Blow them was a oversized boomerang. One end was a handle, the other appeared to be a lethal blade made from what appeared to be green moonstone.

Below that was a large mechanical arm, made of bronze. Like Silver's it was slightly oversized, but apart from that it looked more…human.

Below this was a pair of silver pistols, each with what appeared to be a purple moonstone in the barrel,

And below that was an elegant sword, with a hilt that looked like a serpent's head, made from a large Emerald, with sapphires for eyes.

Fina watched my amusement for a moment, before walking over to the bottom sword, and bringing it to me.

"This, is the Serpent strike," she said as she handed the weapon to me, "It is the weapon used by the Then Prince Enrique Vadeck, to help Vyse and my friends vanquish Ramirez and Galcian."

I moved the Serpent Strike around. It was as light as a feather, yet as dexterous as my own rapier.

I looked up at the other weapons on the wall as I sheathed the sword.

"What about the others?" I asked, "Who did they belong to?"

Fina smiled as she looked up at them.

"My closest, and dearest friends…and family," she sighed.

"The sword, known to many as the Vorlik Blade, belonged to Vyse, and was made for his hand. The Boomerang belonged to his Childhood friend and my best friend, Aika Nautili. The artificial arm belong to a old sailor who helped us on the search of the moon crystals, George Drachma, and the Pistols belong to a Captain who aided us in the defeat of Zelos, Gilder Cadoza."

She smiled, before suddenly looking at me up and down, as though picturing something.

I caught her glance and looked questioningly at her, "What?"

She smiled and tugged at my hand, "Come on, I have one more thing for you."