"So…I've lost him for good…I should be happy for him…but I still love him too…gods this is so confusing."
10:00 pm. Same day. "Serileine!? Is that really you!?" Aran exclaimed through his helmet, his heart slamming against his chest.
"Of course it is…who's asking?" Serileine asked as she stood up. Aran's eyes welled up as he removed his helmet. "Aran? Oh my gosh! It's really you!" she exclaimed as she ran up and threw her arms around her long lost love. Both of them started crying and kissing.
"Oh man…this will complicate things…" Markas thought to himself. "Serileine…I'm glad you're ok! How tha hell are you alive, though? I thought you died in the explosion!" Markas asked Serileine, who was resting her head on Aran's chest.
"Markas. It's good to see you. The agents decided at the very last minute to capture me instead of killing me. They faked my death, and led me to believe that Aran was dead. They have kept me alive, because of my technological know-how. I've been living comfortably...so to speak." she said as she tightened her embrace with Aran.
Aran held her close and said, "Serileine, I'm here now. I love you so much. We need to get you out of here."
"What about Leina?" asked Markas.
"Who's Leina?" asked Serileine, casually.
"Oh…Leina is…a friend of ours. She's the one who married Vince. We need to get her out of here too…" said Aran as he stroked Serileine's hair. "Amber Lindell is here as well."
"Amber got mixed up in all of this? Damn, these Sumestris bastards don't know when to quit!" Serileine said, eyebrows furrowed.
"She's actually here undercover, but we haven't heard from her in a bit." Aran replied, looking worried.
"Well…I'll go get Leina. I'll leave you two alone for now." said Markas as he cocked his gun.
"Uh…sure, Markas." said Aran. Markas left the room and Serileine locked it behind him.
"Aran…I have missed you so much. Take me now!" she said as she removed her blouse and seized her black haired lover and planted a passionate kiss on his mouth.
"You don't have to tell me twice!" said Aran as he quickly removed the guard uniform, stripped down his long lost love, and scooped her up and laid her down on the bed that was in that room.
"Hey guys, we are here to rescue you." said Tallon as he and Ryuden entered the containment chamber.
Ryuden used the keycard that he confiscated from a guard to open the cells while Tallon was on the phone with Cid, letting him know to send the vans from the local dispatch station. There was a young black girl, about 15 years old. She looked a little bit like Markas. "Young lady, what is your name?" Ryuden asked, curiously.
"Um…Yukari…Weston." said the girl, looking somewhat intimidated.
"Yukari…don't be afraid. We're here to help." said Ryuden as he got down on one knee and gently took Yukari by both hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze. "Your brother is here. He's helping our friends take down Vince." he said, gently.
"Markas…is here? He came to help save us?" said Yukari, who seemed more relaxed. Ryuden smiled and nodded. Yukari smiled back.
"Ok, the vans are here. Let us get them out of here!" yelled Tallon as he summoned Shiva. Shiva froze the door to keep the guards out as Ryuden used a concentrated Firaga spell to blast a hole in the back wall. It led outside, where there were six vans waiting. "Nice one, Ryuden!" said Tallon as he began escorting a group of captives out to the van.
"Yeah, thanks! I think Aran would be proud!" said Ryuden as he ran ahead and prepared to cast magic on any enemies. The captives were successfully loaded up and taken to safety. The ice blocking the door melted and several guards ran outside to where the two mages were. Tallon healed both himself and Ryuden and summoned Quezacotl while Ryuden prepared to cast high level black magic.
"Phew, what stubborn little jerks these guys are!" said Saraiah as she and Dylan plowed forward, taking down a swarm of guards that stood in their way.
"No kidding…at least we're almost through, though!" said Dylan as he impaled a guard with his lance.
Saraiah then grabbed another guard by the wrist and roughly demanded, "Where the fuck is Amber Lindell!? Where's my best friend!?'
"I…don't know…try the hospital wing…" the guard croaked out before Saraiah knocked him unconscious.
"Hospital wing!?" Saraiah exclaimed as she and Dylan made haste for the said area. "Amber!" Saraiah yelled with worry when she found her best friend, in bad shape on a bed. "Amby, what did they do to you!?" she scurried to her side and touched her bruised face.
"It appears she was in a brutal altercation. I'll fix her right up though." Dylan said reassuringly as he pulled out a potion, and added it to her I.V., then began healing her with white magic.
After a few moments, Amber gasped loudly and abruptly sat up. "Melissa Yunari!" she shouted.
