Tales of Faith

The United World Arc

Chapter 68: A Ninja's Revelation

Elazul and Dhaos were told about the happenings in Fantasia and that the Maiden of Faith is presumed to be Vanille. The dragons quickly understood the information that they couldn't get earlier.

"I see…" Dhaos said. "So, that's what happened in Fantasia."

Elazul folded his wings. "Though, that doesn't solve where we should go to next afterward. Look at us: We're wandering around Niata with no clue to go where to end this darkness once and for all." He said.

Cress turned to Rose. "Hey, you've been through this before, right?" she asked. "Don't you know where to go?" Rose looked at in front of the bridge. "As a matter of fact, I do. The Traitor of Heaven resides in the Negative Nest. Though, I haven't detected any signatures of its appearance at all. Something must be concealing it." He told the Crystal Bearers.

"Okay…" Alvin said. "That would have been nice to know way earlier. Do you know whether to go anywhere to make the Negative Nest appear?"

"…Unfortunately, no." Rose answered. "The Negative Nest only appeared at the end of my journey in the past. I don't know of any other way to force it to appear. What we could do for now is to find a way forward…"

The other Crystal Bearers pondered. Where could they go to next? The Invincible flew over the Southern Isle section of Niata, as the Crystal Bearers sought for their next course of action. They ended up finding it sooner than expected… thanks to Vanille.

"Hey, Vanille! Stop it!" Alvin was pushing Vanille away from the steering wheel. Vanille waved her arms about. "Come on! I want to steer the airship!" she insisted. Luca paled out. He never saw Vanille operate the airship before… and knowing how much of an airhead Vanille could be, the results might be calamitous.

Likewise, everyone else who had known Vanille for the journey's duration didn't want their Slurpuff ally to take the helm. "You're going to make us crash!" Alvin shot back, now switching arms and ears to block Vanille from getting near the wheel.

"Please?"

"Some other time!"

"When!?"

"I don't know... Never?"

"Come on! Just this once! I promise not to crash the Invincible!"

"No!" Alvin could remember visiting Vallis after their departure from the Crystal City. While Cid was impressed with the Invincible, it lasted only for a mere thirty seconds before he yelled at Alvin's ears, figuring out that his airship was destroyed. Alvin thanked his lucky stars that Marlene managed to cool her father down and not let him become deaf.

"In front of us!" Kite shouted, catching Alvin's attention as he found the Invincible heading towards a forest. He quickly pulls the wheel up, and the Invincible rises above the forest. Alvin turns to Vanille. "…Case of point why you shouldn't steer the Invincible." He told her. Vanille sighs loudly.

Alvin looked forward. "Where did we even end up, anyway?" he questioned, finding a clearing to land the Invincible. The Crystal Bearers pondered for a while, observing the thick foliage surrounding them. Natalia spoke up first. "I vaguely saw that this forest is part of an island."

"Yo, guys? Master's gone." Irvine said. The Crystal Bearers looked around to notice Nin's sudden absence. Van looked in front of the bridge and saw Nin heading into the forest. "Over there!" Van runs down first to pursue Nin. The others soon followed Van out of the Invincible and ventured deep within the forest.

Through the darkness, the other Crystal Bearers could spot Van from his head flame. They pursued one of their main sources of light until he came to a halt. They caught up with him, seeing Van look around his surroundings.

"Strange…" Van said. "I know he came over at this direction…" He turned around to notice the other Crystal Bearers. "…But he is gone. I don't see him anywhere."

"Maybe you saw it wrongly and went the wrong way?" Luca wondered.

"No, I'm positive. It's not like… for Nin to suddenly disappear right out of thin air." Van said, walking ahead while keeping his head turned. Not more than two steps, Van disappears in front of everyone right out of thin air. Everyone stared over at where Van had disappeared right in front of them. Rose made the first move, walking to where Van disappeared. He reaches his mechanical arm out in front of him…

…Only to gasp out loud as a hand suddenly appears and grabs Rose's arm. "Guys, take a look over here! It's incredible, a village is hidden right here!" Van's voice speaks around their surroundings.

