Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Everybody Hates Ciato: The Sequel! ( Chapter 29 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and they hate my portrayal at their characters! I say they need more character development then!
 
“I can't believe you made me call that little son of a bitch,” Rouge grumbled, as he and Blue simply waited on one log that sat at the edge of the room. Ciato had agreed to come over to help them, but it was mostly just to torment Rouge. Asellus also promised to be there, and she was hoping to bring White Rose, Lion, Ildon, and Orlouge himself to help, if she could swing it. Blue didn't know how many Mystics they'd actually need, but the set-up so far seemed all right. Ildon and Ciato were both very powerful by themselves. Blue glanced at his volatile brother and snorted.
 
“Well, what would your suggestion have been?” Blue retorted sharply, crossing his arms, “Don't tell me you were thinking of magic.” Rouge's lips thinned. In all honesty, he was. He was sure that if they fused into Aubergine, they could move all of that gold. Hell, they could just shoot straight upwards and make a shortcut into Baccarat for that matter!
 
“…fine, then. You don't get to hear my awesome idea,” Rouge said, “It's much better than relying on that bastard and his lovers.” Blue rolled his eyes. He'd given up trying to get Rouge to lay off the subject of Ciato's sexuality, but it clearly bugged the mage. And, Blue knew he'd be listening to his brother for hours before anyone even showed up. He had half a mind to just abandon Rouge, but his big brother instincts always kicked in before he could force himself to walk right out the cavern. He simply let out a heavy, frustrated sigh.
 
“It could be worse,” he reminded Rouge clearly, and the younger mage looked at his brother skeptically, “Fuse could be here.” Rouge snorted. That was true enough, and as much as he respected his boss, he had to admit Fuse had enough of his insane little episodes for an entire squadron of soldiers. And his stories would waste the valuable time they could be using to think. He grinned.
 
“Good point,” Rouge conceded, “I wonder where he is, anyway?”
 
“Still asleep. That's what he was like when we left him,” Blue replied, “And if he got up, he's doing a terrible job looking for us. How hard can it be to search Baccarat for two of his men?” Rouge snorted again, but just as he went to reply, his phone went off. Sighing, he flipped it on, expecting it to be Ciato just to annoy him, but to his surprise, it was Fuse. He blinked as he listened to the voice scream, “WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU TWO!?” Even Blue had to look over in slight worry at the sheer volume of their boss's voice.
 
“Uh… well, boss, don't get mad, but…” Rouge began, but Fuse was too busy ranting and raving about their disappearance to even have heard the frightened magician.
 
“I wake up from a nap to find you both not only not in the hotel room, but out of the entire resort! Where in all that is law-abiding are you!?” Fuse demanded again, “I've been looking for over two hours!” Rouge's lips thinned again, and Blue knew he was getting too nervous about Fuse's violent fit to find a way to answer him. Sighing, Blue took the phone from Rouge to try and smooth things over. It wasn't that he didn't feel Rouge was competent; he just knew his brother's limits.
 
“Sir, we're currently in the caverns under Baccarat,” Blue answered, “A bartender named Mikey can verify that.” He heard Fuse pause from his bout of rage for a moment before the disgruntled cop spoke once again.
 
“…and why the hell are you there?” Fuse asked, a bit calmer than before, “That's no way to vacation, boy.” Blue snorted. He couldn't believe that after everything that happened, Fuse assumed they were just trying to have some fun. If only he knew the truth. And, Blue intended to give it to him, complete with a scolding as well.
 
“Because we were doing our jobs while you were napping,” Blue replied, and Rouge burst out laughing, “Rouge found some very good leads, and while we were exploring them, three thugs accosted us and brought us down here.” He heard Fuse drop something on the ground, and another long pause.
 
“…are you both all right!?” he asked, genuinely concerned that his best men were hurt. Blue nodded, remembering Fuse couldn't see him.
 
