Part 1: Making Acquaintances
"Damn desert…."
This was mumbled by a mercenary. She was walking through the desert, looking for something. Her canteen had ran out of water, though she kept moving, hoping to reach Chesedonia by the end of the day, and search the next day. She kept walking, and then stumbled along something, when Chesedonia was just in view. She fell. Tripped on a sword, to be specific. She inspected it.
"……Could this be what I'm looking for?" She asked herself. Then she checked the paper she had, and indeed, this was what she was looking for. She pulled the sword out of the ground and took it with her, heading to the town to see her client.
It was when she reached it inn, after receiving her pay from the client was when she noticed someone familiar. She stared at a tall man, wearing what seemed to be army uniform and had long light brown hair. He was with a red headed boy, a long brown haired girl, a girl with black pigtails and a man with short blonde hair. She stood there, thinking until she knew who it was.
"Jade?" She said. The man turned around. He looked at her for a minute and then walked up to her.
"Do I know you?" He asked. The woman in her late twenties smiled.
"I hope you do remember me, Jade. I remember that His Majesty used to give you a horrendous nickname." She said, sighing then smirking. That's when Jade twitched a little.
"His Majesty….wait…." He said, thinking. The other just looked at him as if he was crazy.
"If I recall correctly, I'm pretty sure Nephry and His Majesty used to call you Jadey Jadey, except now His Majesty calls you non-cute Jade." The lady said, smirking. The others started to laugh, and Jade just chuckled.
"Now I remember. You're Lina." He said. The woman nodded and grinned, holding onto her mace loosely.
"Who's she?" The red head boy asked as he pointed to the woman. Tear had slapped his hand, even though she knew what that meant. Jade, who took no notice, turned around and smirked.
"She's—" Jade started, but Lina stopped him, just in time.
"I'm sorry, Jade. I don't need you to introduce me. I'm not that stupid, nor am I old and slow. My name is Lina Feldesca. I used to serve House Curtiss, but now I'm just a mercenary."
"Feldesca….where have I heard that…." The blonde haired man said. Lina gasped, when she noticed something.
"….Is your name by any chance Guy Cecil?" Lina said walking up to Guy.
Cue the awkwardness.
"GAHHH!" He shouted, stepping back.
"Well, Guy. You seem popular. I know you're enjoying yourself Guy, but we really must be going back to our rooms to rest." Jade said, chuckling slightly.
"May I speak to you Guy, in private?" Lina asked. Guy shivered, but then nodded, the two walking to the other room. Once Lina shut the door to the private guest room, they both sat down on the couch.
"Is your real name Gailardia Galan Gardios?" She asked. Guy's eyes opened like saucers, but he nodded. Strangely, his gynophobia didn't really affect Lina as much as other girls. Lina sighed and then smiled. She walked up to him and hugged him.
"Nice to find you, cousin." She said.
Now, cue the 'What?' situation.
"WHAT!" Guy shouted. She managed to shush him down to a reasonable level, but not enough, unfortunately. Someone had knocked on the door, in which Lina allowed to come in. In walked Jade and Luke, the red headed boy, who had concerned faces.
"What happened?" Luke asked. Lina shook her head.
"Nothing." Though it seemed like Jade never bought it. Her face said, 'I'll tell you later' and he nodded slightly, signalling Luke to go.
"You're mother was my mother's sister." She said.
"No wonder why Feldesca was familiar."
"What…what happened to Karima?" She asked. Guy's head jerked violently, but answered truthfully.
"He…he died…saving me…from Duke Fabre…." Guy stammered. She jerked, and then started to cry. She got up and walked to the door, exiting and went to the counter, getting a room and going there. Jade, who saw her face was dead worried, so he followed her.
Lina entered her room and sat on the bed, crying. She hugged her knees and started to shiver. All those years of horrible emotions, going out in a few minutes. She subconsciously heard someone knock on her door.
"Come…come in."
Cue Jade walking in.
