(Notes:

It's been… like… forever since I wrote something, yeah. All my excuses would be the same crap you don't want to hear, but I at least haven't given up on my major projects, like By My Decision. I just took a lengthy writing hiatus because I… needed one, I guess! But then I played ToS and it ate my soul, and though it drives my creative side crazy, this may very well be the only fic I ever make for it. But hopefully it's the only one in a big way, though! I always love playing with What-Iffers.

This fic is a huge, gigantic What-Iffer. It's squished between game scenes, specifically after the time Lloyd and company come back from Welgaia the first time and get Colette treated once and for all from her Angelus Crystallus Suckage ordeal, and before the night that follows that event where Yuan pulls a scary-stalker routine by randomly appearing in Lloyd's bedroom, all "Do you wanna meet your father? XD"-like. I'm generally playing up on the whole Genis-Mithos part, and what would entail if Genis actually confronted Mithos about what he fears to be true when he found Mithos's INSTRUMENT OF D00M after Yggdrasill OMGWTF saved him…. Rather than, you know, just being all "W-we're BFFs, right…?" "Uhhh…. SURE!" and leaving it as that. I don't know. I'm a freak like that.

I was PRAYING that this fic wouldn't explode into a giant debate in the middle, but it ended up doing just that. Chalk it up for my inability to write a proper romance, I guess. Though romance is barely even an element here, I'd like to think… more like unconditional love/hate/trust and fun stuff like that. It's got some fluffyness there, some sadness, and some outright WRONG parts because I was sick enough to be amused by a pairing like… Genis/Yggy. WOO! Anyway, I tried to get all the facts right, all the names and information and events in the order that they happened down right, so I'd like to hope I didn't bastardize the canon TOO much. Not that you should take this to heart or anything, I'd just like to think I'm potentially 'adding on' to what hypothetically might've really happened rather than twisting and fucking it all around to something that's completely alternate universe. If you wish to bitch me out for any of this, I guess that's what the Review button is for, right? I tried my ass off on this, though. I'd like to hope it doesn't suck too horribly, even after a long hiatus. TT

If I messed up characterizing anyone, shame on me. I try to nazi myself into perfecting that as best I possibly can. This is my first ToS fic, after all. It's never easy diving into a new fandom… um, enjoy! Try to! Por favoooor?)

The day was approaching to evening, and the sun would set on a clear sky. It had been all but an easy day for Lloyd Irving and his friends on their quest of separating the worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. Between battling Kratos (again), venturing through the lifeless environment of Welgaia, the arduous descent from the top of the Tower of Salvation, and finally reaching the ground level only to be met by Yggdrasill — all the while racing against time with the ailing Colette's Chronic Angelus Crystallus Inofficium…

It was a wonder why Genis Sage hadn't been plagued with an inevitable fatigue yet. After a few hours of rest in Altessa's House, even Lloyd was beginning to feel tired… even with his apparent worry of Colette keeping him on his toes. Though by now, Altessa and Tabatha had finished their work and assured everyone that Colette was well on the way to recovery. At the very least, it was one less concern on everyone's mind, including Genis's.

Not that it made a significant impact on the current situation, and Genis wasn't about to delude himself into thinking things were going to be okay now just because Colette was no longer suffering. The rest of the group couldn't help but notice that Genis was visibly bothered by something… but they weren't able to figure out what. Lloyd was too conflicted with his own personal issues to prod him this time. Honestly, that was what Genis preferred… he couldn't imagine talking about this to just anyone. The images of the battle hours before still haunted him… the aftermath, and what happened when he started piecing it together.

There was only one person Genis could talk to about these feelings he harbored.

But he couldn't bring himself to expose his concerns in the open like this… not when his other friends were scattered all over the house within hearing range. Genis glanced over to the one permeating his thoughts so effortlessly. His fellow half-elven friend, the only one his age, Mithos… he was leaning against the railing near the entrance with a perfectly innocent expression on his face.

Before Mithos could catch his friend's glance, Genis turned away and looked down at his feet, not daring to look at the particular object he was fiddling with through his fingers: the panpipe he discovered after the previous battle; the very one that fell from Yggdrasill in the process of protecting him from Pronyma's attack. Genis made certain to hide this from the eyes of his comrades, and even now had his back turned from everybody else. His gentle but studious eyes had run over this instrument time and time again, hesitant to really believe what he was seeing, what he was feeling… but the more Genis put his theory into consideration, the more it made sense. This was one time, however, that Genis sincerely hoped that he was erroneous in his thoughts.

As much as the possible truth frightened him, Genis was unable to rest until he knew for sure. One by one, his other friends were retiring to a bed or a corner to relax, but the half-elf felt nothing but absolutely restless until he would be able to properly talk to Mithos. A relentless war had been waged between his logic and his emotions, neither side backing down from the fight until a 'yes' or 'no' answer from the other party would satisfy them. And as unnerved Genis was at putting anyone on the spot — much less a close friend of his, he simply cared too much… or rather, valued his friendship with Mithos so much to the point where he was unwilling to let it go sour because of a miscommunication… it was risky, not only for Genis and Mithos's relationship, but also for the rest of the team.

