Disclaimer: Yadayadayada, I own nothing blahblahblah, boo hoo, yakkityyakkity, let's get on with the story dood.
Lloyd sat near his window, looking at the snowstorm outside. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"So, young despoiler of virgins! What's up today?"
"Get away from me," Lloyd seethed.
Zelos seated himself near him, looking out the window. "Geez. You really are a boring guy, Lloyd."
Lloyd sighed and looked at Zelos. "So, uh...you said that I wasn't supposed to say that one thing...so is there anything else I should watch out for?"
Zelos looked flattered. "You're asking me?"
"I mean, you'd know, 'cuz that's all you do, and stuff..."
Zelos cuffed him. "That's not all I do!"
Colette looked at her feet. (So...that's what's happening to me?)
Raine nodded. "By the way, you seem to have recovered from your cold..." she put a hand on Colette's forehead. "it's completely gone."
Byruu yawned and stretched. "What's a cold?"
Colette looked at Byruu questioningly. (It's a sickness that people get. You've never been sick before?)
Byruu shook her head. "No, mew."
Raine pounced on her. "This is amazing! Half-Katz have immunity to illness? I must find out more!"
"Mew, I thought we went through this already, mew!"
Raine sighed and let her go. "Very sorry...can't help it..."
Byruu scratched an ear. "Is being sick fun?"
(It's nice sometimes when it's not too bad...then everyone takes care of you and does your bidding!)
"Like, 'Go get me some milk, mew!'"
(Yeah, yeah, like that! But if it's really bad then that's terrible...'cuz then the Prof gives you all these medications and you feel even worse! And then she gives you even more!)
"Yeew, mew!"
"I heard that!"
"Presea?"
She turned. "What is it, Genis? It's late; you should be asleep by now."
"Uh...have you ever...kissed someone before?"
Presea looked at him quizzically. "Why? Do you want to know how it feels like?"
Genis shuffled. "Uh..."
Presea smiled gently. "Well, if you really need to know," she said, coming closer to him. Genis gasped softly and braced himself.
"Why are you afraid?"
Genis sighed and shook his head. "Not..."
She leaded over and gave him a kiss. For how long she didn't know, but it felt nice. (wow, all I can say is "nice"...I need to find some talent in my little brain sumwheres...)
"I feel all fuzzy," Genis managed before went out cold.
"Genis! Genis! Wake up!"
"You rotten girl," Zelos sneered from a corner.
"You...watched that?" she nearly shrieked.
"The whole thing," Zelos grinned.
Presea twitched. Growling, she ran up and slapped him.
"Hey! That's my job!" Sheena snorted, entering.
Zelos whined and sat in a corner, afraid.
Sheena poked Genis worriedly. "What happened to him?"
Presea blushed and hid her face. "My fault..."
Sheena looked at him, and then at her, and put two and two together. "Oh...Presea, you shouldn't be doing that! He's only twelve!"
"He asked..."
Colette poked her head in, along with Raine and Byruu. (What's going on? I heard voices...)
"I kissed him," Presea said flatly.
Byruu looked at her with fear. "That ugly mug?" she yowled, pointing at Zelos.
"I'm not ugly!" Zelos fumed.
"Not him, dolt," Raine hissed. "nobody sane would ever want to smooch him."
Zelos whimpered and tiptoed out.
"So...that leaves just us, mew."
(I guess so...) Colette shut the door with a wing.
"By the way, what's that in your hand?"
Colette took a step back. (Uh...I was really, really hungry for something sweet and crumbly...so I made some brownies?)
"Plunk it on the floor and let us have some, mew! So, while we're on the subject, when was your first kiss, Sheena?" Byruu mewed.
Sheena growled and said nothing. Byruu mewled softly and retreated behind Colette.
Byruu looked at Raine hopefully. "You, mew?"
Raine took a paddle out of nowhere and smacked her with it. "Don't even think about it!"
Byruu hid in Colette's pillow. "Help me!"
Colette shook her out. (Help yourself!)
Byruu squeaked, fleeing from Raine. "First you want to experiment on me, now you wanna kill me, mew!"
Presea grabbed her by the shirt hem. "Sit. Stay. Shut up."
Byruu sat, fearing the tone of Presea's voice.
"Colette...what about you?"
Colette started. (Um...uh...what are we talking about?)