“We killed them with the help of some friends,” Blue stated, leaving out that their friends were monsters that used to live in the cavern, “And we found the gold that was stolen. We've called a band of Mystics to help us carry it all back. They should be here soon.” Blue heard the ensuing silence and had to hold back a laugh. Obviously, his idea to call on the Mystics wasn't taken very well. Fuse just blinked, unable to find just the right word to convey what he thought on the idea. Finally, though, he knew it'd be rude to just keep Blue waiting.
 
“…well, as long as you get it back,” Fuse finally said flatly, and Blue could tell he hated the idea of asking Orlouge for any more help, “Should I inform the dwarves?” Blue hummed, wondering if that would do. He had no idea when he could actually get the gold up there, but if the dwarves were around to see that it was safe, then there truly was no harm in it.
 
“Yes,” Blue replied, “That might be best. Tell them we might not have it up right away, but we have found it.” He barely heard Rouge getting up off of the ground before he heard Fuse give an affirmative and hang up. Then, he shut off his phone and looked around again. Somehow, hearing his boss's voice reminded him of how lonely the cavern was. Sure, Rouge was right beside him, but the cavern was huge; the gold was no substitute for either light or company. For a long moment, he stared at nothing, only snapping out when Rouge finally poked him.
 
“You okay, bro?” Rouge asked, sounding very worried as he looked over at his brother, “You've been staring at nothing for a while. Did Fuse piss you off?” Blue chuckled, and shook his head. Even if Fuse had gotten Blue angry, he wouldn't have worried Rouge so much. He ruffled his brother's hair.
 
“No,” he replied gently, as Rouge smiled, “I'm just… thinking. Today's just been a long day, and for some reason, I just feel… nervous.” Rouge nodded, his small smile vanishing again. He seemed to be searching for an answer to Blue's nervousness. He leaned back after a moment, letting his head rest in his arms.
 
“It's probably shock,” he concluded, “You're probably just still recovering from being chained up, bro. We weren't hurt, but the darkness alone was enough to strip my nerves.” Blue nodded. Truthfully, he didn't think it was shock, but he saw no point in arguing with Rouge. After all, the younger mage was just trying to help. He merely patted his brother on the back, and let the silence continue. It felt odd, not having to worry about monsters coming out to attack them, but Blue welcomed the peace, albeit with tension in his mind over what to expect. He had no idea how any of the Mystics took to being called out so far from their world, and Ciato in particular could get pretty aggressive if he wanted to make a statement. Finally, a small light shone in the cavern, and Blue looked up as Rouge slipped off the log, startled to see any form of light at all. Blue squinted his eyes, but couldn't see anything beyond the slim ray of light.
 
“Who's there?” he called. Out stepped a figure, his long, green hair flowing behind his purple cloak, and behind him, another Mystic in black armor stood, his own long, white hair tied in a tight ponytail. It was Ciato and Ildon.
 
“You called for us?” Ildon asked calmly, holding a lantern high enough to shine just a dim light upon the magicians.
 
“Where's the pile of crap you asked us to move?” Ciato demanded, and smiled when he saw Rouge, “Hello, my beloved human beauty.” Rouge made the motion to throw up, and Blue suppressed another chuckle. Always leave it to Ciato to make Rouge uncomfortable in any serious situation. But, for Blue, that would need to wait. They had a job to do, and not liking to waste his time, he stood up, walked over, and immediately shook Ildon's hand, the Mystic giving him a grim smile that suggested he'd rather be somewhere else right then. Blue personally didn't blame him; he remembered the condition Rastaban was in the last time he'd seen him.
 
“Thank you for coming,” Blue said calmly, taking the lantern from Ildon, “Are there any others?” Ildon nodded, taking something else out of his cloak. It looked like some form of paper to Blue, but the dim light made it difficult to tell what it actually was.
 
