Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ A Ripoff of Sonic the Hedgehog ( Chapter 30 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and they can't believe I actually get away with `defiling' them. I say they need to stop being such wussies.

 

The elevator was cramped. That was the one thought Rouge had as the elevator slowly rumbled back down to the parking lot level. It was cramped, and it felt like it was taking hours for a task that he felt really should've only taken seconds. Part of him wanted to blame it on the fact that he had to deal with Ciato, but unless he actually caught the Mystic doing something to mess with the elevator, there was no way he could prove it. Besides, he had seen Ciato leave. He sighed, wishing to whatever would listen that the damned contraption would hurry it up. He still had a case to close.

 

“Maybe you should try some deep breathing to relax yourself,” Blue suggested calmly, glancing over to see just how his twin was faring. Rouge didn't know exactly what expression he was wearing, but he hoped it was changing to one of annoyance; he didn't need his brother harping on him just yet.

 

“I'd rather shoot something,” he replied, hoping he was sounding as calm as Blue. Blue just chuckled.

 

“Wouldn't we all?” he asked, his mouth quirking into a half-smile, “It's a good thing we don't, or we'd be the worst cops ever.” Rouge just grunted. As much as Blue was right, Rouge's mood was still dropping. The meeting with Ciato had gone better than he thought, but most of what had been said still bothered him. Mainly, he was worried Ciato would completely ignore everything he'd stated. He certainly didn't trust Mystics and their sense of boundaries.

 

“Would it be considered bad if I shot a stalker?” Rouge asked, and Blue glanced at him again, “I'm worried about Ciato.” Blue's lips thinned. He wasn't too surprised. He looked ahead as the elevator came to a slow stop, and gave a small whistle as he leaned back.

 

“I don't think you really need to worry,” Blue replied, “Ciato listened. I know you're worried he didn't, but he did. I think he gets the picture.” Rouge, however, wasn't convinced in the least. He threw his arms up.

 

“What if he doesn't!?” he cried, as Blue stepped out when the doors finally opened, “What if he's, like, actually really insane and he tries to kill me because he can't deal with my rejection?” Blue just laughed. He didn't know how messed up Ciato actually was, but he highly doubted that would be a scenario; it wouldn't even be a worst-case one. Ciato would never do that to anyone unless it truly benefited him somehow. He was about to say this, but because they had stepped into the parking lot, they were within earshot of Fuse, and because they were his soldiers, he felt a need to pry into their lives. He looked over at them as he jotted down something on a notepad.

 

“Then I book him for stalking and first-degree murder,” the older cop replied simply, “Seeing as how he's still got that theft charge and the double-crossing charges from Orlouge, he's looking at a life sentence. And considering that Mystics can't die, he's going to spend an eternity in jail.” Rouge snorted. The thought appealed to him, but in order for it to happen, he had to actually catch Ciato stalking him. And he knew Ciato was smart enough to not let himself get caught. He caught Blue giving him a stern look, and sighed, knowing his brother disapproved of Fuse's idea.

 

“First of all, Fuse, there's no need to start planning for Ciato's arrest,” Blue began flatly, turning to Fuse as he spoke, and then turning back to Rouge, “Second of all, Rouge, you are worrying way too much about this. I know Ciato will listen to you, and we have other things to deal with right now. The most prominent being getting the gold right back to the gnomes.” Rouge's lips thinned. He didn't want to admit that Blue was right, but unfortunately, Blue was right. He knew Ciato would heed his words; he was just worrying because he didn't trust him. He gave a stiff nod, and then grinned in an attempt to keep Blue from harping on him.

 

“Right. I want my reward,” he stated, and Blue smacked him over the head.

 

“That is not why we're in this job!” Blue cried furiously, and looked sharply at Fuse, “Was the gold returned yet!?” Obviously, Rouge's plan was on the verge of a backfire. Fuse blinked, and at first Rouge was sure Blue would be fired for snapping at the older cop, and then Fuse seemed to dismiss it. He nodded.

