Me: And here it is! Part/Chapter Thirty-one! And, yet again, I got this out late! I'm so sorry! I really meant to get it out on time but--well, things came up!
Fera: Hmm…well yes…it is out late but…do I show up at all during this chapter?
Me: It depends but, no, I don't think you are.
To Understand: Part Thirty-one
Behind Bars of Sin
By Harmony283
Reviews:
Alaia Skyhawk: Hmm…it sounds like you know something…and I've got you wondering? About what I wonder -ponders-. Anyway, here's the next Chapter so…enjoy!
Hiranieas: Well yeah, I guess it would be kinda confusing…after all, you have no idea where Genis is in the dream or exactly what role everyone will play until the sequel (and I kinda sorta planned it that way too). But yeah! I'm glad you liked the chapter an here's the next one!
Takokinoko-Yup! That's right, Neo was/is a woman! And yes…the sequel…well, let's just say that the sequel will be a bit of a…shock. It's gonna be big and It's not gonna take place in Sylvarant or Tethe'alla! And I'm glad you could picture everything in the dream sequence okay. That was actually the hardest part of the chapter just on part because of its importance (Neo becomes really important in the sequel just remember that she could have had the throne to something). And it was also extremely hard to explain but…yeah, I'm glad you thought I did okay! And also with Kratos…I think I'm actually getting his personality down right! Yay! And you're going to make me a present? -big eyed- really? Yay! That makes me sooo happy! Hmm…I wonder what it is? And I'm glad you liked the pic of Feral (though her looks are definitely deceiving cuz she looks so cute)! And yes, I know it wasn't that long of a wait…but I still feel kinda paranoid about it (cuz for one chapter I didn't update for six days and I thought it was only three - -;). But yeah, anyways…here's the next Chapter--Enjoy!
Mizuki hikari—I'm glad you liked the chapter and that you thought it was interest so…here's the next chapter! Enjoy!
Me: Well I'm finally past 30 Chapters
Feral: Yes…and I haven't showed up for the past five/six chapters…
Me: You're really getting bugged about that aren't you?
Feral: You could say that…but now I'll do the Disclaimer: Harmony283 doesn't own Tales of Symphonia or any of its characters. Namco does and she's just using them for entertainment. But she does own April, the plot, and me. So yeah, don't steal…
Me: Good job.
Feral: Thanks…
Authors Note: You're welcome. Now then, in this chapter Lloyd, Zelos, and Kratos will go and save Presea and Regal. And yes, I know each part of these little traps are different but since 'Cruxis' is disbanded an' all the holograms or 'fakes' of the people Lloyd and co. know can't go into that long speech about how they should join the and Lord Yggdrasill. Cuz if they did, they'd immediately be called fakes. And that wouldn't be any fun now would it? -cough- yeah, and if I have room I'll squeeze a little Mithos POV in at the end like I did for the last Chapter.
Feral: well that was…well informed
Me: Well it's gonna have to be cuz I'm going to have to come up with another 'trap' idea for Raine and April (I still haven't come up with anything yet - -;)
Feral: Well that's not good. And their trap scene is coming up in…two chapters.
Me: -counts on fingers-let's see…Kratos, Presea/Regal, Colette/Sheena for the next chapter, and…yeah you're right. Chapter Thirty 34…
Feral: Of course I'm right! I'm always right!
Me: Now you're reminding me of Genis…
-----------------------------
Lloyds POV
I ran over to the floating elevator like platform, waiting for both Kratos and Zelos to follow.
They did and I pressed the 'move' button…just like I did last time.
And we moved across the space between the warp pad and the jail cell.
It still made me wonder how they did all this stuff. I mean, yes they had full use of Magitechnology…and I'm pretty sure it'd be useful because no one besides them—and the professor and the renegades—know how to work those types of machines.
Yeah I could work a refresher but…that wasn't really major.
I sighed, shaking my head of those thoughts, walking over to the jail.
Only to sink into the floor.
Crap…not again!
"Lloyd!"
"Wha-?"
Suddenly I found myself in a dark room.
A very dark room.
It didn't help much that someone else--someone evil--was in the room with me.
