"I'm pleasantly surprised at how fast you've uncovered the root of the problem."

Forcystus stood in the command room, arms crossed, eye narrowed. He looked down at the unconscious man, lying curled on his floor. A few drops of blood slipped down the side of his pale cheek, and his eyelids twitched, as if he tried to wake from a fitful dream. He had sustained an injury to the back of the head which left him dead to the world. He had put up a fight, but one of Raine's men got to him with the stock of his rifle, and down he went. They dragged him straight to Forcystus, no interruptions, no delays.

"Sir," Raine stepped forward, saluting. "We found messages on his communicator between him an an accomplice, whom we now have in custody. She denies having any involvement with sabotaging the mana cannon, but we will work on her. This one tried to run."

Forcystus nudged the sleeping man with his foot. "Is he one of Rodyle's?"

"Yes. He's been sending messages to his confederate expressing loyalty to Rodyle. He's apparently dissatisfied with the release of the prisoners."

"Hmm." Forcystus turned, smiling a little. "Put him in their place, then. Stick him in one of their cells. I'll speak with him later."

One of the guards nodded and motioned for his comrade. They each grabbed a leg and dragged the unconscious man from the room, his head smacking against the stairs as they pulled him down from the command platform.

That left only Raine, hands folded behind her back, Lloyd, arms crossed impatiently, and Forcystus, who pinched the bridge of his nose, scowling.

"So. There's that problem solved," Forcystus said.

"I believe so, sir. Although these two were not members of the mana cannon scientific team, they regularly had access to the room as personnel supervisors. Therefore they had several opportunities to dismantle the cannon." Raine sighed. "It's been a long few weeks, sir, but I believe we shall see a stop to the damage. We will have the cannon up and running very shortly."

"Good. Let me know when you are ready to test it again. In the meantime, I have my men searching for Yuan."

"Is he not in the desert, sir?"

"No. He's a slippery bastard. He's gathered his remaining followers and fled the base."

"That's good news," Raine said. "With him gone, we might be able to access his portal."

"Yes, it would be good news, if his engineers hadn't shut it down before they left. They were thorough. We can't get it up and running again."

"Perhaps I could—"

"You must focus on the cannon for now. I can't have you dashing across the world just to play with Yuan's toys. I will find him soon enough." Forcystus sighed, returning his attention to the window. "I expect this to go smoothly now that we have the culprits in custody."

"Yessir. It will."

"Then you may leave."

Raine saluted and exited the room, Lloyd following closely behind. He stared at her feet, clicking along the metal floor, and felt sick to his stomach. He wondered if it was merely excitement at the prospect of finishing his current project—as soon as the mana cannon was functional, Forcystus said they would eliminate Kvar next. And that meant he'd be able to see his mother again. It was a goal that had seemed so far away just a short time ago, but he could see it slowly appear on the horizon, blurred beyond his more temporary objective.

"Lloyd."

He looked up, unaware that Raine had stopped and turned toward him. "What?"

"What are you looking so pained about?"

He sighed. "I don't know."

She looked quickly up and down the hall before taking his hand in hers and squeezing it. "I'm famished. We can go find something to eat."

"Okay."

She dropped his hand when the footsteps of the afternoon guard echoed through the halls. "I'll get you a drink. In celebration of apprehending those responsible for our mechanical failures."

"Sure…"

She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "Tell me what you're thinking about."

"Well…" He bit his lip, editing his words. "This place… the Desians, everywhere, it's all just so full of backstabbing."

"And this surprises you?"

"I know it shouldn't. But sometimes I can't help but wonder if I've chosen the right side."

She led him down the hall. "I think we all wonder that sometimes. No matter what side we're on. If that question never emerges in your head, you're probably an idiot."

