Wild ARMs: Off on a Tangent
By: Chibi-chan
Part 10: “Homecoming”
*
“The
items necessary to unlock the Giant’s Cradle, where one of the Golems is
rumored to exist, are in the ‘Volcannon Trap’ and ‘Tripillar’. Volcannon Trap is on an island south of Adlehyde,
while Tripillar is somewhere in the ocean southwest of here.” Nicholi said as
he consulted his book.
“Adlehyde…” Cecil murmured.
*
“Yo! Princey! You comin’ or what?” Elmina said, waving a hand in front of her young associate’s face. The young man had taken a look at Nicholi’s house one last time before they left and he hadn’t moved since.
Cecil snapped back into reality. “Huh? Oh, right, right. Let’s go!” he said, quickly shifting into what I like to call “Genki mode” and marching off in the direction of the town’s entrance.
The warrior woman sighed and muttered to Zed, “Why do I always end up working with goofy blonds?”
*
At the town’s entrance, Boomerang, now back in his standard armor, was there to greet the duo. “So, you’re headed for Volcannon Trap, right?”
Cecil turned away and crossed his arms. “What’s it to you, Jamie?”
Boomerang resisted the urge to smack the prince. “I was wondering if I could accompany you two. There’s said to be a room with many treasures in it and I wish to collect them,” he said in a rather detached manner. “Besides, you’re missing one of your associates. I could fill in for her for a bit.” And wait to see if she returns to you, since I have no leads as to where she went yet, he added mentally.
Cecil said nothing. Elmina was thinking about it. Zed, however, was mad that he wasn’t acknowledged by the bounty hunter. “There’s THREE of us, you know!” The Wind Mouse complained loudly.
“Oh, he didn’t mean anything by it, mousie,” Elmina said to calm the critter down. She then addressed the bounty hunter. “Well, I suppose you can tag along… as long as you behave yourself, that is.”
“WHAT?!” Cecil exclaimed, staring at the warrior woman in shock. “You’re gonna let THAT guy come along with us?!”
Elmina looked at Cecil. “Yes, and?”
“But… But… But…!” was all Cecil could stammer out.
Boomerang grinned behind his visor at the boy’s response. “Let us go then,” he said.
“Cool,” Elmina simply stated.
“But… But… But…!” Cecil kept repeated, still standing in place
*
“Grandfather…” a certain young blue haired girl whispered, standing before a simple wooden cross in the ground with a dagger-like pendant hanging from it on a dark hillside. It was presumably the grave of her grandfather, but you probably already guessed that. “What do I do now? Nobody wants me around except those two, and to go back to them puts them both in danger. James, he wants…
He doesn’t know what he wants, and that makes him more dangerous than if he knew. He’s hurting himself as well with his confusion, but he doesn’t realize it.
Cecil hurts himself too, by refusing to truly care about anyone or anything and denying it to himself when he does care. What happened to make him like that…? And Elmina…
Elmina, although the most amused by the concept [of the fake wedding], seemed to be spacing off…
She’s hiding something; I know it. But what, I can’t figure out. And me…
She possesses a forbidden ARM! ARMs have a power not found in regular humans. Who knows? She could be the one who directly CAUSED the earthquake!
I don’t know what to do. Is it my fate to be rejected? Hunted down? All because of what I am and what I can do? I’ve lost my path… Grandfather, what path is really my own?”
The only response she got was in the form of the howling west wind…
*
“The west wind is blowing,” Elmina said casually, “That’s a good sign.”
“Yeah,” Cecil said absently, distracted by other things. The trio stood before the walls of Adlehyde. The sounds of people doing their daily routines could be heard from the other side. Good, it seems they’re rebuilding, he thought. He added sadly to his thoughts, There wouldn’t be as much destruction if I had been successful in giving them the Tear Drop… But what do I care? I don’t know them that well! He paused, then continued, Still, I don’t like seeing others get hurt…
“Hey, Cecil, what’re ya waitin’ for? This is your homecoming, after all!” the warrior woman said cheerfully.
“Yeah,” Cecil said, just as absently as ever.