Despite the natural acts of cowardice that came so natural to Genis, he found himself approaching the front door, attempting to be inconspicuous as he tucked the panpipe into his pocket.

As quiet at Genis was, Mithos instantly noticed his friend's movements to head outside.

"Where are you going, Genis…?"

Mithos's voice caught the attention of everyone else remaining in the main room, who collectively looked over to Genis, whose hand was almost to the doorknob.

Genis felt a drop of sweat creep down the side of his face, pausing before slightly turning to face the group to give them an answer. "I… was just going to go outside for a little bit. Maybe… play or something?" His eyes darted to Mithos on his second sentence.

"It is late," Presea stated, looking to the nearest window. "And furthermore, an unsuitable playing environment."

"Yeah," Sheena concurred, sitting on the floor and hugging her knees. "I don't think something like that's gonna fly well with your sister, Genis. Maybe you should stay inside today."

"It's not even sunset yet," Genis complained, though it felt a bit forced… not in the casual smart-alecky way that earned him the title of 'Brat' from Zelos. "And it's not like I'm going out very far. I just need a breath of fresh air, that's all."

"Ah, just let the kid go," Zelos said with a scoff, lazily hanging from one of the dining chairs. "It's not like he's helpless if a monster gets to him or anything. Today's been too hectic to be worth hearing his whining if we don't let him have his way."

"You idiot," Sheena spat, as she usually was the first to do so in Zelos' case. "Raine would totally kill us if we just let him go on his own and something happened to him! Do you really want to bear that kind of burden? Especially during these times?"

Genis frowned, rather irritated… though Zelos was actually defending him for once, so he made an effort to remain calm. "I'm not a baby; Raine doesn't need to keep tabs on me all the time. I'm not even going to be out that long…"

"Still, by yourself…" Sheena's relentless concern wouldn't be shot down so easily.

"I'll go with him," Mithos offered, coming forward. "Safety in numbers, right?" He looked knowingly to Genis, giving him an empty smile. "Besides, I think he meant for me to come along anyway the second he said 'play'." He chuckled a bit, seemingly as an attempt to lighten the mood around the area.

"Not exactly the reassuring protection we were getting at," commented Zelos, rolling his eyes. "But hey, you'll look out for each other. Go out and play. As long as Colette's getting better, there's no sense in you guys moping around like the rest of us if you don't want to, right?"

Genis smiled a little, and bit his lip in doing so. Of course, he couldn't help but be slightly weirded out that the one that so often aggravated him was now being supportive of him with no real reward in sight for doing so. "… thanks, Zelos," he said softly before heading out the door. Mithos was quick to follow him.

Sheena looked away from the scene, letting out a deep sigh. "If Raine finds out and gets pissed, it's your head, Zelos; not mine."

"Fine by me," Zelos accepted, leaning back on his chair with his hands behind his head. "She seems like one who's into the kinky stuff, anyway. I'll look forward to it."

The Summoner gagged. "You're one sick bastard."

Genis took in a breath and adjusted to the outdoor atmosphere. The air was crisp and dry… it was cool, but mild enough to where it was comfortable. The hue of the sky was already taking the form of its natural evening rainbow of reddish pinks, orange, yellow, and deep blues. As soon as Mithos was fully outside and had the door shut, Genis started walking towards an area that had a clear view of the horizon where the sun was about to set.

Mithos's cheerful aura had already dissipated as he noted the haste of his friend. Almost as if Genis was intentionally walking at a faster pace so that they wouldn't be walking side-by-side. The pair of half-elves reached their destination, only a fair amount away from Altessa's House. It was distant enough to get out of the mostly-rocky area at least, and there was a convenient soft patch of grass where they could comfortably rest and get the most out of the view. There was no escaping Mithos now, however. He made sure to sit right next to Genis as soon as he decided on a spot. Genis was taken a little off-guard when the gap between Mithos and himself was suddenly nonexistent; their shoulders were even touching. Regardless, he masked his discomfort with the fakest smile he could muster, forcing himself to get the most he could out of his moment. After all, after this… it could be the last moment they ever had.

"So, you're quiet today," Mithos remarked, wasting no time to look at Genis. "I know it must've been hard on you, everything that happened… but is that really all that's bothering you?"

"I…" Genis just couldn't find the words yet. He figured he was confident for deciding to do this, but actually mustering up the courage and the words to pull it off… now he was almost wishing Sheena had forced him to remain in the house. "Yeah, I guess…"

Already, a bad answer to the first question. Flustered and embarrassed, Genis kept his eyes focused on the impending sunset. 'This is even worse than trying to talk to Presea,' he thought.

"I understand if it's hard to talk about," the taller boy assured. "But that's what I'm here for, right? And who would understand you better than me…?" Mithos only got a silent nod in return. "Did something happen between you and Lloyd? You're both acting similarly…"

'As if,' Genis mentally scoffed at the idea. 'He'd be the last one to have something like this occur to him.' "No, it's not like that."

"Then what is it?" Mithos persisted, and Genis's eyes widened as he felt Mithos taking his hand and pulling it up. Gently, Mithos held Genis's hand with both of his own, giving it a light squeeze and gazed intently into his eyes. "I just want to help you, Genis."

He couldn't ignore it anymore. Slowly, he turned to face his friend, unable to hide the lingering misery now shown on his face. "Mithos," he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "… We need to talk."

