Betrayal and Loss

Guide of Stuff-

I don't want to work in the age and weapons of every character to the actual story, so I'm just putting it here.

Alex- Long Sword, Dual Daggers. Looks 23 (Age of Acension), is 290.

Kunos- Legendary Blade. 20.

Apok- Long Sword. 13.

Xeynen- Wrist-mounted retractable blades. 17.

'Emperor'- Staff. ?.

Serego- Bastard Sword. 18.

Myteri- Bow. 16.

Ielix- Gun, Long Sword. 16.

Dokke- (Yeah, I know he hasn't appeared in five chapters, but he'll be back.) Dual Blades. 115.

---

Alex and his group were sitting around a campfire.

"Where are we headed?" Ielix asked.

"If you paid more attention, you would know that we're headed to Mercury Lighthouse." Kunos responded coldly.

"Why?"

"A group of people matching the description of Apok's group was seen heading there. And Alex has a feeling that they're still there."

Xeynen walked over to Alex, and drew him over to the side.

"What's up Xeynen?" Alex asked, with a tone of indifference.

"Um… I… er… I think I like Myteri."

"You… do?" WHAM!

"What was that?"

"Most likely Ielix getting knocked into something."

"Why?"

"Most likely caused by Kunos after he tried to hit on either her or Myteri."

"That doesn't really help me in any way, knowing that he was attacked because he liked Myteri."

"It doesn't matter about you. He doesn't like HER, he just thinks she's attractive. That's why it's either her or Kunos." WHAM! "But he IS persistent."

"What about me?"

"Wait. Something may happen with Serego, so you may end out having a chance."

"Okay…"

---

Apok was infuriated. "Damnit Emperor, we've been searching the lighthouse for weeks! How do you know that Alex hasn't been to Anemos or found any of the other Incarnations since we got here?"

"If he did, I would know." Said the emperor, emerging from the shadows.

"We've wasted several weeks!"

"No we haven't."

Serego jumped down from a ledge above. "Yeah, I've joined you now. You've shown me the truth of your actions."

"Why don't we just- What was that?" Apok said, suddenly turning towards a doorway.

"After it!" The Emperor shouted. The three of them ran through the lighthouse, eventually getting to the Aerie. The Emperor started gasping for breath, complaining. "Damnit… why didn't I fix this place?"

"Why have you come here?" Quietly asked a Mercury Adept, emerging from behind the beacon. "What is it you seek in this lighthouse?"

"That would be… you." Said the Emperor, nodding towards his allies. They ran after him and grabbed him, but he didn't struggle.

"I'll go with you, if that's what you want."

"Not so fast!" Said a new voice, teleporting onto the Aerie.

"Wha- YOU!" The Emperor growled.

"Who are you? Why do you claim to be me?" Alex demanded, drawing his blade.

"Like I'd tell you."

"How will we determine who gets the Incarnation?"

"Battle of our allies?"

"But I outnumber you 5 to 3!"

"Hmm…" The Emperor chants mysteriously, and he summons a demon and a spirit. The spirit then possesses one of the statues on the Aerie, and it comes to life. "There. Now we are equal."

"Who will fight who? I want to go up against you." Alex says, adding a sneer on the last word.

"Serego!" Myteri yelled, running up the stairs.

"Myteri…" He said, looking away.

"What's wrong…?"

"I'm staying with the Emperor."

"What…?"

"He's shown me the true path. We are after the same path, but you walk it through peace. We take what we need and kill those who disobey."

"Serego… you are not the one I loved. You…"

"Myteri… I'm doing what I have to." Myteri walked away and stood behind Alex.

"I'll take Serego." Ielix said, pulling out his gun.

"I will fight Apok." Xeynen mumbled, walking over to him.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Apok said, preparing for battle.

"I guess I'll fight a construct…" Myteri mumbled half-heartedly.

"That leaves me for the other construct." Kunos coldly stated, drawing her blade.

"Alex. Neither one of us will fight." The Emperor said, part stating, part demanding.

"Why?" Alex asked, pacing around the Emperor.

"We'll only hurt each other. And besides, if one of use dies, who will lead our groups?"

"Why haven't we asked anything of the Incarnation since we got here?"

"I don't know. He was willing to go with us."

"Go ahead. I'll go along with your plan." The Incarnation said.

"Okay then. Begin your fights!" Alex yelled.

Apok immediately lunged at Xeynen with all his force, to which Xeynen blocked. Apok just kept pounding on Xeynen's guard with all his force, but it didn't seem to be doing anything.

"Apok, I know your real strategy. You keep attacking me, I eventually let my guard down, then you actually fight and you beat me. Well… too bad!" Xeynen yelled, knocking Apok back.

Ielix was fighting Serego. At least, if your definition of fighting is dodging while waiting for a chance to shoot.

"God damnit! Hold still for a second!" Serego shouted, slamming his blade to the ground with each strike.

