Fire and Flowers
By Dragon Girl
Note: Okay, this fic has a couple spoilers, but they’re very light. "Going away to College" lyrics belong to Blink 182 and not me. Wild Arms 2 doesn't belong to me either.
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Beautiful small wildflowers swayed slightly in the gentle breeze. Pretty white, pink, purple, and reds clustered together made a dazzling collage. A boy with blonde hair and a red bow stood standing and gazing out into the distance. He was about twelve. Then, he looked up into the sky. A two weeks ago the sky was a dark blue that waved around. But it was gone now. All threats to Filgaia were gone…for now at least. He sighed.
"Tim," a tiny voice called. A little blue mouse-like figure popped out of his bag. He began to hover around his head. "Maybe you’ve collected enough flowers now you know. I’m getting tired of that smell."
Tim Rhymeless chuckled. "Sorry Pooka." He smiled at his little companion. "There for Collette you know."
"Head over heels, Huh?" the small creature asked.
Tim shrugged. They began to head back to Baskar Village.
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Collette smiled as she straightened up her small home. A cot mattress lay on the floor at the wall that was near a window. Blankets were thrown to the side as if someone had just rolled of the bed. She picked up the blankets and folded them then she neatly placed them on the mattress. The door of her house swung open. She saw the smiling face of Tim.
"Hi," He said. "I’m back!"
She smiled. After Filgaia had returned to normal he had been in a cheery mood. He set his brown leather bag on a small table. He always had something in there. From his mediums too useful healing items. He opened the back to reveal a dozen wildflowers. Collette stared at them.
"Their beautiful!" she exclaimed. He knew she loved flowers.
"I picked them for you. The ‘smell’ almost killed Pooka."
"It did not!" Pooka said as he popped out of one of Tim’s pockets.
Collette giggled. "Thank you so much!" She walked over to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
Tim immediately turned bright a bright red and smiled at her. Collette looked into the leather bag. She noticed that there was only one white flower inside and she picked it up. It was a snowy pure white. The petals seemed so delicate. Collette smiled at the one white flower.
*****The Next Day*****
Ashley Winchester and his soon to be wife Marina walked though the forests that lead to the hidden Baskar Village.
"Do you think Tim will be surprised?" Marina asked.
"Not really. Lilka and Brad weren’t. There both really excited, it’s like they knew." Ashley smiled. "Everyone has been so cheerful since we destroyed Kuiper Belt."
"Two or three weeks ago." Marina replied. "Look. There’s Collette’s home"
Marina and Ashley stepped up to the door and knocked. The door opened slowly. And there was Tim’s surprised face.
"Ashley?!"
Collette looked up from a book she was reading to see the two. She stood up. "Hello Ashley and Marina!"
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A man in his early thirties sat in a high tree fingering a gun in a holster. He watched the town though small glasses. He pulled back the fold of his shirt to reveal a bullet scar around the heart area. He watched as the "Pillar" Boy and the Gun Warrior had left a small house and leave the town. The "Pillar" kid had defeated him along time ago with his mediums to save the Village Elder that wanted him sacrificed.
A woman with a patch over her eye had tried to defeat him, but she was too weak from a previous battle to finish him off. Then all of ARMS had defeated him. That’s when he tried to…They thought he was dead. He’d strike them all down. The Pillar was first though. He jumped down from the tree as soon as the two where out of sight.
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Ashley slashed his Bayonet at a monster that had attacked him. The monster hit the ground with a thud. A bluish ray of light had emerged from the top of Tim’s staff. His Cosmic Ray lore was fired at a near monster also. The monster had fallen back into nearby bushes.
"Monsters still populate the area around here huh?" Ashley asked turning to the younger boy.
"Yeah, that and I’m the only one who comes out of Baskar to fight them." He answered lowering his staff, which was as tall as he was.
"You know," Ashley stopped and smiled. "The reason why me and Marina came out here to tell you the good news."
"Good news?"
"We’re getting married in a few months. You better be coming!"
"Really?! Congratulations! Does anyone else know yet?!" he said as he grinned.
Ashley chuckled. "Brad and Lilka know. We stopped there for a few days. Kannon and Marivel are left to tell yet." He looked up. Something was strange. "Do you smell…smoke?"
Tim looked at him confused. "Smoke? No."
They were silent for a few moments. Then a girl’s scream shot though the air like a bullet that was just fired from its gun. "Ashley! ASHLEY!!"
He immediately recognized the voice. "Marina?!"
She ran over to him weakly. Her dress was tattered and torn and her red hair was a mess. Upon standing in front of her fiancée she collapsed in his arms. She looked up at him. Eyes full of horror and concern. "The town…" she whispered.
