DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Tales of Symphonia (either game), they all belong to Namco. Really, it's not all that surprising, is it? I wouldn't have to write fanfictions if I owned it...

This story was inspired by Blue October's Ugly Side. And no, I don't own the song either incase you didn't notice that I said it belonged to Blue October.

Ugly Side

A young boy of about eleven years old opened the heavy metal door as quickly as he could, having thought he heard yelling from the other side of it. He knew better than to think it was his friend, but somewhere in the back of his mind he thought it could have been. Although when he entered fully into the lab, the first thing that his lime green eyes saw was a male two years his senior on the ground, seeming to be somewhere half-way between having tripped and falling face first to the ground. "Richter!" The boy shouted, rushing to his friend's side and attempted to help him up. "Are you alright?"

While they had only known each other for a year or so, the young blond hoped that they had come farther in becoming friends than it appeared. So it didn't surprise him in the slightest when the older of the two got back to his feet on his own, with not so much as a glance in the other's direction. "It's nothing, Aster," the redhead muttered, keeping his gaze somewhere around the other's shoulder. "Don't worry about it." From that point on, he noticed the other's gaze to be much more distant than it usually was; and that in itself was saying something.

I must have sneezed
On knees I freeze
I mean I just choked up

That night, Richter couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had plagued him ever since he had gotten into a slight argument with a fellow half-elf that afternoon. His roommate had decided to stay awake a little while longer to finish up his work for the day. So the redhead laid atop the covers, trying quite determinedly not to think about Aster's face when he saw the half-elf collapsed on the ground. It was unnatural for a human to care so much about the welfare of an "inferior being" such as himself. None of the other humans Richter had ever met were like that. They all just either walked by and ignored him or purposely beat on him in some way. It wasn't until the soft creaking of the thin wooden door met his slightly pointed ears that the feeling started to ebb away. The blond tried to keep as quiet as he could, shuffling over towards his own bed, but caught his roommate's attention anyway. Richter tried to rationalize it in any other way than what first came as an explanation, but the young half-elf didn't want to admit Aster had such an effect on him.

Slowly, he drifted off to sleep. His dream took the pre-teenage boy to a fiery room, the warm temperature easily felt despite the fact it was supposed to be a dream. Richter glanced to his side to see a prone figure dressed in a familiar white lab coat. With nothing but a hunch, he felt his body dash over and kneel down beside the other. There were a few facts about the stranger that struck Richter immediately: the familiar designs on the coat, the teenager's short blond hair… His dark green eyes widened, mouth opening in a gasp. "...Aster?" The boy mentally froze, yet he could feel his arms and hands moving of their own accord to check the other's pulse. Nothing. Even in the heat of the room, his skin was beginning to lose it's warmth.

"You see? The world is no worse off without that foolish parasite." The voice echoed through the redhead's mind and body, doing worse damage than any physical bullying Richter had ever experienced prior to that night.

His heart ached at the sight as his line of sight rose from the body and straight forward where it had probably used to be: to meet a pair of emotionless blood red eyes.

"...Richter…?"

Richter's hands clenched into fists, eyes narrowing in an anger so strong the boy was convinced he hated the being before him even though he had no idea whom it was. His whole body began to shake slightly. "How could you?" He shouted just to be stunned frozen by the deepness of his voice. How old am I in this dream? "You…" The redhead started, gaze never wavering from that of the one standing in the middle of the circular platform.

"Richter?"

"You damn bastard!" Richter felt his arms shift and take a hold of a pair of what the boy realized were the hilts of an axe and a katana. His body bolted forward towards the red-eyed male, but the increased shaking felt even more real than the rest of his dream.

Somehow I slept
I dream, I mean
I dreamt of nothing

"Richter!"

The aforementioned preteen shot straight up in bed, eyes widening as he looked to his side to come face to face with the young blond he considered a closer acquaintance than most. But if his dream was anything to go by, they would eventually become good friends if he got that angry over him.

"Richter, are you okay?" Aster wondered, eyes easily showing their concern, as he watched the redhead's dark green gaze stare lifelessly into the space before him. It made the boy wonder just what his friend had been dreaming about. ". . . Richter?"

The older of the two snapped his head to the side to look directly towards the blond. "Aster?" His voice had an odd shake to it, but the one addressed couldn't place it at the moment. He noticed that Richter seemed to have frozen up until he actually spoke; his usual calm breathing having sped up as well.

Lime eyes softened. "Are you alright, Richter?"

Nodding, the red-haired half-elf settled back down and pulled the covers up to his shoulders as he turned his back to Aster to lay on his side. "It's nothing, really."

While they both knew he was lying, Aster simply nodded to himself and returned to his bed. Why does he have to put up such a wall…?"

