Rondo in the Endless Sky
Chapter 1: Wings of Captivity
"We come to you today on this fine day in the Empire of Misurugi with special news. The Baptism of royal Princess Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi is only hours away, and the entire country is in a state of revelry! The gits they are, rollicking about without a care in the damn world because why would they when in such a perfect state of things eh? It's not like they send unfortunate Norma off to who knows where-little do some know to a place that may well be hell on earth-all so their petty, idyllic lives can continue!... what a bunch of shit."
"You seem particularly riled up about things today."
"Wyvern, I've been here for a week. I feel some scathing sarcasm at these people's expense is well earned by this point."
Alain, dressed in a disguise of typical fashion for people his age in the empire, sighed as he angled his visor up over his head, leaning back on the wall behind him from his spot overlooking the city below him. A place that was bright as the cloudless sky above enough it felt like it actually hurt his eyes like he was staring at the sun, roads in perfect order and buildings pristine as can be. And true to the scathingly sarcastic fake report, every place was in a buzz like an agitated beehive in their celebration of the days event.
"Let's see now… aha! Royal procession in sight. Wyvern, start recording."
"Roger."
Alain pulled down his visor again and clicked a few things on the side of it, the image zooming in on the procession of vehicles coming into view, focusing on one in particular. Seated in one of the cars were the appropriately dressed members of the royal family. In one more car behind, on an elevated seat and waving to the hordes of people around was a blonde girl in incredibly (Alain would prefer to think painfully) elaborate robes.
"Ahh the exuberance of ignorance. Poor girl can't be older than 16, and she's got no clue how harsh this world of hers really is huh?"
"Alain you only just turned 18 yourself not two weeks ago. Talking like you're much older than that girl seems… odd, to say the least."
"Five years. We've been partners for five years and you still haven't learned a damn thing about sarcasm."
"If you want to discuss how long we've been together, I've known you your entire life Alain."
"Please just shut up and keep recording." Alain muttered, continuing to scan the procession as it went along. He glanced over another way, towards the massive, gleaming white tower that stretched higher than any other building in the city. The Pillar of Dawn, the prideful mark of the Empire and the symbol of their power among all the other countries in the world. The position Alain was in was outright perfect. Well away from the Pillar but close enough to have a perfect view, with the aid of his visor anyway, of the grounds before it. "Hmm… hey Wyvern, once the procession gets to the pillar, tap into the news feed so we can listen to what's going on."
"Already on it. You don't think we should get closer than we are now? The visor's magnification only goes so far."
"If I get down from here than it's just the open woods in front of the pillar and hundreds of people I don't wanna bother with. If we need to see anything, the news feed will work just fine once you tap into it."
"Fair point. I'm into the feed. Want me to send it now?"
"Wait until the royals get there and his highness starts talking." Alain reached into a pocket and pulled out a candy bar he immediately munched on, glancing down at the royal procession again. "But maybe play a couple from other sources that ain't being shown because of this will ya?"
"Sadly no other event is showing other than this… hmm, there is something about a fight that broke out in Rosenblum. The police stopped it with a calming spell… if you ask me the mana humans casually using abilities to mess with another human's mind is… disconcerting to their values."
"They're also the ones who send little girls off to die fighting against dragons in order to keep the heat off their own asses. They act all peaceful, but these folks are so easily swayed they're sadists at heart. I mean sure there's some decent folk among 'em… but let's see what happens if their society collapses around them."
"Quite the cynic aren't you Alain?"
"Pah. I just don't like these people. They're the reason a lot of people I cared about are dead in the ground or at the bottom of the ocean. Pick and choose." Alain just leaned back a bit more as he sighed, silent minutes passing in the wait as the procession went on, Alain tuning out the drone of the news feed that Wyvern put up into view on the visor. He didn't pay a whole lot of attention to what was spoken by the news casters, or hell even the emperor himself once the man was put on screen. He did decide a good time to pay attention to be when the blonde girl, the mentioned Angelise, took center stage on the news.
He wasn't expecting anything else as the girl stepped into whatever contraption set this whole ceremony in motion. The tower then lit up as all was silent from everyone, the top of the tower lighting up and beginning to spread particles everywhere.