"Marina, what’s wrong?" he shook her gently.
"In flames…"
"Flames?!" Tim shouted. "What? What are you talking about?!" then he smelt the smoke in the air and whispered "Collette…"
Before Ashley knew it Tim had began to run towards the town.
Tim ran though the forest in hopes Baskar wasn’t burning to the ground. And hoping Collette wasn’t…He couldn’t think of that! He knew she would survive somehow! The acrid smell of smoke filled his lungs as he got within twenty feet of the small village.
Then he stopped at the village’s entrance to see the town engulfed in reddish-orange flames. He stood there in total shock and disbelief. Tim shrank to his knees. All thoughts became a blur. He had only lived here for a few weeks at the most. Why does this have to happen?! All of this pressure…I’m only twelve. . . . . . .
"Tim! Hey are you…" Ashley shouted as he stopped by Tim. He held an unconscious Marina in his arms. Ashley stared at the burning town in horror.
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"What? Burning? Why? Are the villagers safe now?" Lilka Eleniak hurled questions at Ashley.
"Who would do something like that?" Brad Evans asked looking around at the former ARMS group consisting of himself, Ashley, Lilka, Kanon, and Tim. They where all discussing this urgent matter in the Valeria Chateau meeting room that Irving used to tell them their missions.
Tim sat in one of the chairs gazing blankly at the reddish carpet. "Well," he muttered. "At least the villagers are okay…"
At Baskar, Ashley had taken immediate action and helped the villagers escape. All of the people had excavated…except Collette was no where in sight.
"Hmmm, monsters are still in high numbers." Kanon said looking at the four.
"Hey! Ashley!" a girl shouted from outside of the meeting room. A red headed girl emerged from the doorway holding a white envelope she waved it in the air. "I found it outside on the Chateau’s steps. It’s addressed to Tim."
Tim looked up. His eyes where glassy and a bit blood shot. She handed him the envelope. "Thanks, Amy." He said quietly. Amy nodded and left the room as Tim opened the envelope. He took the letter out and began to read it. Cerulean eyes widened. In a fit of rage he stood up and crumpled letter. Then he threw it on the ground and stormed out of the room.
Lilka picked up the letter and opened up the crumpled letter reading it out loud. "Wondering who torched you’re town? Come to an island south of the Valeria Chateau. Oh yeah, I have you’re girlfriend. You’d better come or else she’s dead, Pillar."
All four ARMS members looked at the letter in shock. It was a harsh letter.
"Who could it be from?" Kanon asked looking around the room.
"Someone who doesn’t like Tim." Lilka replied.
"Well, that too," Brad said. "I guess we just go and find out."
"It’s too late to go now. We’ll leave first thing tomorrow. One of us will tell Tim." Ashley said dismissing the meeting.
Later that night. . . . .
The moon poked its head into the sky. Small stars twinkled in the sky. Tim stared out the window. He sighed as he violently closed the shade on the window. Pooka had tried to cheer him up. Then the small sub-spirit had given up about fifteen minutes ago. Then, a plan formed in Tim’s head.
"Pooka," he said standing up. "We’re leaving to save Collette tonight. I can’t stand for this."
"What about you’re friends!?" Pooka said, a bit shocked with Tim’s sudden answer. "They said that they’d back you up no matter what and you’re leaving?"
He hesitated as he grabbed his leather bag at the side of his bed. "I don’t care. I’m confident in my power, so I guess I’ll be fine. Right Pooka?" He looked at the sub-spirit with pleading cerulean eyes.
"I’m behind you all the way, Tim. Guess I can’t stop you."
Tim chuckled. "I was going to go anyway." He tossed in a couple mega berries, war respites, and made sure all of the mediums where there. He grabbed his staff as he threw the bag over his shoulder. "Now, that hard part. . . how do I drive the hovercraft?"
He slipped out of the Chateau unnoticed. Soon he stood at the shore closest to the Chateau. The Hovercraft was even noticed in the dark due to the bright yellow color. If he wanted to save Collette he’d have to figure out how to DRIVE it.
"What are ya gonna do Tim? Drive it?" Pooka joked. "You where kidding back at the Chateau right?"
"No." he replied opening the driver’s hatch. He sat in the leather seat. A black steering wheel was positioned in front of him.. "How do I drive this?" Pooka sat on his shoulder. "Any ideas?" He looked at Pooka.
Tim accidentally stepped on the pedal. The hovercraft shot forward. He released the pedal. The hovercraft slowly stopped. Where the hovercraft stopped an island was close by. A dilapidated building was off in the distance on that small island.
