Greetings. This is just a short piece I wrote to explore Yuan's character a little more... If that makes any sense? I used a prompt from a list I found on deviantART, but although it starts off like that is just sort of... Deviates halfway through XD

I realised that my spacing between paragraphs fails on . I may be doing some editing of previous stories at some point, so anyone who added them to alert, don't be surprised if you get a sudden flood XD

This is for all my reviewers on Symphony who love him as much as I do ^^ He doesn't get enough love in Symphony if you ask me...

YuanxMartel

Disclaimer: Do not own, make no money, wish I did on both counts... But at least I can write about them.

Falling Hail

(#31 – Write about a good thing gone bad)

[She was still beautiful]

Yuan hummed a soft tune to himself as his fingers tapped on the keys, showing outwardly none of the frustration he felt inwardly. Most of all, he should not have to sneak around Derris-Kharlan like some common thief or hacker. But in a lesser, but no less irritating manner, he should not being having trouble doing said hacking. Really, where had his skills gone? It wasn't like he'd just abandoned computers, in fact he used them a lot in Tethe-

He broke off his mental rant as the computer made a noise that registered as positive. So it had finally found the data he wanted, had it? Making a slight noise of irritation, he tapped a few more keys and copied it to a disk, before swiftly erasing any memory of him ever being there.

He was in Derris-Kharlan for a reason, however, besides Yggdrasill wanting to keep an eye on him. He smiled sadly to himself as he paced the corridors and reached a teleporter.

"Sir!" The angel on duty greeted with a salute, which Yuan waved away without a word. He neither wanted nor needed their obedience whilst Yggdrasill was their master.

The teleporter took him straight to the chamber where the Great Seed was housed, authorisation for such a journey coded for in something unrepeatable – his blood and mana. As he looked up at the crystallised form of his former fiancée, he couldn't help but wonder when he had become such a masochist.

"…Martel…" He whispered, walking up and placing one hand on the machine in which so many Chosen had died. Yggdrasill would kill him if he touched the Seed itself. "…Martel, I'm so sorry…" He closed his eyes, bowing his head. Even after all these years, he still carried the guilt, a heavy weight on his shoulders, for her death and what had become of her brother. The boy who had shaped Derris-Kharlan into what it now was. "But Martel, I…" He cleared his throat slightly. "I'm trying, I really am. You'll see. This time… I… I promise, I…" He shook his head slightly. Talking to a corpse, what next! He should be arrested and flung in jail. He deserved to die a lot more than many of the mortal people on the worlds below.

And yet, he was coward enough to keep living.

"Yuan," Kratos greeted him softly when they passed. Yuan paused, the corridor carrying echoes of his footsteps long after they had ceased.

"Leaving?" He asked, noting the sword at his side and the unusual garb, more like his time in Sylvarant than his normal Cruxis wear.

"To accompany the new Chosen of Sylvarant," he confirmed, and Yuan cursed softly under his breath.

"You should kill her now, rather than wait until she gets here," he hissed. "Save us the trouble of keeping up this fool charade for a pipe dream that must not become reality!" Kratos' expression remained fixed, as hard as stone.

"Do not let Yggdrasill catch you saying that," was the only advice he gave, before walking off himself. Yuan continued on to the teleporter, accompanied now only by a constant stream of low curses and his own lonely footsteps.

Yuan stood at the entrance to Hima, torn. How had it managed to come to this? Was it truly a choice between killing his best friend for the good of the world, or letting him live to cause its demise? What had Yggdrasill done to them all… And why had they let him become the monster that did it?

With a sigh, he glanced down at the ring on his finger, the letters by now worn and faded. It was then, when she had died, that they had made their mistakes… If only there had been some other way…

"Hey there," a soft voice whispered, startling him out of his sleep.

"Ah! Martel, don't do that," he complained, sitting up and rubbing the back of his head absently. "It's not my watch now, you know." She smiled slightly and sat by him, a glimmer of moonlight reflecting off her Crystal.

"I know. Kratos is on the other side of camp," she replied. "But I… I wanted to talk to you. About something important."

"Yeah?" He replied, stretching out. "I'm listening." She laughed softly and looked at the floor.

"It's just, I… Oh, I'm such a coward…" She murmured, flushing slightly. Yuan smiled at her and touched her arm.

"Kratos has often said the same about me, when it comes to… Certain things," he responded, remembering the mercenary's words with chagrin. 'I can tell you like her, Yuan… Perhaps you should let her know, before you lose your chance.' As if there had ever been a chance to begin with…

Martel chuckled softly, shooting a glance over at Mithos, but her brother was still sleeping soundly.

