Did Mikleo hear Sorey right? Sorey was telling Mikleo to stay out of the battle?

Here they were, in the Vivia Subterranean Aqueduct, trying to save a man from getting eaten by a giant slime hellion. Nothing he, Sorey, and Lailah couldn't handle by combining forces and defeating it together. But...Mikleo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sorey didn't want Mikleo in the fight. Where did that come from all of a sudden? Sorey never said anything like that before. They were always together in everything. From exploring ruins to fighting off the occasional angry prickleboar. It had always been like that, ever since they were babies.

Why the sudden change?

No surprise, Sorey and Lailah defeated the slime monster and saved the man in question. Still, all throughout the battle, with every second Mikleo watched them fight, a burning sensation welled up inside of him. Simmering, boiling, raging...he couldn't understand. Sorey had never forced him to stay out of something before. All sorts of thoughts swam around in his mind. Was he just trying to protect him, now that he was the Shepherd? Was he trying to take on more than he could bear? Did he no longer have faith in Mikleo as a person or an ally? No, that couldn't be. It just couldn't be!...Right?

But he knew one thing for sure: he wasn't going to stand around idly by.

"From now on, I'm fighting, too!" Mikleo exclaimed, once the man went about his way. This needed to be discussed, and it needed to be discussed NOW.

He could see the hesitation in Sorey's face. The concern, the fear. "But you don't have the power of purification," He explained.

That was it? Nothing like that had ever stopped Mikleo from fighting by Sorey's side before. Nothing like that had ever gotten in between them, not like this. When did it suddenly become so important? Why did it matter now, of all times? Then again, when did it ever matter at all? The lid came undone, and Mikleo wasn't going to be silent. A rush of emotions came over him, drowning him.

"So what are you asking me to do?!" Mikleo barked, unable to contain himself. No, he didn't want to contain himself. He was going to say what he wanted whether Sorey liked it or not. "Just stand around behind you and twiddle my thumbs?! I didn't come here just to be a liability to you!"

Mikleo knew it. He knew Sorey knew it. He wasn't a liability. Far from it. But to stand around and let his precious friend put himself in danger, not being able to do anything...his chest hurt. He'd never forgive himself if anything happened to Sorey. Even the Shepherd wasn't some immortal God who was infallible. Sorey was only human. Anything could happen.

"Mikleo...no one's saying that. You're not a liability," Sorey reassured.

Of course he knew that. There was no mistaking the sincerity in his voice when he said that. But...what if Mikleo could wield the power of purification? That way, he could fight off the hellions just like before, this time purifying them. Sorey wouldn't be fighting them all by himself. Yes, he did have Lailah with him, but the water seraph was sure having her by his side could only go so far. She was a fire seraph, and even fire seraphs had weaknesses. There had to be monsters out there who could resist fire. Good thing Lailah took the time to explain to Mikleo that if he were to become her Sub Lord and dwell inside Sorey, like she does, he could learn to purify hellions as well.

The minute he heard her explanation, it was easy as pie to decide what he wanted to do.

"I'll do it!" No hesitation at all. Mikleo was going to fight alongside Sorey whether he liked it or not.

"Wait, hold on a minute!" All of a sudden, Sorey pushed himself in between them. "Don't you think you need to think about this first?"

The water seraph gaped. His mouth fell wide open, purple eyes shrinking in surprise. Since when was Sorey telling him to stop and think? Last time Mikleo checked, Sorey wasn't exactly the poster child of thinking before acting. Usually, Sorey was the one who charged into situations head on, and Mikleo was the one telling him to stop and think before doing anything. It had always been that way since they were little kids. Why the sudden role reversal? Actually, scratch that...why was Sorey so insistent on keeping Mikleo out of this whole brouhaha?

The rage that built up inside him came spilling right out. "I need to think about this?!" Mikleo snapped. Did Sorey hear himself right now? "I don't recall a whole lot of thinking when you decided to become the Shepherd!"

"That was completely different!"

'No. No it isn't. Do you honestly have any idea what you got yourself into?!' Mikleo thought bitterly. He had seen it himself. Sorey was on the altar in the sanctuary. He made the decision to become the Shepherd, and he only did so because the sanctuary was under attack at that moment. Lailah even explained what becoming the Shepherd would entail, and Sorey accepted the role anyway. Anyone could have done it. Anyone who saw her could have pulled the sword out and taken on the role. Why did it have to be Sorey?

Before he could say anymore, Sorey interrupted him. "Is purifying hellions your life dream?! I honestly doubt it!"