"No. I mean, you just dumped Myteri! You don't deserve to be spared. Then again, you've opened her up to me. So… thanks!" Ielix said, firing a bullet directly into Serego's shoulder. "All you Mars Adepts fight the same way."

"Really?" Serego said, knocking out Ielix with the flat of his blade. "I didn't know most Mars Adepts knew how to make a mirage."

Myteri was barely trying to fight. She was up against the possessed statue, and she was making a lot of mistakes. The fact that she was using arrows against stone didn't help much. After a few minutes she was knocked down, severely wounded.

"Stop the construct!" Alex yelled. "You can't kill her!"

"I can't stop it!" The emperor yelled.

Xeynen and Apok were still fighting, but when he saw Myteri bloody, on the ground, his blade flowed with energy. He released a large amount of it, at Apok was sent flying to the ledge. Xeynen immediately ran over to the statue and blocked its final blow on Myteri, and plunged his second blade into the chest of the statue. The statue began to glow, it exploded, and gravel showered everywhere.

While this was happening, Myteri was barely conscious, but she saw the blurred image of Xeynen protecting her.

Kunos took out the demon quickly, but right after she was done, Serego appeared behind her and knocked her out.

"So it looks like you and me, Xeynen." Serego taunted.

"You are a traitor. You have no idea what you threw away."

"Myteri? I did not throw her away. She didn't agree with my new purpose, and turned away from me."

"You drove her away!" Xeynen yelled, lunging at Serego.

"Hmph. It was her choice." He blocked Xeynen's blow.

"Look at her now! Look at what your master did to her!" Xeynen spiraled around and tried to uppercut Serego with his blade.

"That was not his fault. But come on, can't you hit me?" Serego jumped back to the edge of the aerie.

"Oh come on. You're trying Ielix's trick? Getting me to lunge off the edge? Damnit you'r-" Xeynen fell over, knocked out by the flat end of Serego's blade.

"I win. Good work, Serego. You knocked out three of them."

"Xeynen was tricked easily, and I had just shown Ielix my trick. Kunos just didn't see that coming. So… what's your name?" The last bit being aimed at the new Incarnation.

"My name? Hmm… I haven't used it in a while… it was Meric."

"Well Meric, come with us."

---

Alex and his group were around a campfire again. Kunos, Alex, and Xeynen were just sitting, Ielix was leaning against a tree, and Myteri was sobbing into her arm.

"We lost. I can't believe we lost." Kunos mumbled dejectedly.

"One incarnation. But… should we go into Anemos, or keep searching for the other Mercury Incarnation?" Alex asked.

"I don't know."

Xeynen once again pulled Alex off to the side. "Well… I have a chance… what should I do?"

Alex stammered, unsure what to say. "Uh… comfort her, I guess. Why are you asking me? I've never really dealt with love like this. Last time I was in love, I ruled everything."

"You're right. I guess I'll go talk to her." Xeynen went and sat next to Myteri. "Don't feel so bad. It's not your fault, and it's not like you could have done anything."

"Y-y-you don't kn-know what it-it's like. To lose…"

"I know better than you think. I saw my best friend wipe out my home without a second thought. I was powerless. And now, knowing what he is, what I am, I can't kill him."

"But… but… what should I do? I've been in love with him since I met him. I can't just forget him…"

"Do not concentrate on what was. Only what is."

"Th-thank you for talking with me. This is the most I've heard you say at once since I met you."

"The mass destruction of your hometown will do that to you."

"I guess… I should let him go. Let him walk his path, and me my own."

"But you won't have to walk that road alone."

"Xeynen… are you trying to say…?" Xeynen quickly got up and walked off. "Xeynen…" Myteri said that with the barest hint of a smile.

Damn! Ielix thought. Why didn't I think of that sooner? Now she's Xeynen's…

"Everyone! We have our plans! We will go to Anemos!" Alex shouted.

"And so my use will be gone." Ielix sighed.

"You'll be infused with ultimate Jupiter energy! You'll be more useful than ever!"

"Which means he'll actually have a use?" Kunos asked.

"Laugh it up. In a few days I'll be more powerful."

"No, not really. I'm all four elements, so I'll absorb it too."

"God Damnit! Nothing ever works out for me…"

---

A/N: I had the heroes lose. So what? I needed to balance the forces. Now they're equal, except for Kunos. And I felt tempted to say Serego had Stockholm Syndrome, but there were two things wrong with that. First of all, this is Weyard. There is no Stockholm. Second of all, he actually JOINED them. Nothing could get him to leave at this point.

Flora Jupiter Vixen- Oddly enough, this was how I planned it BEFORE your review. Xeynen IS Felix's Incarnation, and Ielix is a loser. But a persistent one!

And if this chapter seems… worse than others, then it's because I wrote it at midnight. Must sleep now.