Chapter 24: Love at First Sight: If Humans and Syriums Loved Each Other
After three days, Leo's army is ready for the trip to Plueron. Largen gave Leo and Elaine his blessings, confident that the two of them will right Gridamas's wrongs and end the war. After all, the party is marching into enemy territory and they're gonna need all the manpower they need to put an end to Melchior and the Dark Knight's schemes once and for all.
After a few days of fighting monsters, Summerill's zombie minions which originated from Takashi's world and goblins and orcs, our heroes arrived at the Garana Wildland where a much needed break is in order.
Leo turned to his friends and told them wisely "The battle at Plueron will be fiercer than any we have endured before. Brace yourselves."
"True, but at the moment we have some time to relax. Well, I have some time to relax, at least." Winfield stretched his arms and yawned before adding "Look, the women are spent. I think it best we rest here, lest exhaustion make us useless later."
Dyshana nodded silently before speaking. "It would be unwise to push ourselves too hard after coming so far. An injury now could spell disaster. I agree with Winfield. We must keep careful watch, but perhaps now is a good time to rest."
Leo nodded with a gentle smile and saying "You are both correct. We must not push too hard. Let us find a place to make camp."
"Finally, my feet are killing me..." Jura sighed as she wiped some sweat from her forehead. "All this walking and killing monsters and zombies has wore me out."
"You're not the only one..." Saya agreed before making a sigh cloud seen in most anime. "We're one step closer to ending this war and some rest will help us."
"A good plan." Winfield grinned before he said "But perhaps you should say a kind word or two to the women. They have been fighting non-stop for a few days, you know."
Leo blushed after blinking in surprise. "Eh? Ah... yes..." Leo adverted his gaze from Winfield with another blush.
Kirito, Jak, Ratchet and Yuri volunteered to clear the road to Fuvelmill Lake while the rest of the gang relaxed. After the four completed their task, Kirito and Asuna went to their tent to have some... er, alone time...
Jean was walking through until he heard moans of pleasure and kissing. Curious, he went over to Kirito's tent and got his ear near the silk material of the tent. He could make out words like "I love you..." Thinking that person was a beautiful lady, Jean smiled like a pervert and drooled, thinking Kirito is not in his tent right now, but some beautiful babe is waiting for him.
He charged in, excitement in his face, but his face turned to shock when he sees Kirito and Asuna, naked in bed and staring at Jean.
'Aw shit...' Jean thought in his mind frantically as a huge anime sweat drop appeared in the back of his head. "Uh... Mister Kirito, Lady Asuna... It's not what it looks like!" Asuna wrapped a towel around her hot naked bod and proceeded to stomp towards Jean menacingly. "Please don't hurt me!" Jean wailed as the screen cuts to black.
We turned to Tokai swinging his sword aimlessly at a battle dummy. Ellis and Tachibana were watching him train. They can tell Tokai is missing time after time. It was then, Ellis walked up to the hot headed Vanguard pilot.
"Mister Tokai, why are you terrible at swordplay? Leo can show you the ropes if you want..." Ellis asked in concern.
"I don't need help from some girl lover and a girl..." Tokai growled as he swings the Vanguard Sword, only to fall on his back. "It's bad enough that girl lover humiliated me in front of the men and forced me and those damn female space pirates to be buddy buddy with his group of girl lovers and girls!" Tokai shouted again in anger.
"Leo is a good leader! From where you're from, I don't know why men and women hate each other. In this universe we lived in, men and women loved each other and give birth to happy children!" Ellis vouched for the Spirit Vessel.
"Yeah! Yeah!" Tachibana agreed with Ellis.
That left Tokai confused. "Huh? So babies come from girls instead of breeding machines?" A question mark appeared on top of his head.
"Breeding machines?" Ellis was confused this time. "No. Babies come from-"
We cut to Leo walking up to Fyuria near the north coast later that night. Leo smiled at the syrium and asked her in concern "There you are. Do you not feel cold?"
"Eh?" Fyuria blinked before turning to Leo with a soft smile and told him "No, I am perfectly fine. In fact, the wind feels rather nice." The syurium sighed in relief as the wind breezed, her hair dangling in the wind.
"I see..." Leo nodded as he looked at the moon, it was beautiful tonight. Adverting his gaze from the moon, Leo turned to face Fyuria who remained silent while Leo did the same.
Fyuria looked away bashfully before muttering "...I-Is there something you need?"
"Ah, I... How have you been, of late?" Leo chuckled nervously.
"Much the same as I always am, but perhaps I should be asking you that question." Fyuria looked at Leo in concern and asked him "Are you quite alright?"
