Chapter 55

"Wait, hold on, Rook!" Epel shouted as Rook flew away on his broom. "ROOOK!" And then he was gone. Epel sighed and turned back to Floyd and me. "He left... The Island of Woe's probably crawling with those soldiers who took Vil and the others. Not even Rook can handle those guys by himself. He's flying straight into danger. What do we do? Should we tell a teacher? Or maybe we could follow him and stop him...

"Wait, no. Professor Crewel told us to stay put. But... Rrrgh... RRRAAAAGH!" Epel suddenly grew passionate. "Forget it! We can't spend all day hemmin' an' hawin'! I ain't gonna sit back on the sidelines! I'm goin' after Rook! I can't stand the idea of sittin' pretty while someone else does all the work!" He looked at me with determination. "What do you say, Ona?"

I thought back to the way I was useless when Jamil, Vil, and Grim were kidnapped. "Well..." But Jade said he believed in me. Maybe I could do something?

"I knew what you're thinking. There's a chance we'd just be dead weight. But you can't stand it either, right? I mean, they got your partner and our friends. Night Raven College students don't take this sorta thing lyin' down!"

"Now you're talking!" Floyd said with a grin.

Epel looked at me earnestly. "Come on, Ona! Let's do this!"

I hesitate for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, you're right. I can't do nothing. I have to try to save Grim and the guys!"

"Then let's go!" Floyd said.

I turned to him, frowning slightly. "Floyd, you can't come."

Floyd appeared annoyed. "What are you talking about, Little Shrimpy? I can't let you go alone."

"I won't be alone. Epel and Rook will be there."

Floyd shook his head. "Not good enough. I promised Jade I would protect you."

"He would be useful," Epel said hesitantly. "If he takes it seriously..."

Floyd narrowed his eyes at him. "You think I wouldn't take protecting Ona seriously?" There was an edge to his voice that made Epel flinch.

"Y-Yes. Of course you will!"

"This is dangerous, Floyd," I tried again. "We don't know what's going to happen. We could get seriously injured... or worse."

Floyd looked at me with raised eyebrows. "That's why you need me, right?"

I sighed. There was no convincing him when he made his mind up. Besides, I did like the idea of having him with me. "Fine, but what about Jade? We can't leave him all alone. Maybe we should ask him to come with us..."

Floyd shook his head. "You know he has to stay to look after Octavinelle."

"But we should at least tell him and give him the choice. He would be devastated if something happened to you."

Floyd smiled. "He already knows, Shrimpy."

I gave him a funny look. "What are you talking about? We just decided this."

Floyd smirked. "He knew you would pull something like this. He might have even known Rook would be involved. He approved and is letting us go."

I gaped at him. "When did he say that?!"

"Right before he left. You're not feeling your best, so I don't blame you for missing it. He told you to do what you had to do, and he told me to protect you. He wanted me to go with you."

I frowned as I mulled that over. "But why would he let you go if he knew how dangerous it was?"

"To protect you, of course. He knew he couldn't stop you, so he wanted me to go with you."

"Why would he risk losing you for my sake?"

"Because he loves you!"

It felt like everything around me suddenly stopped. "W-What?"

"I know he admitted a lot today, but he didn't say nearly enough if you don't realize that." Floyd seemed frustrated, probably at Jade and not me.

"I just... I mean, I know he cares, but... love? I would not have thought..."

Floyd nodded. "I know. He does his best to hide it. You don't realize how much he thinks of you and does for you. He often pushes it off on me so you'll feel affection for me instead of him." He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "He doesn't invite you to hang out as much as he wants to. Probably never, actually. He's holding back, and I can't get him to stop."

"Wow..." I let that information sink in in for a moment.

"Maybe you could talk about this later?" Epel suggested. "We're going to lose Rook's trail."

"Anyway," said Floyd, "Jade decided it was best if I stayed with you. We should have faith in him like he has faith in us."

I let out a heavy sigh. "Alright. Let's go."

The three of us quickly made it to the gym's storage to collect brooms. We were soon outside and ready to go. "Okay, Little Shrimpy," Floyd said as he got on his broom, "you can come with me."

I was about to agree when I remembered something. "Uh, no thanks, Floyd. Mermen and flying do not mix. Can I go with you, Epel?"

"Sure," Epel said, sounding slightly confused.

Floyd frowned. "Ah, I'm better at flying than Jade and Azul."

"Which isn't saying much." I smiled at Epel before getting on his broom behind him.

Floyd's eyes narrowed at Epel. "Fine, but you better not let anything happen to her, Guppy."

"O-Of course, Floyd," Epel said. "I'll keep her safe. Shall we be off?"

