Chapter Summary: Late at night, an odd trio arrive in Mars. Celine plays at being a mother hen and later makes a couple of calls.
Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns the characters and the franchise, I'm just playing in their sandbox.
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Being the refined woman that she is, Celine knows that disturbing another person during the night is at the very height of rudeness. Unfortunately, she also knows that emergencies do happen occasionally, even in her sleepy hometown. It is this knowledge that kept her temper in check as she rushed to the front door in hopes of sparing her parents a stressful awakening, then rekindled it once she spied the originator of the knocking from the living-room windows.
"Ashton. Darling." The words, tinged ever so lightly with acid, escaped from her as she wrenched the door open with more force than was strictly necessary and turned her attention to his bowed head. "I know that you know better than to call on a lady so-"
"He says that we should apologize for disturbing you. We apologize." The vapor of his breath danced lazily between them as the dragons on his back swayed to and fro. Head tilting upward, tired eyes slowly opened to reveal mildly glowing yellow orbs as one hand withdrew from his robe to present a book to her in the darkness. "We also request your assistance."
Taken aback and ignoring the proffered book, she motioned him--them--inside, pulling the robe about her tighter still out of both deference to the cold and their presence as she studied both the dragons and the man they was attached to. "As much as I delight in the company of you and your brother, Gyoro, I'd like to talk to Ashton if it's not too much of a bother."
"We will depart from his mind as much as we are able once you take this tome from our possession."
Celine laid her fingers on the book in Ashton's hands, meeting his eyes as she turned the words he had used over in her mind before finally removing it from his relaxed grasp. "Did something happen to cause this?"
Gyoro closed Ashton's eyes and a low, gentle growl escaped the throat of the red dragon on his back, apparently not caring to reply in the other manner readily available to him. Celine shifted her weight, studying the man before her, the seconds seeming to drag slowly by before his eyes drifted open again, even tireder than before, but now displaying their natural color. He swayed on his feet, seemingly unsteady, and she dropped the book, reaching out to lend support and provide balance even as she winced at the chill she detected under the many layers he wore.
"You better not fall, Darling. I don't think there's enough strength in me to catch you. Do you need to lie down?"
"S-sorry, Celine. I just....No, I can't sleep yet. I want to, but I can't."
"You're positively hopeless, you know that? Will you at least sit for me?"
He laughed weakly at the teasing and shook his head in answer to the question as the dragons on his back started to droop visibly. " Um. You know how I told you a little after we reached Nede that we could hear each other think and talk together in our heads when we wanted to? That I didn't just somehow understand what they said out loud anymore?"
"Yes, Darling, I do." Celine began pulling him along gently towards the staircase, mindful of her sleeping parents.
"W-well...Where are we going?"
"Upstairs." Celine fought back a laugh as his eyes widened and he blushed faintly, pale mouth working silently. "I'd rather not wake my parents with all this talk, and the guest room is upstairs, remember? Now hush and tell me the rest."
"Oh, uh, um...I guess it was about six months ago--no, it was more than that, almost a year I think, or maybe longer--we started feeling what the others felt. Like they'd get into a fight and we'd all feel the biting, or if I scratched one of them under their jaw it'd feel like someone was scratching all of us there and--y-you--didn't you say that we were going to the guest room?"
"Ashton, Darling. Does it look to you like the guest room has a door?"
"Well, no, but-"
"And didn't I tell you that I'd rather not wake my parents?"
"Yes, yes you did. You're a wonderful daughter, Celine, you really, truly are I just--I just don't think I'm going to be very comfortable in there."
She smiled perversely as she moved in front of him to take both his hands in hers, leading him through the open doorway. "No worries, I'll make sure you feel very at home."
"....You're picking on me."
"Of course I am, Darling. I'm ever so sorry for it, but old habits are hard to break. You're ever so easy to wind up; how could a girl resist? Now come on, finish the rest. I need to know as much as possible before I talk to the Elder in the morning."
"Okay," Ashton rubbed the back of his head, sighed slowly and took a long breath as Celine moved away to sit on her bed after shutting the door behind them. "So we started..sharing sensations. Then we didn't even have to think at each other anymore; it was just there all the time. All of it; every thought any of us ever had. A little while after that, they....They started taking me over without meaning too. We'd go to sleep as ourselves, but when we woke up Gyoro or Ururun would be in control sometimes, but I could still see and hear and..everything. I was still there and I knew what was happening and what they did; I didn't black out like I did before. We can fix it; it takes a lot of concentration, but we can, and now it's happening more and more often and....And that's pretty much it."
"I don't..." Celine sighed softly, lowering her gaze to the hands in her lap as she took the flood of information in, her mind working furiously. "I don't believe I've ever heard of such a thing occurring, Darling. But then...people who become possessed by demons tend to be rid of them fairly quickly, one way or another. The three of you have been together for so long, and Gyoro and Ururun are rather powerful...."