What did that have to do with anything? But yes, Sorey did have a point. Purifying hellions wasn't Mikleo's life dream. Fighting by Sorey's side forever was. Fulfilling their dream of seeing seraphim and humans living together in harmony was. Why couldn't Sorey get that? Better yet, he should have understood that for years. Why question it now?

Putting a hand to his chest, he could only say, "I am a seraph. Hellions are my natural enemy. Is it so strange that I would want to eliminate them?" There was no mincing words now. "Actually, why is it suddenly so strange that I want to help you out with this at all?! You've never had a problem with this before! Why now?!"

"You know that's not the issue here!" Sorey swung his arm in an exaggerated motion. "I...I don't know!" Mikleo narrowed his eyes at his brown haired friend. "Do frogs try to eliminate snakes?"

Oh. So that was it. Mikleo turned around. He couldn't bear to listen to any more of this. "Is that it? Am I just a frog to you? Do you really think I'm just a burden?"

"What?! No! That's not what I'm saying at all!" Sorey yelped. Then, Mikleo could feel Sorey's large, firm hands gripping his shoulders, forcibly turning him around. They were face to face, but Mikleo didn't meet Sorey's eyes. The green eyes that were always bright and shining with cheer and joy. Now, they were large from confusion, and his voice was rising in perplexed desperation. Even his hands were trembling. "Why are you getting so hysterical? Listen to me, Mikleo?"

Hysterical?

Was this all Mikleo's attempts at reasoning with him was to Sorey? Just a silly, childish temper tantrum? Mikleo couldn't believe it. Sorey, his best friend, was outright dismissing his feelings and concerns and not taking them seriously! If words could hurt, Sorey's did. They pierced right through Mikleo's heart, so sharp were they that they twisted further, making Mikleo bleed inside. God, did it hurt. It hurt like hell to know that Sorey was trying to keep Mikleo out of the whole Shepherd business...and for what? What was wrong with Mikleo wanting to protect Sorey and be by his side, like always?

But Mikleo could see that he hit a stone wall. There was no fighting with him anymore. Gently, Mikleo pried Sorey's hands off of his shoulders. "I'm not being hysterical."

"Mikleo, please. I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just-" The water seraph didn't let his friend finish his sentence. He didn't want to hear anymore.

Turning around on his heel, Mikleo walked away. But not before telling Sorey, in a voice full of bitter, sorrowful venom, "Your liability will be waiting for you at the inn."

With that, he was gone. Mikleo left Sorey and Lailah behind.

He was alone with his anger. His sorrow, his pain, his conflicting feelings of understanding and indignation. He made sure to stay out of Sorey's sight. No way was he actually going back to the inn. Not when he'd come this far. But he did lean against a wall, allowing everything that happened to sink right in. He could see Sorey and Lailah going further into the ruins. At this point, any desire he had to explore the aqueduct further had been kicked out of him. Normally, he and Sorey would explore every inch of new ruins they could find. But now was no time for fun exploring. He felt heavy. Heavy with guilt, shame, and sorrow. All he wanted was to be with Sorey through thick and thin. Sorey even said he was happy that Mikleo was coming along with him.

A tear escaped his left eye. Wiping it away, another followed. Then more. Before long, they were flowing right out of him, and Mikleo was unable to hold them back. Choked sniffs suddenly morphed into painful moans as he buried his face in his hands, allowing the tears to cascade down his cheeks, sobs wracking his small body. It was all too overwhelming. This was just too much. The ruins were quiet, so Mikleo could cry as loud as he wanted, and nobody would be able to stop him. The pitiful sobs became full on wailing as the water seraph fell on his rear, his body leaning against the wall as he cried. His head was pounding, his lungs burned, his chest ached...everything seemed to attack him all at once.

In some deep corner of his heart, Mikleo knew the reason why Sorey told him to stay out of the battle. Sorey was always trying to be the brave one, always protecting Mikleo when bad things happened, like getting chased by wild prickleboars or almost falling down a hole in the ruins. Mikleo had his moments as well, more so than Sorey, but he still appreciated his friend's bravery and kindness nonetheless. Sorey didn't want Mikleo to get hurt, or worse, killed. Mikleo knew that far too well. Even so, it made him feel weak and helpless. He knew he wasn't, even Sorey knew that, but...Mikleo still wanted to protect Sorey as well. Why couldn't he, now that they were involved in the Shepherd's mission to defeat the Lord of Calamity and save Glenwood from the malevolence?

