FINALLY!

I have had this story floating around in my head and on my computer for years now, and it's been re-written multiple times (hence why it's Re:A Dying Light) as I progressed through the Ripples Trilogy. Thankfully, now that Ripples is done driving me completely and totally psycho, it's time for the Lights cast to do so.

This trilogy is a spin-off from the end of Book 2 of the Ripples Trilogy. You do not need to read Re:A Ripple in the Abyss or Re:A Spatial Tear to understand Re:A Dying Light. (All you need to know is the following: Kairi is a walking disaster zone. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. She and Dante were also on opposite sides of the main conflict in Re:ARitA and Re:AST, so Dante's opinions on her are a little iffy. Dante has a replica named Dark who was on Kairi's side. A lot of people who are supposed to be dead aren't.)

To anyone who followed me over from the Ripples Trilogy: Welcome to Dante's slightly-more-stable if decidedly darker head.

To any new readers looking for the Ripples Trilogy: It's over in the Tales of the Abyss section. Read at your own risk.

Updates will be every Friday plus whenever I feel like handing out extra updates. Cover drawn by yours truly and posted full-size on my DeviantART (you can find me there under Twilight-PhoenixFyre).

I will say this once and once only, because I don't want to have to copy-paste it over and over again (and, be honest, reading chapter-ly disclaimers is boring and gets old real fast): I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Tales of the Abyss, or any associated characters/spells/artes/etc. I do however own my numerous Original Characters, my artwork, and any Original Artes/Spells/etc. Please do not use my characters/artes without permission. (It will usually be given if asked for.) (A full list of disclaimers will be posted at the end of the book, when I actually know what all's managed to sneak in here.)

Now then... enough of that boring stuff.

Enjoy!

"I'd like you if you'd quit treating me like an unintelligent mutt." -Noishe

Chapter 1.1 - Second Chance
Part 1

I stopped behind a tree, Arietta's friend long gone already. Firelight danced around the clearing as the battle raged. Sync against Zion, replica against original, with Dark, my own replica, standing nearby to cover his distracted friend's back. Further into the trees where Dark and his friends had come through, Master Ryndor played around with the other three.

Rhunön was keeping Asch and Reighn away from Kairi and the monolith.

I should have done something.

I should have drawn my third gun and killed at least one of them.

But I'd left that one back at Eldrant, when I shot the replica of Largo Mohs had ordered created.

I should have drawn the other two and started firing on the others, given Zion, Ryndor, and Rhunön support.

But I'd dropped one of those after killing a replicated Oracle Knight who dared attack me when Arietta died.

And wasn't that a whole other can of worms? Arietta...

So long, I'd dismissed her. So many months, I'd told her that she would move on from me just as she'd moved on from Zion. But the truth was quite simple.

Arietta had grown up. And she'd made her choice.

I let my mind drift back to the battle in front of me, only to realize that it was over. For Master Ryndor to be so casually perched in the tree like that, for Rhunön to be collecting her coat... Zion was laying on the ground, blood seeping out of a wound in his arm. I glanced around, spotting one of the black and red daggers Sync used on occasion still laying on the ground.

Poisoned, most likely. Just like that silver katana of Kairi's, and Dark's white chakrams.

Rhunön was gone. Ryndor was leaving, but from the way he dropped to the ground behind me, I knew he'd spotted me.

"Danté."

I glanced back. Neon green eyes met mine, and Ryndor tilted his head to the side slightly. A silent inquiry. I looked out toward the clearing again, noting the two standing next to the monolith, looking at Kairi. They knew... They knew it was too late.

A gentle hand on my shoulder. "Don't let it die without the rest of you again."

That almost-comforting presence was gone in the next instant, and I understood what Ryndor was talking about, because I'd felt the sheer emotion in his words. An uncharacteristic amount of emotion, most would say.

But I knew better. Ryndor never actually killed his heart. He just forced down the emotions, to be dealt with later when he was alone. Because the man who'd just told me not to kill my own heart again was the very same who'd taken me in as an infant.

I took a wary step forward, just close enough to hear the conversation in the clearing.

"The only thing that would save even part of her would be to cut her loose, but... If we do that..." Sync stopped and looked over at Jade, wearing an expression that I'd never once seen Zion wear.

Because Zion hadn't cared. For anyone.

"Whoever stays behind will die as well... There's no way to stop the seal from breaking, is there?" Jade asked. I shook my head. No. There wasn't... But Kairi... I looked over at her, remembering a conversation in the gardens outside the palace in Grand Chokmah.

Kairi was the kind to give anyone a chance. Perhaps... It would only be fair for me to give her one, as well.

Jade called out to Asch, and I dared to glance at his expression. Pain. More pain than I'd thought he could show, to be honest.

I stepped forward a bit further, and I knew the moment my replica saw the movement, saw me, because there was only one thing on Auldrant that could rile up the teen known as Dark Daemione.

