Arc Rise Fantasia 2

Emil C.: "Hello everyone!" -starts moving his hand back and forward- "I'm glad to see that there's actually people reading my story!"

Happy: "Aye, sir! I was quite surprised he didn't have to extort anyone to get a review!"

Emil C.: "Why you little -!" -starts trashing the place-

Gray: "Yo, bud!" -pulls me from my collarbone- "You better stop making a fuss in MY place or you won't be able to hide here anymore, got it?"

Emil and Happy: "Gomennasi, Gray-kun!" - makes puppy eyes to Gray-

Gray: "Well, at least you're not as annoying as another stupid fire-breath Dragon Slayer I know..." -he puts one hand on his chin in a thinking pose- "Plus, you cook dinner, clean my house, help me train and give me tips to successfully winning Lucy's heart..."

Tenebrae: "In other words, the proud Spirit of the Giant Kharlan Tree, has been reduce to nothing more than a stripper's personal maid!" -starts laughing sardonically-

Emil and Gray: "How rude!" -both of them get enraged by the Centurion's comentary gaining him a bump in his head-

Emil C.: "Anyhow, Gray would you do me the honor..." -kneels in front of him- "of doing the disclaimer for me?"

Gray: "Oh God, just that?" -sweatdrop- "For a moment there, I thought you would prupose to me-!"

Emil, Tenebrae and Happy: "..." -evil glare- "Right..."

Emil C.: "So, are you doing or not?" -keeps staring at Gray venomously-

Happy: "Aye! If Gray doesn't want to, I can take his place!" -makes a thumbs up to all Happy's fans- "After all, I'm the most popular character of all of us here, right?"

Tenbrae: "Who do you think your kidding you idiotic looking, neko!" -hits Happy in the back- " If someone is worth this type of praise and title it's me, The Centurion of Darkness!" -sends a seductive kiss to all Tenebrae's fans-

Gray: "Sorry to break your bubble guys, but as the only 'attractive human being' here, I win-!" -He makes a cocky smile as he takes of his clothes leaving just his boxers on-

Emil C.: "They're not even taking me on account!" -starts crying- "All of you are just a bunch of guys full of themselves!" -goes to the kitchen and makes himself a sunday-

Gray: "Oh, right! The disclaimer! Emil C. does not own Fairy Tail, Tales of Symphonia nor Arc Rise Fantasia! But if you want to see me win the oppotunity to make the disclaimer in the next chapter vote for Gray Fullbuster, ok?"


The Rise

A New Kingdom

Before the young couple could even enter the Great Gate of the Imperial City they were astonished at how much the city had develop, for instance, it seemed as if the whole city had been lifted up to the skies with more and more levels than it used to have all wind up in a concentric shape that made L'Arc remember the structure that the Holy Tower of Zeifert looked like.

"L'Arc?" Ryfia stepped in front of him waving her hand up and down trying to catch the brunet's attention.

"Huh?" L'Arc's trail of thought was broken and she turned to see a confused Ryfia moving around him in a frantic way. "Sorry Ryfia, I was just thinking how much this place has changed…" The young man sighed.

"Yes, it seems the town has really prospered," she giggled as the innocent child she's always been. "I really wish Alf could be here and see what all his hard work accomplished, right?" she said as they passed the immense columns that compounded the Great Gate.

"I wish so, too…" He retorted to his partner with one of his famous smirks.

As they crossed the Gate Ryfia's excitement only grew more and more as she found herself looking at "holograms" announcing the goods that were sold in each of the stores as well as some automatons picking up the garbage of the streets. L'Arc and Ryfia never thought they would see this kind of technology outside of Lascardes, in their minds it was the Divine Race's arrogance towards the Common Race that would always obstruct the society to evolve. But, now it seemed as if a new era had started…

While admiring the beauty of technology, L'Arc couldn't help but notice that not only the technology was different, but the whole layout of the city seemed a little modified. On the other hand, Ryfia seemed quite content to learn everything she could of this "New Era", as Ryfia decide to call; L'Arc was struggling to find out if any of the things he once loved of this city were still there or if they had perished in the course of the years, for a moment there L'Arc felt obsolete.

