(A/N: (cracks knuckles) Hope nobody's tired of meat and potatoes. Here's your second helping)
17th Day of the Horsebow Moon
When it came to the convention at Lake Kawaguchi, after the feast the night before, the convention itself had been pretty boring for some of the invitees. Raphael in particular ended up finding himself outside most of the time, watching birds and feeding squirrels. Leonie spent her time jogging around the convention center during daylight hours. She had invited Hilda to play video games with her in a hotel room, but Claude twisted Hilda's arm about the whole situation by threatening to tell Holst.
However, as the sun started to set, about an hour before Count Gloucester's speech, nobody in their right mind expected what was about to happen. It was 8pm. Daylight had disappeared and the moon was high in the sky. The Golden Deer were, for the most part, in their hotel rooms, eating delivery, and waiting for Count Gloucester's speech to start. Nobody had brought weapons or HLKMF crystals. Why would they? And so, nobody was prepared when JLF soldiers broke into the convention center, to nearly every room, throwing smoke grenades, tear gas and sleeping gas and started rounding up every last convention goer of the evening. Even someone as large as Raphael, and as powerful as Dimitri, stood little chance against smoke and powder.
When the Golden Deer, Dimitri, and Euphemia all came to, they were in a storage room that was practically empty, likely on one of the lower floors of the convention center.
"Oh, my head," Dimitri complained.
"Are you okay?" Euphemia asked him, checking on him.
"I'm fine…what…happened exactly?" he asked, coming out of it.
"Terrorists, I think," Euphemia said.
"Terrorists…you think…wait…terrorists?!"
Dimitri was wide awake now, looking around, seeing men dressed in Japanese army uniforms. "Those are JLF members. Blast! I did not bring a weapon and they're all armed with rifles, not to mention the civilians." He growled. "Curse these savages! Of all times for me to be at my weakest!"
"They haven't recognized us yet, I think," Euphemia said, keeping her voice down. "I think for now, if we lay low, my sister is bound to come and help."
Dimitri nodded. "Yes, I do believe we can leave this to Cornelia, and possibly the Church of Seiros, should they decide to get involved. At least…" he looked at all of the hostages taken with them, "For now."
Count Gloucester may have been the furthest thing from Dimitri's mind, but it was not of Lorenz's. The man may not have been brazen enough to demand terrorists take him to his father, but he was scanning the room multiple times for his father.
"Lorenz," Claude told him calmly, "Chill. If I'm still here and kicking, I doubt your father's pushing up daisies."
"If he is alive, then I should well be able to see him," Lorenz complained. "I am also looking for other members of the Golden Deer. I see Professor Manuela, Hilda, Marianne…Nunnally…Raphael…Ignatz…Leonie…I don't see Lysithea anywhere."
"Eh, she's so short you probably can't see her," Claude commented wryly. "Maybe she's still hiding under the bed or something."
Lorenz turned towards him in anger. He spoke in an angry whisper. "Claude, this is serious. We aren't just running a drill or under lock down, the entire future of the Leicester Alliance has effectively been taken prisoner. Take this more seriously!"
Claude had the luxury of being able to lean back against one of the walls. "No sweat. We've got this. Look to your right." He winked, leaving his right eye open.
"My…oh my."
Lorenz now spotted the unlikely form for Dimitri.
"Prince…Dimitri is here? How? Why?" Lorenz inquired.
"Well, the how and why I think is sweet little Princess Euphemia sitting next to him over there. It's kinda cute. I ship it," Claude joked.
Lorenz muttered incoherently under his breath, palming his face. He then shook his head and gazed back at Claude. "I assume, then, that your lackadaisical attitude is because you have some sort of plan?"
"Well, let's see, we have no weapons, no crystals, and a host of hostages that could easily get hurt in the crossfire," Claude said with a smirk and then gave a rare frown. "My plan right now? Live. Sure, maybe some of the people around us might get hurt, but a few hostages in exchange for the future of the alliance is a fair trade when I'm plumb out of options."
"You expect me to believe that?" Lorenz asked. "You always have a plan."
"Lorenz, I'm thankful you think so highly of me, but my ability to calculate and form a plan comes from careful strategy and planning ahead," Claude said, frowning and looking dejected. "I could never have planned for this without knowing about it ahead of time. I'm not Lelouch."
As soon as the words left Claude's mouth, he instantly took out his phone and did his best to conceal it.
"What are you doing?" Lorenz whispered harshly at him.
"Texting the one guy that's gonna get us out of this mess," Claude stated. "Even if Cornelia's going to be kicking the door down for Euphemia's sake, never put all your eggs in one basket, I always say."
Claude then hit the send button.
Just as he did so, a tall man with broad shoulders and a chinstrap beard entered the room. "I'm Kusakabe of the Japan Liberation Front! This stand we are taking is for the freedom of Japan and our countrymen! Even though you are not soldiers, you are still members of the Seirosian nations! Sit still, be quiet, and you'll be fine! If you don't, there will be consequences."
"Hear that, be quiet and sit still," Lorenz told him.
"You first!" Claude exclaimed back in a whisper.
"No whispering!"
Crap, he heard us, Claude thought.
Kusakabe stormed over to where Claude and Lorenz were. "You got something to say, boy?"
Claude, don't, Lorenz thought, glaring at him.
But, Claude was not telepathic, and even if he was, he wouldn't have listened. "Well, it seems awfully rude to take hostages and not even provide us with free refreshments."
This resulted in Claude getting struck in the chin and into the wall with the butt of a rifle.
"Seems like we have a clown among us," Kusakabe snarled. "Do you have any honor for your own country, boy?"
"Well, even if I did, it pales in comparison to your blindingly white-hot devotion to Japan," Claude responded, smirking, one eye closed, wiping his sore jaw.
Kusakabe growled.
While Lorenz did have a massive ego, it was not so bloated that he would willingly take the risk of the danger Claude was putting himself in. Speaking up, he stated, "Speaking of hostages, you appear to be missing a vital one, my father, Count Erwin Fritz Gloucester."
Kusakabe turned towards Lorenz. Lorenz did not like the look at that smirk. "Oh? The Count. He's being held elsewhere. We have a lot of words we'd like to speak with regarding him."
"I see, so he is to be your prime hostage then."
"HA! Typical noble brat understanding so little. Count Gloucester is more than just a simple hostage, he's our ticket out of here! Who better to control all of the Gloucester region's resources than its head."
