It was not long after that the Talon took of first followed by the Death Shadow before the Princess Mayu followed behind.
Mayu and Hoshi entered the ship just before departure.
"We have received the coordinates from the Talon. should we enter them?" Rowa asked.
"Aah, and stay beside the Talon during the journey. I'll enter the bridge shortly." Mayu said and for the first time really sounded like the captain of the ship.
Rowa bowed and hurried to the bride already giving the orders to the ship.
"She has no real smell, only metal. is she?" Hoshi asked worried from Mayu's side, looking after Rowa.
"A mech human? No Rowa and the rest of the crew are all androids my father build." Mayu smiled as she walked after Rowa calmly.
"Android?" Hoshi asked confused.
"Completely build from scratch. Father would have never let a mech human run my ship. That much I know." Mayu smiled. somehow even as she was not very well know about her ship yet, there were a lot of parts she had yet to see herself, she felt more comfortable to talk about it to Hoshi.
"This is the bridge." Mayu smiled as the large door slide up. The bride was not to unlike the Queen Emeraldas, understandable as Toshiro had used it for a base for the Princess Mayu. Mayu sat down in the chair as Hoshi sniffed around and looked at the androids and the rest of the ship.
"Welcome back Mayu." Kiran said. "I hope your stay was productive?"
"You can say that." Mayu smiled as she saw Hoshi jump at the sound of the voice and then as she looked around confused.
"Wow, the ship can talk. Cool!" Hoshi barked exited. Mayu began to laugh.
"Hoshi, Kiran is the soul of the ship." Mayu smiled.
"Very glad to met you Hoshi." Kiran said with glee in her voice.
"Same to you Kiran." Hoshi barked waving her tail. Nothing seemed to take her spirits away.
"We are on the course now, captain." The navigator said.
"How long before we will arrive?" Mayu asked as Hoshi lay down beside her chair, a place that she would never leave again.
"After entering warp space about five hours and 3 minutes captain." The navigator stated calmly. Mayu nodded.
"Captain, the Talon is calling us." Another android said.
"Put him on." Mayu said and looked to to the ceiling screen. Fritz appeared before them and the screen split showing that Little Harlock were also present in the conversation.
"You guys ready?" Fritz smiled his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes shining slightly. There was something about Fritz' pose that reminded Mayu of captain Harlock back when he was still tricking Kiruta over and over again. Remembering the look and seeing it in Fritz' eyes now, made it clear that he was a Harlock by blood and also that he had been perhaps around Harlock a little to much. She smiled.
"The princess Mayu is only waiting you signal." Hoshi looked up at her and silently saw how the look in Mayu's blue eyes seemed to hold the same fire as her Mother had. Something Hoshi had not noticed before.
"the Death Shadow is a go." Little Harlock said and stood like Young Harlock done years before on the bridge of the Deathshadow. Their family's blood seemed to boil in their veins as they knew that were on a hot trail at long last. It seemed like their lost parents were standing beside them and behind them and gave them the strength to keep searching.
"Then enter warp." Fritz ordered.
"Perhaps you should get some sleep?" Hoshi asked carefully, seeing how tired Mayu seemed to grow a few hour's into the trip.
"I am fine.. I cant get any sleep any how." Mayu said and petted Hoshi's head as the wolf placed her head in her lap.
"Why not?" Hoshi asked looking up at her.
"I been having some really bad nightmares when ever I fall asleep." Mayu said and looked away.
"My records say that you mother used to enter the hover bath when she needed to rest her mind. Perhaps that will help?" Kiran asked carefully.
"Hover bath?" Mayu asked and sat up a little.
"Yes you father build one in.. I can have Rowa show you the way and how it works if you want to." Kiran said.
"It's worth a shot." Hoshi smiled.
"aah, guess your right." Mayu said and stood up.
"This way captain." Rowa said and led them down the halls not to far from Mayu's room.
"Right in here.." Rowa said and entered. The room itself was simple. A round large room with some sort of device in the middle of it. There seemed to be a drain in the middle of the plate of the device and there was another at the plate above it.
"This is.." Mayu asked walking around it.
"Let me show you." Rowa said and activated it. Water quickly rushed in from the top and bottom.
"Oh cool!" Hoshi barked and ran up to it, but as it gathered enough water a sort of force field kicked in and gathered the water into a round bobble sort of hovering in between the two plates. Hoshi who had been to curious had leaned over the plates just as the force field kicked in and got trapped inside the bobble.
"Hoshi!" Mayu called frightened but then suddenly Hoshi began to laugh.
"It' tickles." She sent to Mayu's mind, before she began to spin herself around inside the bobble laughing.
"How can she breathe in there?" Mayu asked and touched the bobble. it only made ripples but did not burst.
"There is air bobbles that you breathe in under the water that keeps you from drowning." Rowa answered calmly.
"Oh." Mayu only said and then giggled as she saw Hoshi now had been spinning so quickly she was dizzy, kinda just floating inside it shaking her head.
"You got to try this." Hoshi sent smiling her wolf smile.
"Okey. I'll try." She smiled. "Anything is better than to sleep and have to relive that nightmare again..." Mayu thought silently.
