"We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh" -Agnes Repplier
Mira sighed, leaning back against the bench while crossing her legs. The sunlight above her only warmed sections of her face for the tree canopy shielding her, but she didn't mind. She tucked her arms under her head, closing her eyes and smiling as she inhaled the sweet scent of the apple blossoms above her. After a brief moment, she exhaled with a content sigh.
The past two years had been rather hectic while Gus, Ace, Keith, Baron, Klaus and herself took charge over the chaotic government of Vestal. Hydron and Zenoheld had been the only members of the royal family alive, other than Hydron's step sister, until they were overthrown. She was only nine when all the problems with her stepfather occurred, so she was unable to take any action against him. Vestal had plunged into a state of chaos, where leadership was in the hands of the various gangs that roamed the planet. They had used Bakugan to claw their way up the social ladder, and their rule had been absolute. The overpopulated planet was still running out of space to put their countless citizens, and it didn't help that those who lost homes due to the Bakugan brawls resorted to violence to survive. They harmed many innocents and kidnapped children in order to make enough money to afford food and water.
Mira remembered how astounded her brother had been at the dishonorable way of life these criminals lead. He immediately sought to take charge, making Mira, Ace, Baron, Klaus and Gus his 'gang'. They easily took down the other brawlers, and, despite Mira initial concern for her brother in power, he proved to be an admirable leader. He quickly earned the respect of the Vestal citizens, and his first order of business was to restore the previous system of power. The young heir to the throne was located and placed under his guardianship, as he was of age once he turned twenty. He ordered the cities Alpha, Beta, and Gama to return to New Vestroia, along with Klaus and Baron, to settle there. As they now had friendly relations with the Bakugan, Dimension Controllers were no longer necessary. Klaus and Baron kept Keith, Mira, Ace and Gus posted on the activities in the three cities, and things seemed to be running smoothly.
Keith and Mira had become the temporary rulers of Vestal, with Gus and Ace their advisers, while helping young Cassie come to terms with her new duties. Ace had finally asked Mira out, and she happily accepted, and they had been dating since their return to Vestal two years ago. Both she and Keith had been charged with dealing with the damaged areas of Vestal, but things were going well and more people were finding homes again. Free transport had been arranged for those that wanted to begin anew on New Vestroia, and many people had made use of that. Klaus' Aqua Apartments were a big hit, and after Mira and Cassie talked to him, they managed to persuade him to donate half of his profits from the apartments to pay for the transport cost for the unable Vestals from Vestal to New Vestroia.
Now, he lived with Sirenoid at Beta City, where he could sit outside and listen to her play her harp while she could swim whenever she wanted. Baron and Nemus were in charge of Alpha City, and Mira had found one of her old friends to take care of Gama City. Her friend's name was Obsidian, and she was a Darkus battler. Obsidian was a big fan of Ace, but she respected Mira's relationship with him.
Obsidian was part of a group of brawlers in charge of New Vestroia, and was their Darkus battler. It was an organization similar to the Vexos, but with good intentions. Baron was currently their Haos battler, and his younger sister Maron was studying under him succeed him as their Haos brawler. She was eleven now, and was showing promise as a battler. She and Obsidian, who was fourteen, were good friends in the Caretakers, and despite their attributes being opposite, they made good tag-team partners. Maron was also best friends with Cassie, and Maron frequently traveled to Vestal to visit the princess with Baron.
The Caretakers had one battler of each attribute, except Aquos and Haos. Klaus and Baron were both training kids to be brawlers. Klaus was teaching a young boy named Keane in the duties of a Caretaker, as well as the ways of an Aquos battler. He was thirteen and preferred the Aquos attribute. His guardian was Saint Aquas, a rare Aquos Bakugan whose species was mostly extinct. Ace had approved of Mira's choice for the Darkus battler of the team, as had Maron, who was already best friends with Obsidian. She partnered with Darkus Dio Sivac, an insect like Bakugan that dwelled in the farthest reaches of New Vestroia. It was unknown to Mira how she had come across such a rare Bakugan like Dio Sivac, who she called Dio, and Obsidian never went to tell how they met.
Maron had met her partner Bakugan, Kilan Leoness, when she had gotten lost in a race with Baron. It had been getting dark and the Tigrerra-like creature had answered her pleas for help with an air of impatience. He helped to guide her from the forest, but before they reached the exit, they were stopped by a few arrogant boys. Kilan Leoness was disgusted with their behavior, and asked Maron if she had enough courage to stand up to them. She told him yes, and they easily took down the boys in battle. After that, Leo agreed to help Maron and became her official Haos Bakugan partner.