"Where're you, Van?" Heart asks.

"Huh? I'm right in front of Rose!" Van's voice replied, oblivious to everyone else's perspective of him. "Don't you see me?"

"No! We only see your arm!" Cress said. "Which is very creepy."

"…What." Van's response came out flatly. "Err… Just come over here! There's a village in front of me."

Rose stared silently as Van's 'disembodied' hand. "…It's an illusion." He said. Rose walked forward and 'disappeared' as well. Rose saw Van on the other side of the illusive projection. And sure enough, he could see a village in front of Van.

Village Hidden in the Islands

Concealed Village Shinrin

The other Crystal Bearers emerged from behind Van and Rose, taking in the sight of the village hidden behind that illusion. The village is surrounded by a large wall made of wood, and there is an open gate present in front of the Crystal Bearers. The buildings in the village had oriental designs, housing only one level each. There is a Pokémon present in front of the gate which reminds them of what vocation Nin is. The Froagadier observed the newcomers in front of it. "…Visitors." The Froagadier said. "What brings you here?"

"Um…" Luca stepped forward. "We're actually looking for a scarred-eyed Ninjask. He's–" A blade conjured of water formed on the Froagadier's hand, pointing it at Luca. Elazul immediately drew out his lance in response.

"Drop it." Elazul demanded.

"Why're you here?" The Froagadier's tone was sharp. "And what relations do you have with our ally?"

"I said, drop it." Elazul was ready to fight if it had to come to it.

"E-Ela, hold on!" Luca quickly said to Elazul before turning to the Froagadier. "W-We don't mean any harm! We're just here to find Nin!"

"And what proof do you have that you are harmless?" The Froagadier snapped. "It's easy to sway others with words. Not me. For if you pose as a threat, I will end your–"

"Mizu, stop."

A cold-toned voice speaks from behind the Froagadier. The Froagadier turns his head around. "…Nin-san." He spoke to the scarred-eyed Ninjask. "They're allies who I've made during my mission. Let them through." The Froagadier scanned the entire party of eighteen.

"…Alright." The Froagadier, Mizu, dismissed the water blade. He steps aside from the Crystal Bearers. "You may go." Irvine raised his flippers. "Seriously? No 'sorry'?" Irvine said. "We've been trying to tell you that, dammit!"

"Irvine." Nin spoke.

"…Fine." Irvine begrudgingly walked into the village first. He still shot a look at Mizu before proceeding. Everyone else followed after Irvine, entering the village. Arche looked over at the direction of the village gate they've entered through. "Why was he judgmental towards us?" she said.

"Forgive Mizu." Nin told her. "He has trust problems with outsiders like the rest of you. He'd been recently placed as a village guard a few months ago and had gotten into an incident quite early. Since then, he doesn't trust outsiders as he believes that they have intentions of finding our village's secrets and using them for their own benefits."

"You seem chattier than before, Nin…" Kite noted.

"…" Nin didn't respond.

"…And I spoke too soon." The young Breloom sighs. The Crystal Bearers continued on their way through the village behind Nin, who appeared to be heading somewhere in this unfamiliar settlement to them. They finally reached Nin's destination as he stops in front of a house. He flutters towards the door first, opening it.

"…I am back." Nin speaks as he enters the house. He could see a small square table with a cup of herbal tea. The room appeared quaint and silent. Nin fluttered over to the table, watching how steam emitted from the hot liquid. "…I see." Nin said quietly. He swiftly pulls out his scroll, summoning his katana and in split seconds, he grabbed the handle and blocked something headed his way. His eye shift to the spinning kunai as it made its way down to the floor. He blocked another kunai from behind his back by shifting his katana behind him.

Spinning around, he brushes one arm against his pouch, drawing out several shurikens and threw them around him before he quickly focuses in front of him and defends himself yet again. In front of him, clashing blades with him, is an Accelgor. The two heard sounds of metal colliding as the impacted shurikens dropped onto the ground or ricochet around them. Surprisingly, the Accelgor lowers his katana, sheathing it.