"I see…you're going to negotiate his freedom in exchange for Gloucester resources. A shame, such a waste of time. My father would sooner die," Lorenz commented calmly.
He was then grabbed and had a gun put to his neck.
"Lorenz!" Claude shouted, only to have a gun aimed right at him.
"So, daddy's big boy wants to talk like he's an adult, does he?" Kusakabe asked. "Bring him with us!"
Lorenz started to be escorted away. Dimitri could only hope that negotiations would go well. Count Gloucester was a noble man, and also a pragmatic one, he'd do the right thing and put his life on the line for his son. Just as…just as…
Dimitri started to sweat, remembering how his father's first priority after the explosion that rocked their car, during his assassination, was to shield Dimitri with his body.
Euphemia took one look at the fear in Dimitri's eyes and misunderstood the situation drastically. She abruptly stood up. "Let him go at once!"
Dimitri gasped.
Claude was flabbergasted.
Hilda, Manuela, and other members of the Golden Deer all had slackened jaws.
"And who are you?" Kusakabe demanded.
"My name is Euphemia li Britannia! I am the third Princess of the Britannian Empire! If a proper hostage and negotiator is what you seek, I make a much better bargaining chip than the Count or his son! Let them both go and I will come with you quietly."
Kusakabe grinned. "A princess of Britannia? Yes, YES! Bring her instead. We'll use her to our advantage."
"If it's the optimal hostage you want, then take me instead!" Dimitri shouted rising to his feet. His arm thrust outward. A half step to the right and he could easily block any gunshot meant for Euphemia.
"Dimitri…"
"I told you I would protect you," Dimitri stated calmly. "Just stay calm."
"And who are you, pretty boy?" Kusakabe asked.
"I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, Crown Prince of Faerghus!"
Kusakabe was floored. "The crown prince?!"
"Indeed. I dislike terrorism with every fiber of my being, but if it's to protect the citizenry, even foreign royalty, I would gladly protect them all with my life," Dimitri stated calmly.
Kusakabe snickered and then threw his head back and laughed. "This just keeps getting better and better. A Britanian princess and Faerghus's crown prince. Take them both! And don't forget Count Gloucester's son!"
Well this just backfired horribly!
"No! Please! I'm the only hostage you need! Don't harm Princess Euphemia!"
"Quiet, prince, unless you wanna be shot full of holes!" Kusakabe shouted.
At this, Hilda Valentine Goneril could take no more. "You think you're some big man threatening unarmed people with guns?"
Weapons turned on Hilda. Claude could only groan silently.
"When my big brother finds out what you've all done, the JLF won't just be annihilated, they'll be erased from history," she snapped, glaring.
"Awwww, someone talks up their big brother, huh?"
"I'd be more concerned if I were you," Claude said to Kusakabe. "You are addressing the younger sister of the one and only Holst Sigiswald Goneril."
Just the mere mention of Holst made Kusakabe sweat. If there was one thing, one thing, that anybody in the world knew about the Leicester Alliance it was how much of a powerhouse Holst Goneril was. And if there was anything most people knew about Holst it was how much he loved his little sister, Hilda.
Kusakabe went from feeling he just won the jackpot of hostages to feeling like he was about to regret being born. He'd tangle with Cornelia li Britannia, no questions asked. The woman was scary, but she played to the conventions of warfare. Holst had the reputation of kicking the front door down in situations like this, and just deciding that the rules of death did not apply to him that day because he was Holst Sigiswald Goneril.
Tongue tied, Kusakabe needed a moment to retain his composure.
Hilda refused to give him that chance. "I bet he's jumped on a plane right now with some of his best men to make you all feel sorry for taking me hostage," Hilda stated, using Holst's reputation as a threat. "If you let us all go now, I'm sure he'll feel a bit more merciful and won't immediately crush your head like a watermelon."
Kusakabe stood there, growling. Now what? If there was a rule of warfare he understood it was never underestimate crazy. And Holst was as crazy as they came. No, no. He was panicking over nothing. Goneril territory was hours away. He had time.
He smirked. "Heh. By the time Holst gets here, negotiations will be long over and I'll be thousands of miles away. You! Take the girls!" He gestured to some of his men. "You! Take the men! We're going to pay the count a little visit!"
"Get in line!" one of the soldiers shouted. "Move it!"
Well, so much for hostile negotiations, Claude thought. I just hope my plan works. I'm counting on you, Lysithea. Don't let me down.
While Claude had been honest when he said he hadn't planned for a terrorist attack, he, unlike Dimitri, hadn't been fully taken by surprise. The man was lucky enough that his room had been pushed several doors down from the elevator and staircase, meaning that as soon as he heard gunfire, he'd taken action.
He'd bolted into the hallway and knocked on Lysithea's door frantically. Once inside, he practically shoved Lysithea under her bed with a big "SHHHH!" covering her mouth in the process.
When the terrorists burst into the room and demanded Claude put his hands in the air, he stood directly in front of where Lysithea was staring at the back of his shoes. When the terrorists demanded where his roommate was, he lied with a straight face.
"She's in another room with her friends. She's in a wheelchair. It's just me in here."
His cooperation and forthcoming with information had led him to be taken without a fuss. While the terrorists did search both the balcony and the bathroom, they didn't bother checking under the bed.
Now with the benefit of hindsight, sneaking through the convention center towards the exit like a secret agent, Lysithea was never more fortunate that she was small. But she was still not a child. She knew why Claude had gone out of his way to rescue her. She was a magus. She was the only one of the Golden Deer that could fight without any weapon or crystal.
And so now, here was Lysithea von Ordelia, alone in a convention center, throwing spells at Japanese terrorists like they were going out of style. Her constitution was not the best, but when her spells were powerful enough to put a grown man in the hospital, or outright kill him, it was hardly a concern as long as she could take a moment to catch her breath.
While she didn't know where Claude and the others were, that wasn't her primary objective. First thing was first, she wanted to create a clear cut path to the convention center's front exit. If she could manage that, she would have no trouble getting everyone out of here.
During her one-girl rampage, she managed to hole herself up inside a girl's bathroom. This let her take out her phone without worry of being seen. She texted Claude only her exact location. She was only going to give him a minute or two. If she didn't hear from him, she'd resume hostilities.
Fortunately, Claude answered her.
"Hostage situation gone south. 1st Floor. Storage Room. Be careful."
