Cao - Chapter Twenty-Five, Chapter Twenty-Five! Don't you love it?
Alex - . . .Sure. . .
Cao - You're just mad.
Alex - Who wouldn't be if you--?!
Cao - (covers Alex's mouth) Sshh! No spoiling! Anyway, here is yet another chapter written by me and edited by Culinaromancer! Enjoy XD
oOoOoOo
Chapter Twenty-Five – The Haunted Castle: Part 2
"Can't . . .run . . .anymore. . ." Alex panted, leaning on Anise, who was sitting beside him as the two leaned on a nearby wall. She, too, was out of breath, and they weren't the only ones. Guy was leaning against a wall as he struggled to regain his own breath with Luke right beside him, and Tear was also trying to recover.
"Well, thanks to a certain someone, we ended up running right into one of the fontech dolls that were guarding this place," Jade commented, pushing his glasses up and earning himself a glare from just about everyone; he was the only one who wasn't tired.
"Stuff it, old man," Luke hissed, straightening up when he felt a little better.
"Oh, but I'm merely stating facts, nothing more."
"No more running ahead!" Alex spoke up, getting up from his spot with support from the wall. "I haven't run that much since I made Bernard mad!"
"Who's Bernard?" Anise asked, looking up at Alex.
"You're better off not knowing. . ."
"Well, we should get going again." Guy sighed, leaving behind his support as he walked over to the two youngest members of the group. Alex helped Anise to her feet, the girl thanking him. Tear sung a quick fonic hymn that healed everyone in the area, so no one was quite as tired anymore. Jade took his position in the front of the group once again as they all walked up at least three flights if stairs. Alex was, surprisingly, in the back, away from everyone as he simply looked ahead, focusing his attention on Luke's back.
There's something about him. . .that's just not right, he thought, frowning slightly. Mieu, who was in his item bag, looked up at the boy's face.
"Master, is something wrong?" the cheagle asked, startling Alex out of his thoughts.
"N-No. . .nothing's wrong."
"You're a bad liar, y'know." Alex looked beside him to see Anise; the girl had slowed her pace down to keep with the boy. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing. . .really. . ."
"Is it about Luke?"
Alex looked away from the pink-clad girl, confirming her question. She resisted a small sigh, looking at the noble in front of them then back at the boy next to her. "You gonna tell me? I have ways of getting people to tell me things."
"A-Anise. . .I. . ." The eleven-year-old shook his head; he may as well ask, right? After all, she'd probably know more about something like this than him. "Have you ever been close to the God-General Asch the Bloody?"
"No. Why?"
"Then forget about it."
"What? Why?!"
"Because. . .just. . .please, okay?" Alex gave the girl beside him one last look, a small smile crossing his face for a moment before he ran ahead up to Guy, talking with the swordsman about various things that obviously made him feel more comfortable.
Geez. . .what's he hiding? Anise wondered, a small frown crossing her face.
"Anise? We're going to leave you behind."
The girl in question snapped out of her thoughts, looking towards the owner of the ever-so familiar voice of Ion, who had stopped; she must have stopped as well, without even realizing it.
"R-Right! Sorry. Let's get going so we can teach Gloomietta a lesson!"
The girl's sudden fiery attitude startled the green-haired Fon Master as she dashed past him, back to catch up with the group. He couldn't help but chuckle lightly, many thoughts crossing his mind as he also walked to catch up, though at a much slower pace so as not to tire himself out.
It was kind of funny; the relationship between Anise and Alex was growing more and more obvious. Pretty soon, even someone like Luke would be able to notice.
"Hey, look! We found one!" Luke's voice called; the noble had just been about to climb the fifth flight of stairs when he spotted the tail of an oversized liger disappear from sight, up through a hole in the ceiling that must've lead to the roof.
"Let's go, Luke!" Anise nodded as she and the redhead took off up the stairs, following their only clue. Alex couldn't help but sigh in irritation; he was the youngest member of the group, excluding Mieu. And even he knew better than to just charge onwards. He focused his attention on the soles of his shoes, closing his eyes momentarily until he could feel a thin layer of wind fonons focusing. Pretty soon, he'd had just enough to be able to lift himself up off the ground.
"Luke, come back! It's dangerous!" Guy called, though his attention was momentarily diverted as Alex suddenly flew off after the two. He honestly couldn't help but bite down on his tongue to prevent a flow of colourful little words from escaping his lips; those two really were a handful. "Come on. We better go make sure those two are okay," the blonde eventually said, turning his attention to the three people who had stayed behind. He was met with rather curious and blank stares, making him uncomfortable. "What?"
"You do realize that Alex just flew. . .right?" Tear said first, walking up to him. Guy took a step back, but before he could dash off, the melodist grabbed his arm in a binding trap.
"I'm afraid that I'm inclined to question you as well, though my methods won't be nearly as. . .torturous." Jade spoke, pushing his glasses up his nose and also walking up to Guy.
