/Time: Chapter 5, during Ouroboros's Imprisonment in Agnus Castle/

/Colony 9, Yzana Plains, Aetia Region/

The preceding months had been rather stressful, as far as Zeon was concerned.

After Colony 9's triumph over Colony Sigma, the secret mission in Alfeto Valley had resulted in the loss of many soldiers, as well as the seeming betrayal of three of their own: a betrayal that had resulted in the sacking of their former Commander as punishment, and Zeon's subsequent promotion. Then their Consul, B, had been subjected to an unceremonious defeat at the hands of those very same trio of rebels (plus a trio of Agnians, but that was besides the point); their Flame Clock had been destroyed, testifying to their allegiance once and for all. Even if they would rather not face their fellow Kevesi, the Castle had doubtless considered them traitors to the cause. Then there were the problems with getting the new crops going, along with conflicts of direction with Kite and those who shared his sentiments...it was all very headache-inducing.

Why is why the arrival of another Consul was the last thing he needed. "The fact you would arrive in the dead of night would be considered foreboding by most...'C', was it?"

The helmeted man calmly nodded, his eyes colored steel with an almost bluish tint. "I truly apologize if you feel threatened by my presence," he said, sitting on the other side of Zeon's desk. "I prefer not to cause a ruckus unless absolutely necessary."

He's calm. Collected. How troublesome. "You are, at least, more circumspect than Consul B was."

"Ah. A shame, that our presence has become so maligned. For all our strength, you would think we Consuls could afford to be a bit more magnanimous."

Zeon truly didn't know what to make of this strangely affable figure. (Also, why did his voice sound...oddly familiar?) "If you intend to be so noble, then kindly explain why you walked into my office at such a late hour."

"I was simply looking at the Colony for myself," C remarked, casually intimating that he had managed to reach the Ferronis without being spotted by any of the guards. "I wanted an understanding of a Colony freed from the Flame Clock, and how that 'freedom' has transformed you."

Uncertain as to where this was going, Zeon decided to play along. "And your thoughts...?"

"The sound of struggle: of toil, and so much labor that some might find it futile. It's a rather...sour note. Yet one that's strangely sweet, in a cathartic way." With that stoic expression, C asked, "Do you think everyone in Colony 9 appreciates this life of 'freedom'? Is it everything you were promised?"

"...we knew there would be difficulties." No longer supported by the Castle, they had had to make ends meet on their own, and in conjunction with whatever allies they could find. "Some appreciate no longer having to fight, day in and day out. Others...have taken longer to adapt."

"While all that is true, it didn't answer my question," emphasized C. "Is it everything you were promised?"

Zeon narrowed his eyes, thinking of just how Ouroboros had blustered their way into getting what they had wanted: showcasing their relative innocence, pointing out a way of life that had seemed impossible. "I don't believe we were 'promised' anything. We were simply given a chance...and chose to fight for it. Even if others in the Colony have not embraced our new reality with equal vigor...that is only my fault, as their Commander. I can only endure the consequences as they come."

Consul C leaned back in his borrowed chair, staring intently across Zeon's desk. "The lack of guarantees must be troubling. The certitude of the world you all once belonged to...is gone. Now, there is only uncertainty, as you struggle from day to day. Is that not...a sad outcome?"

"...I would call it 'sobering'. Not necessarily 'sad'," corrected Zeon. "We have not yet lived long enough to determine whether our fate is a sad one. And yet...we are making something of ourselves, little by little."

C hummed thoughtfully. "Spoken like someone seeking a future unknown..."

Zeon's eyes impulsively glanced over C's shoulder; a trio of soldiers were approaching his office, as if reporting in. Their eyes all fell upon the Moebius's back, knowing what his appearance signified.

C, naturally, felt their presence without turning around. "Do not fret on my account," he casually remarked. "If you must debrief, then do so."

The trio of soldiers nervously entered; the young fourth-termer Url was accompanied by Carrie — a ninth-termer with two-toned skin of gray and brown hair hanging down the sides — and Lenny, a sixth-termer with lighter shades of gray on his skin, contrasting his thick dark hair. "Um...I sent off the men who got ambushed by the monsters near Riccalo Pond. I...I managed to get the motes to come after only five minutes, this time...sir."

"...excellent work, Url," professionally remarked Zeon, staring daggers at Carrie and Lenny in the hopes they would stop looking at the Consul with such expressions of veiled hostility. "Your improvement is to be commended."

"T-Thanks, sir..."

"You may turn in the remainder of your report tomorrow. You are dismissed-"

Naturally, the Consul chose now to interrupt. "I would like to hear your song," said C, without warning. "Consider me a...connoisseur, of sorts, for this kind of music."

Url gulped, looking nervously at the Moebius as his skin turned paler. In response to Url's anxious glance, the Commander had no choice but to nod. Without Ouroboros, our options are rather limited.

Mollified by the fact he had Zeon's permission, Url slowly retrieved his flute — a plain instrument colored dark gray, with little in the way of decoration — and began to play. It was an uncertain number, sounding unnaturally loud within the confines of Zeon's office; however, it nonetheless evoked a heartening sensation, akin to a young Bunnit stepping out onto the plain for the first time. Consul C, tellingly, had closed his eyes: listening to the amateurish melody had consumed his entire focus.

