A change of heart

The whole group turned to the shadow-covered passage. A figure was slowly emerging through measured and difficult steps. Michael stepped into the light of the fire. Veretta's eyes widened in shock. At first, she thought it might be another apparition. However, to her surprise, the entire group was staring up in disbelief.

Suddenly, Michael fell straight forward and hit the ground. Veretta flew up and ran to his side.

"He's really here!" She remarked astonished, "how can this be?"

"He must have escaped," Tomas dashed to her side, "his injuries look bad," he observed.

"We should heal him," Veretta rose her hands.

"Wait," Ace said standing over them with dark eyes, "escape? No one escapes from Silthus,"

"Well, he obviously did," Veretta snapped.

She threw out her hand and was joined by Tomas in healing Michael. Ace watched them quietly without saying anything. An hour or more passed before Michael showed any sign of waking. The fire was still burning brightly and the shadows danced across the painted cave tale like figures in reincarnated battle. Michael's golden eyes fluttered open and were caught for a moment in their trance. As though some long-forgotten memory was playing out.

"Michael," Veretta said slowly, "can you hear me?"

Michael's eyes came down slowly as he surveyed the rest of the dark cave. He gave a weak nod.

"How do you feel?" Veretta asked quietly.

"I feel...better," Michael answered in a low voice.

"Good," Ace marched over, "then you can answer some questions,"

"Can't you see he's barely recovered?!" Veretta argued.

"He will be fine, won't you Michael?" Ace dismissed.

Michael's sharp snakish eyes glared at him, "Seems you were you hoping I had died?"

"On the contrary," Ace answered, "I'm glad you're alive, Michael. I just need you to answer some questions,"

"By all means," Michael pulled himself up with difficulty.

"Then how did you escape?" Ace asked flat out.

"I don't know," Michael retorted with irritation, "one minute I was lying in bed, the next I'm in darkness. I started walking then I blacked out. Our separation hasn't exactly been easy on me,"

"Yes, I can see that," Ace stared down with a blank expression, "well, this changes nothing,"

"What do you mean?" Michael retorted, "I thought the whole point of you coming here was to save me?"

Ace turned an eye back to the group, "leave us for a moment," he said quietly.

They reluctantly stepped out of the cave. By her curious nature, Veretta at once began an inspection of the carvings outside. She held up her lantern and was crouched a distance away leaving only Tomas and Yona.

"Are you still not talking to me?" Tomas glanced at her.

Yona was staring up at the stars, "I can't see the ruby star," she said as though to herself.

"It's there," Tomas directed her to the west sky. The dimly red ruby glow was enmeshed in a field of brilliantly bright stars. Yona turned her eyes towards it but remained silent. After a long pause and exacerbated fidgeting on Tomas' part, he turned to her ardently.

"Okay, you don't have to say anything. Just listen," he enthused, "so today when I crossed the canyon, do you know what the first thought I had was when I reached the other side?"

Yona looked back at him slowly.

"I mean it was a thrill, you know to be that high and I was scared. But when I reached the otherside I felt l don't know..I felt great. I felt happy. But I would have been even happier if you were there at that moment with me - that's what I thought to myself. I imagined not just today, but all the things we've shared. All the things we could share and...I felt excited," Tomas paused as if hesitant to go on. He shifted anxiously, "Oh, i'm not saying it right. What I'm trying to say is...Gods! I don't know what i'm trying to say,"

Yona remained silent simply watching him.

In turn, Tomas ended the exposition by burying his face in his hands in embarrassment, "forget I said anything," he said in a murmured voice.

He quickly took off back into the cave and hid under the retreat of darkness.

Further inside Ace was standing a short distance from Michael looking down with a cold expression. For a while there was silence, then he finally said:

"You stay here and recover, I will head onto the castle tomorrow," he announced then turned back to the fire indifferently.

"That's a hell of a greeting," Michael glared, "I guess the witch was right. You never had any intention of rescuing me. This was just a conflated attempt to get your hands on the scroll because Clover got offed by the demon god?"

