Disclaimer: I do not own this, sad as the fact may be for me. If I did I'd be rich, not wondering when I'll get my next allowance.
I've been wondering if anyone was ever going to ask about where Noishe is. Ah, well. Noishe is going to show up in a few chapters with a few new… adjustments. Hehehehehehe…
Review Responses:
Blackdog530 – Yeah, Yuan and Kratos are somewhat ooc… I attribute a great deal of it to the fact that they're more comfortable around everyone now that Cruxis is gone and the fact that I tend to give all my characters a touch of my own randomness. My friends refer to it as my insanity and analyze my behavior so that they'll be better able to make me sane again… assuming I've ever been sane… Good job on finding the Mummy quote! Yay for the Mummy!
SweetMisery430 – School isn't too bad, I guess. My teachers are awesome; my physics teacher is a rocket scientist. He likes to blow things up apparently. Anywho, I hate to tell you this, but the 'El Pollo' nickname, though coming closer to being explained, is still being dangled on a string for everyone.
The Zelda Master – You've discovered further proof of my lack of Beta-reader and the incompetence of Microsoft Word's spell-checker. I often type faster than I pay attention to the computer screen and the keyboard. These minor problems just seem to slip by. I guess I just don't self-edit well… I am planning on attaining a Beta-reader soon. One of my friends has been playing the game at my house. (A slow and drawn out process.) I'm going to con her into being my Beta… somehow. (Evil, calculating look appears.)
Bballstar42 – Yeah, school definitely stinks… it takes away from my fanfiction and video game time. On the other hand, it does give me an excuse to practice driving. Watch out road, here I come!
Blade liger knight - Work, school... they say theres a difference, but my mom still brings home 'homework' so I have my doubts. Oh well. No Sheelos this chappie, but next chappie I'm debating having Sheena slap Zelos. That's always funny... I have, however, posted a Sheelos one-shot lately, sooo... (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)
Jiri-chan- Yeah, Yuan and Kratos are Ooc... but neither one has to be stoic double-agents anymore. (I know, bad excuse...) The El Pollo stuff is coming up soon. So is a reunion with Noishe. Just thought I'd mention that. :)
Chapter 10
"So we're supposed to just sit here and wait," Lloyd stated, his tone bored. Wary looks greeted his words. Almost all recognized that sound; the sound of Lloyd about to make things interesting. Like when he nearly blew up the Iselia Human Ranch because he wanted to find out what all the buttons did.
Colette winced internally. She had been the only one there with him and had to be the one to ban him from touching the controls for any reason what so ever. He pouted and she hadnearly relented. It was a very close thing, but she held her ground in the end.
"What are you planning, Lloyd?" the blonde girl asked in a resigned manner.
The brunette ignored the tone. "Going through the entire house would take Zelos forever, but if a few of us go in and at least start in on the ground floor for him, we might be able to help him salvage some of his stuff."
"That sounds like a good plan," Kratos agreed. "We won't have to waste as much time here."
"Kratos!" Isis snapped. "It isn't a waste of time. Just because you don't appreciate material objects doesn't mean that other people have the same aversion to acquiring items with important memories attached."
"That was an odd sentence," Ra muttered. He was rewarded with an elbow to his ribs.
"Shut up, Ra."
"Actually," Presea spoke up, "Genis and I were wondering if we could go to the Coliseum."
"That's fine for now…" Raine said after a moment, then adding, "I'll come along and chaperone."
The others agreed and the trio moved off in the direction of the giant stadium. Moments later, Lloyd, Colette, and Sheena entered the burnt building. Seles remained outside with the ancient angels.
"So," the strawberry-haired girl sat down on a nearby bench and pulled out a deck of cards, "who knows how to play the card game LB?"
"I do," Isis said, also moving to sit on the bench, "but I warn you, as an angel I must smite the sign of evil should three sixes appear at any point in time."
"That's the game where each player has nine cards at the beginning, three face down, three on top of that and then three in their hand, right?" Yuan asked as he seated himself in front of the bench.
"Yep," Isis and Seles chorused.
