A Blinding blue light spilled in through the windows and flooded the room, signaling the arrival of the oracle. There was a chorus of gasps as the awed students rushed from their seats and to the window, all of them eager to catch a glimpse of the beginnings of regeneration. It was to be expected that the inhabitants of an impoverished planet be excited to find true evidence that their world would soon be revived, and these fortunate citizens of Iselia were among the first to have their hearts filled with that hope.
As the light died down and settled into a warm glow, coloring the desks and walls in a pale cerulean, Kratos glanced over to where Zelos sat. He could only see the other's backside, and most of that was covered by Colette's long hair, but Kratos knew that Zelos was scared, if, by the way that Zelos had jolted upright and tugged on a few strands of the hair, that was any indication of his inner trauma.
Kratos stood from his desk and walked to the front of the room, and Raine followed him soon afterward. Zelos hesitated, but after a moment and a deep sigh, he finally stood and made his way to where the rest of them were already huddled together.
"Let it be known that I, the Great and Fabulous Zelos Wilder, hate all of you with a passion that burns more brightly than the voluptuous Luna, herself," Zelos professed, clearly using humor to hide his own fear. Kratos merely rolled his eyes at the Chosen.
"Let us go to the temple," Kratos told Raine and Genis, pointedly ignoring Zelos's comment. "There is no time to waste."
"Maybe we'll meet up with you—I mean, your body, and whoever's in it," Genis said awkwardly, looking to Kratos. "That's where we met you the first time around, so maybe he or she will show up."
"It will be strange to see my body inhabited by another," Kratos murmured, still worried that the other would be Lloyd. What he wouldn't give to put his apprehension at ease.
"Join the club," Genis groaned, and Raine huffed in agreement.
"We should go," Raine suggested, diverting the conversation away from her unfortunate circumstances. "As Kratos said, we cannot afford to lose any more time. We don't know the repercussions of this phenomenon, and I am not eager to find out."
The group collectively looked at Zelos, and upon noticing, he put his hands up defensively. "Hey, you're not the ones faced with a crappy angel transformation looming on the horizon. Gimme a break, would you?"
Genis rolled his eyes, but Kratos nodded in agreement. "I apologize. We may have treated you harshly, but nonetheless, you still must endure the trials and undergo the transformation. It will be painful, and you will lose much of your humanity, but there is little we can do until we can obtain Origin's power once again."
There was a silence in which Zelos and Kratos stared at each other, neither moving nor saying anything.
"I'm still not all honky-dory about this plan, you know," Zelos conceded, but he took the first steps out of the classroom, not looking back at the rest of them. Filled with relief that Zelos was finally in agreement with their plan, the remaining three filed out after him, meeting with him on the dirt paths of the village. The world around them was silent, save for the occasional chirp of a bird. The village normally buzzed with life, Kratos recalled, and he worried that something had happened to the people of the town.
"The Renegades must have already gone through the town," Genis said as he, too, noticed the eerie quiet that had fallen over the town. "We've got to hurry, or the priests will be in danger!"
Kratos recalled Botta and his interception at the Martel Temple. If they didn't hurry to accept the oracle, then they might find themselves at the mercy of the Renegades. And given the state they were in, it was better to avoid doing battle with trained soldiers until they had grown accustomed to their new bodies.
"Let's go!" Kratos shouted, running ahead and assuming the others would follow. By the sound of the footsteps behind him, he had been correct. He led them out of the town and into the field, hurrying to reach the temple as soon as possible. He longed for his wings, as he was growing tired of running, but he pressed on, not wanting to risk a fight with the Renegades.
The temple was on the horizon, and the light of the oracle seemed to grow brighter with every pounding step toward it. He tried to listen for what was to come, and he found it impossible to hear anything over the sound of his own breathing. As he neared the temple, however, his heart sank, and the sound of metal scraping against metal rang through his ears. They had been too late.
"The Renegades are already here," Kratos explained, coming to a stop at the base of the massive stone staircase. "Genis, Raine, stay on the offensive, and use your most powerful spells. Will your choices in weaponry be an interference in your casting?"