"That's what we're thinking," Ashton nodded. He scanned her lap, the areas beside her on the bed and the floor before shrugging to himself faintly and looking back to her. "The book that we gave you--wherever it went--it's got an old Elurian ritual in it. It's...not quite what we were looking for, but it'll separate us and Gyoro and Ururun won't die from it. It's...complex. Very intricate. I'm going to need more crest tattoos for one thing." Gyoro nudged the back of his head roughly after a moment of silence descended, and Ururun curled his long neck around to stare at him accusingly.
"And what is it that you aren't telling me?" She raised an eyebrow at him as she observed the dragons' behavior.
"...They'll be fine. It's just that, well...It's dangerous."
"'Dangerous' as in you'll be weak afterwards or 'dangerous' as in you might die?"
Ashton closed his eyes and turned his head away, his mouth working slowly and silently before whispering, "I...As in I might die."
"From the heraldry?" Her forehead found it's way to her waiting hands as she felt a tension headache approach.
"No, not the magics. They're pretty passive, apparently. Mostly for these two. I....I have to...cut myself and bleed out. Quite a bit."
Long moments passed before Celine was able to look at the heraldic swordsman that stood before her again. "I'm going to call Rena and Bowman. At the very least, we're going to come with you." She shook her head and sighed as she stood, suddenly looking just as tired as he did. "I swear, Ashton, Darling, I have no idea how you find yourself in these situations. Bad luck be damned."
"Can you believe that it actually seems to be improving lately?"
"Please don't joke, Darling. I think the time for it has passed." She studied him intently, cataloging every aspect of his appearance before speaking again. "I'm sure that I don't want to know, but when was the last time you slept, bathed, or ate?"
"A while ago, on the boat from El. It rained the other night while I was traveling."
"You saw the bathroom on the way in, yes? Take a bath and leave your clothes and armor by the door, I'll put some of my father's for you there and put something on for you to eat once you're done. I'll even cut your hair for you if you'd like."
He blinked owlishly at her. "You don't have to do all that."
"Just hush and let me coddle you for a bit. I don't give in to the temptation very often."
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"Hello?...Hello? Um...Is anyone there?"
Celine shut her father's dresser quietly before she exited the bedroom and pulled the door closed behind her gently, juggling the clothing in her arms as she moved about, her head and neck squeezed together at an odd angle. "Hello there, Rena, Darling. I'm so sorry for calling you so late at night, but I'm in a bit of a situation. I do hope that you understand."
"Oh, it's okay Celine, it's only nine o'clock here. What's....Oh, Claude says 'hi,' and I'm sure Dias does too."
"You be sure to give those strapping men of yours kisses on the cheek for me, will you? Truth be told, Darling, I'm afraid this situation I'm calling about is in regard to our dear Mr. Anchors."
"Ashton? Is he okay?" A brief scuffling sound came over the phone followed closely by muffled, slightly distorted voices. "Is he there with you? Is he hurt?"
"He showed up on my doorstep less than half an hour ago, I suppose. Physically he's...he's not hurt but he is in a spot of trouble that desperately requires your assistance." She winced at the strained feeling in her neck and the way Rena was obviously parroting her words to Claude on the other end of the line. Taking a weary breath, she bent down to place the clean clothes beside the bathroom door and regarded Ashton's dirty clothing and armor thoughtfully. "I suppose that might be the wrong way to put it; you don't need to fly over right this instant but-"
"Celine, what's going on?"
"Claude!...Sorry Celine."
"It's alright, Darling. I'm having a bit of difficulty putting this into words, I'm afraid. He's here and safe; tired and cold and hungry and dirty, but I'm watching him; he'll be fine until you arrive." She lifted his heavy robe to the light of the hallway and peered through the material, frowning. "I'm even going to be replacing his clothing while I'm at it, apparently.... Oh, I must apologize again, my train of thought has completely gotten away from me."
"Anyway," she continued as she gathered his old clothing and headed downstairs. "He showed up at my door completely unannounced. I got him inside and he told me that he and the dragons are having some very disturbing difficulties. They've managed to find a way to separate themselves, but Ashton has to bleed himself to near-death apparently for it to work."
"Oh, Tria, that's horrible! But, Celine...my powers don't create new blood, they just heal wounds. I don't know if I can-"
"It's fine, Darling. I'm going to call Bowman as well and get him over here for that." She entered the kitchen and dropped the old clothing--robe, pants, boots, all of it--into the trash before turning to the icebox and examining the foodstuffs inside. "I've heard that the doctors in Linga have come up with a way to allow a person to give a bit of their blood to another. Knowing him, he can get whatever is needed to do just that and be here in a few days. It will all work out."
"Really? That's amazing. Okay, we'll be there as soon as possible. Or should we meet you in the Salva Drift?"
