Reviews: Rhino: Decided to give this story a shot, glad I did. I look forward to seeing where you go with this, I'm not going to favorite or follow, but I do check the Vesperia page often enough to where I'll see when you update. You've got something good here, let's see what you do with it.
Vesperian-Ivia-Elemental: ...Why didn't I read this sooner? I deserve a good smack to the head for missing out on a good story up till now! That being said; this story is great, Tai is interesting, I enjoy the skits and the character interaction and I can't wait to see what happens next! Nice job so far! :3
Thanks, you two. I'm not smacking anyone and I'm just glad people are reading this and enjoying it. To be honest, I made this on the fly and still am, so if you got good suggestions for maybe sidequests OR THE STORY ITSELF, please lemme know. Now, back to the story.
AND ALSO, TALES OF VESPERIA 2: THE BLASTIA AGE RESTORED NOW HAS OVER 1,000 VIEWS! THANK YOU GUYS; IT'S BECAUSE OF READERS LIKE YOU THAT DRIVES ME TO KEEP GOING! KUDOS TO YOU! ;3
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"Rita!" Estelle said, causing the mage to realize she was causing the princess to be upset, and stopped trying to grab it, "That's really rude to just grab at somebody like that."
"It's just a glove, for crying out loud," Tai groaned as he stepped back near Estelle and the old man, like they were bodyguards, "What's the big deal?"
"That kind of energy: I've never seen anything like that before," Rita explained, yet was still sort of pushy at him, "The way it made that aer into that matter and formulated it. It's so intriguing. It's part of being a researcher; you gotta study the things that haven't even been explored yet. Your glove was able to control some sort of massive energy, and I wanna find out what it is."
"Well, there are three problems with that then," the teen pointed three fingers up, "One: I almost got killed by some huge guy about a few seconds ago, so I'm right now I'm not wanting anyone close around me. Two: I've had a past with people coming up and wanting my glove, so no. And three: I don't do people touching me."
"You let the old man help you up to your feet," Rita said, trying to prove him a hypocrite.
"Because I trust the old man to help me up to my feet. You yanking my arm off... not so much," Tai said, looking away.
"Ah! Why you...!" Rita began.
"Okay, okay, that's enough," Yuri said walking over, and calming the situation down, "I don't need you two starting a fight after we just got done with one. Still, gonna have to say your glove's pretty cool, Tai. Not a bad arte style you have."
"Yeah! You like stopped that jerkbag in his tracks! He was like gonna kill you, and then you were like 'not in my face, you won't!' And then you totally owned him!" Akihiro ranted excitedly and uncontrollably.
All looking at his... well, unique way of putting it, the teen smiled at them, innocently tilting his head at them. Giving up on his ability to realize how weird he was, Yuri turned back to Tai and spoke.
"To think that glove can hold that kind of energy... that might come in handy against huge monsters," he said, complimenting him, but the teen was sadly taking it the wrong way, as others in the past tried to use him before.
"Wait a minute. Wasn't that the same energy that helped wound that Orochiberus monster's legs?" Flynn said, recalling a memory from the fight that occurred yesterday.
"Oh, yeah! That was the same thing! Tai, you ended up really saving our butts back there!" Yuri said, as he and Repede suddenly acknowledged the one who set up the twin mystic arte for them, "You're more powerful than you look."
Eyes of uncomfort set in on not only Tai, but Akihiro. Once again, this hooded kid was the spotlight of these guys' attention? He wasn't going to get to his dream of the champion of Nordipolica if others kept shining in his way. And those artes... they were strong... That was it, from now on, Tai was his new rival.
Silence was all that came from the hooded teen. Wonderful, now the blastia thieves would be interested in him... and could these guys be trusted anymore? He kept his face buried in the shadows as Estelle and Raven caught onto his drift. Since the others were clueless and surprised at his rejection of compliments, Yuri became suspicious.
"Tai? Hey, you okay?" he asked.
"I think we're all just a bit shaken up, Yuri," Estelle said, causing Tai to lighten up a bit, "We just weren't expecting to have to fight."
"Yes, and it also appears that we were right; that Cescoral man must be a part of the blastia thieves, and they're looking at Rita specifically, since she's a ex-blastia expert," Flynn said.
"Well, I guess she's gonna need our protection, won't she?" Raven sighing, shrugging.
"Hey! I don't need your protection, old man! I can handle myself just fine!" Rita snapped, and folded her arms with a confident pout.
"Oh... I guess that means you don't want to come with us," Estelle said, looking down.
Suddenly, realizing the folly she made and wanted to make it right, Rita stuttered with a concerned blush, "N-No! It's not like that...! I... um..."
Yuri and Raven starting smirking at the mage trying to give an excuse for traveling with her best friend, as she said, "S-Since... since they're going around stealing blastia, they must have some good reason to want me to be a part of their plans. I mean, since I'm one of the famous mages from Aspio, then somebody in that group must know pretty well of me. I'm going."