Lysithea simply responded with a thumb's up. First floor? Good. That made this very, very easy. Today was the day that the name Lysithea von Ordelia would go down in history. She'd be a hero, and that meant that, once her life ended at a young age, her parents could ride her heroism in peace.
Claude, don't worry, I'll get you all out of here! I promise!
Lysithea, of course, was not the only person mobilizing to take down the Japanese forces. No sooner had the news broken out about the terrorist attack that Cornelia and Marrybell were mobilizing both the Glaston and the Glinda Knights. Not only that, knowing that Nunnally was among the hostages, Byleth and Shez immediately demanded to go.
"Dammit, Lelouch! Pick up your damn cell phone!" Shez shouted. "This is your sister's life on the line!"
Byleth put a calm hand on Shez's wrist. "He knows," she said calmly.
"How can you be so sure, huh?" Shez snapped.
Byleth turned her head in the direction of Cornelia's forces. She said nothing. She didn't have to. Shez got the message just from that.
"But…it's Nunnally. I figured…he'd at least want to be there," Shez said.
"He'll find a way," Byleth responded.
Shez smiled. "Yeah, probably. I mean, this is Lelouch we're talking about after all. I wouldn't be surprised if, by the time we get down there, he's already got this whole thing wrapped up."
That conversation was an hour ago. And, so far, Cornelia had not made any overt moves to try and rescue the hostages. Shez and Byleth both understood why. Euphemia was in there. Charging in foolishly would only result in the hostages being hurt, or worse.
Hey, Arval, Shez thought to him, What about my Shadow Slip? Can I make it in there and do something?
"At this distance…no. You'd have to get much closer to the convention center itself."
How close? Shez asked.
"About halfway across the bridge," Arval told her.
Only halfway? Shez questioned, as if she had some idea in mind.
"I…don't like that tone of voice," Arval communicated. This couldn't end well.
Shez stormed into Cornelia's bunker, looking for her. But, as usual, sense of direction was Shez's own worst enemy. Fortunately, by asking around, she didn't have to find Cornelia herself, Cornelia found her.
"Shez! I thought I told you to wait on standby!" Cornelia shouted.
"Uh, forgiveness your highness, but…I think I might be able to get myself in there. Er, just me," Shez apologized and explained.
"You? By yourself?" Cornelia's knight Guilford questioned with contempt. "And why should we let you go all alone? What makes you so special?"
"Because I'm the only one who can," Shez emphasized. "Remember how I got behind the JLF's forces at Saitama. I can do the same here, but I'm too far away."
"Explain," Cornelia demanded calmly. "And be quick about it."
"I have this…ability. I call it Shadow Slip," Shez explained. "I can essentially teleport myself as though casting Warp. It's got a much greater range and it can go through walls. Do you have any mages in your army, or does Marrybell have any in her unit, that can cast Warp? If you can get me even halfway across the bridge, I can get myself inside and get information back to you. If I can free the hostages, even for a short time, or leave the enemy in disarray, you can move in to take out the JLF, right?"
Cornelia was shocked to hear of Shez's plan, but only briefly. She nodded firmly. "Darlton, one of your sons specializes in white magic, does he not?"
Darlton nodded. "I'll fetch him, immediately, Princess Cornelia." He saluted and then took off.
"I dislike putting our faith in the hands of one soldier, but it feels as if we have very little options," Guilford commented, disheartened.
"I dislike this plan because it involves you traversing a hotel with no map," Arval commented.
You got any better ideas? Shez asked him.
"Unfortunately…no," Arval thought. "Fine, I will lend you my power throughout all of this. We cannot let even one hostage come to harm."
Thank you, Arval. Let's do this, for Nunnally's sake, Shez told him, smirking.
"What are you looking at?" Cornelia asked, noticing the direction and angle Shez's head was turned.
"Oh! Uh! Nothing!" Shez lied frantically. "Just…you know…fantasizing about how great it will be to see you and Euphemia reunited safely. Eheheheh…ehhhhh…"
Cornelia didn't seem like she bought it, but she couldn't think of any way to disprove Shez's lie, so she let it slide.
Inside the convention center, Count Gloucester sat patiently in a chair as a man held a gun to his head. He had his eyes closed, but he was not asleep. He was simply being extremely stalwart and patient. He sympathized with the Japanese people's plights, he really did. If only they had let him speak tonight, they would have realized that this attack was pointless.
Whatever he was expecting would enter the door so he could resume his talks with Kusakabe it was not his own son, Hilda, Princess Euphemia, and Prince Dimitri. He gasped silently at first, and then became angry, glaring at Kusakabe. "Kusakabe, what in the name of the Goddess is this?" Erwin demanded. "My son and the others have nothing to do with this."
"And if you want to keep it that way, better start signing away on some papers, old man!" Kusakabe threatened.
"Father, do not give in to terrorism!" Lorenz shouted, only to have a gun pointed at his cheek.
Unfortunately for Lorenz, Erwin's priorities were not as the boy expected them. He absolutely would not risk Lorenz's life over this. Not his, not Hilda's and certainly nobody would accuse him of being so stubborn that he triggered the deaths of foreign royalty. Without begging and without showing fear, he simply spoke to Kusakabe seriously as he said, "What are your demands?"
"I want all of the Sakuradite mining rights that Leicester received from the church after they took over Japan!" Kusakabe shouted.
"Then you are wasting your time. No amount of papers I sign would give you those rights. It would call for a round table. That's precisely why we have that government system in place," the count replied. "If it's within Gloucester territory, I can give you anything. Money. Land. I can even offer the Japanese warships and mercenary contracts. But I cannot give all of Leicester's Sakuradite over."
"Hmph, all right. Then what about shipments of Sakuradite to Gloucester territory instead," Kusakabe requested.
"Father, what are you doing?!" Lorenz shouted. "You can't be serious!"
"Lorenz," Erwin said calmly. "You have to learn boy that, in this world, some things are more important than prestige and reputation."
Lorenz's face filled with shock. He wasn't dumb enough not to get the picture. When the chips were down, and the Alliance was on the line, the number one most vested interest of safety that Erwin had was not his territory, his money, or his reputation: but his family and the people.
Lorenz smiled. "As all nobles should be."
"I don't suppose you boys have a formal contract ready for me to sign already?" Erwin asked. "A verbal agreement between businessmen is hardly a binding contract."
"Er, well…" Kusakabe began.
