Sorry you guys >.O . For waiting so long to update. I hate being busy-worked into schoolwork…

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Chapter 15 – Parting Ways

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Tundaria has fallen. But- but how? When? So soon?

"Then war is the only way!" Kyle snapped, slamming his fist on the table. "If Tundaria has fallen, I will not tell my people to sit here placidly while Radament takes over our kingdom! We will stand and fight! Angarans have always done this, and our tradition shall not stop now!"

"What you call tradition is mere foolishness! You cannot simply declare a war on Radament! They want you to declare war, so they can simply send all their armies over to crush you," Picard argued, putting a placating hand out and trying to stop the king before he left the Council room.

"You Lemurians are all cowards!" The king snorted. "All talk. Nothing ever gets done with your country! We'd be sitting in this room until the next century, waiting for you to declare alliance with us so we can war with Radamanent. Hmph! I'm through with your frightened, submissive advice. No matter that I have a council and advisors, I am still the king of Angara. And I will declare war with Radament, whether you blue-haired cowards like it or not!"

He turned to leave, and met the pointed end of a sword just in front of his nose. "Retract your slur, Kyle!" Alex snarled, eyes snapping as his sword arm trembled with rage. "We think before we act. The consequences of declaring war weigh far greater than the consequences of not doing so. You are sending your people to death!"

The king stared coldly at the steel, then glared at Alex. "Remove your sword, Lemurian." He murmured softly, his voice dangerously polite.

Alex looked like he was ready to stab the man, but Daryl lowered the sword, and Picard stepped between them, staring down at the shorter man with glinting golden eyes. "Retract your insult, Angaran. I do not take slurs to my country or my men lightly."

Kyle stared back, unperturbed, then slowly shoved the prince aside, striding past him.

Picard grabbed his arm and yanked him back, pulling him until they were almost nose to nose. Isaac protested, starting forward, but Picard ignored him. "Then so be it. You have no alliance with us, or any of the other island nations in the Great Eastern Sea!"

"And we have no need of you Lemurians doubting and questioning our decisions. You are no longer welcome in my castle, and I bid you remove yourself as soon as possible," Kyle said coolly. The two monarchs stared at each other, eyes hard and unforgiving, then Picard narrowed his eyes and nodded, jerking his head towards the exit as he turned.

"You heard him, Alex, Daryl. Let's find the princess, then leave immediately. I have no wish in remaining in a place that no longer welcomes us." With an angry swish of his cloak, Picard strode out of the room, Alex and Daryl following without hesitation, although Alex did turn around and glare in disgust at the clustered group of Angarans around Kyle. Saturos and Menardi looked at each other, warily at the stubborn king of Angara, and bowed before following at a fast clip, understanding that Kyle's wish for war was foolhardy at best.

Isaac watched after them, a little lost at their sudden departure, but his quick mind swiftly wrapped itself around pieces of information. Princess? They didn't have a princess with them... who could it be? Isaac glanced around him, and noticed that Kraden and Kyle were deep in discussion, most likely about what the best way would be to spread the word and whether or not they should conscript more soldiers. He quickly slipped out of the room, followed by Ivan and Sheba.

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"Mia!"

Felixlost his train of thought as the shout pierced through the twilight gloom hovering over Vale. Who is that, I wonder? Buckling his sword back in place at his waist, he stood up, his clothes all appearing to be a dusty gray in the half-dark before night descended upon the city. His green scarf swept around his body as his sharp brown eyes glanced in several directions to discern where the voice had come from.

"Mia!"

Vale's Palace Weaponsmaster peered around some hedges, stepped over several plots of bushes, and ducked underneath some tree branches before he finally found her. And, of course, the person who had been looking for her - Alex. His eyes narrowed slightly as he crept just close enough to hear their conversation, but not close enough for the other man, who was likely just assharp as he was, to detect him.

"Alex? What is it?" Mia stood up worriedly, her silken waterfall of hair caught up in a tight ponytail waving slightly in the breeze. The disappearing sun highlighted a few blue strands before disappearing behind the horizon, casting a darkness on the small courtyard she stood in. The tiny fire lamps littered around the palace came to life, casting a warm red glow on her body.

"Picard is leaving. Now. We Lemurians are no longer welcome in the palace, and he wants us to leave as soon as possible." Felix's eyebrows slashed upwards in surprise, but he continued to listen, watching Alex's pensive expression. "We never thought this would happen. Picard had been counting on Angara's support..."

"For what?" Mia piped up, her face quite blank of emotion. Felix frowned, wishing he could read her as well as he could read Alex, but dismissed his wayward thoughts as Alex began speaking again.

"Nothing, Princess. But... Picard wants you to come with us." A gasp. "To Lemuria. You're the long-lost princess... our people deserve to know that you are alive. Everyone thought you were dead all these years." Takinga risk, Felix moved a leaf from his line of sight, and saw that Alex had a tender smile on his face as he grabbed the girl's hand. "Picard was so happy when he heard that I might have found you all the way out here. We never expected- well. That's in the past. My dear, will you come with us?"