"About…?"

"About… us," Genis mumbled softly. Instinctively, he tightened the embrace of their hands. "I just couldn't bring myself to talk about it in front of everybody…"

"Ah," Mithos acknowledged, though his expressions seemed to tell Genis that he still didn't fully understand what was going on. Somehow, this gave him a little bit of hope as Mithos looked a little more solemn. "Is this about that question you asked me earlier?"

"I don't want to jump to conclusions," Genis sputtered out quickly, wanting that especially known. "But… after all I've been through… I… I really don't like being lied to…"

Mithos seemed taken aback by the statement. "W-why would you think I'm lying to you, Genis…? I'll always be your friend, honest and true." He leaned closer to his small companion. "Always."

Genis gave him a small, but nervous smile… though he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit overwhelmed by the sudden affection Mithos was giving him. Something like this was already making him feel like some paranoid judgmental maniac, maybe even a bad friend… but the nagging tug in the back of his mind was too stubborn to be snuffed out by his will to completely trust the words of his friend. He dragged the both of them outside on the verge of nightfall to get this out of his system; he knew it would be a waste to just leave things as they were.

"Right back at you," he warmly assured, before turning away to dig into his pocket with his free hand. "Maybe you can help me out with something, then…"

Mithos just smiled and nodded as Genis pulled out the object of his concern… the pan flute. Lloyd had certainly returned such an instrument back to his owner when they were at Palmacosta. Genis being in possession of one all of a sudden made Mithos's eyes widen with a look of dread.

"Th-that's…"

"Yeah, it looks just like yours." Mithos inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. "I found it on the floor of the Tower of Salvation's base. Right after the battle with Yggdrasill…"

"That's a weird place for it to be," Mithos commented, his expression looking unintelligible at best. He tilted his head at an angle, while looking even more confused, strands of his puffy blonde hair slid towards his face, partially covering his eye.

Genis's heart nearly stopped.

Memories of times not long ago flashed right before his eyes. The battles fought with those of his race, the people he had lost that meant so much to him because of his race… the towns and numerous innocents that had been destroyed due to those of the same blood as him…

And above everything else, his enemy. The main enemy of concern from his group; the one who orchestrated the chaos that Sylvarant and Tethe'alla endured every day, demanding the sacrifice of innocent people… the enemy who was a half-elf just like Genis. Just like his sister, and just like his precious friend, Mithos…

Yggdrasill. He claimed to even be the enemy of any half-elf foolish enough to oppose him; Genis was no exception. And yet… despite that, Yggdrasill still protected him. He went as far to take a hit from Pronyma's attack to ensure his safety. That particular scene had run through Genis's mind so many times today… it still made absolutely no sense to him. Even after battling Yggdrasill, being the target of his Holy Lance and Judgment spells, only to be saved from Yggdrasill's own ally after fighting him…

There was only one way it could make sense to Genis. He was sure of it. With that, he managed to calm down and come back to reality, to meet the concerned face of Mithos.

"We'll always be best friends, Genis," Mithos suddenly said out of the blue, almost as if he was sensing his companion's vibes of doubt. Again, he moved towards Genis, this time locking him in a full embrace. Mithos rested his head against Genis's shoulder, keeping his face hidden from the fellow half-elf. Stunned momentarily by the hug, Genis couldn't help but sense a cold but familiar feeling coming from this experience… however, it didn't stop him from succumbing to his natural urges by returning Mithos's hug. Whatever courage he gathered up to directly talk to Mithos about his concerns was once again snuffed out for the time being.

"That's… right," Genis managed to choke out. He was disappointed to find Mithos not facing him, but in a way relieved after what he just recently had seen. "We made a promise, after all. E-either way, I could never imagine us not being friends at this point…"

The hug tightened. "I never want it to come to that, Genis. Even if we get into a fight… I don't want to stop being around you. I don't want to stop seeing you. It just… doesn't feel like the right thing to do, you know?" A hidden smile crossed Mithos's face as he felt Genis's petite body quiver under his grasp, as his silver strands of hair further hid his expressions. "Even when you and the others leave me here, I miss you."

"I'm sorry," Genis whispered. "I didn't know you felt that strongly about… us." Saying that seemed to make Genis himself feel guilty… partially for not noticing Mithos's strong affection… partially for trying to interrogate him in the first place. Yet, the nagging possibilities in his head still refused to be silenced…

How Genis hated his level of intellect now. At times like this, he really did wish he had the naivety of Lloyd or Colette… people who seemed capable of trusting anybody, regardless of race, personality, past wrongdoings, or their own overactive imaginations. He didn't want to ask anything of Mithos… he only desired to remain in this embrace for as long as possible.

But then something occurred to him. This recent burst of tension between himself and Mithos… it would never be resolved until he got everything off his chest. Their friendship would be trapped on an endless cycle of decay from a lack of trust; a lack of open-ness and honesty. And eventually, if their friendship was to continue wilting on this cycle, there would eventually be nothing left to call a 'friendship'.

Genis knew he was taking a risk in doing this… a risk that may change his relationship with Mithos forever. But was it better to take that risk head-on or simply let it die out without giving anything a chance… and just let Mithos drift away from him because of his cowardice?