"Yes captain." Rowa said and deactivated the bobble. The water slowly breaking out of the force field and then Hoshi could stand on the plate again. Hoshi shook the water of her fur, grinning like an idiot when she realized she had manged to make everything else wet in the proses including her new master and Rowa.
"Ops.. old habit.. sorry." Hoshi grinned. Mayu just sort of glaring at her before she began to laugh softly.
"You can change over here, captain." Rowa said and showed Mayu a change room.
"Okey.." Mayu said suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable about changing with Rowa and Hoshi there. but then again Rowa was an android and Hoshi a wolf.. Mayu entered the room and undressed covering herself with towel that lay ready for her in there.
"Yosh.." Mayu said and walked out as she loosened her hair from the hair band. her sea blue hair fell down behind her. Mayu carefully stepped up on the plate and sat down as Rowa suggested, resting her head against her knees after removing the towel.
"Is there any special effect you want out of the bath? To make you relaxed and clam or awake and energized?" Rowa asked pushing some buttons.
"Relaxed if possible." Mayu said growing a bit nevus again.
"Yes captain. I am gonna put the water on now." Rowa said and pushed some more buttons. Light green colored water began to flow out from the sides of the plates above and under Mayu.
"Making bobble. try to stay still during the first time captain." Rowa said calmly. Mayu took a deep breath and held it feeling and hearing the machine began to hum. The water level began to rise covering her more and more as she was slowly lifted by the force field. Soon the water was to her neck and she tried to lift her head higher.
"Try to relax." Hoshi reminded her. "It's not dangerous, trust me." Hoshi smiled and was glad she had gone first. Mayu nodded and lowered her head under it allowing the water to fill the bobble. A few seconds later she found herself floating inside a bobble of water.
"Call me if you need anything." Rowa said and took her leave. It was around that time that the air in her lungs were spent and she didn't remember what Rowa had said.
"You can not drown, Mayu just breathe through your nose." Kiran said suddenly making Mayu jump enough to take a breath. As she realized she could really breathe under the special water, she relaxed again. Hoshi lay just beside her. Her head on her paws already sleeping. Mayu smiled swinging gently inside the bobble.
"So peaceful she is. Even with all that has been going on. She still finds her sleep. Mayu thought and wondered if she would ever be able to sleep soundly again. She shook her head. "I am not gonna think about that right now. I am going to relax now. I am going to need my strength for what's up a head." Mayu swore to herself and tried to take her mind of her problems. After a while she fell into a calm trace and seemed to finally find some rest again.
For some time both Hoshi and Mayu seemed to rest but then Hoshi woke up to the feeling that something was wrong. She looked around and saw that Mayu was struggling screaming under water and filling her lungs with water.
"Kiran! Get her out of there!" Hoshi screamed terrified. The water bubble broke as the water pored into the drains. Mayu fell forwards towards the floor. Hoshi jumped forwards spinning herself around, making Mayu fall over her back and kept her from slamming her head to the floor. The hard push against her chest, by her lading over the wolf's back forced most of the water in her lungs up. Coffining to get the rest up, she hanged over the wolf's back.
"Mayu? You okey?" Hoshi asked carefully as Mayu pulled of her. She sat down of the floor and just curled together, holding around herself.
"It's not true.. It's not.." She whispered to herself starring into the floor mindlessly.
"Mayu?" Hoshi asked worried as she stood in front of her. Mayu did not even notice her, she just starred blankly at her paws and kept whispering.
"Mayu?" Hoshi asked, now really scared. Again she got no response.
"Forgive me.." Hoshi muttered moving up to her and then setting her fangs into her left overarm.
"OW!" Mayu screamed as she was ripped out of her mind's darkness. Hoshi pulled back quickly.
"You bit me!" Mayu cried holding around the arm as blood began to pipe out.
"I'm sorry. I had to..You weren't answering me.. I had to make you see whats real." Hoshi whimpered.
"Real?" Mayu asked looking confused at Hoshi.
"You were pretty far gone there Mayu." Kiran agreed.
"What happened?" Hoshi asked worried. Seeing those blue eyes she knew so well, she for some reason desisted to tell everything. She had to tell someone or it felt like her head would blow if she did not.
Mayu started to tell what she did know and about her nightmare.
"As I was in there.. I was thinking about all the memories I do have.. Then all of a sudden it was like a voice spoke in my mind.. I could not understand her but suddenly all my memories seemed to change.. I was thinking about happy memories like being on board the Arcadia and suddenly every thing just turned horrible and.. and.. Harlock was the reason for for it, but I know that's not true. Harlock would never harm me.. and yet it felt so.. feels so real." Mayu began to cry.
"And that dream.. I can almost feel his blood on my hands." She cried and cried. Hoshi looked at her but said nothing, letting Mayu get all her worries out. She had been holding it in so long it was like a damn breaking when she finally let it out.
"What if I really did it? What if I have killed him?" she cried. Hoshi licked away Mayu's tears.
"You haven't. Harlock is alive and well. I would have felt it if Harlock was hurt. My father would have felt it. Mayu look at your arm." Hoshi said low and nudged her chin.
Mayu took away the hand holding around the wound after Hoshi's fangs. S stripe of blood had began to drip down her arm.
"That blood and the pain you feel is real. That dream... Those memories are not." Hoshi said strongly.
