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]

"Maybe it is!" Mithos joked right back. A hint of nostalgia might have nudged at his mind, but he paid it little mind, just focusing on the topic at hand and the future ahead of them.

His teasing demeanor faded; he was still cheerful and confident but with an edge of importance now, as he leaned forward and locked eyes with Genis.

His voice was low, just a little above a whisper.

"It's truly the beginning of your new life, after all...your rebirth as an angel."

He leaned back with a proud smirk. Now Genis could surely guess what it was.

[twohares]

As an angel...

The color faded from Genis's face again, but when Mithos looked so pleased and confident...he couldn't mean that he'd be like the other angels in Welgaia or like Colette before her Key Crest was repaired. No, Mithos wouldn't do something that'd make him lose who he was. He knew Mithos wouldn't do that.

But he was scared. The thought of no longer feeling was scary.

His eyes were wide when Mithos pulled away, but it had nothing to do with surprise or understanding.

"'As an angel'?" he repeated in the same quiet voice. He didn't even think of whether or not Mithos would be able to hear it. "Seriously? And- and we'll be the same?"

[normalization]

He watched intently for Genis' reaction, wanting to take in every little nuance.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, worry and suspicion blossomed, but--

He tore out that blossom almost immediately, and was rewarded with relief.

Yes. Yes. Genis understood perfectly.

"That's right," he breathed. "We'll be the same, Genis!" They'd both be angels--even more superior, powerful, eternal than before--and leave pain, suffering, and discrimination behind. Just like Martel wanted, just like he wanted, just like Genis and Raine surely always wanted, too.

That was his gift.

[twohares]

They'd be the same—so he didn't need to lose anything. He could still be himself. He could still feel, just like Mithos did. Even if his sense of touch and pain disappeared, he could keep who he was on the inside.

He wondered if he really believed that. His eyes started to water, and he quickly wiped his face on the back of his arm. No, he'd be okay. Mithos said before that as long as they didn't lose their sense of purpose, the angels wouldn't forget who they were. It was going to be okay. He needed to remember that it'd be okay.

"I- I'm glad. That we'll both be the same." Though he was still terrified. "I trust you, Mithos."

[normalization]

He stood up straight again. "Thank you, Genis... I trust you, too, so...I'm glad we'll be the same now. Forever."

Mithos smiled again. Now that Genis had something else to look forward to, he waved a hand towards the prisoners. "So why don't we get started? Then you can start the transformation."

It was exciting, in a way. How long had it been since he bestowed a Cruxis Crystal to any but the Chosen?

[twohares]

"Forever..."

They'll be together, forever. Really forever, no matter what happened. Living forever never sounded that appealing to Genis, but if it was with Mithos - if he never had to be alone - then it wouldn't be so bad at all. It meant he needed to put all those years of life to use, though. He owed it to...everyone. The friends he betrayed, his sister, the humans that were going to die for her sake... But he was ready. He had to be.

He had almost forgotten about the trial they were about to start, but Genis couldn't say he wanted to remember. He finally looked up at the prisoners again. Any one of them would be the first to die...

"...right." He looked over to Mithos again. "You were going to choose someone, right?"

[normalization]

Mithos never stopped to think that forever would be lonely. Even if Kratos was starting to turn traitor, even if all the other angels were to leave, he'd still revive Martel. He'd still have his sister with him forever.

But now...he could readily admit that he was glad Genis was joining him. To have someone who truly understood, who was his true friend, forever--that was wonderful news.

He was cheerful in his response. "Yes! Unless you'd like to have first pick." He decided to leave it up to Genis whether or not to take the offer. Maybe he still wasn't ready, but eventually, he would be.

[twohares]

Genis couldn't imagine his heart ever hardening enough to be prepared to send someone to their death. He couldn't. They would always be people. Raine was important, and so was Martel and Mithos, but saying it was okay for some people to die was what humans did. It was never okay.

One day, he really hoped he could see Mithos stop smiling at times like this. He wanted him to have his heart back. Whether that was more or less impossible than finding another way to revive Raine, Genis was going to try.

Until then... He shook his head and tried not to think of what he was agreeing to. "...No, you pick."

[normalization]

Still not ready.

But Mithos didn't mind right now.

"All right," he nodded and motioned for the guard, stating a number. Evidently, the decision was one he barely had to think about--Mithos had already known who he would have wanted to choose: the teenage boy at the back of the cell who had been glaring at them the whole time.

He could hate them all he wanted. It would only feed the Exsphere.

The Desian respectfully responded, "I'll have the host sent immediately, my lord."

Mithos then turned back to Genis. "Let's return to the Exspheres and prepare for the experiment. It won't take long." He held out his hand again. Genis could see that it was all as simple as ordering supplies from a store; surely he'd be able to do it next time.

