A/N: Well, in honor of Valentine's Day, or more or less out of my boredom on Valentine's Day, I inadvertently ended up writing yet another 6+ pages in my notebook on the topic that was freshest in my mind. However, this time I decided that I should actually upload it, if only to get something onto my account. Please let me know if you would like me to continue work on this, as I often move from topic to topic, and end up forgetting all about things.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss, or any of the characters- All rights belong to Namco Bandi
"Hey… Sync…" Sync was rather uncomfortably awakened by the sharp prodding of a giant paw.
Cursing, he pulled the blankets over his head, hoping the wild child hadn't seen more than she was meant to. Thankfully, he had been sleeping facing the wall.
"Sync!" she hissed, this time signaling to her liger to jab him a little harder.
"What do you want, Arietta!" the green haired replica shot back, still quite bleary eyed. Judging by the darkened state of the room, the sun had not yet even begun to have risen, meaning it was scarcely even 5 in the morning. Needless to say, this did not please the young God General.
"Well… I didn't want to disturb Major Legretta," she started.
'Well you had no qualms about disturbing me!' Sync sneered in his head.
"-and I knew the others wouldn't help me. Sync, I- I-,"
"Out with it already." He said coldly. Burying his face in his pillow, he extended an arm to grapple with the clutter on his desk for his mask, or a heavy paperweight to throw at her.
"You, um, know what today is, right?" she asked tentatively.
'Was today different from any other day?' He fished through his weary mind for any recent events that seemed out of the norm As he retired late last night, he recalled a group of Oracle Soldiers attempting to hang a banner with 'St. Valentine's Day' written across it. 'Was that today?' Feeling the wooden grain of his mask beneath his fingertips, he drew it in and turned back towards the wall.
"Perhaps." came his reply.
"Then please help me… Help me snatch my Ion's heart back from that witch Anise!" Arietta roared, proclaiming her rival to be on the level of those who had killed the Liger Queen.
Ion… just the name made him more angry than she could ever know; and she had the nerve to ask him to help her with him…
"Did you seriously only wake me up," he pushed himself to his knees, clenching his fists, spitting venom as he went on, "So that I could help you look for that pathetic waste of space you call a fon master!" his mask concealing his eyes; a glare a sharp as daggers.
Arietta however missed these warning signs completely, blinded by the insult that had just been thrown in the direction of her beloved Ion.
"He is NOT a waste of space!" Arietta hissed with great fury, while her liger gave a low growl. "He's accomplished more than you could ever dream of. If anything, Sync, You're the waste of space!" At that moment Arietta fully expected Sync to lunge at her, but nothing became of it.
Instead, a small, self depreciating chuckle rang out through the silence, emanating from the one she did know to be an Ion replica. He turned to face her, a saddened grin upon his face, and stated, "If only you knew how right you are about me…"
"Sync! What is that supposed to mean?"
"Leave me alone, Arietta." He said, irritated, as he laid back down to face the wall once again.
"Fine! If that's how you're going to be, then I'll go alone. Then I'll get a chance to kill those who killed Mommy, too." And with that she whirled out of the room, clinging to her liger brethren as it sprinted down the hall.
Sync closed his eyes as he listened to the liger's footfalls fade into the night. As he attempted to get atleast an hour of sleep before his typical rude awakening, he couldn't help but feeling a twinge of regret for snapping at her. After all, 'She doesn't know." He sighed, "And it's not her fault regardless, but she's too naïve for her own good.' Slowly he drifted into an uneasy sleep.
When next he opened his eyes, he was standing in front of the Order of Lorelei HQ with no memory as to how he arrived there, The sky was dark and gloomy; clouds appearing to sag, whilst threatening to burst at every roll of thunder that boomed overhead. Minus the initial shock to his system, the first thing Sync realized was that he was without his mask. But one glance over his shoulder was enough to tell him that the streets of Daath were eerily devoid of life.
The wind began to pock up into a fierce gale that could rival even his Turbulence arte. Feeling as though he would be swept off his feet at any moment, he proceeded to enter the HQ. Once inside he was met with the eerie lack of presence that seemed to grip Daath itself. As the wind could be heard whistling outside, Sync picked up on something else that tainted the atmosphere so heavily he felt it could consume him; the sense of dread.
"Is anybody around here?" Sync called out to the hallow walls; only the echo of his cry returning to his ears.
Just as he was about to turn to leave, he spotted a figure approaching him from the corner of his eye. It was Arietta's liger, its head hung in shame. He was going to disregard the incident entirely, but the liger seemed to be beckoning for him to follow. Without even being completely aware of what he was doing, Sync obliged. The liger led him up the grand-looking stairs and stood by the door to the Cathedral, as if waiting for him to open it.
Taking a deep breath, Sync opened part of the door, allowing only enough room for himself to slip through, leaving the liger behind. The second he entered the room a scent hit his nostrils that told him something was very wrong; 'Blood.' His eyes trailed to the center of the room, where a wooden casket lay, top open, with what looked like the handle of a staff protruding from it. Curious, Sync approached it. Gazing down at the figure inside caused his face to go paler than one could ever imagine-
In the box lay Arietta, her own blood soaking her clothing; a spear through her heart.
"No…" Sync gasped, and fell to his knees.
"How could I have let something like this happen…?"
Sync woke with a start to find himself in his bedroom, The sun had not yet crested Mt. Zaleho, but peering out his window he saw that the night was dying. "The Necromancer is going to kill Arietta." He confirmed with himself, then he jumped out of bed and sprinted down the hall toward the lounge of sorts, in search of the man whom while he greatly detests, holds the one piece of information vital to what must be done. For Sync knew what he experienced was too vivid to be a dream, but a vision of a future where he lets Arietta die.
Well, that's all for now.
Now I remember why I don't do this that often- it took me 2 hours to type this…
Please Review; Critiques welcome.