Tales Of Eternia Fan Fiction ❯ Tales of Memories ❯ Escape ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The stary night above reflected in Eclipse's glassy gaze. His pale green eyes seemed distant, like the world before him was really just a reflection in his eyes.

Not really there for anyone to see.

"What are you thinking about?" a female voice asked weakly, breaking Eclipse's trance.

Eclipse blinked, and rubbed his eyes slightly. He then glanced over at the owner of the voice, even though he knew who it was. He had a weak smile on his face, but yet he didn't answer her question.

Fuz smiled back at him weakly, and sat down next to him. She looked up at the stars, yet they didn't have the same effect on her as they did Eclipse.

"You didn't answer my question." Fuz stated weakly as she turned her attention back on her friend.

The silver haired thief sighed weakly. "I wasn't thinking about anything." he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

Fuz was silent for a moment, she looked slightly hurt. "How can you lie to me like that?" she demanded angerly, "Don't you trust me?".

Eclipse looked slightly surprised. He didn't know what to say, words failed him. He stared at the ground, his silver hair covered his face, hiding the feelings that were painted on them at the moment.

"Eclipse, you're my friend... and I trust you." Fuz said weakly as she looked back up at the stars above, "But you just try to push Star and myself away from you.".

Eclipse remanded silent. His friend's words were true, yet he tryed to pretend that they weren't.

"Do you not want us here?" Fuz asked weakly, as she hung her head as well.

"That's not it!" Eclipse said suddenly, the sound of his own voice actually ended up surprising him as well.

"I just..." Eclipse said weakly, not really sure how to say what he wanted to tell his friend, "I don't want to share my pain.".

Fuz looked up at Eclipse with a odd smile on her face. She then began to laugh. Eclipse didn't really understand why she was laughing at such a serious matter.

"We've all got pain." Fuz said to Eclipse with a smile on her face, clearly explaining why she was laughing, "The best thing you can do is let your friends help you carry the load.".

Eclipse was silent for a moment, thinking over what Fuz had just told him. Perhaps, it was true. Maybe it was time for him to let others know of his problems.

"But, what is your pain?" Eclipse asked weakly as he remembered that Fuz had never told him about her problems.

Fuz smiled and looked up at the stars. The look on her face was slightly odd. Eclipse had never seen Fuz look like someone who had been put through a hard time, and had yet to get out of it.

"I used to live in the middle of no where with my parents." Fuz began to explain weakly as she watched the night sky above, "I loved it, just my parents and me.".

"Yet, the desians came." Fuz said sadly as she hung her head, trying to hide the sorrow on her face, "My parents died trying to protect me from them.".

"I'm sorry about your parents..." Eclipse said weakly, not sure what else to say.

"Why, it isn't like you were a desian." Fuz said as she looked up at Eclipse with a smile, "But really, that was just part of the problem.".

"What do you mean?" Eclipse asked weakly, clearly not understanding what Fuz was trying to get at.

"I travelled to Luin to try and find my sister, who was currently living there." Fuz said weakly, "She ended up taking me in, and treating me like her slave or something. I was never good enough, so she'd always beat on me.".

"I finally just ran away from that hell." Fuz said with a shrug of her shoulders, "And ended up here with you guys.".

"Your sister treated you that bad?" Eclipse said, sounding slightly puzzeled to why one's own sibling could do such a thing.

"I don't know..." Fuz said weakly with a sigh, "Maybe she was trying to teach me something, like life is a rough road.".

"Perhaps..." Eclipse agreed with a smile, glad that Fuz was able to find a plus to the bad situation.

"Her beating on me just made me want to try harder." Fuz said, building on the good thought, "It made me see that I wasn't strong enough to take revenge for my parents.".

"So you kept training?" Eclipe asked, or perhaps he finished Fuz's statement.

"Yah, I just kept training." Fuz said with a smile, "Trying to make myself better.".

Eclipse smiled, glad that Fuz was able to find a silver lining on the cloud that loamed over her.

