Bringer of Nightfall

by RoseDragonWitch

Now hailed as a hero throughout the Source, what next awaits the Warrior of Light, soon to become a Warrior of Darkness? The time has come to move on only now we are heading to not a different country, but rather an entirely new world! The path to the First is open to us and a new battle awaits… the most epic one yet… discovering the truth of what lies at the heart of the Star...

26. Paradise Fallen

Chapter 22: Paradise Fallen

The Exarch left the Pendants after ensuring that their Champion was well—or at least, as well as could be expected. She admitted to him that she had been wracked with pain mere moments before he knocked… though, in truth, he found himself having been outside her door for a couple minutes as he tried to figure out the best way to ask.

Still, when he saw her, she did look more like her old self than she had in a long time. Sure the damage from the corrupting light had spread, even his eyes could see that, but she looked much better than she had been in a while.

He hoped that she would be able to hold out just for a little longer.

After all, there was but one last battle awaiting them.

He paused for a moment as this revelation washed over him. He had spent so many years—decades—planning this all out as carefully as he could. Had dreamt up with hundreds of scenarios on how this could end… but now that they were in the final stretch, he was nearly overwhelmed with a sense of dread.

He shook his head, refusing to allow his sentimentally to get in the way this time.

It will be hard to say goodbye to her… but he had fully embraced his role long before she arrived. Still, that didn't stop how heavy his heart seemed to become as he stepped outside to breathe in the night air.

"What did our friend say?"

His head jerked up to see that, standing off in the shadows of building, was another figure who was strolling over to him.

"Have you been out here long?" the Exarch asked as Urianger stepped out to greet him.

"Our own Master Matoya did bid me to find thee," he replied with a firm line to his face. "I do believeth she wished to speak to thine other companions on this new development with our champion."

"I see," the Exarch said slowly. "I take it she didn't take the news well?"

Urianger shook his head grimly and confessed, "It is clear to mine senses that Y'shtola no longer trusts me. I informed her that I did have a plan waiting in the wings should the worst befall our friend, but when I resisted informing her the details of thine plan, she looked ready to curse me onto oblivion."

Urianger ran a hand wearily through his hair and finished, "But with her failing to come up with an alternative, she is left with no choice but to trust in mine judgement, albeit went against hers."

The Exarch heaved a great sigh, deeply concerned. He knew that Y'shtola would always be the most difficult person to try and convince—while the others seem to trust him enough—she had long since made her doubt of him very clear.

"I understand her concerns, nor do I begrudge her for it," he said, "But it will soon be over so we need only keep this up for a little while longer."

Urianger looked away, expression still stormy, but he didn't counter it as he looked back and asked again how Claire was doing.

"She looked pale, and she confessed that she had been in pain but moments before I arrived, but it had passed for now," the Exarch whispered, worry gripping his heart. He couldn't see her aether like Urianger and Y'shtola could... but even he could tell that the light was straining at its bounds.

It would only be a matter of time.

"I feared that this would be the outcome. Containing all that Light…?" the Exarch muttered quietly, "And we still have one more warden that must be defeated before we can enact the final part of the plan."

"Assuming that she doth not fall first," Urianger countered through gritted teeth and a sorrowful expression.

The Exarch looked at him sadly.

"I doubt not that she will be able to handle it until that moment," he countered, "It's what comes after...?"

"Thou still seeketh to follow through with thy plan?" Urianger interrupted.

"Of course," the Exarch answered back sadly, "We have been over this before. My path is clear and my mind is set. As much as I hate to admit it, I fear that to save this world one more life must be taken. It only pains me that she has to suffer until that moment."

Urianger looked away.

"Once more, I am sorry for pushing you into this, my friend," the Exarch added. "But I pray that you will continue to press on until the end."

"Full well did I understand the cost of what must be paid when thee first confided in me the truth. I fear that I have already travelled too far down this path to turn back now. But still...!" His face was twisted with guilt before looking at him and reminding him, "She will never forgive thee for this."

"I am aware of that," the Exarch answered back kindly, but still with that sad smile before he turned his head and glanced upwards to the Pendants, trying not to think of the shock and horror that she is certain to feel when she realizes the truth. "But she must keep going. And when that moment comes... the moment the last Lightwarden is slain and the light joins the rest... I will take care of the rest."

It seemed that Urianger wished to continue; but they suddenly heard voices coming from inside the inn and they left before being discovered by someone and forced to explain themselves. They slowly made their way back to the tower, feeling as if a dark cloud was hanging over their very spirits.

"Y'shtola will undeniably start to question as soon as we return to the tower," Urianger reminded him, glancing back to the pendants with worry. "But more so than that... thou mentioned that thee believe our Champion dost knowst thy true identity?"

The Exarch shook his head rather ruefully.

"If she hasn't figured it out by now, she is on the path to it. She has definitely grown suspicious," he said before shaking his head, a hint of a smile as he added under his breath, "I knew those sandwiches were going to get me in trouble."

"I beg thine pardon?" Urianger asked as the Exarch chuckled.

"Nothing," he said with a wave of his hand of crystal, "I will simply have to be more on guard now than ever. She is beginning to put figure it out, but she doesn't have all the pieces. Not yet. At least, I hope not yet; I forgotten how observant she can be. I have done my best to see that she is cared for whenever she returns to the Crystarium. As well as having done everything I could to try and keep my identity secret… but I fear that my own sentimentality is getting the better of me. Well, hopefully in a few more days it will no longer matter."

Urianger did not look comforted by this.

"I have used my mirror to check in on her from time to time even when she is resting just to make sure she doesn't need anything," the Exarch confessed, noticing his companion's grim expression, "I was growing concerned for whenever she returns to her rooms she seems to be speaking to someone who is not there."

"Speaking to someone who is not there?" Urianger repeated in surprise.

"I overheard her voice, though I could not make out what she was saying, mere moments before I knocked. I can only imagine that she is speaking to some manner of fae folk," the Exarch answered unconcerned, "Invisibility is a talent of theirs. She is certainly not acting like she is losing her wits. Nor does this mysterious companion bring her any distress, so I see no reason to bring it up. If it brings her comfort, we will not deny it to her."

Urianger looked down, unease still plain on his face, but nodded.

The Exarch paused there and stared up at the tower, his mind wandering as he thought of these many long years of waiting. He had been preparing for this moment for so long now that oftentimes it felt like he would never reach this point.

Now that it was here he felt as if he were in a dream. One where he would soon be forced to wake up from.

Urianger followed his gaze to the tower before looking down in a melancholy way.

"There is still time?" Urianger began. "Time to find another way?"

But the Exarch just shook his head faintly.

"I've had far too much time to think about it," he reassured him. "I will see this through to a happy ending."

"Thine faith is truly astonishing," Urianger complimented him.

"Do not fear my friend," the Exarch beamed at him, "We will see this through to the end and I will be entrusting you to deliver the message when this is all over."

*Inside the tower*

"So what does that mean?" Alisaie asked in confusion, "That there's a 'light' locked up inside her? I'm not sure I understand."

Y'shtola sighed as she folded her arms. After witnessing Claire's near collapse earlier she was left with a great sense of unease. So when the Exarch stepped outside, she sent Urianger out after him so that she could confess to the others what she knew about the current state of affairs without either there to change the subject.

"When she and the others first met me in the Greatwood, I ordered the Night's Blessed to surround them. I recognized the others, but her aether was so radiant that I did not know it was her," Y'shtola confessed, looking to Thancred and Ryne, who nodded to confirm that.

"I had wondered about that," Thancred said slowly, "And I noticed that our friend hadn't been looking well at all lately. She looked downright sickly as we were crossing over the deserts. I asked her about it but she insisted nothing was wrong."

"Well, that's just like her not to complain or let us worry about her," Y'shtola said, her tail swishing with irritation at that thought, "That's hardly surprising."

"Hasn't her aether always been bright though?" Ryne asked curiously.

"Always, but now it's vastly different to how it used to be," she answered, "In the Source, it was gentle and calm. But now...? Whenever I gaze upon her aether, it becomes so bright that it's almost painful to look at. Like looking at the full glare of the sun. In truth, I mistook her for a sin eater that day in the Greatwood."

That declaration sent chills of unease through all of them and they all looked at each other anxiously.

Y'shtola just looked away, a frown still weighing heavily upon her lips as she paced the room.

"To know that it was her, I knew something was wrong. And after hearing about how you have been going around and slaying the Lightwardens, it all made sense," she admitted quietly.

"But why would that be a problem?" Thancred questioned, "The Lightwardens are all dead save for one."

"Yes, their physical forms are dead," she countered, "But their Light didn't fade... rather it was... absorbed. It's because of this that I did not recognize her at first. And though she showed no signs of corruption, I fear that there is damage. Outside earlier... she almost collapsed. Something that I have never known to happen before."

"That explains a few things," Thancred said as Ryne and the twins looked at them all with wide eyes. "Why her hair has been turning white as one of them. I thought that it was just a side effect at first...? You know, from stepping into that light…?"

"That may be part of it. But more so than that, I am certain all of you have noticed the changes in Claire's behavior and her declining health," Y'shtola pointed out, "I do believe that the light has taken root and done something to her. I'm afraid of what this could mean for our friend and I do think it best that we plan out for any end."

"What do you mean any end?" Alphinaud demanded.

"It's not that serious, is it?" Alisaie asked worriedly, "Sure she's been acting a little different lately…?"

"I fear that is the least of our worries…" Y'shtola shook her head. "If we do nothing, her health will only continue to worsen. And if she lets her guard down for even a moment...? Then... then she could...?"

She trailed off as the silence was deafening around them.

No one wanted to say it, but they understood immediately what she was trying to imply no matter how impossible the idea seemed.

That the Warrior of Darkness could become a sin eater.

"Should we just postpone it then?" Alphinaud asked quickly, looking scared, "The confrontation with the final Lightwarden, I mean. Just by a couple extra days when she is feeling better?"

"Would that matters were so simple, Alphinaud," Y'shtola sighed, as she rubbed her temple. "I fear that what is wrong with her will not go away overnight and she will be needing something far more than just sleep. This isn't an illness with a known cure. And if we keep pressuring her to slay the final Warden...? Even if she is able to contain it, what then? All that light trapped inside her will only continue to fester."

"Do you think we should mention this to the Exarch and see what he…?" Ryne asked but Y'shtola all but seethed at the mention of the Exarch.

"You still don't trust him?" Thancred asked her, noticing how her ears were flattening against her head—a clear sign of her unhappiness.

"Of course not," she countered, "I fear that he doesn't care what is happening… or worse! That he has been planning this all along!"

"Wait! You think he knew that this would happen?" Alisaie demanded, her own fury rising.

"Of that, I do not know," Y'shtola admitted with bitterness, "I don't want to make such declarations, but I am struggling ever more at keeping these suspicions to myself. I can't help but feel that he knows exactly what's going on and is deliberately keeping quiet. I hate that. I don't know what to think."

"But Urianger…?" Ryne began before Y'shtola cut her off.

"He's hardly any better," she added scathingly. "He did say that he had a plan in place should she fail to contain the light, but he refuses to share with me or anyone else! How are we supposed to support his plan if we don't even know what he's going to do? How are we to offer any aid? Not only that, he has pretended not to notice the light's corruption inside our friend. I find that shocking that he would not have noticed before."

"So that's why you two have had that falling out?" Thancred asked. "Hard not to notice that you have been giving him those nasty looks. You two had always gotten along so well until now…?"

She sighed grimly once more.

