Author's Notes are at the bottom.

Chapter Four - The Rips in Time

Luther let out an involuntary groan, and he shivered. Pain and a series of chills continued to wrack his body, much to his chagrin and dismay and to Fayt's confusion. Or so the Creator surmised.

'I can't keep my eyes open,' he thought. 'Why can't I keep my eyes open? What's wrong with me? Why isn't that data . . . Why isn't Fayt doing more to help me? I don't understand. Where is he?'

He struggled to open his eyes, and he whimpered in pain as light assaulted his eyes. He threw an arm over them for some much-needed relief, which only lasted for a few moments until the heat from his forehead became unbearable.

"Is everything all right in here?" an unfamiliar male voice asked. Luther opened bleary eyes to the figure standing in the doorway, a being taller than Fayt and with obviously elongated ears.

'Elongated ears? Are they Eldarians?' he mused. 'Does that mean we're on Lemuris? No . . . Fayt said we were on Iris VII when I first spoke with him . . . I don't under . . . oh yes. Elves. We went with the cliché of Elves for this planet. And this one is probably expecting an answer.'

"I am fine," he managed to rasp out in a dry voice. "Where is Fayt?"

"He was tending to another patient, the last time I saw him," the Elf answered, entering the room. "You are thirsty. I can hear it in your voice. I shall get you some water."

'Is it just me or does he actually sound disgusted with me?' Luther wondered, his blurred gaze following the Elf's every move. 'Why? I still don't understand. It is not my fault something afflicts me. It's something that just happened, and it shouldn't have! What is going on? Where is Fayt?'

"Here you go," the Elf said, sitting on the bed. He aided Luther in sitting up then pressed the wooden cup to his lips. "This should help."

Luther kept a somewhat resentful and mistrustful gaze on the one helping him.

'I will know if this is poisoned,' he thought almost murderously. 'Fayt has already given me plenty of water by now, and he has already confessed he's thought of poisoning me. I trust him more than I do you right now, though I'm not sure why just yet. Whoever you work for will know of your heinous attempt on my life.'

Fortunately for him and the Elf, cool and clean water flowed over Luther's parched tongue and down his throat. He drank slowly and carefully, unwilling to spill a precious drop. The scratchiness and dryness dissipated with each swallow, and Luther exhaled in relief once he finished. The Elf eased him back onto the bed.

"You and Master Fayt are most unusual humans," the Elf muttered. "I still find it hard to believe his Majesty is allowing a human to practice the healing arts the way that Fayt is. He must be going soft. Or blind. Perhaps even both. Ah well. Once this war is over, this healing house will return to Elvish hands. I will see to it." He then offered Luther a fake smile. "Rest easy. Master Fayt will be with you shortly."

Luther waited until the Elf left the room before propping himself onto his elbows and glancing around. Cool air caressed his bare flesh, sending another wave of shivering throughout his weakened body.

'Where are my clothes?' he wondered. 'How badly damaged were they? Why was that Elf being such an ass? I must find Fayt. I need some more answers. Now.'

He'd just managed to slip his foot out from underneath the blanket and started to slide into a sitting position when he doubled over, pain shooting from the right side of his abdomen up to his shoulder. A strangled cry escaped Luther. His breath hitched in his chest, and he ground his teeth to keep himself from alerting the closest healer. The last thing he wanted to do was deal with that pompous Elf who'd just left him.

'Answers,' he told himself. 'I want answers. Blast it all, where is this pain coming from? And how can I make it go away? Fayt, where are you? Why haven't you fixed this problem yet? Damn, it hurts!'

"What are you doing?"

At Fayt's voice, Luther exhaled in relief and sagged back onto the bed. He glanced with weary eyes at his enemy-turned-healer. Alarm and concern registered on the blue-haired man's face. He held a tray laden with many of the same items as before, and he hurried over, setting his supplies on the bedside table.

"I was getting ready to look for you," he croaked out. "There are things I wish to know, that I must know, and you . . . you have those answers."

"I get that," Fayt began, "but that doesn't warrant you trying to get out of bed like this. I do check in on all of my patients throughout the day. I'm not going to leave you to your own devices like that. You don't need to get up. You shouldn't be getting up in the first place. What happened? Where are you hurting?"

"Who says I'm hurting?" Luther asked as lightly as he could.

"You were holding your right side when I walked in, and you have blood coming from your nose," the younger man retorted. He lifted Luther's leg up and slid it back onto the bed. Then his hands, warm and gentle, touched Luther's right side. Luther hissed through his teeth. A frown touched on Fayt's lips.

"That's odd," he murmured. "You didn't react like that earlier. Where did it start?"

His fingers trailed along Luther's side.

"What do you mean where did what start?" Luther snarled out.

"The pain," came the patient reply. "Did it start in your shoulder? Or somewhere else?"

Luther sighed and closed his eyes. He gestured weakly with his right hand and cringed when more pain blazed through his already weary muscles. Fayt's fingers ghosted along his heated flesh, stopping when he came into contact with Luther's hand.

"What is going on, Fayt?" he asked. "You said we were on Iris VII earlier, and I've been thinking about this when I've been awake. Given how I arrived here, it should have taken the Elves much longer to find me, let alone notice my arrival yet they found me within what I'm presuming hours. Why?"

"Probably because that's how I arrived here," came the answer. Fayt pressed into his side, and Luther groaned. The pain sent spots of different colors flashing in front of his eyes. "Let me check something here."

Fayt pulled away from him and reached for something off the tray. Something cool replaced and rough replaced the blue-haired man's probing fingers.

"What is that? And what do you mean by that's how you arrived?"

"It's . . . it's a crystal," Fayt answered lamely. "I don't know exactly how it works quite yet, only that if I place it where someone's hurting, it can tell me what's wrong, and I can go from there. It's like a medieval, magical medical scanner. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one who uses them. What secrets many of the Elven healers use to detect internal injuries, I don't know. They won't tell me."

"Because you're human."

"Yes. Because I'm human." Fayt shook his head. "They're quite prejudiced here, at least most of them are. There are very few things they think humans are good for."

"I've noticed. The one who checked on me clearly doesn't want you in business," Luther remarked drily. "The question is why. What's going on? And how did you get here again?"

Fayt didn't answer right away. Rather, he kept his attention focused where he held the crystal against Luther. His green eyes were a torrent of emotions, all of them conflicting. Most troublesome to Luther, however, were the dark circles around Fayt's eyes.

"Iris VII," he murmured several moments later, "is at war with a kingdom ruled by another Elf by the name of Seltan. That's all I can really tell you. Any time I've tried to ask for more information, I get dirty looks, even from my more sympathetic helpers, like I should know what's going on already. As for how I got here . . ." Fayt shook his head. "I don't know. One moment, I was in your Workspace, staring where you'd been and trying to get away from everything. The next, I was here, just trying to breathe. Just like you, they found me shortly after I'd arrived. Because of the war, they've been paying close attention to unusual phenomena and magic use within their borders. Too many have used magic to get here and claim sanctuary, only to start killing. That much I do know."

Luther stared at Fayt for the longest time after that. Fayt kept his gaze averted from him, focusing more on the crystal. All the while, something about the information Fayt had given to him nibbled at Luther's brain.

"Something isn't right," he muttered to himself. "Iris VII is at war, and it shouldn't be . . . should it?"

"What are you talking about?" Fayt asked. He kept his attention focused on the crystal. "From what I understand, this war has been going on for a couple of years, though no one knows why King Seltan started his assault. But then, I'm a human and no one wants to really talk to me about anything."

"Not even the other humans?" Luther asked. "And how long has it been since the last battle? I haven't forgotten about that, Fayt."

"There . . ." Fayt's expression was one of discomfort. "There aren't a lot of humans left, from what I've seen here in the city. I don't know about anywhere else, though. I could be wrong. I hope I'm wrong. As for how much time has passed . . ." He shook his head and pulled the crystal away at the same time. "I honestly don't know, Luther. I want to say six months, but time's been a huge blur for me. It could be longer, maybe even less."

"You don't . . . know?"

"It hasn't mattered," came the honest answer. "Just keeping people alive and healthy has been my priority. Speaking of alive and healthy, you need to be resting. Whatever's ailing you isn't going to go away just because you tell it to."

"Why didn't you use that crystal before?" Luther asked, pointedly ignoring Fayt's remarks.

"Because I normally don't have to," He retrieved another object from his tray, another form of crystal in the shape of a polished square. "Most who come in here usually have stab wounds, burns, abrasions, and everything else associated with battle. Like almost all of them so it's rare when I get something internal, be it from falling or sickness. And," here he appeared a little sheepish, "I only have one. It's the only one I'm allowed to have, and it was in use when the guards brought you in here."

"The . . . only one you're allowed to have?" Luther echoed. "That's unacceptable."

"Mine isn't the only house of healing, okay?" Fayt snapped in a slightly waspish tone. "The other ones, they're overcrowded beyond their normal capacities, Luther, and they deal with more poisons and illnesses than what I do. I was lucky they agreed to even let me have one at all, and even then I had to fight to get it. This is usually a last resort for me anyway."

"I don't understand, though. You said you were the only one who uses such a thing, but the other healers won't tell you what they use," Luther stated. He followed Fayt's movements the entire time. "Then there's the fact that you're aiding them in a war that isn't your own, isn't even supposed to be yours at all, and they're holding you back? Forgive me, Fayt, but that doesn't make sense. You're the one doing them the favor by healing their wounded soldiers, not the other way around."

"It doesn't matter," the younger man muttered.

"Fayt," he began.