"Amby! It's me!" Saraiah said as she placed her hands on Amber's shoulders and made her look at her. "Who the hell did this to you!?"
"Saraiah!? Thank the Gods!" Amber cried out in relief as she threw her arms around her best friend. "B-but Melissa…she's…"
"Wait…what's that sound? It sounds like a child crying…" said Saraiah as she put up one finger.
"Yeah, I hear it too." said Dylan. "We need to go investigate."
Amber nodded in agreement, and slowly stood up from the bed.
Dylan and Saraiah used the keycard they obtained and opened the door. Inside, there was a little black-haired boy that looked to be almost three years old, who seemed frightened. "Hey…little boy, are you ok?" said Saraiah who kneeled down and placed her hands on his shoulders.
The little boy stood up and threw his arms around Saraiah and said, "Where's daddy…I want daddy!"
"Daddy? We will look for your daddy. Come with us." said Saraiah as she picked up the boy. She looked at his face and gasped. The little boy's face was unmistakable. "Oh my gods…Dylan, Amby…his daddy…is Aran!" The boy looked almost exactly like their black haired, red-eyed companion, just a lot younger. "Your daddy is here. We will take you to him!" said Saraiah as she, Amber, and Dylan headed towards Aran's whereabouts.
"I see daddy…from pik-chur. I tink daddy nicer den people here…" Saraiah noticed bruises on his arm, and there was one on his cheek.
"Oh my gods, Dylan…he's being abused. We need to get him out of here. I wonder if…Serileine is here as well." said Saraiah as she looked very angry and sad at the same time.
"When I was under, I heard Melissa beating him and screaming at him…" Amber said, still looking shaken up.
"Young man, where is your mommy?" asked Dylan.
The boy began crying really hard and screamed, "Mommy…no mommy!"
"Oh no…what if she is dead?" said Saraiah as she comforted the boy.
"Or worse…" said Dylan.
"Dylan, Saraiah…there's something I need to tell you."
"Aran…I've missed you so much. I haven't felt that good in a long time." said Serileine as she placed her arm across Aran's chest and kissed him on the neck.
He inhaled deeply and caressed Serileine, down to her stomach. As his fingers glided over her naval, he took notice of what appeared to be a c-section scar. "Serileine…what about our son? Is he ok?"
"Aran…yes he is. He is sleeping right now. I will take you to him soon." said Serileine as she pulled Aran in close to her and kissed him.
Aran gently pulled his lips away after a minute, and while caressing her hair, he asked, "So…what did you name him?"
"Zaine. I know we talked about that name often…I named him after you, Aran…he looks just like you."
"Of course…my middle name. I like it." Aran said, smiling. "We can go see him in a little bit. For now, we've got some catching up to do!" he continued as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and scooted his bare-skinned fiancee under him and kissed her passionately.
Serileine took a deep breath, let out a moan of pleasure, and said softly, "Yes…Zaine can wait…Aran…ooh!"
"Leina, it would seem that your friends have arrived. I have forgiven your behavior at the wedding, my dear wife. I'm just assuming that you were not in your right mind." said Vince as he climbed out of bed.
Leina slowly woke up to discover that Vince had consummated their marriage while she was under the influence. She felt sick, possibly because of the drugs, and possibly from disgust. "Have they now…" said Leina, her voice fatigued.
"Oh, and Leina? It would seem that you don't have a chance with your boyfriend now. His fiancee is still alive, and she is here. We captured her after Maleigha fell." said Vince with an insensitive smile.
Leina's heart hit the floor and she ran to the bathroom to throw up. "So…I've lost him for good…I should be happy for him…but I still love him too…gods this is so confusing." she thought to herself as she finished regurgitating and stood up to brush her teeth.
"Leina, that's a side effect of the drugs I gave you. Clean yourself up and get dressed. Let's head down to the main office so we can deal with our guests." said Vince as he tossed her a towel.
"Right…" she said, half-heartedly. Leina dressed herself and pulled her blonde hair back into a ponytail, then followed her husband to their office.
When they arrived, Markas was there to greet them. "Yo Vince…I'm here to take ya wife home. I suggest ya hand her over or I'll take her by force." he said as he pointed a gun at him.
"Markas! What are you doing here!? Where is Aran!?" said Leina, surprised by her comrade's presence.
"Oh…Leina…this is bad news for you, but good news for him…" Markas replied, shaking his head.
"Markas…I already know. Why are you guys still trying to rescue me?" said Leina, looking hopeless.
