A/N: Well guys, I bring to you one of the final updates for this story. Technically this is the end of the story and the next chapter shall be the epilogue. And to those of you who have been reviewing this story consistently, I wish to thank you all for keeping up with me. To those who reviewed in the past but have stopped, you were all great and I hope you're still reading this story. And those that have been following this story, thank you all as well!
That's all I wanted to say, so let's get to responding to you guys reviews :D
RKF22: Hmm... I guess... nothing much to respond lol
speedking535: Forgive Ludger? Well that depends... mostly they will
Riku Uzumaki: Yup, I'm glad you noticed it! You mentioned that a few chapters back and I was reserving it for that scene to bring it up :) hope you liked that speech by F Milla
-I hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Thank you for staying with the story up to the utmost end
U-Know Yunho: Yes! Eat Jura! D:
-And yup, only two chapters left. With this, one more chapter left
That Mysterious Reader: Because he had no choice D: and yeah, that is quite the typical shounen reasoning but one that is used for quite a lot
-But the power is not death... you'll see, this chapter explains it
Ultimabuster: Oh I wasn't aware that you were reading this story as well xD
-I'm glad you enjoyed the ending of the last chapter. If you thought it was heartbreaking, I think this chapter will pull more of your emotional strings xD of course I'm not the best writer so I hope my descriptions is able to help you understand what I'm trying to display
-The survival of Elle and fractured Milla will be revealed in this chapter. And yes I know what you mean. Ludger is one of my favorite Tales character simply because he is a realist. I prefer if the story is about "accepting and trying to do what's best" rather than "finding an alternate way so everybody wins"
-Thansk! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!
GroundZeroFirework: Yup the story is finally coming to an end!
-haha yeah they were like a little family, weren't they? I guess that's why I wrote this fanfic in the first play. I wanted all three of them to spend more time in ToX2 but they only had such a short moment together. *sigh*
-Oh I hope to read about your story soon! I'm still eagerly waiting for an update!
Roxas Blaze: Thank you for your kind words! Trust me, you enjoying your story and sharing your thoughts mean so much to me. I'm happy you took your time telling me you enjoyed this story and what you thought of it
-Well I can't spoil the ending yet (there's still the epilogue chapter after this) but whether it's a sad, happy or bittersweet ending still possible in either way. Look forward to it!
Milonar: This story made you shed tears as well? Well I'm glad I was able to touch your heart with this story. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter before the final chapter to bring this story to an end! :)
SonicProdigy55: Well I definitely ship Ludger x F Milla but there aren't much of this story in the fanfic community so this is one of thye reasons why I wrote this story :3
-Ah yes I know what you mean. Again, this was another reason why I wrote this story. I was always wondering "What if F Milla was able to live with the party and didn't die in chapter 11?" However I browsed the fanfic community and there was no story that had this theme. So that's how my story was born :D
-Yes well, all good things must come to an end. But I'm glad you enjoyed this story up to now and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.
-Well I do have another story that I might write soon but I won't publish it until I complete this story. Look forward to it!
please no bad: Lol, I can't answer any of them as they are all spoilers :/ So there's nothing much I can say
Well that's it for reviews! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter and please share your thoughts of what you think about this chapter or the story so far. We're almost at the end so I hope to hear from you guys!
CHAPTER 37: GOODBYE, MY FRIENDS!
"Ludger… please tell us… the pact you made with your pocket watch… what did it cost you?" Jude asked once more, his voice desperate.
Ludger looked at everyone. He saw now that it was not just Jude but the rest of the party had a look that demanded Ludger explain what he had done to obtain the full Chromatus powers. And he was hesitant on how to tell them what was going to happen to him.
"Ludger… please…" Fractured Milla begged, "What… what did you do? What's going to happen?"
Ludger looked at fractured Milla and then at Elle, both standing next to him. He then looked once more at his friends, who were behind him. He knew that there was no point in hiding it. They would find out soon enough. So gathering his courage, Ludger was going to reveal what the pact with the watch demanded of him.
"Victor was the one who told me about the ability to form a direct patch with the watch." Ludger explained.
"Daddy told you…?" Elle asked. Ludger detected a hint of sadness, probably from the memory of her father. The rest of the party were wondering when Victor passed on such information.
Ludger nodded, "He told me everything before… he died. He told me about the ability to form a direct pact with the watch. In the end, he wanted to help me because we are the same person. And he knew I was using the Chromatus to allow 'Milla' to exist in the prime dimension."
Fractured Milla unconsciously flinched at that. She already accepted that Ludger was using his life willingly to protect her but she still felt some guilt over it.
"Just tell us what we wanna know, Ludger." Alvin said. Even the former mercenary was anxious.