I'm able to breathe
A sweet relief
Now that you're here for me

A few years have gone by, and that gap Richter forced to be there decreased almost completely. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the blond had become so dear to him that he'd be willing to die if it meant Aster survived. Although no matter how much he disliked the fact, he knew his best friend would willingly do the same for him. In short, he trusted Aster with his life. So when the blond asked him to travel away from Sybak, he agreed despite his reservations from being half-elven.

Neither of them knew what exactly their destination looked like. For to their knowledge, no one had ever recorded what it looked like in any sort of detail. They weren't even sure anyone had ever stepped foot within the supposed home of Ratatosk, the Great Kharlan Tree's Guardian: the Ginnungagap.

Aster's gaze roamed all over as they came to what appeared to be a forest path. They followed along, a feeling of foreboding slowly making its way into Richter's being. It didn't bother him until the sound of their footsteps against the ground changed from hitting dirt to a more rocky substance and the temperature around them rose. Upon realizing why he was so unconsciously uneasy, the young adult froze at the entrance of the room.

The rage he had felt in his dreams within this room filled the redhead. Richter could tell Aster was staring at him in confusion, yet he was alone as he stalked off across the first of the two bridges; stopping momentarily in the center of the raised platform in between them to calm himself.

A northern degree
Dove into me
Now I'm recovering

I need to focus. If I allow emotions to affect me, Aster will surely hate me if he witnesses such a drastic change. Richter breathed in slowly and then let it out at the same rate. As he did so, the sixteen year old human made his way to the redhead's side.

"Are you okay?" Light green eyes stared up at the apparent calm expression on his friend's face, not believing it in the slightest. Their eyes met momentarily, the older of the two nodding silently before turning to face the way they were to go.

"Don't worry, Aster," Richter told him, hoping for all it was worth that his words would be true. "It's nothing." He started forward, his best friend's footsteps falling instep with his own.

I only want you to see
My favorite part of me

"SILENCE!"

Richter couldn't believe his eyes as a wave of light and heat washed over him, a hand coming up to shade his gaze from the practically blinding glare. Only when it faded away did he realize Aster was no longer beside him. Fear of his dreams, no from his nightmares, becoming reality took a hold of the redhead. He didn't want to look to his left, this particular part of his occasional dreams having always scared him. To turn and see the one person he had ever let past his defense almost completely laying motionless on the ground. But he knew a part of him wanted to. If not to confirm what he thought had happened, then to know he could let all of it out. All the years of frustration and anger at the world; at himself. So he allowed himself to rush over to Aster's side, kneeling down like he always did in the dreams to check the younger male's pulse. Nothing. Just as he thought.

"You see?" Ratatosk began smugly. "The world is no worse off without that foolish parasite."

Richter's eyes narrowed, even as he gently set down his friend's wrist. In one swift motion, he stood to face the Summon Spirit. "How could you?" He shouted, the echoes of his own voice eventually coming back to his slightly pointed ears. "You…" His body began to shake in anger, hands clenched into fists. "You damn bastard!" Those present could easily hear the hostility and sorrow in Richter's voice as he yelled at Ratatosk, unsheathing his weapons as the eighteen year old young man darted forward to attack. "How. Could. You. Do. That?" Richter struck continuously, his rage blinding him to anything and everything else around him. Not even the Centurions' words could get through to him. All the young male wanted was to finally get to extract the revenge on the being before him whom had repeatedly put him through the death of his best friend ever since he was young. Those dreams…The dreams never allowed the redhead the satisfaction of actually taking the situation into his own hands. Never allowed him to act upon his anger; until now. When it actually happened in real life.

And not my ugly side
And not my ugly side
Ugly side…

"The mayor has given permission for Emil to accompany me. Now move out of the way." Despite objection, Richter strode forward, Alba moving out of the way as the younger male neared him. He turned back towards Emil. "Well? What are you waiting for? Let's go."

Just as Richter was about to enter the caves, Emil's uncle took a tentative step forward. "W-wait! There are monsters in there!"

A cold, forest gaze turned upon Alba. "And?" The redheaded half-elf crossed his arms across his chest as the explanation of "it's dangerous in there" was given along with a request that Emil stay outside with the other humans…Not that anyone mentioned the difference in race. A fiery eyebrow rose in speculation. "Didn't you just call him a demonic little brat?" Richter turned to the young blond in question expectantly. "Well? What do you want to do?"

Emil lowered his light green gaze to the dirt, the only thing coming from his mouth a bit of stuttering. His uncle roughly took a hold of the young adult's bicep, knocking him slightly off balance. "You're staying here. Got it?"

"Make up your mind. Even dogs can think for themselves."

Lime eyes widened, looking up just in time to see Richter turn back towards the caves and disappear into the darkness they provided. "Who the hell does he think he is?" Alba demanded, his grip tightening a bit. "Come on, let's go."

Hooooooowwwwwwwooooooo. . .

