And here we are. After over a decade, we're finally in the final Act. Thank you all who have been sticking with this story and thank you to anyone who started reading. As promise, I will complete this story come hell or high water.
Now, to the chapter.
Edit: As of 2/17/25, there is currently an error on on mobile where Chapter 84 isn't showing up. If you want to read this chapter at the moment, you have to be on either the desktop or app. This error is new since I know you could read 84 on mobile at least yesterday afternoon. Hopefully, this error will be fix soon.
Act III: United World
Chapter 83: Acceptance
While Iselia was a small walk from the Ranch, it felt like a long trek through the forest for Lloyd. The entire time, he couldn't help thinking that he should turn back. He couldn't go back to Iselia…to his home. It would only cause distress for people to see him.
He looked at the sky and numbly noted that it wasn't even noon yet.
When they all got up this morning, they thought that their long journey was finally coming to an end. That after the pact with Luna was done, the worlds would be free and Cruxis control would be shattered. Instead, they just ended up causing more damage and were force to invade the final Ranch to clean up the mess they made.
Lloyd wanted this day to be over. He just wanted to crawl into any bed and pretend everything didn't happened.
"Maybe I should go to my dad's house," Lloyd spoke out-loud. "I need to go there anyway to get my jacket fix. I can meet up with guys in a few…."
"Lloyd, you can't avoid this," Raine interrupted. "While I understand your feelings, the situation has change." She glanced at Colette, who was still unconscious in Regal's arms. "Besides, how do you think Colette will feel when she wakes up and you're not around."
"But…" Lloyd started.
"I feel the same, Lloyd. But…we can't avoid Iselia anymore," Genis said softly. "Besides, we owe it to the people of the Ranch to make sure they're safe."
Lloyd sighed in defeat. It would seem, there was no escaping this.
After fifteen more minutes of walking, Lloyd could see the wooden gate of Iselia. To his surprise, they were no guards posted. Did something happened?
"LOOK!" someone shouted from within the village and the bell rung out.
Within a few seconds, it seemed the entire village had ran to the entrance and stared dumbstruck at the parade of former prisoners.
"What's the meaning of this!?" the all too familiar voice of the mayor demanded as he pushed his way through the crowd.
There was a sudden gasp when one of the villagers caught sight of Regal. "CHOSEN!"
Kratos quickly stepped forward to keep the people from rushing Colette. "The Chosen is alive, but she is very ill. We need to take her to her house to rest."
No one moved or spoke. Everyone just stared at each other.
"Didn't you hear him!?" Genis yelled. "We need to get Colette home!"
The mayor finally noticed Genis. "What are you doing here!? You're banished!" He looked up to see Lloyd near the back of the main group. "So, you've return too?"
Lloyd couldn't think of anything to say.
"Make way for the High Priestess!" a villager shouted as Phaidra broke through the group with Frank right behind her.
Phaidra gasped when she saw Colette and ran to her granddaughter.
"No…" Frank whispered as all the color drained from his face.
"She's alive," Regal assured the priestess, "but we need to get her into bed."
Phaidra put a hand to her chest like she was praying and took several deep breaths. "Of course. Everyone, come into the village." She noticed that Genis and Lloyd made no effort to move. "Everyone."
The mayor understood what she meant. "You can't! Lloyd and Genis are banished from Iselia."
"That's right!" someone shouted. "It was because of them that so many people were killed in the Desian raid and that boy is the Desians' enemy! I've seen his wanted posters as far as Izoold!"
Lloyd put his head down shame.
Kratos calmly walked towards the villagers. "There is little point in keeping them banished. Forcystus, the Grand Cardinal who ruled the Iselia Ranch, is dead."
This news made everyone in the village fall silent.
"Wha..what!?" the mayor spurted.
"It's true!" one of the former prisoners shouted. "We all saw Forcystus die with our own eyes and they freed us from the Ranch. You can send a scout and see Forcystus's corpse for yourselves."