"By forming a direct pact with the watch, it grants the user the full Chromatus powers by removing all of the side-effects of the Chromatus. But… it comes at a cost." Ludger paused for a moment, "The pact uses the life force of the Chromatus… and then the user. Once both life sources are absorbed, the pocket watch dies and… the ability to use the Chromatus is sealed… as well as the user."
Rowen caught that last bit and asked, "Ludger, what do you mean when you say 'sealed'?"
"Yeah, what's that supposed to mean?" Leia asked, "You said the Chromatus and the user are sealed?"
Ludger struggled to find the words, "Basically… once the pact ends… I… I'll lose consciousness and not wake up… for a long time. Maybe never."
Jude, Milla, fractured Milla and the rest of the party were stunned to say anything.
However Chronos confirmed Ludger's words, "The scion of Kresnik speaks the truth. After the pact is formed, the Kresnik human who formed the pact will have his Chromatus and life source absorbed… and once that is completed, the Chromatus is sealed and the human will fall into a deep sleep. Until the pocket watch unseals the Chromatus once more, the human will never awaken."
"Wait… that means… Ludger just falls into a comatose state? He won't die?" Fractured Milla asked. She was grasping at straws at this point.
Chronos answered with a nod.
"How… how long until he wakes up?" Elize asked.
"Is it a week? A month?" Teepo asked next.
"That all depends on the human's own pocket watch." Chronos answered, "The pocket watch seals the Chromatus after absorbing the life source of both the human and the Chromatus. Later, it will attempt to break the seal. But in the two thousand years since I gifted the Kresnik clan the Chromatus ability, only two humans have ever formed a direct pact. And neither ever opened their eyes again and died when their life came to an end."
Now the party learned the truth of Ludger's actions. Jude clenched his fists in anger and frustration because once again, Ludger took a rash action at the cost of his own life. And he could do nothing about it! Leia and Elize almost broke down in tears when they learned of Ludger's fate but Alvin and Rowen quickly reacted. Alvin grabbed Leia and pulled her to him, allowing her to silently cry out in anguish. As for Elize, Rowen got down on one-knee and embraced the young girl. Elize did not shed any tears but she kept asking, "Why does this have to happen?" but Rowen offered no answers. Teepo offered support as well. Milla, Gaius and Muzet were the only ones that maintained a strong front because they respected Ludger's determination to do what was needed.
Elle heard everything and she knew Ludger was paying the price for this. And Jude, Leia and Elize's reactions merely confirmed what she feared. Without a moment's notice, she lunged herself and held onto one of Ludger's legs, holding it as if she was holding to life.
"Ludger! Please! Please don't do this! I don't want you to disappear! Daddy's gone… and I don't want someone else I love to disappear! Ludger, please!" Elle begged before she ended up sobbing. She continued saying something else but they were incomprehensible since she was speaking too quickly.
Fractured Milla also wanted to cry but she maintained her composure. She wanted to at least remain strong for Elle and Ludger. If she broke down, she knew it would make Ludger feel worse.
With Elle crying and still holding onto his leg, Ludger pulled Elle away and kneeled on one-knee. Then he hugged Elle, pulling her deep into his embrace. Once Elle calmed down a little, he whispered, "Elle… I'm not going to disappear. I… I might be gone for a while but I'll never leave you. I'll always be with you Elle. That's a promise."
Elle burrowed her face deeper into Ludger's shoulder and Ludger continued to sooth her.
"Come on Elle… we still need to make a wish to save the world, remember? We can… deal with my condition later." Ludger said.
Elle nodded and slowly released herself from Ludger's embrace. Of course she was still upset so fractured Milla kneeled down and held the girl, soothing the girl. Ludger and fractured Milla made eye contact but she looked away, unable to stare into his eyes. Ludger's focus returned to Origin.
Origin smiled, "Now then, I hereby grant these representatives of humanity the right to make one wish." Origin looked down at Ludger and Elle, "Ludger and Elle… for overcoming the trial and opening the doors to my chamber, the wish is yours to make."
Elle had calmed down by then and fractured Milla let her go. Elle looked up at Origin, "M-me and Ludger… can make the wish?"
Origin nodded.
"B-but… what about the others?" Elle asked.
"I understand that your friends helped you in overcoming the trial but the Kresnik clan was the chosen group of humans to represent humanity. Thus, the wish can only be made by those who are from the Kresnik lineage."
Elle felt bad but Elize quickly tried to cheer her up, "Don't worry about us Elle. We wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for you and Ludger. You deserve this."
Elle nodded in understanding. Seeing this, Alvin had to admit that Elle was a girl really mature for her age.
"You can wish for anything," Origin repeated again, "But you must decide together. I can even undo Elle's transformation of becoming a catalyst."