Lloyd laughed, slightly. "Everyone's a goddamn traitor. Forcystus betrayed Rodyle, who betrayed Yggdrasill. Then these guys betray Forcystus. Yuan's got his own rebellion going, and now the rest of the Desians are turning on him. Zelos and Sheena betrayed Yuan by siding with us. Magnius betrayed Cruxis. My father betrayed me, and I accidentally betrayed my mother. Gods, only Kvar is loyal to his cause, and I hate Kvar most of all."

Raine lowered her eyes thoughtfully. "It's what happens when you have so many people with so many ideas of how the world should work. Disparate people beget disparate viewpoints, which in turn sows discord."

"So how do we solve it?"

"Well… Yggdrasill has the idea that the only way to overcome differences is to make us all the same. He wants everyone to devolve into mindless, soulless automatons."

"Like the angels in Welgaia."

"Yes. Forcystus thinks we can achieve peace by separating. I happen to agree with him."

"Why can't we just learn to get along with one another?"

Raine almost laughed. Lloyd could see her sardonic smile spread, but she held it in. "Sometimes I wonder if you've even met humans." When they reached the door to the mess hall, she pushed it open. "You must remember, not everyone is like you. In fact, I'm fairly sure no one is like you."

In the crowded mess hall, they ate in silence, devouring their meager meal with little enthusiasm.

Later that night, when Raine tore herself away from her work to sneak into his room, he found her presence more daunting than comforting.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, when he received her tender caresses with unexpected enervation.

He lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. "Raine… I don't want you to go. To Derris-Kharlan, I mean."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know. But I believe it's for the best."

"But I don't understand…"

"Understand what?"

"I don't get why you would spend this much time with me, if you're only going to leave me in the end. I don't understand why you would teach me to read, teach me to operate the mana cannon, show me both worlds… I don't know why you would lie here with me like this, if nothing will ever come out of it?"

She smiled. "And what do you expect to come out of it, Lloyd? Marriage? Children?" She lay a hand over his mouth before he could answer. "My advice to you is to forget me when this is all done. I will be far away, you will move on with life. You'll have your desert back, you'll have your mother back. You'll be busy enough. You won't miss me."

"But I will. I'll miss you horribly."

"Lloyd…" He felt her breath rise and fall, her skin against his. "I know parting is hard, but it's something we all need to learn how to do." She hugged him close. "If there's one thing my brother taught me, it's that you have to love someone as much as you possibly can before the gods rip them away from you."

He held her, locking his hands together around her waist, as if he expected her words to spring into reality. He swore he could almost see the long, translucent, spindly fingers of fate reaching down through the roof to pluck her away from him.

He swore he would never lose another loved one to the artifices of the world around him. Never, ever again. He would retake what was his, and he would keep Raine close to him, or he would die trying.


Pronyma found Kvar sitting hunched before a screen in his dark surveillance room. The other guards had long since gone to other duties, or retreated to the comfort of their barracks. After all, the hour was closer to dawn than dusk. Kvar should've taken a rest hours ago, so he could at least be somewhat cognizant when she discussed their plans. But here he was, glued to a tiny screen, eyes wide, mouth open slightly, both disgusted and intrigued by whatever transpired on the other end of the security feed.

"Kvar," she started, crossing her arms. He did not look up at her. "What in hell's name are you doing?"

"I am observing two animals copulate."

She leaned over his shoulder and glanced at the screen. She drew back, skin prickling. Of course Kvar would spend his spare time doing something as heinously voyeuristic as watching his own prisoners take comfort in one another's bodies.

The thought repulsed her. She turned, preferring to continue the conversation with her back to him. "Disgusting."

"Indeed it is," Kvar answered, almost gleefully. "Absolutely revolting. But they are making me another Angelus Project subject, as far as I know. I'll need to observe her health and activities in the next while before I can draw an conclusion as to the viability of that outcome."

"I am not here to talk about your pet project," she growled. "I am here to discuss Forcystus."

"Ah, yes. Forcystus. I haven't thought of him in a while."

