Me: Here's Chapter/Part Twenty Five! And I just realized that I'm past 200 pages as of last Chapter (I'm actually at 208 pages)! Yay!
April: Mm…yes…that's a lot of pages…but I hope Genis and Mithos are okay…
Me: Well, you'll just have to find out!
April: And that honest to goodness scares me…
Me: Hey!
To Understand: Part Twenty-five
Jealousy in Chains
By Harmony283
Reviews:
Liu Barrowin-Ah…it said that? That's odd…I though I changed it…? Maybe it didn't –goes back and reads-…ah, yeah, I don't see it (maybe cuz I did edit the Chapter once and I probably—most likely—changed it) but it probably was there (it's in the original draft…I think) but oh well! That's besides the point! Here's the next chapter—enjoy!
Mizuki hikari-I'm glad you think things are getting more interesting! Here's the next Chapter! Enjoy!
DraNKa-It feels like forever? The last time I updated was…Monday (I think)…and that wasn't too long ago (it was only 6 days…well…that is kinda long…)…but yeah, Homework gets in the way…And yup, April's joining the group! Raine will too…when they get to the Tower of Salvation (but then I have to wonder what I'm gonna do for the traps that everyone gets caught in…hmm…). Yeah Lloyd's pretty dense about the whole Genis Mithos relationship thing until Kratos tells him (whenever that'll be). And yeah Kratos does act fatherly towards both Lloyd and Mithos…which is why he was the confidant to Mithos when he was having problems sorting emotional stuff out. And I hope I don't torture you with this update! I have to share this computer with my dad and he's on it most of the weekend so…I can't really update then…
Me: Well then, like I said in the last Chapter this chapter's gonna show you what's going on with Genis and Pronyma.
April: -sniff-how could she do this? Ah, who am I kidding? I knew she could do this…
Me: Um…-pats back- it's okay…it'll all be over soon.
April: No it won't. Lloyd and everyone else still don't know anything besides the fact that Pronyma's my sister.
Me: They'll find that out soon enough--why don't you do the disclaimer now? It'll make you feel better.
April: Okay…Harmony283 doesn't own ToS or any of its characters. She just uses them for her enjoyment. But she does own me and (both) Feral(s) as well as any other OC that just randomly pops up…so yeah, please don't steal us!
Me: See? Don't you feel better now?
April: Mmm…maybe a little…
Authors Note: Ah, well, there's really nothing more I can do -shrugs-it's the plot. The plot is evil…-cough- ah, yeah…anyways…in this Chapter/Part you see Genis trying--to no avail--to get away from Pronyma. And of course, Pronyma's trying to reawaken that…weird lady that took over Genis a few chapters ago. Will she succeed? Will Mithos get there in time? Or will another devious trap set by Pronyma, the Queen of Traps, stop Mithos? Hmm…I wonder…
April: Well that was…reassuring…
Me: Hey! I'm just goin' along with the plot…so…
April: I know, I know…
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Genis' POV
I felt…like I was falling.
Falling, falling, falling.
And then I stopped.
I blinked and opened my eyes, looking around dazed…
Where was I?
I felt like I've been here before.
But where is 'here'?
A cold chill ran up my spine as I realized it.
I was in that room again.
The room that Pronyma…that Mithos had found me in the last time Pronyma had kidnapped me.
That seemed like so long ago.
When in truth, it was only a few days ago.
I shivered as another cold chill swept through me. Man I had the worst luck now didn't I?
I then noticed another thing.
I was alone.
Yes Pronyma wasn't in the room with me, but then again that should've made me feel relieved.
But…Feral…wasn't with me either.
And she wasn't sleeping either.
She was gone.
But how could that be? Did she finally decide that she didn't want to be in my head anymore?
But she said herself that she chose me.
She could've changed her mind.
Maybe she didn't want me to get hurt anymore?
But...I could stop that other Feral from coming out…well, yeah it hurt a lot but…I still could so she didn't really need to worry about it.
Then I had to wonder, where did Pronyma go.
What an unusual thought to have at a time like this. I mean, why would I want to know where the person who hurt me went? I'd be happy if she left me here and never came back.
But then again, because of all those horror/mystery novels that I had I knew that always knowing where your enemy was--where the bad guy was--was a good thing. Because normally they would be hiding somewhere just waiting for you to put down your guard then they'd come out and…
Kill you…
I shuddered again. Now I really wished Feral were here.
Even if she couldn't become a real person in this world she could still provide some solstice right?
Right.
I sighed, "Now I really wish I had let Mithos, Lloyd, and the others fight Pronyma. I mean, yeah, they're strong enough--heck, Mithos's more than strong enough to take her on."