"I said it doesn't matter!" Green eyes glared at him, and Luther found himself both speechless and breathless by the display. For a moment, a golden halo appeared around Fayt's head, and a soft glow of pure white, light enveloped him. Luther struggled to breathe for that single moment. "What's done is done, and I can't get another one of these anyway. They're rare and hard to come by anymore, thanks to this stupid war. It isn't . . ." Fayt grasped the table next to Luther's bed, his eyes closing. His body swayed a little. Alarmed, Luther sat up and started to swing his legs to the side once more.

"What is it?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." Fayt shook his head. "I'm just a little lightheaded, that's all. It'll pass. It always does."

"It didn't look like nothing to me," Luther stated, his concern for Fayt growing and baffling him at the same time.

'He's nothing more than data . . . isn't he? Yet, it is as I told him before. He and I can't exist without each other. So odd. How is it even possible? I don't understand. Why don't I have the answers I want and seek?'

"You should rest," Luther continued. He bit back a groan and a wince as he finally pulled himself into a sitting position. "You'll do yourself and your patients more harm if you don't."

"Like you're about to do to yourself?" Fayt inquired. He stepped away from the crystals and planted himself in front of Luther, his hands on his hips. Luther managed a weak glare at him. "You need rest yourself before the king sends for you and wants to know how you got here, why, and where you came from. He asked me the same things when I got here, and I was taken to the palace immediately. You weren't –"

"Because I was clearly unwell to attend such a meeting," Luther finished for him. "Yet, my fate and care are both in the hands of a healer who could collapse at any moment and leave me at the less than pleasant mercies of some of his helpers. If I'm to be resting, so are you, Fayt."

Green eyes glared at him once more. Luther narrowed his eyes at the defiance and denial flashing in those depths. With a grunt, he set his feet on the floor and started to stand up. Fayt simply raised an eyebrow at him. Luther rose to his full height, ignoring the pain trying to double him over.

"I dare you," Luther hissed. "I dare you to say that you're fine, that you don't need to rest. There must be a few Elves who are at least somewhat sympathetic to humans and their plight here. Some of them actually might even be aiding you if they're not spying on you. I wonder what they would say if I were to tell them what I've told you, Fayt."

"I am fine," Fayt growled back. "Unlike you. You're about to drop right where you stand and all because you want to be stubborn and pigheaded and pretend that you're a god, someone incapable of feeling anything, someone who thinks he's invincible."

"Hardly invincible, am I?" Luther chuckled bitterly at that then placed his left hand over a scar on his right harm. "Not when I have the scars to prove it . . . scars that you gave me."

The defiance and denial washed away from Fayt's face, only to be replaced by guilt. He immediately turned away. Whatever victory or triumph Luther felt over dealing such a wound, it evaporated before it could take hold, and his own guilt replaced it, threatened to consume him even. He reached out to Fayt.

"Just lay back down," he murmured. "Please. I won't be able to pick you up if you hit the floor, okay? I just don't have the strength for that right now."

"Fayt . . ." Luther began. "I . . ."

"Just stop." Fayt's frame stiffened. "You're right. If that's what you want to hear, you're right. I gave you those scars, and you damned well know why. Now just . . . get some rest so you can heal. Please. They'll only wait long enough until you're able to stand up without collapsing before taking you to King Avalon. If they see you trying now, you won't get a chance to recover as well as you could."

"As you wish," Luther murmured. He lowered himself back onto the bed. He'd expected more resistance from Fayt or some form of justified outrage over the annihilation decree, but this . . .

'This is not right,' Luther determined. He fought back a sigh. 'And yet I can't make him see reason if he chooses to see and believe otherwise. It's on him. Not me. I refuse to help someone like that.'

He continued his observations of Fayt. The younger man swayed a little on his feet but, other than the dark circles under his eyes, no longer gave any indication something was wrong with him. If anything, the would-be healer gazed at the monitoring crystals and quite intently at that. A light frown tugged on Fayt's lips. Luther raised an eyebrow at that.

"Is everything all right?" he asked after another moment of silence. "How much longer is that thing going to take?"

"It's done," Fayt muttered. "According to it, there's nothing wrong with you. At all. No disease or infection, no poisons . . . nothing. You shouldn't have that fever at all. The weakness is understandable. You'll need to eat something and rest up as much as you can to regain your strength if you were trapped in some sort of limbo instead of just coming here from your world." His gaze returned to Luther. A strange light flickered in those green depths. "But that's it. You're healthy. I don't . . ."

His words slurred a little, and his voice trailed off. Fayt's eyes went out of focus. Puzzled, Luther sat up again.

"You don't what?" he prompted. "Get it? Understand? Neither do I, and you're the healer here, not me. Maybe there's something wrong with your equipment."

"Hm?" Fayt blinked owlishly at him. "What are you doing sitting up? You're supposed to be resting."

"I'm . . ." Luther's cheeks burned with his rage and indignation. "I am resting, and you have no clue as to what's wrong with me! I . . ." He paused midway through his rant, his eyes narrowed at Fayt. The younger man's eyes went out of focus. Again. "You're not listening to me. Are you?"

"I am," he murmured. "I just have to find out what's wrong with you . . ." Fayt turned back to the crystals, lifting the clear one up. "I can use this to find out . . ."

"You just did that," Luther growled. Fayt duly ignored him and ambled unsteadily back over to him.

"Where are you hurting again?"

"How about you use that thing on yourself?" Luther retorted, exasperated and frustrated. His own body burned with a fever that made no sense to either him or Fayt, and the guilt rolling off the younger man blasted Luther with an intensity he never expected. He reached over and grasped the hand holding the crystal.

Slender bones met his fingers, bones wrapped loosely in overheated flesh. Stunned, Luther gaped at Fayt, but he recovered from his shock quick.

"What are you doing?" Fayt slurred out. "Leggo."

"No." Luther glanced at his face, his ire draining away. He pressed his free hand against Fayt's cheek, which had taken on a rosy hue in a short amount of time and alarmingly so. "It's you."

"What?" Fayt livened up a little, his eyes widening in what Luther could only presume was horror. "What about . . ."

"I'm not the one who's sick," Luther muttered. "It's you."

Before Fayt could completely pull away from him, Luther yanked gently on his arm and pulled him onto the bed. The blue-haired man yelped in surprise then immediately struggled to get back up.

"I can't," he whispered. "I can't. No, no, no . . . I have . . ."

"A house of healing to run?" Luther exhaled, trying to remain patient. "I know. And patients to care for. But, if I am to recover, then you need to rest. Now. Otherwise, I will be bedridden and in your care for who knows how long, and I'm not about to have that, Fayt. So lay here and rest, or I will make you do so."

"I can't . . ." His voice took on a panicked whine. Luther rolled his eyes, laid flat on his back, and tucked Fayt close to him. He wrapped both arms around the younger man in an effort to keep Fayt from getting back up again and promptly collapsing. Fayt hissed in pain the moment Luther's hands touched his side, the same area where he ached.

"You can, and you are going to," Luther stated. "Rest. So you can do what you want to do, which I can tell is to continue helping others. Please."

A slight whine escaped the younger man, but his strength ebbed away from him at a rate that alarmed Luther even more. Fayt went limp in his arms, though his breathing harshened and quickened. Terror spiked briefly through Luther, terror he could only presume was coming from Fayt.

'Terror but why . . .?' He glanced at Fayt, who was already losing the battle to stay awake, despite his desperation. The dark circles around his eyes became more prominent along with the terror. Then realization dawned on Luther. 'Oh. Nightmares. He's probably been having nightmares of everything he's endured. Given how he and many others were designed, I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise . . . they are supposed to be life-like, after all, a reality away from reality . . . Still, this can't continue. Even if he refuses to accept comfort and to see sense, I can still see to it that he gets some rest. Otherwise, he could be the death of us both, and I'm not about to die just yet.'

"Sleep, Fayt," he murmured against the other's forehead. "Sleep in peace. You have earned the respite, I promise."

Fayt said nothing in return. Luther lifted his head, only to be rewarded with the sight of Fayt's eyes closed, his cheeks still rosy in color, but his breathing steady and even. Smiling in satisfaction, Luther settled himself back into bed, his own exhaustion creeping over him. His eyes closed . . .

xXx-Destinies-Intertwined-by-Fate-xXx

The Ancient Ruins of Mosel were not a true sight to behold, in Albel's estimation, nor was the landmark a favorite place of his to begin with. Desert surrounded the place, pocked by the occasional water oasis, and the sun bleached the rocks to a bland color. There wasn't anything about the place that screamed or shouted out "Sacred place! Walk with respect!", though no historian either in Airyglyph or Aquaria could precisely say who built the place or even why. Much like the Shrine of Kaddan and a few other places throughout the continent, the Ancient Ruins of Mosel remained shrouded in mystery, a mystery that could, perhaps, be unlocked in Luther's Workspace, if one so wanted. The temptation to ask those questions, to satisfy his curiosity upon reaching the other worldly sanctum inside, nibbled at Albel's brain. With a ruthlessness he reserved mainly for the battlefield, he quashed it. The Ancient Ruins weren't his favorite. His reasons for wanting to ask the questions and find the answers were pointless.

'There are other things to take care of first,' he told himself. 'There is nothing more important than finding Fayt right now, Fayt and Luther. After we find them and I'm still curious and feeling generous to provide those answers for our historians, then I'll ask and get those answers. But Fayt comes first.'

He stared at the entrance of the ruins while he waited for the others to finish their preparations and gathering their last-minute round of supplies. Thanks to Quark's technology, they'd left the Kirlsa Training Facility from the training grounds on the top of the building and bypassed traveling through Arias, Peterny, and Surferio to the Ancient Ruins in the blink of eye. Days, even weeks' worth of traveling and preparing were reduced to mere hours, along with food, water, and other resources, saved.

