Chapter Seven: An Explanation

"Emperor Peony!" Guy called from the other side of his door.

"That you, Guy?" He opened the door and smiled with fake calmness.

"Please don't give me that face." Guy glared.

"What's with the death glare? Did you figure out that I named a girl rappig after you?" He joked. Guy twitched and slammed his fist against the wall.

"Don't give me that trash!" He spat. "Tell me the truth here and now. Do I have a baby brother?" Peony flinched.

"W-what do y-"

"IM'S ASKING YOU THE QUESTION DAMMIT!" Guy screamed. Peony avoided his glare and shifted them to the sleeping rappigs. "Is that 'Zeno' kid in the picture my brother?"

"Yes."

"Is he dead?"

"No."

"Is he Kyle?" Peony remained silent, but Guy received all the evidence he needed. "Why did you have to hide it?"

"If I told you, you would have fallen apart! I can still tell you're upset about Mary, but if I told you that you had a brother that died, I wouldn't know what to do."

"But he's not dead." Guy dropped his fist and let it fall to his side.

"I thought he was dead when I gave you the picture. But when I remembered the crescent moon shaped birth on his neck, I started to examine him more carefully. Seeing similar qualities between you and him convinced me to believe that he was the lost child. You guys had enough of a burden on your shoulders when fighting Van. I didn't want to pile more things onto you."

"But you tell me this now?"

"I couldn't find the right timing."

"It doesn't matter anymore. I don't even know if I want that guy to be my brother." Guy hid his eyes under his bangs and clenched his teeth. He left the door way and out the palace where the others waited. When he reached inside the Albiore 2, Noelle was in the pilot's seat and the others sitting in the passenger chairs. Anise kept quiet bout Kyle and his connection to Guy while they began to discuss their plan to re create the planet storm.

"Master? What happened to Kyle and Cheese?" Mieu stuck his head out from Luke's bag noticing they were aboard a different vessel. An awkward silence grew.

"Well…" Natalia began to break the ice. "He found some of his old friends and left with Cheese."

"I don't care anymore. Getting involved with him and those two will only cause trouble." Guy walked over to a cabinet and kicked it.

"What's with him? Ever since last night, he seemed to have something on his mind." Luke whispered to the others.

"Ignore him. He just needs to cool off." Jade said and gave his usual fake smile. Anise cradled her head in both of her hands and stared into space. "Anise, you've been usually quiet… is there something you three know?" Luke asked suspiciously.

"W-what? Are you doubting cute little me?" she poked both cheeks and smiled innocently.

"It's because your acting so suspicious I'm asking you…" Luke sighed and examined his friend's faces. "Are you guys ready to go back down there?"

"We don't have a choice I'm afraid." Natalia crossed her legs and straightened her clothes. "Things won't be as easy to do without Kyle around…"

The crowd became quiet and all they could hear was the sound of the engines. Guy rested his forehead against the cold wall and closed his eyes. He shut out the world and focused on his memories. He traveled back to the oldest memory he could reach and replayed it. He could remember the maids running around the household late in the middle of the day in frenzy. Guy and Mary sat on the side of his bed with her golden hair tied together and hanging over her shoulder. She smiled worriedly but stroked his head. He looked at her with confused eyes and questioned her uneasiness. She simply shook her head and mumbled words he could not hear. He could remember being surprised and his heart started to sink. Mary took his hands and said a simple prayer to Lorelei. They both smiled and giggled until screams were heard from outside his room. Maids flooded the room armed with brooms, and one with a black wrapped blanket. The woman holding the blanket hid behind the others and gave it to Mary. She mouthed words he could not understand as Mary placed it in a far corner of fireplace. She pushed Guy into the fireplace next the blanket and firmly told him to not leave that spot. Once the knights reached his room, Guy started to sob and called for his sister. Once the knights took notice of him, Mary shielded him along with his other maids. Guy opened his eyes in a cold sweat and fell to his knees. His blue eyes were wide open and his hands trembled. Reliving that moment that he had sealed away before.

"Guy? Are you alright?" Luke rushed to his side and brought Guy to his feet.

"Yeah… it's nothing." Guy stuck his hands in his pockets to hide his trembling hands. Luke crossed his arms and inspected his face.

"I'm not too sure about that…" Luke said worriedly.

"He's right Guy. Something might happen to you while were down in the Absorption Gate if you keep things to yourself." Natalia stood next to Guy and placed her hand on his shoulder. Guy looked at the hand and then shifted his gaze to the window full of clouds.

"It's nothing I really want you guys to know…" Guy let Natalia's hand fall to her side and sat in an empty seat.

"We'll have to keep bugging you until you eventually tell us, Guy." Jade pushed his glasses into place.

"Jade, you know having a brother that works for the God Generals isn't a good thing." Guy leaned forward and weaved his fingers through each other. "I just don't know what I will do if I ever have to face him again. Do I think of him as my baby brother? Or my enemy?"

"… Think of him as both." Guy looked at him, baffled. "He's your brother, and yet your enemy. It's like how I thought of Dist. An annoying bastard that I've known for years and yet something inside me wanted to strangle him even though we were friends at one point." Jade smiled and Guy twitched.

"Doesn't sound like you were ever friends…" Guy shook his head.

"Well, you and 'Kyle' were never real brothers. You've only known each other for at most a week." Anise looked at them. She was spacing out when they were talking and didn't hear a word they were saying. She could feel the tension between them and decided to pretend to be thinking while they continued.

"Well unlike you, I'm not as cold." Guy glared.

"Why, thank you. You're not as cold, but you hold the same relationship. I only killed Dist because I knew it was for the better. I had to dispose those feelings of friendship to face him each time we would fight. You have to be willing to do the same if we ever fight him. If not, then stay back." Jade's words stung Guy, but he knew he was right.

"Who said we ever had to fight?" Anise stuck her words into the conversation. "Sync and Gloomieta might now have no desire of facing us ever again… right?" She smiled with a strained look.

"We have to prepare for the worst." Jade stated.

"Anise, it's alright." Guy whispered.

"Alright! Here we are." Noelle called out to the others.

They disembarked the Albiore 2 and walked across the snowy ground. They left their footprints behind and stood at the cave's entrance. The solders seemed to be in frenzy, going back and forth from inside to outside.

"What's going on?" Tear raised her voice and grabbed one of the solders. "Did something happen?"

"W-well…" he trailed off. Tear made her grip tighter making him yelp. "It's Sync the Tempest and Arietta the Wild! They came here claming we have to stop the mission!"

"What!" Tear released the man and glanced at the mouth of the cave where Arietta, Sync and Kyle waited.

"Sync! Arietta! Zeno! What are you doing?" Guy screamed.

"Zeno?" Luke asked.

"It's Kyle." Anise replied. "His real name."

"You have to stop the mission!" Sync answered.

"Dist stole parts of the engine and shield! If you go down now, you'll die!" Arietta called from behind Sync.

"Dist is alive?" Jade scowled.

"We know where he is. If you let us help you, we'll tell you." Sync smirked. "Deal?"

"If you act like that, no." Luke mumbled.

"Should we trust them?" Guy reached for sword, waiting.

"Check the engine room. If it's true, then we'll let them lead us to Dist." Jade concluded. Guy went ahead and inspected the engine. He found small, but needed parts of the engine, missing. He poked his head out from the window and jumped out. He nodded his head and turned to them.

"Are you sure we can trust you?" Guy glared at Zeno.

"Positive." Zeno extended his hand. Guy stared at it skeptically, and shook it. "All aboard the Albiore 2. We're headed to Ortion Cave!"