Title: On my Honor
Author: Yamato795
Pairing: Lots of mentions of RegalxAlicia, but no other ones planned at the moment…
Rating: Let's go PG-13 to be safe, since they do swear in the game, and the violence.
Status: Chapter 6 out of ? parts. Lots planned, but a number is not clear just yet.
Disclaimer: Don't own Tales of Symphonia. Please don't sue me.
Spoilers: A TON, mostly for Regal. I'd say this story is better suited for those who have beaten the game if you ask me. Read at your own risk of spoiling anything. Since it starts where Regal comes in, it should spoil quite a bit of the game after that, don't you think?
Summary: Take a look through Regal's eyes as well as a look into his past.
Author notes: I apologize for the delay in updating. I ended up having not only finals, but to send my laptop in for repairs. While I had access to my story, I needed some time to play the game again and get a feel for where I was. I'm sorry to have left you all hanging. I would really like to thank Christie and Marika for their support and encouragement. You guys are the best.
On my Honor
Chapter six
Alicia had met him at the south exit to lock the door behind him and help make sure no one spotted him slipping out this late at night, just like usual. Regal hesitated in the doorway though, his gaze finding hers and he whispered to her something he found he could no longer hold back, "Would you like to come with me, Alicia?"
"Come with you?" she repeated, sounding stunned.
"To the dojo." The Duke replied softly, smiling down at her encouragingly. The only times he ever got to see Alicia were for short times in his office over lunch, or for briefer moments such as this normally would have been. He had been wrestling with the urge to ask her along for quite some time now, feeling he should at the very least show her this place that was so important to him. Maybe then she would understand why he felt the need to risk his reputation for the sake of learning the dying art of Dragakendo. And if he got to spend more time with the young woman who was the closest thing he had to a real friend that was just an added plus. "I thought perhaps you'd like to see it and meet the man who teaches me."
"Wouldn't I distract you from your training?" Alicia asked timidly, thankful for the darkness hiding her blush. For almost a year now, she had been assisting him in sneaking out of the mansion so he would not get caught again, and she had never even thought of asking to go along, or even considered he might ask her to. The fact that he had kept this part of his life secret made it private, personal, and she would never want to intrude into something that was meant to be entirely his.
"Of course not, and I'm sure Master Goatta would love to meet you." Regal insisted, still keeping his voice low. "If you would rather stay, I understand, I just thought that you might like to come with me at least once."
"All right, I'll go with you, Master Regal." She told him as she felt her heart rate jump, the blush in her cheeks probably turning crimson.
"Take my hand."
She about died when those words registered in her mind and her eyes focused on the hand that the Duke had extended to her. If possible, she turned even redder while her breath caught in her throat, her blue eyes gapping wide now. Regal wanted to hold her hand! This was something directly out of her day dreams, something she never thought would happen in real life. Even in the dim light she saw him cock his head to the side questioning her hesitance. "Oh, once we are out of the gardens it will be completely dark until we are close to the dojo. I don't want us to get separated."
"R-right." Gulping down her nervousness, hoping he didn't notice the slightest of shivers run through her at his touch. She was sure she saw his smile broaden before he pulled her out the door with him, shutting it behind them, and giving her hand a squeeze while they hurried out of the gardens and off the grounds of the estate.
It was very dark beyond the lamplights, she could barely see him at her side now, but the silhouette next to her as well as the warmth of his touch told Alicia he was still there. For the longest time she wondered if she should say something, if she should start a conversation with him as they trekked through the blackness of the night. But just as she thought of something to say, she sensed him lean down to her ear and thought she saw his free hand pointing forward. "It's just a bit further. The summit of the mountains usually hides it from view. Master Goatta used to have dozens of students, but most never really excelled in this art, so now he has only a few."
Not so far off in the distance there was a faint glow of light, and it grew as they came closer, soon reaching the quaint, box-like building. Alicia blushed again when the Duke stepped ahead of her to open the sliding door as if their roles were reversed. Unable to meet his eyes she stepped inside struggling to breathe deeply so that she could calm down and not make a fool of herself in front of the man she'd had a crush on since she'd met him. She turned to find Regal had closed the door behind him and was now stepping out of his shoes, leaving his feet bare, and then he placed them off to the side. No matter how many nights now she had seen him in such simple cotton clothes with his shoulder length hair loose and without any traces of gel, she always found herself staring at him.
"This way." He gestured for her to follow him down the small hallway that they had come in upon entering, turning to the right to bring them to a large room where the floor consisted of plush blue mats. An elderly man in simple white robes was leaning on a cane in front of them now, his focus on a teenage boy stretching on the mats in the far corner. "Master Goatta?"
When the older man turned, Alicia found that his head was bald and the beard that hung from his chin was white, but there were only a few wrinkles clinging to the corners of his friendly green eyes. The smile that spread across his lips was fond as he gave a slight bow to the young Duke. "Regal, there you are. You are later than usual tonight. Should I assume the reason for that is our unexpected guest with you?"
"Yes, Master Goatta." Regal murmured respectfully, returning the bow but deeper. Once he returned to his full height he waved towards the young woman who stood next to him, the sound of his voice now turning lighter, nearly eager. "Master, this is Alicia Combatir, a friend of mine that also works at the mansion."
"Ah, the one that attacked you with a broom when she caught you." The older man nodded with a sparkle to his gaze as he noted his words made the girl blush. Turning to her, he gave another small bow, which required him to lean even more on his cane. "It is a pleasure to meet you, my dear. And I thank you for assisting Regal in slipping out at night, as well as keeping his secret. I would have been no less than devastated to lose my best student."
Alicia was overwhelmed for a moment, blinking in surprise. First, the Duke had introduced her as his friend! That she was too stunned to even believe, but then Regal's teacher was thanking her for keeping his secret as well. It was enough to make her question if this wasn't a strange dream, if she wasn't asleep on the wooden bench by the south exit of the mansion waiting for her employer to return. But she quickly came back to herself, bowing deeply as she remembered her manners. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Master Goatta. Master Regal always speaks very highly of you."