“Yes. They're waiting out in the tunnel,” the Mystic replied, “Ciato and I are to bring forth the carts, and then send them out to Asellus, Lion, and Orlouge to bring the rest of the way.” Blue blinked. He didn't remember saying anything about carts at all. Nor did he understand why Ildon would assume there was one to begin with. Anyone who knew anything about Baccarat knew the tunnels underneath had been abandoned long ago. Any carts that were there were scrapped beyond any use.
 
“Carts?” he inquired, perking an interested brow at the word. Ildon nodded, placing his free hand on his hip.
 
“How else did you think we were going to move this gold?” he asked, his green hair sprawling when he tilted his head, “Don't tell me you thought we'd carry it all in our arms.” Ciato snorted smugly as Ildon spoke, knowing that was exactly what Blue was thinking. Rouge's lips thinned, and he decided to help his brother with the impatient Mystic. Or, so he hoped to do.
 
“Not to sound mean or anything, but where the hell are you going to get the carts?” he asked, a tone of skepticism in his voice. Ildon tapped the piece of paper against his hip, giving both magicians an incredulous stare. He felt the answer was obvious, but obviously, neither magician agreed.
 
“Orlouge supplied me with some spells to fix that,” he replied, with just a hint of irritation. He unrolled the paper, and beckoned Blue to bring the lantern just a bit closer. The words were in a language Blue couldn't understand, and the yellowing edges indicated the scripture was quite old. It didn't surprise him too much; Mystics had no true uses for carts, and he wondered why they'd have a scripture to summon one at all. When he asked, Ildon merely said, “Just in case we need to help with human affairs. You humans aren't adept at having everything you need underground.” Blue's eye twitched, and now he could see why Rouge didn't like Mystics. They were bastards when they knew they were right. Ciato and Ildon faced each other, and closed their eyes, murmuring the words on the scripture. Rouge and Blue merely watched as a faint light glimmered between the two, growing in strength with each word that passed their lips. Finally, the light was bright enough to illuminate the entire cavern, setting sparkles off of the gold in the center, and emitting a green glow from the walls, where the moss was growing thinly. As Blue looked, he could only describe the cavern as beautiful. Without that light, all he had seen was black walls, with only a hint of color from very few stones, where the magic of the monsters remained in only tiny traces. Now, he could see the full beauty of their habitat, and was glad to see that even monsters had a sense of peace in them.
 
“I wonder if the dwarves knew about this?” Rouge asked, referring to the color of the walls, “What do you think, bro?”
 
“I'm not sure. If they did, they didn't like it,” Blue replied calmly, and gasped when the light grew brighter still, until it took shape and produced seven large, steel carts. Both Mystics opened their eyes, and Ciato grinned widely at their work. He didn't know just how effective such an old spell could be, but the result obviously pleased him. He looked back at the magicians.
 
“All right, my darlings. Let's load this shit up,” he said. Ildon nodded, and with Blue, walked over to the nearest of the large pile and began filling one cart up. Blue had no idea how they planned to push the carts; they were easily going to weigh twice Blue's weight when they were full, but he didn't question Ildon on that. Mystics had proven more than once that they knew what they were doing. Rouge reluctantly went to help Ciato, who simply beamed when he saw he'd be working with Rouge. Rouge had to work hard to keep his eye from twitching, and ultimately, he ended up warning Ciato not to touch him in any way.
 
“If you hug me, kiss me, flirt with me, or pet me in any way, you die,” Rouge growled, making it very clear that he meant his threat. Ciato simply nodded, agreeing to that entirely. Rouge bent down to scoop up some of the gold and dump it into the cart, and was both relieved and surprised that Ciato made no comments. He felt that was for the better, and so he continued onward, though he noted that Ciato didn't appear to be working. Rouge blinked as he looked at the gold. Why was that? He got his answer later when something pinched him on his backside, and he yelped, throwing the coins up into the air. He turned and glared angrily at Ciato.
 
