LAPIS :Chapter 25:

Maggie didn't let go of me for a good few hours before she allowed Swami and Saders to take her to a waiting area. While she was with me, she stayed wrapped in my left arm as the outpost's lone Ability of Mind Jeweloid healed my more substantial wounds, being the shot to my gut and the two venom shots that grazed me. I only remember the first, whenever the second one hit me is a mystery to all of us. Maggie was checked out as well, only sporting the one major gunshot wound, a minor graze and some scraps from her attempts to climb the gorge wall. But, that's not what worried me.

She was in shock, not to mention dealing with the fact that she killed three Noxcus. She killed.

I shushed her as best I could, distracting her mind so that she could calm down. It seemed successful, as she appeared relaxed as Swami showed her out. After she left, the doctor came and dressed my wounds. In the half-hour span, he stuck me with a few shots of medicine before he wrapped me in bandages.

Afterwards, it was a rush to get us out of the facility and back to Gelus. Swami had alerted Kasami of the ambush, and he ordered Maggie be brought back to ensure both of our safety. Maggie was brought to me, clean and changed into a different outfit, but obviously still overwhelmed. I took gentle hold of her as I led her back to the craft, the same pilot that flew us the first time taking position in the cabin as we boarded. Unlike last time, I kept my arm around her, and we stay silent, keeping each other company in quiet reassurance. I was a bit worried that the pilot would say something about us being so close, maybe bring up the Law and make us separate. Though, he only gave me a look, one I can’t exactly describe, but the message is clear; he’s not going to say a word.

It was about ten minutes before we were back at Gelus. Once we landed, Maggie was almost torn away from me, but after a short retaliation, Kasami appeared, and gave the ok for me to stay with her. We were taken to the medical sector, and without much said to either of us, we found ourselves admitted for the night, just to keep an eye on my injuries, and Maggie's mental state.

I woke up this morning to find Maggie sleeping in the bed beside mine, her face calm as she dreamed. Before I could make a noise, a young nurse who I recall from one of my first times here arrived, took my IV out, and led me out. I didn’t go easily, I questioned her constantly as she forced me out the door, but she didn’t say a word. I was released without anyone telling me anything.

"Damn, people here are just weird," I sigh, messaging my temples as I lean on the table. I made it just in time for breakfast, but instead of eating with humans, I decided to eat in the Jeweloid Sector. Why? Well, considering the last time I was around humans, they gossiped like mad and demeaned people I know, I’d rather let Marcus beat me.

I eat slower than normal, time ticking by and counting the minutes I’m apart from Maggie. I’m worried about how she’ll react when she wakes up and sees that I’m gone. I hope that she won’t be upset with me, it’s not like I wanted to leave. Though, I had no choice, and as I eat my meal, I feel the guilt weighing on me a bit.

"Dear God, do you just attract injuries?"

I blink, my thoughts derailed as I look up to see Sammy staring at me, a tray in her hands. I grin, chuckling, "Yeah, I'm beginning to think I'm magnetic."

She laughs, sitting diagonal of me, "Well then, Mr. Goro, I believe you are only person I know that is able to smile after so many accidents."

I shrug as I reply, "It happens."

Sammy smiles, though after a few moments, it fades. She lowers her eyes, picking at the food on her plate as she speaks, "So . . . I heard Cent had a meltdown."

I blink, surprised to hear her talking about Cent. Then, I remember; she hadn't been there when it happened. With the realization, my brow furrows, and I sigh, "Yeah, a bit. He's just been stressed lately. But, it's fine, I got him calmed down."

She grins in relief, happy to hear that Cent is ok, "That's good. I'm glad you two have each other to keep both of you from losing your heads."

I chuckle, "I try to keep him out of trouble, same for him. It's what we do."

"It's what all best friends do, it seems," Sammy replies.

I look up, meeting her gaze, "You have a best friend like that?"

A shadow falls over her eyes for a moment before she speaks, "I did."

Her words cause me to stop for a moment, realizing my blunder. My brow furrows again, and I look away. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" I start.

"Don't apologize, I know you didn't mean anything bad by it," Sammy interrupts, sighing, "But yes, I had a best friend, she and I were probably as close as you and Cent. We looked after each other, well, she looked after me I guess."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You see, my mom and dad had a really rocky relationship when I was little. Then, when I was eight, my father left us. He abandoned my mom, brother and I. So, in an attempt to find us a better life, Mom started moving us around the country," Sammy explains, "It wasn't until I was twelve that we found a nice place up north, and that's when I met her. She had a huge personality, huge mouth . . . but she was like the sister I never had."

