Hi peeps! And before I start, I would like to thank you all for the reviews. n.n I was so happy I made up for last
chapter, really, you guys flatter me...n.n'
Yuan: Spoiled brat.
Me: (Twitch) Sorry...
Yuan: ...Freakyanimegal456 owns nothing!
Me: Except and immense amount of gratitude for your patronage! n.n
Yuan:...
Me: What?
Yuan: Whatever. This is finally where I have my appearance, isn't it? About time.
Me: (Rolls eyes) Glory hog.
"...So, where'd you go?"
I sighed for the fifteenth time in the last five minutes, looking at Genis as he looked up at me with a mix between hurt and suspicion.
"Stop pestering her, Genis," Raine stated, "we'll explain once everyone's up so we don't have to repeat ourselves, all right?"
"But sis-!" Genis started. "...This isn't fair! You know what happened too, don't you!? And Jaela-! Kratos was a-!?"
"Yes, for the last time, YES!" I snapped.
"That's the other thing we have to explain," Raine muttered.
"Huh?!"
"Hmph!" Sheena huffed, leaning against the wall. "It's one thing for the 'angel' to be keeping secrets, like she usually does-"
I flinched.
"But Raine? Come on!" she snorted. "What's going on?"
"Hey! Don't call Jaela 'the angel'!" Genis snapped.
"Why are you still sticking up for her!?" Sheena growled. "She left-!"
"She came back!!"
"She's a Cruxis angel-!"
"She's our friend!!"
"She's a liar-!"
Genis went to say something but I cut him off.
"That's true, Genis, don't make yourself one by saying it isn't." I stated.
"...Jaela..." he looked at me.
"..."
"Mmgh..."
"Lloyd-!" we all said at once.
I watched as the brunette slowly opened his eyes, turning his head to look at the rest of us as we continued our little...conversation.
"Guys...?" he blinked, then stared. "Jaela-!? You-!? Where's Colette-!?"
Lloyd sprang from the bedding and came to and abrupt halt when he caught sight of Colette's face. ...She looked like a doll, one of
those porcelain, soulless, evil looking dolls that creeped the hell out off me.
"...Colette..." he whispered.
"She won't respond to anything we say..." Sheena sighed.
"She can hear you, though," I stated, "I'm not sure what exactly she can remember, but she can hear you, that's for certain."
Lloyd rounded on me. I muttered a swear word, bracing myself. Though I distinctly heard Sheena gasp slightly, seeing as I had just
sworn in Japanese...which I'm guessing is almost the same as Mizuhoan.
"You...!" he snarled. "You're the reason Colette's-!"
"No, not entirely...it's all of our faults, if you think about it." I muttered.
"You're with Cruxis!" he snarled. "You-!"
"But Lloyd!" Genis said. "Jaela came back to help us, remember?"
Lloyd seemed to deflate, his rage disappearing.
"...I...well..." he stammered.
"Besides...she's not with Cruxis," Raine spoke up.
"I-...huh?"
"She's not!?" Sheena and Genis stared.
"In fact, Jaela here isn't even from this world...or Tethe'alla, or Derris-Kharlan either, for that matter..." Raine trailed.
"...What?" Lloyd stared at me. "Then...wait, where is she...?"
"How many are you are familiar with the stories of a planet called 'Earth'?"
"Huh? Well, yeah, but-...no...wait..you can't mean...?"
Lloyd stared at me, his honey-brown eyes going wide as I looked at him, Genis and Sheena staring at me as well, visible via
peripheral vision.
"...Raine, stop fooling around!" Genis said. "Jaela can't be from 'Earth', that place isn't even real...I mean...is it...?"
I nodded.
"Trust me...it's real." I muttered.
"...WAIT! So you're from EARTH!?"
"I thought we had established that." I stated, tilting my head to the side with a smirk.
"WHAT?!" they cried.
"It's hard to believe, but it's true." Raine nodded.
"But...then...Jaela'd have to be..." Genis eyed me.
"An alien!?" Sheena yelped, jumping back at me.
"A...an ALIEN!?" Lloyd gasped, gaping at me. "Woah-! So you're-!? ...Do you really LOOK like that!? Or are you-?!"
I rolled my eyes.
"No Lloyd, I'm really green and I have tentacles."
"OH MY MARTEL, YOU DO?!"
I smacked myself in the face.
"NO dumbass!" I shouted, blushing. "I DO look like this!"
"W-well...I mean...I just thought..."
"I can't really blame him for thinking that either..." Sheena muttered.
"Same here..." Genis admitted.
"Yes, yes, an extra-terrestrial..."
My 'uh-oh' senses were tingling...
"SIMPLY FASCINATING!!"