"Deal me in," he said simply.
Ra and Kratos exchanged vaguely annoyed looks and then ignored the trio.
/o/
The trip to Altamira was a silent one. Ibis was unsure of whether or not he'd make everything worse, so he kept quiet. Zelos was lost in thought and the fact that he could fly perfectly across the ocean while not paying attention was a testament to either his flying skills or the awesome power of luck.
Of course, if one thought that the ride was quiet, it was nothing if not loud when compared to the city of Meltokio. A blanket of silence seemed to have been dropped over the streets, markets, and people. They all had guilty looks and avoided the ex-Chosen's gaze. Well… all except the half-elves that smiled at the red haired man and murmured words of thanks as he walked by.
For the first time in a long time, Zelos found himself blushing in embarrassment.
"Is something wrong?" Ibis asked in a low tone.
Zelos whispered back, "no… not really. I just… I didn't repeal the Pope's laws because I wanted to be thanked."
"You did the right thing, which many wouldn't have. They thank you for that, whether you feel you want it or not. But that isn't all of it either, is it?"
I don't deserve their thanks. I was on the wrong side for a while. I haven't earned this… the thoughts flashed through Zelos' mind like lightning. "No. That's all there is too it."
"If you say so," Ibis responded doubtfully; he didn't push the subject, though. It was quickly becoming evident how much of a pacifist by nature Ibis was.
When the duo reached the Noble's quarter, Zelos almost didn't notice his sister, who rushed up to him while leaving a flurry of cards in her wake. The house held his attention for several long moments; shock numbed his mind. I didn't think it would look so bad… Sebastion would be displeased to see it in such a condition… emotional pain lanced through him at the thought of his one-time butler, bodyguard, and almost-parent.
"Don't worry, big-brother, I'm sure we can rebuild it. Don't… don't be sad…" Seles trailed off, staring at Zelos in surprise.
"Yeah, I know." Zelos turned to Seles and ruffled her strawberry colored tresses. "Is something the matter?"
"I… I sense your feelings…" her hands shot up and covered her ears. "Ohh… they're all so loud. Why can't everyone be quiet?"
Zelos grabbed his sister's hands and kept her from falling. "Seles! Seles, listen to me."
"How do you do it, Zelos? It hurts so much to hear so many… how can you stand to even touch someone when it conveys so much?" her voice rose hysterically and Lloyd and his entourage stuck their heads out of random breaks in the broken building.
"Shush…" Zelos drew his sister into a hug and rocked her while simultaneously shielding her and sending her to sleep.
"What happened?" Yuan demanded, following Isis and Ra over to the trio. Kratos seconded the question when Isis didn't answer.
"She wanted to feel what her brother felt so that she could make it better. Sarcasm and caustic comments may be her favorite repertoire, but she genuinely wanted to heal things. Her latent psionic abilities took that as their que to emerge." Ibis' calm statement took everyone by surprise and caught the attention of all present.
"Ibis?" Isis stepped forward as the man nodded in ascent. "How dare you show up here. Shouldn't you be with your cousin Set?"
Zelos spared Ibis a startled look, but focused on Isis with a steely look. "Ibis is not now, and I sincerely doubt he has ever been, a member of the Anubian Warriors. He is my friend and I trust him despite what he has not told me. He dares to show up here because I want him here and he has no complaints with that."
Zelos pulled his sister into his arms so that he was carrying her. "The royal family owes me a favor, so I'll have Seles stay there while she sleeps. Yuan, would you watch over her for me?"
"All right." Yuan, ignoring Kratos and Isis' imperceptibly bewildered look, walked after the Wilder siblings.
Kratos settled onto the now vacated bench, collected the cards, and waited.
/o/
"Zelos?" Hilda's surprised voice caused Zelos to smile again. "Oh! Poor Seles… what happened to her?"
"She's not feeling so good… it's a bit of a long story. Since I don't have a house for her to sleep in, could we borrow one of the guest rooms?" Zelos shifted Seles in his arms, waiting for the answer.
