...I can't think of anything to say.
Sorry, I'll stop wasting your time now. Here's the chapter.
Chapter VIII: The Water
Drop by drop,
Water dissolves stone.
-The Scriptures of Martel
"Hey, Dad, why do you wear that collar? The white one?"
Kratos stopped writing abruptly. He looked up from his work to see a curious eleven-year-old Lloyd looking at him with an inquiring look.
"I mean, you're always trying to hide it," Lloyd continued. "You always wear stuff that covers your neck. And what do those little gray symbols mean?"
The question surprised Kratos, though he had known it would come eventually. He put his pen down, folded his hands, and sighed.
"The symbols have no meaning," he lied. Then he changed the subject. "How was school?"
"Then what's the point of it?" Lloyd persisted. "Why wear it if you just try to hide it?"
"Lloyd, the collar is unimportant," Kratos frowned. Why was Lloyd suddenly asking so many questions? "Why the sudden interest?"
"If it isn't important, then why don't you just take it off?" Lloyd continued. "Why can't you tell me why you bother wearing it?"
Lloyd saw something briefly flicker in his father's eyes. It wasn't until many years later that he realized what it was.
Then Kratos' normal stoic expression returned.
"I apologize if these secrets bother you. While it may be difficult for you to believe, these secrets will protect you."
Lloyd felt old frustrations bubbling to the surface. He hated being left in the dark, feeling ignorant. He had never, in his mind, been given a good reason why he shouldn't be allowed to know some things. He was always left behind, and expected to be a good boy while his father was off doing Goddess knows what and be content with that.
He was sick of that.
"You never tell me anything!" shouted Lloyd suddenly. "You never really told me what happened to Mom, you never told me why you're an angel, who I'm supposed to be kept safe from, and I'm tired of all these secrets!"
"Lloyd, I understand your frustration," Kratos started. "But this is for your own protection. The less you know the safer you are."
"Why?" Lloyd demanded. "You've always said that I'm safe here, but I still can't know anything!"
"That is precisely why you stay safe," Kratos explained. "I understand that you dislike feeling ignorant, but it will keep you away from those who may wish to harm you."
"It's not like the bad guys will find me if you just tell me a secret!" Lloyd argued. "Can't I at least know why I can't know anything?!"
Kratos was silent. That was something he did a lot, Lloyd had noticed, to simply stay quiet when other people asked things of him. Kratos sighed, and absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair.
"I... made someone very powerful very angry."
Lloyd's rage dissipated. His father was telling him secrets. He would listen to this.
Kratos sighed again. "I'm afraid the exact details I cannot relate to you - "
"Why?" Lloyd demanded instantly.
"If you wish me to tell you these things," Kratos began, irritated that his son, who was asking the questions, continued to interrupt him, " - then you will have to avoid interrupting me."
Lloyd went quiet.
"This person I angered is a very bad man. He does not know about you, and as long as that remains true, he cannot hurt you."
"Who is he?" Lloyd asked immediately. "What did you do that made him mad?"
Kratos seemed uncomfortable, and appeared to be contemplating what say next. Then he shook his head. "I'm afraid that's all I can say for now."
Kratos returned to his work, clearly not about to say anything more.
Lloyd clenched his fists, and stomped off, fuming. He couldn't help feeling he had been cheated.
- ∞ -
Keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword, Yuan walked through the forest around the rim of the lake, eyes scanning the trees, searching. The half-elf was tense, and kept his footsteps completely silent. The forest itself was quiet as well, Yuan noticed. He could not hear the cries of insects or the wing beats of birds tonight, the forest seemingly devoid of animal life.
He stopped walking abruptly, as if he had seen some invisible sign, though there appeared to be nothing special about this particular place. He glanced around the surrounding trees. Knowing that he was being observed, he kept his appearance of calm.
"You've been watching us," shouted Yuan to the forest. "You've been watching us since Ossa Trail, possibly longer. Who sent you?"
From the trees came a deafening silence.
This was not encouraging.
"I'm not looking for a fight. Who sent you?" Yuan repeated impatiently.
Then a deep, calm voice from somewhere in the trees spoke:
"It is not I you should take an interest in, as a woman with a very specific goal has just walked into your camp, and no one else has noticed."
This sudden change of topic briefly puzzled Yuan. "A very specific...?" And then realization struck him like a hammer blow. He ran back in the direction of the camp, sprinting back as fast as he could, his mind racing.
The watcher patiently waited until Yuan was gone before vanishing as well.
