Darkness in the Twilight

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By Psycho Ferret and LunarCrystal

Of Home and Sorrow

They were led into the fort, to the barracks and into a room, given some spare clothing and mantles to keep out the chill, blankets for the spare beds in the room they were to share. Chris was glad to don the woolen clothing, feeling it seemed more like a costume than regularly clothes - the style was so strange, kind of like Renaissance Faire stuff. His brother had done the same, Ethan's hair and numerous piercings sticking out profusely with the style of the clothing - punk meets King Arthur.

"It's really happening, isn't it?" Chris asked, falling onto the bed in resignation. "And - And Celena . . . Oh, god, that poor girl - Allen . . . why does their family have to suffer so much?"

Ethan shook his head, slumping onto the edge of the bed with a shudder.  "I don't know... I just... but he still has Angelina, right?  And... and he's home.  Even if we're not... he... Chris, what are we going to do?"  The younger brother looked over at his sibling, shaking his head slightly.  he felt weird in these clothes and had gotten rather odd stares for his numerous piercings and the odd way he wore his hair.  He sighed softly, idly toying with the tongue piercings, like he usually did when he was nervous.

The other man just laughed bitterly, "Fucked if I know."

Ethan sighed heavily, his head bowed.  He heard the knock upon the door, blinking a little, lifting his head a bit.  "Ah... ah, yeah?"

Oruto opened the door, cocking his bald, scarred head to the side slightly.  "Boss wanted me to ask you if you were hungry."

Chris sat up to greet the newcomer, his face held nothing but sorrow and confusion. Looking towards his brother, he thought a moment. "Well, it wouldn't do us any good starve, would it?"

"Boss' in the mess hall.  Sarge is forcing him to eat."  The man motioned vaguely to them, turning to start to walk off, "come on, we'll get you some food." 

Ethan sighed, slowly standing and tugging his brother along, shuffling quietly behind the older man.  He chanced at glance at Chris, quirking a brow.  These people didn't look like soldiers... or what he was used to as being soldiers.  Casual clothing, a generally relaxed air.  Except when Allen was mentioned, then, at least for now, the tenseness would curl inside of them at the thought of their commander's grief.

The mess hall was unusually quiet, considering there were hundreds of soldiers gathered there, sitting on the floor and eating. Mostly there were just whispers between the men, not wanting to raise their voice to interrupt the mourning. Chris was the first one to enter, being led to a haybale to sit on near the captain's table - Allen's table.

He was their commander - holy shit! He'd almost completely forgotten everything that Allen had said he was, having been so used to seeing him not only blind, but going about their modern world - Earth. Gaddes had managed to get him to eat a little of the pork that was in front of him. A plate full of steaming vegetables and corned cake that looked like the stuff you would get at El Torito, thought Chris.

Gaddes had also managed to acquire a bottle for the infant from one of the villagers that lived near by, the bottle being made out of a sheep stomach and the nipple of something equally crude.

Allen was silent, eating only a little bit of the food before sighing, pushing it aside.  He couldn't.  He just couldn't.  He managed to get the baby fed--he didn't take the makeshift bottle away until she had finished it, she had to be healthy after all--and then, sat still, his head bowed.

Ethan was aware of the glances he and his brother got and he bit down lightly on his bottom lip.  He settled down next to Chris, sighing softly.

Both of them were handed plates with food similar to what Allen was eating, and Chris realized that they were not eating what the rest of the soldiers were - everyone had a plate of stew, or some sort of concoction like that, and a piece of bread. Here in the metal plate in his hands held pork, potatoes, corn cake and a biscuit. His brother too. Why the special treatment? he wondered.

Slowly, he began to nibble on the biscuit, the fork still on the plate. But after a while, he was impatient with trying to eat. He looked to Allen, and it seemed that he, too, had resigned.

"How's Angelina?" he asked softly. The crew looked at one another, but they all soon bowed there heads as well and kept quiet.

