- As a defense for my grammatical errors I'll say that English it's not my first language.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World.
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Verzweiflung
Alice stayed sat in Decus's chambers while he was vomiting in the bathroom. Normally, she would have left his rooms without caring very much about his sickness, but this time the reasons for his malady didn't appear to be due to a normal disease. Even if she hated to admit it, she was beginning to feel worried.
Day after day, she was seeing how her childhood friend was going from bad to worse, not only because of his continuous headaches, but also because he had become much more violent. In the beginning, it didn't seem to be very serious. She had even liked that new side of Decus, which was more aggressive and impetuous and it seemed a change for the best. Sure, he began to attack his own soldiers without apparent reasons but Alice didn't give it a lot of importance. Not until one day, in Meltokio, when he had ignored her words. That day, Alice noticed that something was wrong with Decus.
Quickly, she sent Decus to several medical examinations. But all the results were negative, and all the physicians agreed in their analysis. Decus was in perfect shape and completely healthy.
"Aaaa-aaa-aah!" Alice was able to hear Decus's moans in the bathroom.
At this point it was clear that the doctors were wrong, and something was making her suspect that all the symptoms were related to Solum's core.
"Hmmm…I…I feel better now," Decus said as he came and sat on the mattress beside Alice.
"You don't look OK to me."
He was unrecognizable in Alice's eyes. His face was paler than usual and his eyes didn't shine with joy and unconditional love when he looked at her.
"Lately, to tell you the truth, I haven't felt very well."
"Have you gone to take the analysis tests?"
"Thanks for caring. But the results, as always, are negative."
"I don't care!" Alice declared, "I just don't want you to die now that I've lost almost all of my pets!"
An uncomfortable silence filled the room a few seconds. Decus broke it.
"Can I…can I ask you a favor?" He was touching himself, as if he was searching for something lost in his body.
"A favor? Since when do I do favors for anyone?"
"C'mon…it isn't…it's nothing," Decus said while he scratched himself.
"You already know that the answer: No!" Alice looked away. She didn't like how Decus was looking at her. His eyes were no longer looking at her as if she was a goddess.
Decus kneeled down and began to beg. "Pl-please…I just want you to go with Brute and get me a moment with Solum's core."
"What?" Alice was confused by his petition. Normally she was the center of his attention. His universe was Alice-centric. Since when had that changed?
"I just…I just want to touch it for a moment…" Decus began to smile. "I swear that if you bring it to me, I'll return it to you very quickly. I'll be just a moment…OK?"
"No!" Alice got up and went toward the door.
Decus got up abruptly and said "How can you say that to me!? After all I've done for you!"
Alice then felt two hands grab her shoulders firmly. "Bring it to me! Bring me Solum's core!" Before she knew it, she was imprisoned between two arms.
She was taken by surprise. "What…what the hell do you think are you doing!?"
Decus seemed to react at Alice's words. Frightened, he sprang away from her. "What… what have I done?" Decus looked into Alice's eyes and saw something that he hadn't seen in her in a long time: fear. "I'm sorry Alice. I didn't want to do it. I…I swear you. I don't know what has happened to me."
Alice began to move backwards, pointing at him with her whip in a menacing way. "Get--get away from me!"
Decus was horrified, he remembered that look. That was how she looked when the kids abused her ten years ago at the orphanage. He never thought that Alice would look at him like that. And so, he began to cry.
"Alice, please…forgive me." He couldn't stand to see that look directed towards him. "I beg you." He could see that the one for whom he had fought for all these years was falling apart in front of him. "Please, forgive me."
Decus approached to her with caution but Alice hit him savagely with the whip. "Leave me! Stay away!"
Alice ran outside the room while Decus remained on the floor, screaming her name begging desperately for her forgiveness.
"ALIIICEEEEEEE!"
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"Then, that's all." Richter and Brute where talking together when the office door opened to reveal Alice.
"May I ask why you are intruding?" Brute asked in an irritated voice.
"Dec-"
"WARNING! WARNING! ALERT IN SECTOR 3! ALERT IN SECTOR 3!" A robotic voice interrupted Alice. "BEGINNING SECURITY PROTOCOL: CORPSE HUNTING. ALL ACCESSES TO SECTOR 3 ARE SEALED!"