'And they would expect Fayt to hang onto all of that,' he mused, 'instead of giving it up for the sake of protecting people like mine and those Aquarian scum. In an effort to hide from those who hunt him, he'd use that technology and endanger us completely at the same time.' He bit back a sigh of frustration. 'Fools, the lot of them. He wouldn't use their technology to hide from them or anyone else. He'd get rid of it. I know that he would. Fayt hesitated in telling me anything where this technology was concerned, and he told me why. He didn't want it to destroy me or be used to destroy me. Or anyone else on this planet. What a noble fool he was. Noble, but a fool all the same.'

He turned to where the wench and her consort currently stood. The two of them spoke amongst each other, while she occasionally glanced to see what the buffoon, the Aquarian scum, and Mirage were doing with their equipment. Not wanting to stand around and be idle, he strolled over to the buffoon and noticed something small on the ground amongst the larger pieces of equipment. He pointed to it.

"Is that one of your quad scanners?" he asked. The buffoon stopped what he was doing and blinked, confusion evident on his face. He then looked to see what Albel was pointing out.

"Huh, so it is," the blond muttered. He reached over to pick up and examined it, dusting it off in the process. "Well, no. Not really. It's a quad scanner all right, but it isn't one of ours. It looks like it's Federation issue."

"Federation issue?" the wench inquired. She and her consort joined them. "How could that be? We don't have anything Federation issue, and you told me you gave Fayt one of our quad scanners after finding him on Vanguard III. That's just not possible."

"It's possible because I put it there," an unfamiliar voice stated. "To let me know when you arrived here."

Albel whirled around in time to see two men exiting from entrance the ruins. His hand went to his sword immediately, his heart leaping and ready for battle. The two men in question wore the uniforms of ranking officers from the Pangalactic Federation, a commander and his science officer. Fayt had told him about the differences during their brief time aboard The Aquaelie. The commanding officer held up his hands in a placating manner.

"Peace," he intoned. "I'm only here to help you look for Fayt."

"And why should we believe you, Commander Kenny?" the worm Lieber spat out. "How do we know that you're not here to find a way to use Fayt as a weapon against us?"

"Kenny?" Albel muttered. He relaxed a little and tilted his head as he gazed at the man. "Are you Stephen J. Kenny, commander of The Charles de Gaul?"

"Yes," the commander confirmed, raising an eyebrow at him. "I'm that Stephen Kenny. How did you know that?"

"Fayt told me about you," he replied haughtily. "About knowing you, that is, and how."

"He did?" Maria inquired, surprise in her voice. "I've heard of the Kenny family myself, but I didn't know that Fayt personally knew any of them."

"The Kenny family is quite prestigious," Mirage pointed out. "They're amongst the well-known throughout our universe, especially as far as political military families go. I'm not surprised Fayt would mention them."

"Me neither," the buffoon admitted. "I just don't recall Fayt ever mentioning them like that, though."

"Like what?" Kenny inquired, amused.

"Beyond anything more than a few passing comments here and there," came the admittance from the buffoon. "Admiration, mainly, but not to where he admitted knowing someone like you personally. That seems like that would be a pretty big deal to me."

"I see," Kenny murmured. He glanced at his science officer, "Mr. Saionji, what do you make of this revelation?"

"Sounds like Fayt might have taken your words to heart at some point," the other man remarked. "Despite idolizing what your ancestors did hundreds of years ago."

"Even though he ended up doing the same thing anyway." Kenny shook his head, his admiration for Fayt clear to Albel.

"What your family did?" the Aquarian wench – Adray's daughter, Albel believed – echoed. "What do you mean by that?"

"The Kenny family line, in addition to being quite the well-known and predominately military family, has been somewhat notorious for getting into trouble, especially on an underdeveloped planet. Oddly enough, when it's happened, they've somehow ended up saving the universe as a result," Kenny answered. "It started sometime after our ancestor, Stephen D. Kenny, became president and founded what's now known as the Pangalactic Federation. It's carried on over the generations. Fayt apparently has been no exception to that, either."

"What?" Maria demanded harshly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Albel faced her, an eyebrow raised. "You didn't know?" he asked. "Fayt said you knew a lot about him when you first met. It shocked him when you revealed everything that you did know."

"Know what?" She crossed her arms across her chest. "What did I supposedly miss in my research into the Leingod family?"

"That Fayt is also a Kenny," came the reply from the science officer.

"He's what?" Surprise and disbelief crossed the face of almost every Quark member there. Even Cliff seemed shocked at the revelation. Only Mirage remained level-headed.

"His mother, Professor Ryoko Leingod, is my aunt," Kenny stated. "It isn't discussed much because of her affinity towards science and the fact my Uncle Robert made a name for himself as a symbological geneticist. Aunt Ryoko wanted out of the Kenny limelight so she asked that we keep her connection, and Fayt's, to us under wraps. She and Uncle Robert didn't want that kind of pressure on Fayt, at least not without his say so when he got older. But enough about my family's history. As I said, I'm here to help you look for Fayt. I presume that's why you came back here to look for my wayward cousin, right?"

"We have," came the hesitant, even mistrustful reply. "How . . .?"

"Because Fayt told me, told us both, in a private communication how much he cared about this planet," the science officer explained. "After we left the peace conference with Aldian and Vendeen, we figured we'd try to find him here, see if there was something that you managed to miss. The fact that you're here as well suggests you were thinking of doing the same thing."

"But you weren't with us when we went to Styx," Maria blurted out. "How . . .?"

"Like Mr. Saionji said, Fayt sent a message to both of us while you were en route to Styx," Kenny answered. "With Admiral Whitcomb's permission, of course. He sent it encrypted, even left a secondary for us on Moonbase. He told us everything, what he wanted to accomplish by heading to 4D space, and how he wanted to disappear once the final battle was over. Because of my cousin's messages, Mr. Saionji and I both know just how much Fayt wishes to be left alone right now." The two men shared a glance.

"He needs to heal from everything," Albel stated somberly, finally breaking his silence. "He wasn't allowed that. Not by anyone."

"No." Kenny shook his head. "He wasn't, and that's something that definitely needs correcting. I would see him knowing peace after everything he's endured." Kenny's eyes took on a hard glare at those from Quark. "Rest assured, Captain Traydor, I would prefer for my cousin to return home, to be with his family as he grieves, but his communication to me indicated that, once the final showdown with the Creator happened, returning to Earth wasn't necessarily a possibility for him. He understood all too well after his encounter with Commander Biwig that there would be too many out there who would see him as a weapon. The attempts on his life or to use him as a weapon was all too real of a possibility for him. I will do whatever is necessary to make sure no one finds my cousin so he can live a peaceful existence for the rest of his life. I will also do whatever it takes to protect the innocent lives on every Federation outpost and underdeveloped planet that there is. If that means working with Quark for the moment to get everything done, so be it."

"Interesting you bring up the Creator." Albel snorted. He glanced once at the science officer, scowled a little bit, and then closed his eyes. Some of Fayt's dirty secrets popped into his mind whenever he glanced at Saionji and Kenny, and he'd only just met the two. Albel shoved them away with the same ruthlessness he displayed during the war with Aquaria. When he opened them again, both Saionji and Kenny stared right back at him. The commander raised an eyebrow at him.

"If you know who I am to Fayt, then you probably already know a few more things about him," Kenny remarked. "Things you probably don't like, if the expression on your face is any indication."

"Albel always looks like that," the wench retorted. Her consort nodded his agreement.

"I do." Albel scowled, ignoring her. "And you're right. I don't like some of what he told me." Then he exhaled. "But it's also how I knew I wouldn't be able to keep him for long, how it would be pointless for me to even try when the time would come."

"I see. He must have trusted you a great deal if you know even that much about him. He rarely lets anyone get that close to him, due to his parents' fame." Kenny nodded. "But it doesn't answer the question of why you mention the Creator. If I'm not mistaken, you fought him. All of you did, and you won. He shouldn't even be a part of this."

"We've had some new information come to us," Maria announced through gritted teeth, to which Albel smirked. "It seems that all we did was defeat him and send him into hiding somewhere in our universe. It's . . . possible he has Fayt with him."

"The Creator has a hideout here," Albel continued, watching the two men for any sign of a reaction. "We're hoping to find some clues as to their whereabouts."

"Huh."

"That's it?" Maria exclaimed when the commander said nothing else. "Huh? That's all you have to say?"

"I must admit that even I'm surprised," Albel added, almost as incredulously as Maria. Something tickled at the back of his mind, too, something he knew he needed to remember, but he couldn't quite put a finger to it. Yet. "Your cousin could quite possibly be with the biggest threat to our entire universe, and you're just saying huh?"

The two Federation officers shared a glance. Saionji was the first one to speak.

"I'm going to guess you've never seen Fayt get diplomatic, have you?" he asked.

"Fayt? Diplomatic?" Maria echoed. "His parents are scientists! And he was so clueless about a lot of things when I first met him."

"His parents also had to attend many diplomatic functions as well as scientific ones. They included Fayt in them as much as they possibly could," Kenny pointed out. "I assure you, Fayt can be quite the diplomat when the mood suits him or when it's required. He's only clueless when he wants to be. Very rarely is it genuine. I can tell you some stories, but we also have to get moving. The Vendeeni are not going to sit around and wait for us to procure my cousin. We can talk along the way. I presume you're heading inside these ancient ruins because of the Creator having a hideout here. Correct?"

"Yes . . ."

"Then please." Kenny gestured to the doors. "Lead the way."

"Fayt asked you to do something," Albel muttered to the commander when he drew close enough. He shouldered a rucksack he retrieved from the same area as the commander and his science officer. "I know that he did. I just can't remember what it was. Why haven't you done it yet?"

"Because I'm going to need some definitive proof to back the claim," Kenny answered. He glanced at the others. "They didn't tell you what's happened, have they?"