Was it a monster?
Suddenly something came down on my left shoulder, making my arm feel like it was about to split from my body.
And that hurt.
"GAH!"
Blood seeped through shirt, staining the already red fabric, making it even more red. Or at least a darker red than it had been.
But where--or rather who/what--attacked me?
I couldn't see a thing.
And that definitely didn't help things out at all.
'Wait…wasn't Lloyd just there?'
Huh? Was that Presea? Why--
'You're right. He was just there!'
Now Regals voice is in my head.
Or am I hearing the conversation going on back in--
'No! It couldn't be! It must be an illusion!'
'You're right…who knows where Lloyd is--'
Oh…so now they thought I was an illusion.
How wonderful.
'Are you two blind? Of course that was Lloyd!' Now Zelos was yelling at them.
'It's true. It really was…Lloyd.'
'But how can that be possible? He disappeared!'
'It is too possible!'
'Yes…he saved me from a trap just a few moments ago.'
'But…are you sure…?' Presea sounded really unsure about this and now I really wanted to see their expressions.
I mean, I'm me! No illusion could ever be me!
But as for if they thought that or not…
It was true that I wasn't close to either of them but…they still could tell the difference, right?
'Yes I'm sure! That definitely is Lloyd!'
'I have to agree. I would know my own son from a fake.'
'Are you sure about that?' Zelos inquired, sounding amused.
And I had to agree with him.
He had already made it known that he hadn't been sure when he had gone up against that hologram of me only, what, ten minutes, ago?
He really shouldn't pretend to be superior.
Unless, of course, he was acting again.
Which really wouldn't surprise me.
'Of course I knew that Lloyd was a fake.'
'Hmm…whatever you say.' Though Zelos still didn't sound like he believed him.
But then again he never liked Kratos to begin with so…it was to be expected.
Suddenly I felt another jab of pain--this time on my left side. I cried out and fell to the ground.
'Huh? Wha--Alicia!'
'What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead!'
'So that's…Alicia…'
'Be gone you…you ghost!'
'Ahh!'
'Stop it!'
I heard the sound of a weapon being drawn.
Oh great…Presea must've drawn her ax! But her sister was dead! Was she really going to attack Regal?
That was just…so…wrong!
'Don't move…'
'But she is--!'
'A fake…? You…aren't happy to see me Regal? Even after I went through all this trouble to come back and you can't even tell its' me?' 'Alicia' sounded like she was about to cry…and I have to say it sounded real.
But how could it be?
No one could come back from the dead…and Alicia was dead!
'Alicia…but…Alicia's dead! Presea…you know that!'
'Yes but if she really did come back from the dead then--'
'Thank you so much Presea…even though you, Regal, killed me…I…how could you forgive him for something like that?' Now Alicia sounded angry.
Woah…wait. Didn't Alicia forgive Regal for killing her? Didn't Regal say she asked him to kill her because she loved him…? Then why is she so angry?
Yup, she definitely is a fake.
But…I can't tell them that!
Hell, I don't even know where I am!
'Don't move.'
'But--'
'Oookay this is getting a little weird…'
And I had to agree with Zelos, I'm sure things were getting weird. But…I couldn't do anything about it the way I was now!
'But she's dead! Don't let this…fake…fool you! Think about it!'
'I don't need to think about it--' I head the swooshing sound of an ax--crap…she really was going to attack Regal!
'Yes…make him pay for killing me.'
"NO! STOP!"
Suddenly, as if complying to my words, the two stopped and--was I floating? I couldn't tell but my surroundings were getting lighter and soon…
I was kneeling on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood.
"Lloyd!"
"So it was you!"
"Where'd you go?"
'Well? Aren't you going to kill him?'
"Think about it both of you! Regals right, would the real Alicia say that? And I thought she forgave you, Regal, for killing her!"
"You are…right. Alicia would not say something that this Alicia is saying now."
'So even you…don't see that it's the real me, Presea. And you were my sister.'
"Don't talk like that! You are no sister of mine--you're just a fake!" Presea turned to face 'Alicia' and raised her ax, walking steadily towards her.
Now she was standing in front of her.