"I'm ready," I said. Then we were in the air. It took a little searching, but eventually we spotted someone else flying in the sky. It did not take us too long to catch up to Rook. We started shouting his name as soon as we neared him. The look of surprise on his face was priceless.

"We finally caught up to you!" Epel said. "NOW GIT ON BACK HERE!"

"Pull that broom over right now!" I said.

"Or I'm going to squeeze you!" said Floyd.

"Epel?!" Rook exclaimed. "Ona?! Floyd?! You came after me?"

"Why wouldn't we?" said Epel. "Yer outta yer apple-pickin' mind if you thought we'd just sit around! Like Ah'd ever let you go alone! We're comin' with ya!"

"Oh là là! That you must not do, Monsieur Pommette. It's much too dangerous!"

"Ain't it the same for you?! You couldn't do diddly-squat against those armored varmints!"

Rook hesitated. "Well..."

"If I were there, I would have crushed 'em," said Floyd.

"If you ain't gonna stop, Ah'll smack you offa that broom mahself!" Epel shouted. "Ah'll light yer whole broomstick on fire! Eat this!" He cast a spell, and the broom started moving wildly.

"Hey! You're flying worse than me!"

"Confound it! Ah can't control the broom an' cast at the same time..."

"We're tilting!" I exclaimed.

"Non!" said Rook. "Stop this, Epel!"

"Ah'll stop when you do!" said Epel. "Hrah!" He cast another spell, which Rook dodged. "Urgh... I can keep goin'! One more shot!"

"Je me rends! All right, I surrender! Epel, let us find some place to land."

Floyd snickered. "And it was just getting good."

Epel glared at Rook. "No way! I ain't goin' back, an' that's that!"

"That's not what I was suggesting," said Rook. "We should take a moment to calm down and talk. And if I might add, you'll freeze into an Ep-sicle if you keep flying in those clothes. Really now. You're not even using a windblocker spell! Your lips are as blue as the sky. Rest assured, I won't try to send you back. Just follow me."

"Do you think we should trust him?" Floyd said.

"If he tries something, you can always take him," I said.

Floyd grinned. "True."

Now that Rook mentioned it, I realized how cold I felt. Epel, Floyd, and Rook, landed in the woods, and we all got off the brooms. "Brrr... I'm about freezin' mah fingers off..." Epel said.

"Your hands and cheeks are cold as ice," Rook said after touching him. "Your hands and cheeks are cold as ice. I'll get a fire going."

"I'm cold too," I said, hugging myself to keep warm.

Floyd wrapped his arms around me and held me close to his body. I gratefully embraced his body heat. "I feel fine," he said.

"You're used to this."

Within a moment, Rook started a fire with magic. "Good thing I brought a thermos of hot tea. Now go on, both of you, drink up. It should help you get warm."

Epel stared at the tea. "This isn't cursed, right? You're not going to put us to sleep and leave us here, are you?"

"Hardly. Unless you're Vil, one cannot simply conjure up a curse without an incantation and special equipment."

Epel drank some of the tea, and he visibly relaxed. Then he handed the thermos to me. "Ahh... That's better. I feel alive again..."

"Definitely," I said after taking a sip of my own. "Not as good as Jade's tea, but it will do. Want some, Floyd?"

"Nah, I'm good," said Floyd, still hugging me.

"I admit I'm rather shocked," said Rook. "I did not expect you three to come after me."

"Yeah, I know," Epel said quietly. "We might only slow you down. I won't ask you to take us along. But I'm going to follow you either way. Those people hurt our housewarden and our friends. I'm not gonna just take that!" Rook grew silent, and then he made a face. "Why are you scowling? You left without permission too, you know! I don't see how you're any better than me! You can scold me all you want, but I'm not going back!"

"Non, you have it wrong. I'm not angry with the three of you."

Epel blinked. "Huh?"

"I'm angry with myself for failing to give your tenacious spirits due credit. I said at SDC that people are powerful when they truly believe in themselves and each other. And yet I set off alone without nary a word, leaving you all behind. Epel, you always stay true to your heart, and that makes you strong and beautiful. I'm ashamed to have lied to myself for such specious reasons."

Epel stared at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

Rook smiled. "I feel just the same as you, Epel. The truth was that I couldn't stand by while my boon companion came to harm. I'd convinced myself that it would be wrong to involve teachers or friends in my self-centered quest."

"Well, it's a little late for that. We've been wrapped up in this for a while now."

"D'accord. Very well, Epel, Ona, Floyd—shall we undertake this journey together?"

"Sounds good to me!" Floyd says with a grin.

