Yay! It's chapter six! Okay, so, remember what I said about one or two more chapters concerning Raine and Genis' new lives? I lied. There will probably be like three or four more chapters since I've thought up some new ideas for Genis before I start picking on Raine. I have a strong feeling this story will be very interesting, even before we get to the part where I butcher the World Regeneration. LOL. But lemme shush before I give the plot away. Bwhahaha.
Actually, I'm considering rewriting the first five chapters since they're not up to my current standards. Or at least going back and fixing typos. Hmm.What do you guys think? We'll see because I've two collabs, three other stories, a billion more oneshots, a trillion more request to expand my current one shots, and too many new ideas festering in my head. Oh, yeah, did I mention I'm starting college next week? Uh, yeah xD Anyway, enjoy.
I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, every Renegade would have Yuan's sexy cerulean hair, tied into a ponytail.
Chapter Six:
Forgiveness
Despite the Renegade base having an endless number of rooms and hallways, there was only one place the boy would be. Yuan traveled the corridors of his base, still mumbling incoherently to himself and following the telltale tear drops on the floors, shining against the bright lights on the walls. Knowing he was the cause of them only hurt him more and he hastened his steps, nearly tempted to fly as his cerulean hair was blown backwards from the wind. Was he... worried about the boy? Or, perhaps, regretful?
He thought about how his father treated him during his youth. Sure, times had changed immensely and the punishments of the past could not hold a candle to the present, but the principals were still the same along with the foundation of both punishment and pains. Hard to believe such a person like Yuan was once half his present height, a fraction of his wisdom, extremely inept, and less his current composure, looking up with tear-drenched eyes as he pointed to a broken lamp, scattered across the floor like a priceless puzzle, marking himself as the culprit. That's when the boy's father would charge into the room, already enraged by the sound of the object breaking; steam pouring from his ears and fingers curled into a ball as if ready to strike the boy, which was usually how the night ended. His father loved him; Yuan had the scars to prove it.
He slowed down when he turned a corner and took a moment to examine the floor. Growling, he chewed the inside of his cheeks until the copper and Aionis tinted taste of blood caressed his tongue. The puddles of salty tears increased in width as Yuan got closer to the room he suspected the toddler to be in. His angelic ears picked up the faint whisper of sobs as he approached the door, which grew louder with every step he took. Light became scarce as this area was only for storage, so the lighting was less than adequate.
Stopping in front of the door, Yuan took in a deep breath, sighing heavily. This particular area did not have motion-activated entry because only certain people could enter. A keypad was instead set up with only a select few knowing the magic numbers. Irrespective of his extraordinary senses, he could not sense the presence of the toddler that one day he put away some new information regarding the Kharlan Wars. His mind was occupied and his movements had a slight delay between the moment they were thought of and sent to his fingers to be processed, but to let his guard down that low was rather disgraceful. By seer fate and blind luck, Genis somehow followed Yuan into the storage area, despite being told countless times that it was off-limits, and watched his father put in the secret numbers. He never bothered to change the pass code, figuring the boy's fear of darkness, a highly irrational fear in the Seraph's own opinion, would keep him away from the area. Instead, over time, it became his favorite hiding and sulking resort.
He knew he couldn't barge into the room; it would only make the already broken toddler more problematic. No... what would a father do in this situation?
"May I come in?..." Yuan asked after knocking on the door twice.
"Go away!" screamed the boy inside. His voice was hoarse, and upon hearing the sounds of another person, his sobs increased in intensity.
He grunted and bit his bottom lip, cursing in the Angelic language. "At least listen to me!"
"You'll just yell again! You always do that. Even when I tried to apologize, you told me to shut up!" Genis' voice was muffled behind the steel door separating the two, but still audible.
"... I-... I... am..." Why was apologizing so hard to do, even when it was necessary and rightfully just?
"You can't even say it..." The toddler sniffled loudly. "Uncle Botta told me not to say things I didn't mean."
Now the toddler was using the words of his subordinate against him. "I'm sorry, Genis."