Every single person standing outside the caves froze at the sound of the monster's howl, the youngest seemingly the most effected. "I'm going with him…" While Alba started to question if he had heard his nephew correctly, Emil lifted his gaze to meet the darker ones of his relative. "I'm going!" With that, the young adult broke out of Alba's slackened hold and hurriedly dashed into the caves. He hopped down the steps two at a time, eyes wide in fear that he was going to be chased down and dragged back to Luin. Light green eyes found the partly familiar outline of Richter and the pair of legs connected to them took Emil to the older male's side. "U-um, Richter, I-I'm sorry…"

With a slight shake of his head, Richter sighed lightly and turned to face the blond. "Alba really laid into you. Why didn't you say anything back?" Another apology in reply. "You were like that with the kids in town, as well. Bullies like that will never leave you alone if you don't stand up to them. Do you understand?" His eyes narrowed in anger, not at Emil but, at his memories. "Nothing will change if you just take it!"

Emil slumped his shoulders forward in apparent defeat. "I…I'm sorry."

The red-haired male shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest. "What did I say about over apologizing?"

Almost immediately Emil's spine straightened completely. "Oh!" However, he never met the other's gaze. "R-right." He looked up at the feeling of a pair of hands settling down upon his shoulders.

"I'm not blaming you, Emil. You're free to do as you choose…" Lighter eyes finally met the darker pair, noticing a hint of sadness in them. "Just don't be so submissive all the time. Have more respect for yourself."

So hook up a C.B. Wave a way
For conversation flow

Forest eyes widened slightly in shock, their owner's lips falling into a small frown as the words left them. "You actually made a pact with Ratatosk? You fool!" Richter paid Emil's response only half his attention as a sword came flying towards him. Countering it with his own blade, the three present turned their attention to the far side of the town square.

There stood a young man with red hair looking smugger than any of them had ever seen…and considering the past, that was saying something. "Sorry about that," the newcomer told them, striding over to pick up his weapon. "It looks like my hand just slipped a bit." He stopped beside Emil's traveling companion, a girl with a pair of white flowers in her light brown hair named Marta, and took her hand in order to twirl her closer to him. "My darling little kitten, you're not hurt, are you?"

"Wait a minute, aren't you-?" Richter started, only to be cut off with a too polite smile.

"Well hello there. Generally, I don't care for talking to guys. I don't know who you are and I really couldn't care less." He spoke with an air of superiority Richter was all too familiar with, a slight hint of looking down upon Richter in his light blue gaze. "But you know, you should really learn the proper way to treat a lady." The smile disappeared, eyes narrowing in on his fellow redhead's. "Or perhaps you'd like to go up against me and that kid? Doubt you'd get very far with that battered body of yours'."

"I think I'll pass. Neither of you are my concern." With a shake of his head, Richter sheathed his sword, turning his attention on Emil. "Alice is plotting something. Be careful, alright?" With that, Richter turned and departed, telling himself that acting in such ways was the right thing to do. Emil needed to know he couldn't be trusted. Although despite everything since they met in Luin, a part of him wished that the blond probably two years younger than him wouldn't have let him go so easily.

I'm shown to your cage, to wage this rage
Don't let me go

A monster roared, practically deafening the pair of half-elves standing just a few feet away from it. "Hypnos, be quiet!" The female of the two spun around towards the lion-looking creature as she shouted, her eyes narrowing into a glare. Throwing a bit of a fit, the girl turned back to her kinsman. "So are you sure Martmart and that pet of her's are on their way to Izoold?"

Nodding, her red-haired companion turned his head away from her. "According to my sources, they've picked up a few of Lloyd Irving's old friends too." He took a step towards her, making eye contact with the childish woman. "They've decided to go against the Vanguard, Alice, despite their blood."

"AGH!" The supposed eighteen year old half-elf stomped her feet, both arms flailing at her sides. "It's not fair! Why do they still support him?" She continued on and on, the only one witnessing her temper tantrum beginning to regret meeting up with the Vanguard's combat unit leader. "And that pet of Martmart's! I can't stand him. It's just like he has no spine! It's disgusting to see a human like tha-"

While Alice would have continued, a pair of cold dark green eyes turned on her as she started off on her tangent about Emil. "Haven't you noticed?"

Golden eyes gazed up at Richter. "What are you…?" She gasped, a hand coming up to cover her mouth that was surprisingly shut for the time being. Giggles, although she'd never admit them to anyone but those whom witnessed it, started sounding from her muffled lips, a grin forming behind her hand. This should get interesting…

A kick and a scream is all that seems
To mean a lot thus far

Richter strode into the seemingly one-room building, plans of what he needed over all in mind. At the sound of the door closing, an old man turned from what he was doing to face the redhead. "Ah, Richter. Here to deliver your part of the bargain, are you?" He wondered, the desire to complete his collection as much as possible clear; even if it meant giving up one in exchange for a few others. Although the older of the two didn't know the other's intentions for the item in question, he didn't really care.

