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Description
Bits and Pieces 29

Sometimes scenes from stories I've written or have yet to write just pop into my head, whole acts that are just waiting for the time to be written into the right place. They change a little or a lot each time I recall them, and sometimes they stay the same. That's often why it takes a while to write a story. I get a great scene, but then I have to sit and puzzle out how to get to that scene.

I call them Bits and Pieces, and here's one of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

SoAL
Idle Thoughts and Theories

In days to come, Vyse would blame Aika. He would say it with all the passion and fire he had, much the same as when he declared that all Blue Rouges, pirates, and Yafutoman sailors should band together to save the world. It was all Aika's fault. He would blame her until the day he died, whenever that came, and no amount of puppy-dog-eyes from the redhead would change his mind. If even the slightest mention of it arose, he would point at Aika and shoot daggers from his eyes as he roared out in red-faced embarrassment that the whole mess was her fault.

After all, it was her idea to go back to Shrine Island in the first place.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it had just been the two of them. Heck, it would have been fine if it was them and maybe Enrique, or Gilder, or any number of people the Blue Rouges had befriended. All of this would have been a clean sweep if not for Aika's other idea.

'Let's take Fina with us! We can clean up Shrine Island a bit and make it a vacation spot!'

Brilliant. And Vyse would forever say it between clenched teeth.

So, being innocent of the horrible disaster yet to come, Vyse cheerfully went along with it. Off they went to Shrine Island in their sailboat and set to exploring it once they landed. And it was a fun time, too; just him and Aika and Fina, and Domingo and Kirala going along for the sake of helping to bodyguard Vyse since they had drawn straws with the rest of the crew to see who would be keeping watch over the King of Blue Rogues to be sure he didn't get himself killed or anything and were the 'unfortunate' winners.

There were the occasional monster attacks, nothing big. They were easily defeated with a swipe or two of the cutlass or a whap of the boomerang or just letting Cupil swallow them whole as he was apt to do. All in all, a fun and fancy free outing. Practically a stroll in the park; Domingo had even brought a picnic basket for lunch later.

But sadly, the good times were to end all too abruptly when Fina blinked at something that had been overlooked several times before and finally registered why it seemed so strange to her. And as always, she voiced her thoughts out loud in hopes of someone explaining it to her.

"Why are these torches lit?"

Everyone stopped to look back at her, confused. What did she mean by that? They were lit to provide light, of course. What was so odd about it? Did she suddenly become as daft as her early days with them, completely naive of everything around her?

"Umm, to light our way?" Aika answered unsurely. It was the obvious answer, but with Fina's thought processes the obvious answer wasn't always the one she was looking for. It was a pain trying to figure out a Silvite's mental processes, as they often thought a bit too deeply for Vyse and Aika's tastes. Well, more Aika than Vyse; the King had his moments of lapsing into heavy, moody thinking and it took time to snap him out of it. Unless one promised him loqua. Then he was off like a shot.

In this case, the group thought correctly, as Fina shook her head with that determinedly puzzled expression still on her face.

"I am the first Silvite to pass through these halls, correct?" she asked them, "They were lit when we entered this place to reach the heart of Soltis, but it had been the first time I walked this path." The Blue Rogues looked at each other askance, then shrugged.

"I guess so. They lit up the first time me and Vyse were wandering here, trying to get that huge Moonstone that fell. Remember, Vyse?" Aika remarked to her captain and Vyse nodded, still unsure of what Fina was talking about. Fina blinked rapidly, surprised by the answer.

"But that shouldn't be right. These are Silvite torches; they light when one of our people pass by them to help guide their way and prevent falls. They shouldn't react to others passing through." she pointed out and walked up to one of the torches, bending to check it. "Watch. I will turn this off and you will see." She touched something on the pedestal supporting the silvery flame and the fire died away. With that done, Fina stepped back, brought herself up to full Silvite dignity and walked past the unlit torch.

And the ring lifted up to spin around the pedestal, the silver flame flickering back to life to illuminate the walkway. Fina looked back at the group with a satisfied smile.

"See? The torch lit when I passed by it. Silvite torches only activate when one of our people or a descendant, such as myself, passes by." she remarked and went back to the pedestal, turning the fire off. "It's set properly, so I don't see why it would activate when you two walked by it." Aika tilted her head curiously, watching the blonde girl poke at the stone.

