The Fear Of God (Phoenix City Chronicles)

Nurse sucked her teeth quickly, "Man corrected ya back when you was pinned to the wall. Dude, I ain't Cellus, so you sure as hell better not tell me what I can say, kapische?"

"If someone else you are," Tal quirked a brow, playing along for now, "Then who?"

"Name's Nurse, and don't you get all condescending on me, ya douche." Nurse said with a glare at Tal, "I ain't Cellus, you broke that poor chica's heart, and mind, when you bit the dust buddy. So I had to take over."

At this, a look of shock washed over the monk's face, the ordeal he had just been through combined with the pain of knowing he had driven her away forever being too much for him.

"No," he silently mouthed, taking a few steps back.

Nurse let out a sigh and rolled he eyes, "Yes, she's pretty screwed up right now," she said in exaspiration. Her face softened slightly when she saw the pain in Tal's face, "She ain't gone though dude... and from what I've seen... you're the only one who has a chance of bringing her back, so don't go pussying out on me, kay?"

Without warning, Tal's entire demeanor shifted, his face like cold steel in the rain and his muscles hard as a rock. As he shot a glare toward Nurse, she could feel the shift in his aura as well, from a chaotic shifting between light and dark to decidedly settled on a negative black, "Take heed, whatever thou are, that never once have I run from a battle I could win. No coward, am I, and no rest shall I indulge until Cellus is back from whence she has gone!"

About that time, Lloyd made the mistake of opening his mouth for a smart remark, and Tal blasted the poor fool into so much dust with a cry of rage, his attack seeming more reactive than intentional. With that, he turned his back to the stormy sky beyond, "Much work have we to do."

Nurse blanched at the sudden change in Tal, shrinking away slightly before shaking her head and drawing herself to her full height. "There's no need for that dude!" she cried angrily, "Cellus is trapped somewhere in here..." she said, tapping her temple, "she needs to be shown the way back out."

For a moment, Tal appeared to be sliding into a fighting stance, but some trace of his former reasoning, or at least his love for Cellus, restrained him, and he turned away with his posture straight and militant, an indignant huff issuing forth from his throat as he began a steady march forward down the mountain.

Nurse blinked in surprise as Tal began to walk away, she chased after, stepping in front of him and walking backwards. "Woah, woah, woah! Whre you going?" she cried in confusion.

"Find the way home, Cellus and I shall," he glowered, pushing past and continuing on his way.

Nurse frowned and hurried to keep up, "Oh, and I don't get to come too? Thats not very nice," she said huffily, "Man... the way you're acting now is nothing like Cellus sees you... you're acting like a real ass..."

Stopping at that last part, Tal looked back with malice in his eyes Nurse finally figured out was being directed at her, as if she herself had somehow taken Cellus away, "Though not always the man I wish to be, myself I always am. Can you say the same?"

Nurse placed her hands on her hips defiantly and glared at Tal, "Listen, dude, don't get angry at me for what happened! Your little girly friend would still be some drooling vegatable back on that damn ship if it weren't for me!" She stepped forward, jabbing a finger at him, "If you wanna blame someone, blame that Jacen dude, or that dark knight dude that killed ya', cause blaming me is just gonna make it worse. If we can't work together, you ain't never gonna get yer little Cellus back, kay?"

Looking askance, Tal appeared to relax a bit, "Not fit, am I, to rescue anyone like this. First and foremost, my anger I must conquer, if ready for the challenges ahead I expect to be."

Nurse dropped her defensive stance, "Well thats a start... hey... just curious... but, why do you talk all backwards-like?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Backwards?," Tal blinked, a self-conscious blush spreading over his face along with a nervous smile, "In the old world, talk as such they really did. To the Gods, backwards, the modern pattern of speech appears to be."

Before he even realized it, his clothes had reformed, and his aura calmed.

Nurse grinned at the change, "Muuuch better!" she said patting Tal on the back, "Now, lesse, what we can do about gettin' your little chica back, kay?"

"Hai," Tal nodded firmly, "Although ask, I must, what will happen to you when she returns."

Nurse shrugged and grinned sheepishly, "Idunno exactly... maybe I'll just disappear, maybe I'll go back into her subconcious until she needs me agian... but what I hope... is that me 'n Cellus... We'll become one person, the best of both of us..." she said almost wistfully, looking into the distance.

"The ideal scenario, that would be," Tal agreed, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Seen you, I have, when she defends us in battle. No complete person, she would be without you."

Nurse beamed at Tal's words, "You-you think? Aww... you're a sweetie! No wonder that girl is head over heels for you," she said with a grin.

"She... hears everything we say, no doubt?," Tal inquired with a heavy blush.

Nurse nodded, "But I don't really think she's processing most of it," she said, her face falling. She reached out slowly, gripping Tal's arm tightly, "She really needs your help... I know for certain now that you're the only one who can get through to her..."

His eyes filled with pity, the grasslander nodded slowly as he looked Nurse in the eyes, searching for Cellus, "Try, I would very much like to."

Nurse looked back into Tal's eyes, hoping he could find her gentler half... "How do we even begin?" she asked quietly, "I don't know how much longer she's willing to hold out..."