"See what I mean, Eclipse. Talking to people can help you work things out." Fuz said with a weak laugh, "Even though I still hate desians for what they did to my parents, at least I've found some sort of closer to the problem I had with my sister.".

Eclipse smiled, and nodded in responce. Yet it was clear that he was still uneasy about sharing his problems with Fuz.

"I don't know..." he admitted weakly as he stared at the grass.

Fuz was silent for a long time. Just watching the stars. She didn't say anything, or try to force a conversation out of Eclipse.

She finally got to her feet and said, "It's getting late, let's get some sleep.".

Eclipse stared at her for a moment, before he as well got to his feet. "Thank you, for understanding." Eclipse said weakly.

"You better tell me sooner or later." Fuz said with a laugh, "Since I wanna know everything about your past.".

-----

Aireth crept through the dark room. It was slightly easy, since she was sure no one would be able to hear her over Lloyd's snoring. Then again, it wasn't 'that' loud either.

It was easy to see the room around her with the moon light shining through the window. She found it odd, since she was so used to the pure darkness, not the darkness that was luminated by the light of the moon and stars.

Aireth exitted the room and quietly closed the door behind her. She strangly held her breath as she did so, she didn't breath until she knew that the door was closed and no one had heard her leave.

With that, Aireth began to walk down the empty hallways of the inn. Everything seemed so new to her.

She couldn't remember any of the places she had travelled to while she was younger. So, this world would seem like a place she had just come to.

A whole new adventure.

"I wouldn't really call it an adventure." Aireth thought to herself weakly, "It's just a journey to find my place.".

Which was also true, seeming how Aireth had no idea where she belonged in this would any more. It was almost like she had no place at all. That by some twisted thread of fate, she was saved from a inch of death, and put into a world that she wasn't supposed to be alive in.

Aireth sighed weakly, and tryed to move the depressing thoughts out of her head.

Aireth walked out of the inn, and the crisp evening air flowed into her body. Aireth sigh longingly, it was such a great smell. She had long wished to smell the outside, in her normal human form.

The free female was surprised by a wet nose that nudged her side. She jumped back, to see a odd dog-like creature staring at her.

It whined quietly at her. Aireth looked around to see if anyone was near by, perhaps the owner of this strange creature. She didn't notice anyone, so she knelt down and began to pet him.

The creature whined again, and nuzzled it's nose up against her cheek. Aireth had to fight back her giggles, seeming how the creature's cold nose tickled.

"What are you boy?" She asked weakly as she stared deep into the creatures eyes.

"What are you doing out here?" a farmiller voice asked her from behind.

Aireth, almost as surprised as when the creature had poked her with it's nose, spun around to see if it was who she thought it was.

It was the man dressed in purple, the person she had found out was called, 'Kratos'.

"I was just, taking a walk." Aireth said weakly, feeling very uneasy under Kratos' cold stare, "I havn't been outside in forever.".

Kratos was silent and scanned Aireth, making her very uneasy. He then walked beside her, and knelt down as well.

"Do you like animals?" he asked weakly as he began to pet the creature.

"It really depends." Aireth explained to Kratos, "I like some, but don't like others.".

"Well I think Noishe likes you." Kratos said with a weak smile.

"Oh, is this... Noishe your pet?" Aireth asked, sounding slightly surprised and interested at the same time.

"No, he's Lloyd's." Kratos explained.

Aireth was silent for a moment. "I don't think he's smart enough to take care of a animal..." Aireth muttered quietly.

"It's late, maybe you should get back to the room." Kratos said as he stood up, "Try to get some sleep.".

Aireth stood up at well, and was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that." Aireth said weakly.

"What do you mean?" Kratos asked, seeming slightly surprised by Aireth's answer.

"I don't want to bother you are your group any longer." Aireth exclaimned, "So... I'm going to leave, tonight.".

Kratos was silent for a long time, just staring at Aireth. Yet, Aireth was no longer uneasy with his gaze placed upon her.

"Do whatever you wish." Kratos said sternly.