"Oh but you didn't and besides, I thought I told you I needed you." Pronyma's voice rang out through the room, bouncing off the walls, creating an echoing effect.
I shuddered again, "Where are you?"
"Right here."
I jumped and whirled around as I felt her hand on my shoulder.
She smirked, "Now then, why don't we get ready? This is going to hurt--not that I care. But I just thought I ought to warn you. After all, I'm not as cruel as I seem."
"You're a Hypocrite."
"Hmm, maybe. Maybe not."
I felt something cold and dark wrap around my neck.
Wait, how can I feel dark?
"Nngh!" I gasped out as the cold dark object tightened.
"Hmph, struggling will only make it worse."
Then I realized it. It was some type of chain.
Ugh so she was going to try and choke me?
Yup she's definitely a hypocrite.
"My you're lasting longer than I thought. And he said that you were the weakest one in the group."
"H-he…?" I wheezed out, my windpipe slowly being squeezed shut.
Pronyma scowled, "Yes he. And I shouldn't have said that. Oh well, you should pass out soon enough…but if you insist on staying conscious I'll just have to knock you out. I mean, that'd just be a quicker way to--" her head shot up and she whirled around.
"Dammit! Lord Yggdrasill's already here!"
"M-Mithos…?"
"Grr…and he closed off the path to the Tower of Salvation too…damn, I have to get out of here or else he'll kill me! But…no…wait I know what I can do…"
She didn't get a chance to say another word as the door to the room flew open…
revealing a very pissed off Mithos.
"L-Lord Y-Yggdrasill!"
"M-M-Mithos…!"
Mithos' eyes widened as he saw me.
"Genis!"
He moved forward only to have Pronyma step in front of me.
Gods, I don't think I'll last much longer.
My head feels light…
Really light.
"I'm sorry but you can't have your precious boyfriend. He's too important."
"Oh really now? And why is he so important? I already know you aren't going by my orders…"
"No I'm not, sir. I hate to say it but I haven't since…well…since this boys' sister fell ill that one time…"
Mithos' eyes widened, though my eyes were so unfocused now…
But that wasn't important. So she had started working for someone else since Raine got sick and Mithos and I saved her?
Was she jealous even then?
Well why wouldn't she? That's when Mithos started to pay more attention to me so of course that'd…well…make sense.
She's already proven that she's the jealous type. April said that she had been the cause of her parents death. And April's an elf. So Pronyma was obviously jealous because April didn't have to go through all of the pain and the racism and everything else associated with being the 'tainted' beings that we are.
"And now I'm wondering how I could have missed the obvious signs."
"Because maybe you were too caught up in this boy to notice!"
She sounded generally pissed off.
And now I knew I was in danger.
She was controlling this chain with magic.
And she was tightening it.
I gasped out, getting both of their attentions.
Mithos moved forward once again, this time raising his hand, forming a ball of light magic to shoot at her.
I wheezed, now it was getting to the point where it was almost impossible to breathe.
Dammit, I had really bad luck now didn't I?
"Let Genis go or else."
"Or else what? You'll attack me? Hmph, I'm not scared of you."
And yet again she was being a hypocrite. She was obviously scared.
I mean, who wouldn't be?
Mithos Yggdrasill, the leader of Cruxis and the Desians, as well as the one who split the two worlds apart.
When he got angry he was angry.
"Yes actually. I will. And yes you are afraid. You've just proven that."
"Oh really now?" she sounded amused, but her underlying tone was that of someone who was scared out of their wits.
"Yes, you have. For one your face is paler than normal and two…your eyes…they always turn a shade lighter when you're afraid."
Well, that was to be expected. I mean, she's worked for Cruxis ever since…well…I guess for a long time.
Suddenly the room started to get dimmer. And was I spinning or was the room spinning?
Man I felt dizzy.
And…I couldn't breathe.
Oh great. Pronyma's fear must be making the magic controlling the chain stronger…and making the chain get tighter around my neck.
Now I gagged.
I heard the sound of Mithos' attack being released.
But my vision was too blurry to see it.
Of course, my hearing was just fine…
I heard Pronyma scream.
And then the room around me went dark.
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Mithos' POV
I had finally reached Venheim and I had only been there a few seconds before I knew something wasn't right.
First off nothing was right because Pronyma was obviously going by someone elses orders and she had Genis.
Second was the…mana…felt strange. It felt like it did when I watched Pronyma set up those traps.
I guessed that this was just the way her mana felt.
But I didn't know how far she would go with these traps.
But now I did.
She proved it when I had knocked down that invisible door in the same exact room she had kept Genis in last time.
