Sacrifices
"Dwarven Vow #26: A friend – one soul, two bodies."
Meltokio Castle – Throne RoomYuan stood before the Arbitrator, his blue cape hanging neatly behind him. He had arrived in the castle rather quickly and requested an audience with the former King of Tethe'alla. As soon as the leader was ready, the angel was escorted into the room and bowed respectfully to his host. "Sir, I have come today to warn you of…possible trouble in the near future."
"Your advise has always been respected, Lord Yuan. Please continue." The Arbitrator answered with a nod.
"Many centuries ago, back when Mithos first lost Martel…" He paused as the painful memories once again surfaced. "He was overwhelmed with grief and anger. The summon spirits reacted to his negative emotions and went out of control."
"You aren't suggesting Lloyd will befall the same fate, do you?" The politician caught on.
Yuan sighed and crossed his arms with worry, which also reflected in his sapphire gaze. "Lloyd has been exposed to Zaichar's influence and already shows signs of…conversion. If this continues to go on, the spirits will no doubt sense it."
The man sitting in the throne nodded. "How long do we have?"
Responding as truthfully as he dared, Yuan shook his head. "I'm afraid Lloyd's time has run out."
Triet Desert
"Don't pretend like you know everything about me!" Genis shouted at his sister. "Aqua edge!" From his kendama three disks of water came jetting towards Raine.
"Force field!" Raine erected her barrier, like she had many times before, but refused to strike back. "I won't fight you, Genis! You're my brother!"
Love Devotion Feel itEmotion
Growling, Genis wouldn't buy into it. "Stop using that as an excuse! If you don't fight back, my magic is going to destroy you! Fire lance!"
The former teacher knew her barrier wouldn't hold up against another attack, so she ran to the side and barely evaded the deadly fire as it turned the sand where she had been sanding into a crater of dangerously sharp glass shards. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but isn't that what you're trying to you? Anti-magic!" She raised her wand to cast her spell and render her little brother's magic useless but the edges of Genis' body glowed black and the spell was nullified.
Laughing, Genis shook his head. "I'm merely trying to make you see that you're better than this! We all are! Half-elves or even elves shouldn't be forced to take orders from a mere human! We're better than they are!"
Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be too proud to be strong
Just look into your heart my friend
That will be the return to yourself
The return to innocence.
Raine's mouth fell open in shock. "Lloyd is your friend. It never mattered that he was human. The Genis I knew would've done everything in his power to see Lloyd safely through this! I know I taught you at least that during class!"
"Ha! Grave!" This time without even twirling his kendama, Genis summoned the element earth directly under Raine's feet and the half-elf scholar and teacher was thrown into the air like a rag doll. Crying out she landed hard on the sharp glass from before, spilling her blood over the cool night desert sands.
Grimacing, Raine tried to get back to her feet, but as she pressed down, she only managed to cut herself more. Genis walked up to her and looked down at her smirking. "You merely brainwashed me into thinking everyone saw me equally. But they didn't, not when they found out what I really was."
"Lloyd did." Raine said painfully. "He found out and didn't care either way. All of our friends did."
"Shut up! They were lying the entire time!" Genis refused to believe the words his sister spoke.
"That's right, Genis. They were lying to you." A deep feminine voice entered the conversation. Raine looked up and Genis turned around to face the new intruder. It was Megami, though neither sibling knew that. "But now you know the truth, don't you?"
Narrowing his eyes at her suspiciously, Genis stood between the dark elf and his sister. "What's it to you?"
"I, as well as my master – Lord Zaichar – feel the same way. The elves and half-elves should be bossing around the humans as was intended ages ago." She answered smoothly.
"Really?" Genis asked with a cross of his arms.
Opening her arms, Megami smiled. "But of course. When the elves came down to Derris-Kharlan, they did so intending to bring leadership to a world that was barely holding onto life by a thread. That's why we created the Mana Tree. In order to save those beings far below us."
