The Day the Moon Shines
By: deep.Indigo

Chapter 1: Koin no Omote to Ura Mitai da
(It's Like the Surface and Reverse of a Coin)

As Vyse, Fina, Gilder and Aika ran through the cold metal corridors of the Grand Fortress, daringly escaping from the heartless prison a second time, they heard behind them ominous footsteps, so precise and unhurried that it could only be one of the Admirals of the Valuan army.

"Dammit!" Vyse cursed, sliding to a skidding halt on the recently over-waxed floor. "They found us out!"

"Well, shit," Gilder spat. "We were so close to getting out, too… Heh!" He smirked, reaching for his gun. "Can't expect to be lucky all the time, eh?!" Aika grimaced, moving into a battle stance. "It just better not be that muscle-bound freak again," she muttered.

"Not so fast!" Vyse stated, turning to his comrades. "We can't all get stuck like this, not when we're so close. You guys keep going and find a ship, and I'll hold whoever it is here so you can escape."

"Vyse, you've gotta be kidding!!" Aika shouted, throwing down her hands. "There's no way we'd leave you here!"

The young Air Pirate smirked and winked at them. "Don't worry, I won't lose!" he assured them. "Besides, I'll be right behind you. So just go!!"

Fina hesitated, then nodded. "Thank you, Vyse," she said softly. "And...be careful!" She quickly turned and fled. Aika and Gilder hesitated likewise, and then turned to follow the lovely Silvite lady.

"Don't get killed, Vyse!" Aika shouted back as they left.

The brunet pirate gave her back the thumbs-up. "Don't worry!" he shouted back before turning to the approaching Admiral. "Now, whoever you are, show yourself and let's get this over with!!"

From the shadows of the doorway opposite Vyse, the newest Admiral appeared, light and darkness playing across his slender frame. Vyse knew better than to take him lightly, though.

"You're a fool to face me alone," Ramirez stated without emotion, drawing his sword.

/Maybe I am a fool,/ Vyse thought to himself, but he didn't allow himself to show that doubt. Smirking instead, he threw back, "You gotta take some crazy chances sometimes to win!"

"You can repeat that to yourself when I run you through," the emerald-eyed Admiral retorted coldly.

"You can repeat that when you come and get me!" Vyse snapped in reply.

Ramirez raised a snowy eyebrow and shook his head. "How childish," he muttered, and began to walk leisurely, his silver sword in hand, towards the impudent Air Pirate.

Meanwhile, Vyse sweated, trying to think up a plan. His foot slid slightly as he tried to hold his ground, and he glanced down. With sudden revelation, his eyes widened. /This floor...it's really slippery,/ he realized. /If I could get Ramirez to charge at me, I could hit him at the last moment to overbalance him and make him fall, and make my escape then! But what do I do to get him angry enough to run at me...?/

He smirked slightly as he got an idea.

"Hey, Ramirez! Your momma dresses you funny!! Momma's boy!!" Vyse shouted, flipping the silver-haired swordsman the finger.

Ramirez halted, astounded by Vyse's stupidity. "I don't have a mother," he stated flatly. "Idiot."

At this, Vyse faltered, but quickly recovered. "I thought Galcian was your mommy! That's right! That's right!! He tucks you in at night and sings you bedtime stories!"

Twitch, twitch, went the snowy eyebrow. "Lord Galcian is a man, you imbecile," Ramirez hissed, his eyes slitted.

/Yeah! Soft spot!!/ Vyse cheered, hoping he wouldn't get horribly mutilated for his reckless daring. "You could've fooled me!" Switching to a falsetto voice, Vyse made a stereotypical gay pose and chirped, "Ohh, look at me! I'm Lohd Galcian! I have no balls! Look, look, hea's my li'tle boy, Ramirez! Isn't he so cute in his little sailah suit!?"

"You are DEAD," Ramirez snarled, his eyes burning with verdure fire as he readied to cut down the impudent Blue Rogue.

Switching to a different falsetto, Vyse moved into a new position and continued, "Hi, I'm Ramirez! I'm Lord Galcian's bitch! Don't I look so cute in this dress he made for me?"

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!!" the silver-haired young man screamed, charging with his sword facing Vyse point-first.

It was only Vyse's thief agility and speed that saved his life. Just in time, he leaped out of the way, grabbed Ramirez's collar, and spun him into the wall, causing the murderous Admiral to crash face-first and fall brutally onto the overly slick floor.

/Wow. Cool. I actually did it,/ Vyse marveled as Ramirez's sword fell from his grasp and clattered several feet away, well out of his reach.

On the floor, Ramirez twitched. "You..." he seethed, attempting to stand again. However, sharp blades of acute pain burst through his back, which had sprained when he had landed, and with a surprised cry, he collapsed again.

Blinking with wonder, Vyse's curiosity got the better of his good sense. Stepping over to the fallen Admiral, he squatted down and poked his arm. "You okay?" he asked.

Ramirez's arm shot out and grabbed Vyse's, and through sheer willpower, he managed to pull himself up and shove Vyse against the wall he himself had hit. "Fool!!" he snarled. "If you had just had the sense to run away, you would have lived!!" In a swift motion, the young Admiral reached for his emergency dagger, hidden inside his sleeve, only to discover it was missing.

Vyse grinned and held up a short but deadly sharp blade. "Looking for this?" he queried mischievously before tossing it far away. "You shouldn't ever underestimate a thief!"

"Damn you!!" Ramirez snarled, quickly recovering from the shock, but before he could lunge for the young rogue's throat, an explosion of pain burst at the back of his neck. Eyes wide and twitching, darkness became his world, and Ramirez blacked out in Vyse's arms.