I smile, "Really?"

"Yeah, she and I had a lot in common in terms of hobbies, though what we wanted to do with our lives were major opposites," Sammy laughs.

"Like what?"

We both freeze as we hear the familiar voice, and we turn in unison to see Cent standing behind us, a warm smile set on his face. Sammy and I grin. "What are you doing here, Cent?" I ask with a chuckle.

"I don't have anything assigned until after lunch, so I asked Sumpti if I could come by to see you," Cent replies as he sits in between us, "I swear, that man loves me."

"Oh?" Sammy asks with a raised eyebrow, giggling.

Cent smiles, looking towards her, "Yes, but that's not what you were talking about. What hobbies do you have?"

Sammy blinks in surprise, her cheeks reddening as her eyes dart from Cent to me. I shrug, chuckling. With that, she sighs, "W-Well, she and I loved to dance."

Our eyes widen, Cent smiling brighter, "Really? You dance?"

"Well, I haven't since I woke up," Sammy answers, "But yes, I did. She was much better than I was though."

"What kind of dance?" Cent asks.

Her eyes widen, not expecting Cent to be so interested. "I danced ballroom and some hip hop-" she starts.

"Hip hop?" I repeat.

She nods, "Y-Yeah, it's like edgy modern dancing." She notices our faces are blank, realizing we don't know what she's talking about. "Uh . . . popping? Locking? Tutting? Michael Jackson, Chris Brown?"

"Who?" Cent questions.

Sammy gasps, "Oh my God, you don't know who they are?!"

"No, unfortunately," I comment, "I'm guessing they're dancers from your time."

"Well, Michael Jackson was big before I was born. But he's an icon!"

"Was, you mean," Cent chuckles.

"Oh stop, he was my hero. I wish my voice was as great as his," Sammy pouts.

"You sing too?" I ask.

"We both did. Again, my best friend was much better than me. She had one of the purest voices I've ever heard . . ." she trails off, her expression becoming saddened, "I miss her."

"I'm sure you do," Cent says, "What was her name?"

"Oh, her name was-" Sammy starts.

"Isugoro."

The three of us are caught by surprise as Anyola appears behind me, Sammy jumping in shock at the sudden sight.

"Y-Yes, Anyola?" I stutter.

Anyola smiles when I address her, "Sorry to interrupt you, but GOLD told me to come get you, apparently something has happened and he needs your assistance."

My brow rises, "What?"

Anyola shrugs, "I'm not sure, he didn't give me any details."

I feel myself deflat a bit, looking back to Sammy and Cent. I really wanted to just enjoy my breakfast and talk to them. I haven't seen either of them much lately. But I can't turn down Kasami, he's my superior.

I sigh, then begin to stand, "Well, I gotta go, it seems."

Cent brow falls, and Sammy smiles bitter-sweetly. "Well, I guess we'll see you soon, Mr. Goro," Sammy says.

I grin a bit, though out of the corner of my eye, I can see Anyola's face turning colder as she lands her eyes on Sammy. Cent notices it as well, and looks away, obviously thinking negatively to himself. I put a hand on his shoulder, catching his attention.

"I'll see you later," I say as I start to walk off. Cent watches me for a moment, then smiles, waving.

With that, I'm escorted out of the cafeteria and down a familiar hall toward Kasami's office. Anyola walks beside me, and before long, she tries to make small talk with me. "So, what happened to you this time?" Anyola asks, gesturing to my bandages.

I don't respond for a moment, unsure how to answer. My silence causes Anyola to start coming up with her own ideas, and she gasps, "You, you were attacked by that one Jeweloid, the girl! Is that it?"

"Wait, what?" I ask, confused, "N-No, of course not, she didn't touch me."

Anyola deflates a bit, apparently sad that her theory was a flop. I’m a bit confused as to why she’d think Sammy of all people would’ve done these things to me, considering how they’ve not really had any interaction before. Yet, her short comment does give me some insight, “Knowing you, you would forgive any attacker if they were one of them.”

I hold my tongue, not wanting to get into an argument with her. It’s not worth it. Anyola doesn't say more on the idea, probably trying to think of another strange reason. I turn my attention to the real reason Kasami called me down to his office. He didn't say anything last night, though I do recall he was quieter than normal. I thought it was due to the circumstances that he was seeing us under.

So, basically, I have one conclusion; I have no idea what's going on.

"Isugoro, why were you eating in the Jeweloid cafeteria with that other guy and that Jeweloid?" Anyola asks out of nowhere.