"Sorey…" Mikleo sobbed. "Stupid stupid stupid...why don't you get it?" Fat tears clung to his eyelashes, even as droplets marked his turquoise outfit.

This was their dream. Together. To make a world where humans and seraphim lived together happily. Did Sorey think battling the hellions had nothing to do with that.

With a sniff, Mikleo wiped the rest of his tears away. No, this was their dream. Not just Sorey's dream.

Now he knew what he had to do.

Mikleo didn't try to approach Sorey right afterward. He didn't want to make things worse than they already were, so he just followed Sorey and Lailah from a distance. He always kept an eye on them, even as they went to other places, like Alisha's manor near the Rountabel Palace. He followed them all the way to the Galahad Ruins far to the north. Lailah had left a letter for him detailing where they were going, in case he wanted to know where they were. That helped immensely, and Mikleo wasted no time going after them. No way was he going to let Sorey fall into the hands of the malevolence, even if Lailah and Alisha were by his side.

It was in those ruins that he found a beautiful blue and white bow. A bow for shooting arrows out of, laid high on a ceremonial altar. It was the most exquisite sight he had ever seen. The bow was large, but not so large that it dwarfed him in size, though it was about as big as the back of Sorey's Shepherd cloak. It was also surprisingly lightweight for a weapon. The second he touched it, a strange, warm feeling bubbled up inside him, like the bow-this armatus-belonged to him and him alone. It was like someone, long ago, had somehow made it for him, custom made solely for him. It helped that said bow was empty.

The perfect vessel for him. Perfect to use for becoming Lailah's Sub Lord. He could use this to purify the hellions.

And even if he couldn't purify them, he could still save Sorey and his friends.

Mikleo gasped as he saw an army of giant scorpions charging towards Sorey and the others. Lailah's fire attacks had no effect on them at all. They were close to death. But he was near. Clutching his staff, he glared at the scorpions as his staff glowed in a blue light.

"Twin Flow!" A splash of water cut through the atmosphere, pushing away the giant creepy crawlies.

To say Sorey was happy to see him was the understatement of the millennium. He lit up the moment he saw his water seraph friend standing before them. "Mikleo!"

Of course, Mikleo ignored him and went straight to Lailah, once again asking to be her Sub Lord.

"Wait, hold on!" Sorey pleaded.

This time, Mikleo wasn't taking no for an answer. Turning on his heel, Mikleo stared straight into Sorey's eyes. The green eyes he always loved.

"You're right. I am stubborn as a rock."

"Huh?"

It was true. Mikleo had always been stubborn. They both were. But when Mikleo wanted something, he'd stick to it or get it no matter what. Mikleo remembered the day Sorey broke his leg once. He stayed by his friend's side for two whole weeks, refusing to do anything else, especially not without his friend by his side. Sorey had kept telling him to do something else, not be cooped up in the house with him, but the water seraph didn't relent. No way was Mikleo going to relent now.

"I admit it. I'm hell-bent on becoming a Sub Lord," Mikleo confessed, taking one step forward. Their faces were so close, their noses could touch. "But there's something important that you don't understand!"

"I do understand! I just didn't want you to get involved!" Sorey reasoned.

He did understand. Mikleo could see it in his whole being. But he was still insisting on keeping Mikleo out of it. Not this time. "Get over yourself," He hissed. This time, Sorey was stunned into silence. "Do you really think this is your dream alone?"

It was here that it finally sunk in for Sorey. No, this wasn't just Sorey's dream alone. It was Mikleo's, too. It always had been both of their dreams. To see humans and seraphim coexist. They always had a reason to fight. Why put a stop to that now? Sorey could tell Mikleo wasn't going to take no for an answer. He wished he hadn't tried to talk Mikleo out of it before. Mikleo could see it. Sorey held his fist out with a smile that told him all he needed to know.

"This is our dream."

Like a fish to water, the two of them armatized like it was nothing new. A strange, exhilarating new power flowed through them as they became one, like they could do anything. Of course, no surprise, they defeated the hellions without much trouble. Everyone knew who to thank for that brouhaha.

Even after two days, Mikleo could still feel the remnants of the armatization flowing in his veins. His hands tingled and felt warm, like water exposed to sunlight. He was alone in a room in the Shaorune Inn, his mind still on the day they became one. A smile found Mikleo's face as he raised his hand to the window, allowing his palm to take in the sunbeams coming through the glass. Said sunlight gave the room in the inn a soft, orange glow.