The party then remembered that Elle was transforming into a catalyst. While there was very little physical evidence of Elle becoming one, they remembered that Bisley wanted to end Elle's life because she was transforming into a catalyst. Bisley used Elle's power as the Key of Kresnik to defeat Chronos but that resulted in abusing Elle's power and this was the result. It was a grim reminder that Elle's life was in danger.
"Bisley…" Gaius growled, controlling his rage, "He used Elle's power to this extent."
Ludger looked down at Elle and she looked up at Ludger. The whole party was at a dilemma. The plan was to eliminate all fractured dimensions but now they arrived at this point. Victor had mentioned before that once a person becomes a catalyst, there was almost no way to stop the process by any normal means. Ludger grunted at the situation, holding back his rage.
"Do you wish to undo Elle's transformation?" Origin offered.
Ludger wanted to say yes but he felt Elle tugging his arm. Ludger looked at Elle and she shook her head, "No Ludger… you can't do that. We have to wish away the fractured dimensions."
"Elle… I…" Ludger struggled with his words. He was not going to let Elle disappear now! Fractured Milla herself was blaming herself because if she protected Elle from getting kidnapped by Spirius, none of this would have happened.
Chronos watched the whole party not knowing how to proceed with this huge dilemma. Normally he would have enjoyed watching humans suffer and especially now because they could not make the wish they wanted to. The choice was to either save the girl or destroy the other fractured dimensions so that the prime dimension could continue to exist. But at the moment, he did not understand the emotions he was experiencing. Regret… and guilt. And this was because of Origin's words…
Origin then chuckled, confusing Chronos, "You say those things Chronos and yet… you just showed the most human thing about you."
And Chronos remembered what fractured Milla said to him.
Fractured Milla then went for the final point, "And… you said so yourself Chronos. Origin instructed you to assist humanity and you did not. So all the things that you said about humanity not being able to beat the trial… you were wrong. You disobeyed Origin, your own fellow Great Spirit…"
When Chronos heard these two different lines, it was the first time since his existence that he questioned his very purpose. Through Origin's words, he realized that he was a hypocrite. He cursed humanity and their failings but despite being a Great Spirit of Time, he himself was exposed to these human emotions. And fractured Milla's words made him realize in spite of him claiming to be Origin's protector and friend, he had disobeyed Origin's orders of assisting humanity by sabotaging the trial. So Chronos chose to at least help humanity just this once… as an attempt to make up for what he had done in trying to make humanity fail the trial.
Chronos floated towards Elle but when Ludger and the party saw him approaching, they got defensive.
"What're you trying to do?" Fractured Milla demanded and stood between Elle and Chronos, her sword drawn.
Chronos looked at fractured Milla and answered, "I desire to pay my debt. I'm supposed to help humanity… so at least let me fulfill my original role…"
Chronos flew past fractured Milla. Chronos then reached out his arm towards Elle and fractured Milla was the first to react, almost striking down the Great Spirit. But at the last moment, she stopped herself. She saw a dark purple aura being emitted from Elle and into Chronos's arm. Ludger, Jude, fractured Milla and the rest of the party watched as Chronos absorbed the unknown purple aura from Elle. This lasted for a while and when it was done, Chronos said nothing and flew back up.
"Chronos, what did you do?" Milla asked her fellow Great Spirit.
Chronos looked at Milla and answered, "I've stopped the girl's transformation from becoming a catalyst. I abandoned my duty to assist humanity with the trial... so it the last I can do to make up for my mistakes."
No one in the party was expecting that. Fractured Milla was checking through Elle's body and when she saw no physical signs of the symptom of a catalyst, she hugged the little girl. With Elle's transformation undone, the party had overcome another obstacle. Jude, Alvin, Leia and Elize also surrounded Elle as they were glad that she would be okay. Alvin, Gaius, Milla, Muzet and Rowen stayed where they were but they had smiles on their faces. They were all glad that Elle was safe. Ludger also just stood where he was, watching the whole thing with a relieved smile.
While the party was relieved about the whole thing, Origin had a knowing smile on him and looked at Chronos. Chronos on the other hand tried to avoid eye contact with the Great Spirit of the Void. He did not need an old friend of him to rub it in his face.
Once the group had settled down, Origin picked up where they left off, "Now then… Ludger and Elle... what shall your wish be?"
The choice was obvious but Ludger still looked at his friends for confirmation. Milla and Jude gave a knowing nod and the rest of the party held the answer in their eyes. Ludger then looked at fractured Milla and finally at Elle. With a deep breath, Ludger looked up at the Great Spirit of the Void and gave his answer.
"We wish… to eliminate all the fractured dimensions."
