Chapter 6

I Got the Blood Gulch Blues

After a long ponder over his 'conundrum', Kratos just decided to go ahead with rescuing Zelos, so he and Presea drove the Warthog to the other side of the canyon and were now hiding behind a large boulder outside the Blue Base. Kratos kept an eye out for trouble but Presea was still giving the ideas she'd written in her dossier.

"If you don't like the plants idea, how do ya feel about a fountain in the armory? That place is so gloomy."

"Come on, Presea, give it a rest already." Kratos groaned. "I agreed to let you use Wilder's weather helmet as a decorative birdbath, didn't I? Don't oversell."

"Okay." Presea conceded. "But I have just one more idea. I'm gonna say two words and then walk away." She cleared her throat and then said, "Chantilly, lace."

Kratos stared silently for a moment. "Unless you're about to start singing a Big Bopper song, I think the best part of that idea was the walking away."

"Let it simmer." Presea reassured.

Cautiously, Kratos peeked around the side of the rock and took another look round before ducking back. "Hmmm, no sign of any defenses… I think we might be catching Fujibayashi at a weak moment."

Presea nodded in agreement as she glanced around her side of the rock. "Hmmm, no sign of the tank either."

"Dear God, the madness is spreading!" Kratos gasped. "It's only a matter of time before it takes me!"

Just then, from the doorway of the Base came a loud cry. "Wheeeeeee!"

"Did you hear that?" Presea breathed. "It's sounds like they're having fun in there."

Kratos shook his head in dismay. "Clearly Wilder has become so stupid, he's mixed up the yells for pain and happiness! Fujibayashi must be doing absolutely diabolical things to him! Let's give him a few more hours to see if he escapes on his own."

He and Presea peeked round and waited for a few seconds then Zelos's voice rang out again. "Sheena, I am having a blast going in and out of your hole!"

"Zelos, just stay down there like you're told." Sheena yelled.

"Well, that's my cue." Presea said quickly and made to leave. "Let's go!"

Kratos grabbed her by the arm and dragged her from behind the boulder and into the Base, unaware of the cobalt-blue figure watching them from the hill…

Inside the Base, Sheena had grown tired of pushing Zelos into the holes but Zelos was now making his own fun, jumping into one hole, popping out the other hole and then running to the first one again.

"Zelos, stop it!" Sheena yelled impatiently. "I need your help."

"Go ahead, I'm listening." Zelos called as he leapt into the hole again.

"Will you stop riding that stupid grav lift?" Sheena scowled.

"I can do both at once." Zelos replied, emerging from the other hole. "And why don't we have one of these things?"

Sheena put out a hand and stopped Zelos in his tracks. "Listen, the tank's been making upgrades to the base over the last few hundred years."

"How did it do that without any tools... or arms?" Zelos asked puzzled.

"I don't know." Sheena admitted. "A lot of what she says doesn't match up. I think she might be lying to me."

"You think the enemy's weapons are lying to us? What a surprise." Zelos muttered before turning round and jumping into the second hole.

"It seems like a setup." Sheena agreed as she turned to look down the passage. "I just can't figure out how."

Behind her, Kratos crept up to the hole and as Zelos popped out, he was knocked out with a punch to the face and fell back down again, this time not coming out the other side.

"I don't know." Sheena muttered. "If I can piece it together, maybe that'll help fix things with…" Her voice trailed off as she turned round and saw her former CO pointing a shotgun to her head. "Aurion!?"

"Hello, Fujibayashi." Kratos growled in an unfriendly manner.

Sheena looked around in worry. "Where's Zelos?"

"Well, this is a rescue operation." Kratos explained. "He's unconscious down below, being prepped for evac."

"If it's a rescue operation, why did you knock him out?" Sheena asked.

Kratos just shrugged. "Well, all work and no play, you know heh heh heh."

"That's dumb." Sheena scoffed.

"I think you know the proper procedure for submitting complaints, Sheena." Kratos said.

Sheena nodded with a sigh. "I'll get my calligraphy pens."

"Don't bother." Kratos snapped, cocking the shotgun and aiming right for Sheena's face. "I think you also know how we treat traitors on Red Team!"

If Sheena was panicking, she didn't show it and sarcastically said, "I'm guessing you're not cocking that gun to give me a one gun salute in honor of my new promotion."

"I don't think so." Kratos growled. "Fujibayashi, just remember this hurts me more than it hurts you."

"I seriously doubt that." Sheena sighed.

