Ginta held up the Arm victoriously, teeth gritted with determination as he shouted, "Okay, Andata!" Anticipation shown in his eyes and I couldn't help but smile at the childish brute. Ginta grinned back. "Take us to-"
"STOP!!!" a voice shouted, and the stunned group of MAR fighters turned with various expressions on their faces.
I thought I recognized the voice, and as soon as my eyes landed on the old man, my suspicions were confirmed. A few feet away, both Nanashi and Jack started with surprise, eyes wide. "Hey..." Jack started, looking like he was about to say something more, but Nanashi beat him to it.
"What're you doing here?" the theif asked, incredulous.
Even as the words left his mouth, though, Dorothy was gasping in shock, an expression of alarm and worry taking over her face. "Great Elder? Why are you here!"
The great elder of Caldia, I thought, only able to stare as the aged man slowly approached our undefeated leader. Ginta looked up at the towering figure, stunned awe decorating handsome features that I had come to love, yet been forbidden to touch again. The reminder had my chest tightening all over again, and I knew soon enough I would have to act. I would have to do something.
But for now, I couldn't imagine what.
"You did well, defeating Phantom," the old man rasped, and I was both proud of Ginta and furious with him at the same time- Phantom can't die, though, I forcefully reminded myself, and when the old witch's gaze cut my way for a split second, I was afraid he might have glimpsed into my head. However, he was looking away again, even as the thought crossed my mind, and I half convinced myself that I'd imagined it. Conjured it from nothing but paranoia.
The old elder continued, regardless of my inner musings. "But this is not over yet," he added with a sigh, and a brief flicker of something on Ginta's face was all I needed to know that he knew it all too well, despite pretending to be an oaf half the time.
But of course; my Ginta was more intelligent than anyone outside our small posse gave him credit for.
The Great Elder of Caldia reached into the sleeve of his robe and procured a gleaming, familiar black sphere resting innocuously in the middle of his palm - Ginta just keeps collecting those things - and held it out for the blond to take. "I came to give this to you," he explained, then added, "It is a stone for Babbo," as if that weren't already glaringly obvious.
Ginta took the stone, saying nothing as the old man reached forward with a brief explanation to mend the damage done to Babbo during Ginta's fight with Phantom. Right before our eyes, the metal mended like flesh under the force of a Holy Arm.
I was both surprised and not.
Ginta's face lit up as the man pulled his hand away, an idea clearly circling in that head of his. "Hey, you should know what this is!" he proclaimed, reaching back into his pocket and pulling out his closed fist. He brandished the limb before him and uncurled his fingers to reveal a gleaming something. "This here weird Arm..." He said as the elder leaned forward to peer at it carefully. "What is it?" Large blue-green eyes raised from the Arm in his hand to the shock on the elder's face, and for a moment he frowned.
"The Purificiave!" gasped the old man in disbelief. "With this..." His eyes darted up to Ginta's face as he hesitated, but he then went on. "You can kill Phantom!"
Something in my stomach dropped at those words. No. Yes. I couldn't make up my mind whether to be angry, sad or happy. By all rights, after all Phantom had put me through, I should be thrilled as those words met my ears, but... I couldn't be sure if that's what I truly wanted anymore. Not since that time after we'd returned from Caldia and, furious that Phantom had injured so many in the enchanted city, injured my Ginta, I'd foolishly tried to stab him in the back. Literally.
And though that midnight visit was in the past, it had taken it's toll on me so much that even Snow had noticed, though she'd thankfully not mentioned it to anyone else.
The elder was talking again, and I tried desperately to pay attention, though it was pointless. "... shatter Phantom's immortality..." the man was saying. No, yes. Gods, which one? How should I take this? Shouldn't I be happy about this? What the hell was wrong with me? "... keyhole in Phantom's body."
Ginta said something; I missed it, too preoccupied with my thoughts that I nearly missed what everyone was saying, until I heard my name. "... Al's zombie tatoo will disappear too!" Dorothy said, eyes shining with relief for her friend. She gave me a warm look, but I was too stunned by the idea to return it.
Silence fell and I became aware that they were waiting for me to give some sort of reaction. I made a choice. Stretching out my hand and looking my- no, not mine, never again, just plain Ginta in the eyes, I smiled gently. "Ginta, could you give me that key?" I asked, forcing my eyes to show nothing but kindness and determination. I had a flash of the time Phantom gave me the zombie tatoo, and my hand shook. Would I give it to Phantom? Or would I use it? Even I didn't know. "When it comes to my fate," I said, almost on automatic as my thoughts raced in my head, "I'd like to settle it myself." And settle it I would. Whatever my choice may be in the end.
The confident smile Ginta, my former lover, flashed me as he trustingly held out his hand nearly broke my heart, but I forced myself to keep the smile on my face, even making it widen a bit. "Okay!" he proclaimed, grinning at me.
My fate would be settled, and as soon as the key's deceptively weighty metal touched my palm, I knew what it was I would do. There would be no turning back.