Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Now that he had a better understanding of Arika's intent, Vahn explained his own to her, including his intentions to become a deterrent. This subtly changed the dynamic in their relationship, as, due to his desire not to be directly associated with any nation, Vahn would continue to act as he pleased when the situation called for it. He would help Arika grow stronger and support her aspirations, but, in the end, many others would fall under his umbrella. He wasn't going to act in the interests of the Ostian Royal Family, and, depending on the circumstances, she might have to 'fight' political battles and such without his direct support.

As she had never expected Vahn to be the guarantor of her authority, Arika had little to say about the shift in their dynamic. She understood that her actions were somewhat selfish, so, just knowing he would support her was enough to give her a boost in confidence. As his status grew, so would her perceived backing, and, if she put in an adequate amount of effort into her training, her power would increase exponentially. This was something she was absolutely certain of, as, after seeing the incomprehensible display of skill demonstrated by Vahn, Arika felt like her horizons had broadened beyond compare...

Following the rather eventful dinner, there was little else to do other than make idle conversation or sleep, so, after cleaning up all the dishes, everyone retired to the same room. Asuna would insist on sleeping in the same room, so, rather than make an issue out of it, Vahn had asked Fenrir to transfer the futon from the second room into the first. She would be sharing a futon with Arika, but, as the two mattresses had been laid next to each other, Asuna wouldn't be too far away.

Though it would have been possible to force Arika and Asuna to stay in their own room, Vahn took pity on the two girls who had lived isolation for much of their lives. Asuna had already imprinted on him, so it was virtually impossible for him to break her heart by pushing her away. As for Arika, Vahn knew she would have put on a strong front, but, in reality, she would have felt lonely to be the only one staying in her own room. He might not be willing to reciprocate her burgeoning affections, but that didn't me he was going to force her to experience isolation even after finally leaving Ostia.

Fortunately, Asuna was a strong 'barrier', so, with Fenrir laying on his left, Asuna laying on his right, and Arika laying on the opposite side of her, the chances of any 'accidents' happening were slim. It was also fortunate, albeit a little strange to witness, that Asuna slept like the dead when she finally passed out. He noticed Arika didn't really move much at all after going to sleep on the Airfish so it was highly probable she shared the same constitution. This was a little worrisome, for a number of reasons, but, as it prevented the girls from moving around while they slept, Vahn felt it was a boon during times like this...

As Asuna slowly faded off into the land of dreams, Vahn watched with intrigue as her presence itself seemed to fade away. Her biological functions slowed to a crawl, and, if you didn't observe her very closely, it was impossible to tell if she was even breathing. One of the scariest parts was, even if you opened her eyes, it was as if the life had completely drained from them. They didn't move or twitch in the slightest, and, if not for the phenomenal amount of electrical activity in her brain, Vahn would have assumed she didn't even dream...

Confirming Asuna was asleep, Vahn rose to a seated position, finding Arika's eyes staring straight back at him as she curled up next to her younger cousin. Then, without raising her head, she asked, "Is there something else you wanted to discuss? I'm not particularly tired, so I can humor you for a short while."

Without beating around the bush, Vahn plainly stated, "There is something you need to know since we will be traveling together from now on. It is about the truth of this world, the people instigating this war, and important matters regarding the future. I had originally intended to remain silent and allow you to uncover the truth on your own, but, after hearing the conviction in your tone, I believe it would be unfair to withhold too many secrets."

Hearing Vahn's words, Arika began to feel somewhat nervous, but, without letting it show on her face, she, too, rose to a seated position, plainly stating, "Go on..."

Ignoring the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn adopted a serious expression as he explained, "Though it has irreversibly changed due to my interference, I am privy to information regarding the future of this world. My knowledge is limited to what is recorded and passed down through the annals of history, but, prior to my descent, I memorized almost everything that was meant to take place over the next hundred years. I possess encyclopedic knowledge regarding significant people, places, and events..."

