She was scared, yes. No. Terrified was the better word. Colette wasn't shure if she had the strength to finish the Regeneration of the world anymore. She wanted to stay in the world that she loved.
That, and...
The thought of leaving Lloyd and Genis made it hurt even more than it already did. Especially when he asked her not to leave with that look on his face. If she was able to cry, she would have. It was bad enough that she only had sixteen years, but this...
Her thoughts immediately stopped when her surroundings changed. She was surrounded by darkness. Utter and complete darkness.
No. Darkness wasn't the right word. It was nothingness. There was nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to feel. Colette felt numb in a way she never felt before.
She felt nothing on the inside. She felt things in her core, but she couldn't... feel them. It was a difficult feeling to describe.
Colette tried to lift her hand, only to find that she couldn't. She tried to close her eyes to the suppresing darkness, but she couldn't do that, either.
She heard Lloyd say something that she didn't understand, then some kind of... tug.
Colette mentally sighed. This is what it means to complete the journey of Regeneration... this is my fate.
A woman suddenly appeared in a soft white light. She had long light green hair and forest green eyes and had a gentle smile on her face.
Colette tried to bow, or at least show some kind of respect, but she couldn't move, not even for the Goddess Martel.
She wanted to open her mouth to speak, but she couldn't do that, either.
The Goddess touched Colette's cheek. "Chosen Colette. You have enured many great hardships on your journey, and for that I will always be sorry."
Colette wanted to argue, to tell the Goddess that it was okay. Becuase if it regenerated the world, nothing else mattered to her.
The Goddess smiled. "Colette, you have a kind heart, and you are a good person. I have to tell you. This is more than it appears."
She removed her hand and laced them together as if she was praying. "Dear Colette. I am Martel. Return to your world on my orders, if not for no other reason."
Colette wanted to argue. She couldn't do that!
The Goddess sighed. "Then, Colette Brunel of the Manna Lineage, I reject your sacrifice."
Then she dissapeared, leaving Colette all alone again.
"A Key Crest?" She heard a woman's voice. An image of a woman with seafoam green hair came to mind before she actually saw her. "A futile effort. I will remove the ugly thing at once." She reached for the necklace that Lloyd gave her.
"No!" Colette yelled with both body and spirit as she grabbed the woman's hand. "This is a birthday present that Lloyd gave me!"
"Colette! You're back!"