Raine: Bring back from oblivion this writer soul... Resurrection!
Huh? What the? *Sees Raine tapping her foot* Oh right! Heh, sorry, was full of things to organize in my life and whatnot.
And, man... it takes a mouth of absence for new people to review... well, hope you all post your opinions about my work more often. It helps me keep up my mood for writing.
Anyway, here's a new chapter. For those that asked for more drama, I hope this satisfy you
Chapter 35
The Traitor of the World
The atmosphere in the EC had been almost unbearably heavy to the group as they made their way to the Gaorachia docks. No one spoke and Ratatosk kept himself as silent as a tomb. Not even Emil was saying anything.
Different from the others, Sheena was feeling more anxious and nervous than anything. When Martel explained to her that they were going to pass near Mizuho to arrive at the Renegades' hidden HQ, she couldn't help, but dread her homecoming.
She hadn't been to Mizuho since the village was razed and feared that she could find the ghosts of her people should she ever come back.
Huh... some next chief in the line I am. Scared of ghosts when I'm a Spirit myself. Sheena thought with a bitter smirk.
"They're all awfully quiet," Martel spoke as she looked over the group spread around the deck.
Raine was inside the inner room of the EC, refusing to come out until they came to land. Sheena thought that maybe she wasn't brooding over the situation like the others as much as she was trying to keep her nerves under control.
"Well, that is to be expected. The way Ratatosk spoke..." Sheena spoke.
"Spoke? What do you mean? Did something happen?" Martel asked.
Sheena looked at her and for one moment she thought she was actually talking to a green haired, older Collie. The expression of curiosity and concern of those two was so identical it disturbed the ninja. She wondered if they weren't related somehow.
"I don't think it's my place to talk about it. How much did you heard?" Sheena asked.
"We just heard you were being arrested and what that Seraphim said when I arrived. Other than that, I don't understand why Ratatosk is acting like this way. Normally he would be scowling and swearing them to Niflheim and back."
"That sounds just like him," Sheena said with a sweatdrop. "I suppose you got to see this side of him when you were one of his Knights."
"Well, I can't say I did a good job, but he kind of listened to me when I talked. I think Yuan said something about he having a mild crush on me," Martel looked up as she said. She then smiled and looked at Sheena. "Sometimes I think he has a soft spot for kind-hearted women."
"I don't think so, considering he dated Celsius."
"Celsius? Oh my, I never thought."
"Let me tell you some embarrassing things about him," Sheena spoke with smile, feeling a bit vindictive.
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
Mizuho was just a pile of burnt ruins and rubble. One could hardly say the Mystic Village once existed in that charred patch of land. The grass hadn't even grown back and none of the wildlife made the ruins its home. It was like life was trying to avoid the place, or at least the chaos energies blocked any attempt from nature in recycling it.
Sheena felt something in her throat as she looked around what had once been her home. Amelia put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder, although she also didn't seem any better. Lloyd and the others could just look around wondering how the village was before it had been razed by Nebilim and his demons.
"So this is Mizuho. Or what's left of it," Solum commented amidst the morbid silence.
"Indeed. You can still sense some of chaos magic lingering in the air, although faint," Tenebrae commented.
Ignis floated near to a pile of burnt wood. Upon picking up one, it dissolved into ashes. She then turned to the other Centurions and asked:
"Do you think Lady Sheena could rebuilt it?"
"It would be certainly possible," Ventus said, putting his wing in hand-mode under his beak. "However, that would require materials, manpower and time, all of which she doesn't have right now."
"Can you guys tune it down?" Aqua berated. "Don't you see this is a hard moment for Lady Sheena? How do you think she is feeling?"
"Let it go, Aqua," Sheena said to the Centurion of water. "Besides, they're right… If I'm ever going to rebuilt it, I'm going to need to plan it carefully."
"I'll help you Sheena," Lloyd promptly said in front of her. "I might not be very good at managing things, but I can carry most heavy stuff and cut wood into shape."
"Thanks Lloyd," Sheena said with a sincere smile. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"I'll help too," Colette pronounced with a bright smile on her face, trying to chase away the sour mood. "Mizuho was once my home, right? And you're my onee-chan, Sheena. So I should help rebuilt it."
Amelia then tapped Sheena who looked and saw she holding her notebook. The ninja read the words:
Mizuho was also once my home. I liked this place. Count me in.
The ninja could say she was honestly touched by her friend's offers for help, but decided this wasn't the time to shed tears of thanks for them. Before they could even think of rebuilding, they had first to defeat the demons.
Wiping her moist eyes, Sheena thanked them once more and said she would take them up in their offers in the future. They all smiled.
"So you lived here?" Martel asked Amelia as she approached the mother. "Where are you originally from then?"
Amelia looked up in thought and then wrote in her notebook:
To be honest I don't remember. My memory stops at the end of my childhood and lately it has been fading away, little by little. I don't even remember my foster family.
Martel's interest seemed to be picked by it. She then asked if Amelia remembered anything of her real parents, to which the blonde shook her head.
Maybe it is an effect of the course. she suggested.
Martel could just stare on, which started to make Amelia feel nervous. Before she could write a question though, Martel looked on and saw a man approaching them. Flanking the man's sides were two Renegade soldiers. He stopped in front of Martel and saluted:
"Lady Martel, it's good to see you," the man said.
"Thomas," Martel acknowledged with a nod.
"Are these the Summon Spirits we've been hearing about?" Thomas asked in curiosity.
"Yes. I am bringing them back to base for a reunion with Yuan. Could escort us there?"
"No problem."
Sheena noticed the man's aura was quite strange. It seemed like the one of a half-elf, but there were traces of chaos energy in it. Thomas had dark brown hair and heterochromatic eyes, one being a sky blue and another a pale yellow. His uniform was different from the other Renegades; not sporting a helmet and a more pronounced upper armor.
"Oh, where are my manners?" Martel spoke, back to her cheerful and kind tone as she turned to the group with a smile. "Everybody, this is Thomas Misuto, one of our Generals. He also takes care of recruitment."
"Please Lady Martel, I'm just a lowly General compared to the likes of General Aurion," the man said, appearing to be a little embarrassed.
"You said your last name is Misuto. Where are you from?" Sheena asked.
"Ah. You're the Mizuho survivor, right? Actually, Misuto was just a name given to me by the one that adopted me. I was from a little city called Mallac in Tethe'alla. Though you probably don't heard of it, since it was destroyed twenty years ago by the demons."
"So you are adopted? By who?"
"Asuka," Martel was the one that answered that. "She contacted us when Thomas showed interested in joining our cause."
"Mother..." Sheena whispered.