"We've… Been travelling together for a long time now…" She murmured. "And I… I know you so well as a friend…" Yuan looked over at her, confused. "But I feel… I feel…" Yuan touched her hand softly, and she looked up at him, her honest green eyes troubled.

"You know, Martel, I…" He whispered. "From the moment I first saw you, I thought you were beautiful." She froze in shock, and Yuan wondered if he'd said the wrong thing. She really was too good for him… Too perfect…

"Yuan," she breathed, throwing her arms around him. Now it was his turn to freeze, but only for a moment, before he returned the gesture, burying his face in her long hair, breathing in her scent. She smelled of trees, of pine woods, and it was as beautiful as she herself.

"Yuan Ka'Fai, you are a truly shameless individual," Kratos had told him with a smirk the next morning.

"My Lord, are you sure you do not need further-" Botta started, but Yuan waved him away.

"The wound is minor, it is of no inconvenience to me," he responded. "Make preparations. Since I failed to stop them at Hima, we must take more direct measures."

"Sir?" Botta responded. Yuan just gave him a look. "…Yes, sir. At once," he murmured, walking off. Yuan sighed, running his fingers over the hilt of his sword. It was in its compact state at that moment, the double-bladed version being too large to carry constantly. Magitechnology was truly a wondrous thing… A brilliant, cursed thing.

"Do right by your boy, Kratos," he murmured as he stood up. "I'm trusting you to do at least that much right…"

Yuan watched the group slowly come to the conclusion that Cruxis was evil. It was so pitiful, really. Even after Kratos' betrayal and the attack on them, they still clung to the shred of hope that perhaps not everything they had believed in was lies. How did people live like that, he wondered absently. And now their world was changing… Growing…

He glanced at Botta, who was standing ready, just in case. He really didn't want to have to kill Lloyd, but Kratos had left him with no choice. Even former best friends could grow apart when faced with the lives the world had given them… Would he ever forgive him for this?

"What I need is… You, Lloyd Irving," he remarked, determination set in his voice. How many of his people had died because of Cruxis? How many innocents had perished? How many deaths had their been for him to watch, and live on, despite the blood staining his hands?

It was pure luck that the self-defence kick landed square on the wound Kratos had given him in Hima, and even luckier – for them at least – that it reopened, causing him to double over in pain.

"Lord Yuan!" Botta exclaimed as the group rushed out, to steal his Rheairds no doubt.

"Dammit, Kratos, why must you always get in my way?!" He exclaimed. Forgive me, Martel, it seems yet another attempt to end this has failed as miserably as ever…

He felt truly useless. Terrible, awful, a complete failure, as he scrablled around in the dirt.

"It has to be somewhere, damn it all!" He cursed softly. The one thing he had left of Martel, and the worlds wanted to take that away from him, too? Was he fated to lose everything? What had he done wrong?!

"Looking for something?" An irksomely familiar voice cut into his thoughts, and he gritted his teeth and stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes imperiously.

"No," he snapped. He did not need Lloyd's sympathy or – he shuddered at the thought – help. The boy was worse than his father for interfering…

"Martel…" He started, wondering how long it would take Yggdrasill to find him and drag him into some little room for a thorough interrogation session. "I… I'm sorry…" He hung his head, holding back the tears. He would not cry! He would not show weakness here, of all places, damn it all! "I don't know how… But I…" A single tear wound its way down his cheek. What did it all mean? This pathetic, hollow shell that he had become, still mourning the love of someone long dead, yet still yearning to kill her? What did she want? What did the worlds need?

He didn't understand anything any more…

"Ah, Yuan. What a pleasant surprise," an unamused voice cut across his thoughts.

"Mithos," he murmured, straightening and turning, wiping the rebellious tear away with the back of one hand before the teen saw.

"Lord Yggdrasill," the youth corrected. "And you owe me some answers, Seraph…"

"M-Martel?" He asked, flushing slightly at the stammer he had been unable to repress. She turned; a smile on her face especially for him. It warmed his heart to see her face.

"Yes, Yuan?" She asked, walking over and kissing him on the cheek. They embraced briefly.

"I… That is… Um… Can I, uh… Speak to you for a moment?" He asked, mentally cursing himself for his stumbling speech. Get it together, Yuan! He scolded himself. It's just a little question, just ask her and get it over with… His fingers traced the pattern on the top of the little box he had in his pocket. It had taken a lot of effort – and co-operation on the part of Kratos – to hide it from her. He had wanted a surprise, and, also, as much as he was ashamed to admit it to himself… He was afraid of her answer.

