time stop

[normalization]

Mithos kept his eyes forward as the Rheaird sped over Gaoracchia Forest. He was situated behind Genis, who was piloting the single craft, and somewhere behind them...was Lloyd, who had trailed them on their entire trip to the Fooji Mountains. Naturally, Mithos had sensed him. He wasn't certain if Genis had figured it out, but he supposed it had worked out in a way—he hadn't needed to use any of his own powers to help them ascend the mountain, and so they had obtained the Fandalia flowers without arousing any suspicion.

And Genis had agreed to stand by him, anyway. It was only natural. Lloyd may have accepted him for now, but he was still only human. He was still different.

Well, once his Age of Lifeless Beings was realized, they would all be the same. But for now...Mithos was already the same as Genis, and half-elves could only exist amongst each other.

"There's the house," he piped up over Genis' shoulder, his gentle voice betraying none of his sinister thoughts. Sure enough, they were almost directly upon the rock face where Altessa lived, and Genis brought the Rheaird into a quick descent, so that they soon landed in front of the dwarf's home. Surprisingly, all but Lloyd's Rheaird were now there—meaning the others had returned earlier than he expected. Mithos' angelic senses easily picked up words from inside the house, but...they caused him to narrow his eyes.

"Lloyd was supposed to be-"

"I can't believe this..."

"What are we going to tell the kid?"

Mithos held tight to the flowers they had gathered as they hopped off of the craft, and he gave Genis an encouraging smile tinged with worry. "Let's hurry in. Even if they found a doctor, they should still be able to use these flowers..."

He said that, but he was beginning to suspect that the doctor plan hadn't worked out in the least. Most likely, any high-profile doctor that the group thought of wouldn't waste their time treating a half-elf.

Comments

[normalization]

For a moment, Mithos stared back in uncertainty. "You want to do it yourself...? Are you sure?"

...Of course Genis was sure. He was learning quickly, just as Mithos expected.

He smiled softly. "Yes...yes, all right. Of course you'd like to do it yourself." His smile brightened, a cruel glint coming to his eyes. "There must be someone you'd like to choose, isn't there? Like those inferior humans that exiled you...or the so-called doctor..."

He squeezed Genis' hand back with a firm nod. "We'll have to ensure compatibility, but once we've done that, of course you can pick whoever you'd like. It really is perfect...you can help your sister and carry out vengeance for her at the same time..."

[twohares]

...is this really Mithos saying these things? The rims of his eyes were getting watery all over again. He didn't understand... The little bit of relief he felt when Mithos said yes (and it was only a little relief) was dashed. Mithos didn't understand him at all. He was supposed to, but he didn't.

There was no-one in the world he wanted revenge on like this. Not the mayor, not the pope, not the guards that were going to execute him. There was no-one he could hate enough to put them through this.

It was bad enough using Marble and all those other Exspheres. He can't let himself be just like the Desians and use people to cultivate Exspheres. It was wrong, and Mithos didn't get it.

"That's not what I meant!" he cried out as he shook his head. He couldn't believe Mithos was smiling now. "I want to be the one that feeds her Exsphere! I don't want anyone else to do it!"

If he really wanted Raine back, he should be the one making the sacrifices. No-one else.

[normalization]

Confusion was already brewing in his mind at the tears welling up in Genis' eyes, even as he kept talking--Genis was going to get used to it. He had decided on this path--the only right path.

Yet...

The smile immediately dropped from Mithos' face at the outburst, replaced by an almost-emotionless stare that held a hint of skepticism. That just...didn't make any sense. Mithos shook his head.

"What are you talking about? You can't do that. It would be completely meaningless." His mouth curved into a frown. "Those humans are all worthless--no, they're less than worthless. They don't deserve to live after all they've done. They might as well be put to one last use before they die."

[twohares]

"But not all humans have done anything," he tried to reason, getting away from what should really be the point of all this. Mithos was Yggdrasill, he reminded himself; he was the one responsible for the human ranches and the Chosen system. What was so surprising about him saying what would be obvious to anyone else?

...because Mithos was his friend, and he couldn't really believe what he was saying now. Mithos was kind and caring and smart. He was just hurt and taking it out on everyone. That wasn't what he was really like, though.

Genis wasn't going to release his hand.