"If you're referring to the threat of the Vendeeni, I know that they seek him as well. Beyond that, I simply know we seek to find both Fayt and the Creator. She fears what could happen if the Vendeeni find Fayt first or mistake the Creator for Fayt. Nothing more."

"I see."

Albel glanced in Maria and Lieber's direction, scowling. "She didn't give me the whole story, did she?"

"The Vendeeni do seek Fayt," Kenny confirmed. They entered the shade of the ruins, and a soft sigh of relief escaped Saionji. Albel resisted the urge to scoff at him. Instead, he listened as Kenny continued, "They've threatened to destroy every Federation and Quark outpost they come across if we don't hand him over to them. While Quark isn't a large organization like the Federation, they have enough outposts in territories that are neutral for both sides and in areas friendlier to Quark than to the Federation. Not counting where the Federation is, that's at least a few hundred outposts with several hundred facility members each. That doesn't include the families living there. Unfortunately, they never gave us any kind of a deadline when they issued their ultimatum of Fayt over the lives of thousands."

"Why didn't you just tell them you don't know where Fayt is?" Albel asked. "It's the truth, after all."

"Maria did tell them that," the commander stated. "Repeatedly, I might add. If not for your accounts of what happened after that final battle, I'd say that my cousin is dead. He hasn't appeared anywhere in any system governed by the Federation and its allies. He hasn't even shown up on any other underdeveloped planet we've surveyed. Everything we told the Vendeeni was the truth. Fayt Leingod is nowhere to be found. Captain Traydor even reiterated what Fayt's fear about his powers were, but the Vendeeni didn't believe her. They believe we're hiding Fayt somewhere to use against them. The Creator's threat still has them rattled."

"Do you also believe he could be somewhere on my planet?" Albel asked. "Using your technology to hide away from the universe?"

"Honestly? No." Kenny shook his head. "We did our surveillance. We even tried to disrupt any potential jamming frequencies or devices to try and find him. Unless he got something from the Vendeeni or from the 4D world, my cousin is nowhere on this planet. And I'm not sure what I'd expect him to do anymore, either. His entire world was shaken up and torn apart in a short amount of time. Losing his father alone had to be overwhelming. I can't imagine what his journey put him through and how it might have changed the way he viewed life itself. This is unknown territory for all of us. From what Sophia told me, Fayt simply disappeared without a trace, and no one even knows how he did it."

"Commander." Maria's voice interrupted their conversation. Albel glanced at her and found her watching them. "How many Federation ships are looking for Fayt right now?"

"Just mine," Kenny answered. "All others are being dispatched to as many outposts as possible."

"You don't think the Vendeeni are going to attack right away, do you?" Lieber asked.

"I think the fact that they even gave us any warning at all this time is not to be taken lightly," the commander answered. "They never gave us a deadline, after all. They could have decided we've taken too much time to find Fayt and start attacking at any moment. As I'm sure you remember from the last time we dealt with them, they mean business, and they will stop at nothing to get their hands on Fayt."

"And if the Vendeeni find the Creator first?" the Aquarian scum – Nel – asked. "What then?"

"Then finding Fayt and killing him will be the least of their worries," Kenny said.

"And quite possibly the worst of ours," Maria added somberly. "We better hurry. Whether he realizes it or not, Fayt is counting on us to find him and keep him safe. Let's go."

"Lead the way," Kenny stated.

'He's trusting us,' Albel mused, 'but why? Quark is his enemy by default. Myself and the Aquarian scum are strangers to him. Why isn't he doing what Fayt requested of him? What did Fayt request of him? I don't get it. What is he up to?'

Albel kept his thoughts to himself as they trekked through the ruins to where Luther kept his Firewall hidden. Of all those around him, he trusted only Mirage and himself. Everyone else . . .

'Better watch themselves,' he told himself. 'Or they're not going to know what's hit them. If they do anything to put Fayt in even more danger than what he already is . . .' He narrowed his eyes. 'I'll end them. Personally.'

xXx-Destinies-Intertwined-by-Fate-xXx

Blair leaned back in the pilot's seat, allowing herself to relax for a single moment. A bit of a smile crept onto her face, and she glanced over her shoulder to the woman she'd successfully retrieved from Earth without raising any alarms.

"Proud of yourself, Blair?" Azazer asked. "We did kind of cut it close."

"We did," she confirmed, "and I am proud of all of us. For the moment, at least."

"What do you mean that you cut it close?" the woman – Ryoko Leingod – asked. She leaned forward in her seat, her eyes red from drinking and weeping over her family before Blair's arrival.

"It means there was a Vendeeni scouting vessel on its way to Earth," Berial stated. He didn't even bother to look up from his console. "We passed them on our way out of the atmosphere, even though you couldn't see them. They were there to get you."

"Kidnap you is more like it," Azazer muttered.

"Me? But why?" Ryoko asked. Then she huffed in exasperation a moment later. "They're still after Fayt, aren't they? Surely, they know that I don't know where he is, right? I haven't seen nor heard from him since Hyda IV."

"They don't believe that your son has managed to completely disappear without anyone knowing where he is," Berial answered. "They believe that either the Federation or Quark has hidden him away somewhere and is simply claiming to not know. Their plan is to kidnap you to force either side to bring him out of hiding." The big man paused in his typing. "The Vendeeni know that your husband died to save your son. It is their belief that, if Fayt hears of your capture at their hands, he'll come out of hiding to save you."

"But he disappeared," Ryoko protested. "Right after the Creator was defeated. No one knows how . . ."

"We know," Blair replied gently. "I was there when it happened, when he and his friends stopped my brother from destroying your universe entirely. He was in a lot of pain, so much so he just took off. Wouldn't let anyone touch him or console him. Since then, I've looked for him as well as my brother, but everything in our world is just too unreliable when it comes to yours. I've not been able to find him or my brother. Every time I've tried, something happens, and the information becomes lost. I wish I had better news for you than that. All I can tell you is that both are still alive. Somewhere."

Ryoko deflated and became more guarded all at once. She raised an eyebrow at Blair.

"You're . . . the Creator's sister?"

"Yes, she is," Azazer snapped, "and Berial and I are his subordinates. He and I fought against your son and lost. Blair assisted him in getting back to this world and fighting the Creator."

"You did?" The professor regarded Blair with a little more curiosity. She offered the woman a warm smile and nodded.

"Yeah, I did," she confirmed. "It was the right thing to do, though it earned me my brother's ire in the process. I'm doing everything I can to protect this world from any further interference. Sadly, I don't have the means to deter the Vendeeni from hunting after Fayt."

"Hrmm." Ryoko leaned back in her seat, her eyes closing. "They probably wouldn't believe it anyway. When I had the chance to talk with her, Sophia told me that time flows differently for you in your world. What was for you yesterday was quite possibly weeks, months, or even years for us. Your brother might have issued his proclamation two days ago, but, for us, it was almost twenty years. That's a rather long time to have that kind of a fear living over your head."

"I suppose it would be," she murmured.

"I hate to interrupt," Azazer began, "but, speaking of means, the three of us can't stay here for too much longer. We're going to need someone to take over piloting this ship for us and to keep you safe."

"I hadn't thought about that," Blair muttered, her cheeks burning a little from her embarrassment.

"Didn't figure you had," Berial added, chuckling a little. "No worries, Blair. We may not agree with your stance and how you're running things, but you are the new Creator for this world. We're not that stupid."

"Nor foolish," Azazer quipped. "We do have you covered."

"I don't get it," Blair murmured. "Why . . ."

"We have our reasons, something Luther told us in the very beginning. We'll leave it at that." Berial finished his typing. "And I've found some suitable replacements for us. They'll be disoriented for a while, but they're suitable."

"That's risky," Azazer remarked, adjusting his glasses while watching what Berial was doing. Blair watched their play-by-play, fascination keeping her silent. The security officer frowned. "And dangerous."

"Don't worry, I've done this before," Berial chortled. "I'm not taking them from anything pivotal. They've accomplished their tasks, and they're about to die anyway. We need them here."

"Fine." He sighed. "I'll grant you that. Give me a moment to get the proper sequences in."

"What? What is it that you're doing?" Blair finally asked. She knew the two liked to mess with the gamers for the Eternal Sphere, but that was as far as her dealings with them went. She and Luther only allowed it to happen when the players were becoming too cocky, too god-like in their current games.

"What I've always done best." The big man winked at her. "Are you ready, Azazer?"

"As ready as I'm ever going to be at this point."

"Then . . . now."

Both men hit something – Blair couldn't quite see what; a button of some kind, she presumed – at the same time. Around them, energy hummed and coalesced in the space behind their seats. She and Ryoko both turned around in time to see four figures materialize out of thin air.

One of them was a human, a male, with short-cropped blond hair and vivid green eyes. A scar crossed over his right eye. Two of them were humanoid in nature with elongated ears, and they were female. The fourth towered over the rest of them, a giant green metallic being. When the light vanished, all four glanced around in alarmed and defensive bewilderment.

"Who . . ." Ryoko began.

"We brought some folks from the past to help you out," Azazer said. "Ryoko Leingod, please meet Edge Maverick, former captain of The Terran Alliance vessel, The Calnus, the very first champion of the UP3, and, from the Morphus, Bacchus D-79, his wife Freesia, and Myuria Tionysus."

"Hi," she whispered faintly. Blair glanced at the two and raised an eyebrow at them yet again.

"Heroes? From the past?" she echoed. "What are you two thinking?"

"What is going on here?" Edge demanded in a rough tone. "Who are you people? What did you to my crew?"

"I agree with the boy's statements," Myuria added. "My ship's engines were about to reach critical. I have people to save."

"And all four of you were about to die," Azazer answered coldly. "Horrific deaths, no less."

"I don't believe you." Edge's expression was just as cold as Azazer's tone, and chills stole over Blair. In some ways, Edge Maverick reminded her of Luther. It was kind of scary.