The mayor looked at the former prisoners like he was seeing them for the first time.
"I can also confirmed that all the Grand Cardinals save for one are also dead and their Ranches have either been destroyed or shut down," Kratos continued. "The power structure of the Desians is in a complete disarray and it will be decades before they'll be able to put themselves back together. You no longer have to fear the Desians for at least a generation."
Everyone stood still as they took this news in.
"You…you mean the Desians have been defeated?" the mayor sputtered in disbelief once he found his voice.
"The Desians still exist, but they're basically a guerrilla army now with no real leadership," Kratos explained. "Whatever grudge they have against Lloyd won't be their priority, if they remember it at all. Their main focus will be rebuilding themselves, especially to defend themselves against vengeful humans. Which will probably led into a civil war as they fight over who will be the new Grand Cardinal."
Phaidra took in all this information. "If this is true, I see no reason for Lloyd and Genis to remain banish. The danger of the Desians, for the time being at least, has past."
Raine walked forward. "I can also confirm that Lloyd and Genis were key in defeating all the Grand Cardinals and protecting the Chosen." She glanced at Chocolat. "She can vouch for Lloyd and Genis being present at both the Palmacosta and Iselia Ranch. We also have several witnesses from Luin who can verify them being at the Asgard Ranch."
"Then, I've heard enough," Phaidra proclaimed before she turned to face the town people. "By the power vested in me by the Church of Martel and as a High Priestess of the Goddess Martel, I hereby renounce the banishment of Lloyd and Genis from the village of Iselia!" She turned towards the mayor. "If you have any objections, you can take them up with me. I'll take full responsibility for them."
The mayor couldn't think of anything to say. All the color had drained from his face and his mouth opened and shut several times like a dying fish.
"Phaidra, I…" Lloyd started.
"We can talk after we get Colette to bed," Phaidra cut off. "I sense you have much to tell me." Several guards approached Phaidra. "Take the former prisoners from the Ranch to the school. Find any blankets and clothings that you can spare for them." She turned towards the village doctor. "Please, look over all of them."
The doctor nodded. "Of course." He began to wave the former prisoners forward. "This way! I will treat the critically injured first!"
Lloyd and the others move aside as the prisoners were taking into the village.
Regal walked beside Kratos. "Is what you say is true about the Desians?"
"If Yggdrasill does rebuild the Desians, he will most likely start from scratch instead of using whatever remains in Sylvarant, especially with several Ranches destroyed and the others being under the control of the Renegades. While Pronyma is the leader of the Grand Cardinals, she was never popular among the Desian ranks, especially after she usurped the leadership of the Five Grand Cardinals from the far more popular and beloved Forcystus, so there would be rebelling against her," Kratos explained. "Besides, the Desians still in this world are merely foot soldiers who knows nothing of their connection to Cruxis. Easy to replace."
"So, it would be quicker and less of a hassle to just start again fresh. Make sense," Zelos said. "While the Desians that are still around will be a pain in the ass, they won't have the same power behind them. Even the governments in Sylvarant should be able to handle them."
Kratos rubbed his forehead. "Fact is, both sides are weak. That giant tree did a lot of damage to Sylvarant, which will thin this world's already anemic armies. So no one can go after the remaining Desians."
"So a stalemate," Regal summarized with a sigh. "Hopefully, by the time either side gets themselves together, we can resolve the issue with the two worlds. Otherwise…Sylvarant could be heading into a period of a long war. Not to mention, the longterm issue of the mana crisis."
Kratos chose to say nothing.
Once all the prisoners were in the village a loud howl could be heard.
"What…" Zelos started to ask before a giant blur of white and green suddenly tackled Lloyd, knocking the young swordsman to the ground.
"What is that!?" Regal exclaimed.
Presea reached for her axe, but was quickly stilled by Kratos. "It's okay."
Lloyd looked up at his attacker from his daze. "NOISHE!"
