Hi guys and gals, sorry for the long wait again... But the next wait is gonna to be a bit longer due to i'm going to be very busy for Chinese New Year spring cleaning... (go google, yahoo or Bing it if you don't know what is CNY spring cleaning *is lazy to explain*) Hopefully, i'll be free after 14 Feb...hopefully /swt
Anyway since both reviews are almost the same i'm gonna to skip reply the review this time round and onward to the story!
Oh, and a long-time-not-doing disclaimer with a add...
Disclaimer: I do not own vocaloids nor Tales of Phantaisa characters. They are just used as part of my story development purposes.
Chapter 36
"Thanks for the help, onee-chan and onii-san." The young boy said, after Len took down the last monster that surrounded him.
"You are welcome, kid. By the way why are you here? Don't you know it's dangerous? And how did you know Len's a guy? And also…"
Covering Gumi mouth to shut her up, Len sighed hard. "Gumi…. Do. Not. Ask. More. Questions. Before. The. Last. One. Is. Answered, ok? Seriously my head is bursting with a train of questions from you…"
"It's ok, I'm fine." Standing up from the ground and brushing away some dirt, the boy introduced himself: "I'm Dio, Dio Barklight of the mobile guild Phantaisa. I'm here to find my friend Windie."
Opening his hunter jacket, a small, white fluffy looking animal of a size as big as a cat jump out and landed on the ground, shaking its body and scratching. Laughing at its antics, Dio petted its head. "Come on Windie, say thanks to those people who had save us, ehm…."
"I'm Len, and this is my friend Gumi. Nice to meet you Dio, Windie." Len said, while the little animal stared at them before ran towards Len and nuzzled at his leg.
"Aww…..that's cute…." Gumi exclaimed, which Windie heard it and jumped onto Gumi's shoulder and, nuzzled on her face.
Upon a better look, Len realized what that animal was.
"Wasn't it a snow rabbit? Judging it's long dopey ears, wide brown eyes and white fur…..and it had a not-fully grown feather-like tail….this animal is commonly seen in southern parts of Terra and cold areas of Aqua and Ventus…"
"It's official name in monster book is called 'yukisagi'." Gumi concluded, petting the rabbit which was making itself comfortable on Gumi's shoulder. "And it has an ability to find rare medical herds in snowy areas that could heal frost bites."
"Wow… As a non-monster tamer, you sure know a lot." Impressed, Dio just awed at Gumi, who smiled sheepishly.
"Well, that's because they are somehow related to herbs knowledge, and I did do some light study on monsters too…"
"Hmm… anyway because Windie told me Len smells like a man, and it also happens to see the scene of 'forced dressing', that's why I know Len wasn't a girl….even he sure looks like one…" After saying that, Dio looked at Len once again.
Been observed and looking over again by a kid, Len could say he felt really embarrassed right now. However before he could open his mouth and asked anything, Dio got a head wacked by someone appeared behind him.
"Baka! Where did you ran off this time! ? Don't you know nii-san and Cless-san is looking all over for you?" A young girl, looking similar age as Dio, with her long, waist length hair of similar color as him and wearing a knightly-looking dress, she had her arms crossed and puffed at the poor boy who had sat down after being hit.
"I was looking for Windie! Unlike Kruelle, it's still a baby and wasn't a fighter too! And…."
"And, you have forgotten your supply of arrows with us. Seriously, how did you want to protect yourself when you left your weapons behind? Even the draggers too." Another young man, looking around in mid-twenties with long, light blue hair tied in low ponytail, holding up a quiver full of arrows.
Taking a good look at one of the two new arrivals, Len could see that the young girl looked like a girl version of Dio, after she tied up her long hair with a red ribbon still held on her hands. 'Must have left in a hurry to find him.' He thought, hands over his chin.
Just as Len was turned around and about to observe the other new comer, he found that the man had his face so close that just one more step, they could have kissed.
"Are you….by any chance from a disappearing village, Kagami Village?" He asked, which instantly putting Gumi and Len in high alert.
