Price of Admission

Disclaimer: I don’t own this game nor do I profit from this.

It had been nearly a month since their disastrous trip to Fienal. Secluding themselves inside Fun City, the group worked hard at the training program in hopes that they would finally give the 10 Wise Men what they deserved. However, having recently discovered that Expel was no more, many members of the group were still trying to deal with the notion of possibly never seeing their loved ones again.
Claude, having known all along about Expel's fate and thus not being surprised to finally learn the truth, tried to be cheerful and assure them all that things would be okay. However, when he was all alone at night, he felt quite differently. It wasn't so bad for them; they did their best to save the ones they loved, but failed. It wasn't the same for Claude. If it hadn't been for him... If he hadn't gotten himself sent to Expel, if he hadn't left the Calnus after they had finally rescued him...

He was tortured by terrible dreams at night. Of his father, Ronixis, so grief-stricken that he refused to take his ship away from Expel... His mind so clouded with sadness that he was sloppy at the controls and hesitant with his orders... In that state, he was a sitting duck for the Wise Men.

Those terrible nightmares always ended the same way... the shaking, the red alert sirens, his father drooping in defeat over the console before his horrible, firey death.

Claude awoke with a start, drenched in sweat and clutching desperately at his sheets. He was confused for a moment before he remembered: This is Energy Nede. This is the Fun City hotel.

As his pulse slowed, he stared at the dark ceiling and tried to calm himself. In time, we will defeat the Wise Men. We will bring Expel and Calnus to the present time and everyone will be okay...

He finally managed to convince himself of this and closed his eyes again. Just before he was about to drift into slumber, however, the fire, the screaming, the smell of gas forced themselves back into his head again.

"It's all my fault," he whispered. "If it weren't for me..."

What could I have done, though? I couldn't have left Rena on Expel, all alone... She needs me.

And I... need her.

His mind made up, Claude pushed back the covers and climbed out of bed. He always needed to remind himself of what he was doing all this for; what kept him going.

The size of Fun City's hotel afforded them all the luxury of their own rooms. Celine was ecstatic about this, but Claude's sleep had suffered during their entire stay. He yearned for the "old days" in Cross where he could look up any time of night and see Rena's serene face, relaxed in slumber, across from him. Thankfully, though, some divine intervention (for neither specifically requested it) placed his room right next to hers. As he slipped quietly into the hallway he thanked Tria that she was only a few short feet away.

Her door was open just a bit, as if she were expecting him. He silently pushed it back enough that he could peek into her room, and spied her perched upon the windowsill, staring into the night sky with a placid expression. Though the force field around Energy Nede blotted out most of the sky, if you concentrated enough you could see the stars through its glowing dome. There was a simulated light source, much like Earth's moon, that shone down at nighttime. Its white glow lit up the window, bathing Rena's beautiful blue hair in light and making her skin take on an almost ethereal quality.

Claude stood transfixed, almost in awe of her beauty. She was wearing a long white flannel nightgown with only the smallest hint of sleeves. It clung to her body like comfort, and it made her look so pure and innocent. But the way the light shone through it, showing the soft curve of her breast...

Claude took in a sharp breath before his mind went any further. Rena's pointed ears twitched, signifying that she caught the noise. At this point, Claude chose to step into the room.

She turned to him, seemingly in slow motion, and smiled that lovely, radiant smile that always made Claude's pulse quicken.

"Can't sleep?" she asked, stepping down to the soft carpet.

Claude closed the door behind him, blushing. "You either, apparently...?"

"There aren't enough trees around here," she answered, distaste in her expression. She sat down on the bed and invited Claude to do the same, as always, but he was never comfortable enough to do so. Confused at his uneasy manner, she asked, "Did you want anything in particular?"

Claude, looking at his feet, shook his head. "Just--company, I guess."

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Claude looked up at her, smiling. "How did you know?"

A look of pity crossed her face. She was silent for a moment, then she said, "I heard you cry out for your father."

Blushing, Claude croaked, "I did?? That loudly?? I'm sorry--"

"--It's just that--" Rena quickly interrupted, "--Our beds share a wall, so... You weren't that loud." She reached out in a conciliatory gesture. "I guess-- I'm just-- used to your voice."

