Hey people! College's semester is finally over and I can dedicate a little more to write.
Anyway First there are some things I would like to answer in the reviews:
- 1st: As for me focusing so much on the description of auras. Well... the name of the fic is "Spirits and Demons" and although it is market on the general genre, it is only because it involves many genres at once, one of the most prominent being spiritual (what with ethereal guardians and reincarnation). As such, it will take some time to describe this aspect, since it is very important not only to magic, but also concerning the demons.
- 2nd: About Nebilim not taking the front. I can't say much about it without committing HUGE spoilers for the end. Let's just say it is all going according to his plans. What is plans are or what is driving him? That you will only know near the end of the fic.
Anyway, that's it. Oh, and before we begin, here is the skit I owed you all from the last chapter:
This one is between Lloyd, Sheena, Raine, Colette, Presea and Aqua and occurs sometime at the begging of the previous chapter
Traumas
Raine: Really, why couldn't I be the Summon Spirit of lightning or even Maxwell or something?! Any other is fine by me. Why did it have to be Undine?!
Aqua: You know, it is quite ironic the reincarnation of the Summon Spirit of water would have hydrophobia.
Colette: I think it is pretty sad. I mean, isn't there something we could do?
Sheena: These things take time to overcome Colette, generally years of treatment. Raine might have all this time, but I don't see how we can find a good therapist.
Presea: We could always try to encourage her.
Sheena: Hey, I know what! Lloyd, go talk to her.
Lloyd: M-me?! Why me?
Sheena: Because she seems to answer better when you are the one doing the talk.
Lloyd *sigh*: Alright, but don't get angry with me if anything happens latter. Um, Raine?
Raine: Honestly, I know some ruins are sunken, but… oh. Um… hello Lloyd. What is it?
Lloyd: I… just wanted you to know… you don't need to go through this alone. We all support you. And if you're afraid of your duties, you just have to say it and we will cover for you.
Raine *looking down*: Lloyd…
Lloyd: We all know you have this hydro-thingy, so if you want, we can always postpone your awakening as Summon Spirit.
Raine: We both know that is impossible. If we are to defeat Nebilim, all of us have to be awakened as Summon Spirits.
Lloyd: Yeah… well… you know, as a Summon Spirit you would have unlimited time to study ruins and such.
Raine: I thought of that, but… *sigh* Forget it. It's useless to stay dwelling on something you know is inevitable. But, anyway, thanks for the support Lloyd.
Lloyd *smiling*: It was nothing.
Raine: Also, transmit to Sheena my thanks and tell her that should anything happen in the future, she can't come over blaming me.
Lloyd: Ok… *confused* wait, what?!
Sheena: Damn, she's sharp. … wait. What did she mean with "can't blame her"?
Aqua: Wonder when this will turn into a soap opera.
Colette: Oh, I love those! Have you ever read the one titled "A Night in Altamira"?
Aqua: Actually, I did. It is based on the TV version, though.
Colette, Lloyd, Presea & Sheena *confused*: What's a TV?
Aqua *sighing*: Where's Ventus when you need him?
WARNING: Yuri scene ahead, just to remind you.
Chapter 39
Defiance
How, when, why… none of those mattered to Presea at the moment.
How she just grew wings and the ability to fly? She didn't care.
When did she gain that ability? She didn't care.
Why did it suddenly manifested? Well… to that last one she might have the answer. But right now, she didn't care either.
What she did care was to keep the two Seraphim within her sights and herself out of their range. Once they landed, she would kill those two and rescue Colette, consequences be damned. She might have been acting a little rashly, considering her rational part was screaming at her about the foolishness of even considering she could take on Raya, let alone Mithos, by herself.
Again, she didn't care.
Her mind was narrow at the moment and her vision became tunneled. There was a single objective in her mind and that was rescuing Colette. All else was secondary.
She idly noted they had reached the continent and were near the mountains at the west of Ozette. But what would Mithos and Raya want in that region?
Her answer soon came when the air ahead of the two angels suddenly seemed to shift and Presea felt something that she hadn't felt there before, like it had suddenly came into existence: a great agitation of magical power.
