I chew on my lip as I put down, I keep it in two methods. The old fashion hand written notes with a type of a twist. You see I have in my hand an implant that allows for recording of hand motions on the page to create the information I wish to record. It is something my sister invented for me as a gift. I was originally keeping all my notes digital, but once the battery gave out I have had to switch fully to a more traditional means.

Meo wrote carefully, Brilliant.

I rub my head, Is there a reason we are writing instead of talking?

Meo motions to the door, They are listening to us for now. I am waiting for Yuki to give the all clear knock. Then we are free to flee from here. Maybe you and I should trade data sometime. I keep my book for my own thoughts and recollections of life.

I answer on the page, Yea. . . that would be fun!

We go silent for a while. Meo sneezes and I bless her. She raises an eyebrow at me as shakes her head. I rub my arm as I pace about the room. Try to figure out how to fill our time before our great escape.

I say, "Do you want to hear a joke?"

She hoots, "From you that would be a first. You usually are fairly quiet or rumbling to yourself. Okay, tell me a joke."

I nervously stumble in my thoughts. I open with, "What did the gardener say to his wife when he came back from the market?"

"Don't know. What did he say?"

"I would have bought us goods from the market. But I didn't botany for us. It was. . . It was . . . I forgot the punchline."

"The punchline? I don't understand."

"Er, let me try another. How do botanists send mail?"

"They take it to the post office?"

"They go through the compost office."

"That I don't get at all. What does mail have to do with compost? I think you are not talented at joke making," Meo shrugs as she put her notepad away.

" . . ."

"Why don't you tell me instead about the different lettuce on Earth and Gaian lettuce?"

I ramble on for a time. Meo listens more or less as she paces about the room. Then there is a sound. Knock. Knock. Meo goes for the door quietly and creaks it open. There Yuki stands alone with the knocked out captain of the Acorn Unit. The little rabbit drags in Captain Shiro quickly and ties her up with some thread. Yuki looks at both of us. She whispers, "I have managed to this part. You best move on."

"How many are left?" Meo asks as she grabs her bag.

"There are three more outside watching the building. They may not be fully onto you yet. . . I am betting we don't have much of a lead of time. I can deal with them quickly. But they will continue to try and find you again. They may try asking Sao and Yao," Yuki answers.

"I am aware of the risks. Do your best, Yuki," Meo nods, "I will see you back at the meeting point."

"Yes," Yuki drags Captain's Shiro body into a closet. She covers the small squirrel with a blanket. The rabbit looks at both of us and give a waves. With movement, Yuki is gone from sight.

I grab my bag. We make our way down the stairs. Meo tries to put on no rush. The sun has gone down on Summit Wings. The busy streets are less busy than the daytime. The merchants have closed their food stands and shops are shutting down. Pubs and bars glow with welcoming lights in the brisk night. We walk along the cobble roads without much haste. From time to time, I see along the alley ways and rooftops a flash of white. It seems Yuki has done her job. Meo scans about the way as the guards come passing by. The guards bow their heads as we are still wearing the holy robes. We bow back and Meo says a prayer for them. Different pathways and streets we pass. We come leave the normally lit streetways and come to a plaza area. Here there are several different sections of the city with different lights. I look down them and recall what Gawain told me about cities. I remember green is for food, inns, and healer's houses. Blue is for the temples throughout. Yellow is more for the military section of city and Military Schools. Pink is for . . . um . . . I rather not say. Places without colored lights are normally just homes.

Meo mutters, "We are almost to where we are really staying tonight. Come on."

We go down the street with the green light. We walk along the different street shops and inns. The crowds around here are lively and making lots of good cheer. The people and the places are all inviting. Meo does not stop until we come to an inn with a greenish blue light. The outside of still has the glittering gold for the bricks. The windows have the curtains closed. On a sign with some writing sits the image of fox woman with four arms. She holds a string of pearls in one hand. In another hand there is an apple. Her lap has a string instrument in it. The fox woman wears several layers of clothing. I puzzle at the writing underneath her. Meo first does a series of knocks. She then points the sign before we enter, "This is A Star Was I. It is a place of worship and inn. The saint of the shrine here is named Ulima, she was a priestess to Horace and Buhal-"

"She is well known for her founding of the study of the stars and beginning the mapping of our solar system. Ulima has figured out the basics of cells and micro life," A tall figure from with the hotel injects. The tall figure calmly approaches us with a brilliant candle in his hand. He is a man with dark brown skin and graying hair. The tinted yellow eyes rest on us in the dim greenish light. The plain white robes peek out behind his thick cloak. The strange reveals his fangs with a meek smirk, "But alas not many have great interest in science right now. They are all very worried about the nature of the pending war and discovers are all centered around magic recently."

"Mister Al," Meo bows.

