Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Everybody hates Ciato ( Chapter 23 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier 1 or 2. SquareSoft does, and they're impressed that Gustave was able to hold court so well.

 

Guilty. The verdict had been guilty. Now, Rita was going to be put away. All that was left was for Gustave to announce the sentence that was due, and as the jury sat back down, he seemed to be pondering this. Execution was definitely on the mark, but in what form? Gustave couldn't figure out which one was most honorable. Finally, though, he forced himself to decide. He couldn't keep the court waiting for too long. After all, he knew Fuse and his own troupe had other cases to solve.

 

“As I see fit, Rita Andorf, you will be executed within the week,” Gustave said calmly, “By way of the Blade of Hahn Nova. Nebelstern, take her to her cell.” Nebelstern nodded, and with a stiff stride across the chamber, reached Rita, handcuffed her, and was leading her away. As they passed Gustave, he looked at the woman and said, “I suggest you behave yourself during your wait, or your death will be premature.” Rita said nothing as she left the courtroom with the officer after that. One by one, Gustave thanked and dismissed all manner of the court, and with the exception of his siblings and Kelvin, as well as Fuse's team, the room was emptied within the hour.

 

“I can't believe it settled that quickly!” Fuse exclaimed, walking up to where Gustave and Kelvin were standing, “Back in Trinity, we'd probably be in here all night. The world can rest a little easier now.” Gustave nodded, but his face looked too grim for someone who just served justice.

 

“I fear the damage to her nephews has already been done, though,” Gustave remarked sadly, and then to Kelvin, he asked, “How is your nose?”

 

“Broken, but it should be fine in a few days,” Kelvin replied, “So, will you all be staying?” He looked at Fuse, who shrugged.

 

“It depends on if we get ourselves another case,” the cop replied casually, “The bosses back home said this was the most difficult one, so I'm guessing we've got a pretty light load back at IRPO.” Gustave nodded, and Fuse grinned. At least for the rest of the day, they'd be staying here. Or so, Fuse had thought. He went to talk to Blue, but just as he reached the younger man, his phone rang. Annoyed, Fuse picked it up and said, “Yeah? Really? He… he's enlisting human help!? But… okay, okay! We'll check it out. Yes, we're still in the area. No, I don't know why a Mystic would be flying out this way. Fine. Bye.” He hung up his phone and sighed. Blue and Rouge exchanged worried glances, and finally, Blue decided to speak.

 

“What's wrong, sir?” he asked, his mouth frowning slightly.

 

“Some punk-assed Mystic decided that Facinaturu wasn't a good place to live, so he flew over to the Hahn Nova area and took residence here,” Fuse replied, “Unfortunately, he didn't actually tell Orlouge he's leaving, so the Mystic Lord filed a missing person report. And guess who gets to scout the little bastard out.”

 

“But isn't that a job normally for the guys on the second floor?” Rouge asked, raising a concerned brow as he crossed his arms, “Why involve detectives like us?”

 

“Two reasons, kid,” Fuse told him, “First off, this Mystic's a known trouble-maker. I doubt he'd keep his location too long before we noticed him. Second off, Orlouge has his suspicions about this Mystic. He's not dangerous, but he's been known to rebel against the Lord himself. If this guy has anything going on, we're to put a stop to it.” Blue nodded, but Rouge wasn't entirely convinced. If the man in question wasn't a threat, then there really didn't seem to be enough reason to call out their squad. Maybe it was simply because they were already in Hahn Nova.

 

“Did they say where this guy's living?” Rouge asked. Fuse hummed, and then shook his head, causing Rouge to growl with displeasure. The last thing he wanted was to go on a goose chase.

 

“They couldn't get specifics. Hahn Nova's a huge place,” Fuse told him carefully, “But they do know there are high levels of ore wherever he's living,” with this, he turned back to Gustave, “I have to ask, do you have any mines or underground caves near this place?” Gustave raised a particularly amused brow; it was clear he didn't know. Kelvin, however, nodded as he held a tissue to his nose, which began to bleed again. Fuse glanced at him, urging him to explain.

