Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ Another SGF II Crossover Chapter ( Chapter 35 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier I or II. SquareSoft does, and both games, as we all know, are awesome.

 

The first hour of the journey passed in what Fuse thought of as relative peace. Zozma had learned pretty quickly that it was a bad idea to try loop-de-loops in the middle of the ocean. And that was because Ciato managed to finally shove him off the bird's back, taking the front seat as the pilot. Neither Ildon nor Orlouge raised a hand to help him up, either, so Zozma was forced to fly the rest of the way there, too. But the man wasn't bitter; he soon found such a daunting task to be to his advantage. For, because of his distance, if he made fun of Ciato for any reason, the white-haired Mystic couldn't actually do anything to him. And for Zozma, that was a treat sweeter than chocolate.

 

“Well, my good men, it looks like this trip's going as right as rain!” he declared, as he watched Blue and Rouge slowly rise from where they had slept. The rest had done them both some good, though he did note they still looked uncomfortably pale. But considering the sheer amounts of power they had produced, that was to be expected.

 

“Yeah, try telling that to our pounding migraines,” Rouge mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Ciato chuckled, patting Rouge on the back as the sea continued to sprawl out beneath them like a soft, blue blanket. He looked forward. No signs of land yet.

 

“We'll be there shortly. I can sense it, not far from here,” But even as he spoke those words, Ciato had a feeling Rouge might not believe him. After all, the sea continued to stretch in all directions. Rouge looked over the bird's shoulder. Indeed, all he could see was the ocean. But he didn't argue with Ciato. Mystics had a keener sense of feeling than humans. He turned to Blue.

 

“Think Nebelstern will remember us?” he asked, as Blue glanced at him quizzically. The older magician was about to speak, but a laugh behind him directed his attention to Philippe. The brown-haired noble gave a smirk. To Blue, it definitely looked more than a little smug.

 

“Trust me, the old general remembers you,” the noble replied, “He'll be glad there's someone to talk to, who knows just a little bit about the law.” Unfortunately, news of this did reach Fuse's ears, and though Philippe was talking more about Blue than any of them, the cop didn't think anyone else could've possibly known more about the law than him. He clicked his blaster, setting it back into its holster and grinned.

 

“Likewise, tell the good general that I'm looking forward to speaking to him, too!” he exclaimed. Everyone, Philippe included, fell silent at the outburst. No one had the heart to say that Fuse was probably the very last person Nebelstern would've wanted to speak to. And so, Philippe slowly nodded at Fuse, deciding it best to just appease the man's ego than to deflate it.

 

“I will,” the noble mumbled. That seemed to do it for Fuse, and for the rest of the ride, no one else spoke. There wasn't much to talk about that wouldn't end in an argument, and after what had happened in the Time Lord's realm, no one was up to ending a fight, let alone even starting one.

 

When Suzaku landed nearly an hour and a half later, Rouge opened his eyes and beheld the beautiful shore of southern Hahn Nova. The sun had barely set at all during their flight, and it reflected beautifully off the sparkling water. His mind, however, was still groggy despite the scene; he, as well as many of the others, passed the rest of the trip by sleeping. And though it felt nice to be able to rest, Rouge began to regret it quickly. He wanted to take in everything he could of Hahn Nova. He actually liked it there, and this time he made a note to see if Gustave was still willing to let them live there.

 

As Ciato, Zozma, and Ildon helped everyone off of the phoenix's back, Blue saw that there was a small troupe of guards coming toward them from the inner city. He turned, and at once saw the figure of the good general, Nebelstern himself. He hadn't changed much since their last encounter, though his hair did manage to grow a bit longer since. And he now sported a pair of glasses, too. He just gave a hearty wave as he approached, and likewise, Blue waved back at him. The older magician walked up the beach to greet the general, with Rouge and Fuse following close behind. The Mystics stayed back, somewhat wary of the flock of guards.

