Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Fascinaturu: City of Magic! City of... Morons! ( Chapter 32 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and I want to know if they've ever made a SaGa Frontier 3. I'd play it.

 

Getting back up to the long hallway that sat outside of Virgil's room had taken so much longer than anyone wanted. The Time Lord contented himself by spinning tales about the fantastic dreams he had whenever he did sleep, and as much as Blue wanted the old fool to be happy, it was distracting everyone. Sometimes, he wouldn't take a step until he finished one very long narrative. And, when that happened, no one could move him. He refused to let them. Hell, it'd taken nearly half an hour just to get to the door that led to the entrance hall! And yet he was still talking even as they were trying to get the door to open. If he weren't so old and so powerful, Blue was sure Fuse would club him with his blaster.

 

“SHUT UP ALREADY!” Rouge finally yelled, as the Time Lord began to talk about how he went cruising down a big river called the Amazon. Ciato just snorted as he walked ahead, but the Time Lord turned back to him. Clearly, he wasn't used to being screamed at.

 

“Son, it's rude to just interrupt people,” he stated sternly, and shook his head as Fuse pushed open the large, golden door, “I tell you, these young people don't know what a lick of respect is.” Still shaking his head with disapproval, he walked through the doorway, with Fuse next to him, patting him on the shoulder. Never mind the fact that, not even half an hour ago, he wanted to arrest the guy for no reason.

 

“I know. I've tried teaching them, but I guess morality just goes out the window with kids these days,” Fuse said sadly. Rouge growled under his breath, his eyes narrowing with annoyance. If there was any indication that Fuse was getting on in the years, it was that he was agreeing with a man who was thousands of years old. Or maybe he'd gone crazy during his years at IRPO. Except that there were times his judgment was on the mark.

 

The entrance hall was as they had left it: dark and brooding. The flickering of torches had decreased a good deal, and it was up to the tiny twinkling of white gems in the floor to provide the light needed to see. As they all came up, Blue winced at the sounds they created. Their footsteps echoed amazingly around the large chamber, and the golden stairs didn't muffle the sound one bit. It was little wonder the place hadn't been broken into much; Virgil could be dead and still hear those footfalls.

 

“Okay, so what's our game plan?” Rouge inquired, as he, Blue, and Ciato ascended the first step, Fuse and the Time Lord just a bit ahead of them, “You distract him from the front as I stab him from behind?” Blue just snorted softly. That was a plan best left to someone far stupider than them. It'd never work.

 

“You know, talking is usually effective,” Ciato pointed out flatly, “We might be non-humans, but we're not uncivil. I'm sure once you tell him how Dumbass McIdiot up there royally screwed himself, he'll be more than willing to help you. Either by granting you passage to our world or by killing the Time Lord himself.” Rouge couldn't help but chuckle at that. As rude as Ciato was, he was funny. Sometimes, and only so much so. The Time Lord turned back to them, and Rouge abruptly ceased his laughter. He was sure he heard Ciato snickering, but the Mystic hadn't moved.

 

“You guys call me?” the old Mystic asked. Rouge wanted to protest, but Ciato clamped his hand over the human's mouth and shook his head, smiling nervously at the Time Lord. Even if he was old, he still knew what an insult was. And he still had the power to speed up a human aging process to the point of combusting said human. To Ciato, losing Rouge… or himself, for that matter, really wasn't worth the risk.

 

“We said nothing!” he called, even as Rouge tried to mumble over his hand, “We were just saying… how… how nothing could kill you! It's amazing, really!” Blue gave a flat glance Ciato's way. That sounded too fake. Not even children would've accepted that answer. But again, the Time Lord surprised them. He just grinned, nodding his head as he looked in front of him, so he didn't wind up falling down the stairs.

 

“That's right. I'm immortal, and if anyone does try to kill me, they get a mouthful of Overdrive!” he exclaimed proudly. Ciato had to resist the urge to stab him in the back. It brought up equally bad memories of when he stabbed Asellus. All to see if Orlouge's plan worked. And now… he was actually feeling guilty. He never did get to apologize to her, even when she let him live. But it did teach him where to stab in order to kill in one blow. That was a useful skill. But its usefulness was for elsewhere.

 

“Well, you won't be immortal if your clock's broken, so less talking, more moving,” the younger Mystic snapped, frustrated with his inability to fix the situation, in his own way. The Time Lord just snorted, and dropped the subject at that. Ciato let him get just a few feet ahead before releasing Rouge. The young mage stumbled a bit, coughing. He wasn't used to being shut up forcefully. Fuse glanced back for a split second, raising a concerned brow as his gaze landed on Rouge.

 

“You okay, soldier?” the old cop asked. Rouge nodded, his nose wrinkling.

