Curriculum 09: Confrontation

Unbeknownst to the saddened Rusai, Gareas had taken the time to swiftly follow him just as he decided to leave. Though, Gareas was competitive, he could always sense when something was wrong. That look he had been given from the guy had been on his mind ever since Arie had laid on his lap and fell asleep. Before he had left the hanger he had placed Arie over her backside and found the source of the glistening light which started it all.

Now, Gareas wait outside in the hallway near the room in which Rusai had disappeared and waited for someone to make a move. He hadn't wanted to leave Arie alone, but at the same time wanted to figure out the story behind this new candidate. Leaning on a wall next to Arie he stretched out for a while then opened his hand and gazed at the pendant.

"Hmph, wonder whose this is..." he said to himself as it sparkled in his eyes. "It might be hers, but then why-..." Gareas tried to figure out the answers to all of his questions but ended up getting a headache in the process. "Damn... I hate this sort of thing..." he sighed to himself as he clutched the pendant tightly and stared up at the ceiling, as the time ticked by.

Rusai had stopped crying, for he had no more tears to shed. He was just busy trying to control his feelings, but the more he thought about it, the more things seemed to get out of hand. Knowing that whenever he gets too stressed, his EX always activates. Not wanting to cause such a scenario, Rusai tried to get his mind off Arie, but this just made things worse, for now he couldn't think about anything without his mind wandering back to Arie which showed him just how much he had become attached to Arie in that small amount of time.

He tried and tried, but his efforts were in vain for he still thought about Arie and each time he did it became harder and harder to think about something else yet again. The way that other candidate was treating her...he knew he could never be that kind of person for Arie. It was as if he was broken, and that the fragment of his heart couldn't be put back together again. 'It's hopeless, I'm a wreck...' Rusai thought while curling up into a ball on the floor. He had never felt this bad before, only when his mother used to torture him, but that was so long ago. Suddenly, a sharp pain gripped his back. 'Oh no, it's happening again!' Rusai thought. Trying desperately to make the reaction stop, Rusai accidentally stumbled into the hall during his transformation...

"Huh, what the-..!" gasped Gareas as he saw the door suddenly open and out fell what appeared to be the candidate he had run into, only he was different... 'Whoa, this feeling... There's something strange about this guy...' he thought as he moved a little closer to him.

"Hey, man... Are you, alright?" he asked quite oblivious as to what was occurring. Arie lay behind Gareas hunched against the wall. All the while she slept as this chain of events was occurring around her. The question is, would she be able to notice in time?

Rusai was trying as hard as he could to make it stop, but he took notice that it was too late as his hands began to painfully morph into claws.

"Please! Get out of here! Hurry, before it's too late!" he pleaded desperately, knowing full well of what his EX could do to someone. Sure, he didn't like the guy that much, but it wasn't worth seeing him ripped to pieces on his own behalf. With the pain of his transformation overtaking him, Rusai could barely stand up as his wings extended to their full length. He had no clue, though, that Arie was sleeping in the hallway this whole time. With his EX reaction completed, he then turned to face Garaes; his eyes taking on the same yellow hue as before. With his rage taking over, Rusai made a lunge for Garaes, with only one thought in his one track mind: exterminate...

'EX!' Gareas thought as he was thrown to the floor trying to block his new foe's assault. 'Dammit, how am I suppose to run when I'm subdued like this!' Gareas thought as he looked in terror at the new form of the candidate. Without thinking about the well being of himself he turned to look at Arie who was now close by his face.

"Arie!" he yelled frantically trying to reach her. "Run away Arie! Get out of her now, please!" he called to her. He did not notice but the pendant was still somehow clutched firmly in his hand. It began to glow radiantly, but still not bright enough for the two to notice. "Arie!" he yelled once more to her, tears now streaming down his face. 'No! I won't let my power take hold... It's enough to see this guy out of control, I can't let myself be taken as well...' he thought as he freely accepted his fate. Yet, he would not allow the fate of Arie be sealed this way as well. As he gripped onto the pendant firmly, the light beginning to shine brighter...

