Bond

The idea that the Fon were weaponized was a tragedy from a horror movie. Having such innocent and delicate waifs forced to do something they never dreamed of was torture and heinous to someone as unforgiving as Sumire. Sumire loathed individuals and organizations who did that, and she was glad she was about to understand more of Planet Vicious's background now that she knew the existence of the Fon. It was only a matter of time before she understood the truth behind their secrecy in the middle of an archipelago.

"Hey, hey, we've got a cutie on the loose!" A muscular human catcalled Sumire and was surrounded by two other burly delinquent goons. "Where'd you come from, girl? Straight from Earth, I presume?"

The maiden holding Sumire's hand stopped and turned around to face the three delinquents. As soon as their eyes met hers, they gasped and instantly bowed in respect to her presence. She approached the three and placed her hands on her hips in a strict manner as her mouth strayed to the side once more in disappointment.

"What are you three pompous morons doing?" The maiden asked. "Haven't you any decency for our guests? And I suppose this is all just some jest to you, isn't it?"

"N-no!" The muscular goon clasped his hands together and bowed once more in respect. Sumire couldn't believe that someone as gentle as the blonde maiden had so much power and influence in the city-state, which was enough to oppose even the toughest-looking delinquents out there. "I'm sorry, Miss Senna!"

"Excuse me, that's Miss Melodia to you!" The maiden hounded repeatedly, forcing the three delinquents to bow even further down until their backs were all the way in a ninety-degree angle. "Now then, I suggest you apologize to our guest here unless you'd like to hear from Sir Vayah," She bent down and shook several keys that she took from her pockets, taunting them with the mere presence of them. "I have the keys to his chamber. Now then, apologize!"

"We're sorry!" The delinquent's panicked voice rose to extreme heights to make him sound like a child. He looked at his allies and scurried off. "Let's get out of here!"

"You're better off staying indoors if your behavior is that intolerable! Don't let me or Sir Vayah catch you again!" The maiden called once more. She turned around and approached Sumire with an awkward smile. "I apologize for that. Some of our more rowdy bunch have been very discriminatory and against the other guests, we've brought in. Rest assured, you'll be safe as long as you stay by my side."

"It's all right," Sumire said, chuckling at her powerful voice. "But if that's the case, why do you all take in guests in the first place? Aren't you afraid of those otherworldly invaders like you talked about?"

The maiden walked with Sumire towards a miniature infirmary and resting spot filled with open beds and blankets. The walls were made of stripped and decorative wood. Some of its larger and hefty pieces of material were made of stone carvings symbolizing the Fon's language. These runic carvings made Sumire curious about the Fon's and the citizen's deep culture. Some of the folk dressed in spiritual hooded garments with feathery hoods and assisted many of the injured male and female soldiers.

One rose-haired female individual, who was dressed in pirate and mercenary garments, played with her pirate hat by rotating it while speaking to other infirmary personnel. As soon as Sumire passed by her, the woman smiled at her after looking into her eyes. She had one of Lucine Melodia's 8-bit pins on her light green blouse.

"Our guests seem rather nice, I'd say," The maiden said. "We've run some very studious inspections on them, and it seems that they show no ill will towards us, the descendants of our planet. Besides, it does not seem that they know of our background except for you," She paused near the entrance of another room leading towards a backroom of the infirmary. "Please, follow me."

Sumire followed the maiden into the back room, where a handful of notable individuals came into view. The most notable one that caught Sumire's attention was a big burly dark-skinned man with his pectoral muscles exposed open iron-plated pauldrons and leather greaves. He reminded Sumire of Claude, whom she really missed at the time after being lost in the woodlands for an unidentified period of time.

He was listening to a slim young female speaking to him about food rations and stashes while scribbling on a clipboard. She had short white windswept hair dressed in a tight violet feathered hood garment with the Fon's symbols embedded on its frontal cloth area. Her white laced boots raised all the way up to her thighs. She also wore the same iron earring as Sumire on her right ear, and her ears were much more elf-like and refined.

Two more guests were present on the infirmary beds. One man, about the same physique and stature as her brother Ryo, played with the Fon by tossing them from hand to hand in a juggling manner. Something about the person made him appear oddly innocent yet diplomatic as if he had built a hidden resolve over a few years. His carefree smile was delicate and straightforward as if he was a hidden gem in the diplomatic universe for being inspirational based on his expression. The pink Fon on the maiden's head waved at the other Fon playing with the man.

The other guest was another young adolescent teen wearing some of the ancient clothing provided by the citizens. He had short brown hair and blue eyes. He rested soundly on the blanket, and Sumire caught a bruise patch on his right shoulder that needed to be healed quickly.

"East Wing." The white-haired female spoke in an elegant tone to the burly man.

