Notes: This story takes place some 3 years after the set time of Star Ocean 2. The events from the game have not happened yet, but will. This is also a very AU fic. I'm not going to say anything more so I don't spoil things.
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Rena opened the door to her mother's house and ran out. She stopped when she heard her mother call her name.
"Rena! Wait!" Westa followed her out. "Where are you going?"
"To the Shingo Forest, Mother. You should know that. I always go there." Rena rolled her eyes before turning to face her mother.
"Oh, no, you don't. It's dangerous out there!" Westa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh, mother. It's not that dangerous here. I can defend myself anyway." Rena shook her head and flailed.
"Rena, Dias will kill me if anything happens to you, you know that. I can't let you go." Westa started toward Rena, but was taken back when Rena started running away from her.
"Well, I'll be going!" Rena took off and ran through the town to the forest.
Rena stopped running when she reached her destination. "She worries too much. I'm a grown woman now. I can defend myself too." She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest with a small smile. She opened her eyes only when the sounds stopped. She perked a pointed ear to listen closer, but heard nothing.
"Strange…" She didn't get much further in her thoughts as someone shouted at her.
"Look out! Behind you!"
Rena turned and fell backward in surprise. A large monster had crept up on her. She cursed herself for not realising it and started to get to her feet.
The person who had shouted at her approached quickly and took the initiative. The battle was fierce. The young red haired man took several hits before falling back quickly and assuming a defensive stance. He held out his hands, palms outward toward the monster and began to speak softly.
Rena watched as the stranger defended her and strained to hear what he was saying. She figured it had to be some sort of heraldry, but she couldn't make out what he was saying over the roar of the monster. She began to stand up just before the spell fired.
The red head hadn't expected for the young woman to stand up but it was too late now. He watched as she was knocked back by the blast of light from his palms. The monster was dazed, but not dead. He gripped the resulting sword from the spell and rushed into battle.
Rena groaned as she looked up. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted the sword that was being used. //That's… Oh…// She couldn't help but smile. Her Warrior had come to save her. She didn't register when the monster fell in defeat, or when the sword was banished from the physical realm. She barely noticed when he was speaking to her.
"Hey? Are you all right?" The young man reached down to help her to her feet.
Rena shook herself from her awe, took the outstretched hand, and pulled herself up. "Thank you."
"No problem." The red head scratched his head. "This is going to be an odd question, but do you know where I am?"
Rena blinked at the man. "What?" She frowned as she looked around. "You're in the Shingo Forest."
The man shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I'm a little confused. I'm not sure where I am at all, really. I can't explain it further."
Rena frowned as she watched the red head. Something caught her eye and she reached up to touch him. She noticed his flinch as she pushed several locks of his hair aside. "You're like me!" She touched one of his pointed ears lightly and drew back when he jerked away.
"Don't do that!" The red haired man glared at the blue haired woman. "Don't ever touch me." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.
"Okay. I won't. Sorry." Rena shook her head and studied her savior. "I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Rena. Rena Lanford." She allowed a small smile to escape.
The red head nodded as he began to speak again…
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Rena opened the door to her mother's house and ran out. She stopped when she heard her mother call her name.
"Rena! Wait!" Westa followed her out. "Where are you going?"
"To the Shingo Forest, Mother. You should know that. I always go there." Rena rolled her eyes before turning to face her mother.
"Oh, no, you don't. It's dangerous out there!" Westa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Oh, mother. It's not that dangerous here. I can defend myself anyway." Rena shook her head and flailed.
"Rena, Dias will kill me if anything happens to you, you know that. I can't let you go." Westa started toward Rena, but was taken back when Rena started running away from her.
"Well, I'll be going!" Rena took off and ran through the town to the forest.
Rena stopped running when she reached her destination. "She worries too much. I'm a grown woman now. I can defend myself too." She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest with a small smile. She opened her eyes only when the sounds stopped. She perked a pointed ear to listen closer, but heard nothing.
"Strange…" She didn't get much further in her thoughts as someone shouted at her.
"Look out! Behind you!"
Rena turned and fell backward in surprise. A large monster had crept up on her. She cursed herself for not realising it and started to get to her feet.
The person who had shouted at her approached quickly and took the initiative. The battle was fierce. The young red haired man took several hits before falling back quickly and assuming a defensive stance. He held out his hands, palms outward toward the monster and began to speak softly.
Rena watched as the stranger defended her and strained to hear what he was saying. She figured it had to be some sort of heraldry, but she couldn't make out what he was saying over the roar of the monster. She began to stand up just before the spell fired.
The red head hadn't expected for the young woman to stand up but it was too late now. He watched as she was knocked back by the blast of light from his palms. The monster was dazed, but not dead. He gripped the resulting sword from the spell and rushed into battle.
Rena groaned as she looked up. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted the sword that was being used. //That's… Oh…// She couldn't help but smile. Her Warrior had come to save her. She didn't register when the monster fell in defeat, or when the sword was banished from the physical realm. She barely noticed when he was speaking to her.
"Hey? Are you all right?" The young man reached down to help her to her feet.
Rena shook herself from her awe, took the outstretched hand, and pulled herself up. "Thank you."
"No problem." The red head scratched his head. "This is going to be an odd question, but do you know where I am?"
Rena blinked at the man. "What?" She frowned as she looked around. "You're in the Shingo Forest."
The man shook his head. "That's not what I meant. I'm a little confused. I'm not sure where I am at all, really. I can't explain it further."
Rena frowned as she watched the red head. Something caught her eye and she reached up to touch him. She noticed his flinch as she pushed several locks of his hair aside. "You're like me!" She touched one of his pointed ears lightly and drew back when he jerked away.
"Don't do that!" The red haired man glared at the blue haired woman. "Don't ever touch me." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her.
"Okay. I won't. Sorry." Rena shook her head and studied her savior. "I'm forgetting my manners. My name is Rena. Rena Lanford." She allowed a small smile to escape.
The red head nodded as he began to speak again…