"I know. That's the problem. Word has it he's almost completed the mana cannon. It is only a matter of time before he uses it on us."

She heard Kvar scoot away from the screen. "There is no need to rush, Lady Pronyma." He must've stood, since she heard the distinct clicking of his boots on the concrete floor. "Stay here, assist me in fortifying my ranch, and there is no way they're getting through our defenses."

"I beg to differ, Kvar. I find it an abhorrent idea to sit around and wait while Forcystus amasses enough power to topple Cruxis." She sneered at him. "In case you've forgotten, the resurrection of Martel takes precedence over your little ant farm."

"Of course I know that." Kvar's glance sent shivers down her spine. "But he will no doubt need my little 'ant farm' in the very near future. He'll need something unbelievably powerful to run his cannon—something as powerful, I would guess, as my Angelus exsphere. No, he will arrive here in due time. And we will not give him the opportunity to use my project at all. We will annihilate him before he can get his hands on her."

"You do not know how powerful Forcystus has become. I believe he already has a viable power source for his weapon."

"How are you so sure of it?"

Pronyma couldn't help but smile, dangling the information just a little above Kvar's reach. "Let's just say I have a few birds perched near his nest."

Kvar narrowed his eyes at her. "Tell me."

Oh, this was precious. Watching Kvar switch from defiant to supplicant in a matter of seconds elevated her mood drastically. She decided to prolong the conversation. "If you'd paid attention to something other than your Angelus Project, you'd know all about it."

"Tell me," he repeated, more forcefully.

"Promise to lend me half your force to mount an attack on the remote island ranch, and perhaps I will."

"Perhaps will simply not suffice, Pronyma."

She smiled. "Then consider the information classified."

"Fine, take them. But I expect them to be returned in full force."

"Oh, yes. I will return them. I will return with Forcystus' head. I will dismantle the cannon and reestablish order in the ranch. I will retrieve the original Angelus Exsphere and present it to Lord Yggdrasill. I will return here with the corpse of Kratos' son and make him bury it." The look on Kvar's face as the realization hit him made her grin all the wider. "It's a pity the boy was hiding under your nose this entire time. Perhaps you should learn to pay closer attention to your surroundings."

Kvar grit his teeth, only the slightest hints of rage crossing his features. It was enough for Pronyma. He ran his fingers through his slicked hair, and pursed his lips. He tightened his frown, brow furrowing. "You shall have your force. I will give you whatever you need. But bring me back the exsphere. And bring me L033 alive. I still have some unfinished business with him."

"You're getting awfully comfortable giving orders to me," Pronyma said. "And I have no reason to bring him back alive. In fact, perhaps I won't." She put her hand over her mouth to cover her laughter. "I wonder who will weep more, you or Kratos?"

Kvar's fists clenched at his sides. "My Lady," he hissed. "I humbly request that you deliver him unexpired." It seemed to almost hurt him, uttering those words.

Pronyma's smile faded, her heart light. "For you, Kvar, I will do this favor. But you will owe me a great debt. It is so hard to keep humans alive and well for transport." She turned to go. "They're just so fragile. There's no telling what will happen to him."

She left Kvar dangling there, at the end of uncertainty, as she floated through the doorway, light as a feather. She could only hope she'd keep him guessing.


"Hey, Lloyd!"

Zelos emerged from the shadows like some sort of incongruously peppy wight. Before Lloyd could avoid his grasp, he slipped his arm around his shoulders and tugged him along the hall. "What do you want?" he asked eventually, when it was clear that Zelos was not going to leave him alone.

"I was just thinking about a great card game I haven't taught you yet."

"Not now, Zelos," Lloyd sighed. "I don't have time." It seemed to Lloyd that the Tethe'allan Chosen and his bodyguard did nothing all day but sit around and waste time. He would've liked to have some time to waste himself, but he couldn't help but feel a little pissed that Zelos would have the imprudence to walk up and attempt to distract him from his duties.