Ace turned back sharply, "watch your mouth," he warned severely.

"Serves them right," Michael grinned unrepentantly, "you think I would suddenly forgive Clover because they fixed the problem they caused! Or did you forget about that part?!"

"The war was not Clover's fault!" Ace snapped.

"Funny, when I saw them riding the damn demon horde riding towards us that's exactly what it looked like to me!" Michael shook with rage.

"When will you stop blaming Clover for everything?" Ace drew in a breath angrily, "it's been three hundred years, are you planning to start the war anew?"

"You can talk!" Michael exclaimed, "bringing an army here? What were you thinking?"

"I thought I was going to save my master and the love of my life. What's so wrong about that?" Ace returned with thinly disguised irritation.

"You can't defeat Silthus and you know it!" Michael pushed Ace back with a burst of invigorating fury, "You're just a demon. He's a holy magic-user. Maybe you just want to get yourself killed to go and join Clover?"

Ace's eyes flickered with a red glow, "Be quiet. You know nothing," he said through gritted teeth.

"I know you're the same lovesick fool you always were!" Michael roared, "Do you remember nothing I taught you or are you just willfully being ignorant to the obvious?"

"Michael," Ace said in a low voice, "I know it's hard for you to understand. But I am not a child. I know the consequences of my actions. This war, as you put it, has been long in the making. I have been planning this long before you were revived. I just had to wait for certain things to come into place. Your capture wasn't what I had planned but it had given me a legitimate means to confront Silthus. The men who follow me know that my master has been captured by Silthus. They serve me, not him. So, I'm only going to tell you this once. Back down. You've been weakened by our separation. You need to rest. Just stay out out my way and we'll all get what we want,"

Michael shook his head incredulously. He glanced down bitterly as his trembling hand and his contemptful glare abated. He let out a scoff and went to the opposite corner of the cave. He threw himself down as what remained of his strength seemed to leave him.

"Why fight Silthus?" he said quietly after a long pause.

Ace let out a sigh and took a seat back by the fire, "because he's evil, Michael,"

"I thought you didn't believe in evil," Michael's brow furrowed.

"I've...had a change of heart since the past," Ace said solemnly, "I grew up in the demon world so I thought I knew the meaning of evil. I was wrong,"

"You really managed to kill the demon god then?" Michael surmised.

"Yes," Ace replied mournfully, "and after facing such darkness that is how I know that Silthus can't just be left alone,"

"Then why did you help him conquer half the continent?" Michael's eyes narrowed.

"How was I supposed to stop him?" Ace let out a bitter laugh, "As you said, I'm just a demon. You were all dead. I did what I could. I thought if I can't kill him then I can at least make things better. I could make it so the people don't starve and die like in the last war,"

"And when Silthus figured out what you were doing?" Michael questioned.

" I thought if I could revive Clover, then they could kill Silthus," Ace confessed.

"But how would you have gotten the scroll without me?" Michael stared at him suspiciously, "Silthus would have killed you,"

"Then he would have killed me," Ace said flatly, "I've lived far too long anyway. I would see Clover one last time and then things would be fixed,"

"So that was your plan? You really trust Clover so much?" Michael's face twinged with renewed rage.

"Clover could always see things for as they were," Ace said quietly, "They would have known what to do,"

Michael shook his head, "You're wrong. I refuse to believe that Clover is some kind of hero. Clover who killed my friends and my old man. I refuse to believe it,"

"Just because Clover saved us, doesn't undo what they did. I know that," Ace replied seriously, "but if Silthus manages to open that scroll first, Michael...he will be far worse than the demon god ever was...trust me on that,"

"After being in captivity with him, I can agree on that much," Michael admitted, "but if he has the scroll, why doesn't he just open it?"

"He can't," Ace returned reticently.

"Why not?" Michael questioned.

Ace's black eyes went to Michael, "I think it's better that you don't know the answer to that,"

Michael gave a crooked smile, "I see. So you're planning to abandon me to these children while you go up there and do the heavy lifting?"