“What the hell did I just get through telling you!?” he screamed, causing Ildon and Blue to stop and look over at them, “Keep your disgusting hands off of me!” Ciato just snorted, and Ildon shook his head, unable to decide if he should be surprised or upset in any way.
 
“Technically, you said I can't hug or pet you,” the Mystic replied coolly, “You never said I couldn't pinch you.” Rouge's eye twitched furiously, and Blue knew his brother was going to snap. He ran to try and step in, but he was too late. Rouge finally lost it.
 
GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!!” Rouge screamed wildly, his voice reaching a pitch so high, that Blue was sure he'd break down soon, “STAY AWAY!!! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!!” His breathing became weak and shallow, and Blue put his hands on his twin's shoulders to try and calm him down. But Ciato was pushing him too far. At that point, Asellus, Lion, White Rose, and Zozma rushed in, all of them wondering what the screaming was about. Ildon simply frowned, knowing he should have nipped the problem in the bud the first time he'd seen it.
 
“I think you need to leave,” Blue said, as Rouge's eyes watered, tears streaming down his cheeks, “My brother told you to leave him alone more than once before. I accept and understand you, but my brother has asked again and again to keep to yourself. Now get out of my sight before I impale you.” For once, Ciato frowned, finally realizing that he just terrorized a human, something that was severely against Mystic code. He backed away, and looked at his fellow Mystics, but not one of them seemed to either sympathize or understand what had happened. Asellus looked over at Ildon.
 
“What happened?” she asked, “What did Ciato do?” Ildon continued to glare angrily at Ciato despite answering the younger Mystic's question.
 
“Damned idiot was harassing Rouge, that's what happened,” he growled. Zozma's eyebrows pinched together in frustration.
 
“I thought you were in love with Ildon and Rastaban!” he exclaimed toward Ciato, whose face paled, “What, they not good enough for you now!?”
 
“…Orlouge separated us when he found out I cared about a human,” Ciato replied, “I'll be waiting up top, then.” With that, leaving the group in utter silence, Ciato walked out of the cavern. Blue blinked, but didn't let go of his trembling twin, who turned and buried his face in Blue's uniform, the tears splashing onto Blue's shoulder. He patted Rouge on the back.
 
“Will your brother be all right?” Lion asked, truly concerned as she drew her sword, “Want me to murder Ciato for you?” Blue snorted, but Rouge just shook his head. As much as he hated the Mystic, he knew death wouldn't solve anything. He pulled away from Blue slowly and looked at him, sniffling as he dried his cheeks off.
 
“I'm sorry,” he said, “We have a job to do and I'm ruining it.”
 
“Are you sure you'll be all right?” Blue asked him, “I'm not risking your life. Not after the first time… not after our battle.” Rouge nodded, and smiled.
 
“I'll be okay. I might need to sit for a few minutes, but we should get moving,” he said. Blue nodded, and this time, he worked solo with the Mystics as Rouge sat down to rest for a bit. With five Mystics helping, the job took very little time. Asellus and White Rose were in charge of using magic to push the carts to the entrance, whereas Zozma, Ildon, and Lion would help Blue fill them up. Orlouge was at the entrance, where he used his incredible mental energy to cause the carts to levitate up the hole into the parking lot. Only once did he back up the cargo when he snorted at Rastaban's shrill scream at Ciato for what he did to Rouge. In fact, everyone heard him, and only Rouge didn't find it the least bit funny. He didn't know if his scream was even warranted, but it felt right at the time. Now, he wasn't so sure. As the last cart was sent along the magical track the Mystics set up, Blue walked over and sat down next to his brother. For a moment, he let Rouge continue in the silence, but his instincts told him Rouge needed his help.
 
“Feeling any better?” he asked gently. Rouge hummed, but didn't respond in any other way. Blue sighed. This was the last thing he ever wanted his brother to feel. He patted Rouge on the shoulder and said, “It'll be okay. I'll make it clear he's to keep away.”
 