"O-Okay, okay! I'll answer your questions, just please, get her to let go!"
Tear somewhat-reluctantly let go of Guy's arm and stepped back from him, allowing the swordsman a chance to calm himself down. Even though she did that, he still couldn't help but take his own few steps back, now standing on the third step of the staircase behind him.
"Fon Master, I believe we'll also need you to help us with this, as it seems you may know more than even Guy does," Jade said again, just as Ion was about to go ahead. The green-haired boy nodded and stood next to Guy, awaiting the questions. "Firstly, I would like Guy to answer some questions, since he knows this was coming." The person in question nodded slowly. "Remember that night we camped after our escape from the Tartarus? How Alex acted almost as soon as harm was caused to him, no matter how minimal? You know as well as I do what the cause—"
"It's not my place to say," Guy interrupted, earning a questioning look from the colonel. The swordsman shifted slightly on his spot, trying to pick his words carefully. "The kid doesn't know. And I don't plan on telling you until I plan on telling him. It's only fair, since it concerns him."
"Even though you're keeping secrets from another member of our group? Secrets that concern him?"
"Don't give me that. You're doing the exact same thing."
"True," Jade shrugged, taking his hands out of his pockets, leaving them hanging by his side; not something he usually did. It didn't take long before he put them in his pockets again, closed his eyes in thought, then turning on Ion and focusing his crimson orbs on the Fon Master. "Ion, if you would. . .can you tell me what the God-Generals had Alex do at the Sephiroth?"
"They. . .they had him. . ." Ion hesitated; it was hard, considering how cruel they'd been in making him do what they wanted. And he'd tried so hard to try and forget about it. "They used him like a weapon. For whatever reason, the seal placed upon it wouldn't open, so they had him open it forcefully."
"Can you tell me anymore?"
"No. I'm sorry."
"I would like to know why Alex was suddenly able to fly," Tear cut through, ending the conversation there as she focused her stern gaze on Guy. "There are no fonic artes even remotely capable of making someone fly. And even if there were, I didn't even hear him chant an incantation."
"Err. . .that's kind of complicated to explain. . ."
"Guy!"
The blonde in question flinched, not really wanting physical contact with the girl as she stepped closer. "He's been able to control third fonons with a simple thought for as long as I can remember. That's probably what happened just now," he explained, sighing in defeat when he finished. The melodist seemed satisfied, for she stepped away from him and simply crossed her arms, losing her stern gaze.
"Now that our interrogation is over, shall we be on our way?"
All eyes focused on Jade, who was wearing a casual smile as he walked past everyone up the stairs, ignoring the eyes that followed him.
"How the hell does he do that. . .?"
"I-I have no idea. . ."
oOo
By the time the other four came out onto the roof, Alex had already had his hands full just keeping the liger from biting off his hand. Luke had fallen prey to Arietta's bird and was carried off. The pink-haired girl was standing off to the side, watching her liger as it struck, occasionally shifting her gaze to her blue bird. As soon as she saw Ion come out with Guy, Jade and Tear in the corner of her eye, she signaled for her bird to swoop down and get him. Anise, being the Fon Master guard she was, saw it coming and pushed the boy out of the way, though she ended up getting herself caught.
"Oh! I covered Ion! I'm sorry," she said to Luke, who had a slightly irritated scowl on his face.
Arietta noticed the switch, raising her hand and signaling to her bird, which swooped down again to the ground, though not nearly high enough for someone to jump and land safely, even though it released Anise just at the right time.
"H-Hey! I'm not edible!" Alex yelped, dodging out of the way as the liger attempted to snap at him again. Sitting on the back was the maintenance chief, whom he'd noticed. He'd almost forgotten that the creature wasn't the only one there, though as he caught the sight of a flash of blue past his vision, he turned and spotted Anise falling to the ground. Quickly, he abandoned the liger and zoomed through the air towards the pink-clad guardian, somehow managing to catch her but ending up shielding her from the ground as he had to land on the ground rather hard, wincing slightly as he tried to sit up.
Anise blinked, looking up when she realized she wasn't in pain. "Alex! Oh, I'm sorry!" The girl scrambled off him, letting him get up as she glared at Arietta. "That was mean, Gloomietta!"
"I am not gloomy!" the God-General retorted, glaring at her rival. She turned her attention on her bird again, who still had Luke. She nodded, and the creature saw, flying over the edge and dropping its captive over the edge.
"Luke!" Guy called, rushing forward, though he stopped in his tracks when a rather 'extravagantly' dressed man in a flying chair appeared from over the edge of the roof, carrying the noble in his lap and zooming away from sight.
"This is not good." Jade said, frowning as he looked at Arietta momentarily then focused on where the flying chair had vanished from sight. "But I highly doubt they intend to kill him if they're going through this much trouble."
"What are we going to do now?" Tear asked, looking at the colonel; like he would know the answer.