"I don't want to lose you, Genis."

He knew what he had to do.

"Mithos… c-can I see your panpipe for just a second?"

There was a period of dead and utter silence; not a living thing in the wilderness even dared to stir… just as Genis expected.

"M-Mithos…?"

"… Why?"

"N-no big deal," Genis tried to assure him. "I just want to compare it to the one I found at the Tower. It really does look an awful lot like yours… I thought there might be a connection. Because when I played it, Aska appeared, remember? I figured that maybe… this one's connected to another important being—"

"I doubt it," Mithos cut him off shortly. "There… could never be a duplicate of something that special… from my sister…"

"But… you can't be sure," Genis softly reminded him. "It could be the key to what may eventually separate the two worlds… and surely we have nothing to lose, right? We should give it a try…" Realizing they were both still locked into a hug, Genis thoughtfully gave an extra squeeze into it. "Don't worry; I'll be careful this time. I'll make sure it won't break again."

"I…" Mithos struggled with a response. Genis was more than willing to be patient, but was unfortunate to not notice his friend's grimacing face as he tried to form a complete sentence… or even a complete word.

"… I don't have it, Genis."

"We can go back to the house and pick it up if we have to," Genis assured, though said it so quickly and nervously that it was painfully obvious that wasn't the first thought in his mind the second Mithos had admitted that fact. "It's no big deal…"

"I don't have it, period," Mithos clarified, making sure to keep his face hidden. "It's not at Altessa's… and it's not with me. I… lost it earlier today. I figured it was stolen."

Genis couldn't believe it… "S-stolen? You'd never be that careless, Mithos… did Yggdrasill come and take this from you! This… this is yours, isn't it? Why didn't you tell us earlier…? And why would he…"

The talking abruptly came to an end as Genis felt Mithos's fingers dig into his back. It wasn't painful by any means, but shock and every possible form of fear flashed through his mind at that very instant. Mithos rose to meet his friend at eye-level, reading the fear expressed so delicately on his dilated pupils. Genis felt another wave of shock upon seeing the dead serious look on Mithos's face… and more than anything, the utter lack of innocence that shown in his once-sparkling eyes.

"Do you trust me, Genis?"

With his hair standing on end, the fully intimidated Genis gave him a nod. Though in truth, Genis had no idea what to think, or who to trust at this precise moment. His fears so far were being proven to be correct, so why was he so intent on remaining with Mithos for this long? Normally, the half-elven prodigy would have long ago solved this with a solution beneficial to everyone.

As it turned out, slow reflexes and lack of physical strength weren't the only weaknesses of Genis Sage.

His most devastating weakness was right in front of him. Moving closer and closer to him, freeing a hand from his back to bring it to his face, where he parted away the long, silvery locks of hair from his yes. Their eyes were locked on each others'; one pair looking sure of himself and intent, the other looking nothing short of uncertain of anything.

"We're… best friends, aren't we?" Mithos asked, though it seemed as if he was asking that to himself rather than Genis. "For absolute certain, right?"

"Forever," Genis said automatically. "And always… just like you said…"

"Even if…" Mithos trailed off, trying his best to keep his eyes on his friend. "Even if you knew something… bad… about me… if it was really bad." His free hand moved down to cup under Genis's chin. "Would you still be my friend? Or would you hate me…?"

"That, that's…" Genis winced upon saying, as it clearly hurt him to think about it this way. "It's what I've been trying to say, Mithos…" he choked out. "I'd never hate you… ever." Genis wasn't sure what this kind of promise would entail if Mithos wasn't speaking hypothetically. The more he looked at his friend, the more his saw his enemy… staring right back at him. How could their friendship continue like that?

"No matter what?" Mithos asked, his eyes seemingly begging for a confirmation.

"No matter what," Genis was able to say without any form of hesitation, at last. "Even if… you remind me of him…"

Mithos smiled to Genis, though knew deep down that this would be his one and only chance now. Genis's hesitance in the past to choose between him and Lloyd secured that hard fact for him. After this, Genis was either with him or without him.

Slowly, he pulled Genis closer to his face, where eventually their lips would meet.

The kiss was brief and innocent at best; though for Genis, who had never kissed quite like this before, the moment seemed to last eons. Once again, all thoughts and intentions of his for this evening chat were mushing away into obscurity. A small voice in his logic department dared to ask if Mithos was only using these methods of affection to throw Genis off from what he was attempting to do, as if Mithos already knew what was going through his mind…

Not only was that miniscule thought demolished by Genis's wave of empathy for his beloved friend, but even counter-attacked by figuring Mithos was being this affectionate out of true love and concern. Going as far as suggesting that it was Genis's own fear and paranoia… as well as inexperience with kissing that would give Genis these horrible thoughts that Mithos was anything but his loyal companion and soul mate. Enemy, indeed… Genis's emotions would go as far to say that Genis himself was the true enemy here. Daring to think that something was wrong with this!