 

“Yup. The gold's back and everyone lived happily ever after,” Fuse remarked, “Just like a fairy tale, except that instead of cheering peasants, we have monsters that are thrilled to be able to go back home.” Blue nodded, wondering just where all the monsters had gone to. He assumed they had returned to their cave while he and Rouge were speaking with Ciato, and a quick confirmation from Fuse told him he was right. Rouge looked around the parking lot, however, and he seemed slightly less enthusiastic than Blue would've thought. In fact, he frowned when he saw that there was only one gnome to greet them. The little man walked over to them, his long beard dragging along the floor as he moved. He stopped a little ways before them and looked up with his little, dark eyes.

 

“On behalf of everyone at Baccarat, we thank you for finding our gold and stopping the thieves,” he said, his voice surprisingly gruff for such a small creature, “Rest assured that your brave deed will not be forgotten for centuries to come!” Blue smiled lightly at that fact, and Rouge just perked a slightly amused, slightly irritated brow.

 

“What about our reward?” he asked, “We do get paid, right?” Blue nudged him angrily in the ribs.

 

“Reward won't be needed, sir,” Blue said quickly, glaring at Rouge, “The fact that we helped you is good enough for us.” Rouge's eyes widened, unable to believe Blue would actually say that. If they continued to go unpaid, they would never pay their debt off. His shock turned into a furious glare as well.

 

“Are you kidding me!?” he yelled at his brother, “What the hell, Blue!? What about getting paid!?” Fuse just snorted, knowing Rouge had a very good point. The old cop went quite a few weeks without getting paid himself, but he seemed content to let the two magicians fight their problem out. The gnome simply seemed confused by what was happening.

 

“We will get paid! Just stop being greedy!” Blue yelled back, “Not everything is about instant gratification, Rouge!”

 

“But we need money now!” Rouge cried, throwing his arms up. Fuse took in a deep breath, now finally feeling it was time to let his `fatherly' instincts kick in. He took out his gun and shot into the sky, scaring everyone in the lot and many people within the resort as many heads poked out of various windows, wondering just what was actually going on outside. Blue and Rouge both looked at Fuse with a mix of fright and confusion.

 

“Both of you shut your traps before I shove my guns so far up your asses, you'll be spitting out bullets for three days!” he threatened, brows creased as he put his gun back in its holster. Blue and Rouge looked at each other, and then at Fuse. They gulped and decided it was best to actually heed their boss's threat, knowing that if Fuse loved anything, it was to shoot things. Fuse turned back to the gnome, whose face went white with the gunshot, and said, “It's our job to help the citizens. Ignore my boys there. They don't realize how unprofessional it is to argue in the middle of a crisis situation.” The gnome blink, not entirely certain that this was a crisis situation, but he quickly shook himself out of his fright. He wanted to end this as quickly as possible.

 

“It's of no problem, my large friend,” the gnome spoke calmly, doing his best to keep his voice level, “A reward is indeed in order for you all. Please, come.” And so, the gnome began to move toward the elevator. Blue, Rouge, and Fuse followed him in, and it sped up toward the top of the resort, where the gnomes' office stood. It felt like only seconds had passed from the time they were in the lot to when they stepped out of the elevator and into the office. Many gnomes were seated around the circular table, all of them looking to where Blue and the others had entered. Nervously, Rouge glanced around, and was relieved when he saw that most of the gnomes looked relatively calm. One gnome, who sat in a high-backed leather chair, peered out over the group through half-glasses, his black eyes shining as he did so.

 

“And whom are these humans, Vedna?” he asked the gnome that had brought the group there. Vedna bowed and pointed to each of the three humans.

 

“These humans are the ones who found our gold for us,” he replied carefully, gratefully, “I feel we should honor them with a reward.” The gnome in the large chair nodded, and snapped his fingers. Immediately, two more gnomes rushed over to the pile of gold and came back carrying three large, golden coins. They handed them to their boss, who examined them, and then hopped off his chair and waddled over. He went right to Blue, observing the man carefully.

 

“This, my large friend, is for helping us in our time of need. It gives me great hope for the future of our relationship with humans,” the gnome said calmly, handing Blue one of the coins, “May you enlist our aid in the future.” Blue nodded, and watched as the gnome repeated this to Rouge, and then to Fuse. They took their coins graciously, and Blue was surprised that he didn't have to scold either of them. After bidding the gnomes farewell, and after the gnomes graciously provided a plane for them to leave with, they stepped into the parking lot once more. Considering the excitement they had gone through for the past day, it felt weird to see it so devoid of people. The only thing in the lot, aside from themselves, was the plane.

