Chapter Text
Chapter One: Point of Departure
April, 3306 World Calendar
The Capital Railway Terminal was extremely crowded. There was a high number of school students boarding trains for spring vacation. Some were going home. Others were going sightseeing. And for a group of six students from the 4th Capital Secondary School, one was heading to a small port city on the Lutoni River…and a treasure hunt beyond.
Five lingered on the far platform, but one, a sweet-faced violet-haired girl of 17 was bidding goodbye to one of the first and dearest friends she had made since arriving in Roxche: a 16-year-old girl with long, light brown hair, wearing a green pullover sweater and a red plaid skirt and black tights. Her mother, sticking out prominently with her blonde hair, waving for her to join on what was hoped to be a picturesque trip.
“So,” the brown-haired Roxchean asked, “what’s the Newspaper Club trip this time? You’ve been kind of tightlipped about it lately, Meg.”
Meg, remembering Jenny’s orders, was evasive.
“It’s nothing special, Lillia,” she tried to dissemble, smiling. “We’re going out of town for some…a special club project. What about you? Not going to Ikstova this time?”
Lillia shrugged.
“Not in the spring. Too far and too expensive. And after that New Year’s party? I need a break.”
Meg nodded, remembering Lillia’s recounting of her escapade. That she survived a hostage situation was nothing short of astounding. Her friend and that Ikstovan boy—Treize—always seemed to be getting themselves into trouble. Meg’s adventures had been comparatively small…until now.
“You know, Lillia, it’d be nice if your friend Treize joined our school. He could be your partner for the Spring Dance, right?”
Lillia averted her brown eyes, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.
“I suppose…but I don’t know if he’ll ever leave Ikstova. It’s his home, after all. Besides, you shouldn’t worry too much about me. Instead…”
She lightly tapped her friend’s arm.
“…you should enjoy your time with Seron. You’ve come a long way to get that far with him.”
The mention of her newfound boyfriend’s name made Meg blush. It was still amazing to her that they were together at all, given what they had just been through. How strange that a mystery about three model ships and her grandfather would bring them together. Regardless, she considered herself truly fortunate.
“ATTENTION! ATTENTION! TRAIN NUMBER 227 IS NOW BOARDING. PASSENGERS PLEASE PROCEED TO PLATFORM 4.”
“Oh, that’s mine!” Meg realized, grabbing her bag. “Seron’s probably already counting the seconds I’m late.”
“Have fun, okay? And be careful.”
“I should be telling you that!”
The two girls laughed and briefly hugged before they parted ways. Lillia joined her mother for an upscale train heading west to the Lutoni River delta. Meg headed in the opposite direction, for an unremarkable-looking train bound for Montessaret…and their greatest adventure ever.
But as Meg ran off to join her boyfriend, a girl with bushy brown hair under a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses watched her with a smirk. She chuckled, having found her prey. Quietly and deliberately, she followed. The Bezelese belle practically bounced across the platform towards her friends and her new beau.
“You stick out like a sore thumb, pigtails.”
Seron Maxwell smoothed out his dark hair and waved to her as she bounded to the platform. Despite being official, he still wore his blank, stoic expression. But Meg could see a hint—just a hint—of his love for her. In the corner of his lip. In the shine in his eyes. And in the subtle softness of his voice when he spoke.
“Was a little afraid you might miss us,” he muttered, his suitcase slung behind him.
She smiled, a little winded.
“This? I wouldn’t miss for anything. And I certainly wouldn’t miss you. I just didn’t want to rush saying goodbye.”
Seron’s lip hiked just an inch.
“I understand…because I don’t want to rush this either. Us, I mean.”
Meg blushed and nodded before hugging him tightly. They walked together, hands locked together while searching for their car. Meanwhile, Seron was searching for something else. Searching for something that might derail their journey…or someone.
