The Crystal Rule

by JadeDraggy

An up and coming contractor needs a new partner; Partner-less mercenary needs a job. This is the story of Keiss and Layle, from their first meeting to their rocky start as men for hire, as they uncover the mystery of a time controlling Lilty. Keiss/Layle

64. Chapter 64

A/N: Hey hey! Welcome everyone to one EXTREMELY LONG CHAPTER. Hahaha, I'm sorry it took me so long to update! But it took me a long time to write and Silver Ecstasy a long time to go over it! But it is A LOT OF WORDS we've got here! I was thinking of breaking it up into two, but Silver urged me to leave it as one. NekoChronicles as well.

Speaking of Neko! She did a bit of fan art for this chapter on her tumblr!(There's a link to her tumblr from her profile page.) You guys should check it out- AFTER THE STORY. Its kind of a spoiler. (Note its not her most recent TCR art of Layle and both the twins, but you'll know it when you see it.)

Also welcome to my new favs and follows and reviewers! Hi guys! Its great to see more Crystal Bearers fans out there!

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Chapter-Sixty Four

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Layle finished recording his message to Keiss, and then turned off the recording device. The Crystal Bearer glanced down at his sleeping partner and sighed before giving a soft smile. He put the recorder down on the nightstand next to the two vials of silver fluid from the doctor. For a moment he considered taking one to give to Villosie; but did not. He wasn't thinking about taking one because he didn't trust Keiss, as he had been warned not to do, but just because he thought that the time controlling Lilty would have answers faster than the old researcher.

The Clavat looked back over Keiss one last time and then reached over and gently placed his hand upon the red head's hair, "I will see you soon, okay?" Layle pulled his hand back from Keiss confident he would see the Selkie again soon. He knew that his partner would prove Villosie wrong. Layle looked up at the sky again and took a deep breath as he thought about the fact he had to make his way from the apartment to the airship dock without being caught.

It was going to be a long journey.

Layle left the apartment quietly shutting the doors as softly as he could; just like the night before, the sound of the lock closing echoed in his ears. He was almost certain Keiss had heard the door open and close but no one came to stop him from leaving. He set off down the hall moving quickly and as silently as he could while keeping an eye out for any guards that were on patrol.

As Layle made his way through the apartment hallways, he kept his senses alert for any guards that could be lurking about. Surely Regal and Spinosa had ordered men to keep watch over him and Keiss by now. After what had happened at the volcano and now the doctor, there was no way that the lieutenant was not thinking they were up to something, or was up to something himself that would eventually come back and haunt them.

"I sure hope Keiss gives up all of this military nonsense once this is settled," Layle muttered to himself as he entered the stairwell. He didn't think to try and take the elevator, fearing that he couldn't see out of it and it would make a perfect spot for an ambush. So he had to go down the stairs as usual, perhaps it was a good thing Keiss always made them go up and down the flights to get to the apartment. By now Layle knew every corner, nook, and cranny of the stairwell; there was no way any guard was going to get the drop on him.

As Layle approached the third-floor stairwell, he could hear guards talking on the floor below him. The Clavat stopped and leaned on the railing trying to hear what the Lilty's were talking about. Echoing up the steps towards him he could hear two soldiers complaining about having to stand guard waiting for a 'murderer'. That murderer, he suspected, was him. He gripped the railing with both hands and waited calmly for their conversation to end.

"We should be out there searching the streets," one of the guards said. "There is no sense in waiting here in midtown, when the others say they saw the murderers taking off on a shuttle heading uptown!"

"You heard the lieutenant!" Another soldier spoke up followed by a loud clang. He more than likely had struck his friend on some part of his armour in order to keep them in line. "The suspects live around here. If they're going to go anywhere they want to go home. Or hideout in some Selkie hole. That's why guards are stationed everywhere. Some of us have to remain put to catch this Crystal Bearer when he attempts to find a safe place to hide." There was another clang of armour, "That's why we're here! If we're all running around searching he could easily get around us."

The first guard grumbled again, this time he banged on the railing, the vibrations from his pounding traveling up the bars to where Layle was standing. "Those damn Crystal Bearers. Someone makes a way for them to be normal and they go and kill him! Nothing but monsters!"

Layle frowned at the guard's description of what he felt a Crystal Bearer was. They were by no means monsters. Sure not all of them were on the up and up, but they weren't monsters either. There are still people. He'd love for the Lilty to have to stand around and be okay with somebody speaking of flowers growing out of their heads and how it made them inhuman. The Clavat let go of the railing and carefully walked down the steps doing his best to stay quiet, though his chainmail still rattled every couple of steps. He rounded the bend in the stairwell and peaked his head around the corner take a look at the two men blocking his way. There were just the two Lilties; but there were probably more down on the lower floors. He'd have to fight to get through them and there was no doubt that the commotion will cause others to come running. Layle pulled his head back and leaned against the wall scratching the crystal on the side of his face.

"So I'm a monster am I?" The Crystal Bearer smirked. "Well, I guess I had better live up to the expectations, and at least give them a run for their money."

Layle curled his hands tightly into fist, pushed off the wall and swung around the bend in the stairwell hands raised in a gravity spell wrapped around his knuckles. The guard that had been going on about Crystal Bearers being monsters had his back to him. He was a larger Lilty with bulging arms and a thick neck. His broad stance and stature didn't do him any good however when the Clavat's fist connected with the back of his armou Layle's spell extended and wrapped around the Lilty's body. The Clavat raised his hand high as the guards shouted questioning what was going on. He started to kick his feet and flail his arms around. The spear grasped in his hands swung around, the end clanging against the walls of the narrow stairway. The other guard standing a few stairs down from him hollered for Layle to drop his partner. The lifted guard turning head over heels in the air kicked out his legs and the heel of his foot connected with the chin of the other's face. He screamed as he rolled back falling head over heels down the stairs until he hit the wall of the next bend in the stairs.

Layle laughed at them; Lilty guards were always amusing. He was sure that they were very confident and very skilled individuals, but it seemed like whenever he fought them, they were just bumbling around. He ran down the stairs still holding the one soldier over his head.

"Sorry but this monster's got an airship to get to." Layle shouted at the man as he ran by. Like he had predicted, when he reached the second floor, the shouting and screaming of the other two guards attracted more soldiers. They shouted for him to stop, weapons raised, and order him to drop the other soldier and turn himself in.

"Are you sure you want me to drop him?" Layle laughed as he stood on a higher steep than the soldiers. The guards responded to his question by ordering him to stop playing around. The Clavat shrugged and agreed. Layle pulled his arms back to wind up and then hefted the soldier forward over his. His scream echoed as sailed through the air. The large Lilty collided with the mass of guards and they all tumbled down the remaining stairs. Layle ran forward right behind the mass of falling bodies and limbs, jumping over them as they came to a stop at the bottom. He laughed as he rounded the corner, promising them that he would turn himself in next time. Layle continued running out on the ground floor.

Out here, there were more soldiers waiting with spears raised. As soon as he burst through the door they charged roaring and enraged. They were ready to stop him. With a quick glance to the right and to the left Layle backed up and then jumped forward sailing over the guards with a push of his magic as they ran their spears on the ground where he had stood.

He landed feet still moving and started to race forward as fast as he could. Behind him he heard the two soldiers shouting, ordering him to stop, and the footsteps of more chasing after him as the group he knocked over came clambering out of the stairwell. The Crystal Bearer laughed at the frantic chase.

"I can't believe Keiss is sleeping through all of this!" Layle ran down the street as least eight Lilty guards following him ordering him to stop and turn himself in. This early in the morning there were hardly any civilians out, so the soldiers had no problems drawing their guns and firing at him. Layle half turned his body and extended his left hand out to put up a shield to protect himself from the oncoming bullets. He just had to make it to the terminal, and then use it to get to the airship without a having to deal with any more soldiers.

They chased him down the road tossing spears and firing their guns, all the way to the terminal station at the end of the street. As Layle ran up to the open doors the guard stationed there raised his weapon ready to stop him.

"I don't have time for you!" Layle reached out with his magic and hooked onto the end of the guard's spear, conversely rather than yanking him forward, Layle kicked off the ground and used the guard's body weight to draw himself forward. He lifted his leg in the air next him to kicked him square in the chest with a gravity spell as they came together. The Lilty let out a scream as he fell over and banged his helmet, its helm shifting forward and covering up his face. Layle stood on top of him and used his magic to yank his spear out of his hands. With the weapon in hand Layle jumped off the guard and ran on the terminal; the soldiers came running up behind him ready to jump on board and stop him from leaving, the Clavat turned and used the spear to damage the door controls of the automatic trolley. The door sparked, and as the gears pulled up, they let out a grinding sound. The door sealed itself up faster than usual. A few soldiers had still tried to jump into the trolley, grabbing on the lip of the door as it pulled itself up away from the dock. The Clavat turned the spear around and use the blunt end of it to whack their fingers causing them let go. When the last guard dropped, the door finally shut and Layle backed up with a grin. The tram took off from the dock leaving the guards behind shouting angrily at him. Layle walked over to the control panels that displayed the trams destination. It was locked in place to take him to the royal library. However Layle had no intentions of being jettisoned off to there. He put his hand on the control panels and used his gravity magic to forcefully yank the steering wheel out of its locked position.

"All right, Clockwork, I should be there just before sunrise. I hope your plan is a good one. Because we're going to need it."

---

When the train came to a stop Layle stood in front of the doors fist clenched at his side ready to fight any soldiers that might be waiting for him. Yet, when the doors opened up no one was there. Specifically, it wasn't that they weren't present; it was that they weren't capable of doing anything about him being there. Layle stepped off the tram to see a handful of guards already lying on the ground incapacitated. He walked up to them and nudge them with his foot shaking his head.

"Clockwork must already be here."

The Clavat looked around trying to spot his new partner in crime, however the time controlling Lilty was nowhere in sight. Layle continued on past the guards as he made his way up to the airship dock. He moved slowly constantly looking over your shoulder to make sure no one was following him, that he wasn't walking in the from some ambush. He followed the path away from the station, through narrow brick lined hallways, up to a set of stairs that would take them up to where all the airships docked.

The entire time he did not once encounter a soldier that had not already been dealt with.

"She sure is here, but where the heck is she?"

Layle stopped of the stairs, and found two more guards slumped against the wall. The soldiers had been guarding the large metal double doors that led into the bottom floor of the airship dock. As he walked past them he turned and tapped his finger to his head giving a quick salute while urging them not to get up he could find his own way to the Acote. Inside the dock, it was a different story. While every guard he had met on the way up was unconscious, they were still a couple walking around here. No one saw him come in, but he could hear them walking around the metal floors and the sounds of their armor and weapons lightly clanging. The Crystal Bearer quickly looked around making sure no one took notice of him and then ran off to his left to duck behind a few storage boxes.