"Well…because we all care about ya, Leina. You're our friend, and we ain't gonna let ya live in misery for the rest of yo life. Let's go, Leina!" said Markas as he walked up to take Leina by the hand while still pointing a gun at Vince.
"No." said Leina as she jerked her hand away.
"Leina…I don't understand." said Markas, confused.
"Markas…I'm happy for Aran, I really am. But I cannot see him again. I don't want to do anything to sabotage his relationship with Serileine. They say if you love someone, you should let them go. That's what I'm doing. Vince is going to perform a spell on me that will wipe all of my memories from the past few months. I won't even remember Aran at all. None of you, for that matter. Please…be gone." said Leina, her voice wavering.
"Well, that's pretty damn stupid of ya. What about yo mom and sister!? Did ya know that this jackass murdered yo father shortly after tha wedding!?" shouted Markas as he fired a shot at Vince.
Vince quickly dodged as he said, "That's a lie!" and he engaged Markas in hand to hand combat.
The two men brawled all over the office, breaking various furniture, until Leina shouted, "STOP!" The two men let go of each other and saw that Leina was pointing a gun at Markas. "Get away from him, Markas. This is my new life now. I'm learning to accept it and move on." she said, tears streaming down her face.
"But Leina…you'll still be miserable, whether or not ya forget about Aran…an' it's tha truth. Vince murdered yo father. He don't care about ya." said Markas as he stepped away from Vince.
"Vince…is this true?" Leina said, pointing the gun at her husband.
"Every word. But you will soon forget about all of that." came the cold-hearted reply.
Leina began sobbing as she put the gun to her head and pulled the trigger. Both of the men shouted, "NO!" but nothing happened. Leina was still standing there, holding the gun. Apparently it was empty.
"Well…that could have been bad!" said Vince as he walked up to Leina, took the gun and pistol-whipped her, knocking her unconscious.
"Hey! Tha hell ya doing!?" yelled Markas as he ran towards them. Vince laid a smoke bomb and disappeared with Leina.
"Wow Aran…you've only gotten better! I think it's a safe bet that everyone here knows your name now…" said Serileine, with a smile.
"Well, thanks! Hehe. Can't say you are terrible either." said Aran, the edge of his lips curving into a crooked smile.
"Well…let's go see Zaine!" said Serileine as she stood up and got dressed.
Aran put his normal clothes back on, which he wore under the uniform that he wore to get into the building, and tied his hair back into a ponytail.
"Wow…you sure are sexy, Aran!" said Serileine as she gave Aran a once-over. "Tell me about this Leina. Who is she?"
"Well baby, you ain't too bad yourself. Come here. Hehe!" he said as he pulled Serileine in and embraced her. "Leina, she's a close friend of mine. She's awesome. You really should meet her when we get outta here! We need to go rescue her from Vince."
Serileine wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She pulled her lips away and said, "Oh I see. She sounds wonderful. Aran, you are a real man. It's really quite a shame."
"What are ya talking about...hurgh!" said Aran as a stabbing pain shot through his abdomen. He looked down to see that Serileine had stabbed him, to his utmost horror. He looked at her, and her look of love and passion had faded to an evil, amused expression. "S-S-Serileine…I don't understand…." he said as tears welled up in his eyes.
"You fool…you should never trust anyone." Serileine socked him in the stomach where she wounded him and Aran screamed in pain as he collapsed on the ground.
He spat blood and said, "W-w-why are you doing this!? I love you…snap out of it!" he was crying at this point, and Serileine kicked him in the abdomen and said, "You don't get it, do you!? There is nothing for me to 'snap out of'! My real name is Melissa Yunari. I am Vince's younger sister. We are both the leaders of Sumestris. I've been pulling the strings for a while now. I'm the one who arranged that wedding after I found out that you were alive, and was getting really close with that pretty blonde bitch. I figured if we took her, we could lure you here and finish you off."
She kicked Aran in the face. Aran just took it, crying uncontrollably from extreme heartbreak. He just grabbed his face and said, "Serileine…s-s-stop it! What about…us? Our relationship?"
"Aran…I was sent by my brother to work undercover for King Cid, for the purpose of gaining information so we could launch our attack. Of course, I met you, shortly after your incestual relationship with that delectable redhead… I found you quite attractive, and to protect my cover, I began a relationship with you. I even grew rather fond of you and I found myself getting used to a domestic lifestyle. You being a great piece of ass certainly didn't hurt."
