Session 4: First... Elimination?

Kent made his way to the living room, almost shaking.

"Kent?!? What are you doing here?!?!?", Lyn shouted astonished, almost at a state of shock.

"I… well… I was chosen to get in this…", he said, smiling lightly, while leaving his bag on the floor.

"You were missing me too much, weren't you?", Sain joked, winking an eye to him, thing that made the crimson haired cavalier shudder, sort of terrified. "Hey, I was joking", he laughed hard, noticing his superior's reaction.

"Oh, well, now you are here", Lyn shrugged, resigned. "It's good to see you again"

"Hey, who's that one?", Farina asked, pointing to Rath, who came into the Castle to fix some cables and to take out the TV they had installed before so the gang could watch the show.

"Hey, I don't know, but he's cute!", Serra said, walking next to him. "Hey, you! What's your name? Are you a new member?"

Rath looked at her, then he went on walking.

"……… No", he said, carrying the TV.

"What? You are called 'No'?", she kept on insisting, while all the other girls, with the exceptions of Lyn –who was discussing with Kent- and Florina, who was feeling too shy to go after Rath- were walking behind Serra, so they could also see the strange, new guy.

"My name's Rath… Good-bye", he said, before disappearing with the TV.

"Hey, wait!", the girls shouted, by the door was already locked.

"What has happened?", Lyn asked, after hearing all that noise.

"What? You didn't see that cute catch?!?", Serra asked, scandalized. "You should pay more attention to your surroundings, Lyn, or you'll never get a boyfriend".

"I wish they were after me like that!!", Sain said, before hiding his head in Wil's shoulder, who was quite surprised of the green-clad man's behavior.

"He was so cute…", Rebecca sighed, starry-eyed, while Priscilla nodded with her head, almost with the same expression, thing that Raven took into account mentally…

"Food's ready!", Lowen called, from the kitchen, and in almost no time, everyone was sit, waiting for the meal…

Monday morning, "Producer's Headquarters" (a.k.a. "the channel")

"Last Saturday's emission was a complete success!", Isadora exclaimed, hugging the 'rating table' tight against her chest. "We got much more than what we expected!"

"Anyway, it's too low", Renault objected, playing with a pen, his feet over the table.

Isadora glared at him, highly annoyed.

"But what are you expecting from this?", Alina asked, letting go a deep sigh. "What do you want to do to raise that 'low rating' of yours?"

"We are still thinking in that", Wallace replied, while looking at a magazine without many enthusiasm.

"I just wonder who let Kent join the crew…", Alina said suspiciously, staring at Wallace while she spoke. The mentioned producer just stayed where he was, whistling innocently.

"Anyway, we have time to think in that matter", Pent said, looking at his watch with haste. He was quite in a hurry, so he wanted to finish the meeting as soon as possible, because Louise wasn't feeling well again. He didn't know which one would be his excuse now to get out of there… "About this week's activity, in what had you thought?"

"We already proposed something", Wallace said, now making a paper airplane with parts of the magazine. Renault just nodded solemnly, giving the reason to his friend.

"You've got to be joking!", Isadora sighed annoyed, just thinking in that absurd idea. "Do you want them to kill Alina when she tells them the activity?"

The mentioned reporter swallowed hardly, thinking in Karel going just straight to her neck with that sword, after listening to the activity.

"That would give us more rating; what do you think Renault?", Wallace asked, coldly.

The part-time bishop nodded, making the young brownish-reddish reporter shiver.

"Enough!", Pent moderated, tired of the discussion. "What do you propose, Isadora?"

"Well, they could try to maintain a farm"

"Ha, instead of "Orson's Farm", "Emblem's Farm"!", Wallace moaned ironically, and started laughing, but shut up when he noticed that everyone (including Renault) was staring oddly at him. "What? Don't you remember that cartoon?"

"Guess he kept on watching the 'retro channel' too much", Isadora sighed, tired.

