Author's notes: Here the Ninth Chapter at last, dear Ladies and Gentlemen. I'm now back at my university since my long holidays had ended and therefore, I think the updates perhaps will come out slower because of this. Let's praying that I can update as fast as I can, shall we?
About the review, just as like I said before, please don't hesitate to keep review this story because I love reviews very much even it's just one word and it's just say 'update' or 'good'. Yes, some writers careless about the reviews. I should be careless about the reviews too but I really need them to make sure that you want an update of this story because if there's at least one review, at least I know that you're still like this story.
Unfortunately, there are no reviews on the previous chapter so I can't give reply for you. I guess it kind of make sense after I made a ridiculous polling at chapter 8, in which I quickly erased it. I still felt stupid and like a fool whenever I remember that. T_T;;;; Sometimes I really really forgot that not everyone is a fan of Final Fantasy and I made a grave, if wasn't a fatal mistook in there. Therefore I'm very apologize to all reviewers that maybe felt dislike toward the polling or hate it or something similar like that. I'll try to choose the Summon for Noctis all of my own. So instead of that polling, I think I'll just want to ask to you on one thing and this is more like a fan service thing, most of girls including me, adores quite much. And I hope you're more like it than the Summon thing. The question is:
What is the fluffy you're desire to see for the future chapter:
1. Holding hands?
2. Hugging at each other?
3. Er…Kissing everyone? (Quickly coughed a couple of times, while Ellen and Noctis were glaring from behind with blushes.)
Ellen and Noctis: YOLEA IRK'SSIA….!
Me: (Ducked away.) I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY!
Kanda: (He's watching the whole scene from aside.)…Baka Author.
Me: (Ears perked and glared at the samurai's direction.) Shut up! You're not helping at all...!
Disclaimer: I'm having no right to own both -Man and Final Fantasy Versus XIII. This is a FANfic, remember?
Warning: This fic have gender bender, some spoilers, few swearings, and a lot of bad grammars. My first language is Indonesian therefore English isn't my first language. I wish it was…..
The God's Clown and the Prince of the Sky
Story09: AGNOSCO
It was an unlimited darkness which lay in front of her.
And it wasn't because the young woman still closed her eyes. She already half awakened when she felt something was wrong.
Despite the lack of sightseeing due to the darkness around her, the beautiful young woman felt her bare feet were against some kind of hard soil, possibly even rock. Moreover from the chill air gave around, the silver haired young woman was in the outside.
She was finding herself stood in somewhere and still wore her pair of pajamas.
There was no light whatsoever, not even she seeing stars when she lifted her head at the dark sky.
It pretty much threw her into a great puzzlement.
She remembered clearly that she was just coming back very late that night with her friends from tried to located the real Phantom Thief G's location and it ended quite successfully, minus the fact that Link got possessed and Noctis got hurt. Link wasn't really happy after he heard the details but the blonde decided to let it go and not thought it anymore. She wouldn't worry about him since she already knew that he was a member of CROW.
Noctis meanwhile, was another matter to the beautiful silver haired Exorcist. And this was what Ellen worrying about actually.
Although he was proven to be a good fighter back there, Ellen still had a small amount of anxious because despite his amazing ability, he still a normal human and not armed with Innocence. Therefore he wasn't an Exorcist, so if the worst scenario happened such as Akuma suddenly attacked them for an example; the young man surely would become the first and easiest target they maimed. The young woman didn't want that to be happening. Heck, she didn't want to imagine if Noctis was facing a Noah, she wouldn't dare to imagine it!
Ellen felt guilty more or less toward him because she couldn't protect him from the harm in the right time, even though Noctis had said that he was very much fine over and over again to her and told Ellen to forget his injury and the matter. Ellen did try to at ease since she had already seen how bad his injury was and it indeed not that bad, which quite strange because she saw how hard Link's kick was. Then again, she just saw it and Noctis probably had been right, Link wasn't kicking him so hard. So Ellen dismissed the thought.
However, the guilty feeling was small and meddling in there, deep in her heart. The moment they got back, they were wasting no time enter their respective rooms and have a rest for tonight. Ellen could replay the moment when she climbing her bed with Tim already cuddled at the side of her pillow. She even could remember that she patting the yellow golem before slumber took her completely and she closed her tired and sleepy silver eyes.
So why was the young woman Exorcist doing at this place?
Where was she anyway and how did she get in here?
That what was Ellen Walker thinking when she found herself in this odd place somehow, with such mysterious way.
While the young woman pondered and pretty much intrigued, a dim light blue light began to shining from the corner of her eyes. Startled, Ellen turned her head to found a small sized of transparent crystals glowing near her feet. The chuck of the crystals was made into a small pillar like, it not taller than Ellen's knees. What stole her attention was the glow in which the pillar gave. The glow was not so bright and it seems like it hadn't something special in it, but strangely its soft blue light gave a comfort to Ellen by watching it. It feels weird to watch the crystals glowed on its own.
It didn't end in there. Ellen then saw more of the dim lights were starting to appeared in everywhere as if following the leads. More and more of them began to lit up and glowing in the same way. Ellen turned her body around and she was astounded when she saw thousands of pillar crystals with various size surrounded her, scattered in everywhere as far as her silver eyes could see. Almost all of them glowed in same sky blue colored light. They were other colors as well such as purple, golden, and green lights, but there not many.
Most of the land dominated by the blue crystals and giving an illusion like the land was glowing by itself, not by the crystals. They illuminated the dark land where she currently stepped. Curiosity got Ellen better as she moved closer to the one of the pillars and she touched it with her right hand. She felt a cold sensation of crystal on her skin. There was something else that had Ellen's surprise.
Ellen felt the crystal gave a series of pulse from beneath her palm. It beating so softly that she almost barely sensing it but it was in there, it existed as if alive on its own. It was just like Innocence yet very different. It indeed brought her some comfort but at the time she put her hand into the one of the crystal, it also let out something...something dark in there. What made Ellen puzzled even more was the dark was obviously didn't felt like Black Matter either. Dark and perhaps threatening, yes, but it didn't felt sinister at all.
To put a description, they felt like an odd mixture between the Innocence and the Black Matter. So what were these crystals to be exactly? Ellen put her hand down quickly then looked around her carefully. So far as her grayish silver eyes tried to scanning that place; she didn't find anything else except those gleamed crystals and unlimited wasteland. Ellen then concluded one thing from her observation.
"This place is surely doesn't place in Earth." Ellen stated quietly. "I wonder where I am."
She almost thought nobody was in there...