Nin too, lowers and sheaths his katana. "…I have returned, Father." He speaks.

The Accelgor nods. "Excellent. You know that lesson very well: Never let your guard down, even in the safest surroundings."

The door behind Nin swings open as Cress and Van rush into the house. "We heard something happening in there, are you al-woah! What happened here!?" Cress already took notice of the scattered kunais and shurikens in the living room.

"And who's that, Nin?" Van asked, pointing at the Accelgor. Meanwhile, the rest of the Crystal Bearers enter the house. Nin dismisses his katana. "This is my father."

"Your father?" Natalia asked.

"Technically, he's one of my adopted children." The Accelgor tells Natalia.

"So, this village is your home huh, Master?" Irvine said. The Accelgor turns to Nin. "Master?" he says in an amused tone. "Ah, forgive my manners." He turns back to the Crystal Bearers. "My name is Rasha Azura. Now, make yourselves at home… after Nin and I clear up everything." He looks over to the mess they created in the room.

The house, now more brightly lit, the Crystal Bearers settled themselves down in Nin's residence, and all of them took time to explore the small house. Dhaos catches sight of a picture piquing his interest. The picture depicted an Accelgor, most likely to be Rasha, with two Ninjasks. Though neither of them had a scar on an eye, Dhaos presumes the more stoic appearing one to be Nin. He looks over to the second Ninjask.

'He did say that Nin is one of his adopted sons. Then, that other Ninjask must be another adopted son.' Dhaos thinks to himself. He turns to Rasha, who is speaking with Celsius. "Rasha, you said that Nin is one of your adopted children. Who is the other one?" Dhaos asked.

Rasha first turns his head to Nin, who's spacing himself away outside the house. He then looks back at Dhaos. "That… is Shi. He's the first of my adopted sons." Rasha answers.

"Oh, where is he now?" Celsius is intrigued. Rasha closes his eyes. "…I do not know precisely where." He tells her.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Arche wondered. Rasha takes another look at Nin. He rests himself on the floor. "…I will tell you a story. It's between Nin and Shi, and what happened between the two 'brothers'."

"Hmm?" Van took a seat beside Heart and Luca. "What happened between them?"

"I will get to that. But first, let us begin with when I met Shi…"

Rasha, many years younger than his present age, leaped across the trees of the forest. He had just completed his mission and is on his way back to the village. He checks behind him to make sure he wasn't followed. The Accelgor turns back ahead of him and continues on his way.

He hears a sound. Rasha halts on the branch he just landed on. He heard something, like it was… in pain… He heard the sound again, confirming it to not be his imagination. It sounded too real. Rasha scours around his position, detecting the origin of the sound. He heard it again, swiftly turning to his left. He sped off towards the direction, passing through foliage until he breaks through out of the forest.

"This place…" Rasha looks around the devastated settlement he enters into, sure that the sound had originated from this area. He remembers how there are many conflicting clans outside the village he lives in. He pitied this unfortunate settlement to have been caught up in the fires of war. "…..h…"

It was a cry of pain. Rasha looks around the ruins of the village. He knew he heard something this time, and it sounded alive. He hears the cry again, turning his attention to the remains of one house. While the distinct smell of what was unmistakably blood hit his face, Rasha pushed on and looked under a crack. A child. It was a child. The small Nincada backs away fearfully from his presence. Rasha quietly looks at the Nincada. He backs away minimally before reaching his arm out. "…Come out." He speaks out. The Nincada continues to look at him with fearful eyes. "It's alright. Everything's alright. Come on out."

The Nincada slowly crawls out, getting closer to the Accelgor. The ninja waits patiently as the Nincada reaches out to him. He held the arm lightly and helped to pull the Nincada out. The poor child was covered in dust and blood, though it didn't come from the Nincada itself. He watched the child's eyes tremble. '…What an ordeal for this child to experience…' Rasha thinks to himself. Without any second thought, he decided to bring the traumatized child back to his home village.