The giant dog barked loudly and happily licked Lloyd's face until he was cover in spit.
"Gross! Get off of me!" Lloyd yelled halfheartedly, happy to see his old friend. "Yeah, yeah, I missed you too."
"Noishe! Great to see you!" Genis exclaimed as he walked over and hugged the dog. "Glad you made it back here from Hima safely."
Noishe stopped licking Lloyd and began to cover Genis in kisses.
"Noishe…." Zelos repeated before his eyes widen. "Wait…you mean this…thing is Lloyd's dog?"
Regal blinked in disbelief. "That's a dog?"
"I have never seen this breed of dog before," Presea said, searching her memory for any kind of information on Noishe's species.
Lloyd managed to push Noishe off of him enough to stand up. "Why is everyone so surprise to know that Noishe is a dog?"
Before anyone could answer, Phaidra stepped forward. "With the prisoners safe, we can take Colette into the village." She glanced at Noishe. "Unfortunately, Noishe must remain outside."
Lloyd groaned. "Yeah, I remember the rule."
Noishe whined.
Lloyd gently patted the dog. "Don't worry. I don't plan on going anywhere any time soon. You think I can travel looking like this?" He pointed to his ruined jacket.
Noishe whined and barked in response.
Lloyd gave one last pat before walking into the village with the others.
The walked to Colette's house was uneventful and within ten minutes, Colette was resting in her bed.
"I will have the doctor look over Colette once he finishes with the prisoners. While she does have a very high fever, she doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger. I also gave her some pain medication for the fever and pain. I pray to Martel that will be enough for the time being," Frank said once he came downstairs to fill everyone in on Colette's condition. "The doctor may not be able to check on Colette until tomorrow at the earliest, however, since there are so many injures among the prisoners. Some who are near death from fatigue and malnutrition."
"I also sent word to the Grand Church in Palmacosta for assistance," Phaidra said. "Hopefully, we can get a response soon. As much as we would like to help the people from the Ranch, Iselia isn't equip to deal with something like this."
"Makes sense. This is a small village," Kratos replied as he stood in the corner while everyone else was seated in the living room.
Frank gave a loud sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Still, it could be weeks, maybe even months before we get supplies. Palmacosta and the Church of Martel were already stretched thin helping with the restoration efforts in Luin along with taking care of the Asgard Ranch's former prisoners. And I'm sure the other cities in Sylvarant are also in distress given recent events." He bit his lips. "While Iselia is important to the Church for symbolic reasons, it's still consider a hamlet and would be a lower priority to the major cities."
"I wish we in Tethe'alla could lend aid to you," Regal spoke in a regretful tone. "This situation was our fault."
This confused Frank. "Tethe'alla? As the moon Tethe'alla?"
"Lloyd, I think it's time you tell us what has been happening," Phaidra said, getting to the heart of the matter. "That strange monstrous tree, you and the others invading the Ranch, your new friends who claim to be from the moon, that red-haired boy who has a similar aura to Colette, and Colette's illness…what has been happening?"
Lloyd felt his mouth go dry.
How could he possibly answer that? Should he tell her the truth? The truth about Cruxis, the angels, and the real purpose of the Journey of Regeneration?
He barely glanced at Phaidra. He…he couldn't.
Phaidra was a High Priestess, which was a similar position to the Pope in Tethe'alla. A direct servant to the Goddess Martel. If she knew the truth….that her entire faith was a lie, a hoax to take away her granddaughter's soul….it would destroy her. He couldn't do that. She deserved to be happy in her ignorance.
"It's…you see…" Lloyd stuttered.
"Lloyd, tell them the truth," Raine's voice broke his thoughts.
Lloyd nearly jumped up in shocked. "What….I can't…"
"They deserves to know the truth," Raine said firmly.
This disturbed both Phaidra and Frank.
"What truth…" Frank asked in an unsteady voice.
