Author note: I don't own The Last Story, or else things would've gone quite different for several characters in the game.

Here it is. THE CANON DIVERGENT AU WHERE ZAEL ACTUALLY MANAGES TO HELP JIRALL REGAIN HIS SANITY AND GET OFF THE EMPEROR SWORD'S INFLUENCE INSTEAD OF JIRALL DYING IN THE GAME.

I thought of it literally just this week while working on other fanfics, and I realized it hadn't been done yet, so I figured it was about time we got a fic for this canon-divergent situation. I hope you all enjoy reading this! XD

Warning: Spoilers for The Last Story (for the Jirall boss fight and other major elements of the story), mentioned one-sided Jirall/Calista, mentioned Zaelista (ZaelxCalista), canon-divergence

Invitation to Redemption

Summary: A Canon-Divergent AU where Zael and Jirall fight on the ship, but both of them survive. Or, how Zael helps Jirall before he's completely beyond saving.

"Jirall, listen to me, please! That sword's controlling you!"

"Shut up!" Jirall stabbed at him, Zael barely sidestepping the attack. The menacing, red glow in the aristocrat's eyes met Zael's own. "You want to take it away, don't you? The power. Like how you took away my Calista, our engagement—!"

"No! That's not what I'm trying to do! Please, listen!"

Jirall wasn't listening.

Zael didn't know what to do.

He knew Jirall was framed for General Asthar's murder (a framing Zael knew was executed by Dagran), and probably made some sort of deal with Zangurak after the Gurak wrecked the castle and let all the prisoners, Reptids and fellow Gurak go loose. And now…

Now Jirall had the opportunity to kill Zael, who was (and currently is) alone. Zael knew he couldn't just jump off the ship and flee, because they were in the middle of the ocean and also because the Gurak on the ship were watching him and Jirall fight. He knew he couldn't let Jirall kill him. He had to get to Calista, save her and Lazulis but—

Was Jirall someone that could be saved? Did he even want to be saved?

He had the feeling that something was off about that sword Jirall held, that it might hold some kind of influence. Wouldn't be the first time he found a sword with magical effects. Zangurak gifted it to Jirall, Zael guessed, as a show of alliance.

And to get Jirall under his control.

But how do you break someone out of someone else's influence if they didn't want to get out?

Jirall knocked the sword out of his hands, before kicking him in the chest. The impact sent Zael flying backwards, onto the hard deck, and a grunt escaped his lips. Before he could get up, Jirall had the sword pointed just below his chin, underneath his throat.

"Any last words?"

Zael knew he had to get the truth out there right here and now.

And even if that didn't prevent him from being killed by Jirall, at least he could die knowing he did the right thing.

"I'm sorry."

Jirall jabbed at his throat, but not hard enough to cut skin. "What for?"

Zael felt his arms tense at his sides as he steadily, slowly, made eye contact with Jirall this time. "I'm sorry I didn't defend you when you got framed for General Asthar's murder."

Jirall laughed, loud and clear. "You think sorry is enough?! After all you've done with me?"

"I know it's not!" Zael corrected himself, shaking his head. "When I went to Lazulis, I thought me and my friends could become knights. That I could become a knight. But then I realized, as I started being more in the Count's favor, as well as everything else that's happened with the war against the Gurak and all, that….it's not that simple."

Jirall hesitated. Zael kept talking, hoping to reach him.

"Calista told me, that it's not some fairytale world of knights and princesses and doing the right thing. There's deceit, and traitors, and all sorts of political scheming. She's right, and I know who framed you for General Asthar's murder in the first place."

"Who?" Jirall's voice had a dangerous glint to it, and Zael thought the man might just stab him right then and there, but then he saw Jirall's grip on the Emperor sword shake. "Who!?"

Zael swallowed, then blurted, "Dagran."

Jirall's eyes widened, and he lowered the sword a bit.

"…the Count's right-hand bitch? He did it?" Jirall did not back away from Zael entirely, but Zael saw the wheels turning in the nobleman's head, saw Jirall's teeth grit. "He did that just to get you out of jail and me out of the way, didn't he? Why am I not surprised?"

"Honestly," Zael managed, heaving a breath, hoping Jirall wouldn't kill him anyway, "that's what I understand."

"Or," The other man quipped rather nonchantly, he killed Asthar and wanted to pin the blame on me while throwing suspicion off you."

"Dagran?" Zael's blood went cold, and he shook his head. "No, he can't…couldn't have…"

"Are you really so naïve, after all this time?" Jirall snapped, glaring at the mercenary-turned-knight-in-training. "If I were the murderer, I'd blame it on the one person that everyone else despises. No one gives a shit about you then."

Zael thought back to Dagran running ahead at the time to 'stop reinforcements.' And then him going up the elevator after Dagran, only to find the dying General Asthar.

It dawned, on Zael, that Jirall might be right. As much as he and Jirall shared their animosity over each other for reasons more than just their rivalry over Calista and Jirall hating mercenaries (and most specifically Zael for obvious reasons), Jirall might honestly, seriously, be right.

"I can clear your name." Zael managed. "Maybe we can find proof."

Jirall raised an eyebrow. "Like the letter used to frame me?"

"Like the letter." Zael confirmed. "But a real letter, not a fake one. If Dagran had a fake letter ready, he probably had real ones on hand somewhere, to replicate the Gurak's handwriting from. Of course," Zael looked around, seeing the raging waters around him and Jirall on the ship, as well as the other Gurak watching on the ship, "I guess we have to get back to Lazulis to do that first, don't we?"

Jirall took one, good look around himself, taking a deep breath. He still kept that sword pointed at Zael, but Zael saw his grip on the blade waver. If Jirall still decided to go through with killing him, Zael immediately figured that he could disarm the man temporarily, or try to, and that would stop him from getting killed sooner. But if Jirall did work with him, maybe…

"What are you waiting for!?" One of the Gurak soldiers barked at the nobleman. "Kill him!"

Jirall snapped his gaze towards the soldier, before pointing the sword at him this time.

"Don't," he hissed, "Tell me what to do!"

The Gurak soldier didn't get a chance to speak before his throat was slit.

All the other Gurak guards tensed, and Zael got to his feet, grabbing his sword and pointing them at them.

"Jirall?" Zael called, eyeing the guards and then looking to the other man. "Do we have a—"

"Truce?" Jirall laughed, far less like a madman and much saner this time. "We take over the ship, row on over to where Zangurak has Calista, save Calista, then go back and clear my name. If you back out, I kill you. Sounds fair?"

Zael wanted to argue against the possibility of him getting killed, but at least he wouldn't die. Not now, at least. He had to save Calista, and now he had a truce to keep. He couldn't help but grin, just a bit, as the Gurak circled them.

"Fair enough, Jirall."

With that being said, both men lunged forwards, striking at their now-shared enemy.