 

“Hello! Welcome back to Hahn Nova!” Nebelstern exclaimed, smiling brightly. That was, of course, until he saw Philippe. His smile vanished instantly as he said, “Lord Philippe? I did not expect you. I had thought you went oversea.”

 

“So I did. And I came back,” Philippe grumbled irritably, his eyes narrowing flatly, “Where's that conniving idiot I call a brother? I have some words for him.” Nebelstern paled a bit, not quite sure how to take Philippe's request. He looked at Fuse questioningly, and the older cop shrugged to show he was probably just as flabbergasted as the general, though probably not for the same reason.

 

“We found him in the Time Lord's realm, trying to erase your boss from time itself,” Fuse explained simply, as though that weren't nearly as serious as Nebelstern took it. The general gave a disbelieving stare. Then he looked at Philippe. The nobleman nodded, though his mood didn't seem to get any better despite the truth to Fuse's words. He crossed his arms stiffly.

 

“Well, maybe if my brother saw the error of his ways, then I wouldn't have had to do that!” Philippe stated in exasperation, “Honestly, he acts like I mean to destroy half his kingdom. And I don't. So let's go and see him. The sooner he hears my complaint, the sooner I can be rid of you and your handcuffs.” Luckily for him, Fuse didn't argue the point. Neither of them liked the other very much, and the mere mention of being `rid of' Philippe seemed to brighten Fuse just fine. Nebelstern, still somewhat bewildered about Philippe's appearance, just led them away from the beach and toward the city.

 

The city was bustling with activity, and Blue was glad the Mystics decided to follow them inside. If they hadn't, he was quite certain he'd probably never see them again. The streets were packed with merchants, food, carriages, horses, and villagers as Nebelstern did his best to weave through the crowds. It seemed as if everyone from every house, and most probably any neighboring cities as well, decided to come and see just what the merchants happened to be carrying. And it certainly didn't take long to attract Rouge or Zozma, either. Twice, Blue had to calmly take his brother's arm and drag the flustered mage away before he purchased anything, lest he get lost.

 

“We'll shop after we see Gustave,” he said calmly, “We're on a case right now.”

 

“But we're always on a case!” Rouge argued, and Blue found he was actually right, “Come on, bro. I'm hungry. I was just going to get one.” Even so, Blue had said they didn't even bring money. And even though Rouge was sure they could just charge it to Fuse's credit card, he knew that if the cop found out, it would probably get them fired. So, after his initial reason, he didn't object. Blue was also right, after all.

 

“If it's food you'll need, I'm sure Lord Gustave will supply you with lunch on our arrival,” Nebelstern said, hoping that calmed the two down, “Of course, he may want to know why you're here in the first place. Especially if Philippe is with you. The two haven't been on good terms lately.” Of course, considering Philippe's attitude, that was to be expected. Quite honestly, no one saw how the two were ever really in good terms to begin with. Rouge just looked over at Blue incredulously. There was a mischievous grin on his face, one Blue didn't particularly like.

 

“I hope we don't become like them,” he whispered. Blue sighed in relief. For a moment, he wasn't quite sure what he should've been expecting from Rouge. They turned and went up a gentle rise, and Blue noticed that the large castle in the center of the vast city cast an equally large shadow over the buildings and street they were currently walking past. Everything looked darker, and the air cooler as a result. He actually shivered, and Rouge asked, “Are you okay?”

 

“I'm fine. The shadow's blocking out the heat,” Blue replied, and then chuckled, “As for being like Gustave and Philippe, I doubt we need to worry. You haven't destroyed anything of mine… yet.” Rouge gulped, knowing that if he did destroy anything, Blue would do worse than just sue. Blue would probably kill him. As much as he loved his older brother, Rouge knew just how protective Blue was. Technically, they were the same person, after all. He just nodded, and they continued on as Nebelstern explained the layout of the city to everyone else behind them.

