Chapter fifty-two… HOLY S*** I'VE HIT A YEAR!!!!

*Sniffle*, wow, I feel really, really, really shocked that I actually made it this far!

A-anyway…um, yeah, within you shall find wimps, strong chicks, iron maidens, epic curses, Altessa, more hints about the past, and an epic battle of doom-not. MUAHAHAHAHAHA. Go Presea.

Disclaimer: Yoshi doesn't own Tales of Symphonia or the sequel.


Travel with Presea was quiet and generally uneventful; the child walked with a determination that not even Regal had shown. Her penetrating blue eyes were fixed solely on her goal and her pace never wavered as she lead Kratos, Tenebrae, Marta, Emil, and the monsters that had caught up to them outside the city. The girl, once soulless, had matured much over the two years that Kratos had been gone, he could tell despite the fact that he had not known her well through their travels during the Journey of Regeneration. The trees overhead cast cool shadows over the mossy path that they followed. It was hard to believe that the cold winter that Kratos had arrived to had melted into spring. He had already been back on Symphonia for nearly seven months.

Emil and Marta seemed intimidated by Presea, uncomfortable with their savior from Altamira and did not provide for conversation and even Tenebrae, after an awkward run-in with the girl's "paw pad" fetish, found little to say over the few hours they had been together. They were all tired, having not slept since the night before, but their destination, the dwarf Altessa's home, was not more than an hour's walk from their present location. All seemed to be going smoothly.

Suddenly, Tut, his large body soundless as he raced through the trees, appeared by Kratos' side.

"We've got a bit of a problem, about a mile ahead those Vanguard assholes have got some sort of blockade set up. I think they're checking for you and Marta."

Kratos nodded mutely. "I see, thank you Tut." He turned to the others to deliver the unfortunate news. It was taken as he would have expected.

"W-what?!" squeaked Marta, "They're doing this all to catch me, I'm so sorry…"

"Lady Marta, they also want Kratos, do not take the blame on yourself." Tenebrae, at least, seemed to have a cool head. "We will simply have to find a way to trick the system."

"How? Tenebrae, I doubt we can totally fake them out, I mean they're not exactly bight but I don't think we can just put Marta in a different outfit and expect to trick them." Emil looked at the Centurion skeptically.

"…" Presea seemed to think for a moment, "Leave it to me." From the large pocket attached to Presea's belt, she produced a large iron maiden. It looked similar to the one that Decus carried with him. The large, black case, much like a coffin, stood on its own, the face, more like a demon then a human, glared down at them with golden eyes.

"W-why do you have that?" demanded Emil, looking slightly disturbed by the case.

"It was given to me by the Lezareno Company Mystics department. They sell charms and I create charms and they wished to collaborate. This was a sample that I was returning, the reason that I came to Altamira. Marta, please get inside."

"Wait, inside?!" cried the girl. "How will you stop them from looking inside, and what about Kratos?"

Presea eyed Kratos calmly; it was almost unnerving the way her piercing blue eyes took him in. "He is too tall to fit inside, and the both of you would not fit at the same time," she said simply.

"Yes, thank you Presea," grumbled Tenebrae, "We can all see that, what Lady Marta means is how will we get Kratos across?"

"I do not know, Mr. Tenebrae… could you perhaps make him invisible as you do with the monsters?"

………

The Centurion's Shadow had to be the strangest way to travel possible. Kratos felt entirely normal, but when he looked down, he could not see his body. The hand that he held up to his face was nonexistent as far as he could see. The world around him had darkened; it was like seeing the world through a dark mist. The faces of Presea, Emil, and the swarming Vanguard were blurred, but not difficult to distinguish.

Emil looked utterly defeated as he watched Presea drag the heavy iron maiden that contained Marta as effortlessly as she would a handbag.

The first Vanguard to approach was a male; he was scrawny, barely old enough to fit into the uniform he wore. "What is your business, state your business!" He was obviously trying to prove something to someone.

"We live in Ozette, may we pass?" asked Presea in her sweetest little girl voice.

"What's that you've got with you?" he asked, motioning to the iron maiden.

"It is my iron maiden; it is a good luck charm."

"Let's have a look inside then!" He approached the iron maiden, his hand resting on the clasp.

Emil looked panicked, but Presea said simply, "Oh, I would not do that if I were you."

"And why not?!"

"You will be cursed."