 

“There's an abandoned ruin far east of here. It's shaped like a very old coliseum,” Kelvin began, wrinkling his nose as it slowly stopped bleeding, “The center itself doesn't have any pathways, but there were a few smaller buildings around the area that had stairs leading downward. We've never been down there, but that's supposedly where the ore for all of our tools come from.” Fuse's eyes narrowed. He didn't like the sound of a ruin, but it was worth checking out; it was the only lead they had as of now. He looked back at Blue and Rouge, wondering their opinions on the ordeal. Rouge didn't appear to care too much. Blue, however, jerked his thumb to the rest of their group.

 

“Sir, I don't think we should take everyone with us,” he reasoned, “At the very least, not Maria, Darius, or Joker. They've had enough for their lives.” Fuse had to agree with that. He walked over to the rest of the group, and after a few minutes of debate… and arguing… an agreement was made. Maria, Darius, and Joker would be flown back to IRPO, accompanied by Roufas and Red. Emelia was flying back with them, but she had to catch another plane to Baccarat immediately after they landed. After that, Red and Roufas would assist Fuse remotely from one of IRPO's offices as Fuse, Blue, and Rouge descended into the ruins. It seemed a decent plan, and as the three in question watched as their friends climbed into their plane and take off, a new problem hit Rouge as their plane shrank within the horizon.

 

“Boss, just how do you plan on getting back home?” he asked flatly, and Fuse glanced at him, his eyes now wide with worry, “We're not swimming, are we?” Truth be told… or rather, untold, Fuse hadn't even thought of how to get home now, and he realized they were stuck in Hahn Nova unless he could find a way to get hold of another ship. No doubt, IRPO wouldn't be able to send one immediately. And, if what Nebelstern had said about their slow advancement into modern technology was true, he doubted Gustave would have a plane for them to use. Their boats were too slow. Fuse cursed, and wanted to throw a tantrum to his stupidity at the moment, but didn't. That wouldn't help their problem at all. Instead, he simply sighed.

 

“I guess we're just going to have to wait and see if we can get a signal out here,” Fuse told him, “We can get incoming calls, but making them is a tad more difficult, soldier. I'm sure someone will call us eventually, though.” He chuckled as he said the last part, but it certainly didn't seem to make Rouge feel any better. Nor did it lighten Blue up, either, as he too heard the concern from Rouge. Rouge's eyes narrowed as sweat rolled off of his head.

 

“Sometimes, your amount of concern towards our predicaments amazes me, sir,” he mumbled, and then turned to Blue, “Should we start our little search?”

 

“We might as well,” Blue replied calmly, though he too was nervous as to how they'd get home, “According to the map Nebelstern gave us, the ruins are about four miles east of the city. Even if we walk, it's no more than two hours. The question is, are we all up to it?” Fuse nodded; he was always up for a walk. Rouge, however, moaned miserably. There was no way he wanted to walk over four miles to one place. His expression must've made that clear, because Fuse looked over at him critically.

 

“Stop your griping, boy,” he said firmly, “Why, when I was in the army, we were hit when we cried. There's no reason we can't survive a 4-mile hike. I say we go.” And so, the great hike began. It took little enough time to get out of the city, but when they reached the wilderness was when it became difficult to cope with. The forest outside of the city was dense, and the water from an earlier storm hadn't yet soaked up into the earth, making the ground slippery and muddy, which slowed their progress. And, to make matters worse, monsters did indeed live there. Nothing that couldn't be taken out with a well-aimed Energy Chain, but again, it added to their slow progress.

 

“Can we gripe now?” Rouge finally asked, after nearly an hour and a half of tedious work had passed them, “How do you know we're even going the right way!?”

 

“There's only one path to take, Rouge,” Blue told him flatly, letting him look at the map, “Besides, Kelvin said the ruins were fairly large. I doubt we'd be able to miss them.” Rouge gritted his teeth. That was a point he couldn't argue with right then, and so, they continued on in silence. Everywhere they turned seemed to go on forever and ever, and by the time they even reached one clearing, the sun was beginning to sink in the afternoon sky, sending pink edges along the clouds. Blue looked up at the sky as Rouge slumped against a tree, tired out from their trek in the wilderness.

