Me: Alright! On to chapter three of Salvation! I'm on a roll!
Richter: Is there any particular reason why I'm the only character who ha been in these author notes thus far?
Me: No, not really. But you are funner to torment than the other. ;)
Richter: ...-sigh-
Me: Okay! This is where the story begins to shift and align itself more closely to the first game - hooray! :D But the second game is still very important to this story - at some point, the story will hopefully have an equal blend of concepts from the two games and not one more than the other. I actually find it ironic that I don't like the second game all that much, but my story borrows more from it in some aspects than it does from the first game, which is like, my true love. 3 lol.
Richter: Right...can we get on with this?
Me:Mhm! Start the chapter!
Richter: Eternal Wings owns nothing but this story and her characters.
Chapter Three
"...Ninety eight, ninety nine, one hundred! Okay guys – ready or not, here I come!" Twenty one year old Lloyd Irving announced over the roaring winds. Squealing and giggling, the children of Iselia who had not yet found a hiding place began to run. "Oh, no, you don't! You're not getting away from me that easily!" Lloyd chased after the children.
"...Lloyd..." Twenty year old Colette Brunel smiled warmly as she watched the brown-haired swordsman play with the children, her long blonde hair being whipped around by the strong wind. To her, it was a beautiful sight – an absolutely precious sight. To be able to watch Lloyd smile and laugh so genuinely...she just couldn't bring herself to put an end to something so heart-warming.
"Well, well, well. Looks like Lloyd is as hyper as ever, I see."
Surprised, Colette twirled around to see who had spoken to her - to her even further surprise, she saw the face of two close companions whom she had not seen in quite some time. Her heart almost stopped in her chest entirely; her breath caught in her throat.
Had it really been two years since she had last seen them?
"Well, Colette? Are you going to continue to stand there gawking at us with that look of disbelief on your face, or are you going to come and greet us?" Twenty seven year old Raine Sage inquired with her arms crossed.
"Professor! Genis!" The blonde ran up to greet the two half-elven siblings happily, throwing her arms around them.
"Hehehe, it's nice to see you too, Colette." Sixteen year old Genis Sage smiled at the older female.
As she got a good look at the younger male, Colette's jaw dropped. "Oh my goodness, Genis! You look so much older! And you've grown - you're an inch taller than me! Your hair is longer...and your voice – oh my, it's gotten deeper!" Colette couldn't believe her eyes. Was this really the short little genius she had grown up with?
"It's hard for me to believe how much he's grown, too. My little Genis finally hit puberty. I'm definitely going to have to keep an eye on him." Raine smiled at her baby brother.
"Raine, I'm sixteen now. Don't treat me like a baby," Genis muttered, embarrassed.
"I just can't believe how tall and handsome you've become, Genis. You look so mature! These past two years really have flown by...are you still in love with Presea? I'm sure you'll have no problem winning her heart now!" Colette smiled.
Genis' cheeks turned bright red. "R-really?! I-I mean...you think so?"
"I know so!" The angelic woman nodded.
"The last we saw of Presea was when we went to Altamira last year...and she had also physically matured a great deal – something Genis must have taken a special note of," Raine taunted, making her brother blush even more.
"S-shut up, Raine! Didn't you and Regal have something going on?"
"I believe I've told you before...the two of us merely have many adult things to discuss – things a child like you wouldn't understand," Raine insisted.
"Yeah, yeah - you keep trying to sell that story..." Genis muttered.
Colette laughed at the two siblings. "Lloyd will definitely be happy to see the both of you. How have you been?"
"Quite fine. We're sorry about not coming back to Iselia until now – our journey to make Aselia a place where half-elves are more easily accepted has been a difficult one," Raine apologized. "Additionally, we've come to make a second home in Exire."
"I see. I hope your journey has been at least a little successful...discrimination is something that really is hard to fight. At the very least, I'm so relieved that the both of you are safe and sound." The blonde was unable to suppress her happy grin.
"The feeling is mutual. We're glad to see you and Lloyd are doing okay. I'm surprised no one's been blown away considering this weather, though," Genis replied, referring the strength of the wind.
"It really is unusual. Iselia's never experienced this much wind before and it's been like this for the past few days. I guess we're just experiencing something crazy right now."
"Hm...anyway, how have you and Lloyd been doing with your journey? Any luck?"