Then what she could only call a "hole" opened in the middle of the air and suddenly she could see something else ahead in the space where before there was only empty sky. She realized the "hole" was closing and pressed her flight speed, barely making it. Even though she was in a hurry to save Colette, Presea couldn't help, but gasp at what she saw.
Not too distant from where she had entered in that barrier stood a giant, sky-piercing, ash-white tower. Presea could see countless symbols along its extension and not even her sight could reach the top of the structure. It was like it went beyond the skies of that world.
Presea shuddered at the sight of that architectural gargantuan. There was something about that tower that she didn't like. Plus, there was some kind of aura around it and…
She then remembered why she had come and looked below to see Mithos and Raya had already landed and were walking through some ethereal, magical steps to the base of the tower, which seemed to be supported by three large extensions of the tower's main body (although Presea knew that wasn't true, because, no matter how many supports it could employ, a construction that tall would have never stood without collapsing on itself).
The Warrior of the Deep Abyss stood floating around the tower, observing as Mithos put his hand on something that looked like a stone tablet near the smooth wall at the platform in the end of the path. An archway appeared out of thin air near the wall of the tower and the two Seraphim walked into the blinding white space under the entrance.
Presea landed and dissolved her wings into darkness, which returned to her body, and ran to the passage before it closed. When she passed the archway she suddenly found herself inside what she could only describe as another dimension.
There's no way a tower's inside would look like it, unless this is an illusion. Presea thought at seeing the endless, green space around her as she stood on a transparent pathway that had pillars on its edges, delimitating the blue "tiles" that composed the path.
There were some hexagon-shaped rocks full of runes floating around and what looked like two spirals made out of brown stone with moss on its top. The spirals encompassed the path where Presea was. When she looked bellow, her heart practically stopped as her eyes widened.
Below her, floating in circles that lessened their radius as they went down, were several blue coffins with a green, human-shaped form painted on their tops and several orange straps that seemed to keep the coffins closed. Presea felt several emotions at the visage, emotions she thought had abandoned her long ago. Between them, the most prominent was fear.
Why were those coffins there? Who was inside them? Would Colette end up in one once Mithos used her for whatever he wanted her for? All those questions came to Presea and each answer she could think of made fear arise in her heart.
I have to save her, before its too late. Presea urged herself as she tore her eyes from the circle of coffins and saw what looked like a transporter ahead of her.
The reincarnated Shadow took it and she soon found herself in what looked like an upper section of the tower. The environment around was still the same, only without the coffins and now she saw what looked like an elevated altar ahead of her. On top of it was Colette, still unconscious.
"Colette!" Presea called, but the blonde couldn't hear her.
The Warrior of the Deep Abyss ran to her friend. Quickly taking one of the two flights of stairs that led to the altar. She never noticed the fact that they were apparently alone until Mithos, still in his adult form, appeared in front of her, with his hand outstretched and a sphere of light on its palm. She just had enough time to stop and let out an exclamation of surprise before the powerful explosion of her opposing element threw her back as the light sphere hit her.
Presea grunted as she hit the floor. She gritted her teeth and looked up to see Mithos floating down to her level, but still hovering over the ground as he looked at her with that condescending smile.
"You didn't really believe I wouldn't have noticed, did you? Raya and me knew you were tailing us ever since we left your rag tag band of friends behind," the leader of Cruxis said in that adult voice of his. "However, I'm still surprised you actually came alone. Is it because you're so confident on your powers that it borders on arrogance, or is it our of sheer desperation?" Presea glared at him. "No. With you it is certainly to former."
"Give Colette BACK!" Presea shouted as she got up and quickly charged at Yggdrasil, only for the Holy Lord of Cruxis to disappear and reappear behind her, slashing at her back with his razor-sharp, wrist wing.
The burning pain was followed by an explosion of light as Mithos' power attacked her even after the blow. Presea went to the ground again as Yggdrasil stood behind her, his arm still stretched as he looked down upon her with that same smile that was so quickly irritating her.
"As you can see, you're nowhere near capable of demanding such things from me. If I were you, I would drop the defiant tone and simply accept the truth," in response to that Presea gripped her hand axes tighter, something that Yggdrasil noticed. "Why are you so intend on rescuing the girl, anyway? It can't be out of sheer friendship. No one would go that far for that."
"And who are you to talk about friendship after betraying the one that considered himself your friend?" Presea spat back as she got up.