She raised the ax…
And swung down.
But Alicia disappeared.
"Wha--?"
"So that Alicia was a hologram as well."
"Yes. Just like the 'Lloyd' I went up against in my trap." Kratos murmured, shaking his head from side to side.
"Yeesh, Pronyma must've had a lot of free time on her hands in order to make these traps…I mean, what would I have done if I were trapped in one of them?" Zelos said, looking paler than normal, running his fingers through his vibrant red hair.
"Well you had the liberty of not being stuck in one. So don't imagine yourself in one."
"Fine, fine, boy are you the ever cheerful mercenary?"
"Whatever…"
"Uh…why don't we go find everyone else now?" I asked, hoping that the two wouldn't start bickering.
I really didn't need my father and my boyfriend fighting. I didn't think it'd do much good later on…especially if--
My face turned scarlet…was I about to say if we get married?! Can guys even get married? And I called Zelos my boyfriend too!
Agh! This was so confusing! Is he or isn't he--well I guess he is but…
I shook my head of those thoughts.
After all, it wasn't a good idea to think about those kinds of things now, when everyone--minus those who I saved and Genis who was in Venheim--was trapped.
"So the only people left to find are Colette, Sheena, Raine, and April, right?"
"Right."
"But where would they be? I mean, Kratos was easy to find and so were you," I said nodding at both Presea and Regal, who seemed to look apologetically towards the other like they wanted to say sorry but didn't exactly know how to go about it, "uh…you guys?"
They snapped out of their trance and turned to me, mumbling 'sorry' quickly before bowing their heads.
"Do you two need to apologize to each other? Cuz now would be a good time to do it."
"Well--"
"It is not--"
"Uh…"
I sighed, "Look just say you're sorry…that's all you really can say."
"Yes. You are right. I am sorry Regal…I distrusted your judgement…though you have know Alicia…far better than I."
"And I'm sorry as well. Both our actions were out of hand--of course you would have protected Alicia…she was your sister after all."
"Okay then! Now that you two have made up…" Zelos turned to Kratos, "Since you know your way around here more than anyone else does, where do ya think the others are?"
"Well since Presea and Regal were placed together, let's assume that the others are in pairs of two."
"Okay then, so next we're looking for…Colette and Sheena, right?"
"Yes…that would be easiest. There is only one other place I can think of that Pronyma linked the Derris Emblem to. And that would be in the room with the refresher."
"Okay then, so we go back through the warp point and down the moving walkways till we get there? That sounds easy enough." Zelos said, grinning happily, "Besides, my hunnies probably miss me."
"I doubt that."
"Hey!"
I sighed, "Well it's true…Sheena probably doesn't wanna talk to you right now but at least we can guess where they--or Raine and April--are. After we get them then we can focus on the last two and then hopefully…hopefully we'll be able to get to where Genis is."
"Yes…I am worried."
"Mithos said he would find Genis and that he would kill Pronyma. I don't think we should worry…though Mithos isn't exactly the best healer, we definitely might need Raine or April there to insure his well being--though I highly doubt he's in critical condition."
"And what makes you so sure?"
"I doubt Mithos would let that happen."
"I…do not understand. But that means that Genis is safe for the time being?"
"Yes, I'm assuming he is."
Almost as soon as Regal stopped speaking a dagger floated down from the sky.
Wow…first a broken spider…and now a chipped dagger.
"Huh?"
"What…is this?"
"it's a dagger."
"But what is it for?"
"It's chipped…like its been used a lot."
"Huh?" Presea and Regal turned to face me and I smiled.
"Why don't you keep it?"
"Why?"
"Because…it shows what kind of hardships you've been through--and that you can't give up!"
"Hey that's like the broken spider!"
"Yes…it is."
"Ah…really? I suppose we should keep the dagger then. And yes you're right…it does have symbolic meaning to it when you put it that way--Lloyd." Regal said, taking the dagger from the air and tucking it safely away where it could do no harm.
"Hmm, well then, now that that's over, we might as well find the rest." Kratos stated, walking past us and onto the floating platform.
"Yeah you're right." I followed him on, Zelos following me.