[twohares]

Humans weren't supplies, and he didn't blame them for hating the two of them under the circumstances. What they were doing was horrible. The ease with which Mithos made his choice made Genis wonder if he had this all planned out before. Which subject should go first, second, third, and down the line systematically. It was as much a process for Mithos as it was at the human ranches.

When Genis placed his hand in Mithos's, his grip wasn't as tight as usual.

"What's going to happen?" he asked. He didn't want any more surprises. If he knew what they were going to do, he could at least mentally prepare himself.

[normalization]

Perhaps Genis still had reservations, or perhaps it was his natural curiosity and intelligence that made him ask the question.

Either way, it was important for him to know, and he was more than happy to explain as he led Genis back to the elevator. "We need to provide nourishment for the broken Exsphere. So like an incomplete Exsphere, we'll attach it to him," he started to explain. The elevator began to move upwards. Mithos' voice was casual, as if he were explaining a simple recipe. "He'll be sedated for the procedure to avoid any problems. Once the Exsphere is attached, we just need to let it feed and monitor the process in the meantime. Simple, right?"

The elevator stopped silently at their floor.

[twohares]

Genis nodded as he stepped out of the elevator and back into Welgaia. He was glad for the silence again and the still air. The process did sound simple. It was exactly what he thought would happen and what he saw happen at the human ranches. In a way, it was better than he expected...though he didn't exactly have any guesses of how the process could be made worse.

Still... "But Raine's Exsphere is in pieces. How are you going to attach it to him? What if some of it is lost?" he added urgently as the thought came to him. Every piece of Raine's Exsphere was extremely important.

[normalization]

That was...a very good point.

"Yes," Mithos pondered, holding a hand to his chin. "As long as we're careful, it won't be difficult to transfer the pieces. But we'll have to ensure that it stays that way."

If it sounded like he wasn't prepared, he amended, "Ah, I do have ways to attach the pieces to a key crest even if they're not whole, so don't worry! I think we'll have to cover the Exsphere and key crest with a seal afterwards, though."

That way, nobody could try to remove pieces of the Exsphere and ruin everything.

[twohares]

If that boy was going to die, he wasn't going to die for nothing. Keeping Raine's Exsphere as complete as possible was essential.

And doing it that way didn't sound so bad. Genis breathed a sigh, giving Mithos's hand a gentle squeeze in thanks. "Okay... I'll leave it to you, Mithos."

Though when he thought of it, if he ever wanted to use non-human subjects, the sealing technique could be important, too. Especially for Raine's Exsphere.

"I want to see how you do it."

[normalization]

He nodded, then glanced back at Mithos with a smile as they headed back to the broken Exspheres. "Of course--I wouldn't leave you out of the process, so don't worry. Once you've learned how it works, you can even supervise it yourself if you'd like."

After all, Genis was intelligent, even if he was young. Mithos would still be involved too, of course, but he was confident that Genis would be capable enough. And it was only natural for the two of them to organize their own sisters' revivals.

Once they returned to the room, he motioned to Marble's Exsphere. "Genis, will you disconnect the capsule? Seal it with this to keep the mana in," he added and handed Genis a lid that he pulled from a cabinet nearby.

[twohares]

By the time they reached he lab again, Genis was still turning over Mithos's explanation in his head. Mithos was leaving it up to him, but...he wondered if he could make it better if he supervised it. No- Exspheres needed pain and suffering in order to awaken. ...He wondered if he would even continue the project at all if it was left on him to supervise.

It wasn't until Mithos gave him another instruction that he snapped out of it. Genis blinked, looking from the lid in his hand to the Exsphere on the wall. Marble's Exsphere... Right. Mithos had said that they would need to test it on her before trying it on Raine. For Marble's sake, he hoped nothing went wrong. There was an uncomfortable pause before he nodded and retrieved the capsule, sealing the contents inside. Marble... She was going to suffer right along with the human prisoner. There was no other way yet.

He embraced the capsule in his hand. I'm sorry.

"Is this entire capsule going to act as the new Exsphere?" he asked. If that were the case, it was probably better than letting the free shards be embedded in that person's flesh.

[normalization]

"No, it still has to be in direct contact with the host," Mithos explained. "Otherwise, it won't be able to feed efficiently."

And feeding was what the Exsphere was likely to need most. Pondering aloud, he continued, "Unlike a regular Exsphere, though, a broken one like this is going to need extra nourishment. It's probably going to need more than one host."

As for how many, even he couldn't say yet. Half a dozen? A dozen? It could even be many more than that.

[twohares]

Genis blinked, staring at Mithos for a moment before turning the capsule in his hand, observing the way the shards gently swayed from the movement.

"Would it really be okay to split the shards between multiple people, though?"