"Thank you..." Aireth said with a pleasent smile, "Thank the Professer for taking care of me as well.".

Kratos was silent for a moment before saying, "Take care of yourself.".

"I will." Aireth said with a nod of her head, "Take care of yourself as well.".

With that, Aireth darted off towards the edge of town. She paused and turned around, to take one more look on the town. Aireth jumped back when she noticed that Noishe had followed her.

"Go back to Kratos, boy." Aireth ordered the creature, sounding distressed at the sight of him.

Noishe whined, but did as he was told, and began to head back towards the figure standing near the inn.

Aireth paused for a moment, he was watching her leave. "That guy... has lots of time on his hands or something." Aireth thought to herself as she turned around and ran out into the wild.

Aireth darted though the tall grass. She ran in a completly random direction, she had no idea where she was headed. In a way, she didn't really care, as long as she was free.

Aireth paused for a moment, an odd smell filled the air around her. "Is that smoke?" she wondered weakly, the smell reminded her of the nights she'd sit among the camp fire with her family.

She sighed weakly, decided that it would be best not to think about the past, and just move forwards. Aireth had been given a chance to live, so perhaps it would be best to use it.

Aireth then began to walk forwards once again, although the darkness hid the drop before her. She stumbled down the small hill and rolled into a small clearing. Her entrance what you would call, elegent or quiet.

Aireth groaned as she rubbed her sore head. She looked around the clearing, to see three figures waking up from her noisy entrance into their camp site.

Taken by surprise, Aireth had no idea what to do. Should she just run away, or just wait to see what happens.

It was clear that Aireth decided to see what would happen, seeming how she was just sitting there doing nothing to try and get away.

"What, in the seven realms of hell, was that?" a voice asked, sounding very angry and yet sleepy at the same time.

"It would seem we have a visiter." a male voice said, sounding as tired as the first voice.

"Wait, I know you!" the third voice said, being that of a kind female voice.

Aireth was silent, she had no idea what to do or say. She looked at the ground to see that their was a fire pit just before her. It was still smuldering. That must of been the smoke she had smelt before falling into their camp.

"Where did you meet this camp wrecker?" the first voice asked the third one sternly.

"Don't you see, it's that girl." the third one pointed out, seeming slightly nervous, "The one that was hurt.".

"Oh, you mean with those idiots who ended up getting us kicked out of the inn back in Asgard?" the first voice asked weakly.

"That, was completly your fault Fuz." the male voice said sternly, "You were the one that got into a fight with that guy dressed in red.".

"He had it coming..." the first voice, known as Fuz, replied bitterly.

Aireth paused for a moment, thinking about the 'guy dressed in red'. Were they talking about Lloyd? If that was true, then this Fuz person had to be the 'pink terror' that Lloyd got into a fight with.

"So you were the one Lloyd was talking about." Aireth muttered weakly, speaking before she really thought about it.

"Lloyd, oh, is that the red guy's name?" Fuz said weakly, although she sounded like she didn't really care.

One of the figures got out of their bed raps and moved closer to Aireth. Aireth could see that she had long hair, yet it was to dark to tell the colour. Her eyes looked concerned, and she had a pleasent look on her face.

"My name's Star." the female said with a smile, "I aided the Professer in healing your wound.".

Aireth was silent for a moment, needing to take the time to get what the female named Star was saying.

"Thank you, for helping me." Aireth said weakly as she hung her head slightly, "This is no way to repay your kindness.".

"It's not that much of a problem." Star lied weakly, even though she knew that the others may have different thoughts on the matter, "But what are you doing here?".

"I-I" Aireth muttered weakly, she clearly didn't know what to say.

"Don't you see, she ran away from her 'friends'." the male voice pointed out bluntly.

"Even if that was true, Eclipse." Star replied bitterly with a scowl on her face, "Why do you say in such a harsh tone of voice?".

"They weren't my friends to begin with." Aireth intruptted angerly, "They were just using their hearts, not wanting to leave someone to die.".

"But I thought they were your friends." Star said quietly, sounding quite sad about the matter, "They just seemed to be so worried about you, much like a friend would be.".

