A/N: This fic was inspired by a challenge issued forth by my friends. The terms of this challenge will be mentioned at the bottom. Personally I think I twisted a few of the rules for the challenge, but at least it resulted in a (hopefully) interesting fic.
Disclaimer: Yes! I own it! I own ToS!!! (promptly gets stampeded by angry mob of fans) Ok…so I don't own it. I just own a copy of the game.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Together
By: Hoshiko Shinomori
-o-o-o-o-o-
I thought it was always curious how this fragile young woman would come visit this unholy place every night and kneel in front of this one particular spot and pray. Who exactly was she praying to? The goddess wasn't real, but merely a figment of Mithos' twisted story in order to immortalize her, even if it were through name only. How can she, after all the pain and sadness, still believe so strongly in something which has proven false? Religion is nothing more than a lie. I discarded that long ago, and yet here I am watching an angel at work…this world's chosen.
As her soft hands folded over each other in a gesture of prayer and her gentle eyes closed in an expression of peace, I was yet again reminded of that face that haunted all my dreams and nightmares, that vision of perfect beauty which I failed to protect once. I was enraptured as her chin dipped forward a little, causing tiny ripples within her blonde hair to flow down her back. As the multicolored wings speckled into being, their transparency throwing around bits of light, I knew. It was going to happen. She would finally return to me.
My Martel would once again be mine.
Yuan didn't have any time to think past that. The former renegade leader quickly left his hidden post in the shadows as he sprang forward and caught the fainted angel in his arms. He dared not to breathe as the girl's eyelids slowly began to flutter open. There was a sharp intake of breath and his heart skipped a beat as he was greeted with a gaze of green rather than the orbs of blue he had expected. He felt the air catch in his throat as he desperately tried to think of what to say.
Did he dare to hope again? Was it safe to place his heart out once more? If this were a dream, he never wanted to wake up.
"Martel…?" he finally managed to choke out, suppressing the centuries of emotion that he had held back up to this moment.
The girl in his arms gazed back at him with a warm expression. Raising her arm, she cupped his cheek tenderly. As her face broke out into a gentle smile, his stomach began to do flips and turns.
"Yuan…I've missed you."
He pulled her closer to himself in a fierce hug, unbelieving what was happening. As he stroked her hair and took in her familiar scent, it was all he could do not to cry. For him, this was the sweetest heaven anywhere.
"I've missed you so much too," he managed to say, his voice cracking despite his will. "Please, tell me you'll stay."
"I can't," she said as she broke the embrace. "My time on this planet should have long since been over. I can't keep borrowing this girl's body without her knowledge. I'm sorry, but I have to go."
She took a step back from him and then another. With each step backward, he felt her fading away from him until eventually the empty body slumped next to the cool stone of the gravestone. Yuan carefully locked his heart up again so that when the blue-eyed girl opened her eyes, she was greeted with his stoic face.
"Glad to see you're awake now…Colette," he said in a flat voice that was now devoid of any emotion.
Colette seemed confused for a few moments, but never once did she open her mouth to question how or why he was there. Without anything further to say, Yuan left, his silhouette fading into the darkness. After another quick prayer, Colette eventually stood up. She brushed off her clothing with a quick pat and then walked towards a clearing, bringing her iridescent wings out. After one last quick survey of the area, she flew off, one last lingering thought of Yuan falling behind until it faded, like the clearing from her vision.
Once she was far enough off, Yuan stepped out from his hiding spot, his deep blue eyes furrowed in concentration, his mouth twisted into a calculated smirk.
"Just wait, I'll find a way to get Martel back."
That first encounter within the ruined city of Ozette was by chance, or perhaps it was a destiny that provided the half-elven leader with the chance to reunite with his former love. Either way, Yuan was thrilled with this opportunity, and any sane person would be a fool for ignoring such a chance.
However, her behavioral patterns were really starting to annoy Yuan. Did she have to trip or fall into danger at every possible moment? Instead of praying at every significant spot for peace or whatever she was praying for, perhaps she should instead be asking her deity to provide her with a less clumsy countenance, Yuan mused. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to protect her from harm while maintaining his secrecy about following her.
Yuan could only sigh when his angelic protégée landed at the Otherworldly Gate. Night had already fallen, and Yuan wondered how many more hours of this chasing he would have to endure before Martel emerged, or Colette finally retired for the evening. How many more sites was she planning on praying at? What did she hope to accomplish?