"Well it looks like I'm at least in time for this party," Layle muttered to himself as he glanced around. There was still no sign of the other Crystal Bearer. He was somewhat annoyed by her lack of presence. "She tells me to show up and then doesn't show up herself! This is very typical of her..."

Layle peeked over the top of the storage crate to survey the area. On the ground floor of the dock he could see at least two soldiers circling around the area. They were checking on the ships and cockpits ensuring that they were empty; after they would checked one they turned and gave an all clear in the form of a thumbs-up to their partner before moving on the next. He wondered if they been doing that all morning, or was it something they had just started due to any reports of him attacking the other guards earlier. He ducked back down and put his back against the crate while he formed a plan.

Layle reasoned it was probably best to get up above the guards on the catwalk. There was a ladder further down the path circling the room; however he'd have to sprint out in the open to get to it. His magic could pull him up the ladder in a second, but there was the matter of getting over there without being seen.

The easiest thing to do obviously was distract them. Of course the only thing he had to distract them with were the very crates he was hiding behind.

"Well I guess these boxes will just have to do," Layle raised his right hand and clenched it into a fist. He pressed his palm against the box with his back was to, with a little concentration, a gravity field wrapped around the crate preparing it into a ready-made projectile. Layle glanced around the side to see where the guards were now. One was walking down the middle aisle of airships and the other was walking down the far left, leaving the far right open for distraction. Layle slowly pulled his body out from around the crates and carefully lifted it a few inches off the ground. He had to aim it just right and give enough force to sail across the dock and into the wall without them seeing it flying through the air...

He watched the two guards pensively ensuring that their backs are turned to him while he slowly got into a crouching position and lifted the box up over his head.

"Okay, one shot at this." Layle pulled his right arm back the box slowly tilting on its side in the air and then snapped his arm forward. The box rocketed away from him. It sailed through the air past the middle aisle into the far right row of airships. The wood box smashed into the back of one of them. The moment the crate hit the hull of the ship Layle turned and started to dash for the ladder keeping himself crouched low the ground. As he had anticipated the two guards turned their heads and pointed over to the other side of the dock shouting. With spears raised they ran over to the smashed crate to investigate what had happened, while Layle ran to the other end of the path to the ladder leading up to the catwalk. The Clavat grabbed the sidebars of the ladder and clenched his hands around the metal; with a gravity spell lifted him up in an instant, he never once had to stop and grabbed the wrung. At the top of the ladder he pushed off the head of the polls into a headstand and flipped up on the catwalk landing with ease. He looked back over the railing scanning the ground below to check and see if the guards had noticed.

The two were totally involved with investigating the crate. He had gone by unnoticed. The Clavat backed away from the edge of the walkway chuckling and leaned against the wall.

"That was a pretty fancy trick he did there," a female voice said next to him. Layle snapped his head to the side, startled, but quickly relax when his eyes fell on the lilac haired Lilty. She wore her outfit from the time they met on the train. The long striped stockings and jacket adorned with tassels. At her side she carried a messenger bag that looked to be loaded down with something, considering how it had a few bulges and lumps protruding from it. "You know, if you just waited there a second longer, I would have helped you up."

"I'm not very good at waiting," Layle shook his head at her.

"Well… Are you at least the following instructions?" Villosie held out her hand using her first two fingers to beacon him to put something in her palm. The Clavat looked at the extended hand and looked up at her and shrugged. Villosie stopped and pulled her hand back to place her hands on her hips. Her lips curled up into a sneer. "What my grandfather gave to Keiss, Layle. I want it."

"Oh… Yeah…" The Clavat shook his head, "I didn't bring it."

"Of course you didn't!" She sighed and shook her head, "Why would I ever expect you to do anything for me one-hundred percent?"

"If I had taken them from Keiss, then he would have thought I betrayed him."

"Which you have! All the better before he betrays you first!"

The Clavat pushed off the wall and pointed at her. "I'm here to help you break in the base, and Keiss and I are not going to turn on each other. He'll help us. I know he will."

Villosie shook her head, "Are you out of your mind? He is not going to help us! If anything when he wakes up and realizes you're gone he's going to help the soldiers looking for you!"

Layle shook his head at her and held his hands up in the air, "We don't really have time to argue, do we? So let's just get to the Acote and get out here, okay?"

"Well on that matter you and I can agree" Villosie turned away from him and clutched at the bag at her side. "We need to get down there and get into the ship as quickly as possible. One of us should distract the guards while the other preps for takeoff."

Villosie walked forward down the catwalk. Layle followed; pleased that she wasn't going to pick a fight over this matter, but he was sure he would hear about for the entire flight to Kilanda.

He and Villosie walked the inner the catwalk until they stood diagonally above the Acote. The time controlling Lilty gripped the railing bars and leaned over the side observing where the soldiers were for the moment. Unable explain the broken crate, one of them resumed patrolled the area, while the other went to go get back up.

"As that was soon they find I have already knocked out all the other guards, they'll call for more."

"Yeah I had a bit of a scuffle on my way here to. I'm sure they can figure out where I took that tram to, there's probably of another busload of the guys on the way here." Layle leaned forward on the railing crossing his arms and letting his elbows rest of top the beam, "But there's only one guard now," he rolled his head to the side and looked at her with coy smile, "I think you and I can handle one little guard."

Villosie continued to squeezed the bar her hands as she returned the clever smile, "I do believe you're right," she took her left hand off the bar and offered it to the Clavat. Layle uncrossed his arms and took her left hand in his right hand. "On three?" The Lilty asked him.

"On Three."

Layle squeezed Villosie's hand in his and she returned the grip.

The two Crystal Bearers locked hands; on one Villosie caste her haste spell, on two Layle cast a gravity spell, and on three their magic mixed together enveloping them in a hastaga spell and they leapt over the railing down to the bottom floor of the airship dock. The speed of the amplified spell caused the Crystal Bearers to fall rapidly; using his free hand Layle reached out and with a line of gravity tethered them to the vehicle's wing. He yanked his arm and they rocketed forward towards the airship. When they landed the sound of their shoes clanking against the metal wings alerted the nearby guard that something was amiss. He turned around spear raised shouting for whoever was present come out.

On the wing, hand in hand Villosie and Layle ran forward to the edge. Villosie jumped off, she let go of Layle's hand, and the Clavat used his magic to keep a line tethered between them, ensuring her haste out the spell would continue. That line of gravity allowed her to swing out as if on a vine down from the wing and through the air. She extended her legs out and kicked the guard, her feet planted firmly in the middle of his chest. The Lilty went flying. He didn't stand a chance against the fast moving Crystal Bearer. After she struck the guard in the chest, the Lilty started to swing back. The line of magic now passed underneath the wing, Layle continued to hold on tight ensuring that their bond didn't snap. Villosie kept kicking her feet, swinging forward and backward building up momentum until she was parallel to the wing and finally, with one last push, flipped herself up over and back next to the Clavat on the wing.

"Fancy swinging you did there," Layle smiled at her.

"There used to be rope swing in my backyard; it was always a game to see who could jump off the highest." Villosie bowed to him and then ran around the Clavat across the width of the wing to get to the other side. She raised her hand in the air and waved as she talked, "I admit I had the advantage being able to slow down and speed up my momentum whenever I wanted."

The two Crystal Bearers ran across the length of the ship stopping at the edge on the other side. Villosie looked ahead pointing down to the cockpit indicating to head there next. However Layle looked back down the walkway. The reinforcements were finally arriving.

"We've got company," the Clavat said. He turned to Villosie. "One of us has to deal of them while the other prepares the airship take off.

Villosie turned around and raised her hands up to her chest, cracked her knuckles and nodded, "Alright then I'll deal with them and you start the ship's to take off."

"Me!?" Layle raised his hand to his chest and pat his palms against the top of his jacket in slight confusion in astonishment. "I can't fly this thing!"

"You mean to tell me all this time with that Selkie and you can't work his airship!?"

Before anything else could be said, the soldiers running up the path and opened fire at the two Crystal Bearers standing on top of the airship. Layle turned back to them and raised his hands up in front of his body creating a gravity shield to deflect the bullets. He looked back at Villosie, "I can stop their gunfire you go start the ship!"

"Alright!" The female Crystal Bearer turned her back to him while he deflected the bullets and jumped down. Using a regular haste spell she dashed forward towards the cockpit door opening it quickly and bolted inside. She took her spot in the pilot's seat and began to turn on the ships console and start the engine. Outside the soldiers circled the airship trying to fire at Layle. The Crystal Bearer used one hand to keep a shield up, and the other hand to grab the guards and fling them away from the cockpit door, ensuring that Villosie would have plenty of time to get the ship going. Layle could feel the Acote shake and tremble as the engine ignited.

The guards however were unwilling to relent. Unable to shoot Layle they started to climb the side ladders of the airship trying to make their way up to him. The Clavat backed up from the wing towards the crow's nest to meet the ascending guards and kicked them back down. He stood on the edge of the crow's nest kicking out his feet and using his magic to toss Lilty soldiers left and right. While fighting he could hear Villosie's voice screaming at him up the communication tube.

"The ship is still anchored down! You need to release it so that we can move forward!"

Layle shouted back, but he doubted the she could actually hear him, "Why the hell didn't you do that before you got the cockpit!"

He grabbed one last soldier yanking him up, off the ladder and holding them over his head. Layle jumped down to the lower path of the airship port, landing in the midst of soldiers still recovering from being thrown off the ship. He ran forward with a guard overhead screaming for him to put him down as he tried to stab him with his spear. The Lilty failed miserably instead his wild thrashing and thrusting of his weapon jutted out in all directions preventing the others from getting to him for fear of being stabbed by their comrades lance. Layle circled around to the back of the Acote and stood with his back to it getting a good look at all the guards coming around him he swung on his hand and using the soldier trapped in his gravity field, he knocked them all back down. While the Lilty's were recovering from his latest attack he turned and put his hands on the security anchor. He gripped his fingers around the corners metal bars and wrapped them in magic before pulling back. His gravity spell forced mechanism's gears to turn and release, setting the airship free for takeoff.

Inside the cockpit, Villosie felt the ship tremble as Layle released it from its anchor point. The female Lilty smirked as she wrapped her hands around steering stick she pushed forward causing the ship to roll down the taxiway. The Lilty stretched out her legs and put her feet on the two metal petals on the left and the right of the steering stick. She slowly pressed down on them prompting the ship to pick up speed as it pulled further and further away from the soldiers and Layle.