 

“Please tell me we're nearly there,” he panted heavily, ready to collapse the moment he moved again. Blue hummed, and examined the map a little more. According to it, they were very close, but as he looked around, he saw nothing even relating to the fact that they were near any sort of ruin at large. Carefully, he picked his way through the brush to the north, and emerged in another clearing. There, he finally saw traces of the ruin in question. Limestone bricks, no bigger than the ones used in his homeland, littered the ground around him, and as he surveyed the entire scene, he saw that there were smaller buildings around the large, circular coliseum as Kelvin had said. Excitedly, he turned back to where he had left Rouge and Fuse.

 

“I think I've found it!” he called, and immediately, his companions ran over, gasping at the sight they now beheld. The coliseum itself was in rather remarkable condition, considering how long it must've been standing. Only a few chunks were missing from the large dome. The buildings around it, however, looked much less impressive. Most of their roofs had fallen and caved in on themselves, and a few walls were crumbling as well, making it easy access to any thieves looking to pick the area out. Rouge looked around the area and whistled.

 

“This definitely looks creepy enough to house a few Mystics,” he commented, “But which house do we go down?”

 

“I don't think it matters,” Blue told him calmly, “If what Kelvin said about an underground mine is true, I bet they all lead to the same tunnel system.” Fuse nodded his head, silently agreeing. They picked the closest entrance available, in the form of a tiny shack that looked like any form of weight would knock it over. It was too small to house anything useful, but the entrance into the underground was just tight enough to fit. They climbed down the rocky, slippery stairs, Blue noticing instantly that the temperature dropped as soon as they reached the bottom, and that the light only spilled so far from the top; the rest of the light came reflecting off of tiny pieces of ore.

 

“Wow, it's so beautiful!” Rouge whispered, eyes widened as he studied a piece of red ore, “Think this is where Furgo got all the ore he used to make our school supplies?” Blue laughed; he didn't actually know what the old man did, but he had found that Furgo was importing something illegal to the Magic Kingdom. And, judging from Rouge's question, he found out about the smuggling as well.

 

“I have no idea,” Blue replied, amused, “Why don't we go back and ask him?”

 

“Blue, we've been booted out of the kingdom for the rest of eternity,” Rouge reminded him bitterly, “Damn assholes couldn't even thank you for kicking the lord of Hell's butt just because we accidentally trashed the place. I say we're better off without them!” Blue laughed again, feeling bad that he had reminded Rouge of just why they were forced to live in Devon. Fuse simply rolled his eyes; he didn't do a background check, but he didn't want to hear a sad story, either. Before Rouge became too involved in his anger at their masters, Blue urged him to continue along, with Fuse turning on a flashlight to help them see even further. It was damp in the tunnels, and every time a drop of water splashed onto the ore, it made a gentle chime that echoed throughout the entire tunneling system. It was loud; all three of them were worried the Mystic might bolt if he thought he was being followed.

 

“Now that I think about it, I always wondered what Mystics deemed as nice homes,” Fuse commented, grinning as he looked around, “I myself enjoy a nice apartment, but it looks like these guys will always love darkness.”

 

“Princess Lion actually hates it in Facinaturu,” Blue told him, glancing behind him at the cop in question, “She wants to know what the outside world is like. She's only been there a few times. I think that's why so many Mystics run away. They don't like Facinaturu as much as they used to.”

 

“Oh, and I can't see why,” Rouge stated sarcastically, “I'd have thought they loved their spindly castles and their bats' nests… and their mountains! So many damn mountains in Facinaturu. It's like they're afraid of humans. Well, I mean, they probably are, but damn! We're not that bad, are we?” Fuse chuckled as they continued down a rather steep climb… or more, a descent.

 

“Considering the fact that we think some of them are monsters, I'd say they think we're bad enough,” Fuse told him calmly, and then suddenly stopped, “…do I hear rushing water?” Blue and Rouge came to a halt as well, and listened. Something did appear to be trickling in the distance. Raising a concerned brow, both brothers walked ahead toward the source, and within a moment, came to a large, circular chamber where a waterfall was rushing from one of the pipes grafted into the wall. It splashed into a large pit down deep below on another level, but what truly worried Blue were the workers gathered around. When they saw Fuse's flashlight, some of them screamed and cowered, but a quick word from Rouge calmed them down.

