Night-time wandering.

[Dai]

BA-THUMP His heart beat suddenly as he took a step. He hadn't just been trying to sleep. He was almost tempted to take drugs for this night. Because the pain that he was feeling in his mind was unbearable. Ugh... This Stone was affecting him more than he thought. The problem was in his somewhat minuscule pride in himself. He wanted to give Xan the Stone personally, so he could discuss this problem with him.

"I'm surprised. You haven't spoken yet." The Stone was silent, strangely enough. The redheaded Alchemist sighed softly, and placed a hand on his forehead, feeling the cool metal of his automail on his skin and smiling. It was hard to explain, but that feeling was quite different for this redhead. For someone who had felt the heat of battle for so long, he was beginning to relish these moments. These moments where he could be cold, alone, and yet still feel the warmth that his normally-sane mind gave him. He breathed out, a wisp of cool air emanating from his lips.

"Haha... I guess I'm kinda lonely, huh? I mean, to actually want conversation from an inanimate object..." He leaned back against a wall and slid down it. He really had to talk to Xanthus. Like, seriously. It was a matter of his own mind at stake here.

[Xan]

The sound of soft footsteps could be heard further down the hallway, though whether or not Daigoro would be able to hear the footsteps was not entirely obvious. As was becoming the normal signal that Pride was approaching, the lights within the specific hallway that Daigoro was in began to dim, though not as much as usual for some reason.

However, sure enough Xanthus eventually stepped out of the darkness that formed the shadows further down the hall and became visible. He was wearing his usual militant attire; a pitch black variant of the usual Amestrian militant uniform, oddly complete with his old State Alchemist pocket-watch, which glinted in what little light there was in the hallway.

"Hmm..? Oh, it's you Daigoro. I was not quite expecting anyone else to be awake at this hour." This was not entirely the truth of course. Daigoro was holding on to a fraction of Xanthus' overall soul, so the Homunculus had, for lack of better words, felt that the other Ishvallan was up and wandering around and could even tell that his presence was needed. However, Dai didn't quite need to know that yet. "Ah well, you look somewhat troubled my friend. What's on your mind?"

The Ishvallan took a seat next to Daigoro and looked sideways at his red-headed friend with a look of concern in his eyes, if slightly hidden behind their usual calm, slightly emotionless exterior.

[Dai]

"Hmm..? Oh, it's you Daigoro. I was not quite expecting anyone else to be awake at this hour." Almost as if by magic, the man he had been thinking about speaking to at some point appeared. He smiled softly, and made a small chuckle.

"Who else in Fort Briggs has bad insomnia, hmm?" He looked up at Xan and nodded at the man, showing that he acknowledged the man's presence, and allowed him to stay nearby. His head turned away from the man and looked back at the ground. Daigoro Ito was known for wandering around at night-time, and so Xanthus shouldn't have sounded surprised at all. However, the fact that Dai was here like this...

"Ah well, you look somewhat troubled my friend. What's on your mind?" He heard Xan take a seat against the wall and slide down it, but he didn't look over at the man. He just held his head down, and sighed softly.

"I think I'm going crazy. I sincerely do." His red eyes were downcast, and he was staring at the metallic floor. "I can hear it, the Stone. It speaks to me, and I can hear it speaking. I don't know what it is, but it's helped me. And it's happened before, back at South City... I'm worried, Xan. After Reila saw the Stone, I was scared. I have been, for so long. I didn't want to worry anyone else, but I'm still sure that a lot of this has been my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish, maybe I wouldn't have hurt anybody like this. I can't change the past, but I can't do anything about it, either..." He looked down and gritted his teeth, taking the Stone out of his pocket and placing it on the ground in front of himself, staring at the red ball with his own red orbs.

[Xan]

"I think I'm going crazy. I sincerely do. I can hear it, the Stone. It speaks to me, and I can hear it speaking. I don't know what it is, but it's helped me. And it's happened before, back at South City... I'm worried, Xan. After Reila saw the Stone, I was scared. I have been, for so long. I didn't want to worry anyone else, but I'm still sure that a lot of this has been my fault. If I hadn't been so selfish, maybe I wouldn't have hurt anybody like this. I can't change the past, but I can't do anything about it, either..."

Daigoro took the Stone out of his pocket and set it down on the ground in front of him. He stared at it for a time while Xan thought to himself about what to say to comfort his friend. At first he found himself unable to think of anything to say, so he said nothing.