The Clavat ran after the airship; the guards now getting up and chasing him. He reached out with his magic to grab on to any part of it, however his hold was continuously knocked out of place when a soldier would reach out and grab or tackle him. He had to switch his focus to knocking them off in order to keep moving forward.

Recognizing that it was taking Layle too long to get back to the airship, Villosie lock the steering shaft in place, and slid the pilot seat. She opened up the cockpit door and leaned out stretching out her hand shouting for Layle to latch onto her and pull himself forward. The gravity Crystal Bearer extended his left arm, a spell extended out and wrapped around Villosie and the door of the Acoat's cockpit. He yanked on her, meaning to pull himself forward, however at the same time he did so one of the Lilty soldiers jumped forward arms extended and tackled onto his shoulders. The added weight caused him to pull the female Lilty out of the door. Villosie grabbed onto the handle just barely keeping herself on the ship.

"What the hell are you doing!" The female Lilty held onto the door her feet now running along the ground she tried to pull herself back into the ship.

Layle cursed and stopped running he reached behind and grabbed the soldier by the shoulders and pulled him forward over his own. The two rolled on the ground with Layle using his magic to gain the advantage, and toss the man on the ground. Just as he overpowered the other Lilty another to piled on, and then more than more. Villosie got one foot up in the cockpit and pulled herself back in looking back to see Layle be overrun by the guards. Cursing the female Lilty shook her head continued inside.

Villosie scrambled in the cockpit and sat down looking over the console. There was only a dozen more a couple dozen more feet before she reached the opening for the airship dock, meaning she had the starter ascent. But she couldn't leave Layle behind. The female Lilty looked over her options scanning the controls until one caught her eye. A wide grin came across her face as she turned on the airship's lower Gatling gun, causing it to drop out from the bottom. She turned the wheel dial on the console turning the gun around to face behind the ship and then press the release trigger on the steering stick to start firing. She wasn't aiming anything in particular. She just was firing wildly.

The fire from the Gatling gun ricocheted off the floor the other airships and all around the room. The guards started shouting scattering ordering to take covered to avoid being shot. As they ran for cover enough of them removed themselves in the dog pile enough for Layle to push up with his magic and throw the rest of them back. Just as he stood up the Gatling gun spun around again firing rapidly. He raised another magic shield cursing wondering what Villosie was thinking.

"Is she trying to kill me now?!"

When the gun stopped firing he ran forward, this time free and clear of the soldiers he extended his arms and used his magic to latch onto the ship and pulled himself upward. The Clavat climbed up and pulled himself onto the metal wing just as the ship started inclined upward. He wrapped his hands and gravity spell and used them to cling on as he crawled his way to the crow's nest. Villosie push the ship forward to take off, slowly the incline steepened, up and up, as it exiting the building. Behind him he could still hear guards shouting and cursing demanding for them to stop.

The Clavat reached the crow's nest just in time as he felt the ship tilted itself upward flying straight up at a ninety degree angle. Layle grabbed onto the bottom of the seat hanging on as his legs were still hanging out of the top. In the back of his mind he recalled the first time the ship took off and how Keiss had told him to hold on tight so he wouldn't fall out.

Keiss took off fast, but he does wait for him to be in the seat! When Layle felt the ship level out he turned himself over falling into the chair with a sigh.

From the communication tube next to him he could hear clockwork's voice, "Hey did you make it?"

"Yeah I made it! No thanks to you..."

The sound of Villosie's laughter travelled up the tube. Layle rolled his eyes thinking he was glad she was in such a good mood.

"Hey now I did what I could help you. I couldn't turn the ship around in a tight place. But you made it! I was worried you would fall out."

Layle leaned back putting his arms up over the sides of the crow's nest and his feet up in front of him, "Keiss' dog fight flying, and King behemoths haven't been able to knock me out the seat. I can handle a bit of the extreme take off with short notice."

"Well I'm glad you can handle the take off. Because the landing going to be just as rough…"

Layle frowned in his seat, "The landing? You mean you're actually going to land at Kilanda?"

"Of course I am! You didn't think we were just going to shoot at it from afar did you? We have to land, and infiltrate it. Blow it sky high from the inside."

"Exactly how do you plan to land without them noticing us?" Again Villosie's laughter came up tube, this time it wasn't as light-hearted areas before, it sounded like she was somewhat choking from lack of air. "Clockwork, are you okay?"

"They're going to know we're there! We're going to make something of a big crashing entrance in the place."

Layle pondered on what she said for a minute and slowly shook his head. The Clavat muttered to himself looking up at the sky, "Keiss is really going to kill me when we scrap his airship."

---

Not much was said during the flight out to Kilanda. Something the Clavat was grateful for, he didn't want to be chewed out over trusting Keiss. Layle remain laid-back in the crow's nest of the Acote looking up at the sky overhead. He wasn't keeping track of time really, but every now and again he would take note that the sky was a little bit lighter than before. Though it was a little cloudy and overcast he could still see the rosy dawn overhead give way to light blue skies. After a couple of hours Clockwork finally spoke up to voice coming up the inner tube.

"We will be at the island in couple of minutes. So it's best to start going over the plan,"

"It didn't even know there was a plan," Layle closed his eyes and let out a sigh, "Aside from barge in and wreck shit."

Villosie chuckled, though Layle couldn't see her she shook her head and tightened her grip on the steering stick of the airship. "Oh there is a plan Crystal Bearer. We are going to make a big entrance, once we land, we'd best to stick together, since I know the layout of the base and you don't. We'll descend down into the centre, to where the sour fruits of Spinosa and Piper's efforts are kept."

"And then what?"

"And then were going to leave a couple of presents." Villose turned her gaze to the bulky bag she had sitting next to the pilot seat on the floor.

"A couple of presents?"

"Yeah, you know couple, explosives here and there…"

Layle opened his eyes again looking up at the sky brow creased with concern. He mumbled, "And that will clear all this up?"

"Look the base sits in the volcano… All of the lava, all the heat, is rerouted and pumped outward and the ocean. But it is still volatile. A big enough jostle, it will blow. It's a little bit of a push, considering that the place itself is filled with volatile equipment. Not to mention the compressed piping, the wiring electricity... One little blast will start a chain reaction. The base shakes up enough and will disturb the foundation. Which allow lava flow through, and caused the whole thing to be wiped out by Kilanda's natural force."

He pressed his lips together and finally sat up right in his seat, "Okay but how are you and I going to get out of the all this. Be honest."

"To be honest when I originally thought about going I didn't plan leave…"

Layle leaned forward in his seat crossing his hands in front of him and resting his elbows on his knees. He didn't say anything but he stared at the inner tube wondering if that was still part of the plan. If Clockwork wanted to sacrifice herself, he wouldn't stop her, but was not ready to call it quits today. After all he still had things to take care of, immediately one thing long red hair and an annoying pushy attitude.

"However, now you're here, I have worked out a way for us to escape."

"Oh that's good," Layle said dryly.

"I can set a time limit for the explosives with a detonator. I worked on it last night… With our combined magic we should be able to make it back up to where there airships dock, and escape. We'll be gone before the bomb goes off."

"So that's why you wanted me to come along."

"No, I wanted you to come along because, well you needed to. Not to help me escape but because you needed the truth." Villosie didn't say anything for a couple minutes Layle remain silent as well as he leaned over in his seat waiting for the Lilty finished speaking, he could tell something was on her mind that she was holding back for some reason.

"What are you going to do about Regal?" He asked her breaking the silence.

"... What you mean what am I going to do about Regal?"

"He is your fiancé isn't he? I mean, I know was an arranged marriage, but are you just going to let him go down the base? He's going to try to stop us. Are you going to fight him?"

There was no response from Clockwork.

"Clockwork?" Layle waited for a minute listening to the sound of silence on the other end of the tube. If the ship wasn't still flying steady, he'd have thought the woman that jumped out. "I mean, you know if you don't want to fight him, Villosie, I can do it for-"

The female Lilty finally spoke up cutting him off, "I don't want you to fight him."

"Okay so then what are you going to do about the fact that he will be there?"

"Royce and I have known each other for a long time. We have a long history together. I have known him since I was a little girl. And though we have fought, and not always gotten along, in the end we always managed to see eye to eye."

"Are you saying you expect him to side with you?" Layle had to fight back a chuckle as he spoke. "I don't know if you've noticed, but he hates Crystal Bearers. And in this case you, well at least the saboteur you."

"Royce doesn't hate Crystal Bearers," Villosie shook her head again to no one really. "He just knows what he knows. What he knows is that Crystal Bearers are dangerous. What he knows is that they cause people grief." Villosie focused her attention ahead flying the ship steady she stared out into the mass of clouds and soft blue sky. "He thinks that he is doing the right thing, something that everyone wants. Something that the people he loves want. He doesn't look at the world with the intention of doing evil; it's a sense of nobility. A lot of Lilties have a sense of nobility. They feel doing so fulfils our Crystal's promise of Prosperity."

"Like you?" Layle said leaning forward, "Do you consider all of this your noble effort? To stop the military?"

"My noble effort Crystal Bearer was years ago… I wanted to bring prosperity to the Kingdom and failed." Villose lowered her gaze to the ocean, scanning for the volcanic island.

"I studied crystals and their energy for a long time long before I went to school. I started back when I was young, after it came to light that Phedra's crystal could actually result in someone's death. So I started reading through my grandfather's texts, the text of other crystal researchers. Anything I could get my hands on. I wanted to learn more about the crystals, to help her, to help others like us. The Lilty are like Royce, knowing that Crystal Bearers could kill others, even inadvertently, did not mean they needed help. But that crystals need to be controlled contained, even eliminated."

"So Keiss and I interfered with your noble effort to help Crystal Bearers? And end up helping Spinosa and Royce in their noble effort to eliminate the threat."

The female Lilty smiled her lips curling up on the left side of her face, "Selkie's have a way of interfering with everything. Years ago, when Royce was still actively serving in the military, we learned that crystal energy was on the decline. At the time the Kingdom was looking into several different ways to expand and grow what crystal energy we had, in order to avoid a crisis. People gotten used to the way the living, no one wanted to progress or cut back. Maybe you had heard of it… But long ago, we all would have been rather younger but, the former head of crystal research and development attempted to create a new engine, one that would exponentially increase even the smallest amount of crystal shard energy. But failed…"

Layle tilted his head and sighed nodded thinking about Cid back in bridge town, "Yeah I was all over the papers."

"That's right. The incident caused the Queen's death… Well, even after that, the Kingdom still tried to find new sources of energy Crystal Shard's power was still on the decline. Even by the time Royce joined the Military and I started my formal schooling. The energy crisis was still an issue."

