A/N: Hey guys I bring to you all the new update to this story! I apologize for the delays but keeping up with two stories is really exhausting (not to mention keeping up with uni). So with that, let us now go to responding reviews!
Project AE Hachi-Roku: Awww yeah, the hot springs! XD you guessed right!
-Yeah, that group photo from the credits was just so special! I just had to include that in! And err... yeah that's from game logic and their timing is a little off in the game. I mean, Bisley goes to the Land of Canaan and we still manage to do side-quests? XD I thought we're in a hurry!
-Don't worry I like your new story. Although I'm waiting for an update from you. When can we have that? *hint hint*
MysteriousOwl: Mmm... not really no
MagatsuIza: It did, didn't it? lol
U-Know Yunho: Yes the group picture is beautiful *sniff sniff*
-Yeah Jura, shut up
Silius1: I'm aware of Ludger having a voice in the 2nd playthrough. I just wished they gave him a voice from the beginning so that he could actualyl speak in skits without him only speaking on his choices. Like the time when 'fractured' Ludger spoke to Julius befoer Julius's death. Seriously, his voice was great T_T
Radomaru: Indeed. Bisley always is up to something so him helping is really suspicious. And yes, screw the detective! He deserves what's coming for him XD
-Yeah, I always liked that group photo from the credits and thought like... when did that happen? May as well put it down in this story, hehe
-Yup, the thing about Gaius is that he is always adhering to his duty first. He will never allow anything else to compromise what he sets out to do, which really makes him such a strong character.
-Ah yes, Julius has been pretty MIA, but I'm just dropping hints here and there about what he's up to :3
That Mysterious Reader: Gotta love photos :D
Riku Uzumaki: Yeah that detective deserved what was coming to him! :D and Bisley... well he has his own agenda, as always
Demigod103: Well you won't be reading this review since you made a review on chapter 18 but I'm just here to say that I'm glad that you're enjoying my story so much! I hope you'll read this response soon and continue for your support!
-As for that skit suggestion, I'll try to see when and if the situation can come up for that. And if it does, I will credit you for the idea :)
-I hope you'll continue to enjoy this story! And of course I'll try to maintain the quality of my writing
0 Son of 7: So does that mean you've never played any of the Tales games? :O just asking, lol. Nothing wrong with watching walkthroughs.
-Ah yeah I know that feeling. When Alt. Milla died, I was really crushed. I remember I had to pause the game after the cutscenes because I was just... so lost. Seriously her loss was just... UGH! I've been wishing for a moment where lives and when I realize there's no story yet (or not published online anyway), I decided to write it.
-Really? Not sure who's OOC as I try to make sure the chars stay in character.
-Thanks for your words of support! I'm glad you liekd the skits, and if you think my grammar was good, then I'm happy that I'm improving in that department, hehe.
-About naming 'fractured' Milla, the characters don't call her fractured Milla, I just write that so that readers can tell the difference. The characters in the story call both Milla and Fractured Milla simply as 'Milla'
-Ah yes... I'm also quite excited to write the final arc of the game for this story. Look forward to it!
-Err... I'm not sure about your last question... Milla ten jump? Milla made Aghanim?
RKF22: Damn, read it all in one-sitting? Nice! Hope you liked it!
LXPJU5T1FY3R: Yes, that detective deserved everything that was coming to him! And I'm aware that the game allows Ludger to have a voice in the second playthrough, but when I mean I wanted him to have a voice, I mean where he actually speaks openly with the other characters. It's just annoying to see Ludger grunt in skits and only speak in his choices T_T
-Ah yes, I'm also looking forward to writing the final arc of the game into this story! Look forward to it
-Indeed what does to comfort Ludger during the final parts of the game will one of my focus. There's just so many things to take this story now that Alt. Milla is still alive, hehe
-Well my ending is already sort-of planned but I'll see what readers think on how I should end it. Of course I'll most likely go through with what I have planned since it is my story :D
-And yes, I'm aware your review was for the latest chapter, hehe
chronotimeguard: WHAT A TWIST! lol
-Yeah that got what's coming for him! :D
-Oh yeah I remember that line. Vera got a massive burn right there! XD
Well that's it for reviews! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think!
CHAPTER 27: HOT SPRING
"This is a splendid picture." Gaius said, staring at the picture in his hands of the group photo.
"It is, isn't it?" Muzet agreed cheerfully, floating slightly behind Gaius, "Everyone looks so happy."
