A/N: I'm writing this in a dark basement where I can't see any of the keys D8 It's a good thing I generally don't need to xD Family visiting provides a lot of writing time o_o;; And now time for the chapter everyone's been worried about~! Lass and Arme finally get their turn :3

Disclaimer: Don't own Grand Chase, Lass or Arme D: I own this story, though!

Obituary 4: The Naive and the Regretful

"Arme..."

"I... Only did what I thought I needed to do. I was so useless... I couldn't even save you."

"Why can't they just let me die?"

"Please don't say that... Not when we're here together."

"Why are we here...?"

"... ..."

"Pfft... Grandfather? Good luck with that."

"Elesis, they-"

"No. They'll never get him."

"Watch us."

The morning light broke in through a slightly cracked window, filtering through to a bed where two figures lay. One was already awake: the snowy haired man was silent as he watched the small, violet haired girl rest. They continued on this way for a long time, until he finally sighed and let go, forcing himself to sit up. Once off the bed the first thing he did was straighten the sheets around the girl,moving a pillow into her arms as a substitute for himself. He brushed back a few stray lilac hairs before kissing her forehead, a small action he preformed every morning.

With this done he reached into the nearby dresser to pull out a pale blue outfit, and he turned to the nearby bathroom. Taking a shower didn't take much time: he was soon out and able to sneak into the kitchen without waking the girl. She was mumbling and letting out sleepy murmurs like she did every morning: ones that were completely incomprehensible, no matter how many times he had sat down and tried.

"Hm..." Looking into the fridge, he pulled out the milk, and grabbed a packet of something from the cupboard. Several clean glasses still stood on the counter, as did a small bottle. He mixed together the milk and the powder into the glass, staring at the third ingredient for a moment before opening the bottle and adding it in. There was only a small amount left, and the silver haired assassin frowned. Almost out again? I'll have to go out today...

"L-Lass?" A hesitant voice called from the bedroom, "Are... Are you still here?" The voice was almost fearful: Lass grabbed the drink before quickly returning to the room. The violet haired girl had moved to the side of the bed, and she was about to stand up when she noticed the sapphire eyed man in the doorway.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Arme. I'm right here." A relieved smile crossed her face, and she tried to push herself up off the bed.

"Ah. I... was..."

"Sit down." He commanded gently, "I don't want you to fall again." Arme huffed, a blush painting her already puffy cheeks.

"I stood up a lot yesterday, and I didn't fall over once!" She protested, nonetheless sitting down when he handed her the drink and sat down next to her.

"Yesterday was better," He agreed, ruffling her hair, "But..." She sighed, looking down at the contents of the glass.

"I know," She mumbled, taking a sip, "but still. This is getting ridiculous... I haven't been able to move in... I don't know how long." Lass didn't respond, and silence filled the room. It was only at this that a constant tapping was heard, and the assassin looked up. Arme hadn't noticed the sound yet, and she stared at him in confusion as he stood up and moved over, into the next room.

"Lass...?" The thief groaned as he checked the window, noticing what he had already expected to be there. He slid open the window grudgingly, and the animal let inside flew into the next room almost instantly.

"Ah! Sidtri!" Came the surprised gasp, followed by a few coughs and a laugh.

"You've been gone for so long, haven't you, my pretty bird?" She cooed, earning another groan from the silver haired man as he returned to the room. The bird had perched itself on her thin leg, and was rubbing its head against her cheek as she ran her fingers through its feathers.

"Here I was hoping it had gotten lost in the last storm..." He muttered, almost smiling as Arme turned to glare at him.

"Hey! I don't get why you two hate each other so much..." The assassin shrugged, nudging the furry ball at the end of their bed with the tip of his steel-toed boot.

"Kaze' is already plenty to deal with." He mentioned, watching as the ball stretched out. It was soon recognizable as some sort of dog (though its three tails could have misled someone into believing otherwise). Yipping filled the room quickly, followed by shrill cries from the bird. The two animals had been brought together as soon as Lass had retrieved his dog from the silver cross guild, and he was surprised to realize that they actually got along fairly well. At the very least, better than the bird and I do.

Arme laughed as the dog tried to pull itself up onto the bed, and Lass reached down to pick it up and set it on the covers. The bird glanced at him for a moment before it returned its attentions to Arme, and Lass moved to sit down on the other side of the bed quietly. As much as he griped about the Sidtri, Lass was relieved that the bird had come back. At least it can still make Arme smile... And that was the most important thing.

