FULL GAME SPOILERS FOR BOTH TALES OF SYMPHONIA AND TALES OF THE ABYSS.
Welcome to the (revamped) St. Albert's Day.
The original fic was posted on this website several years ago for Valentine's Day. I've since changed pairings around a little bit and expanded some of the scenes. However, the original is still available, both on this website, and on my DeviantArt page, for anyone who wants to read it :)
This is part of a larger crossover I'm working on, Just Across the Fonbelt (currently under revision, as well); please see my profile for further details.
Without further adieu, I present to you this fic. I hope you enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tales copyright or the characters; I am merely a fan who enjoys writing about them. All rights belong to Namco; character designs (c) Kosuke Fujishima.
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~St. Albert's Day Redux ~
Part One
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Grand Chokmah truly was a beautiful city. All whitewashed stone and waterfalls, blue roofs and even bluer ocean, it was a magnificent sight even to those who lived there. Today was was particularly nice: though it was still winter, the weather was not very cold at all, and there was the faint scent of spring in the air. In short, it was a day as beautiful as the city she had come to.
For the ex-Chosen of Tethe'alla, however, the beautiful weather was of no difference, and the beautiful day was a cruel irony. Certainly, this city (this planet) had no shortage of gorgeous babes, none of whom were completely immune to his charms, but today, only one "babe" was on his mind: the future chief of Mizuho, Sheena Fujibayashi.
It had been a little more than a month and a half since that fateful day when the eight Aselians had been blasted across the galaxy to the Planet of Fonons, Auldrant...only to find that Kratos, the ancient Seraphim of Cruxis, had been blown there as well. The whole incident had been the result of Lloyd's determination to see his biological father again (if only for a short while), a broken teleporter, and Volt. Through fate's kind hands, they had soon found themselves in the company of Luke fon Fabre and his companions. They were still trying to figure out how to get back to their home planet, but in the meantime, they were enjoying the company of their new friends.
Zelos' current, Sheena-related dilemma, though, had only begun the night before. It happened as Zelos, Genis, and Lloyd had happened upon Guy, Jade, and the Fabre brothers while the latter four were talking in the Curtiss manor's dining room; Guy, Asch, and Jade calm whilst Luke appeared to be upset over something.
On Auldrant, the three Aselians soon learned, there was a tradition of giving "that special someone" a gift on St. Albert's Day (which, they also learned, was less than 36 hours away). Luke was woeing because he had forgotten it was coming up and hadn't the least idea what to get Tear. He had been discussing ideas with his brother and Guy when the other three joined them (Asch hadn't forgotten about the holiday, but he'd had his hands full finding a fitting gift). Jade simply watched, utterly amused by the whole thing and occasionally voicing an opinion (which sounded suspiciously like his usual teasing, but that didn't bother Zelos). As for the three Aselian males, this idea - while not really new - nonetheless sounded very good, and they decided that they, too, would give a special gift to their special someones.
And that was when Zelos' predicament had reared its ugly head. Gifts of chocolate and flowers - presents he had normally lavished on his "hunnies" back home at various opportunities - were as cliché as his gaggle of giggling groupies, and were even less impressive when applied to the summoner he spent increasing amounts of time with. Sheena was not just any woman, and he didn't want to get her just any gift. Even poetry sounded too mainstream (love poems were usually cheesy, anyway!). They didn't even have magic-infused cards here, not the kind Sheena used, anyway (though he wasn't sure they'd be impossible to make - they did have Jade, after all, who seemed pretty darn capable of inventing, well, anything). Nevertheless, Zelos was not really up for the task of swiping a deck from Sheena's bag to get specifics nor kissing up to the caustic soldier to invent said cards (he was sure to find some way for Zelos to repay him), so they were out. It wasn't like she really needed any more of them, anyway.
Then, of course (assuming he thought of anything), there came the task of actually obtaining the gift. On Aselia, despite the 'ex-Chosen' status, he was still quite popular in Meltokio, and at least he knew where to get things - here, not so much. It wasn't a huge problem, but still one he could've done without.
