[Fanfic- TOX2] Beyond The Perfect World
Title: Beyond The Perfect World (T)
Author: Crystallized Pen
Fandom: Tales of Xillia 2
Pairing: slight JuliusxLudger
Word Count: aprox~1800
Status: One shot-Completed
A/n: Game Endings Spoiler, and brothers hint.
A ray of white light attacked his eyes and he had no choice but winced suddenly. He slowly opened his eyes, trying to welcome the harsh light that gazed his face. He blinked, taking in his surrounding; a room made of white was where he was. He took a few steps forward, subconsciously and found himself no surprise at the fact that he was bare feet. And his feet were drowning in puddle of clear water. He could not tell at first but the whole space seemed to fill with it.
He kept on moving forward, not once did he stop to think about where he was. He remembered his last moment, where he voiced his wish with Origin. The reason as to why he never stop walking towards the end of light was probably because he had no regret about his choice. He never once at all wanted to go back.
Since that world-there was nothing else for him to live for. He had sacrificed too many lives, destroyed too many worlds that he started to lost count. Was there a place for a person like him to live happily ever after in that world? By choosing the future that he did, he denied the existence of his daughter in the prime world. He denied the chances of having a family and living on a normal life. But his mind had made up the decision, he did what he did and he was contended about his choice.
The cold water sunk around his toes with each step he took, ripping off the silence of the empty white space with no borderline. Was this the afterlife? He was not sure at all. If he was to spend eternity within these space that stretched out forever that would be kind of lonely.
“But then, it was my choice.” A knowing bitter smile graced his lips like the last frozen petal of winter flower near the beginning of spring. Innocently withered.
Ludger’s feet unconsciously moved forward the white light, his hand reaching out for something that he had no clue. He could not guess what was waiting ahead of him. But a burning tiny flame inside his heart forcing him, urging him to move on. Why was that? There was nothing here after all.
Origin’s voice still echoed vividly inside his ears. The price for abusing the ability to cross and destroy dimension was not only the fact that the users themselves would turn into divergence catalyst. What came after that was more horrifying. An endless journey of wandering, drifting and floating through the flows of time. Alone, for eternity.
Ludger had no idea how many days had passed. He had no definition of time. There was nothing to tell him that his surrounding was not in fact frozen in time. He had lost track of the boundary between colorless reality and white fantasy. He lived each passing moment trying to decipher the differences between the white of the wall, and the white-ish gray reflected from the water under his feet. Standing on his feet, he pulled himself up to finish up the little journey that he started.
He kept on walking and walking, leaving a transparent trail of water behind his steps. The horizon stretched towards the far end emitted golden, orange light urged him to hurry on his feet. And so he took off on his feet running, crashing violently water ripples against the white floor, turning the whole dimension rippling with messy and chaotic disturbance.
A person.
He blinked his eyes several times, taking in the figure of the person before him. As his eyes widened in surprise, “Milla…” He muttered quietly.
The girl turned around at the silent whisper of her name. Her curly tucks of long hair floated around her, emitting a divine feeling of a Goddess- a Great Spirit Maxwell.
“Took you long enough idiot.” The girl walked over and smacked him on his head.
“What are you doing here?” Asked Ludger, still trying to take in the whole picture. He took a look at her, she seemed like her usual self, smiling lightly.
“Waiting for you of course. I knew an idiot like you would come here…in the end…” Her expression fell, but she inhaled deeply looking away, concern filled inside her voice as she asked about Elle. Ludger told her that she would be in good care, there was no need to worry about her. Milla reluctantly nodded her head, the light inside her eyes lit up a bit as she smiled, walking behind his back patting him. She pointed at the light towards the far end, telling him that was where he should go.
“I thought I was going to be alone.”
“Well, you are Origin’s favorite, the first human ever to complete the trial. So obviously he did not have the heart to let you wander through eternity by yourself.” She smiled. “It is time for me to go.” Milla said, her job here was done. She had a place that she needed to go, and started her life over. This time, a happier life.
Ludger looked towards the light, wondering what could have waiting for him at the end of that light? Or who…?
A sudden soft blow of wind caressed his cheek, a warm, longing feeling. The sound of wind clashing against his hair echoed off a haunting melody. A sweet voice of someone calling out to him, a voice that he thought he would be able to hear no longer.
A push was forced upon his back, he turned around to see a gentle smile directed at him. Her red eyes bored at him, telling him to go, someone was waiting for him. He after all, deserved a better life. And Origin agreed with her on that. Ludger reluctantly took off on his feet, moving towards that source of warm and longing voice. The closer he was towards the end of light, the clearer the voice, the more violent mixture of emotions burned inside his heart.
Unconsciously found himself increased in speed, Ludger took off running with all his mind. His surrounding started to change, from endless white to lines of colors. From simple colors to more vivid scenery. Buildings, streets, people emerged from the light of whiteness living around him. Ludger did not stop despite the change in his surrounding. Despite how he suddenly found himself following the voice and ended up at the park in front of his apartment.
The sun was low over the horizon, making vast of clouds look like flaming drops of lava on the sky. Its orange light desperately set off the few last fire. The light shone upon his face, blinded his eyes. When he came too, he saw him. Sitting at the swing, looking up at the sun, humming his favorite melody that no one ever remembered its lyrics. Just like from now on, no one would remember the curse of the Kresnik clan.
He walked up to his brother, reaching out to him. But a swarm of horrible emotions stopped him from doing so. How could he look at his brother now, after…what he had done to him? Would he ever forgive him for being selfish?
“You know this is a song of longing. Now you are here, so I guess it really worked.” Julius said with sadness inside his dry voice, “I did not want it to work, but I guess…it is too late now.” A bitter smile spread on his lips. Knowing his brother, he knew Ludger would choose it this way. That kind-hearted kid.
“Julius…I’m sorry…for destroying your world.” His head hung low as Ludger spoke. Grief filled heart, and pain filled soul. He wanted to say more, to apologize more but words stuck inside his throat. Tears glistened up at the corner of his eyes. He was exhausted, from the burden of lives that he destroyed, from the life of his brother that he sacrificed. He clutched his elbow; the images of people that he could not save weighted his inside, flooded his mind like big waves of haunted nightmares. He had had enough. He had created his perfect world. Now, he just wished that he could rest.
Julius stood up from the swing, approaching his miserable brother. His finger glided over Ludger’s eyes, wiping away those bitter tears that fell out his emerald gems. He pulled him against his chest, letting him cried his heart out. His small feature moved up and down in between sobs and whimpers were heard. He croaked his head to the sides, letting Ludger’s leaned against his neck. Fingers softly caressed his hair, comforting him.
“It is alright now Ludger. Everything is over now. You can finally rest.” He whispered into his ears, tightening his hold on his brother’s back, “I am sorry for being a selfish brother, but I promise you that this time I will be the one to protect you. Because…”
The sun let off its last few rays of daylight, as two brothers intertwined inside each other’s embrace, grieving for the curse that called fate. From afar one could still hear a soothing humming of a melody that would soon gone forgotten. A song of how strong one could grow for the sake of a better future. A song of hopes and sacrifice for the one ones loved. The voice resounded through layers of clouds, carrying through this vast of an eternity with a wishful pair of wings.
“… Because you are my perfect world.”