"Lass? What are you doing sitting all the way over there?" His musing was cut off by the violet haired girl's questioning, and he moved a bit closer.

"Giving the thing room." He replied, "Wouldn't us fighting again, would you?" This was another idle suggestion. They had long gotten past the point of attacking each other. They could have even been considered to have some form of grudging respect, but in the very least reasoning... Neither of us want Arme to be upset.

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Arme had gotten sick. Not just a little bit, either. Every day her eyes were slightly dimmer, her arms a bit less powerful. Her smiles and her laughs were just as cheerful, her speech just as playful and her determination just as strong. That was the most painful part. It's not her who's dying away... It's her body. Medicine and bed rest were the only things he could find that had helped in the least, and they were both difficult to get into Arme without a bit of force.

"You two wouldn't fight, would you?" She questioned. Lass blinked as a sudden weight arrived on his lap, and he looked down to see his dog sitting and staring up at him with a begging expression. He scratched behind Kaze's ear, evoking a quiet growl of happiness from the puppy.

"... Lass?" He turned to look at the violet haired girl. Her head was down, and she was hovering over the bird. This hid her expression almost entirely from Lass: he leaned closer and tilted his head to try to see her.

"Yeah?" She paused again, then turned to look at him pleadingly.

"Can we... Can we please go to the meadow today?" She asked, holding the bird tightly. Most animals would have protested to the action greatly, but the cream coloured fowl bore it patiently. The assassin looked down at the dog in his arms to avoid her gaze, stroking its fur.

"Arme... I have to go out today." Arme's eyes widened, and she reached out to tug on the sleeve of his shirt.

"No! Please don't go..." She murmured. Lass didn't answer, and Kaze'Doggeh whimpered from its spot on Lass' lap.

"Please, Lass... You don't need to go to the village. Just come with me to the meadow..." She whispered, tightening her grip on the fabric.

"I can't." He responded, the dog hopping off his lap as he shifted over to ruffle Arme's hair, "We're out of medicine again." She kept her eyes locked to his: a vain attempt to get him to listen to her.

"You don't need to go... I don't need medicine, I'll be fine." He wasn't listening: he never did. Her eyebrows furrowed, and she tugged him closer. The bird hopped away a moment before she pulled him into as firm a hug as she could, her cheek resting against his neck.

"Lass... I don't want you to steal for me any more..." She whimpered. Lass gritted his teeth, and he held onto her tightly. What am I supposed to do, then? I know it doesn't make you happy, but... Am I supposed to just let you die?He knew he couldn't. At that moment they were on the outskirts of the only town Lass could find that produced the medicine for Arme's sickness: A sickness so vague the healer who had come to her two years ago could only find something that would ease it. The villagers were fearful of outsiders: they hadn't let Lass buy the medicine, and he wasn't beyond going through illegal means to get it to her. It already hurts badly enough, knowing I can't save you.

"I'm sorry." He murmured, "I'll be back in a little bit, okay?" Turning to the two animals in the room without letting go of the girl, he sighed.

"You two need to watch her, all right?" Kaze'Doggeh spun around in small circles, yipping excitedly. The Sidtri, on the other hand, stared back at Lass comprehensively. Unlike the three tailed dog, the bird understood what was happening to Arme. It understood that something was very wrong, and that Lass was doing what he could to to keep her safe. From that was a mutual respect: You do what you can, I'll do what I can.

"And... If you're good today, we can go to the meadow tomorrow." Arme let go to look at him, eyes going wide.

"Really?" The assassin nodded.

"Really, so behave yourself. And no magic... You know what it could do to you." She nodded eagerly, then paused, her face falling.

"But... I- Be... Be careful." Lass pulled her closer, kissing her cheek softly.

"Of course. When am I not?" He held her hand tightly as he stood up, letting go only when he was too far from the bed to hold on any longer.

"I'll be back soon." he repeated. When he was just about out of the room a quiet voice reached him, pulling a pained smile to his face.

"I love you, Lass." Turning around to face her, the silver haired boy waved gently.

"Love you too, Arme." And with that he rushed out of the house, trying to prevent tears from building in his eyes. This would happen... When I finally move on... When I finally let myself forget about everything that happened under Kaze'Aze's possession... His teeth were gritting together even more tightly, his hands balled into fists as he began making his way through the forest that surrounded their home. Why her?

