(Author's Note): Sorry for the long absence. It took me some time wondering if I should just drop the story. I've ventured a lot further into the game now. I haven't beat the game but the end was spoiled to me so it kind of killed me inside but I'll keep writing to my best ability/

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Chapter 8: Hotto - (Finale)

Disclaimer: I do not own DQXI - If I did I'd make add more tags so I can make Erik x Serena a true pairing...But apparently in the game the luminary and Serena is supposed cannon. rip. Time to defect.

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Serena never was one to think about her decisions properly. With a quivering bite of her lip, she followed but never led.

The Serena of yesterday would have told you this was not the case. That Serena took a step forward and took initiative. Sure it may have been blind to some but to her it was an important stepping stone and in fact frankly empowering.

It was the first time she had tasted her own blood on her lips. The first time she smelt her own sweat and fought with the conviction to be her own identity. All of it was amazing and yet the Serena of today somehow managed to screw it all up. It almost was like Serena was slipping back into a coma.

Shame swept over her as her older sister continued to lecture her overhead. Standing on a rock, as if taking the high ground as her shadow loomed over younger sister's frail frame.

Serena sat still in what would be described as a bed of flowers, which as time passed began to feel more and more like blades of glass. A deserving punishment, Serena thought as she kept her head low, eyes downcast to small pebbles on the ground.

She was such a fool.

"What were you thinking?" Veronica grit angrily for the millionth time. "You nearly gave us a heart attack when you came bounding in covered in scratches!"

Serena winced at the reminder. She had remembered faintly being chased by monsters, but in her distraught - she pushed them all away. A call of magic that seemingly accelerated her adrenaline and pushed her to her limitations. A new spell coursed through her veins but at a cost of knowing it was gained through tragic folly.

"We thought the enemy had found us but it was just you freaking out over nothing! You really need to start thinking for yourself Serena."

Serena felt the tears well up in the corner of her eyes.

"...Sorry." Serena managed as she sank deeper and deeper into despair. "It's just when I saw a beam of light in the air...I was just so worried."

"But you knew what we were doing." Trunks voice came. His voice nearly pierced into her heart. With a gasp of air, almost as if she had been splashed in the face by ice cold water, Serena managed to snap out of the stir of darkness. Determination drove her to raise her eyes up at the bold young Luminary.

Trunks was now standing aise Veronica, whose face, was blurred to her mind as she could only grasp hold of the only person she truly did not wish to disappoint. Unfortunately for her, Serena was far past that point for the Luminary's body language displayed true tone.

His arms were crossed and his face unreadable. Begging for apologies wasn't going to get her anywhere.

It was time to be an adult.

Taking a deep breath from staggered heart Serena could only shake her head.

"I...I truthfully forgot at the time. I just reacted. I couldn't bear to," her words choked against burning throat but thankfully lips parted upon another deep breath. "Lose Veronica again."

Her tears would drench the floor. Turning lively plants into matted down weeds. " I couldn't have known it was because of the spell you all were practicing."

"Mastered." Veronica corrected, a grand smile played on her lips. She jumped down from the rock she stood on before and approached Serena slowly.

Serena felt stunned, mastered in such a short time?

Eyes began to widen ten-fold as the statement sunk in. Veronica flicked her sister on the forehead. A gesture that would be a sense of both lecturing and forgiving as the young mage would brush Serena's tears from eyes. It was a brief warming moment to which would end up with Serena beaming up at her sister in delight.

"That's wonderful!" Serena exclaimed, earning a laugh from Trunks. Serena was especially thankful to see that his arms were now dropped back to side. A sure-telling sign that she had managed to brace through the storm.

"Can you guess where we've been Serena?" He asked and while Serena had wanted to play the guessing game, her brain didn't agree. So she simply shrugged.

"Honestly I'm not sure…" She answered knitting brows, "Arboria?"

"Oh come on Serena!" Veronica snapped while placing hands on her hips. "Weren't you listening to me earlier? I said it has to be somewhere Trunks has been before."

Serena shrugged again and Veronica rubbed her forehead. Serena could only half-smile. In truth she wasn't very good at guessing games so she just said whatever came to mind next.

"The Crypts?" She questioned, only to earn a disapproving huff from her sister.

"You never listen, do you?" Veronica complained. "It goes in one ear and out the next."

"That's not true." Serena protested. "I just am not thinking clearly right now."

"Well try!" Veronica snapped. "You won't get anywhere if you just expect me to answer everything for you."

Serena bit her lip and nodded. She began to think back and process old memories. Slowly the answer came and Serena began to feel silly for not knowing earlier.

"Cobblestone?"

"Bingo, give the girl a prize! Yes Serena we went to Cobblestone. Trunk's hometown."

Serena glanced at Trunks, he nodded.

"So...It works then?" Serena questioned slowly as if she secretly wished she stayed behind to have the chance to take in the sights. Even if it were just rubble and stone - surely from Trunk's expressions there was something worth seeing.

"Considering I've never been there myself, it's safe to assume we've mastered it. Especially after going back and forth without an issue."

"Hence the green pillar." Trunks explained and laughed."Incredible right?"

Serena laughed, nodding in agreement.

It really was incredible. Things were really starting to turn around.

"In any case, where's Erik?" Veronica asked and Serena's breath caught instantly in her throat.

"O-oh!" Serena exclaims as the wheels begin to turn into head. A memory of his voice calling out to her faintly came into mind as well as a sudden buzz of warmth and an invisible slight pull of his lips against her own.

Serena's face instantly flushed only to have that moment dashed when her sister snapped at her once more.

"Serena! Just where is Erik?"

Reeling back more, more and more did she realize that in her desperation that she had left the poor lad to deal with his own task. Dazed and confused after she just so suddenly kissed him without any word as to why.

