030 A.R (After Alchemy's Return)

Tonton, Sana

What a beautiful man!

Never before have I seen such lovely blue hair!

Why does he wear a mask upon his face?

Why hide such pretty skin from the world!

"I'm here to see Emperor Unan."

The servant girl looks dazed as I read her mind, but she snaps back into reality when she hears my voice. She slowly takes a breath and bows before she speaks,

"Of course!" she moves around the corner and I follow her into the Emperor's chamber. She calls out to him, "Emperor Unan! A man's here to see you."

The servant then hastily moves back into her position and I stand before the Emperor of Sana; a monarchy that once ruled over the beastmen of Morgal.

"Piers? No…..no, you're not Piers," Unan squints his eyes to get a better look at me.

I bite my lip, how dare he think I'm one of those damn Lemurians, especially that captain Piers.

"No, I'm a man who's more important then one who handles silly ships," I tell him.

"A mask? Who are you! Are you working with the Tuaparang!""

I sigh and cross my arms, "My name is Arcanus, and you put words in my mouth before I even speak. What peaceful scholar doesn't give fair trial?"

I can see the anger and hatred burning in his eyes, a darkness that only existed for the hate of those who have wronged him. Yet, they lightened, only for a second, and I understood.

"I will hear your case then, masked man, but I will know when lies spill from you lips."

I nod, "I don't work for the zenith tribe- I only ask you hold on to something precious, and give it to a certain young Matthew."

"Hmph! You say you don't work for the empire yet your name is 'Arcanus'! I'm no fool, you've been working alongside those dark thugs who kidnapped my daughter!"

Emperor Unan stood from his chair and slammed his fists on the desk before he continued,

"Do you not respect family? What monster wishes to torment her father as they send his only daughter to her death!"

I allow my icy gaze to keep him quiet, what an ignorant man to think I know nothing of family.

"She was only a puppet for a grander purpose, her death was never planned to be. I understand your loyalty to such a noble lineage, however, I only wish for the Eclipse to end."

"Pardon?" asked the Emperor and he once again took his seat.

I pulled the red orb out from within my sleeve, "Matthew must travel to the endless wall and use this key to end the eclipse over Ei-Jei."

"Matthew, the young boy that Master Kraden was traveling with? He said he wished to end the eclipse as well."

"And he will, " I say, "if you hand him this piece to the final puzzle."

The Emperor's hard face pulled a smile, but only for a split second like before,

"Wait- why should I believe you? You're still the enemy!"

I step forward and Emperor Unan slides back into his chair. I read his mind as I slowly place the ruby orb on his desk.

All I care about is my family. Anyone that stands in my way must fall!

"Is something wrong?" asks Unan

My fingers are still tracing the orb on the desk and the Emperor looks at me in confusion. I realized my eyebrows were knotted together in concentration as I lingered on his thoughts.

"Hm? No. Just do yourself a favor and deliver the orb. You're children will fall victim if you fail, and then regret shall forever be in your heart."

The Emperor bites his lip hard from my words and a low growl escapes him. He realizes we're using his weakness against him.

I bow, "Farewell, peaceful scholar, I pray you make the decision that's in your best interest."

I then turn away and walk off out of the room, I notice the servant girl sigh dreamily as I exit- she must've been daydreaming during our conversation.

Family.

Why did his thoughts claw at me so? Why am I left wondering about my lineage and the history before me?

I never cared much for it before, I even abandoned my own son for a greater purpose. I left the Mercury Clan after the death of Mia's parents and I never even gave much thought to Mia and her new family.

Generation to generation, the power to command our chosen element with a mastery only known to us. A constant cycle of birth, death, and rebirth to continue a legacy.

Yet, why did it matter?

Why now did I care about my fore fathers.

My….own father…

I wonder- I truly wonder who he was. Did he have a grand purpose in life just as I do? Did he take part in the sealing of alchemy, or was it his father before him?

