Newfound Love

Chapter Twenty-Five: Goodbye...

The girl who this is dedicated to is amazing! She wrote a story based on her life called "Why My Hair Is Pink," give and it a read and I promise you won't regret it. Her name is also Aria, and I named a character after her:) You are such a strong person Aria and I wish you nothing but the best in life <3 

Disclaimer! :D I'm doing it quick today:

Me no own ToS. Namco does.

Btw, like my border? Took me a while

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Presea stood in the warmth of Genis' arms, the usual feeling of his comfort seeping into her skin gone. She could not control her tears, as much as she hated it. Gulping around the lump in her throat, she attempted to talk to Genis.

"Genis...I'm sorry. This is my fault," she apologized, squeezing onto him tighter without regard for her own strength. Lucky for Genis, it wasn't anything bone-breaking. Presea gasped as she felt something lightly touch her hair, shifting the pink strands ever so slightly from side to side before sliding down to rub her back. The edge of the increasing panic slowed a bit as the soothing touch danced its way across her back. The ax-girl tilted her head up to look into Genis' cerulean eyes. He tried to smile, but it came out a little forced. It was obvious he felt the same fear she did. The fear of the solution was the biggest for Presea. If the problem was something unheard of, then the solution couldn't be very good just because it would be partly guessing. All of a sudden, the steel door opened loudly. A young woman with auburn hair and hazel eyes burst in, a shocked look on her face.

"Presea?! Why are you back here?"

Even hanging onto Genis, Presea caught a glimpse of the woman and immediately pushed back to get a better look. It was...her. One of the people that had helped Kate to experiment on her. One of the people that had assisted in almost killing her. One of the people that had cursed her with a feeble attempt at a cruxis crystal. One of those people.

"A-Aria? Why are you here? S-stay away from me!" Presea faltered, scared for herself. Acting like a child, she ran across the room and stood with her back to them, much like she had when she encountered Kate. Faintly she could hear Genis and Aria's voices.

"How does she know you?" Genis probed, unaware of the consequence of asking that question. The consequence of finding out something you didn't want to know. Aria hung her head, stray locks falling into her face.

"I was one of the people that helped experiment on Presea with Kate," she mumbled. Presea cringed, wondering how Genis would react. Just hearing Aria say that made her want to be sick. Memories flashed back at her, of countless days of a demented cycle. You'd come in, lay down, and they'd poke, prod, and stab you in any which way, trying to figure out the most efficient way to equip her with this...this thing that she had thought would allow her to save her daddy. Instead it had bought not only her father's death,  but her sister's as well. Her body had been abused then...and the day they finally got the crystal on her was even worse. That was the day she had felt herself slipping away from within. Genis' voice broke her thoughts, like a mirror being smashed. His single question made her heart throb.

"Do you know what you did to her?"

Aria's voice was very confident, but it was beginning to lose that strength little by little.

"Yes."

"Why did you do it?"

"They made us. It was that or die. That's the rule about half elves: Do the research or die."

Aria held much regret in her voice; She had hated herself for doing that to poor Presea. The girl had lost so much, but she couldn't have avoided it.