"Well, why don't we give it another test?" she suggested brightly as a sudden idea came to her. She laughed as she grabbed Vyse's arm suddenly, startling the King of Blue Rogues, "Vyse, you check it out! See what happens now that Fina's fixed the weird lights!"

"What?!" Vyse exclaimed and found himself shoved forward on the walkway, passing by the pedestal as Fina continued peering at the mechanism.

Once more, the ring rose and the flame lit up. The Blue Rogues stood in silence, staring first at the fire, then at Vyse, who only rubbed his arm and glared at Aika like a scorned child. Fina blinked rapidly again.

"Odd. I've set it so only Silvite bloodlines would activate it. Why would it turn on in Vyse's presence?" she wondered aloud. Domingo dropped the basket as his jaw fell open, Kirala pointed at Vyse, eyes wide with shock, and Aika stared in stunned silence before finally shaking her head and squawking in realization at what all the clues pointed towards.

"Vyse! You're a Silvite, too?!"

And Vyse only rubbed his head, grumbling and grousing as he wished fervently that the torches had been broken or something. He just didn't need something like this added to his life.

For it had been rumored that the Dyne Family could trace their ancestry all the way back to Ixa'taka, where a Silvite diplomat had decided to stay in the lush forest and indulge in the local flavor for a few years, sowing wild oats here and there, and one managed to venture out into the Middle Ocean on a whim, found himself unable to return home, and chose to take root there. And from that root came the Dyne Family, secretly harboring Silvite blood in their veins without even realizing it, until by stroke of fate their latest fruit crossed paths with a pure Silvite descendant. And what was it that Ilchymis had once said? 'From two, many can come. Even a lost civilization can be rebuilt from two of that land.'

And Vyse would forever blame Aika for this mess. The King of Blue Rogues did not want to be crowned new King of Silvites or whatever; by the Moons, the chaos that would cause to the world! And on top of that, Fina was eyeing him in a more different light than usual, the same looks he often got from Aika. There was nowhere he could go for peace, nowhere to hide from their not-so-subtle advances, nowhere to escape from their tender little touches and adorable purrs for attention, nowhere to bury his eternally blushing face to keep from getting laughed at by his crew and friends once they found out what was going on (after they got past their own shocks first, of course).

And it was all Aika's fault!

Description
Bits and Pieces 29

Sometimes scenes from stories I've written or have yet to write just pop into my head, whole acts that are just waiting for the time to be written into the right place. They change a little or a lot each time I recall them, and sometimes they stay the same. That's often why it takes a while to write a story. I get a great scene, but then I have to sit and puzzle out how to get to that scene.

I call them Bits and Pieces, and here's one of them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

SoAL
Idle Thoughts and Theories

In days to come, Vyse would blame Aika. He would say it with all the passion and fire he had, much the same as when he declared that all Blue Rouges, pirates, and Yafutoman sailors should band together to save the world. It was all Aika's fault. He would blame her until the day he died, whenever that came, and no amount of puppy-dog-eyes from the redhead would change his mind. If even the slightest mention of it arose, he would point at Aika and shoot daggers from his eyes as he roared out in red-faced embarrassment that the whole mess was her fault.

After all, it was her idea to go back to Shrine Island in the first place.

It wouldn't have been so bad if it had just been the two of them. Heck, it would have been fine if it was them and maybe Enrique, or Gilder, or any number of people the Blue Rouges had befriended. All of this would have been a clean sweep if not for Aika's other idea.

'Let's take Fina with us! We can clean up Shrine Island a bit and make it a vacation spot!'

Brilliant. And Vyse would forever say it between clenched teeth.

So, being innocent of the horrible disaster yet to come, Vyse cheerfully went along with it. Off they went to Shrine Island in their sailboat and set to exploring it once they landed. And it was a fun time, too; just him and Aika and Fina, and Domingo and Kirala going along for the sake of helping to bodyguard Vyse since they had drawn straws with the rest of the crew to see who would be keeping watch over the King of Blue Rogues to be sure he didn't get himself killed or anything and were the 'unfortunate' winners.

There were the occasional monster attacks, nothing big. They were easily defeated with a swipe or two of the cutlass or a whap of the boomerang or just letting Cupil swallow them whole as he was apt to do. All in all, a fun and fancy free outing. Practically a stroll in the park; Domingo had even brought a picnic basket for lunch later.

But sadly, the good times were to end all too abruptly when Fina blinked at something that had been overlooked several times before and finally registered why it seemed so strange to her. And as always, she voiced her thoughts out loud in hopes of someone explaining it to her.