"Look, L'Arc!" Ryfia yelled as she ran towards the fountain square, even after 5 hundred years had passed the fountain still stood there as beautiful as ever, and you could see that the people in the town took deep care for it. But something looked amiss as L'Arc walked closer to the structure.

"That looks like Cecille, doesn't it?" Ryfia perked up as she pointed out to the marble figure of a teen in her late sixteen more or less from what they could see. "But she looks kind of…"

"Old?" L'Arc finished his mate's sentence. "Well it makes sense, just take a look at the inscription here." The swordsman pointed blunt to an inscription at the side of the fountain's base.

-Dedicated to the Hero of Valor, Cecille Garcia,

Thanks to her bravery and dedication we know that Justice and Love will always win-

"It's funny, isn't it?" L'Arc chuckled as he stared deeply in thought at the stairs behind the fountain. "Do you remember?" He turned his head for a second to face a clueless girl watching the sunrise on the horizon.

"Huh…?" Ryfia walked closer to her partner, taking small steps as she placed herself at his side. "What do you mean, L'Arc?" She tilted her head slightly as she tried to figure out what he meant with his comment.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said as his sight went back to the staircase in front of him, "it's just that this is the place we met our friend five hundred years ago, can you believe that?" The pain was visible in the eyes of the brunet as he took a big breath. "Time won't stop for us, will it?" A grim smile formed in his lips as he pressed on to his partner's hand.

"Don't worry about her L'Arc, you never left us," she pulled her hand from his grip and placed it on his chest, "you were always in our heart and we were thankful to have met you and spend time with you."


Flashback

"Wow! L'Arc if you wanted to marry me, you should've just said that!"

"Don't worry L'Arc the Great Hero Cecille the Brave will help you!"

"Oh L'Arc, you're just so easy to tease about…!"

"Hey, I am not just any girl, I'm a warrior!"

"When you wake up, you'll see that I became a beautiful hero!"


"Cecille…" L'Arc whispered under his breath as a sudden pain run through his body. "I'm sorry, your brother…" The young swordsman's vision started to cloud as a thin stream of tears flowed from his eyes.

"L'Arc? Are you alright?" The young Diva asked, concerned about her partner's sudden reaction.

"Yes I'm fine," he said trying to shrug his feelings off, "I guess in the end she kept her promise and was able to become the great hero she always dreamt to be!" He laughed as they walked to the elevator.

As they made their way past the crowds of people gathering in front of the elevator L'Arc found himself in front of an old oak. His whole body felt nimble and before he noticed he had stopped moving as he fell on his knees in defeat as another painful memory came to his mind.

"L'Arc!" He heard a voice calling for him, "Hey, L'Arc! Please wake up!" He felt someone shaking his body...


Flashback

A small sprout that had just been planted stood behind a boy and a girl. The pair not older than 5 years old playing with some sticks around the small tree, the girl's joyful laughter could be heard all around the corner. Just then the girl stopped in tracks and turned to the boy.

"L'Arc, would you promise me…" The small redheaded girl walked to the side of the small brunet boy dropping her stick in the process. "Would you promise me, you'll always be by my side?" The girl's eyes stared eagerly at the boy waiting for his answer.

"Of course Adele," he said taking the girl's hand, "I promise you as your friend that I'll always stick with you no matter what!" The boy grinned to the girl giving her a thumb up.

"Together…" the girl muttered. "Forever…" The girl's pale skin started taking a soft pink hue as her face started blushing.

A couple of years came and went in a blink, an older looking redheaded girl sat by the shadow of the oak. She was happily writing something in a book so focused in her endeavors that she didn't notice a boy creeping behind her with stealth.

"What'cha doing, Adele?" The boy jumped from behind, making the girl scream.

