Genis lands on his feet by Truro

Tales of Synphonia © Namco

Hey guys.

Sorry it's been a while, but I was a bit stuck for material. But thanks once again to my friend Colin, this series is back on track.

Genis is a kind-hearted little chap, and would never turn his back on someone in need. But this can get him into trouble sometimes. This story tells you about one of these incidents.

The next stop on our heroes trek is Altamira.

As the lights went down, Zelos, and his two companions began clicking their fingers, until the spotlight came down,

"When I saw you for the first time!" he sang

"First time!" came the chorus from Lloyd and Regal,

"My knees began to quiver!" sang Zelos,

"Quiver!"

"And I got a funny feeling!"

"Feeling!" came the chorus,

"In my kidneys, and my liver!"

"Digestive system, baby!" sang Lloyd and Regal,

"My hands, they started shaking!" continued Zelos,

"Shaking!"

"My heart began a-thumping!"

"Boom, boom, BOOM!" said Regal, and Lloyd,

"My breakfast left my body!"

"Huey, huey, huey!"

"Now darling tell me something! Why do you make me tongue tied!"

"Tongue tied!"

"Tongue tied! Whenever you are near me!"

"Near me!"

"Tied tongue!" sang Zelos,

"Tied tongue!" sang Lloyd and Regal,

"Tied tongue, whenever you're around!"

"You're right, it does sound strange." Said Regal,

"I know." Said Zelos, "that dream where the three of us where singing, wasn't as much fun as the one I had last week, though."

"What was that one about?" asked Lloyd,

"Me, three girls, and a swimming pool-sized tub of banana yogurt!" said Zelos, with hearts in his eyes,.

"You have some pretty weird ideas about women." groaned Regal.

Back at the hotel, Sheena was preparing to go out that night. She was trying on her dress.

"Okay Genis, you can come in now." She said, as she began brushing her hair. Genis entered shyly. Not because there was a very attractive woman changing in there, but because of the costume he was wearing.

"That Catz costume's so cute." Sheena snickered.

Genis turned red.

"I don't know how I got myself into this mess." He groaned.

For those asking the same question, Genis met an old man who said that his grandson was sick, and he needed help. Genis, naturally assuming that the old man just needed some simple errand running, like run to the store and get a health potion, volunteered for the job. Unfortunately, this mans grandson was an actor who was to perform in the Catz play. So, Genis was drafted into filling in for the boy.

"Awww, come on." Sheena smiled, sweetly, "If you were a real cat, I'd have you on my knee and stroke you any day."

"I thought you weren't supposed to do that when you're a ninja." Genis said with a smirk.

"What? Cant I indulge a little?" said Sheena.

You will remember in the first chapter how Lloyd and Regal, made a bet on a snowball fight. Raine scolded Regal for gambling with children but told Lloyd that it served him right. Lloyd was furious. As he was walking along near the stairs, he was plotting a practical joke in revenge. When he reached the staircase he slipped on a banana peel and got his leg caught in the banister rail. As he slid down the stairs he was struck between the legs by the wooden railings, numerous times, as they broke. Oh, how you would have laughed, to see his tong pop out of his mouth as he hit the bottom of the railing.

"Hey, Genis, is it okay if I try your Kendama again?" asked Sheena,

"Okay." said Genis, handing her his weapon.

So Sheena practised with it until she accidentally hit Genis in the head with the ball, knocking him flying over the bed, and crashing in front of the mirror. Sheena gasped, cover her mouth with both hands, before running over to the child,

"Genis, are you alright?" she cried.

Genis looked into the mirror,

"Meow!" he said.

"Genis are you feeling okay?" Sheena said with sweat forming on her forehead.

"Meow. Meow." Genis said as he looked at her. All of a sudden Genis crawled over and stopped at Sheena's feet, rubbing himself against her leg, and purring softly.

"Something's defiantly not right here." She said, turning blue in the face.

Raine popped her head round the corner. She looked at Sheena. Then at Genis. Then back at Sheen. Then at Genis.

"Sheena, what have you done to the boy?"

Lloyd, meanwhile, was putting his latest wicked scheme in practise. He had placed a bucket of green paint on top of the slightly opened door to Raine's room. He hid around a corner, as he heard footsteps approaching. He was trying to be serious, but failing miserably. Oh the sounds he made

"Tee hee hee! Shhh! Tee Hee Hee! Shhh!" then he heard the loud crash, followed by a scream.

