A/N I DON'T OWN SKYLAND.

Please review.

Mila jerked out of sleep and opened her eyes to the dark cockpit of the Hyperion. She was still curled up on the front passenger seat of the ship.

"Ouch." Her skin was burnt in several places and her close-fitting Sphere uniform was sprinkled with singed holes; even her shoe laces were scorched. Something smelled like smoke; she realized it was herself. She reached up to feel her loose hair which was brittle and pointing wildly in every direction. She then looked at her reflection in the window on her right and gasped.

Mila moaned slightly as she attempted to smooth the tangled mess down. The star strewn sky was still outside; the clouds drifted lazily in the distance. It now occurred to her that she was alone. Why had they stopped?

A figure was moving on the Hyperion's hull outside. It was Marcus, probably inspecting for any damage caused by the storm. They were docked next to a strand of small, rocky blocks speckled with pine trees that camouflaged them from sight from any approaching enemies. She opened the window and instant icy winds surrounded her and blew inside the cockpit. Mila poked her head out and looked at Marcus.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

Marcus jumped and dropped a tool he was holding with a loud clang! He clutched his chest and sighed. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Well, sorry." Mila said, cringing at his loud yell which sent jolts of pain in her ear. At least she could hear everything clearly now.

He muttered to himself and dropped the fallen object in the tool box before coming towards her. "You're awake." He stated as he leaned forwards against the open windows. "You've been asleep all day. I just stopped at nightfall to check for damages."

Mila held back from laughing. His hair stood in every direction and, like her, he was covered in burns and his clothes were scorched. Grease smeared his forehead. She snorted.

"What's so funny?" He demanded.

"It's just-" She doubled over from laughing too hard. "Look at yourself…" Here she laughed hysterically.

He frowned angrily as he peered at his reflection on the window. "Yeah, well you don't look so hot yourself."

Mila stopped and they glared at each other momentarily before both succumbing to laughter again.

When they had their breath back they proceeded to more serious matters. Marcus explained that the Hyperion would be fine for the rest of the voyage; the winds had battered the vessel but it had made a quick recovery. Marcus had had no choice but to stop to check for damages, but the good news was that they were now in the outskirts of the Archipelago; completely hidden. Where those Sphere patrol ships had come from was still a mystery.

"Didn't see any ships all afternoon." He said and Mila relaxed a little. Marcus wiped the grease from his forehead on his sleeve. "I'm starving. I brought some provisions from home. I'll go get them, be right back."

He fetched the rucksack in the cabin below and came back with more canned goods while Mila waited in her seat. He climbed inside and sat next to her; he handed over a preserve jar from his backpack.

"Oh good, my favorite. Pickled beets…" Mila exclaimed sarcastically as they settled with their meals. "Wow, did your father stock up for apocalypse?" She asked with a small laugh, amazed at the amount of food that had survived all those years in the abandoned farm house. Well, he had been a farmer; these people usually stocked their foodstuffs in the cellar.

Marcus didn't answer; he just kept eating in silence.

That was a stupid thing to say, she realised quickly.

She was starving so she ate her canned vegetables in a matter of minutes. She sipped the water bottle that she kept clipped on her belt; it was half-empty now. Marcus yawned and stretched.

"You should get some sleep. I can keep watch..." Mila told him. Marcus nodded and grabbed the rucksack. He stood up but the old bag, which was unzipped, spilled its contents all over the cockpit floor. He cursed and started picking up the objects rather quickly; they were mostly other jars or tin cans that he had taken from the house. He staggered around, hurriedly cramming the fallen items in the bag, his eyes wide. Mila frowned at his behaviour.

Something had fallen at her feet. She picked it up; it was a cracked picture frame that had escaped from the bag. His parents looked at her from behind the splintered glass. For a moment she just stared at them in surprise. Then Marcus roughly snatched it from her hands and stuffed it in the bag.

"You took this from home-" She said. He always acted so laid back and cool that she was surprised.

He missed them.

After picking up the two last runaway objects, Marcus climbed out of the cockpit silently.

"Marcus?"