"Lucky!" Vyse breathed, drawing his cutlass away from behind Ramirez, having smashed the hilt of it into the base of the young Admiral's skull. He pushed him off and began to make his escape, but something made him reconsider and look back at Ramirez's prone form. His expression softened with faint pity as he regarded the unconscious Admiral. /It's not as if he would have shown me any mercy,/ he mused, /but...it was a really cheap shot... Ah, what the hell!/ Sheathing his blades, Vyse picked up Ramirez, slung him over his shoulder, and started to run as fast as someone carrying over a hundred pounds of dead weight could.

The Blue Rogue ran down the corridors and navigated the elevators, heading for the docks. With any luck, they had already secured a ship...assuming there was one there to begin with. He shook that worry aside, focusing instead on getting there first. He was just thankful that he hadn't gotten into any fights, which was amazing, considering the place was in an uproar, and also considering he was carrying one of the Valuan army's Admirals on his shoulders.

Riding a lift up to the battleship docks, he spotted Aika standing near one of the most enormous ships he had ever seen. "Wow..." he whispered, staring at it. "That is one big ship." Turning his attention to his childhood friend as the lift landed, he called, "Hey, Aika!! I'm here!"

"VYSE!" the pig-tailed girl cried out, then did a double take when she saw who he had with him. "Wha—? Vyse, what are you doing?"

Vyse laughed nervously, scratching the scar on his left cheek. "Well, uh...'s'kinda a long story...well, y'see, after you guys left, this guy—" Vyse swung around the unconscious Ramirez to show Aika exactly who he was toting, "—showed up, and I was all thinking, 'Oh, shit, I'm so dead'. But you know me, never say die, and, well, I managed to disarm him and then, I, uh, sorta knocked him out." As Aika gaped at him in disbelief, Vyse was vaguely aware that he was babbling, but he continued regardless. "And, well, I was gonna leave, but then I sorta felt guilty, so I sorta took him with me... ...but, anyway," he continued, "shouldn't we be getting out of here?"

"Vyse, are you INSANE!?!" Aika nearly screeched. "That's RAMIREZ, for crying out loud, Ramirez!! He shot down the Little Jack and its lifeboats, and then he burned down Nasrad!! He's an Admiral for the Valuan army, meaning the Valuans are SO going to come after us for having him on board, and have you forgotten how strong Fina said he was?!"

Vyse sighed. "Considering what I did to him, he's likely to come after me anyway..."

Aika just stared at him, all but asking the obvious question.

"Besides..." he continued, "doesn't Fina know him? Maybe she could talk to him..."

Throwing up her hands, Aika sighed. "Vyse, I hope you know what you're doing."

"It'll be okay, I'll think of something. Hey, where's everyone else? On this ship?" the young rogue inquired.

Aika blinked and looked back behind her. "Huh? This thing? Yeah..." Turning back, she sort of half-grinned and said, "We've got our own special Valuan guest, actually... C'mon!" Grabbing Vyse's free hand, not giving him time to ask questions, she all but dragged him towards the massive airship. His childhood friend steered him directly to the bridge, where they met up with Fina and Gilder. There was another youth, one Vyse didn't recognize, with flaxen hair and a regal posture.

"You a—" Vyse started to ask, but stopped as everyone stared at him. Or more accurately, what he had with him.

The brown-haired rogue laughed nervously yet again and unceremoniously dropped Ramirez on the floor, figuring if the young Admiral was already going to murder him for the insults he'd thrown at him earlier, throwing around his unconscious body wouldn't make much difference. "Surprise!" he said with a shaky half-grin.

Everyone blinked.

Vyse laughed a little, nervously. "It kinda just happened," he explained sheepishly as Fina knelt by Ramirez' fallen body, examining his condition.

"...Vyse, you're crazier than I thought," Gilder stated at last. Then he laughed out loud. "I sure hope you've got a good plan, Vyse! I wouldn't want to be you when that guy wakes up! He's gonna be pissed!!"

The younger Air Pirate sweated a little at that. "Does anyone have rope? Maybe we could tie him up or something..."

The blond young man whom Vyse didn't recognize cleared his throat and stepped forward. "There are several emergency supply boxes on the Delphinus..." he said. "They should have rope in them."

Vyse stared. "Who're you?"

The young man smiled. "Forgive me for not introducing myself." He bowed. "I am Prince Enrique of Valua. This ship, the Delphinus, belongs to me." As Vyse gaped in surprise, Enrique continued, "As I've already explained to your friends, I want to help you and your crew; Valua's actions will surely be its downfall. Ruling through fear will only bring about its ruin, and I feel that as its Crown Prince, my hands are also stained with the blood that my country has spilled. Therefore, I am entrusting the Delphinus to you, Vyse, and I wish to accompany you as well. If need be, I will be your hostage."

Vyse grinned and crossed his arms. "Sorry, Enrique," he replied, "but Blue Rogues don't take hostages. If you're going to sail with us, you're going to have to do so as an Air Pirate!"

The young Prince smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Vyse," he said, clasping hands with the brunet rogue. "I will do my best as part of your crew."

Aika laughed, watching the two. "With this ship and the Crystals, the Armada's gonna have a tough time trying to stop us!" she commented playfully.

"The Crystals? But aren't they still in the hands of the Valuans?" Vyse inquired, blinking wonderingly at her.

"Oh, technically, they were," Enrique said with a slightly mischievous smile, "until this Valuan handed them to your other friend, Vyse."

Fina looked up from Ramirez, and with a smile of her own, she stood and brought out the Red and Green Moon Crystals.

"Before I came here, I took the liberty of stealing the Crystals," the young Prince explained when Vyse stared agape at the glittering gems. "I had thought to destroy them, but when I spoke with your friends, I reconsidered and decided you all would put them to better use."

"Wow!" the young Blur Rogue grinned, placing his fists akimbo. "Enrique, you're already acting like an Air Pirate!"