Until a feminine voice filled with kindness and slightly amused tone, was speaking from behind the white haired young woman.
"You're in realm of Between, Ellen Walker. Of course you'll never find this place back in the Living World."
Ellen was frozen in her place. Her whole body snapped tight with alarm. Her left hand clenched tightly. She didn't sense any people around her until a second ago. And now a woman voice greeted her...from behind her. And it was near her.
Alarmed all of sudden, Ellen put her fight stance and spun her body, Crown Clown ready to be activated. The female Exorcist more than ready to given a fight to whoever the person if she proved to be an enemy, only to face a beautiful woman with elegant, dark, and black long dress flowing gracefully. The hair color was as dark as the moonless night which tied into an odd yet elegant bun, the color of skin that almost near albino, and purple colored lips. The woman stood only few steps from before the silver haired Exorcist.
Despise her black and gloom attire, the mysterious woman was giving the female Exorcist a soothingly smile.
"I'm apologized for making you startle but you're seemed too interested with them so I have to had your attention at me first since you didn't seem to notice me."
"Oh..." Ellen blushed madly, realized how rude she was must be for ignoring the woman even herself still baffled on how she didn't sense the woman earlier. "I'm so sorry. I'm never been in this place before so I found this place is...odd..."
Ellen ducked her head in shame before she heard a muffled chuckle came from the woman's direction.
"There's no need to apologize, Ellen Walker. I'm aware that not everyone can see this kind of scene every day." The woman quickly dismissed and didn't mind it at all.
Ellen was feeling uncomfortable for the black clad woman but she braced herself to ask a question that had disturbed her. "I'm sorry if this question sounds rude but...who are you and how did you know my name?"
The woman smiled once again at her.
"I'm Etro. I'm the Goddess of Death and the ruler from the World of the Dead One." The woman introduced. "I've been watching you since not long ago."
Ellen blinked repeatedly as she heard the woman's name.
Etro?
The name somehow sounded strangely familiar to her and she was pretty much sure it just recently she heard it. Where did she hear that name before? The woman's name reminded her of something...
The snow white haired young woman then recalled the moment when Noctis told her and her friends back there in Komui's office. He spoke about a certain myth of the Death Goddess and the relation with his odd power.
Silver eyes quickly widened in realization. "You're the goddess from Noctis' myth." Ellen exclaimed.
The black clad woman's smile widened a bit as a response. "I am. I took that my Keeper had told you about me?"
"…Your Keeper?"
"Noctis." Etro smiled in understanding. "You already meet him."
Ellen dawned with the acknowledgement at the mention of euclase eyed young man. She nodded a bit unsurely as she digesting it. Ellen took a chance to rotated her silver head and looking the odd scenery around her.
"Where are we exactly?" Ellen asked softly as she was gazing at far unlimited horizon.
Etro's followed to where the petite young woman was gazing at. "We're in the Realm of Between the Life and the Dead. The line which is crossed the Living World and the Dead World. You can it's a border of some sort."
"A border? Why I'm in here?" A creepy thought suddenly crossed in her mind and she became terribly uneasy. "Wait. If I'm in here, is this means that I'm dead?"
Ellen's worry quickly brushed away by the goddess' fast reply.
"No, although this place exists between the line of the Life and the Dead, you're still alive and sleeping in the world of the Living."
"Are you saying that I'm currently dreaming and projected myself in here while I'm sleeping at the same time?" Ellen took a conclusion.
" It's just a part of your soul that come to here to be more correctly while the rest part of your soul still inside your body, so yes, you're alive." The goddess slightly nodded.
The snow white haired young woman let out a sigh of relieved but a moment later, she made a frown expression since she still couldn't just entirely relax yet.
"It's still doesn't answer the first question though." Ellen stated in deadpanned. The goddess before her went serious at the statement and her smile went gone.
"There's a reason why you're in this realm, Ellen, and it's because I'm the one who brought you here at the first place."
Ellen didn't bother to show her surprise. Her silver eyes stared at the woman's dark blue eyes.
"You're the one who brought me into this place? How can?"
The woman shook her head gently with regret expression. "I'm afraid I can't explain that now. I have to tell you about something important since this is the only place where I can meet you since you're still alive and not dead yet."
Ellen tilted her head. "What do you want to tell to me and why is it so important until to the point you're wanted to meet me and brought me to this place?"
"This is about you and my Keeper."
"Eh?" Ellen went blank. The goddess must be talked about Noctis but the question was why the goddess seemed to concern about her as well...? The snow white headed Exorcist started to feeling wary, again.
"What do you want to talk about me and..." Ellen stopped for a moment. "...about Noctis?"
"Ellen," Etro addressed her calmly, too calm even. "You've been aware that you have the Musician's memory is reside inside you, haven't you?"
Her body stiffened tightly at mention of the Noah. Her eyes narrowed and her lips stretched into a deep frown. How did the woman ever knew, let alone having a knowledge about the Noah of Destruction was beyond her imagination or guess but Ellen had learn from her experience that she must raise her guard should someone interrogate her about the Fourteenth. Moreover, it only served her even more alarmed and wary than before.
"How did you know about him?" Ellen asked tonelessly and eyed the woman warily.
The woman wasn't being affected very much at the sudden change of the silver eyed Exorcist's behavior; in fact the black dressed woman seemingly ignored it.
"I'll answer your question latter but first, please give your answer, is it yes or no?"
Ellen kept quiet however in the inside she was torn between either to answer it or not answer it at all. The young woman Exorcist had just met with the said goddess from Noctis' myth and yet, the woman already acknowledged her name and the fact about the Fourteenth. It would be natural if the petite young woman was quite suspicious toward the black clad woman. What was her relation with the Noah and why she asked for the Fourteenth's memory? Ellen had a thought that the goddess might be the Fourteenth's ally. But...
"Can I ask you one question for this?" Ellen eyes kept fixed on the goddess' figure. Only one way to find out.
"Yes. Go on."
"Are you the Fourteenth's ally?" The young Exorcist asked firmly.
"...I'm not." The woman replied with the equal firm. "I'm not his ally and probably I'll never become."
Ellen was trying to find any lie from the woman's eyes. All she could see was honest, some of pride, and firm, anything but lie. It seems the goddess had spoken the truth to the female Exorcist in the end. Ellen trusted the goddess as she finally made a decision to abandoning her suspicion and answered the goddess' question.
"Yes. Yes, I have his memory somehow but it isn't awakened yet." Ellen answered truthfully. "But what this has something to do with..."
Before Ellen ever finished her sentence, Etro had already cut her. "It is has something to do with both of you, especially with my Keeper." The Goddess of Death said seriously.