Aireth stood up suddenly, her hair covered most of her face, hiding her emotions. "That's a lie." Aireth said bitterly, her voice lined with anger, "No one cares about what happens to me.".

Star got to her feet as well, she looked slightly happy and deeply concerned at once. "It is true." Star said with a smile, "They were worried about you, I saw their concern with my own eyes.".

Aireth stared at the female named Star coldly. She gave Star a firm backhand across the face. "Then there most be some sort of problem with your eyes." Aireth said as she watched Star fall over from the force of impact.

"What the hell do you think your doing!?" the female known as Fuz yelled angerly as she jumped up almost as soon as she saw her find being struck down.

Almost as fast as she had jumped to her feet, Fuz quickly bounded over to Aireth had tackled her to the ground.

Aireth weakly gasped for air, seeming how the female named Fuz had her knees planted on top of her rib cage. "Get off of me!" Aireth yelled angerly at the pink haired female.

"No wonder no one cares about you." Fuz said with a sly smile on her face, "Because your a bastard.".

Aireth snarled angerly, she didn't care much for Fuz's attitude at the moment, or the judgement she put upon her. "I told you to get off of me." Aireth said sternly.

"Please, Fuz, don't hurt her." Star said weakly as she sat up.

"Are you alright, Star." Eclipse asked his friend weakly as he knelt down beside her, "You fell to the ground pretty hard.".

"I'm alright, Eclipse." Star said, even though it was easy to see that she was in pain, "Just, please, don't hurt her.".

"Why not, Star!" Fuz barked angerly at her friend, "She needs to be taught a leason. You can just go and rampage through someone's campsite, beat on one of them, then get away with it.".

"Don't ignore me!" Aireth shouted loudly at Fuz, her voice full of rage.

Fuz looked back over at Aireth, looking slight surprised to hear her yell so loudly as her.

With Fuz's full attention, a smirk appeared on Aireth's face. She began to sit up, even though Fuz had Aireth's shoulders firmly pressed to the ground only a few moment ago.

In a full, up right position, Fuz fell off Aireth's shoulders and into her lap. Fuz looked slightly shooked that she was so easily over powered by Aireth, who really just looked like a walking tooth-pick.

"Now, get off of me." Aireth said sternly, her voice was cold, and it almost sounded like she wasn't afraid to do 'harm' if her demands weren't met.

"Make me!" Fuz said sternly, as she began to reach down to her boots.

With a quick motion, Fuz unsheathed the knife that was hidden in her boot. With another fast motion, the pink haired female thrust the knife towards Aireth's throat.

Aireth, moving as fast as Fuz was as she did her 'surprise' attack, grabbed the blade of the knife firmly.

"What the hell..." Fuz said weakly, as she watched with wide eyes as blood began to drip down Aireth's wrist, and cover the blade of her knife.

Aireth the pulled the knife out of Fuz's hand as she was distracted by the shock that Aireth wasn't affected at all by the cut in her hand. She tossed it into the air some what and caught it by the halt this time, with the same bleeding hand.

Fuz, crawled backwards and jumped to her feet. Aireth got to her feet as well, she looked ready to use her newly gained knife on any three of the thieves before her.

"What the hell are you." Fuz said sternly, her gaze was cold and yet full of shook, "You can't be human, or even mortal.".

Aireth was motionless for a moment, she stared wide eyed at the pink haired female. "Not... even mortal." she repeated weakly to herself.

The knife fell to the ground first, then a scream of pain came next. Aireth tightened her hand into a fist, her skin turning a ghostly white. She could feel the pain shot all the way up her wrist, Aireth didn't even want to see the wound that she had recieved.

"Your right... that's why they don't care about me." Aireth agreed weakly, before she fell to the ground as well.

"She passed out, I need to help her." Star said as she rushed over to Aireth's side.

-----

Kratos rubbed his forehead and let out a sigh. Ever since the girl known as Aireth had left the other night, he had felt like a great burden had lefted from his shoulders. Yet, it felt like something was now missing.