"I never asked for him to be my friend, but I have to admit it was… convenient. You should know that, after all, you too are not a human," Presea threw her hand ax at him. Yggdrasil simply put his hand up and the weapon was deflected by an invisible barrier. "Please…"
Presea grit her teeth in frustration, only now truly realizing she had no way to defeat the being in front of her. She could only stall Gaelius when she fought against him and Yggdrasil was in a level of his own. The difference of power between the two was monstrous.
The pink haired woman cast a quick glance at Colette's still form, a glance that did not go unnoticed by Yggdrasil:
"What is that?" Presea looked back at him as his expression turned into a curious frown. "Don't tell me you actually…" at her silence and her angry frown, Yggdrasil's expression became surprised. "So… you really do feel for this girl," he then smirked at that. "My, my. I knew there was something familiar with your eyes; they're the eyes of a reject. But in your case, society rejected you because of your sexuality."
Presea stared at Yggdrasil. She wouldn't let him know how that subject was still sore to her. At least that victory she could take from him.
"Isn't this interesting? We're both paragons of rejection, yet we are in opposing sides of the same field."
"Then…" Presea spoke, deciding to try an idea that came to her. Lloyd and the others would certainly protest if they ever heard of it, but… "Take me in Colette's place," she would do anything to protect her.
"Oh. So, you are ready to sacrifice yourself for the girl you love?"
"Yes…" she answered simply, lowering her guard, but not letting go of her weapons.
Yggdrasil smirked at that, clearly pleased with the outcome of this situation. He then spoke in a challenging tone:
"Then show me. Show me how much you love this girl. Get on your knees and beg for her life."
Presea knew what he was playing at. Mithos believed humans were arrogant and would never bow for the sake of anyone, but themselves. He believed she would refuse.
He's in for a rude waking then. Presea thought as she got on her knees and lowered her head, momentarily catching Yggdrasil's surprised expression. "I beg of you… please, let Colette go."
To the Warrior of the Deep Abyss, pride was something she didn't need. It was foolish and useless and a feeling she didn't need. Not if it would cost someone's life. Not if it would cost Colette's life. If bowing to her enemies would ensure her crush's survival then she would do it.
"No," Yggdrasil answered in a tone of finality after recovering… and soon had to stop Presea's two hand axes from biting the skin on his neck.
Bow Presea might do, but if she knew it was useless then she would fight. She didn't mind humiliation, it had been a constant companion through all those years she spent on Ozette, but she wouldn't be anyone's doormat anymore.
That's not what Colette would want.
Yggdrasil pushed her back with great strength, but Presea landed and turned to him. If fighting was what it took to save Colette, then she would fight even if it had to be in a death match against a Grand Demon Lord.
"Huh… so you insist on this foolishness. What a confusing little one you are," Yggdrasil spoke.
"If you won't give Colette back willingly, then I'll kill you to get to her," Presea said in her icy, serious tone.
"You're welcome to try… that is, if you can survive."
Yggdrasil waved his hand and several light blasts flew at Presea, who avoided them all and closed on the Holy Lord of Cruxis just for him to teleport. She activated her Spiritual Sight and could see the flow of energy around her, with Yggdrasil coming behind her.
The Warrior of the Deep Abyss ducked under the wing swipe and quickly rotated, bringing her hand ax up and slashing Yggdrasil across his chest. However, there was no damage visible on the Seraphim Leader, not even his white outfit had a tear on it.
"Outburst!" Yggdrasil adjusted himself parallel with the ground and touched on it, quickly discharging an abhorrent amount of his power, creating a explosion dome that threw Presea away and burned her aura with light. "Holy Lance!"
Instead of defending or even adjusting herself in the air, Presea "dove" in the ground, escaping the spell as the black hole in the floor positioned itself under Yggdrasil, who teleported at the last possible moment.
The Warrior of the Deep Abyss emerged and was soon surprised by the angel teleporting near her and backhanding her in the face. She felt like she had been hit by a truck at full speed and was launched away.
"Death Eater!" the Seraphim Leader put his hand on the ground and several light beams fell, some hitting Presea and forcing her to the ground. Yggdrasil teleported once more and prepared to cast Outburst right on her, when Presea decided she had enough.