There. He said it. Everyone now waited for Origin to say something as the Great Spirit simply stared back in silence.
After a while, Origin spoke again, "You would choose to save the world… over yourself. Is that what you truly desire, Ludger Kresnik? You can wish to nullify the pact that you have made with the watch. Is that not what you truly want? If you wish to nullify the pact, you can stay with your loved ones and friends… isn't that what you'd want?"
"No, that isn't it." Ludger replied without a hint of hesitation, "I overcame the trial… so that my friends and everyone I love can continue to live in this world. That is what I truly want. I don't care if it costs me my life."
Jude could not bear to hear that, "Ludger! Don't say that! You… you don't have to do this! You've already done too much… please!"
Jude took a step forward, wanting to stop Ludger but Milla stopped him. "Jude… let him be."
"Milla!" Jude looked at Milla, searching for words to make her understand, "We can't let him do this!"
"I know how you feel." Milla said sincerely, "But you know we cannot do anything about this. We cannot change it."
Jude knew Milla was right but that did not change how he felt about the whole thing. He was always powerless to help Ludger but this was enough! There had to be a way to save the world AND save Ludger! There must be! But before Jude could argue, Ludger spoke.
"It's okay Jude." Ludger said, turning around and looking at his friend, "Milla's right… this is the only way… I'm sure you know this."
"B-but…!" Jude protested but then he felt someone holding his shoulder. He turned around and realized it was Alvin. The former mercenary merely shook his head, telling Jude to let it go. Finally he relented but he was still frustrated. Deeply frustrated about the whole thing.
Ludger was glad that his friends were trying to stop him. It just showed how much they cared. He saw how much Alvin wanted to protest as well but the former mercenary was more matured and knew there was no other way. This was the same for Rowen and Gaius. Elize and Leia were obviously distraught. Then there was fractured Milla and Elle. The two put up a brave front but the two were also at their limit.
Ludger returned his focus back to Origin, "I won't change our wish. I want to help save this world… so that my friends can continue to live."
"You're not afraid of falling into an eternal slumber, Ludger Kresnik?" Origin asked.
Ludger looked at Elle as he answered, "I'm more afraid of not being able to save… those I care about."
"…I understand. Then I shall accept your wish."
Origin continued to look at Ludger, waiting to see if Ludger would change his mind. But instead of faltering, Origin could sense Ludger's heart would not waver. He was not afraid of the outcome of the wish.
Origin smiled when he realized that Ludger was willingly throwing everything out the window for the sake of his friends and loved ones. "This is humanity's true nature, isn't it?" Origin said rhetorically.
Milla agreed, "Yes. So long as they have something their hearts desire, they are capable to do anything."
"Even profoundly foolish things." Chronos added as a comment.
Origin looked at Chronos and then back at Ludger and the party, "You may be right, Chronos. But the impurity that exists within their souls is precisely what gives them strength."
No one in the party understood what Origin meant by that.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Alvin asked.
Origin had a small smile, "What do you think the impurity is?"
"Err… is it greed? Desire?" Leia guessed aloud.
"Our ego?" Alvin offered.
It was Gaius who spoke this time, "Yes and no. Is desire different from dreams? Is ego not the same as free will, when viewed on a positive light?" Gaius had the answer and looked at Origin, "Therefore… neither is good or evil."
Pleased that someone understood what he meant, Origin continued, "Yes, precisely. And that is the reason why I haven't been eliminating it. I remove the miasma created during reincarnation and seal it."
"But if you do that, then the production of miasma will continue. It will never end." Milla pointed out.
"That's why I wanted to test humanity's decision." Origin revealed, "I wanted to see if humans could strive for perfection while bearing the impurity."
"Humanity's… decision…" Jude whispered. He then looked at Ludger, "Ludger… he did it."
Origin nodded, "Yes. Humanity's decision, which is what I truly wanted to know… and Ludger, has shown it in this trial. But you must all continue to show me."
"Of course. We, too, will prove who we are." Jude said with determination, "Just as Elle, Ludger, 'Milla' and Julius did."
Everything was now settled. But before Origin could grant Ludger's wish, Chronos made his move. He flew to Origin's side and the rest of the crew wondered what the Great Spirit of Time was up to. Origin looked at Chronos but before he could speak, Chronos spoke first.
"Origin, I'm aware that you're at you're limit. You cannot seal the miasma on your own." Chronos said knowingly, "That is why we shall seal the miasma. Together."
Milla's eyes widened because she realized Chronos was helping them once more. If Origin was at his limit, Milla already offered to help Origin in sealing the miasma. But Chronos was now offering himself to do this together with Origin, thus saving Milla from doing so.
"Chronos…" Milla said softly. Chronos gave a nod to Milla and both Lord of Spirits and Great Spirit of Time came to an understanding.
