Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Destiny/Remake or Tales of Destiny 2. They are the property of Mutsumi Inomata, Wolf Team, Bandai Namco Games and Namco 'Tales Studio'. However any original characters and ideas are mine. This disclaimer also applies to all future installments of the story and is subject to change if I introduce content outside of these media (aside from cameos and such).
A/N: If you haven't already I HIGHLY recommend reading "Deadly Reunion' to understand this.
4/06/09 - Posted a 'teaser' for Chapter 7 since it's going to be long and I figured you've waited long enough for a REAL update. And I yet again revised chapters 2-5...
Another note: The Review Responses are for the original chapters and may contradict what's up now.
As usual:
() - Thoughts
"Italic" - Swordian Dialogue
Darilshade...
This city was the center of the world. Housing the home office of Oberon Company, the city along with the rest of Seinegald enjoyed the wealth and prosperity brought about by the Lens industry.
However...
18 years ago, the executives of Oberon Company staged a coup beginning with the theft of the giant Lens; Kami no Me. With this power, Hugo Gilchrist resurrected the Aeriel City Dycroft and the Tenshisensou began anew.
After a long battle the Swordian Team defeated the revived Tenjou'ou Miktran and destroyed the Lens before the world below suffocated. Their efforts restored peace to the world.
However...
With Oberon's collapse so did the economy of Seinegald, the royal family who had ties to Hugo vanished allowing the priesthood to take control, along with the remaining nobility formed the Atamoni Group and founded the Sacred Capital Aigrette where the Straylize Forest once stood.
And so, Darilshade was left to rot... Depravity, sin, and greed, now governed this former metropolis...
Broken Chains of Fate
Part 1: Encounter
"GET YER ASS BACK HERE!"
The cigarette flickered but quickly went out as the moist air prevented the flame from burning. "Aw fuck it!" Marks grumbled as he tossed the cancer stick into a piddle and resumed pacing back and forth beneath the bridge that he and his posse used for their hideout. (Dammit! If he got caught I'm gonna...) The teen started walking outside and was nearly bowled over as another young man ducked under the bridge.
"Yo...sorry...I'm...late..." He panted."Pops chased me all over." And just like that an older man wearing a bloody apron and brandishing a cleaver screamed curses as he raced across the bridge.
"Bring it out already! I'm hungry!"
"Heh, you and the rest of this fucked up town." Despite his comeback, Janus emptied the contents of his sack. Out dropped a small, freshly cut, 16 Oz steak, it wasn't much but given the circumstances it was a godsend compared to most things the city youth ate. As proven by the cigarette the air was too moist to build a fire, therefore the teens opted to eat it raw.
"Ya know, Aniki hasn't been 'round today."
"Yeah he's workin' today."
Marks grinned. "Haha! Guess that fuck nut Zaku's FINALLY getting' the payback for last week!."
"No retard! he's REALLY..."
His fist impacted hard against the Owlbear's right eye-socket! The beast roared in pain as the young man sprung back landing in a fighting stance.
This man whom Marks and Janus call 'Aniki' is Fuushino Ryuusei was a 17-year-old resident of Darilshade. His attire was similar to Kyle's except he wore black jeans and sneakers instead of gray and white respectively; a pair of leather bracers on his wrists and a sturdy chain for a 'belt'... Only the Kami knew what he could possibly use that for. His water-stained red shirt was well worn and bore many rips and tears and had no wing patches on the upper sleaves.
Ryuusei was a street fighter; whether it be for money or for shits and giggles, the teen loved to fight and ranked in the top 3 of who not to cross in a dark alley... And due to his reputation this job came about; a traveling merchant needed a monster near Hermentz Valley taken down and wanted to avoid all the red tape...
"SETSUNA!" He blurred past a claw swipe. The Owlbear snarled after missing his prey... However he wasn't gone for long; as he reappeared in mid-air his body twisted. With Setsuna's speed behind it, Ryuusei unleashed a vicious spin-kick. A loud crunch followed by a pained roar echoed through the countryside as the teen's foot dented the left side of the Owlbear's skull, the extra force caused the head to jerk to the right. Luckily for the beast, the thick neck muscles prevented the neck from snapping all together...
"Think that's what they call 'check', mate?" The teen started off as the Owlbear impacted the ground hard. However, that wasn't the end of this fight as the beast growled and slowly rose to it's feet. "Persistent little pecker ain't ya... (Guess I need a little more firepower to finish this bastard off.)" He suddenly smirked... (Like that new move I was tinkerin' with!)
