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 Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:37 pm
Hey, this is my FanFic of ToS. No, I didn't remove the voices of the original characters. You'll figure out soon enough what the title means... Anyway, disclaimer first: NOTICE:
Before you read this, I must give you this warning. I do not own any of the characters presented here aside from Cross. All other characters are from Tales of Symphonia and are owned by Namco Tales Studio. Thank you and have a nice day. If I accidentally misrepresent a character in a minor way, I apologize profusely.
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Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2010 9:38 pm
Chapter 1
Altamira, a beautiful paradise of sun, surf, luxury, and a perfect place to be if you’re a female ninja who’s saved the world twice now. Sheena Fujibayashi, Mizuho’s next Chief, was enjoying a perfect day of sunshine, relaxing on the beach.
“Ahh, now this is the life. No more fighting, no rampant monsters, and no disasters popping up everywhere.” She said, stretched out on a beach chair. She smiled, looking up at the clear blue sky above.
“Nothing could possibly ruin this day!” She felt great, and she closed her eyes, feeling the warm sun on her face. Then she heard an argument down the beach, and it was loud enough to disrupt even her day.
“Whoever’s shouting is going to pay.” Sheena growled, sitting up and walking over to what appeared to be three young men arguing. Or, more accurately, two young men were beating up a third, and the young man receiving the beating wasn’t saying a word.
“Well, you gonna apologize sand head, or I’m going to have to turn you red to get it?” The largest of the three said, and the young man who was being beaten gestured wildly, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Sheena felt her blood boiling, and she raced over to the three.
“What’s going on here?” She demanded, and the two larger boys turned to her. The smaller of the two had a dark look in his eye, but the larger recognized her and thumped his friend on the head. After a muttered warning, he looked at Sheena again.
“Sandy here wasn’t watching where he was going and tripped me up. So I was just gettin’ an apology from him.” He said, and Sheena looked at the dirty blond boy on the ground. His skin was pale, aside from the bruises, and his navy eyes were the same color as his swim trunks. He still hadn’t said a word the entire time, and Sheena walked over and helped him up.
“I want the both of you gone, now.” She said, “Or I’ll sick Efreet on you.” The two men were gone the moment she said it, and she smiled. Then Sheena looked at the boy they had attacked.
“Are you okay?” She asked, and wasn’t surprised when he shook his head. It was obvious that their attack had hurt him bad. But he could stand on his own, so Sheena took a step back.
“Why didn’t you speak up when they attacked you?” The boy looked at her, then the ground. Finally he closed his eyes and made a quick motion with his hand across his throat. She didn’t understand, but he started walking away.
“Hey wait…” She started, but he didn’t turn around or slow down. He was headed for the hotel, and Sheena decided to just let him go. She just wanted to relax, not get involved in other people’s problems.
That evening Sheena walked around the lounge of the hotel with Regal, admiring the view of the area again. She couldn’t help but enjoy the sights from the lounge when she was up that high.
“You sure know how to make a girl feel special.” She said, and the president of Lazareno smiled.
“Well you did help save the world twice now. I would expect this hero treatment would be normal for you.” He said, smiling, “Although, the others get the same treatment when they stay here.” Regal and Sheena found an open table and sat down, looking out at the sea. Then Sheena saw the reflection of the boy from the beach. He was sitting at a table alone, and there was obviously something wrong.
“Hey Regal, who’s that kid over there?” She asked, motioning with her head. He took one look and then turned back to her, his face instantly serious.
“If you ever figure it out, let me know. He never says a word, yet he had enough money to book a room for the past three days.” Regal said, “He’s staying the night tonight, but that’s as long as his reservation lasts. Unless he has more gald somewhere, then I’ll have to ask him to leave.” He hated sending people away, but it was something he had to do from time to time. Sheena noticed the boy was doing something with a piece of paper, and she decided to take a look.
“I’m going to see if I can talk to him a bit…” She said, standing and walking over quietly. Regal watched quietly wondering what she would do.