"I do not doubt the words he spoke to us in his desire to save the First," she said, "But there is something here that he is not telling us. And I am certain that I am not the only one who clearly remembers the last time that Urianger plotted something behind our backs even thought it was for a good cause."

Ryne looked confused, but the others were all recalling, what felt like a lifetime past, when his plan manipulated both them and the Warriors of Darkness.

"You don't trust him any longer?" Alphinaud asked slowly.

"At this point, I don't know what to think," she sighed, sounding exhausted, "I do think that he cares about all of us, and he has been protective over our friend since first arriving in this world. But I find it hard to believe that he did not notice the corruption from all that Light. I cannot help but feel that he purposely kept the truth hidden from us. I want to believe him when he says that he's on our side, I do... but he is asking a lot of us without offering an explanation. I've worked with Urianger for years, and I've always believed that he had the best of intentions. But his methods...? Let us just say they leave a bad taste in my mouth. I find it difficult to trust those who are overly fond of secrets. And yes, that especially includes the Exarch."

"Well, we have to do something," Alisaie said quickly, "We can't just stand back and risk something happening!"

"No, we can't," she agreed, "And that is why we must focus our attentions to not only the upcoming battle with the Lightwarden, but also to face any outcome that this next battle could have."

"Does... does Claire know about this?" Alphinaud asked slowly.

Y'shtola shrugged at that, looking defeated as she admitted, "I did warn her of the dangers after we defeated the warden in the Greatwood... but as to how much she understands the danger she is truly in, I don't know. But she must be feeling pretty miserable right now?"

Alphinaud frowned at that, now feeling anger as he opened his mouth, about to demand answers, when the door opened and the Exarch and Urianger both came in. The rest of them fell silent as the others joined them.

"Forgive me," the Exarch said courteously. "I was concerned by what you told me and I wanted to check on her myself, to put my mind at ease. I told her to take her time and insisted that she get some rest. She will be joining us when she is ready."

The others all nodded, but that did not do much to cast the worry from their minds. None of them truly understood just what an enormous undertaking was happening behind the scenes. All they knew was that the deadly light was looming directly over them and brought with them the true feelings of fear and uncertainty.

*Morning*

Alphinaud awoke, feeling strangely heavy the next morning. He knew that he needed to rest, but after everything they learned lately he was struggling to let sleep take over.

'It's almost over,' he reminded himself, 'Once we slay the final warden, then we can focus on helping Claire recover and find a way home. All it would take is one last battle.'

Still, what was this uneasy feeling rolling about in his gut that caused this sense of unease?

Perhaps it was the lack of involvement from Emet-Selch? Y'shtola warning to them all? Or just the idea of facing Vauthry again after so much had happened?

He laid in bed for another hour as all these thoughts drifted about his mind until this terrible feeling in his heart grew to such a point that his anxiety couldn't be quieted. When he finally noticed the first rays of sunlight stretching across his floor he could no longer find an excuse to lie there. He got up and swung his legs out of bed as he went to the stove to make himself some tea, wondering if he should grab a coffee or something before heading to the tower later on.

That was when he heard a sudden knock on the door and he called 'Come in' without thinking.

Alisaie stuck her head in the room and looked around with a usually cheerful look.

This was almost in stark contrast to how she looked last night, but he did give her a tired smile in return as he decided to reach for a second cup for her.

"What brings you here this early in the morning?" he asked politely.

"Just checking to see how you were doing," she said, her tone strangely jolly.

"You're in a good mood," he pointed out and she smirked as she strutted into the room, and that was when he noticed that she had her hand pointedly behind her back.

"I was just coming back after picking up my rapier from the Crystalline Mean," she explained, "It needed repairs done though I found something very interesting on my way back up here and I just had to speak with you about it."

"What is it?" he asked quickly, worry seeping into his heart, "Did something happen with the plan?"

"Nope, according to the Exarch everything is proceeding as we had hoped," she reassured him.

Well, that was one good thing. But he couldn't really think of this something 'interesting' that she would be so excited about.

"It's a bit early for riddles, sister," he yawned. "What is it?"

"Oh, nothing much," she said before she pulled something out from behind her back a rather smug expression. He didn't pay any attention at first until she spoke up, "Just wondering if you could tell me what this is for?"

He looked up to see a small box that was wrapped in velveteen with a blue ribbon around it.

He blinked, wondering what she was trying to get at when he suddenly remembered what she said about the Mean and he went dead white at the sight of it.

"Now, Alisaie...?!" he began, leaping to his feet and ready to grab it from her as she began to pace around him.

"I certainly didn't expect something like this from you, or at least, being able to keep something like this a secret," she said and his face was now blazing hot with embarrassment as he made a wild snatch for the box, which she held out of his reach.

"Now," she went on with her story, a grin still stretching across her face, "As I went to pick up my rapier, the facet member brought out this order by accident. Naturally, I was confused since I had given them my surname when I placed the repairs. I mean, it's not exactly a common name, so I didn't think that there could possibly be a mix up! So imagine my surprise when they came out with this box instead of my order. I asked them about it and she showed me that this commission had been made by the same surname. That was when I recognized your signature, brother mine, and knew that you had placed this order ahead of me. So... after getting a good look at the item inside… I knew that it could only mean one thing."

She stopped pacing and pointed an accusing finger at her brother and declared in a loud voice, "You sir, are planning to give this to a certain adventurer friend of ours!"

Was there any point in denying it? She hugged the box to her and said, "That is so sweet..."

"Are you finished?" he asked sourly.

Her eyebrows raised, as if impressed that he didn't deny it but then she stood up tall and began to pace again.

"Now then...?" she began and he turned away from her.

"So no then..." he muttered in frustration as he spun in his chair and rested his head upon his folded arms, waiting for this torture to just end.

"Imagine my surprise when I saw this lovely little thing," she went on with that shite-eaten grin on her face. "I cannot say I ever expected you to be so romantic brother. But as soon as I saw that engraving I knew that this was something special. Now, when were you going to tell us?"

"First of all, it's none of your business," he retorted as he made a swipe for the package, which she held out of his reach, "Second of you, that gift isn't what you think it is!"

"Really?" she questioned, "Because from what I saw it looked like you are all but prepared to taken the plunge. I mean, I think that you both are a bit young for such a big commitment but I'm on board for it!"

"Just… listen…" he gasped and lowered his head, looking so pitiful that some of her amusement faded. He then took a deep breath and explained why he had it commissioned in the first place. For the first time, Alisaie listened very carefully to his words as he laid his heart bear. Not since that day he came to see her while she still served as a guard for the Inn did he speak so honestly about his feelings.

And as soon as she heard his words, she understood and sighed. She then handed the package over without another word and he opened the lid to get a good look at it. She watched how his face warmed at the sight of it and now she felt bad for teasing him.

"You really love her," she sighed with a shake of her head. "For I can think of no other reason why you could have been so open about this. What you said just now was perhaps the most honest thing I had ever heard."

"That's it?" he questioned suspiciously. "You aren't going to go on about it?"

"No," she said. "Though I already knew the truth when I saw it. I knew that this was no normal gift. But brother… do you remember when last we had this discussion?"

"I haven't forgotten," he said grimly as he admired the hard work that went into his gift before closing the top and setting it aside. "And I'm still not sure how to handle this."

"Nor do I," Alisaie acknowledged as she folded her arms. "Truth be told I think that I…?"

But then there was a knock on the door before Alisaie could voice what she thought of this whole thing.

"Come in," Alphinaud called and the door opened a crack to reveal Ryne's red hair. It was going to take a while to get used to the change.

"Sorry to bother you," she said, "Oh, Alisaie! I was looking for you too. Anyway, Thancred just told me to come and find you both. He said that we need to discuss the plans for today."

"Ah, right," Alphinaud said as he rubbed his face, coming back to the moment and reminding himself that they weren't done here. He would worry about all this once they confirmed a future for both this world and the Source.

"I'm ready," Alisaie promised with a wave of her hand. "I'll go with you. Though if my romantic brother here is feeling up to it, he can escort us and carry our luggage."

Alphinaud glared at her as Ryne looked from one to the other in mild confusion.

"Is everyone else already there?" he asked, determined not to go into any more details about that.

"Ah, yes… well, almost," Ryne answered. "Thancred was going off to pick up some supplies that he may need, as well as getting more cartridges but he should be ready by now. And Y'shtola was just leaving the Cabinet of Curiosity by the time that I found her. Urianger is already at the tower with the Exarch, I think."

"And Claire?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"Still in her room I'm guessing," she confirmed, "Though the Exarch already left a message for her to join us at the tower when she's ready."

"Do you know how she's feeling?" Alisaie asked Ryne suddenly, "She's pretty much locked herself up in her room the last two days and I'm really worried?"

"I've been talking with Y'shtola about that," Ryne reassured her, "She's coming up with a few ideas, but so far nothing major that would make a noticeable difference. She is loathed to trust in Urianger and the Exarch…?"

"Well, I can't say that I blame her for that," Alisaie sighed with her arms folded. "I'm starting to agree with her line of thinking. So you haven't talked to her yet?"

"I haven't seen her since after I gave that letter to her," Ryne admitted.

"What letter?" Alphinaud asked, barely interested at that point as worry turned in his stomach that made it feel like he was about to be sick.

"You know?" Ryne reminded, "That letter you wrote her?"

It took a few minutes for Alphinaud to fully register what he heard... and when he did, his eyes grew so wide they were in danger of popping out of his head.

"You still had that letter?" Alisaie demanded hotly as he quickly fished out his notebook and began to flip through it so fast that he tore a few pages. "I thought that you got rid of it by now!?"

"I was planning on it but… it never seemed a good time!" he retorted.

"Good time? Just take it and tear it up into pieces!" she yelled back, and Ryne was looking from one to the other with fear, suddenly horrified that she had done something wrong.

After a few minutes of hopeless searching, he seemed to realize that the letter was indeed missing.

"It's not here!" he gasped, his face full of terror and Alisaie smacked herself in her head for her brother's stupidity.

"Well, what are you waiting for? An invitation?" she demanded, pointing to the door, "Go and talk to her! And for your sake, I hope she didn't read that thing yet!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He actually tripped over his chair, almost falling flat on his face as he bolted straight to the doorway. But as he was halfway out the door, his sister grabbed his hand and almost pulled him down. He spun his head around to stare at her as she held up the little box and tucked it into his pocket.

"No need to tell me when," she told him, "I'll be able to tell if you don't give it to her!"

He groaned out as he pulled himself free and continued to run out the door and Alisaie was shaking her head incredulously.

"I… I don't…?" Ryne croaked out, now completely at a loss as Alisaie just waved her hand down at her in a calm way before she began to clean up the mess that her brother left behind them—feeling a little bad for him.

"Ignore him," she said darkly, "He had a... shall we say a rather depressing... well, I wouldn't call it a love letter. But I read it before and I can promise you that it's not something that one should give to another."

Ryne gasped, her hands over her mouth.

"I didn't know," she said, "I just saw it fall out of his pocket and then when I saw Claire's name on it. I just thought...?"

"No, it's a simple mistake," Alisaie said with a shake of her head and folded her arms before glaring at the door as if her brother was still there. This was not up for debate and she was letting her know it.

"I'm sorry..." Ryne began, fearing she did something wrong, but Alisaie was shaking her head.

"Don't be," she told her, "This may be enough to finally wake him up. I warned him to just get rid of the damn thing but he's even more stubborn than I am at times."

