~~Here ya guys go; another chapter.
Oh yeah, someone asked about 'Lloyd' being too manly for a chick name. So I looked it up (can't remember where, sorry!) and apparently there have been a few baby girls named Lloyd. So I've decided not to worry about it. That and I'm too lazy to go and think up a new name.
I forgot the disclaimer for the last chapter, so I'll just put it in here.
Disclaimer: I don't own ToS. If I did, I'd have let there be a way that you could choose to let someone other than Zelos die and we could have all those fluffy oyako moments with Kratos and Lloyd without losing the random items charmed from the chicks. I want to keep my Item Monkey!~~
CHAPTER 2: And Now the Male Protagonist
"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future"—Unknown
It wasn't everyday your best friend invited you to test out the latest gaming gear with her. Of course it was the first gaming gear ever to introduce virtual reality to the older games. Had I mentioned that my best friend had one of the coolest uncles ever?
Had I also mentioned that you should never accept anything she handed you without using extreme caution? I remembered the first time I had learned this lesson; in eighth grade, when the girls had been taken to the kitchens to bake cookies in school. It had almost been too good to be true when my best friend offered me the cookies she had baked herself.
I should have been wary when I had caught her watching me carefully. I should have refused when she had grinned like she always did when she was up to something. I should have just thrown the cookies out when I had seen the other boys gag as they popped their friend's cookies in their mouths.
But I was a fool who had crush on his best friend.
I had eaten the cookies without a second thought.
I had ended up bedridden the next day and staying home the entire week until my skin was no longer a light shade of blue. Sera had been at least nice enough to bring all my school work to me and take it to school with her; though I was pretty sure, even now, that she had only been there to see the effects of her handiwork.
And so it was because of my previous mishaps with Sera that I really wasn't surprised to find that I had blacked out right after choosing my character and hearing an interesting speech by some guy about whatever was happening in the world.
The first thing that swam across my vision when I came to was a blackboard. Yes, everyone, a blackboard. Why, oh why was I back in school?
'Oh, I don't find it that bad,' a cheery girl's voice said to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin.
'Wha-?' I was going to kill Sera when we saved and exited the game.
'I find school very invigorating. I always learn new things and I get to see Lloyd, Genis and Professor Raine everyday as well.'
'Wait, what? Who are you?' I asked the voice in my head. It was always nice to be able to name the voices in my head.
'Oh, I'm sorry! I should have introduced myself first! My name is Colette.'
'I'm Kyle,' I barely had the time to wonder about where I was when I was called on.
'Oh, that's us!' Colette helpfully pointed out.
I didn't know how to greet the teacher so I said "Uh... yeah?"
'Stand up!' Colette cheerfully guided me.
I stood up and looked up at the teacher. She was rather young looking, not quite what was expected of a school teacher, but had short, silver hair. She wore an orange jacket with a matching cape.
"Tell us about the journey of world regeneration."
'The what?'
'It is a journey to seal the Desians. Upon passing the trials ofthe Goddess Martel, the Summon Spirits that protect the world awaken, and mana is restored,' Colette answered my question and I was able to relay it back to the teacher, or 'Professor Raine' as Colette called her.
"Correct. I suppose we should expect the Chosen himself to know the answer to that one," Raine said approvingly. I sat down and Raine continued with her lecture. Listening would be a good idea if I was to make it through the game. "Mana depletion is the cause of the current food shortages and droughts. It is said that this occurs because the Desians consume vast amounts of mana. The chosen's journey has two purposes--to revive mana as well as defeat the Desians. Now, for the next question-"
A bright flash of light interrupted the professor and I heard a very familiar voice behind me.
"What the- What was that?"
I turned around and saw a girl standing at the back of the classroom. It was Sera, but it wasn't her. Her wavy hair, usually left down to fall over her shoulders, was sticking straight up and leaning slightly to the side. She was wearing a red jacket almost completely covered in buttons with gloves to match. A pair of jeans, unbuttoned at the top, were held up by suspenders. What shocked me the most, however, were the set of swords held up by two belts at her waist. Who was crazy enough to let her have swords!?
Children of all ages started chatting to each other excitedly around me.
"Settle down," Professor Raine instructed. Silence filled the room barely two seconds after. "It would seem that the time for the oracle has come. I will go and check on the chapel. Everyone, stay here and study on your own. Understood?"
A chorus of "Yes, Professor!" followed and she started running out the door.
'It's the oracle!' Colette said excitedly. 'We have to go!'
