A/N: So sorry for the wait. I was going to update Sat by FF was down. ::sweatdrop:: In any case, I have over 8 pages of ToS goodness for ya to make up for it. (longest chapter yet!) Get ready for villain introductions and the person Aya works for. It's someone you might know. ::hinthint::
Reviewer Responses:
Sir Exal - Thanks! I actually had a lot of fun writing Zelos and plan to get him into more mischief. ::grin::
Kazaana the Furyou Houshi – You can't win, can you? :p pulls Colette off Sorry about not sending her along. I actually have a lot of difficulty writing her well, if you want to know. ::sweatdrop:: But she will be back in the story along with Regal and Presea eventually. ::grin::
tomato LZ – One of your earlier requests has been granted. Enjoy!
SunkissSMB – You think you know who Aya is? Great! I hope you're right. ::winkwink:: And sorry for making you confused. Everything will be explained… eventually… ::evil grin::
And I don't own ToS. Really wish I did. In any case, Enjoy!
Tales of Symphonia: Gaiden
Chapter Six
Raine was one of the first to awake after their journey. She sat up and gathered info on their surroundings, rubbing a sore spot on her head.
They had landed next to a patch of trees, which were stone grey. Raine gasped as she lightly ran her fingers over the bark. The trees had been petrified.
Raine noticed the ground was barren beneath her – cold dirt without a patch of grass. She looked out towards the horizon; her jaw dropped from shock.
The sky was a violent shade of purple. Clouds collided and dispersed with lightening and thunder on regular intervals. Mountains outlined the horizon – or what was left of them. What was once, Raine guessed, a beautiful mountain range was nothing more than a few intact triangles with large chucks obliterated from existence.
Sporadically along the ground were large craters, at least three kilometers in diameter.
"Shit," mumbled a voice to Raine's left. Raine turned around to see Aya, her back to her, slamming her fist into the trunk of a nearby tree, sending petrified splinters in several directions. Her left arm hung lifeless at her side.
"Aya!" Raine shouted, concerned at her condition, and jogging over to the injured girl. Aya looked up, eyes harsh but they softened as she saw Raine approaching.
"Welcome to Cadence," Aya mockingly offered. "Think I'm lying now?"
Raine was taken aback. Had Aya detected her mistrust? In any case, Raine shook her head, changing the subject.
"Let me see that arm," Raine ordered, reaching out and gently touching Aya's arm. She grimaced as the half-elven professor made her diagnosis. "How did you break it?"
"The fall," Aya grunted, shifting her body to move the broken arm out of Raine's reach.
"I see," Raine accepted, taking the weak excuse. She got up to fetch her staff. "In any case, I should cast a healing spell."
"NO!" Aya yelled, eyes glaring.
"But you can't walk around-"
"I said no!" Aya growled, getting to her feet and clutching her left arm to keep it still.
"What's going on?" Zelos asked, jogging over to where the two women were arguing. The others apparently were now awake and fetching their things which had scattered over the small area. However, it was obvious they were all listening intently.
"Aya, don't be stubborn and let someone heal that arm," Zelos criticized when Raine explained to him the situation.
Aya glared, though a bit softer, in his direction. Instead of complying she dropped to the ground and pulled over her bag of supplies. She pulled out a few splints and some bandages. With some effort, she managed to push up the sleeve of the oversized tunic and get it to stay up.
"I'm only going to explain this once," Aya growled in annoyance. She wiped some perspiration from her forehead before getting started on doing the splint herself. "No one will use any mana out in the open. Not a single bit. Monsters are attracted to mana usage. That's problem one. Problem two is the Order is constantly monitoring for unexpected mana use. Anyone other than the elves or angels in the Order is sentenced to execution for disobeying this decree."
Aya stopped speaking for a moment, struggling to keep the splints in place as she started to wrap the bandages.
"Honestly," Sheena groaned, walking over and taking over the process of setting Aya's arm.
