By request:
The Angelic translations for chapter 22, I modernized the meanings. The language is a little more wordy -and also rather cryptic plus obsessive about maintaining rank- in it's original translated form so I modernized it for easier understanding, anything with a strong secondary meaning, conveys a powerful emotion, or has a rule or story attached to it, is put in parentheses after translation.
Words and titles:
Asatha'lle: Good night
Asatha'luse: Good night (is a response to someone else' "good night" and literally merges the word for "you" and "night blessings" into one word, this word breaks the rules for directing an idea at someone else and is on par to say... slang)
Asakanna'lus: Good morning (in response to someone else's "good morning" merges words "you" -formal- and "day blessings" into one word. This word like Asatha'luse breaks the grammar rule for directing an idea at someone else though it's not as informal as the word above)
Ceeri, sananah suva derrisee?"-"Quenen sanan suva derris.": (The first part is pure gibberish as is the second sad to say... I forgot my notes and then when I got home forgot to translate it to mean something so umm let's just say it's a nonsense song and leave it at that. I -think- suva is switch. I know derris -not capitalized or given emphasis when spoken- means priest. Sanan equals... no clue it has no meaning. Quenen is elven -wrong language lol, dumb Kasan, and no I don't have elven or even dwarven fully worked out nor do I imagine I'll bother till I get to Hiemdell(sp)-)
Derris fa Gothson: A title: Holy(person) of gardening -angel of gardening- (This is an old pun that started in Double Edged Sword, and has tainted every story in angelic, despite looking grossly different from the term Derris Fa Guthsuun the translated sound is very similar. So much so that the ending is the only differential between the terms "gardening"(pronounced gue-they-son) and guardian (pronounced gue-they-soon) is the exaggerated "o" or "ooh" sound at the end of guardian.
Kra'sean: This is another name for Kratos, it's very personalized, and for cultural reasons second names are only used between closest friends or family (reason behind it given in a later chapter)
Lloyden: Another name for Lloyd, more personalized then "Lloyd" (the reason behind it is hinted in "Broken", "Nightmare" and it will be addressed in this fic much later on)
Sentences:
"Mer phan, mereth-": "I'm sorry I..." (This is a cut off sentence, taking how it is conjugated -the mereth after mer- it is formal, and it indicates that the apologize-e is going to say more)
"Ne corl, Lloyden, mereth-ea wa congonnan": "Don't worry, Lloyd, I have a plan"
(Grammar time class! Sorry I couldn't resist...
Ne is a weak negative -nu is the stronger negative- combining the terms like saying "ne nu" is like screaming "GOOD GOD NO!" at the top of your lungs and is no way formal, or projects calm.
Corl is two ideas combined. Cor: think upon-again informal-, ill: -negative, makes whatever is around it bad- so "negative thought" or "bad thinking" is the literal translation. There was an asterisk between "cor" and "l" but the program messed it up again...
Mereth-ea: this is the proper way to express an idea guys! Mereth (identifies who's though it is -literal MINE in relation to text KRATOS) - ea (thought) so it roughly means "my thought"
wa: wa's an identifier... (pronounced wia) it's to clarify that the term Kratos speaks isn't the name "merethea" (pronounced mear eh th eh ah) which is a brand of very potent wine in Tethe'alla.
Congonnan: scheme... damn I typoed it should be "congonnaen" indicating that the scheme is Kratos'. The "/ean/" at the end gives the scheme "congonn" credit to the speaker. If it were someone else's scheme -non spacific person- would be "ea" or rather "congonnea".
Have we all been angelic'd out yet? Great, because I'm done for now, onto some lighthearted stuff that will get rid of my budding headache... )
A/N So after I finish Shards should I do another Tales of game or something else? I think two more Abyss and Eternia, will probably make it to the US, if they do does anyone think I should give one of them a go, or should I try a Windwaker saga... or something(remember I only have a Cube and while I may bet a PS2 that's in the far future)? Oh well, back on topic… I'm being very evil, lots of Genis Lloyd clowning, a window, some spare clothes, and some constructive eavesdropping. Some inner child release and adult bickering within. I'm actually rather pleased I was able to tie the dreaded "chicken soup incident" that Lloyd talks about in some other ficlets into Shards at long last. Sorry Kratos/Raine, Sheena/Lloyd, and Kratos/Sheena fans, this chapter sets it in stone, none of these pairings are happening. Though there is an implied pairing within that will raise some eyebrows...
To sum up this chapter in two words "short fluff".
Yeah and the title... based off of Renegade entertainment... my creativity must be dying... lol.
Shards of Regeneration
Chapter 23
An Iselain Entertainment
"I'm... sorry Raine but-" Genis smiled wanly into Raine's pained eyes. "-I have to, you understand."