 

“Perfectly fine, boss,” he replied, and then turned sharply to Ciato, “What the hell was that for!?” Ciato looked down at him with amusement. Was he seriously questioning why Ciato, a Mystic Prince, just saved his damn life!? It almost made the Mystic laugh.

 

“I'm sorry. I didn't realize you wanted to die,” he joked, and Blue just chuckled. Rouge growled under his breath, stuffing his hands in his pockets as they continued up the golden steps. At the top, their footsteps seemed to be muffled. That was definitely strange; they practically roared off the walls before. Rouge silently wondered if this was Virgil's doing. If it was, neither Ciato, Fuse, nor the Time Lord noticed. But Blue sensed the difference. He glanced at his twin, and just as though they were thinking the exact same thing, they both stopped. The other three kept walking.

 

“You sense that, as well?” Blue whispered. Rouge glanced from left to right, to see if anyone was listening, and nodded.

 

“Yeah. What do you think it is?” Rouge asked. It didn't smell like magic, but something was going on. Just the thought of complete silence, in such a huge hall, sent shivers up their spines. Blue, being slightly older, did his best to remain calm. But the sense of danger didn't leave him. That, he had no idea how to control.

 

“I don't know, but let's not stay to find out,” he suggested firmly. Rouge didn't argue. They sprinted through the hall, quickly catching up to their group. Ciato looked at them both questioningly, but he didn't speak. Likewise, neither Fuse nor the Time Lord seemed to even notice they had left for the moment. Silently, warily, they walked through the long hallway, back to Virgil's chamber. The large fireplace behind the throne sent waves of warmth through the huge room, which wafted into just a little bit of the hallway. Blue and Rouge welcomed the warmth happily. After spending so much time in the lower rooms, being near a fire made them feel alive.

 

“Dear lord, I haven't been here in ages!” the Time Lord said, looking around the room with awe, “Virgil, my friend, you've outdone yourself again!” Rouge was particularly disturbed, because the Time Lord had obviously been in the castle. But he didn't point that out. It was pretty obvious the Time Lord was missing a few rings… so to speak. Virgil rose from his seat and smiled warmly at the old Mystic. Likewise, Orlouge just chuckled.

 

“It's good to see you, Time Lord,” Orlouge stated, his tone warm, “How long has it been now? Four hundred years?” The Time Lord looked over at Orlouge and practically beamed. Blue was sure the poor man's face would physically split open if it didn't cease.

 

“Orlouge!? You're here too?” the Time Lord exclaimed, “How goes the collection of women you're working on?” Everyone, even Ciato, glanced at Orlouge as the Time Lord asked this. Despite being the biggest womanizer in the entire universe, Orlouge's face went crimson. It was either a sensitive subject, or it was going poorly. Rouge didn't want to know which it was.

 

“Most of them… ah… ran away,” Orlouge replied simply, and then grew infinitely more serious, “But we have pressing business, friend. Virgil's rings are missing, and we must find them. Margmel is falling apart as we speak.” Blue and Rouge exchanged glances again. Neither really wanted to get the Time Lord into trouble, but the Mystic in question opened his mouth to speak. It looked like he was going to do their job for them.

 

“Oh, those? I took them,” he replied easily, as though it were no big matter. Orlouge gasped, and Virgil looked momentarily stunned by the declaration. The other four didn't seem the least bit surprised, though. After all, the Time Lord confessed to them, as loose as his ramblings were. Virgil recovered, and coughed just once to clear his throat. Obviously, the Time Lord was the last person he'd suspect.

 

“Time Lord, why did you take them?” Virgil asked gently, not wanting to scare the old fool, “Were you mad at me?” The Time Lord looked from Orlouge to Virgil. Then, slowly, he nodded.

 

“Yup. You wouldn't let me go to Fascinaturu and get a Sand Vessel,” he replied, brows furrowing as he recalled the exact words spoken. Everyone else could only guess as to what actually happened, though. “You said that I couldn't just go because I wanted to.” Both Orlouge and Virgil blinked, wondering just why that'd make the Time Lord mad. Technically, it was against the rules to illegally travel through the regions if you didn't need to. Even if you did, it was still wrong.

 

“Time Lord, with all do respects, you told me you wanted to go to Disney World,” Virgil stated, and Rouge actually laughed, “You kept talking about this magical mouse who could fix anything. Never once did you state you needed a Sand Vessel.” Blue's eyes simply widened in disbelief. What was he supposed to actually believe here? The Time Lord, however, didn't believe a word of it. Even if it was the truth.

 

“Well, now I need one. So, I took your stupid rings until you said I could go,” he said stubbornly, crossing his arms. Virgil just blinked slowly, wondering if dementia had finally settled in on the old man. Fuse just looked over, his lips thinning.