Thomas led them away from the ruins of Mizuho and in the direction of the mountains. According to Martel, the Renegades' HQ was hiding deep inside the mountain. The base had been constructed in an old excavation site long abandoned by the dwarves, who handed it to them when Yuan came to their King asking for assistance.
"I see. The mountains would provide a nice, natural shield and considering the construction techniques of the dwarves, you wouldn't have to worry with the structure around the tunnels collapsing any time soon," Emil said.
"Mister Thomas," Colette asked up, making the man look at her. "Um... are you by any chance..."
"The same as your mother?" he asked the question that Colette was hesitant to ask. When he saw her expression of confusion, he gave her a polite smile. "You two are so alike that either you were sisters or mother and daughter. Anyway, to answer your question: yes. I'm one of the half-elves that have been cursed by the demons," he pointed to his yellow eye. "This is the proof."
"So, you can change forms too?" Zelos asked.
"Yes, but it's quite painful and... I never liked it," he winced with an expression of disgust in his face. "Whichever demon cursed me must have made a pretty sloppy job, but I've heard this is a pretty common case amongst cursed people."
"Then you decided to enter the Renegades, knowing they would accept you, regardless of your condition," Marta surmised. "I've heard that Yuan don't discriminate against people with conditions like these."
"Actually, it takes a bit convincing, but I always managed to make he see reason in the end," Martel said with a smile.
"Well, I'm sure you can be quite convincing when you want to," Zelos said with a smile, his eyes leering over the green haired beauty's figure, his tone quite suggestive.
Sheena had a vein popping on her forehead while Marta and Emil sighed. Martel only smiled at him and said:
"Why, thank you, Mr. Wilder," most of the group raised their eyebrows at Martel.
"Just call me Zelos," he replied, his tone suave.
The group then arrived in a small cavern that led to the inside of the mountain. It was narrow enough for two men to pass shoulder-to-shoulder. As they went further inside the mountain, the tunnel got wider until they came into a cavernous room with great, metal double doors at the end.
As they approached, the door opened and the leader of the Renegades strolled out, looking as regal as ever. This time, he wore an orange, upper armor with a dark blue cape around his body, hiding his arms. His pants were black and he had red and orange gauntlets as well as dark blue and red boots with golden details.
The group greeted him, but Yuan seemed to ignore them as he walked towards Zelos. Before anybody could say or do anything, the blue haired half-elf punched the red head square in the jaw with enough strength to make Zelos see stars.
"What did I told you about messing with my wife, you bastard?" Yuan said, his face contorting into an expression of anger as he held his closed knuckle near his face.
Martel giggled as Sheena, Lloyd, Colette and Raine looked and saw she showing a communicator in her hand, indicating she probably had the device on when Zelos flirted with her.
"You know what? I'm starting to like you," Sheena said with a smirk, which Martel returned with another kind smile, belaying her mischievousness.
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
After healing Zelos and Martel convincing Yuan not to murder the pervert ("Just because it would take too long for Celsius to reincarnate", had been Sheena's opinion), the group entered the base and made their way to Yuan's office.
Most of the building was made of metal and there were pieces of technology and devices that Lloyd was sure were back from the Kharlan War. Then they arrived at another door that slid open at their approach and entered in the most decorated room they had seen so far. There was a mahogany desk at the other side with an armchair and a large painting covered most of the wall picturing some battle. There were bookshelves and many strange devices and instruments on pedestals and side desks.
However, what called the group's attention the most was the trio of short men standing near Yuan's desk. Two of them appeared to be of advanced age, but still carried an aura of authority and power (at least one of them did). Lloyd recognized one of them:
"Dirk?"
"Hey there, lad," the dwarf greeted back. "See ya still alive and kickin'."
"So, these are the famed, reincarnated Summon Spirits," one of the aged looking dwarves, this one with a long, grey beard tied in some places by metal rings and clothed mostly in blue, light clothes, spoke.
"Everybody," Martel called the group's attention. "These are Dirk Irgest, Second Commander of the Dwarven Army," Dirk nodded to them. "Altessa Morrion, Lord of the Forge, the best artisan and craftsman of the dwarves," the aged dwarf with the thick beard and graying hair that spoke before greeted them in return. "And, his Majesty, King of Dwarves, Brolir Alamor Durnon."
The King of Dwarves seemed really aged; his face wrinkled and his beard of a medium length and a stark white color. However, he had an aura of authority and power around him that made it seem age was nothing for him. Marta's, Lloyd's and Sheena's parents once told them that dwarves lived longer than humans did and, contrary to their race, conserved much of their strength, becoming even stronger in their elderly years than they were in their youth, thanks to the experiences accumulated.
King Brolir wore a set of pale-blue, plated armor with an eye patch covering the upper left part of his face, a souvenir of an encounter with a particularly fierce demon of Great rank. In his back was a copper-colored war ax with a red handle and runes in gold engraved along the blade.
"KING?" Marta, Emil, Colette and Lloyd gasped and made motion to kneel, remembering the stories about Royal Families, but Brolir simply gave them a good natured smile and held his hand up to stop them.
"There's no need to, kids. I might be King, but you all are in a far higher position in this world than me. If anything, I should be the one kneeling in thanks for saving my hotheaded cousin's hide," he looked at Dirk as he said that.
"I already told you, Brolir, I had everything under control," Dirk defended himself.
"Like the part of getting yer ass saved by Efreet?"
Dirk mumbled some incoherent words and crossed his arms. Sheena, Zelos and Raine just stared at the interaction. Lloyd whoever exclaimed about the fact that Dirk was royalty, which the dwarf shrugged off, saying:
"I'm only a relative of second degree from one of the lower houses, not enough to even be considered a candidate to the throne. Not that I would ever want it, though. Too much paperwork in my opinion," he said in his strong accented voice.
It was then something came to Emil; another memory of Ratatosk's. Gnome once spoke about a dwarf that he tried to choose as Knight, but refused his offer. Before he could contain himself, Emil said:
"You were Gnome's choice of a Knight, right?"
The three dwarves looked at Emil and Brolir sighed. He suddenly seemed very old and tired as he spoke in a tone of deep regret:
"Yes, I was… but I refused, thinking the succession of the throne was more important than the matters of the surface world. I didn't realize how wrong I was until the beginning of the Second Invasion. The demons found out about our tunnels and almost reached Moria. We knew the tunnels better than any creature on Aselia, but the demons had expert diggers amongst their ranks too.
"They would have easily overrun Moria and massacred every single dwarf in it, had I not put my pride aside and heard the suggestion of our elders to completely collapse the tunnels the demons found out and seal most of the exits. It worked and I eventually was crowned King for my role in the defense of our capital during the Second Invasion. I only had to pay for it with the lives of at least two thirds of our warriors.