"Well, Isadora, it's a good idea, but we need more time to make it a reality", Pent objected, much to his disappointment. "Well, I guess we'll have to stick with Renault and Wallace's idea for this week", he said, sighing bitterly.

Isadora and Alina looked at each other, sort of depressed, while the other two producers were celebrating their 'victory'.

"Now, Alina, go and tell them what they have to do", Pent said, picking his things, and getting ready to go.

"Me?!?!?", she asked, terrified. The only idea of having to tell them the activity, and Karel and Bartre there, gave her the creeps.

"And who else? You are the reporter, after all"

"And what about the microphones? Aren't they working?"

"Nope, and it costs more to have it mend than buying new ones"

"So this means there won't be any microphones?"
"There's only one working, but it's at the Shrine, so we can't move it", Wallace objected, while he was throwing his paper plane to Renault and vice-versa. "Bad luck, Juggdral girl"

Alina glared at the bald man. After all, it was her the one who had to face the others, not him.
"Alright, alright, I'm going", she said, picking her bag and her coat. "But it'll be better if we come with better ideas in the future, or I'll resign", she menaced, slamming the door right after she walked out of the room.

"She sure is in a bad mood today", Renault commented, staring at the paper plane. "It's the first time she slams the door"

"You two can turn a dead man in a bad mood", Isadora replied, annoyed, while leaving the room.

"And why do they blame us?"

"Ah, don't worry. They are newbies in this field", Wallace told him, making another plane.

"Well, we have arrived", Heath said, turning off the old van's engine.

Alina leaned her head against her seat, showing her frustration.

"Hey, come on, it's just a second: you get in, say what you have to, and then you leave"

The brownish-reddish girl got up, and looked at the two cameramen.

"You aren't going to let me enter alone, are you?"

Heath shrugged, and Rath looked somewhere else.

"Hey, please! I don't have the strength to carry that big box all by myself!", she asked, at the verge of tears. It was a bad week for her, and she was about to explode at anytime.

"If I enter there, the women there won't let me go", Rath said, coldly. "Sorry, but I'll pass this time"

Heath sighed.

"Guess I'll go", he said, opening his door.

"Thanks", Alina thanked the odd-haired boy, as she got off the van, too.

In ten minutes, more or less, they were inside the Castle.

"Hi, Ally", Lyn greeted, leaving the sofa, where she was lying until she saw Alina coming, while Heath went to another room. Apart from Lyn, Florina and Rebecca were also in the living room, and a bit further, Erk's head could be seen, coming from the kitchen, where he was cooking, much to his disappointment.

"Hi, girls", Alina greeted back. Her tone of voice showed a lot of resignation, which was what she was feeling at that time.

"Something's wrong?"

"No", the reporter said, leaning against the table. "I came to give you your activity. Could someone call the others?"

"I'm going", Rebecca said, running to the stairs.

In five minutes, everyone was gathered there.

"Well, hello everybody", Alina greeted the others, trying to look enthusiastic and okay. "I have this week's activity. It ain't very good but… this is what we got"

"What is it?", many asked, curious.

"Well…", Alina began, gathering all her courage. "See those in-door bikes in the other room?", she said, pointing to an open door, from where Heath was coming out, "Well, you'll have to ride those bikes, dressed up in winter clothes like this ones (she showed a suit that could be used to go to the North Pole as she said that). You'll go I pairs, so when one's tired, the other rides while relaxing, and it'll be a non-stop activity, so you would have to be riding from today 'til Saturday evening", she said, resigned.

The gang looked at each other, annoyed.

"That's the best thing you could come across?", Sain complained.

"Yeah, he's right!", Farina joined, annoyed. "I would prefer to go out in a date with him instead of doing that"

Sain's eyes shone lively.
"So you would go out with me, after all?", he said, blinking fast.

"Aghhh!! Get out of here!", the pegasus sister said, with her best face of disgust.

Many couldn't resist laughing at that scene.

