Groove Adventure Rave: Into the Sunset
Rave is copyright of Hiro Mashima, Kodansha and Tokyopop. No infringement is intended.
Apologies to anyone who's been waiting for the next chapter. Like many authors, I hit a stumbling block and lost interest for a while, alongside other things. But after taking a few steps back, I managed to figure out a much better ending than I originally intended, and am planning to finish this fic before the end of the year.
But again, I apologise to anyone who's been watching and reading. My huge thanks to you for sticking with this story. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.
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The sun was beginning to set, turning the sky a deep, golden brown. As the airship glided laxily over the sea, Haru stared at the glowing ball of light, pleased to see it go down. Not just because the sunset looked rather beautiful, and momentarily distracted him from his problems, but also because it signified the end of what felt like the longest day of his life.
He had hardly seen Elie all day. In the morning after they had left Rabarrier, he had seen her once during breakfast, when she walked past him without giving him a glance, while he had been eating. Watching her walk away, she looked perfectly normal and cheery as she talked to others, but somehow, he could sense it was being forced. An aura of sadness, the best term he could think of, seemed to emanate all around her.
He had tried to find her throughout the day, hoping he could cheer her up, but she had eluded him all day. The many corridors and rooms in the bowels of the Silver Knights gave her a lot of places to avoid him.
Haru sighed, leaning against the railing surrounding the rear deck of the ship. He couldn't really blame Elie for not wanting to see him. After that bombshell he'd dropped on her yesterday, he could believe she was upset with him, despite any denials she made.
The other's seemed to be in a state of melancholy as well. While looking for Elie, he had spotted Let, who had been sitting crossed-legged with a stonier expression that usual. When Haru asked what was wrong, Let just glared and mumbled 'Julia under his breath. Likewise, when he'd seen Julia later, she had worn an angry expression on her face, which seemed to get worse when he mentioned Let. Musica had spent the day in the ship's bridge, swigging coffee and looking over some documents and computer printouts with a surly expression. Iulius had remained quiet all day, staying in his room. Belnika had been seen all around the ship, walking around with a worried expression. Only Shuda, who had been spending the day reading some books in peace, and Plue, Griff and Ruby, who were busy plotting Ruby's new casino, seemed to be acting normally.
What had happened to everyone? Haru stared at the clouds, wishing he could divine an answer from them. A day ago, everyone was excited and happy, the prospect of his big party, and a life of freedom lifting everyone into a state of joy. Now his friends were in some deep depression, and the woman he loved was ignoring him completely. This hadn't been what he had imagined the days after his victory against Lucia to be like.
Something had gone wrong, he could feel it. For him, he knew it was telling Elie she couldn't live with him. As for the others, he wasn't sure. But he wanted to fix it. Bring things back to normal and get the crew smiling again. But what to do… his talk with Elie hadn't gone the way he thought was best. If he tried anything else, would it be for better or worse?
A sound of wood clanking against wood broke him from his reverie, and he turned around to see Musica, pulling something from a large box that had been set against the airship's wall, next to the rear entrance. Haru watched as he pulled out an old deckchair, the wooden, folding kind with a cloth seat. As Musica unfolded it and set it down, he noticed Haru. "Hey man. You fancy a brew?"
He nodded towards a small ice box set just to the side. Feeling thirsty, Haru smiled in agreement. "Sure. I could use one."
"You could use some company more like." Musica spoke as he set up another chair. He set the icebox between the two chairs, then sat down with a sigh of content. He reached into the box to pick up a bottle, which he tossed to Haru.
The two were now seated, their position giving them a comfortable view of the sunset. Haru took a sip from his beer. He wasn't a big fan of the stuff normally, but it felt good to have the cool liquid parch his dry throat.
"This is nice, huh?" Musica spoke, pointing at the golden sky. "Back when I started the Silver Rhythm crew, I always dreamed one day I'd be able to quit thieving and just kick back like this."
He sighed. "Course, with things as they are now, it isn't all that relaxing."
"I know…" Haru nodded. "It seems this whole big victory thing isn't as great as I thought it would be. I don't get it. Everyone's been so down today."
"Guess we're all adjusting to different things." Musica shrugged. "I know I am, and it's a pain in the ass."
"What have you been doing anyway?" Haru asked.
"If you gotta know, I've been trying to find the Silver Rhythm crew some work. Now we've got no reason to steal anymore, the guys want to go straight." He rubbed his head. "But finding work for about fifty thieves? It ain't easy."
"I can guess." Haru reached over and patted his friend's shoulder. "But you can do it Musica. I know you can. I'll help out if I can."
Musica smiled slightly. "Thanks man. That's nice to know."
He then turned to look Haru in the eye. "But as bad as things are for me, I'm just as worried about you and the others."
"Me?"
"I got eyes Haru. I saw Elie walking away from you last night from that place near the fountain. Poor gal was close to tears. And I haven't seen you two together all day. Not to mention everyone else isn't talking.."
Haru lowered his head, supporting it in his hands. "Dammit… I knew she was hurt. I knew this wasn't going to go right."
"What didn't go right?" Musica asked, his voice firmer.
Guilt stabbed at Haru's heart. This wasn't some small blunder he had caused to get Elie upset as he had done in the past. This time, he had hurt her deeply, despite his noble intentions. Musica's stare on him made him feel like he was being judged for some crime.
"Well.. before we all left, to fight Lucia… do you remember, I tried to sneak out to fight Lucia alone, but Elie caught me and told me off?"
"Yeah, we caught you two talking about something." Musica recalled that night, when he and the other had woken up to find Haru and Elie missing, only to suspect they were at the airship waiting for them. They had been talking about something, but by the time they were heading out to fight Lucia, Musica had put it in the back of his mind.
"Right.. see, before you guys came along, I had asked Elie to live with me on Garage Island, after it was all over." Haru continued.
Musica's expression was one of surprise, then smiles. "Well, I'll be damned. So you finally got off your ass and got things started between you."