Letting out a heavy sigh, the assassin forced himself to calm down. Going into the village like this is just going to get me caught... Who's going to get Arme's medicine and food if I don't? That was the thought he always kept at the front of his mind: The thought that ensured he did everything perfectly. He had been seen a few times, and had at one point had people chasing him, but he had always lost them long before he got to the house. Even a master thief was bound to get noticed a few times over the course of two years. I'm going to protect her until the moment I die. It's all I can do... He had passed through the thicker part of the forest, and he slowed down as he realized he was nearing the village. Fortunately the apothecary was near the outskirts: He didn't need to go too far in and risk much. We're almost out of food too, though... I should stop at the grocery store as well. He slowed down as he stayed in the forest, circling around the edges as he tried to locate the shop. I wonder if some day I'll wear my striker's uniform again. The thought was random: only brought on by a glance at his gauze-wrapped hands.

It wasn't that he was physically unable to wear it: the outfit was folded neatly in the top drawer of his dresser. I can't wear it when I'm doing something so lowly as thieving. It's not... right. He missed it, still. It reminded him of the good days: the very few good days he had in between being released from possession and Arme's sudden illness. Sometimes, he couldn't help wondering if the two were connected. Do the gods really hate me that much? He rather hoped not. At the very least, don't hate me enough to take her. Let her get better, please... The drug store came into view at that point, distracting the silver haired man from his thoughts.

It was closed. This struck Lass as odd, and he paused outside for a moment before the logic occurred to him. Oh. It's Sunday, isn't it? It made his job much easier: no one to sneak around. Regardless, the assassin cast invisibility over himself before pulling out a piece of wire and twisting it into the back lock. He had done it several times, and as a result the wire was already perfectly fitted. The makeshift key functioned just as it needed to, and the doorknob turned easily upon prompt. He slipped inside quickly before pulling the door shut behind him, turning to look over the shelves. He dared not turn on the light for fear of alerting the villagers, so the window light was all he had to work with as he began shifting through medicines. Silver Hermissan... Where are you? It wasn't in the place he had last found it: Lass was beginning to feel surprised they actually kept it in stock at all. Of course, it was the village's speciality: one they weren't willing to sell to strangers, but a speciality nonetheless. If they were willing to sell it to me, we wouldn't have reached this problem...

"This way! I saw it head over here!" Arme shivered, sitting up from her rest at the sound of footsteps storming around outside.

"H-Hey! It's a house!" Her eyes widened, and the bird next to her stood up. It turned to the fearful magician and back to the sound before shaking its wings and flying off the bed.

"We found the thief's house! Finally!" The sound of screeches from the Sidtri erupted in loud, disruptive tones.

"What-"

"That's the thief's bird! I seen it going here all the time!" there was more clattering, followed by a loud thud.

The Sidtri's cries fell silent.

It hadn't taken Lass long to locate the medicine he needed, hidden behind a bottle of common cold relief. Really? You think my need for this is so weak that hiding it would deter me? He pocketed the bottle before slipping out the back again. The door was locked behind himself, allowing him to move onto the next item on his list. Food... This shouldn't take long. Don't worry, Arme. I'll be home soon.

The grocery store was just as silent as the apothecary's clinic, and it had just as solid defences. Once inside he looked over the selection before quickly pulling basic foods from the shelf. He tried not to take anything there wasn't a lot of on the shelf, or anything that was too expensive. A few years ago it wouldn't have mattered to him. Back before I knew Arme... But I've lost my thief's disposition now. He didn't know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing any more.

He had just finished throwing a fresh bag of cherries in his satchel when the sound of a fuss outside reached him. Have they realized something went missing? He highly doubted it. I'd better leave after everything's quieted down... Continuing into the next aisle, he was almost at the end when he reached the wall nearest to the town square. Cries of "Stone the thief! Stone him!" reached the assassin's ears, and he paused in what he was doing. What? A thief? He turned out of the aisle with a curse, pushing out of the side door and into the streets after making a hastily uttered invisibility spell. Don't tell me they mistook someone else for me? There was a huge crowd near the centre of the village, and he winced at the sight of rocks being hurled at a figure on the platform. He pushed past some of the people to get to the front, and his eyes widened at the sight.

An exact duplicate of himself stood upon the platform. The second Lass was tied to a support beam in the middle of the platform, curled as close to the ground as he could to avoid the heavy stones being thrown his way. What in ascension...? What's going on here? Am I seeing things? It wouldn't have been the first time he had had nightmares about being caught.

