The King's Beloved

~ [Music Recommendation: "Dreamy Shards" by Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross OST) - available in Spotify or Youtube] ~ Please listen to it in loop while you read this part to experience the utmost beauty of this scene ~

Luna was shocked. She cast magic in her eyes to check what Rania just said, and there it was … Elliot's spiritual energy rapidly fading away. If not for his enormous spiritual capacity, Elliot would have been dead by now from energy depletion. But even so, if this continued, he would eventually end up dead. Realizing the graveness of the situation, Luna grabbed Ducis by the arm.

"Tell me! Quickly! What can we do to save Elliot?!" Luna shouted at the dragon.

Ducis clenched his fist and furrowed, as he shook his head in response.

Seeing this, Luna turned to the other guardians … but they, too, shook their heads.

"What's wrong with all of you?! You're guardians! Aren't you supposed to help him?" Luna was outraged. "So what if this is a test? Or whatever trial he needs to pass! Is the trial more important than his life?!" Tears trickled down on her flushed cheeks. "I can't believe you all! You're just standing there when someone needs your help!"

"It's not like what you think, Luna," Terra tried to reason with her. "This is something he MUST overcome. If not, he will be incomplete".

"I'm so sorry, Luna," Fauna apologized, holding Luna's hands, trying to calm her.

"Elliot is not just someone," Ventus broke his silence. "He is the Anointed One, chosen to be the king of Gaia. If he can't surpass a trial such as this, how will he lead the entire planet in the future? Must he always get help and rely on others to -"

"- I don't care!" Luna interrupted. "To hell with your stupid trials! What's so wrong with getting help from people you trust? Isn't that what friendship is for? To always support each other through thick and thin? If the situation is really worse that no one can solve it, then just turn to the Supreme!"

The guardians were appalled with Luna's words. Deep inside their hearts, they knew she was right. If only, things were as simple as she thought it was … but it wasn't. The trials were not just to test the heart of the Anointed. It had a far greater purpose. Thus, their hearts ached very much. Having all the powers they had as guardians, yet at the same time, powerless to take action.

"Luna," Ducis called out to her, his voice, filled with sorrow. "We want to help Elliot as much as you do but … there's more to it than that".

At these words, Luna sobbed. "But … but … sniff … Elliot".

Ducis walked towards her and embraced her, trying to calm her down. He patted her back and brushed her hair.

"Don't lose hope. Believe in Elliot. He can survive this," Ducis whispered, trying to encourage Luna … and himself. He chanted it over and over like a prayer.

While they were busy fighting and discussing amongst themselves, Rania continued to cry as she stared at Elliot's countenance, with the water cocoon separating them. Her blue eyes glowed from the magic she cast in order to observe Elliot's spiritual energy.

"Elliot …," Rania called out to him. "Do you hear me? I'm here …," she held out her hands to him, but the water cocoon remained impenetrable. "Don't give up. Whatever it is you're facing, be strong and take heart. We believe in you".

If only Elliot could hear her voice … perhaps his weary heart would be strengthened.

Unfortunately, her voice didn't reach him ...

Elliot continued to blame himself for everything …

"I was right before …," Elliot thought, as he remained on his knees to the ground. His shoulders dropped so low, and his body remained fixed on its position, not even moving the slightest. Tears continued to fall from his now, lifeless eyes. "I … I really shouldn't have been born. If I wasn't … the world would be a much peaceful place and not suffering like this. There would be no wars … no people dying … no families being separated".

"You're finally getting it," his clone said, as if he could read his mind. "And you know what else you did? Ever wonder why you can't remember anything that happened when you were young? When you were three years old, to be exact? Normal Magi children could recall their memories from 2 years and above … but why don't you remember anything?"

Hearing this, Elliot looked at him. Only his eyes moved towards his direction.

"Hah! Simple! That's because you're a coward!" the clone mocked him. "After causing the death of your parents, your feeble mind couldn't take it! So, as a defense mechanism, it just chose to forget about everything!"

As if Elliot wasn't devastated enough, he dropped another bomb to him.

Elliot's heart shattered more than it already was.

Like the ground that the warhammer striked, his heart was pulverized.

Pain engulfed his entire being ...

His soul wailed in anguish.

"M-my … parents?" were the only words his dry mouth uttered.

Parents … 

The parents he couldn't remember …

The parents he wanted to know since he was a child …

The parents he longed so much!

Deep inside his heart, he hoped for a day he would meet them ...

But it turned out … it was just wishful thinking.

Because it would never happen ...

Because they were dead …

And again, it was all because of him!

He not only caused the death of who knew how many people all around the universe already … but he also caused the death of his own parents!

Elliot's mind, heart, and soul, completely shut down.

"Yes, that's right!" the clone shouted at Elliot. "You're the reason they died!"

The clone's sinister laughter echoed throughout the whole place once more.

"Don't worry, Elliot," the clone continued, after laughing so hard. "You must be in great pain right now. Let me help you," his lips curved into an evil smirk. "Why don't you … just die? You know, to repay for all the chaos you've done. You deserve to die too, right?"

Then, the clone conjured a magic circle beneath Elliot. It glowed deep blue and began sucking the remaining spiritual energy he had.

"Let me tell you a secret …," the clone added. "Honestly, I shouldn't be telling it to you but …," shifting to whisper, he said, "this is how your parents died - from spiritual energy depletion. I'm so nice right? I'm letting you die the same way they did! Ha ha ha ha!"

With no hope left in him, Elliot just let the magic circle drain away his spiritual energy. 

In his mind, he agreed with the clone - that he should die just as he caused many others to die.

Because of this, Rania felt Elliot's spiritual energy drained faster than before. By the rate that it was going, he would completely be exhausted of all his powers within just a minute! The magic circles revolving around him glowed brighter than they were before. 

Rania panicked. She didn't know what to do.

In her distress, she called on the Supreme.

"My Lord!" Rania pleaded with all her might, in a prayer. "Please help Elliot! Please don't let him die! I beg you! Please … let me help him."

Rania knocked hard on the water cocoon as she continued praying on her heart.

Little did she know that her prayers activated her holy power.

She knocked ... and knocked … and knocked ...

Until … the water cocoon began to crack like a mirror.

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