Skies of Arcadia- Sweet Serenade part 3- "Soul of Glass"
"No…I'm fine…" Fina said quickly, standing. "The heat…just got to me…"
"Where's the crystal?" Ilchymis asked. Fina opened her hand to reveal the orb in her hand, but it wasn't present…only a small red mark.
"I…I must've dropped it…"
"You've been acting pretty weird, Fina…do we need to talk?" Vyse asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She stood, and rubbed her temples lightly.
"Yes, we do…"
"Aika, can you take care of everyone for now?"
"Yeah…I got it." She turned on her heels, and instantly started barking out commands. "Hey you?! What do you think you're doing?!" Vyse rolled his eyes, and then straightened his expression when he faced Fina.
"Should we talk in private?" She nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the singed ground beneath her. "Ok…Ilchymis, can you continue?"
"Yes, Vyse…I'm fine…" Vyse gently put his arm around a shaky Fina, and led her to the Delphinus. Once inside, he led her to his Captain's Room and sat her down. He took her cold, slender hands into his own and looked into her eyes.
"Fina…tell me what's wrong…" She sighed, and looked away from the handsome captain.
"It's…about Ramirez…" Her voice choked up on the name. "He…he's come back to me…in my dreams…"
"Tell me about those dreams…" Vyse said softly.
"He speaks to me…tells me he's not dead…I know they're not hallucinations…I feel his energy, his hands…when he held me in my dreams, I felt it! He calls my name…and he…was the one who took the crystal from me a few moments ago…"
"What do you mean? Are you saying he physically took it away from you…? If he has his piece of the Silver Moon Stone, that means that he's alive..." Fina nodded slowly.
"I wonder where he is…" Vyse released her hands, and then blinked quickly several times.
"Oh, I'm sorry…was I hurting you?" Fina looked puzzled.
"What? No, why?"
"Your hands…they have red marks on them…like I gripped you too roughly…" Fina glanced at her palms, and noticed a familiar symbol.
"Am I going crazy, or is that the symbol of Glacia?" Vyse stared, eyes wide.
"If you're crazy, than we both are…" His eyes fixed on hers. "I don't think this is a coincidence." He laughed. "We've been through so much, nothing seems outlandish anymore." Fina's eyes looked blank.
"He's talking to me…" Vyse's large brown eyes narrowed with concern. "Through my dreams…the hallucinations…and now this…he wants me to find him." The Legend of the Blue Rouges looked on, concerned.
"I don't want you going after him…if you go, we're all going." She nodded.
"I know…I wouldn't leave you guys…besides, I'm not sure if Ramirez is still holding a grudge or not…" She sighed. "I'm sorry…you have responsibilities…you shouldn't be wasting your time on me…" Vyse placed his hand on her shoulder, and looked her straight in the eye.
"Listen, Fina. We've been though quite a lot, and we've been together through all of it. I'm not going to let anything happen to you…and I know how you feel about Ramirez…"
"That Zellos creature wasn't him…my childhood friend was dead by that point…"
"…And I'm going to help get him back. You should sit this one out…I'll bring you back to crescent Isle where you can rest…Enrique and Moegi are there, too…getting their own personal ship worked on. I'll bring you over quick, then return. No big deal."
"Vyse…I couldn't…it's too much of a bother." He shook his head, brown hair flying about his handsome face.
"Don't worry about it! Any true Blue Rouge would go out of his way for a lady." Fina laughed lightly, and shrugged.
"I'm sure you know what's best…" She said softly. Vyse nodded.
"Heh…of course. Now, I'm going to take you back now… If you're up to it, why don't you come into the cockpit with me?" He smiled. Fina sighed.
"The marks are gone…" She stared at her palms once more. "Umm…I think I'll stay here. I need to gather myself."
"Alright. Take it easy, Fina. The worst thing that you can do at this point is overreact and lose your sense of judgment.
Glacia, current time:
"I don't see why we must lead her like this." Ramirez's deep voice growled. "She doesn't deserve…"
"Quiet, boy. Don't question me." A large figure, face covered, rose from a throne of ice. "Remember that it was my power that allows you to live."
"Allowed…you have no power over me currently…" Slowly, the figure began to walk towards Ramirez.
"I suppose you know that Fina will come for you out of the goodness of her heart." He leaned over to meet Ramirez's face, and laughed. "The old Ramirez is dead, remember…? He died when I twisted your fate…"
"Shut up…" Ramirez made a fist. "You have no right to-" The man's fist slammed into Ramirez's cheek.
"You will not question me, and you will either refer to me as "Lord Galcian" or "Sir." Do not go against my will, or you will deeply regret it." He put Ramirez's neck in a death grip. "Understand?"
"I will never bow to you again…" Ramirez choked out, trying to struggle from the man's grasp. Galcian sighed, and smiled.