- ∞ -
Sheena prepared herself, trying to push all her doubts to the furthest corner of her mind. The stupid Chosen girl looked so innocent, even in her sleep. She did not look like someone who would bring about the end of Sheena's world. In fact, she looked like the kind of child that would cry if she saw someone swat a fly. Could Sheena really bring herself to kill someone like this?
Her doubt made her hesitate too long.
There was a loud bark; that weird green animal of theirs had woken up and seen her. It started making a terrible racket, which woke up the Chosen and her companions. They saw a stranger standing over the Chosen.
Instantly they all reached for their weapons and Colette backed away from her would-be assassin as quickly as she could. Sheena swore and quickly drew out her other spelled cards. Lloyd felt a strange sensation of deja vu when he saw their mysterious attacker, but could recall where he had seen her before.
Sheena attacked Raine first, recognizing Raine as a healer by the staff she carried. Before anyone could come to her aid, Raine swung her staff desperately at Sheena. The rod connected with the assassin's shoulder, making Sheena shout in pain, and sent her skidding away from the healer, landing on the ground with another shout. Sheena staggered to her feet, clutching her right shoulder, gritting her teeth in pain.
Lloyd ran at Sheena while she was hurt, but she heard him coming. With her good arm she suddenly drew a small slip of paper.
"Pyre Seal!"
Lloyd was blown backwards in a cloud of paper, falling to the ground, stunned and bewildered.
Genis raised his kendama, ready to chant an incantation, when a small fox-like creature leaped at Genis, hissing. The boy stumbled backwards, waving his kendama wildly at the creature, all magic forgotten.
Sheena backed away from Lloyd, and saw Colette out of the corner of her eye, chakrams in her hand. Sheena whirled around, ready to finally kill the Chosen –
She was knocked away as if she weighed nothing, falling heavily on the ground and dropping her spelled cards.
Corrine only just managed to stop himself from calling to Sheena.
Sheena panted, her eyes fixed on the sword blade now pointed at her throat.
"That," Yuan began, "was foolish."
Sheena said nothing.
Lloyd and the others slowly got to their feet. Colette seemed stunned, unable to fully process the idea that someone had just tried to kill her.
Lloyd looked at the woman Yuan had now trapped, and definitely felt as if he had seen her before. But where...? Inside Lloyd's head, a nagging thought was finally heard. "Hey, I remember you!" Lloyd shouted.
Everyone turned to Lloyd, who suddenly wished he had just stayed quiet.
"You've seen her before?" Raine asked.
"Yeah!" Lloyd said, absolutely certain. "I saw her back at Yuan's base!"
Yuan was suddenly the center of unwanted attention. They were all staring at him, their faces showing a range of emotions from disbelief to suspicion. He disliked how he situation suddenly turned from being under control to awkward uncertainty.
"Yuan, does this means she works for you?" Raine demanded of the other half-elf.
Yuan's reply was stiff and cold. "She did work for me. However, as she has endangered the Chosen, she has become a threat." He raised his sword, and Sheena flinched and closed her eyes, too scared to run away.
"No!"
Yuan stopped, and glared at Colette, who had shouted.
"Please don't hurt her!" The Chosen yelled. "I'm sure if we just talk about it, then we can all be friends!"
Sheena was dumbfounded. Did her target just suggest they could be friends? "I just tried to kill you!"
"I'm sure we can still be great friends!"
Yuan snorted. "Chosen, this woman just tried to end your life."
"And I'm sure after we've talked about it, we can reach an understanding! Then we can be friends," insisted the girl, radiating innocence.
"I don't think you understand," Yuan growled through gritted teeth. The stupid naive girl just did not understand, did she? Then a horrible thought struck him; this is exactly what Martel would have done, wasn't it? Yuan tried to push that awful thought to the back of his mind. There were other things for him to worry about now. "This person wants you dead, Chosen. This is not the kind of individual who will listen to your innocent babble. She's an assassin, though an incompetent one. You cannot reason with someone like this."
"But she worked for you, right?" Colette continued. "Can't you ask her to come and help us?"
Yuan's patience was wearing thin. "No, this was a decision she made on her own. She's a stubborn fool and a useless summoner who - "
Yuan immediately regretted his words.
Raine and the children looked back at Sheena. "You're a summoner?" Lloyd asked.
"I'm a guardian user," Sheena corrected. Then she added quickly, because she realized her life was at stake. "But I can summon too!"
Lloyd felt hope begin to well up inside him. "Then you could make a pact with Undine, right?"