"Bloody Tornado!" several dark tendrils came from the ground around her in spiral and hit Mithos dead on, interrupting his casting. Presea grabbed his face and discharged a great amount of darkness right on it, blinding the angel. "Beast's Maw!"
She momentarily let go of his face only to call her hand axes and align the two perpendicularly with her body, one up and one down. She quickly charged them and swung them. The pressure in the air around her weapons became filled with darkness that started to take the shape of two rows of giant, dark, monstrous teeth that close right on the Holy Lord of Cruxis.
Presea followed the attack with blinking fast strikes from her axes, leaving trails of darkness behind that sucked Yggdrasil's power and energy as the darkness clung to his body. She was going to drown the bastard in her darkness until he was completely drained from even his vital energy.
"Is that all?" came Yggdrasil's calm voice.
Suddenly, Presea was launched backwards by a powerful pulse of Yggdrasil's aura into a nearby pillar, breaking half of it and letting that fall to the abyss below them. The reincarnated Shadow tried to get up, but Yggdrasil was suddenly upon her, viciously kicking and punching, keeping a straight face all the while.
"Iris' Chains!" Yggdrasil shot his hand up, palm open as several light chains extended from his palm around him in a dome formation. They caught Presea and suddenly all of them were binding her as Yggdrasil pulled the reincarnated Shadow and made she hit the altar, pulling her again and throwing her against the stairs. All the while, Presea felt like she was burning from the inside at the places where the golden, light chains were touching her.
Yggdrasil finished by throwing the woman at the ground, creating an impact crater. Presea let out a mute exclamation of pain as the chains dissolved. She tried to get up, but felt her legs and arms suddenly seem to shorten and then enlarge again.
Looking at herself, the reincarnated Shadow saw some of her limbs covered in darkness, which made them shrink or grow alternatively. She knew what that meant. With all the fighting, Presea's powers were at their limit and she soon wouldn't be able to maintain her Spirit form, reverting back to her human one.
"Is that the extend of a reincarnated Summon Spirit's power? How sad…" Yggdrasil taunted. "If that's the case, there is no need to keep you around. Disappear."
He raised his hand summoning a sword of light on it, ready to cleave Presea… until a metal chakra impacted with his wrist, making him let go of it and turn just for another one to impact with his face. Yggdrasil held his nose, although it wasn't broken.
Looking up, the two saw Colette, already in Spirit form and with two chakras on her hands.
"Get away from Presea!" the blonde demanded as the pink haired woman whispered her name.
"So you woke up. I should have known a mere sleep spell wouldn't hold you down for long," Yggdrasil mumbled. "However…" he then pointed his hand to Presea. "You are in no position to…"
"Earth Cage!" Colete interrupted him, immediately casting an earth spell that made a dome of rocks quickly close around Mithos before he could attack Presea. Several stone spikes attempted to skewer him inside the dome, but all broke upon contact against the angel's body.
Yggdrasil easily broke the cage with a pulse of his aura, reducing it to rubble. He then saw Colette was already helping Presea up. The blonde was about to ask if her friend was feeling ok, but decided it would be quite stupid considering their situation. Instead she turned to Yggdrasil and asked:
"Why are you doing this Mithos?!"
"Isn't it obvious? I need you and she refuses to hand you over," the angel said, soon adding with a sly smile. "You must be quite proud of having such an… devoted admirer."
Colette blushed despite the situation, but shook her head to recover her cool. She looked again to Presea and knew they had to leave immediately, but there was no exit in sight and the device she saw on the floor appeared to be deactivated.
"Presea, can you take us out?" Colette discreetly asked while keeping her eyes on the Holy Lord of Cruxis.
Presea looked around. She could see it: a little fissure, almost imperceptible, but it was there. If she could widen it, maybe she could break through whatever spell Cruxis used to make the interior of the tower like this.
"I might be able to… LOOK OUT!" she jumped in front of Colette and stopped a slash from Yggdrasil's wrist-wings.
"I'll hold him off. You do what you must!" Colette said, throwing her chakra at Yggdrasil, who dodged. She soon went after him throwing producing and dividing chakras as Yggdrasil batted them all away or deflected them with his invisible shield.
