A Tales of Destiny / Tales of Destiny 2 fanfic ^^

Warning : BL, Implied Stahn x Lion

Disclaimer : Tales of Destiny / Tales of Destiny 2 do not belong to me. All characters belong to Namco. But this fic is mine mine mine!

# Like many of my other fics, this fic has been editted. No major plot(?) edits within the fic, mostly change of word-use and grammar ^^;

Summary :

Note : Mild Editting at the end of the Fic ^^ This might just turn out to be the prologue to a series, if (IF) I get my arse moving and fingers typing to get the fic idea out….

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It was some time after they had returned to the present timeline from eighteen years ago, when Kyle, out of the blue, asked him why he persisted on wearing that ‘funny’ mask.

“Idiot. To most people, Lion Magnus and the rest of the Oberon Company are traitors who tried to destroy the world eighteen years ago. What do you think their reaction will be if they see a supposedly dead Lion Magnus up and walking right in their face?” He scolded the blonde, and proceeded to pretend he did not hear their youthful leader mumble a weak retort at the ‘idiot’ comment.

That night however, the same thought plagued him.

Sitting by the fire, in the middle of the camp that they had set up for the night, Judas stared blankly at the relaxed, sleeping face of Kyle Dunamis.

Why indeed.

While what he had told Kyle earlier was perfectly valid, the most important reason, and one that he would never let anyone know was because… The skull belonged to Stahn.

Used to belong to Stahn, to be exact. Judas corrected, removing the mask from his head carefully. Running a finger down the smooth bone surface, he stared at the object with a mixture of endearment and longing.

Stahn had loved this thing.

Ever since he had extricated it off of an unnamable creature during their adventure eighteen years ago, the blonde swordian master had carried it about like a treasure. He washed it almost daily and polished it equally as much, much to the protest of their female companions.

Well, only Rutee had voiced her opinion verbally. Phillia paled each time she saw the thing but, like the mouse she was, had said nothing about it. Mary, on the other hand, was the only one who had gone so far as to encourage Stahn, calling the skull cute or something.

Lion had never understood. Not now, and most definitely not eighteen years ago. In fact, he remembered carrying a painful grudge against it for the longest time. To think Stahn would prefer to hug that cold, round hideous thing instead of him in his sleep!

But the grudge has long faded. Now, the mask was almost like a second Chaltier. A good friend, a protector, a confidant, a living memory.

A frown made its way to his face when he encountered several tiny rough patches on the skull. It would need maintenance again lest he break it in one of the recent skirmishes (He had come oh so close the other day when he unlocked the MajinRengokuSatsu). The modifications he had added some time ago would need refurbishing too, he observed, they almost always chipped or broke before the skull itself did, cheap things.

Well, at least they didn’t decide to break those few days when they had been on the Dycroft. He could almost imagine the shock on Stahn’s face if he were to recognize the mask he had lost to the flood sitting on some stranger’s head. What an anti-climatic way to change the history!

But Dycroft was over and done with. He was back in the present, and none of his comra– ex-comrades, he reminded himself harshly– had identified him.

Expression wistful, Lion remembered watching the man he loved behind his mask. He could almost feel the warm tingling sensation of Stahn’s wide hand against the back of his head.  As though Stahn was really there, running his fingers down Lion’s hair like the way he had used to in the night.

His heart squeezing painfully at the memory, Judas remembered. That it was all in the past. Lion is the past, Judas is the present. He is the traitor who had chosen Marian over his comrades and love. Who had placed his blade in Stahn’s way, despite the latter’s pleas for him to return.

Ha. Ha ha ha. What fascinating irony it is. He stared at Kyle’s, his nephew’s, sleeping face. To think that he would live to see Lion’s lover’s son with his very own sister.

-What if you didn’t betray them? What if you could have Stahn with you right now?- His mind conveniently supplied.

Finally, he released a bitter, quiet laugh. So much like Elraine, that sounded.  No wonder she had chosen for him to be revived.

What if, what if. What insidious two little words. You could have everything and nothing the instant you relied on your little what ifs. Lion had died once without what ifs running perfect little circles in his head. Judas doubted he would live a long second life with what ifs spinning him round and round each time he took a breath.

No, he thought vehemently, even if he were allowed to walk the path of history again, Judas knew that he would make the same choice again. What ifs can take their baggage and leave with the Oberon Company.

He would never betray Marian. Never.

Such a beautiful person, Marian is, Lion had thought that he had fallen in love with her. That was until he had met Stahn, and realized what being in love truly was.

Yet, when he had confessed his feelings for the other swordian master to her, the maid had simply hugged him lovingly, glad that he had found the person for him.

Such a sweet and beautiful lady, Marian is. She is the only one to acknowledge Emilio. Only one who had brought Emilio out of the darkness of his childhood. Something even Stahn could not do. She was both his mother and sister.

Betrayal and Marian should never exist in the same sentence.

Never, Judas agreed. Needless to say, letting her die in the hands of scum like Hugo permanently equated to treachery.

-So you hurt Stahn. Betrayed him instead.-

Yes. Lion acquiesced sardonically.

But Stahn, like the idiot he and his son were, forgave him. He had reached out with his large warm hand to forgive Lion. With his gentleness, he had welcomed Lion back to him.

And in the end, Lion died. He drowned in the very cavern that he had crossed blades, not for the first time, with his love. The last he had seen of his said love was one of frenzied desperation.

-A fool you are, Lion Magnus. At end of this bargain you have lost everything and gained nothing!-

Nothing. Lion echoed in agreement.

-You could have revealed yourself to Stahn. Then you would have both saved your precious Marian and not lost your love.-

No, he wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Shouldn’t. Judas shook his head mutely, knowing full well that the voice had referred to their ‘reunion’ only a few days ago.

It was the least he owed Kyle.

If he had, Kyle would never have existed, the future would be altered, and he would be no different from Elraine. An exact replica of what he had said when they had tried to prevent Karrell’s death.

Besides, Lion would rather die than live with the knowledge that he had  betrayed both his lover and said lover’s son just for what an unpredictable ‘What if’. Neither Judas nor Lion would stand for that. Not even Emilio could.

“It, was, and is the right thing to do. Ne, Stahn?” Lion murmured, pulling the skull mask closer to himself and hugged it tightly.

He could almost hear his love whisper his agreement in the silence of the lonely night.

-Ende-