Chronos then cast his gaze towards the group, "However… if humanity should once again fail, I-"
"Don't worry," Gaius interrupted, "No matter how many millennia it takes, we will succeed."
Muzet closed her eyes with a smile, "Some very special humans have turned me into a believer."
Chronos smirked, a rare sight to see on the Great Spirit, "Well then… I expect to be impressed."
This was the final action that Chronos made as an attempt to fix his mistakes in sabotaging Origin's trial. Chronos himself knew it was probably not enough to make up for it, but at least it was something. It was never too late for one to cross the path of redemption.
"I appreciate what you're doing, Chronos." Origin said, looking at his friend with a smile.
Chronos turned towards Origin, "No need for thanks. I'll give you a piece of my mind later. We have… plenty of time for that."
Now that Origin had Chronos to help him with sealing the miasma, Origin returned his gaze to Ludger. It was time. "It is time I grant Ludger's wish. The elimination of all fractured dimensions."
Origin stretched out both his hands to the side and his entire body started glowing brightly. Then a second later, a shockwave was released from Origin that shot upwards, shining so brightly that it would blind anyone that made direct eye contact. Later, the white shockwave exploded on top of Canaan and once it exploded, millions of tiny lines spread out to other parts of Canaan. Milla guessed that each white line would destroy a fractured dimension. The wish was fulfilled.
However unknown to Ludger, Origin had one more thing he wanted to do.
"There is one more thing I wish to do for you, Ludger." Origin said to the party. Ludger and everyone looked up at Origin as he explained, "Because of your 'impurity', you have been using your own life to allow the former Maxwell from the fractured dimension to exist alongside Maxwell. You have suffered greatly and despite that, you still managed to overcome the trial. For that, I shall reward you."
"A reward?" Ludger questioned.
Instead of answering, Origin stretched out and opened the palm of his right hand. This time, his arm was surrounded in a bright light and released it towards the party. Everyone saw the ray of light coming at them before it finally reached its target. Fractured Milla. Fractured Milla shrieked once the ray of light hit but she felt nothing. Then a few seconds later, the ray of light transformed into a purplish color and then removed itself from fractured Milla. The purple light then returned to Origin.
"What… what did you do to me?" Fractured Milla asked.
"The only reason you've been able to continue to co-exist in the prime dimension with the prime Maxwell is because of Ludger's Chromatus." Chronos explained, "But Origin has changed that."
At first fractured Milla did not understand. But then she started to realize what Chronos meant, "Wait… you mean…?"
Origin nodded and took over, "Yes. As the Spirit of the Void, I have altered the mana within you that defines you as a fractured being. You can now live in this prime dimension alongside Maxwell here… without needing Ludger's Chromatus. This is my gift to Ludger…"
Fractured Milla was speechless. It took a while before the tears started appearing and before long, she was sobbing like a little girl. This time, it was Elle who comforted the older woman and the rest of the party were relieved at what they heard. After all this time, fractured Milla could now stay in the prime dimension with everyone!
Origin's trial was now completely over. A moment later, Origin's chamber started closing then.
"Farewell, humans and spirits." Origin said as the doors were almost shut, "Let us hope for a brighter day the next time we meet."
As fractured Milla continued crying her eyes out, the doors of Origin's chamber finally came to a close. Origin and Chronos were gone, sealed within to continue the process of reincarnation and also sealing the miasma. Now only the party was left within the final chamber of Canaan.
Now that everything was over, Milla decided that she too had no purpose to remain in the human realm any longer. Even if she wanted to linger in the human realm, she couldn't. She was using mana to maintain a physical form so the longer she remained in this realm, the more mana would be consumed. And that mana was meant to buy time for Jude to master spyrite research so that Elympios could survive. She had to go.
Milla approached Ludger, "You have helped me to fulfill my duty once again. Ludger Kresnik… you have my thanks."
"Milla…" Ludger said softly. He did not know what else he had to say.
"Now that Origin's trial is over, I cannot stay in the human realm any longer. I am consuming precious mana just by staying here. That is why… I'll give my goodbyes." Milla stepped forward and caressed Ludger's cheek, "You're a good friend. I'm glad I had the opportunity to meet you... and I'm sorry that I cannot… stay here until the very end."
Ludger shook his head and smiled, saying nothing. He knew what Milla meant when she said to 'stay until the very end'. But he did not want to think about that now.
Milla turned around and faced the rest of the party, "Everyone… I'm glad to see all of you after one year. I don't know when we can meet again but I want to thank all of you for helping me in fulfilling my mission."
Rowen chuckled, "Oh it has been an honor fighting alongside the Lord of Spirits. I pray that we can meet one last time before this old geezer passes on."