He made his way to the cabin on the outside deck and descended down the hatch. Mila felt like an intruder. Perhaps he hadn't wanted her to see that he had taken the photograph with him. It was none of her business but Mila felt inclined to go see him.

She stood up, wincing slightly because she was sore, and made her way outside; she waited for him on the metal hull. The air was cold and minty here; they must be further up north, she decided as she looked at the tall pine trees and glimpsed some patches of icy snow on the forest floor. The small woodland blocks littered the sky, like a procession of polished grey meteorites. It was all trees; no sign of human life.

She heard Marcus moving around down there and she waited until he climbed back up. It took a few minutes; she pretended to be busy looking at the sky. Finally, the sound of heavy boots clunking against metal rungs could be heard as Marcus exited the cabin. Mila glanced at him from the corner of her eye as his head appeared out of the hole. He climbed out and slammed the hatch shut. Mila turned and looked at him; it was apparent that he was distraught - or angry; Mila had difficulty knowing.

"Sorry." She whispered after a long, uncomfortable silence. She didn't know what else to say. It was obvious that he hated her because she had been part of the Sphere. He had always hated her, she thought darkly, he had just hidden it to remain impersonal. But it was clear; she represented the Sphere, no matter what happened...

The Sphere had destroyed his family.

"I wish I had never joined the Sphere." She murmured sincerely. She wanted to go back in time and change it but, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't. "Your family didn't deserve what they… what we did to them." Her voice broke and she looked down with shame.

The whistling winds filtered through the pine trees, filling in the silence. Mila's eyes moistened with angry tears that threatened to spill.

Marcus wiped the back of his hand against his eyes and sniffed loudly. He didn't want to show her his emotions but she could see why he had gone into the lower cabin. Mila wasn't going to tell him that she knew why though.

How she hated herself at this moment! Everything she had believed in was wrong. The one thread of hope that the Sphere wasn't all bad had dissipated this morning when Oslo, her friend, had tried to shoot down the Hyperion.

It hurt.

Now, she could see clearly: the Sphere truly was just a ruthless oppression. Mila had no possible way of knowing if the pirates themselves were any better, but she did know that the Sphere was cruel and unjust towards its people. The citizens of skyland were suffering. Maybe the pirates needed to steal water in order to survive. Maybe. And to think of all those hours she used to plot with Oslo about the Prophecy. About how they would ultimately rule the world… How sickening, how repulsive.

She had changed.

And now, she had lost Marcus too… He had always hated her, hadn't he? She was alone. But she wanted to be with him; it was suddenly clear to her that she felt like she belonged when she was with this pirate. It was so strange.

The girl glanced at him trough her watery, distorted vision. What was he waiting for? Why wasn't he yelling at her?

The pirate breathed quietly and stepped forward; he stood before the ex-guardian but she looked away.

"Look, it's not your fault." He said tiredly, throwing her completely off guard. Mila shook her head angrily.

Where was his anger and hate? Didn't he want to scream at her and at everything she represented?

"It is my fault Marcus." She snapped, "You were right all along and- and I've been putting you in danger. I almost killed us back there when you shot at the S-15's." She stopped and wiped her eyes hastily, taking a step backward. "And I just don't understand why you helped me."

"Mila," He said. "I wouldn't have helped you if I thought you were a murderer." Seeing how she didn't feel any better he continued. "A guardian is a cruel pawn the Sphere uses to terrorize people." She looked up. "You don't represent this description in any way."

"But-"

"You were lied to. It isn't your fault." He repeated. How ironic that this was specifically the argument that had convinced her to save him during her first mission not so long ago.

Mila held her arms and avoided his gaze; they were mere inches from each other now. The stress of the week had finally gotten to her. At the Academy, they had been told time and time again to toss emotions aside. Any infraction on this rule resulted in severe punishment so Mila had conditioned herself to being indifferent. It seems however that she was unsuccessful seeing how easily she let herself go.

"I should leave-" She started saying and Marcus came closer, getting rid of the distance that separated them. Before she knew it, he had wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in a comforting hug. For a moment she was surprised and rigid in his arms, wanting to push him away. But then, surprising herself in the process, she hugged him too, crossing her arms behind his back. She leaned her head on his chest; he smelled like burnt leather. She liked the smell.