Sheena wondered why Lloyd asked about Undine specifically, but still answered his question. "Yeah, assuming she doesn't already have a pact."
"We can't go all the way back to the Thoda Geyser!" objected Yuan, realizing what Lloyd wanted to do. "We would lose too much time!"
"We're not running a race!" Lloyd retorted. "If we make a pact with Undine, she can save the unicorn, ask it to give us its horn, and then we can find a way to save my Mom!"
"...What are you talking about Lloyd?" asked Genis, who had never heard what happened to Lloyd's mother.
"Mom's sick, and she's staying at Yuan's base," explained Lloyd, ignoring the icy glare Yuan was giving him. "Raine said Boltzman's book can save her, but she needs a unicorn horn."
"That can be taken care of later," argued Yuan.
Lloyd rounded on the half-elf. "You don't know that!" he shouted. "What if the unicorn dies while it's down there?"
"It will be fine, Lloyd," Yuan insisted, his frustration beginning to show. "Our first priority should be reaching the Tower of Salvation."
"Yuan - !"
"But..."
They all turned to Colette, who had shyly spoken up.
"If Undine can free the unicorn, and the unicorn had help Lloyd's mom," she started, becoming braver as she spoke. "Then I think we should go back! And maybe we might find other people who need to be healed! So I think we should help the unicorn!"
Yuan seemed about to speak, but chose not to. If the Chosen wanted to help the unicorn, then Genis and Lloyd would want to, and Raine would as well, if only to make sure the children didn't get into harm's way. This left Yuan without many options or allies.
"Why should I help you people?" snapped Sheena.
"Because," Yuan began, "that would make you useful, and if you are not useful, then you are disposable. The same fate will befall you if you try to run away. Understand, Sheena, that should you make another attempt on the Chosen's life, then ever her naive pleads for mercy will not stop me from killing you."
Sheena wasn't stupid. She knew Yuan well enough not to try his patience, or attempt to take Colette's life again while he was still here. She would have to do as they wished until she could find a way to escape or finish the job; until then, she was trapped.
"This isn't wise," Raine began, speaking to Yuan. "We're inviting an enemy into our ranks. If we cannot kill her, then we should let her go."
"To come back and attempt to kill the Chosen again?" Yuan shook his head. "No, if Sheena is to live, it is better that she stay with us. At least this way we can keep an eye on her."
Raine glared at the other half-elf. Then she turned to Sheena; at least if Yuan wouldn't listen to reason, then maybe Raine could get some information from Colette's would-be killer. "Why did you try to kill Colette?" Raine asked coldly. She was wary of this assassin, and was frustrated that none of the children shared her caution. "The Chosen seeks to save Sylvarant."
Sheena was ready to shout "but my country would be destroyed!". However, she saw the look in Yuan's eye and remained silent. He was still perfectly capable of eliminating her as a threat.
"I see," Raine crossed her arms. She was not at all happy about this arrangement. Allowing Colette's would-be assassin to join their group was perhaps the dumbest solution - if it could even be called that - she could think of for this situation.
- ∞ -
They began to travel down they path they took to Lake Umacy, heading back toward Thoda Geyser and to Undine.
Yuan seemed to have assigned himself as Sheena's guard. If he could not kill her and erase the threat, then at least he could ensure she did not simply run away. He did not require sleep, so it was comparatively easy, though tedious, task. Usually it entailed following Sheena more closely than either were particularly comfortable with. Sheena made no attempt to flee or attack her 'comrades'; neither did she try to speak to them.
Though the younger members of the group seemed to enjoy trying to talk to her.
"So where're you from?" Lloyd asked, picking up his walking pace so he was even with her. "We're all from Iselia. Except for Yuan, anyway. What's home like? What are your friends like?"
Sheena continued to stare ahead as she walked, and said nothing. She could hear Yuan's footsteps behind her, and could almost feel his cold stare bore into her back. On top of being unable to run away, he had made it clear to her that if she so much as casually mentioned Tethe'alla to Lloyd or the others then her life expectancy wouldn't be very long.
"I don't get it, why were you trying to kill Colette?" Genis began, not really expecting an answer. "I mean, the Chosen is supposed to save the world."
"It's nothing personal against the Chosen," Sheena started, not looking at the children. "What I oppose is the Journey of Regeneration."
"But we're not really on the journey," Lloyd explained. "We're trying to stop Cruxis, so Colette doesn't have to sacrifice herself!"
To Lloyd's right, Colette hung her head, as if in guilt.