"Hoshi.. Thank you." Mayu said hugging the black female.
"I'm gonna stay with you the entire way, Mayu. You can count on it!" Hoshi barked proud. Mayu smiled for real as she let go.
"You know.. It really hurts." Mayu smiled and took around her arm again.
"sorry.." Hoshi smiled sheepishly making Kiran laugh.
The three ships arrived Rhine a few hours later.
"State your name and business here Pirates." A guard called them as they entered the atmosphere. Fritz smiled. How many times had they not been though this before on Rhine? He wondered silently.
"Captain Fritz Harlock of the Talon, Captain Franklin Harlock of the Death Shadow and Captain Mayu of Princess Mayu. We are here for some shore leave, we have traveled far and we have even further to go, so we need some time to rest our crews and resupply, while we wait for something we are gonna pick up from the three-nine." Fritz stated clearly.
"Granted. Just remember our laws pirates. You are free to do as you please but if you break any of our laws..." the guard began to say.
"We know.. You can punish us accordingly. We are not here to start trouble." Fritz stated, proving how many times he had been there.
"You can land in dock 8." The guard nodded and shut his screen of.
"Remember.. I went good for you now.. Make sure your crews don't make any trouble." Fritz said to Mayu and Little Harlock, and gave Little Harlock and Riki-ken a hard look. Said teens grinned.
"We got it." Little Harlock said with a smile.
"A planet were pirates are welcome. I never knew that existed." Mayu said surprised where she sat.
"There is only a few of them. Rhine was one of the first." Fritz smiled.
"How so?" Mayu asked as the ships went in for landing at the set docking bay.
"Long story short.. Harlock and the others saved this planet a few times so the king felt he owned them that much." Mizu grinned.
"Something like that." Fritz smiled.
A little later Mayu and Hoshi was walking down the market place of the capital. At first May had felt a little out of place, and wondered if she should not have taken a cape over her suit, but as no one really seemed to care, she relaxed a little. She noticed some men stare at her but as she looked back at them they tried to flirt with her. It was an odd feeling but she ignored it and them as best as she could, Hoshi growling low beside her.
As they walked down the busy streets, Hoshi was awestruck with all the sounds and smells of the buzzing market place.
Pirates were apparently a big market here at the salesmen called out to her, trying to sell her anything from silk to fruit and so on.
As they had left their ships Fritz had told them to do what they wanted for a while. He was gonna see and old friend about when the three-nine was to arrive. Little Harlock and his crew was almost gone as soon as Fritz were done talking. Mayu had agreed to Rowa to go out and getting what they needed on board the ship. Though she had been unsure at first to go on her own, there was something she really wanted to get for her ship.
Before their arrival, Mayu and Hoshi had wandered around, with Kiran as their guide and got to know their way around the ship. They had been resting afterwards in the ship's green room when they had arrived at Rhine. Mayu had loved the green room as it was much alike the green fields of her old home where she grew up, but she felt it was missing something, birds. So arriving at Rhine and finding she had the time, she wandered around the marketplace.
"Oh, listen!" Hoshi smiled, barking. Though Mayu could almost not hear it in the noise of the marketplace, she could hear birds singing.
"There. Finally." She smiled and pointed, seeing a small pet shop in a side street.
"Come on then!" Hoshi laughed and ran towards it. The shop was more like set of sheds more like a booth than a shop and it was filled with cages.
There were so many different birds in the store. The shop seemed to be focused on birds. There was mostly birds she had never seen before and there were so many of them. They rustled in feathers in all colors.
"Are you interested in some birds, miss pirate?" An old man stepped out from the back.
Mayu nodded as she continued to look.
"Well perhaps you would be interested in a Rhine Nighting gale?" The old man smiled and pointed to a large cage not far from her, where four large dark blue and purple birds sat. They had two long purple feathers going from their heads like the whiskers of a Asian dragon.
"They only sing when they are really happy, and this much depends on their masters, but when they do, they have the worlds sweetest and loveliest voices of the universe. They are one of the most popular birds I have. They are a bit of loners so they do well alone in a cage."
"I am not gonna have them in a cage.. I have a area where they can fly free." Mayu said not even looking at the man.
"Ah so you want some pretty flying birds? Well then I suggest some Titan swallows, they are though as a nail but fantasic to see in the air. The main sellers here.." The old main said and pointed out a cage with some fire red and orange birds.
"You have any earth birds? You know.. The common wild type?" She asked looking on.
"Well well now that's a request I don't hear to often. As a matter of fact I do." The old man said with a wide smile and pulled away a side wall and showed her into a side yard with even more cages.
"I got some swallows, some robins, I even got me a pair of Crows and seagulls. You don't see much of these on earth these days sadly. I am a bit in the sentimental mood when it comes to the these birds. No one seems to want these. Every one just want the exotic ones." The old man sighed and opened the crow's cage, letting the bird walk up his arm and up on his shoulder.
"Would you sell me some of these?" Mayu asked looking at him careful.
"For you my fellow earth bird lover, you can have any ones you want." The old man said with tears in his eyes.
Mayu picked out some swallows and robins ans a pair of cardinals and some others, the old man insisted on her taking five of the Titan swallows and one of the Rhine Nighting gales for free. He told her the Nighting gale would help her on her journey.