"I'm hardly abandoning you," Ace scoffed, "Look at yourself. You can barely move. How you made it down the mountain is beyond me,"

"Maybe Silthus figured out your plan and dumped me out of the castle," Michael shrugged.

"How convenient that would be," Ace returned drily, "whatever the reason for your miraculous escape, it doesn't change anything. You can't fight, so just stay here and recover. My men will escort you down when this is all over,"

"Give me a day and I will recover," Michael protested gravely.

"For what purpose?" Ace stared at him with an unreadable expression, "You still hate Clover. You've obviously figured out that I am going there to set them free. I don't know why you want to go. Unless you mean to sabotage me?"

"I guessed your plans from the start," Michael inhaled deeply, "you are very predictable in that respect,"

"So what?" Ace sighed unimpressed.

"So I agreed to help you anyway," Michael's eyes met Ace with unusual sincerity, "don't you care why?"

"To steal power? To continue where you left off?" Ace dismissed coldly, "who can guess at your motivations?"

"That's not it!" Michael's fist balled, "I...I wanted to help you,"

"You wanted to help me?" Ace's eyebrow raised sceptically, "you want to help me raise Clover?"

"NO!" Michael retorted almost instinctively, "but I promised Bird and Albaric, for that matter, that I would look out for you,"

"You shouldn't have bothered," Ace returned icily, "I don't need you to look out for me. I've managed fine on my own for more than a century. I just need you to stop getting in my way,"

"Then...I will," Michael inhaled sharply, "I won't get in your way. I agree that Silthus is dangerous. I will help you to defeat him. I'm just asking you to trust me one more time,"

"Michael," Ace walked up to him sternly, "I trusted you before, remember? Once upon a time, you promised to leave me and Clover alone. Instead, you used that opportunity to betray all of us. For what? For your own greed. Not just me, but Bird, your own apprentice and your Albaric, your best friend. If you can't even be faithful to them, how can I expect you to help me, the child who you so colourfully have called a useless, ignorant brat?"

"I know," Michael confessed reluctantly, "I know what I did!"

"And it wasn't the first time," Ace continued in the same frigid manner, "you do nothing but betray people, right? So now that you know the truth, why should I trust you?"

"You said I could change," Michael stared down, "Or were those only words?"

"I do believe you can change," Ace sighed, "And I want you to change. You don't know how badly I wish you could change. However, people don't change overnight. A lifetime of anger cannot disappear just like that. I intended for us to have more time. More time for you to see the benefit of real life. Not one wrapped in fear and revenge,"

"Don't you think I want that too?!" Michael expelled the words forcefully, "You think I want to be like this? I don't! I hate it! I hate it, Ace. I don't want to be like this anymore. I am asking you to give me a second chance and I will prove it to you!"

For a moment, the extent of emotions took Ace by surprise. He was silent. He bit his lip. A habit Michael hadn't seen in some time.

"Please, Ace," Michael pleaded, " trust me just once more!"

Ace's jaw clenched with the depth of conflict, "I would be going against my better judgement," he said slowly, "A delay to allow you to recover will only weaken our position,"

"But my powers returned will be of benefit!" Michael returned eagerly, "besides if you doubt me, you can just command me as that girl did before!"

Ace let out a long exasperated sigh, "fine! But if you betray me this time, I swear to the gods, Michael..."

"I know," Michael smirked, "I have no doubt of your abilities, oh great wise, demon,"

Ace threw his face into his palms as if an early tide of regret had hit. He peeked up cynically.

Michael with seemingly renewed energy patted him on the back, "Have faith, useless apprentice. You know I haven't forgiven Silthus for kidnapping me. I've already been plotting an act of spectacular revenge in your absence. Aren't you the least bit curious as to what I've got in store?"

"I don't want to know," Ace replied feebly, "your plans are always..."

"Brilliant?" Michael grinned smugly, "Hilarious? Divine?"

Ace rose with a sigh, "I was going to say pure evil, but I suppose that's what we need in this instance,"