Chapter Six - Soldiers

A/N: You'll be missing out if you don't read this chapter:D And what's the deal, I only got about 3 reviews last chapter. I guess I'm out of the popular zone. Thanks to you three anyway! Enjoy chapter 6, this is one of my personal favorites. And I hope to hear from everyone again soon. This story does get better as it goes on, it's no fun if you all quit now!

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of the Abyss.

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Peony paced the palace floors abstractedly, the soft sound of his shoes on the surface echoing dully. Sesemann puffed on his pipe in thought and Nordheim stood as still as a statue for what seemed an eternity. The bluest of waters cascaded from marble cliffs in the background, creating a soothing peace, and at the same time, a rushed anxiousness. Peony raised a hand to his lips and closed his eyes, ceasing his pacing.

"He's been gone for four nights, no one's been able to trace him, or even reach him. It's been ever since that telegram..."

Nordheim cleared his throat and looked at the floor. "Would you like us to send troops to search for him again?" Peony shook his head, stray locks of his blonde hair swaying from side to side. "Perhaps he got kidnapped."

"Jade doesn't just get kidnapped. But if he's in town, he should at least contact me." The emperor looked through a water-filled window from his spot on the rug. "He's missed quite a few meetings, and Kimlasca requested our presence on the battlefield this morning. Hopefully he'll at least show up there." Sesemann nodded blankly.

There was a moment's pause, then the doors of the audience hall creaked open. Peony kept his vision at the window, deaf to the entrance of the long awaited soldier. Sesemann blinked his hidden eyes in amazement. "Colonel Curtiss!"

Peony did a double-take in the direction of his friend before rushing to him. "Jade!!" He stopped about two inches from the man and raised a hand to hit him. Jade, however, caught the emperor's wrist halfway and held it. "Where have you been? What took you so long? Why didn't you contact me?! You had me worried to death! I sent troops out to look for you! How are you going to explain yourself?!?! Say something!!!"

Jade waited for him to finish his rampage, still gripping the man's offending arm. "My apologies, Emperor. I was doing some research for an old friend of mine and decided to stay at a nearby facility for a few nights. I would've contacted you but I never got the chance." He let go of Peony and removed his glasses, examining them. "I'm sorry it took me so long, and I would've returned sooner but-"

"Okay, stop. You're boring me." Peony put his hands on his hips self-importantly and continued. "Well, I'm glad you came back just in time to go to the plains to fight. Aslan should be in the Briefing Room. You should tell him you're back." He pushed his hair back between his fingers and sighed heavily, looking at the floor. Jade smiled slyly, walking to the other side of his friend.

"I've never seen you so worried about me before," the colonel taunted, twisting one of the emperor's bisque tresses on his slender finger. "I'm flattered. Now I feel guilty."

Peony whirled around with a look of mild umbrage in his eyes. "I wasn't that worried, you idiot! You just stressed me out!"

Jade stepped back with a temperate smile and closed his eyes. "My, my. A bit tetchy now, are we?" he replied insouciantly, shrugging.

He continued to exacerbate Peony, the emperor's petulance rising with his every word. "Grr! Just go do your job!" The colonel bowed and began to leave.

"In deference to your wishes, I'll be on my way, Peony." Casting one more glance behind him, Jade said, "Don't worry about me too much. I'll be back."

Peony felt his chagrin rise and stomped his foot loudly. "Just go die out there, Jade!" he shouted bitterly, his voice ringing through the palace walls. The last thing he heard was Jade's sharp laugh, and the doors closing with a thunderous boom. Peony let out his breath in vexation, glaring at the door.

"His Majesty can get quite barbaric, can't he?" Nordheim mumbled to Sesemann, eyeing their leader warily. The old man nodded.

"Especially when it comes to that Curtiss character. He's a contumelious one, isn't he?" Sesemann whispered back, puffing his pipe.

"Not so much contumelious as he is flippant, almost insulting."

"Hm, flippant or not, he's certainly very cunning." Sesemann noted as Peony began walking back towards them.

"Cunning indeed. Perhaps that's why His Majesty is so fond of him." Nordheim pondered.

"Perhaps so. His Majesty certainly is not very clever, however."

"Indeed. Though I find those two and their quarrels quite amusing."

"Amusing, I agree." Peony was soon within earshot and the two old men silenced. "He'll be fine, Your Majesty. Worry not."

The emperor reseated himself and exhaled deeply. "I know. Jade's stubborn when it comes to battle. I'm sure he'll do fine." His eyes shone the clearest azure as he looked again through a waterfall window. Deep inside, he couldn't shake a feeling of uneasiness, uncertainty, and a hunch he might not see his friend again for a long time.

Aslan Frings was in the Briefing Room, as Peony had mentioned. He was polishing his sword in preparation, two low rank soldiers at his side. The brigadier general held his sword up to the light, and was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, sheathing his sword.

Jade stepped inside quietly, leaving the door open. "Welcome back," Frings said, looking the man over. "You look well. Where were you?"