Ellen was frowning. "I can understand if Fourteenth's has something to do with me... but I don't see what Noctis' connection with this is."
"He's the only Keeper who guards my last blessing in the Living World. And I'm afraid that the Fourteenth wanted to do something to him...or rather he wanted him to do something."
The silver headed Exorcist should have worried about the revelation. She should have worried about Noctis. And she was being overwhelmed by worry toward the young man. At the same time however, Ellen had noticed how Etro called Noctis as her Keeper.
"You keep calling him Keeper over and over again. What exactly is he keeping or guarding to be more exactly?"
"Noctis is guarding the gift I was given to humankind long time ago." Etro explained. "The gift which held massive power and was goes beyond human imagination."
Ellen had aware and noticed how Etro used the past tense at the explanation, she couldn't help but felt slightly curious.
"Was?" Ellen tilted her head a bit in questioning look.
"As the time goes, human used it to fight and war at each other for centuries. Many of them destroyed during the said war in the living world, until it's only one crystal which still remained and his country is happened to have it." At the look Ellen was giving to her, Etro continued. "If you're wondered, they are scattered in everywhere, even near your feet as well."
At her clue, Ellen looked at the glowed crystals around her. The young woman Exorcist then stared once more to Etro.
"...These crystals?" Ellen eyed the crystals scattered around her bare feet.
"Yes. And in order to protect the crystal, Noctis must become the Keeper of it. Sadly, it's not an easy task to do. He must gamble with his life to protect it and even got into danger not only once but many times. At the latest critical moment which befall to him, I must took him from his world and cast him to your world, hiding him from his enemies. It was successful but it has a cost."
"A cost?" Ellen didn't like her tone. It sounded like a bad news to her. "What cost?"
"I made an agreement to that Noah, the Noah of Destruction. I met him a while before I sent my Keeper and he offered a help."
Ellen's face was a completely blank expression before it turning to a pure shock and she gasped quietly as Etro continued.
"Should my Keeper, Noctis is in grave danger, I'll bring him into his world and he will keep him safe. As compensation, he'll be by your side, the host of the Fourteenth and he will protect you too from the Earl of Millennium and the Noah Clan."
"He offered you a help and you accepted it not to mention you made an agreement with him...?!" Ellen repeated with disbelieving tone. "Why did you do that? You even have said that he was a dangerous man!"
The woman face was becoming a very sad one and had this bitter look on her face.
"I have no other choice to save my Keeper. If I'm not bringing him to this world; he will not be survive..."
"But...But..." Ellen was beyond confused. That was so different with Noctis' story! He did just tell her he was a part from military service and his duty to reassure the country's safety. But this was...!
"It's different from what he has been told to us..." Ellen continued with trembling voice.
"Of course it'll be different, Ellen." Etro replied solemnly. "He doesn't tell you the whole truth."
BADUMP.
Her heart almost stopped beating at the new and devastated revelation. Her eyes unseeing as her mouth gaped a bit, completely caught off guard. What ...? What did she said before? Noctis was what...!?
Etro only stared at her with some pity while she tried to open her and talk, but she found out soon that she couldn't do it. Ellen closed her mouth and doing her best to calm herself from shock, yet it was avail. She was far more being concerned about Noctis lied to them, lied to her than everything else she should be concern. She began to felt a headache was coming to her. A very bad one.
"What do you mean?! I don't really understand...!"
"The story he was telling to you, some of them are correct but the rest are not completely true."
"So he doesn't working at military service...at all?" Ellen voice became a whisper at the end.
"He doesn't. His position as a Keeper actually is one of the highest positions within the government of his country. In your world it's as same as the nobility position."
"And he doesn't tell this problem to us...?" Ellen's emotion went twisted in such a way.
A half part of her was feeling upset at the young man. He should has sharing this to them no matter how hard it was because she would help him for sure even if he didn't wish or need it! Another part of her felt as intrigued as ever with the details of explaining she just received from the black dressed goddess. Why would Noctis acting as far as told half truths and half lies to them for this crucial part?
"He's doing it for your safety and for some personal reasons he can't tell you."
The silver haired young woman blinked. "My safety?"
"Due to his position, he's guarding the only remaining crystal with magic power exist in his world, where the technology run and control everything. There's no magic at that world, not anymore." The goddess explained further. "Can you imagine how many greedy people who want the crystal so they can use magic?"
Ellen was becoming speechless. Was she heard it right? The world where magic wasn't existing anymore and exchange by technology? If she caught this correctly, that would be mean...
Her face was beginning to pale at the realization which came to her.
"Etro, are you saying that Noctis' world and his country's condition...had reached to the critical point?" Ellen asked slowly. Her expression was a mixture between horror and sympathy. If what she had suspected was right, then Noctis...
"He's being targeted by many people who wanted the crystal by themselves and they will not even hesitate to kill him?" Ellen can felt that her strength went drained drastically. It was so...sick and not to mention unbelievable.
"It's impossible. Is the crystal's really that..."
"Powerful?" Etro continued with serene expression.
Ellen shook her head abruptly.
"You have no idea." Etro muttered sadly. "That's why I made the two of you met in both of your dreams at first to observe your reactions at first and to see if it was a good reaction none less. I can't let any person near him and take care of him while he's away from his world."
At the end of the goddess' explanation, Ellen was replaying the experience on where she met Noctis in that dark and cold chamber. Her eyes widened in no time.
"The dream from that time." Ellen whispered softly, her silver eyes widened in realization. "So it was you who did it. You want to make sure if I'm the right person to accept him."
Etro nodded. "The both of you had given well reactions and from there I can conclude that you and my Keeper can accept each other. I can feel it; you two are holding and have something similar, very if I might add."
Unconsciously, Ellen put her left hand in her upper pajama and clenched it hardly. Her heartbeat moved a little faster than before and she couldn't help but beginning to felt nervous somewhat.
"Noctis is has something similar with me?" Ellen repeated unsurely.
"Yes. There is something very similar within the both of your hearts. That's why you and my Keeper can accepted each other easily in a short time, and this is what the Fourteenth is looking for." Etro said in the matter of fact and it gained Ellen's attention immediately.
"Be careful of that certain Noah, Ellen. He's planning something bad and both of you are included and will be involved for surely into his plan. Whatever happens from now on, the two of you must stay together no matter what happen. Please bear my warning inside your heart because it's not only you that will be in danger but also him as well."
Ellen nodded firmly and held the warning closely into her mind.