"All right, if that's all you say it is..." Yuri said, hiding his grin away from the steaming embarrassed girl.
"Th-That's all that it is! What!?" she snapped.
Flynn turned to the young man behind him and asked, "Akihiro, I want to apologize for dragging you into the fight, but I thank you for your assistance."
"Haha! Don't apologize; it's not a burden to me! Sure, a few smacks around, but it's great training for me!" he grinned impishly.
"Hm... Well, you're a good fighter in my book."
That sentence shot through Akihiro so swiftly, he was blushing as a result. Getting rid of it, he tracked the voice towards Tai, who looked up at him. He started to smile widely as he felt really honored.
"Y-You for real, man? You think I'm good?" he said, innocently.
"Sure, you made that guy work to fight you. Sure, you got places that need improvement, but you're strong as far as I can see," Tai shrugged.
"Yes, you were marvelous at using different elements with your weapons! First that fire technique, now that water one!" Estelle said, rather intrigued.
"I have to say you surprised me a bit secretly. I mean, I use elemental spells as my main way of attacking, but that's the first time I've seen techniques use elements that don't refer to weapon attributes," Rita said, nodding neutral to him.
"Yeah, kid, ya really put on a show there," Raven winked to him.
"Awesome! Hey, Rita, would you like it if I taught you some of those attacks?" Akihiro said, grinning innocently to the mage who had blushed from being offered something so generously out of nowhere, "And maybe as a trade, you can teach me some of your spells!"
"U-Uh... sure, if I'm ever interested," Rita shifted a bit uncomfy.
"Aww, how cute. The two of you youngings learnin' artes together," Raven smiled dreamily.
"Shut it, you!" she ordered the man to silence, though the boy was secretely thinking about Tai and maybe... just maybe...
"So, I guess by your tone and how you're talking about learning with Rita that you're coming with us, Akihiro?" Flynn asked.
"Yep! Not only will I get a lot of training with you guys, but I won't be alone! I've always wanted to have some friends!" the kid said joyfully, but the group caught that last part to be a bit of a downer by how his voice lost a bit of that joy there.
Yuri smiled and high-fived him, "Well, then, welcome to the team, Akio-"
"Akihiro!" the boy corrected, causing a groan out of Repede.
"Right, sorry," he said (as Estelle and Flynn could've sworn the boy said 'no, you're not'), "So, Flynn, is it off to the port city now?"
"Yes, and then we will decide our next course of action. I just hope the two knights there will be alright," Flynn said, worriedly.
"Don't worry, we'll get there," Yuri said, as the group moved at the finishing of his words, "Let's move it to Capua Nor."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Rita and Akihiro joined the party.
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Skit – Bittersweet welcome
Yuri: (head perks up, confident face) Well, Akio, welcome to the team.
Repede: (barking upwards, neutral face) Woof Woof!
Akihiro: (grinning, eyes closed, laughing face) Hahah! Thanks, Yu-! (eyes narrow comically, screaming/shocked face) HEY! My name is Akihiro! (head tilts to his left, disappointed face) Why can't you say my name right, Yuri?
Yuri: (head tilts to his right, carefree face) What's the problem? It's just a nickname; something easier to call you by.
Akihiro: (looks straight forward, persistant/serious face) But Akio is not my name! The definitions of Akihiro and Akio are different.
Estelle: (looks surprised) Really?
Akihiro: (neutral face) Yeah, the definition of Akio means "glorious hero" or "glorious man". My name means "large glory".
Estelle: (neutral face) Um... those definitions are nearly the same thing. (Akihiro looks stunned)
Yuri: (neutral face) Yeah, so it makes sense to call you by a nickname that is like your name and its meaning. Anyways, it's still cool to have you on the team, Akio.
Repede: (looks to his left) WOOF!
Akihiro: (grits teeth, angry face, closes eyes) No... I don't wanna be remembered for the wrong name...
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Skit – Curiosity
Raven: (head tilts to the right, eyes shorten, curious face) Huh? What's on all of your minds?
Yuri: (neutral face) Huh? What do you mean?
Raven: Don't try to fool ol' Raven; I can tell you all are lookin' curious about somethin'.
Yuri: Well, you got me, old man. Yeah, I'm very interested in that glove Tai has, and those artes he can do.
Flynn: (neutral face) I must say, I also would love to have a look on how it works. (looks to his upper left, cups chin in hand, thinking face) That kind of matter and how he was able to form it... it makes take an amazing way of controlling it.
Yuri: Yeah, he must be incredibly strong and have it together more than we thought.
Rita: (eyes narrow, irritated face) I think you're giving him way too much credit. (closes eyes) If this glove is super powerful, than I want to understand how it works. And then, I'm taking it away from him. (head turns to the right, observant face) I'd hate to think what kind of intentions he has with it.
Flynn: (neutral face) So, you're going to steal his glove away?
Rita: (folds arms, head perks up, confident grin) Eventually. But for now, I'll let him have his fun. I can't wait to dissect it and see what kind of capabilities it can hold.