Raine looked at both of them before answering. "I only ask that you save any questions until the end. It's….a very long story."
Frank and Phaidra glanced at each other.
"You have my word on the Goddess Martel that we won't speak until you're finish," Phaidra assured, making Lloyd feel worse.
"Then, I'll start," Raine said, knowing that Lloyd wasn't in the mental state to explain anything.
It was several hours later before Raine finished the story on what has been happening since they left the village with Colette over six months ago.
She told them everything: from the Renegades who poised as Desians and them being the ones who attacked the temple on the Day of Prophecy and their current alliance with them, to their dealings with the Grand Cardinals, their Ranches along with Kvar being the one who murdered Lloyd's parents and the Desians being a subset organization of Cruxis, the truth about exspheres and the Cruxis Crystal, to Colette losing her humanity as it was locked away into her crystal, to all the angels merely being evolved half-elves and Martel being a false goddess who wanted the Chosen's body after being long dead, to there being another world parallel to Sylvarant and how they vie for mana in an endless cycle of flourishing and declining from the Great Seed and Zelos being that world's Chosen, and finally the events that lead to the mutated World Tree and how they were able to stop it.
The only parts Raine left out were the personal stories of Presea and Regal since they didn't directly relate to the current conflict and to respect their privacy, and Kratos being an angel who betrayed them since that would just needlessly complicate things.
The entire time, Lloyd kept looking at Frank and especially Phaidra. While Frank's face went through the entire range of emotions from shock, distress, anger, and disbelief, Phaidra remained stubbornly stone-face. The only time her calm demeanor broke was when Raine got to the Tower of Salvation and the events that happened there.
True to Phaidra's word, however, neither one of them interrupted, although Frank nearly broke a few times.
Also amazing was how Raine was able to tell the entire story all at once without stopping except to drank a glass of water. He supposed it came from all her years being a teacher giving long lectures.
Once the story was finished, there was a long silence as Phaidra and Frank took in everything. Lloyd thought he was going to go crazy as the minutes past and neither one of them said anything.
"I see. So the angels of Cruxis were really half-elves…" Phaidra finally spoke after nearly ten minutes.
Lloyd's mouth dropped. Was that all she could say?
Frank rubbed his face. "This is all too much. The angels, Cruxis, the Goddess Martel….all lies…? How can this be?"
"I must ask you don't tell anyone," Raine requested. "This kind of information could destroy Sylvarant, especially in this critical time."
"Of course," Phaidra answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Even if the Tower of Salvation hasn't disappeared, I wouldn't dare tell people the truth. The entire foundation of Sylvarant would shatter over night and there would be religious wars and anarchy."
Lloyd shot up from his seat. "There's no way you can be okay with this!" This got everyone's attention. "Your….your entire belief system is gone… Shattered like it was made of glass! You can't be okay…!" He was nearing tears.
Phaidra gave Lloyd a warm smile. "Lloyd, thank you for being so concern about us. I'm truly touch."
"You're…" Lloyd started.
"I can't say that I'm okay," Phaidra admitted. "Learning the truth…is hard. Being deceived for so long by something you devoted your entire life to and even sacrifice your own granddaughter to is….a crushing experience to say the least." Frank put a gentle hand on his mother's shoulder and squeezed it for support. "I think a part of me is still in shock and haven't fully absorb what has happened."
"I think we're both are," Frank admitted softly.
"And yet, you guys are holding yourselves together very well," Zelos remarked in admiration.
"I think…I think it's because despite being deceived, I don't believe that the Goddess Martel is a bad person or meant for any of this to happen," Phaidra said.
"What?" Lloyd asked. That was exactly what Colette told him so long ago.
