Disclaimer: Rodeo Ride Tour is not mine. Sure wish it was tho!
Tales of Symphonia; Drama CD Anthology
Rodeo Ride Tour
A fanfiction adaptation by Winged Dancer
Track Six –
Into Death's Domain
No guards were found at the entrance, and he had expected none.
After all, he was to come alone, and given that the whole organization's objective was to kill him they wouldn't give that honor to someone as lowly as a door-guard.
No, they would go all out, he guessed, with a special altar or a special knife, or maybe both, and many fancy words.
That was good. That would give him time to think, time to save Seles, time to escape…
As the found of his footsteps echoed through the metallic floor, Zelos Wilder smiled wryly.
Who was he kidding? He was going to die.
And it had to happen just now when, for the first time in what seemed a lot of years, he was actually feeling like living. Perhaps that was just life's way of saying 'I hate you', but then again it sometimes seemed most people, animals and unanimated objects disliked him anyway.
He had been walking for a few minutes now and still no sign of the terrorists, but the hallway was coming to an end. Calmly, he kept on walking, somehow feeling as if he was not there but many, many miles away…
And the corridor finally ended and he walked into a large room, an altar of sorts rising at the middle: imposing, elegant, with a set of stairs that led to the top. All around the altar and all around the building there were many men, all clad in purple robes. They followed him with their eyes.
He was completely surrendered.
But he hadn't noticed. His attention was focused on the people who were atop the wide altar: a young man, older than him by just a few years at most and with a face all too pretty to be a common thug.
Low-class nobility it was, then. In his arms he held a pale and scared Seles, a rather fancy dagger firmly placed against her neck.
Well, what do you know? So they had both the altar and the knife.
He had barely walked into the room when Seles, ignoring the blade against her skin struggled forward.
"Brother!" she screamed, her voice almost breaking.
"Hohoho…" the youth commented, mocking. "So did you come alone?"
"I've come to quench you down, punks…" if the Chosen was nervous his voice didn't give him away: it was his everyday tones, if only a little more serious as he continued: "So let Seles go already."
The man giggled, which is never a good sign. "Don't be so impatient, now," he raised his free hand a little and, at the signal, all of the men who had been standing rushed towards the center. "Let us play a little."
"Brother, please run!" Seles was crying and yet she still fought against the man's hold, "I'm fine with this, so please run!"
Zelos stared at her for a few moments before smiling.
"Hey, Seles…"
His sister blinked at him and a small whimper escaped her throat.
"Am I…" he brushed back a few strands of hair, "Am I cool?"
The fanatic's leader arched an eyebrow but his hold didn't wane. "…what?"
"C'mon, Seles! Am I… cool?" his pose, his voice, it was all thought to look and sound as the epitome of smoothness… and it didn't matter if, in this particular environment, he looked stupid.
Only she mattered.
And she answered: "Yes…" softly the word left her lips, almost drowned by tears, and then once more: "Yes!"
Zelos laughed. "Alright!" he strode up towards the altar, stopping a few meters away from the bottom of the stairs. "I'll go and die in the flashiest way possible then!" and in a second his sword was out. "Come!"
Almost like raindrops the men started to fall onto Zelos, most were armed with rustic swords but sometimes quantity reigned over quality.
Parrying a blow to his right and impaling a man to his left and then slashing all around of him, kicking those who came too close and using his shield as a second weapon, Zelos fought desperately.
"Victory Light – Spear!" and he pushed many foes back, immediately turning around to slash at those who targeted his back, but a flash of pain suddenly burned at his side. He turned around and brought his sword down onto the attacker's neck and round, slashing another two but he could feel his blood quickly staining his clothes.
But not time to heal and no time to worry, he slammed his shield onto a man's face and thrust his sword into his chest, kicking another back while getting the sword out and once more slashing ahead. In between the battle cries and the yelps of pain the atmosphere was full of noise.
"So I'm supposed to be the one who dies, right?" a new cut was opened on his shield-arm but it was barely registered as he lunged forward and once more cut into the lines who separated him from the altar.
"Thunder Blade!" many were rendered unconscious by the magic but many more were still standing. "Haaaah! Come!" blood stained most of his arms now, and a fair share of it was his.
Someone slashed at his back but didn't get much of a cut before the Chosen spun around, slicing a man's neck and another's abdomen. It had stopped mattering who had managed to hurt him and who hadn't… he just wanted to survive.
He was suddenly forced to stop two blows that came from opposite sides, one with his sword, another with his shield. Magic surrounded him as he yelled "Wind Cutter!", sending the surrounding people flying and trying to make a run towards the stairs, but once more he was blocked.
