Okay, here's another story! I hope you like it, and I hope it sounds right, because it kind of came out funky. It's not yaoi, more like a friendship thing. You could consider it yaoi if you want to, though.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia.
Wind buffeted the empty plain, unceremoniously kicking up dust and splaying it into the group's eyes. They squinted against it, elbowing their way through the wind almost like it were a thick liquid. Praying to Martel for the wind to stop, or maybe just avoid them for a few seconds, they trudged on. Zelos had been cursing the wind ever since they had stepped foot out of the forest, knowing full well that by the time they reached the other side of the blasted, flat land, his hair could probably be a roosting place for half a dozen birds (as if it wasn't already). He continued to curse the wind, his vanity, and the annoying little pebble that was insistently digging into his heel.
It continued that way for hours. Many endless, horrid hours, before a small town came into view. The sun was beginning to set, so the town lit up slowly as individual little candles were lit, giving it a glowing light that, though comical, was exactly as the small caravan saw the village; their savior. With a muted, passed-on word, they took off, doing their best to run through the wind. When they had finally reached the inside of the city's protecting walls, every one of them was bent over, panting, and trying to talk at the same time. Needless to say, no understandable words came out.
Finally, one of them was able to speak. "It is a good thing that this town was here." Presea said, monotoned as usual. "I do not think we would have been able to camp in that wind."
"A fire would have been near impossible to keep lit." Regal ruminated, admiring the stars that could be barely seen over the steady glow of the town. Zelos thought about that for a moment, only a moment.
"And we would've been left in the dark…" he looked pointedly at Lloyd. "And we all know how I love the dark." He chuckled at their personal joke and Sheena slugged him in the arm.
"Shut up," she huffed, remembering the end of that conversation. Zelos chuckled, ending by extending one of his laughs into a sigh and rubbing his new addition to the bruise collection. "If you don't watch your step, you'll end up looking like a giant prune." For a moment they peered at each other, then Sheena gave a small laugh. "You're hair's terrible. Looks like you got birds roosting in there."
Colette saved Zelos from spouting off another rebuttal and getting another bruise. "Hey Sheena! Isn't that one of your friends?" The small procession followed her pointed finger to see a man garbed in traditional Mizuho garbs talking to a man that looked to be of Holy background. Sheena turned away from the proclaimed 'idiot Chosen' and looked at the man, confusion etched on her face.
"What's wrong? Can't remember all of your conquests?" Zelos snickered, taking a sidestep and avoiding her slap. She glared at him through chocolate-brown eyes, and Zelos just gave her a triumphant gaze through his violet ones.
"I know everyone in Mizuho, and he's not one of them! But…" she paused and narrowed her eyes in scrutiny, trying to get a better look at the man. "He does look familiar. You know, kind of like one of those faces in the crowd, just don't remember where." She turned and ran over to the ninja, shouting out a sharp 'oi'.
Zelos tried to eavesdrop, but he kept getting interrupted by frivolous comments his friends made.
"Wow!" Genis cried, glancing around at the tall wall and even taller buildings. "This place is huge! I can't believe it's out here in the middle of nowhere." Zelos nodded his head in distracted agreement, but still, he was continuously interrupted.
"Indeed. I wonder how they get water, seeing as there's no supply in the middle of the desert." Presea noted, prompting an agreement from Regal.
"Maybe they've used some form of Magitechnology to pump the water from a source outside of the desert." Raine reasoned, gently hugging her middle in thought. The others tried to imagine ways of getting water to a dry destination, and Zelos managed to overhear a small snippet of information.
"…I'd heard that you had gone to assassinate the Chosen of Sylverant, but failed and brought them here?" His voice was a mix of astonished anger and dangerous intentions.
"What damage could another Chosen possibly do here?" Sheena's voice was high in defense.
"Or they dug deep enough." Lloyd pointed to a small well poking innocently out of the ground. Raine blushed in embarrassment.
"Yes, that makes sense. Nice observation, Lloyd." She sniffed, trying to grasp onto her remaining dignity. Genis laughed and opened his mouth to make a comment, but one dark glare from his sister that promised him plenty of pain, stopped him in his tracks. "When Sheena gets down, we better go find an inn for the night." She glanced around the group, and Zelos finally gave up trying to overhear. "I assume you know your rooms…"
"Yup!" The redheaded Chosen looped his arm around Lloyd's neck, letting him settle in the crook of his elbow. "Me and bud get to bunk!" There was a slight sigh and Zelos looked down to see his bud blowing at his bangs. "Don't act so happy."
"I won't!" he laughed, throwing his red arm over Zelos's shoulder, mimicking his position. They stayed like that for a moment, their awkward position teetering for a minute. Then, like an invisible wind had blown, they fell over, throwing up a cloud of dust.
"Geniuses…" Sheena muttered as she wandering back over to the group. Her eyes were distracted and thoughtful.
"So, did you know him?" Lloyd asked, still on the ground with his arm over Zelos and vice-versa.
"Nope, but he's from my village." She mumbled, still thoughtful.
"Are you sure?" Zelos asked. The dust muffled his voice. Sheena shot him a glare.
"Yes, I'm sure!" she growled, kicking dust over his fallen body. He coughed and Lloyd gave a shout. "Oh, sorry Lloyd."
"No, no I'm fine!" Zelos grumbled, finally picking his face out of the dirt. He let out a whimper, "my face."