"My rod is merely a medium," Raine explained as she removed Genis's weapon from the large pocket he had always kept it in. "I can do without, but it is invaluable for directing the mana flow, especially in a fight such as this. Genis, take your Kendama."
"I can take them on without it, but thanks," Genis said with a smirk as he handed over Raine's rod and took his own weapon.
"That's settled, then," Kratos nodded, then turned to Zelos. "Zelos, do not engage in the battle. Unless you are trained in using chakrams, you will only hinder us. Genis, Raine, stay on the offensive, and use your most powerful spells." He barked his commands as he started to run up the steps.
"Fine with me," Zelos replied, letting the Sages run past him as he sauntered lazily up the steps behind them. Kratos rolled his eyes at the blasé attitude of the impudent Chosen, but he shook from his mind the negative thoughts toward Zelos and continued up the stairs, focusing on the battle ahead of him. As he neared the top, he could hear the sickening sounds of swords piercing skin, and though he worried for the priests, he shook his head clean of everything but his objective. Drawing Lloyd's wooden swords and desperately hoping that he could swing hard enough that the toys would damage the soldiers, he took the last step onto the platform and readied himself for battle.
"I will ask once more," the Renegade Botta threatened, advancing on the priestess Phaidra as the three other Renegades around their leader drew their weapons, holding them at the ready. "Where is the Chosen?" Botta had backed Phaidra into a corner, and there was no hope of her escape. If Kratos waited any longer, the woman was as good as dead.
"Stop!" he yelled, causing everyone at the temple to look his way. Botta raised an eyebrow at him, and one of the foot soldiers chuckled, clearly unthreatened by Kratos's presence.
Genis, Raine, and Zelos had finally reached the top, and Botta immediately spotted Zelos. "It's her!" he called, and his soldiers sprang into action. The three lunged toward Kratos, who immediately put the twin swords in a defensive stance. He took the opportunity that the stalemate gave him to glance over his shoulder to see that both of the Sages had begun casting, colorful runes dancing wildly at their feet as they drew in the mana needed for their respective spells.
The soldier leapt back, landing gracefully on his feet and preparing for another strike. To the left of him, Kratos noticed another soldier charging at the casters, and he called upon the mana inside of him, forging it into a tangible essence he could use. He felt the mana travel out through his arm and down his blade, cutting into the ground and slicing into the Renegade. The force of the attack was enough to knock the soldier backward, and Kratos smirked as he turned to face the remaining two enemies. As he turned, he felt a searing pain across his arm, and he gasped, nearly dropping his sword. One of the Renegades had snuck up behind him, and he cursed under his breath when he realized that he had not heard the soldier behind him. Had he still been an angel, Kratos repeated in his head, this would not have happened.
Attempting to shake off the agonizing pain, Kratos knocked the Renegade's next attack with one sword, shoving the blade to the side, and thrust the other blade into the soldier's unarmed torso with another mana-enhanced attack. The wooden swords could not pierce the armor, but the strength behind Kratos's attack pushed the man away, and he stumbled over his heavy boots before tumbling to the ground.
The heavy use of his mana drained Kratos, and he already felt tired after only knocking out two of the Renegades. He had no chance to rest, though, as he had to protect his friends while they prepared their spells.
His friends? No, they were Lloyd's friends. He had never been the friend of Lloyd's companions. Kratos shook his head, wondering why he had even considered Zelos, Genis, and Raine his friends. It had seemed automatic, as if he had always held them in such high regard—
Kratos barely noticed the final Renegade's uppercut, and he fell backward in his attempt to dodge the swing. He swore, shaking his head forcefully. There was no time to think about anything other than the battle.
"Grave!" Genis shouted, and the ground underneath Kratos began to rumble. He scrambled away just as a single pillar of stone shot up from the ground, impaling the Renegade and hauling him into the air to hang limply off the end of the spear. Kratos didn't move, waiting for the spell to continue, but the trembling stopped, and the spear soon retreated back into the ground, leaving the soldier in a bloody heap on the ground.