"I will be careful from now." A question then popped up immediately in the silver haired young woman's mind and she wasted no time to asking it. "I can understand why you're come into my dream and give me a warning. I'm very grateful for the act, but don't you have to warning him too?"
The pale woman was smiling back. But different from the previous smiles she had showed to Ellen, this one was a sad smile. "I wish I could. Unfortunately, I can't do it for now."
Before Ellen could ask why, the reply was coming soon to her. The realm where they stood up started to growing fade from existence, disappeared from the silver eyed young woman's view in nothingness.
"What is going on...!?" Elle was slightly panicking as she watched the realm slowly blurring around them.
"You're going to wake up soon which means your time is reaching its limit. Moreover, the connection between this realm and your world are still in unstable condition due to the interference both I and the Fourteenth are did." Etro explained as the realm continuing to fade. "Sending one person from one to another world is cost much energy and although it was mainly Fourteenth who summoned him through the Ark, I was the one who started to send my Keeper and eased the summoning process. The moment he sent my Keeper to your world, it had caused some disturbance for temporary between the realms."
'Was it meant that I will not meet her for unknown time!?' Ellen thought abruptly.
"Wait! What about Noctis, isn't he your Keeper? Your Guardian...!?" Ellen questioned with loud voice. "Don't you want to meet him too...!?"
"Just like I've said before, Ellen...That will be impossible for now." Etro replied rather quietly. "I want to meet him too for he's important to me, but there's a reason why I must meet you first."
"Huh?" Ellen blinked rapidly and clearly baffled.
The black clad woman did chuckle for the first time after being serious for a long moment.
"I want to know what kind of beautiful young woman who had stolen his heart at the first place..." The black clad woman spoke up; dark blue eyes gazed at the silver haired young woman.
...
Eh...? Eh...!?
EEEEEEEH...?!
Ellen flushed in deep red color unconsciously and her silver eyes went as wide as saucer.
What was she saying just now...!?
The space suddenly faded faster than before and Ellen was sensing an invisible force began to pull her back into the Living World. It only served her more panic because there were questions which perhaps only the goddess who could answer them.
"Wait! Please wait...! There are so many questions I want to ask...!" Ellen begged at the goddess, not wanting to parted with the woman just yet.
"I'm afraid your time is up already." Etro smiled serenely and shook her head as she also fading together with the realm. "Now go back. It's time for you to wake up..."
Ellen raised her right arm to reach the black dressed woman desperately.
"No...! Please...!"
"Please wait...!"
WHAAAM!
Ellen shouted from her lungs as she shoot her right hand at the air which resulted herself lost her balance since she raised her body too quickly, not to mention her position somehow moved into the right side of the bed from the center, caused her rolled in the process, and the snow white haired young woman fell off from the bed with loud thud. Ellen laid flat on her back with the blanket twisted and wrapped around her body. Ellen blinked her eyes several times before she winched and let out a small groan from her dark pink lips; her body ached from the fall.
"Oww..." Ellen tried to sit up from her fall position and rubbed her sore back. "That's hurt..."
The yellow golem which previously lay on her pillow side woke up abruptly at the loud sound Ellen had just made earlier. Non existed eyes tried to located its master who then Timcanpy found laid on the wooden floor with blanket and pain lashed on her face. Feeling concern toward its master, it flapped its wings and flew near to the silver eyed Exorcist's face who still rubbed her back. When Ellen saw the golem from the corner of her eyes, her lips creaked into a soft smile and greeted the golden winged golem.
"Good morning, Tim."
Timcanpy seemed not to buy that tone of her completely so it circled around her twice times as if looking for a visible injury it could spot and perhaps missed by the petite young woman. The golem found nothing.
Ellen laughed at the golden golem's show of affection and concern to her. The silver eyed young woman patted it gently over and over again, tried to calm to golden golem.
"Hey, calm down, Tim. I'm fine, nothing is hurt, and it's just a fall from a bed. You're too worried." She reassured the golem soothingly.
Timcanpy eyed her as if to make sure that she was fine and not lied to the golem. After completely convinced, Timcanpy flew away from her and landed at the bed, Ellen took a chance to glance at the window of her and Link's room. From where Ellen was sitting, she saw the colors of orange, pink, purple and blue mixture together in a majestic color symphony at the east sky. The sunrise was arising, signaled at the snow white haired young woman that the morning had come. Ellen then thought about her meeting with Etro, the Goddess of Death in the Realm of Between. And here she was, sitting at the wooden floor where she stayed for one night with Timcanpy on her side.
'So I'm really dreaming until a while ago.'Ellen thought quietly.
"Walker?" A deep voice suddenly snapped her back to reality. Ellen turned her head the the owner of the deep voice. The owner was none other than Link who sat at the chair, wore glasses, and facing a desk filled with paperwork. Until Ellen's fell had his attention immediately. "What are you doing by the screaming just now?"
Ellen blinked before she remembered that she was on the floor and stood up quickly while brushed both her pajama and the blanket.
"Nothing. I'm just having a dream, that's all." Ellen replied with dismissal tone. She put the wrapped blanket back at the bed.
"...Are you sure?" Link wasn't completely convinced at her reassurance. Somehow he had a feeling the young woman was hiding something from him.
The young woman Exorcist shook her head a bit too quickly. "Yes. It's just a normal dream."
The blonde glanced in suspicious. "Then why you're screamed as if you wanted to chase someone?"
"Huh?" Ellen almost forgot about the screaming part. Upon thinking on what kind of reply she should give to the Inspector, an idea suddenly came across her head. "Oh about that... I'm dreamed someone is going to eat my mitarashi dango...?"
Link's right eyebrow twitched at the slightly question mark on Ellen's reply. "You're dreamed about food although you're in the middle of mission?"
"What's so wrong about it?" Ellen said defensively.
Link sighed quietly before he was turning back at his paperwork.
"Never mind. Forget with I was just asked." He said as he signed a paperwork.
"Right..." Ellen rolled her eyes and getting up from her bed with slow gesture and stretching her body. Timcanpy flied around her and landed not too far from the desk beside her bed and copying its currently master movement as the golem stretched both of its wings.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The sounds of the door was being knocked reached their ears, indicated someone in front of their room. At the clue, Link looked from behind his read glasses at their door while Ellen already finished her stretching.
"There's someone in outside." Link took a gesture to standing from his seat but Ellen beat him already.
"Perhaps Marie or even Kanda. Let me opened the door." Ellen walked toward the door lazily.
