The One He Loves

Disclaimer: I don't own Shadow Hearts: Covenant, not even Yuri or Karin. Oh well. And I can't believe I have to say this, but there are no pairings in this fic (unless you count remembered Yuri x Alice). Remember, close friendship is not the same as romance.

The train was very plain and clean, Karin noticed as she slowly walked down the aisle. Outside the train it was nearly sunset; it had been for some time. It seemed that this train was going nowhere; but Karin was certain that the scenery outside was ever changing.

Was this a dream? The last thing Karin remembered was falling asleep. She couldn't remember waking up. She felt like she had always been on this train.

Karin didn't know how long she had been walking through this single compartment. She figured it must have been a while, but it was as if no time had passed when she saw the young blonde woman sitting near the end.

"Hello, Miss Koenig," the blonde woman greeted as Karin sat down across from her.

"Hello," Karin replied, returning the blonde woman's warm smile. "Are you Alice Elliot?" She asked the question more for confirmation; she was sure that she already knew the answer.

The sincere smile didn't vanish from Alice's face. "Just Alice will be fine, thank you," she said gently.

"And you may call me Karin," Karin allowed, feeling slightly more comfortable.

For a while, the two women said nothing else. Karin felt peaceful, the kind of peace that could only exist in the absence of words. Maybe it was just the presence of Alice.

Karin's wish was to be able to speak with Alice for only a short while. She wanted to know what the woman Yuri loved was like. Sometimes she felt jealous of Alice, and she resented herself for that feeling of jealousy.

"What is this place?" Karin wondered. She really wasn't expecting an answer; however, the silence had become unnerving, and she wasn't comfortable asking Alice personal questions yet.

"This is where Yuri and I first met," Alice answered. "It's also where he first saved me." It was simple response, but very genuine.

Another question formed in Karin's mind, one she was more interested in. "What was Yuri like then?"

"The same as he is now, except he was less caring back then," Alice explained sweetly. "I think he used to feel that he didn't have a purpose in life."

Once more, a blanket of silence fell over the two women. But Karin didn't mind. She could absorb Alice's words more easily in the melancholy silence. Even if this were only a dream, she felt like she was finally beginning to understand Alice. Her answers were short and simple, but they were enough for Karin.

"You love Yuri, don't you?" Alice said in a kind tone, breaking the silence.

Karin willed her face not to flush. "Yes, I love him very much," she confirmed calmly. "I will stand by his side, no matter what trouble he gets himself into."

The smile on Alice's face became slightly wider. "I'm glad for you," she said. "I believe you and Yuri are perfect for each other. I'm sure you'll make him happy." She sighed, and appeared forlorn for once. "I sacrificed myself for Yuri, and he may blame himself unfairly for that. But I chose to die so that he could live and have a second chance at happiness."

"That was very noble of you," Karin complimented, uncertain of what else to say.

The smile returned to Alice's lips. "Thank you, Karin." She stood up and touched the cross hanging from Karin's neck. "You are special to Yuri," she commented, looking up into Karin's eyes.

Karin's hand also went up to the cross, and her fingers brushed against Alice's. "He said that this necklace once belonged to his mother and then you. It must be very precious to him."

Alice went back to her seat. "It is. He wouldn't entrust it to just anybody." She placed her hands together, as if she was preparing for prayer. "Thank you, Karin. I'm relived to have met you. Yuri is in very capable hands." A horn sounded, seemingly in the far distance. "The train will be stopping soon," Alice said. "It's almost time for you to leave."

It was sooner than Karin had expected, but she was not disappointed. It enough to have just spent this brief moment with Alice. "And thank you, Alice," she said, standing up. "I'm very happy to have met you too. Yuri is lucky to be loved by you."

"And he is lucky to be loved by you," Alice replied, still smiling sincerely.

ººº

The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, and Karin was already awake to watch. The newborn sunlight danced across her face as she stood outside the hotel.

So it was just a dream. It had felt so real, and it had satisfied Karin's curiosity about Alice, the one Yuri loved. Now that she understood Alice, she believed, she might be one step closer to understanding Yuri.

"You're up early," Yuri commented as he came up next to Karin. "Did something special happen?"

Karin smiled mysteriously. "As a matter of fact, something very special did happen."

"So what happened?"

"That's between me and a very beautiful young woman."

Yuri smirked, as if he knew what Karin was talking about. "If you say so," he said. "Wanna wander around and torment the townspeople?"

"Yuri!" Karin scolded half-heartedly, realizing that Yuri was only joking.

Yuri laughed. "Then we'll just wander around a little until everyone else wakes up," he suggested, this time serious. Karin agreed, and they headed out onto the main road.

Just as Yuri had been fortunate to be loved by Alice, she was fortunate to be loved by him, Karin thought happily.