"I hate humans too, but this isn't what Raine would have wanted." And it wasn't what he wanted, either. "We still need them. I don't want anyone else to die. Even if they are human," he finished miserably.

[normalization]

Mithos sighed. Genis was speaking nonsense, but since it was him, Mithos could let it slide.

Rather than argue, he simply replied dismissively, "You need rest, Genis. This way," he began tugging Genis towards the door without waiting for a response.

With some proper sleep and a bit of time to think it over, he would surely come to his senses. There was no meaning in dying to save his sister when someone worthless could die in his place and allow them to live together forever. It was one of the silliest ideas he'd ever heard.

[twohares]

It wasn't the reply he was expecting, but at least Mithos wasn't mad at him. Still, it was so frustrating. Mithos wasn't listening to him!

But he still followed along, grasping Mithos's hand as they left the room where Raine and Marble waited. In the end, Mithos was probably at least right that he needed rest. His head was pounding, but the adrenaline wasn't letting him focus on it. He needed to get through to Mithos and find a way to save Raine. There had to be some way. The two of them had to be smart enough to figure something out.

Bothering him now wasn't going to work, though. As far as Mithos was concerned, they were done.

...His eyes hurt when he blinked.

"What about you?" he asked after several moments.

[normalization]

Since Genis was so tired, Mithos was content to lead him in silence, back in the direction from which they'd originally come. Sleep, food, a bit of time--then he'd be back to normal.

Not that he minded answering a simple question like that, either. "Don't worry. I don't need sleep," he replied with a glance back. "I have some other duties to oversee, though... As you now know, I rule over this place as well as the worlds below."

The worlds weren't really his concern anymore, though. Only for a little longer--long enough for Colette's illness to be cured and then he would need nothing more. "And my sister..." he muttered. "I need to check on Martel."

[twohares]

When he said that, it was impossible forget who Mithos ultimately was - what he was. It was a little scary...but the fear he felt was for Mithos rather than towards him. Being an angel seemed painful...but not as painful as his missing sister. That was probably why he chose to be an angel. Not sleeping, not eating, not feeling, controlling the two worlds for centuries...it was because he missed her so much.

It wasn't okay by any means, but he sort of understood what he was feeling, at least. He wasn't heartless; he was just sad.

"Is she okay?" Genis asked quietly, voice laced with concern. She was the most important person to Mithos. If he lost her completely, there was no way he would recover.

[normalization]

The evident concern brought a soft smile back to Mithos' face as he looked over at Genis again.

"There's no reason she shouldn't be. But I have been away for a little while," he acknowledged. "So I'd like to see her and make sure..."

Nothing should have happened, but that didn't mean he would just ignore her! Martel was too important for that.

"You can check on Raine anytime you'd like, too," he added. "Here, you can sleep close by." Although they exited the building, he turned and led them right to a small, adjacent facility. This one was lit up like the others but also completely devoid of life--angel or otherwise--as they entered an empty foyer, containing nothing more than a few doors leading elsewhere.

Mithos came to a stop and turned to Genis. "Choose any room you'd like. I'll have a meal brought to you, too."

[twohares]

That's right; Mithos had been spending time away from here to stay at Altessa's house. Keeping tabs on them must have been important to him if it kept him away from Martel for so long...

All he could do was nod slowly at his answer. It didn't feel appropriate to smile even if he was glad that nothing should have happened to her. Watching them was probably for her sake, though. When they finished collecting the cure for Colette's illness, he would probably take her, too.

...Lloyd was an idiot. He hoped he'd be okay. There was no way he could think of Colette now without feeling her fate looming over him.

He couldn't think about her, but the silence inside the new building felt like it left him with nothing but his own thoughts for company. It was entirely lifeless; if they weren't talking now, he imagined he'd be able to hear his own heart beating against it. Cold, empty, lifeless. This was the kind of place Mithos had created.

But Mithos was still thinking of him. There was still warmth in him, at least. It was one bit of hope for him against all of his doubts. A ghost of a smile came to his face as he looked up at Mithos again. "Thank you. Thanks for everything," he repeated shakily. "I think I'll check on her again soon, too, if you can't find me here."

Food wasn't a priority and neither was sleeping. He still had so much to say, and the apologies and explanations were mounting. He needed to see her again...even if they both needed rest. It was the one thing keeping him from going to her immediately once Mithos left. She wouldn't be able to tell him she needed rest, so he had to be especially considerate. If his guess was right, they'd have forever to talk anyway...