She wasn't completely focusing yet as her mind wandered to some certain things. Mainly, the snow white haired Exorcist found Etro's words about the Fourteenth's to be disturbing her lots. There was also a fact about Noctis' current problem and he didn't completely honest to them, to her specifically and hides his identity to keep her safe and sound, for reasons she didn't know yet. That and the part where the goddess want to see what kind of young woman that had…
Ellen quickly shook her head at the odd sentence. She better didn't think it about it now. There were so much to do for today and the silver haired young woman wasn't has much time to thinking the goddess' mysterious yet gleeful words. Perhaps when she had finished this mission later and had a time to talk with Noctis alone. She must found a time when both she and the euclase eyed young man can talk without being disturbed. Speaking about Noctis…she wondered how the young man was doing right now.
Ellen unlocked and opened the door...only to have someone who wasn't Marie, let alone Kanda but the very same young man with sky blue eyes whom she was being concerned about and now stood face to face at her with little distance between them!
Ellen's silver eyes widened in instant, her mind went blank and suddenly she lost of word.
He wore again his odd yet elegant black clothes minus the black gloves and the faint scent of soap Ellen barely smelled from him (How on earth she managed to smelling it at that very second, she would never know and she couldn't help but felt very shame on this.), it was clearly obvious the young man had went cleaned earlier than her and Link. Noctis didn't notice Ellen's reaction of course and he smiled awkwardly at the pure snow white haired young woman and at the blond haired young man behind her. It seemed he wasn't comfortable with he standing in front of girl room despise the fact Noctis here to call them.
"Good morning, Ellen. Good morning Link."
BADUMP!
At the end of Noctis' greet, Ellen's face went heated frantically all of sudden as red cherry dust colored her cheeks and she could felt her stomach begin to flip flop when she also just noticed a fact she was standing much too close to him. Should he stepped one step further to the room, there would be no distance between Ellen and Noctis. Her cheeks went redder at this thought. She really should stopped thinking about it before her mind flew into a more dangerous thought. At this moment, Ellen had a half of mind to regret her choice for hearing Etro's reply before they parted.
"Good morning." Link greeted calmly, also didn't really notice Ellen's sudden nervous attitude.
"G-Good morning, N- Noctis." Ellen cursed inside her mind as her attempt to greet him back with normal failed miserably since her voice went stuttered.
Sky blue eyes blinked. "Why you're stammering like that? Are you having a cold or something like that?"
"I'm very much fine. Really...!" Ellen replied quickly in shame. Her silver eyes were looking at anything but Noctis. "What are you doing in here? Is it a time for breakfast?"
"Yes, it is. I was being requested by Marie to call you down..." Noctis told her with slightly uneasy gesture. At that moment she then stole a glance at the oldest young man in their group.
"Err, Thank you very much for coming into my room but can you please tell Marie and the others that I will be ready in a moment? I'm still not changing my pajamas yet..." Ellen cheeks reddened at the mention of her clothes.
"Alright. I'll tell them. We'll be waiting you and make sure you're quick, Kanda is seemed to be impatient this morning."
"I can easily guess that he want to find G as soon as possible as we retrieve the Innocence, and go back to the Black Order. He's always like that, always straight to the point and finishes it quickly."
"I can see that clearly." Noctis had to agree. "I've to go now. We'll wait you two in below."
Ellen nodded hurriedly. "Thank you for coming here and tell us, Noctis." She thanked sincerely.
Noctis previously uneasy gesture was gone as his lips stretched into a small yet a warm smile to her. Her heartbeat fastened as she saw his smile.
"You're welcome." Noctis said in friendly manner at her. "See you later in below." Noctis then disappeared to the stairs and left her stood in there alone on the mouth of the door.
A second later, Ellen shut the door and grabbed her uniforms abruptly, startled Link and Timcanpy a bit.
"Walker?" Link's voice sounded a bit puzzled.
"I'm going to change in the bathroom!" Ellen replied shortly and through Link's figure before shut the bathroom door.
Once the door closed behind her, Ellen let her body slipped into the floor and she could felt her face was heat like a boiled crab. She was so embarrassed and there was no other word to describe her current feeling and emotion. Her heart was still beating fast and she had to take a few deep breaths in order to calm herself. Ellen felt a lot calmer but her face still had those brushes of red cherry color. Ellen sighed heavily and put both of her hands to covering her flushed face.
"What I'm doing exactly just now...?" Ellen wondered loudly. "Why I'm acting like a crushing girl and keeping blush to him? We're only friends at each other. Our relationship is only at friendship and nothing more."
A slight pause.
"If we're really friends, why I'm acting in this way?" Ellen voice wasn't any louder than a whisper.
A long silence greeted the beautiful Exorcist soon inside the bathroom.
Puzzled, Ellen pulled her hands away from her face and starred at the white blank ceiling above her.
"What's this feeling just now?" She questioned to herself.
Out of sudden, the goddess' words echoed inside Ellen's head as if it was trying to remind and answer her question about her relationship with Noctis, or Noctis' relationship toward the beautiful Exorcist to be more correctly.
"I want to know what kind of beautiful young woman who had stolen his heart at the first place..."
Her whole face now covered with bright color of crimson and now not only her face, her whole body heated in instant as her silver eyes widened in shock. And Ellen wasn't really happy about it, it didn't help at all. It really wasn't helping her at all! In fact, Ellen was feeling absolutely embarrassed and confused by now.
"Why I suddenly remember her words at the time like this...!?" Ellen exclaimed with restrained voice.
Definitely wasn't a right time for musing and debated her feeling to Noctis. Moreover the silver haired young woman did replayed Noctis' message that the others were waiting for her in the base floor. They were going to find G's location today and she supposed to focus at that first. Ellen finally gave up and stood up from her place, ready to change her pajamas into her uniforms.
"I'm feeling like a stupid girl..." She muttered quietly in the middle of changing clothes.
The blush hadn't gone yet from her pale colored cheeks even after she was out from the bathroom with her uniform. Ellen only managed to control her chaotic emotion when Timcanpy cuddled with her as she and Link climbed down the stairs.
Ellen finally could forgot about the dream, the goddess of death, and their meeting since she now focused at the mission to find an Innocence and added more by located G's. Or so she thought.
At least...
For now.
"Are you sure this is it, Marie?" Ellen turned her attention from the three floor building stood in front of her to the earphone user Exorcist who happened to be few steps away from her.
After done with the breakfast and tracing the said phantom thief G's voice source with Marie's help, the little group managed to arrive at this place. If it wasn't because of Marie's ability, they would have thought it as a normal 19th style with crème colored building used as a nice and fitting place for a family to stay, not a place where G or at least they assumed, hiding inside it. Moreover the cross symbol above the roof, the sounds came from inside the building, and mostly the text contained in building's the plat had given enough picture what kind of place it was to them.