Brute turned on the security monitors and Alice approached the monitors as fast as she could. What she saw were images of a lot of soldiers lying on the floor, writhing in obvious agony.
"What the hell has happened?" Brute asked aloud.
One of the cameras showed Decus shaking a soldier who was trying to flee.
Richter remained static, watching the images with apparent interest in what was happening. "Size the image and turn the sound of the 3ºA8 camera on," he requested.
"GIVE ME SOLIUM'S CORE!"
"Hmmm…" Richter muttered "Apparently the long period of being exposed to the core has corrupted the host."
"Host!?" Alice cried. She was angry to hear Richter refer to Decus with such a demeaning phrase.
Richter didn't seem to realize or give any importance to Alice's words. "The subject has become very violent and unstable. Without a doubt, he'll try to get the core at all costs."
Alice couldn't help but feel guilty. She was the one who convinced Decus to use the core in the first place. She knew that those things could be dangerous to humans and could corrupt the owners, but she never thought that the effects could be so dangerous.
"And what's the solution?" she asked while trying not to look very concerned.
"The only way to make him be himself again would be hatch the core that has affected him."
Brute reacted quickly after hearing Richter's words. "Then he'll have to be sacrificed," Brute said coldly. Alice turned her head with surprise after hearing Brute's statement.
"What!?" she cried, alarmed.
"Alice," Brute said seriously "As the leader of the Combat Squadron, you'll be the one in charge of killing Decus."
Alice couldn't believe what she had just heard. Brute was ordering her to kill Decus? "You want me to kill Decus? He is still useful…for the Vanguard, I mean."
"He has already fulfilled his function. He is now a dispensable member," Brute continued coldly. "Anyway, since no one cares about that idiot, no one will miss him." Brute seemed to enjoy humiliating him before her as he assumed that all the present members shared his opinion.
Alice could feel her blood boiling in her veins. She could see in Brute's eyes the still-fresh memory of all the children laughing, insulting and attacking Decus at the orphanage for being weaker than them and for befriending a half-elf. She couldn't stand that look.
"Anyway, I always intended to accuse him for all the crimes he committed and execute him in order to stifle any kind of rumors. The idiot never knew that he was being manipulated." Alice really wanted to kill Brute at that moment, but she held back. "But not all the merit is mine. If it wasn't for you Alice, and your ability to manipulate him, we wouldn't have achieved it."
"Now, go and get rid of that idiot. You have my permission to enjoy it all you want." Brute laughed as he said that.
Without looking back Alice left the room. If she didn't leave the room soon she would end up attacking Brute at any moment.
"You two!" she snapped at a couple of Vanguard soldiers, "Follow me! We are going to Sector 3!"
"As you order, Lady Alice!"
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Alice was unable to make a plan that would keep appearances up and also save Decus at the same time. Disobeying her orders would destroy all her plots for obtaining power but to kill Decus…thinking of him dying was already sickening—how could she kill him? She definitely wasn't going to. She had to find a solution, and fast.
One of the soldiers approached to help one of his hurt companions on the floor, but before he was able to, he felt a painful blow from Alice's rapier.
"What are you doing?! We have a mission!"
The soldier, apparently not very smart, talked back to her. "He is wounded and…"
But before Alice was able to punish his nerve Decus appeared from out of nowhere and grabbed the soldier by the neck, lifting him various inches from the ground and shouting "Where is it?! Give it to me!! GIVE ME SOLUM'S CORE!!!!" Seeing that he wasn't going to get any response, he threw the soldier against the other, leaving the two unconscious. Then he began to approach Alice.
He definitely wasn't the Decus she knew. Her only childhood friend, the one who had always been at her side and never failed her, was gone.
Alice faced Decus with her toy rapier, ready to cast a spell, but for a second she doubted and that second was all Decus needed to grab the whip and disarm her, leaving her completely vulnerable against him.
Alice began to move backwards while Decus approached slowly. "The core…"
"Give me the core!" Decus swooped on her and grabbed her shoulders. With a quick movement he pushed her against the wall.