…

Rasha studied the unnamed Nincada child back in his house after he reported his previous mission to the Kage of the village. He watched how the child began to feel safe inside the house. "...Mmm…" It came from the child. Rasha believed that it was time to talk. He approached the child and sat in front of them.

"…You're…?" As the Nincada speaks, Rasha confirms that the child is a male. "I'm Rasha. It's slightly troubling on pronouncing it. Now then… what happened to what I presume was your home?" The Nincada looks down, the horrifying scenes of the loss of his home coming back full force. He sobs. "…So many figures came through… None of us did anything to them, so why…? Why were we…? My mama and papa… both gone… everyone… all gone…"

Rasha closed his eyes. He could imagine the horrors this child had to have faced at such a young age. He reopened them to face the Nincada. "…I have no one… No one…" Rasha shook his head. "…You have me." He speaks out. A flash of hope rekindles in the Nincada, looking up at the Accelgor. "…Huh?"

"I shall take care of you. You will grow strong, strong enough to make sure that no one else will be lost in front of you." Rasha tells the Nincada. The Nincada was surprised. "…Really?" Rasha nods. "…Thank you…"

"…I haven't learnt your name. What is it?"

"…Shi… My parents… called me Shi…"

"…Since then, I kept Shi under my care, training him to become stronger so that he could protect himself and the other villagers." Rasha concludes his meeting with Shi.

"So, this Shi…" Arturo fixes his hat. "Lost everything as well…" As Arturo spoke, the other Crystal Bearers who know about Arturo's past couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "...So, you are the same…" Rasha understood the meaning behind Arturo's words. Arturo could only nod in response, the flames on that day forever stuck in his head. Elazul shifted his gaze away from the others, which Luca noticed.

"Then… you met Master later on?" Irvine asked. "Tell me all about him when he was young!"

Something was set on the table the Crystal Bearers surrounded. Irvine pumped a flipper up. "Sushi!" he yells out. The aristocrat turns around after Nin sets down the plate of sushi. "Thanks a lot, Master!" he shouts enthusiastically. Nin doesn't reply and flutters back to where he was.

"Distracted so easily…" Raven muses.

While Irvine was the first to dig into the sushi, Rasha chuckles at the sight. "What a mind… I'll continue on, to when I met Nin and took him in…" The rest of the Crystal Bearers took a piece of sushi and ate it while they listened to Nin's history.

"Not bad." Rasha looked over at the targets set up in the forest. The kunais dug into the targets were closer to the center. Rasha turns to Shi, the Nincada relaxing himself after his training. It had been about two years since he took Shi under his care. The Nincada had shown signs of improvement. It won't be long until he undergoes evolution to a Ninjask…

"Father, I must be stronger than this…" Shi said. "I need to be stronger…"

"Patience, Shi." Rasha shakes his head. "You grow strong through training and time. You don't become as strong as I am within a day."

"But…" Shi looks down. "I… have to be stronger… I… will make those who took my family away from me suffer…!" Rasha's eyes rose in shock as Shi's goal. He closes his eyes and shakes his head, approaching Shi. "…This power you have… It does not serve as an element for vengeance. It serves as a shield to protect others."

"…Father… I… apologize… I let my emotions take over me…" Shi murmurs. Rasha was about to speak until he hears a sound. 'This sound… it's coming from the river, but it does not sound like the currents…' Rasha analysed. '…It sounds like something is adrift on the currents…' Rasha remained there silently, which Shi noticed. "…Father? Is something wrong?" he asks.

"…" Rasha suddenly dashes off from Shi. "Father!?"

The Accelgor nimbly approaches the river, turning his head around. He reaches the riverbank, and to his surprise, a wooden basket was along the bank. Rasha examines the basket, finding… someone in it. A Nincada child. It reminded him of the time when he found Shi. The Nincada was asleep as Rasha picks the basket up. "Father!" Shi finally catches up to Rasha at the river. "…*pant*… Father, why did you run off suddenly…Hm?"