He was looking out the window, then back to the paper, and then back at the window, like he was thinking. As Sheena got close she saw what was on the paper. He had been sketching her, and it was really good, aside from her hair not being pulled back like it usually was.
“So, did you plan on doing my hair wrong or did it just happen?” She asked, and he nearly jumped out of his seat. When he turned to look at her he had moved a hand over the drawing.
“What, you didn’t want me to see it? It’s really good, but you didn’t put my hair back like I always do.” Sheena almost laughed at the flustered expression on his face, and finally she pulled the paper from under his hand, looking at it carefully. Other than the hair it wasn’t bad, even the eyes were well drawn.
“So, do you have a name?” She asked, and he nodded, pointing to his signature on the drawing. It read Cross, in perfect form. She smiled, glad to finally have a name to call him besides the kid with the blond hair.
“Well Cross, care to tell me why you’re drawing me?” She asked, her eyes locked on his. He looked down and away, a familiar expression on his face. She’d seen Lloyd do that often enough to know something was wrong.
“What, did I say something wrong?” He shook his head, and wrote out a note on a separate piece of paper. He handed it to Sheena, and she finally understood.
“I’m mute…” She read aloud softly. It was almost tragic, seeing that he couldn’t speak. He was looking back out the window, and something close to a sigh escaped his lips. There was a lack of noise to it, and Sheena wondered how he had managed life so far. Did he just write everything out for everyone, every time they asked him a question? It explained why they attacked him on the beach. He was wearing what looked like leather armor, but there were runes branded into, likely charms to strengthen it.
“So, what’s with the armor?” He wrote his response, his hand flowing easily on the paper.
“I’m leaving tomorrow for Hima, but… I’m not a good fighter. I need my armor to keep me alive if bandits attack…” He even included the pauses. It was like she was looking at someone writing dialogue for a novel, and she could imagine him actually saying the words. Although, the voice she imagined for him sounded a little too like Lloyd’s. Maybe she shouldn’t think about it that much.
“Well. Maybe I could help you. I’ve been thinking about seeing some friends of mine, so I’ll go with you to Hima.” Sheena said, “I’ll handle the monsters, and maybe I can teach you a few fighting techniques.” His eyes glinted at her words, and he smiled.
“I’d appreciate that a lot. Thank you.” He wrote, and Sheena nodded.
“I’ll see you first thing in the morning in the lobby, and don’t keep me waiting.” She said, standing and walking back over to Regal. Cross stood after she walked away, and Sheena watched him walk away.
“Well Regal, fancy a trip to Hima?” She asked, and the Lazareno president sighed.
“There’s a lot to do here still… But I suppose I could tag along.” He said, “I just hope he won’t mind.” A simple smile was her only response, and she went to go to her room. Tomorrow was going to be the first day of a new adventure. She could feel it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 16, 2010 8:18 am
Chapter 2
Sheena awoke the next morning, walking easily into the lobby. Regal was already there, ready for the trip, but Cross was nowhere to be found.
“Huh, you’d think he’d be the first one down here…” She muttered, but then she saw him, standing by the doors. He was wearing the same set of leather armor as last night, but he had a long sword at his side now. The blade looked so large it would need two hands to wield, and looking at him in that armor, Sheena couldn’t help but wonder why he needed their help to get to Hima. He looked like he could make the journey all by himself. But then she remembered how beaten up he was just yesterday, at the beach…
“Well, we’re all here, so let’s get going.” She said, and Regal nodded. Only Cross made no motion, still looking out the windowed doors. When they walked over he reacted slowly, turning to them and nodding. He then led the way to the exit of Altamira, walking like someone with something else on their mind. At the entrance Sheena took over, leading the way with Cross just behind. Regal took up the rear, ready in case of an ambush. They didn’t run into anything for an hour or so, but no one was saying a word. Sheena knew Cross was mute, but it still felt awkward, not hearing anything from anyone…
When the group finally stopped for lunch, Sheena felt more awkward than she ever had before. No one had said a word until Regal mentioned lunch, and even then it was too quiet.
