A/N: 03.18.2018

So, I've been working on this for, probably, well over a year. I kept working on and discarding it before I was finally happy with the direction I took it. It was partially due to the dialogue. But, I'm thrilled to say that I've finally got it to a place where I am happy with it. I hope you all enjoy it as well!

Clarity

Three months had passed since Azrail was destroyed and Sieg and Arcia left the nightmare and memorial to the souls they lost behind. They travelled to the city of Lykos where they had taken up residence, as they were unsure of where to go next. They found a small apartment above a merchant's shop and shared a bedroom with two separate beds. For Arcia, ever since they defeated Delacroix and Azrail, mornings seemed a little brighter, more at peace. But it wasn't the same for Sieg. Every time she looked at Sieg, he seemed pensive as though the war wasn't over.

Whenever Arcia woke up, she would find that Sieg was already awake, staring out of the window. Arcia was beginning to think that he didn't sleep at all. He hadn't smiled in the past three months. He hadn't really shown any emotion; his face was always the same stoic scowl. He didn't seem like it was over. He felt like he and Arcia were still in the same danger that they were when all of this started. He had been leaving every day, in the afternoon, for the past eight days, and returning that evening, giving no explanation to Arcia as to where he went. She was beginning to worry about him. He'd never been the most talkative person but this was worrying even for him.

One morning, Arcia woke up and Sieg wasn't in his bed or in the apartment at all. Her mind went into a small panic and she got up and got dressed in a hurry, looking all over the apartment for him. She went downstairs to the shop to find Enza, the shopkeeper, preparing to open.

"Lady Enza, good morning," Arcia greeted.

"Ah, young Arcia," Enza said. "Goo' mornin' to ya."

"Have you seen Sieg?"

"Indeed. Was up just as I walked in. He was out toward the city gate, he was. Look like he was goin' right for the white flower fields. Yes, indeed."

"Thank you," Arcia gave a slight bow and hurried out of the door.

Sure enough, Arcia found Sieg staring at the field of white grass lilies. He was just standing there, gazing at the flowers and not moving at all.

"Sieg?" Arcia asked, concerned.

He didn't move.

"Sieg. Are… are you alright?"

"These flowers," Sieg whispered.

She walked next to him and stared at the lilies as well. "What about them?"

"They're beautiful."

"Yes. They are."

"I've been coming here every day," Sieg said.

"Really?" Arcia asked.

He nodded. "It's… eases my mind some."

That relieved Arcia a lot. "Yes. I can see how this is calming."

"So beautiful, so safe." Sieg stared at them for a while longer in silence. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak right away. He found it hard to declare what he felt compelled to admit. "They're… they're really gone, aren't they?"

Arcia looked down, solemnly, and began rubbing her arm.

"Victor. Siela. They're gone. They're dead."

She didn't know what to say. He wasn't asking but she was afraid of how to respond to that.

"I couldn't…" he shook his head, "I couldn't save them. I did everything I could…" He started shaking, "…and they still died. I failed them. I… I failed…"

"Sieg," Arcia approached and placed her hand on his arm.

He walked away from her, "I failed them all." He walked until he was right in the middle of the field. "I failed everyone."

She looked at him, confused, "But… you haven't. You haven't failed me."

"It's only a matter of time before I do."

She was jerked her head back. "What?"

"I'll fail you, too!" He started to shake his head, "Don't you understand?!" He started to become hysterical, pacing in a circle. "It'll just be a matter of time! You'll die, like Siela! Like Victor! I'll fail again! I'll fail all over again! I failed and everyone is dead! They're all gone! Because I was strong enough!"

"Oh, Sieg," Arcia said, tears falling from her eyes.

Sieg continued to pace, running his hands through his hair. He stopped with his back to her, clamping his eyes shut. He lowered his hands and turned to face her.

In that moment, Sieg let his guard down and Arcia could finally see it: he had fallen apart. He had some time ago.

"All of it," he said. "All I had, my whole life, yours… gone. Burned. Destroyed."

She couldn't respond. For the most part, he wasn't wrong. All they had known before Azrail was gone.

He slowly shook his head, "What's left? What do we have left?"

She stared at him for a long time, considering how best to answer. She wasn't sure if he was looking for answer or just venting. But she had an answer for him. She had answer for him three months ago. She just finally found the courage in herself to say it. She walked up to him, "We have each other. We have the fact that we are in this together."

He closed her eyes, blaming himself for all she had been through as well.

"And…" Arcia said, stopping right in front of him, "we have… the way we feel for each other. We have what's kept us together. We have our love."

Sieg looked at her as his eyes widened. "What," he whispered.

"I love you, Sieg."

He was completely taken aback at that. "Ar… Arcia…"

She smiled. "And I know you love me. I can see it."

She wasn't wrong, he knew that. He did love her. He just couldn't stop himself from thinking of all that happened to her because of his failure. "But…"

"You blame yourself for the pain that Delacroix… that Azrail," she corrected, "brought on my life when it wasn't your fault."

"I should've stopped him," Sieg insisted.

"You did what you could," Arcia replied. "You tried to save Delacroix. He was a brother to you. I would've done the same for my own brother. And you can't blame yourself for not stopping Azrail in the beginning. You did all you could. There was no more that you could do at the time. But you did defeat that monster and you freed Siela and Victor."

Sieg almost forgot that he did do that.

"Let it go. The pain, the burden. It's not yours to carry. It never was."

He looked away.

She placed her hand on his cheek and brought his eyes back to hers. "Maybe… maybe all we've been through was absolute insanity." She rubbed his cheek with her thumb, "And, in truth, it is. But… if you would let it, the love we can have with each other, for each other, can be remedy for the pain, a clarity for all of the insanity we've been through."

He stared at her then took a deep, shaky breath. "Arcia." He slowly shook his head. "It hurts."

She gasped at his admission.

"It all hurts so much."

"Then let me share that hurt," she said, immediately. She opened her arms to him. "Let me help you."

He couldn't find any more words. He simply fell into her embrace. To her even greater surprise, she felt his tears fall against her. He sank to his knees and she was right there him.

"Sieg…" she whispered, pulling him closer.

"I miss them," he said. "Every day."

"I know."

"Thank you, Arcia." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "I love you. I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to…"

"Don't be sorry." She stroked his hair. "I'm here. Whatever you need. As long as you need me."

"I'll always need you. Always. Thank you."

A/N: I hope you guys liked it! I have a plan for a future Chaos Legion chapter story but we'll see about that. I have it storyboarded, for the most part, but it may be some time before I'm ready to post it. Keep your eyes open for that! Thank you all and take care! T2 Angel out!