Prompt: 350-500 words, "losing faith"

Disclaimer: Legend of Mana and all of its characters and content belong to Square Enix.

1.

He knew what the face of despair looked like.

The Jumi were a doomed race. As soon as the other races commenced the hunt, the countdown to extinction began. The others of his race that he had found still alive had long since accepted their inevitable fate. Their cores had lost their shine, their eyes devoid of hope. The shadow of death loomed over them all, and they could feel it encompassing them more and more each day. He'd seen it in Pearl's face before he'd banned her from thinking, and he'd seen it in his own reflection.

He knew what the face of despair looked like, and he saw it on her face that instant.

Esmeralda's death had hit her hard; she kept repeating how she should've done something, she should've protected her, she was her Knight. How was it that even though he knew her pain, knew the torment of losing a Guardian, he was at a loss for words? She had lost Esmerelda, just as she lost Diana after that, and Rubens before both. She had failed to help Larc. She had failed to help Daena, and... and she had killed Escad.

Every day, Elazul watched as despair filled her. She was physically stronger than ever, yet he watched as her strength left her each passing day. She had always believed that saving the Mana Tree would be the panacea. Now, she couldn't help but wonder if that wasn't just her naïveté talking.

He couldn't stand it anymore. He grabbed ahold of her arm and pulled her to a standstill. She gave him a tristful look, which made his core ache with sorrow. He opened his mouth unsurely, waiting for his voice to work. Words, you can't fail him now.

"... I need you to know something."

A spark of curiosity lit up her eyes, and the sorrow in his core turned into excitement.

"I need you to know that no matter what happens, you will find the solution, the key to everyone's happiness. And... And..."

And I will be right there beside you when you do.

She silently examined him for a long while, motionless. Her eyes intently searched his face, though what she was looking for, he didn't know. Eventually, she reached over and gently squeezed his hand. A soft, ghost of a smile settled on her face.

And he knew that she believed.

Word count: 399

Can be viewed as either Elazul/Heroine friendship or romance.