"Wait, Professor!" I called after her, standing up to follow. "I'll go as well."
Professor Raine stopped just outside the classroom door and turned to look at me. "No, Colle. If it is the oracle, the priests will come here for you. Wait here with everyone else," she turned and continued running.
"Sure, why not?" I answered. I felt like an idiot being the only one standing, so I sat down.
The kids around me moved to talk with their friends, leaving a pretty big space. It was nice of them to leave me to my own thoughts. I really needed to fiigure out what was going on.
"Lloyd!" A kid with long silver hair and blue clothes ran past my desk. The kid I didn't choose to play. My eyes followed him as he ran to the door and stopped Sera from leaving. I could tell by the way she rested her hands on the hilts of the swords that she didn't like the interruption. "Where are you going? Don't tell me you're sneaking out! Raine will get mad!"
"But I want to know what'll happen with the oracle," she answered. "It's always talked about, but they never tell what really happens."
"But my sister said to stay and study by ourselves." Ah. That would explain why they both had silver hair.
"...It's research."
The boy got mad, "That's just an excuse!"
Sera shrugged, turning back to the door, "An excuse is an excuse, right? Quit bein' so stuffy, Genis!" she said with a grin. Uh oh. I knew that grin. She was going to do something that I was likely going to get in trouble for. "You're going too, right? We're best buds, after all!"
They're what?!Nu-uh. I was Sera's only male friend, courtesy of various stories told to her by Jack before she had entered middle school. She now couldn't bear to be anywhere near guys her age. It had even taken me a month to get her talking to me again.
"Hey, Colle! Yer comin' too, right?" She looked at me expectantly, knowing that I wouldn't be able to say no. I nodded mutely, standing up and following her out the door. "See?" she said, clapping Genis on the shoulder as we walked out. "Dwarven Vow #4: Don't depend on others. Walk on your own two legs."
"Not the Dwarven Vows again. You always use those when you need an excuse..." Genis said, shaking his head.
"So where arewe going?" I asked, walking on her other side as soon as we were clear of the school's door.
"Where else?!" She asked me as if I should have known. "The light!" Of course, where the shiny thing was. "Don't you want to go as well? You're directly involved."
"Yeah, but didn't the professor-"
"Research!" She practically yelled, waving her hands in the air. "I need to know what happens when you receive the oracle!"
"Wait!" We looked to our left to see a blonde man running towards us.
'Father!' Colette said excitedly.
"Father?" I asked, not entirely sure what to make of this.
"Frank!" Genis acknowledged the man as he stopped in front of us, panting slightly.
"Thank goodness you're safe."
"Frank, what happened to everyone in the village?" Genis asked, obviously concerned about our fellow villagers. Was it generally not this quiet in the village?
"They're all hiding. The Desians invaded the village just a short while ago. Thankfully, no one was hurt. They passed through the village and headed for the temple."
"Why?! Iselia has a non-aggression treaty with the Desians!"
"You mean the one where they won't attack the village as long as the ranch is left alone?" Sera asked. She glanced at me and I realized she was doing it for my benefit.
'Where's Grandmother?' Colette asked, sounding a little worried.
"Where's Grandmother?" I relayed the question myself, having decided that if I asked the same questions as Colette, I wouldn't look too out of place.
"Phaidra is in the temple preparing for the ritual," Frank looked at me with kind and concerned eyes, with a little bit of something else mixed in there. It bothered me greatly as it was leaning dangerously close to the pity category.
"She's in the temple? But... the Desians..."
"The priests are there with her. There's no need to worry."
The look on Sera's face plainly said that she didn't trust the priests to watch over a fish, let alone Phaidra.
"Now, Colle..." he looked at me, that pity-like expression showing even clearer than before. I really didn't know what he wanted to get across. As if sensing my confusion, Colette spoke up with more help for me.
'Tell him not to worry, that we'll fulfill our duty as the Chosen.'
I smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry. I'll fulfill my duty as the Chosen."
A proud grin spread across his face, "Good luck, Colle," he turned to the other two. "Lloyd. Genis. You two should go on home."
Yeah, he really shouldn't have said that. Sera crossed her arms over her chest and leaned on her left foot. She stubbornly glared at Frank.
"I'm not letting my friend go to the temple all by himself. I'm going with, no matter what anyone says."
"Me too," Genis chimed in.
"But..." Frank saw the look in Sera's eye and decided to give up. "Alright. Thank you," he fixed us all with a stern look. "I'll wait at the house. Come back immediately if anything happens." With that, he walked off to a two-story house about a block away.
