As promised, here's chapter two. Like I said, I didn't originally plan on making this a recurring series, but due to popular demand, I did. Angelic Sacrifice: Them That Remain took a lot of me. I just finished it. This isn't the last chapter for filler! Maybe one more chapter and an epilogue. We'll see, depending on the comments.
I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Raine would be using a scythe to cast spells.
Lloyd maintained a high average in school despite his first romantic goof-up. The classmates who knew him were shocked beyond belief, contemplating the coming of the Apocalypse. Some even questioned the Professor on her "grading" policy. He studied every night according to Dirk, worked relentlessly on projects (Raine gave more than enough), was eager to answer questions during class lectures, and was the first person to the schoolhouse, if not Raine herself. The half elf became impressed with his new found ambition in education, only finding herself more interested in him.
Eventually, the school, and the community, caught on to their engagement with a mixture of emotions. There were those who sent their congratulations with endless enthusiasms, asking for wedding plans and giving honeymoon recommendations that only caused Lloyd's cheeks to blush a deeper shade of red than his shirt. Others could not share in those positive feelings. Raine, being the calm, collected, cool-headed person she is, kept a stern face throughout all the accusations. To be suspected of falsifying grades, of being dishonest in what she loved doing with an undying passion, of what she had been doing for over five years, was inhuman. Luckily, she was part elf.
It was summer in Iselia and the last school day, yet Raine felt compelled to give a proper farewell to her schoolhouse before departing. Thick grass covered the lands where dirt roads had not been compacted and trees were a vivid green. Both swayed in the warm gentle breezes, still moist with stray droplets from the previous night's rain shower. Birds chirped a song that no ears other than their own could understand, but it was beautiful to listen to nonetheless. The sun, held at noon position, shined brightly, greeting Aselia with another day of life and not a cloud dampened the sky.
"Excuse me?" asked Raine with an eyebrow raised, gripping her desk with a death-lock while she crouched like a tiger, ready for the kill.
"No wonder Lloyd got through so easy on his tests and stuff."
Releasing the desk, she folded her arms and straightened her back, giving a cold icy blue glare to her visitor. "Oh, so this is about Lloyd?" she said, pretending to be surprised. Rumors spread through town faster than Colette's Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium. A few ignorant souls were brave enough to confront her face to face. Most were students who had failed her class or barely passed. Of course, they had more nothing to lose. Grades were final, but if she wanted to, Raine could easily find a way to change them.
"I heard Lloyd graduated this year as valedictorian," Maxwell scoffed. He was indeed one of the year's failures, entirely due to his own lack of participation in all areas of study. He never did homework, slept in class more than Lloyd, refused to take tests, and even argued with Raine about it. The parent letters never made it home – she found most in the trash before the day was over. The parent-teacher conference requests were always scheduled for "tomorrow," but tomorrow always seemed a day away.
Raine gave a proud nod. "He did."
"And you two just so happened to be getting married! That's bull, Professor Sage!"
"I think not, Maxwell. Lloyd completed all tasks required for graduation and had the highest grade point average for his group. If need be, I can prove it by going over all of his tests and recalculating all the numbers," said the half elf with a mischievous grin. Somewhat of a cheap shot from the Professor: Maxwell was scarcely capable of counting any higher than the number of fingers on his hands, and the last time he checked, it was only thirteen.
Admitting defeat with a growl, he backed away. "Fine." Maxwell turned on his heels and darted out of the schoolhouse, slamming the door behind him. The building shook, and a few objects hanging on the walls fell down with a crash, spreading glass all over the floor. Rolling her eyes, the Professor swept up the glass and disposed of it properly with a broom and dustpan.
Sometimes she'd wonder to herself how she maintained her sanity all those years. Teaching in itself was more than a hassle, one not for the faint of heart. Ignorant students gave no relief to the already stressful job. But many things contributed to strong grasp on saneness: raising her brother from infancy and having a goal in life, that being to find the ruin of her dreams. Genis, though not legally an adult, had grown into something much more, inching ever so close to full fledged manhood and there were no more lessons she could teach him herself. Time only ticked away before he found some elegant young beauty to call his wife and he'd be asking for his sister's blessing to pass down his own half elven heritage. And the ruin from her dreams as well as her nightmares had been formed into reality. So what was keeping her sanity now? Or rather, who?