"Heh; keep it up and you'll fit in just fine, Your Highness," Gilder smirked. Ignoring the Prince's protests to simply call him Enrique, the older Air Pirate glanced over at Ramirez and asked, "So what do we do about him? He really isn't going to be happy when he wakes up, and I don't know about the rest of you, but I've heard too many rumors about Ramirez to just not worry about it."

"Hmm..." Vyse murmured, crossing his arms over his chest. "Well, first we have to get out of here. Aika and Fina, you two help me pilot the Delphinus out of here. Enrique, since this is your ship, I'll bet that you know where to find some rope, so I'll leave it up to you go get some, take Ramirez to one of the rooms here and tie him up. Gilder, you go help; Enrique can't carry that guy on his own." He looked at the fallen Admiral then. "Ramirez might not have his sword, but he's still dangerous, so make sure to tie him up tight. I don't like it, but we'll have to save diplomacy for later, when we can be sure he won't try something. Once you two are done, make sure to hurry back to the bridge, all right?"

"All right, Vyse," Enrique and Gilder replied, nodding their assent. Waiting first for Gilder to tote the fallen Admiral onto his back, Enrique left, leading the former through the ship. After watching them leave, Vyse set himself to figuring out the controls of the ship. Surprisingly, they weren't very different from the other ships he had piloted, even though it was a new design. With Fina and Aika's help, he began to prepare the ship to launch.

/This is it, the last hurdle,/ he thought as he worked. /Nothing can hold me back; not even the Grand Fortress!/ Blasting through a weak point in the Grand Fortress and making his way through, Vyse was amazed how easily the Delphinus blew away the enemy ships that tried to hinder their escape. Soon, they had escaped from the Valuan Grand Fortress for a second time, and were sailing away virtually scot-free, accompanied by the Primrose and the Claudia, which had both aided in their escape.

The day shaped up to be even better later on when Clara, Gilder, Enrique, Aika and Fina voted Vyse as captain of the Delphinus. Though uncertain as to his ability to take full responsibility, Vyse gladly accepted; how could he not, when his childhood dream was right there in front of him, begging to be grasped? And after that, Vyse and his friends had checked out the mechanics of the ship, to find Marco, a kid from Lower Valua, stowed away. Vyse had to admire his guts, and assigned him as a sailor and the first member of his crew. When all that was done, the young rogue talked with Gilder, who informed him of his intentions to leave the Delphinus in order to escape from Clara, about Vyse's life—where it had been and where the newly appointed captain was taking it. The red-cloaked pirate left Vyse with three pieces of advice, the last and most important of which was to never give up. It was when Gilder had just about finished when the two men heard Clara calling and Gilder subsequently had to make a hasty escape.

"Good luck with Ramirez!" he yelled over his shoulder, and Vyse winced, even at the amusing sight of Clara passing him by, realizing it too late, doubling back and chasing after the love of her life—he still did not know exactly what to do with the white-haired man.

/I can't kill him,/ thought Vyse. /But I can't just leave him off somewhere, either... Think, dammit! There's gotta be someway I can get rid of him peacefully.../ No matter how hard he pondered, though, he failed to see an answer that wouldn't get someone killed or put in danger. Strapped for answers, when his remaining companions returned, Vyse mentioned that predicament, hoping they'd be able to help.

"Umm..." Fina stepped forward, her hands clasped to her chest. "If you like, I could talk to him..."

"Hey, that reminds me!" Aika spoke up before Vyse could respond. "How d'you know Ramirez anyway, Fina?"

"Um..." the Silvite murmured, avoiding their gaze for a moment. She looked at each of them in turn, then continued, "...I should tell you what I should have told you before." She sighed. "I grew up with him. He was like my older brother..."

"What?!" Vyse, Enrique and Aika gasped in unison. The carrot-topped girl continued, "Does that mean Ramirez is a Silvite like you?!" "Yes..." Fina replied softly. She continued. "He was sent here to collect the Moon Crystals for the Elders, but...they lost contact with him. I was sent to complete his task...."

"If he came here to gather the Moon Crystals," Vyse began, "then why is he allied with Valua?"

"Ramirez is Admiral Galcian's right-hand man," Enrique commented then. "He is infamous within the Armada for his strategic genius, his amazing skill with the blade, his ruthlessness and his intense loyalty to Galcian. It's probably the summation of those things that prompted Galcian to recommend him to the position of the sixth Admiral. Still, I don't think even he knows about Ramirez's past..."

Fina gazed at the floor. "I...don't know about any of that. I don't know what's happened to him at all...."

There was an awkward moment of silence before Vyse hurriedly said, "Well, he's here, so you can talk to him now and see what he's thinking! Right, Aika?"

Aika nodded quickly and fervently. "Right, right!"

The verdure-eyed Silvite smiled a little at that; they were always so good at making her feel better. "Of course, he'll have to wake up first..." she said in response to their prompting.

Vyse laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, why don't you go stay with him, heal his wounds and stuff?" he suggested. "He'll probably wake up angry, but seeing a familiar, friendly face might help things, right?"

Fina nodded, and left to watch over her friend's unconscious body.

/Ugh...my head./

Spots of light danced over Ramirez's sight, appearing and disappearing like will-o-wisps to the pulse of blood throbbing in his head. The roar of that blood rumbled in his ears, reminding him distinctly of the rush of an air rift howling through the sky. The young Admiral hunched over slightly; the effects of a concussion, perhaps? He hadn't suffered like this since that time when—

"Ramirez?"

/That voice sounds familiar... Fina? But what is she doing here? ...Wait, where is 'here'? And why can't I move?/

"Pain..." he muttered, splinters of it burrowing into his wrists and ankles. When he struggled a bit, he realized that he was bound tightly into the kneeling position he was in now. He chanced a look up, to see the younger Silvite hunched over him, a worried expression creasing her features. Ramirez opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he hesitated and shut it, not sure of what he could ask that wouldn't weaken his position further.