"How could studying Angelic with Colette and Lloyd be more important then going to Ruin tour with me?"
Genis winced, then recalled Lloyd's speech to Colette.
"Whatever you do, don't fall for the Noishe eyes. Look away, close your eyes, but no matter what don't meet them head on, or it's over."
Scarily that fit here, it fit really well. It was his sis and he was hurting her by not going. Yeah, Ruin-mode could be bad, but maybe this time it wouldn't be. Maybe he could just tell her and...
"Don't fall for Noishe eyes!"
He looked a little off, just at the air above his sister's head, and smiled as the perfect plan came to him.
"Who wants to go with Lloyd anyway? He'll whine and annoy us to death if we took him. I want to go with you after the journey. That way, you and Linar can teach me everything and I'll really be ready for Palma Costa's academy."
"All right." Raine smiled, her pain forgotten. "That's a marvelous idea, and it gives me the opportunity to conduct more research. That way I can fully flesh out my lectures. I'll see you later tonight."
"We'll be back for dinner, Kratos is cooking."
"Be back?" Raine frowned.
"We're going to study outside," Genis called, already off and eager -to his sister at least- to get to learning.
X
Shaking, Kratos was proving to be a problem.
"You don't want to spar?" The mercenary nearly howled at the lump in the middle of the bed that was sheathed in blankets.
"Un uh..."
"Two nights ago you said..."
"'M sleepy..."
"You say that every night."
"Mmm sleepy now, go 'way..."
The bed protested at the leather clad mercenary's weight with a mighty groan. Lloyd winced under his blankets, and though a layer of fabric kept him from being pinned by the Noishe-eyes, he still felt his will giving way... Then something tugged on the blanket. A hand tugged on his blanket, and Lloyd was suddenly glad he had tucked as much of it as he could under himself.
"Lloyden, your current behavior, coupled with the facts that you've been under a lot of stress and recently ill, has me concerned."
"I'm fine, I just wanna sleep."
"At least allow me to check for fever..."
"No!" Lloyd squeaked as another tug let in some really cold air in. "I wanna sleep, le' me 'lone!"
"Adding your current speech patterns..."
"You just woke me up!" Lloyd's yell was hardly muted by the fuzzy wool blanket.
"It's been two hours since dawn..."
"That's early, you crazy merc. Let me sleep. I sleep longer than this at home!"
"Well you aren't at home, you are on a journey and..."
Crap, Lloyd had just walked into that one. He let Kratos ramble on about responsibility for a while, since he couldn't do anything else. Suddenly -mid boring speech- inspiration came to him. Lloyd pulled back the blankets around his head and seemed to peek up at the mercenary. He made his eyes a little wider and turned the corners of his lips down ever so slightly.
"Orisss, pleeease-" Kratos strangled on his words, lost his lecture and his eyes softened. Remembering Kratos' lessons on how to not hold back, he deepened his frown and tried to make it just a little pained. "-I'm just a little sleepy, I didn't get any sleep last night because I was studying-" Lloyd was studying his script for later today, but Kratos didn't need to know that. "-so could I be lazy just this once?"
Kratos sighed. It was all but over; Lloyd tried not to grin triumphantly now that victory was in sight.
"I suppose just one day. Don't let this get to your head, Lloyden."
"Ne, Oriss... Mer sysompho..."
"Remember that promise." Kratos tried to sound gruff but was losing his edge. Lloyd had to wonder how far he could nudge Kratos into doing something for him if he put Oriss in the request.
Well, why not try it?
"Oriss... I can't quite reach that pillow..."
And lo and behold Kratos brought it to him. Evil ideas flashed behind his dark eyes, and he slithered a little under the blanket to hide his smirk.
"Could you... fluff it?" Lloyd widened his eyes a fraction more, just like Noishe's would. "Please, Oriss."
Kratos' eyes glinted dangerously.
"Since you feel so... helpless I believe you might actually be suffering a relapse. I'll leave you to your own devices and bring you some breakfast suitable an invalid."
"What'd that be?" Lloyd yawned; maybe he could catch a Katz nap 'fore he went out...
"Chicken soup."
Lloyd jolted wide awake and paled at the threatening note to Kratos' voice.
"Yes, your condition does seem to be worsening. A whole day in bed might do you some good after all." Kratos stood, his black cape rustled about him as he made his way to the door. At the thresh hold he paused. "Lloyden, I expect you to be in this bed when I get back. If you aren't I'll hunt you down and drag you back, is that clear?"
"A' Oriss-eres..."
How did things turn around like this so fast?
"Perhaps we could play a few games of Trava to pass the time."
