After convincing a dubious salesman they were all family, the group purchased phones and decided to visit an anime store, wondering what in the world anime was. "This is awesome!" said Lloyd. "It gives me indescribable feelings," said Presea, feeling a bizarre shiver run down her back as she stared at a box for an anime DVD set. A woman angel was hugging a human woman, and their eyes were closed. Everything looked slightly white and blurred. It was sort of like the warm fuzzies, only it was a hell of a lot stranger and more confusing.
Raine stared fixatedly at a television. She was amazed devices like these could be so readily available. Then she turned her attention to the video on the screen. "Oh my!" she said, placing a hand over her mouth in surprise as a quite graphic scene was portrayed. A deep chuckle came from behind her. She turned to find the Arbiter watching the same show with amusement. "I don't know how you can find that funny!" she said. "Do you not see the humor in it?" he replied. "They're having sex, for crying out loud!" she exclaimed. "Yes," said the Arbiter, "but that fact is exactly why it is funny." Raine was puzzled. "This is way too graphic for children to be watching," she said.
"Hey lady," said a voice to her left. She turned to see a heavy white man with a goatee and dark, long curly hair looking at her. "Dude, I know you've got a point," he said, "but so does Deep Voice over here. Don't knock it until you understand it. Hey, you know, I've got an idea." He reached underneath the counter, and searched for a moment until he found what he wanted. "You read English, right?" he said. She nodded. "Well, take this book," he said, coming over and handing her a thick paperback book. On the front were the large words "Anime Explosion!". "This book explains everything about anime," he said, "from the basic themes to the minor details. No charge for it, as long as you promise me you'll read it. Maybe then you'll appreciate my chosen form of entertainment. We cool?" Raine looked curiously at the book. She did want to learn more about this country, and it sounded interesting...
"It's a deal," she said. The man smiled. "Cool," he said. "Come back sometime, and ask for Hurley, and maybe we can talk, and I might be able to get you some discounts or maybe even some free stuff." A bell rang, and Hurley looked at his register. A Japanese man stood there with a stack of graphic novels. "Uh-oh, customers. Gotta go!" With that Hurley rushed off to tend to the young man who was waiting. Raine looked the book over. There was probably no better way to learn about a country, she thought, than through its popular culture. Happy with this turn of events, she opened the book and began to read.
After a long day of shopping, the tired group somehow wound up at a Dave and Buster's. It was now half past ten, and most of them were now seated at the quiet, dimly lit bar area. Only Lloyd and Zelos were up, shooting a game of pool. Regal watched absently as Lloyd systematically destroyed his elder compatriot at Zelos' chosen game. Regal laughed softly to himself at Zelos' frustration. Regal finished the last bite of his hamburger and washed it down with a bit of his amber-gold lager.
He sighed and looked down the bar. Raine sat next to him, leisurely reading the book she had been given. Colette sat slumped in her chair, asleep. Genis and Presea were sitting still, holding hands and looking straight ahead with weary, half-shut eyes. Sheena was resting her head and arms on the bar, staring at the labels on the beer bottles. Kratos, Yuan, and Botta were discussing something at the end of the bar. Even they looked ready to drop off, and Regal didn't think he had ever seen Kratos look tired. But now his eyes were red, and he looked as though he longed for a soft bed at the end of his road.
Regal wondered again what the Arbiter was up to. He had left a few hours earlier, saying he felt uncomfortable in the shop they were in, and would rather just wait at home. Well, it was his own business, and it was not Regal's to pry.
He sighed again and went over to the pool tables. Lloyd had just finished off Zelos when their tall friend came over. "I think it's time we went home," he whispered. "Everyone is tired from today, and I think we could all use a good night's sleep." Lloyd and Zelos nodded. "Let's go then," Lloyd said. The three men returned to the table. Regal left a good-sized tip to their friendly and patient bartender, who gratefully accepted the money. "Thank you, and have a good night," she said with a small bow. All those seated rose, except for Colette. Zelos picked her up and gently laid her against his shoulder. They all walked out of the restaurant and into the cold. Shivering, they stuck their hands into their pockets. Zelos drew up Colette's hood over her head.
Regal caught them a taxi van, and they piled in and went home. Raine paid the driver as her friends stumbled up the snowy walk to their house. Kratos unlocked and opened the door to their house. They stepped in, sighing as the warm air soothed their icy cheeks. Raine turned on a light to find the Arbiter sitting in a chair, consulting a thin palm computer. There was baggage at his feet. He looked up at them, and put down the computer. Rising, he sighed. "Everyone," he said, "I am sorry, but I am afraid I must leave. I can't tell you where I am going, or what I will be doing. All you must know is that it will help me achieve my goals. I thank you deeply for your understanding and hospitality. Rest assured I will visit regularly, at least once every two weeks. I promise."