Pocky. Huh? Where on Auldrant - or Aselia - had that come from? Wait...pocky! Yes, that was it! And perhaps a rose or two? Yes, It wasn't much, and yes, they were still the oft-used presents of flowers and sweets, but neither was pocky the run-of-the-mill box of chocolates, either. And what was a "holiday of love" without a rose or two? At the very least, Sheena would know he had tried. Now to get it...but would anyone here even know what pocky was? To the library!
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Genis, to put it bluntly, was stumped. Completely, unequivocally stumped. It was a foreign feeling to the intelligent little half-elf, but it was there all the same. He had been trying to think up a good gift for Presea ever since yesterday. Auldrant's tradition was a good one, but nonetheless a pain in the neck!
A sharpening stone had gone over well with her last time, but giving the same thing twice in a row was an unwritten taboo of the gift-giving tradition. She didn't really need two of them, anyway.
Hmm...he could ask Lloyd for ideas, but the twin swordsman was busy carving Luke's gift to Tear, and his own for Colette. Luke, Tear and Florian were who-knew-where, Raine was doing who-knew-what (he wasn't sure he wanted to know), and Kratos was keeping his son company in the basement. Jade was in the library (where Zelos had just headed). Anise had commandeered the kitchen and Sheena had joined her there; Natalia and Colette were shopping (again), and Jozette had joined them, both to keep the Princess safe and as a "third opinion", whatever that meant. Asch had gone off with Noelle and Guy to Blue Palace (Guy had to walk the rappigs, but he had no idea what the other two needed from Peony and it might be better just not to ask about that, either). Regal was in the garden, watching the water flow. The blue-haired man had worked closely with Presea during the year after the reunification...perhaps he would have some more ideas.
Regal did. "Perhaps a simple choker or a charm," the older man said, "if you are leaning toward more traditional ideas. Whatever you choose, I believe she would prefer a simple gift rather than one more elaborate."
"Yeah...I was sort of hoping to get her a more practical present, though. She really liked the sharpening stone..."
"And you think you must live up to that standard. She will not think less of you for a less 'practical' gift; it is the point, is it not, to give a gift that you think she will really enjoy? That speaks more than the practality of it, as does the thought. You also know she loves to laugh, nowadays."
"Yeah..." Genis thought hard for a moment, then grinned. "I have it...thanks, Regal."
The blue-haired Duke smiled. "You're quite welcome."
Genis smiled to himself, heading back inside. Yes, he knew exactly what to get her.
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Regal smiled as he watched Genis scamper off (oh, to be young and in love!). The blue-haired man turned back toward the ocean. Though his eyes were on the water, his thoughts were far away.
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"We really appreciate your help, Your Majesty," Noelle addressed Peony, who was carefully going through some photo albums with them. "There's no way I could have done all this on my own."
"No problem," Peony smiled. "Poor Gailardia's lost too much as it is - heck, we've all lost a lot," he added thoughtfully, thinking of Asch, who coughed.
"In any case," Peony continued, "I'm happy to be of service. I only wish I had more to offer."
"Your Majesty has already helped a great deal," Asch said. "It was a longshot to begin with; your contributions are already more than what we could have asked for."
"Well, I'm glad you seem satisfied, at least," Peony laughed, handing him another picture. "And how many times have I told you to cut it out with that 'Majesty' crap? It isn't like this is a formal setting!"
Asch smirked. "Too many times, Your Majesty," he said, and Peony groaned.
"I think you've been hanging around Jade too long." Noelle snickered behind her hand - and wouldn't the Colonel be immensely proud to hear it? Peony flipped through another album, then sighed.
"Hate to say it, guys, but I think that's it," he smiled helplessly. "Is there anything else I can do?"
"No, no," Noelle nodded at him, gathering up the photographs. "As Asch said, this is plenty - even more than what we were hoping for. Thank you so much." Noelle bowed, and Peony laughed again.