"Sounds great..." Lloyd squeaked, thinking about how shocked he was gunna get when Genis found out that his 'brilliant plan' had trapped him here for hours. But then Kratos wasn't immortal, he had to sleep, or go to the privy, or get bored, or something... right?
X
"What the heck took so long!" Silver locks caught the sunlight and seemed to flash like a multitude of misplaced cutlery.
"I had to jump out a window…" Lloyd growled, pulling a few twigs from his hair.
"A… what?"
"Kratos wouldn't go away, so when he finally did leave for a sec I jumped out the window, landed on a tree, and had to climb down. He -I don't know how he heard me he just did- came outside. I had to run out of town with him behind me yelling junk in Angelic. I lost him at some ruins and then came here…" Lloyd shuddered. "And all I have to say, is if I see another bowl of chicken soup ever again I'm going to scream."
"Do I want to know?" Genis muttered.
"No." Lloyd shuddered. "I don't even want to know. I now hate chicken! It's almost as bad as tomatoes."
Genis snorted. "Lloyd, you're being melodramatic…"
"I am NOT being melo-whatever you called it! Kratos totally freaked out when he thought I was sick and tried to drown me in chicken soup. It's like he's never been sick or something…" Lloyd grumbled.
"Or rather-" hissed voice under its breath. "-he never got treatment when he was ill…"
"Ms. Sage, be still!"
"Whiiiine!" A green paw smacked them both, rebuking them for being noisy.
"Shh..." Lloyd snapped a hand over his smaller friends' mouth. "Did you hear that? I could of sworn I heard No-"
From their place crouching in a thick stand of grass Kratos nudged Noishe, and with an apologetic whine the green dog went still.
"Colette handled Noishe," Genis said confidently.
"Noishe is a dog, Genis. Colette falls for puppy eyes so often that she adopted all the dogs in Iselia and named them. She even re-named Noishe into Mr. Bunny-ears and he doesn't mind."
Noishe wagged his tail, or rather did until Raine gave him a vile glare. With a soundless whimper, the dog curled his tail into a ball at his side, and then shifted around to sit on it for good measure.
"What if Kratos gets Raine?" Lloyd wondered. "He might be worried and get Raine and then they could get Noishe and then Noishe could smell us out…"
"And then Angels might come down from the tower and actually make you smart…" Genis snickered. "Really, Lloyd, think for once, Kratos and Sis hate each other. Logically, that hate would make them not check with each other to see if the stories are true. Logically, even if they did get together they'd fight and bicker and look for us on their own. Further more, Raine doesn't like Noishe. She wouldn't use him to find us, and Raine doesn't like Kratos but knows you like Noishe so she'd probably keep them away from each other. So that brings the odds of Kratos finding us with Noishe down to nothing."
"But if they got really worried…"
Genis sighed. "If they got really worried, we'd see them coming anyways and we could run. After all, it's a plain for Martel's sake, a flat length of ground. How could we not see them coming?"
"I guess… that works…." Lloyd frowned. "But if we can see them then they could see us, ri-?"
"Lloyd, don't worry, I positively swear that they'll never know. After all it's logic, and logic never fails."
"Last time you said that we had the boats fall apart in the middle of that lake."
"Again -at eight- how was I supposed to know that glue when submerged would dissolve?"
"You're twelve now right… so then that would make you four years smarter…"
"Exactly." Genis grinned. "So I'm more likely to be right now than I was back then."
"But if you're twelve and I'm sixteen, then doesn't that make me four years smarter then y-"
"Lloyd, come on, you don't want to keep Colette waiting do you?"
"But…"
Genis sighed, "Lloyd, trust me alright."
"B- Alright… fine, fine… let's go already." Picking up a bulky sack from the ground Lloyd swung it over his shoulder. "If we get caught, we are so dead."
"It goes against logic that we'd get caught," Genis said confidently.
Lloyd frowned, looked back at the thick grass and had to wonder if he'd really heard the whine or seen the tail after all…
Well, he knew of one way he could check.
"Hey, Noishy… jerky!" Lloyd pulled out a small pouch from the sack and the two eavesdropping adults grabbed an ear a piece to keep the dog from getting up and charging out of hiding and pounce on the young swordsman. "Bunny jerky with red saltey on top…. Your favorite!"
Nothing happened, except that Kratos had freed up a hand and had slipped it around the dog's throat. At that threat the creature went dead still… thought its bright brown eyes watered in longing.
Taking a bite, Lloyd showed every sign of enjoying the snack, which was his favorite too. At that sight Noishe began to whimper quietly.
"Mmm mmm, this is good, guess you don't want some, Noishy! Your loss!"
"Whiiiin- erk…"
Noishe gasped and nearly collapsed after Kratos had punched him in the throat.