"Why are these torches lit?"

Everyone stopped to look back at her, confused. What did she mean by that? They were lit to provide light, of course. What was so odd about it? Did she suddenly become as daft as her early days with them, completely naive of everything around her?

"Umm, to light our way?" Aika answered unsurely. It was the obvious answer, but with Fina's thought processes the obvious answer wasn't always the one she was looking for. It was a pain trying to figure out a Silvite's mental processes, as they often thought a bit too deeply for Vyse and Aika's tastes. Well, more Aika than Vyse; the King had his moments of lapsing into heavy, moody thinking and it took time to snap him out of it. Unless one promised him loqua. Then he was off like a shot.

In this case, the group thought correctly, as Fina shook her head with that determinedly puzzled expression still on her face.

"I am the first Silvite to pass through these halls, correct?" she asked them, "They were lit when we entered this place to reach the heart of Soltis, but it had been the first time I walked this path." The Blue Rogues looked at each other askance, then shrugged.

"I guess so. They lit up the first time me and Vyse were wandering here, trying to get that huge Moonstone that fell. Remember, Vyse?" Aika remarked to her captain and Vyse nodded, still unsure of what Fina was talking about. Fina blinked rapidly, surprised by the answer.

"But that shouldn't be right. These are Silvite torches; they light when one of our people pass by them to help guide their way and prevent falls. They shouldn't react to others passing through." she pointed out and walked up to one of the torches, bending to check it. "Watch. I will turn this off and you will see." She touched something on the pedestal supporting the silvery flame and the fire died away. With that done, Fina stepped back, brought herself up to full Silvite dignity and walked past the unlit torch.

And the ring lifted up to spin around the pedestal, the silver flame flickering back to life to illuminate the walkway. Fina looked back at the group with a satisfied smile.

"See? The torch lit when I passed by it. Silvite torches only activate when one of our people or a descendant, such as myself, passes by." she remarked and went back to the pedestal, turning the fire off. "It's set properly, so I don't see why it would activate when you two walked by it." Aika tilted her head curiously, watching the blonde girl poke at the stone.

"Well, why don't we give it another test?" she suggested brightly as a sudden idea came to her. She laughed as she grabbed Vyse's arm suddenly, startling the King of Blue Rogues, "Vyse, you check it out! See what happens now that Fina's fixed the weird lights!"

"What?!" Vyse exclaimed and found himself shoved forward on the walkway, passing by the pedestal as Fina continued peering at the mechanism.

Once more, the ring rose and the flame lit up. The Blue Rogues stood in silence, staring first at the fire, then at Vyse, who only rubbed his arm and glared at Aika like a scorned child. Fina blinked rapidly again.

"Odd. I've set it so only Silvite bloodlines would activate it. Why would it turn on in Vyse's presence?" she wondered aloud. Domingo dropped the basket as his jaw fell open, Kirala pointed at Vyse, eyes wide with shock, and Aika stared in stunned silence before finally shaking her head and squawking in realization at what all the clues pointed towards.

"Vyse! You're a Silvite, too?!"

And Vyse only rubbed his head, grumbling and grousing as he wished fervently that the torches had been broken or something. He just didn't need something like this added to his life.

For it had been rumored that the Dyne Family could trace their ancestry all the way back to Ixa'taka, where a Silvite diplomat had decided to stay in the lush forest and indulge in the local flavor for a few years, sowing wild oats here and there, and one managed to venture out into the Middle Ocean on a whim, found himself unable to return home, and chose to take root there. And from that root came the Dyne Family, secretly harboring Silvite blood in their veins without even realizing it, until by stroke of fate their latest fruit crossed paths with a pure Silvite descendant. And what was it that Ilchymis had once said? 'From two, many can come. Even a lost civilization can be rebuilt from two of that land.'

And Vyse would forever blame Aika for this mess. The King of Blue Rogues did not want to be crowned new King of Silvites or whatever; by the Moons, the chaos that would cause to the world! And on top of that, Fina was eyeing him in a more different light than usual, the same looks he often got from Aika. There was nowhere he could go for peace, nowhere to hide from their not-so-subtle advances, nowhere to escape from their tender little touches and adorable purrs for attention, nowhere to bury his eternally blushing face to keep from getting laughed at by his crew and friends once they found out what was going on (after they got past their own shocks first, of course).

And it was all Aika's fault!