Wild ARMs: Off on a Tangent
By: Chibi
Epilogue: “Faces to the Wind”
*
Page 321
And so it was done. Ringo was in no condition to take us back
across…
*
“Ringo? Can
you hear me?” Silence. “Guess not.
I… I want to say thanks, Ringo. For everything. You
didn’t have to wake up, and some would question the
A quickly-done
religious gesture. “May Ge Ramtos take you to your final
reward, Ringo.
You will not be forgotten.”
*ROAR…*
*
… so I teleported us back to Court Seim.
*
Laine quickly shut the door to the Maxwell
home, blushing furiously. “We do not
want to go in there right now.”
“Why not?”
James asked, opening the door for himself.
His eyes widened and he quickly slammed the door shut. “GAH. GAAAAAAAAAAH. GAH. I never needed to see that!”
Cecil let out an exasperated sigh
and opened the door. “Oh, what could be
so—oh. Oh
my. That’s your dad and Allison…”
“GAH.”
“Wow,” the Crest Sorcerer said in
bewildered amazement. He thought for a
moment. “You know, that’s kinda hot—“
“GAAAAAAAH. No sex for you. Ever. I will see to it,” the bounty hunter
threatened.
Cecil smirked. “Aw, don’t punish yourself, Jamie.”
James met Cecil’s smirk with the
most irritated face he could muster. “…
I hate you.”
The smirk became a broad smile. “I know.”
*
Slight mishaps aside, we received a warm reception at home, my home now. Although the victory party got a liiiiiittle bit out of hand. I’ll just say we discovered Laine’s previously-untapped aptitude for juggling, Elmina can drink anyone under the table, I still don’t know why my underwear was in that vase, and I don’t think James ever will let me live down the aftermath. Honestly, what’s a little hangover vomit between friends?
For one glorious week, it was the four of us all together. We had some Hanpan-related issues, but we found ways around those…
*
“Ha, ha, cute. I thought my days of being tied to a bed were over. Untie me at once, dammit! I promise to leave the knives alone! That’s far too slow a way to die!”
*
But, the day came when we had to part…
*
“Sure you don’t want to come with, princey?”
Elmina asked. “It won’t be the same
without you.”
Cecil waved a hand at her. “I’ve had enough adventure for one lifetime,
‘Mina. Thanks anyway.”
“Where are you off to, Elmina?” James asked.
The knight merely shrugged. “Dunno until I get there. I just gotta go.” She looked out over the wasteland. “Something’s calling me, and I gotta answer
the call.” She paused and looked around. “Where’s Laine?”
“No idea. She really should be here…” James replied.
“Left already. Said she doesn’t like good-byes. Makes sense, doesn’t it?” Cecil said with a
dry laugh. He
shook his head. “Hanpan got loose.”
Elmina kicked the dusty ground. “Just a matter of time, that. Poor guy.” She went up to James, whispered something
that made him blush and stammer, then hugged Cecil. “Now, don’t do anything stupid while I’m
gone, and don’t drive James too crazy, kiddo.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Cecil said, hugging
back. “You don’t do anything stupid
either, like kicking machines you don’t recognize.”
The pair pulled away. “I’ll be
seeing you, kiddo. To
where the wind carries me!” Elmina said.
She smiled briefly and started on her way.
“Good-bye,” James said with a little
nod.
“Bye, ‘Mina. Don’t…
Don’t stay away too long!” Cecil said, waving much like a hyperactive
6-year-old. “Bye!”
They watched the lady until she was
out of sight. Cecil looked up at
James. “What did she tell you,
anyway?” He could have sworn James
mumbled something about honest men and Cecil himself. “What?”
“
*
But, if anything, you know by now nothing in my life is that simple, and that I’d unfortunately have to venture forth into the vast, dirty, achy, pain-in-the-ass unknown again…
*
One year later…
“Cecil?”
The young man looked up from his
writing and turned around in his chair. “Oh, hey, Jamie.
What’s up?”
“Laine’s here. She says there’s something going down in Yard,
and Elmina’s waiting for us. Might have to do with one of the ‘lost’ Guardians.”
“Them again?”
Cecil whined. “Man, I hoped this
‘Innocent One’ crap was over with.” He
leaned against the back of the chair and grinned wickedly at the dark haired
man, waggling his eyebrows. “Especially since I became a little less innocent.”
James fought his first instinct, but
failed to keep his voice steady. “W-will
you shut up and get ready? This is
important!”
“Yes, yes…”
*
So it is, so it will be. But…
*
“What do you mean, I still look like
a guy, jerk?!”
“Just what I
said!”
“I thought that’d be a plus for you,
Jamie.”
“Sh-Shut up!”
“*snort*giggle* You
three never learn…”
*
But, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
~Cecil
Lynn Adlehyde
*
End