"First, I want Alex and Anise to keep Arietta busy; we don't need her following us. Fon Master, you're to come with us, so you can stay out of harm's way."
"Alright," Ion nodded in understanding.
"You can count on us, Colonel!" Anise and Alex said at the same time, then looked at each other and burst into a small fit of giggles; talk about coincidental.
"So long as they know what they're doing," Guy sighed, watching as the two children tried to calm themselves down. And so, the group split up, with Guy, Jade, Tear and Ion heading into the castle once more and leaving Anise and Alex behind.
"So. . .how about I attack from the air?" Alex suggested as he unsheathing his sword and already focusing on apply the wind fonons again.
"S-Sure. . .I still think that's weird, though."
"It took Guy a little while to get used to it, too. But I still think he isn't completely used to it."
"Quit talking to yourselves!" Arietta growled, glaring fiercely at her opponents. Her liger abandoned the unconscious maintenance chief, coming up to the front of the battle. Her bird did the same, screeching an unearthly and rather painful-to-the-ears cry.
"Shut up, Gloomietta!"
"I am not—"
Before she could finish her sentence, Alex finished applying the fonons to the bottom of his shoes, flying up into the air and, with his sword, zooming right at Arietta, slashing towards her. His strike, however, was blocked by the bird, which screeched again and attempted to snap at his sword hand. Had he been any normal kid, he probably would have lost that hand. But at the very last second, a quick layer of wind fonons wrapped around his hand and prevented any sort of injury, though that didn't keep the kid from getting shell-shocked.
"T-That was close. . ."
Anise took Tokunaga off her back, holding it out in front of her and putting him down roughly on the ground. Upon impact, the thing grew to be almost three times her size, and she was able to cling to its back quite comfortably, her staff in her hands; where it had been, Alex didn't think he'd ever know. She hung back while he fought hand-to-hand, blocking the bird again as he tried to strike Arietta once again.
"Wind Blade!" he cried, slashing in thin air and creating a shockwave that crashed down on Arietta, actually managing to do her some harm, though nothing too serious. It was a good thing, too, because he didn't think he'd be able to live with himself. The pink-haired girl glared at him, though what was strange was the look of hurt in her eyes as well. This caught Alex off guard, slightly, and the next thing he knew he was rammed down and pinned to the ground by Arietta's bird.
"Feel the power of light! Limited!"
A ray of light crashed down on the bird, hitting the blue-haired boy slightly, though not enough to do anything serious. Now injured somewhat, the creature got off him and flew away, allowing him to quickly get back up and onto his feet.
"Thanks, Anise!"
"No problem!" the pink-clad girl replied, smiling slightly before she and Tokunaga charged forward, the giant doll swiping at the liger and smacking it away as it attempted to bite the oversized plushie.
That thing really did freak him out. . .
Just have to hold her off, right? Alex sighed, taking a deep breath as he took flight again, zooming up to the girl and slashing again; her doll took the hit instead. But even still. . .she's so defenseless. . .and she can't even fight, can she? He brought his blade up over his head and swung it down in an arc, ripping a neat little cut in Arietta's doll. This infuriated the girl, and she tried to cast a quick fonic arte, but that didn't work as the boy slashed at her and interrupted the spell.
"Alex, look out!"
Alex looked just in time to see the liger ram into him, slamming him into the ground and sinking its teeth right into his side. The child couldn't help but yell out, trembling lightly as he tried to push the enormous creature off him. Next second, he felt the weight on him vanish, and he looked up to see Anise jumping off Tokunaga to his side.
"I'm fine," Alex said quickly, rolling over and pushing himself up on his knees, clutching his bleeding side; damn. He may just die.
"No you aren't! Quit being so stubborn!" Anise quickly jumped back on Tokunaga, making the giant plushie grab the bleeding boy in its arms; she may be unable to fight up close, but that didn't matter; she'd do fine with her spells. "Just stay put and don't move so much. When Tear gets back, she'll heal you right up."
"'Kay." Alex tried to shift into a slightly more comfortable position, wincing slightly and simply settling; the more he moved, the more blood he lost. And right now, his clothes were pretty much dyed red at this point.
Anise kept her gaze from the injured boy in her doll's arms, stopping it at a safe distance and casting a fonic arte once more, managing to hit Arietta and her pets all at once, though none of them dropped. Over and over, she cast fonic artes and, when the bird got too close, she beat it down with her staff and knocked it away, a rather violent act for such a little girl.
Hang on. . .just hang on until the others get here. . .
oOo
'The boy may die, Lorelei. You must help! You must, or else—'
'All is not lost. Just give me time, Sylph. . .'
oOoOoOo
Cao - Yay! Another chapter done! Love it? Do you? Huhhuhuhuh??
Alex - . . .
Cao - What?
Alex - . . .
Cao - What??
Alex - . . .I hate you.
Cao - Ah. . .he's still ticked off, eh? Well! Read and review if you wanna make him happy again! XD