I blink, shrugging. "Uh, it's breakfast-" I start.

"But you didn't eat in the normal cafeteria," she interrupts, "Not to mention with one of them-"

"Ok, why does it matter if I do?" I ask, quickly getting annoyed, "Sa - I mean QUARTZ, is a good person, and I enjoy being around her. And that other guy is my best friend, Cent. I don't understand why it bothers you so much that I spend time with Jeweloids. They're not bad people."

Anyola stares at me in shock, not expecting me to be so passionate against her. She backs off a bit, allowing for a space between us big enough for someone to walk through. She falls silent, we both do.

Another minute or so passes, before we finally reach Kasami's office. I start to open it, but suddenly I'm pulled back, meeting Anyola's gaze. She looks sad, pained even, her green eyes gleaming differently than I've ever seen. The sight causes a small lump to form in my throat, catching me by surprise. After everything that has happened, I've never actually seen her look at me with such a genuine expression.

Then, suddenly, she sighs, and her expression warms to a bitter sweet smile. It's sweet, but not over-bearing, giving her an elegance I had never noticed before. She's actually quite pretty. "I don't want you to fall," Anyola says, her voice calm and gentle, "You're a good man. But even good men aren't forever."

With that, she releases her hold on my arm, and with another slight nod, she turns and walks away down the hall, eventually disappearing as she turns. I simply stand there in confusion. Her words were vague, like she wanted to say more, but couldn't. It makes me curious to know what her reasoning is around Jeweloids.

I forget that for the time being, as I turn and open the door, seeing Kasami standing by his desk, a frown set on his face. Immediately, I sense the atmosphere is dense, almost depressing. Upon entering, my expression takes on a worried countenance, "What's going on?"

Kasami doesn't respond quickly, causing my nerves to heighten. "Isugoro . . . I was asked to call you here," he replies.

My brow raises in confusion, "Who asked you?"

Instead of saying anything, Kasami gestures toward the couch in front of me. Quietly, I look down, my eyes widening as I see who it is that's sitting there.

Maggie.

Her eyes are focused on the floor, her countenance giving off that she's currently thinking over something. She appears depressed, suggesting that she's the source of the aura of the room. Her medical band is still wrapped around her wrist, implying that she's only been released within the last hour. I look from her to Kasami, his eyes meeting mine. After a moment of us staring at each other, he nods, and without any hesitation, he walks out, leaving Maggie and I alone.

I don't move for a minute, watching to see if Maggie will move or say anything before I do. She doesn't even look up.

A sigh escapes my mouth as I walk around the couch, sitting myself down on the coffee table in front of Maggie so I can look her right in the eye. Though, I can't seem to even do that, as Maggie still won't even acknowledge me. The act concerns me, and I speak softly, "Maggie, what's wrong?"

Slowly, Maggie starts to move her head up, and before my eyes, I'm surprised to see tears dripping down her cheeks. Her eyes are red, and her nose is slightly runny. As soon as I register the sight, I instinctively take the action of trying to console her, my hands instinctively grasping hers. She doesn’t do anything, which just sparks my anxiety. "H-Hey, Maggie, don't cry," I speak calmly, watching as her breathing becomes shallower, "It's alright, everything is fine-"

"No it's not, Goro!" she cries, her voice cracking.

My eyes widen in surprise, caught off guard by her words. "What do you mean?" I say, scooting myself closer, "What happened?"

She doesn't answer me immediately, as she's too caught up in slowing her tears to reply. "H-HERA came in after you were r-released. She startled me awake, a-and she yelled at me for what h-happened-" Maggie breaths, stuttering as she explains.

"Hey, hey, that wasn't your fault," I interrupt, trying to reassure her. From my assumptions, HERA’s bullying angers me, how she just blames Maggie for everything. It causes a strange anger to boil deep within me, but I need to keep my calm so that I can make her feel better. I control my tone as I speak to her, "You have never been in battle before. Your reaction was perfectly normal for what happened, and honestly the fact that she sees something wrong with that is bothersome."

"Goro, that's not the point," she trails, her brows furrowing, ". . . She said that it's time for me to go."

I blink in confusion, "Go? What do you mean "go"?"

Maggie gulps, "I have to have specific training, and I have to meet the other Class Zero Jeweloids."

I simply stare at her, not following what she’s trying to lay out for me. "Ok, what does "go" have to do with-" I start.

"The facility where I will be trained is not here at Gelus," Maggie interrupts, looking away, "It's near the capital. . . ."

My expression goes blank.

The capital of Vesperia is on the opposite side of the country.

