Once again everyone, please Read and Review! Also please tell me who you want to win, Cloud or Kratos!
As the group awoke they found themselves in a cell in the company of a large dark skinned man. "Yo, foo's 'bout time ya'll be wakin' up!" he shouted with a friendly tone, "Name's Barret and what 'bout ya'll?" "I'm Lloyd…" Lloyd introduced. Genis was just staring at the large man. "Sumfin' wrong, kid?" Barret asked the young mage. "N-no, I'm sorry…" Genis responded. A scowl appeared on Presea's face and she sat in the corner. Vyse said nothing as he began to work with picking the lock. Lloyd, in the meantime, was introducing the group to Barret. "'Dat Vyse kid? He some kinda' locksmith or sumfin'?" Barret asked. "Not exactly, my brother is a pirate…" Lloyd explained. "'Dere's all kindsa' work, I guess… What abouts you? Be yous a pirate too?" Barret responded. "Me? No, not me… We were separated when we were real young so we don't exactly share the same profession…" Lloyd explained. "Tell the whole world why don'tcha?" Vyse replied, "Family business does not need to be exposed. All he needs to know is that we're twin brothers…" "Calm down, Vyse. Focus on your lockpicking…" Cloud lectured.
About an hour later a click was heard. "Hey, ya'll when ya'll pick up yo' things come back an' see me, I gots ta' show ya'll sumfin'…" Barret told them. The group picked up their things and came back to visit with Barret. "I'm sure ya'll've all heard 'da stories 'bout Mithos 'da Hero, right?" An all around 'right' was heard. "Well, sometime durin' 'da Kharlan War, back when Sylveraunt and Tethe'alla were one world, 'dere were 'dese oder' worlds 'dat were 'bout to collide wid' 'dis one. 'Dat would kill all three! So Mithos 'da Hero somehow merged 'da two doomed worlds wid' 'dis one…" Barret explained, "So this world is actually…?" Cloud started but never finished. "It's all three worlds put togetha'…" Barret finished, "Or mebbe Sylveraunt and Tethe'alla are what's left o' them two other worlds…" Barret walked up to the wall supporting his weight on it, he had been sitting on a cot the whole time, he pushed in a stone on the wall. "'Dis secret passageway leads to 'da sewa'. Get outta' Meltokio and as far away as possible, an' be a little mo' careful in 'da futua'! Oh an' one mo' thing can ya'll at some point deliva' this letta' to 'da King o' Tethe'alla?" Barret finished handing Lloyd a letter.
The sewer was dark and dreary as usual, but the group didn't stay in one place long enough to complain about the scenery or the smell for that matter. They were in a hurry. Presea tugged on Genis's arm indicating to him she wanted to speak with him. They fell back behind the rest of the team, Presea looked at Cloud. He nodded and backed off a little, giving the two a bit of distance to talk. "Y-y-you wanted to t-talk?" Genis stuttered. "Genis, I was… just wondering, why did you stutter in front of Barret?" Presea asked. "H-he w-w-was p-pretty big… I-I j-just didn't want to make him mad…" Genis told her, his face red. Suddenly Genis felt something against his cheek, and Presea ran to catch up with the others. Genis's pace slowed and his entire body felt like it turned red. He had realized what happened, Presea had kissed his cheek. Suddenly he felt a heavy hand rest on his shoulder.
He turned to see a knowing grin on Cloud's face. "Nice work, I think she's definitely falling for you. That shy stuttering boy act is working like a charm," Cloud told him. "W-what act?" Genis asked. "You're not acting! Wow! Well, she must like shy boys, then… Lucky for you, huh?" Cloud laughed. "I-I guess, I-I mean yes, I-I mean I-I don't know!" Genis stuttered. "It's ok, you'll figure it out!" Cloud reassured him, "In the meantime, we have to rescue Colette…" "She's really important to you isn't she?" Genis asked. "Yeah, she is my daughter after all. I really care about her! Apparently Lloyd does too!" Cloud replied. "I really shouldn't say this but, Lloyd and Colette have been in love with each other since they first met, at least according to Raine…" Genis informed him. "I saw that when I first joined your little group…" Cloud reflected, "Remember in Palmacoasta?" "Back when… No, I shouldn't bring him up… I know how you are, when you hear his name…" Genis replies with a slight smirk on his face. "I am like that, aren't I?" Cloud responded with a light chuckle, "I'm learning though…" "Learning?" Genis asked. "Yeah, I'm learning to control me outrageous temper…" Cloud responded. "Oh, I see!" Genis exclaimed. "Hurry up, you don't wanna' fall too far behind now do you? Go catch up with the others, and don't let Zelos make you too angry…" Cloud laughed as Genis ran on ahead.
Cloud's eyes downcast, he wished he could be a bright ray of sunshine like his daughter. That's part of what was bothering him she was gone. "If that Rodyle has hurt her, I will personally separate his twisted little head from his decrepit shoulders!" Cloud thought, "And if Kratos gets in my way, again, I will wipe his stupid grin off that ugly face! I guess Lloyd and Vyse take after their mother…" Cloud chuckled, using humor to quell his temper proved to be quite effective. Carefully he began to consider his teammates from a distance. "Lloyd; the unofficial leader of their little group, though not overly bright he's a tactical genius. Genis; Lloyd and my daughter's best friend, and part-time punk. Professor Raine; Genis's older sister the smartest possibly among all of us in terms of what's been recorded. Vyse; Lloyd's brother, missing a few screws, other than that I guess he's ok. Sheena; ahh, I don't know what to think of her, one thing's obvious though, she hates perverts, I don't blame her. Zelos; I don't trust him, that's all that needs to be said. Aeris; let's not get into that right now, I don't feel like daydreaming. Fina; I haven't taken the time to get to know her. Presea; she's a mystery to me, she seems to like Genis, but often times she walks away whenever he tries to talk to her. Regal; let me put it this way he's a convict that I trust more than Zelos…" Cloud trailed off in his thoughts.
They were back on the EC by sunset. This time Cloud couldn't stay inside, he stepped out on top of the Elemental Cargo and looked around. There was something enchanting about looking out across the waves in the moonlight. Something he just couldn't figure out. "Guardian Spirits; METEOR of Darkness, HOLY of Light, Knights of the Round of Power, Chaos of Fire, Levaithan of Water, Shiva of Ice, Odin of Thunder, Ramuh of Earth, Choco/Mog of Wind, Bahamut elementless…" Cloud chanted outloud. The Guardian Spirits he had mentioned were what outsiders knew as the Cetra Summon Spirits, every bit as powerful as any other Summon Spirit. Except that is Corrine, a man-made Summon Spirit.
He heard a sigh; he turned to see the young pirate. "Do you trust me now?" Cloud asked with a grin. "I guess it was silly for me to suspect you… I mean you haven't done anything wrong… And maybe you're right about Zelos…" Vyse admitted, "It's just that it's hard to trust anyone after what happened at the Tower…" "Harness your negative feelings into something productive; your brother for instance trains with his swords and makes charms and such, maybe you should look for a hobby…" Cloud advised, "Once you find yourself a hobby, you'll forget all about him…" "Thanks Cloud…" Vyse sighed, "And I'm sorry for blaming you…" "It's alright, but get some sleep soon, ok?" Cloud replied taking on a worried tone. Vyse went back into the EC, Cloud decided to meditate on the 'deck' as Vyse referred to it as.