"That's...a lie!" Raine once again tried to get up, but slipped in her own blood and fell back down again. Her hands and arms stung from the embedded pieces of glass, but she grit her teeth and ignored it.
Genis raised an eyebrow, beginning to fall into Megami's deception. "What she says sounds more like the truth than other tales that have been told to us." Looking back down at his wounded sister, Genis continued. "And the elves are responsible for planting the first Great Kharlan Tree."
"That's right. And now my master wishes to have your strength by his side." Genis turned back around towards Megami. "Join him and you can finally rise to your rightful place. Above the humans...where you belong!"
Smirking at the sound of the idea, Genis took two steps towards Megami and lowered his kendama.
Gasping, Raine threw her rod with all her strength and tripped Genis back down into the sand, knowing it would take him a while to get up. Even as a child, he was prone to fall while just walking. "NO! I won't let you warp and corrupt him!" Jumping to her feet, Raine held her hands together and began chanting. "I call upon thy spirits of the earth, water, and sky! Aide me now!"
Looking up, Genis gasped as he saw different colored lights begin to form and encircle his older sister. Never before had the scholar mentioned she knew elemental magic. "R-Raine..."
If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny.
Without her wand, Raine wasn't sure her casting would work, but she had to defend her little brother from the darkness with every ounce of strength she had left. Unfortunately, she would only have one chance at this. "Be gone! Evil creature! Elemental Photon Beam!" From her hands came a bright, multicolored beam that flew towards Megami like an arrow.
The dark elf laughed at the healer's meager attempt at casting an attack spell and merely swayed her hand to knock the energy arrow off course. Flying up into the dark of night, the arrow exploded, lighting up the desert area above the three. "Such a sad attempt. Now, Genis, I will show you the power Darkness grants its faithful followers. Lords of Death and Destruction banish the light and cover the world in all your glory!"
A black circle appeared on the ground around the two siblings and as dark energy began to gather in the center like a vortex, Raine gasped and turned around. "Force field!"
As Genis lay tripped on the floor, the mother of pearl jewel at the end of his sister's rod – which was still caught between his legs – began to glow and enveloped the young half-elf mage in a green hued shield. Shaking his head in disbelief, Genis looked up at his sister. "Raine…what are you…"
Turning around, Raine gave a weak smile for her little brother. Already the dark mana was charging up and she didn't want Genis to suffer in the darkness anymore. "Genis…I'm sorry…"
Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence.
"Raine!" The boy shouted in grief when the spell finally exploded, filling the desert night with light. The scholar's body was torn apart and she was thrown into the air back towards the dark-elf's position.
Megami's laughter rang out as the healer bounced off the ground and lay unmoving. "Darkness shall conquer all." She stated before her image disappeared completely.
All across the desert sands, the grains subjected to the dark elf's magic was blackened and warped. But the area around Genis, where Rain's shield had protected him, was left perfectly unharmed. Pushing himself up with shaky arms, the young mage looked across the distance to his sister's still form and opened his mouth to speak…but the words wouldn't come out.
Slowly lifting the scholar's rod in both hands, Genis made his way to Raine's side where his legs instantly collapsed beneath him. Her clothes and body were scraped and gashed, the blood polling beneath her – creating a satanic sludge with the desert sand. "Raine…how…" Genis choked and closed his eyes in shame, his hands tightening around the rod as he shook with sobs.
Lying down on her back, the half elf's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head slightly to gaze at her brother. "Genis…it's ok." Upon hearing her voice, Genis' eyes shot open. "You were…right. I never did…ask how you felt."
That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence.
Now regretting his words earlier, the young boy shook his head as the tears continued to cascade down his cheeks. "But you were only looking out for me!" He exclaimed in anguish.
Wincing in pain, the healer tried to put up a strong front. "Genis, whatever you do, and whatever you feel, listen to your heart. Cause I'll be there to guide you…always."
"No! Don't talk like that!" Genis pleaded. "You're gonna be ok! And then we'll go to Triet and get you all patched up!" The half-elf knew it was close to an impossibility – the human settlement not wanting anything to do with their kind – but he would try. For Raine, he would do anything.
Don't care what people say
Follow just your own way
Follow just your own way
Don't give up, don't give up
To return, to return to innocence.
Looking down, he saw her eyes were closed as if sleeping, but when he nudged her, she refused to open her eyes. "Raine?" But her soul had already passed over. "RAINE!"
Sybak
Zelos pulled his arms tightly against his body to speed up his descent and quickly caught up with Sheena's form. Pulling her by the hand, Zelos wrapped his arms around her and dare not let go.
"Z-Zelos! Your wings!" Sheena gasped upon seeing the paper-thin looking wings now nothing but strips of dissolving mana. "We'll never make it back up!"
Shutting his eyes tightly, Zelos dove within him to the spirit he knew was there. Shinji help me! I can't lose her now that I can finally call her my own! Please!
Energy from the exsphere on Zelos' hip reacted with the spirit's reply and the glow flowed through the warrior's body to his damaged wings. As the glow traveled through Zelos' back, the wings were slowly repaired and even began to extent farther than they originally did. Once the spell was finished, Zelos flapped and controlled their fall, bringing their spinning descent to a close.
Both Sheena and Zelos sighed in relief and held onto each other as the warrior brought them back up towards the surface. As soon as they were above sea level, the obstructed lapse in dimensions closed itself and the two set down safely back on the beach just outside of Sybak.
Looking around, Saitou was nowhere to be seen and probably thought his two adversaries were already dead. Sheena whipped the sweat from her brow and turned to Zelos, almost falling over in shock at his new appearance. "Zelos!"
"What?" He asked confused.
"You're wings…they look different! Way different!" Sheena exclaimed.
"How so?" Zelos wondered, trying to get a good look behind him, but with no such luck.
Tilting her head, the ninja tried to find the right words. "They sort of look more like Mithos' wings. Yeah that's it! From his adult form!" She exclaimed.
Taking a step back in shock, Zelos wondered what could've caused such a change. Shinji? Was it you?
Not directly no. Just as Mithos'…unique transformation made him look differently than his four Seraphim Generals, your change has made you unique. It was Mithos' initial love for his sister that changed him and…
"My love for Sheena." Zelos understood. "Gotchya."
"Oh?" The ninja before him placed a hand on her hip. "You willing to share what your new friend just told ya?"
Smirking, Zelos held up his arms. "I don't know."
Stomping her foot, Sheena placed her fists down at her sides in a huff. "Stop playing! Yes you do, now explain it to me!" She demanded.
Instead of answering her, Zelos pulled her into a deep kiss, which instantly silence the ninja as her legs went limp beneath her. As he pulled away from the exchange, he looked deep into her eyes and winked. "You figure it out."
"Sheena! Zelos!" Carbuncle came bouncing over with Regal shortly behind. "I was so worried for you!" Carbuncle bounded into Sheena's arms and purred into the ninja's warmth.
Regal stopped and looked to both fighters. "Sybak was attacked and of course, Vicky blames us." Lowering his head, Regal confirmed their silent question. "It was Zaichar's forces."
Sheena and Zelos looked at each other. "This just keeps getting from bad to worse." Zelos commented.
Sheena smiled sympathetically as she petted her guardian across her spine. "Well, since we already paid for the room, which I hope is still standing, let's sleep through the night and tomorrow we'll meet with Yuan and the others back at Meltokio Castle."
"I was just about to suggest the same." Regal nodded.
Zelos smiled and came up to wrap an arm around Sheena's shoulders, pulling her close. "Maybe now we can sleep in the same bed?"
Blushing, Sheena neither denied the request, nor accepted it. She'd make him sweat it out for a while. Just for fun.
Asgard
Jolting out of his nightmare, Lloyd's eyes flashed back and forth, but found he was alone except for the cold night air that made it's way into the room through the now open window. Frowning, Lloyd got up and threw off the covers to make his way over to the window in order to close it. As he stood in front of the windowpane, hands ready to pull it down and go back to bed, a dark sense entered his presence. One he recognized and shivered at the mere thought of. "Zaichar…it can't be!"
Rushing back to the chair, which held his still damp clothes, Lloyd threw on his shirt and pulled up his pants and ran out the door still attaching his belt straps and weapon sheathes. Outside people stood staring at the front gate where Colette stood weapons out, facing a figure before her. Kratos lay unmoving next to her, obviously hurt and unable to battle further. Rushing to join her side and having to push his way through the crowd that had accumulated a good some yards behind the duo, Lloyd unsheathed his weapons and slid to a halt as the conversation finally reached his ears.
"You still fight for the man who denied your feelings? The man who killed innocents with his own hands and continues to push you away at every turn? Is that what you humans call love?" Zaichar asked mockingly from the sky.
"Lloyd has always pulled through, no matter what hardships he's faced! No matter what, I know he'll pull through this! You wouldn't understand, because you've never seen the look he gets in his eyes…the passion he feels when one of his friends is in danger." Glaring at Zaichar defiantly, Colette shouted, "I'll never turn my back on Lloyd because he never gave up on me!"
Laughing, Zaichar shrugged. "So be it. Perhaps your death will be the final straw which brings him over to my side…" Zaichar opened his arms and behind him, Omega appeared and powered up his dark attack. "May the nights bring you merciless pain and suffering, dear Chosen. Farewell!" The attack was released and Colette – her mana already depleted from the previous battle – crossed her chakrams in front of her in a weak attempt to block the powerful magic.
Lloyd saw this and found his legs rooted to the spot. Gasping he looked up and saw Zaichar looking straight at him. He's doing this! He's preventing me from saving her because he wants me to see her die. No! I can't let that happen!
FLASH!
"You must provide the tree with love and adoration. As long as those conditions are met, I shall always protect this seedling." Martel promised.
Lloyd nodded and held a fist over his heart. "I promise, if the tree ever starts to wither, I'll make sure… we won't let it die!" He swore.
FLASH!
"There are people on this side who still need you! You can't give up on them! Your mission isn't finished!" Kratos exclaimed, shocked that his son had ceased attacking him.
Lloyd paused and saw the bubble grow to a kind of portal. "T-they're all still alive?"
Above Heimdall, Kratos frowned at the sentence. "Of course! And they're all very worried about you. You have to come back now!"
FLASH!
Sighing disappointedly, Lloyd slumped a little. "Just like that and they're all gone."
Colette placed a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "Don't worry. We'll all still be friends even if we're far apart from each other. Besides, I'll always be by your side Lloyd."
Lloyd smiled and nodded. "You're right. Thanks Colette."
FLASH!
Sniffling, Genis wiped away his tears before they could fall. "I wish I was more like you Lloyd. More stubborn and courageous when it came to defending the people I care about. You're not afraid of anything."
"What are you talking about? I'm afraid of a lot of things." Genis looked up in confusion. "I'm afraid Mithos will find a way back and split the world in two again. I'm afraid that another war will break out and the Great Viscus Tree will whither and die. I'm afraid my friends and family will end up suffering on my behalf. I'm afraid of all that, but I know I can't let that stop me when it comes down to fighting for what I believe in."
"But…"
"Genis, you fought against Marble - someone you cared about - in order to save her. You stood up to your fears when you came back to Iselia, even though there was a chance they'd throw you and me back out again. You, who thinks they have no courage whatsoever, took Mithos head on. An angel who came into power centuries ago and was strong enough to split the world in two - something neither of us even thought possible!"
"Yeah, but you were there with me Lloyd." Genis reminded him. "You gave me that courage."
Lloyd shook his head. "Me being there had nothing to do with it. Having fear has nothing to do with it. It's acknowledging it - knowing it's there - yet facing it and conquering it in order to protect the ones you love. Only when you let your fear consume you are you weak. When you fought to save your sister, against an enemy you were afraid of, you were courageous in every sense of the word. It's actions like that…that make the heroes of today. Heroes like Genis the Great!"
FLASH!
There's so much more we have to do to save this world. Lloyd thought sadly as Zaichar stared at him with those menacing chips of ice.
FLASH!
"How could you?" Kratos' child form asked accusingly.
Martel shook her head and Lloyd could see her eyes mist up. "Haven't you done enough?"
"You care nothing about anyone! You ruined so many lives!" Luccia blurted out angrily, finally raising her head to glare at him. "Didn't you say you loved her?"
"You hold regret from your past…it is a painful reminder of the choices you made that resulted in those you care for suffering on your behalf." Kratos said in a low voice. Even though it was that of a child's, it still carried the authority his adult form did.
"You grow and discover your faults, becoming stronger…only to throw all that away?" Martel wondered sadly.
Luccia sighed. "Strings have been cut that were meant to grow…lives have been lost that were meant to live. How do you plan to rectify your mistakes? The future depends on your answer…"
"I…" Lloyd was shocked at the comments. "I don't understand."
FLASH!
Now I do understand. They knew and tried to warn me. I…can't give up yet…
FLASH!
"Why not attack something that can fight back?" Kratos asked from twenty paces away.
Looking behind him, Lloyd saw his father standing there with his sword drawn, pointed towards the ground. "What good would it do? No amount of sword skill is going to help me defeat Zaichar. With the power of Omega, he can sense and block all of my moves."
"Perhaps I should tell you how I became the swordfighter that I am today. It wasn't from training with my master. Though he taught me the basics, much of what I learned was self taught, here in this very forest."
Curious, Lloyd placed a hand on the hilt of his sword. "Really?"
Nodding, the angel continued. "There are many sounds surrounding us even when there is silence. If you learn to listen, you can find and identify those sounds and therefore see without having to see."
FLASH!
Closing his eyes, Lloyd shut out all the other sounds around him. The gasping villagers behind him, Zaichar's maniacal laughter echoing through the night, even the sound of Omega's magic. It all silenced and only after this point of enlightenment, did the young boy hear a voice from deep within him. Lloyd! Move! Lift your legs and run to her! It was Origin!
"C-COLETTE!" Lloyd shouted, making the connection once more than had been severed by the darkness, and the spell on his legs instantly shattered – releasing the boy who bolted forward.
Already the attack was on top of the girl and she winced in preparation.
"NO!" Lloyd wrapped his arms in front of her and even before the girl could whisper his name on her frightened lips, Lloyd pulled her close and held his back to Omega's might. "I won't lose you! GUARDIAN!"
The shout rang out clearly and instead of a misty green shield, a bright white light appeared from within Lloyd and the protective form of Origin materialized between Omega and the two youths. His four arms were spread out, each wielding their swords as he erected a barrier of his own. This one was pure white and when Omega's dark magic hit it, there was a bright flash and the attack was instantly absorbed into the powerful shield.
Everyone gasped and watched as Origin stared down his opponent. "Omega, you have no power here now. Leave Lloyd alone! He is beyond your reach!"
Omega sneered, obviously upset that his attack failed to kill Colette and convert the half-angel boy to his master's side. "So you say, Origin. But no heart is made of gold. He has flaws, which leaves me gateways into his heart. It is only a matter of time."
Lloyd was shocked, but wouldn't dare release Colette.
"Not with me here it isn't. I will always protect him." Origin swore, now holding his swords in front of him offensively.
Zaichar growled and threw a fist across his chest in anger. "Then this will be an interesting match!" He exclaimed and faded within his black shield until his presence was completely gone.
Origin waited a moment, then relinquished his swords and turned around towards his master. "Lloyd, are you unharmed?"
Lloyd took this moment to pull away from Colette and take a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I think so. Colette?"
She nodded slowly, her eyes locked on Lloyd's intense gaze. Up until now she'd noticed it became foggier and hazier as time passed. Now they were clear and as gleaming as ever. But she still couldn't find her voice.
Barely releasing her now, Lloyd turned to his father where Origin was already administering first aid. "Will he be alright?" The angel's son asked. When the spell died down, Kratos moaned and slowly sat up, shaking his head. "Dad!" Rushing to his side, Lloyd knelt down. "Dad, I'm so sorry for the way I treated you."
Kratos gave a weak smile and sighed. "You were a handful, but I assume everything's fine now?"
Lloyd nodded confidently. "Yeah. Everything's good to go."
Nodding, Kratos got to his feet with his son's extended hand and brushed off his pants. "Good, then there's only one other problem we have to attend to." He knowingly turned to Origin.
The summon spirit nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid it has already begun."
Lloyd frowned. "What…what's begun?"
Kratos and Origin exchanged looks and turned back to Lloyd. It was unsure if the worst was really over, but this…they could handle. They would have to because otherwise Lloyd's summon spirits could bring about the Downfall unless they were stopped and soon.
Triet Desert
Holding his sister's limp head in his lap, Genis rocked back and forth – now having no more tears to shed for the sister that had done so much for him and even sacrificed her life to save the light within him that he himself thought he'd lost long ago. And unlike his dream, it had not been Genis who ended up pulling Raine free of the cold ice and darkness…but the other way around.
"Be aware of your emotions, Young Genis." A voice advised. Gasping, Genis turned and instantly saw a black robed figure with a distinctive red glow around him. "It was your feelings of sadness and insecurity that allowed the darkness to remain within your heart."
"That voice…you were the one back in Gauracchia Forest." Scoffing, Genis turned back down towards his sister. "Even you warned me and I wouldn't listen."
"But you understand now, don't you? Darkness and Light aren't always about good and evil. Any negative emotion can grow and darkness forms as a result. If you delve any deeper into your grief and guilt…the darkness within you will take control of you and more will die." The man explained.
"But Raine's dead! How can I not feel grief over that? She was my sister!" Genis retorted in anger.
The figure stood still and Genis instantly recognized what the man meant. "Focus on saving those you can, fight the real evil behind the tricks and schemes, otherwise your sister's death was all for not."
"No! I…I can't let that happen…" Genis sighed sadly. Looking back up, the half elf noticed the figure had disappeared and turned back to Raine. "Oh Raine…what am I going to do without you?"
Making his way away from the mourning half-elf, the cloaked figure leapt up the side of Fooji Mountains towards the mesa at one of its peaks. He had done a lot, but there was still a few more acts left in this play that needed his…delicate touch. Genis was strong and the man didn't doubt he would pull through his sister's death and come out stronger in the end. It was, after all, the mage's destiny to do great things.
As he finally made it to the mesa, he allowed the person he'd been sensing for a while catch up to him and slowly turned around to face them. Glaring at him with her fiery red eyes, Megami growled and flexed her claws in anticipation. "You have been the one fooling with my plans. You'll know now how wrong it was to mess with me!" Leaping forward and easily closing the distance between the two, Megami slashed horizontally at the man.
At the last moment, the man ducked down to the side and spun to appear behind the dark elf, barely unsheathing his sword now. It didn't look too impressive, revealing itself to be a thin single sided blade that had an uncharacteristic gleam to it. Megami acted quickly and slashed behind her with her other hand, but only sparks met her gaze as the man lifted his sword to deflect her attack. In the light of the sparks, she saw a smug and confident grin beneath that hood.