Jade strolled in and instinctively ran to her, hugging her.
"What's wrong, Lina?" He asked. She sniffed and looked up.
"My…my brother…he died, and no one told me!" She shouted. Now, Jade was used to her outbursts, but he smiled.
"Oh dear, oh dear…" He said, still smiling and in a really un-Jade like tone, though using Jade-like words. Lina stopped crying after a long five minutes and let go of Jade.
"Where are you going?" She asked, referring to Jade's trip.
"We're going to Baticul. We're getting a peace treaty from the King. Let me guess, you want to come?" She said, with a sigh, smile disappearing. She nodded.
"That's fine with me, but you better ask Luke." What was actually going through Jade's mind was actually the fact that he wanted her to come, for two reasons. One, he could talk to someone around his age, and two, he could talk to someone he loved and still loves.
"Who's Luke?" Lina asked. Jade, yet again, chuckled.
"The red headed boy you met." He said, as he got his handkerchief and wiped away her tears. She nodded and walked out, and somehow forgot to ask Jade where he was. Though it didn't matter, since she bumped into the boy.
"Excuse me? Is your name Luke?" She asked. The boy turned around and nodded.
"I would like to join your group."
"Whatever. As long as I get to go home soon." Lina nodded and walked away, not really annoyed at the aristocrat's attitude. She walked back to her room and gave Jade the thumbs up. He smiled in true happiness.
"Let me go introduce you to everyone." He said, as he gently dragged her to the next room.
"Tear? Anise? Are you there?" He asked. The two girls lying on their beds turned around.
"Tear, Anise. Lina's joining us." Jade said, in the 'I'm telling the truth' tone.
"Hello, Lina. My name's Tear Grants."
"Hi! I'm Anise!" Well, nice to meet you, Miss I-like-to-state-the-obvious. That was the first thing Lina thought of.
They both left and walked back to Lina's room.
"Well, since you already know Luke fon Fabre, and Guy Cecil, there is no need tell you anyone else."
"Isn't there another person?" Lina asked.
"Yeah, I almost forgot. Follow me." And she followed him a few rooms to her right. Jade knocked on the door. Someone opened it, and Lina knew who it was, immediately.
"Fon Master Ion. Pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Lina Feldesca." Lina said, bowing.
"Hello, Lina. You may just call me Ion."
"If you wish." And the two of them, Jade and Lina, left.
"What's with the bowing?" Jade asked, as they walked.
"I see you talk more than you used to." Lina said, changing subject, not really wanting to tell Jade the reason why.
"I said, what's with the bowing?" Jade asked, calmly, keeping his demeanour.
"……Your father's rubbed off on me. I'm too used to it, Young Master Curtiss." She said, bowing.
"Please, call me Jade…..or Jadey Jadey. Just not…Young Master Curtiss." She smirked, as Jade sighed.
"Yes, Young Master Jadey Jadey Curtiss" And after that, they walked in silence.
Everyone went to bed and awoke to a nice morning. They all left Chesedonia, boarding a ship to go to Baticul. Lina was thankful that Jade didn't ask about the conversation that she had with Guy, since she made him forget, for a certain amount of time. Speaking of the word 'certain'….. What they, as in the group, didn't know was that they were being watched by a certain group.
Me: I felt bored...so I started a Tales of the Abyss fanfic....since I just finished the game, the anime and the manga on one day.
Luke: What's anime and manga?
Me: What are you doing here?
Tear: He walked into the studio and....
Me: Shush! Just say the disclaimer and stuff.
Tear: She doesn't own TotA or anything mentioned that belongs to the real world, their companies. She only owns Lina. Please review, though she doesn't want me to beg.
Me: .......LUKE! What did you make Tear do?
Luke: ......damn!
Tear: Oh dear me...should I sing a fonic hymn?
Jade: No.
Me: Jade? Go back to studio thirty--
Jade: They told me to go here.
Tear: Let's drop off here.....they will be talking for a while.