"When was your first kiss?" Byruu asked smugly.
Colette buried her face in her pillow. (I...haven't had one yet...)
There was silence for an eternity.
"Scandalous!" Byruu gasped. "Lloyd, get in here!"
(No!) Colette covered Byruu's mouth with a wing. (Don't! If it happens, I want it to be sincere!)
Another one of the dreaded silences.
"You mean, 'when'?" Raine asked.
(If...)
"Colette! It will happen!" Byruu said, grabbing her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "do you expect us to believe you'll stay innocent and pure all your life, mew?"
Colette hung her head. (Ah...uh...)
"You goof! If you don't act now, some ugly, perverted old geezer will steal your first kiss, mew! Someone like..."
"Zelos," everyone said together.
"I'm not old!" he shouted from another room.
"You've been awful silent, Presea," Byruu purred.
"Talking prevents you from eating," she said, reaching for the last brownie.
"Hey! Gimme that!"
Lloyd let the snow fall on his face. Snow relaxed him. Perhaps it was because how it fell, or was it because it lasted only for a second if it touched you?
(Lloyd? What are you doing?)
Lloyd turned to see Colette standing near him, using a wing to protect him from the falling snow.
"Just sitting...enjoying the snow."
(Is it...nice?)
Lloyd looked at her quizzically. "What?"
(I can't feel it. Is it nice?)
Lloyd nodded, closing his eyes. "Yeah...not too cold, kinda soft..."
(Good, because if I die of hypothermia, it's your fault for not warning me!)
He chuckled, gazing into Colette's mock-serious face.
(So...what brings you here?)
"Oh...nothing. I just like to see snow fall."
Colette looked up. (It's calming.) She flapped her wings in a happy manner, smiling.
"You still have that pillow?" Lloyd asked, pointing at it.
Colette looked at it. (Yeah...I can't leave it alone; even for a second...Raine says it's my imaginary child to take the place of Mitsmuzz...)
She made a noise that sounded like a cross between a sob and a choke.
"Colette?"
(I'm fine...I just miss her a bit, that's all.)
Lloyd held her for a bit. "I bet she misses you too."
(Why'd she have to die...?)
"Lloyd! Lloyd, get over here!" someone called from inside.
"I'm coming!" Lloyd called. "Will you be okay?" he said to Colette.
(Yes...go on without me.)
Lloyd went to answer whoever called for him.
Ugh! Look at them! It just makes me want to puke!
Hush, brother, they might hear!
I don't care. Can't we just kill 'em now and be done with it?
Kill? ...No! C'mon! Let's let them live for a few more days?
Fine. I'll give them until I'm fed up with them. And the way they're going about it, that won't be very long!
Lloyd stepped in. "What happened?"
"Look," Raine motioned, pointing at a three slashes on the wall. "What does this remind you of?"
Lloyd examined them closely. Three slashes...look kinda ordinary...all made separately, or with a one-clawed hand or paw...
"The monster!" Lloyd cried.
"Yes. Now look at the slash."
Lloyd walked over to the wall, studying one of them. "It's not smooth. It's serrated."
"Very good. Now look what I found right next to it," the Professor pulled out two chakrams.
Lloyd froze. "Those are the ones Colette has at the moment..."
"So, that must mean...?"
Lloyd shook his head. "It's not her!"
"I'm not saying it is. But someone is using these."
Lloyd paced. "But why, of all weapons, the chakram? I mean, I can think up of ways to make even a card look like a claw. A circley-thingy isn't too efficient for that kind of thing. Chakrams aren't too sharp."
Raine sighed, looking at one of them and tossing it lightly. "Well, that's the 'monster's weapon of choice, apparently. Funny though, how it got us all except you and Regal?"
Lloyd took a step back. "No way."
"Well, that's just something to think about. Now, I need to go and get my brother..." she got up and left, leaving the chakrams on the floor.
Lloyd picked them up, gripping them as he'd seen Colette do. They don't feel comfortable...it can't be me...but who?
Colette flopped on her bed, sighing a sigh that made Byruu peer out of her pot in worry.
"What happened, mew?"
Colette curled up. (I don't know. I feel tired, miserable, and helpless. I don't know why, and I can't tell anyone because I don't know what's wrong with me.)
Byruu's tail wriggled with a life of its own. "I know what you mean..."