“So Cross, why are you going to Hima?” She asked, wondering why he’d go from the paradise of Altamira to the rugged landscape of Hima.
“I’m… Looking for someone…” He wrote slower than yesterday, and it was obvious he was tired. He had a ragged, horrible look, like he’d been up all night. It showed most in his eyes, which looked dull and nearly lifeless.
“Well, what do they look like?” Regal asked, his eyes moving to Sheena’s as if to say he’d noticed their companion’s haggard appearance as well. The two of them then watched as his reply was written.
“He looks like me, but, different.” Cross wrote, and Sheena was confused. Regal, however, understood it.
“Is he your twin?” There was a pause as Cross wrote again.
“You could say that…” Cross then suddenly turned and looked to the side. Sheena wondered at first what he was looking at, but then noticed they were surrounded by bears.
“Great, they pick now, just after we finish eating, to show up…” She muttered, and Regal took a fighting stance next to her, while Cross stood on her other side, holding his sword nervously and shaking where he stood. In a flash she and Regal were at it, fighting off the first bear while the second headed for Cross.
“PYRE SEAL!” Sheena screeched, causing an explosion right in front of the bear. The smoke hid Regal as he leaped up and kicked the bear in the jaw, startling it. As the first retreated, they turned to see Cross barely fighting off the second bear. He tried his best, but the beast just knocked his blade aside and roared, and he continued to back away slowly. Regal raced over, kicking the bear in the side to stun it, then unleashing a furious barrage of attacks, all aimed at scaring the monster off rather than killing it. Cross continued to back away, shaking like a leaf on a tree limb. When the bear finally fled, Sheena raced over.
“Nice work Regal, I’m glad we had you with us.” Sheena said, and the two went over to Cross. He was still shaking uncontrollably, but he had sheathed his sword. It looked like he was about to cry, and Sheena put a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, there’s no need for that, you just need some practice, that’s all.” She said, smiling. Cross simply turned away, picking up his things and looking to them both. He had a look that said he just wanted to get a move on, and Regal sighed.
“Well, we’d better get moving if we want to make it by nightfall.” The group gathered everything up again and headed for Hima. But for the whole rest of the trip, Sheena still saw Cross shiver from time to time…
Once the group had Hima in sight, Cross began to run ahead of them, racing up the slope towards the adventurer’s town. Sheena followed close, just incase something attacked. It was a lucky thing, just as Cross rounded a corner on the path, a huge gust of wind ripped through, and he was blown back. Sheena gasped, racing over. Time seemed to slow as Cross began to fall over the edge, and she leaped and grabbed his wrist. She lay on her stomach, her hand gripping tight to Cross’s wrist, and his hand to hers.
“Hold on…” She grunted, trying to pull him up. Regal raced over, grabbing Cross’s other arm and helping to haul him up. As soon as he was on solid ground again he scooted away from the edge, hugging the rock wall, blind terror etched onto his face. Sheena looked to Regal, then stood slowly, taking Cross by the arm.
“Just stay close to us from now on, alright?” She said seriously. If he was going to recklessly dash off like that then he wouldn’t last long. She was thankful she had been able to reach him, or else he would have died. The group continued more cautiously, and reached the inn just as night was falling. They rented the upstairs room, Regal paying for it, and Cross silently climbed into bed, shaking even worse now that he’d seen death twice. As Sheena watched him, she felt pity well up inside her. He really was helpless, and she wondered if he’d ever be able to stand on his own…
That night Sheena awoke to the sound of Cross tossing and turning. It looked like he was in a nightmare, but he couldn’t scream, even if he wanted to. She walked over to him and watched as he twisted and turned, a cold sweat covering him. Whatever it was he was dreaming about terrified him, he looked pale and sick. Sheena almost wondered if he actually was sick, and she put a hand on his forehead to check if he had a fever.