"Don't… get in my way!" he sliced upwards and then reversed the blow, he turned around and slashed in circle; it would've been beautiful if he wasn't covered in cuts, blood and sweat. And yet he still taunted, "Hoooh, I'm burning! Haah! Ghya! What's wrong, c'mon! Don't ya think of running, you bastards!"
As a sword made a deep gash in his leg he didn't even cry the incantation, red mana
surrounded his body and the floor beneath him burned.
"He wont last much longer on his own!" the fanatic's leader was yelling over the noise, violently shaking Seles around and, in his panic, taking the knife away from the girl's skin. Good, though Zelos. Now all he had to do was…"Kill him! Kill him!"
"F-for the sake of a new world –"
"Take this-this-this haaaah!" Zelos' sword bounced against a shield but with one final slash he moved it aside and impaled the man.
"Our battle! Our battle shall not end!"
"What the hell are you talking about just come down and fight you too ya Goddess damned pansy what are you doing up there!" the Chosen didn't think anyone was paying any attention to what he was saying, but he needed to say something, to scream something as he fought onwards.
But the man almost grinned before kicking one of his subordinates down, "You go, too!" and pushing him right into the Chosen's attack.
"Demon Spear!" the sword was slammed into the ground before slicing upwards, dark energy surrounding it.
Three men fell before it and the battle was almost over: at least thirty more remained but looked too scared to move. Zelos, arms, legs and chest covered in cuts, was panting and had to lean on his sword for a moment.
"I… I'm still going!" he pushed up and half-stumbled towards the stair.
Panicking, a man charged at him and then another, the two were easily disposed of.
Not longer to the altar now.
One more attacked, forcing the Chosen to parry before slashing at the man's stomach. Another followed but didn't even get close as the 'victim' turned, sword ready, and sliced his chest.
He was tired, Zelos suddenly realized. Too tired. He was almost out of mana… healing was now something he wouldn't be able to do even if he had the time, and he was starting to feel weak.
He confirmed this as a fifth man brought a sword down to his shield and he was almost forced to back down, his knees buckling. Mustering his strength he drove his own sword in between his attacker's shoulder and neck, blood covered the blade when he pulled it out.
"Shit… they have too many people…" he muttered, if he could at least get them together, then he could use his remaining mana to… "Just come on already!"
Three more accepted his invitation and ran towards him. Parrying one with his shield he moved to the right to avoid a second hit but he was all too late in preparing for the third and a blade was buried deep into his side. "Gh-haaaaaaaah!"
"Die!" he though he could hear, but Zelos was feeling all too nauseous to care. Something tasted bitters in his mouth.
He coughed blood, took the man's blade with his hand and screamed "Double Demon Fang!" the three men dropped to the ground and he pulled the blade out of his body. His fingers were cut. But all around his body the pain was numbed by the number of wounds. He was aware that he hurt, but couldn't tell were… nor how, nor why.
And the blood that flowed from his body was cooling all too quickly, making him shiver in the dark…
He fell to his knees, panting in a mix of pain and exhaustion. Even then he kept his hand firmly clasped around his sword.
He could feel, in the sudden silence that surrounded him, the leader giggle again. "Well, as expected of our Chosen. It's easy to see you like to go all out."
"Don't… don't underestimate my… greatness…" using his sword again as a cane he prepared to get up. "I still… can do more!"
"Don't get so sure of yourself!" one of the low-grade followers walked over to him, ready to strike him with a metal staff.
Zelos lunged up, cutting the man upwards at the same time and once more stumbled towards the stairs. "Gh…" the last move, however, had re-opened some of his most serious wounds, "Just when we're down to reasonable numbers… it seems this is my limit."
The treacherous noble grinned and whipped the dagger back to Seles' neck. The girl whimpered as blood dripped down her neck – just a scratch, barely a wound but Zelos still felt anger burning in the pit of his stomach.
But even his anger wasn't enough to propel him up now.
"The game ends now!" the man yelled at him, smiling in an all-too disturbing way. "If you don't want to get your sister killed, how about dropping your sword?"
"Feh…" clutching his bleeding side, Zelos still pretended to laugh, muttering "You wish I'd do that, don't 'cha… you damned cowards, all of you -"
"Shut up!"
"…heh… yeah, yeah…" with some effort the redheaded got up, removing his shield and throwing it away along with his sword. The mechanic clang they did as they fell at his feet somehow reminded him of another event, that now seemed so far…
It reminded him of a small wooden cabin, and of a rainy night and the bright morning that had followed, but how far was all that now.
"Fine," again that smile… it was despicable. "Now then… shall we have you coming here… slowly, now…"
"Brother…" Seles again called, voice wavering, "Please run awa- "
"SHUT UP!" The girl screamed as once more the blade drew blood.
"STOP THAT!"
