The Chosen's group wandered through the temple for hours, it seemed. As presumed, there were monsters, but nothing too tough jumped out at them. The only time anyone really was worried was when a clay golem appeared out of a wall in front of them. Kratos made short work of it.
The passageways were all narrow with low ceilings. There were cobwebs about everywhere. "Hey, don't the priests ever clean?" Lenai joked. No one had spoken in a while, so everyone turned to look at her. Lenai ignored Kratos' look and stared straight at Colette expectantly.
"I don't know," Colette admitted. "I've never been this far into the temple."
Suddenly they came into a large domed room. It was a lot more intricate in design than the rest of the temple. Angelic murals covered ever wall and even the dome. "There's the altar," Colette pointed out. In the center was an altar that had a glowing stone on it. The stone was the source of the intense light they'd seen from the outside.
"So then, that must be the Cruxis Crystal," Lloyd said.
Colette nodded. "That's right! They say I was born with that in my hand," she said gazing at the stone. Lenai remained silent. Her uncle told her that was a load of rubbish, that the priests chose Colette to be the Chosen and then gave her the Cruxis Crystal.
"Look at that light!" Genis shouted. At that moment, the Cruxis Crystal lit up brilliantly once again, blinding everyone for a moment. When the light faded, there was a winged man floating above them.
"An angel!" Lenai exclaimed. She felt her heart beat fast with the excitement she always felt when she saw Azrael. This felt a little different though. He wore ceremonial robes and looked more like a priest than a warrior, as Azrael did. This angel was male, and had short blonde hair and a pair of clear blue eyes.
"So is that Colette's real father?" Genis asked, breaking the spell.
"I am Remiel, an angel of judgment," the angel declared. "I am here to guide Colette, daughter of the mana lineage, on her journey to heaven as the seventh Chosen. The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world."
"Awaken the Goddess Martel…It's just like the legend!" Lenai whispered in awe.
Remiel flew down and put the Cruxis Crystal around Colette's neck. "From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration. We of Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant."
There was a deep rumbling that appeared to come from the earth itself. All at once, it died away. "What was that?" Lloyd asked nervously.
"Look! It's the Tower of Salvation! Now the world will be saved!" Genis shouted pointing to the window. Across the sea, the Chosen's group saw a thin structure reaching up into the heavens.
"Colette, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to heaven in distant lands," Remiel said, drawing their attention once more.
"I humbly accept this task," Colette said.
"Very good. We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated."
Colette nodded and clenched her fists. "Thank you. I swear on my life I will regenerate the world."
"First head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land," instructed Remiel.
"Yes, Lord Remiel," Colette said. With that, Remiel began to ascend. "Wait!" Colette cried. "Please wait! I have a question I wish to ask of you. Are you really my fa-"
"First head to the Seal of Fire. Understood? My beloved daughter, Colette," Remiel said, interrupting her.
"F-father! So you really are my true father!" Colette was in a total state of awe.
"We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." And then Remiel was gone. Everyone was frozen, unable to take their eyes from where the angel had been. Kratos was the first to move.
"Chosen, you've received the oracle. Let us leave now," he said before turning and walking out the entrance.
"…Oh, yes," Colette said, ripping her eyes from the spot her father had been to follow Kratos out. The group made their way back to the outside of the chapel, surprised by the fact that there no longer seemed to be any monsters about. Once they got outside, Colette turned to face Lloyd, Genis, and Lenai. "Thank you all for coming with me. Please stop by my house later."
"Hey, I'm coming with you!" Lenai said. "Besides, my house is just a little ways from your place," she added, seeing Kratos about to argue. Instead he just turned away and went down the stairs to the base of the hill.
"Ok," Colette conceded. "We'll see you guys later then." Colette and Lenai said goodbye to Lloyd and Genis and left.
Later, at Colette's house, the mayor came by and met with Colette and her family to discuss Colette's journey. They sat at the dining room table, accompanied by Kratos. Lenai sat a little ways off to herself to listen. Just as they were coming to a conclusion, Lloyd and Genis entered the house.
"Then, we shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos Aurion and Raine Sage," declared the mayor.
"I have no objections," said Kratos, looking somewhat pleased. Lenai decided that now would be the best time to speak up.
"I want to go, too," she said firmly, daring anyone to refuse her wish.
"Yeah, I want to go, too!" said Lloyd. "I want to see Colette regenerate the world!"
"If Raine is going, I want to go, too," Genis added.
"No," Kratos said. "You'll only get in the way." As he said this he looked straight at each of the three.
"What?!" exclaimed Lloyd.
"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us. Children need to stay home," Kratos said critically, emphasizing the word children.