"Are you hurt? You don't look so good..." Fina spoke, gazing at him compassionately, a hand raised as if to place it on his shoulder.

"I'm tied up," he stated in a flat, accusatory tone, returning an obvious answer for an obvious question.

Her gaze dropped to the floor. "You had to be... Otherwise, you might hurt someone..." she spoke softly. She returned her gaze to him once more. "I can heal you, if you want..."

Ramirez considered his headache and the various aches and pain throughout his body; then, nodded once.

The young woman began casting a Sacres spell on the young Admiral. Green light spilled over his body and faded, taking most of his pain with it.

Ramirez patiently waited for Fina to finish that and another before he asked his first question. "What is going on?"

His childhood friend knelt near him and began. "Well...first of all, we're on the Delphinus. I'm afraid we had to take you with us when we escaped..."

"'We'?" the Admiral repeated, expression hardening.

Feeling there was no harm in sharing such information, Fina told him, "Vyse, Aika, Enrique and myself. Gilder, too, but he's gone now...."

His expression did not change. "Them."

Fina grew worried. "Ramirez...?" she queried.

He glanced up at her. "Well then," he began in a frigid tone, "you and the Air Pirates have taken me prisoner. Now what?"

"I really don't know. They won't kill you, though, I'm sure..." she replied. Then she continued, asking the question forefront in her mind, "But, Ramirez... I've wanted to ask you... Why are you working with the Valuans? They will only misuse the Crystals."

A faint smile appeared on his lips. "With the Valuans...? You misunderstand, Fina. I am not working for the Valuans."

Her eyes widened. "What? But you are one of their Admirals!"

Ramirez shrugged a bit. "Merely a title," he replied.

"Then what...?" she asked, her expression one of complete confusion.

Ramirez considered her for a moment, then spoke again as if changing the subject. "Fina, do you remember what the Elders always said about the humans down here?"

"Yes..." the young woman murmured, remembering the warnings the Elders had given her.

"And you remember how I always resisted those ideas."

She merely nodded, remembering those long-gone times.

Ramirez' faint smile thinned out a bit. "When I first came to this planet, I was taken in by a Valuan Admiral, and not long after, I learned much of what motivates these humans. Greed...money...material possessions...these were the only things for which they cared. These things, and those people who lusted after them, came to sicken me. The hope I had for these people died out quickly, and what was left was a deep loathing. In short, I found out that the Elders were right after all." He bowed his head slightly. "However... I found one who was different. Lord Galcian... He cares nothing for worldly possessions. The only thing he desires is power. He was the one who taught me that it is only power that matters, and that to attain power is the reason for living. It is him I follow—not these pathetic, self-destructive humans that deserve only death."

"But.... not all people are like that. I have met some people who wish nothing but kindness for others..." she said softly, stunned at his sudden confession.

Ramirez narrowed his eyes. "Do you mean the Air Pirates with whom you're traveling?" he questioned coldly. "Haven't you yet realized that they're using you to get to the Moon Crystals?"

She stared at him in shock. That thought hadn't even crossed her mind. She shook her head in denial. They couldn't do that! They were her friends! She thought of all the things that they had done for her, up to and including saving her life. Vyse and Aika....they wouldn't do all that just to betray her! Lost in the swirl of thoughts, she was left speechless.

Ramirez smiled mirthlessly as her expression of horror. "It seems that you haven't," he commented dryly.

"They wouldn't!" she protested, desperate to find some proof that they weren't using her. "They saved my life! Vyse, Aika, they've taught me so much about courage and friendship..."

"They put you in their debt so that you would feel obligated to help them," Ramirez countered calmly. "No... No one could be that malicious..." she whispered.

"You have led a sheltered life. You don't know what people are truly capable of."

She broke his gaze and did not respond.

At that moment, a knock came at the door. "Fina?" Aika's voice called out. "Is he awake yet?"

Fina stood, and opened the door to reply to the female pirate face-to-face. "Yes..." she murmured, looking at Aika sadly.

Aika stared at the young Silvite and blinked. "Something wrong?"

Fina shook her head, but she glanced away, her expression wrought with anxiety. "Is there something you wanted?" she inquired softly.

"Uh, I was checking up on you to make sure you were all right..." Aika said slowly, perplexed. She glanced over at Ramirez, whose face was hidden by his bangs, and leaned in closer to Fina and whispered, "Say...he hasn't said anything to upset you, has he?"

Fina pushed past the red-headed pirate, closing the door as she did so. "Actually...he... I need to talk to you and Vyse..." Fina said to her.

Vyse pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against and walked up to the two girls. "What's up, Fina?" he asked, frowning a bit.

The white-robed girl regarded him for a moment anxiously before repeating what Ramirez had said to her. "...I want to trust you two...but..." she trailed off, unsure of how to express the complexity of her dilemma.

The brown-haired rogue sighed, scratching his hair. "But after what Ramirez told you, you don't know what to believe?" he guessed.

Fina shook her head. "...No. You have saved my life and helped me with my quest...but..." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I think I need a little time to sort it out."

"Ooh, I can't believe that Ramirez jerk!" Aika huffed, crossing her arms. "Saying something like that to you... You're like his little sister, right, Fina? Where does he get off saying that stuff about the people you care about!?"

Fina sighed again. "I really don't know. He's...changed since I last saw him...changed so much..."

Aika frowned and turned to her childhood friend. "Vyse, what should we do?" she asked him.

Vyse considered the question for a moment, then smirked. "I say the three of us go in there and have a little 'heart-to-heart' with Ramirez," he grinned.

Aika gasped. "Do you think that's a good idea?"