"So you just let her leave." the Professer said weakly, seeming slightly worried, "I just hope she doesn't do anything that might reopen her wounds.".

"She seemed fine." Kratos said, trying to reasure the Professer, "It looked like she wasn't affected at all by her wound.".

"That's good to hear." Raine said with a weak sigh of relief, "Yet I can't help but worry about her.".

Kratos was silent for a moment, before asking, "Why are you so concerned?".

Raine was silent for a moment, she gave Kratos a puzzeled look. She never really thought she'd hear such an odd question coming from the mercenary.

"I'm not really sure myself, I just am." Raine answered weakly, she closed her eyes as she spoke and looked as if she was focusing on the matter, "Maybe it's because... it doesn't seem like she has the will to live.".

"What do you mean by that." Kratos asked weakly, looking slightly surprised by Raine's statement.

"Just the fact that Kvar was using her pain and anger as a weapon..." Raine explained to the mercenary, "Makes me think that she's had a rough time... and I don't know if she has the will to keep going.".

Kratos was silent once again, it looked like he was thinking about the matter quite seriously. "Do you think she'd go as far as killing herself to escape?" Kratos asked weakly.

"She did once, didn't she?" Raine said, in a stern tone of voice, "So I wouldn't be very surprised if she did, indead, try again.".

"How... did you know she tryed to kill herself by my blade." Kratos asked, seeming quite surprised that Raine had found him out.

"Just how she acted once she woke up." Raine replied weakly, "It just sounded like, she didn't want to be saved.".

"Perhaps it would be best to talk about the subject later." Kratos said weakly, suddenly seeming uncomfartable, "We should wake the others and head towards the Tower of Mana.".

"Yes, that's not to far from Luin and the human ranch, correct?" Raine stated, or perhaps she was just thinking out loud, "That's where the last seal is supposed to be.".

"Correct." Kratos said to Raine weakly, "Then the Choosen will travel to the Tower of Salvation, and finally become an angel.".

-----

Aireth sat within the darkness, she just blankly stared forwards in the nothingness.

She didn't care.

"This is where I belong." Aireth said weakly to herself as she lied backwards, "Where I can't hurt anyone, but myself.".

She closed her eyes, and her mind went as blank as the world around her.

"It still controls me." Aireth muttered weakly, "The black exsphere still controls my anger.".

Aireth felt a warm breeze on her face, and open her eyes to see a farmiller place around her. She was slightly surprised at what she saw, yet the darkness seemed to enjoy playing games with her head.

Much like the one with her father, just the other day.

Aireth looked around the forest area, with her back rested up against the cliff behind her. There was something missing around her. The smell of death and decay was gone.

The surprised girl got to her feet, and didn't really seem to notice that her hand move up towards her chest. She was surprised, when she didn't feel the smooth surface of the black exsphere that was always there.

The puzzeled girl rubbed her head weakly, she didn't understand what was going. She looked down, and noticed that her female figure was gone, and the ground seemed to be much closer then it usually was.

Aireth then stared at her own hands, and noticed that they were so much smaller then she had remembered.

"Was it... all... only a dream." Aireth said weakly, even her voice seemed to have changed back to the voice of the young girl that only remained in her memories.

Aireth laughed weakly, and looked around. If the air no longer smelt of blood and decaying bodies, then perhaps that part was but a dream as well. Perhaps her family would still be alive, and her father would come for her.

The girl moved down a nearby decline, and scanned the near by area. It still just seemed to be a normal forest to Aireth. Truthfully, she didn't know to much about this area, all she knew was the spot she had just moved from, and the human ranch above her.

Aireth let out a weak sigh and began to walk around the forest aimlessly.

It seemed so peaceful, no monsters of any sort were there to bother her. There wasn't a sign of the desians either, which was an extremly good thing. Yet, Aireth hadn't noticed any other sign of life either.

Her family, was no where to be found.

The little Aireth finally paused when she came to what seemed to be someone's home. There was a small stream before it, and it was surrounded by the trees of the forest on all of the other sides.