"Then believe me," Ryoko interjected in a quiet and sad voice. "Your name is Edge Maverick. You worked for the Terran Alliance for about a little over a year before resigning and heading into deep space. You eventually found a planet with a high gravitational field but with the right amount of atmosphere to sustain life. You resigned," and here she sighed – "You resigned because of two things. One, your childhood friend Reimi managed to catch and cause a disease on an underdeveloped planet to mutate, thanks to the experiments done on her. Her body's ability to adapt caused the disease to adapt. The residents became horribly ill, and their methods of treatment were ineffective in almost an instant. The event added an addendum to the Underdeveloped Planet Preservation Pact, a Level Zero warning issued when a disease is discovered and running rampant. The addendum helps to quarantine the planet from Federation interference and to keep the disease on the planet's surface. People had to die to get law passed."

While the professor spoke, Blair observed the newcomers and their reactions to her story. Edge's demeanor changed from rigid, stiff, and ready to fight all the way to shocked, horrified, and awed. Even the Morphus listened to Ryoko with rapt attention.

"The other reason why you resigned is because you got into an argument with then Alliance President, Stephen D. Kenny, and it was, again, over an issue arising on an underdeveloped planet. According to Kenny, he tried to explain his reasons for his intervention, but you weren't having any of it. You were so disgusted with him, that he would violate something he put into place. You weren't able to see the bigger picture for the planet in question. You only remembered the suffering of your friend and what happened to you on your journeys. We only know about the planet you landed on because they kept track of their founding a little better than most other planets. You landed on Klaus and sired a few children. You died, however, when you tried to get several of the colonists to safety. The only one you weren't able to save that day was yourself. Your children, and the people who survived, remembered you as a hero."

"Mr. Edge," Bacchus intoned, facing the blond. "Is this true? Before we were pulled here, were you in the process of saving others?"

"Y-yeah," Edge murmured. "I'd just . . . I'd just seen the last one go through and thought I heard one more. I was on my way back to check when the heat . . ."

"If that's true, then we were about to die then," Myuria commented. "All of us after making sure others made it to safety. So. Why did you bring us here? How were you able to bring us here?"

"Through a little space-time manipulation, apparently," Blair remarked. "It isn't something I would have thought to do nor would I have done it."

"Like I said, Blair," Berial chuckled. "I knew where I was getting our replacements from."

"Replacements?" Freesia asked, finally breaking her silence. "Replacements for what?"

"These two men and I," Blair gestured to herself and to Azazer and Berial, "have somewhere we need to be and soon. We're unable to stay here. We need someone to pilot this ship and to protect Professor Leingod from harm."

"And you're Professor Leingod," Edge stated flatly, gazing at Ryoko.

"Yes," the woman confirmed.

"And just why are we protecting you?" The hard glare returned to Edge's eyes.

"Because a more technologically advanced raced known as the Vendeeni quite possibly wishes to use my son against the Pangalactic Federation and its allies, or, worse, kill him for possessing the strongest symbological power throughout the known universe, the power of Destruction," Ryoko snapped. "They've already killed my husband and thousands of others in their efforts to get their hands on Fayt. According to Blair, they were on their way to Earth to kidnap me in their latest efforts."

"The power of Destruction?" Bacchus intoned. "That is not a natural gift, Professor."

"And it's against every law in the universe to give it to anyone," Myuria added. "That is, if it were even possible to give to someone."

"It is," Ryoko stated. "Robert and I broke the law to do it."

"And they did it because they accidentally discovered the means to enter our world, where Azazer, Berial, and I need to return to as quickly as possible," Blair supplemented. "My brother, who created your universe, declared to annihilate them. Fayt and two others were the answer to stand up against him and to save everyone here. The professors were justified."

"But it's still just not scientifically possible," Myuria protested

"Robert and I pioneered a new field of scientific study," Ryoko responded. "Symbological genetics. Welcome to the future."

"Yeah, we got that," Edge retorted. "But there's no way . . ."

"It's the year 773 S.D." Ryoko folded her arms. "I'm not thrilled to have you as a protector, Mr. Maverick, not after what I'd read from Stephen's journals, but I do know this. You have a strong desire to protect those who are innocent, who are unable to protect themselves. Because of what my husband and I have done, I know I am far from innocent in this matter, but my son is. And he's somewhere in this universe, in hiding, trying to protect others from using and abusing his powers. He's also grieving, and he needs that time. Please. Help me to protect him one final time."

"By protecting you? When you brought this threat onto yourself?" Edge raised an eyebrow at her. "You broke the law. That's something I can't, and won't, accept."

"Fine. Then don't. We can find an outpost or a port of entry to drop you off at."

Blair shivered at the temperature drop on the bridge. Ryoko's tone held no room for argument, for pleading, or anything. She wanted to protest, to plead on the Earth woman's behalf to Edge. Fayt, after all, had done nothing to deserve such cold disregard and abandonment from someone like Edge Maverick. She even opened her mouth to say something further, even though situation had spiraled out of control some time before. However, Azazer and Berial grasped her by her shoulders.

"Blair, we have to go," Berial murmured. "We've done what we've could. We don't have the time for anything else. He's going to have to learn."

"She has some protection, and she can lead the Vendeeni on as wild of a goose chase as she wants," Azazer added. "Our time is up." To the others, he said in a louder voice, "The ship is currently on auto-pilot. We'd teach you how to pilot and navigate across the cosmos, but our time has slipped away. We've left instructions. Press the blue button to get them. Professor Leingod, if you need to get a hold of us, please contact Maria Traydor of Quark. Or if you come across The Diplo. Either way, she can help you in reaching us. Good luck. To all of you."

"Yes," Blair whispered as the ship faded from her view. "Good luck."

xXx-Destinies-Intertwined-by-Fate-xXx

Maria bit back a sigh and a scream of aggravation but shot a glare at the newcomers to the search party, Commander Stephen J. Kenny and his science officer, Devon "Cake" Saionji, all the same. It was bad enough she'd had to ask Albel Nox, of all people, for aid, but to have the Pangalactic Federation following her and her crew around as well?

'Unacceptable,' she told herself. 'Fayt is mine to find, not theirs.' She closed her eyes and inhaled a soft, hopefully inaudible breath. 'Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they'd want to get involved in searching for Fayt. The Vendeeni are threatening to destroy their outposts as well, and they probably have no idea on where to start looking for him, either. They're as much in the dark as Quark is where Fayt's concerned. Still, I don't buy his story about Fayt being his cousin. Surely that would have been in Professor Leingod's records or dossier files. Right? If not, why didn't Fayt at least mention it to me? Doesn't he know he can trust me with things like that? And what's up with calling someone Cake? Why does the commander do that every so often? I don't get it.'

"You okay?" Cliff murmured. He, Nel, Lieber, and Mirage stood close to her.

"Yeah," Maria nodded. "I just wasn't expecting the Federation to get involved like this, and I'm not sure why I wasn't. That's all. And I just don't buy his story that he's Fayt's cousin."

"I have a hunch he's telling the truth about that," Cliff replied. Maria tilted her head at him.

"Oh? Why's that?" she asked.

"Because of him." He gestured to Albel. "He didn't seem the least bit surprised when Kenny announced it like that, and he also seemed to be keeping some kind of a secret after that, a secret Kenny and Saionji seem to be in on. The knowing look that passed between him, Kenny, and Saionji?" Cliff shook his head. "It's a tad bit too coincidental for me."

"But why would Fayt tell Albel something like that and not us?" she asked, trying her best to stamp down on her frustration. "I don't get it."

"Maybe because Albel didn't have any previous judgments against him or about him. He also didn't have any secrets he was holding back from Fayt, either," Mirage murmured. All of them glanced at her, and the woman shrugged. "It's just an observation. From the time we retrieved him from Vanguard III, Cliff and I were keeping secrets from him."

"I hate to admit it, but Mirage has a fair point here," Cliff remarked, disgust seeping into his tone. "She and I did keep a few things from him after we found him on Vanguard III, and Fayt knew it."

"But you did so on my orders," Maria pointed out. "I couldn't have him finding out the truth in advance. He could have come up with some kind of story to justify what his parents had done."

"We did," Mirage confirmed.

"But it didn't stop him from suspecting something," Cliff added. "He knew I knew something, and he was getting pretty irritated with me when I wouldn't give him the straight answer he wanted. He was quite persistent on it, too. It's a wonder he continued to trust us at all when the truth did come out."

"It isn't like him knowing the truth any sooner would have changed anything," Maria countered. "If anything, it would have given him time to try and justify his father's actions, as I said."

"Maybe, maybe not," Cliff responded. "He might not have even believed us on it, at least not until the Vendeeni showed up here, shooting everything up the way that they did. He wasn't really inclined to believe you right away, now was he?"

"Well, no," Maria began. "It just wasn't a chance I was willing to take." She exhaled. "I know he should have been told sooner, but I also couldn't bear him either denying what his parents had done or trying to justify it. It hurt to know what I did."

"Except, from what I learned traveling with you, his father was justified in his actions, wasn't he?" Nel inquired, breaking her silence.

"I suppose that would depend on how you want to look at it," Maria replied frostily.

"You were given your powers to fight against the Creator, and you were kept in the dark. I can only speculate as to why. Those who are given great power can often times let it go to their heads," Nel murmured sagely. "Look at what happened to Duke Vox during our war with Airyglyph. He inherited great power as an adult, saw himself destined for greatness, even at the expense of his fellow Glyphians and the innocent lives of my people. Because of his great strength, his lust for power and dominance knew no ends. You might not have seen it, but my people lived it, endured it, and fought against it. Duke Vox did have great power, especially with the air dragons. Aside from Albel's father, Duke Vox commanded one of the strongest air dragons to ever be tamed. Not as strong as the Marquis but still strong. Imagine now if someone else had been given your powers, as an adult. Imagine the amount of destruction he, or she, could have caused by altering the lives around them alone because they were chosen to fight the Creator. While I see your point, I can also understand why Fayt's father acted in the manner that he had. Children who are given a power in secret and are raised unaware of it tend to be a little more humble than most when it comes to that power. The same cannot be said for most adults."

