New story piece I have been inspired to write.

Tia and Xion are up in a large docking bay near a large craft. The craft, roughly 30 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 12 feet high, floats next to them. Diesel hops out from the door onto the dock, and walks up next to Xion. "She's all ready to fly, Xion."

"Excellent work, Diesel." Xion says, still with a terrified Tia clinging to him.

"So high up..." Tia says, shaking and clinging to Xion's robe. "Xion, can we get to solid ground please?" Xion nods, then guides Tia to the main area of the ship.

"Okay, I need to take care of a few things..." Xion says, leaving Tia with Diesel. "You two can just explore while I sign a few papers." Xion turns away and disappears in a blink of white light. Tia looks at Diesel, Diesel back at Tia, then they look upon the city that lays in front of them.

"Explore...right." Diesel mutters. "We're complete foreigners in a place that's gotta be a thousand miles up!" Tia shrieks and clings to Diesel. "Sorry, Tia. I completely forgot." Diesel pats Tia on the head, and Tia releases Diesel.

"It's okay, Deez..." Tia says, shaky. "I'm just terrified of heights. That's why I requested that I have a room on a floor closer to the ground."

"You have a room on the 12th floor, Tia. You're just on the North side of the tower so it looks like you're only on the first floor." Diesel says. Tact was never his strong point, and Tia lets everybody within an earshot know with a slap across his face.

"You shouldn't have told me those kinds of things you...you...you..." Tia stammers...

"Insensitive moron?" A voice says.

"Yes...Insensitive moron! Thank you..." Tia looks at where the voice came from to see a person, silver hair within a black bandanna, a long and flowing black robe extends to his ankles where two slippers can be seen. A glove on his right hand with an inscription on it holds a small deck of cards, and a familiar purple crest on his chest. Tia squeaks when she gets a look at him.

"You must be Tia. My name is Gary Dient, but a lot of people call me Gradient." Gradient says, bowing. "I'm a good friend of Xion's, though you may not realise it." Diesel turns around and looks at Gradient.

"Ah, You're this Gradient that he has spoken of in the past." Diesel gives Gradient a firm handshake. "He just went off to sign some papers so the Anarchist can be released from hold." Gradient sighs.

"Ahhh, the Anarchist. Such fond memories there. Did she ever get fixed?" Diesel nods. "Oh? Who spent all that time fixing her?"

"I did, all by myself. The principal government was none the wiser that I wasn't Xion, since they knew what he looked like when he was forced to retire from his missions." Diesel says back, then a bright white light appears behind Diesel and Tia.

"I'm ba-" Xion says, with some papers in his hands, but stopped. "...Gradient?" Xion approaches slowly, then hands the papers to Diesel. Xion and Gradient look at eachother, then hug one another. "Gary! How have you been!!" Xion says, shaking Gradient's hand.

"Random jobs, here and there..." Gradient says, shrugging a little. "Diesel fixed up your baby, I see." Xion smiles then puts his arm around Tia's shoulder.

"Yeah, and now we're free to fly. I just gotta go get Malta now..." Xion says. "Tia, you ready to say goodbye to Gran Da Val and go to Peep territory?"

"Peep territory?" Gradient inquires.

"Diesel, lead Gradient to the ship, we'll be up in a bit. Gradient, fire up the engines, mark 3-1-2-6-5." Xion says, then holds Tia close to him and both disappear in a bright flash of white light. Diesel and Gradient head off to the docks.

Gradient, in this story, will be no more than a pilot. I have no intentions in using him for actual fighting.