They walked to the lake, where they sat. It seemed like a lifetime ago that they had seen the Unicorn… He had taught himself Resurrection to help her…

"Well?" She asked, still smiling at him. "I'm not that scary, oh knight in shining armour." Yuan choked at that and flushed.

"My barely adequate armour hardly shines," he replied with a slight smile. "I… Yes, I have… I have a question for you," he mumbled. She waiting, looking at him expectantly, frowning slightly as he went down on one knee. "Martel… Will you marry me?" He asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Y-Yuan?" She stammered, and he closed his eyes. She was going to say no… He couldn't bear to lose her… "Oh, Yuan, I…" Dimly he felt the weight of the box being lifted from his hands, then she almost tackled him with a hug. "Oh, Yuan, of course I will!" She whispered in his ear, and he hugged her back tightly, almost unwilling to ever let go.

He could hardly believe the humiliation as he almost snatched the ring from Lloyd's hands. How had he found it?

"Where…" He managed, turning the ring over in his hands. Oh, and for so long he had thought it as lost as his love…

"In Hima, after you attacked Kratos," Lloyd told him quietly. "Noishe found it."

"Noishe…" Yuan repeated with a weak laugh. "Little pest always did know what was best for me…" The Arshis in question let out a meek whine and dropped his head, and Yuan walked over and rubbed his head. "It's been a while, hasn't it, hmm?" He murmured. "Do you miss her, too?" Noishe whined, and Lloyd looked on with a slight smile.

"You were married to Martel?" Colette asked. Yuan closed his eyes and shook his head.

"…Engaged," he replied. "It's an engagement ring." He turned back to look at them, pain in his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hide it. For some reason, it was so much harder than normal. "We were never married… She was… Killed… Before we could be…" He closed his eyes. He would not cry in front of them! "This is all I have left of her. And… Thank you for returning it to me. I must be going."

"No problem, Yuan," Lloyd replied, although Yuan was walking so fast it was barely audible. Only once he was back in his room at the base did he lose his battle with the tears, and he leant against the wall and cried, empty and hollow and alone.

He walked up to the tree, almost unable to believe the evidence of his own eyes. He had done it… That insufferable boy had actually achieved what he had failed for centuries. How very pathetic of him to be walking now among the rubble, apart from it all as always…

"How could you leave him, Kratos?" He murmured to the sky. "He was your son… You fool… You utter fool…"

"…Yuan…" The voice was a mere whisper on the wind, but it sent shivers down his spine, as her voice had always done.

"…Martel?" He whispered, his heart skipping a beat, turning to see the spirit of the tree. So alike… So very alike…

"Her spirit is within me," the spirit-Martel responded with a warm smile. "She remembers you, Yuan. She watched you… It hurt her to see you hurt."

"Martel," he repeated breathily, reaching a hand out as if to touch her before pulling away. How could he…?

"Do not be afraid," the spirit told him gently. "You too have a task to do in this new world… In recognition of your endless attempts to right what was wrong."

"A task?" He repeated, aware that his voice sounded hoarse, strangled even. She was so close… One of many, but the spirit had taken on her form… Somewhere, somewhere there was his Martel… The only woman he had ever loved…

"If you will accept it," the spirit replied with a smile. "A tree so young will need a guardian… Someone who will remain on this world for as long as a protector is needed… The only one now who can fill this role is you."

"You want me to keep living?" He murmured. "For years more? After all of this?" The spirit inclined her head.

"Yuan…" She murmured, then took a step forward and embraced him, almost as a parent would embrace a lost child. Dazed, he slowly returned it, closing his eyes and leaning into her shoulder.

"Yes…" He whispered. "I will. I will protect you with my life and soul." She smiled and released him.

"Although I am many, I am become her," she told him softly, her eyes full of the love Martel had once regarded him with. "And her love for you beats in her more strongly than anything I have ever felt. I am Martel… And I will never forget you." Yuan fell to his knees, weak.

"My heart… My soul… My life…" He murmured. "You already have them all… Martel. They were always yours."

~Fin

A/N - Yes, I know it's supposed to be Ka-Fai, but I dislike hypenated names, ok? I was surprised to find that he even had a last name... And it screwed up a plot idea for Symphony, too! (one which I will still be using, canon be damned!) Kudos to Wikipedia for telling me secrets without me having to actually play ToS2 (I don't intend to play it, either, I heard an example of the VAing and the only one who didn't seem to be full of suck was Emil. That said, I didn't hear Richter. But ALICE! Gah! That hurt my ears.)

PS - Yuuuuaaaaan :D:D:D