"From what you have told me, the Goddess Martel sounds like a victim no different than the poor souls who were taking to the Ranch and turned into exspheres," Phaidra went on. "Martel….apparently died long ago, yet her soul is force to remain in this world, bound to the Great Seed. That cry that echoed across the planet when that twisted tree was destroyed were her cries of anguish and sorrow." She sighed and closed her eyes. "I can only imagined that Martel is tire and wants this cycle of decline and flourishing to end. To finally be put to rest."
Lloyd was taken aback.
While he knew from Yuan that Martel was long dead and that the Renegades were fighting to put her to rest, it never occur to him how much Martel must be suffering in all of this. If Martel was truly asleep like the Church claimed, maybe she was, mercifully, unaware of what was happening around her. If she wasn't….the implications were too much to bare.
He felt physically sick thinking about it.
To be a disembodied spirit unable to interact with the rest of the world, just existing for an eternity. It was the fate Alicia dreaded and begged to be free of. A fate that no one deserved. A fate that was giving to Martel for over four-thousand years. No wonder Yuan was so desperate to put her to rest that he endangered the entire world and was more than willing to murder an innocent girl.
Phaidra was right.…
In the end, Martel was a victim no different than those sacrificed to create exspheres. It actually made him hate Yggdrasill more for doing something like this to someone who clearly cared for. Same with Kratos…how could he do this to Martel?
He glanced at Kratos to see if he had anything to say, but he remained as silent as a statue.
"So, I hold no grudge against the Goddess Martel, the Renegades who attacked us and killed my fellow priests, nor the teachings of the Church of Martel who were also deceived," Phaidra went on, unaware of Lloyd's turmoil. "If there is anyone I'm mad at, it's this Yggdrasill for forcing Martel's soul to remain and for creating this wretched system that has only produced endless heartache."
Kratos closed his eyes. It felt like the High Priestess was speaking directly to him.
Zelos gave a grim smile. "I can see where Colette gets her strength from. You two are very much alike."
Frank shook his head as rage overtook him. "I will never forgive Cruxis for playing with my mother and Colette's hearts."
After a moment, Genis remembered something Phaidra said earlier. "THE TOWER OF SALVATION IS GONE!?"
This got everyone's attention. In Lloyd's outburst, this detail flew past their heads.
"After that frightening earthquake, the tower disappeared from the eastern sky along with that monstrosity," Phaidra confirmed.
"How could it disappear!?" Lloyd asked in shock. Was it destroyed?
Kratos frowned. "I don't know. The Chosen never completed the ritual of regeneration. The Cruxis core system, which controls the appearance of the tower, may have malfunctioned." He paused before he gave a short shrug. "It is of little consequence." It wasn't like Cruxis needed the Tower of Salvation visible to revise the mana flow between the two worlds. Besides, he could fix it later.
Raine shook her head. "No, it's not. It's a tremendous shock to the people of Sylvarant. After a giant earthquake sunders the land, the symbol of salvation vanishes." She stopped to look directly at Phaidra and Frank. "The Chosen will be held responsible."
Frank paled at the thought and Phaidra lowered her head in resignation.
Kratos hummed under his breath. He didn't considered that.
Zelos looked on in confusion. "Why? Lots of other Chosen have failed up till now too. Heck, even if Colette failed the Journey of Regeneration, she still all but destroyed the Desians and their Ranches. Even if it's short lived, we're talking twenty, maybe thirty years of peace."
Phaidra folded her hands together. "While that maybe true, the others have paid for their failure with their lives, but Colette is still alive." She closed her eyes. "And even if the Desians are in disarray, the fact of the matter is that they still exist and will return someday. That alone will paralyze people in fear."
"When people are suffering, they feel the need to place the blame on someone," Regal spoke somberly. That was one constant of human nature.
"It is not fair to Colette," Presea rebutted.
Lloyd growled and clenched his fists. "A lot of things isn't fair to Colette."
Why should Colette be blamed for any of this? Why was it wrong for her to want to live? Why was she alone responsible for the entire world's happiness? Besides, it wasn't her that unleashed that mutated tree. Severing the mana links was his idea. If the world should hate anyone, it was him.