"I was away on business for a friend." Jade looked at a nearby clock. "I suppose we should be heading out now." Frings nodded silently and the two left the room.

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Outside, Frings met up with a bunch of other soldiers and turned to Jade. "I'll be taking the frontlines this time. Is that okay?"

Jade sighed and closed his eyes. "I'm subaltern to you, Frings. You needn't ask me for permission."

Frings laughed and fingered his sword hilt. "Right. Are you taking the Tartarus?" Jade nodded. "Alright then, see you later." The colonel waved as Frings left to catch up with the troops. The Tartarus sailed into sight and Jade boarded it when it stopped.

He went onto the deck and looked at the sky as the rest of the soliders boarded. "Hm, it looks like it might rain," he noted to himself. Gray clouds filled the sky and a light humidity made the Tartarus's surface collect tiny droplets of condensation. A wind blew and pushed the clouds towards him at a dead-slow pace. Looking behind him, Jade said, "The storm's moving toward the castle. I guess I can't avoid it."

The landship lurched forward and Jade returned inside. They crawled onto the plains, where the horizon was occupied with Kimlascan troops. Jade looked up from his controls to the monitor displaying their enemy. So this is it. War really has started. Kimlasca, Malkuth, and Daath.

Less than ten minutes passed before the battle broke out and Malkuth soldiers were fighting Kimlascan soldiers. Landships and aircrafts fired at each other and fonists used their power to summon spells and destroy opponents. Swords clashed, spear thrusted, and shields shattered on ground level.

Suddenly, there was an explosion below, and the ship heaved dramatically, yet slowly. Jade ran out to the deck, where he was stopped by a soldier, who looked to be panicking.

"S-sir! They've hit the Tartarus's vital point! We think we'll fall, so we're asking everyone to abandon-!"

"No, the Tartarus is strong enough to hold for at least another half hour. Get someone down there to fix it, and I'll hold off attacks on the deck," Jade commanded to the man.

"Y-yes sir!"

The wind blew fiercely and the fonists and soldiers on the deck struggled to stay on and attack. Jade closed his eyes and concentrated on an attack, blocking out the screams and cries of the surroundings. He envisioned the deck of the Kimlasca landship, the control room, the storage room, the cabins, and finally, the engine room. Whispering an incantation, he released a fiery explosion in the ship. He opened his eyes to see the red ship slow down as a burgundy sphere of fire erupted from its center.

The ship was rendered immobile, but Jade watched in puzzlement as an aircraft flew at extraordinary speed toward him from the fire. It soared overheard, pushing a few people off the deck with its force. It was gone in an instant, but about twenty Kimlascan soldiers were ejected, and landed on the Tartarus's deck.

One on one fighting broke out on the deck, and Jade backed up to the rail, searching for an escape. Unfortunantly, he was sighted by a soldier. "Stop right there, Jade the Necromancer!" an unfamiliar female voice cried. She raced forward, sword drawn, and brought it down at light speed. Jade rolled out of the way just in time, drawing his spear as he evaded.

The woman was dressed in a red Kimlasca suit and wore a helmet, her hair and face invisible. "Surrender your ship!"

"I'm afraid not," Jade said confidently, rising to his feet. They engaged in a small fight, spear versus sword, and seemed equally matched in skill. Explosions went off on both the Tartarus and the ground, but the two were not distracted.

They backed away safely, and started summoning spells at the same time. Words of beckoning raced across their lips, and soon bright red and light blue flashed simultaneously.

"Flamme Rouge!"

"Absolute!"

Due to lack of physical reflexes, they were both struck. The woman seemed faster, however, in recovering. "Say good-bye, Necromancer!" her voice called from the other side of the mist of clashing elements. Jade closed his eyes and had no choice but to take the hit fully. It was a blast of wind produced from her sword, he confirmed, as it pushed him off the Tartarus.

The heavy air rushed past him as he fell toward the ground. He instinctively tucked into a ball and hit the ground rolling, where he fell into a convenient ditch. He didn't feel a whole lot of pain and dusted the ashes off his charred suit, that was now a dusky blue-gray. Shaking the cinders out of his hair, he heard a voice and saw a monstrous mass shuffling toward him.

"Colonel!" The voice of a little girl hollered again. A gargantuan, buff-colored doll leapt over him and into the ditch. It turned to face him, it's mix-matched eyes blank and an almost villainous grin plastered on its face. A perky girl with black hair in pigtails jumped from its back and sat on its plushy head. "What are you doing in this ditch?" she asked in a sassy, high-pitched voice.

Jade looked around and then down at his hands. "I'm...recovering."

The girl leapt from the doll and down to the sticky ground, black wand in hand. "That's real heroic," she sneered sarcastically.

"And just what are you doing here, Anise? It's awfully dangerous." Jade ducked lower in the ditch as another fonic explosion went off. "You might get hurt."