"Well, it hurts me almost as much as it hurts you." Kratos replied.

"I don't buy that either." Sheena muttered.

"Well, I am the one who has to clean the shotgun later." Kratos argued. "And the solvents smell so-"

"BOOYA!" Suddenly Kratos was hit from behind and he collapsed to the ground with a groan.

"Damn, that's gotta hurt!" Sheena winced then she looked up to see who had rescued her.

"Well, that was close." Emil panted as he lowered the sniper rifle he'd used to knock out Kratos. "I've always wanted to say 'booya' too, that was awesome… Booyeah!"

"Where the hell did you come from?" Sheena cried out.

"Huh?" Emil looked round at the girl in blue armor standing before him, though he couldn't see her face due to her wearing a cover. "Oh, you must be one of the new Blues that took over the Base after we left." He put away his rifle and held up his hands to show he meant no harm. "Listen, don't be afraid, but I'm from the past."

"Why would I be afraid of someone from the past?" Sheena scoffed. "People from the future are scary. People from the past are savages and idiots."

Emil was about to take offense when Kratos suddenly let out another groan. "Ohhhh, what the…? What hit me?"

"Hurry, quick, before he wakes up." Sheena hissed, grabbing Kratos's arms. "Help me get this guy in the hole."

"We have a hole?" Emil looked round then peered down the hole with a whistle of admiration. "That's kickass!"

Meanwhile, several hundred miles away, Lloyd, Genis, Volt, and the alien-angel had left the Burning Plains and was now passing through some very soggy plains indeed.

"Alright, this is the Great Swamp." Volt explained as the alien carried him. "We can rest here a while before we move on."

"Yeah, let's rest in a swamp." Lloyd agreed nonchalantly. "That makes sense."

"Save your energy, Irving." Volt advised. "You're gonna need it."

"Aw, screw that." Lloyd retorted with a dismissive wave. "So far, this quest is a fuckin' breeze. I've already killed a dead monster. What's next, we're gonna open an unlocked door, or rescue a princess from herself?"

The alien then turned to look at Genis and Volt noticed he was looking back the way they'd come. "Hey Sage, what's wrong?"

"I think something is following us." Genis whispered, reaching for his handgun.

Volt watched for a moment then he spotted movement among the mangroves. "Yeah, it's been on us since we left. Part of the prophecy talks about something evil that tries to take the Eternal Sword."

"You mean my awesome dead monster killing weapon?" Lloyd took out one of his Material Blades then he shrugged. "It can have it."

"It's attracted to it." Volt continued. "It can't live without it."

"That doesn't sound good." Lloyd muttered. "Hey Sage, come here and hold my swords."

"It's okay, we got a plan." Volt reassured. "We can make camp and then we'll tell ya about it."

"I love camping!" Genis cheered as they set off again.

Sometime later, the group stopped in a clearing in the swamp and soon Lloyd was lying fast asleep, clutching the deactivated swords to his chest. Suddenly a loud rustling noise woke him up and he sat up in surprise. "Hmm, what?"

He then looked round and realized he was completely alone. "Hey, guys? Volt? Sage? Alien thing?"

The rustling grew louder and Lloyd whirled round in fright to see a dark shadowy figure approaching from the swamp. "Guys?" he whimpered pathetically. "Anybody?"

"Now!" Volt's voice called out.

The alien-angel suddenly burst out from the bushes behind Lloyd and pounced on the figure, sending them both tumbling into the mud.

"We got it!" Volt cheered.

Lloyd looked round and saw Genis peeking out from behind a tree. "Is it safe to come out yet?"

"Sage, you were supposed to help." Volt scolded from the bushes.

"I was helping watch." Genis retorted as he picked up Volt and stepped out of the bushes.

"What if something had happened?" Volt yelled.

"I'm sure I would have seen it." Genis replied.

"Hey, what the hell?" Lloyd shouted as he got to his feet. "Where did you guys go?"

"We laid a trap." Volt said simply.

"A trap?" Lloyd cried out. "You left me all alone!"

Volt chuckled. "Well, you can't have a trap without bait!"

Lloyd was stunned. "I was the bait?"

"I thought you did a very good job." Genis replied.

Just then, the alien emerged from the swamp, covered in mud and dragging the figure along with him. Then the figure cried, "Get off of me, you stinky idiot!"

Lloyd whirled round at the familiar voice, he then pulled the alien off the figure and got a better look at the figure. "Lualdi?"