Even with the Church brothers behind bars, their shadow seemed to loom over the train terminal. Seron fully expected to find them hiding behind a column or trailing them. And if they weren’t here…she might be. The Photography Club president had already thrown down the gauntlet before them all. And now they were faced with a new problem.
“Stop looking so gloomy, Seron!” Meg said, pouting. “We won’t be in Montessaret until tomorrow! What could happen to us in that time?”
“Sorry. Just thinking.” Meg couldn’t help but smile at that.
“You’re always thinking,” Meg retorted wryly, rolling her eyes. “Well, turn off that brain for a while. This is supposed to be a fun spring break, isn’t it?”
A short distance away, Seron saw his four friends, all chatting together as they waited for them. Now that they were a couple, he could expect more teasing. Just as he thought of that, Meg’s gentle hands touched his face and turned him towards her. He was lost in her dark yet loving indigo eyes.
“Seron,” she said, slightly sterner than before, “you don’t have to hide anything from me. What’s up?”
“Now that we’re…together, I’m a little worried about what the others will say. Larry’s already started on the jokes. You’ve seen how Jenny can be…”
“If she tries something, she answers to me. Besides, they were always rooting for us, right?”
“I know. That’s why I—!?”
She cut off his reservations with a soothing kiss. In an instant, all of Seron’s fears and concerns melted, leaving only the scent of her perfume and the faint taste of strawberry shortcake. She was known to like sweets.
“I love you, Seron. I’m not ashamed of what we have now. Are you?”
“I could never be ashamed of you,” he assured her, curling one hand around her back.
He petted her hair and rested his forehead against hers. She was warm. She made everything else fade away. And now that he had her, he would never let her go.
“Then trust me. And trust in our friends. They’ll have our backs, no matter what.”
A small chuckle exited his nose as his lips touched hers again.
“I trust you more than anyone. No one can make me happier than you.”
“Hey lovebirds!” Jenny called. “The train’s about to board! You wanna get left behind?”
Seron, snapped out of his personal heaven, led his girlfriend to their club with a soft, aggravated sigh. If only he had a moment more to enjoy this moment. Meg could only giggle, unbothered. This was the start of something, not the end.
The two boarded the train following their friends, just as the conductor gave the last call. They had only started down the narrow corridor to their compartments when the engine blew its whistle. The cars lurched forward with the engine’s first chuff.
The momentum was so sudden it almost sent the young students toppling over each other. Jenny caught herself on a vacant seat and saved the whole crew.
“Okay, club,” she said, the early morning light highlighting her ruby eyes, “first thing’s first: we find our compartments and put away our baggage. Once that’s done, we’ll all meet in the lounge car and go over how this whole expedition will shake out!”
“Don’t we already know what will shake out?” Natalia asked.
Jenny averted her eyes, a soft glean of sweat on her forehead.
“S-sure, we do! J-just gotta go over it one last time, y’know?”
“…you forgot, didn’t you?”
Jenny didn’t answer. Natalia knowingly shook her head.
The troupe made their way through the train, searching for their room numbers. The train would arrive in Montessaret the following morning, and they would need their rest. Travelling to and exploring Green Island would be no small task.
The girls all shared one compartment while the boys were right next door. When Meg stepped in, she was immediately enraptured. On one side of the compartment stood a small door to a full bathroom while on the other side two beds were bolted to the wall in a bunk style with a third just underneath the compartment window. They were covered with white sheets, topped by a matching pillow with a wrapped piece of chocolate placed on top. It was like a hotel on wheels.
“Jenny,” Meg gasped, “How much did you pay for these?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. This is nothing compared to securing a ship and diving equipment!”
The last two words piqued Meg’s interest.
“Diving equipment?”
“That’s what I said. We’re not just exploring Green Island: we’re diving down to the shipwreck!”
“Diving down?”
“Is there an echo in here?” Jenny sighed. “Of course! The treasure might inside the ship.”