The boy that had been stretching in the corner before jogged over to them, his long black hair falling in his eyes as he grinned broadly. "Oh, Regal brought a friend?"
"Alicia, this is Raphael." Regal chuckled gesturing to the teen.
"Raphael is my only other student." Master Goatta told her while raising a questioning eyebrow at the energy of the boy. "He's a quick learner but he has only been studying for half the time that Regal has."
"It's very nice to meet you." Alicia murmured, giving him a slight bow as well. It was so strange to hear them all refer to her as the nobleman's friend. She was really just his servant, wasn't she? Yes, they had talked in his office over lunch for the longest time, and she knew of his secret training, and he had sent her flowers once, but did that make them friends? Deep down, she hoped that it did. The Duke himself had introduced her that way of his own volition, even if it had been a polite way to introduce her. But if he did not think of her as a friend, why did he invite her along?
Raphael did not bow back, but looked expectantly at his teacher. "Perhaps I could show Alicia around the dojo? I'm sure she's curious about where and how we train here."
"Would you like that, Alicia?" Azure eyes met hers, instantly drawing her in, practically holding her hostage. Regal was being a complete gentleman, making sure it was something she wanted, and he was offering her a glance into one of the most treasured parts of his life. Would he do that for someone he only saw as a servant?
"Yes, I would." She nodded with a smile. Raphael took her hand the moment she agreed, already going into a long speech about the different exercises that they did in which room, dragging her away from the other two men. She only looked back once to see that Regal was watching them with an amused expression, and she realized that she had not seen him this happy in a while. This was his place, his escape from the hectic life of a Duke and the president of a huge company, and he was showing it to her. Even though Raphael was talking excitedly to her, she was letting the fact that Regal thought of her as a friend sink in, only half listening.
Master Goatta had let the silence between himself and his best student stretch until it seemed that Alicia was out of earshot before glancing up at Regal with a sly little smirk. "So, this is the girl you're always talking about."
Regal's eyes snapped open wide as a rosy tint spread out over his cheeks, and he quickly looked from the girl in question to his teacher as if he expected Alicia to still be able to hear the comment while she was being given the tour. It was as if he'd been caught, as if the older man had guessed something the Duke had thought was well hidden. "Master Goatta…I…"
"She'll be good for you." The martial arts master cut in with that knowing tone, the shimmer in his green gaze, watching Raphael show the young woman a few of the techniques he'd been taught. Regal had known of Goatta's skill at reading people, of somehow knowing things about people he'd barely known for more than a moment that it seemed impossible for him to know. The nobleman had seen him use this skill many times, and it had been used on him as well, but not like this. "You've always been surrounded by people that are as false as their words, Regal. But I can see it in her eyes that she cares about you."
"…" The Duke had no idea how to respond to that.
"When are you going to tell her?" Master Goatta inquired in his smooth, gentle voice, not the one he used to bark out orders during grueling exercises. "You really shouldn't wait too long. You may never find a girl like that again."
Regal knew that he was grinning again, even though his attention was focused on the servant girl that he had brought to the dojo as well as wondering just what Master Goatta meant. Tell her what? She was laughing as Raphael was trying to demonstrate something and to help her into the same position to try it for herself. If she hadn't been giggling so close to hysterics, so freely, she might have been able to keep herself in that position. But as she couldn't stop, she pulled away from the teen to wave back at the Duke. Perhaps that was the first time that when she looked at him, the noble felt his heart skip a beat before it began to thunder in his chest. He knew why Alicia felt so close to him, why he felt the need to tell her things, and why he always felt so comfortable around her, all in an instant as well as what his teacher had meant.
He just couldn't believe that he hadn't seen it before.
It should have had me mystified to be in an entirely different world, I should have taken some sort of time to reflect upon the fact that we had just traveled from Tethe'alla to Sylvarant, but for some reason all I could think about was the fact that we had escaped the men the Pope had sent after us. What we would do now was another story. What could we accomplish here in Sylvarant? There were still Summon Spirits in Tethe'alla that we had not made pacts with, but were there any left here in Sylvarant?
Raine was again on the same wavelength. She suggested that we find out what had been going on recently in the town we landed nearby, Palmacosta. Apparently they had not only been there a few times before on this journey, but they knew the man acting as Governor-General of the town. They were hoping that he might be able to take in Mithos so that the boy would not be put in any danger as we tried to go about the rest of our mission. My eyes strayed over the city as we went over the boardwalk towards the town square. It was strange to see the contrast between a city in Sylvarant and one of Tethe'alla, to see that their world was in decline even in a city the Professor had claimed to be quite prosperous.
When we spoke with Neil he was more than happy to take Mithos in, but he was less than pleased to inform us of the Desian activity that had been repeatedly sighted around the Human Ranch not far from the city. Apparently, on one of their earlier visits to this area, the group had destroyed this ranch, and now there was the chance it could have been rebuilt.
The members of our group that came from Sylvarant were the most disturbed by the news, and with good reason. From what I could gather, taking out this ranch had been one of their first achievements when this journey had been about Colette regenerating the world. The ranch had been destroyed, and if the Desians were being spotted in the area, then there was the chance it had been rebuilt while they had been in Tethe'alla, just as Neil had said.
"It'll be horrible if Palmacosta's human ranch is rebuilt." Colette remarked to our young leader with her fists clenched tightly at her sides.
"Yes. They'll attack the city again, and kill more innocent people." Lloyd nodded as his grip shifted almost nervously on the hilt of one of his swords, a grimace taking hold of his expression. His steps were becoming more determined by the minute while his eyes remained dead ahead, fixated on the destination.
"And…make more Exspheres." Genis practically deflated with his comment, the features of his young face stricken.
"Exsphere manufacture…I'd heard the stories, but…" I was almost surprised that none of them asked just where or how I had heard such stories. They had asked when we were in the Toize Valley Mine how I knew my way around, but I supposed they would not have expected me to know just what happened to the Exspheres in the mine once they were excavated. It had never been an issue to me either, until some time ago. "Human ranches are an abomination."