*Claire*

It was two days after they returned to the Crystarium, but Claire was back to feeling mostly lousy. Whatever it was that seemed to cure her before had given her much needed relief from the constant sickness and pain was now wearing off. Still, she had not had any sudden flashes of pain since then and so she was grateful for that.

She was still feeling healthy enough to be leaving her bed and attempting to eat her breakfast… though she mostly picked at it in the end and merely supped on the cup of tea. Rather than dwell on it, she was spending the early morning talking with Ardbert, who was telling her more of his own adventures across the desert.

"So… Nyelbert was willing to use the crystal to save Taynor about even if it meant bringing down the mountain?" Claire asked as she drank some tea to try and soothe a sore throat.

"Pretty much. Even though he knew it could possibly be what he was searching for to save his friend from the rift like that. But in the end, when he learned what taking it would mean, he couldn't do it," Ardbert explained from his usual spot by the window. He gazed out at the slightly foggy morning and smirked slightly as he added, "He was stubborn… but I don't know where we would have been without him there to bail us out of trouble."

He was in a much more cheerful mood since they last spoke, but there was still a hint of sadness in his eyes and he promptly refused any topic that involved what was spoken between them.

"He sounds like he may have been the biggest trouble-maker," she pointed out and he laughed.

"He liked to play the strong silent type who knew everything, but more than once I've heard them whispering about me behind my back... and I found myself at the end of a few practical jokes that I know were from him, but could never prove it," he said before shaking his head. "Insufferable bastard he was... gods, I miss him."

"I wish I could have met them," she said, "I mean... got to know the real them. Before all that."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "I think that you would have fit right in with our merry band of misfits. So long as you weren't plotting any tricks on me, that is."

She giggled at that before letting out a great yawn and feeling the urge to go back to bed. Something that Ardbert noticed as well.

"You haven't been sleeping well lately," he commented as she rubbed her eyes, absent-mindedly stirring her tea.

"Not really," she confessed, feeling worn out.

"That dream again?"

She looked up and he shrugged apologetically as he answered her unspoken question, "You mutter in your sleep sometimes. It sounds like a bad dream."

"What do you do when I'm sleeping? Just watch me all night?" she demanded and he shrugged playfully at that.

"Just keeping an eye out should something happen," he countered, "I know I won't be much use in a fight as I am now… but I could yell loud enough to wake you up."

She raised her eyebrows at him and he added, "Well, it's not like I have much else to do here."

Well, she couldn't argue with that and decided to let it go. She just thought more of the night before and wondered if she would ever get a good night's sleep again. It was happening more and more often, almost every night now.

That sin eater dream was haunting her every step. She just ended up tossing and turning, unable to really get any rest. She was exhausted, but she had already wasted enough time. The sooner they got this over with, the better. And then they can focus on how to help her recover from this damn sickness and maybe stop that dream once in for all.

She shivered at the thought of that sin eater reaching out to grab her… whispering those same words over and over: "Look at me."

But why? Why was it so determined to get her to look at it?

It's just so damn hard to keep getting back up. But she had to keep going because people were relying up on her and she couldn't afford to try and work through her own mental issues. She didn't have a choice anymore.

"Hey."

She looked over at him as his observed her.

"If you need to—ah—talk, I mean…?" he stuttered nervously, "I… well, I'm not for much else right now, right?"

She knew what he was trying to say and so she gave him a smile, showing that she understood. He was cute when he was so shy. She laughed at that before she heard a loud knock at her door, causing her to look up.

"Claire!?" called Alphinaud's voice and she was up immediately, worry gripping her heart when she heard how desperate he sounded.

She went to the door but no sooner did it open did he come barging inside. She barely had time to catch him before he fell to the floor and pull him upright again as he began ranting, "Look, whatever I said there, please let me explain how I felt. I don't know why I ever wrote that..."

"Alphinaud..."

"...but I wasn't myself when I did! I was so focused on trying to find a way to prevent the next Calamity that I didn't..."

"Alphinaud...!"

"...give much more thought! But know that how I felt is really...!"

"ALPHY!"

Claire had to force herself to all but yell at him to get his attention after she shut the door. He turned to look at her with his eyes wide as she asked in her usual quiet tone, "Alphy, I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You—you don't...? B-B-But the letter! I was sure that...?" he stuttered, his face now turning bright red before Claire blinked in confusion.

"Letter?" she asked before she went to the table.

He stared at her as she reached over to pick up the envelope… with only a corner torn open.

He just gapped at her like a fish as she held it out for him and he quickly snatched so that he could stare at the ripped corner, as if making sure that nothing else had been opened.

"I was going to open it right away, but I was feeling sick again when I got back and just went to bed," she explained as he continued to stare at it. "I was just about to open it right now when you came in."

He took a long look at it before he let out a sigh of relief.

"What is it?" she asked, now confused as she watched him head straight over to the stove where the few embers were glowing warm and hot. It looked like he was about to throw it there and be done with it… but…?

She watched as he just stood there with his hand over the embers and his hand actually trembled as if fighting the urge to let go or not. Finally, he lowered his hand with the letter still in one piece.

"I can't…" he whispered bitterly, "I just can't."

"I don't understand," she said, approaching him; carefully touching his shoulder as he sighed.

"I… I wrote this a while ago," he confessed, "Several moons ago, in fact.

She watched as he set it down on the table in front of them before he took a seat and rested his head upon his folded arms again and she couldn't recall ever seeing him look so conflicted.

"I-I wrote this for you," he confessed as she rubbed his back in a soothing way. "But I didn't have the heart to give it to you."

"Is this the letter you and Alisaie fought about?" she asked and his head jerked up in shock as she confessed to what she overheard with Alisaie and Tesleen.

"I don't know the full story of it," she explained, "Nor what the reason was that you both were so angry with each other. Only that you had an argument about a letter. I'm guessing that this is it?"

He nodded again as he looked at it, which laid almost innocently upon the table in front of them. She also noticed that he seemed to be playing around with something in his pocket but she just continued to run her fingers through his long hair—which hadn't been done up in its usual braid yet.

"Did you not want me to read it?" she asked as he closed his eyes at her touch.

"No… and yes," he confessed, leaning into her hand as if enjoying it. "But… I'm afraid of what would happen if you do."

He opened his eyes again and looked to her as he admitted, "Please understand, I wasn't… I wasn't myself when I wrote it. Or rather, I was thinking too much when I did."

She didn't understand as he slid the envelope towards her across the table.

"I want you to read it… but not now," he said, "When this is over. I want you to read it… as well as to accept a gift from me. Listen…" he added quickly when he saw her open her mouth, "I know that I didn't have to. But I wanted to. Just promise me… that you won't read it without me here. I would need to explain."

"I promise," she said, though still confused, and she set it down. "But… I'm not sure why we can't do it now?"

He just smiled as he took her hand and kissed her palm as he said, "You'll understand why. I'm just working through some things right now and this is the rest way that I know how to do it."

She was still confused but she nodded, promising him again that she would wait until later to have this talk. Finally, he stood and told her that they would all be at the tower when she was ready. He left after that and it took all the willpower she had to look at the letter, a powerful ache of longing to know taking root.

"He really loves you," Ardbert said, who up till now didn't say a word, and she looked back to find him watching it with mild interest.

"Is that a surprise?" she asked him, almost daring him to try and joke about it.

"No," he shrugged. "I just wonder why it would be so hard to say how you felt."

She looked to the closed door and smirked to herself. "That's a good question," she said, "Maybe we can stop dancing around each other when this whole thing is over. Do you mind leaving real quick? I need to change."

*Later*

She finally dragged herself out of her room after she finished tying up her hair in a ponytail—at this point she couldn't stand looking at those white locks any longer. She paused for long enough to swallow the rest of her tea, which had gone cold by now, and just headed out the door.

As soon as he saw her, the manager waved her over and informed her that while she was resting a message arrived for her from the Exarch and that she was to come to the Ocular at her earliest convenience.

She nodded, about to go on ahead, but then he stopped her by saying, "And, madam?"

She turned back and she could see an unfamiliar glint in his eyes as he finished respectfully, "Wherever your duties make take you next, I shall pray for your safe return. May the night keep you."

Claire blinked at him in confusion but he just smiled back and gave her a friendly wave, signaling that it was time to go. Claire left without another word but—mayhaps she imagined it—she could have sworn that she was getting that same look from passerby's all her way to the tower.

When she entered the Ocular several minutes later, she found that everyone—including one slightly smug Ascian—was waiting for her. His eyes smoldered when he saw her but his expression was oddly soft as the others all grew excited at her presence.

"Ah, there you are," the Exarch said, offering his own smile when he saw her. "May I assume you've had your fill of rest?"

She nodded, having grown tired of locking herself up in her rooms anyway and they all perked up.

"That is well," he continued. "Now that we are all present, let us speak of our plan. Thus far, we have vanquished four Lightwardens, restoring night to much of Norvrandt. Only one remains - that of Kholusia." The Exarch turned his attention to Ryne. "And with Ryne to guide us, I am certain we will find it."

Ryne was trying hard not to look too pleased with herself, but there was no mistaking the sudden pride that hung about her as she stood up straight.

"We're so close now," Alisaie said wondrously, "If we can just take care of this one last Warden, we'll rob the sin eaters of their final foothold, and drive them out of Norvrandt once and for all. It will be a new beginning for the First - a chance for the people to rebuild their world."

Alphinaud nodded in full agreement as he added, "In short, a prize worth fighting for."

"And in thus delivering the First from destruction," Urianger finished for them, "So too shall we unsown the seeds of the Eighth Umbral Calamity."

So all that was left was one last fight. One last battle and this whole thing can be over. Light shall rule over this world no longer and a future would be given back to it. The people would be free to rebuild and thrive. Oh, she was looking forward to seeing that.

Y'shtola suddenly turned to Emet-Selch and taunted, "Do you hear? Your dreamed-of Rejoining is in jeopardy. Are you sure you're not tempted to intervene?"

Emet-Selch didn't look to be worried or annoyed with her. He just sighed and gave his head a shake with a bemused expression on his face as if he was humoring some unruly children, though Claire could see that his eyes had suddenly become hardened again.

"You labor under the misapprehension that vanquishing the sin eaters is tantamount to saving the world," he told them, "It is not. In truth, you only delay the inevitable, lengthening your fleeting lives by the smallest of margins."

Sad thing was, she knew that he was right. Compared to him, they were just flies whose lives will be cut down soon enough from his perspective. His golden eyed drifted across them all before finally settling upon her.

Once again, she felt uncomfortable whenever he gazed at her but not at her directly. She truly was puzzled upon the best way to put it, but whenever he looked at her it was like he was looking past her. As if there was someone else standing behind her and he was waiting for her to move so that he could see them.

"'Twould be churlish of me to deny you this small concession, close as we've become," he sighed, "Foolish and misguided though you are, you are not without charm." Her eyes narrowed slightly as he continued speaking to her directly, barely paying attention to the others though he was addressing them all.

"Each and every one of you is possessed of a noble heart. When the weak want for succor, you do not hesitate to provide it," he admitted. "Alas, your nobility is shortsighted. You think only of the problem in front of your nose. A limitation of your ephemeral existence."

Alphinaud, who seemed to be growing sick of his pacific-aggressive insults, stepped forward and informed him, "Our lives may seem short and insignificant to the likes of you, but one does not need to be an eternal being to achieve lasting change."

"Ah, if I may stop you there?" Emet-Selch interrupted at once, "I do not claim that the Ascians are special. That is another misconception. In the beginning, everyone - everyone lived nigh for eternity. Such was the natural order of things. But like so much else this was taken from you."