"Somewhat...to be honest, it's been a lot harder than we thought it would be. We knew that collecting all the Exspheres and hurling them into space would be a difficult task, but lately, it's beginning to seem as though we're never going to be able to get rid of them all."
"What makes you say that?"
"...In the beginning, everything was so simple: make a Key or Rune Crest, stick it on an Exsphere, remove it from the host, and dispose of it. But ever since Tethe'alla and Sylvarant merged into Aselia, it's been a lot more complicated. The Sylvaranti refuse to give up their Exspheres because they feel as though they need them for defense against the Tethe'allans. The Tethe'allans refuse to give up their Exspheres because they don't want to be 'reverted' and become as 'weak' and 'primal' as the Sylvaranti. Not only that, but it's becoming harder to convince people to give us their Exspheres when they notice that Lloyd himself uses an Exsphere. They look at his Exsphere and demand why he has the right to keep his but why they don't. If we can't get them to let us put a Key or Rune Crest on it in time, they turn into monsters. And when we can't get them to calm down so that we can try to revert them back into their true forms because they're destroying things and hurting people...we're forced to take them down."
"I see...so then, people must only be looking about how hypocritical the situation appears to be and think that since Lloyd has his, it's okay for them to have theirs..."
"Exactly. Lloyd's Exsphere is special to him – it was the very one that his mother gave her life to protect, the one that brought him and Kratos together. He knows that one day he may have to give it up even though it's so important to him, so I couldn't bear to make him part with it now...especially since he'd be unable to protect everyone the way he has been without it. Even if Lloyd disposed of his Exsphere, I don't think people would be any more cooperative, anyway."
"They probably wouldn't. I don't think Lloyd should give up his Exsphere. At the very least, he's one of the few people we can trust to have an Exsphere, understand what exactly an Exsphere is and what it means and to not misuse its powers. I think that stands for the rest of us who went through the Journey of World Regeneration, as well. I think we understand...better than anyone."
"I just...I just wish there was a way to prevent all of this..."
"Neither one of you are at fault. You both try hard to help and save everyone you meet. You're doing all you possibly can, considering people are still too stubborn to listen."
"Yeah...we're doing our best, but...our best just isn't good enough." Colette sighed unhappily. Noticing how Raine was observing Lloyd's game of hide-and-go-seek with the children, she turned to her. "Professor? Is something wrong?"
"...No, not particularly. I just thought...Lloyd seems to be very close to that black-haired child." Raine motioned in the direction of a young girl Lloyd was currently chasing. She had silky shoulder-length black hair and chocolate brown eyes. The young girl wore a red tank top outlined in white with thick horizontal white stripes, white shorts, black sandals, a black bead bracelet on her right wrist, a white bead bracelet on her left wrist, a red rose in the right side of her head and a gold locket around her neck.
"Oh, yes – he's very close to her. We both are. Her name is Isuzu. She's very sweet and extremely cute," Colette informed.
"You see, we met her two years ago – at the time, she lived in Luin with her adoptive parents. After the whole ordeal with Ratatosk and the Centurion cores had ended, Lloyd and I decided to pick back up our journey to collect all of the Exspheres and at the time we were resting in Luin. We stayed in Luin for quite a long time because the people of Luin admire Lloyd so much and insisted upon it.
"The people were all so kind and we became good friends with everyone, especially the children – they looked up to Lloyd so much. Eventually, we met Isuzu. She was one of the Luin children who we would always play with. If not for befriending her, we would have never realized she and her parents weren't biologically related – she wasn't exactly adopted by them, so they aren't really her foster parents, but they decided to take her in. Their full situation was never really explained to us.
"Anyway, Isuzu's adoptive parents took care of her and they seemed to get along well enough...but somehow, they had been given Exspheres and were quite fond of them. Time and time again, we tried to convince them to let us put a Key Crest on their Exspheres, even if they wouldn't let us take them away from them, but they refused. They greatly feared the Tethe'allans and wanted to use the power of the Exspheres to protect themselves from them. They weren't the first Sylvaranti who we encountered that thought like that and they certainly weren't the last.
"More and more time passed and we were still unable to get their Key Crests from them, no matter how hard we tried to reason with them. Eventually, one day...they had been ambushed by a group of Sylvaranti who also feared the Tethe'allans for their Exspheres. These Sylvaranti removed their Exspheres, so Lloyd and I went after them to retrieve them before they also made the same mistake of attaching the Exsphere to themselves without a Key Crest. By time we returned, though...the couple had already turned into monsters and were causing mayhem throughout the City of Luin.
