Chapter Two: Short a Hero


The Timekeeper's gaze rested on the splintered chunks of the Time's Sphere. They inclined their head. "It is done…"

"Did we – Did we make the right decision?" queried Serena. Her lip trembled. "Letting him go."

"It was his to make," Hendrik replied, struggling with his heavy heart.

"Och, it still doesnae sit quite right with me." Rab frowned. "Is it truly right to do this? In spite of what we all have been bereaved of, there is much we have gained."

Sylvando's fist clenched. "He knew we couldn't reject the possibility that we could prevent Veronica's sacrifice and the deaths of countless others."

Jade sighed deeply, crumbling into Hendrik. "I've lost him again."

This time, there was no hope of return.

Erik berated himself. If there been a means of accompanying him, he would have done so in a heartbeat. Less than that.

The Timekeeper looked from the shattered Sphere to the forlorn assembly. "There is nothing here for you now…"

Everyone flinched at that. "We know that," Erik stated bitterly.

If he had just put his foot down, maybe Junichi would still be with them. He quashed that thought. Mister Strong And Silent Type was a stubborn soul. He would not have budged from his decision.

That was what Erik kept telling himself, but something – was it regret? – stopped him from moving on. He tried to remind himself that the ache would fade with time. However, he doubted that it would ever vanish.

They made their way to the exit, one by one. Yet Serena paused. She turned back to the ethereal Timekeeper, who had gone back to staring at what remained of the Sphere.

"There's something familiar about you," she mumbled. "I can't put my finger on it."

Outside, the sunlight caressed their faces; all else was still. Sylvando looked about, recalling Junichi's comment regarding hordes of little creatures surrounding the tower, strangely visible to only the Luminary. They must be the Spirits of Lost Time, he thought, walking sombrely towards the whale way station. He tried to imagine them as Junie had described: translucent blue beings ambling up the tower, black orbs observing them from atop boughs in trees that were verdant only moments ago. Now they seemed ashen.

"This is no good," he muttered and shook himself. He couldn't bring up his characteristic cheer. Perhaps it was acceptable to let the others be, for now. Sylvando could lighten them up when the wounds had begun to heal.

Cetacea awaited them, hovering above the white pillars. The gold patterning her back gleamed, reminiscent of the mark of the Luminary. She whined as they approached, sensing the absence of the hero. Her keening touched Serena's heart. They shared their pain as two halves of souls that yearned to be complete, knowing such a thing could nevermore be accomplished. They climbed aboard in silence, each of them mourning a grandson, a brother, a friend.

"Do you think he made it?" asked Serena.

"Yes," declared Erik. "He had to."

Jade nodded, unable to forgive herself if he was trapped in time. The ground fell away beneath the flying whale's wings, revealing the splendour of the world. Her silvery skin shone in the day. To the west, Sniflheim's snowy peaks broke the clouds, and just to the south Yggdrasil's lustre suffused the First Forest. Cetacea's magic assured their safety even as she barrel-rolled across the skies.

"Where should we go first, darlings?" Sylvando pondered.

Erik replied instantaneously. "To Cobblestone. The people there deserve to know what happened."

"Yes…" Hendrik mused. "Especially his mother and – childhood friend."

The others glanced at him, noting his slip-up. Jade's countenance darkened and she glared at her feet.

Rab heaved a sigh. "Off we go, then. Cetacea, if ye would."

The fabled being sang in response, her wings scooping the crisp air to turn towards the aforementioned village. The company remained relatively unaffected by the rapid movement thanks to Cetacea's barrier slowing particles down and trapping oxygen inside. Jade inhaled deeply, savouring the feeling of the ensuing zephyr on her face. It would be her last time spent airborne since she planned to remain with her father for the time being. She speculated idly where the gigantic mammal had been all these years, waiting for the Luminary to be reincarnated so they could defeat the Dark One once for all. Now that her task was complete, Jade wondered where she would go. Perhaps she would hibernate in anticipation for the next Luminary if the darkness arose once more. She was curious as to where such a mountainous animal had taken shelter, undetected for aeons.

Rab interrupted her thoughts. "What will ye do, lassie?"

She was silent for a time. "I want to spend some time with Father, so I suppose I'll stay awhile in Cobblestone. Then… I might travel, helping the towns that need it, before returning to Heliodor." She regarded the man she saw as her grandfather. "You said you wanted to rebuild Dundrasil, did you not?"

"I did, indeed," he replied, brow furrowed. "It'll be difficult work, but I dinnae think Eleanor and Irwin would let that stop them."