"Right," Aya stated, now fully focused on explaining their situation. "We've landed about a two days walk to the safe haven known as my home. On the way there, no mana is to be used. I can't stress this enough. If we run into any demons or monsters on the way, only generic attacks can be used. This means that Sheena and the two elves will be defenseless at that time."
"Err… Aya…" Genis started, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "We're not elves."
"Huh?" Aya moaned; Sheena had just shifted her bones back into place. Despite how she looked, it was quite painful. "Oh, yeah… I figured as much. Now that doesn't mean that if run into any officials they'll know the difference.
"If, for what ever reason, we unfortunately run into a patroller from the Order, you two will be elves taking your new human slaves home. Got it?"
"Say what?" Lloyd gasped, outraged. "Why are the humans in slavery?"
"Lloyd, were you paying attention at all yesterday?" Kratos asked, shaking his head in shame as Lloyd laughed uneasily while scratching the side of his head.
"Speaking of the devil," Aya said, focusing her attention on the mercenary. "You won't use those wings of yours. That's all we need is for them to find an angel in the company of humans and one that… well, just keep the damn wings out of sight."
Lloyd and Zelos exchanged glances and mutually agreed to do the same.
"There!" Sheena exclaimed, sitting back and admiring the sling she had formed. Aya's broken arm was tightly wrapped and Sheena had even fastened a sling to keep it in place.
"Thank you," Aya said, completely sincere. "This will at least last until we get home. Then we can heal it."
"So, shall we get going then?" Zelos asked, clapping his hands together and a large smile on his face. "We aren't getting any younger just sitting here and the locale is giving me the creeps."
"You heard the man," Genis agreed, picking up his bag. Everyone, their bags and weapons in hand, trekked out in an easterly direction, heading straight for the remains of the mountains.
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The room was large and elegantly decorated. It should be; it was his private quarters and the room of the leader of the new world would have no less.
The walls and pillars of the room were made of violet marble; red streaks spiraled around the pillars themselves to the ceiling. In the rear of the room was a large bed. Black silk sheets lay delicately of a body.
The body belonged to Erebus, leader of Angelus and creator of the Order. Angelus contained himself and his three most trusted Seraphim.
Yes, Angelus had been his doing. Erebus had been against the formation of angels from inferior beings – anyone other than elves. In doing so, he had created the rebel organization and the top elven angels joined him in his quest to purify the angel race.
However, one angel created from a half-elf, beat Erebus at his own game. That angel had a group of half-elven angels and – what Erebus considered to be tarnish on his great race – an angelic human in his camaraderie.
In anger, Erebus sought the help of the Summon Spirits, who refused to break their pacts with the half-elf angel. Erebus finally found one who was free of a pact and tricked the naïve spirit to grant his wish.
But Erebus shouldn't have tried to deceive the spirit, who knew of the hatred burning inside of his soul. The spirit was forced to comply with his wish, as to their pact, but left Erebus under a curse.
He would be killed by that Erebus hated most. And until he was soundly defeated, he would be forced to repeat time with the knowledge of his misdeeds. Ah, if only the wise spirit had seen into the depths of Erebus' soul, perhaps he would have not chosen that particular curse.
Erebus was not one to let the curse stand in his way.
The angelic being opened his eyes, black pools full of nothing but hatred. He slowly sat up, the silk sheets sliding from his tanned, muscular body. He sighed in annoyance, running a hand through short but spiky white hair (though at the moment it was a bit tousled).
"Again?" he moaned, his voice deep and layered with bitterness. "Damn him," he growled, directing his anger at that Spirit who cursed him so.
He threw the sheets from his form, moved his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He slipped his feet into black shoes and adjusted the black belt to his red pants. He grabbed from the nightstand a red sleeveless shirt. Slipping it on, he crossed one side over the other and tied the second belt tightly.
Sending out a small mana burst, two black feathery wings sprouted from his back. He rolled his shoulders, cracking bones and sighing in relief. He pushed a strand of hair behind his pointed ears – a sign of his former life as an elf – and floated over to a large set of monitors.
