Despite how long Aalissi had been out in this human world, each new city still shocked her. The overtly messy and inelegant marketplaces, the inelegantly sprawled buildings and huts…how could humans live this way?

Then she always had to remind herself that they didn't have magic, that they needed tools and technology that the elves could easily do without. And after all, this was the declining world. That was why…

No, but she was getting ahead of herself. Already she could hardly believe her luck at stumbling across the Chosen's group so neatly. For now, she needed to continue to gather information and avoid raising any suspicion.

I will see you again, Fae, she vowed silently, like she had many times before. It doesn't matter what I have to do. I will, I swear it.

"Hey, watch it!" snapped an old man. Aalissi neatly stepped over his cane and inclined her head politely, not even able to feel any resentment towards him. These people were only afraid: with the Desians terrorizing them constantly, who could blame them?

And, after all, it wasn't as if her people treated the tainted any better…

Aalissi narrowed her violet eyes suddenly, zeroing in on a cloaked figure walking casually a few paces ahead. Only a few meters ahead was the Chosen's group, which she'd split from for the day - but what - ?

Carefully, she pulled her own hood over her head to cover her hair and ears and trailed after the person, trying to zero in on his or her mana signature, but with the sheer number of people in the street, there was far too much noise to detect it with any accuracy. Something about the person - it was either a woman or a very short man - jogged something in her memory. The way they moved, light on their feet but still swift, graceful like a cat…what did it remind her of? Due to the heavy traveling cloak, however, she couldn't make out their features or even their style of clothing under the cloak. It was evident after some time, though, that they were keeping a close eye on the Chosen, trailing the group, staying nearby when they paused to browse stalls.

The Chosen's group was now returning to the inn they had rented out for the night, two of them lingering outside the entrance, and the figure suddenly split off, darting into a nearby alleyway so suddenly that Aalissi barely saw the movement. She cursed under her breath and muttered a quick elven fleetfoot spell before dashing up to the edge. She peered into the alley carefully, hoping the mysterious stranger would not be looking in this direction, and managed to catch the edge of a dark cloak turning a corner. Her footfalls magically quickened and silenced, she followed suit.

She must not have been careful enough, because when she turned another corner, the figure was nowhere to be seen. She realized her mistake too late; as she went to leap out of the alleyway, a sudden cold blade pressed to her throat made her stop in her tracks.

"Who are you?" came a low, threatening voice in her ear. It was a woman's voice. Aalissi paused. She wasn't sure she wanted to use elven magic to get out of the situation if she didn't need to. Revealing too much seemed unwise.
When she didn't respond, the women jerked her closer, the dagger digging slightly into Aalissi's skin. She let out a slight hiss of pain under her breath. "Answer me," the stranger demanded, quiet but insistent. "Why are you following me? Who sent you?"

"I could ask you the same question," she shot back. "I saw you following the Chosen. Who wouldn't be curious? There are those who wish her harm, after all. I'm just an honest, worried citizen."

The woman's grip around her neck tightened. "An honest citizen cloaked and silent? Don't lie to me. I won't ask a fourth time. Who are you?"

She had no choice. Aalissi focused her power and flash-stepped into the ethereal plane for a split second, dashing straight through the dagger blade and flipping around to face the stranger, her own dagger now in her hand. Her breaths came fast and hard, power sapped from using the costly ability, and she was glad for the wall at her back, offering support. She could finally see something of the woman's face — full, red lips, pale skin, a hint of black hair from underneath the hood. The lines of her mouth tightened briefly, but a moment later she leapt up the side of a nearby building and was gone, fast enough that Aalissi didn't have time to stop her. Within moments, her mana signature had vanished, far enough out of range that in the crowded city, Aalissi had no idea where she'd gone.
She let out a frustrated breath. Whoever this woman was, she was human — feeling her mana at such close proximity had made that much obvious — but her movement were too fast to just be a human. Could she be one of the fabled ninjas of Mizuho? But they were supposed to be gone from this world. Cruxis had wiped out the faction here many years ago, at least from what she'd heard from the elders back home.

