For a starting note, this chapter was released on the 1st anniversary of GranEssex Chronicles. There will be notes from the two authors at the end of this chapter.

Chapter 20: Social Butterfly

It has been a few days since Erhard joined the crew of the GranEssex. Fettuccine had left to go back to her division, though they still kept in touch when they could. Right now though, Meta was at a lost to do as Kurabe was off ship at the moment and she didn't leave behind any orders for him. He was left completely to his own devices, which was a strange feeling for him. No missions to take, he already completed his training for the day and the people he usually interacted with were busy. Meta frowned and sighed, knowing that there was something he could do, something that Kurabe kept telling him to do.

"...I guess I should try socializing..."

Maybe he could check on Erhard? No, it might be busy, too. He had no choice now. His best bet was the newer recruits. Vul seemed easy enough to talk to.

"Guess I'll start with him and work my way to the others. That is if I can even find him."

That was the problem with Vul. He never really knew where he was. However... the bird strangely seemed to almost always know where he was.

"No matter. I'll find him eventually. For all I know he might be standing outside my room right now." He let out a sigh as he hopped off his bed and walked out his door.

"Do you usually talk to yourself or is that a just in your room type of deal?" A bird like voice said as soon as he stepped outside.

Meta stared at the source of the voice, which just happened to be the bird he was looking for. "...Why were you outside my room?" Meta asked, ignoring the fact that he heard him talk out loud.

"I asked you a question first. Isn't it rude to just ignore it?"

"...It's a in my room thing." He immediately blushed the moment Vul suppressed a laugh in response to that. "And what about you?" He quickly replied.

"I was just walking by when I heard you mumbling."

"But why did you listen in?"

Vul pointed at his ears. "Not like I can help it when these ears of mine pick up even the smallest sounds."

"I thought so, but you could've simply just ignored it and walked away!"

"I was, then you said you were going to look for me. So being the nice guy that I am I decided to not make you look for me."

This made Meta feel even more embarrassed. "So why did you want to find me anyway?"

The puff looked down. "...sensei wanted me to socialize more so I thought it would be easiest to talk to you first..."

"Alright then. So, what do you want to talk about?"

"...I don't know."

Vul laughed. "No wonder she told you to learn how to socialize. Let's start off small, what kind of things do you like?"

"Training and reading."

"Beyond all that man. Everyone knows that much about you. What's something else you got? Do you like swords or do you just seem them as just tools? Do you enjoy flying? Stuff like that."

"Well, I like swords, of course, and I love flying."

"See now we're getting somewhere. Now to really get a conversation, you need to go into detail. Tell me why exactly you like all those things."

"Well... um... I like swords because they're cool and they remind me of sensei."

"What else? What types of swords do you like?"

"Is there a point to all this?" Meta asked, slightly annoyed.

"Ah ha! There it is. You see, that's a common misconception. Not every conversation needs to a have a point. Simply talking about whatever can be more than enough at times. Besides, you're already feeling less awkward around me now, aren't you?"

"...yeah, I think so."

"Then keep talking. You'll find that people will listen to you more if you are invested in the conversation. So, I ask again, what types of swords do you like?"

"Short swords, mainly because they work the best with my height and fighting style. Beyond that I like the designs of ninjato and katanas. I also like great swords, though they aren't a sword type I'd personally use." Meta replied, surprised that I was actually easy for him to say all of that.

Vul chuckled. "I see you're the type that becomes a chatterbox when you have a subject you like."

"...Perhaps. What about you? What do you like?"

"I like collecting pipes, like the one I have in my mouth. They remind me of my pappy."

"So, you smoke?"

"No, it's all for decoration. The only things that comes out of these pipes are bubbles."

"I see..." The youth had been told multiple times by his mentor that smoking is unhealthy and that he shouldn't do it.

"Besides, unlike you I don't use magic to fly. I need to keep my lungs in good shape or else flying would be a real pain in the rear."

"Is it true that your bones are thin, too?"