(Zeon resisted the urge to summon his Blade and strike; he knew better than to assume Moebius was defenseless.)

When Url stopped, C opened his eyes. "A fine song," he observed. "The emotion behind it is...young." Gazing at Url — ignoring how Carrie and Lenny placed protective hands on the younger boy's shoulders — he asked, "You have had to change your mindset, haven't you? To make the motes appear...you have had to play differently than you used to."

"...yes," admitted Url.

"Tell me: who helped you come to this understanding?"

"...the one who used to be the senior off-seer for Colony 9. Noah's his name," said Url, with a small hint of defiance.

"Ah. I see." Consul C nodded to himself...with expectation. (Why?) "A notorious name, nowadays, it seems..." Looking back at Zeon, he said, "They can leave, if they wish."

Zeon promptly dismissed the trio, who seemed all too eager to depart. "...what was the point of that?"

"Ouroboros leaves impacts in more ways than one; their influence goes beyond the mere destruction of the Flame Clock." C seemed rather pleased by that. "By sharing their feelings with you, Ouroboros has opened the way to a potential future for your Colony...I wanted to witness their effect for myself, at least once."

Zeon decided to be bold. "There are Colonies other than ours that were freed by Noah, Lanz, Eunie, and their comrades; if you're that interested, what's stopping you from visiting them?"

"Colony 9...is a place of certain importance, to me," cryptically said C. "But feelings do not always remain the same, once they're shared...to what length are you willing to go, to ensure they live on into this uncertain future of yours?"

"...let's cut to the chase," suddenly said Zeon, feeling tired of the roundabout wording. "Why did you come here? Why did you come to speak with me?"

C stared silently for a brief time; after several moments, he answered. "Ouroboros has been captured by Agnus Castle. During the upcoming Eclipse...they will be executed. The future they represent will come to an end. Such is the fate decreed for them."

The mere thought forced Zeon to his feet, impulsively summoning his sword and shield. "Was all this a mere attempt at getting under my skin?"

"The decision to inform the freed Colonies of Ouroboros's imprisonment was made; how will you and everyone else affected by Ouroboros react? Will you seek to intervene, even if the odds are stacked against you? Or will you have faith in their strength, believing that they'll pull through? Only you can decide that...and whether you can live with the consequences of that choice."

Zeon didn't know what to make of this apparent threat. Was it merely a warning? Or something else? "Who...who are you?"

"...someone of no importance," C honestly admitted, before glowing purple; his eyes seemed to glow, and why did Zeon hear a distant...flute...?

"...-mander...Zeon...Zeon, wake up!"

Zeon jolted awake, tiny wings flapping with surprise. Kite's bright hazel eyes narrowed at the sight of him, which was about as confusing as the fact it was now morning. "What...?"

"You fell asleep at your desk again, Commander?" griped Kite with crossed arms. "Those sparkin' fields seem to be taking more out of you than you're putting in."

"...my apologies," admitted Zeon, shaking off the odd sensation that he was forgetting something. There...was the sound of a flute...the Consul! "Kite, is the Consul still here?"

"You mean the one who walked in and left like he owned the place? Url and his bodyguards couldn't stop talking about it at the canteen." Looking more disgruntled than usual, he snidely asked, "I take it they weren't interested in inviting us back to serving Keves."

"...that goes without saying." What was C's motive? Something to ponder later...but he needed to make a confirmation. He needed information. "Have the emetaters taken root, yet?"

"Some have, some haven't. Not looking forward to taste-testing them," he grumbled.

"...then we shall continue with that for now. I have a matter I need to look into." Consul C...what's your game?

xxxx

From atop Colony 9's Ferronis, the man who had been born as Crys stared at the wide expanse of Yzana Plain. "Noah...your song has changed so many. Can it even change the terrible fate you've found yourself in?" There was no way of knowing, at this point. "If you survive...I look forward to seeing if you've been changed by your experiences...and if your feelings have nonetheless endured."

Without another word, Consul C vanished from sight.

(Regardless of how things would pan out...it had done his heart good, to see his old Colony again.)

xxxx

It was a couple of days later that Zeon received an unexpected call on his Iris. "...Commander Teach, I presume."

"When the Nopon Caravan brought word of an unusual inquiry, I must admit my curiosity was piqued," admitted the blue-skinned Commander of Gamma, their nearest 'liberated' neighbor. "You are curious about events at Agnus Castle."

Teach's framing indicated he knew exactly what was up. "Ouroboros have truly been captured," gravely said Zeon.

"So I've been informed. It should go without saying that we're being observed to see if we'll act...overtly."

"I figured as much." This would not do. To let Ouroboros wallow in jail, waiting to be executed...what would it say about them, to let their friends and liberators suffer so? Regardless of Consul C's cryptic warnings, he could not abide by it. "...regardless of the threat, we have to act somehow."

"...Commander Zeon," calmly said Teach, a strange expression crossing his face. "I have a proposition of sorts. But it may require some...extra hands."

Without hesitation, Zeon said, "I'm listening."

xxxx

Author's Note: More pieces fall into place.

/to my American readers, have a blessed Thanksgiving