Yuan heard shuffling from inside the room, followed by the tiny tap of soft shoes against the sturdy floor, which he concluded to have belonged to the boy. The steps grew louder until they were right in front of the door, then suddenly stopped. "You mean it?" a hopeful voice asked.
Only becoming more and more frustrated, he wanted to rip his hair out, lock by lock. He was strong enough to do it but the Seraph would never hear the end of it if he showed up to a meeting on Cruxis completely bald. Folding his arms, Yuan stroked his elbows with a single finger. "Yes, Genis. I mean it," he replied through gritted teeth, suppressing the urge to extract more blood from his cheeks.
Suddenly, the door beeped and flashed open, revealing a red-eyed Genis. His pale cheeks had white streams of dried salt from his tears, but he tried to crack a smile of forgiveness. "Really, honestly, swear-to-Martel mean it?" The young half elf eyed his father immoderately, wanting to be sure his apology was pure of heart.
Yuan sighed and threw his hands into his face. "How many times have I told you not to use Martel's name in vain?" he asked, shaking his head from side to side. "Yes, I mean it, Genis. Now can we just go get this stuff already? I've work to do."
Satisfied with it, Genis nodded and wiped his face. "Kay!" exclaimed the boy.
"Go wash your face first." Yuan flicked his index finger in the direction of the nearest bathroom.
"Alright." Genis wrapped his arms around his father's waist and hugged him tightly, wrinkling his black cape. "Even though you yell at me and stuff, I still love you, Daddy."
The angel turned his gaze upwards, patting the boy's back lightly and exhaled loudly. "Okay, okay, that's enough! Just hurry up and do what I said."
The toddler sniffled again and released an arm to wipe his eyes. "I'm going, I'm going!" With that, he smiled and turned to skip down the hallway joyfully.
Yuan watched the boy run off, temporarily forgetting to scold him for doing so. He jumped back when he noticed a slight smirk on his face. Genis' words had warmed him more than he expected; even a strange tingling sensation took over his eyes, although it was about four thousand years old. Still, the toddler's happiness was contagious and Yuan couldn't help but smile, for he had apologized, though he was unable to recall the last time he did. Or maybe he did remember apologizing to a certain someone for being unable to protect as she lay dying in her brother's arms... But back then, she couldn't forgive him before the last of her life vanished. If only she had verbally forgiven him, maybe he wouldn't be so bitter now.
- - - - - - - -
The next time the two entered the hanger room, everything was silent. A few stray Renegades still lingered, chatting about the previous events and performing what looked like a maintenance check on the room's equipment. Yuan's angelic hearing picked up some random words. His face winced, showing his dislike of the subject. When they heard him growl loudly, they quickly ceased talking and return to their individual tasks.
Genis smiled at everyone with his freshly washed face; bits of soap decorating his hair, but no one bothered to mention that small fact. He probably wouldn't have minded anyway since he smelled like lavender. Yuan bought it after learning of its relaxing properties and thought it would be an easy way of calming the boy down while he was trying to do work. This plan backfired, however. Ever since then, Genis tends to drown himself in it, even going as far as using half the bottle to wash his hands before meals and demanding more after he's cleaned out the entire package, a process that usually takes a week for a supply intended to last for more than a month.
A few moments after the duo entered, Botta walked into the room with a hastened and concerned manner. He had a paper in his hand, obviously important for he gripped it tightly as if the slightest wind would blow it from his grasp.
"Lord Yuan." Botta waved the paper in his hand. Hopefully, it wouldn't contain any grotesque portraits drowned in glitter.
Yuan turned around to view his brown haired subordinate. "What is it?"
"New information on the Mana Cannon's progress," he replied as he stepped closer.
"Is there a problem?" asked the angel.
"Yes. Apparently, there's something going on with the structure. Rodyle is trying to change around the original design and..."
Both Yuan and Botta looked down to see Genis looking up and listening to the conversation intensively. When they stopped talking to meet his gaze, he shifted his view from left to right, viewing their faces and trying to figure out why they'd interrupted their discussion.
