Chapter Text
All Arin remembered was golden light and an intense searing feeling all over his body, then nothing. Just searing silence and darkness. All of a sudden a bright golden light appeared again and Arin screamed.
—
The bright light and searing pain all over Arin's body made him scream. He wasn't sure if it was the pain, light or just fear. Arin's throat hurt from the scream, as it was dry as hell.
He flew into a sitting position. Why was I lying down? Arin gripped his face as searing pain flashed through it. He panted and felt fear creep in his veins. He felt disoriented, having no clue where he was and the pain made his head spin.
Suddenly there was a pair of hands on his shoulders. "Breathe Arin! Please!" Someone exclaimed, the fear evident in their voice. Arin's breathing slowed down, but he continued to breathe very deeply, his face hidden in his hands. His legs were drawn up to his chest and pain was still numbingly high.
There was a moment of silence before a voice cut through the silence. "Arin?" Arin looked up between his fingers. He almost started crying at the sight of Sora's scared expression. "Oh thank the First master." The pink haired girl mumbled, her hand at her chest. Arin stared at her. He had feared she was dead or something along those lines, as all he remembered was a bright light and screams.
Arin, in a moment of impulsivity, fear and vulnerability, threw his arms around Sora's neck.
The girl made a startled noise, not expecting the hug. Sora barely wasted a moment though, as she hugged Arin back almost immediately. Arin felt tears press into the corners of his eyes and slip down his cheeks. At the moment, he was too tired to care about that. All he cared about was that Sora was alive.
He felt his shoulder become damp, telling him that Sora was also crying. They had only hugged when Arin first came back to the Monastery and back then Arin had barely hugged her back. Now he initiated the hug, too tired to care about anything else than his best friend.
"What happened?" Arin managed to choke out without coughing, but barely. Sora pulled away slightly, her hand still on his arm and grabbed a glass of water. Arin drank it, too tired and thirsty to argue. "Lots of things." Sora answered, wiping one of her tears away.
That's when Arin remembered Ras, Lloyd and their fight. The invasion, the shadows, all of it. He also remembered Lloyd's stomach impaled with Arin's own katana. "Lloyd?" Arin simply asked, but Sora understood. "He is okay, laid in a coma for around three weeks, but he is awake now. He is also in his own room by now."
Three weeks? Arin wondered. "How long have I been out?" He asked. "Four and a half weeks." Sora answered. "We weren't sure if you were going to wake. You or Lloyd, you had both lost a lot of blood." Arin now remembered Ras claws slicing his face and reached drop to touch the wound. "How bad is it?" He asked and Sora looked away.
Arin's heart sank. "That bad?" Sora looked back sadly. "It doesn't look too bad, but it will scar quite badly." She admitted and reached into her pocket, picking up a small mirror, which Arin had no idea why she had in the first place. Arin took it from her hands and angled it so he could see his face.
Four wounds went across his face, all stitched up by now, but still very bad. Some blood was still escaping, but not much as it was well stitched up. "Oh." Arin simply said.
"If it makes you any happier, you will not have to deal with Ras." Sora mumbled and Arin tore his eyes away from his mangled face. "What do you mean?" He asked confused. "He is gone." Sora explained. "Dead." Arin felt some weight he didn't know was there lift from his chest. "Did Lloyd kill him?" Sora shook her head and met his eyes. "You did."
Arin's eyes widened. "What?" He simply asked in confusion. "Me? How? I am weak." Sora grabbed his hand not holding the mirror. "You are the opposite of weak Arin." She said strictly.
"You are the strongest person I know. Getting hurt like you have and still keep going? If that ain't strength then what is? How Ras dies just proves that you aren't just strong mentally either."
Arin blinked, her hands holding his warm. "I-" He started, but shut up after a look from Sora. He switched subject slightly. "What do you mean how Ras died?" Sora paused for a moment, sitting silent. "Ras was evaporated, by you." Arin blinked in shock and confusing. "What?" He repeated from before. "How is that even possible?" Sora sighed and met his eyes.
"It is possible because we were wrong Arin. You have an elemental power and a strong one that that."
Arin's world stopped spinning for second. Elemental power? No way. Why? How? Arin's mind started spinning and he leaned back against the bed. "Wha-" He could get his words out.
"It's true. Zane picked up that the bright light that killed Ras had of the same energy that appears when someone reaches their full potential. Your power is just very powerful." Sora explained, still holding his hand. "What is it?" Arin asked, his head still spinning. "We aren't sure, Zane needs to talk to you to be able to decide." Sora explained. "Well, the light evaporated all the shadows and Ras too. That's all we know."
Sora sat silent for a moment, looking away, seemingly contemplating something. Arin sat in silence too, thinking hard, his mind spinning on its own axis. "Arin?" He glanced at Sora. "Yea?" Sora sighed. "You probably don't want me to say this, but I need to say it." Arin didn't have time to say anything before Sora spoke.
"I am sorry. Sorry for lying. Sorry for failing you. I am supposed to be your best friend, someone who supports you when you are hurting. Instead all I did was cause you more pain. I should have been truthful about what I did, then maybe this would never have happened. I am sorry Arin, I truly am. If you never forgive me, then I have to accept that, but I promise you I will try my best to make it up to you." Sora paused, tears in her eyes.
"I love you Arin. You are my little brother and I miss you. You and your happy energy, your optimism. Please stay. I have never had anybody who understands me like you do. I don't care if you aren't perfect! To me you are perfect and nothing will change that! Ever! No matter how much you change, my perspective of you wont change! I love you and I am sorry I failed you"
Sora was openly crying by now, tears streaming down her cheeks. She let go of his hands to wipe her cheeks. Arin sat silent, staring at her with wide eyes. She sees me a brother? Arin had never had siblings before, but then Sora came along and it was like he gained a part of himself.
"Sora."
The girl tearfully met his eyes. "When I met you, it was like finding a part of myself. You filled part of the space the merge created. I've never had siblings, but if I did, I would imagine you in that position."
Arin, for the first time in over four months, looked at Sora with no anger. He felt tears build up in his eyes again before choking out the words that had felt so distant barely a month ago.
"I forgive you."