"Gotcha!" announced the hero proudly. But he stopped laughing when he saw who he really got with the paint bucket.

"What the hell was that for!" demanded Zelos. Lloyd's trick had gone wrong, but he didn't mind. Making a fool out of Zelos was just as much fun!

Meanwhile, Raine and Sheena had a problem. Genis had escaped through the window, and was now lurking somewhere in the city.

"Where could he be?" asked Sheena, who was now back in her normal clothes,

"Well, let's look at the facts. Genis think he's a cat, thanks to the sloppy kendama handling of a certain clumsy assassin."

Sheena was insulted, "Get on with it!" she snapped.

"Now, now." said Raine, "Temper, temper. All we have to do is hit him on the head again, and Genis'll be back to his old self."

"Are you sure that'll work?" asked Sheena,

"Of course it will!" said Raine; "It's one of the most prolific cartoon plot devices ever to be used!"

Sheena had to agree.

"Now," the Prof continued, "Since he thinks he's a cat, we need to think of how to attract cats."

Sheena pondered this for a moment.

"Fish?" she asked herself.

"The beech!" they said together.

Down on the beech, a very cheesed off Zelos (Who had just finished washing the paint out of his hair) was looking for Lloyd. To be beaten up by Sheena was one thing, but nobody messes with Zelos' hair.

As he searched, he found Genis, eating some freshly grilled kippers.

"Hey kid, have you seen Lloyd?" asked Zelos.

"Meow!" cried Genis, giving him a dirty look.

"I don't want your fish, you stupid cat!" said the Casanova, "Where's Lloyd?"

Genis just hissed at him.

"Idiot." grumbled the Chosen one.

Genis then jumped at Zelos' face, and began scratching away. The sight of that red-haired chosen guy running around, waving his arms about, and screaming for help was quite amusing in the eyes of Lloyd, who was chilling out at the drinks stand.

Later, Sheena and Raine met up with Presea, and explained their little dilemma.

"I see." said the small girl, "Don't worry, I have a plan."

Genis saw a ball of yarn, and naturally, began to chase it. He pursued his pray to a park bench, where he lost sight of it. However, he saw the Sheena was sitting on the bench. She gave him a smile, and began to pat her leg. Most cats and dogs take this as saying "Come on up!" so he sprang up onto Sheena's lap, and she began to stroke him. Four hours past.

"Now!" called Presea, "Let him have it!" as she and Raine began to beat Genis with mallets.

That evening, Zelos limped out of his room, his face, covered in scratches,

"Wait 'till I get my hands on those jokers." He said to himself. But then, disaster struck (again). When he reached the staircase he slipped on a banana peel and got his leg caught in the banister rail. As he slid down the stairs he was struck between the legs, with the wooden railings, numerous times. When he came reached the bottom of the staircase, his tong was hanging out, and his eyes where as wide as his ego (and that's huge).

"Well, I guess that prank was little below the belt!" Lloyd chuckled.

As the curtain went down the audience began clapping and cheering. A few minutes later, Genis was back in his normal clothes.

"Hi Sheena!" he called.

"Hey there!" replied the ninja chick.

"Thanks for bringing me." Said the half-elf.

"No problem." Said Sheena, "It's the least I could do, after Raine caught that cold."

"Yeah," said Genis "But I still don't remember knocking her into that fountain."

"So what do you remember?" asked Sheena.

"You stroking me!" smiled Genis, "For a ninja, you sure have soft hands!" he teased.

Sheena giggled.

"Tell you what," she said, "If you teach me to use a kendama properly, you can curl up on my lap anytime!"

"It's a deal!" laughed Genis, "But why do you want to learn how to use it?"

"Well, if it turned you into a cat, then I'd like to see what it can do to Zelos."

She replied. Then she put her arm around him.

"C'mon, Puss in Boots, lets head back."

When they entered the lobby, Zelos was still at the bottom of the stairs, with stars spinning around his head.

"Should we wake him up?" asked Genis.

"I wouldn't." said Sheena, "You'd probably end up with a mouth full of sand."

To be continued