Her declaration caught the attention of every person, Vanguard or traveler, present. They all turned to see the small pink-haired child looking serenely at the Vanguard solider as she gave her reasoning as to why he should not open her iron maiden. Even Tenebrae seemed to be playing along because a moment later, the whole wood seemed to darken and a slight wind blew past.

"W-what the hell are you talking about?!" Now that the whole checkpoint was watching them, the soldier was obviously feeling the pressure.

"If you open this iron maiden before it grants its wish, you will be cursed. A terrible curse will befall anyone who opens this iron maiden before it grants its wish. First, you'll experience stomach-churning sickness and diarrhea for seventy-seven straight hours. Then for the following seven hundred seventy-seven days, the king of demons will appear and stick his finger up your nose. Every. Single. Day. But if you're all right with that, go ahead and open it and be cursed."

There were some chuckles, and most of the Vanguard returned to work. The soldier that was checking them, however, was shivering slightly. He was obviously trying to be impressive, but something in Presea's completely serious tone had convinced him.

"H-hah!" his voice was several octaves higher now, "Y-you really think I'm gonna' fall for somethin' like that?!" He seemed hysterical.

"Oh, it is fine. Please, open it. The curse is all yours, I really do not mind. Say hello to the Demon Lord for me." She moved aside, a small smile on her face.

"I-I, uh, you know… Um, why don't you just go ahead." He waved Presea and Emil ahead, not even bothering to check the boy, and Kratos and Tenebrae followed.

………………

"Presea, that was fantastic!" gushed Marta as they continued their passage through the woods. "Where did you come up with that?!"

Presea shrugged and smiled slightly, "I have been coming up with charms for a very long time, curses are just bad charms."

"So, why kind of charm is this thing supposed to have exactly, if it's not what you said?" asked Emil, eyeing the iron maiden wearily.

"They say that if you put the hair of the one you love inside, seven hundred and sixty five days later you will find happiness together."

"So, Presea, have you put anyone's hair inside?"

"That…is a secret," she stated in monotone. Kratos could not tell what she was thinking, nor could any of the others.

………………

Altessa's home was what one would typically expect for a dwarf, more of a cave or a hole in the side of a large sandstone cliff than anything. Still, the flower beds, piles of firewood, and general feel of living that came from the house was relaxing to both Emil and Marta. Despite the pleasant feelings that the home emanated, both children hung back as Presea approached the wooden door, her small fist knocking a beat.

After a moment, the door opened to reveal the owner of cottage. He was short, only a bit taller than Presea and a full head shorter than Emil was. Altessa was dressed in rich green robes and his beard was tasseled in his usual fashion. He seemed to have aged little since Kratos had last seen him, if anything, he seemed more free and youthful. He smiled kindly at the humans and Kratos, (Tenebrae had hidden himself so as not to alarm him.)

"Presea, what are you doing here?" he asked in his gruff fashion. "Who are your friends?"

"It is good to see you again Altessa, this is Emil, Marta, and Kratos. They are friends of Sheena and Regal. I was asked to take them to safety; they were in Altamira, but it has been attached by the Vanguard and Regal is trapped and Sheena went in after him."

The dwarf's little eyes had darkened and he ushered them in, "I suppose they are in some sort of trouble if they're traveling around with you."

Kratos mentally chuckled, it was just like the old dwarf to be cautious, he had worked for Cruxis for several years before running away. Only a few years ago he had been injured almost to the point of death by Mithos during a rather unpleasant bout of events involving Lloyd and Yuan.

"Indeed," Presea was explaining, "Marta is a runaway Vanguard member and she has been traveling with Emil. Kratos is the Summon Spirit Ratatosk."

Altessa eyed Kratos wearily, "Those are two names that I have not heard for a long while," rumbled the dwarf, "I once knew another Kratos, but he is long gone, and the Spirit Ratatosk, another rarely spoken name. I now see why you are getting yourselves in trouble."

"When the Vanguard took Altamira, they barely managed to escape, they are probably being searched for as we speak," Presea said as she hopped up onto one of the chairs in the dwarf's main room, Emil and Marta took incentive to seat themselves as well, but Kratos chose to remain standing.

"Y-you're sure that it's alright if we stay even though we're being chased?" asked Marta nervously.