"Half of it at least," the redhead strode over, taking out a small package as he did so in order to hand it over to Koton.

Looking through it all carefully, the older male nodded once before raising his head back at Richter. "Right. So now the Balacruf Tombstone's all that's left to complete the deal."

"I know. You'll give up the Spiritual Tome, then?" Richter wondered in slight disbelief, the old collector's reputation proceeding him.

Koton nodded. "Of course, of course. What do you take my word for, a-?" While he was talking, the door opened from the outside.

Upon entering, the young blond immediately spoke, giving no concern for his elder. "Richter?"

Richter spun around to face Emil at the sound of his voice, completely shocked to see him at the moment. "Emil?" What are you doing here?

Emil dashed across the room towards the first person to be kind to him, his expression curious but worried at the same time. "What's the Spiritual Tome?" He wondered, giving Koton the feeling he was no longer wanted in the conversation by either male before him. "Does it have anything to do with Ratatosk?"

Although it would have been interesting to listen to, Koton decided to leave the two be and return to what he had been doing before Richter arrived. "Not directly," the half-elf replied evasively. They continued to discuss it, the conversation resulting in Emil ending up leaving to meet back up with his friends...only to make a detour over to Asgard for reasons the young blond wouldn't tell anyone; especially not Marta.

Once there, Marta was soon apprehended by the mayor. His reasons being he needed her help with getting ready for a festival that was to be held. At least, that's what he told her. While in truth, it was all a distraction created to help Emil with his errand. With just Tenebrae in tow, Emil made his way to the inn on the far left side of Asgard. He wandered around a bit, trying to find the correct room on his own, until a maid took pity on the boy and asked who he was looking for. The knight was in the middle of explaining when the door behind her opened to reveal none other than a slightly confused-looking Richter. "Ah! R-Richter!"

The maid turned around to look at whom Emil was talking about and blushed slightly at the sight. "I-I'm s-sorry, sir." She looked back at the blond. "Is he the one you were looking for?"

"Yes, if you would excuse us, Miss." Richter didn't quite notice it himself, but the maid had sighed wistfully as she watched Emil walk into the room the redhead had been waiting in. Moments after the door closed, he could hear her mumble something in a regretful tone. To his more sensitive ears, and considering the short distance between them at the moment Richter assumed what he heard was correct, it sounded like "why are all the good-looking ones gay?" Does she mean Emil…? Dark green eyes turned upon the young blond in question, the mind connected to them calculating the likelihood of it being true, never once thinking she could have meant himself. There certainly was a feminine look to him, not to mention how submissive and timid he usually is. Then again, those aren't necessarily defining qualities. It was only after a few minutes, however; that Richter was able to think about it at the moment. For a soft voice was trying to get his attention, but not really succeeding so far.

The redhead focused his gaze on his temporary companion, clearly waiting for the younger male to say something more than the other's name. "Um...S-so where do we go first?"

"There's a researcher here named Linar. I've been told he's an expert on the Balacruf Mausoleum. We need to go see him first."

Emil smiled happily. "I know Linar. My friends and I met him the last time we were here."

Somewhat amused by the blond's enthusiasm, Richter simply gestured towards the door. "Then lead the way."

The younger of the pair started towards the door, stumbling nervously before stopping to look up

at the redhead. "U-um…About Marta…"

"I made arrangements with the mayor. So long as she doesn't run into me, I won't kill her." Richter explained, his expression turning indifferent at the thought of Marta. "At least for now."

Emil smiled, eyes shining up at the redhead. "Thank you! I always knew you were a nice person, Richter!"

The aforementioned half-elf looked away, a slight blush on his cheeks. "Don't misunderstand!" He objected. "I still plan on taking Ratatosk's core from her." Still slightly embarrassed, Richter turned back to look Emil in the eye. "And when I do, she will die. Don't forget that."

With that having been said, the older of the two strode out the door, leaving Emil to marvel at the fact that he was able to make Richter of all people flustered. It made his smile widen just a bit before he paused, his head tilting to the side in slight confusion. "She couldn't have possibly meant Richter, could she?"

I won't let you on my stage, my page

"Hey, Emil. About that guy-"

The young blond turned from the door to look over at the light red-haired half-elf, Harley, in slight confusion. "You mean Richter? U-um...he can be a bit curt, b-but he's a good person. Really."

"You mean you don't know?" Harley glanced over at his friends for a second before turning his attention back to Emil. "Ah, I forgot. Humans can't tell." Seeing as he confused the boy even more with his words, he shook his head in response. "No, sorry. Forget I said anything, okay? And be careful out there."