"Yeah but…" Haru sighed. "Last night, I had to tell her…"
He swallowed, the memory of last night flashing in his mind, as if to remind him of the dreadful deed it seemed he had commited.
"I had to tell her, it couldn't happen. That she might have to live in a place of her own.
He looked at Musica's face to see his reaction. His friend's eyes were wide in disbelief Musica got up and edged closer to Haru, his stare never wavering.
"Haru, can I ask you something?" He spoke quietly.
"Um.. sure?" Haru gulped, knowing this wasn't good.
Musica grabbed Haru's shirt and yanked him into his face. "Are you fucking INSANE!"
Haru swore he could feel his skin ripple from the force of Musica's voice. "No.. but I couldn't."
"I cannot believe you!" Musica released him and turned around. "Stay right there."
"Where are you…"
"I'm getting Shuda. He's not gonna believe this until he hears it himself." He started walking off. "Gods, Haru what is wrong with you?"
Haru watched him walk until he was out of sight, pondering his question.
"I'm in love, that's what wrong." He sighed.
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Far down, in the bowels of the ship's hull, Elie threw off her bed covers, rubbing her eyes as she got up. She had spent most of the day asleep, which wasn't really a habit she liked to indulge. But not much had been happening today, and she hadn't felt inclined to do anything or go anywhere… and she had wanted an easy way to avoid Haru.
Haru… just thinking his name brought up feelings of rage and despair.
How could Haru do that? Promise her a home and then take it away? That single moment, when Haru had told her she would need to find a place of her own, had been as shocking and terrible as when she found out she was Resha Valentine.
Did it mean that Haru didn't like her as much as she thought he did? Was she just a friend to him? All those times they spent together, every time he had rushed to her aid…. Was it all just the concern of a friend?
Pulling herself out of the bed, she grabbed a pair of jeans she had discarded on the floor and pulled them on, wondering what this would mean for her. She would still get to live on Garage Island, just not with Haru. She'd still have a home, she'd be close to her friends, she'd get a new start in life… and she'd still be friends with Haru, so what was there to worry about?
She stifled a sob. It wasn't enough.
She didn't want to be just Haru's friend. She wanted to be the only one who could hold him close, to comfort him. The only one to be by his side, to live with him always.. to love him.
Never before had she wanted to hold him and confess her secrets more than now. But what was the point? He'd probably just say he was sorry, but no he didn't feel that way for her.
The room felt stuffy, and she longed for some cool air. Wearily, she stepped out the room, and walked to the ship's front deck. People passed her as she trudged through various corridors, but she paid them no heed.
Finally stepping outside, she sighed in slight relief, feeling much more comfortable in the open air. She gazed across the deck at the sky, smiling at the multitude of colours the sky was painted in as the sun set.
A sunset. It seemed fitting really. As the ship would reach Garage Island by tomorrow afternoon, after it had stopped to refuel in Blues City for the night, this would be everyone's last day of traveling. Once they reached the island, the quest would truly be over.
Yet for all the work and strife they had gone through… had she really gotten everything she wanted?
She then realized she wasn't alone. Julia was sitting by the far side of the rail, sipping from a mug of beer and staring into the distance. Elie moved closer, noticing the dulled expression on her face.
"Julia-chan…" She spoke softly. "Are you okay?"
Julia turned to look at her, and managed a smile. "Hey Elie. I'm okay, just thinking about things."
"Like what?" Elie sat next to her, feeling Julia had something deeper on her mind.
"Oh, just men. And how , for the vast majority of the time, they are the scum of the Earth."
Elie couldn't help but smile at how she delivered that statement in such a deadpan voice. Not to mention how it seemed to resonate with how Haru had acted earlier.
"Yeah… they are, aren't they?"
Julia nodded with a scowl. "What is it with most of them? They think just because they're all big, tough, and get the lion's share of the work around here, that entitles them to make decisions for everyone and boss whoever they want around."
"I dunno.." Elie sighed. "Maybe they just think it's the right thing to do."
"Yeah well, sometimes it isn't!" Julia growled, thumping the floor with the palm of her hand. "But because they're so damn stubborn, they just won't admit they're wrong!"
"I get the impression you and Let have had a fight."
Julia glared at her. "Don't mention that fool's name. I don't want to even think about that… that bastard for a long time."
The force in her voice surprised Elie. Let and Julia had arguments just about every day, but they always made up shortly afterwards. She'd always found it comforting to know that even two people as different from each other as them could still overcome their differences. Now however, Julia just seemed eager to kill Let.
"What on earth did Let do this time?" She asked, feeling eager to help in any way. Maybe things were going wrong for her and Haru,
"You want to know?" Julia swigged from her beer, before returning her gaze to the sky. "When I and Let were reunited, after he had defeated Jegan, we had promised that after we had helped you and Haru stop Demon Card, we would go back to our home in Makai, to the village of our birth."
"Ooh. So you and Let lived in the same place."
"We were born and raised there, along with Jegan. We'd all lived there happily, and I'd been hoping to be with Let as his mate. However, Jegan changed all that when he destroyed the village and took me for his slave."
Her eyes closed slightly as she thought back to happier times. "I thought I'd never see home again, but then Let saved me… and when we visited Makai to stop Hardner, we had heard some rumours that a land of Dragonrace had finally completed rebuilding a village, and we knew it was home. Let and I wanted so badly to go back there after it was all over…."
She paused, shaking her head. "But now… Let's changed his mind. He doesn't want to go back to Makai."
"Why not?"
"I don't know!" Julia was seething now. "He gave me some crap about how it would be better and safer to live here than in Makai."
Elie swallowed, hoping Julia wouldn't take offence. "But, isn't he right?"
The Dragongirl's eyes blazed as she turned to glare at her. "You're taking his side!"
"Well, no offence.." Elie spoke nervously. "But I still remember all the stories Let would say about Makai. How there's all sorts of demons and demi-humans… and how many of them are fighting each other."
"Well.. yeah." Julia had to agree. "But we've always had to put up with warring factions, even when we were kids. I don't see why anything should change for us."
