DISCLAIMER: Not mine, no money, don't sue...

For further warnings, see part 1

Also: We do not own Grandia (though we wish we did!) A prize to whoever figures out why we put this part up! A free Tokomon for everyone!

6. ^_^!! TAKERU

We all sat round a small table at the local tavern, pondering our next move. We couldn’t think on empty stomachs of course so we ordered a ‘small’ lunch...(AKA: Enough food to feed a family of four for two weeks.)

Big bro and the Duke where in the middle of a heated spork fight over the last chicken leg when Koushirou, pushing all four of his bone-laden plates away, began to think of the mission.

"An Icarian’s Prize, an Astral beacon, the blood of a magic tree, and..."he muttered to himself.

"And a tear from the flying mythic creature!" I added helpfully.

Koushirou smiles at me, "Thanks, Takeru." He pushes his fingers through his short spiked auburn hair and sighed. "So, where do we start looking?"

Yamato looked up from nursing his soar hand, Taichi had some how managed to win the spork duel. I guess no matter how much of a great fighter you are, hunger always wins out...

"Well," he said, casting Taichi a sour glance, " We have to figure out what they ARE first." He absent-mindedly tightened his black headband that unsuccessfully held his mass of sun gold hair in check, " For instance: What the hell is an Icarian’s prize?"

The wizard leaned his small thin form agents the back of the chair in thought, "Well...first off, what’s an Icarian?"

We all blinked at him.

"Anyone?"

We blinked again and Kou-san sweatdropped.

"Okay..." the wizard rubbed his temples, "An Icarian is an ancient race of winged people whom reside upon the summit of Infinity Mountain. They don’t get out much, so we’re probably going to have to go to them."

"But," Kamiya questioned around a mouthful of chicken leg, "What is the Icarian prize?"

Kou-san smile knowingly, " What does an Icarian have that no other human has?"

"Baby Icarians?" That duke said stupidly.

I looked to Onii-san, he was gripping the sides of his chair in a desperate attempt to *not* beam the moron with the empty dinner pan.

"Wings," I said calmly, again, trying to be helpful, "they have wings."

Kou-san dragged his head off the table and smiles brightly at me, " Thank you, Squire. That’s the right answer."

I beamed inwardly.

Yama calmed down. "Okay, so they have wings...we’ve established this...What about it?"

Our brilliant leader, the Duke, decided to answer, "So, that means *we* need wings, too!"

About that time was when Nii-san snapped. Luckily, I figured this would happen and had handcuffed him to his chair. After his mad rage damaged most of the furniture nearby, he calmly stated, "No, sir, I don’t believe that’s the solution we’re looking for..." I noticed a grinding sound from his clenched teeth.

Wizard Izumi, who had somehow created a protection spell, sat down in the only chair left in the tavern, "Captain Yamato, if the Icarians are winged people, then their wings, or more magically speaking, their feathers would be their prize, wouldn’t you agree?"

I pondered this for a moment and nodded eagerly in agreement, as did my big Bro. Duke Kamiya, also stated his ‘agreement’, "Yes, Glad I thought of it!"

With comments like that the Duke had better watch himself. One day he’s going to piss off two of us...

7. O_o SORA

Well, here I was, slowly being turned into the next Mount Rushmore. It was INCREDIBLY boring, and the only sign of life anywhere I could see came from a blue-haired maniac.

"Oh, my darling Sora-chan!" Joe, the evil alchemist, gushed at me, he’d been at this for roughly two hours, and his bright blue hair was beginning to hurt my eyes.

I leaned, or at least part of me did, against the wall I was being petrified next to, "Are you done yet?"

"No my dear, it has actually yet to begun," he spouted.

I resisted the urge to sigh loudly and bury my head in my hands; those being one of the few parts of my body yet still able to move. A thought hit me, "Wait a minute," I asked, "When this whole mess started, you were over there calling me a melodramatic wench, and other colorful names, might I add."

Joe dismissed it, "The heat of the moment, my dear. Will you ever forgive me?"

I stared at him blatantly, and decided not to dignify that comment with an answer.

"What?" he asked, "Was it something I said?"

I rolled my eyes, "Gee, do you think I can have some time to think about it first, this is so sudden..." I remarked sarcastically.

He didn’t catch the sarcasm, "Well, I don’t know, you only have until the spell finishes turning you into stone, which should be only about a week."