I still remember his name, a title to a blank canvas, a man who helped in my creation.

Zander.

A villain of the past, and now I take his place as a monster of the present.

Will this cycle never end? Will Amiti play the villain in the future?

No.

Amiti is free from my poison, and Matthew has cured me of my wrong-doing.

Family means nothing to a man who's immortal.

I shall never allow myself to become weak, just as my father did when he died.

Tuaparang ship, northwest of the Atlas

Giggles echo off the walls and hit me like a wave of sound. I warped off Tonton to come back to the ship in the silence, however, I immediately run into Chalis and Blados.

"For me? Oh, love!"

"HAHAH! I knew you'd like it!"

"Like? Aren't you listening? I love, love, love!"

"Excellent, cause I'd love love love HAHAH if you gave me a little something something tonigh- oh! Arcanus, back from Sana already?"

Chalis clutches something gold against her chest and she begins jumping around gleefully. The blue skinned Blados has a cocky smirk on his face as he turns to look at me.

"It would appear…. Emperor Unan now has the red orb in his possession and has agreed to give it to Matthew."

"Good, good, everything's going according to plan- them bugs should be traveling to the Apollo Lens soon."

Chalis, who was dancing around us, suddenly jumped and embraced Blados from behind.

"Just as easy as that stupid Emperor Wo! Now we can finally use that dumb lens to take out the t-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, my dear, " laughed Blados nervously and I squinted in suspicion.

Chalis rolled her eyes and purred alongside Blados ear, "Of course, love, it's just that we've waited so long for these 'adepts of destiny'. We've had those annoying orbs in our possession for so long and we couldn't even use them!"

I shrugged, "None of us have the ability to get close to light psynergy," I lazily pointed at Blados and Chalis, "especially the Tuaparang."

"Don't remind me, " groaned Blados.

Just like how those Prox warriors were weaken at the Mercury lighthouse, these secret dark adepts couldn't handle the mighty light of the sun without meeting at death's doors.

"Well, " continued Blados, " I've got some hell to raise before Matthew gets to the lens, literally. That mangy mutt from Belinsk has given me nothing but trouble since the Eclipse Tower."

"He's vital to our plan, go easy on him," I say.

Blados laughed and snickered, "Foul beast for a foul plan. I'll try my best, but I ain't making no promises! HAHAHAH!"

Blados then walked off and left Chalis and I alone. The horned temptress slowly turned to me with a smug look across her pink lipstick.

"...yes?" I inquire, although I'd rather detach myself from her female mind.

"Don't give me that, love! You know exactly why I'm looking at you like this!" she then giggled and tugged lightly at my sleeve, "Details! Details! Give me the scoop, juicy gossip indeed!"

My face flat-lined, "I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Then why don't you read my mind and find out?" I couldn't help but growl, "That's what I thought, still unable to read our Tuaparang minds hm? I'm talking about Matthew!"

I instantly spun around and began walking away but Chalis jumped onto my back before I had the time to warp, "Pretty pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top! I won't tell annnnyyyone!"

I sighed. I knew the dratted woman wouldn't let up until I gave her some gossip to chew, "Fine. Just get off of me."

Chalis neatly got off my back and sat on the ground as I turned to face her, she looked like a child about to be told a story about a princess being rescued from a dragon by her knight in shining armor.

I coughed nervously, "Well…"

"Did you kiss him! DID YOU TELL HIM YOU LOVE HIM!" she interrupted.

I blinked, "I suppose so."

"You suppose?" she kicked my leg, "Did you or didn't you?"

"I told him….I love him…..but I still don't think he completely believes me."

Chalis burst out in more giggles, "heh heh heh! Did you do the dirty deed?"

I felt my face grow red and she giggled even more, it was actually kind of annoying,

"I wouldn't call it 'dirty' per say. It was a perfect opus magnum."

"Neeeerd!"

"I was being romantic….shouldn't you know about that more then me?" she shrugged and I continued, "I don't want to go around calling it dirty…and…"

"Sex?"