She smiled softly at the mention of Lady Eleanor. "I'll be happy to lend a hand when I drop by."

"Same here," chimed in Erik. "Mia and I can bring in the fruits of our treasure hunts."

Serena shot him a mildly disapproving look.

"I, too," pledged Hendrik. Jade glanced at him in surprise, conjecturing that he would remain with her father. He met her gaze steadily.

"I am certain that King Carnelian would rather I accompany you; he would be convinced of your wellbeing."

She quirked an eyebrow. "True enough."

The exchange dwindled; it was difficult to keep up their usual conversations in the face of what had just occurred. Rab returned to reflection. He had wanted to re-establish his kingdom with the aid of his grandson, hoping such an undertaking would provide them some quality time. It would not have made up for all those years they had spent apart, but it should have helped.

Well, there was no chance of that now.

He suppressed another sigh. This setback would not halt him; as he had told the others, he wanted to carry on the legacy of Dundrasil. Not only for his sake but for his beloved daughter, his son-in-law; for everyone who had toiled in the name of their realm. Hence, he would not abandon his ambition.

"Check it out," Erik called, jolting Rab. "There it is."

The mountain loomed before them, its steep cliffs promising an arduous hike. Cetacea made to descend and pinpricks of people began to grow, their faces upturned. They were still too high to make out their features, but Rab imagined the disbelief clouding their expressions.

Each of the individuals on the whale's back steeled themselves to break the news to Junichi's loved ones. It was a grim position to be in, to be sure.


It was a beautiful day to go for a walk, Gemma thought as she stepped outside, waving goodbye to her grandfather. The sun was brighter than it had been for a long while. She grinned as warmth splashing against her pale face. She had been stuck indoors all morning, putting the finishing touches on a tunic for Junichi. She couldn't wait to see his face when she presented it to him upon his return. A lively bark preceded the arrival of her dog and the girl turned to greet Sandy with a hearty belly rub.

"Wouldn't it be such a perfect day to climb the Tor!" she marvelled when she was done petting the ecstatic dog. Her face fell a little. It would not feel right to look upon that view without Junie beside her.

"Ah, well," she said to herself, "he'll be home soon enough, and then…"

Her cheeks burned; she bowed her head slightly and hurried on. Sandy threw what could have been a quizzical expression at her. "Oh, shush, you," Gemma admonished without heat.

They strolled along to the music of children's laughter. She smiled, secure in the knowledge that the king of Heliodor himself was dedicated to rebuilding Cobblestone. There was much to do, but her fellow villagers were enthusiastic and the soldiers cooperative. She and Sandy made their way across the settlement, giving the construction sites a wide berth for their safety. One of the workers above her called a good afternoon and she lifted a hand to shade her eyes as she responded in kind before continuing on.

They had not walked much further when a huge shadow eclipsed the pair. She looked up, excitement growing as she made out the shape of a whale.

"C'mon, Sandy!" she hollered, quickening her pace to meet the riders as soon they dismounted. The dog barked and took off towards the Tor, tail wagging merrily. She giggled with the little oxygen she had to spare from the unexpected sprint. The wind whipped her blonde strands about; her kerchief prevented them from obscuring her face.

They passed a number of villagers, all agape at the near-impossible sight. She couldn't blame them; she would have stopped to bask in the unlikely view had she not been so eager to see her special someone. A few managed to tear their eyes from the flying whale to yell, "Good luck!" after her, understanding her rush and cheering her on.

At last, she crested the hill, greeted with the sight of the stunning animal lowering herself just before the great stone tablet. A smile graced her lips. Gemma continued on as she watched the party disembark.

Her footsteps began to slow as she drew near, their voices drifting to her ears.

"Thank you for your service, Cetacea. You have aided us greatly." Sir Hendrik lay his arm diagonally across his chest, fisted his hand, and bowed to the resplendent mount. The others noticed her arrival and turned towards her. She scanned the unfamiliar faces, heart sinking.

"Junichi?" was all she could utter.

Their expressions shuttered. Her heart almost stopped. Tears pricked her eyes.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

Sir Hendrik approached her. "Milady."

Gemma fixated on him desperately. His jaw tightened and he looked to the ground in an uncharacteristic gesture. "We were afforded an… opportunity to correct all that had gone amiss with Yggdrasil's fall."

Her gaze sharpened, about to insist on an immediate account. Just then, the woman with a bob of blonde hair stepped forward. "You must be Gemma. Am I right in assuming this?" Gemma could see that the woman was trying to relax but was failing.