*
Everyone was staring at Cecil as he passed through the town. Those hired to repair the cobblestones looked up, the roofers looked down, and those who had lost their homes in the attack looked at him from the ground. The prince, who had saved their lives at the expense of their houses and other property, had returned. Does this mean the war with the demons has ended? was the thought all were thinking to themselves.
“Why are they all staring at the senshi wannabe?” Boomerang whispered to Elmina.
“You don’t know?” she whispered back, “He’s the prince of this realm, silly!”
“Prince?!” he said in a loud whisper.
“Yep. I thought you’d know, seeing as it’s the descendants in the Adlehyde line that hear the voices of the Guardians and you knew he was the latter…”
“But a PRINCE?! Guardians protect this kingdom’s future…”
“My sentiments exactly,” Elmina said half-jokingly to the bounty hunter.
*
“Son! Where on Filgaia have you been?!” the king demanded to know as soon as his estranged son entered the throne room.
Cecil shrugged. “Why do you care all of a sudden? You stopped giving a damn about me once mom died,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.
“That is not true and you know it!” the king replied, flabbergasted that his son would say such a thing.
“’Not true’? Then tell me why you shipped be off to take magic classes at the abbey even though I showed absolutely no interest in magic, father,” the prince snidely retorted.
“Dysfunctional family?” Boomerang asked Elmina. She nodded. “Damn, and I don’t have any popcorn to go along with the show.”
“Son, if you don’t like me that much, then why did you return here?” The king asked, not letting his guard down again.
“I thought it’d be nice to be home again before I go off on an urgent mission,” Cecil replied, “Guess I was wrong. It isn’t nice, and this hasn’t been my home since I was a little kid.” Without another word, he left to go to his room.
After an awkward pause, Elmina said, “… so, how are things with Adlehyde, Your Highness?”
*
Cecil slammed the door behind him. “That man… I didn’t see him for ten whole YEARS and he thinks that I still care what he thinks?!” The boy laughed bitterly. “Like he really cared where I was in the first place. Just as long as I make him look good, he doesn’t care. Did he even want a child in the first place, or just someone to succeed him on the throne after he kicks off? That’s all I am to him, just an heir. If he cared, he wouldn’t have sent me away,” he ranted.
*
A little blond boy was crying at a grave marker in one of the few green areas left in town. It was a grand grave marker with little winged angels placed on either side and with the epitaph in fancy letters. Also of note was that the royal crest of Adlehyde was emblazoned above the epitaph in fancy script. “Mommy, why can’t you come back? Daddy wants to send me away now that you’re gone. He says I remind him too much of you and that he can’t bear it. I don’t wanna leave here! I don’t wanna go away! Mommy, make him stop! Make him let me stay here! Mommy…!”
*
Cecil shut that memory out of him mind. What kind of man can say he can’t bear to have his own child around?! I… I hate him. Guardians help me, I hate him. “You hear me, dad? I hate you,” he whispered, smacking a little Deathscythe figure on his table away. “I HATE YOU!!” he screamed, not expecting an answer back nor wanting to hear one in the first place, this time throwing a handily nearby vase against the wall for effect.
*
“I HATE YOU!!” *CRASH!*
Elmina, who had decided it was best to check up on him, was standing outside the door at the time. “On second thought, maybe it’s best I come back later…”
“Sounds good to me,” Zed agreed.
*
Meanwhile, in the throne room, the king was thinking about what just went down. “He still won’t forgive me…” he mused.
The king’s most trusted advisor, Minister Johan, cleared his throat. “With all due respect, Your Highness, I can’t say I blame him,” he said, “After all, you all but abandoned him when he needed you most.”
The king turned to Johan. “When I want your opinion, I’ll tell you it,” he said, annoyed at being put face to face with the truth.
“Yes, sir…” Johan said.
*
Cecil was lying on his bed trying his hardest to not think about anything when he heard a knock at the door. His first instinct was to ask the person at the door “What the hell do you want?” but thinking it might be Elmina, he asked “Who is it?” instead.
“Me,” a familiar, mildly annoying (to Cecil, at least) male voice spoke from the other side of the door.
