Scattered Light (Ami Yuuka)

"Well alrighty then." Ami pointed towards the open field where Fire had fled to that first night. "There. Just wait above and I'll go down to get them." She mumbled.

"Aw shit, they're all coming on board?" Danehl grumbled sticking her head up from down stairs. "Well my stay has been ruined now." Her complaints echoed up from the lower part of the ship as she disapered below deck again.

"With Danehl's blessing," Zeaken smirked at his sister's rant before turning to Ami, "We'll be on our way now."

"I do have something to ask you though Ami," the captain looked straight ahead to the open sky as he motioned the crew to take the ship in the direction Ami had pointed them.

"Of course. Whats up?" Ami asked looking from the sky to Zeaken.

"If your siblings decide not to handle the news well," he kept his gaze straight ahead as he spoke, his expression serious, "Will we be able to restrain them?"

"I doubt it." Ami mumbled. "Maybe Earth..." She continued.

"I see," Zeaken said flatly, crossing his arms as he surveyed the scene taking shape before them. The sudden island continued to suck water into the vaccuum beneath it as the rocks themselves took on the shape of towers, strange golden lights appearing through window-like holes.

"I don't know what to tell you." Ami said crossing her arms the same way. "And I wont leave without them."

"You wouldn't be much of a big sister if you could," Zeaken gave her one of his characteristic dry grins before motioning her to a table where some charts had been laid out with red dots marked on them in various places.

"These represent places on Circunima where similar disturbances to the one we're witnessing have taken place," the captain explained, "You don't need to be a sailor to see that they're occurring just about everywhere. I'm not going to lie to you. This is unprecedented in the history of the world as far as I'm aware. Whatever's happening, it's monumentally bad, and we have no way to know just how violent these disturbances will get."

"They're violent? Like living things? They're not just beaches popping up on the top of mountains?" Ami asked analyzing the charts.

"We really don't know what 'they' are," Zeaken's tone was a mingling of exasperation and grim determination, "If we did, it would make this mission a hell of a lot easier. What we do know is they're everywhere, and that beaches aren't the only things showing up where they don't belong. I've seen tundras appear in the middle of praries, floods in the desert... somewhere in Treefriend territory, a city half the size of Gerdheim materialized out of thin air, an alien population completely intact and confused as hell."

"Best I can figure," the captain turned his gaze to a series of exotic, bird-like reptiles flying up from inside the tower and into the sky, "Someone or something is picking up things from one place and dumping them in another. Circunima just got caught in the crossfire..."

"Why in hell would someone just pick up landmarks and move them?" Ami asked astonished. "Thats just...thats just odd. Have you told anyone else that you plan on leaving? Besides your crew and annoying sister?"

"Hey woman who you calling annoying?!" Danehl asked sticking her head above deck. "Don't insult the capitians sister!"

"Shadow," Ice's thoughts cut into hers mid-stream across the communicator band, "Wind has gathered the others and is en route back to the home base. We should be ready to rendezvous in an hour."

"We will be there Ice. Be safe." Ami mumbled through the communicator. "Land in the clearing if you would Zeaken."

"Alright then," Zeaken turned to the crew, "Bring 'er down!"



"Aye!," the crew replied, setting to work to make the gigantic airship descend. It was a smooth landing compared to the last one Ami remembered and especially considering the rocky terrain.

Ami sighed and jumped off the deck smoothly and landed lightly on the balls of her feet before walking over and lightly tapping on the glass ice that covered the caves mouth. "Ice? Let me in will you?"

Just then a large explosion ripped through the wall of the cavern just above Ami, nearly showering her with a rain of icy rocks when who should peek out from the hole but a hot-tempered redhead who was already pushing his luck.



"Hey look!," he grinned mischievously, "I made a window! Looks like interior decorating is my calling after all!"

Amis eyes got dark as she eyes Fires 'window' "Fire. Knock. it. the. fuck. off." She growled her voice as dark as her eyes.

"Nag nag, it's all she ever does," Fire waved it off, but then his eyes lit up as he saw the Sunset Arrow in the clearing, "Hello again, big beautiful flying kindling!"



"Humans are allies, not kindling, so behave," a pale hand gripped Fire by his ear and yanked him back, Ice stepping up to take his place and jumping through the hole and out to greet his sister and the khamele just now approaching from behind.

The two men locked eyes for a tense moment before Ice extended his hand, "Captain Pyrek, it's a pleasure to meet you."



"Likewise," Zeaken nodded firmly as he shook his hand, "Let's not waste any time then. Where are the other passengers?"

"Inside," Ice motioned to the opening gate and walked inside.

Ami glared at Fire as she walked in. "Really Ice, has he been like this the entire time?"

"At least he's got a hobby now," Water chimed in with notable sarcasm from where she sat back against the wall.



"Nevermind Fire, who's the hottie over here?," Wind was circling around Zeaken, as if inspecting him.



"Um... hi," Zeaken flushed a bit at the girl's forward nature, "I'm-"



"This is Captain Pyrek of the Sunset Arrow," Ice turned a serious glare to Wind, "He is our distinguished guest and will be granting us safe passage out of Circunima."

"You still haven't told me why we're leaving," Wind pouted.



"Someone will rob the cemetery!," Earth insisted, his tone mildly impatient.

"Perhaps, Shadow could elaborate better than I could," Ice looked to Ami.



"Yeah, let's hear it sis!," Fire came down the stairs, "This should be good."

"Landmarks have been popping up out of nowhere, in places they shouldn't be, all over Circunima. I was watching Zeaken fly over the water while I was standing on a mountain and and beach found its way to where I was standing." Ami motioned with her hands.

"And your analysis, Captain?," Ice looked to the khamele at Ami's right with notable concern.



"All signs point to an interplanar instability of global proportions," Zeaken's eyes met Ice's with the same grim stare, "At the current rate of progression, I give this world somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of weeks... a month tops if we don't get to the bottom of things."

Ami sighed heavily. "We need to get out of here if we're to survive..." She mumbled looking down.