Erwin grinned. "What? Did you think it would merely take a few phone calls and I would say 'Here. Have all of my things.' How pedestrian. I am a man of my word, but also a man of my signed word more than anything else. Have your men bring me a pad of paper. Lorenz, when they do, be a good lad and write up a contract beneficial for these men, would you?"
Lorenz smirked. "Yes, father. Understood."
Euphemia was at a loss, frowning. Hilda was shocked more than anything.
Dimitri couldn't help but smile. I have to give the count credit, he knows how to buy time in a situation like this. I just hope Kusakabe is a patient man.
Among Darlton's adopted sons, it was a young man named Claudio most gifted with white magic enough to be able to cast warp. Upon locating his son in ally formation, Darlton agreed to meet Cornelia, Guilford and Shez at the Britannian side of the convention's bridge and prepare to cast warp. They would be flanked by Glinda Knights members Oldrin and Tink in their standard KMFs, not the hard light ones, juuuuuuust in case the JLF tried anything funny.
However, as unit approached the bridge, Byleth came rushing towards them.
"Professor? Something the matter? You're not part of this operation," Cornelia told her, more confused by her presence than anything else.
"Zero is approaching from the rear," Byleth said.
"He's WHAT?!"
Indeed, Zero was approaching in what appeared to be a news van that had been strategically transferred to an alternate location by the man himself. And he rode upon it like a king. The news media had all their cameras pointed on the strange masked vigilante. Edelgard was watching this unfold from the comfort of her dorm room, Hubert and Monica standing over her shoulder.
Hubert chuckled. "My, how amusing."
"Lady Edelgard, why are we not assisting the Japanese Liberation Front in this endeavor?" Monica asked her.
"Because Kusakabe is a useless fool," Edelgard told her. "I have no need of such gutless, desperate and spineless men in my empire, or my army."
Hubert chuckled once more. "Well said, Lady Edelgard, well said."
Edelgard tented her fingers. Zero…just what are you planning this time?
Upon confirming that Zero was heading her way, Cornelia put a pin on Shez's plan to address Zero's arrival. If he was here to cause trouble, she'd capture him immediately.
Leonhardt radioed to her and to Marrybell, "I have Zero in my sights! Shall I open fire with my unit?"
"No!" Marrybell instructed. "We can capture him after he's surrounded!"
Meanwhile, on the inside of the stolen van, the Ashen Wolves, minus C.C. yet again, were discussing their current life choices.
"Does anyone besides me think this is a bad idea?" Balthus asked, hunkered down in the dark van.
"I hear you, the further we go in, the more our escape routes get cut off," Ryo said. "One way in, no way out."
"If this is to be our end, we will go down together," Ayano said in resignment.
"Maybe let's save the doomsday talk until after we're shot and killed, yeah?" Hapi asked.
"By then it'll be too late, we'll already be dead," Yuri chuckled.
"Would you all be quiet? Driving through here is hard enough as it is!" Kronya shouted at them.
"I concur. All of you should have more faith in Zero. He even went out of his way to procure us these delightfully snazzy uniforms!" Constance exclaimed, pulling at the dark fabric upon her body.
"Look, we got nothing to worry about," Yukiya said. "I've already got electronic connections to way too many Knightmare Frames, lights and other electric signals. If things get dicey, I can cause enough chaos to keep us unharmed."
Hapi smiled. "That's our Yuki for you. One step ahead of the enemy."
"I said be quiet," Kronya told everyone.
"Yeah, yeah, Kronny," Hapi remarked with a smirk. "We get that you're just as petrified to die as the rest of us."
Kronya frowned, but said nothing. She didn't want to admit that Hapi was right. Her heart was going a mile a minute. She had no reason to stick her neck out over this. She could easily ditch the Ashen Wolves and tell Thales that they weren't worth the effort, that Zero wasn't worth the effort. Yet here she was driving headfirst into what she believed to be suicidal danger, along with a gaggle of worthless beasts. She was not surprised at all when Cornelia, Oldrin and Tink cut her off in their Knightmare Frames.
Cornelia exited from her frame and stood visibly in front of Zero. "Well, well, we meet again, Zero," she said to him, a hint of contempt in her voice. "Are you a member of the Japan Liberation Front? Or perhaps you intend to help us? Regardless, our concerns take priority over you at the moment." She aimed a rifle at him with one hand. "Even if you helped in Flayn's rescue, you still destroyed my previous bunker and attacked the Holy Mausoleum. Those sins cannot be washed away. Have you anything to say for yourself?"
"Cornelia!" Zero exclaimed. "Which would you choose? A musty Mausoleum and a burned out military bunker, or the life of your sister?"
Cornelia gasped, shocked out of her mind. How did he know?
Shez and Byleth, standing on the ground and watching this unfold, were in the same camp. How did Zero figure out Euphemia was even involved in the hostage situation?
Cornelia continued to hold Zero at gunpoint, but now her resolve was wavering, eyes shaking, lips snarling, teeth clenched in confusion and frustration.
"It is within my power to save Euphemia for you," Zero declared, much to Cornelia's surprise.
"What do you mean? I have no idea what you're talking about!" Cornelia could not show weakness. If people learned she was emotionally compromised, it would be a blow to her reputation.
"I said that I'm able to rescue her!" Zero repeated.
Things went dead quiet for a minute. Nobody knew what to do.
And then, Byleth spoke up. "Princess Cornelia, let Shez and I get in Zero's van."
On the inside of his Zero uniform, Lelouch was even more giddy. He'd expected this as well. Byleth's ties to Nunnally and her newly blossoming emotions would put the most powerful queen on the board under his direct command.
"WHAT?!" Cornelia shouted.
"Princess, we have to think of Euphemia's safety," Oldrin said from her Knightmare. "Shez and the Professor are both mercenaries at their core. They're not soldiers like us. They may not be treated with the same hostility."
"It save us a warp charge too," Shez said. "Our plan is still a go. Zero just bought us an easier ticket in."
Cornelia snarled angrily. How dare Zero muddle his way into her operation. But…even she had to admit, his force had been sneaky and underhanded at Saitama and gotten away from her then. Slippery eels and unorthodox methods were exactly what she needed right now to ensure Euphemia's safety.
"Harm one hair on my sister's head and you won't live long enough to regret it," Cornelia told Zero. "Shez. Byleth. I'm hiring you as independent contractors. Aid Zero in the rescue of my sister. Until the situation has resolved itself, you are not officially recognized as Knights of Seiros in training, but as mercenaries. Now get in that van!"