He picked up his bags and headed for the door. He stopped short of the door when he felt a tug at his hand. The Arbiter turned to see Presea holding his hand. "Goodbye," she whispered through tears. His eyes softened, and he dropped his luggage and bent down to give her a hug. "My dear Presea," he whispered back, "I am going to miss you most of all. You have helped me in such profound ways...I-I will never lose sight of what you have taught me. I look forward to my visits." He released her, and he wiped a tear from her eyes. "I have something for you," he said. He reached into a pocket of one of his suitcases and produced two items. One was a short, thin metal cylinder, and the other was a pale violet gem set in a beautifully wrought, silvery metal, attached to a chain of the same metal.
Giving her the tube he said, "This is an energy sword. Press the switch, give it a shake, and it will alight. Use it, use violence, when no other solution is possible. And this," he said, slipping the pendant over her head, "is the Arbiter's Stone. I can't tell you how to use it; you have to figure it out for yourself, or it will do no good. All I can tell you is this, the words passed down from ancient times regarding this relic: In darkness it blazes forth, in uncertainty it becomes resolute, in confusion it makes clear. It is said that you have become truly wise when you need not use it. On my world, no one is allowed to do anything of profound importance for the Prophets until they no longer need their stone. I hope it helps you on your journey through life."
With that the Arbiter stood, picked up his things, and went out the door. "I left some things for the rest of you in the kitchen," he said as he walked away. "I hope they are sufficient to repay the kindness you have shown me." Then the Arbiter disappeared, and Raine shut the door. Presea wandered over to the sofa where the Arbiter had been sitting and sat down. The shock of the Arbiter leaving made her less emotional than she would have thought. Tears trickled down her face, but she did not burst out crying as she had expected. Instead, she felt an empty spot in her heart, and a lump in her throat.
No one said anything for a long while. Then everyone but Genis and Presea left for their own rooms. Genis sat next to Presea, unsure of what to say. She was as speechless as Genis and the others were. She suddenly became aware of a dark spot on the floor. She touched it, and a purplish blue substance came away. She stared at her finger. "What is that?" asked Genis. Presea shrugged. She smelled it; it had only a faint, yet somehow familiar, odor. She hesitantly tasted it, and immediately recognized it. It was the metallic taste of blood. "The Arbiter was bleeding," she said. Genis had nothing to say. He sat, wondering what to do.
Fortunately, Presea provided the answer. "Hold me, Genis," she said, throwing herself onto him. He lowered his arms around her and rubbed her back while she cried into his jacket. He sighed, and began to cry himself.
Upstairs, Zelos laid Colette down gently into bed, and tiredly threw off his coat. He sat down in a chair to sleep, not wanting to disturb his beloved. "Zelos?" came a quiet voice from the bed. He stood up and walked over. She looked up at him sleepily. "What is it?" he asked. "Please sleep in the bed with me," she said. "I don't want to be alone tonight." Zelos smiled and climbed in after kicking off his shoes. Colette laid her arms around him, and he placed one arm over her shoulder. "Thank you," she said, and closed her eyes. Zelos yawned, and as he closed his eyes and began to drift off into a peaceful sleep, he thought that it was nice that lovers could sleep in the same bed without having to sleep together. His checkered past behind him, he smiled and went to sleep with his one true love.
Lloyd woke suddenly. For a moment he could not figure out what had caused his waking. He looked and saw Sheena was not in the bed with him. Disturbed, he got up quickly and threw on a robe. Lloyd raced out into the hallway, checking both ways before heading to the stairs. As he bounded down them, he saw everyone in the living room, and heard muffled sobs.
He came up behind Sheena and tapped her on the shoulder. "What's going on?" he whispered. Sheena shrugged and pointed to the couch. Genis sat there cradling a very upset Presea. She clutched him tightly and wailed into his shoulder. Genis looked compassionate, yet puzzled. "We're trying to figure that out now," Sheena whispered.
"What's wrong?" asked Genis of his beloved. "What's wrong?" Presea looked up, and coughed. "I-I'm not sure," she managed to say. "It was so real I, I, I was terrified, and it was so awful!" The memory of whatever it was seemed to make her sick, and she paled. She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to vomit in terror, or horror, or whatever it was that caused her to feel so nauseated. "What was awful?" asked Genis, stroking her hair reassuringly. Presea coughed again, and regained her composure a bit.