"Oh wah!" Sheena let out a mock cry and turned back towards the tall buildings, she set a foot forward, then turned to give the group an almond-eyed stare. "Are we going to go to the inn or what?" And she was off, her obnoxiously huge pink ribbon flailing helplessly behind her. Lloyd and Zelos shot Raine a look, and everybody else quickly mimicked them.
The professor gave a sigh and followed her room mate, "I'll try to see what's wrong tonight. She is a little more volatile than usual." The other's followed and Zelos and Lloyd sat for a minute in the dust.
"Man, she's mad isn't she?" Lloyd asked, propping his arm over his knee. Zelos grunted and stood, offering his semi-gloved hand to the downed swordsman.
"Geez bud, you must not know anything about women. They're always mad about something," Lloyd grasped his hand and propped himself up, but almost pulled Zelos down on top of him. "Man, you need to go on a diet!"
"Really? Colette never seems to be mad," he ruminated as the two followed the crowd. Zelos rolled his eyes and patted his shoulder sympathetically.
"Ah… there's the loop in the rule, My little angel… is she really fit to be categorized as a normal women?"
"Yeah, guess you're right…" he grudgingly admitted, giving Zelos the room for an indignant, hurt face.
"You hurt me right here," the redhead put a fist to his heart and flung his arm back around Lloyd's shoulders, allowing it to slide right into place like it had been carved to fit there, "acting like you didn't think I'd be right. You expect me to be wrong like some country bumpkin," he shot a gaze down at his friend and received a playful punch to his side.
"Hey! I'm hardly wrong! I give the right answer… you just ask the wrong question."
"Bumpkin logic…" he sighed, thumping the brunette's cheek lightly, but affectionately.
It was early… too early in Zelos' thinking to have to wake up. He yawned and stretched his arms, popping his neck. He stopped in the middle of the square, and cast a glance around at the vendors. Men sat behind their stalls, calling out their goods and holding them up for show. Some men held up round fruit, while other's allowed their swords to gleam happily in the sun. His glance caught on a particularly pretty young lady that sat behind a booth, glancing fondly at her wares. Jewels and charms sat on the slanted booth, reveling in their intricate designs and magical shimmers. Bet one of those would cheer up my precious little ninja, he absently ran a hand into his pocket and felt his plan blow up in front of his face. They hardly had enough to afford provisions, so they definitely didn't have enough for a trinket.
"Hey there!" the lady called, gently leaning over the counter to put forward a beckoning hand. Zelos glanced around, but saw no one, so he swaggered over and bent so that he was even with her golden gaze. He gave her a signature smirk.
"Those gold trinkets have nothing on your golden eyes. They're so rich you would never have to buy anything from me, you've already got my affection," he laughed, planting his palms on the counter and matching her gaze. If I keep this up, I might get a big enough discount.
"Why you little silver-tongued demon," she hissed, putting her palms right beside his so she could move closer. Zelos matched her advance, and their noses were almost touching. Her breath quickened and he smelt the seductive scent of cherries and strawberries.
"Quite the opposite, actually," he laughed at the irony, and the saleswomen's slight smile faulted and Zelos backpedaled. "But, I can be as bad as you want," he snapped his teeth, and the lady's grin evaporated.
"Angel?" At the word, a man turned to look at the two, then disappeared into an alleyway.
"Well, if we're going to play petnames…" the saleswomen backed up and shook her head.
"No, you're an Angel, aren't you?" Zelos backed up and stared at her. "A-a Chosen?"
Zelos let out a sniff, "You bet I am." Still, she backed up until she had her back against the brick wall.
"Which one?" her hissed words hit him like the broad side of a sword. This is what got Sheena's ninja underwear in a bunch. He stuttered for a moment, not used to people in his world knowing about the other one.
"T-Tethe'allen," he finally answered, furrowed his brow in thought. Hostile chick… probably wouldn't be good for my sweet little Colette. On a whim, he'd made a decision, albeit a totally out of character decision. Lloyd must be rubbing off on me. He gave a nervous laugh, "what other one could there be?"
"I'm sure I don't know," she snapped, glancing wildly around the square. Zelos slid into her line of view and gave her a disarming smile.
"My dear, why so hostile?"
"Why so hostile?" she repeated her voice dangerously close to a quiet shout. "You're going to kill us all!" Zelos took that as his point to run, and he noticed it was too late to not gather attention. He ran through the alleys, the people's gazes now a glare as they watched his read hair fly out behind him. The tall buildings looked about ready to swallow him up, they leered down at him and waited for him to make a wrong turn so they could devour him in a dead end. Nonetheless, he turned the right corner and found the door to the inn. Obviously, the people on this side of town hadn't heard the gossip yet, as they were yet to shoot him angry glares only curious glances. He threw open the door and slammed it, planting his back to it and spreading his arms to restrain it.
"Zelos!" Lloyd cried in surprise, then his surprise changed to concern as he saw the glistening sheen of sweat and the fear on his friend's face. "Zelos?"
"Guys… girls… Sheena…" there was a muffled curse, and Zelos laughed inwardly, though he hadn't meant it that way, "Sheena… I know why you were mad…yesterday…" he panted, still trying to catch his breath. The raven-headed ninja stared at him in surprise.
"But how? That guy said…"
"That guy told everyone in town!" There was a shared gasp from Raine and Sheena. "We need to book it!" And at that exact moment, every candle in the inn fluttered into darkness.
Bwa-ha-ha! Cliffhanger! I hope you like it!