"Yeah, my species naturally has thin bones. It means were light creatures straight from birth, though our bones are much more fragile than the bones of other creatures."

Meta nodded. That was something he learned from his mentor. Many bird type creatures and monsters had thin bones to make them light enough to fly.

"What about you? You don't have any bones, right? How does your body even work?"

"I don't fully know myself. From what sensei said, our bones are just pure cartilage, making us very flexible."

"I think very flexible is an understatement. You could probably fit yourself under any crack in a door."

"If I had the right Copy Ability, probably."

Vul blew out a few bubbles. "How often do you even use Copy Abilities?"

"I technically use them whenever I fight. However, I'm using them in a way that makes me not need to inhale and swallow something first."

"Besides the ones you use, do you really use any other Copy Abilities?"

"...not really." He uttered.

"What are you being so quiet about? It's not like there's anything wrong with not using a lot of those abilities. I don't know much, but some of those abilities seems highly situational."

"It just makes me feel like I'm not reaching my full potential. Like I know some of them are definitely very situational, but then some I see sensei use them and I question that. Like she uses ESP to read the minds of others."

"Let me ask you a question. Do you have any actual interest in using ESP?"

The youth sighed. "Not really. The only thing it would really be good for is getting back at her."

"Then don't worry about it. It's as my pappy once told me. You'll receive more results if you actually like what you do. I mean look at you, you're better with lighting magic than anyone else I've seen use it. Not to mention you're easily one of the best fighters here."

"Yeah, that's true. I prefer to use lightning magic compared to others."

"Besides, do you really think you'd successfully mess with the captain even if you did have ESP?"

"...I wish I could..."

"Well, I know of a way to mess with her."

"Really?" The puff perked up in interest.

"Well, it's easy, in theory anyway. Next time she calls you cute or something, return the compliment."

"Why?"

"Well, would she expect it?"

"...Probably not." The youth then blinked. "...wait, that's what she said about flirting! Are you saying to flirt with sensei?!"

"Giving someone a compliment isn't the same thing as flirting ya goof."

"...it isn't?"

"No, where'd you get that idea?"

"...it just sounded similar to the advice that sensei gave me to combat Fettuccine's flirting."

"Well, it's not. Your only other way of getting back at her is not reacting to her. But I think my first suggestion would work out more easily for you."

"...I'll try that out then."

"Well, good, though you're gonna be waiting a while to do that. She's gonna be gone until tomorrow."

"Oh, did she go on another mission?"

"No, just the one she's on is like in another part of the galaxy."

"I see..."

"So, you're stuck with me, unless you want to go out searching for someone to join us."

"Well, sensei wants me to learn to interact with people more. So, I think that would be a good idea."

"Then get searching. You were lucky I just happened to be walking by."

"Would you like to come with me?"

He tilted his head in questioning. "I already was."

"I thought so." He said as he walked off.

"You don't know where to begin do you though?" The bird asked.

"I'll figure it out myself!"

"Well, I would hope so, would defeat the purpose if you didn't."

"I do!"

"You don't need to convince me, just actually go out and do it."

"I'm already going!" He said, now quickly walking away.

"You do know that's a dead end, right?"

"I know that!"

"Look, let's just head to the cafeteria. No doubt you'll find someone that wants to talk to you, considering how many fanboys and fangirls you have."

He blinked. "...I have fans?"

"Of course, you won that tournament. Practically everyone looks up to you after seeing how strong you are."

"...I see..."

"I'm not surprised you haven't noticed, considering how you're almost always on your own or training with the captain and vice captain."

"I don't do that all the time!"

"Right. You're also talking with that cotton candy friend of yours on the communicator, too."

"Why does everyone know about that? Whatever, I'll follow your suggestion. Let's go to the cafeteria."

"I always happen to hear you when you are." The bird replied as he followed after the puff.

"...I'm not going to pretend to know what I'm talking about, but are you interested in me or something?"

"What tipped you off?"

"Well, you always somehow being near me for one. Two, you're happy and have been happy ever since we started talking."