Cecil recognized the voice and went back to his first instinct, saying, “What the hell do you want?”
“Elmina asked me to talk to you. Said I’d have better odds of not being hurt since I’ve got armor and she doesn’t,” the voice said, “What was she talking about anyway?”
Cecil fought against blushing at the fact someone overheard his little tantrum. “I… it’s not of your concern!” he stammered.
“Well, can I come in or shall I just loiter about at the door?” the voice asked impatiently.
“Fine,” Cecil said wearily, “come on in. Just don’t step on anything.”
The bounty hunter known to many as “Boomerang” and known to a few as “Jamie” entered and shut the door behind him. He then removed his visor and took a good look at Cecil’s mess~ er, room. “Don’t step on anything,” he says… How can I not step on anything?! “Not big on cleaning, are you?” he commented.
Cecil sat up. “It’s not like I’m here long enough to do anything with this room,” he said. “So, how much did ‘Mina have to pay you to talk to me?”
Boomerang shook his head. “Nothing. Something about this just struck a chord…” Cecil looked at him as if he was a pod person rather than the money-grubbing bounty hunter he had come to know and tolerate. “Not everything I do revolves around money, you know,” he said.
Cecil turned his face away from Boomerang. “Well, you wouldn’t understand my problem; your father actually gives a damn about you,” he said.
Boomerang did the same to Cecil. “Maybe so, but my mother’s been missing since I was a child. We’re not sure if she’s dead or alive and just hiding.”
The prince’s eyes widened as he heard that. “Your mother…” he echoed.
“Yes, so don’t go thinking you’re
the only one with family problems. If
only we knew…” the bounty hunter said as evenly as he could, trailing off into
his own thoughts into the end. Why
am I even sharing this with him of all people? He’s one of those going after my aunts and uncles… But if he’s Laine’s friend, then he can’t be
all bad, right?
“Must be horrible, not knowing where she is,” Cecil said softly, “At least I know mom’s not going anywhere… well, she’d better not or I’ll never forgive father for letting it happen.”
Boomerang shrugged. “It looks like you don’t plan on forgiving him anyway, so what would be the difference?” The prince, usually know for his quick wit and sharp tongue, remained silent. “Just remember, if you don’t forgive him, you’ll be like him.” The bounty hunter put the visor back on. “And forgiving isn’t the same as forgetting.” Then he left.
Cecil turned to face him and reached out just as Boomerang shut the door behind him. “Wait, I…” he said, not loud or soon enough for Boomerang to hear. “… I think you have a point there,” he finished with a sigh. Damn, he won’t get close enough to be my friend either… Have I really become as unfeeling as father? Or do I still have a chance?
*
Just as Boomerang turned the corner away from Cecil’s room, a guard from the throne room went to go see the guard in front of Cecil’s room. “New orders from the king! The prince is not allowed out of his room until further notice,” the guard (who for clarity we’ll call Guido) said.
The other guard (not Guido; the one guarding the prince’s room. We shall call Luigi) asked, “Understood, but what is the reason?”
Guido the guard replied, “The king does not wish for his son to put himself in danger by going out on some pointless quest. Now, I have to return to the king. Farewell!” Then, as was expected, he left.
“Pointless quest? But isn’t he trying to protect this world?” Luigi muttered under his breath.
*
Some time later, Elmina and Boomerang were near the door that led out of the throne room on the route to leave the castle entirely. They were waiting for our dear bipolar prince when His Highness, who had to leave for some reason or another, re-entered the room and spoke to them. “My son will not be going with you on your quest, noble warriors.”
Elmina looked surprised. “Eh? But it was his idea in the first place!”
“It was not his plan to stay. It is by my wishes that he stays. I cannot let him die out in the middle of nowhere from some trivial quest,” The king said with royal airs that grated Elmina and Boomerang to no end.
Elmina was the first of the pair to react. “What makes you think he’ll get himself killed?! He’s a capable (albeit a bit manic-depressive) young sorcerer! Not only that, but he’s got us to back him up!” she exclaimed, trying to keep cool but screeching it out a bit anyway.