 

“Whoa, whoa! Stop! We're the police!” Rouge yelled, knowing he was hard to hear over the sound of rushing water, “We're on your side!” Fuse carefully walked over, looking at the workers with the help of his light. They were terrified of something, and their pale skin was proof that either they'd been trapped here for some time, or there was something that was tormenting them. One brave soul of a worker rushed over to Fuse.

 

“Are you really from IRPO!?” the worker asked, reading Fuse's nametag, “Oh, thank heavens! There's a monster in this cave! It's scaring all of the workers, and no matter what we do, it just won't leave!”

 

“Calm down, good citizen,” Fuse said sternly, taking out a notepad, “What exactly did this monster look like?” The workers looked at each other, all of them shivering as they recalled just what their newfound horror looked like.

 

“Well, it looked kind of human, but it had bat wings!” one cried, “Big, giant, black bat wings! And it's hair! Oh my god, I've never seen such purple hair in my life! And those red eyes! I'm telling you, he was a monster!” Fuse's lips tightened. That was no monster; in fact, he had seen who was being described back in Orlouge's castle. He turned back to Blue and Rouge, both who seemed to have recognized the description as well.

 

“That sounds like Ciato,” Rouge said bitterly, frowning, “Somehow, I don't know whether to be surprised or not.” Blue actually laughed. Ciato was probably the most rebellious Mystic on earth, so it didn't surprise him at all that the old bat would move here. He chuckled a bit, and then shook his head, his chest heaving with amusement.

 

“Let's go and get him, then,” he said, grinning, “I'm going to guess Orlouge's not too angry at this, but Ciato will probably cause some havoc if we don't put him in line.” Fuse nodded, agreeing completely. Ciato had been reported enough times to be burned into the older cop's memory for life. Blue then turned to a worker and asked, “Where is this monster of yours?”

 

“Right this way,” one worker replied, and led them away from the waterfall to a path on the other side of the chamber. The stairs went downward, but even so, the light reflecting off of the ore was much brighter, as though Ciato's magic was invigorating them. The smell of fresh earth and metal was strong, and almost refreshing to Blue as they continued to descend the dark tunnels, whose walls slowly changed from a dark, rocky grey to a polished blue. The blue was so shiny, that it actually acted as a mirror, reflecting everyone perfectly as they walked. Staring only for a second, Blue accidentally walked right into the worker in question, who shivered and pointed into another chamber. “In there… it's in there,” the worker replied. Blue nodded and thanked him, and then walked casually into the room, with Rouge and Fuse close behind. Ciato was definitely inside, lying on a bed of coins and ore, which he either found or just stole for his own use. His wings ruffled calmly as he held one coin in his pale hand, smiling at it. However, out of the corner of his eye, he did catch a movement by the door, and turning his head, he happened to see Blue.

 

“…oh man, not you again!” Ciato cried, dropping the coin, “Let me guess… Orlouge called you all to find me, and now you're going to drag me all the way back to Facinaturu.” Fuse snorted. That was a highly accurate accusation on the Mystic's part. And, if only to prove the point further, Fuse took out a pair of cuffs.

 

“You got that one on the nose,” Fuse replied, “Now, come on, you've been arrested enough to know the procedure.” Ciato simply rolled his eyes and moved up off of his bed, but Blue took the cuffs away.

 

“Sir, I don't think we need to arrest him,” Blue stated, and then turned to the Mystic in question, “Why did you run away this time?” Ciato blinked, never having actually considered the question. He had no reason, honestly. He laughed nervously.

 

“I guess I just felt like it,” Ciato replied, “I mean, Orlouge's okay, but he's doting on his little harem too much. I want to have some fun, too! I'm sick of babysitting a bunch of bratty girls because Orlouge likes having umpteen some-odd girlfriends! I figured, if I left and started my own colony, I could finally have the dream I planned for myself, and not some stupid job that I was assigned because I happen to be Orlouge's servant.” Blue actually laughed at that explanation, causing the Mystic to glare at him furiously.