"This…" he pointed to the eye patch and Lloyd and the others noticed there was the tip of a scar peeking out of the lower part of the leather, covering the cheek of the aged dwarf. "Is a reminder of my actions. I will carry the regret of my refusal to Gnome's calling to the grave."
There was silence after that statement. Emil apologized for bringing up such a subject, but Brolir said it was alright. It was then Marta remembered something and pulled Emil away from the others, deciding now was the time to ask about what happened back in Meltokio:
"Emil, I need to speak with Ratatosk."
Emil had to resist the urge to gulp when he heard her tone. He knew what she was going to ask, it was obvious she would bring the subject about Ratatosk's moniker once they were in safety. At least she was trying to do it in private and…
"Let the others hear it."
W-What? Emil did the mental equivalent to a double take.
"Let them hear it. It's already past the time for them to know," Ratatosk said.
Emil was about to question his other self about that decision, but he looked at Marta's conflicted and serious face and decided that Ratatosk was right: the others had the right to know. He just wasn't sure if the King of Dwarves and Martel and Yuan would understand, though.
However, before he could speak, the door opened once more and in came a brunette man wearing a battered, light brown and dark commander uniform. He looked around and once his eyes settle in Marta, he cried out her name.
"Daddy?" Marta let out.
The others turned at that and saw the man running and enveloping Marta in a protective hug. Marta's father, Brute, spoke, his tone one of relief:
"Thank goodness! Thank goodness. When I heard the angels captured you, I…" he left the rest of the statement hanging in the air. Once Brute calmed down and Marta hugged him back to let he know she was safe and unharmed he got up.
He then saw the eyes on him and understood he probably had barged in the middle of an important meeting. Clearing his throat, Marta's father, Commander Brute, assumed the posture of austerity and discipline befitting the leader of an armed resistance, the only thing that contradicted it was the hand that still held Marta's own with a firm, yet delicate grip, like he was afraid of breaking her.
"I… apologize for my early…"
"Brute, cut out the act," Dirk said.
"We all know you were worried sick about Marta. There is no need to hide it," Martel said in her ever gentle and comprehensive tone.
"Yes… thanks… that reminds me: Yuan could you send Hawk my apologies. I left under his watch and almost ran over him to get here when I heard… you know," Brute said, his eyes turning to the side as he looked embarrassed.
"I'll let him know," the leader of the Renegades said with an understanding smile.
"So, you're Commander Brute. Leader of the Sylvaranti Vanguard," Raine spoke up.
"Yes. I am Brute Lualdi," the man said, his tone becoming professional as he presented himself. He sent a loving look to Marta before speaking again to the group. "I deeply thank you all for keeping my daughter safe. And I apologize for any trouble she might have caused. She was always quite the handful."
"Daddy! Not in front of Emil and the others," Marta protested, her cheeks becoming a tone of pink at her father's tease.
Colette giggled while Sheena chuckled. Lloyd put his hands behind his head with an easygoing smile as he said it hadn't been a problem at all. Ratatosk then demanded to take the control and Emil allowed him to. After the group was done presenting themselves to the new faces, Ratatosk approached Brute and asked:
"So, I see you're still alive."
"Ratatosk," Brute regarded the brash Summon Spirit, knowing that Ratatosk was never one for formalities.
"Should I bow down to you or something?" Brute shoot him a confused look while Marta called the Summon Spirit's name. Emil too was asking him what he was doing, but Ratatosk ignored him. "I suppose that's what royalty expects, is it not?"
Brute gasped, his eyes widening in understanding. Lloyd however, was confused and looked at Brolir, but Ratatosk hadn't looked at him when he said that. Altessa saw that and explained it to the young man:
"He meant Brute."
Lloyd let out an embarrassed "oh".
Brute sighed and spoke:
"So… you know it."
"That you're a member of the Sylvaranti Lineage and your father found the Vanguard as an attempt to revive it? Let's say a little bird with a deadly edge told me."
Zelos would have laughed at the comparison Ratatosk made about Gaelius if the situation wasn't so tense. Yuan sensed that would inevitably lead to some explaining and asked Martel to go and order someone to bring some chairs.
After that was done, the large group of people sat down in the comfortable chairs, leaving only one unoccupied as Brute was still standing. The Supreme Commander of the Vanguard sighed, but spoke notwithstanding:
"As you likely know, Marta and I are descendants of the Sylvaranti Dynasty. The last heirs if my father's words could be trusted. My father had this idea of driving the demons away and restoring the Dynasty, bigger and more powerful than ever, now that Tethe'alla was definitely finished and leaderless. To that end, he and his supporters found the Sylvaranti Liberation Front.
"They never told the members their true intentions. Everybody thought it was just to drive the demons out. He didn't plan to tell them until Sylvarant was being rebuilt and he was crowned King. So much foolishness…"
Brute shook his head and Martel commented that Marta's father had never agreed with the plan. Brute looked at them and said, his voice disgusted:
"It was ridiculous. My own mother fell victim to the Second Invasion, but my father and his advisors just cared about their precious dynasty. I couldn't oppose him as I had no power and he would off me if I ever spoke in protest."
"Not much of the paternal type, was he?" Zelos quipped, knowing from experience.
"Putting lightly… he was the reason the Vanguard and the Renegades didn't band together from the start. He still clung to the old ideals of racial and national superiority."
"In that case, we should be glad he didn't get to lead the Vanguard for much time," Raine said, cold and analytical as always, regardless of the other's protests in behalf of Marta. But the brunette only shook her head.
"It's alright," she said. "I don't even remember him and mother didn't like grandfather that much. I couldn't say he was a loving grandparent."
"Anyway, when the demons eventually killed him, the others expected me to take command, since I was the 'next in the line'. I did, but I did some changes as soon as I took over. First one, get in contact with the Renegades."
The group could guess the diehards of the Dynasty didn't like that very much, but probably had kept quite. Brute then told them that when he decided to garner the dwarves' support, his father's supporters finally voiced their discontent, but he told them they could leave if they wanted to, which they eventually did.
"I would say good riddance," Dirk commented. "That just proves he's more of a leader than they ever expected him to be."
"Even a King must know when to bow down," Brolir spoke, like reciting an old teaching. "When he came to me and told me who he was, I almost decided to simply tell the guards to skewer him alive and be done with it, but when he offered apologies and whatever compensation we deemed fit for what his family did, I started to listen."
"'Compensation'?" Marta asked, a little worried, knowing many people still resented her family.
"Nothing of too much. He just would have to give up his throne, titles and such as a sign that he was truly regretful of his family's actions."
"That was quite harsh," Zelos said, looking at the King.
The red head knew better than anyone that nobles would kill to keep their status and titles intact, because they believed that without them, they were just "common peasants" and Spirits forbid if they ever came down to the level of "low borns" and "social trash". So, what Brolir asked was akin to ask Brute to abandon everything his father had attained and turn away from his family.