"Well, you're right. I am interested in you."

"...Would you like to be friends then? Like officially or whatever."

The bird chuckled. "You mean we aren't already?"

"Fair enough." Meta replied, slightly smiling.

Soon, they reached the cafeteria which was of course packed.

"Well, who looks easy to talk to?" He wondered to himself.

"Hey, don't look at me!" Vul said.

"I wasn't. Hey, that's Crate over there, right?"

"Yeah, it is! And it looks like she's sitting by herself!"

"Well, I guess I'll talk to her then. Let's go." The bird nodded as he followed him to the dog.

"Um... hey, Crate." He uttered.

The giant boxer looked at Meta and smiled. "Hello there."

"Um... is anyone sitting here?" He asked.

"No." Meta nodded and sat down next to her.

"So... how are you?" "Hot. I just got done training."

"You should drink a lot of water then!"

"I've drunk 3 gallons of water."

"I... I see..."

"My species drinks more water than most because of our size and fur."

"Ok. What about ice cream?"

"I'm allergic to dairy, otherwise I would be eating a large bowl right about now."

"Pretty sure they have vegan flavors." Vul said.

"I've tried them, didn't care for it."

"Or water ice?"

"I don't know what that is."

"They're snow cones but better."

"Maybe later then."

Meta nodded silently. "So, what kind of things do you like?" He then asked.

"Hmm, I like poetry."

"Poetry? Interesting? Would you care to share a few poems with us?" Vul asked.

"Oh, well if you insist." She then cleared her throat. "They fight like heroes. All of their threats get taken down to zero. Like them I wish to be a hero. I'll work hard to not be a zero."

"That's quite good."

"Thank you." She then looked at Meta. "Not that I mind, but is there a reason you're here?"

"To...talk with you." He uttered, slightly embarrassed.

"Ok then. What about?"

"...I don't know..."

"Sensei, wants him to practice socialization." Vul explained.

"Ok. So, talk then, if you want to."

The youth nodded, but then looked nervous.

"Just act like you're talking to the cotton candy lady." The bird sighed.

"She has a name." He grumbled. "Crate, what else do you like?"

"Well, I like helping village whenever I can. Does that count?"

"I guess so..."

"I also like marshmallows. It's fun to squish them before eating them."

"Marshmallows are good." The puff replied.

"...that's strangely funny coming from you." Vul chuckled.

"Why? Because everyone compares Star Warriors to marshmallows?"

"Yeah."

"Well, fine then. Crate, do you train with anyone? You always seem to be on your own."

"I don't train with anyone."

"Why not? Even I spar with other soldiers."

"No one wants to spar with me."

"I've offered to spar with you before though?"

"I rather not burden you..."

"I'm the one that offered though."

"Still! I just feel bad for asking someone like you!"

"Why?"

"I'll just hold you back!"

"Uh, how? It's sparring. It's to both of our benefits."

"Just stop questioning it, ok?"

"Uh... alright."

Both Meta and Vul looked confused at that response.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Crate's mood seemed have taken a complete 180, confusing them more.

"Well, alright." Meta looked at Vul, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as him. "Well, if that's all, we should get going." Meta then said.

"Wait, I have a question for you now. What do you think of sensei?" Crate suddenly asked.

"Well... I have a lot of respect for her. If I'm going to be completely honest, I would be dead if it wasn't for her."

"Ok, I see. I think she's inspiring."

"Yeah, I think so, too. She's so brave and strong, but she's also kind and gentle."

"Yes, she's definitely a good leader."

"I hope to become someone like her someday." Meta sighed as he got up. "Well, I guess we'll see you later, Crate."

"Wait, a minute!" Crate suddenly said.

"What?"

"Um... would you... like to walk around the ship for a while?" She asked nervously.

Meta looked a bit surprised, but didn't see anything wrong with that. "Sure. Are you fine with that, Vul?"

"Well, as long as we talk during it, you'll still be getting socialization practice."

