A/N: No, I haven't abandoned this fic... it's just that with much longer chapters than my other current fic, Innocence and Sentience, it takes more time to put together a chapter. Plus, I&S is just plain easier to write, because I have a lot more freedom with the storyline, as opposed to working within certain constraints of the original TotA and ToV. Nevertheless, here is Chapter 5, and there's still more to come. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss, Tales of Vesperia, or any of the Tales characters or scenarios. Namco owns them.

Chapter 5: Parallel Predicaments

Luke, Flynn, Jade, Natalia, Anise, and Tear arrived at the Albiore out of breath. They had run all the way from the passage ring to the waiting aircraft. In single file, they stumbled up the gangplank into the hold.

"You made it back!" Noelle greeted them cheerfully. Her blue eyes widened in shock as she took in the group's disheveled, frantic appearance. "What's wrong?" she asked sharply.

"We have...to get...to Asch!" Luke panted. "He says...to meet him...in Daath."

"Guy will...no...Flynn will...explain," Jade huffed.

"What...?! No...!" Flynn wheezed. "Why me...?!"

"Get us...airborne...at once!" Natalia ordered between gasps.

"We have...to tell...Ion...!" Anise added. "He's still...in Keter...burg...!"

"Hurry...!" Tear urged Noelle.

Noelle nodded. "I'm on it!" She made a dash for the steep, narrow stairs that led up to the flight deck.

Luke tried to follow her, but he tripped and fell sprawling. Flynn blundered into him, and in a chain reaction, everyone but Jade ended up in a pile on the metal floor.

"Oof!" Luke grunted.

"Aahh!" Anise yelped.

"Ouch!" Tear cried.

"Oh dear...how unfortunate..." Jade chuckled, beginning to get his breath back.

"Not funny," Flynn groaned.

"Get...off me!" Natalia snapped at Anise. She wriggled out from under Anise and Tear, dumping both of them in a separate heap from Luke and Flynn.

"Ow! That hurt!" Anise complained.

Flynn rolled sideways off Luke and sat up. "Is everyone all right?" he asked, looking around at his companions.

"No," Luke replied, flipping over onto his back and spreading his arms wide. "Damn it...I hurt all over now..."

"I'll heal you...in a minute..." said Tear, sitting up and putting her hand to her forehead. "Sorry...I'm dizzy..."

"We should rest for a while," said Jade. He sat down on the staircase, thereby blocking access to the flight deck, and took off his glasses. He inspected the lenses, then grimaced. "What a mess," he muttered.

"Your glasses, or the situation?" Anise asked sarcastically, propping herself up with one arm. She wobbled a bit as Albiore lifted off.

"Both," Jade said with a sigh, rummaging in his pocket. He pulled out a handkerchief and a tiny bottle. Meticulously, he began cleaning his glasses.

Flynn glared at Jade. "Why did you say that I would explain everything to Noelle? I don't understand even half of what's happening!" His voice rose as he went on, "You people owe me quite a number of explanations! What is the Score? What are replicas? What is Van trying to accomplish? What the hell do we do now?! Just how serious of a snafu are we really in?!" He wanted to vent some more, but he had to stop in order to breathe.

"What's a snafu?" Luke asked.

"It's a military term for a confused or chaotic state of affairs," Jade replied quickly, not looking up from his work.

"It means 'Situation Normal: All Fu—' uhhhh..." Anise started to explain, then cut herself off before completing the expletive.

"Anise!" Natalia scolded. "You watch your language!"

"I did!" Anise protested.

"'All Fouled Up,'" Tear said firmly. "Flynn, I'm sorry we didn't have time to explain much before we arrived at the Absorption Gate. You have every right to be angry with us."

Flynn was mortified; he had forgotten that snafu was an acronym. He could feel his face heating as he blushed. But Tear's acknowledgement of his feelings was some comfort, at least. He took a deep breath, and another, to control his embarrassment, frustration, and outrage. Even with no one here under his authority, he was still a Captain of the Imperial Knights; as an officer and gentleman, he should not lose his composure so easily. As soon as he could speak calmly again, he asked, "How long will it take to get to Daath?"

"We're going to Keterburg first to pick up Ion," Anise said sturdily. "Right, Colonel?"

"Yes," Jade replied. "Noelle!" he called up the stairs. "We need to stop in Keterburg before we continue on to Daath. Take us directly to the city, instead of the port."

"Yes, sir!" Noelle's voice called back, barely audible over the hum of the twin engines.

"How long?" Flynn repeated.