Aireth walked across the small foot bridge and began to look around the outside of the house some what. There was what seemed to be the start of some sort of animal house, and there was a grave near by on a small rise in the ground.

She paused and looked at the grave stone. The young girl looked slightly surprised at what she saw.

"Anna..." she muttered weakly as she red aloud what was engraved into the slab of stone.

Aireth shot upwards, she was covered in a cold sweat. She breathed heavily, as she clutched at her chest. It had sharp pains shotting through it at the moment.

"It... was real." Aireth thought bitterly, as she tryed to catch her breath. She removed her hand from her chest, and noticed that there was a small portion of her hand covered in red.

She was bleeding again.

Aireth let out a moan of pain as she fell backwards on to the hard ground. She stared at the morning sky above her, her eyes seemed blank and distant.

"She's awake." a female voice claimned, sounding very releaved as she spoke, "Thank god.... I'm so glad.".

Aireth sat up this time, and looked around to see that Star was staring at her with a large smile on her face. "What... happened." Aireth said weakly as she rubbed her head.

"You don't remember." Star said weakly, sounding slightly concerned, "It's alright... you'll remember later...".

Aireth smiled weakly, "I can only remember standing before you with that knife in my hand, then I passed out.".

"I... I'm afraid, that I did something bad." Aireth muttered weakly as she stared downwards at the ground beneith her.

"It's alright, no one was hurt." Star said with a smile on her face, "You, just startled us, that's all.".

Aireth looked around to see if the other two were somewhere, but she didn't see anyone or anything. "Where are your friends..." Aireth asked weakly.

"They went out to try and find some food." Star said with a smile, as she looked into the distence, "I also asked if they could look for some medicanal herbs while there were out.".

"Why, would you ask them to look for those?" Aireth asked weakly, although she already knew the answer.

"Because, you hurt your hand." Star said as she grabbed Aireth's hurt hand and showed it to her, "It needs to be taken care of, or it might get infected.".

Aireth was silent, she clearly had no idea as to why this Star person kept trying to help her. "So, where are you three heading." Aireth said weakly, completly changing the subject.

Star was silent for a moment, seeming like she was thinking of the answer. "I don't really know myself." Star said with a shrug of her shoulders, "Where ever we end up I guess.".

Aireth looked over in the distence, and saw something she had no noticed earlier, since it was too dark to see it then.

"That, tower in the distance..." Aireth said weakly, seeming slightly shooked to see it, "That's the Tower of Salvation, correct?".

Star nodded, and looked slightly puzzeled. "Yes, that is the Tower of Salvation..." she replied, sounding slightly worried, "Why do you seem so surprised to see it?".

Aireth was silent for a moment, simply staring at the tower in the distance beyond the mountain range. "No reason..." she replied weakly, although it was clear that it wasn't true.

Star was silent as well, she didn't feel it would be right to force a answer out of someone she heardly knew, so she left the girl be.

"Would you... be so kind to..." Aireth muttered weakly, sounding like she was very uneasy with asking her question, "Take me to the Tower of Salvation.".

"What, you want to travel through the mountains to get to the Tower of Salvation." Star exclaimned, sounding as surprised as she looked, "Even if we got there, I've heard that the Choosen can only open the door to the tower.".

Aireth smiled weakly, she looked slightly happy, yet sad at the same time. "I don't know my way around this world." Aireth exclaimned with a smile on her face, "I can always wait for the Choosen to arrive at the tower, if need be.".

Star was silent, she was clearly thinking over what Aireth had just said. "But, what business do you have at the tower?" she asked weakly.

Aireth looked up at the spot in which the tower disappeared into the clouds above, her eyes seemed blank and distant. "I want to go there..." Aireth said weakly, her voice made it seem like her mind was else where, "Because I want to find my father.".

~End of Chapter 2

AN: A bit more on Aireth's past and such. Also the meeting between the band of theives and Aireth. The journey to the Tower of Salvation begins next chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading chapter two.