With a sigh, Raine finished packing her things and closed the final box and secured the top flaps with a single strip of tape. Now the schoolhouse was completely empty, but the feeling was bittersweet. This type of silence didn't even occur during recess: that empty, hollow silence which resonates within the ears, as if one was straining to hear noises that were not present. During lunch, the children seemed to get rowdy like animals released from their cages. On several occasions, the Professor would be forced to answer a distress call in the form of a scream, cry, or inaudible screech of her name. That's when she'd growl with gritted teeth, slide her desk's chair back, and shuffle outside to stop a fight from taking place or care for a bleeding wound with bandages, sometimes even two. Colette still held the record for the most: fifty four injuries, twelve resulting in early dismissal, five earning doctor visits, and one earning her the title "Eternal Klutz," courtesy of the class. How the girl managed to impale herself with an unsharpened pencil remained a mystery to Raine. But now those days were over and she'd not hear those sounds until at least another four months, assuming she renewed her teaching contract. Never again would she tend to a profusely bleeding Chosen of Sylvarant, or throw teaching supplies at sleeping brunettes, or even turn Ruin mode during lectures. The same eaglets would not return to the nest for nourishment. It was time for them to fly.
x x x x x x x x x x
Raine perked up upon hearing the front door open with a smirk of annoyance when the thought of Maxwell coming back for round two phased her mind. To her relief, her eyes brightened as she watched her visitor approach her desk with a cool stride she'd come to know and love.
"Good afternoon, Professor." Lloyd waved, walking down the classroom's main aisle and stopping behind her desk. "I thought I'd find you here."
Raine shook her head. "Lloyd, you don't have to call me that anymore."
He chuckled with shrug. "Sorry. It's a hard habit to break."
"I suppose it can't be helped," replied the half elf.
Lloyd turned, looking at all the boxes. About two rows were stacked neatly, waiting to be removed from the premises. "These are your boxes?"
"Yes. They're going home with me. It'll take me a while to carry them all, but I've done it before."
"Don't worry. I'll do it." Shuffling to the side, he stepped closer to the first row and prepared to pick one up, remembering to bend with his knees. The last time he disregarded that rule, it resulted in about a ten-day recovery period and an endless lecture from Dirk on the importance of safety, while he was forced to hold ice packs on parts of his body that only seemed to multiple the bitter cold temperatures.
"No, no. I'll do it." The Professor reached out, attempting to retrieve the box from her fiancé.
The swordsman backed away quickly, well out of her reach with the box still in hand. "Raine, it's okay. I got it."
"... Alright. But be careful. And don't drop it. There are some very important research materials in there," she consented with a sigh.
"I know, I know. You should go home and rest up. I'll take care of the rest of the boxes." He shifted the package in his hands. Some of his fingers were falling asleep. Gah! What does she have in here? Bodies?
"Yeah. I am feeling a bit drowsy." Raine put a hand to her forehead, opposite the palm, and felt her temperature to check for any signs of a developing fever. Sliding the hand down to her cheek revealed the same warmness heating up her flesh. She picked up her briefcase and headed towards the door, stopping near Lloyd. "But I have to meet the mayor for a little while."
"Are you okay?" he asked, preparing to place the cargo down.
"I'm fine... Just stop by my house later after you deliver the boxes."
A smirk, which eventually escalated into a grin, plastered onto the swordsman's face. He bit his lip to suppress it, failing miserably, before turning his head to the side.
"What's so funny?" questioned Raine.
"Nothing...," he lied.
"Lloyd..." She raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest.
"I was just thinking about the last time I 'stopped by your house.' Maybe history would be kind enough to repeat itself."
The half elf gasped as her cheeks blushed red. Her eyes widened with embarrassment and she swallowed twice, trying to recollect her nerves. Bittersweet memories filled her mind: sweet for the way his hands stroked her skin, bitter for the way he eventually had to let go. The reaction only fueled Lloyd's laughter. Soon, she found herself joining in.
The Professor tossed her chin to her shoulder. Silver locks swayed with the force of her movements. "Don't completely knock the possibility, Professor Irving." With that, Raine sashayed out of the schoolhouse, leaving Lloyd with a dumbfounded expression on his face and the encouragement to finish his task as valiantly as possible.
x x x x x x x x x x
Evening crept in like a sweet lullaby. A red orange orb sank down, wanting to rest behind the horizon. It gave the false illusion if one were to run far enough, she would be able to touch it. Had the Professor been foolish enough to believe so, she would have done it already. The volume around town hushed down to something barely above a whisper as the residences acknowledge the ending of the day. Merchants packed their carts, children retreated home, and stores locked their doors. Everything not hidden by shadows was layered with a gentle orange tint, softening their appearance as if in a dream.