His hands flying over the keys, the monitors blinked to life and cast a blue hue over the room. He brought up a particular window, which had a single number on it.
1,999,999.
Erebus clicked a few more keys and the numbers scrolled, changing.
2,000,000.
His eyes slimmed in anger, his teeth grinding with his frustration. Two million times he had repeated the same timeline. Each time it was slightly different. Each time something changed. A person, a place, the time of day. Yet the outcome was always the same. He would wake up and it would start again.
"What am I doing wrong?!" he shouted at no one.
"Lord Erebus, is everything all right?" came the concerned voice of a soldier from outside his chamber door.
"Yes!" Erebus snapped back. He then took a deep breath. "Yes. Thank you for your concern. Return to your post."
"Sir!"
Erebus muttered to himself again, running his hands through his hair. No, he couldn't tell anyone his secret. They'd think him mad and someone would most likely throw a coup and take away what he gave his sanity for – control of the world.
One of the monitors blinked red. One of his Seraphim was trying to contact him. Straightening, he clicked a small button under the monitor.
"Rhadamanthus," Erebus acknowledged the connection.
"Daman, please," the angel on the monitor grumbled at the use of his full name. The monitor only showed him from the shoulders up. Red hair spilled past what the camera could see and was held out of his face by black cloth that also covered his forehead. Bright blue-grey eyes stared at the camera, a hint of concern inside them.
He pushed his hair over his shoulder and off his black trench coat.
"Well?" Erebus demanded, irritated at the seraph's timing. The angel straightened his coat, flashing a white shirt underneath briefly.
"The scouts in my sector have reported seeing an unidentified party moving east towards-"
"Why are you reporting such a minor thing? Don't you know how to handle this on your own?" Erebus retorted, snorting in disgust.
"I would sir," Daman replied, taken aback by the look on his face. "One of the party members I felt would be of interest to you."
"Eh?" Erebus murmured, interested.
"Yes, it's one of the remaining rebels, sir," Daman explained, his face replaced with footage of a small band of people tracking across the barren land. His black eyes lit up excitedly, spotting the familiar face.
"Lord Erebus, waiting for orders," Daman inquired after a few moments of silence from his leader. Erebus chuckled to himself.
"Well, well… this is amusing."
"I do not follow."
"Tell your patrol to follow them but keep out of sight. Have him report when they reach their base. We have had difficultly finding it and this is too good of an opportunity to crush the head of the rebellion."
"So, you don't want us to attack them?" Daman inquired, looking a tad confused. Erebus rolled his eyes.
"Honestly, if it wasn't for your talents with magitechnology I would have left you on Derris-Kharlan," Erebus muttered quietly to himself. Aloud, he added, "We've had trouble finding their base. Why waste a perfectly good opportunity?"
"Yes, wise as always," Daman replied. He clicked off the camera on his side, falling back into a nearby chair.
"Yo, Sam," he called out tiredly. A bubbly blonde stuck her head in the door.
"Yes Lord Daman?" she asked, awaiting orders. Daman smiled wearily at his assistant, admiring her taste in clothes.
"Send an order to the patrolmen to keep tabs on that group and not interfere. Tell them to report back when the group reaches their base."
"Yes sir," she chirped, exiting the room in a flash, white feathers flowing gently in the air behind her.
Daman got his feet and stretched. His trench coat shifted, revealing two dagger-like blades at his hips. Slouching, she slipped his hands into his coat pockets.
He glanced back at the monitor, where a still of the rebel lingered. Honey-brown hair framed the girl's face.
"Poor girl. Pity, too. She's a real cutie," he lamented, sighing. He flipped off the light as he left the room. Daman then made his way to his chambers being long overdue for some sleep.
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"Put me down, Zelos!" Aya growled in annoyance. Yes, she had been exhausted from transporting everyone there but that was no reason for the red-haired swordsman to have to carry her – piggyback style – to their destination.
"No can do, sweetie pie," Zelos replied, glancing back and smiling brightly. "Though I can't say I'm not enjoying being so close to such a beauty."