"I'm not sure if I should be grateful for that or even angrier," Maria muttered.

"It's simply a different perspective," Nel stated. "That's all. It's still your choice on how you wish to perceive what Fayt's father had done. I will remind you, though, his reasons for what he did were quite clear, whether or not you agree with them."

"I know," Maria stated as calmly as she could. The urge to punch Nel, however, coursed through her. She didn't need the lecture, after all.

"Are you?" Nel sounded skeptical. "Because you still sound angry and bitter over it."

"I . . ." Maria closed her eyes. "I am still angry over it, Nel. Understanding why the professor did what he did doesn't make the anger and pain go away. He still did what he did without permission from me, Fayt, or even Sophia, and it wasn't right. Period."

"Very well then," came the response. Startled, Maria glanced at the woman.

"That's it?" she asked. "That's all you're going to say? You're not going to try and convince me I need to let it go?"

"Letting go of your anger is entirely up to you," Nel stated. "If others have told you the same thing as I have, that the professor was justified in his actions and reasonsings, even six months later, then chances are anything further I have to say will fall on deaf ears. I will simply say this, though. In the event we find Fayt, you may find yourself facing a choice when it comes to your friendship with him. You can hang on to your anger towards his father, or you can let it go. What you decide will determine whether your friendship with him continues or if it withers and dies."

"Nel . . ." Maria began. "That isn't fair. I have a right to be angry at the professor."

"And it isn't fair to be asking Fayt to be friends with someone who hates his family, no matter how justified she is in that anger," Nel pointed out gently. "How is fair for someone you care about to be miserable in your own company? Fayt is not only dealing with the loss of his father still, but he'd be dealing with your anger on top of his pain as well. Is it fair to ask someone who is grieving, who will always be grieving that loss, to face that kind of hatred?"

Anger burned in Maria's heart over Nel's words and the truth within them. Despite learning the truth, she still despised both of Fayt's parents for what they'd done to her, to Fayt, and, to some extent, Sophia. Even more absurd in her mind, there was no way any of them could have consented to the experiments performed on them. They were too little and unable to comprehend the severity behind such a choice. Their parents had made that decision for them, a decision that had severe ramifications. The audacity of their parents enraged her. Even worse, she knew she believed that no one should mourn the loss of Robert Leingod, including Fayt and Ryoko . . . especially Fayt. Robert Leingod, in her opinion, failed as both a father and as a human being, no matter how justified his actions might have seemed.

"Is there a problem over here?" Commander Kenny strode over to them, an expression of curiosity and concern on his face. Maria forced a smile onto her face.

"Everything's fine, Commander," she said. "We're just waiting on you and your science officer."

"Huh." He regarded her with the same curiosity and concern. Maria stiffened.

'He could very well press the issue, and he's one of the last people in the universe I want to talk to about Fayt. Albel is the other. This is not something I wanted for this search. Dammit, Fayt, why did you have to disappear like that?'

"I see," Kenny finally stated. "Well, we're ready. At least, as ready as we're ever going to be. Please. Lead the way." He gestured to the empty corridor.

"Right," Maria muttered. "Let's go."

She turned and stalked away from him. Her quad scanner reminded her which pathways to take and which doors to enter, a way which proved to be far more efficient than Fayt's clueless wandering about. They reached the room where Aquaria's Sacred Orb remained. The wall separating them from the Firewall shimmered with energy. Maria paused for a moment.

"So," Cliff began when no one else moved forward. "Why did your crew contact you? They worried about us kidnapping you?"

"No, nothing like that," Kenny muttered. "My First Officer received a report from Earth, thought that I'd like to know what was going on with my aunt."

"Ryoko?" the blond Klausian echoed. "Is everything all right with her?"

"Yes and no." Kenny exhaled. "She's left Earth. According to Dr. Esteed, she left a message stating one of Fayt's friends appeared, but the friend didn't say who she was or why she was there. All my aunt said was she was leaving with Fayt's friend Earth for a while. No reasons given but that she was going to be all right. Shortly after that, a Vendeeni vessel was spotted decloaking near Moonbase and giving chase to an unknown shuttlecraft. The higher ups suspect the Vendeeni are after my aunt to try and lure Fayt out of hiding or to force us to procure him faster."

"And whoever visited Ryoko Leingod knew precisely when to show up," Mirage stated. To Maria, she asked, "Coincidence after the message we received from Blair?"

"Probably not," Maria said. The news of Ryoko's disappearance added to the frustrations building within her. She glared at Kenny. "Did your leaders tell you what they want us to do about this?"

"Just that they want me and my crew to keep looking for Fayt," he said. "Fayt is the priority, after all. They want to deal with the Vendeeni without Quark's aid, especially since this is more an infraction on our territory than Quark's." He offered her an apologetic look. "They suspect if Quark intervenes in any further negotiations, with Fayt still missing, it's only going to anger the Vendeeni even more, proving their point that either you or the Federation has him hidden away somewhere. We're trying to avoid more bloodshed on all fronts. The rebuilding process has been delicate for everyone. Of course, it's entirely up to you as to what you do. You're not part of the Federation. You can do as you see fit."

"Wouldn't not including Quark also be suspicious?" Maria inquired as lightly as she could. Internally, she seethed over the new information and over the Federation's dismissal of Quark for future negotiations with the Vendeeni. "I can always send someone on Quark's behalf."

"I think the Vendeeni have proven that they're going to be suspicious, no matter what," Kenny remarked with a shake of his head. "At this point, it's a lose-lose situation for both the Federation and Quark. The only way to get the Vendeeni off this massive hunt for my cousin would be to declare him dead."

"But they won't believe you, will they?" Nel asked. "At least, not without a body to prove it?"

"Wait, what?" Maria stated in disbelief. "Are you seriously considering killing your own cousin when we find him?"

"No." Kenny's expression turned to stone. "And I'm insulted that you'd even think that of me. Declaring Fayt dead and killing him are two different things. I'm saying that simply declaring my cousin dead would possibly help everyone involved, but your friend is right. Simply declaring him dead without some kind of proof wouldn't deter the Vendeeni in the least. They'd call us liars and keep attacking half of the universe to find him. However, if we could fabricate that proof . . ."

"Then the Vendeeni might feel like they're able to breathe," Mirage finished. "Is that correct?"

"That's the hope and the plan," Kenny answered. He raised an eyebrow at Maria. "Unless there's another reason why we shouldn't do that? Something that, perhaps, has to do with searching for our wayward Creator as well?"

Maria struggled with herself for a few moments, weighing the options before her. While he spoke, a variety of emotions flooded her, from outrage over the suggestion to how it could work, and why she didn't want to do it in the first place. Commander Kenny was correct. Declaring Fayt dead and using Luther's Workspace to create the proof would certainly go a long way in keeping Fayt safe, wherever he was. They could at least leave him in peace. But the part of her that desired Fayt, the selfish part, wanted to bring him back from whatever abyss he treaded close to, and she couldn't do that and have him on her ship if they declared him dead. Such a secret wouldn't keep.

Then there was the wildcard that was Luther. Maria's shoulders sagged a little upon thinking about him, and she nodded.

"Yes," she replied. "While the idea is sound, we also need to look for the Creator and get him back to his world so he can't harm ours any further. If we were looking for Fayt only, I might just agree to the idea, but we're not. It'd be highly suspicious if we kept nosing around underdeveloped planets such as this. Your commanding officers, the Aldians, and the Vendeeni would wonder why Quark is doing that. And, before you ask or say anything else, I'm keeping in mind the possibility that Fayt is with the Creator, somewhere in this universe. It's possible they're not even in the same place, but it's also something I don't dare risk. Lu– the Creator knows about Fayt's powers. I wouldn't be surprised if he found a way to use Fayt against us. Because of that, declaring Fayt dead and fabricating the proof is just too much of a risk."

"I highly doubt the Creator could get Fayt to do something he didn't truly want to do," Kenny remarked. "If they're together, as you suspect is a possibility, the diplomat in Fayt would come out, as I said before."

"And I haven't seen this diplomat you're referring to," she retorted. "Fayt is intelligent, I admit, but he's also incredibly naïve about how others operate. He hasn't experienced the universe the way that I have. I'm against using the Creator's technology to fabricate Fayt's death. Not as long as we're searching for the both of them."

"And if you find the Creator before you find Fayt? Would you change your mind then?" Kenny asked.

"We'll see," Maria said. "Now, let's get moving. We have a friend to save."

xXx-Destinies-Intertwined-by-Fate-xXx

The Pangalactic Federation officer, Stephen Kenny, was a fascinating man, Nel decided. They were an hour into Luther's Firewall, and already the man and his companion proved to be quite adept warriors, Saionji with a bow and Kenny with a blade. She leaned against the nearest wall, observing as the two cleaned their weapons and talked quietly between each other . . . and as Albel observed the duo from a slight distance, a bit of a scowl on his features.

'Fayt left some unfinished business with him,' she reminded herself. 'And it wasn't a lack of trust between them, not if he knows whatever it is that Commander Kenny knows about Fayt.' At that moment, the science officer laughed at something Kenny said, earning an even greater scowl from the Glyphian swordsman. Nel raised an eyebrow as she realized the scowl was more for Saionji than Kenny himself. 'Now that's interesting.'