Taken from them? What was he going on about now? She looked around at the others, and they all shared similar looks of confusion. Emet-Selch saw this and seemed to ponder something before he looked to the Exarch.

"You won't object if I borrow your plaything," he said, though it was more of a statement than a question for he didn't even bother waiting for an answer as he raised his hand and snapped his fingers. At once, the room shimmered, and much like how the Exarch was able to get it to work when she first arrived in this world, so once more, she found herself standing upon a glowing platform as the room around them was replaced amongst a world of stars. Though she knew well enough by now to know that this was just an illusion, it never ceased to take her breath away as she stared around them.

But Emet-Selch was speaking again and she gazed at him as he caused a bright sphere of light to appear above their heads.

"In the distant past, when the world was one and whole, a great calamity threatened all life," he explained and while his tone was calm, there was an undertone of sadness at he watched how the blue orb began to glow red as if metal in a forge. "It began without warning. The very laws of the star were warped and broken, and chaos swiftly spread throughout the land. Faced with annihilation, we sought to imbue the star with its own will. Thus was Zodiark born, and by His power, was order restored."

She watched with amazed silence as the dark red then slowly faded back to the original shade of blue.

"Ere long, however, thankless fools began to fear that Zodiark's might was too great," Emet-Selch continued with a tightness in his voice now. "And so they conjured another to keep Him in check - your own dear Hydaelyn."

Y'shtola gave a bored sigh before she finished for him rather irritably, "And the two beings waged war until, with a single, devastating blow, Hydaelyn unmade Zodiark, scattering his being across space and time. So you told us in the Qitana Ravel."

"Yes, yes…" he said, now annoyed that she interrupted him this time, "And there began our woes - with Hydaelyn's blow, and all that it wrought." He looked up to the sphere once more as he finished, "As a counterbalance to Zodiark, Hydaelyn was created with the power to enervate Her foe. This singular ability strikes not at such banal things as flesh, but everything that defines the target, diluting its existence."

Enervate Her foe? What did that mean?

But as if sensing her question, Emet-Selch turned to Ryne.

"For example," he continued, pointing right at her, "Were she to strike you…"

At this, Thancred moved forward, planning to put himself between them, but Emet-Selch had already snapped his fingers and there stood a copy of Ryne right next to her. Identical in appearance even more so than the twins on either side of her. Ryne took a step backwards as she stared at her mirror image while Emet-Selch explained, "Two individuals, identical in appearance, yet reduced in all respects. Strength, intelligence, the soul itself - all is halved."

The copied Ryne suddenly vanished and he drew their attention back to the orb above their heads and asked, "Do you see? This selfsame fate befell not only Zodiark, but the very star."

Now it all made sense how one world could suddenly separate as they did. That was the one thing that she had struggled with the most to understand. And so she watched as slashes appeared upon the orb as if an invisible sword cut through them and then slowly spread out into a ring of fourteen orbs… with the Source a little larger and surrounded by the thirteen perfect reflections.

"Only three were fortunate enough to escape the sundering," Emet-Selch sighed at last, "Me being one of them."

He then looked back to her and this time Claire could see that he did not hide the pain in his face.

"When I beheld the shattered remnants of our home, I knew deepest despair," he said honestly, "The inhabitants of these fourteen fragments were feeble, frail, and foolish. Oblivious to their imperfections, ignorant of their past. Malformed creatures thrashing blindly about. Pitiful. Disturbing. Depressing."

She could only imagine what that must be like. To have watched all you once knew and loved being torn away from you… but what good would rejoining the worlds now do though? That world was gone. Even if they rejoined everything and all the people, it wasn't like those same people and the city would return, would it?

"So, we took it upon ourselves to rejoin the worlds. But in our eagerness - and, I confess, our ignorance - we erred, and made a useless void of the Thirteenth," he muttered, "It was only afterwards that we discovered a connection 'twixt Source and shard - a flow of energy that maintains elemental balance. And thus did we arrive at our time-honored modus operandi."

There was silence around them as the images faded and they were back inside the tower.

"From a purely Ascian standpoint it could be said that what you seek to do is only logical," Y'shtola conceded, but still refusing to admit that the Ascians were right in what they had done. She had her arms crossed as she scolded, "But that would be to ignore the immeasurable destruction wrought with each Rejoining. You have murdered millions. And this we cannot condone."

That was true. She thought of those other worlds out there who had all been wiped out because of them. Countless lives, countless cities filled history and lore, countless stories that had been forgotten and will never be told…? It was a tragedy on a grand scale.

Anger boiled inside her as she glared at him and thought of all that had been loss because of him and his fellows.

But Emet-Selch seemed undeterred by Y'shtola indictment as he shrugged.

"By your fragmented existence, you continue to give rise to tragedies far crueler than any calamity," he said and she knew that he had them there. But suddenly he conceded on one thing as he admitted, "But yes moral relativism and all that. Case in point - I do not consider you to be truly alive. Ergo, I will not be guilty of murder if I kill you."

So they weren't living beings just because they were divided? Did they truly look down on them that much?

He suddenly noticed her frown and his voice returned to a much lighter tone as he said, "Oh, don't look at me like that. You for whom I have only the highest expectations. A vaunted hero of the Source! Seven times rejoined."

He then looked away as he muttered, "Long have I awaited one who might brave a path of lesser tragedy. A resilient soul able to endure the necessary pain. I dare to hope that my wait is over?"

Pain for what? What did he want? What was he expecting out of her? The sole reason he seemed so keen on following them was because she had potential, but potential for what?

She didn't understand.

He looked up again and said to her, "So, finish your task and slay the Lightwarden. Make proof of your usefulness. And then we may speak again."

Usefulness. She was getting sick of all these secrets and lies being kept from her and she had made to open her mouth and demand answers when the doors opened again and it was Lyna who appeared. Claire hadn't seen her since the aftermath of the attack on Lakeland, but she was heartened to see her looking well and recovered since then.

"Forgive me, my lord, but this could not wait," the Captain of the guard said, and Claire was actually glad for the distraction.

"Speak freely, Captain," the Exarch replied, also looking relieved that their conversation had been interrupted.

Lyna saluted and warned, "Our informant in Kholusia sends word of unusual activity in Eulmore. It appears their forces are entrenching themselves at key points throughout the city. Making ready for an attack, by all indications."

Vauthry had made the first move then. He must know by now that the other four Lightwardens are dead and that it would only be a matter of time before they come for the fifth.

"An intriguing use of resources," the Exarch said, lifting his hand to his chin. "I rather doubt Lord Vauthry is concerned for the safety of his citizens…"

Alisaie turned her attention to him and asked, "You think he's harboring the Lightwarden inside the city walls? Even if he does have some means of controlling the sin eaters, wouldn't that be a little risky?"

"Risky or not," Thancred interjected urgently, "if there is even a chance the Warden is hiding there, we will need to act fast. The longer we wait, the better prepared the Eulmorans will be."

"Agreed," the Exarch declared. "See to your preparations then, and make for Kholusia." He turned to Alisaie. "Gods willing, this hunt will be the last. Let us see it through to the end."

There was no point in waiting. The others were already out the door as they prepared themselves for a fight. But Claire didn't immediately follow. She remained behind so that only she, Lyna, Emet-Selch, and the Exarch remained in the room. The Exarch was giving Lyna some orders, but she was focused upon Emet-Selch, still dying for some answers for once.

"Yes?" Emet-Selch asked her when he noticed her looking at him, "Did my lessons provoke thought, giving rise to further questions?"

Oh, many more. But there was one that stood out from her mind first.

"Three of you escaped the sundering," she said, already guessing that the other two were Lahabrea and Elidibus. "But what of those who didn't…?"

"Why, their very beings were divided into fourteen, of course," he answered before she could finish, "Yet by our power, we unsundered Ascians may raise up one of their fragments to their original office. Ah, but I suppose this in itself bears explaining. So… the names by which you know us are not, in fact, our names. Be it Elidibus or Lahabrea or Igeyorhm, all are titles of office. And when an office is vacated, it may be filled by another. Over the eons, I have overseen several changing of the guard among our sundered brethren. And in such instances, the vacant title ordinarily goes to another fragment of the selfsame soul. While it is by no means impossible to raise up wholly unrelated individuals, 'tis we whose fervent entreaties brought forth Lord Zodiark—whose souls He claimed in the beginning—who make the truest servants."

Just a title? So Emet-Selch wasn't his true name then. Just one that he used when he wasn't interested in blending in with everyone else.

"And what is your real name?" she asked, suddenly burning with curiosity.

"Hm!" he huffed playfully, "there may come a day when I reveal my true name to you—but this is not it. Of course, you may well die none the wiser, but life is full of such disappointments."

But then he bent in close and whispered into her ear, "Though, if truth be told, I may ask that same question of you."

The Exarch suddenly interrupted, still shooting Emet-Selch a dark look, before leading Claire away as if he was afraid that the Ascian would attack her if she stayed near him any longer. Lyna had already left so now it was just the three of them together.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her in concern, "Your condition is unchanged?"

She found herself looking long and hard at him, wishing more than ever to pull that hood down so that she could see his face. It felt like everyone around her was hiding something and it driving her crazy not knowing any longer.

But she forced a smile instead and nodded. While still feeling far from her usual self, she was up for another fight.

"Good," he said confidently, "If you can but hold out until the end of the coming battle, I am confident that we will find a remedy for your affliction."

The absolute certainty that was in his voice made her chuckle. She wasn't entirely sure what will happen when this is over, but the idea that a 'cure' could be found for her was something she whole-heartedly agreed with.

She merely thanked him for his words as she steadied herself and headed off. She later met up with the others at the gates and spoke with them the best way to go about this. In the end, they decided that, for their safety, they will leave in pairs and arrive at different times for they were certain to have guards and soldiers waiting for them.

After some discussion, they were to be going in groups of two. Thancred went on ahead with Urianger, sure to arrive first and keep their eyes out upon the city and see if they could discover a way into the city if the main gate was out of the question.

Meanwhile, Y'shtola would be accompany Alisaie soon afterwards to survey the area around them. And finally, Alphinaud and Ryne would be following them since they stood the most likely chance of being recognized by the people—though in Ryne's case maybe not as much as she had been with her new appearance. They would arrive an hour after the others and wait for Claire in Wright. With luck, the time spent would give Ryne time to discover where the last Lightwarden was hiding.

They all agreed and Claire watched them all leave before she fell back against the gate and waited for her turn. She was to arrive half a bell after the others—and would be prepared to make a hasty retreat should the entire isle be covered with soldiers.

"You ready?"

She looked to her side to find Ardbert waiting there with her.

"You coming as well?" she asked, finding herself oddly cheered up by the thought.

"Like I would miss this," he said with a shrug and spirited smile. The two of them stood there silently for a little longer before the awaited time had arrived and she went to the amaro launch and asked to borrow their swiftest amaro, which they agreed.

As she climbed up on his back, Ardbert gave her some surprising advice—telling her how amaro had a spot between their wings that they enjoy when scratched. Surprised, she tried it and immediately her steed let out a warble of contentment.

"Seto was like that," he sighed fondly. "Believe it or not he was quite a trouble-maker when I first met him. The number of times he would buck me off when he thought that I was on his back too long...?"

He laughed at the memory before finishing, "That trick saved me from being flung off more than once."

"That's a good trick to know," she said, wondering if her own trouble-making birds at home would like that as well.