Confused but undeterred, Kratos stood and gathered mana within him, preparing a healing spell. When he felt it sufficiently charged, he placed his opposite hand over the wound and let the mana flow from within him, forming it into a healing energy on its way out. His spell clearly didn't work, Kratos realized with a start, when the mana merely left his hand and shot out at his arm, exploding on contact and sending waves of searing agony through him. Kratos gasped and nearly fell to the ground in his shock, but he quickly steadied himself. So, then, he couldn't heal himself. It made sense, as Lloyd was merely human, and lacked the means necessary to turn mana into magic. Sighing deeply, he made his way toward Raine, clutching his bleeding arm. She understood and began casting a healing spell. He leaned over so that she could reach him, and she brought her hand over his wound. The palm of her small hand began to glow a soft green, and Kratos felt the healing magic mending the gash. It had been centuries since he had last relied on anyone for healing, and he felt ashamed, in a way, that he could no longer do so, at least until he returned to his own body.
The glowing faded, and Kratos was confused for a moment, because while the skin had closed and his arm was no longer bleeding, it had not been healed properly, and there was a puffy, raw lesion that showed through the tear in the jacket. And worse, the wound still hurt.
"Raine?" Kratos inquired, wondering why she prematurely stopped the spell.
"The spell…didn't work," Raine muttered, "But why is it…?"
A thunderous noise came from behind them, and as Kratos turned around to face whatever foe had come to greet them, he was knocked aside by a large, blunt object. He smashed through the fencing and into the wooden hut near the temple.
Head spinning, all Kratos could think of was the pain, the aching that affected every part of his fragile body. He could see through clouded vision Raine and Genis backing away from Vidarr, and Kratos tensed, trying to push himself up so that he could protect them. Even with the strength that the Exsphere gave him, however, Kratos was simply unused to the unbearable sensation, and his every muscle protested his attempts at recovering.
A chakram whizzed right past Vidarr's head and, with a clank, hit the stone walls of the temple before falling to the ground, useless. Kratos's eyes flew to Zelos, who was behind both of the Sages and who now held only one chakram.
"Shit!" Zelos cursed, and he began backing away once again.
"Did you really expect that to hit him?" Genis yelled as he focused on staying out of Vidarr's range.
"He's not exactly a small target!" Zelos retorted before leaping to the side, dodging the flail that Vidarr suddenly swung at the trio.
"Zelos!" Raine snapped, not turning to look at the Chosen. "Throw the other one!"
From his sitting position, Kratos saw an uneasy look on Zelos's face, but he did has he was told and chucked the ring at the advancing Renegade. This time, the weapon sliced into the lumbering man's bare skin, causing him to howl in pain and cease his progression toward them. Genis immediately began casting what Kratos assumed to be a low-level spell while Vidarr recovered, and Kratos attempted again to stand and fight. He managed to get into a sitting position, but he found many of his bones to have been crushed during the impact of Vidarr's hammer, and the pain was far too excruciating to move.
"Fireball!" Genis called as Raine rushed over to Kratos, the short legs of Genis's body impeding her movements. A single ball of fire formed and flew toward their enemy, disintegrating on contact. Vidarr growled again and swung his hammer down toward Genis. Zelos pushed the boy out of the impact just in time, and they rolled together off to the side of the temple and into the grass.
"I'll heal you," Raine said, bringing Kratos's attention back to his aching body. Both of her hands began to glow, and Kratos could see the healing magic flow from her and into him, reforming his broken bones. Before he could recover, however, the spell sputtered out, and Raine sat in shock, staring at her hands for a few passing moments. "Why?"
"I am as confused as you," Kratos admitted, finding that his body had been repaired enough that he could stand. His every movement sent a new spark of pain through his body, but he pressed on, gritting his teeth as he helped Raine to stand. "But we must finish this fight before we ponder such anomalies."
"Yes, you're right," Raine conceded, and she rushed over to where Genis and Zelos still lay.
Kratos allowed a new bout of mana to well inside him, and as he released it toward Vidarr, another figure appeared from the side. Kratos stood in his place, shocked senseless as his own body kicked at the Renegade, a flurry of purple and blue as the person used his wings to soar above Vidarr in order to gain leverage over the man. All Kratos seemed able to do was watch as the person controlling his body beat down the massive man, distracting him long enough for Genis to cast another spell. As the ground underneath Vidarr began to bubble and fizz, the purple-clad man kicked off of the opponent's bare chest and landed gracefully next to Zelos. A weak pillar of water shot up from the earth with a cry of "Spread!" from Genis, and the magic drenched Vidarr, causing the man to stumble back and fall to the ground, defeated.