Shez beamed. "We won't let you down, Princess! Come on, Byleth!"
Byleth nodded seriously and went for the back door of the news van, climbing in with Shez.
"Hey, welcome to the party," Yuri said, "Glad you could join us."
"Don't think this makes us allies," Shez said, hunkering down as Byleth shut the door. "This is just mutual effort for mutual gain. As soon as the situation is peaceful, we're back to enemies."
"What she said," Byleth stated plainly.
With the doors closed, Marrybell gave orders, "All units, let Zero pass! I repeat, let Zero pass!"
In Zero's mind, victory was now closer at hand than ever. Meanwhile, Shez prepared to launch her Shadow Slip across the bridge and into the convention center. As soon as Zero's driver got close enough, the mission was go.
Inside the room full of hostages, Claude received a text from Lorenz about the going's on with himself and Count Gloucester. Good. That meant he didn't have to worry about Lorenz for quite sometime. Lysithea would also be on her way soon. Claude hadn't heard from Lelouch, but he knew something would happen.
Best case scenario he sends his two badass sisters to handle the fighting for him, Claude thought. And that's juuuuust what I'm hoping for.
Claude checked his phone, watching a timer he set continue to tick downward from when he set it a while ago down to its last twenty seconds. When the timer finally hit zero, a message appeared on Claude's phone:
"Strategy in motion."
Smirking, Claude put his phone away and proceeded to sweep the leg of the nearest JLF member, stealing the man's rifle with some clever sleight of hand as he made sure that, when it inevitably misfired, it fired into the ceiling.
Taking the rifle, Claude was smart enough to know that, rather than the guy he'd just knocked down, it wasn't him, but the two men behind him that were the biggest threat. Claude wasted no time mercilessly shooting them in the face. Without a hint of emotion on his face, Claude managed to execute all six terrorists in the room before they fired off a single shot.
"Let's move people! Cavalry's on its way!" Claude shouted.
"About time!" Leonie shouted, grabbing a rifle from a dead Japanese soldier. She covered the rear as Claude led the charge. They only needed to round one corner before they heard a man scream as he was blasted through the wall, creating a sizable hole. Brisk footsteps followed as Lysithea came into view.
"Lysithea!" Manuela exclaimed. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes! I was worried about you!"
"Our cavalry's Lysithea?" Raphael asked, scratching his head.
"What do you mean? This is the best cavalry we could ask for," Claude said with a smile. "Raphael, Manuela, take our hostages to the exit. If I know Lysithea, she's probably already cleared a path. Lysithea, Leonie, you two come with me so we can rescue Lorenz and the others."
"You got it!" Leonie exclaimed.
"You three be careful, understand me?" Manuela asked. "You may be crafty, Claude, but you're still my student and therefore my responsibility."
"Aw, don't worry about me so much, Teach. I got us this far. Now, I'm gonna get us the rest of the way."
"WHAT?!" Kusakabe shouted. "What do you mean we're under attack and the hostages are escaping!"
Guns started getting pulled on Erwin and the others.
"You think you can make a fool out of me?! I'll kill you all!"
Euphemia gasped. Dimitri saw the terrorist about to pull the trigger and shoved her out of the way, taking a bullet in the shoulder. However, Dimitri then used his good arm to grapple Kusakabe around the throat.
"Shoot another shot and I'll crush his windpipe!" Dimitri shouted as fresh blood from his gunshot wound dripped on the ground.
"Stop!" Erwin shouted. "Do not escalate this, or you will get nothing from me!"
"I'm about to lose my head because of you, you old bastard!" Kusakabe shouted, only to cough from Dimitri choking him.
"I have nothing to do with this!" Erwin exclaimed. "Your highness, let him go!"
Dimitri glared at Kusakabe.
"Dimitri, getting violent won't help us!" Hilda exclaimed.
Dimitri, cautiously, slowly, and reluctantly, let Kusakabe go.
Kusakabe, honorably, gestured for his men to lower their guns. And it was at that exact moment one of his men then whispered to him and he became even more irate. "WHAAAAAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, ZERO?!"
More whispering.
Kusakabe wiped a hand from his forehead down to his chin. He growled. "It's just one thing after another. Negotiations are on hold! I'm going to the penthouse suite! Make Zero meets us there! And don't let these fools out of your sight!" Kusakabe then slammed the door as he exited the room.
Dimitri, adrenaline leaving him, now slumped to the floor.
"Dimitri!" Euphemia exclaimed, sidling up to him.
"That looks really bad," Hilda commented.
"It's all right. It's just a scratch," Dimitri exclaimed, even though he was getting dark circles under his eyes from the blood loss.
"If that is just a scratch," Lorenz remarked, shaking his head, "I dread to think what you consider life-threatening."
"Hang on, Dimitri, okay?" Hilda asked. "Lorenz, you know magic, right? Isn't there anything you can do?"
"Regrettably," Lorenz said. "My proficiency is in the offensive arcane arts, not healing magic."
"Then don't just stand there!" Erwin shouted at the terrorists. "Bring this man some gauze at the very least. If the Crown Prince of Faerghus dies on your watch, nobody will support Japan's independence."
However, before anyone could think to go get first aid, Euphemia put her palms to Dimitri's bloodied wound and concentrated. She knew healing magic and she was very good at it. In an instant, she mended Dimitri's wound. Despite the blood loss, he was basically good as new.
"There, you should be fine for now," Euphemia told him.
"Princess," Dimitri said, surprised and grateful at the same time.
"Thank you for saving me," Euphemia said with a smile.
"You were in danger," Dimitri said. "My body acted on its own."
"Awwwww, you two are so cute together," Hilda said with a smile.
Dimitri and Euphemia turned their heads away from each other, blushing.
"Ah, young love," Erwin chuckled. "How wholesome and awkward. I remember the days of my youth when—"
"Father, if you begin telling tales of your romantic exploits when you are my age, I fear I shall miss the Battle of the Eagle and Lion before we leave this place," Lorenz complained, frowning.
Erwin laughed. "You're right. Now is hardly the time."
He immediately tossed a fireball at one of the soldiers, taking them by surprise, and then proceeded to zap the man that tried to retaliate.
Hilda, with her bare hands, slammed another terrorist by the throat through the wall and Dimitri punched the last terrorist so hard in the stomach he vomited and went flying backwards into the wall, losing consciousness.
