Disclaimer: Don't own Tales of Symphonia, not at all.
Rating: M (won't appear until after a few chapters, so it's T otherwise)
A look at what might have happened after the ending of Dawn of the New World (spoilers for the True ending).
2 weeks later, early in the morning
CLINK! CLINK! "Hah!"
Emil's Nether Traitor had swung through the air twice, but Marta's Kismet had blocked both. The 'Hah!" had been a swing by Marta, which Emil quickly backstepped from.
"Radiant Gale!" he heard, a foot connecting with his midsection, sending him flying into the air. He recovered in time though, and slashed just as Marta jumped for the heel kick. This surprised her, knocking her off-balance, though she landed on her feet easily. The problem was... he was about fifteen feet away, and Marta began casting (she didn't talk, so he couldn't tell what spell).
He took up a ready-to-run position, but he didn't move yet. He'd fallen for this a couple of times before: run at her, get a lucky hit in but be ultimately too late, then be trapped by her light-based attacks and be at her mercy, so to speak.
He didn't have to wait long, for with Kismet, her casting time was nearly instant.
Four strands of light gathered in a split-second over him, almost instantly; Photon.
He ran straight toward Marta, JUST missing the spell's multi-hits. So instead, he jumped up and swung his blade through the air. "Raining Fangs!" he cried out, multiple thin watery shock-waves slicing through the air.
Marta blocked most of them with Kismet spinning, and when he landed, she ran at him. "Remnant Strike!" she cried out, swinging at him with her spinner.
He blocked the first strike, but the blast-right-past-him part sending him spinning, only to be sent skidding by a blast of chi.
He ignored that as he stopped, and in a split-second went in close. "Sword Rain: Alpha!" he yelled out, going in fast with multiple quick stab attacks. Marta managed to block most of the smaller stabs (she'd gotten much practice from it), but the upward slash knocked her spinner off-balance. He took advantage of this, going in with two different attacks, then jumping in for a shock-wave; Demon's Rage.
CLANG!
Emil's separate slash was blocked by Marta's spinner, both of them straining against each other, their expressions determined. But they were both heavily breathing, because this had been going on for awhile.
Marta smiled determinedly at him. "As usual, you're good, Emil" she said, then she slashed at him again.
He blocked, then he slashed back twice. One she blocked, but the other hit her spinner as it was arcing back, which knocked her off-balance. In fact, it knocked her so off-balance that she lightly fell onto the ground.
With her dress open right toward him.
Emil blinked, blushing faintly as he shook his head hard. There it was again... this staring up her dress, and at the patches of skin on her legs. Now he was starting to worry about himself, for even if he couldn't see anything, it seemed... different.
While he went through this internal struggle, Marta shook her head and stood up, brushing her hair out of her face. "Okay, you got me there... maybe we should take a break now" she said, only turning toward him on the last part.
Fortunately, he had recovered by then, so she didn't suspect anything.
Later that day
Emil stood there in their room, not sure what to do. Marta had just left seconds ago for a shower, he having nervously turned down another offer to join her in there.
It's not like he didn't really want to; he did, a little, for she seemed to like the idea, and he could get behind it. He was just nervous, both for Marta to see him in that manner, and him see her that way... when they haven't done so yet.
Sure the hot-springs incident had been similar, but it had been a COMPLETE surprise to him, resulting in yelling, and misunderstandings.
"Don't tell me you're going back to your cowardly ways" a voice said in his mind.
Emil blinked in surprise, then slowly closed his eyes... with that, it took only a second to take a certain mental trip... when he opened his eyes again, things had changed.
He floated in an empty space, that was both white and colorful at the same time, which couldn't seem to make up it's mind. Where he floated, two small bursts of energy slowly circled each other in an endless loop; one green, and one red.
Opposite him inside that endless loop, stood Ratatosk - he looked exactly the same as he did, only he had red eyes instead of green.
"Ratatosk" Emil said, looking at his other self. "Have you been here all this time?"
"Yes" he said firmly, though not unkindly. That was the way he spoke, with a quiet confidence no one could break. "I'm a part of you, just as you are a part of me, Emil. Even as I live on Richter's forehead, you can always find me here."
"So" Emil said slowly, slightly worried. "You're aware of everything that's happened to me."
Ratatosk nodded, looking at him. "I can feel and hear everything you do, though I can choose to block it out if I feel you require privacy" he said. "But anyway, you're conflicted right now. It's been, what, the fifth time Marta's asked you to join her? You want to in some fashion, but nervousness keeps getting in your way. I understand the feeling, but why let it stop you?"
He had to admit, Ratatosk had him there. "I guess I just... don't know" Emil admitted, glancing down briefly.
"If you continue to say no, Marta may think she's not appealing enough, or that you don't love her enough to do so" Ratatosk said. "Either way, it's not a good idea for you to continue denying her, especially since you want to, at least a little. My advice? Surprise her, and do it now."
"Surprise her" Emil said slowly, considering it.
"Yeah" he said, then Ratatosk smirked slightly. "Good luck."
And with that, their little mental meeting slowly turned white, ending it... outside Emil's mind, it had only taken a second in real-time.
Marta stood there in the shower, carefully washing her two long braids of hair, clothes were in a pile on the counter. The hot water rushed over her in a continuous stream, drowning out any small sounds, with the shower curtain fully drawn, and impossible to see out of.
She sighed, both in enjoyment of the hot water, and a small sadness.
She didn't think she was being unreasonable, merely asking Emil if he would like to join her, not demanding or expecting or anything... she understood being nervous, she really did. But the way he kept saying no, probably out of nervousness, she couldn't help thinking... what if he truly didn't want to? Whether yet, or never?
She shook her head, rubbing the shampoo through her hair harder - Thinking like that wouldn't help her anyway... but talking with Emil would, later.