 

“So what do you think happened that made Philippe so mad, that he's willing to erase his own brother?” Rouge asked, as Nebelstern explained how long the markets were open until, and what they were selling this week. Blue's lips thinned. He'd been wondering that, too. It seemed like such an extreme to go to, just to get back at your own brother. There had to be more to it than just simple bickering. Silently, the magician glanced back at Philippe. He'd need a good defense to go up against Gustave, because Gustave was known for his benevolence. When he wasn't trying to battle through his opposition. And most of that opposition was his own family, anyway.

 

“He says that Gustave is raising taxes to pay for the boats, so if that's affecting his land, Philippe is going to get mad. It's human nature,” Blue finally reasoned, “I'm not sure what he did was the best way to go about it, but we know that anger's a good motivator. And it makes everyone do ridiculous things.” Rouge just nodded. That was true enough, but it certainly wouldn't make a good case in court. He looked toward the looming castle. Seeing its walls, black from the shadow it cast, it was hard to believe Gustave was the kinder of the two brothers. The place looked more like a prison than a residence for lordship.

 

“He's going to need a decent lawyer, no doubt. Especially if he attempts to sue Gustave for emotional distress or something similar,” Rouge commented, and glanced at Blue, “I don't think Kelvin's up for it, either. His nose might still be broken from when we had Rita's trial.” The incident wasn't remotely funny, but Blue couldn't help but snort. Whether Rita acted that way on purpose or not was never known, but it definitely turned Gustave's court into a circus. And it also broke Kelvin's nose.

 

“Let's hope we're lucky, then, and Gustave decides to just give in to his brother. Otherwise we might just have a similar outcome,” Blue joked. Unfortunately, Rouge didn't find it particularly amusing. He gave his brother a flat look.

 

“You know, when we used to argue, you never gave me my way,” Rouge reminded him, equally as flat as his stare, “You always thought you were right.” Blue didn't want to tell him that more than half of the time, he had been right. About more than just a few things, too. Blue just shrugged. He was already letting Rouge have his way by not arguing with him. And if Rouge didn't see that, then that was just fine.

 

By the time they reached the end of the road, where a closed iron gate stood to protect the castle from intruders, the sun had hidden among the clouds, making the gloom from the shadows of the castle seem even thicker. It also obscured the two guards standing beside the gate, and it was only when their swords flashed as Ciato tried to cross that everyone even saw them. The Mystic screamed, leaping back in fright. Then, when he saw he was being accosted by humans, his terror turned to annoyance. Rouge didn't know if a sword could kill Ciato, but he had a feeling that if one did find its way into his back, he'd probably just be really pissed off. He turned and glared at Nebelstern.

 

“What the hell!? I thought you welcomed us to Hahn Nova!” he exclaimed angrily, brows creased in agitation. Nebelstern chuckled and cleared his throat as he moved toward the two guards. His motions were smooth and collected.

 

“Yes, but we mustn't allow people to walk into the castle any time they please,” the general explained gently, and smiled brightly, “If we were to do so, Lord Gustave would be flooded with constant headaches. As head of his guard, I cannot let such a thing happen. You understand, surely?” Ciato's glare went flat, and Zozma just looked entirely bewildered at the concept of Nebelstern protecting Gustave. After all, none of the Mystic princes seemed to ever want to protect Orlouge willingly, and to see a human protect his master was nearly mind-blowing.

 

“Not really, but we'll take your word on it,” Zozma said, shrugging, “Now, my good man, if you'll just let us through, we can get a move on.” Nebelstern nodded, and turned to the guard. Neither Blue nor Rouge were close enough to hear what was said, but they both saw Nebelstern was exchanging words with both men. They nodded, and one turned to raise the gate into the castle. When it was fully risen, the two saluted to Nebelstern, and he continued to lead them all into the courtyard of the castle. All seemed so silent as soon as they passed, the gate shutting behind them with a loud clank. Rouge looked around. Not a soul was in sight, it seemed. And that felt very disturbing. He turned to Nebelstern.

 

“Where is everyone?” he asked quizzically. Nebelstern hummed, walking toward the fountain in the middle of the court. His glasses glinted in the sunlight.