Eventually his own crimson eyes fell to look at the Stone; it was a physical manifestation of the souls of a few citizens of West City. The Homunculus' face remained unchanged, but he inwardly winced slightly as he remembered exactly how it was that he had become Pride the Arrogant; he remembered a bright flash of red light, the surreal feeling of several dozens of souls merging with his being, then darkness. He had felt his change after he had awoken, he could tell that he was no longer human. When he concentrated, he could even hear them... the souls of the people whom he had absorbed.

Pride thought about what it would be like to hear that sound at random, uncontrolled intervals and realized that in his friends' place, he might have felt the same way. Xan picked up the Stone and examined it for a while, then held it in his palm out to Dai.

"Before I say anything else, I need to ask you a question or two. You said that the Stone speaks to you...does it sound like five distinct voices, or do it sound like only one?"

[Dai]

It was his fault. He knew that now. Even if it wasn't true, it was his fault. His selfishness had caused the sadness of everyone at Briggs. Even if they weren't involved, it had to be true, and he'd take the blame for all of it. Because he needed to repent. He had no regrets, but he had a need to repent for his actions. The redhead closed his eyes and let the tears begin to flow, and tried to have his sins wash away. He was the reason that Briggs was like this now. It. Was. All. His. Fault!

"I made an oath, right?" His voice was barely a whisper, his closed eyes locked on where the Stone was, not realizing that Xanthus had picked it up yet. "Maybe I'm not meant to have anything for myself... Maybe I'm meant to be the one to give, to be the doormat to other people's lives." He didn't know what he was saying anymore, he just needed a path to vent. "Does my life have any value? Maybe it doesn't. Maybe that's why I can't stand it anymore." He was shaking terribly, not sure of anything anymore. He wasn't putting any weight behind his words. He was just saying what he thought he felt, and what he thought was true.

"Before I say anything else, I need to ask you a question or two. You said that the Stone speaks to you...does it sound like five distinct voices, or do it sound like only one?" He was surprised that he had registered that voice. Honestly, he thought that he was being selfish, and being wrapped up in himself. But he had heard Xan... and...

"One... Your voice, Xanthus..." He nodded and finally opened his eyes, looking at the Ishvallan man with pitiful eyes and a gaze that showed his true vulnerability. Dai always tried to take the sadness and depression for everyone. He took it, and bottled it up, showing people a calm exterior so they would feel better. But now, there was something different in this man's mind. The look on his face... spoke volumes.

[Xan]

That look that Daigoro gave him; it was a look filled to the brim with emotions, none of which were positive. Even if he had not given him that look, that heartbreaking look, Xan could have heard the tears and felt the emotional distress that his friend was going through. His words especially struck chords of emotion. He sounded broken, yes, broken was the only word to describe Daigoro right at this moment.

"One... Your voice, Xanthus..."

It was time to begin repairs, in whatever small way that was possible.

Xanthus held the Stone out in front of Dai, then looked up at his friend. A strange new look could be seen deep in the Homunculus' eyes, a look that he wanted his friend to see. The look said quite clearly that Xanthus was determined. Determined to help his friend if he could, or at least put all the effort that he could into trying.

"Yeah, I figured as much. Do you know why it was my voice Dai? Because it was my Stone, the physical manifestation of my souls that I gave to you.

...Do you know why I did that? Why would I, Pride the Arrogant, give a part of his soul, his power, to help someone else? I did it so that you would not die, so that you would live even if it meant that I would be easier to kill. I did it because you are one of my best and closest friends. I did it because I love you as I love my brothers. You question whether your life has value? This Stone is proof that it does. As long as there are people around who value you, your life is precious. Don't ever forget that."

Xan decided to let that sink in for a moment before continuing.

[Dai]

"Yeah, I figured as much. Do you know why it was my voice Dai? Because it was my Stone, the physical manifestation of my souls that I gave to you." He shuddered at those words. That's right. The Stone belonged to Xan, that's why he heard the man's voice. But that didn't explain why he was feeling like this.

"Allmyfault...allmyfault...allmyfault..."

"..Do you know why I did that? Why would I, Pride the Arrogant, give a part of his soul, his power, to help someone else? I did it so that you would not die, so that you would live even if it meant that I would be easier to kill. I did it because you are one of my best and closest friends. I did it because I love you as I love my brothers. You question whether your life has value? This Stone is proof that it does. As long as there are people around who value you, your life is precious. Don't ever forget that." That's right. Briggs was the family that he'd never had. He'd always understood that, right? But... but... still. He'd said it, at the battle. But had he meant it?

...of course he had. He meant every word that he understood. The redhead's eyes shut tightly, and he started to sway slightly.