"Miss, come in. I have made some warm coffee," Al scans about, "Genko and Toby are out tonight doing rounds for alms. They may run a pub now together. We still maintain honor among us."

We walk inside. Al closes the door behind us. He towers over Meo and I as he goes to the front desk and collects a pair of keys. He locks the door and quietly goes to the front door. Al carefully lowers the oil map by the front desk of the lobby. The lobby is a clean and tidy place. Images of Ulima are tastefully about the room with the markings of Horace and Borhal. Several scrolls rest on the wall with writing. A small sitting area is off to the side. Al lifts up the lamp and puts a note on the front desk. He leads the way for us to walk deeper into the hotel. We pass a set of stairs leading upwards and a set leading to a lower level. We do not go to the stairs, instead we go down a hallway to a simple wooden door. Al opens the door to a study with several bookshelves two beds and a fireplace. It burns brightly. Sitting in a low stool is Yuki, she is rubbing her ears. A fresh bandage is on her paw. She waves, "Greetings!"

"How did you get here so fast!?" I drop open my mouth.

"I ran, you walked. It is simple, Master Blue," Yuki let's go of her ears.

Al nods his head, "The coffee is by Miss Yuki."

"Thank you, Mister Al," Meo nods. She gestures to me, "This is Master Blue T. B. He is of the People of the Stars. Master Blue this is Mister Al, keeper of I Was a Star and shrine keeper of Ulima."

"Nice to meet you," I bow.

"It is a pleasure," He smiles, "This is the young man we have been preparing your plan for?"

"Yes . . .Yes, he is the one," Meo pulls off her black veil and tosses it on the bed. She promptly finds her sit.

"I guess. I mean. It is all I have been told," I fumble as I find my sit near Yuki. I sit on a low stool near the fire. I did not complain of my chilled hands. I am freezing.

"You are just as plain as expected," Al closes the door behind him.

"Umm . . . Thanks?" I shrug.

"I do believe the seer promised you information on your plans," Al now walks over to the fire. He pokes it was a rod to liven it up. The fire crackles.

"Yes?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Come on, Miss Yuki. I could use your help with cleaning the shrine to Ulima. You were always a great help back in the day. After that we can catch up about what has been happening with you in the Great Peace," Al gently reopens the door.

Yuki bows her head, "I would be honored."

"Wait, you just came and now you are both leaving!?" I protest. I have many questions about everything.

"Yes, Master Blue. We are going. We will see you tomorrow at Glutton's Den. Please get plenty of rest. If you need anything just ring the bell at the front desk," Al polite holds the door for Yuki and they exit.

Meo takes off her heavy cloak and sits on a low stool. She gazes into the fire before beginning to speak. Her expression is uneasy. Meo undoes her hair and rakes her hand through it. I bring my cloak closer to me. I peer around the bedroom/study. The windows have their curtains closed. I turn back to Meo. She lets out a long sigh, "You know I don't like all of this scheming. All of these people want something for themselves. They usually want us seers to solve their problems."

"I kinda noticed."

"Sage Gawain wanted information on Kitsune Hana's location. He had to make a deal with Sao, my sister, to find me. That was a long time ago. So long ago Sao nearly forgot about the deal. It is not the first time I have runaway . . . The kidnapping by the Empire was a nasty unexpected happening," Meo runs her fingers on her face, "I had wanted to be free so badly. I had thought there in the Swamplands with Taka and Kin, I would be happy. Instead, I only found my capture . . . You know the humans only wanted me for my sight. . ."

I quietly nod and reach to hold her hand. Her fingers tremble with anger for a few second, but stop just before I can comfort her. I draw back my hand.

Meo breathes, "Then Sage Gawain wanted to save his Betty from her trouble with the elves. A tip given to him by my other sister, Yao. He gained his promise for aid once we entered into the creature lands. I remember because I arranged the communication by letter. Lastly, Sage Gawain came to me. He needed information for his personal reasons. He said it would help him out with Mami and Betty. He asked me for help within the last few weeks. I agreed. I made my own terms for my help. . ."

"Kitsune Lim wants desires power and money to control the city and supposedly keep order over it and her family. It makes me sick. . .Taka and Kin would really like to see things in the economic remain stable and improve their business for the shake of their children. Yet, they are too tired of war and conflict to aid me anymore," Reflectively she closes her eyes, "Not unless I can promise them miracles. . . I can only promise them trouble."

"Meo. . . I . . ."

" I am some punk mixed blood magic user! I have a tree for a twin! Yet I, Meo, am the messenger of the gods. Apparently, my time at Corby and study of Hermes would not last long! No, no. People just had to believe the Seer of the Future was a miracle worker," Meo swallows down her anger, "Now. . . Now Genko requires the liquid of the gods to act as our escape route. Heaven knowns he wants to live long for his odd needs! It is not like creatures have a short lifespan! It excesses human and animal life spans greatly!"