The realization sparks a strange feeling in my stomach, a churning that I've never felt before. Before long, numbness begins to spread in my fingers, following a slight lapsing sensation in my mind. I shake my head slightly, trying to rid the tingling as I try to speak, "So, what you're s-saying is that you're-"

"I'm leaving today," she cries, beginning to crumble, "And I go alone!"

She shrinks into herself, shaking as she begins to cry harder. Her tears fall in rivers, making the pain to stab deeper into me. I can't watch for more than a few moments before I take her by the shoulders and pull her into my arms. She grasps the fabric of my shirt as she sobs into my chest, though she seems to quiet a bit as I tighten my desperate embrace. Her trembling breaks my heart, I never thought she'd have to cry this hard again, be this scared again.

I thought she'd always be here.

The realization that I won’t see her for a long time causes a short panic to consume me. My entire time at Gelus, I’ve been here with her by my side. Everything I do, all of my responsibilities, they are all connected to her. What am I going to do when she’s gone? What will I do every day without anyone to look after? Questions swirl through my mind, making me almost dizzy as I try to understand what is happening.

I keep my thoughts to myself as I gently stroke her hair, shushing her in an attempt to calm her down. It takes about fifteen, twenty minutes before she's able to speak again without breaking into a sob, her face red and damp from her tears. "Goro, I'm scared," she says, her voice slightly coarse from crying so much.

Slowly, I raise a hand to her face, wiping away the tears in her eyes as I meet her gaze. "Maggie, it's ok," I say gently, "Now, listen to me. Even though you're going there, you'll only be there until your training is finished and you're ready to be introduced. Once it's over, you'll be brought back here."

"But you'll-" she starts.

"I'm stuck here on contract for a year, Maggie," I interrupt with a bitter sweet smile, "And even so, there's no guarantee that I'll be shipped anywhere else after that."

My words cause her look to change slightly, her eyes reading surprise. "So . . . " she trails.

"I'll be right here when you get back," I say, catching her off guard, "And when you return . . . if you still want, I'll take the position as your partner."

She watches me speechless. Slowly, I watch tears begin to fall from her eyes again, but instead of a face of sadness, a smile crosses her lips. With a light laugh, she throws herself onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck to pull herself closer. The action stuns me for a moment, but before long, I find myself hugging her, leaning my head on hers as I hear her sniffling. A warmth spreads through my body as I hold her close, sparking a sensation vaguely familiar to something I haven’t felt for a long while.

". . . Thank you," she whispers, prompting me to hold her tighter.

I grin, becoming absorbed in the strange emotions she starts with her touch. After a minute like this, Maggie pulls back a bit so that she can look me in the face, her eyes searching mine. Her dual colored eyes spark in the light given off by the sun that shines through Kasami's sky light, giving them a warmth I can't describe. Though, she cuts off the connection as she looks off, her expression giving the indication that she's debating saying something.

"What is it?" I question.

She doesn't say anything for a moment, before she reconnects her stare. " . . . What are your feelings toward me, Isugoro?" she asks.

The question catches me totally by surprise, and my face falls blank yet again. I hadn't ever thought about any feelings toward Maggie. I mean, I know I'm protective of her, but that's because I feel sorry for her more than anything - Well, that's not entirely true, I don't talk to her out of pity. I honestly enjoy being around her. So, what are my feelings?

What are my feelings?

My silence causes Maggie's expression to fade into that of worry, her brow furrowing again. I gulp, still unsure what to say as she looks away. "I-I'm sorry. You probably don't think of me as much. Please, just-" she starts.

"That's not true, Maggie," I interrupt, my voice unintentionally defensive, "You're my friend. I don't care if you are a Jeweloid, I like being around you."

As my words register in her mind, I watch her cheeks reddening as her eyes widen. Apparently she wasn't expecting me to say anything like that, her expression flustered. The sight causes a smile to creep onto my face, making Maggie even more embarrassed. "Stop making that face at me!" she stutters.

Her instruction causes me to laugh, making her pout jokingly. She punches me playfully, but I catch her fist. I look into her face and still see tears falling, but not as apparent. The sight causes my smile to turn bitter sweet.

I won't be able to stay with her for much longer. . . .

Then, Kasami enters. "Isugoro, Marcus just called up. You will need to be down there in ten minutes," he says with a frown.

Instantly, the smile on Maggie's face vanishes, realizing that it's time for goodbye. We have to separate. I don't reply verbally, but I stand and nod. He acknowledges me, then looks over, "And Maggie, HERA ordered that you be ready within the next hour to depart."