Marta made a small sound, washing both her hair braid and the top of her head at the same time. It felt good to have one hand rubbing the top of her head, and one on her hair braid-
She froze, her eyes wide.
Wait... BOTH her hands were on her hair braid.
So who was...?
"I-Is something wrong, Marta?" a voice spoke close behind her, the very definition of nervousness.
It also made her blush heavily, more in surprise than actual embarrassment, though that was there too.
"Emil?" Marta breathed out, already turning around to look, only for both of his hands to grip her shoulders.
"Please! Don't turn around!" she heard, making her blink in surprise. "I... I'm already... nervous enough with this view... I'm not ready for all of it... n-not yet."
She blushed more, slowly giggling in happiness and embarrassment. "Oh Emil..." she breathed softly, slowly grabbing her bottle of shampoo. "Then, could you help me? I've gotten the right side of my hair done already... but could you do the left for me?"
"Uh... sure" he said, slowly taking it out of her hand, and the rubbing into her wet hair happened seconds later. She gently washed the soap off the rest of her body in the meantime, smiling with a blush - she didn't know if he truly saw her, had his eyes half-open, or only opened them a little when he needed to, but she couldn't care less.
Marta sighed with contentness, then simply leaned back against Emil, secretly enjoying the way he blanched from shyness. She blushed harder though herself; her back and butt were pressed against Emil, including a certain thing... which didn't seem to be hard at all, she slowly noticed.
So... either she wasn't arousing him, he didn't know anything about arousal, or he was so nervous it was overriding any arousal he might have.
She'd have to keep an eye on that one.
"Well, Emil" she teased, smiling to herself. "You certainly know how to please a girl."
"I-I do?" he breathed out, sounding more shocked than embarrassed, though he was both. So he was uncertain of his own ability to arouse her? Or he was uncertain in general about this kind of thing?
Well, with time, that'd be no problem. She could wait easily.
Marta brought her hand up, bringing Emil's head onto her shoulder, though not without a sound of surprise from him. She looked up at him with soft eyes, one strand of her long wet hair draped over her shoulder + chest via her other hand, to spare him seeing anything he wasn't ready to yet. "Yes, you do, Emil" she breathed, smiling. "And if you can please me like this, I can't wait to see what other stuff you can do" she continued, then grinned a Chesire-Cat grin. "Oops... I said that aloud, didn't I?"
Emil's red face was barely able to nod, and it might have been her imagination, but she thought she heard him gulp.
She giggled, kissing him softly for a few seconds, then letting him go. "I'm about done here" she said softly. "You can dry yourself and get dressed."
"O-Okay" he breathed out, then she heard the shower curtain rustle (he must have been quiet and slow the first time) as he stepped out. She giggled again, smiling as she continued the final stages of washing herself. "Oh, Emil... so sweet and shy" she thought with love.
Some time later that day.
Emil stood there in front of the door, breathing in and out several times. He couldn't believe he was about to do this, but it was for Marta, so it was worth it.
"I hope you think this will be worth it, Lord Emil" Tenebrae said at his side.
"So do I, Tenebrae" he said faintly, sighing.
He reached out slowly and rang the doorbell, then waited - as soon as he rang the bell, Tenebrae vanished with a puff of darkness.
Seconds later, the door was opened, and there stood Zelos. "Emil, my bud, what brings you here?" he asked, smiling. "Actually, step inside first, then tell me."
"I thought Lloyd was your bud, Zelos?" he said, stepping inside, looking at him.
"He is, but so are you" he said simply. "You're my bud too, Emil, my Bud #2."
Emil sweat-dropped, and barely managed to keep his expression normal.
Emil earned the title 'Bud #2'!
He shook his head slightly, then looked at his friend. "Zelos, I'm here because there's something I wanted to ask you" he said. "Alone."
Zelos raised an eyebrow faintly, but he let that slide. "Okay, and what's so important that you have to talk to me alone?" he asked, tilting his head.
"You're the one who's always flirting with women" Emil started. "Always saying smooth things (right...), and always, uh... ogling women?"
"All true" Zelos said, head still tilted. "But what's your point?"
"It's about Marta..." he admitted, looking at Zelos. He would have said more, but Zelos cut him off... though truthfully, cutting him off made it easier to say what he needed to.
"Having trouble with her?" Zelos asked, chuckling.
"Well, not right this moment" he said, glancing down. "It's more of a future trouble."
Zelos opened his mouth to ask, but Emil closed his eyes and cut him off. "I-need-you-to-teach-me-how-to-please-a-woman!" he said quickly. It came out louder and more desperate than he had planned.
Zelos closed his mouth, while both his eyebrows rose. Then it faded as he immediately went to Emil's side, slapping a hand on his opposite shoulder, surprising him. "Well, well, well, Emil's growing up!" he said in a delighted voice. "You've come to the right man for advice, my Bud."
"Yeah... right" he said, a little forced, but looking at Zelos. "I have."
"Now first, let me ask you this" Zelos said, tilting his head. "When you say 'please her', how far do you mean?"
Emil's face slowly turned red. "...A-All of it" he managed to breath out, to Zelos's surprised eyebrow. "I... I want to be prepared, not just for the next step, but for every step that comes, Zelos."
Zelos stepped back a little, humming. "Then we'll got a lot to talk about, my bud" he said. "Hope you're ready."
"Me too" Emil thought, mentally preparing himself.
For some reason, he thought he was gonna regret this talk, even as he could use all the advice he could get.
Poor Emil... sure he gets to learn all he needs, and more, but he has to sit through Zelos doing the instruction... Well, he'll get through it, he has to.
Next time will involve Emil putting some of that instruction to use ;) So yeah, now things will start to get interesting between Emil and Marta.