"Love, rather."

"Seeeex!"

"I thought your name was Chalis, isn't that code for hearts or something?"

"Don't be silly, love! I just look good in pink~"

Great, I really am surrounded by morons.

"Speaking of which, what was it that Blados gave you?

Chalis jumped to her feet, which slightly startled me, and she reached between her cleavage and into her bra. I looked away and when I looked back she was holding a necklace with a heart locket.

"Isn't it sparkly? Blados always knows exactly what I want!"

I figure it wasn't that hard for him to pick it out, women like anything shiny.

"A gift? I don't quite understand…."

"What about it don't you understand?" she asks

"The purpose of it."

She begins playing with my hair and rests her head on my shoulder, "Oh love, you're so adorable! Don't you know? Gifts are what you give people you care about so they know you love them!"

"You love Blados?"

"Don't scrunch your nose like that! Of course I don't love him, I just like the attention~"

Go figure.

"As long as it doesn't effect you from getting the job done."

"Don't worry love, I'm the perfect little angel!" hard to believe with those horns growing out her head, "Oh! Oh oh you should get Matthew a gift!"

I crossed my arms and slipped my hand into my sleeve, the red rose he gave me was safely stored there.

"I wouldn't know what to get him, " I admit.

" Something pink? Oh wait- he's too masculine for that! Well, if you like it, then you should put a ring on it-"

"-Really?" I frowned and then sighed away thoughts of Matthew with a ring around his finger, "I mean, a opus magnum is a perfect marriage-"

"Neeeerd!"

"…..you have to stop doing that before I hurt you."

Chalis giggles back at me, "Adorable, love, you should just get matching gold bands!"

"I'll think on it, " I answer back and begin walking away from the woman in pink.

"Don't think too long or it might be too late!" She calls back.

Connected by gold

Two rings forming a boundless love

The sound of church bells echoed in my head and I felt my face grow hot. If I got the rings, would it really be Till Death Do Us Part?

Tuaparang airship, the light within the darkness.

Warmth tingled throughout my body as Matthew wrapped himself around me, together we hid under a sea of white cloth that coiled us as one. Sighing happily I nuzzled my nose between his neck and shoulder, I could feel him softly breath in my blue hair.

Yet he remained silent.

"Matthew?" I finally called out.

I looked up to see his eyes unfocused and his mouth tight, he slowly bent his head to look at me.

"Hm?"

"You appear lost. Do you miss your friends?"

He bit his lip and shook his head.

"Your….family, then?" I asked uncertain.

He tried to look away from me but I caught him, "Do you wish to talk about it?"

I wasn't really that good at communicating emotions, but I heard once that humans like it when you ask them how they feel about a sensitive subject.

I tried to tell myself I didn't really care about Matthew's family, but deep down I felt the lie burn in my chest.

Matthew nodded, "Father has always been at my side, but I haven't seen my mother since I left Kalay…"

"Kalay, " I mused, "Why would they chose to settle down there?"

Matthew realized I was lost in memory for a second, but he didn't complain. Instead he asked, "Do you miss your parents?"

I immediately went quiet and Matthew squeezed my arm as he noticed my body stiffen.

"No…no, I can't miss something I barely remember."

"You mean 'someone'," he countered.

It seems Matthew was growing more confident in pressing me for answers, but I couldn't allow myself to tell him everything.

He continued, "You don't remember them at all?"

This time I tried to hide and Matthew caught me.

"I remember them…vaguely. The memories are blurry but their music rings true."

"Music? Like in Belinsk?"

My mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile. Why did Matthew's interest in me give me pleasure? Something about his new devotion gave me relief.

"Not like in Belinsk, much more regal, sophisticated sounds of an ancient song."

That's when a memory hit me hard.

Just like in the opera house, a harmonic whistle of my past hummed in my thoughts, I once again remembered Mia's mother praising me with joy on my ability.