He then teleported, but Presea decided she wasn't going to let that happen to Colette:
"Negative Field!" a sphere of purple energy emanated from Presea and Yggdrasil was forced to reappear, looking a bit confused.
That was all Colette needed as she ran and punched him in the stomach with all force she could muster. Even she was surprised when the white-clad angel flew back like a rocket and smashed into the right stairway creating a crater on it.
As she looked at it, Colette suddenly sensed something. She only had a second to put up her Terra's Shield and stop Mithos' Miguel Blades, which bounced back. Yggdrasil then shot out of the rubble and slashed at Colette, who dodged and ducked under his attacks, sometimes blocking it with her chakra when he got too close.
Yggdrasil then kicked her to the ground, and before he could go after Presea, Colette put her hand in the floor and two stone slates came up, closing on Yggdrasil. However, due to the angel's protection, the two slates broke and exploded when they touched him.
Magic won't work on him. Colette thought.
The Holy Lord of Cruxis charged and quickly released a Photon spell. Colette blocked it with her Terra's Shield Arte once more.
"Presea?!" Colette called.
She looked and saw Presea's axes glowing with a purple aura, but it didn't seem so strong compared to what Colette normally felt from the pink haired, adult-turned girl.
She's too weak from the battle with Mithos. the Keeper of Terra's Oath realized, mentally berating at herself for being so stupid.
"COLETTE!" Presea called and swung her axes, sending blades of darkness to near Colette, who turned and saw Yggdrasil dodging them when he tried to attack her.
The Warrior of the Dark Abyss came to Colette's side, trying to defend her, but it was clear to the blonde that Presea wouldn't be able to do so. They had to get out of there and fast. But how?
It was then an idea came to Colette. She didn't know if it would work, but it was their best shot. But first…
We have to keep Mithos occupied. "Presea, let's attack him together," the blonde said.
Presea looked at her with an expression of confusion, but when Colette looked at her she caught the message, nodding to her crush. Yggdrasil only observed the exchange, his condescending smile never dropping:
"Are you quite done? Why don't you simply give up? You know this defiant stance of yours is futile."
"I don't think so. Spinning Wheel!" Colette imbued all power she could on her chakra and threw it.
Yggdrasil put his hand up and expected the projectile weapon to be deflected, however it pressed against his shield, trying to saw its way to him. When the Holy Lord of Cruxis had to put some power in his defenses to stop the sawing chakra, he realized something was not right here.
Is this her true power?
He then felt a presence behind him, but was too late to raise his other hand and form another shield when Presea came out of the floor, her hand axes already charged with her powers:
"Tearing Slasher!" Presea executed a series of quick slashes, leaving behind trails of darkness that tried to absorb Mithos' energy. The pink haired ax woman finished by joining her two hand axes and executing a cleaving attack always leaving that trail of darkness behind.
The attack worked and Yggdrasil lost the concentration, lowering his shield and the spinning chakra hit the white-clad angel on the chest, trying to tear him open, but unable to do so. Instead that gave Presea another opening to execute a quick ax spin and another, releasing a burst of dark energy that took the form of a red lion's head; her Beast Arte.
As Yggdrasil was blown away, the reincarnated Shadow returned to Colette's side. The Keeper of Terra's Oath had used that time to gather all the power she could, preparing a Mystic Arte. Presea put her hand on Colette's shoulder and transferred as much power as she could onto the girl, altering the Arte she initially intended to cast.
Yggdrasil realized that, but before he could recover from being stunned by Presea's attack, Colette had already put her hands on the ground.
"Oh mother earth…" several cracks opened beneath Yggdrasil and rocks flew at him, hitting the Seraphim leader from all sides repeatedly.
"You who cries in agony…" Presea joined the chant as Colette got up and the two held hands. The yellow lights that came from the fissure suddenly turned purple and a rush of dark energies and rocks came up, attacking Mithos.
"You who has suffered to evil…" stalagmites sprouted everywhere, breaking apart when coming into contact with the adult-looking Mithos, but the several fragments flying everywhere left him blinded and he hadn't removed Presea's seal on his teleportation ability yet.
"Let your rage be know…" the rocks that were launched up before merged into bigger chunks coated with darkness and fell on Yggdrasil like dark meteors.
"Let your sorrows be healed…" the floor shook as the yellow lights in the fissure intensified and darkness reunited above Yggdrasil's head.