"Heheh… then come, now, quickly! Hehehahahaheh…"
Hands raised in the air, slowly but continuously Zelos walked upstairs. His side throbbed and he felt focused and yet as if he was far, far away, as if he was watching from the side-lines… tears streamed Seles' cheeks as she shook her head slowly, silently mouthing 'No, no, no', but still up he went, 'till he was facing the madman.
And the man smiled pleasantly at him. "Thou, Tethe'alla's Chosen, Zelos Wilder… it is thine cursed soul which unto this World brings misfortune… it shrouds it with suffering! We shall be your judges!"
Around the altar the remaining men had gathered. Their fists were, as one, raised to the air. "Guilty! Guilty!"
With a wave of his hand, their leader silenced them. "And those who in this our sacred battle lost their lives…" he looked up, again smiling. "Their sacrifice… was not in vain."
There was so much emotion in his voice it was easy to see he actually believed what he was saying.
"Their souls! They will forevermore… shine in brilliance!"
"Evermore! Evermore!" once more the men chorused, rising their fists along with their cheers.
"We, the soldiers who have been chosen…! For the sake of a new, bright world, shall bestow judgment upon thee!"
The hand that had immobilized Seles sprung up and, taking her by the neck, violently hurled the girl to the floor.
"Die," the word was said calmly and the knife pulled back, Zelos threw one last glance to the almost petrified girl on the floor and closed his eyes. "Zelos… Wilder!"
Something exploded.
And then all of his skin started to hurt like hell and when he opened his mouth he realized he couldn't talk.
He was feeling nauseous and his insides burned.
The room was covered in smoke.
Sounds of coughing were heard everywhere and people ran from one place to the other in confusion.
Which meant the plan had worked.
"Calm down!" the leader started to yell, waving his hand in an effort to dissipate the smoke, "The Chosen! Concentrate on…! No! Seles! Find Seles! As long as we have Seles… he can't move a finger! Don't panic! Justice is on our side! Victory is ours!"
The atmosphere was starting to clean up now to reveal the battlefield just as it had been but still with two noticeable absences.
"Not here," the man said in a matter-of-fact voice. "Where?"
His goons looked at each other as he started pacing.
"Zelos! Seles! Where are you hiding!"
So she took his question as a cue.
"Here they are!"
The man turned to face her, visibly paling. "Gh-!"
"That you didn't even place a guard at the entrance… and that you actually thought you could kill this stupid Chosen!" brushing some hair back, Sheena Fujibayashi stood triumphant in front of the two Mana Siblings. "Seems you are even more stupid than we thought!"
Leaning against one of the stone pillars, Zelos coughed. A gumi of some sorts had been pushed into his mouth and, the fact he had almost drowned aside, the pain was numbing and his head had stopped swimming.
"Had to be you…" he squeaked in between coughs.
"Brother…" Seles whispered, holding onto the Chosen's arm.
"So you are Sheena…" the madman started, "From the village of Mizuho… Sheena Fujibayashi!"
"In flesh!" she answered, almost allowing herself to smile.
Because she had gotten there on time. Surely she looked terrible, but she had gotten there on time.
With a few quick movements her cards were at ready around her, crackling with mana.
"I will not forgive, any of you!"
…but something stopped her by pulling at her robe.
She looked down to find Zelos grinning at her, face specked with blood but grinning as he always did. "Oi, Sheena, so you came…"
Her voice turned soft for him, "Are you alright, Zelos?"
"Even you… don't go 'round stealing people's spotlights, will ya?"
She almost laughed. "Fine then. Just this time take your place and be a show off all you want."
The Chosen chuckled and, patting Seles on the top of her head, got up. He picked one of the dead man's swords and walked to the ninja's side. "Alright!"
"….y-YOU!" the leader was yelling in one last attempt to reorganize his men.
"Come! Light!"
"Sopersonic Thrust!" riding the beam that flew from the Summoner's hands, the Chosen flew, sword-first, towards his enemies…
And the room was bathed in light.
Notes: Very sorry for the lateness. I was too busy. Also sorry if the fight was too long but I wanted to make it a little better than "slash slash slashitty"
So this is where I say goodbye… the next chapter is the last one. We've come a long way! I… really enjoyed writing this. It may not be my idea or my story but still, I had a good time… I hope y'all liked reading this little translation (adaptation?) as much as I liked writing it.
Once more I make the offer – if you'd like to hear the tracks, send me a mail or tell me so in your reviews. I highly recommend them, mostly because there are just sounds and emotions that can't be expressed by writing.
I don't know if I'll write my own fics now that I'm done with this. I've been busy, to say the least, so yeah… I do have one or two ideas, so who knows?
Well, it was a nice trip. Please, please review the last chapter next week if you have time and if you've liked this! I'd really appreciate it, seriously.
Thanks for reading!
WDR