Okay, this is like two or three years due or something, but I really wanted to write a Mana Khemia crossover.

Depending on your responses, I may or may not write a one-shot on Vayne's side of the story.

R & R.

Enjoy~!

I once had a friend, you could say.

All these years I can't help but think of what happened to him and all the 'what-could've-been's. I couldn't help it. He was brilliant and honest and too good to be real. I admired him then, and I still do. He stayed true to himself until the end.

We used to be in the same workshop for the entirety of the curriculum. Initially, I saw him as a rival— not only because, as much as I hated to admit it, he was a better alchemist than I could ever aspire to be, but also because he couldn't see the value of what he had; the importance of his achievements to others like me, struggling hard just to do what he could easily perform.

I was very envious back then, and now that I think about it, a bit petty.

When I first met him, what passed through my mind was a brat pretending to be ignorant, when all he did was hold back on flaunting his 'genius'. I was wrong. I was horribly, horribly wrong.

Throughout the time I've spent with him and the rest of our workshop members, I learned that he was a genuinely kind and misunderstood person. He was a doormat personified. I used to sneer and look down upon him for letting others trample on his dignity, but when I found out why he had been like that…

I couldn't help but pity him.

"Hey, what's that?" Karol inquired, looking at a worn journal that Estelle was carrying.

The pages were yellow with age and the covers were old and could fall apart anytime. The pink-haired princess winced slightly whenever she turned a page, as it would crackle a bit. It was obviously from a long time ago, and the brown-haired boy could not understand why she would bring a book that obviously belonged to a museum or something.

"Oh, this?" She raised it. "I never got to read it back at the castle. It's a journal from one of the earlier nobles of the Empire during ancient times. It talks about his daily life, ranging from his duties to his personal matters. It's very fascinating." Her eyes sparkled at the prospect of a good read.

"What's so interesting about some old fart's life story?" Yuri interjected, after eavesdropping on the conversation. With his uncaring appearance, one would think he wasn't interested. "It's probably some gibberish about his glory and a few pinches of history."

"No, it's nothing like that," Estelle shook her head. "He narrates the story like a normal person would. See? Be careful, though." She handed the book to the dark-haired male. Said vigilante raised an eyebrow at the casual language written on the journal. The intricate insignia on the cover meant it belonged to a noble, but the words inside showed otherwise. How peculiar.

"Anything about ancient blastia studies and the like?" Trust Rita to inquire about that.

"Well, there isn't much about blastia yet. I read the earlier journals of the same person and it seems there weren't any barriers during their time. Instead, what they have was something called 'alchemy'."

"Alchemy, huh. I've heard about that." The brown-haired mage cupped her chin in thought. "From what I read before, it means making something out of nothing, and nothing out of something. It's a very complicated and outdated science. It certainly is a great loss to our community, but not as great as the legacy of blastia."

"So what exactly was his point in his journal?" Yuri interrupted before Rita could dabble into her technical terms. They didn't want their (meaning, him and Karol) brains to be fried early in the morning.

"In his later journals, he just described what he did everyday and people he met. He mostly told stories of his pilgrimage, becoming a traveling alchemist doctor in memory of his friend. This is the first one ever written, actually."

"That's nice of him," Karol commented.

Estelle beamed at him. "Say, do you want to read the rest of his story with me?"

I was such an unknowing brat back then. I was incredibly selfish. I was very ignorant. I never noticed what was happening until it had been too late to stop it.

My friend… he was going down a dark path. Our days of laughing and frolicking around the workshop? That was the calm before the storm. No one realized how much he had been suffering all that time.

He was a lonely individual. Like I used to be.

He never had a dream until much later. Like how I failed to reach my own.

Perhaps it had not been hate at first sight, rather, it was something of kindred spirits. And I simply couldn't accept the fact that someone may or may not understand what I've been going through.

"What is the next course of action, Commandant, sir?"

Alexei looked up from arranging his papers to address the person. Bright blue eyes framed by silver-gray strands stared back at him, unhesitant and unquestioning. Perhaps it had been the reason why he accepted him in the knights during the war, despite his young age. The commandant never told him of his plans nor did he indulge the silver-haired lieutenant any secrets.

He suspected that the youthful soldier was aware he had his own schemes behind the back of the empire, but since he did not voice it out, Alexei figured that his lieutenant-slash-vice-commandant thought it was none of his business. His eyes inwardly narrowed at that. There was no way any person could be nonchalant about such matters.