"Eh~? You mean we found a survival?" The girl asked, with Dio jumped up from the ground, excited by the news.
"Maybe. Or she might be not, due to that brainwash she might be a villager of Karakura instead…." Backing away further to look at Len fully, and suddenly Gumi stood infront of him with Len at her back, holding up her staff.
"WHO are you guys? A pursuer or what?" She demanded, glaring at him fiercely until he held up both of his hands in panic.
"Wait! I can explain! I'm Chester Barklight from guild Phantaisa, and me and the leader of our group, Cless, were looking for abnormal disappearing villages and towns and hoped that we could find clues of why those places have to go! Really, I don't mean any harm at all!"
"And just WHY we should believe that?" This time, it was questioned by Len, which surprisingly Dio answered on behalf.
"Sorry Len, I think we didn't ask it properly and that's why you are suspicious of us…" Dio said, and the Dio look-alike girl stepped up and introduced herself.
"I'm Mel, and thanks for saving my brother and Windie just now. Actually…we are one of the few 'Remembers', just like you."
Puzzling over the weird use of term, Gumi and Len looked at each other before asked in sync, "'Remembers'?"
"Yes, people who still held the real memories of the event….we called them the 'Remembers', because we remembers the real thing that happens around us - -the buildings that should still exist, people that should be around, or the actual cause of the event that makes something happen that way." Chester explained, sitting down onto the ground and sigh, with others followed the same and sat down.
"Four years ago, we found that one of the towns in Igins disappeared. As we search for the survivals, a weird blue hair guy stole one of my comrades' wallet, and as far as I could tell, he deliberately let us followed him and suddenly he disappeared. While we were looking for him, I found…"
"Us." Dio remarked, which earned another head wacked by Mel. "Ouch! What's that for!"
"For interrupting nii-san's talking." She puffed, turning her head away and nodded for Chester to continue.
"Haha… it's ok…" Patting Dio's head, Chester smiled. "How about both of you told them your version? About how you were found at the ruins of Totis Town?"
"Actually….you might not be able to believe this, but our town was attacked by those Knights who served Lucifer." Mel said, which earned a grasp from both Gumi and Len.
Shaking her head sadly, she continued her story. "I don't think any of us understands why, but shortly after me and Dio were born, our village was under attack…."
"It's not an attack at all! From what Albert told us, it's more like a demolishing! A clear up! And…"
"Sorry, I was confused. But how old are you guys? And village? Town?" Len interrupted, which caused Dio and Mel reddened by embarrassment.
"Sorry, we should have start from the beginning, wasn't it? We are twins," Pointing at Mel, Dio explained. "And we are thirteen years old this year. And thirteen years ago, from what our caretaker, Etos and Albert, had told us, our original village in Ventus had been destroyed by those Knights."
"But strangely enough, no one thinks about that too. They thought Albert was making up those stories and labeled him as crazy old man, and saying that our village doesn't exist in the first place. Because of that and partly also due to our safety, they took us far away from our country and heading towards Igins, to refugee there."
"And for nine whole years, we had lived in Totis Town in peace. Etos, our foster mother and also a friend of my mum too, took great care of us. She taught us our lost culture that our village practice, and told us stories of our parents, who entrusted our lives to them before they died. Albert, a best friend of our dad, taught me how to tame a monster, since both of them were monster tamers before and thought I should be one too."
"And Dio is good at that too." Mel added, proudly. "He managed to tame one at the age of five, and we named it 'Kruelle'! Right now Kruelle is our best fighting partner and a great friend!"
"Hehe….thanks for the praise, Mel." Starching the back of his head, Dio was pink by the sudden praise from his sister. Sensed both of them were almost off topic, Dio looked at his sister hoping she would continued for him and thankfully, she did.
"And just like nii-san said, around four years ago our peaceful town was under attack, and to protect us, Etos hid us in a barrel with Kruelle. Dio was unlucky that he saw everything from the small barrel hole that it was those knights again destroying the town, and Albert-san was killed infront of him…"
From Mel's words, Len suddenly could felt a great sympathy towards Dio. He was just like me….witnessing his beloved members' death….