"Yeah. I don't want to see anymore people killed for the sake of Exspheres." The young swordsman retorted, hurrying to catch up with the others ahead of us. Genis and Colette were quick to follow. It seemed they all wanted to get there, to put a stop to the evil the Desians might have resurrected in the rubble that had been their previous ranch.
But I couldn't, for just a moment, get my feet to carry me. The weight of my burden, my sin, was all too much for me again. I had failed the woman I loved, through ignorance, blindness, and weakness. If that had not been enough within itself, I had then been the one to take her life. All of that, though, was connected to the Exspheres, the stones that seemed to do nothing but harm the people they came in contact with. "…Indeed. There must be no more victims like Alicia. Never again."
I had not even realized I had said anything until I saw Lloyd stop, turning abruptly. There was a moment where I was certain that he had heard me, that he would want to know what I had meant and draw the attention of the rest of our friends. I was sure that I would have to confess my deepest secrets, my thoughts, my fears, yet Lloyd merely gestured for me to follow. "Hey, Regal, come on."
My burden was still heavy, but it was the price I had to pay, wasn't it? Did I not deserve to remember my crime with every step I take no matter the destination or purpose? Shouldn't that be part of my penance? I did not have time to reflect on that yet, not when my companions needed me, but it was not as if I couldn't feel the weight still on my shoulders or the metal restraining my hands.
The people of Palmacosta had been unable to tell the difference between the Desians and the Renegades, so when we arrived at the site of the ruined ranch we came just as the leader of the Renegades, Yuan, had expected. It was then that he and Botta told us that they were not looking for a fight, but an alliance with us.
Their goal was to germinate the Great Seed which would then resurrect the Giant Kharlan tree that had been thought to be legend. Their plan was to fire a great deal of mana at the seed once it was no longer being protected by the powers of the Summon Spirits. It would seem they only needed us because Sheena is a summoner. But Lloyd was ready to trust him, especially after Yuan revealed he was in fact a double agent, working for both Cruxis and the Renegades. So the alliance was made.
Our first move was to infiltrate the Remote Island Human Ranch being run by Rodyle, for he was using it to construct a Mana Cannon that was vital to Yuan's plan. Botta, the second in command for the Renegades, took us there and warned us, or more pointedly Raine, not to destroy the ranch.
We made our way in, moving past all the security measures as quickly as we could. Botta and his men had already gone in, and no doubt they were fine, handling the mana reactor while we were set on finding Rodyle. I could see, even as we took care of numerous guards, that Presea had her jaw set. She was determined as much as she had to be furious. This was one of the men that had taken part of her life from her, tricked her into becoming an experiment. The heat behind her blue eyes was something I had not seen in her before, and I stayed close to her because of it.
It was with great effort we finally reached the highest level of the ranch, storming through the automatic doors with our weapons drawn in preparation for anything. To the right and up a small level of stairs stood Rodyle, who turned to meet us with an all too confident smirk on his lips.
"Well, I see the failed Chosen and her traveling band of fools are still alive. You're as stubborn as cockroaches." The Desian Cardinal stated dryly, his tone making it sound as if he was not at all threatened by our presence in his facility.
"You and Vharley…deceived me." Presea nearly hissed.
"Presea…" His eyes fell on her and I felt a slight shiver run down my spine at the void there. His gaze was not like the ax woman's when she'd been under the influence of her Exsphere, no, Rodyle's eyes were of one who had chosen to never feel anything close to what any would consider human. His were cold, desolate, and corrupt. "…I'd have treated you so much better had you made me a Cruxis Crystal in that little body of yours."
There was a flicker of anger that crossed her features, and even as she clenched a fist, it made it into her voice as well. "…Die!"
"Ahahahaha! Now, now, settle down. Have a look at the projector." The half elf chortled before pressing a few buttons on the computer at his side. An image flickered to life for us all to see as he stood there smugly. "I've got a special underwater show for you."
The image he'd brought up was of a lower level of the ranch where the prisoners we had freed on our venture were still making their escape. But now there was water in their path, and it was steadily rising. They backed away in fear, but it seemed they had nowhere to go.
"H…How can you do that!" Genis exclaimed, stunned by his cruelty.
"They'll all be killed!" Colette gasped clasping a hand over her mouth.
"…Damn you!" I ground out through my teeth. Had he no regard for the value of a life? Had he no shred of decency? He was going to kill innocent people, trapping them in a watery grave. We ran up the stairs, and I wanted nothing more than to knock him away from the computer so that we could save those people. Lloyd must have felt the same, as he was at the front of the group and nearly seething.
"You bastard! Stop the water, now!" the swordsman shouted clenching a fist and glaring daggers at the Grand Cardinal.
"It's too late." Rodyle remarked with a malicious edge to his voice. His eyes widened slightly when his words caused Lloyd to lunge at him, one sword out to slice into the half elf. But the Cardinal was too quick, jumping back to avoid injury. "I know why you've come here. I'm sure you intend to shut down my Mana Cannon. But you won't succeed. I've filled the corridor leading to the Mana Cannon with sea water!"
"You're going to kill all of those people at the ranch just to stop us!" the Chosen of Sylvarant cried out in horror.
"Who cares about the lives of pathetic, inferior beings! The Mana Cannon will be completed once I get the Cruxis Crystal." The Desian scoffed, waving off our outrage with his arrogance. "With Thor's Hammer in my possession, Yggdrasill and Cruxis will beg for mercy! Even that eyesore of a tower will fall before my cannon."
"What do you hope to accomplish by destroying the Tower of Salvation!" Lloyd demanded a bit surprise taking hold of his expression.
"Heheheh, that's nothing you lower life forms need to concern yourselves with." Rodyle sneered as he reached into his strange cloak pulling out a stone. "The Cruxis Crystal is finally mine! Now let's see. I think that I will test its power first by equipping it to myself."
Before anyone else could even think to move Rodyle pressed the stone to his skin. The mana surge to his body began to transform him before our eyes, misshaping him, mangling him, until he stood before us as a hulk of mangled green limbs. Even his face was unrecognizable, the exposed teeth glimmering with saliva between his pulled back lips, and his large unblinking red eyes shinning with malice.