"To Keterburg, almost a full day-cycle. From Keterburg to Daath, about two days," Tear answered.

Flynn gasped. "Three days! Anything could happen in that time!"

"It will take Asch about three and a half days to get to Daath from the Radiation Gate," Jade said. "Daath is in the northern hemisphere, so it's closer to the Absorption Gate. But our stop in Keterburg will take several hours. I expect that we will arrive in Daath at approximately the same time as Asch. Until then, there's very little we can do other than rest and recover." He put his glasses back on, tucked the handkerchief and bottle back into his pocket, and stood up. "I suggest we get some food and sleep. I'll tell Noelle to wake us when we land near Keterburg." He turned and began climbing the stairs.

"He's probably right," Luke sighed. "As usual... but who's gonna cook? Not me."

"I will," said Anise. "I'll just make some rice balls. I don't wanna do anything fancy. I'm so tired..."

"What about explanations?" Flynn demanded.

"We'll do that once we have Ion with us," said Tear. "He can help."

"But—" Flynn began.

"We're all too tired to think straight," Natalia overrode him. "The Colonel is correct. We need a meal and a good night's sleep."

Flynn clenched his fists and jaw. He knew perfectly well from his training as a knight that Jade and Natalia were right about taking care of themselves, but it was extremely aggravating to be left in the dark. Hopefully he'd be able to fall asleep in spite of all the questions spinning through his mind. With a defeated sigh, he got up and followed his companions into the Albiore's crew quarters.

The Fiertia was uncomfortably crowded with twelve people, a dog, and a dragon-bird Entelexeia aboard. The Entelexeia sat stretched out on the foredeck, alert rather than at rest, silent and watchful. Guy, Yuri, Estelle, Rita, Karol, Raven, Judith, Patty, Witcher, and Duke were scattered about the aft deck, with Repede sitting at Yuri's feet. Overhead, Ba'ul floated and occasionally flapped his flipper-like wings as he carried the ship in its large net, high above the night-darkened ocean... but not too high. The menacing shadowy blob in the sky, the Adephagos, continued to slowly expand, contrasting eerily with the star-studded deep blue of the otherwise-peaceful night.

Patty had suggested tying both Alexei and Sodia to the mast to keep them from causing trouble, but since the ship didn't have a mast, Alexei had been bundled up in a veritable cocoon of ropes and imprisoned in the storeroom down in the hold. The former Commandant hadn't resisted in the least. His amber eyes were bleak with despair. Sodia had been treated more gently; only her hands were tied, and she had a bunk bed in the cabin to lie down in, but she had been warned not to leave her bunk or attempt to enter the storeroom. She, too, had accepted her arrest without protest.

Guy and Yuri both leaned against the cabin wall with the door between them, arms crossed. Duke had taken a similar stance against the starboard rail; his white hair shimmered in the dim light of the crescent moon. The rest of the group sat or stood as space allowed.

"Once we get to Zaphias, what the hell are we gonna do with Alexei?" Yuri demanded, glaring at Guy. "With Flynn missing, there's no one to hand that bastard over to!"

Raven sighed. "I guess I got no choice. Man, I thought I was done with the Imperial Knights."

"Huh?" Guy asked. His impression of Raven was that the older man was a lazy drunkard. He couldn't imagine Raven as a knight... but then Guy remembered that Raven had called Alexei boss. Maybe Raven had been an auxiliary of some sort?

Estelle smiled at Raven. "Welcome back, Captain Schwann."

Raven hung his head. "I can't believe ya'd say that... you, of all people, oughta hate Schwann after everythin' he did to ya."

Guy frowned. Whatever Schwann – Raven's alter-ego? – had done to Estelle, it must have been pretty bad. Estelle didn't seem like the kind of person who would hate anyone. She had shown no sign of hatred toward Alexei, only anger and sadness.

Estelle gave Raven a slight headshake in response. "You came back for me," she said softly. "Even after everything else that happened, you helped save me. Thank you."

Raven winced. "Don't thank me," he muttered. "If I hadn't handed you over to Alexei, we wouldn't be in this mess."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Enough already, old man."

"We don't have to bring back Schwann," Karol piped up. "Ioder is all but Emperor now. Maybe he can deal with Alexei for us."

"Yeah," said Rita. "He finally has the support of the knights and the council. All that's left is the coronation ceremony. We have Dein Nomos. Once we hand it over to him, he can ascend to the throne."

"You will do no such thing," Duke said coldly. "I did not lend you that sword so you could give it to a mere boy who has not the skill to use it."