"Maybe Let just doesn't want to put up with stuff like fighting other clans anymore."
Julia blinked in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? This is Let we're talking about. Since we were young, he was training day and night, learning all the techniques of our race. He would keep saying how he planned to fight any and all invaders. You know him, he lives to fight."
"Maybe… maybe he just doesn't want to fight anymore." Elie suggested
Julia snorted. "Hardly. Let's a warrior. Even in a time of peace like this, he'll strive to be as strong as possible."
"I know that." Elie smirked. "I've seen the way you two are always training, looking for fights, or fighting each other. Shuda said you'd be beating people up all the way to the grave."
"Right on…" Julia managed a small smile.
Elie shifted, glancing out at the sky. "But there's more to life than fighting. You guys know that. Maybe Let just wants to live a little, see what else there is beyond fighting. That's why he wants to stay here."
"But it's so unfair." Julia scowled. "That village was the only home I knew. Even though I've been around the world with you guys, the only place I feel connected to is that old place."
Elie stared at her thoughtfully. "Is it really that important you live in just one place?"
"Well, yeah." Julia frowned, wondering why her point wasn't getting across. "Surely, you must wish you could go back to…." She stopped, remembering that technically, Elie didn't have a proper hometown. At least, not one which hadn't been destroyed in the Overdrive 50 years ago.
"Er… I mean… a place you want to be, to have as your home."
Elie's expression looked forlorn. "I guess I think of home differently from you. I don't really care where or how I live. These past two years, I've come to realize just how much you and Ha… the other's mean to me. Even if I found the nicest home in the world, it wouldn't mean much without you all there."
Julia stared at her friend, feeling her heart constrict as she studied Elie's eyes. Usually, they were bright and full of life, but now they seemed dull, and it didn't take much to conclude that Elie had some problem far bigger than her awkward boyfriend.
"Elie.. what's wrong?"
"It's….." Elie seemed to cringe. "It's all changing. Everyone's going away. You want to go to Makai. The other's have their homes to go to. And Haru…" She paused, looking unable to speak.
Julia could think of nothing else to do but wrap her arm around Elie's shoulder's and hold her tight, as tears began to spill down the girl's face.
She sighed. Why couldn't they have an easy life for once?
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"Will you let go of me Silver Rhythm!" Shuda barked as Musica dragged him towards the rear deck. He had been walking around the ship to admire the sunset, when from out of nowhere, Musica had roughly grabbed his arm and yanked him toward the rear deck without saying a word. Despite his best efforts to pull himself free, the Silver Claimer had a stronger grip than he'd expected.
"What is this all about?" He demanded, praying there was some legitimate answer behind this.
Still staying silent, Musica led him to the back deck, where he spotted Haru sitting nearby in a deckchair. Dragging him closer to the Rave Master, Musica finally released his grip and pointed at Haru. "You know what this idiot's just done!"
"Musica, don't. This is my problem…" Haru spoke up. Shuda sighed. If these two are arguing about some trivial thing like food, there was going to be hell to pay…
"He told Elie she was gonna live with him when this was all over, but now he's decided the deal's off!" Musica scowled at Haru. "Just what the hell are you thinking, treating Elie like that!"
Shuda's eyebrows raised. Well, this certainly warranted his attention. He studied Haru, who was staring at the floor with the look of a guilty man. If what Musica said was true, then it seemed something was definitely troubling the boy. And as per usual, he'd probably have to set him straight.
"Haru, is this true?"
Haru just sighed in resignation. "Yes.."
"Why the hell would you do that? I'd have thought you and Elie would have just succumbed to passion by now…"
"Yeah well, things change!" Haru shot back, anger in his voice.
"I thought you loved her."
Haru's expression reverted back to sorrow. "I do… I still do.."
"Well, you got a funny way of showing it!" Musica spat.
Shuda rolled his eyes and moved over to the wall, where he grabbed another folded deckchair. Unfolding it, he placed it next to Haru's chair and sat down, arms crossed. Once again, he would have to play agony aunt. He might as well be comfortable
"Alright look, Silver Rhythm over there is obviously concerned about you, and frankly I'm getting worried myself. So why don't you just cut the sad sack act out and just tell us what the hell is wrong."
"It's nothing you can fix Shuda, believe me. This is my problem."
"Try me. Besides, I have no intention of delivering you back to your sister in that state." Shuda grinned.
Haru was silent, staring into the middle distance. It was several seconds before he spoke, his voice hollow.
"I've lost her, haven't I?"
"Depends on what you did." Shuda said simply. "I've known Elie long enough to know she could forgive this."
"She won't forgive this." Haru spoke. "I broke my promise. I said I'd take her home…"
"So what's stopping you?"
Haru suddenly scowled. "And take her to what? What am I going to give her?"
Shuda rubbed his eyes. "Please don't tell me you did this just because you don't have a job."
"Is that it?" Musica seemed even angrier at this. "Dammit Haru, why are you being such a coward over this?"
"I'm not a coward!"
"Yeah right…"
"I'm just facing facts…" Haru felt his hands unconsciously clench into angry fists. "How am I meant to give her what she needs now? To give her a life she deserves after all she's been through? I live on a tiny island. I've got no job. I missed out on any opportunities to have a normal life because I was busy trying to stop Lucia and his stupid scheme…" He huffed in defeat. "I have nothing… nothing to offer her."
"Bullshit!" Musica spat. He turned to Shuda. "Come on man, convince this idiot he's talking crap!"
"Why do I have to do it?" Shuda growled.
"He listens to you."
"It's not like I'm an expert." Shuda focused on Haru. "It doesn't take an expert to see what's going on here. Haru's just trying to avoid the fact that sooner or later, he's just going to have to stop being Elie's friend and start being her lover."
"Excuse me?" Haru barked, their comments starting to touch a nerve. "I'm not afraid…"
"Oh face it, you are." Shuda replied, his good eye staring at Haru with a challenging glare. "You're on the verge of experiencing something new in your life, and you're just trying to put if off, to the point where' you're willing to ignore the feelings of anyone else."