After arguing with him for a while about this, as Mayu wanted to pay of all of the birds at least her com went off.
"Mayu, little Harlock, come in." Fritz called calmly.
"Mayu here." She answer Hoshi whining next to her.
"I am here too." Little Harlock answered.
"Are you done with what you are doing?" Fritz asked.
"Almost." Mayu said feeling a poke of worry. Hoshi watched her with her head slightly tilted.
"Yeah were done." Little Harlock said and there was a hint of laughter in his voice.
"Good then finish up and met me by the Galaxy railways station. It wont be long before the Three-nine arrives." Fritz sated calmly.
"Okey we are on our way." Little Harlock said and shot of the com.
"I'll be right there.." Mayu said and shot of her com as well and placed it back in the belt. She was getting worried again. She was really nervous about meting this aunt of hers. She jumped when Hoshi stroked her head against her hand to calm her.
"Sounds like you have some where to be. Where should I send them?" The old man pointed to the prepared birdcages with her chosen birds.
"Oh.. eh.. Send them to docking bay 8. There will be a lady waiting for them." Mayu manged a smile looking at the birds.
"Sure thing. Oh and the Galaxy railways station is just down the street there." the old man smiled and pointed to the street.
"Oh thank you." Mayu smiled.
"No problem young miss, You take care." The old man smiled and went inside to arrange the transport of the bird cages.
Walking on down the street, she called Rowa to prepare for the cages arrival. She was glad to learn that all was ready for departure, should they have the need to travel against right away.
They found Fritz sitting on the stairs leading up to the station, with Silvereye sitting on the rail next to him and Mizu by his feet. The wolf's fur seemed to stand on all ends, like he had been rolling around or something.
"Here." Fritz said as they come up to him and threw her a soda can.
"You don't find much of these any more. They get rarer and rarer to find. Mostly only have them here." He smiled.
Fritz had been the last one to leave the docking bay.
Silvereye moved restless on his shoulder.
"Let's go." He smiled once Mayu had left. There was only one place he was heading to.
The castle in the capital where they were now.
Coming to the castle from the backside, they walked around towards the front yet stopped as they came to a small tree by the castle wall.
"I know old friend." Silvereye chuckled remembering well what had happened there quite some years ago now.
They came to the front gates a few seconds later.
"Hold there, pirate. What is your business here at the castle?" The first of the guards asked tensed.
"Wow wait! Dont you know who that is? He is the king's old friend!" The second one called, to stop his friend from doing anything stupid. Fritz shared a little smile with Mizu that chuckled.
"You have to excuse my friend here. He is new to the guard duty." the second guard excused.
"No harm done, but I was hoping to have a meting with the king. Is he here?" Fritz asked calmly.
"Yes sir, he is here, Just go right in sir." The guard said and let Fritz in.
"Aaah Fritz-san. Good to see you. We were hoping you would stop by when we heard you and your new friends had arrived." A court master said glad as they came into the main rooms of the castle. Fritz nodded with a smile.
"I was hoping to get to talk to my old friend." He asked with a smile.
"And I am sure he will be delighted to see you again as well. Right now he is in a meting but it should be over soon. Go into the garden, my friend. He always go there right after a meeting like this, saying he has to cool of." The court master said with a smiled and noticed them to the yard.
Fritz and his two guardians made their way into the garden and sat down on one of the many benches. As Fritz sat there he admired the large garden yet found it surprising now how little it seemed compared to what he remembered it to be the first time he was there.
It did not take long before a young man his age came storming into the garden. Dressed in fine expensive cloths, golden hair waved as he rushed as far into the garden as he could. His whole body language spoke of how angry and upset he was. He cursed and almost yelled to the young sand brown wolf by his side.
"Those idiots! What does it take? The moons falling in their heads before they understand?"
"Sounds like you are having some trouble, old friend." Fritz smiled as he moved up behind him.
"Want us to keelhaul someone for you?" Mizu laughed.
"You know we would do it too." Silvereye laughed as well.
"Fritz! When did you get here? It has been too long." The young King smiled, as he gave his old blood brother a hug.
"We arrived not long ago." Fritz smiled as the hug ended.
"And I was not informed. Had I known I would never have kept you waiting, my friends." He said glaring in the direction of the court master.
"And that is probably why he did not tell you." The brown wolf said raising an eye brow looking at his master.
"Having trouble my friend?" Fritz asked carefully. The young king sighed.
"Sort of... We been living good, being one of the planets to help pirates. It has been good business you can say.. but with the Great pirates disappearance.. People is growling restless. The ministers don't believe the Harlock's are coming back." The young King sighed and rested his head to the tree trunk they were now sitting under.
"I see.. It seems to be like that most places now." Fritz sighed as well.
"Have you had any luck my friend?" The young king asked worried. Fritz looked at him and there were a light in his eyes, a light the young king had not seen since his father's disappearance.
"Sort of.. that's one of the reasons we are here. The great Leader's vision came back a little. Enough to tell us that Maetel might know something." Fritz smiled.
"Really?" The young king beamed up.
"But if she knows.. Why haven't she told you before?" The wolf asked confused.