"I bet he wouldn't do it, but the bastard had to prove me wrong," Dirk said in a good-natured tone. "Lost fifty Glad that day," his tone was one of false sadness.
"Honestly, I didn't mind it. Lydia said she would rather have to go to war then to go in a party with the 'brain-dead bimbos' of high society and 'stuck up leeches'," Brute said in a humored tone.
"Mom and etiquette never mixed," Marta said with a giggle.
"So, you betrayed your family in the end," Ratatosk said, lounging lazily with one arm on the back of the chair and looking to the side, the very picture of the problem-student.
"Marta and Lydia didn't feel betrayed. As for my father… you have to face reality if you hope to survive in this world."
"Nice speech…" Ratatosk said with some sarcasm in his voice.
The rest of the reincarnated Spirits raised their eyebrows. They never saw Ratatosk behaving like that. The Summon Spirit got up and gave Brute a mild smile, speaking:
"But really, what are we if not a bunch of traitors? To the family…" he regarded Brute. "To ideals…" he looked at Marta and Yuan, the former raising his eyebrow. "And to the world," he pointed to himself.
"Wait. You mean what that angel said…" Lloyd spoke up, but didn't finish his phrase.
"All true. The one that hinted the demons of Aselia's state and let them breach the dimensional boundary… was I."
The group gasped at that. Martel had her hands over her mouth as Yuan and Brolir widened their eyes. Ratatosk chuckled at their expressions and continued.
"It was very easy. Without Origin and the others, I could finally get rid of all the parasites that infested Aselia."
"I-I don't believe it," Marta said, shaking her head in denial and closing her eyes. "I won't believe it."
"Think what you will, but refusing to see reality just proves how naïve you are."
"Naïve?" Marta repeated.
"You humans close your eyes to reality, selecting the facts you want to see according to your desires. That's what led the world to this point. I was merely a catalyst and you, arrogantly thinking yourselves above even the world, had what was coming to you."
The adults of different races stood quiet at that, but Lloyd got up, peeved at what Ratatosk had told them:
"So you say that the Kharlan War justifies you letting the demons invade?"
"I could ask you the same thing: do your personal grudges justify dragging the whole world into the path to destruction?"
Lloyd looked like he wanted to reply, but could only grunt and look to the side. He couldn't argue with Ratatosk on that. The brash Summon Spirit shook his head, muttering:
"Incredible. Human arrogance never ceases to amaze me," he then looked at them. "If you have faced these disasters and tragedies, than it's nothing more than what you deserve."
Marta was about to reply something, but in that moment Zelos got up, strolled to Ratatosk, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pressed him against the wall with a "THUD". The others could only gasp at the sudden, violent action of the normally calm and playful Zelos.
The red head had a pissed off look on his face that completely contrasted with his normally handsome features. He then spoke, his voice serious and devoid of any humor:
"So, the several innocent lives that died up till now mean nothing to you? What about Marta's mother? From what you all told me, she believed in you. What about all the others that are giving their lives to rebuilt the world?"
"Huh! Don't come babbling to me about innocence and guilt," Ratatosk spat with a twisted smile on his face. "You humans love your martyrs, don't you? It's just a person being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and she is soon treated as an unfortunate victim of the circumstances. Let me tell you something: there is no such thing as victims.
"Everything that happens to you is a direct result of your actions, both done and not done. What about the thousands that died in the Second Invasion, you ask? They were all comfortable with the war, living in their 'blissful ignorance'. They are just as guilty for the War as those that fought on it."
Zelos only glared at Ratatosk, who returned his glare, not backing away. Zelos then spoke:
"Really? And what would your 'brothers and sisters' think about it?"
Ratatosk's eyes widened for a moment, but he soon schooled his expression. Emil was trying to take the control back and undo all the damage the Lord of the Monsters' statements did, but Ratatosk was repelling him. The others only looked from Zelos to Ratatosk, waiting for the former's reply, but he didn't spoke anything.
"Huh… in the end, it's just like you said, eh?" the reincarnated Celsius closed his eyes and dropped the crimson-eyed entity. "Really, who has the right to berate at who, when both parts suffered equally? I just wonder who feels worse: those that lost someone in this whole mess, or those trying to make up for their mistakes," he shot a pointed look at Ratatosk.
In that moment, the Summon Spirit had to use all of his willpower not to let himself gasp and show his apprehension.
He knows… Ratatosk thought. He then looked as Zelos went back to his place without uttering a single word. But it seems he won't tell them anything yet. Good.
Ratatosk then turned and walked to the door. He heard Marta calling him, but even so he didn't stop, not even when he felt a painful sting in his heart…
- / - / - / - / - / -
"What were you thinking?" Emil berated at him as soon as the two were out of the room.
I only did what was necessary. Ratatosk talked back.
"Necessary? What do you…"
Look, everything is proceeding as it should. So, shut up and let me handle things.
Emil was about to retort, but stopped as the two saw Presea coming with Duke Bryant and General Aurion right behind her. Ratatosk didn't even acknowledge her as he passed by the pink haired girl, who stopped and looked at him. Kratos and Regal also sensed something wrong, but choose not to comment, since they were just coming back from Altamira.
- / - / - / - / - / -
The committee from Moria quickly apologized and took their leave, since they had business to do back in the dwarven capital. None of them spoke anything beyond the necessary since Ratatosk's revelation. Eventually, it was Dirk who broke the ice, speaking in a confused and unsure tone:
"That… was quite the news."
"Who would have thought that one of the Summon Spirits would be the one to trigger the Second Invasion," Altessa reflected.
"So… what should we do about it?"
"Nothing…" this time, it was their King who spoke, making the two turn to him in curiosity. Brolir didn't turn as he spoke, his tone bearing all of his wisdom and authority as he said. "Who are we to judge a Summon Spirits' actions? Besides, what would you have done in that situation: with a war caused by another race that seemed to kill your loved ones and was about to destroy the world?"
The two other Dwarves stood in silence at that, both knowing that their King was right. Brolir sighed and his tone sounded tired once more, giving away his real age:
"What good would it do in recriminating him? Just more anger and sadness. When one of the guardians of the world acts in such an extreme way it is a sign that things have already reached a critical point. This cycle of hatred and tragedies will only continue if we act as others had in the past."
Dirk and Altessa nodded at their King. Besides, both of them didn't really think Ratatosk was the one at fault there. For one, none of them would be here today if the War had proceeded.
- / - / - / - / - / -
"I can't believe it. So Ratatosk… all this time," Sheena said.
"Well, he always showed his disdain for humans and his hatred for what the Kharlan War did to the other Summon Spirits ," Raine mused.