Before either Lloyd or Lenai could voice their outrage, the mayor spoke up. "Kratos is absolutely right. Now then, as we still have things to discuss, you children should go on home."
Lloyd was about to protest again, but Genis grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out the door. Colette excused her self and went outside to tell them goodbye. Lenai wasn't so easily discouraged. "I'm no child! I'm eighteen and by law can do as I please," she said glaring at Kratos. "And what I please would just so happen to be to join Colette on her journey.
Raine walked in at that moment. "Lenai is absolutely right. She is an adult," she said. Lenai beamed at her teacher.
"Thank you so much, Rai-"
"However, this is going to be a very dangerous journey," Raine interrupted. "Are you sure you want to join us?"
"Yes," Lenai said without hesitation. "I have to go. Colette is my best friend and I want to be there for her, throughout all her hard times. I want to be there even when…when she becomes an angel."
Raine nodded slowly. "Very well. I have no objections."
After the meeting was over and everything was decided, Colette went to Lloyd's house accompanied by Raine and Kratos to tell him goodbye. It was decided that they would be leaving in the morning. Lenai declined going. She wasn't good with emotional goodbyes and would be having a bad enough time telling her uncle she'd be leaving.
On the walk back to her house, however, Lenai decided that she wouldn't tell Uncle Hikaru after all. He'd probably just try to stop her from leaving. She arrived at her house and went straight to her room. Spaetzle followed her and she let him in before she shut her door. She walked over to her window and opened it, enjoying the little cool breeze before walking over to her bed and sitting down on it. She hoped Azrael would stop by tonight.
After a while, Lenai heard a knock on her door. Immediately following, her uncle entered the room. He stood there awkwardly, looking at her for a moment. "Yes?" she asked finally.
"I was just wondering…how your day was?" he asked lamely.
"It was interesting," Lenai said simply.
"I heard that the Chosen received the oracle," he said, probingly.
"Yeah, I was there," she said watching her uncle's face carefully.
"I'm not surprised," he said.
Lenai was suddenly overcome with the realization that this could be the last time she talked to her uncle. While they fought constantly, she realized that she did care for him and would miss him. He wasn't really her uncle by blood, but she considered him family all the same. He was the one who had taken her in after her mother abandoned her in this village at the age of four.
Lenai didn't really remember her mother all that much. Uncle Hikaru told her that her mother's name was Serenity, but he either wouldn't or couldn't tell her anything else. From what Lenai could remember, Serenity was very beautiful but that beauty was marred by her constant worry. Lenai supposed that worry was about herself and that may have been why she was left with her uncle.
In any case, Lenai was looking at her uncle in a new light at the present time. She could be looking at his face, hearing his voice for the last time. Or at least for the last time in a long while, she thought, attempting to push the dark thoughts that crept into her mind away. Tears gathered in her eyes and blurred her vision.
"I…I'm kind of tired," she said trying to keep the tremor from her voice.
Her uncle was quiet for a long moment, just watching her. "Alright, I'll let you get some sleep then," he said quietly. He got up and left, shutting her door behind him.
Azrael stepped lightly into the room, crouching to enter through the window. "Lenai?" he questioned softly. His violet gaze swept the room, falling on the girl lying limp on her bed. He walked silently over and stood at the foot of her bed, watching her sleep. Her chest rose and fell peacefully. He reached out to stroke a strand of her hair back behind her ear.
The brief contact was enough to jolt her from her slumber and she stared at him dumbly for the briefest of moments as full awareness flooded to her. Then she smiled up at him. "Hi," she said.
He smiled tenderly back at her, sitting down beside her. "Hi," he whispered. She climbed into his lap and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair.
"I went with Colette to see the oracle," Lenai said rather bluntly.
"Did you? How did that go?" he asked.
"It was amazing!" she gushed, her eyes bright with excitement. "I met another angel. Remiel. Do you know him?"
"Ah. Remiel…yes, I suppose you could say I know him," Azrael said, making a face. Lenai laughed.
"You don't like him."
The angel looked slightly ashamed, but nodded his consent anyway. Lenai giggled. "I've decided to go with her tomorrow," she announced.
"There's no surprise," muttered Azrael. His expression grew withdrawn and thoughtful. He was silent a long time before speaking again. "Lenai, be careful. Not all angels are like me."
She twisted around in his arms to look at him. "What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded. Their eyes locked and she could tell there was much he wanted to tell her, but she could also tell he wasn't going to. She sighed. "Angels…" she scoffed, half jokingly.
Azrael smiled apologetically. He glanced out the window at the moon. "You should get some rest," he said. Lenai nodded. He climbed off her bed while she lay back down. Leaning down, he kissed her brow swiftly before gracefully taking flight from her window.