Baten Kaitos: Illusory Wings and the Question for the Ocean
Summary: It has been almost twenty years since the return of the Ocean. Fee, the son of Kalas and Xelha, and his Guardian Spirit must save the world from a dark imbalance of Chronos. Features a whole new cast of characters and some old favorites, too.
Disclaimer: I own nothing of Baten Kaitos, Namco, and anything else that belongs to someone else. I will not profit from this story in any way shape or form (other than enjoying a much-needed sequel).
Prologue
The forest around Nekton had always known the children of Kalas and Xelha; the youngest daughter, Graye, who loved climbing the trees and jumping down from them; the stout middle child, Rikki, who followed the steps of his elder brother and imitated him in all things; and the eldest, Fee, who was the most adventurous and the most daring. The three of them came out into the forest, their feet taking them unknowingly down paths their father had traveled more than ten years ago. Their hands caught at bushes and branches where winged evil had once perched, and they were unafraid because they knew that evil lurked here no longer. The wildlife that had crept into the Shrine after the evacuation of evil was docile and shy, and the Spirits kept the predators at bay, so that the children never saw any animal.
The eldest child, Fee, spent more time in the Forest that the other two. His blue hair streaked with gold shone in the patches of sunlight littered about the paths, and his solitary presence seemed to call to the Spirits that dwelled half-in, half-out. They were fascinated by him, and he by them, and although they didn't trade words, they watched each other. Some of the Spirits had notions of bonding with him, which was rare in and of itself since the last Spirit-bond had been Kalas and Sarai, some thirteen years ago. The Spirits of Nekton understood that they only bonded when Chronos was disrupted, either on the micro level of an individual or the macro level of the entire society. In Kalas's situation both had been disrupted, and the other Spirits admired the steps that Sarai had taken (which included bonding with someone that was not her chosen) to ensure that Chronos was balanced again.
One Spirit in particular was worried about the need to bond with Fee. He wasn't sure where he had been before he had been called to this child, but he understood that Fee would need his help. He had seen glimpses into Chronos, disturbing snapshots from Fee's future, and knew that it was his time to bond when he found the boy perched in the crook of a tall tree one warm morning at summer's end.
Fee.
Fee raised his head in surprise, the bit of wood he had been carving into a whale falling out of his hands. Luckily for him, the knife he had been using stayed firmly in his hand; he had learned a good lesson about being careful around knives a few months ago, when he and Rikki had found Dad's sword. The scar running across his forearm throbbed with the memory of the sharp, burning pain.
Fee... It came again, and he slid the knife back into its sheath and hopped down from his perch to retrieve the carving he had been making for Graye. He could feel a Spirit close by, closer than any other Spirit he had felt, and the presence set the soft blue hairs at the back of his neck on end. It felt like this Spirit was abandoning its own world for Fee's.
"What are you doing?" He demanded, and brought out the short-staff his mother had given him. It wouldn't do much good against a Spirit, but he couldn't just stand there empty-handed, in case this was something dangerous. The Spirit's aura grew, until Fee could feel it brushing against the hairs on his arms.
I want to help you, Fee.
"You mean you want to bond with me?" Fee's blue eyes grew wider, then he grinned. "Is this for real?"
It is.
"What's your name?"
The Spirit paused, his aura shivering as something shot through it.
I think it is S'rian.
"How can you not know your own, but know mine?"
I entered this world for you. It is hard to maintain self when you are drawn so strongly to such a vibrant personality as yours, Fee.
"Oh." Fee didn't know how to respond to that, but the Spirit let out an exclamation of pain, and Fee spread his hands toward the aura, fingertips tingling as they entered the "body" of the Spirit. "Hurry," Fee exclaimed, knowing without understanding that it was vitally important for S'rian to come over now.
Fee...
The Spirit paused for a moment, collecting up his own memories, and Fee could feel something like a door slamming shut behind S'rian. The Spirit exploded toward Fee with a physical burst that sent Fee backwards, slamming against the tree he had been climbing.
"What was that?" Fee asked once he had caught his breath, and as he moved forward, S'rian's presence swirled around him. A warm sensation spread down his body and curled around his heart, cushioning it and memorizing how it felt. Blood rushed in his veins, an odd sensation that he had only felt once before, when he had sliced his arm open. S'rian was merging with him, synchronizing his "body" with Fee's, beating in time with Fee's heart. Fee's feet left the ground for a moment, and he understood how it felt to fly. His wingless body knew the sensation of soaring on his wings of the heart, those extensions of soul that most of the people had when his father was young.
They breathed together, and when Fee opened his eyes, he was still floating above the ground.
S'rian gave a little chuckle that tickled Fee, and apologized, Sorry, Fee. I didn't know that would happen.
He carefully lowered Fee to the ground.