"You gonna go break some more stuff on the cannon?" Zelos smiled, latching onto him like a tick. He couldn't shake the Chosen off, so he just let him follow him down the hall toward the reactor room.

"I'm not breaking anything," Lloyd said. "We got the guy who was. So everything should go smoothly from now on."

"Well, we can only hope so." Zelos' tone was frivolous, nonchalant. Lloyd glanced up at the Chosen, at his flickering eyes, his glinting smile.

"Don't you have something better to do with your time than bother me?" he asked.

Zelos laughed. "I see the Lieutenant's sour attitude is rubbing off on you." He turned, waving to Lloyd behind his shoulder. "You get back to your joyless engineering. I'm off to have a little fun with my life." Zelos paused at the end of the hallway. "Don't work too hard, Lloyd. You never know when you'll straight-up drop dead from it."

Lloyd made his way down the stairs to the elevator that would bring him to the mana reactor. He tried to shake off Zelos' last words, but they echoed in his head, leaving an eerie feeling in the pit of his stomach. Maybe he was working too hard. He hadn't played oud in weeks, he hadn't sat down with his reading in just as long, unless, of course, it was pertinent to the upkeep of the mana cannon.

But he didn't mind. It left him no time to think of his mother, of his father, of his plans for the future. He did not have to think of the possibility of Yuan's arrival at the ranch, he did not need to worry about the fate of the prisoners who had been sent afloat in the calm ocean the day Forcystus set them free. He didn't have to think of anything beyond the immediate function of the mana cannon. He could recite from memory all the electrodynamic laws he'd learned just the past few days, he knew all the weights and proportions of all the disparate parts that came seamlessly together to form the cannon itself. He could find his way around the computer apparatus that controlled its movement and power. But he couldn't remember what he'd had for breakfast that morning. He couldn't remember the last time he slept well, he didn't know what day it was, much less what month. He was unsure if he'd grown older during his long work on the cannon, or if time had stayed still.

He didn't care to know. He didn't want to have to judge his own actions as right or wrong, didn't have to lie awake at night punishing himself for his mistakes, or trembling in dread of the mistakes he'd make in the future. And he didn't have to, when he was alone with the tubes and wires and signals and dials of the cannon and its various auxiliary apparatuses. His brain had a limited capacity—he preferred to fill it with things that did not worry him so much. Things that did not remind him of his own moral failings.

When he got to the mana reactor, he found Raine at the end of a walkway, overlooking her cabal of human workers, busy repairing the parts that had suffered sabotage recently. Nothing had gone wrong since the apprehension of the two culprits, so they shouldn't expect anything else to fall apart before they tested the cannon again the next day.

Raine heard him approach, turned and lowered her viewing spectacles. "Everything seems to be in order here," she smiled with relief.

"That's good," he replied. He had to keep himself from embracing her. He hadn't seen her in a good twenty-four hours and it nearly killed him. He tried to explain to himself why he felt this way, but he was utterly at a loss. He wondered if she tried as hard as he did to keep her affection from showing when under the gaze of other Desians. "What do we have to do today?"

"We have to make sure these repairs go as planned," she said, crossing her arms. "I have to check this place from top to bottom, to make sure everything is working perfectly. I expect our test run shall go smoothly."

Lloyd smiled. "So, when the repairs are done, do you wanna take a break?"

She seemed to reel from the suggestion. But he could see the cogs of her thoughts turning behind her eyes as she considered the possibility. "Perhaps. We need to make sure everything is perfect for tomorrow, when Forcystus is breathing down our necks about the whole affair." She sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I didn't settle for a softer science."

Lloyd shrugged. "You didn't have much of a choice. You ended up here the same way I did."