If looks could kill, Elmina’d be dead from the expression the king gave her. “The heir to the throne of Adlehyde does not need to endanger himself in anyway. Now please, if you don’t leave-“ He was interrupted by one of the guards calling out in one of the halls behind him.
“SIRE! There’s a problem! The prince- *WHAM!* AUGH!”
“What the…?!” the king muttered.
*
A few minutes ago…
“What do mean, ‘I can’t leave’?!” Cecil said to the guard outside his door.
“The king’s orders…” the guard began.
“Screw the king! Lemme out!”
“But…” the guard began again.
“It’s the world that’s at stake and if I don’t go, who knows what’s gonna happen!” Cecil cried.
The guard paused. “Go ahead, Your Highness,” he said, stepping out of the prince’s way, “But not all the guards will allow you to leave. Please don’t…”
Cecil cut him off. “I know. I won’t. Thank you,” he said, smiling a bit before heading off.
“Our hopes are pinned on your success, Prince Cecil. Don’t let us down…”
*
“Halt! You are not allowed to leave-“
“VALKYRIE!!” *BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*
“ACK! Run away! RUN AWAY!”
*
“I will not allow you to pass, even if I have to hurt you to stop you,” the guard Cecil was facing this time said. It was then the guard successively felt a sudden, sharp pain his lower legs, stomach, and his head. Needless to say, he dropped to the floor quite quickly.
Cecil twirled his staff briefly. “I carry this thing for a reason, you know,” he said before moving on.
*
One more guard and I’ll be in the throne room, Cecil thought as he sneaked up on a seemingly unsuspecting guard with his staff poised to wallop the guard over the head. Unfortunately, the stealth method was doomed to failure as the guard turned around and saw the prince.
“SIRE! There’s a problem! The prince-“ the guard called out right before getting hit quite hard. “AUGH!”
The prince stepped over the guard and entered the throne room. “’Mina! James! Let’s GO!” he yelled, running toward the exit. They both nodded at him and Boomerang left right away.
“Well, not to say this hasn’t been a pleasant visit, because it hasn’t, but we need to go. Ta ta!” Elmina said cheerfully to the king and blowing a kiss to him as Cecil caught up and right before the two left the throne room.
“GUAAAAAAAAAAAARDS! STOP THEM!” the king bellowed.
Guido the guard (remember him?) spoke for all of the guards when he said, “Are you CRAZY?! If the prince alone could get past some of our best, what makes you we can when there’s three of them?”
The king paused, then slouched and put a hand over his face in disbelief. “That’s what I get for denying them a raise last year…” he muttered to himself.
*
The trio didn’t stop running until they were safely out of Adlehyde. “Well, that was certainly… unexpected,” Boomerang said.
Cecil, completely out of breath, nodded. “Yeah… *huff* it was… *puff*”
Elmina, a little more tired out than Boomerang but not quite at Cecil’s condition, patted the prince on the back. “I gotta hand it to you, kiddo; that breakout was awesome, not to mention well-timed. Your dad was trying to boot us out of the place without ya!” she said, grinning.
“Had to… *huff* go with… *puff* What would… *huff* you do… *puff* without me?” the prince said, smiling back weakly.
“Not get into as much trouble?” Boomerang suggested. He got a glare in return from Cecil.
“Well, I guess we’ll be headed for Volcannon Trap a few days ahead of schedule now,” Elmina said, “should be fun.”
“To unleash one of the golems…” Boomerang muttered softly, gazing out into the distance.
To protect the world… no, to… to try to protect them, Cecil thought. Guess I’m not as unfeeling as my father… yet, and I won’t be as long as they’re here. Now if only Laine would return…
*
End
Chibi’s notes:
Ah, Cecil’s got issues, don’t he?
Rudy: *Rummaging through Cecil’s stuff* Yeah, including an issue of Gunsmith Cats I’m missing! Waaaaaaaaaiiiiiiii… O_O
Cecil: Hey! Stay out of my mess! >.<
Rudy: Make me, princey.
Cecil: Gladly. VALKYRIE!! *BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*BOOM!*
Rudy: ow… *thud!* X.x
*sigh* Oy vey…