[Dark FFnut]

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Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Dwarf Tunnels

Glenn continued, still angered, attempting to find an exit. Soon Syne's cries reached his ears.

He whirled around, dual-blade drawn, and charged back to Titania and Syne, leaving Kirby in the dust.

"...why do they always forget about me?" sighed Kirby.

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Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Dark Cavern

Another blast of light shot from Titania's hand, knocking Syne even further back.

"Titania! Stop!" screamed Glenn, but the girl's eyes were lost in her fog of rage. Another ball of light began to form from her fingertips, and she let it fly.

Glenn dove in front of the lightball and took the blow for Syne.

"Noah! What are you doing?"

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Palis, The Last Year Of The Great War, Kani's Citadel

"Stopping this madness."

Noah threw off the hood of his cloak, staring Llideah in the face. "Look at what's happening to you! Look at what your anger has done to you!"

Llideah let another ball fly, but Noah deflected it with his sword this time.

"Look at everything you're doing, Llideah! You're trying to kill now!"

"It's righteous vengeance!"

"It's pure stupidity!"

"I won't let you stop me!"

Noah's eyes dropped to the floor. "So, the High Priestess of the goddess Ishtar has fallen so far to take it upon herself to slaughter others for the sake of revenge." He glanced up, a red-hot fury glowing in his eyes. "What about my pain? What about what happened to Variel? He died too, and at the hands of a demon I want to get revenge on as well! But do you see it happening? Do you see me killing the demon who killed my best friend?"

Kani laughed at this. "Demon? You-you think it was a demon who killed good old Variel? No, it was-" he paused momentarily, pure malice shining in his eyes. "It was Variel's good friend, prince Gadriel."

"You're lying!" shouted Llideah, but Noah heard the doubt in her voice.

The blade slowly rose into the air, and was plunged down into the ground.

"Variel... he..."

"Don't listen to him, Noah! He lies!"

"The High Priestess of Ishtar should have seen it in a vision. She knows it's true."

"Shut up, beast!"

Kani's eyes flared. "You would do well to keep silent, you little bitch!" A blast of dark energy caught Llideah in the chest, causing her to flip backwards through the air.

Noah looked at Llideah, utter despair in his eyes. "I... I can't let either of you kill the other while I'm here. If you two want to die, feel free to do it elsewhere."

"With pleasure." Kani vanished.

Llideah reached out to touch Noah's shoulder, but he reacted as if he was burned by her touch. "Begone, oh holy priestess," he said, sardonicism dripping from those last two words. "I'll have nothing to do with you any further." He pulled the hood back over his head. "You have your key. I've already lost one of my greatest friends and betrayed another. It seems only fitting that the third be a reason for both."

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Palis, The Year 0 Aikia, Dwarf Tunnels

The room faded back into view. Glenn's face was wet with Noah's tears, and Titania fell to the ground, sobbing. Syne, covered with sweat from dodging these blows, had only seen Glenn jump in front of her before she collapsed from exhaustion. Currently unconscious, Syne slept almost peacefully on the ground behind Glenn.

Titania got up slowly, reaching her hand out to Glenn. "Glenn... are you...?"

And Glenn broke down crying. He hadn't cried this much since he was younger, back when Magus's curse turned him into a frog and killed Cyrus. His tears fell to the ground, and in each of three fallen tears he could see a different reflection.

One of Glenn.

One of Frog.

And one of another man who he'd never met... but knew instinctively to be Noah.