"Well, this is some greeting." Marta scowled indignantly as she took Lloyd's hand to help her up. "I come to help you guys and ya ambush me!"

"You weren't coming to help." Volt argued. "You were coming to steal the sword!"

"No I wasn't." Marta retorted, wiping the mud and slime off her armor. "I was coming to steal the reward."

"There is no reward." the bomb yelled. "The reward is the sword."

"Oh." Marta replied, then added with a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Then… yeah, I guess I'm here to steal the sword."

"Hurn, blarr."

"Oh yeah, and also the salvation and emancipation of his species for all eternity." Volt translated.

Marta rubbed her chin in thought. "Tell you what, I'll go fifty-fifty. You keep the emancipation and I'll keep the sword."

"Honk!"

"Deal." Volt put in.

"What do I get?" Lloyd asked.

"You get to live. But no guarantees." Marta answered

"That's not a reward for me. That's a reward for all the fine ladies in the Universe."

"I'm a woman, and somehow… I don't feel any luckier."

"I said fine ladies." Lloyd scowled and was slapped across the face.

"What do you want, Genis?" Volt asked.

"I want a pony."

Meanwhile in Blood Gulch, Emil struggled to drag the unconscious Kratos down the passage. "Man, Aurion is fricking heavy." he grunted to himself. "Hey, blue girl, where'd you go? I need your help."

Outside, Sheena heard the shouts then turned to the nervous pink private standing next to the out-cold Zelos. "Listen Presea." he whispered. "Castagnier thinks I'm a Blue, so whatever you do just pretend like you don't know me."

"I don't know you." Presea muttered.

"Yeah, just like that." Sheena nodded. "Good job."

"No, I'm serious." Presea insisted. "I have no idea who you are."

At that moment, Emil emerged from the Base, still dragging Kratos.

"Okay, stop practicing." Sheena hissed. "Here he comes."

"So does that mean you're not going to tell me who you are?" Presea asked.

"Okay, that's a little too far." Sheena sighed. "No one's gonna buy that."

Just then, Emil reached them and lowered Kratos down. "Phew." he panted as he glared at Sheena. "You know, I could have used your help. Thanks."

Sheena raised her assault rifle at Presea and said in a strange Kermit the Frog-ish voice, "I was just securing this girl, which is interesting considering that I have never met her before."

"Why is it interesting?" Emil asked.

"Um, I don't know." Sheena replied.

"Is something wrong with your voice?" Emil asked.

"Oh." Sheena coughed and then said in her normal voice, "I was just disguising it so the prisoner wouldn't think he knew me."

"What?" Presea cried out.

"But he doesn't." Sheena reassured. "Do you, prisoner?"

"Uh, no." Presea whimpered.

"Right." Sheena agreed, adding in a whisper, "Good job, Presea."

"Wait, is this some really weird form of torture?" Presea asked.

Emil ignored Presea as he thought about what the 'blue girl' said then he shrugged. "Well, okay. Help me load these guys in the jeep before they wake up."

"Okay." Sheena said with a salute then she whispered, "Presea, grab the ankles."

"Okie-dokie." Presea murmured and she quickly obeyed. "How's this?"

"Aurion's ankles, Presea." Sheena hissed irritably.

Meanwhile, some distance away, Lloyd, Genis, Marta, Volt, and the alien-angel had left the Great Swamp and were now making their way through a long tunnel in the mountains.

"Step it up guys, we're almost there." Volt called back as the alien-angel led the way.

At the back, Lloyd looked at Marta and Genis with worry. "I'm telling you, the alien has really been creepin' me out lately." he told them quietly. "Every time I wake up, he's hovering over me. It's really weird."

"I'm sure he's just safeguarding his swords- I mean, my swords." Marta reasoned.

"Maybe he just wants to steal your breath." Genis added.

"Maybe he's trying to figure out what I taste like." Lloyd said with a shudder.

"Hurry up, ya idiots!" Volt called out from the tunnel exit.

Genis and Marta ran on ahead but as Lloyd made to follow them, he suddenly felt a pain in his stomach, but he quickly dismissed it as hunger pangs which made sense since they hadn't brought any food with them. As he approached the others, he shivered again. "Man, did it get a lot colder all of a sudden?"

"Of course it did." Volt replied. "They don't call it the Great Freezing Plains for nothing."