Mila never hugged anyone; it was frowned upon back in school. It felt good to have human contact, to touch someone else, to feel warmth and comfort. To hear the reassuring thumping of his heart against her ear. It was the most natural thing in the world and yet, it was something that she lacked.

Oddly, she felt safe now; this pirate, this outlaw… She cared for him. Even if she had been telling herself otherwise.

"Okay?" Marcus asked. She looked up and their eyes met. They were inches from each other's faces now and she gave a half smile. The same look that went between them on the little quay in Babylonia returned, this time it was stronger. Mila's heart leapt with happiness though she had no idea why.

Their foreheads touched; for a moment they remained that way, unmoving, just looking at each other.

Mila closed her eyes for a second. It only took that one second for Marcus to lose his composure.

He bent and kissed her lips softly. It was short and sweet; the corner of Mila's lips curved into a smile. He pulled back, realizing what he had just done.

"This is crazy." He whispered.

"I know." Mila answered before placing her arms behind his neck and kissing him back.

How ridiculous they must look! A beaten, worn out couple composed of two supposed enemies. Mila didn't care. It was as if time had stopped and they were the only two people in Skyland.

The soothing sound of the wind filtering through the pine tree needles blocked out any noise. The faint bleeping sound coming from the cockpit was masked too.

Mila finally pulled back from the kiss and they gazed into each other's eyes.

It was a good kiss.

A kiss that awakened the butterflies inside her; that ignited a happy, warm feeling right in the middle of her chest. Filling the void that had been there for so long.

They smiled, lost in each other's gaze. It was at that precise moment that Mila knew she wanted to spend her life with this young man.

And then it happened.

Their embrace was cut short as Marcus yelped and drew his hand to the side of his neck.

"What?" Mila asked, startled with his random outburst.

Something flashed in the darkness.

Her eyes set on a small glinting line poking out between his fingers. There was a metallic something sticking out of his neck. At first, Mila thought it was some kind of colourful bug. At least, she hoped blindly that it was an insect. She pulled his hand away to take a closer look and gasped. It was a dart. She had learned all about these darts at the Academy.

"What the hell?" He exclaimed, pulling out the dart.

It was no longer than his little finger and infinitely thin; a carefully detailed 'S' was engraved in its side. The Sphere. Mila's face was a reflection of his own dread; she could do nothing but stand there in shock however as Marcus gaped with disbelief. He swayed in place suddenly, looking rather white in the moonlight. It was too late; already his vision was blurring up.

"Mila…" He breathed weakly before his knees buckled.

"Marcus!"

Mila caught him under the arms and tried to keep him up as he leaned against her, his head resting over her shoulder. The diminutive needle fell out of his weak grasp and rebounded on the hull with a series of small clinks!

It had all happened so quickly that Mila had trouble understanding.

The Sphere was here.

She teetered under his weight as she looked around for the assailant; scared to feel the pinprick of a needle on her back. She saw only the looming shadows projected by the swaying pine trees wherever her eyes darted.

"Mila, I found you at last." A cold voice said. The girl spun around and saw a guardian standing on a distanced block, surrounded by brigadiers who aimed their guns in her direction. Two battered S-15's were just visible behind a few forested blocks in the distance. How could this be possible? This was a terrible nightmare...

"Oslo." Mila whispered with cold dread. Hadn't they lost Oslo in the storm? How did he find the Hyperion... Had he detected it on the radar? "What have you done?" She shouted, her fear morphing into anger.

The moonlight gleamed on Oslo's white-blond hair as he glared in her direction. "Don't worry; he's just going to have a nice long nap before we turn him in."

Marcus was leaning heavily on her now. She couldn't keep him up anymore. Mila wrapped an arm around his waist, pulled his right arm was over her shoulders, and bent down carefully. The pirate fell to his knees, his palms on the freezing metal hull; his eyes widened as he took in what the guardians were saying. Mila stood back up.

"We?" She asked.