"Hey... do you remember when we first met in this world?" he asked her and she looked at him, watching how his eyes became glazed over.

"I said to you that this world was beyond saving," he said softly.

"I remember," she said.

"Well, at the time I truly believed it," he said before he looked her directly in her eyes and something seemed to pass between them.

She found herself staring deep into those pale blue eyes and felt... well, she wasn't sure what it was that she felt at that moment nor if she even liked it. But it felt strangely... reassuring. She didn't know how else to describe that feeling.

He just smiled suddenly and she was also struck by how different he seemed to be whenever he did smile when she was so used to the gloomy pessimistic mood he was always in. But she found herself smiling as he told her, "I don't think that I would be disappointed if you proved me wrong."

"I'll try not to let you down," she told him as he faded from view, still smiling.

"Let's go," she said as she shook out her amaro's reins, and he took off at once, flying over the ocean as they made their way to Kholusia.

*Later*

Claire arrived upon the isle with no problems other than a few unexpected bursts of wind when her amaro dipped down to enjoy the feel of salty water upon his scaled feet.

The normal sky of blue was quickly left behind as the constant, unnatural light that she had grown to hate returned and she winced in pain at the sight of it.

Thankfully she did make sure to take another one of those potions Urianger made for her before setting off so she could bear with the headache she could feel coming on. But gods, it was worse than before. And as she approached the dead-looking island in the distance when it appeared upon the horizon, she couldn't help but shiver at how creepy and empty it looked underneath that sky.

She came to a gentle land from her amaro and gave him another grateful scratch behind his wings before watching him take off before setting off. Claire looked around the gravel beach, but so far didn't see anything that would be a cause for worry... though there was this uneasy feeling that seemed the weigh upon her mind in a way that she didn't like. Almost as if she were being watched from a distance.

Hoping against hope that it was just her paranoia kicking in, she set off along the road that would take her to Wright—fairly certain she could remember the way there.

She arrived at the small settlement only a little bit late, and was greeted by Alphinaud, who waved happily when he saw her.

"There you are, Claire," he called, "The others have gone on ahead to reconnoiter Gatetown. We are to follow shortly."

She nodded in agreement, glad to see that everything was going so smoothly so far. She was highly suspicious of that. Things are never that easy for them.

After all that Vauthry went through before to stop them, she doubted that he would give up now when there was only one Warden left.

Alphinaud suddenly heaved a sigh as he looked away from her with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"It has been a while, has it not?" he asked, "Since the two of us infiltrated Eulmore. Since we faced Lord Vauthry, and I felt such fury as I have never felt before. His actions are unconscionable, of course, and any abhorrence I felt for him entirely justified."

Yes... she could not recall ever seeing Alphinaud as furious as he did that day. The only other time that it even came close was when the confronted Ilberd as he willingly allowed his own people to die before using them to summon Shinryu. But even then that was mild compared to the anger he showed here in Eulmore.

Not that she blamed him... for that same outrage blazed inside her along with the desire to make that fat blob of a man pay for his crimes. Hopefully when the last Warden is slain he would be singing a different tune.

Still, she kept that to herself as she watched him. Alphinaud seemed to be struggling within himself for a moment and was trying to find a way to voice what was weighing so heavily upon his mind.

"Yet mingled with my rage, there was… something else," he finally said, "At first I was unsure what it was, but in the course of our struggles, I found the answer."

He looked down, suddenly looking miserable.

"In Vauthry's self-righteousness—in his absolute belief that he, and he alone, is the cure to the world's ills—I saw a reflection of myself," he confessed to her softly, "And it brought the memories of all my past follies flooding back."

Ahhhh, now she could see what was troubling him. She reached out, her fingers brushing against his chin as she gently forced his head up to look her in the eyes.

Mayhap there was a time she would have agreed with that. She could still remember how he used to be and she had to admit that she did not missing that version of him. But then again, without that version she never would have gotten this one in exchange. So for that, she was grateful.

Besides...?

"You are nothing like him," she reassured him him, "Not as you are now... you couldn't be more different."

His eyes softened in a way that melted her heart. He then stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him as she rested her forehead against his. Anyone looking upon them would surely think the two were the sweetest of lovers.

"He is the vainglorious, ignorant fool I once was," he whispered softly to her, "And having shared in his affliction, I feel duty-bound to open his eyes to the truth. Whether he will accept it with the good grace I did is another question…"

She smiled sadly at him. In truth, she didn't know how well that would work. It seemed to her that Vauthry had his way for far too long for him to ever be able to change. It did not seem that he had ever even heard the word 'no' before and therefore how could they trust someone who was about as mature as a child?

Still, she understood how important it was for Alphinaud to at least try. She nodded in agreement as he smiled back.

Very reluctantly, they pulled away as they turned back to the matter at hand. Ryne had also been stand close by... but she hadn't been paying any attention to the lovebirds at all. In fact, it looked like she didn't even realize Claire was here until they approached her.

"What is it, Ryne?" Alphinaud asked, "Do you sense the Lightwarden?"

Ryne finally looked around at them, her eyes widen slightly and answered, "I-I'm not sure. The aura is… different. Perhaps if we were a little closer…"

Alphinaud didn't question her as he nodded.

"Tis time we were on our way in any case," he said, "Let us join our comrades in Gatetown. Claire, as a precaution, may I ask that you go first, to ensure that the path is clear? The closer we are to Eulmore, the more I worry that Ryne may be recognized. If you see any prying eyes along the way, pray encourage their owners to look elsewhere."

She agreed, their hands brushing against the others' very briefly before she set off down the road on her own.

But all the while she could not help but find Ryne's struggling to find the Warden passing strange.

After all, Ryne could clearly sense the warden deep underground before. So why was she having so much trouble here? Could it be that Vauthry had found some way of concealing the monster's presence? From the way that Ryne was looking at the city, it seemed a safe bet that it was imprisoned there somewhere...? But where?

She hurried along the road for a short distance before finding a young man sitting along the path. He seemed to be delirious, muttering to himself and didn't even glance up as she approached. She tried to speak to him but he didn't respond to her and continued his incoherent rambling.

Finding herself creeped out by this, she decided to continue and that was when she found two well-dressed people cowering at the crossroad.

From their clothes, they looked to be free citizens of Eulmore... but why would they be all the way out here?

"Lord Vauthry… we hear… we obey…" she heard the man stutter before he then let out a scream and the two of them lumbered towards her. She didn't know what was going on, but after seeing their wildly blank eyes, she realized that they seemed to be under another's control. She had seen this plenty of times before and could recognize when a being wasn't acting of their own free will. Because of that, she didn't want to hurt them—and so she chose the less deadly method of knocking them out.

She watched as they continued to breathe in deeply as they slept in the road—knowing that they weren't going to be waking up anytime soon.

"Sorry," she muttered as she moved them over to a shaded corner of trees where they would be out of harm's way of sin eaters and the local wildlife.

What was going on here? Was this Vauthry's doing?

She turned her head when she set both of them aside and could see the shabby huts waiting along the cliff side and she made her way there.

She began to run along the dirt pathway now, her anxiety growing with every step and that unsettling feeling of some kind of shadow watching over her continued to grow ever stronger with every step she took.

There was only one other person on the road as she passed, but much like the first, he seemed to be too dazed to be paying attention to anyone else. All she heard were faint being muttered under his breath over and over again; confirming for her who was responsible for this.

"Long live… Lord Vauthry…" the man croaked through dry and cracked lips and immediately she felt her anger beginning to grow.

And it didn't stop growing when she made it to Gatetown where she found the crowd of the starving, rejected citizens who were still waiting for their chance to enter Eulmore's gates.

She ran into Urianger and Thancred at the very end of the last row of tents and shacks when she arrived.

"Our mission hath begun on a strange not…" she heard Urianger mutter under his breath.

That was putting it mildly. She took one look around and knew that something was very wrong. Most of the residents stood, enraptured, staring towards the city as if entranced—more than usual anyway.

"Ah," Thancred said when he saw her arrive, "Good of you to join us. I was debating whether to warn you, but it's too late now."

He looked back to the city with a dark look and added, not needing to bother keeping his voice down since no one else was bothering to look back at them, "I take it you noticed the people behaving strangely along the path? It's more of the same here. Y'shtola and Alisaie are investigating as we speak. Let's wait and see what they have to say."

They waited for a few minutes as Urianger continued to observe the residents of Gatetown from a safe distance.

"Strange," she heard him murmur to himself, lifting a hand to his chin as he became deep in thought. "Passing strange."

She also watched as how only a few of the people seem to be awake enough to be running around to everyone trying to get their friends or neighbors to snap out of it.

"By their behavior, we may safely assume they are under Vauthry's mind control," he mentioned and she felt a sickening feeling in her heart at the words 'mind control' and knew that this was not going to be simple or straight forward.

Urianger looked back over his shoulder towards the crowd, noting the few who still had their senses, and added, "Yet the extent of the effect seemeth to vary dramatically between subjects. 'Tis far too pronounced to be attributed simply to the vagaries of innate magical resistance."

Well, what else could it be that's causing this?

"Curiouser and curiouser."

She looked up to see that Alphinaud and Ryne had arrived.

"We met with no trouble en route. My thanks for securing the way," he said to her before turning his full attention to the people around them. "But, given the state of the townsfolk, I see we were never in any danger of being recognized."

Not in this state... the people here were so lost or concerned for their fellows that they honestly didn't care about some outsiders arriving all at once.

Thancred turned to Ryne and asked, "What can you tell us from here?"

Ryne closed her eyes and seemed too concentrated on her target. After about a minute she frowned heavily and confessed, "I sense a powerful eater… in the uppermost reaches of the city…" She then opened her eyes and looked at the city in the distance with a rather frustrated expression and admitted, "But there's something different about it. It's Light is impure. We need to get closer."

Again, that was so odd. The Warden was certainly in the city, but with them so close how could Ryne be having so much trouble finding it?

"Ohhh!" a voice said from behind them. "So that one's Alphinaud! …Unless you're triplets?" They all turned to see Alisaie approaching with a Mystel man with bright blue hair.

Alphinaud spoke first before she could.

"Kai-Shirr!" he said, also recognizing the man they met when last they were here together, "What are you doing here?"

"While I was scouting the area," Alisaie said, irritation evident in her voice. "I noticed a suspicious figure skulking about. So, I accosted him - only to have him call me 'Alphinaud.' I thought it best to bring him along."

"You see," Kai-Shirr said, rather shyly. "That informant who's been feeding secrets to the Crystarium… It's me."

That was not something that she expected, and was actually rather impressed by that as he stumbled over his words.

"See, after you saved my life in Eulmore, I thought about going somewhere far away. But I couldn't just leave, not without paying you back," he confessed, "So I decided to stay here - keep an eye on things. And whenever I spotted something strange, I shared it with your friends."

Alphinaud smiled proudly at him and complimented, "That took no small amount of courage. Well done."

"I assume you saw what happened here," Thancred asked, getting down to business, which Kai-Shirr nodded.

"Right," he confirmed and so went on to explain, "So, an airship flew in a bit ago, and not long after, Vauthry starts ranting and raving. You could hear him from all the way out here! Geezer was doing his nut! Shouting and screaming like someone had nicked his pie!"

That really did not surprise her. Giving how childish he acted before, she was not expecting a mature response.

"'Tis like the airship bore the soldiers sent to thwart our efforts in Amh Araeng," Urianger offered before Kai-Shirr continued.