Gaius nodded and opened his trench coat, putting the picture in one of its pockets. From where he stood, he watched everyone. Jude, Milla, Ludger, 'fractured' Milla, Elle, Rowen, Elize, Alvin and Leia. They were all people he could consider them as friends. And of course Muzet, who was always by his side. Reflecting on the past year, Gaius regretted he had never truly bonded with the Chimeriad. They were friends but they were far too focused in achieving Gaius's objective. And because of that, they probably never even considered themselves as 'friends'. Gaius promised himself that he would not repeat that mistake with his new friends. He could not afford to.
There were three photos taken in total. One with was in the possession of Gaius and the second with Ludger. Ludger promised he would make copies so that the others would have one as well. The third and last photo was in Jude's hand. The spyrite researcher stared at the picture with a smile. Looking at everyone together, Jude could not express how he felt with words.
"What're you smiling about Jude?" Milla inquired from Jude's side.
Milla's voice startled the spyrite researcher, "Oh Milla!" Jude quickly composed himself as he referred to the photo he was holding, "I'm just… looking at the picture really. And just looking at it, I… well, it's just nice to see all of us together."
Milla leaned in to see the picture. When she saw it, she could not help but smile, "Yes I see what you mean Jude. It is nice… to see everyone happy together."
Indeed everyone on the picture was smiling together. Even Gaius, who always had a serious-look on his face, had a small smile. Or not. It was hard to tell. Then there was Ludger with Elle and 'fractured' Milla. The three were like a family. All in all, the group photo was… perfect.
"After you complete your mission… this photo will be all I have of you." Jude said, still staring at the picture. Then he grabbed the glass bead that was close to his chest, a gift that Milla had given to him one year ago. "And… this as well." Jude held the glass bead tightly in his hand.
"We all have our purpose Jude." Milla replied, unable to offer any words of comfort to Jude, "And… my purpose… my responsibility… means I cannot remain in the human realm for long."
"I know… I know… that's why I'll hold onto these." Jude referred to the picture in his left hand and the glass bead in his right, "Because this is all I have to remember you by."
There were no words that could comfort either of them because they would never be together. It was impossible.
Nova and Vera were still with the party as well, the two twin sisters in an argument. Or at least it looked like it. Vera was scolding Nova but Nova was still in a merry mood. Ludger decided he should do something about them.
"What're you doing Vera? I knew you'd side-track from your job!" Vera chastised. Despite being angry, Vera still maintained a professional attitude, "It's a good thing I came along. Who knows what you-"
"Aw come on sis, don't be so uptight!" Nova interrupted, "What's wrong with having a little fun? Lighten up!" Vera was about to chew on her sister but Nova saw Ludger approaching and waved to him, "Hey Ludger! Just the guy I wanted to see!"
"Finally…" Vera muttered, fixing her glasses and moving into her business-like pose.
"Nova, your sister told me to meet you at the seahaven?" Ludger inquired.
Nova nodded with a smile, "That's right! I got something to tell you about your debt!" Ludger's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the debt. Nova then made a victory sign, "Congratulations! Your debt has been cleared!"
Ludger was not expecting that, "…Huh? Cleared?"
"Allow me to explain." Vera said, clearing her throat, "President Bakur felt that helping you all yesterday was not enough to express his thanks. Therefore, as thanks to Ludger for obtaining the Final Waymarker, President Bakur has cleared Ludger's twenty million gald debt."
"Bisley cleared my debt?" Ludger whispered to himself.
The party also heard everything and moved behind Ludger. Jude was the one who spoke up, "Bisley cleared Ludger's debt?"
Vera nodded, "That is correct. To thank Ludger for completing his mission."
"That is awfully kind of him." Alvin remarked.
Vera said nothing to that. Nova was the one that spoke next, "So Ludger, that means I won't be bugging you any longer! You gonna miss having a cute girl giving you a call every now and then?"
Vera fixed her glasses again and turned to her sister, "Nova, we're done here. We shouldn't disturb them any longer."
"We aren't done yet!" Nova responded and then pointed at Ludger, "I mean, paying back a twenty million debt calls for a celebration! That's why we're all going to a hot spring! Woohoo!"
"The hot spring?" Everyone said together, surprised by such a suggestion.
Nova was not finished, "Not just any hot spring though… we're going to the celestial hot spring!"
"Oh I've read about that!" Leia said excitedly, "It's one of the best ones in all of Rieze Maxia. If I'm not mistaken… it's somewhere in… err… Xian Du was it?"
"It's in Sharilton." Rowen corrected, "I remember accompanying Lord Cline and Lady Driselle some time back. Ah yes… it has been a while since I last visited the place."