"Th-there was this place," she said, a faraway look in her eyes, "and it was so beautiful. There were silver trees, with golden leaves, and when they drifted slowly down in the red light of evening, it looked wonderful. And then, and then something came. I can't even describe it. It was like red and black at the same time, just a shadow, like it was Evil itself. It tore down the trees, and the day turned into black night lit by fire. It made scary monsters like men with wings and red eyes, and when they smiled they looked like, oh goddess,"(here she shuddered and tears flowed from her shut eyes). "Oh, they were hideous. And they would do horrible things. They would find pretty creatures and torture them. Then they would butcher them, piece by piece and eat them alive and all sorts of horrible stuff. And there was blood everywhere, an ocean of it, and it smelled like all the bad smells in the world combined, like death and decay. Then the evil men took me, and I was in a circle of them, and they all smiled that horrible smile. They, they laughed at me while they tortured me. And then..." She paused a moment, her eyes still closed, tears still dripping. Everyone was entranced by her story, and none dared to turn away.
She opened her eyes, and she stared straight forward, eyes blank, expressionless. Everyone leaned in closer. "And then I was with him," she whispered finally. "Who?" asked Genis. Presea did not move or speak for a long time. Then her head turned to Genis, her eyes still blank, staring. "I-I don't know," she said in a scared voice. "But he was pure evil. I was all alone in pitch blackness, naked and nearly dead from so many bad wounds. And then I was aware of someone there. He was huge, unbelievably huge. It was as if he was the universe, so immense you can't even begin to fathom how big he was. Then there were two eyes, solid red, glaring at me from the darkness. Then a person stepped forward and I could see him."
Her eyes stared straight at Genis, but she was not looking at him. She looked through him, her eyes lost in space, her mouth open slightly. "Who was he?" whispered Genis. Presea seemed to notice Genis for the first time. "It was the Arbiter," she whispered. "What does it mean?"
No one had an answer for her.
They stood in silence, slightly disturbed by what they had heard. Abruptly, Presea headed upstairs and locked herself in her room. The others quietly dispersed, and quickly shook off the feelings of dread. They ate together in the kitchen. Genis wondered about Presea, and decided to give it time. She would tell them more if it was necessary.
Up in her room, Presea sat quietly on her bed, fingering the pendant around her throat. She knew not which way to go, and she figured now would be the time to use her gift. Only she did not know how. She sighed and closed her eyes. "What does my dream mean?" she whispered to the rock. She pressed it against her head, hoping something would come through. Nothing.
Presea sighed and lowered it. She felt it some more, and noticed something on the back. She turned it over to see a hole in the metal that allowed light to pass through the jewel. Maybe...
Taking a small flashlight, she turned off the lights in her room and pointed the flashlight at the back of the jewel. She clicked it on. The beam of light refracted inside the crystal and came out to the left. She looked at where it went. The beam of light shone on an open dictionary Genis had left on the dresser in their room. It illuminated the word "arbiter" on the page. She lowered the flashlight, puzzled. "What about the Arbiter?" she asked, and raised the flashlight again.
This time it bent to the left again and highlighted the sample phrase for the word 'ask'. It said, "Why don't you ask him a question?" Presea laughed, amazed at the little rock. She, of course, would ask the Arbiter.
A tense two and a half weeks passed before the Arbiter returned. Nothing of any interest occurred, save Raine becoming an anime addict. Presea often would sit and look at the stone, or hold the sword, but for some reason she never turned it on.
The first thing the Arbiter said when he walked in the door was, "Where's Presea?" It was an expected question at an unexpected time, for he walked in while Zelos was in the middle of his 'class'. "Hey, Arbiter!" said Zelos, waving cheerfully and smiling at his buddy. "I've got Presea for ten more minutes until my class is done. Then you can have her. Maybe she can help you on what you missed."
The Arbiter made a gesture, equivalent to a human rolling his eyes. It was a fascinating subject, no doubt, but he had more important things to worry about, and he was dying to talk to his friend. He greeted the others warmly, talked for a while, until Presea came up and hugged his leg. "Arbiter!" she cried happily. He picked her up with a laugh and squeezed her tightly. Then he set her down. Suddenly Presea's eyes became serious. "Did you send it?" she asked. "Did you get it?" replied the Arbiter. The others were confused. "Let's talk somewhere else," suggested Presea.