"But even, so… couldn't he have done something else?" Lloyd asked.
"Like what?" this time, it was Yuan who spoke. "Mana was burnt out, which effectively cut off most of the Spirits' powers and I bet even his monsters were already too few for him to put an end to the War himself."
Everybody looked at the leader of the Renegades as he spoke that. Lloyd then asked why he was defending Ratatosk's actions. It was then Brute spoke:
"What does his actions matter in the end?" everybody looked at the Vanguard Commander as soon as he spoke it. "We were the ones that pushed him to this. If there are any culprits in this story, than it is us."
Lloyd and Sheena stood quiet at that. If even Brute thought Ratatosk wasn't one to blame, then their protests wouldn't accomplish much of anything, considering even Yuan and Martel didn't seem to blame the rash Summon Spirit.
"Can we all please just leave this aside for the time being?" Colette requested, bringing everybody's attention to her. "Ratatosk is our friend and whatever happened is in the past. He might not be right for doing what he did, but what blaming him for the Invasion is going to resolve? Nothing."
Amelia nodded and quickly wrote a message o her notebook:
Ratatosk suffered just as much, if not even more, than any of us. What he did might not be easily forgiven, but neither are we free from guilt with the War that our race caused.
"This is going nowhere, we're walking in circles," Yuan said, getting up from his chair and giving a serious and authoritative look to the group reunited. "I know I don't have any rights to command you all to do anything. You are the Summon Spirits, so you can very well make your own decisions, but I say you should leave this matter be. As Colette and her mother put: it's in the past and arguing about it will change nothing that already happened."
Martel and Brute nodded, voicing their own opinions about it. Zelos, who stood strangely quiet during the entire thing, was reclining his back on a chair with his hands crossed behind his head. Lloyd looked at him and asked if he didn't have anything to say about it. The red head spoke without even looking at them:
"Whatever you decided is alright with me."
"Are you sure? Weren't you just as much affected by all of this as any of us?" Raine inquired. Zelos shrugged.
"That's for me to decide. Besides, Yuan is right; it's not like we can change what he did."
"That's strangely insightful coming from you," Sheena jabbed. Zelos surprised her by replying:
"I think it's just common sense."
Colette then turned to Marta, who had been sitting in a chair near the wall the entire time, head low with her bangs covering her eyes. She was so quiet they might as well have forgotten she was there. The blonde was about to ask if she was alright when the door opened.
"Dad!" Lloyd exclaimed at seeing who entered.
"Hello, Lloyd. I've heard you had a bit of a trouble," Kratos replied with a bit of humor.
"Heh. Well, what can I say?" Lloyd said, giving one good-natured smile as the tension seemed to ease with the appearance of the trio.
"PRESEA!" Colette said, immediately running and tackling the pink haired axwoman into a hug, which only didn't made her lose equilibriumthanks to her great strength.
"Um… hello, Colette," Presea said, quite unsure of what to do when she was greeted like that.
"Where have you been? I was so worried! Are you alright? That Seraphim didn't hurt you, did him?
Presea let out an "huh?" not managing to catch all of Colette's questions, which were shot in a rapid succession. Sheena told her surrogate sister to take some time and breath between sentences. Colette realized she was speaking too fast and blushed in embarrassment, apologizing.
"I am unharmed. I managed to escape before he could deliver the final blow," Presea said.
Colette sighed in relief and Amelia smiled at seeing her daughter's friend was unharmed, just like Zelos, who only observed the entire interaction from his place. It was then he noticed the other figure that accompanied the group, standing on the side, wearing a blue jacket, white shirt and dark pants and shoes, a stark contrast to how formally dressed he was the last time they saw him.
"Hey, Duke Bryant. To what do we owe the honor of you visiting?" Zelos said, his carefree and playful tone back as the others finally took notice of Regal standing near the door.
"Greetings, Representative Wilder," Regal greeted Zelos back.
"Still calling me that? By now you certainly have heard that I am not a Representative anymore."
"Indeed, shortly before I came, I've heard the church issued an warrant for your arrest by heresy and treason."
"Really? What's the prize for my head?"
"Ten thousand Gald and a post of medium hierarquy on the church."
"WHAT? JUST THAT?" Zelos asked in an indignant tone that made the others sweatdrop. "Oh, c'mon! You work your whole life for the guys and that's how much you're worth to them? Hmph! Some people really don't know how to show gratitude," he crossed his arms with a "huff".
Marta got up and walked to the door. Colette asked her if she was feeling alright and she answered, without turning, in a hollow tone:
"I'm going to bed…"
When the automatic door closed behind her, Brute turned to the group and said:
"I'll see my daughter to one of the rooms if there isn't any more need for my presence."
Yuan nodded to the other resistance leader. As Brute left, Presea asked what happened, since it wasn't like Marta to demonstrate that kind of behavior. The group looked between themselves, before Raine decided to tell the news.
When the silver haired half-elf ended, Presea seemed slightly surprised. Kratos and Regal had their eyes wide as the President of Lezareno breathed:
"So, Ratatosk was the one that triggered the Invasion."
"And did so in hopes to wipe us out…" Kratos concluded in a solemn tone.
"What do you think of it, Kratos?" Yuan asked.
"Honestly, I am just as phased as any of you. However, I can't say I don't understand where he is coming from."
Lloyd knew what his father was saying. When his mother had died, he too wished he could kill all of the Desians until none was left. Remembering that, the reincaranted Efreet felt very hypocrite for criticizing Ratatosk.
Zelos saw Presea wasn't as affected by the news as the others and asked what she thought about it. The pink haired girl voiced her opinion aloud, her tone never wavering or rising:
"What he did or not, isn't of my concern. Whether he regrets it or not has no effect on his current actions. However, if he reveals himself to be a threat to Colette and you all, I will take him down."
They all knew she would do exactly that. Presea never gave empty threats, not when Colette was concerned. In a way, it was inspiring how much she cared for them, but some could see she gave a more special attention to their blond haired friend. Sheena, Amelia, Raine and Zelos could clearly see it. The ninja made a mental note to approach the reincarnated Shadow later about it. Looking at Amelia, she saw the blond woman nodding, trading a wordless message with her, hinting she would also talk to Colette about it.
"That's quite the harsh thing to say about your friend," Martel said, approaching the pink haired girl.
Presea looked to the woman and couldn't help, but stare. She felt like she was looking at an adult, green-haired version of Colette, though the blonde adult near Sheena was more of a carbon copy of the blonde puppy than the green haired Goddess of Victory. Even so, she could see the same gentle eyes and aura of kindness radiating from this woman. Presea blushed, but was quick to look to the side to try and disguise it.
