AN: Alright, second essay handed in yesterday and I worked up a storm on this chapter! Next essay due on Wednesday but it's not a big assignment, so I can probably write the next chapter at the same time. Anyway time to respond to you awesome reviewers!
BruceNadeauJr: Thanks! Ah the Victor arc does carry a lot of load, so I can see why you liked it. I hope you will enjoy how I wrote it. The major differences will not occur until next chapter however, although there's some here
Time Heals All: Damn, you don't know how much what you just said means to me! Thanks! Haha, I get what you mean and that just really touches me that you think this story could happen in an alternate option for the game. Lol, I enjoyed writing that part about Milla as well ;)
GroundZeroFirework: Hoho, well I'm glad the chapter still worked for you. Hmm... I don't believe he ever admitted it so no :P
Riku Uzumaki: Yes, my interpretation that if both Millas were co-existing, I'm sure they'd have acted like twin sisters so I plan to write it in that way. Oh man, that skit you mentioned, I like that idea. Thanks! I will definitely use it in a future chapter and I WILL credit you for it! Thanks for the suggestion!
U-know Yunho: Yes, I believe this chapter will have a lot of different reactions coming from different characters! Especially from 'fractured' Milla
Haseo55: Yes I agree. What I enjoy about the Tales series is the interactions we see coming from the characters. The skits, the quotes they have after a battle... it's really enjoyable to see that.
rpglady76: Thanks! Well... Whether I plan to save Julius or not, I can't really reveal it here :p Well you have a lot of options on where to take this story and I'm glad about how you think I can progress it. But I won't reveal anything here xD
Thunderstarwarp: Damn thanks for reading! Glad I caught your interest. As for favorite Tales, I respect your opinion. For me, it's probably Abyss? But I'm really enjoying Xillia now
That Mysterious Reader: Thanks! As for epic fight, guess you'll find out in this chapter
Mr. AE Hachi-Roku: Hmm... I guess from this arc, the group will find out about Ludger's condition. But like I said, I'm changing certain factors about Chromatus and stuff. It will be explained next chapter.
Well, that's it for reviews! Hope you will enjoy this chapter guys!
CHAPTER 9: PRIME & FRACTURED
The whole party surveyed their surroundings and realized the fractured dimension's pathway had landed them on Sharilton. The great city was exactly the same like the one in the prime dimension. Ludger felt a slight pain in his chest but since he only used the Chromatus for a short time, it was bearable enough.
Milla surveyed her surroundings with a nostalgic smile. "Even though we just got here a few days ago, it's nice to see this place every time."
Rowen nodded at Milla's statement, "It takes me back to when we first met."
"Oh, this is where you met Rowen?" 'Fractured' Milla asked her 'other' self.
Milla nodded, "Yes. We were just here in the market of Sharilton when we met Rowen. He was still serving Driselle at the time. And when the city guards were on to us, Rowen helped us escape. We owe Rowen a lot."
Rowen waved the praise away, "Please, think nothing of it. If I had done nothing, then I-"
"Conductor Ilbert?" A voice interrupted. The party turned to the source of the voice. It was a merchant behind his stall. "Is… is that really you?"
"Yes. I am Rowen Ilbert. I was once the steward for House Sharil. A pleasure to meet you."
What the merchant did next was unexpected. It was only thanks to Rowen's years of experience in combat that allowed him to dodge the merchant's fist. Rowen stepped away in shock. The rest of the party was surprised by such an action as well. Alvin almost drew his sword and gun out of instinct.
"How dare you?!" The merchant screamed in fury.
"…How dare I what?" Rowen responded in confusion. He had never seen a man react in such a way before.
"Do you take me for an idiot?! I dunno who the hell put together that costume of yours pal, but it's not fooling me!"
Rowen was even more confused now, "…Costume?"
The merchant scoffed at Rowen's expression, "Don't play dumb! Conductor Ilbert died eight years ago! Hell, he was murdered! Have you no shame?!"
The words of the merchant were now even more shocking. Leia gasped in disbelief, covering her mouth with her hands. Jude and Alvin narrowed their eyes in reaction to the news.
"Rowen… was murdered?" Ryo asked in disbelief. "Are you sure?"
