Welcome to Gaia! ::

Dawn. Even without sunlight to wake him Zell new it was here. He woke, not feeling quite as refreshed as he was now used to or even how he had been upon waking all his life. Stretching his hand fell upon the bed beside him. Cold. The SeeD sat up sharply in the bed looking wide-eyed around the room. Maryline. Where was she? Where...?

Zell tossed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Moomba ears caught the rustle of paper & he turned to see it shift upon the bed. Not really wanting to, Zell reached for the paper. But he did not read it, did not even look at it, instead treating the paper like some taboo object. Maybe if he did not look at it...

His heart was catching in his chest as the SeeD quickly trotted to the bathroom. No Maryline. Hazel-blue eyes blinked but somehow Zell forced himself to calm enough to see to morning functions while it felt his heart was in his throat. Leaving the bathroom his left hand rubbed his tattoo, worry etched deeply upon his young face. He dressed quickly though he double noted things in the room. By the time he was finished -only minutes from when he awoke though it felt to Zell like eternity- the fistfighter was shaking softly and he had to sit on the edge of the bed. There was the note where he set it when he started to dress. Picking it up Zell held it in both hands, resting elbows on his knees with legs slightly spread while he leaned forward. There was no mistaking his Maryline's writing.

'do not panic.' 'do not panic.' Now Zell was really shaking so much so that the note made noise as it was held between his hands. How the hell was he supposed to not panic? Maryline was gone. She'd left. He didn't even know why and like hell he could think of what he might have done... what he could have done to have her not do this...

And she told him not to follow? Hyne dammit all! Didn't Maryline know he'd follow her to the ends of the earth, forward or back in time... anything and everything whether she wanted him to or not because he just couldn't help himself?

"Dammit!" Spinning Zell flopped on his chest and punched the bed, tears welling in his hazel-blue eyes. She was leaving her communicator... she was going off alone... where he could not protect her and she did not want him to follow...

Maryline... Hyne... Zell felt like something was tearing in two inside him. Rolling over he stood. No way'n hell he was staying here. Last thing he wanted to do right now was run into Mujaki or her father even if they were just memory imprints. Hyne... He couldn't even think straight enough to think where she might be going... what kind of loose ends?

Shoving the paper into his left breast pocket of his jacket Zell automatically fixed his hair and started at a quick jog out of the room. As he went down the hallway his pace continued to increase. First things first... he had to get out of here. He had to get Terranfire... get her home. Peter could calm her if it was necessary. Where he found the horse would hopefully tell him something at least. Dammit!

His face contorted as he tried to be able to see straight. Zell was at a full out run now, going through halls, out the front doors, through the gates. About damn time the DOOR. He barely slowed as he threw it open, went through, shut it while skidding to a halt & opening it again. The look he shot at the feather tailed cats Seifer & Rune -Seifer in particular- cut off whatever the gunblader was about to say. With pressed lips Zell reached over the switchboard & pulled up Maryline's locater, damn near slamming his fist on the print button as the coordinates came up. His body vibrated with something other than his happy, vibrant energy as he waited for it to print -ignoring or not even noticing how Seifer and Rune watched the play of expressions on his unsmiling face with their own mixtures of concern and shock. Zell snatched the paper before the printer had released it, spinning on his heal and out of the door.

Out of the door, out of the house. A stiff wave to his kitsu self, training in the clearing. His eyes were focused on the barn, and Zell forced himself to slow as he neared. "Sterna... Sterna you up gal?"

The gryphon made a bird-like squawk, clawed leg pawing at the door to open it. Zell pet the side of her neck then put his face to the feathers there as he let a few tears fall free. Timex looked on with blue eyes from behind Sterna as the winged creature in an uncharacteristic gesture of affection tipped her wing to 'hug' the moomba-anthro. Zell wiped his eyes on his sleeve, gave Sterna a weak smile and a pat to the neck and then hopped on her back after getting a nod from her that she would take him. It had not been hard for her to figure out. A few good flaps and they were taking off, Sterna flying to the directions the SeeD was relating to her.