Unless…

Aalissi could feel her blood run cold. If this was an assassin sent from the flourishing world, the Chosen's group was in more trouble than she'd realized.

Quickly, she hurried back out of the alleyway, dropping the hood and cinching the cloak at her neck to hide the shallow gash on her throat. A few strangers gave her looks as she made her way back to the inn, but she had more important things to worry about. She needed to make sure the Chosen was safe. When she finally slipped back through the front door, the innkeeper glanced up and then gave her a friendly wave. "Ah, you're back! Some of your friends just returned some time ago. Would you like a bite to eat before heading up to your room? It's on the house tonight!"

She realized the lobby and dining area were bustling with patrons, dining, drinking, and chattering raucously. There must be some sort of event. "Perhaps in a bit," she said, smiling at him. "Thank you for the offer. I'd like to retire up to my room for now."

He gave her a polite nod as she moved past him and headed up the stairs, trying not to appear too hurried. Her room was a single one, but she believed the one just next to it belonged to the two half-elven siblings, and the one next to that should be the Chosen's room, where she was staying with the purple-clad mercenary. Quickly, she moved over to the door and knocked.

After a few moments, the door opened, and on the other side was the mercenary. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw her.

"Yes?"

She tried to peer past him into the room, but his body was in the way. "I was just wondering if the Chosen was here. I wanted to speak to her."

He looked as though he was about to say something, but a voice from behind interrupted and he sighed and stepped to the side.

"It's okay, Kratos. I'm here," the blonde-haired Chosen said, stepping forward. She was smiling, but there was wariness in her eyes too. "What did you need?"

Aalissi let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It appeared the Chosen was unhurt. "I - my apologies for interrupting you, Chosen. I was just wondering if you wanted to — " The mercenary was staring her down. "Ah — get a drink with me, perhaps? It seems they are free for the night."

The girl's eyes lit up and the smile widened. "Of course! I love making new friends. And please, call me Colette!" She glanced over at the mercenary, as if to ask for permission, and after a moment, he nodded.

"I'll come down too, of course," he said, looking straight at Aalissi. "It's my job to protect the Chosen."

"Yes, of course," Aalissi said quickly, and gave him a demure smile. He didn't respond, so she backed out of the doorway. Colette stepped out after her, running one hand through her long blonde hair, and they walked back down the stairs, the mercenary trailing silently behind them.

A few moments later, they were nestled at a table in the corner opposite the door, the mercenary seated several tables away with his eyes still fixed on her. As a human, he shouldn't be able to hear their conversation from this distance, but something gave her the feeling that somehow, he could hear every word.

"Aalissi?"

She shook it off and turned to face the Chosen — no Colette. "My apologies, Cho - Colette."

Colette smiled ruefully. "He can be a bit much, can't he? I'm sorry. But he's just doing his job."

"Of course," Aalissi reassured her. "I understand." Should she tell the Chosen about the possible assassin? Or should she tell the mercenary — Kratos — perhaps? Maybe both? She realized Colette was looking at her expectantly and she took a sip of her drink. "It must be difficult," she continued. "Being the Chosen."

The girl across from her put one hand to her hair again. "Well, it's my duty," she said cheerfully, but Aalissi detected a hint of resignation behind her words.

"Even a Chosen is a person," she responded quietly, looking Colette straight in the eyes. "And even a Chosen needs friends to be honest with. People to support her, and room to have doubts and fears." Almost without thought, she infused the slightest bit of magic into her words, wanting to make the Chosen more at ease. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the mercenary shift, one hand moving slowly to his side, closer to his sword hilt.

Colette looked a bit chastened. "I…" She stopped. "You - you're right," she said finally, in a smaller voice. Her gaze had dropped to the drink in her hands. "I'm sorry, Aalissi. Normally I wouldn't want to open up to someone I don't know well, but…" She glanced up again. "Somehow, I feel comfortable with you. It's like I can just tell you don't mean me harm."

Aalissi smiled at her. "Your caution speaks well of you, Colette. You would do well to be careful. But I can assure you, as an elf, I want your journey to succeed. I wouldn't want any harm to come to you. And, as somewhat of a special person myself, at least in the eyes of the world…I can understand, if only a little, what it must be like to have so much on your shoulders."