“I just don't get it,” Rouge replied suddenly, and Blue looked at him critically, “He cares about a human, but he treats me like this. What the hell is going through his head, bro? Why me? Why not the stupid idiot he does like?” Blue bit his lip. He knew what was going through the Mystic's head. He knew it too well. Lion had been the same way when he first met her; the only difference was that she was female, and Ciato was clearly male. He sighed.
 
“I think… you are that human, Rouge,” Blue replied, and when Rouge was about to scream again, he said quickly, “I'm not saying you have to return his feelings, but just think about it.” Rouge shook his head violently. There was no way he'd ever accept that, not in a million… no, a billion years! He wasn't…
 
“I'm not into men!” Rouge screamed, “Blue, just shut up! Just shut up and go away!” He turned away, and Blue sighed. Rouge was going to be touchy on this subject. Blue could understand that, and now he was glad he had been woken up out of his power-crazy past. If he hadn't been here for Rouge, the poor boy would've gone completely insane by now. He just patted his brother's shoulder.
 
“I'm sorry,” he said sincerely, “I'm going to go and make sure the gold's good. You can stay here if you need to think… but give me a call later, okay? I don't like worrying about you, and I'm really worried.” Rouge waved him away, clearly sour with the thought of talking to him anymore. Blue let out another quiet sigh and left Rouge alone. There was no helping him, at least not for now, and sometimes Blue wished Rouge had left him dead in Hell. Maybe Rouge wouldn't have been put in so much danger if Blue hadn't been around.
 
Rouge didn't know how long he had been down there, but he knew it'd been for quite a while. By the time he even looked up to see the cavern walls, everyone else had left. All that remained aside from himself was the stony silence that emanated from the chamber. There was no gold, and the glowing stones had long faded at that point, the absence of the monsters becoming obvious to the otherwise inanimate objects as the hours passed. Rouge pursed his lips, but didn't feel in the least like moving. He knew as soon as he reached the outside, Ciato would be there. But then again, so would Blue, and Rouge wanted to see his brother. He hadn't meant to drive his own twin away. He sighed.
 
“I'm sorry, bro,” he said to nothing in particular, “I didn't mean to get angry like that.” He knew there was no way Blue heard him, but a tiny part of him hoped to hear an `it's all right' from his brother. It'd comfort him to hear he was forgiven. Surely, he knew he would be, but to hear it would bring welcomed comfort. Even to hear a `you were immature' would be better than the silence he pushed himself into. He looked up at the ceiling. It offered nothing but the same silence the walls gave him. The air felt thin, something that he didn't expect; he expected tension to wrap itself around him, but Blue seemed to have taken it with him when he left. Rouge shook his head. Why did Blue always feel so responsible?
 
“Well… at least he can't take responsibility for my actions,” Rouge decided, and finally stood up. His legs felt weak from how long he'd been sitting, and he quickly guessed it was much more than the hour he gave himself. Stretching out, he looked around the chamber and truly noticed that the once-soft glow of the walls had definitely faded. He could no longer see the difference between the emeralds or the rubies ingrained into the stone. He squinted his eyes, but that only made the room appear blurry to him. His lips thinned.
 
“I might as well start going back. I promised Blue I'd call him,” Rouge reminded himself, and took out his cell phone. He quickly dialed Blue's number, and faintly smiled when he heard it ring. He just hoped Blue didn't turn off the phone. To his relief, ten rings later, someone picked up.
 
“Hello?” to his absolute shock, it was Princess Lion. He slowly blinked, and then answered her as calmly as he could.
 
“Lion, is Blue there?” Personally, he didn't want to think about why Lion had his brother's phone, but she gave an affirmative, and a moment later, he heard Blue's calm voice, bringing with it a wave of strength for Rouge to emerge from the chamber into the dark tunnel.
 
“Rouge, are you all right?” Blue asked over the phone, and Rouge winced with the knowledge that Blue's worry only increased with the hours, “I've been worried sick, as has everyone else.”
 