 

“Well, looks like another job well done, if I say so myself!” Fuse exclaimed, strutting proudly toward the plane, “Why, I can't wait to head back and brag to Si…” Fuse's cell phone went off at that second, and he cursed, answering it, “What!? …what? You're serious? Why the hell would he call us? It's not a crime! He probably misplaced them all! It's a big castle, it could happen. Fine. FINE! Tell Silence to go screw himself, too! Bye!” Fuse slammed his phone shut, and saw that both Blue and Rouge were staring, wondering what just transpired over the radio. Fuse's anger was apparent, and neither of them wanted to be at the receiving end of it. Quietly, Rouge was the first to speak.

 

“Are we going back to IRPO?” he asked, even though he knew his answer already. Fuse huffed, and stomped the rest of the way toward the plane.

 

“No! We're going to Mosperiberg!” he ranted, throwing his arms up, “Apparently, the retarded Mystic there begged Silence to help him, and because Silence hates my damned guts, he puts his stupid, little problems on me! Yeah, well, when I get back, I have a taser just waiting to get shoved up that snotty, little cosplayer's ass!” Rouge's face paled, knowing it was probably a bad idea to ask what was going on, but he really wanted to know just what happened to piss his boss off. Now he knew, and he regretted asking as Fuse continued to shout insults to Silence, not caring if the Mystic could hear them or not. Blue took in a deep breath, knowing his next move could be suicidal.

 

“Why are we going there?” the magician asked, following Fuse's furious pace, “Humans aren't allowed there, are they?” Fuse turned to him sharply, and his glare continued to unnerve the two brothers. He looked ready to hit something, and it was only because he was ranting that he didn't.

 

“They can go up the mountains surrounding the stupid castle where the idiot Mystic lives, but no one's ever been inside the place,” Fuse spat, his face getting red as he explained their situation, “As to why we're going, it's to help this idiot find his missing rings. Rings! We could be having a mass murderer threatening to blow apart Koorong, and we're going to a castle to look for RINGS!” Rouge snorted at the prospect of the idea, and gently nudged Blue in the ribs. Blue gave his brother an incredulous look, raising a brow as to what Rouge could possibly find so amusing.

 

“It sounds like that Sonic the Hedgehog game Red wanted me to play once,” he joked, and Blue's eyes narrowed flatly, “Come on! It's funny!”

 

“It's stupid!” Fuse yelled, pounding on the side of the plane, “This is a job for retarded idiot monkeys, and we have to do it! I have half a mind to quit this job, but helping the people means just too much to me.” Rouge looked at Blue again, and almost laughed at the dry expression on his twin's face. He could tell Blue wouldn't find him funny, but he spoke anyway.

 

“It might be better for `the people' if he quits,” he joked, and this time, Blue smacked him over the head again, causing him to fall over. Blue merely shook his head, and entered the plane with Fuse. Rouge sat up dizzily, and glared at the doorway Blue had entered through, and not wanting to let his brother get the last laugh, he said, “YOU'LL THANK ME WHEN WE'RE NOT DRIVING OFF A CLIFF BECAUSE OF HIM!” Blue just gave a snort, and Rouge stalked onto the plane, knowing Blue wouldn't believe him.

 

It had taken hours to get to Mosperiberg, but after finding the correct route and avoiding the Axebeaks that were migrating for the year, they finally found themselves standing outside of the large castle. Unlike Fuse's short reference, the castle was nothing like either brother expected. A large, golden gate surrounded the perimeters, their spiked tips pointing high into the dark sky that seemed to shroud only Mosperiberg itself. The castle was dark and brooding against the snowy mountains, and like the fence, the exterior was criss-crossed with a wall of gold as it snaked its way up toward the upper floors. Only the peaks of the many towers were free of gold, their large points poking through the clouds like giant spears. Rouge gulped as he beheld the huge castle, unable to imagine that only one Mystic could live there alone. Silently, Fuse walked up to the gate, and as the two magicians watched, it became obvious that their boss was also terrified of the sight he saw, because he was shaking as he laid a hand against the gate. The gate slowly opened at his touch, admitting the three into the large palace.