"That was amazing," Fee smiled, and closed his eyes. "But what happened just before that?"
Something chased me out of my home world.
S'rian sounded so distraught about it that Fee felt his stomach twisting in sympathy.
"What would do that?"
Something that didn't want me to bond with you. Probably someone from this world, at that. S'rian sighed. Do you have any family enemies?
"None that I know of. I could ask Mom, I bet she knows some people that don't like us." Fee started walking back toward home, and could feel S'rian following.
I'd like that. I'd like to meet Xelha again.
Fee stopped and turned. "What do you mean, again?"
S'rian was silent for a long moment. I don't know. I feel like I've met her before. He gave a little shiver that Fee was beginning to associate with memory, and continued, Whatever the case may be, we should go consult your mother. What about your father? You do have one?
"Of course I do. Doesn't everyone?"
If you are asking me if I have one, I can only say that I don't remember. When Spirits cross over, we do not retain all of the memories that occurred in our other world. Actually, I am dead now to everyone from my world... and they are nearly dead to me, preserved in the few memories I could retain before I was forced over.
Fee expressed concern that S'rian could not remember, and S'rian shrugged. It doesn't really matter... It is enough to know you, in this world. My world will keep until I return to it.
"Oh." His feet fell ploddingly on the path, crushing the leaves and needles scattered on the ground and making the air fresh with the strong bite of pine. S'rian hovered close behind, his aura brushing against Fee every so often, but it was a comforting brush of leather against his own aura. He hadn't realized until that moment that he had an aura very similar to S'rian's, a sphere of sense that he could stretch in any direction. His shoulder blades itched as he swung his arms, and he wondered if someone was behind them. He had heard Kalas speaking of an itch between his shoulders, in the middle of his back, as if someone had painted a large bull's eye on his back and the spot where the arrow would go was bothering him prematurely. The Guardian Spirit touched the spot, and the itch disappeared.
It's just your imagination, S'rian informed him.
Fee found his mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner. She looked up as he rushed in, and smiled as he came to stand beside her. "Hi, Fee."
"Hi, Mom." Fee leaned over the dish of vegetables that Xelha was shelling and took a few. Instead of reprimanding him, as he had expected, she gave him an odd look.
"Do you have someone with you?" She finished shelling the pea pod in her hand and turned toward Fee. The boy could feel his Spirit reaching toward Xelha, and couldn't help but grin.
Xelha put her hand out and touched the Spirit, then pulled back and gasped. "A Guardian Spirit?!"
It is nice to meet you, Xelha. S'rian's voice sounded calm.
"Your voice tickles, Spirit. What's your name?"
S'rian.
"You feel familiar," Xelha said, and then her expression changed. "Wait just one moment, Fee. You went out into the Shrine again?"
Fee blushed and looked down at the floor.
"Haven't I told you-- hasn't your father told you-- to stay out of there? It's not safe, Fee!"
"It is safe now!" Fee protested. "The Spirits keep it safe!"
Xelha put her hands on her hips, looking angry now. "The Spirits couldn't keep it safe twenty years ago, when all of the foul creatures were in there. Your father and I had to fight them, and we were much older than you are."
I can protect him, Xelha, S'rian interjected. There aren't any demon creatures in there now.
Xelha crossed her arms and looked right at Fee as she said, "I know you can protect him, S'rian, but I'm worried about Fee's younger brother and sister, who follow his every move. Rikki worships you, Fee, and if you go in there he will follow you. The same with Graye."
Fee was about to protest that his siblings had been out in Nekton many times, but S'rian said through Fee, "I'll try not to worry you, Mom." Xelha was satisfied with Fee's response, and smiled.
"Run along, Fee, and go collect your father from the palace. He's helped Lord Calbren quite enough today."
Fee waited until he was outside to yell at S'rian. "Why did you do that?"
You would have been in more trouble if your mother found out that you've been leading your brother and sister into the Shrine. S'rian shrugged. I'm looking out for you, Fee. We can go into Nekton now, as long as your brother and sister don't follow us.
"But still, that wasn't very nice! Don't ever put words in my mouth again." Fee walked through the arched entrance of Balancoire as he said this. Xelha and Kalas lived just outside of the City, closer to Nekton, to give themselves and their children peace from the watchful community. A lot of people knew, now, that two of the heroes that had saved the world from Malpercio had married and were now living in Mira. The celebrity life had faded in the past five years, but by that time, Kalas and Xelha were well settled in their home, and didn't want to move into the city.
S'rian was silent for a long moment, and Fee went over to the bridge overlooking the aqueduct and leaned on the rocky railing. "Look, S'rian," he said softly, and he could feel the Guardian hovering behind him. "I still like you, but you can't just take me over like that. Are you listening?"
Yes, I'm listening.
"Come on, then, let's get Dad and go home for supper."
All right... Let's go.