"AH! Don't you dare!" I snapped, glaring at her. "Don't we- You still have to explain about what happened at the tower!!"
"Huh? Explain? What?" Lloyd turned to look at Raine.
"...Uh..."
"Heh heh...busted," I whispered under my breath.
"...Well...you see..."
Raine began to explain. She explained how she had heard Kratos and I talking that night, how she had discovered that I was an
alien... Though that is really funny now that I think of it. Heh heh, I should go to the first Renegade we see and be like 'Take me to
your leader'...though the first person we'll see after that is most likely going to be Yuan anyway...so...er, never mind...right. She
explained how Cruxis had brought me here to be used for their 'nebil' experiments, though she...didn't mention my supposedly
knowing the future... Though I was thankful for that, she most likely didn't see the point in bringing it up, if it was no longer the
same...
"Wait a minute! So you knew Kratos was-!?" Lloyd snapped.
"A Cruxis Seraph, yes," Raine nodded, "I was getting to that. See, after I heard this he caught me and...well...this might shock-"
"Kratos is going to be our spy," I said for her.
"...Wait...wait! WHAT!?" Lloyd snapped. "After all that- he- what!?"
Raine went on to explain their 'plan' they way she had explained it to me, I myself jumping in and helping her every now and then to
make it easier for Lloyd to understand. Of course, Lloyd as well as the others were pissed off that they hadn't been told, but I
stifled that by pointing out it wasn't exactly fair I had to be out of the way (Not that I really knew it) for that to happen...
"So wait! Raine?! YOU made Jaela go away!?" Genis snapped.
"...We didn't have much choice," she muttered, "but not like it did much...after all, she came running right for us..."
"Damn straight," I smiled, laughing nervously.
"And almost got us killed in the process."
I almost punched myself.
"I-! I-! HEY! I didn't know-! He might've come anyway!" I blushed.
"...It's all right, Jaela," Raine said, looking at me, "we know."
"Wait a second," Genis spoke up, "if that sword thing was supposed to do that to Jaela, why is she still carrying it around-?..."
Genis cut off and I flinched, remembering about the sword. I had to get rid of it. I had to get rid of that thing, just to be safe...
"Come to think of it, where is it?" Sheena asked.
"Huh? Where's-...HEY! Where'd it-!?"
I panicked, looking around the room we were in. It was gone! Did I leave it in Asgard when I ran out!? Oh shoot oh shoot-!
"I already went to that," Raine said, "Kratos and I disposed of it when we left you at Asgard...for that reason and we didn't think
you'd race into danger without a weapon, which, obviously, I was wrong..."
I blushed, keeping my face blank as possible.
"H-hey..." I muttered.
"How could you lose your weapon and not notice it?" Sheena scoffed.
I blushed more and looked away, rubbing the back of my neck. Stupid...I was so panicked after all that that I went after them
WITHOUT A WEAPON!? Why didn't I just attach a steak to my back and walk through the monster infested woods? God dang
I'm such an idiot...
"So...Kratos is..." I heard.
I looked up to see Lloyd hanging his head, though I could've sworn that a smile was working over his face as he did so.
"He...he's on our side...?" he managed to whisper.
"..." Raine smiled, "Yes...now he is."
"So...so he..."
Lloyd jolted up, locking eyes with me.
"Jaela-! Did- was Kratos just acting the whole time!? Or did- or did he like us too!?" he demanded, shouting at me. "Like you
did...did he like us too!?"
"...Heh...heh heh..." I grinned, smiling.
"W-what's so funny...?" he asked, flushing.
"Nothing..." I smiled, "it's just...you two are close, huh?"
"W-what!?" he blushed.
"I do remember you saying that he was like a brother to you..." Genis smiled sheepishly, "remember? After one of those times he
trained you?"
Raine and I had a unison 'oh the irony' flinch.
"H-hey-!"
"Yes." I said, stopping his sentence.
"Huh? Yes what...?" he stared at me.
"Yes...Kratos liked you all..." I smiled, "...especially you."
"Huh...? Me...?" he blinked.
"..." Raine fidgeted.
"But...why did-?"
The door slid open.
"Ah, good, you're awake," a Renegade said, standing in the doorway, "the Leader wishes to speak with you, please, follow me."
I followed the soldier out without another word, taking advantage of the situation to evade Lloyd's next question. That left me with
another thought... Things had screwed over now, that was certain...not much yet, but I knew it was just a matter of time. So...with
things the way they were... Would it be best to tell Lloyd who Kratos was? I mean, if we didn't Yuan could use him as blackmail
against Kratos like he did last time, but if Lloyd knew, that would at least give them a heads up to the situation. Besides, if Kratos
was helping us now, what reason was there to hide it...?
"Ah, you're awake."