Aran struggled to sit up and was still crying, rather hard. "Just…stop. No more! I love you!" he yelled between sobs.
Melissa kicked him in the face and kicked him in the abdomen again. "No, I'm not done yet. I found out I was knocked up, with your child. That's when I began planning the attack. Yes. I'm the one who led that assault against Seiyomari. I had hoped to kill you and your ex-sisterfriend. Our main target was the King. Of course, he proved to be a difficult target, and I was forced to fake my own death, as Serileine Lorin. Just after you fell, they quickly escorted me into a helicopter before causing that explosion, and I purposefully left the stun pistol and engagement ring."
"What about…Zaine? Is he really alive? Or are you lying about that as well?" yelled Aran as he started to regain his composure.
"Oh, that little brat. Yes, he is still alive. I decided to continue my pregnancy, because my brother figured that he would be of use to us, eventually. He was delivered through C-section at 8 and a half months. He was already almost nine pounds. They knew I couldn't deliver him vaginally if I went to my due date. After several unsuccessful attempts to induce labor, they had to perform a C-section, since Zaine began showing signs of distress. More trouble than he was worth, that's for sure."
Aran's heartbreak was slowly turning to anger as Serileine kept talking. "You…bitch. How could you…he's a child! Your child. Our child! I never thought you could be so heartless." Aran wiped his tears and turned to leave, still bleeding from his stab wound. "Serileine…or rather, Melissa…I will always love the woman you were…but there's another truly good woman who needs my help. I am walking away, and it's best you let me go."
He opened the door and felt a hard blow to the back of his head. Melissa tackled him and began pounding him with incredible strength. "You aren't going anywhere alive! That bitch can never have you!" shouted Melissa.
"Get off of me, you lying bitch!" shouted Aran as he used his foot to throw Melissa off of him. "I'm going to take care of your brother and then take MY son and get the hell out of here!" he continued as he stood up to walk away. He could feel himself getting weaker, and he started to heal his wound.
"Like HELL you are!" shouted Melissa as she lurched forward and grabbed Aran by the hair, yanking him backwards, causing him to fall on his rear-end, therefore cutting his healing spell short.
"AHGH!" he yelled. He attempted to turn around to hit her and break free but she jerked his hair with incredible strength, causing him to lose his balance and hit the floor again.
Just then, Saraiah, Amber, Dylan, Tallon, and Ryuden came running up to them. Saraiah had Zaine in her arms. "Aran! We have your son!" she yelled up to him. "Melissa! Let him go!" Saraiah shouted when she saw Melissa holding Aran tightly by the hair.
"Ah…Aran. It's your incestual love interest, coming to save you." she pointed a gun at Saraiah and yelled, "Stop right there!" She fired a shot and it zipped right through Saraiah's chest, barely missing Zaine. The wound began to heal immediately. "You bitch! You could have hit your son!" screamed Saraiah as she handed Zaine to Ryuden and prepared for a fight. Melissa was shocked by Saraiah's quick healing, and she became nervous. Saraiah walked toward her and said, "Let Aran go. Now. I'm gonna tear you limb from limb for what you did to Amber!"
"Melissa…I'd listen if I were you. Saraiah is immortal. I wouldn't fight her." said Aran, with twisted amusement.
"I could tear your head off before you knew what happened!" Saraiah said, with a look of warning on her face.
"So…you are immortal, huh? Well, I know your friend here isn't!" Melissa jerked Aran's hair again and pointed the gun at his head. "Don't come near me or I will blow his pretty head off! And don't think your time magic will work on me!" she yelled. Aran had lost a considerable amount of blood and was growing rather weak. Any time he tried to heal himself Melissa would yank his hair.
Saraiah stopped in her tracks. "Melissa…you don't have to do this…just let him go! Please!" said Saraiah, not wanting to take chances.
"R-Ryuden…take my son and get out of here…" said Aran, hoarsely.
"But what about you?" said Ryuden.
"Just go!" said Aran.
Ryuden nodded and picked up Zaine and began leaving. Melissa quickly pointed her gun at Ryuden and fired a shot at his kneecap. Ryuden growled in pain and hit the ground, dropping Zaine and clutching his knee. "You fucking bitch…c-cast-"
"Don't even think about it, half-breed! His brain will splatter on the floor before your magic touches me!" shouted Melissa to Ryuden as she quickly pointed the gun at Aran's head again.
Saraiah had cried out when she saw Ryuden get shot. She knelt down by his side. "Ry! Are you alright!?"