 

“The entire garrison has left to invade Cantal's territory,” he explained, “Hence why Gustave didn't receive notice of your arrival, most likely.” Blue and Rouge glanced at each other worriedly. Gustave was currently at war. That didn't sound very promising.

 

“What the hell happened?” Fuse demanded, and crossed his arms, “IRPO wasn't even informed of this! We could've bagged those guys like that!” Nebelstern snorted, and shook his head as he looked into the water. It was clear and fresh.

 

“Lady Marie and Lord Cantal appeared to have been in a serious argument. Lord Kelvin had gone to visit, and apparently fell off his horse on the way there. Lord Cantal did not wish to keep him infirmed there, but Lady Marie insisted. As you can imagine, it turned into a dispute,” Nebelstern said with a sigh, “Marie came back here and told Lord Gustave of it. But he seems to think Cantal hurt his sister, for he ordered an attack immediately.” Whatever worry the twins had was gone. This wasn't a war. It was a misunderstanding. A very bad misunderstanding.

 

“Being infirmed, and fighting with a spouse isn't a reason to order a war,” Fuse stated flatly, his hand tapping the butt of his blaster, “You know, I could have Gustave arrested for violating the Law of War Protocols. You know, the one that clearly states that wars can't be waged unless the damages equal over seven billion dollars, or a royal bloodline and/or organization was killed off?” Rouge looked at his boss in disbelief. He was sure whatever Gustave was doing, the man had thought was warranted. Besides, Nebelstern only said the garrison left. He never said the army actually fired any shots. But Fuse didn't seem to consider that detail. Blue's lips pursed. They had a little bit of time, but it'd take some careful diplomacy to sort this mess out before they could disperse what they actually came to Hahn Nova for. He decided he had to take action. He was much more diplomatic than Fuse ever would be.

 

“Why don't we see Gustave?” Blue suggested, both to the general and to the cop, “I'm sure he'll understand what's truly going on.”

 

“Makes me wonder why he didn't have these facts in the first place,” Rouge added flatly, looking over at Nebelstern, “Who's the bozo who reported the incident?”

 

“That would be my sister!” Philippe declared furiously, brows creasing in agitation. Ciato just snorted audibly. Nebelstern cleared his throat, knowing tension wasn't going to go down if he didn't get them in to see his lord soon. He strode across the grass and opened a door sitting underneath a marble arch, allowing his guests to step in. It opened up into a long, sunny hallway, where long windows adorned the walls every few feet. Even in the dark, Rouge was sure there was adequate light here. He had never been in this part of the castle before.

 

The walk was straightforward. Nebelstern thought it was best that way as he led them down the hallway, and then turned a corner into the main hall. Now they began to recognize the place; the tapestries and the rich hue of gold along the walls couldn't possibly be mistaken. But Rouge did notice there was a stark contrast between this part of the castle and the hallway they had just left; the long corridor was made almost entirely of white marble, and this appeared to let little sun in compared to it. But he found it just as beautiful as he had before. Nebelstern once more led them up the grand oak staircase, and they walked down the familiar hall in silence. Only when they came to the doorway of the audience chamber did they stop and look up. For in the room was the one man who could fix all of the mess they'd just walked into.

 

Gustave sat in his throne, looking serenely at the group as they entered. He had expected them. Nebelstern bowed and introduced them all formally, though Blue noticed immediately that Gustave's smile faded when he saw his brother. His expression wasn't one of anger, but he did seem rather concerned to have Philippe back in his court. Likewise, Philippe looked like he'd jump out the window if it'd get him out of there any faster. Blue glanced between the two brothers. In so many ways, not so long ago, the encounter would've been similar to when he had been reunited with his own brother. He shivered. Such a comparison scared him. Not because of how Gustave and Philippe were, but because of how similar it had been and could still become. He looked back at Rouge. His twin obviously knew what was going through his head, for he patted Blue on the back.