"...But...You didn't have to do that for me..." He knew that he was lying. But he couldn't stop from speaking the words. "M-my selfishness to take the S-stone... could've gotten you... killed easily... I couldn't... c-couldn't handle that..." He was shaking fervently, his mind finally showing the truth to the world. Daigoro was broken. He had seen the look in Xan's eyes, though. He could tell that he was determined to help. So he'd try. If anything, he'd try for Xan's sake, not his own.

[Xan]

"...But...You didn't have to do that for me...M-my selfishness to take the S-stone... could've gotten you... killed easily... I couldn't... c-couldn't handle that..."

Xanthus simply stared for a while, then smiled in a kind way. He placed the Stone on the floor in front of Dai again, looking at it for a while before looking back to his friend. He chuckled for a while; it was a sound that absolutely lacked mirth in any form. Then why did Xan make it? It was a reflex, a force of habit. In other words, it was hollow...

"Do you truly believe that Daigoro? Do you truly believe that I am so easy to kill? Better yet, do you truly think that you took the Stone for selfish reasons? Only the prideful, the arrogant, and those like us can be that selfish. You do not have the capacity to be like that my friend. You are far too humble to do anything like that for yourself, which makes you quite selfless...and I'll prove it.

You took the Stone from me not for selfish reasons, but in order to help one whom you loved. You were willing to accept a power that you never wanted to use again in order to help someone else.

A selfish person would have either not taken the Stone at all, or would have used it for corrupt reasons, or perhaps a perverted form of what they had originally intended to do. And speaking of, did you even use the Stone's power at all?"

Xan's voice dropped to a whisper as he went along in his short speech to Daigoro this time, and then it became louder and had more force in each syllable. It was rare that Xan spoke with emotion, but this was one of those rare times.

[Dai]

"Do you truly believe that Daigoro? No. No, he didn't. That was one thing he knew for sure. But for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to realize that. That was what confused Daigoro the most. Because, no matter what happened, his mind always told him that he was at fault. Maybe he wasn't? He didn't know. He didn't know... all so confusing!

"Do you truly believe that I am so easy to kill? Better yet, do you truly think that you took the Stone for selfish reasons? Only the prideful, the arrogant, and those like us can be that selfish. You do not have the capacity to be like that my friend. You are far too humble to do anything like that for yourself, which makes you quite selfless...and I'll prove it." It had to be for selfish reasons. Why else would he do something like this? He wanted to get Reila back for himself. That was selfish. That was selfish. Selfishselfishselfish! He felt himself shaking, not of fear, but anger. Anger that Xan didn't believe him. He wasn't truly angry at the Ishvallan, however his mind was telling him that he should. He didn't know why. He didn't understand it anymore.

"You took the Stone from me not for selfish reasons, but in order to help one whom you loved. You were willing to accept a power that you never wanted to use again in order to help someone else." He blinked a couple of times.

"But it was to help myself in the end, Xanthus..." His already-quiet voice was drowned out by the continuation of Pride's speech, the one that was aimed at the heartstrings that were slowly finding their place in Dai's mind once more...

"A selfish person would have either not taken the Stone at all, or would have used it for corrupt reasons, or perhaps a perverted form of what they had originally intended to do. And speaking of, did you even use the Stone's power at all?" Although he was trying to work out a way to continue on what he had previously said, Xanthus' words struck a chord. Had he? Yes, yes he had. Once.

"O...Once. I used it once, just before I reached her, the woman who forgot me." He couldn't bring himself to say her name. He thought that it would do something, even through he had no idea what... "I created a chasm between myself and Murazar, trying to keep my own self alive, instead of letting him kill me like he wanted to." He shivered a little bit. "He almost killed himself to get himself across it, but if I hadn't run away, he would've survived and killed me, and then everyone would be happier..."

CAN YOU STOP THIS? THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG! He knew that this was wrong. He knew that those words weren't right. SO WHY?! Why was he thinking like this? It was frustrating on so many levels...

[Xan]

"O...Once. I used it once, just before I reached her, the woman who forgot me. I created a chasm between myself and Murazar, trying to keep my own self alive, instead of letting him kill me like he wanted to." He shivered a little bit. "He almost killed himself to get himself across it, but if I hadn't run away, he would've survived and killed me, and then everyone would be happier..."

Xanthus smiled, appearing for all the world to have suddenly won the lottery. Well, maybe he was not smiling that much. However, the point was that he looked genuinely pleased with Dai's answer, which contrasted heavily with Daigoro's emotions of anger and frustration.