"Can I bring Rollo?" Elle asked eagerly.
Nova gave a thumb up, "Of course! Pets and dolls are all welcome!"
"Yay!" Elle ran off, pulling 'fractured' Milla with her, "I'll go get Rollo right now!"
'Fractured' Milla nearly tripped since Elle suddenly pulled her along. "Elle, wait! Not so fast!" But Elle was too excited to listen and they disappeared from sight soon after.
"Then it's decided!" Nova said and then pulled Vera's arm, "Alright then, we'll meet you at Sharilton!"
Vera protested against her sister's actions as Nova pulled her along, not listening. They were gone not too long after.
"The hot spring…" Gaius said softly, folding his arms on his chest, "I guess this is a good opportunity to restore one's energy and wash away the aches and pains of battle."
Jude had to agree with that, "That's true. Lately the monsters in the Highroads have increased and just going to the Helioborg research is a real pain. But most importantly, Ludger deserves a break from all this."
Leia was brimming with excitement, "Ooohhh, I can't wait! This is going to be so much fun!"
Alvin smirked, "The celestial hot spring eh…? I hear that it offers a co-ed bathing. I'll be looking forward to that, if you catch my drift."
In response to that, Leia nudged Alvin hard in the ribs, much to the misery of the former mercenary. Everyone shared a short laugh before they separated. They all promised to meet at the hot spring in Sharilton.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A few hours later at mid-noon, Rowen, Elize and Teepo were the first ones to arrive at Sharilton and waited for the rest of the party. The rest of the party arrived at different intervals but after an hour, the entire party had assembled. Rowen led the way since he was most familiar with the location.
It took a few minutes to reach their destination since the celestial hot spring was a distance away. After all, the hot spring was outside the city but still within the territorial control of Sharilton. When they finally arrived, the sight was magnificent.
The entrance of the inn was beautifully designed with decorations complimenting the entrance. The path to the entrance had a stone pavement which also possessed creative and stimulating art. It would definitely catch the eye of anyone and this was no different for Ludger and his friends. It was simply breathtaking, and this was just the entrance.
Rowen moved in front of the group and turned towards them, like a tour guide, "This is the celestial hot spring!" Rowen then held his chin with one hand, like a connoisseur judging the fine arts, "I must say, even though this is my second time here, the beauty of the designs and craftsmanship is a sight to behold."
"Whatever, let's head on in!" Leia exclaimed in excitement and went ahead of the group. The rest of the party followed suit, except Vera. When Nova noticed Vera was not moving, she went back to her sister.
Vera sighed and fixed her glasses, "I still find no reason why we should be here. This is Ludger's celebration."
Nova smacked Vera's back good-naturedly, although it nearly caused Vera's glasses to fall off. "Aw come on, don't be such a spoilsport sis. This isn't just for Ludger. You NEED a break too! Now stop thinking about work and just enjoy the day!" With that, Nova dragged her sister into the inn.
Once inside the inn, the attendants immediately greeted the party. Nova handled the reception since she was the one who booked the place. After the financial transaction was done, the attendants took the party to their rooms. They only used two rooms, one for the males and the other the females. Fortunately for them, their rooms were large enough to accommodate all of them.
Inside their rooms, each of them were provided with a traditional yukata, to accommodate to the hot spring atmosphere. They all changed into them quickly, placing their regular outfit in a neatly folded manner. Except Gaius, Rowen and Alvin's outfit since they were basically suits.
"Well, let's head to the bath." Alvin suggested before a mischievous grin grew, "From the looks of it, it looks like this inn does have a co-ed bathing."
Rowen had a merry laugh, "Well now, rumors and facts are two different things. Let us see for ourselves if it is true."
Jude felt a little uneasy over the news that the hot spring had co-ed bathing. He just had a feeling the results would be disastrous. Gaius and Ludger had no opinion on the matter and simply followed Alvin and Rowen's lead. Rollo followed closely behind, keeping an eye out for any of the missing one hundred cats that he could enlist into his 'subjects'.
Much to Alvin's delight, the hot springs was a co-ed bath. The males undressed and grabbed a small towel, wrapping it around their waist. They made their way outside and were greeted to a steamy, natural hot spring. The view was fantastic as well. Since the inn was located on a hill in a forested area, the sight was magnificent. It allowed guests to bath and enjoy in the warm water accompanied by a great view of the area.
There were two hot springs basically, one on the left and one on the right. Since it was a co-ed bath, there were no walls separating the two pools. And much to Alvin's delight, the women were all already inside the pool, although they had towels wrapped around their body.