"Genis, this does not concern you." Botta folded his arms.
"Yes. Go wait by the rhieard. I'll be there soon," said Yuan, pointing to the first rhieard, still being fueled.
He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself halfway between. Something told him not to argue with his father and end up risking a repeat of history. "Okay." The toddler excused himself and made his way to the rhieard, being careful not to touch anything.
The two stood and spoke for a while, deep in conversation. Genis figured whatever they were discussing was important; Botta took notes and made changes as requested by Yuan. Occasionally, they'd refer to the paper in Botta's hand and Yuan would scratch something out in ink using a quill.
A few moments later, Yuan made his way to the control panel and ended the fueling process by pressing some buttons. Lights began to flash as the warning sequence began, alerting everyone to stand clear for their own safety. The boy squealed happily and clapped his hands as he knew that meant they were one step closer to departure.
With a wave of his hand, the angel said, "Alright. Get on."
"Yay!" exclaimed Genis. He stepped closer to the vehicle and lifted his arms, throwing them over the back seat and gripping the opposite side for support. He grunted as he tried to pull himself up, but found his weak arms weren't strong enough to support the rest of his body weight.
Yuan sighed. "Wait, stop! Let me help before you hurt yourself." Moving over to the back, he grabbed the boy by his waist with little to no effort and hoisted him in the air, planting his bottom on the seat. Once safely set, Genis moved his legs to either side and allowed his father to fasten the safety belt.
"Thank you, Daddy."
"Hmm." The Seraph simply replied with a grunt and boarded the rhieard himself. "Botta, page me if anything happens. Hopefully, Yggdrasill doesn't need me," he said, turning around.
"Understood, Sir. Have a nice time and please return safely."
Genis waved behind to Botta and the other Renegades. "Bye, Uncle Botta! We'll be back soon!"
Yuan pressed a few buttons on the rhieard. Genis turned around and wrapped his arms around the angel's waist tightly, sowing his little fingers together like pieces of a puzzle. He leaned his cheek against Yuan's back. He closed his eyes tightly; departure was sometimes rough and the boy wasn't exactly content with the idea of flying thousands of feet in the air. Unlike his father, he lacked a pair of transparent wings to save himself.
Everyone cleared the area. Yuan did the final check and asked Genis if he was ready. The boy gave an enthusiastic reply, smiling through his excited voice, and bounced around on the seat waiting for the next move. The wings flapped and all the controls were inspected for stability. Both could feel the rumbling of the engine, but Yuan was used to the movement and Genis enjoyed it. He still had hopes and thought that one day, well into the future, he'd be able to pilot one himself.
Moments later, they were airborne, soaring through the chilly Flanoir sky. Random snowflakes attached to the rhieard, only to melt back into water droplets moments later or fly off from the intense air flow passing. Some snow landed on Genis' cheek, their touch feeling like tiny drops of ice. The wind blew through their hair; stray cerulean strains tickled Genis' nose and he sneezed twice, both times on Yuan's cape. The Seraph merely rolled his eyes, making a mental note to wash his cape upon returning to the base.
Yuan landed a mile or two away from the town. A rhieard in the sky would cause commotion, which would only lead to more problems down the road. He nimbly hopped off the machine first; his feet indenting a virgin patch of snow.
"Button up your jacket," Yuan ordered Genis after he helped him off the rhieard. "I don't need you getting a cold out here."
"Okay." Obediently, he lifted his fingers and carefully fastened each individual button to its corresponding hole.
Taking off a small pack from under his cape, Yuan pushed a button on the top and lifted it into the air. Seconds later, the once life-sized rhieard diminished into something much more small scale and was sucked inside before he replaced it.
"Let's go." The angel began walking in the snow, growing rather irritated with the snow getting into his face. Periodically, he'd wave a group invading his field of vision.
"Wait for me, Daddy!" Genis hadn't noticed until Yuan was a good ten feet in front of him, showing no intention of slowing down. His steps were high paced, as if he were in a hurry, which he was.