"Lloyd and I tried to return them to their senses, or at least calm them down in hopes of being able to contain them. If we could do that, we could have found you, Professor Raine, and asked you to use Resurrection on them, the way you did with Claire, so that we could return them to their normal form. We could've, but...they were too violent, caused too much damage, and even injured the people they had once called friends.
"Eventually, it got so bad that we had no choice but to strike them down...and it just so happened that unknown to us, Isuzu had been right there. She witnessed us kill her parents. We, the ones who had always played with her and she came to love so dearly, were the ones who murdered her adoptive parents. They were all the family she had left...and we took them from her.
"One of the final wishes of her adoptive parents as they reverted back to their true forms and died were that we took care of Isuzu...and so, ever since then, we've been taking care of her and she's been traveling with us. If we're in the Tethe'allan side of Aselia and plan to do something that's far too dangerous for her, we tend to leave her with Altessa. If we're in the Sylvaranti side of Aselia and plan to do something that's far too dangerous for her, we usually leave her here in Iselia with the mayor, but sometimes we leave her with Dirk, too."
"I see...Lloyd must take such good care of her because he feels guilty about killing her adoptive parents. Instead of handing her over to someone else, he feels as though Isuzu is his responsibility because he took the last of her family from her..." Raine trailed off.
"Lloyd always gets stuck in these kinds of situations…situations where he has to make sticky decisions and deal with their consequences for the rest of his life, even if he made the best decision that could possibly be made. Having to cut down yet another person the same way he had to cut down Marble, the same way Kratos had to cut down Anna, the same way Regal had to cut down Alicia...and then having to deal with what results from that situation, the way he had to deal with Chocolat's hatred, anger towards himself, or even the sadness Isuzu must have felt when her adoptive parents died...it's all too much."
"Yeah...Lloyd's always been strong on the outside, but on the inside...he must be suffering – he just has to be. He's obviously learned at thing or two from you, though, Colette. Even though we know he must feel horrible on this inside, on the outside, he's smiling and acting as though life couldn't be any better. He does it...he does it so that no one will worry about him," Genis whispered.
"But that's the thing, Genis...he does it so that no one will worry about him, but...in reality, him doing that is the exact reason why we worry. The fact that he's trying so hard to cover it up, to hold it all in, is reason enough to worry. Lloyd is strong...no, Lloyd is very strong...but he isn't invincible. Even he should know that," Colette added in a whisper of her own, turning her sad gaze to the ground. The three friends fell silent.
"Colette, Colette! Hide Isuzu, hide Isuzu!"
The blonde-haired angel looked up to an eight year old girl running towards her. "But Isuzu, you're still playing hide-and-go-seek with Lloyd, aren't you? If I were to hide you, that would be cheating." Colette laughed as Isuzu hid behind her.
"No, it isn't! In hide-and-go-seek, Isuzu has to hide, right? So Isuzu would behiding – behind Colette!"
"I...see...maybe that isn't cheating, then, after all..." Colette thought it over, seeing the young girl's logic.
Genis sweat dropped. "Colette, don't let her persuade you. Regardless of how you look at it, that's cheating."
"There you are, Isuzu! I've got you this time!"
"Oh, no! Lloyd found Isuzu, Lloyd found Isuzu!" Isuzu shrieked with laughed as she tried to evade Lloyd, but it was all in vain.
The twenty one year old picked her up and grinned. "And once again, I win."
"No fair, no fair! Lloyd is so much bigger and faster than Isuzu!" The adorable youth began to argue, but was cut off by Lloyd, "Ah, ah, ah. I don't want to hear any of that. I counted to one hundred and didn't peak at all – I played by the rules, so it's fair."
"Wow, Lloyd. You look so accomplished...considering all you did was beat an eight year old at a game of hide-and-go-seek." Genis snickered.
The eternal swordsman eyed the half-elf, taking in his new physical appearance. "You haven't even bothered to properly greet me yet and you're already making wise cracks? Yep, you're definitely Genis."
"Glad to know you can tell." The sixteen year old grinned in response.
"It's nice to see you, too, Professor Sage. I can't believe it's already been two years..." Lloyd greeted Raine while carrying Isuzu in his arms. After chatting with his friends for a little while, Lloyd brought up a new subject, "You know...Colette and I haven't told the mayor we've returned to Iselia yet and I'm sure the two of you haven't either. We should probably go do that."