She looked hesitant, but didn't display much more than that. "I... I don't know if I can. There's Garet... and Ivan, and Sheba, and the others... they've become so good to me."

Alex sighed, frustrated and impatient. "Look, I didn't want to tell you this, but Picard wants you out because of the implied threat Kyle made. We're taking the First Guard and First Princess of Radament with us, exiled as they are, and he does not want to lose you." A pause, and an awkward ahem. "His Highness is lonely. You're the only family he has left."

Silence.

"If I accept... will I ever be able to come back?" She asked with a painful swallow. Even Felix could tell, from behind his screen of foliage, that she was in a quandary over this decision that she was now forced to make.

"We don't know. If Radament stops warring on everybody... if Angara apologizes for the insults he flung at the prince. Rest assured, if one day you wish to come back, you can. We will not stop you, but for now I think it best if you came with us, Mia. There may be harsh feelings from the other nobles and courtiers once they hear about what happened in the Council Room today."

Squinting, Felix could barely make out their two bodies as they left the small clearing. He waited for a few moments before stepping from his hiding spot, groaning and rubbing at the slight crick in his neck.

"Mia is a princess, Felix?"

The Weaponsmaster spun around, drawing his sword, but sighed in relief when he saw Isaac standing there, stunned. "It seems so. I definitely did not expect that."

"Nor did I, Felix..."

Then without any warning, the young prince sprinted off in the direction the two Lemurians had hurried off in.

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After depositing her at the docks, Alex rushed away, telling Mia that he would be right back, and that she shouldn't move. She stared after him, a little alarmed at all the bustling and rushing going on all around her. To her amazement as she gazed around, the Lemurians were employing the full use of their Psynergy in packing up their things as quickly as possible. There had not been a lot, of course, but there were supplies, of course, and some belongings of several Lemurian agents whom had been residing throughout Angara and Gondowan also searching for her.

The princess.

Objects flew through the air, disappearing and appearing with alarming frequency. Objects whirled around in the air to be cushioned into protective bubbles, packed into crates and boxes, which were also deposited onto the ship (carefully) though rather hastefully. Mia looked down at herself, rubbing her fingers together. Did she have similar powers that she did not know about? Was her healing that kind of magic, or...

Something nudged her neck, and Mia shuffled to the edge of the docks, sitting down and dangling her legs off the end. She pulled an irate Fizz from beneath the folds of her cloak, and rubbed him sweetly against her cheek, a smile gracing her face. "I always knew magic existed in this world, but I'd never actually seen it used so practically and harmony," she reflected out loud. Of course she remembered the trip to Vale with Garet, when he'd employed his own magic to light their way. Still, somehow this display of sparkling whites and blues and mist and water affected her more, captivating her unlike her friend's fire magic.

"You'll be surprised. In Lemuria, Psynergy is used almost daily, without a thought. Many of them take it for granted."

Blinking, Mia looked up, but couldn't find the source of the voice, which she wasn't sure she had actually heard. Frowning, she listened to the sound of waves whistling through the air and beneath her feet and wooden piers, crashing none too gently against the rocks and beach. Shouting, bellows, laughing, and jokes were tossed back and forth loudly behind her. Had she really heard someone talk to her?

"Of course you did, silly. It's me. Down here."

Looking down at her hands, the only thing Mia saw of significance was Fizz, the little Mercury Djinni she'd found while walking around with Picard one day. The day he'd told her that they were siblings... long lost siblings. A warm flush spread into her cheeks.

"You were the one speaking to me?" She queried.

"Who else? Fizz at your service, my lady," the little creature bobbed its head and jumped up and down in her hands.

"Hullo, Fizz," Mia replied humbly, ducking her head slightly and placing the tiny creature on a box next to her so they would be looking at each other from the same eye level.

"In answer to your question, yes. Most Mercury Adepts - water mages - have the ability to heal. Lemurians, they have more battle-aligned skills, but they can still heal should they have the need. Your healing powers are stronger than most, but of course compensated by the weaker battle magic. Since you've also trained your healing magic all your life... it should be very powerful. Unlike your battle magics, which are still raw and unhoned power." Fizz waddled back and forth on the crate as he chattered away, information spilling into Mia's mind. She didn't exactly hear Fizz... more like she felt the knowledge seeping into her mind as Fizz spoke, his tiny voice difficult to hear in the surrounding din.

"Battle magics?" She queried hesitantly, as if the words would bite. "But I don't even want to learn how to use my magic like that. It hurts people. It can kill."

"That is also what the Lemurians thought years ago, and look what happened," the creature told her bluntly.

"They weren't prepared," she insisted.

"Were you prepared when that soldier swung that ax down? You know self-defense, and yet somehow you did not defend yourself. Without His Highness, you most certainly would not be sitting here, would not be talking to me." Fizz crow-hopped to a wooden crate, then turned back to look at Mia, beady eyes unreadable and emotionless. "Besides, you need to train it. If you don't, it might break out and act unexpectedly. Then where would you be?"