 

“While I am glad to see you, little brother, may I inquire as to your presence?” Gustave asked calmly, after he saw that his guests were settled down, “You had said you would be heading out to sea and wouldn't be back for some time now.” Philippe just stared at his brother like he was the biggest idiot in the world. And in Philippe's mind, he probably was.

 

“I did,” he agreed, though his tone clearly said he didn't, “And I came back. Are you going to arrest me aside from taxing me!?” Gustave raised a bewildered brow, but he didn't even have a chance to speak before Fuse managed to get yet another unwanted word in.

 

“Hey, let me remind you that I've already got you in handcuffs!” the cop exclaimed indignantly. Blue just sighed. Whatever hope he did have of ending this gracefully seemed to have been snuffed out. Rouge just snickered, knowing fully that his brother was losing his patience, but being completely unable to do a damn about it. Gustave just blinked slowly, looking from Fuse, to Philippe, and then back again. He didn't really have time for antics, but he had a feeling he wouldn't be able to back out of this. He sighed, leaning back.

 

“As glad as I am that someone finally detained my brother, I must ask you remove the cuffs,” Gustave began. Fuse wanted to protest, but with hundreds of guards around every corner, he didn't want to take a chance of pissing anyone off. He whined as he unlocked the cuffs, freeing Philippe. Gustave smiled weakly and said, “Now, what is your business? I, unfortunately, am a busy man these days. I don't have much time for free talk.” Blue stepped up to quickly state their business, but once again, Fuse managed to beat him to it. Blue grumbled. Fuse was more than likely going to screw this all up and get them locked away. If Blue didn't actually hit him first.

 

“Good, because we didn't come here for free talk,” Fuse replied, feigning disinterest, “Seems like we got us some major booking here. First, we caught your brother attempting to dismantle the planes of Time itself.”

 

“I was exacting revenge!” Philippe corrected. Fuse proceeded to ignore him as he paced in front of the throne.

 

“And then when we finally manage to arrest him, he barfs out this story about how you're raising taxes unjustly because he smashed your sailboat,” Fuse continued on, and looked directly at Gustave now, “I don't know about you, boy, but that sounds like extortion. And the boys back home really don't like that. So unless you two strike a deal, I'm taking you both into my custody.” Blue was positive that if no one else blew the cop up, he would. That was more than enough to get all of them blacklisted; Fuse basically implied that he was sending Gustave to prison no matter which way the man turned. Gustave himself looked relatively concerned now. He looked at Philippe. The man seemed so smug, despite being in custody already.

 

“I believe you misinterpret my intentions,” Gustave said slowly, calmly, “I did not raise taxes to spite anyone. I said that perhaps some things should be taxed slightly to help pay for the damages, but most of the revenue will come from donations. Philippe, surely you knew this!” But by the look on the noble's face, he didn't. This wasn't looking good, though Blue was relieved to know that Gustave wasn't trying to extort anything from anyone. Philippe gave a disgruntled snort.

 

“No. According to my messenger, the taxes were because you were angry with me. I thought you were being a spoiled brat,” he stated. Gustave merely shook his head. That was an ironic statement, seeing as how Philippe tried to destroy his very existence and claim it was in justice. All for what, a few hundred crowns? From other people? Gustave couldn't see the logic in Philippe's actions. Then again, Gustave couldn't see the logic in many people's actions. He sighed heavily.

 

“I gave clear instructions. Who was your messenger?” he asked his brother. Philippe perked a brow, and his smug smile returned. Obviously, he felt his messenger's identity was his ace in the hole.

 

“Narcisse, of course,” he said. Gustave glanced at Nebelstern, and it looked as though the good general was going to have a coronary at the mere mention of the name. Rouge even readied a Starlight Heal spell just in case Nebelstern actually did pass out.

 

“Did you honestly just say you had Narcisse as your messenger!?” Nebelstern demanded, and when Philippe nodded, he exclaimed, “How can you stand him!? He's a narcissistic, egotistical bastard!” Philippe just snorted, and Gustave stared at the general in disbelief. In the ten years he'd known Nebelstern, he had never heard the man use such insulting language! Nebelstern never even said the word `damn' before.