Shi takes notice of the basket Rasha carried on his arms. "What's that?" he questions. Rasha looked at the sleeping Nincada again. '…Who's that, I wonder? Finding… him… in a basket, all alone…' Rasha wonders. He gently carries the basket, telling Shi to return home. Shi quickly complies as he hurries over with his father.

…

"You must be hungry…" Rasha placed food down on the dining table. Shi nodded and began to eat. Meanwhile, Rasha headed over to his bedroom, where he had laid the second Nincada child he had come across. The Nincada is still asleep for the night. Rasha then turns around and heads out of the room. Before he could return to the dining room to eat, he hears something step behind him. He calmly turns around and sees the Nincada child, awake and by the bedroom.

"…You're awake." Rasha said.

"…." The Nincada says nothing.

"…Would you like something?" Rasha asks.

"…." The Nincada does nothing. He hears rumbling coming from the Nincada. "…Come now, you must eat." He approaches the Nincada and ushers him over to the dining room. As they enter the dining room, Shi catches sight of the Nincada.

"Father, that's…" Shi began.

"…Yes, the child that was found in the basket." Rasha brings the Nincada over to the table and sets him in front of a plate of food. "…" The Nincada stares blankly at the food in front of him and turns his head over to Rasha. "…Eat…" Rasha told him. The Nincada looks back at the food and finally takes a bite after a long period of inactivity.

"Where do you come from?" Rasha asked. He was met with a shake of the Nincada's head. "…Where is your family?" Another shake of the Nincada's head. "…Your name?" The Nincada stops eating. He then looked around, crawling away from the table. He picks up a brush that Rasha hadn't returned back to its' proper place earlier and crawls over to a pot of water and dips it inside it. He then crawls back to the table and started to draw on the surface.

Once he stopped, he pointed over to the writing. "…Nin…" Rasha and Shi said. The Nincada silently nods. Rasha looks over at Shi, then to Nin. He stares at Nin for a while before looking back at Shi. "…Shi, meet your new younger brother." Rasha said.

"…I couldn't leave this speechless child alone." Rasha said. "He needed someone to take care of him. And in the end, I decided to adopt him as well." The Crystal Bearers slowly craned their necks towards Nin, still fluttering far away from them.

"…Literally speechless?" Kite said.

"…From what the medical ninjas said… he seemed to be suffering from a shock that rendered him incapable of speech until he could overcome it…" Rasha explained.

"So mortals could lose their voice…" Celsius notes to herself.

"Then, what happened?" Irvine asked, finishing off his piece of sushi before grabbing another one.

"I felt that it began to go downhill once they evolved…"

As light disappeared from the area, Rasha stares at both Nin and Shi. They are both Ninjasks now. "Father…" Shi said, looking at his new body. "Our figures, they changed…"

"…" Nin silently looked at himself. Many years have passed since his adoption and he and Shi are both adults. Rasha looks over to the sheds left by Nin and Shi after their evolution. He continued to observe them, and the sheds remained the same.

'How odd. Their shells aren't inanimate…' Rasha thinks to himself. 'Usually, the shed left by a Ninjask is reanimated to a Shedninja. That… appears not to be the case this time for… both of them.'

"…Father…"

Rasha turned around. "Did you call me, Shi?" Shi shook his head. "…That wasn't me, Father."

"…Father…" Rasha now looked over at Nin. The call, it came from Nin. "…And Brother…" Nin turned over to Shi. "Father… Brother…" Nin… spoke… after so many years of silence… He finally… spoke… "Shi… Nin…" Rasha looked at his adopted sons. "…You're both growing stronger… The both of you still have your futures ahead of you. Don't take choices which you'll regret making."

"…Understood, Father." Shi looked down.

"…Yes, Father…" Nin said.

Rasha nodded. "Good. Though we aren't bound by blood, I will always love the two of you as my sons."

…

A few months later, Shi and Nin are training together. Rasha observed them from afar, monitoring their growth. The Ninjasks drew out shuriken and threw it at their targets. Shi's shurikens landed precisely in the center of the target. Only one of Nin's shuriken hit the center while the rest were scattered around the target.