"It wasn't yours to lend," Judith replied in a calm, detached voice. "That sword belongs to the Imperial family."

"How did you end up with Dein Nomos in the first place?" Witcher asked. "It went missing ten years ago, during the Great War."

"That is not your concern," Duke retorted.

"What's Dein Nomos?" Guy asked in puzzlement.

Yuri held up the sword he had fought with at Zaude. "This is Dein Nomos. It has the power to control aer."

Guy hadn't paid much attention to the details of his companions' weapons at Zaude. Now, looking at Dein Nomos, he wondered why he hadn't noticed that the red-violet blade, with its hollow center and asymmetrical hilt, gleamed with a strange light. A thin layer of aer surrounded the sword, Guy realized.

Estelle looked curiously at Duke. "Isn't that the same sword you used to destroy the clear ciel crystal? When did you give it to Yuri?"

Duke's only reply was a silent, hostile glare.

"He gave it to me at Baction," Yuri answered for Duke. "There was a sealed door we needed to get past, in order to rescue you."

"Clearly, I made a grave error," Duke murmured, as if to himself. "This crisis—" he paused to glance up at the shadowed sky "—could have been avoided, had I done what was necessary."

"I told you before, you can't blame all the world's problems on a single girl!" Yuri exploded. "Killing Estelle wouldn't have solved anything!"

"What...?!" Estelle gasped.

"Without the power of the Child of the Full Moon, Alexei could not have accessed Zaude," Duke said grimly. "If Zaude had remained undisturbed, as it should have been, the Adephagos would have remained sealed away."

"Was Zaude really a barrier blastia that protected the entire world?!" Rita demanded. "How is that even possible?!"

Duke didn't answer.

Guy thought back to what he had witnessed immediately after the battle with Alexei. "It was connected to something in the sky," he said slowly. "Something that looked like a star... except I guess it wasn't a star."

Estelle's turquoise eyes widened. "Brave Vesperia..." she said breathlessly.

"The legend you told me about?" Yuri asked her, sounding startled.

"Yes... that must have been it! The brightest star in the night sky!" Estelle exclaimed.

Karol's brow furrowed. "Are you saying our guild is named after a blastia...?"

"No, a blastia core," Rita corrected, her voice rising with excitement. "Zaude must have been a dual-core blastia! I wonder how the ancients were able to build it. A blastia with more than one core... the formulas involved must have been unbelievably complex!"

"Uh..." said Guy, feeling completely baffled. "I think I missed the first half of something. There's a legend about a star...?"

Judith nodded. "Tell us the story, Estelle. You're so good at telling stories."

In the dark, it was hard to tell whether Estelle blushed slightly at Judith's compliment. "All right," she said. Closing her eyes, she recited, "In the days of old, a great cataclysm occurred that plunged the world into ruin. Countless lives were lost as the people struggled to stand against the oncoming disaster. Its energies all but spent, humanity's hope seemed lost when a pair of siblings appeared. This brother and sister fought the calamity, and saved the world from annihilation. The sister they called Child of the Full Moon. After the struggle, she remained with the earth. Her brother they called Brave Vesperia, and he ascended to the skies to watch over the world."

"Human nonsense," Duke snorted.

"Oh yeah?" Yuri challenged him. "What do you know about the Child of the Full Moon and the star Brave Vesperia that we don't?"

"This," said Duke, holding up a small book. He held it out to Yuri.

Yuri gestured for Duke to give the book to Estelle. Reluctantly, Duke did so.

Estelle opened the book to a page marked by a faded, tattered ribbon. "The leaders of the ancients possessed an innate power, and were called the Children of the Full Moon," she read aloud. "The Shrine of Zaude received their lives and power. It sealed the Adephagos away, saving the world."

"Received their lives and power...?" Rita echoed.

"So the Shrine of Zaude was powered by the lives of the Children of the Full Moon?" Yuri asked uncertainly.

"A blastia powered by human sacrifice?!" Guy exclaimed, horrified by the notion.

"Consider it...atonement," Duke said levelly. "Humans brought forth the Adephagos, and as long as aer is used, no one can oppose it. For it is born of aer itself."

"Atonement?!" Guy objected. "How the hell is that atonement?! Killing yourself isn't how you atone for—!"

"Will you shut up?!" Yuri overrode him. "We know what you believe!"

"Woof!" Repede barked at Guy. "Grrr...!"