We looked across the room to see Yuan in all his double-agently glory sitting at his desk at the opposite wall. The man set aside
some papers before turning his attention to us, examining us all, but his gaze falling mostly on Lloyd.
"...So you're the Renegade leader?" Lloyd asked.
"Hm? I'm surprised you knew that," he raised an eyebrow.
"Raine explained what we knew about it," I said.
"I see..." he nodded, standing up.
He walked to the front of his desk, standing before us with his arms crossed as he continue to look at Lloyd. I'm guessing he had
some...well, SOME kind of feeling at seeing his old best friend's son, I mean, who wouldn't? Yuan was silent for another moment
as he motioned for Botta to step forward.
"So, what is it you know?" he asked.
"That you oppose the Desians, Cruxis and Desians are the same organization. The 'angels' run the Church and operate the Desians
behind the scenes, their leader is Yggdrasill..." I trailed.
You were engaged to Martel, you're four-thousand years old...
"Hmph, aren't you the know it all?" he snorted.
I glared at him, then snorted back, "Well excuse me, it was either I summed it up or Raine would have to, and she's done enough
explaining today."
I could show you 'know it all' bastard. Like that ring you had that Lloyd probably has in his pack right now, your engagement ring,
how 'Yggdrasill' is you would-be brother-in-law, your plans to use Lloyd to blackmail Kratos...
"So if that's true, is it true that the worlds are vying for mana?" Lloyd asked.
"Yes, and the one who created this twisted world is Cruxis' leader, Yggdrasill."
Everyone flinched, except Colette and I of course.
"Create a world!? That's impossible!" Genis cried.
"If that's what you believe, this conversation is over."
"Wait, the chosen..." Raine started. "Why did you try to kill Colette?"
Botta, like most lackeys, it fell to him to explain why they tried to kill Colette, then Raine brought up the mana lineage situation...the
usual stuff that happened at this point. However, then it got to something else...
"Wait!" Lloyd started. "...Who's side are you on?"
"Excuse me?" Yuan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, you tried to kill Colette and me, and then you save us?"
I saw a smirk twist on Yuan's face as he stifled a chuckle.
"Well now, you're not as stupid as you seem."
"Then, he'd have to be," I grinned with a laugh.
"Excuse me!?" Lloyd shouted.
"Hm, not bad," Yuan smirked, "I approve."
"Thank you." I smiled cheekily.
"Hey-!" Lloyd pouted.
"Oh stop being a wuss..." I smirked at him.
"Heh," Yuan smirked, then glared "...that reminds me, I had a question for you..."
"Me?" I asked.
"...Why do you still have a mind of your own?" he glared.
"...You knew about that too, huh?" I asked softly.
"An extra-terrestrial walking on our planet isn't exactly something normal, so of course we would know about it," he snorted, "and
why, of course..."
"...I'm not quite sure why, in all honesty..." I trailed, lying somewhat, "it's probably because the experiment was faulty..."
A half-truth, it would suffice...
"I see..." he trailed.
There was a silence.
"...Botta," he said.
"Yes sir!"
The doors slid open.
"Oh sh-!!" I started.
We were surrounded in less than a minute.
"GOD DAMMIT!" I shouted. "I should've seen that coming!!"
"What the-!? What's going on!?" Lloyd cried.
"You see, Lloyd," Yuan smirked, "with the chosen in this state, we can't get rid of her...so that leaves us with a plan B...you."
"Me?! What's so special about me!?"
If only you knew...
"None of your concern! Get him!"
Before I could do anything, two Renegades had Lloyd's arms and Yuan walked forward...and then Lloyd kicked him.
"GAH-!" Yuan flinched.
"Lord Yuan-! It's his wound from Hima!!" Botta cried.
"Dammit, Kratos! How many times must you get in my way...?!" Yuan shouted.
Sheena took advantage of this and started to summon something-
"Undine!" I snapped at her. "Go with Undine!"
"Wh-?"
"It'll buy us more time! Do it!" I shouted.
"R-right! I summon the maiden of the mist-!"
"Stop her-!" a soldier cried.
I kicked him hard in the crotch.
"UNDINE!"
There was a roaring sound of water shooting out around us, wiping out the Renegades but leaving us all...surprisingly dry...Huh...
"Let's get the hell out of here!" I shouted, grabbing Genis' hand.
"Hey-!!" he cried.
We tore out of the now very VERY wet room and through the hallways running as fast as we could. Somehow, I ended up in front
pulling Genis along, probably because I got a head start. ...It always seemed when I was with a group I was either at the very back
where I didn't have to talk to anyone, or the very front leading people on. Though the second one only happened with people I
actually cared about... Heh, I remember my two friends, when we used to walk around town. I'd always end up in the middle and
front with them flanking me. It annoyed me, actually, and when I'd ask why I always ended up there their response was: "We
follow you, oh fearless leader." ...Heh, smart-alecks...I had to remember to belt them when I got home. After a while I came to a
stop, breathing harshly as I attempted to stop my side from hurting.