 

“Wow, Rouge, he sounds like you,” Blue commented, “You two might just get along.” Rouge glared at Blue as well, and then noticed Ciato was looking at him.

 

“He is good-looking for a human,” Ciato commented, and Rouge's eye twitched.

 

“Stay away from me!” he cried, leaping behind Blue, “This freak should be arrested for staring at a cop! Fuse, book him!” Fuse shrugged, taking the cuffs back, but Blue sighed, and this time, actually imploded the cuffs. He shook his head, and looked over at Ciato.

 

“Okay, I know you're angry with Orlouge, but what about Ildon and Rastaban?” Blue asked, raising an eyebrow, “They're going to be taking the brunt of his anger over you. Do you really want to put them through that?” Ciato looked up thoughtfully, obviously considering what Blue had just said. It was a sound gesture.

 

“I guess not,” Ciato replied finally, “I mean, Ildon's a bastard sometimes, but Rastaban's a sweetheart. He'd be heartbroken if I didn't come back and take the two of them along. I know they're tired of living with Orlouge, too.” Ciato grinned, and then actually noticed the effect his words had. Blue's face was flushed with crimson, and Rouge's eyes looked ready to pop. Only Fuse seemed even remotely calm about what Ciato was implying. The Mystic himself was starting to laugh at their reactions, and Rouge earned him the highest enjoyment.

 

“…WHAT THE HELL IS WITH YOU PEOPLE!?” Rouge yelled, not caring how loud he was, “You've got a ruler who has billions of wives, and then you yourself are in some screwed up love-triangle with Ildon and Rastaban! Don't even get me started with Asellus and…”

 

“Shut up!” Ciato snapped, suddenly frowning, “So we're of different sexual orientations than you! So what!? You don't see US yelling at YOU for being such close-minded bastards! Now, are you going to arrest me for running away, or are you going to continue making me feel bad for having a boyfriend… or two…?” Rouge's eye twitched again, and he screamed, telling Blue that this was entirely up to him. Likewise, Blue agreed, silently worrying that Rouge's brain might have actually snapped. He sighed.

 

“Calm down, Ciato. No one's trying to make you feel bad,” Blue replied calmly, “Rouge's just sore with the idea. Most guys think he's a woman, so he's touchy when it comes to that. But, we do need to at least tell Orlouge where you are so he's not assuming you to be dead.” Ciato seemed to calm down from that, and nodded, glancing around the room he'd made his residence. He sighed; he didn't actually want to go back to Facinaturu, but he did miss both Ildon and Rastaban enough to actually let himself be arrested.

 

“Fine, we'll go back to Facinaturu,” he said grimly, frowning, “Just… don't… don't blow up like that in front of Rastaban when we get there. You might actually make him cry.” Blue hid a snort and simply nodded, but Rouge rolled his eyes, unable to believe just how much he found out about Ciato within five minutes of speaking with the Mystic. Silently, the four of them walked out, and back through the tunnels, the workers cowering as Ciato came into view. He simply grinned and waved, causing more alarm from the workers, until Fuse threatened to kick him, which got the Mystic going again. Finally, after a brief, brisk ascent, they were back up into daylight… or whatever was left of it. The wind was brisk, the sky cloudless and a hazy orange. Ciato looked overjoyed as he breathed in the air and said, “Wonderful! This would be a perfect night for flying.”

 

“Speaking of flying, boss, we still have no way of getting this idiot to Facinaturu,” Rouge reminded Fuse bluntly, crossing his arms, “Now what do we do!?” Fuse growled and glared at Rouge, obviously not appreciating the total lack of respect the magician showed for him. Blue glanced at both of them, but it was Ciato himself who offered help.

 

“Don't you guys have that Regional map you use to jump around the world?” he asked, “I've seen you use it once.” Blue blinked. He had nearly forgotten about that! But his had been destroyed in Hell. Sadly, he hung his head.

