“We need to talk.” Millia and Baiken were at Baiken’s temporary home in the ruined city. The Japanese survivor had just been out to pick up some sake while Millia had stayed behind. Millia still had reservations about making unnecessary appearances in public. But while she was out, Baiken had a chance to think. Although she had enjoyed the last few months with Millia inside this city, it was only a short-term thing. Part of her always expected to move on and continue her search for ‘The Man’. And that part of Baiken had been niggling at her for the past few days. It seemed easy to just uproot and move on, the house and the minor things within it were of little importance, but things were much more complicated now. Millia was a factor. Their friendship was unlikely and was never a planned thing, it just occurred. But now that it was here, Baiken had little desire to relinquish it. But Millia had found some slight peace within this small city. And Baiken felt guilty about asking Millia to abandon that happiness so that she could pursue her own personal vengeance. However, it wouldn’t stop Baiken from asking. Baiken placed her sake bottles on the table across from Millia, and sat down on one of the simple wooden chairs next to it. Millia had been on a chair at the other side of the room, with a small ginger kitten in her lap, and had then heard Baiken’s simple statement. ‘We need to talk’ usually meant something serious. The small kitten hopped off the blonde’s lap and took a place under the chair. Millia stood up and took a seat on the chair next to Baiken. “What about?” Millia asked plainly. Baiken decided to start the conversation from a different angle. It might be easier that way. “Since you arrived at this city, you’ve...found life much easier, have you not?” Millia nodded. That was an understatement. Being able to talk to someone without fear of their death was an unsurprising relief. Millia had always hated living as a recluse. Baiken sighed. “So do you intend on living here? Would that bring you happiness?” Millia had no real answer for that one. It had crossed her mind quite a few times, the unwilling assassin did like life here, but permanent life at the city seemed to neglect one thing. Zato. The blonde shivered. His name held so much weight in Millia’s soul. Negative weight. Weight that she had to get rid of. Millia didn’t give a direct answer. “Why do you ask?” A faint grin passed over Baiken’s face as she looked at Millia. “I’ve seen how you are in this place. Your hostile nature seems to have diminished since we first met. I don’t think I’m incorrect.” “Is that the only reason you asked me that?” Baiken shook her head. “No.” Millia felt the kitten rubbing itself against her leg under the table, but didn’t let it distract her. “Well then...?” “I...can’t stay here forever. You know as well as I do that my sword and I have a sole purpose. I...have to find him...and I can’t do that here.” Baiken said. Millia looked away slowly. “So...you want to move on?” Baiken nodded. “I have to.” “And you want me to go with you?” Millia asked. “I won’t force you into anything you don’t want,” Baiken said. “But to answer your question, yes I do.” ********** It had been a couple of days since that little incident at the Fallen Angel in Spain. May, Dizzy, April and Johnny were about to join up with the other members of the crew at the designated meeting point. Though Dizzy had been acting normally, deep inside she still held feelings of depression about what happened a few days ago. And May noticed it. Dizzy was desperate to hide these feelings, simply because she didn’t want to worry May. But she seemed to be doing a lousy job of it. Seeing that she had to do something to cheer Dizzy up, May got a plan into her head. She didn’t remember much about the first time she came to Spain, but she did remember a place that she went to with April and June a while back. It was fun, and May really hoped that it would make Dizzy feel better. May’s concern for Dizzy’s well-being was becoming stronger. At the moment, May was in her room in the cheaply priced Inn that she and the others had been staying at. Quickly she packed up her things, slung her bag over her orange clothed shoulder and skipped out of the room. May went downstairs and quickly greeted everyone. April was standing at the front door waiting for Johnny, while the captain himself was making idle talk with the owner. May walked up to April, and kept