"But… are you serious, Alina?", Eliwwod asking, not wanting to believe those words.

The brownish-reddish girl nodded, saddened.

"We are preparing things for next week's activity, which will be much better, I promise", she said, thinking how she could ran away from there, before Bartre or Karel thought in saying something.

And her fear was about to become a reality. Karel stand up, and started walking slowly to her. In less than a second, she was running to the van, followed by Heath…

"This is dead boring", Lyn complained while riding the fixed bike, wearing a polar like pair of trousers and a huge, furred inside jacket. With those clothes, she could even survive if she had the bad luck of visiting Ilia in the middle of a snowstorm… "If I had known this thing was going to be like this, I wouldn't have applied"

"Me neither", Rebecca replied, checking her watch. "Half an hour to go, Lyn"

"What?!?!?", the green haired Sacaen girl exclaimed, amused. She was already sweating badly, so how would she tolerate another thirty minutes in that damned bike?

"Hey, I can do anything about it!"

"I know, it's that… I hate whoever had this idea!"

"Well, at least, it's something else than waiting the dinner…"

"I would really prefer having a swim right now…"

"But this is what we got…"

"Yeah…", Lyn sighed, resigned. "I just wonder what's Florina doing right now…"
"Don't worry. She can take care of herself alone, you know…"

"Yes… I shouldn't worry that much"

"What am I to do now?", the light purple pegasus sister thought, as she was walking along the dorms corridor. Just then, a few meters ahead, Hector came out from the boys dorm.

"Ah… he's there…", she thought, and started walking in his direction. He was walking in the same direction she was, only that he was quite ahead.

"I should hurry…"

Raven knelt down, put something in the floor and hid in the girls' room, so he could see what was going to happen in almost no time. Much to his bad luck, Serra was inside, with Priscilla and Farina.

"Hey! What are you doing here?!?!? Close the door!", Serra yelled at him, as soon as she saw him.

He turned back and made her signals to shut up. Obviously, Serra didn't pay attention to that and went on shouting.

"Hey, why are you here!? Why are you looking at the corridor so anxiously? What's that yellow thing in the floor?", the pink haired cleric asked at light-speed, almost turning the reddish haired boy crazy all of a sudden.

"Get out of here!", he just replied, once he pushed her backwards to get rid of her.

Back in the corridor, Hector was about to walk pass that room, and eventually he would step on the banana skin…

"I… uh", a soft voice came from behind, but he went on walking.

"I… mm…", the same voice, now louder repeated.

This time Hector looked back, but saw nobody around.

"I… AIEEEEeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", the voice started gently, but turned into a painful scream, as Florina stepped in the banana peel and was now sliding through the corridor.

"Hey, what the Hell!?!?!", Hector cursed, as he didn't see anyone around him. "I'm imagining things; that's what I get for having joined this. Why I didn't do like my brother and started studying Law or something like that?", he wondered for himself, as he kept on walking. But this time, Florina was already laying in one of the living room's sofa, while Ninian aided her.

"Crap!", Raven mumbled, highly pissed off, and hitting the ground with his fist. He stood up, and left the girl's room quickly, just to find Lucius in the corridor.

"So you are still thinking in revenge, Lord Ray… Raven"

"None of your business!", the red-haired youth replied, walking past the monk.

Karel raised an eyebrow, extremely pissed off.

"I'm not gonna do that stupid thing, you hear me?", he menaced to no one in particular, when he heard that it was his turn to get into the 'exercise room' with Serra. "If I joined this, was to look for worthy opponents, not to ride a fixed bike!!!"

Everyone looked at each other, puzzled.

"I won't do that, neither!", Serra protested, acting offended. "A fine lady like myself is up to more important things than this one!"

"I was talking!!", Karel shouted at her, more annoyed than before. "So shut up or you'll smell like blood in a blink!!!"

"Oh, yes? Let's see if you dare!!", she said, picking her staff and hitting him with it several times.