"Ah, yes, I... It is nothing... Am I interrupting something? I only thought to perhaps enjoy a conversation..." Leo adverted his gaze from Fyuria, really shy.
"I see..." Fyuria nodded thoroughly.
"I apologize. I shall leave now..." Leo bowed his head lightly just as he was about to leave, but Fyuria stopped him.
"Oh... Well... if you are not otherwise engaged, perhaps you would take a walk with me?" Fyuria asked sweetly, tugging Leo's arm.
"Eh? A walk? For what purpose?" Leo raised an eyebrow when she said that.
"To search for shooting stars." Fyuria said simply.
"Ah, well, a task that will go easier with two, for certain. Perhaps I should take this half of the sky, and-" Leo was interrupted by Fyuria when he was about to make some suggestions.
"No, not the sky. The lake." Fyuria corrected him.
"The lake? Why there?" Leo asked skeptically.
"An old syrium legend says that wishes made on a shooting star reflected in a lake will come true." Fyuria explained as she pointed to the lake.
"I see." Leo nodded before continuing with "I was once told to wish three times on a shooting star as it crossed the heavens. I see now that was wrong."
Fyuria nodded with a smile by saying "Of course, the lake must be still, as it is tonight, to see the night sky. The moonlight on the water is so beautiful."
Leo looked at the moon reflected by the water. He commented "Never before have I noticed how beautiful the moonlight is when reflected in the water... I gaze often at the sky in the daytime, but I have never seen the night sky in the water. It is... beautiful. And to gaze upon the lake, looking for a shooting star to make a wish? The syriums of days past were very romantic."
Fyuria looked at Leo, her eyes focused on the Spirit Vessel. "You think so?" She asked hesitatingly, before saying "We are the opposite of light, so perhaps they simply looked toward the ground instead of the sky to make a wish."
"The opposite of light?" Leo turned his gaze to Fyuria with raised eyebrows.
Fyuria sighed by saying "Oh, that... Syrium are creatures of shadow. Whenever there is light, there is also shadow." Leo remained silent upon hearing that.
"After all, 'tis easier to reach for the ground than the sky, even if it simply falls through your fingers. Both ultimately out of reach... I like to think wishing upon the water is somewhat more realistic." Fyuria looked down, rather a bit depressed.
"Then let us search for the shooting stars." Leo suggested with a smile. "Perhaps, if we wish together, we shall have a better chance of our wishes coming true. I know not how to describe what I mean, but... A moment's hesitation can cost you your life on the battlefield. A reliable partner gives one confidence. Two heads are, after all, better than one. So it is too with wishes, perhaps."
Fyuria closed her eyes and smiled, and then said "A strange way to say it, but I suppose your explanation suits you. Perhaps we do stand a better chance together."
"Then what shall we wish for?" Leo asked with another of his gentle smiles.
Fyuria gave her own gentle smile and told him "Is that not obvious? We wish for the war to end, so that we may live happily and in peace."
Leo kept smiling and told Fyuria with compassion "Happiness and peace... A good wish. ...No, more than a wish. I promise, here and now, that I will give them to you." Leo then holds Fyuria's hand which made the syruim blushed redder than a tomato.
"T-Then we shall only pretend to wish. After all, if our wish came true, your promise would be for nothing. In that case, it matters little if we see any shooting stars." Fyuria smiled softly.
Leo nodded and replied with "True, but I should like to wait here a while even so, and perhaps we will see some." And so Leo and Fyruia looked at the lake's waters, the moon and starry sky reflected on its surface. The two waited patiently for some shooting stars. Until the syrium noticed some stars shooting across the night sky.
"Leo! There are shooting stars! Our wishes come true!" Fyuria cheered as she hugged the Spirit Vessel.
"See? Patience is a virtue as they always say." Leo closed his eyes and grinned. Fyuria looked up to him and stared directly into his eyes. Leo did the same thing.
"You know... there is another part of the old syrium legend... If two people, either human or syurium see shooting stars upon a lake's waters... They become soul mates... You're really nice, and caring... That is why..." Fyuria then locked her lips with Leo. The Spirit Vessel was caught off guard by her sudden kiss, but returned it with his own, their eyes closed as they shared a passionate kiss. The shooting stars fall through the heavens to celebrate this new couple.
To be continued...
Next Chapter: Assault on Pleuron: Driven by Madness
A/N: And so, the Leo X Fyuria pairing finally happened. I will still do the questions scene as seen near the end of Generation 1 in the game. Also, should I add some Shouen Jump characters (Except for DBZ characters and Bobobobo-bo-bo characters) in this fanfic? Tell me in your reviews please. See you next time.