"Sleeping," Allen murmured softly, a faint sigh on his lips.  He looked haggard, pale, and the trembling in his hands was not from the cold anymore.  He was back home, he had wanted to return... but he had wanted Celena to return, to see it, as well.  But she couldn't... she would not see Asturia again.

"She wanted to come home, Gaddes," he whispered softly, closing his eyes behind the glasses.  "She wanted to see Asturia again..."

"I know," was all Gaddes could think to say. After having learned everything, being enveloped by Allen's grief as he was told all of what had transpired for the near two years he had spent on Earth - the Mystic Moon. His love for his sister, consummation of that love, the child born blind, Allen's sight returning, and Celena dying . . . It didn't seem fair, and tore at the soldier's heart . . . a love so pure, so innocent, to be fated and punished by the gods.

Angelina was a button though, he had to admit. Five months old now, and she was very much taking after her lineage - a line of beautiful people. Her father held her so tenderly, so carefully and protectively. Gaddes had no doubt in his mind that Allen would be a good father to her.

Allen was silent for a long moment, then sighed, standing up and glancing around the mess hall at the soldiers gathered there.  Underneath the cloak, he worse the familiar leather breeches tucked into heavy, lined boots, the poet's shirt thick, silken sash at his waist.  "I know... it's been awhile," the blonde started, speaking loud enough for them to hear.  He couldn't just show up without any explanation.  These man he trusted, they deserved to know. 

"But I am back.  And..." Allen fell silent for a long moment, then glanced over at the original crew of the crusade, giving just a slight smile, "we have a princess among our midst.  I expect you to treat her kindly, now or I'll have to clean you up, if you know what I mean."  Even though he didn't feel it, his nerves still numb from the loss of his sister, he grinned.  "And these two gentlemen," he motioned to the brothers, nodding to them, "are guests.  The one nearest me is Chris, and the one beside him is Ethan."

Chris suddenly looked scared at being introduced to so many surly men, only managing to wave absently at his name being mentioned.

Gaddes cleared his throat softly, "A-Allen, I need to tell you something . . ."

Allen glanced over at Gaddes, arching a brow slightly.  It didn't sound good at all.  The blonde frowned a little.  "What is it...?"  He spoke softly, looking at his best friend and second-in-command warily.

The sergeant stood and went to speak into Allen's ear so that no one else would hear them. "It hasn't been that long since you left," Gaddes said quietly, "It's only been a month."

Allen blinked, looking at his friend.  Then laughed, smacking his shoulder hard.  "Don't scare me like that, Gaddes!"

The man only shifted slightly under the knight's friendly blow, but his expression remained unchanged and grim. Basram was still marching. They still intended to take over Asturia while she was politically weak. He shook his head and looked down.

Chris leaned over to Ethan, "Do you know what's going on?"

Allen's face fell.  "Millerna.  Have they gotten past the fort!?  Allen tensed, starting, staring at his friend.  "Have they begun making their way to Palas!?"

Ethan blinked, looking over at the two, then to his brother, shaking his head.  "No... I... I don't know at all..."

Gaddes shook his head again. "We've had scouts search for them - their armies aren't moving." He looked at Allen square in the eye, suddenly aware that he could see again. "They're growing."

Allen narrowed his eyes darkly.  "And what about Van?  Fanelia?  Is their support still here?"

"King Fanel moved his armies to a different location, requesting that the Queen go back to Fanelia out of the danger. Basram is massing their armies to the southeast, airships . . . boss, they have the air galleons with them. The ones that took out most of the battle field during the great war." He looked away, his mouth turning into a frown as he saw everyone was listening to them. "We shouldn't be talking about this here."

Allen sighed, shaking his head, drawing his cloak close about he and his daughter.  He turned, walking out of the hall briskly, knowing Gaddes would follow.  One-armed, he pulled himself up the ladder to the upper parts of the fort.  They could talk here.  They always could.