"Eventually, Royce and I tried our hands at assisting with the energy crisis… Like I said I did a lot of research on crystals, their powers, energy, anyway I thought I could help Crystal Bearers like Phedra. Amongst those things I found that a long time ago there used to be something of an infinite power source used back in the old days when there was only one Crystal. Used in the old kingdom of Rebena Te Ra, it's a magnificent city or at least it was. It was probably just as advanced as the capital city is now for its day. All text and history books that survived that era, even in the writings and musings from the diaries of crystal caravaners, and stories from the days the miasma clouds lifted from the face of the planet, all of them mention this energy source. As an element to be exact."

Layle shrugged his shoulders, "So, what's an element got to do with anything?"

"Crystal Bearers operate off of elements. You and I are time elements, Phedra and Phelia are biological elements. There are Crystal Bearers that operate off of world elements. All the text mentioned the unknown element as a fascinating energy that could do anything… Some say it's the element the Last Caravan used to pierce their way into the miasma crater's center."

"And what? You really think that energy like that really exists in the world? One that can do anything?" Layle shifted, resting his cheek against his knuckles. "Sounds like a children's story…"

Villosie chuckled, "Coming from the Crystal Bearer whose power lets him do near anything, I'm surprised you think that so far-fetched. But I guess I'll never know if there really is such an element. Royce and I were supposed to track it down; I believed it's still hidden amongst the Selkie territories. The old Royal family of Rebena Te Ra was Selkie in its roots, when the kingdom fell what was left to the royal family dispersed across the ocean. Taking said element with them. I thought that I was on the right path then. That was my noble quest; Royce came with me, we were going to find it and bring it back. An alternative source to the dying Crystal Shards. Of course being in Selkie territory we needed a Selkie to assist us." Villosie let out a heavy sigh, "I didn't think anything really of this girl that they gave us to be our guide. She carried around a camera and was a bit of a fast talker. But they said she was an excellent guide to the dunes. And she was an excellent guide. But she taught me Selkies are not trustworthy. In the end her meddling turned our expedition into a disaster. Our failings were so great that Royce step down from his position in the military, and Spinosa's hand was forced to find a new alternate source of crystal energy..."

"Of course he took my research and handed it over to Piper. Suppose my notes and musings over the ideas of harnessing elemental based magic for its energy, combined with my grandfather's efforts and inventions to create a cure lead us to this point. He deduced his own ways to harness elemental magic as tool for the kingdom. No need for my mythical element-"

"-When you've got tons of people running around who can already wield the elements at will…" Layle leaned over in the crow's nest resting his elbow on the brim of the seat. He looked out at the passing clouds, just below he could see the ocean. "So it wasn't just your grandfather that had a hand in this whole Crystal Bearer nonsense."

"We are all guilty, Layle. I gave Piper the idea, Grandfather gave them the means, you and Keiss ensured that everything went off without a hitch."

"Well, we'll have to make sure that that hitch comes undone!"

Villosie cheered in agreement, "That's right!"

Layle was quiet for a few more minutes watching the waves roll by far below the ship. He finally spoke up again, "You never did say what you were going to do about Regal."

"I know."

---

As the Acote approached Kilanda , the sun now hung overhead, beating down on the. Layle was sure that by now Keiss was awake and furious, and putting together his own plan of how to come out and save him from making the biggest mistake of his life. Or at least Keiss would feel it was the biggest mistake of Layle's life.

Layle himself knew that it was only a mild misstep.

"All right Layle," Villosie's voice came up the communication tube, "We're approaching Kilanda. As you know the place is swarming with Abaddons."

"Don't remind me," the Crystal Bearer rubbed the side of his face shaking his head. He didn't enjoy his last run in with the giant bugs, he was not looking forward to his second.

"They're going be relentless, so I need you to keep a shield up around the ship. I'll use the Acote's guns to blast them out of the sky as we make our way inward."

"Once the Abaddons start swarming, and you start blasting, won't the Lilty's start blasting to?"

"Of course they will! But don't worry, I'll make sure that the ship has enough of a boost to avoid their cannons."

Layle bit his bottom lip. This idea was suicide. And yet he was thrilled to be a part of it. "Just say when, Clockwork!"

The ship slowly started its descent downward towards the volcano. As the Acote broke through the clouds, Layle lifted his goggles up from around his neck and covered his eyes. The closer they got to the island the more and more of the giant filing green insects he could make out swarming around the volcano. As expected the closer and closer they drew the more and more the bugs became aware that something was approaching. Groups of them started to swarm together make a line-up towards the ship. Villosie shouted at Layle to put the barrier and protect them as she tilted forward on the control stick and pushed the airship into a sharp decline. Layle reached down and grabbed both sides of the crow's nest and focused his energy. Just like when the King Behemoth had attacked them as they are flying over his hometown, the Crystal Bearer wrapped the airship in a field of gravity creating a protective shield for him and the Lilty steering. Villosie lowered the airships lower guns again and began firing into the bugs. Abaddons swirled left and right all around the ship; their long scythe like arms slashing and cutting deflecting off of Layle's gravity shield. Those of them that flew under the ship were promptly shot through and splattered from the Gatling gun's fire. Wings, arms, legs all splattered and flew through the air bouncing off the ship flying across the wings slamming into the windshield and even landing in the crow's nest. The Clavat was slightly repulsed when half an Abaddon had head landed in his lap.

"How are you doing up there?!" Clockwork called up to Layle as she headed into her final approach.

The Clavat grabbed the Abaddon head and tossed it over side cringing, "I've had better!"

As they had anticipated after they cleared the swarm of Abaddon's they were met with oncoming fire cannon fire from the island base itself.

"Keep those shields up Layle! It's going to be rough the last few minutes!"

Layle's heart was racing, but that was a good thing. The faster his blood pumped the stronger spell was. He focused on doing his best to keep the rapid fire from colliding with the Acote.

Most of Kilanda was just an abandoned island full of volcanic rubble and Abaddon nests. Layle had traversed over those rocks and seen those nest up close. Along the sides of the island, and even inclined up the steep mountain, there was nothing man-made. However from up in the air he could see the base that Villosie was flying into. As she had said it was nestled atop the volcanic crater, Layle could see to see lights, turret towers and cannons blasting at them. The brim of volcano was lined with metal catwalks steel walls and pillars just below the edge of its mouth. Although to Layle it looked like the crater itself was sealed up with a giant metal plate. There was really no place for them to land. Only for them to crash.

"Hey! You sure that there is a place for us to land there? It looks like it's locked up tight to me!"

Villosie chuckled, "I told you this was going to be a rough landing."

"Yeah but you made it sound like we were going to survive!"

Villosie responded to his shouting with more laughter. The ship started to shake as she flew straight down at the covered entrance to the base. Layle could see the blue field of his magic turning a slight gold as the Lilty in the cockpit focused her own magic in with his. The ship race forward guns still firing as the distance between the Acote and top of the volcano closed. Layle could hear Villosie screaming for him to hang on.

The Clavat thought back to Keiss's crash landing outside Denthe and shook his head realizing that this was going to hurt a lot more. He braced himself for impact ready for the ship to break apart around him.

Yet at the last second as the Acote cleared the turrets, the gold magic that had been wrapped around the ship flashed silver. The bright light enveloped him, the airship and the Lilty flying it and their dissent came to a near halt. Villosie pulled back on the steering gear releasing the landing gear for the ship and started turning.

With the assistance of the Slowaga spell the Acote just scraped the top of the metal platform over the base. Villosie held tight on the gear turning the ship so that it curved in a circle around the inner brim of the volcano. Metal scraped and sparks flew as the ship curled around in a circle slowly coming to a stop before crashing into the side wall of the volcano. The impact dented the hull and cracked the windshield. Even one of the wings was slightly bent; however it did not come apart as Layle had anticipated. The Clavat was stunned that Villosie had managed to pull off such a landing. However he did not get the chance to congratulate her.

"Hurry up and get out!" He heard the Lilty shout up at him. The guards from the turrets, the ones that were still standing, turned their weapons toward the airship and started firing. Villosie kicked open the cockpit and rushed outside using a haste spell to keep herself moving faster than the Lilty's were firing. Layle climbed up to the top of the crow's nest and jumped down using his magic to land on his feet on the side the ship. From down here he could get a good look at the area. The brim of the wall of the volcano went up overhead about fifteen feet. It was lined with steal catwalks and turret towers, the ones still standing were now turned at the two Crystal Bearers as they exited the airship. Layle held up his hands ready the block the attacks as Villosie ran around to the side of the ship. She grabbed his arm shouting at him to lend her his magic so they could get inside. Layle clasped his hand in hers like they did back at the airship dock and the haste out the spell they created allowed her to run pulling them along at breakneck speed towards the side walls of the metal platform. Villosie rushed toward the door stopping in front of it and looking over the panel at the side of the door to open it. The Lilty punched in the code, only for the door to reject her password she cursed and tried again and again while Layle stood with his back to her keeping his magic up for shield. Soldiers were now come pouring out of the other entrances weapons raised ready to attack. The Clavat grabbed them and tossed them into one another doing his best to keep them back a couple of feet.

"Can't you open that door?"

"What you think I'm trying to do!"

Layle turned around and grabbed the struggling female Lilty by the shoulders, "I've got an idea!" He yanked her away from the door as she shouted and leave her be. He pulled her to the side as another round of turret fire blast where they had been standing. Without Layle's shield, the fire from the cannons collided with the door blowing it open.

"There!" Layle shouted at her, "It's open!" He let go of Clockwork and ran into the blasted open door; the female Lilty followed, pursued by the soldiers were trying to catch them.

Inside the base, the walls were lined with metal and machinery. Layle's and Villosie's shoes clanged along the metal walkway. Overhead yellow and red neon lights lit their path, revealing walkways and corridors orders of steal and piping. Tons and tons of metal pipes line the walls running up and down the hallways. Layle didn't think about what was in them, he just focused on running forward. From around the bends, and doors Lilty soldiers came out weapons drawn to great them. Over the intercom system an alarm had been sounded; a loud blaring noise screaming in his years made him more agitated than the constant draws barrage of soldiers that they had to fight to keep moving forward.

"Which way do we go!?" Layle asked as he picked up the smaller soldier and use them to knock down the ones coming up their path. Villosie pointed ahead shouting, "There is an elevator not far from here when he to get into that head down! Right!"

Layle held onto the small soldier using him as a battering ram to push their way through. The two Crystal Bearers ran a further and further into the base. The Clavat took note that the deeper and they went, the hotter it became.

Even though they were on the first floor by the time they reach the elevator the Clavat's forehead was drenched in sweat. Villosie summoned the elevator and Layle tossed the guard back. Leaving him unconscious on the floor.