"I'm gonna go see what's going on in the village," Lloyd declared. If the villagers wanted their pound of flesh, they can take it out on him. He wouldn't let Colette carry the blame.
"I'll go too," Genis said, feeling the same as Lloyd. If it meant protecting Colette, he would take everyone's hatred and ire.
"Let's go together," Zelos said, which surprised everyone. "It sounds like it's a bit sketchy for you to be walking around by yourself."
Lloyd turned towards the Tethe'alla Chosen. "Zelos, you…."
"Hey, I told Colette that we Chosen have to stick together," Zelos said without missing a beat. "Wouldn't be right to let her friends face an angry mob alone."
Lloyd gave a small, quirky smile. "Don't you mean 'our' friends?"
Zelos paused before he chuckled. "Yes, yes, of course."
Kratos stepped out of his corner. "I'll stay here and watch over the Chosen. While I don't think anyone would be bold enough to confront her in her current state, it's better not to take chances."
Lloyd stared at the older man. He still didn't trust Kratos. He could easily carry Colette off while they were gone. But…using reason, Kratos wouldn't do such a thing in front of Phaidra and Frank. He respected them too much for that especially after current events, and Colette was in no condition for a long travel. Forget going to Derris-Kharlan.
"Okay," Lloyd finally said as he led everyone out the door. He hoped he wouldn't regret the decision.
The village seemed peaceful. It was like the day's events didn't happened, except there didn't seem to be any birds chirping. In fact, it was unsettling quiet. Like the eye of a storm.
That all changed when the reach the area where the school was. Many people were gathered. Some were helping the former prisoners by giving them water or medicine while bandaging their wounds. Someone was guarded the door to the school building and calling out when the doctor was free to see the next patient.
What got Lloyd's attention was the small crowd of villagers along with the mayor gathered not too far from the prisoners. They all looked upset to say the least. Lloyd was about to avoid them when the mayor suddenly noticed him.
"YOU!" the mayor exclaimed.
Lloyd felt his blood chill and he suddenly felt like he was ten years old again.
The mayor and several other villagers surrounded Lloyd and the group. Presea was ready to reach for her axe on instinct before Regal stopped her.
"This is an outrage! The High Priestess allowed you heathen and that boy back into the village, and the Chosen failed atrociously!" the mayor fumed. "It's the end of the world!"
"Well, he certainly hasn't changed," Genis muttered under his breath. Out of everything he missed in Iselia, the mayor wasn't one of them.
The mayor thankfully didn't hear him. "And on top of all that, the people we thought were elves are actually half-elves!?"
Raine glanced at the prisoners. One of them must have told the mayor. They have gotten too comfortable not hiding what they were thanks to Lloyd and the others.
The mayor glared accusingly at Genis. "I bet you were the ones that led the Desians here to attack this village!"
Genis' mouth dropped. "Wh…what did you say?"
This was too much for even the villagers. "Mayor! He's only a child."
"It doesn't matter if he's a child. He's a half-elf!" he spat.
Lloyd growled as he stepped forward. "I've heard enough from you! Now listen! It's true that the Professor and Genis are half-elves, but so what?! There are good half-elves just as there are bad humans!"
The mayor turned his glare towards Lloyd. He could see the hate in the man's eyes. Half a year ago, that glare would have caused him to back down since he was always told to bit his tongue when dealing with the village's authority since he was still considered a kid, but no more. The mayor no longer had any power over him. He wasn't a no-nothing teenager anymore. He was now a man ready to standup for himself and others.
"What does a kid know? You were raised by a dwarf and a nonbeliever to boot. It's no wonder you caused the Chosen to fail her journey!" He kept glaring at Lloyd. "I bet it's your fault! I bet you caused the Chosen to fail because of your lack of faith and you distracted her! Well, are you happy!? You and your filthy pagan gods have damned us all!"