"Enough formalities," he said once more. "Well, if you think of anything else, just let me know."
"Thank you."
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Guy delivered the rappigs back to His Majesty's hands, then headed out to his own manor to make a few preparations for the next day.
He had become much better with his phobia over the last two years, but he was by no means over it. There were good days and bad days, and on the bad ones he could barely hold a woman's hand.
But Noelle had been patient. She never advanced more than he was willing, never forced an action unless he initiated it, never complained.
But that didn't mean she didn't long for it, and Guy knew that she did. Every so often, as Luke and Tear or Asch and Natalia would be cuddling or trading chaste kisses (or sometimes more passionate ones when they thought there were no witnesses), he had caught Noelle watching them with a wistful expression. He had asked her once, after a particularly bittersweet sigh, if it bothered her. She had assured him that no, it didn't; yes, she would like to enjoy the same affections their friends seemed to, but she knew that Guy was working through his phobia and she had faith that eventually he would overcome it completely. It was a privilege, she said, to watch and assist someone who had been through so much sorrow conquer his demons and come out on top. A phoenix rising from the flames, so to speak.
Plus, he had a love of fontech...really, what phobia could possibly outweigh that trait? He had laughed and squeezed her hand; his warm smile was, for her, more than enough to reconcile whatever peculiarities their relationship currently sustained.
And it was these things that made him all the more determined to give her a St. Albert's Day she would not forget, one worthy of her selflessness and compassion. If he could not yet give her the physical affection he knew she longed for, then he would at least pamper her accordingly in every other way he could.
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"I see," Jade was saying, as Genis pushed open the heavy library door. He was sitting on the couch, talking to an agitated Zelos. "I suppose something could be arranged..." A sickeningly sweet grin appeared on the Colonel's face, and Genis snickered. Ooooh boy. Whatever Jade had in mind for Zelos, it was sure to be entertaining.
"Hello, Genis," the soldier's voice called over from the couch. "I thought you would be in the basement with Lloyd - what brings you here?"
"I was actually hoping you knew where my sister - oh, Raine! You're in here?"
"Yes, the Colonel and I were tossing theories back and forth-"
"Ohhhh?" Zelos' tone rose at the end. He'd been so focused on the pocky, he hadn't even realized that they were both in the room, alone. A wicked smile crept across his face. "Is that all?" he asked in faux-innocence, and Raine narrowed her eyes.
"As a matter of fact, it wasn't," Jade spoke up cheerfully, and Raine looked at him in annoyance. "Miss Raine and I were also discussing the merits of paralysis versus petrification...I do have medicines for both, you know..." he said casually. (Raine had stopped glaring at Jade when he hit 'paralysis' and was now smirking at Zelos in a near-perfect imitation of a certain necromancer.)
"M-medicines?" Zelos raised his eyebrows and tried not to look too disturbed. "Medicines? Sound more like poison to me-"
"No, but I have some of that too-"
"Look, do you think you can make it or not?!" Zelos asked in agitation, and Genis snickered again. Among their group of nine, Zelos tended to be one of the two main sources of aggravation (Lloyd was the other one, and it was for entirely different reasons), so it was quite funny to watch someone aggravate him so well, so easily. Zelos and the Colonel had hit it off for some strange reason, so to see Jade use his peculiar "gift" on the ex-Chosen was a rare treat.
"My, my - such a temper," Jade commented, and Zelos narrowed his eyes. Jade ignored him. "Well, from your description, it doesn't seem terribly difficult. I'm sure either Anise or I could figure it out."
"And what did you need, Genis?" Raine asked. "Lloyd's downstairs, if-"
"Oh, no, I know where he's at. Actually, I wanted to ask you if I could go to the marketplace?"
"The marketplace? For...?"
"Oh! Well...I, um..." Genis blushed a little, and Zelos spoke up.