"So," he went on, "Eventually the yelling dies down… and then this hot, sticky wind comes blowing through. Now that's when everyone went funny. Everyone but me. Well, me and a couple of newcomers, though even they started mumbling about Vauthry after a while. Not as bad as the rest, mind you."

Well, Vauthry didn't waste time did he?

"Newcomers…" Urianger muttered softly and looked completely lost in thought. Footsteps from behind them drew him from whatever theory ensnared him they turned around to find Y'shtola coming out of the crowd with a hardened expression.

Claire immediately knew something was wrong when she saw that expression.

"There's something I need Ryne to see," Y'shtola said seriously before reaching into her satchel. Claire wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it was with mild surprise when she pull out...?

"This was among the townsfolk's food stores," showing them the foodstuff that she recalled when they were last here.

Ryne's face twisted in revulsion, and she actually took a step back as if it was some deadly creature while Kai-Shirr shrugged, explaining that it was just meol. But Ryne was shaking as she stared at it, her hands up near her face as if she was ready to stop herself from being sick and this had everyone concerned.

"No!" Ryne nearly shouted, "It… It couldn't be…"

They all looked ready to ask what the problem was as she seemed to swallow some bile that rose up in her throat.

"I-I know what it is. It's sin eater," she finally croaked out in a shaky tone, still looking a bit green in the face, "Meol is made out of sin eater."

They stared at her before turning their gaze to the 'food' in Y'sthola's hands—all of them stricken dumb at this bombshell. Indeed, Kai-Shirr covered his mouth as if he were close to being sick.

Claire could only feel a cold running across her skin—remembering just what sin eaters were-or rather what they used to be.

"So it is," Y'shtola agreed with a sad and quiet voice, probably already guessing so. She let the piece fall back into her bag, perhaps to examine it later. "In limited quantities, it may have little effect on an average individual. Yet if one were to consume it regularly, over a period of several years, I suspect it would do far, far more than merely nourish the body," she explained.

They all looked at each other, wondering just what to make of this news, when Urianger spoke up.

"That Vauthry wieldeth power over sin eaters is known. Could it be that those who partake of their flesh do thereby render themselves susceptible to his influence?" he questioned thoughtfully, "'Twould serve to explain why the town's newer arrivals succumbed less quickly than those raised on a diet of Meol."

So those who still had a semblance of sense were clearly those who never got as much Meol as the others.

"He's been rounding up sin eaters and feeding them to people?" Alisaie yelled, her shock finally wearing off only to be replaced with justified fury. "Altering them mouthful by mouthful - all to stop them answering back?!"

Claire didn't bother trying to ask her to remain calm. She could feel the flames of anger also blazing hot and fierce in her own chest as she watched how Alisaie clenched her hands into fists and looked down with tears threatening to come.

"There are desperate souls out there killing themselves to escape turning!" she screamed, "This is unforgivable! An atrocity!"

But Alphinaud was now turning white and when she looked to him, he gulped down and she could see the horror that was shimmering beneath his otherwise determined features.

"These sin eaters…" he asked, "What if they are not simply 'rounded up'?" He looked to her as she realized what he was trying to say and she felt her eyes widen as she remembered that poor girl who could no longer sing and was getting ready to 'ascend'.

"Do you remember what we were told when first we came to the city?" he asked her, "'Many enter, but none leave'?"

So those who enter the city, never to be seen again, are either thrown from the highest balcony or...?

This... barbarism... it was almost too much. She wanted to scream out like Alisaie was doing or to smash every single break wall of that disgusting city until nothing remained but rubble. As her outrage took over the light inside her seemed to raise its head and took a hopeful sniff of the air as if it was sensing its possible escape. Claire noticed this and quickly regained control before it could fight out. She steadied herself and used all the self-control she had to keep it locked up.

But the revulsion of what she learned did not fade. She clenched her hand painfully, actually denting the metal gauntlets as she restrained her feelings.

The thoughts of all those poor people, who had been hoping that they had found sanctuary at long last... only to find a worse horror waiting for them inside... how they must have felt when they realized what was going on made her heart break apart.

Someone was going to pay for this.

Alphinaud closed his eyes a moment and inhaled a few deep breaths as he also seemed to be mustering all his control for his emotions. She knew that he had said he wanted to try and help Vauthry see reason but she wondered if those thoughts had changed after this revelation? Either way, she wasn't going to be letting that—creature—go without some punishment. If nothing else, she would enjoy seeing him knocked from his high pedestal before he came crashing down to earth.

"Let us put an end to it," Alphinaud declared, his eyes ablaze in a way that she instantly approved of as he glared up at the city, "To this 'paradise' built on the bones of the poor. Vauthry's deeds are beyond justification. Beyond forgiveness. Evil."

"So what do we do?" Ryne asked.

"I think it obvious," Thancred said as he looked to the city, "We go in through the front doors. I don't think that we need to overly concern ourselves with knocking. I get the feeling that they'll know when we arrive."

They all agreed, knowing that a straight head-on confrontation was really the best way to go from here.

Meanwhile, Kai-Shirr was dry-heaving a few fulms next to her.

"Meol… is sin eater?" he gulped, "Wicked white, we all scoffed the stuff without a second thought… I never got near as much as the others, but… ugh… the bitter green sand bony fish I got by on don't seem so bad no more…"

She gave him a sympathetic look before Thancred clapped a hand on her shoulder and said, "It's highly probable that the Lightwarden is waiting for us somewhere in there, and I'm all for going after it." He surveyed the rest of the group as well, before returning his eyes to her. "But our enemies know our faces. They know that we are coming. And they will not let us through without a fight. Like it or not, the time for stealth is passed."

She nodded and he grinned.

"Now, my friend. If you would be so good as to lead the charge?" he asked.

"Oh, it would be my pleasure," she said as a surge of energy suddenly rushed through her. The idea of fighting, of carnage... suddenly thrilled her... though she did have to remind herself that wasn't the point. She shook the cobwebs off her mind as she was shaken by her own thoughts.

Meanwhile the others were questioning Thancred on his past experience in breaking in. That was when he had some bad news to share.

"We are like to encounter Ran'jit again," Thancred warned, "One can only hope he's still licking his wounds. Yet even without him, Eulmore is an eminently defensible city—as you doubtless gleaned during your visit. When last I set foot inside its walls, I almost mistook it for dear old Limsa—but it is full of unpleasant surprises. All of which is a long way of saying: be on your guard."

"The uppermost level of the city houses Vauthry's chambers," Ryne said, "He must keep the Warden close."

She approached Alphinaud, who gazed at her with determined fury that set her heart aflutter.

"When we step through the gates, we shall find not the place of hedonistic pleasure we remember, but a battlefield," Alphinaud told her. "If you are prepared for this, then let us sally forth!"

They were ready... they were just waiting for her to lead the charge this time.

She took a deep breath and took the first step forward before breaking into a run. She had to move aside many of the crowd but they did break through, no one bothering to stop them or even look twice. They made it across the rickety wooden bridge until they were directly beneath the city's shadow with no trouble. But as soon as she reached the stone walkway though that seemed to be enough to get Vauthry's attention.

"Ugh… I can feel it… a dark presence in my domain!" screamed a terrified voice from overhead, ringing out with such force that it caused the entire city to tremble.

"Ah! It's them!" Vauthry's voice bellowed out, "The villains who would sow chaos in my perfect paradise! Keep them away from me! I command you, keep them awaaaaaaaay!"

She then felt aether falling from the sky as the people who lived in the leftovers of Eulmore's shadow appeared. The people began to limp, hobble, and lumber their way towards them, practically dragging themselves as their eyes became all glassy and vacant.

"Long live… Lord Vauthry…"

They were just mumbling those same words over and over as she and the others behind her all moved into a tight group as the crowd around them grew bigger. They drew their weapons as they quickly became surrounded.

"He would use his own people as shields," Thancred growled in disgust.

"This area is older than Gatetown," Alphinaud explained, "There are bound to be far more civilians under Vauthry's control. But they do not act of their own free will, and we must not harm them."

"As if we ever would," Alisaie smirked, though her anger was still in her voice. "Press on with Alphinaud. We'll hold off the civilians and join you as soon as we can."

With this in mind, they charged ahead. It was so hard to fight since there were so many of them and she had to be careful where she swung her great sword around and not risk hitting them. For the moment, she was forced to use mostly punches, using the blade only to block any wild swings they threw out.

It was a mess of limbs and drooling faces as they scratched and clawed at them, though it was obvious that none of them were clearly awake enough to do enough damage as to actually kill them. Still, it was taking a while since more and more were continuing to drag themselves out of the woodworks.

"We're wasting time," Thancred called, "Ryne… we hold them here while the others press on!"

"A-All right!" she yelled back as Thancred cleared the way for the rest of them to go on.

"Have care, you two!" Alphinaud yelled, "The rest of you, with me!"

Claire decked one last guy before running with the others to the door. But they didn't get far. Again, another wave was upon them almost immediately when they reached the next level of stairs. Only now they had armored soldiers marching with them and so punching them wasn't as easy as before and Claire actually had to use force this time. They were doing their best to avoid harming them but gods, it was taking forever to make a dent.

"There is no end to them…" Y'shtola cried in frustration, "Urianger—would you care to make a stand?"

"Gladly, Claire—pray press on with the others when the opportunity doth arise," Urianger said as he held up his starglobe and cast a healing spell upon them all before they broke away from them. Claire ran on ahead with a twin on either side of her and the front doors were right in sight.

Sadly, that was where the good news ended for them.

"Confound it!" Alphinaud cried as yet another wave of people began to swarm at them, these people practically dragging themselves across the ground to reach them. "More of them! And we were almost through!"

After several minutes of this never ending hoard of living shields, Alisaie let out a groan of annoyance and shouted out, "Right, my turn to make a heroic stand! As soon as there's a lull, push on!"

"You sure?" Claire called before they managed to struggle their way to the door and start to force it open as Alisaie drew the crowd onto her.

"Hey, if I can't handle this much then I don't deserve to be here!" she yelled back. "Just you take care of our precious gem here!"

"I intend to!" Alphinaud yelled out after getting the door open.

"I was talking to Claire!" Alisaie taunted back, earning an annoyed look from her brother as Claire had to repress a snort of laughter.

"Now, Claire—into the tower! Just you take care, Alisaie!" he yelled as they ducked inside. But it seemed that their struggles weren't over yet completely. For inside the front doors were free of citizens and soldiers, which she was glad for, but there were still two others waiting for them.

"The jesters from before!" Alphinaud cried obviously. And he was right. The two women from their last visit, still dressed in red and blue jester outfits, were now blocking their way. They waved happily when they saw them with big smiles upon their faces, like they were watching a grand show, before they pulled out a pair of long knives each.

Claire supposed she should have seen that coming.

"Apologies, friends… but you've reached a dead end," the rest jongleur called as they ran at them, "And on this sorry track, there's no turning back."

"We've a good life here, see, and we're not about to lose it," the Blue Jongleur added as her knives glinted from the flickering lights around them, "But fair's fair—we'll give you a good death."

She did not come all this way to lose to a pair of clowns like them. But unlike the people outside, these two seemed perfectly in control of themselves and thus were not fighting under their lord's command by force.

"If you would fight us of your own volition, then we will not hold back!" Alphinaud declared, also noticing this.

The red jongleur laughed as it became a two on two fight. She then gave him a playful wink before informing him, "This one's a real side-splitter! But at least you'll die laughing!"