"Well, this IS a nice view indeed." Alvin said, intending the double-entendre, "Pardon the intrusion ladies."
The moment they heard Alvin's voice, all the women turned around, pulling their towels tightly to their bodies. "Alvin! What're you doing here?!" Leia practically screamed.
"Alvin, you better have a good reason for being here." Milla said in a cold manner.
Alvin raised both his hands, "Hey calm down… it's a co-ed bath so we're allowed in here." Then in his most suave and cool manner, he said, "Now how about we just enjoy this bath together."
"I don't think so!" 'Fractured' Milla replied, clutching her towel, "There's no way we'd be able to enjoy our bath with you guys nearby."
"Yeah, you're starting to look like glasses-guy and that's scary!" Elle added in, sticking her tongue out.
Alvin was flabbergasted, "Wait… you say I look like glasses-guy? You mean Ludger's brother?!" When Elle nodded, Alvin lost it, "How does this make it look like I'm Julius?"
Elle merely laughed, not giving Alvin any answer. Rowen decided he had to try and reason with the ladies.
"So what do you ladies suggest?" Rowen asked, "This is a co-ed bath so it is not like we planned this. Will it be fine if we promise not to look?"
"I mean no offense Rowen, but we find that hard to believe." Milla replied. Despite that, Rowen felt a stab to his pride and he dropped on all fours, unable to stand the blow.
"So what do you want us to do?" Jude questioned but none of the women replied.
The situation now came to a stand-still. The women were not willing to cooperate but the guys were not going to back down as well. Rollo ignored what was going on and entered the left pool, enjoying the warm water.
Seeing Rollo in the water, Elize then had an idea pop in her head. She whispered the idea to Elle and Elle transferred the idea to 'fractured' Milla. 'Fractured' Milla then told the idea to Milla, who nodded in agreement.
"Very well then." Milla said suddenly, "I guess we'll allow the co-ed bath."
"Y-you will?!" Alvin cried in disbelief.
Jude was shocked by Milla's decision, "M-Milla?!"
"…However!" 'Fractured' Milla continued where her twin left off, "You're only allowed to bath inside his tummy!"
At this point, the males were all confused by 'fractured' Milla's statement. So instead of explaining, 'fractured' Milla stepped aside and Elize had Teepo in her arms. The guys did not know the significance of Teepo at first but after a while, Jude got the idea. But before he could warn the others, Elize released Teepo.
Teepo instantly expanded in size, growing to be at least four meters tall. And the first thing it did was swallow Alvin, its main target. Ludger was next, swallowing him before he could offer any resistance. Teepo then targeted Jude. Jude did not resist although he did try to reason with Teepo but he was given no mercy, being swallowed in one fell swoop. Rowen was next, who was still on all fours after having his pride shot down by Milla's words, so the Conductor was an easy target. The only one remaining was the King of Rieze Maxia, Gaius.
Gaius moved into a defensive stance, his fists drawn, "I will not have my bath ruined by residing in your stomach, Teepo. If you don't wish to be harmed, I would suggest you back away." Then he spoke to the women, "You should know that I have no intention of peeking on you ladies. Now order Teepo to back away."
None of the women said anything though and Gaius felt something amiss. Then, a soft voice spoke behind him, "Don't worry Gaius, it's just going to be for a little while." Then the soft, feminine voice giggled.
"This voice…" Gaius whispered then his eyes widened in realization, spinning around, "Muzet!"
But before the mighty King could react, Muzet snapped her fingers and Gaius could not move. An invisible force was restraining him and he was an easy prey for Teepo to swallow. With that, all of the men from the group were within the confines of Teepo's tummy.
"Now Teepo's too large to join us." Elize pointed out, looking at her enlarged doll.
"Don't worry," Leia assured the twelve year old, "Teepo can just bath at the men's side. It's all his for the taking now."
"I'm going to need all the space I can take." Teepo said, releasing a nasty burp. It was like he had just finished a meal.
Teepo slowly moved towards the empty pool but before it could enter the pool, Teepo realized that Rollo was in it. The fat cat was enjoying the warm water when Teepo's shadow came into view. It was then that Rollo realized that Teepo was staring at it.
"Me-meow…?" Rollo meowed softly.
Teepo stared at it for some time, wondering what it should do. Then it came to a conclusion. Rollo was a male cat and Elize's instruction was to swallow up all the guys. With that logic, Teepo knew what had to be done.
"Meow…?" Was all Rollo could do as Teepo opened its mouth.