"Of course! Follow me," she whirled around and led them to the all to familiar Crimson Chamber. "Governor-general Neil of Palmacosta is going to be arriving here in a few days to discuss repayment for the help that Tethe'alla has sent his city. Father said that Meltokio will probably end up supplied with free fish for a few years."
"It'll be free until it's sold to venders and then it'll cost everyone else just as much as it always does," Yuan muttered softly. Hilda blushed, but ignored the comment.
"Hilda, this is Lord Yuan, leader of the Renegades," Zelos added cheerfully as he placed Seles on the bed. "He'll be watching over Seles for me while I hunt for any non-ruined items in my home."
"Oh… you're the Renegade leader?" she echoed in a suddenly sullen tone.
"Indeed." Yuan sat down regally in one of the chairs.
"That seems… odd," she stated as she left.
"Well there goes a prejudiced brat," Yuan remarked cheerfully, leaning over to shut the door.
"I was like her once," Zelos reminded him sharply.
"No, you just thought you were. Being like her would have meant scorning your sister for her blood," Yuan stretched his arms and gestured to the bookcase. "Do they have any good books in here?"
Zelos chuckled and rattled off a few titles before picking one at Yuan's request and handing it over to the old angel. "Have fun and… will you help her when she wakes if I haven't returned by then?"
"No problem."
"You don't seem mad at me any more… why is that?"
"I guess I'm not," Yuan agreed slowly. "The reason was never really there, I was just listening to my ego again."
"Well, well. The last time you said something like that it was because Lord Botta told you that you were acting like a jerk."
"He did not say that."
"Not in so many words, but the gist was the same. You still swallowed your pride and joined forces with Lloyd."
"Ugh… be gone with you."
"All righty, then. Ta-ta," Zelos pulled open the door and shut it noiselessly behind him.
"Brat-child." (1)
/o/
"What have you done to convince him you're on his side," Isis snapped.
"I was myself," Ibis replied honestly, leaning against one of the nearby gates, amusement clearly visible in his eyes. "Quite honestly, I don't know why he trusts me either, I've only known him for a few days. Then again, he's more powerful than we are. Perhaps he 'sees' something we don't."
"He's a youngling…"
"He's both wise and immature. That makes him unpredictable and impulsive." Ibis shrugged and added, "he's also analytical. He speaks words that have both the meaning and effect he desires. It's rather refreshing to find out that people are turning out that way."
"Now look, you," Isis continued, but her anger was deflating, "I don't trust you."
"Which you shouldn't. You don't have a reason too. We've never been friends, but then I've never given you a reason to think I'm evil either. Yes, Set and Apophis are my cousins. I've always been an outsider to you because of that, but I'm not like them. I am a doctor first and foremost, not a technical engineer like they are."
"Oh fine. I get the point. I'll stop jumping to conclusions and shut up," Isis played with her long ebony hair in a distracted manner.
All eyes turned to Ra, who reached over and shook Ibis' hand. "The mighty pacifist returns. You're friend is a fighter; that'll make things interesting."
Ibis smiled. "Sometimes, as I've come to learn, there is a time for diplomacy and for others there is a time for persuasive diplomacy."
"Fighting, you mean."
"If that is what you wish to refer to it as, be my guest."
/o/
Zelos returned to find Ibis smirking, Isis staring sheepishly in a southerly direction, and Ra playing a game of War with the cards against Kratos. "Everyone calmed down now?" he asked, glancing around.
"You could say that," Kratos answered, picking up a set of cards he'd won.
"Dangit," Ra snapped, one of the cards he'd just lost in that 'battle' was an ace.
"Okaaay… I'll just be going inside…" Zelos paused and then added, "who's in there, by the way?"
"Lloyd, Colette, and Sheena. Presea and Genis went to the Coliseum with the Professor as their chaperone," Isis rattled off, moving over to watch the card game from a spot that left her hovering over Ra's shoulder, which irked the man to no end.
"Uh, thanks." Zelos walked in, the blackened door swinging wide and nearly falling off its hinges.