"That's right...we did promise the mayor we'd inform him whenever we came back." Colette remembered.
"Tch. The mayor..." Genis wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Seeing this, Colette quickly added, "He's really not all that bad anymore – honest. He won't admit it because he's so stubborn and all, but the mayor really is changing."
"I think I'll need to see that for myself before I'll believe it," Genis muttered as the group began to travel in the direction of the mayor's house.
"Colette's not exaggerating. Maybe it's because he's starting to get old and is really beginning to think about how he's been living his life, but he's really loosened up. He's not as uptight or unpleasant as he used to be. Still stubborn as a mule, but I figure that's one of the things about him that will never change. He's just a lot kinder overall, though he denies it, and he's really trying to tolerate and understand the half-elves. That in itself is a major improvement," the brunet told the Sage siblings.
"I see...so then, maybe... maybe a day will come where the mayor accepts Genis and I not for who he thought we were, but for who we really are. Maybe a day will come where we aren't looked at by him any differently than the humans who live in this village. Maybe, one day...we'll be able to live in this village again and be completely accepted by him," Raine voiced her hopes softly.
The group was now standing outside of the mayor's house. "I think a day like that will come, too, Professor. And I really want to say...that that day isn't too far away." Colette smiled at the older woman. Lloyd nodded in agreement before he grabbed the door knob and entered the mayor's house.
"Mayor, Colette and I -" Lloyd began, but stopped. Before him, he saw the mayor sitting down with two people sitting in from of him – Richter and a brunette woman whom he had never seen before. The brunette woman turned to look back at him, her eyes wide in disbelief. Lloyd found himself returning her stare with a confused one of his own.
Did this girl know him or something?
"Oh, Lloyd. We were in the middle of something, but I assume this is important?" The mayor asked, snapping Lloyd out of his trance.
"Er...um, yeah. Colette, Isuzu and I came to tell you that we've returned to Iselia, like you asked us to. Raine and Genis are also with us," Lloyd informed.
The mayor nodded. "Ah, I see. Thanks for notifying me. I will make sure everything is prepared for your stay."
"Hmph. Well if it isn't Lloyd Irving and friends. It seems as though I've grown quite the affinity for running into troublesome people, " Richter muttered.
"Richter! What are you doing here?" Genis gasped. He knew his friends shared his same thoughts – whenever they crossed paths with the red-haired half-elf, he was always up to something. Even more, the last time they had encountered him, he had volunteered himself to be the Great Door's lock.
"Is that really any of your concern?" The redhead retorted.
"The fact that you're not in the Ginnungagap with Ratatosk is reason enough to be suspicious. You were released from the Great Door, yet mana still exists in this world, which means it still requires a lock...if Ratatosk truly was the one who released you early, then something is most definitely going on," Raine concluded.
"It isn't as though we're accusing you of anything, Richter. It's just, with what happened two years ago...we're worried that something must be going on for you to be here in Iselia. We just want to know what's wrong...we just want to help you in any way we can! Please don't forget that Aselia is our home, too," Colette reasoned.
"Hm. I don't believe I'm obligated to tell you anything. My business is my business. Carry on with yours," Richter replied harshly.
As he turned away from the group, he noticed the mortified expression on the face of the brunette who was sitting beside of him. "...What's wrong with you? Do you have a problem with these people?" The Guardian raised an eyebrow at his Bearer.
"I...I..." Ariel was at a loss of words as she slowly stood up on shaky legs. Tears began to form in her eyes, surprising the twenty two year old.
"L... Lloyd...!"
Without a warning, Ariel ran at Lloyd and practically tackled him into an embrace.
"Whoa, lady, are you oka-" He was cut off as the younger female grabbed his collar and pulled him down to her in a sudden kiss. Everyone in the room doubled-back, shocked.
"...Lloyd!" Ariel cried out again once she broke the kiss, leaving Lloyd confused and flustered. "I thought I would never see you again...oh, Lloyd! I love you...I missed you so much...I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me!"
"Wha...what are you talking about?!" Lloyd tried to set himself free from Ariel's grasp, but stopped when he saw the tears that were beginning to stream freely down her face.
"Lloyd...don't you...don't you remember who I am? Has it really been...that long? It's okay...even if you've forgotten, I still missed you dearly...I still love you with all of my heart!" Ariel exclaimed.