Suddenly there was a shift in the air, a ripple of energy that coursed through Yuan's body and up his spine. Time seemed to have frozen momentarily as the world around that island stood still. Yuan could feel his breath hitch within his throat. Colette began to float in midair, her wings materializing as she moved. There she stayed suspended in air, frozen like a crystal moth caught in a flame. Tentatively Yuan left his hiding position from behind a huge rock, and walked until he was perfectly underneath the place where Colette was. Once again the air rippled, this time resonating from Yuan's body and outward in a circular motion. It was as if his soul was responding to the plea issued earlier from Colette's body. As soon as the crest of the energy wave hit Colette, her body shuddered once before plummeting to the ground. Yuan caught her easily in his arms, unsure of whether he should let her go and walk away or keep holding on.
Beyond his expectations, the girl awoke, her brilliant green eyes flashing with concern. Once she realized what had happened, concern quickly turned to alarm.
"Yuan?!? No…this can't be happening. Yuan, listen to me, this has got to stop! We're destroying her! If this continues, one of us will disappear. The balance has been tipped. I've got to go. I have to find a way to reverse this…"
Martel quickly rose to her feet and began to run, passing between large rock formations and disappearing into the night.
"Wait! Don't leave! I don't understand! …MARTEL!?!"
Yuan ran, desperate not to lose the love of his life. Not again. For once, he didn't even care how much he looked like a fool. All he knew was that he wasn't going to let her walk out of his life again. Not after he had finally gotten her back. In his fervor, he almost couldn't see what was in front of him, and before he knew it, he was face to face with Colette.
"Yuan?…What are you doing here?" asked the angel confusedly.
"I—ahem…I happen to like the scenery here," Yuan said turning away, his excuse sounding false to even his own ears.
"You were watching me, weren't you?" When Yuan didn't reply, Colette merely continued. "I thought I could feel someone's presence. I'm not going to ask you why, but if you're going to follow me, could you please just travel alongside me? I—I get nervous when people sneak around me."
After quick, but careful consideration, Yuan consented with a quick nod of his head. It would be easier this way for him to keep an eye on the girl. From that moment on, they were travel companions. Colette prayed at quite a few other sites, such as Palmacosta, Asgard, Luin, and many others. By this time, Yuan and Colette had worked out a system between themselves. Once they had arrived at their destination the two would check in at an inn, if possible, and Colette would bathe before going out and choosing the spot to pray. The spots were usually at a small clearing away from the regular path where one would be least likely to be disturbed. It was here that she would kneel with her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed while her lips moved soundlessly.
At first Yuan would watch this ritual eagerly, body and mind ready for any sign of Martel's presence, even though his posture never betrayed his excitement. After a while though, when no sign of Martel appeared, eventually he calmed down. Over time, Yuan did nothing more than stand a few feet away from where Colette was, his back turned to her and arms crossed, while he kept his eyes closed in deep thought.
These prayers had become a part of a daily routine and Yuan would play the part of bodyguard well. He was alert at every moment, ready to spring in if something even appeared to come close to disturbing Colette's prayer. As soon as Colette had finished, she would get up and tap Yuan lightly on his shoulder before walking a few steps ahead. Yuan was always quick to follow, and the two would return to the town. Usually the two would split up and explore the village on their own, but if it was late enough, both would merely return to the inn they were staying at and call it a night.
Eventually the duo made their way to Flanoir, the snowy city.
Quietly the pair walked through the sleepy little town, their footsteps making soft crunching sounds through the snow. Unintentionally Colette shivered despite trying not to let on how the cold affected her. Without a word, Colette heard a rustle of cloth and before she realized it, Yuan had already taken off his cape, the material lying over her head like a cloak. Colette stopped where she stood. She wanted to protest; it wasn't right for him to be cold in her stead. Before she could though, Yuan passed her, the words flowing easily from his lips.
"As a former chosen, you need to take better care of your body. Think of all the people who worked so hard to keep you safe. Don't let their efforts go to waste."
Colette could only smile as she clutched the cloth tighter to her body. Yuan was right after all. There would be more than a handful of friends who would be upset if she got sick during her journey, especially because of something as trivial as the weather. They'd probably also call her an idiot while they were at it. She laughed lightly to herself at the thought, a small gesture that Yuan couldn't help but notice and smile about as well.