"I-It's only the truth," she said, trying to hide her stutter, but the more attentive adults caught on it, although they choose not to comment. Her voice regained most of its serious connotation. "I believe that people's current actions tell more about them than any kind of past information."
Her daddy had always taught her that: judge people by their actions today, for people were always changing, it was whether they would change for the better or worse that mattered.
Zelos then interrupted any further talks with a loud yawn. Sheena shot him a reproving look, but the red haired swordsman only spoke:
"Sorry, I'm quite sleepy. It must be already past the time for my beauty sleep."
"Well, we have been talking for an awful lot of time," Martel said. She then turned to her husband. "Yuan, I think they should rest."
"Yes. This was quite and eventful day and I have to admit I'm also tired," he pressed a button on an intercom on his desk and the automatic door to his office opened once more. A man in a white uniform with spiked upward, chocolate-colored hair entered. He had a stern look on his face and a few scars here and there. "Everybody, this is Botta, my most trusted lieutenant. Botta, these are the Summon Spirits."
"Ah, so you are the ones that have caught the attention of not just the resistances, but also the church," Botta said.
"Yeah, we tend to do that," Zelos replied.
"Botta, please take them to the spare rooms we have. They all need some rest," Yuan ordered, to which the lieutenant saluted and asked for the reincarnated guardians to follow him. Yuan, however, asked Regal to stay behind as he wanted to have a private word with the President of Lezareno.
The blue haired man nodded and stayed behind as the group left. When there was only he and the half-elven couple, Yuan asked:
"Did something happened in Altamira for you to come here personally?"
"No. George is taking care of things while I am away. I am here for a completely different reason," Regal said.
"What is it then? It's not usual for you to come pay us a visit."
Regal considered it for some time. He said to Presea that she could tell the others about his suspicions, but he would feel more secure if somebody with the knowledge could already tell him whether he was a Summon Spirit or not. He didn't want to waste Lloyd and other's time.
"Say, how much do you know about the Summon Spirit's symbols?"
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
In another part of the base, in the sleeping quarters, Marta was resting in a bed, sleeping without producing a single sound. Her father had encountered her like that and tucked her in bed like he did when she was a child, choosing not to disturb her sleep as he left for the other room close to hers. He knew she should be suffering from Ratatosk's revelation and it pained him he couldn't do anything for his single daughter.
After the Supreme Commander of the Vanguard left, a group of beings materialized in the room while still camouflaging their presence. The Centurions then approached Marta's bed as Aqua asked in a hesitant tone:
"Are you sure we should do this? I mean, our Lord hasn't said anything and…"
"Do you really think it would be acceptable to leave things the way they are?" Ventus inquired. "You know how our Lord feels about his reincarnated sister."
"I know, I know, but…"
"Think about it as a way to alleviate his suffering," Tenebrae said.
"You too? I thought you would be against it mister 'we must never disobey our Lord'," Aqua jabbed.
"Well, isn't it nice to change roles every now and then?" Tenebrae retorted.
Aqua crossed her arms and glared at him, but didn't spoke anything.
"Look, you two… as much as it might sound like going behind our Lord's back, I too agree that we Centurions have a duty to protect our Master. Both physically and emotionally," Solum said. "After all, isn't it the duty of a good servant to protect his master even from himself."
"Ok, ok, fine. I'll stop trying to talk you out of it," Aqua finally said. "But if this backfires, its on you three."
"Chill out, Aqua-girl," Lumen said, sporting his ever present goofy smile. "What could possible go wrong? Boss's girl will understand him better, the two will make up, he will be happy and they might even start a family with little bosses running around a big, country house."
"That is such a delusional conclusion to the situation that I don't even know where to start correcting you," Aqua sweadropped at Lumen's line.
"But I agree with Solum," Ignis said, her tone a determined one as she closed her fist and looked up. "We must protect Lord Ratatosk's happiness from himself and… um… wait. Why would he go against himself? That doesn't make any sense."
The others choose to ignore her and they all circled around Marta's bed. Ventus then gave the signal for Lumen and Tenebrae to start. The two nodded and concentrated their powers on the girl lying in the bed.
Due to the special nature of their elements, Tenebrae and Lumen possessed a combined ability that allowed them to enter in people's dreams and project images and memories on them. Ventus and the others transferred the knowledge of what memories they wanted for Marta to see and these were poured into the girl's sleeping mind…
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
Wha… what is this? Marta wondered as her dreamless sleep was suddenly interrupted as colors started to swirl in front of her, forming images. After the images, sound came:
"And here it is!" a little, blue haired girl with fairy wings spoke. She was using a tight, form-fitting suit, which looked very much like Marta's.
"Our glorious, big brother Ratatosk!" another fairy-girl, this one with pink hair and a similar attire to the other with the exception of a brown cap, said.
Big brother Ratatosk? Marta questioned.
And in came a figure she couldn't recognize. He was as tall as Regal, but his entire body was covered in gray fur, except by a bare part on his chest which formed the Crest of Ratatosk. Marta couldn't make out most of his features, for her vision started to get blurred when she tired to focus, but she could see the familiar crimson eyes and the fact there were laces and braids around the figure's face.
She could tell Ratatosk must be pissed, as she saw he glaring at the Summon Spirits, who seemed to be trying to keep their laugh down.
"Not… a… word…" he warned, but his appearance completely betrayed his attempts at being intimidating, resulting in his "family" laughing their heads off at him. "You guys suck!"
"Oh, c'mon. Chill out, Rata," a woman with pale-bluish skin and in very revealing garments said. Marta instinctively knew that was Celsius, Zelos' old self.
"Yes," the two-headed, glowing bird, Aska, said. "Learn to laugh a little at yourself," he went back to laugh at the normally prideful Spirit.
Marta just observed the scene and turned to look at Ratatosk, although her vision was quite blurred she could see Ratatosk's expression morphing slowly to a mild smile, despite his situation. That surprised the brunette for she was sure she never saw he smile that kind of calm, happy smile.
The scene than changed and now Ratatosk was disputing an arm-break with Efreet, the two had grins on their faces as Gnome and Celsius cheered them on. Ratatosk won in the end, and Celsius shouted in victory:
"AH, THERE! Pay up, Gnome," she said.
"Aw man…" Gnome sighed.
"Wait. How about best thirteenth out of fifteenth," Efreet said, seeming quite desperate to win, though if it was out of pride or competitively, Marta wouldn't know.
"Why not? I always do enjoy beating your ass," Ratatosk said.
And there was another smile. This one a competitive one and not malicious or vindictive in the least. It started to make Marta wonder if she was really looking at Ratatosk.
"Let's see that, furry," Efreet taunted.
Instead of coming up with a retort, Ratatosk just chuckled and poised his arm to lock with Efreet's.