The Ventus, Pyrus, and Sub-Terra brawlers Mira had not met yet, but she knew their names and the names of their partner Bakugan. The Ventus brawler's name was Isamu, and his Bakugan partner was Ventus Van Falco. Mira was aware that Isamu was a unique brawler, and a human. The Pyrus brawler's name was Birch, and Mira was told he was a large fan of both Dan Kuso and Keith. To be honest, it didn't really surprise her, as both boys were seen as legends on Vestal. He partnered with Flare Dragon, a dragon-like Pyrus Bakugan that Birch called Flare. The Sub-Terra battler was named Saffron, and he had an undying loyalty to his friends, Mira was told. His Bakugan partner had supposedly agreed to battle with him due to his fighting spirit, and didn't regret his decision. Mira had never heard of Gran Panzer before the enactment of the Caretakers, but learned quickly to respect him and honor him as an opponent. He had given herself and Wilda a bit of trouble, and even Gus had a difficult time defeating them. Gus and Mira hadn't had to discuss the verdict very much before deciding on Saffron to be the new Sub-Terra battler for the Caretakers.
Mira sighed, thinking about Baron on New Vestroia. She wondered, briefly, if things were going well. She stared up at the deep green canopy above her. The sunlight filtered mildly through the hundreds of leaves above her head, casting uneven shadows over the skin of her face and the ground behind the bench. Her hair had grown very long in the past two years and now was pulled up in a high ponytail. It escaped her gloved fingers as she sat forward again, lowering her arms to her lap.
A gentle breeze played with that ponytail, detaching a few strands of orange hair from it. The knee length, formfitting dress she wore was unaffected by the wind, thanks to its polyester fabric. The dress was a light brown, with a dark brown belt at the waist. It had no sleeves, and her white boots reached her knees. A circular pendant dangled from her neck, with a brown background and the Sub-Terra Attribute symbol showing up in white. A dark brown cape descended from two gold plates over her shoulders, also emphasizing her Sub-Terra attribute.
Mira smiled, then blinked as Wilda popped out on her shoulder. He had evolved through battle into Flare Wilda since the last time she saw the Brawlers, however, she still had a hard time defeating her brother. His Bakugan had also evolved, naturally this time, and had changed attributes in the process. Now, he was known as Darkus Infinity Helios, and he and Wilda were the two strongest Bakugan on Vestal.
"Mira, don't you have to go to a meeting today?" Wilda asked. Mira sighed, sitting up.
"Yeah, but I that's not until ten! It's eight o'clock now. Besides, Cassie comes here a lot. I was hoping to run into her this morning," Mira said, smiling at the small Sub-Terra Bakugan.
"Really? Why? Isn't she on New Vestroia, visiting Maron?" he asked. Mira blinked, confused for a moment, then laughed. She was about to respond, an embarrassed smile sneaking across her face, when a happy cry resounded through the rooftop garden.
"Mira!" Cassie and Maron were dashing across the large open space in the garden, Maron's cape billowing out behind her. Mira stood up, confused but smiling at the appearance of the two eleven year old girls. Maron had yelled, as she hadn't seen Mira for a few months. She had been busy with the duties of a Caretaker-in-training back in New Vestroia, and Cassie had gone to check up on the Caretakers three weeks ago. Both girls were excited to see the top Sub-Terra brawler on Vestal.
"Maron! Princess Cassie," Mira exclaimed, amused and surprised, as Maron almost tackled her in a hug. Mira giggled lightly as Maron looked up at her, grinning from ear to ear. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but I thought you weren't supposed to be back until next week. I just blanked on that when I was talking to Wilda."
"Well..." Maron shrugged. Her blue hair reached her chin and was cut on an angle, so most of the back of her neck was visible. Maron pulled back so that Cassie could get a hug from the temporary queen of Vestal, and Mira realized that Maron had gotten a new uniform.
Maron wore a pair of dark red shorts with a white belt, along with white, knee high boots. On each knee, there was a single orb of topaz, symbolizing her Haos attribute. Maron's shirt was formfitting, and was actually a white leotard with a yellow star over her heart. Her white vest with gold trim masked that, however, and had a high collar. She had no sleeves and wore white gloves that reached her elbows, with a large, metal wristband on her left wrist. Two metal cuffs were clasped around her upper arms, holding her white cape in place. The cape itself was attached to the back of the vest and the cuffs kept it spread out over her back. An amulet with the Haos attribute symbol hung from around her neck, emphasizing her Haos attribute.