Genis felt Mithos's lips part from his own, but was too mesmerized in the euphoria that was his first kiss to come to quite yet. His eyes were closed, and though he hadn't fallen unconscious, he looked as peaceful as a sleeping infant. The smile on his face only broadened as he felt his position being changed, and Mithos's as well. Though his eyes were still closed, he could tell he was lying on his back now, against the cool patch of grass. Mithos's body was hovering over him, balanced on his knees and palms. Maybe it was only because it was Mithos, but the normally responsible Genis, knowing how young and inexperienced he was, absolutely could not care less how far this ended up going. All he wanted was an escape from reality, hand-in-hand with no one but his fellow half-elf.

"Fascinating."

The fantasy came crashing to a halt.

"You have no idea how much you remind me of myself… my fellow kinsman."

Reality flew in, rampant fanfare and all, to appropriately smack Genis in the face with the facts of the here and now: The weight had shifted; there was suddenly more weight on Genis than there was before. And most importantly, this: The voice that was now speaking clearly did not belong to Mithos.

Genis's stormy blue eyes opened with a snap. It was the same marine eyes looking back at him as before. The same vibrant blonde hair falling over his face as well. But the face was older and lacked any trace of youthful innocence… and the body was much more developed. His hair was even longer, and once Genis was able to look away from his face long enough, he noticed the glittering eeriness of his purple wings sprouting from his back. Constantly aflutter, the end tips of these wings curved inward as if Genis was its prey.

And then it occurred to Genis… that he must be prey.

This was Yggdrasill now, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Mithos and all securities Genis had felt in his presence had vanished.

"You're," Genis squeaked, finally able to find his voice again. "You're…"

Yggdrasill smirked, looking quite proud of himself. Genis frantically looked around, realizing he was at his enemy's mercy in quite a big way. He had been right all along… and his emotions effectively kept him from being able to confirm it in time. But not even that could have saved him from the inevitable, it seemed… the tingling sensation on Genis's lips made his stomach churn.

"Which one are you!" He suddenly shouted, as he attempted to break free from the twisted man's hold.

"I am Mithos, yet I am the Lord Yggdrasill that you and your group so despise," the angel stated. Bending down closer to Genis, who he kept a tight hold on, his smirk never vanished. The young half-elf was looking rather ill now. "It turns out I'm your best friend as well as your enemy. So simply, we are one and the same… Mithos Yggdrasill, the same hero of 4000 years ago."

"When we went up that mountain from the Latheon Gorge," Genis muttered to himself, keeping his eyes cast away from Yggdrasill. "Who that elf was talking about… it really was you all along…"

Yggdrasill tossed his hair to the side, though his body still remained focused on keeping Genis pinned to the ground. "And why should any of that matter at all?" He asked; his smile broadening. "You and I… fellow half-elves, the closest of friends… we are bound to a promise."

"You still consider me a friend…?" Genis could barely believe what he was hearing. "How can you still… ask that of me? You… you've hurt Lloyd! And my other friends… especially Colette!" The louder the small prodigy talked, however, the more his voice wavered… and quickly, what confidence he had in his situation broke into pieces. "You've even hurt me…"

"Dear child," Yggdrasill said with a sigh. "It was necessary for you to see the light. How our kind has been treated all this time… you and I have been through some very similar experiences in our lives." Genis wasn't putting up as much of a fight now, so Yggdrasill was pleased to not have to struggle to lift one of his hands from the ground and caress it gently with his own. "I did not want your eyes blinded from the truth because of your unnaturally kind human companions. The fact remains that the humans in general are a terrible, hateful species, just as the elves. They deserve nothing but punishment."

"I like Lloyd," Genis said with certainty. "I like Colette, and Presea, Sheena, Regal… I even like Zelos to an extent. But… there are so many humans out there who hate my guts… just because of what I was born as. I can't possibly forgive them for being so intolerant… no sane half-elf could…" Genis managed to look up at his captor, face to face. "They haven't blinded me. Raine and I… are fully aware of what's out there now. It isn't pretty, and it certainly isn't right…"

"So you agree with me," Yggdrasill pointed out. "And yet, we are on opposing sides to this ordeal. Rather unfortunate, don't you think?"

"I-it's not that I disagree with you," Genis explained. "Because I definitely don't. It's just that I don't think… that you're going about it the right way. I don't think that makes you evil or anything… maybe just… misunderstood… misguided." He frowned. "But you don't listen to anyone but yourself, so much that it's gonna be your downfall! You can't even see what's wrong with sacrificing so many people for just Martel!"

Yggdrasill's smirk turned into a bitter glare. "There is no real truth, you fool. Thus, there is no true right way to do anything. Everything comes with a price. Sacrifices are necessary to right wrongs, and the idea of everyone from every single race living together in harmony is nothing but pure fantasy." He let out an impatient sigh. "It would be very much a waste if you turn out to be nothing more than a clone of your idealist friend."

"It's not so much that I agree with him as it is that I want to believe in him," Genis admitted, his gaze once again trying to escape Yggdrasill. "Because if his wishes came true, life would really be… great." All this talk of his ideal world began to make Genis's eyes leak, ever-so slightly.

"You've yet to recognize the most important fact of all," Yggdrasill interjected, suddenly rising up and freeing Genis from his hold. "You'll always be a half-elf, and your friends will always be human. And you well know you're going to outlive every single one of them because of this… you'll likely even outlive your sister. You can't falsely hope more kind humans will stumble upon you in their passing to take their place. Even if world peace were attained, you know it wouldn't be an overnight change. Sylvarant and Tethe'alla may very well take beyond the time of your own passing to be completely purified of discrimination."