Claude chuckled to himself, shaking his head. She's always so quick to reassure me... She babies me.

"You know..." Rena cautiously ventured, "If what happened-- if it's bothering you that much, you need to talk about it." Claude shook his head regretfully. Her little chin set itself resolutely. "You may think I'm just some backwards country bumpkin, but you'd be surprised at how much I understand."

He barked in laughter, taking a step towards her. "What are you talking about?! I don't think that way about you at all!"

Rena was not convinced. "I went to the North City library, you know..." She looked down at her little hands and counted off on her fingers. "I know all about-- Spacey ships... And... Gah-luh-shees..."

Claude grabbed her warm little hands before she went any further. "I don't think you're a bumpkin," he breathed, trying hard not to laugh at her naiveté. "I've never said anything of the sort. Just because you were never taught about Intergalactic travel doesn't mean a thing."

She pulled her hands away from him, still feeling hurt. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

This was more than just a passing remark. She was really bothered by something. "About what?" Claude asked in concern, worried that he may have lost her favor.

"About the fact that you weren't from Expel," Rena accused. "About how you live on a Spacey Ship from Tria only knows where!" She lowered her head in shame. "I thought you were just a traveler from Lacour or something..." she whispered. "Now I just feel--stupid."

Claude smiled warmly. "You're not stupid, Rena..." He sighed. "I wanted to tell you... Oh GOD how I wanted to tell you. But--I wasn't allowed. I had to do it for your own protection."

"Why?" Rena looked up at him, eyes shining.

"Because... Some people can't handle it." He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged, as was his fashion. "When all their lives they've lived in a little village in the mountains... If they've never even seen the ocean... They just can't wrap their heads around the concept that--that their planet is just one in a SEA of planets. Just a dot on the screen."

The young girl drew in a sharp breath and let it out in a long exhalation. "On the other side of the sky, there's another world..." she laughed to herself. "I used to fantasize about that when I was young. Maybe--it was because I was born here, because I had known all along."

"Perhaps," Claude quietly agreed, afraid to say anything that might further upset her.

Fidgeting a bit, Rena asked, "Why? Why did you come to my village and lie to me like that?"

"I didn't have much of a choice in the matter," Claude laughed. "Much like we were thrown from Expel to here, I was thrown to Arlia from another planet." Looking into his companion's eyes, he continued, "I had no way to get back home... So I just followed you on your quest to investigate the Sorcery Globe."

Looking back down, Rena quietly said, "I see..." Her toes fiddled with the carpet, and Claude could see she was thinking about something. "So, at El, when you suddenly disappeared, was that your ship taking you back?"

"See, you're not stupid at all!" Claude laughed. "Yes, that's what happened. I hadn't been able to make contact with them the whole time I was on Expel, until just then..."

"I saw you trying to talk to them on your metal box, one night," Rena broke in. "I just put two and two together..." She shook off the point and moved on. "So, why did you come back? Did something go wrong and you didn't finish the trip?"

Claude went silent. He had come to Rena's room to try and forget about that trangression, not revisit it in the waking hours. Realizing she had walked into bad territory, Rena became concerned. "...Claude?"

He owed her this. All this time she had known something was going on behind her back; she needed to learn the truth. "Nothing... Went wrong. I got to Calnus just fine. And..." His face went hot with shame and regret. "I decided to come back to Expel."

Enlightenment grew on the girl's face. Her eyes widened and she leaned closer to him. "...You did? Why?"

"Because..." He cleared his throat. "I didn't want... to leave you." He shook his head. "All," he quickly amended. "You all."

She finally broke into another radiant smile, her eyes still shining. "Claude... If it were coming from anyone but you, I would say they were fibbing."

"Why?"

"Because, if I were you..." She looked down and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "...I wouldn't risk my life to save a home that wasn't even mine. I would just go back to my village and live a safe, happy life away from all that nonsense."

Why was the room suddenly so warm? "You could never do that, Rena. I know you wouldn't, and neither would I. Especially if that home belonged to someone I cared about."