[normalization]

He let Genis take in the new surroundings, observing him quietly. If Mithos registered the complete emptiness of the room, it didn't bother him. It was peaceful--free of humans, of emotion, of forgotten responsibilities. Nevermind Sylvarant and Tethe'alla; this was the world he created for Martel.

It hadn't been anyone else's world in a very, very long time...if ever. But now, that was changing: it could be Genis and Raine's world, too. They deserved it.

He answered Genis with a sympathetic smile. "It's all right. We're friends, and we made a promise." He started to step away so that he could send for some food, adding, "Just be sure to get some rest to clear your head." And then he'd see eye-to-eye again.

[twohares]

...Yeah, Mithos was still thinking of him. Even with the complete emptiness around them, Mithos was still there, always. It made him feel a bit better. The two of them would be friends forever.

Even if that really entailed being friends with only each other forever. It didn't matter how much he slept; he didn't think he could change his mind or ever accept the sheer amount of people they would sacrifice for their sisters' sakes. Genis couldn't nap it off any more than Mithos could just have an epiphany and stop what he's doing.

But they had a long time. Maybe sometime, he could get through to him. A friend wouldn't let him do anything he'd regret. (Like Lloyd.)

He wasn't sure where to begin, but he'd find a way. Maybe he should just eat something and rest until he could think clearly.

"I will," he answered weakly. "When you're done with everything, maybe you should rest too. It could be good for you."

[normalization]

He almost laughed. Genis was still so...innocent, in a way. He didn't fully understand--not yet, anyway--or so Mithos thought.

"Don't worry about me, Genis," he answered in what he felt was a reassuring manner. "I don't need to sleep. But it's only a little longer..." Then Martel would be back.

Of course, now there was Raine to think about, too, but Mithos didn't mind. He had made a promise--a genuine promise--to help Genis bring her back, too, and he intended to see it through.

He smiled one last time. "Your meal will be brought soon, so don't wander too far, all right?" And then he turned to leave.

[twohares]

"'A little longer'...?" Genis echoed. A little longer...until he could rest? Until- Right, until Martel was revived...

Martel... Genis wondered what kind of person she really was. If she could get through to him and save him or if she'd really want Mithos to continue to carry out this revenge without caring or feeling. When Martel was revived, the worlds' days would be numbered, too.

They needed to stop Mithos and find a new way. If Colette was going to die for her, he at least owed her sacrifice that much.

The smile he gave Mithos was strained and tired, almost entirely to reassure Mithos before he left. "I won't. I'll stay here for a little while anyway. You said Raine needed to rest, too," he replied, waving Mithos goodbye. Seeing his friend smile at him - really smile - still made him happier. He hoped Mithos was happy, too. Even if his sense of touch was all but entirely gone, he could still feel with his heart, right? Right: If Mithos couldn't feel happiness and sadness, then he wouldn't be doing any of this. As long as he still had those, there was always a chance.

...he wished he could talk to Raine about this. She'd know what to do.

[normalization]

"Of course. I'll see you later." Yes, Raine needed to recover strength, too. They both needed rest before the experiments could continue.

Mithos left feeling confident that it would all work out; it was simply a question of time, and they had infinite time at their disposal. He would focus on Martel's revival since the final time was drawing near, but meanwhile, he could still make the preparations for Raine and Genis.

As promised, he ordered a meal be sent to Genis--easily answering 'cream stew' when asked what the meal should be--before turning his attention to his other tasks. There was so much to be done.

A day went by.

Two days.

A week.

Two weeks.

Three and a half weeks passed, and Mithos never once in that time appeared again before Genis. The only contact he would have would be with angels who continued to deliver a few different meals of sandwiches, soups, roasts, and salads (prepared precisely but with no heart, no emotion, no interest). If asked questions, they gave no answers and only instructed him to wait for Mithos ("Lord Yggdrasill", of course) to return.

Finally, without any prior warning or notice, Mithos did return. He would knock first on the door of the room, and if he received no answer, he would try the research facility next.

[twohares]

The first night he spent in Welgaia, Genis expected Mithos would visit him again a few hours later, between his meal and when he decided to sleep again. But he didn't. And he didn't visit the next morning or the one after that. It was hard to even tell when one day ended and another began, though he guessed, if he observed how the comet rotated and the planet came into view again, he could have a decent estimate.