(I'm tired, but I can't fall asleep...do you have something that'll knock me out for a while?)
Byruu itched an ear with her tail. "Well, uh...I don't know any lullabies...sorry. I can't help you there."
(Don't worry. I think I can just lie here and pretend to rest and maybe it'll make me feel better.)
Byruu whined and climbed up next to her. "You sure you'll be okay, mewl?"
(Yes...stop worrying about me!) Colette pulled on her tail playfully. (That frown doesn't look good on you.)
"Owie! The tail isn't an accessory, mew!"
Colette woke suddenly. Something's wrong!
She looked around in the darkness, trying to find out what worried her so much.
She was aware of something amiss in the pillow she was holding. (This...isn't the right pillow!) she unconsciously thought-shrieked.
"Pipe down, will yer?" Byruu growled from her fish-shaped pot.
Colette dashed out to the hall, trying to find Lloyd's room. She rammed down the door, panting.
(You...give it back!) she lifted him up, took the pillow in his possession (which was the one she was looking for) and plopped him on the ground, returning to her room.
Byruu was grinning from ear to ear.
(What?)
"Just watching you being a responsible parent..."
Colette flushed. (That...was kind of silly...now that I think about it...)
"You'll make a good mother, mew. Just imagine-lil' baby Lloyds and Colettes running around, causing all sorts of trouble, mew!"
Colette hid her face behind her wing. (I...no...that's just...that's just ridiculous!)
Byruu retreated into her pot and said nothing more.
"Don't open your eyes, mew."
(Why? Did I fall asleep? I feel numb.)
"Yeah. It's morning. But whatever you do, don't open your eyes. It's not pretty, mew."
(What? Byruu, tell me what's going on!)
"Raine's coming, mew. You got all slashed up and it's really bad."
(That's why I feel numb...)
Colette shook her head groggily and tried to get up. Something pushed her back down.
"Don't even think about it," Raine's voice scolded. "you are in no shape whatsoever to get up."
Colette flapped her wings, struggling. (What's going on? Why can't I get up? Please, someone tell me!)
Colette opened one eye to see what was happening, and immediately closed it. All she saw was crimson. She shivered and curled up.
"Told you not to open your eyes," Byruu meowed.
"What interests me is this message here on the wall," Raine walked away, stopping before the door. "it's written with your blood, Colette."
Colette whimpered, shivering. (And...?)
"It tells us to leave this place in two different kinds of handwriting," Raine continued. "and then there are six scratches. Three thick ones slanting up to the left and three fine ones slanting to the right. The thick ones were done hastily, as if there wasn't enough time, but the thin ones were made with careful precision. Kind of odd, don't you think?"
Colette wiped her face on her blanket. Why me? Why not someone else...? I'm tired of being attacked and just tired in general. I wish I could just disappear for a while...
You want to disappear? I can make that happen...
"Are you sure, mew?"
(Yes, we're leaving. The inn is mad at us for messing up their room and scaring the customers, and the monster made it plain we can't stay here.)
Byruu's ears drooped. "I wish I could come with you, but my place is here, mewl..."
(Why don't you hold on to my pillow for a while?) Colette handed her the pillow, smiling softly. (it'll give you something to do.)
Byruu held it, looking at Colette. "You sure? After all you've gone through to protect it?"
(Yes. I have to let go of it someday...and I don't think the inn would be too pleased if I ran away with one of their pillows.)
Byruu wagged her tail. "Happy travels. I'll keep it safe, mew. Be sure to examine any fish pots or bird jars on your way."
(Thanks. I won't forget you.)
"You say that as if you'll never see me again, mew. Don't fret your lil' head. That frown doesn't look good on you!"
Camping out in the wilderness wasn't always very comfortable, but after a few weeks of being cooped up in Flanoir it was a welcome change. Colette enjoyed the fresh, un-snowy air. Nice, dry air. After all that moistness, it felt good. She gave her wings a flap, relishing how the wind played with her feathers.
She felt odd all of a sudden, as if her clothes vanished in front of an attentive crowd. Or something equally embarrassing.
I'm trying to tell myself something, but what I can't tell. Oh, I wish either I was smart enough to know, or I'd be smart enough to tell myself!
"Colette! Your dinner's getting cold!"
(Coming!)
She turned to look behind her, having an instinctive feeling of being watched. I wish I would hurry up and tell myself what's wrong!