They went into Presea's and Genis' room and locked the door. "So it was you," said Presea. The Arbiter nodded. "What did you see?" he asked, obviously curious. She described her dream to him. He stroked his neck, which was similar to a human rubbing of the chin. "Why did you send me that?" asked Presea, feeling a little hurt. The Arbiter was staring out the window, and he shifted his eyes to her without moving his head. "I had no idea how it would turn out, you must realize," he said. "What?" asked Presea, confused. The Arbiter sighed. "I got to feeling quite pained after I left, for I could not stop thinking about my people," he said. "So what I did was, using the connection we established earlier, sent a transmission of my feelings. Since it was so long-distance, as I was quite far away, the only way I could do it was to channel it into a dream, because they are easiest to transmit. The first time we connected, when I showed you those memories, I used a similar method, because I wanted to make sure I could get through clearly. Once you had your first experience, I felt confident giving you higher forms of communication transfers."
Presea nodded slowly, absorbing what he had said. "So why did it come out like that?" she asked. The Arbiter shrugged, a habit he apparently picked up on Earth. "When I converted my feelings into direct dream," he explained, "I had no way of knowing what would cause you to feel the way I was. So I couldn't really conjure up a dream, and instead let your brain do it for you." "Ah," said Presea. She understood now. The Arbiter sighed and stood up. "I have an, uh, experience to give you, if you're interested," he said. Presea didn't like the uncertainty in his voice. She trusted him and wanted to help, but..."What is it?" she asked cautiously. The Arbiter drew a deep breath and let it out. "Physical pain," he said. "I would share with you the physical pain I've gone through so that you may know what I've had to deal with. It will definitely strengthen you and reduce pain inflicted on you in the future, since your brain is actually taking it, but granted it will be quite...intense." Sucking in a breath between her teeth, she nodded.
"I have been hurt in many places," he said. "This requires another full body contact, so, if you will..." They once again removed their clothes, and latched on to one another. Then they stood in the center of the room again, and they closed their eyes. The Arbiter placed one hand on her forehead. "Please forgive me," he whispered. "It will hurt."
With that he stopped talking and concentrated. Presea's heart thumped, awaiting the pain. Suddenly her body was devoid of feeling, and then it began. At first it was a few pricks on her fingers, but then she felt cuts and bruises on her arms and body, and she grunted. So far, so good.
But soon it escalated. Her knuckles began to ache sorely. She felt ribs snap and fists pummel her. Fiery burns slammed into her like rockets, scorching her chest. She let out a long wail as a deep gash split her scalp. She cried out as stab after stab punctured her abdomen. She was beaten to a bloody mess, her whole body began to bake and burn, and sweat broke out over her whole body. She howled in pain as her arms and legs broke time and time again and a knife began to slit her throat, reaching the halfway point before it stopped. Something hot gouged her chest with markings. Gradually it toned down and became less intense. Finally it was down to bruises and small cuts, and then there was no more.
The Arbiter released her, and she fell to the ground. There she laid, panting and drenched with sweat. Her entire body felt like it had been run through a meat grinder. Nothing didn't hurt or ache. The Arbiter bent down next to her face and grimaced. "I'm afraid you're just going to have to give it time," said the Arbiter mournfully. "It should be completely gone in three days. I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. It's my fault you're in so much pain. I shouldn't have." Presea coughed and forced a smile. "No," she whispered, "you did nothing wrong." Her comfort helped ease his spirit some, but he still felt troubled by what he had done.
He gently picked her up and laid her down in her bed. Presea drew a sharp breath as his arms caused bars of fire on her back. He covered her with a blanket and got dressed again. The Arbiter drew a syringe out of a compartment in his belt, extracted medicine from a vial, and held it up to the light. "I can't do anything about the pain," said the Arbiter, "but this should help you get some rest." He took her arm and jabbed the needle into her arm, depressing the plunger fully. Presea immediately went to sleep. The Arbiter left, and shut the door behind him as he went. He was glad he had used that soundproofing device. Presea had quite a set of lungs in her.
As he passed Genis on his way out, he laid a hand on the young boy's shoulder. "You will need to tend to your loved one for a few days," he said. "It was her decision, but I still feel responsible. Please forgive me." Genis was confused. "What do you mean?" he asked. The Arbiter turned towards the front door. "She will tell you if she wishes," he said. Then he walked out the door, and it was a long time until they saw him again.