"Well excuse me for being scared!" Haru yelled. "This sort of stuff is a little new to me."
"Hardly. You two have been together for two years. You learned everything there is to know about her, even before she got her memories back. I fail to understand how you can that close to this girl, and fail to just admit you love her, especially when it's painfully obvious you want her forever."
Haru was silent, feeling more pitiful than ever. His friends seemed to have a better handle on relationships than he ever would.
"I didn't want her to get hurt, that's all. I keep thinking of all those times she came under danger because some bad guy was gunning for me. Seeing her get upset, over something I was responsible for… I don't want to do that to her again. She deserves that much."
"And you think you're gonna hurt her? Man…" Musica sighed. "You're a bigger dunce than I thought."
"I'm sorry, but… what could I do for her now?.." Haru stared at his hands, wishing he wasn't going through this. Wishing he was stronger, that he had a clue what he was meant to be doing, how to bring a smile to Elie's face and keep it there. Never before had he felt more helpless.
"What am I meant to give her? The way I am now, I can't give her a new life, or the things she needs.."
"Oh really?" Musica was glaring again. "And just what does she need?"
"She needs… a home, one she won't have to leave, where she'll be safe. A chance to be whatever she wants to be. She needs someone who'll be able to look after her, someone who won't let her down."
"And you can't do that?" Musica grabbed Haru's shirt and hauled his friend to his feet, his angry stare blazing all the while. "Listen carefully, cause I'm only gonna say this once. All that stuff you said, forget that, Elie doesn't need that. She just needs two things. Love. And you to give her that love."
Haru huffed. "It's not that simple.."
"Yes it is!" Musica's voice raised again, desperate to get his point across. "You're getting so caught up in this future you keep saying you want for her, you're forgetting what you've got with her right here in the present. All that stuff you said earlier… does it really matter to you two?"
"Well…" Haru stumbled, trying to find a response. But Musica's words were resounding in his head, causing him to think back over the years.
"Think about it, man." Musica continued. "You guys have almost been killed several times over. You've faced stuff which would send most people screaming for the hills, not to mention the whole Resha thing… but you've always stuck by each other. You've always looked after her, and she's looked after you. Hell, I think one of you guys would be dead by now if the other wasn't around. You two… all you need is each other."
Haru was silent as he took this in.
"Well I'll be damned…" Shuda spoke up, slight amusement in his voice. "Silver Rhythm actually said something useful for once."
"I'm just saying the truth, that's all." Musica shrugged. "If only certain people would listen…"
"He makes a point Haru. There's something special between you and Elie. There always has been. Do you really wish to sacrifice something like that, just to spare Elie some pain?"
Haru looked at both his friends, a numb feeling all over his body. It was the sort of sensation one felt when they were confronted with facts they didn't want to hear.
He may have lost Elie forever, all due to a unfounded fear.
But he could feel something else now, deep inside. Something Shuda and Musica's words had managed to reignite.
A little bit of hope.
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Julia was still holding Elie when she heard footsteps approach. Looking up, she saw Belnika walking up to them, a look of concern on her face.
"Are you two alright?" Belnika asked, kneeling next to them. Elie wiped her eyes.
"No, not really…" She sniffed. "Just… give me a moment."
"She's upset that we're all leaving." Julia explained. "I guess I've just started to realize that myself."
"I know what that's like." Belnika replied glumly. She made herself comfortable next to the two girls. "I'm not sure where I'll be after that party. I want to be as close to you guys as possible, but that might not happen. We'll probably all be apart.."
"Don't remind me.." Elie sighed.
Julia glared at the two angrily. "Gods, what is with you two? It's not like we'll stop talking to each other once we leave. We'll still see each other, just not as often. It's not the end of the world."
"Still feels like it." Elie moped.
"She has a point though…" Belinka sighed. "We can always keep in touch.."
"Yeah." Julia smiled. "So lets just quit all this whining. We've all probably got bigger things to worry about anyway."
"I know I do.." Belnika crossed her arms and looked at the sky, now almost completely dark.
"Seems we've all got problems." Elie half-smiled. "I don't know if Haru likes me, Julia's fighting with Let.." She stared at her friend. "Wanna tell us?"
"I shouldn't.." Belinka's lower lip seemed to tremble. "It's so embarrassing. I keep looking back, and I still can't believe I did it."
"What did you do?" Julia asked, puzzled. Belnika was one of those girls who never did anything out of sorts or attention grabbing. She was happy to be quiet and remain in the background.
"Well I…." Belnika paused, as she gathered her courage. "..I… I.. kissed Mr Iulius."
She covered her now crimson face in embarrassment, feeling the shocked stares of the other girls on her.
"You kissed Iulius? Iulius!" Elie nearly shrieked.
"You're not pulling our legs here, are you?" Julia asked.
"No… I really did."
Julia looked confused. "Well… why? Don't tell me you actually…"
Belnika nodded. "Yes.. I admit it. I have an… intense attraction to Mr Iulius, you might say."
"Attraction?" Elie blinked. "Sounds more like you have the hots for him."
"It's not like that!" Belnika blushed again. "I just think he's really… enticing."
"I guess, once you get past how annoying he is…" Julia sighed. "So how come you don't seem happy about this?"
"It's just… I didn't mean to." Belnika pulled her knees to her chest. "We were just talking, and he suddenly got some idea about a restaurant… and something came over me I guess. The next thing I knew, my lips were on his."
"Wow.." Julia blinked in surprise. "What was it like?"
Belnika couldn't bring herself to look up. "For a few seconds… I felt so utterly content."
"So what's the problem?" Elie asked. "If you like him so much, you should stop wasting time with us and ask him out."
"Ask him out?" Belnika stared at the girls with an anguished stare. "After what I did? I embarrassed both of us out there. I wouldn't be surprised if he never talks to me again."