Meg sat down on the bunk, slightly overwhelmed. It was one thing to visit the island, but diving underwater to the wreck itself? Just how much had the club invested into finding her grandfather’s treasure? That was saying nothing about the potential underwater risks.
“I’m not sure if I’m ready for that yet, Jenny. I-I mean, w-what if there are skeletons inside guarding it?”
“Oh c’mon, Meg!” Jenny snickered. “Use your head! It’s an old shipwreck, not a dungeon!”
“Besides,” Natalia offered, sliding her suitcase into the closet, “we’re getting help from the Roxchean Navy. They’re lending us a submersible to explore the ship.”
“Well, thank goodness for that,” Meg sighed with relief. “Now, I’m not as nervous…”
This left one last problem: the Church brothers’ niece, Rosalyn. Her very appearance intimidated Meg in many ways. The glare from her cold eyes. The condescending tone of her voice. How she boldly displayed their kiss in the café for all the school to see. She undoubtedly was planning something to upset their expedition. Various ideas of how she could run interference flashed in her mind like a slide show. How far would she go to stop them? What if she succeeded?
The Bezelese girl glanced at both classmates and blinked. She flashed a smile of illusion, not wanting to burden her friends. Not when they were enjoying themselves.
“Is something wrong, Meg?” Jenny pressed.
“No way! I’m fine, really.”
“You are worried about Rosalyn, aren’t you?” Natalia asked.
Meg looked back at Natalia, surprised. She slowly nodded her head, fear in her indigo eyes.
“You heard how serious she was when we confronted her. We don’t know what she’s capable of.”
“If Rosalyn tries anything, we’ll stop her. You can’t let her get in the way of whatever your grandfather left you. Right, Jenny?”
“We’ve worked too hard to give up. Whatever she tries to pull, you gotta be ready to fight!”
“F-fight?”
“Yeah! If she tries to kidnap you or Seron, you yell! Or throw a shoe!”
Jenny demonstrated with a swing of her fist through the air. She almost knocked over a bedside lamp in her excitement.
“That’s going a little far, Jen,” Natalia chuckled. “I can’t picture Meg throwing a punch.”
“Hey, now, she clocked the Church brothers’ butler, didn’t she?”
“Y-yeah, I did,” Meg admitted, somewhat embarrassed, “but I—”
“Then have some confidence! A girl’s gotta fight for what she wants, doesn’t she?”
A girl’s got to fight for what she wants.
Those last words filled her with a greater resolve. She was never the type of girl to resort to combat. Megmica Straussky’s appearance was paperweight compared to Rosalyn Church. But, when push came to shove, she could whack a thug or two with a pipe or a bat…or a phone receiver. Seron was surprised more than once with what she was truly capable of under pressure.
The Bezelese girl nodded to herself, taking note of Jenny’s advice.
“Thank you both. I’m so glad you’re my friend.”
“Think nothing of it,” Natalia said, smiling. “You know, I’m actually a little jealous.”
“Jealous of me? How so?”
“You’ve gotten so far with Seron in such a short time! You two only met last summer, and now you’re an item! I thought old poker face would stay single forever.”
Meg blushed as she twirled a lock of her hair nervously.
“W-we only became a couple two days ago, Natalia.”
“All the more reason you need to protect what you have now.”
“…yes. You’re right. And I don’t want to let him go.”
Jenny burst out of the girls’ compartments and led everyone to the lounge car. Seron, Larry and Nicholas had to dash through the vestibules, lest they lose sight of their classmates. Seron’s eyes were focused like a sniper on his target: Meg’s pigtails, bouncing with each step taken.
Megmica Straussky.
It seemed a lifetime ago when he finally swallowed his fear and said the words he longed to say. Sitting next to her in that café, releasing everything he kept bottled up, was the most blissful moment of life. Such a shame that Rosalyn had to capture that intimate moment for all to see. And for what? Just to get back at him for putting her uncles in jail? Just to declare war for a treasure that rightfully belonged to Meg?