Giving Harley a cheerful smile that could easily be read that he was still quite confused, but had decided to let it go, Emil nodded. "Right. I'll see you guys later."

You can't know

Emil rushed over to Richter's side as the redhead began to walk down the dirt path leading to the Balacruf Mausoleum. Once he caught up, the blond unconsciously relaxed a bit. "You seem to know a lot about ruins. Are you an archaeologist or something like that?"

Without even turning to look at his temporary companion, Richter's voice went cold. "I believe I told you I was in the Vanguard."

"O-oh, yeah." He visibly drew into himself, his head lowering to stare at the ground as he walked. "You're right. I'm sorry."

While all Emil could see of Richter were his boots, he heard the man sigh in aggravation; probably since the blond had apologized again for no reason. The redhead stopped just before entering the mausoleum to turn and face Emil directly. "A long time ago I did some work involving ruins. That's why I know what I know, alright?"

"Thank you!" Emil told him happily, head immediately springing back up to look at Richter's surprised expression, a smile upon his own.

"What?"

The smile grew slightly. "I'm just happy you answered one of my questions. I'd love to hear more about-"

"I have nothing else to say." With that, Richter turned and left Emil outside, causing the boy to sigh in defeat before dashing to catch up with his friend.

Inside the mausoleum, Richter stood patiently near the entrance, only turning to look Emil's way when he knew the boy wasn't paying attention to him. His mind couldn't help but compare the two of them. While the outward appearances were almost identical save for the clothing, their personalities were barely, if anything, alike.

All of a sudden, a small, seemingly nervous voice interrupted his train of thought. "Um...Wh-why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"

Richter hesitated for a moment before turning away. "No, I'm sorry. It's nothing."

Thinking he possibly did something wrong, Emil's shoulders unconsciously slumped forward. Although when he repeated the others words in his head, something caught his attention that caused him to look up at Richter in surprise. "Why-?"

"You look like a friend of mine," the redhead remarked coldly, not looking at Emil at all. "That's all."

Since the younger of the pair hadn't even been thinking about their current conversation, but instead on the fact Richter, of all people, had apologized. "What?"

"Just forget about it. Let's get moving. We have to find the Balacruf Tombstone as soon as possible."

Yet you have to know

Emil stopped beneath a shady tree, a small rosemary plant beside him as he turned back to face his companion. "This is the place."

With a nod of understanding, Richter handed the younger of the males a small shovel while he knelt down to begin digging with his hands. After all, he hadn't been expecting not to be alone. A small smile graced his lips momentarily as the small, white item known as an Angelatops was found. "Thank you, Emil. If we hadn't found any rosemary here, I'd be forced to start my search all over again."

The blond grinned up at the first person he knew to show him a bit of kindness. "I guess good fortune comes to good people."

Richter rose an eyebrow at the comment, looking down at his supposed enemy in both speculation and slight suspicion. "Was that sarcasm?"

Lime green eyes sparkled, their owner laughing a little. "Just a bit."

Feeling so at ease, the older of the males didn't think it odd when he allowed himself to just simply reach and throw his head back in amusement, his laughter much louder than Emil's had been. At the action, both Emil and the pair of Centurions accompanying them started at the redhead in shock. Emil had even went as far as to take a step back in surprise. Looking around before focusing on the blond, Richter wondered as to the reason they all were so shocked.

"You…laughed."

Richter scoffed, pushing his glasses higher in a quick gesture. "Of course I laugh sometimes." He purposely allowed himself to smirk at the boy. "What do you think I am?"

That I
I only want you to see
My favorite part of me

Regal and Emil dashed through the door, followed closely by Tenebrae. Shortly after they did, the scene before them caused the eyes of all three of them to widen in shock. Richter held Marta against an ice statue by means of his hand around her neck.

"Richter! Please, stop this!"

Noticing the trio due to Emil's yell, the redhead glanced over out of the corner of his eye while keeping most of his attention on killing Marta. "So you've found me, Emil." Richter paused for a few seconds, almost contemplating if he should continue on with the original plan. "I didn't want you to see this, but I guess I have no choice." Turning completely back towards Marta, he was only slightly aware that Aqua had decided to attack the rest of the human girl's friends.

"You don't have to do this, Richter." Sky blue eyes made contact with a set of narrowed dark green, her expression sad but serious. "At least wait until Emil is-" Marta froze, the tip of Richter's sword rising to her throat.

They both heard a soft clapping, along with the Centurion of Water's angry cry of "how could you?" However impressed Marta was that Regal and Emil were able to take on Aqua's monsters, her fellow Vanguard member was not. With a silent farewell, Richter thrust his blade straight through Marta's heart, the tip of the metal meeting the ice behind her with a sickening thump. Marta slowly sunk to the ground, the swords having been swiftly withdrawn upon seeing her previously wide eyes close.

