Chapter 10: Ties As Old As Time...

Citan, Atlus and Chris arrived at a pair of doors that were designed differently than the drab, gray ones that were throughout the ship.

The design on these silver doors depicted an angel, surrounded by light, fighting against a dark cloud.

"Is this the conservatory, Dulcinea?" the doctor asked.

"Correct."

"According to Philemon and Igor, the machines used in here is also used as a type of test," Chris explained, "In order to see to what extent the cona-trey's powers have awakened. For this, the custom requires two knowledgeable witnesses."

"So that's why you sent the others off to crew quarters after eating," Atlus mused.

"This part is none of their business."

Atlus shook his head and the three stepped forward, causing the doors to slide open.

The lights came on almost immediately.

The three men looked around the room, which seemed rather spacious. There were several chairs lined up in the center of the room and strange looking instruments on the walls.

At the back wall was a large instrument that looked like a cross between a piano, a pipe organ and a harp.

Citan blinked in puzzlement.

"Something wrong?" Atlus asked.

"This room...I have been in this room before."

"Your mitochondria remembers from the past incarnations of the cona-trey," Chris explained, "You'll get used to it soon enough."

Citan walked towards the large instrument and picked up a stack of papers that was on a tray to the left of the piano-like object.

"Someone Calls Me.... I remember that Dena likes this tune, if it is the one I think it is," he said quietly.

"Why don't you play it and see?" Atlus asked.

The doctor nodded and set the musical score on the spot above the keys.

"How do we know if anything happens?" the red-haired youth asked.

Chris did not reply.

Dena walked into the room that the Musias were being kept in, a rather horrific expression on her face.

"Deindra, is something wrong?" Eve, who was floating beside a window, asked.

"You could say that...Ultimecia and Ghaleon had a little chat with me. He says that we need to practice a certain tune for when they are to take over the multiverse...in exchange for taking on the responsibility of leading you, they didn't use any mind control," the young woman replied.

"Which one?" Althena asked.

"Femmes Fatales. It's a tune from Eve's world, but it's one I'm familiar with."

Before Dena could say any further, the sound of a piano playing could be heard in the room as clearly as if someone was shouting in there.

Eve turned about her quickly, but saw no instrument.

Dena listened carefully and then began to sing along to the music.

Atlus looked about the conservatory, shocked as he heard the voice of a young woman harmonizing, even though there were no women present.

"Dena," Citan whispered and continued playing the piece.

"That's Dena?" Chris asked, although there was no change of expression on his face.

A moment later, a second voice joined in....one that was very familiar to a young woman that had just entered the conservatory.

"T.... that’s Eve!"

Chris and Atlus turned to see Aya.

"What are you doing here?" Atlus asked.

"I could hear someone playing piano all the way from my quarters...and as I came here, I heard someone singing too," she replied.

"Amazing," Chris remarked, "Citan's powers extend and amplify far beyond the conservatory..."

Right then, they heard a voice ask, "What's happening with those two? What's with all those voices?"

"Citan's abilities are being tested, Elhaym," an accented female voice replied, "And it happens to be a tune both Eve and Dena know. As far as the voices go...I recognize two of them."

There was a slight pause before the voice continued, "Atlus, Chris...this is Victoria. Listen carefully, there isn't much time. We're being forced to practice a tune that, if used by the wrong people, can make Ghaleon and Ultimecia powerful and immortal."

Dena stopped singing for a moment and said, "Remember the one I wouldn't rehearse, Citan? Femmes Fatales. It also exacts a price on the singers, as I learned. If the singer or singers have someone important to them and that bond is reciprocated, they'll be okay. But if not...it'll take the person's life."

"How long until they decide to attack?" Atlus asked, "And where?"

"We don't know," the voice that was identified as Elhaym answered, "We'll do what we can from this side, but hurry up, guys, and get us out of here!"

All the voices faded into silence.

Citan stopped playing the piece and turned to look at Chris, Aya and Atlus.

"Interesting device," he said in a low voice, then blinked a couple of times.

"Are you okay?" Aya asked.

"I am...fatigued," he answered, "It has been a long day."

"Dulcinea, what is our ETA to Lunar?" Atlus asked.

"Current estimated time of arrival to Lunar is 2 hours."

"That should give you a couple of hours to get some sleep," the young woman said to the Zenogias native.

"I think I shall do that," he replied, stood up and walked out of the conservatory.

Chris, Atlus and Aya followed him out of the room and went to their respective quarters.

***************

Nate sighed as he sat in one of the chairs on the bridge, watching the stars flash by on the viewscreen.

I haven't told the others, he thought, if I told them now, the morale would really suffer.

