A/N: Hello guys! I bring to you all the new update for this story! There's nothing for me to rant here in this chapter so I'll get straight along to responding to reviews! :D
MysteriousOwl: Oh wait, you haven't the whole hymn of proof? I'd recommend you do, it's really good! Hehe~ Yes, she finally gained some closure with Maxwell
DarkFire3501: Glad you enjoyed this story. I'll try to update this story whenever I kind (it's really tiring, lol)
ydshahid: Well considering how her mystic arte strikes the whole body in different positions almost at the same time, it might make sense? :P
But in actuality, her mystic arte was inspired by Yurnero's ultimate technique with the same name from DotA (Which was inspired by Final Fantasy VII's "Omnislash")
And no, my story "A New Beginning" does not follow this story's special rules on the Chromatus. And as for the dual mystic artes, I've never actually done that in the game so... it's not going to be easy for me lol
Riku Uzumaki: You are absolutely correct! Haha. Well to be fair, I was inspired by Yurnero's ultimate spell from the game DotA. But that guy's ultimate was inspired by FFVII's "Omnislash", so the end result is the same XD
And yes, Milla's "Blinding Light" is my own creation.
MagatsuIza: "More romance scene"
I'll see what I can do :S
Ace101Mega: Haha, haven't seen you review in a long time. Nice to see one of the reviewers from my early chapters showing up :)
And glad you like the story so far! At least I still have the interest of my readers, hahaha
That Mysterious Reader: Cool eh? Which part though? :O
GroundZeroFirework: Yup! Well I say almost over, but it's going to be at least... another 10+ chapters or more, lol. Hmm... the hot spring scene will be an interesting addition, so I just might add that in. Thanks for pointing that out, hehe.
Thanks mate, I'll try to do what I can
Aldehar: Hahaha, I noticed you haven't reviewed and assumed you were busy. And you ALMOST didn't make it since I was finishing up this chapter when you reviewed :3
Yeah, he was Odin. Honestly I have no idea of his relevance to the whole thing. I mean, he was guarding that civilization for a thousand years? or something like that and I wonder if he existed in the prime dimension, destroyed 1000 years ago? Meh, I dont know. Other than the main plot of ToX2 (Pass Origin's Trial), some of them really confuse me :S Yeah, there must be plenty of fractured dimensions for fracted Ludgers to get to.
Ah... well in the end, it's of the aura of Milla. The way she carried herself. Basically yes, he could tell from the confident Milla (just like the Milla of his dimension, but he saw prime Milla, so he knew he was a fractured dimension then).
Yes! That's whta I do too. I imagine how this scene would look like in a manga or in the game. Seriously, my english is not the best and sometimes I just can't find the word to describe the character's actions (which really frustrates me).
Woohoo! Yeah I decided to make 'fractured' Milla's fighting style to be one of speed. Thus a highly different way of fighting compared to Milla (who uses a mix of swords and artes). Ah, while it's true she looks like prime Milla, she's now different in the sense of her combat style, looks and speech. I try to make fractured Milla's speechy more casual and humanlike, while prime Milla speaks in a more... how to say... formal manner? I hope I managed to convey that T_T
Yup! They did use a linked arte, which I just created on my own. Hahaha, I'm glad my writing managed to give you the image of Maxwell being ganged up by a number of 'images' of fractured Milla. That's got to be scary for him O_O Yeah, I know what you mean. While 'Elemental Mastery' is not my favorite mystic arte (I just love 'Eternal Waltz', the wya Ludger slashes like crazy and his scream XD), I do like the way she shouts "ELEMENTAL MASTERY!" its like... damn!
Indeed, you just don't mess with two Millas together :P but now that fractured Milla has gained her own identity, prepare for her to bring hell when fighting with the party, muahahahah
Ah yes, Muzet was the catalyst and honestly, I felt that was no need. Kinda pointless in the game, like... ugh another boss fight lol. Hehe, glad you liked Elle being cute. While her character is not too hard to write, it's not the easiest to have her 'involved' in the story, so I try to insert her whenever I can without trying to make it 'Here Elle, have some screen time!' kind-of thing.