XXX
Now that the guys were all gone, the females could freely enjoy the hot springs. The great atmosphere, the warm water and of course the great company their friends provided. It was truly a break everyone needed.
Milla and Nova were not in the water at the moment, sitting on the ledge of the pool with their legs inside the water. As for Leia, she had her upper torso on the ledge of the pool while her lower half was still in the water. She was in bliss as well.
Milla sighed happily, "This is really great… so this is the hot springs. It's a really wonderful experience."
Vera was on the opposite side of Milla, still in the water and happily soaking her tired shoulders with the warm water and did stretches with her arms. "Ah… my back really needed this."
"Vera, you sound like an old woman!" Nova teased before she laughed. Vera clenched her teeth in anger from her sister's little insult.
Leia heaved a soft sigh, "But still though… this really is the best, isn't it?"
'Fractured' Milla nodded in agreement, completely relaxed, "This whole trip was an excellent idea. We've been… so tired after all this time."
Elize turned to Elle, "What do you think Elle? This place is great, isn't it?"
Elle however was too preoccupied with playing in the warm water. 'Fractured' Milla was the one who answered, "Yeah, it looks like she's having a great time."
The women all shared a moment of silence after that, bonding through this silence. No words were exchanged, allowing the silence to communicate their feelings. Moments like these were so rare that they all had to cherish this.
"By the way," Muzet said, looking at the other occupied pool, "How's the water on your side, boys?"
On the other pool, it was just an oversized Teepo sitting on the pool with a wet towel on his head. With a loud burp, Teepo sighed, "No complaints over here…"
However Teepo's inside was knocked around, causing it move. Alvin shouted from within Teepo, "Hey let us out! This is supposed to be a co-ed bath!"
Inside the tummy of Teepo, all the guys were cramped into a small space. And the only source of 'water' they had was apparently Teepo's stomach fluids. Alvin was still knocking on the walls, trying to get Teepo to barf them out but to no avail. Ludger and Rowen did not even have the space to stand up as they were basically lying down, keeping their heads above the water. And Rollo the cat was between them all, suffering from the heat.
"Alvin, stop pushing." Jude complained. Ludger tried to break away to get some space but his struggle was in vain.
Rowen could care less where he was, still shocked from having his pride as a gentleman broken down, "To think I once commanded the Rashugal army… ah… how have I fallen so?"
"Meow…" Rollo meowed softly.
"Hey, I think I found the zipper!" Jude called out, feeling something poking on his left forearm.
Gaius blushed deep red when he realized something was groping him, "Hey Jude! That's NOT the zipper! Take it easy!"
"H-huh? S-s-sorry about that Gaius!" Jude stammered in apologies. He was about to say something to Alvin when the young medical student heard something. It sounded like something was burning. He looked in the direction of where the sound was coming from and it originated from Ludger. Jude stared for a moment and then realized the towel around Ludger melted, probably from the acidity of Teepo's stomach fluids. "Th-the towels… they're melting!"
"They're being digested!" Alvin exclaimed and was now starting to panic, "L-let us out of here!"
From the outside, the women could Teepo being bumped around wildly, but the doll merely sat on the pool with a relaxed face. Apparently it wasn't feeling any pain so it could hold the guys in its tummy with no problem.
Milla looked away from Teepo and said coolly, "We might be close friends and all, but not nearly close enough for a co-ed bath." As she said that, Milla did feel bad for Jude but it was for the best.
"Mhmm…" All the girls hummed in agreement.
Nova then spoke up, "Everyone, let's hear it for Ludger, for finally being clear of his loan."
All the girls gathered up and shouted together, "Congratulations!"
Inside the tummy of Teepo, all the guys softly congratulated Ludger but due to the cramped space, they could hardly say anything. Milla got up from the ledge of the pool and rejoined her friends into the warm, relaxing water. And for the misery of the guys, they remained in the belly of Teepo for the remainder of the duration of the bath.
Once the girls were done, Teepo finally released the guys from its tummy.
Skit: Co-ed bath
Present: Jude, Ludger, Milla, 'fractured' Milla, Elle, Elize, Teepo, Alvin & Leia
Teepo: *Relaxed* The bath was sooo gooood…
Alvin: Look who's talking. I'm going to stay here and just relax. Being inside Teepo for that long was a real pain.
Elize: That isn't Teepo's fault.
Leia: Yeah, you could have avoided that if you just waited for us to finish first.
Alvin: And miss the chance to enjoy a co-ed bath? I don't think so.
Jude: *Sigh* I shouldn't have followed.