The male's eyes were what drew him towards the other. It was as if he could see straight into your soul. It was the reason why he made sure that the male would be at his beck and call. He also made sure that Khroma would keep an eye on him. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer, after all.

"Ah, yes," He shifted in his seat and placed his pen down. "Are the preparations complete?"

"Sir, yes, sir," He answered quietly, but filled with conviction and something Alexei could not pinpoint. "The Scifo brigade has been sent on a knights' pilgrimage as per your orders. From Captain Scifo's last log, his group were last in the forest just in the outskirts of Halure."

"I see," Alexei pressed his hands together. Things were going very smoothly. "For now, your brigade is to remain standby. Send this to Captain Schwann and give him my regards." He handed a white envelope to the young soldier. The male (who may or may not be in his twenties) gave a salute before turning sharply and left.

The commandant involuntarily shivered. The temperature suddenly became warm from that chilly atmosphere with his vice-commandant. There was something otherworldly about him, and the mysterious change in the suroundings was proof of that.

Something about the other simply rubbed him the wrong way.

In the beginning, I wanted to be an alchemist that my family could be proud of. From one of the most well-known alchemic families, we plummeted in status. I wanted to bring back the honor of our ancestors. I aspired to be the best of the best for glory and pride.

I did everything I could with my own hands. All of my achievements were fruits of my efforts. I even managed to contract a powerful being— the Mana of Light. My grades were flying colors and I was a respected student at Al-Revis.

Our graduation was a grim one, for we just lost an important person in our lives. Our friendship had never been the same since, and our group disbanded without another word.

…I never saw them again.

When he left our side, I decided to be an alchemist doctor, to honor his memory instead. If he had been here, knowing the doormat that he was, I was very sure that it would be his profession. I still brought glory to my family, so they never complained. I continued my pilgrimage, curing illness after illness, conjuring medicine after medicine, saving lives after lives. I didn't stop my charity work, and I don't plan to.

Then again, what was the point of saving the lives of thousands when I can't even save the one person that mattered?

Yuri blinked as Alexei thanked them for taking care and watching over Estelle. There was something sinister about the man, but he didn't have any proof of the man's wrongdoings. Hey, maybe it could've been his paranoia acting up like usual.

The man's vice-commandant-lieutenant-whatever creeped him out, too. The vigilante couldn't help but think that those eyes weren't natural— weren't human. And though his eyes were as blue as Flynn's, his friend's eyes were like the overwhelming ocean filled with warmth and calm. The other's eyes reminded him of broken glass neglected far too long to be repaired.

It looked brittle, vulnerable, and guarded at the same time. He was a different level of dangerous from the commandant, and the dark-haired male couldn't figure out who was the lesser evil of the two.

Seeing Repede willingly let the stranger pet him, he'd settle with him being far less likely to be a threat. That still doesn't change the fact that the soldier made his skin scrawl and the hairs on the back of his neck rise with wariness.

The soldier passed by him and muttered words he barely managed to catch. "I'm glad someone is trying to learn more of Roxis's story," before going after Alexei's retreating form. Yuri's eyes widened and turned around to ask who the hell was this Roxis person, but the mysterious soldier was too far away.

He shrugged and decided to confront the other on the next time they'd meet again.

One journal isn't enough to contain all the things I want to say. Perhaps I would write more in the future.

I can't tell everything that happened, nor will I indulge in further details.

I can't inform people about our daily adventures, of what was going on in-between our classes, and of our affiliations. I can't say anything on how much trouble we got in for my fellow workshop members' antics. I can't narrate the story behind that hilarious tale of a pink blob reproducing of all things, or even about the lazy gray-haired poltergeist in charge of the Resource Center.

I can't even tell anyone the technicalities of alchemy, as that would be against the rules.

All of us swore to secrecy that this would never escape our little circle to give respect to him. Human nature dictates people to judge quickly, and we didn't want people probing around and criticizing whatever that is left of him. We won't let his memory be tainted.

I can only write about my history, my reflections, my epiphanies… my feelings. And most of all…

I write this to share the story of one of the greatest sacrifices unknown to the world; to make people cherish their world even more.

Life is too short for anything, and time waits for no one.

All that's left are memories of a distant, fleeting joy and scars of an unresolved conflict.

I hope no one makes the same mistakes we did.

"Really, you're just like Roxis. Stiff and stubborn. You have no idea how hard it was to track all of you descendants down."

