Ch 14: Future

Grey has overcome his past, and now he wants answers from the friend he now knows to be his true father. Claire reveals much of her past involvement, and Grey's role in shaping the future.

            Awakening back in the chair by Grey’s bedside, Amy quickly checked her pocket for the kitsune ball, and was slightly pleased to find it was right where she’d left it. Then she was startled as someone said, “Oh, that’s an interesting item you have there.” Turning to see the familiar face of Claire, whom she’d encountered in Halsa, Amy said, “Claire! So you really were the Seeker?!” Sitting up in bed, Grey clutched his head and muttered, “Seeker? Where? Ugh, what’s up with my head?” Smiling warmly at them from where she stood at the foot of the bed, Claire said, “Yes. I am Claire, the Seeker. I honestly hadn’t intended to bump into you in Halsa, though I knew you were there. As for your head Grey, it’s likely a temporary headache, caused by the way the kitsune Sakura used her powers to extend Amy’s Persona for longer than it is usually supposed to last.” Getting out of bed and rubbing his head for a moment, Grey said, “I keep hearing about these kitsune. What the heck are they?” 

Looking over at the kitsune ball in Amy’s hand, Claire said, “Why not ask the kitsune herself? A kitsune ball is linked to its kitsune owner, for it contains a portion of their power. I have no doubt a mischievous Yugure like Mai is using it to eavesdrop on us at this very moment.” Nervous laughter came from the kitsune ball, and Mai said, “I wouldn’t call it eavesdropping. Just a little harmless curiosity, you know?” Suppressing a laugh, Amy said, “I guess you heard Grey’s question then Mai?” With a sigh, Mai said, “Yeah, yeah! Kitsune are ethereal creatures, and we’re separated into two classes. Yugure Kitsune like me are responsible for guiding souls of the dead to the afterlife. The Inari Kitsune are the ones in charge of taking care of the Links.” Raising an eyebrow, Grey said, “What are the Links?” Mai simply said, “Sorry handsome, that’s classified.” With a nonchalant air about her, Claire said, “The Links refer to the connections between people’s hearts. Such connections are usually formed when one person affects the other’s heart by interacting with them. Through these connections, people linked to each other unconsciously affect the balance of darkness and light within the other person’s heart, a function intended to allow all living things to help maintain the balance of the world. That is only one of the ways in which the Links hold our world together though.” Sounding rather shocked, Mai said, “Uh, yeah… Who are you again lady?”

            The three descended through the tower to the first floor, and as they were coming down the stairs, they could hear someone shouting, “First tell me what is going on with Ferid! What did you mean about war breaking out?!” Having been headed to the door, Richter appeared to have been grabbed by the arm by a rather upset Xanth. Stopping and looking back at him, Richter said, “I told you, a lot has happened! Basically, Ferid destroyed Gatria and placed the blame on us and the demonfolk. We can discuss the details later, but right now I’m going outside to see what the hell is going on!” Pulling himself free, Richter left Xanth standing there in shock. As the three reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped off, Grey heard Xanth mutter, “To think something like this would happen the moment I leave my station! I’ve failed my people yet again…” 

Coming up behind him, Grey said, “So why not go back?” As Xanth turned to look at him in surprise, Grey grinned and said, “In the end, you turned out to be a better person than I’d thought you’d be Xanth. You messed up big time, but as long as you’re alive, you’ve gotta keep moving forward. Quit running from your mistakes and do something that’ll make a difference. Sounds like Loki and the rest of Daemonholm could use your help now more than ever.” Looking away from him, after a moment Xanth muttered, “Perhaps… Regardless of my transgressions, it would be dishonorable not to aid my people in such a time.” With a nod, Grey said, “Right!” 

Having noticed none of the others were around, Amy asked, “Did I hear Richter say something happened outside?” Turning and walking to the door, Xanth heatedly said, “Everyone rushed outside after those kids started talking nonsense about a ghost world in the sky…” Following after him with a knowing smile on her face, Claire said, “Oh? How interesting! Why don’t we all take a look?” Stopping to look back at Claire, seeming to have just noticed her, Xanth said, “Who are you? Wait…” Walking past him and opening the door, Claire said, “Oh, no one important. Hurry along, we don’t want to keep everyone waiting.” As she disappeared through the door, the others followed, Xanth muttering, “What kind of answer is that?”