Casually the two continued towards their destination in silent comfort. After a while, Yuan dropped his pace and the two began to walk side by side once again.
"Why do you pray at so many different sites?" Yuan asked.
"There're a lot of things that I desperately hope for in my heart, and I know that if I pray hard enough, the Goddess will hear it…"
"You, more than anyone else, should know that the whole Goddess tale isn't real. Martel was just a half-elf, a being like you or I…"
"No, I don't mean Martel. I mean the goddess that lies here," Colette gestured towards her heart. "I believe that residing within every being's heart is their own goddess that guides them. As long as one believes strongly in their wishes and listens to their heart, I'm sure he or she could accomplish anything."
"Ahh…"
"I pray that one day Sylvarant and Tethe'alla will find true peace. I pray that the awful process of exspheres can be eliminated. I pray that the reconstruction of the cities destroyed by the regeneration process will go smoothly. I pray that within each individual, there will lay true happiness within his or her heart. I—I pray for you too."
"Me?" Yuan was shocked at this. Why would this serene little blonde waste her prayers on someone as insignificant as him?
"Yes, because you seem so desperate and far away at times, despite your cool demeanor. I pray especially for you, that you will find what you've been looking for, and that you'll be able to catch hold and never let it go."
For a second, Colette's look was far away. As the sun reflected off the snow and bounced joyfully around her golden locks, Yuan couldn't help but see Colette in a more mature light. Though she was spaced out often, he realized that this young woman was really a deeper more mature female than he had previously given her credit for. It would make sense. As a chosen, she would have undergone great trial. Colette was a really strong person inside. When she suddenly stopped mid-stride and turned and smiled at him, Yuan realized she was also a very warm and caring person. Unbeknownst to him, somehow Colette had managed to become important to him not merely because of the Martel factor, but also because she was herself.
"C'mon, the next prayer site is nearby," Colette chirped cheerfully, eagerly taking a few steps forward. Yuan nodded his head once before following after what he truly considered an angel.
"I'm truly a fool," he thought to himself before sighing. "This could get…dangerous." Then without another thought he easily took the few remaining steps to catch up to Colette.
-o-o-o-o-o-
"Where's the next site we're going?" Yuan asked casually, raising his hand to shield his face from the noon day sun.
"We're headed towards the Great Karhlan Tree, there's someone there I need to talk to."
"I see…" Yuan really didn't see nor understand the motive for going to the mana tree, but he wasn't about to question the motives of his companion. After all, hadn't he already traveled this far with her?
"This will be the last site. After that…" Colette shook her head once, unwilling to finish the sentence. "Thank you for traveling with me for this long," she said before turning towards him with that large bubbly smile of hers.
Yuan couldn't help, but gently smile back. However, then Colette became unsteady. As she swayed on her feet, Yuan was barely in time to catch her wrist before she completely slumped to the ground. Easing her body into a sitting position, Yuan moved his arms to support her back and keep her upright. Then without a warning, she opened her eyes, the brilliant green flashing through her delicate lashes.
"Yuan…" Martel was very uneasy as she spoke, her eyes downcast. "Yuan, you have to leave this place at once. It won't be good if…"
Suddenly her head lulled as she was passed out once more. Yuan had no difficulty in keeping her steady, despite the sudden weight increase. However, he was becoming increasingly worried when Colette didn't awaken immediately afterwards, like she had in the past.
"Colette? Colette, you need to wake up…" he mumbled, without thinking or feeling, next to her ear. For a long moment, nothing happened. Yuan sighed. Of course it wasn't going to work.
However, then he saw a movement on Colette's left hand. Her pinky finger suddenly twitched, and then her face muscles scrunched up before her head turned and she groggily awoke.
"Colette…?"
"I'm okay," the blonde responded, rising to her feet. "Let's keep going, we're almost there."
Yuan gave her an unsure look. She was emotionally and mentally strong to be sure, but there were some limits to what the body could handle. However, he didn't question or stop her. After all, he could sense the need burning on Colette's face. After a few steps, her pacing faltered. When it seemed likely she would fall over again, Yuan was there, one arm under her right elbow, the other at the small of her back supporting her.
"Thanks," she murmured smiling gently, with a flash of green in her eyes. Yuan was mentally taken aback for a few moments, but in the next Colette's questioning blue gaze brought him out of his reverie.
"It's probably just a trick of the lights," he mused inwardly.