The frustration in her voice increases, "I have dealt with all sorts of politician figures and slime balls you know? Oz, the political offer, pulls for his own rotten purposes in that city. Kitsune Hana had so badly wanted to lead a life of retirement. Yet I need to pull her out of it to help with the all our efforts. They all want or need something."

I listen to the fire snap and crackle. I try and find the right words.

"I help them. They help me back. . . I am not sure, if I can call them friends," Meo groans. She rolls her arm out and there out of her sleeve comes the crystal ball. She plays it in her lap, "Some of these people mean well. Others not so much . . .My real friends require little of me. They don't want to be friends for my talents or my connections. I entrust myself people like Mami, Astrid, Ryu, Yuki, and you. . . Yes, I know you came wanting to get off our planet. I cannot blame you for wanting to go home. But you have be earnestly kind to me, Tank."

I start to feel warm and peel off my winter attire in the heat of the room. I bite my lip and remain silent for a time.

Meo continued, "I promised I would tell you what is going. I will. I am making the final parts in old and new dealings I had from the past to current. "

"You made deals with all these people?"

"Yes, I have been working very hard to get what I want and ensure everyone else gets what they want. It is the only way I become free. . ."

"So you are like a genie?"

" A what?"

"You know a wish granter. Someone who grants wishes."

"I suppose so. It is very stressful work, even if I know the plans will come through. I have to mastermind the people into place. I have to give the word and heed my sisters."

"You mastermind people into place?"

"Seers give information and advice. Everyone wants to hear the best outcome for themselves. I make it the best outcome for everyone."

"What is your grand place with all these other people?"

"I seek to grant stability within the communities and ensure they are ready for the upcoming events. I am doing this by moving everyone into place. Once everyone is posed. My role is done," Meo closes her eyes. A looming feeling of being watched fills the room. It breaks away again. She sighs, "Hikaru watches me and the other seers. He feels resistant to fight. He knows you and I come to seek him."

"Meo, do you ever think is this insane?"

"Daily," Meo runs her hand through her hair again, "I am sorry I am short with you. Just all the time I have been a seer I have received many questions. I hate giving information now."

Awkwardly, I offer my only confession I can give. I start, "You know back on Earth there is a show I really love. A show is kinda like a play that happens . . . Ugh. . . Well, it is a cartoon to be more exact. Even more would be to say it is an anime to be exact. . . Er. . . A series of images that move to tell a story. My favorite one is call Lady Luna. I have watched all of the seasons. It is about this magical girl who fights evil with the help of her friends. Usually they save the day and everything is great. . . Well, I thought I would like space travel because of it. Not to mention in Lady Luna, they would always have Lady Luna's alter persona, Blossom, take care of a floral shop. It is because of that show I have plants. And. . . I want to see what this world has to offer in research on plants. It has always been my dream. . . Do you have a secret dream once you are free?"

"I would really like to see Luna's Blooms in the Swamplands. It would be nice to see how the word has come along for the merpeople," Meo quietly smiles, "That is what I want to do once I am free. I want to go there. A friend of mine lives there now."

By the crackling of the fire, we take each other's hand. It is not very romantic. It is a warm comfort between us. I know all day I have seen Meo being more caring and lively with others. (Not including Pan.) But she has shown herself to be personable and kind. There is a tenderness, Meo has yet to show me all the way. Here in this moment it shines. She keeps her eyes down at her crystal ball. I turn my eyes toward the warm fire.

She starts, "Look we are good friends. We are allowed to hold hands and talk. At the end of the day, we are not really married."

"You're right. I guess. . . It feels like this whole marriage thing is going far. Like we should have tried to skip the town before it happened," I feel her hand tighten around mine.

"We will worry about this no more come morning. We have lot the Acorn Unit and We will have a lot of work to do tomorrow. The griffin will take us back to where we need to head. Then we will start looking for Hikaru once everyone meets up."

"Yea. . . Do you think. . . Just for today. . . We could forget all about that for a little while. Just for now?"

" I could live with that. Just for a little while."

We hold hands for another hour. Neither of us speaking. Later in the same night, we would read reports from the botany books. We would get through half of them. We would laugh and chatter away about our time on the road. We would between joy and bitterness in those shared memories. Promises for language and writing listens would be made. We would have cups of coffee and a whole lecture on the stuff. Eventually, fire would die down and we would retire for bed. Of course, Yuki would more back. And the next day brought about new adventures and horrors and dangers.

But that one hour of silence, we share. Everything is calm and serene. The strong scent from the Gift of Gaia wafts through the air. Still and happy perfection between good friends. The calm before the storm. Grant me the joy of that hour. Just for now.