Arika wasn't quite sure what she was expecting Vahn to say, but, the moment she realized he wasn't just messing with her, an uncharacteristically serious look appeared on her face. She was well aware of the existence of Magic that governed both Space and Time, but, after the Age of Gods had come to an end, such things had all but vanished. Vahn's words made it sound like he had come from the future, but, as she listened on, it quickly became apparent that there was a lot more to it than that...

Vahn knew he was taking a risk by revealing bits of the truth to Arika, but, if the Akamatsuverse was anything like the Nasuverse, being obscured from the perception of the Overseer implied there was a fair chance the current Time Axis simply didn't exist from their perspective. If they were absolutely omniscient, it would be impossible to hide from them, so, as he had experienced personally, it was far more likely that they were only truly aware of the things they were interested in. This meant, so long as he didn't attempt to establish contact with the Overseer, it was highly likely they oblivious to the changes he was making to the current Time Axis.

Since his support of Arika and Asuna would drastically alter the course of fate, Vahn felt personally responsible for ensuring they were able to live happy lives. He had originally intended to guarantee this through less direct means, but, after hearing Arika's statements during dinner, he couldn't help but feel inspired by her conviction. She didn't seem like the type of person to be swayed by things like prophecies and predetermined fate, so, rather than keep her in the dark, he decided to bite the bullet, explaining much about the 'truth' of this world. This also included the part she was meant to play, the ultimate fate of her country, her fated meeting with Nagi, and, most importantly, matters involving the Mage of the Beginning and Eva...

Needless to say, Arika was somewhat skeptical, but, after several hours of questioning, she seemed to completely believe his words. This left her feeling shaken and uncertain, but, after a long period of silence, lasting nearly half an hour, she ultimately raised her head, stating, "The history you speak of never accounted for your presence, correct? That means everything that is currently happening is a deviation from the intended course of history. Depending on our actions in the present, even the most significant of future events could be completely invalidated..."

Nodding his head, Vahn reiterated, "In the original timeline, the fate of your mother and aunt was never recorded. You were announced as the Queen of Vespertatia after the war had begun, and, if not for Ala Rubra, we would know very little about what took place behind the scenes. Even then, it is impossible to know what happened to people like Vesperina, but, based on what happened with Asuna, it is safe to assume she had been killed during the latter's kidnapping..."

Hearing Vahn's reminder, Arika looked towards the sleeping Asuna, her expression morphing into one of pain and conflict as she imagined what it must have been like for her cousin to experience so many tragedies. Not only was she kidnapped, losing her mother in the process, but it seemed as though her memories of the event had been completely erased. This might seem like a mercy, but, after hearing about Asuna fighting alongside her 'son', Arika couldn't shake the feeling her cousin had been manipulated. She went from being a weapon used by the enemy to one used by the very people who were supposed to protect her, all without knowing the truth until months before she had little choice but to sacrifice herself for the sake of a world she knew nothing about...

Though it could all be 'coincidence', Arika found it rather unbelievable that her son would end up as a teacher at the very school Asuna had been enrolled in during the exact period of time that Cosmo Entelecheia made a comeback. It was obvious that everything had been carefully orchestrated, and, based on Vahn's revelations, it seemed like her son had even been orphaned shortly after his birth. She had completely disappeared from the annals of history, and, despite being the strongest Mage in the entirety of Mundus Magicus, even her would-be husband vanished.

To further emphasize the fact everything was part of some convoluted plot, it seemed that her son had been left completely ignorant of the truth, only finding out after he visited Mundus Magicus for the first time. After that, he was manipulated by the people that were supposed to be the allies of his parents, people who had virtually ignored his existence until he became strong enough to be of use to them...

Even if she knew there must have been a reason behind everything that happened, Arika couldn't help but feel a little sick to her stomach when imaging the actions of her future self. Just knowing she had enslaved her people, even if it was for their benefit, caused a shudder to run through her body. What made this even worse was the fact that, instead of doing everything she could to try and liberate them, she ran off to give birth to a child she wasn't even going to raise. There was a fair chance she had died during childbirth, but, based on the strengths of her supposed allies, it was far more likely that she had simply abandoned him in order to further some unknown objective...