"L'Arc! How many times do I have to tell you to stop teasing me like that when I'm writing in my diary?" She pointed the boy with her index finger.

"Oh, do you mean…" the boy said taking something out his pocket, "this diary!" He flashed an old pink notebook with a small lock in the front in the form of a butterfly.

"Hey, where did you get that?" She yelled completely embarrassed thinking his best friend could've read its contents already. "You stole it from me didn't you?" She glared at him venomously.

"Oi! Have a little more trust in me!" He pouted as he stuck out his tongue to her. "I got this back for you and this is how you pay me?" He said trying to fake some indignation at her accusations.

"So you haven't read it?" She said a little skeptic of his friend's honesty.

"Of course not, you dork!" He said handing over the old notebook to her, "I know Old Samuel bought you a new one, but I thought you would miss this too, so…" The boy crossed his arms as he started blushing.

"Thanks, L'Arc!" The girl kissed him on the cheek. "You're my best friend" She smiled and gave him a warm hug.

"Uhhhhh…" The young boy didn't know what to say. "So tell me can I read what is inside, now?" He innocently asked her friend.

"NO!" She sternly turned to look at the boy in front of her, "but, someday I'll let you read it!" She winked at his friend.

"Promise?" He said taking the girl's hand between his.

"Promise!" The girl said kissing the boy on the other cheek and running away.

The boy and girl were no more, in front of him was a young lady wearing a pink dress and a side pony tail. He on the other hand, was a teen around his sixteen dressed in a military suit and seemed anxious for some reason.

"Are you having second thoughts, L'Arc?" The girl said as she got closer to her friend staring deep in thought to the oak in front of them.

"Oh, Adele it's you…" He seemed to acknowledge her until that moment. "How did you now I would be here?" He inquired his friend.

"L'Arc we've been friend since we were toddlers," she laughed as if the answer was quite obvious, "we planted this oak together," she touched the rough trunk of the tree, "and we've seen it grow together, haven't we?" She replied as she took a sit beside him.

"I have to do this," he muttered in total fear and melancholy, "I need to help my mother and even if I don't want to do it," he sighed, " this is the only way I'll get the money to treat her illness, right?" He questioned his best friend. "It's the only way, isn't it?" He knew he would never be the same after this.

"Yes, L'Arc…"She placed a hand over his shoulder. "But I know you'll be fine," she smiled at him, "I promise you, while you go on your first mission, I'll take care of Auntie, alright?" She hugged him tight.

"Thanks, Adele!" He said as he tried to hide the tears that were falling from his eyes. "I know, let's make a promise to this tree," he said taking out a small knife out of his pocket, "Let's carve our names in this tree and promise that if any of us ever goes away we'll meet here…" He started carving the letters LBL on the hard wood of that tree.

"And not even death will take us apart," she took the knife from L'Arc's hand, "because our bond will just grow as big as this tree." As she said this she started carving the letters AS. "Even after we die, this tree will remain here as proof of our existance..."


-"L'Arc…" A different voice called upon him-

- "Adele…?" His voice trembled as he recognized that voice almost instantly, "Where am I?" He said as he noticed he was in a dark place full of fog all by himself-

-"Please, wake up, L'Arc…" She said with the same kindness in her voice she had before turning in to the Real Diva. "You don't have to cry for me anymore, I'll always be with you, remember?" Just like that the fog seemed to banish and he could see the familiar silhouette of his best friend. -

- "But Adele, it was my fault," his voice broke in to a sad whine, "I broke my promise!" He finally yelled in an outburst of emotions. -

- "Then we're even!" She grinned embarrassed. "After all, you didn't commit as terrible crimes as the ones that are plaguing me every day in the shadows of the unfulfilled life I chose to have." The seriousness in her tone made L'Arc remember all those things she did as the Real Diva-

- "Then," He begged her with kindness, "promise me we'll see each other soon, OK?" he held up his hand towards Adele. -

- "I pro -" But before she could go on she was interrupted by his friend again.