"I'm here on Fon Master Ion's orders to support, protect, and represent Daath!" she said proudly, placing her fists on her hips. "And I don't think you're in any position to be worrying about me getting hurt." The foreign girl nodded at the colonel's seared clothing and occasional wound.

"I suppose you're right," Jade said, peering over the top of the canal. "Did anyone come with you?"

"Nope, I came all by myself! Aren't you proud of me?" Anise grinned, pleased with herself. Jade nodded and Anise looked across the battlefield. She gasped and raised her wand above her head, spinning it rapidly. "Someone's in trouble!"

"Someone from Daath? You said no one came with you," Jade pointed out, looking over his shoulder cautiously.

Anise rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "A friend of yours, Colonel. Negative Gate!" A pink and purple orb appeared over a few soldiers, and someone raced into the ditch, diving in without any regards to who might've been in it.

"That was close," the soldier announced in relief, before his crystal blue eyes found Jade's. "Colonel?"

"Frings. Good to see you again," Jade said, both of them sinking further into the shelter of the channel. "This is Ionian Sergeant Anise Tatlin of the Oracle Knights. She's a Fon Master Guard. Anise, this is Frings, Brigadier General of Malkuth Military Forces." They nodded at each other indistinctly.

Anise hauled herself back onto the monster doll's back and took in a deep breath of thick air. "Alright, men! No use in sitting around, we've got a battle to fight!" The doll jumped forward and waddled to the fields and Jade helped Frings to his feet.

"Is she always like that?" Frings asked.

"No...well, yes. Let's go." The two took off running after the exuberant girl and her surprisingly mobile friend. They continued to fight for maybe another five minutes until the fighting began to diminish and Kimlasca started to retreat. One woman was still out there, shouting at troops, however.

"Let's get her!" Anise shouted, not noticing that she had taken Malkuth's side and temporarily abandoned Daath. "Eagle Dive!" she yelled, jumping into the air and bringing her creature down on the woman. However, the Kimlascan jumped back and landed on her feet. The ground shook slightly from Anise's landing, which knocked the woman to the ground. "Awww," Anise complained, looking at the woman from her vantage point. "I almost had you."

"Wh-who are you?!" the lady cried, groping for her dropped sword. Her brown eyes were wide with fear, and her light blonde hair was in disarray from the battle. She retrieved her weapon and stood straight at attention, looking from person to person until her eyes fell on Frings.

"You! Frings!" she snarled, a look of repugnance on her otherwise pretty face.

"Cecille!" Frings put his sword away immediately and raised his hands level with his head. "Please, I don't want to fight! Put away your weapon!"

Anise glanced back and forth between the two brigadier generals. "You two know each other?"

"Know each other?!" Cecille spat, glaring at Anise for an instant. "This dolt is the Malkuth version of me! I'm going to show him once and for all that I'm the better brigadier!" She pulled her sword back to stab him, but Frings dove to the ground in evasion. "Get up, you pansy!"

"Cecille, please stop! I don't want there to be any violence between us!" Frings continued to implore, though he lacked conviction from his inferior place on the ground, looking up Cecille's sword blade. She cut a red streak across his face, a look of detestation strong on her face. "Heh, you're the same witch you were last year."

"Witch?!" Cecille's eyes flashed bright red and she kicked Frings square in the shin. "I'll show you 'witch', you clumsy cad!"

"Alright, woman!" Frings interjected, jumping up and unleashing his sword. "I don't know what the hell I did to you, but you're gonna pay!" The two were soon busying themselves with an intense sword fight, as well as a name-calling contest.

Jade and Anise exchanged glances, then laughed nervously. "Let's get going."

A light sleet began to fall as Anise barreled through the soldiers, covering for Jade. "Ha! Dragon Surge!" A group of people fell to the ground, and Anise turned back to Jade in satisfaction. "These guys are easy!"

Jade nodded, eyes closed. "Yes, but you mustn't let your guard down. They are numerous, despite the retreat." Another group of them were struck by a large blade of lightning coming down from the sky. "Stubborn too..." Jade added as half the group rose back to their feet.

Anise was soon surrounded and Jade wasn't as protected. He stopped another spell to put up his guard and jumped back, only met with another soldier's blade. "Damn," he cursed, pressuring the new injury. With his free arm, he sliced the armored head off another solider, who fell emptily to the wet ground. "No time, my blood..."

"Colonel!" Anise exclaimed, looking over her shoulder from her height. "Hang on, I'm coming!" The doll swung it's lengthy arms around and Anise jumped off, landing softly on the dirt. "Wait, I'm almost there!"

"No, Anise!" Jade looked up, his bangs heavy with collecting raindrops. "Stay with Tokunaga!" Another solider came at him and grabbed his hair from behind, only to get elbowed in the gut. They collapsed, but Jade drove his spear through the man, just to be sure. Because he let his guard down, he was next met with the chilling sound of a girl's scream.

Turning abruptly, he saw a pair of red soldiers standing beside a fallen girl. "Anise!!"

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A/N: Heh heh, interesting, eh? I pick the worst time for cliffies, I know. Please review!