The fact that he was effectively saying he cared about her and did it for her was lost in the current of the moment. "But I care about you, and I want you to be safe!" Rena cried out, balling her hands into fists.

"What are you saying?" Claude rebuffed. "That I should've stayed on the Calnus?"

She quickly looked down, hiding her face with her bangs. "Yes," she sniffled, her voice choking on emotion. She hid her face in her hands, obviously trying to keep her composure. Claude, being totally inept at dealing with emotional outbursts of this kind, just stood there with a bewildered expression on his face. Was she saying that she wanted him to go away?

Finally, she continued... "It... would have been better for you if you had left..." she murmered. "But... I was scared to death that I would never see you again. I didn't--want you to leave me." Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed two little fistfuls of his shirt, burying her face in his chest. "Don't ever leave me alone like that again!" she cried out, the tears finally coming. She sobbed a little, trying to draw strength from Claude. Feeling almost as if he would cry himself, he reached around and pulled her off of the bed, into his strong arms.

"I swear to God, Rena, I will never leave your side again." He held her closely, tightly, and waited for her sobs to abate. When she had calmed herself, he released her and tenderly took hold of her shoulders, pushing her back until he could get a good look at her. She seemed so helpless, so like a child. He wanted to protect her...

He ran his hands up to the side of her face, cupping her cheeks and threading his slender fingers into her cool, silky hair. He gently tipped her up until she was looking into his eyes. "You said to me before... That you couldn't live without me. It's the same way with me, Rena..." Her eyes melted as she began to understand what he meant. Never before had he ever said anything like this to her... He had been so afraid of hurting her, of going back to his old life and leaving her behind with nothing but memories. "I was back on the Calnus, safe and sound... But the thought of being without you, without your voice, your touch... It killed me. I couldn't imagine being without it."

"Do you really mean that?" she sniffled, her eyes looking up at him from what seemed like the depths of the ocean. "Or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

Claude sighed. He had never even paused to think about Rena's feelings; about whether his rash actions had ever caused her the pain they had caused his parents. He had been stupid. He was so worried about protecting her that he had hurt her even more.

I don't ever want to hurt you again. I don't ever want to see you cry again; I never want to see a worried look on your face.

"Please don't cry," he whispered desperately. Before even thinking about what he was doing, he bent down and kissed her delicately on the lips.

At first he expected her to pull away; instead, she closed her eyes and leaned into him. Taking the cue and running with it, he wrapped his arms around her once again, burying his lips in hers. She tasted sweet; her lips were warm and soft. It was everything he had imagined it to be and more. Her hands finally let go of his shirt and reached up, wrapping around his neck for support. By this point he felt as if there were iron coursing through his veins.

"Rena..." he whispered gruffly against her lips, kissing her again, more deeply. She answered him by pressing her soft body into his, plying her lips beneath his, trying to be as close to him as possible. He was growing dizzy. Cautiously, he pressed his tongue against the opening of her mouth, and she immediately let him in. He searched for her tongue and it came, caressing his with tender abandon.

He turned his head to the side, trying to go ever deeper, tangling his tongue in hers almost desperately. He needed her; this was therapy for him; this was how he would forget.

I want to devour her.

Claude abruptly broke the kiss, and trailed over her cheek to her ear. She leaned her head on his shoulder, offering herself to him. He breathed something in her ear, he couldn't remember what, but he had no control of himself. He nibbled delicately on the edge of it, traveling up to the pointed tip, and took it into his mouth. Were elven ears really more sensitive than those of humans? He wasn't sure, but she gasped and breathed a hot burst of air onto the nape of his neck, encouraging him. He ran the tip of his tongue along the inside of it, finally tickling her lobe, then suckling it. She dug her fingernails into the flesh of his shoulders.

"Claude..."

He pressed his cheek against hers. So hot; he could feel her blood pumping. "Rena... Rena..." He turned to the skin beneath her lovely ear, so warm and soft, and began to kiss it. She inhaled again, letting it out in a jagged breath.

She is mine now.

He worked his way down to the nape of her neck, kissing her, softly suckling the delicate skin, feeling her squirm deliciously against his body. His hands became emboldened, and he rubbed them up and down her slender sides, then caressing her back and grabbing her little shoulder blades almost possessively. "So beautiful..." he whispered, more to himself than her. He came back up, kissing her little chin and pecking her on the lips.