The babe in his arms cooed and coughed softly at the movement, the chill air  hitting her little face and making her blink in surprise. Gaddes hastily followed his commander, jogging down the hall as he tried to keep up with Allen's long strides. Climbing the ladder, his gaze fell onto Allen again, heavily cloaked and waiting for him to finish what he needed to say.

"Allen," said Gaddes softly. "I am so sorry . . . about Celena. I . . . " he stopped. There were no comfort in any words he could possibly say on the matter. He only asked softly, "Where should we bury her?"

Allen shook his head slightly, sitting down, his back against the railing.  He didn't take the chair this time.  "Inside.  She fought... just like the rest of them.  She'll be buried with them, among them.  Just like... you and I, if we can't stop Basram.  I... I can only hope there'll be someone to do it, Gaddes."

Gaddes swallowed, moving next to his friend, kneeling to look down at the bundle of blankets in his arms. He didn't expect the tears, really - he was so used to holding in his grief. But the child that Allen held was a catalyst for them, and as he gazed down at the infant's angelic face, he couldn't keep them back any longer.

"You have a beautiful daughter." was really all he had managed to choke out, reaching out to touch the infant's platinum locks that had begun to grow in curly cues upon her head.

Allen sighed softly, leaning his head against Gaddes' shoulder, closing his eyes.  "So much has happened... I wish... I wish you could have seen how happy she made Celena..."

A hand rested behind Allen's head, slowly stroking the knight's blond hair - comforting, consoling. Now that they were alone here in this special place, he didn't have to keep up a facade. "I remember," he said to Allen, "How much she wanted children. I know how much you loved her, enough to give her that wish, and she loved you, Allen. She'll live on in your daughter." He smiled slightly, "She already has her curls."

Allen laughed a little, quietly.  "She's... she's blind, you know."  The blonde sighed softly.  "I thought... I'd never get to see her.  I thought I'd never get back here, that I'd never see any of you again."

Gaddes nodded, "I know, Allen. But you're here, and you're daughter is here. We're all still here." He kept stroking his hair, not sure if that was what the knight needed, but he did it anyway. His cheek, rough with stubble gently scratched against Allen's smooth face - and he became wary, starting to pull away.

"No, please... I... it was odd, not being able to talk to you when something was bothering me."  Allen sighed, shaking his head a little.  He didn't want Gaddes to go, at least not yet.

He nodded, and settled back with Allen's head leaning on his shoulder. "You've been gone for nearly two years. Yet here it's only been a month. I'll never understand how that works." he said.

"I don't either, not at all..."  Allen sighed softly, holding the slumbering child close to him, but staying near his friend.  Like always, he found comfort in Gaddes' closeness.  And after losing Celena... he didn't want to be alone.

"What are these for, anyway?" Gaddes asked, a weak smile playing across his lips as he touched Allen's glasses. "You look like a scholar."

"Ah?  Well, I..."  Allen smiled a little, lifting his head and looking up at Gaddes through the clear lenses.  "A medical procedure was performed on my eyes to correct them.  But... they couldn't fix them all the way.  Without them, my vision is still slightly blurry."

"But you can see - everything?" he asked, happiness filling him once more - even if only a little.

"I can see you, the fort... I can see again."  Allen smiled softly, nodding a bit.  "That world... Gaddes, it has so many developments, it's amazing..."

"I'm so glad," he said, relief filling his heart, brimming over with love for his friend, "Gods, I'm so glad that you have some happiness left. Your sight, and your daughter. That's what matters, isn't it?"

"It is... Celena... she wouldn't want me to revert back to how I was, you know... when... I lost my status as a knight.  I know she wouldn't want me to.  That's why... I'm glad I'm back here.  I have you here... and, and the others..."  But mainly Gaddes and he knew his friend was aware of that fact.

Gaddes nodded, smiling slightly and giving his friend a look that meant he felt the same way - that he was glad he was back, and that he would remain loyal to him always. He looked down at the baby, her face chubby with baby fat, the skin white and blushed. "Could I hold her?"