"Heh…" Confident Noishe really wasn't there, Lloyd grinned. "Oh well, his loss." Lloyd took a large bite and Noishe began to cry. "I'll have the jerky all to myself then. Well I'll save him a piece…"
Lloyd slipped a small sliver into his pocket.
The tears stopped and Noishe growled softly. Watching his measly snack go in the pocket, his eyes locked on to the over-flowing pouch. Raine and Kratos were shaken off as the dog rose and slinked after Lloyd, deadly menace written on every line of that lupine face. It was all Raine and Kratos could do to keep up.
X
"Sooo... K/R or N/K or R/N or G/L or L/K or K or R first?"
Genis frowned, picking up the mop head that had red slips of fabric running through it. In Palma Costa, Lloyd had bought some less button-heavy clothes. He had also had clothes made like his old set despite Kratos' protests. Fights with some monster outside of Palma Costa while training with Kratos had reduced one of the"normal" shirts to little more than ribbons. Shreds of the shirt, real ribbons from Triet, and a bit of red ribbon that Lloyd had bought and not liked for his turtle neck in Asgard, were mixed in with the innocent looking mop head. Lloyd picked it up, plopping it on his head while Genis laughed.
"Give me that!" Genis snatched at the "hat" and Lloyd easily stepped out of range of his short friend's reaching hands. "I'm Kratos, not you!"
"Well... now I'm Kratos!"
"Nah, you're Kratos' kid!" Genis teased.
He was startled when some strange emotion crossed Lloyd's face fora second. It was gone and Lloyd grimaced.
"Yuuuck, Genis we are not going over this again... Mom and Kratos ideas and talk gives me nightmares..."
Genis laughed. "Alright, fine, hey maybe you're his little brother in disguise!"
"Ung... no!" Lloyd drew back in horror. "I'm not looking all evil and glary when I get older like him!"
"You mean he doesn't give you glare lessons?" Genis smirked.
"No, it's all sword stuff... and philosophy sometimes... but he hasn't given me glare lessons..." Lloyd bent down and rummaged through the sack he'd brought, pulling out a rumpled, and slightly unclean, spare of Raine's coat. He frowned and threw it to the side. "Damn it, where'd I put that cape..." The young swordsman was blissfully unaware of how his sorcerer friend was sneaking closer and closer.
"Philosophy..." Genis laughed. "Yeah right!"
Lloyd smiled, didn't even look up from his rummaging. "Yeah, philosophy, sometimes relig-er rolgor stuff too."
"Un huh... sure, Lloyd." Genis' hands -or rather left hand- crackled with a hint of electric mana at the sound Lloyd looked up. Genis snatched the hat off with one hand, while putting his other electic-hand on Lloyd's head.
"Ow, what was that for!" Lloyd hopped back, running a hand through his hair. There was a loud hiss and the hair stood on end, spitting sparks. Lloyd absently slipped his hand to the hilt of his sword and there was an even louder hiss and even more sparks flying. "Ow... Genis!"
"I'm Kratos," Genis said firmly as he plopped the "hat" on his head.
"You're dead!" Lloyd snarled, he went for his swords and got shocked again. "Ow, this isn't funny!"
"Oh, stop whining... fine, fine I'll undo it." Genis rummaged through the bag and found their "cooking skit" prop: an oversized bowl that Lloyd had once talked Kratos into using as a helmet one day. Still grinning, Genis waved a hand over it. The air around him shimmered as he drew water from the air and everything around him and when the blurriness shrouding him faded, Genis grinned up at his human friend.
"Alright, I've got the thing to cure the shocks... do you want it?"
"Un uh, I fell for this when we were little, prepare to be Noishe Po-"
Genis whipped around and threw the contents at Lloyd's face, there was a spectacular boom as the conflicting mana hit one another and Lloyd was on his back on the ground staring up with glazed eyes.
"Owww..." Lloyd whimpered. "Pain..."
"Opps... I uh think I over did it..." Lloyd's eyelids fluttered, then his eyes closed and the swordsman slumped forward. With a soft 'thump' Lloyd fell on his side and went very still. Genis crept closer to his friend, his fear making him more pale then normal. "Come on, Lloyd, wake up! This isn't funny!"
Lloyd lay very still, he was breathing, but it was a very shallow type of breathing. Genis brought his hands up to his face and nibbled on his nails.
He missed how Lloyd's lips curled. and missing the only warning, he stepped back in shock when Lloyd leapt to his feet. It was over in a second. Genis found his arms pinned.
"No... no not that... anything but-!"
The knuckle descended, ran across the top of his head and he was trapped, it was all but over.
"No.. help!" Genis cried, as Lloyd slung him under one arm and continued his attack. Genis kicked and thrashed weakly in Lloyd's grasp. He squeaked out in terror as the hand ran through his wild silver locks.