"You see? How can you claim to be selfish? You held within your palms the power to do whatever you wanted. A selfish person would have used the power to counter Mura. A selfish person would have utterly destroyed Mura with the Stone. A selfish person would have felt no guilt nor shame at destroying his enemy!"

The Ishvallan's voice rose higher and higher in volume, for a few moments even slipping into the metallic tones of Pride. He seemed to become physically different, more powerful, his presence suddenly seeming to expand and become otherworldly in its power. His voice became powerful, enough to fill the hallway, and it even came from the shadows themselves, until a sound like an unholy chorus of voices rang in the night. But then, it all went away, and as Xan continued, his voice softened. The metallic tones disappeared and Xan's voice became solitary and almost to the level of a whisper again.

"But you...you merely created a means of escape, as a way to end the battle with no one getting hurt. That is the act of a truly selfless, and truly noble man. You keep saying that everyone's unhappiness is your fault. You keep thinking that if you were dead or gone we'd all be happier. It's not true. Did I not just tell you that there are people who care about you? If you died...I doubt it that they would be the same. You underestimate yourself and what you mean to the people of Briggs. Hmm...that subordinate of yours...Nikita, was it? How do you think that he'd feel if you were not here today?"

Now Xan's eyes were questioning. Not just curious, but questioning, he almost looked as though he were reading Dai's very soul for the answers to his questions.

[Dai]

Xan seemed... pleased by his answer that alluded to a death-wish. Pleased... so he knew it all along. His death would be liked by all of Briggs, wouldn't it? He knew it! The redhead cursed himself for not dying, before hearing Xan's words.

"You see? How can you claim to be selfish? You held within your palms the power to do whatever you wanted. A selfish person would have used the power to counter Mura. A selfish person would have utterly destroyed Mura with the Stone. A selfish person would have felt no guilt nor shame at destroying his enemy!" His heart skipped a beat. That was true... maybe that's why Xan had smiled? But no, it couldn't be true.

Why... am I still fervently denying this? He gulped nervously, trying to wonder what was going on. His mind was moving in different directions. He was telling himself one thing, and believing another. But the voices that Xanthus was creating throughout the hall was shaking his very soul with their metallic chorus. The echo spread throughout the halls, and he couldn't help but shiver with slight fear.

"But you...you merely created a means of escape, as a way to end the battle with no one getting hurt. That is the act of a truly selfless, and truly noble man. You keep saying that everyone's unhappiness is your fault. You keep thinking that if you were dead or gone we'd all be happier. It's not true. Did I not just tell you that there are people who care about you? If you died...I doubt it that they would be the same. You underestimate yourself and what you mean to the people of Briggs." Was that... true? Was ending the battle like that, to help his own cowardice... really and truly noble? Then again, he saved himself without causing any true casualties. Maybe that was the noble and right thing to do...

Keh. Then again, he was thinking it through, and knew that in every way, Xanthus was right. But why couldn't he be truly convinced by his words? Was there something maybe... blocking him?

"Hmm...that subordinate of yours...Nika, was it? How do you think that he'd feel if you were not here today?" His heart skipped a beat. Nika... where was she? His mind searched fervently. He hadn't seen her since the battle. She didn't appear to have contacted Briggs, either. He had been worried about her, but he still felt...

"Nika... she... I don't know how she'd f--fuck." He suddenly snapped his mouth shut, all previous thoughts gone. That was stupid. So very very stupid.

[Xan]

"Nika... she... I don't know how she'd f--fuck." Daigoro's mouth snapped closed with the speed of lightning, but the damage had already been done. All traces of his dark thoughts seemed to for a moment disappear as he realized his own words and, judging by the look that flitted across his face, began to berate himself for revealing a secret that possibly only he and very few others knew. Until now...

Xanthus' ears caught the slip up and for a moment he looked blankly at Daigoro. He blinked once, his mind processing what he had just heard, and had the situation been less critical, he might have comically screamed 'WHAT?!' in such a way that would have awoken everyone who had a room for at least several dozen meters. But for now Xan could only smile, then begin to chuckle darkly. Though not the malevolent dark chuckle. No, this chuckle was lined with amusement, though were the Homunculus managed to find some was a question best left unasked and unanswered for now.

"Well, there is a surprise. Nikita...Nika is a woman? And how long have you known about this?"

Seemingly forgetting about the solemnity of the situation at hand, Xanthus' eyes lit up with curiosity and subtle amusement for a moment, before reverting back to the calm look that he was known for. But, though his eyes held calm amusement, his voice held a note of accusation and even some insinuation.