 

“I no longer have mine,” he said sadly, “And Rouge… Rouge?” Blue glanced and saw Rouge take something small out of his pocket, grinning all the while, especially as Blue asked, “Where did you get that!?”

 

“I… might have taken it from Indigo back at the kingdom,” Rouge said, and then laughed as Blue exclaimed, “You… YOU STOLE FROM THE DEAD!? ROUGE, ARE YOU CRAZY!?”

 

“Seems I'm not the only one who has an odd quirk about me,” Ciato commented, smiling. Rouge twitched again, and Blue simply ignored the Mystic as he worried himself into a frenzy over Rouge's theft. Even Fuse seemed shocked that one of his own men committed a crime.

 

“Wow, son, I have to say that I find that a little deplorable,” Fuse said sternly, and Blue smiled… until Fuse's next sentence came out, “But, if it'll help us, I can let your little theft slide.” Blue's eyes widened in pure disbelief, and Rouge grinned even more. He unrolled the map, and pressed on the continent that was marked as “Facinaturu.” Almost instantly, they were thrown into a pocket of space as the world below them spun like a globe, finally stopping on the continent in question. Then, slowly, they descended from the pocket of space onto the world below, and then they fell so quickly that within seconds, they somehow landed. And now, they stood right outside the gates of Orlouge's castle. Ciato looked around, mostly unimpressed by the scene.

 

“Oh goody, I'm right back in hell,” Ciato growled, and then yelped as someone rapped him on the back of the head, causing him to fall over. Angrily, he scrambled up, and saw his attacker was none other than Ildon as he said, “Damn it, why did you do that!?”

 

“For making everyone else worry about you,” Ildon said sternly, frowning as he crossed his arms, “I myself almost hoped you'd crumpled up in a heap and died, but I guess someone up there just doesn't like me too much.” Ciato's eyes narrowed, and Blue seemed intent to just watch what unfolded between the two Mystics.

 

“That's not a nice thing to say to someone you've been with for the past two hundred years,” Ciato stated, and then asked, “How's Rastaban doing?” Ildon uncrossed his arms, and for a second, his stern expression broke into a softened sadness as he looked down. It was obvious that Rastaban's condition wasn't good.

 

“He's still recovering from whatever you did to him,” Ildon spat bitterly, “I'd half a mind to kill you myself for almost killing him. He begged me not to, though why he still loves you is a mystery to me. I know I've had it with you and your double-crossing ways. Is that why you ran away?” Ciato shook his head, his usually prideful grin broken and his feelings stung by Ildon's words.

 

“Of course not,” Ciato replied gently, “Ildon… I had every intention of coming back for you both. I ran away because I'm sick of watching over Orlouge's women. I wasn't trying to double-cross you. Nomad… Nomad was a mistake.” Blue was surprised to find that he actually pitied Ciato right now, as the man's mistake really was kicking him now. Rouge was even more surprised to find he felt the same way as well. Ildon's eyes lost some of their hatred toward Ciato as he looked at the Mystic.

 

“…Orlouge is pissed right now,” Ildon warned calmly, looking up at Ciato, “I think you'd better see him before we visit Rastaban.” Ciato sighed; he was waiting for this to come. And, he knew it was better to see his master sooner rather than later. He nodded, and Ildon turned around, opening the large, ivy-covered gates into the huge castle. The two walked inside, and a quick glance from Ildon told Blue that they were permitted to enter as well. They walked across the large, expansive chamber; two paths spread out from the left and right, and the northern wall was adorned with two large staircases that wound around the circular room, with a large door in between the staircases that led to the throne room. In the middle of the current room was a large pedestal, depicting a beautiful, red rose in its center. Rouge shivered as they passed it.

 

“I keep forgetting how creepy this place is,” Rouge commented, as Ildon led them to the throne room. Even from the doorframe, Blue saw Orlouge sitting on his throne, joined by two of his princesses, Asellus, and Lion, who looked ecstatic to see Blue as she smiled warmly. He waved back, and then looked to Orlouge as Ildon formerly introduced the two parties. The Mystic knelt down, dragging Ciato with him so he could show proper respect.