"Ow..." I moaned.
"Need...air..."
I turned around to see Genis sitting on the ground panting for beloved oxygen, red in the face from all the running. Behind him the
rest of the group were gasping.
"My gut..." Raine whimpered.
"Geez!" Sheena wiped her forehead. "For the love of-! Jaela, you run like a freaking rabbit when you're scared...!"
"Heh..." Lloyd laughed weakly, also breathing harshly, "no kidding..."
Colette stared ahead blankly... I looked away from her.
"S- sor...ry..." I panted, "Jesus...ow..."
It was true, after all...if I got scared or mad enough, I could sprint like hell. Heh...give me a wide open field, and I'll tear across just
for fun...but then it'll hurt like a biotch afterward. I am not an endurance runner...
"Ay carumba mi Dio..." I muttered, clutching my gut.
"So...think we made it far enough?" Sheena asked.
"..." Lloyd frowned.
"Lloyd? Are you okay?" Genis asked.
"Well, yeah but...dammit, what's so special about me?"
Raine and I exchanged glances as Genis brought up another topic.
"So...what are we going to do now?"
"...Sheena, where did you get your exsphere?" Raine snapped.
It was only a matter of minutes later before we had found the rhearid hangar. Let me tell you, I was AMAZED at how easy it was
to drive these things. They were a little like bikes. You turn the handles left or right to go said directions, and rolled the handles
forward to go down, backwards to go up, and a big button in the center clearly was the on/off switch. We knew this because
Sheena manged to give us a quick debriefing (Having flown on them before) as Raine hacked into the mainframe to get them
running. I stood on the craft and fidgeted, trying to suppress either a shout of 'THIS IS AWESOME!' or a whimper because I was
just a LITTLE antsy about jumping into a rift in the space time continuum...
"Oh boy..." I swallowed.
After all, it wasn't just 'jump off the highdive' type thing...it was have the machine blasted through hell knows where and then
BAM! Seriously, I was doubting whether I could honestly do this when-
"AAAAHHH!" I screamed.
The machine shot off and I closed my eyes-
...then felt wind against my face.
"..."
I opened my eyes to see a blue sky, and green land below us...
"...That was it!?" I shouted.
It was uh...kinda anti-climatic, I thought...that and I overreacted...
"Was that you who screamed?" Genis snickered, flying beside me.
I took my hand off the handle just long enough to flip him off.
"Woah-!!" I heard Lloyd gasp. "I'd hate to fall from here!"
That reminded me.
"LAND! NOW!" I shouted.
"W-what-!?"
"There's not enough mana! LAND!"
I located the nearest possible landing site, a mountain top, and headed for it, the others following me after Raine noted the fuel
gage. Now see...I had never landed a rheaird before, as hadn't most of us, so um...yeah, I was kinda panicking. Lucky for the
others they got to the mountain top right when the fuel bottomed out so they 'landed'...mine uh...skidded off the surface, ran into a
rock and sent my flying over the handles and almost off the side of the mountain.
"Jaela-!"
I used some rather colorful language as I scampered back so I was safely on the summit, my heart pounding rapidly.
"Oh that was JUST nice! PERFECT!" I shouted, swearing.
"Uh...Jaela..." Lloyd started.
"WHAT!?" I snarled.
"...You know if you fell off, you could've used your wings...?"
Silence.
"..."
Genis snickered.
"GO TO HELL!" I shouted, pointing at said half-elf.
"It looks like we managed to avoid trashing them completely..." Raine said.
"Hey, there's a tower of salvation here, too?!" Lloyd noted.
"Well duh," I shrugged, "why wouldn't there be?"
They looked at me.
"...Uh...well, yeah, I mean...it appears in the flourishing world and stuff...it appeared in Sylvarant when you got the oracle, right?"
"Well, yeah..." Genis trailed.
"But how are there two of them?" Lloyd asked.
Damn the good-question-asking retard.
"Are you sure yours isn't a fake?" Sheena asked.
They began the conversation I knew almost by heart, being the loser I am, and it took Lloyd waving a hand in my face some
minutes later to snap me out of my 'tune it out because I know it already' daze.
"Jaela? Helloooooo? You okay?"
"Huh?" I shook my head. "Oh, yes, sorry."
"Well let's go then!" Lloyd grinned. "I wonder what Tethe'alla is like?!"
...Heh, that moron...
Yuan: No kidding.
Me: As much as I hate to admit it, yeah, he is a moron...n.n'
Yuan: Review if you want.