He shrugged. "He's tied up. The worse he can do is curse at us."

The red-headed pirate grinned, catching on. "Hey, you've got a point there! It might be fun to give him a taste of his own medicine! What do you say, Fina?"

Fina hesitated, then nodded. "Maybe it would be a good idea..."

"Well, shall we?" Vyse said, heading towards the door.

The two girls followed him as he opened the door and entered the room. Ramirez regarded the new arrivals coldly, but Vyse ignored the glare and walked out in front of the young Admiral, crossing his arms.

"I hear you've seen telling Fina some interesting things, Ramirez," he started.

Ramirez shrugged. "And...?" he said, rather nonchalantly for a bound man.

"And, don't you feel a little guilty for messing with the mind of the girl you grew up with?!" Aika butted in, annoyed.

"How am I 'messing with her mind'? It could be the truth, for all I know," the white-haired man stated calmly.

"But you don't know. You don't know what we've been through with Fina, or what kind of people we are. Besides, from the looks of it, it seems we treat her better than you do, and you're supposedly like her big brother!" Vyse countered.

"You are pirates," Ramirez stated plainly.

"Yeah? And?" Aika and Vyse asked in unison.

"Just like all the other people on this planet, pirates take advantage of the weak. The only thing your kind cares about is how much money you make." The Admiral's tone was even, though his eyes burned with his disgust and loathing.

Aika and Vyse blinked at his statement, then stared at each other, then busted out laughing. "What's so funny?!" Ramirez demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Heh..." Vyse shook his head, unable to keep a smile off of his face. "It's just that, you said 'take advantage of the weak'... Blue Rouges only raid armored ships, and the treasure we take, we use to help others..."

"Not to mention us Blue Rogues do what we do as much for the adventure as for the treasure!" Aika added, still doubled over. Fina chuckled a little at this, though she covered her mouth, trying to be mindful of Ramirez.

"Besides," Vyse spoke again, "what makes someone who desires power any better than someone who desires money?"

His eyes flashing as he struggled visibly against his bonds, Ramirez growled, "How. Dare. You."

Vyse raised his eyebrows, amazed at how the mere insinuation of an insult towards Galcian set Ramirez aflame, as the silver-haired Admiral continued.

"Filthy pirates such as you have no place criticizing Lord Galcian," he said icily. "If you knew anything at all, you would not ponder the difference between seeking power and seeking treasure." He leaned forward, ignoring his hair as strands of it fell onto his face. "Money is a dirty thing, worthless and without meaning; those who possess it believe it determines their worth, and that it elevates them above honor or integrity.

"Strength is beyond that!" Ramirez declared, his eyes bright with barely restrained passion. "Strength is the core of one's character, and those who possess power understand the futility of collecting wealth. Wealth is just a weakling's way of reassuring himself of his self-worth. But that wealth is fickle; it can be squandered, stolen or lost. But once one gains strength and power, they will never disappear!" Losing his self-control briefly, he shouted, "They are the only things that matter!!"

"Hehh," Aika smirked, setting her hands on her hips. "Pretty good for improv, eh, Vyse?"

Her childhood grinned back before looking down at Ramirez and rebutting, "So, basically, you're saying that nothing but your own self-improvement matters?" He crossed his arms, smirking, and continued, "Isn't that just an excuse to be selfish?"

Fina added before Ramirez could snap a retort, stepping up to the two, "You know...I may be wrong, but it seems to me that, for people who lust after money and power alike, other people start meaning less and less."

"No, you're absolutely right!" Aika told her.

"So a man who thinks that life's just about gaining power..." Vyse started.

"...would just use his underlings towards that end..." Aika continued.

"...wouldn't he?" Fina finished, startled by her sudden realization of what they were implying.

Ramirez bared his teeth, an ugly darkness spread across his face, his eyebrows tense and nearly twitching. "He would never do such a thing," he snarled. "You sully him with your words!!"

"Maybe," Vyse shrugged. "But how do you know he wouldn't? Why wouldn't he, if gaining power is his top priority?"

So astonished at Vyse's inability to understand was he that the young Admiral simply silently stared at the Air Pirate, lips parted for a retort that he could not voice.

Vyse shook his head at the Admiral's silence and turned to Aika and Fina. "I think we've said all that needs to be said," he commented. "Why don't we leave him here to think about it for a while?"

Aika grinned. "Sure," she replied, "let him stew for a while."

The three walked out of the room. Fina glanced back at Ramirez, whose head was still bowed. She bit her lip slightly, but followed Aika and Vyse back to the bridge, closing the door behind her.

/How dare they./ Ramirez ran the conversation over and over in his mind, his teeth tightly clenched, his green eyes so fixed on the floor that, to anyone watching, it seemed as if he would melt it. /They don't know anything—anything at all! Greedy, self-absorbed, self-centered insects... How dare they speak of Lord Galcian that way!?/ He switched his loathing to the steel door, a prison gate that mocked him simply by being shut. /Desire for power and desire for money are not the same thing. Money changes nothing—it is only a thing to be possessed, and whether one has it or not, it is irrelevant to their character. But the possession of power is everything! Whether one is weak or one is strong makes all the difference!/ Shaking his head almost violently, gnashing his teeth, Ramirez blazed on, /It is the strong that survive, the strong that lead, and the strong that shape the world. The weak will be eventually destroyed by the strong, so in order to continue to live, one has to be strong! It is power that means everything!!/

Many hours later, the crew of the Delphinus reached Crescent Island. They had met two men there, Brabham the ship engineer and Izmael the builder, who had been referred by Gilder. They said they would fix up the ship and island—for a fee, of course. After an exchange of coinage, the small crew removed themselves from the ship so that Brabham could begin his work.