He did not move very quickly due to his size which gave all of us time to spread out, to avoid the first swing of the blade on his wrist. Lloyd had jumped back, his twin swords sweeping low in a front of him to unleash a pair of shockwaves at the Cardinal. "Double Demon Fang!"
Rodyle staggered backwards with the hit before he then lumbered towards the swordsman, snarling, swinging his fist out to catch the boy in the chin. Lloyd tried to bring one of his blades up to block the oncoming blow, but he was a fraction too late, being tossed into the air. Fortunately he wasn't so dazed that he couldn't right himself in the air and land on his feet. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Raine had backed off to a safe distance to cast a spell a rune circle flaring to life beneath her feet, and Genis was in the process of doing the same thing. They would need more cover to be effective, so I charged forward, my glare meeting his blaring red one, before I felt my body pass through his as if I were immaterial giving me the chance to strike from behind. "Mirage!"
Leaping at his back, I threw out my right leg in a spinning jump kick and then sweeping it across his face twice before I pushed off of him. "Dragon Dance!"
A low growl escaped Rodyle as he lurched forward only to be struck in the side by an array of cards. Sheena spun where she stood, hitting him multiple times with her weapons. "Mirage Seal Pinion!"
Zelos rushed forwards, trying to catch the mutated Desian off guard as well as give the ninja time to move out of Rodyle's range, his blade slashing out before he leapt into the air launching three fireballs at his opponent in rapid succession. "Hell Pyre!"
"Insanity…Force…" The mangled words were choked out of the monstrosity that Rodyle had become, his strange hands holding his head. To his side, where Zelos and Sheena still stood, this huge circle of lightning began to crackle and spark, shocking them both. They cried out, trapped until it faded, and with that could have been a laugh, the Desian Cardinal lumbered towards where they were both kneeling, one of his huge hands raised above his head to come crashing down. They wouldn't have the chance to move, they didn't have time.
Pumping the muscles in my legs for all the speed I could muster, I place myself between them, raising up my right leg to guard against the blow. "Not a chance!"
"Help is on the way…" Raine's voice drifted over, her words sending a wave of relief over all of us followed by the healing energy she released with but a single word, green light flashing over each of us. "Nurse!"
"Drown!" Genis shouted, having completed his spell as well. "Spread!"
A geyser of water shot up under Rodyle actually tossing him into the air. Before he came tumbling down, Sheena, Zelos, and I had backpedaled to get ourselves to a safe distance, and not giving the Desian the chance to pull himself up, Presea rushed forward, planting her feet and spinning with her ax stretched out before her. "Finality Punishment!"
Crying out, the mutated Cardinal dug one of the blades he wore on his wrists into the floor to regain his footing, and through a snarl, I could make out the words Gravity Well. He was spellcasting!
Underneath Presea, a globe of energy rumbled around her, tossing her a bit before she braced her ax before her. "Earthly Protection!"
The green bubble of mana would reduce the damage, she would be all right, but even so I was worried. Leaping at Rodyle, I ducked underneath his thick arm as he swung it at me, then spinning on my left leg to deliver three powerful kicks to his chest with my right. "Triple Kick!"
Colette used the distraction I'd provided her to fly in, her chakrams clasped tight in both hands, and she spun around with her arms outstretched. "Ring Whirlwind!"
"Fool!" Rodyle hissed, slamming his fist into my side to throw me back. I landed on my back as he did the same to Colette, flinging her against the glass. "Pathetic…"
I climbed to my feet as best I could with my shackled wrists, standing just in time to see Lloyd spring at the Cardinal, somersaulting in the air with his swords slicing into the green flash of his enemy with each rapid rotation. "Omega Tempest!"
"We have to attack together." Sheena remarked as she glanced between Zelos and me. We nodded to her together, following her as she ran at the Grand Cardinal once again while he was still stunned from Lloyd's strike. The ninja struck him in the back with her cards, throwing out several before I could even blink. "Force Seal! Serpent Seal! Pyre Seal!"
The last of Sheena's attacks shoved Rodyle towards Zelos, to which the Chosen of Tethe'alla took advantage of, thrusting out his blade. "Hurricane Thrust!"
I ducked low for a sweeping kick, catching Rodyle in the knee before leaping into another spinning jump kick that connected with his jaw. "Dragon Rage!"
Presea had also jumped into the fray, her azure eyes alight with something dangerous as she slammed her ax down before where Rodyle was ready to collapse, the blade throwing up metal and debris from the floor causing the Cardinal to howl in pain. "Devastation!"
Gasping the Desian fell to the floor, a heap of mangled green limbs, twitching enough that none of the others put their weapons away. I stepped up behind the pink haired girl, worried for her, wondering what she was thinking now that she had brought down one of the men that had turned her into an experiment. When she turned her back on Rodyle, it was as if she didn't even know I was there, her gaze straight forward and once again empty.
"I cannot get my time back." The mumbled words were so quiet I doubted any of the others heard them.
All I could do for a moment was watch her. She had come so far seeking to avenge the terrible wrong done to her, she'd fought Rodyle in the name of revenge, and yet it could not bring her peace. There was nothing that could bring back what she had lost. The thought made me ache deep in my soul, for I, too, sought revenge, but in the end it would not give me peace, it would not bring back the woman I loved back or erase the sin that stained my hands. I was jarred from this reflection as Rodyle groaned and began to climb to his feet, the very flesh on his limbs deteriorating, melting away.
"Ugh…what's happening?... My…my body…my body is disintegrating!" That strange, animalistic voice rasped from the fumbling, gangly creature he had become. "Pronyma you tricked me!"
Rodyle then stumbled to the edge of the platform, jumping down and staggering over to a computer console in the middle of the floor. He pressed one button, snarling back at us maliciously, "But I won't die alone! I'm taking you all with me!"
He pressed one last button before his massive green body completely disintegrated. A second later, alarms began to blare around us, flashing red lights coming to life in warning. Raine gasped in horror, a hand covering her heart as her eyes swept over the group with worry. "No! He's activated the self-destruct system!"
Colette's eyes widened. "Botta warned us not to destroy this place!"
