Tales of the Abyss - Five Nights Alone - Sync/Arietta
Title: Five Nights Alone (Part One)
Auhtor: sodapop_mermaid
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Claim: Sync/Arietta
Rating: PG or K+
Prompt: The Rumble of Thunder of An Approaching Storm
Warnings: Major spoilers for the game and some blood.
Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss is Bandai-Namco's, not mine.
Notes: Arietta is brought back from the brink of death by the most unlikely person who has a most prospective offer to make.
A thick, hazy mist hung around the little God General's head as she sat up. Her body was no longer racked with the sting of Anise's fonic artes or Luke's blade. However, she could still hear the shrieks of her siblings as they were killed off one by one.
She shuddered and wobbled to her feet. The impenetrable darkness that surrounded her echoed with thousands of hushed voices. She could make out a few familiar sounds but it was quite jumbled. She hesitantly made her way through the blackness, pressing on towards some unknown force. It drew her ever nearer.
Suddenly, the smoke vanished and an ornate, red door panned into view. It was such a peculiar sight in a dismal place like this. Gilded hinges clasped onto an invisible wall, separating Arietta from the rest of the world. She stopped in front of the threshold and bit her upper lip, trying to sort out all of the confusion.
The question was: Did she want to go back?
She knew all too well what awaited her. Ion was dead and the God Generals would undoubtedly abandon her. Her family was destroyed for naught but one and Anise was still alive.
Dropping to her knees, Arietta collapsed into a fit of tears. Her hands tightened around her head as her fingers clawed at her scalp for some comfort. Part of her didn't want to live in a world without Ion and the other no longer cared; vengeance was all it desired.
Would she really just give up and move on? Could she deny her family, beloved Fon Master, and friends the prospect of revenge?
Rising to her feet once more, Arietta gripped the door's handle and swallowed hard before cracking it open. A blinding shaft of light cut through the abysmal darkness and beckoned her further. She heeded its strange call and immersed herself beyond the door.
"Wake up already." A sharp voice sounded overhead as Arietta's eyes slowly opened. The spritely songs of birds nested in a tree nearby tickled her ears and sunlight played upon her bloody clothing. She turned her head upwards and almost lost her breath at the sight of the boy standing over her.
"I-Ion?" She gasped and struggled to reach out to him, tears welling up within her eyes. Wrapping her little arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, she shouted, "You came back for me!"
The boy's shoulders slumped as he sighed and pulled Arietta away from his body momentarily. He watched the wild girl study him intently, poking at his flesh and smiling like a dazed child. After a thorough inspection, her happiness melted into confusion as the boy replied, "I'm not your precious Ion."
"But you..." Arietta's voice trailed off into nothing.
"Does the name Sync ring any bells?" He asked grimly, turning his back to her.
Arietta's head drooped and she sniffled. It was too good to have been true. Ion was still dead. But, that didn't explain why Sync looked exactly like him. Her thoughts froze in horrible realization as she lifted her eyes to glance up at the Tempest once more.
"Are you -?”
"Replica? Yeah." Sync cut her off abruptly.
An unbearable silence crept into their midst, giving Arietta the chance to assess the situation. It appeared as if she were still inside of the Cheagle Woods, the place where her final battle against Anise was staged. It was chilling to be in the very spot where her mother and siblings had been slain.
"I didn't bring you back to stare at the scenery and feel sorry for yourself." Sync said suddenly, whirling around and grabbing her arm. He pulled her forward, into his cloaked body, and whispered, "I saved your life. You're my pet now, got it?"
"You're a fake." Arietta hissed.
Sync laughed at her bold reaction and released her. His grin widened as he offered her a different perspective. "I brought you back for a reason. You want to kill Anise, don't you?"
Arietta clasped her hands behind her back and chirped, "What about the Commandant?"
"The God Generals are dead." Sync retorted, pulling something out of his cloak and tossing it onto the ground near her feet. It was her weapon and prized possession, the doll. He growled with delight, "You'll need that."
Arietta stooped down and collected the bits of cotton into her arms. She couldn't ignore the opportunity; Anise and her imbecilic counterparts would have to face the consequences of their sins against her. There would be no forgiveness, no mercy. They would come to know the meaning of misery.
"They're in Belkend now." The Storm Seeker spoke quietly and stretched his hand towards Arietta. He grasped her trembling fingers and tugged her along the forest path. Neither spoke another word until they cleared the wretched forest. Facing the ruins of Engeve, the odd pair continued on.
"How are we going to kill them, though?" Arietta queried as they entered the remnants of the village. She wrinkled her nose at the horrid stench that hovered just above the rubble. Bodies littered the broken walkways and smoke seethed around the charred houses; such a nightmarish scene, she thought.
"Over there."
Sync shoved her in the direction of the crumbling storehouse and urged her to go in. Spoiled food and overturned crates barred the way as Arietta wriggled through the debris. Tears stung her eyes as she beheld Sync's other good deed.
Her oldest sibling lay on the floor of the storehouse, tethered to an iron pole and breathing heavily. She threw herself onto his furry pelt gratefully and nuzzled his mane until he awoke.
Sync stood beside the fallen doorway with a wicked scowl overshadowing his face. His knowledge of Luke's fragile condition came at high price and he wouldn't waste any time.
"Call your friends, Arietta." He said gravely and leaned against the door frame. "We're storming Belkend."