Colette's gaze had softened a little, but the cheery smile had come back, and somehow Aalissi felt disappointed. The smile wasn't fake, exactly, but something about it felt…off. "Thank you!" the Chosen said, warmth in her voice. Then her eyes flitted down from Aalissi's face and a different expression crossed her face, fast enough that Aalissi couldn't quite tell what it was. "Are you hurt?" she said worriedly. Aalissi realized belatedly that her cloak had loosened from her neck, slipping to reveal the cut. Her hand went up to it automatically.

"I - it's nothing," she said quickly. "Just a shallow scratch."

"Still not nothing." Colette's eyes were reproachful. "If you want to be my friend, you need to take better care of yourself. I'll go get the Professor to take a look at it."

"Colette - " The Chosen was already gone, up from her seat and moving through the crowd towards the stairs. Aalissi stared after her, off-balance.

She'd thought she had an idea of what the girl was like — noble, cheerful, self-sacrificing, and friendly. But somehow…it seemed like there was more beneath the surface than she'd realized. It might not be as easy to manipulate Colette as it had first seemed. Despite herself, Aalissi was intrigued.

She blinked as the mercenary stepped into view, filling the seat Colette had just left.

"Be careful, using your elven magic," he said coldly, voice low enough that she knew none of the humans surrounding them could make out his words. "I don't take kindly to spell-casting around the Chosen."

"My apologies," she said quickly. "It was nothing malicious. Just - "

"Elven charisma," he interrupted, somewhat disdainfully. "Trying to manipulate those around you. Yes, I know all too well."

She decided to ignore his rudeness. "Setting that aside for a moment, I have something important I think you should know."

He just stared at her without responding, so she continued, "I think there may be an assassin after the Chosen." She pulled aside her cloak to reveal the shallow cut. "She was cloaked, but — "

"The woman who was following us through the town," Kratos interrupted her. "Yes, I noticed her. You alerted her to your presence?"

Aalissi felt a bit of anger well up inside her, but she ignored it. "Unfortunately, yes, she spotted me. But I managed to get a look at her, at least. Black hair, pale skin, and purple garb underneath the cloak. And from her movements…" She paused, weighing how much to tell him, and made a decision. "I believe she may be from an ancient ninja clan. One I hadn't realized was still in existence."

Kratos's eyes widened a little bit. "I see," he said. "Well. I suppose your information is not completely useless, then."

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm glad," she said. She thought she'd managed to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but Kratos looked a little amused all the same. Without waiting for his response, she stood and walked back upstairs.

As she was about to head into her room, Raine exited hers, followed by Colette. "Aalissi," the woman said, her eyes going to Aalissi's throat. "Colette told me you had a bit of an injury. I can heal it for you, if you aren't an expert in healing artes."

She considered refusing, then decided against it. "Thank you," she said politely, allowing the half elf to place a hand at her throat. Raine's fingertips glowed green, and within a few minutes the cut had knitted together seamlessly, with only a faint line signifying that it had been there.

"The scar should go away over the next week or so," Raine said. Her eyes were calculating, knowing. "What happened?"

Aalissi considered. "I ran into a bit of trouble with some townsfolk. I managed to de-escalate the situation without too much issue."

"I see," Raine said. She still looked a little suspicious, but as she opened her mouth to say something else the younger half-elf exited the room and joined them in the hallway.

"Raine, where are Rai and Lloyd?"

"I'm not sure. They haven't returned yet," Raine admitted. Colette's expression had darkened momentarily, but when Aalissi glanced at her, she looked neutral again. She wondered if she'd imagined it.

"Lloyd went to go find him," Colette said. "I'm sure they'll be back soon!" Her tone was cheery again. Genis looked worried.