 

Inside of the castle was an almost vivid contrast to the outdoors as soon as they reached the large foyer of the castle. Outside, though it was stormy, the mountains had illuminated the area somewhat with their snowy cliffs and peaks, and a soft snow had fallen, further casting a white glow around the entire continent. But inside, it was dim. The soft glow of the torches on the wall were reflected only a bit by the golden railings and doors; everything else seemed to be covered with tapestries. The floors were made of marble, but it was as black as the deepest onyx stone and offered no light to them. The carpets adorning these beautiful floors were a deep crimson, further adding to the quiet gloom of the palace. Aside from their muffled footsteps, there was no sound.

 

“…does anyone actually live here?” Rouge whispered, but even that sounded earth-shattering in such a silent place. He even winced at the sound of his own voice. Blue glanced around the vast room, his lips growing thin as he evaluated everything around him.

 

“Hard to tell, but this looks even more grand than Orlouge's castle,” Blue commented. Fuse silently agreed, but decided it was best not to speak. He located a large, golden staircase, and against the lifeless black of the room, it was startlingly bright. Rouge winced again at the light shining off of the gold as he groped for the railing.

 

“Whoever lives here must be blind as a Rabbat,” he grumbled, “They'd have to be with this abomination sitting right here.” Blue managed a chuckle at that, but Fuse still remained silent. Something was wrong with him, something bothering him, but Blue didn't know what it could've been. They walked up the large stairs, and Rouge stopped when they reached the top. Though there was a huge doorway leading to another, darker hallway, he turned and went down a narrow corridor, stopping at a large set of double doors, both made entirely of latticed gold. Raising an interest brow, he touched the handle and said, “I wonder what's in here.” He twisted the handle downward, but it refused to budge. He blinked, and looked at the handle. There was no keyhole in the door, but it was clearly locked. Huffing, he pushed harder on the handle, but it didn't move.

 

“Rouge, maybe you should leave it alone,” Blue warned carefully, eyeing the door critically, “You don't know what's in there.”

 

“I know what I'm doing!” Rouge snapped back, until he heard a loud crack. In his hand was now the golden handle of the door; it broke off completely, and his face went practically white. He had just broken the door. Biting his lip as he shoved the handle in his pocket, he said, “Well, nothing to see! Let's go!” He went back to the stairs and turned to walk down them, when Fuse stopped him.

 

“Whoa, soldier! We still need to know what the hell is wrong with the resident here,” he reminded the flustered mage, who grumbled in dismay. He didn't want the Mystic to find out he just broke part of their home. But reluctantly, he followed both Fuse and Blue through the doorway. Crystals hung from the ceiling, casting a softer golden glow around the room. From there, Blue saw that tiny shards of glass were embedded within the floor, and found it to be quite beautiful. A pang of jealousy hit as he remembered how plain his own kingdom looked compared to this. If he and Rouge ever went back, he would definitely bring the Mystics' sense of beauty with him… if they allowed it to be. They walked through the hallway, and found themselves now standing in a large room, a single crimson carpet leading up to a throne made of polished, dark mahogany. Behind that throne sat a wall with latticed gold overlapping the glass covering. And behind that glass was a burning fire; the entire back wall seemed to serve as a fireplace. But what truly caught Blue's attention was the occupant within the throne. Garbed in black robes, with long, dark blue hair and a circlet of gold sitting on their head, the Mystic observed his intruders carefully, almost kindly. But there was something about this Mystic's demeanor that made even Orlouge appear powerless before him.

 

“Who are you?” the Mystic asked, his voice surprisingly deep. Rouge was shocked to hear it; he had almost mistaken this Mystic for a woman. Blue knelt down, lowering his head as Fuse did the same. Only Rouge remained standing, and his confused expression seemed to amuse the Mystic highly. Another voice sounded just a way behind the throne, and another figure stepped out.

 

“Relax, Virgil. These are the humans I told you of,” that voice belonged to Orlouge, and Rouge's mouth dropped open as he stepped into the light of the fire. Behind him, Ciato stood nearly motionless. Rouge saw his mouth twist into a weak smile when he noticed them there. A shiver ran down the magician's spine, but he said nothing. He had to trust Ciato would listen to him. The Mystic in the throne, Virgil, looked over at Orlouge.