Alvin: Yeah right. You followed because you wanted to see Milla too, right? *Laughs*
Jude: *Blushes* Th-that's not what I was planning…
Milla: Hmm… is it that appealing for a male to see a woman bathing? I'd assume it's just the same as seeing a guy taking a bath.
'Fractured' Milla: You're… really not accustomed to human culture, are you?
Milla: No, I'm afraid I'm not. I envy you sometimes. You understand how humans interact. *Thinking* Hmm… so Milla, have you ever taken a bath with Ludger together?
Ludger: Huh?!
'Fractured' Milla: W-what?! Of course I haven't!
Alvin: Well… the topic's now taken a drastic turn.
Elle: Oh, but my Milla baths with me sometimes. Does that count?
'Fractured' Milla: Elle!
Elle: I used to bath with my daddy, so it's sort of the same I guess.
Milla: Ah yes… I read somewhere that it's normal for families to bath together sometimes.
Elle: *Thinking* So… Ludger should bath with my Milla and then we become a family?
Ludger: What?!
'Fractured' Milla: Where did you even get that idea?!
Elle: But that other Milla said families bath together. So if we want to get closer, that means we just have to bath together, right?
'Fractured' Milla: That is NOT how it works!
Ludger: Uhh… *blush*
'Fractured' Milla: And what're you so embarrassed about? We're never doing that! *Smacks Ludger*
Ludger: Ow!
Milla: *Observing* They've really gotten close, haven't they?
Jude: *Nods* Yeah…
Milla: Despite being so close, they have not yet taken a bath together. Isn't that a good way to deepen their bond?
Jude. *Sigh*
After a grueling afternoon, night time had finally arrived upon the inn. The guys finally managed to enjoy the hot warm water after the fiasco. And they enjoyed it. Rowen had managed to break out of his solemn mood, gaining back his confident and jovial attitude.
The whole party enjoyed a wonderful dinner together, given the most scrumptious of meals that even Ludger's cooking would be put to shame. Milla obviously enjoyed this the most, sampling each fine cuisine before moving to the next. Safe to say, everyone enjoyed the food. But after dinner was done, Elize and Elle both looked tired.
"My, you two look like you should head to bed soon." Rowen remarked, "It isn't healthy for young girls to stay up so late."
"No we're not." Elle argued but before she could say anything, she yawned.
Elize giggled at that, "its okay Elle. We should go to bed soon. It'll be like a slumber party." Teepo nodded in agreement.
"Come on now." Rowen said, getting up. He then turned to Ludger and 'fractured' Milla, "You two can stay. I'll take Elle to bed as well."
Elle would have argued but after eating all that delicious food, it was like she lost all her energy. Elize picked Elle's hand like an older sister would and the two walked to Rowen hand-in hand. Rowen smiled at the sight and brought them to the room shared by the ladies.
Inside the room, the futons were all set up already by attendants earlier. They were all organized properly next to each other. Elle just flumped into one of the futons but Rowen properly laid her on a pillow and pulled the thick blanket to her chest, making sure she was properly tucked in. Elize was next and Rowen tucked her in like a grandfather would with his precious grandchild. In a moment, Elize fell asleep the moment she shut her eyes, holding her doll Teepo.
Rowen was kneeling next to Elize as he brushed the strand of hair away from her eye, "Pleasant dreams Elize."
"You really care for her, don't you?" A deep voice asked from the doorway of the room.
Rowen recognized the voice instantly and stood up, still looking down at Elize, "I do indeed Gaius. She… reminds me of someone I used to care about." Rowen then turned around and walked out of the room, closing the sliding door of the room. He and Gaius then walked away from the room, their footsteps clacking loudly in the empty corridor.
"Someone you cared about?" Gaius inquired.
Rowen nodded, "Yes… I care for Driselle because of a bond I had when I was her butler. But Elize… she reminds me of Nachtigal's sister…"
Gaius's eyes narrowed at that, "Nachtigal's sister…?"
"Yes, Elize looks almost like her." Rowen said with a soft smile, "And she even speaks like her. It just makes me believe… as if I'm offered a second chance. To correct my past mistakes." Rowen stopped himself and had a small laugh, "Forgive me, I did not mean to bore you with an old man's ramblings."
Gaius shook his head, "No don't be..."
The Prime Minister and the King of Rieze Maxia shared a quiet moment together, walking through the empty corridors of the inn. Although the two rarely shared a moment like this, when they do, they knew the right words to use. Now, they enjoyed the quiet peace.
XXX
"Ah man… this is the life…" Alvin moaned in bliss as he entered the hot spring for the second time now.