Well I'm glad you enjoyed that last chapter. Just glad you made it to give me your thoughts before I posted the new chapter :3 Thanks for your support mate!
And with that, that ends the reviews! I hope you all will enjoy this chapter and let me know your thoughts!
CHAPTER 24: THE LOSS OF FRIENDSHIP
Everyone was back in the prime dimension, returning at the exact spot when they left for the fractured dimension. It was like they had never left. It was interesting how just a moment ago, everyone was in the Temporal Crossroads, a different dimension no less. And now, in just a second, they were back in Elympios.
Gaius and Muzet separated from the party as soon as they returned to the prime dimension. Gaius stated that they have helped Ludger in his mission, so the King of Rieze Maxia wanted to attend to other things. Muzet, being the usual care-free spirit, followed Gaius to accompany him. She insisted that Gaius looked 'lonely' so she wanted to keep him company. With a quick goodbye to Jude and Milla, Gaius and Muzet were gone.
Milla was staring into space, thinking about her meeting with the fractured Maxwell. While she did experience some form of closure from finding out about the origin of her name, she felt that she earned more closure from actually meeting Maxwell again. She learnt so much about her predecessor, especially the reason why Maxwell created the schism and the depth of his relationship with Milla Kresnik. And of course, it was actually good to see him again. The two did not end things in the best of ways a year ago, so seeing and speaking with him again, even if it was a fractured Maxwell, was enough for Milla.
Now back in the prime dimension, Jude just had to ask, "Milla, why did you hum that tune?"
Milla stared at Jude for a moment, before a smile came to her, "I honestly do not know. The tune… it just popped into my head, like a feeling I could not put into words." Milla then looked up at the sky, "Although he was not the Maxwell I knew… I just hope… that my words still reached him. All I can do now is to live by my words, my mission."
"I'm not entirely sure what happened between you and the Maxwell you knew," 'Fractured' Milla said, "But… I think just like 'that' Maxwell, he will probably let you go with a smile."
Milla nodded to her twin self, "Thanks Milla…" She then faced Ludger, "And I also owe my thanks to you Ludger. It is thanks to your power that I was able to understand the history of my predecessor and also gain some form of closure through that." Milla then placed her finger on her chin, "Unfortunately, I wasn't able to learn the whole truth about Milla Kresnik."
"Sorry…" Ludger apologized.
Milla shook her head, "It's not your fault."
"I guess it's almost impossible to know everything about a person from two thousand years ago." 'Fractured' Milla offered.
"That is true." Milla said, agreeing with that statement.
"Still though," Jude started, joining the conversation, "Milla Kresnik just couldn't abandon those left in Elympios to die. Even though she wanted to be with Maxwell, she chose to stay with those in Elympios."
"She chose… to stay in Elympios…" Milla repeated slowly. As she thought about it, Milla then came to a conclusion, "Then…"
Jude nodded, looking directly in Milla's eyes, "Yes. The world that Milla Kresnik dreamed of creating… is the exact same world that we wish to create now."
"She did not wish to flee to a world that only offered salvation to only a select few." Milla realized. Now the pieces were coming together.
Jude once again nodded, "She chose to stay in Elympios but…" Jude looked away, somehow feeling sad at the fate of Milla Kresnik, "I'm sure that Milla Kresnik truly wanted to be with Maxwell, by his side." Jude looked back at Milla, "So that… both of them could create their perfect world together." When Milla said nothing, Jude continued to speak, "We've now learned that our dream… to create a world for both humans and spirits to live together in harmony… isn't a new dream. But it is a dream that have been in existence for ages."
"And we will make their dreams… and our dream comes true." Milla affirmed, "For Milla Kresnik's sake… as well as our own."
'Fractured' Milla could not help but smile at the exchange with Jude and Milla, "And we'll all help to make sure your dream comes true." Ludger and Elle both agreed, the two lending in their support.