"Marta!" The entire room froze while the yell echoed around them, a certain blond almost collapsing to the ground in pain. Every set of conscious eyes watched as Emil's body shook with both anger and sadness, his knees practically giving way to gravity. "You…" His head snapped up to stare directly at Richter with blood red eyes, a small smirk just below them. As the blond unsheathed his blade, his target momentarily paid him no attention as he retrieved Ratatosk's core from Marta's body. "You damn bastard!" Richter's gaze flashed from analyzing the core directly towards Emil at his choice of words. "How could you? How could you do that to Marta?" Emil charged towards Richter, his eyes almost glowing in fury. Their familiarity distracted him enough that all the redhead did was to jump over the enraged male's attack, causing the blond to falter and roll across the ground. He motioned to Aqua to follow, making a quick exit; only to return through a short passage way that'd normally be mistaken for just part of the wall. Why he did his consciousness couldn't tell you, but as for the rest of him…that part knew why quite well.

Dark forest eyes watched as Emil slowly made his way over to Marta's body, the blond's blade having been discarded where he'd fallen. "Damn it! If I was more powerful, I could've stopped this!" The eyes widened in shock.

So that side does care for her…What a surprise. Richter kept his gaze on the blue-clad male, Aqua trying but failing to get his attention. "Emil…" I'm sorry. He quickly turned his back on the group, mentally blocking out any sort of sounds that may come from behind him. A hand took out the core he had taken from Marta with a small scowl upon his lips. "An interesting technique, yet to the trained eye it's clearly a fake." Richter sighed, the sunlight beginning to shine upon him as he exited the caves. "I'll let them think they've fooled me…for now."

And not my ugly side
And not my ugly side

Richter strode silently down a corridor deep in the Cape Fortress, Aqua floating beside him while Emil trailed slightly behind the both of them. After the initial refusal to allow him to tag along, the blond was quite reluctant to try and make conversation. "Ri-richter?" No response. "R-Richter?...Richter!"

The redhead stopped in his tracks, a hand swiftly rose to flick a few strands of hair back behind his shoulder as he spoke. "I'm not deaf."

Light green eyes looked down at the ground, their owner feeling really awkward. "Y-you're a half-elf, right?"

"You couldn't tell?" Richter replied, turning around to stare at the blond incredulously. "Only elves and half-elves can use magic. Everyone knows that."

Emil shook his head. "I've never been clear on those kinds of things. Then again, I am hu-oh. So that's what Harley meant…"

"...Harley? That half-elf from Asgard?" Emil nodded in confirmation. "What about him?" Just as the blond was about to respond, Richter raised an open hand. "Never mind. What was your purpose of asking of my race?"

They both went silent, the older slowly growing impatient waiting for an answer while the younger was trying to think of how to word his original idea. The blond's head fell forward in resignation. "You…" Slowly, lime eyes rose to meet the set of forest ones hiding slightly behind their owners glasses. "You could be a half-elf, or anything else for that matter, and I'd like you just the same."

Richter's eyes noticeably widened a bit, and when he spoke his voice confirmed he had reacted in an unusual way. "How...can you say that?"

The young adult's arms swung forward, hanging limply in front of him. "I-I'm sorry if I-"

"Forget it." Richter commanded, turning his back to the blond and continuing on down the corridor.

As he was slowly left on his own, Emil searched through his bag for an item in particular. Once he found it, the boy looked up just as a flash of fiery red hair disappeared down a flight of steps. He darted down the hallway, finding the fact that there weren't any monsters odd, and only slowed down when he was about to crash into the redheaded half-elf. "Richter, do you think I should put this on?"

With a sigh, Richter turned to look down at the falcon-looking mask in Emil's gloved hand. "What is that?"

"It's the mask Lloyd was wearing. It should hide my face a bit," the blond explained, a small hopeful smile appearing upon his face. "That way, looking at me wouldn't bring up any painful memories, right?"

Richter scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. You are Emil, not Aster," he explained, a slight hint of pain sounding within his tone. "The two of you only share a resemblance." Emil tried to respond, but was soon stunned silent as he watched the first person he considered to be a friend turn away from him, whispering to himself. "That's how it has to be...or I'll curse this fate."

I only want you to see
My favorite part of me

The doors of the elevator open, allowing lime eyes to take in the scene before him. Genis, Sheena and Zelos lay on the ground, out cold, while Lloyd and Richter are squaring off. But while Lloyd looks exhausted, Richter still looks ready for more. "Why…?" The brunette wondered, panting. "Why are you so powerful?"

"I guess the heroes of world regeneration are no match against the power of the demonic realm." Richter replied as Emil rushed over to Lloyd's side. "Ah, Emil. I've finally made up my mind. Your form no longer matters to me…" As he spoke, the redhead charged his former companion, the first couple of attacks getting hurriedly blocked by the other's broadsword. "I will kill you!"

