Meh. Was getting tired of waiting, so…

Wasn't sure who to follow… so I started with Lynn and worked around to Tristan. Heh…

One thing I would like to point out to Tamaki; it's not actually "SMTI", but "SMTIII" or "SMT3", but the last two letters got removed. And "SMT3" stands for the game "Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne", a demon-type RPG for PS2.

Chapter 24: Memories

Verse 1

Despite the war that was going on up north between the Nation and the Union, the cities that surrounded the capital of the Nation barely seemed aware of that. They didn't even seem to be aware of any troubles at all, and most of them had complete faith in the Emperor. One thing was funny, though; not many had ever seen the Emperor's face.

Well, they had, just not in a while. After the Empress died about 10 years back, the Emperor has been holing himself up inside his palace. No one but those that lived inside the palace had seen him since then.

However, everyone in the capital believed he was just coping with his loss in his own way.

And that was where they were wrong.

Verse 2

With one strong bite, almost half of the apple had been ripped off from the core, disappearing slowly into the redhead's mouth as it was being devoured. The black-clothed girl was sitting on the edge of one of the many rooftops of the city, watching the palace from a safe enough distance.

Tell me again, WHAT does the Emperor look like?

Who can say? Like I said, I have only seen him in the black cloak he always wears. It reveals nothing.

Frowning, Lynn bit off a smaller piece of her apple. He knows magic, right?

And plenty of it. Mostly because of his pact.

What is his pact partner, anyway?

Some sort of bird-like beast… I have never seen such a bird before.

Nodding in understanding, Lynn thought those words over.

She and her partner had taken a stop in several of the Nation's cities, and that included the capital. Morcion had told her as much about the Nation as he could, sharing with her some of the Nation's most well-kept secrets.

Amongst those had been plenty about the Emperor himself. Many claimed he had not left the palace in at least 10 years, but it was quite the opposite. The Emperor was more often than not only to be found somewhere at the edges of the battlefield, or otherwise away from the capital. But it was true that not many had seen his face after that day when his wife passed away.

Only a few had even gotten a glimpse of him, and only of the bottom half of his face, mostly. No one knew how he looked exactly at this date.

Finishing her apple in silence, Lynn snorted, before she stood and ran down the wall, jumping back and forth between the buildings before landing soundlessly on the ground. Dusting off, she began to walk, adjusting her traveling cloak as she came out into the streets. No one there knew of her, so she could mingle easily.

For all the Nation knew, she was dead by the Emperor's poison, if not by the dragon that had "somehow" escaped them. And no one would really recognize her anyway.

The poison had left her with a scar across her right eye that almost reached her chin and just barely missed her hairline. Her hair had grown again and had retained its natural curls as a result, and the color of her hair had also darkened, as if the poison had also contaminated the color. And because of her pact to Morcion, her eyes had changed color to a poisonous green color.

If anyone from the Nation saw her, they would think nothing of her.

What else will you do?

Search for a blacksmith… As strong as you are, Morcion, I still prefer to be armed.

Hmph. Do as you like.

Always do. You should know by now.

True… true…

Verse 3

It was late at night when Lynn snuck out of the room she had rented in the inn, a single package secured under her arm. With the stealth of a cat, she moved across the roofs, ducking in and out of shadows at the most irregular intervals.

The streets were virtually empty, with only a few guards out on patrol. Despite that, there was no need to be getting sloppy just because of the lack of security. Taking careful note of everything around her, her little excursion soon brought her to the heavily fortified walls of the city, and then over them, without anyone noticing.

Making her way across a nearby field, she ducked into a hidden cavern just out of sight and made her way further inside.

"I'm back," she called out softly.

"Took you long enough…" her partner called out casually.

Lynn ignored the comment and settled herself next to Morcion. Neither of the two really seemed to care about the arrangement, nor did either seem inclined to move. Even as Lynn unwrapped the package and pulled out the two wave swords. Unlike the ones she had always carried, these were spiked like thorn branches. Moving her finger across the blade, she looked at her hand as a small stream of blood dribbled down her skin.

Yet she felt neither the pain or the blood that came from the wound.

With a sigh, she once more rolled up her sleeve, looking at the black markings that ran across her arm, and she knew they continued on across her entire body, sealing away her sense of touch. It had been to escape the pain, but now, she realized what a mistake that had been.