[Dai]

Oh, fuck. Fuck, fuck and a ton of fuck. That little slip of the tongue was not smart, on his part. However, it was mostly because he was in this state. He wasn't thinking everything through, but Xan's words about Nika had hit him the hardest. Why... why was that? The redhead shook his head, trying to understand the thoughts that were running throughout his head.

Xan was looking blankly at him, with a look that suggested that he had no idea, whatsoever. Well, if there was anything, Dai could keep very good secrets. The redhead chuckled, and moved a piece of hair away from his grief-stricken face. He was feeling better, it seemed. All he'd really needed was a chance to vent, and things would be fine. But now, he had another problem to deal with. If they found out about Nika, then things would be rather... messy. He needed to understand that Xan would keep quiet, right?

"Well, there is a surprise. Nikita...Nika is a woman? And how long have you known about this?" The look in Xan's eyes could only be called inquisitive. Then again, they hadn't had a proper talk in a while, so Xan couldn't help but want to talk properly, right? He laughed softly, the music returning to his voice, if only slightly.

"The entire time, of course." He tried to put a smile on his face and look at the man with care in his eyes. "Discovered her in North City, wrapping her chest and trying to deceive others into thinking she was a man. I got her through the physical, and yeah. Eventually brought her to Briggs, after seeing her potential. Can you blame me?" He laughed again, and opened his eyes with a sparkle coming back into them...but not for long. The blocks came back, and he lowered his head. "But we can't find her..." He cared for Nika, a lot more than he let on. And the blocks... the inception was still active. Not strong, but it was still affecting his train of thought.

[Xan]

"The entire time, of course. Discovered her in North City, wrapping her chest and trying to deceive others into thinking she was a man. I got her through the physical, and yeah. Eventually brought her to Briggs, after seeing her potential. Can you blame me? But we can't find her..."

The...entire...time. The entire time? Xanthus simply looked downright incredulous, and in a comic sort of way. He was apparently unused to the idea that things could happen in Briggs without his knowing about it; and this was something that in his mind really should not have been able to slip through his attention.

Suddenly he had in his mind thoughts of reading through files containing information on every officer of Briggs, just to make sure that he had not missed something else that might have been important. Then he realized something: It was not really that big of an issue that Nikita...Nika was not really a male but a female. In fact, the more that he thought about it, the more that he realized that he simply did not care. What he did care about however, was the welfare of the personnel under his command, and apparently someone under his command was missing...

Xanthus visibly changed; he changed from incredulous and curious Xanthus Icarus to Xanthus Icarus, second in command of Fort Briggs within the blink of an eye. He placed a hand upon Daigoro's shoulder, a brotherly hand that promised assistance.

"Do not worry Daigoro, I am sure that she is alright. She seems like the smart type, and also seems to be one of those kinds of people who can come back from nearly anything. I will arrange for our resources to be directed accordingly to find her. However, I will need something of an explanation from you."

A cold fire was burning within the depths of Xanthus' eyes. Apparently someone being missing from the stronghold of Briggs was not something that he took lightly, in any sense of the word.

[Guest]

{BUMP}

[Dai]

"Do not worry Daigoro, I am sure that she is alright. She seems like the smart type, and also seems to be one of those kinds of people who can come back from nearly anything. I will arrange for our resources to be directed accordingly to find her. However, I will need something of an explanation from you." He chuckled lightly and looked at the hand that had been placed upon his shoulder. However, when Xanthus asked for the explanation, Daigoro shook his head. He wouldn't. Not just yet.

"Anything that needs to be explained, I will explain at any meetings that we will hold, no sooner, no later. Because I'm not going to say something to you, only to have to repeat it later, you know?" Daigoro thought that to be needless banter, and he gave Xanthus a confident smile and placed a hand onto the other man's, taking it off his shoulder and giving him a look that suggested that he had something else to talk about.

"It's embarrassing," He started, looking over to the side with a small sigh, "But I've fallen in love... Not with another person; I'm still madly in love with Reila... But an object, of some sort. A strange, mysterious object that I can't seem to not think about when I look at you. First, however..." He took the Stone and held it out, placing it into Xanthus' hand with a serious look in his face. "Take it back, please. I want to use my own power to protect Briggs, not the power of another that can destroy my mentality." He smiled softly and then looked away, nodding internally and looking once more at the man.