Zaine began crying and said, "Mommy! Let my daddy go!" yelled Zaine through tears.
"Z-Zaine…yes…Daddy is here! Everything will be ok!" said Aran as he began to cry from happiness with seeing his son.
"Zaine! You insolent little brat! Don't come near us!" shouted Melissa.
"I sorry, Mommy…pwease don't hit me again…" said Zaine, looking frightened.
"Melissa…are you abusing my son?" said Aran through gritted teeth.
"What the hell are you going to do about it? I think you spend too much time worrying about your hair than you do training! I'm much stronger than you, Aran! Feel free to TRY to do something about it!" yelled Melissa as she yanked Aran's hair again.
"Melissa…let him go. Now." came a gruff female voice from several feet away. There stood Leina, covered in blood, accompanied by Markas.
"Leina…" said Aran, quietly.
Leina continued as she walked towards Melissa, "It's over. Your brother told me everything, including who you really are. Now he's dead. A real pity."
"What? You killed…V-Vince?" said Melissa, her voice wavering.
"You bet she did! I've never seen so much blood from someone who has no heart…hehe!" said Markas, as he followed Leina. "Leina totally snapped, man! It was crazy!" he continued, laughing. "She cut him to ribbons!"
"N-n-no…it can't be…V-Vinnie…you BITCH! I will blow your fucking head off!" screamed a crying Melissa as she aimed her gun at Leina. Aran pulled a knife out of his boot, sliced through his hair to break free of Melissa's grip and delivered a hard side kick to her abdomen. Melissa tumbled backwards and Aran kicked her in the side, then yanked her up by the hair.
"How's it feel, huh? You have no godsdamned idea how strong I am. I couldn't bring myself to really hurt you…until I discovered you beat my son." he jerked her hair, causing her to cry out. "What's wrong, too weak to defend yourself? How the fuck do you think Zaine felt!?" Aran growled as he released Melissa's hair and kicked her again, knocking her to the floor.
"No…stop…please…" Melissa cried out in protest as Aran advanced on her. Ryuden had grabbed Zaine again and kept him from seeing what was happening. Aran yanked Melissa up once more.
"Again, didn't Zaine beg you to stop as well!? You really are a terrible person." Aran's vision started getting fuzzy due to the loss of blood he was still experiencing. He wavered slightly, and Melissa took that opportunity to attack, elbowing him in the gut, then again in the face, which only managed to piss him off.
Aran regained his composure, and grabbed Melissa by the shoulders, then slammed his knee into her abdomen, causing a few drops of blood to fly from her mouth. He then dropped his elbow on her back, causing her to hit the floor, face first, rather hard. He then turned towards the others, who were staring in shock. "I'm…sorry y'all had to see that…"
"That stupid bitch deserved it after the stunt she pulled…and hitting a kid! Ugh!" Saraiah exclaimed, while still tending to Ryuden. Tallon was healing his wound.
"Well, it's over. Let's get out of here." Aran said as he took Zaine by the hand. They all began to leave until they heard some stirring behind them.
"Wait…" said Melissa, who feebly stood up. "I-I'm sorry. Please give me another chance…" Aran paused, and he thought for a moment.
"Melissa…are you serious!? Another chance!? You caused too much pain and suffering. You aren't the same woman I loved three years ago. She died on the bridge. What you have done…is unforgivable. I can never trust you again. I don't love you. I…hate you." said Aran as he clenched his fist. "You're a fucking liar."
"I understand…Aran. I don't deserve a wonderful man like you. I really blew it…" Melissa stood up and walked towards the group.
"Damn straight you did. Cut the bullshit. You are not sorry. I also saw you try to kill Leina…I'm…rather fond of her. You stay away from us, or I will kill you…" said Aran.
"Bitch, I will set you on fire if you take another step." Ryuden snapped to Melissa, tilting his head downward and glaring at her through his eyelashes, with his eyebrows furrowed. "You really fucked over my best friend. He's been nothing but good to you."
Melissa found that unsettling and stopped in her tracks. Someone she remembered as one of the nicest guys she ever knew, his green eyes shooting her such a murderous glare. She knew he was serious. "Very well, I won't come any closer…please…just leave…" she then chugged a potion.
"Aran…I have a bad feeling about this…" said Dylan.
Melissa was about ten feet away when she pulled out her gun and fired it at Zaine. Aran quickly jumped in front of him and took the bullet in the left shoulder. He had pushed Zaine out of the way. "ARAN!" screamed Leina and Saraiah. Saraiah picked up a crying Zaine while Tallon and Dylan began healing Aran's wounds.