"Don't talk like that." Elie spoke firmly. "I've seen how Iulius acts since he joined us. He's really matured a lot since he left Demon Card. I think he'll forgive you." She winked at her friend. "I think he'd be flattered that a cute girl kissed him."
"Providing he actually likes girls, of course..."
Julia stopped herself as the girls stared at her. "Which.. I'm sure he does, really!"
"I don't know.." Belnika sighed. "It's just… you've seen him haven't you. He's so... I don't know, extravagant. Elegant, refined. How am I meant to meet the expectations he probably has?"
"I wouldn't worry there." Julia was scowling now. "Iulius might have a silver spoon stuck down his throat, but he's still a man. And in my opinion, all a good man really wants is someone by his side, someone he can love and appreciate." She huffed. "Unlike my man."
"Mine too…" Elie sighed.
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Let hadn't expected to find company on the rear deck. He usually retreated there at the end of the day to get in some katas and meditation, and in his current situation, he needed those more than ever. As he approached and saw Haru, Musica and Shuda sitting together, deep in conversation, he knew he'd inevitably get dragged into whatever they were talking about. He could sense their auras and read their faces, something big was on their minds.
He coughed to announce himself. "Something I should know about?"
The other three turned to him. "Nah, nothing big." Musica shrugged. "We're just wailing on Haru on how he's a complete idiot when it comes to girls. Care to join in?"
Let sighed and closed his eyes. Anything pertaining to romance was the last thing he needed. "No thank you. Sorry I disturbed you…"
"Hey Let, what's up?" Haru looked at him with concern. "You seem a bit down."
"Gods, everyone is miserable on this damn ship!" Musica blurted out. "We saved the world! Would it kill you morons to cheer up a little!"
Ignoring him, Haru continued. "Come on Let, chill here for a bit. If you're gonna mope, you might as well do it with friends."
Let couldn't exactly argue with that comment. At any rate, he was feeling extremely lost about the whole Julia situation, and not quite sure how to go about it. Perhaps sharing with his friends would get him some advice as to what to do. Though with this group, that was hopeful at best.
Relenting, he grabbed a deckchair from the side and set it up next to the others. Musica tossed him a bottle of beer as he sat down. Though he hardly touched the stuff normally, he figured it would be rude to refuse the offer.
Settling into the chair, he stared out at the dimming sunset. "Impressive."
"Yeah, it is." Haru spoke. "Kinda makes you wish night wouldn't come, if only for a little longer."
"A lot of things are like that." Shuda added.
"Indeed." Let sipped his drink. "And sometimes, you wish you'd never done anything at all."
"I take it you and Julia are having a spat?" Shuda questioned, smiling knowingly."
"What else is new?" Musica laughed. "I wouldn't worry Let. You'll both probably be having make-up sex by the end of the night."
"Normally I'd agree.." Let spoke sadly. "But I doubt it this time. I may have finally lost her for good."
"What did you do to piss her off that much?" Haru asked.
"Well, it's all about wanting two things." The dragonrace began his tale. "When me and Julia were first reunited after I defeated Jegan, we had both planned to return to our home in Makai, to find our clan and live life the way it used to be. However…. For one of us, the plan's changed."
"One of you doesn't want to leave here?" Shuda spoke.
"Yes, me. And Julia wants to go back to Makai."
"Really? I thought you liked it there." Musica pointed.
"It will always be my homeland… but it's a dangerous place. You're aware of the different tribes that inhabit there, and that many of them consider each other enemies."
Haru nodded, recalling how a tribe of plant-like people had imprisoned him and Belnika after his first encounter with Hardner, believing them to be trespassers.
"Yeah, but it's not that bad, is it?"
"Perhaps not as bad as you think, but the threat has always been there." Let spoke in a resigned tone. "In my days as a teen, I was always assisting my village's guardians in defending our home from attackers, always looking for a chance to challenge others in combat. But after all this, all I want now is a peaceful life for me and Julia."
"And you think you'll find it here, rather than in Makai?" Haru asked.
"I know I can." Let frowned. "Yet that woman refuses to even consider the possibility."
"Funny, I thought Julia would love to live here." Musica grinned as he thought of her past antics. "At the least, I thought she would stay for all the cheap beer…"
"She's smarter than that." Let spoke. "She's aware of the risks we have here. Though we look human, we are still demi-humans, and there are those who fear our kind. Were we to be found out by normal humans… well, you know what happened to Doryu."
Haru nodded. "Sounds like you have it tough on both our worlds."
"It would be easier here. Here at least, I don't have to worry about battling some tribe eager to overtake our land. Why can't Julia see that?"
Let felt his hands ball into fists of their own accord, a sign of his mounting frustration. "Doesn't she want a peaceful life, one where she can be happy?"
There was silence as they mulled this over. Let stared out at the sun, lost in thoughts of the woman who had changed his life, who had brought him happiness and irritation all in one.
He couldn't lose her. It was not an option.
"Musica said something to me…" He turned his head to Haru, who had spoken. "Something I've been thinking about."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah…" Haru took a deep breath. "He said I've been thinking too much about what I wanted to give Elie after this is all over, that I forgot about what her feelings might be, or what she wants.
"I fail to see how your problem with Elie refers to me and Julia."
"You don't want her to get hurt, right? You think that by living in this world, she'll never have to worry about anything again. You can keep her safe and happy. But you haven't thought about what she wants, how she wants to be happy."
Haru sighed, and rested his head in his hands. His sad expression told Let volumes. Clearly, Haru's problem with Elie tolled heavily on the younger man.
"I never realized, until now, what I really needed to give Elie… what she really needed."
He turned his head to offer Let a half-hearted smile. "Ask Julia what she wants. What she really needs. If you want the same things… I think you'll be okay."
Let stared at Haru, then took in the view of all his allies, impressed by Haru's words.
To think, once he had considered humans weak in all things, including thought and emotion. But clearly, they could teach him a lot.
"Thank you, my friend." Let finally smiled, feeling hope rise within him.