Requesting Sterna to land on the far edge of the clearing from the mare Zell then beseeched her to check for Maryline -any trace or scent of her. His usually cheerful tenor voice was low & even more oddly: steady. At the gryphon's nod the SeeD slipped from her back and made his way across the clearing to Teranfire. As he neared Zell could see the communicator -Maryline's communicator- hooked onto the mare's reigns. Hazel-blue eyes glistened again with tears but he otherwise kept calm. As calm as he could. Maryline... 'Line... You really left it behind... Did you... Hyne... You ran her near ragged. Holding out one hand palm up to the mare, the other reaching into his pocket for a carrot. Magiced, his pocket was filled with treats for the horse. They had been supposed to go to Solstice's Cottage today.

Well he would be going. The note asked him to. A voice sounded in his head. Peter. Relaying for Sterna who could not speak. Maryline had gone to a village, but the air was too cold to find her scent leaving it. She could not go into the village, or even be seen. This was a simple place... unused to anything other than the normal 'mundane' animals. Sterna could not chance becoming seen or alarm the inhabitants. Even this early in the morning.

Thanking the macro-talent rabbit Zell inwardly cursed. Soon as he had calmed Teranfire and was taking her back home he would read Maryline's letter again. Surely something...

Zell forced a calm about him. He had studied enough martial arts -he had it in him. Usually there was no reason to bother with it. Deftly he untied the reigns, actually grinning weakly at the normalcy of the horse's nudge for more treats as he got another one out for her. He could at least pamper his love's steed.

Imitating one of Maryline's clicks of the tongue to get Teranfire to follow him the SeeD started leading her towards his home. The mare seemed far too tired to fight or carry him, and actually more interested in whatever else might be in his pockets to argue. Seemed it was better than digging for cold grasses. Zell hoped he wasn't going to give her a belly ache with too many treats. Hopefully Relm wouldn't mind watching the horse for a while with the chocobos. The blonde sighed, bringing his left hand with the reigns up to rub at his tattoo while the right occasionally fed the horse from the seemingly endless supply of carrots and apples from his pocket. Mentally he 'contacted' Peter to ask if he could keep a horse calm so she would not freak out around the ninau & chocobos and sighed at the 'I think so' response with a nod of his spiky blonde head.

'Zell, what's wrong?' The telepath asked gently, showing how he was not being invasive to the SeeD's mental privacy. Zell winced and sighed at the patience in the rabbit familiar's mental tone, giving the equivalent of a mental shrug to match his real one. He paused before giving Teranfire the next treat as they walked further from the clearing to withdraw Maryline's note and put it in his left hand with the reigns. Zell re-read it as he walked, letting training & senses tell him where the trees were as he walked the two of them between the trees. Sometimes he would pet Teranfire or feed her in a sort of automatic daze.

Something was not sitting right with this note. Something... dammit! Zell knew he was missing something. Something in the wording? She said she would return soon... no. That she prayed she would return shortly.

Wait. Zell's pace slowed and he swallowed re-reading her farewell for what felt like the millionth time. Where had he heard that before? He knew he had. He knew...

Hyne!!!! It was all Zell could do to keep any sense of calm at all about him for Teranfire's sake as the realization snapped into place leaving him both stunned & chilled to the bone. That's how she had said goodbye to Sir Mujaki. When she never intended to see him again. Maryline never intended to see HIM again, though by her words she wanted to. No... he knew she wanted to. But then...

Maryline did not expect to survive this.

Cold clenched at his heart. Zell started walking again, tucking the note back into his left breast pocket as he did then lifting his hand to the communicator. His tenor voice when he spoke belied the gut-wrenching inside of him but was otherwise oddly commanding and firm. No-nonsense. "I need Illyana here. Stat. And any of the others with skills fighting that can also take orders and don't have kids ready to go at a moment's notice. Humanoids only. Tell Relm to commence with purchasing that title she found first. Other fighters and magic users at home standing by. I want Peter to put Teranfire to sleep first, give her some memory of me taking her to the barn then put her there. Send Hemi to Solstice's cottage. They'll need to know. Tell him he can bring Aki if he insists on coming but not Solstice or Anon. Solstice will be the hard one to convince but she has a kid."