Cassie sported a white dress that reached her knees. It hugged her torso and stomach, and from there, fell gently around her legs. The collar of her dress was a beautiful ocean blue, and the color followed her long sleeves down. It swirled around the loose sleeves in the form of a bluebell pattern. The bluebells also trailed down to the bottom of the dress, except in a straight line rather than curling around her body. Her blond hair was tied up in a pony tail, but that didn't stop the nearly white strands from trailing down her bare back. Her bangs had long since grown out, so they rested limply against her chest. A gentle breeze lifted them off her chest, blowing them to the side. Cassie took the opportunity to tuck them behind her ears with her white gloved fingers, smiling up at Mira while her amethyst eyes sparkled. She tucked one leg behind the other, hiding the silver sandal she wore on her left foot behind the other.
"How are you?" Mira asked the two, beckoning to the bench as she herself sat down. Cassie took a seat to Mira's left, smoothing out her dress, while Maron took the one to Mira's right.
"I'm good!" Maron announced.
"Me too, thanks," Cassie agreed. "And yourself?"
"I'm a great, thank you," Mira yawned, but grinned after removing her hand from her mouth. "So Maron, how's your brother?"
"Why don't you ask him?" Maron answered her question with a question. Mira blinked, then looked up at the sound of a footfall. Cassie and Maron grinned at the tall muscular fourteen year old, then turned their gazes to the shocked Sub-Terra brawler. After a moment, a huge smile grew on her face, and she leapt up from the bench.
"Baron!" she cried, hurrying over to him. He laughed, opening his arms. She hugged him tightly, having obviously missed him. The last time she had seen him was when he announced that he and Maron would be going to New Vestroia to help re-colonize the planet. That was over a year ago, and both she and Ace had been planning a trip to go and surprise the young Haos brawler, but it looked like he had beaten them to it.
"Hey there, Mira," he grinned, and she looked up at him. He had grown since she had last seen him, and now he was even taller than her. She took a step back to look at him properly, something that he did with her as well.
He wore an open vest like Hydron and Shun had worn, with the same pattern as his avatar's shirt in Bakugan Interspace over his chest. The rest of the lengthy vest was white and reached his knees, where yellow waves of color rose and fell. He didn't have a collar anymore and no longer wore a red headband. Instead, it was blue and silver. His pants were similar to the ones he had been given by Mira in his Resistance uniform, with the same pattern on the side and white, however, they ended just above the knee and were baggy like Dan's had been. His shirt under the coat was black and form fitting, and the same blue gloves adorned his hands. He wore a similar pair of boots on his feet, and they were exactly the same. The only difference was the knees of the boots sported a circular opal on each one, symbolizing his Haos attribute.
"What are you doing here?" Mira asked, unable to keep the smile off her face. Baron opened his mouth to answer, but someone else answered for him.
"Klaus sent him," Ace frowned, coming around the corner. Mira's face fell as she noticed the serious expression on his face, and he quickly held up his hands. "No, it's nothing bad, don't worry!" he smiled. Mira blinked, but smiled anyway.
"If you're sure," Mira acknowledged, then gave him a hug as he walked up to her.
"Hey Mira, look!" Maron said excitedly, standing up and lifting her arm to show Mira the metal wristband. Mira looked at it for a moment, trying to remember the purpose of the metal ring. The wristband was worn by the Caretakers to keep all Bakugan within the city limits in ball form. However, it would only work within city limits, and there had to be one powered up in each city at all times. It allowed the Caretakers to battle both inside and outside the city, and kept their Bakugan sealed in Ball Form unless they were battling when they were outside the city. Mira blinked, and then lifted her gaze, amused, to Maron's face.
"No way! You're a full fledged Caretaker now?" she exclaimed. Maron nodded, looking ecstatic. "That's great! When did you advance in rank?"
Cassie tucked her hands behind her back and looked away, trying to disguise a knowing smile. Mira glanced at the princess and shook her head.
"I guess that explains why you were so insistent on going to New Vestroia three weeks ago, now doesn't it?" Mira grinned. Cassie returned the facial expression and got to her feet as well. Her expression then darkened and Mira's smile faded.
"Klaus sent us back here today because he had gotten a message from the Battle Brawlers," Cassie told her. Mira blinked, surprised, and straightened up. She hadn't heard from the Brawlers since they had left for Earth after the destruction of the Alternative Weapon System. She glanced at Ace and Baron, both of which looked quite serious now.