He then looked at Musica oddly. "Is it true that YOU told him that?"
Musica threw up his arms. "I'm just a village idiot to you people, aren't I?"
----------
"Ruby-sama, I still say we should put the new casino in a nice coastal town, near the beach." Griff followed Ruby onto the front deck. The blue blob was scribbling on a notepad, eager to contribute ideas now he was Ruby's assistant.
"I don't think so, poyo." Ruby spoke. "I wanna put it in a city center, so everyone can be able to visit it, poyo."
"Ah, but by the beach would make it an excellent attraction. People can visit from the beach, you'd get a lovely view of the coast…" Griff smirked. "…A perfect view of all the ladies sunbathing.."
Ruby just rolled his eyes. He then noticed Elie, Julia and Belnika sitting together on the far side, talking about something. Realizing he hadn't told them about his new casino plans, he waddled over to them.
"Hey girls, poyo!" He spoke cheerily, not noticing the sad expressions on the girl's faces.
Elie looked at the penguin. "Hey Ruby. What's up?"
"Well, I just remembered that I never told you guys what I'm planning to do now Demon Card's gone, poyo. Brace yourself. I'm gonna give my money to people who need it, and open a brand new casino in Song Continent.
"Oh…" Elie and the girls blinked in surprise, which was the height of their reaction of this news. "Great idea Ruby."
"Poyo! That's it!" Ruby jumped. "Come on, I thought you'd be more excited than that. Especially you Elie, poyo!"
"We're happy for you Ruby, really, we are." Belnika spoke.
"We're just going through some problems at the moment." Julia sighed.
"Problems?" Ruby seemed stunned by this. "Bu.. but we saved the world, poyo! We shouldn't have anything to complain about, poyo!"
"Yeah well, life's not that simple Ruby." Julia said. "Sometimes, things don't go the way you want them to."
"Poyo! That's no excuse to just sit around whining!" Ruby was hopping furiously now. "I had a big setback too, ya know, poyo! I found out Doryu was ripping off all my cash and using it for evil. Then I went with you guys, and ended up not being able to get a hold of my money all the time, poyo! Sure I whined about it, but I got back on my feet!"
The penguin eyed the girls, who were now staring at him with full attention, with the best steely-eyed glare he could muster.
"The best days of our lives are ahead of us, poyo, and you're all just sitting here complaining! Well I ain't gonna spend the rest of my life complaining about the little things, poyo! I'm gonna grab life by the horns and ride it all the way! Carpe Diem, poyo!"
And with that, Ruby turned and stomped off, Griff following him like a puppy. The girls stared at his retreating shape, stunned and confused by his outburst.
There were several minutes of silence before Julia spoke up. "You know, he's got a point."
"He… made on there?" Elie blinked.
"Yeah… we're not gonna get anywhere just sitting around." Julia got to her feet, rubbing her tired legs. "We're about to go into a new phase in our lives, we can't just avoid what's going to happen."
"So… I guess you're going to talk to Let, right?" Elie spoke.
Julia huffed. "If he'll talk to me. We didn't exactly end on good terms… I just hope he wants to find an answer to this problem of ours as badly as I do."
"I'm sure he does." Elie smiled. "You two have gone through way too much stuff to just lose each other over something like this."
Julia smiled, grateful for the comment.
"And Belnika, you are going to tell Iulius you like him, right?"
Belnika turned pale again. "Um… I think he might have gotten the point after last night…"
"But you have to tell him!" Elie affirmed, moving closer and staring Belnika in the eyes. "If you really care about him, you should explain why you did what you did."
Belnika sat quietly as she digested this.
"I.. I should. It's not fair to him.."
Her voice grew stronger as she focused on Elie. "But will you do the same, Elie? Will you finally just tell Haru how you feel about him?"
Elie froze. "Eh… I…. well.."
"You are going to, right?" Julia glared at her. "I know he let you down earlier, but I'm sure he had his reasons. Maybe he just didn't think you felt for him that strongly.."
"I do, I do!" Elie wailed, her frustration reaching high point. "But I don't want to lose him, ever. If.. if I say the wrong thing… after what happened…"
"Elie.." Belnika spoke. "We all know what Haru is like. Despite the silly things he does sometimes, he truly cares for you. Both as a friend and.. more. He'll do anything to make sure he never loses you."
"You think so?"
Belnika smiled. "It's Haru. He always comes through in the end."
Elie could only nod to that. Belnika was right of course. Haru always managed to find his way to her, even in the toughest situations.
But this wasn't some enemy he was trying to save her from. This was trying to face having a relationship together. To commit to her forever
And that scared her more than facing the Endless.
"So we're agreed?" Julia spoke. "Once we hit Blues City, we get this mess sorted out."
Belnika and Elie nodded uneasily.
----------
"Huh, look who's decided to show." Shuda pointed behind him to indicate that Iulius was walking up to them. The usually well-dressed man was looking scruffier than usual, with un-tucked shirt tails flailing in the breeze. This usually cheery demeanor was replaced with a dull frown.
"Evening gentlemen." He spoke as he walked to the group. He noticed the chiller full of beer. "Mind if I help myself?"
Musica blinked. "Whoa. Sure this stuff isn't too poor for your refined palete?" He mocked.
Iulius just glared. "Despite what you all may think, even I can enjoy the simple things in life." To prove his point, he grabbed a bottle, opened it and took a big swig, making a grimace over his face as he tasted the liquid.
"Smooth…" He croaked.
Shuda cast a sympathetic look. "I imagine you'll be enjoying the simple things a lot more these days."
"I'm not THAT poor.." Iulius frowned. "While I appreciate the sympathy, I am still fine financially."
"Well, that's good." Shuda smiled. "Maybe having to work for a living will change you for the better."
"Yes…" Iulius sighed, staring in the distance.
"Sheesh, another one.." Musica muttered under his breath. "What's up with you then?" He asked of Iulius.