Only for the light to immediately dissipate, and things to shut down completely. And as it did, so did a blaring alarm begin to sound off.
"Hm? Is that how it's supposed to work?" Alain murmured, leaning forward and tapping his visor.
"I don't believe it is."
"Wait… if it didn't work, than that would mean the princess is… ohhhh…! Holy shit I was not expecting that to happen! The Empire's princess is a Norma! Holy hell! How did they keep that under wraps for 16 years?!" There was a bit glee Alain's voice as he rocked a bit a wild little smirk on his face.
"Want me to continue the feed?"
"Cut it for all I care. I think this is plenty. The chaos this is going to cause is also a perfect cover. Time for me to scram!" Alain got up and turned into the doorway near him, hurrying down the stairs to the ground floor of the building. He pressed himself to the wall as police cars rocketed by, leaving once they were out of sight, ducking into an alley as he also raised the hood on his jacket, being sure to keep out of sight as he moved through the city.
It took some time, but once it was clear enough, Alain took to the more open streets as he took to a steadier run, keeping up pace as he moved discreetly though the city and the panicking crowds around as well of the people who hadn't gotten close to the pillar. Eventually the trek led him to the outskirts of the city, well and away from prying eyes and at woods leading out past it. A ways into the woods, Alain came to a clearing, one with plenty of signs that hardly anybody ever came to it. And centered into the clearing was what he was looking for.
The aerodynamic, slender frame, the ghost grey and blue colored body, the machine he so prided himself on but had to spend a week leaving on the ground and not in the skies it belonged in. The clearing was just large enough for its 20 meter long body and closed up wing-span to snugly fit into and remain hidden, with some room to spare for moving around.
"Hey there Wyvern. Ready to stretch those wings of yours after a week?" Alain stroked the nose of the craft before clambering onto a line that dropped from the side, dropping into the cockpit as it's hatch opened up, dropping his hood and pulling his visor back down as the cockpit closed, the various instruments and other things lighting up as the interior turned on, the dark view before him opening up as various things activated, giving a perfect view of the area around him, the only marring of the screen being the clear hexagonal panels of the outer cameras.
"Alain, I was keeping track of that news feed, and it cut off. But, it ended when the empress took the princess further into the tower. The odds are the two will be caught once they exit the pillar to try and escape." Now rather than just a voice in his ear, as the craft started up, one of the panels in front of Alain sparked on with pulsing lights, at the bottom of it being a few words, Deus Est Machina.
"So, looks like we're getting a new arrival tonight. We're gonna beat that transport back to Arzenal. Get the engines going, Wyvern." Alain adjusted his clothes a bit and tossed off the jacket and shirt, reaching behind him to grab a few things, throwing on a looser black shirt, and a white and blue flight jacket over that, giving a sigh as he rolled his shoulders when the weighty thing was on before buckling the straps around him. "Hate those kinds of clothes."
"Engines starting. Take off ready." Wyvern spoke, Alain grabbing the controls and pressing down on the pedals at his feet. The whirring up engines of his craft angled and started picking the machine off the ground and up past the trees. With another press, the machine shot off. As he was now quickly leaving the city, Alain looked back, chuckling a bit as he could only imagine what was happening below.
"Always good to see those folks losing their shit over something." Alain mused, leaning back a bit in the seat as a few presses set the craft to autopilot.
"I'll clue you in we've also got dark clouds moving in. Looks like a storm is going to be rolling over Arzenal operational space by the time we arrive." Wyvern said, Alain giving a loud groan of annoyance.
"Ahhh come on man! That means there won't be any dragon arrivals all day! Tch, I wanted to drop in on a run… let's see, keeping the daily rotation in mind, Garm would've been up today right? Hah, wouldn't mind pissing Zola off by crashing the party." Alain folded his arms as he chuckled a bit, then stretching his arms as he also took his visor off. "Well if it's gonna be a storm, I am gonna elect to sleep this out. How fast are we going?"
"Currently cruising at 600 kilometers an hour. We'll arrive within five hours."
"Always hate these long flights. Wake me up when we get there if I don't wake up beforehand myself. I'm expecting a LONG night once I get home."
"Understood."
BOOM!