"Dincht. Dincht. Hold on." Zell paused to listen to Seifer FTC's voice on the other side. "This have to do what you came in here about this morning? Princess Maryline? She's right there with you, so what's the problem?" Seifer's voice was harsh but not cutting. He knew Zell was upset and after the thing with Relm and Naruto... well the cat walked around a bit more carefully with his family.

"She's not here. Her locator's on the horse." "Not there? But where is she?" Gruff voice touched on some concern. "Dreia. On the way or there already. And she doesn't expect to survive."

Silence. Then. "Noted. Stay put. Commence readiness for infiltration of the target with secondary plans in the wings."

"Copy." Zell affirmed with a nod. It was underfoot.

Perhaps it was lucky then that Zell's first thoughts did not automatically go to using the telepaths. However his second thoughts did and even as he internally cursed that he had not thought of it sooner and his hand was going back to his ear there appeared a glowing magic ring beside him. The ring of glowing light purple and blue made soft arcs of magical energy and then split to reveal a blonde female with white wings and tail and bright blue eyes. She was exactly the same height as Zell and the two could easily be mistaken for siblings -something that both amused & irritated her real brothers. Dressed neck to toe in red & white Illyana Rasputin with her dancer's body looked ready for anything. If anything looked out of place... it was the ring of poinsettias crowning her blonde hair which was as usual loose & flowing down her back.

Now it was moving. A tiny white rabbit peeped beady black eyes out from the cascades of blonde and frowned in disappointment, sadness, & worry at the SeeD. "It's no use... I can't reach her here either." Now the mutant female looked worried, blue eyes glancing in the direction of the village they now knew Maryline had gone. She understood how telepaths worked and knew Peter to be one of vast abilities. He called it Talent, but it was much like what Professor Xavier had. "She doesn't want to be found and is somehow blocking me. I didn't know she could, Zell. I'm sorry. What's worse... Nobody in town has seen someone matching Princess Maryline's description leaving and yet the only ones that did see her or have any idea of her whereabouts know that she is gone." The little familiar sighed heavily and Illyana raised a gloved hand to console the rabbit who had a name so similar to her beloved brother. One did not have to be a telepath or empath to see the play of emotions on Zell's face. He knew he was going against what Maryline had told him to do. But she would know he would! She would have to know he would! To let her go into danger... to let her go alone... Maryline... 'Line... why d'you feel you have to do this alone? Why couldn't I go with you? Why couldn't you wait or even tell me? Why 'Line? Zell couldn't voice his thoughts but Peter heard him. So also on some level did one other.

"I'm sorry, Zell." The SeeD nodded absently to the rabbit, trying to decide where best to infiltrate the Dreia kingdom as Peter hopped from Illyana's shoulder to that of the sleeping mare's. A moomba ear flicked showing only in that way that he had noticed as Zell released the reigns. A moment later, rabbit and horse were gone without a sound.

Zell put his hand back to his ear. "Zell?" The female beside him spoke in her voice with its Russian accent not as strong as her brothers'. He felt her hand comfortingly on his arm and the tears filled his eyes once more making it hard to see. Dammit! He had to focus! Zell shook his head, mouth firm and set. He was shaking slightly & it worried Illyana. This was why she had cast the spell to 'glitch' Al's communicator -so he wouldn't be called to ask to fight. He was far too sweet. Ed maybe... but he didn't know this 'family' and really, she wanted her friends safe. Wanted to know they were with their mother, making up for the time lost them in their old world. They didn't need to know about this, now.

There was a faint pop as someone apparated behind them and the fistfighter spun around long seconds before Illyana did the same. In time to see a lanky red-head stumble before a growling winged Seifer. "Dammit Seifer! Go home! Rune needs you!" Gloved fist swung angrily at the gunblader.