"So, puttin' the pieces together, it sounds like the ancients built Zaude to get ridda the Adephagos, and then buried all their blastia so they'd stop usin' aer," Raven said loudly, in an obvious effort to direct the conversation away from Guy and Yuri's conflicting ideals.

"Correct," said Duke. "The few remaining Children of the Full Moon, together with the Entelexeia, decided on how the world would be. The Imperial family are their descendants."

"So that's how the Empire started," Yuri murmured, diverted from his anger at Duke and Guy. "And that's why Dein Nomos – the key to Zaude – will prove a true emperor," he concluded.

Estelle sighed and closed the book. "Alexei thought Zaude was a weapon he could use to control all the aer in the world," she said sorrowfully. "That was why he built a network of blastia and his own version of Dein Nomos."

Judith gave Duke a considering look. "I suppose we should thank you for keeping that sword out of Alexei's hands," she told him. "You knew the truth about Zaude, and you knew the Adephagos was still out there. That's why you were using that sword to calm the aer krene, and why you wanted to kill Estelle. To stop the Adephagos."

"Indeed," Duke confirmed.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?!" Rita yelled at him.

"Why didn't you alert the guilds?" Karol added.

"Or warn the empire?" Estelle asked.

"Damn it!" Yuri snapped. "You could have stopped Alexei if you'd asked for help instead of doing it all on your own!"

Duke raised his white eyebrows at Yuri. "You also acted on your own, did you not?"

Guy wasn't sure what Duke meant about Yuri acting on his own. From the furious expression on Yuri's face, however, Guy surmised that Duke was pointing out some sort of hypocrisy on Yuri's part.

"It is time for you to return Dein Nomos to me," Duke continued. "I will protect our world – our Terca Lumireis."

"What are you gonna do...?" Yuri asked suspiciously, gripping the hilt of Dein Nomos tightly.

"Hey," said Guy, hoping to prevent a fight between Duke and Yuri, "shouldn't we all work together if we're going to save the world? We are on the same side, right?"

"I have aligned myself with the Entelexeia," Duke replied. "I have no intention of coexisting with humanity."

"Then why did you help us?" Karol asked plaintively.

"You say you despise humanity, but aren't we human?" Yuri added. "Why did you give me Dein Nomos? Why did you cooperate?"

"You were the only ones who even attempted to communicate with the Entelexeia," said Duke. "However, your incompetence cost Belius and Astal their lives. Phaeroh, too, is dying. I will not allow any more Entelexeia to lose their lives for humans' sake."

"Phaeroh?!" Judith gasped.

"I will take back Dein Nomos by force if I must," Duke warned, ignoring Judith.

Yuri shook his head. "I don't know what you're planning to do, but Dein Nomos isn't yours. We're going to return it to Prince Ioder."

"You fools!" Duke hissed in exasperation, and lunged at Yuri.

Yuri dodged aside, and Repede leaped at Duke, fangs bared. Duke wasn't quite able to evade the dog's swift attack, but he managed to avoid getting his throat ripped out; Repede's teeth sank into Duke's arm instead of his neck.

"Grrrrr!" Repede growled around a mouthful of flesh and cloth.

Duke wrenched his arm out of Repede's jaws and went after Yuri again, but Guy stepped between them, sword raised. "If you want Dein Nomos, you'll have to fight all of us for it, not just Yuri!" he threatened.

"You will regret this!" Duke snarled, clutching his injured arm as Guy, Repede, Estelle, Karol, and Judith closed in on him.

"Get the hell off our ship!" Rita shouted, and began casting. "O blade of noble light, overpower even indestructible evil... Blade Roll!"

A whirling sword of concentrated aer spun around Rita, knocking Duke back toward the starboard rail. Judith charged at him with her spear. Already off-balance, Duke had no way to dodge as Judith hit him with a quick "Crescent Moon!" and kicked him overboard.

The Entelexeia on the foredeck took off abruptly, jarring the entire ship. Judith was nearly thrown overboard after Duke, but she grabbed the rail and clung to it as the ship swayed wildly. Above, Ba'ul gave a cry of protest.

Ignoring Ba'ul, the dragon-bird Entelexeia went into a steep dive, intent on saving Duke. Guy ran to the starboard side and pulled Judith to safety. He leaned over the gunwale to watch the Entelexeia catch Duke in midair with its clawed feet.

Instead of pursuing the Fiertia, however, the Entelexeia carried Duke away to the east, where the sky was beginning to lighten with the coming dawn.

Guy breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged glances with Yuri. After a moment, Yuri gave Guy a slight nod of acknowledgement. Guy smiled in return. Yuri didn't. After a moment, he turned away, still holding Dein Nomos. Guy's shoulders slumped as he sighed again, this time with disappointment.