"Aah!" Alice moaned in pain. "Damn! Get away!" Alice began to kick him but it seemed to be useless. Physically, he was much stronger than her. She was completely subjected to his mercy. Unarmed and without her pets she was no match for Decus's strength. He could do anything he wanted to her. Anything.
"Where are you hiding it…?"
Decus leaned in slowly. "Hmmm…" She could feel his breath on her face. He was examining her quietly, like an animal who had noticed something. Disgusted with the situation she tried to look away but Decus grabbed her chin so he could look fixedly into her eyes. "A-Alice?"
Quickly he released her and stepped back. Terrified, he looked his hands. "What…what have I done!?" He grabbed his head with both and screaming he began to run.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Alice took the chance to pick up her weapon, but when she looked up again Decus was nowhere to be seen.
Walking slowly she entered into the nearest room. When Alice entered the room, she found something that she didn't expect. Decus was huddled in a corner crying and grasping his hair with both hands.
Alice approached cautiously without lowering her guard. "Decus…?"
"Get away!" Decus shouted between tears. "Don't…don't come near me. I'm a monster!"
Alice felt full of guilt. It was all her fault.
"I promised that I'd never betray you, and I…and I've done it!! I don't deserve to live!" Decus lifted his head to look at Alice. His eyes where completely red and clouded with tears.
"Kill me…" he begged, "Please Alice. Kill me."
Alice's eyes began to moisten. She couldn't believe what Decus was asking her to do.
Decus began to get up. "Alice…I-I can't control myself. It's the only way to protect you. Please…I beg you. Kill me…"
Decus grabbed his head again. "Aaaaaaahh!" Alice hated seeing him like that.
"Give it to me…GIVE ME THE CORE!!!"
Decus ran towards Alice but this time she didn't doubt anything. "A Season in Hell!!" she cried.
"Aaaaaahh!" The shock hit Decus squarely in the chest, pushing him against the nearest wall leaving him stunned at the floor.
Alice hurriedly approached him. After verifying that he was weakened, she helped him to rise up by supporting his arm on her shoulder. Helping him to walk, she guided Decus to his Iron-Maiden, and using the golden arms of the torture instrument as shackles, Alice caught his arms, effectively immobilizing him.
The scene was horrific. Decus seemed to be crucified.
"Why Alice…" Decus asked weakly before losing consciousness, "Why don't you kill me?"
"Decus…" Alice neared Decus with tears in her eyes. Using her hand she set aside the hair that was falling in his eyes.
Then she slid one of her hands over his cheek and stroked it gently. "You have always been loyal to me no matter how bad I had treated you." She had been retaining too many emotions and thoughts inside her. "I'm not going to lose you…" And it was time to face the truth. "Although you never knew it…I…you are very important to me."
Alice stopped her hand from caressing his skin and left the room. She had to make a plan, and quickly. Brute would soon ask for his corpse. Alice was desperate. She didn't know how to get out of this victoriously.
"Alice!" Brute's voice sounded in the earphone. "Have you gotten rid of the idiot?"
The question irritated her but she couldn't let herself be carried away by emotions. "Yes."
"OK. Later, we'll throw his body to the sea. Now I want you to pay attention. We have intruders. I want you to take Marta alive. Don't fail me this time, Alice."
"Okie-dokie 3" Alice answered sweetly.
"I won't tolerate more mistakes." He ended in a threatening tone before cutting off the connection.
She was going to kill Marta. First Brute told her to kill Decus, and now he was trying to threaten her?
"I'm going to kill her and show her father that no one…wait!" Alice smiled evilly. "That's it…"
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Marta furiously hit the floor with her fist. She couldn't believe that she had fallen again into another of Alice's traps. She should have never trusted her. But she seemed so concerned about Decus that it was almost impossible not to believe her. But now something was clear to Marta: Alice didn't care about Decus, not even a little. How could she be so selfish with someone who only had love for her? Marta felt sorry for the blue haired boy. Couldn't he see that his love will never be returned? That Alice was only using him? She couldn't help but think about what had made Decus sell his soul to someone who treated him worse than a dog.
Enclosed in her thoughts, Marta didn't notice that she was no longer alone. Alice had come. "My, my, my, Martmart. Always so innocent."
"Where is Emil!?" Marta asked, getting up.
"You are locked in a cell with me and still you care about him? Pathetic."