And not my ugly side
And not my ugly side

Noticing he was no longer alone, Richter turned away from the door to the demon realm to face Emil and his friends. "I'm afraid you're too late, E-no. You're too late, Ratatosk." He informed the blond. "You see, I've already summoned more demons."

Emil took a couple of steps forward, standing in between his companions and his first friend, a sorrowful look on his face. "Aqua already told us everything. She told us exactly why you're doing this."

"Is that so?"

The summon spirit boy's head fell forward. "I understand that losing your friend was agonizing for you, e-even heart-breaking, but…" He looked up, directly at Richter as the blond strode forward on his own. "but turning the entire world into Niflheim just to resurrect a single person, one single life is not right! Do you really think that Aster would be happy to come back to a world completely ruled by demons?"

At the mention of Aster's name caused Richter to curl both his hands into fists, an eerie fire slowly rising up below his feet. "You dare tell me what to do?" The redhead shook with anger. "You, who wears Aster's face? How dare you even think you have the right to tell me what to do? You who murdered Aster in cold blood!" Forest eyes sparkled through the flames with pure, unadulterated hatred.

Emil looked on for a moment before frowning as he unsheathed his broadsword. "Fine then. I'll just have to stop you by force!" With that, he charged Richter, preparing to attack with everything he had in order to stop the redhead's plan from succeeding.

So cold…

Their weapons clashed, the sound of metal against metal ringing through the air. "Richter, this isn't what Aster wanted!" Emil shouted, both blocking as well as taking the offensive as much as he could. "If you just-"

"Don't you dare talk about him while taking his form!" Richter commanded, bringing his axe down over the top of the blond's head, but met with the side of the other's blade instead of his opponent. "You may look like him, but you will never be Aster!"

Lime green eyes softened slightly, seeing the pain his first friend was in. "I-It's true that I killed him, but-"

Richter scowled. "Then don't try to stop me!"

Shaking his head, Emil stopped all movement, taking everyone by surprise. "I won't stop, Richter," he told the half-elf standing before him, and only the redhead. "Do you really think someone who said 'courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality'…" the boy saw the other flinch a bit at the mantra. "...would want to sacrifice the world just to come back to life? I-I once had a dream-"

"Shut up, Ratatosk!"

The tip of Emil's blade fell down to rest atop the ground, the blond's gaze never leaving Richter's eyes. "A dream where I had drawn a picture of my best friend and me, but he rejected it because of society's rules. Do you remember that drawing, Richter? I bet you still have it." Seeing the other's arms slowly fall limp at his sides, Emil took a step forward. "Why do you want to sacrifice the world just to have one person come back from the dead? I know you're better than this, Ri-"

"What do you know?" Richter demanded, taking a step back into his usual fighting stance, weapons raising. "My methods are my business. I won't take orders from you!"

Please…

The blond paid no attention to the other's raised weapons, his light green gaze seeing the pain shining through the forest eyes staring back down at him. "Please, Richter. Tell me your true intentions."

"My true intentions?" The half-elf demanded, narrowed eyes no longer shielded by his usual glasses. "Simple: to kill you, Emil! And banish Ratatosk from this world, for its' own good!"

As she looked on, watching the pair of males face off against each other, Marta's expression darkened as both her hands rose to rest on her hips. "You blockhead!" She shouted upon hearing Richter's words. "You may be hurt, but by doing all this you're hurting Emil as well!"

Richter scoffed, swiftly stepping towards his blond opponent as he prepared to bring Sol down upon the younger's head. "Then curse me from the land of the dead!"

A loud clang rang out throughout the room, echoing multiple times over until everyone couldn't focus on anything but that one sound's origin. Emil had stepped back and brought the side of his broadsword up to use as a shield. Both shades of green eyes met, causing the darker of them to pause for a few moments. "I won't die. The courage you taught me spurred me on," the human informed Richter. "We'll make sure that this world doesn't turn into a demonic realm. You and I both know that Aster would never want to-"

"Silence!" The redheaded half-elf commanded, swinging Mani across in an attempt to both distract and injure Emil. "I won't be distracted by your appearance any longer!"

And it's so cold...

The battle had ended, neither party really getting off without injuries. Although the demons were still kept back: Richter's plan hadn't succeeded. Marta stepped a bit closer to her blond knight. "...Emil?" She whispered, wondering which personality she was looking at before he looked up at her with blood red eyes. "No, Ratatosk…"

He smirked slightly. "Don't look so sad, Marta. I take back what I said about annihilating mankind." His words brought a sigh of relief to everyone's lips, some even smiling at the statement. "However, I can no longer guard the door all by myself." The blond's head turned to glance over at where Richter knelt, using Sol to keep his balance. "Since another being forced their way in, the ancient seal on the door is no longer working."