Genis slowly lifted himself from the ground, cautiously so, in order to not arouse any suspicions from Yggdrasill that he was going to hightail it back to Altessa's and rat out his 'friend'. He was able to fully see the horizon he and Mithos previously watched, seeing that the sun was in the middle of sinking behind the mountain range just ahead of them. The rest of the sky was quickly being taken over by the dark blueness of pre-night.

It would be getting late eventually. The last thing Genis wanted was a concerned friend stumbling into such a scene as the one he was currently trapped in.

"As long as I keep the memory of my friends in my heart," Genis said almost breathlessly. "I think… I can get by."

"But why torture yourself?" Yggdrasill inquired, he too taking note of the sunset taking place. "Why suffer from being alone at all, when you could just as easily…" His pause was followed by a sudden flash of pure white light. Genis shielded his eyes a little too late, and found himself momentarily disoriented with light spots obscuring his vision. When he was no longer distracted from that, he gasped upon realizing that Yggdrasill had reverted back into Mithos.

"… Spend the rest of your years with me?" he finished, smiling again. "We truly would be best friends forever, Genis… I believe it would be beneficial to us both. Whether or not you'll admit it, we have a great understanding of each other."

Hearing this visibly hurt Genis. He crossed his arms, looking more indignant than ever before. "I wish I could believe you."

"You think I'm lying?"

"It crossed my mind once I figured out who you were," Genis said snidely. "Between you protecting me from your flunky's attack, and trying to coax me to your side before that… it does make sense. You wanted me to join Cruxis so you could use my magic against Lloyd and the others, didn't you?"

"You're saying I used you?"

"Damn right, that's what I'm saying!" Genis shouted, a bit louder than he intended to. "Seems you've got plenty of other friends in your Cruxis flunkies and your Grand Cardinals and whatever else you have anyway! Why else would you need some brat like me other than to utilize my magic—"

Slap!

Mithos was livid; something Genis has never seen him express before. Being smacked in the face hurt, no doubt. But Genis could only stare at Mithos wide-eyed while absently tending to the handprint on his face with his own hand.

"How dare you, how… dare… you accuse me of such a treachery," Mithos hissed. "You don't even know… you have no idea at all…"

"Then why won't you tell me!" Genis countered. "Why do you keep things like this from me? Why did you even bother in the first place! Everything we just talked about, and our promise… how could you have possibly been honest?"

"Contrary to what you believe, I don't have any friends," Mithos replied, his tone becoming more venomous by the second. "Those who follow me have degenerated into nothing but soul-less vessels to do my bidding. But you…" he paused, searching for the right words to use. "Something's different about you, Genis. I see so much of myself in you… that out of the goodness in my heart, I didn't want to see you suffer the way I had to."

"Goodness in your heart?" Genis repeated, almost sarcastically. "Are you sure that exists?"

A cold, stern look was given to Genis in return. "You're the one who said I wasn't evil. You know I've got good intentions somehow."

"Good intentions… goodness of your heart," Genis echoed to himself, almost as if he were checking to make sure he heard Mithos correctly.

"You think I'm lying again?" Mithos asked him, twitching. It rather disturbed him to see his fellow half-elf turn on him so quickly… "Do you really believe I feel nothing for you at all?"

"How can you feel!" Genis practically exploded at him. "You're an angel! Even if you weren't, it's still illogical! In the 4000 years you've been alive, how can my existence make even the tiniest impact on your life if you didn't want me to be a mindless drone like the rest of your followers?"

"None of my followers were you," Mithos reasoned, now hard-pressed to retain whatever calmness remained inside him. "If I couldn't feel, I wouldn't have the brain capacity to make such an elaborate scheme. Don't think just because I have a Cruxis Crystal means I'm going to be like how your beloved Colette was when she lost her soul."

Genis glared when Mithos spoke of their past incident so lightly. The shorter half-elf remembered all too well how much Colette had to suffer from this adventure.

"Your black magic, while impressive, means nothing to me," Mithos assured. "I don't need your help to fulfill my mission. I've gotten this far already… I'll succeed with or without you." Now he was starting to look away. "Perhaps this was a waste of my time, though. That's why I made sure to ask you if you trusted me before I did this… guess you're not such a great friend after all, are you?"

"W… what?" It was Genis's turn to be intensely angry. His expressions did not quite match Mithos's, however… it was obvious that Genis was hurting inside at this point. He could only barely hold back his tears… "Mithos, you're forcing me to make a choice… a big choice… to choose between you and Lloyd. Th-that's why you asked me that question back when we were looking for herbs when Raine got sick…"

He paused. Recalling that moment with all the new information he had in mind was making him see it from a very different perspective… it made him feel sick again.

"If you're really my friend, why are you making me choose?" Genis asked, almost desperately. "Why can't I have you both…?"

"I think we both know the answer to that," Mithos impatiently answered. "Lloyd and I have goals that clash. You can't be on two sides of a war at the same time, Genis. You're either going to be loyal to Lloyd, or loyal to me from this point on. I won't allow you to just degenerate into another lowlife who betrays everybody for their own selfish reasons, like say… Kratos or even Yuan."