"It's not really your concern…"
"Listen pal, we've already had Haru, Let and myself complain about their crap." Musica barked. "I;m getting a bit sick of the negative attitudes around her. You drink my beer, you're gonna spill the beans!"
Haru could only shrug at Iulius. "Couldn't hurt to talk."
Iulius swallowed. "Well…. Very well then. If you must know, I'm feeling conflicted about a…. certain female who I am harbouring feelings for."
"More girl trouble?" Musica blinked. "You actually do like girls then?"
"You're a riot…" Iulius replied darkly. "Anyway, this woman, for whom I greatly adore, has never shown the slightest interest in me as anything more as a friend. And yet… yesterday, while we were discussing the new gourmet restaurant I intend to open in the future.. she did something utterly unexpected."
"What?" Haru and the others leaned in closer.
"She kissed me. Right out of the blue, no warning whatsoever!" Iulius spoke in bewilderment. "I mean, I admit I'm the type women find irresistible, but even they're good enough to give me a warning before they make a move on me. And I can usually tell when they're allured by me…"
"Is she hot?" Musica suddenly spoke.
Iulius grinned. "Yes, she's quite attractive..
"Why the hell are you here talking then!" Musica blurted out. "A girl you like just kissed you? You should be out there romancing her or something!"
"Something troubling you about this girl?" Shuda asked. "Normally, you're all over a girl when she pays you attention."
"This girl is different!" Iulius' eyes seemed to glaze over, the way they usually appeared when he was amoured over something. "She's a goddess, sent from the heavens to enrich the lives of our pathetic souls. A beauty unmatched by anyone, and a heart overflowing with kindness and sincerity."
The other stared at Iulius in bewilderment. Haru managed to speak.
"You're not talking about Elie, are you?"
"Of course not!" Iulius spluttered. "While Elie is a charming lass, this girl is an angel compared to her!"
"Er… great." Haru replied lamely. "So er… why don't you ask her out?"
"Ah, wishful thinking.." Iulius sighed, leaning against the wall. "But let's face it, I am a man not worthy of such a gift. Why should a beauty like her want to waste her time with one such as me? A man who served Demon Card, and came out with nothing to show for it."
"You're not that bad.." Shuda rolled his eyes. Nothing annoyed his more than hearing Iulius whine. "Even I admit, you've improved a lot since you joined us."
"And this girl obviously thinks something about you. Why else would she throw herself at you like that?" Musica spoke
"I don't know… animal magnetisism!" Iulius shrugged.
"Point is, you might as well just talk to this girl and get a date out her." Musica grinned. "She might not like you the way you think, but you get a night with her out of the deal at least."
Iulius was silent as he mulled this.
"I suppose I have been overthinking it."
"A lot of that going around.." Musica glanced at Haru.
Iulius put on a smile. "Thank you my friend. You've certainly cleared my head."
"You gonna ask her then?" Haru asked.
"Once we hit Blues City, yes. In fact, I should get ready." Iulius' eyes gleamed in determination. "Once I get a good suit on and smarten myself up, I'll be certain to win her heart! I shall be triumphant!"
And with that, he gunned down his bottle of beer, threw it over the side railing, and stomped off out of sight. "I shall see you later."
"Yeah, give us the details later." Musica waved.
Shuda finished his drink and stood up. "Well, if this little pity party is quite over, I've got some things to do."
He walked away, but paused to look at Haru. "Haru, I wish you the best of luck."
"Thanks.." Haru nodded, watching Shuda leave.
Let, who had been sitting silently in a cross-legged pose for several minutes, also got up. "I should go too."
"Gonna make up with Julia, huh?" Haru said.
"Not yet.." Let's voice was quiet. "I have been thinking this over while Iulius was talking. I see a solution to the problem… but it's rather drastic."
"Hey, go for it man." Musica grinned. "For someone like Julia, you gotta go the extra mile."
"Indeed…"
"Just what are you planning anyway?" Haru asked.
"I'll tell you that later, after it's done." Let nodded. "I shall see you later."
With that, he left, leaving Haru and Musica alone. Musica opened up another beer.
"Women, eh?" He sighed. "I swear, they're almost not worth the effort."
"Almost…" Haru nodded. "You're sure making a lot of effort to get me and Elie together though."
"Yeah well, I owe it to you two." Musica smiled. "You guys helped me find the Silver Ray, gave me one hell of an adventure, and made me look at myself and find something better within me. Least I can do is make sure should hook up like you ought to."
Haru blinked. "Is that what everyone thinks? That Elie and I are meant for each other?"
"Everyone on this damn ship sees it except you and her, it seems." Musica's voice took a sad tone. "I guess it's hard to look at a person and realise that they truly care for you. But if you don't look, you miss out on something amazing. I know I have."
"You have?" Haru asked.
Musica turned pale, realizing he'd said too much. "Er.. I mean… I've seen it happen to many a guy…"
Haru wasn't fooled. "You've got someone you care for too, right?"
"No!" Despite his protest, Musica could see Haru wasn't going to drop the matter. "At least… I did once."
Haru blinked. He'd never known Musica to be serious about any girl, apart from his short encounter with Reina. "Who was she?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Oh go on, please."
"Forget it."
"I told you everything!" Before Musica could stop him, Haru had him in a headlock and was furiously rubbing his head.
"Arrgh! Quit it! Okay, I'll talk!"
Haru stopped rubbing, but maintained the headlock. Musica swallowed as best he could.
"You remember when we stopped at Blues City before we left for Luca Continent? You didn't see me the whole day after I left, right?"
"Yeah…"
"Well, while I was checking out the town, I met…. An old girlfriend, Melodia."
Haru blinked in astonishment. "You went out with this girl?"
"Before I broke it off to look for the Silver Ray, yeah."
"I mean, you actually dated! You didn't just take her home for one night…
"Yes I dated her!" Musica yelled. "Then I broke it off, didn't see her for about three years, then we met again!"
Haru released the headlock, letting Musica sit back down.
"What was she like?" The younger man asked.