At that moment, both Lloyd and Ariel's Exspheres began to glow brightly. Intense waves washed over the Bearer, each one hitting her harder than the last. As the final wave hit her, Ariel's body gave out and she collapsed.
"Watch it!" Richter rushed towards his Bearer and caught her in his arms before she could hit the floor. "You never cease to be so troublesome..." He sighed.
Ariel's mind became hazy; she was still conscious, but only barely.
"...-iel...Ariel, can you hear me?"
"...Who...was that?" The Bearer wondered as her mind began to slip away. "Those words...those feelings...those actions...they weren't mine. Were they...were they yours? Who are you...to me?"
"...Please...take care of Lloyd."
Those were the last words Ariel could remember hearing before she fell victim to unconsciousness.
XxXxXxX
"Is she still sleeping?"
Richter looked up just in time to see Lloyd approach him. "Yes. The Chosen said she would check on her and tell us when she woke up," Richter answered as the brunet sat down beside of him.
The two young men were sitting against the wall in one of the rooms of Colette's house. Because she was now a grown woman and no longer wanted to have to depend on Phaidra and Frank, Colette now owned her own house where she, Lloyd, and Isuzu often stayed whenever they were in Iselia.
"You know, Colette keeps asking you not to call her that."
"It's a habit."
"You should break it."
"You know what they say: old habits die hard."
"Heh. Guess you're right."
A moment of silence passed between the two fighters. "...I always knew the Chosen was kind, or at the very least naïve, but I was quite surprised when she offered to allow me to bring that girl to her home," Richter spoke up, for once being the one to attempt to continue the conversation as he recalled what had led up to him coming to Colette's house in the first place.
"What the hell...what the hell was that?" Genis was the first one to recover his voice after the surprising event had passed.
"Hell if I know..." Lloyd trailed off, seeming a little out of it.
"That was…quite a display. Ahem…your friend probably needs to rest, Richter. We can always finish our talk later. Her well-being should go first," the mayor said to the redhead.
"My' friend'? I wouldn't call her that. More like, my personal pain in the neck," Richter retorted.
"Er...u-um, Richter...is she...is she okay?" Colette asked the half-elf.
"Hn...she's still breathing," Richter replied, standing up with the unconscious brunette in his arms.
"T-that's good...she, um...since she needs somewhere to rest, I...I don't mind letting her stay at my house for the time being!" The angel blurted out.
Richter threw her a questioning look. "Are you sure you're fine with that?"
"Y-yep! It's not a problem - not at all! Any friend of yours is also friend of ours, after all!" Colette smiled, but Richter could tell it was a little forced.
"…Hmph. Since when were we 'friends'?" He muttered after watching the blonde for a moment. He walked right past her and out the door.
"Ah...Well, I thought we were friends..." Colette trailed off.
"Hey, you dork. You'd better hurry up before you get left behind. Richter doesn't know where your house is." Lloyd tugged on the former Chosen of Sylvarant's sleeve.
"Oh! I'm coming!" Colette trotted to catch up with Richter.
"Are we deciding to lead the way now, Chosen? How thoughtful of you," Richter said with audible sarcasm in his voice.
"I'm sorry...er, but please, call me Colette! I'm not the Chosen anymore." The angel smiled politely.
"Hn." Was all Richter responded with as the blue-eyed woman led everyone back to her house.
"Yeah...Colette was acting a little weird...but why were you surprised? Colette isn't the type of person to turn down someone in need, no matter who they are," Lloyd told the older man.
"Yes, but the fact that she kissed you must have made the Chosen feel uncomfortable. I'm not entirely sure whether or not the Chosen helped her because she truly wanted to or because she felt like she had to," Richter briefly explained.
Lloyd blushed. "Why would Colette feel uncomfortable? It isn't as though we're dating or anything...it's not like we're boyfriend and girlfriend...we're just...we're just friends, so why would another girl kissing me bother her?"
.
.
.
Richter sighed deeply, shaking his head at how clueless Lloyd could be. "Anyway...where are the others?"
"Raine and Genis are in one of the other rooms, probably playing with Isuzu. If you leave that girl alone for even five minutes, she may cause all sorts of mayhem…especially in a house as nice as this one. And like you said earlier, Colette is taking care of that girl. Since she's your friend and all, I'm surprised you haven't gone to check on her yourself," Lloyd answered.
"I've told you before. She's not my friend."
"Right...what did you say her name was?"
"I didn't say."
"What is her name, then?"
"Ariel Irving."