"We just learned something new. Something that puts it more into contents. Maetel probably never thought it were something like this." Mizu said calmly.
"I see. So what do you need of me?" The young king said, knowing they would be needing his help.
"We need to get on the three-nine while it's stationed here for the time it's here, so that we can talk to Maetel undisturbed." Fritz said.
"No problem. Just you three?" The king asked before calling the court master over to them.
"Actually.. No. You would not believe it but we ran into some new and old friends." Fritz smiled.
"Oh?" The young king said interested. Fritz told in short how he ran into Little Harlock and Mayu and what they had discovered.
"I will get the passes for you right away. You wait here." The court master said and left after Fritz where done telling their story.
"I wish I could come with you." The young King sighed.
"You are needed here, my friend." His wolf sighed low.
"Heh, since when did you become my consensus?" The young king laughed petting the wolf's head.
"Since you always seem to some times leave yours behind." The wolf grinned.
"Oy!" The king laughed insulted, making Fritz laugh out loud. The sand colored wolf took of, being chased by Mizu and Silvereye, that had shape shifted back, and soon all three wolfs where roiling around in the grass. Fritz and the young King laughed and enjoyed themselves for a while.
When the court master came back he handed the passes to Fritz. Fritz smiled as he took them.
"Thank you."
"Any time young pirate, I only hope this will help." The court master said.
"I hope so too." Fritz smiled as Silvereye returned to his shoulder and the other two came back their fur standing on all ends after their play fight.
"When is the three-nine arriving?" The king asked.
"They are to arrive in an hour. They are staying for only two hours as they have been delayed." The court master sighed. Fritz sighed and looked at his clock.
"Looks like you need to hurry." The king said.
"Looks that way." Fritz said silently.
"I hope you come by again before you leave?" The king smiled as he stood up.
"I'll try." Fritz said.
"Good luck, my friends" the king said with a smile.
"Thanks." Fritz smiled before he left.
As they exited the castle Fritz called up Mayu and Little Harlock. As they ended the conversation Fritz stopped only for a second to buy some soda cans at an old vender not far from the station. Sitting down at the steps he waited for the others to come.
Little Harlock and Riki-ken wandered around the city for some time, wandering while thinking about the stories their parents had told of Rhine and all the legends surrounding the place.
"I'm hungry..." Riki muttered after a while holding to his stomach as it rumbled.
"How about there?" Little Harlock pointed to a little bar at the corner where they stood.
"Sure!" Riki beamed up. The two boys and the two wolfs entered the bar and cast a quick look around. There were two groups of people in the bar. All of them looking like a though bunch and they glared angry towards them. Little harlock and Riki sat down at the table not far from the bar.
Riki stood up and went to the bar to order some food and drink for him and his friends. He grinned widely as they opened their drinks and shared a toast to finally having made it to the sea of stars. Tic and Tac lay beside them grinning for themselves, not believing they were really out there exploring like their father was.
As the food arrived Riki stood up to get it. As he walked over to the bar, Tac began to growl not liking the look of the group closest to them sent Riki.
Little Harlock let not that go unnoticed.
Then just as Riki walked past the group of tugs one of the tripped him. Riki had his hands full with the food fell forward, dropping the food trying to stop his fall.
Little Harlock stood up with Tic and Tac snaring beside him.
"Kids like you aren't welcome here."
"This is a grown ups bar."
"Why don't you run home to your mommy?" The men laughed down at Riki ignoring Little Harlock.
It was not until one of the men kicked poor Riki in the side while he was down that it snapped for Little Harlock. Walking strait over, the teenager gently tapped the man's shoulder and as he turned slammed his right hook right into the man's face. He went down like a sack of potatoes and the others turned around surprised. Little Harlock stood there with the two midnight colored wolfs flashing their fanges angry. The sight made the men hesitate slightly as if there was something familiar about him, but one of them shook it off quickly.
"What you wanna have a go kid?" He laughed. Little Harlock said nothing.
"Bastard!" The man growled not believing this kid was not intimidated by his size. Little Harlock was not intimidated at all, and it angered the man.
He was about to strike at Little Harlock when just as he shifted his weight to one foot, that foot was struck and thrown away under him, making him fall fall flat on his face. Little Harlock and the wolfs only stepping back a step. The man cursed as he got up on his knees and tuned around.
Riki sat there , the wooden stick hiding his katana in his amrs.
"Now we are even." Riki growled, pointing out that Riki had with out difficulty had noticed who had tripped him back then. The man roared angry and soon everyone in the bar joined in the bar brawl.
Little Harlock beating his way though a group of them.
Riki using his speed and small statue to dodge blows and broth the group of men into the other making them hit each other making the confusion complete.
Tic and Tac rushing around, snapping after heels and jumping those that got to close to little Harlock or Riki.
Soon after the brawl ended. Riki delivering his last kick to the last man standing, Little Harlock smiling as he went down and Tic and Tac chasing the last conscious guy of. The four teens looked one and another and broke into laughter.
Just then Little Harlock's com went of.
"Mayu, Little Harlock. come in." Fritz voice called..
"Mayu here." Mayu's voice cut in.
"I am here too." Little Harlock answered.
"Are you done with what you are doing?" Fritz asked.