The merchant glared at Ludger as if Ludger had spat at him, "Am I sure? Of course I am! It was a big deal over here in Rieze Maxia! King Gaius threw him a state funeral and everything. He is the Prime Minister after all."
"I can't believe it…" 'Fractured' Milla whispered, turning to Rowen. It was indeed hard to imagine the genius tactician had been killed in a different dimension.
"Who murdered him?" Milla questioned the merchant.
"No one knows. They… they found his body floating in lake Epsilla in Elympios."
"Lake… Epsilla…" Elle repeated the word to herself.
'Fractured' Milla also knew the place. It was the previous fractured dimension she had joined before her close-encounter with and the return of the prime Milla. Somehow she felt that Lake Epsilla was just bad news. She could feel it in her gut.
"Anyway I've had enough of your sick joke." The merchant spat, "Buzz off!"
The party regrouped away from the merchant. Elize could see that Rowen was deeply troubled by the revelation. As a person who looked up to Rowen as a sort of grandfather-figure, Elize wanted to cheer him up. But she did not know how.
Rowen had his hand on his chin, minding with his beard, "Intriguing. A fractured dimension in which I was murdered."
"But if everyone here already knows about Elympios, and Rowen died eight years ago…" Jude said but his voice trailed off.
"…Then this fractured dimension must be several years' ahead of the prime dimension." Rowen finished.
"It seems that Rowen's murder is the big difference here in this dimension." Alvin remarked. "Rowen… you wanna see Driselle? See how she's doing?"
Rowen shook his head, "No, I'd rather not. I'm 'dead' in this dimension. Seeing me will do nothing more than confuse the poor girl."
Milla released a soft sigh, "Anyway, let's head to Lake Epsilla and investigate the murder scene. Maybe we'll find something there."
The party agreed and it would be a whole day's journey before the party would arrive at Drellin. From there it would be another hour or so before they could arrive at Lake Epsilla. For their first stop, the party needed to move towards the Sapstrath Seahaven to take a ship to Marksburg. The whole journey during that time was quiet. Not much was spoken between them. Mainly because no one knew how Rowen had died. The only clue they had about where the divergence catalyst could be was in Lake Epsilla.
Elle was obviously excited however. During the ship ride towards Marksburg, she could barely sit still. It took the Elize, Teepo and Rollo to occupy her attention. Upon arriving at Marksburg, the party moved towards the train station when a strange-looking creature approached them. It was rather shiny and was purple in color.
Elle bent down as she eyed the strange creature, "What is this… shiny dog thing?"
Ludger tilted his head to the side and reached his hand to feel the creature. The strange-looking creature suddenly lit up and strange artes surrounded it but only for a second. It startled the party except Jude. Jude recognized the reaction.
"It… It's a spyrite!" Jude called out.
By then a young woman appeared, apparently out of breath, "Found you! You shouldn't go running off like that!"
Jude could barely contain his excitement as he asked the girl, "Excuse me, but is that a spyrite?"
"Huh? Er, yeah?"
Jude realized that it was not just this strange-looking dog. Around him, there were tons of items that were using spyrite technology. For Jude, it was one of the best sights his eyes could ever lay on. It was what he was working his life for at the moment. And here in this dimension, it seemed to be at full swing.
"It would seem that in this dimension, spyrite technology is open for everyone now." Rowen observed, "It must mean the technology has been perfected."
Alvin had to agree, "It sure looks like it. I guess the Jude of this dimension perfected it." Alvin nudged Jude playfully on his side, "I guess the Jude of this dimension is better than you huh? Maybe he could tell you how he did it."
Before Jude could make a remark, Elize asked the woman, "Excuse me, but do you know of a Jude Mathis?"
"Huh? Well of course. Everyone knows about him. We learned about him in school. He's the one that perfected spyrite technology and then distributed it to the masses." The woman answered. Then the woman turned solemn, "It's a shame about his murder though."
"What?" Leia sputtered in shock.
"Well it was a huge issue back then. The prime minister, Rowen Ilbert… and then Jude Mathis as well." The woman shook her head in regret, "It was such a tragedy for everyone. Some mass murderer killed them probably. Jude Mathis and Rowen Ilbert weren't the only ones found in Lake Epsilla. I'm sorry, I don't wish to speak any further about this. Excuse me."