"Asch..." Sync called softly. He's spotted Dark's hands shaking.

Rage. The replica was enraged... and I was the very reason why.

Asch moved over toward Sync and the brown-haired girl... Oh, what was her name? Sopheria? Something like that...

Dark reacted. Drew one of his guns with the speed and precision Ryndor had trained into us both, and pointed it straight at me. I considered stopping.

But I'd already made up my mind, hadn't I?

I stepped out of the tree line before stopping. If Dark wanted to shoot me, that was fine. I was going to die one way or another tonight. And what they'd said...

"Danté?!"

I wasn't sure if Flick was incredulous, angry, or just tired of fighting. I shot my strongest glare in her direction, since part of the group was over there, then turned it on the three standing over closer to Dark. I doubt it looked much like a glare though. I was tired... oh-so-tired of all of this... this.

"Get out of here," I ordered, almost startled by how monotonic my own voice sounded.

"But Kairi—"

"I'm going to try to cut her loose," I said, cutting Asch off before glancing at the pile of equipment Ryndor had left behind. I started moving over to it, spotting both a normal katana and the vine-bound one Kairi seemed to favor. "But if I fail, do you really still want to be here when that thing explodes?"

I stopped and knelt, lifting the admittedly-pretty silver katana, and was a bit amazed by how light it was. Just one problem...

I turned around. No one had moved, and I attempted a glare again... Until my gaze caught on Dark's.

I forced myself to look into those mismatched eyes. Vibrant green and gold. So different from my dull, dead green. So different... And so far from identical now. Dark was beginning to tan slightly. His hair was less wild, more controlled by the long braid down his back. A much healthier weight than I remember him being a year ago.

Good. The princess was taking care of him.

"Let's go."

Two words from my replica. That's all it took for the rest of them to finally realize that they needed to leave.

I watched them go for a few moments, then turned and started walking toward the monolith. Even if I succeeded in cutting Kairi free, I would die. The explosion would kill me, if the energy rebound didn't. It would likely kill Kairi as well, but so long as I pulled her away, her soul would be free to return to her original body.

I sighed. So many lessons to learn in so little a time. So many lessons to learn so painfully. I'd long since passed over the boundary that separated assassins from murderers.

My death would be a blessing to the world.

And as I looked up at Kairi, hanging limply from the Monolith of Syal, I couldn't help but feel like this was just a flimsy last attempt at redemption. This wasn't enough, it would never be enough.

But at least I'd be going to the grave with the knowledge that I'd tried.

*-.-*-.-*-.-*-.-*

Everything hurt.

He wondered if this was how Kairi had felt, with miasma flooding her system and destroying her from the inside out.

"Mister?"

He took a deep breath, or tried. It was interrupted by a deep, wet cough, and he could taste the blood in his mouth. Damn.

"Hey, Mister? Are you okay?"

He growled a few curses. Good thing most people couldn't speak liger. "No, brat, I'm not," he grumbled before hacking again. This time, he could feel some of that blood on his chin.

"Um, um... Noishe! Noishe, go get Dad!" the kid yelled. Male. Six years old at the most.

A hesitant growl came, and he was mildly surprised to understand it.

"I'm not so sure about this..."

"Noishe!"

Padding footsteps moved away, and the teen took another deep breath before allowing his eyes to open.

Faint green light hit his retinas, and he scrunched his eyes closed again for a moment before blinking, letting them adjust as he looked around.

He was in a... forest? Yes, a forest... Had the exploding monolith simply flung him out into the wilderness that surrounded it?

No. No, wherever he was, it wasn't Auldrant. He could feel around him, but there was nothing to feel. No fonons. Kairi's homeworld? But that couldn't be right either, could it? He was sure that it was a possibility, but he doubted it.

The boy who'd sent his... dog?... off to get his father walked over, and green eyes skimmed over his appearance. Brown hair, reddish-brown eyes, and a bright red shirt. He guessed the boy was about five.

"How'd you get hurt, Mister?" the boy asked, curious as all children his age were. The teen groaned, then proceeded to ignore him and start working on sitting up.

The kid had definitely asked a good question. How did he get hurt? Why did he feel like he was on fire? And how bad was the damage?

"I don't think you should be sitting up, Mister..."

The teen huffed. "Danté."

"Huh?" Erk. Little kids.

"My name is Danté," he reiterated.

"I'm Lloyd!"

Danté made a dismissive gesture, then started checking himself over. It was a painful process, but he was, thankfully, not too badly injured. There was a hole in his chest that was leaking blood, but it didn't appear to be infected—yet—and aside from a few deep cuts, he just had some scrapes and one hell of a lot of bruises.

Looked like who or whatever hadn't wanted him to die had done a rather thorough job of it. Though the hole in his chest was rather concerning, and he needed to get the deeper cuts bandaged.

"Alright, alright, ah'm comin', ya bloody mutt!"