The Great Kharlan Tree was within view now. Colette smiled broadly before quickening her pace. Yuan was warmed to see her happy expression, but he kept his face calm as he examined the surroundings.
The entire area was arid and dry, with a few boulders lying here and there. Occasionally a bush would permeate the area and brush up against his boots, but Yuan paid little attention to this. His eyes were focused solely on the tree, or rather on the astral projection of the great tree. The real tree was still a sapling at this point, despite its excelled growth rate due to the flow of mana within. Yuan had heard that several souls had come together to contribute to this mana, one of which included Martel.
Martel…how many years had it been? How many centuries had he already had to endure without her? She was so close…and yet always out of reach.
Yuan willed his thoughts to return to the present. Only then had he noticed that Colette was laying face first on the ground, having just tripped over one of the several rocks. Casually she rolled over and sat up, one arm scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.
"Sorry…I'm such a klutz."
Yuan was relieved to learn that she was okay, but immediately he became alarmed when instead of seeing the calming blue hues of her iris, instead he was greeted with a cool green.
He extended a hand and helped her to her feet; however instead of immediately letting her go he started intently at her eyes. Specks of blue were swirling around and vanishing, being dominated easily by the green. Colette herself was self-conscious of such close scrutiny and she couldn't help but look down and turn pink at the attention.
Without warning her left hand rose and caressed Yuan gently on the cheek. He froze at the contact, dropping his hold on her, and she immediately dropped her arm, staring at it as if it were a foreign object.
"I-I didn't…I didn't mean…"
Her body shuddered once, relaxing for a few moments before returning to normal posture.
"Yuan…" she said gently, though the voice belonged to someone else. Taking another step forward, her head dipped, rising to reveal blue once more.
"Yuan…?" The angel asked confused. Yuan was sure his face must have held some indescribable emotion, a feat uncommonly seen to the angel.
This time it was he who took the step forward, and once more there was that quick pulse of energy coursing through her body. She smiled for him then, though her eyes obviously held concern. The expression within those green pools was too deep to fathom. Colette was obviously struggling with herself, her being itself phasing in and out, mingling with that of the spirit of one much older than herself. Yuan grabbed her firmly around the shoulders, holding her still, unsure of how the stop the transformations.
Then, from the direction of the tree, Yuan saw a small movement from the peripheral of his vision. She was all in green, wearing an outfit which was almost more familiar to him than his own clothing.
"Martel…?" He asked, but as soon as the words had left his lips, he knew them to be untrue. This being before him was not his beloved. Silently she crept nearer, seemingly gliding, enclosing the gap between them. Calmly she placed one hand on Colette's back, sending a shudder through the angelic girl's body. She slumped, and Yuan caught her easily, holding her upright in her position.
"This girl is extremely tired. I think it best if you let her soul rest for now," said Mana before returning to the foot of the Great Tree and disappearing.
Yuan gave a slight nod of understanding before gently picking up the now sleeping body of Colette and carrying her bridal-style to the nearest inn. After getting her comfortably settled in the bed, Yuan sat in a chair next the window, one eye trained on the things outside, and the other flickering to where the sleeping girl lay.
It was a long while before the girl finally awoke. Night had already settled in and the stars were just beginning to twinkle through the darkness. Yuan watched as the girl began to stir, her eyelids fluttering, unwilling the sleep to be over. Yuan sat up straighter, his expression guarded, as the girl rose into a sitting position at the edge of the bed. What greeted him was the brilliant green of eyes that still haunted all his dreams. He was sure his heart stopped once more.
"Yuan…we have to talk," spoke the half-elven soul as she patted the spot next to her on the bed. Gladly Yuan complied, his body already aching to be nearer the one he loved.
"Why…?" Martel shushed him, gently placing a finger over his lips, before shaking her head no.
"By now you've already noticed the duo condition of Colette and my souls. No doubt you are puzzling over how it's even possible. I know you. Your strategic mind is constantly working to figure out the hardest mysteries. I know you've already noticed that under normal conditions my soul only surfaces during times when Colette's praying and only during the night. I doubt I have to explain to you why. I also know that you are confused and surprised about this incident and the one earlier today as these anomalies do not follow the pattern previously set out."