Jude looked at all three of them, the little family, "Thanks guys…" It was then that Jude's GHS suddenly started ringing and he quickly picked it up, "Balan? Yeah, what can I do for you? No, the research team is not ready yet but we can slowly make steps to move to the next phase."
Jude continued talking on his GHS, instinctively walking away so that he would not distract his friends. While he spoke, Milla stared longingly at Jude. A small smile crept up on Milla's face, feeling the distance between the two growing.
"You might not be aware of it," Milla said to herself, crossing her arms on her chest, "But you are already walking ahead of me Jude…"
"But you two walk the same road." Ludger offered.
Milla turned to Ludger, appreciating the kind words, "That much is certainly true. But I also know that I will not be around to witness everything that Jude will accomplish. My time in the human realm… is limited, after all." Milla paused for a moment, "In the end, the most I can do… is to give Jude my support."
Ludger said nothing more. There was little he could say about that because it was true. Milla was here on a limited time. 'Fractured' Milla as well could only stare at her other self, not saying anything more. This was the fate of Jude and Milla.
A minute passed by before Jude was finally done with his conversation, flipping his GHS shut and returning back to his friends. "Sorry about that." Jude apologized. He then noticed that everyone was staring at him, "Erm… is everything okay?"
"Yes." Milla answered and quickly changed the subject, "How are things at work? It sounded like you got a lot on your hands."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. I've got them all under control." Jude assured. He then got serious once more, "In the end, it looks like it's up to us to carry the torch that was passed down by Milla Kresnik and Maxwell."
Milla nodded, "Yes. And we shall all put an end to Origin's Trial, once and for all."
Both Jude and Milla were now so much alike. They shared the same passionate dream, the dream that was concurred after their journey ended one year ago. Now even though their dream was still far from achieving it, at least it was a possibility.
Ludger, 'fractured' Milla and Elle left not soon after, since Elle claimed that there was some sort of sale in the market. This immediately sparked Ludger's interest, especially since he wanted to look for cheap yet healthy, scrumptious tomatoes. So now only Jude and Milla were left, surprisingly alone in this area of Elympios.
Jude and Milla were now side by side, saying nothing and enjoying the company the other provided. No words were said nor was there a need to. They just wanted to enjoy the solitude, enjoy the moment. They did not wish to think of what would happen after all of this was over. For now, they had each other. Before Milla knew it, Jude had snaked in and grabbed hold of Milla's hand and she returned the grip. Their hands were warm just like the flushed cheeks on their faces.
"Jude…?" Milla said softly.
"Yeah?" Jude responded without looking at her.
Milla smiled softly, "Thank you…"
Jude did not know what Milla was thanking him for but he did not ask her as well. All he did was nod his head. It was the appropriate response for the moment. Both human and spirit… were joined.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
"You mind telling me what kind of trouble you're getting me into this time?" Alvin demanded as he tried to keep up with Leia. The two were running through the Elympios streets.
A week had already passed since Milla ventured into the fractured dimension to learn about Milla Kresnik. While Leia and Alvin did not join them in that fractured dimension, they were already told about it when they met up with them. Leia could hardly believe that Maxwell, a Lord of Spirits, could actually become a fractured being. As for Alvin, he just preferred to not spend too much time thinking about it.
"We're going to see Gaius!" Leia snapped back, "He should be at the Elympios inn!"
Alvin was now a little confused, "Gaius? Why?"
"Alvin, didn't you hear about the latest scandal between Elympios and Rieze Maxia?" Leia cried out.
It took the former mercenary a moment before he had an idea what Leia was talking about. "Wait, you mean about the murder of the Rieze Maxian soldier by an Elympion?" Alvin asked. When Leia nodded, he was a little bit upset at the news, "Yeah, I've heard about that. Who hasn't? The story's pretty wild with the people and being a merchant, I tend to hear a lot of gossips. Some exaggerated, some completely wrong. So much trouble just for both countries to get along." Alvin then sighed, "So, what's this incident got to do with our good ol' King Gaius?"