 

“So I see. I suppose, then, they would like to know why I have summoned them?” he asked, turning his gaze back to the humans. Fuse nodded, standing up and dusting his shirt off.

 

“Yeah, that'd be nice,” he replied, “Seeing as how we have no idea why the hell you called us.” Blue growled under his breath, praying no one took offense for Fuse's rudeness, but Virgil just chuckled, and Ciato managed a snort.

 

“Yes. I suppose that would be a kind gesture indeed,” Virgil continued, waving his hand airily, “I have called you because I have lost my rings. A small annoyance to you, but a hindrance to me, and a danger to the land of Margmel.” Blue glanced at Rouge worriedly, but Rouge seemed completely perplexed with Virgil's explanation, and Fuse just glanced at Orlouge. The Mystic nodded, silently mouthing to listen to Virgil.

 

“Why are those rings so important?” Rouge asked, and Virgil looked at him in disbelief, “I'm sorry. I've never heard of such rings.”

 

“Those rings are what keep the land of Margmel running, but they require a strong power in order to keep them alive,” Virgil explained calmly, “I was given them by a young monster to protect his homeland, and not wanting to see a world crumble from an abuse of power, I have done so for the last two years. But, they have gone missing now, and if they have been stolen, the land will surely perish, and I will have broken my promise to this boy. I refuse to let both happen, so you must understand my urgency.” Blue nodded grimly, understanding perfectly what Virgil meant. He and Rouge had seen a land crumble personally, and it broke both of them when they were forbidden to enter it again. He looked to Rouge, wondering if the younger magician understood the danger Margmel was in, and Rouge inclined his head in agreement to Blue's unspoken question. They were going to help look for the rings.

 

“Where did you last see these rings?” Blue inquired seriously, both he and Rouge turning back to Virgil. The Mystic tapped his chin in thought for a slow moment.

 

“I keep them safely in a box in one of my many rooms. I know this room well, and I visit it every morning to make sure the rings are safe,” Virgil explained, “But today… they were missing. The last time I had seen them was yesterday morning… if there has been a break-in, a day and a half is more than enough time to run from my domain.” Blue frowned at the hopelessness suddenly creeping into Virgil's voice. He seemed completely broken up about what happened, now that Blue thought about it. Most Mystics wouldn't involve humans if they could avoid it; this must be more urgent than just Margmel.

 

“Do you have any idea who might've taken them?” Fuse asked, looking around the room for any sign of movement. He doubted any thief would be idiotic enough to remain after stealing something so precious, but he also learned there was no need to take risks and overlook things. Virgil shook his head slowly.

 

“No. None but myself and this monster knows about the rings,” he replied carefully, “Well, Orlouge now knows, but he is one of my dearest friends. I do not think he took them.” He glanced at the other Mystic as he spoke, and Orlouge nodded, emptying his cloak to show he had nothing of value, save for himself. Rouge looked over at Ciato, raising a flat brow. Blue silently prayed Rouge wouldn't make the suggestion, but to his anguish, Rouge did.

 

“Did Ciato take them?” he asked, and the Mystic in question glared at him, his normally mischievous posture having been replaced with a grim, unyielding one. Rouge bit his lip, realizing he just made Ciato very, very angry.

 

“I took nothing since we last spoke,” Ciato replied, and though he was furious with Rouge, his voice was calm and assuring, “I have been with my lord since then, Rouge.” Rouge hummed, not liking the familiarity Ciato was beginning to adopt with him, but he said nothing on it. Blue glanced around the room again, trying to find anything that would lead to a clue. He knew they had to explore the castle, but the task was daunting; there were so many doors he had seen, he couldn't begin to guess which one was where Virgil kept his rings. That, and they all had been locked. He couldn't assume Virgil trusted them as much as Orlouge did.

 

“Sir Virgil, we'll need to investigate the room you kept these ring in,” Blue stated suddenly, and Virgil gazed at him sternly, his mouth set in a deep frown, “I know, sir, that you wish us not to, but if there's any chance of a clue, we should look into it. And, though slim, it may be possible the thief is still around.” Virgil's expression softened at Blue's tone. He considered those words, weighing which would be more prudent: his privacy or trusting them. He glanced to Orlouge, as if asking the man if his judgment was right. Orlouge gave a small smile and nodded, and even Ciato inclined his head to show that the humans were trustworthy. Virgil snorted softly, and turned back to Blue.