"Close your fist around the hapless beings that seek your harm…" Mithos could feel strong energy coming from the ground and above him as a giant, dark, runic circle formed. The air was saturated in power.
"Cleanse the sins of those who know no better…" the Seraphim Leader's eyes widened at sensing the increase in power above and below him. He looked at the two women, but those seconds in which he was distracted was enough for them to finish their chant.
"Terra's Blades!" thousands of silver, metal blades twice the size of an adult man, and the width of one rushed out of the fissure pointing as all angles, some shattering against Yggdrasil, but others hitting him with blunt impact force. A huge column of darkness descended from the runic circle above him, seeming to devour space itself. Yggdrasil screamed in pain and frustration.
When the darkness dispersed, Colette and Presea still had their hands united as they observed the result of their Unison Arte. The silver blades turned completely dark and were arranged in a way that made look like a pit trap. There was no sign of Mithos. The two knew he was probably buried by the several blades that rose.
But for how long? Presea wondered.
As if on cue, they heard a rumble coming from the center of the formation, where the concentration of blades was thicker. Colette dragged Presea away, knowing the entire time that Yggdrasil wouldn't be killed by something like that. The dark blades seemed to shake as the cry of metal bending was heard.
Colette and Presea stopped near the end of the pathway that led to the teleporter to the lower section of the tower. Colette looked to Presea, who in turn looked at her. The two nodded and Presea and Colette gripped the former's hand ax with their two hands, pouring all power they could on it.
Presea knew that wasn't the most opportune time, but she couldn't help herself from thinking how warm Colette's hands were. She blushed, but that was quickly replaced by worry when the two heard the blade formation shaking even more. Presea looked back and saw some blades cracking as the rumbling and cries of metal became almost deafening.
"Presea…" Colette called her.
"Yes?" the Warrior of the Deep Abyss asked.
"Thank you," Colette gave the pink haired woman one of her trademark, radiant smiles.
Presea blushed and was about to reply, but they then heard an explosion behind. Some of the blades had been destroyed and light was coming from the center of the blade formation.
Colette and Presea swung the ax down, leaving a trail of brownish-yellow and purple power on their wake. Suddenly the ax stopped in midair, as if it had hit something and a crack in the middle of the air appeared and started to widen as the two forced the weapon down.
I knew it. This entire place is an illusory plane. Presea thought.
The two had been instructed by Solumn and Tenebrae on the nature of their elements and its relationship with space and magnetic forces. Darkness, according to the Centurion, was one of the so-called transcendental elements, not being bound by either time or space. As such, it could traverse both and travel beyond them.
With that knowledge in mind, Presea theorized that she would be able to cut through the illusion that composed the plane inside the tower of Cruxis. As soon as she saw it was a success, the light behind them turned into a flash. Yggdrasil had freed himself.
Not losing any time, Presea grabbed Colette, adrenaline giving her a temporary boost in strength, and jumped through the crack in the "reality". In a blink of an eye, they were back to the platform incrusted at the base of the tower, right where the gate to the inside had appeared.
"Let's go!" the Warrior of the Deep Abyss said, not wanting to waste any more time around this place.
Dark wings sprouted from her back and Colette fell on her bum at the sudden rush of wind and to avoid the wings. Before she could get up, Presea was already carrying her bridal style and taking flight to the dirt path ahead of the tower.
When they landed near the barrier that kept the tower invisible, the Keeper of Terra's Oath jumped to the ground and the two joined their hands, holding one of the Warrior of the Deep Abyss' hand axes once more. It was then they felt a powerful aura suddenly manifesting itself.
The two reincarnated Summon Spirits turned and saw the entrance to the tower had reappeared and Yggdrasil came out of it, looking peeved. The two then turned and swung the ax down, however, their aim wasn't the barrier itself. The angel saw that and started to chant an Angelic Arte, intent on not letting the two away.
"Enough of this nonsense! JUDGMENT!" several beams of light rained down on where Colette and Presea were exploding on contact with the ground, releasing strong lights.
The Holy Lord of Cruxis looked on as the lights died away… and frowned.
There was no trace of Colette and Presea…
- / - / - / - / - / -
A rift appeared in the middle of the air as a blonde girl and a pink haired woman fell out, the rift closing right behind them.
