This is a Star Ocean The Last Hope fan-fiction. It has nothing to do with the game, and I'm trying to keep them in character, but it's hard sometimes.

Special thanks to Ciissi for the idea that sparked this story.

Knowledge, and the Will to Act Upon It

Arumat sat in his room. It had been three days since he'd been returned to his adult height, and he hadn't slept at all during those three days. His mind kept going over things, and now, he had his answer.

Getting up, he walked over to where Reimi and Edge shared a room. He knocked, then entered. As he'd hoped, both were there.

"Hey, Arumat." said Edge. "Something wrong? You look like you haven't slept for days."

"No - well, yes and no. No, nothing's wrong, yes, I haven't slept."

"Why can't you sleep?" Reimi asked.

"Because I've had to think several things over." Arumat replied. "And a number of them depend on your answer, Miss Reimi."

"What's with the formality?" Reimi asked. "I've always just been Reimi."

Arumat swallowed, trying to keep from losing his last meal. "Reimi, light of my dark existence, and siren of my heart, would you do me the honor of being my wife?"

Edge almost choked. True, he hadn't had any real feelings of love towards his childhood friend, but that Arumat P. Thanatos, self-proclaimed God of Death and Grim Reaper, had fallen for her was nothing short of a surprise.

Reimi blinked up at him for a moment, then smiled at seeing Edge's shocked face. "Yes, Arumat. I'll marry you." She stood and kissed him.

Edge cleared his throat after the kiss had stayed for a few minutes. "Congratulations." he said. "You do know I have to change the room arrangements, right?"

"Yes, and your point is?" Arumat asked. "Faize made it perfectly clear he has at least admiration for you, if nothing else."

Edge nodded, sighing. "Yeah, I noticed." he said. "Well, we'll change where Reimi and Faize are sleeping, then. It shouldn't look too bad to the rest of the crew, seeing as how you two are going to be married."

"Now, what was it that depended on my answer, Arumat?" asked Reimi.

"I asked one of the Morphus doctors how much time I had left." Arumat replied. "The answer wasn't that good."

Reimi gently touched his face. "How long did they give you?" she asked.

"Two years, at best." Arumat replied. He put a hand on Reimi's cheek. "With your permission, and if you want it, I'm willing to take the corrective surgery offered."

Reimi nodded. "Take it, Arumat. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Edge joined Crowe at Faize's hospital bedside later that day. "Any news?" he asked.

"They said that the healing done to his wounds has increased his chances for survival." Crowe replied. "However, he has yet to wake up."

Edge sat on the edge of the bed and gently took the pale, slender hand in his. He sighed.

"What is it, Edge?" Crowe asked.

"Reimi's getting married." Edge replied. "After Arumat's surgery."

"Arumat's going for the corrective surgery?" Crowe asked. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Reimi, would it?"

"It has everything to do with her. She's his bride."

"You don't seem as bothered by this as one would expect you to be." Crowe observed.

"I'm happy for her." Edge said. "I'm glad she found her love."

Crowe could see where the conversation was going, but prodded anyway. "But . . ."

"I wish mine would wake up." He suddenly dropped the hand and covered his mouth.

"It's alright." said Crowe. "I kinda guessed, with the way he practically clung to you when he was a child, and the way you coddled and tried to protect him, that you both had feelings for each other. In a way, I'm glad."

"Why? I thought you liked Faize?" Edge asked.

"I do." Crowe admitted. "But the feelings were never returned. Faize's eyes were always on you." He sighed. "Besides, I kinda realized that someone's eyes were always on me, and I'm trying to find out why."

Edge looked back at Faize's sleeping face. "Would it be Myuria or Lymle?" he asked.

"The younger." Crowe replied. "She kept asking me when Arumat and Faize were going to be grown up so we could go item-hunting again." He sighed, and smiled softly. "She liked being on my hunting team."

"Yeah. She was upset this morning that you were staying to watch Faize." Edge said. He gently ran his fingers over the pale face. Was it his imagination? Had Faize's eyes moved? He ran his thumb along Faize's jawline. There it was again.

"Crowe?"

"Yes?"

"Am I seeing things?" Edge asked. "I swear he's reacting to my touch." He ran his hand over Faize's cheek. Faize definitely reacted that time. His eyelids twitched, and opened just slightly.

"Faize?" Edge tilted the Eldarian's face up towards him.

"Edge?" Faize whispered. He coughed, since the tube was still in his nose and throat. Without really thinking, he cuddled the hand that was against his face.

"Rooms are changing." Edge said. He noticed Faize was trying to pay attention to him and not the thing in his nose. "You and Reimi are changing places."

"Why?" Faize whispered.

"Reimi and Arumat are getting married." Edge replied. "He asked her this morning. Tomorrow he goes for the corrective surgery and the healing symbology, and then they'll be wed."

Faize nodded. "So . . ."

"You'll be with me." Edge said in answer to the unasked question. "As soon as you're out of here."

"That can't come soon enough." Faize breathed. He looked towards the door, and terror gripped him. He knew what the nurse was holding in her hand. He turned his head to try and hide the tube.

"Faize?" Edge looked over at the nurse. "When will he be able to try eating?" he asked.

"If he thinks he can try holding something down, we can try." the nurse replied.

Arumat and Faize returned to the Calnus the same day. Both were weak and weary, but glad to be back.

Two days later, Arumat and Reimi were wed. This made Arumat the first Eldarian to take a bride that wasn't of his own species. But he didn't care. He was happy.