 

“You know, blackmail's against the law,” Fuse reminded him, “I could throw you in jail for that one.” The Time Lord would've laughed if he were any younger. But, with living for so long, came a certain adamancy that laughter just couldn't compete with. The old Mystic just huffed and turned away.

 

“Well, leaving my clock to spill out is also against the law! My law!” he exclaimed, and threw his arms up, “I spent a million years trying to perfect the art of this stupid substance you humans call TIME. And what do I get? Nothing! So I need a Sand Vessel. A tiny, little Sand Vessel! I'm a billion years old at this point! When do I get to have what I want?” Rouge had never seen an old man throwing a temper tantrum, but he was pretty sure that the Time Lord was succeeding in it. Ciato didn't try to hide his laughter, even as Orlouge nudged him hard in the ribs. It was almost sad, really. Here, this ancient of a Mystic was standing, and no one was taking the poor guy seriously. That was, until Virgil's smile disappeared entirely. The mention of the Time Lord's clock wiped it out of existence.

 

“…your clock is broken?” he asked softly, his voice almost too low to hear, “Again?” The Time Lord's face softened at his friend's voice, and he nodded.

 

“Broken like the glass Princess Rei used to sleep in,” he replied, and Rouge couldn't help but snort when he heard Orlouge issue a furious growl. Virgil ignored the reference. The Time Lord's clock shouldn't have broken by any standard. It had already been repaired with the Sand Vessel once before. Gozarus would be furious to have to make another one. He'd just have to deal. Without time, the entire world would collapse. Virgil let out a sigh.

 

“We have no choice then. We need to get to Fascinaturu,” he stated, and sat back in his throne, “All of you, come here.” Rouge looked up at the Mystic curiously. He had never traveled by Mystic magic before. And while he'd heard rumors about it, he hadn't really wanted to. But Blue walked up to the Mystic with little to no hesitancy, so Rouge followed.

 

“Are you going with us?” he asked, as Virgil tilted his head just slightly, an amused smile forming across his lips. Virgil shifted in his seat slightly, and then shook his head. A quiet, gentle laugh escaped him.

 

“No, child, I'm not going,” Virgil replied, clearly amused with Rouge's question, “I must stay here and protect my castle. Orlouge, however, will accompany you.” Everyone stared at Orlouge again. He was still pretty flustered with the Time Lord, but he nodded and joined them all before Virgil. Likewise, the Time Lord beamed when he saw Orlouge step next to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Fuse beat him to it. Not that Fuse actually asked what the Time Lord was planning; Fuse just happened to be a faster speaker.

 

“Hold on, there, buddy. Your magic's illegal,” Fuse reminded Virgil carefully. Virgil let out a sigh, but his smile remained. He must've expected this. And he responded at first by waving the question away. When he gave no further explanation, Blue turned to Fuse. The cop looked tense. What was he expecting Virgil to do?

 

“Sir, I really don't think this should count as breaking a law,” Blue said slowly, and Fuse turned to him, “We're saving another world. No, we're saving two worlds by doing this. Is it really illegal when we're helping others?” Fuse twitched inwardly. Blue caught him at a legal conundrum; all laws had exceptions, sometimes. But Magic was a different story. Magic could backfire. Magic could kill people. But magic would save two worlds. It was a difficult call to make. Finally, though, he caved. And it was much to Blue's surprise. He hadn't expected to actually win against Fuse's logic.

 

“It is, but I'll let this slide,” the older cop said, taking out a radio, “I'm going to inform Silence so they don't tag us.” Blue just nodded, and Fuse turned to speak into the radio. Orlouge and Virgil discussed something briefly, in the language of the Mystics. And while Blue knew what they were saying, he found himself listening to Fuse. The call was quick, and calm. Silence must've already known this. Fuse hung up just as Virgil turned to all of them again. Orlouge once again took his place beside the Time Lord.

 

“All right, passage is good,” Fuse told them all, giving the thumbs-up, “For once, Silence wasn't being a difficult bastard. Fire away, Virgil!” Blue just shook his head in disapproval. Once, just once, he hoped Virgil would take offense and actually kill Fuse. But Virgil was too kind for that. He smiled again and nodded.

 

“Very well. All of you, stand together. Don't stray from my view,” Virgil instructed, and raised his hands. He began to chant in the Mystic language, and Blue felt something in his stomach bubble. The vibration grew with each word spoken, and slowly, he could see small lights pulsing in and out of his view. He remembered this all too clearly; he himself used this method when he had to battle the Time Lord. Rouge, unfortunately, was new to this. He gripped his brother's hand, his own shaking in terror as the chanting grew in volume, without actually growing any louder. The fire behind Virgil roared up, and soon, all anyone could see was black. It was the black of the void. And only Blue, Orlouge, and the Time Lord knew what it truly was.