Leia also did not enjoy the current situation but facts were facts. "Well apparently the one who… killed the Rieze Maxian soldier is someone Gaius befriended."
"What?!" Alvin sputtered in shock, "A-are you sure about that?" When Leia nodded, Alvin could feel a headache appearing, "Man… this is gonna turn into an international incident! What's Gaius gonna do? Man…"
"He already did something." Leia said.
Alvin turned to Leia, confused, "Wait, what?"
"Gaius… he had no other choice but to let Elympios take custody of his friend." Leia shook her head sadly.
Alvin thought about it, imagining what he would have done if he was in Gaius's position. Honestly, Alvin thought that if it was him, he would probably have tried to save a friend. But Gaius was different. He took his role as a King seriously and then, the answer was obvious. The choice and process might have been difficult, but Gaius had gone through it.
"If that's how it is… I guess Gaius made the right choice." Alvin finally said, "I mean, he is the King of Rieze Maxia. If he had to pick a side, no matter how painful it would be to him, the Gaius we know will always do it for the sake of Rieze Maxia."
Leia had to agree because that was how Gaius was, "Yeah… that's why I want to see Gaius, to see how he's doing."
Alvin tilted his head to the side a little, "Wait… I remember you saying that you found 'another scoop' before dragging me here. Don't tell me that you want to interview Gaius about this whole thing?"
"Of course not! I knew that's the only way for you to come along with me! I want to make sure that Gaius is okay, that's all." After Leia said that, there was a long pause before she finally added in, "Finding out the details is just a little plus."
Alvin sighed heavily, "Thought so…"
As the two ran through the streets of Elympios, the pair could sense the tense atmosphere in the city. The murder incident of Marksburg was already known to the public of both nations, and while the matter had been resolved, people were still worried over the looming threat of a war breaking out. While a war was highly unlikely at this point in time, diplomatic relations that turned sour could sometimes spiral out of control. Thus the reason of the heavy atmosphere that surrounded the people.
Leia knew Gaius was at the Elympios inn since she called Ludger through his GHS beforehand. Ludger was currently with Gaius right now. Apparently according to him, Gaius had been visiting the inn where the friends he had 'befriended' met. It had been three days since Gaius's friend, Kyle, had been handed to Elympios custody and for three days now, Gaius visited the inn. Obviously this was completely unlike the mighty King of Rieze Maxia, hence why Leia wanted to see how Gaius was faring.
Alvin and Leia arrived at the Elympios inn ten minutes later and entered the establishment. They found Ludger in the inn, without 'fractured' Milla or Elle. Those two were probably at Ludger's apartment. Ludger was hanging around the lobby, watching over Gaius, who was at the inn's lounge. The mighty King stood at the empty lounge, staring blankly at the empty couch. Muzet, as usual, was floating by Gaius's side. And unlike the usual carefree attitude she normally carried, this time she had a look of concern on her.
"Is Gaius okay?" Leia asked, approaching Ludger.
Ludger shook his head, "He says he's fine but… he's been coming here everyday and just stares at where those guys normally hang around. Kyle, Tanner… they'd always be hanging around here but… since that incident three days ago, Tanner or his other friends haven't come here. This was their usual hangout spot."
"Is Gaius trying to meet up with them?" Alvin questioned while looking at Gaius. The King had not even noticed Leia or Alvin's appearance.
"I don't know." Ludger answered honestly, "I think… Gaius just wants to at least tell Tanner his side of the story. There's nothing he can do for Kyle, the one in custody. But I think he at least wants to speak with Tanner. One last time as Erston."
Leia looked at Gaius and she now noticed that Gaius had a foreign object in the palm of his right hand. She took a step closer and realized it was a camera. 'Since when did Gaius have a camera?' Leia thought.
Finally Gaius turned to the trio, finally taking notice of them. He was completely lost in thought. "Ludger, Alvin and Leia…" Gaius started, "I apologize for not noticing you earlier."