"So that's why you're here, too?" Mira addressed Baron, who nodded. She noted how his expression was grim, and now, when she looked at Ace, noticed the worry in his eyes. She bit her lip. "I thought you said it wasn't anything bad?"
"...That's just it..." Ace muttered, rubbing his minty green hair back as his long purple sleeve trailed along his face. He was wearing a form fitting purple-and-black shirt, the sleeves hugging his arms until they reached his elbows, much like his Resistance uniform. An open vest hung from his shoulders, also black and purple. There were raised black shoulder pads on this vest, and over the left jacket pocket, a Darkus symbol was embroidered. Ace's pants were black with a white version of the design that was on the sides of the Resistance uniform pants, and only went to his knees. He wore the same knee-high boots that he did in the days of the Resistance, but on the knees there were small orbs of black onyx. A medallion with the Darkus symbol hung from his neck, and that was where his white, fingerless gloved hands were caught. "We don't know what's wrong. Runo sounded really worried..." He tugged at the amulet subconsciously, an action that Mira recognized as his way of comforting himself. He was worried.
"Runo sent the message?" Mira asked, glancing between Baron and Ace.
"No, not quite," Keith told her, walking up with Gus at his shoulder, as usual. Mira blinked at him.
"Hey Keith," she said. "Hi Gus."
"Good morning, Mira," Gus smiled at her. Time had healed his dislike of the Resistance members, and he and Mira got along rather well despite their rivalry as brawlers.
"We've got to hurry, Klaus just informed me that we would have two guests arriving in about a half hour," Keith told her, holding his Darkus mask in his hand. Mira nodded to him, turning to Cassie and Maron.
"You two are going to need this experience. I'm going to go get changed and tell the meeting staff that we won't be able to make it, and then I'll meet you at the transmission room," she said. "Baron, Ace, can you take them?"
"You got it," Baron grinned.
"We'll meet you there," Ace nodded. As Maron and Cassie ducked past Mira, Ace leaned toward his girlfriend. He planted a light kiss on her cheek, but didn't pull back. Mira could feel his warm, minty breath tickling her ear and blushed. "Good to see you barking orders again," he smirked, pulling away before she could react. She stared after him as he led Baron, Cassie, and Maron toward the transmission room, and then felt the anger flare up inside her.
"Ace Grit!" she shouted.
"Ah! Run, here comes Mira the Demon!" Ace joked, starting to run. Baron and the others laughed, easily matching his pace as they escaped the rooftop garden. Mira sighed, slightly annoyed at her boyfriend's joking tactics.
"He never changes, does he?" Keith shook his head.
"Apparently not," Mira grinned, looking at her brother. He smiled, and she took in his Darkus outfit. He wore a coat much similar to his Pyrus one, but the colors this time were gray, black, and purple, and there were no feathers. The mask in his hand also reflected those colors and had two eye-holes instead of one. His boots were gray, purple and black, reaching halfway up his shins, and his pants and shirt were both black. He wore black gloves, and his collar had shrunk considerably.
Gus, to Spectra's right, had traded his brown coat and form-fitting black clothes for a brown version of Ace's Resistance uniform. Gus's pants, however, were gray jeans and he had cowboy boots with spurs on his feet. Recently Mira had introduced him to horseback riding, and he was quite good at it to say the least. He was currently trying to master throwing a Bakugan ball from a saddle, but Mira wasn't sure exactly how well that was going for him. Gus wore the same gloves as he had as a Vexos, and his hair was worn in the exact same fashion. However, he also sported a cape now that descended down his back just like Mira's, except that his plates of shoulder armor were the same rounded ones he had worn on his Vexos trench coat.
"I haven't seen you two wear those before," Mira commented after looking them over. "Nice boots, Gus."
"Thank you Mira," he grinned. "Keith took the liberty of picking out a new uniform for yourself as well. You didn't think you'd show up in front of the Brawlers in your old Resistance uniform, did you?" Mira looked away, as that was exactly what she had intended to do.
"Come on, sister, it probably wouldn't fit," Keith told her, coming around behind her and resting his arm over her shoulders. She sighed. She knew he was right, but that didn't shake her nervousness at reuniting with her friends after two years. She took a deep breath and smiled up at him despite that.
"I guess. I just hope you picked out something good," she joked, stepping away. He grinned.
"I think you'll like it," he told her. "But you'd better hurry, or you'll miss it!"
