Abnegation

At the gates of Eden

                                   -The group all turn to see a small girl watching them!-

She awed at Craig in disbelief and anger, he starts to chuckle "H, th, there mnke... kitt... Au... baby...". The girl turns toward the captain and princess: "I'm so sorry for him... I'm Aura... w, what did you need?", Jade replies "Um... we need a engineer-in-pilot to help us on official business.".

"Aura Shawn is 5'5-167.64, and is really slender. Her open-lab-coat loosely fits onto her small-body, and exposes her black-shirt and white-pants. Her hair's dark-purple unlike her dad's, but her eyes matches his sapphire-blue ones. The other feature of note, is her red-shades sitting atop her head... Aura's voice is calm and quiet, with a caring tone."

Aura turns toward her dad explaining: "See, dad? They need you, pull yoursel...", he interrupts "You doooon... lk to me!! I said he..o and u, said nothing!!! To ...". She huffed and turns back towards them "I... I can't help... I'm sorry!" she apologizes, then ran away... The captains watch... "Well, we could snap him out of it, or find another pilot.." Percival suggested nonchalantly. Lora replies "Let's see wot's wrong here, first: there has to be a reason Olimpia suggested Craig, and why he's like that and why his daughter seems so upset...", the paladin retorted "But can't do this, princess! We'll be wasting our ti...". Jade suddenly interrupted him "Stop! We're trying to do this the peaceful way: we got this far by listening to the princess, let's at least TRY to sort it out, before we do anything rash...", they head towards the harbor after she says this... The princess then sighs and adds "If nobody listens, then we'll try another way..." quietly.. Jade sighs too "I wish Aura didn't leave so fast... I mean, if her dad wasn't gonna help: she didn't even think to try helping us, herself...". The group then hears a voice "Yar lookin' for that Aura girl, eh?", they turn to see a pirate hauling trash in a fishnet... Gawain replies "Yes sir: did you see where she went?". The pirate replied "Where the lass goes evr'time she cries: near th' airport!", Percival sighs "Thanks..." he says, then the group continues...

Minutes later, they reach the airport... and notice a upward-plateau rising high over the runway and somewhat half-way up the lighthouse's length: There's Aura, staring off into the ocean... Jade sighs "There she is... Let's do it..", she commands her team to travel to the lone-girl... They get behind her quickly: Aura doesn't even notice them there, as her coat flows in the wind, somewhat like a cape... Until Jade suggests for Lora to speak to her... The princess steps closer and asks "Aura?", the girl quickly turns around and gracefully puts her arms back into the lab-coat sleeves "Oh... you wanted to speak to me? I'm sorry..." she says, as she wipes her eyes... The princess steps closer "It's okay... Aura, wot's wrong? We expected things were going smoothly, but...". The scientist-girl stares for a second: surprised that someone seemed genuinely-concerned... then explains "It's...  my dad... well, more so what happened to him and me: Mom died a few years ago... and neither one of us have been the same since...", Lora gasps "I'm so sorry! I could never imagine anything happening to either of my parents!" she explains sympathetically, Aura smiles-sadly "Yes... thanks.... it's something you'd never be ready for.. neither of us were...". She then looks at the ground as she explains "I'm not saying I got over it, or ever will: but I learned to deal with her death through doing what she loved: Alchemy... it makes me feel close to her..." she then grimaced "But dad shut off everybody.. his friends, his pupil... sometimes me.. I'm not sure how to speak with him anymore..." Aura reveals. Lora, Jade and Gawain, carefully listens... as Lancelot pretends to, and Percival watches in annoyance... Meanwhile... atop a nearby airplane...

Wit shook his head and left "I don't how to deal with it... I don't see why some demons like making that happen: I can hear the guy laughing now, but where's the actual funny part? I mean, it's not like someone getting goosed, or falling ona  spear...", the white demon crawls away to another part of the Sea-city: here, it's empty as most people are working... there's only a empty workshop nearby with a blond man and child leaving it... Wit crawls out in the open... "I guess everybody's doin' something right now...  I can fish here, then!" he thought, until the water bubble violently: and a demon suddenly leaps out onto the workshop pier with Wit!