As the Owlbear struggled, Ryuusei brought his left arm to his side while focusing his Ki; the wind around him suddenly picked up. Within a matter of seconds the Owlbear was back on his feet and charging the teen; enraged the beast ignored it's danger senses...
"DAN..." His fist was cocked back as the wind surrounding him intensified... "KUU..." The Owlbear realized this yet it was too late; the beast was already too close to escape. "KEN!" Ryuusei thrust his fist upward into the beast's chest. However, that was the least of it. The condensed air pressure was released creating waves of gale force wind around the teen. With the waves to perpell them, the two rocketed upward; the gale force winds hacked through the Owlbear's thick fur, sending chunks of blood and gore all around the battlefield. They traveled several meters until the wind finally died down. Ryuusei broke off the attack and landed, the bear however, plummeted to the ground, it's lifeless body crashing a few meters away.
"Thank you." The green-hatted merchant bowed. "Now I can cross Hermentz Valley safely." He then presented the teen with a pouch. "And this is for your trouble."
Ryuusei accepted with a grin. "No prob! Of course I could've taken 'em out in half the time! But I had some...frustration I needed to get off first."
The man sweatdropped. "Eheh... Well thanks regardless, oh how rude of me!" He extended a hand to the street fighter. "My name is Raddle."
It took a bit but eventually Ryuusei shook Raddle's hand. "...You already know my name."
"Yeah, well Fushino-san may our paths cross again."
"Sure, whatever..."
Raddle bowed once again and started across the bridge, then quickly turned around... "Sorry to trouble you again so soon Fuushino-san , but could you tell me how much further to Cresta?"
Ryuusei rose an eyebrow. "D'you just say Cresta?"
"Yes."
"And you're crossing Hermentz Valley?"
"That's right."
"From THIS side?"
"Uh-huh, is that a problem?"
(He just blew 1000 Gald...) "I dunno where you got your directions, but Cresta's about 2.5 Km THAT way!" Gesturing his thumb back towards Darilshade.
"Oh really? Are you sure?"
"Sure as hell surer than you are, pal."
"Yeah I suppose so," Raddle left bridge and walked past Ryuusei, turned and bowed once again. "And thank you again Fuushino-san."
"Whatever, just take a left at the fork once you've rounded the mountain.
"Okey, I will!" The merchant waved then seemed to fade in the distance.
"What a shitty guide he'd be..." At that moment Ryuusei opened the pouch to examine his pay.
1000...FOL!?
The Oberon Freighter sailed through the mountainous trench on the northern portion of the Calavalse continent, suddenly stopping at a dead end. Moments later a small quake occurred and the ship began to sink or rather it descended via elevator into an undersea cavern, the passage closing above. When the elevator stopped the ship sailed further into the cavern, eventually docking at a secluded port.
The lanky, hunched over man disembarked from the ship and proceeded forward to an elevator built into the rock wall; stepping into the light revealed him to have pasty skin and long curly black hair. As someone leaving a corporate freighter it as only fitting to wear a business suit... but rainbow framed sunglasses? The transport carried him up through the side of a mountain; eventually through the base of a building. The elevator stopped and he exited, looking around at the mixture of broken and functional machinery he let out a sigh of relief. "It's SOOOOOOO good to be home..." He walked through the halls of Helraios, the Tenjoujin research and manufacturing facility, finally reaching a panel. "Simon Gutri."
"Voice scan confirmed." Came an electronic voice. A slot on the panel opened, Gutri then removed his sunglasses allowing the laser to scan one of his hazel eyes. "Retinal scan confirmed." The large metallic doors near the panel opened. "Welcome back Administrator."
"I see this place is a bit...tidier than when I left." He approached the chair in the center of the control room. "So how are the automated repairs coming?"
"With our current energy levels and resources. Helraios' systems are 88-percent functional."
"Good, good. And our little project?" As he plucked a cigar from his pocket.
"Due to the division of resources and energy to restoring this facility's functions. The special Incubation Chamber you designed is 94.99-percent complete."
"Why didn't you just say 95?" While reaching for his lighter.
"'Because it's not 95-percent, Administrator."
Gutri took a long drag from the stogy. (Well Daemon's going to be pissed... Which means this will delay MY plans as well...) "How long until it's complete."
