Chapter 7: Taking 'Care' of Dr. Leonne Faize sat gasping, trying to stay away from the mirror. Albel understood that part of his problem was that several people had suddenly burst into the room, and Faize was less than desirably covered. He took a large cloth and tossed it over the mirror, looking at the others with a 'this is his room' look that made them all leave. "Are you alright?" Albel asked afterwards. Faize looked up at him. "I fear what this may mean for us, but I should be alright." He gently hooked his finger through one of the chain loops in Albel's collar and pulled him close. "You can always make it better." Albel smirked and leaned a little closer, only to notice Faize had paused. "Who is it?" he asked. Faize sighed. "It's Lymle." he said, leaning forward slightly. "I'll be in the bath." He got up slowly and walked towards the tub that had been prepared behind the curtain. Outside the room, Lymle stood and waited. She wanted a chance to talk to Faize and ask what he'd meant in his letter. Who was the other person? She'd liked him first, so she felt she had a right to know. When Albel stepped out instead of Faize, she figured she'd ask him instead. "Hey, Albel." He glowered at her. "Who's the other person Faize likes?" Albel blinked at her. "How'd you come about this knowledge, child?" "Faize said so in a letter, kay. He said he couldn't fulfill my childish dream, and that there was someone else in his life. I wanna know who." She looked at Albel. "And my dream wasn't childish. I want to be a master symbologist." Albel snorted. "So, your waiting to ambush him, whelp?" Lymle frowned. "No, I'm waiting for him to finish his bath. I don't mind that he likes someone else, I just wish he would tell me instead of making me sad." Albel looked at her. "Why? What makes him so special to you?" "Faize tried to save my grampa when he was sick. And he's a symbologist. He knows symbols I don't yet, and he promised to teach me." Lymle dug her toe into the floor. "Faize liked guys before on the ship, so I don't mind if it's you. You seem to protect him lots, kay." She smiled. "You're kinda like Mattie, and Faize used to like him." So, that was why the fast connection between them. Now Albel understood. But Faize had looked to him as more than just someone to replace a lost lover. He'd looked to Albel at first for support, for friendship, and eventually, for love. Albel looked at Lymle. "You won't tell?" "Promise on my symbology training." Lymle said, knowing that it meant little to Albel, but a lot to Faize or another symbologist. "I am his lover." Lymle took Albel's hand and put something in it. "Here." "What's this?" "It's a symbol." Lymle said. "I made it special after Faize said goodbye to me. It's supposed to help you if something goes wrong, kay? You just hold it close to your heart, and the symbol will protect you." Albel looked at his hand. "There's two." he said. Lymle nodded. "One for you and one for Faize." She smiled. "I won't tell. Just keep him safe, kay?" With that, she skipped away before Albel could say anything. `~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~` "I have no idea where any of us could end up once on the other side." Faize said. "This is why I'm suggesting we go in small teams. It's most likely that the mirror will bring us to the original planet, but where and when are not entirely known." "How do we find out?" Reimi asked. She put her hand up onto Arumat's, which was on her shoulder. "I'll enter my trance state and watch from the top of Dr. Leonne's cavern. The team that goes through will shoot a flare off every hour to mark their progress, heading in a strait line. If I see the flare, I can get to you quickly." Faize replied. "Since the other half is back in S.D. 14, that is most likely where the team will end up." "Alright." said Edge. He looked at the other two that made up his group: Baccus and Milly. "Ready?" Faize lay down and fell into his trance state fairly quickly. Albel remained nearby, since everyone was in the room with them. Edge nodded. "Let's go." He touched the mirror, leading Baccus and Milly through. The other side was scraped, with cracks carved in the ground and filled with various liquids. The rocky ledges were lined with vegetation, and a few gecko-like lizards crawled by. The area looked familiar . . . Edge raised his flare gun and fired. Almost instantly, Faize's spirit appeared. "We musn't be that far away." Edge said. "Faize saw us immediately." Faize pointed behind Edge, and the captain turned. "Oh, that explains why." He could see the Calnus 2 not that far away from them. "Well, Mr. Edge, we now know where and when the other side of the gate is." said Baccus. "What is to be done now?" "We find Dr. Leonne and ask him what he's been doing with that mirror." Edge replied. "Faize, let the others know. We'll wait here for any that decide to follow us, alright?" Faize nodded and returned to his body. He looked up. "They made it. The other end is near the Calnus 2." Reimi nodded and looked at Arumat. "Do we go, or stay here?" Arumat looked at her. "I'd like to find out what's going on, but I also need to know you are safe." He put a hand on her round stomach. "And with our child coming soon, I can't be away from you." "Stay here, then." said Albel. "The maids can aid in her delivery if it happens." Arumat nodded. "What of you?" he asked. Crowe readied his weapons. "I'm going." He gave Elena a kiss. "I'll try to come back, alright?" Elena nodded, holding the baby close. "Take care." Fayt looked at Faize. "I'd like to go, see who it is that keeps tormenting our Oracle." "Good idea." said Albel. "Since we're coming, too." He helped Faize up. "Me too." said Lymle. "I'm going to beat him up, kay." Faize smiled at her. "Alright." He took Albel's hand in one of his and Lymle's in the other. Lymle grabbed Fayt's hand, forcing the Earthling to grab Crowe before they walked through the mirror. The sudden change was disorienting to say the