"WHAO!" Alain shot awake at the sudden crack that broke the air, the Wyvern shuddering a bit before righting out, Alain grumbling as he pulled a hand down his face, slapping his cheeks to get the grogginess out. "Eesh… Wyvern, turn the cameras back on."
With that, the darkened cockpit lit up, and Alain was immediately met with seeing rain pounding onto the craft in an absolute torrent, and the occasional bolt of lightning splitting the clouds and striking the sea below.
"Sheesh this is a bad one. Did we get hit or something?" Alain rolled a hand behind his neck, some of the instruments in front of him filled with static for a few moments. "That'd be a yes. How close are we?"
"On arrival now." Wyvern replied.
"Finally." Alain put his hands back on the controls as through the storm, lights became visible not far off across the water. What came into view was an island, one holding a base built into the sheer face of the plateau that jutted from the water, most prominently from it being the massive flight deck that stretched out from one end of it, while at the base of the island, more manmade structures split out from it, expanding out what was there into more elevated platforms with more space to them, near as much as the actual island itself.
"Establishing radio contact."
"Arzenal, come in. This is Mobius 1 on return from extended mission, requesting permission to land." Alain tapped at a few things as he gave out the call, and he winced a bit as a sudden yelp came into his ear, adjusting his headset a bit as he also adjusted its visor. "Come on this ain't that surprising is it?"
"Ah, sorry! This storm just made it… ahem. Copy that Mobius 1, you have permission to land. Land at Hangar 1." A girl's voice came back over the line, Alain nodding.
"Copy that. Coming in now." Alain pulled on the brakes the bring the craft slower as he angled it in, smoothly landing on the platform, his craft moving in until it was inside of the structure, and finally out of the rain, Alain stretching his arms up as the craft rolled in, and he snickered a bit when he saw several others in the hangar. "Looks like Garm was grounded, as guessed."
As the craft came to a stop, Alain reached to the side and pulled something out of an opened slot, the cockpit opening up, Alain smoothly exiting as he pocketed the rectangular item. And barely had a second on the floor before being barreled into.
"Big bro! You're home!"
"BWAGH!"
Alain groaned a bit as he was knocked to the ground, not to mention nearly being choked out by the tight grip around his neck. Which was enough prompt to make Alain start slapping the ground once he started hearing things pop.
"Uncle, uncle! Vivian, how many times have I said not to tackle me?!" Alain wheezed a bit as he was released, also smacking the perpetrator on the head, sighing as the girl with pinkish-red hair whined a bit as she held the spot she got hit on.
"But you were gone for a week this time. It sucks whenever you're gone." Vivian pouted, Alain flicking her on the forehead as he gained an annoyed look. "OW!"
"Missions are missions. Orders from Jill are what they are." Alain said, standing up and brushing himself off, then patting the younger girl on the head. "But don't worry, I missed you and everyone else too Vivian. A week is way too freaking long for me too."
"Where does Jill send you off to that keeps you away for so long?" Another girl, this one at least the same age as Alain approached. Like Vivian she also had pink hair though of a lighter shade, and in a much longer curtain of it than a short and messy style. Despite her age the girl gave off a motherly air, and fit to that, was far more developed than the younger girl jumping around Alain and chattering in excitement, being not that much shorter than Alain by comparison.
"Places." Alain muttered, putting a hand on Vivian's head to stop her. "You know I can't talk about them Ersha. Kind of uh… classified and all that."
"Ohh and look at you too! Have you been taking care of yourself, right? Your hair is a mess, well, messier than normal, and your clothes are all wrinkled too." Ersha then started fussing at Alain as she tugged at the more wayward strands of his hand and adjusted his jacket, Alain flailing his arms to get away.
"You don't need to fuss over me Ersha, geez!"
"Haah, I always tell you to be a bit more concerned about your appearance, but you never listen to me."
"I think I do a fine job taking care of myself! I just like being comfortable." Alain objected, looking to the side in an obstinate manner, Ersha chuckling as she stepped forward.
"And as cutely obstinate as ever. Welcome home." Ersha used a hand to shift Alain's face, pulling him into a kiss, which only took a moment for him to return by wrapping his arms around Ersha's waist… Vivian meanwhile shielding her eyes while still peeking between her fingers… and then Alain got whacked on the back of the head by a clipboard, causing him and Ersha to break off the kiss as he hissed.