"Yeah, I know. Are you fine with doing more walking?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Alright, come on then you two." Meta said as he started walking. The duo nodded and joined him.

As they walked around Meta noticed something about his new companion. "Crate, you must be excited about walking, aren't you?"

"Oh, that's because I haven't explored much of the ship!" She then paused. "How did you tell?"

"All Star Warriors can sense emotions." He replied simply.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment. "All emotions?"

"Yes. Joy, sorrow, anger, calm, love, even combinations of those emotions."

"I see..."

"Why? You seem a bit concerned by that."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Well, alright." Meta replied, deciding to just drop it.

As the group walked around, Crate spoke up again. "Do you know if sensei has any set schedule when she returns from a mission? Like a ritual?"

"Not really. She usually returns whenever she feels like. If anything, she's almost always back before nine PM. But sometimes she comes back after, but usually she's good at getting home before then."

"Does she do anything when she returns?"

"Depends. Sometimes she goes straight to bed, sometimes she gets in some training. She doesn't really have a schedule; she just does whatever she wants."

"Is there like a most likely schedule, though? Like does she shower or eat or go straight to bed."

"I wouldn't know. Why are you so curious about it?"

"I think I'd like to ask her a few things."

"Like what?"

"Private matters."

"Like what kind?"

"It's private for a reason you know. You never know if there's a spy around."

"A spy? I sincerely doubt we have any of those."

"But are you sure about that?"

Meta frowned. "Are you sure that there is one?"

"There might be. You never know."

"In other words, you don't actually know. Crate, you need to stop being so paranoid." The puff told her, giving her a look of suspicion.

"O-Oh right. You're probably right. I'm just nervous about the possibility of one."

The youth stared at her for a moment, but then sighed, as if to accept that answer. Meta then stopped, looking around.

"What's up?" Vul asked.

"I sense someone, hey, whose there?" He called out.

From behind them, in the hallway, a strange humanoid wearing... what Meta could only describe as a disastrous marriage between traditional kimono and modern clothing sauntered out, holding a folded fan to their lips, as if it was some kind of stage performance.

"Who are you?" Meta asked, not really sure about what he was looking at.

"Ah, finally! I was wondering where I could get some service here! Do you know how long I have been walking around here to get some semblance of a welcome? Here, take my coat."

What confused Meta even more was that the man only made the motion of taking off a coat before tossing it to him, essentially taking nothing off.

"I repeat, who are you?" Meta asked again, even more confused. Vul was just as confused as well.

"Just a wandering traveler." He bluntly replied.

"Wandering travelers don't just end up on a military vessel. Who are you?"

"That..." He posed strangely, covering one of his eyes with his fan. "Is up to you to figure out, young man."

Meta glared at him. "Just give me a straight answer."

"Impatient, are you?" He mumbled, fanning himself for a moment before sitting seiza style in front of the group and slamming his fan down on the ground. "My name is Shinkiro. I am merely a visiting performer. It is good to meet your acquaintance, O crabby Prince of Shadows."

Meta just stared at him. "Hello."

Shinkiro equally stared and sigh. "...tough crowd I see. You're a lot crankier than the Lady of Shadows described you."

"If I'm cranky it's only because you took forever with answering my question. And how do you know my sensei?"

"Anyone at the main base would know Z's little girl." He bluntly replied.

"Do you enjoy not giving straight answers? Whatever, so you are an Organization member then? Why are you here?"

"Does a member of the Organization need a reason to be on an organization ship?"

"I suppose not, but normally one does have a reason."

"...fantastic. Because I honestly don't remember why I came here."

"...How?"

"How does one forget something?"

Meta sighed. Talking to normal people was already a challenge, this is just even more of one. "Shinkiro, was it? What species are you? I've never seen anyone like you before."

"Glad you asked. I am what's known as a Chaogean." The three soldiers all looked at him questioningly.

"I don't think I've read about that one."

"I shouldn't be surprised you are confused, because not many people have apparently heard of us." Shinkiro uttered, tapping his head. "Tell me. If you were able to gain strength from your conviction, what would you think?"