In the lounge car, Jenny pointed to a circular wooden table. Just what they needed. They gathered around it while Jenny rolled out a large map of Green Island and the surrounding area for all to see. Natalia found a small menu to peruse through, while all eyes were glued to the map.
The island itself was long and thin, with low-altitude mountains in the south and wide plains in the north. A small cove formed a dimple on the eastern side. The remains of villages were marked with small dots in various places, while battle sites had crossed swords. There were several areas cordoned off with striped patterns, indicating old minefields. A dark reminder of the island’s violent past.
“Okay,” Jenny started, “here’s the deal. We know the Firefly was scuttled somewhere around here…”
She pointed to the cove on the eastern coast of the island.
“…at Freiburg Cove. First, we need to find the shipwreck itself. After we search it, we’ll go explore the island.”
Jenny’s ruby eyes glinted with intent as she looked to Larry.
“Larry, did you hear back from the Roxchean Navy? What are they giving us?”
“They’ve got a small submersible that can dive down to the river bottom and map out the wreck. We also have a reconnaissance plane should we want to scout out the surrounding areas. They’ll be waiting for us at Montessaret tomorrow.”
“Great! What’s the name of their ship again?”
“The Sailfish.”
“C’mon, Jen,” Natalia joked, “we’ve barely started this trip and you’ve already forgotten our ship’s name?”
“Like you forgot the opening movement to the Ballad of Colonel MacMillan?” Jenny shot back.
Natalia’s spectacles disappeared behind the menu as she slumped in her chair.
“Anyway, we’ll also be exploring on the island itself.”
“How do we know where to look for the treasure?” Larry asked.
Meg leaned in and offered an explanation.
“We’ll follow my grandfather’s path on the island. He managed to link up with Bezelese troops a couple days after landing.”
“Do you have a map of where he traveled?”
“I found it in his journal. I’ll show it to everyone when we start.”
A waiter dressed in a black tuxedo stopped by the table.
“Pardon me, but is there anything I can get for you lot? Something to eat or drink?”
Natalia, ever the glutton, nodded and motioned the waiter to her. She pointed to an item on the menu.
“Could you get me the Deluxe Walnut Parfait? This one?”
“Certainly, ma’am. It’ll be right up.”
Jenny shot an incredulous glance at her friend and chief editor.
“…A parfait this early? Really?”
“We haven’t even had dinner yet,” Larry absconded his friend.
“Oh, c’mon, we’re on vacation, right? That means it’s okay to break a few rules.”
Larry rolled his eyes. For everyone else, this was as natural for Natalia as playing an instrument. Her appetite would drive their club to bankruptcy one day.
“A-Anyway,” Meg continued, “Since my grandfather landed on the Roxchean side of the island, he had to travel north and west to reach the Bezelese forces. So we start here…”
She pointed to “Freiburg Cove.”
“…and then head up towards Cape Laz. That’s where Bezelese troops landed in the war.” Jenny grinned with optimism.
“I wonder what your grandfather’s treasure is,” Jenny chuckled, her eyes narrow with eagerness. “Maybe gold? Or rough-cut diamonds? Or maybe the plans of a secret superweapon?”
“You read way too many adventure novels,” Nicholas observed. “But if the Firefly was scuttled rather than surrendered to Roxche, a superweapon might not be too farfetched. Meg, did your grandfather ever mention something like that in his journal?”
“Not that I can recall, no.”
Jenny slumped in her chair, slightly dejected.
“This really is a mystery…”
“I’m sure we’ll find out what my grandfather meant. One way or another.”
“Yeah, I guess. Anyway, that’s the gist of what we’re doing on Green Island. Any questions?”
Seron, who had been silently listening this whole time, now saw the moment to rename the threat they all faced. One far greater than any hazards they might encounter on Green Island or in the depths of the Lutoni River. He leaned in, tugged at a lock of his ebony black hair, and Meg instinctively shifted her gaze to him.