"My only condition is that you do exactly as I tell you. Can you promise me that?"

"I'm not obeying anyone." There was a slight edge to Floyd's voice. I gently rubbed his arm to soothe him.

Rook smiled at him. "Of course, I meant the freshman."

"Good."

"How about it, Epel?"

"Sure can do! ...I mean, yes sir!" Epel turned to me with a smile. "Heh heh. we did it, Ona!"

"I'll listen to you too," I said. "And I'll keep Floyd happy."

"I'm here to protect her," Floyd said.

Rook nodded. He looked right at me. "Epel, Floyd, and I have a tendency to charge headfirst and lose sight of what's around us. You, however, never fail to see the big picture. I'm sure your presence will be a real boon to us."

I smiled. It seemed like he believed in me as well, which made sense since he was quite perceptive in his own right. "I'll do everything I can to help."

"I've never seen you lose sight of what's around you, Rook," said Epel. "I mean, the charging in headfirst part, sure..."

"Ah, but you have," said Rook. "I smacked right into you in the Hall or Mirrors because I failed to notice my surroundings."

"Ahaha, I guess you did. You know, now that I'm thinking about it... A lot of people in Pomefiore pull reckless stunts, despite seeming calm and collected. Vil included."

Rook smirked. "Heh. 'Tenacity' is our dorm's credo, after all... And that could arguably mean mustering one's determination to face what must be faced. The Fairest Queen is usually depicted as aloof and statuesque in art and literature... But personally, I suspect she may have been rather active and energetic."

"I have a hard time imagining her flying off the handle and storming out on her own like we did. Surely she never would've done that."

"Hahaha! I must agree with you there."

A squeaky growling noise interrupted us. Rook immediately grew serious. "Shh! Quiet. I hear an animal growling... It's close by."

"I'll scare it off!" Floyd volunteered.

"Erk... Sorry, um... That was me," Epel said, blushing lightly.

Floyd laughed. "Really, Guppy?"

"Oh là là!" said Rook. "And here I was, worried we'd incurred the wrath of some forest beast whose territory we disturbed!"

"It's way past when I usually eat dinner..." Epel mumbled.

"Heh. I can just imagine how Vil's beautiful brow would crease if he heard that."

"Heh, yeah, I can see it too."

"Very well, we shall have a quick repast before setting off. I'll go over our flight route while we dine."

"Ooo... I could use some food!" Floyd said brightly.

"Me too," I said.

A little while later, we were all full and warm by the fire. "Ahh... I'm stuffed!" Epel said happily. "Thanks for the meal, Rook."

"I'm just glad I thought to pack food and a camping kit," said Rook.

"We just took off right after you, so it didn't even cross my mind to bring food."

"Worry not. There are cities aplenty en route to our destination. We can always buy more sustenance if we need it."

"You said you didn't know where the Island of Woe was, but you could 'envision' where Vil and the others did you mean by that?"

"Yeah, that was mighty suspicious," said Floyd.

"Ah..." said Rook. "That's what my signature spell allows me to do." He looked at Floyd pointedly. "I trust you will not reveal this information to anyone else."

Floyd smiled. "I could be persuaded not to."

I rolled my eyes. "He won't tell anyone. You can feel free to explain."

"Rook, you're using your signature spell?" Epel said.

"It's quite a weak one, actually," said Rook. "I can't hurt anyone or control anything with it. Nevertheless, it is an essential spell for a huntsman such as myself."

"What does it do?" I asked.

"It enables me to locate anyone upon whom I cast it. Even if they go over the Seven Jeweled Hills, or go beyond the Seventh Fall...even to the very edge of the world."

"Daaang... That's a mighty scary piece o' magic," said Epel.

"Yeah, it doesn't sound weak at all," said Floyd.

"When those Charon goons took Vil, I swiftly cast my spell on one of them," said Rook.

"Golly, I didn't even notice!" said Epel.

"Heh. I suppose it's time for the grand unveiling. Come, see if you can flee from me. Arrow Afar!" In the air, I saw map with a path of twinkling lights, then it was cut off abruptly. "Hm... As I feared."

Epel frowned. "What's wrong?"

"For all my boasting, my spell is by no means omnipotent. If there's some magic-blocking vehicle or structure between myself and the target, my guideline is sharply cut off. It appears they transported our friends in a technomantic stealth aircraft that can block magic."

"That sucks," said Floyd.

"What?" said Epel. "Does that mean even your signature spell can't track them?"

