Finally, I got to getting off my lazy bum and start writing this chapter. Gah, it's been to long everyone. Well anyways, hope you're still interested in my stories~
Review responses;
Shelby (Can I call you that?): Thank you, I plan to write more when I decide to stop procrastinating~
Kash: Awesome, I'm glad you noticed the cameos!
Anon: ...Rude...
Shirokorinohana (You shall now be known as...Hana.): Well we all now know Luke isn't the next James Bond. I wanna free job too...*shot* I enjoy being able to present the unexpected. Expect the unexpected. -maniacal laughter-
SukiMikora (Your new name...Suki): Yes! Someone got it! XD
Miku-cat: Wait...what? GGYMGTNYN? ...Okay then, and yes I will make more.
Vannil: ...Thank you for all the reviews Vannil. XD
Guest: Possibly, maybe I'll make a poll for it.
Shadmin: Thank you so very much~! :D Yay for motivation~!
MariaAndSyncForever: Duh, I knew that already! *acting cocky*
End of Reviewer Responses...
Sync: How the hell did you even get this many?!
ES: Procrastination.
Sync: ...
Chapter 21;
Rain
Tear stared out her window moodily, watching rain plink off the window sill and trickle down into the muddy ground. For the past few days it had been raining nonstop, making the ground a death trap and keeping the inhabitants of Kimlasca inside for the most part.
After another few chaotic weeks at her new high school, it was finally Spring Break. Of course, with Spring Break came rain. Lots and lots of rain.
"Stupid showers bring pretty flowers." She half-downheartedly grumbled to herself. Flopping backwards onto her bed, she stared at the ceiling, pondering how long one could stay in a house before going insane. She deemed this to be, not long.
While Tear was being moody and depressed, Van was happily skipping around the house like a maiden in love. He sang famous dramas and plays as he dusted off the dusty objects of the Grants house; however, he was also clad in a sparkling,yes sparkling, pink apron. Tear would have assisted him, had he not insisted that she stay in her room and be the procrastinator she was.
'Rain is stupid...' She thought to herself as she watched a couple go by under an umbrella together. They were snuggling in the tight space, laughing about some silent joke. Watching them reminded her of Luke.
Wait...
She slapped herself a couple of times, convinced she was having a mild case of cabin fever. With that in mind she threw open her closet and started looking for a rain coat. 'I have to get out of here!' She thought frantically while she searched. Not many could stay 5 consecutive days in the same house as Van without feeling a little bit sorry for themselves. That or they would develop a severe case of cabin fever.
'AHA!' She thought triumphantly, pulling out a yellow rain coat. She pulled out matching yellow, rubber boots and set to getting out of her pajama pants and into some black leggings. She happily slapped on a matching black skirt and a neon yellow shirt. She pulled on the rain coat and looked herself up and down in a long mirror. Without a doubt, she'd probably be the brightest thing that set foot in Kimlasca this fine, cloudy day.
In fact, she reminded herself of a bee. She appraised herself for another second before she sprinted out of the room and grabbed her black parasol as she near the door. She shouted a hasty goodbye to Van for breaking out into the warm, moist air. Closing the door in a rather harsh manner, she ran forward. In fact, it didn't matter where she ran, as long as she was away from the house.
She ended up in the children's park, which was currently half flooded in rain water. She panted slightly,( mostly from running so fast from the house), and scanned the park for signs of life. Failing to locate any, she started to turn when she saw something shift on a bench rather close to her. Whatever it was, it had lime green hair and was dressed in all white.
She jumped slightly in surprise, unable to comprehend why she wasn't able to see them before. It all became clear when it turned out to be Ion whom was sitting on the bench, starring out into the rain with a peaceful smile on his face. He was quite happy and was sitting so still that she thought he might have been a statue.
"Ion..."She muttered making sure he was still alive.
He shifted slightly, his eyes moving quite quickly and connecting with hers. "Oh Tear, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." He smiled happily. She noticed that he had neither an umbrella or rain gear and that he looked soaked to the bone.
"No, please don't apologize Fon Master. May I sit here?" She asked, pointing to the spot next to him on the bench.
Something in his smile faltered. "You may sit there Tear; please don't call me Fon Master either. I'm no higher in rank than you."
"As you wish, Ion. She sat next to him and placed the umbrella so that it covered both of their heads. Ion didn't seem to notice the stop of water on his head or chose to ignore it. He continued to stare out into the empty park, mind far away.
"I didn't think you'd be out here alone, Ion. Not to mention you're drenched. You're going to be sick!" She chided, pulling out a dry cloth she didn't know she had and dabbing his face with it.
"I snuck out with the help of Sync; he's pretending to be me. I just needed some time away from politics and papers," Ion confessed rather easily, not minding Tear's chide,"Sometimes I feel like I'm going to become paper." Tear nodded in understanding. Van often used this phrase when he sat in his office at night, filing through giant stacks of paper.
They sat in another companionable silence before Tear spoke up again. "So Ion, what's the deal between your family... I mean! You don't have to answer if it's too personal!" She quickly reprimanded herself, mentally kicking herself when she remembered those bruises on his arms.
"It's fine... You see, our mother hasn't always been the greatest person. Step-mother I mean. Our real mother died in child birth and our dad abandoned Sync and I when we were around three... When we were about five, there was an...incident between Sync and I and word got out that we were, in a way, gifted. Our step-mother heard about it apparently and came rushing to our 'aid'. She adopted us, brought us to Daath, and set about schooling us." Ion laughed bitterly at a memory. "Sync didn't like the idea of schooling too well."