Alvin gave a casual wave, "It was good to see you again Milla. At least we hit it off much better than when we first met a year ago." Milla laughed at that and couldn't agree more.
"We're going to miss you Milla!" Elize and Teepo said in unison as they rushed in and grabbed Milla in a hug. Teepo was burrowing his face into Milla's bosom, cherishing its 'softness'.
"I wonder if you'll be an adult the next time we meet Elize." Milla remarked with a smile. Elize just hugged Milla tighter in response.
"I… I'll really miss you Milla." Leia said tearfully. Milla simply gave a nod in return.
Gaius was next to give his farewell to a fellow respected companion, "A year ago, we were enemies and fought for what we believed in. It was good to see you again and fight as comrades. I wish you well, Milla."
Milla nodded, "You too, Gaius. Please watch over Rieze Maxia and everyone for me."
Elize finally released the hug and both she and Teepo stepped away from Milla. There was one more special person to have their farewell with the Lord of Spirits. Milla turned to Jude and the two locked eyes for a moment. In that one moment, the two felt like they were in their own little world and the rest was shut out by an invisible barrier.
"Milla…" Jude said softly, struggling to come up with the right words, "I…"
To Jude's surprise, Milla placed her finger on Jude's lips. Jude remembered the first time Milla did this, which was a year ago when they were battling Maxwell. And recently she did this a second time when she was summoned back into this dimension by Rideaux. With those memories, he could not help but shed a tear.
"I'm really glad to see you again Jude." Milla finally said, releasing her finger from Jude's lips, "You've changed a lot… especially your hair… but even then, I can still tell it's you. I'm sorry that I cannot stay with you, to be with you and create a world where both humans and spirits can live together. But I'll always be watching you Jude."
"I know, Milla." Jude replied. He then grabbed the glass bead that he had around his neck, "At least I have this… its proof that you're still here with us… with me."
Milla took one step forward and stroked Jude's face gently. Unlike Ludger, she did this in a much more affectionate manner. Then she leaned forward but only for a peck on the cheek. As much as the two wanted one last kiss, they did not wish to display such an act in front of everyone. Milla pulled away and locked eyes with Jude one last time, wanting to engrave this sight into her memory for a long time.
But before Milla could leave the human realm, there was one last person she needed to talk to. She approached her twin-self, her other-self, the former Maxwell of the fractured dimension. Fractured Milla had already calmed down by then, her tears of joy of learning she could exist in the prime dimension gone.
Milla wanted to say something and then giggled, "You know… I would have loved to eat your cooking before I go."
Fractured Milla actually laughed, "I never got to teach you how to cook. You really can't stay any longer for me to teach you at least once?"
Milla shook her head, "I cannot. If I stay, I will be continuously drain precious mana that was meant for Elympios."
The two then just stared at each other, not saying anything. Then without a word, both walked forward and embraced each other in a hug.
"I'm glad to have met you." Milla said to her other-self, "Even though we are the same, you are still Milla Maxwell on your own. You were like… a twin sister that I never had. 'Milla', thank you for everything. Once I'm gone, please… watch over them for me."
"I will Milla…" Fractured Milla responded, "I'm going to miss you. I hope we'll meet again one day."
Milla released herself from the hug and then looked down at Elle. She kneeled down and smiled at the little girl, "I have to go now Elle. It was nice meeting you."
Elle nodded, "I guess you were… sort-of okay… for a second Milla."
Milla giggled, "Second Milla eh? That's fine… you be good with 'Milla' over here, okay?"
Elle gave a wide grin and nodded. Milla smiled and then got back to her feet and walked away from the party. She had given her farewells to everyone now so she should not linger any longer. She turned around and looked at the party one last time. Everyone was looking back at her and all of them had a strong smile behind their faces. It was almost similar to their final goodbye one year ago at the Temporal Crossroads but this time, everyone was much more accepting of her leaving as the Lord of Spirits.
Muzet also started to make her move but before she joined Milla, she flew towards Gaius and caressed his arm as she flew upwards. Gaius said nothing and made no move or to say farewell to Muzet but he had a small hint of a smile on his face. Muzet saw it and she smiled herself and flew into the air. It was a mutual understanding that only Gaius and Muzet could ever understand.
Once Milla and Muzet were floating above, the two Great Spirits looked down at their friends. In particular, Milla was looking down at Jude. Jude looked up at Milla and once more grabbed the glass bead around his neck. Milla had a soft smile and acknowledged it before she and Muzet transformed into spectral beings and flew out of Canaan. Soon they disappeared and were gone. They have returned back to the spirit realm.
A short silence ensued in the party, not knowing what to say. There was just too much going on until Alvin spoke.