Raine made it home later than she would have liked. The mayor had a mouth that could power Derris Kharlan if it was fueled by the mana of words alone. Only half of the information he gave her was useful, so most went into one ear and out the other as she tried to maintain an interested smile. She felt it was her duty as a teacher to listen, and at one point, he did bring up her engagement. It was anything but a secret. A beautiful engagement ring sat on her finger, blinding anyone within a three-mile radius if it hit the sun at the right angle. Sometimes, she'd get it stuck in her hair. Three stones sat clasped within a solid gold casing: the smallest being the past which represented the events of the yesteryears which he could not change, the middle being the second largest which represented their present moments that they'd treasure forever, and the largest representing the future which he promised to make as beautiful as her. Lloyd had an expert eye for jewelry, picking out only the best for his half elf fiancé. She secretly looked forward to seeing her wedding ring. When the mayor brought up the subject, Raine stood her ground, armed with all of his test papers along with her grading book. Seeing she was well supplied to his relief, he backed down and let her exit with a reassuring smile.
She found herself running to her cottage. She stopped inches from the door and twisted the knob to the side. As expected, Lloyd sat in a chair, and he greeted her with a smile.
"You're back," he said, standing to greet her.
"Sorry, Lloyd. I wasn't expecting to be there that long." Raine set her briefcase next to the door and collapsed in the closest chair. She threw her hand over her forehead. "That man can talk a mile a minute."
Lloyd walked over to her, sat in the next chair, and put his hand on her brow. "You don't look so good."
She smacked his hand away and turned her head to the side. "I'm fine. Just a fever. It'll go away tomorrow."
He looked over her with concerned eyes, twisting his lips as he suppressed the urge to debate the subject. "Can't have you sick for the wedding."
"Speaking of the wedding, that's why I asked you to stop by."
"Oh?" replied Lloyd, with an eyebrow raised. "What's wrong? You... don't want to do it?"
"No! That's not it!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. "It's nothing like that. I'm talking about Genis."
Lloyd gave a sigh of relief, bringing his hand to his forehead to wipe away invisible sweat drops. "You scared me there for a second."
"I sent word to him in Palmacosta, but haven't gotten a reply yet. I figure he's taking exams or maybe doing a project." The Professor's face was distraught. She twisted her lips, shifting her weight in the chair.
"It's the end of the year. Isn't he off for the semester?"
"That's why I'm concerned. He might not take this very well," Raine said with a sigh. Her concerns did nothing good for the fever. A heat wave flushed over her face and she took in a deep breath to contain her discomfort.
"Don't worry about it, Raine. Everything will work out just fine."
"If I don't receive a reply by tomorrow, I'll visit Palmacosta personally," she replied, keeping her gaze out the opposite window. Her eyes marked the descent of the sun, observing the growth of the shadows, as it slowly lowered behind the mysterious horizon until dawn of the next morning. She was never one to let her concerns go public, suppressing heartfelt emotions with synthetic solutions such as logic and reasoning. Lloyd was fully aware of that. He looked at her, blinking with a silent sigh, and let the silence thicken. Neither moved, other than for preventing limbs from falling asleep. Raine felt his eyes on her cheek, but she didn't turn around. She set an elbow on the chair's arm and supported her head in her hand.
The ringing of an alarm broke the silence. Lloyd went into his pocket and pressed a button, ending the monotone torment.
"Dammit. It's that late already?"
Raine eyed him curiously. "Hmm?"
"I gotta get home. Dirk said he wanted to talk to me about something, and if I'm not home by nine, he'll smooth out my face with an anvil." He stood to his feet, stretching his arms and letting a yawn escape.
"Alright." She followed suit, standing to her feet and giving a light stretch.
"You need to get some sleep anyway." The swordsman walked over to Raine and lifted his hand, caressing her cheeks. They still burned, but the fever wasn't responsible for the increased temperature. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer."