 

It had only lasted a few seconds, but that was enough for Rouge to know he hated Mystic teleportation. Nothing had come to harm them, but the void was so deep, so vast, that it made Rouge sick to think about. He had never been there, not even when he was in Hell with Blue. But it was more than enough. And, he had a feeling that the Time Lord hadn't been conned as much as he thought. Whatever that place was, it was real. It wasn't outer space, but it was real. And now it was gone. They now stood on a cliff overlooking the vast ocean that surrounded the large world of Fascinaturu. The ground beneath them was cobbled slightly, and around them swam a miniature ocean of beautiful flowers. Their aromas were rich.

 

“Where are we?” Blue asked, looking around. Though in the distance, he saw the glow of candlelight from one of the houses of Rootville. It was just getting to be evening out. Ciato took one glance and shrugged.

 

“Outskirts of the village, by my guess,” he replied simply, “My lord, why would Virgil aim here?” Orlouge looked over the vast ocean, and Blue saw that there was something different in his eyes. The magician guessed Orlouge hadn't come out this way very much. He guessed that Orlouge rarely went anywhere anymore.

 

“The view is splendid,” he whispered, and then coughed, “Hmm… Virgil? Well, Ciato, this place is relatively secluded. None know that I've yet left my castle. He didn't want to arouse suspicion.” That was a decent move on Virgil's part. The less commotion there was, the better for all of them. Orlouge turned toward the city, trying to figure out just how to go about this. He quickly realized one problem with Virgil's idea; in order to get into his castle, he'd have to go through Rootville. And if no one saw him, or Ciato, leave or enter, that could be a problem. His lips pursed.

 

“What's the problem?” Rouge asked, raising an eyebrow when they didn't move for some time, “We are in Fascinaturu, aren't we?”

 

“Yes, but how are we going to get in to find Gozarus?” Orlouge countered, and when Rouge gave him a quizzical glance, he said, “If I were to show up, there'd be a full-bred panic. I'm this world's lord. I don't normally just show up unless something is really wrong.” Blue hummed. That was a problem, especially since they'd just have to sneak him out again. And leaving him here wasn't good, either. If someone found him, they might question him. And Blue wasn't sure what form of lie Orlouge was capable of. Not to mention leaving him there was rude.

 

“So we need to sneak you inside the castle…” he began slowly, doubtfully, “Ciato, what if you fly him up? Can you do that?” He turned to the white-haired Mystic as he spoke, and the look he received was enough to freeze the blood in his veins. Ciato just stared at him as though that were the stupidest idea to ever be spoken out of a moving mouth. Rouge would've thought it was funny, except that Ciato was staring at Blue.

 

“Fly him up!? Are you crazy!?” Ciato demanded in exasperation, and with his hand, waved toward the castle that loomed in the far distance, “I can't fly there! I can barely climb the damn stairs let alone carry another Mystic up there with me!” Rouge felt an odd wave of sympathy for Ciato, and patted his back. Ciato just grumbled and crossed his arms, and Blue hummed again, his lips thinning. He'd have to find another plan. He wondered if using the Hide Rune would work. He suggested it, but the Time Lord simply shook his head.

 

“Most magic doesn't work on Mystics, boy. That won't do a damn,” he said gruffly. Blue sighed tiredly. None of his ideas were being taken well, but he didn't see anyone else coming up with ideas, either. Fuse tapped the butt of his blaster, and Blue glanced over. The old cop was deep in thought, and finally, he snapped his fingers. His brain came up with a plan so simple, so used, so well-orchestrated, that he was surprised he hadn't thought of it sooner. He grinned as everyone looked at him curiously.

 

“What if we use a disguise?” Fuse suggested. Rouge was about to just protest, but then he stopped himself. That theoretically could work. But they needed a disguise before just going for the idea. And, they didn't exactly have one. Which was bad.

 

“There's a tailor in Rootville. Surely he can help us!” Orlouge declared, but his confidence in that wasn't nearly as strong as his voice. And his voice sounded concerned at best. Blue didn't blame him. If this failed, he'd be the center of attention, and he stated clearly he'd been trying to quietly step away from that. Besides, Rouge was already trampling that idea flat.

 

“No offense, sir, but I think we'd be better off wrapping you up in a garbage bag,” he stated, and explained, “See, if we're going to sneak you in, you can't wear Mystic clothing. It's common sense. People will see you and think you just went out shopping. Then they'd come over to see what it was you bought.” That seemed logical enough. At least, it was enough to convince Orlouge. Obviously, neither Rouge nor Orlouge knew much about being sneaky. Most of the time, it never mattered what you wore if you did it right.