A thin smile tickled her lips as she lowered her eyes again to the work going on below her. "Extraneous circumstances. I know." She glanced over her shoulder at him, and it suddenly struck him how tired she looked. Dark rings sagged under her eyes, the corners of her mouth turned down as if she struggled to keep them up. He walked up to her and touched her elbow, lightly, quickly, so no one would notice. She sighed. "I think a break might be a good idea. Perhaps I should get some rest. It's a big day tomorrow."

"It is," Lloyd agreed. "Let's work until the afternoon, then let's go get some snacks. We'll sneak some drinks into Zelos' room. He says he has a card game to teach us."

"That sounds perfectly acceptable."

Work went smoothly, finished up early, and Lloyd left the mana reactor in a much better mood than he had entered. They stopped by the canteen, and Lloyd pilfered some snacks while Raine sweet-talked the man behind the counter to give her a few bottles of whisky usually on reserve for the higher ranking officers. They slinked toward their quarters, guilty but satisfied.

They found Zelos and Sheena already halfway through a game, yelling at one another over the table. They both turned when the door opened and in came the two joyless engineers, toting food and liquor. The pair received them with open arms, and they played until long after the sun set behind the shining sea.


Forcystus leaned back in his chair, feet crossed over his desk, telling himself to go to sleep. He knew he should've made his way to his private chamber hours ago, but he couldn't force himself to get up and leave his office. Not since he was expecting a call—

His communicator screeched, and with a skip of his heartbeat, he answered. All of his late nights paid off for this small moment of ultimate satisfaction.

"Sir, we have Ka-Fai in custody."

"Just him?"

"A few of his soldiers surrendered and came with us. Including his right hand man."

"Good. Bring him in. I'll clear you for the upper levels."

Forcystus put down his communicator and pressed a few buttons on an apparatus on the nearest wall. He stilled his hand, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down. He still didn't know if what was left of the Renegades would add their power to his own. He didn't know if he'd end the night disposing of Yuan's body, or shaking his hand in comradeship. It all depended on these next few moments, this pivotal bleating commonly referred to as "negotiation."

He collapsed back into his chair, holding his forehead. Compromise had always been his strong point. He'd learned to live with humans because of it, and now he was losing it over talking to another half-elf. He supposed he'd simply grown too used to violence rather than conversation. It was the only language Desians spoke, for the most part, and he knew he'd have to find fluency in it if he was going to take down Pronyma and Kvar. He considered himself lucky that Rodyle had been so easy to deceive, and that Magnius had fallen under the guiles of his own hubris. The remaining two would be more difficult.

Yuan, he hoped, would be more willing to speak than to fight. The man had a reputation, after all. Yggdrasill had once said Yuan was one of those people who only consider fighting a last resort. Forcystus had been young then, new to the Desian ranks, but still a distinguished warrior and ambassador of his race. He wondered if Yggdrasill had been lying then, like he'd been lying for so many years about his mythical Golden Age of Half-Elves.

The door to his office slid open, and he stood to greet his soldiers. A weak figure dangled between them, bluish hair tangled with red. His head hung limp, but twitched restlessly, as the guards prodded him awake.

"Where are the others?" Forcystus asked.

"We put them in holding cells, sir."

"Good." Forcystus bent down and looked into Yuan's bloodstained face. One eye had swollen to ludicrous proportions, the other struggled to open. "Yuan, it's been a long time," he said. "You look like shit." Yuan swallowed, audibly, with difficulty. He didn't reply, so Forcystus figured he'd better continue. "You've been putting up a good fight against Yggdrasill, but I'm afraid here is where you pass the torch. The Renegades are more of a nuisance than an asset at this point." Forcystus stood, motioning for his guards to relax their grips on Yuan's arms. "But I don't really want to kill you. I'd rather talk." He sat down on his desk. "I think it's the perfect time for a long overdue conversation."

Yuan groaned, still unintelligible. Forcystus wondered if he'd suffered some sort of brain damage in whatever struggle took place to bring him here.

