Woot, none test in my college by two weeks! Well, I still have to study withstand, but a time without pressure it's a time without pressure, don't you agreed?!

Anyway, did you think the round of dark chapters ended with that last one? Think again! Here we have more about Colette's passession. Now I know some of you really did not like her and can think she was some of weak by hidden things inside her heart AGAIN and give up of her soul another time. But remember people: after all Colette is human and we humans have the tendency to commit the biggest mistakes. So don't flame on her and, mainly, don't flame on me!

Let's get on with this.

Chapter 21

Pain and Hate

Lloyd and Sheena entered in the cafeteria of Flanoir base, holding their hands and smiling to each other. Yuan and the others that were eating their breakfast stopped when spotted Lloyd and Sheena entering.

The two lovers stared at their friends, who were looking at them.

"Hum... is everybody okay?", Lloyd tried to say, but he was really embarrassed to have them all looking at him.

"So, this was your little 'problem'.", Raine said, with a slight smile on her face.

"Well...", Lloyd didn't know what to say. Raine chuckled at the expression of her former student.

Zelos stood and walked to the two, a serious expression in his face. Sheena couldn't help, but think it couldn't be so good. If the Chosen really did like her he could start a fight with Lloyd for her and that was the last thing she wanted.

"Zelos, I...", the female ninja started, but Zelos held his hand making signal to she not interrupt.

"First, let me apologize.", Sheena's jaw fell. She waited anything from him in this situation, but apologizes was one of the last. "I'm sorry for the situation I put you in. The truth was that I mixed up the things. I confused gratitude with love, so I hope you can forgive me."

Lloyd was also startled, Zelos had said that he liked Sheena with so much conviction that Lloyd doubted he wasn't sure of what he was saying. He couldn't help, but sigh in relief.

Sheena didn't know what to say. Zelos was looking to her with a hopeful look, he really waited she accepted his excuses. Then he changed his expression to puppy eyes. It could be some of funny in another situation, but for her it was almost as he was begging for her forgiveness.

"Ok, I forgive you. I don't see point in we still with this.", she said. Zelos smiled, the first true smile that he gave by what seemed a long time. "One more thing.", Sheena said. Then, without the Chosen wait or have how to defend himself, she slapped him, leaving a red mark on his cheek. "Now we're quit for that night."

Everybody gasped at that, but they soon fell in laugh at seeing Zelos' expression. Now the things turned back to normal.

Lloyd and Sheena sat with the others and took some food to them. Zelos sat besides Lloyd and started to ask:

"So how is it? I'm sure Sheena must be pretty hot.", Zelos asked with that characteristic smile of his, which Sheena and the others knew so well.

The ninja shot a dangerous glare at the Chosen.

"What? I'm just congratulating Lloyd. He's really a lucky guy.", Zelos said, some of sweating by her look. When she turned to her plate, Zelos turned to Lloyd again. "Seriously how is it?"

"Zelos, I just said I love her. I don't want to make her angry so soon and it's not of your concern, okay?."

"Okay, okay. I know how she can be a real banshee sometimes."

That was it. Sheena stood, ready to go to Zelos' seat and slap him until he got totally red, but for her surprise and everybody else around Lloyd hit Zelos at the back of his head, making the Chosen almost bury his face on his bowl.

"Don't insult her.", Lloyd said in a serious, dangerous tone. Their friends laughed again while Zelos scratched his head.

"Hey! It's two against one. It's not fair.", the red headed Chosen cried.

Backing to their meal, everybody finished and started to chat among themselves. Sheena noticed that two people were missing.

"Where's Colette and Genis?", Yuan almost gasped at hear the name of the blond Chosen. Sheena looked to him confused, but he disguised.

"Genis ate quick and went to the hospital area to watch over Presea. Colette also ate and left. She seemed to be in a hurry.", Raine explained.

"Genis is with her again?! My I won't get surprised if he calls her for a date as soon as she wake.", Sheena said, chuckling a little.