She remembered the monster's who became startled and attacked. She remembered pushing magic into her feet but she couldn't remember Erik being beside her. No she had left him to fend for himself without any healing against a horde of monsters that she would establish from her recklessness

Serena's heart sank, but no sooner than that did it quickly leap right back into her chest as she sprang up in sudden determination. Her actions nearly scaring Veronica half to death as the mage in question placed hand over her heart.

"Serena?" Trunks questioned and Serena brushed a loosened strand behind her hair.

"I-" Serena shook her head. She would not let her emotions get the best of her this time. She needed to tell them everything. This time without running off without word. "W-we need to go back to that camp. Erik he..."She trailed off, brows furrowing again. "He needs our help...I may have...Oh..dear..."

Veronica groaned.

"Serena don't tell me you rushed over here and left the poor guy to face off a horde of monsters?" Veronica asked, shaking her head in disappointment.

Serena grimaced, she had never meant to… Surely Trunks and Veronica were acutely aware of that fact. Now more than ever but still despite it all…The tears once again flowed freely.

She never should have left Arboria. She thought, burying her hands into her face.

She was a failure through and through.

Trunks tried to will the young priestess to look at him, but she shrank away.

For someone who claimed to be a healer - she kept hurting the ones she claimed to love.

"Serena," Her sister urgently begged. "Where is Erik?"

"Present." Erik responded.

His voice alone stilled her heart, her tears.

Her world.

Slowly she found herself looking up numbly. Trunks arm's had instantly dropped from her shoulders and now young Luminary had made his way over to the thief's side.

She too - would glance to see the thief. He, much like herself, was now covered in scratches. His clothes were torn and dirtied however from dried blood. His blood.

Serena's stomach churned at the sight. A tear would roll down cheek as she was happy, genuinely honest to god's heart that he was still alive but also torn up because he had indeed suffered from her idiocy.

"Are you alright?" Trunks questioned carefully as he shook Erik's hand in greeting. Erik brow raised. Trunk's eyes dropped down to his clothes and Erik laughed.

"Just a normal day on the job. Especially without," He paused, his teeth slightly grit but then he relaxed as if nothing ever happened, "Anyways the job is done." Erik proceeded to fish inside his tunic pocket and pulled out a bag of herbs and flasks.

"Wow you look thrashed." Veronica muttered trying to break the ice on the farther side of the playing field. Erik cast her Veronica a glance without once acknowledging Serena's presence.

"I don't have magical powers." He snipped. "I did what anyone could do in my situation against a horde of monsters. I fought until my last breath."

"Yeah you could also use some healing." Trunks added. Trunks glanced back at Serena and she could only shift with uncertainty.

Could they not hear his frustrations the way that she heard them. How could she even begin to speak to him again after what happened?

There was just no way!

"Serena!" Veronica snapped. "What are you doing, standing there and loitering around!"

"I-I- '' Serena fidgeted as she turned to Veronica nervously. "Hurry up and heal Erik!"

Serena felt a bead of sweat roll down her head as she swallowed heavily at the implication.

"Pass." Erik was quick to say silencing the notion in air.

Serena eyes dashed towards his face but he wasn't looking her way in the least bit. Almost like she was the furthest thing he wanted to look at from mind. Instead his eyes focused towards Trunks. "You know some healing spells right? You could fix me up."

Trunks blinked in confusion but nonetheless nodded.

"Yeah. I can do that, but my spells would only stop the bleeding. They wouldn't be as effective as Ser-"

"Pass." Erik replied more sharply this time. A cold spot appeared from outside of him then and there and Serena could only bring hands to chest, grasping them as she pulled her own head away from them. She would cast gaze out over the waterfall and sigh deeply inwardly.

All actions have consequences.

Veronica being quick to remind her.

"This is why you don't run off Serena." Veronica chastised silently as she made her way over to her sister. "You should apologize. Apologize right now." Veronica snapped in silent whisper as she tugged down on Serena's right arm. Snapping arms from chest.

Serena winced. "Serena!"

Strange.

There was such a strange feeling inside her heart. One that pulled against chest and yet in all of that Serena knew what she was doing. She was aware of the fact she was choosing not to hang on sisters every word and phrase.

The Serena of yesterday stirred and silently contemplated escaping it all as gaze tore over waterfalls edge. It wasn't a huge fall to down below. Survivable at best. Better than having to walk past the sight of a green mellow glow that wasn't her own.

"Sorry." Serena slowly muttered, and Veronica glanced up at her younger sister worriedly. "Sorry Veronica, I don't think I can face him...Especially not after…" her eyes fell down to the pool of water below. "That."

"Wha?" Her sister questioned whilst casting gaze between Erik and Serena. "What are you even talking about? Serena, what did you do?"

Serena shook her head and sighed.

"It's nothing." She said numbly as she pulled her arm away from her sisters hold. Her sister would let out a surprised yelp as she stumbled to her bottom and Serena would take this moment to leap out.

"Serena!" She heard Trunk's voice call out as well as Veronica's own. Their calls would be drowned out by the loud splash that followed.

Serena rose from out under the watery surface with a laugh despite her sister's yelling and cursing her existence voice over head. Serena's head rolled back, sparing them a glance.

Trunks, Veronica, and even Erik was glancing down at her as if she had gone completely mad. Their eyes shone each with concern and Serena couldn't help but smile widely.

"Sorry." She told them out of honesty. Her gaze mostly fixated on Eriks. This was the first time their eyes would meet. "So-rry," She breathed out longer before forcing a grin to face. "I just felt really dirty. Let's meet up again at sunset. That way we won't have the sun baring its fangs down on us. By then I'm sure. I'll be alright."

And that was it.

No one rebuked.

No one uttered a word.

Serena was in control.

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