"What do you know about love?! You only care about yourself!"
Alice smiled sweetly. "When you say it like that it almost sound as if it was something bad 3 3."
"How can you use Decus while he is in that state!? He's sick! Can't you see that!?"
"It's not my fault if that idiot is willing to fulfill all my wishes up to the point of sacrificing his own life. If Decus is happy being my slave, who am I to deny his happiness?"
Marta couldn't believe how naturally had Alice pronounced those words. "You are nothing but a selfish bitch! What are you going to do with Decus now that he is no longer useful to you!? Are you going to kill him!?"
Alice's false smile vanished in an instant and with a quick movement she slapped Marta's face. Before Marta was able to react, Alice put one of her feet over her leg and pressed strongly.
"Brute has ordered me to deliver you alive, Martmart" Marta was scared. Alice had tried to kill her while ignoring Brute orders other times. "But he didn't tell me how he wanted me to bring you to him."
Alice recovered her childish speech. "It would be a pity if you had resisted, forcing me to break your legs, don't you think Martmart?"
Alice removed the foot of Marta's leg and opened cell door. "Be a good girl and get up by yourself."
Marta was confused. Alice had had the perfect opportunity to kill her. Why hadn't she killed her? Neither had she bothered to disarm her, but why? What was going on?
"Don't do anything stupid if you want to arrive in one piece Martmart." Marta decided to heed Alice's words. Not only will she avoid an unnecessary confrontation, but following Alice's game would be the fastest and safest way to arrive to her father.
Without giving the slightest explanation, Alice entered with Marta into the security control room. She seemed to be in a hurry. Dozens of monitors were showing images transmitted directly by the security cameras placed along the corridors of the fortress.
"I've some business to attend before take you to the commander. Be a good girl and stay quiet."
"Emil!" Marta couldn't help it. She had seen Emil safe along with Colette and Zelos on one of the monitors.
"What are you doing?" Marta asked after seeing Alice press a lot of switches placed on an enormous panel.
"I'm just playing a little 3"
Marta was unhappy with the answer but she bit her tongue and looked again the monitors. In them, she could see how all her companions were entering into the fortress depths using different corridors.
Alice grabbed a microphone and began to give orders using the public address system. "Attention to all the units! Hear Alice, leader of the Combat Squadron. We are being attacked. All the units move to sectors B-7 and D-2 using corridors C-6 and A-8. It's an order! Do it now if you don't want me to burn you alive!"
Marta was surprised. She couldn't believe that Alice had confused the directions. She was sending the strongest Vanguard units in the wrong directions. Undoubtedly this would greatly facilitate the assault to the fortress. How could she have made such an error?
"OK Martmart, let's go to see the commander. And try not to be useless for once."
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Brute was fighting against the brats and the so-called 'heroes of regeneration'. He was giving a good fight but it was only a matter of time for him to be defeated.
"I'm not going to be defeated so easily!" Brute muttered under his breath. "Help me… Alice, what are you waiting for? Heal me!"
"OK. Help incoming 33" Alice said with a malevolent simile.
Brute started to laugh to himself as he saw some runic symbols being drawn under his feet. "With Alice as support, I can't lose"
"Absolute!"
Brute terrified as he heard the keyword of Alice's spell. "But…what the hell!?" The sharp icicles wounded Brute seriously. "Damn traitor…"
"Genis! Be careful! We don't want to kill him!"
"But I didn't…"
"Daddy!" Marta ran towards her father to check his wounds.
And when no one was expecting it, the doors opened.
Decus appeared in the room with the eyes injected with blood lust. "I found it!!" Pushing away anyone who was in his path, he ran towards Brute.
Marta was taken by surprise. "Decus! How did you-" But before she had the chance to finish the question, she was sent to the floor with a strong hand blow.
"Give it to me!" Decus raised his hand again, ready to tear away the core from Brute's body. "Give me the core!"
Brute couldn't believe what he was watching. Wasn't Decus supposed to be dead? "Decus, you…" But Brute's words where cut as soon as Decus thrust through the commander's chest with his fist.