"Your swords. I don't remember their name, but they've always intrigued me..." He laughed softly and placed a metallic hand on the back of his neck, rubbing lightly with the automail and chuckling, "I even gave them nicknames of my own, y'know. Gan Jiang, and Mo Ye. Based off an old Xingese legend, where the swordsmith Gan Jiang was forging a pair of powerful swords, but didn't have enough Ki to be able to fully complete it... so his wife, Mo Ye, sacrificed herself in order to supply the necessary Ki to finish the forging..." He laughed softly and shook his head, closing his eyes with a smile, "Quite the ironic tale, right? I don't know why, but I felt that the names suited the blades..." Why was he retelling this to the man? He didn't really know. This just felt right...

[Xan]

Xanthus simply smiled in kind to Daigoro's chuckle and his subsequent comment. Though it was perhaps the opposite of what one would expect in a reaction, he was actually pleased by Dai's response; it showed that he was thinking ahead to the inevitable meeting, or the inevitable meetings that were going to be taking place. Then Daigoro said some that surprised Xan slightly more than discovering that one of his subordinates was of the opposite gender than the one that they had been masquerading as. He claimed to have fallen madly in love! However, before Xanthus could even work up another incredulous look, with perhaps a sound smack to the noggin, his read haired friend continued to say that it was an object, an object that he connected with Xanthus himself.

At first Pride thought that Daigoro was referencing the Philosopher's Stone, and this made a certain sense of foreboding wash over him suddenly, as well as a sense of confusion, as he had thought that Dai resented and perhaps even feared the Stone more than any other source of energy in existence. These fears were however proven incorrect when Daigoro placed the Stone into his hand, which closed around the red stone for a moment before slipping it into the nearest pocket to itself.

"It will be here if you need to use its power again Daigoro. Just in case of dire emergency."

And now came something truly unexpected. Daigoro expressed an interest in Xanthus' twin swords. The Ishvallan listened carefully to the tale of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, simply nodding as it was told to him. When Daigoro was finished, Xan simply nodded without speaking, then drew out his swords, both at once. He looked at one, then the other, then turned them hilts first to face Dai, so that he could have a closer look.

[Dai]

"It will be here if you need to use its power again Daigoro. Just in case of dire emergency." Daigoro could only give a small nod at this. He had no wish to use the Stone again, it was too much for his mind to take, and so he wouldn't allow himself to be overcome by that power. He gave a weak and yet confident smile, before watching Xan with incredulous eyes as he drew the swords from his clothing, looked at them both, and handed them to Daigoro, hilts first. The redhead wondered about them for a second, slowly taking the swords handles in his hands, crossing them over each other and studying the blades as carefully as he could.

They were an interesting pair, Daigoro surmised. He leaned in closer to the blades, looking at the design of each. They were shaped like Xingese Scimitars, rather ornate and yet crude swords. And despite everything, Daigoro found them uniquely beautiful, for some reason. He slid a finger across one of the blades, staring at the swords with a pair of wondrous eyes. This was... why was this so interesting to him? He wasn't a fan of violence, or weaponry for that matter. But for some reason, this pair of blades caused him to think about them and their creation.

"What was the reason behind these blades, Xanthus? I... I..." He didn't understand. Why was he so entranced by these swords? It confused him greatly. He continued to stare at the black and white swords, not thinking it through anymore. He was just entranced...

[Xan]

The reason? During Daigoro's examination of his twin swords, Xanthus had been expecting several questions, each varying from questions about their shape to what they were composed of, but never had it occurred to him that Daigoro, or indeed anyone at all, would perhaps be interested in the reason that they existed in the first place. For a moment, Xanthus looked away, though he did so without turning his head. He momentarily remembered the 'reason' behind the blades, the tragedy behind their birth; he remembered why they were so powerful, and why they were always nearby to him.

"The reason? Are you asking about the origin of the swords? Or are you asking about their purpose? One is rather tragic, though the other does represent a degree of hope, I suppose."

The halls were silent for a few moments; there were no other soldiers out and about, Briggs had no creatures that were large enough to disturb silence inside the walls, and both of the men inside the hallway were quiet for the moment. The air itself seemed to be stilled for some time, as if awaiting something to break the silence. Xanthus' crimson eyes were staring at now back at Dai, the intensity in his features very much not hidden behind the usual cool facade. There was obviously something very special about the Blades, both in purpose and in origin, and though Daigoro probably would not guess it, Xanthus had never in fact told anyone about either of these things.

[Dai]

"The reason? Are you asking about the origin of the swords? Or are you asking about their purpose? One is rather tragic, though the other does represent a degree of hope, I suppose." He gave a small, knowing smile, looking at the other Ishvallan man through a pair of soft and calm eyes. He slowly reached a pale hand up to the side of his head, brushing a small piece of hair off of his face, one that had been dislodged recently by a sudden head movement. He let a small laugh leave his throat, and with a smile, leaned back and closed his eyes.