"You weren't kidding about the base being in the volcano!" He said as he wiped his forehead, "I should have left my jacket home!"

The female Lilty shook her head at him, "If you had done that, then you wouldn't have you chain mail to deflect the bullets."

Layle raised his hand and clenched his fist letting a small gravity field wrapped around his knuckles, "I don't always need the chainmail you know!"

When the elevator arrived, the two stepped on closing the door. Villosie turned and punched in for the fifth floor base the elevator jolted and started to move down and the two Crystal Bearers leaned against the back wall. Clockwork put her hand against the bag at her side and took a deep breath.

"When the door opens they will be waiting for us..."

Layle wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed, "Of course they will." He looked to Villosie, "Why are you not hot?"

Villosie twisted her lips, there was clearly sweat on her face, "I'm just as hot as you are! I'm just focused!"

"And I'm not focused?"

"Well if the shoe fits-" Suddenly the elevator came to a jolting stop. The light overhead flickered and went dark. The female Lilty cursed and punched the back of the wall.

"looks like this is where were stopped."

"We're not done yet," Villosie moved towards the elevator's panel and kicked at with her feet a few swift kicks from the bottom of her heel and it broke open she step back and ask Layle used his magic to pull the damaged panel off. The Clavat put his palm over the broken metal and pushed his magic into it causing it to pop off the rest of the way. Villosie reached into the wall's exposed wiring and began pulling it out. She started reworking the wires until the light came back on. She step back and looked around the small enclosed room before pointing down at the floor.

"This is an emergency access panel there. Can you can pry open?"

Layle cracked his knuckles and nodded at her to, "Leave it to me!" The Clavat put his hands on the ground and used his gravity magic to peel back the emergency access panel. Once it was loose Villosie crouched down and opened up a trap door revealing a long dark elevator shaft.

"We can find a ventilation shaft to take us where want to go."

"You don't want to stay in the elevator shaft?"

"Hell no! The last thing we need is to be crawling through and the elevator turn back on!" Villosie swung her legs over the side and lowered herself down into the dark vertical hallway.

"Okay, that's a good point..." Layle followed after her lowering himself down into the shaft and looking around. Villosie swung over to the side wall and grabbed the emergency access ladder. She started to climb down and Layle used his magic to pull himself forward as well to follow after her. Once they were down a few floors she stopped across from a ventilation shaft. The female Lilty held onto the ladder with one arm and pointed out towards it asking Layle to rip open the grate and allow them access to the inside. Just as the Clavat did so, as Villosie a promised the lights came back on the elevator and started to move down.

"You first Clavat! Pull me in once you're inside!" Layle turned on the ladder extend his body forward he pushed off from the wrung he was on and used his magic to grab on to the ventilation shaft's narrow ledge and pull himself forward in. It was a tight space but he managed to turn around and reach out and grab Villosie's body yank her forward. The lilac haired Lilty collided with the shaft, with much less grace he did, but she still pulled in half of her body, enough for Layle to grab on her arms and work himself backwards pulled her inside. The two Crystal Bearers remained that way for a minute listening to the elevator them and sighed.

"Where to now?"

"Keep moving forward down this path, well backward for you; we should be able to get to our destination without any trouble this way."

"Without any trouble? If you haven't noticed this but has kind of been in trouble since landed."

"Are you saying you're not having fun?" Layle slowly started to back up in the ventilation corridor. He smiled at her comment although he was certain was too dark for the really good look at them. Villosie crawled forward on her elbows and knees shaking her head at him.

"Of course you would think all this bullshit is fun…"

---

Layle was not sure for how long the two Crystal Bearers crawled through the ventilation shafts. They eventually reached the intersection allowed him to turn around and let Villosie take the lead through the narrow tunnels. Even though they were crawling through what should have been an air duct, Layle noted that it was still extremely hot. Whatever so-called air circulation was going on this place was not adequate as far as he was concerned. Crawling around in the dark trying to find his way downward was not exactly his idea of an exciting break in mission, he rather be running through the halls fighting the guards. At least down the hallway he had room to reach up and wiped the sweat off his face. They could still hear the sound of the alarm going off and occasionally announcements for soldiers to search certain sections of the base for them. However none of those instructions included for some of the crawled around in the air ducts and find them.

Layle did note that the voice shouting for their capture was not that of Spinosa's but rather of Piper's. He wondered if the plum haired Lilty was present. Or Regal was for that matter. He also hadn't heard the other Lilty's voice over the intercom.

Finally after what seemed like forever Villosie came to stop over a grate. Layle watched as she leaned down and peered through the gaps and nodded to herself she looked back over her shoulder at him, the pale blue light coming up from the room slightly illuminating her face.

"This is it this is where were going to plant bombs, and then we have to work her way back out.

"Are you sure were going have enough time?"

"Will have enough time," With Layle behind her Villosie was forced to unscrew the grate herself using her fingertips to loosen the screws and then push down on the metal mesh with their hands. The mesh fell away, making a clambering noise on the ground and Layle wondered if there were any guards around here it. He watched as the time controlling Lilty held onto the edge of the ventilation shaft and lowered her legs down. She swung few times wrapping herself in a Slow spell before dropping to the ground. The Clavat followed after her using his own magic to steady his fault to land on his feet.

The room that they landed in was nearly completely dark. The red and yellow fluorescent lights of the rest of the rest of the base were not on here. In fact the only light being given off with a soft blue haze from rows and rows of long thick inner tubes station around the room. At the base of each was a panel and some sort of black the tops of them with wiring and machinery leading up in the ceiling. Layle walked forward towards one of the tubes as Villosie ran on ahead, he presumed to plant her plant her bombs. The Clavat reached out and put his hands on the tick glass of the tube. Inside he could just make out something moving around the fluid. Not really moving, it was floating peacefully, suspended in the middle of it. As he leaned forward the fluorescent lights flickered on overhead.

When the lights came on he got a clear look at the object floating inside the tube.

Of course now that he had a clear look was the last thing that he wanted. Inside the large glass container was filled with Dr. Oides' Crystal Stasis fluid. However suspended inside was not a monster like back in his lab, but a person. Wrapped in white medical clothes like the ones the patients at Rebena Te Ra had been wearing, was a person. Their eyes were closed, and they had a serene look on their face, and a crystal embedded in their forehead. Layle pushed away from the glass backing up more. He opened his mouth like he was going to scream but nothing came out. He backed up until his back collided with glass again and he turned around them to another row tubes all filled with Crystal Bearers floating in stasis fluid. Layle held up one hand and backed away shaking his head over and over again until again he collided with something. This time he turned grabbing his shoulders hit it, only to find Villosie staring at him. The Lilty was not as shocked as he was.

However her expression was not calm either.

Nor was she angry.

Her jaw was clenched tight her eyes were focused on his and she seemed to be staring him down waiting for him to calm down from the shock of seeing the Crystal Bearers all peacefully suspended in death.

Layle subconsciously squeezed on the Lilty's shoulder as he recomposed himself, realizing that his breathing and his heart were racing. But not because he was excited.

Villosie reached to f her side and pulled out to bombs. She extended two to Layle and waited for him to let go of her shoulder and take them. She didn't give him any instructions. The Crystal Bearer finally let go of her and took the two devices from her looking down at them waiting a few minutes as he took a few deep breaths. Slowly, the Clavat nodded to her and Villosie reached up and grabbed the strap of the bag of her side.

"I'm going to go place mine on the west side of the room. You place your is on the east side of the room." She took a step back from him, "Meet me in the row with the fire elementals."

"The fire elementals?" Villosie turned towards the tubes and pointed at the plaques at the bottom of the tubes.

"They're classified by element, magic strength, that sort of thing. We'll put the last bomb up by the fire elementals. Okay?

Layle nodded deftly at her. He watched the Lilty walk off turning down one of the corridors disappearing into it. Layle glanced his left in his right at the Crystal Bearers that had been taken way to be cured, only to be killed. He took a deep breath and turned and made his way to the east side of the room. Walking quickly with his head down so he didn't have to look at the bodies floating around him.

It was unsettling.

At some point that could have been him.

Some of these Crystal Bearers he probably met before. He stopped once the once he reached the east side of the room looking back over his shoulder.

At least one of them he knew he had to know. Layle placed one of his bombs in the far corner of the room at the start of a row. He attached to the base of the tube, before turning and making his way all the way down the row to place his second bomb in the other corner. He backed up and looked up at the Crystal Bearer in the tube, rubbing the top of his for head. Absently he whipped away the sweat, but really he was trying to wipe away the guilt.

"I did this," he turned his back to the tube.

Layle started to walk forward scanning the rows reading what each of them said. He read off the element spells, the strengths the attacks, and stopped when he reached the row labelled 'biological elements'.

The row itself seemed very short compared to the others; he stared down the row, feeling tightness in the middle of his chest. He was supposed to continue on to the fire elementals but he found himself walking down this path. He walked slowly not looking up at the cylinders looking down the plaques reading over them. He kept walking until he stopped in the middle the row, spotting the title he was looking for. He walked forward head still down reading the one word over and over and over again.

'Poison.'

Layle put his hands up on the glass and lifted his head to look up at the person floating inside.

Dressed in the same white female patient robe as the others was a girl. Her long black hair flared out suspended around her face in this blue fluid. The sparkling crystal flecks slowly turning around her. Her eyes are closed, concealing eyes that he knew were green. He pondered that she looked like she was sleeping, dreaming of someone she loved. More than likely the other girl with her face. She hovered in the middle of the container, with an angelic like expression. Floating there, wrapped in white, the strange off blue fluid from the light radiating off of her. Maybe she could be an angel? On her right arm a series of white crystals turning around in a clockwise spiral. Her lips turned slightly upward almost like she was smiling. An ironic expression, for the short time they knew each other, she only frowned. Only finally smiling when she resigned to rescue him and her sister. That simple turn up of her lips frozen on her face, content to be sealed in death while the other two lived.

He knew very well that the power she possessed was not that of poison. Layle leaned forward and put his head on the glass. His eyes fixed up at Phelia suspended in the tube. He didn't blink, or breath, or move at all.

Layle remained in front of her tube, suspended himself, in the hazy blue glow of his guilt.

---

Villosie finished up on the west side of the room. The female Lilty place three explosives on her wall, one in each corner and one in the middle. Like Layle she avoided looking up at the Crystal Bearer's in the tubes.

"I'm sorry we can't give you all a proper funeral…" She backed away from the last device she placed and clutched at the strap over her shoulder.

There was one more bomb to place, and then she would set the detonator. It would be a hard fight out of the base, but Villosie was confident in her and Layle's abilities. She started walking the aisles looking for the row of fire elementals. When she passed by it and saw Layle was not present the Lilty frowned.

