By the Lake

Marta sighed as she dipped her feet in the lake. The wind blew softly, rustling even the slightest leaf within the area as she smiled, watching the fish swim in the crystal-like clear water below her. Pulling a few stray stands of hair from her face, she lifted her eyes to the sky, pondering thing.

She smiled back at her childhood friend as she sighed, another breeze carrying across the area. She picked up a rock and tossed it into the lake, studying the ripples as they retreated from the rock splash. "I was remeniscing about life in general.... its funny... when we met a long time ago... it was a nice day like this in the village," she replied.

[Oh yeah, Zelos entrance! lol]

"Hello my darlings!" a male with a blazing mane of hair emerged from the bushes as he expected running into his friends; instead he confronted two people which he never seen before. "Oh, I thought you two were," His cobalt eyes averted towards the young girl and he couldn't his nature as he started to flirt. "Well, hello, and who did we have here?" Zelos replied as he bowed politely towards Marta and glanced over to the male. "Beat it twerp," he spoke with arrogance in his tone.

She stood up, arching an eye brow at the flirtatious male as she walked over to Emil, wrapping her arms around Emil's arm. She looked at him with the you-have-got-to-be-kidding look as she smiled politely as she could and said, "Hello.... and it would befit you not to talk to my guardian like that."

He quirked a red eyebrow as he pointed towards Emil. "This little brat, you've got to be kidding me. You would be much safer with I, the great Zelos," Zelos voice chimed with confidence as a cool hand drew back his fiery mane of hand, his fingers uncurling the strands. His sapphire eyes averted towards the oasis nearby and he placed his hand on the belt that secured his white trousers. His pink vest carelessly being tossed along the wind as he tilted his head to the side. "Seriously kid, you really don't make a decent guardian," he chuckled lightheartedly, feeling ever so confident.

Marta laughed dryly at his overconfidence, not caring of what others thought of her guardian. She released Emil and stood infront of him proudly. "I chose him. I find he has a lot better qualities than an over arrogant self confident imbilice like you. And the name is Marta, not kid. Get it straight," she warned, her azure eyes looking defiant and proud of her companion.

"Well well, settle down my cute little tulip," He cleared his throat as he arched a red eyebrow towards Marta from the word kid. Zelos motioned his hand towards his face and placed his fingers over his lips as he chuckled tenderly. "I was referring to your guardian my little tulip not you," He clarified as his cobalt eyes averted towards Emil. "Okay, how about this, I test your guardian's strength on whether he's worthy or not," Zelos replied with confidence as he placed a hand on the pearl surface of his sheath. "Ready to fight young one?" He questioned as a crooked smile lifted his thin lips.

Marta only sighed. She hated when people picked on her Emil as she shook her head, his arrogance making her more and more irritated. Sighing deeply, she stepped aside, looking between Emil and Zelos, waiting for his reponce.

"So the twerp has a demonic side," Zelos replied without intimidation as he noticed a slight resemblance between Emil and Lloyd when enraged. "You kinda remind me of Lloyd, oh well," he shrugged his broad shoulders as he acrobatically leaped backwards and propelled his pearl sword. "Double Demon Fang!" he exclaimed as he created two consecutive shockwaves that accelerated at a high velocity towards Emil. A crooked smile lifted his thin lips and his eyes glittered like ice.

"Grave!" four spillars emerged from the earth as a defensive way to protect him from the aerial assault from Emil. His fiery mane of hair flew behind him like an elegant cape in the current of the wind as his sapphire eyes raged with storm clouds. "Thunder blade!" suddenly a massive sword composed of electricity plummeted from the sky above Emil as he chuckled confidently. "Don't make this to easy," his voice chimed with rhythm as he motioned his hand in front of his body and held his dagger behind him.

Zelos motioned his arms over his chest and crossed his arms above his head. "Guardian!" a protective barrier of mana surrounded his entire body, deflecting the blades and gritted his teeth under his thin lips. Dammit, my mana is being depleted. His cobalt eyes half-lidded as he knelt down on his right knee and couldn't find an opening so far.

Using the remain of his mana, he motioned his left hand as the current of the wind picked up drastically. "Air thrust!" Zelos exclaimed as he was carried along the wind current after his guardian shield shattered. He managed evade the airborne attack and landed on the other side of the lake. "Hey, pretty sharp brat," he continued to have a crooked grin on his thin lips and drew back his blazing mane of hair. He revealed a lemon gel as he consumed the substance, restoring his mana by 100 percent. Zelos elegantly leaped into the air as he released a fiery sphere from the tip of his pearl blade towards the oasis, causing a thick mist to appear from the steam.

He half-lidded his eyes as he thrusts his pearl blade towards Emil's blade, forcing a counter attack. A surge of electricity crackling from the surface of his weapon, though he missed slightly because of losing his balance from the earth trembling. CRAP! Zelos cobalt eyes widened with shock as a crooked grin lifted his thin lips. "Guess this is it," he replied tenderly as he awaited for the final blow from Emil as he lost his balance.

Marta jumped in, standing between the two as she called out, "Enough. Both have you have proven your point! You! Pervert! Leave my Guardian alone. Emil, I think he believes you. Stop it!" She ran to Emil, holding him back and looking him in the eyes. She said softly to Emil, "Its ok. You don't have to fight anymore. He believes you..."

She looked to Zelos, and helped him up. After doing so, she walked over to Emil, sitting beside him and leaning agaisnt him slightly. "Emil, I think you did a great job though," she softly and approvingly. She wanted to make sure he was ok, and wanted to calm him down.

His chest heaved up and down as his pink waistcoat draped from his shoulders, his black shirt being exposed greatly. "Whoa, I haven't fought that hard since I challenged Lloyd," Zelos panted as he half-lidded his sapphire eyes and murmured a healing spell. "Healing stream," a mystifying stream poured from the oasis and a mana veil covered his entire body, healing his stamina and health. He remained silent as he approached the two once more yet with a gentle smile on his thin lips.

"Thanks for saving me, my little tulip." Zelos once again returned to his flirtatious attitude, but it was a compliment if they read his facial expression. His cobalt eyes averted towards Emil as he offered his hand towards him; a courtesy of being a fair sport as he admitted defeat. He waited for Emil's reactions as he closed his eyes and continued to grin brightly.

Marta watched the two closely, but a scirene expression upon her face as she relaxed, still leaning on Emil. "You did fight well yourself," she commented lightly, smiling as she gazed up to the sky again, trying to make sure her companion was calming down.