throwing short glances over her shoulder. “Hey, April. Where’s Dizzy?” The chief advisor for the May ship crossed her arms. “I dunno. She hasn’t come down yet. You wanna go check on her for me?” May nodded. “Alright.” The pirate girl turned around and walked towards the stairs again, but held fast as a familiar blue haired Gear came down. The tiniest of smiles twinkled on May’s face. “Dizzy.” May ran up to her friend and placed a warming hand on Dizzy’s shoulder. The smile on May’s face warranted one in return. And she got one. An insincere one. May frowned. “Are you alright?” Dizzy’s fake smile got more awkward. “I am...fine.” The Gear gently disengaged from May’s touch and walked over to April. For some reason that bothered May. Dizzy’s dejected attitude. It didn’t hurt her, but it just felt...peculiar coming from Dizzy. Johnny finished talking to the owner, and walked over to April and Dizzy. “Alright guys,” Johnny started. “Lets meet up with the rest of the crew and get going.” May ran up to the others and stood next to Dizzy. “Um Johnny?” The captain of the May ship nudged his hat up and adjusted his shades. “Yeah, May?” The pirate girl dug her shoe into the ground. “Can you and April go on ahead and then come back to pick me and Dizzy up a little later?” Dizzy, Johnny and April all shot May confused looks, but April was the first to question her. “Why?” May took Dizzy’s arm in her own, eliciting an involuntary blush from the hybrid Gear. “Well, it’s just that Dizzy never got to do a lot of stuff while she was here and I wanna take her to see something.” May looked Dizzy. “Is that alright with you?” Dizzy just nodded in conformation. It wasn’t what she expected, but Dizzy still didn’t mind. That had Johnny confused a little, but April was not as absent minded to these things. Still, the chivalrous pirate had no qualms about letting May and Dizzy stay down for a little longer. “Well okay, but how much time do you need?” Johnny asked. “Just until ten o’clock, then me and Dizzy will meet you guys at the place we talked about. That’s okay, right?” April nodded. “I guess so. Just don’t be late.” May smiled cheerfully and led Dizzy outside. It was mid morning but Dizzy and May still had to wear those silly disguises. Still, better that then a repeat of the Fallen Angel fiasco. May could see the nervousness in Dizzy’s eyes. She was worried about what might happen to her out here. And May was desperate to get that fear out of her eyes. The pirate girl clasped onto Dizzy’s arm a little tighter. “I know you’ll like this, Dizzy...” *********** About five hours later, Johnny and April had met up with the others as the May ship landed. Johnny informed the rest of the crew about the situation. The others were confused as to why Johnny would allow May and Dizzy to have this privilege, but the blonde ‘woman-chasing hound’ still felt guilty about blowing May off before. Anyway, May led Dizzy to this special place that she had been all over since this morning. And Dizzy did have to admit; she was excited about what it could possibly be. Dizzy and May went across a long, narrow road outside of the city. It was quiet, and there was nobody here to get in the way. Perfect. The road that Dizzy and May were following was built below a cliff, and the road made a sharp turn to the left. Before Dizzy walked around it, May snuck up behind her, and put her small hands over Dizzy’s eyes. The cerulean haired girl gasped. “May, what are you...?” “(Shush!) I want you to be surprised.” May said. Dizzy awkwardly stepped forwards with May’s hands over her eyes, and made her way around the corner. Dizzy stopped as soon as the gentle squeaking of May’s shoes stopped. May pulled her hands of Dizzy’s eyes. “Now you can look!” The Gear’s eyes adjusted to the scene before her. It was a small building, no bigger than a two-floor house, in fairly good condition but with only a couple of people at the front door. “What is this?” Dizzy asked. “It’s an artificial hot spring!” May said eagerly. “It was replicated from the bathhouses of Japan before the country was destroyed. I remember coming here before with April and June, and I thought about how relaxing it was. I just thought you might like it.” Dizzy sweat dropped. “Um...what is a hot spring?” And with that, May’s jaw slacked. “You mean you don’t know?” “I am sorry, but I don’t.” “Well, no need to waste time explaining.” May grabbed Dizzy’s hand and led her into the small