She nodded. Sleep sounded pretty good to her as the fatigue grew. Her eyelids drooped and she bit her inner cheek to suppress the rebellious yawns. "It's fine, Lloyd. Dirk is your father, and I have no right to keep you against his wishes," replied Raine. Her disappointment was evident in her voice, but she tried her best to keep a professional tone.
She tried to walk towards to the door, but he stopped her, tightening the grip on her hand. Pulling her arm, he swung her body closer to his and wrapped his arm around her waist. The Professor blushed, widening her eyes in shock as her heart rate increased tenfold. Lloyd moved her silver locks away from her face, revealing the beauty he'd fallen in love with. Her eyes were truly captivating and dazzling at the same time, like jewels glistening against pure goddess-given sunlight. Before she could speak, he brought his lips to hers. His tongue prevented her from protesting, not that she would have, and only a few pleasant moans escaped. She put her arms around his neck, slowly tightening the embrace. Neither of them wanted to let go, and if they had their way, they wouldn't have.
Lloyd broke off after a few passionate moments, much to Raine's disappointment, and even more of his own. She released her grasp from around his neck, but he kept an arm on her waist, fighting the new temptation of letting his hand slide down even more.
"Good night." With a smile, he kissed her again. "I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night, Lloyd."
Something inside her weakened, on the verge of completely shattering, and her heart was left with a sense of lacking, yearning, longing. Icy blue eyes shined with unshed tears; for the first time in a long while, she let her true colors show. Lloyd wiped away the ones that fell, and had he the time to stay, he would have wiped away each one after. She knew he'd keep to his promise and come back, but the tears wouldn't listen and kept streaming down her face. Had daybreak been merely a blink away, morning would not have come soon enough.
And just like that, he was gone. But all she could do was wait.
x x x x x x x x x x
Iselia's morning beauty was only rivaled by the night time, when the moon hovered above, giving off a soft white glow. Crickets sang and owls communicated through the darkness, their words unknown. Gentle breezes blew through the forest as Lloyd made his way back home, moving his hair in countless directions. The feeling of Raine's lips against his still tingled, and the taste still caressed his tongue. The flavor could only be described as Heavenly, one too wonderful for him to pass up. He smiled to himself, hoping that it would never go away, treasuring every memory of his time with her.
He hadn't even realized he made it home until the sounds of his boots pounding against solid bedrock reached his ears. He stopped in front of the door, checking himself for any telltale signs and cleared his throat before going inside. Dirk sat at the dinner table with a covered plate opposite his seat, reading a thick book with a title the swordsman couldn't make out. When he heard the door open, he looked up and lowered his literature.
"Ah, decided to come home on time, huh?" Dirk said, looking at the clock.
"I'd rather avoid the anvil," Lloyd replied with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his head nervously.
"Well, you wouldn't have to worry about that." He closed the book, pushing it aside and pointed to the chair in front of him. "Now sit down and eat, boy."
Following instructions, Lloyd rested himself. His meal's smell was enchanting, only growing more pleasant as he got closer. His mouth watered, just seconds from turning into a waterfall. His eyes widened with delight as he uncovered it. "Yes! Steak, my favorite!" To his left were a knife and fork, which he picked up without hesitation, ready to devour his dinner. "What did you want to talk about, Dad?" he managed to spit out.
"Didn't I tell you not to speak with your mouth full of food?" Dirk shook his head, slamming his palm against his face and frowning with his bushy eyebrows.
Lloyd swallowed with a gulp. "Sorry..."
"Ugh, never mind. Anyway, it's about Raine. You're getting married, Lloyd. That's a big thing."
In his own opinion, their topic was rather remedial. He put his knife down on the side of the plate and took a sip of water, clearing his throat. "Ye-yeah. I know."
"This is a once in a lifetime accomplishment. You've already shown me and the world what you can do when you set your mind to it. I have no doubt you'll do wonders. But are you well prepared to care for a wife, Lloyd?"
Lloyd twirled the fork around his fingers. "Yes, I am." He locked eye contact with his father, pure confidence in his gaze.
After a few moments of silence, Dirk nodded and caved in. "Alright. I wouldn't push it anymore."
"To tell the truth," he confessed, "it took me a while to come to terms with it. I mean, most people would have expected me with Colette, since we've known each other for such a long time. Don't get me wrong. Colette's a really good friend and that will never change, even if I am married."
"Good. It's a terrible thing when good friendships are lost to marriage."
"But any obstacles that come will be later on. I wouldn't worry about problems I can't see."