"Okay, ow." Alain muttered, turning around and coming face to face with another girl, one with dark purple hair kept up in a thick pair of twin tails, bangs bordering serious brown eyes, and was a full head shorter than Alain with a slender frame under her white uniform. "Really Salia?"
"If I didn't you two would make a scene." Salia said, pointing over her shoulder, drawing attention to the various girls in maintenance jumpsuits watching with interest in what was going on. "Plus, the entire maintenance crew is watching."
"Pff, some people see worse happening." Alain said, Ersha chuckling a bit as Salia went to smack him again, Alain smoothly dodging past the clip board.
"Don't be smart. Since you're back, you should probably head to Jill's office ASAP. She'll want that report." Salia said, Alain humming.
"Ahh come on, I know you're happy to see me back too Salia, loosen up a bit." Alain said, stepping past Salia and tapping a hand to her butt, Salia blushing as she jumped, Alain already trotting away as he cackled.
"Don't play around like that when we're on deck Alain!" Salia shouted, Alain just laughing again as he vanished into the stairwell. "Geez, he's got no sense for order sometimes."
"But you like that about him. You can be looser around Alain even at times like this you know?" Ersha said, Salia looking to the side. "C'mon, not like you don't spend nights with him too."
"Ersha that and this are different cases… besides it's just a… beneficial thing between us. We're not like that." Salia progressively hid her face as it got redder, Ersha sighing as she shook her head.
"It's not like you'd be rejected if you were honest with your feelings." Ersha remarked, then looking to the side when Vivian tapped her arm.
"Quiz time! Why doesn't Salia just tell Alain how she feels!" Vivian said, Salia yelping as Ersha chuckled.
"Because she's too shy to be honest about it." Ersha remarked, Salia grumbling.
"Viviaaan!" Salia yelled, Vivian chuckling before running off herself as Salia gave chase, and from the stairwell, Alain snickered as he turned back around.
"Glad to be back!"
"Hmm, so that's the situation there huh? Nice to know how the things that led to our new arrival went down. Haha, talk about a farce. Sixteen years of effort for nothing in the end. Sad, isn't it, Alain?"
"From a certain point of view, I suppose."
Alain picked up the device that was on the desk and stowed it as the projection from it vanished. Seated at the desk and now lighting up a cigarette, was an older woman with black hair, tied up into a high, wide tail. The smoke drifted up and past cold violet eyes that bore a light of hardened experience to them, and not a trace of warmth at all. Most notably on her though, was how her right arm was a metal, but moving as normal, prosthetic, which as Alain noticed, seemed a little banged up at the time.
"So the princess is here now eh? Heh, the humans work faster than we give them credit for sometimes." Alain hummed, closing an eye and looking Jill over. "What the heck happened to beat up the arm so much huh?"
"Ah this?" Jill lifted her right arm, the fingers moving stiffly a bit and the wrist also nearly stuck. "Let's just say the new girl got a little… hard to deal with."
"Might wanna be more careful with it. Jasmine'll charge you extra to replace those parts. That arm isn't as sturdy as you Jill." Alain mused, sitting down in one of the chairs near the desk.
"Peh, you're starting to sound like her now." Jill let out a drag and tapped a few keys on the computer near her. "The pay for your tenure is in your account now… though I presume you want to send some of it to that fund right?"
"…" Alain didn't say a word and just lifted a brow, Jill chuckling and pressing a few more keys.
"Of course, of course. You're really that confident she'll wake up huh? It's almost been a month now." Jill said, Alain standing up and stretching an arm.
"Well she's also stubborn like that. She'll wake up, no doubt about that." Alain said, not a hint of any lack of confidence in what he was saying. "So, anything else or am I free to go and crash for the night?"
"Don't make too much noise like every other time you come back alright?" Jill said, then pulling out a file. "There is one thing though. Here, the file on the newbie."
Alain grabbed the folder and opened it up, humming as he stared at the paper that was at the forefront, the image of the roughed up, blood stained face of the same girl he'd observed before.
"Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, or now, Norma #1203-77… Ange. What's the point of showing me the file huh?" Alain asked, placing it back on the desk, though the silent look from Jill got gears in Alain's head turning, prompting him to sigh. "Lemme guess, you want me to keep an eye on her these next few days, don't you?"
"She's 16 years old after all. Odds are this one is going to be stubborn. She might just listen to you though. You are Blaze, the Ace of Aces after all. You've got authority here on Arzenal that's of a different kind than mine. Take is as a challenge to your people skills, Mobius One." Jill's tone was one what Alain could tell she was half joking about what she was saying. "In all seriousness though it's simply because I know you're better at solving problems than most here. And a troublesome element is more than it's worth sometimes."
"I get the sense you're going to be right about that in several painful ways." Alain muttered, looking at the file again, and blinking when something fell out of it. A silver ring with a green gem laid into it. "This is… huh. Hehe, well, looks like we've got something out of this."
"Exactly." Jill picked up the ring and rolled it in a palm, a smirk on her face. "If she proves herself, who knows, that old bucket of bolts we've had locked up for over a decade might just fly again."
"I'll remind we also have my mobile platform as well." Wyvern spoke up at that moment, Alain producing the terminal device from his pocket. "But, were the Villkiss to gain a pilot again, it would significantly increase Arzenal's offensive capacity."
"Good to know our long time AI friend knows what's up." Jill remarked, pocketing the ring. "So, along with your normal squadron rotations being back in order, your new standing orders are too watch Ange and help instruct her, along with whatever unit she's put into… hmm, I'm thinking Garm Squadron."
"Ech… you're gonna hand Zola fresh meat? C'mon, Coco and Miranda are already joining the squad, and I was running my ass ragged keeping Zola off those two." Alain groaned as he put a hand behind his head, Jill chuckling again.
"It's good you care so much for your juniors."
"More like it's cause that entire squad is people important to me… sans an exception in some ways." Alain gave an annoyed hiss as he made the remark, Jill just taking the file and putting it back into the desk. "But orders are orders. Fine. I'll try to keep the rookie out of trouble, no promises though!"
"Ah you'll be fine. Dismissed. And again, keep the noise down tonight. I don't want to hear about complaints from your neighbors on that floor. Both for the noise and because they're jealous." Jill said, Alain just laughing as he left the room. "Ugh, that boy is just as much a troublemaker as his mother… I wonder, what'd you be saying if you saw him now, eh Lucia? Heh, he even laughs like you. Can never get it out of my head."
"Ahh, and nothin' ever beats a shower. Beats having to wash off in a freakin' stream for a week."
Alain let out a satisfied sigh as he pulled the towel down off his damp hair, the loose strands left to fall about as the light clothes he'd put on after the shower lightly shifted as he sauntered through the halls of the residential area, his flight jacket over his shoulders like a cape.
"Doing what you have to while in the woods is a must. You have enough survival skills to manage." Wyvern said, Alain sighing as he pulled the terminal out of his pocket.
"Yeah but still annoying. I'll take a shower any day over that!"
"I won't deny the comfort factor people take in warm bathing. Of course, not that I can quite understand it beyond the need to clean oneself of grime and other build up."
"You're an AI shoved inside an eighteen-meter-tall war machine, of course you wouldn't get it."
"An acknowledged fact. Shall we discuss possible plans for the new assignment given to you by the Commander?"
"Tomorrow. I just wanna relax tonight."
"Affirmative. I'll process the week's data recording and upload it to the main Arzenal server in the meantime. Good night."
"Same."
Alain pocketed the terminal as its screen went dark. The path he was following went a bit further up along the facilities, from the more closed off and crammed halls to ones that, while still bearing barred doors and cameras every few meters, were larger in size, the less plain doors telling of it. Spinning keys on his finger as he stopped at one door, Alain took a moment and jimmied the handle, the door opening right up.
"Ah… hmm, the only people who have keys to my room other than me are Ersha and Salia… so one of them no doubt. I mean I'd hand out a couple more to some of the other girls I'm intimate with, but Jasmine won't give me any more… why am I saying this out loud?"