 

“Then what do you suggest?” Ciato asked calmly, looking down at the young mage curiously. The answer should've been obvious. And Ciato regretted asking when he heard it.

 

“A human disguise,” Rouge replied, and Ciato winced at the mere thought, “Hear me out. If we dress Orlouge up like a human, no one's going to recognize him. They'll think he's our cousin. Then we can come and go, and Orlouge won't need to worry about attracting attention.” Ciato didn't like it, but he forced himself to consider the idea, strange as it was. It was a pretty decent suggestion. But he couldn't bring himself, or his master, to degrade themselves by wearing human clothing. It was unheard of in Fascinaturu! Even Asellus no longer wore human cloth. But, to Ciato's extreme surprise, he heard Orlouge agreeing with the plan.

 

“It is a sound one,” he said slowly, purposefully, “And I say we use it. Yes… it will be hard to recognize me. But it is doable.”

 

“Sir, how can you say this!?” Ciato demanded, eyes widened in horror. He might've considered Rouge's idea, but he still hated it. Orlouge just cast him a gentle smile, one a parent would give to a rebellious child.

 

“How can I not? The boy is right,” Orlouge told him sternly, and then somberly said, “But we must find a disguise first. Fuse, you are human, and you are older than either of your men. How do we go about this?” Fuse just grumbled. He didn't particularly like being called old, but it was true. He was getting into his forties. He took a deep breath. Personally, he'd never done an undercover job. But Silence had, and Silence usually pulled them off with gusto. Which wasn't too hard, since the guy didn't talk.

 

“Well…” Fuse began, but couldn't get too far before they all heard a chuckle from somewhere around them. Rouge smelled a faint tint of alcohol, and he noticed at once that Ciato's eyes locked on a tree behind him. Rouge turned. Up in one sturdy branch sat a red-haired Mystic in leather armor. His mouth split in an impossibly wide grin. Ciato seemed absolutely pissed to see him, too.

 

“Howdy, folks! Did I hear anyone say disguise?” the red-haired Mystic asked, hopping out of the tree, landing next to Ciato with a soft thud. He put an arm on the annoyed Mystic's shoulder; Ciato immediately shoved him away.

 

“Zozma, how dare you butt in like this!” he snapped, hand laying on the hilt of his sword, “I should kill you again! Go away!” Zozma didn't heed any of Ciato's words. The poor Mystic would've been better off speaking to a deaf person.

 

“Relax, pal o' mine. I heard Lord Orlouge here needs himself a disguise,” Zozma said coolly, taking out a suitcase that he, through some magical means, kept inside of his pocket, “So I came to offer my services!” He popped the locks open, and the case opened up to reveal many different pieces of clothing throughout history, from knights' armor to modern-day wear. Rouge was impressed. Ciato was not.

 

“No service you offer is any good, so get lost!” Ciato screamed, eye twitching. Blue snorted; that reminded him of how Rouge would react. And obviously, Rouge saw it too. Except he looked very disturbed by it. He must've felt very guilty for screaming at Ciato so much in the past. Zozma again ignored Ciato, and turned to Orlouge, who was looking over the clothing very carefully. He actually seemed interested.

 

“Well, good lord of mine?” Zozma asked, grinning again, “You accept?” Orlouge continued to look at the clothes, even as he answered.

 

“As much as it pains me, I do,” he replied kindly, “Make it so that no one, aside from any of us, can recognize me. I cannot be seen.” Zozma blinked, his brow arching in amusement. He hadn't expected to have to make Orlouge's costume. But then he shrugged. It would've been fun to do so! Picking up a random handkerchief he had packed, Zozma immediately went to work.

 

When Rouge and Blue first moved and started living outside of the Magic Kingdom, Rouge had always been so sure that he and Blue were the freakiest-looking people in the entire universe. He had never expected anyone, save for maybe a Mystic or two, to look funnier than they ever did, in their magician robes and sandals. But whatever Zozma had in mind for Orlouge, well, that just topped the creepy cake on any freak festival. Never in his life had he seen such a crappy assortment of clothing. A long, blue bubble-jacket was worn over a shabby, white shirt and a pair of cut-off jeans shorts. Rainbow-colored stockings covered the bottom half of Orlouge's legs, coming to a stop above two black army boots. Fingerless brown gloves adorned the lord's hands, and a hair net had been fastened to keep his long, purple hair in check. And, to top it off, an old baseball cap sat on his head. He looked, in short, homeless. Rouge didn't know just how they were going to pull him off as being a cousin of theirs, but it would make him unrecognizable. Or a laughingstock. Either one was a pretty good possibility right then; he looked absolutely ridiculous!

 

“I'm done!” Zozma exclaimed proudly, putting his make-up away. He had used blush to make it look like Orlouge had fallen into some dirt. And it worked perfectly with the lord's attire. He looked filthy.