"Where are you planning on moving after the wedding? Have ya even started planning it?"
"Uh," stammered the swordsman, "not much because of school. But we will starting tomorrow. We were going to start today but Raine has a fever, so I told her to rest."
Dirk rose an eyebrow. "A fever, eh? I've never heard of the Professor having a fever before. You don't find it unusual?"
"You mean like a really bad sickness?" Lloyd twisted his mouth, pushing away his plate. "Something deadly?" Now he was worried. "I gotta go back to her hous-"
"No, nothing that serious, Lloyd. I was just thinking she could be- gah. Forget it." Dirk ran his fingers through his hair and let out a frustrated sigh. He wasn't completely oblivious to his son's nightly escapades with the Professor, but he decided not to bring that subject up. Maybe it would be best if Lloyd found out on his own.
Lloyd looked confused, squinting at his father as he waited for an explanation. "What's wrong, Dad? Were you gonna say something?"
"No, it's nothing. Just finish eating and go to bed." Standing, he pushed his chair in and walked down the small step, making his way to the tool room. "I've got work to do."
"Ah, okay..." He shrugged and returned to his meal, ready to inhale the last of his potatoes and steak.
x x x x x x x x x x
And finally the morning came. Smiling at the sunlight, Lloyd peeled back the covers and hopped out of bed before walking over to his dresser. He ran his fingers through his brown hair and laughed when he heard the sounds of Noishe's whining, probably because of a bird. He stretched, giving a yawn before pulling out a few drawers to pick out clothing. His wardrobe didn't have many variations. Mainly red shirts, black trousers with suspenders, and a whole lot of buttons which contributed to his nimble fingers. Dressing and undressing years ago took ages. Sometimes he'd just rip open his shirt and pop the buttons. That habit was broken over the years, after a few good screaming sessions from Dirk. He even forced Lloyd to re-sew the buttons.
Breakfast was more involved than usual. He could smell it even before he got downstairs, almost tripping over his feet while walking. It was even more beautiful when he trekked into the kitchen: strawberry pancakes dripping with butter, sausage cooked to perfection, scrambled eggs, cinnamon raisin oatmeal, and of course, Dirk's famous-
"-BLUEBERRY MUFFINS!" screamed the swordsman as he jumped up the small kitchen steps. A dust cloud formed beneath his feet as he ran to the table, mercilessly pulling back a chair, and trying to contain the mounds of saliva that fought to drain from his mouth.
"Good morning to you too, Lloyd." Dirk appeared from a room somewhere in the back of the small cottage. He wiped off his dirty hands with a raggedly piece of cloth.
"Umph-" Lloyd stuffed a piece of sausage in his mouth, chewed it to the best of his ability, and followed up the process with a gulp of milk. "-Mo–morning, Dad."
The pancakes were next. Snatching the fork, he proceeded to jab it into the strawberry-covered delights. He could swear they were calling his name. "Lloyd! Lloyd! Eat me, Lloyd... Eat me... I'm delicious..."
"This is awesome, Dad! What's the special occasion?"
"Ah," replied Dirk, "no particular reason. Just thought I'd make something good for breakfast."
His ravenous hunger seemed to drown out the desire for a real explanation. The swordsman nodded, returning to his plate. He began using his fingers, feeling the fork was merely an obstacle. He was scolded for abandoning his utensils, but he'd revert to his old ways as soon as Dirk left the room. Lloyd figured his father was doing some time consuming work and thought nothing of it. At one point, he was caught red handed, or whether, bacon-handed with a second strip of bacon hanging from the corner of his mouth and eggs sticking to his face. After a while, Dirk gave up and left the boy to his eating.
Despite the growing desire for seconds, Lloyd finished his plate. In a matter of minutes, the swordsman devoured an entire stack of pancakes, four scrambled eggs, six strips of bacon, five pieces of sausage, and three glasses of orange juice. He washed his plate and face before announcing his departure. Dirk waved the boy off, still a bit annoyed with his atrocious eating habits.
Walking into Iselia was like walking into the past, as he had done it so many times before. He was greeted by the guards on duty and a few random people walking into town. Had it been years ago at this same time of day, he would have probably been on his way to the schoolhouse for another day of being abused and yelled at for not remembering the year Palmacosta declared independence. It wasn't that he didn't pay attention to what Raine was saying, it was the fact thinking became difficult while holding water buckets and being flooded with chalk dust. Sometimes she'd use bricks instead of water. But those days were over... right?