"Kratos is so dead," Aya muttered in return, a sour look on her face.
Indeed, the marked man walked several paces behind the agitated looking girl. He frowned, thinking about the first half of their trek.
Aya hadn't said anything of her lack of mana to the others. Even though Kratos had noticed the decline, she had kept on using what remained of her supply to keep herself upright and walking. It didn't take long for Aya to start stumbling and sweating greatly from the effort.
It had been Zelos who had nominated to carry the girl when Kratos had brought up how tired she looked. No one protested aloud, except perhaps Sheena, though the Shinobi had kept quiet, clenching both fists and teeth at the idea.
Kratos glanced over to the Summoner from under his veil of brown hair, and had to keep back a chuckle as she was glaring daggers at Zelos.
If looks could kill, he mused silently.
"Hey Kratos," Lloyd stated, dropping back to join his father. He scratched the back of his head, hesitant to continue.
"What is it?" Kratos replied, focusing most of his attention to Lloyd.
"I was thinking…. Doesn't this area reminding you of Tethe'alla?"
"Hmm?" he replied, raising an eyebrow at his son's observation. Lloyd's face reddened.
"I mean… it looks like the Triet Desert… and these mountains we're heading to… they don't look like the Ossa Mountains to you?"
Kratos glanced over towards the remnants of the mountain range. He tried to visualize what his son was saying. He would be the one to ask, having roamed the world for four thousand years.
"I think you are imagining things," Kratos explained, not seeing what Lloyd saw. "Homesick already?"
"No!" Lloyd countered. "It just looked familiar. Anyway, just forget I asked…" With that, Lloyd jogged forward and caught up with Genis and starting up another conversation.
"I'm guessing Lloyd just asked you the same question, going by the look on your face," Raine spoke up, coming parallel to the former seraphim.
"He asked you as well?" Kratos replied, crossing his arms in thought. "And?"
"I probably replied the same way you did. He's seeing things," Raine answered, nodding matter-of-factly. "They couldn't possibly be the same. This is Cadence, not Symphonia."
"Exactly."
"Okay! Okay! Stop! Zelos, seriously put me down!" Aya yelped from the front of their group. "Watch where you're putting those hands, buster!"
"Zelos Wilder," growled the Shinobi, storming up to the red-head that was grinning like a Cheshirecat.
Kratos stopped walking and watched the scene unfold, a humorous smile on his face. Raine stopped as well, glancing curiously at the mercenary beside her.
"What's so funny?" she inquired, a smug look on her face. It wasn't very often one saw Kratos smile for a reason other than a sarcastic smirk.
"Heh," Kratos replied, tilting his head so as to hide his eyes from Raine with his hair. "Just… reminiscing."
Ignoring the confused look upon the healer, Kratos strolled off to be alone.
"Reminiscing?" she asked herself. She crossed her arms in thought.
"Raine! A little help here!" Genis half-shouted. Raine snapped out of her train of thought and brought her attention to the group.
It seemed that Lloyd and Genis were having great difficulty pulling the ninja back and out of reach of her victim, who now lay dazed on the ground. Raine noted the typical swirly eyes and large red hand print indented on his face.
"Zelos," she sighed, shaking her head. "Sheena, there's no need to kill the man."
The Shinobi glared back at the half-elf before ripping her arms free of Genis and Lloyd. Straightening her outfit, she glared one final time at the former chosen before turning on her heel with a 'hmph' and storming over a few paces and dropping to the ground, fuming.
Aya was also on the ground, face red from embarrassment. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she was exhausted and it was taking the last of her mana just to stay conscious. What I wouldn't give to just sleep for the next day or so, she thought longingly. But Aya knew this was not a possibility until they got to her home base. Self-consciously, she pulled the collar of the tunic up again. It kept slipping down, revealing more skin than she liked.
I also plan to get some clothes that actually fit… for once… In any case… Aya took a few moments to look at the surrounding area. A smile appeared on her face.
"About time, damn it," she mumbled, shakily getting to her feet. Everyone turned to watch as Aya shakily made her way ahead of them.