"He should have been done before me…" Villosie kept walking, looking around corners and down paths for the Clavat. Eventually she made her way over to the row of biological elements. The woman stopped, her lilac ponytail swaying behind her as she lowered her head. Part of her scolded herself for not guessing Layle would detour here, and part of her was upset now she would have to as well. "This is not exactly what I wanted..." The female Lilty walked down the row towards the spot where Layle was frozen in his thoughts. She came to stand behind and reached out to put her hand on the glass next to the Clavat's.

"Layle, we can't stay here all day. The soldiers will be here soon, and we need to get out."

The Clavat didn't move.

"Layle? Can you hear me?"

Villosie reached forward lightly touching Layle's shoulder and the Clavat suddenly pulled back from the glass. He raised hands up over his head and a gravity spell wrapping around them. Villosie reached up shaking her hands screaming at him to stop but he ignored her. Layle brought his hand down pounding on the glass sending a gravity spell shaking through it. He did it again and again each time his fist connected with the glass it creaked and cracked. The fissures slowly spread throughout, allowing the stasis fluid within to leak out in little streams. Villosie backed up as the fluid seeped out. She tried again to stop Layle, informing him breaking the glass open would trigger another alarm. Yet, he continued to ignore her. The gravity controlling Crystal Bearer raised his right hand high overhead putting as much magic as he could into it before punching the glass square in the middle the cracks he created.

The tube shattered, its fluid spilling out on the floor. As it all poured out, Phelia's body dropped to the ground. The blue stasis fluid rushed out over Layle and Villosie's feet and the Clavat climbed up and kicking over the broken glass reaching down for the deceased twin. Villosie put her hand over her chest and sighed as Layle hefted up the girl to carry her in his arms. Layle studied her smiling face for a moment. Even free from suspension, she still smiled. Her hair and dress hung heavy on her body with the blue crystal fluid dripping from her body onto the floor.

He turned back to Clockwork, "Now we can go." Villosie held her hand over her heart and shook her head but she smiled.

"Okay…" Villosie turned away from him and pulled the detonator out of her bag. "Come on! That new alarm will give away what room we're in! Let's hurry!" She ran down the path, Layle followed hot on her heels with Phelia in his arms. The stasis fluid that had spilled out of the tube splashed around their feet as they ran.

As Villosie had said, the new alarm was specifically an indicator that something was amiss in the stasis room. The second alarm rang out mixing with the first, harkening soldiers to come investigate a problem with the Crystal Bearers. It would not be long before guards swarmed the area as well as any of Piper's assistants to see what was wrong. As they ran to the door Villosie raised her hands ready to cast a haste spell over the two of them so they could run out at breakneck speed.

"As soon as we hit the doors run and don't look back!"

"Got it!" Layle shouted her, holding the twin tighter to his body. The fluid in her dress started soaking into his shirt. "But where are we running to? I'm sure the Acote has been confiscated by now!"

"We'll head down to the ship dock and get out by water!" The two Crystal Bearers approached the doors leading out of the hold; Villosie slowed her pace to run in step with Layle and put a hand on his shoulder to cast a haste spell on the both of them at once. As the doors came into view and she poised herself to use her magic. The iron doors to the room opened when the two were just feet away from them, revealing a line of soldiers with strange weapons drawn on them. A few held their traditional spears and gun, but a handful carried long, strange nozzles supported by both their hands, with a long inner tube connection to a pack on their backs. And standing in the middle of them, Villosie's fiancé, Royce Regal.

Despite what she had told Layle to do, Villosie herself stopped running. Layle took a few steps past her and stopped turning backward to shouted her to keep moving.

The two betrothed Lilties stared at each other. The look on both of their faces was a mixture of shock and disappointment. Royce looked more shock than Villosie of course. However the woman was still nonetheless startled to see him, even though she had been bracing herself for it. The soldiers raised their weapons ready to shoot when Royce raised his arm and ordered them to hold their fire.

Regal took a step forward.

"Villie?! It's you! You're the saboteur?"

Villosie slowly took a few steps forward to stand in line with Layle she looked at the Clavat, and then looked back at her fiancée. The lilac haired Lilty's face remained stoic as she raised her right hand and pulled off her glove then raised her left hand and pulled off the other. She held her hands out showing off the silver and gold crystal bands that wrapped around each of her ring fingers.

Regal looked at her hands and then up at her his eyes squinting in confusion, "But why? Why would you do this? Why would you turn on the Kingdom!"

"The Kingdom turned on me first, Royce, dear." She turned her head slightly to look to the deceased girl in Layle's arms and then back at the man she was supposed to marry. "I did it for the same reason why you work for the Kingdom. So that we can have a better future. For our prosperity."

"Villosie, Crystal Bearers are a menace…"

"I know, I'm a menace to you, am I not?" Villosie put her hand to her chest, "Royce I know you can't fully understand now and I haven't the time to explain but move aside for Layle and I… Or I will have to move you. I don't mind roughing up the soldiers but I'm not going to fight you."

Royce's his eyes went wide baffled at what his fiancée was saying. The soldiers raised their guns again and once more Regal held up his arms looking over his shoulder ordering them to stop. "Don't fire! Don't fire I said!" He looked back at Villosie and spoke firmly, "Turn yourself in and- and perhaps I think it Spinosa to be lenient."

"There is no turning myself in. There is no turning ourselves in." His fiancée pointed back behind her at the rows of stasis pods, "I'm not walking away from this, Royce! This isn't what we want! This isn't what you want! This does not improve the kingdom! This is not taming Crystal Bearers' powers! This is murderer! And you know that the High Commander and the King won't approve of it! Spinosa is wrong, this is wrong, Piper is wrong!"

Regal pointed at Layle standing behind her shouting, "Even if it is wrong have Crystal Bearers not cause you anything but pain! Think of your friend's mother, and of your grandfather!"

She shouted back at him, becoming angrier by the second, "You know that's a lie! You know that that wasn't Layle that took my grandfather's life, and you know the what happened to the twin's mother was an accident!" She then turned and motioned to Phelia in Layle's arms, "-And what good has it done you two try to ease the pain of the loss of their mother by killing one! Move aside I don't want to have to fight you just get out of the base get out of my way and you and I will deal with our differences later!"

Royce said nothing.

Behind him the guards kept their guns drawn on the two Crystal Bearers. One of them spoke up asking for Regal's orders. The former Lilty officer didn't give any. Again the soldier asked and finally a third time. When Royce still ignored him, the questioning soldier took a step forward out of line and moved to fire as he pulled the trigger Royce shouted know at him and stretched out his hand knocking the barrel the gun the side. The stray bullet passed Layle and fired into one of the stasis tubes. Royce grabbed the gun by the barrel and ripped it from the Lilty's arms shouting at him that he gave no order to fire. The rest of the soldiers in line watched them struggle confused only a few of them kept their guns trained on Layle and Villosie. A few other guards grabbed Regal by his shoulders trying to calm them down.

Clockwork turned to Layle nodding, indicating she felt this was their chance to run. She looked back at the group raising her hands and casting a slow spell over the soldiers but not her fiancé. The spell allowed Regal to push them back in the looked over at Villosie stunned.

The female Lilty reached out her hand to him, smiling for the first time since the door opened, "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

Before Royce could respond another voice spoke up, "There will be no leaving today!" Royce took a step back and into the room a few steps closer towards his fiancée. He turned around to see behind the line of soldiers still struggling with their slowed movements another wave had arrived led by Lieutenant Spinosa. The lieutenant shoved the slow soldiers out of the way smiling deviously at the looked on as the two Crystal Bearers.

"I have been waiting for you two. I was starting to think you weren't going to come."

"Spinosa!" Layle spoke the man's name almost as if he was growling he glared at him doing nothing to hide his disgust for the man.

"You two have kept me waiting quite some time for this… I was quite worried actually I would not be able to finish my project on time," Spinosa pointed at Royce, "Regal stepped aside and let my men finish this."

Royce looked from lieutenant to his fiancée in a panic, "Sir! I don't think violence is necessary! Just let me talk to her! Villosie is not a criminal! She's not a bad person! It has to be that Clavat's fault," he pointed back at Layle who in turn rolled his eyes, "He has some sort of influence over her! Something that he's done! She would never turn on the Kingdom!"

Villosie huffed and let out a sigh at her fiancée's defense for. However Spinosa knew better.

"Royce, if you will not stand down-" Spinosa snapped his fingers and a few of his men pointed their guns at the rose haired Lilty, "-Then I will make you stand down."

Villosie lifted her hands and anger ready to cast her own spell on Spinosa and his men. "Don't you dare shoot at him! I won't give you the chance!"

Spinosa turned to the lilac haired Lilty, a smile still on his face. "What will you do, Ms. Oides? Cast one of your slow spells on me? Accelerate yourself with a haste spell?" The smile on his face grew into a toothy grin. "Go on and do so- It's what you do best. Let loose your magic, and I will show you what precautions I have taken to deal with you!" He snapped his fingers again and two of his soldier's with the packs strapped to their backs rushed forward. The dropped to their knees and turned the ends of their nozzles, causing a stream of the blue crystal fluid to come gushing out towards the two Crystal Bearers.

Villosie's eyes went wide as she backed up quickly. Layle clutched Phelia tighter and followed suit.

"W-what! What!" The female Lilty raised her hand to cast a slow spell on the guards. One of them raised his nozzle spraying the fluid up into the air like rain. The Two Crystal Bearers turned and ran farther back from the door and the line of soldiers.

"That awful stuff! If it comes in contact with our crystal's they'll be neutralized! Don't let it land on your face, Layle!"

"Easier said than done when it's raining form the sky!"

"Villie!" Regal shouted after his fiancée. Ignoring the orders of Spinosa to apprehend her he chased her down the corridor. The rest of the soldier's followed.

Spinosa pointed down the row of tubes barking orders, "Cut them off and drive them toward the center of the room!"

The two ran down the corridor with Royce following, calling for Villosie to stop fleeing him. The two Crystal Bearers sprinted ahead; ready to turn at the first intersection, only to find there were guards coming in from the left. More packs of the stasis fluid strapped to their backs. They turned their hoses on and Layle skidded to a stop.

"I can toss them out of the way!"

Villosie grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to the right, "If my hands get soaked I can't cast spells! If you get hit in the face, neither can you! And you're not exactly as mobile as you should be with Phelia in your arms! Just keep running!"

Again at they sped towards a cross roads in the pathways, and again they encountered guards on one side, attempting to douse the Crystal Bearers, forcing them to run down a clear path. Over and over again as they ducked down corridors and around lines of stasis tubes, and they found one wave of guards of blocking off the path forcing them to turn around and around, left and right through the room forcing them towards the center.