"Right!" Mira nodded, then took off down the path. Her boots made small tapping sounds on the stone walkway in the rooftop garden, and Mira easily rounded the corner of tall rectangular hedges. The door leading downstairs into the newly built palace rose ahead of her, and she ducked into it, slowing so as not to trip on the stairs leading sharply downward.
It took her a few minutes to reach her bedroom, but when she did, she entered her entry code and the doors opened with a mechanical whir. Mira stepped inside the room easily, the doors sliding shut behind her. She walked forward on the metal floor, her boots making small clicking sounds as the heels touched down.
Mira glanced around the room, not acknowledging the dresser that occupied one wall or the nightstand that stood next to the bed. The floor was made of plain gray metal that contained several traces of iron and tungsten, as were the walls. However, several detailed tapestries hung on the walls, adding a dash of color to the room. One of these five tapestries depicted her attribute symbol. Another one housed a detailed illustration of a rearing horse, which Mira knew symbolized freedom. One on the far wall featured beautifully embroidered test with the message "Good people are good because they've come through wisdom through failure" (William Saroyan), surrounded by thorny vines with blooming roses. An owl rested in the top right corner, its piercing gaze sweeping around the room and hiding its wisdom behind its crystal gaze. Still another was the color of sand and embroidered in a mahogany colored threat with a quotation by Edward Vernon Rickenbacker. "Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared." One above her bed featured a beautiful white dove, spreading its wings in front of a rising sun while perched on the branch of an olive tree. Mira grinned at that one, remembering the importance of peace that the banner symbolized.
Her eyes trailed downward, onto the bed itself. Resting there was the outfit Keith and Gus had promised, lying limply on the bedspread. Mira looked at it curiously and made her way over to it, climbing up two stairs onto the dais upon which the bed rested. She reached down onto the bed, disregarding the earthy brown bedspread and paying attention to the mahogany jumpsuit. She lifted it up tentatively, noticing how it would fit her form easily and perfectly. It was just her size, and even had a set of white gloves laying on the bed for it.
Mira grinned realizing that her brother had chosen well. She tucked the outfit and gloves over her forearm and jumped down off the dais, landing easily and perfectly on her feet. She gently placed Wilda on the dresser as she walked by it, noticing out of the corner of her eye that he popped out. She then ducked into the walk in closet in her room, which was concealed behind the tapestry with her Attribute Symbol. She lifted the golden plates from her shoulders and the cape with them, placing them gently on the mannequin designed to hold them. She undid her belt, stripped off the dress and flung it into the hamper in the corner, and then did the same with her gloves and boots. Mira pulled the ribbon out of her hair then, allowing her waist-length orange hair to fall down behind her. She pulled on the jumpsuit then, noticing how it fit her form snuggly.
Mira pulled on her white boots, then lifted the golden shoulder plates and cape from the mannequin. She placed them over her shoulders and pulled her hair out of the way, then lifted the ribbon again. Mira easily pulled a brush through her hair, then tied up her ponytail again. She pulled the gloves up to her elbows, grinning when she noticed that they were lined with a yellow fabric.
She then pushed aside the tapestry and walked out of the closet, smiling at Wilda when he popped out of his Bakugan ball. "You look great, Mira," he told her.
"Thanks," she replied with an embarrassed smile. She pushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, heading for the wall mirror in the bathroom, located behind the tapestry of the rearing horse. Mira grinned when she saw her reflection as she stepped onto the tiled floor.
The jumpsuit was a dark mahogany color over her torso and legs. Her stomach was a creamy white with very thin black lines shooting down vertically. This section followed the line of her rib cage around her, and then dipped down on the outsides of her thighs in the same style as her Resistance Uniform. A loose black belt rested on her waist with no real purpose, but it reminded her of her previous uniform. The golden wings over her shoulders secured her cape, of course, but complemented the dark brown color of the outfit. The jumpsuit had no sleeves, and instead featured tank top like straps over her shoulders that were, of course, mostly hidden by the golden wing-plates and the cape. Her arms were bare until they reached her elbows, where her white gloves were. The white boots reached her knees as well, the brown orbs there signifying her Sub-Terra attribute.
Mira pulled her attribute pendant out from under her jumpsuit, where it had gotten pinned while she got changed. It now rested in the center of her chest, where it was meant to.
She turned and exited the bathroom, satisfied with Keith's selection. Her brother never ceased to amaze her with how well he knew her. She had to admit she was amazed that she and the Resistance hadn't crumbled right at the beginning of their quest to free the Bakugan, for her brother could have easily taken them out by just beating her before they met Dan.