"That doesn't hurt a bit, girlie!!"

"That's it!", Bartre yelled, out of the nothing. "Fight!!!"

Many looked at each other, some enthusiastically, others bored, and others puzzled.

"That's it!", Hector said, as his eyes shone lively and enthusiastically. "Let's make a tournament!"

Karel stopped pursuing Serra, interested by that.

"Seems like you are the only Lord with bright ideas! Let's do that!"

"Yeah! We still have some of Merlinus things here that can work out as prizes!", Bartre suggested, showing a bag full of golden things proudly.

"So the man was right, after all…", Farina sighed, resigned. "It's a pity I hadn't found it first, as it would have been a good thing to compensate my days out of the business…"

"Alright! It's an 'everyone-against-everyone' fight! No one is excepted!", Karel started making up the rules, but Priscilla's soft voice interrupted him.

"But… I can't fight…"

"You are in, anyway!"

"Don't dare touch her!!!!", Raven yelled, while he descended over Karel.

"Hey, you! You'll pay!"

"Hey, wait a sec… ouch!!", Eliwood tried to mediate, but got knocked over by the two swordmen, for getting in their fight.

"Alright, so this one's our new activity!", Bartre yelled, like starting the tournament.

"This hurts…", Eliwood complained, trying to sound alright.

Lyn had just placed a little bit of some cold cream over Eliwood's bruises, all along his left arm. He was making a huge effort to look strong.

"The hits or the cream?", the Sacaen girl chuckled, noticing his behavior.

"The hits", he replied, sighing. "I hadn't expected them top hit me at the same time!"

"That's what you got for trying to be the leader!", Lyn exclaimed, putting more cream, this time in his neck. "And you hadn't entered the fight yet, and I doubt you'll will for a little bit"

"No fair. How are they doing?"

"Wait a sec…". She got near the door and looked to the corridor, stretching her neck. "Well, Hector's more than happy, being involved in a fight… Florina tries to escape and get her pegasi, while her sister defends herself punching the guys with the… floor lamp. Karel and Bartre are working as a team, and Serra's striking everyone with the side of her staff that has no healing magic. Ninian is… somewhere out of there, but Nils is kicking some… rear parts. Right now, Bartre picked him, but… Sain's going to his rescue! He must want to impress Ninian, surely…"

"Hey, you can go, I can take care of this", Eliwood told her, melancholic. He wanted to be there so much, at least to watch everyone…

"Hey, everything's alright! Come on, give me your right arm"

Eliwood did what she asked, and she placed some cream in his arm. Silently, she moved her hand slowly, so the cream would have a better effect. Eliwood looked at her as she did that. It wasn't long enough until she rose her head and meet with his eyes.

"What?", she asked, shyly.

"Nothing", he said.

"Lady Lyndis, Lady Lyn…dis"

The two youths turned back, just to find Kent standing in the room, next to the door. He must have called her while he walked fast through the corridor, and they hadn't any time to stop looking at each other before he came in.

"What's wrong, Kent?", Lyn asked him, sweetly.

"I thought you… needed someone, as I saw you looking to where the others are…"

"I'm fine thanks. But how many times had I told you not to call me 'Lady Lyndis'? Lyn's just fine"

"As you wish, Lad… Lyn"

"Let's go with the others", she suggested, and left the room, followed by the two red haired youths.

"Go, Go, Eliwood!!!!!!!", Alina shouted and jumped, right in the middle of a producer's reunion.

"What's wrong with you?!?!?", Wallace asked, irritated. He didn't like to be interrupted when he was talking, especially when he was trying to convince Pent to buy other animals for the upcoming farm, and not using his; although he wasn't a full-time farmer, he wanted to keep them, as it was his anti-stress therapy to look after them.

"Hadn't you seen that????", the brownish-reddish girl, asked, enthusiastically. "Lyn and Eliwood were really closed, until Kent came in, but he saw them really close to each other!!!! That's wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"What? You are an Eliwood fan?", Renaul asked, as distracted as he always was.

