Ahhh...I don't know why I do this to myself. I usually only write fanfiction when I can't find something that matches what I see in my head. And since there's a massive lack of Tales of Phantasia stories out there...I had to cave and write. Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING. Except the images in my head. Sexy sexy images.
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The five friends and comrades smiled and waved goodbye to each other as the light of time travel enveloped them, preparing to whisk two of them back to their own time.
Arche's reddish pink eyes locked onto a pair of blue and she smiled. She had promised herself that she wouldn't cry and that she'd see him – all of them – in a hundred years' time. As she could feel herself being pulled away to own time her eyes caught movement along the outskirts of the trees that were behind her friends. Amongst the shadows of the trees she caught sight of a hooded figure slowly advancing forward. The figure raised a finger to their smiling lips silently asking them to keep their secret. The half-elf's eyes widened a fraction in understanding and the smile she wore grew wider. The last image Chester had of her before she completely disappeared was that of someone who knew everything was going to be alright in the end and had no worries.
Tch…guess she was happy to be leaving us and going home, he thought half angrily, half dejectedly.
The heroes, left to their thoughts, all turned in union when they heard the crunching of leaves and a twig snap behind them. For Cless and Chester instinct took over and in swift movements both of them had brought their weapons out and assumed battle ready stances. Just as quickly as he had notched his arrow the blue clad archer's arrow had released and quickly bore down on its mark. In the moment of release Chester's blue eyes locked on to the reddish pink orbs of his target's. A reddish pink colour that stared at him in surprise. A reddish pink that he had just been staring into moments before.
In the background the cacophony of chaos reigned. Cless' warning and Mint's greeting had all been delayed compared to his ability to raise and fire. Chester's world seemed to slow down to an almost painful level as the arrow found it's mark and burrowed itself in the robed figure's abdomen. Shouts mingled with a cry of pain sounded and then his time sped back up. Before he had time to realize how or why he was kneeling at the person's side. Their hood had fallen back to reveal bright pink hair and a face screwed up in pain and shock.
"Th-thought it might be…less…less of a shock for you all if I showed up right away. C-couldn't wait t-to see you all again," Arche mumbled through the pain. She could vaguely make out a worried Cless kneeling next to Chester and on her other side was their healer, Mint.
"I can't heal her until we remove the arrow and shaft and I'd rather not do that here," the blonde cleric stated while examining the wound. "I can't do anything until I can get the clothes off of her."
"There's not a town close enough to get her to. Totus is a burnt out shell. Nothing was left standing…" Cless murmered. Chester looked down at Arche, who was focusing on breathing, and cursed inaudibly. Arche smiled faintly. It was good to see them all after so much time had passed for her. Though, she had hoped it would be under better circumstances.
"Geez, remind me…remind me to never imply that you're weak again," Arche stole a glance up at the archer as she mumbled the words. Chester, who's entire countenance was panic stricken, morphed to annoyed at her words and narrowed his eyes at the half-elf. She had just been shot with an arrow and was practically bleeding to death and she wanted to harass him now?! The annoyed look made her smile. Good, keep him focused on something else. It's not his fault. "W-wait a hundred years to…get…get shot. Party time. Woooo…"
"W-well! Who's fault is that?! Idiot! You should've known to not sneak up on us! We just finished a major battle for Martel's sake! What the hell were you thinking?!"
"Well, excuse me foxface for forgetting something over the last century!" Arche glared up at him, eyes narrowed. Funny how easy it is to fall into this. Martel, but I missed him…this…so much. The woman sighed and closed her eyes. She was just so tired now. " 'm sleepy. Gonna take a nap, 'kay? Mint 'm trustin' you to fix me…"
"Don't worry Arche. I'll fix you right up." Mint carefully swept hair out of the woman's face and turned her attention to Chester and Cless. "I need a tent and cot set up. Immediately. After that I'm going to need fresh water, clean fabric, and…and a sharp dagger. Once I get the arrow and shaft removed then it won't be a problem to heal the wound closed." The problem's going to be the arrow. Its lodged deeply and there's no way this isn't going to cause her more pain. The two men looked at her, their faces blank, frozen while they listened. When she had finished and the still hadn't moved she sighed in frustration. "NOW." The two jolted and stood turning to start their assigned tasks. "Chester? Could I talk to you for a moment?" The blue clad archer turned and walked back to Mint.
"Yeah?"
"Is it a normal arrow? Or is it barbed?"
"Huh?" Chester blinked a couple of times. His brain felt like it had been wrapped in wool and simple questions were impossible tasks right now.
"The arrow type? What kind is it?"
"Oh…it's barbed. It was using those because they…they pierce and stick better." The dawning of understanding lit up in his eyes. "Oh Martel…" Mint sighed. All hopes of this being an easy extraction were gone. She could only hope at this point that she could get the arrow removed quickly enough to lessen blood loss and save Arche. Noticing Chester's guilty face and panic the kind hearted woman pulled him into a hug.
"Chester. I can't promise that everything will work out," she felt his head nod against her shoulder. "But…I'm going to do everything I can to help her. I promise." Chester nodded once more then straightened to his full height. "Please, go assist Cless. The quicker we can get started the better."
Half an hour later the tent had been set up and Arche had been carefully deposited on the cot inside. With the help of two very red men Mint had managed to get most of the robe cut away from Arche, leaving her clothed in a half shirt and her pants. Mint had further assigned the two young men the task of keeping Arche held down and occupied.