"Ah... Claude..."

He worked at the first button on the top of her gown. She didn't resist. Then the second one was undone. His hands moved to the neck of the gown and pushed it over, until it was as far over her shoulders as it could go. Without pause, he was there again, nibbling on her neck and working toward the soft curve of her shoulders. His teeth nicked her skin lightly as he traveled, and she made little sounds of pleasure in her throat. Her hands fell at his cut waist, gripping it tightly.

This isn't enough. I need more of her! More.

He pushed her gently toward the bed. When she was sitting down on the edge, he turned her so that she was lying back on the pillows, her long, lean legs stretched across the mattress. As he climbed over her to kneel on her other side, she giggled, "Are you putting me to bed now, Claude?"

"You could say that," he answered, grinning almost wickedly. He deftly unbuttoned three more of those pearly obstructions, and pushed the flannel softly to the side. When the material was out of the way, he almost gasped.

Her sweet, pert little breasts were so perfect, so gorgeous, heaving atop her small, fevered body as she tried to maintain her cool. The colder air of the room was already beginning to cause her nipples to stiffen; the light little aureolas wrinkled up almost before his eyes. She blushed, reaching up to lightly cover them with her small hands.

"Claude..." she whispered, "Is this what you want?"

He looked reverently into her eyes. "I want you," he answered simply. When she couldn't find a reply, he continued, "Do you trust me? I would never hurt you..." He looked away. "If you want me to stop, I will."

"You want me?" She brought her hands down to rest on her stomach. "And only me?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

She closed her eyes, laying her head to the side on the pillow. Putting her arms up beside her head, she whispered, "You're all I want."

He bent down, lovingly caressing her breasts with his warm hands. She responded immediately, squirming so that she was as close to him as possible. He smiled as he took the first nipple into his mouth, first flicking it with his tongue then gently drawing on it, giving it his exclusive attention. She gurgled, taking his head into her hands and running her fingers through his hair. Encouraged, he suckled harder on it, letting go long enough to graze it with his teeth.

"Nnh!" She rolled her head from side to side feverishly. "Claude."

Looking up at her almost killed him with passion. She gazed down with those gorgeous sapphire eyes, swimming beneath those heavy, smoky lids. Her pink lips were parted slightly, as if she were struggling to breathe.

Finally, she said quietly, "I love you."

His desire was becoming almost too much to control. In answer he bent down again and devoured her, taking her other nipple in his mouth as far as it would go, sloppily drawing on it in a frenzied manner. He kissed her all over her white torso, tasting her skin in various spots and nibbling it in others. She cried out, arching her back and pressing herself against his face, his chest. She frantically tried to hold onto him, first his head, then his shoulders, then his back, but her hands kept slipping somehow.

As he took in as much of her as he could, Claude knew this wouldn't be enough. He wouldn't be satisfied until she opened everything to him. He leaned up and delved into her mouth again, his tongue tangling with hers. As he kissed her he let a hand travel down, down, underneath the soft flannel until he reached her flat stomach. Instinctively, she opened her sweet little legs, and he knew that he could continue. Was her anatomy the same as a human girl's? He tried, in his drunken stupor, to recall his "Species in History" class... Nedians were descended from humans--right? Or was it the other way around?

He moaned something against her mouth, again he knew not what, as he searched for that final place. His fingers instantly met with the silky soft down at the center of her legs. With a guttural moan, he recalled that underwear was still a relatively new concept on Expel... Most girls only wore panties with short skirts.

"So beautiful... So sweet..." he groaned as his fingers parted the way inside. She whimpered in both desire and fear, and he brought his other arm around her, supporting her. He felt the inside of her, gently, realizing that it was much like a human girl's as he'd hoped. His thumb brushed against her clitoris, which was hot and throbbing against him. She cried out, burying her head in his neck again. She belonged there.

He rubbed the pad of his finger against it, feeling her womanhood react to his touch. "Rena..." he whispered, flicking it lightly.