Leina lunged forward and engaged Melissa. Intense hand to hand combat ensued, and it seemed that Melissa had the upper hand. Leina hit the ground and Melissa prepared to shoot her in the head, but Aran acted fast and a lance of fazium shot forth from his finger. It struck her square in the chest, and right after that Ryuden cast fire on her. Melissa screamed and collapsed to the ground, and Leina stood back up, armed her sword, and ran Melissa through the chest. Aran's lips forced a morbidly amused grin, and Saraiah turned around so Zaine couldn't see. Leina stabbed Melissa again and turned the sword to do further damage. Melissa let out a blood-curdling scream and was soon choking on her own blood.
"You bitch…how dare you do what you did…to me, to Aran, to Seiyomari…to your own son…to my family…and my friends…I can't allow you to live." said Leina, in a low, angry voice. She pulled the sword out of Melissa's chest as some blood spattered and Melissa quickly succumbed to her injury, still smoldering from Ryuden's magic.
Aran heaved a sigh and embraced Saraiah and Zaine. "Mommy broken?" said Zaine, softly.
"Yes…mommy is broken." said Aran as he inhaled deeply.
"Mommy bad…I glad she broken. Mommy hurt me lots. Uncle Vinnie too…" said the child.
"Zaine…I'm so sorry. Daddy will never hurt you. I promise that." Aran said as he broke down crying and embraced his son. Zaine's words that spoke of past abuse and torment ripped Aran's heart in two. "I'm so glad you are alive…I love you so much…Zaine."
"Wuv you too, Daddy. You no cry no more." said Zaine as he patted his father's head. Saraiah started crying as well, and Dylan wiped a tear from his eye as he embraced his girlfriend.
Tallon smiled very warmly as he looked at Markas and Ryuden and said, "Is this not so beautiful?" They both nodded as they sniffled.
Leina stood up and walked over to the group and said, "It's over now. Let's go home. Aran…I'm so sorry…about everything."
Aran stood up and embraced Leina tightly. "Leina…thank you." he said as he released her.
He walked over to Melissa's body and picked her up. "I guess I can give the bitch a proper burial, if nothing more…the last thing we need is for some weirdo to find her body and bring her back to undeath or something crazy like that. Hmph. I wish it didn't have to be this way, though." said Aran as his expression turned somber. He was obviously devastated and angry from recent events and was hiding it. Saraiah picked up Zaine and the group walked out of the base. Aran put Melissa's lifeless body in the trunk and had Ryuden drive his car and Markas rode in the passenger seat. The others rode with Dylan. Aran sat in the back seat of his car and held Zaine close to him, and cried softly, overwhelmed with anger and confusion, and of course, joy that he was reunited with his son, whom he had believed to be dead for the past three years. His own flesh and blood. He was alive and well. It was rather bittersweet.
"Daddy…you cry again? You hurt somewhere?" asked the child as he looked up at Aran with his big, burgundy eyes full of wonder.
"Zaine…I'm ok. Daddy is just glad to see you. Daddy is crying because he is happy." said Aran, hiding his negative feelings. He thought to himself, "Zaine…I hope you never have to understand my feelings…"
They arrived in Seiyomari, and Aran had everyone drive to the lake. Melissa, as Serileine, always loved sitting by the lake. Aran thought it was an appropriate place to lay her to rest, as Serileine, if only for the sake of closure. They found a spot, and Dylan used alchemy to create a hole in the ground. Aran had Melissa wrapped in a blanket, and he jumped into the deep hole and laid her down on the bottom. He casually kissed her forehead and said, "Goodbye, Serileine…I doubt we will meet again." He covered her face and climbed out of the hole.
"One second, guys. I need to do something down there." Saraiah said to the others as she climbed down into the hole.
"Serileine…or rather, Melissa, I really liked you. You were always kind and wise, and I was devastated when I thought you were dead. But it turns out it was all a fucking lie." Saraiah growled as she pulled out her kunai knife and stabbed the corpse in the skull. "All fucking lies! I trusted you!" she shouted some more as she kept frantically stabbing, blood splashing everywhere from the impacts. "Then you go and beat the shit out of Amby and plan to torture her! And you break Aran's heart! And beat Zaine on a daily fucking basis! I hope you feel every godsdamned stab I give you right now!" Melissa's body was soon not much more than a bloody mess. "Burn in hell you disgusting cunt!"