Judith broke the awkward silence. "So does that count as sixty-eight?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'm sorry I couldn't land any closer to the city," said Noelle, as the Albiore descended toward a patch of bare ground on the snowy continent below them. "If the hover drive had a better flightstone, I might be able to land on snow, but..."

"That's okay," said Luke, who was seated behind Noelle. "We're still closer than if we'd landed at the port. Thanks, Noelle."

Noelle nodded wordlessly and pulled a lever on the control panel. Something at the bottom of the aircraft went clunk.

"What was that?!" Flynn gasped in panic.

"Relax," Tear said calmly, as she prepared to rise from her seat across from Luke. "That was the landing gear deploying."

Anise, who was waiting by the stairway with Flynn and Natalia, giggled. "You sure are jumpy today, Flynn. Don't you remember our landing at the Absorption Gate?"

Flynn hunched his shoulders and turned away from Anise to look out the window, attempting to hide his embarrassment. He hadn't slept well during the overnight flight. The Albiore's crew quarters, below the flight deck, had only eight bunk beds, stacked two by two, with four on each side of a narrow aisle. All of the bunks had been claimed already, with Luke, Jade, Guy, and Ion's bunks on one side of the aisle and Anise, Tear, Natalia, and Noelle's bunks on the opposite side. Each bunk had its own curtain which could be closed for privacy, but Flynn had slept in his armor anyway, boots and all, on top of the blankets in Guy's bunk. The awkwardness of sleeping in someone else's bed, the discomfort of his armor, and the confusion of the situation had kept Flynn awake long after all of his companions had fallen asleep.

The Albiore touched down gently, and the hum of its engines faded away. Luke, Tear, and Jade all rose from their seats and followed Anise, Natalia, and Flynn down the narrow staircase.

As the lower hatch opened, letting in a gust of chilly air, Anise turned to the group and asked plaintively, "Do we all have to go to Keterburg to pick up Ion? I could manage just fine by myself."

Natalia crossed her arms. "We need to deliver our report to the Governor and ask her to forward the letters we wrote to Father, Emperor Peony, and Teodoro. Honestly, Anise, how could you forget something so important?"

"Hey, I can deliver—!" Anise began, but before she could start to argue with Natalia, Luke set a hand on her shoulder.

"We should stick together, just in case," said Luke.

"In case of what?" Flynn asked, with a feeling of foreboding.

"Er..." said Luke. "Well, I don't know, but..."

"I agree with Luke," said Tear. "We don't know what my bro— what Van is planning to do. Anything could happen at this point."

Jade adjusted his glasses. "While I have no doubt in your abilities, Anise, I believe Luke is correct. If an emergency occurs, we need to be prepared to respond immediately."

Anise sighed in defeat. "Fine... Let's go."

The walk to Keterburg turned out to be several kilometers long, with many stops to deal with monsters. Luke and his friends occasionally chatted amongst themselves, but Flynn stayed silent, thinking about Yuri and his odd assortment of companions. Surely they must have defeated Alexei by now. He wondered whether Alexei was still alive. The proper thing to do would have been to arrest the ex-Commandant, but knowing Yuri, Flynn was almost certain that Alexei was as dead as Ragou and Cumore. There would be no chance for Flynn to ask what Alexei had been thinking, or why he had abandoned his long-held ideals.

Arriving at the city, the group turned west toward a neighborhood of large houses that could be described as mansions, except that their architecture and surrounding grounds weren't as fancy as the mansions and gardens in the royal quarter of Zaphias. Flynn wondered whether the residents of those homes were as rich as the nobles of the Empire. Was anyone on Auldrant as rich as those snobby nobles? And was anyone as poor as the people Flynn had grown up with in the lower quarter?

The Governor's Residence turned out to be one of the large houses. It was built of red brick, with a pair of bay windows on the second floor and green banners displaying a white emblem that Flynn didn't recognize. The double doors at the front entrance were made of polished dark wood, undecorated but somehow elegant nonetheless. Luke pushed both doors open and led Flynn, Jade, Anise, Tear, and Natalia into the house.