I couldn’t help it anymore, knowing my life would be only that of a statue for the rest of eternity kinda brought me over the edge, "YOU’RE INSANE!!!!"

"Oh, you noticed," Joe beamed, "Do you think I’ve got it down yet?"

I was on the verge of tears, "Why are you doing this?"

"There you go with that melodramatic stuff again," his black eyes dismissed me, "But if you really must know..." he began.

I nodded, muttering to myself, "the villain *always* tells his victim of his evil plans... it’s in the script!"

"Well, my sweet, it’s all that stupid husband’s of yours fault," Joe explained.

I sighed, "Well, duh, I knew that, he’s always getting in trouble. It’s not as if you’re the first mad alchemist who tried to take over the Duchy by slowly turning me to stone because of something my idiot husband did," I paused, "What did he do anyway? This time?"

Joe blinked, sipping some tea, "Nothing."

"What?"

"He married you and took the duchy by default, I find that incredibly unfair. Now I’m simply taking what I deserve," he explained.

I lost it for the umpteenth time that afternoon, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ‘WHAT YOU DESERVE!’" I yelled, "THE ONLY THING YOU DESERVE IS A KICK IN THE $@^^@^%" I rattled off several body parts.

Joe sighed, "My dear, what kind of relationship can we have if you’re going to be like this?"

"Hopefully, not one at all," I fumed.

"Which is exactly why I’m turning you to stone, dear Sora," he stated simply.

I frowned, "That’s another thing, if you love me so much, why are you turning me to stone?"

"Because, my pet, you will be at my side, ruling the duchy for all eternity in a gown of stone!" Joe intoned.

I screamed, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

8. ^_~ KOUSHIROU

He screamed, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!"

I sweatdropped.

Young Takeru screamed, "CATCH HIM!"

Captain Yamato yelled, "LET HIM FALL!"

I rolled my eyes, and concentrated on a simple air-based spell. The tingling of magic flew through me in a rush flowing over my skin and into my hands. When I felt I had enough power I gestured in to the Duke’s general direction willing a field around him, "Levitation."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUhf!" Taichi was suddenly caught in a clear bubble of air that gently lifted him up back onto the cliff with the rest of the party.

"Your Grace," I said simply, canceling the spell, "I suggest that you keep both feet on the ground and try not to go plunging head first off anymore cliffs."

"Keep in mind that this is only a suggestion," Yamato added.

The idiot Duke nodded happily as if agreeing with Yamato’s statement. Come to think of it, maybe he was...

I turned away from the group to take in my surroundings. Infinity Mountain. The highest peak in the known world. And we we’re at the summit. The view was beautiful you could see all the way across the kingdom. It had taken us about a day to find the place and another to climb it (I doing most of the work, using my levitating spells...<sighs>)

I’m still reeling from the time the Duke nearly killed us all when he just *had* to play with the little bear cubs... And then that incident with the flying unicorn... Not to mention when Yamato and Takeru wouldn’t budge unless I flew them over the water trap. I still don’t understand what the Duke did to them in that moat...

Anyway, our troupe of specialists had finally conquered the mountain’s summit. And it was time to begin our mission.

"So... where are all the Icarians?" Takeru asked.

Duke Taichi spoke up, "What are Icarians again?"

I sighed, dismissing his question, Yamato on the other hand had not.

He pointed skyward. "That is an Icarian."

We all looked up and there, hovering above us were five tall human forms.

Before we could fully consider this situation the winged beings landed in a large circle around us. They were quite beautiful. The one before me was tall, with long blonde hair that hung down his back, and donned a strange half mask that only covered his eyes and forehead. Upon closer inspection I also noticed the fact he was carrying a bat like weapon on his hip. His gloved hand was settled dangerously close to it. About now is when the concept of the Icarians seeing us as a threat dawned on me. Since they were a secluded race, they, of course, would see unexpected visitors as a possible danger to them. So as long as we did make any move that could mark us as hostile we would be all right.

"Ohhh...Pretty wings..." Kamiya commented quietly in awe.

Yamato was not quit as impressed. He stepped back, protectively covering his wonder-struck little brother.

"Easy, Captain..." I told him. He nodded but none of the battle-ready tension left him. His eyes kept flitting back and forth between two mask-less brunettes before him.