Alexei stared into nothing as he heard a voice speak to him during his final moments.

"Heck, you didn't even want to win."

What… do you know…

"You never wanted to wipe the entire human race and destroy the world."

That's a… lie. Who was talking? Can't he leave him be?

"You were only disappointed in others. You love it— this world that you fought for."

Fine, dance on his grave. Step on his ashes. Gloat upon his loss.

"This world may be filled with sorrow and despair, but it's still the home you cherish."

Warmth filled his being. Was this… how death felt like?

"As a vow to my friends, I will grant the wishes of their families."

A lone tear fell from his eye as he drew his last breath.

"The world shall be saved."

The world shall be saved, huh… is that what he truly wanted from the bottom of his heart?

"Farewell, Alexei Dinoia."

Honestly, I don't even know why I'm telling you this. You don't have any idea what Alchemy nor Al-Revis Academy is, nor do you know what exactly happened back then. You don't know about the fall of the island or the decline of the Mana in the surroundings. You don't even know what Mana are. Perhaps, it is better this way. What's happened in the past should remain in the past. Never look back to move forward to tomorrow.

However, if you ever have the time to spare, I humbly request that you read this. Know of our experience. Know of our history. Know of our mistakes, so that you may learn from them. I want this to live on not just as a myth, rather, as a real story of real events witnessed by real people.

"Hey, Flynn," Yuri greeted after entering through the window. The commandant opened his mouth to reprimand the other, before deciding to drop the matter and simply sighed in exasperation. The dark-haired guildsman snorted at the other's actions.

"Hm, what's this? No mother-henning from you? That's a first!"

The blond-haired soldier's eyebrows furrowed a bit at his mocking statement. "I would normally scold you, but telling you to use the door instead of the window wouldn't make any difference since you still won't do it anyway."

"Of course, Mother. What did you expect?" He gave a confident smirk towards Flynn, which the other mirrored with a tired smile along with the shake of a head. He shifted around the things on his desk before speaking up.

"So what brings you along? You just visited a week ago."

"What? Don't you have any faith in your good friend to visit you not once but twice in a row?" When Flynn only gave him a deadpanned stare, he chuckled. "Nah, I just decided to drop by and see what you've been doing. And to give you this," He brought out the same worn journal that Estelle has been carrying around.

"A journal?"

"Yup," He answered as if his point was obvious. "I forgot to give it back before. Estelle dropped it back in Zaude. It's one of your ancient Imperial logs." Flynn's interest was immediately piqued and he carefully flipped the pages, skimming the information contained within. It was quite the story, he could see.

While the other was busy scanning the worn book, Yuri looked around his friend's new office. Nothing changed much, except for the fact that there seems to be more paperwork than ever, and—he didn't think it was possible—even less personalized than his previous one. His eyes drifted back to Flynn's desk when he saw the edge of an envelope sticking out from the bottom of the stack.

Quickly pulling it out, he noticed the seal on the parcel and the neat writing that indicated it was a resignation letter addressed to Flynn. "Hey, lookie here. We've got ourselves an early retiree."

"A resignation letter? Who could it be?" He dropped the book gingerly to take the parcel from Yuri's hands. He froze in his seat. It was the resignation letter of Alexei's missing lieutenant. Where has that person been, anyway?

"What is it, Flynn?"

"This is the Vice-Commandant's… Vayne Aurelius's letter."

Yuri's eyes widened at the name. It was the same name written at the end of the journal. "What did you say his name was again?"

If we were to be given a second chance and be reborn, I would like us to be friends again.

I dedicate this to him… to my greatest friend, Vayne Aurelius.

—Roxis Rosenkrantz

My explanation:

Alexei is Roxis's descendant. The Rosenkrantz family is a noble house during Roxis's time, but their status died down eventually. Roxis was the last prominent alchemist in their family. Remember that in MK2, which is like fifteen or so years after, it was the 'Fall of Alchemy', therefore, not even Roxis's great status can save his family status forever if alchemy dies down. The Rosenkrantz family would eventually be just a bunch of commoners after being downgraded, and thus, that's how I linked it to Alexei (because Alexei is a commoner, and Roxis is a noble whose journal was in the castle).

Besides, Roxis is a prominent alchemist during his time, so I'm sure his logbooks, journals, and researches would be preserved.

I repeat: I may or may not write a one-shot on Vayne's side of the story for this. What do you think?

Ciao ciao~! -Flonne.