Arcane Tales

Derek: <Thanks.>

*He puts the crystal into his pocket, then makes his way to one of the bedrooms and collapses onto the bed.*

Olympe: <Fantastic.>

Aera: <We're almost at the Wind Shrine. Get ready people, after the shrine we head to Crone's island.>

Kelphy: <Yurion.>

Aera: <W-What?>

Kelphy: <The name of the island is Yurion. After we pick up those last two girls, me and Master Derek will explain everything.>

Aera: <All right. Anyone else looking to purchase a crystal?>

Olympe: <We probably shouldn't attack Crone until dawn, and it isn't so much of an emergency now that he doesn't have the princess or the prince anymore.>

=====

Allina: <Of course! I'll be here to support you all the way. Well. You know what I mean. Just tell him how you feel.>

*She smiles and puts her arm around Kari's back, hugging her lightly.*

=====

Fahren: <This is becoming too confusing... We can only hope Luna makes an appearance soon.>

*Kari freezes up.*

"O... okay."

"Agreed" Alto nods.

---

Creed yawns, "I need to wait for Allina" he points to the bloody holes in his jacket, "Though the pain has dulled I fear the wounds may be deep."

*The ship arrives at the Wind Shrine and the sphere starts glowing, Aera calling the girls in.*

Allina: <What the hell happened to the airship?! Err--anyway, let's go. It was nice talking to you.>

*She smiles and walks under the sphere.*

Creed falls at Allina's feat, "Heal me? Please?"

"Okay?"

*Kari stands under the orb.*

*Creed and Lucien's wounds are healed by Allina. They land in a plain nearby and build a fire. Soon they're all sitting around it, after Aera and Olympe carry the food to it as well. There are all sorts of foods around the fire, from fruit to hot meats and fish, bread, soup and rice.*

---

*Allina is nibbling on a chicken leg, staring at Kari and Kentaro like she's in the movies. Aera and Olympe are sitting around eating as well.*

Olympe: <We only have so many available rooms, and each one has two beds, except for two of them, the ones Master Derek and Princess Kelphy will be staying in. I suggest you form pairs. I'll be staying with Aera.>

Aera: <I hope you enjoy the food. You'll have a tough morning.>

*The Jade Rabbit jumps away from Kari and climbs onto Kentaro's shoulder, whispering into his ear.*

Jade Rabbit: <(Psh. Kenta!)>

*Kari sits beside Kentaro quietter than usual.*

[I'll tell him how I feel. I'll tell him how I feel.]

*She looks as the rabbit hops towards him*

Kentaro:<(Don't you start calling me that too.)>

"I'll be staying in the hall outside of Kelphy's room" Lucien says.

*Kelphy smiles awkwardly at Lucien and stares at the starry sky and full moon.*

Kelphy: <I-It's very nice to meet you all.>

Allina: <Hi! I'm Allina.>

Kelphy: <Hm... I think me and Master Derek discovered some things that you should probably know.>

Olympe: <We'd love to hear what you have to say as soon as you're finished eating, Your Highness.>

*Kelphy nods.*

Kelphy: <...Yes, okay. It's a shame Master Derek is sleeping. (Hm, also, I would really like to find anything more confortable than this dress to wear...>

Aera: <That can probably be arranged.>

Kelphy: <Thank you. And thank you all for wanting to save me and Master Derek.>

Jade Rabbit: <(Well sorry, but I blame that scary girl. It's catchy! Anyway, anyway, anyway. Isn't it just like--the perfect time to go with Kari for some privacism? Is that a word? Doesn't matter.)>

Lucien looks up at the sky and moon to. It should be noted that he is currently eating with his shadow hands while his actual hands are folded in his lap. "Its a good night for lovers..." he points with a third shadow hands and various stars. "The stars are in a good alignment for it tonight" he begins to eat some of his soup.

"So does that mean you intend to let Kelphy know how you feel? Gonna pop the question?" Creed teases Lucien.

Lucien spits out his soup and begins coughing.

*Kentaro begins coughing.*

[Goddamnshit, it's contagious.]

Kentaro:<(I don't know if you're worse than the blond girl or not.)>

*The rabbit licks the inside of his ear and bites it lightly before jumping back into Kari's arms, glaring at him. Kelphy returns with Aera, now wearing a light blue tank top, jean shorts and black hiking boots. She has also removed her tiara. She looks like she's somewhat uncomfortable.*

Aera: <Hum... I hope that-->

Kelphy: <It's great, thank you.>

*Allina yawns after she finishes eating.*

Allina: <I'm kind of tired...>

Olympe: <Your Highness, are you ready now?>

Kelphy: <Yes, of course. Crone took me to the island, where there is a large mansion and a small metal village in ruins. Most of the mansion is in ruins as well, but Crone seems to have fixed a section of it. I was kept in a room until Master Derek found me and we escaped to the village. We found one of the buildings to be some sort of small research center with an entrance to a massive undersea laboratory. We found the Aeldi Undine sleeping locked in a glass capsule, as well as a strange device that could project images recorded in strange square objects. Each of these was something like an update of the laboratory's projects, like a journal. Unfortunately, Crone manage to find us, and was apparently surprised to find Undine and the laboratory in general there. He seemed to want to destroy it but he was injured and bleeding.>

Olympe: <I stabbed him back in Toros.>

Kelphy: <I see. He used some sort of spell to corrupt Undine and made her attack us, and then left. We defeated Undine, but she sank most of the laboratory. That's when we found the airship and managed to escape.>

Allina: <The Sylphs told me and Kari the island's name is Yurion.>

Kelphy: <Yes. What I wanted to tell you is... well, me and Master Derek managed to play three of the recorded entries with the device before Crone showed up. A young woman recorded two of them, the oldest ones, a woman called Sephira Emeraude.>

*They all widen her eyes, Allina's jaw dropping somewhat.*

Aera: <Wait, so you're saying the founder of Sephira was a researcher there?>

"Then... would it be a stretch to say the founders of Toros and Alda were too?" Creed put forth.

