Bond
'Somewhere,' thought the raven haired teenager, 'She's in this town somewhere.' His violet eyes scanned the streets, looking for the building he knew held someone very important to him.
As he walked, the villagers were shocked at how formally he dressed; he was wearing white tights, a pale purple shirt, violet overcoat with gold trim and red velvet lining, pink cape, blue boots with a blue covering and shiny jewelry which included an earring in his left ear. In the lower city of Cresta, nobody had the money to dress that fancy. They knew he had to be from the capital, and most likely served the crown. But what was he doing in the slums?
'Sister…I'm sorry that we never met before this journey. It's our father's fault; he's the one who sent you away for no good reason at all. But now, I want to speak to you…not as the commander who you are following for your freedom, but as your little brother,' he mused.
Eventually, he came to a run-down building with the laughter of children echoing in the front yard. The boy peeked past the gates to see several of the young ones playing tag under the watchful eye of a girl just two years his senior. She had the same sparkling eyes and dark hair, and was wearing a red halter top held up by some black leather which would head around her back and make a collar, a black leather choker that looked like a buckle, black shorts with a red belt to hold them up and a green one for decoration, a pair of white boots and some long, black socks.
She told the children, "Be careful, else you might fall and hurt yourself!"
They giggled and yelled back, "We will…Rutee-neechan!" The young boy could hear them laughing and having fun, something that he was denied from his earliest years.
'I have to talk to her,' he told himself, 'No matter what, she is my big sister. Maybe, we can actually have some sort of a relationship even though we were apart for so long.'
He walked up to the gates and stood there, waiting to get her attention and not wanting to be knocked into by the kids. It seemed like hours went by as he stayed in his spot. Finally, she picked her head up and noticed his somewhat nervous form.
"Leon…I didn't expect you to come visit me," the girl stated.
Leon replied, "Well, Rutee, I was in town and I overheard you talking to those kids. So, I figured I'd stop by and see what was going on. You live here?" He congratulated himself on his save; there was no way he wanted to say just yet that he'd come searching for her.
She nodded. "Yes…for the past fifteen years of my life. It's nice, and everyone here is like a family to me. I feel so happy to have all these little brothers and sisters."
"Sounds nice," Leon muttered, "Listen…can you tell them to go inside so we can talk alone. And, please put Atwight away as well…as you can see I've left Chaltier back home." To prove his point, the boy showed her his empty sheath.
She wondered what could be so important that both the kids and the two Swordians couldn't hear. If it was the Eye of Atamoni again, the only problem she figured would warrant not letting children in on, surely Atwight and Chaltier needed to be privy to it. But best to spark his whims; she could always tell Atwight later on. So, the girl shooed the children inside and went to put her blade away.
-I wonder what he's up to. Leon's being extra polite to you,- commented Atwight as Rutee put her in the storage; she didn't want one of the kids getting hurt trying to play with the sword.
Rutee said, "Don't worry…I doubt Leon's just going to attack out of the blue like that. Something tells me he's here for talking and nothing more. I'd rather just comply so we don't have to fight over something so dumb." She then closed the door, looking back one last time.
The Swordian sighed; her mistress was always so curious. -I can't think of anything that would make Leon need to come see her so urgently. What is that boy's aim?-
S...S
"I came back alone," Rutee stated as she too showed herself to be unarmed, "So, what is it you wish to talk about with me, Leon? I thought you didn't like me too much."
"Well…you're not my favorite person in the world, but I have to give credit where credit is due. Thank you for helping me with my airsickness aboard the Draconis. It's one weakness that I've never been able to overcome," the boy admitted. He smirked a bit at his choice of words; Rutee was someone he cared about greatly, but she wasn't the person he cared about the most so while he sounded condescending he really wasn't nor was he lying.
The girl inquired, "Is that all you wanted to say, Leon? That doesn't seem to warrant sending away Atwight, who helped me, or some kids who don't know who you are."
He shook his head. "That's not everything. I just felt I had to thank you first."
Leon sat down next to the wall, prompting Rutee to seat herself right next to him. He felt himself sigh as she did this; so many years wasted where they should have been able to sit together and share their deepest, darkest secrets like all siblings do. There were times in his childhood where he just wanted to cry himself to sleep in his big sister's arms, but she wasn't there. When Marian came into his life, he was able to do that with her, but it didn't bring back all those lost years.
"I overheard you and Atwight at Heidelberg Castle," he admitted to her, "When you were talking about Garr's family. You mentioned that you didn't know about how it felt…so when I saw you at this orphanage I was quickly able to put two and two together. What happened to your real parents?"
"I don't know…I just woke up one morning and was here. And Atwight, who was with me since even before being sent to this place, never tells me about them either," lamented the young woman.
Leon inquired, "Do you remember anything at all about them?"
Rutee shook her head. "Nope…not a thing. I used to dream all the time, dream they'd come back for me. But they never came…they just abandoned me. All I have left is a sword skill that I once saw my father use in a dream. That, and my Swordian, are the only clues I have."
"I know how you feel," Leon whispered, "I don't remember my parents either…just growing up under Hugo's care." It was another close save for him. Practically the entire world knew that he was Hugo's adoptive son; the older man felt familial relationships would make Leon weak so he forcibly changed his name. So while he did get to grow up with his father, it was like living under a stranger's roof all those years. Perhaps once, long ago when his mother was still alive, Hugo actually cared for his family. However, Leon was too little to remember those times.
"I lied when I acted like it wasn't important back in Heidelberg. But…I just didn't want to talk about it at that moment. Really, I wish Atwight would open up and tell me about them. Even if I'd said yes, I wanted to know, she would have avoided the subject anyway, saying 'I'm sorry that I can't tell you about them, please understand.' There are times when I just want to break down and cry," she admitted.