"You wanna get a little love-token for our pink-haired comrade, don't ya?" he asked slyly, nudging the boy with an elbow.
"Zelos..." he said warningly. Zelos' grin didn't waver an iota, and Genis glared at him. When this had no effect, he appealed to Raine again.
"Anyway...may I go?"
"Well, I suppose I don't see a problem, but Grand Chokmah is large and we don't know the city particularly well...I'd feel better if you went with someone who did. Isn't Guy around?"
"He's walking the Emperor's rappigs." Genis frowned. "And everyone else is off doing their own thing."
"Well, I suppose I could-" she began, but Jade interuppted.
"Well then, it seems things have worked out quite nicely," he said, turning to Raine. "Would you allow him to accompany me into the city? We can get the ingredients for this pocky and his gift at the same time."
"If...you're certain you don't mind..." she said slowly.
"Not at all," he said. "In fact, why don't you join us? I'm sure we could all use a good stretch of the legs."
"Ohhh?" Zelos' eyes narrowed scandalously.
"I'm rather lacking in a few key ingredients for that paralysis potion I mentioned before," Jade smiled pleasantly, "and I would find a second set of eyes most useful. My sight simply isn't what it used to be..." He sighed dramatically.
"Say, but isn't your lab right across from the kitchen?!" Genis asked in false agitation.
"Now, Genis," Raine said reassuringly, "I'm sure Colonel Curtiss keeps his kitchen spotless. There's no chance that something like that would contaminate our food. Zelos should feel perfectly confident in asking the Colonel's help."
Zelos swallowed.
"I think it's great that you folks get out and get some exercise and Grand Chokmah sunshine! S-so, Jade, about our arrangement...our nice, poison-free arrangement..."
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Asch escorted Noelle back to the Curtiss Manor and then headed out toward Grand Chokmah's shopping district. Natalia wasn't exactly an easy person to shop for. For one thing, they already had most of whatever they needed, and for another, they'd been betrothed since birth. That meant that both practical presents and more traditional ones were rather redundant. He'd planned to be in Baticul for this Albert's Day, but fate had stepped in and dictated otherwise, and he'd had to revise his original plan, much to his irritation.
But, he had to admit, he wasn't displeased with this new plan, either. He only hoped she would enjoy it as much as he did.
Emperor Peony's directions were crystal-clear, and soon, Asch arrived at the building he sought, near the land-entrance to the city.
"I'd like to rent a pair of dragons for tomorrow, please."
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Malkuth's main marketplace was always busy, but it was even more so with St. Albert's Day on the morrow; people bustled about with last-minute preparations and shopping. Luke looked around at all the hubbub, thinking about everything that had transpired in the last month. Half-elves and dwarves and split planets...who knew?
"Tear, what do you think of this one?" Florian asked, a few feet away at a vendor. "Do you think Anise would like this?" The green-haired young man held up a necklace, with a pretty pink jewel in the shape of a heart hanging off a silver chain, and Tear nodded.
"I think it's very pretty," she said. "Don't you think so, Luke?"
The redhead, broken from his thoughts, nodded. "Yeah. You know how she is about pink - she'll love it."
"Indeed," asserted a familiar sarcastic voice. "You might also consider throwing in a hair ribbon or two."
"Aaugh!"
"Colonel?"
"Hi, Jade."
"You really get a kick out of that, don't you?" another, younger voice stated.
"Jade? Genis? Raine? What are you guys doing here?" Luke asked, after his heart started again. Genis shrugged.
"We're getting my gift for Presea and ingredients for pocky."
"Pocky?" Both Luke and Florian looked lost.
"What's that?" Tear asked.
"I'm afraid Genis is better-suited to explain that than I am..." Jade shrugged, while his friends shook their heads in amusement. The Colonel wouldn't be the Colonel if he didn't avoid explaining at all costs.
"It's something they make...where we come from," Genis answered discreetly. "They're these really thin, stick-like wafers, and on one end goes a flavored coating of some kind. There's like a million different varieties. It's really tasty and Sheena really likes it, but you can't get it here so we gotta make it ourselves."