"Raine - "

"I'll wait up for them," she said. She glanced at Aalissi. "We'll see you tomorrow, Aalissi." Aalissi gave them a respectful nod as the older woman shepherded her brother back into the room, shutting the door behind them. It was obvious she wanted to discuss something without Aalissi hearing. A few moments after they disappeared into the room, she sensed a faint pulsation of Raine's mana as she cast a spell - perhaps one to muffle sound? She didn't have too long to think on it, though, as at that moment, Colette put a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for being so friendly to me," the girl said softly. "Maybe we can have a drink again another time."
"I'd like that," Aalissi said, then joked, "Although it'd be nice to do it without your rather intimidating guardian angel."

Colette giggled a little bit. "He isn't that bad. I'll see you tomorrow, Aalissi. Good night."

"Good night," she responded automatically, and watched as the Chosen retreated into the nearby doorway.

Despite herself, she found herself more intrigued with this party than she'd originally expected. Joining in on this journey might have been an even better idea than she'd thought.
With a slight smile, Aalissi returned to her room.


Raine was just starting to get seriously concerned about Rai's whereabouts when the inn door swung open and a familiar figure stumbled into the lobby, his cheeks suffused with color.

"Lloyd!" she said, going to him quickly and noting how he was holding a sleeping Rai on his back. Her keen observation skills kicked in and she realized that Rai had an injured foot, and also that he'd been crying - something that both shocked and worried her. Rai almost never cried - but they were here in Palmacosta, somewhere where all three of them had history. And, even if it was hard to remember sometimes, he was still only a child. Raine cursed lightly under her breath.

She never should have let Rai go out alone. Not here.

What had she been thinking?

Without another word, she placed a hand gently on Rai's ankle and directed mana into the injury, feeling the damage and telling his cells how to regenerate in the right way. Lloyd stood still through it patiently, even though his legs were trembling slightly from exhaustion and there was a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. He must be tired from having carried Rai this far.

"I'll carry him up to bed," Raine suggested, when she was satisfied with her healing. She was surprised when Lloyd backed away immediately, his eyes defensive and his hands tightening around Rai's legs.

"No," he said, and then seemed to realize how he'd sounded, because he continued, "I - I mean...it's fine. I've brought him this far, I can take him. Sorry..."

Raine nodded automatically as her thoughts raced, trying to make sense of the situation. "Go ahead then," she said simply, stepping back, and Lloyd inclined his head to her and began to make his way up the steps. After he'd disappeared at the top Raine followed quietly, and nudged the door of Lloyd's and Rai's room slightly ajar. The innkeeper had offered to board them all for free, with their own rooms at that, but there hadn't been enough for each of them to have their own. Unsurprisingly at this point, Lloyd and Rai had immediately volunteered to share.

She leaned carefully around the door, glancing in. Lloyd had just set Rai down on the bed, taking great pains to lay him down gently, and was now in the process of removing his shoes. He finished that and threw the covers over him before disappearing into the adjoining rest room for a few minutes, during which Raine waited hesitantly, wondering what she was really trying to find out here. She wanted to know what had happened with Rai, but...skulking at the door like this…

"Professor?" came a whisper from behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder and saw Colette. The girl's dainty brow was furrowed, and her fingers fidgeted where her hands were clasped together. "Was there something wrong with Rai?"

Raine shook her head helplessly. "He seems to be okay now, Colette," she said, not really answering the question, and turned her attention back to the room. Colette stood there for a few seconds, and then Raine heard her retreating footsteps as she wordlessly walked away.

Lloyd returned, jolting her back to attention. She made sure her body was hidden behind the door again and watched as the teenager made his way back to bed. He sat down and stared down at her brother for a few long moments, though annoyingly he was faced away from the door so Raine couldn't see his expression. She did notice when he reached out slowly to touch Rai's face with gloveless fingertips, gently pushing her brother's hair back. Then he stood again, sighed heavily and leaned against the wall, slowly sliding down until he was seated on the floor, head in his hands.

Quietly, Raine returned to her room.


When Lloyd blinked his eyes open the following morning, they felt heavy and gritty as though he'd hardly slept at all. It took him several minutes of shielding his eyes from the light and blinking groggily before he remembered the events of the night before and rolled over quickly to look at Rai's side of the bed.