The boy had to run to catch up with Yuan. When he finally did, he was out of breath and panted heavily. It took two of his steps to match one of his father's, but somehow the toddler managed. He found amusement soon after; his breath condensed visibility as puffs of light smoke revealed his breathing pattern. He tried to grab it only to find the mysterious smoke slipping through his petite, half elven fingers. Finally giving up, he reached up and grabbed Yuan's hand. The action broke the angel's train of thought and he looked down, allowing Genis to tighten the grip. He looked up to match his father's gaze and smiled; Yuan returned with a smile of his own before turning his gaze back to his destination.
Flanoir always amazed Genis. The temperature was always below freezing, but the residents didn't mind and tourism was as popular as ever. Somewhere in the area, there was a resort owned by the Lezerano company. Numerous times Genis asked to stop by, only for a visit. He'd never been snow-boarding before, and come to think of it, he never really got the chance to enjoy the snow; the light layer of snowfall that landed around the Renegade base was dirty by the time the toddler got to it, and that was if Yuan let him outside long enough to even touch it. Usually, he'd sneak out and end up scolded for disrespecting orders. But every time, he was denied his visit, lightly fueled by his history of disobedience. He decided not to ask this time and risk ruining his current visit before he'd even gotten the original reason for coming to town.
"Daddy! It's so pretty!"
Yuan nodded, figuring the boy was referring to the snow for the third time since their arrival. "I know, Genis. You've already said that about the snow."
"No," replied the boy, shaking his head. "I'm talking about the shops."
He hadn't taken the time out to actually view his surroundings nor did he care, but the town indeed played host to some new additions. The streets were lined with hand carts that caught the attention of many tourist. Some shops that weren't present since their last visit ages ago decorated the snowy streets, each as colorful as the next, selling an array of items from trinkets, to gloves, to coats, to fruits and fresh meats, though Yuan questioned the possibility of raising fresh cattle and fish in such chilly weather.
"There it is!" Genis pulled on Yuan's arm rapidly while pointing to a cart near the church. "Come on!"
"Alright! Don't rush me," growled the Seraph. He let his feet follow after the boy as he ran excitedly towards the area of interest.
Once they reached the cart, Genis examined the selection carefully with icy blue eyes, as if he were an expert on the subject. Occasionally, they'd widen in amazement upon viewing something of interest and new. Shelves of colorful glitters glistened against the soft sunlight escaping through the thick, light gray snow clouds. There were millions of colors to choose from, but the boy was fully aware that his father wouldn't allow him to purchase everything. It wouldn't fit on the rhieard.
Yuan tapped his foot on the ground idly in an attempt to rush the boy, who ignored the hint. "Genis, hurry up. We don't have all day."
He looked up, completely shocked. "But, Daddy. I'm going to use this glitter to make you a picture! It has to be just right."
"Oh Martel..." Yuan rolled his eyes. The female store clerk giggled a bit but stopped once she noticed a fiery cerulean gaze on the side of her face.
The boy returned to his searching and made his first decision: one container of light blue glitter. "How about this one? Or maybe I should get the dark blue instead..." He tapped his finger against his cheek in deep thought, occasionally grunting as he argued with himself internally.
"Just. Pick. One." His patience was running thin and they hadn't even made it to Altamira. The paint would definitely take more forbearance than the glitter; the wider the selection, the more time the toddler was prone to use in making a simple decision.
Genis sighed. "Hmmm... I guess I'll get this one and then get the darker paint." He handed the container to his father since he was the one paying for everything.
"Are we done?" Yuan asked, snatching it.
"Nu uh. I need more than that." Genis shook his head. "Unless we can come back," he added with a hopeful smile.
Yuan scoffed. "Not a chance."
Genis shrugged and went back to the cart; his attention was now on the reds, yellows, and greens. "Ooo! This one's so cool!" With his petite hands, he reached up and jumped slightly until his fingers grasped his target. He examined the container, spinning it around for a better view and cooing to himself.
"It glows in the dark too," the cart owner informed.