It was all over.
X
Colette hummed a ditty about angels and birds then cocked her head to the side. A small frown turned down her lips and she looked away from the stage -which was little more then a flat span of rock that ran a few feet in every direction- and to a particular stand of thick grass and vegitation. Shrugging off the sound as un-important she went back to humming and waiting to see what her friends had thought up of this time. She always loved their little plays because they were so funny...
X
Adorned with cape and red mop, Genis tromped out from behind a row of bushes. A large wooden stick had been crudely shaped to resemble a sword, and a slab of back had been taken from a tree and tied to his arms with black ribbon. Genis, or perhaps it would have been better to say "Kratos", clambered up to the stage with two long lengths of fabric in hand.
"I have finally finished training, Lloyd." Kratos announced. "Come on, Lloyd... let's go!"
"Whine!"
"Now, Lloyd!" Kratos tugged on the ribbons.
"Bark!" Still dressed as he normally was, hair sticking up just a little more then normal, Lloyd bounded up to the stage doing his best Noishe walk. Colette giggled, clapped her hands at the sight, blissfully unaware at how the bushes behind her - which hid an amused woman and frowning man - snickered.
"See, he even talks intelligent. I'm sure Ms. Sage would find that to her satisfaction." Genis tried to deepen his voice to mime Kratos' quiet baritone. The failed effort more than the words themselves made Colette giggle again. "Come on, Lloyd, fetch!"
Drawing a stick out from his belts -a mess of wound up ropes that spanned the most of hid mid-section- Genis waved it over his head and threw. With a very Noishe-like bark, Lloyd went after it.
Lolling his tongue, Noishe slipped behind his conspiring companions. He put a paw apiece on his fellow human and elf eavesdroppers, and thinking about how nicely comfortable his somewhat humany, elfy mattress, he set his tail to thumping on Kratos' leg.
"Noishe, get off..." Raine hissed.
Ignoring her, Noishe lifted his head up, both ears pricked forward to hear every word.
"Noishe, if you aren't off in five seconds, I'll free up my dagger and change your gender..."
With a gulp, Noishe slipped off of his comfortable spot and settled for the nice, hard, non-threatening, ground to sit upon.
"Smart dog," Kratos murmured, then fell silent as Lloyd (now dressed in Raine's coat) came from a different spot on the stage, ready to pounce on the nearest pebble and go into Ruin Mode.
She went to pebble to pebble and Kratos fell asleep with a loud snore.
Raine whirled on the short mercenary, drawing out a staff from a length of rope around her waist, while the wind picked up. On ghostly white fabric, written in night black ink, were the words "Ye olde Artifact Staff of Paine".
It was like reliving Triet all over again. Kratos winced at the near brutal physical humor the children were relying on to convey an even more brutal message.
Besides him Raine sputtered in complete outrage and Noishe wagged his tail in glee.
X
After Lloyd chased Genis off stage, they tossed aside the props, Genis muttered bits of the plan under his breath while they looked for accompanying costumes.
A green mop-wig was plopped on Genis' head by Lloyd while he snatched the Kratos cape from Genis' hands and swung it around his shoulders.
"Hair in face... hair in face..." Lloyd muttered as he dipped his hands into the water bowl and slicked back his hair so that most of it fell into his eyes.
"Why do I have to be Noishe?" Genis whined.
"Because of the hair; your hair doesn't slick forward-" Lloyd ruffled his hair and tried to mess it up, less then a second later he was looking more like Kratos' than Genis had. "-mine does."
"Oh."
Set they boh clambered back on the stage ready for the next skit.
X
"Whine?" Noishe looked to Kratos, and then back to the pair of children charading as them.
"No, don't ever ask again."
The Noishe and Kratos on the stage were now playing fetch since "no one was watching". When "someone" came, Kratos hid the throw disk, once even making it a hat, all to "save his image".
"I'm not... that vain... am I?"
"Yes, you are," Raine grumbled, still angry over the ruin-skit.
"Bark." Noishe bobbed his head in agreement.
X
Dressed in a blanket shaped crudely into a robe, Lloyd scrambled up the steps. Genis, meanwhile, came dressed as Colette and at each "oops" Genis let out, "The Assassin" screamed in terror, eventually scrambling up a tree just to be safe.
X
From another place a few yards away, there was a click of cards coming together and a snicker from the being hid by the grass at her feet.
"How astute..." piped the small fox creature at her feet whose tail was a fantasy of blues and greens.
"Corrine... it's not funny..."
"I find it rather amusing; you need to learn to laugh at yourself Sheena."
"What I need to do is finish my job..."