Shi was amazed at his abilities. "Father… I've done I–" Shi turns around to look at Rasha approaching them. Rasha stops beside Nin, looking at Nin's results. "…It needs more work." Rasha said. "You must train harder." Nin silently nods. Rasha then approaches Shi. "…Excellent work." He looks at the target Shi aimed at. "You're growing quicker than Nin…"

"…" Shi didn't respond.

"...Shi? Is something the matter?" Rasha questioned. It wasn't like Shi to act like this.

"…It's nothing, Father…" Shi turns around and leaves the field. Rasha watches Shi leave so suddenly. 'What could have happened to him…?'

"…Shi had been so sullen from that day onward. He trained for more power, though I reminded him not to let his thirst for power become his undoing." Rasha shook his head. "…I always wondered that there was something bothering him, something that he couldn't tell even his adoptive father."

"What happened next, then?" Vanille wondered.

"..I'll tell you everything."

"Hm? The Crystal Bearers turned around to see Nin approaching them. "…Nin, are you certain? Those are times you wish to rarely speak of." Rasha asks. Nin shook his head. "…I'm certain. It's better if I told them than you."

"Master, what happened between you and Shi?" Irvine asked. Nin hovered his arm above his face, right in front of the scar across his eye. "…This is the story behind the scar across my eye."

'I've noticed Brother had been rather down for days. He seemed to have disappeared off to somewhere, and whenever he came back, he shot looks towards me and Father. I once trailed him and found something special: There was a conversation about out village's Forbidden Ninjutsu. There was also the lines of vengeance… It appeared that tonight, something will commence. I decided that I needed to be there.'

Night fell, and Shi and Nin were already in bed. Or, at least it was thought they were in bed. Shi stealthily slips out of his bed, closing the door quietly. Nin then opened his eyes, feigning sleep the entire time. He fluttered and silently left the room as well. Nin headed out of the house, watching Shi flutter over to the building dubbed the Sealed Hall. This was where the scrolls of Forbidden Ninjutsu are stored.

He silently flew over to the Sealed Hall, taking notice of two downed guards at the entrance. Nin hovered above them, touching their necks. They're still alive… Nin turned back to the Sealed Hall and went inside. He flew carefully through the corridor, heading over to the room where the Forbidden Ninjutsu are stored. In the moonlight shining out of the windows of the corridor, Nin watches the doors slide open.

Shi came out, carrying scrolls with him. He turned around… and saw him. Shi silently looked at Nin. He then reached out behind him… and immediately shot shurikens at Nin. Nin responded by drawing out the kunai he brought along with him, deflecting the shurikens headed his way. He hears thuds and saw Shi approaching him, drawing out a kunai. They quickly clashed their kunais against each other.

"Why… is it you!?" Nin felt something very different emanating from Shi when their kunais clashed. "I have more experience. I am with Father longer than you. So, why… Why does Father pay more attention to you, rather than me!?"

"…Brother?" Nin asked.

"Why… you…!?" Shi's tone was very hostile. His eyes had hatred over them. "Why must it be you!?" The two Ninjasks backed off and clashed against each other swiftly. Cuts were made along the walls, forming rapidly as they took their battle across the Sealed Hall. Shi and Nin clashed once again, drawing their arms back and swinging their kunais towards each other again…

"Nin! Shi!" In the darkness, Rasha appears from the corridor.

'Father!?' Nin and Shi both shifted their attentions just for a short while before they realized what they did. But it was too late the moment they looked back at each other.

"*slash*"

"*slash*"

Just as he slashed Shi's right eye with his kunai, Nin felt Shi's own kunai slash his right eye. They both released their kunais, letting the bloodied tipped weapons fall to the ground as both covered their bleeding eye with their arms. They both gasped out loudly, though Nin was trying to supress his sounds, and their feet touched down on the ground as they landed.

"Are you alright!?" Rasha said, rushing over to them. He turned to Nin, who was clearly suffering more pain than Shi. "Let me look at it." He said to Nin. Breathing heavily, Nin turned slowly and lowered his arms. Rasha studied the long, bleeding cut right up Nin's eye. 'He needs this wound to be tended to right away… But, what about Shi…?'