"Or you," Genis pointed out. "Still, even after all these terrible things you've done… I can't just… let you go. Not after all we've been through… but I can't abandon Lloyd either!"

"It's pretty obvious who you're going to choose," Mithos spat, pointing right at Genis. "You're disgusted with my identity… you're already making wild accusations about me, just looking for an excuse not to trust me anymore… right after we promised each other! You're sickened because I'm one and the same with the guy that's given you nightmares in your sleep!"

"You think it's easy to accept it like that…?" Genis was even closer to the verge of crying. "I care for you so much, Mithos… that I'm willing to get used to the idea that you're Yggdrasill to preserve our friendship. But you have to understand… I feel… really lost and confused. You're making me choose sides that'll affect me for the rest of my life… and you're so… different from Yggdrasill. It makes me feel betrayed…"

"Betrayed, is it? Or just a disguised form of disgusted?"

"Who are you, Mithos?" Genis begged to know… "Who are you really? Where were you lying to me, and where were you telling the truth? I… I just want to know who the real you is… so I can keep on being honest with you as well…"

Somewhere within this debate, both half-elves were up on their feet. Only a small fraction of the sun remained above the horizon. Mithos walked over to Genis, in an eerily casual way, and slung his arm around Genis's neck. The younger half-elf found himself stuttering quite a bit, but otherwise did nothing to stop Mithos from getting so close to him. Even if he wanted to run, his feet almost felt planted right into the ground…

Mithos hung his head close to Genis's, whispering into his ear. "Can you not find out for yourself…?"

Genis bowed his head, finding the grass below him particularly interesting at the moment. Deep down, this made him feel even worse… somehow, he still felt fluttery inside when Mithos got this close to him, touching him in specific ways… even after knowing the cold, hard truth of his identity, and his intentions…

Perhaps there was another hard fact for Genis Sage to face: unconditional love. The only thing capable of forcing one to love another, even if they had just drowned an entire box of kittens.

"I… I just don't want to make another wild assumption of you," Genis mumbled. Mithos nodded, apparently still able to understand him. "You're right on one thing; I don't need to prattle on and on when I barely know the whole story…"

"I'll help you," Mithos offered, his tone suddenly sounding more like the one Genis knew him for; kind and reassuring. And before Genis could even mentally think of a reply, he was caught off-guard once more, as Mithos dove in and engulfed his mouth into another kiss.

It wasn't nearly as magical the second time around… though Genis didn't expect it to be, especially with his current situation still in mind. Nevertheless, Genis would be lying to say he didn't enjoy it, and after a little mild hesitation, fell gently into Mithos's grip. Though his lack of experience was apparent to Mithos, it pleased him to see Genis still consenting to his kiss… and even his attempts to kiss back were appreciated.

Mithos made sure to end it appropriately. As fun as kissing appeared to be, this was a time for anything but fun. He stared intently into Genis's eyes, as if to mentally ask him if he was able to find the truth out from this.

Genis was about to utter an answer, but was cut off by another soft flash of light. As it dissipated, the young half-elf drew in a breath as he noticed he was now being embraced by the much taller Yggdrasill. He took a moment to gaze at him, knowing that this was apparently Mithos's test to him. The test determining exactly how much unconditional love was held between the two half-elves.

The not-so-fond memories of Yggdrasill's behavior in the past danced in Genis's head, and the logical department had long since been silenced. Even it could not comprehend the actions Genis had either made or allowed Mithos to do to him. Now the matters of right and wrong were being determined by how he directly felt, and not how he directly thought. It was, no doubt, a very new experience for him.

The treasured memories he held with Mithos, however, held an overpowering sensation in Genis's heart. Never once would he have expected that anyone like Mithos would ever come in to grace his life in the way he had. In such a short amount of time, Genis already couldn't bear to imagine his life without Mithos. Suddenly being so close to the borderline of such a thing happening was painful… these new emotions he was feeling for Mithos had taken him completely by surprise as well. He had always been fond of the blonde half-elf, but it wasn't until today that he realized his feelings may have evolved further than he imagined they would.

Even Presea wasn't on his mind this much. And after the shock had passed… Genis realized that he was embracing Yggdrasill as tight as his tiny arms would allow. Even the height difference didn't prove to be a distraction… Genis nuzzled his face as deep as he could into Yggdrasill's lower chest area. He felt cold, distant… almost as hard as a rock.

Just like Mithos.

Genis looked up to face the one he considered his best friend. The upsurge of his emotions, Genis desperately trying to sort through them to see if he really did love Mithos for everything he really was had occupied him so much… that anything he had in mind when he first took Mithos outside had long since faded into the back of his mind, not planning to interrupt his train of thought anytime soon.

Seeing a smile on Yggdrasill's face brought out a very broad one on Genis. He stared at him knowingly, finally knowing what to say to him.

"You are Mithos… and nothing else matters."

"I feel nothing but a great love for you, Genis," Yggdrasill stated, bending down to get closer to Genis's face. Genis closed his eyes and smiled, knowing what to expect.

"It almost makes me wish that I could trust you."

Genis's eyes couldn't even snap open in time before he suddenly lost the ability to breathe… to think… to hear… or even to see. After mere seconds of struggling the useless struggle, his strength had diminished and he lost his consciousness.