 

“What the hell have you done with him!?” Ciato demanded angrily, his brows creased sharply in irritation, “He looks disgusting! No fit Mystic would ever walk around in such… such… such garbage!” Zozma wasn't offended by the remark, which was what Ciato went for. He crossed his arms and leaned on his suitcase in amusement, a grin spreading across to both his cheeks.

 

“That's the point,” he stated simply, snorting, “No one will ever suspect Orlouge is wandering around like a commoner.”

 

“It's perfect!” Orlouge exclaimed, looking at his reflecting in a small lake, “I may look bedraggled, but I fit the bill of being in disguise! Come, my friends. Let's find this Sand Vessel!” Rouge raised a brow as he watched Orlouge lead them out through the outskirts of town, toward the square. He couldn't see how or why Orlouge was managing to accept this, but he was just fine with it. He must've really wanted that Sand Vessel. As usual, the square of the town was silent. There were no Mystics walking through, sitting on benches, or tending the flowers there. Just the dark cobble and the bright flowers to greet the team stood there. They passed without a word. Then, out of nowhere, a figure emerged from under a gnarled tree. He looked pale in the moonlight.

 

“Halt! Homeless men have no place in Fascinaturu!” he said, and Blue remembered him as Ildon, “State your business!”

 

“We're here to get a sand vessel, asshole,” Ciato replied, grinning, “Move.” But, Ildon didn't move. He just shook his head, and pointed to Orlouge. In his mind, it was a homeless bum.

 

“I've stated that no homeless men have business here. See him out immediately!” Ildon commanded again, this time even less willing to listen than before. Ciato didn't move. No one made a move to follow Ildon's command. And now, the green-haired Mystic was getting really annoyed. His eyes narrowed and he said, “I shall get lord Orlouge at once!” But for all the authority his voice held, Zozma fell to the floor, laughing at him. Ciato just snorted, a wicked grin crossing his pale face. He pointed to the same hobo.

 

“That is Orlouge, you moron,” he stated flatly, and Zozma's laughter merely grew. Ildon looked closer at the bum, but he just couldn't see the resemblance. Obviously, Zozma did too much of a good job. He leaned back and shook his head, his arms crossed defiantly.

 

“That is not,” he countered grimly. The bum stepped forward, removing his grubby baseball cap and hairnet. His purple hair fell past his shoulders, onto the ground in a magnificent wave. Ildon's eyes widened. Now he saw the resemblance! But… why was his master dressed in such garbage? “Master?” he called, “Is that… you?” Orlouge nodded.

 

“It's me, Ildon,” he replied calmly, “We need a Sand Vessel, and no one has yet to know I've taken leave.” Ildon just cast a skeptical stare. That didn't mean his master had to degrade himself by dressing up like a hobo. Besides, no one was outside. There was no danger.

 

“And no one shall, but why such a length, sir?” Ildon inquired, and gestured toward the entire city with his gloved hand, “No one is out tonight, sir. Surely you aren't afraid?”

 

“We have to see Gozarus for the vessel,” Rouge replied simply, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Ildon's lips thinned. That was a cause for concern. Not only did Gozarus hate Orlouge, he resided in the bar. Where most of the Mystics would be at this time. If he saw Orlouge, even outside of the bar, waiting quietly, he'd start a ruckus. Not that Ildon blamed the man, but he'd be forced to stop it. He took a deep breath. Just the mere thought of what might've happened made him twitch. Looking around for any sign of a person, he finally turned to them all and nodded.

 

“All right. He's in the bar, as usual,” the Mystic told them sternly, “Want me to accompany you in case he sees past the ruse?” Blue hummed, thinking about the offer. It was a good one. In the off chance that they were discovered, it'd be nice to have some back-up. He wasn't sure of their chances, even with Ciato and Zozma on their side. But, Zozma got the first word in. He shook his head quickly.

 

“No need, my good man,” he said, “We'll do fine on our own. Thanks.” He went to walk ahead, but Fuse stopped him. He glared back at the older cop, unable to believe a mere human had the nerve to stop him. But Fuse either didn't notice the look, or just didn't care.

 

“Hold it, soldier. We can't walk in there all willy-nilly,” he said carefully, eyeing the large building that served as the bar, “That's the leading cause of cop-killing back in Koorong. Because idiots like you didn't think before acting. Don't go shoving his help away in arrogance…” Zozma just blinked as Fuse rambled onward, wondering if the cop ever understood what the words `shut up' meant. Obviously, he didn't. He kept talking, and within minutes, Zozma found himself ready to rip his hair out. In fact, if Ildon wasn't there watching him, he would have.