"Eh? So why are you here and not Zelos?" Luke wanted to know.
"Oh, he's elsewhere," Jade said with a wave of his hand. "We...negotiated."
A shiver went up Luke's spine. None of his companions seemed to suffer the same affliction. Raine and Tear he could understand - well, Tear sort of - but Genis and Florian...
"Oh, for Origin's sake - he told Zelos to clean the library," Genis answered to Luke's grimace, "in exchange for him making the pocky. You're pathetic."
"Yanno there's like a hundred different morbid ways he could have meant that word..." Luke commented, and Tear poked him.
"Luke, you know he was just trying to get a rise out of us. As always," she tacked on, with a roll of her eyes at Jade. He shrugged, amused grin still plastered on his face.
"Hey, you flinch when he does stuff, too, you just hide it better!" Luke said. Then it hit him. "Zelos is cleaning your library?"
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Zelos glanced around the library, exhausted just by looking at it. Books were absolutely everywhere: some lay open on the tables and countless others were stacked in piles. Ever since the Aselians had accidentally come to Auldrant, both they and their native-born friends had been searching for a way to get them back home (in-between fun excursions and small breaks such as today, of course).
The research work was long and tedious: first they actually had to find a book that sounded like it might help, then they had to skim it to see if the information was relevant, too. Because of this, Jade had instructed the servants to leave the library alone for the time being...but as a result, it was a continual mess.
The open books in the center coffee table were ones the brainiacs were currently working on; the ones in piles were those they'd found unhelpful and just hadn't bothered to put away. Some of them, he noticed, didn't even belong in the library, but were ones the Colonel kept in his room (geniuses and their books...honestly!).
Zelos sighed heavily - he had a lot of work ahead of him. But hey, Sheena's pocky was at stake!
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"What do you think of this one, Natalia?" Colette was asking the royal. In her hand was a charm of some kind, a gift for her Lloyd. Natalia nodded enthusiastically, turning to the vendor.
Jozette Cecille sighed softly as she trailed after the princess and her friend. She hoped that her sorrow was not too evident; one of Natalia's stipulations to joining them on the shopping trip was that she must try to relax and enjoy herself. The other stipulation was that she couldn't wear her military jacket. That, Natalia said, would defeat the whole purpose of them not addressing her as "Princess".
Jozette had been slowly adjusting to calling Natalia by first name ever since they had boarded the landship and the Princess had insisted that they not use her title; that part was not difficult. And the military jacket was easily removed and left at Colonel Jade's manor.
The enjoying herself, that was the hard part. But that was not the Princess' fault; Natalia had already done enough, inviting her to join them and trying to help her be happy for a few hours. A holiday where everyone was celebrating their love made Jozette even more painfully aware of the loss of her own.
Aslan's face floated through her mind once again. How she missed him.
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Luke stared in awe at the small wooden charm. A selenia: simple in design, but intricate in its detail; so fine was the workmanship that, had the color been a bluish tint rather than the white-beige of the wood, he would never have guessed it was anything but the real flower. Lloyd was now studiously working on his own gift to Colette, a small figurine in the shape of a dog. He still had a little ways to go, but, he'd finish it before tomorrow.
"Thanks, Lloyd . . . . " Luke said. "It's perfect." Lloyd nodded happily, pleased that Luke approved, before continuing on with his own task.
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Zelos grinned as he wandered through the kitchen.
"My, the Colonel really outdid himself..." Tear observed as she looked around.
For the past two hours, Zelos had been off with Tear (Noelle and Colette were working on their own gifts, he didn't want to know what Raine was doing). The Oracle Knight had helped him pick out a cute little towel and a small basket to place the pocky in (he'd asked Jade to make a LOT), as well as a few pink roses and a little stuffed fox.