The room's light was out as he opened the door. The room itself was in effect, a decently sized studio-style place. Slid up to the right end corner was a large bed with a heavy comforter over it, and pushed up against the side of the bed not to the wall was a simple couch that sat in front of a TV with various things shoved in front of it, while closer to the door was a desk with a closed laptop on it, and a bookshelf with a variety of things stacked onto it, from the expected books to other items. A few of the luxuries one could get their hands on in Arzenal with the right amount of money… and some haggling/convincing on the part of the shop owner.
"Waiting with the light off and on the bed eh? Classic." Alain mused, stepping in and shutting the door behind him. He threw his jacket onto the desk chair and walked over to the bed, where a notable lump under the comforter shifted a bit. Alain smirked as he grabbed the sheet and started to lightly tug. "Let's play the cover game. Who, will, it, be?!"
Swish
The blanket was moved aside, and Alain immediately saw a flash of pink come into his vision before he was pulled down, his face coming into contact with something soft.
"Me this time." Ersha said, Alain sitting up on his arms as he pulled his face free of the enveloping space that was Ersha's gifted bosom. "Were you expecting someone else tonight?"
"Nope, not really." Alain hummed, Ersha chuckling as he smirked. "Besides you might as well be my roommate at times as far as it's concerned."
"That can go for a few of us. Now, before anything… get on your stomach, I'm gonna massage you alright?"
"I'm open for that! I've been sleeping in a cockpit all week." Alain did as was asked of him, Ersha moving and positioning herself over Alain, her hands pressing onto his back for a few moments, moving his shirt up and then pressing her knuckles down onto some sports, Alain immediately letting out a pleased sigh. "Ahhh… that's already nice."
"What kind of positions do you sleep in when you're gone? You're always so stiff when you get back." Ersha mused, Alain sighing again as her pressing started making spots on his spine pop with a satisfying feeling. "Though you have always been a bit of a messy sleeper. I suppose without a lot of room to toss and turn you just lock up."
"Hey… that was when we were-ow that pinched-kids." Alain said, Ersha moving her hands elsewhere after he flinched. "So… we got a new arrival today."
"Oh? Is that something you can actually talk about?"
"Yeah. Jill has me… ahhaaa… a bit there, I twisted that during some climbing… Jill has me assigned to watch this new girl. She's gonna be joining Garm Squadron once she's educated." Alain let out a deeper sigh when Ersha started kneading at his left shoulder blade, and the pink haired young woman hummed as she stopped for a moment.
"Our squad hmm? Is she older or younger than Coco and Miranda?"
"Older. She's 16."
"That old? And they didn't figure out she was a Norma until now?" Ersha hummed, Alain nodding as he rolled over and put his arms behind his head. "And I'm sure that's not something you're allowed to tell us either."
"Ehehe, yeah, sorry. Technically speaking those little missions of mine aren't even official, it's all off the record, so talking about it is something Jill said needs to keep quiet… even if the only person it'd be suspicious around is Officer Emma." Alain sighed as that though crossed his mind. There really was only one mana-human watching them all, but, secrets had to be kept where they had to be kept. Nothing that he could do about that. "But, did I miss anything while I was gone, or just more of the same?"
"Pretty much." Ersha remarked, laying down and nuzzling into Alain's neck for a moment. "Zola was how she is. I still don't quite get it though. You two used to get along so well, but now you two can't seem to stand one another. Well, I know there was that one incident, but it's been like this for years now."
"It's just cause Zola's prideful." Alain muttered, sitting up and stretching an arm, looking at a pencil thin scar running along his left arm from the wrist to the middle of his forearm. Not a wound he'd gotten during battle, a scar with a story he wasn't keen to tell anybody. "She just doesn't like there being another main alpha around is all."
"Well whatever it is, I suppose we can say it doesn't matter much." Ersha said, leaning on Alain's back and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Now c'mon, are we gonna have some fun or not? You're not the only one who's no doubt pent up after a week. You're gonna be busy these next few days."
"That's discounting sorties." Alain hummed, Ersha chuckling, Alain shaking his head as he glanced out of the barred window and the still storming sky outside. "Stormy skies… my least favorite kind of sky."
"Dark blue, right? That's the sky you like the most." Ersha hummed, Alain chuckling as he turned around.
"Yeup! Now, what was that about having some fun?"