Sensing the chaotic fluctuations in Arika's aura, Vahn was preparing to console her until she looked back at him and said, "I do not care about such a dismal future. Now that I know the truth, I will do what I can in the present to make an even better future. Thank you for telling me these things. Even if there is a chance you are lying, the fact you saved my mother is irrefutable. Had you arrived even a few days later, I would have been mourning her passing right now. For that, you have my endless and undying gratitude..."

As she was speaking, Arika felt like she was beginning to understand why her mother had pushed her to follow Vahn. It wasn't simply to allow her and Asuna to experience the outside world, but, as they had discussed prior to the departure, following him ensured the survival of the Ostian Royal Family and the prosperity of Mundus Magicus. He had seemingly come to their world in order to protect it, and, though it was clear he was still keeping some things from her, Arika knew she had benefited greatly just by hearing him speak about the future...

Understanding why her 'other' self had made so many mistakes, a feeling of unbridled conviction swelled within Arika's chest as she firmly stated, "I want to become stronger."

Hearing the spirited Queen's words, Vahn nodded in understanding, a wry smile spreading on his face as he said, "That was always my intention. As I explained during dinner, I have my own path to walk. I will do what I can to protect the world, itself, but the prosperity of its people penultimately lays in the hands of those who will lead them. You are one of the candidates I have recognized, but you are not the only one. Do you best to build strong bonds with those you encounter during your journey, as, in the end, they will be your strongest allies when it comes to unifying the people and bringing peace to the Magical World."

Though she didn't believe Vahn would play as inactive a role as he implied, Arika still nodded her head in understanding. At the same time, however, she wondered what she should do concerning the members of Ala Rubra, and, most importantly, Nagi. Her current impression of the man was that he was an idiot, albeit a very powerful one. She didn't understand how her other self had fallen in love with him, but, after hearing about her two-year imprisonment and subsequent rescue, it almost felt like she had simply 'given up'. The fact he was only fifteen-years-old was the most obvious sign that she had given up, as, based one what Vahn had said, this was his age in Mundus Ventus. If this was translated into Mundus Magicus years, he would only be around eight years old, and, inversely, she would be well over thirty back on Earth.

Members of the Ostian Royal Family aged very slowly, allowing them to live well over two-hundred years within the mana rich environment of Mundus Magicus. This translated to nearly four-hundred years back on Earth so Arika could only think her other self had been desperate to become involved with someone who might not survive a quarter of her lifespan. He would gradually grow into an old man in a relatively short period of time, leaving her married to someone who looked several times her age despite being much younger.

Arika didn't consider herself vain, but she simply couldn't understand what kind of circumstances had led to her involvement with Nagi. Knowing the future of their child and the fate of her cousin only filled her with even greater doubts, making it seem like she had completely lost her mind. Yes, she would do everything she could to protect Mundus Magicus and its citizens, but, no matter how she looked at the situation, partnering with a human boy just to produce a child they would both abandon didn't seem like the most 'effective' solution. This wasn't even taking into consideration the fact Nagi had apparently imprisoned Eva in the same school that her son became a teacher at, ultimately leading to her becoming his Master and turning him into an immortal vampire when he was only ten years old...

Feeling as though everything was part of some contrived scheme, Arika resolved herself to handle things herself this time around. She wouldn't leave the fate of Mundus Magicus in the hands of her child and her cousin. Instead, she would take matters into her own hand, and, if she wasn't strong enough, she would simply become stronger. There were countless ways to extend her training time, and, with Vahn's support, Arika was confident she could reach the pinnacle...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Someone put this kid in a sleep study...','Is this the legendary 'truth bomb', the rarest item in all of Fanfiction!?','Arika either just became the protagonist or the main heroine of the Record xD...')