            Stepping out into the forest clearing again, as Xanth looked up in the sky, he quickly exclaimed, “What?!” Following after him, Grey and Amy stared at the terrain of Teramis hanging in the sky as well. In disbelief, Grey said, “Teramis?! What is this?!” Remembering Dr. Nova’s words, Amy said, “Could this be the Merge?” Standing to the side of the door, Claire said, “Yes, this is indeed the Merge.” Then someone called out, “Grey!” Looking in the direction of the voice, Grey saw that in the clearing had appeared Eazel’s cafeteria. Rushing from her seat at one of the cafeteria tables, Marcyl quickly approached and said, “You’re ok! Hey, hey, did you see it?! Up in the sky! Your friends say that’s Teramis! Nobody believed us until they came out and saw for themselves! And then the old guy with the belt on his head made a cafeteria pop up! C’mon, let’s go eat!” As she grabbed Grey’s arm and started dragging him towards the cafeteria, Grey said, “Wha? H-hey, Marcyl? Calm down… Please…?” 

Watching Marcyl hauling Grey away, Amy thought, “They certainly seem close…” Seeming to read her mind, Claire said, “Don’t get the wrong idea Amy. In the short time they’ve known each other they became fast friends, but she seems to think of him more like family. Marcyl’s initial attraction to Grey was largely due to the fact that she is linked to Vas Initio. Some strange bond exists between Deus Amictus and Vas Initio, even though the powers within them are opposites of each other.” Reaching the tables set up in front of the cafeteria, everyone called out their greetings and expressed their relief that Grey was alright as he approached. Everyone except Alexander. Sitting next to him, Serius prodded Alexander and said, “Don’t tell me you intend to escape by ignoring him? You can’t run away anymore. Now that his memory is restored-” Cutting him off curtly, Alexander rose and said, “I know Serius. I know…” Slowly Alexander began making his way to where Grey sat, and Serius thought to himself, “However difficult, at least now they can move forward together. You can’t begin to understand Alexander… just how much I wish I still had that chance with my son…”

            Sitting at a table going over a menu with Grey, Marcyl was saying, “Oooh, how about this?! Ah, or maybe that?!” Sitting at the table as well, Pyro laughed and said, “Marcyl, I think he can pick his own meal. There’s not a lot of stuff here to choose from either…” Suddenly Alexander approached the table and said, “If I might have a moment of Grey’s time?” Turning to him, cheerfully oblivious, Marcyl said, “Hey, Mr. Alexander! What are you having?!” Locking eyes with Alexander, Grey said, “Sure. I’ve got a few things to say myself.” Walking off towards the tower, Alexander said, “We’ll talk inside.” Rising, Grey followed after him. Watching them walk off, Pyro muttered, “Man… What’s up with the atmosphere between those two?” 

Watching Alexander and Grey from where he sat with Mythra and Fox, Richter said, “It looks like the time has come for them to settle things.” Leaning back in his chair, Fox said, “It’ll be rough, but I’m sure they can patch things up. When it comes down to it, that’s what it means to be family.” Grumbling a moment, Mythra glared at him and said, “You knew all along, didn’t you?” Flashing a smug grin, Fox said, “I’m not as dense as you people might think, but I’m also not the kinda guy who goes spreading someone else’s secrets around.” With a sigh, Mythra thought, “I guess I can’t say anything bad about that.” Staring after Grey, she thought, “Still, it really sucks. All this time we knew, but Grey…” 

As Grey and Alexander disappeared into the tower, from the table she shared with Elizabeth and Johnny, Amy stared after them and thought, “Oh, I hope it works out alright.” Suddenly Eazel approached with plates of food and said, “Now, if I’m not too terribly mistaken, I believe you wanted the eggs and bacon special Amy?” As he placed her order before her, Amy said, “Oh, yeah I did. Thank you.” Smiling at her, Eazel said, “Not at all.” Turning his head and seeming to look over at the tower, he added, “Grey may be angry, but their bond is strong. In some ways, the fact that he’s so angry only shows how strong that bond is.” As Eazel walked off, Elizabeth asked Amy, “Did something happen?” Picking up a slice of bacon, Amy said, “Well, it’s a little complicated…” Staring at Eazel as he went off to attend to the others, Johnny said, “I have a question too. How does he SEE with that belt over his face?!” Taking a bite of the bacon, Amy looked over at Claire’s empty seat and thought, “Huh? Where’d Claire go?”