"Zelos!" Colette ran over and hugged the taller Chosen and smiled innocently as she pulled back. "Lloyd found a wing pack and we've been using that to store anything undamaged or repairable."
"Thanks, my little angel. I appreciate all the help."
Lloyd walked in far more slowly than Colette had. "We put your mother's painting in here. It isn't charred, but it isn't undamaged either. You'll have to decide whether to fix her later." He smiled and added, "your piano, on the other hand, just needs the soot cleaned out of it."
"I'm gonna head upstairs, mmkay?"
"Be careful," the couple warned as one.
/o/
Seles opened her eyes slowly, a headache pounding behind her eyes. "Ugh…"
"Ah, so you're among the living once more, Miss Seles," a mocking voice greeted her.
"What happened?"
"You decided, whether you realized it or not, that today would be a good day to join the ranks of the psionic talents of Symphonia."
Seles forced herself to sit up and look around. Yuan's smirking visage was the only part of the room she could identify. "Where…?"
"We're in the Crimson Chamber of the castle. Zelos brought you here, but he went back to retrieve a few things from the burnt mansion… I've found myself under the impression that he doesn't wish to stay in Meltokio for long."
"Why are you the one watching me?"
Yuan's smirk faltered as he shrugged. "I have no earthly idea. I guess it means he trusts me, though why in Martel's name he'd do something so idiotic is beyond me."
Seles giggled and then winced. "Do you know how I can block out all the whispers?"
"It takes practice at first, but becomes second nature later on," Yuan instructed, falling back into his role as a teacher. "You learn first through meditation."
/o/
Set stared at his computer screen, analyzing the maps of Symphonia again. The two Holy Grounds of Kharlan lay opposite of each other, as did the Renegade bases and the Otherworldly Gate (which existed almost across from Palmacosta). Somewhere on those maps was marked the place where the Firelight Mirror rested.
He just didn't know where that place was.
"Apophis, are you certain our finder would be incapable of targeting the Mirror?" Set's voice was demanding; he did not wish for a 'yes.'
"Perhaps, brother. He believes that he wouldn't be able to sense it because the Mirror is inanimate…"
"It has Morphia and the Tenant within it." Set stood abruptly, Apophis slinking into the shadows in order to remain unseen. The door hissed open and a woman with pale blonde hair and green eyes walked in. "Amia, bring Lethian to me. I have a new assignment for him."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Amia, when you've brought Lethian here, I wish for you to discover what is taking Ma'at so long to return."
"With pleasure," Amia walked out, smirking. Like most other people, the blonde human had hated Ma'at with a passion. She couldn't wait to discredit the 3,000-year-old angel.
"Brother, I will go capture Wilder. This time I shall not fail," Apophis vowed, leaving through his secret exit.
Set waited until he was completely alone before speaking his thoughts aloud. "You had better not fail, brother, or not even familial ties shall protect you from the consequences…"
A/N Writing for Set always makes me think of Lore from Star Trek… I don't know why. (Lore was Data's brother… just in case that might let you know what I'm talking about…) Isis is easily angered, as seen above, but she calms down quickly. Though she acts crazy, she loves logic a great deal and does listen to it. Amia is a random person that will pop up whenever I need a Warrior to do something.
By the way, is anyone else really ticked off at Nintendo for postponing the "Twilight Princess" again? This makes it over a year late! (Twitches and begins to mumble.)
I've also posted two one-shots lately; I'd like to thank CopyCatShinobi, StrawberryEggs, and Blue-sama for reviewing both. The King of No Pants (that is an odd name… Hehehe) and The Zelda Master reviewed my Sheelos one-shot "Put Your Lights On" and I'd like to thank you two as well. Finally, Lily reviewed "Perfect" (and made me laugh). :)
(1) "Brat-child" is Yuan's nickname for Zelos in my Student-Teacher series that I'll start posting next Spring (possibly earlier, but doubtful). It just seems to fit Zelos so well.
Please leave reviews, they give me warm, fuzzy feelings of happiness. They also take my mind off the above annoyance of the Zelda game being postponed.