"You could've come sooner, old man," Zelos griped, wiping sweat from his forehead and messing up the perfectly styled bangs.
"I apologize. I had to learn how to effectively use wings," the person stated calmly as he walked toward Kratos, who found himself finally breaking free of his stupor. He held his hands to Kratos's torso, the palms glowing green with healing energy, and Kratos could feel the wounds mend fully, as if his entire body was being replaced with a more complete version of himself. As the newcomer healed, he muttered under his breath, "I do hope you all have uncovered the meaning of this."
"I believe we have everything figured out," he responded, curious as to who was wearing his body like a favorite suit.
"Dammit," Botta swore, drawing their attention back to the Renegades and Botta. "I never thought you would interfere." Leaving his fallen comrades behind, Botta ran past the group and down the stairs in a hasty retreat.
A grateful sigh came from the priestess, and Kratos turned to look at Phaidra. "Thank you, sir, for saving the Chosen. I don't know what we would have done if we had lost her to the Desians."
Realizing that Phaidra was speaking to the newest addition to the group, he bowed his head. "It was my honor to protect the Chosen."
Behind him, Kratos heard Genis whisper to Zelos, "That's your grandmother. Tell her we're going."
"Oh, uh," Zelos started, moving to the front of the group. "Yes, well, we'll be off now. I need to go and accept that oracle. Kind of a big day for me. Best be getting on that."
"Chosen?" Phaidra questioned, cocking her head to the side in a confused worry. "Are you all right?"
Cursing silently, Kratos pulled Zelos back by the back of the white robe given to Colette as a symbol of her status in the church. "She's fine, Phaidra," he insisted, forcing another smile and praying that he sounded enough like his son that the priestess would allow them all entry into the temple. "It must be nerves. She has a long journey ahead of her, after all."
"Oh, yes," Phaidra said, nodding sagely. "But the priests that were going to guard her on the journey died at the hands of the Desians. Without protection, she will surely fail."
"W-we'll accompany her!" Genis stammered. "As a—a healer, I can protect her on the journey."
Phaidra thought for a moment that seemed to last forever, heavy silence hanging in the air as she considered their hastily spoken improvisational lies. "I suppose we have little choice. May the goddess guide you on your way."
Letting out a sigh of relief, Kratos released Zelos from his grip and started into the temple, eager to leave the woman's hearing range so that he could finally discover who had traded places with him.
The temple was cool and dim, and they were far enough in that they could discuss freely their situation and objectives. Kratos wasted no time, and he rounded on the man posing as himself and asked immediately, "Who are you?"
The person did not respond right away, but his question was met with light chuckles from the other three in the group.
"Come on, Kratos, it's not that hard to guess," Zelos said with a wave of his hand. "He's obviously Regal. No one else kicks their enemies to death!" Both Raine and Genis nodded in agreement of Zelos's proposal.
"Regal…" Kratos mumbled to himself, trying to determine whether or not the man was deemed fit enough to wear his face.
"That's correct," Regal admitted with a slight nod. "And who, may I ask, are you all? Assuming we're in the same situation, that is."
Kratos took charge in the newest round of introductions and explanations, and Regal listened intently, a myriad of expressions ranging from pity to amusement to shock dancing across Kratos's features. Kratos watched him with a mixture of jealousy and irritation, and he hoped that they would be able to return to normal as soon as possible.
"Then," Regal mused aloud after Kratos finished explaining his theory about the Eternal Sword, "we must hurry to regain our own bodies, lest any unwelcome repercussions arise."
"What are you saying?" Genis asked, leaning in toward their newest companion. "Repercussions?"
"I'm not sure," Regal admitted, "but when dealing with a force as powerful as this, it would only seem reasonable that there's some sort of catch."
"Well, I'm not gonna stick around to find out," Zelos assured them. Kratos turned to him to find that he had begun to walk deeper into the temple.
"Chosen, do not be so hasty," Kratos warned, and Zelos stopped.