The scene changed again, this time Ratatosk and Aska were receiving a mouth-off from Luna. Marta could make out a background that reminded her a lot of the inside of the Tower of Mana.
"Honestly, I know you two have your differences, but that doesn't give you the right to destroy an entire floor of the tower! What if somebody got hurt?" the blond Summon Spirit said, she was not sitting in her moon like always, which showed how tall she was and made her all the more intimidating.
"Sorry…" Ratatosk and Aska said in low tones.
Marta was again surprised, her eyes wide as she had never heard Ratatosk apologizing. Not with such sincere and meek tone. More scenes played before her:
The crimson-eyed guardian sparing with Origin…
Analyzing the mana and elements with the elder-looking Maxwell…
Being prank by the Sylphs and chasing after them, uttering empty threats…
Being flirted by Celsius, which left him blushing…
From all of those scenes, Marta saw a constant: Ratatosk acted with more deliberation and spontaneity than he ever did near her or the others. Although the voice and eyes were the same, the feelings transmitted could have very well belonged to a completely different person.
He… loved them. Marta thought as she saw another scene of all the spirits together, chatting and even making fun of each other. They really were like a family to him. she could tell it, for the way they acted towards each other was just like her own family acted when they were together.
The scene changed again and now she was in a landscape, before her was the biggest tree she ever saw. Marta was in awe, but at the same time felt a pang in her heart at seeing the tree was withered and dead. She was sure when it was blooming and full of leaves it had been majestic. She then heard sobs and looked down.
What she saw cut at her heart deeper than any blade. Ratatosk was hunched over himself, his body wracked by sobs. When Marta approached she saw a small puddle of blood beneath his face, more drops falling to join with those on the dried grass. However, she knew it wasn't from a wound. Summon Spirits didn't bleed. No. Those were his tears.
"I couldn't… I couldn't protect it… my family… even my tree…" Ratatosk spoke, his voice carried sadness that Marta never heard on him before. "Damn it! Damn it all to hell!"
He looked up and then Marta saw it: eyes full of anger and fury. Those were the eyes of the Ratatosk she knew.
"WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO BE SATISFIED?" somehow, she knew he was screaming at the humans, even though they couldn't listen him. "ARE NOT GOING TO SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS WORLD AND MY FAMILY?"
He lowered his head again and started to punch the floor, each punch sending out vibrations across the earth, slowly creating a crater.
"YOU SELFISH BASTARDS!" he yelled. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL EXTERMINATE YOUR WHOLE DAMNED RACE!"
He eventually stopped and as he did, the world around Marta, the memories of Ratatosk's old life, slowly faded away…
- / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
Marta's eyes opened with a start. She then looked around and saw the Centurions around her bed. She made a motion to sit and they gave her space. It was then she noticed her cheeks were wet and brought her hand to it. She had been crying.
She wanted to cry when she saw Ratatosk's state in that last memory for she had never seen him like that. It didn't even compare to when she saw he shed tears when he was remembering his old life after awakening Solum.
She then looked to the Centurions around and slowly spoke:
"You guys… those were…"
"Those were memories of our Lord. We've been present in some of those situations. In others, he let us access his mind so he could seek our council about certain subjects," Ventus explained.
"However, he never let us have access to any of his memories during and shortly before the Second Invasion," Solum said.
Marta nodded, already guessing that much. She then asked what they thought about it. The Centurions looked between each other, before Aqua was the one that spoke their opinion:
"Look, we don't exactly think that was the best way to deal with it, but…"
"As you've seen, Lord Ratatosk was consumed by grief and anger over the situation of his family and the death of the Giant Kharlan Tree," Tenebrae completed, Aqua, for once, agreeing with him. "it's not our place to judge our Lord's actions."
Marta lowered her head, thinking on all of that, trying to put herself in his place. Would she have done that to the people responsible for the death of her family?
Alice's image immediately came to her mind and then she knew the answer. Yes, she would have. Maybe she would have regretted it later, but at the time she wouldn't even care about the consequences as long as those that caused the death of her family were punished. She had already thought as much when she saw her mother dying in her father's arms.
And then she finally understood Ratatosk's actions. They were no different from what many would have done in his place. The only difference was his decisions affected the entire balance of the world, which was already fragile. She remembered his smiles and laughter in his happier memories. She wanted him to be like that around her.
Strange… she thought. Lately, I have been as much worried about Ratatosk as I've been about Emil. no. The truth was, she had always seen the two under the same eye and assumed that Ratatosk's problems also affected Emil. In a way, she supposed it was true.
Anyway, she shouldn't lose her time thinking about it.
"Where is Ratatosk?" Marta asked the Centurions.
- / - / - / - / - / - / -
Ratatosk was close to having a mental breakdown.
Emil had been "bitching" at him ever since the two left Yuan's office and had yet to shut up. He knew the only way the idiot would stop pestering him was if he shared his thoughts on his newest plan, but that would bring a whole new set of problems and annoyances. One of them named Marta.
Emil was virtually unable to hide anything from her. If Ratatosk let out what he was planning, he could kiss his plans goodbye. There was also the fact that Ratatosk himself didn't know if he would be able to follow it through once Marta voiced her protests.
No, he had to do everything in secret and only after the deed was done should Marta know.
"Do what? Ratatosk, this is already going to far. What is it that you're planning that involve effectively being hated by the others?" Emil protested, making a vein pulse in Ratatosk's head. Maybe he should threaten to cut Emil's wrists like last time.
"Emil!" Ratatosk heard Marta's voice and turned to see her coming.
He had been standing near a window that gave view to the Renegade's training center, the only relatively isolated corridor he could find to think. Seeing Marta coming made him nervous.
"Oh. It's you, Ratatosk," Marta said, her voice free of the contempt and anger he expected after he just admitted to their faces he was responsible for the demons taking over Aselia.
"I'll pass the control to him," he said, hoping to avoid conversation with the girl. Much to his charging, she shook her head and said she wanted to talk to him. "What is it?" the Lord of the Monsters kept his voice neutral.
He could feel Emil glowering at him, ready to force the control off Ratatosk's hands and try and explain to Marta that there was something wrong with his other self. Then the brunette spoke:
"I come here to say I forgive you."
That made both personalities' minds come to a crashing halt. Ratatosk's eyes widened, while Emil stood mute. The gentler blonde had, like Ratatosk, expected Marta to be angry. She had loved her mother dearly and losing her had to have been a huge blow to her. He knew it, for he noticed she started acting odd when she said she was coming with him after the attack on the House of Salvation. If he had known then, he would have offered his shoulder for her to cry.
"F-Forgive me ?" Ratatosk said, without understanding what she meant. Marta nodded.
"The other Summon Spirits… you loved them. They were like family to you. And then the Kharlan War took them away from you. Also, the Giant Kharlan Tree was indirectly killed by us humans. That destroyed you, didn't it?"