And yet she wouldn't change it for the world.

You said you had to find someone, before… Morcion suddenly said. What did you mean?

Lynn remained silent for a moment as she rubbed the blood between two fingers, before she finally decided to answer. A friend… someone I miss very dearly…

Hm. She must be pretty important for you to search so feverishly for her.

Yeah… Lynn nodded, shutting her eyes and pulling up the image of her friend.

Fire red hair, dark blue eyes, and always a smile whenever she approached. Then she recalled the promise they had made together before parting ways.

"Friends forever?"

"Friends forever."

And that had been the last time she'd seen her. Lynn couldn't help but wonder what she would look like. And would she remember their promise, as well? How long had it been? 10, 15 years, maybe more, she wasn't too sure anymore.

Well, Lynn had gotten her wish at least; she was strong enough to protect everyone. But would Angelina approve of it? She probably wouldn't be happy with what Lynn was planning, that's for sure.

And it made her wonder if Angelina was really all right…

Had she escaped from the Nation with Manah? Or had she staid with Eris? She surely couldn't have gone with Nowe; he'd never allow it.

Well, wherever she was, Lynn could only hope she was safe.

You should get some rest. You're no good to anyone when you're exhausted.

Okay. Good night.

Whatever.

Lynn just ignored the dragon and got comfortable, before shutting her eyes and allowing sleep to claim her.

Verse 4

By the time the sun rose, Lynn had already snuck back into her hotel room, so as to avoid suspicion. When she came in, she was pleased to note that everything was just as she had left it. Not that she'd expected company, but she was still cautious and barely left any of her personal possessions in an unprotected hotel room. Despite that, she did leave small trinkets that meant nothing to her, but which would be able to prove if anyone had been messing with her things.

Tucking those items back in her bag, she finally began to walk downstairs. Because the key to hiding out in the open is to not act suspicious. As she stepped down the last steps however, a shudder ran through her mind and she paused for a moment, but then walked on.

But despite that, she slowly looked around for whatever she had felt just then.

And then her eyes fell on the brown-haired man that had been walking in just as she had walked down the stairs. His stare was aimed right at her, making her focus on the intense yellow, almost dragon-like, eyes that seemed to be gazing right into her soul, and then upon the scar that ran over his face, hardly as disfiguring as one might think. It almost made her want to reach up and finger her own scar.

For a moment or so, the two only stood and stared, but then they simultaneously looked away and went their own way once more. After all, they had nothing to say to each other.

Verse 5

Tristan was silent as he walked toward where the innkeeper stood, attending to a few guests. Just the thought of being in that town made him feel sick with revulsion, but he repressed the urge to puke and just focused on the task at hand. The merchants had delivered nearly all of their food supplies to the inn, resulting in there not being enough for both him, his partner, and Nowe. So he was advised to speak to the innkeeper.

But he hadn't expected to run into another with a pact. The pact was young, he could tell, but he could not say to what that girl had given her heart. Because, while she looked to be in her early twenties, she had the look of a lost child in her eyes. He could tell, because he'd often seen it in his own eyes.

However, he was not about to pry into another's business. It wasn't his concern whether she had a pact-beast or not.

Verse 6

By the time he left the inn, he was carrying a bag with more than enough supplies for all of them. It had hardly taken him that long to get what he needed; his partner had joked he'd be able to charm the Emperor of his crown if he wanted to.

Well, perhaps 'charm' wasn't the proper word for it, but you get the point.

There were many people in the city that looked at him curiously when he passed, but he never actually gave them the time to properly look at him. Only a few people were allowed to do that, and these people were not included on that list.

Dragon.

Hmm?

I got the supplies. I'll be back in a bit.

Very well… Did anyone recognize you?

No. You think I'd give them the chance?

Hm. Good point.

And with that, both cut the connection and Tristan continued through the city solemnly. The villagers barely gave them a second glance. Not that he gave them a chance to have one, that is. Sure, they tried, but Tristan merely walked past and ignored all the looks the people gave him.

He hadn't seen the other pact partner again after his business had concluded. Not that he wanted to see her, but he still wondered what one was doing in such a place. The Nation was not a place for people with a pact. They were fairly easily taken advantage of these days.

