Hello, this is the deranged mind of a person driven over the edge by homework including three language homeworks (Dydd da, Guten tag, Bonjour). But enough with my whining, you want to read the next chapter. (and if you don't, then I'm wondering why you are on this page in the first place.)
Another note to the WSM: You wanted back story, you've got back story.
I still don't own Tales of Symphonia.
You may have some idea how far I'm going to have to play the game to get to where I want it, and I don't have time for that, homework, writing the fanfic, exams, reading and any social life I have left! So, here's sorry if this chapter is late.
The days and weeks flowed like the wind through the valleys. Kratos, Stephen and I travelled round Symphonia and Tethe'alla, seeing sights and fighting monsters. Occasionally, we remembered the parts where Kratos has to meet up with the group and forced him there, mostly out of fear that it could change the story line if we didn't.
Nothing much happened. The Kharlan tree sprouted prematurely, so Kratos had to help shut down the Iselia Desian ranch. Stephen and I wanted to help, but it would have been too much of a coincidence, all of us in the same place, by accident. Of course, the Kharlan tree was eventually 'degrown', and everyone found out about Colette's Chronic Angelus Crystalus Inofficium (which Stephen referred to as Colette's crystal-thingy).
Around the time when the group of heroes had gathered all the materials necessary for stopping Colette's crystallisation, Kratos got a message on his communicator to go to Derris-Kharlan. Since there seemed to be no hurry, we walked. Well, they walked, I flew. I was a Red Kite, one of my favourite birds. From below, they can easily be seen by their forked tails. In my homeland, they are quite rare. It is estimated that there are around thirty breeding pairs.
We arrived in the grounds around the Tower of Salvation in Tethe'alla. I was stunned by the silence of the place. It was unnatural, just complete and total silence. Not even Kratos' and Stephen's footfalls made a sound to my ears. From the silence, emerged a hiss, then a short yell.
I looked down, worried for my friends. Kratos had fallen to the floor, a little speck of colour at his neck.
I heard another hiss, and dipped my left wing sharply in order to dodge another fleck of colour. Now that it was in front of me, I could tell it was a tranquilliser dart.
'Why not let this person think he's hit his target?' I thought.
I dived down in the most unnatural angle possible, only just cushioning my fall. A pair of hands grabbed me roughly, pinning my wings to my side. I felt the normal helpless panic well up inside me, but I fought it as best I could. I remembered, just in time, that normally when animals are asleep, they shut their eyes.
I had one complaint with the closed eyes thing: I couldn't see anything. I had the feeling of being teleported, and then I heard a voice.
"Nobody do anything until Kratos wakes up. The drug should wear off in a couple of minutes." I recognised the voice, but I couldn't place it. It was male and full of authority.
"Sir? How do we know that Lloyd has not had any of the drug?" Said a second, vastly different voice.
"I placed it in the tomatoes. It must run in the family, the dislike for the tomatoes." Said the first voice.
Kratos' voice mumbled sleepily, "Not…tomatoes."
"Our friend must be waking up. Have you checked all the precautions?" Voice number one asked.
"Affirmative. The Seraph shall not be able to use any angelic or elven magic, and we have disarmed him, sir." Said one of the bootlicking voices.
"And the boy?" It occurred to me that he meant Stephen.
"He has half-elven blood, so we disarmed him and prevented him from doing magic."
It occurred to me that if Kratos was starting to wake up, then I could at least open my eyes.
I saw Yuan in front of me and realised what was about to happen. He was accompanied by half a dozen Renegades.
"What should we do about the bird, sir?" Asked one of the Renegades.
"The security camera footage in Derris-Kharlan showed a girl turning into a bird. I believe we should keep the bird captive in the case that it does happen to be that girl."
I wondered if they would be able to hear me talking as a bird. Couldn't hurt to try, anyway. 'Yuan, can you hear me?'
Yuan looked towards the small cage I was in.
'Good. I am perfectly happy to stay in your capture for now, but I have one request. May I be let out of this…' I searched for a polite way to describe my prison, 'cage, so I can return to half-elven form.'
"I never thought I'd negotiate with a captive, much less a bird. What benefit do we get from making you comfortable?"
'You have the fact that I will not resist you. As things stand, I could summon a dragon and a unicorn, and any of you that survive, which is quite unlikely, would find themselves knowing exactly what a log feels like when thrown onto a fire.'
"Very well. You, open the cage. And be ready for any sudden movements." Yuan told his men. If they had any doubt in their leaders orders, they didn't show it.
The cage was opened and I slowly transformed back into a half-elf.
Kratos' eyes snapped open, and the poor Seraph shouted, "Yuan, you bleep. What the hell do you think you're playing at!" I was very scared.
Content that Kratos was awake, Yuan teleported into the dwarf's house.