"I guess… we should head back. No point staying here any longer." Alvin suggested.
The rest of the party was in agreement but before they could move, Jude stopped them, "Wait! There's still one more thing I need to know." Jude then looked at Ludger, "What about… Ludger? There must be a way to save him from the pact!"
Ludger knew this was coming. Jude was always just too nice and optimistic. He wanted everything to end well but Ludger was more of a realist. He was prepared to accept what could not be changed. And the only thing that could have nullified the pact with his watch was Origin's wish. There was no turning back now.
So instead of answering Jude, Ludger took out his pocket watch, "It's okay Jude. There's nothing we can do about it."
"But…!" Jude protested.
Ludger then opened his pocket watch and revealed it to the party. They saw that it was still moving normally, ticking as it moved. But it was moving very slowly. "My pact ends once the pocket watch stops moving. And as you can see, it's already moving slowly. I don't have a lot of time and there's nothing we can do to stop it." Ludger then looked up at his friends, "This is farewell…"
Jude looked defeated. Everything was already going so well with Elle's transformation undone and Origin saving fractured Milla. But they were out of cards and Ludger's pact could not be stopped. He hated that. It was always Ludger that was paying the price for everything! But he knew the more time he was in denial, the less time Ludger would have. He had to accept it… just like how he had to accept Milla leaving them a year ago.
Gaius stepped up first, his arms crossed on his chest with a menacing glare, "Ludger… when I first met you, I doubted whether you could do what needed to be done. I was proven wrong and I see now that you are strong. I will never forget what you have done here today."
Alvin ran a hand through his hair with a grin, "You wrapped up things almost too perfectly. Gotta say, I'm a little jealous."
"I'm going to write a story about this." Leia said, close to tears, "At least this way… we'll always remember this. I don't want to forget you Ludger."
It was Rowen next to speak and he kept his short, "Ludger, you need not worry about Elle. 'Milla' will look after her… and of course, we'll help to watch over her as well."
"We'll take good care of her." Elize said with a smile.
"We promise!" Teepo added.
Ludger nodded to all of this, a smile on his face as each of his friends gave their final words to him. Then he turned to Jude, the one person that he could almost consider a best friend. The one who always tried to help him but couldn't.
Jude had a lot of things he wanted to say. Perhaps too much even. So even though he had so many more things he wanted to tell Ludger, he just kept it short and simple. With a determined look, he said, "Ludger… it… it's been an honor knowing you. I'll never forget you."
Ludger gave a nod, a silent response. It was almost a mutual understanding with the two young men. Almost everyone was done with their goodbyes, but Ludger had two more people to speak to. Fractured Milla and Elle.
Ludger turned towards fractured Milla and just like Jude and Milla, it was like the whole world was in a separate dimension. But with time running out, they could not waste time. Fractured Milla decided she at least needed a proper talk with Ludger.
"Ludger… is there… really no other way?" Fractured Milla asked, "The pact… there must be something we can do… just like how you saved my life… maybe we can find a way to save yours?"
Ludger sadly shook his head, "Milla… I already knew what I was doing when I made the pact. As long as you, Elle and everyone else can live, then… it's fine with me. Besides, I'm not going to disappear or die. It might be a long time… maybe years… but I promise you and everyone… I'll come back."
Hearing Ludger's words, fractured Milla couldn't help but start to shed tears, "Ludger…."
Ludger reached out and held fractured Milla's hands, "Don't cry… I don't have any regrets about making the pact. When I'm gone, can you promise to look after Elle?"
"Yes… I will…" Fractured Milla said, nodding. Then she looked at Ludger in the eyes and uttered the words, "Ludger… I… I love you."
Silence. Most of the party had a hunch that there was a relationship between Ludger and fractured Milla, but there was never any definitive proof. So when they heard fractured Milla actually confess her feelings, they were not expecting it.
However Ludger knew of this. After all, he was the one that confessed to her first when he kissed her back at Drellin. "I know 'Milla'… I love you too…"
Ludger then leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. It was not a passionate one, it was just a brush on the lips. But the kiss spoke a thousand words, one that was intimate and contained all of Ludger's feelings. Fractured Milla blushed deep red but she was glad to finally confess her feelings. At least for now… this was their goodbye.
Ludger finally turned to the last person. The one person he cared for from the beginning and the one that he would sacrifice his life for. Elle.
Elle looked up at Ludger with visible tears in her eyes, "Ludger please… don't…. don't leave us! I promise… I promise I won't lie anymore… and… and I'll even eat my tomatoes!"
Ludger smiled and kneeled on one-knee, caressing her head, "I'm not going to leave you Elle. I'll just… be away for a short while. That's why you must listen to 'Milla' when I'm gone, okay?" Ludger then showed his pinky, "I promise you… I'll come back one day."