Alphinaud was knocked back from a sudden burst of energy and Claire could sense aether gathering as an attack was about to strike. Alphinaud was struggling to stand and so she ran forward and used her own body to cover his. She gritted her teeth in pain as a blast of lightning came down upon them. He stared up at her before they both got to their feet.

The fight was mostly one sided though these two were far from pushovers like the people outside. But through sheer force they managed to overpower them and they watched how the jesters fell to the floor. Whether they live or die was anyone's guess, but she didn't stop to find out as they moved to the stairs.

"Let us climb to the Canopy," Alphinaud panted as they began the long run to the top, "From there we will take the Crown Lift."

Alphinaud took this time to heal their injuries as his beautiful carbuncle came running up from behind them, chirping happily as it cast it's comforting light off the darkened walls. Her heart was beating hard in her chest as they neared the next floor where she could hear more moans and groans. It seemed that they weren't alone anymore. Though, she supposed that it wasn't a surprise since they were right outside the headquarters for the army.

"Still more soldiers…" Alphinaud panted, holding out his hand to stop her as they listened carefully. It sounded like a fair amount and she was already preparing herself for another struggle when he grabbed her wrist and spun her around to look at him.

"Leave them to me and press on!" he told her firmly as she stared back.

"You sure?" she asked softly. He nodded once before he grabbed her by the front of her armor and pulled her in for a hard kiss.

It was too short as they pulled back and fierce resolve blazed.

"Go," he told her before vowing, "I'll stop anymore from following."

Gods, what was with him? If he kept acting like this then she never would be able to keep her own emotions in check. She didn't know where this burst of confidence rose from but she liked it immensely.

"Stay safe," she said as she turned and ran up the stairs just as a hoard of controlled citizens and soldiers came out of the room next to her and Alphinaud ordered his carbuncle to defend him. They didn't even notice Claire as she raced passed.

So it was just her again.

But she would finish this alone if she had to. She raced up a seemingly endless flight of stairs before she came out near the top in the Canopy—which was completely empty—thought she could smell the roses before arriving on the scene. Her eyes quickly scanned the room, not showing any signs of anyone else here.

She made her way to the lift, knowing that it would take her up even higher, and at first it looked like she might make it.

But there was someone else waiting for her.

She slowed down to a stop as she saw Ran'jit standing there in the hallway.

He was no longer dressed in his robes but instead he was in a dark crimson armor with spikes and a red scythe in his hands. She remembered what Thancred said about how Ran'jit seemed to merge together with that serpent dragon creature of his to create armor when he fought him and she knew that he was no longer playing around.

Ran'jit stepped out, which led to a face off—with both of them sizing the other up, wondering just who would be the first to break this stalemate.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"You will find my master in his chamber…" he informed her calmly, as she looked at him. There was something different, other than his armor, about him—but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. The way he carried himself, his eerily calm tone, even his stance was carrying some hidden truth to it though she couldn't see what it was. He took a few steps closer, his blade held up and her eyes narrowed as he finished, "But only should you kill me this day-o-and you will not."

Why? Could he not see that there was no point? Nothing would change this way. This world could still be pulled back from the very brink and yet he was still resisting that to the bitter end. She looked to his eyes and saw how they held no signs of control.

No, he was far too in control of himself to be a mere puppet of Vauthry. Much like the two jesters he was aware of what he was doing and he just didn't care.

"Why do you go so far?" she asked him, demanding an answer to everything that he had done to them up till now. Just what could he possibly have to gain from all this?

"You may think me under his spell, but I uphold Lord Vauthry's ideals of my own volition," he informed her with a bitterness that spoke of one who truly did not care any longer. "Man is an inherently flawed creature. In his vain pursuit of righteousness, he but sows the seeds of future conflict. Thus have I chosen to place my hopes upon he who has transcended men. Upon he who is unbound by the vagaries of conscience."

No, he couldn't do that much, could he? She would be the first to admit that mankind was not perfect but to believe that Vauthry's way was the only choice left? Surely he must know of what this city did to those who didn't wish to remain here? This was a horrible, twisted nightmare and she was willing to do whatever it took to wake these people from it.

He seemed to sense that she was in no more mood to listen for he told her, "But enough talk. I am a soldier, and you are my enemy."

Her hand was already at her blade and she swung it around as the cold steel began to sing almost joyfully at the promise of another battle. She only wished she felt the same way.

Ran'jit swung his scythe around and cried, "Come! Let us settle this once and for all!"

But though she was the first to charge at him, her mind could not help but wonder… was there truly no other way?

"What is the point in this madness?" she asked him as they rushed at each other and their blades clanged violently as their owners pushed fiercely against them.

"Ever since I submitted to my master's authority, I have been naught but a weapon," Ran'jit told her.

"I used to think that to," she said, kicking him off as she swung for his head, "But it doesn't have to be."

She moved around as his curved blade cut through the air. She could feel him giving his all, and that was when she realized, with a stab of horror, that he wasn't planning to make it out of here. His movements were much slower and sluggish compared to when she first saw him fight that day in Lakeland. He must still be injured after his fight with Thancred—which would explain why he was meeting her head-on like this.

Did he… wish to die here?

She may have not have been able to deal with him before but she wasn't going to let him go this time. But was there no other choice than putting him out of his misery?

"I exist only to destroy," he said, as if he could sense her conflicted emotions every time their weapons clashed, "And destroy you I will."

But what of all the other Minfilias that he fought and trained with? What would they say if they saw him like this? It was as if he was disrespecting their memory and their sacrifices by allowing himself to be used as nothing more than a thoughtless weapon.

She understood why he would feel this way, she truly did, for who could fight against a seemingly endless battle their entire lives only to watch the world continue to slip away with every passing day? But she also knew that if those other Minfilias were here, they would lament what became of Ran'jit. Those poor girls who never had a chance to live their own lives would be dismayed at what became of their beloved mentor.

Balls of fire appeared and she could feel the heat blazing from them as he called down thunder spheres next. She managed to dispel one of them in time to give herself a place to stand and avoid the worst of the attack. But he was far from beaten.

"It is time we settle this, villain," he warned.

"You think you're the only one here to know loss?" she yelled back, "To have lost your faith in mankind? I've done so many times!"

She clashed with him again, hard, her anger rising. But still, Ran'jit's will would not bend.

*Ran'jit*

Could she understand? Nay, what did it matter?

Ever since he was a child all he knew was that constant, hateful light above him. He didn't understand how the sky could be anything other than this painful brightness. He had heard the stories of what the night sky had looked like before, but he had long since given up that hope of ever seeing it.

But that day when he arrived in Lakeland and could see the relief of that light and those scattering of stars… he felt no joy to it. He felt an emptiness inside as he thought of those he had lost that should have been here to see it.

His girls.

This woman called herself the Warrior of Darkness? Well, where the bloody hells has she been all these long decades? Why appear now when the world was so close to the end? Was there even a point? Even if the last of the Lightwardens was slain and the night sky returned he could not see how this world could ever recover from it. Was it not better to face the end in comfort and safety instead of carrying on this fruitless struggle and watch all that you once knew and love being ripped away from you?

Not that he always thought that way.

He could still remember the first time he ever met the Oracle of Light… he had been a young child when his family had been killed by sin eaters. He feared he would be next before a girl with hair of spun gold and the brightest of sapphires appeared and slew the eater. He had never seen anything as beautiful or as strong as she. From that moment on he dreamt of becoming a warrior as strong as she as.

Sadly, she was cut down not long after that day. He didn't understand how the others around him did not weep when she was laid to rest. That was when he learned of how the Oracle is born, fights, and dies before the cycle would start again. She would return.

And return she did.

It would be years later when he first began his training in the Eulmoran army did he meet her again. She was a young girl… but he knew who she was right away. Her hair was much shorter but it was that same shining gold and those eyes gazed at him shyly. She was much more timid than her previous incarnation but she had the sweetest voice that reminded him of a songbird. They studied and trained together… an unstoppable team… but then… she too died. This time it was when she threw herself between him and a sin eater when his back was turned and she died defending her friend.

As he held her in his arms as she died, he promised her that he would not fail her again when she came back.

But she just smiled sadly at him as a dribble of blood dripped from her mouth.

"You silly boy," she said softly, "The Oracle will return… but she will not be me."

And so it was true. When next the Oracle had been brought to them, he was an adult and she was a young child once more. But when she looked up at him, her face showing no recognition of him he knew that it was true. This wasn't his Minfilia… not his best friend.

Still, he took it upon himself to train her. He was one of the strongest fighters that Eulmore had and often oversaw her training. This Minfilia was much more impulsive and short-tempered than the last one as well. It took no small amount of effort to keep her from rushing off and getting into fights with others. She was mischievous at heart and he found himself laughing along with her during one of her many pranks to keep them all entertained.

They grew close… not like the connection he had before with the previous Minfilia, but he grew to care deeply about her like family.

He sighed as he remembered how they had been called out to protect a village that was being overrun by even more sin eaters and…?

When the next Oracle was found, he was very hard on her as she began her training once again. He was determined to do whatever it took to keep her safe and so would drill her over and over until she quickly rose through the ranks to match her skills with all the other soldiers despite her young years. He was certain she would be safe this time…?

He fought the tears that threaten to come.

It didn't matter. No matter what he did he could never keep her safe. Just another innocent girl was lost to the aftermath of the Flood. Again and again and again. By the time that this latest Oracle had been brought to him, little more than an infant, he no longer bothered to show her how to fight. That wasn't the way the world was anymore.

Lord Vauthry didn't like the idea of the Oracle being left out there though—believed that she was a threat to him if allowed to live. Ran'jit had convinced him that she was still just a young babe and that they could keep her locked up and safe… away from the world.

In the end, he managed to succeed in convincing his lord in allowing her to remain in the city. But he did not wish to see the girl and instead ordered that she be locked deep below ground. Ran'jit didn't question it for he believed that was for the best as well. He did not wish to grow close to her—not again. He couldn't allow his heart to become that venerable again but it looked like he would finally succeed in his duty.

'Finally,' he had thought, 'Finally, she will be safe.'

And she was until she was spirited away by that damnable rogue. Why could Minfilia not see that all he did, he did to prevent her from dying? Why would she side with them?

His eyes narrows as he glared at the woman in front of him as she swung her blade around with the grace of some goddess of death.

Though each girl was different, they all had one thing in common apart from their hair and their eyes. They all believed that the Warrior of Darkness would appear one day. Each one held onto this faith despite everyone knew that it was just a story. Whenever he asked them why they would think that, they just shrugged and confessed that this was a feeling that the original Minfilia held in her heart. This they all believed and so they believed that this special person would appear in time.

But now that she was here, he felt only anger whenever he looked at her face. Why not arrive sooner and save them from this madness? What would she do when this was over? Men were weak and without someone there to guide them then they would only continue down this road of death and hopelessness.

No… no more.

He had enough of this.

If she was, indeed, the Warrior of Darkness then she should have no trouble finishing him off and putting an end to his otherwise meaningless existence. Not that he would be going quietly. She first had to prove she had what it took to continue on.

In truth, he didn't know if it was right anymore. He had seen the night sky and the only thing he could think of was how much his dear girls would have rejoiced at the sight of it.

But what did that matter now?

He was tired of fighting.

"If you would pass me, you must endure all that I have learned on the battlefield…" he yelled, "For I am a weapon forged in the fires of war!"

He knew no other way to live now. Fighting was all that he could do and he didn't know how to go on without it. Though his wounds from that rouge have been devastating on him, he still mustered his remaining strength and prepared to finish it all. But she easily defeated him as he gathered up his strength. His power was cut short and was left open.