Mira held out her hand as she walked by her dresser, and Wilda jumped down. He landed easily in the palm of her hand, and she lifted him up to her shoulder. Before exiting the room, however, she stopped in front of a screen built into the wall. Quickly, she punched in the number for the meeting room, and a picture popped up of one of attendees.
"Queen Mira," he exclaimed, bowing his head in respect.
"I'm sorry," she began. "Something important came up a few minutes ago. Keith and I won't be able to attend the meeting this morning."
"It's fine, Milady," the attendee told her. "We shall make do in your absence and record all of what occurs."
"Thank you," Mira smiled, and quickly hit the "End Call" button before the attendee could ask her any questions. She then ducked out of the room, sprinting down the hallway in the direction of the meeting room.
She arrived there after a few minutes, and slowed to a stop outside the doors. She punched in her password and the double doors slid open, granting her access. As she stepped into the threshold, the transporter in the center of the room lit up. Mira blinked, glancing around. She caught sight of Keith and the others standing to the right of her, all watching the transporter curiously.
"Just in time, Sister," Keith smiled at her. Mira grinned, walking over to him.
"I'll admit, you picked well," she told him, gesturing at her outfit. He smirked, then turned to face the transporter, an intense, serious look overcoming his features. Mira turned her gaze toward the glowing piece of technology as well, anxiously waiting to find out what brought the Brawlers here but hoping that it was just a leisurely visit.
Two pairs of white boots developed first on the ground, one reaching their owner's knees and the other pair only extending to her ankles. A pair of purple white capris with purple lining appeared above the knee boots, and then a purple and black form fitting shirt above that. The shirt was long sleeved and had a turtleneck collar, an amethyst point dangling from a chain around her neck. Her red hair was loose as usual, and reached her waist. Just the way Mira remembered it.
The other girl wore the white ankle boots and orange knee socks. She sported white jean short shorts, and a yellow belly shirt with cuffs on her upper arms. A white, long-sleeved undershirt reached her forearms, but didn't cover her stomach. A plain black and silver ring hugged her left wrist. Her blue pigtails were just as Mira remembered them, tied with blue and yellow hairbands. The green eyes smiled, and Mira smiled back at her.
"Runo! Alice!" she exclaimed.
"Mira!" both girls cried, jumping down from the transporter. They rushed to hug Mira, then Baron and Ace. Keith opened his arms, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Runo went to hug him as well. Gus nodded at her with a smile and she returned the gesture, having not known him as well as Keith and the others.
"I haven't seen you guys in forever!" Runo announced, glancing around at all of their faces. Her eyebrows creased when she saw Cassie and Maron, not recognizing them, but she smiled at them. "Hello, I'm Runo Misaki, the Haos brawler of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers. Or at least I was."
"Was?" Maron asked. "Runo, remember me?" She smiled broadly, hoping the older Haos brawler would recognize her. Runo narrowed her gaze at the blue haired eleven year old, straining to remember. Baron walked over to Maron, resting his arm over her shoulders. She smiled up at her older brother, then looked back at Runo, who looked as though she was still pondering Maron's identity. However, Alice giggled softly and knowingly, making Runo and the others look toward her.
"Runo, don't you remember Baron's little sister, Maron?" she asked, grinning at her. Runo stared at her.
"Huh? Oh!" She turned back to Maron, who was grinning. "Oh wow, you've gotten big!"
"Thanks!" Maron smiled. Cassie was waiting patiently behind Maron, her hands clasped in front of her, and Maron turned then to face her. "Runo, Alice, this is Princess Cassandra."
"Oh my," Alice exclaimed, dropping to one knee. Runo blinked, but copied her, resting one arm on one knee as she bowed her head before the noble. Cassie blushed, glancing at Mira for guidance. Mira winked at her and put her hands on her waist.
"Hey, how come we didn't get a bow?" she asked, smirking. Runo and Alice glanced at her, surprised. Keith grinned at them.
"We're the temporary rulers of Vestal," he told her. Runo and Alice blinked in surprise, then bowed their heads toward their friends. Mira laughed.
"You didn't have to do that, guys," she said, reaching a hand out toward Alice. Alice took it and got to her feet once more. Runo stood up next, her smile fading into an expression of worry. The smile on Mira's face faded as well, and she met Runo's troubled gaze.
"What happened?" Ace asked, sensing the tension in the room and reacting to it.
Runo glanced over at him and took a deep breath.
"Dan's been kidnapped."
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