"Irving? Hm...I wonder if we're related..."
"I doubt it. She's not from around here."
"I see...what exactly is she to you?"
"A nuisance."
"...Richter, if you don't like her so much, why is she with you?"
"I never said I didn't like her. I'm just naturally short with people. I have no personal opinion of her. We're traveling together simply because we have to – that's all."
"Oookayyy... doesn't really make sense, but I'll go with it." It was Lloyd's turn to sigh. He knew he wasn't being short with him because he was irritated – rather, it was because he was just naturally short with people. Even so, he had so many questions buzzing around in his head concerning her; it was a little frustrating that Richter, who knew more about this girl than any of them did, was being no help.
Lloyd thought back to how the bright light had emanated from their Exspheres after Ariel had kissed him. When the light stopped and Ariel had passed out, he suddenly felt so...vulnerable. Like something was missing. It was as if he had been stripped of something precious and it just wasn't the same without it. He could no longer feel the warm protection of his mother's Exsphere even though he could clearly see that it was still there and attached to him.
The brown-haired swordsman frowned to himself. He had a good feeling that whatever had caused him to feel like this had something to do with that strange light...and he had an even better feeling that finding more out about this Ariel character would bring him that much closer to understanding what exactly that light had meant.
XxXxXxX
"Aaaah! Help! Somebody, anybody – help me!"
"It's the Desians! The Desians have invaded!"
"Everybody, run for your lives! Run, before the Desians catch you!"
The entire city had been hurled into a state of chaos. People were frantic, screaming and running out of pure terror. Some citizens were being sold out to the Desians so that the others could save their own hides. Some children were being abandoned by their fleeing parents. Some adults were handing themselves over in hopes of mercy.
Everyone was being made a victim.
"Come with me, you wretch!" She felt one of the Desians yank her to him by the length of her hair.
"No! Mommy! Please, don't take my mommy!" The voice of a young child, only six years of age, reached the woman.
"No, baby! Don't come this way – go back to Auntie and Uncle. They'll take care of you while Mommy is away." She tried to convince the young child to go back.
They could take her, but she wouldn't be able to bear it if they took her child, too.
"But, Mommy! What am I supposed to do without you? I already don't have Daddy...I don't want to lose Mommy, too!" The child began to cry.
"Go back to the house! Please! Mommy couldn't bear to lose you, either! Please...please, Mommy is begging you...go back. Be a good girl for Mommy and listen. Please," she begged her daughter.
"Sn...sniff...but..."
"Mommy will come back for you as soon as she can, okay? Mommy loves you so dearly...she'll be back before you even know it."
"You...you promise?"
"...Yes. I promise."
"O...okay...please hurry back, Mommy! I love you!"
She felt a twinge of guilt and pain shoot through her as she watched her daughter run off. She knew she wasn't coming back. She knew the Desians weren't going to let her – they'd kill her at the Human Ranch before she even had a chance. She knew this, but she still had no choice but to lie.
She had to protect the last thing precious to her.
"You're a real lucky woman. The only reason we let your kid run off was because you came so willingly and promised yourself to us in return. Not sure why you did it, though...she's not even your birth daughter." One of the Desians who held her hostage sneered.
"It doesn't matter if we're not biologically related...family is family, no matter what. She is, and always will be, my daughter," she replied.
"Hmph. Well, whatever. Just know that you signed yourself up for this, lady – so get movin'!"
She was pushed roughly, being dragged out of the town by her hair. She and all of the other victims were exported out no differently than cattle. Groans, cries, screams and pleads surrounded her. Behind her, she could hear the harsh sounds of lashing, vengeful whips. Every once in a while, she could feel the fury of the painful leather coming in tact with her delicate skin whenever she moved too slowly.
Eventually, she and all of the other victims reached the Human Ranch. Before long, they had been processed into the system and joined all of the others who had fallen victim to the spite of the Desians. You could tell the difference between the veterans and the newcomers just by looking in their eyes. The newcomers still had hope gleaming in their eyes, thinking that someone would possibly save them; that same hope had died in the eyes of the veterans long ago.
They knew that no savior was coming.
Days passed and that same foolish hope was beginning to leave the eyes of the newcomers already. They were treated cruelly by the Desians, worked to the bone with little rest and fed very little. Even so, she was quickly becoming accustomed to said treatment. It wasn't like she was a stranger to living rough.