Meta looked confused. "What do you mean by conviction?"

"Your conviction. Your belief. Your faith. Something you believe wholeheartedly and use as your drive for life."

"I get that, but what does that have to do with my question? I asked about Chaogeans."

"It has very much to do with us Chaogeans. Our powers come from our convictions."

"So, every Chaogean has a unique ability then?"

"Exactly."

"What's yours then?"

Shinkiro grinned. "My conviction is..." He paused, likely for dramatic effect. "The world is a stage, and the people are its actors!"

Meta however was unimpressed. "Meaning?"

"Do you really want to know?" The man uttered.

"I have a vague feeling that you will regardless of what I say."

Shinkiro, however, looked dead serious as he said that. Meta sighed.

"Just tell me please. I'm tired of not receiving a straight answer."

"It's easier to show you." A strange marking then began to appear on his eyes. "I, Shinkiro, command you to reveal at least 5 of your secrets!"

Meta didn't say anything, confused as to what was happening. Vul on the other hand... "I actually like the taste of fried chicken, I'm afraid of heights, I don't know how to tie shoes, I'm allergic to garlic, and I once blew up a shed with a makeshift pipe bomb."

Seeing this, Shinkiro explained. "I can force anyone who makes direct eye contact with me to follow any order I give them."

"I see...Why didn't it work on me then?" Meta asked, patting the back of an extremely embarrassed Vul.

"Perhaps your conviction is somehow stronger than mine." He then scratched his head. "Though that's strange. Usually, it would appear as a suggestion then."

"It did. I hear a voice suggesting I do it, but I have inclination to actually do it." Meta said then he looked at Crate. "What about you?"

"Oh me? I blinked when it happened, so I guess I'm just unaffected by it."

"Perhaps."

"No, your little big dog friend is right. Eye contact is a necessity for my power to work."

"Is that so? That seems a bit like an oversight." The puff uttered.

"HA! Excellent wordplay young, crabby prince of Shadows."

The youth stared in confusion at those words.

"You said oversight and his ability relies on sight." Vul whispered so only Meta could hear.

"Oh, I see." He whispered back.

"Yes, it is an oversight, but like how an actor can have a wardrobe malfunction, not everything can be controlled all the time."

"Yeah..." Meta knew that feeling too well.

"But it's fine, for an actor can get through anything with effort." He then laughed, making Meta internally question if all members of the Organization were this eccentric. The images of his mentor flashed through his head, making him come to a definitive answer to that question.

"...of course they all are." He thought.

"So... what is my conviction?" Meta asked.

"That's something for you to figure out on your own. But a word of advice, what you seek may not be too far away from you."

"...I see..." The youth uttered.

"Well, it was nice meeting you crabby prince. Till we meet again!" Shinkiro said, dramatically hopping away on one foot.

"...well, that was weird." Vul said after the man was out of sight.

"Weird is normal around here." Meta said under his breath.

"Well, where to now?" The bird then asked.

"Crate, have you been shown where the armory is?"

"No, I would like to see it."

Meta nodded. "I'm surprised you haven't yet. It was one of the first places sensei showed me."

"Well, the ship was quite busy at the time I joined, so I didn't get to see it."

"I suppose that makes sense. How about you, Vul? Have you been there?"

"Briefly. I didn't stay for too long because I thought it would be better to have a proper guide in there. As for why sensei didn't show me, she apparently had something more important to worry about."

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Vul then paused. "If you don't mind me asking, what was the important thing?"

"Me. She was helping me cope with watching allies die in front of me."

Both his allies stared in shock.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Meta asked.

"Are... you serious...?" Vul uttered.

"Serious about what? Me watching my comrades die?"

"Yes, did that actually happen?"

"Do I seem the type to lie about something like that?"

"No! Just... it feels unbelievable..."

"It's probably also because there were no reported casualties on the mission a few months ago."

"Well, it happened. And what do you mean unbelievable? We're soldiers, death is common in this profession. I learned that the hard way."