"I know I should end you and your little rebellion right here, but I think we'd be better off working together." Yuan lifted his eyes, life returning to them. Perhaps the man thought Forcystus was still loyal to Yggdrasill. Perhaps not. "Your rheiards will no doubt prove a prime asset to our cause. Moving between worlds without the Tower will be an indispensable advantage." Forcystus sighed. "But then, if I take your machinery and your base, what then do I need you for? Give me one reason I shouldn't toss you to the sharks."

Yuan took a weak, haggard breath. "Because…" he started. "You need… my knowledge. Only I know how they work. I shut them down before we fled… the base." He stopped to take a deep breath.

"A fair argument, Yuan." Forcystus crossed his arms. "I am a peaceable man. I don't intend to kill anyone with whom I can ally myself. You included."

Yuan grimaced, probably at some unseen injury. "Then you'd want to keep Kratos alive as well."

"I do not care either way. Although I suspect if I want to get rid of Yggdrasill, I'll have to get rid of Kratos first. It will be easiest just to kill him, don't you agree? Given his mana acts as Origin's seal, I can just cut him down and Yggdrasill will fall shortly afterward."

"He… doesn't need to die," Yuan gasped. "There's a chance… he'll come to our side. If we find his son."

"I'm far ahead of you there, Yuan. But Lloyd told me the last time you tried to coerce Kratos onto your side, he ignored you. You sat there with your blade at his son's neck and he didn't care."

"There were… unexpected complications," Yuan said. He lifted his head, steadying himself. "Keep him alive. He will be far more valuable to you than I am."

"What makes you say that?"

"Mithos still trusts him. He can get… close." Yuan stopped to catch his breath. "I cannot do that. I've been marked a traitor from the beginning. But Kratos…"

"I see." Forcystus smiled. "I will consider it. But unless you can come up with a way for him to live through the release of Origin's seal, I'm afraid that outcome is impossible." Yuan hung his head, out of breath. He didn't have the strength to reply, so Forcystus slipped off his desk. "You've always had the reputation of being too merciful for your own good. Do you know why you've failed to bring down Yggdrasill so far?" He waited for the reply that wouldn't come. "Do you know why both you and Kratos failed in all your endeavors? Because you lack subtlety. But I don't. I have wiggled my way up the ranks and seized the mana cannon. I will successfully bring down that tyrant and his absurd Age of Lifeless Beings. I'll blast him into space, if that's what it takes."

"Don't." The forcefulness of Yuan's protest took Forcystus by surprise.

"Don't? That's your famous mercy again, out to destroy you."

"No… don't hit Mithos… let Kratos and me take care of Mithos. You… you must aim the cannon at the Tree. It will grow—"

Forcystus rolled his eyes. "Always with this goddamn Tree of yours, Yuan. Do you ever learn? It's gone the way of all things, Martel included. It's long dead. There's nothing you can do to bring it back."

"But—"

"If you're going to work with us, there are a few things we should agree on. Where to fire the cannon is one of them. And since I seem to be the one in charge of the weapon, I think it's not unreasonable to assume I get to call the shots." He waved his hand. "Help him down to his cell. Make sure he gets the attention he needs. I'll speak to him more tomorrow."

"Yessir."

The guards tightened their grips on Yuan and hauled him to the door. He did not resist. Perhaps he was too tired, perhaps he'd lost hope, perhaps he knew it was for the best if they got along. When Forcystus found himself alone in his quiet office, he picked up the communicator and sent a message to Lieutenant Sage. She would need to contact Yuan's remaining engineers and discuss logistics of rheiard use with them. And she would no doubt pass the news onto Lloyd that Yuan would likely become a familiar face around the base. And then it was quite possible they'd have to keep those two from each other's throats.

Forcystus shook his head. Leadership is just lauded babysitting, he thought irritably. It probably doesn't pay as much, either.

In the silent dawn, he couldn't help but laugh, alone, and wonder briefly if he'd gone mad.