- "And promise, that you'll stop punishing yourself for things that can't be fixed." He looked at her right in to her clear blue eyes. -

- "I promise, L'Arc" She said as she hugged his best friend for what seemed to be an eternity, "we will meet soon, but for now Ryfia needs you..." She let go of her loved one and ran back to the fog vanishing into the oblivion. -

"Adele," He mumbled in his sleep for the twentieth time, "we'll soon see each other I promise."

"Well it seems that the young boy's fever has finally ceased," an elderly man in white robs came out of a room and approached the young Diva, "but I would ask of you young lady to let him sleep for a while longer." The man said as he cleaned the sweat from his forehead.

"Thank you, Doctor." Ryfia sighed in relief. "By the way, how much do I owe you?" She started searching for some Rico in her pockets.

"Don't worry, young lady…" The man waved his hands in front of her. "It wasn't anything serious after all," He giggled at the expression of the girl's face, "but if you really want to give me something what about 10 Ricos?" He said not to make the girl feel offended by the special treatment he seemed to be giving them.

"Ok, here you go, sir." She held the money out and gave it to the man. "Once again, thank you for your help!" She said as she waved good-bye to the elderly man exciting the inn.

Ryfia then decided she would check on L'Arc and entered his room as quietly as possible trying not to wake L'Arc from his sleep. "Isn't this ironic?" Ryfia thought. "The first thing you do after a five thousand years old sleep is to take a nap!" Ryfia laughed at that idea.

"Adele…" L'Arc mumbled in his sleep.

Ryfia didn't even flinch at the thought of L'Arc dreaming of Adele, because Ryfia by nature wasn't the jealous type. Furthermore, during the few days Ryfia spend with Adele she had grown to see her as her older sister, so she was really glad that her partner had finally found some peace to mourn her dead. Ryfia decided then, that she wasn't needed there and left for a walk.

As she made her way through the dark alleys of the town, she discovered that the streets were actually lighted with some type of electrical device of some sort. Her curiosity to learn how this contraption seemed to work made her walk all around the lower levels of the city. She wasn't frightened of the loneliness of neither the streets nor the weird noises she'd been hearing following her for a while now. Ryfia sat on a bench all by herself mumbling some incoherent words out fear and frustration when she noticed she left the inn with a map of the city, only problem was that she didn't know how to read one.

"Do you need any help, missy?" A shady character suddenly popped out of the darkness.

"Huh?" She took her sight out the map and turned to see who had just called for her. "Oh, actually yes sir!" She smiled at the man innocently as she ran towards him. "Would you mind giving me directions of how to get back to the inn?"

"Sure thing, missy!" The suspicious man said as he got ahold of Ryfia's arm. "Just follow me beautiful" He told her as a frightening grin formed in the man's dry lips.

"O.K. thank you mister you're so nice…" Ryfia turned to see the man's face once again, but what she found was that his eyes were dark and dull, the tainted smell of blood exuded from the man's body. Ryfia soon realized in the trouble she just got herself into as the man and she got lost in the shadows of the town's streets.

Ryfia noticed the man's motive not very long after she took her, but she didn't have the faintest idea of where to run or whom to ask for help. Even in the darkness of the night she felt the salty breeze of the ocean in her face and then she knew exactly where she was been taken to. "The Port…" she muttered under her breath.

"Oh, L'Arc, I wish you were here to help me." She pleaded to the stars up in the heavens to send someone, anyone to her aid.


-"Child of Easa, you must wake up!" A voice inside his head sounded in an ominous way. "The Imaginal Diva is in danger!" The voice sounded stronger by the second. -

"Ryfia!" L'Arc immediately woke up from his sleep yelling his name. "Ryfia where are you?" The young swordsman got up from his bed and started looking for her in each room.

"Damn it Ryfia, where are you?" He thought as he searched each room of the inn one by one.


"Please, sir…" The young girl begged to her captor. "Why are you doing this?" She looked to the man right into his eyes.