Sheena blinked, and suddenly stopped walking. It took Lloyd several steps before he realized Sheena had stopped. He turned around and saw the stunned and confused expression on her face. "You're gonna fight Cruxis?" She began. "Aren't they the angels?"
"No!" Lloyd shouted. Sheena started, surprised by his anger. Lloyd looked away, ashamed. "Sorry. It's just that... Cruxis' leader killed my Dad." Lloyd took a deep breath, and felt a little better. "Anyway, Cruxis aren't angels. Well, they're angels, but not good angels..."
"...I knew that," Sheena looked away. "I knew they were bad anyway, Yuan told me all about them. About Cruxis just being transformed half-elves. And…" she paused. "I'm sorry about your Dad."
Lloyd started walking again, and stayed silent.
Sheena fidgeted, and caught up to him. "Are you gonna fight them? For real?"
"Yeah," Genis piped up. "This way Colette doesn't have to die to save the world!"
Sheena stayed quiet, completely stunned. They weren't going to complete the journey? Then, if they stopped Cruxis, would Tethe'alla still be saved?
If they stopped Cruxis, the source of all the tragedies of the world...
...Did that mean no one had to die?
- ∞ -
After miles of backtracking and one harrowing washtub ride, they had returned to Thoda island. They found the oracle stone again, and entered the water temple. Once they entered the inner chamber, where the seal had been, and where Undine slept, the children became excited.
"Pa-act! Pa-act!" chanted Genis and Colette, trying to encourage Sheena. She only became more flustered.
"Y-you don't even know me!" Sheena argued. "I could get it wrong, you know!"
Why did these people trust her so much anyway? She had just tried to kill the Chosen! They just automatically assumed she could even make a pact! They didn't know anything about summoning or about her! For all they knew, she would take advantage of this opportunity to kill the Chosen! But no, they were convinced that she could make a pact, and do it to help them! Which was what she was about to do, true enough, but that didn't mean that she wanted to, or even could! But Lloyd, Genis, and Colette seemed no less hopeful for her admittance that something could go wrong.
"Fine, don't blame me if something goes wrong and you get hurt!" Sheena added stiffly, trying to bury her own rising panic. She walked up to the altar, hands shaking.
When she stood at the altar, there was a brief flash of blue light. Then Undine, the Summon Spirit of Water, appeared, standing on the air, her fish-scale dress swirling in some unfelt wind.
"You who possess the right of the pact," the Summon Spirit began. "I am one who is bound to Mithos."
Genis' eyes widened in awe. "Does she mean Mithos the Hero?"
"Mithos is a common boy's name," Raine pointed out. "It isn't necessarily Mithos the Hero."
"I am Sheena!" she announced to Undine. "I seek a pact with the Summon Spirit of Water!"
Undine shook her head. "I cannot. I am already bound by a pact. I cannot form two pacts at the same time."
Sheena turned to the others, looking defeated.
"Now what do I do? I can't do anything if she already has a pact," Sheena said, deflated.
"If the original summoner has broken his vow, or has died, then you can ask Undine to annul her current pact." Yuan explained. "Then she can form a new one with you."
"Um... all right." Sheena began, a little bit of confidence returning to her, "I'll give it a try."
Sheena returned her attention to Undine. Her voice and confidence cracked a little as she spoke. "I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos, and establish a new pact... with... me."
Undine, though unimpressed, seemed prepared to accept Sheena. "Very well, but first I must test your worthiness as a pact-maker. Draw your weapons."
"W-what?!" Sheena yelped, hastily drawing her spell cards.
"A Summon Spirit pact requires the summoner to undergo a trial," Yuan explained, drawing his own sword. "Get ready!"
A sword made of a long jet of water formed in Undine's hand, and she charged, raising her sword to attack Sheena. The woman couldn't move, her eyes wide with terror; this was just like before - !
"Lightning!"
A bolt of purple light struck the ground between Undine and Sheena, making the Summon Spirit back away, repelled by Genis' lightning magic. Undine immediately rushed at Sheena again, sword raised, but this time the summoner was ready.
"Pyre Seal!"
Undine darted around the cloud of paper, but before she could attack Sheena again Lloyd ran at the Spirits, swords raised, forcing her to back away from the Summoner again. Undine sensed Yuan charge at her right side, and quickly turned and screamed a spell, though Yuan blocked the blades of water that came at him.