Lloyd approached the Professor's cottage, making his way up the stairs, and watched the pond's water ripple as a stray leaf broke away from the tree. He wouldn't mind living there if she requested to stay in her old home, but he also wouldn't mind building a new place, somewhere outside of Iselia if possible. The town held too many memories, some more enjoyable than others. Her cottage was one of the many buildings to be burned during Forcystus' reign of terror, but was repaired during the World Regeneration. Much to her surprise, none of their belongings were stolen, mostly because everything inside was too destroyed to salvage. Maybe it would be best to move where else after all.
Clearing his throat, he knocked on the door, rocking back and forth on his heels. Shuffling on the other side soon followed. Seconds later, it opened and in front of him stood a fully dressed Raine Sage.
"Oh, Lloyd. It's you." She smiled through her icy blue eyes, moving to the side to allow him to come inside.
He walked in and closed the door behind him. "Morning, Raine. I thought I'd be too early."
She shook her head. "No, I always wake up at dawn. It's a habit I've had from teaching. Mainly, I just read or grade papers." Raine nodded towards her neatly made bed, where a ten inch thick book lay face down on the pillow, marking her current page.
Lloyd looked at her with a bizarre squint in his eyes, taken aback by the thought of waking up at daybreak for the sole purpose anything educational. Raine was truly a strange person, but he loved her nonetheless. Hopefully, she wouldn't do it during their marriage, else problems were bound to arise. "Uh huh..."
"If Genis isn't here by noon, I'm going to Palmacosta," she proclaimed, walking back to her bed and placing a bookmark before setting the literature aside.
Lloyd sighed, folding his arms. "Don't stress over it so much."
"I think you're taking the situation too lightly, Lloyd." Raine rubbed her temples and fanned her face, despite the room's temperature being rather moderate. She closed her eyes, taking in deep breaths.
"Genis is my best friend. Of course I care if he comes to the wedding, if that's what you're implying." He caught her movements, figuring the fever had survived the night. He made his way to her bedside, sat down, and put his hand on top of hers, patting it softly. She kept her gaze downwards but a smile broke through. "Just relax."
"Alright, but if-"
Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door. Well, it sounded more like someone throwing bricks at the wood with the intention of breaking it in half, and the sound of cracking only confirmed that suspicion. Both Raine and Lloyd jumped, while the half elf became slowly infuriated with the erupt interruption.
"Who in the world would have the audacity to do such a thing at my residence?" Raine stood to her feet and stormed her way to the door with a fiery glare on her face.
Lloyd's brain turned to mush as he tried to comprehend her statement. "... what?"
"How dare yo- Oh my..." She gasped with her hand to her mouth.
"Where is he?" demanded a familiar voice. "Where's Lloyd?"
The swordsman quickly stood to his feet when he finally put the voice to a face, figuring it wouldn't look good if he was caught sitting on his best friend's sister's bed.
The visitor dropped his belongings near the door and pushed his way through Raine, storming into the cottage and glaring with indignation. Messy silver locks swayed around as he scanned the room for one person in particular, confident he was somewhere on the premises. "Lloyd!" exclaimed Genis, pointing with a single finger.
"He-hey, Genis. What's up?" he replied, scratching the back of his head and tried to force a smile.
Genis obviously wasn't amused. "What's this I hear about you marrying my sister? Is this some kind of joke?"
"No... it's not a joke."
His eyes widened in shock, and he spun around on his heels, turning to look at his sister. Raine replied by nodding with her eyes closed. She was knew full well he would take the news the hardest, but it still pained her to see him in such a state of incredulity. Such joyous occasions like marriage were supposed to be more pleasant, so she couldn't help but be a little upset by his reaction. For once, why couldn't he be happy for her? After all she did for him, all the unknown sacrifices she made to give him a better life.
The mage was speechless for a moment, giving a blank stare to the opposite wall and idly shaking his head. "...bu-but... you can't get married." The rage subsided into a form of disbelief.
"Why can I not, Genis?" Raine asked after a moment of thick silence.
"But, Raine!" pleaded the sibling. "This is Lloyd! Lloyd, for goddess sake!"
"That doesn't answer the question, Genis." Raine lifted her chin, keeping her eyes closed, and folded her arms, still struggling with the fever.