Not that he really cared, though.

Shaking the thought aside, he made his way out of town and toward where his partner and Nowe would be waiting.

It wouldn't do to keep them waiting.

Verse 7

As the night grew colder, Tristan settled against his dragon's side, and even Nowe was allowed to stick close to the dragon, so that at least he wouldn't freeze to death. Nowe made sure to not get too close to Tristan, as the other man did not like the company of other humans too much. He wasn't about to question the younger brunette, knowing that everyone had their own reasons for everything.

Though he had been a bit surprised that Tristan had managed to secure plenty of food for them all, he wasn't about to question him. Considering where they were. Nowe couldn't really bring himself to care about where the food had come from.

Still, Nowe wished he could have helped Tristan with it. Of course, there was that tiny problem with him being a wanted man by the Nation. Tristan could get away with walking through the city, no doubt, but if Nowe tried that, he'd be arrested before he could blink. Well, maybe not that fast, but he still wasn't about to try.

Things had been quiet for them, but none of them were about to drop their guard. That was a sure way to get killed, after all.

Looking over to Tristan, Nowe couldn't help but wonder. There was an expression on his face that was a little familiar to him, but he couldn't exactly place it. Or maybe that was just because he resembled Caim so much. The resemblance between them was almost scary, and the look he had had on his face when he had jumped out to battle…

That had nearly scared him out of his mind. It was just too much like Caim…

Verse 8

There was barely enough light coming from the lantern he held to guide him, but he should be able to managed at least until he reached his destination. Whatever that was. He had the strangest feeling of déjà vu, like he had been in a similar situation before. Had he? He couldn't recall too well…

It was cold. The surrounding area that was lit by his lantern was white, and it crunched below his feet. The trees around seemed unaffected by the weather, but they were different from any other tree he had ever seen. They looked like they had been shaped specifically to resemble pikes, and it made him wonder.

Why wasn't he surprised at what he saw, anyway?

Still, he was determined to not let it bother him and just kept walking. He felt like he was supposed to, anyway. He remained walking, even if there was no road for him to follow; he seemed to know exactly where he was going to. The darkness hid almost everything from view, but that meant very little.

For a long time, he just walked, without actually knowing where he was going. Not that it mattered, really.

But then he paused. The white of the path had been stained. Stained with a dark red color.

Silently, he began to follow it, keeping his lantern high so that he could see where he was walking. Last thing he needed was to run into something that stood in his path. Not that he expected anything to appear, but despite that, it still wouldn't do if something did pop up.

And then he stopped, suddenly feeling cold.

His mouth moved, but no sound was coming out. His hand was shaking, threatening to drop the lantern he held. His eyes were both burning and wet, a combination he had only felt once before.

Unable to speak, he ran over to the figure lying on the ground, dropping down to his knees beside them and one hand on the figure's shoulder before he could rethink his actions. The heat greeting his hand caused him to wince and pull back. But then his hand was reaching out again, flipping the figure almost hesitantly onto their back.

Empty, glassy eyes stared up at the skies, an expression of pain on their face, which was also stained with that same red liquid. He couldn't bring himself to look away, even as his hand left red streaks over the figure's cheek as his fingers moved to caress it. He had never seen this person before, but something in his mind said that he did know who it was…

He tried to speak, but only one word managed to come out of his mouth…

Tristan's eyes snapped open almost instinctively, blinking several times, before he managed to calm a little. Taking a deep breath, he held it for a moment longer, before letting it out slowly. Once his heart had calmed down a little, he became aware of the salty tears that were running down his face. With a frown, he reached up and quickly wiped them away, not even knowing why he was crying to begin with.

That dream… why did it bother him so?

The face of whoever he had seen was quickly fading from memory, and the word he had used to address that person did so just as fast, if not faster. All he remembered was that it had been someone he knew, very well…

You alright, little one?

Tristan sighed softly. Not really…

…You want to talk about it?

No… thanks anyway…

His partner didn't offer again, which he had expected. And even if she had, he wouldn't talk about it anyway. He just wasn't ready for it at that point. He wasn't even sure what half of his dreams meant. Were they trying to tell him something?

Were they memories? Or were they simply things he feared?

He really didn't know.

But… why did he feel like he had forgotten something extremely important…?