Celine removed the top from a large pot and examined the contents, discovering the stew that her mother had served earlier in the day. "I don't know. I didn't think to ask. He brought a book with him, but I haven't looked through it yet. Caution is never a bad thing, though, so you may want to pack yourselves well and come here just in case. We'll have to wait on Bowman as it is, unfortunately."
"We'll do that, then. Do you want me to call the others for you? You have to be busy enough as it is already."
"Oh, it's quite alright, you don't need to bother yourself with all that," she grunted lightly, transferring the pot to the top of the stove and turned back to the icebox, removing the bag of rolls that had sat beside it. "I was going to ask Bowman's opinion on that when I talked to him; I'm not sure if we need to drag our entire motley lot into this. And if you'll permit me to honest; I have to admit that I'm not sure that we have enough time to wait on the others to drag themselves from whatever they're involved in."
"Well....If you're sure."
"I'm sure, Darling. You all have enough on your hands with packing and traveling. I can handle contacting the others, it's no trouble at all."
Hanging up after exchanging farewells with Rena, she stared at the meal she was building as she turned the stove on, vaguely wondering if it was enough. The man upstairs had a tendency to eat enough--quite literally--for three people, if her memory served her correctly. Or maybe that was Dias. She certainly hoped it was Dias. She didn't know what would happen if she actually had to cook. Maybe she could cut up a few pieces of fruit if he was still hungry afterwards. At least that wouldn't lead to a fire.
Redialing the phone, she found herself absently hoping that she had gotten confused. Maybe it was Ashton that picked at his food like a bird and not Noel. Maybe the Nedian's overwhelming love of animals had tainted her perceptions and memories of her former traveling companions' habits. She had a very strong feeling that she was confusing Dias with Ashton or Noel with Dias or Ashton with-
"Hmmmp. Whedeyoowaan?"
Oh, thank Tria. "Bowman, Darling! How are you this lovely morning?"
"Mmph. Who i' it?"
"Bowman Jean. Do not tell me that you don't recognize the voice of the loveliest ex-fiancée you ever had."
"Oh. Hey there, Jennifer."
"Bowman!"
"Alright, alright. Hi, Celine. So.... Do you have any idea what time it is?"
"Late enough that I don't feel any guilt whatsoever about waking you up."
"Oh. Great." A prolonged grunt sounded over the line. "Is this the anniversary of the day you called our engagement off, or what? 'Cause if it is, I've got to break it to you that my heart has finally mended itself back together."
She absently studied the nails on one of her hands. "You know, I can't even remember what day that was," she lied.
"Me either," so did he. "So, I take it this isn't a social call."
"Unfortunately, no. Ashton's in need of your assistance. He's found a way to get rid of the dragons, but the poor dear has to cut himself to do so."
"...He has to exsanguinate himself? What the hell type of exorcism method is this?"
"I don't honestly know. He's so tired that I didn't want to press him too hard and I've yet to look at the book he brought with him."
"You heraldry users are all insane. There's no other way? He can't hold it off and, I dunno, look for another method?"
"His situation with the dragons has become a wee bit too dire for that, I'm afraid," Celine turned quickly to the pot and looked for a spoon, suddenly remembering that she actually needed to stir the stew as it heated; at least occasionally. She also needed a plate to warm the rolls on; they were rather stiff when cold.
"So he's going to need a blood transfusion afterwards. What's his blood type?"
"Blood type? I'm sorry, Darling, but I don't have faintest as to what you're talking about."
"Oh, yeah. That's right. He wouldn't happen to be from the Lacour Continent would he? I don't think I ever caught where he was from."
"I'm fairly certain that he's originally from Eluria, judging from his fighting style and the odd manner he had about him while we were there. Like I said, though, I'm not all that sure."
"Great. He's from the one continent that the university has absolutely no data on. I'll have to pick up a few extra kits. Not that I didn't need them already."
"You can't just bring some along with you?"
"What, blood? Blood doesn't travel well with our current technology. If you could do this thing here in Linga, we might be able to work something out, but anywhere else and it's got to be onsite."
"Should I contact all of the others then?"
"Have you called Rena yet? She'd make sense for this."
"Yes. Claude is with her of course, and Dias is apparently with them at the moment. I'm sure she'll make him tag along, though."
"So that leave Chisato, Noel, Leon, and....Precis," he sighed deeply. "I tested Chisato when she came by to interview the leading researcher for this project; Nedian blood seems wholly incompatible with our own when it comes to transfusions. The same with Fellpools, so Leon's out too. I'll just....grab Precis before I leave town."
"I'm so sorry, Darling."
"Don't apologize to me; apologize to Ashton. Our pool of potential donors is so small that unless he's a universal recipient, we'll probably have to brain some poor slob on the streets and drag him along with us."
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Author's Note: Ashton's from the continent of El in this story. He was never assigned a hometown or native country if I remember correctly, so I'm just plunking him down there for the hell of it.