"Let's go pay Kusakabe and Zero a visit," Erwin said. "Shall we?"
Dimitri and the others seemed to agree with this.
Zero was caught unawares when Shez went on ahead, but he stayed the course. He was also quite surprised when the hostages seemed to be heading out the front door all on their own. This was followed by the bridge being blasted to smithereens behind him and Kronya being forced to floor it. Byleth jumped out of the side of the moving vehicle, catching the two guards in the throat with a single, winding, extended slash of the Sword of the Creator.
"The bridge is out! What do we do now?" Raphael shouted.
The Ashen Wolves got out of the vehicle, dressed in their new dark uniforms. "You may follow us!" Constance declared to the hostages. "And be grateful that you were saved by our grand magnificence!"
"Uh, maybe don't look down on the people we're trying to save," Yuri remarked.
"Proceed with the operation!" Zero exclaimed. "Byleth Eisner, go with my retrieval unit and get these people to safety. Everyone else, you have your orders."
"And what are you going to do?" Byleth asked as Zero climbed down from the top of the van.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Zero said. "K2, with me."
Kronya followed at Zero's back.
Constance was flabbergasted. "Ah! Why does she get to go with you?"
"Because unlike a certain someone I can mention, she has the best reflexes in a firefight. If things go wrong, I know who I need watching my back," Zero remarked. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Kronya is the biggest wildcard so I need her at my side. The others don't need to know that though.
"Let's let Zero do what he needs to. We can fight over who wants to suck his dick the most later. Right now we have a job to do," Yuri pointed out.
"AH! I do not wish to engage in fellatio with Zero! How dare you!" Constance shouted.
"You're riiiight, you're after something far more intimate," Yuri teased.
"Could you two save this for later?!" Hapi snapped. "We've got work to do!"
"Sorry," Yuri apologized. "Couldn't resist. Let's move!"
When Shez teleported into the building, she didn't expect to have two rifles pointed at her head. She almost sliced off the barrels on sheer reflex, only to see Claude and Leonie at the other end of the weapons.
"Claude? Leonie? Lysithea?"
"Oh! Phew! It's just you, Shez. You gave me half a heart attack just now," Claude stated.
"You gave me nearly a full heart attack. You just appeared out of nowhere," Leonie admitted.
"What's going on? I thought you all were being held hostage," Shez stated, confused.
"Uh, so you see, funny story about that," Claude began and then brought Shez up to speed.
"I see, so what now?"
"We're gonna go deck this Kusakabe guy in the schnozz, that's what," Claude said. "You coming with?"
"Absolutely," Shez replied with a fist pump. "Count me in!"
On the top floor of the convention center, inside the penthouse suite, with the curtains drawn, Zero and Kusakabe stood face to face with Kronya standing right behind him.
"You have no intention of joining me?" Zero asked. "You're making a big mistake. I understand that the Flame Emperor promised you a lot, but I can offer you more than they can."
"Remove that mask and reveal your real face to us!" Kusakabe demanded. "It's disrespectful not to."
"I understand," Zero said. "But before I do, I'd like to ask you something, what exactly do you hope to accomplish by this action?"
"I want attention! I want to prove to the world, and especially to that witch, Rhea, that the Japanese aren't dead yet!"
"How stale," Zero replied contemptuously, yet calmly.
Kusakabe snarled.
"You people are obsolete. There's no saving you."
"What?!" One of Kusakabe's men shouted. "Why you arrogant—"
"Explain what you mean by that Zero," Kusakabe requested calmly.
"It's as I said, you are obsolete. Men like you…have no business on my stage. K2…fetch!" It only took a snap of Zero's fingers for Kronya to spring to action, zipping through the air and cutting down Kusakabe and his men with Athame before they'd even realized they were under attack.
"Ahhhhhh, nothing like murdering worthless beasts in the evening. Thank you, Zero. I needed that," Kronya cooed.
"Don't drop your guard. We're not done yet," Zero said. He activated the Zero Matrix. "We're about to have company."
And indeed, Count Gloucester, Lorenz, Dimitri, Euphemia, Hilda, Claude, Shez, Leonie and Lysithea all burst into the room.
"What…what happened here?" Leonie asked.
"It's that one! Over there!" Erwin exclaimed, pointing to Kronya in a crouched stance, blood still dripping off of Athame.
"Zero, why did you do this?! Answer me!" Dimitri demanded angrily.
"You want to know why? I'll tell you why. Kusakabe and his men were engaged in a fruitless endeavor, one that would bring ruin to the Japanese people. I have no need for men like that in my revolution," Zero answered.
"Revolution?" Erwin demanded to know. "Just what are you after?"
"I am after what all the oppressed are after: The Fall of the Church of Seiros!"
"The church?! Ridiculous!" Lorenz exclaimed. "The church is the cornerstone of society! It is—"
"It is a blight on the people, a clamp upon their skulls, preventing them from reaching their full potential. People everywhere commit heinous acts and claim it to be in the name of some Goddess. And the worst are the ones at the top of the food chain: Archbishop Rhea and Thunder Catherine!"
"You dare mock the knights?!" Dimitri roared. "Have you no honor?!"
"Honor is for men who can afford it. I refuse to placate those who shower themselves in light in order to cover their deepest shadows," Zero replied.
"You scum!" Dimitri almost lunged forward, but was held back by Claude.
"What shadows do you see, Zero?" Claude wanted to know.
"The fact that you can't see them is exactly why I act. From where do you think I procured my army? Do you think it was those like you who stand in the light? No! It was those that slither in the dark, men and women spurned by the church simply for existing," Zero explained. "Society cast them out and the church gave them a sewer to crawl into. They claim to stand for righteousness, but all the archbishop cares about is control. And also," Zero spat and aimed a gun at Euphemia. This was immediately blocked by Dimitri.
"Zero…you were the one…that killed Clovis, weren't you?" Euphemia asked.
"I was indeed," Zero answered. It was a lie, but he was going to kill Clovis anyway if Yuri hadn't.
"Why would you do something so horrible?" Hilda asked. "Clovis had already been locked up! He wasn't hurting anyone!"
"He was born," Zero responded venomously. "Just as you were, Princess Euphemia."
"Fire that gun and I will shove it through your helmet and into your skull!" Dimitri roared. "SO HELP ME!"