bathhouse. After taking Dizzy to the changing rooms at the back, May explained everything about the hot spring and what it was like. Dizzy seemed genuinely intrigued by this and was willing to try it out. May got undressed and slipped on an orange bathing suit. Hot springs in Japan were used for hygienic purposes as well as recreation, but May didn’t feel comfortable going into an indoor hot spring nude. They were on their own, but still it felt...embarrassing. May walked out of changing room next to Dizzy’s, and made her way to the actual spring. The area around the hot spring was a complete replica of a Japanese surrounding. The steam rose and filled the air with a fragrant smell of lavender; the ornaments and flowers surrounding it were of an oriental taste, and the wall separating the men’s side from the woman’s side was made of rare bamboo. May quickly tiptoed off the cobblestones surrounding the hot spring and slid in. Leaning against the side, May breathed out a sigh of sensual pleasure. The combination of herbal aroma and soothingly warm water succeeded in undoing those knots and joints. “Oh yeah...” May breathed in smoothly. “Dizzy! Hurry up!” The innocent Gear stepped out of the changing rooms and walked up to the edge of the miniature pool of hot water. She was wearing a thin towel wrapped around her so tight that you could barely tell that Dizzy had wings. May frowned playfully. “Come on, you can’t wear that in here!” “Do I have to take this off?” Dizzy asked sweetly but timorously. May just crossed her arms Guru-style and nodded accordingly. “Yes you do.” A sigh escaped Dizzy’s lips, and she slowly peeled off the light green towel coving her body. Her naked body. May’s eyes widened significantly as the thin towel fell into a small pile around Dizzy’s petite ankles. The beautiful Gear wrapped her arms over her breasts in a vain attempt to cover them up, and she slipped quietly into the water. Dizzy relaxed as she settled in, but was careful to keep her wings above water level. But she didn’t notice the way May was acting. Yet. Dizzy looked at May strangely. “What’s wrong?” May’s eyes darted quickly away from Dizzy’s lithe and well-endowed body, and May quickly held her hand up to her nose. “W-what are y-you doing?” May stammered out. Dizzy was still confused. “Am I doing something wrong?” A trail of blood slipped out of May’s nose. “You’re naked!” Dizzy blushed. “I...know. Do I have to be like this?” “Of course not! Didn’t you see that bathing suit I let for you outside your changing room?” The Gear shook her head, her arms still wrapped around her gifted chest. “I’m sorry. I’ll put it on now.” Dizzy slowly stood up out of the water. Gave a brief shudder, and walked back over to the girl’s changing rooms. May tried to look away as Dizzy strode off, but her gaze shifted back to Dizzy through her dark ebony eyes. Dizzy was really beautiful. May had to admit that. She herself was a little envious of Dizzy’s stunning looks. In fact, a lot of guys from the Fallen Angel were staring at her. Their views changed instantly when they found she was a Gear, but a great deal of men had watching her that night. May was surprised that no one had asked Dizzy for a dance before all of the...unpleasantness. The pirate girl pulled her hand off her nose and wiped the blood from under it. A few minutes later, Dizzy came back, sporting a nicely cut dark blue bathing suit. Once again she slipped into the artificial hot spring, and gave off a tranquil aura as the restful water did its magic. May snivelled. “That’s better, Dizzy.” Dizzy looked from side to side. “Why are we the only ones here?” A smile full of bride beamed from May’s face. “I snuck out last night and I paid the owner to use this place privately for a few hours. It cost me a bundle though. I tell ya, the people in this country are so expensive!” Dizzy stared at May for a moment, quickly waded over to May and wrapped her arms around the brunette. May was startled from a minute, and then let herself accept it. Then she went Dizzy one better by pulling the Gear closer. “Thank you for everything...May.” Dizzy whispered softly. May blushed. “Dizzy...” ********** Baiken walked next to Millia outside of their small home. The blonde was stroking the ginger cat in her lap. “Millia.” The cat jumped out of Millia’s lap as the unwilling assassin stood up, and looked at Baiken square in the eye. “Let’s go.”
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