"….And just as one of the knights was approaching the barrel, he was cut down by someone behind…. And after that that person carried the barrel that hidden us and hide it further inside the cellar."
"We must like weight a ton or something, consider Kruelle is a green monster that's commonly seen in parts of oasis, that a cute viridi rei with terrifying fighting abilities. And at that time he was as heavy as both of our weight adding together." Dio concluded, looking at his audience.
Not sure of how to respond, Len thought over Dio's and Mel's story. So far, he understood the part that Albert and even their caretaker Etos, might be a 'Remember' because of being called insane due to making up a non-existing place…..but…
"Seriously, who thought of that name 'remembers'? Was there a better name than that?" Gumi asked suddenly, which Len almost face-palm over it. "Was it the time to ask about this?" He thought. However Dio agreed with Gumi's questions.
"Yeah, I totally agree! Someone must be that sucks on giving a good naming term!" He declared, which earned the third head smacked of the day by Mel again.
"Dio! That's totally rude from you! Cless-san took a lot of effort to come up an easier remembering term and…"
"Ehm…. Sorry to interrupting both of your daily bickering but to tell the truth, Cless was trying to making a joke at that time to lighten the tense atmosphere and somehow or another, that name sticks till date, and it's kinda….too late to change it for now." Chester replied, laughing nervously which cause everyone to glare at him in surprise.
"WHAT! ?"
Flicking his fingers, Chester quickly steered away from the current topic. "Anyway, that guy who saved them turns up to be a stranger that happen to pass by that town and somehow knows there are people hiding inside the barrel. And he was the weird blue head I had mention a moment ago who stolen our wallet and led us to where those twins were."
"Not sure if you know him or not, but he wears a brown scarf in this hot area and…" Before Dio could complete his description, Len interrupted.
"You mean, that blue freak who had his unwanted poster taken down recently, wasn't it?"
"Ehhhh? That person who saved Dio and Mel is Kaito?" Gumi asked, surprised. Even the rest of the group was surprised, too.
"Wait, you know Kaito-san? Really?" Mel asked, looking hopeful.
"Yeah….somehow…. To tell the truth, he was travelling with us recently and suddenly, he vanished a few days ago and requested us to wait for him here till date…" Gumi replied, not sure what to say next.
"Gumi, don't tell them so much. I think that guy….Chester was it? He still owns us how he knows about Kagami Village." Len remarked, staring at Chester suspiciously.
"Hee….still thinking I'm one of the baddie? Actually, if you are not Rin, then you must be Len-the other twin boy who was best in archery since the age of eight. Your father, Rinto Kagamine, told me greatly about that. He was…my master who taught me on hunting before."
Still eyeing at him suspiciously, Len asked Chester again, and carefully. "Master? This is the first time I heard that he had a disciple…"
"Fifteen years ago, when I was still a kid, he saved me from eaten by a wild boar which was commonly seen in the forest of country Aqua. Because of that action I've looked up to him as hero and begged him to teach me how to use a bow. Rinto-sensei only taught me the basics, on how to handle a bow, how to take care of this delicate weapon…. Things like that. After he gotten married with some girl called Lenka he left with her to another country…."
"Wait a minute," Gumi interrupted, looking at Len for attention. "Lenka was your MUM's name?"
Sweat-dropping, Len wondered that was it a need to made a big fuss over that. "Yeah, yeah, apparently my dad doesn't know how to give names to us that he named me as 'Len' because I looked like my mum and 'Rin' with the same reason…"
"But was it ok? That I called you as your mum's name?" She asked again, that Len waved off as nothing.
"ONLY when I've dressed something like this, otherwise no. Happy?" He replied with irritation, which Gumi immediately shut up from more questioning. Anyone on the spot could see that it's a touchy subject for Len right now.