That was enough to gain his approval. "Whoa, you're right!" exclaimed Genis as he cupped his hands to block out the light and viewed the bottle with a single eye. "This one too!"
This process continued for longer than the angel appreciated. Yuan's cape became completely covered in snow as did his hair; he resembled a statue, a rather angry one. By the time Genis finished browsing and was completely satisfied with his final choices, Yuan's hands were occupied with no less than thirty plastic bottles, all filled with a rainbow of glitters and one or two containing glue.
"And your total comes to..." The clerk performed her mathematics on a sheet of parchment and quickly finished adding the numbers. "...ten thousand, two hundred, and thirty six gald..."
Genis ignored the price and crackled a smile when Yuan's eyes narrowed upon hearing the final sum.
"This had better last you until your funeral," Yuan muttered as he fiddled under his cape, pulling out a pouch fastened to his waist. He plucked out a few crisp, paper bills of different colors and some coins, not even bothering to check the amount before handing it to the clerk.
She checked the amount quickly and returned his change, then carefully placed all of the purchased goods into a paper bag. "Thank you and have a nice day! Please come again!"
Genis eagerly retrieved the bag, holding it tightly in his gloved hands as if a thief would dare steal his precious new glitters away. "Yay! Thanks!"
Yuan stuffed the change and replaced his pouch before croaking a reply in her direction. "Come on." He turned on his heels, walking towards the town's main exit.
While running to catch up, Genis turned and waved a 'goodbye' towards the cart. "Thank you, Daddy."
"Yeah, whatever." Rolling his eyes, he gritted his teeth, hastening his footsteps and causing his son to run in order to keep up as if it were some sort of small punishment for spending nearly eleven thousand gald in fifteen minutes. "After Altamira, we're going home. Understand?"
"Uh huh," the toddler replied and nodded his head. Some snow flew off his silver locks. "Maybe they'll have new paints."
The duo made their way out of town and trekked through the snow. Since their stop, the area had gained a few more inches, as noted by Genis' pants becoming wet. He sneezed a few times and wiped his dripping nose with his hands, complaining about a dizzy feeling in his head. Yuan groaned and handed him a handkerchief instead, trying to get the boy out of the cold as quickly as possible before he caught something.
They were almost near Celsius' temple when Yuan noticed something was amidst. He perked up his ears, heightening his angelic senses. Footsteps laid in the snow, unlike the ones created by him and his son; they were too small to come from an adult male, too big to come from a child, and had an elongated tip, signaling that the shoes weren't common. This area wasn't known to attract attention as the bitter cold kept most tourist away, most finding comfort in Flanoir and the temple itself was viewed as too sacred to be viewed by anyone other than the Chosen or those with height titles like a Priest. But Tethe'alla was far from being in decline and, to his knowledge, they were the only two in the area.
Yuan pulled Genis towards the entrance of the temple and shushed the boy when he asked why they had yet to board the rhieard. The toddler began to worry, swallowing loud enough for his father to hear. He tightened his hand's grip into something of a feeble death lock. Slowly, the two made their way; Yuan looked around and followed the foreign footprints. When he spotted a strand of aquamarine hair swirled around a rock, he confirmed his suspicions, slotting his eyes and snarling in annoyance.
"Pronyma."
Ooo. A little poke at Yuan's mysterious past. -insert sounds of amazement- Expect more to pop up during the course of the series. And he apologized to Genis! How cute! Wasn't expecting to make Genis this cutesy as a toddler, but, meh. I giggled while I was typing this scene up, especially the part with the glitter. And come on... Genis hugging Yuan. That's just too cute. Wish I could hug Yuan... -finds Yuan plushie-
Ouch. Lengthy compared to the others. I told you the chapters would get longer xD Actually had to stop myself and end this chapter here because it would have been like 12 or more pages. LOL. Besides, cliffhangers are fun and it's 10:46 PM.
Zomg, hack! Pronyma?! But what's she doing in Tethe'alla? Only one way to find out. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Dun dun dunnnnn!