“There’s just one problem we haven’t talked about.”
“What’s that?”
“Rosalyn Church.”
A dark cloud cast a shadow over the table. Only the rhythmic clicking of the wheels punctuated the silence. Rosalyn Church. Her arrival into the case and her photograph stunt created a huge upset. That girl loudly and proudly was continuing what her uncles had started. And there was no telling what she would do.
For what seemed like hours, no one could speak, as if Rosalyn was present among them.
Not too far behind the club, the girl with bushy brown hair and sunglasses had her face buried in a newspaper. Beneath her table, her leg bounced up and down in a mixture of agitation and repressed energy. If she were not in full control, she could easily reveal herself here and now and derail their plans from the start. But instead, she listened. She needed to know just what their game plan was.
“What about her?” Larry said, finally.
“If we run into her on Green Island, what do we do?”
“If she wants to get her hands on the treasure,” Jenny challenged, “she’ll have to get through us first! Whatever Sir Maximilian left behind rightfully belongs to Meg!”
“Her getting the treasure isn’t what concerns me.”
“What are you getting at?”
Seron, in a rare display of passion, pounded his fist on the table.
“Don’t be stupid, Jenny!” he retorted, his cobalt eyes alight with fire. “We’ve seen what the Church brothers are capable of! They weren’t above using murder to get what they wanted! Now that they’re in jail, we might have kicked over the hornet’s nest with her! If plastering a photo of Meg and I all over the school is any evidence, she will do anything, and I mean anything. We could all be at risk, here.”
All sat in silence. Seeing Seron incensed was like a seeing a snowfall in July. It just never happened. It only made his words hit harder.
Natalia leaned in, over her menu.
“Seron, we’re all here for you and Meg. If Rosalyn tries anything to get at either of you, you won’t be alone.”
“I agree with Natalia,” Nicholas nodded. “We’re your friends, aren’t we?”
“We won’t let that witch get in the way of your romance!” Jenny added.
Both Meg and Seron flushed. Meg, her eyes bright, offered her assurance, her words strong as steel.
“You see, Seron? Everyone in the club is behind us if Rosalyn tries anything. And even if it was just us, we’ve gotten out of fixes before. Remember when the Church Brothers held us hostage in their manor?”
Meg’s words provided the balm that soothed Seron’s soul. Of course he remembered. He remembered the event somewhat fondly, though he’d rather keep that to himself.
“Yes. Somehow, we managed to escape together.”
“Exactly. So, we’ll get through this together, just like always.”
Seron smiled, and his senses relaxed as he rested his head closer to hers. Uplifted by her thoughtful words, he couldn’t hold back anymore. Their lips inched towards each other with a gentle touch, and a contented sigh escaped his lips.
“…Thanks, Meg.”
“Sheesh, you two,” Jenny cracked, “save the necking for after we find the treasure!”
Blushing madly with embarrassment, the two teenagers backed away from each other. They had almost forgotten they were in public, and with friends. Despite themselves, the entire table burst out laughing. Even Meg, mortified as she was, couldn’t help but laugh as well.
At that moment, the waiter came by and presented Natalia with a tall parfait in a clear glass. Walnuts drizzled everywhere like snowflakes, a hill of whipped cream towered above the glass’ lip, and a cherry on top of the whole meal. Jenny was lost in reverence. Larry stred at her meal in disbelief.
“There’s no way you can hope to eat all that,” Larry said skeptically.
“Well,” Natalia grinned, “now I’ve got to prove you wrong.”
“Please, don’t, Nat!” Meg begged. “You’ll get sick!”
“I’ve eaten plenty of daunting things in my life, and I haven’t gotten sick yet!”
She dug into her dessert and left everyone in shock. Larry could only shake his head as he looked on.
“You’ve never had stomach problems? Ever?”
“Nope. Don’t you remember, when we were nine, and I ate that ice cream sundae whole?”