 

“Very well. I grant you access,” he replied, “But, you will bring Ciato with you.” Fuse just chuckled, and Blue seemed impassive to the decision either way, but Rouge's reaction was strong, something Virgil half-expected. His eyes widened in horror, his mouth dropping open as he looked over at the Mystic in question. Ciato seemed almost as shocked, but he hid it much better than Rouge ever could.

 

“WHAT!?” Rouge screamed, ripping his gaze from Ciato and back to Virgil, “Why!?”

 

“Because you need a Mystic to safely pass through the barriers I've set up as protection,” Virgil replied, unabated with Rouge's outburst, “I will be helping Orlouge scan Fascinaturu for possible culprits. We both feel another Mystic may have done this, and only we have the power to read other Mystics' minds.” Rouge grumbled, hating where this was taking him. He didn't want to work with Ciato, not after all of what went on between them. Ciato looked at the ground, his eyes narrowing. He seemed to be having trouble tackling this as well.

 

“I promise I'll do what I can to help you,” he told Rouge, his seriousness catching the magician off guard, “This is a terrible crime against my kind. I don't take it lightly.” Rouge didn't doubt that, and reluctantly, he agreed to Virgil's orders. After receiving the key that would open every door in the palace, the four appointed set to work. They began on the first story first, starting with the room Blue had spotted beforehand. It looked like a huge, circular room, like the ones Rouge had seen on the show Steal or No Steal. There were five pedestals, and then a large podium for one person to stand at, with a microphone perched on top. His lips thinned as he turned to Blue.

 

“Think this is where they film some of our gaming shows?” he asked, half-joking. Blue managed a small smile, but Ciato shook his head, looking up at the monitor mounted on the back wall.

 

“No. This is part of Virgil's Trials,” he replied, and when Rouge gave him a quizzical look, he added, “Virgil originally had one ring, and for the challenger to obtain it, they needed to go through eight trials in order to gain the right to battle him for it. This was one of them.” Rouge nodded, somewhat impressed that Virgil would go to such lengths to protect his ring, and that he'd even hold his trials here at all. Fuse ran his finger along the top of one of the pedestals. It had picked up a fine layer of dust when he examined it.

 

“And it's obvious he hasn't had a trial in a few years,” the cop grumbled, showing Blue his finger, “Look at this dust! It's a violation of one of our health codes!” Blue stifled a snort. If that was the worst thing Fuse chanced upon, then it was both a good and bad thing. Good because Virgil was an honest Mystic, and bad because that meant a lack of clues. Ciato hummed as he took a good look around the room, and within a minute, crossed his arms and looked at all three humans seriously.

 

“It's not in here,” he stated grimly, and Rouge perked a skeptical brow.

 

“How can you tell?” he asked, trying his best not to actually offend the Mystic. Ciato blinked, staring at him intently for just a few second before giving his report. He smiled weakly, gesturing around the entire room with one arm.

 

“Nothing but dust in here,” Ciato told them all, “It smells entirely of dust. I can't smell any ring or disturbance otherwise. That, and if someone were really in here, I don't think the door would've been locked. The thief would've had to keep it unlocked unless it was another Mystic stealing from Virgil.” Blue nodded, not finding anything wrong with Ciato's report. Likewise, neither Fuse nor Rouge found a reason to argue, either. Rouge glanced nervously at Blue, and the older magician seemed to guess at what Rouge was wondering.

 

“Why would another Mystic risk stealing from one of their Lords?” Rouge questioned nervously, his worry evident in his tone. Blue pursed his lips, silently wondering the same thing. He couldn't figure a decent answer except for a possible usurp to Virgil's palace, but as he opened his mouth to suggest it, Ciato was already speaking.

 

“Exactly. There's very little reason for it,” he concluded, “Either we're dealing with a maddened Mystic, or we're dealing with a human. The question is, which one?”