The woman picked up her pet and then walked away. However the party already had much more information regarding the difference in this dimension.
Jude stared down into the ground in disbelief, "I'm… dead too…?"
Milla laid her hand on Jude's shoulder. "Jude, don't think too much about it. This is just a fractured dimension, remember?" Jude nodded. He was thankful for that. The warm hand on his shoulder helped as well.
"We should get to this Lake Epsilla then." 'Fractured' Milla suggested, "It seems that there's a lot going on down there."
Leia agreed, "Right. Let's get to the train station and head to Drellin then."
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
An hour later, the group arrived at Drellin station. The first thing that Ludger and Elle noticed outside of the station was that Drellin was alive with nature. It was the first time Ludger had seen a side of Elympios with so much greenery.
"This… is Drellin…?" Ludger muttered in awe. "I've never… this place is just…"
Elle looked around her with her mouth wide open, "Wow…"
"Man, I have to admit… this place looks much better than the Drellin I've seen." Alvin commented with a whistle.
Jude observed the area and nodded at the beauty, "It looks like with spyrite technology, this dimension no longer has a need to use spyrix. Now, nature seems to be returning back in Elympios."
Milla and Jude then both locked eyes together. Jude smiled and Milla returned with a nod. Without even saying a word to one another, both knew what the other wanted to say. This would be the future that Jude could create for the world if he perfected spyrite technology. It was not just a dream. It was possible. Jude actually seeing it with his own eyes merely increased his determination.
'Fractured' Milla noticed Milla and Jude exchanging looks and as much as she wanted to tease her 'other' self, 'fractured' Milla decided not to. Leia herself saw it and she felt a little bit of jealous for the pair. But it was only for a brief moment. She had given up on Jude. She had someone else that she was closer to now.
"Milla… really understands how you feel huh?" Ludger commented. 'Fractured' Milla nudged Ludger hard on his ribs for ruining the moment. Ludger grunted in pain, glaring at 'fractured' Milla in confusion.
Milla nodded with a smile, "Jude is working hard… for a future where we can maybe all co-exist one day. I left the human world a year ago with Jude making a promise to do so… and now, in this dimension… to see the world healing… it is nice to see that Jude's hard work could turn out like this."
Jude looked away with a smile, pleased that his work could result in this. If he perfected spyrite technology one day, then maybe… maybe one day he could be together with Milla somehow. She was still the Lord of Spirits though… Jude shook away the thoughts. Now was not the time for that.
The party toured the now beautiful town of Drellin, enjoying the greenery. For a moment the whole party forgot about their mission. As the party continued exploring the city, they passed by a small café. One of the tables was catering towards a red-haired woman and a man in his thirties.
"You found something in Lake Epsilla?" The red-haired woman cried out, "What the hell are you even doing there? No one goes there since… those mass murders." Elize heard the statement and she stopped to listen. Teepo stayed with Elize to listen as well.
The man waved the woman off, "Hey, I didn't go there because I wanted to, alright? The Lord of Sharilton asked me to look for something in the lake. It took me a while but I found it. Lord Driselle told me it was a pink toy belonging to her friend and this should be it. It's horrible that even a little girl was killed."
Elize was now rooted in place. What the man said was too close to home. 'The person they're talking about… they can't mean…' Elize was thinking in her mind. She could not even finish the thought.
"Elize… maybe we… should go…?" Teepo said to Elize. However it was as if Elize was in another world and did not hear Teepo.
The red-haired woman sighed, taking a sip of her drink, "They never did find the killer, right? Bastard. All of them were found in Lake Epsilla… The prime minister, Mathis… then this poor little girl. There were two others as well, but I can't recall their names. And the killer's still on the loose."
The man shrugged in response, "Well nothing we can do about it. It's been eight years after all. All I know is that I finally found the thing that Lord Driselle wanted." The man picked up his bag on the floor and then took out an item that was soft and filled with algae. It was Teepo, but it was not moving. It was dead.
It was only then that the party noticed Elize was not with them. They saw her standing still close to a café and approached her.