"If you must," Corrine sighed. "Could you wait 'till they are done; I want to see if they did me."
"Fine..." Sheena growled, watching as her target gleefully clapped her hands together as both boys darted off the stone yet again.
X
A monster crawled on the stage.It was hardly formidable: just Genis crawling around under a blanket, and Kratos had seen more dangerous mice than the elf child, so he relaxed and tried to ignore how Raine was muttering about a "Raine Storm". Kratos squinted, trying to catch glimpse of the strange things he could see under the fabric with Genis. Eventually he shrugged it off and sat back to watch the newest skit. Noishe ran screaming from the monster, Colette petted it, Raine pulled a huge book out and began making notes, and the monster casually beat Lloyd up with a lightning spell.
From the amount of cursing and the muttered "sorry!", the spell was supposed to have missed, but there was an adagethat went "the mustplay go on". The boys followed that saying -for better or worse- andthe show went on.
After a prolonged absence Kratos clambered up the stage, his sword dawn. Kratos waved the weapon around threatening, then promptly tripped, yelling about a stupid rock.
After five or six more trips Kratos -grumbling about his hair in his face- finally lifted his bangs and glared at the monster.
With a squeak Genis rolled over, and the small things he had glimpsed under the fabric were now visible for all to see. Rudely made knives ran all along the bottom of the monster's hide. Some of the "blades" were made of sticks, whilesome were made of paper cut into the proper shape...
Raine began to chuckle, and Noishe's tail wagged madly.
Kratos growled and decided that Lloyd was going to have several rough sparring sessions ahead.
X
From another place of concealment, Corrine hopped up onto Sheena's shoulders to take a long good look at what was making his Summoner laugh. The black clad boy stared at the monster, which promptly died. The glare settled on a span of inoffensive grass, which promptly "fainted", then a rock skittered out of the way of that dangerous glare –both grass and rock were moved by a wind spell cast by the "dead" monster- watching this play Corrine had to admit he was at a loss to see what was so funny.
X
Next came a large box. Lloyd dragged it onto the platform and then turned his back on the wooden chest and took a sip from his water skin. Genis –taking the role of himself for once- put a finger to his lips and slipped inside the chest. When the box growled, Lloyd hopped to his feet with a scream. The swordsman fumbled with his belts and pulled out his rapier taking a weary step back
"Rowr!" The box with a gust of wind mana hopped forward.
When it landed there was a tell-tale "oww" and Lloyd put the sword back on his belt.
"That wasn't funny!"
"Was too!" snapped the elf who was comfortablysecreted away in the chest.
"Was not!" Lloyd was chuckling despite himself.
"Colette's laughing!" Genis pointed out triumphantly, pulling open the lid of the box and letting his head pop out.
Looking over his shoulder, Lloyd had to admit Colette was laughing and having a lot of fun. Grinning, Lloyd sheathed his sword and then looked back at the path they had traveled. There was a hint of green -- a flash of movement… Lloyd froze, only for a second, then he smiled and shrugged.
Oh well, he wasn't too surprised that Noishy had followed him. Noishy always found their little games, and the finale couldn't be complete without a pouncing; it'd break tradition.
X
"Did he… see us?" Raine whispered.
"I don't think so." Kratos murmured, his dark eyes distant and troubled. "But if a certain someone's tail could stop wagging we might be able to see the rest of this… activity without being caught."
Noishe paid Kratos' words no mind and just continued to enjoy the show.
X
There was a musical ring-a-ling, and that was all the warning they got. Lloyd, with a bell tied around his neck and two lengths of brown fabric tied into his hair to serve as ears, hopped onto the stage. Genis, wrapped up in a blanket, staggered after him.
The Assassin and Assassin's pet were lost. After Ossa Trail they and spent weeks trying to find Palma Costa. They started out completely lost and only proceeded to get even more lost as time went by. They talked of their targets (since they were not known by name so they were named by a characteristic). "The Glarer" (Kratos), "Two-sword Boy" (Lloyd), "Crazy, Silver-haired Woman" (Raine), "The Short One" (Genis), and "The Blonde One" (Colette), were gossiped about, conspired against, and mocked. It was insulting to everyone, to say the very least. "Blonde" and "Crazy Woman" were given a gentler treatment than the rest of the group, but "Glarer", "Short One", and "Swords" were given no mercy. It was amusing to see that, unlike Sheena, these children were more then capable than taking jokes about themselves.
Corrine sniffed as he and Sheena were made out to be little more then fools who lived in terror of the word "oops" and rabbit holes.
"A complete misrepresentation if you ask me!" Corrine huffed.
Sheena's only response was to shuffle her deck of cards together and glare at the red clad boy.
