Chapter 25 - Enma's Advice and Maaya's Words

Aedan and Iraven now made their way back to Alsirune because it was almost nightfall. They went to the inn that they were staying in and saw Maaya. She was preparing food for them to eat. She noticed the both of them the moment they enter the inn.

"Welcome back! How was training?" Maaya said

"It was okay. My idiot apprentice here was getting the hang of using his the Redeemer already." Iraven said as he smacked Aedan's head lightly. Aedan didn't say a word and just went upstairs to leave his things in his room.

"Come down from there immediately okay? Dinner's about to be served soon!" Maaya shouted at all of them.

Aedan rested first on the attic of the inn before he went down to dinner. He noticed that Kaoru was up in the attic looking out the window. She saw Aedan who just got up in the attic. She tried to start a conversation.

"Hey..." She said

Aedan didn't say a word. He just looked at her with a face that had no expression. Whenever he looked at her he always remembered his sin against her.

"I hope your okay..." Kaoru said. "So how was training? I heard from Maaya that you were with the blademaster.." she added.

Aedan still did not reply. 

"It's okay... I understand what you feel... but you know.... sometimes you just have to move on..." Kaoru said. "I never blamed you for my fate Aedan... not even once... because I know it's not your fault.. The incident that happened when we were kids... it was never your fault..." She added.

Kaoru went downstairs to have her dinner. Everyone was there except for Aedan. Maaya noticed that Kaoru had a sad look on her face. 

"Hey Kaoru what happened? What's wrong?" She asked

"Nothing. I just remembered something. Anyway Let's eat!" She said.

Maaya saw that she tried to look happy but she wasn't. She had a hunch that it was about Aedan but she did not ask anymore questions. Then they saw Aedan going downstairs hoping that he would eat dinner with them.

"Hey dinner's here. why don't you come eat? Maaya's cooking tastes good." Glyndwir said to him.

"No thanks.. I need some time alone..." Aedan said as he went out of the inn.

"Whats with him?" Iraven asked while he was eating.

"He's always like that. He never opens up to anyone." Glyndwir said. 

Aedan made his way to the plains on where he was trained by Iraven. He sat under the huge tree on where he saw Iraven before. He began to think of things such as why he was chosen as guardian and what his objectives should be as guardian of this world. He thought about the past as well, the times with Kaoru and others, without him knowing that Enma has already appeared behind him.

"Something troubling you Guardian?" He asked.

"Oh you... yes a lot of things actually mainly the past..." Aedan replied.

"Isn't it about time that you move on?" Enma asked again.

"Easier said than done.... I've done a lot of things..... A lot of sins... I do not know how to atone from them.." Aedan said. "What brought you here anyway?" he added

"I just came to bring advice young one. Head west and you'll find what you need there." Enma said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Aedan asked him

"The history of the Redeemer and the other one as well. You'll find it there." He answered him.

" Head west huh..... okay... I'll tell them as soon as I get back.." Aedan said coldly

Aedan looked far off in a distance and Enma noticed this immediately. He tried giving another advice to Aedan but he was interrupted by him. He asked this question.

"Have you ever...had a sin that you cannot atone for?" Aedan asked

"Everyone has had that Aedan. In my case, the sin that I had was not bringing down Nerzhul completely... If I had done that, I wouldn't have dragged you and Elrond in this mess.." Enma said.

"I keep on hearing that name...Elrond... Did he mess up as well?" Aedan asked.

"He died. Nerzhul was too strong at that time. He died fighting him to the death. He managed to destroy a huge portion of him but still it wasn't enough." Enma said.

"Died... No wonder she is sad." Aedan said softly to himself

"What was that?" Enma asked

"Nothing.. can I ask a last question?" Aedan said

"Ask away then" Enma replied.

"Why was I chosen? Why me? Why did they choose someone who's weak..." Aedan said. 

"You are not weak... You just hadn't realize your potential yet... You wallow too much in your sin. As guardian of this world you should know what you fight for and who do you fight for. If you begin to learn that, then you will know why this world chose you." Enma said as he vanished

Aedan began thinking about the answer that he was given. No matter how hard he thought about things, he still did not know what he was fighting for. He still wallowed too much in the sins of his past. Aedan looked in a far off distance as he was thinking. He noticed someone going nearer to him. It was Maaya.

"Hey." She said.

Aedan did not reply.

"I brought you your dinner.. you should eat, you've had a long day." Maaya said.

"Maaya... Why did you take up the task of being the maiden?" Aedan asked

"I just had to do it. I do it for peace of this world and for the people who are important to me." Maaya said with a smile.

He then realized that Maaya was fighting for everyone she cared about. She took up the task wholeheartedly for the sake of peace in Ivalice.

"Hey.." Aedan said

"Yes?" She replied

"Thanks.." Aedan said as he grabbed the bread that Maaya brought with her and started eating.

"You remind me of him." Maaya said with a smile

"Him?" He asked.

"Elrond. He was the same when he felt sad. I always brought him food to eat to feel better." Maaya replied as tears started to roll down her cheek.

"Why....did he have to die..." She said

"Maaya..." Aedan said 

"I miss him...so much..." She added.

She was crying now because of the thought that Elrond had died. She loved him so much that the memory of him alone pains her that he is not alive anymore.

"Maaya..." Aedan said has he put his hands on her shoulder. 

Maaya then felt something that felt familiar before. She felt this way with Elrond as well when he put his hands on her shoulder back then. 

"Don't cry anymore... I'm sure that he still loves you... He didn't forget you..." Aedan said. 

Maaya recalled then when Elrond comforted her when she was sad.

"Don't cry anymore Maaya. I'll be here for you" 

"I won't leave you"

"You make me feel safe with you"

"You give meaning to me..."

Maaya started to cry even more because she kept on remembering him. Aedan tried to comfort her even more. He moved closer to her and hugged her from behind. Maaya felt something that she felt for Elrond. She felt safe and relaxed with him. 

"Don't cry anymore Maaya..." Aedan said.

"Thank you Aedan..... I feel safe... with you by my side..." Maaya said.

Aedan suddenly remembered the time when he and Maiev were under the cherry blossom tree in his school back in Gaia.

"Thanks Aedan...I also feel something when I'm with you... I feel safe... with you by my side." 

"Maiev...no Maaya.. I feel happy too whenever I'm with you..." He thought to himself.

He gave her a piece of cloth to dry her tears with. She used it and then she looked at Aedan. What she saw was not a person who was weak but she saw a man who was willing to protect her whatever happens.

"Thank you Aedan. Let's go back now it's been a long day." Maaya said to him.

"Yeah." Aedan said as they now made their way back to the inn.

They got back to the inn and Glyndwir noticed that they were together. He began giving Aedan looks of approval but he just shrugged them off coldly.

"My lady I'm glad your safe." Glyndwir said

"Thank you Glyndwir. I'm going to my room now I need to rest."  She said as she gave back the cloth to Aedan.

After she went up to her room Glyndwir approached Aedan.

"So she was still crying?" He asked.

"Yes but she's fine now. She's a strong woman even when she lost him. I admire her strength." Aedan replied.

"Glyndwir, gather everyone here tomorrow, we have a new location to go to." Aedan added.

"Certainly I will. now it's time to go get some rest." Glyndwir replied as they went to their respective rooms and got the rest that they needed.