Colette trudged behind, utterly exhausted. The others chatted aimlessly ahead, not waiting for her.
It's like they don't know or care I'm here. That's not like them...
The ground under her vanished. She shrieked, clawing the earth in front of her, trying to find something to hang on to.
The rest of the group stopped, turning.
Well, that's good news. I got their attention.
(Help,) Colette thought-whimpered.
Lloyd walked over to her and stepped on one of her hands. Sure, it prevented her from slipping any further, but it hurt quite a bit.
"Why should we help you?" he asked.
Colette gulped. (Because...I'm your friend...)
"Friend?" Lloyd growled. "you're just a no-good,"
"Ugly," Sheena snorted.
"Ditzy," Genis sneered.
"Flat," Zelos added.
"Stupid," Raine spat.
"Incompetent," Presea seethed.
"Pathetic excuse for a Chosen," Regal finished.
"In other words," Lloyd slowly lifted up his foot, letting Colette sink into the hole of nothingness. "we don't need you anymore."
Colette fell, too shocked to care about anything. She hit solid ground after an age. Shivering, she sat up, feeling so terribly alone that it made her sick. She wrapped herself with her wings, trying to fight off the tears and failing miserably.
"Missus? Why are you crying?"
She uncurled to see a small, grey-haired boy sitting next to her. On the right side of his face was a cross-shaped scar.
(I...I'm just...lonely.)
"So am I," the little boy sighed. "no one comes here. Except you."
Colette dried her eyes on her sleeve. (How long have you been here?)
The boy chewed on his thumb. "I dunno...three thousand years?"
Colette hung her head. Three thousand years in a pit of nothingness...must be terribly boring.
"Are you a Chosen, missus?"
Colette looked up. (Ah...yes. I'm a stupid, useless Chosen that can't do anything. Stupid, stupid Chosen...)
"A Chosen is a vessel for Martel, right? That's what they do?"
Colette nodded.
"Then...can you be a vessel for me?"
(What do you mean?)
The boy twirled a finger through his hair. "I'm a spirit. Name's Sanguine. I want to see what's up there," he pointed upward. "will you be a vessel for me? You can fly, right?"
Colette curled up in thought.
(Okay...after all, that's what the Chosen is supposed to do...)
Sanguine smiled. "So you, the Chosen, grant me permission to take your body?"
Colette nodded. (Go ahead.)
Sanguine melted into her, taking control.
Heh, what a gullible child...show her an illusion and she'll do anything. Now that I got her permission, I can do what I've been wanting to do for a long time...
"Where are you?" Lloyd called.
"Lloyd, stop shouting and go to sleep!"
"I want to know where Colette is!"
"She must of gotten lost or something. Now shut up and go to bed!"
Lloyd crawled into his tent and tried to fall asleep. Come back soon...
He woke suddenly. Wha? I'm bound...
His arms were pinned uselessly to his feet, preventing him from standing. Something picked him up and looked at him in the eye.
"Put me down! Wha...is it you, Colette?"
She brought his ear close to her mouth and whispered a gentle whisper that chilled his blood.
"Lloyd Irving, is it not? Colette has told me much about you."
Author's ramblings and responses to reviews:
Urby: Dun dunn dunn! I love cliffhangers. And I am terribly sorry for the horrible kissing scene-I don't have personal experiance, see.
Seldom: Oh yeah? (hangs Urby off a cliff) Dun dunn dunn!
Urby: Waiiii! Why are you here? I thought I got rid of you!
Seldom: The fans like me. Ph33r the frying pan of doom.
Urby: Well, one! No matter anymore...just get me back up, I'll do anything!
Seldom: Even let me hit you with a frying pan?
Urby: Don't try your luck.
Seldom: Aww, man. Okay, just respond to reviews.
Urby: That I can do.
Lil-Samuu: (dances) Finally, you reviewed on Crimson! Yosh! Anyway...yes, Pull the Trigger gets annoying after a while...
The Anonymous dood that has no name: She's not a werewolf...although that would be cool! Maybe that's what I should write next...
Green Magi: Thanks fer your support, dood. She falls asleep before each attack? I wasn't paying too much attention, just making her hit the snooze every once in a while. You get a half-point for guessing that she has a spirit thing to do the attacks.
crimson-88: I appreciate your effort...