He appeared to be sleeping peacefully enough. Lloyd hesitated a moment. Part of him wanted to flee before the half-elf woke up to avoid having to confront the inevitable questioning about why he'd chosen to…comfort Rai…the way he had. But the rest of him was still too worried to just leave. What had happened last night had been...scary, to say the least. There must be something seriously wrong with Rai. For someone to unravel that quickly - and for a person as fiercely independent as Rai was to be that helpless, that dependent on him...it didn't sit right. It didn't make sense. It wasn't even remotely in-character…

He was still deep in this line of thought when Rai finally stirred, his pale eyelashes fluttering and his hazy green eyes coming into view. Then he sat up suddenly, as though in alarm, and then unlike himself, bit his lip anxiously as he looked over at Lloyd.

"Hey," Lloyd ventured cautiously. "Are - are you okay?"

Rai's eyes flitted away, and he was silent long enough that Lloyd almost repeated the question. Finally, he said, "I...I don't know. And...I just, I don't know how to explain this to you." He sounded defeated, beaten down. Lloyd felt something rise up inside him, an instinct to support his friend.

"Hey," he said, gently but firmly, and reluctantly Rai met his gaze again. "Look. I can't say that I'm not worried, and that I don't have a million questions about what happened last night. But the most important part of all of this is that I'm here for you as your friend. If you don't feel ready to talk about who that guy was or what was really going through your head yesterday, you don't have to. If you ever do want to talk, I'm here to listen. I just want to know that you're okay. And I'm worried about what happened, because it..." He faltered for a moment, but Rai simply stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. "It feels almost like you're not you in those moments. But that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I want to try and do what I can to help you so that you don't feel the way you feel, but without knowing what the hell is going on, it feels like there's nothing I can do..." His voice had risen in frustration. He hadn't realized he was squeezing the bedsheets in his fists until Rai reached out and touched the back of his hand lightly, though he had once again averted his gaze. He sighed.

"Don't make me say this twice, Lloyd," he said finally, sounding strained, "but - you are helping. Somehow." He laughed, and there was a sharp edge to the sound. "And honestly? I might need more of your help. I don't know if I have a choice. Things only seem to be getting worse with time. I think...I think I might be more fucked up than I thought I was."

"Then we'll handle it," Lloyd said firmly.

Rai's gaze on him was much warmer than Lloyd was used to, like surprise had taken down some kind of barrier. As quickly as it had come, though, the moment had passed. Rai was now narrowing his eyes as though something had just occurred to him. "Did you..." He looked at Lloyd, a hint of surprise in his green eyes. "Last night. You - "

Lloyd flushed despite himself. "Don't," he blurted before Rai could even finish. The corner of Rai's lips quirked up, and even if his amusement was at Lloyd's expense, he felt a bit glad that at least the expression looked more at home on Rai's face. "Uh - sorry. I wasn't planning on doing…that. It just- it just happened. In the moment. I didn't know what to do."

"Normally, I would never let you live this down," Rai murmured. "But given the circumstances...I guess we can overlook it." He looked a bit sheepish, another unlike-Rai expression, and finally looked Lloyd straight in the eyes. "Thanks. For doing what you did, weird as it might have been. Either way, you were there for me. And as much of a bastard as I might be...that still means something. I owe you, Lloyd."

Lloyd grinned and put out his fist for Rai to bump. This, at least, was something he could understand. "Friends?"

Rai smiled back, a genuine expression that sent a tingling warmth down Lloyd's spine. "Yeah. Friends."


When Lloyd was gone, Rai let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He'd told the swordsman he needed a moment to think - though the reality was, he probably needed more than a moment.

Yesterday had been...bad.

He forced himself to examine the memories, trying to distance himself enough that the emotions didn't all come flooding back at once. It seemed that yet again, there were memories from when he was younger that he didn't...quite...remember correctly. But there was someone who did seem to remember. Someone who maybe remembered a little too well - so well that he was overwhelmed with the emotion of it all.

W.

