Flight:
Seven 100-word drabbles about the Gift of Cruxis
Word Count: 7 x 100
Rating: K+
Disclaimer: Still not Kanthia's.
Warning: Contains spoilers.
x x x
01. Colette : Love
The land below her is vast. It is green and gold like her life and all hers- hers to save or hers to allow to plummet in decay.
She stretches her wings to the intolerant sun, feeding off its rays. The day is warm and bright as she turns and loops and twists and hopes that Lloyd is below her watching in awe and falling in love. It's a good day to fall in love.
Yet for all the freedom her father has granted, she knows that she is not long to live; for this broken world, a tower sleeps.
x x x
02. Yuan : Freedom
He stretches his wings wide as the sun and pushes himself to turn back to the base. Though he is flying with the wind at his back, it is twice as hard to return to where a stack of papers need to be signed and the cries of tormented humans wait in the imaginary spaces.
He imagines life without Mithos, life without his Renegades, life with Martel. He wonders if he's placing too much blame on the human who killed her.
His wings sigh as he touches down and buries them. Once again, he is held hostage to the earth.
x x x
03. Kratos : Escape
Fly.
That is all he can think as he pushes away the battered body of what used to be his wife and ascends. He has no time left to ponder, no energy left to fight, no humanity left to cry.
His wings beat mercilessly as he struggles to match their pace with his rapid heartbeat. It is all he can do to get away from the looming face of Kvar over the carcass of his life.
Despite four thousand years of freedom in flight, he's not surprised that the cursed things on his back represent anything but what he loves.
x x x
04. Remiel : Lies
Lord Yggdrasill had given him his wings. They are not quite the translucent pools of mana of Seraphim, but close enough- and he thinks he likes their feathery, white, pure falsity.
That had done well for his name amongst the hailed members of Cruxis; the stupid fools never feared him when his power was vested in just a title, but now that he looked the part- well. Soon the day would come when he would appear in front of the idiotic Chosen of Sylvarant and charm the doomed humans that crawled on the planet.
He could fool anyone with them.
x x x
05. Mithos : Vengeance
He still remembers the first night. The converted denizens of Derris-Kharlan had warned him, but he didn't want any reasons to not do it. He wanted revenge.
Yuan and Kratos were sleeping when the lifeless beings had, aided by Luna, cast a forbidden spell on a double-bladed knife and plunged it deep into his back. The night was spent in unbelievable torture and misery as the beautiful things forced their way out.
When he had regained enough strength to get out of his blood-soaked bed and look at them, he had felt immensely extraordinary; finally, he could begin his retribution.
x x x
06. Zelos : Thread
He hates his wings immensely. Pronyma had brought them out when he had pledged to her that he would betray Lloyd and Company- she had acted like the things were a bonus for being a good boy, but he knows the real reason they're there.
When the moon is bright and it's his turn on watch, he flies as far away as he can and contemplates suicide. It would be so easy to force them away, the orange light fading to black, and die like heroes who flew too close to the sun. But he can't.
He can't fall yet.
x x x
07. Lloyd : DutyThe Great Seed weeps, childish and terrified, as it climbs up into the sky.
His mouth is strangely dry and his skin crawls with coldness as he watches the culmination of their efforts wash away.
This can't, this just can't be happening. Not only do both worlds depend on him getting the Seed back, but his eight companions as well- it's been months of broken bones and hearts and he's not going to let something silly like the sky steal the world he loves.
His mother cries from his burning hands. His feet leave the lonely earth and he soars.