The afternoon sun cast golden light across the sprawling natural amphitheater, its rocky walls rising like ancient sentinels around the open space. The air carried the scent of wildflowers and the distant sound of the waterfall that fed the stream running along the venue's edge. Birds called from the treetops, their songs mingling with the laughter of the small group exploring the space.
Queen Amaris Ostara held Princess Vihaan's hand as they walked through the venue, her spotted kodkod coat shining the sunlight. Her deep brown eyes swept the area with practiced assessment for organized events. Vesta bounced ahead of them, her rainbow hair shimmering with each movement, her bright violet eyes wide with excitement.
Eliane walked beside Vesta, her silver hair tied back, a smudge of dirt on her cheek from an earlier inspection. Aurélie brought up the rear, her steel-gray eyes scanning the perimeter. Ember shuffled beside her, her neon-pink space buns drooping slightly, her mismatched eyes fixed on the ground.
Vesta spun in a circle, her arms spread wide. "This is perfect! Open spaces are the best!"
Queen Amaris pointed toward the rockface that rose at the far end of the venue, its surface weathered and textured. "We can put the stage here, so that the rockface is behind you."
Vesta bounced on the balls of her feet, her voice rising with enthusiasm, she had found her stage. "I love it! Then the acoustics will echo off the rockface and be amplified!"
Queen Amaris nodded, a warm smile crossing her features. Princess Vihaan giggled, peeking out from behind her mother's skirts. Her pale blue eyes fixed on Vesta with the shy wonder of a child who had found a new hero. "You are funny."
Vesta ran toward where the stage would be, her arms still spread wide. "The fireworks will look amazing!"
---
Eliane looked over her shoulder when she felt Ember trying to pull her hand out of her palm. Ember's mismatched eyes were fixed on the distant shops visible through the trees. Her voice carried the whining edge of a child denied a treat. "I want to go to the plushy store."
Eliane nodded, her blue eyes soft with understanding. She glanced at Aurélie. "There are some items I need too."
Aurélie nodded, her steel-gray eyes fixed on Vesta's antics. "Go ahead. I will stay here with Vesta." She paused. "Don't take too long."
Eliane nodded, and Ember smiled as she pulled the silver-haired girl toward the shops.
*****
The engine room hummed with the low thrum of ancient machinery, its walls lined with conduits and crystalline panels that pulsed with soft light. The air carried the faint metallic tang of the submarine's inner workings, mingled with the warmth of the power core.
Bianca stood in front of a massive screen, her magnifying goggles pushed up on her forehead, her grease-stained overalls open over a floral blouse. Her waist-length black hair was escaping its messy bun in chaotic tendrils. Her fingers danced across the controls, zooming in on the schematics of the submarine.
Galit walked in, his long neck bent in that characteristic S-curve, his emerald eyes fixed on the screen. "Any luck?"
Bianca looked over her shoulder, frustrated. "Like, no." She gestured at the schematics. "Like, where would there be a key card?"
Galit moved to stand next to her, his emerald eyes scanning the screen. "The AI?"
Bianca shook her head. "Like, totally useless. And the automaton are, like, walking around in circles and stuff."
Galit stroked his chin, his eyes narrowing with consideration. Bianca pressed a button, magnifying the screen. "Like, what's the, like, deal? Like, where would one be?"
Galit held his chin in consideration. "I would think it would be in some sort of safe somewhere, if it isn't in a desk drawer or on a person."
Bianca nodded in agreement, "Like, yeah, I agree. But we have, like, checked all the offices and stuff, and, like, nothing."
Galit pondered, his emerald eyes fixed on the schematics. "What about Marya's quarters?"
Bianca looked up at him, confused. "Like, what about Marya's quarters?"
Galit shrugged, "Have we checked there? I mean, they are the captain's quarters, and we made her take them."
Bianca nodded, "Like, yeah, it makes sense. But wouldn't Marya..."
Galit replied with a "what do you think" expression.
Bianca nodded, "Like, yeah, okay. You, like, have a point. She, like, probably hasn't checked."
Galit gestured toward the door, "Come on. Let's see what we can find."
---
Marya sat in her quarters, the soft glow of a single lamp casting shadows across the metal walls. Her leather jacket hung over the back of her chair, and her raven hair cascaded down her back. Nisshoku rested across her knees, its obsidian blade gleaming with the reflected light. She ran a whetstone along its edge with the slow, deliberate motions of sharpening her blade as a form of meditation.
A knock at the door interrupted her focus. She paused, her golden eyes fixed on the entrance. She stood, resting Nisshoku against the bed and opening the door.
Bianca waved as Marya swung the door open, "Like, yo."
Marya leaned on the doorframe, "Something up?"
Galit replied, "We want to search your quarters for a safe."
Marya looked over her shoulder at the sparse room, then back at Galit and Bianca. She stepped aside, "Okay."
Bianca replied, "Like, cool," as she walked in, her eyes sweeping the room.
Marya returned to her chair, her whetstone resuming its steady rhythm across Nisshoku's blade.
Galit and Bianca stood in the middle of the room, their eyes scanning the space. "Galit, so like, do you see anything?"
Galit stroked his chin, his emerald eyes narrowing as he studied the room. Then his gaze landed on a framed picture of a beach hanging near the desk. "Marya, you know anything about the picture?"
Marya looked up, her golden eyes following Galit's gaze. "It has always been there."
Galit and Bianca exchanged a look, their expressions shifting to knowing smiles. "Like, cool."
They moved toward the picture, their footsteps silent on the metal floor. Galit gripped the frame, attempting to push it to the side. It didn't move. He glanced at Bianca. "It won't move."
Bianca's head swivels, "I bet there is, like, a lever or something." She spun, her eyes scanning the room. "Like, where would it be?"
Marya stood, walking to the desk. She pressed a button underneath.
Bianca stopped and stared, in disbelief. "Are you, like, serious right now?"
Marya shrugged with casual indifference. "I didn't think anything of it."
Bianca rolled her eyes as she turned to see the picture move to the side, revealing a safe embedded in the wall.
Galit braced his hands on either side of the safe, his emerald eyes fixed on the dial. "We just need the combination."
Galit looked over when he felt Marya's hand on his side. He moved out of the way.
Marya placed her hand on the dial, flooded it with Haki, and the door popped open.
Bianca glared at Marya with frustration, "You, like, couldn't have done this sooner?"
Marya shrugged, "I didn't know we needed to."
Bianca scoffed, shaking her head as Galit rummaged through the safe. He pulled out a plastic card with a chip on it, concealed in a protective sleeve.
Holding it up, Galit announced with satisfaction. "I think we got it."
Bianca nodded, "Like, cool. Let's, like, take it to the bridge and, like, plot a course."
Galit nodded, "You go ahead. I have to go."
Bianca blinked at him. "Go? Like, go where?"
Galit replied, "Bō-Zak is going to show me how to use my new abilities."
Bianca blinked at him, skeptical, "If you can, like, find him, he is, like, probably with a girl right now."
Galit nodded. "I can find him."
Marya smirked, "I have to go too." She stood, her hand closing around Nisshoku's hilt. "I want to see this Poneglyph Charlie was talking about."
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