"Arche, I am so sorry. This is, well, it's going to hurt. Probably quite a bit. But I'm going to do what I can to minimize that." Cless had been assigned to hold down the mage's legs and Chester had been asked to talk to her and keep her calm. Cless and Chester had both looked at Mint incredulously when she had suggested that. Chester was trying to talk his way around it when Arche had grabbed on to his tunic and pulled him to the gound beside her cot.
"J-just do it, Jerkface." Chester nodded slowly and rearranged himself in a more comfortable position, trying very hard to avoid looking at the bare expanse of stomach. It wasn't the bare skin that was making him uncomfortable. Martel knew that he'd spied more than that on the skinny girl. No, it was his arrow, sticking two feet out that kept threatening to break him. Feeling a tug on his hand he turned his attention back to Arche.
"H-hey, Jerk, keep me occupied." Chester nodded dumbly wondering what they had to talk about. He had just seen her. Had travelled with her for months. He knew just about everything there was to know about her. Then it occurred to him. She hadn't seen him in a century. This was a new Arche.
"What was it like? He finally asked. Arche just blinked.
"What? What was what like?" she asked through gritted teeth. Mint had just broken the shaft as close to the base as she could, and the jolt from that had hurt. A lot.
"Well, these past one hundred years. You don't look old and wrinkly," he said with a mischievous look in his eyes. "But, you aren't a skinny little runt anymore either." Chester poked her in the forehead and Arche stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Did you learn to cook?"
"Pft. Enough to not kill myself. I told you, I'd just marry someone who could cooooOOAAAAGHHH!" Arche jolted up, forcing Mint to pull away with the dagger she was using. Blood from the open wounds gushed from the mage's stomach.
"Damnit Chester! Keep her down, " Cless called out as he practically lay across her legs to keep them from flailing. Instinctively Chester grabbed her about her shoulders and gently, but firmly, pushed her back into a laying position. He lay across her chest, with his head resting on her. His ear was positioned against her body and he could hear her heart beating madly. He looked up at her face and clenched his jaw.
"Hey, Arche. Tell me more. You said that you'd just marry someone who could cook. Anyone end being the unlucky bastard to get saddled with you?" Please say no, he prayed to himself.
"Pft. No." Arche stared down at him through her squinted eyes. His face was slightly flustered. If she wasn't in so much pain she would have smiled. As it was she couldn't even enjoy the fact that he was as close as he was. "Actually…I…I've spent the last fifty years almost completely alone." Cless and Mint exchanged looks and Arche turned her head to the side, facing away from Chester's piercing eyes. He had caught the look for loneliness and sadness that had ghosted across her face. "Daddy died and after that I left our home in the Lone Valley to go live with Klarth and Milard. But…well…ya know? Life happened. I guess."
"Where'd ya live afterwards?"
"Oh…around." Arche turned her head again to face Chester and made note of the tears in Mint's eyes. "I kept busy! Saw my mom a couple of times. Snuck into Heimdal…snuck back out. Was ninja like even. Ahhh…I wish you coulda seen it. Did it just to spite you, ya know. Tellin' me I could never be sneaky. Jerk."
"Almost done. Cless…keep her still. Chester just keep her talking. Arche…this is going to hurt. I am so sorry."
"Just…just do what you gotta do Mint. It'll be okay." The boys nodded after Arche's words. It was now or never. Chester kept his eyes locked on hers. The n the screams and tears started. Chester did the only thing he could legitimately think of. He kissed her. He could feel her tense up beneath him and then relax. Once she had relaxed and started kissing him back was when his brain chose to explode. All the arguments. All the bickering. All the confessions and moments of peace between them. All of them played on the reflection that was his memories and at once he realized that all of it had been leading to this. He also realized that he was perfectly okay in this moment and that, maybe, he should have shot her earlier in their travels. He smirked into the kiss.
Meanwhile, Arche's brain was also running scenarios and somewhere she realized two things. The first was that the one hundred year wait and being shot was worth this singular moment. The second was that she no longer hurt and she could practically feel Mint and Cless' amused stares.
"Mmmm….hey Jerkface? We should stop. All fixed and feeling kind of awkward with an audience," she mumbled against his lips.
"Hmmmm?" was his only response.
"We'll…just go outside. Yeah?" Cless grinned at his friends and led Mint outside to get some fresh air. The two left in the tent just stared at each other.
"You okay?" Chester asked quietly.
"Just…just very tired. " Arche suddenly found herself feeling a little shy and unsure of what to do next. She was half naked with a man half draped across her.
"Hey, scoot over."
"Wha?"
"Scoot over. Share the cot ya ditz." Arche snorted in response but moved over making room for his body. They arranged themselves as comfortable as possible and she rested her head on his chest.
"I'm going to sleep now, m'k.? Long day and all. Don't leave me…" Arche mumbled as she snuggled down further and closed her eyes. Chester chuckled.
"You have me pinned. I ain't goin' anywhere. Stupid."
"Jerk." Arche grumbled half-heartedly. Chester played with her hair until she was fully asleep and then dozed off in the silence himself. When their waiting friends checked on them they were amused to see how they had managed to arrange themselves on the cot. Silence rain down on the forest and peace had been restored. Mint smiled at the two sleepers, happy that they'd be okay and neither of them would need to be alone again.
~Fin~