Tears of frustration and anger burst out of Valda's eyes as she holds her chest in pain, and through it all, Captivant stands and stares at her as her tears continue uncontrollably. And tightening his mind, he says, "It must've hurt; it must've been an awful thing to experience seeing all those bodies and wondering over and over again, did I cause this?"
Her head rises, and her anger shoots out at him as she says, "Huh, what the hell are you saying? This is your fault; don't you try to push the blame onto me."
"I am not, your doing that all by yourself." Her mouth shuts, and he continues, "I doubt a woman who is as busy as you would really come here to offer this to me, when you could easily have passed it to my mother or father at church.
Deep in your mind I think you came here to hate me, to see how awful a human being the man who beat your husband and threatened your child must be so you can make him out to be a monster from birth and that the question you've had in the back of your mind when helping all those people would be proven false; that your actions didn't cause me to do this."
Her head sinks lower, and she says, "No, no, I-."
"But I can't be the one to answer such a question for you. If there is a solution you seek to make your guilt vanish, I do not hold it, because I didn't inflict it onto your mind. But I do have something to say: the suffering I see across this country is something I take ownership of.
In my path to being Captivant, this is something that is unacceptable by any standard, so even if I was cursed or destined to do such a thing, I take it onto myself; I will go to war with it as I went to war with the world, and I am sure you can.
It's been a long time since we've spoken, 18 years, and going on 19. But if you're anything like the girl who could make it through the destruction of her country, focused on integrating her people as much as possible, and even raised a rather kind young boy, I am sure you will be able to find an answer that alleviates all your guilt."
Tears keep falling from her eyes, and she says with a half smile, "I am going to have to destroy multiple countries till I can find that answer."
Laughing, a bit Captivant rubs the back of his head, then says, "Truthfully, let's hope not, but knowing your heart, I don't think that will be an issue. Yet if you feel like you can't do it, or struggle to move forward, I will show you the way by fulfilling the promise I made to you back when I told you my dream. I will become Captivant, someone who can truly captivate the world in a way that will make your heart flutter like it really did on that day."
Seeing the smile pasted across his face, she is taken aback, then says, "I am going to tell Siegrund you were flirting with me so he kicks your ass."
"HEY, I WASN'T! THIS IS A TOUCHING MOMENT BETWEEN FRIENDS, DON'T MAKE IT WEIRD."
"Why would I be your friend? You're barely an acquaintance."
"Then while I eat your baked goods, you can start telling me about your life over the last 18 years. I am kind of interested in how an evil witch like you was able to mask her true self so precisely for so long."
"I don't want to be called shit by a breast milk guzzling mama's body like you."
"See, friendly banter, I can already feel the connection between us."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, you disease riddle, incestuous, cry baby."
"Now I think you're trying to be hurtful."
"Trying?"
"YOU BITCH!"
-Break-
Sitting in the dark with the rest of the muffin crumbs circulating in his mouth, Captivant, with her back against the chair, says, "Let's see how much further I can go."
"I am sure it will be beyond the stars," he hears a voice say.
His body freezes as he quickly tries to turn his head, saying, "Ai?"
Yet the hand of Ai holds his neck steady, stopping him from turning it at all, as she says, "I would rather you not look at me now; I happen to be looking so dishevelled that you would start to get turned on and try to jump me."
Taking a breath of relief, he says, "It's your fault for looking so messy. You know what that does to me."
"I know what calling you a good baby boy does to you."
"HEY! I KNOW WHAT CALLING YOU MOTHER DOES TO YOU!"
Pain courses through her mind, as her face turns red and she says, "No more attacks, or both of our hearts might give out."
"Yours might still give out, seeing that you're up and moving after being injured for so long. Let me go get some of the nurses to come look after you; we can call a member of Bendícon to come and look after your wounds from Molstoria, I'll pay."
"It won't be necessary; they've already done enough, and I don't want to bother you anymore."
"You're not a bother at all. I am happy you're here, and I am sure everyone will be happy to help you till you're fully recovered."
"I see, I should be honest then. I don't want to see you, Captivant."
His heart grows tense as sweat starts to trickle down his forehead, and he says, "I know I've done lots of things to hurt you, but I want to change Ai. I want to become someone who can stand beside you. I don't want to drag you down anymore, but to the future."