Kratos seemed to calm down. I knew that he either thinking about how this could turn out, or thinking of how to escape.
Yuan appeared back outside again, and within ten seconds Lloyd stepped out the front door. Two Renegade soldiers had their swords pointed towards Lloyd's stomach and I felt tears welling up in my eyes.
"Yuan…and Kratos? Aren't the Cruix and Renegades enemies? And…Nia, Stephen! What the heck is going on?" Lloyd asked.
"Well, Yuan invited us all to a tea party in the middle of the night…" I started sarcastically, but lost my battle with my tears. "Stephen and I have been with Kratos all this time. Now Yuan's kidnapped us…or rather Kratos. He only needs Kratos."
"But…why?"
Yuan ignored Lloyd's question and turned to Kratos. "Release the seal, or your son dies."
Lloyd had a look of horror, mingled with defiance. "No, Kratos can't be. He can't be…" His voice dropped to a whisper, "my dad."
'Did you spend your childhood dreaming of your father, Lloyd? Did you dream of that face just out of reach of your memory? Did you think he'd come and take you away, and love you just for existing? Shame everyone's dreams are really their nightmares.' I thought.
"How does it feel for your own son to reject you like that?" Yuan asked Kratos.
Although there was no verbal reply from Kratos, his eyes were awash with pain.
"From your attitude I guess you aren't going to release the seal. You'll just have to die." Yuan said coldly.
Again Kratos stayed quiet, knowing that it was perhaps the only way to stay alive.
"You changed once you got a family. Just like that time fifteen years ago when Anna turned into a monster, you lost your ability to fight back." Yuan sneered. "If she hadn't been together with you she never would have turned out like that." Yuan paused, then said sarcastically, "Such an unfortunate woman."
Lloyd's hands were clenched in anger as he stepped forward towards Yuan. "Don't you ever mock my mom!" He shouted.
I flinched as the Renegade closest Lloyd hit him in the back with such force that he fell over. Lloyd still got up, staggered the short distance to Yuan, drew his sword and slashed the half-elf.
Yuan easily jumped out of the way, and cast a spell to hit Lloyd. Kratos jumped between Yuan and his son, and took the full force of the spell. I hardly noticed Lloyd's scream, as I was calling Yuan every name under the sun, and I probably said a few bad words about his mother too.
Colette stepped out the door, woken by all the noise. "Lloyd, what's wrong?" She asked, oblivious to the scene around her.
"What am I supposed to believe? It's not true. Kratos can't be, the man who betrayed us and made you suffer, he couldn't possibly be my dad!" Lloyd shouted.
"Lloyd, calm down. You're still you. Don't lose sight of who you are." Colette pressed down on each word.
"I'm still me?" Lloyd whispered, asking himself.
"You're the one that told me, that no matter what I look like, even if I become an angel, I'm still me." Colette smiled softly. "And don't forget, Kratos saved you."
Lloyd wore his usual determined look instead of his confused one. "Yeah, you're right." Lloyd knelt next to Kratos. "Thanks."
Kratos gasped, to let us all know that he was alive.
"But I still can't call you dad." Lloyd ignored Colette's weak protest and launched into a trademark speech. "I hate what you…what Cruix does. Too many people have died. People from Sylvarant, people from Tethe'alla, Desians and Renegades and members of Cruix, they're all victims. I refuse to accept the idea that it's okay to sacrifice people for a cause. It's not okay to lose any life. No life should be born for the sole purpose of dying. I won't sacrifice the world to save Colette. I'm not giving up until I find a way for everyone to live."
A voice broke the short silence after Lloyd had spoken. "That was an amazingly corny speech. Congratulations." Everyone turned around to face Mithos, who had just walked out the door.
"I'd forgotten about you being here." I shouted at Mithos.
"Mithos?" Lloyd asked.
I started shouting at Yuan - again. "It appears that angels are less affected by your drug, you idiot!"
Mithos shot the Renegades with magic, and tried to shoot me as well. I simply engulfed the mana with fire and absorbed it.
From his new position – lying on the ground – Yuan asked, "Yggdrasil! How the hell did you find out!"
Mithos answered Yuan. "Do you think I didn't notice what was going on? How pathetic. I had Pronyma keep tabs on Kratos since it seemed he was leaking information to Lloyd's group. Hard to believe those filthy Renegades that were always getting in my way were actually led by you." He walked over to Yuan and kicked him in the ribs. "If it weren't for my sister's wishes to spare your life, I'd kill you right now!"
Mithos let out a laugh of other's pain, an evil one.
Lloyd, obviously confused by seeing the quiet and shy Mithos acting like he did, and being even more confused that Yuan had named him Yggdrasil, he asked, "What is going on?"