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Lilka knocked on Tim’s door. He was being so quiet. She thought that she would see if he wanted anything. "Tim? Do you want anything? Are you okay?" No answer. She twisted the doorknob. The door was open. She peered in to see the lights on…but he wasn’t in the room. His leather bag and staff where gone. He didn’t…no I don’t think… "Wait, maybe he DID leave!"
She walked out of the room and began to run down the hallways. She found Ashley and Brad in the meeting room talking about something-ruther. She walked into the room with a surprised look in her green eyes. "You’ll never guess what happened," she said interrupting the two.
Brad looked up. "What’s wrong?"
"Tim left. He’s gone. Not in his room. And I doubt he’s in the Chateau."
A surprised look came over both of the two faces. "How?" Ashley started. "You have to get there with either Lombardia or the hovercraft!"
"Ashley! The hovercraft! It’s gone!" Kanon shouted from outside of the meeting room. She came inside. "It’s gone. We don’t know who took it."
"Tim." The three said simultaneously.
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Tim looked at the hovercraft. Somehow he had successfully made it to the island in the letter. So he chipped the yellow paint on the hovercraft? Ashley and Brad were going to repaint that ugly yellow color to blue anyway.
"Well," Pooka said in a shocked tone. "You did drive it. Gotta hand it to you Tim."
Tim looked out into the distance. That building is where Collette is. . ."C’mon Pooka. Let’s go save Collette." He began to walk towards the structure.
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"I can’t believe he left by himself!" Lilka sighed. "And took the hovercraft."
"He might get himself killed." Brad said.
"There’s only one thing to do now. Go after him." Kanon said. "Remember, that letter mentioned of an island south of the Chateau."
"Everyone, to Lombardia!" Ashley commanded.
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He hid behind a pillar and peered down the corridor. Pillars lined the sides of stairs that lead down. Cautiously, he began to head down the stairs. They lead right to a gray door with a funny looking circle symbol on it. He pushed on the door. Nothing happened. He pushed on it again.
"Pooka, did you see any switches by any chance?" Tim asked searching the door for anything that would get him into the next room.
"Nope. Sorry." Pooka replied.
Tim sighed. He brought out his staff and slammed it on the circle symbol. Nothing happened. He hit the door again with even more force. This time, however, a hole opened up under him and swallowed him up. He fell to the ground below face first and with impact came a *Thud*. His staff made a chime as it landed next to him. The room was pitch black.
"Oww…" he said looking up.
"You okay?" Pooka said hovering around his head a bit shocked that a hole appeared.
"Yeah, I’ve had falls way worse than this." He picked up his staff as he got up. "Wonder what’s-" Tim stopped and looked around.
"What’s wrong?" Pooka began to look around also. "What did you hear?"
Tim opened his bag and began to search though it. He pulled out a gold plated medium. "I heard a faint breath."
The breathing became louder. Tim tightened his grip around the staff. "Who’s there?!"
"I thought you wouldn’t figure out who it was." A familiar deep voice echoed.
"Do you remember who this is?"
…That voice…Oh a wait a second! It’s… "…Judecca…"
Lights flashed on. There, stood Judecca. He looked almost the same as before. The room looked like a dead end inside a mineshaft. In a corner on the left side Judecca, sat a girl her head was down and she was shivering. Her blonde hair, which was always in two braids, was a mess; her greenish dress was tattered and torn around the bottom. Her arms where bound behind her back.
Tim looked at the figure aghast as he recognized her in a heartbeat. "Collette!!" He shouted and fixed a vicious gaze on Judecca.
Weakly, she raised her head and blinked her sky blue eyes. They where full despair. When she saw Tim they filled with hope. "Tim?" she said barely above a whisper.
He still heard her though. That whisper was full of everlasting hope. "Let her go! What do you want and how did you survive! You shot yourself!"
Judecca pulled back a fold of his bluish shirt. Near his heart was a bullet shaped scar. He stared at the younger boy coldly. "For Odessa…" he said in that cold tone. He fingered his gun. "I plan on avenging them by killing ARMS…" With extreme skill and quickness he pulled the gun out of the holster and aimed it at the Pillar. "Starting with you!"
He shot. Tim jumped out of the bullet’s way. Oh god! That almost hit… He lost his balance and fell to the floor. Judecca stood looking down at him. He shot at Tim’s left shoulder. It grazed his shoulder and he winced with pain.
"I thought you’d be more of a challenge kid." He said twirling his gun. He turned around and looked at a horrified Collette. "Enjoy you’re last look at the boy."