"Without your sword, you're nothing…nothing but a boy…"
"You monster…" Ramirez swiped at Galcian's face, and tore off the cloth that concealed it. His emerald eyes widened with horror as he beheld what had become of Galcian due to his brush with death.
The burly man's skin was horribly burned, and skin below the eyes blackened. It also appeared wrinkled, as if it had shriveled from the heat. Some of the skin had begun to scab, and the force from the cloth- which acted as a bandage- had ripped some of it raw. Blood was slowly oozing from the freshly opened wounds. Galcian gasped in surprise from the mental blow, and threw the frailly built boy, causing his thin body to slide across the ice. The man covered his face, and turned away.
"I'm more a monster than you thought…isn't that right, Ramirez?" He hissed, voice muffled from his hands. "That's not all that happened from me. Do you think it was easy to escape from that hellfire of a ship? No…of course it wasn't. I escaped with something Belleeza did not, however. I escaped with my life."
"Why did you bother to save yourself?" Ramirez climbed to his feet slowly. "If you do succeed in using me to lure Fina, and you get her crystal…Vyse will not be far behind." Galcian faced Ramirez again, causing the boy to shudder. He raised a thick arm, and laughed lightly.
"Do you think Vyse can defeat the both of us by himself? Without Fina and his cronies? Remember, he defeated us individually…together, he's no match…"
"Stop it, Galcian…!" Ramirez shook his head, white hair flying about his face. "I will not let you kill anyone who is precious to Fina…for her sake…" Galcian sighed at the boy's remark.
"Do you honestly think Fina will come running back to you after you single handedly wipe out the Silvite Race?" He smiled, blackened lips cracking and beginning to bleed. Blood dripped from the thin wounds, giving the mutated Galcian a sinister appearance. "I think not."
"Perhaps…you should seek medical attention? Your face…"
"Don't tell me your kindness is returning, Ramirez…"
"Perhaps it is…" He turned on the man. "Fina is coming. I will be sure to greet her so you don't frighten her. She faints easily."
"I doubt she'll warmly accept you!" Galcian called to him, but the white haired teen ignored the man. He swore under his breath, and then sat himself down on his self-proclaimed throne. He tenderly closed his eyes, skin stinging with every movement. He remembered the time when he was beautiful like Ramirez. It was painful to see him revolting, but he knew he would do anything to protect his precious Fina. That, and that only, would be his downfall.
"No…I'm fine…" Fina said quickly, standing. "The heat…just got to me…"
"Where's the crystal?" Ilchymis asked. Fina opened her hand to reveal the orb in her hand, but it wasn't present…only a small red mark.
"I…I must've dropped it…"
"You've been acting pretty weird, Fina…do we need to talk?" Vyse asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She stood, and rubbed her temples lightly.
"Yes, we do…"
"Aika, can you take care of everyone for now?"
"Yeah…I got it." She turned on her heels, and instantly started barking out commands. "Hey you?! What do you think you're doing?!" Vyse rolled his eyes, and then straightened his expression when he faced Fina.
"Should we talk in private?" She nodded slowly, eyes fixed on the singed ground beneath her. "Ok…Ilchymis, can you continue?"
"Yes, Vyse…I'm fine…" Vyse gently put his arm around a shaky Fina, and led her to the Delphinus. Once inside, he led her to his Captain's Room and sat her down. He took her cold, slender hands into his own and looked into her eyes.
"Fina…tell me what's wrong…" She sighed, and looked away from the handsome captain.
"It's…about Ramirez…" Her voice choked up on the name. "He…he's come back to me…in my dreams…"
"Tell me about those dreams…" Vyse said softly.
"He speaks to me…tells me he's not dead…I know they're not hallucinations…I feel his energy, his hands…when he held me in my dreams, I felt it! He calls my name…and he…was the one who took the crystal from me a few moments ago…"
"What do you mean? Are you saying he physically took it away from you…? If he has his piece of the Silver Moon Stone, that means that he's alive..." Fina nodded slowly.
"I wonder where he is…" Vyse released her hands, and then blinked quickly several times.
"Oh, I'm sorry…was I hurting you?" Fina looked puzzled.
"What? No, why?"
"Your hands…they have red marks on them…like I gripped you too roughly…" Fina glanced at her palms, and noticed a familiar symbol.
"Am I going crazy, or is that the symbol of Glacia?" Vyse stared, eyes wide.
"If you're crazy, than we both are…" His eyes fixed on hers. "I don't think this is a coincidence." He laughed. "We've been through so much, nothing seems outlandish anymore." Fina's eyes looked blank.
"He's talking to me…" Vyse's large brown eyes narrowed with concern. "Through my dreams…the hallucinations…and now this…he wants me to find him." The Legend of the Blue Rouges looked on, concerned.
