Piers: Why?

Because there wasn't any hard proof to support Fayt and Maria being siblings aside from her being adopted, and their being the only two blue-haired characters in the game.

It Hurts…

It hurts… it really does, the pain is welling up inside of me to the point where I just want to scream from it. It's as though there's some great beast behind me, its talons ripping through my flesh as though I'm nothing. Flames threading through me from the inside; scoring my innards as I can't do anything to make it stop, but even with the heat there's still the chilling sense of cold fingers gripping my heart to the point where it just shouldn't continue.

I could scream, and I could cry… both at the very same time. I have to bite through my bottom lip to keep back the sounds which could give me away. The copper seeping into my mouth not registering anymore than the cold night air around me, the shadows blanketing me from sight as I dig my nails into the brick wall of the building I'm crouched against.

The silver moon which hangs full in the dark, starless sky, blurs as hot tears form and spill down my cheeks, the pristine glow reflecting ethereally off of his cobalt hair. His shadowed back to me as he stands there in the street of this reeking, filthy underdeveloped town on this backwater planet in the middle of some system no body even knows about… I'm so angry, and so upset as I remain here hidden, his gloved right hand lifting up too gently wipe her silver tears away instead of mine. I watch him shake his head to her, only the low murmur of his voice reaching me as the words are meant for just her ears and those of the night.

No! This isn't fair! It isn't right! For years we've stood strongly for one another, always there for comfort, and support! Why is this happening now? I… I always thought that… No… I shouldn't think thoughts like those… It's wrong, wrong for me to feel that way, it doesn't ease the pain at all… Being angry…

But, when I look back up from where my eyes fell to the dusty ground, my blue tights visible where I'm kneeling at the corner behind the barrel, those thoughts just come right back. My gaze travels down from where the silver light reflects a halo over his hair, down to the dark shoulder guard he wears under and around his white shirt. He stands there with his back to me, facing her tall and strong. My friend who should be more not even knowing I'm here as his gloved hand remains on the side of her face gently, her tears having stopped under his caress. Her eyes are angled up in a way that I know they're locked with his sapphire gaze, tears that haven't fallen, and won't as long as he stands there with her, shinning in the pale light.

Hot pain shoots down through my chest, as though he lifted his own sword to run me through mercilessly. Years of companionship forgotten as her gloved fingers come down on the bare part of his left arm, just below his partly covered shoulder. The black material which comes only to her knuckles looks as though it's a portion of the shadows, the skin appearing as claws like she's some hideous monster trying to take him from me.

He isn't some great ogre of a man; that was something he would come to me for support with. Fayt isn't a huge person; his arms not tree trunks like the older swordsman, Andry, or the Klausian man, Cliff. But that doesn't mean for a moment that I know he isn't strong, more powerful even than either of the fore mentioned warriors. His strength comes from within, a burning passion which rallies people to him, a born leader who his as kind as he is determined.

The tears in my eyes well up surprisingly high this time before they fall, the time between more than enough for another scream of pain to try clawing its way up my throat. Just barely am I able to keep the sound back, not knowing why I don't cry out and stop them as the arm she's touching is now wrapped around her back gently. They're standing so close to one another, the pain running through me reaching new levels as he still has his free hand against her face, his half covered fingers moving slightly to tuck a few strands of her long hair behind one ear.

His bangs hide his eyes from me as Fayt shakes his head again at her; she looks so much calmer now since he chased her outside. She had come outdoors and I'd only followed because I had been awake anyways, but now I don't know if I made the right choice or not…

One last time he shakes his head, his voice now far to quiet for the night to dare surrender even the sound of his words to me. She steps in closer to him, his fingers moving gently under her chin to tilt her face up towards him. It's like a train accident; it's so horrible that you want to stop watching, but at the same time you neither can nor completely want to look away. That's exactly what it's like, my only savior being the tears that blind me once again as my mind can see his face dipping down ever so slightly towards hers.

When I blink them away, I still can't see anything, not for a moment or two as I still know that what my mind says is the truth. I've seen the motion countless times, in holograms, movies, fictional romances, my own dreams I have almost every night the time I was sure I'd be the one in his arms. It isn't a true surprise for me as my vision clears once more, my eyes peeling away the inky shadows and moving past the moon's glare. Her black sleeves cover her arms as they're snaked around his neck, both of his wrapped around her tenderly as her eyes at least are closed.

The hot stab through my chest is still there of course, and as his lips move across hers gently I feel that blade moving as well. It carves me as though I were a dead animal; working its way through my ribcage at the point the bones fuse together, gutting me like a fish. Hot tears don't well up anymore, just forming and cascading down my cheeks like her midnight hair does down her back, the ends of his fingers moving through those moonlit strands.

That should be me… It isn't fair, she shouldn't be in his arms; it should be me! Me! I'm the one who he should hold close to him like that! I'm the one who he's supposed to kiss lovingly when I cry! Not, her! It's not fair!

I don't know how long they're going to stay like that, the white flowing end of her jacket ruffling slightly each time she moves in his embrace. And I don't want to find out. Tears never stilling as the pain in both my lip and heart become more real to me, I make my way as silently as I can back towards the inn. I have to hold onto the small rail just outside the door as it's difficult to keep my steps silent on the cobbles. I slip indoors almost silently but for the bell; everyone else is asleep though, and it can't be heard outside.

I keep myself quiet as I half stumble down the hall towards my room, closing the door quietly before throwing myself roughly onto the bed. The hotel in this trading town is large enough that I don't have to share a room with anyone. It's something I'm thankful for as I fist my hands into the rough, irritating fibers of the quilt. I tear at the bedding as I finally scream, ramming fistfuls of the natural cloth into my mouth to stifle the sounds as I just keep going. My tears not sinking through the wool as the cloth just repels it, the filthy stench of unwashed animals coupling with my wet face on the scratchy fibers just adding to my pain.

Slowly, my screams give way to sobbing, my body shuddering noticeably as I grab the somewhat smoother material of the pillow and bury my face into that instead. Sitting up on the corner of the bed, I curl up on the quilt my back against two walls as I bring my knees up to my chest. It just hurts too much… My eyes closed as I cry only to have images of the boy I grew up thinking I'd marry holding some woman he just met a few weeks ago in his arms.

Yes, some woman! Some anti-federation woman too! She's a criminal to our government, the leader of some rouge group of advanced sentinels! She's bossy, and irritable, and she can't cook either! Why is she the one he's out their holding right now? What does she have that I don't? A gun? Oh wow! That's the most original weapon in this day and age, a gun! Why is Fayt kissing her instead of me, because he feels some kind of bond with her? What about our bond? What about all those years of friendship and support? What about… what about… everything…

What about me…?

It hurts… It hurts so much… The pain running rampant through me as I can only cry… Only cry and know that it's just going to keep hurting… and hurting…

It hurts…