Lloyd and the others around, save by Yuan, nodded in agreement. It was pretty obvious that Genis was fall in love for the pink haired ax wielder.

After some minutes, everybody stood and went to do their respective chores around the base. Sheena and Lloyd got up together and went to the exit, until they were stopped by Yuan's voice:

"Lloyd, Sheena... I have to talk with you two. It's about Colette..."

- - - - -

She was trapped, trapped inside herself again. It was like when she lost her soul and, like that time, she gave up by her own will.

She realized her mistake when was too late, she was locked at the moment she agreed with that spirit's deal. She thought it was that man, that spirit, who did she feel that pain, but now, after being chained here, she discovered it wasn't him, but something else inside her. Now all she could do was watch. Watch while "that" controlled her body and went to it's target...

Colette entered the Renegades' laboratory. There was some scientist, looking to a thick, glass window that showed the chamber where the Devil's Arms were being tested. One of the scientist noticed her and went to greet the Chosen:

"Hello Lady Colette. What do you make around here?"

"Yuan sent me to see how the tests with the weapons are going.", Colette said, in a cold tone, which passed unnoticed by the scientist.

She tried to scream for the scientist to run, she tried to say that wasn't her, but her voice never reached her mouth. Her prison prevented her from warn them...

"Sorry, but we didn't have any success until now.", he turned to the glass and to the weapons behind it. "I'm really starting to think these accursed items are indeed invincible."

"Yeah... they are...", the blond Chosen said, slowly reaching something beneath her clothes' shoulder.

She tried to warn them again, but it was in vain. In some moments, the last thing the scientists would see in their life would be the black and purple blur of the Evil Eye's form...

- - - - -

Genis was in the infirmary again, watching over the sleeping Presea. She had slept by two days now and the little half-elf was starting to get worried if she would even woke.

No. I need to have hope. She'll wake., he kept repeating the thought in his head over and over. He knew that negative thoughts attracted negative things. The proof was right in his front, lying in that bed.

He wanted for her to wake soon, so he could tell how he felt about her, but for now, all that he could do was to wait and this bothered him with no end.

Then he heard it: Presea was mumbling and trying to sit. Genis' heart was jumping of joy. Presea opened her eyes and looked to her surrounds to find herself in one of the Renegades' infirmary with Genis sat in a chair besides her bed.

"Genis, what...? How much time do I...?", she was having trouble to find the right words, her head was a mess.

"Hey, easy.", Genis said, trying to stop her from get up. "You've been sleeping for two days if it's what you want to know. But how are you now Presea?"

"I'm fine. Oh, and Genis, thank you.", the ax wielder smiled, making Genis got red beet while he stuttered and "uh?". "Thanks for save me. If it wasn't for you, I may still be possessed by Nebilim."

Genis stuttered a "thanks" to her, but didn't find his voice to talk anything after that. Presea tried to stand, she seemed to be a lot better, but Genis didn't want to risk.

"Presea, you should rest.", he said, trying to get her back to the bed.

"I have to go and talk with the others, Genis.", she insisted, going to the door. Genis grabbed her wrist.

"No! Please Presea. I don't want you to get hurt."

Presea turned to the young warlock. Genis noticed he stilled holding her hand. Blushing more then never, he left her hand and held his own on his back, trying to not look to Presea's pale blue eyes.

The girl didn't really understand why Genis acted that way. It was so strange for him to act by impulse alone. Deciding at least she owned that for him by saving her life, she said:

"Genis, I really do need to talk with them. You see, when I was under Nebilim's control I could look into h...", Presea's next words where cut by a loud explosion that shook the entire base.

She and Genis fell. Next, they heard hushed voices and screams coming from outside. Looking to the door the two just wondered what was happening...

- - - - -

Seconds before, Yuan arrived at his office with Lloyd and Sheena. He didn't sit in his chair like he used to, instead he just faced the couple.