"Alex! You play so beautifully, you'll certainly carry on the songs of the mercury clan!"

Mia remained vacant with distance.

I stopped playing songs after they passed away, my life changed forever that day.

"Alex, where are you going?"

Cold winter air snapped around us in the dead of night.

"….I can't stay here forever, Mia, there's nothing here for me now."

Silence.

"….what about me?"

"Arcanus?"

I shook the music from my head, "Yes?"

"Where's your hometown?"

"Imil, " I tell him, "a wintery fortress of solitude."

He pulled the white cloth higher over our bodies, mimicking a snowy plane, "What about the sound of music?"

"Song no longer exists in Imil. They say angels taught them how to play, and now angels have banished it from the very same lands."

"Angels…" repeated Matthew and he held onto me tightly, "Thank you."

I was surprised, "For what?"

"For telling me the truth, about your past, my head has been full of questions since we met."

I saw the light blush cross his face and I kissed him on the cheek.

"Maybe, one day we can visit Kalay together?" he asked.

Matthew continued to surprise me, "To Kalay?"

I pictured Jenna running at me with fire shooting out her mouth while Isaac raged from Sol Sanctum.

Nervously I answered, "Maybe…one day…"

"The how about Imil?"

I nodded, "The mercury lighthouse still stands strong."

Although the word villain and traitor was still present.

Matthew suddenly turned me onto my back, with him on top of me, I grew suspicious that he was sucking-up as he began kissing along my skin.

Not that I could control the shiver run down my spine, however, I noticed his hand slip through my hair and towards my mask.

I grabbed his wrist before he could even touch it.

"What do you propose you're doing?" I inquire.

He frowned and then decided to give me puppy-dog eyes. I wasn't buying it.

"You said you love me."

"I…I do! But that has nothing to-"

I was caught off guard by his caressing hands that had found their way into the perfect position. A moan escaped me and I had to grab his other wrist as well.

"-Matthew!"

"Please,' he argued back, "I just want to see ALL of you."

I blushed further, "There's nothing to see."

"What're you being so self-conscious about? I've seen the rest of your body, with the unknown scars and everything, except behind that mask."

"The scars are just a boring story of my past, but if I let you take off my mask…"

"Yes?"

"Then I'll become a different person…someone I don't want you to know."

Matthew eyes deepened as he stared me down, "Your past self? But you've already told me about your hometown…."

He was catching onto this Arcanus illusion.

I shook my head and he sighed. I let go of his hands and he sat down on the bed next to me, looking off into the darkness. I slowly sat up as well and curled my knees in towards my body.

"I should probably go now," Matthew's words hurt me but they were true.

"Yes, it's already morning in Tonton."

Matthew went to slip out of the bed but I grabbed his hand and he looked back at me, "Arcanus?"

"I…wanted to give you something…I mean, as a present…"

Matthew smiled, "Okay."

I reached on the other side of the bed and handed Matt a little black box, I could feel my hands slightly shaking but I had no idea what emotion I was conveying.

He raised his left brow at the box and then opened it quickly. His mouth immediately dropped as soon as he saw what was inside.

Two golden bands.

He took out one of the rings and put it on his left index finger, he then took my left hand and slipped it on the same finger.

"I love it!"

"Really?" I said nervously.

He kissed me seductively on the lips, "Of course, now we're always connected."

I smirked, Chalis was right. In truth, Matthew and I had always been connected, but for him he needed to see a physical material bond.

And I was supposed to be the feminine in the relationship.

He kissed me a dozen more times before he started to put his cloths back on. He was getting ready to go to the Apollo Lens but I had a few more hours of preparation before I had to be there.

Would things change between us after the Apollo Lens?

I fear the cards have already foretold the outcome

Judgment called at the Endless Wall

And these Adepts answered.

"Alex, we're family, you can't leave me here alone!"

I'm sorry Mia.

I left you alone.

But I would never leave you alone, Matthew.