 

“You must have strong feelings about this,” Gustave remarked. Nebelstern nodded, his eyes growing dark as he looked distantly out the window. Fuse just sighed, knowing that sign all too well: any moment, Nebelstern was going to have a flashback. And while Fuse loved it when he recalled his own past, he didn't particularly feel like sitting in a castle and listening to fairy tales. Not when there was justice to be served. Unfortunately, any thoughts of justice had fled from Nebelstern's mind at that point.

 

“It was a dark, stormy night twelve years ago,” the good general began, and as if to bring a dark atmosphere to fit his story, the clouds outside thickened, “I was but a knight in training when I met Cielmer and that bastard, Narcisse. I was supposed to…”

 

“Look here,” Fuse cut in, ruining what Rouge was sure was going to be a funny story, “We don't have time to listen to your stories. We have a case to solve, so why don't you go, get this guy, and we'll see what he has to say about all of this. From the sound of it, this might actually be his fault.” Nebelstern wanted to protest, but he saw Gustave seemed to be liking the idea. He just sighed. He knew he couldn't hide from Narcisse forever, though try as he might. He stalked out of the room.

 

Not even ten minutes later, by which Flynn had come to serve them all drinks, a man in a blue coat, with blonde hair suddenly warped into the room beside Rouge. The poor magician nearly had a heart attack, at first thinking that it was a monster. Then he saw the man; he was handsome, there was no doubt. But his grin held more smugness than Rouge thought was healthy. And he smelled of aristocracy, too. If there was one thing Rouge had learned to hate, both in the Magic Kingdom and in Facinaturu, it was aristocracy. He risked a glance toward Nebelstern as the general slunk back into the chamber. The man looked absolutely miserable to see that, indeed, Narcisse had come.

 

“Good morning, Nebelstern,” Narcisse said, with a familiarity that everyone knew Nebelstern was uncomfortable with, “Are you happy to see me?”

 

“I'd rather be dead right now,” was all the general could get out of his mouth. Fuse glanced at Gustave, knowing that if any justice would be had, it'd have to come from him. Likewise, Gustave took a deep breath and cleared his throat. If they were to have court, no matter how small, he couldn't risk his castle being turned upside down again due to the defendant's actions. He just didn't know exactly who the defendant was: Philippe, or Narcisse.

 

“Sir Narcisse, my brother tells me you were appointed his messenger,” Gustave began, praying to whomever would listen that he had the patience needed, in case Narcisse decided to act up. Narcisse just grinned.

 

“That's right,” he confirmed.

 

“Do you remember exactly what you told him after you left Hahn Nova?” Gustave asked him. Narcisse tapped his chin in mock thought, and Nebelstern wanted nothing more than to punch his teeth out. The damn bastard knew exactly what he had said to Philippe. Fuse caught Nebelstern's look. And as much as he liked the general, if it came down to a physical brawl, he'd have to put the man away for assault. He just hoped Nebelstern understood this.

 

“Oh, so many things happened, it's hard to remember what was said!” Narcisse finally exclaimed, “I'm afraid, my good lord, I don't remember much of that night. I was out at the tavern after your brother so generously paid me.” Rouge's lips thinned. Even the man's voice sounded smug. He glanced at Blue, but both brothers were having a hard time figuring out how to coax the information from Narcisse. Surely, he must've known. And by the way Zozma was suddenly storming up, he didn't believe Narcisse was as clueless as the man was letting on, either. He grabbed the smaller human by his collar, hoisting him off his feet.

 

“Okay, I'm not one for physical force, but cut the crap and tell us what you know!” Zozma demanded, “I don't like it here, and I don't like you, so tell us the truth or I'm sending you to hell!” Narcisse struggled, not used to being handled in such a violent way. He'd always been able to get out of things like this, but Zozma was a Mystic. And Mystics knew if you lied. Fuse and Nebelstern ran to intervene; if Narcisse died, even accidentally, they'd never really know how this mess started. And no one wanted Gustave and Philippe to be at war over this.