Lloyd came out the tunnel next to Genis and gasped in amazement. "Whoa…"

They were standing on a ledge overlooking a vast snowy area that reminded everyone of Flanoir Island, and there, clinging to the side of a mountain like a great crouching beast was a huge building surrounded by some very tough-looking walls.

"Damn it's cold. I wish I had my weather helmet. I'm just glad I brought my gloves." Genis said, shivering.

"The snow is the least of our problems." Marta murmured, peering at the scene through her binoculars.

"Why?" Lloyd asked.

"I assume we have to get into that big temple base thing?" Marta guessed.

"Yeah." Volt replied.

"Well…" Marta handed Lloyd her binoculars and he could see several figures, some red and some blue, marching along the sides. "It's got about two dozen guards on its walls."

"Oh no." Genis gasped.

"Yep." Marta agreed. "It doesn't look good."

"No no no." Genis said. "I mean I lost one of my gloves. Um, we have to go back."

"Sage, we've been walking for days." Lloyd snapped. "We're not going back for anything."

"Any suggestions, Volt?" Marta asked.

"Hmmm." Volt muttered. "I say we let Irving storm in and take them out in a mad rush, and while he's got them distracted, we finish the quest."

Lloyd gulped in fear. "On uh second thought, personal warmth is very important. Let's go get that mitten! It'll be like a mini-quest."

"I think surprise is the key." Marta decided, putting a silencer on her handgun.

"What ya thinking?" Volt asked.

"Let me take them out, one by one." Marta explained. "They will never know what hit them."

"You think you can kill them all without alerting the others?"

"Just watch me." Marta replied with a sly smile. She then pressed a button on her wrist, turning her invisible, and darted down quickly and quietly.

"How can I watch ya?" Volt snorted. "You just turned invisible."

"And yet I was still able to check out her ass." Lloyd put in smoothly. "That's why I'm a pro."

Back at Blood Gulch, Sheena drove the Warthog back towards the Red Base while Emil sat in the back with the unconscious Zelos and Kratos, and Presea riding on the back, hanging on. Soon they stopped twenty feet from the Base and while Sheena unloaded her former comrades, Emil took the pink private aside for a quick negotiation.

"Okay Presea." the Blue leader said. "Wait until we're gone and then you can wake 'em up."

"Well, what do I tell them?" Presea asked.

"I don't care." Emil replied with a shrug. "Tell 'em you busted in and rescued them. Get yourself a medal, you deserve it."

Presea chuckled at the idea. "I always did want to be a hero, and a liar."

"Well then, it's your lucky day." Emil laughed.

"Don't you want anything?"

"Like what?"

"Well, every time someone surrenders, they take something, like when we took the medic and you guys took Zelos's dignity."

"Yeah, like that ever existed." Sheena scoffed before correcting herself. "Uh I mean, which one is Zelos? Is he the yellow one?"

"And this time you guys don't want anything?" Presea asked.

"Well, technically, you're not surrendering." Emil replied. "This is what we call in the Military a 'total asskicking'." He made air quotes around the last two words. "Oh, and also, we're taking your car."

"What?" Presea cried out. "You're leaving us out here, without any transportation? We'll die!"

"Die of what?" Emil asked bemused.

"Exposure! We're stranded!" she yelled.

"Your Base is right there." Emil said, pointing over the pink private's shoulder.

"This is murder!'

"I can see it."

"You may as well just feed us to the buzzards right now."

"You could have walked back to the Base in the time we've been discussing this."

"Go." Presea snapped, turning away and folding her arms. "Just sign our death warrants."

Emil was starting to lose his patience when he suddenly heard Kratos groan behind him, "Ohhh, what's goin' on?"

"Hey, take care of that guy." Emil commanded his 'new teammate'.

Sheena nodded and knelt next to Kratos. "Sorry about this, Aurion."she whispered with a smile as she slowly raised her fist. "But look at it this way, you were right; this does hurt you more than me."

Kratos looked up at this. "Is that you, Fuji-" But he got no further as Sheena punched him in the face. "Ohh, knocked out again."

Ok to anyone that cares I am so sorry it took me over a damn month to update this story. I had to replace my laptop's HDD and update it, get security, all of that, and that was expensive as hell! But I'm back, and so is RVB: Symphonian Stories. I'll try to update this as much as possible, I have a serious schedule now that kinda limits me to my computer. Anyway, you know the drill, review it, tell me what you think. NO FLAMES! Constructive criticism is accepted. Compliments are also accepted. Hasta luego, cockbites!