Quietly contemplating its words for a moment, Mia cast her eyes down at the water. So intently were her thoughts, that when she felt a gentle hand fall to her shoulder, she gasped, jumped up, and nearly fell from her perch. If the intruder hadn't grabbed her around the waist and hauled her back quickly, Mia thought, her cheek snug against a warm chest, she would havebeen soaking and miserable, to say in the least. She closed her eyes quickly, a flood of safety and warmth enveloping her as she stood in the Prince of Angara's arms. He was always so sweet, so charming, and even if he was a little busy she felt like she'd known him a very long time. Mia tucked her head underneath his chin, twisting slightly in his arms, wishing -

"Princess, are you alright?"

Looking up quickly, Mia stepped back, making Isaac's arms loosen from her body reluctantly. "Y-yes, of course. Thank you for keeping me from falling into the harbor," she said, her cheeks suddenly flushing a very becoming cherry red. Mortified, she couldn't meet his eyes, so she quickly grabbed Fizz and cupped the Djinni in her hands at her waist.

"If I hadn't startled you, there would have been no need. I apologize." Isaac's cheeks reddened slightly, and he shifted, wishing she hadn't moved away so quickly.

-faint sounds of a waterfall-

Isaac shook his head, suddenly uncomfortable. Lately his dreams manifested even during the day, disrupting his concentration and normally-solid focus. For some reason, they usually reminded him of Mia.

"I knew you would be leaving, and I just wanted to apologize for my father's words. I'm not sure how much Picard told you-"

"Not much," she answered quickly, looking up. Suddenly she couldn't speak, but she didn't want to look away from his sharp, piercing regard. They stared at each other until loudly audible footsteps stopped next to Isaac.

"Safe journey, princess," Felix said courteously, bowing. Mia nodded, her throat tight, and stalled when she saw Picard walking in their direction.

"I - thank you. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer. Angara is such a beautiful place," she began weakly, her hands fisting in the thick material of her dress. Before she could find the words to express what she felt, Picard arrived, taking her arm gently and tucking it beneath his.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Isaac. Felix. My stay here was pleasant, and I hope our countries can reconcile again," the prince said, knowing that Isaac was an ally, even if his father was not. Isaac nodded, and they shook hands firmly, the proud future rulers of their respective kingdoms. For a moment, everything around them stopped. The sounds of the waves splashing against the docks, the shouting men, the smells of the salty sea, everything disappeared as Picard looked up at the sky and felt a chilling sense of foreboding.

"Good luck to you, Isaac. Felix. We'll be in touch." With that, Picard strode away, Mia an unhappy passenger. She walked hesitantly to the grand ship anchored in place, not knowing whether or not she was doing the right thing. What if going to Lemuria didn't answer all the questions she had about her life? And with this new threat of war, would she ever get to see Isaac again? Or Ivan and Sheba? And especially Garet-

"Garet!" She choked out in alarm. She hadn't said goodbye yet... Mia felt tears filling her eyes and she quickly boarded the ship, unaware that she was being watched closely by Alex and Picard, both concerned but not knowing why she was unhappy and unsure of how to make her feel better. She quickly ran to the ship's railing, searching the docks for Garet's bright red hair. She didn't see the two smaller figures jumping up and down for her attention until Picard began shouting for ropes to be untied, and the anchor to be pulled up. We're leaving already? She thought, dismayed.

"Mia! Catch!" A second later, a small box flashed into existence just above her hands, and Mia caught the parting gift from Ivan and Sheba.

She looked a second time, and saw another figure shoving his way through the busy chaos on the docks, shouting and cursing at the top of his lungs, his red hair familiar and welcome. Mia couldn't mistake Garet's boisterous farewell, his loud voice carrying easily over even the din of the docks and the harbor waters. The small group of friends she'd made during her short stay in Vale waved as the ship sped off into the distance, and Mia could faintly hear their well-wishes and blessings for good weather as they became smaller and smaller with the distance. She watched until she could no longer see land anymore and water surrounded them in every direction.

"I'll make sure we come back."

Picard nodded as she settled himself at her side, a brief smile on his face.

Mia smiled too. Maybe going to Lemuria would be a new start. She'd found her family, after all, and a group of friends where she least expected to.

And finally, maybe she'd found her home.

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End Note: Yes, it took forever, and it seems an odd place to end, but this is the end of BTLR for now. I sincerely apologize for the rushed ending - it was a lot shorter than I originally planned, but after having no new ideas for awhile, I decided that I had to finish this. xP There will almost certainly be a sequel, which I will begin writing perhaps next month or during the summer. There may also be another AU fanfiction coming, starring Jenna, but no guarantees, especially after my long hiatus!

I hope you enjoyed BTLR, everyone!

-Kadevi-