So it was true, she had been intimate with him. The man has his suspicions from the conversation he'd overheard but he had to be certain. The man kept himself calm though found it difficult to do so now that it was confirmed that his brother was a killer; but Azusa knew that there had to have been a reason for that. At the realization of his confession he'd watch the woman burst into tears, bowing and begging for his help. Azusa was taken aback by this yet he understand where such a request came from. To think that the man had truly found someone that loved him to this degree.
She went on about him having watched her die and about this grandiose idea of getting revenge on the world that took her away. To that, the bearded man shut his eyes for a moment and sighed. It was painful to admit, but he could relate to Galand's feelings after watching their sister die. However, Azusa had found a different path amidst his schemes for revenge and instead sought out redemption in joining the Marines.
Still, it all seemed odd to him, suspicious even. How could Galand watch someone die yet have them stand before him, whole? How could someone who loved him fake their own death yet both of them have separate memories of what happened. The man fell deep into thought but only for a moment before remembering that the woman was still in shambles in front of him. He opened his eyes, thoughts still processing but he'd placed them on the back burner to console her. Pulling the azure cloth from the front of his vest pocket, he'd place it in front of Astraea to take."Please. Do not cry. There is no need to wrinkle your skin with tears."He spoke calmly as he knelt down to be at eye level with her."While I have not seen him in well over a decade. I'm sure we both know that Galand isn't a man to cause such chaos and destruction without reason. Between his sudden rage and your memory loss, I cannot help but that there is a third party involved in all of this. One causing the discord that created this rift between you two."The man explained. He'd calmly take a hand into his own so that he would help her get back on her feet."I cannot give you the answers you seek, however, I can help you in your search for them. I have searched for answers myself and you are the only person that knows the real him. So I need your help as much as you need mine."Azusa nodded his head a single time to reassure her that he was on her side. For a moment he looked to her, the white lining in his eyes had returned to show a tuft of seriousness.
"However. Tell me one thing. In your current state. If you had no other choice. Do you think that you could defeat him in combat?"
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XXX As Azusa offered her a piece of cloth, Astraea took it gratefully, using it to wipe the tears from her face. "A-Ah, sorry.. Thank you.." To his words she would nod, raising her head finally to meet his gaze. "The man I fell in love with would never do something like this without cause.. All he ever wanted was to protect people and make the world a peaceful place." Even when they had fought criminals or violent pirates, Raea had rarely seen him get as destructive as he was being now unless he was trying to protect his friends. That's why his perceived betrayal and sudden drive to make the world crumble made it seem as if he was an entirely different person. At the mention of her memory loss, the young woman frowned slightly, standing up with her fellow Marine's help and looking perplexed. Only now that he'd called attention to it did she understand he was right. It wasn't as simple as time having passed and her memories if events getting fuzzy or less detailed; complete sets of things were blocked out, distorted, scrambled. "I believe you're right.. Galand and I have different memories of similar events even though they should be the same.." Maybe it wasn't him who was the delusional one. Maybe it was her.
For the first time in a while she felt a sense of comfort as Azusa agreed to help her search for the answers to her problems. "Thank you.." Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, she nodded, understanding that the search for the truth wasn't going to be simple, though she was grateful for someone she could finally confide in. Evelyn would understand her situation of course, but that was her daughter, and she didn't wish to burden her with the stress of it all. The man's question gave her pause and Astraea frowned slightly, curious as to why he had asked it so suddenly. "I... I don't know." It was the truthful answer; there were too many angles to consider. "What I remember.. The last memory I vividly recall of Galand before we met again recently.. Was that he'd betrayed us all." Closing her eyes, she bit her lip lightly, thinking of her lost friends. "And.. And I want revenge for that.. Or I.. I thought I wanted revenge for that. But now I don't even know if he was actually the one who betrayed us.." Giving a wry laugh, she'd shake her head, wrapping her arms around herself. "I can't tell what's real anymore."
Ah, but that's not what he'd asked. "If it came down to protecting what I fight for then I would do everything I could to defeat him. But he's only grown stronger throughout the years, and I'm out of practice. The only advantage I have against him is how well I know his style of fighting." