OOC: A sort of counter story to "A Country Boy's Heart." I always began this battle in the game by choosing the "They're Mine!" strategy command, having the other party members remain out of the fight while Stahn took care of everything. It helped enhance the emotion of the scene that followed afterwards, and this is also how I came up with this story. It's a short piece of work of what I thought would be Ilene's last thoughts after her heartwrenching leap from the top of Helraios. Hope you like it.>
Tales of Destiny
The Lilac Angel's Fall
"ILENE!"
His voice became more and more faint as she began her descent into the sky. Helraios was getting further and further away with each passing second.
But she could still see him...
His golden locks of hair that shone brighter and purer than any sort of gald, that boyish face that she always found solace in was still looking at her, she could feel it.
"Stahn..."
Ilene reached outward with her hand, meeting nothing but the cold rush of air that engulfed her. She could feel herself starting to black out. Death by aphysixiation, it seemed fitting for the traitor that was Ilene Rembrandt. The Fitzgald manager of the Oberon Corporation that sided with Hugo Gilchrist and his insane plans to bring back the days of the Aeth'er Wars. It was Hugo who entrusted the safekeeping of Helraios to Ilene, and it was Ilene who was defeated by her former friends, Stahn Aileron and his group of surface dwelling comrades. To take up arms against Stahn was worse than even death itself for Ilene. Never before had she met such a carefree, but stout man in all her life. He bore the eyes of a child, but at the same time the heart and soul of the greatest warriors of the land. She was taken from the day she met him. Swept away in his presence, Ilene found herself falling in love with Stahn.
But now, it was all for naught...
Ilene retracted her hand back to her chest and closed her eyes. She tried her hardest to stop thinking any more about what she had done, and what was going to happen. But time and time again she felt those same beautiful eyes looking at her. His eyes, the eyes of the man she loved.
"Stahn...it hurts...help me..." Ilene desperately called out.
Ilene could feel her lungs beginning to burn as they were continously denied oxygen. Ilene wished that she could just hurry up and die. She was sick of the world she lived in. It was this world, with all of its social insecurities, that denied her of being with Stahn. Hugo dissapproved, Leon just scoffed, and Baruk merely turned away, uncaring and completely oblivious of the plight she was going through.
Ilene loved the enemy that sought to dismantle Hugo's plans of creating the pure utopia for the world. But beneath her wavering servitude to Hugo, Ilene secretly dreaded and feared this day would come. She knew the second she vowed her continued loyalty to Hugo that Stahn would have no other option but to strike her down. Ilene was completely at the mercy of fate, and she was forced to resign her life due to her own inability to make a choice.
Ilene Rembrandt could not decide, so fate stepped in and made the decision for her, throwing her mind, heart, and soul into so much turmoil that she felt death was the only real escape.
But as she continued to fall back towards the surface, Ilene realized then and there that she had made her final mistake and what it was.
It wasn't the mistake of following Hugo.
It wasn't the mistake of siding with the Aetherians.
It wasn't the mistake of just giving up.
It was the mistake of betraying Stahn.
"...I...I...I'm sorry Stahn..." Ilene gasped, her breath forced and labored. "I never wanted any of this to happen...why...why couldn't you have just stayed with me...?"
But Ilene already knew the answer to that question. Stahn did care for her, she could tell that from the start, but never once would he forfeit all of the hopes and prayers that were riding on his shoulders for his own personal feelings.
In their final meeting inside Helraios, Ilene could see tears coming from Stahn's eyes as he pointed the Swordian Dymlos at her and attacked. He ordered the others to stand down while he took care of this battle. They reluctantly agreed, and Stahn went on the offensive, tearing into Ilene like a madman. Strike after merciless strike, Ilene was caught in a losing fight with no hope of ever defeating Stahn. When she felt the cold steel of the sentient blade open a wound in her skin, Stahn halted his offense and retreated, choosing not to finish the job of his own accord. Ilene called out to him, but he refused to listen, and began charging a tremendous magic attack. That was when the battle was decided. After a mighty Fire Storm, Ilene fell to the ground in pure and utter defeat.
Ilene could no longer speak, as she was completely out of air. Only through pure will and mind could she continue portraying her thoughts to a nonexistant audience...
If fate has me to die...then I have but one regret, and that is never telling Stahn how much he meant to me...
I would've given any and everything to be with him. My money, my power, my status, all of it. If just so I could lose myself in his arms and never return, that is what true bliss could have been for me...
But as I am erased from the pages of history, he'll remember me as a traitor...
To have such ill will directed at me from him is something I never wanted...
I'd much rather have burned in the seething pits of Hell than ever once see a look of hate in his eyes...
The hatred that I helped bring forth has been my undoing, and now it has come to this...
I won't ever see him again, even in death.
I can never watch over him, I am not worthy of being his guardian angel...
I am fated...to the purgatory of my own empty heart...
"Goodbye...Stahn...I will never forget you..."
A fallen Angel perished that fateful day...her hair of sweet lilac color...
'Fin