"Fol for your thoughts?" Clair murmured. Nel tilted her head at her best friend and offered up a slight grin. From the corner of her eye, she watched Tynave and Farleen do their best to prep a meal for them. In a moment, she'd have to join them so their food wouldn't end up burnt or undercooked. Both women were formidable warriors in their own rights, but they were terrible cooks.

"Just trying to figure out the enigma that is Fayt Leingod," she replied in an equally quiet tone. She yanked her head at Albel. "He told Albel something about himself that he didn't share with the rest of us, and, whatever it is, it's put a stone in his shoe, so to speak, as much as it has Maria."

"I should have known you'd notice that, too," Clair remarked, shaking her head. "Do you think what Mirage and Cliff said about Fayt is true, too? About how he didn't quite completely trust us the way he did Albel?"

"I would have to say yes, given the look Kenny gave Albel earlier." Nel sighed. "When I first met Fayt, I made it clear I wasn't really interested in saving him out of the goodness of my heart. It was there, but it was also the truth that I was there to get whatever I could from him. I noticed it then but ignored it. He'd already been tortured by the Glyphians. Whatever they did to him put a darkness in his eyes that didn't happen with Cliff. Then I come along and say what I do, and it just adds to whatever he's feeling and hiding from us. Having someone to come and rescue you, not just because it was the right thing to do but because of a desired benefit? And after he'd already been hurt deeply somehow?" It was her turn to shake her head. "In a way, I'm surprised he chose to even trust me at all, let alone come after me to help save Farleen and Tynave."

"Fayt is certainly an enigma that way," Clair agreed. "So why do you suspect Maria is giving this esteemed commander the filthy looks? The same reason as Albel or for another reason entirely?"

"Hrm." Nel turned her attention away from Kenny and his science officer to the Quark members. Cliff and Mirage spoke just as quietly amongst themselves while Adray tried to get Lieber to muscle up more. Lieber's arm hung around Maria's shoulders as he tried to downplay whatever it was Adray was aiming for, but the Quark leader's frosty glare focused on the Federation officers with an occasional dart to Albel Nox himself. She then shrugged. "Aside from anger, I daresay it's a bit of hurt and betrayal so a bit opposite of Albel but at the same time, the same thing as Albel. Both are jealous of this deep friendship Fayt had with both Kenny and Saionji. Then there's the fact that Fayt kept a major secret from us. From all of us. It isn't as huge as the secret his parents kept from him, but it's still important all the same. I can honestly relate to her on that, at least. I do consider him a friend. I wonder why he didn't mention anything like this, but then I also get why Fayt might not be so willing to trust anyone with such a secret." She met Clair's gaze. "Of everyone here, you, Albel, and I can relate to Fayt's plight when it comes to who knows about your family."

"The almost crushing expectations." Clair nodded in sympathy. "Others wanting to best you to prove their worth . . ."

"Someone killing your father for personal gain . . ." Nel's gaze strayed to Albel once more. "While saying who his family was might not have meant anything to us, it would have meant something to Quark. Even if Maria might not have used such a thing to her advantage, someone else in Quark might have. It's a risk Fayt couldn't take, and I wouldn't ask that of him, either, not after everything I've endured for having a famous father."

"Indeed," Clair murmured. "So what do we do about all of this?"

"I'm not sure there's anything we can do," Nel remarked. She let out a soft sigh, and a longing for Fayt's presence filled her. If anything, he could have helped her to put her mind at ease over the many things troubling her. "And, in looking around, I can see just what it is that Fayt did for us. If he was here, all of us would be gathered closer, talking and laughing." She chuckled sadly. "He even got Albel to sing for us once, when we were on our way to entreat with Crosell over fighting back against the Vendeeni."

"He got Albel Nox to sing?" Clair covered her mouth to stifle her chuckle. She failed just a little bit. "That's quite amazing."

"Tell me about it," Nel replied with a slight chuckle. "And Fayt wasn't afraid to admit when he didn't know something, either, Clair, or when he was wrong. He just was eager to learn whatever he could. I think . . . I think that's how come it was a lot easier to follow his lead over anyone else's. He brought out our strengths. It isn't a knock against Maria . . ."

"But Maria still has a lot of anger within her," Clair finished. "I've noticed that as well since their return. Do you think she can let go of it before we find Fayt?"

"I don't know." Nel shook her head. "From what I understand from her, she lost her parents as a small child. They didn't exactly die in front of her, but they died protecting her all the same. Cliff and Mirage cared for her upon her mother's death, but it isn't quite the same." She exhaled. "I will say this, Clair. For her sake, I hope that she can let go of her anger, if not for Fayt's sake then for her own. Holding on to it, well, we both know how that can affect someone." She gestured to Albel.

"That we do."

The two friends fell silent. Nel observed Tynave and Farleen and their bumbling with the food for a few more moments then shook her head.

"I can't do it, Clair," she announced softly. "What they're going to produce is going to be inedible. I can see it already."

"Agreed. You might want to hurry, too," Clair confirmed.

She'd just taken her first step towards her most trusted spies when the ground shook. It threatened to topple her just as it snuffed out the fire that they'd built to cook their meal. Those sitting down scrambled as best they could to their feet, drawing their weapons. A high-pitched wail filled the air. Nel drew her daggers and circled around their group. Someone pressed against her back, someone with long tails.

"Just like old times," Albel remarked softly. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"Just a little bit," she conceded.

"Any idea as to what's going on?" he asked.

"No. Then again, I don't know much about these computers or anything like them," she admitted. "I don't know if this is some delayed reaction from Luther's meddling or if it's something else."

"Hrm . . ."

Together, they ensured the safety of their group while the siren shrieked away. The rumbling and alarm lasted for several minutes then ended as abruptly as it began. The lighting in the walls flickered and dimmed while the floor went completely dark. Dust settled across everything. Close by, Farleen coughed a little. Other than her, the immediate area remained distinctly and disturbingly quiet. The air thickened with tension.

"This can't be good," Kenny muttered. He and Saionji stood back to back, like she and Albel did, their weapons at the ready.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with you," Maria added. "Something isn't right."

Nel took the opportunity in the ensuing silence to stretch her senses out and to listen, stilling her mind and allowing her instincts to take over. She also murmured a small incantation under her breath. The war with Airyglyph had taught her to use her senses as much as possible. It was her ability to detect otherwise muffled noises that had aided her in freeing Fayt and Cliff from the Glyphian dungeons.

"There's someone else here," Albel muttered after a moment. "We're not alone. Not any longer." He jerked his head in the direction they were heading. "Whoever it is, they're ahead of us."

"That's impossible," Maria hissed. "There's only one way to get in this place, and that's the way we came."

"And what if it's Fayt?" Kenny asked. "What if he's decided to come out of hiding? Or if whatever just caused the ground to shake forced him out of hiding? Everyone's said they don't know where he went, but that it's also impossible for him to have simply left this planet."

"Is that even possible?" Albel murmured over his shoulder to Nel.

"I don't know," she admitted yet again, though she watched as the emotions and possibilities became readable across Maria's face. "I suppose that it might be. Kenny is right. Everyone has said that Fayt would need a ship to get off our planet, but Fayt hasn't been found anywhere in either of our kingdoms or in Greeton."

"But we searched every inch of this place," Albel pointed out. He hesitated a second then asked, "What if Fayt made it out of here using his Dimension Door attack? You saw how fast he could move with that. What if . . ." At this, he growled and muttered an inaudible curse, "what if he found his way back to 4D space and is living there somehow? We did have a doorway from our planet to that world. He wouldn't need a ship to get anywhere."

"And with Maria's powers of Alteration, he wouldn't need her to go back there, either," Mirage stated. All eyes turned to her. She wore a somber and reproachful expression on her face, but who the reproach was for, Nel couldn't say. Mirage had always been a hard one for her to read. She offered a slightly apologetic smile. "My apologies, but I overheard. It's something I'm kicking myself over. I wouldn't have thought about Fayt using the doorway to the 4D world to escape here."

"Fayt wouldn't go back there." Maria shook her head. "No way. He'd stand out way too much."

"Well?" Albel prompted to Kenny. "What do you think Fayt might have done to get away from us as fast as he did?"

"Honestly?" The commander shrugged. "I don't know what he might have done at this point. I know what he asked me to do, and I know I can't do it without offering some kind of proof to back it up. Beyond that, I'd have to say that anything is possible."

"Hrmm." Nel turned her attention in the direction where there had been no one else before.

"What is it, Nel?" Clair asked.

"A thought and nothing more," she replied. "Once I say it, we better determine if we have friends or enemies ahead of us. I can say I'm not really relishing the idea of a fight right now so I'm hoping we've found some newfound friends. As for my thought . . ." She shook her head. "I can't say that I was as close to Fayt as you are, Commander Kenny. I wish I could, but Fayt kept a certain distance from me. As you might have noticed, he kept a few things from most of us. With the way I treated him at first, I don't blame him. That said, I will say that Albel might have a point. Fayt could have gone back there, if he wanted to truly escape from us, but, if he did so, he only stayed long enough to find a different planet to live on before disappearing from there as well. Otherwise, Blair would have told us that she found him . . . wouldn't she?"

"The, uh, portals connecting our world to the 4D realm have been unstable," Maria announced. "Even with his Dimension Door ability, Fayt couldn't have made it there in time."

"Unless the pink witch's powers helped him to stabilize everything long enough for him to do so," Albel stated.

"Pink witch?" Kenny muttered.

"He's talking about Sophia," Nel stated gently. She then shrugged when Kenny and Saionji both scowled at the reference. "Albel's said way worse to Fayt, I'm sure, before Fayt earned his respect." To both Albel and Maria, she said, "Both you have some valid points here. When we find Fayt, we can ask him how he got off our planet. Speculating, however, isn't going to find us any answers. We can stand here, chatting and arguing about it, or we can find out who just appeared and hope that it's either Fayt or Luther. The choice is yours. Me? I'd prefer to find out who's joined us."