With a huff, Zelos rolled his eyes. "You were the one who said we needed to hurry this along. I'm just getting a head start. I'm not as eager as you seem to be to find out what the old man means by repercussions." He spun around and marched off, not bothering to wait for any of them.
"Well," Genis mumbled, "he does have a point."
"Then, let's go," Raine ordered, going after Zelos, and soon, the remaining three followed.
Kratos vaguely remembered the beginning of the Journey of Regeneration, when they had first visited the Martel Temple. It was the location of the Sorcerer's Ring, and they would need it to unlock the seal guarding the door to the altar room. Realizing that they no longer had the ring, Kratos stopped in his tracks. "We will need the Sorcerer's Ring in order to accept the oracle."
"You're kidding, right?" Zelos retorted. "Where is it?"
"It's in the basement," Genis answered. "There's a seal on the door that only the ring can break."
Zelos groaned in annoyance. "Whatever, let's just go get it."
Kratos nodded and led them toward the rightmost pathway that would lead them to the basement. The air chilled more as they progressed deeper within, the light growing dimmer as they left the entrance behind.
"I have a question," Genis spoke into the silence. "What was going on with my spells earlier? They were only half as strong as they should've been, even when I charged them up for twice as long."
"When I try to heal," Raine began, "it's weaker than it should be, and it doesn't last as long as it normally would."
"Hm," Regal mused, bringing a pondering finger to his chin. "I found when healing Kratos that it was far stronger than it had been when I had my own body. Could the two be connected?"
"I am no longer capable of healing," admitted Kratos, "As a human, I am severely limited in fighting, unfortunately."
The group found the staircase that led to the basement, and as they began to descend into the near-darkness, Regal unfurled his wings and lit the path with them.
"Wings are certainly useful," Regal stated simply. "They certainly aid in fighting, I believe."
"I thought so, too," Kratos muttered under his breath as he continued into the darkness.
After a short silence, Raine brought them back into their previous discussion. "Perhaps, specialization in magic follows the mana signature and not the soul. That could be why we find our abilities weakened—or, in your case, Regal, strengthened. If our capabilities follow our mana signature, it would make sense that we are experiencing such downgrades in our spells."
"What do you mean, Raine?" Genis asked, leaning down a bit to better concentrate on his sister.
"Genis, you have always been gifted in elemental magic. You picked it up quickly, and your spells were powerful. I had no such luck in offensive magic, and so I took up healing artes, instead." She looked up at her brother. "I had always assumed that I simply had a lack of understanding for damaging spells, and that you couldn't understand the complexities of healing."
"But instead," Regal interjected, continuing Raine's train of thought, "you now believe they follow the mana signature of each person? Then, that would mean the signature is tied to the physical body and not the soul."
"Correct," Raine resumed, nodding at her friend. "That would be why the Chosen system works so magnificently. The mana signature is tied to the host body, and therefore, a soul transference can occur between two people with nearly identical signatures."
"But what does that have to do with spells?" Zelos asked, joining the conversation. "I get the mana signature not changing, meaning I technically am the little angel now—" in the dim lighting, Kratos saw a grimace on Zelos's face, "—but that doesn't explain why we couldn't use our own spells. If it's about understanding the magic, then it should carry over, regardless of what our mana signature is."
"It's not about an understanding or knowledge," Kratos said, picking up on Raine's theory. "If it was, then I would have been able to at least manage a weak healing spell."
"The mana signature must be connected to the spells we are able to use, what we are able to convert mana into," Raine explained. "It would make sense that our mana signature would influence what we are capable of doing with mana."
"So if I keep doing elemental magic, it won't be very strong?" Genis demanded. "How is that supposed to help us? And what about you, Raine? You're our strongest healer!"
Raine kept calm amidst Genis's frenzy. "Let me try something." She paused and concentrated, a red circle of runes appearing as she converted her mana into magic.
"What are you—?" Zelos began, but he was cut short when he had to dodge several balls of fire. "Are you trying to kill me‽"
The fire flew down the hallway of the basement, lighting up the path and fizzing away as they hit a wall a hundred feet down, lighting up an object placed on a pedestal in front of them. "That was…so exhilarating!" Raine exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she smiled wildly.