"Almost." Came Mayu's answer. Little Harlock looked around to rampaged bar and the men laying unconscious around their feet.
"Yeah we're done." He said trying his best to keep the laughter back. Riki and the two wolfs chuckled to themselves.
"Good then finish up and met me by the Galaxy railways station. It wont be long before the Three-nine arrives." Fritz sated calmly.
"Okey we are on our way." Little Harlock said and shot of his com. He had to smile seeing Riki and already gone over to where the barkeeper was hiding.
"Got any food left?" He asked with a smile, looking at the shoked barkeeper.
"Take it to go Riki, we have to go." Little Harlock said pulling out a small bag of coin.
"Sorry about the mess, that should cover all of it." Little Harlock said setting it down in front of the barkeeper. Tic and Tac grinned at each other. As the four left the bar, the barkeeper had given Riki some bread and he was munching it down happy as they hurried towards the train station.
Mayu sat looking into the ground for a bit.
"What is she like?" She asked carefully and low.
"Who?" Hoshi asked carefully as she noticed Mayu's feelings.
"This Maetel?" she asked nervous.
"She is really nice." Hoshi smiled.
"She is a little hard to explain.." Fritz smiled.
"She likes to be a little mysterious." Silvereye sent.
"But there is nothing intimidating with her, though she is the one you would want by your side in any pinch." Mizu smiled.
"And she knows pretty much anything there is to know about the space." Hoshi smiled.
"I see. " Mayu said unsure if she felt better or not.
"Here they come." Mizu smiled hearing Little Harlock and Riki coming. Yet as they came around the corner Fritz had to smile. Little Harlock's hair were ruffed up and Riki had bruises on his face.
"And what have you been doing?" Fritz asked looking at them with one brow raising.
"Just been at a bar to get some food." Little Harlock said a little uneasy.
"And taking down the bar tugs while you were at it I take it?" Hoshi laughed seeing the guilt full look that came over them both. It made Mayu laugh pretty hard.
"Well you are like your dads." Fritz smiled shaking his head.
Just then the sound of the three-nine's flute sounded and they could see the train coming.
"Ah, good." Fritz said standing up. Silvereye quickly taking to his shoulder once more. Little Harlock and Riki both grinned as Little Harlock tried to fix his hair to look a little more presentable.
"You okey?" Hoshi sent private to Mayu alone. Though Mayu hid it well she could not hide her fear from Hoshi. They seemed to clicked so fast, but then again Mayu needed Hoshi, and Hoshi was more than willing to help. Mayu petted her head.
"Yeah. Just nervous I guess. I never met Maetel before. What if she don't like me?"
"No worries. Maetel is nothing like that. She'll love you just like you are. After all you are her only niece." Hoshi smiled stroking her head to her hand.
"Ready?" Fritz asked handing her the pass to the train.
"Yeah." Mayu smiled, answering both Fritz and Hoshi.
"The pass only allows us to stay on board for the day the train is staying here." Fritz reminded them.
"The three-nine usually stands on each planet for as long as one day on that planet is." Silvereye said as they stepped into the station and making their way to the platform the three-nine was docking at.
"Meaning it varies for planet to planet. From 1 hour to months." Hoshi laughed gently. She had always wanted to see the train for herself.
"I wonder if Firefly is wish them today?" Mizu asked wondering.
"Firefly? Them?" Mayu asked confused.
"Firefly is Maetel guarding wolf, and with them we meant Maetel and her traveling companion Tetsuro." Fritz said with a smile.
"Been a while since we last saw them now." Riki smiled having missed them both.
"Yeah wonder how Tetsuro was been doing on his quest.." Little Harlock said thinking.
"You'll both have enough time to ask soon. Come on. They're waiting." Tac laughed and ran on ahead. Riki and Little Harlock following closely behind. Fritz sighed.
"It's been a long while indeed. We barly got word to them that the others were gone. Guess they are more than worried." He said looking worried, Mizu making a worried sound beside him.
"Aren't we all." Mayu said silently. Fritz nodded.
"Let's just hope Maetel can help us find them." Fritz said as they moved up to the train. Mayu was surprised to see the old stile of the train and it made her a little sad too, as it reminded her of her father. She was always told about how her father loved old machines. She could guess he loved the Three-nine.
"Fritz! Mayu! Over here!" Riki called waving for one of the many doors in the wagons.
"Guess they found them." Fritz smiled to Mayu as they made their way over and Riki vanished back into the wagon.
Fritz entered the wagon but Mayu hesitated for a second.
"Come on Mayu. This is the only way to prove that the nightmare is just that, a nightmare." Hoshi said low beside her. Mayu nodded.
"Yeah, unless we find them safe and sound I'll never get a descant night's sleep again." Mayu said and walked in though glad Hoshi stayed close. She found Fritz just sitting down. Silvereye resting on the back plate beside him. A young man, a little older than him, sat next to him. Riki and little Harlock sitting across from them. Mayu hesitated until a fire red wolf with two scars over cheek came over to them,
"Firefly!" Hoshi called glad greeting her.
"Hoshi, so you are here too." the wolf Firefly smiled.
"And who is this young lady?" She asked kindly looking to Mayu.