 

“Dearest Lord Orlouge, these men have returned with Ciato, unharmed,” Ildon reported, and then glared at Ciato, “Unharmed for now, anyway. Do you wish to reward them for their mediocre performance?” Orlouge chuckled, amused with Ildon's distaste for humans, and nodded, peering at Blue and Rouge.

 

“I remember you both,” he said calmly, “You have done me yet again a great service. I thank you kindly. Perhaps passage into Facinaturu and access to my best forces when you need them is enough?” Fuse's mouth dropped open in disbelief, and he was about to yell a strong protest, when Blue intervened. He knew anything Fuse said would definitely be taken as an insult. Besides, Orlouge's gift may prove incredibly useful later.

 

“Yes, sir! Thank you!” Blue said quickly, Fuse glaring at him all the while, “We accept your gift with nothing but gratitude!” Orlouge chuckled, sensing why Blue was speaking so quickly. It all amused the Charm Lord greatly. He looked over at Asellus and nodded, allowing her and Lion to see their friends now, both of whom ran over to them. Asellus hugged Rouge as Lion dove at Blue, her ears flopping over.

 

“I think you both are starting to place some trust back into your race with us all,” Asellus replied softly, as Lion said, “I always knew there were good men out there somewhere! Orlouge said he didn't believe me, and even he was wrong!” Orlouge chuckled again, as Lion and Blue stood up, both looking over at Ildon, who seemed to be arguing with Ciato over something. Finally, when the Mystics realized they were being watched, Ildon sighed and walked over.

 

“We're going to see Rastaban now. Will you come with us?” he asked, glaring at Ciato all the while, who stuck his tongue out childishly. Fuse nodded.

 

“Of course. Besides, if your friend dies, we need to take Ciato in for assault and murder,” the cop replied, as Ciato moaned angrily. They left Orlouge, Asellus, and Lion, and went up to the second floor, Ildon leading the way to where Rastaban was kept. They exited the central tower and crossed the bridge extending high about the city below, and finally came to a smaller tower, where Ildon pushed open the door. There, Princess White Rose sat, watching a figure as it rested in bed. That figure was Rastaban; pale, sickly, and nearly lifeless. He smiled as soon as he saw Ildon.

 

“Nusakan says I'll make it,” he whispered, as Ildon walked over and took his hand, “It was a heavy spell, though. He's surprised I lived.” Ildon nodded and kissed Rastaban's cheek as Ciato stalked over slowly, frowning as he looked at the man's frail form.

 

“I'm sorry I did that, Rast,” Ciato replied, “I had to make it look convincing, though. But… no one should experience Pain Double like that…” Rastaban simply smiled at him, his blue eyes filling with tears as he held Ildon's hand in one hand, and Ciato's in the other.

 

“I'm just glad you came back to us,” Rastaban replied, “I… was so worried… you left.” Ciato nodded as Ildon sighed heavily.

 

“Likewise, I was terrified I'd lose both of you,” Ildon added, a slim smile finally crossing his face, “I'm glad you both are safe.” Blue smiled as the three Mystics hugged each other, and Rouge looked ready to throw up whatever he'd eaten that day. Fuse seemed the least inspired to react as he watched, and finally whistled.

 

“Well, all's well and good, and no one needs to be jailed,” he commented, as everyone in the room looked at him, “I'd say we did all right today. Let's head back to office and see what else we have to do.” Blue arched a concerned brow, and Rouge sighed, shaking his head. They hadn't actually been given any rewards, but Fuse didn't appear to care much for that now; it was obvious he was getting sick of Facinaturu. When Rouge didn't respond, Fuse angrily turned to him, brows furrowed as he pointed to the map in Rouge's belt.

 

“Take that map out and use it, soldier, or you're fired.”

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

Well, at least Blue and Rouge managed to get Ciato back to Facinaturu without losing any vital organs, and at least they had a tour of Hahn Nova as well. But, they may have learned more about Mystic romance than they wanted to see. Anyway, once they had back to IRPO, what other jobs will be assigned to them? Will the offices even be open after Rita's attack on the building? And how close are they to actually paying IRPO off for Rouge's debt? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!