As the group entered the Governor's office, Flynn looked around. A woman dressed in black and white, with long golden hair tied up in a twist on the back of her head, and a green-haired boy wearing light green robes and a fancy headdress, were seated at a hexagonal table, drinking tea from delicate white porcelain cups decorated with stylized blue snowflakes. A plate with a matching snowflake pattern sat midway between them, with one lonely cookie left amid a scattering of brown crumbs and a few smears of white frosting. Beyond the table, there was a desk strewn with papers. Flynn was reminded of the disorderly state in which he had left his own desk, the morning he had flown off in the Fiertia with Yuri and company. Had it really been just a few days ago? With all that had happened since Flynn had left Zaphias, and then Terca Lumireis, it seemed like months.

The blond woman looked up from her teacup, and her hazel eyes widened behind the gleaming lenses of her thick-rimmed glasses. "Jade!" she exclaimed. "You're safe!"

The boy turned in his chair, and his pale face lit with joy. "Anise! Everyone! You're back!"

"You successfully lowered the Outer Lands, then?" asked the woman. "And defeated Van?"

"Yes... and no," Jade replied tersely.

The woman frowned. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded. "Jade...!"

"We lowered the Outer Lands just fine, but Master Van fell into the core and is trying to capture Lorelei!" Luke clarified. "Ion, come on! We have to hurry and meet Asch in Daath!"

The green-haired boy set down his teacup so quickly that it rattled in its saucer. "I'm coming!" He scrambled up from his chair and turned to address the blond woman. "Nephry, thank you so much for your hospitality. Please, feel free to visit me in Daath at any time."

"It was my pleasure, Fon Master," Nephry replied, also rising from her chair. "Luke, what do you mean by saying that Van is trying to capture Lorelei? If he fell into the core, how is he still alive?!"

"My apologies, Governor, but I'm afraid we have no time to explain," Jade said, stepping forward to hand her a folded sheet of paper and three sealed envelopes. "Here is my full report on the situation. Please forward our letters to His Imperial Majesty in Grand Chokmah, King Ingobert in Baticul, and Mayor Teodoro in Yulia City. Thank you for protecting the Fon Master in our absence. Good day."

"What?!" Nephry yelped indignantly. "Now wait just a minute, brother...!"

Flynn blinked in surprise. The Governor of Keterburg was Jade's sister? He glanced back and forth between Jade and Nephry. Yes, there was some resemblance beyond just the fact that they both wore glasses...

"Let's be going now," said Jade, turning his back on Nephry and walking out of the room.

"Uh..." said Luke with an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, Nephry. We're in a hurry here. Come on, everyone!" He dashed out the door after Jade.

Flynn turned to Nephry. "Er... pleased to make your acquaintance, Governor. I hope we shall meet again under better—Hey!" he protested, as Natalia grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the office.

"Bye, Nephry!" Anise chirped over her shoulder, escorting Ion after Flynn and Natalia. Tear followed Anise, closing the office door upon the now-bewildered Governor.

Flynn found himself being hustled away from the Governor's Residence, with Natalia still pulling on his arm and Tear gripping him by his opposite elbow. Anise and Ion followed them as they all hurried through the snowy streets to catch up with Luke and Jade.

"Wait...!" Flynn objected as he stumbled along between Natalia and Tear. "Wasn't it terribly rude to just leave like that?! I know we're short on time, but surely—!"

"Ugh..." Anise groaned. "Do you really want to explain about how you're not Guy – again?!"

"Well, no, but—!"

"I'm sure the Colonel included the mix-up with you and Guy in his report," Tear said calmly. "For now, let's get back to the Albiore."

"Mix-up?" Ion's voice, behind Flynn, was hesitant with confusion. "Anise, what's going on?"

"We'll explain once we're on our way to Daath," Anise replied. "Sorry, Ion. It's complicated."

"All right..." Ion said dubiously.

Flynn, Ion, and the girls caught up with Luke and Jade at the city's south gate. Luke was out of breath, bent forward with his hands on his knees. Next to Luke, Jade stood at ease with his hands tucked casually into his pockets.

"Well, well, Flynn," Jade caroled. "A lovely lady on each arm?"

Flynn nearly choked with embarrassment and outrage. "Why—why, you...!" he sputtered incoherently.

Jade chuckled. "I'm joking," he told Flynn, before turning to Ion. "Fon Master, my apologies for not introducing you earlier. I hope you'll forgive me for such a shameful lapse in manners."

Flynn scowled, not at all pleased by Jade's lighthearted use of the word shameful. The Colonel clearly had no feelings of shame about their hasty departure from the Governor's office.

Ignoring Flynn's displeasure, Jade continued, "Flynn, this is Fon Master Ion, the supreme leader of the Order of Lorelei. Fon Master, may I present Flynn Scifo, from Terca Lumireis. Now, shall we proceed to the Albiore and continue our little catch-up chat there?"