"I don't want you going after him…if you go, we're all going." She nodded.
"I know…I wouldn't leave you guys…besides, I'm not sure if Ramirez is still holding a grudge or not…" She sighed. "I'm sorry…you have responsibilities…you shouldn't be wasting your time on me…" Vyse placed his hand on her shoulder, and looked her straight in the eye.
"Listen, Fina. We've been though quite a lot, and we've been together through all of it. I'm not going to let anything happen to you…and I know how you feel about Ramirez…"
"That Zellos creature wasn't him…my childhood friend was dead by that point…"
"…And I'm going to help get him back. You should sit this one out…I'll bring you back to crescent Isle where you can rest…Enrique and Moegi are there, too…getting their own personal ship worked on. I'll bring you over quick, then return. No big deal."
"Vyse…I couldn't…it's too much of a bother." He shook his head, brown hair flying about his handsome face.
"Don't worry about it! Any true Blue Rouge would go out of his way for a lady." Fina laughed lightly, and shrugged.
"I'm sure you know what's best…" She said softly. Vyse nodded.
"Heh…of course. Now, I'm going to take you back now… If you're up to it, why don't you come into the cockpit with me?" He smiled. Fina sighed.
"The marks are gone…" She stared at her palms once more. "Umm…I think I'll stay here. I need to gather myself."
"Alright. Take it easy, Fina. The worst thing that you can do at this point is overreact and lose your sense of judgment.
Glacia, current time:
"I don't see why we must lead her like this." Ramirez's deep voice growled. "She doesn't deserve…"
"Quiet, boy. Don't question me." A large figure, face covered, rose from a throne of ice. "Remember that it was my power that allows you to live."
"Allowed…you have no power over me currently…" Slowly, the figure began to walk towards Ramirez.
"I suppose you know that Fina will come for you out of the goodness of her heart." He leaned over to meet Ramirez's face, and laughed. "The old Ramirez is dead, remember…? He died when I twisted your fate…"
"Shut up…" Ramirez made a fist. "You have no right to-" The man's fist slammed into Ramirez's cheek.
"You will not question me, and you will either refer to me as "Lord Galcian" or "Sir." Do not go against my will, or you will deeply regret it." He put Ramirez's neck in a death grip. "Understand?"
"I will never bow to you again…" Ramirez choked out, trying to struggle from the man's grasp. Galcian sighed, and smiled.
"Without your sword, you're nothing…nothing but a boy…"
"You monster…" Ramirez swiped at Galcian's face, and tore off the cloth that concealed it. His emerald eyes widened with horror as he beheld what had become of Galcian due to his brush with death.
The burly man's skin was horribly burned, and skin below the eyes blackened. It also appeared wrinkled, as if it had shriveled from the heat. Some of the skin had begun to scab, and the force from the cloth- which acted as a bandage- had ripped some of it raw. Blood was slowly oozing from the freshly opened wounds. Galcian gasped in surprise from the mental blow, and threw the frailly built boy, causing his thin body to slide across the ice. The man covered his face, and turned away.
"I'm more a monster than you thought…isn't that right, Ramirez?" He hissed, voice muffled from his hands. "That's not all that happened from me. Do you think it was easy to escape from that hellfire of a ship? No…of course it wasn't. I escaped with something Belleeza did not, however. I escaped with my life."
"Why did you bother to save yourself?" Ramirez climbed to his feet slowly. "If you do succeed in using me to lure Fina, and you get her crystal…Vyse will not be far behind." Galcian faced Ramirez again, causing the boy to shudder. He raised a thick arm, and laughed lightly.
"Do you think Vyse can defeat the both of us by himself? Without Fina and his cronies? Remember, he defeated us individually…together, he's no match…"
"Stop it, Galcian…!" Ramirez shook his head, white hair flying about his face. "I will not let you kill anyone who is precious to Fina…for her sake…" Galcian sighed at the boy's remark.
"Do you honestly think Fina will come running back to you after you single handedly wipe out the Silvite Race?" He smiled, blackened lips cracking and beginning to bleed. Blood dripped from the thin wounds, giving the mutated Galcian a sinister appearance. "I think not."
"Perhaps…you should seek medical attention? Your face…"
"Don't tell me your kindness is returning, Ramirez…"
"Perhaps it is…" He turned on the man. "Fina is coming. I will be sure to greet her so you don't frighten her. She faints easily."
"I doubt she'll warmly accept you!" Galcian called to him, but the white haired teen ignored the man. He swore under his breath, and then sat himself down on his self-proclaimed throne. He tenderly closed his eyes, skin stinging with every movement. He remembered the time when he was beautiful like Ramirez. It was painful to see him revolting, but he knew he would do anything to protect his precious Fina. That, and that only, would be his downfall.