Lucien is still recovering from Creed's dig at him.

*Kentaro rubs his ear and gritting his teeth, he turns to the rabbit looking like he might try to bite its head off. The two make eye contact and quickly look away.*

[Stupid rabbit.]

Kelphy: <Well...>

[Woman: <...burned down a small laboratory... insurgent leader Toros Nightingale... I...>]

Kelphy: <Toros was apparently the leader of a rebellion against a project being developed in the laboratory. According to one of the entries, an oprhan volunteered to be a subject for the project and Sephira wasn't very happy about that either.>

[Man: <The subject... now 24 years old... After successfully controlling.... many of the minor... it is time to undergo the experience ... true meaning of this project...>]

Kelphy: <The last entry we saw was made by an unknown researcher almost 20 years after the other two. According to what he said, the rebel leaders were exiled to the main continent: Sephira Emeraude, Toros Nightingale and Alda Colsun. I can only assume Sephira eventually decided to leave the project and join Toros. I don't know any more about Alda.>

Aera: <Why were they against the project though?>

Kelphy: <Yurion was a highly advanced civilization, but they apparently didn't know the long lost secrets to controlling magic. It was only after they discovered and befriended the Aeldi that they learned how to use magic, and from what we could gather, they focused on bringing the magic world and Verte back together.>

Olympe: <I don't see how that's a bad thing, though.>

"Fahren..." Alto said as if spurred on my the strings of fate, "What if the other world and Verte were brought together?"

---

"Hmmmm..." Lucien ponders.

[This is going over my head.]

*Kentaro stands up from his chair.*

Kentaro:<I'm gonna go take a trip around the ship.>

*Kentaro walks out. Kari glances at him as he leaves.*

[I'm going to tell him how I feel. I going to tell him how I feel. Three... Two... One... Now!]

*Kari remains sitting for a few minutes before slowly standing up and leaving without a word.*

[Don't get the wrong idea!]

Kelphy: <For some reason, they decided to try and control the Aeldi against their will. That was what the project was all about. And well... they gave the powers to control Aeldi to the orphan that volunteered. Their final goal was to control Origin and bring the worlds together again, but something destroyed them before they could... they called it "Project CRONE".>

<<<What?>>>

-----

*Again, the airship has several bedrooms and storage rooms, a training room, a kitchen, a library, the bridge, and a great view of the starry sky from its roof, which can be accessed through a hatch at the top of a ladder in the bridge.*

=====

Fahren: <There's no way to know... I can only assume Mysteria would be reborn. A world overflowing with magic, that those from Verte and the magic world would inhabit in harmony. That's what the legends say, and what I believe to be the truth so far. Why?>

"It sounds like a good idea... except... letting that much magic free... would have severe consequences."

---

""WHAT!?""

*Having had an unpleasant experience outside a short time ago, Kentaro goes into the library and begins.*

Kentaro:<Phew, it feels good to get out of there. Knights and who knows what else going on about stuff... I don't care too much about and... The obvious tension.>

[I wonder how many airships actually have inexplicably well stocked libraries.]

*Outside the library, Kari reaches for the door but quickly pulls her hand back.*

"I'm scared..."

Kelphy: <Well, yes. I don't know anything but this.>

Allina: <So Crone's a robot or something?>

Kelphy: <No. He's just really powerful. I don't know how he's still alive after so long though.>

Allina: <I'm guessing that'd be a question to ask Fahren. I mean, he is his tutor after all.>

Olympe: <We'll have plenty of time to ask all the questions we want to ask after he's dead.>

Allina: <But then he'll be dead.>

Olympe: <Yes, I'm hoping for that.>

-----

*Most of the books are about technology and shit of the like. There are several metal shelves and cases of books nailed to the walls and ground. The bookcases are more like cabinets considering they're fully covered in thick sliding glass doors so that the books don't fall during flight. There are also some metal tables and chairs, a large circular window through which they can see the fire down below and the starry night sky and full moon.*

=====

Fahren: <If Mysteria really was the perfect world, the essence of balance itself, I don't see how anything could go wrong. Fortunately, legends are just that: legends.>

"Something like that" Alto says as he walks over and grabs his jacket throwing it on.

"Do you have an extra airship I can borrow?"

---

"Yeah... thats one way of looking at it."

[I know someone who knows someone who would like this decorating scheme. She's given up on femininity.]

*Kentaro turns around as the door opens and Kari shuffles in.*

"Can... can I tell you something?"

*Kentaro glances at the rabbit.*

Kentaro:<All right.>

*Kari slowly walks towards staring at the floor as she goes.*

[My heart's pounding. I feel like it's going to burst from my chest. This is scarier than I thought. My mouth is dry, I can't speak. I... I just want to die right here.]

"I... I... I... I... I like you, I love you!"

*Kari shuts her eyes and cringes.*

[This is where he rejects me, I just know it. It'll happen. ...What?]

*Kari opens her eyes and looks up at Kentaro with his arms wrapped around her. She sighs in relief and puts her head on his shoulder.*

[I... I did it! I feel sick, but I did it. I feel like I can move, but I don't want to.]

Kentaro:<I love you to, Kari.>

*Kentaro meets Kari's gaze and leans in kissing her. Much to the rabbits discomfort who's still being held.*