"Yes…you know me well…"
Yuan was humbled by the all too familiar speech patterns, the way the two of them just understood each other. At the same time, he was also disquieted by the seriousness in his previous lover's voice. Though not unfamiliar to him, it was an expression of hers that wasn't all too common. The situation must be more advanced than he previously thought.
"However, I also know that you aren't yet certain how the duo-soul condition came to be in the first place. Knowing you, you already have several theories, and most likely several aspects of them are correct. However, even I am unsure how this condition initially started. Instead, I'm going to tell you the impact my presence is having on this girl's body so you can find a solution and put a stop to this condition."
Yuan stayed silent, listening intently, understanding the seriousness in Martel's tone.
"My soul is finally starting to identify with the chosen's mana signature. As such, her body is starting to embrace my presence and is slowly starting to change to accommodate me. Her very DNA itself is mutating to match more closely with my soul's signal. However, the body cannot withstand two souls for much longer. As such, these changes are injuring the host. The presence of our two souls is constantly in conflict with one another and slowly, though unwittingly, both of our souls are beginning to cancel one another out. As such, it is very likely that if this continues, both our souls will disappear and Colette's body will just become an empty shell with no chance of recovery, unlike last time. Therefore, in order to save us, you have to find a way to get rid of either me or Colette."
"There has to be another way!" Yuan burst out agitatedly.
"There isn't," Martel stated, covering one of Yuan's hands with her own in attempts to soothe him. "Choose wisely…my love," she said gently kissing him once on the cheek, before passing out in his arms.
Not long afterwards, Colette awoke in that position. The two sprang away from each other as if the touch burned them. Colette, obviously flustered, was red in the face and couldn't look directly at Yuan. Yuan on the other hand looked as calm as always, but there was an uneasiness in his eyes. A long silence permeated the air for the few seconds that seemed like forever.
"Ahem," said Yuan, clearing his throat and snapping out of his thoughts. Colette did likewise, raising her head, finally looking Yuan in the eye. Something about the tone in Yuan's voice let her know the level of importance that was to follow.
"Y-You know what's been happening to me?" It wasn't a question. Colette already knew it to be a fact.
"Yes."
"Tell me…please."
And so he did. Yuan related word for word exactly what Martel had said, about their duo-souls, about the cancellation, about her body's changes, everything. He kept everything very quick and precise, only the facts. Once he was finished, Colette stayed silent for a long time, her brain processing what he had just said.
"You'd be a lot happier with Martel back…" Colette finally said, so low that only Yuan could hear it.
Even though he was sitting on the bed next to her still, he felt so far away now. Colette couldn't even manage to look at his face. The teachings of Lloyd just kept ringing through her head.
"Of course I don't want to disappear," she thought to herself, "but there's no other way. Yuan loves Martel and…I'm just in their way."
Yuan was struggling. He was fighting with himself to keep his irritation and other emotions in check. It was laborious to force his clenched fists lying in his lap to unclench. Meticulously he locked away all his emotions again, his expression unreadable. How dare she suggest that she just disappear so readily? Did she really think he was such an uncaring guy? Hadn't they traveled together already over half a year? Didn't she realize that they were…friends? Yuan couldn't help but give a twisted, wry smile. Of course she hadn't. Wasn't he the one who kept all emotions locked inside a hidden box? The truth was he didn't want either female to disappear, but he was at a loss as to how to say this…
Colette took this silence to be a confirmation to her statement. In a sense, she felt relieved. All along, she had known that she must have been the only one with these feelings. She began to rub away the water that had accumulated in the corners of her eyes, but never fallen. Finally she knew. It was a relief to also know what had been happening to her. Always she had been aware, of the short blackouts, and the periods of time in which she couldn't remember. Now she understood. Somehow, her spirit felt lighter. She finally turned to her left to look at Yuan, but he was frowning.
"We're going." He said standing up and briskly walking out the door.
"Where?" Colette asked hurriedly grabbing her few belongings and following him.
"To Sybak."
-o-o-o-o-o-
Yuan definitely had a headache now. Vainly he rubbed his forehead, trying to will the headache to vanish. Sighing he placed another book down on the table, immediately picking a new one up next to him.
"Have you found anything yet?" asked Colette appearing around the corner, a book held open in her hands.
"Nothing. You?" he asked, not expecting a positive answer. Colette just affirmed his thoughts with a shake of her head.