She tenses. The sight causes me to flash a look at Kasami, telling him to close the door. As soon as he does, Maggie begins to shake again, her face falling into her hands. "I-I don't want to go-" she starts.

"Do you want to be strong?"

My question surprises her, and she looks up at me. I turn and gaze down at her, my expression serious, "Do you want to remain like this? Weak?"

She shakes her head, "No. . . ."

"You need to do this, Maggie," I say, "I know it's hard, leaving what you know to go somewhere you don't know anything about. But, if we just stick to what we know, we won't grow. You can't mature without stepping out into the world."

Tears begin to fall faster down her face, "Isugoro . . ."

I don't say anything for a moment, my face softening, "I will get stronger too. I need to grow up some, and become what is expected so that I can be useful to Gelus, to Vesperia . . . to you."

Her eyes widen, prompting me to continue, "You'll be the pride of the Jeweloids, Maggie. I can't wait to see what you can do."

With that, Maggie slowly stands, her eyes still connected to mine. Neither of us notice that we're close, much closer than we should be. I also don't recognize the sound of my heartbeat picking up as I watch her, my hand naturally intertwined with hers. Her cheeks are blushed, her face delicate under the sun's rays.

Slowly, I start to lean over, our faces drawing closer. I can hear a heart racing, though I can't tell whose it is. As I come within a few inches, I pause, then change my angle.

She doesn't seem bothered as I almost kiss her cheek, but before I make contact with her skin, I stop myself. Call it my conscience or subconscious, but something in me pulls me back to my senses, and I just stay there, stunned by my actions.

I actually almost kissed her, and originally, I was going to kiss her on the lips!

What the hell am I doing? The way I'm acting right now is not only against the Law of Gelus, but it's against my entire thinking process. I'm against romance, I'm against the idea that you are meant to be with someone else. It only leads to disaster.

I had to learn that the hard way.

Still frozen in place, I make the decision that I'm not reliving that life. I'm not going to put myself through that again. Not just because the act could put me in serious trouble with Gelus, but I told myself I'd stay away from this. Not to mention it would just make a bigger mess for Maggie. I can't give her a false impression, not anymore.

Unfortunately, my thoughts can't stop Maggie. She kisses my cheek, causing a strange sensation to jolt through my body. It's starting to bother me that I can't make sense of my emotional distress. I breathe softly as I whisper in her ear, "I'll see you soon."

Without another word, I pull back, releasing my hold on her hand as I turn and walk around the couch. Maggie stands there slightly stunned, but somehow understanding. Then, she catches me as she speaks, "Isugoro?"

I stop, but facing away from her. My pause allows her to continue, her tone a bit nervous, "Will you miss me?"

A few moments pass before I can answer, and turn back to look at her, seeing her face is red. I smile bitter sweetly. "Yeah," I answer.

She smiles at me, her expression beautiful even though tears still drip from her face. Part of me yearns to stay, to keep by her side until the last second. But, something greater within me fights the desire, beating it down into the back of my mind. I don't want her to leave, but, odd enough, I feel that if she did stay, something would happen.

And to my bewilderment, I feel it would be negative.

"I'll call for you as soon as I return," she says.

"Alright," I say with a grin, before I turn, walking towards the door. I take the handle, then I pause, looking back one more time, "Good bye, Maggie."

"Good bye," she breathes, fighting back tears.

With that, I leave. The feeling that takes over me as I walk off is confusing. I feel surprisingly unhappy, though strangely fuzzy. My head is light, and my stomach feels like it's in a knot.

I don't understand these feelings.

Before long, I arrive at Marcus' training room, and it's not long before he has me running, panting, and trying to fight. Unlike before, when he was just having me rush him, he's has assistants that he has me take on. Sometimes three or more, but today I can't concentrate. I take out two, then I find my mind wandering as I get punched somewhere.

A good half hour of this went by before Marcus decided to try a different exercise. He's explaining the details to me, when suddenly a sound catches my attention. Far off, I can hear a craft powering up.

My brow furrows. Marcus looks confused as he realizes I'm distracted, becoming quiet, which only makes it worse.

I hear the loud rush as the craft flies off, fading slowly after as it soars east. I breathe a heavy sigh, then look back up at Marcus. Upon meeting my eyes, he calls out, "AGAIN!"

Three of his men come at me. It's a blur, but before long, I take them all out.

My reason for all this . . . has gone. I don't know when she'll be back, so I have to be ready. I have to get stronger so I can stand beside her. I have to grow up.

"AGAIN!"