"Claude! Claude..." She was desperate, bucking her hips against his hand, begging for that touch. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He needed no other sign. In one fluid movement, he slipped a finger slowly into her body, still rubbing her soft spot with his thumb. She was so slick, so warm, so tight. Claude became drunk as he inhaled her musky scent... This was it, there was no stopping him now.

Their world came crashing down as a loud knock issued from the door. "Rena darling, are you awake?"

She sprang to a sitting position, turning away from the door and quickly rebuttoning her gown. Claude sat back... She was pretty adept at that. Had she been in this situation with someone else before? He winced as Dias' leering face invaded the back of his mind.

Celine knew that Rena was indeed awake. And if she wasn't, she would be. If Celine wanted something, she would get it.

"Yes, I'm awake!" Rena called, jumping to her feet and sliding toward the door. "Come in, Celine, come in!"

As Celine made her entrance across the room, Claude realized for the first time that he had a raging erection. Of course, how couldn't he? Panicking, he quickly sat next to the head of the bed, sitting a pillow in his lap and trying to act natural.

Celine looked at them both with a knowing smile growing across her face. Holding her hands behind her back, she asked sweetly, "I'm sorry--was I interrupting something?"

"What?!" Rena cried defensively, in that girlish manner she always seemed to harbor. "Of course not! There was nothing to interrupt!" She blushed furiously, though her sweet little nipples were still straining against the fabric of her gown. Claude wondered if Celine would notice something like that... Sometimes she was very knowledgeable about things; sometimes she just acted knowledgeable.

"Well, if that's so--I have a question to ask you, Rena darling," Celine immediately barged on, her issue at hand always the most important. Ignoring Claude, she laid out two dresses on the bed next to him. "They're showing one of those--Oh, what are they called--Moving pictures... MOOVEES, that's what they're called! They're showing a moovee at the arena tomorrow, one of those artsy films, you know, that I like? Well, I was just asked--" She looked over at Claude, "--by a handsome young gentleman--"

Claude grinned from ear to ear. "Ashton?" he interrupted, leaning back on his hands.

"Wha--?" Celine cried, blushing and fanning her face. "Why, I never kiss and tell, Claude dear!"

Curling up her arms like a little girl, Rena laughed, "You haven't even kissed yet--Have you?"

The proper young woman looked as if she were about to explode. "How can you ask me that?!" she cried, fidgeting. "Why, I came here asking for your advice, not to be embarrassed like this! I never--!"

"I'm sorry," Rena giggled, reaching to comfort Celine. Claude noticed that the second button of her gown was still undone. He flushed. "Please, Celine, continue..."

"Well," Celine inhaled, trying to regain her composure, "I know you're not too knowledgeable about these kind of things, Rena dear, but Opera and Ernest had a 'Do Not Disturb' sign up on their door, so I thought I'd ask you instead..."

Though clothing and girly things like that didn't interest Claude, he tried to concentrate on their conversation until his manhood was bored into submission. He had a feeling that if he continued to look at Rena, clad in that flimsy little gown, it wouldn't last.

He interrupted Celine mid-sentence as he jumped up and cried, "Though this is terribly entertaining, girls, I think I'll call it a night."

"Good night, Claude darling," Celine cooed, barely making eye-contact with him. What with embarrassing her and interrupting her while speaking, she would probably snub him tomorrow as revenge.

As he passed her, Rena quickly clasped his hand. "Sleep well, Claude," she said to him, her voice almost like liquid. He could find no words in reply, so he simply nodded and squeezed her hand.

In the safety of his room before he knew it, he dropped down on his pillows in exhaustion. This night had been too much... As he closed his eyes to sleep, he brought his hand up next to his face. Her scent... It still lingered on his fingers, and he instantly felt desire building in his loins. Looking at the bedside table, he found complimentary lotion and tissues awaiting him.

"It's almost like they know what I'm gonna use it for," he whispered sheepishly to himself, reaching out and squeezing some lotion onto his hand.

As he thought of her, being inside her, her warmth, her tightness, her smell, her voice, he quickly brought himself to a groaning conclusion and lay spent on the cool sheets.

He heard their laughter tinkling through the wall.