"Dammit! We have to stop it!" Lloyd grit his teeth, then taking off down the down the stairs to the lower level towards the computer counsel. The rest of us followed without a word, our eyes trained to the machine that would bring about this ranch's destruction in a matter of minutes.
Presea chewed her lip. "Impossible. The only one among us who can handle this machinery is Raine…"
"Most Tethe'allans don't really study the details of magitechnology very much." Zelos admitted nervously watching Raine look over the computer. Our hopes were resting on the Professor's shoulders, as she was, unfortunately, the only one that knew enough about the technology to stop the self-destruct system. She had a hand on her chin, her eyes scanning over every button and light, her very expression causing the red headed swordsman to shift nervously.
"Professor!" our young leader exclaimed impatiently.
"I know! But I can't do this myself!" Raine replied somewhat sharply, the pressure clearly getting to her.
Abruptly a hatch to our left, underneath the platform, hissed open allowing Botta and two other Renegades to enter. His dark eyes passed over us before he pointed to the open hatch. "We'll take over from here. The rest of you, go and escape through the hatch over there."
"Botta!" Lloyd breathed a small sigh of relief glad to see our new allies were still safe. "You're okay!"
The half elf's blank expression deepened to a frown upon the boy, his only display of his annoyance. "There'll be plenty of time for chit chat later. Leave, now. You'll only be in our way!"
While he understood the need for haste, the fact our situation was steadily growing worse by the minute, but Lloyd seemed somewhat hurt by being brushed off in such a way as he gestured for us to follow him out of the room. "…Okay."
The hatch took us down a small corridor and up a flight of stairs, bringing us out on the other side of the glass from where we had battled Rodyle. We could see as the hatch on the floor slid shut behind Lloyd and Genis, that Botta and his men had gone straight to the console, pressing sequences of buttons together. It was after a moment that water began to fill that room, quickly rising to their ankles, and my eyes widened. Rodyle had filled the path to the Mana Cannon with sea water and the Renegades needed that weapon, they were trying to preserve the cannon even as the ranch was being flooded.
"Oh no! We've got to open that door!" the crimson wearing swordsman gasped, scrambling over to the hatch with Genis, tugging at it to try to pry it open again. He grit his teeth, groaning, pulling at it with all of his might.
"It's no use!" Genis groaned even as they struggled once again. "Arrgh! It won't budge!"
"Move!" When they hurried out of my way, I ran up to the glass, putting all my strength behind a swift right kick. It shook the translucent barrier but didn't shatter it, so I followed it up with another and cursed when it brought about no result. I wasn't strong enough to help them, to get them free. The water was rising quickly, and they would drown if we didn't get them out, but the hatch was stuck and the glass was too strong.
Behind me Raine gasped loudly. "Botta did this on purpose. They knew the water was coming and locked it from the inside."
"Why would they do that!" Sylvarant's Chosen demanded sounding panicked.
"If the door opens, this area will be flooded as well." The Professor explained, her voice missing the usual calm it held, replaced by a note of guilt. "And as you can see, the ceiling is covered by a dome. There's nowhere for the water to escape.
"…They did it…to save us?" Presea murmured in disbelief.
"No! We have to do something!" Colette shouted.
"Dammit! Isn't there anything we can do!..." Lloyd growled in frustration.
Through an intercom that had to be in the room with the Renegades, Botta's voice crossed over to us. "We've stopped the self destruct system."
I heard Lloyd rush over to my side as at the same time, Botta and his men came up the stairs onto the platform, all of them looking at us as the water rose behind them. The swordsman pointed at the hatch as he shifted on the balls of his feet. "Botta! Open the door! If we destroy the dome overheard…"
"Our goal was to modify each ranch's mana reactor in order to fire mana at the Great Seed." Botta remarked with a small shake of his head at the boy's demands. I could see the resolve in his eyes, the fact he'd resigned himself to his fate. It was startling, shocking, and far too disturbing to know he was ready to die for this cause even if we had the chance of saving him. He wasn't going to give us this chance. "Now that we've finished reprogramming this control room, our mission is complete. We need you to get the message to Yuan that we have succeeded."
Violently, Lloyd shook his head. "Tell him yourself! Open the door, now!"
"We pray for your success regenerating the world." Botta told him in that same, all too calm voice. He was truly set in what was about to happen, as if he had not even considered we might be able to save him. "Please see to it that Martel is finally allowed her eternal sleep, for Yuan's sake as well."
A large door came down, blocking the window, concealing Botta and the two Renegades' last moments. We all had an idea of what was happening, and it was probably better that we could not see it. Lloyd hung his head in defeat.
"No!" Colette gasped.
"Man…" Zelos whispered. A silence followed, as if in respect for the men who had just lost their lives to give us the chance to escape the same fate.
"Everyone, behind you!" Presea's voice, strung with a hint of worry, broke through the air, and I instantly turned, as did several of the others. Two large cages on the wall were opening, and once the bars had retracted, winged dragons swooped out, three of them hovering closer and closer to our group. The beasts had their jaws hanging open exposing their dripping fangs that added to their already menacing appearances.
Lloyd gasped next to me, his hands reaching for the hilts of his swords. "Wh…what are those things!"
"They look like transport dragons." Raine remarked as she pulled out her new Holy Staff once again. Her blue eyes were scanning over the creatures, assessing them. The Professor, according to Lloyd, had started a list of the monsters they had encountered at the beginning of their journey of Regeneration, and ever since she'd been adding to it. That meant she knew these monsters, and she was recalling how to defeat them. "Their cages must have opened when the self-destruct system was activated."
"Look out! Here they come!" I exclaimed as one of the dragons went into a dive, headed right for where Presea stood.
"Dammit!" the crimson clad swordsman cursed as he charged forward swords drawn. He was followed closely by Sheena and Zelos who had not hesitated to rush after him, while Genis and Raine had not moved other than to begin incantations for spells. I glanced to Presea, who nodded to me. The two of us understood that it would probably be better if at least a few of us stayed back to keep the dragons from reaching not only our healer, but the young mage who could deliver very serious damage if he was given adequate time. Colette, in a sudden change of strategy, had released her wings, but not to hurry into battle, but to begin an incantation of her own, this one to utilize her angelic abilities.