They had already spent a whole day there, and the pair had nothing to show for their efforts. Yuan was becoming more than frustrated, now he was downright irritated. Night had already fallen, and the room was only dimly lit now with a few candles placed here and there. Exhaustedly Colette placed her book down as she yawned, only haphazardly picking up a new one in its place.
"Go to bed," Yuan commanded.
Colette was too tired to protest, and nodding mutely placed the book back on its shelf. In a daze she stumbled on her way out of the room, swaying unsteadily until her foot caught the corner of a chair leg. She swung her arms widely trying to reverse the downward momentum to no success. Colette went flying towards the floor, and the books left on the table by a previous student went flying with her.
"I'm okay," she said with a goofy nervous grin on as she tenderly rubbed her lower back to get rid of the dull ache. Yuan just arched an eyebrow inquisitively, the corners of his mouth turned upward in a half-smirk. He had already long ago become accustomed to her characteristic clumsiness.
"Just leave it. Go. To. Bed." He commanded once more when she stopped to clean up her mess. "I'll take care of it," he added in reassurance when she was still hesitating.
Colette nodded, this time more cautious as she made her way out of the room. Pausing at the doorway, she looked at his haggard frame and smiled.
"Good night Yuan!"
"Night," he responded automatically, only looking up from his research for half a second.
After a few minutes, Yuan got up to make good on his word. He began picking up book after book and placing them neatly back on the table. Whoever had been sitting here had been doing a lot of research on exspheres and the like.
Suddenly Yuan had an epiphany. For the rest of the night, Yuan stayed up and studiously read by candlelight. Soon it was dawn and when Colette awoke, Yuan was sitting in a chair nearby waiting.
"I've figured it out," he said, his expression hard to read as he immediately got up and left. Colette hurriedly followed him as he handed over a fresh apple for her to eat while he explained on the way.
"The key to solving the duo-soul cancellation process lies within your cruxis crystal. As you already know, exspheres are made from the energy of human beings. The same is true of cruxis crystals, though only specific humans can make one, unlike with exspheres. In a few rare cases, traces of a person's soul can be found within, even after the formation process is complete. These small traces have been known to momentarily take over a person's body. A good example of this would be when Mithos took over your body. Are you following along so far?"
Colette nodded once, trying her best to absorb the vast amounts of information Yuan was throwing at her. She was so busy keeping pace, that she didn't even have time to wonder where they were headed. Yuan kept up the harsh pace.
"You obtained your cruxis crystal from the angel Remiel. This crystal is in fact the same exact one that has been passed from chosen to chosen. You see, this cruxis crystal was made with the intents of channeling Martel's energy into the empty shell as the chosen's body had completed the angel transformation process. In fact, your cruxis crystal contains a small portion of Martel's soul. Ideally, what should have happened is that once the cruxis crystal came into contact with a compatible empty body, Martel's soul would awaken and claim the vessel as her own. However, Martel's soul remained dormant, which explains why she hasn't been reborn in a new body up to this point."
Colette was confused. If Martel's soul was sleeping all this time, what had caused her to finally awaken, thus leading to their current situation?
"The catalyst for your current situation was when Martel used your body as a means to communicate with Mithos and try to plea with him to change his ways. Even though it was only a mind-link at that point, it proved to be the factor that synchronized your soul and hers. Therefore, in order to stop the duo-soul condition before it completely erases both of your souls, we need to only sever that link. In other words, we have to destroy the cruxis crystal."
"That's great! You found the way to—"
"However," Yuan's serious tone stopped Colette, "there's a catch. Whoever's soul is not dominant at the moment of the crystal's destruction will disappear along with the crystal."
At this point Yuan had stopped walking and looked pointedly at Colette. Her head was tilted downward in such a way that her expression was hidden behind her bangs. Yuan decided to give her a moment to think to herself as he took in the scenery. There was nothing but large boulders and arid land all around. Far in the distance was the outline of what seemed to be a sapling. The two had already reached their destination. He would lose one of the women that he had learned to love in his life within the vicinity of the Great Kharlan Tree.
"So, you've finally figured it out. I knew you would Yuan."
Yuan looked up at the sound of Martel's voice. For a second the two stared at each other as they silently communicated with one another. After a moment, Yuan took one step hesitantly, then another, until his steps became deliberate. Finally, he removed the cruxis crystal from its spot. He looked at the fragile piece of stone before staring into those piercing green eyes.
"I'm going to destroy this crystal, Martel."