Alina made a sign of disgust, while Isadora laughed with all her strength.

"At least I'm not that obvious", Alina said, as a sign of relief.

"You aren't obvious, you say!? Now everyone knows you like Kent, my dear", Wallace said, ironically, making the young reporter feel a bit down.

"Enough!!", Pent shouted, tired. "Alina, go and find the Shrine Master. The first 'Shrine session' is tomorrow"

"'kay", she replied, omitting the 'o' of okay, and leaving the room.

"It has to be here…", Eliwood thought, opening the furthest door in the corridor. Alina had come before and told him and Bartre that they were going to have a shrine session with the 'shrine master', before they left the Castle, so they could think about their actions since they got into that building. Unfortunately, she couldn't explain much, because Karel decided that it was time for the second round of their tournament, and she flew away before someone stroke her, by accident or in purpose.

He got in, and found a small room, with blue walls and a big, comfortable black sofa in the middle. A voice greeted him.

"Hi, Eliwood. Sit down, we have to talk"

"Hi", he greeted back, awkwardly. He thought that he had heard that voice before, but he told himself that his nerves were the ones to blame.

"Well, how are you doing?"

"Well, fine, I guess. It's a nice place, the people here is interesting enough… I would like to stay longer…"

"Ah, I see… Do you help the ladies with their chores?"

"Er… yes"

"Do you have a good relationship with the other guys?"

"Let's say that yes"

"Anyone you hate?"

Eliwood thought for a while, then he said, "Nope… not yet"

"Do you miss anyone outside? Mommy, Daddy?"

"Hey, that's personal! I mean, it's too soon!"

"Alright, calm down. Do you clean your teeth before going to sleep?"
"Hey, what does this mean???? Who sent you?!?!?!"

"Alright, sorry, I went too far. The last question: is there any girl you like, someone you would like to be your girlfriend? In that case, you have my entire support, and if not, tell me, that I'll make sure you'll find someone worthy for you!!!"

Eliwood's eyes opened wide, showing some terror. Now everything had a meaning!

"Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!! Marcus!!!!!!!! What are you doing here!?!?!?!?"

"Ooppss… was I so obvious?", the knight asked, really surprised.

"This can't be true!!!", the red haired youth yelled, leaving the room, slamming the door behind him…

"Eliwood! What's the matter?!?!", Lyn asked surprised, after he almost knocked her over in the corridor.

"No… nothing! Call Bartre, it's his turn to get into there!"

And he went on running, while Lyn and Ninian, her companion, shrugged.

Friday evening. Producer's reunion: let's see who stays and who leaves…

"How are you doing with the inventory of votes, girls?", Pent asked Alina and Isadora, as soon as he came into the room, with Louise and Athos.

"We aren't going any further", Isadora replied, leaning against her chair. "Nobody is voting here, but asking us to let them stay longer!"

"What? That's too odd. What about you?", he asked, this time to Wallace and Renault.

"The same"

"Eliwood's fan club says that we have to leave him where he is, that he's a key part of the show. This message from a Bartre fan says that 'blood will reach the river' if we dare to kick him out of the Castle", Alina said, shivering at the only thought of a sword next to her neck…

"But no one voted?"

"No. We have hundreds of calls, but no votes"

"But this is… impossible! What are we going to do tomorrow night?!?!?", Pent cried, nervously.

"Buy some pizza?", Wallace suggested.

The rest of the people there turned back to glare at him…

"Look! Bartre's about to destroy the shrine!!", Renault yelled, pointing at one of the TV sets, saving his friend's and producer fellow's life.

Indeed, Bartre was about to tear apart a wall, if it weren't for the others, who heard some strange shouts at the back of the Castle, where the Shrine is. Now, Dorcas and Hector were grabbing him from his arms, and leading him out of the room, as he shouted something like 'Come out, chicken, we'll have a fight"

"Oh, great", Louise sighed, followed by everyone else.