"This is my friend Mayu, Tochiro SR and Emeraldas daughter." Hoshi smiled Mayu felt a little of being called that. Yet what Hoshi had said made the man with Fritz react.
"Emeraldas daughter?" He asked standing up, looking at her.
"Yeah we met her at the Death Shadow island." Riki stated with a smile.
A lady dressed in black stood up from her seat next to the others. golden blond hair fell behind her back as a unusual pair of blue eyes met Mayu's. Mayu had been so dazzled by her appearance, she jumped feeling a hand suddenly touching her cheek.
"You look so much like your mother." Maetel said gently, calming her down just as soon.
"Maetel?" She stuttered out nervous and scared at the same time. Maetel nodded with sad eyes.
She lead Mayu to sit down across from her on the bench next to Fritz and Tetsuro. Hoshi sitting right in front to her.
"Last I saw you this close you were only a baby, just born. Emeraldas and Tochiro were so proud. After your father died and Harlock looked after you, I came to see how you where doing many times. Though I always stayed at a distance." Maetel said though showing no interest in telling why. Instead she shifted her focus over to Fritz and not wasting any moment to ask how the search for the others were going, but asked right away what they needed of her.
"Is this what you meant with mysterious?" May asked Hoshi.
"Pretty much." Hoshi smiled.
"Well as you know the Great leader of Luviji's sight has been blocked for the time dad, Harlock and the others have been missing. All they could tell us before was that we were missing a piece of the picture. As we then we met Mayu at the pirate Island, I realized she had to be that missing part. So we returned to the Wolf planet and true enough.. the Leader's vision did clear up a little. All they could tell us was that it had something to do with the old myth about the spider woman. Yet as far as we know it's just that, a myth." Fritz explained folding his heads resting his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.
"It's not." Maetel said calmly. "She is quite real and quite old. Her kind used to be slaves of the Gods of Vallhalla.. Before the gods made the pipe orals to keep them forever young, they used her kind's powers to keep them young and immortal. Her kind used to feed of the energy of nature but the Gods in an effort to control them changed that so they could only feed of the energy of a crystal the goods had. For centuries they slaved away for the gods keeping them young but as the gods discovered the magic on the pipe orals , the spider woman and her kind were forgotten and left to die as the gods had no more need for them. Hungry and lost her kind spread out into the universe in an effort to find something like the crystal, anything that could keep them alive. Years pasted and tired and hungry, the spider woman was about to die when she was met by some creature much alike her. The Weeping angels. Seeing how alike they were, they showed her how to feed of the time energy of others."
"Weeping angels?" Mayu asked confused.
"A particular nasty creature, that look like statues of weeping angels, hence the name.. They turn to stone if someone looks right at them but move in the blink of a eye if you look away." Fritz answered remembering the doctor once keep them of him when he was young. Mayu shivered.
"The weeping angels when they touch you, teleports you back in time and feeds of the energy of the life you never got to have. The spider woman how ever found that with her life per-longing powers could instead draw out the life of her victims and feed of them for a very long time. Having found the cure, she left to find the rest of her kind but found none. They had all died out, leaving her as the last of her kind. She could not even have her revenge over the gods as they had gone to sleep and the gates to Valhalla was shot forever.
Heartbroken and vengeful she locked herself away only merging to find new victims to feed on. She chooses mostly children as there is so much life to pre-long and feed of." Maetel told.
"I don't really see what this have to do with our fathers." Little Harlock said fearing this was another dead end.
"No.. this is the only thing that makes sense." Fritz said looking blankly into the floor.
"How so?" Tetsuro asked looking at his friend.
"Think about it. We been going about this all wrong. We been thinking our dads and the rest of the pirates have been the main target and the swordsmen was in a coma too keep them out of the way and not discover the trap.. but it makes much more sense when we think that the pirates were the bait to make her able to feed of the immortals. She is using the mental link between them to do so."
"And Mayu became the means to bait Harlock. That also explains why you aren't as old as you should be, as she must have pre-longed your life to feed of you." Riki said to Mayu.
Mayu on the other hand was not listening. After what Fritz said it broth out another repressed memory.
"Soon now Mayu. Soon I'll have them and then I'll never need any other humans to feed of, and it will be all thanks to you." The voice from before laughed and what frighted her the most was the fact that she felt so proud as the voice said that.
"Mayu?" Hoshi's mental voice cut in bringing her back.
"I...I am okay." Mayu said though her hands were shaking. Hoshi pushed her head into her hands allowing her to hide her shaking in her fur.
"But I don't understand, If it was Hiko and the others she was after, why take Mayu? Why use her as bait?" Tic asked confused.
"probably it all started with Mayu. She was living at an orphanage, most likely she took Mayu believing no one would miss her. Yet learned about Harlock through her, and she must have found the Harlock will to survive most interesting. Remember Hiko has been hinting Harlock and the others may have gone beyond time and no longer aging." Fritz said low casting a look to Maetel looking sad where she sat. Mayu swallowed scared. It was her fault that all of this had happened. Hoshi nudging her hand having felt her master's fear and shame. Looking down at the young she-wolf Hoshi shook her head slowly.
"It's not your fault. You were taken from your home". Hoshi said calmly. Mayu looked at Maetel. The older lady smiled friendly and nodded. Mayu felt a little better yet was not sure if Maetel had heard what Hoshi said.
