Disclaimer – I don't own Tales of Phantasia.
Summary – After saving the future, Klarth returns to his time period, marries Milard Rune, and awes the academic world by proving his theories on Summoning. But if that were all that happened Klarth wouldn't be half as amazing as he really is.
A/N – This is basically a collection of little stories about Klarth, Milard, and Arche during Klarth's lifetime. As to why I call him Klarth and not Claus? His name has been Klarth a lot longer than it's been Claus. Quite frankly, calling him Claus makes me think 'Santa Claus' and that's just... not who Klarth is. I also have a tendency to want to spell 'clause' not 'Claus,' which is a little annoying. So there shall be no 'Claus' nonsense here. Sorry to any fans of the name 'Claus', but the name 'Klarth' is superior in my books.
Return
She was every bit as lovely as she'd been when he'd last seen her. Lovelier, even.
Klarth stared at Milard for a long moment, smiling at the sight of the blush on her cheeks. He couldn't believe there had ever been a time when he hadn't understood his true feelings for this beautiful woman.
Finally moving, Klarth stepped forward, into the house, and wrapped his arms around her.
"Milard..." he whispered, his face buried against her shoulder while her long brown hair tickled his face. Forgotten, his hat fell to the floor. "I've missed you so much." As her arms came up and she hugged him back, Klarth brought his face up so that he could look into her chocolate colored eyes. He kissed her lightly on the lips, encouraged when she returned the kiss eagerly. Slipping from her arms, Klarth dropped to one knee and produced the diamond Summoning ring that he'd made his pact with Origin on.
Since the pact hadn't been made yet, he didn't need the ring for Summoning. But the memories he associated with it made the ring perfect for use in something much more important. "Milard... will you marry me?"
"Yes..." she breathed the word out reverently as Klarth slid the ring onto her finger. "I'll marry you, you crazy man."
Laughing, Klarth leapt to his feet and pulled Milard back into his arms, lifting her off the ground as he whirled her around in excitement. "The only thing I regret," Klarth said quietly, as he put Milard back down, "is that it took me so long to realize how much I love you."
Missing
The wedding was small: close friends and family only. Milard was gorgeous in her wedding dress and Klarth looked particularly dashing in his formal suit.
Arche had been working hard on the wedding for her friend. A few days after she'd returned home to her father, Klarth and Milard had shown up to ask her to be the Best Friend (as opposed to Best 'Man') at the wedding. She'd gone with them back to Euclid after enthusiastically agreeing and had spent the past few weeks staying in Klarth's guest room. If anyone had found something strange about a seventeen-year-old girl standing in as Klarth's Best Friend, they didn't say a word.
She wouldn't want to plan them for a living, though. Somehow Arche doubted all brides were as serene and unruffled as Milard. Klarth had certainly landed an amazing woman.
But now the ceremony was over and the reception was nearly done too. As happy as Arche felt for Klarth, she was starting to feel a little sad, too.
Cless should have been there as Klarth's Best Man. Mint would have made a beautiful bridesmaid. Suzu would have been so adorable as a somewhat over-aged flower girl. Chester...
Arche sighed, watching the dancing couples. Chester should have been there as her date.
It was crazy, wasn't it? He wouldn't even be born for a hundred years, but she still had this crush on him. Arche didn't want to wait for Chester; she wanted him to be in front of her right then and there. But he wasn't. Odds were that both sets of his grandparents were only just now courting one another. Which brought up another crazy point. She might only be seventeen, but she was old enough to be his grandmother. After all, he was negatively aged at the moment, what with being unborn and all.
It felt a little like almost all her friends were dead. Arche felt like she ought to be mourning. Except they weren't dead and this was Klarth's wedding. She should be drinking and partying with the cute young men of Euclid and not mooning over Chester.
But those cute young men weren't Chester, which made them less cute in her eyes.
"I miss him," Arche finally admitted softly. "A hundred years before I can see him... that's a long time."
"It's a good thing you're a half-elf," Klarth said, startling Arche.
"Hey! No sneaking up on me, mister," Arche growled. Then she paused and gave him a weird look. "Why is it a good thing that I'm a half-elf?"
"By the time you get to see your boyfriend again, you'll still look cute," Klarth responded in amusement. "If you looked all old and wrinkly at a hundred plus years of age, Chester probably wouldn't want to kiss you again. But you'll probably look like you're in your twenties and he'll still think you're sexy."
Arche swatted Klarth over the head, but a grin lit up her face. "I'll always be sexy," Arche declared. "Even when I am finally old and wrinkly looking. I'll be the sexiest old lady in all of Aselia."
Klarth laughed and patted her shoulder. "That's better. Now, you've got to dance with me and then Milard, okay?"
The pink haired girl just grinned in response.
A/N – Well, there's the first one. :)