"You'll soon know the reason, little girl…" The evil man cracked a laugh. "Soon, very soon our masters will roam these lands again…" At that moment Ryfia saw something sinister under those eyes and as the moonlight touched that man's iris she swear his eyes shined with an eerie scarlet color.

"What are you…?" She gasped as she struggled to get herself free from the man's grip.

"Now, missy…" He said as his faced twisted in a compulsive way. "That is the real question…" The man pushed her down the stairs of the port.

"Leave the lady alone thy foul beast!" At that moment a flash of light came from above and pierced right through that man's skin.

"You coward!" The man hissed in disdain. "Show yourself!" To Ryfia's shock the man's arms started transforming into a huge pair of claws.

"So you're one of them…!" The mysterious voice retorted. "I will finally be able to avenge my mother!" All of a sudden a young man with deep chestnut hair came running full speed with his long sword unsheathed ready for battle.

"Are you alright, Miss?" The man stopped to help Ryfia get on his feet.

"Yes, I'm fine…" She said as she tried to clean her dress from the dust. "Oh, how rude of me! My name is …" She said holding up her hand towards his savior.

"Save it for later, Miss!" He said as he took once again a fierce battle position. "We'll talk later; can you fight in your conditions?" The young swordsman turned to see his enemy once again.

"Of course I can!" She said as she took hold of her staff. "I might not look as much, but I can surely be of help." She smiled at the young boy who blushed at her blunt answer.

"If you two 'lovers' finished talking to yourselves," the foul monster yelped, "let me do the honor of finishing your pathetic lives!"

The monster jumped high above both twins making sure he would be far away from his opponents' range of attack. As soon as he was far from his enemies' sight he charged upon the stronger of those two.


-"Child of Easa" The voice of Simmah vibrated to the very core of L'Arc's soul. "The port…" He told the swordsman. "Look for Ryfia in the port…" And as abrupt as his presence came to L'Arc it banished once again. -

"Got it!" L'Arc's voice full of determination. "Thanks for the tip, Simmah!" He rushed towards the exit of the inn. "Ryfia, hang in there I'll be there in a second!" He thought to himself as he rushed thru every street and alley of the city closing up to the port.


"Miss, can you see where that creature went?" The young man asked as he aimlessly swung his sword to the shadows that surrounded him.

"It seems I have the advantage in the darkness, don't I?" The monster mused himself as he got closer to his objective. "I guess it's time to finish with this game, shall we?" The monster barked ready to attack in any moment.

Then everything went quiet as small orbs of light started to fall from the sky brightening the whole port. And there, in the middle of the phenomena was Ryfia singing with the voice of an angel. The monster seemed to be paralyzed in surprise and his whole body began to convulse in a terrifying combination of screams and moans.

"Now!" Ryfia yelled to the other kid that seemed to be entranced by her Ray Hymn as well.

"Right, I'm sorry." The boy sputtered out as he focused once again in his enemy. "Thunder Scroll!" The boy threw his sword towards the enemy's chest at full speed. The sound of the metal thrust his rotten skin made a hollow sound that grew more as the accurate blow sent a lightning towards the enemy defeating him for good.

"You'll pay for this!" The imp moaned. "This will just be the beginning," the creature pointed to Ryfia, "and pretty soon we'll have your power Diva!" the creature laughed as his whole being started to disintegrate leaving behind a terrible stench of rotten meat and sulfur.

"What was that thing?" Ryfia huffed as she tried to calm her nerves.

"I really don't know Miss…" The man helped Ryfia stand on her feet once again.

"Ryfia, Imaginal Diva of the North-Noirism Singing Ministery." Ryfia said as she made a little bow with her head. "Thanks for your help, Mister…"

"Right!" The young man returned the bow. "I apologize my name is Roland Oigen." He said with a pride in his tone.

"Roland, what a nice name…" The girl smiled to his savior.

"Miss Ryfia, would you mind asking you...?" He said as he tilted his head, "was that what the men of the old called Hymns?" He eagerly inquired to the fair lady in front of him.