"Not quite," said Rook. "Not even a technomantic plane can completely block out magic. They must drop stealth for the briefest of moments when using magic or radar. And in those precious seconds, I can envision the mark I've put on my prey. Every halting step is laid out before me, like the lovely footprints left by a dainty princess wandering the woods. For I am a huntsman. Once I set my sights on a quarry, I never let it escape." I saw a map in the sky again, except, this time, there was a farther path of twinkling lights. "I see it! They left the Land of Dawning where Sage's Island lies, and ventured northward over the Coral Sea. My tracking shows they crossed the Sunshine Lands and Kingdom of Heroes, then it stops well out over the water."

"That's where Grim and the others are!" I said excitedly.

Floyd grinned. "We'll get them back!"

"However, it's quite a ways from here to the Island of Woe," said Rook. "We won't be able to reach it on brooms alone."

"Then how were you planning to get there?" Epel asked.

"One of my ancestors was an avid traveler. They had villas all over the world. And those villas contain teleporters that link to each other. We'll be using those. Luckily, there's a villa in the land of Dawning, the Sunshine Lands, and the Kingdom of Heroes. We should be able to cover a substantial distance in one night using the teleporters."

"Wait, what?! Your family has villas all over the world?! With magic teleporters that go between countries?! Don't you need some kind of special government permission for that? Just what does your family DO, Rook?"

Floyd smirked. "I'd like to know that too."

Rook chuckled. "You would, wouldn't you? Heh heh heh... I am especially grateful to my ancestors right now for their love of travel. There's a chance the teachers have noticed our absence and filed a report, so I'd prefer to avoid public transit. Oh, I can imagine the disapproval on my forebears' faces if they knew what I was up to. 'Don't use our legacy to upset your professors!' They'd say. But this is all in service of beauté and l'amour. I can only beg my ancestors' forgiveness... Anyway! Now that we have a plan of action, let us away before anyone notices we've absconded!"

Epel smiled. "Heh heh!"

"Hm? Is something amusing, Monsieur Pommette?"

"Oh, it's just... You're such an eccentric guy, and I can tell your family's super rich. But here you are, sneaking around like the rest of us when we do something bad, trying to hide it from the teachers."

"Is there any student on campus who doesn't fear the faculty raining lightning upon them? I am but one of many troublemakers attending Night Raven College. Oh, yes—I recommend both you and Ona put on something warm before we set out. Your dorm uniform would serve you well on a long broom flight. Apropos of that, here's a fun little tidbit. They're woven with magical threads that retain heat and provide insulation from the cold. In fact, allows me to lend you a uniform from our dorm as well, Ona. Here you go!" He used magic to give both of us Pomefiore dorm uniforms. I looked down in amazement.

"Woah!"

"You're right, this is toasty!" I said with a smile.

"We're visiting our queen Vil, after all," said Rook. "We must be dressed for the occasion. How about you, Monsieur Spontane?"

"Nah, I'm good," said Floyd.

"'Spontane?'" I repeated. "What do you call Jade, Rook?"

Rook smiled. "He is Monsieur Premedite."

I thought about those names for a moment. I smiled and nodded. "Those are perfect. You're pretty good."

Rook smiled in response. "Where is Monsieur Premedite, if I may ask?"

"Jade takes his vice housewarden duties seriously," Floyd said with a smirk.

"And he knows that Azul is in good hands," I added.

Floyd turned his smirk onto me. "I never said anything about him doing it for Azul."

Yes, I remembered what Floyd told me. That spiked my curiosity once more. I turned to Rook. "Hey, I know we have to get going as soon as possible, but can I talk to Floyd in private for a few minutes? I need to get something off my mind."

Rook nodded. "Of course, Trickster. Will 15 minutes suffice?"

"That should be good. Thanks!" I turned to Floyd. "Are you good to talk?"

Floyd grinned. "You bet, Little Shrimpy. Let's go!" He grabbed my wrist and dragged me off into the woods. I chuckled when I realized how this situation would look to someone who did not really know Floyd. We stopped once we were safely outside of hearing distance of Rook and Epel. "So, Little Shrimpy, what is this about? Is it Jade?" He gave me a teasing smirk.

I couldn't help but flush a bit. "Well, yeah! You can't just tell me he loves me and expect me not to ask questions."

Floyd laughed. "What are your questions?"

"In what way does he love me?"

Floyd grinned. "Love is love, isn't it? Everything else is just extra."

I sighed. He had a good point. "Well, can you tell me if it's friendship, familial, or romantic love?"

Floyd's grin widened. "Nope. You'll have to ask him yourself. I only told you he loves you because I think you have a right to know. He's trying his best to hide it."