Clearing his throat and grabbed some attention, Chester decided to finish his story. "Where was I…..right, even after sensei moved out, he would, occasionally, wrote letters to us and told us like how was he doing, he had twins as children and was very happy for it, how Len picks up the bow…. Until the last few letters around four to five years ago he told us that there is a weird activity going around in Terra…how we should looked out any abnormal activities in our country too that after a while, no more news coming from him anymore. That was when I decided to search for him with Cless… to see if we could help in some ways. And we set off two years later but we've reached the place too late…."
"We just came back from Terra and going to head towards Wine city, where rumors of rebels of those knights were at, and decided to seek for their help." Dio concluded on behalf of Chester, and surprisingly to him, Mel did not hit him again.
Instead, she added, "Wine city is located near the port at Kiris City, Igins. Feel free to come and find us if you need help!"
Leaving Gumi shoulder and jumped towards its owner, it looked at Dio a while before it mewled, which Dio nodded and relayed its message, "Windie says 'see you soon!'"
"Ah….before you go…" Stopping them, Len trying to build up his courage to ask Chester, that what did his father had written about them. But words just lost when it's at the tip of his mouth. However Chester seemed to sense it and decided to answer him.
"Rinto kept praising how cute his children are, and how awesome hunter that you are going to be. And he even gone overbroad and claims that one day, you will be the best hunter that would suppress him. Even if you don't you are already a great warrior that will protect his family and friends. While Rin might be a forceful, reckless kid and sometimes a bit bash, but she is still a good sister who cares people around her. He won't be surprise that if one day she would become a healer so that she could treat everyone's injuries, and taking care a more reckless brother who could get an injury any other day….
"And looking at you dressing like that, I guess it's true that she's a person that's hard to deal with, wasn't it?" Pointing at the dress Len was wearing, he continued, "I guess that's really sucks when your face is feminine enough to be a girl…."
Feeling his face grew hot due to embarrassment, he could only dully nod his head, and the back of his mind barely registered the fact that Gumi and the twins were laughing at him.
~.~.~.~
"….You know, it's really a surprise that we met up with someone who is acquaintance of your dad wasn't it?" Gumi asked, holding some brown hides on her hand. Sun is almost setting after the hunt.
"….yeah, seems to be…." Len remarked, thinking over the things he had just heard. The Remembers, those knights, the rumors about Rebels….. And, his dad too.
Stretching herself, Gumi turned to the young boy and said, "Kuuu~ It's been a long day and we've finally done with that shopkeeper's request while you done Rin's request too. Shall we go somewhere to celebrate….. Of course, after you have changed that is."
"Well… I don't feel like going anywhere today…"
"COME BACK HERE AT ONCE YOU THIEVING THIEF!"
A loud, piercing shout rang out, and as Len and Gumi looked up, something blue and black slipped through them like a mouse, while the angry, cherry haired man could not stop himself in time that he rammed onto Len, head on.
"Len! Are you all right?" Gumi exclaimed, while the two boys moaned in pain due to the collision. As quick as possible the red head left Len, as he was on top of Len, and pull him back to ground, apologized.
"I'm sorry young Lady, are you hurt anywhere?" He asked, waiting Len to stand still before he released his hand. "I'm Ted, and I'm really sorry that I've knocked you off the ground and right now…."
"…Len, Gumi?" Hearing a voice that he both dreaded to see him now and wanted to meet, Len slowly turned and faced the blue head that called them.
There, done. Long and adding more info... seriously i suck at thinking names so those fanmade vocaloids, Rinto and Lenka, are going to be my dear Kagamine twin's parents, ok?
And a side note, those who had played Tales series before will realise that Chester, Dio, Mel, Kruelle, Etos, Albert and Cless are here as cameos...though i've no idea if they will appearing again or not. =P
Btw anyone had heard Kaito's V3 demo? It was totally awesome, and i've been hearing them daily since the day it first release. The next thing i need is the release date for the V3 so i can buy it and do some song covers (nope, no way in hell i can do a original songs...)
And so, end with Kaito laughing his heads off till the next update. See ya~