least. Faize dropped to his knees and vomited, unable to handle it. Right beside him was Crowe. Albel only shook his head. "Now I know why he was sick on my doorstep." He noticed Lymle scraping out a few symbols. "What's this for, kid?" "So that people don't feel all dizzy and icky when they come through, kay?" Faize stood upright again. "Sorry." "Faize." said Crowe suddenly. "Where's your sword?" The green-haired Eldarian sighed. "I was hoping you wouldn't mention that, Crowe." "He's right though." said Fayt. "Without a weapon, you're not much help." "I have my symbology." Faize countered. "We don't even know if it's the same as back on Elcoor." Fayt said. He waved Edge over. Faize closed his eyes a moment, not looking well. "Albel, perhaps I should have stayed back." The Glyphian shook his head. "Nonsense. You know as well as I do that you are safest with me." The Eldarian nodded. "Well then, shall we go?" With Edge leading, they managed to return to the rather bizarre structure that Dr. Leonne called his research area. Baccus and Milly stayed at the back, while Faize was closer to the middle of the group with Albel and Lymle. "Ah, you're back." said Dr. Leonne. He seemed shocked to see Crowe. "How did you return?!" he shrieked. "How?!" "I have ways." Crowe replied, spinning one of his laser-swords around. "You went through the looking glass! I saw you! Why? How? What brought you back here?" Dr. Leonne shouted. Faize stayed back, pulling his hood further over his head. The last thing he needed was for Dr. Leonne to recognize him. While all his prior visits to this planet had been by use of his trance state, he knew the doctor would recognize his face. "So, what have you been doing to that mirror?" Edge demanded. "Cause it's bothering people on the other side." "Nothing!" Dr. Leonne snapped. "It won't react to anything that isn't alive. Plants don't generate much response. But people . . . oh, now it loves people." He grinned, showing cracked teeth. Albel had had about enough of the man and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Tell them everything, or I pick your mind apart piece by piece, carving your flesh for every answer until there's nothing left. Got it?" Faize pinched his nose in disgust. "Really?" he asked. "Alright, alright." said Dr. Leonne, finally dropping the whole crazy man act. "I tried the various elements on it; fire, water, electricity, ice, and earth. About the only thing it amounted to was this." He held up a dead squirrel. "And yes, I've tossed a few of the little varmints at it, too. Nothing really affected it, until the ghost appeared. My research team tried to run away, but I kept them here. I needed to know what was up with the mirror. I tried sending a few people at it, using the elements again. Most died before they even got close. Two were swallowed up by it. "Then, red here lands this piece of junked ship on the planet and says he needs to refuel. I knew I couldn't let him go after he saw the mirror. So I pushed him and his wife at it. That darned cat of theirs suddenly came running over and scratched me in the face, so I threw her. She went right through the mirror, too. Then, the ghost appeared again, and Red, now he seemed to know who the ghost was. It took me only a moment, but I pushed them again, and the mirror, it gobbled them up. "The ghost, he wasn't too happy. He left a mark on my mirror. A mark, like a giant crack. Now, I can't get anywhere near it in order to try anything. The mirror is suddenly defending itself, trying to grab me. So I send out a distress call. If I can't get close, maybe some other hapless schmuck can. It worked, too. I got me a nice group of people, but before I could get any study data, they up and vanished, leaving the ship. So I started to wonder where they went. I watched the mirror, but it never shows me nothing of what I wants to know. So I had to start experimenting again. Plant bowling. Some were bounced back, but a few got through, mostly ferns. And then, you all just reappeared. So I asks, where did you come from?" "You killed your entire team?" Faize asked. "That's right." Dr. Leonne snapped. "And I did it for science." Albel shook his head. "So what of this science? It hasn't given you answers. You're nothing but a killer." Edge nodded. "And a killer should be punished." "Come now from the flames of purgatory, Cerberus!" Lymle called out. The huge hellhound bounded from the flaming symbol and devoured Dr. Leonne where he stood. Faize suddenly lost his balance, and Albel held him up. "You alright, Faize?" Edge asked. Faize swallowed and looked at Albel, his eyes full of worry. "You can't stand anymore, can you?" Albel asked. Faize shook his head. He clung to Albel as the other picked him up bridal style. Even then, it was weak. "He doesn't look that good." said Fayt. "We'd best get back." Edge nodded and led them back to the mirror. "Come on." He took Lymle's hand, and Lymle looked at Albel before carefully taking hold of one of his ponytails. Baccus took his wife's hand, and she took Fayt's, who took Edge's before they proceeded through the gate. This time, they were in the snow. Not deep snow, but it was still snow. Albel held Faize close, carrying him into the house, the others following behind. "What's wrong?" asked Arumat as Albel walked past. "Faize stopped being able to stand, kay?" said Lymle. "Something's wrong, but only Albel can help him, kay." Arumat nodded. "Well, Reimi's looking for you." "Ok." A.N. - On the trip to the Cardianon Mothership, or Arturus VIII, there is a point where Lymle mentions a 'shwooshy-swoosh' sound behind a door in the item creation room. Naturally, it's Faize practicing his swordsmanship by himself, and Lymle gets mad at him for hiding to do it. Edge, seeing it as an opportunity to help, offers to spar with Faize. You can literally see the disappointment on Edge's face when Faize turns down the offer. I kinda felt bad for Edge, since he was just trying to help out. :P