"Luzrov Rulay…" His true name. The name he shared with Sorey long ago, before they armatized. In becoming one with Sorey, he could feel everything. Sorey's feelings, his thoughts, his dreams, his weaknesses, his strength, his soul, his heart. It was like he was a part of him. Two halves of one whole.

Mikleo was still lost in thought, even as he heard the door creak open. Subtle footsteps followed, and Mikleo could tell they belonged to Sorey's grey boots. "Hey, Mikleo."

The water seraph put his hand down. "Hey yourself."

Flashing a sheepish smile in his direction, Sorey sat down on an empty bed. Mikleo followed suit, sitting right next to him. It was easy for Mikleo to take in all of Sorey's features, the things about him that he loved. The ever messy mop of chocolate brown hair, his jade green eyes that always sparkled at everything he saw, his permanently rosy cheeks, his large hands, the orange Elysalark feathers he wore ever since he was a child...this was the Sorey the water seraph knew and loved. But he also saw something else as well. Something foreign and, frankly, unacceptable. Sorey's eyes were red and puffy, and faint tear tracks reflected the sunlight.

"...You've been crying, haven't you?" Mikleo asked. It wasn't like Sorey to cry. Was something wrong?

Sorey nodded. "Yeah. I…" His hands trembled. "I had a nightmare last night. You died, and everyone said it was my fault for not making you my Sub Lord when I had the chance," Another tear slipped out.

It hurt Mikleo's heart to see his friend sad. A desire to comfort him took hold, and he wiped the tear away without a word. "I understand why you didn't want me to be a Sub Lord. You only wanted to protect me from the Shepherd's burden."

Again, Sorey nodded. "I want to say I'm sorry. I know we...kinda made up a few days ago, but...it didn't feel like it was enough. So…" A brief pause. "I'm sorry. I never should have doubted you. I made no attempt to even understand your feelings."

"It's alright," A small hand rested on Sorey's knee, brimming with warmth and reassurance. "I get it. But...whether you're the Shepherd or not, Glenwood is overrun with hellions, and we likely would have gotten dragged into this anyway, whether we wanted to or not. Even so, Sub Lord or not, I want to travel with you. Go on adventures with you," Mikleo crossed his arms and looked out the window with a wistful gaze. "I want to see our dream be fulfilled. Even if you weren't the Shepherd, I'd still go with you. I can honestly say that's how I want to live my life."

Finally, Sorey smiled. Using his arm to wipe the tear remains away, he flashed his signature bright, happy grin. "You're right, Mikleo. Thanks...for being my Sub Lord. I know you said I shouldn't be thanking you, but...I want to anyway."

Mikleo cocked his head to one side, grinning mischievously. "Hmmm...I'm honestly not sure if I can forgive you."

"Awwwww!" Sorey whined. "Come on!"

"But I think I'll accept your apology…" Mikleo teased, waggling an index finger around. "If I turn you into a laughing mess!"

"Wha-?! Wait, Mik-!"

Too late. Mikleo pounced on Sorey like a cheetah, pinning him to the bed. The water seraph pulled Sorey's black shirt all the way up, exposing his skin, namely his abdomen and navel. Mikleo smirked. God, that cute tummy and bellybutton were just begging to be tickled. Unable to resist temptation, Mikleo's hands attacked, his fingers freely dancing across Sorey's stomach. The fluttering fingers made Sorey howl in laughter, unable to do much except flail his legs and lean deep into his bed.

"Mihihihikleohohohoho!" Sorey was absolutely helpless. Mikleo's touch was soft and tender, but fast and absolutely electrifying. It felt so, so good. Damn those talented fingers.

"This is what you get for doubting me!" Mikleo didn't show any mercy. He had to admit, seeing Sorey on the bed laughing his head off, completely at the mercy of his thin, slender fingers was strangely endearing. Cute, even. Yes, this was the Sorey he knew and loved. The sweet, loving, affectionate Sorey he always played with. Sorey himself was pretty fun to play with.

"Quit ihihihihit!"

"Awwww, what's wrong?" Mikleo's voice turned uncharacteristically cutesy-wootsy. Of course, that was intentional. "Poor widdle Shephewd can't handle some widdle tickles?" If Sorey was turning red before, his whole body was absolutely on fire, and he was in complete hysterics. "Man, you're totally gone."

"Whohohohose fault is thahahahat?!"

Nobody else in the inn heard their laughter. Or if they did, they didn't question it. Nevertheless, this was how things were supposed to be. Neither Mikleo nor Sorey would have it any other way.