Raine stood at the fringes of the fight, just as she always did, concentrating on the strongest healing spells she knew. Undine was stronger than anything they had yet fought, including the seal guardians. Now that she thought about it, Undine's mana did feel similar to water guardian's...
Undine tried to guage the power this new summoner and her companions had. Undine felt no loyalty to her old pact-maker, though her old pact still bound her to him. But did these people deserve a pact with her? She had already been betrayed once, and would not lightly bestow her powers on another.
Colette threw her weapons at Undine, who had to quickly dodge the attack. The Summon Spirit closed her eyes, a blue spell circle appearing around her.
"Spread!"
A column of water erupted under Colette's feet. The Chosen shouted in pain, Lloyd immediately running to her aid as Genis began to cast a spell to cover him. Undine darted in front of Lloyd, forcing him to come to an abrupt halt.
Undine's sword broke through the boy's sloppy guard, drawing a red line along his collarbone. His shirt tore, and underneath was visible a small gold locket hanging from a thin chain. Lloyd clutched the locket, heart pounding, terrified of losing it. Undine's eyes widened slightly for a moment, before her determined expression returned, and she slashed the boy again, making him take another frantic step back.
Too late, Undine saw Yuan run up behind her. She whirled around ready to counter attack but was too slow.
"Thunder Explosion!"
Undine screamed, the electric magic shocking her. She cast another spell, forcing Yuan to back away to avoid injury. Undine returned to the altar, a grimace of pain on her face. Then she sighed. Her sword dissolved, turning again into a stream of water, and she held up a hand. Lloyd and the others did not drop their guard, but did not attack again.
"You have done well, pact-maker," Undine acknowledged, lowering her arm. "Now swear your vow! Upon what vow do you form our pact?"
Sheena couldn't believe the words she was hearing. Had she really made the pact? Well, almost, anyway.
"At this very moment, there are people who are suffering. I vow to save those people."
Undine nodded. Now she was finally free from her broken pact. "I accept your vow. I will give you my power."
The Summon Spirit vanished in anther flash of colored light, leaving behind a smaller glow, which floated down to Sheena. Feeling like she were dreaming, she reached out and caught the glow, to discover that it was a small silver ring, set with a blue stone.
A Ring of the Pact - material proof that she had forged a bond with a Summon Spirit.
"I did it..." Sheena said, stunned, holding the ring in her cupped hands. "I really made the pact." She slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, feeling as if she were in a dream, and almost expected to wake up.
"I knew you could do it Sheena!" chirped Corrine, jumping up and down.
"Wow, that was awesome!" said Lloyd enthusiastically. "I can't wait to see you summon!"
Sheena blushed. She did it, she had made a pact with a Summon Spirit, and no one had died. No one had died... "Thanks everyone..." Then she caught herself, why was she thanking these people? Just a little while ago they were her enemies. What had gotten into her?
"Now we have to go all the way back to the lake..." Yuan grumbled, but no one was listening.
- ∞ -
They returned to the mainland shortly after their fight, and had to set camp when night fell.
Genis and Yuan had gone to train, Raine had gone to watch, Sheena appeared to be talking to that fox thing that followed her around everywhere, and Colette had agreed to make dinner. Noishe was asleep next to Lloyd, curled up and snoring loudly.
Lloyd gently removed something from around his neck, and held it in his cupped hands. It was a small locket, his secret. Lloyd sighed, simply grateful the chain didn't break during the fight with Undine - something this small was always hard to repair. He gently opened the locket, taking care not to damage the delicate clasp. He held the locket in his hands, staring at the tiny drawing inside. Inside was an image of three people; a man, a woman, and a baby.
Lloyd couldn't remember anything about his mother; this image in the locket was his only link to her. At least, until recently. His father had explained where the locket had come from.
This locket had once belonged to his mother.
Then it belonged to his father.
And now it was his.
It was the last thing his father had ever given him, and he had not once parted with it in three years.
He snapped the locket shut and flipped it over to look at the back. On the back of the locket was engraved a symbol, with five smaller symbols in a circle around it. Lloyd didn't know what the significance of the five symbols were, but the middle one he had seen many times before. Kratos had insisted the symbol brought good luck, and always had Lloyd carry around something, usually a piece of wood, with that symbol carved into it.
Though Lloyd had grown up with this tradition, he couldn't help but sometimes think it was strange. Kratos had never otherwise seemed the superstitious type. However, now that Lloyd thought about it, the same symbol was also on the white collar Kratos always wore. Perhaps it was just the way Kratos himself was raised.