Alice couldn't avoid the enjoyment of seeing how Decus, using brute force, break through Brute's entrails in order to tear away the core without using any spell. The incredibly painful process could be seen in the expression of the commander. Finally Decus extracted the core from Brute's body, which fell limp onto the floor. Alice's smile vanished in that moment. If Decus put the core into himself again the results would be unpredictable. He would recover his conscience. But would he be the same Decus?
Quickly, Emil swooped on Decus making him drop the core. Marta quickly hatched it while Emil struggled with Decus, making him unable to attain the fruits of his savage attack.
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Decus looked around astonished and frightened, he couldn't remember anything. "I don't—wait. What the hell just happened?"
"Decus!" Decus turned his head quickly after hearing Alice's sweet and lovable voice. "Over here!" She was gesturing with her arms to escape. The answers to Decus's questions would have to wait—after all, his love was calling him.
In the stealthiest way possible, Decus and Alice left the room and headed to the elevator.
"Alice, could you explain to me what has happened?"
"Not now Decus, we have to get out of here. We can't fight against them all."
"You two!" Lloyd shouted "Wait!"
Alice pressed repeatedly the elevator's button. "C'mon! C'mon! Open yourself already!"
"I finally found you!" Lloyd shouted while running towards them.
The doors of the elevator were finally open. "Finally! Decus enter!"
Decus put one of his hands in his pocket and entered the elevator.
Before the doors were completely closed Lloyd arrived and forced himself between them so that the sensor made the doors open again.
"You two aren't going anywhere!" But before Lloyd unsheathed his swords Decus took out what he was looking for in his pocket and shoved it in the swordsman's face.
"Smile…" Decus pressed the nozzle of the bottle of his everlasting fragrance Eau de seduction.
Lloyd felt his eyes begin to burn. "AAAAAAAAAHHH!" he cried in pain. Tears began to fall. "What's this? Damn bastard!" Each time he tried to breathe it was like introducing fire into the lungs "My face!! I can't breathe!! What the hell was that thing!?"
"Auf Wiedersehen!" Decus shouted before pushing Lloyd away with a strong kick.
The elevator's doors closed.
"Alice. Can you explain to me what has happened?" Decus asked calmly "I…I can't remember anything."
"Anything?" She asked. He shook his head.
Suddenly, Alice grabbed the tie that Decus had around his neck and pulled his face near hers. Decus blushed. Only a few inches were separating their lips.
"Alice…what- -" Decus couldn't speak properly.
Alice smiled after seeing the shine in Decus's blue eyes. His eyes were looking again as if she was the center of the universe. He was looking her again with that unconditional love, with that special shine that was only for her.
"Is something wrong?" Decus was concerned. Alice was smiling but a tear was sliding down her check.
"No…" Alice answered, drying the drop and pushing Decus away "…Your stupid cologne has irritated my eyes."
"You can't fool me Alice, that was a tear of joy." Since when Decus was so clever? "Joy produced by my everlasting fragrance: Eau de seduction." Since never, obviously.
"Ptch, whatever…anyway: Auf Wiedersehen?" Alice asked, changing the topic.
"Yeah, it's German. It means 'good bye'."
"I already know what it means you idiot! But why German? It's not the first time I've heard you using German."
Decus laughed proudly. "Haha! My dear Alice—or should I say meine liebe?—I use German because it's the language of love!"
"You idiot!" Alice cried, "German isn't the language of love. French is!"
Decus put a hand over his forehead and looked to the floor dramatically. "What!? Are you serious? You mean that I've been scammed again?"
"So it seems. No surprises there. That's why I call you 'Dumbo-Decus'."
Decus knelt and looked to the elevator's roof. "Damn. I can't believe that I've wasted almost 20 000 gald for those tapes to learn German!"
Alice tried to look annoyed while Decus began one of his dramatic and overacted shows. She was happy. Decus was back.
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Reviews will be appreciated.
WARNING: This chapter contained spoilers.
Translator:
- Verzweiflung: Despair.
-Meine Liebe: My love.
-Auf
Wiedersehen: Good bye.
Hints:
SECURITY PROTOCOL: CORPSE HUNTING: In "Tales of the Abyss" security protocol to close all the doors in the Tartaros.
Author's notes:
- I'll update this collection of oneshots eventually.
And again: Reviews will be appreciated.