"Skree..." The sound of an extremely weak call caught his attention in the yelling, and the assassin turned his attention to the floor of the platform. No... It can't be... The Sidtri was lying weakly on its side, an arrow embedded through it. It didn't appear as though it should have been able to breath, let alone squall. In an instant he understood what was going on: in that instant he allowed his invisibility to wear off, and he lunged onto the stage. Gasps were heard from the crowd, and everything stopped for a moment as he slipped a dagger out of his pocket to slice the ropes holding the second Lass up in half.

"What's... going on...?" Someone in the crowd asked, clearly as confused as the assassin himself had been moments prior. Lass ignored them, pulling the rescued person to him.

"Arme, what were you thinking? I tell you not to use magic and you go and do this?" He hissed, turning to look at the people surrounding them with an accusatory glare. His suspicion was proven correct a moment later: the white of the other Lass' hair began to die out, and a violet haired girl began to fade into existence. She was bleeding profusely where rocks had managed to rip flesh, and she was coughing roughly.

"We had the wrong person?" One person exclaimed, disbelief prominent in their tone.

"They were... looking for... you..." Arme stuttered, closing her eyes, "And... it's just better this way."

"So you disguised yourself as me hoping they'd kill you in my place?" Arme nodded shakily, a violent hack forcing itself out of her lungs.

"Then... Which one is the real thief?" The crowd was getting restless: they wouldn't hold back for much longer.

"This morning I noticed it... Lass, I'm not going to make it much longer. You're fine, though... I don't mind dying like this, but..." her voice wavered out for a moment, and Lass shook her gently.

"Arme?" He reached into his satchel quickly, pulling out the stolen medicine bottle. Before he could bring it to her mouth the magician opened her eyes, and with a weak movement she knocked it away.

"I knew for real that I was dying this morning, Lass... I knew, but I still... All I wanted to do was back to the meadow with you, one last time. The meadow, where everything used to be okay." She appeared to be choking at that point: every breath a struggle.

"Arme, take your medi-"

"It's not going to help-" She took a breath, and let it out with a sigh, "N-not going to help now..." She was starting to cry. Lass wanted to mimic the action, but he held the moistness back. The crowd seemed to have stopped their actions to watch the interactions of the two on the platform, and all had fallen silent.

"I wanted to go back, Lass... And it wasn't for me. I wanted to go back to the meadow to be with you, but... Maybe... not for me. I hoped that maybe going back-" She was interrupted again by coughs.

"Don't-"

"I hoped that going back would give me the right words." She looked at him regretfully, and attempted to sit up. Her attempt failed, and she ended up collapsing into his arms yet again.

"I need the words... to tell you that it's okay to keep living." She whimpered, grasping his sleeve. "No! Please don't go..." ... Why didn't I listen to you?

"And... I still don't have the words..." She sniffled, trying to hold back some of her tears. She was failing miserably: tears had all but taken over her face.

"I'm sorry... I looked for the words... I really did! I-I couldn't find them, and I don't have them now that you need them, but... It's okay. It really is... You took care of me, Lass. You always called me your light, and that made me really happy, but you've always been able to see in the dark." Her eyes were dulling, but her smile hung resiliently to her lips.

"I don't know what I'd have done without you, Lassie... Can you do one last thing for me? Please... I know they aren't what you need, but... Please, pretend these were the words you needed to hear... Pretend that you know it's okay to keep living now... Because it may not seem okay yet, but it's not so bad... I promise..." With that, she let out a shivering sigh, and her body fell limp.

"A... Arme? How can you say all of that? How can you expect me to live without you? How do you expect me to live without my light?" The magician didn't respond.

"And... How do you expect to live without me wherever you are now? You're going to get lost, or trip and fall, or... I don't know. I just know... I need to be there." He fell silent, and the villagers stared for a long time. He didn't know how long it was before he felt anything, but it almost felt merciful when rocks and stones began raining down. Shortly after that he realized he couldn't have moved if he wanted to, and that was followed by everything getting darker.

"And now we're half way done."

A/N: everything's more emotional with Lass and Arme involved o3o Or that could just be me, but I actually enjoyed writing Arme's drawn out swansong xD There were a lot more heartstrings I coulda pulled there, but I'll just not and say I did.

Also. Kaze'Doggeh is going to be getting verryyyy hungry soon o_o Or he'll set he forest on fire, and hopefully burn down the village x3

If you couldn't understand what Arme was talking about, she knew Lass would lose the will to live after she died, and she was trying to find the words to let him know it was okay to move on and keep living. She basically didn't want him to sit there and die. Good job honouring Arme's last wish, Lassie o3o