"Your words, your actions, even your demeanour doesn't remind me of the man who hurt me, Captivant, but I've thought that before; I've thought that so many times my head hurts. You'd do awful things to me to get better, then it would all start again."
"It won't anymore, I promise. I am going to change."
"Maybe. Maybe you won't be anything like the man who did those things. But I can't see your soul. I can't look past what's in front of me and what's buried in my past. Your voice sends shivers down my spine, your touch makes my skin crawl, and your eyes make me feel a wave of self-hatred that can't be measured by anyone. It's how I've had to become to be able to survive all you did to me. It's not something I can get rid of at the drop of a hat."
"Then I will work with you no matter how long it takes or whatever I have to do. I promise to continue forward with you till we win and overcome whatever hatred I have placed in your heart."
"I can't do that. I know more than anyone that whatever cages me and tells me to run from you is something that will take years, maybe even decades, to slay. It's a reality I have to deal with, and any path I take to handle it with you at my side will only make it hurt worse. I will stagnate, wasting all the time and energy I have left in my life not hating you, and that's a price I can't pay now, nor is it something I can ask you to pay. If this is truly the breakthrough I've always wanted, I can't waste your will and your time waiting for me to change into someone who can stand at your side."
Tightening his fist, Captivant says, "Then I'll wai-."
She covers his mouth as she says, "No, don't say that. It's not a promise you should ever make; it's not a goal we should continue moving our lives toward. It won't be good. So let's move past it, and one day, if we meet again. I would like to stare into your eyes and see what type of person you've become. Goodbye, Captivant."
In an instant, he turns his head, and behind his body he sees no one, so he falls to the ground as he stares at the wall with tears starting to form in his eyes, but he quickly wipes them away as he moves out of the room at full speed.
-Break-
Location: Southwest of Zaad Ziener
With a bag tied around her back, Ai limps forward using Spirit Energy to keep her body stable as she moves, yet the pain from her wounds only grows as she forces her body forward.
Φ I hate myself. I hate that in my heart I can see his eyes be different, yet my body rejects it. I hate that I can't overcome all of this; I hate that the weakness that devours every inch of my body only grows by the second as I wish it didn't. I want to meet you, I want to stay with you, I want to hold you, and I want to fall in love again with you. But more so than the fear I had of dying that day, being with you again makes my heart feel like it could implode by the second.
Φ Her steps grow weaker as her moment wanes, culminating in her tripping towards the ground.
Yet before her head smashes on the ground, a hand catches her. She rests in its power as a moment of relief, before quickly breaking free of it and jumping away to face said person, where she sees Siegrund.
Holding up his arm, he says, "Hello."
"Siegrund Bisumod? What are you doing here? Did Captivant really tell you to come and get me?"
"No, despite his selfishness, he doesn't seem to be into kidnapping."
"Then why are you here?"
Smiling, he says, "He happens to have made a really comfy chair, and now I owe him any request, and it just so happens to be to keep Ai safe whenever you have some free time."
"Huh? I don't need your help. Go away."
"Sorry, but a promise between a master and a pupil is unbreakable, though if you think you can physically stop me, then you can go ahead."
Clicking her tongue, she says, "Do whatever you want; I will lose you eventually."
Walking behind her, he says, "I doubt you'd be able to do that. Though I am sure you'll have fun trying. Besides, everyone can use a mentor."
"And what use does a mentor like you have for me?"
"I can't be sure. If anything, I can only shape someone into the sword they wish to hold to accomplish their dreams, but I do at least have another use. My mind quickly forgets anything that doesn't concern it, even those tears you hold back."
As her eyes fill with water, she says, "Dammit."
Rubbing her head, Siegrund says, "There is the path of the strong, the path of the weak, and the path of those who one day wish to be strong. In your heart you wished to reach that point, and the actions you've taken today have shown that you will be strong one day in the future, despite the weakness you've lived with all of your life."
Staring at Siegrund while crying, she says, "Please tell me, will we meet again? Will I get to see him with both of our hearts at a place where we can truly love each other more than ever before? Will there come a day when the both of us will be together again?"
"You're already together, because you've impacted both of your lives more than anyone should. I can't guarantee you what form you two will see each other in next, but know that neither of your love for each other has been wasted, and I am sure whatever form it blooms into from now on will be wonderful."
Her tears continue, and his hand moves across her head.