She stopped at an opening that lay at the base of one whole mountain and one half-mountain. She placed her right hand out, pressing against thin air.
Aya's memory stone began to glow brightly.
"What the hell?" Lloyd gasped in shock. A giant hole was opening up in the air, revealing a few spots of grass and part of blue circular building appeared.
"Well, you going to stand out here all day?" Aya chuckled, looking back at them. "Welcome to the rebel base."
"Amazing cloaking technology…" Raine murmured in awe. She crossed her arms and placed her chin in one hand. "This is much more advanced than what we have back in Symphonia." She turned to Aya, eye's wide and pleading. "Oh, do you think I could just take a tiny little peak at the magitechnology running the device?"
"Err…" Aya replied, a small sweatdrop forming. "You'll have to ask the boss about that…"
Within a few minutes, everyone was inside the barrier. Aya stepped inside and removed her hand. The hole she had formed closed up. The others looked at the barrier from this side and noticed it was a dome of hexagonal shapes.
The group looked around at the several smaller buildings that were situated around the main blue building. Several people peeked out of windows or out of doors at the newcomers.
"Okay… if you could all wait here a moment, I'll fetch the boss," Aya explained. She took a few steps forward, toward the blue building, and nearly fell on her face. However, she was able to regain her footing in time to keep from falling.
Zelos took a step forward. "You sure about that? It doesn't look like you can walk far at all without help," Zelos stated, concerned. His concerned look turned into a smug grin. "I could always just carry you again."
Aya only glared back her negative response. She began to climb the short set of stairs to get up to the main building of their base.
"YOU!" shrieked a high pitched voice. All attention was turned to a flying green blur. Aya didn't have time to dodge as she was tackled full force. Aya and her attacker tumbled down the stairs before rolling to a stop. Aya was pinned underneath the attacker.
"It's all your fault! YOURS!" the woman shrieked again. Long, unkempt, graying green hair surrounded her face. An insane grin slowly formed on her face. She pulled out a small dagger from the belt loop of the black dress she was wearing. "Die!"
Aya barely stopped the woman, grabbing her wrists and pushing up with all the force she had left to keep the dagger away from her.
"Aya!" several of her comrades shouted out.
"Do not interfere!" she grunted back, confusing several of them.
"She's gone because of you. Never to come back. Never…" the woman cried out, partially angry and partially hysterical. "Everything will die! Just like before. Death! It's all your fault!"
Aya struggled with the attacker. The assailant, noticing she was getting no where, removed one hand from the handle of her dagger and slammed her fist into Aya's broken arm. Aya choked back a scream of pain and at the same time lost her grip on her attacker's arm.
"DIE!"
Aya eyes widened and she did her best to jerk her neck out of the way of the blade as it came crashing down. The blade was imbedded in dirt instead of flesh, but didn't miss entirely. A long bloody line formed on the right side of her face.
"Why can't we stop this?" Sheena grumbled as the assailant laughed hysterically and pulled the blade from the ground, preparing to attack again.
"Why aren't they helping?" Genis demanded, looking around as the members of base – instead of coming out to help – merely shut their windows and doors to avoid watching the scene.
"Dammit! I'm not going to sit here and watch her die," Lloyd growled, drawling his swords. Before anyone could stop him, he charged the two women.
Aya, who was concentrating on stopping the assailant's next attack so as not be killed, saw Lloyd charging out of the corner of her eye.
"I said, stay back!" Aya snapped, stretching out her good arm. Lloyd didn't see the spell coming and crashed headfirst into the green force field.
The woman saw the opening and struck again; this time she aimed for a larger target, stabbing Aya's abdomen.
"No!" Lloyd shouted, slamming his fists against the barrier. Why was Aya doing this to herself? Lloyd thought angrily. A thought most likely shared by his friends, who watched eyes wide in horror as the woman pulled out the dagger.
"See? Just like her! Death… all that's left is death…" she rambled, totally oblivious to Aya's bleeding corpse below. "Always blood… so much blood…" Then she began to sob uncontrollably, so much so her shoulders began to shake.
