By the next morning, the master engineers of Sheridan had pulled together to finish the Olympus. Now the landship was fully functional, albeit in need of a field test. That, of course, would be the trip to Keterburg.

“So where’s Saphir?” Guy asked Aston once they were ready to make way.

“He’s in the commander’s quarters…sleeping,” the elderly man replied. “He spent all night up trying to fix that thing, and he’s only now settled down an hour or two ago.”

The others were fairly amazed at Saphir’s dedication. Perhaps he really was worried about Jade. Either way, they headed to the Olympus to check on him. As Aston had said, he was fast asleep in the commander’s quarters, hugging a screwdriver tightly. It was a weird picture, but they were used to Saphir being weird anyway.

“Who’d have thought he’d spend an entire night here fixing the Olympus? It’s pretty far-fetched,” Tear commented. “At least for one who didn’t care about Jade.”

Guy picked up the blanket that Saphir had kicked off of himself, replacing it on the man courteously.

“Does anyone know how to pilot a landship?” he asked. The others gave him a look that plainly stated they did not. Or at least, they couldn’t captain a landship.

“Well, then I guess that leaves it to me, unless we can find someone,” he said heavily. “I don’t think you guys want me to pilot this ship.”

“Why not?” Luke queried. “You flew the Albiore, didn’t you? And you’re a fon machine master. I think you’re the best suited for the job of piloting this landship.”

Guy rubbed the back of his head, a faint blush streaking across his cheeks at his friend’s confident praise.

“Ahahah…I’m not so sure, Luke. Saphir and Jade have much more experience handling these kinds of things…”

“You know you want to pilot it,” Anise replied. “And really…you deserve to.”

Tear nodded.

“She’s right. You and Saphir were the ones who started this mission. He’s done his part by fixing the ship, and in turn, you should do your part by piloting it.”

Although her tone was serious, the hymnist allowed a smile to grace her features. Just as Luke and Anise trusted in him, so did Tear herself trust in him.

“W-well…I guess I can’t refuse the offer if you guys want me to,” Guy said slowly. A grin spread from ear to ear on his face. “Alright! Then let’s get this underway, shall we?”

“We’d love to, but there’s just one problem,” Anise replied.

“Hm?”

“Landships require a crew of at least twenty five to operate at an optimum minimum level of maneuverability,” Tear remarked, adding to the Fon Master’s comment. Guy visibly flinched, then looked downcast. “Still, however, you all did manage to pilot the Tartarus with just you, Anise, Asch, and Jade. If we decide to take that approach, then we’ll just need one more crew member.”

“Yeah, but we need someone now, not later. Finding a crew member will take time the Colonel might not have,” Anise said worriedly.

“…How about me?”

A timid voice broke the train of negative banter. The whole gang turned to see a young woman in a pilot’s suit with goggles on. Her blonde hair peeked out from beneath the goggles as she looked at the others.

“I had to learn how to pilot land transports before I learned how to pilot air vessels, so maybe I can be of assistance,” Noelle said, smiling softly. “If you’ll have me, of course.”

Guy laughed.

“That’d be great, Noelle. I didn’t think you’d be willing to do this after transporting me and Saphir all over Auldrant…”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” she replied. “You’re all my friends, and to think that one of my friends is in danger…well, how could I refuse to help pilot the Olympus?”

“Thanks a lot, Noelle,” Anise replied. “I’ll make sure you’re compensated for this.”

“I don’t need compensation. Seeing Colonel Jade alive is all the compensation I need…oh! I’m not sure if I could manage to get him, but if you guys want, I can ask my brother to help us too.”

“Ginji? Doesn’t he have anything to do?” Luke wondered.

“Yes, but it’s nothing that Aston couldn’t do himself. Just transporting goods from Sheridan all around the world, you know,” Noelle said. “Just because Aston looks old doesn’t mean he doesn’t have pep.”

The gang laughed along with her at that.