His eyes were fixed upon her as she drew close and he saw her mouth two words: "I'm sorry."

He did not know what was going through her mind for her to say that. After all that he had done to her and her friends, she felt sorry about this? How could any Warrior of Darkness be so weak as to show pity for their foe?

He didn't even feel the pain as the blade was brought down upon him and his vision darkened around him. That was when he saw faces appear before his mind's eye and his heart leapt at the sight of it.

"Ah… there you are… my precious girls…" he whispered and fell.

He collapsed to his knees, feeling his life leaving him. But he welcomed it with open arms feeling something that he could never recall ever feeling before: relief.

"Was there truly no other way?" he heard her whisper as he felt himself bleeding out onto the floor.

He let out a grunt of annoyance as he croaked, glad that the last thing he would see was darkness instead of light.

"Spend your pity elsewhere," he growled at her, though no longer sure if she could even hear him as he fell with a crash to the floor. "If you are so set on tearing what is left of this decaying world apart, then be gone."

And so he faded there.

He became what he always knew he was. Just an old man who never again desired to see another girl sacrifice her life.

And it was for that that he pitied this warrior as well.

*Claire*

Just what was it that made him like this? What went through his mind in those last few moments? Did he regret anything? Or did he hold truth to those misguided beliefs until the end?

She just stared down at the no longer breathing form of Ran'jit and sheathed her sword once more as she shook her head. She held up her hands and offered a small and humble prayer that he find the peace that had eluded him so much in life. In truth, she wasn't sure what to think of him. In one way she despised everything about him and what he stood for… but on the other hand, she could not help but feel her heart going out to him.

Such a waste.

"Claire!"

She turned around and sighed in relief when she saw that her friends had all caught up to her.

"Are you all right, Claire?!" Alphinaud asked and she forced a nod. Yes, she was alive and breathing; but her heart was feeling heavy. And it seemed she wasn't the only one feeling that way, for she saw how Thancred and Ryne were staring at Ran'jit's still form.

Thancred's expression was hard as he lowered his head sadly while Ryne stared completely frozen—her expression a mixture of relief and dismay. She felt that she could understand. Whatever else he may have been, Ran'jit was the one who cared for her before Thancred came into her life.

She hoped that Ryne would forgive her for this—but it had to be done. At least, that was what she was trying to remind herself anyway.

After a moment of respectful silence, Thancred looked up to her as he explained that the citizens had seemed to calm down enough to allow them to catch up to her. He assumed that something must be keeping Vauthry's attention at the moment and so he wasn't too focused on them anymore.

Something keeping his attention? The Lightwarden must be with him for she could think of no other being that could be distracting him so perfectly.

She led the way to the elevator and they got it working as they rode it up to the uppermost floor of the city. Claire was expecting to see at least a few guards up here… but then she reminded herself that he would surely have had the strongest soldier protecting him and that had been Ran'jit. There was no one as they ran along the plush carpeted way and came bursting through the doors into Vauthry's chambers.

They were much like how she last saw them only there was no one else here. His many items of gold were scattered about them and even a chandler seemed to have fallen and crashed to the ground as little pearls laid scattered across the floor. Silken pillows laid thrown about them as the furniture was smashed and tossed aside as if someone had thrown it all aside as if in a fit of rage.

Claire stepped upon a single white feather as she faced down the only other being there with them. Lord Vauthry had his back to them, hunched over something on his dais as she heard the sounds of slathering mouthfuls echoing off the otherwise pristine marble walls.

They waited for a moment, but he didn't even look back at them as he continued swallowing something. Well, if he wanted his last meal, who was she to judge? She shook her head again, once more shocked at her own dark thoughts.

Alphinaud then stepped forward, his voice already steeled with suppressed anger as he yelled, "Lord Vauthry! Your reign of tyranny is at an end! For too long you have preyed upon the desperation of the poor! Now you will answer for the suffering you have caused." But again, the tank of lard didn't acknowledge their presence. He didn't even stop shoving food into his mouth to look at them at this point and she felt irritation rise inside her.

Alphinaud still bravely went on, sure that Vauthry was at least listening to them, and he was determined to at least speak his mind he called out, "And if you harbor even a shred of remorse, I beseech you to use your powers to redress the balance. For the future of all in Norvrandt."

Again, nothing. Surely Vauthry couldn't be that disinterested in them being here? Not after all he went through to lock himself up here and set his own people upon them. How could he just be acting like nothing was wrong? Either he had ice in his blood…?

…or he had one last trick up his sleeve.

That was when Ryne shuddered and gave a sharp intake of breath that drew their attention onto her.

"No… It can't be. This is wrong. It's wrong!" she whispered and the fear in her voice took them all aback as they turned to her as she trembled. "The Warden - it's not just a sin eater. It's a man!"

Those words echoed around inside her mind as she struggled to gasp what that meant. No… then that meant…? She turned back to the dais as Vauthry's eating finally slowed. And then, disgustingly, his entire head turned around to look at them so that it had completely staring back at them. She had seen many disturbing things since her journey began but this had to rank right up there with one of the worst she had seen. Just looking at it was enough to make her make her want to let out a scream.

But Vauthry didn't seem to think of this as wrong as he swallowed a mouthful of whatever food he was so intent on finishing up.

"Remorse?" he finally asked, "For the future of all? What nonsense is this? There is no justice but mine. No future but mine. No will but mine."

It seemed the sight of a man with his head on backwards shocked the others as much as it did her for no one could say anything as they stared on. But Vauthry continued in that same hushed tone, "It is preordained. I was born to deliver this wretched world."

Finally, with a wretched squishing sound, his head turned its way back around the right way as he began to mutter to himself.

"Me? Unseated? No, no, no, no, no…" he asked as whatever calm melted away and he dropped his fork to reveal that what he had been eater was Meol—plenty of them scattered at his feet. But Vauthry then began to speak louder and louder, his anger growing.

"It's impossible. Inconceivable! Absurd! I am a great and wise king. Greatest and wisest! I reign from on high!"

This was no matter of a man believing himself equal to the gods—he truly believed that he was one. Understanding suddenly rushed over her as if she had just been hit in the head with a club even as Vauthry began to shriek.

"I will not be brought low by maggots like you!" he screamed out as he began slamming his fists into the floor and threw a tantrum much like how a truly spoiled and entitled child would.

Claire watched on, taking half a step back, not sure how to react to this. Vauthry's movements suddenly stopped and became so silent around them that one could hear a pin drop.

"Oh yes, of course," Vauthry said, his hushed tone returning as he raised his head, his tantrum completely forgotten. "I can begin again. Rebuild my paradise. Once I finish my dinner…"

He didn't really think that they would leave him alone after all that he did, did he? But apparently, he did for he reached out for the dropped fork that held an entire piece of Meol at the end, and shoved it into his mouth as he swallowed the Meol—fork and all.

But that seemed to frighten Ryne even more than first realizing that Vauthry was a sin eater. For she suddenly grew pale and terror filled her face as she cried, screaming at the end, "Oh gods, no - Stop him. Thancred. Stop him!"

Though none of them understood what the problem was, Thancred didn't question her. He moved at her words and his gunblade was already in his hands as he charged ahead. But everything that happened next was so fast that she didn't realize what was going on right away. All that Claire knew was that something came bursting out from Vauthry's back before a dreaded maddening roar that was more beast than man burst from his mouth. The noise was so great that she almost ended up passing up as she grabbed her head in agony. It was as if a pair of giant hands had now grabbed hold of her head and was now squeezing it so tightly that it was about to break open as her vision swam before her.

Through the haze of pain, she could see that the two somethings that came out from Vauthry's back were a pair of tiny, baby wings. Though they were almost ridiculously small compared to the rest of his massive bulk, they were flapping furiously as they were able to lift him off the ground. She tried to say something, to move forward to prevent him from escaping, but the noise was still piercing her very brain and was so disorientated that she temporarily mistook up from down.

All she could remember was how that enormously fat body fluttered over the dais and out the window as her eyes closed.

She really did black out right there, but just for a moment. It took a few minutes for her mind to clear and she blinked a few times as she came back to her senses. After doing a quick headcount and relaxing when she saw that all her friends were here; but also realizing Vauthry was nowhere to be seen. The others slowly seemed to come back to it as they shook their heads and got back to their feet, cautiously staring around them.

"Where did he go?" Alphinaud cried, urgently back in his voice. No one could answer that, especially when came a great rumbling that shook the room. They had to brace themselves from falling over as the remaining chandeliers shook overhead and anything left that wasn't tided down fell over. An earthquake?

But the answer came from outside and they ran to the balcony and their jaws dropped at what was waiting for them. The sight of an entire mountain had broken away from the land and was now floating directly above the Bright cliffs. She had seen plenty of floating islands before but she knew that was most certainly not there before and she watched as a great golden ring appeared around its peak and shone brightly as if made of sunlight.

They all stared at it in a mixture of awe and bewilderment—not sure what else to say or do.

"What in the heavens?" Alphinaud finally choked out.

"Did Vauthry do that?" Alisaie whispered.

Well, she couldn't think of anyone else it could possibly be. It seemed that Vauthry had finally given up on Eulmore and had retreated to a place where he felt that he was now untouchable by them. Sadly, she feared that he may be right.

She looked to the others and asked, "How are we going to get up there?"

She knew that they had to give chase now while he was on the run. She didn't know how much stronger he was going to grow, but she really rather not find out. And if he could lift up an entire mountain, who knew what else he was capable of? They had to finish him off before he showed them anymore of his 'godly' powers.

"Wait," Alphinaud interrupted, his head low getting their attention.

She looked to him as he took a deep breath and explained, "That is Mt. Gulg, the highest peak in Kholusia. It lies on the other side of a sheer cliff, and much as I wish it were otherwise, it is beyond our reach for now. But even if it weren't - there are people here who need our help."

Alisaie sighed at that, but she was smiling at her brother as she said, "Oh, Alphinaud..."

But he wasn't looking at anyone else but at Claire.

"Please," he begged as he took a step forward, as if it was only her opinion that mattered right now, "Even if it's only to tend to their wounds."

She suspected that he was feeling responsible for letting Vauthry escape for he was the one who insisted on trying to speak with Vauthry first. But he held true to his convictions and she didn't want him any other way.

Gods… she loved this wonderfully stubborn boy sometimes.

Not that she said that out loud. Instead, she said with a smile, "I'll help too."

His face melted into relief as he whispered, "Thank you."

"Oh, just kiss already would you? It's driving me nuts," she heard Thancred muttered somewhere off to the side and she almost obliged just to shut him up. Thankfully no one else seemed to hear him as Ryne had also chosen that moment to speak up as well.

"I don't know if it will work, but if Vauthry's hold over the people is rooted in Light, I might be able to reverse its effects," she asked, "Will you let me try?"

"Of course," Alphinaud said, taking her up on her offer. "We'd be grateful for any help you can provide."

Well, it was decided. They were to help the people out here and then move on to hunting down Vauthry. Everyone was getting to work. But Claire could not help but look back to the mountain as that ever growing feeling of dread was finally making sense to her.

Not that it stopped her instincts from screaming at her that something bad was waiting for her.

(Finally! I don't know why but this chapter was very painful to put out. But we finally made it back to Eulmore and the last Lightwarden is waiting for us! I am planning to at least get to the final battle with Vauthry before 5.3! Look forward to it and the next chapter where the Warrior of Darkness had a heart to heart with the Crystal Exarch.)