By the end of the first week, he started doing that and measuring out the days. He didn't have much better to do. He could play kendama to chase away the silence for only so long, and talking to the angels was meaningless. No matter what he tried to say, there was never anything in the way of conversation. And asking about Mithos never got him anywhere; they probably knew as little as he did. They came and left and brought him food all by Mithos's orders. They weren't really capable of thinking past that.

So he stopped trying to talk to them. Even if Raine and Marble couldn't answer him, he felt like they understood him. He sat in the lab, knees tucked beneath his chin, and talked to them day after day. He explained and apologized and explained again - just in case they weren't really clear on what he was doing - and when he couldn't do that anymore, he talked about the past. Their souls were in pieces, but maybe remembering their lives would put them back together. Talking about the good times and the bad times, about how they met Chocolat and how she defended him and Raine when they returned to Iselia.

It was...sort of nice. He knew all he was looking at were stone shards suspended in mana, but he still liked to imagine they were there. He missed them—and he made sure to tell them that, too.

After three weeks, though, the one he missed the most was Mithos. He really started to wonder about him. All the food was starting to lose its flavor, and he wondered if something happened to him while he was away. Maybe he tried to take Colette, and Lloyd and the others cut him down and left him to die. He'd never know. The angels would never know. No-one knew where he was. They might not care where he was anymore after everything that happened. He was a traitor. Derris-Kharlan was still tethered to the planet, but one day, it might start drifting away. He might be waiting here for years until he lost his soul, too. If that happened, he should free Raine and Marble first.

But he couldn't make himself do it. He rested his cheek on his knees as he stared blankly at the mana running through the tubes to feed them. He'd wait. He'd wait as long as it took. Mithos had to come back. There was no way he could be completely alone now.

And when he began to doubt that, he heard the door behind him open. Genis nearly jumped as he spun around to face him, staring up at his friend like he just saw a ghost.

"Mithos! You're back!" he exclaimed as he clamored to his feet. "Where were you?!"

[normalization]

He had intended to ask if Genis had been able to rest well, but the genial smile on his face faded, replaced by a concerned frown. "What's wrong, Genis? Did something happen?"

His gaze flickered towards Raine's Exsphere, but as far as he was aware, no abnormalities in the mana flow had been been reported on Derris-Kharlan. Perhaps Genis had seen something, though.

[twohares]

He continued staring up at him, eyes searching his face like he had gone crazy. Did Mithos actually say he'd be gone this long? Was there a message he never received? It didn't make sense Mithos would look at him that way if he was only held up on mistake.

Seeing him look over to the Exspheres, Genis quickly shook his head. "No. No, it's nothing like that... I just got a little worried." A little. "I didn't know when you'd come back... I thought something might have happened..."

[normalization]

Something seemed off, to say the least, but he believed Genis when he said that nothing else had happened with Raine. Genis cared too much about her not to be honest about that.

...He really cared about Mithos, too. The smile made a faint return to his face. "I'm all right, Genis. I promise I'm not going anywhere." The smile grew a little, and he shook his head. "You really don't need to worry that much about me... Were you at least able to get some rest?"

As if not much time had passed at all. As if they'd seen each other only yesterday.

[twohares]

Genis wished he knew what was going through Mithos's head, but when he smiled like that, Genis at least believed him when he said he was okay. And he wanted to believe he wouldn't go anywhere too. There was no way he could ever not worry about him when he and his friends were still fighting.

If he never saw Mithos again, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

He finally took a breath, frowning slightly at the question.

"Yeah... I got some rest. There's really not a lot to do here..." Not that he exactly wanted to go out and play, either. He kind of wanted to get mad at him for leaving, though; he didn't need to disappear just so he could rest. But he kept his anger in check. "What about you? Where did you go?"

[normalization]

He wasn't certain that Genis had rested enough--he seemed rather frazzled, after all--but he decided not to push that issue. He probably wanted to move on now, after all...

First, though, he answered the question about his own whereabouts; there was no need for secrecy with Genis now. "I've been organizing the final preparations for Martel. All that's left is for the Chosen to arrive, but it won't be much longer."

They were so close to bringing back his sister that there was nearly a shine in his eyes, his fingers just itching to move things along. But no need to rush. Haste would only lead to mistakes.