Yet even though the first few dragons were brought down in the fury of Zelos and Lloyd's combined sword techniques while they were already stunned from the powerful spells Colette and Genis unleashed, more emerged from their cages. It was nearly a swarm of them, and while we continued to fight, it would seem we were likely to tire before the all of the beasts were taken down. We wouldn't last this way, even with the Professor's healing magic.
"There are too many of them!" Sheena yelled as she kept a tight grip on her cards, watching the creatures warily.
"Damn, they're tough!" Lloyd breathed out as he glanced up at the dragons and then at the rest of us. He, too, knew that even with our combined skills we wouldn't last against dozens of these monsters one after another. It was their numbers that was giving them strength.
Colette met the young swordsman's gaze, appearing panicked. "If we lose, we'll never be able to pass on Botta's message."
An expression of realization crossed over Genis' face, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the panpipe that his new friend had given him. "…Mithos!"
He played the instrument, just as the blonde half elf had instructed him to do if he were in danger. At the time I hadn't thought much of it, what could the simple little instrument do to save our lives? There was little chance that the sound of it would calm the dragons, so I didn't see what help it could actually be, but only a later, a bolt of light burst through the dome and down upon the nearest winged dragon. It shrieked in agony before it crumpled to the floor in death.
"Wh…what was that!" Lloyd demanded in confusion as yet another bolt of light came down, striking another dragon. More followed until the dragons that had already ventured out of the cage were lying on the metallic floor, bleeding and unmoving. It was so strange. What could be happening? What were those bolts of light? Where were they coming from? Just who or what had come to our rescue?
Genis looked up only a second before the rest of our gazes followed. "Was that a Summon Spirit?"
"Genis! Raine! Everybody!" The voice that called down to us sounded like Mithos. But how had the boy left Palmacosta or even heard the panpipe that he'd given Genis? What was going on?
"That's Mithos' voice!" Genis exclaimed in shock.
"Please, get on these Rheairds!" the blonde boy shouted frantically.
Raine was her usual calm self, dismissing her own curiosity in the heat of the moment and waving her hand at all of us to follow her. "Let's worry about the how and why later."
Lloyd nodded. "All right."
The Renegades had loaned Mithos the Rheairds he'd used to rescue us, which explained how he'd gotten to the Remote Island Human Ranch, but even he could not explain the presence of the golden bird that had slain the dragons. Sheena and Raine were under the impression that it could only have been Aska that had responded to the panpipe Genis had played. While the events of our rescue were strange and still questionable, we couldn't take time to reflect on it yet. After speaking with Neil in Palmacosta and discovered that the panpipe had somehow been broken, we headed over to the Renegade base near Triet to return the vehicles and deliver Botta's message.
Yuan had seemed to know just by our expression when we entered his office, after leaving Mithos to wait outside, that Botta had not survived to the mission. It upset Lloyd that the blue haired half elf's next response was to tell us that we could now travel between the two worlds on the Rheairds. Zelos and I were both of the opinion though, that Lloyd's anger was misplaced because Yuan had to have known Botta longer and better than any of us, so it was not our place to speak. That and perhaps the Renegades were always braced for such occurrences as their enemy was very well organized and powerful.
As we left the base, it was suggested we return Mithos to Altessa's. He seemed eager to be brought back to a familiar place. The feeling of being displaced though as we traveled from Sylvarant to Tethe'alla was strange enough that I was not looking forward to having to do it again.
When he reached the dwarf's home outside of Ozette, Mithos started up the slope first even though Genis had just given him a disappointed look. Lloyd waved at the blonde boy when the young half elf turned back to say goodbye just at the top of the small hill. "Well, Mithos, have a good time at Altessa's."
His blue eyes again fell on Genis. "You'll come visit me, right?"
The small mage nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!"
"Take care." Lloyd said with a warm grin.
Mithos then turned to Presea, sympathy flickering in his gaze. His words were then spoken softly. "I'll be praying for your success in avenging your sister."
I could tell by the way Presea blinked twice rapidly at that, that even though her expression still remained relatively blank, that she was surprised by what Mithos had said. "…Thank you."
While she was surprised, I was coming to grips with my own confusion. What were they talking about? Presea had said she had a younger sister, and that that sister had left to go into the service of a noble. What had happened to her then? When had Presea, or even Mithos, discovered what had happened to the ax woman's sister? "Avenging Presea's sister? What are you talking about?"
To my left, I noticed Zelos' eyes widen as his head whipped between Presea and me, as if he were nervous about something.
Lloyd snapped his fingers when realization hit him. "Oh, that's right. We haven't told Regal about it."
"Ahh!" the Chosen of Tethe'alla gasped to grab the group's attention. Why did he appear so tense? What was going on, and why did it seem that Zelos was trying to evade the discussion. "Um…hey, you know, that's not a topic we really need to drag out now, right?"
Whirling on his heels to put Zelos under his angry stare, Genis clenched his fists at his sides. "What are you talking about, Zelos! This is important! Presea's sister was killed!"
Stunned, I stood stock still. My mind was reeling. I'd never asked what had happened in Altamira when they had gone in without me, and that was the only time I could think of that I'd been away form the group and Mithos had been with them. I felt a chill run through me. Hadn't I already established that Presea merely looked too much like my beloved out of pure coincidence? Then why was I suddenly being overwhelmed by dread? "Killed?"
"Yes. It seems Presea's younger sister served under a noble named Bryant." Colette explained with her hands clasped in front of her, a note of sadness to her tone. "…But then, her master Bryant…"
My heart nearly stopped at the sound of my surname. It couldn't be, it just wasn't possible! Or was it? Presea did not have an older sister, but she had a younger one. How could she possibly be related to Alicia? Yet Colette had said that Presea's sister had served a 'master Bryant'…and there was no one else with that name.
"He's a monster!" She exclaimed heatedly. "How can he kill a child like that!"