"Lloyd, Sheena, I called you two because I feel maybe you can make something to get the things better.", Yuan's tone was deep, almost sad. Lloyd and Sheena just wondered what the blue haired angel would say. "You see, Colette..."

The former Seraph was cut off by a loud explosion that shook the room. Forgetting what he was talking about, Yuan pressed his communicator and shout at it:

"Denvir, what's the hell happening here?!"

"It's Colette, sir. She killed all the scientists and took the Devil's Arms! She's making a break for the base's exit!"

The three lost their breath. Colette killed someone at cold blood and was trying to scape... it was so unreal for them to believe.

Without stop to think, they stormed out of the office and went to the base's entrance. At their way, they encountered the others, who were also running to the gates.

"Did you also felt that?", Regal asked, everybody nodded.

Approaching the main gate, they heard sounds of battle. Behind the clouds of dust they could see Presea and Genis battling against a ferocious Colette, trying to prevent her from escape.

The scene was as breath taking as it was bizarre. Colette kicked Presea in the stomach with all her force, sending the pink haired girl to the wall. Genis tried to use Spread to launch the girl away, but Colette dodged, flying and threw the Evil Eye at Genis, who wasn't quick enough to avoid and got a deep cut in his right arm, making him to drop his Kendama. Any magic user knew that a hit like this mean the end of the battle for him.

The accursed chackran flew back to it's wielder's hands. The possessed Chosen turned to the newcomers. At seeing her new state, the party's voice was totally taken away.

Colette's eyes were red, the same red color of when she lost her soul in the final of the Regeneration Ritual, but this time there was a gleam in her eyes, they gleamed with what seemed to be pleasure. Pleasure to fight and kill her opponents.

Yuan was one of the most shocked, if he didn't know better he would think he was looking to the feminine version of Mithos. In fact, he always thought Colette beard a slight resemblance with the former hero, but he thought it was just appearance. The blue haired Seraphim never thought he would live to see the day that Colette would show the same gleam in the eyes that Mithos showed when he killed all those who he considered to be the guilts for his sister's death.

A laugh echoed in the air, everybody looked around to see from where it came. They located the source of the sound. It came from Colette. But it wasn't her voice.

A shadow appeared around her, the same shadow that possessed Presea. Nebilim.

"What... is that Nebilim?", Lloyd asked. Raine, Yuan and Sheena looked to him, surprised.

"You can see him?!", Sheena asked, Lloyd nodded.

"I can see too.", Zelos said, companied by Regal and Presea who nodded.

This got the members with elven blood of the group worried. They looked again to Nebilim's specter. The air around him seemed to emanate heat and the form of the shadow seemed to be denser.

"Oh no. He had get stronger since the last time.", Raine said, that was the only explanation for Lloyd and the humans of the group saw that shadow.

"Yes, I am.", Nebilim said, grinning. "The darkness in this girl is stronger, even stronger than Presea's. I never thought that someone like her would bear so much regrets, fears, besides others things. It's like they said: always the quietest ones."

The shadow said in it's characteristic venous tone. It seemed to be amused while talking, like the very fact of be possessing Colette was a great irony. Then it turned to Lloyd and Sheena:

"And I must thank you two for make this possible. If wasn't for you, I may never had found such appropriated vessel."

Lloyd and Sheena seemed confused. Why would they, who never had any intention of hurt Colette, would be the ones that helped Nebilim to control the girl? The dark specter chuckled at their expressions.

"I see. You're some of slow, aren't you? Well, then I think I'll let Colette speak by herself. I'll release the girl from my will for her to talk with you. I just wait the pain didn't make any permanent damage to her soul."

Before the two could ask what he meant by that, Nebilim disappeared. Colette immediately clutched her chest and knelled on the ground, her eyes showed a deep expression of pain. Lloyd tried to go to her, but Colette shout:

"Stay back! Don't dare to get close of me.", she lifted her head to him. Lloyd struck speechless, her entire face was practically screaming of hatred and, what was worst, she was focusing her eyes on him.