"Gaius, you okay?" Leia asked with a worried tone in her voice, "About… what happened and everything…"
"I thank you for your concern." Gaius spoke honestly, "But my personal feeling of the matter is irrelevant. I did what I had to do as the King of Rieze Maxia. There was nothing more to it."
"But he was your friend!" Leia argued, "I mean… I know you can't do anything to hurt the relationship with the two countries but still… doesn't he mean anything to you?"
"Do not be mistaken Leia." Gaius replied calmly, "I understand the friendship that Kyle, Tanner and everyone have shown to me. I have almost forsaken that idea until Muzet reminded me that being alone… solitude… is not the answer. I know that if I had been more open towards the Chimeriad, they might still be alive today. I understand all of this." Gaius then raised his right hand, looking at the shiny camera, "This… was a gift by Kyle and his friends. I had almost thrown this because I thought I did not deserve such a gift. But… through Muzet's words, I have come to understand that everyone needs friends who accept an individual for who they are. This gift… is a memento of that friendship." Gaius then looked at Leia, "So it is not that I did not value their friendship. I understand that completely. However there is nothing more I can do about it."
Gaius's words rang true. Leia knew it deep down as well. She just did not want to accept that. Ludger for once, felt powerless to help. His Chromatus power could not do anything to change what had transpired here. And as for Alvin, he was all too familiar with how unfair the world could be.
"So that camera…" Alvin pointed out, "It's a gift from that Kyle fella huh?"
Gaius nodded, "Yes… what of it?"
"No, nothing really." Alvin replied, staring at the camera before his gaze focused to Gaius, "I just think that if he was your friend, you owe it to him to at least do something about it."
"I told you, any actions done in Kyle's favor will…" Gaius was saying but Alvin quickly stopped him.
"I know, I know, you're the King and you can't do anything about it." Alvin interrupted, "But even you know that that detective guy set you up right?" When Gaius was silent, Alvin pursued the matter, "Trust me, I know how these Elympions do their stuff. Heck, I'm an Elympion myself and look how I was a year ago."
"Alvin…" Leia whispered softly. Alvin did lie to everyone a year ago and she knew the former mercenary was still beating himself over it.
"Even if they planned it all, there is no point in dwelling over it." Gaius stated, "Kyle will be prosecuted by Elympion law. There is nothing more anyone can do about it."
Alvin conceded to that, "That's true. No one can do anything about it. Nothing we can do for your friend Kyle anyway." Alvin then pointed to the camera Gaius was holding, "However… you at least it owe it to Kyle to make sure nothing like this happens ever again. That detective guy knows you're the King and I won't put it past him that he won't try and take advantage of that again. I'm sure even Ludger can attest to how low Elympios can be. Right, Ludger?"
"It's not surprising." Ludger said, supporting Alvin's words because it was true. He became a Spirius Agent mainly because he was forced to by Bisley. A blackmail of sorts.
Gaius folded his arms on his chest, "What are you suggesting Alvin?"
Alvin revealed a confident grin, "How about we stake out that detective guy? A dirty man like him is definitely bound to have some dirt on him." Alvin then turned to Leia, "Besides, whatever we find out about him will definitely be a delicious scoop for you too, right?"
"I guess…?" Leia said with some uncertainty in her words.
"So what do you say?" Alvin directed the question to the King, "You might not be able to do anything for Kyle now, but you can at least do something to prevent an incident like this repeating, right?"
Gaius considered Alvin's proposal. It was obvious that Kyle was set up. It was clear as day by the way the detective spoke to him. And it was true, no doubt that the detective would not be ashamed to use some other tactic just to abuse his knowledge. However on the other hand, acting carelessly just for a personal reason was foolish. He was the King of Rieze Maxia and holds a tremendous amount of responsibility in safeguarding his people. That was who he was. It was how he lived ever since he had been the King.
Gaius wondered, what should he do?
CHAPTER END