My head was whirling as my heart pumped faster than it ever had before. I thought if I didn't take a deep breath that it would burst, but my lungs continued to betray me, refusing to take in enough air to calm me. Yet my voice was steady, although holding a note of shock, when I murmured in spite of myself, "Sister? It can't be! Presea, what was your sister's name?"
During this conversation, Presea had been watching me every other moment. She was probably trying to assess my reaction to this, and I was probably moments away form crumbling under her gaze. "…Alicia…"
Everything stopped, slamming to a halt that knocked my world off its axis.
Goddess, it was me…
Alicia…I took Alicia from her sister…
How could I have been so blind? They looked so alike, of course they were family. What Sheena had said was right, I was a monster. I'd taken Preesa's younger sister from her. I'd wanted so badly to believe that that wasn't true, that I had never considered that Presea hadn't aged in the time she'd been under her Exsphere's control. When the young ax woman had said she only had a younger sister, I had just been happy with the relief that brought and blind to the truth. "…I see."
Lloyd was looking at me curiously, having been watching me as well, with his head tilted to the side. "Do you know something about this?"
While I didn't want to lie, I didn't want to let go of their friendship just yet, as selfish as that was. That, and it was about time that I went home. "I may know who that murderer might be."
Presea's eyes flashed and it made my stomach twist. "…Really?"
As much as it made my insides have, I knew I could not hide this. Presea deserved the truth, and I deserved whatever scorn they would hold for me afterwards. "…Take me to Altamira."
"Lloyd…?" the pink haired girl was asking him with merely one word, with his name, if we could depart for the resort town. She wanted to go, she needed to go, even though she couldn't seem to voice it or show it on her still young features. My heart ached for her. I could never give her back her sister, I could never make up for the loss she now suffered, and I would never be able to earn her forgiveness.
Our young leader nodded to her without hesitation. "I promised that I would help you find your sister's killer, Presea. Let's get moving to Altamira."
Zelos was chewing his lips when Presea started past him for where we'd had left our Rheairds. She was followed by Genis, Sheena, Colette, and Raine right away. The red headed Chosen sighed, shook his head, and then hurried after them. Even in the downward spiral of my thoughts I finally understood why Zelos had been so nervous, still was nervous.
He knew. He already knew and he'd probably known since they had left Altamira. But he hadn't said anything. Zelos had even seemed to want to steer away from the subject a few minutes ago. Had he been trying to protect me?
Lloyd had strolled over to me, putting a hand on my arm which shattered my train of though, centering me back in the moment. When he started to follow the group, I instantly fell in step with him. The way he was looking at me, it hadn't changed when he learned of my crime, but how could it be the same when he knew that I had been the one to murder Presea's sister?
"This will really help Presea." He told me softly just before we rejoined the group. "Thanks."
"…" I doubted he would say that when all was said and done.
For Sanji to insist she take her break so suddenly seemed odd. Even if most of the guests had already picked through most of the food already set out, there was still plenty for them to do in the hotel's kitchen to be sure the Lezareno office party was a success. But the chef had been peeking through the swinging doors just before he stopped her from continuing to chop vegetables, pushing her towards the rear exit of the kitchen, saying that she needed to take some time to relax. He insisted that she go, and as not to cause any disturbance for the celebrating Lezareno employees, she could head to the upper floor, maybe check out the view.
Before now, Alicia had never really been anywhere near the Altamira hotel, she'd never really had any need to go there. The only reason she was there now was that she was part of the staff cooking for the party, which had been all right with her considering that Regal, as company president had to attend, and that meant she wouldn't have been able to see him if she was working the party or not. With a small sigh, she stepped off the elevator wondering what the Duke might be doing downstairs at the party.
Down the hall from the lift on the fifth floor was a terrace that faced the beautiful shoreline that the resort town was so well known for. Sanji had said that the view would be perfect there. Alicia couldn't help but wonder what the chef might be up to, as he'd had that knowing grin plastered on his face as he'd shoved her away from her work. In all honesty, she was nervous to find out, even as she walked closer to the open glass doors leading out onto the balcony. She thought it was strange that the doors had been left open, until she spotted a figure already on the terrace, leaning on the railing, staring out at the sea.
"Master Regal?" Alicia whispered in surprise. He wouldn't have had to turn around, she already knew it was him, but he had turned a bit shocked as well. When they slipped out of the mansion at night, whether to go to the dojo or to just spend time alone together, Regal had stopped dressing like the Duke or Company president that he was for everyone else, preferring to dress casual. He didn't tie or slick back his hair for their dates, for he knew she preferred it loose, and she knew he hated to do it anyway. So she was not entirely surprised to find that he had taken off the black jacket of his suit, had loosened his maroon tie to the point that it was barely hanging on, and the cuffs and collar of his white button up shirt had been undone. He hadn't done anything to mess up his neat, proper hair, but that might have been because he would need to go back out through the crowded party to leave. It always made her laugh to think that he seemed to look so dashing in all of his suits no matter how uncomfortable he was in them.
"Alicia? What are you doing here?" the Duke asked with a warm smile, casting a quick glance from side to side to assess if they were alone.
"Sanji sent me on my break." She told him even as he leaned down capturing her lips in a heated kiss. From what he could see they had enough privacy that he could wrap an arm around her waist as well. Once Regal drew back for air, she could help but giggle. "What are you doing up here, though? This party is for your company!"
"I'll have to thank Sanji for his meddling ways one of these days. It's not exactly a secret that I am not a fan of gatherings like this, I merely show up for appearances and to talk to a select few mostly. He must have seen me slip out a few minutes ago and thought to send you up here." The nobleman commented with his grin gradually becoming a smirk. With a sigh of contentment he snaked both arms around her waist to bring her even closer, then practically purring in her ear, "I missed you."
"Master, you saw me this afternoon in your office. We were only apart for a few hours." Alicia chided playfully, gazing up into the depths of his azure eyes, eyes that always drew her in and captivated her down to her very soul, and again she couldn't contain a little laugh. "I don't see how you could have missed me."
"It does not matter how long we are apart, I miss you when you are not there with me." He rasped in her ear. Again the Duke kissed her, needing the contact, needing to feel her lips against his.