Altessa choked out some gruff laughter, as dry as his voice, and said "Child, you think I am afraid of some ridiculous soldiers? Believe me; I've had much worse staying under this roof." Altessa and Presea exchanged a significant, knowing look between them.

"Um, thank you?" Emil glanced at Marta and Kratos looking baffled.

"Actually, we will only stay for the night if you do not mind, I plan on taking them to Mizuho, I am sure that is what Sheena would want."

"Hmm, I see. Yes, that is probably the safest place for them."

Suddenly, there was a shout from outside and the sound of someone running in heavy armor.

"W-what's that?!" Marta looked around, terrified.

"It is probably the Vanguard…" Kratos could hear the conversation going on outside; apparently the soldier from the checkpoint had recognized Presea's iron maiden. The Vanguard were on to them.

"Search the building!" commanded a familiar voice: Magnar.

"B-but Sir," said one of the soldiers, "Doesn't a dwarf live here? I've heard you don't wanna get on a dwarf's bad side…"

"Cowards!" crowed Magnar, "What could the dirt-bag do to you?!"

He was obviously not about to stop just because of Altessa.

"They're coming in…" growled Kratos.

"Come, we have to head them off, we cannot put Altessa in danger," said Presea softly, pulling her ax from its wingpack.

"Presea, it is fine; do not get yourself killed over me."

Presea was not listening, she stalked forward, and burst out the door, glaring at the soldiers.

"L-Lady Marta!" gasped one of the soldiers when Marta, Emil, and Kratos followed her out.

"Good!" roared Magnar, "We will return you to your father and the Vanguard, and Ratatosk too, ha, this is my lucky day!"

"I will not let you hurt my friends," stated Presea simply.

"What is a child like you going to do to stop me?!"

That was when Presea attacked. Her ax cleaved through the air, bashing against the gaudy gold armor that Magnar wore. He had brought only a few lackeys with him and they were all attempting to take down Kratos or Emil and being defeated with ease. Meanwhile, Presea was hefting her ax repeatedly against Magnar's spear. He had begun laughing, thinking that her strength would fade, but the crystal on her neck would keep up the pace for hours, Kratos knew that well enough.

Soon, Magnar's laugh died in his throat as his spear snapped and Presea advanced with a coolly murderous look glinting in eyes that were much older than the body they resided in. "You will not hurt my friends."

"P-Presea, wait!" cried Emil, "Let's ask him why the Vanguard is attacking Altamira!"

"Very well, do as you wish," stated Presea, but her ax stayed at the man's neck.

Everyone looked at Magnar expectantly, and he choked out an answer, his eyes never moving from the sharp ax-blade that threatened his Adam's apple. "C-Commander Brute is planning to announce the revival of the Sylvarant Dynasty from there!"

"What? But they're going to get kicked out by the Tethe'allen army, won't they?"

"No, Lezareno is a fortress, they have more than enough supplies to remain there for weeks…"

"Damn it!" cried Emil.

"Y-yes, and our troops are attacking all over the World! The Royal Army bastards will have their hands too full to take care of Altamira too!" Magnar seemed to be gaining confidence from his words. "We must end the Sylvaranti oppression! We are being treated like half-elves, it must end! The use of Ratatosk's Core to revive the mana cannon will bring down upon Tethe'alla the Divine Punishment it deserves!"

Presea had gone pale and her eyes had narrowed. Magnar had said the wrong things in front of the wrong girl. "Divine Punishment," she scoffed, "that is what destroyed Ozette. You do not know 'Divine Punishment.' And do not think for one moment that you can control the mana cannon. Rodyle could not, you have no hope." Her voice was deadly quiet, but steady. Magnar did not seem to understand what she was saying, he scoffed at her words.

"What do you know?!"

"More than you would expect." With no more words, Presea's ax descended and Magnar's eyes glazed and he slumped to the ground unconscious. Presea had struck him with the blunt of her ax, knocking him unconscious. "We need to get you to Mizuho as quickly as possible; it appears that the game is afoot."

"The Vanguard are almost at troublesome as the Desians…" growled Altessa from behind, looking over the corpses and unconscious Magnar. "The mana cannon, wasn't that the machine that your-?"

"Yes," Presea cut across him quickly, "it was."


Ohhh! Cliff-hanger!

Mmkay, next chapter is Mizuho and then I'll start the infiltration of the Ranch-! ...I-I mean Lezareno Building Number Two!

R&R

~Yoshi