"Colette... what the...?", Lloyd tried to say.

Sheena and Raine approached, but when the blond girl rested her eyes in the ninja she shout with a voice full of hate:

"I SAID TO GET AWAY!!!", Colette threw the Evil Eye at Sheena with such strength that the weapon seemed a blur.

Sheena could only gasp while the accursed item flew towards her throat. Lloyd immediately jumped at her front, Material Blades at hand, and defended the blow with his Vorpal Blade. The eye-like weapon was spinning against the crystal icy blade, trying to cut it in half, but without any success.

Lloyd pushed the weapon away, Colette took it back from her position. She twitched violently, meaning another wave of pain was being inflicted upon her. Sheena wanted to go and help her, but she stilled startled from the sudden attack and the way Colette talked with her.

"You...", she said, pointing to Lloyd and then to Sheena. "Because of you... I'm feeling this pain... this pain in my heart that don't go away.", tears started to drop from her eyes. It mixed hate and pain. "Why do you do this to me?! I loved you Lloyd and this is how you return it?! Hurting me!? Betraying me?!"

Colette gridded her teeth, she seemed to be killing Lloyd with her eyes. The Eternal Swordsman and the summoner was struck beyond any sense. Colette knew they loved one another and this made her to be possessed by Nebilim.

Lloyd never thought, even knowing that Colette could not see that with good eyes, that the blond Chosen, his childhood friend, would hate him because he chose Sheena over her. He felt water come to his eyes.

"We didn't want to hurt you Colette. It happens that...", Sheena tried to argue. She also never wanted to inflict any type of pain at the girl. She considered Colette like a great friend or even, dare her to say, a little sister.

"Shut up you too! You're another one. I believed in you, I gave you my friendship. I tried to cheer you up even when you played the coward and in the end you took Lloyd from me! You also betrayed me!"

"I... I...", Sheena was on verge of tears.

The scene was just heartbreaking, not to say anything worst. It was the first time everybody saw Colette use that tone, full of hate, with someone. They tried to say something, but the words died before it could reach their mouths way.

"Don't come crying to me. It's your fault I'm like this! You two, I hate you!", Colette shouted, her tone was almost of a berserker rage. "All I just want now is to this pain gone. Nebilim will make it gone... he'll give me the darkness and erase these feelings... these feelings that bring this pain to me."

Now another gleam came to her eyes, it was hope. The type of hope that one who dreamed an utopia have. Lloyd and Sheena stilled speechless and with watery eyes for what Colette had just said, but the others managed to recover from the shock.

"Colette, don't let him to deceive you. He said almost the same thing to me.", Presea said She just couldn't let her friend pass by what she passed. "This darkness he offers to you will just make more harm than good. Don't let he convinces you to throw your life away how I almost did."

"And what should I do then? Say no to him and go back to Iselia and stay there for the rest of my life alone? No Presea, you know very well how it's like to be alone and I'm alone, but I don't want to suffer because of this anymore."

The blond Chosen's tone was cold, colder than before, when Yuan heard her talking after she discovered Lloyd and Sheena loved each other.

Incapable of hold the tears, Sheena let it fell. Lloyd instinctively approached to the summoner, but stopped once he heard Colette's voice, now sounding venous and tauting:

"Oh yes, go to her Lloyd. Go to comfort this wretched viper.", more gasps came from everybody.

That simple wasn't Colette. It couldn't be her, she would never say such cruel things like that. Before they could still to think, Nebilim's shadow appeared again.

Floating over the girl, the spirit seemed to enjoy to see their faces, specially when he spotted Sheena crying. Colette really did have strong darkness inside her.

"Now that all got clear, I'm taking my newest friend if you don't mind.", involving the girl with his dark energies again, Nebilim made the blond Chosen turn to the exit.