Tear tried to think of Sync and Ion getting schooled in the most religious capital of Auldrant, then imagined Sync kicking over the pile of blocks he had set up and then going to a corner to pout after getting yelled at. Thinking this made her giggle slightly.
"Anyways, a few years later, a man named Mohs came to our house and demanded that our step-mother hand us over to the Order for possible Fon Masters. This happened when we were about nine. At first our mother disagreed, but after a quiet talk with Mohs, she became suddenly eager to give us up to the Order. Sync says he heard part of their conversation but he's never given me a real straight answer. He's only told me that they promised to give her a monthly check.
So, in the next few days, we were transferred into the cathedrals and had basic tests performed on us. Like how well our people skills were, how fluent our fonic and ispanic was, and the like. While I did the tests quietly, Sync outright refused and would do anything for the next few days. He wouldn't eat, sleep, drink, play, anything. He just sat at a corner, looking older than he actually was. Eventually, I had to convince him to eat since he wouldn't listen to anyone else. Especially mother, err step-mother, whom would strike him sometimes. A few months later, the order seemed to take more interest in me and left Sync alone. Mother wasn't happy about this.
Of course Sync was punished, sent to 'the punishment corner' for 'insolence' and 'disloyalty,'" Ion paused letting the words sink in and took another shaky breath, "Sometimes Mother would lash out at me too, telling me I was the cause of his disobedience and insubordination. I also noticed mother's wallet didn't look so big after Sync had started refusing to do things."
Tear sat and listened to this story, reflecting on what she thought all mothers were like and then comparing it to what Ion and Sync had to go through. They were quite different.
"Eventually, when we turned thirteen, mother had gotten fed up with Sync. She found him to be an intractable child and sent him away to Kimlasca for him to 'learn proper manners'. She sent him on our birthday, for that was the day it became legal for a child to be sent to different countries without an escort. I didn't find out until later, since at the same time, Mohs declared that I was to be the next fon master. I...I transferred here a few weeks ago, to escape from politics...and mother."
Ion fell silent, tears brimming the corners of his eyes. Tear herself didn't know whether they were tears or if his head had drizzled some water down into his eyes. It was impossible to tell if one was crying in the rain... Tear offered her cloth and he gladly took it, wiping his face with it.
"Thank you for telling me this Ion. I- I'm sorry..." She starred out into the rain as he had when she had first came to the park, thinking of all the ways the twins lives could have been better.
"Don't be sorry Tear. It's not your fault..." He whispered handing her back the cloth. When she failed to take it back, he tucked it in his pocket and thanked her again. He stood up and walked back into the rain, out of the umbrella's cover. Tear hastily stood up to cover him again, afraid he was going to be sick. Well, more sick than he already was. A thought suddenly struck her.
"Ion, where do you live?" She asked suddenly.
"Hm? Oh I live with Arietta and Sync in a house not too far from here. I'm afraid it's gotten quite crowded, now that the knights have found where I've been. I still thank Yulia to this day that I have Sync to help me out." He explained.
"Do you want me to walk you home?" She secretly hoped he would say yes, for she didn't feel safe letting him go out into the rain without an umbrella again.
"I couldn't ask you to do that Tear." He smiled happily, although now Tear could see the pain behind his smile.
"Then please, take the umbrella. I have a hood anyways." She shoved the black parasol into his hands and pulled up her hood. What she hadn't known is that her hood had been filling up with rain while she had been sitting on the bench, the only part left out of the cover. The second she put it up, a litter of water splashed down onto her unsuspecting head.
She stood in shocked silence for a moment, while Ion was trying to figure what the hell had just happened. When the two were finally able to comprehend the situation, they started giggling. Then outright laughing.
Tear couldn't believe how she could switch emotions so fast, listening to an extremely sad story to laughing about water being dumped all over her head.
"I-I don't know whom should have the umbrella anymore, since we're both soaked!" Ion exclaimed between their laughter.
"Just keep it, I have plenty of them at home." She lied. In reality, she only had one left, her favorite white one with black music notes written all over it. Ion nodded and smiled one last time before he began trekking away from the park, umbrella in tow.
Tear smiled and began hurrying home, just in case her hood wasn't as water resistant as the manufacturers said and gave her another wet surprise.
Bah, I love Ion! (Who doesn't? I find him impossible to dislike.) I felt like having a sad-ish chapter since the last couple have been crazy. (In my mind of course.) Besides, I figured I might do a Valentine's special for this anyways, since I never got to it last year. XDD No Luke or Guy in this chapter. -pouts- Their really fun to write too... I think this chapter was shorter than the special. =A=
After notes;
Sync: OAO Did you just tell a sad, twisted childhood of my life? Really?!
Ion: -dabbing eyes- I thought it was sad...
Sync: Bah, of course you would!
Asch: Is THAT why you came to me that one night and asked if any house were on sale?!
Sync: YOU weren't supposed to read THAT!
Asch: Why not?
Sync: Arg, I will murder you in your sleep! -glares daggers at authoress-
ES: What's that?! Do I hear my hot pocket in the oven dinging? Why yes, I believe my hot pocket it finished. Arrivederci~! -runs for dear life-
Es: -suddenly stops- Wait! I just had a logic breakthrough. Okay so, Ion has been a Fon master for 2 years (According to chapter 16). He became a Fon master when he was 13. So Ion and Sync are 15. Okay...but then Sync + Ion + 15-years-old= Juniors?! -stares at Sync-
Sync:... Don't look at me! I can't explain your logic!