"Well… at least we're safe now," Colette said with a smile as she got up, having fallen forward again. Presea nodded.
Knowing they would never be able to breach the barrier in time, Presea used a variation of the technique that allowed her to distort the space on the ground and create a homing wormhole. However, hadn't Colette been there, she would have never been able to pull that off, due to her exhausted state.
"Colette…" she called her crush's name. Colette looked at her with a "hmm?". "Thank you. Hadn't you been there, Mithos would have killed me."
"It… it was nothing," Colette blushed as she looked down and played with a long strand of her golden hair.
"Colette…" the blonde looked up at her again. Presea took a deep breath. "There's something I've wanted to tell you for a while now."
Colette felt a little nervous at Presea's tone. On the reincarnated Shadow's part, she was fighting against her own insecurities and nervousness, but she completely disregarded those for now. Fighting Mithos had shown her she was not invincible. She also could be killed.
If that might make Colette happy, then I'll tell her my feelings. If not, then maybe she still might let me protect her. Presea thought. No more hesitation. "Colette, I like you."
"Oh…" Colette almost jumped at that. She was trying very hard not to let her thoughts take another direction, but for one moment she…
"I like you as in a strong attraction between two people."
Colette's thought process came to a screeching halt.
The blonde widened her eyes at that. Was Presea really saying she was attracted to her?
"I don't know if you might feel the same, but… if you don't… can I at least continue to protect you?" Presea started, taking Colette's silence and shocked face as a sign of rejection. "I'll keep my distance if you…"
"NO!" Colette didn't know why she suddenly screamed, but that was enough to make even Presea surprised. Colette blushed a scarlet tone at the unintended outburst and quickly tried to correct herself. "W-wait! I didn't mean it l-like that! What I'm trying to say is… I… I… do t-too!"
She thought maybe Presea wouldn't understand her, the way she stuttered and altered her volume, but from the surprised look on the pink haired woman's face, it seemed she had understood Colette perfectly.
"You mean…"
What followed was the most uncomfortable silence either of the two had ever experienced. No one knew what to talk about.
Presea was the first one to break the ice:
"Are… you sure? I mean, look at me," Colette looked up. "Half of my life I lived as an unaging freak. I killed my own father, chased my own sister away and effectively abandoned my heart and was ready to do so to my soul, only to die and escape.
"I'm… I'm a coward. I don't deserve somebody like you."
It was incredible in Colette's eyes just how that girl… that woman, could take all bad things that happened in her life and make it sound like she was the sole responsible for them. Colette could sympathize with that, because she was just the same. The only difference was, she decided she would live so she could stop those bad things from happening with other people.
But Presea, she conformed with all of that and absorbed the insults and jabs thrown at her like a sponge. It was easier to think you were responsible to all of that and play the victim of the circumstances.
The blonde then remembered something Ratatosk had once said. It had been in a vastly different context and with a different intention, but the message was the same to Colette.
"Presea…" she called and when the pink haired woman looked, Colette (in an attitude she was sure would made Maki swell with pride) kissed her full on the lips.
Presea was surprised to say the least, but, slowly, she started returning the kiss, bringing her hands up and encircling Colette's shoulders with them. The reincarnated Shadow was on auto-pilot now.
When the kiss ended, Presea's eyes were glazed and the reincarnated Gnome gave just enough space for them to look at each other's faces, although they could still feel each other's breath. Emboldened with a courage she never knew she possessed, Colette spoke:
"Don't think like that Presea. You're better than this. You're a strong woman and you're very determined. So, please, don't keep thinking everything is your fault. That is the same as playing the victim."
"But…" Presea started, but Colette interrupted her again.
"Presea, I'm telling you don't," Colette was surprised as soon as she heard the words coming out of her mouth. What was that? Did I just order her?
Colette had never used that tone in her whole life. She never ordered anyone or spoke with them like that. Presea only nodded and the look she gave said that she had taken Colette's words to the heart. Suddenly, Colette remembered the things Solum said about dominant companions on couples.
Maki, wherever you are, I'm sure you must be seeing this and is rolling on the floor right now.