Leon looked over at her. Rutee was such a strong girl, always fighting for her beliefs and not giving into despair. But now he'd seen a side of her that she never showed the others…she was really a scared girl who had been denied everything from such a tender young age. Kind of like Leon himself, except she traded being able to live with her father for warmth and kindness of strangers.
Looking up at him, Rutee said, "I don't know why I'm even telling you this. Maybe, because you said you're an orphan as well. Or, perhaps I just needed someone to cry to that wasn't Atwight."
He stared at her for a moment, could see her pain. They were both two sides of the same coin of fate: one happy while the other was sad, one denied knowledge of self while the other knew where he came from. "It could be. Let me ask you something. Did all the money you gathered from your exploits as a Lens Hunter and petty thief go to this orphanage?"
"It did," she confessed, "Though my real family abandoned me, I can't leave this one to die. If the good Sisters here didn't take me in, I'd be dead. Though it's their job to look after orphans, it's a job they chose and I'm grateful to them."
"Well…now that makes sense. Listen, Rutee, I have to get going back to Darilsheid. Perhaps we'll meet again, perhaps not. Just remember, don't tell anyone what we talked about. You can say that I visited you, if Stahn or the others come to call, but just don't give specifics," he demanded.
Rutee told him, "I'll keep this a secret. But I thank you for listening just the same."
Leon smiled at her as he walked away. "Whatever. It wasn't a total waste of my time so I'm not angry about having to listen to you."
'He's always like this,' she thought as she watched him, 'Why can't he just be gracious and tell me that I'm welcome?'
As the boy walked away, heading home to Marian, he thought about what he just heard. Rutee was in more pain than he ever could have though about her lost past. He thought that being away from the tortured life he lived with Hugo would be heaven, but that's only because he lived it. If Rutee knew what he did, she would be happy to have lived as she did.
'In the end, I couldn't even tell her. I guess I'm just afraid she'll end up in Hugo's clutches as well. Even if I kept up the orphan lie but told her we were related, she would come to visit me in Darilsheid. Then, he would have her just where he wanted and Rutee too would be his slave. I guess, sometimes when you love someone, you have to ignore your own urges and do what will be best for them. I'm sorry, Neesan, sorry I couldn't tell you the truth. Please forgive your foolish little brother.'
S...S
"I'm sorry, everyone," Leon said as he stood at the switch, "This is the only way to escape. But, Rutee, before I die I'll tell you everything you want to know."
"What!? How could you find that out?" the girl inquired, curiosity filling her up. She knew that Leon knew the one thing she wanted to find out more than anything. But, how in the world could he learn that information and give it to her?
Leon informed her, "Long ago, Hugo was married to a young woman…a woman named Chris Katrea. That woman, dead for fifteen years now, was my mother. The same blood flows throughout both of our veins."
Shock and disbelief filled the girl's eyes. Leon was her brother, someone she should have been allowed to grow up with and enjoy the company of. And her father…he was about to destroy the world for his own foolish ambition. She barely paid attention as Leon continued speaking with Stahn, only knocking herself back to reality when the lift began rising and she watched her brother moving farther and farther away from her….
S...S
Rutee stood alone outside the inn, looking up at the stars; even Atwight was left inside her room along with Philia and Clemente. Well, the stars as they could be seen around the layer of earth now hanging above them. How Fate mocked her…giving her more sadness than she could have possibly taken when she was younger. She'd thought that she was long over the pain of being abandoned and left at the orphanage, but now it came back to her once more.
'I promise you, Leon. I will kill Hugo and avenge your death. It hurts, and it will probably hurt for a long time. Despite the tough girl face I usually show, I'm just as vulnerable to pain as the rest of them.'
As if her thoughts were being shown to the world, a lone tear fell down Rutee's cheeks. It was followed by several more, as she silently wept for the suffering both she and her brother went through. And all because of Hugo and his ambitions…he broke his own family apart.
Rutee could tell now that Leon hadn't come by the orphanage on accident as he claimed. He had truly wanted to see her, desired to have a bond with his only sibling. However, he was also stubborn and most likely feared her getting involved. She wished he could have trusted her with the secret, to help him and Marian escape.
But for now, all she could do was let her emotions out to the night. Rutee refused to show this side of her to Stahn or Mary, the ones most concerned about her predicament. Heck, she didn't think that the others even got the part about Hugo being her father for some odd reason. Perhaps someday soon, she could let her friends comfort her from the pain. Until that day, her emotions would be locked inside her heart, only coming out when they were ready to burst.
- - - -
Teefa's Last Words...
Well, this came after watching constant ToDR videos on YouTube. Jeffrey6978 has been putting up major scenes and boss battles from the game, including the scenes where the characters rejoin after the false ending. And sometimes he translates what's being said, especially if we ask for it. Well, he said that Rutee mentions Leon coming to visit her, but she doesn't say what they talked about. So, I decided to do my own take on that scene and the connections that would have after.
Just a note, if you want to say that certain things don't add up from the original Tales of Destiny, we did research into translations of the remake scenes and these are how they go…
Don't think I need to go into the Leon's death scene piece, it's all over the various MBs and fan communities.
Apparently, according to the scene where Radisrol is preparing to rise up into the sky, everyone is shocked to hear that Hugo and Leon are related to Rutee…except for Mary and Stahn. Gee…they miss one piece of information and the whole party goes blank when an easy to connect piece of it comes up.
Rutee waits for the time it takes Stahn to walk from the aforementioned scene in the control room to her hiding place to start bearing her soul…and even cries in his arms. So there can't be anything involving him coming out to comfort her on the night after Leon dies…as much as I'd want to write it.