In a flash everything was dark, and Sheena looked around quickly. She was surrounded by a thick blackness, and she wondered just where she was. Then she saw Cross, but there was something different about him. He looked more confident, more capable. He stood with a golden sword, staring down a man dressed in all black with a silver blade.
“Today it ends.” Cross said. Sheena was shocked that he could speak, and wondered if he was faking being mute, but then she noticed something else. His hair was no longer a dirty blond, but it practically glowed like polished gold, and his skin had a healthy glow to it. She realized she was looking at a completely different Cross, like who he dreamed he could be. Sheena walked over to them, but neither of the men paid her any notice, the two glaring at one another. Then in a flash, both Cross and the man in black began fighting, blades clashing and pulling apart faster than Sheena thought possible, and in moments the fight seemed decided. Just as Cross pulled back for the final blow, the man in black cast a single spell. In an instant Cross was reeling backwards, and eight colored orbs of light appeared, pulling away from him and disappearing. As they did Cross seemed more and more like he did when Sheena met him, and the blade in his hands turned gray in his hands. Sheena raced to him, but everything turned white before her.
Sheena’s eyes flipped open, and she was standing in the inn at Hima again, her hand still on Cross’s forehead. But this time he was calm, as if the nightmare had passed now, and she went back to her bed, wondering what she had seen. Was that just a nightmare, or something more…
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Posted: Wed Jul 07, 2010 6:41 pm
Chapter 3
When Sheena awoke, Regal and Cross were already ready for the day. He seemed a lot better than yesterday, and he had a small smile on his face. Sheena waited for them to leave before getting set herself, and the three of them met outside the inn.
“Well, now just to look for this guy…” She said, looking around. Cross was way ahead of her though, looking to the top of the mountain. He raced up the path, forcing Regal and Sheena to bolt after him. There was something about the wind at that moment, like it was trying to force them in towards the mountain. As Sheena ran, she noticed Cross had his blade drawn, and when they reached the top they saw a man who looked much like Cross, but with blue hair and clothing.
“So it’s you…” The man in blue said. The wind tugged at his clothing and hair, swirling around him lazily. He looked at Cross with piercing blue eyes, cold indifference is expression. Cross said no word, only holding his blade before him. He wasn’t shaking this time, and the man in blue smiled.
“When will you learn. You can’t beat any of us Cross. We won’t return, because we don’t want to. You’re still not worthy of our power.” The man said, and Cross rushed at him. He was expecting it, the man in blue, and with a wave of his hand Cross was thrown back by a gust of wind. Sheena and Regal looked to each other, shocked. This man had magic on him, and he wasn’t a half elf. They moved to Cross, who was standing again and readying his blade. He said nothing, racing towards the man in blue, blade high.
“Pathetic.” Again Cross was blown away, this time towards the edge of the cliff. Sheena raced over and caught him, the two stopping just before the edge. Meanwhile Regal rushed at the wind mage, lashing out with a string of devastating attacks, but the man dodged each strike, as though he’d seen them all coming. Meanwhile Cross was up and racing at him, coming from the opposite side as Regal was. Their target stepped back, and that was when Cross struck. The blade came down hard and fast, then passed through the target, and Sheena gasped.
“Not bad, but you missed.” The man in blue said, stepping away, “One can not hope to cut the Wind. You’ll need to try harder next time we meet Cross… I’ll give you a hint even. Find Light. Perhaps, with some training, you’ll be ready for us again…” And with that their quarry disappeared, and Cross fell to his knees. Sheena and Regal were by his side in an instant, but each could see the anger seething within him through his eyes. He had failed, and was angry for it…
That night Sheena needed to talk to Cross. There was something more going on. Regal went with her, each of them curious as to what he was hiding.
“Cross, we need the truth. What’s going on, what was he talking about?” She asked, looking him directly in the eyes. He pulled out his notepad, writing slowly. He was trying to figure out how to explain it, but it wasn’t easy. Finally he finished, and handed the notepad to Sheena…
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