Seifer Almasy laughed harshly and stepped to the side into the punch with the handle of Hypernion. Zell growled low and glared at the taller male who huffed and otherwise looked indifferent. "Like Hell you're going in alone." "Illyana's coming with me." The gunblader snorted & the blonde female had her turn to glare at him before he spoke. "I'll give you she has the experience and skills to back you up, but she's on transportation detail for these operations in case you've forgotten. Can't go with the telltale popping of apparating and there's not enough wizards to go around anyway & you know we need the telepathy over using Peter's telekinetics except in a pinch. Besides, Think about it: if you do get in and you have to go all dignitary 'your Highness' you'll need a guard. I'm it. Think about it, Dincht, but don't strain yourself." Illyana calmed at the compliment and otherwise listened quietly, seeing how Zell wobbled at the gunblader's snidely sarcastic & mocking use of the title. A title that if Relm had purchased it for him already he already held. woah... that was a heady thought. Zell was giving in. "What about Rune? She's pregnant, dude." Blue eyes stared coldly down at the fistfighter. "That's why she's at home. You think she'd forgive me if I let our kids' en loco parentai go and get themselves killed?"

Floored Zell only stared, his mouth falling open. Illyana looked shocked as well. "well damn..." Slowly he started to grin at Seifer, getting a smirk back in return. "Right. Now here's what we've got. Quick rebrief." Squatting Seifer laid out a mechanical device that displayed all they had collected since Zell started guarding the princess on her country. Zell filled in quickly what he had learned the previous night in the castle within the door while at the same time reminding the others that it was from Maryline's memory, 200 years ago. Seifer nodded, face both set & smirking. He almost hoped there would be a fight. Except that he did not want to worry Rune. Or worse... NO. Hell if he would think that way.

"Good. Let's head out. Wasted enough time with talk." Seifer paused. "Oh yeah. The others are ready. And Myranda is getting Trel drunk." A moment where Zell almost burst out 'what, drinking at a time like this!' before he remembered and nodded.

Zell would flip (and not in a good way) if he knew what Maryline was doing. Seifer would too. Hadn't she listened to anything Zell had told her about the modern day world? But he didn't know... yet all the bad things that could possibly happen to her kept running through his mind in such a way that Zell practically had to shove them to the side to be able to think. He could not save her from the dangers she was intentionally & unintentionally getting herself into if he couldn't stop and think about how to do it.

Speaking of thinking Zell looked at the gunblader. "Who..." "Brought me?" Seifer gave a sharp laugh and picked up Ron where he had been forcefully knocked out of the way and was rubbing his head. "Got a lift." The youngest male Weasley muttered something under his breath about Seifer being a bully & how he wouldn't have tried it on Bill or Charlie. The gunblader scoffed. "hell I wouldn't'a tried it on Ginny." He had put a lot of faith that Ron could still apparate another while under pressure. "Now get the hell home, Weasley, and be ready to step through the girl's Limbo with your wand ready if it comes to it. Oh and give me those." Gloved hands shot out & grabbed three cloaks the wizard was holding. Seifer tossed one to Illyana, then one to Zell keeping the third to himself. Twitching a little Ron made a face and disapparated. "Save your magic, Sorceress." He snapped, sensing Illyana about to comment. Her mouth snapped shut, blue eyes wide that he knew that when she had yet to use the sorcery she had learned as a child growing up in Limbo from Belasco and the Storm of the X-Men who had been trapped there. "Invisibility Cloaks. ON. Now. No s**t about how it'll cramp you being able to fight. When that comes throw off the damn cloak. We go here." He tapped a spot on his display that had a military presence where they might hear news of Maryline but no technology that would see through their cloaks like heat sensors or the like. "Remember -we get found, you go home for the reinforcements. NO MATTER WHAT." Illyana nodded, very glad she had told Al nothing of this... and wondering if he would worry if he knew.

Then they were gone.


At Solstice's Cottage there was a soft pop, and a chocolate kitsu with dark chocolate tails and ears and wearing a red and gold scarf folded his cream & bronze wings to his back. Baby blue eyes were filled with worry and his tails were close to his body. Hemi Lupin trotted to the door and knocked evenly -not too much to wake the baby but to see if anyone was up.