In the center of the room there were a few empty stasis pods positioned in a circle. In the middle of them there was one larger cylinder, but also stood empty. Unlike the others, inside it there seemed to be extra machinery, and clamps hanging down from the metal top, rather than a series of pumps to allow stasis fluid to flow freely in and out of the container, it had more wiring and cables that extended out and over the ceiling connecting it to every row of Crystal Bearers in the room.

Villosie stopped at the larger pod and looked up pointing overhead, "Lets get up on top of the containers! We can run right over head!"

Regal ran up as the two stopped, out of breath. He grabbed Villosie's wrist and turned her towards him, "Villie! Villie, please!"

"Regal… Either help us escape, or escape yourself," she turned to Layle nodding for him to continue.

"I'm on it!" Layle walked up to Regal, and held Phelia out to him, "Hold her."

Regal held his arms for the girl and took her just as soldiers poured in to the circle from all sides. They had their weapons drawn on the trio ready to fire. When Layle reached up to use his magic to grab on the top of the tube a few them fired into the circle aiming the stream overhead, causing it to splatter on the empty glass to before them, forcing them to back up. The Clavat lowered his arms to shield his face cursing.

Spinosa walked into the circle ordering them to halt.

"You all aren't going anywhere! The lieutenant pointed at Royce, "Regal stand aside, and tell your fiancé to as well! It's finally time to finish our project!"

Royce held on tight to the body in his arms. He looked down the girl and then up at his fiancée, "Sir, I can't stand down if Villosie's fate will be the same as this girl's!"

Spinosa looked the other Lilty over with disdain, but shook his head, "It is not the time controlling girl I want. As useful as the skill may be she's not what I need. I promise you, Regal, no harm will come to her…"

Regal looked back at Villosie, who shook her head at him. "Don't! Don't you dare agree! You know it's not right! No matter how dangerous you feel Crystal Bearers are, you know this isn't right! Listen to me! He's lying to you! Just look around! Look in your arms!" Villosie grabbed his shoulder eyes wide. She occasionally blinked as she spoke, trying to gain control over the stinging building up on her eyes. "Royce, dear…"

Royce watched her for a minute before slowly lowering his eyes and sighing, "I wonder, if it would cause you more pain for a moment to cry… Than to suffer forever in those tubes like Phedra had…" He slowly pulled back from her. Layle reached out to him shouting at him not to leave. He didn't care what happened to him, but he didn't want Royce to take Phelia away from him. Villosie snatched at him, trying to force him to stand beside her.

The soldiers moved forward weapons though drawn on the two Crystal Bearers; Layle grabbed Clockwork's hand and pulled her back until their backs were against the large empty cylinder. She glared through the guards at her fiancée, biting down on her lower lip. The female Lilty squeezed Layle's hand and leaned over to whisper into his ear.

"…Get ready…"

Spinosa walked forward holding his hand out to the two of them.

"Look around you two! This is perhaps the military's finest work!"

"A mass genocide?" Villosie's spat her words at him.

Spinosa grinned at her, "You should love it, it was from your theories, and your grandfather's work that this idea came about. Of course, Piper made it all come true. He put your ideas into a system that worked!"

"My theories were for a safe limitless power source for the Kingdom! Not this! Not to use people as a power source! The high commander will never stand for this, neither will the King!"

Spinosa laughed, "The High Commander will love this idea my dear. He had already granted me free reign to construct for him the perfect weapon for the new fleet of warships the kingdom is preparing-"

The female Lilty scoffed, "There are no warships in the making! The King does not want war!"

Spinosa pointed at her, "That's where you're wrong my dear!" The lieutenant started to walk, pacing back and forth in front of the two Crystal Bearers. "The King does not want war per se but he knows that the Kingdom needs energy! We don't have the resources to keep ourselves running much longer. The Crystal Shards will soon be exhausted and, we must expand beyond Alfitaria's borders to find the energy we need to maintain the Kingdom. And we can't do that without the proper tools to pave the way to expand the Kingdoms grounds!"

"Which is why the Military is building war weapons in secret…" Layle muttered in aggravation.

"Secret?" Spinosa stopped walking and stared at him, "These military bases are no secret to the King. He approved these facilities long ago! For the High Commander to do with as he pleased to help expand Alfitaria's prosperity! Just because he has not signed off on them personal, does not mean our methods are contradictory to his wishes-"

"Those methods I'm sure aren't listed in detail! If they knew from the start that your and Piper's weapons ran off the lives of the Kingdom's people they'd never approve of it!" Villosie shouted again. "My Grandfather found out what you were doing with his research! If it's truly acceptable, why did you kill him!?"

Spinosa stopped walking and frowned at the female Lilty as she shouted.

"Your grandfather… Yes… Dr. Oides wanted to reveal my project before it was ready…" Spinosa stroked his chin and a smile crept back onto his face. "You see, Ms. Oides, High Commander Jegran charged his most trusted officers with a task… Before the year is out, he will meet with the King to discuss the Kingdom's energy crisis. The failings of the Crystal Shards and our attempts to expand their energy… A new path must be taken, one that the High Commander wants to present to him as already paved." Spinosa stopped stroking his chin, the smile on his face extended from cheek to cheek, allowing his teeth to show as he spoke.

"To build the kingdom an army… To prepare us for our next advancement! DuBlanc constructed the technology! Fitzroy made us the materials! And I- I had to devise a weapons system that would operate without the need of Crystal Shards. What he had needed to be preserved for the fleet you see! Imagine the task- weapons that operated without shards- If not for you and your grandfather, the idea would have never presented itself!"

Spinosa raised his hands and turned around. "Piper came up with the idea of the controlling the Miasma, but monsters were too unruly! They could even turn on us- but the Crystal Fluid your grandfather made! Flowing in it energy, power- The elements themselves at our disposal! Long have the Lilty been at the disadvantage of controlling the elements…" He stopped with his back to them. "But the fluid runs dry after so many uses… It needed to be continuously charged. The Crystals that housed the elements needed to remain within it to keep the spells going."

Villosie's brow creased with horror. She raised her free hand to her lips, "So you stuffed people into the tubes… Their crystals forever being drained of their magic."

"Piper crafted the weapons, and I had the answer to the High Commander's request. A Weapons system that would operate without the Yuke Crystal Shards, leaving them free for his use to power his ideal fleet…"

"-and removing Crystal Bearers from the kingdom, all under the ruse of a 'cure' so no one would come looking for them!" Layle squeezed Villosie's hand tighter, already preparing a spell to pull the two of them to safety.

"Yes… But it's not complete," Spinosa raised his head, his back still to them, "In the test we realized something was still wrong. The spells did not match the might of the Crystal Bearer's that possessed them. They were weaker, inadequate… I was ready to toss the project aside, until Dr. Oides made another discovery…"

The Lieutenant uncrossed his arms form behind his back and held up one finger, "A missing element. Much like your idea Ms. Oides, but much more obtainable than a myth."

Villosie returned the squeeze of Layle's hand, readying a haste spell as she glanced at him, their eyes locking for a moment.

"An element that returned the charge to the weakened spells. Amplifying them, increasing them, modifying them into- much more than their singular owners had ever displayed. A force of nature, a power strong enough to amplify Piper's machines and power them- that's what it is! A missing power source for my weapons!"

"There's no such element, Spinosa!" Villosie sneered at him. "We never found it! Remember! It's a myth!"

"It is not a myth!" Spinosa turned around and pointed at her. "It lives! And it's right in this very room! One last element for my machine! One last Crystal Bearer to cure from the face of the Kingdom! And that power is-" He pointed at Layle, eyes wide and shouting.

"There! The power of gravity!"

Layle raised his hand upward with Villosie's and the two let loose a Slowaga spell that spread out from them in a giant force field. Everything it touched came to a near stop as it expanded outward from them. The Clavat raised his free hand and hooked onto the tops of the cylinders across from them and pulled himself up along with the female Lilty.

They both looked down at the crowd as they flew over their heads: Layle at Phelia still in Regal's arms and Villosie at her fiancé. When they landed, they started to run back towards the door, their feet clanging against the metal tops of the stasis tubes.

As they ran away a hazy light enveloped Spinosa. A nearly clear bubble expanded out from him and burst. The lieutenant turned and looked over his shoulder at the fleeing Crystal Bearers before looking around at his men.

"Pull yourselves together!" He started to shove them despite their slow movements, "Bring me that Clavat! Alive!"

He stormed past them stopping to snatch Phelia out of Regal's stunned arms, "And you! If you don't want me to kill her, then catch her before the soldier's do!"

As the plum haired Lilty stormed off the Slowaga spell wore off of Royce and the guards. The other Lilties scrambled to peruse Layle and Villosie, but Regal hung back, slumping against one of the empty containers in thought.

---

Layle and Villosie used their powers in tandem to make their way out of the room. Out in the hallways the female Lilty continued to boost them along with the use of her haste spells while Layle fought through the guards with his gravity magic. Yet they still found themselves having to retreat from a few encounters when they encountered guards attempting to spray them down with the stasis fluid.

"This is ridiculous! We'll never make it out of here!"

"Yes we will!" Villosie shouted over her shoulder at Layle as she ducked into a doorway. As soon as the Clavat entered she pulled the metal door shut. The Clavat followed up behind her using his magic to jam it. On the other side the guards banged on it relentlessly. "Two floors down there's a ship hold and a tunnel… We can get out by speed boat." Clockwork pulled the detonator out of her bag. "And then blow this place sky high."

Layle looked at the detonator, thinking about Phelia still back in the room, "..What about Regal?"

"…He'll get out… I'm sure of it."

Layle looked away from her. The two stood there in silence for a few seconds more before Villosie shook her head and started running again. Layle followed after her.

Through the lower hallways they encountered fewer guards, a fact that was unsettling to Villosie, but for now she took it to their advantage. It made navigating their escape easier. There was only one more floor to clear between them and the base's dock.

The hallways on the finally floor were narrow and filled with intersecting corridors. It made it hard to see where they were going, but the female Lilty had memorized the layout of the base's plans. She led Layle through the winding corridors, listening out for the sounds of guards rushing around trying to locate them.

"If we keep going straight, we'll get to a stairwell that will take us down to the dock area!" She looked back over her shoulder and pointed ahead. "But if its blocked off we can double back and take the access ladder!"

"Which is faster!?"

"The stairs, which is why I'm sure they'll be waiting there!"

Villosie turned her attention forward again. She could see the door to the stairwell up ahead. She could also hear the sounds of several footsteps echoing around the metal hallways. It was hard to tell what belonged to her and Layle and what belonged to the soldiers. But there was no doubt in her mind that there was an ambush waiting. The female Lilty raised her hand, preparing a slow spell for whatever waited for them on the other side of the door.

