Chapter 2: There's Nothing We Can Do About It

[Gear... You need to ■■■■ ■■■■...]

[The world will ■■■ if you don't...]

[I'm so sorry Gear... I'm so sorry...]

Gear burst awake from his sleep startling Luna greatly.

She smacks his head with her hand, "What the hell?!"

Gear ruffled his head, "...Sorry..."

Luna sighs out at him, "Did you have a bad dream? Or were you remembering things?"

He shakes his head, "Maybe a bad dream... What's all of that?"

He points at the mess of paper before him. Luna quickly tidies them up, "Information I've been collecting since yesterday. With you running on a fever, there's only so much I can do and move around about."

That's right. It's been a day since Gear had killed the princess. The princess of Diira, Zerlia. She was known as a kind hearted princess who loved her people and treated everyone equally. She helped the poor and played with orphans. And yet, an unknown man murdered her two days ago in front of everyone that was presented at the city plaza. That man was no one other than Gear himself. Luna had told him they planned on killing her when she was back in her room, but for some reason Gear decided to change the plan. What was suppose to look like an accident became murder instead. As soon as he chopped off her head in one swoop, he ran before anyone could catch on to what had happened. Luna tried to follow him but lost sight of him in the crowd. When she found him again, he had lost his memories and was wounded by stray arrows and people who fought him.

Luna tapes the paper together, "Seems like there's a famous princess in Jahma City. We can go take a look after you heal up."

Gear nods, "What's her name?"

"Princess Eloise. The kingdom had been blessed with fortune ever since her birth. In the next two weeks it will be her birthday."

"...What did you do to the head?"

Luna stretches out her arm, "I've sent a messenger to take it back to Wei. Well, that's what you always do anyway."

"Wei?"

"Wei Heng An. I don't really know who he is besides the fact that he collects the head that you chop off," said Luna, "I've never met him either."

"So many things are in the dark just because I can't remember anything," said Gear with a disappointing expression, "How inconvenient."

Luna agrees, "But there's nothing we can do about it."

After another day or two of rest, Gear and Luna finally left the shack. They headed off to Jahma. As soon as they arrived, there were wanted posters posted all over the wall. It was an image of Gear wearing his cloak that covered his face.

Luna huffed out, "Seems like they finally realize that you're a threat."

"They?"

"The royal court," said Luna as she and Gear marched into the city, "Well, I guess that's to be expected since you ran in front of a whole city murdering their princess. I'm more shocked by the fact that they didn't get your face."

One of Gear's eyebrows raises up at her words. A small smile reveals itself on his lips, "Why does it sound like you want me to get captured?"

"I don't," said Luna, "Just pissed off at you doing things without giving me a heads up. You know how freaked out I was, seeing you dashing up towards the crowds and running off with arrows flying at you!"

"...no?"

Luna snarls at him, "That's right you don't because you don't remember anything. The moment your memory comes back, I'm going to kick your ass!"

Gear chuckles at her, "Please go easy on me."

Although he lost his memories due to whatever reasons, and could not remember Luna, he could tell how much she cares for him. It felt like she was his little sister lecturing her older brother for doing something dumb. Luna's ears went red, thinking he was making fun of her. Of course she can't beat him. In all the training he had taught her, not once has she ever beaten him. But he doesn't remember that, and she was not going to tell him.

They found an inn to stay in for two weeks before the birthday of Eloise. Because she was the precious princess of the Kingdom of Jahma, she was closely guarded by elite knights. Only on her birthday does the security around her become less intense. That was because Princess Eloise wanted to be as close to her people as she could. Hold their hands, and listen to their suffering. Luna sets her stuff down next to the bed. She was able to get them a room with two beds. There was a bathroom in the room they rented as well as a small kitchen. Luna pulls up a large piece of blue prints from her bag and places it on the table. Gear comes out of the bathroom after a shower. He had a towel over his shoulder to catch the dripping water from his snow white hair. As he stares at the blueprint with his bright brown eyes that sometimes look red, Luna draws around it with notes.

He blinks archer, "Coming up with a plan?"

"An escape plan... Have to put down when the guards are supervising which area at what time... Their breaks... The weakness in the wall..."

Gear sits down on the bed, "Earlier, you mentioned about the Royal Court. Who are they?"

Luna puts the pen down and grabs a pencil. As she continued to sketch, she also answered his question.

"They're the gathering of all royalties of the world," said Luna as she raises up the paper towards the sun, "They come together and talk about how to overcome disasters in their own kingdom or have an alliance talk. Well, something along that line."

Luna puts the blueprint down and grabs the pen again, "We encountered them when your number was on 66. All of the princesses before that had died in an accident so, they didn't think it was anything serious and weren't looking for you. Since no one knew the princess were being murdered until you pulled that stunt."

"I feel like I should say sorry..." Gear said with an apologetic expression.

"Oh yes you should," said Luna as she glared at him, "It was a pain in the ass to make it look like an accident but at least we weren't being hounded... Ah, whatever. What happened had already happened. Can't change it now."

Luna continues to draw and write on the blueprint before she sets the pen down. With a huff of satisfaction, Luna was ready to do some scouting. She throws her bag over her, and marches towards the door. She looked back and said, "I'm going to scout around the place. I won't be back for a while."

"Want me to tag along?" Gear asked.

She smirks at him, "No. I don't need a mindless little kid with me."

"Mindless? Kid? I'm pretty sure I'm older than you," said Gear.

Luna smiles at him before closing the door, "How can you be so sure when you can't remember anything?"

As soon as the door closes, Gear rolls around the bed a bit frustrated, "I definitely need to remember... Or she's going to keep using my memory loss to her advantage."

Luna sighs out relief as soon as she leaves the inn. She was thankful that he couldn't remember anything. When he still had his memories, Gear wouldn't let her do any scouting and made her stay behind. She could do it behind his back and act as though she heard gossiping around her to pass the information she had found for him. Luna wanted to do everything she could for him. Not sit in a room and wait for him to come back nor just tag along with him when he's about to do the deed. She wanted to be there from start to finish and help him just as he had helped her.

Luna reaches the wall of the city and starts to scout. She asked people nearby about some gossip and questions concerning Princess Eloise.

"Hmmm... Well, Princess Eloise is always accompanied by her loyal knight Ras."

"Her birthday? Princess Eloise wears ocean blue dresses on that day. Say that it symbolizes her queen mother that passed away at birth."

"Do security always march around here? No, no, no. during her birthday all of the security leaves here around 10 PM I think. To get a good look at the princess."

The questions and answers went on. It wasn't until noon did Luna return to the inn. When she got back to the room, Gear was looking at the newspaper that was handed out by the employers of the inn.

Luna returns to her blueprint as she asks, "Anything interesting there?"

Gear nods, "Apparently, Princess Eloise will not be doing her birthday in public anymore."

One of Luna's eyebrows rises up, "What?"

"They're afraid of the assassin that killed Princess Zerlia, and plan to do a private birthday celebration instead."