He'd taken over again, and Rai didn't know whether to be angry, apprehensive, resigned, or something in between. His memories of what had happened once W had fought his way out were murky at best. He'd collapsed, and then Lloyd had been there. He remembered Lloyd's eyes, his reassuring voice. His warm touch. And vaguely, the feeling of Lloyd's lips on his. That was what had chased W away, funnily enough - it had been shocking enough that Rai had been jolted back to himself, though he had been tired and overstimulated enough that he hadn't had it in him to give much of a reaction once he was finally back in control.

For a moment, he wondered why Lloyd would have kissed him, of all things. Then he shook his head and pushed the thought away. Dwelling on that wasn't going to get him anywhere. He certainly didn't feel like kicking up a fuss or getting mad at Lloyd about it, especially since ultimately it had helped, even if by sheer coincidence. ...But he should probably try to make sure it wasn't a recurring theme. He'd already messed up the game's storyline enough. Lloyd probably needed to be with Colette, at least when it came to romance.

I notice you're not thinking about how you actually felt about it, though, came a familiar, snide voice in his head. There was amusement in the tone.

What, now you decide to show up?

How was the kiss, Rai? Hmm?

Rai rolled his eyes. I don't know, Akira. I was a bit busy, you know, being possessed by my alter ego.

But you still remember how it felt, right?

Despite his better judgment, Rai found himself thinking back. I guess so. It was just a kiss. It had felt...comforting? It hadn't been a rough, sudden kiss, not something lustful or titillating, and not slow and sensual either. It really hadn't felt sexual at all. Instead it had been gentle, soft, brief. Like saying, "Hey - I'm here. I care."

It wasn't until he heard Akira snickering that he realized he had raised a finger to his lips absentmindedly. He jerked it away and sighed, feeling that world-weary sense steal over him again. Why was it that he often felt like he was much older and more jaded than his past self?

Forget that. More importantly, Akira. What the hell are we going to do about W?

To his credit, Akira stopped laughing and seemed to consider. I can't say I know for sure, he said after a pause. Rai thought he could hear some apprehension in the voice. But I do have some thoughts on it — if you're willing to listen. You tend to get a little…ah…touchy about W, if you know what I mean.

The annoyance he might have felt at one point didn't surface. All he felt was resignation. Akira was right, after all. Yeah, I know. But at this point…I need to stop being stupid about this. W is here, and it doesn't look like whatever I'm doing so far has been working. Instead, he's taking over more and more often. Whatever insight you have, I should listen to it.

Well…Akira hesitated. I feel like, so far, you've mainly just been shoving W away. Every time he shows up, anytime he's upset, you push anger onto him and reject him. And not only that, even when he's dormant, you tend to shove any strong or distressing emotions over to him when you feel like you can't deal with them. And I don't know if it's such a good idea —

To push all my emotions onto the most weak, tortured, emotionally unstable part of me? Rai finished wearily. It's so obvious when you put it like that. I've been doing that continually, and then somehow I think I get to be surprised that he's taking over more often. Akira said nothing, but Rai could tell his past self was in agreement. It seems obvious in hindsight, then, what I need to do. I guess I need to… He sighed out loud. Fuck. Akira, you're not going to hear this often, so savor it. You were completely right on this. Just like you said before…I need to work on integrating him. Comforting him. Accepting him as…He felt slightly sick. Part of myself.

He was expecting Akira to gloat. There was a short silence, and then the voice came, quietly.

I'm proud of you, kid.


When Genis came to, feeling more rested than he had in several days, it took him several seconds to remember where he was. He blinked and glanced around the room. Raine was seated at her desk and poring over some books - Colette and Kratos, on the other hand, were nowhere to be seen.

Raine turned around and looked at him. "Good, you're up," she said briskly. "Today we'll be gathering supplies and gathering information again. After all, the journey to Asgard is the longest one yet. We have to make it all the way up through Hakonesia peak, and then further besides."

Genis ran through a map of that landscape in his head and groaned. "That's not going to be fun." He paused. "Rai got back okay last night, right?"

His sister's mouth went into a line. "Well…yes."

"So…?" Genis prompted when no more details were forthcoming. "He…nothing happened, did it?"