They had just returned to the manor and headed to the kitchen, and Zelos was quite pleased with the results. Pocky, pocky, everywhere: several different flavors, all of which were Sheena's favorites, were out and about on the counters. Behind it all, Anise stood...and she was not happy.
"What d'you mean, 'the Colonel outdid himself'?! I'm the one that made it all!"
"Huh?" Zelos looked confused. "Jade said that he-"
"Well, he didn't, I did!" Anise declared huffily, and muttered something about not getting any respect. Tear, looking mildly annoyed and somewhat exasperated, merely put a hand to her head.
"Typical," she sighed. "Don't worry about it, Zelos."
"Eh, that's cool. I'll get him later," Zelos responded, before turning back to Anise. "Thanks, Anise - I owe you big time." He thought for a moment, then handed her a small bag of Gald. "Here...that's reasonable recompense, right?"
It was more than reasonable, in Anise's mind. This guy really knew how to please women. She grinned, "You're forgiven!"
"I knew you'd like that," Zelos grinned (that bag, after all, was nothing but a drop in the bucket for him). Putting his irritation with the Colonel aside, he turned to the task of readying his gift.
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That night, as the day was coming to a close, the seventeen of them gathered in the (now) no-so-cluttered library and just relaxed for awhile. Whether they were playing games or simply chatting, they were content, fully enjoying the company of one another.
At last, as midnight was approaching, it was insisted by the self-appointed "parents" of the group that everyone get ready for bed, and it was reluctantly agreed to be a good idea.
After leaving the library, Natalia came into her room (she found she really was quite tired). Upon entering the bedchamber, she saw an unexpected something: a single white rose, and an envelope addressed to her, sitting on the pillow.
She smiled as she read the note inside.
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.:Part One End:.
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Jade's a pain to write for, btw. Especially when you're trying to write him doing something you never see him do in the game. I hope he's still in-character.
There WILL be a second part to this, just as there was in the old one. I have to revise that too ;) ETA tentatively scheduled for March 14th, which is Japan's other "love holiday", White Day ;) (Google it if you don't know what that is.)
This is not in the crossover section because eventually there will be more than two Tales games interacting, and it doesn't let you list more than two games/movies/etc for crossovers. So I set my crossover stories in the category of whatever world it physically takes place on, which in this case is Auldrant. I have plans for at least three sequels for Just Across the Fonbelt and eventually there will be a third part to this as well, with Vesperia characters interacting :) (Jade versus Raven - that'll be fun to write *laughs maniacally*). Hence, why this is posted in the regular Tales of the Abyss section rather than in the crossovers section.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- "St. Albert's Day" is in no way canon, but rather my own creation (supposedly the day on which Fleil Albert proposed to Yulia Jue). However, if any of you should like to use it in a fic, consider permission granted! =)
- This takes place a few months after Luke returns and about half a year before the start of Dawn of a New World.
- They are all in Grand Chokmah at the Curtiss manor. This is because (as it will be explained in the main story) they are searching for a way to get back to Aselia, and Jade is the person (on Auldrant) most likely to know how to go about it and/or have the means of doing so. Thus the location.
- Genis actually does give Presea a sharpening stone in-game as a gift. It is in Skit #226, "...I...I...I...I...I..."
- Jade actually does have "medicines" (his words, not mine) both to cause "paralysis and temporary unconsciousness" and to "induct temporary cardiac arrest" (see Skit #344, "Jade's Sense of Curiosity"). He doesn't say anything about a petrification one, but it stands to reason he probably has that, too XD
Finally, the characters' ages for each game are as follows:
SYMPHONIA
Genis: 14
Presea: 14 (30)
Colette: 18
Lloyd: 19
Sheena: 21
Zelos: 24
Raine: 25
Kratos: 30 (4030)
Regal: 35
ABYSS
Anise: 16
Florian: 17
Tear: 19
Luke: 20
Natalia: 21
Noelle: 23
Guy: 24
Jozette Cecille: 30
Jade: 39
Thank you all for reading! -MoonlightTyger