Auhtor: sodapop_mermaid
Fandom: Tales of the Abyss
Claim: Sync/Arietta
Rating: PG or K+
Prompt: The Rumble of Thunder of An Approaching Storm
Warnings: Major spoilers for the game and some blood.
Disclaimer: Tales of the Abyss is Bandai-Namco's, not mine.
Notes: Arietta is brought back from the brink of death by the most unlikely person who has a most prospective offer to make.
A thick, hazy mist hung around the little God General's head as she sat up. Her body was no longer racked with the sting of Anise's fonic artes or Luke's blade. However, she could still hear the shrieks of her siblings as they were killed off one by one.
She shuddered and wobbled to her feet. The impenetrable darkness that surrounded her echoed with thousands of hushed voices. She could make out a few familiar sounds but it was quite jumbled. She hesitantly made her way through the blackness, pressing on towards some unknown force. It drew her ever nearer.
Suddenly, the smoke vanished and an ornate, red door panned into view. It was such a peculiar sight in a dismal place like this. Gilded hinges clasped onto an invisible wall, separating Arietta from the rest of the world. She stopped in front of the threshold and bit her upper lip, trying to sort out all of the confusion.
The question was: Did she want to go back?
She knew all too well what awaited her. Ion was dead and the God Generals would undoubtedly abandon her. Her family was destroyed for naught but one and Anise was still alive.
Dropping to her knees, Arietta collapsed into a fit of tears. Her hands tightened around her head as her fingers clawed at her scalp for some comfort. Part of her didn't want to live in a world without Ion and the other no longer cared; vengeance was all it desired.
Would she really just give up and move on? Could she deny her family, beloved Fon Master, and friends the prospect of revenge?
Rising to her feet once more, Arietta gripped the door's handle and swallowed hard before cracking it open. A blinding shaft of light cut through the abysmal darkness and beckoned her further. She heeded its strange call and immersed herself beyond the door.
"Wake up already." A sharp voice sounded overhead as Arietta's eyes slowly opened. The spritely songs of birds nested in a tree nearby tickled her ears and sunlight played upon her bloody clothing. She turned her head upwards and almost lost her breath at the sight of the boy standing over her.
"I-Ion?" She gasped and struggled to reach out to him, tears welling up within her eyes. Wrapping her little arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, she shouted, "You came back for me!"
The boy's shoulders slumped as he sighed and pulled Arietta away from his body momentarily. He watched the wild girl study him intently, poking at his flesh and smiling like a dazed child. After a thorough inspection, her happiness melted into confusion as the boy replied, "I'm not your precious Ion."
"But you..." Arietta's voice trailed off into nothing.
"Does the name Sync ring any bells?" He asked grimly, turning his back to her.
Arietta's head drooped and she sniffled. It was too good to have been true. Ion was still dead. But, that didn't explain why Sync looked exactly like him. Her thoughts froze in horrible realization as she lifted her eyes to glance up at the Tempest once more.
"Are you -?”
"Replica? Yeah." Sync cut her off abruptly.
An unbearable silence crept into their midst, giving Arietta the chance to assess the situation. It appeared as if she were still inside of the Cheagle Woods, the place where her final battle against Anise was staged. It was chilling to be in the very spot where her mother and siblings had been slain.
"I didn't bring you back to stare at the scenery and feel sorry for yourself." Sync said suddenly, whirling around and grabbing her arm. He pulled her forward, into his cloaked body, and whispered, "I saved your life. You're my pet now, got it?"
"You're a fake." Arietta hissed.
Sync laughed at her bold reaction and released her. His grin widened as he offered her a different perspective. "I brought you back for a reason. You want to kill Anise, don't you?"
Arietta clasped her hands behind her back and chirped, "What about the Commandant?"
"The God Generals are dead." Sync retorted, pulling something out of his cloak and tossing it onto the ground near her feet. It was her weapon and prized possession, the doll. He growled with delight, "You'll need that."
Arietta stooped down and collected the bits of cotton into her arms. She couldn't ignore the opportunity; Anise and her imbecilic counterparts would have to face the consequences of their sins against her. There would be no forgiveness, no mercy. They would come to know the meaning of misery.
"They're in Belkend now." The Storm Seeker spoke quietly and stretched his hand towards Arietta. He grasped her trembling fingers and tugged her along the forest path. Neither spoke another word until they cleared the wretched forest. Facing the ruins of Engeve, the odd pair continued on.
"How are we going to kill them, though?" Arietta queried as they entered the remnants of the village. She wrinkled her nose at the horrid stench that hovered just above the rubble. Bodies littered the broken walkways and smoke seethed around the charred houses; such a nightmarish scene, she thought.
"Over there."
Sync shoved her in the direction of the crumbling storehouse and urged her to go in. Spoiled food and overturned crates barred the way as Arietta wriggled through the debris. Tears stung her eyes as she beheld Sync's other good deed.
Her oldest sibling lay on the floor of the storehouse, tethered to an iron pole and breathing heavily. She threw herself onto his furry pelt gratefully and nuzzled his mane until he awoke.
Sync stood beside the fallen doorway with a wicked scowl overshadowing his face. His knowledge of Luke's fragile condition came at high price and he wouldn't waste any time.
"Call your friends, Arietta." He said gravely and leaned against the door frame. "We're storming Belkend."