Although the former mercenary managed to enjoy the hot spring after Teepo released them, which was not enough. He wanted to enjoy it the second time before they had to depart from the inn tomorrow. Now here he was, alone in the warm, relaxing water with no one else to bother him. And he was used to solitude anyway.
Alvin relaxed for a bit and looked up at the starry night sky, the bright moon dancing brightly in the darkness. This peaceful atmosphere allowed him to think about his life. In particular his life as a mercenary when he was with Exodus. His time of just completing odd jobs and travelling alone. And the highlight of how he changed, which was when he executed Galland's family. Even now, Galland's words rang in his mind. He should not take things for granted and he found those words to make a lot of sense. It makes him think if he was going to be alone forever… or if he would ever find the opportunity to have a family.
"Alvin?" A familiar voice spoke.
The sudden intrusion shocked Alvin and he turned around to find Leia, wrapped in just a towel. "Leia?! What're you doing here?"
"I just thought I'd enjoy the hot springs one last time." Leia answered, "Though it looks like you beat me to it."
Alvin smirked, "Well too bad. This time, I was here first so unless you don't actually mind sharing the place, I'm not moving."
Alvin was expecting Leia to say something mean and then stomp off. Instead to his surprise, Leia just slipped into the empty pool next to the one Alvin was in. Although they were not in the same pool, they were close enough. It was still a co-ed bath after all.
"Le-Leia?" Alvin said with surprise, "You… don't mind?"
Leia sighed in relief at the warm water, "I'm not complaining, am I?"
Alvin chuckled at Leia's smart mouth, "No… you aren't… well, if you don't have a problem with it, then that's fine."
The two said nothing more, enjoying the warm water together. Alvin took a peek at Leia only to find she was doing the same thing. Both caught, the two quickly looked away simultaneously. Then realizing the stupidity of what they were doing, the two shared a laugh.
Alvin relaxed and placed his right hand on the ledge of the pool. And to his shock, he felt placing her hand on top of his. Alvin turned to look at Leia but she was not staring back, simply looking forward but her cheeks were red as a tomato. Alvin looked down at where Leia's hand was and saw it was still holding his. Alvin smiled and decided not to tease her about it. He accepted it.
'Just maybe... I won't have to be alone anymore...' Alvin thought with a smile, 'Maybe... having a family is a possibility.'
XXX
Jude Mathis took a sip of the green tea, feeling the warm liquid enveloping his body when he swallowed it. He was currently at the backyard of the inn, sitting on a bench. Basically the inn had an open space behind the inn where guests could enjoy the open air. And with the beauty of nature surrounding the area, it was a great place to relax and just clear the mind.
However Jude's alone time came to an abrupt end. Milla came out of the inn and entered the backyard, approaching Jude.
Jude got up from his seat, placing the cup of green tea on the bench. He walked towards Milla, "Milla?"
When the two reached the other, Milla smiled, "I wanted to apologize to you Jude."
"Apologize?" Jude uttered in confusion, "For what?"
"For having Teepo swallow you." Milla pointed out, "It was unkind of me… so I wish to apologize for that."
Jude chuckled at that, remembering the scene, "Its okay. It wasn't… too bad I guess. Besides, if you were all uncomfortable with the co-ed bath, I can understand wanting to make sure we won't peek."
The two said nothing more and just stared at each other's eyes. For Jude, he missed looking at her. Even now, sometimes he couldn't believe that Milla was back with the group, even if only temporarily. For one year, he tried to move on with his life but he could not. Milla would always be an important aspect of his life.
Milla then suddenly spoke, "Do you remember Jude? On the day before the final battle, we spent some time alone like this?"
Jude blinked once, surprised by Milla bringing that up. He thought about it and then nodded, "Yeah… I remember… thinking back on it, I can't believe it was just a year ago when all of this happened." Jude remembered it clearly, the two enjoying their moment together under the night sky. It was almost similar to this one. A day before their final battle, a day before they created the world they were living in today.
"I know how you feel." Milla replied, staring up at the night sky, "It was just a year ago... one year ago I was just a human who thought I was Maxwell. And now… I am the Lord of Spirits."
With Milla bringing that up, Jude looked down at the ground, his fists clenched in frustration, "Yeah… and after that… you'll be gone… again…"
Milla made no response for a while and both just allowed the silence to envelop them. Then Milla turned to Jude, "We may never have the chance to be together Jude… but know that our feelings… will always be true."