"I would appreciate some explanations, yes," Ion replied, with a hint of censure in his tone. The young Fon Master clearly disapproved of Jade's levity. Flynn's fury at Jade slowly dissipated. Fon Master Ion had the same air of calm authority as Prince Ioder; it felt like a soothing balm to Flynn's soul.

Ion regarded Flynn with a mixture of curiosity and concern in his emerald-green eyes. "Your name is Flynn?" he asked. "What happened to Guy, then? Is he all right?"

"We don't know, and we don't have time to waste going over all of it again," Anise replied.

"Certainly not here in the public street!" Natalia added emphatically.

"Sorry, Ion," Luke apologized, as they all exited the city.

Their trek back to the Albiore was silent, except for dispatching a few lingering monsters.

"What?!" Yuri sputtered with outrage. "We're gonna give Alexei to Leblanc and the Tweedles?!"

"Well, they are Schwann's subordinates," Raven said reasonably, as the group threaded their way through the streets of Zaphias's lower quarter. "And Sodia's under arrest. You got a better idea?"

Guy bit his lip to keep himself from laughing at Yuri's expression. Whoever Leblanc and the Tweedles were, Yuri seemed to have a very low opinion of them.

"My, how the mighty have fallen," Judith remarked cheerfully to Alexei. Her magenta eyes sparkled with mischief.

Alexei, shuffling along in his cocoon of ropes, sighed defeatedly. "It makes no difference. None of us will live long. The catastrophe will swallow us all, and the world will be destroyed. There is no escape."

"Shut. The hell. Up!" Yuri snarled at him.

"Grrrrrr," Repede growled menacingly at Alexei.

"Oh, I think it's perfect," Estelle giggled. "Alexei left Schwann to die. Now Schwann's subordinates will have custody of him." Her face took on a more serious look as she added, "I'm sure they'll be very motivated to make sure he doesn't escape."

Rita snickered. "They'd have to really screw up, to let Alexei get away when he's like this."

"Aye," said Patty. "He's clinging to his despair like a barnacle to a ship's keel!"

Guy refrained from pointing out, in Alexei's hearing, that the ex-Commandant might still attempt to escape his punishment by committing suicide. He resolved to warn Leblanc and the Tweedles of the risk privately, away from Alexei or Yuri.

As the group reached a three-way intersection with a fountain in the middle, they were met by a stout man in orange armor who was trailed by two more men – one tall and skinny, the other short and rotund – wearing tan and green uniforms. All three men had their helmets open to reveal their faces.

"Sir Schwann!" said the stout man, saluting Raven. "All's quiet in the lower quarter, sir!"

Raven sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Lieutenant Leblanc, I got new orders for ya. Take this traitor—" he paused to shove Alexei toward the lieutenant "—into custody, and escort him to the castle dungeon for interrogation."

Leblanc's eyes widened. "Sir! You and Sir Flynn arrested him?"

"Uh..." said Raven, "yeah, somethin' like that."

"...Tch," Yuri snorted in disgust.

The taller of Leblanc's two men glared at Yuri. "I say, don't you dare give Captain Schwann your attitude, Yuri Lowell!"

"You're a criminal, too, you know," the shorter man added.

Leblanc, meanwhile, shifted his stare to Guy. "Sir Flynn?" he asked uncertainly.

Guy shook his head. "Here we go again..." he muttered. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and said, "Sorry, but I'm not Flynn. My name is Guy Cecil."

Leblanc frowned at Guy in irritation. "First Captain Schwann declares himself to be 'just Raven,' and now you're someone else too? With all due respect, Sir Flynn, a person's identity isn't a matter for jokes."

"I'm not joking," said Guy defensively. He was beginning to get very, very tired of people mistaking him for Flynn. Was this going to happen everywhere he went?

"It's true, Lieutenant," said Raven, with an unusually stern tone replacing his normal laconic drawl. "Captain Flynn has disappeared. This 'Guy' mysteriously appeared in Flynn's place. We don't know how or why."

Leblanc looked absolutely stunned. "Uh..." he stammered. "Y-Yes, Sir Schw—Sir Raven! Er... is Sodia also under arrest, sir?" he added, glancing at Sodia's tied hands.

"Yeah," Raven replied with another sigh. "Take her into custody too, willya?"

Leblanc saluted yet again. "Yes sir! Er... may I ask why she's under arrest, sir?"

"You may not, Lieutenant," Raven answered shortly.

Leblanc gulped. "My apologies, sir!"