Presea and Regal got on after us and I started the machine.
"You know…it's quite a long drop if we fall off of this thing." Zelos stated off handedly.
"And why are you pointing that out now?" I asked, looking back at him.
He just shrugged, "Eh, well, no particular reason really…"
"Then don't speak of it anymore. Saying nonsense just waists ones breath." Kratos said, though his tone seemed cold, like usual, it had an annoyed undertone to it. His statement received a rather cold stare from Zelos, "Then what do you want me to do about it?"
"Well, since just about everything you say has nothing really to do with anything--"
"Yes it does!"
"--No it doesn't." Kratos sighed, "Just keep your mouth shut unless it's something excruciatingly important."
Zelos huffed, muttering something under his breath that sounded like, "Old Man."
Regal, Presea, and I exchanged glances.
Did those two know each other? It sure sounded like they did. And it wouldn't really surprise me.
I mean, they were both a part of Cruxis so yeah, they must've spoken at one time or another.
Or wait…was this about our relationship? But Kratos seemed fine with it!
Argh…now I'm worrying over stuff that I don't have to worry about!
And now I was getting a headache.
Oh joy.
----------------------------------
Mithos' POV
I rushed into the room I knew Genis was going to be in.
And saw him lying, face first, on the floor.
Oh gods…I hope he's okay!
I rushed over to him, kneeling down to his level. I then gently picked him up, walking over to the couch and sitting down on it.
"Genis…" I murmur, running my fingers through his hair. He seemed to be asleep…or unconscious but…his face was even more pale than it usually was.
And his pulse--
I brushed a few strands of his hair away to reach his neck. I then placed my forefinger and my middle finger right under his chin--feeling for that soft part of his neck where I could check his pulse.
Once I found it I counted the pulses within, I was assuming, a one minute time span.
It felt like it took forever just to count up to that point.
But it bothered me…his pulse wasn't quick at all.
Nor was it the steady pace of one sleeping.
It was, in fact, very weak.
I sighed softly to myself, there really wasn't anything I could do about that. It…well, for one I wasn't that great of a healer. I would have liked it if his sister, or even April, were here.
But I didn't know when they would arrive so all I could do was wait.
And then I remember--the traps.
The only way to unlock the Derris Emblem--essentially the only way to get to Venheim.
Crap.
It wasn't like Pronyma would turn off the guard system…but…she must've known that they were, well, going to come.
She said so herself that it wouldn't be good if they came.
So she must've made sure the traps were still active.
But hopefully Lloyd would get them out soon. After all, Kratos was most likely with him and he obviously would know exactly where the traps lay.
I sighed again, though this time more in relief.
Not just because I knew Genis' friends would be okay…but also because the boys pulse had sped up.
I wondered then, what he was dreaming. He seemed to be scared and for once I wished that I could get inside his head and see what he was dreaming of.
I began to stroke his hair softly, smiling at him, though I knew he couldn't see it.
I knew I shouldn't feel this…sense of ease when I didn't even know if Genis was okay or not but…just him being here--with me--made me feel happy.
Because I knew that, when he woke up, I would be the first thing he saw.
And I knew he would like that.
I leaned back against the couch, pulling the boy closer to me, "Please wake up soon." I murmured softly before I too closed my eyes.
The one thing I heard before I drifted off into a kind of dazed slumber was…
The sound of glass cracking.
-----------------------------------
Me: There…finally I'm done with this chapter! It took me way longer than I thought it would and I'm sooo sorry yet again!
Feral: Well it wasn't really your fault you had to celebrate your fathers birthday on the weekend.
Me: Yeah that's true…but this was also, by far, the most boring part to write about…I mean, yeah the traps were kinda interesting but…well…I never really liked Presea or Regal so…
Feral: You put it off till the last minute--you procrastinator. You also did the same thing with ATF.
Me: Okay…that's because it got deleted (somehow) again! And that isn't my fault either!
Feral: Sure it wasn't…
Me: grr…-cough-uh…yeah, anyways please R&R! I'd love to hear what you thought of the chapter! So…yeah! Reviews make me happy and--hopefully--they'll convince me to update faster:D