"How did it happen if there was no report of it?"

"Not everything gets reported. Especially when it happened with another divisions crew. The updates you get here publicly only relate to combat division personnel. Full details are for the captain and vice captain as well as those involved only."

Both Vul and Crate seemed to jump back a bit at that somewhat angry reply.

"Now come on. We have an armory to look at."

The duo looked at each other before following along.

As they walked along, one of the allies spoke up again.

"So can you tell us what happened?" Crate asked.

"I can."

"Will you then?"

"No." He replied quickly.

"Better just drop the subject, Crate." Vul whispered to her.

She silently nodded. "Well, what would you like to talk about?"

"Literally anything else."

The duo seemed to sigh at that.

"Then how about you decide on the subject. You need to learn to socially interact, right?" Vul said.

"I don't need to learn, I need to get better. But fine. Vul, what weapons do you like?"

"Same idea, mate. As for my preferred weapons, it's the crossbow."

"Anything else?"

"Anything with range, honestly."

Meta nodded. "Why a crossbow specifically?"

"It just feels a lot more accurate and faster to use than a bow and arrow."

"True, on average crossbows are far superior, especially in a one-on-one scenario. Though that's not to say normal bows don't have advantages. With crossbows you can only fire one arrow at a time. Regular bows can fire potentially up to five, maybe even more arrows at a time. Which in turn makes them slightly better for dealing with a crowd."

The bird chuckled. "You know a lot for someone so obsessed with swords. But yes, I can use both if needed."

"I'm interested in all types of weapons. Swords are just my favorite. Do you have any method of fighting up close?"

"Fists and using a knife."

Meta nodded. "That's good. What kind of knife? I can give you recommendations if you want to try a new type."

"A standard army knife. Any recommendations would be great."

"For you, I suggest a Barong Machete. They cover a good distance and are good for wood cutting as well as cutting down foes. Multipurpose."

"I see. I'll have to look into getting one."

Meta nodded. "Crate, what about you?"

"Oh, I don't use weapons. My fists are strong enough."

Meta frowned. "Bad idea. Fighting hard to hand fine. But you should look into wearing gauntlets. It'll increase your damage output and keep your fists guarded."

"I see... can you help me pick those out?"

"Of course."

Crate smiled. "Thank you."

"What about you?" Vul asked.

"I can use spears, staffs, axes, bows, gauntlets. Practically any standard issue weapon. It's when we get to more...unique weapons where my expertise is more limited. Items like fans or nunchaku, I can use them but not as well as more standard weapons."

"And swords?" The bird asked with a grin.

"That goes without saying." He grinned back.

"Come to think of it, why do you love swords so much?"

"They are straight forward. With other weapons there's various factors that go into using them. Not with swords though. Regardless of type, all swords follow the same principle. Stab and pierce. No fancy gimmicks, no immediate advantage or disadvantage. Just a simple blade, and it's up to the user to use it to its full potential. A sword is malleable, fitting for almost any scenario. Much like a Star Warrior."

Vul blinked. "Wow, I didn't know swords were that variable."

"Of course. Regardless of the Era, intelligent civilizations have always used swords."

"And here I thought it was because sensei used them." Crate uttered.

"No. Even before I met her, I liked swords. I was already accustomed to them, even if all I had were rusty swords I took from the bodies of thieves that tried to kill me. A sword was a sword."

"I see. I just thought you did with how much you seemed to respect her."

"No. I respect her greatly that much is true. But I'm me, not her."

"Of course. Now, what do you like about her?"

"That's an odd question, considering I expressed my admiration for her earlier. But I like mostly everything about her."

"Ah... my mistake. Is there anything you don't like about her?"

"Not particularly. It annoys me when she picks on me, but I don't necessarily dislike it either."

"Why don't you dislike it?"

"Because it comes from a place of concern. She cares about me, I know she messes with me because she cares. I might get annoyed at her, but it never goes beyond annoyance."

Crate was silent.

"Anyway, we're here." Meta announced.