"I don't know, Xan... If I may gander a few guesses, they were made by you, with Alchemy. I don't know when, but they were probably pretty soon before your..." He searched for a better word than he had originally thought of, "Homunculization." He laughed softly and opened his eyes again, looking at the ceiling above, dimly-lit by the pale lights of the Briggs Halls; and the full moon in the sky that brought hallowed light in through the windows. He looked over to the side, staring down the hall and chuckling.

"They're special, I'll assume. Something... that defines you." He voice was soft and calm, but the look in his eyes had changed. He was looking for something in the distance, and not seeing it before him, like he had hoped. The redheaded Alchemist shrugged slightly, "But I didn't ask you about their purpose. Or their origin." He turned slowly to Xan and stared at him with knowledge-filled eyes, showing a wiseness that only his hours of internal thoughts could bring. "I asked you about their reason." Strange, really. The words he was speaking were cryptic, yet obvious at the same time. He was putting the exact meaning in behind every letter and syllable, and making it obvious. Despite his being out at the early hours of the morning, Daigoro didn't stop in his thinking processes.

"Not their purpose as weapons or symbols. Not their origins. Those are meaningless ideas for a sword. If I only saw those in the blade, there would be no end to the swords that I could create, because one can put any purpose to any thing. And the origin is both obvious, and always the same." He laughed softly, and smiled again. "Xanthus, what is their reason for being? Every human has a reason for existing, as does every weapon. I carry hollow weapons, blades with no spirit, for I am no fighter. But those blades... what spirit, what reason do they have for being in this world?" He had confused orbs staring over at the Ishvallan, and he was inquisitive about what could come next. He just hoped he'd explained himself properly.

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[Xan]

The look of intensity was quietly withdrawn; quietly and perhaps one might say purposefully. The cool facade had returned, taking its regular place upon Xan's Ishvallan face, which was now perchance lined with slight confusion in reaction to Dai's laugh and smile. Unfortunately for Pride, he was used to being the giver of those expression and chuckles, not the receiver, so the entire experience was somewhat strange.

"I don't know, Xan... If I may gander a few guesses, they were made by you, with Alchemy. I don't know when, but they were probably pretty soon before your...Homunculization." Xanthus simply stared for a moment, first at Daigoro, then at the ceiling, then at the white moonlight. Perchance he would go outside and look at the White Face of the moon tonight; judging by the light it was perhaps full. Ambition reflected the silver-white light nicely, with subtlety and grace. Condemnation however, simply swallowed the light, absorbing it into its dark metallic blade-folds. This made for a intriguing sight, and it drew Xan's attention for a moment, but he returned himself to Earth when Daigoro resumed his speech.

"They're special, I'll assume. Something... that defines you. But I didn't ask you about their purpose. Or their origin. I asked you about their reason." There was a resisted urge to chuckle, a very resisted urge. Xan had to admit that he was impressed; his friend had nailed everything, right down to the fact that the swords were indeed 'special.' However, he had said something rather perplexing. Reason. Reason? Now this was something that Xanthus truly did not understand upon the first hearing. What was this reason of which the red-haired Daigoro spoke?

"Not their purpose as weapons or symbols. Not their origins. Those are meaningless ideas for a sword. If I only saw those in the blade, there would be no end to the swords that I could create, because one can put any purpose to any thing. And the origin is both obvious, and always the same. Xanthus, what is their reason for being? Every human has a reason for existing, as does every weapon. I carry hollow weapons, blades with no spirit, for I am no fighter. But those blades... what spirit, what reason do they have for being in this world?"

A thought, a line of thinking came and went with time and due process. Xan's mind strove to break down the meaning behind Dai's almost riddle-like words; what was this reason? It was not origin, that much was obvious, and neither was it purpose. Ten days it felt like that passed within the mind of Xanthus Icarus while he tried to approach the question analytically. This proved to be in vain, for he could not quite understand using that method. He surrendered the effort after his ten day long thinking process, and he decided to use a more simple line of thought. And it was then that he perhaps understood...

"I think I understand. Every person has a reason for existing, as does perhaps every weapon. That's what you said right? If I can perhaps gather the proper words for this, then I'll try to name the reason for my swords to exist. Unfortunately they don't exist simply to help me to 'combat evil' or 'protect the ones that I love.' For these tasks I do not need swords, and if I did, I could simply use normal, ordinary swords. No, if I'm right about my theory of reason, then I should say that the Swords' reason to exist is to serve as the ultimate and final means to an unknown and nearly impossible end, though I suppose that the wording is both incomplete and perhaps slightly morbid."