That was fair enough, so I decided not to press him for an answer. Besides, the second part of what he said left me even more curious. "He's hiding how much he cares about me? Why? Is he still afraid of getting hurt?" I thought we had moved past that.

Floyd shook his head. "Nah, he trusts you completely now. This time, he truly thinks he's doing what's best for you. And best for him, in a way, I guess."

I crossed my arms and frowned. "Can you explain that one?"

"Well, he doesn't ask you to hang out because he wants you to be the one to initiate."

"Okay, I don't have a problem initiating, but why can't he do it sometimes? I mean, I always have you or someone else asking me to hang out. If I'm busy, I'm not going to think to ask him."

Floyd gave me a serious look. "He thinks if he was a priority in your life then you would make the effort to do it. He thinks you choose to hang out with me more."

I felt my heart tighten in pain. "Oh..." Was that true? Did I really not value Jade as a friend? I thought I did, but maybe he had a point. Maybe I did really prefer others. Was Floyd truly more important to me?

Floyd placed a hand on my shoulder. "He's wrong, though. His logic works both ways. If he never initiates, how do you know that he cares about you enough to want to hang out? I know how you are. You might not want to be pushy with him. You might be afraid of pushing him away. Or afraid of rejection. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen to me. Maybe he'll listen to you."

I nodded slowly, feeling a great relief in my chest. Of course Jade was extremely important to me. He was just over-analyzing everything. As perceptive as he was, he was not always right. "Yeah, I'll talk to him. I'll also try to initiate more. He is at least partially right that I should be doing that." I paused as I remembered something else Floyd had said. "And what's this about him making me think you're doing everything for me?"

Floyd shrugged. "He does a lot for you behind the scenes, but he tries to make it so I'm the focus of your attention. For example, he knows you love physical affection, so he lets me give it all to you. He does a lot of stuff for you, but you don't notice it as much because that's not how your brain works."

I flushed at this news. "Oh. Now that you mention it... He always making tea for me or calming me down. I really should make sure he knows how much I appreciate him." I thought he would have known since he always seemed to see right through me, but apparently I was wrong. It looked like even he had self-doubts. I could not help but feel terrible about it.

"It's not your fault. He knows what he's doing. He knows very well how you work. He's doing it on purpose because he wants you to be closer to me. He thinks you're happier with me." Floyd looked away with a scowl.

I found his reaction a bit surprising. "You don't like that? I thought you enjoyed spending time with me."

Floyd looked back at me with wide eyes. "I do! But I want Jade to be happy too. And you... I know you would be happier if you were closer to him. He doesn't have to do this. There's no reason all three of us can't be extremely close."

A small smile formed on my face as I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's right. I need you both. Maybe in different ways, but that can be worked out later. We should all be very close. That's what I want. I'll make sure Jade knows it too. What's he's doing sounds like manipulation, but I bet he doesn't see it that way. If I point it out to him, I believe he'll stop. He would never willingly take my choice away from me. I know he'll change if I show him how he's wrong."

Floyd grinned. "That's the spirit, Little Shrimpy! I believe in him too. And you." He pulled me into a hug, which I gladly returned. "So, let's get survive this adventure and get back to him, alright?" He winked.

I smiled and let go of him. "Yeah. I suppose we should get back to Epel and Rook." Feeling a little lighter, the two of us walked back to the campfire

"All set?" Rook said brightly when he saw us.

"Yeah, we're good," I said. "Let's be off now." I watched as everyone grabbed their brooms. I walked over to Epel.

"Epel, I will not slow down to match your pace. Will you be able to keep up whilst in the air?"

"Don't you imply my flyin's slow," Epel said. "I'm the best freshmen flier in the whole Spelldrive Club. Leona said so himself! I ain't gonna fall behind!"

"Merveilleux! Just what I like to hear from a Pomefiore student."

"Yeah, Floyd is the one you should be worried about," I said in a teasing tone.

"Aw, it's not my fault," Floyd said. "We're going over a bunch of water, right? Maybe I could just swim!"

"And what will you do when we need to cross land?" Epel asked.

Floyd shrugged. "I'll ride with one of you."

I shook my head. "I don't think so. That will just slow us down even more."

Floyd grumbled as he got onto his broom. "Azul better appreciate the lengths I'm going for him."

"I didn't think you were doing this for him."

Floyd smiled at me. "Just because you are Jade's and my porosity doesn't mean we don't care about Azul too. He's... what did you call it?"

I smiled back at him. "Ohana. Family."

Floyd grinned. "Yeah, that's it."

"Well, everyone who was taken is ohana to me, so we've got to get them back."

"And we will," said Rook. "Now, to the Island of Woe! Allons-y!"