Allen nodded slightly, a soft smile on his lips.  He trusted Gaddes with her, just like he'd trusted Gaddes with Celena.  The blonde gently held out his daughter to the other, careful not to jostle her as they transferred arms.  He still had a place for Gaddes, and always would, in his heart.  Always.

 By gods she was tiny. Gaddes can hardly remember the last time he held an infant in his arms, his brother and sisters living so far away and are all grown now. He was only a child when he held his little brother in his arms. But this little bundle - was a vision! She was the very image of heavenly perfection. And hold her like he was, Gaddes couldn't help but feel the vestiges of pride . . . like her father surely must have felt when she was born.

"Such a lovely. Such a lovely." he whispered, bringing the blankets close around he little frame. "My gods, she's such a lovely. So small and helpless. And beautiful, like her mother and father."

Allen smiled softly.  "She'll be in good hands here, among all of us, you think?"  The blonde chuckled a bit.  "A princess."  Allen sighed a little, looking up at his friend, offering a shy little smile.  "You'll help me, right?  I don't think I can raise her myself."

The question didn't even need to be asked. It was known already, in both of their hearts what the answer was. How could he not care for this precious little jewel? "I - would know how to raise a blind child, but - of course, I will, Allen. I will always be there for her if you asked it of me. I -," and he smiled, "I'll be her uncle Gaddes."

Allen grinned a bit, nodding.  "Good... I knew I could count on you."  Allen looked at him... then snickered softly.  "I can just imagine it, too.  Heh heh... Uncle Gaddes..."  The blonde grinned teasingly.

Gaddes touched the little one's fair curls, smiling as well. "She'll be safe here. We all will for now." He looked to Allen, an expression that said to reassure him, "Basram is far enough away right now that we can plan strategy. The queen has since sent us word back that we're to hold our position in this fort. There are other forts, Allen. And she also mentioned that she's started allies with Cesario, Daedalus, and Egzardia, as well as Fanelia. We'll be okay if we stay here. Need to survive the winter first, after all."

Allen smiled softly, nodding.  "Good... you've handled them well while I was gone, I see.  I expected no less."  The blonde watched his past lover fondly.  He was good with kids, Allen realized... and knew he should have realized it before.  Gaddes had, even though he'd been only a few years older than he, taken good care of Allen when he'd first come here.  There wasn't any surprise. 

~

Smiles seemed few and far between as the winter days trudged on, unrelenting with their frozen winds. Few soldier's could be spared to be out in such weather while on the fort walls keeping watch, most of them huddled indoors to do repairs, clean, sharpen weapons and polish armor - anything to keep warm.

Meanwhile, Gaddes tried to figure out what to do with their new guests. There really wasn't anything either of them were good for. Although, Chris had been ecstatic about the amazing about of swords that were in the armories of Fort Castelo. After much begging, he was finally allowed to help with their upkeep.

There was a plot of land, in the far corner of the fort, where soldiers were buried if they had fallen. Some fell during the last battle with Basram and were since laid to rest there in that small graveyard that was surrounded by a wrought iron fence. It was in that graveyard, near the back, that Celena had been placed into the frozen ground.

Allen once more bounced back after Celena had been safely buried away.  He made sure to visit her often and was pleased to know that the brothers did as well.  He had easily stepped back into his role as the commander there, his demeanor changing from when he was on Earth.  He was more relaxed here among faces he knew well.  Riden, all of them.  The glasses fit him well enough, really, considering his tendency to read up on philosophy and the like.  While he was a soldier, he was still an aristocrat. 

Clothes changed drastically from what he'd worn for the past two years.  He'd once more fallen back into his swashbuckling state.  Though he did pull his hair loosely back a lot more.

He'd continued with Chris' sword training here.  A good way to keep up the skills, to entertain the soldiers around, and keep the blood flowing in the cold.  But even though he was a soldier, he was a father and Gaddes and he both spent joyous times taking care of his daughter.