"Oh dear… Sheena… try not to take this too personally… they're just children after all and they don't understa-"
Sheena surged to her feet and began to close the distance between herself and the stage.
Corrine sighed and padded after his Summoner, he really had wanted to see the end of this but it didn't look like he was going to get his chance.
X
It was time for the finale! Rubbing his face, Lloyd pulled off his "mercenary cape". The last skit with Kratos(at least trying to) train and teach himhad been physically tough. Mainly because Genis was supposed to act hyper and run around and act really dumb. So, as "Kratos", he had to tackle and then sit on "Lloyd" to get him to learn. It wasn't too unlike the aftermath of the Palma Costa test, actually.
Lloyd had to feel a little badfor Kratos; he wasn't all that bad, but he was close.
"I wouldn't want to have to teach me." Lloyd grinned, then tied the rope with a wild mess of fabric around his neck Part of it was black, another segment blue, one green,one white, and one purple. Each color was for each person he had to act out as because with this skit, and it was going to be a big one.
"Help!" Genis was drowning in Raine's coat and was becoming tangled up.
Pulling the coat off of Genis, Lloyd turned it rightside up and then handed it back to the elf.
"You know, you could just wear the orange collar."
"I'm wearing the coat!" Genis grumbled. "You can look like Noishe and wear a collar. I'll wear the coat."
"Here, don't forget the staff, spoon, and bowl."
Genis chuckled, took the items and grinned.
"You know, if my logic was wrong we'd be so dead."
Lloyd's lips twitched and he decided not to tell Genis that they were dead, very dead. He knew just how dead because the other time he had glanced in the direction to the wagging tail he'd glimpsed a bit of orange.
"Yeah, your logic's never wrong."
"Yep, you can't ever go wrong with logic." Genis grinned, happy that Lloyd was seeing the light of reason at long last.
"Un huh, come on, let's go already!"
They were soo dead… but hey, they had had fun first, so it wasn't all that bad!
X
Raine poisoned everyone. It was a long painful death for all involved. Colette and Lloyd tried the food to be nice, they died writhing in agony. Kratos tried to run, but before longhe was Raine'd then force fed the "improved" recipe.His passing was a long, painful looking affair.
The real Kratos chuckled. Now this skit he liked.
Raine was trembling in outrage.
Noishe was laughing so hard he was wheezing.
As for the Noishe on stage, the smell of the third recipe did him in. Then "The Assassin" came to kill Colette. Raine whacked "The Assassin" with the cooking spoon covered with spagetti. Somehow, spagetti had now become a very potent contact poison.
With Raine's cooking though, no one was surprised or doubted it.
The real Kratos was now quietly laughing as the counterfeit Raine turned on her brother, and was advancing, spoon in hand.
Noishe had stopped breathing, he was laughing so hard he was choking himself.
With a very drawn out scream of "Noooo!" Genis was feed. He died after much thrashing.
Both actors bowed to their happy audience of one, then sat down on the stone to catch a second wind.
"Lloyd Irving and Genis Sage!" Raine screamed, hopping to her feet and storming out of hiding.
"Uh oh…" Colette gulped.
"Hi… Sis…" Genis squeaked.
"Hey, Raine." Lloyd grinned at his descending teacher. "Did ya like it?"
"It wasn't bad…" Kratos rumbled as he slipped out of hiding.
"Oh crap…" Lloyd paled, hearing the quiet menace in the man's tone. "We're really dead now…"
"Plan S 5?" Genis whispered.
"Yeah…" Lloyd grinned. "Let's see if it works on Kratos…"
"Halt, for the people of teth' ack!" The purple clad Assassin tripped on the small fox like creature that had skidded to a stop between her legs. Lloyd looked down at the sprawled assassin and the small creature met his gaze and spared him a toothy grin.
"I must say," the creature said in an airy little voice that matched its form perfectly, "I do love live theater."
"Bark!"
"No, Noshy, not n-"
There was a blur of green and Lloyd was swept of the stage and landed only a few feet away from the Assassin.
"Woof!"
"Not… now…"
"Bark!"
"Can't breath…"
"Corrine, what's wrong with you!" The Assassin got to her feet, using the stage to pull herself up.
"I don't quite know actually, just a spur of the moment thing."
Noishe wagged his tail and then winked at the fox that had a blue and green wave instead of a tail.
Much to Sheena's shock, Corrine winked back.
"Now that dog, I like!"
"Whiine bark woof!"
"Not… funny…" Lloyd croaked.
"Whine bark!"
Kratos drew his blade and grimly advanced on the Assassin, Raine was only a step behind him.
"I believe now would most certainly not be the time to have it out, don't you?" Corrine suggested brightly.