Lloyd walked over to the man and stood at his full adult height, showing that he was much taller than the stumpy mayor. "So what if I'm a nonbeliever!? You think you can shame me into feeling sorry for you!? Lack of faith wasn't what caused the Tower of Salvation to disappeared. If anything, it's people like you who made Colette carry the burden of the entire world and expect her to smile as she was slowly crushed by it. Colette was willing to give up everything for this village…for this world! Her ability to eat, sleep, feel, or even talk, all sacrificed so you could sit on your butt and act important! Completely naive of the suffering happening around you!"
Everyone began to mutter among themselves, wondering if what Lloyd was saying was true.
The mayor was unmoved. "What do you know boy? What do you, a nonbeliever, know about the Journey of Regeneration and the Chosen's duty? About how much this world will suffer because the Chosen failed? While losing the Chosen is unfortunate, she is one life to millions. Besides, her giving her life for us was what she was born for. It's the will of the Goddess Martel!"
"What are you even complaining about? The Desians are defeated," Zelos sneered, hating this fat old bastard more and more, especially with how willy-nilly he was about sacrificing Colette. He reminded him of the Pope. "You and your little hamlet are safe."
This caused the mayor to give a vicious, cold laugh. "Safe you say…SAFE!? What do you know? Who cares about the Desians! Because of that monstrous tree, Palmacosta was destroyed!"
This gave everyone in Lloyd's group pause.
"What…what!? Palmacosta is gone!?" Genis asked in shock.
"Yes…" the mayor spat. He looked to be near tears. "The last great city of Sylvarant is no more. The headquarters of the Church of Martel…the strongest military in the world…destroyed… Yet, you dared to celebrate the destruction of the Desians."
Lloyd felt the color in his face drained. No….it couldn't be.
"We have no hope left. And you even brought a bunch of dirty prisoners back here, who we don't have the resources to care for. It's intolerable how much pain you've caused the good humans of this village. You're not just a nonbeliever, you're a very curse to this world," the mayor kept ranting, taking dark delight when he saw the distress in Lloyd's face.
At that moment, Chocolat came forward and stepped between Lloyd and the mayor.
Lloyd was taken aback by her eyes. It was the same hateful glare she'd given him at the Palmacosta Ranch. Except now, it wasn't aimed at him.
The mayor stepped back, nearly tripped over his own feet seeing her expression. "Wh..what?"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Chocolat shouted. "You're just complaining about everything! Does any part of you besides your mouth even work!?"
"Chocolat…" Lloyd whispered.
Zelos smiled. Bout time someone shut the guy up. Things were bad, no denying that. But it was hardly the end of the world. At least not yet.
Presea walked towards the mayor. She has also reached her limit. This same poison was what led Ozette to ruin. She wouldn't stand by and let it happen here. "You criticize and attack people for their birth and upbringing, things they cannot change. You even attack other people's faith because they dare to believe in something different from you. It is you who are not human."
The mayor quickly regained his bearings. "What?! We have an arrangement with the Desians! I have a duty to protect this village. Isn't that right?"
No one spoke to defend the mayor's reasoning.
He turned towards the villagers in shock and betrayal. "Say something!"
There was a long silence before someone spoke.
"Genis is the smartest person in this village. He even knows factorizations that you don't know," a boy from Lloyd and Genis' class said.
Another student spoke up. "The Professor is scary when she's angry, but when I know the answer, she's happy too."
"Lloyd isn't any good at school, but he's the strongest in the village and a faithful friend. He saved me when I was attacked by monsters," another classmate vouched. "I…I never thought less of him because he didn't believe in Martel."
Another classmate came forward. "Colette, she's always falling down and stuff, but she never cries. She doesn't cry even when it hurts. Colette is really grown up."
Lloyd was left breathless. He thought he would cry right there. "Everyone…."
This was apparently too much for Raine and she ran.
"Raine…" Genis started before he stopped himself. He knew where she was going.