"Meta, what's in that room over there?" Vul asked.

"Hm? Oh, that's the ship's reactor. The door is password protected."

"I assume only the Bukisets, the captain, and vice captain know?" The bird then asked.

"Pretty much."

"I understand the captain and vice captain, but why the Bukisets?" Crate asked.

"They do maintenance." Meta said as if it was common knowledge, which it was supposed to be.

"I see."

"I bet the captain told you at point. What is it?" Vul asked.

"I don't know." Meta said seriously.

"Really, I would of thought that she would tell you."

The puff shrugged. "It is what it is." He then replied, keeping his knowledge to himself. He found it amusing. "Now come on, let's look inside the armory now." The group nodded and entered it.

Upon entering the room, the duo noticed one thing about the room.

"It's hot." Vul stated, sweating like a turkey in summer.

"There's a giant furnace in here. We make our own weapons, so of course it'll be hot. Don't worry, we won't be here long."

"Good..." Crate panted.

"Now get looking. The sooner you see everything the sooner you can leave."

They nodded and began to walk around.

"There's so many weapons. I know we're the combat division, but still..." Vul commented at his surroundings.

"Yeah, I was surprised at first as well." The puff replied.

"Can we leave now?" Crate asked.

"If you're done looking, yes."

"I am. Can we go? I can feel my sweat having sweat of its own."

"Ok, then we can leave."

The moment those words left the puff's mouth, both of his friends practically sprinted to the door, making him stare at them in confusion.

After everyone left as fast as possible, the puff heard another voice.

"Hey, Meta, I've noticed something." Vul said.

"What is it?"

"For someone who's not much of a talker, you sure are good at leading others."

"Really?" The puff asked.

"Yeah, I mean you're getting us to do everything you say right?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, I guess."

"Will you be taking over this division in the future?" Crate asked.

"I don't know. I'd rather focus on the me of now instead of the me of then."

"Well, if people are calling ya the Prince of Shadows, wouldn't that be the case?" Vul questioned.

"No? I don't see what a nickname I had no say in having has to do with anything. She was called the lady of shadows before she became a captain. Titles are just titles, nothing more."

"It implies you're her successor."

"No, it doesn't. If I end up being her successor, it's because I choose to be, not because people expect me to become her successor. I'm my own person. I decide what I want for myself."

"Then would you want to be her successor?"

"I just said I don't know. I'm young. I have a lot to learn before I consider taking her position.

"I see..." Vul uttered.

"What about you Vul? Do you know what you want to do?"

"I thought about being a captain once in a while, but I think you're much better at that."

"Perhaps. But Captain Vul has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

The bird hummed upon hearing that. "Yeah... yeah... that sounds good."

"What about you, Crate?"

"Oh, I haven't figured that out yet!" She replied nervously.

"That's fine. There's no need to be nervous about it."

"Are you the same way, Meta?"

"Again, I already said I don't know what I want. I still have a lot to learn about the universe."

"Have you talked to sensei about it?"

"Of course I have. She told me literally what I've been telling you two. I have my whole life to figure out what I want."

The duo nodded.

"So, what about relationships?" Crate suddenly asked.

"What about them?"

"Do you have anyone you're interested in?"

"In what way?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Vul said bluntly, making Crate blush.

"I have female friends. yes. I don't see why that matters."

The bird laughed. "You are so naive... are you dating a girl?"

"No."

"...really? Not even that cotton candy friend of yours?"

"She's my friend, nothing else to it."

The bird grinned. "Are you suuureeee?"

"Yes."

"Doesn't seem like it." He chuckled.

"You can think whatever you want."

"I think that he is that oblivious..." Crate whispered.

"No kidding." Vul whispered back.

The puff looked confused. "Well, whatever. What about you, Vul?"

"Admittedly, I'm not too interested." The bird shrugged.

"Fine. You Crate?"

"...nope."

"You sure? You hesitated a little, not even Meta did that."

"I don't have one!"

"Yeesh, not even Meta was that defensive. There's definitely someone now."

