Valesti

Author's Note: Wrote this seventeen years ago and never finished it. Enjoy the story and R&R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.

Summary:

Following Luther's defeat, Sphere is attacked and its personnel locked down. Blair struggles to uphold order and contact Fayt as the highest levels of the corporation are commandeered by two beings claiming to be gods.


Chapter 2: Mission

A ray of sunlight bolted across the child's face, prompting him to adjust his helmet. The morning was fresh with the scent of flowers, and a cool breeze blew past him. The floorboards creaked with each of his steps as he left his residence, making a beeline for the shore.

He stared at his reflection in the water. A pair of brown eyes stared back at him, and he understood why deception played such an important part in his everyday activities. No one could resist a little boy in trouble. That made it easy to pilfer and cause havoc; themes in the ongoing "Real Man Contest" he and his friends enjoyed playing.

It became routine. The boy would meet up with his friends (Lezard, Lucien, Dribe, Melt, and Vellion) every morning and decide on a new challenge to prove who was the most mature of the group. Sometimes a member would have to steal food from a human, and others were more dangerous, like the time he met Fayt and his friends.

That day, it was his turn to show the group what he was made of. Stealing the bandit clan leader's trophy was simple, but getting away with it was a different task. As soon as he reached the door, hands clasped themselves around his small body. He was thrown into a cage and locked up for hours!

Fortunately, Fayt and company arrived. They were not there to retrieve him specifically, but he got around that problem using his cuteness and vulnerability. He cried as loud as he could and the Earthling finally gave in, releasing him from the prison. Immediately the "big gorilla" as he called him saw he had a tail. Fayt had referred to him as "Cliff," but that did not prevent the boy from making fun of him.

"You're a Menodix, from the Sanmite Republic, right?" The woman who accompanied them identified him instantly.

It did not surprise him that she knew about his people. She did wear the armour of an Aquarian reconnaissance agent, after all. She went on to explain the details to her travelling partners.

Ultimately, they pooled their efforts to defeat the clan leader. Fayt even allowed the boy to tag along. They fought many battles together, and ended up facing Luther in the 4D universe.

"Memories," he sighed, gathering water in his palms to wash his face.

The brisk liquid cascaded down over his skin. It was refreshing, and briefly took away the sadness welling up in his heart. Not long ago, he, Fayt, and the others had gone their separate ways.

He recalled their great adventures. He'd formed friendships he never wanted to give up, but now no one remained. There were no smiles to encourage him, no oafs to annoy, no more people to look up to for guidance…

They'd left.

"Roger!" a loud voice came from behind him.

"You're here! Took you long enough!" Roger turned and scowled at his approaching friends.

"Sorry, Grandma held me up again," Lucien apologized. "Melt has to clean his room, so he won't be coming."

"So what's the plan today, gang?"

"We're going to beat up the Aquaregia that's been hanging out around Surferio! It's been in the city for weeks and it's really starting to bug me!" Dribe tried his best to mimic the cry of the water creature.

"Sounds dangerous," Roger remarked. "Aquaregia are known best for their control over ice. They even form ice into swords and coffins to attack!"

Lezard and Vellion fell to the ground in a fit of laughter, clutching their sides.

"What's the matter? Is the mighty Roger afraid of a little Aquaregia?"

"You sound like an old man!"

"Better a man than a kid! Besides, my boys could deal with it in seconds!" he gloated, referring to Fayt and company. His friends were oblivious of their departure.

"You'd still run away with your tail between your legs!"

"Heck no!" Roger wiped his nose. "I'm not afraid of anything! Just you watch! I'll totally wipe out that monster myself!"

He threw his axe into the air, panicking when he saw it veering slightly off course. The blade landed several inches away from Lucien, who collapsed from shock.

"Oops. Sorry 'bout that."

A red-haired woman climbed the spiralling staircase. Each step was precise and she never lost her footing. Upon reaching the top, a left turn brought her to the door of Castle Aquaria's library. Though off duty, her weapons were tucked underneath a strap across her back. Mackwell had summoned her to discuss the queen's latest orders.

She entered silently and her gaze whirred about the study. Mackwell was nowhere in sight. She pulled up a chair and sat by the nearest table. A stack of tomes was all that was there. Or so she thought.

"Can I help you?"

She was startled, but did not allow herself to show it. "I'm here to see Mackwell."

A blond boy appeared from the opposite side of the table, adjusting his glasses. He was young and his choice of clothing reflected his intelligence.

"My name is Mishell. I'm Mackwell's apprentice. He will see you shortly."

The woman watched the boy stand up and enter another room in the back of the library. Bored, she picked up one of the books and read from the last recorded entry.