I returned my attention to the leader towering over me (He was obviously a head guard, he was the only on with a mask.) I cleared my throat to speak but was interrupted by the sound of metal scraping. I whipped around to voice a protest but it was already remissed. The damage was done. Yamato had drawn his sword when a guard had stepped too close for his comfort. The Icarians materialized imposing looking spears and closed in.

Yamato lashed out expertly to defend his younger sibling, who had soon drawn his own weapon. Duke Kamiya stood dumbfounded (as usual) and his guards easily plucked him from the ground. Quickly analyzing the situation I prepared the most useful spell in my inventory for this predicament, Air Slash. This would quickly rid the Icarians of the application of their wings, but only in accordance with the fact that their avian capabilities were physics-based on that of birds as opposed to the metaphysical form of flight known as magical levitation.

Although before I could complete the incantation, a pair of strong arms that grasped my shoulders abruptly lifted me from the terra firma. Takeru shouted with surprise and raced to knock an arrow to prevent my captor from escaping with me. Unfortunately, he failed to notice the Icarian behind him. This Icarian seemed to have a sense of humor, as he tapped Takeru on the shoulder, causing the poor boy to nearly impale me with his arrow before he, too was raised into the sky.

"Ah $|-|!+," the squire cursed as he was carried off with me.

"TAKERU! WIZARD IZUMI! MORON!" Yamato called worriedly as he sliced an Icarian’s spear in half. Another slash and he clipped its wing.

The Icarian was slightly peeved at the Captain, "That was my wing, you small excuse for a being!"

Yamato’s eyes narrowed on the Icarian with anger, "You kidnap my friends...*and* Duke Kamiya, and then you insult me!?" the captain said, abashed. He swung his sword fiercely.

And he hit air as the leader of the band of Icarians calmly plucked Yamato into the sky. Yamato struggled in vain for the length the flight.

"Welcome to Delta Airlines," he muttered, finally giving up. Sarcasm saturated the air, "The in-flight movie will be Digimon2: Boku wa war game."

I didn’t know what he was referring to and I really didn’t care because at that moment our destination came into view. It was tremendous! The entire Icarian race was probably housed in that ONE structure. A castle had more pillars, towers, turrets, balconies, etc... than the entire castles in the known world. And it was all colored blue to blend in with the horizon. Birds and Icarians flitted in and out going about their day. An ancient civilization that no one has seen in years... And it would stay that way, as we were soon to be killed there.

The flight ended as we arrived at the extravagant diamond and gold palace structure near the center. It was intricately carved and molded into eye-pleasing figures of seraphs, cherubs, winged animals, lucky bats, and clouded cities. Jewels such as sapphires, garnet, emerald, and diamonds grazed the walls, set into pictures as eyes or wingtips. The elaboration of the Icarians amazed me. But then again, even if you are a person with wings, living in solitude from the rest of the world is boring, got to have SOMETHING to do.

The spear-armed Icarian guards forced us forward as we walked along the absolutely stunning halls of the palace. The masked Icarian warrior led the way.

Duke Kamiya smiled at him, "Hey! Masked guy!" the moron called out, "Where are you taking us?"

The angelic warrior turned to him, "The queen will decide your punishment."

I rolled my eyes as the Duke continued, "Oh, the queen? Why don’t you decide our punishment, after all, you ARE the king..."

The warrior looked taken aback, "What? How did you?"

I was shocked, as were Takeru and Yamato, "Yeah, how DID you?" Takeru asked.

Taichi smiled mischievously, "I’m a duke, I know another ruler when I see one, what I can’t understand is why he’s working with his warriors on such an easy mission."

I think they were the first words I ever heard out of the Duke’s mouth, which WEREN’T based entirely on naiveté.

I noticed Yamato and Takeru were staring with their mouths hanging wide open, speechless. I, too, was without my voice at the time.

"What?" Taichi inquired, "Why are you all staring at me like that?" he looked about behind him, "Do you see Elvis?"

I sweatdropped. Yamato sweatdropped. Takeru sweatdropped. Even the guards sweatdropped.

The angelic ruler before us sighed, "You’re stupid friend is correct, I am the ruler here, but the queen is in charge of all outsider affairs, now you will be silent unless you wish for the guards to slice your throats right NOW!" he thundered.

We hushed and quietly followed the Icarians down the majestic halls.