 

“Hey, soldier, drop the man!” Fuse yelled, as Nebelstern pried Zozma's fingers off of Narcisse's neck. The human dropped to the floor meekly, gasping for the air he was deprived just a moment before. Fuse looked down at Narcisse, and then spun on Zozma, “What the hell did you think you were doing!?”

 

“I think I was about to get the truth,” the red-haired Mystic replied in annoyance, crossing his arms, “I almost did if you hadn't stopped me.” Fuse's eyes narrowed flatly as he regarded Zozma. Sure, physical force was a good way to get information, but there was a difference between coaxing and downright strangling. Another minute, and they all were sure Narcisse would've been dead. Fuse shook his head.

 

“Killing people isn't the way we do things around here,” the cop told him seriously, “Next time, leave the coaxing to me.” Zozma just snorted, and Blue didn't blame him. Fuse wasn't exactly Justice McGee; he'd definitely have done the same thing if he were put in a situation he didn't like. He was the same man that nearly mowed down ten pedestrians just because they were `in his way.' But Blue didn't point that out. They still had problems to attend to, after all. Fuse turned back to Gustave and asked, “Want me to interrogate him?” Gustave rubbed his aching head tiredly.

 

“I don't care, just as long as someone gets the truth out so we can reconcile this,” he muttered, leaning back in his seat. Flynn brought him another drink, which he took and sipped. Fuse just turned back and helped Narcisse to stand. The man dusted his blue coat off and snorted indignantly.

 

“I should have that Mystic arrested for nearly breaking my neck,” he grumbled. Fuse took a deep breath and nodded at him.

 

“It won't happen again, or he's going to jail,” the cop promised, and then said, “But seriously, we need the truth. What did you say? And if you lie, you're going to jail, too.” Narcisse shivered. He had never been to prison before, but he heard rumors about it. He didn't want to end up in a prison anywhere around Hahn Nova. Likewise, he was fairly certain the prisons toward the east would be even worse. He'd have to come clean.

 

“I told him his brother rose the taxes to pay for the boats,” he replied, and shrugged, “That's basically what I heard. I didn't exactly lie.”

 

“But did you tell him why I did it and what would be taxed?” Gustave asked flatly, knowing the answer already. The mere fact that Philippe would travel to a different plane proved that he hadn't heard most of the actual facts. Narcisse's grin returned again. And considering his circumstances, Rouge thought that was a very stupid move.

 

“I didn't think those menial, little facts were important,” Narcisse said smugly, “All he needed to know was that he was taxed and that was it.” Rouge looked at the man in disbelief. He wasn't even remotely sorry for causing such a rift between the two nobles. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying how this was playing out. It all seemed so wrong.

 

“Yeah, but you caused a near-war to break out!” Rouge exclaimed in exasperation, “And you almost destroyed Gustave in the process! What else did you do, tell everyone that Gustave was taking the money for himself!?” Narcisse's grin just widened a little bit more. That was answer enough. Rouge shook his head and said, “I can't believe this!”

 

“Next he's going to tell us he's the reason Gustave and Cantal are at war,” Nebelstern added sarcastically. But then he actually saw the look on Narcisse's face; it was both smug and a little sheepish. Nebelstern's mouth dropped. He knew that look too well. He practically yelled, “That was you!?”

 

“Guilty as charged,” Narcisse said quietly. Even Philippe, at one time so smug and conceited himself, seemed unnerved by Narcisse's apparent unconcern for what he had done. He turned to his appointed messenger, unable to believe that everything happened because of a lie.

 

“How the hell did you do that!?” he asked, referring to Cantal and Gustave, “And why did you lie to me!?” Narcisse snorted as he looked away. This was too amusing to him. This was exactly what he wanted.