Slowly, the redheaded half-elf stood, sheathing his blade. "That would be my fault," he commented, taking a couple steps away from the door and closer to where Ratatosk stood. "It looks like I'll need to go ahead with my original plan anyway." When his words were met with nothing but confused stares, Richter took out a shiny stone. "I planned to seal the door with my own mana."

"If that's how you really feel, then I'd be willing to help you as well."

Dark green eyes snapped over to meet red, their owner feeling as shocked as he looked. "What?"

"Yes," Ratatosk nodded, crossing his arms across his chest. "I will rewrite the natural law of the world while you are guarding the door."

Still slightly suspicious of the summon spirit's motives, uncovered forest eyes tried to focus in on the older male's expression. After all, he had lost his glasses prior to his battle against Emil. And despite what the rest might think, he did need them.

Footsteps echoed throughout the room as Ratatosk neared the former Sybak researcher, a small, genuine smile upon his lips. For a moment, his eyes flashed bright green before reverting to deep red. "I am willing to do this to help lessen your suffering as well."

And now it's dark
I look for you to light my heart

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Ratatosk asked, gazing up at Richter in slight questioning.

Dark green eyes looked away for red momentarily. "Will he…?"

The older of the two shook his head. "It's only me. Emil will have no memory of this conversation."

With a sigh, the redhead nodded, setting himself more at ease than he had been. "Then yes, I'm sure. He's already decided to live the time Aster should have had as a human, so I won't say anything more about that." Even though they both knew he'd have wanted his friend back if it was possible.

Silence fell over the two, neither one quite sure what to say. Having remembered the past, Ratatosk wanted to talk about what had happened about two years ago. They both knew the Summon Spirit's outlook on the world had changed; mainly due to Marta's influence. Said girl was waiting patiently for Emil to leave the Ginnungagap with her. She was in their sight, yet out of earshot. Ratatosk looked back at her for a moment with a slightly saddened expression on in his eyes.

"It won't take long if you put everything you've got into it, you know," Richter commented upon noticing the other's expression.

Chuckling in response, the shorter of the pair turned back to his future partner with a smirk. "They say one's thoughts are easily voiced when you know they're similar to another's."

Richter scoffed, crossing his arms across his chest as he turned his head to the side. "What is that supposed to mean?"

A soft glow began to shine and outlined Ratatosk, his eyelids sliding down over his eyes. "It means I'm not the only one who wants to get this task over and done with." Although he was about to get a reply, the light brightened too much that it almost blinded those around him.

When the light dimmed, a pair of figures stood side-by-side. While one looked like he hadn't changed at all, the other was only someone Richter had seen once before. They both opened their eyes at the same moment. The one that used to be Ratatosk had bright green eyes while the other stared back at Richter with blood red eyes.

Before anything else could be said or done, Richter found himself bound around his waist by a pair of arms. "I'm s-" The blond froze, his light green eyes rising to look up at the darker shade. "I-I mean…Thank you, Richter."

"For what?" The redhead's eyes could barely be seen by anyone but Emil, but Ratatosk knew that he was trying not to allow his sadness to show through. They both wanted to send Emil off on a fairly good note and making the boy depressed was not going to do that. "I've only been getting in the way from allowing you to reach your-"

Emil shook his head, surprising the older male. "It was because of you that I've been able to break out of my shell." He smile, eyes sparkling slightly. "Besides, you had good intentions for what you were doing. So I want to thank you for looking out for me."

Dark eyes looked away, not wanting to make contact with the light ones before them. "You should know why I helped you initially by now."

A hand nudged the half-elf's side, causing him to look back at the blond human. "Yes, but even after you knew you could have gotten Ratatosk out of your way by killing me, you didn't try it when it was just me and Tenebrae with you on those few trips we took."

While Emil's other half couldn't help but listen to their conversation, he tried his best not to let either of them know that. Although Ratatosk took a bit of pleasure in seeing Richter's face actually show emotion for once so he almost let the fact slip when the red-eyed male barely concealed a chuckle at the blond's response.

Richter sighed, prying himself out of the young male's grip. "Be that as it may, your friends are waiting for you." His eyes met those of his late best friend, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I suggest you hurry if you don't want Marta any more angry with you than she already is after that stunt you pulled."

The young adult froze in his tracks, face going pale. "Oh, no. I-I completely forgot about that." Emil turned to look between Ratatosk and Richter. "Wh-what should I do? Marta's scary…" Dark green glanced over to deep red for a silent moment before neither of them could hold back their amusement. "H-Hey!" The blond stuttered indignantly. "It-it's not funny!" The other two continued to chuckle, slightly ignoring Emil's protests. The boy paused, thinking back on what he had said, and smiled. "Okay, I guess it is…"

I'm between the moon and where you are
I know I can't be…far