That was the only thing he could think of. The thought of having several people, one after the other, feeding the Exsphere didn't quite occur to him. Still, the fact more than two people needed to be sacrificed for this phase alone as slowly starting to sink in, and- He needed to think of Raine and working as quickly as possible for an alternative. And he didn't want either of their Exspheres to be divided up; it was about equally disturbing as the thought of the shards themselves being planted in someone's flesh like shrapnel.

[normalization]

He quickly shook his head. "Oh, that definitely wouldn't be all right!" As much as it would make for an interesting experiment for curiosity's sake, he shelved that thought. "The fragments should be kept together as much as possible. Dividing them like that would only isolate the fragments of the soul inside even more, and they'd likely end up growing separately."

As they talked, he led them from the room again.

"So we have to place all the pieces on the same host at the same time. They'll be transferred to another host once the first is used up."

[twohares]

Genis followed along beside Mithos, not giving the choice a second thought. A soul growing separately at different rates... The thought did nothing to ease his dread, hypothetical as it was. When Marble's Exsphere was released and she transformed, she could barely control herself. He could only imagine what a more divided and fragmented soul would be like.

Thankfully, that wasn't something Mithos was advocating, at least. Instead...

"How long will that take?" he asked carefully, thinking of the boy Mithos had chosen. He wasn't too much older than him, but that didn't really mean he'd long time, either. And then there was still Raine's Exsphere...

He really wanted to tell Mithos to stop now, but the words didn't come.

[normalization]

As interesting as it would be to follow a separately-fed Exsphere experiment, now wasn't the time. They had more important projects--and there would be plenty of time later.

But as for how long it would take to feed from a single host... "I'm not really sure, to be honest," he admitted. "But I don't think it will be able to feed as fast as a regular Exsphere, so the process would probably be much slower."

He glanced back at Genis. "It might take years. Of course," he added brightly, "there's also the chance it could do exactly the opposite and drain the host in no time at all! But don't worry--we have plenty of hosts in that case, just like you saw." He smiled reassuringly and looked forward once again.

He led Genis right back to the elevator, which took them down again, but this time it didn't go as far. They had no need to return to the prison just yet.

[twohares]

He didn't feel reassured. Genis watched Mithos solemnly as he talked, and for everyone's sake, he hoped his first guess was the right one. The more time they had, the better it was for everyone. The prisoners could live longer, and hopefully he'd be able to save a few of them. He had time to think of some other way.

Even though he had been following Mithos like a lost puppy this entire time, he noticed the elevator seemed to stop early. He looked around them, wondering if something had broken, before turning to Mithos again. "What are we doing here?"

He had thought they were going to find another host for Raine's Exsphere, but- No, that didn't make sense. After he asked the question, he felt like he knew what they were doing between the lab and the prison like this. The "host" was probably somewhere on this level.

[normalization]

They stepped out of the elevator into a plain white corridor that opened up into a room further ahead. "They'll have brought the prisoner here," Mithos confirmed his guess as they started to walk and glanced over at the Exsphere. He idly wondered what the outcome of this trial would be, although it hardly mattered since they could simply adjust and repeat the experiment accordingly, no matter what happened.

They would find precisely the right conditions to revive Raine from the Exsphere.

Once they arrived to the room at the end of the corridor, they found some Desians managing some equipment as well as a surgical table, and strapped to it was the boy from earlier. He didn't react to their presence.

"Sedated," Mithos said to Genis. "So he won't cause any trouble."

[twohares]

This is horrible. Genis stared at the boy with pitying eyes, but the words at the tip of his tongue never made it further. He remembered the way he glared at them earlier, the entire time he was freeze, and now he looked almost lifeless, like a switch in him had been turned off.

He was lifeless, but he was much worse off than the angels on the floor above. Genis took a few tentative steps closer to him, looking down at his slack face. For a moment, he wondered if he could do anything for him. This was the kind of thing he was supposed to stop. But...

Biting the inside of his lips, he spun around to look at Mithos again.

"Will he feel anything? When we attach the Exsphere."

Though possibly in general. This entire setting, with the metal table and array of instruments, made his stomach knot. He doesn't want to know how they're going to do this—but he as to.

[normalization]

He could see that Genis still seemed worried, but as to what he was worried about--for the Exsphere, for his sister, for the host? He was still worried for the host?

Mithos let out a small sigh, but still patiently answered the question. "What he feels when he wakes up will depend on the Exsphere. Some may experience some pain or fatigue with a regular Exsphere, but those feelings aren't severe." Otherwise, the torture and hard labour to which the prisoners were subjected wouldn't be necessary to feed the Exsphere. What sensations the Exsphere generated alone just wasn't enough.

But who could say what would happen with the broken Exsphere?