"That was impressive," Regal stated, "Was this the first time you have cast that spell?"
Raine nodded. "It was. And my theory has thus far upheld testing. It seems that we will need to master magic with which we are unaccustomed, Genis."
"You're kidding. There's no way I could heal someone!" Genis asserted.
"Don't be silly," Raine stated. "You are just as gifted as I am. I will help you as needed, but I know you are capable of doing such simple magic."
Clearly disbelieving of his sister but not willing to pursue the topic, Genis said nothing in response, allowing the conversation to fade away.
"There was an object on the far wall," Kratos stated, breaking the awkward silence. "I believe it is the Sorcerer's Ring."
"Thank Martel," Zelos muttered, running ahead without them to grab the ring.
"We will discuss magic at a later date, Genis," Raine reminded her brother as she ran after Zelos. Genis groaned audibly.
"Healing is not difficult," Regal comforted him. "Raine's healing power will be a vital asset to us while we remain in this situation. I will help you understand the basics of healing, if you need help."
"Th-thanks, Regal," Genis stuttered. Kratos caught an embarrassed flush on his face before he ran ahead to presumably pry the ring away from Zelos.
The angel appeared in an orb of golden light, an ostentatious show of power. Whatever, Zelos thought to himself, let's just get this over with. The sooner they completed the Journey of Regeneration, the sooner they would make it back to Tethe'alla and return to their own bodies. He was getting tired of Colette's bangs getting in his eyes and the heavy robes fluttering around him gracelessly. He missed his gorgeous face, his flawless hair, his entire body. Whoever had his body would surely be sorry they had ever woken up inside of it.
The allegedly holy being, dressed in formal robes and looking like the absolute stereotype with which everyone in the Church depicted them, flapped his wings and allowed himself to float downward, hovering just a few feet off the altar. Zelos already hated the guy.
"I am the angel of judgment, Remiel," the angel spoke, staring into Zelos's eyes and locking onto them. Through the calm on Remiel's face, Zelos saw humor, as if the being got a kick out of watching him give up his humanity for a world he had never belonged to. "I am here to guide the daughter of the mana lineage, Colette, on her journey to regenerate this impoverished land. It is time to awaken the goddess Martel, who lies sleeping within the earth. Are you prepared to accept the trials required of the Chosen?"
"Yeah, sure," Zelos answered, eyes never wavering from the angel's face. "I accept them." As he finished his sentence, Remiel extended his hand toward him and suddenly, Zelos couldn't breathe. He felt his chest explode, an inner fire spreading throughout him and finally settling under his collarbone. He dropped to the ground in pain, gripping at his chest with one hand and keeping himself upright with the other. Gasping for breath, he squeezed his eyes shut, and then, the pain stopped as abruptly as it came. Under his hand, he felt a cool metal, and he stroked it, recognizing the Cruxis Crystal and its mount. From his place on the ground, he glared up at Remiel, who merely looked amused at the spectacle.
"From this point, Colette Brunel has become the Chosen of Regeneration. In recognition of this holy event, Cruxis blesses you and this world and bestows upon Sylvarant the Tower of Salvation." Remiel's hand flourished toward one of the windows in the large room, and Zelos broke his gaze to see the tower stretching high into the sky, connecting the world to Derris-Kharlan. It looked elegant and grandiose, peaceful even, as if it truly were a symbol of salvation rather than the indication of a twisted world.
"The Tower of Salvation…" Zelos murmured.
"Chosen One, go forth and unlock the seals to heaven," Remiel commanded, an aura of authority radiating off of him and demanding respect. "Upon breaking each seal that guards the Tower of Salvation, you will be granted the power of the angels. When you have been reborn, this eroded world shall be regenerated."
His wings beat faster behind him, carrying him upwards toward the ceiling. Stealing one last glance at Zelos and his friends, Remiel smirked. Then, in another blinding light, the angel disappeared, leaving behind a silence.
"Shit!" Zelos swore loudly.
Sorry about all these long explanatory chapters. I promise that the plot will begin to pick up now! There's just a lot of explaining to do with a story like this. I tried to make it interesting, as least.
Thanks for reading, as always. Reviews are very much appreciated!