"Guess you'll tell me to go to the Castle right away. Marcus must have a heart attack by now", Alina said, trying to cheer them up, while leaving the room, before shouting Heath and Rath's names while walking along the corridor.

Just then, she noticed one of the guys from the cleaning service peeping into a room. She started walking to his direction. It was a light purple, long haired man, with a scar crossing his left eye. She could tell he was a 'cleaning guy' because he was wearing the orange uniform the other 'cleaning guys' wore, but it was suspicious to her.

"What's the matter, Alina?", Heath's voice called her from behind, scaring her a bit. He and Rath were standing, with their arms crossed over their chests, looking a bit pissed off.

She turned back, and replied, "We've to return to the Castle"

"Well, let's get going", Rath said, speaking fluidly for the first time.

Heath and Alina looked at each other, puzzled.

"Oh, I see. You prefer this one:………", Rath said, before exiting the building.

"No, it's not like that!!", Heath started yelling, as they walked behind him, hurrying to the exit.

Before leaving, Alina looked over her shoulder once again, but that 'cleaning guy' had disappeared.

"Welcome again to Big Emblem!!", Louise greeted back the audience, under a huge round of applause. "We are in our last segment, the most important of the show! In some minutes we'll know what will happen to our first nominees, Eliwood and Bartre!"

"I guess we have already chatted much about their behavior in the last week, and we have already talked with their relatives (as Athos said this, the camera showed Elbert and Eleanora smiling at waving at the camera), so I guess we have nothing more to discuss", Athos began. "Yet, they hadn't earned any points, as they didn't acomplish their week task, for much idiotic it was"

"Yes, it's a pity, and it's embarrassing to think that they stole some of Merlinus finest goods, after all", Louise agreed, saddened, but that sadness lasted nothing, as she went on enthusiastically. "Let's go with our girl in the place of the action. Goodnight, Alina!!"

"Hi, Louise; Hello, Lord Athos!", the brownish-reddish reporter greeted back, trying to smile broadly. She was standing in the Castle's living room, where all the gang was sitting, waiting for the answer. Eliwood was biting his nails hardly, and everyone could tell that one finger was already bleeding…

"Well, the time has come", Alina said, facing the guys this time, but leaving in a table the envelope she had had until then in her hand. She put his hands in the border of the table and leaned back.

"There is no elimination today", she said, abruptly. "No one voted"

Everyone was puzzled by that statement.

"I mean, they called, but they didn't vote. Some of the messages were death threats against your lives or ours, the crew lives, some were "I love/hate Eliwood/Bartre" calls, and that's all. Oh, Eli, you now have a fan club out there, but Bartre isn't much far from getting one, I have to say. With that perspective, and due to the fact that you hadn't accomplished the task given, no one's leaving. Else, we would have to kick everyone out of here, for not obeying the rules"

The gang looked surprised, and the girls smiled broadly, for some reason.

"Wow, that was impressive!", Louise exclaimed, trying to look really amazed. "What will happen to the current system of voting, then, Alina?"

Alina shrugged. "I guess we will have to wait another nomination. If things go on like this, we'll have to implement a 'points system': the one with fewer points is the looser, and the other way round"

Right behind her, Bartre was celebrating at his own way, kicking Nils over the airs and having a duel with his 'great pal Karel', while Eliwood was trying to remain calm, while jumping all over the place.

"Guess everyone's happy there", Athos commented, smiling lightly. "Alina, see you next week"

"See you next week, Lord Athos, Lady Louise"

And with that, after the hosts brief analysis and good-bye words, the show was over for this week…

Hi!!! Had you missed this one? =P Sorry, exams in the middle, and now I have some upcoming ones, so I can't tell when I'll update this one. Please, read and review!

And if you want to have a little 'cameo appearance', please leave your character's data (and your name) in a review, with the data I asked in last chapter.

Alright, see you!