 

“Why else would I do it? I was bored,” the man said with a shrug, “It wasn't hard, either. All I had to do was forge your sister's name, and that was it. I didn't even know her handwriting was that sloppy.” This time, Philippe twitched. This just wasn't his day. When he came here, he had been so certain he was right, and now this was all blowing up right in his face. Which was what Narcisse probably planned for. Now he wished he'd gone to the Time Lord's realm to erase Narcisse instead of Gustave.

 

“Boss, can we arrest him for any of this?” Rouge asked Fuse, looking over his shoulder at the older cop. Fuse was already one step ahead of him, and was looking in his tiny rule book to see if Narcisse broke any laws. The laws for Hahn Nova, unfortunately, were different than back in Manhattan. After ten minutes of searching, by which Philippe was ready to rip his hair out, Fuse closed the book and shook his head. They were out of luck for once.

 

“We can't exactly arrest him because this didn't really benefit him in any way,” the cop said. Philippe moaned miserably, and Gustave hummed, shifting in his seat. This had to be troubling them both. Fuse held up one hand. There was a shred of hope. Just one. “However, you can file a lawsuit since there's damage done to both parties. False information is still false information, and we personally can't bag him, but if you sue, then that's another story.” Blue frowned. He did not like where this could be leading. Likewise, Philippe wasted no time in taking Fuse's suggestion. He pointed accusingly at Narcisse.

 

“Fine! Then I want to sue him for lying to me and insulting my sister!” he cried out, “I want him dead!” Gustave just looked at his brother in disbelief. That was a risky move to make; Narcisse seemed smart enough to weasel his way out of this, and if he looked bad, Philippe might be the one going to jail. He leaned forward in his throne.

 

“Brother, are you sure you want to do this?” he asked calmly, “Court isn't a playground. You won't just win because you're right.” Philippe didn't seem too worried for that, though. He waved the problem away.

 

“You're the judge. I know you'll see things my way,” Philippe said confidently, and grinned. Gustave, however, wasn't flattered with the comment. While it was true he was the judge, he couldn't just award Philippe the case solely with that fact. Besides, there was a chance there was more merit to Narcisse's decision than the man led on. He had to be fair, no matter how unfair that seemed. He shook his head.

 

“It doesn't work like that. Just because I'm family doesn't mean I can rig the court so we win,” Gustave replied seriously. Fuse snorted.

 

“Besides, that's against the law, too. If he does it, I'm booking him for conspiracy,” the cop added unhelpfully. Everyone chose to ignore him. Philippe had to think carefully indeed, then. If Gustave wasn't willing to cheat, this really wouldn't be as easy as he thought. But he'd go through it anyway. Narcisse needed to be jailed. At least, he did in Philippe's mind.

 

“I'm still doing it,” he said firmly. Fuse just shrugged and turned away, and Gustave leaned back, rubbing his forehead again. This was going to be a very, very long night. But there wasn't much he could do. If they were going to get any of these cases done, he'd have to cater his brother's ridiculous idea. It wouldn't have been the first time. He turned to Flynn.

 

“Go alert Kelvin, Leslie, and master Cielmer that we're going to have court,” he said, “And don't ask Marie or Cantal to join. This concerns them.” Flynn gave a nod, and ran out of the chamber with the news. Then, Gustave turned to the others. If this was a proper court, they'd need bailiffs, jurors, and an audience. And while he knew not one of the people present could suit either the first or second need, more than half could be the audience. And when he relayed the idea, everyone save for Fuse went for it. But he had no choice but to relent. After seeing how Kelvin fared as the prosecutor, he certainly didn't want to take the job. So, along with the rest of the people he'd dragged along, Fuse just sat in the pews. And with that, the wait for the rest of Gustave's court began.

 

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

 

After making it more or less safely to Hahn Nova, our heroes now find themselves amidst an entire scandal that's plaguing the entire SGF II world! Unable to really participate, except maybe to testify on Philippe's behalf, it's a wonder if anything will actually be solved for this case. With Gustave as judge, and Narcisse on the defense, can anyone untangle this horrible web of lies the latter created? Or will this be one case that neither Fuse, Blue, nor Rouge could solve? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!