The island itself was still in much the same shape it had been before, and the girls busied themselves with admiring and exploring it. The boys were not quite so enthusiastic; Vyse had already spent two weeks living there a while ago, Ramirez's hands were still tightly bound, though his feet had been undone so he could walk, and Enrique was too busy trying to convince his last meal to not evict itself from his body—his trip aboard the Delphinus had not been kind to him. Despite this and Enrique and Ramirez's indisposition towards celebration, there was lots of laughter and joking, and once Enrique recovered from his airsickness, he too joined in the conversations. Soon night fell, and the five sat around a campfire, four of them talking and eating. Ramirez, opting not to join in, simply brooded silently, sometimes glaring at his bonds, sometimes glaring at the one who had captured him. This was fine with Vyse and Aika, as it was better to have a quiet prisoner than a loudly ranting and/or complaining one, but Enrique occasionally and Fina frequently glanced over in his direction.

"Ramirez?" Fina finally spoke. "Are you okay?" He had been silent for several hours now, and she couldn't help but worry about him. /I wonder what's on his mind.../ she mused.

With her words, Vyse, Aika and Enrique fell silent, and Ramirez glanced up, frowning.

"No," he replied simply.

Fina sweated a little at this. "Um... Is there anything I can do?" she asked nervously.

Ramirez raised an eyebrow, scowling at her. "Nothing your 'friends' would approve of," he stated, eyeing the others.

"...Oh," she said quietly, staring down at her lap.

After an awkward moment of silence, Aika huffed a bit. "You know, she's just trying to make you feel better, Ramirez," she snapped. "You don't have to be so cold!"

Ramirez gazed at her with a steely glare. "You are the ones holding me prisoner," he pointed out.

"But if we didn't," Aika said, annoyed, "you'd probably try to kill us all!"

Ramirez chuckled mirthlessly. "Is that your excuse? I'm unarmed and outnumbered." He smirked and continued, "Are you really that afraid of me?"

"Well...yeah," Vyse shrugged, scratching his scar. "You're a psycho."

That wasn't quite the response Ramirez had expected. "Excuse me?"

Vyse repeated himself. "You're a psycho! You burn down cities! You attack lifeboats! That usually constitutes being a psycho, you know."

Ramirez narrowed his eyes, turned his head away and did not respond.

"We won another argument!" Aika said delightedly. "Blue Rogues, two, Ramirez, nothing!"

"Hah! Logic wins again!" Vyse added, and the two of them slapped their hands together once, twice, and then extended their arms parallel to each other in a double thumbs-up with a triumphant "Yeah!".

Enrique coughed and attempted to simultaneously change the subject and keep himself from staring at the bizarre spectacle. "So, Vyse...what was your childhood like?"

This distracted the young captain of the Delphinus. "Huh? Me? Um, let's see..." Vyse thought for a moment. "Well, my dad was a Blue Rogue, too, so I grew up around ships and traveling and stuff, and I guess that fostered my interest in it."

"It's Vyse's childhood dream to be captain of his own ship and sail around the world...and you know, he's already made half of that come true!" Aika added, grinning and prodding Vyse with her elbow.

"Heh. Yeah," Vyse grinned a bit, rubbing the back of my neck. "When I was a kid, I used to spend all my time and money on these build-'em-yourself ship kits... There was this one, I remember, I'd worked on for six lunar cycles to get it perfect...and then Aika stepped on it."

"Your room was a mess!" Aika protested, seeing where the tale was going to head. "And it's not my fault you left your precious build-it-yourself ship on the floor! Might I remind you that I couldn't walk for two and a half weeks after the mast skewered my foot?!"

Both Enrique and Fina had to laugh at that story. Even Ramirez listened to the Blue Rogue intently, although he did not show it. /I was like that once...a long time ago,/ he mused. /Idealistic fool. He has no idea how the world really works./

"Exactly how big was it, if it got broken by being stepped on?" Enrique asked, as soon as he able to contain himself.

"It was about a foot long, but it was really high quality! I'd saved my allowance for three lunar cycles to buy it!" Vyse grumbled. "And then another half-year to build it—and then along comes Aika's Foot of Doom..."

Fina giggled. "That actually sort of reminds me of the model ships Ramirez used to build when he was younger," she commented.

All eyes fixed on the lovely female Silvite.

"Really?" Vyse asked, surprised. He glanced at Ramirez. "He used to be into that, too?"

Fina nodded. "He really liked to build things..." she started to say, but stopped upon seeing her old friend's glare.

"Fina..." Ramirez stated, his voice level and his gaze dangerous, "don't talk about me."

The blond woman became flustered and turned away, a sad expression upon her face.

"Oh, ignore him, Fina!" Aika reassured her friend. "Tell us about Ramirez anyway! What else did he have in common with Vyse?"

"I said, don't talk about me!!" Ramirez snapped, this time more towards Aika than Fina.

The pig-tailed woman sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're really touchy about this, aren't you?" she commented.

"I dunno, I kinda see where he's coming from," Vyse said. "I mean, me having stuff in common with Ramirez...it's pretty scary."

Aika laughed at that. "You're right. It is scary, when you think about it."

Ramirez glowered in their direction, but said nothing.

Aika leaned over to Vyse as she laughed, and in doing so, got a good whiff of him. "Woo, you stink!" she said, pulling away quickly. "Vyse, when was the last time you bathed?"

Vyse considered this. "Um.... I really don't know," he finally said, sheepishly.

"Well, go take one!" Aika demanded. "There's a pool right behind us; you can use that! Fina and I'll go wait in the cave on the other side of the island. And Enrique and Ramirez can clean themselves up at the same time, too!"

Enrique shook his head. "I don't need to just yet, really... I already bathed this morning," he stated. "Besides," he continued, "I would be better off getting some rest. I still don't feel quite normal."