"Yes, we!" Oslo shouted. "I've been covering for you all this time Mila. I thought you deserved another chance. And we will finish our first mission together."

"You can't tell me what to do!" She yelled angrily.

"Yes I can!" He answered, his voice shaking with fury. "You betrayed me…" He pointed at Marcus. "You fell for this criminal! I will watch him die and so will you. Maybe it will bring some sense into you head-"

"No! Oslo, they lied to us. The Sphere isn't what we thought!"

"LIES! Now be silent!"

Mila looked at Marcus who was now lying on his back, struggling to stay conscious. She bent down next to him and hooked one arm under his neck to lift him a little and held the side of his face with her free hand. She could feel Oslo's gaze burning on her skin.

"Marcus. Marcus…" His eyes were slowly closing. "Stay with me now. Don't fall asleep."

"You… set me up." He whispered softly.

"No, no I didn't, I swear." She assured him and slapped his face lightly so that his eyelids lifted a little. "You have to believe me, please…"

He looked at her and from his gaze Mila could understand that he didn't believe her. "Marcus…" She pleaded and a lone tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto his forehead.

He was gone.

Mila lowered her arms and rested his head on the hull carefully. It was no use trying to wake him now. She stood up shakily and glared in Oslo's direction.

No, no... This couldn't be happening… This was a nightmare. She had to be dreaming!

"Now remain still or I'll tell my brigs to do the same to you." Oslo menaced with a self-satisfied smile.

Mila shook with fury. How dare he come here and cut short their kiss! How dare he! Ordering her around like she was a child! "You're sick! I can't believe I was friends with you in School…" She shouted.

"Our destinies brought us together, remember the Prophecy." He yelled back.

"To hell with that prophecy Oslo! I don't care anymore! I. Don't. Care!" She shouted venomously, throwing her arms upwards to show her irritation. "The only reason I was your friend was pity. You were always alone… and now I think I should have left it that way!" She was satisfied by the dejected look on his pale face; the way his fists clenched with anger.

Oslo's face suddenly went red. "That's not true…" He answered uncertainly.

"You know it is." She spat out. She wanted to hurt him, to cause him anguish.

"Brigs!" He ordered in a quavering voice and the robots lifted their gun barrels.

Mila gasped and ducked just as she heard the darts whiz past her. She knew it took time for the brigadiers to reload this particular ammunition so scrambled to her feet, grabbed Marcus's arms and started dragging him towards the cockpit.

"Stop!" Oslo ordered. He didn't have his seijin powers in the darkness of night.

The girl pushed Marcus not-so-carefully inside the cockpit where he slumped on the floor. Mila jumped in herself, falling all over the place, her hands reaching towards the controls. She closed the cockpit windows just as a sprinkle of darts impacted with the glass.

Clink, clink, clink!

Mila could see Oslo gesturing to the brigadiers with anger; they were heading towards the S-15's now but she still an advantage over them. She fumbled over the controls in her panic, forgetting everything.

She had to tap the screen… No, flick that switch. What was wrong with her, why couldn't she remember?

A silvery flash caught her attention in the gloom. Mila froze with fear and spotted a dart sunk into her arm.

"No… No, no, no!" She yelled in despair.

The girl already felt drowsy, she couldn't see straight. She pulled the needle out with fury and threw it away.

Her eyes were closing.

No, stay awake!

Mila slapped her own face in a last attempt to stay conscious; but to no avail. A dark blanket of sleep enveloped her; clouding her thoughts and numbing her senses. It felt so good to give in to the shadows, not to think.

No, don't fall asleep! Think of the Hyperion, you need to start the ship…

The controls swam in front of her eyes; there were too many gauges, meters and buttons. Suddenly, the idea of piloting a ship seemed ridiculously impossible.

So tired. Maybe just a little nap… No, I mustn't!

She couldn't see now, everything was black. She was blind.

So, so sleepy.

Mila closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

A/N Honestly: who was expecting this to happen? Marcus and Mila were outside so they did not hear the alarm go off inside the closed cockpit, which is why the Sphere remained hidden.

Leave a review/Laissez un commentaire!