A big grin spread across Sera's face as Frank disappeared. "To the temple!" she cried as she linked her right arm with mine and draped her left arm across Genis' shoulders. She lead us around the school building and unhooked us as we approached the exit to the village, marked with a wooden arch.
Sera was the first through, but she stopped just outside of the gate, causing Genis and me to bump into her. I leaned around her to scold her about suddenly stopping, but her narrowed eyes, looking off into the distance, stopped me.
I looked down the path leading out of town. Coming around the bend several meters ahead of us was an old man. He slowly shambled down the path toward us.
"There's a monster," she finally said. Where? Behind the old man?
"I thought the northern region where the temple is located was a sanctuary! Why are there..."
"Maybe... a part of the trial?" Sera said thoughtfully. "It does involve battling, right?"
"Right." Genis nodded in confirmation, pulling one of those ball-and-cup games out of his pocket. What was he gonna do? Throw it around while Sera whacked at the thing? What was I gonna do?
I searched myself and found, hidden in the folds of the clothes I was wearing, two bladed rings. I pulled them out and held them uncertainly. What was I supposed to do with them?
'You throw them!' Colette giggled in the back of my head.
I sighed and looked up, searching for the monster Sera was talking about. She had unsheathed her swords and I was relieved to find that they were wooden. Nothing good could come from giving Sera swords.
I turned back to the old man, who was now a couple meters in front of us, and realized that he was no old man just as Sera charged. She slashed at it at the last second and chunks of rotted flesh went flying. Her sword style might be a bit choppy, but she was proficient enough.
'Help Lloyd!' Colette urged me forward.
'I cant. I might hit her!' I didn't know how to use these things! What if I accidentally hit her? What if I hit a vital area? I wouldn't be able to live, knowing I had killed my best friend.
'Trust Lloyd! He won't let anything happen to your friend!'
I sighed, giving up on the argument. It was obvious that Colette had complete trust in the character that Sera had possessed. I found myself worried that if everyone trusted this person half as much as Colette, the entire world was doomed.
I barely had to think about throwing the rings when my arms swung out and the rings were spinning trough the air like frisbees towards Sera and the zombie. A very long two seconds later, the zombie was missing its head and I caught the rings like I had been doing it my entire life.
Sera paused and the zombie stumbled back and into the bushes, probably searching for its head. Sera sheathed her swords and rubbed the back of her neck.
"That was easy."
"Wow, Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed. "That was amazing!"
Sera grew a little uncomfortable at this, "Ah... well, I couldn't have done much without this..." She said, holding up her left hand. It was covered in bandages, but whatever was there was obviously important.
"Oh yeah, the exsphere!"
"Without this beauty, I wouldn't have been able to use my maximum strength," she pushed the bandages out of the way to reveal a blue marble mounted on a golden plate of sorts on the back of her hand. She pushed the bandages back into place and turned back to the path.
Genis and I followed closely behind as Sera turned the corner in front of us.
'Lloyd's strong even without the exsphere!' Colette cheerfully added.
I think I was starting to understand the relationship between Lloyd and Colette.
"There's another one!" Sera called out. We ran around the corner and Sera's swords were already in her hands as another zombie and something like a will-o'-the-wisp approached. "Let's go!"
"Wait, Lloyd!" Genis cried out.
Sera stopped herself from charging and glanced back at Genis.
"Leave the ghost to me; you take care of the zombie."
Sera nodded impatiently before charging at the zombie. Was she enjoying this? I shook it off and threw one of the rings... chakram, Colette just corrected me, I threw the second chakram just before the first returned to my waiting hand.
"Fireball!" I glanced over at Genis as he brandished his kendama at the ghost and three fireballs shot towards it. They engulfed it and the ghost shrieked as its essence was consumed.
The second chakram returned and I threw both at the same time at the zombie that Sera was still hacking at. The chakram hit directly in the chest at the same time and it stumbled away, probably to find some easier brains to pick up.
I caught the chakram, grinning like a mad man.
Booyah! I have become Xena: Warrior Princess!
...Wait.
~~Just in case no one knew; I like reviews. They fuel me and encourage me to write. Review! And I will give you… virtual cookies!
No, not everyone likes cookies…
How about a link to a sketch of Sera outside of the game? Just ask and I'll send the link, but I can't help anonymous reviewers. If you want the sketch, you'll have to be signed in.~~