Hurst Orphan Asylum.
"Yeah. This is where G's cries stopped last night." Marie replied confidently.
"This is an orphanage, right?" Noctis wasn't expecting the location they would head more than a simple building before his eyes caught the sign of the plat and read them. "You are saying that G is…"
"Perhaps he is one of this orphanage's inhabitants." Link finished Marie's sentence. He stood not far from Noctis.
"Ah…" Noctis then shifted his position back so he stared at the orphanage once more, still had some hesitant. "Should we enter it?"
Kanda, walked to his direction from beside and snorted at the older young man in a way as if it was the most obvious thing they doing in this world and in a way, it was.
"Of course we're going to go inside, Niwatori Denbu." Kanda replied with uncaringly.
Noctis face became sour at Kanda's given nickname.
"…I've told you my name is…" Noctis stopped himself before he sighed heavily in defeat, feeling it was useless to argue back the long haired samurai. "Forget it, can we go inside now?"
"You aren't going to argue back?" Kanda's tone had a very slightly startled emotion.
"I don't want to make it as a big problem and I'll use my energy for better activity." Noctis rolled his eyes at the dark blue eyed samurai. "Seriously, you're almost as bad as Lavi when it comes to nickname."
"…I'm not the same with that Baka Usagi, if anything he's far worse than me." Kanda replied grumpily.
Ellen glanced intriguingly as Kanda walked away from Noctis. "He's still calling you with that nickname?"
"I have a suspicion he's more than adore to call me with the epithet given by himself..." Noctis replied drily.
"I think I'm understanding the feeling more or less." Ellen nodded sagely. "How about your injury? Does it healing?"
"Still has that bruise but it'll heal fast since it's not critical." Noctis scratched his back head. Actually, he lied, again. When, nobody from the group was watching him last night, he casted his healing magic again until the bruise is gone from his skin.
"That's good to hear." Ellen relieved. "To be honest, I'm not really sure to bring you again today. It's alright for you to not coming with us and stayed at the inn, you know?"
"I better tagged along with you all. My body's current condition isn't that bad. Moreover..." Noctis stopped for a moment with a frown. "I have a feeling something is going to happen sooner or later today."
"You have a premonition?"
"Perhaps." Noctis mumbled uneasily. "I rarely have it since I got this ability. I can ignore it if I want to but..."
"But what?" Ellen looked intrigued at the short black haired young man's hesitance. He didn't responded her as he seemed conflicted with himself either to tell her or not.
"Oh my God, Noctis, you're too worry. It's not like I'll be laughing at you at this." Ellen slightly joked.
Hesitance still visible within his face but he did reply her at least.
"Well…" He began slowly. "…It does concern about you."
"...Eh?" Ellen gawked.
"I mean it does concern about you all. I know it's sounded ridiculous to you," Noctis added hurriedly. "But ever since I woke up this morning, I have this feeling of unease. It isn't getting any better when we're off to track G. The feeling of restless, it comes worse to me, so I'm sticking with you to make sure nothing is really happened. I'm worry about you..."
Ellen didn't have a clue on how she should react at his reply. In one hand, he shouldn't have did that far and it did have Ellen's concern. He should worry about himself such as how he would go back to his original world or his post battle-injury with Link. In another hand, she was happy the young man did care for them, even bothered as far as went with them to make sure they alright. He was worrying over her. Ellen face blushed faintly as she replayed Etro's exclaimed about Noctis feeling to her. His action toward her was definitely more than friends. Now she began to regretting herself for being asked the last question to the black dressed goddess. She broke her stare at the euclase eyed young man to look at anything but him.
"Uhm…Why don't we going to inside?" Ellen asked to him politely, still with those blushes on her face. "You've said that earlier too. I must admit it is quite cold in Paris today…"
Before she ever had a chance to finish her sentence, Noctis lowered his body so his face was at the same line as hers. He then unbuckled the restrain around his black glove before he pulled the glove from his hand, gently laid it on Ellen's forehead while he put his forehead at the backhand.
"N-N-Noctis!?" She spluttered and her cheeks changing color from faint red to cherry red color due to the blush she gained at the gentle's touch.
"Are you sure you're alright today? Your face reddened and your body's temperature is a little warmer. Not to mention earlier at the inn..." Noctis looked thoughtful, once again not notice her attitude. "Do you need a medicine? I'm bringing few of them in my waist bags; you can use them if you want to."
"I-I'm very much alright! You don't have to do that!" Ellen exclaimed.
"Your words aren't convincing me enough." Noctis huffed, pulled his face and the hand away from her. "I mean look at your face. You're looks like a crab that had just been boiled with hot water." He added more as he put the glove back.
Ellen quickly shook her head.
"I'm really appreciated for your concern but I...I'm really...fine." Ellen rejected the offer softly; she didn't want to make him worried further than this. "...Besides, it's quite cold in the outside here, of course I'm a little warm than it suppose because of my body trying to make more heat."
"Oh…" Noctis had this unconvinced expression but he hasn't say anything at last.
Her blush faded a lot as she asked him again. "Shall we enter to the inside, now?"
"...If you say so." Noctis turned his body and walked toward the building.
Coming from behind Ellen, Marie had this meaningful smile plastered on his face directed at the silver eyed young woman.
"It's quite cold in outside, huh?" Marie raised his no existed eyebrow and Ellen turned halfway to saw that smile and she could hear his tone had this teasingly manner inside it.
Ellen gave the man a warning glare while her face blushed with faint pink color, gave the bald man a warning.
"Marie, please don't say anything more, no more words." She whispered at the bald man. There was a slight plead inside her tone as well if you listened carefully.
Marie did a quiet chuckle.
"If you say so." He replied warmly.
OXOXOXOXOXO
Meanwhile at the orphanage's roof...
A boy around nine years old was laid with closed eyes. He wore short sleeved dark shirt, a pair of armbands, baggy pants, a bandana that covered his forehead. His long ice blue colored hair was tied into low twin tails. Wind breezed quietly at the roof, played the boy hair. A moment later after the breeze died, the boy opened his eyes and pulled an article of newspaper from the pants pocket. There was writing a specific occurrence about last night. It were both the title and the photo of the article he currently staring at.
"Inspector Galmar Defended the Crown Jewels from G!"
The blue haired nine years old boy scowled at the picture contained the Inspector and his subordinates. Above his head was the crown itself. And the man had this pose which infuriated the boy further. He shoved the article back into his pocket and sat up from his position.
