Disclaimer: I do not own Star Ocean: The Last Hope or any of its characters, I only own Rena.
Chapter 1: Meetings and Monsters
"Fate guides your path and it is absolute."
Those words were the last thing I saw on my TV screen before falling unconscious. I do not know for how long I was out of it but when I awoke I was lying on my back in the sand, the sound of the ocean filling the air. Slowly, I stood up and brushed off the sand stuck to my skin and clothes. Well, at the very least I wasn't soaking wet. Denim is just difficult to work with when it is and I didn't need my clothes slowing me down. Observing my surroundings closely I noticed a what seemed to be a cliff of some sort or rock wall stretching off down the beach, a cave entrance to my right and the smoking ruins of a space ship to my left dead in the water.
"Okay, that is definitely not something you see every day." I muttered to myself.
Moving towards it I scanned the water around the craft for any sign of movement. Seeing none I turned my attention to the patch of sand just in front of it and saw a young man lying there. A weird sense of déjà vu hit me just then as I caught a glimpse of the letters SRF on his uniform. Shaking my head I picked up my pace, hurrying to his side. He seemed to be unconscious but every now and then his eyes would flutter open before closing once more. Glancing back at the ship again I felt that I had seen this exact scene before especially the ship. For a few seconds my mind drew a blank on what it was. Then it hit me like a speeding truck, the SRF-005 Eremia. That meant that the man lying in front of me on his deathbed was the last of her crew.
"Hey!" an all too familiar voice called out to me. Soon an out of breath blonde swordsman came to a halt beside me his companion kneeling on the other side of the injured man.
"What happened here?" she questioned me, while he tried to get the man on the ground to wake up.
Before I could speak the crewman awoke, "Did the other ships…make it…?"
A brief nod before a heavy silence hung between us for a few seconds. He continued, "Be…careful…the insects…aren't the real danger…"
"What…?" a confused and bewildered expression crossed the blondes face.
"We crash-landed on the sea…Made landfall and scouted the area around us…That's when…we found it…" the crewman rasped, desperate to warn them of the danger.
"'It'…? What did you find?" she asked.
"A meteor…fragment…"
I clenched my fist in my lap at that statement. The action went unnoticed by the other two thankfully. I didn't need to try and explain anything to anyone just then.
"A meteor…?" the two shared a glance before the guy continued with his story.
"We brought it back to the ship for research. But…Everything just…went to hell…That…that's why I…destroyed the ship…"
Gasps of shock, "Y-you…destroyed your own ship…?" If only they knew half of the horrors that were caused by the "meteor" they wouldn't be so shocked. I glanced warily at the wreak behind us anticipating what was to come.
"I had no choice!" he exclaimed, "Why…why would our own men…"
"Your own men? Where's the rest of the crew!?" frantic glances were cast around looking for them before their attention turned back to their comrade.
"Stay away from it…it's dangerous…"
"What happened here!?"
"Edge!"
Edge stopped shaking the poor man at her outburst. She rested a hand on his shoulder, "It's okay. Please, try not to talk…"
With the last of his strength he spoke his last warning before he passed, "This planet…is far too dangerous. You've got to…"
We all observed a moment of silence for him as his story sunk in. Standing up, after they saluted him, I found two sets of eyes watching me intently. This was what I had been dreading, the stares and the questions I had to somehow come up with bald faced lies for, convincing ones at that. Maybe I could get away with telling the truth.
Just then the sound of an approaching ship entered our hearing. Edge and Reimi looked up to watch its descent. Even with my knowledge of the fight up ahead I had to practically bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling like a crazy person.
"What is that?" Edge questioned, motioning for Reimi and myself to get behind him. The wings folded in as it set down.
"That's not one of ours…" he stated, keeping his gaze focused on the foreign craft.
"Yeah…It looks like some kind of transport." Reimi agreed.
Once the cockpit opened up it revealed a green haired young man. He stood and vaulted over the side of the craft landing on the ground with a grace I certainly could never pull off. The two SRF members reached for their weapons as he stepped forward, taking notice of the downed crewman behind us.
"Is this man from that ship…?" he asked, gesturing to them. Edge merely nodded in response. Bringing up his right hand to his chest he bowed his head for the dead man. They took their hands away from their weapons allowing the stranger to approach after that.
"Um…where are the others?" his question was met with a shake of the head from Edge.
"I see…" he shook his head sadly. " Edge and Reimi…and who might you be miss?"
Edge and Reimi stared at him surprised that he knew their names while the Eldarian continued looking in my direction awaiting a response. Taking a deep breath I stepped forward to introduce myself.
"My name is Rena." I managed to say, extending my hand out to him.
Taking my hand he responded, "Well, nice to meet you, Rena." A part of me didn't want to let go of his hand but I had to, if only to avoid weirding him out on our first meeting. Turning his attention back to Reimi and Edge he continued, "I suppose that means that you two can understand me then?"
"Yes…we can understand you perfectly." Reimi responded.
"I've come to collect you at the request of Mr. Grafton."
It was at that exact moment that I decided to take another peek behind us. Pulling an about face I backed up, voice abandoning me at that moment, pointing towards the Eremia.
I heard the scrapping of a sword being pulled from its sheath. The next thing I knew I was behind Faize as he stood in front me with Reimi off to the side Bow out and ready, Edge with his sword out of its sheath, and the monster that was forming from the remains of the Eremia floated before us like some terrifying sea creature.