"Shut up!" the mayor shouted, ruining the good mood. He glared at each of the students. "You children, go away!"
"Those children understand the truth much better than you!" Chocolat shouted, not backing down for a moment. "Who do you think you are?! And it's not just you! Everyone shoved all the responsibility on the Chosen and Lloyd and the others! What have you done?! You haven't done anything! Lloyd's right about you! About us! We just put everything on the Chosen and don't even try to save ourselves while she suffers!"
The mayor stuttered. "We're powerless…"
"But even powerless, we can still aid the Chosen and her companions when they return exhausted to this village," a villager rebutted. "We…we can't just put everything on the Chosen and expect them to carry our sins when they fall."
"Mayor, your words are so shallow that even a child can see through them," one of the villagers said in disappointment and shame.
One of the guards who have been listening to commotion chimed in. "You say that we are powerless and we must force everything onto the Chosen, but when push comes to shove, you turn and blame her? That's just too much! Even us lowly guards play a part in keeping everyone safe."
"Forcystus is dead and the Desians have crumble. There are no more restrictions upon this village," Chocolat said before she put a hand to her heart. "Even if things are bad now, we're still alive. And as long we stay alive, we can fight for a better future. The world only ends when we give up."
"Per High Priestess Phaidra's orders, we will take in the Chosen and her companions and the people from the Ranch," a villager said in a firm voice before glaring at the mayor. "The mayor have no power in this. The Goddess Martel have spoken."
Genis looked up hopefully. "Really? I'm…a half-elf…remember?"
The guard smiled at the young half-elf. "But you were raised in this village. And Lloyd is like a member of this village too. Hell, I was guarding the gate when Lloyd first came to this village with Dirk after that godawful storm." He looked straight at Lloyd. "Nonbeliever, heathen…it all doesn't matter. We're all equal in the eyes of Martel. I know that now. Perhaps the Tower of Salvation disappearing is a test of our resolve. To see if we can stand on our own and not be carried by the Chosen. And that test includes caring for all her children. No matter who they are or what their faith is."
Genis felt tears falling down his face. He couldn't believe any of this was real. "Thank you. Everyone." For the first time in his life…he had a place he could truly call home.
The mayor was streaming before he marched off. "Fine! Do what you want!"
Chocolat walked to Lloyd and bowed humbly before him. "I must apologize too."
This took Lloyd off-guard. "What?"
Chocolat could only look at the ground in shame and regret. "Back in Palmacosta you saved me, and yet I…I couldn't bring myself to accept it even after you risk your lives to save my mom. I…heard at the Ranch about how you were kind to grandma. …Thank you."
Lloyd gave a sad smile before he bought Chocolat into a hug. "I'll always remember Marble for the rest of my life."
This was too much for Chocolat and she broke into tears, crying restless on his shoulder.
It occurred to Lloyd that this was probably the first time Chocolat has mourned her grandmother. When they met her, she clung to the hope that Marble would survived and be free either by Dorr or by the Chosen. When she learned the truth, she was shipped to the Ranch and spent months in what could only be hell, struggling to stay alive.
Now, free of the Desians, she could finally cry for her dear grandmother. To mourn the life that was stolen from her…from all of them.
Genis cried for Marble too and ran to join Lloyd and Chocolat in a group hug.
No words were spoken as they all allowed themselves to weep over the woman they have all come to love, no matter how brief the meeting was. For a moment, Genis felt his exsphere tingle and fill him with warmth, like it was also hugging him.
Marble's body maybe dead, but her spirit was very much alive watching over them.
Done! I really wanted to get this chapter out because it closes so many running story points that have been ongoing since Act I such as Marble's story, Lloyd's non-believer relationship with Iselia (which have been a thing since Tale of Father and Son), the Desians being a defeated force, and Lloyd and Genis' banishment being resolved. So much in just one chapter and we're just beginning.
Until next chapter, take care.