"Whoa, whoa, let's not escalate things here, yeah?" Claude asked. "Maybe we can settle this over a good old fashioned game of chess? All the best geniuses like to play it, you know?"
Zero re-aimed his gun, trying to find one part of Euphemia not blocked off by Dimitri, indicating he had no intention of negotiating Euphemia's life. Not a single person present had ever been affected by his Geass before. He was in a winning position. Count Gloucester. Prince Dimitri. Claude von Riegan. Hilda Valentine Goneril. Princess Euphemia. Lysithea von Ordelia. All of these people were prizes to society. The death of all of them would plunge the world into chaos and despair like it had never seen before.
…But no.
That wasn't the objective. Leicester and Faerghus were not the enemy. Sure, he still wanted Euphemia gone, but just this once…he could spare her. After all, he'd already completed his objective.
Using his free hand behind his back, he pressed the button on a detonator as a series of explosions rocked the entire convention center.
Disoriented form the blasts, Zero's adversaries fell to the floor.
With a shout of "K2!" Kronya leapt for the window and shattered it with a kick, free falling into the night air. Leaping out the open window, Zero used one sticky whip to grapple Kronya's back and the other to grapple the roof above the convention center. With the strength offered to him by his HLKMF, Zero flung Kronya into the air. She landed on the roof just as he pulled himself onto it. The conflict was over. The convention center would sink down into its subterranean base.
If the detonator worked then all conditions are clear. Even Count Gloucester and the others will manage to evacuate.
The explosions in the hotel left Cornelia at a loss for words. It…did they fail? No! No they couldn't have! Shez had assured her the hostages were safe and everyone was going to get out so why…why…?
"Everyone…" Oldrin said sadly.
Leonhardt pounded his fist on the dashboard of his Knightmare Frame. "Dammit! I knew we couldn't trust Zero!"
Marrybell looked disheartened as she looked over to the dumbstruck Cornelia.
That was when both princesses heard Sokkia shout. "Don't despair just yet! Look there! Out on the water!"
Cornelia and the others looked out to where some life boats were floating on the lake. It was the hostages! All of them! Safe and sound!
And then, lights came on above the convention center. Multiple camera drones hacked into a nearby news station was now broadcasting a live feed of Zero to the world.
"To the people of the Church of Seiros, have no fear! All of the hostages from the hotel are safe and sound! I, Zero, return them to you unharmed!"
"They're alive!" Oldrin exclaimed with joy, tears in her eyes. "Thank goodness!"
Cornelia's eyebrow twitched in anger. "Of all the brazen audacity! If we attack you now, those people become your hostages, don't they?"
In Edelgard's room, Hubert could not help but laugh uncontrollably.
"What's so funny?" Monica asked.
"Zero," Hubert answered. "I believe a certain someone is about to make a power grab for the world stage."
Hubert could not have been more right. Upon the roof of the convention center, more lights illuminated the members of Zero's team. In separate life boats, Shez and Byleth gazed up at him.
"People!" Zero declared. "Fear us, or rally behind us as you see fit! We, are the Black Knights!"
And with that, the Ashen Wolves now belonged to a new unit unrelated to the church. No one would be able to accuse without evidence that Zero had simply taken the Ashen Wolves and repurposed them. No, for they were not the Ashen Wolves, not to the public, not under his command.
"We of the Black Knights stand for all those who have no weapons to wield!" Zero declared. "Regardless of if the believe in the Goddess, or if they do not! The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took innocent people hostage and were planning to mercilessly execute them, were their demands not met! It was a wanton and meaningless act, therefore they have been punished!"
"So, that's your narrative, is it, Zero?" Erwin questioned as his lifeboat floated on the water.
"Just as Former Ambassador Clovis was punished by the church for ordering the slaughter of countless unarmed Japanese, we cannot stand by and allow such cruelty to be carried out either! I will not repudiate battle on a fair and level field, but neither will I tolerate a one-sided massacre of the weak by the strong! The only ones who should kill are the ones prepared to be killed!"
Rhea and Seteth were watching this live broadcast together, Rhea puzzled on how she should feel about all of this.
"Archbishop…"
"Hush, Seteth, I wish to see what he has to say next," Rhea stated.
"Wherever oppressors abuse their power by attacking those who are powerless, we shall appear again! No matter how mighty, or how formidable our foe may be! Those of you with power," Zero declared as he threw his left arm out, along with his cape, "Fear us! Those of you without it," he said as he threw out his right arm, "Rally behind us! We, the Black Knights, shall be the ones who stand in judgment of this world!"
The Neverland MK. II then floated behind Zero as he and his subordinates loaded into it and sailed off into the night sky.
"And just like that, a lunatic is on the loose," Shez commented. "He says he wants to make the church fall, then goes and spouts all of this. Just what is he after?"
"Perhaps we would know more if we knew who was under that mask," Arval told her.
Yeah, probably, Shez thought.
"My, my, that Zero character is quite brazen, isn't he?" Sothis commented to Byleth.
Byleth merely nodded in response.
"A voice for those who are oppressed…" Edelgard commented, trailing off. She stood up.
"Lady Edelgard?"
"Hubert, do you think we could book a flight to Enbarr and be back by the morning after tomorrow?" Edelgard asked.
"I do indeed, Lady Edelgard," Hubert said with a smile.
"Make it so. I want to incorporate Zero into my plans," Edelgard said with a serious expression, staring at the TV projecting static.
Hubert smiled. "I understand."
"You…want to cooperate with him?" Monica asked.
"I do," Edelgard said. "I was foolish at Saitama. But seeing this, Zero might be…my best chance to save my empire."
18th Day of the Horsebow Moon
It took well into the next morning to process and account for all of the hostages. The Glinda and Glaston Knights did not get any sleep.
"Cornelia!" Euphemia exclaimed, back on dry land.
"Euphie!" Cornelia shouted.
Euphemia ran full sprint into Cornelia's awaiting arms. Cornelia sniffled, hugging and petting her little sister. She was so grateful to have her back.
"All's well that ends well, I guess," Oldrin said with a smile. She then noticed Marrybell staring at the wrecked convention center. She did not appear to be well. "Mary?"
"Zero…you…you terrorist…" Marrybell muttered.
Oldrin put a hand on her shoulder. "Mary, are you okay?"
"Oldrin," Marrybell said. "I hope you were not persuaded by Zero's speech. Look at this devastation that he caused. He rolls in here and he dares to claim that he fights for the people." She turned towards Oldrin, glaring hatefully. "That is our job, Oldrin. Do not forget that."