Elle looked at Ludger's pinky and remembered that she was the one who told Ludger that a promise wasn't really a promise unless they pinky-swear to it. So even as she cried, Elle rolled her pinky with Ludger's, forming a pinky swear.
"I… I'll never forget how you saved me." Elle sobbed and wiped away the tears from her eyes, "And just how good your cooking was." Elle then looked up at Ludger, "You promise you'll come back… because you made a pinky-swear so… so you better come back! Okay…? Okay?!"
Ludger was still looking down at Elle and gave a soft smile. Then to confirm the promise he made with Elle, he gave a nod. Ludger then looked at his pocket watch and saw that it was almost coming to a stop. It was barely moving. His time was almost up. So before the pact was completed and lose consciousness, he gave Elle one last gift. He took his pocket watch and strapped it around Elle's neck, just like how Jude had Milla's glass bead around his. Elle looked at Ludger's pocket watch and then back at Ludger. The two shared a smile.
With everything done, Ludger started humming the hymn of proof. The Kresnik family song, one that was composed by Milla Kresnik. Elle, fractured Milla and everyone just listened in silence as Ludger continued humming the beautiful melody. But then the moment finally came. Just as Ludger was about to finish the hymn of proof… the pocket watch stopped.
The pact was completed.
Everyone saw Ludger twitched and his knees buckled slowly. And as Ludger was slowly losing consciousness, his eyes landed on each of his friends.
Ludger saw Alvin first and smiled. 'I hope… you can one day succeed in forming a trade relationship with Elympios and Rieze Maxia. You can do it Alvin.'
Ludger's eyes shifted to the next person, 'Leia… you've still got a long way before you become a reporter but at least… you've completed the first step. I hope… I can read one of your articles one day.'
After that, Ludger was looking at Elize with Teepo, 'You're a good girl who's always trying to do what's right. You almost remind me of Jude. I hope that will never change about you. And Teepo as well.'
Ludger then looked at Rowen, 'Rowen… you've always been someone I'd turn to for advice. You were like… the grandfather I never had. I hope that you and Gaius… will be able to maintain the relationship with Elympios and Rieze Maxia.'
Ludger finally landed on his back and the whole party rushed to his side. He could hear voices clattering around him but he did not know who they belonged to. It was a mess. As he looked up, he remembered that was the last he saw of Muzet and Milla before they left the human realm.
'Muzet… I never really understood you and sometimes, you scare me. But I'm still glad you helped us with your powers and to be a friend of yours. I hope you stay the way you are.' Ludger thought and then his thoughts shifted to Milla, 'Before I even met you, I've already heard a lot about you. Everyone missed you and I was wondering what kind of person you are. And when I met you, I knew that all the things I've heard about you were true. You're determined and strong-willed. The times when I just wanted to give up, your strength let me continue on forward. Milla… thank you.'
Ludger was already losing consciousness but he managed to see Jude above him. He was applying healing artes on his chest but of course it wasn't doing much. 'You really are a do-gooder, Jude.' Ludger thought, 'When we first met… I thought you were a little annoying with your questions but I then realized that's just who you are. You're so nice. You always try to do what's right and make sure that everybody is happy. When you learned about the Chromatus side-effects, you wanted to help… but you couldn't. I'm glad that you were willing to go out of your way to help me. Jude… thank you. I'm glad to have met you.'
Ludger's time was almost up and he could barely keep his eyes open. He could hear all of his friends… Alvin, Leia, Rowen, Elize, Teepo, Jude… even Gaius, calling out to his name. But it was no use. He could not even smile or say anything to let his friends know that he was still with them. He could not even lift a finger. His time was at an end.
Finally just before Ludger's eyes finally closed, his sight landed on fractured Milla and Elle. Both were crying as they continuously called out his name. And with that, he finally managed to pull his strength and pull out a smile.
'Elle… 'Milla'…' Ludger thought as his eyes finally shut, 'Seeing the two of you… before I go… isn't such a bad thing. If it means that the both of you… and everyone can live… I have no regrets… none at all. Elle… 'Milla'… please continue to live.'
And with that… finally… Ludger Will Kresnik lost consciousness and entered a dark world, to remain in eternal darkness until one day, his pocket watch unseals the Chromatus.
Elle, fractured Milla, Jude and everyone else mourned for the loss of their friend, which came at the price of overcoming Origin's Trial. Ludger had given them all… a chance.
CHAPTER END
A/N: I hope you guys liked the characters giving their farewells. Honestly I felt the game didn't do enough for Milla's farewell when she returned to the spirit realm as well as Ludger when he 'disappeared'. That's why I lengthened it a little with more.