“I'm fine, bro. I'm coming up,” Rouge replied, and after hearing a sigh of absolute relief on the other end, he quietly asked, “Is Ciato up there, too?”
 
“…yes,” came the reply, and Rouge winced again, “He feels terrible about what happened, too. He said he'll leave if you want. He's waiting by the elevator right now.” Rouge paused. Now was the best opportunity to sit Ciato down and truly talk to him about how he was feeling over the attention. The answer was plainly obvious: Rouge didn't appreciate it. But it was also clear Ciato didn't really care. And, there was his final statement; he `cared for a human' and had been broken away from Ildon and Rastaban for it. Sure, the two Mystics understood their former lover's reasoning, but that still broke most Mystic codes. Orlouge had broken away from Lion when he found out she fell in love with Blue, but he also understood and had softened since his defeat and subsequent revival. Mystics and humans needed to begin to bridge the gaps, and he understood Orlouge was working especially hard to atone his mistake. All of it was clear as a bell. And Blue was ultimately right. Rouge was that human, whether he wanted to admit it or not. But damned be the Mystic, why did he take such pleasure in tormenting Rouge over it? A simple talk would save them both such pain. When Blue asked for Rouge's answer, he knew he was keeping his brother too long.
 
“Let him stay. I need to talk with him about this,” Rouge stated, wincing again at the severity in his own voice, “It's important for both of us.” Blue nodded, and after a quick see-you-later, they both hung up, leaving Rouge once again in the light silence of the empty caverns. He breathed deeply. He didn't really want to talk to Ciato, but if the Mystic left feeling as he did, Rouge wouldn't be able to sleep with that either. And over-the-phone conversations were no way to deal with problems. This was the best shot he had. Ciato had clearly understood the consequence for what he continued to do. It'd do him good to feel guilt, but to feel unresolved shame was something Rouge understood all too well; Blue himself had gone through it again and again. To hell if he even put Ciato through that. Slowly, he began his walk through the tunnel, thinking again and again about what he could say to avoid hurting the Mystic further. There really was no easy way to explain it all.
 
`Besides, why do I care if I hurt him?' a tiny voice in his head called, `He hurt me, didn't he?' That still didn't make it right. It wasn't entirely Ciato's fault, anyway. Either for his behavior or his sexuality. His behavior was simple; he was just used to getting his own way and being a bitch to getting it. But the latter… what else could he do, now that Rouge thought on it. Orlouge had made it clear all women were his. What was left for Ciato and the other princes? Even humans were essentially forbidden to them, just recently not so much. Rouge's eyes narrowed gently. The more he actually thought of it, the more sense it made. Ciato had no choice but to love men unless he wanted to risk death, and it had to be frustrating as all hell for him. Rouge stopped again.
 
“Am I… feeling sorry for him?” he asked himself, frowning, “He doesn't need pity, but I… damn it, Blue, why are you always right!?” He didn't expect to hear a chuckle, but he heard it and knew he was too close to the entrance. A moment later, Blue popped his head down the hole in the ceiling, and grinned, waving just slightly.
 
“I'm older than you, brother,” Blue reminded him, just short of being smug, “Of course I know more than you.” Rouge's brows pinched together.
 
“Oh yeah? Well, you're going to grow old first, too!” Rouge shot back, “Which means you'll be dead long before I am!” Blue smiled and rolled his eyes.
 
“I'm not that much older, Rouge,” he said flatly, his voice going gentle again as he asked, “So, are you feeling better? You seem in a much better mood from when I left you.” Rouge nodded, and jumped up, catching Blue's arms so he could help Rouge up. With a gentle heft, Rouge was out of the hole, standing in the parking lot. The gold had been safely brought up, something he was glad to see. Asellus, Ildon, White Rose, and Lion were discussing something off to the sides as Orlouge spoke to the dwarves, with Fuse supervising the meeting. Rouge glanced toward the back, and saw that Ciato was there, with Zozma currently trying to drag him forward to face the magicians. Rouge frowned, and Blue crossed his arms as Zozma finally managed to get Ciato over, the latter of whom did not want to be there anymore.
 