The door opened and everyone who was in the house stepped out side, including Tabatha and Altessa.
Genis quickly took in the scene and shouted, "Mithos! So it's true…"
"What's true? That you shouldn't have trusted me? Good guess Genis, because I didn't trust you either." Mithos said.
Mithos shot his magic at Presea, but Altessa jumped in front and took the blow.
"Mithos…saved me…Mithos." Tabatha said emotionlessly.
"Shut up!" Mithos shouted and shot more magic, this time at Tabatha, who was thrown back by the force.
Raine's mouth was slightly agape. "How could you do that! You even risked your life to save her!"
"Tabatha…that doll looked so disturbingly like my sister, I never could stand her. She's a failed vessel that couldn't accept my sister's soul. Just looking at her makes my sick." Mithos explained.
Lloyd suddenly burst out, "How dare you betray my best friend!" And used Demon Fang on Mithos.
Genis ran in between Lloyd and Mithos. "Lloyd, stop. Please, you're both my friends." The little mage's eyes looked watery.
Pronyma teleported in. (A/N: My maths teacher is Pronyma! Oh, right. I'll shut up.)
"Lord Yggdrasil, your wounds are not yet healed. Please, leave this to the angels."
Mithos' twelve(ish) year old form transformed into Lord Yggdrasil, leader of Cruix. "All right."
Pronyma cast a spell that teleported her, Yggdrasil and Kratos to Derris-Kharlan.
"No! Bring him back, you- you…" I shouted at Pronyma. I then started on Yuan. "This is all your fault. If you hadn't have shot Lloyd, I wouldn't have used my entire vocabulary cursing you!" I then paused to think. "And you were the one who kidnapped Kratos in the first place!"
"There's no time for that! Look behind you!" Raine shouted.
Pronyma had summoned two angels with little lances in each hand and black wings. She'd also summoned a normal, sword-wielding angel.
I sighed, knowing that I'd be called upon in battle. I wasn't violent by nature, and didn't enjoy fighting. It was just necessary, for myself and others.
I took the nearest black winged angel. With a sweeping downwards motion I brought the wind down, grounding the angel. A pillar of flame, under my command, engulfed the angel with ease and I knew the training Kratos had given Stephen and I in magic and mana was worth it. I hit the angel hard in the stomach and she fell to the ground and vanished.
To my embarrassment, everyone had finished their fights already and were watching me.
"You could've helped." I growled.
"You didn't look like you needed help. The angel couldn't get an attack in." Stephen said.
Everyone turned to Raine and the person she was knelt over, Altessa.
"My magic doesn't work as well on him, because he doesn't have an Exsphere." She explained sadly.
"Traditional methods then." I said. "Rice. Or riced."
"Riced? What are you talking about?" Genis asked.
"R for rest, I for ice, C for compression, E for elevation – raising the wound above the rest of the body," I added for Lloyd's benefit, "and D for doctor." I explained.
"I know a good doctor." Sheena said. "We called him from Flanior when the Chief became ill…" (I can't actually remember if that is true or not, feel free to correct me.)
"There must be a doctor nearer than that."
"Not one as good as him."
I sighed. "What are we waiting for? Let's go already!"
"Since when have you been giving orders?" Lloyd asked.
"Does it really matter right now? Altessa needs help."
"You're right. Let's go."
Everyone else took the Rheairds; I simply used the form of a European eagle owl to fly to the snowy city.
Me: Thus ends chapter 14. So mote it be.
Kira: Why are you being so…stuffy?
Me: I've just been reading the Immortals quartet and the Song of the Lioness quartet by Tamora Pierce.
Kira: Why did you try to get rid of me?
Me: (innocent look) Me? What ever do you mean?
Kira: You disguised me as Xelha from Baten Kaitos, then told Nia!
Me: And how would that get rid of you?
Kira: You know full well that Xelha is the Ocean in their world; you cried when Xelha died to bring the Ocean back.
Me: It was sad!
Kira: And, when Nia wouldn't kill me, you brought me to Hylis, (in Beyond Good and Evil) disguising me as a Domz creature. Jade went absolutely crazy.
Me: But I didn't get rid of you.
Kira: Not for lack of trying.
Me: Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that I'm not only playing Tales of Symphonia, but I'm doing a load of other stuff too. Luckily I have school holidays right now, and teachers expect me to revise. (fat chance!) Oh, and review!
Next chapter is Flanior! (claps hands manically)
Cast light upon the darkened earth,
Save those lost in despair.
O, Mighty Ocean, guide us as we
Journey through,
The darkest pit of night.
May time, ever fleeting
Forgive us
We who have forsaken our song, and buried our future.
Fare thy well, my children
Rest, in my heart,
Forever…
Xelha's prayer from Baten Kaitos