"That's a wise thing to say and to do," came the remark from an unfamiliar female voice. Nel adopted her usual defensive-ready-for-offensive stance. All weapons pointed at the woman standing several feet away from where they were. In her hand, she carried a torch and appeared otherwise unarmed. Her demeanor suggested that, while she intended no harm, she also was quite self-assured in herself. "We certainly mean you no harm."

"We? What do you mean we? Who are you?" Maria demanded. She kept her rifle pointed at the newcomer.

"Someone caught up in something she didn't ask for, to be tossed through time and the great star ocean," came the smart aleck and somewhat terse response. "My name is Eleyna Farrence, stripling girl. A little respect, if you please." She cocked her head a little. "After all, it seems like we were brought to this little group in the nick of time."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Albel growled. Nel placed her hand on the Glyphian's sword hand and nodded for him to lower his weapon.

"Eleyna Farrence?" Kenny echoed. "The Lady Eleyna Farrence?"

"Commander Kenny, do you know this woman?" Mirage inquired.

"By reputation only," Kenny answered. "She's, uh, something of a legend, if you will. Fayt could definitely tell you more about her than I could."

"And because of a children's picture, too, no less, I'm sure," Eleyna responded. She didn't sound amused to Nel. If anything, she sounded borderline irritated and frustrated.

"A little bit," the commander confessed. He lowered his weapon, which happened to be a katana-style blade. "There's also Roakian history, which has praised and lauded you as one of the best fortune-tellers. No one has been able to surpass you."

"Fortune-telling?" Maria echoed. "Please tell me that you're joking."

"A non-believer? That's all right," Eleyna replied, almost purring. "I can always handle those like you. In the meantime, however, we're wasting time with your disbelief. There are three others in a room not far from here. There is no immediate danger to anyone, but my husband and two of my companions were injured just before we were brought here. Your assistance is appreciated."

"We don't have time for this," Maria declared out of frustration.

"Maybe not, but, if Fayt were here, he'd help them," Nel pointed out. She sheathed her daggers. "He'd take that time no matter. Besides, a fortune-teller might come in handy in finding both him and Luther. Whatever brought her and her friends here, I'm grateful."

"She's right about Fayt," Cliff murmured. He stood close to Maria and leaned in close to speak with her. "And it won't hurt to have some extra insight in finding him, either. They might be able to think of something we haven't. Besides, we're heading in the same direction anyway. It'd be pointless to try and go around them when we already know we can't."

"I know." Maria shook her head and finally lowered her rifle. She glanced around and said, "Nel, would you be willing to stay with Tynave and Farleen long enough to get everything cleaned up? I'd like to get any serious injuries taken care of quickly."

"Of course," Nel answered. "We shouldn't be too long."

"Great. We'll wait for you in the other room. We can try resting up there instead."

Everyone except for her, Albel, Tynave, Farleen, and Clair followed Lady Eleyna out of the room and into the maze that was Luther's firewall. When it appeared the five of them were alone, Clair approached her again, and whispered, "A fortune-teller? Do you think she might be the real thing?"

"Bah," Albel scoffed. "You Aquarians always put too much weight into such nonsense. She's clearly a strong runologist and nothing more."

"That's definitely true," Nel murmured, getting what little bit that needed cleaned up picked up. "Yet, I also get the impression that not only can she tell fortunes and is a powerful runologist, but she somehow knew where to find us. We weren't exactly that noisy after the ground shook. Farleen was the only one who made any noise, and it wasn't even for that long. There's something definitely different about her."

"Do you think she'll be able to help us find Fayt?" Tynave asked.

"That remains to be seen. Now let's hurry. Fayt still needs our help, wherever he is."

xXx-Destinies-Intertwined-by-Fate-xXx

King Avalon fought the urge to collapse onto his throne the moment his military advisors and counselors left the room. His shoulders ached from the tension, and he wished for nothing more than this war to be over, with his people victorious, of course. Instead of simply just dropping into his cushioned chair, he lowered himself with as much dignity and grace as he could muster after several hours He slumped in his seat, though, and he stared at the map of the continent that hung on the wall opposite of him.

"I don't understand," he finally confessed in a murmur. "What is the reason for this war, Seltan? What do you hope to gain by attacking us as you have?" He exhaled. "And why hasn't anyone returned with the information I have asked for?"

A retainer entered the throne room at that moment. The young Elfling carried a silver tray in his hand. On the tray were a goblet and a pitcher, both forged of the finest gren silver, a wedge of white cheese, a quarter of a loaf of warm and golden bread slathered with butter, and a bowl filled with steaming soup. He offered the youngling a warm smile at his approach.

"As punctual as ever, I see, Meli," he said. "Tell me, what news have you heard in the castle walls?"

"Aside from the warrior of legend possibly returning to our kingdom? Not much, at least not within the castle's walls," Meli replied, shaking his head. His dark hair swayed with him. "A few nobles are chuckling over some antic they played on Master Leingod's House of Healing, and it is rumored that Master Leingod himself has hidden himself away inside. I heard a few guards whisper that he went to check on the new human, but no one has seen him since."

"Master Leingod has disappeared?" He accepted the tray from the boy, an eyebrow raised at the information the lad was giving him. "From what I've heard before, that's most unusual."

"In a way, yes." Meli fidgeted then offered him a bow. "Forgive me, my liege, it's just that my family has spoken with Master Leingod numerous times since his arrival. They've even consulted with him over various minor injuries and the like, and Master Leingod simply accepts donations from them in return, be it in the form of food, plants, or anything else he can use in his practice. It isn't lost on us that he doesn't sleep well."

"I have long since presumed something haunts him," Avalon murmured.

"Haunts and drives him to treat whoever seeks him out," Meli confirmed. "His exhaustion is always evident when I've seen him, yet he always speaks with kindness to everyone who is brought to him or seeks him out." The boy paused. "I would not be surprised to hear that it has all caught up with him and that he rests as we speak."

Avalon broke off a small chunk of the bread and dipped it into his soup. "And what of the possibility that Master Leingod knows the warrior of legend? Those who took the strange new human there said it seemed as if both knew each other."

"Then they know each other." Meli shrugged. "The numbers of humans grow smaller as the war continues. Those who come here to seek refuge are bound to know someone from somewhere, are they not?"

"Well said," Avalon murmured. He took a few bites of his food before continuing, "You said Master Leingod takes donations for his services? Does this include the medicines he's said to produce?"

"Yes, my liege." Meli tilted his head. "Why?"

"I have a task for you then," Avalon murmured. He picked up the gren silver butter knife from his tray and murmured a small incantation over it. He then handed it to Meli. "Take this to Master Leingod and ask for whatever this will buy you. Insist upon speaking directly with him, even if it means you must find him interacting with those under his care. I wish to know more about the potions and the like that he creates."

"Shall I simply tell them that I'm interested in becoming a healer?" Meli asked.

"In . . . becoming a healer?" Avalon echoed.

"Yes," the boy nodded. "Master Leingod, he allows those interested in healing to read for free. Some of the younger healers seek him out from time to time. It isn't mentioned much here in the castle, but it is spoken of in the city proper. There is talk of trades going on amongst select healers. They are seeing some of the same successes as Master Leingod . . . or so I have heard."

Avalon considered the option for a moment. It seemed that there were things his advisors didn't know and that his spies overseeing Fayt weren't telling him. He poured himself some chilled vinta and took a gentle sip.

'Or perhaps the spies aren't aware of what Fayt is doing when it comes to how he handles his business,' Avalon mused. 'Or perhaps they have told me, and I simply dismissed it because Fayt is human. Ah well. Either way, I know now. But what do I wish for Meli to do? That is the question needing the answer right now.'

"Tell me, Meli," Avalon began, "are you interested in becoming a healer?"

"Me? A healer, sire? No." Meli shook his head. "There are some things I'd like to know, yes. That I won't deny but to become a healer? No. I wish to live, sire."

"Live?" Avalon echoed, confused for a moment. Then he shook his head and muttered, "Ah yes. Healers are being targeted throughout the kingdom. Here is no exception."

"Yes. To become a healer right now is to invite certain death," he answered. "And I do not wish to do that to my mother. It would be another five years before she can have another child. If I can avoid causing her that pain, I wish to do so."

"Then it would be best to simply ask for the trade," Avalon answered. He pressed the butter knife's handle into Meli's hands. "This will turn into the coin needed for what I seek, and let me know if you hear of anything else along the way. Understood?"

"Yes, your majesty." Meli bowed then exited the throne room, leaving Avalon to finish his meal in silence.

'Fayt Leingod,' he mused. 'You are quite the enigma. Just when everyone has you figured out to be a typical human, just when I believe you to be a typical human, you do something to surprise me. Just what secrets are you hiding? I will find out what they are and soon. Pray that you do not invoke my wrath, Fayt Leingod, for it will be your undoing.'

Gren silver – a metal mined in the icy regions of the Velana Mountains

Vinta – an alcohol-infused punch made from a variety of fruits similar to pineapples, mangos, passion fruit, grapes, and strawberries

Author's notes: Here we are, a new chapter is posted! It took me a while, but it's done! I finished it yesterday, edited today, so all editing mistakes are on me still. If you do find something, please give me some key words so I can fix any and all mistakes. Yes, I've created stuff. Will these mountains come into play? Quite possibly. I'm not done torturing Fayt just yet!

Thanks to everyone who has read this story so far and stuck with me! Love you guys so much! I've been in a horrible funk lately, but I'm working on bringing myself out of it. It'll probably be slow, like getting Fayt out of his funk he's in so far. I know I have some other stories I want to update as well, some Hetalia and Avengers fics, but Star Ocean is my happy place right now.

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