Xanthus shrugged and turned his attention back to his Blades. He swung them around lightly, wondering at how exactly he had created them to be as they were before sighing and simply holding them in mid air, attempting to find amusement by manipulating the light streaming in from the inside and the outside.

[Dai]

A smile flickered across his lips as the man thought over the answer to this question. Very good, very good. That meant that Xan was thinking it over; as opposed to just bullshitting an answer, as he'd expect from a lot of people that got put on the spot, but he knew Xan better. The man would have given him a proper and serious answer, as opposed to giving him something completely made up on the spot. With a stretch, he watched as Xan finally caved, and gave him the answer that he was looking for, or at least... one that he assumed would be coming from the man.

"I think I understand. Every person has a reason for existing, as does perhaps every weapon. That's what you said right? If I can perhaps gather the proper words for this, then I'll try to name the reason for my swords to exist. Unfortunately they don't exist simply to help me to 'combat evil' or 'protect the ones that I love.' For these tasks I do not need swords, and if I did, I could simply use normal, ordinary swords. No, if I'm right about my theory of reason, then I should say that the Swords' reason to exist is to serve as the ultimate and final means to an unknown and nearly impossible end, though I suppose that the wording is both incomplete and perhaps slightly morbid." Oh? That was certainly an interesting answer. A slightly coy smile streaked across Dai's lips as he slowly stood up from his seated position and looked at the wall across from Xan with a look in the red eyes that showed every feeling that he was experiencing at the moment. He laughed, with a laugh that was both sorrowful and yet... happy. There was a tinge of happiness and understanding in that voice as he took a single step forwards, the hollow sound ringing throughout the hallway. He laughed, and turned towards Xan with a smile on his face.

"...I'm jealous. I've never had anything I could even call purpose-filled. Even Reila... doesn't look at me like I'm the same." He shook his head and looked over to the side, "Which is why I need to be able to make something with more than just hollow intentions... something I can call the protector of those I care about..." He closed his eyes and moved his gaze to the floor, sighing softly as he hung his head, "Because that's all I want to be... I want Reila, and I want her to be safe... and I'll do anything for that to happen." He looked up at the man with steeled eyes, lids opening to reveal new purpose behind them. Daigoro Ito gave a confident smirk to Xanthus Icarus, and clenched a metallic fist tightly. "So I need to do something. I dont' know what, but I need an ultimate and final means to an unknown and nearly impossible end." He laughed softly and gave a friendly grin, nodding internally. Not that he knew it, but in the back of his mind... he felt something breaking further. It wouldn't be long...

Until Daigoro Ito was completely himself once more.

[Xan]

"...I'm jealous. I've never had anything I could even call purpose-filled. Even Reila... doesn't look at me like I'm the same. Which is why I need to be able to make something with more than just hollow intentions... something I can call the protector of those I care about...Because that's all I want to be... I want Reila, and I want her to be safe... and I'll do anything for that to happen. So I need to do something. I dont' know what, but I need an ultimate and final means to an unknown and nearly impossible end."

Xan's eyes widened slightly; they had been half closed as he had amused himself with Ambition and Condemnation. Now, the movements ceased, and he appeared to be paying more attention to Daigoro. The Ishvallan smiled, a knowing smile that came accompanied by a chuckle that was barely more than a slightly changed outward breath of air. He liked the new look in Daigoro's eyes, much preferring it to the one that had been on his face beforehand. Taking a deep breath, Xan brandished his blades one last time before sheathing them in a display of rotating metal and moonlight flashes. Afterwards, he took a step forward and placed his right hand upon Dai's shoulder, giving him a return friendly smile.

"Now that's a bit more like it. So, the man who saw himself as the stepping stone now wants to rise up and become the protector? Good! Hmm... Although I don't know what to say about much else, I do know that I can say with certainty that you'll find your 'means', so long as you hold your 'end' in sight. And if you need help, you know that you have me to count upon at least!"

Instead of chuckling, as would have been considered more along the lines of Xan's personality, he actually laughed, a full laugh that traveled down the hallways, the sound bouncing around off the walls. After a few moments worth of laughter, Xan breathed deeply and removed his hand from his friends' shoulder. He then cocked his head to the side a bit, as though slightly confused about something. He then straightened his head slowly, and with the confused look disappearing.

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