Raine sighed. "I think it's obvious something did happen," she admitted, after a pause. "But whatever it was, Lloyd seemed to have taken care of it temporarily."

Genis realized his mouth was hanging open and closed it. "Did…did Lloyd not tell you what it was?" he asked incredulously.

"I thought it best not to press, though I'll have to ask about it later," she sighed, and Genis ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

"Ugh, I'm going to be worried about that bastard now - "

"Language," Raine said sharply.

"Raine - this is Palmacosta. Rai, he - what if he - "

"I know."

Genis sighed. "Okay. Where is he now?"

"The last I checked earlier this morning, still in bed," Raine said, pushing her chair back and standing up from the desk. "Today will be mostly for information and supply-gathering. Kratos and I will handle food and route-planning, so you children just need to focus on making sure you're combat-ready. This continent is notorious for bandits and monsters."

She walked out of the room and Genis sat there for several moments before sighing and swinging his legs out bed in resignation. He went through his morning routine with forced complacency, trying not to rush, and even took a bath, which felt really nice. Finally, when he emerged into the inn's hallway, he glanced down into the lobby and saw Raine, Kratos, Colette, Lloyd, and Aalissi all sitting around one of the tables, eating breakfast, with Rai notably absent. Well - four of them were eating. Colette was poking at her food, her eyes downcast. He walked over to the table.

"Morning, everyone. Where's Rai?" This last, he directed mainly at Lloyd. His friend answered through a mouthful of food.

"He slept in, so still getting ready. He should be down soon."

"Cool. Um, I'm just going to go check on him real quick. Be right back." He walked back towards the stairs before anyone could object.

When he knocked on the door to the room, there was no reply, so after a few moments he let himself in. Rai was lying back on the bed, but he was fully dressed and his eyes were open, staring unblinkingly at the ceiling.

"Hey," Genis said, walking over, and Rai started, glancing at him as if he'd only just noticed he was there. He sat up.

"Hey," he said back, after a moment. "Is everyone still eating breakfast?"

"Yeah." Genis sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned back on his hands. "I just wanted to check in on you. Raine said you and Lloyd didn't get back until late last night. Are you okay?"

"I'm - " Rai stopped and seemed to struggle with himself for a moment. Then he sighed heavily and met Genis's gaze. "Okay. So apparently you can tell when I lie, and I'm trying not to do it as much anymore. So I'm not going to say everything's fine. But I don't want to go into the details of what happened."

Genis felt a bit of warmth well up in his chest. For once, his brother was actually being at least somewhat open with him. "Thanks for not lying to me," he said firmly. "Can you just tell me broadly? Just enough so that I know it wasn't something crazy, and that you're going to be okay."

Rai sighed. "Yeah. I - I just ran into an old acquaintance, that's all. There was a bit of a - an argument. Lloyd kind of stumbled across us and helped calm things down. And I was a bit upset, I guess. Just - working through some stuff."

Neither of them spoke for a few moments. Then Genis clapped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Anytime you want to talk, Rai," he said quietly, "about anything - I'm here. Whatever it is. I know I'm your little brother, but sometimes it just takes another person to point out something you hadn't thought of. Try me."

Rai looked back at him, and for once his green eyes were completely serious, without a hint of mockery or teasing. "Thanks, Genis."

Genis grinned. "Any time, big bro." He clapped Rai on the back. "Well, come on. Breakfast is probably getting cold by now, and I'm hungry."

As he left the room, his back turned to his brother, he let his smile fade a little. It was good that at bare minimum Rai wasn't lying to him, but…there were obviously big issues in his brother's life, and Genis still had no idea what they were.


Author's Note: Hi. So...it's been a really long time since I posted anything. I had quite a lot of this story written and then lost most of it due to computer issues - it was hard to gather the motivation to rewrite it, plus I got busy with other life stuff. But I've never really forgotten this story or where I planned to go with it, and always planned on coming back to it eventually. So...it continues, even if it's been a few years. I'm mostly writing it for myself, but I thought I'd post in case anybody happens to enjoy it, too. If you do (or even if you don't), feel free to leave a comment.