Presea woke the next day. It was dark and Genis sat slumped over in a chair, asleep. Presea lifted her head and winced. The sharpness of all her pain had been dulled, and now it simply ached everywhere. She laid herself back gently and sighed. She had gotten the best sleep of her life, but couldn't do anything now that she was up. She noticed that the Arbiter's stone lay on the nightstand next to her bed. She picked it up and gazed into it. It seemed to shine unnaturally bright. It almost seemed like it was talking to her by the way it glinted. Presea could even tell what it was asking. It wanted to know what she wanted it to do. No one was around, so...
"Send the Arbiter a message," she whispered to it. It glinted again, and paused, apparently waiting to record. Into the rock she poured her feelings of love and gratitude for the Arbiter. She let him know that she was grateful for sharing his feelings and for their relationship. With her feelings she sent the words, "Be strong. We are all behind you fully, and we won't let you fall."
She finished and looked at the stone in her hand. It was still frozen in the phase it was in when she began. Suddenly it seemed to realize she was done, and refracted a "Message Sent" to her. Satisfied, she laid it down and stared at the ceiling. She was still so awake, and felt no exhaustion whatsoever. It was irritating that her pain was keeping her in bed. Ironically, she thought, it was the pain that caused her to have such great sleep in the first place.
She wrinkled her brow in thought. There was something tickling the back of her mind. Something that had drifted across her mind as her consciousness faded. It was small and distant, yet it seemed somehow...important. It almost felt like it wasn't from herself.
It was probably nothing. She shrugged it off, displacing it to the back of her mind so she could focus on what to do about her current dilemma.
She sighed. Pain or no pain, she was getting up. She had just managed to pull herself out of bed and take two careful steps forward when Genis woke up. He smacked his lips and looked at the bed, and when he found that Presea wasn't in it, he turned his head to see her standing there, stark naked. "Uhhhhmmmmm," he said uncertainly. Presea couldn't help but crack a grin at his red face. Unfortunately, her amusement caused her to fall over. "Dammit!" she said loudly, clutching her left arm in pain. "You uh, shouldn't get out of bed if you hurt so much," Genis said, momentarily free of her spell. Then she was up again, and again he turned into a drooling idiot. Presea sighed and hobbled over to her wardrobe. "No need to get dressed so soon," mumbled Genis. Presea rolled her eyes. Men! she thought.
By the time she made it down the stairs, Presea's whole body was on fire again and she had a headache. She looked up blearily over a cup of coffee at the others, who stared at her. "What," she said miserably. "Oh, nothing," said Sheena, turning away. "Yeah, whatever," muttered Presea, sipping her java.
"So, did all my students do their homework?" asked Zelos, a little too happily. "Yes," groaned Genis. "Yep," said Colette. "You bet we did!" said Sheena and Lloyd at the same time. "Blah," said Presea. Zelos slowly moved his head and looked at Lloyd and Sheena. He stuck a finger at them and wagged it. "From now on, you do your homework on your own, you hear me?" he said. "Especially in my class! Not only will you get bad grades, you'll get whatever each other has got, savvy? Not that I'm implying you've got anything." Lloyd opened his mouth to speak. "I don't care if you needed visual aids!" exclaimed Zelos. "That's why I gave you those handouts!" Sheena opened her mouth to speak. "No!" said Zelos. "The hands-on approach doesn't apply to my field of study! No more!"
Lloyd and Sheena stood up in a huff. "Fine then!" said Lloyd. "We've got an announcement to make! Me and Sheena are-" "Going to get married!" finished Sheena. "Really?" said Raine. "Because Regal and I are too!" "So were we!" said Zelos and Colette. A fork fell out of Genis' mouth. Presea managed to lift her head past her cup. No one said anything for a long moment. "When?" asked Kratos. "New Year's," they said unanimously. "Great!" said Yuan. "A triple marriage!" "Hmm," said Botta, wondering where they were hiding the LSD.
"Well, this is certainly interesting," said Ryoko when they called her with the news. "So you want the Shinsengumi to be bridesmaids?" "And Taiho and Shizuma to be on the guys' side," said Raine over the phone. "They can be groomsmen." "Ok, but it's gonna take a lot to get that out of those two," said Ryoko. "Rest assured, they'll have what they want," replied Raine. "Don't say that lightly," warned Ryoko. Raine laughed.
New Year's day approached quickly, but still no sign of the Arbiter had been forthcoming. Presea received nothing from him at all.
She hoped he was safe.