When the Accelgor turned to the opposite side of the room, he didn't see the other Ninjask anywhere. "…Shi!?" He frantically looked around the room, soon catching eye of the few droplets of blood trailing towards a window.

A duo of ninja Pokémon arrived at the scene. "What happened here? The guards outside were incapacitated…" One of them asked. Rasha turned to the ninjas. "Treat Nin's wound now!" He said before he immediately dashed out of the window before words could be spoken to him.

The trail of blood led outside the village and Rasha continued to follow it, keeping an eye ahead. He leapt up towards the branches, jumping with incredible speed and accuracy. "Shi!" Rasha shouted. He kept on looking forward, trying to spot something unnatural through the foliage. He could hear flapping quite far ahead of him.

"Shi!" Rasha shouted to the direction of the flapping sounds. "Stop right this instant!" He could never outspeed either Nin or Shi: they were always too fast for him ever since they were Ninjasks. Still, he pursued on towards the sounds, until he could no longer hear it. He stopped on the branch which he landed on when the sounds stopped.

"…Shi… what did you do…?" he muttered.

…

"Shi… was stealing the Scrolls of Forbidden Jutsu!?" Rasha asked the Kage of the village. The older ninja nodded.

"The Scrolls of Forbidden Jutsu are powerful indeed. I am not surprised that there will be some who wish to take that power all to themselves." The Kage spoke calmly. "Stealing them… is already a serious offence. As of last night, Shi has declared himself as a ronin of this village."

"But, milord." Rasha said. "Perhaps I could find him and convince him to return-"

"If he returns, he'll be executed on the spot." The Kage told Rasha firmly. "And if anyone takes his side, they too will be considered ronins. If Shi is found, he is to be killed on the spot. That goes for you if you find him. Understood?"

Rasha's head tilted down. "…Yes, milord."

As the Accelgor left the room, he turned his head to the direction of the room where Nin was resting since the previous night. He breathed in heavily and slithered through the corridor and stopping right in front of the room. He placed a palm, shifting the door open. Nin was resting on a bed with a blanket drawn over him, leaving his head free with a closed eye. Bandages are wrapped around the left side of Nin's head. Peeking slightly from the banadges was the ends of the slash on Nin's face. That had already been dried up, but the skin wasn't regenerating at all. Rasha had already heard everything: Nin's eye was a lost cause and the cut was very deep and would leave a scar.

Rasha settled himself beside Nin, staring at his still figure. "…I know you're awake. How much have you heard?" He said to Nin. After a short silence, Nin's eye opened and he shifted his head towards Rasha. The pain going through the left side of his head hadn't eased at all, moving it even a bit hurt like hell. Besides, seeing only one side normally, while the other is entirely black was an entirely different experience.

"..…"

"…Don't worry, Nin. They will transplant a new eye for you, you just have to stay here for a few days before you'll be alright."

"…Shi?" After Nin spoke the name of his first adopted child, Rasha looked down. "…He's still my son, and he's still your brother. We… just probably won't be the same family as back then…"

"…" Nin turned away. Rasha believed that it was time for him to let Nin rest. He headed out the door and left Nin by himself.

"…That's it." Nin finishes his story. The Crystal Bearers were still taking time to absorb the entirety of Nin's history. "So… back then, near Natalia's place…" Rose said. "…That was your brother?" Nin nodded.

"Why did you lie?" Arturo said. "It was clear that something caused that level of destruction." Nin looked away. "…Shi is my mission and only my mission. It doesn't concern the rest of you."

"It does!" Luca stood up. "We're all one group together. Whatever our troubles, we share with the others. That burden isn't for you to bear alone…"

"…I simply followed the code of a ninja." Nin defended. "It was my mission. And I have to be the one to complete it. We ninjas do not show emotion during our missions, for it is a weakness. A vulnerability."