Musica looked at the sky wistfully. "One wonderful gal. She was amazingly sweet, always nice to everyone, and one of the smartest people I've ever met. She was the first girl who was willing to ignore the fact that I was some thieving kid from Punk Street, and get to know the real me. I always appreciated her for caring for me like that."
His smile turned to a smirk. "Course, it helped that she had an ass you could eat your dinner off…."
"Yeah yeah…I get you." Haru nodded, not wanting the conversation to take a wrong turn.
"You know, seeing her again, on that day before we left for Luca, it brought back a lot of good memories." He sighed. "Even though we just hung out the whole day as friends, it felt like the old days, when we were together. I hadn't felt like that in a long time."
He sipped his beer. "I was seriously thinking about ditching you and Elie and just staying there."
Haru blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah… but in the end, I knew Rave and Silver Ray were more important to find than my own happiness, so I stuck with you guys."
"That's why you were late getting to the train…" Haru spoke "So, why not see her again? She lives in Blues City, and we're heading there tonight. This could be your chance to be with her again."
"You seriously think so?" Musica laughed. "Ha, yeah right. She's probably partying out with some smooth guy with a stack of money by now."
"Maybe not.."
"Dude, the last time me and Melodia saw each other was a year and a half ago, She's probably forgotten about me by now."
"That doesn't mean you still can't meet her when we get there." Haru affirmed. "I'm sure she still cares about you, even if just as a friend."
"I don't know.."
Haru stood up and glared Musica in the face. "You wouldn't give up on me and Elie, I'm not gonna give up on you."
An idea hot him. "Tell you what. If you promise me you're gonna go see Melodia, I promise I'll tell Elie I love her tonight."
Musica eyed him skeptically. "You serious?"
"After your little talk, I certainly am." Haru extended his arm. "Shake on it."
Musica was still as he thought about it, then he took Haru's hand. "Hell, it's worth a chance, right?"
"Right!" Haru sat down and took another beer. "Though I'm still a little worried about what I'm gonna do for work once everything dies down."
"Huh, you're lucky man, you got that nice island of yours." Musica frowned. "I still gotta find work for an entire crew of ex-bandits. I can just imagine Melodia is gonna be impressed to find my years away have amounted to a magic bit of silver and a gang of cons."
"At least you're the captain of your own airship." Haru offered lamely.
"Oh great, I have an old flying rust bucket the size of a small mansion. Yeah, that really brings in the ladies…"
Musica trailed off, his mind suddenly realizing something. "I have an airship… a crew.."
He was quiet for several seconds, worrying Haru. Suddenly, Musica jumped to his feet, his face in a moment of elation.
"Holy crap, THAT'S IT!" He grabbed Haru and hauled him to his feet. "Haru! You magnificent bastard! You're a genius!"
"I am?" Haru was confused. "What the hell did I just do!"
Musica dropped Haru to the floor. "I gotta tell the rest of the crew about this. This is gonna solve all our problems!"
He dashed off down the deck, only stopping to yell, "Thanks Haru!", before speeding off again.
Haru watched his friend run off, wondering just what crazy idea had hopped into Musica's head. "Let's hope he doesn't do something too drastic.."
Picking himself up, he turned to the sky to see the last remnants of the sunrise fade away, the rosy colour of the sky giving way to the darkness of night. He watched night fall with a new determination born within him.
Tomorrow would be a new day. And the first day of his new life with Elie, providing he could tell her tonight.
----------
Elie looked out at the darkening sky. "Say girls, we're coming to Blues City soon, right?"
"That's what I heard from Musica." Belnika replied.
"Well then, how about once we land, we go out for a drink and have a bit of fun." Elie smiled.
Julia gave a toothy grin. "I like your thinking. Besides, I think we'll need something to calm our nerves before we sort out the guys."
"And an excessive amount of alcohol is going to do that?" Belnika replied sardonically.
"It might help." Julia shrugged.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Belnika spoke. "I think I'll just have an early night in. That way… I'll be ready to talk to Mr Iulius in the morning."
"Yeah well, don't wait too long, okay?" said Julia. "You don't want a good man to slip away from you, even if it is Iulius."
"I guess.."
Suddenly, Belnika leaned over and wrapped her arms around Elie and Julia in a hug.
"Thank you both for helping me. I'm so grateful."
"What are friends for?" Elie smiled. "You get your sleep. And try to have good dreams. You can't confess to Iulius with an unhappy morning face, right?"
"I guess not…" Belnika giggled as she got to her feet. "See you tomorrow."
As she walked away back to her room, Julia and Elie got up and stretched their legs.
"So, let's check in with Musica, see how long we've got before we reach the city." Julia suggested.
"I hope we've got time to find some nice outfits to go out in." Elie spoke absently.
"So, you still gonna tell all to Haru?" Julia smirked. "You promised.
"I don't know… part of me wants to, part of me just wants to keep quiet so things don't change." Elie sighed. "But I can't have both, can I?"
Julia rested an arm around Elie's shoulders in comfort. "It'll work out Elie, I'm sure it will."
"I know, it's just…." Elie struggled for words. "I could lose one of the best things of my life if I don't make it work with him. Even if I were to find someone else, it would never be like it is with Haru.."
"I understand. I feel the same about Let, no matter how much he annoys me.." Julia nodded.
"But you know, you just have to believe in you and him. The two of you have worked so hard to stick together during all this.. now you just have to meet in the end."
"Yeah…" Elie looked up at the sky, and noticed stars just beginning to appear in the darker parts of the sky. She focused on them as more began to shine out through the darkness
Funny, stars had seemed so insignificant before, just bits of light in the sky. But then she found out how they were all part of the Stellar Memory, the great power that had brought Haru and her together to save it.
Whether it was destiny or just pure hope spurring her on, she felt more secure than ever, her friends and her heart telling her what to do.
Her new life lay with Haru. All she had to do was grasp it.
And so, the airship finally arrived at Blue City, with none of it's occupants aware of the eventful night, and the great changes it would bring, ahead of them.
To be continued...