"Well we need to find them and soon." Little Harlock said angry.
"Is there any way of getting into her realm?" Mayu asked carefully. More than ever she wanted to find them and most of all alive.
"All I know is that the gate way is near the horse head Nebula.. I believe the Tira kingdom build a observatory there not so long ago. Maybe they have seen how to get in.." Maetel said looking at Fritz. Fritz nodded. "That's true. I believe they can help us." He smiled to himself. he knew well the head of the observatory and if he had seen some thing, he would gladly help them.
"Are we off to the Tira outpost then?" Riki asked looking at Fritz. Fritz looked at Maetel and then Tesuro. It seemed like they had said everything they knew of it. He nodded.
"Yes I believe it's time."
"That witch is gonna regret ever putting her eyes on the Harlock clan." Little Harlock growled making Tic and Tac growl low flashing their fangs as well. Fritz stood up just as the speakes began to tell that the Three-nine was about to leave.
Tetsuro followed Frtiz and little Harlock out yet Maetel held Mayu back for a few secounds.
"You are much stronger than you think you are. You have much of your mother in you. Trust your heart and your instincts." Maetel said holding her hand at her shoulder.
"I will. Thank you." Mayu said nodding. Maetel let go but as Mayu walked out of the train her eyes looked sad and worried.
"Good luck." She muttered as Tetsuro came back in.
"So we know where to go at long last. Let's just hope we make it there in time." Fritz smiled as they left the station.
"If anything time seems to be something we have a lot of, if Maetel is right." mayu said low. Fritz nodded.
"Little Harlock, will it take long to gather your gather your crew?" Fritz asked knowing as soon as he sent word to his own crew they would be back at the ship under and hour tops.
"Should not take too long. An hour at the most. I told them not to wander to far of." The young pirate smiled having felt they would perhaps need to leave soon enough.
"My ship is all ready to go." Mayu said.
"Good then as soon as our ships are good to go, we'll take of." Fritz said leading the way back to the ships.
While Fitz and little Harlock was gathering their crews, Mayu was looking over her ship, with Hoshi right by her side. She has getting to know every part of her ship now. Having a feeling it would be important soon enough. As they completed their trip they ended up in the green room where the bird cages were placed. They were tied down so they would stay put at take of. The birds seemed calm and just resting. As Mayu stood there looking at them her eyes past over to the nighting gale. He seemed to just look back at her calmly. She had yet to hear it sing. She wondered what the old man had meant when he said it would help her.
"Captain Fritz is calling for you. I believe we are ready for take off." Kiran stated calmly.
"we 'll be right up." Mayu said and left the birds and the green room to go to the bridge.
A few hours into the trip towards the Tira outpost Mayu had returned to the green room after eating. She had opened the birds cages and now was enjoying their songs and looking at them flying around. Oh how she had missed this. She lay in the grass resting her back to Hoshi's side that lay behind her.
Mayu began to understand why the old man had insisted on the Titan swallows. They where like fire tongues flashing over the green room's fake sky as they blazed past her in a vibrant set of orange and red colors.
Then the light began to fade. Mayu had asked Kiran if she could make a night and day passing so the birds could get some rest. Mayu knew it was getting late, Kiran had put the time on the day and night passing as to the night and day on the earth. The birds began to roost in the threes around them. Mary knew she needed to go to sleep soon but she did not want to, knowing the nightmare would return like it had for every night for the days since she had come back. Mayu looked at Hoshi as she seemed to be asleep already making Mayu smile a little. Hoshi had been been sleeping close to her bed every night and had been quick to wake her when the nightmare returned and listened as she talked about it, before sleeping right next to her in the bed. Her calm breathing and heart beat had calmed Mayu down enough to at least get a few hours rest. before Hoshi came on board Mayu had barley manged to get an hour tops. Mayu were so glad for her company. She began to really understand how much Lighting must have meant to Harlock. Thinking about her step father and the others she had put in danger put a horrible feeling in her gut and she grew restless and knew it was gonna be another sleepless night.
Just then a bird began to sing. The song it sang sounded so familiar yet she had never heard a song bird like it before. Hoshi raised her head of her paws looking around.
"What is that?"
"One of the birds. Though I am not sure witch one.." Mayu answered looking around.
"It's the Nighting gale." Hoshi said nodding to the bird sitting just two threes away from them, as Mayu looked at him the bird looked back and stared at her with it's intelligent blue eyes as it kept singing.
"What a strange song." Mayu said confused as to why it felt so familiar.
"It's wonderful." Hoshi sighed resting her head down again.
"It is." Mayu said leaning back and closing her eyes listening. "It makes me.. kinda..." Mayu began to say but it ended in a yawn.
"Yeah." Hoshi said dosing at her paws. Not long after both of them were sound asleep, resting to each other in the grass listing to the bird singing for them. The song lulling them into a much deeper sleep where no dreams could reach.
Rowa came in silently with a blanket she lay around Mayu some minutes later. As she came out of the green room Kiran sighed.
"Thank you Rowa. It was about time she got a full night's rest. I fear they both are gonna need all their strength soon enough." Kiran said watching over them as they slept.