"Ehh... I guess that's okay, but..." Vyse snuck a peek at Ramirez, who looked severely displeased with the suggestion of bathing with the Blue Rogue.

"Oh, don't worry," Aika said in response to the unasked question. "If he tries to kill you, just yell."

Vyse had to laugh at that. "'Help! Ramirez is killing me!'?"

Aika giggled. "See, that's the spirit!"

Ramirez and Fina weren't quite as amused, though.

"How am I supposed to bathe when my hands are still tied?" the former asked wryly, scowling.

Vyse scratched the back of his head. "I guess we could untie you..."

"How generous of you," Ramirez replied, voice dripping with acid sarcasm.

Fina knelt and untied the green-eyed man's wrists. Ramirez allowed her to do so, but once the ropes slid off his wrists, he pulled them in front of him and rubbed them, his narrowed eyes trained on Vyse.

Vyse suppressed a sigh. /This is going to be fun,/ he thought sarcastically.

Although his life had steadily gotten worse since he had faced Vyse in combat—if it really could be called combat, all considering—earlier that day, Ramirez had to admit that it was rather relaxing to bathe under the stars like this. He just wished that the afore-mentioned pirate didn't have to be there with him.

Surreptitiously glancing over at the brunet rogue, who was floating face-up in the water and staring thoughtfully at the night sky, he frowned. The vulnerability Ramirez felt from having to bathe in the same waters as him left him quite uncomfortable. If Vyse felt the same, he hid it admirably.

"What are you looking at?" Vyse asked suddenly, sitting up. /What's he doing, watching me? It's sort of weird.../

"What?! Nothing," Ramirez barked, quickly turning away to hide the flush he felt beginning to burn into his cheeks. /What the hell am I doing?!/ he wondered furiously. However, he had no answers to give himself.

Vyse merely shrugged; best not to push the subject, he decided. "Whatever you say," he replied, sinking back into the chill water.

Ramirez glared sullenly at his rippled reflection in the water, illuminated by the Red Moon. /That obnoxious little.../ he seethed, but despite his hateful thoughts, the Silvite began to think back about what he'd learned about Vyse's childhood and how strangely similar it had been to his own.

The rogue spoke suddenly. "Um, Ramirez?" he began, sitting up again slightly. "Hey, I'd like to apologize for all the insults earlier... I was only trying to get you off your guard, since, to be honest, I know I didn't have a chance in combat."

Ramirez stared over at Vyse, surprised by the sudden apology, and found he couldn't begin to form a reply, biting or otherwise.

"Well...um, I just wanted you to know, that's all...." the Blue Rogue explained, more than a little disturbed by the other's man's silent, wide-eyed gaze.

"Er...right," Ramirez replied, knocked out of his stunned silence. After a few more seconds of silence, the silver-haired young man regained his mental footing and turned away. "...That doesn't mean you're forgiven," he added sharply, glowering at the water surface. Strange; with the Red Moon shining on it like this, it looked like blood... "I've merely acknowledged your apology."

Vyse smiled nervously. "I guess that's better than I could have expected..." he admitted.

"Ngh," Ramirez grunted in non-reply before falling silent again.

"So, uh," Vyse started, hoping to get a conversation going, "what were you like when you were a kid, Ramirez? I'm just curious," he added at the young man's harsh glance. "Since it sounds as if you did some of the same stuff as me. Just thought it was an interesting coincidence."

"It's just a coincidence. We have nothing in common," Ramirez said, more to himself than in response to Vyse's query.

"Well, even if it is a coincidence, what were you like?" the brown-haired rogue insisted. "C'mon, you know what I was like!"

The white-haired man quietly regarded him for a moment longer. "I was...interested in what this world was like," he stated finally. "The Silvites have been separate from this world for many generations. All our knowledge of the world is handed down from ancient times. All I knew of the world was from the few books and maps I had, and what the Elders told me."

"What did the Elders tell you?" Vyse queried, getting genuinely interested.

"That you people are fools who can not be trusted. That the things that motivate you are petty desires, which is why you always end up fighting each other, burning alive in fires you yourselves set," he said, his tone even and cold.

Vyse blinked, surprised. A moment of silence passed before he finally replied, "Well, that explains why you're so screwed up. But the Elders don't know what they're talking about. True, there are some people who are like that—there are always some people who are like that. But there are lots of other people who are different. You shouldn't judge everyone in this world just by the people you met from Upper Valua. That's just about the worst place to make a first impression, I think."

Ramirez closed his eyes and considered this. True, the people he had encountered and interacted with since he came to Arcadia had been almost exclusively Valuans. However, it didn't change the fact that... "I've yet to see any proof otherwise."

"You haven't seen enough of the world," Vyse countered. "You're not gonna go anywhere else for a while; why don't you come with us? You can see the world with Fina and the rest of us!"

Ramirez gawked at the Air Pirate and shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you just offered to make me part of your...team."

Vyse blinked. "Is there a problem with that?"

"YES, there is a problem with that!!" the silver-haired Admiral snapped. "We're enemies! Haven't you realized that yet?! Are you blind?! Are you stupid!?!"

Vyse shrugged at the other man's outburst. "Hey, you don't need to be so mean. You can just say no, if you don't want to," he said calmly.

Ramirez sighed in exasperation. "I'll think about it," he finally conceded.

"That's good enough for now. Just let me know when you decide, okay?" the Blue Rogue said, smiling a bit.

"Yes, I suppose," Ramirez muttered.

Vyse grinned and stood. "Well, we've been in here long enough, so I guess we're good to go." He walked over to the edge of the pond and began to gather his clothes.