Mithos nodded to himself, then turned his attention back to Genis. "But I also initiated the project for Raine." He paused only a moment before adding, "You'd like to help, right? Let's go!" He extended his hand, standing bright and confident. Whatever worries were plaguing Genis, working to revive his sister would help him forget anything unnecessary.

Mithos understood, after all. They only needed to focus on their sisters with no need to worry about time, the worlds, the humans, anything else. None of it mattered.

[twohares]

All that's left is for the Chosen to arrive.

Colette was going to die.

I also initiated the project for Raine.

More people were going to be killed.

Genis's brows knit in concern, the frown on his face only deepening. Mithos looked so happy an excited, and he knew by now that he wasn't just ignoring the consequences of what he was doing; they were part of what made it enjoyable to him.

How did Mithos get to this point? And how could he bring him back?

Maybe reviving Martel was the key. Maybe he just needed to wait a little longer, understand the process a little better, before he could tell Mithos they needed to find another way.

Even if he ignored it and stayed in the lab with Raine and Marble forever, the reality wouldn't change. He needed to see what was happening to understand it and change it. Then, he could bring Raine back with fewer regrets and a little less shame. He'd find a way to fix everything. He promised.

"Ah, y-yeah. Right," he answered. Despite all his misgivings, he grasped Mithos's hand in his. "I want to know how we're going to do it. Let's get going!"

[normalization]

Although Mithos remained bright, he started at Genis intently while awaiting an answer. He didn't look as happy as Mithos would have expected, and again he suspected that Genis hadn't actually had the rest he really needed.

And as much as he was hoping for a more enthusiastic reponse, Mithos decided that it was enough for now. Genis would probably cheer up once he could get involved in the process and keep busy.

"Right," he nodded and led Genis out of the room. They didn't leave the research facility, though; instead, he brought Genis to an elevator that transported them several floors below, deeper into the facility. They emerged into a block with low light and drab gray walls, and faint sounds reached them here--sighing, murmuring, clanking, crying--and they passed an empty room sealed by metal bars.

They were the sounds of a prison.

A Desian guarding the area stood to attention and knew well enough not to make any comments or questions; Mithos barely deigned to look at him as he led Genis to the wing with occupied cells housing a number of human prisoners, a few selected from what remained of the ranch prisoners and most newly captured from either of the two worlds.

Mithos looked to Genis and, in a low voice, said, "These have been chosen for the experiments based on their compatibility. We'll choose one for the first trial for now. Would you like to pick?"

It may have been an innocent enough question if his voice hadn't been carrying a trace of malice and disdain for the prisoners.

[twohares]

Genis's eyes took in everything as they walked. The colorless walls, the guard, the lines of cells. Genis didn't think he would ever miss the sound of silence so much when he heard the prisoners crying. His heart ached to turn to Mithos and ask him to stop all this; it didn't need to be like this. Whether they were looking at him or not, he felt their eyes on him as he stared at their feet. There were so many of them. Some bony and thin as the prisoners at the ranch, most still whole and healthy.

But they were all alive. They all could have a life outside of here.

His face had grown nearly as ashen as the walls when he looked to Mithos again. If Mithos picked, he somehow felt he would be crueler. It was something about the sound of his voice—but there was no merciful way to sentence someone to experimentation.

Instead, he quickly shook his head. "No. No," Genis repeated, cutting himself off before he could say any more. He hated this. He hated this side of Mithos. "I... How are they chosen for compatibility?" he asked, not entirely to stall.

[normalization]

Was it still too much for Genis?

Mithos couldn't help but wonder as he studied his face. If Genis ever wanted to gain back what he'd lost, though, he had to get over his trepidations.

Whether or not Mithos thought he was stalling, he didn't mind answering the question. Curiosity about the details was just like Genis, anyway.

"It's primarily based on statistics and analyses that we've gathered ever since the organization was formed. There was a lot of trial and error in the beginning," he admitted, "but based on failed versus successful experiments, we can predict the compatibility with good accuracy now."

He glanced over the prisoners with satisfaction. "There are no guarantees that rejection won't still occur...but we've essentially eliminated any danger to the Exsphere." So even if the host body rejected her, Raine's Exsphere shouldn't suffer. Genis could rest assured of that.