Taking this as a minor distraction Tim jumped up and raised his staff at the same time. Light wrapped around his body. "Hi-Combo!!!!"
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"This is where Tim is right?" Ashley said looking around inside the building. He tightened his grip around the bayonet.
Pillars lined the stair that led down to a strange door with a funny symbol on it. In front of the door was a hole. A blinding light was emitted from the hole. Gun shots echoed from inside the hole. A dragon’s roar was heard. Then the light died. Silence…then there was silence… The four looked at the hole with horrified expressions.
"What was that!?" Lilka said as she held her battle parasol. "You don’t think Tim is down their do you?"
"We’ll check." Kanon replied. She spun her dagger around.
A deafening thud was heard. Some was either dead or dying. Ashley ran and jumped down the whole first. Brad, Kanon, and Lilka followed the suite.
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Judecca fell to his knees. Tim leaned against his staff weakly as the light around him slowly disappeared. He tried to keep himself up. It was late at night and he was tired at fact. Collette watched as her in suspense captor slowly arose. Tim readied a defense position. Judecca stood. Tim looked at him in a dumbfounded manner. I used a Golden Medium! How can he still be able to rise!? I'm about to drop...
Judecca stood for less than a second when his eyes fluttered shut as he fell. It made a sickening thud as he hit the ground. Tim sighed with relief. He walked passed Judecca and knelt down near Collette. He untied the ropes and dropped them to the floor. Almost immediately she fell into his arms and began to cry.
"Tim! I knew you’d come for me! It was horrible! He torched Baskar and…" she blurted out.
He held her tightly and sighed as he smoothed her hair out. "Its okay now…Everything’s fine…" his voice was tired and worn out.
She pulled away from him and reached into a pocket and brought out a small pure white flower. He immediately recognized the small white flower. It was the one her picked for her a few days ago. "You had it all this time?" She nodded.
Four thuds echoed inside the room. They looked to the source of the sounds. Ashley, Brad, Lilka, and Kanon.
"Hey Tim!" Lilka said. Then she averted her gaze from Tim to the fallen Judecca.
"Guess we’re a little late, eh, Tim?" Brad said putting his heavy ARM down.
He nodded and smiled.
Kanon looked at Judecca. "So it was him! I thought he shot himself."
Tim stood up. He extended his hand to help Collette up. "I know how to drive the hovercraft." He whispered. She giggled.
"You think that they would let you drive it back?" she whispered back.
"No…I kinda stole it."
They both giggled.
*****A couple months later*****
The moon shined brightly in the sky. Tim and Collette looked up and the stars. They where near the Chateau’s shore. Ashley and Brad had painted the Hovercraft a dark blue color and forbid Tim not to drive it again.
"It was such a beautiful wedding." Collette said smiling at Tim.
"It was," Tim replied smiling back. "Ashley and Marina are going to be so happy. The Chateau was beautiful, too. I also heard Marina’s pregnant."
He looked over at the shore. The blue Hovercraft glistened in the light of the moon. She looked at it also. "Wanna go for a rid?" Tim asked mischievously.
Collette laughed. "I thought Ashley forbade you never to drive it."
Tim grinned. "He said ‘Screw up the paint job and your dead, Rhymeless!’ And he was joking."
He jumped up and took her hand. They climbed in. The Hovercraft began to ride off. On the way it hit the side of the mountain and the blue paint chipped off. The Hovercraft went back to the Chateau shore. Tim and Collette immediately got out. Tim reached in his leather bag and pulled out a flashlight. There were black scrape marks and a dent where the Hovercraft hit the rock.
"That’s not good…"
They both looked at the black marks.
"I’ll say I did it." Collette replied.
Well maybe it’s the right time to tell her. Can’t wait forever…"Collette…" Tim said. He looked at her. "I…uh, wanted to tell you this for a while now…"
"What is it Tim?" She asked looking at him with a smile.
"When I couldn’t find you anywhere in Baskar Village when it burned, it really got me thinking and it showed me how much I cared about you and…I love you…" he blurted out suddenly and turned red.
She looked at him and giggled. He really did care. He was so cute when he looked embarrassed. "You never had to tell me. I love you, too."
They both smiled at each other. Pooka sighed from within one of Tim’s many pockets. "Who would know one small white flower and fire would bring them together? Tim is head over heel in love with her…head over heels!"
.
"I haven’t been this scared in a long time.
And I’m so unprepared so here’s your valentine.
Bouquet of clumsy words a simple melody.
This world’s an ugly place but you’re so beautiful to me…"
-----Blink 182 "Going Away to College"