"Saraiah, that's enough! Come back up here!" Ryuden called down to her, as he could hear what she was saying. She reluctantly complied, and Ryuden helped her up.
"Now I feel better!" she said as she inhaled deeply. She then grabbed Ryuden and bawled into his shirt. "Fuck that bitch…" she cried as Ryuden held her closely.
Dylan and the other men began throwing dirt into the hole. Aran collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. "Why? WHY? Why did it have to be this way? It's just not fair!" he screamed as he repeatedly punched the ground, causing it to shake. "The fucking Sumestris leader? WHY? I was starting to get over her and now this!? Damn it all to hell! Why didn't that bitch just leave me alone? I wish we had never met!"
"Aran…" said Saraiah as she walked over and embraced her angry brother, "Aran…your son. I know how awful this must be…but your son needs you now." She motioned for Zaine to come over to them, after wiping a few tears from her eyes. Amber walked over to Saraiah and took her into her arms.
"Daddy…I sorry. You mad at me?" said Zaine, with a sad face.
"Oh Zaine…come here." said Aran softly, as he pulled his son into a gentle embrace. "Of course I'm not mad at you. You did nothing wrong. Your mother was a terrible person. Let's go home. Your Grandpa Cid would love to meet you."
"Heh, Aran. Looks like you decided to cut your hair after all…to be honest, I don't think short hair suits you!" said Ryuden, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Psh…it'll grow back. Let's get going. This whole thing sucks…but I'm glad it's over now. Melissa paid the price for her crimes." said Aran as he picked Zaine up and the group returned to their vehicles and headed for Seiyomari Castle.
"Dylan, please take me home. Right now, I think it's best that I make myself scarce. I did kill the woman that Aran loved at one time…" said Leina.
"Leina, I don't think Aran would want that…he did assist in her death, after all. He just needs some time to get his thoughts straight, and I think you would be very helpful to him. He loves you, he told me." said Saraiah as she placed her hand over Leina's.
"Wait…he does!?" Leina exclaimed with slight disbelief.
"It's true!" Amber said with a somewhat sad smile.
"Saraiah, Amber…I love him too, and I just feel like I would be selfish right now. I don't want to be his rebound. Dylan, please take me home. I need to be with my mother and sister, anyways." said Leina.
Dylan nodded as Saraiah said, "Very well. I understand."
"Thanks. Oh, aren't they still at the castle, though?" said Leina.
"Yes, but I can call Daddy and he can have Uncle Alex take them home." replied Saraiah.
"That works." said Leina.
"Leina, do you mind if I join you? I wish to be there for Heather too…Saraiah, perhaps you could have Cid grab my bag and send it with Heather and Emma?" said Tallon.
Saraiah nodded, as Leina said, half smiling, "Sure…do you like my sister?"
"Yes I do! Is that ok?" asked Tallon, blushing.
"Well, we shall see if you are up to her standards!" said Leina, jokingly. "But seriously, you're ok in my book!"
"Well, thanks for that." said Tallon, with a smile.
"Well, we are sure going to miss you two! Keep in touch and keep training! I know we will encounter Margine one of these days. Stay sharp!" said Dylan as he pulled up to the Vance mansion. Everyone got out of the car and Dylan and Saraiah hugged Tallon and Leina and bid them farewell.
"Leina, if you ever need me, no matter what time of day it is, whether to talk or hang out, call me." said Saraiah as she hugged Leina again.
"Same here, Leina. We love you!" Amber said sweetly as she took her by the hand.
"You know I will. I love you both." said Leina as she pulled Amber into the hug, and tightened her arms affectionately around the girls she loved as sisters and best friends. Leina exchanged cheek kisses with both women, and then they parted ways.
"Tallon, I will be more than happy to give you more advice and train you one day to be a good doctor!" said Dylan as he shook Tallon's hand. "Oh, and I found this." Dylan handed Tallon a blue Fazium crystal.
"Dylan…this is an Aeon crystal…this will let me obtain Leviathan! Thank you so much!" he said excitedly as he threw his arms around Dylan.
"No problem, kiddo." said Dylan, with a smile.
"Come on…I am nineteen for crying out loud…hehe! Take care!" said Tallon as he and Leina walked inside the house.
"Aran…you have returned! You have your son with you!" said Cid as the group, minus Tallon and Leina, as well as Markas, who had gone straight to bed, entered the royal chamber.
"Zaine, this is your grandfather, King Cid. You can call him Grandpa!" said Aran as he led Zaine over to Cid.