            Closing the door of the tower, Alexander slowly walked to the center of the room. Stopping, with his back to Grey, Alexander sighed and said, “I always feared it would happen like this.” Clenching his fists, Grey said, “Why?!” With a slight laugh, Alexander said, “You wouldn’t understand. Even I don’t understand sometimes…” Moving forward, Grey approached Alexander. Hearing his footsteps, Alexander turned around, and plowing his fist straight into Alexander’s face, Grey shouted, “WRONG ANSWER!” Laid out flat on his back, his signature shades flying through the air, after lying there a moment Alexander laughed weakly and said, “What a punch. You’ve grown so much, Varias…” Glaring down at him, Grey said, “Don’t you dare try and start acting like a father now!” With a sad look in his eyes, Alexander said, “Yes, I really have no right to say such things. Not after the way I separated you and Saria, after I just handed you over to Jonathan and Samantha.” 

Letting out a grunt of frustration, Grey shouted, “You really don’t get it, do you?!” Sitting up and looking at Grey in surprise, Alexander listened silently as Grey continued, “You’d better believe I’m angry about how you just dumped us, but even worse than anything is the fact that after everything we’ve been through together, even after I asked you not to lie about something like this ever again, you’ve been lying to me the entire damn time! I trusted you! But not only did you lie through your teeth the entire time, I had to learn the truth from a b*****d like Ferid rather than from the friend I believed in!” Staring at Grey for a moment, as a smile crept onto his face Alexander covered his face with his hand and started laughing. 

As Alexander laughed, Grey shouted in anger, “Hey! Just what part of this is funny to you?! Do I have to punch you again?!” As his laughter died out, Alexander removed his hand to show the tears in his eyes. Shocked, Grey went silent as Alexander said, “I’m sorry, it’s just… For fifteen years now, I’ve dreaded this day. Every time I found myself faced with an opportunity to tell the truth, the fear in my heart drove me to lie time after time. I thought for certain I’d be hated forever should the truth be known, and yet out of all the possible reactions that haunted me in my nightmares… For you to come to hate me for such a reason… is just too ironic…”

            A look of surprise briefly crossed Grey’s face, and then quickly looking away from Alexander, Grey said, “B*****d, don’t go making stuff up like that.” It was Alexander’s turn to show a look of surprise, and seeing this out of the corner of his eye, Grey quickly said, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m more than pissed at you! Still, if I really hated you, we wouldn’t be talking like this.” Continuing to stare in disbelief for a moment, finally Alexander stood and wiped his eyes as he said, “I… I guess that’s true…” Walking over and picking up his signature shades, Alexander put them back on as he said, “But then… just where do we go from here I wonder?” Hesitantly, Grey said, “You could finally explain everything to me. I don’t know much of the story except that mom was the one who gave me the phoenix stone.” 

Staring at him in confusion, after a moment Alexander said, “Phoenix stone?” Nodding, Grey pointed at the red gemmed pendant he wore around his neck and said, “Yeah, this pendant I’m always wearing, the one you told me I was found with.” Looking at it briefly, Alexander said, “Yes, it was Amelia’s pendant, though I never did find out where she picked it up. I still don’t know what you mean by phoenix stone though. Did someone tell you that’s what it’s called?” Nodding again, Grey said, “Yeah, that woman who came in and rescued us back at the academy, the one in the brown hood and cloak. She said that mom knew about my future and that I would get killed back there, so she gave me the phoenix stone so that I would be resurrected. Masquerade said I lost my memory when I got resurrected because I had lingering regrets about not getting to finish school and live a normal life like everyone else.” Once Grey had finished explaining, a completely confused Alexander said, “What? I don’t know what you’ve been told, but there’s no way Amelia could have known about your destiny. If she had, then why would she-” Suddenly interrupting, a voice said, “Because she was concerned she would end up changing Grey’s destiny.”

            Coming down the stairs from the second floor, as Claire made her way down to them, Alexander said, “You’ve been eavesdropping on us the entire time I take it?” Coming to stand before them, Claire said, “Yes, I’m sorry. I had a feeling this might come up.” Unmoved by her apology, Alexander said, “And what business is it of yours? Did you have some form of involvement with these events?” Nodding, Claire replied, “When Amelia was young, she and her family were traveling. Because they were outspoken against the discrimination of half-breeds, the people of Verrel had looked down on them and treated them unfairly. They sought to find a new place to live in Loralu, so they took the path through the Barrier Marsh, which passes by the bridge to Mystic Isle. When they stopped for a break, young Amelia wandered off and was attacked by a pack of monsters. Fleeing from them, she became lost, and as she wandered she came to the bridge. At the bridge, she met a sprite who had been gathering muck from the marsh. The sprite misled her, tricking her into crossing the bridge and entering the Dreamer’s Woods. She was saved by another, kinder sprite, and was led here to my tower.” 