"Elize! What's wrong?" Leia asked when Elize did not notice them. Leia faced the direction Elize was staring at and then she heard the conversation between the two patrons. Also Leia saw the dead 'Teepo' on the table. "Oh no…"
"What's wrong with Elize?" Alvin questioned. Leia quickly shushed him and pointed at the dead 'Teepo'. Alvin put two and two together and knew what was going on. Even if this was just a fractured dimension, Elize was still a young girl. She may be quite matured at times but she was still vulnerable to certain factors. Your own death was not easy to take down.
As Leia comforted the poor girl, Alvin informed the group what had happened.
"Even Elize… was murdered?" Jude said in disbelief.
Alvin gave a nod, "It looks like it. Listen, I think Elize is… going to need some time to gather her thoughts. You guys go on ahead to Lake Epsilla and see if you can find anything. I and Leia will stay behind and look after her."
The group looked at one another, deciding which the best decision was. Ludger turned to Alvin and nodded, "Leave it to us. You take care of Elize."
"You got it Ludger."
Alvin then returned to Leia and the trio moved towards Drellin's inn. Ludger and Jude watched at Elize's eyes. She looked broken. She was still a young, cheerful girl. The thought angered Ludger that such a monster could actually kill a girl like Elize in this dimension. His blood boiled. Jude gave a pat on Ludger's back, catching Ludger off guard. His murderous intentions disappeared.
"I know how you feel Ludger." Jude said, "We'll find out what happened at that lake."
"Then let us make haste to Lake Epsilla." Rowen proposed, "The culprit may have been long gone by now, but perhaps we can obtain some more information about the deed."
"Right… let's go."
As the party moved on, 'fractured' Milla took one last glance at the inn that Elize would be at to recover mentally. She might not have been close to Elize, but she could not bear to see a little girl hurt. That was why she cared for Elle so much. Milla noticed her 'other' self seemed to be troubled and approached her.
"Don't worry." Milla reassured, "She'll be fine. Alvin and Leia can take care of her."
"I know… but… maybe I should stay behind as well. Elize… she…"
"Elize is a strong girl. She was just not prepared for this but she won't let this hold her down for too long."
'Fractured' Milla looked unsure about it, "And how do you know?"
"…Because I travelled with her a year ago. I know… I know she's a strong girl." Milla replied. "Now come on, let's go."
'Fractured' Milla took one final glance at the inn and then nodded, joining back the party and making their way towards Lake Epsilla. There was nothing more she could do for Elize.
XXXXXXXXXXXXX
By the time the party arrived at Lake Epsilla, it was already close to evening time. The sun was about to set behind the distant mountains. The sun's reflection lit up the scenery on the lake and it was a mesmerizing sight. Ludger knew Lake Epsilla in the prime dimension was nothing but a barren land but here, it was a sight to behold.
"Everything is so lush." Jude exclaimed.
Rowen was feeling his beard as he took in the sight, "So this is the place… where they found the bodies."
"This… is the future if I can perfect spyrite technology."
Jude kept telling himself that. He was glad that he could see a world where spyrite technology was used. He now knew it was a possibility. But for now perfecting spyrite technology was not his priority. It was to obtain the final Waymarker.
While the group admired the beautiful landscape, 'fractured' Milla saw a peculiar sight. If she was right, what she was looking at did not exist in the prime dimension. It was a beautiful villa set up on the edge of the lake.
"Do you think anyone… is living over there?" 'Fractured' Milla asked, pointing at the villa. Elle released a soft gasp when she saw the house.
The group now realized there was a villa. Ludger was surprised actually about the presence of the villa, "That… wasn't in the prime dimension, right?"
"That's what I thought." 'Fractured' Milla said, "That house doesn't exist."
"It's quite the mystery house then." Rowen said with his hands behind his back.
"No…" Elle said quickly. The whole party turned towards her, "It… it's not a mystery house… because… that's where I live! I live there with my daddy!"
Before anyone could stop her, Elle ran off with Rollo following her close behind.
"Elle! Wait!" Ludger called out but Elle was not listening. She was already far ahead running towards the villa.