Then came the thunder! It was a herald to the gods! Stone rained down from the sky and buried the world in ash. Fear encompassed all and divinity descended upon them, snuffing out the flame of life's candle. From the burning heavens, they were birthed, looking down on the wounded earth. First Strength arose, followed by Celestial, who brings beauty in destruction.

As the universe tore from its beholders, so did the gods tear from the universe. The stars were their servants, and blinded the weak. The clouds were their attendants, and became war machines, scattering ice to freeze the lands and punish the unworthy. The universe created, and therefore the gods must rectify this sin.

Never hath the deed been done again, for if repeated, the heavens will imbalance, and once more shall existence bow before the might of their judgment. You who create, create no more! Fly from your lofty objects, or we shall all perish!

"Lady Nel. So glad of you to join me."

She looked up from the pages. The alchemist was taking notes on a scroll, and his apprentice had moved quietly to another table.

"Mackwell. What does the queen wish of me? I won't take up much of your time."

The man poured himself a cup of tea, sitting in the seat which occupied Mishell moments prior. He drank slowly, and could sense her impatience. "Lady Nel, are you aware your aura is showing signs of elevated stress?"

"Why no, Mr. Alchemist."

Mackwell chuckled. Humour…Something the Crimson Blades' leader had yet to learn. "The queen has recently spoken to me about the relations between our Sacred Kingdom and Greeton."

Nel listened intently, setting the folio aside. "Yes, she has spoken to me about this matter as well."

"One day from now, an alchemist from the Barr Mountains is arriving and we will research solutions to the crisis. In the meantime, you are to deliver this message to the King of Airyglyph."

"A message…to the King of Airyglyph?" Nel accepted the sealed envelope.

"Yes. Her Majesty requests the aid of Airyglyph's military to control the domestic violence until a solution is found," Mackwell explained.

"I will see that it arrives by tomorrow evening."

"Good." He sipped from his cup again. "You read the Book of Prophecy?"

For a moment, she did not understand the question. "The Book of Prophecy?"

"Yes. The one Mishell is currently examining. An extraordinary work. I must say. The original copy's pages were said to have been hidden in locations around the planet by an ancient civilization. It was only a century ago they were compiled into the complete work before you."

"It caught my interest, I'll admit."

"Do you believe in the fate it foretells?"

Nel was skeptical. "Not particularly, no."

"Your journey with the engineers from Greeton proves otherwise."

"There's a difference between the gods mentioned in this book and the one we encountered."

"Is there really, Lady Nel? Perhaps they are one and the same."

"Or not," she countered.

Mackwell smiled; puzzled, but admiring her viewpoint. "We will know soon whether the prophecy is correct. We rebelled against a god. What outcome do we face now?"

"Deleted star systems we need not care about," she said agitatedly. "If that is all, I'll be leaving. The sooner Airyglyph receives word, the sooner our struggles can be resolved."

Mackwell said nothing, and Nel took his silence as "Yes, that is all." She held the message firmly in her grasp while exiting the study.

For years, the shabby workshop had housed her and provided her with a place to conduct experiments, though the decrepit, rotting ceiling served as little shelter from the night rain. Stone blocks and empty water pails were strewn about, and a horse neighed as thunder echoed through the darkness.

A hooded figure was busy gathering materials.

It was strange, having to leave it behind. But life goes on! She needed to start anew. Ambition for higher purpose had driven her to accept Aquaria XVII's proposal. She looked forward to assisting the Sacred Kingdom in any way possible.

She loaded the last of her supplies onto the horse-drawn cart. Not much: some alchemy materials, some research notes, and a canteen of water. Upon her arrival at the Sacred City of Aquios, she would have access to further resources. All she needed was enough to get her through the treacherous mountain pass. Living in Barr, she had sufficient knowledge of the dangers, such as the falling boulders and dragons.

Mounting the saddle, the alchemist took one last look at her home. She was abandoning it, just as her husband had abandoned her in the early periods of their marriage. Now that she thought about it, the workshop only signified her despair, and she departed with a flip of the reins.

She travelled for hours without too much difficulty. The dragons did not take notice of her, and the terrain remained manageable for the animal for the most part. Near the foot of the mountain was where the trail became narrower. Stalagmites lined the chasm below. One misstep by the horse or one mistake made guiding it would result in an agonizing death.

There's a ledge. Use it.

Slowing the beast down, she was careful not to make any sudden movements. But a gust of sandy wind slapped her in the face, causing her to lose balance. Blinded, she accidentally kicked the horse with her spurs. Yet miraculously, it galloped the rest of the rocky path, only the wagon and its contents sent over the edge of the cliff in the process.