The two then got up and Presea reverted back to her human form, stumbling on her own feet, but Colette caught her before she could fall. Presea thanked her and the two walked away from the barrier that kept the tower of Cruxis hidden from sight, knowing that Yggdrasil wouldn't come out unless he wanted to call a lot of attention again with his aura.
"So, should we tell the others about this?" Presea asked.
Colette thought on it. What were they now? Were they like her onee-chan and Lloyd? Or more like Emil/Ratatosk and Marta? Besides, how would they take it?
"Do you think they'll be against it?" Colette asked, worried. She didn't want to lose her friends over something like this.
"Who knows? They are surely more open minded than most people I knew. However, your mother and Sheena will surely notice the moment they see us."
"Y-You think so?!" Colette asked, blushing at the idea.
"They are very perceptive. Which reminds me, Raine and Zelos might also notice," Presea said in her neutral and analytic tone.
Colette honestly didn't know what to think. Maybe they should just come out with it already. She then remembered that Martel was her grandmother. How would she react?
I'm getting a headache… the reincarnated Gnome decided to wait and see how things would play.
They soon reached what looked like the coast and were surprised to see Kratos, Sheena and a few Renegades coming to them. Presea could see the EC docked on the sands in a beach some kilometer away.
"COLETTE!" Sheena called, and before the blonde could even answer, Sheena was already enveloping her in a crushing hug (though to her it felt more like a normal one). "Are you ok?! Are you hurt?! Did they do something to… ?!"
"Miss Sheena, calm down. We are fine," Presea said when seeing Colette couldn't find an opening to answer her surrogate sister's frantic questions.
"Really? Thank goodness. I thought… I thought…"
Sheena was almost crying when Colette hugged her back and tried to comfort her "sister" as much as she could. Sheena hugged back and seemed to calm down enough for Kratos to catch up. Lloyd's father looked and let out a relieved sigh in seeing the two girls were alright, though Presea seemed ready to fall on the floor.
"What happened anyway?" Sheena asked.
"Presea saved me from Mithos," Colette said.
"You did?" Presea nodded. As soon as she did that, Sheena hugged her. "Oh, thank you Presea. I swear I'll be the best sister-in-law you ever had."
That declaration made Kratos raise an eyebrow and Colette blush a scarlet tone. Presea only raised an eyebrow.
"Are you two… ?" Kratos asked, looking between the girls.
"Well, kinda…" Colette said, fidgeting.
"Oh," Kratos said, not speaking anything or using any tone that could show displeasure. If anything, his expression said that he didn't mind that.
"'Oh'? Is that all you're going to say?" Sheena asked.
"Yes. Is it a problem that I don't mind it?"
"No, far from it. I just didn't know you…"
"We should go back now," Kratos said, suddenly interrupting her and sounding… nervous?
Sheena raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and called the girls. Colette passed Presea`s arm around her shoulders, knowing the girl was struggling to remain standing. The pink haired axwoman didn't complain and let Presea guide her to the EC as she held Colette's hand in a strong grip.
The blonde smiled to her as Presea found herself blushing at how beautiful Colette looked when she smiled like that...
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
The night had fallen and the trail ended in the shore. He knew the chances of stumbling upon them again were nill and they would be on the look out for him. Mithos sighed.
Remaking the seal on his form and aura, he had come out of the Tower of Salvation area too late to even catch a glimpse of the EC leaving with his target.
"Now getting her will be harder. They will know I'll be after them and that Cruxis will try and take her too," Mithos thought aloud. "Things have just gotten complicated."
"And what would be the fun if they didn't?" a new voice said, a familiar one. Mithos didn't need to turn and see the teleportation rune appear in midair to know who had just come. However, the blonde smiled.
"Yeah… thinking again, that's about right."
Steps came from behind him as the figure walked until it was right besides him.
"So, are you going to use that sap again? Or change tactics? You know, I could always help you with that."
"Oh, I'm sure you can. But I don't want to burden you with my work. This is something I have to do. And anyway, is that jealously I hear in your voice when you talk about Lloyd, Genis?"
The silver haired, young-looking Desian General scoffed at the notion. Him? Jealous of a human? Nonsense.
"Oh please, as if. We both know you would never truly befriend a human," the Desian General pointed out.
"Of course. You are my only, true friend," Mithos smiled an honest smile.
How conceited humans are… both of them thought.