Ludger and the party gave chase but Elle was too far ahead. Ludger then noticed from the villa, a man in a black suit appeared. The man was also wearing a black mask, covering around his eyes. Elle stopped running but she did not back away from the stranger. Instead she stared at the man with her eyes close to tears. The party stopped running and stopped just a few meters away from the man and outside the villa. Elle and the stranger just stared at one another for a long while. No one said a word. Ludger wanted to grab Elle to safety just in case but for some reason, his legs would not move.
Finally Elle was the first one to speak, "Daddy?"
The stranger in the black suit got down on one knee and opened his arms, "Welcome home Elle…"
With tears finally escaping her eyes, Elle ran forward into the stranger's arms, hugging him with every inch of her being. The man hugged Elle back and soothingly patted Elle's back. Elle kept crying into the man's shoulder and kept crying out 'daddy' throughout the ordeal. What surprised Ludger was that Rollo was not afraid of this strange man. Instead it was purring next to it.
The party meanwhile just watched from where they stood. "So, that is the father of Elle that she always speaks so highly of." Rowen remarked.
"…This dimension's version of him anyway." Ludger reminded.
"Ludger's right." Milla added in, "It is easy to forget but… that man is probably Elle's father… but not her 'real' father."
"So what?" 'Fractured' Milla challenged, "Real or not… that person in Elle's eyes is her father… this is why I hate going into these dimensions and… you guys claiming what is 'real' or not. You have no right!"
Milla wanted to say something but she could not find the words. Since Milla was considered the original, she could not truly say she understands how her 'other' self felt. It was never going to be easy to deal with her 'other' self.
Jude decided to bring the party back to the issue at hand, "This house doesn't exist in the prime dimension. Do you think… he's the catalyst?"
Elle had stopped crying at that point and the stranger released the hug. The man focused his attention to the group with a smile, "I see that my daughter was well-taken care of. I thank you for that. I am Victor, Elle's father."
"So… you're really Elle's father?" Ludger asked.
Victor nodded, "That's right." Victor looked to the sunset and then back to the group, "It's getting late. Come, you should all stay for dinner as thanks for looking out for my daughter." Victor then turned to Elle, "Elle, how about you head in first and help set up the table?"
Elle gave a happy nod, "Okay!" Elle then looked at Ludger, "Just you wait Ludger! After you try daddy's cooking, then you'll see why I always say he's still the best!"
Ludger merely returned a smile as Elle rushed into the house, followed by Rollo. Once Elle was inside, Victor returned his gaze back to the group.
"I know why you're here Ludger." Victor said. Ludger and the party widened their eyes in shock that Victor knew Ludger's name, "You're looking for the final Waymarker, aren't you?"
Milla narrowed her eyes, drawing her sword, "You know we're from the prime dimension?"
Victor smirked, "And I know that I'm a fractured being, yes. But we can continue this conversation once Elle is asleep after dinner. As a father, I still want what's best for my daughter." Victor started walking in, gesturing for the party to follow. "Oh I just noticed something."
Victor glared at both Milla and then at 'fractured' Milla. With a smirk, he then turned to Ludger, "I have not seen the Lord of Spirits in a long time. Imagine my surprise when I saw two of them with you." Victor released a light chuckle, "I knew one of them was the Milla of the prime dimension… but the other, I thought she was the Milla of my dimension. I have not seen her since her precious Jude Mathis died eight years ago."
"What was that?!" Milla demanded in anger.
"You know who killed the Jude of this dimension?" 'Fractured' Milla questioned.
However Victor ignored the two Millas, "But then I realized she's not the Milla of this dimension… This 'other' Milla you've brought must have been some Milla you saved from a fractured dimension. But… I am positive no two beings can exist at the same time in the prime dimension, am I right?"
'Fractured' Milla's eyes widened at Victor's words. Those were her exact words she uttered when she realized she would disappear once prime Milla returned. Now Victor was reinforcing the idea? 'Fractured' Milla wondered where this was going.
"What're you trying to say?" 'Fractured' Milla demanded.
"Exactly what I mean… but the fact that you can exist with the prime Milla… I already know the reason." Victor turned to Ludger and then mocked, "So tell me Ludger… You've been using your powers, haven't you? Just to keep 'that' Milla alive? Tell me… how's your health?"
Silence greeted the question.
CHAPTER END