Lloyd put the locket back on, hiding it under his shirt, the metal cold against his bare skin.
He never once wondered why the symbol on the locket and the collar was important.
Not once.
- ∞ -
They returned to Lake Umacy with Yuan in a predictably foul mood. He made no comment, but felt they could have already reached the Tower of Salvation if they had not taken this pointless detour. They came to the edge of the lake, and Sheena prepared to summon Undine so they could all reach the unicorn.
"That won't work," interrupted Yuan, when Sheena had said this. "A unicorn can only be approached by a pure maiden. At the very least, Lloyd, Genis, and I are out."
"So the unicorn will only talk to girls?" observed Lloyd. "Kinda picky."
"So that means it's just Raine and Colette then?" Yuan asked.
"Are you implying I'm not qualified?" Sheena shouted without thinking.
The children blinked. "Qualified?" They all asked simultaneously, making Sheena blush. Did they all have to say it at the same time?
"Okay, so Colette, Raine, and Sheena - " Genis began.
"I'll stay here." Raine interrupted.
Lloyd blinked. "Why?"
"Because I'm an adult," Raine said without hesitation.
Yuan smirked at Raine. "Interesting..."
She ignored him.
Sheena looked at Colette, who nodded; she was ready. Sheena and Colette walked right to the lake's edge, and Sheena assumed a summoning stance.
"I call upon the maiden of the mist! Come, Undine!"
Undine appeared in a flash of light and gazed at her pact-maker expectantly.
"Undine, take us to the unicorn," Sheena requested.
The Summon Spirit nodded, and motioned them to come closer, to step on the water. Sheena and Colette traded doubtful looks. Sheena gently stuck a toe on the water, but her foot met resistance. She put her other foot on the water, finding that she could stand. It was a strange feeling, like standing on a bed of gelatin, but she did not have to struggle for balance. Colette soon followed suite, her eyes widening with wonder as she stepped onto the lake's surface. Then the Summon Spirit vanished, but Sheena could still feel Undine's presence as the spirit's power flowed under the surface of the water and to the trapped unicorn.
The two females watched, as the logs underneath the water were shifted, falling to the lake's bottom, sending up clouds of silt. Now free from its prison, the unicorn slowly staggered to its feet, after a moment of difficulty arranging its legs. Then it swam gracefully to the surface and emerged with a splash. It stood on the water, just as they did. It stared down at them with wet black eyes.
Then the two heard a quiet voice inside their heads, though somehow they knew it was the unicorn speaking:
"...Martel?"
Sheena and Colette looked at each other in surprise.
The unicorn stretched out its neck, as if to see them better. "Yes... this mana... Even in my blindness it is clear. You are Martel."
"No, my name is Colette," the Chosen explained. "Please, can you give us your horn? My friend's mother is really sick, and we need your horn to save her," Colette said, her voice earnest and pleading.
The unicorn tilted its long head to one side. "I see... so you are the Chosen of Regeneration. Then I will give you my horn."
It bent its head, so that Sheena and Colette could reach the horn. The Chosen carefully reached out a hand and touched the horn, which came free when she gently pulled. She held it in her hands, finding it surprisingly heavy for its size.
The unicorn lifted its head, and began to fade away, its body slowly becoming transparent.
"W-what's happening?" Sheena shouted.
"Our horns are our very lives," its voice grew fainter as it spoke. "But do not weep, for when I die, another life is born from me. And so we live forever..."
And it was gone.
Colette and Sheena returned to dry land, Sheena trying and failing to fight back tears.
"Sheena, are you crying?" Genis asked, amazed that the ninja was so upset. Sheena wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, and couldn't manage to reply.
"The unicorn gave us his horn..." Colette murmured, staring at the horn she held tightly in her hands.
It wasn't fair. They were on this journey to defeat Yggdrasill so Colette would not have to sacrifice herself. It didn't feel right that the unicorn had to be a sacrifice. Why did these things have to happen? It wasn't fair.
Yuan stared back at the lake. "So the unicorn is dead then."
Sheena's head snapped up, her sadness quickly transforming into anger. "You knew about this?" she shouted, furious. "Then why didn't you say anything?"
"A unicorn's horn is its life," explained Yuan, in a detached tone of voice. "Once it is removed, then it will die."
Sheena wasn't satisfied with this answer. "But...!"
"However, this means that, somewhere, a new unicorn is being born," Raine added, hoping to soothe the children's despair or rage. "This is why unicorns are symbolic of life and death."