"Denied." The man's gruff voice replied.

The white-haired female pouted in disappointment. "West Wing then?"

"Denied."

"You're running your mouth, aren't you?" The female impatiently scolded the man after placing the clipboard on her hip while tapping her boots on the ground. "By Fon, you are absolutely the worst cousin I've ever associated with! Your fasting associates need the food for the upcoming investigations! You can't possibly be so blind as to reject a simple meal because of your beliefs!"

"We eat what we want," The burly man leaned closer to the woman with a sniveling attitude and face. "I don't want food from a can, especially from someone as heedless as you."

"Well, that's just perfectly fine then, thank you very much! Go on then! Continue pilfering the sodden scraps as you already are!" The woman sarcastically said as she stormed off towards the entrance where Sumire and the maiden stood. Her crystal amber eyes gleamed brightly as she looked deeply into Sumire's face. Her upset and expressionless face after scorning her apparent cousin lit up into a light smile of curiosity. "Oh, Senna!" She began after switching glances at the maiden. "I didn't expect you to be here so soon with our guest."

"Neither did I, but she seems to be up and well," Senna, the maiden, said about Sumire. "One of Lucine's friends brought her here and told us that she would join the efforts to stop her in the first place. But with the otherworldly invaders on our tails, it's merely a dream at this point."

"Lucine…" The white-haired female looked down at her feet. "The invaders corrupted her mind. But don't worry. I have faith that we will be able to save her," She looked at Sumire and shook her hand with enthusiasm. "I am Corleancia Vicio Melodia, a resistance member of the Sagitarrius Fon led by Sir Vayah. But my closest allies and associates call me Corlean. It's a great pleasure to meet you."

"Sagittarius Fon…?" Sumire said, thinking of what she meant. "Sagittarius as in, the Sagitarrius District?"

"Correct," Corlean said as she bowed in respect. "Us resistance members have spread all around Aries from district to district. When the otherworldly invaders razed our planet, the remaining survivors escaped to an abandoned planet hundreds of miles away. It was a desolate wasteland, it was. But many of our associates from Planet Vicious had already been on other planets, and we were rescued as a result. The invaders may have prioritized draining our home planet's resources and taking the Fon, but we managed to hold out in a promising manner for the past few years."

"I see," Sumire said, piecing together the information. So the resources on Planet Vicious were more than just land, but the Fon existed even then. Genesis must have wanted that for their power source. But now, Genesis is becoming stronger and stronger to the point where these people have to plan their own resistance efforts. Damn it. I can't believe this is happening, Sumire thought. "Then that means Lucia, I mean, Lucine… was the only one who stayed on your planet, right? She's the one that built that ancient construct. The Melodia Automaton."

"To hell with that nightmare!" The burly man stomped on the ground, startling the three of them. "Lucine was brainwashed by those invaders. She lost control. If only we had taken her, then…"

"Now, now, Bame," Senna used her voice to calm down the man. "We're reaching a breakthrough quite soon. Once we destroy that machine, we can use it to save Lucine. We can prevent her from utilizing that transportation war machine as well."

"Wait, you know about that?" Sumire realized she was knowledgeable in the planetary accelerator used to punish all of Aries by warping them to their desolate planet. "Damn it. How are we going to stop Lucine? What did you all discover?"

Senna calmed Sumire down by patting her left shoulder. "You needn't worry about it right now. Our resistance members are doing the best research they can to end Lucine's madness. Lucine is our cousin. She is our pride and soul all combined. She rallied us together and created a nation on our planet. We will save her at all costs, even if I have to die for it."

"Senna!" Corlean panicked at her statement.

"Tis the truth, is it not, Corlean?" Senna pointed out, pacing across the infirmary as the others watched him. "If our family had turned against one another, surely they would still be family, am I correct? No matter how far they may go in the distance… family is family. Everyone has made noble sacrifices for Lucine; I will not let their deaths be in vain! How far would you go for family, Corlean? Bame? And…" Senna looked at Sumire, realizing she had never asked for her name.

"Sumire," She introduced with a light bow. "Sumire Nakai."

"And Sumire!" Senna continued. "The resistance shall not back down until justice has been restored to our cousin. And we shall find the truth about the invaders on what they have done to our Lucine!"

Corlean, Bame, and several other soldiers in the opposite room cheered with a powerful salute combined with their resonating voices. They moved and acted like individuals trained to handle the noble cause of saving Lucine and defeating Genesis. Sumire was lightly swayed into tears after hearing Senna's thoughts about rescuing Lucine, as she had the same goals in mind. In addition to rescuing Lucine, she thought about Ryo and how hesitant she was to save him in the past from his abuse. If only she had the mindset and iron-willed personality as Senna's, then perhaps she would have saved him much sooner.

