Dragonfire II: The Twilight Invasion

Chapter 9: Arrival and Departure

Albedo was singing to herself as she watered the plants in her garden. She was wearing a white blouse, with jean-style short-shorts. She had black sandals and a beige sun hat, completing the look. Kei was standing by their living area window, watching her. She was wearing a gray tank top, with black slacks on. She enjoyed listening to Albedo's singing. She was a good singer, though she never did anything with her voice. After a few more moments, she finished watering the plants and came back inside. "Is that a new hat?" Kei asked, "Yep! I got it yesterday." Albedo answered, "How many hats do you own?" Kei asked, "Uh...Thirty-three...I think." Albedo answered. Kei let out a small laugh. "And here I am, with ten nearly identical outfits, and nothing else." She said, "Well, it does look good on you. I could see you with a jacket though...maybe one that doesn't cover your shoulders. Ooh, or maybe one with fur around the neck! I bet that would compliment your hair really nicely! Like...a high collar, with fur. Or one that hangs below the shoulders with fur on it! We should go shopping and look!" Albedo responded, "Okay, fashionista. Whenever we have time, we can go look." Kei said. Albedo's eyes lit up like stars. She was always excited about fashion. Kei smiled at her excitement. "You really love clothes..." She trailed off, approaching her. She leaned in close, slinking an arm around Albedo's back. "...But I think I like you better without them..." She finished. Albedo blushed deeply, meeting Kei's gaze nervously. "I love you..." She said, "I love you too." Kei responded, leaning in for a kiss. It seemed she had more than kissing on her mind, however, as her hand drifted down to Albedo's waist. 

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Kei reluctantly pulled away from Albedo. "L-Later, then." She said, "R-Right." Albedo responded. She walked over to the door, still blushing. She opened it just a crack, peeking through it. Gabriella and Lucille were standing outside. She opened the door fully, greeting them. "Gabriella, Lucille...what's up?" She asked, "Ah, Grandmaster Albedo! General Kei! We're going to be departing. We just wanted to let you know." Gabriella answered, "I see. Be careful out there. I don't imagine the Twilight Covenant has completely confined itself to Celestia." Albedo said. Kei approached, putting a hand on Albedo's shoulder. "The other Kingdoms may not all be willing to help. If you can't get one to help, it's okay. But it would be best to rally as many as we can." She said, "Right. I suppose not everyone will want to fight the Covenant..." Gabriella responded. Albedo shook her head. "Don't forget our plan-a, too. Peace is our main priority. If we can resolve all of this without bloodshed, then that's what we'll do. Rallying the Kingdoms for war is only a backup plan." She said, "As you wish. We'll try to rally as many Kingdoms as we can. Hopefully when we return, we'll have an army waiting for our call..." Gabriella replied. Albedo nodded. "See you when you return, then." She said, "See you whenever we get back." Gabriella replied. They exchanged their last goodbyes, and with that Lucille and Gabriella made their way out of Celestia. As they did so, a Guard approached Albedo and Kei before they shut the door. "Grandmaster! General! The Twilight Covenant has arrived!" He exclaimed. 

Albedo took a deep breath. "I see they wasted no time. I suppose I should go to the gates to greet them." She said, "Oh...they're not at the gates." The Guard responded, "What? Where are they, then? The docks?" Albedo asked, "Err...it...would be better for you to see for yourself." The Guard answered, "Alright...lead the way." Albedo said. The Guard nodded and led her out of the castle. He led her to a familiar spot...the tree where she met Kei. It was outside the Lunarium Academy, where her cousin Chichi-Chichi attended. It had a nice view of the sea...and a nice new view of an enormous ship! It was shaped like the average ship, only significantly bigger. It was so large, in fact, that it rivaled the Celestial City in size! The ship was curiously concealed. It was similar to a submarine, in the way that only the gray hull could be seen. There was no deck, only a part of the ship that stuck up near the back, concealed by glass. This was likely where the wheel was, though it was relatively unclear. "Impressive, isn't it?" A Voice asked. Albedo took her eyes off the ship and found Moona standing next to her. Moona looked her up and down. "Nice outfit." She said. Albedo looked down at herself, realizing she did not change before following the Guard. She was still wearing home clothes. Embarrassment flooded her face, though Moona seemed to genuinely like her outfit. She looked at the ship, letting out a deep exhale. "Ah...it's beautiful. It has an entire ecosystem, you know?" She asked, "What...? How...?" Albedo asked in response.