"Zaine…it's great to meet you. You have one heck of a father!" said Cid as he smiled warmly as he embraced Aran and Zaine in a group hug.
"Well, I guess some good has come out of this!" said Saraiah as she held Dylan's hand.
"Aran, I'm so happy for you!" Amber said with a radiant smile.
"So…what happened to…Serileine?" said Cid. Aran explained everything, and Cid said, "Aran…I'm terribly sorry. I had no idea…"
"Dad…it's ok. I'm totally over it. That bitch deserved to die. I have Zaine now, and he means so much to me. I wish Leina had come back with us…I wish to talk with her, but in light of recent events, I can't have a relationship with her right now. I don't want her to think that she's a replacement for Serileine. I don't blame her for killing Serileine…I mean, Melissa…Melissa did try to kill Leina and Zaine, after all. She also incapacitated Amber before we even arrived. Hell, I stabbed her when she was about to blow Leina's head off. She was pure evil. I need some time…I still love Leina, very much, and I never want her to feel like a stand-in for Serileine. I do wish to be with her soon, though, when the time is right. She's the woman I love now. The egg donor is dead to me now. I was just…so pissed off and confused. I thought she was alive and all was well…and she turned out to be the bad guy. That really sucks." said Aran, seeming to feel better than he did just twenty minutes earlier.
"I never got the chance to send the information I had found before I was attacked." Amber said to both Aran and Cid. "I'm sorry."
"Amby, don't apologize. You did what you could. You sure do have guts!" Aran said, with a reassuring smile. Cid nodded in agreement.
"Thanks guys. I need to go report to Sam now!" Amber bid everyone farewell, then headed off to see Sam.
"So…what now? Sumestris has been taken down…what next?" asked Dylan.
"Well…we will keep training. Margine will return one of these days, and I hope to launch a full scale search and rescue for Renaiya. We have to be in tip-top shape for that assault to be successful." said Aran.
"Daddy…by the way, I've decided to move out. I'm going to stay with Dylan." said Saraiah.
"Oh…I see. I don't like it one bit, but you are an adult, after all. Take care of my little girl, Dylan! I guess you are as close to good enough as any guy can get!" said King Cid, looking a little unsure of what he just heard. Aran chuckled a little bit.
"You know I will. Thank you." said Dylan.
"I will make sure of that, Dad!" said Aran as he playfully tugged on Dylan's ear. Dylan lightly jostled him with his elbow and they both laughed. Cid just smiled and shook his head.
"Wow…it's 2:00 in the morning…we'd better get to bed!" said Saraiah as she yawned.
"Aran…you need to get your hair fixed tomorrow! It's like, several different lengths…hehe! You are one hot mess! Certainly more mess than hot right now! You're usually a solid nine but you're looking a little five to six-ish right now!" said Ryuden, laughing.
"Shhh…" said Aran, gently. Zaine had fallen asleep in Aran's arms almost immediately after Aran picked him up.
"Oh…sorry. Uncle Ry's pretty loud, huh." whispered Ryuden.
"I guess he can sleep with me tonight." said Aran, quietly, with a warm smile. He closed his eyes and continued smiling as he held his son close to him. He looked very happy in light of what had happened.
"Amber! I had no idea that had happened to you! So apparently it was either Vince or Melissa that sent that text from your phone. I should have known better." Sam said after Amber gave her report. "So, Serileine Lorin was Melissa Yunari. That would explain why she was "targeted." She discovered she was outmatched so she decided to fake her own death. That would also explain why Melissa never revealed herself."
"That's right, but she has been killed, along with Vince. Sumestris has officially fallen. I think we were all very lucky."
"And thank the Gods that Zaine is alive. Aran was reunited with his son, after thinking he was dead. I'm very pleased with this outcome. You did well, Amber."
"I appreciate that Sam, but it was all Team Armasa. Leina Vance was amazing today." Amber replied with a warm smile. "You know, I fully support her and Aran getting together. It was quite an experience seeing Team Armasa do what they do firsthand! And now they will most likely take on Tallon Ravencrow from Mirrassei."
"The Hunter's Guild is very fortunate having Team Armasa as an ally. I know some of my hunters have to pass themselves off as bad guys though, to get the job done. Or as kidnapping victims."
"Now that the Sumestris project has ended, what will I need to do now? Will I be going to work for Margine to help the other two?" Amber asked, with curiosity.
"I may need to send you, but now's not the time. The other two have it under control. You go take some paid leave. You deserve it!" Sam said, with a sweet smile.