"Hmph! I could've got a lot more if those guys in black hadn't gotten in the way." Timothy snarled and the memory of the black uniforms group –a.k.a Ellen, Kanda, and Noctis- with evil laughs came back to his mind.
This was one problem that had only served the crimson eyed boy more questions and puzzlement.
"Who the h*ll were they anyway?" Timothy huffed in annoyance yet disturbed and resting his chin on his hand. "They had weird powers just like me…"
"Ti-mo-thy…" Emilia had already stood looming behind him with dark aura, clearly pissed off.
Her voice also held the same dark aura either.
Timothy stance went immediately in alarm as soon as he heard her voice.
"It's –time- to- study…" The woman continued in anger, ready to drag him if it was necessary.
As same as always, Timothy refused to study and runaway from her with dust trailed behind him. Acted as a tutor for Timothy, she didn't let him get away that easily and after him in rage shortly. Then the chase and the shouts between the woman and the boy through the orphanage began...
OXOXOXOXOXO
Back to our Exorcist group...
"Are you still upset about yesterday, Link?" Ellen laughed quietly at the blond haired Inspector who happened to stood behind her.
Link reddish brown eyes narrowed at the accusation the young woman Exorcist had thrown to him.
"No." He replied rather short in dismissal tone.
Only the three of them were standing in front of the orphanage's door while Marie and Kanda waited below the stairs. In front of the pure snow haired young woman and the blonde Inspector, Noctis raised his hand to knocking the door carefully in polite manner.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Hello?" Noctis greeted but since there was no answer due to the loud voices echoed from the inside, the euclase eyed young man took an initiative to grab the holder and open it. Imagine his surprise when he found the door was unlocked.
"It's unlocked." Ellen voiced his thought and glancing from beside him.
Noctis blinked at the holder and lifted his head. He began to pushing the door further.
"Excuse m…" Noctis immediately halted when he shuddered at the sudden cold rush which came from nowhere and the hair on his back stood up. His face changed into a paler color as the chilling sensation attacked him mercilessly. He then swallowed nervously.
O-oh…
He knew this feeling too well…
"...Noctis? What's wrong?" Ellen noticed his paleness not long after.
At the clue of Ellen's answer and Noctis' sudden chilling, a boy with bandana and a pony tailed woman were coming toward them. Emilia, looked as furious as ever toward the blue haired boy who just humiliated her (Author: if you're read the manga, I'm sure you're already know what kind of humiliated Emilia was received from the pervert boy. ^^;;), decided to give him a hard punishment.
"YOU PERVERT….…!" Emilia was screaming furiously and she prepared a specific stance of attack to Timothy.
Seeing the event and went alarmed, Noctis pushed the young woman Exorcist just in time.
"ELLEN, LOOK OUT…..!"
Ellen was throwing at Link's direction and the braided blonde quickly caught her body. His body was being pushed back because of the weight pressure the beautiful young woman giving when they came into contact, so both of them hit the stone stair railing behind them before slipped into the ground. In instant they were out from the door's range. In other words they were safe and will not get harm.
Unfortunately, Noctis wasn't having that numbers of lucky enough.
"BRAT…!"
WHAAAAM….!
It was happened fast, too fast even. The next second Ellen and Link witnessed the whole occurrence; the woman had kicked both the boy and Noctis. Well, not really, actually Emilia only aimed to kick Timothy's back head as a target at the first place, but poor for Noctis, they headed to his direction not to mention he was very concern about Ellen first and gave her safety as his main priority at that moment.
Ironically, the seemingly brave and good intended action had made Noctis forgotten one simple yet crucial thing; in such short period, he forgotten his ability to teleport wherever he wanted. If only he did remember, he could just grab her and both he and Ellen might easily get away from the currently anger woman by teleport into a safer place. So as a result, he couldn't avoid the upcoming kick and also got hit together with the boy with bandana in the process. And it wasn't only that, it didn't end in there.
The moment when their forehead touched each other, something beyond their imagination happened and things getting worse than the Exorcist group had ever anticipated while located G.
BADUMP!
By the time Timothy's covered forehead hit and touched Noctis', both of them were sensing something, aside from the pain of being hit by each other foreheads. They heard a loud sound like a heartbeat echoed within their ears and for a millisecond the colorful scenery around them distorted into black and white colors. Two pairs of sky blue eyes and crimson eyes widened in pure shock at the same time, they had no idea on what was going on.
Ellen who happened still near them also heard the heartbeat sound and saw the monochrome scenery too. The beautiful young Exorcist gasped at the color of black and white dominated her eyesight for a moment. She didn't hide her shock at the similar occurrence. Ellen suddenly became extremely worried; the young woman had a sudden urge to step toward Noctis and…pulled him from whatever it will come to him…! Before Ellen could think any further, she then heard it again.
BADUMP!
BADUMP! BADUMP!
The sound of a heartbeat echoed again and this time it was not only followed by series of heartbeat that went stronger and faster each time passed. Accompanied the heartbeat sounds, an incredible headache came and attacked the both young man and boy without mercy. So hurt it was until it felt like their heads was going to splitter into pieces. As for Ellen, she tried her best to listening at the loud heartbeat sounds, they were beginning to hurt her ears and she didn't like them. The sounds were signaling to her as if something bad going to happen soon. The heartbeats kept continued until the loudest heartbeat sound came and echoed around Noctis, Timothy, and Ellen.
The scenery around them turned into black and white once again like a monochrome picture, then a bright light came afterwards and suddenly at that very same second, there was a great force exploded between Noctis and Timothy, and sending the two of them at the opposite direction with harshly. Timothy shouted in pain the moment he was crashing against the wall beside the door and fell unconsciously in instant. Noctis' body threw few feet away from the stairs. The young man landed in such a harsh way by loud thud, and rolled before stopped completely on his side. He let out a restrained groan and raised his left hand to covering his face and forehead which throbbed so badly.
Emilia who landed back at the ground overwhelmed by shock when she witnessing the whole event. Moreover, she took a notice there was a person in front of the door. The woman gawked at the sight of fallen young man's figure away from the stairs.
"…Eh?!" Emilia's face was slowly turning pale like a piece of paper.
Marie and Kanda were also finding themselves in shock after the whole event over.
"Oh my God..." Marie gaped.
Kanda narrowed his eyes in frown. "What the h*ll is just happen now...?"
"Noctis…!" Ellen shot up from where she sat and started to running to the direction where the short black haired Prince had just fallen. She kneeled before him and lifted his head carefully. Link came just behind Ellen and the fallen Noctis and kneeled from aside her.
"Noctis! Noctis…!" Ellen called the young man's name in panic. "Are you alright…!? Noctis…!?"