And when I saw that chain…
That Chain of pure darkness tightening around Genis' neck, as well as his wrists…
Gods this woman was even more evil than I thought.
Or was it jealousy that was fueling this anger?
Hell, who was I kidding? Of course it was jealousy! She knew that I loved Genis and she was jealous!
Now I'm wondering just how many times she used jealousy to fuel her anger.
I know one time would have been the time April was talking about.
Pronyma had been jealous because her mother—who was Aprils mother as well, apparently—had found another lover…who just so happened to be an elf.
She had been jealous of April—who hadn't even been born yet—because she knew that she would be born a full blooded elf.
She was jealous because since she would be completely one race she wouldn't have to go through the pain she did.
What a horrible woman.
And what's more…she had power.
To say she wasn't one of my stronger members would be lying.
How in the name of Martel—gods how I missed her—did any of the Grand Cardinals think she made it to the top?
I already knew Magnius thought of something, well, perverted.
Kvar wouldn't have cared. He would've stooped so low as to kill her to get that position—not that he was strong enough to.
Rodyle probably never cared to begin with. He'd just as soon destroy us all. And yet again, he wasn't powerful enough to.
Forcystus…well…he actually knew how she had gotten that position.
The poor fool.
He had gone and…fallen in love with her.
And yet he had died.
He was the one I thought would have survived too.
And he was the one I now wished was here. He could probably calm Pronyma down enough so that she could at least see something past this jealousy.
But of course, he wasn't going to come back from the dead.
No normal human being—elf, half-elf, or human—could bring someone back from the dead. The only being I knew of that would know of a way would be the Summon Spirit of Birth—Maxwell.
But he was all the way in Exire.
Though that really wasn't important now.
What was important was getting Genis away from her.
Then I could worry about whatever else there was to worry about.
I heard Genis choke and wheeze.
It sounded—and looked—horrible.
Genis was right there and…and…he was in pain.
And Pronyma had caused that pain.
I saw her eyes widening as I released my attack.
I heard her scream.
I waited until the light from my attack died down, expecting to see her crippled form on the ground.
But I didn't.
She was gone.
And Genis had passed out.
Dammit!
I ran over to the other half-elven boy and touched the chain.
I immediately jerked my hand away.
What was this chain made of?
It was cold, which was normal, but it was also…dark?
How can something feel dark?
And yet again that wasn't important!
I formed another mass of light energy in my hand—after all what could beat the dark but the light?—though this time it was much smaller, only about the size of a marble, and I touched the chain again.
This time it disintegrated.
I sighed in relief as the chains binding his wrist disappeared as well.
Genis then collapsed in my arms.
"Oh gods Genis…please be alive…" I murmured, checking for a pulse on his neck.
It was there, but it wasn't very strong.
Well, I might as well heal these small wounds.
I moved to touch his right wrist—the one that had his Exsphere on it—and blinked.
When did he take those bandages off?
Or did Pronyma do that?
And…his Exsphere looked different. It wasn't the normal shade of blue that it usually was.
And…it looked like something white was swirling around in it.
Or maybe that was the lights?
I shook my head, clearing those thoughts from my head.
I then mumbled some words under my breath, a calm healing wind cascaded around us, healing away any wounds we might have received, as well as my stress over this entire…escapade.
"Don't worry Genis." I murmur, picking him up gently from the ground.
"I'll get you out of here…and I promise, the next time I see Pronyma…she's dead."
And I intended to keep that promise.
Because, quite honestly, Pronyma had gone too far.
But now, I had to wait for Genis' friends.
After all, they were probably just as worried about him as I had been.
I chuckled softly to myself as I sat down on a nearby couch.
When had I become such a…caring person?
When had I changed?
I looked at the—now sleeping—form of Genis in my lap and smiled.
"It's because of you isn't it?" I whispered in his ear, running my fingers through his hair.
I knew that I shouldn't just be sitting here.
Especially since Pronyma could show up at any moment.
After all I had sealed off the route to Tethe'alla—and Sylvarant.
But then again…I didn't want to leave Genis here alone and I also didn't want to put him in danger by going after Pronyma and dragging him along.
I sighed and looked up.
My eyes fell on single mirror in the room, with its ornately sketched border.
Pronyma had brought that in a while ago…though I hadn't known she put it in this room.
Then I noticed.
A piece of that mirror was missing.
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Me: Ah…whew…I think this is probably the fastest I've ever written a chapter before!
April: It probably is (on account of you updated not only this chapter but another chapter from another ToS fanfic today). But I'm glad Genis is safe!
Me: Yeah, he will be…for now.
April: -gulp-what are you planning?
Me: Heh, you'll just have to find out yourself! Now then, R&R! I love getting reviews! They make me happy!