Sheena opened her mouth, as if ready to shout something, but quickly shut it again. They were both right, and yelling would fix nothing.
Slowly, Colette approached her teacher and held out her hands, which were grasping the ivory-colored horn tightly.
"Here..." she murmured to Raine, who gently took the horn from her student. As soon as she touched it she felt the power, the mana inside it. It was a feeling words were too insipid to describe. There were no words to illustrate what it felt to hold something containing the fundamental element of all things.
Lloyd watched Raine hold the unicorn horn, face set in a determined and confident expression. Now he could save his Mom, now he could keep his promise.
"The next seal is at the Tower of Mana," Yuan announced. "It is time we finally left."
"...What about me?" Sheena began. "What happens to me now?"
Yuan crossed his arms. "Now that you have successfully made a pact, we can hardly let something so valuable simply walk away."
"Don't talk about her like you own her!" Lloyd shouted suddenly, making everyone start. "I mean, I know she tried to hurt Colette, but she's still a person!"
Yuan scowled. "I think you fail to realize what a boon it would be to have a competent summoner on our side - "
Sheena suddenly spoke up.
"Wait, what if I want to go with you guys? I mean, I can summon now. If you want to beat that Yggdrasill guy, then you'd want a Summon Spirit on your side, right?
They all turned to stare at her, their expressions ranging form surprise to suspicion.
Raine's eyes narrowed. "Why the change of heart? Why do you want to help us now?"
Sheena began to fidget with the Ring of the Pact. She might have never even made a pact if these people hadn't dragged her to Undine. She had been so frightened before. Her failed pact with Volt had changed her life so much. It had made her the target of anger and disappointment in her village, almost an outcast in her own home. Though she hated to think of it in this way, if Yuan and the others had not been there with her, she might not have otherwise been able to find the courage to create a pact.
Sheena looked up at the others, eyes bright with determination. "Yuan said that if Cruxis is stopped, then everything that's wrong with the worlds will be fixed, right?"
Raine frowned. "...'Worlds', did you say?"
"Indeed, if Cruxis is stopped," Yuan began to explain, before Raine could say anything. "Then there is no need for the Chosen to truly complete her journey."
"Wait, so you want to help us now?" asked Genis.
"...Well..." Sheena started.
Raine crossed her arms; she was more than skeptical. "How do we know this isn't simply a trick to make us lower our guard?"
Sheena snorted. "You're never gonna trust me at all, are you? And it's not like anything's gonna change. I'll still travel with you guys, and Yuan will probably keep breathing down my neck. Nothing'll really change."
"If you want to help us," Colette began, with her naive smile in place, "then are we friends now?"
Sheena stared at Colette, and the girl's hopeful face. The summoner crossed her arms and frowned. "No, I'm just gonna help you guys stop Cruxis. That's it!"
Colette's face fell, and Sheena couldn't help but feel she had done the equivalent of kicking a puppy.
"Look," Sheena began. "I'm not here to make friends. I'll help you guys stop Cruxis, I want them torn down as much as you guys, but that's it!"
Yuan glanced at Sheena out of the corner of his eye. He appeared to be thinking about something.
"We should move on now," Yuan started, interrupting the silence following Sheena's words. "Otherwise we will make little progress before sunset. The next seal is to the west."
He turned and began to walk away.
"H-hey!" Lloyd shouted. "You can't just walk away like that! Wait for us!"
Lloyd ran after the enigmatic half-elf, and was quickly followed by Genis and Colette, who didn't want to be left behind either.
Raine sighed, and looked at Sheena, a disapproving frown on the older woman's face. "Don't slow us down."
The healer walked toward her students, leaving Sheena behind. The woman stared after the others, feeling slightly dazed.
Corrine appeared in a small puff of smoke, and perched himself on Sheena's right shoulder. His tails twitched.
"...I can't believe it..." Sheena whispered.
"I always knew you could make a pact, Sheena!" Corrine gently nuzzled the woman's cheek in a comforting way, the bell around his neck jingling. "You just needed to believe that you could!"
Sheena shook her head, though she tried to do so without dislodging the tiny critter on her shoulder. "It's not just that. I mean, I'm practically an ally of these people, and not too long ago I was trying to kill the Chosen!"
Corrine quietly thought about this. "...They do believe they can stop Cruxis, and Cruxis are the bad guys, right? They're trying to solve a problem bigger than just the Chosen."
Sheena bit her lip nervously. "...Do you think this'll work? Can we really stop Cruxis?"