"Screw those codes!" Irvine stood up. Nin turned around, showing surprise at Irvine's yell. "Where's the freedom, I don't see any, dammit! We're all your allies, can't you even trust us with this mission of yours?! These stuff are all Tauros-shit! I don't even get them, like don't even show emotion? What's wrong with showing emotion? Nothing's wrong, am I right?"

Nin didn't respond.

"What a bold pupil you have here, Nin." Rasha commented.

Irvine scratched the back of his head. "Listen, Master… What I'm trying to say… is that you gotta trust us on stuff you can do and stuff you know you can't do alone. We're all here together for you, Master."

"…" Nin looked at Irvine silently. "…Alright."

"Awright!" Irvine yells out.

"Don't be loud." Nin shakes his head.

Heart turned to Rose. "Rose, should we get going soon?" The Shiny Genesect turned to her. "…Soon, we still have a lot to find out. On what is our next path to take…" The other Crystal Bearers get up, thanking Rasha for the story and headed out of the house.

Nin turns over to Rasha. "…Father, I have to leave." Rasha nods. "Yes. Take care of them and your pupil."

Nin nods as he is the last to leave the house, leaving Rasha by his lonesome.

"Nin… is starting to change for the better…"

Chapter 68 End

Current Party:

Luca R. Ezperanda – "Forgotten" Will (Carrying on the last of his father's wishes, he struggles to maintain himself…)

Weapon: Tri-lement Staff (Staves)

Cloudia Vanille – Peppy Girl (Lively as ever, she can get everyone up and running with her energy.)

Weapon: Crystal Bowsword (Bowsword)

Elazul del Fable – Heart That Accepts Darkness (Finally unbound from his past, he accepts himself and the power he has…)

Weapon: Thundercloud Lance (Spears)

Arturo Carpaice – The Song (His tunes rejuvenate whenever needed, having a passion for these sort of things.)

Weapon: Crystal Sword Lute (Sword Lute)

Cress LaVeda – Hammer Veteran (Swinging that large hammer around, she shows no quarter…)

Weapon: Crystal Slugger (Sledgehammer)

Heart Burkwood – Compassionate Friend (She cares deeply for those close to her, even more towards one in particular…)

Weapon: Crystal Rod (Rods)

Arche – Mother's Hopes (Carrying the last dreams of her mother, she takes it in deeply…)

Weapon: Astral Sword (Shortsword), Crystal Shield (Shield)

Alvin – Gunblade Combatant (Showing nimble work with gunblades, weapons normally difficult to master…)

Weapon: Shear Blades (Dual Gunblades)

Kite Maxwell – Brother Figure (Showing great care is nice, to the little girl he worries for…)

Weapon: Power Boots (Greaves)

Lucille Ostend – Child Fighter (At such a young age compared to the others… Will she continue fighting?)

Weapon: Crystal Wand (Wand), Taro

Raven – Trickster (His many talents of fooling just about anyone- ally or enemy. It's his way of life)

Weapon: King of Diamonds (Cards)

Irvine fal Isberg – Maturing Adult (While still unknowing of the world around him, he still wants to adjust to it…)

Weapon – Grave Cutter (Longsword)

Celsius – Ice Spirit (The legendary spirit who governs the northern winds. Her powers are not to be trifled with…)

Weapon – Barehanded, Sage's Hairpin (Hairpin)

Van Grantieur – Heavy-blade Rival (Somehow… a rival to a certain swordsman. Though he doesn't remember… does he?)

Weapon – Fury Brand (Broadsword)

Nin Azura – Sensei (Monitoring a student's growth, though one so rambunctious and obnoxious… Yet, he remains calm and composed.)

Weapon – Kotetsu (Katana)

Rose Armornal – 100-Year Machine (For so long… he has lived through the years… Yet, he can be as spry as the youths…)

Weapon – Drive Arsenal 2.8 (Drive Arsenal)

Natalia Leauvier – Maiden (Through normal eyes, she may seem fragile, but is incredibly stronger than she looks…)

Weapon: Crystal Crescent (Boomerang Blade)

Dhaos – Heartless Demon (Living through reality, even without the core organ to fuel himself…)

Weapon: Orb of Ruin (Orbs)