"I trust that the raid that Lord Yggdrasill had ordered to be executed a few days ago went smoothly? Do we have enough hosts for the Exspheres for the time being, or do we require yet another raid?"
At the sound of the unfamiliar masculine voice, she turned around to see two men. Both possessed gorgeous angel wings and had an otherwordly quality of beauty to them, but the one of the left was the man who caught her attention the most. Unexpectedly, the man who she had been watching turned his gaze towards her...and they locked eyes.
At that moment, she knew...
He was the most breath-taking creature that she had ever laid eyes upon.
"That was the first time I met him. At that time...I had no idea that that man would become a part of my life, nonetheless change it entirely."
Slowly, the young Bearer of the Right woke up from her dream, groaning as she found herself groggy-headed. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, trying to fully wake up. "...What was that? That dream felt real...and at the end, I heard the same voice from before...the same voice I heard just before I passed out..." Ariel recalled. She didn't have very much time at all to ponder on it, however.
"Ah! You're awake!"
The eighteen year old turned to see a blonde-haired woman standing at the door with a polite smile on her face. "You must be confused about where you are...you see, while we were at the mayor's house, you passed out. Richter carried you back to my house so that you could rest – you've been sleeping for a few hours now. Now that you're awake, are you feeling okay? If you need anything, just be sure to tell me and I'll do my best!"
Narrowing her eyes in an attempt to concentrate, Ariel racked her brain for a name to match the familiar face of the older girl that had spoken to her. "...You're...Colette, right?"
"Ah, yes, I am! I'm surprised you remember, since we haven't had a chance to properly introduce ourselves yet!" Colette exclaimed, happy that her name had been remembered.
At that moment, a knock at the door sounded through the room. "I heard voices, so I assumed she woke up – and it looks like I was right," Richter explained as he walked in.
"Richter! I'm sorry...I was a burden to you, wasn't I?" Ariel lowered her gaze. She seemed to be burdening the people around her a lot ever since she arrived in Aselia – even the ones who were complete strangers to her.
"Don't get all sad like that. You'll only become even harder for me to deal with if you do." Richter folded his arms.
"Ah...right." Ariel gave him a small nod. She attempted to stand up, but due to still being weak from passing out, she staggered.
Instinctively, Richter rushed to her side and caught her around her waist. "...Idiot. How many times am I going to have to tell you to be more careful?" Richter sighed, keeping his arms around her waist to steady her.
"S-sorry." Ariel mumbled another apology.
Colette giggled. "Hehe, I don't think I've ever seen Richter be so protective of anyone besides Emil and Marta before..."
"If you're implying what I think you're implying, Chosen, it isn't too late for me to kill you. I caught her out of pure instinct," Richter growled, only making Colette giggle once again, "Okay, Richter. Whatever you say, teehee."
"Mama!"
The three adults turned to see Isuzu run into the room and practically throw herself onto Ariel.
"...Sorry," Lloyd apologized once he appeared a few moments later, out of breath. Behind him, Raine and Genis appeared. "Raine, Genis and I had been trying to keep her downstairs, but she insisted on coming up here..."
"Oh! Isuzu is so happy! Mama looks just the way Isuzu remembers Mama! Can Lloyd and Colette make Mama stay? Please, please, please? For Isuzu?!" The adorable youth pleaded.
"Isuzu, she's not a pet...we can't make her do anything." Lloyd sweat dropped. "And what do you mean 'Mama'...?"
"Awww, Isuzu? Is that her name? She's just the cutest little thing ever! Don't worry, Isuzu – I'll be your Mama!" Ariel picked the small child up and hugged her.
"No, Ariel...you'll fall victim to her evil cuteness…she'll have you wrapped around her devious little finger if you give in to her adorableness...!" Lloyd tried to warn Ariel, but she wasn't listening.
"Well, now that she's awake, I think it would be appropriate for us to start asking questions – and we're wanting answers to those questions, too. After everything we've done for her, I think she does owe us at least that much." Raine folded her arms, giving Ariel a cynical look.
"Professor...can't that wait for a little while? She just woke up...discussing this over dinner would probably be more suitable," Colette argued.
Raine sighed. "You're as soft as always, Colette. You don't know who this girl is or what her intentions could be."
"That doesn't matter, Professor. She hasn't done anything to make me suspicious of her, so I'm going to trust her. And...and I think that you should, too. Everyone's innocent until proven guilty, right? So until she gives you reason to doubt her, don't."