"Something wrong, Nate?" he heard a familiar female voice ask behind him.

"Ah, what brings you up here, Aya?" he asked.

"Couldn't sleep..."

"Me neither. Too many worries, I guess."

"Like what?" she asked Nate.

"If I tell you, will you please not say anything to the others until this mission is over?"

Aya thought for a moment then nodded.

"The truth is...no matter what happens here, I won't be able to graduate with my friends."

"How come?"

"A few weeks before graduation...my family and I are moving rather far away."

"To where?"

"We're going to England..."

"Your world has an England too?"

He nodded, and then continued, "If the others knew I was moving, the morale will plummet, and we don't need that right now."

Aya nodded, an understanding look on her face.

"I know this isn't a military group we're part of," she said, "But if Citan's the leader, we need a proper title for him other than cona-trey."

"You're right. I doubt the other worlds are as well versed on the Musia legends as Zenogias and Persona are."

"How about Commander?"

Nate thought for a moment before he said, "Hmm....no, that won't work. In at least my world and yours, a commander is second in command. Since he's the one leading us, how about Captain?"

Before Aya could respond, the streaking stars disappeared as the ship began to slow down.

"Dulcinea, what's going on?" she asked.

"We are approaching Lunar."

"Where is the intra-ship communication system?" Nate asked himself as he got up and started looking.

One of the panels to his left lit up a bright red.

"Thanks," he muttered as he flipped a switch on the panel, adding, "Everybody, we're approaching Lunar. Report to the bridge at once."

"Is Lunar an alternate Earth?" Aya asked the computer.

"Negative. Lunar used to be the barren moon orbiting the larger planet several centuries ago until the Musia Althena transformed it into a habitable place."

"What happened to the larger world?"

"According to records, the planet that the natives called the Blue Star was destroyed by an alien entity named Zophar. It is suspected that Zophar might be connected to the Dark Master, but it remains unconfirmed."

"Dulcinea, go into orbit around Lunar," Nate ordered.

"Acknowledged."

A couple minutes later, everyone else started to come onto the bridge, with the last person being Citan.

"What is going on?" he asked.

Aya turned to him and said, "We're in orbit of Lunar, Captain."

He looked at her and said, "Aya, this is not a military structure--"

Nate inserted, "Perhaps not, but we need some sort of organization, especially if the number of our group is going to rise. Besides, I very much doubt that the citizens of the worlds we go to from now on, including Lunar, would recognize the term cona-trey."

Citan nodded and said, "Good point."

He then turned to the main screen and asked, "Dulcinea, can you bring up a map of Lunar's land masses?"

"Affirmative."

"Then do it."

An instant later, a colored map came up on the screen.

"The land masses on Lunar are not known to the citizens as continents, but rather as Zones. The major Zone is Katarina, followed by the Stadius."

"Good to know, so we prevent that communication breakdown," Ellen remarked.

"Atlus," he continued, "Can you use that data pad to find out where exactly the Musia Althena was kidnapped from?"

"I'll try, Captain," the young man said and started tapping on the plastic slab.

"Hey, guys," Brad asked, "What can we expect on that planet?"

"What do you mean?" Mary asked.

"You know...like cars or horse-drawn buggies, big modern cities or little villages?"

Citan nodded and asked, "Good question. Dulcinea?"

"According to my scans, there is a very low level of technology on Lunar. However I do detect a high amount of energy throughout the planet."

"Do you mean magic?" Nate asked.

"Most likely."

"Got it," Atlus spoke up, "Althena, or Luna, was kidnapped in a village called Burg on Caldor Island."

The map on the screen changed to show only the island in particular.

"Does the pad say who we should talk to in Burg, besides the mayor or Elder?" the captain asked.

"Hmm....yes it does. A young man named Alex and a woman named Jessica...de...Alkirk," was the response.

"All right, we'll land in the outskirts of that village, then we'll split up into three teams," Citan explained, "Atlus, Aya, Chris and I will talk to the leader of Burg."

"This is going to be fun," the woman from Evolution said with a small smile.

"Ellen, Mary, Midori and Alana, you four explore the town. If possible, try to find Alex and Jessica."

At this, there were four voices echoing "Yes, sir".

"The rest of you will stay here and guard the ship in case Ghaleon or Ultimecia decide to attack Lunar first," the captain finished.

"We're holding down the fort, eh?" Andrea said from her seat, "Will do, Captain."

Citan nodded and said, "All right then...Dulcinea, land the ship outside Burg, then open the outer door."

"Acknowledged."

Everyone then took his or her seats, knowing that by nature, landing on a planet was at least a bit rough.