"Calculating; at our current level of output, I estimate it's completion within 28 days."
"And at full power?"
"10 days..."
"Well then what should we do?"
"...Refocusing our energy and resources to the project?"
"Bingo! I knew giving you parts of a human brain would come in handy."
"Right as always, Administrator."
"In the meantime..." Gutri began to type; bringing up Ryuusei's data on a nearby screen. "Now, what would make a suitable playmate for him..." He cycled through the bio-mechanical weapons at his disposal. The Artillery Unit 'Wizard' perhaps? Or maybe the Close-Combat 'Duelist'? The Medical Unit 'Healer', hell no! He came to the next screen and smirked. "Bingo!"
...One Buer fresh from the assembly line.
The man in question leaned against the wall supporting the run-down bridge. He wore an annoyed expression as he tossed and caught the money pouch he'd received from the merchant. (That crooked asshole,) After receiving his payment, Ryuusei ran after Raddle... only to find no trace of the man, it was as if he'd disappeared off the face of the Earth. (if I EVER find that mother fucker again, I'll drop his ass like that Owlbear!) Janus and Marks were off having their own conversation, which he ignored, until... "Word is there's a ship from Noischtat commin' in."
"Meh, we get ships from Phandaria all the time." Marco commented.
"No retard! It's in Fitzgald!" Janus continued. "Anyway I heard Zaku and his boys already left town."
"Bitchin! Without those chodes around we can do whatever we want! Eh Aniki?" Marks turned his head just as the crew's leader' pushed away from the wall and headed out into the rain. "Aniki?"
"Guess he's eager to get started!" Janus grinned lustfully. "Let's round us up some bitches and..."
"You can screw your brains out on your own, I'm outta here..." Ryuusei said without turning to face his posse.
Marks starred in shock. "No way! Aniki's passin' up the chance to get his dick wet!"
"Don't worry about it Marks, Aniki just wants to pay those peckers back for last week. Right Aniki?"
"Dead wrong, but still a good guess..." Still with his back to them.
"WHAT!? You don't mean you're gonna join up with our worst enemies!?" Marks found himself clinging to Ryuusei. " It's not true is it Aniki?" Janus meanwhile grinned at seeing this 'new' side of Marks.
But Ryuusei wasn't in the mood to experiment. "Get off before I beat you off!" He said with a clenched fist. Marks immediately released his hold and apologized. The street fighter sighed before turning to face his posse. "As much as I hate those assholes and want to beat the living shit out of'em," The two nodded. "I can't help but see today as an eye-opener; anybody with money moved up state leaving only freaks and weirdos around here...most of whom I beat half to death on a daily basis."
Marks rose an eyebrow. "So?"
"So I'm getting the hell outta here! Thathat ship's goin back to Noischtat! There's an arena there." A smirk crossed his lips before pounding his fist into his open palm. "I can fight for some real money," And caught the pouch. "instead of this..." Then tossed the pouch to Janus.
"But isn't this stuff worthless?"
The street fighter shrugged. "Should at least cover the steak... Since I ain't gonna be 'round to keep pops from puttin' your ass on the menu of that ritzy joint in Aigrette!"
"Nice to know you care."
"Yeah, yeah, later.." He was about to take off when Marks sopped him. "What, you want a goodbye kiss? Sorry but I've never experimented and I'm not about to."
"Not you TOO Aniki!? ...Just be careful in Aigrette."
"Ya just won't take no for an answer will ya?"
"Aniki..." Marks groaned.
"Yeah I plan to keep a low profile...My bounty gets any higher and the freaks'll NEVER leave me alone..."
To be continued...
A/N: Yet another overhaul... damn perfectionism! And being in a Star Ocean mood I decided to toss in one of that series' staples.
Review Response: Teefa thanks for pointing that out about the scene changes (I didn't look at the edit/preview screen because I have a working Spell Check now...). When I copied/pasted the text from Axeman it changed the paragraph spacing to 1.5 so I just used a double-space for scene changes which it seemed to remove... So I re-uploaded it with line breaks; I played around a bit and inserted 10 dashes which seemed to be edited down to a small line..
And yeah I'm not a big fan of them either and one of the problems I had with Axeman was that SOMEDODY wasn't going to survive that fight so with that train of thought it was easier to recycle the story into the prologue for this series. And out of respect for the characters I didn't mention it in the notes.