"I can still fight." Sheena lifted her hands, dull-hued cards resting in them. "I just tripped, that's all…"
"Noshy… get off!"
"Whiiine!"
"Yes…a wise suggestion. As the voice of neutrality in this party I would like to speak to the leader of the Chosen's group." The small fox said, swishing his tail and pointedly ignoring Sheena's scream of "what!".
"Speaking," Kratos growled, stepping forward. His sword rested in his hands.
"I'd like to strike up a temporary truce. We won't be swayed from what we are doing, and you won't be swayed in your task, but a three day's truce should be sufficient time for you to get going and for us to purchase supplies then resume pursuing you. Neither side will fight the other during this time, even if an opportunity presents itself. Is this agreeable?"
"You are in a compromised position," Kratos growled.
"No, you are." Corrine nodded to Lloyd. "Or rather he is. I will attack the dog and all it takes is one edge of these cards to go over the throat. It's diamond sharp, the edge of that card."
Kratos' black eyes burned with hate. Those dreadful eyes locked on Noishe. Under that gaze, the dog promptly laid down with a whine. It was as if the dog was moving as to protect Lloyd from the glare. Snarling, the mercenary sheathed his blade with ill grace.
"Agreed."
"I thought you'd see it my way. Well then, Sheena, shall we be off?"
Noishe got to his paws and abandoned his owner, turned mattress, and with a farewell bark he made himself scarce.
Swordsman and Assassin glared at each other. Lloyd took a weary step back and the purple clad assassin's hands clenched into fists.
"Sheena," Corrine chirped. "The honor of Mizuho depends on keeping your oath now."
"Three days-" The girl hissed "-and you're toast."
"Three days-" Kratos promised "-and you are dead."
"I guess my hopes of peaceful compromise are out of the question?" Corrine sighed.
Shivering Sheena looked away from the mercenary, turned from them all and began to walk towards Asgard.
"W... wait..."
At Colette's words the Assassin stopped. A stray breeze picked up the flowing pink ribbons that wrapped around the woman's waist and drifted down past her knees, they flared out, almost like a pair of pink wings.
"Why are you trying to stop the Regeneration?"
"I'm trying to kill you, girl," the Assassin spat.
"Why are you trying to... kill me? If I succeed then everyone will be saved."
"No... not everyone, not everyone will be saved. Corrine!"
The fox-like creature was being stared at by Lloyd. The little creature had sat down and was giving the swordsman a lecture on how to properly represent Sheena and himself.
"No fraternizing with the enemy!"
"But..."
"Let's go, Corrine!"
"No appreciation for live theater..." The creature sighed.
"And stop acting like that perverted jackass!"
"I'm coming." Corrine shook his head and the bell around his neck jingled. "I'm sorry... she normally isn't like this."
With a puff of smoke the small creature disappeared, Lloyd still had not lifted his gaze from where it had been, even after five minutes had passed.
"Lloyden, ust phal?" Kratos murmured, reaching out to shake the young man by the shoulder.
"I... it..." Lloyd made a squeaky noise. "I.. It... Talked! Fox monstersdon't talk! And they don't "poof" and go away! It's not right!"
"Now is not the time to be in shock nor pursue this fascinating phenomenon." Rain said cooly, leashing in her ruin mode with obvious effort. "Back to the inn, everyone, now!"
"Yes, Professor." Colette sighed.
X
"You're leaving Asgard!" Linar howled in obvious distress. He'd been milling around the inn since the purple clad man had stolen his research partner. Blindly, he barged into the nearest room and continued his rant. "But we haven't completely analyzed the runes on the monolith and compared their style to the works in the caverns to properly deduce if your theory of someone deliberately mutilating the..."
Linar took a deep breath and looked ready to continue, he lost his ability to speak as the mercenary looked up from rummaging through some packs to glare at him.
"Oh... wrong room... sorry..."
"I didn't understand a word of that..." Lloyd muttered. Double knotting the last strings together so that when Kratos inspected his packing job, -by turning it upside down- his clothes wouldn't tumble out on the floor again.
Kratos chuckled, pulled out his whet stone and pocketed it.
"He talked so fast, Lloyden, I couldn't even follow it."
"Why's he wandering around the inn, going into rooms with his eyes closed, trying to talk to the Professor?"
Kratos smirked, picking uphis re-packed gear and swinging it over his shoulders.
"Let us say that I have to wonder at the depth of Linar's infatuation with Raine... If Raine actually responds to Linar's attentions -which I highly doubt- she might debase me of my personal theory."
"What theory is that?" Lloyd frowned, not quite understanding the first part but somewhat able to figure out the second.
"That your mentor does not actually posess ice water for blood."
"I still don't follow."
"You'll understand when you're older." Kratos sighed. "Hopefully..."