Walking over to the cabinet where all her antique dinnerware was displayed, Claire placed a hand on the glass and quietly said, “She was such a kind girl. Her cooking was... unpolished, but for a child to go to such lengths for an unfamiliar adult, it touched my heart... She’d fix my meals and bring them to me on these same plates while I lay sick in bed.” Turning to look at Grey and Alexander, she continued, “I was on my deathbed when Amelia came to my tower. When I first fell ill, I had a vision that told me I would die. I stopped caring at that point. After all the times in the past that I had failed to change the futures I had foresaw, I figured this time would be no different. I simply gave up.” As a smile crept onto her face, Claire continued, “But she refused to give up on me. She continued to nurse me back to health, and as the days passed, my condition improved. I looked into the future again, and not only did I see that my fate had changed, I saw why it had changed. Amelia was a special girl, more so than I had thought at first. She had a mysterious ability, a power that could give those she interacted with a chance to change their destinies.”

            At this point Alexander said, “Preposterous…” Looking over at him in surprise, Grey said, “Alexander?!” Ignoring him, Alexander continued, “Amelia needed no such power to change people’s lives. You lived through your sickness because of the hard work and effort Amelia put into nursing you back to health. Show your gratitude to her, not to some imaginary force!” Chuckling, Claire said, “I can see you hold little confidence in fate and soothsayers. Of course I will never forget the debt I owe to Amelia for all that she did for me, but I know that her power was anything but imaginary.” Glaring at her in discontent, Alexander said, “You still have yet to explain what you said about Amelia knowing Grey’s future. Do not tell me you honestly burdened her with a prophecy about Grey?” 

Sensing the foreboding tone in his voice, Claire considered her answer very carefully, saying, “The truth is, I did read her future quite thoroughly at the time. However, I saw nothing unusual. She would find love, give birth to a healthy baby girl, and live happily. Barring the vision of my death, it was the first time in all my years as a soothsayer that I had been wrong. I always checked on her from time to time, and when I learned that she had given birth to twins, a boy and a girl, I was dumbstruck. I quickly investigated, and what I learned is something that I still find quite extraordinary.” Looking at Grey again, she said, “This may come as a bit of a shock, but you were never meant to be born Grey. The moment you were, all of fate’s carefully laid pathways began to derail, casting its grand design into chaos…”

            Stunned, Grey could only say, “I… wasn’t supposed to be born…?” Walking up to Claire, Alexander angrily said, “All chivalry aside, you will take that back!” Closing her eyes and bowing her head in apology, Claire said, “I’m sorry, I am not trying to hurt anyone’s feelings. Grey is our light in the darkness. His birth created a new path, a new possible future that will lead to endless possibilities. However, being born was only the first step. I knew the dangers that could lurk in such uncharted waters, and that is why I sought out the phoenix stone, a treasure said to have belonged to Origin. That stone and its altar are linked to an obscure prediction known as Fate’s Requiem, whose contents were deemed false and rooted in heresy by the Church of Light long ago. It may have only been my wishful thinking, but I hoped it would not only protect him, but that it would be tied together somehow with Grey’s unforeseen path. I gave the stone to Amelia and told her everything. I also told her about the danger to her life, hoping it would help her to escape. Yet it seems I realized too late the mistake in that…” 

Turning away from her, Alexander stormed off towards the door. Before he could leave, Claire said, “Now that the plan I hatched has come full circle, everything depends on what we do now. The path Grey created lies before us, but it is still just a fork in the road. Grey was connected to all hearts upon being born as He of the Infinite, he has learned to use a form of EDE with phenomenal potential, and the power to affect fate is strong in him just as it was in his mother. Still, while he plays an important part in all this, he can only lead the way. We all must take the future in our hands now. The time has come for all the heroes who have been brought together by the strength of Grey’s heart to gather here and devise a plan of action. I will be using my magic portals to bring them all here in a short while, so until then I’d like you to think about our next move.” Opening the door, Alexander muttered, “Do whatever you like, but before I go anywhere else, I am taking Grey and Saria to Loralu. It’s high time they finally got to visit their home…” With that he walked out and slammed the door behind him.