“…” For a moment, the two simply stared at each other, and then, Rouge waved a hand and said, “Hey.”
 
“Hello,” Ciato replied calmly, his frown deepening, “I should be on my way.” He turned to leave, but Zozma was faster. The red-haired Mystic grabbed his arm and shook his head.
 
“Whoa, buddy, you ain't leaving yet,” he said sternly, “You and this dude need to talk.” Ciato threw Zozma an angry, venomous glare, but didn't try to leave again. Zozma did have a point, as much as Ciato hated to admit it. He sighed and turned back to Rouge, who seemed entirely confused as to what Ciato would possibly say to him. He waited patiently, but Ciato didn't speak a single word. Zozma glanced at the white-haired Mystic and asked, “Well? Aren't you going to speak?”
 
“Some things don't need to be said,” was all Ciato replied with, and he turned to leave again. Rouge was surprised to find himself disappointed with the Mystic, and Orlouge looked over with only a slight trace of concern on his face as the dwarf closest to him spoke to Fuse. Blue looked at Rouge quickly, but said nothing, and finally, Rouge himself spoke up. If he had any chance of getting his point across, he'd have to instigate the conversation. He took a deep breath.
 
“And some things shouldn't be run away from,” he called after Ciato, who halted, the mage's words shocking him, “So get your ass back here, Mystic, because we seriously need to set some ground rules.” Ciato turned to face him, his already pale skin becoming just a slight tint paler. He slowly returned, and Rouge noticed faintly that much of the conversations toward the others had stopped. He growled; Ciato didn't need any more embarrassment over this. He turned to Blue and asked, “Can you ask if we can have a room to speak in?” Blue nodded, and fifteen minutes later, Rouge sat in a small room with Ciato. Zozma and Blue were there, but only to keep them from killing each other or escaping. Otherwise, they were to remain silent, which was something all were fine with.
 
“…well?” Ciato asked, when Rouge let the silence continue for just a second too long, “You spoke of rules?” Rouge nodded, his gaze stern and unyielding. Either this would go his was, or not at all. Ciato seemed capable of understanding that.
 
“First of all, I can accept that you like me,” Rouge began, but his tone belied his actual sympathy, “I accept it, but only that. I do not return it…” Blue noted the hesitancy, but Rouge was already continuing on, “You are not to touch me unless I say so, understood?” Ciato nodded, crossing his arms. He seemed to be taking this as seriously as Rouge was, something Zozma jotted down as a mental note for later.
 
“Understood,” Ciato replied, nodding, “What else?”
 
“I do not appreciate the flirting. You're to stop that as well,” Rouge told him, “One slip-up is fine, but don't make a habit of it or you'll be eating Energy Chains for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And trust me, they taste like shit.” Ciato snorted. He had never `tasted' magic before, but he wasn't about to go against Rouge's words. He just nodded, an odd smile on his face.
 
“Understood again,” he replied, and with a smug grin, added, “Darling.” Rouge gave him a short glare, but didn't comment on that one. Doing so might only result in more of Ciato's constant rebellion against others' wishes.
 
“Lastly, if you stalk me, I'm calling the cops,” Rouge replied, and that was the one that gave Ciato the most amusement as his slender brows rose to an almost unreal degree.
 
“Funny. I thought you were a cop,” he replied, and Blue gave a small laugh. That was correct, and Rouge's face flushed when he remembered that he did have the authority to arrest Ciato himself. Though, in his mind, he had a feeling Fuse would find a way to let the Mystic free. He quickly shook his head free of the thought.
 
“I am, but I'll be too pissed off to not kill you,” Rouge told him, only a trace of amusement in his voice, “And as much as you offend me, I want justice, not instant death.”
 