Danté couldn't help but chuckle at the dog-creature's response to the irate man's grumbling.

"Well, come faster and I wouldn't be bothering you so much! I'm not sure that guy's good news and—uh-oh..."

Danté finally got a look at the creature speaking the language so similar to the liger language he'd been raised with, and noted that it was rather far from a liger. White, with green patches, a lithe, more doggish build than any liger, and the largest ears Danté had ever seen on a creature... well, maybe not a cheagle's. But large ears regardless.

Still... "Well, lookie there. Something intelligent."

The dog-creature—Noishe?—turned to look at the rather short man following him. "See?! Can you get Lloyd away from him already?!"

The short man ignored Noishe and ran over to Danté as he tried—and failed—to stand up. "Whoa! Careful there, lad! What's a boy like you doin' all the way out here?"

"Nothing good, I'm sure."

Danté rolled his eyes. "Nah. One time I try to do something good, this is my reward. Hole in my chest, rest of me on fire, and no clue where the hell I've landed," he grumbled.

The three strangers stared at him, until Noishe sat down quite suddenly.

"You can understand me?"

Danté chuckled, though it was a rather dark and not very humorous sound. "I should hope so, seeing as I've been speaking the language since I was a child."

All was silent for a while as Noishe watched Danté attempt standing again. With the short man to help him, Danté managed it, though only barely.

Though, he barely made it to his feet before he found himself with a white and green... whatever... supporting him from the other side. Danté blinked at Noishe for a moment.

"You're staying. If for no other reason than to save me from the insanity of trying to talk to people that don't understand a word I'm saying," Noishe announced. Danté couldn't help but start laughing.

"Trust me, you're not gonna want an assassin around," he replied.

"Hey Mister Danté? Are you talking to Noishe?" Lloyd asked. Danté sighed.

"Yeah, something like that. And it's just 'Danté', kid."

The short man seemed to find this amusing. "Yer not much more than a kid yerself," he muttered. "And mah name's Dirk."

Danté snorted as he watched the five-year-old skipping ahead. "I could give Lloyd nightmares telling him about some of the shit Master Ryndor put me through when I was his age. I'm not a kid, haven't been for years."

Dirk gave him an appropriately concerned look, but didn't leave the teen's side as he started moving, following the hyperactive child who'd apparently found him.

"Where're you from, Danté?" Dirk asked. Lloyd had just stopped and was rocking back and forth on his feet, waiting for them to catch up.

"Nowhere in particular," Danté answered vaguely. If he was right, and this was a new world, he wasn't sure he could pull off being from anywhere, really. "Master Ryndor never settled in any one place, and even after leaving him, I haven't either."

"That's kinda lonely," Lloyd said sadly. Then he perked right back up. "Hey, Dad! Can he come live with us? 'Cause Noishe seems ta like him!"

"I'd like you if you'd quit treating me like an unintelligent mutt," Noishe said crossly. Danté snorted, both at Lloyd's suggestion and Noishe's complaint.

"I don't think you want me around, kid." Dirk certainly wouldn't, Danté was sure.

Lloyd turned around to walk backwards. "Oh come on! You can't really want to be alone all the time! What's so horrible about you that you don't want to stick around?" he asked.

"Tell him you're a half-elf," Noishe suggested when Danté hesitated. The assassin sighed. Better than nothing...

"It's not so much that I don't want to stay..." Might as well make the kid feel a little better, at least. "It's more a matter of other people not wanting a half-elf hanging around."

Danté was rather amused by the pure shock that took over Lloyd's expression, and he noted the wary look Dirk gave him. Good... Not quite the distrust he'd have received if he'd confessed to being an assassin, but at least it pushed them away. "See? Case closed."

Lloyd suddenly looked upset. "I'm sorry."

Dirk and Danté both froze in surprise, and Lloyd looked up at Danté. "That's why you're alone, isn't it? Because everyone hears 'half-elf' and then pushes you away? It's like with Colette! Every time people find out she's the Chosen, they start holding her at arm's length."

Danté looked over at Noishe, who looked pretty surprised himself, but also proud. The creature looked up at him. "He's a pretty good kid, huh?"

The chuckle that forced its way out of his throat built slowly, oh so slowly, and Danté wondered if maybe he was just dreaming.

Was this supposed to be a second chance? Had some (insane) higher power decided that his attempt at redemption at the Monolith of Syal was worth giving him a second shot?

Danté finally gave in and took his right hand off Dirk's shoulder to reach out and ruffle Lloyd's hair, a faint smile playing at his lips. "Thanks, brat."

Fun Fact: While editing this, originally, Dante listed off Selenia as one of the people fighting Ryndor.

Then he... forgot her name and called her 'Sopheria'. O.o

Oops. That was corrected, of course, but it's still funny. (Also funny that Dante pulled a flower from a totally different game into this. Less funny that Book 1 of the Roses Trilogy (sequel to both Lights and Ripples) will be taking place in that game.)