Before they could go, Yuan blocked their path, Shallow at hand, ready to fight if it was necessary to not let that infernal specter to take Colette away.

He searched for what to say, but nothing occurred to him. He really did feel it was Colette who spoke that cruel and harsh words, not Nebilim. He didn't feel the traces of that shadow's magic on her.

"Back off Yuan!", Colette said. Nebilim just smiled while watching the scene. "I don't want your pity. I know why you care about me, it's just because I do look like Martel, it isn't?", she said, an evil smile playing on her lips.

Yuan got paralyzed. He knew now it was Nebilim who was talking, but that was something he couldn't ignore. Indeed, Colette acted much like Martel, he always thought it was because of their similar mana signature, but there was big differences between then two. Yuan knew very well he didn't look to the girl searching for Martel on her eyes.

Colette showed her wings and flew against the blue haired Seraphim while he was distracted in his thoughts. Yuan just realized the distraction when the blond Chosen was upon him. He tried to dodge, but was too slow and got hit by the blow of the Evil Eye, that cut through his armor.

With a quick reaction, Colette kicked Yuan's chest, making he hit the base's wall. Before anyone else could do anything, the possessed angel flew through the blasted gates to the skies. Lloyd shouted her name, but she was already getting distant...

- - - - -

Merilius was sat in one of the great rock islands that decorated Flanoir's coast. In times like that, this was the only place where he could go to think, without have Kermish, Scarv or Slash bugging him. The cold winds was refreshing, calming his spirit and clearing his thoughts.

The blue haired half-elf needed to put his head in the place before did the next move, one that he knew could cost his life. He doubted that Kermish would accept his "resignation" with good mood. Kermish... the very thought of that talk he had with that degenerated Chosen was enough to make his blood to boil.

Merilius never accepted to do that errands for him. He just made that in hopes that Kermish would make his part on the deal and helped him to take back the Devil's Arms, but now that hopes were shattered and the light warrior was starting to feel all the weight of his conscience upon him.

The magic swordsman knew he was desperate when he agreed to help the ancient Chosen, but he hoped that if Kermish really knew about the Devil's Arms, he knew about Nebilim and what he was capable of. He didn't even bother to ask how Kermish knew about the accursed items. Now he saw it was all a big mistake.

Merilius thought back at the heroes... at how he hurt the little Genis, acting like he wanted to befriend with him. He didn't feel any affection by the heroes, they didn't matter to his mission. All he cared was his burden... his honor. But now he didn't know what to think. Genis didn't deserve what he made to him nor Lloyd and anyone who could be suffering by what he did.

He was lost again. Alone and lost. All his family died because of their burden... his burden. He was the only one left and even so he failed. How could he tell to his ancestors in the afterlife that he failed with them?

The magic swordsman didn't have courage to even tell to Luna and Aska what he was doing. They probably knew, but Merilius found easier to think they didn't. He simple didn't have courage to tell to them all that he had done in this past moths.

Before Merilius could think more about his mistakes, he heard an explosion, coming from west. Smoke started to rise from a point in one of the rocky islands.

The blue haired half-elf arched an eyebrow. He knew the Renegade's base of Tethe'alla stood in that point, but what could be happening there?

A point came from that direction, it was flying through the skies and passing near where he was. Taking a better look, Merilius could see Colette's figure leaving the base.

Why is she leaving the base alone?,Merilius thought, that was really strange.

When the blond Chosen was near to him, Merilius felt a chill in his spine. He knew very well that sensation, but he couldn't believe in first until took a better look on the blond angel. The light mage saw what weapon she was carrying and all his doubts were answered.

The energy came from her and she was caring the Evil Eye. She was possessed by Nebilim just like Presea. Merilius could feel the energy of the other Devil's Arms with her, Nebilim could probably have all the weapons if she escaped. Knowing he couldn't leave she got away with it, Merilius prepared to cast a spell.

This was his last chance to recover the accursed items as well as his own honor...