“How noble of you,” Ciato remarked sarcastically, and Rouge flipped him off before continuing.
 
“Fall in a ditch, asshole,” he grumbled, and at Ciato's grin, said, “Do you agree to my terms? Or should I blow your head off right now?” Ciato's slender brows rose again, truly wondering if Rouge would actually be able to kill him. He doubted the young mage could, but be knew the boy would at least try. He slowly nodded; he didn't like the rules, but he would abide by them. After all, he did have an interest in Rouge.
 
“I agree,” he stated, and both of them stood. Rouge held out his hand, and Ciato instantly replied with a curious look. Obviously, he had never actually shaken hands before. Zozma just snorted; it was one of the few times he had ever seen Ciato not know what to do next. Blue didn't display any sign of noticing the look, but Rouge knew that was more out of politeness. Nothing slipped by Blue completely unnoticed.
 
“Then so be it,” Rouge replied, “Let's shake on it.” Ciato blinked, and slowly took Rouge's hand. He gave it a hefty shake, and then smiled genuinely. Rouge raised an eyebrow of his own, and before he could react, Ciato bent down and kissed his hand, and then said, “I'll be off then. Come, Zozma. Let's report back to Orlouge.” Zozma snorted and shook his head, and the two Mystics left the room. Blue gave a small chuckle, and then looked at his brother. He could barely contain his laughter when he saw Rouge's face; it was splashed with crimson, and his eyes were dead tiny at that point. If Blue saw a manifestation of complete and utter shock, Rouge would have been it. He gently patted his twin's shoulder.
 
“Will you make it?” Blue asked, as Rouge's eye twitched. He expected Rouge to scream bloody murder, but no sound emitted from Rouge. He just stared at the closed door, an odd grin frozen on his face. Not because he was particularly happy with Ciato, but because he was too shocked to know how else to react. His eye twitched again, and slowly, stiffly, he turned to his brother.
 
“I'll be fine as soon as I murder that idiot,” he replied, in a calm that was rather eerie to hear in Blue's ears. But he shrugged it off. It would pass as soon as they left the room. He wrapped an arm around Rouge's shoulder and led his twin toward the door, opening it and stepping into the hall.
 
“Oh, don't murder him yet,” Blue joked, “We don't have the authority to actually get away with it.” Rouge actually laughed, and Blue was glad to see something could cheer his brother up. They walked down the hall a short distance, passing the receptionist on the way. She gave them a cheery wave, but only Blue returned it. Rouge was too busy considering Blue's words, and when they reached the elevator, he turned to Blue.
 
“You think Fuse would murder him for me?” he asked, and Blue snorted. That was a likely possibility, if only to give Fuse a reason to use his blaster. He pressed a button on the elevator and shook his head, even though he knew all too well that Fuse could very possibly, very probably, say yes.
 
“I wouldn't try asking him unless you're prepared to list the pros of breaking all of those laws,” Blue told him, “He's not very law-abiding, but he loves to think he is, and whenever you're dealing with Fuse, you need to work with his logic, not your own.”
 
“And his logic is that he's right and everyone else is an idiot,” Rouge concluded, and Blue nodded an affirmative to that remark. Both of them laughed, and when the doors slid open, they both walked into the elevator. As the doors slowly slid shut, only one voice could be heard, and its speech made the receptionist raise a critical brow as to their entire conversation. Not that she heard most of it, but she had heard the parts about murder, and this last part made her wonder just who she had been waving at.
 
“Never hurts to try to ask, right?”
 
-----------------------------(End Chapter)
 
And so, with the gold safely returned, and with Ciato understanding Rouge's rules to etiquette, all seems well and good for our two magicians. But, is that all there is to Baccarat, or is there something more to the casino resort than meets the eye? What of the Mystics in the parking lot, and were the surviving thugs, if any, arrested and thrown in prison? What will happen between Rouge and Ciato now, and will Ciato actually heed any of Rouge's warnings? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!