 

“It'd probably help to get more clues, first of all,” Fuse huffed, leaning on one of the pedestals impatiently, “We haven't seen enough to assume what we're dealing with.” Ciato snorted and gave Fuse an amused glance, as though he had already considered that and dismissed it. Then he ignored Fuse entirely as he walked out of the room, Rouge running to keep up. Blue looked at Fuse, and nearly laughed at the cop's furious glare toward the Mystic's back, and went to keep an eye on Rouge. Fuse himself just twitched and asked, “Who died and made you leader, boy?” He didn't get a response, and so finally, he left the room as well. He found Ciato opening another door just a bit down the hall, and wandered over just as the key gave a soft click. The door swung open to reveal a nearly empty room. It was pitch black; the light had either been destroyed or was shut off. Even Ciato had a hard time seeing through, but he pointed out a small pedestal in the back. Rouge grinned.

 

“Looks pathetic enough,” he commented confidently, and walked inside until he heard a large squishing sound. His mouth thinned as he looked around, but he saw nothing but the vague outlines of his twin, his boss, and Ciato himself. Quietly, he stepped forward, and heard it again. This time he asked, “Who the hell is doing that!?” Ciato and Blue glanced at each other, both shrugging in confusion, and Fuse just placed his hands on his hips impatiently again.

 

“It wasn't any of us, soldier,” he replied, “You sure you ain't going loony on me?”

 

“I know what I heard,” Rouge stated flatly, deciding to just ignore Fuse's comment and continue on toward the pedestal. He heard another sound, and glanced around his shoulder, but again, he saw nothing worth attacking. But, as he took his third step forward, his foot hit something sticky. His eyes widened, and he tried to pry his foot out, but it was stuck to whatever he just stepped in. The squishing sound came back, and this time, Rouge replied with whatever he could muster. A scream. “WHAT THE HELL DID I JUST STEP IN!?”

 

“Rouge, don't panic!” Blue called, as Ciato used his magic to light the single torch aflame, casting the room in a hazy, red glow. There, thirty giant Slimes sat around the pedestal, with one of them pooling out where Rouge had stepped on it. Rouge screamed again, struggling even harder to break free, but the more he tried, the worse his situation became. Blue took out his gun and immediately shot at the slime, but the bullet dissolved in its belly. Slowly, the slimes began to move toward them, and Blue sprung to work. He unleashed an Energy Chain, but one slime deflected it as another surged over, slamming him into the wall. Rouge screamed again, this time bellowing out for an Implosion, but the slime he was stuck to moved out under him, causing him to fall to the floor as another slime spilled on top of him. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Fuse was in the process of being hit with solvent. Only Ciato managed to avoid the onslaught. The Mystic looked around worriedly for any sign of a clue, but there was nothing but slime. Slime, and the empty pedestal. He cursed himself for not sensing it sooner.

 

“HELP US!” Rouge tried to scream from under the slime, and Ciato turned to where he heard his voice, “Help us, you son of a bitch! DO SOMETHING!” Ciato's eye twitched in anger at the insult, but he began to cast a spell nonetheless. He closed his eyes, focusing all of his power at eliminating all thirty slimes at once, and praying that Orlouge gave him the training he needed, unleashed his spell onto all of the slime. Fire burned everywhere, evaporating the slimy trails left from the monsters. Slime exploded everywhere, coating the walls, the floor, and even parts of the ceiling as Ciato's spell hit every single monster within the room. With one final squishing sound, the very last slime blew up, and Ciato had to duck to avoid being splashed on by its remains. When the fires died down, leaving absolutely nothing but his friends in its wake, Ciato looked around at his handiwork. The slimes were nowhere to be seen. Blue and Fuse were trying to clean the slime off of their shirts. Rouge, however, was fully unconscious at that point. Ciato frowned, and walking over, silently hoped that the monsters hadn't crushed him to death. He bent down, looking over Rouge's pale face with concern.

 

“Rouge, are you all right?” he asked, as Blue walked over. He turned up to the magician and said, “I'm sorry… I don't think I saved him…” Blue bit his lip. For that second, that one second, Ciato felt terrible for his actions. His wings shook, his eyes threatening to spill tears. But a cough told him Rouge was actually alive.

 

“Don't cry bucketfuls yet,” Rouge croaked, his voice dry from screaming so much, “I'm not dead yet.” Ciato's eyes widened, and he wiped the tears away as a grin spread across his face. Rouge perked a brow, and immediately regretted assuring the Mystic of his health as Ciato hugged him tightly, almost mockingly. But Rouge sensed a general feeling of relief, and he knew somewhere, Ciato was genuinely happy. He twitched; every part of him wanted to shove Ciato away, but most parts of him knew he shouldn't just stomp on the Mystic. He sighed.