"Just call me Ryfia," the girl giggled, "we're friends now, aren't we?" She said as she took a better look at the tall teen in front of her.

"Right, Ryfia…" He grinned at her, finally noticing he seemed to be injured. "Augh… that creature really messed me up" As he felt a piecing pain cross through his hold body starting from a deep cut in the lower part of his chest.

"Don't worry I can help!" Ryfia used her Healing Song Hymn in Roland completely revitalizing the battered warrior. "And yes, answering to your question, I can use Ray Hymns as the only heiress of Imaginal's factor" She said in a matter-in-fact tone.

"Imaginal, Eassa, Divas, Ray…" The boy started laughing. "It's been ages since the fall of the 'Church of Eassa', Ryfia!" The boy seemed a little cynic to the girl's explanation.

"Yet, I'm standing right here in front of you!" She said feeling a little insulted by the swordsman's reaction. "Helping you with the power of those 'old stories', didn't I?" But, before the boy could answer the girl's accusation they were interrupted by another familiar voice.

"Ryfia, there you are!" The vague silhouette of L'Arc could be seen approaching them in a hurry.

"Well, it seems your companion here will take you back to your place," Roland then turned around and left. "It was nice meeting you, Miss Ryfia!" He said as he got lost in the shadows of the alley.

"It was nice meeting you, too!" She waved her hand frantically to the fleeting figure of Roland. "Hopefully we'll see each other again, soon!" She said as she turned to find a panting L'Arc in front of her.

"Ry-fia…" L'Arc exhaled between heavy breaths, "are you alright?" He said embracing her around his arms.

"Of course I am, L'Arc!" She said winking at him in return. "All thanks to my new friend Roland!" She pointed to the direction Roland left to.

"You mean the guy that was with you a few moments ago?" He asked relieved with the knowledge that she wasn't all alone with no one to protect her at night.

"Yes, thanks to him we defeated a weird monster that took the shape of a man before he could take me somewhere else!" She beamed with light as she recounted the events she lived that night to L'Arc.

"Well, I guess I owe Roland a 'thank you' for protecting you from that creature." He grinned widely as he took the girl's hand. "But first, you have to swear me, never to leave by yourself again!" He said as he embraced the young Diva once again between his arms. "I don't know what I would do, if I lost you too…" And just like that, the iron wall that was once L'Arc Bright Lagoon crumbled in front of her letting his tears roll out freely. "Ryfia, I love you" He cursed himself, why couldn't he just say those words.


Emil C.: "Well, I really hope you liked this chapter..." -gets closer to the audience- " I would've made it longer, if I hadn't have to clean Gray's house and wash all of Gray's clothes" -sights in defeat- "for a man who always strips himself of his clothes, he sure has quite a collection of of clothes..."

Gray: "Hey! I heard that! And for your information, any healthy man needs at least one whole room for his clothes, right?" -he turns to the audience-

Happy and Tenebrae: "ONE WHOLE ROOM!" -staring incredously at Gray-

Emil C.: "And wait, that is not the worst part!"

Happy: "There is more to it?" -he stares at Gray with fear and despise-

Emil C.: "Yup! Three fourths of his whole closet is underwear!" -gets closer to Happy and Tenebrae- " And more than half of that underwear are thon-!" -is knock out by one of Gray's attacks-

Tenebrae: "Lord Emil!" -moves my liveless body- "Lord Emil, can you hear me?"

Happy: "Gray, you're mean!" -points index finger in an accusative way- "You almost killed him!" -calls audience attention- "Just for that don't vote for Gray! Vote for the favorite neko of all times... ME! Happy!"

Tenebrae: "Am I really the only one truly concerned for Lord Emil's wellfare?" -looks at the readers- "WHY! Why doesn't anybody care? Please, if you want Lord Emil to heal sooner than expected, vote for Tenebrae!" -seductive wink-

Emil C.: -"Personal Note: Find better friends, find better girlfriends and find better pets"-