HOW DOES SHE KNOW? Ratatosk thought in desperation. This had the potential to ruin everything. However, his surprised and shocked reaction only proved what Marta was saying was true, so she went on.
"In the end, we all lost loved ones. And I can safely say that, in your place, I would have thought the same thing; I would have wanted for those that killed my family to be dead," she lowered her head. Thinking of Alice, she closed her fists, making it very clear she was being sincere. The brunette then looked up, her gaze turning into an understanding one as she smiled a sincere smile. "So, I'm not going to hold it against you, because, in the end, you're just like us: another victim to this cycle of tragedies."
Marta then approached him, reducing the distance between them. Ratatosk could only stand still, seeing her approach. He whispered her name and she spoke again, now close enough so that their bodies were almost touching:
"I don't hate you. Even if everybody else does, I will never, because I know how you truly are. So, please Ratatosk, I would like to see… your smile."
Before he could voice any protest, Marta's lips were upon his. He suddenly felt Emil's consciousness merging with his and once again, their minds active at the same time as they felt Marta's lips upon theirs and a heat in their chest they never thought they would feel again.
Ratatosk momentarily closed his now mismatched eyes and his arms raised to embrace the girl that was pouring all of the affection she had for him in that single, blissful kiss.
Then images of his brothers and sisters smiling at him assaulted his mind and he suddenly saw Nebilim's smiling face from a lower perspective, pointing a blade made of fire to his face as he said:
We all are slaves to our feelings… my dear Traitor of the World.
His eyes snapped open, the pleasant sensation gone as his eyes again turned into a matching, crimson tone. Emil's mind was forcefully separate from his so brutally that the blonde boy's consciousness went into sleep. He then grabbed Marta's shoulder and held her away, disconnecting their lips.
Marta's eyes opened, temporarily unfocused due to the pleasure she had felt in that kiss, but she soon recovered her bearings at seeing she wasn't connected to Ratatosk anymore, but being held at distance. She also saw he had a desperate gleam in his eyes and his expression was almost a panicked one.
"Don't…" he said, in a breathless voice.
"Don't what?" Marta asked, confused, trying to recover her breath too. She felt she was going so well. Did he not like her kiss?
"You can't… can't like me."
"What?" Marta exclaimed in surprise.
"No. This isn't supposed to go this way," Ratatosk lowered his head, seeming to speak more to himself than to her. "You can't like… can't love me… I'm a traitor."
Without any more explanations, he let go of her and sprinted down the corridor, ignoring the calls of a very confused Marta. He just stopped to run when he couldn't feel her presence anymore. Ratatosk put his hand on the wall and tried to catch his breath.
He had liked that kiss. Both him and Emil. He knew why he hadn't rejected her at first, knew what were the feelings he was developing for her and that panicked him more than anything.
He couldn't let this affect him. He just couldn't. If he started caring for her too much, he would end giving up everything because once she found out his plans, she would be hurting. Ratatosk then looked up, his eyes turning sharp and cold:
I have to make these feelings go away, even if it means to make her hate me.
"My Lord," he turned at hearing Tenebrae's voice and saw his Centurions floating nearby with expectant gazes on their eyes.
Instantly, Ratatosk knew why Marta acted like that: his servants had told her about his past. He lowered his head, hiding his eyes behind the blond bangs as he strode forward to the Centurions. Lumen then asked in a hopeful voice:
"So, did you and your girl made u…"
Lumen didn't get to end his question, for Ratatosk grabbed his face and Tenebrae's and slammed them on the nearest wall, almost making a dent on the metal. The other Centurion's eyes widened as they floated a few inches away. They could see the cold, murderous intent on Ratatosk's eyes, as Tenebrae and Lumen struggled to get free from the death grip that threatened to crush their heads.
The angered Summon Spirit turned to look at his other servants and growled a threat:
"If you do something like that behind my back ever again I will immediately terminate your existences, is that clear?" the Centurions were too shocked to immediately comply. The tone their Lord was using indicated he would follow through with his threat. He slammed Lumen and Tenebrae's heads on the wall again. "IS THAT CLEAR?" he roared.
The Centurions would have jumped if they were not floating in the air and immediately nodded to their creator. As Ratatosk let go of Tenebrae and Lumen, who shook their heads, trying to get the sensitivity back, Ignis timidly approached the Lord of the Monsters and stuttered:
"W-we just w-wanted to m-make you happy, Lord Ratatosk," when he shot an icy cold glare to her, she made an "Eep!" sound, backing away in fear.
"I don't need you to guard my happiness," he said in a cold, detached tone. The crimson-eyed entity then turned and spoke before leaving, his tone lowering and turning more melancholic. "I don't need happiness. Only closure…"
Still not a chapter that calls for an entry of some of books pertaining this new reality. But at least we get a skit!
This one is between Ratatosk and Emil and occurs while the former is "bitching" the latter about his actions:
Plans
Ratatosk: Can you stop thinking? It's giving me a headache.
Emil: Why did you do that? You made it look like you don't regret making the demons invade.
Ratatosk: I don't.
Emil: Huh?
Ratatosk: Didn't it occur to you that what I did is exactly what should be done?
Emil: If that is so, why is it that I can't access your memories lately. It's like you're trying to keep secrets from me.
Ratatosk: Look, just sit back and watch. Everything will eventually fall into place and when we find my last Centurion, things will finally become the way they should be, so you don't need to worry your little head over such matters.
Emil: What kind of matters? Ratatosk, what are you hiding from me?
Ratatosk: Nothing that you should know. Just play your part like always and everything will be ok.
Emil: Ratatosk… what are you planning to do?
Ratatosk: Urgh! You know what, you ask too much. Man, makes me wish you were still the wimp from back then. Just shut up and let me handle things. You wanted to stay with Marta, right? Fine, I made adjustments so things will go in a way that will benefit both of us.
Emil: "Adjustments"? "Benefit"? You just told me to get the cores so we would be able to separate and I would live my life as a normal human, but now you're suddenly helping me to be together with Marta when you also have feelings for her. It's like you don't even care about her.
Ratatosk: What do you care? You wanted to run away from this whole thing in the first place! Just because Marta suddenly revealed to be a Summon Spirit you decided that you wanted to share the same life. Who is the hypocrite now?
Emil: …
Ratatosk: You know what? I'm already tired of discussing this.
Emil: … it's true that I didn't want this in the beginning and that it was when Marta… maybe he's right. It's much hypocrisy of me to suddenly start inquiring about his plans when I didn't want to have anything to do with it. But… I can't just accept it. Why does he want to hurt the others like this? What are your plans Ratatosk? What do you expect to get in the end?