“Big deal. Anyone can do that.”
“Yeah, but…without…the brain freeze…”
The tempo of her eating slowed, and she rubbed her head, as if suffering a migraine. Now it was Larry’s turn to laugh as Natalia stopped for a moment and recovered. A hint of pink rushed across her cheeks.
The troupe talked on, while Natalia ate away at the parfait, detailing future plans for the expedition. Spirits were high among them all, assured that they would walk away with one of the greatest treasures in history. For Seron, one thing was unequivocally certain: this would be an adventure like no other, especially now that he had Meg by his side.
Behind them, the girl with bushy brown hair smirked and bit back a chuckle. How little they knew of just what awaited them.
Let Meg and Seron laugh and kiss. They wouldn’t be laughing for long.
Natalia’s appetite knew no bounds; by the time they all retired to bed, the parfait was completely gone. Meg was utterly amazed at her “bottomless stomach” as she called it. Larry could only remark how one day, she’d meet something she couldn’t eat. That day just hadn’t come yet.
According to Natalia…
“You’ll die before you see the sun rise on that day, Larry.”
In the meantime, Larry joined the other boys who were changing into their pajamas. Seron had already sat down on his bunk, reading a book about the Green Island War. He was just at the chapter detailing the aerial war when he looked up to the ceiling in a daze. There was a wariness in his cobalt eyes. Even if they had only been a couple for two days, Seron still knew little in the ways of courtship. What did couples do together that set them apart? Was it as simple as spending days together? Locking lips? Exchanging gifts? Or was it something more?
Larry knew in an instant his friend was troubled. Whenever something weighed heavily on him, Seron would always stare into space with a contemplative look in his eyes.
“You’re quieter than usual, pal.”
Seron shifted his head. No change was made to his blank expression, but the façade was thin.
“I’m just rather in shock that Jenny got us such lavish rooms. I expect this on the Transcontinental Express, not a regional train.”
“I guess. Now, do you want to tell me what’s really bothering you?”
The young boy ran through his silky black hair and sighed. Only his friend could read him like an open book.
“Larry, I know I should feel happy, but I don’t. Meg and I are official, but…I feel like nothing’s changed. Am I doing something wrong? What really goes into being a couple?”
The muscular blonde boy thought about it for a moment. He had never had a girlfriend, or even a crush. Up to this point, all his advice was merely about how to be closer to Meg before the confession finally came. If it weren’t for the whole treasure business, they’d continue with spring vacation as normal.
What did couples do together normally?
“Well…I guess you should woo her more.”
“Woo? How do you mean?” Seron asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Compliment her, I guess. Or say something suave.”
At that moment, Nicholas emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his head in turban-like fashion. He was in the middle of buttoning his pajamas as Larry gave an example.
“Something like this: guess what I’m wearing? The smile you gave me.”
“What are we talking about, now?” Nicholas cut in.
“I’m in need of assistance,” Seron explained. “I’m trying to figure out what more I can do or say with Meg, now that we’re…together.”
Nicholas smiled. With a swift movement, he pulled the towel off his head. His long dark brown locks floated out behind him as he said,
“How about: did you get a parking ticket? Because you have FINE written all over you!”
Dead silence filled the compartment, sans the train wheels clicking on the rails. Seron visibly cringed at the thought.
“No offense, Nick,” Larry broke in finally, “but that’s…really…cheesy.”
“You know what?” Seron offered. “Forget I asked. I suddenly remembered why you two are still single.”
With an exasperated groan, Seron let his head fall back onto the pillow as his eyes shifted up to the window outside. Trees zipped by in a green blur as night creeped in as quietly as a mouse.
“Maybe this is just something I need to figure out on my own…”
There’d be plenty of time to figure out what to do, he thought. He just hoped that nothing would spoil this time he had with Meg. A safe, uneventful journey. That was the best he could wish for.
But he would be left wanting.