"Damn," she muttered, continuing her journey regardless.

The ex-Quark member was bored. Only a few hours prior, he received a message from his former captain regarding affairs with the Federation. Originally, a rendezvous at the Federation headquarters was planned.

"No need to come, Lancar. All clear over here."

"So the Federation's finished, but we don't actually win." Lancar dropped the ship out of warp. "System lock. Now let's sit back and leave the rest to the autopilot."

"Did Maria contact you while I was asleep?"

"Boss, you're awake?" Lancar greeted Cliff. "Yeah, she did."

"What did she say?"

"Don't need to meet up with her at Fed HQ anymore."

Cliff nodded. "It's like that, is it? Let's go ahead and pick up Mirage then."

"You're the boss, Boss!"

The recreational area was larger than any the girl had ever seen. Rows of seats jutted from either side of the room, and there was a window stretching the entire length and width of the central wall. She peered into space through the glass barrier, greeted by the twinkling of countless stellar bodies. The cosmos seemed to fan out infinitely.

A ringing sound alerted her. A voice came over the intercom.

"Thank you for travelling aboard the transport ship Hornet, which is bound for the planet Roak and Cratous Spaceport #3. The ship will be arriving in Arkula System in twelve days, followed by our final destination of Roak after a total of fourteen days in transit. Please enjoy your flight."

Two weeks. That's pretty long. She sat down and continued stargazing. Now that The Creator has left this universe, a new universe created by the former inhabitants of the Eternal Sphere has been born. Birth, prosperity, glory, decline, destruction, and then rebirth. Ever since the dawn of history, these events have been repeated over and over. But what happened this time was something different from what came before.

She remembered. The Creator, Luther, had gone mad following his defeat. He started deleting everything, even at the risk of losing his own body while connected to the Eternal Sphere itself.

She and her companions had no choice but to stop him dead in his tracks. She, Maria, and Nel had supported the others and assaulted the maniac with symbological spells, while Fayt, Cliff, Albel, Roger, and Mirage pummeled him up close. The battle was long, but Luther finally succumbed to their blows.

Though he himself was deleted, the universe began to crumble without its creator. Bit by bit, everything disappeared, but the minds of its inhabitants remained. Luther was unable to bind them.

The unforgivable sin. Did we do the right thing? Can we bear the weight of it?

"Hey you!" A small girl appeared from one of the ship's many corridors. "What're you acting so glum for? You're an adult, ain't yah? So act like an adult!"

Already, this newcomer was an annoyance.

"My name is Sophia, and I'll have you know, I'm not yet an adult."

"Yah sure look like an adult to me."

The girl was clad in green clothing and wore an oversized hat. From her attire, Sophia concluded she was from a rich family.

"I have no idea what happened to you, and I don't wanna know! But you know, you can't do a dang thing about stuff that's already happened! Stop moping around and start thinking about something else! Man, I tell yah, some people! Always feeling sorry for themselves! I can't stand adults who always worry about the past! Drives me crazy!" She made dizzying motions around her forehead with her finger.

Sophia was amused by the girl's simplicity. It reminded her of her own youth, when she would constantly bother her best friend with childish games.

"Uh, oh, sorry. Please forgive her. The things kids say…" A young man entered the room. His appearance was sullen, most likely from sleep deprivation, yet he wore clothing similar to that of the girl, which gave him a majestic air.

"Hey Ruddle, you stay outta this!" she yelled back.

"Rumina, please. A whole lot of people lost their families, loved ones, and friends in this war. Try thinking a little bit about their suffering and their sadness. "

Sophia could tell that this man, Ruddle, was a sensitive and caring person. He probably witnessed Luther's handiwork firsthand.

Rumina did not let up. "Yeah, well, what's cryin' gonna change! Nothing! Cry all you want! It won't help!"

"Don't talk like that! People who can't understand the pain of others are the worst people of all!" He was disappointed by her lack of sympathy.

"Wha-what are you talking about? Ruddle, am I wrong?"

Sophia felt it necessary to intervene. "It's okay. She's right. When your existence is denied, if you surrender and don't even try to fight, you might as well not exist. If we don't act to protect ourselves, then who will do it for us? Not the adults, according to Rumina here."

"That's right!" the girl giggled in triumph. "Adults drive me crazy!"

Ruddle dragged her away, stopping momentarily to wave Sophia goodbye.

We saved our universe, at the cost of our morals. But standing by each other, we get through the guilt. Even though we're apart, we are still together in spirit. And nothing can take that away.