 

“WE DON'T NEED HIS STUPID HELP!” Zozma finally screamed, and pushed Fuse's hand away, “Stupid humans never let me do ANYTHING fun! No one's going to fucking kill us! I made the best disguise ever! Idiots wouldn't know `ruse' even if it hit them in the face!” He stormed away, leaving everyone else to watch as he stormed up the wooden steps, and finally blew the door to the bar open. No one said a thing until Fuse shook his head slowly.

 

“I give him seven seconds before he's tossed out by his ass,” the cop commented, and led the team up toward the bar himself.

 

The bar was packed with Mystics, and Blue was happy that Ildon decided to tag along despite Zozma's rude remarks. It was difficult getting through the door, but finally, they managed. Orlouge looked absolutely shocked to see so many of his villagers here. Now he began to wonder just how many of them came to his party drunk. The thought made him shudder; it explained the Christmas carolers last year that ruined his winter ball. Carefully, as to not show his face in the light, he scanned the rows of heads for a yellow construction cap. That was Gozarus's signature piece of clothing. But he couldn't see it. And, unfortunately, the Time Lord had never been to a bar before. All of the dancing and drinking impressed him, and he kept tugging on Orlouge's sleeve like a little child.

 

“Back in my day, we didn't have these fancy bars to go to after a night's work! If we wanted a drink, we had to pound the grapes and gather the hops ourselves! And it was hard work! Some of us went barefoot through snow!” the old Mystic exclaimed, “Remember that, Orlouge?” Orlouge just did his best to ignore the Time Lord. But the poor man kept attracting attention to the two of them by yelling at anyone who passed by about the dangers of drinking. Zozma took to explaining that the Time Lord was their grandfather, but eventually, Ciato had enough of such a lame excuse. It wasn't even working, anyway.

 

“Damn it, you old goof, shut up!” Ciato hissed angrily, and pointed to a table in the back, “Gozarus is over there!” Blue stood on his tiptoes and squinted against the dim light. In the distance, he did see the construction hat Ildon had warned them of beforehand. Holding onto Rouge's arm, he forced his way through the crowd, with Fuse and the Mystics behind them. Near the back, thankfully, the crowd began to thin out. The music wasn't nearly as loud, either. Gozarus was drinking a large bottle of whiskey with a black-haired woman who paid them no attention as they approached.

 

“Gozarus?” Ildon called, as they came to a stop around the table. Gozarus, a green goblin of a man, belched loudly and looked up to see who it was that addressed him. He scowled when he saw it was Ildon.

 

“What'dya want… hic?” he asked, his words slurring slightly, “Can' you see I'm in a… dirking contest?” The woman across from him just blinked, but remained silent. Clearly, Gozarus was highly intoxicated and she was not. It was perfect. It'd make dealing with him easier. Ciato just grinned.

 

“We need a Sand Vessel,” he stated, before anyone else could speak, “Got any?” Gozarus blinked slowly. Blue didn't know his alcohol limit, but clearly, he surpassed it by many leagues. It took him two minutes to process what Ciato had asked him. He grinned dumbly, patting a bag near his leg.

 

“I gots… lots of shit here… hic,” he slurred, eyeing Rouge carefully, “It's gonna… hic… cost you some life points… hic.” Ciato frowned. That was always a catch with Gozarus. Under no circumstances was cash allowed. For whatever reason, he delighted in lowering human lives… and shortening Mystic ones, for that matter. Zozma wasn't happy about it either, as he threw his arms up in protest.

 

“Come on! This is an emergency, dude!” he exclaimed, “Can't you give us a discount!? What about more money for beer!?” Obviously, that seemed like a good deal to Zozma, even though Blue was sure Fuse would book Gozarus for excessive drinking at some point soon. But the cop made no move for the cuffs. And, Gozarus shook his head, pointing to the woman across from him.

 

“Shit… there's… paying for it,” he mumbled, “Don't need… hic… no money.” The woman looked ready to snap, and promptly, she got up and left. Gozarus cursed at her back, but he didn't accept Zozma's offer, either. Which meant someone here would leave with less than five years left to live. It didn't look very promising. Fuse shrugged, unable to find a compromise, and turned to the group at large.

 

“Okay, which one of you wants to die first?” he asked casually, as though there was no problem in asking for someone to give up their life. Rouge just stared at his boss as though he were mentally retarded, and no one spoke. Which was fine. If need be, Fuse knew he could just choose someone, and they couldn't object unless they wanted to spend their longer life in jail. Zozma tapped Fuse's shoulder, and taking that for an affirmative, the cop turned. He was severely disappointed when Zozma held up a tiny card.