"I-I don't know! But you just can't!" Tears filled his blue eyes and he turned away from both of them. He took deep breaths through his nose, clenching his fists as he fought between disappointment and anger.
"Genis..." Lloyd whispered and began to walk towards him, but the half elf stepped back.
"Just don't... I need time to think." His voice cracked and the tears flooded down his disheveled face. Head down, he made his way to the door and went outside, slamming the door behind him.
Raine sighed, hiding her own tears. "I knew he'd do that."
"Me too," replied Lloyd. He could tell she was in pain, as he was himself. The entire situation left cold spots in their spirits, but the warmth of hope kept their hearts from freezing numb. "I'm gonna go talk to him."
"But Llo-"
"-It's me he's concerned with, not you." Smoothing out invisible wrinkles in his shirt, Lloyd followed in the path of his friend. Raine almost tried to stop him, but she let him go with a nod of assurance. It was painful to want so badly to help her brother, but she realized there was nothing she could do. The situation was in the hands of her fiancé as the issue was something out of her reach. "I told you. Everything will work out just fine."
Genis was outside, sitting cross-legged in front of the pond throwing rocks across the surface. His uniform pants were covered in dirt, but he didn't seem to mind, and his hat lay on the ground upside down. He looked to the side, quickly returning his gaze to the pond upon spotting Lloyd, and threw another pebble into the waters with twice the force of the previous ones. The water shot up like a miniature spread, rippling outwards in waves, distorting the once mirror like image reflecting from the surface.
"Why my sister? Why Raine?" asked the half elf after ignoring Lloyd for about five minutes. His voice was gruff and hoarse.
"I love her, Genis." He had nothing to say, so he spoke the truth, the undeniable truth. "There's really no other way to explain it."
"What makes you think you love her? You never said anything to me before."
Lloyd shrugged. "I didn't know it before. Besides, if I had told you before, do you think your reaction would have been less... angered?"
He couldn't deny that fact; had it been confessed before, Lloyd would have been running from fireballs.
"I'm not doing this to upset you, I'm not doing this to make you hate me, and I'm not trying to hurt anyone. You know me better than that. Why would I do something I didn't believe in?"
Logic and dissent were like fire and ice: they wanted nothing to do with each other, but if either was ignored, things could be problematic. Genis could no longer deny he had no more reasons to protest their marriage, and that's what hurt the most. "Fine. I'll give it a chance."
Lloyd suppressed his smile, silently cheering in delight. "Thanks, Genis."
"But," included the mage in a deep tone, "remember one thing, Lloyd."
The swordsman raised an eyebrow and replied, "What's that?"
"Break her heart," proclaimed Genis, "and I'll Grave your nuts. Got it?" Petite fingers grasped a medium sized pebble. He didn't have to turn around, but Lloyd could tell the half elf was completely serious and had the ability to carry about his threat.
"Heh. Fair enough." Lloyd swallowed, feeling a strange aching in his lower half.
Standing to his feet, Genis wiped the bottom of his pants off and grabbed his hat off the ground, replacing it on his head. He looked rather mature in his Palmacosta Academy uniform. "I guess we should tell Raine."
"There's no need," said the Professor's calm voice from the doorway.
"Raine-"
"I heard everything," she confessed with a smile. "Thank you, Genis."
Genis' cheeks blushed deep red, and he twisted his face in an attempt to hide it. "I wanna see you happy, Raine. After all you've done for me, it's the least I could do."
She wiped stray tears from her face, clearing her throat. "Disregarding the threat," she teased, only making Lloyd feel even more uncomfortable, "everything is in order on my end. We can start planning the wedding."
"Uh, Raine..." Genis eyed his sister curiously, feeling something unusual in the surroundings.
"Yes?"
He stepped closer to her, reaching his hand to her face and placing his second on her stomach. "There's something different... the mana in your body seems to be multiplying."
"No-nonsense. It's just a fever." Shaking her head, she backed away, squinting her eyes as another heat wave flushed over.
"It's not a fever... WAIT!" Genis gasped. "Are you... pregnant?"
Gah! The fluff! It BURNS! -rolls around in fluff flames- Was trying to avoid the fluff scenes, but them kissing is so cute. And Genis' threat has to be my favorite line of the entire story. Strike-type Genis ftw.
I'm out of things to say and plus I have class soon. So, until next chapter, TOOTLES.