She nodded stiffly. The woman closed her eyes for a moment, as though she was bracing herself. When she opened them again, she said, "My name is Serena. Might I suggest that we continue our conversation in private?"

Gemma was shamefaced. In her dissatisfaction, she had neglected to offer her guests the treatment they surely deserved. "Yes… yes, of course," she spoke. "Sorry about that. Please follow me – we can talk at my house. I'll get Junie's mum along the way, too."

She paused. "Sir Hendrik, wouldn't you want to see King Carnelian first?"

His forehead wrinkled. "Indeed, I ought to do so." He glanced at the rest of his companions, clearly torn over remaining with them or reporting to the monarch. The blue-haired man shrugged slightly while the brunet gave a thumbs up. The others smiled at him, expressing their consent. Sir Hendrik dipped his head, having made up his mind.

"I will go to my king first," he announced. "Once I have related my testimony, I shall rejoin you."

"Okay," she agreed, beginning to walk back to the village proper. They followed behind.

They couldn't see the despair that wracked her.


"He's gone," she breathed.

It was evening now. The sun had set some time ago, though it had gone unnoticed as she had listened intently to the group's incredible tale. Time travel and the like. It was difficult to believe, yet she had to; else she would have to admit that he was dead.

It was functionally the same, in any case.

The tunic she had made for him would go unused.

Gemma sat on the cooling grass. She gripped a few blades in her fist, tempted to pull them out as she had as a child when she was irate. She sighed suddenly, releasing them and placing her head in her hands.

The others were sojourning at the inn for the night; in the morning they would leave with Cetacea for their homes and loved ones, with the exception of Princess Jade and Sir Hendrik. She glared into her hands, jealous for what they yet had and she lacked.

Yet she knew that notion was unfair. Serena was bereft of her sister. Rab – or Lord Rab, should she call him – had lost his nation and his daughter and son-in-law, only to lose the little family he had left. Countless others would never return in this world but could be saved through travelling back in time. But the seed of resentment remained. She burned with remorse.

The sound of footsteps grew louder before stopping altogether. She ignored whoever was there.

"Gemma," Princess Jade started. She drew her brows together. "Before he left, he asked us to relay a message. To you."

The girl looked up at that, her face already stained.

"He wanted you to know that he's sorry. For leaving you behind. But he knows you're a woman now, so you-"

"That's not enough," she said sharply. "If he's sorry for going without me, he shouldn't have done it in the first place. If he knows I'm a woman, he should have stayed with me. If he's a man, he should have-"

She broke down again. The end of her sentence went unspoken, but Princess Jade comprehended her meaning.

He should have raised a family with her.

Gemma sobbed afresh, heartbroken and guilt-ridden. Junichi was indeed a man; she understood that very well. The first time, he had left to learn of his destiny. In his wake of Cobblestone's destruction, not knowing that they had survived, he went to fulfil his calling despite his sorrow. He kept striving for peace. He could undo the horrors unleashed by Mordegon if only he departed from this time. Junie would maybe wed a different version of herself. And yet.

Her heart wished that he would be a little selfish. Just for this version of her. The one that had witnessed the fall of Yggdrasil and endured the subsequent ordeals, all for the sake of glimpsing his face once more.

"For what it's worth, I must extend my apologies, as well," Princess Jade murmured. "He was as a brother to me."

She turned on her heel and walked slowly to her lodgings, leaving Gemma to lament. She gazed up at myriad constellations she had forgotten the name of, searching for the red glow of a star that hung in the sky no longer.

There was a question she could not verbalise for fear she would not receive an answer.

'How do I live without you by my side?'


AN:

Cross-posted on Ao3. I tried to upload this second chapter earlier but I kept forgetting to, thanks to exams. The third chapter is... on the way.

Also, yeah, I got a bit carried away with Cetacea's magic. The scientist in me will absolutely not accept letting it fly without some elaboration. On the other hand, I attempted to convey Rab's accent but, as you can see, it didn't go very well.

I am torn by the events of act III. Yes, I love happy endings, and having Veronica back warms my heart. But they lack the development of the party members of act II. I won't explain myself because there has already been much discussion regarding this topic.

This is one of the reasons I wanted to write this fic: decisions are not to be made lightly. Every consequence must be borne; regret is a weighty burden indeed. Nevertheless, I do not want to dwell too much on this because the past is to be learnt from, for there is still work to be done and celebrations to be had. Therefore, later chapters will hopefully be of relatively lighter content, even as we return to this timeline.

Next instalment: Reunion. Knowing why everything went wrong does not seem to make things easier, as Serenica discovers.