'Explain this!' Dahlia said, throwing the picture to Cortes. Mahad was standing behind Dahlia, Midnight sat on a chair behind Cortes.

'What is there to explain?' Cortes asked. He had caught the picture.

'You knew who I was for all these years?' Dahlia said in disbelief. 'And you hid your own identity, too?'

'Yes.' Cortes said. He looked at Dahlia, very calm.

'Why did you never tell me?'

'If you read your mother's letter properly, you'd know I was just doing my job.'

'How can this be part of your job?' Cheng mixed in.

'I might lead the rebellion, but my primary job is protecting the moon princess. Dahlia.'

Dahlia stood there, shaking her head. 'I still can't believe it, Mac. I had the right to know.'

'And I had the duty to protect you. If Oslo found out who you were, he'd kill you! Just like he killed your sister!' Cortes said. 'By the way, you mother's final orders to me were: "Protect her. Don't let her father know who she is.". And that's exactly what I did, so if you want to be angry a someone, be angry at Dina!'

Dahlia stood dumbstruck. Cortes had pushed her most sensitive buttons. And he knew it. Dahlia looked at the ground. Cortes felt sorry for her, but he couldn't let her know that.

'Can someone please explain what is going on? Cortes, why does she call you with another name?' Wayan said, confused.

'My real name is MacIntosh Taylor. When I joined the rebellion to protect Dahlia, Marcus adviced me to use another name.' Cortes said. Now it was completely confusing.

'My father knew about this?' Mahad said.

'Yes. The moon princess always has two guards. In Dahlia's case, Marcus and me.' Cortes said. 'In case you two wonder, Mahad, Lena, he's still alive.'

Now everyone stood dumbstruck.

'What? How?!' the Vector asked. 'That explosion...'

'Was a cover-up.' Cortes said. 'By the way, our next stop is Marcus. So ask him about this. He'll explain it better then I can.'

----

Later that evening…

'I just completely lost faith in him. I can't believe he knew who I was all these years. He had promised me to tell me should he find something out, and now it turns out he knew it all along.' Dahlia said. She stood by the window of her cabin. Her gloves lay on her desk, her shoes stood next to the door. Mahad sat on her bed.

'I know what you mean, in some way. I can't believe he hid the fact that my father is still alive.' he said, while he stood up. He walked over to Dahlia, and touched her shoulder. Her skin felt like silk. Dahlia turned around at him. Her mouth stood a little bit open. They were so close together. Both of them felt their heart pumping like crazy.

And then they kissed.

For Dahlia, it felt like a relief. She wanted to do this for ages. And now she did it, she knew it was right. She knew he was the man for her.

For Mahad, it was quite confusing. He loved her, very much. But she had always denied him, offended him…

As they came loose from each other, they couldn't believe what happened. They were out of breath. She touched his cheek, he touched hers.

And then they kissed again. This time they completely stopped thinking. Dahlia took his jacket of him and threw it on the ground. They had to break up their kiss so Dahlia could pull his shirt over his head. It landed somewhere in a corner. Mahad opened the back of Dahlia's dress, and it easily slid on the ground. They fell on Dahlia's bed. Her hands moved towards Mahad's pants…

----

Ten years ago…

The gunshot was clearly heard. Eärendil sat there, on her bed, with the gun in her hands. Her mother lay motionless on the floor. Eärendil couldn't believe what she had just done.

Mac rushed in. When he saw Dina's body on the floor and Eärendil with the gun in her hands, he realized what happened. Without hesitation he lifted the young girl up.

Oslo came in and blocked the door, leaving Mac with only one option.

The window.

He jumped.

Young Eärendil used her powers to make their landing softer. Dina's horse, a brown mare, stood in the grass. Mac placed Eärendil on the back of the animal.

'Eärendil, listen. Don't stop for anything, until you found me. Ride in a straight line.'

'But Mac…'

Mac wasn't listening. He was giving instructions to the horse. 'Ride, Falladah, ride with the wind!' he said. Then he slapped the horse's butt. It ran away, carrying Eärendil to safety.

'Do you think you can get away with kidnapping my daughter?' Oslo said. Mac turned around.

'What, kidnapping? It's better for her to get away from you then stay with you. She shot her own mother. And why? To prevent you from raping her again.' Mac said.

'You filthy rat…' Oslo hissed, before he send a ball of seijin energy towards Mac. Mac lifted up his arm and the earth followed his command. It rose, to protect Mac. When it fell down again, Mac had disappeared. Oslo saw the vague figure of a man on a black horse riding away.

"I'll leave them. I'll find them whenever I want, anyway." he thought.

He thought.

----

'Come on, Ylar.' Mac said to his horse. It took them some time to find Eärendil.

'EÄRENDIL!' Mac yelled. Eärendil stopped her horse.

'Mac!!'

'Follow me. I know a place where you are safe.'

----

Now…

Dahlia woke up, shaking. It took her some time to find out where she was. Then she knew it. Saint Nazaire. Her cabin. Her bed. Mahad.

He had woke up with her. He had his arm around her shoulders.

'Are you ok?' he asked. He was worried. Who wouldn't be?

Dahlia buried her face in his chest and began to cry. She felt the warmth of his naked body.

'I dreamed how I shot my mother.' she said. Mahad held her in his arms. He kissed her forehead. Dahlia looked up. Now he kissed her nose. Then her lips.

It took them five minutes to quit. The realizing the time, they fell back asleep, Dahlia safely huddled away in Mahad's arms.

----

Cortes smiled. Mahad had left with Dahlia, and you didn't have to be a genius to know that they slept together.

Everything was going exactly as planned…

----

Oslo looked at Diwan. She had just informed him that the Saint Nazaire had landed on a neutral block near Sphere territory. The block where he had lived with Dina and his daughters.

It was impossible that Eärendil was on the ship. She was dead. He had killed her himself.

He thought.

Fool that he was.

A/N Sorry if you're an Oslo fan. I'm really making him look stupid.