Chapter 10: Consequences Edge groaned as he rolled over. It had been a week since his mistake, and Mericle hadn't been able to walk or do much of anything with the pain. So he'd stayed by her side, babying her and trying to make things better. He felt terrible, and hadn't told any of the others about what he'd done. There was a knock at the door again. "Edge?" That voice. It was Faize. With his seemingly heightened senses, the Eldarian probably already knew what had happened to Mericle. Edge sat up, making sure to cover Mericle over, since she'd kicked the blanket off again. "Come in." he said. Faize stepped in. "We were starting to wonder if you were even still here." he said. He tilted his head slightly, those orchid eyes glittering a moment. "Edge, did something happen?" The captain sat down, petting the tired figure in the bed. "I . . . I hurt Mericle." he said, trying to keep the waver out of his voice. Faize sat on the floor, feeling it would be the better alternative to sitting on the bed next to his former captain. "I got angry, and was walking around to try and cool down, but . . . well, the events going on that night didn't help." He saw Faize's slightly confused look. "You sounded like a whore." Faize blushed, looking down. "Sorry." "I got really horny, and I was still angry, and . . . she just walked by, and I . . . I raped her. I didn't even notice it was her until after I'd finished, and she couldn't stand." Tears began to run down Edge's face. "Mericle hasn't been able to walk since." "Mya?" Mericle shifted slightly in the bed. "Morning, Edge." Faize stood. "Do you mind if I try healing her?" "Go ahead. I haven't tried mostly because I don't think I've got the right marks for that, yet." Edge replied. He kept petting Mericle's head and hears. Faize put a hand out over Mericle's injured hips, and the symbol appeared. There was a moment of seeing the beautiful white symbol, and then it turned red and vanished. "Faize? What was that?" Edge asked. Faize looked down at his hand, looking a little confused. "It did the same earlier when Nel asked me to heal a wound on her hip." he said. "Lymle had the same reaction from Nel when she tried healing her." "But, what does it mean?" Edge asked. Faize thought for a moment. "I've seen this reaction before, and I'm a bit hesitant to tell you." "Please?" Mericle asked, sitting up and folding her ears back cutely. "I wanna know, mya." Faize sighed. "Your pregnant." He looked at Edge. "Congratulations." Edge fell off the bed in shock. "What?" he asked. "Well, it's not unheard of, seeing as how Crowe and Elena had their child about a month ago, now." Faize replied. "Mericle is also a Felpool, albiet a lesser-type." He smiled at Mericle. "May you have a healthy baby, Mericle." Mericle put her hand on her skinny tummy. "A baby, huh?" she sounded almost amused. Looking at Edge, who was just standing up again, she threw her arms around him. "We're having a baby!" `~`~`~`~O_O~`~`~`~` Crowe looked at Edge. "Are you sure?" he asked. Edge nodded. "I want to make things right." "What are you talking about?" asked Lymle. She petted the cat that was walking by. "Well, Lym, Mericle and I are going to be parents, and I want to make sure she's going to be taken care of." Edge explained. "Does Merry want that?" Lymle asked, standing up again. Edge nodded. "She said that whatever would make me happy was fine, and I don't want her left alone." "Make sure Merry wants this, too, kay?" Mericle stumbled down the hall. "Edge, mya." He turned and picked her up, letting her sit in the crook of his arm. "Mericle, do you want to stay with me?" Mericle pawed at her ear for a moment. "I really don't know, Edge. I mean, your always busy." She leaned on him. "But I'll stay with you until your bored of me." Edge petted her head. "I guess that's all I can ask, then." he said with a light smile. "Hey, uh, Crowe, have you seen Arumat and Reimi?" Crowe shook his head. "Not since yesterday." "Looking for me, lad?" Arumat asked. He sounded worn, tired, and yet also bursting with a kind of energy you get from only a few people. "Where have you been?" Edge asked. "And why are you staying around the corner like that?" "Mya! Get out here where we can see you!" Arumat chuckled and stepped out around the corner, Reimi at his side and . . . flatter than she'd been before. Tucked in her arms was little bundle. Arumat was holding one as well. "Twins?" Crowe asked. "Three, actually." Reimi replied. She knelt so Lymle could see the baby she was holding. "Well, that explains why you looked so big." Edge ducked away from Arumat's swing. "Hey, hey, hey, pregnant cat on my arm, here." That stopped everything. "What?" Crowe asked. "Dude, I thought you said you just jumped her." Faize walked passed with a strange, heavy, cylindrical container. "Well, he'd have had to tell you at some point." he said. He hip-checked the door to the next room. "Albel!" "Hmm?" The Glyphian looked up at him. "What the? Already?" "Yeah." Faize put the container down. "He's ready." Albel looked at Faize. "He?" Faize nodded. "Go ahead." "What's going on?" Fayt asked. "That looks a little too advanced to be here on Elcoor." Arumat looked at Faize. "Is that what I think it is?" "What?" asked Nel, looking into the room. "What's in the tube?" Faize smiled, looking at Albel. "Go ahead. You can take him out, now." Albel swallowed and placed his hand on a print scanner at the top of the tube. There was a soft beep, and then a wash of fog spread out over the floor, and some liquid as well. The others were trying to wave the smokey fog from their faces when the strange sound came. The fog cleared, and Nel and Fayt just kinda stared. Albel was laughing. And held in his arms was a small child, perhaps a year old, with longish black and gold hair, pale skin, and dressed in a t-shirt Faize had probably swiped off Fayt at some point. "You little brat." said Arumat, pushing Faize. "You build that?" Faize nodded. "Greeton engineering was helpful, and they didn't argue the guy who sunk their ships." He gently brushed the child's hair back. "Well, at least you got a little of me." he said. "Huh?" Fayt looked at the child. There, staring back at him, were two purple eyes. The child blinked at Fayt, then said "Bleah." Albel laughed again. "Oh, I like you." he said. A.N. - Still trying to put Faize and Lymle in the same room. I'm on alternate Earth, now, and am sorely disappointed at my leveling skills. I'm only at level 28, and I know the enemies are going to get really tough when I reach Roak and Aeos again. I've discovered a good area to try and level up, so my goal is to get to level 30 before I continue through and get Mericle. Here's hoping I can reach level 35 or 40 by the time I leave the planet. And yes, I'm still battling every enemy I come across as I go through each place. Another thing I'm doing is swapping what character I fight as, instead of always playing as Edge. This had been my saving grace with the last two Grigori, seeing as how Lymle and Edge have healing skills. I was able to back away from the battle and let the other three fight while I spent all my time (and berries) using MP to heal.