Corrine pawed Sheena's shoulder. "We have to make it work. Otherwise we will have to kill the Chosen."
Sheena hung her head. No, she really didn't want to kill Colette - damn it, she was even calling the Chosen by her name now! The summoner quickly began to jog to catch up to her new 'companions'.
Was defeating Cruxis really the solution? Would this really fix everything that was wrong?
- ∞ -
There were confirmed sightings of the Chosen and her companions in the area. Pronyma smirked at the written reports and the occasional photograph scattered on the table in front of her. The Cardinal leaned forward in her chair, to examine one particular image. The blonde girl was the Chosen, Pronyma had discovered. A rather plain girl, but if she could become the host for Martel's soul, then something as trivial as her plainness wouldn't matter.
Lord Yggdrasill had been very clear. This Chosen had to succeed. If she were killed, his wrath would be like that of gods.
So sending out even a small patrol to just harass the Chosen was probably a bad idea, Pronyma decided. Lord Yuan could hold his own, and could protect the Chosen, but her other companions seemed... less capable. It would be too easy for a sword to slip, or for a spell to fly the wrong way, and then it would all be over. No, they would have to be more careful then that.
There was a scream from somewhere deeper in the ranch, but it was quickly cut off. The sound of human suffering. Pronyma's lips curled into a malicious smile. She had to admit to herself, she had missed the ranches. She already had laboratories in Welgaia, where she had previously conducted her own 'special' research, and it had been difficult relocating her research and materials from those facilities, but, in the end, it was worth it.
Pronyma reached out and picked up a report at random, and though her eyes ran down the page, she didn't bother to really read it. She looked up at her surroundings, at the ranch another Cardinal had once owned. She wondered what would have happened if Kvar had not caught Lord Kratos and his darling Angelus Project in Iselia fourteen years ago. Kvar would probably still be alive, for one thing. Pronyma frowned. She didn't mind; Kvar had always been jealous of her and her power, and had ambitions to become the leader of the Five Grand Cardinals. To her, Kvar's death meant only one less irritation.
And so Lord Yggdrasill had given control of the Asgard Ranch to her. She had not been pleased at first, but places like this grew on her. She was also allowed to continue her own special kind of research here, and she had all the subjects she could ever want. Overall, taking over the ranch had been good for her. She returned the report to the table, and leaned back in her chair.
However, there had been that incident... what was it, three years ago now?
There was shouting; no one seemed sure what was going on. Pronyma was furious; these men were so stupid. How could they not handle a few intruders? Then a great, monstrous roar deafened them all.
Yes. Many of her men had been wounded or died then, and she had never been able to get to the bottom of it. All she knew was that the Renegades had been involved, somehow. An alarm had gone off, and there had been confirmed reports that three Renegades had infiltrated the ranch. There had been a quick and unorganized scramble to find them, and then something somewhere had gone wrong. There had been noise and chaos. Most of the Desians didn't know what was happening or what to do, and all they could do was run away from... something.
The Desians scattered, some yelling in terror or trying to warn their comrades. When it came, they ran and stumbled over each other, trying get away from that thing as fast as they could. Not even their attacks slowed it down; that just made it angrier.
After it was over, the body of one Renegade intruder had been identified after much fuss. Another had been captured after trying to flee the ranch, but he had died of his injuries before he could be questioned. The third was never found.
The host bodies cowered in their cells. They heard the noise but didn't know what was happening. All the guards were gone, they had run to the source of the racket, but none of the prisoners would have dared try to escape. Not now, not while whatever was making that horrible noise was still here.
She frowned again to herself as she thought about it. How the Renegades had brought it inside the ranch without anyone's notice, or thought they could control it was beyond her. There seemed to have been no purpose; it had indeed done significant damage to the ranch, but did not halt or even delay the operations overall. It had been more intent on escaping the ranch than destroying it.
It snarled and slashed wildly at the nearest Desian, missing the frightened man, but its black claws tore at the metal of the wall, which screeched as if tortured. The Desians backed away as far as they could and dared, unable to take their eyes off the thrashing, insane thing.
In fact, some of the Desians would even show the new recruits the deep gouges still in the metal walls and floor and make up wild stories to explain how they got there. Usually they involved a large portion of the truth. These were not the most imaginative of men.
Its eyes were wide, making it look like a frightened animal. Dark blood dripped from wounds all over its body. It was maddened by pain, but it wouldn't die, and it didn't stop screaming.
Pronyma closed her eyes.
Then she recalled they never had found out what that monster was, where it had come from, or where it had gone...