 

“You're not hurt, are you?” Ciato asked, letting go, “Any of you? That was a huge spell I unleashed.” Rouge nodded in agreement to the spell, looking at the damage Ciato had caused, and Blue simply smiled, tugging his shirt to say that he was perfectly fine. Fuse just laughed as he took out his blaster, until he found he couldn't use it. Ciato managed to destroy it in the inferno.

 

“We're all fine,” the cop grumbled, shoving his blaster back in its holster, “That was insane. Where the hell did you learn that?” Ciato grinned sheepishly, and Rouge had a distinct feeling that it wasn't a spell any of them should've been able to use.

 

“Well… I kind of ordered it off the internet last month,” Ciato began, and all three humans stared in disbelief, “Hey! Don't give me that! If some idiot is willing to sell you a piece of materia for diddly-squat, and materia is non-existent in this world, what did you think I'd do? Not buy it!?” Rouge let out a snort. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, that was actually very funny. And because it wasn't found anywhere within their borders, it wasn't illegal to purchase. Fuse was obviously having a hard time accepting that, though both Rouge and Blue were sure it was simply because the old cop never thought of it himself. Fuse opened his mouth to yell, and then closed it, knowing that there was no argument. Technically, Ciato didn't break any laws… this time. Instead, he settled on a threat.

 

“Next time you do anything that drags my ass into your country, I'm taking your materia and setting you on fire,” he growled, narrowing his eyes to silently warn Ciato that he was watching him. Ciato just snorted and rolled his eyes. He had faced dragons before; Fuse was nothing compared to them.

 

“Only if I don't stab you first,” he retorted smugly, “I wonder how Orlouge will feel about bloody roses again. Tell me, what color is human blood? Crimson?” Fuse's eyes narrowed flatly, as he was ready to just bash the Mystic on the head with his gun. Blue noticed his hand moving toward his weapon, and quickly decided that they needed to get on with their search before blood was actually shed. He smiled nervously and made Ciato turn to face him, the Mystic wondering just what was making Blue so edgy.

 

“Investigation, friends! We need to get moving!” Blue exclaimed, his voice holding a mix of cheer and worry, “Ciato, did you sense any magic in here?” Ciato's lips thinned, sweat rolling down his face in response to Blue's sudden change of subject. Stiffly, the Mystic shook his head.

 

“No, not in here,” he replied carefully, “But I did sense it out near the hallway. At the time, I didn't know what room it was coming from, so I didn't think of it until I saw nothing in here.” Rouge grumbled in annoyance, wishing Ciato had said something about what he thought. Even if he hated the Mystic, he appreciated his help.

 

“Would've been nice if you told us this before we came in here,” Rouge replied, and Ciato shrugged, “Well, maybe the feeling will come back. Let's go and see.” No one had any objections to that, so quickly, they left the room and went back into the hallway. Ciato stopped for a moment, and looked critically at all of the doors on the first floor. Blue and Rouge watched in silent anticipation, wondering just what Ciato was looking for. Suddenly, Ciato strode over to a door all the way on the left side of the hall, and put a hand on the handle, his eyes glowing for a few seconds. He turned to Blue and nodded.

 

“In here,” he replied, “I feel something in here. This is the room.” Blue nodded, and beckoned for both Fuse and Rouge to come over. They did, and all four looked at the door, wondering just who should open it. In but a few moments, they would find something to help them solve this case and save Margmel. Rouge glanced at Blue.

 

“Who opens it?” he asked. Blue didn't answer. He was trying to decide that in his mind, but anything could've been behind that door, and he didn't want a repeat of what happened with the slimes. Taking a deep breath, he came to an idea, simple as it was. He looked at everyone assembled, hoping they'd agree with him.

 

“We all do. On the count of three… one… two…”

 

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

 

And so, after closing the Baccarat case and flying to Mosperiberg to help Virgil, it looks like our favorite cops will be adding another case to their closed files soon. But, is Ciato's sixth sense really that reliable? Hasn't he screwed our heroes over enough as it is? What is his secret motive for helping them? And, who stole the rings from Virgil? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!