"Now I'm lost," Zelos mumbled, his face pale. As if in response, the crazed woman – with tears still flowing freely – took up her knife once more.
"It's only fair…. it is all your fault…" Again she stabbed downwards. Metal ripping through flesh. One, two, three times.
Lloyd gripped the hilts of his blades tightly. Along with Aya's life-force, the barrier was fading. In just a few moments he would be able to break through.
"That's ENOUGH."
The crazed woman stopped in mid strike, looking up blankly at the owner of that commanding voice. Lloyd and the others did the same, confused at what could cause an insane person to listen to reason.
At the door to the blue base stood a man who looked like he took nothing less than absolute respect. His head was completely bald, all the hair shaved off. Blue eyes glared angrily at the aging, yet insane, woman still sitting atop the bleeding girl.
He wore black pants and a loose white shirt over which he worse a reddish bronze armor which covered his chest and back. Matching arm guards covered his lower arms and hands.
"You will cease this nonsense and return to your quarters," he commanded, taking a few steps forward.
"But… but…" the woman stuttered, dropping the bloodied blade in fright. "It was all her fault. It was! She needed to be punished…"
"That decision was not left up to you," he stated calmly, though his voice was thick with anger. He snapped his fingers twice and two men came forward from one of the smaller shacks.
"Sir?"
"Put her back in her chambers. And make sure the door stays locked this time," he ordered, though a little regretfully.
The two men each grabbed an arm of the now apologetic woman, dragging her away. None of them noticed the barrier had been dropped, or that Aya had slipped into unconsciousness.
"Zelos, Kratos!" Raine called out, running towards the body. She didn't need to finish her reasoning as the two magic swordsmen followed close behind.
"Dammit… She's lost a lot of blood…" Raine muttered, quickly examining Aya's condition. "You two, I'll need a constant stream of healing spells on her to keep her alive while I summon up enough mana to fix the damage.
"Right," the two replied in unison, holding their blades horizontal. Both charged their mana, a whitish spell circle appearing beneath their feet. "Healing Stream."
Raine began to summon as much of her mana as she could as the bluish energy surrounded the wounded girl, keeping her alive and healing her minor injuries.
The leader stood back and watched this display, while at the same time taking note of the allies Aya had brought back with her. He smiled at one in particular.
"Revive!" Raine shouted, released the mana she had just stored. A rainbow aura surrounded Aya's body. The wounds instantly healed themselves, including her arm from earlier.
Kratos and Zelos both put away their swords. Raine fell back, suddenly weak from the sudden large use of mana.
"Raine, you okay?" Genis asked in concern, running over to his sister. Raine chuckled.
"I'll be fine. Just a little light headed after releasing so much mana, that's all."
"Nicely done," the leader applauded, walking over to them with a smile on his face. "I'm sorry for the welcome. She's been a little... out of it lately and must have gotten loose."
"I'll say," Zelos muttered quietly, annoyed.
"Who are you?" Sheena asked, hands on her hips. "Not anyone could control an insane person with their voice like that."
"Duly noted," he lamented. Shrugging off the sudden regret, he smiled and bowed in welcome. "I am the leader of this last resistance. People call me Hiro."
"Terrible pun, don't you think…" Genis replied, sweatdropping.
Hiro shrugged. "It is what it is."
Ignoring them for a moment, he walked over to Aya's body and picked it off the ground.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to take her to the infirmary as she most likely needs her rest after her ordeals. If you go inside the base, one of the guards will take you to my quarters. I can then explain what's been happening," he smiled wryly, "heroes from Symphonia."
--Silverwings
Welcome to Cadence indeed. Like the villain? Know who Hiro is? ::grin::
Hiro will explain the recent rumblings in Cadence. Kratos will reminisce of days gone past. Aya will finally get clothes that fit! And what's this… the group's first day and they already have to save a damsel in distress? This may be Zelos' lucky day… or will Sheena kill him first? Stay tuned…