The Lore Wain and Her Nephew Pt. 9

"Well, you should of listened. People talk, you know." Clef hypocritically lectured Zarabean. Zarabean's smirk faded. "Says the ex-strander in the palace that just got broken into by stranders. Besides, we all know you would get caught before I would." Clef huffed with agitation, knowing Zarabean was correct. "It's not my fault you weigh close to nothing." Zarabean snickered and skittered over to the three of them and sat there in his squatted position. "So, was there a plan you were both brewing?" "Plan?" Celeste asked, not understanding what Zarabean meant. "About why the stranders did what they did and if they'll plan to do it again." Zarabean articulated, seeming oddly invested in the mystery. Celeste looked at Zarabean with curiosity, "This may sound odd but... I didn't plan on investigating anything." Clef looked at Celeste in shock, "What do you mean?!" Celeste looked at Clef, "I didn't think about it, I was so focused on..." She trailed off in a depressed sigh. Clef's eyes moved to the floor, "Right... Sorry." "It's fine..." Celeste said before turning her attention back to Zarabean, "You really want to help me figure this out, Bean?" "Of course, you deserve to know what happened. Besides, I find this all strange considering what happened to your parents... I think the events connected somehow." Zarabean shifted his eyes onto Echo, who has been quiet since he got there. "... And if we want to protect the little one... We must solve this." Celeste gently pulled Echo from her shoulder to look at him. Echo blinked and stared at Celeste before smiling at her with a baby giggle. Celeste started to get worked up again, thinking about the possibility of her nephew being in danger. "I can't let anything happen to him." Zarabean hesitated but gently placed a hand on Celeste's arm, "Zarabean promises to help. He'll do his best." "Why do you constantly talk in 3rd person like that?" Clef asked Zarabean, getting off topic. "It comes off as creepy." Zarabean looked at Clef with an annoyed expression, "Zarabean wishes you would realize the gravity of the situation and stick to it." "What's gravity?" Clef asked with a smirk on his face. "... Clef." Celeste interjected, seeing Clef was trying to irritate Zarabean on purpose. "Right, right. Sorry..." Clef shrugged, "What do we know about the stranders that broke in?" Celeste shrugged slightly, "All I know is how they got in and what they did... No one has interrogated them yet." "I think it's time someone did, then." Clef said, standing to his feet and offering Celeste a hand. Celeste took Clef's hand and stood up as well. "Zara-" Zarabean paused, seeming more self-conscious of his notorious habit after Clef's comments, "... I would like to help too." Clef responded by taking Echo from Celeste and handing him to Zarabean, "You can help by watching the kid." Zarabean looked both annoyed and anxious at the same time to have been designated babysitter. "Actually..." Celeste interjected as she looked with worry at Clef, "Perhaps it would be better if you stayed with Echo... At least no one would see you roaming the castle." Clef looked at Celeste, "But Zarabean here won't know what to ask the stranders. I know where their stations are and would know the way they think better than anyone." "But it could be really really really bad if they see me with you, Clef." Celeste expressed anxiously. "I don't want to have to... not see you again..." "Hey," Clef rested a hand on Celeste's shoulder, "If we never clear this up, it would stay like this; always having to keep up appearances." Celeste sighed, having conflicted feelings about all this. Zarabean sighed as well because he wanted to be part of the investigation but sees Clef's plan as the better option, "Let Clef go. Zarabean will... I will stay with Echo." Echo suddenly cheered, causing Zarabean to nearly fall over in shock. Celeste laughed anxiously, "Are you sure you'll be okay alone with him for a little bit?" Zarabean gave Celeste a very anxious smile. "Zarabean will... try his best." "Alright..." Celeste took a deep breath and looked at Clef. "Let's go." And so, Celeste and Clef left Zarabean alone with Echo. Zarabean awkwardly held the cheerful Echo in his arms. He couldn't help but shake a little bit, never having been a babysitter for a human baby before. Echo grabbed Zarabean's hooked nose and tugged it. "Ow." Zarabean remarked with his round glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. Echo bursted out laughing at Zarabean's plugged nose voice. Zarabean snickered softly, becoming a little less unnerved. "Maybe... Maybe you aren't so hard to care for after all..." However, Zarabean's ear twitched at the sound of a footstep behind him. As he turned to look, all he saw was sack cloth quickly coming over his face. That's when Zarabean realized that he and Echo were being kidnapped.