 

“Relax. I've got it covered,” he whispered, and turned back to Gozarus, “Hey, my man, you have to get with the times! People don't just give life points anymore!” Rouge wasn't sure what Zozma was thinking, but Gozarus seemed mildly interested. He squinted his eyes, unable to see the card's writing. His vision was blurry from drink.

 

“Whazzat?” he asked, unable to read what the card said. Which was just as well. It was blank. Zozma's grin grew. Now Blue knew what he was doing. He was conning Gozarus to get the vessel for free.

 

“It's a life card,” Zozma replied, “See, it's like a credit card, but with life points! We get fifty points if our credit's good. And my credit's awesome. How much is that little vessel?” Gozarus kept trying to read the card, but he just couldn't see the damn words. He frowned, looking from the card, to the massive blur that should've been Zozma's face. He couldn't see the grin on the man.

 

“Why can'tcha just use life points?” he asked, wishing he could just see what it was he happened to be looking at. Zozma didn't hesitate to take advantage of Gozarus's drunken stupor. His grin grew, and even Ciato was satisfied with the Mystic's idea. Hell, Fuse wasn't moving for his cuffs. He must've found this amusing as well. No one blamed each other for it. Besides, their lives were literally at stake.

 

“Oh, that's old-school now, bro,” Zozma replied, trying to keep his laughter from spilling into his voice, “No one deals with that shit anymore. We're going high-tech now!” Gozarus mumbled something, and then reached down and took out a Sand Vessel from his bag. He played with it for a moment, and slowly, a grin crept onto his face as well. He was obviously planning a con of his own. Zozma didn't seem the least bit worried, though. He was much smarter than Gozarus if he'd gotten this far already.

 

“A'right… I'll try this card of yours,” Gozarus said darkly, “But it's gonna cosht fifty life pointsh for it! I ain't good with thish technical shit you keep talking about, so just give me the whole card `n you can have yer Shand Vesshel.” Zozma expected that fully, and gave Gozarus the little card, taking the vessel in return. Then, they all bid Gozarus a goodnight and ran as fast as they could out of the bar. When they reached the outskirts again, Zozma fell down, laughing hysterically. Getting the Sand Vessel had been too easy. Even Ildon had to crack a smile. As annoying as Zozma was, he was always good to have around for times like that.

 

“I can't believe you actually conned him!” Rouge exclaimed, as he snickered at the memory, “Zozma, what did that card say?” Zozma grinned and produced another card just like the first one. It was blank.

 

“Nothing. I gave him a regular, useless card,” he replied coolly, grinning from ear to ear, “It'll take him a day to realize I got him. And even then, he won't know who the hell he was dealing with. It's perfect!” Fuse finally looked over and brandished his cuffs. Blue just snorted softly. He'd been waiting for that since they entered the bar. And he'd been wondering why Fuse hadn't done it earlier. The old cop walked over to Zozma and turned the Mystic around to cuff him.

 

“I didn't want to do this in a bar, but extortion's against the law, kiddo,” he said, snapping the cuffs onto Zozma's dark wrists, “You have the right to remain silent. Be smarter than Ciato and take that right. You have the right to an attorney. On the off-chance that you can't afford one, we're pretty sure we can get one for you. You may have one meal a day. You can have one phone call…”

 

“Boss, can't you let this one go?” Rouge asked, “He helped save our lives. How can that be bad!?” But Fuse wasn't one to be swayed by something like logic. His brows furrowed as he held Zozma like a common criminal.

 

“But he still extorted something. As a representation of the law, I can't ignore that,” Fuse stated simply, “Now we just need to get you back to IRPO.” Blue wanted to see just how Fuse actually expected Zozma to let him drag him to IRPO, but it was clear Fuse wasn't thinking past the point of arrest. There was nothing there that could take Zozma anywhere.

 

“Hey, can we deal with this later?” the Time Lord asked impatiently, “I'd like to get back and save my world before it collapses completely.” Everyone turned to the Time Lord. If ever there was a time for him to use logic, now was it. And he used it perfectly. That was the only thing that could've convinced Fuse to let Zozma go. He unhooked the cuffs and nodded, stepping forward to where they had come from before.

 

“Yeah. Time Lord's right,” he said, and looked up at the sky, “Okay, Virgil. We're ready to go home.” Almost as if he could hear them, a portal opened up, exactly where it had been when it led them there. Fuse stepped into it, and vanished. They watched silently, worriedly. When he didn't return, Blue glanced at Rouge, silently wondering if they should go next. Rouge nodded, and both of them stepped forward. The portal opened up to admit them both, and as they disappeared into the void, like before, all they could hope was that their friends were following.

 

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

 

And so, Blue and his friends now have the Sand Vessel. And it's all from Zozma's doing, as well! Can they save the Time Lord's realm before it collapses into dust, or are they too late? For that matter, is Margmel safe as well? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!