Raine fell silent for a moment, thinking about what Colette had just said to her. "...Your kindness is going to be your downfall one day, Colette. I just hope you know that," she finally responded.
"I know…but I would rather meet my own demise because I showed someone kindness than trudge on and survive only because I showed someone nothing but cruelty," the angelic woman told her teacher with a smile.
"Hm... if that's how you feel, then fine. It can wait until dinner. I suppose this is, in a way, somewhat convenient...it gives me the chance to try out my new cooking skills." The silver-haired woman turned and left, heading towards the kitchen.
"Oh, god...I'd better go after her and make sure she doesn't poison someone with her lethal cooking..." Genis groaned, chasing after his older sister.
"...Colette?" Ariel turned to look at the older female, still holding Isuzu in her arms with Richter at her side.
"Yes?" Colette gave the younger female a confused look, still standing beside of Lloyd.
"...Thank you. For being so kind to me, I mean. You don't know a single thing about me, yet you were so willing to aid me...I'm truly indebted to you." Ariel offered the blonde a smile, which she returned, "Don't worry about it! I was more than happy to help."
"That's our Colette. She's a clumsy dork, but she has a big heart. That's what we love about her the most." Lloyd teasingly tapped Colette's head, grinning at her.
"I must have picked it up from you, Lloyd...because you have the biggest heart anyone's ever seen. You're truly the kindest person I've ever met," Colette responded, happily looking up into his eyes.
"...I'm sorry," Ariel apologized all of a sudden, looking down at the floor with a blush on her face.
"Eh? What for...?" Lloyd blinked in confusion. "
The two of you...you have feelings for one another, don't you? Colette...when I kissed Lloyd, you must have..." Ariel trailed off, making Colette blush as well. Both girls were tongue-tied, unsure of what to say next.
"Y-yeah...that was a little...weird, especially since I'm pretty sure we've never met. Why did you kiss me, anyway?" Lloyd decided to be the one to break the silence.
"I-I don't know why I did it...it wasn't me. It was like...like something took over my entire body the moment I laid eyes on you. I know we've never met before, so it was weird for me, too...but when I saw your face, it was like I was finally being reunited with someone I hadn't seen in a very long time, someone who I had loved and missed dearly. These alien feelings of relief and happiness, feelings that didn't belong to me at all, began to wash over me...next thing I knew, I was unconscious," Ariel tried to explain.
"I know it must sound really lame...but that's the best I can describe it. That wasn't me back there...it just wasn't. I hope I didn't offend either of you..."
"You didn't do anything to make either of us mad. It's okay. Besides, we're friends now, right? I don't want anything to change that," Colette told Ariel, who shot a glance at Lloyd.
He nodded. "Colette's right. We're friends now and that's all that matters."
"...We're...friends..." Ariel repeated, as if those words were alien to her.
"Right! Mama and Isuzu and Colette and Lloyd and Raine and Genis are one big happy family!" Isuzu exclaimed, flinging her arms around Ariel's neck.
"I like how Richter got excluded out of that." Lloyd grinned at the red-haired man.
The redhead continued to gaze forward with dull and completely uninterested eyes, not even taking the effort to acknowledge that he had heard the younger male. He knew just how apparent it was that he couldn't possibly care any less.
"You're just jealous 'cause Isuzu likes me better." Ariel stuck her tongue out at the Tethe'allan, attempting to rile a response out of him.
Richter simply rolled his eyes, finding the younger female's assumption to be equally idiotic.
BOOM!
"Raine! What the hell did you just do?!"
"Hmph... I was merely trying to give the dish more flavor."
"No, you were trying to kill us – that's what you were trying to do!"
"...That…didn't sound very good..." Ariel winced.
"Knowing Professor Sage and her crazy cooking, it more than likely wasn't good. We should probably go check on those two...before an even bigger disaster occurs." Lloyd sighed.
Being backed up by a nod of agreement from the younger females, the group transitioned to the kitchen to see just how much damage had been done.
'We're friends now and that's all that matters'...
I wonder...
Did he really mean it when he said those eight words to someone like me?
Is it possible? Could we truly be...'friends'?
Me: That does it for chapter three, folks!
Richter: Hmph...so the original crew of ToS has been introduced...however, if I'm not mistaken, there's even more members of this story than who you have presented and mentioned thus far.
Me: Hehe...don't you worry, Rich-kun - they'll be coming in soon enough!
Richter: ...Right...
Me: Read and review please!