"Move out!" Raven commanded.

With Leblanc and his two subordinates, evidently the Tweedles, added to their little parade, the group continued onward and upward. Guy struggled not to laugh at the stares they collected from the citizens of the lower quarter, public quarter, and nobles' quarter. A crowd of fourteen people and one dog made for quite a spectacle, especially with two of the people being prisoners.

Approaching the castle, Guy was vaguely reminded of the uppermost level of Baticul. He felt oddly homesick for a moment – not for the Kimlascan royal castle or Duke Fabre's manor, but for the people he had lived with there for many years. He wondered whether Luke was doing okay without his support, and whether Luke's group had succeeded in their mission to stop Van and save Auldrant.

Waiting at the top of the stairs, in front of the castle's tall, ornate bronze doors, was a young man with blond hair. He was dressed in a fancy outfit that featured a long green velvet jacket over a tan waistcoat, dark trousers, and a white shirt with a wide collar. He also wore a white neckerchief pinned in place with a ruby brooch. His expression was serene except for the hint of worry in his turquoise eyes. He was guarded by four Imperial Knights in the red uniforms of the Royal Guard.

As Yuri's group approached, the young man asked, "You brought Alexei back alive?"

Yuri grimaced. "Wasn't my idea, Your Highness. It was his." He jerked his head irritably toward Guy.

The young man's concerned look transmuted to a smile, and his eyes began twinkling with mirth. "Ha ha ha! Why am I not surprised?" he laughed. "Well done, Commandant Flynn Scifo! Well done indeed!"

"Er..." said Guy, embarrassed by this misplaced praise. "Are you Prince Ioder?" he asked cautiously.

Prince Ioder gave Guy a brief nod and a puzzled look. "You... are not Flynn," he said slowly. "Who are you?"

Guy swept an aristocratic bow, hand over heart. "Guy Cecil, at your service, Your Highness."

"Is that so..." Ioder said thoughtfully. "Where is Flynn, then?"

"He disappeared," Estelle replied sadly. "We don't know where he went, but we think he switched places with Guy."

Ioder's blond eyebrows drew down. "Switched places? What do you mean?"

"It's complicated, Your Highness," Guy said with a sigh.

"I see," Ioder replied. Surveying the group, he added, "I think we had better continue this conversation in private. Please follow me."

As Guy, Yuri, and everyone else followed Ioder into the castle, Guy realized with surprise that the prince was the first person since Yuri who had identified him as not Flynn without being told so by someone else. Not at first glance, true, but nevertheless, it was progress of a sort.

Inside the castle, Raven broke off from the group briefly with Leblanc and the two Tweedles to escort Alexei and Sodia to the dungeon. "I'll be back shortly, Your Highness," he said to Ioder, bowing.

"Thank you," Ioder acknowledged.

Guy, Yuri, Repede, Estelle, Rita, Karol, Judith, Patty, and Witcher followed Ioder through a convoluted series of hallways into a room crowded with bookshelves – the castle library, apparently. Bookcases covered all the walls, except for one wall entirely devoted to frosted glass windows and two sections of the opposite wall, each of which featured a carved stone fireplace with a pair of unlit candelabras on the mantel and a painting on the wall directly above. In the center of the room was a long table partially covered by a green brocade runner down the middle. More than a dozen chairs surrounded the table, all with green brocade cushions to match the table runner.

Ioder sat down at the head of the table. "Please be seated," he told the group. As everyone except Repede selected a chair, Ioder added invitingly, "Shall I send for refreshments? You must all be exhausted from your ordeal at Zaude."

"Yes, please," Estelle replied, with a formal nod as she sat down.

Ioder gave one of his guards a wordless commanding look. The guard saluted and hurried out of the room.

Repede yawned, stretched, and lay down behind Yuri's chair, crossing one front paw over the other. Yuri glanced briefly at his faithful canine companion, and his expression softened slightly. "Good boy," he murmured. Repede thumped his tail twice in response.

"I'm glad to see you're safe, cousin," Ioder continued to Estelle once everyone was settled. "Although it may be premature to say that anyone on Terca Lumireis is safe, just at present. What is that strange shadow in the sky?"

"It's the Adephagos... the catastrophe from one thousand years ago," Estelle replied. "Zaude was a barrier blastia, not a weapon, and Alexei accidentally destroyed it."

Ioder frowned. "I think you had better begin at the beginning. How did all of this come to pass? What was the exact sequence of events?"

"Well..." said Estelle, taking a deep breath, "you see..."