Moving with calculative steps backwards, the hooded swordsman held his weapon loosely at his side, once again showing he felt no real threat from the general before him. "Shall we call it a draw or are you going to keep sharpening my sword for me?"
Megami was filled with rage and her aura blazed around her form to reflect it, but something about this mysterious interloper made her realize fighting him directly was not the way to eliminating him. He'd proven himself to be cunning, so the only way to outsmart him was to out-con him. Perhaps my master could benefit from his strategic knowledge… She thought darkly. "I can see now that you are as skilled with the sword as you are in manipulation."
"I have manipulated nobody." He replied, placing his sword back in its sheath.
Swishing her new cape behind her, Megami paced back and forth, choosing her steps carefully and her words more so. "Persuasion then? Those individuals you saved from death and darkness would not have survived if not swayed by your…encouraging words."
The figure remained still, not revealing anything to the agitated elven female. "The truth is never a matter of conversation or influence, it doesn't matter if one believes it or not. It simply is."
"Then tell me, stranger, how was it you were tipped off by all of my schemes? How can you be everywhere at once?" She stopped her pacing and crossed her arms.
That same confident smile crossed his lips as he replied. "Something that does not exist cannot be anywhere, therefore it cannot be everywhere at all."
Stomping her foot, Megami once again growled but this time kept it low in her throat. "Enough of your riddles, infidel! You will tell me your reasons for interfering or you will find yourself with a much greater enemy than I." She warned. If I cannot convince him to reveal who he is or his powers, Lord Zaichar will surely be able to bring him over to our side.
"If you wish to know the mind of a man, listen to his words." The cloaked figure stated. "Now I must bid you farewell, Megami. I have other places to be." Taking a step back, the man disappeared below the level of the mesa.
"NO!" Rushing forward, Megami looked over the side and could've sworn she saw a black silhouette gliding down on the chilling evening air. "No…is he…an angel?"
Triet
The door to the inn opened the next morning and Presea rushed out of her room to see who it was. After having disappeared the entire night before, the axe-wielding girl feared for both of her half-elven friends. With tensions only growing with the presence of the two halflings, Presea feared the villagers or even the former Renegade soldiers would take it upon themselves to exile them.
When she looked over the railing and saw Genis carrying the body of Raine across both arms, a look of devastation on his face, she instantly understood what it meant. "No…"
Having no one in the village who would handle Raine's cremation, Presea accepted the responsibility of carrying the scholar back to the Renegade Base and contacting Lloyd from there. Genis merely agreed and followed in tow as his companion talked with the guards at the base and got them admitted.
Presea had Lloyd contacted from the communications center at the base, but felt it would be better to tell the group in person, so she simply requested his immediate presence. "I understand. We'll be right there." The youth replied, his voice coming across the link with a string of static – the mountains of Asgard proving to be an inhibitor against the radio signal. "We've got problems of our own that will need looking into as well. See you in a day's time." Presea nodded and the connection was broken.
Retreating back to their room, Presea entered to see Genis still sitting in the bed where she'd left him. She approached slowly, not wanting to startle her friend, and carefully sat down next to him. "Genis…" When he didn't respond, she looked away unsurely, then continued. "It was not your fault."
"You don't even know what happened." The pained boy retorted in a croaked voice.
"But I know you would never harm your sister. You would never go as far as to kill her. I…believe that with all of my heart." As she said this, her earlier conversation with Regal resurfaced and her eyes widened. "For some seeing is believing, but I did not have to be there to understand what happened. Nor do I feel the need to ask because I know you will tell me in time. For now I am content with my initial assumption and I will remain by your side, as your friend."
Misting up once more, Genis looked up and met Presea's jaded gaze. Finally submitting to his pain, he lowered his head…and cried into her lap. Before she even knew it, Presea wrapped her arms around her body and held him close. She wouldn't say any more, she didn't have to. What exchanged between the two was beyond words and only Genis' soft crying could be heard in the silence of the room.
Genis, I am here for you.