Ramirez, startled by the suddenness, stared at Vyse's nude body as it moved through the clear water, and as if imparted by the Red Moon's light, he felt heat flow into his face again. He glanced away quickly, still blushing, and covered his mouth with his hand. /What are you doing, looking at him like that?!/ he chastised himself. /That's disgusting!!/

Vyse picked up his towel and started drying himself, unaware of the other man's 'dilemma'. When he finished, he wrapped it around his waist and looked back to the green-eyed man. "Hey, are you gonna get out, or are you gonna stay there all night?" he called out.

"I like my privacy," Ramirez snapped back, not looking up at Vyse.

"Fine..." Vyse sighed, turning his back towards Ramirez.

The emerald-eyed young man hesitated for a second. He'd only said that because it was the first thing that had popped into mind... Feeling somewhat guilty but not quite sure why, Ramirez watched Vyse as he made his way out of the water. As quickly as he was able, he dried himself off and got dressed.

"Done," he called over to Vyse, his voice tinged with annoyance he was sure he didn't feel.

"All right, then," the pirate replied, turning to face Ramirez. "We should go back to where everyone else is, okay?"

The white-locked Silvite gazed evenly at Vyse, still clad in only a towel. His jade eyes flicked to the uncovered parts of the young pirate's body, and for some reason, something in his chest tightened. "I suppose," he said at length, keeping his tone neutral.

Vyse coughed. "Um, if you could give me some privacy?"

Ramirez unwillingly flushed again. "Er...of course," he nodded, turning around.

Vyse, too, quickly dressed, not wanting to make the other man wait long. The two of them were quiet on the walk back, although it was a short one, to the cave in which Aika and the others were waiting.

"There he is!" Aika beamed when Vyse and Ramirez appeared. "All clean and fresh-smelling!"

The young captain grinned sheepishly. It was kind of embarrassing...

Fina walked over to Vyse and leaned in to whisper in his ear. Glancing worriedly to Ramirez, who fortunately wasn't paying attention due to having entirely too much to think about, she inquired softly, "Vyse, should we tie him up again...?"

Vyse nodded in assent. "That might be a good idea," he agreed.

"But...how are we going to do it?" she added, her attractive face creased with worry.

Vyse sweated at this. "That's a good question..."

"Maybe we could just ask...?" Fina suggested, her eyes reflecting hope at a nonviolent solution.

Vyse stared, then turned over to Ramirez. "Hey, Ramirez, d'you mind if we tie you up again?"

"Hm? Whatever," he replied absently, his gaze directed toward some point ten feet to the right of the Air Pirate's head.

Vyse blinked. "Are you okay?" he inquired, puzzled at the other man's change in attitude.

"Nn," the handsome young Admiral grunted, thoughts still elsewhere.

The Blue Rogue stared at the others, who all returned looked equally bewildered, and shrugged, grabbed some rope, and began to bind the other man.

Ramirez jerked away from Vyse, rudely separated from his musings at the first attempt to bind his hands. "What are you doing?!" he demanded, glaring.

Vyse regarded him with an odd look. "Well...you said you didn't mind if we tied you up again," he said with a shrug.

Ramirez's eyes narrowed. "Touch me and die."

"All right, all right, we won't touch you!" Vyse said, backing away from the angry Admiral.

"Hmph." Ramirez glanced away, scowling severely.

"Err..." Vyse began, unsure of how to handle the volatile young man. "This might sound stupid, but do you promise not to kill us in our sleep?"

Ramirez looked up at him, an eyebrow raised. He glanced around the room at Fina, then Enrique, then Aika, considered his chances for escape, considered his chances of accidental discovery, and considered the likelihood of being able to get away with it. Finally, he decided that it wasn't worth the risk, and that other, better opportunities would present themselves later.

He shrugged and muttered, "I suppose."

Vyse sweated a little. /I am not going to sleep very well tonight.../ he reflected.

As the five readied for bed, Aika pulled Vyse outside and hissed to him, "We've gotta do something about this! Vyse, you're staying up, and as soon as Ramirez falls asleep, you're going to tie him up again!!"

Vyse whispered back to her, "Actually...it might be a better idea not to treat him as a prisoner. I'll explain in the morning, okay? I don't want him to get suspicious of us."

Aika sighed dramatically. "Are you going to take responsibility if he does anything funny?"

Vyse smiled. "Of course! I am the captain," he replied.

The red-headed pirate girl shook her head but smiled regardless. "I sure hope you know what you're doing, Vyse," she commented as they walked back into the cave.

---

NOTES: We own nothing except our ideas. Don't take our ideas. All properties of Skies of Arcadia/Eternal Arcadia [Legends] belong to everyone it is to whom they belong.

If anyone is wondering at Vyse's, um, interesting taunts:
Ayu: Can you think of a better way to get Ramirez mad?

If anyone is thinking, "Whaaat? Ramirez, falling for Vyse?! WTF?!":
Ianthe: Give me a good reason why Ramirez shouldn't fall for Vyse. First off, this is SHOUNEN-AI (which means two guys falling in love). They are getting paired up no matter what ^^. Second, Vyse is hot. Case closed.
Ayu: All the ladies love Vyse! Why shouldn't some of the men love him, too?

Ayu: The title of the fanfic, The Day the Moon Shines, is a play on the title of a Tenkuu no Escaflowne song called The Day the Wind Blows; in case anyone's interested, the Japanese titles would be Tsuki ga Teru Hi and Kaze ga Fuku Hi, respectively. The title of this chapter is a line from the Cowboy Bebop ending theme, THE REAL FOLK BLUES. Full lyrics to both songs can be found at my lyrics site, Campus Lyrics!, the link to which you can find below.

Contact deep.Indigo: [email protected]
Contact Ianthe of d.I: [email protected] (URL: Ranger's Grove (rangersgrove.tripod.com))
Contact Ayu of d.I: [email protected] (URL: ~ T H E : E T E R N A L : M I N D ~ (theeternalmind.sterlingsylver.net))