Raven: (closes eyes) I hope ya know what you're gettin' into. That kid's not just goin' to give away somethin' that valuable.
Yuri: (shoulders perk up, raises an eyebrow, surprised face) Tai versus Rita... This is definitely not going to be pretty.
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Skit – New rival!
Akihiro: (looks straight forward, persistant/serious face) Hmmm...
Tai: (neutral face) …?
Akihiro: …
Tai: Is there an issue you got with me?
Akihiro: (closes eyes) I've been thinking about something lately, and I decided that I will do this!
Tai: Huh?
Akihiro: (grins, eyes flare up, brave face) All right! It's settled! Tai, from now on, you're my new rival!
Tai: (shoulders perk up, head raises up with shocked face, raised eyebrow) Wha-huh? Wait a minute, where'd this come from?
Akihiro: Everyone in the group thinks you're super cool with your glove and skills! If I am to become the champion of the world someday, I gotta become better and stronger than you, Tai!
Tai: (neutral face) … Are you really serious about this rival thing, Akihiro? You positively wanna do this?
Akihiro: Doggone it, you better believe it! You will be beaten by the future champion, Tai! Just you wait!
Tai: (sly face, smirk) Okay, then. I better not be let down by a weak fight then.
Akihiro: Haha! You're going down!
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
The group's traveling had gotten very far from Aspio. Going through the plains and heading past Halure, everyone had made a good distance from the city of scholars and began making their journey before finally someone decided to make conversation.
"So, you guys seemed pretty strong for just a random group of different people," Akihiro asked, looking at them, "All of you seemed to know each other pretty well in their battle style."
"It's because excluding Tai, we're part of the group that defeated the Adephagos," Yuri explained, nodding to him.
"WHAT?!" the eardrums of everyone nearly imploded as they looked at the over-hyperactive teenager, "You for real, man? You're THE Brave Vesperia group?"
"Well, not all of us are here right now, but yeah, the same," Raven smiled and winked at him.
"Dude, this is SUPER cool! I'm so glad I did come along with you!" Akihiro cheered happily, "I've always wondered what it was like to be in a guild!"
"Really?" Estelle perked her head up and looked at him.
"Ahh, yeah, that seems right; ol' Raven was wonderin' why ya had your hands on a guild style forehead protector headband," the old man aimed his sentence at the young kid.
"Oh, that... I used to have a dream that I'd join a guild and then I'd engrave that guild's symbol onto the metal protector, but I gave up on that," Akihiro shrugged and smiled nonchalantly, "I got bigger dreams now! The champion seat will soon be mine!"
"Oh, please..." Rita groaned, with Repede joining her with a sigh.
"You sure you're okay with just throwing away that other dream like that?" Yuri asked, seeming to think he noticed the boy's right hand twitch a bit, though his face was still positive looking.
"Yeah, I'm totally fine with it!" he smiled, and waved it off.
"Well, I'm glad you can travel with us, and you too, Rita," Flynn said, nicely saying to him then the mage.
"Yeah, well, I've traveled with better people," Rita said, "We have more of a circus now."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Estelle asked, a bit worried by the neutral look in Rita's face yet the negative tone.
"We got the normal crew, sure, but the old man was bad enough," she complained, ignoring his outburst of 'hey!' and continuing, "But now we have the overactive hyper-on-candy kid who doesn't have a notch between high and off, and the hoodie freak who is so defensive of himself."
Everyone who knew Rita just let out their own way of either concern or annoyance as Akihiro glared at her with a comically angry face, shouting, "Hey! That's not nice to say, Rita!"
"At least, I'm more respectful of others, bookworm," Tai said, rolling his eyes.
Suddenly, a silence caught on, as the mage head turned slowly to Tai's direction, as if there would be a fight soon. She walked up to his face and stood ready to argue.
"What did you call me!?" she demanded to know.
"You heard me," Tai said, impressing the guys that he was not backing down from THE Rita, "If you're gonna call me a freak, I'm gonna call you a bookworm."
"Roooogh, I'm gonna strangle you one of these days! Just wait til I get that glove off of you; you'll be toast then!" Rita said, furiously.
Slightly getting ticked off, Tai scoffed at her and with a dark look, replied, "Oh, would you rather me call you 'impatient brat', then?"
"Okay, enough!" Flynn said, rather cautious and scared of what disaster these two could create as he and Yuri began to pull the two apart.
"Hey, lemme go!" Rita said, fighting to get out of Yuri's grip, as Flynn had no problem calming Tai down and getting him away, "I'm gonna fry him with my fire magic! No mercy!"
Estelle chuckled nervously as a sweatdrop went down her forehead. The old man and Akihiro just shrugged with an unimpressed sigh and watched the mage have a temper tantrum in a way. Well, Repede's groan said it the best; this was going to be a LONG trip.
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Well, already out of the starting gate, and Tai has gained a rival and an enemy (Rita, that means you). But what will become of the journey ahead? Please, feedback would be wonderful! Thank you so much, and let's say hello to November!