Disclaimer: I do not own Grandia 2.
A familiar stinging sensation crept into Ryudo's shoulder and he shivered slightly as he looked down at the town below him.
'I knew this day would come, I knew I'd have to face them again some time, but…what if they don't want to see me again? What if they're mad at me for walking away last time I saw them…?'
He began walking down the hill, Skye perched on his shoulder. He arrived in the village about ten minutes later. But as he approached he knew something was wrong. There were several beasts running around the town, chasing after the villagers. A child was cornered by one of them. Ryudo ran forward and drew his sword.
"Back off!" he yelled, "Tenseiken Slash!"
The monster emitted a deafening scream and died.
"Where are your parents?" asked Ryudo.
The girl pointed to where two bloody corpses were lying on the ground.
"Shit…" whispered Ryudo and he ran a hand across his head, "Come on I'll take you to the town hall, we'll find someone to help you out there."
He began leading the way towards the town hall, when he saw a large crowd running away from another monster.
"Wait here!" sighed Ryudo, starting to make his way over, when two arrows shot into the side of the monster.
The monster shuddered as another two arrows thudded into its side and it collapsed. As it fell Ryudo caught a glimpse of the person who had fired to arrows as they turned away. It was a tall girl, about one metre sixty and she had long, red, flowing hair. Could it be?
"Millenia?" called out Ryudo, but she was too far away to hear.
Ryudo was about to chase after her, when he felt a small tug at his arm. The girl had spotted the monster and was now clinging to his hand. He gave a small smile.
"We'd better get moving!" said Ryudo, leading her away.
The town hall was crowded with other children and adults, some injured and some helping to cure them. When they entered a woman ran over to them and pulled the girl away.
"Serena! Get away from that Geohound!" she said, "He's dangerous!"
"I'll have you know I just saved that kid's life!" said Ryudo, "But now I wish I hadn't bothered!"
He turned and stormed out.
"Idiots," he muttered as he walked along the street.
"Impact bomb!" came a shout from the next street.
Ryudo knew that voice. He ran along the street and span around the corner just in time to see a girl with blonde hair disappearing into the crowd. At her side she held a familiar looking staff.
"Elena?" shouted Ryudo, trying to catch up, but she was already long gone, "Why does this keep happening to me?"
He shook his head and carried on walking along the street. There was still chaos in the city and he'd have to help out. A monster jumped out at him, he sighed and drew his sword. Failing to find the gang had made him lose his will to fight. He just wanted to find them. He brought the sword down and the beast's head came off. When was he going to speak to them?
Millenia drew her crossbow and fired two arrows into the side of the monster. It fell and then tried to struggle to its feet. She shot it again and it fell still.
"Hmm, pathetic!" she muttered and turned away, walking into the crowd.
As she walked away, pushing through the crowd she was sure she could hear someone calling her. She glanced around, but couldn't see anyone through the dense crowd. She shook her head and continued walking.
The voice she had heard was familiar, but it couldn't have been him. Could it?... no, why would he come back now, after running off all those years ago. She stopped she stopped for a moment, looking down at her feet.
"Ryudo…" she whispered to herself, "When will you come back to me?"
"Ah!" yelled Elena, leaping back as the monster swiped at her with its claws, "That's it!"
She got a fair distant away from the monster and crouched down.
"Impact bomb!" she yelled, throwing the small ball at the monster.
It connected and exploded, killing the monster. Elena picked up her staff, turned away and began making her way through the crowd and went around the corner.
"Elena?" called a familiar voice.
Elena was about to turn when she saw a monster chasing some children down a hidden alley way. She ran after them, just as a tall guy with brown hair and a sword slid around the corner.
Elena slammed her staff down on the monster's head and it fell down to the floor. She flicked her hair out of her eyes and began walking away. She walked back up the road to see if she could see the person who had been calling out to her, but they were gone.
"That voice…" she trailed of and shook her head, "Too much to hope for!"
Ryudo walked into the doctor's surgery, supporting an injured man over his shoulder. He turned sideways, to get him in through the door and a nurse pushed past him carrying two metal fighting disks. He put the man down and the doctor came running out.
"Where did that nurse get to?" he asked.
"I think she just left carrying…two fighting disks…" he trailed off, just remembering something.
Didn't Tio become a nurse?
"Hey mister!" called Ryudo, "Was the nurse a…What was her name?"
"The nurse?" asked the doctor, "Her name's Tio!"
"Tio!" gasped Ryudo, running out of the surgery.
"If you find her send her back here!" called the doctor.
Ryudo looked from left to right and saw the nurse just in the distance. Ryudo started running after her, pushing through the frightened crowds. He wasn't really looking where he was going and ran straight into someone. A boy with blond hair. Ryudo fell back, and then got up again as fast as he could and continued pushing through the crowd, not looking at the person he had just knocked down.
Tio looked out of the window of the surgery. She couldn't bear standing around in the surgery while others were suffering. She walked over to a corner of the room and ran her hand across a wooden chest. She pulled it open and took out her fighting disks. Blowing the dust from them, she stood up and turned away. She pulled open the door and pushed past someone supporting an injured man on one shoulder.
There were crowds everywhere and she had to push to get past them. She forced her way through the crowd. The chaos in the city pained her and she couldn't help but think of the pain she had felt when her friend Mareg had died. He had taught her so much and she felt the pain she had felt then, every time she saw someone die.
She continued walking, then she spotted a group of people trapped by a monster.
"I request that you leave them alone!" called Tio.
The monster turned and headed straight for her.
"Lotus flower! Bloom!" she called and span the disks in the familiar pattern she hadn't done in a long time.
The monster fell to the floor and Tio caught her disks. She turned to the people.
"You are safe now. Leave!" said Tio.
The people began moving away. Tio wouldn't have been so harsh if another two monsters weren't running down the hill towards her.
Roan was making his way to the surgery through the jostling crowds attempting to run from the monsters attacking the city. He wanted to check that Tio was safe. She was one of his best friends.
The surgery was in sight now. He continued trying to push through the crowds, but then someone collided with him. He fell to the ground. The guy who had knocked him down scrabbled to his feet and continued trying to force his was through the people.
"He might have apologised!" grumbled Roan indignantly, brushing himself down and continuing to head for the surgery.
He opened the door to see an injured man being bandaged by the doctor.
"Doctor! Where is Tio?" asked Roan.
"Your highness? Tio…oh yes, she ran out not ten minutes ago with a pair of fighting disks. I suppose she wanted to help fight the monsters…" the doctor trailed off and continued bandaging the injured man.
Roan turned to leave, but then the injured man spoke.
"Someone else went after her as well!" he said hoarsely, "A young man, early twenties, brown hair, carrying a great sword on his back."
"A sword?" asked Roan.
"Yes, but I wouldn't go after him if I were you. He looked like one of those 'Geohounds'," said the doctor, "They're a dangerous lot! I don't know how young Tio got mixed up with him but I sure hope he doesn't catch up to her, for her own safety!"
Roan turned and walked out of the door, then looked back through.
"Did you see which way he went?" he asked.
The doctor pointed up the road and Roan ran off in that direction.
"Why does the prince want to find a Geohound?" asked the injured man.
"Beats me," said the doctor, "Hold still!"
Roan hurried up the street. What if it was Ryudo? What if he had come back? Had it been him who Roan had ran into? Or was it just coincidence that a Geohound who knew Tio turned up.
"How many Geohounds would Tio know?" muttered Roan.