However, as they passed the final intersecting hallway before the door a guard swung out from behind the wall. He had the back of his rifle raised up, ready to strike the chest of whomever came past him. Villosie let out a shout as she swung her hand out to strike him with a slow spell. Without much room to swing in the tight corridor her palm connected with his face. As the spell overtook him, the Lilty's hand slipped and pulled the trigger.

A bullet ricocheted around the tight passageway, and struck one of the pressurized pipes next to Villosie. Instantly, gallons of crystal stasis fluid that were being pumped through the base poured out into the hallway and over the lilac haired Lilty.

Clockwork screamed and held up her hands as the fluid doused her face and covered her body. Layle stopped running, stepping back from the spraying fluid. He could make out a shadow of the female Lilty as she fought with the gushing substance.

"Villosie!" He screamed at her. But she was too busy shouting in fear to respond. Layle reached forward with his magic and grabbed the woman's body. He pulled her back toward him, out of the stream. Villosie stumbled down the hall coughing as crystal fluid spilled out of her mouth. She dropped to her knees in a haze, shaking and gasping.

Layle crouched over her, putting his hand on her back, "Villosie? Villie, are you okay!?"

"…It…It burns…" She continued to cough, tears forming in the sides of her eyes, "My hands…like a fire!" She got up on her knees and furiously tried to wipe the fluid off. "It burns! I feel it burning the crystal in my skin!" Layle pulled back and watched her struggle with her hands on the ground. She rubbed them on the floor, on the walls, frantically crying and screaming about the burning sensation she felt.

More soldiers burst through the stairwell door shouting that they had spotted the two Crystal Bearers. Layle got to his feet and grabbed Villosie's hand.

"Come on! Come on we have to get to that ladder!"

He pulled her forward, and as she got to her feet, Villosie instinctively tried to cast a haste spell. Only for the burning pain to shoot up her arm as a result. She stumbled again as Layle pulled her, shouting at her to tell him which way to go. With a trembling voice the female Lilty told him to head left.

Again she tried to cast a spell, only for her body to resist. Villosie squeezed her eyes shut and gasped as they ran. Layle continued to ask her for directions, he could tell she was in pain, but he knew they couldn't stop now. Clockwork guided him towards the ladder, which was covered by a valve sealed hatch. Layle let go of her hand and used his magic to turn the wheel. He flipped the latch upward and gazed down.

At the end of the ladder he could see a catwalk suspended over a waterway. The guards' shouts and footsteps were growing closer.

"Okay! Let's go!" He held out his hand to Villosie.

The female Lilty looked at him, wide eyed and fearful. She reached into her bag and pulled out the detonator putting it into his hands.

"Go."

"…What?" Layle shook his head and kept his hand out to her. "Come on, Clockwork, this is no time for games!"

"It's not a game, Layle!" She shouted at him. "Look at me! I can't use my magic! I can barely, barley move on my own now!" The female Lilty started to take deep breaths and closed her eyes. "Get going- I can stand here and block them from coming down the ladder after you!"

"Villosie!" Layle stood back up and grabbed her shoulders, "Are you crazy! Come on! We're right here!"

"We are!" She opened up her eyes, smiling at him as tears rolled over her cheeks. "I can't let them catch you-" The female Lilty raised her arms and grabbed Layle's shoulders. She lifted her leg and kicked outward, planting her heel in his chest. The Clavat fell backward, down the open ladder shaft. He shouted at her as he fell backwards.

Layle used his magic to grab into the ladder and stop his fall. Overhead the latch shut, and he could hear the valve being resealed.

"…" The Clavat looked up at the latch as he grabbed the sides of the ladder and used his magic to lower himself down to the catwalk.

Villosie sealed the latch and stood just as the guards rounded the corner. They kept their weapons drawn on her ordering her to give herself up. The female Lilty turned around using her thumb to push her tears away.

"Alright- Let's get to it." She ran forward raising her leg and swinging it at the weapon of the first guard. She knocked it form his hand and then raised her leg again to kick him in the chest and force him back. A second soldier tried to strike her with the nozzle of his backpack, and she ducked under it to tackle him. Villosie forced him backward screaming as he fell over. The female Lilty readied herself for another kick when the soldier turned the hose on from the ground and fired at her.

The fluid covered her and the floor, causing her to slip as she tried to swing her leg down.

Villosie fell and two guards scrambled over her in an attempt to hold her down. She kicked out her legs knocking one back while another grabbed her arm. The female Lilty continued to struggle, refusing to let them pass her. She continued to resist until a familiar voice shouted for the guards to let her go.

The armored Lilties backed up as Royce pushed his way through and stood over his fiancé. He looked down at her, his lips pressed together and his expression soft as he shook his head.

Villosie raised her hand to him, allowing Royce to pull her to her feet.

Once she was standing she kept her gaze low, but the end of her lips curled upward into an awkward smile.

"You were supposed to escape…" She wrapped her arms around him and he returned the gesture.

"How can I leave you alone, when I know you're in tears?"

---

Layle reached the catwalk at the bottom of the ladder while Villosie fought off the guards overhead. He hit the walkway and started running, not really sure as to where he was going. Below he could see several boats lined up, supply ships, weapons carriers, military ships, and a few speedboats.

"Okay- I have to get down there and get out…" He scanned the ground as he ran over the interconnecting metal scaffolding, taking in the guards patrolling the area and trying to decide the best route to escape when his eyes fell on the Lieutenant.

One level below him on the catwalk the man was there. Had he been waiting for him this entire time?

The plum haired Lilty's gaze was fixed on Layle, watching him race along the metal walkway. As their eyes locked the Crystal Bearer thought of Villosie screaming about the burning in her hands, and scared patients at the facility in Rebena Te Ra, and the soft smile on Phelia's face.

Had she kept that expression through all of that pain?

Suddenly, he forgot about escaping.

Layle stopped running forward. He turned his body and ran for the edge of the railing. The Crystal Bearer grabbed the side rail and pulled himself upward. With a gravity powered kick he launched himself across and down to land on the same path as Spinosa.

"Clavat," the man turned to him his head raised high. "You're alone?"

Layle walked towards him fist clenched at his side, "As are you." He glared at the man as he started to walk forward as well.

"Are you not going to run, Clavat?"

"Why should I?" Layle flexed his hands and let a gravity spell wrap around each fist. "You wanted my power, well come take it."

"So bold, Clavat…" Spinosa reached down to his side and drew a gun. "You should have kept running."

Layle sneered at the man, "Bullets won't work on me."

"I had Piper made this just for you, Clavat. Keiss tested one in Connall Curach, it fires magic. Not bullets."

Layle continued to walk forward, picking up his pace a bit, "No magic works on me either, in case you haven't noticed!"

"But that's a lie, isn't it?" Spinosa tightened his grip on the trigger. "This magic does and has, and this gun's rounds were made specifically to inject into the body, not cast a spell… I had Piper take extra care getting samples of that poison crystal, just so I could use it to take you down."

Layle's jaw tightened and his eye twitched. He had no witty remark for Spinosa this time, just a low growl that erupted into a scream of rage as he dashed forward. The Lieutenant fired at Layle as the Clavat leapt into the air, fist raised to strike him. The Crystal Bearer turned his body, letting the shot fire past. Out the corner of his eye he could see the gun had fired a thin tube at him with a needle on the end of it.

He swung out at Spinosa, connecting with his chest and sending him flying backward severally feet. The Lieutenant's arms lashed out and grabbed the railing to steady his fall.

Layle landed and rushed at the man again as he readied his next shot.

Even without Villosie's haste spell he was moving too fast for the Lieutenant to hit him. Layle used his gravity magic to boost his steps, launching himself into the air as he dashed forward. He swung out his foot this time kicking the man in the side and into the railing. When Spinosa dropped he swung his foot down on the hand clutching the gun and forced him to drop it.

"You!" Layle grabbed him by the collar of his armored uniform and began striking him in the face with his other hand. "You want me!" Layle's knuckles connected with Spinosa's jaw, "You want my powers!"

"Y-you!" The Lilty shouted between blows to his face.

He hit him again, shouting in a rage as he struck his nose. The plum haired Lilty's hand twitched and let go of the railing he was cling onto. "You can have them!"

"Will! –You-!" The Lilty tried to raise his hand trying to catch Layle's fist, his arm spasmming every time Layle struck him.

"Take it!" Layle continued to shout angrily, his eyes stretched in furry, the thought of fleeing lost to him. The thought of blowing up the island was gone. All that was on his mind was the man before him, and beating him until he felt the same pain his friends had felt.

"-You- be-!"

Layle raised his fist high; his knuckles were white form the strain. He poured all of his magic into one last strike, "I'll give you all the gravity magic if you can stand!"

Layle brought his fist down to slam it into Spinosa's face. As he did so, the Lilty raised his own hand to block him. He stretched out his fingers, and a faint haze extended around his palm like a bubble. The moment Layle's fist connected with Spinosa's palm his magic burst. The gravity field dissolved away into the air and the haze expanded out before popping around the Clavat.

Layle remained still stunned for a moment looking at his hand in disbelief.

In his confusion, Spinosa reached out for his gun with his over hand and pulled it upward in a swift strike to connect the hilt to Layle's head. The Clavat was knocked off of him and the man pulled himself to his feet. Layle grabbed the railing and started to pull himself up again only for the hilt of the gun to connect to the back of his neck. Then the side of his face.

Spinosa kicked him in the stomach forcing him down and then on the side of the head.

Layle rolled over trying to get up, only for the man to stomp his boot down on his neck. The Clavat reached up with his hands trying to use his magic to push Spinosa off as he felt his airway being crushed. Yet all he could do was deftly claw at the man's leg. Layle gasped for air in shock as his vision started to blur.

He could make out Spinosa looking down at him, his face streaked red with blood form the Clavat's blows. Yet he still smiled and he ground his boot down into Layle's neck. The rest of the world around him started to melt away into darkness as his mind blacked out from the lack of air.

The last thing he registered was the sound of Spionsa's voice asking him a question.

"Will you be Silent?"

---

A/N: Hey! BEFORE YOU GO!

So, if you guys can't guess from this chapter we're getting even closer to the end. And I know some of my reviewers have said they can't believe this 4 year (oh gosh 4 years!) ride is coming to an end. Silver Ecstasy and NekoChronicles have said the same. And I wont lie to you guys, I will probably be writing a sequel to this one, (Okay that's a lie, I already totally know what the sequel is about and what goes on XD) if you all feel like sticking around with me and my slow updates!