Rusai was outraged, his mind had been reduced to that of a primitive beast. He took a swipe at Garaes with his claw in an attempt to keep him away from Arie. He had noticed the slight glow coming from Garaes' hand and immediately knew what was happening. He growled at Garaes and glared at him before dragging him closer to the sharp claws that were just waiting to tear him to pieces. He was trying to pry the pendant away from Garaes' hand before it was too late. But with the light shining brighter every second, it was only a matter of time before the unthinkable happened...

Arie awoke to the horrible seen of her two saviors locked in fierce combat. Tears rolled down her face as she saw what had become of Rusai, and his true EX.

"Stop..." she whispered softly to them both as her body shifted towards them. "Stop it, please..." she said once more, louder yet still soft. The light from the pendant fused with Gareas as he was engulfed in the light and gained his wings, as a new light to his powers.

"You heard her..." he said quite confidently. "Stop!" Gareas then pinned Rusai to the wall and spread his wings for the first time.

"Argh!" Rusai gasped as he was roughly pinned to the wall. He struggled for a while against the other candidate's firm grip, but was a bit hesitant after hearing Arie's soft voice being spoken out with such sadness and despair. He could not bear to see Arie like this, sorrowed by what he had become. He gave a loud and long howl before dropping to the floor. He was clutching his head with his eyes squeezed shut for everything was throbbing in constant pain as he was trying to fight the beast within himself. Finally, after a moment of moans and groans, Rusai opened his eyes to find that they had returned to their natural hues of cobalt and emerald. Although, knowing that Arie now knew of his true EX made him more miserable than ever. He tried to hold back, but tears of shame rolled down his face. He was not even bothering to hide it anymore, it just hurt too much...

After Gareas' struggle with holding Rusai back his wings parted as he sank to the floor.

"Damn..." he said sorely as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Arie crawled over to them as she attempted to help them both. Though Gareas reluctantly shook his head to her offer as he knew who needed it more.

"Rusai..." she said softly in happiness as she moved over to his side. "Please don't be ashamed, I'm here now..." she spoke, trying to comfort him in the only way she knew. With his love for her. Though, she could not say she loved him back in the same way... She slowly moved her hands toward him as she tried to see his face. The face that she knew to be the true Rusai.

Rusai was still keeping his head down, but when Arie moved next to him and slightly touched him with her gentle hands he slowly looked up to face Arie at eye level.

"Arie, whatever you want to do, it's your choice, not mine. The only thing I want to see is your happiness. As long as your happy, then I guess, I'm happy too..." Rusai stated, his voice no more than a whisper. He then looked up at Garaes. "I'm really sorry about what I did...I guess you probably think I'm some kind of monster now, don't you?" Rusai questioned, with guilt still lining his eyes.

Gareas looked at Rusai sternly, then gave a bit of a chuckle as he burst into laughter.

"Man, are you kidding me? That was the most fun I've had ever since I've been on this dumpy transporter! I've got no hard feelings towards anyone who can back up a good fight!" He gave a wide grin towards Rusai as he folded his arms behind his head and leaned against the wall in satisfaction.

Arie could not help but laugh as she saw Gareas's smile. She let her laughter take over her current feelings. No longer would she let them cloud her happiness.

"Rusai, please. Stop your worrying of everyone else around you and learn to worry about yourself. It's okay to cry when you want to cry and be angry when you're mad." she said as she stood up beside him. "But you always have to remember that after the tears and the anger, it's okay to laugh." she finished, smiling.

"Yeah, and it's okay to care for other's too. You just have to remember that as much as you worry about them, they worry about you too." Gareas added as he joined Arie's side and wrapped his arm over her shoulder. He held out his hand towards Rusai. "So, what do you say?"

Rusai gazed at the hand offered to him and took it with a warm smile on his face, something he hadn't done in years...

"Thanks, both of you. This really means a lot to me!" Rusai said, cheerier than ever. "Now how about we get out of here, this place is starting to get on my nerves for some reason..." He got up off the floor, although he failed to notice that his EX hadn't worn off yet...

Arie broke away from the two now raving mad-happy friends. It was a different sight but a good one. 'So, another angel has shown you the light... I'm glad, Rusai...' she thought as she gaze at them from afar. Things were only beginning though, for soon they would all be rivals in the race to become pilot. Who knew, they might all be separated in the end, never to see another again. It was a chance it seemed that they were all willing to take. As Rusai had overcome his EX and his emotions, and had made good friends in the process.