"Whatever I did to deserve a man as sweet as you, I'm glad I did it." Alicia rasped as she traced one finger down his well built chest until it became hooked on his very loose tie. This was not something they normally would have done, they usually met to sneak out of the mansion under the cover of night, and while it was well into the evening hours with the moon shinning high above them, neither one of them were supposed to be on that terrace, and they especially not supposed to be on that terrace together. But he seemed so happy to see her, had said that he'd missed her, and she would have honestly missed him as well if Sanji hadn't meddled once again. "But shouldn't you be downstairs? Won't someone come looking for you?"
"No one usually comes to fetch me if I steal away for an hour or two." He assured her with a bit of that playful smirk seeping into his expression. "I've made my appearances, talked with both the employees and the clients that were invited as well, but I don't think I could endure any more of their trivial gossip."
She was still playing with his tie keeping their gazes locked. "What kind of things are they talking about?"
"Mostly how Countess Sophia has married a man thirty years younger than her and how much of a scandal it's causing." Regal did his best not to roll his eyes. If there was anything he could not stand about some of Lezareno's more prestigious clients it was the gossip they brought to the office parties. It did not matter how prosperous a year the company had had, at these annual gatherings his clients always wanted to talk about nothing but the latest gossip straight from the Royal Court. "If anyone wanted to discuss business tonight I might not have felt the need to escape, but all everyone talks about gossip and rumors!"
"Is it that bad?" She tilted her head to the side, wrapping her arms around his neck once more to be closer to him.
"Well, it would even seem there's been word going around that there's a mysterious young woman I've been seen entertaining in Altamira." The Duke told her, the playfulness from before fading into a serious tone. "It's spread quite far now, and I've been getting numerous questions all night on just which young lady I could be courting."
"Oh, Regal, I'm--" she started, but he put a finger to her lips effectively cutting her off so she could only blink in confusion at him. Wasn't he upset that word of mouth was getting him hounded even at a simple office party?
"Alicia, don't even think of apologizing, it's not your fault." The tenderness of his voice made her blush more than the thought of strangers interrogating him for information about her. The hand that had silenced her then gripped her chin gently and he leaned his face closer with a warm smile. "How many times have I told you that I don't care who knows how I feel about you? When will you hear me when I tell you that I would not care what could come of revealing our relationship?"
"I know that you wouldn't care, I just couldn't do that to you, Regal." She replied with a sigh, unable to look anywhere but into the depths of his azure orbs. Alicia really didn't know what she had done to deserve the Duke, as even though he was the one that had everything to lose if something happened once their relationship was out in the open he did not even give thought to it. She was the one that was nervous; she was the one who thought it better to keep it a secret. And Regal was unbelievably remarkable in that he had agreed to those terms just for her, just to put her at ease. "You don't deserve to have people look at you differently just because of me."
"How they look at me means nothing, Alicia. The only thing that matters is how I feel for you, you know that." He was smiling again, the hand that had gripped her chin now absent mindedly running fingertips over her cheek. The young Duke had never been concerned with appearances, already having been tested for his merit in both his business and his place in court because of the age he'd come into those positions. He'd learned early on that the only opinions that should matter came from those you cared for, those you trusted. "Besides, no one has recognized you; no one knows you are the mysterious woman I've been courting, so our secret is safe. Besides, the rumor mill will find another topic in a few days, it always does."
Alicia sighed softly allowing herself to finally melt into his embrace. She hated that they had to hide their relationship, just as much as she hated how she worried about their chances of being caught, but she cared for the Duke deeply. With all of the attention he already received with his titles, noble name, and company, she feared what sort of publicity he would get if anyone knew of their relationship. And although she knew that Regal understood her concerns as well as that he respected them, she knew that it hurt him to have to hide another aspect of his life. For the pain her insecurities caused him, she would never forgive herself.
The silence that started to stretch between them was comfortable, as they hardly had the chance to just be together without the fear of being caught. Regal was content to just hold her, to just have the opportunity to be close to Alicia, and he closed his eyes resting his chin on the top of her head. He could have said more to convince her that there was no more need to keep their love secret, he could have pushed the discussion further, but as much as he wanted to reveal their relationship he knew that it would hurt her.
Once the world knew that Duke Bryant was in love with one of his servants, all of Tethe'alla would have eyes on Alicia. She would be dragged into the spotlight, overwhelmed by how she was suddenly being watched at every waking moment. Certainly the same would happen to him, for he would face the same unwanted attention, but he had already experienced what it was like to be pestered by the intent focus of the public. His beloved had never known such scrutiny from strangers who meant to judge and measure her by word of mouth, and Regal did not think he could put her through that.
She had rested her head on his left shoulder, facing out at the view Sanji had insisted she see. With the moon beaming down upon the waves that reached out for what could have been forever, the horizon appeared almost celestial. That, combined with the lights of the resort town shimmering below them, caused Alicia to admit that the view was very beautiful. But she doubted that she would have enjoyed it if the Duke had not been there with her.
"Do you think Sanji will cover for me if I stay a while longer?" She had lost track of time from the moment she'd spotted him on the balcony. That often happened when she was with Regal, for everything else always began to fade into the background and there was only the nobleman who held her heart left.
He chuckled softly at the innocent question. "If I know Sanji, he never expected you back when he sent you up here."
Alicia giggled nuzzling closer to the Duke, one of her hands idly toying with some of the blue locks he had tied back so neatly. She had only asked because she did not think that if the time came she could actually pull away from him and go back to work. As strong as her work ethic was, it paled in comparison to her want to remain in the embrace of her employer. After what could have been a thoughtful pause, she could not resist inquiring curiously, "Do you ever wonder why Sanji thought to bring us together?"
"No." His initial answer surprised her, but then he kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, causing her to blush. "I don't feel the need to question his instincts because it was those instincts that led me to the love of my life."
To be continued
End notes: When I started this story, I knew the confession scene on the terrace would be the big scene for me. I have been looking forward to it, and have actually already started writing it out by hand since work was slow one day. Hopefully, I'll get it out soon before my new classes bog me down with homework.