"No wonder Planet Vicious survived for so long," Sumire complimented Senna's resolve. "The planet that depended on the bonds together... I can see how and why you all survived for so long."

"Thank you, Sumire," Senna replied with a slight bow. "For now, you are free to roam the city-state until further notice. I must make haste to see Sir Vayah for our debrief tonight," She turned to Corlean and gestured a light wave at her. "Corlean, if you would accompany Sumire and my Fon around, that would be lovely. Sumire, take care of yourself and that wound."

"Thanks," Sumire said. "Will do. See you tonight."

Corlean appeared nervous at first, but she sucked in her breath and lifted her chest up to stand straight. "Understood," She stated in a commanding tone. As Senna's Fon leaped onto Corlean's white hair, she left immediately before waving to both of them in a friendly manner. "Sumire, I must take a moment to get ready. There are some issues that require my undivided attention. Please, if you may, wait for me for a moment."

"Oh, it's no problem," Sumire said, appreciating her pleasant manners. "Take as long as you need. I'm your guest after all."

"Thank you," Corlean said before she nodded at Bame. The both of them retreated out of the infirmary to conduct their private significant business.

Sumire moved closer to the young injured boy resting on his bedside. The Fon cuddled with him to keep him warm, which Sumire thought was sweet by the gesture. The diplomatic young man released the flaming Fon in his hand for them to soothe the young boy's wounds with their presence.

"Beautiful little creatures, aren't they?" The diplomatic man complimented. As one of the guests to the Sagittarius Fon, he quickly associated himself with Sumire. "I've never been so fascinated in my life before. They say that some of these people were descendants of the Fon back in their home planet, but I don't believe that. How could an entire alien race comingle with the humans to form an entirely differentiated pattern?"

Sumire believed the man was speaking like Ryo when he was a mere child. "It's possible," She said, rejecting his statement. "Don't know how because I'm not a scientist or anything, but I feel like it's possible."

"Why, of course," The man chuckled and held out his hand. "Always left to science to fulfill those questions, right? I'm August Jinsen, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

Sumire shook his hand and was surprised at how firm his grip was. She believed that as innocent as he appeared, he truly was diplomatic in the end. "Sumire Nakai." She introduced.

"This is your first time here, right?" August asked. "I'm actually here for the fourth time. I've been jumping back and forth between my job at one of the scientific corporations back on Earth. I came here to research and study the Fon and its many uses. Overall, I just love these delicate creatures."

"A scientist?" Sumire asked, studying August's hidden muscular figure and shaggy hair. His beard stubble made him appear of someone with a completely different profession. "You don't really look like one."

"I don't?" August laughed. "I don't know what you mean by that," He studied Sumire's clothes and figure and failed to determine who she was. "Well, what would be your profession then?"

"I'm a..." Sumire used her critical thinking skills as a police officer to masquerade herself for confidentiality. She began looking at her tattered clothes and shoulder wound. "I'm a cubical worker in Bellastraza. I work for a company that manufactures things. I know I don't look the part right now, but I am, don't worry."

"Cubical worker, huh. Well, I'm not sure if that's more fun than being a researcher or scientist," He said before focusing back on the young injured boy. "He'll be okay, don't worry. He's actually my son."

Sumire's eyes widened. "Your son?" She asked. "What happened to him?"

"He's gotten injured quite a bit recently," August explained. "But luckily, the Sagittarius Fon are always here to support him. I guess... theoretically... he's been my ticket to visiting this place from time to time. After all, it's not common for people in Aries to visit Sagittarius unless they're looking to die a quick death. This archipelago is very secretive... so I'm surprised you found it."

"Yeah," Sumire said, thinking about what had happened the night before when she rescued Naoto and escaped Lucine's attack. Yet she could not recall. "I'm surprised too. I came here because I'm looking to save Lucine too. She's... she's a friend of mine as well."

"That's really sweet," August complimented as he stood up from his seat. "Well, don't let me keep you. I'll catch you later tonight, perhaps. When Sir Vayah and Senna have finished discussing their important details, I'll be there to witness all the glory! Take care, now."

"Bye," Sumire said as she waved him off. She couldn't believe that a diplomatic individual like him was a scientist, to begin with. She also tasted a hint of disgust at how he treated his son like a personal ticket to the Sagittarius Fon, as if he was a portable amusement park ticket to play and research for fun. Nevertheless, Sumire still needed to respect him, as his presence with the Fon was as significant as hers.

As she rested herself on the infirmary bed, Sumire realized she was making progress on saving Lucine by joining the closest people that meant something to her; her family. She wondered if she could ever do the same for her brother when the time came. Although she was vulnerable at the moment, Sumire had a hint of positive leverage for the future.