Noctis hissed painfully through his teeth.
"Ugh...My head….." He replied in restrain voice and then changed his left hand to clutch his head side.
Noctis eyes swirled dazedly from the impact. If he wanted to compare the kick's strength with something else it just like he was being hit by an enraged Chocobo. Just how strong the woman who kicked him earlier actually?
And just now… his power was colliding with unknown force that he suspected came from the boy. Noctis sensed the mysterious power when his forehead clashed with the boy's. Their powers repelled one another and caused some kind of explosion from the both power's collide. It raised one big question inside Noctis' mind. Who was this boy for real…!? A surge of pain attacked him, forced him to stop thinking, and he hissed as he clutched his side head a little harder.
Ellen let out a relieved sigh and her tension loosened once Noctis managed to give her his reply. Although she was disturbed by the recent strange occurrence, Ellen had to priority the young man's first. Ellen stole a glance at the now uncovered forehead. The silver haired young woman was finding out that the spot where the hit took previously on his forehead had a trail of blood and it flowed a lot. As if to worse his condition, Noctis also had a medium sized cut in his forehead where the blood was coming from. Ellen became more worried and concern at this matter.
"Your forehead is getting a cut. It'll need to be bandage quickly." Ellen told the oldest young man.
Noctis creaked one of his eyes just slightly to staring with mixed emotions at the silver haired Exorcist.
"Bandage…?" Noctis repeated Ellen's words incredulously.
"It's letting out bloods a lot. Not quite deep but it's still has some blood out from the injury." Link added informatively.
Noctis cringed at the information. "No wonder I feel something wet and iron smelled..." He commented weakly.
Emilia who did kick earlier was squeaking in horror when she realized that not only Timothy got hurt but the young man also met the same fate with the boy as well while the children came from behind her and shouted some kind of Emilia's killer kick. Not that Emilia was being concern about. She had accidentally hit innocent people…! Now the young man's hurt because of her…!
"Oh no! I'm using the moves Papa taught me again…!" She lifted her long skirt so she could run fast toward Ellen and Noctis. Emilia kneeled beside the silver eyed young woman to apologize at the injured young man. "I'm so sorry…! Are you alright…!? Anything else's hurt...?!"
"...Aside from the forehead?" Noctis asked back and Emilia nodded worriedly. "No, I think I'm not..." he sighed heavily then frowned.
"Speaking about being hurt, where's the boy with the bandana?" Noctis wondered.
The brown haired woman stunned for a moment and she snapped at the blue haired boy's direction. She had a worry look on her face, she almost forgot about the boy. Emilia saw the long haired young man and the bald man were already at the boy's side.
"Timothy…!?" Emilia half shouted in concern.
"Don't worry. He's just being unconscious from the crash." Marie concluded after he was checking the boy's pulse. Little did him aware –well, he was blind- that the bandana that once covered Timothy's forehead now detached and revealing something in which it was Kanda who quickly took a notice. On the boy's forehead, a big round jewel with ice blue colored was somehow like it was being planted.
"Hey, wait." Kanda halted the bald man.
Marie lifted his head curiously. "What is it?"
"Oh, you're blind. Of course you can't see it." Kanda said. "He's got a ball growing out from his forehead."
Marie looked frowned at the information he just got. "A ball? Is that true?"
"It's more like a piece of gem actually." Kanda corrected. "Do you think it's the Innocence we've been looking for all this time?"
"Perhaps. However from the sounds of his heartbeat, it seems he isn't going to wake up soon. We have to bring him and Noctis to inside and we have to wait for the boy until he's regains his conscious."
"So to summarize it, we have to wait again in the end. Now we have two injured people in our hands. This is become more troublesome than I've thought. What will happen next time…?" Kanda rolled his eyes at the thought. He then turned his head at Ellen's knelled figure. "Oi! Moyashi …!"
"My name is Ellen…!" Ellen cut him with retorted tone yet Kanda was ignoring it.
"We're going to bring the two of them to inside! Ask the woman over there for permission if she's alright with that…!"
Ellen felt annoyed to the long haired young man's rather bossy attitude but she still intended to ask the pony tailed woman beside her, although she muttered about 'stupid Kanda' or something like that under her breath before turning her attention at blinked Emilia and the annoyance on Ellen's face replaced by a friendly and warm smile.
"I'm sorry for our impoliteness, but can we bring him together with the boy to inside and treat their injuries?" Ellen asked politely and gestured at Noctis' cut.
"Oh, sure. It's particularly my fault that he's now injured but…" Emilia stole a glance at Timothy who carried by Marie. Ellen noticed to where she glanced at and comforting the older woman.
"He'll be alright. Just like as he's said, the boy only unconscious. He'll wake up soon."
"I hope you're…right." Emilia did a bit hesitate but decided to goes through. "Come on; let me show you the way."
Ellen's silver eyes went at the euclase eyed young man.
"Can you stand up?" Ellen tilted her white head; eyes weren't taking away from the injured young man.
Noctis nodded once. He let go of his hand from his head and got up slowly from Ellen's embrace.
"I think I can…" He concluded.
She helped him to stand up carefully and kept holding him while Link backed away from them and watching from afar. When Noctis managed to sat up properly, he flinched slightly but he quickly steadied himself. Ellen supported him by had his right arm wrapped around her shoulders. Ellen held it with one of her hands while the other held his waist to balance him.
"I think the hit was took you more than it seems." Ellen pointed out the obvious.
Before Noctis ever reply her, he felt a tug from below his left arm. Both of them snapped their heads to found Emilia did the same thing.
"Let me help you." She offered.
"Miss?" Noctis startled by the brown haired woman's act.
"Consider this as apologize from me for kicked you." The woman replied awkwardly. "My name is Emilia Galmar, you can just call me Emilia."
"Thank you very much for your help, Miss Galmar." Ellen thanked sincerely in Noctis' place. "My name is Ellen and this is Noctis."
Emilia nodded. "You're welcome and it's nice to see you. Let's bring him to inside."
The three of them were walking toward the entrance with Link trailed behind them and the rest of the Exorcists had already brought the boy into inside the orphanage.
"Noctis?" Ellen called him in the middle of way. "Does the cut still hurt at all?"
"It's giving me a bad throbs but the pain has lessening."
"Now see why I don't want you to tagging with us?" Ellen laughed weakly at him. "Have anyone told you that you're careless?"
"Have I told you that I'm already aware of my own risk?" He threw the question back with retort tone.
Ellen shrugged with the little ironically smile on her pink lips. "I think you have."
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