The sun had long since set, and the remainder of the evening sky soon faded to a complete cover of midnight blue, decorated by delicate sparkles of the stars. Naturally, Raine was displeased that everyone had so thoughtlessly let Genis and Mithos outside at such a time while she was monitoring Colette's status.

The remainder of the group was already turning in for the night, and Raine herself was about to step out the door to call the boys in when all of a sudden the front door opened before she even touched it. She stepped back in mild shock, but became relieved when she saw Mithos standing at the entrance, looking about as surprised as she was. Her concern arose once more when she saw that Genis wasn't even awake, and was being supported entirely by Mithos.

"Mithos," she breathed out, covering her mouth. "Where have you two been? Why is Genis…?"

Mithos looked down to his friend, who was fast asleep and let out a chuckle. "Funniest thing, we were just watching the sunset together and talking. We kind of stopped after a while, and then I noticed that both of us had fallen asleep. I guess it's been a long day."

Raine, still looking mildly curious, nodded. "He's been more stressed out than usual, but he wouldn't divulge much about the reasons. I had a feeling it was more than Colette's health this time…"

"He seemed to cheer up a bit after talking with me," Mithos assured, shifting his position a bit so as not to drop his friend. "Just have faith in him. He'll get past whatever's bothering him… he's stronger than you think."

"Genis is lucky to have a friend like you," Raine said with a smile. "Good as your intentions were, though, I'd like it if you two didn't pull a stunt like this again. I was getting rather worried."

"I'm sorry," Mithos apologized, bowing his head slightly. "It won't happen again…" he looked around to see nearly all the lights in the house off, and now only he, Raine, and Genis remained in the main room. "Is everyone else asleep already?"

"Yes, after all, it wasn't only Genis who had a rough day," Raine explained, ushering Mithos and Genis inside and closing the front door behind them. "I suggest you both get to bed as well; you look about ready for it anyway. I'll be in shortly."

"Thanks, Raine," Mithos waved to Raine as he slowly (and carefully) walked Genis to the bedroom, where he made sure to gently tuck his small friend into the sheets. He turned briefly to the other corridors in the bedroom, seeing that everyone else was already well into dreamland.

The half-elf smirked, pulling out a lightly-stained handkerchief out of his shirt. Doused in a strong but non-lethal sedative, Mithos had found it in the form of nectar during one of his exploring routines just outside of Altessa's yard. He didn't know it at the time, but he couldn't help but feel it would prove to be useful someday. And tonight, it had saved Mithos's cover from potentially being blown.

He let out a small huff of satisfaction as he discarded the evidence out the nearest window, and watched the gentle winds carry the piece of cloth beyond where Mithos could see, especially in the dark of night.

His work accomplished, he slipped out of his shoes and climbed into bed with Genis. This hadn't been the first time they shared a bed… in fact, they've shared beds so often by now that it came as a surprise to nobody. Knowing this night could very well be the last, though, Mithos draped his arms over Genis's sleeping figure, and held close to him as Mithos's own eyes slowly closed on their own. He was sure to make every final moment count.

Much later on that night, Mithos's eyes squinted open as he heard a very light pitter-patter of feet across the old wooden floor. With the help of the moonlight shining through the window, Mithos spotted the dark figure of Colette walking away from her bed and looking out the window. She did not remain that way for long, and, making sure not to wake anyone else, she rushed out of the room as quickly and quietly as she could.

As soon as she was no longer present in the room, Mithos arose to analyze the rest of the bedroom. Oddly enough, it seemed that everyone was consumed in an extremely deep sleep. But Mithos paused when he noticed that Lloyd's bed was empty.

He glanced out the window and saw quite the scene: Kratos held by a pair of Renegades. Lloyd and Yuan facing him, but Lloyd also being held captive by a couple of Renegades and Yuan in a position to kill the helpless idealist. As soon as all that sank in, Mithos saw the front door open from the outside and Colette came rushing in, to the rescue, presumably.

Somehow, Mithos felt this was a good time as any to make an impact on the situation. Before he made his way out of the bedroom, he gave one last look at Genis from across the room. He too was in a deep sleep, just like the others. Mithos was confident that Genis would wake up either not remembering the events that had happened earlier in the night, or imagining them as part of a very mixed-up dream of his. At first, Mithos smiled at the sight… but all too quickly it turned into a very hateful glare.

'This is all Lloyd's fault,' this thought ran through Mithos's mind like crazy. 'If it weren't for him, I would have Genis wrapped faithfully around my finger… but because of him…'

Mithos was infuriated. 'Because of him, I can't trust the only friend I have.'

He looked back to the window, and though his goals and aspirations remained the same all throughout this time, Mithos almost felt as if he had a renewed sense of purpose. Now it was for more than just his sister, Martel. Now there was another that he had lost.

'Lloyd Irving… I'll make sure you pay for this with your own miserable life.'

With that, Mithos stepped out just behind the front door to hear what he considered a 'corny' speech from the one he so despised. As he stepped out of the door, Mithos once again shuddered, once again re-entering his life as a lone misunderstood half-elf in the two worlds.

It seemed to hurt more than he remembered, now.