"N-No, of course not, Mary! I would never! Zero is still the enemy. I will not let his words sway me!" she exclaimed, saluting.
"You'd best keep that in mind," Marrybell said, an almost crazed look in her eye. "I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind, especially the kind that claims to be for the betterment of the people." She snarled. "Not on my watch."
It took several hours for everyone to return their respective ways. Count Gloucester's speech was, of course, cancelled, but the man declared that he would simply postpone it for a later date. Why put a good speech to waste, after all?
"Well, I for one am grateful we got far more excitement out of that convention than I expected," Claude had said at the time, resulting in a groan from Lorenz.
Lelouch, of course, played dumb that he had ever been at the convention center, knowing Byleth and Shez had everything under control. But he did give Nunnally the biggest hug ever upon seeing her. Despite having acted calmly throughout all of that, he'd been greatly worried about her.
Hilda had to put up with non-stop phone calls from Holst and even had to endure a brief visit from the man himself. If not for Count Gloucester strong arming him back to Leicester territory, Hilda feared he wasn't going to leave.
"And where is that fine young gentleman you've been telling me about? Lelouch is his name, yes?" Holst inquired.
"Ugh! Holst! No! Please go home. Now is so not the time!" Hilda protested. And thankfully Count Gloucester made Holst do precisely that.
Down in Abyss, Shamir was sharing a pint with C.C.
"So, Zero now sits upon the world stage. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting for him to brazenly put a target on his back like that," Shamir said. "I work for one crazy man," she said with a smirk. She then sipped her mug of booze.
"He wants to change the world," C.C. pointed out. "And I believe he has enough ambition and cunning to pull it off."
"Change the world, huh? We'll see about that. Right now, I just see a kid chasing a fantasy. We'll see if that boy has what it takes to become a man," she said, right before the alcohol started to make her feel buzzed. She chuckled. "Honestly, I hope he does. People need hope. And more than any leader in the world, I think Zero just gave them what they were looking for."
However, across all catch ups, celebrations, and gratitude to be alive, it was Dimitri getting the biggest flack and lecturing from everyone. Dedue called him reckless, Ingrid would not stop asking if he was sure he was okay, and even Felix dropped by to make sure he was still in one piece. He'd even gotten a phone call from Rodrigue.
It left Dimitri utterly exhausted by nightfall. He was on his way back to his room when Cornelia blocked his path towards his dorm room.
"Princess Cornelia, you're certainly up late," Dimitri stated. "You didn't sleep last night, right? You should get some rest."
"I could say the same of you. You were working around the clock to help process the hostages and help them out of the boats. I hear you're a strong swimmer," she said to him, ending her serious response on a joke.
"Well, I am to be king. I must do what's best for all people, not just my own. It's how I choose to live," Dimitri answered.
"How's your shoulder?" Cornelia asked.
"Ahhh…" Yup. That tracked. Nothing got by Cornelia.
"Euphemia told me what happened."
Startled, and worried about what Euphemia had said, Dimitri stuttered, "O-Oh. D-did she now?"
Cornelia walked closer to the prince and eyed him up and down. The two royals stood equal in height.
"Prince Dimitri, there is nothing I cherish most in this world more than my younger sister." Dimitri was floored when Cornelia bowed to him. "Words cannot express my gratitude for your selflessness on her behalf. If you hadn't been there to protect her, when I could not, I fear she would not have made it out of there alive."
It was rare to see the second Princess so humble. In fact, from what Dimitri knew, Cornelia had never conceded any ground to anyone except her own father, and her older brother Schneizel. To receive praise from her of this caliber was simply unprecedented.
"I…just did what anyone of a chivalrous nature should in my position," Dimitri said, trying to make light of it.
"And you're humble about it too," Cornelia said, standing upright. "I respect that."
"Well I…"
"You've yet to answer my question. How is your shoulder?"
"Oh, um, your sister healed it right after I was shot, so…I'm feeling fine. The pain has already faded. No scars."
"Good, that's good. The world needs men like you alive and able in it," Cornelia told him. She then asked, "How do you feel about Euphie, exactly? I ask as an older sister, not a princess or a soldier?"
"Euphemia? She's…well…she's radiant…like warm sunshine. I've never been more drawn to such innocence that I thought I long since lost. I would do anything to keep that warmth from growing cold, even should it cost me my life," Dimitri admitted.
"I see," Cornelia answered, eyeing Dimitri up and down more. "I shall be keeping my eye on you then. It's a shame your royalty. Foreigner or not, the level of selflessness and willingness to take a bullet for my sister is exactly the kind of attitude I'm looking for in her future knight."
"Aha, well, I could make recommendations," Dimitri responded, embarrassed.
"Perhaps another time," Cornelia responded. "I came to check on you out of sheer gratitude for aiding my sister. You have my sincerest thanks. At some point, I hope to repay my debt to you."
"I…"
"Don't!" Cornelia exclaimed, knowing what he was going to say. "I will repay this debt. You have my word. I will hear no arguments to the contrary."
Dimitri smiled. "Understood, Princess Cornelia."
"Have a safe and restful night, Prince Dimitri. You've more than earned it," Cornelia told him.
"You as well," Dimitri told her. "And thank you."
At this, Cornelia sidestepped out of Dimitri's way so he could pass her by. Both of them would get a full night's sleep and when morning would come, though the world's social climate felt as though it had shifted, a new dawn meant a longer future, and a longer future meant more possibilities.
And as Dimitri walked to class, smiling and waving to Euphemia as the two entered their separate classrooms, for the first time in his life since the Tragedy of Duscur, the Crown Prince of Faerghus was filled with hope. And at the top of his list of hopes was that, one day, the future laid out for him, might include Euphemia li Britannia alongside it.
(A/N: Awwww, isn't it cute? Well, Dimitri, strap in because I think Cornelia just decided you and Euphemia are going to get married and have fifty children XD. My apologies to the Euphemia/Suzaku fans in the audience, but this ship is basically locked in at this point.
The next major event to this fic is a secret. We're still not at the Battle of the Eagle and Lion just yet. We have a lot of ground to cover, about 39 days' worth of content to cover, to be exact. Some of those will be long days, other will be short days. But the calendar dates are flying by. It'll be here before you know it. And, until next time, as always, from all of me, to all of you, let your hearts stay human and your wrath draconic. Ja ne!)