Three forms were standing close together in an unoccupied room as the magical rings of teleportation silently faded from sight. Three bodies were there, but nothing could be seen through the invisibility cloaks they wore. Not one spoke a word, their minds connected through the macrotalent rabbit who was at home rather even then chance their communicators. This was a relatively new experience for the SeeDs, though they were much more comfortable with telepathy than they once might have been. Illyana Rasputin of course having once been trained by Professor Charles Xavier himself was quite relaxed by the mind link.

*This way.* Seifer's mental voice as commanding as his usual voice was, the other's merely nodded. Zell could be taking over being in charge if he wanted to, and for once the gunblader would not deny him. But this stage of their 'plan' Seifer was better prepared & organized to handle & the fistfighter knew it. He had to concentrate on silence & keeping his energy in check anyway, so as not to give away their presence.

And they all knew Zell would need all the control he could muster when they had any news of Maryline's whereabouts.

It was easy enough to find the control center, to sneak in unobserved. That it was only as busy as one could expect was both blessing and curse. Maryline probably was not found yet. Or.... or... they were keeping it all very hush-hush.

Of course there was no way to tell.

~~~~~

Baby blue eyes looked up at the water dragon anthro from somewhere just above the two-legger's knees. It did not take even one of Hemi's ability to read body language to see that Aki was surprised to see him. Only a telepath could know however what was the reasoning behind what Hemi could almost discern that he had somehow interrupted something that had the water dragon in a relaxed mood. A mood the kitsusagi was now doubly loathe to break. He sighed heavily, cream & bronze wings lifting and resettling upon his light chocolate back as he did so. "Aki... there's no easy way to say this... May I come in? You'd better sit down & it would be more comfortable inside..."

He was not exactly intentionally stalling. There simply was not an easy way to go about this. There was no knew information on the communicators either. Even with Peter keeping them informed. Hemi waited, softly patient. Soon he would be telling Aki everything he knew. He just wished there were more. Or even better... better news.

That there was no word of Maryline did not ease the fistfighter's mind. Especially not as a strong feminine voice touched their minds relaying the the princess was blocking her as well as Peter and neither could get a fix on her. Nor had there been any sightings of anyone fitting Maryline's appearance in the minds of the locals in the town she had last been spotted even still. *She's smart... she probably altered her looks* THAT thought did not help Zell any either and he nearly jumped to feel Seifer's firm & steadying grip on his arm. More shocking... the look in the gunblader's eyes. Almost... supportive. Compassionate. Damn. Impending fatherhood & Rune sure had mellowed the guy a bit. A lot.

As if reading his mind by reading his facial expression Seifer's expression shifted to his usual smirk while giving a look that told Zell to shape up, there was a mission. Still stunned, Zell nodded.


Watching Aki's body language the healer wizard kitsu knew it was definitely a good thing he was having the anthro sit down. Padding in after the water dragon Hemi shook his head, the tails of his red & godl scarf swaying with the motion. "No, though Sol will likely want to kill us for it later. Easier this way to keep her here. Keep them safe..."

With a heavy sigh he sat back on his haunches, baby blue eyes looking steadily at Aki's face. "There's no easy way to say this. Princess Maryline ran off this morning. Left Zell a note, of course telling him not to follow her. Which he was actually going to follow until he realized she was going to Drea & didn't expect to survive." Another sigh though the kitsu did no look away.

"Of you guys, she told him to 'tell them of my departure and of my gratitude for allowing me to stay' & now I am to tell you Teranfire's at our place, that I can bring you if you insist on coming but not to let the girls come. You can guess the reasons." aka, Solstice's baby & Anon not being much of a fighter.

"It might not come to fighting..." Hemi's voice trailed off & he looked uncomfortable. Clearly, he was not going to tell the entire plan if the water dragon were staying. Actually, he would not tell Aki either way. Too many chances of something being bugged. Trelweny or Peter would fill him in.