“Y’got that right,” Guy agreed. “It seems like only yesterday that he and the others made the Albiore and rebuilt the Tartarus.”

Noelle closed her eyes and sighed softly. Guy winced.

“Jeez, I’m sorry. I’d forgotten that Iemon…”

“I-it’s alright. Grandfather died to help you all save Auldrant. I doubt he regrets his death, and if that’s so, I shouldn’t regret it either, right?”

“If you didn’t regret it, you’d be inhuman,” Tear told her. “Of course you should regret it. But as long as you know he didn’t regret it, then it doesn’t have to be a terrible regret.”

Noelle nodded, looking sorrowful, but still with a smile on her face.


“Thank you…it’s very kind of you to say that…anyway, I should get going to ask if Ginji can help us,” she said. “I’ll be back later.”

*****

Nephry’s pen tapped softly against her desk, a sharp sound in contrast with the silence of her office. Just upstairs, she knew her brother and the princess were resting, and she was quite concerned for the former.

Who’d have thought that it wasn’t a real resurrection at all? So much time was spent in the ruins of Eldrant…and all Lorelei managed to do was replicate Jade’s internal organs.

She remembered even now what her brother had hypothesized: That Lorelei simply hadn’t had enough power to do anymore than replicate and pull the soul to the body with the same life that the replication of Jade’s organs had created. The outcome was simple. Since Jade couldn’t hold the Seventh Fonon safely within him, he was going to die as his body rejected it. No survival rate.

No. That’s what he said, but there still might be a way. There has to be a way for him to live. Why would Lorelei bring him back on borrowed time without telling him?

The Colonel himself was questioning that as well, even as he lay with one arm behind his head to support it. Why had Lorelei done this to him? Certainly it was more torturous to do things this way, no? Lorelei couldn’t have planned it like this, there had to be more to it.

He winced as a shot of pain went through his abdomen—the infusion of Seventh Fonons had fixed him up, but he still had a bit of a stomachache. Healing Stream would have to be used sparingly until he found a way to avoid the side effect.

Jade turned to the sleeping Natalia, attempting to figure out why he had forgotten her, if indeed her claim to knowing him was true.

To think that I know the princess of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear…or knew her…such a thing would be hard to forget, and yet I have…

It almost made him wish for the others; Luke, Tear, Guy, and Anise. He doubted that he could forget them, but all the same the contact would make sure he didn’t, right?

“So confusing…” he murmured. “Just when I think I have discovered something, thousands of other questions arise. And I cannot answer them all alone, I haven’t the time.”

Shifting in the bed so that he was laying on his side, Jade closed his eyes. His glasses dug lightly into the side of his head, but he didn’t care. It would be petty to worry about such a thing.

Nephry said I needed, rest, so I suppose I should just rest. Not much else to do in Keterburg when one’s had more than enough of the snow…

*****

Anise practically bounced with energy as the Olympus cruised smoothly away from Daath. Its dark black with silver linings seemed as powerful as the Tartarus once had been.

“She’s swift and steady on the sea and land,” Ginji commented as he kept the landship on course. “Usually, you can expect trouble on maiden voyages…”

“Don’t jinx it!” Anise said. “We’re practically to Keterburg!!”

“Yeah, and in only five hours, too,” Tear commented. “That’s incredibly good timing for a landship like this.”

“I did spend a long time on this,” Saphir interjected. He’d woken up after they hit Daath for a breather and check-in with the Grand Maestro. “I’m not known as a master fonic technician for nothing.”

“Yes, yes, good job, Saphir,” Anise said impatiently. “When do we get to Keterburg??”

The others could understand her urgency to a degree, but she was acting pretty childish even considering.

“I think in about two hours,” Noelle said, glancing onto her pad. “We have to navigate through Sylvana’s islands and icebergs carefully, since the Olympus is pretty vast. If we run along a big one, then we’re out of commission for a while.”

With that information, even the Fon Master couldn’t argue, but she could be discontent.

Colonel...