"Hmm…" Martel looked thoughtful for a few moments. "Yes you are, but I won't let Colette disappear. This world needs its chosen still. You need the chosen now."
Suddenly one of Colette's rounded chakram appeared. As the flying projectile raced towards Yuan, it clipped the side of his hand. Yuan's eyes widened as he could only look at Martel forlornly while he was powerless to stop the crystal from hitting the ground and smashing into a million shards.
Why?
"I love you Yuan, I always will, but our love was in the past. It's time for you to move on with your life. You can't continue to chase after me. I just want you to be happy."
Even as she began to disappear, sparks of her remaining life disentangling from the feet down to float in the air, she tried hard to hug Yuan one last time in her spectral state. Her soul had already separated from Colette's body and now her true form was visible. For one last time, she smiled the way Yuan remembered, before her soul broke into thousands of small spectral balls of energy. For a few seconds, these small orbs of green, blue, and white clung in the air. Then, Mana appeared from around the astral projection of what the Great Kharlan Tree would one day look like. She opened her arms wide as if invitation for a hug, and the small orbs were absorbed into her. She looked at Yuan briefly, concern on her face, before seemingly smiling at something in the distance. Assured, she turned, and then the vision of both her and the tree vanished until all that was left was the arid reality.
Suddenly warm hands enveloped Yuan from behind. As the gentle arms held tightly around his neck, he could feel moisture spreading on the back of his cape, soaking through to the nape of his neck. Surprisingly he felt a few droplets fall on the back of his hands. He stared at them in amazement before gingerly raising a hand to his face.
He was crying.
Yuan didn't remember the last time he had cried. He hadn't even properly had time to mourn for Martel when she died. He had always kept himself busy with work, trying to stop Mithos' plans for both of their sakes. At night, he tried not to think too deeply about what he had lost. And then suddenly, she reappeared before him. He had thought that this was his ticket to happiness once again. That maybe this time he'd finally be able to rest.
But she had left him once again.
It just wasn't possible. How many thousands of years had he kept this all inside, so deep that even he didn't know it was there? He was like a lost child, unsure of what to do with all this feeling and so he just sat there slumped over as the silent tears cascaded down slowly.
Colette's grip tightened before it slid away so she could face him instead.
"It hurts me too. I feel like I'm missing some part of me. Martel had always been there in my mind guiding me, but I know that everything will be all right."
"How?" Yuan wasn't going to listen to false attempts to comfort. He found it very unbelievable at this moment that anything could go right from now on.
Colette merely pointed to her chest.
"This is how I know," she said, indicating towards her heart. "The goddess lives on in each and every one of our hearts. Just because she's gone doesn't mean that we'll forget her. And I know that from wherever she is now she'll be watching and smiling down on us. I'm sure her deepest wish would be for us to take happiness from knowing her rather than pain."
Yuan nodded. The girl, though much younger than him, seemed to understand the world in ways that he didn't. He hated to admit it, but what she said made sense. Perhaps if he stuck with her a little longer, she'd be able to teach him much more. Getting up, he turned towards the sapling.
Goodbye, he thought for one last time.
From this moment on, time could only move forwards. Perhaps his angelic companion would prove to be the key to regaining the shards he'd long ago lost.
"Where are we going?" Colette asked slightly panting as she struggled to keep up.
"Wherever the next prayer site is."
Colette smiled. It seemed like they would be together even if it was just for a short while more. Unbeknownst to her, the corners of Yuan's mouth twitched upwards as well in what could only be a smile.
-o-o-o-o-o-
A/N: So here were my conditions for this challenge:
1) Yuan/Colette
2) It is a post game story, and the setting for it is the ruined Ozette. Colette is there to pray for the lives lost during the Journey, and originally is alone. Ozette should be virtually empty by that means
3) Every now and then, Martel still speaks to Yuan through Colette, there's no way to get rid of this. Regardless, no Yuartel
4) Colette and Martel's souls begin to cancel the other out, making it likely that Colette will simply turn into a soulless shell. Yuan needs to choose between eliminating Colette or Martel, and neither Colette or Martel want to sacrifice the other, causing more pain for Yuan in the process
5) Yuan has been following Colette since the beginning of her solo journey, studying her and safe guarding her from various threats. As such, he knows of her current twin-soul state to SOME degree.
6) Nearing the climax of the story, Colette needs to stab/slash/chop Yuan.