Milla then reached out and held Jude's hand, feeling the warmth in his hand. Jude looked down at their entwined hands and then stared into her eyes. Finally he nodded, "Yeah…"
This was the fate of Milla Maxwell and Jude Mathis. They could never be together, mainly because Milla could not abandon her duty as the Lord of Spirits. And Jude was only a human. His time was limited, unlike Milla. One day, he would be gone and although the thought saddens Milla, she needed to be strong. Both had their own set of responsibilities and they could not abandon them. This was how it was meant to be. This was their fate.
Then without a word, both leaned in and shared a kiss. It was nothing passionate, but just a simple one on the lips to let the other know of their love. And both felt it.
XXX
Ludger Will Kresnik was at the lobby of the inn, staring out the window, recovering from his pain. After dinner was finished, he felt the side-effects of the Chromatus appearing again and decided to excuse himself. He rushed to the restroom and had his fit of coughing, the sink decorated with Ludger's blood. Pain wrecked his body, his knees buckled from the agony and he trembled in pain from each cough he took. This was the consequences of overusing the Chromatus powers. But in order to keep 'fractured' Milla alive, Ludger felt the pain was worth it.
Now he just needed to rest up and the peaceful night sky was all he needed. On the bright side, his debt was at least cleared but there was still one more obstacle laid on his shoulders. Origin's Trial. He needed to be the one to clear it, to ensure that the human race could survive. Such a load of responsibility on him but so long as he had his friends… and he had his family… nothing was impossible.
Ludger was preoccupied in his thoughts that he was not aware of 'fractured' Milla behind him. And with his guard down, 'fractured' Milla suddenly reached out and hugged him from behind.
"Whoa!" Ludger yelped out, startled by it. He tried to look at who it was but from her golden hair, he instantly knew. "Milla? W-what're you doing?"
'Fractured' Milla instead hugged Ludger tighter, unaware that she was pressing her body into Ludger's back. "I know…" She said softly, "I know…"
Ludger immediately knew what 'fractured' Milla meant. She knew about what he did. About why he excused himself to the restroom. They have grown so close to the point that she knew when he was suffering from the Chromatus's side-effects.
"Don't worry…" Ludger assured, "I'm fine. I'm quite used to it now."
"I'm not going to tell you to stop using the Chromatus for my sake." 'Fractured' Milla said, "Because I know… you won't listen to me anyway. I know you're doing this for my sake but… I just wish… there's a way to stop its effects. I don't want to see you suffer all the time."
Ludger nodded and he held 'fractured' Milla's forearms, which were encircled around his waist, "That'd be… too good to be true. There's no changing how the Chromatus works… so we just have to bear with it."
'Fractured' Milla held back her tongue. She wanted to tell Ludger to stop hurting himself but… she knew Ludger hated that. Ludger would just claim he was doing this because he wanted to. There was nothing anyone could say to change his mind. So the least 'fractured' Milla could do now… was to support him whenever she could. She had to be strong for him because he was the one paying the price.
"This is nice…" Ludger said softly, referring to the fact 'fractured' Milla was still holding on to him.
"Shut up… idiot…" was all 'fractured' Milla said in return. And she buried her face into Ludger's back, a soft smile growing.
Ludger chuckled at that and the two enjoyed this moment together. No one was watching them here, completely alone. But despite this peaceful moment they had, Ludger had bad feeling. He was not sure what it was. Maybe he was feeling paranoid but he could not shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.
"No… everything should be fine." Ludger said to himself. But deep down, he felt he was even lying to himself.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In a fractured dimension, hovering above the Talys Highroad, the Great Spirit of Time Chronos watched over the denizens of this dimension. He tended to do this from time to time, exploring the thousands upon thousands of fractured dimensions. With each addition of a fractured dimension was another increase to humanity's failure. It was now only a matter of time before they failed Origin's Trial.
Chronos was about to move to another fractured dimension when he spotted someone below him. At first Chronos paid little attention to it. Until it realized what it was.
"Ah a seeker." Chronos said with amusement, "I take it you enjoyed our little cat and mouse game?"
Julius Kresnik drew his dual blades, "The chase ends here Chronos. I'll defeat you… and have you create the soul bridge for us!"
Chronos laughed at Julius's words, "You are welcome to try."
Julius grunted and charged forward, moving to engage the Great Spirit of Time.
CHAPTER END
A/N: Well I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It was basically one last 'vacation' the party will have before we move onto the final arc. Oh there is one final character quest (Which I'm sure you readers might guess what it will be based on) before we move to the final main arc.
I hope you guys like the final bit of pairings the characters had