"You're just imagining things!"

"That's enough, both of you." Meta commanded.

Both of them became quiet.

"Good. Now Crate, where else haven't you been?"

"How about you just take me to a place you like?"

Meta sighed and shook his head. "Fine. Follow me."

The duo nodded and followed after him.

They came to a very narrow hallway and a closed, blocked off passageway.

"Meta, what is this place?" Crate asked as they arrived.

"The airlock." He answered simply.

"What's the airlock?"

Meta and Vul both looked at her with a confused expression.

"The airlock. It locks the air. It keeps us from being sucked out into space. All massive space battleships have one."

"I see. So, if this opens, then we'll get sucked out into space?"

"Not exactly. Behind this door is a bigger glass door. If that opens, then we'll get sucked out."

"Have you ever been beyond that door?"

"No, because then there's just outer space."

"Really? You think Kurabe would have you do some training there."

"No? There's no gravity out there. That would be counterproductive to the weights I wear during training. Plus, while I can breathe in space, not everyone can. Sensei treats everyone fairly. Sensei might put us through intense training, but she's not a savage. She would never put someone in a scenario where they could die just for training."

"...debatable." Vul grumbled.

"Have you been put in a deadly scenario while training?"

"Well, no."

"Then it's not debatable."

"You sure, though? She can be a drill sergeant with her training." Crate said.

"I said she's not a savage. She has never crippled anyone or gotten someone gravely injured during training. Being a drill sergeant is normal behavior for a drill sergeant. Because that's what she is."

"Are you sure she hasn't crippled anyone?"

"Yes. I've been here longer than both of you. I'm friends with someone who has been here longer than me. We both know that no one has ever gotten crippled by her. You can even check sensei's public record. It'll say the same thing." He then cleared his throat. "We're getting off topic. I took us here for a reason."

"Why's that?"

"Because look out the window. The view outside is beautiful."

Both Vul and Crate turned to the window and the youth was indeed right about that.

"I like to come here and watch the stars move by."

"I can see why. The view is beautiful." Vul uttered.

Meta nodded. "Vul. Do you think I've gotten better with talking?"

The bird chuckled. "If you ask me, I think you made a bit of progress today. But don't get frustrated if you think you're going too slowly. Just keep at it."

"Right. If anything, that strange man from earlier was good for talking practice."

"Yeah. Especially if you're gonna deal with all kinds of nuts in the Organization."

"I have a feeling I'll be dealing with nut jobs no matter what happens in my life." With that said, Meta turned away. "I'm getting tired. I think I'll call it a day."

"Fair enough, I'm pretty sure dealing with that Cha... whatever drained you enough." Vul laughed.

"I trained for eight hours. So yes, I'm fairly drained." He said with a smile.

"I'll see you two later then."

"Yeah, see ya later. Meta. Hope you have a good rest." The bird replied as their dog friend waved as well. With a smile, the puff returned to his room to rest.

This was a fairly laid back chapter. I hope that you all enjoyed reading it.

First Anniversary Messages from the Authors

GundamBailey:

A whole year has passed since we've begun writing for GranEssex Chronicles. It's truly crazy that's it be so long, though I guess it's also not that long at the same time. I've greatly enjoyed my time working alongside Kachi on this story as well as reading people's comments about the story. I'm grateful that so many people have enjoyed our stories, both GranEssex and the other stories we've worked on. I want to say thank you to everyone that's read GranEssex, as well as a massive thank you to Kachi Herself for being a fantastic partner. I would look forward to working on GranEssex for the year or even years to come!

KachiKirby:

A whole year, huh? I honestly never expected it to be this long, especially when I was going through some difficult times such as school and mental issues. There were actually moments where I lost confidence in my writing and drawing ability. However, I continued on thanks to the support of my co-writer and especially the kind comments and thoughts of people who read this series. It's all every encouraging to me and makes me hope I can continue this series into the future. Thank you to Bailiey for his co-writing support and especially thanks to everyone who has supported this series up to this point.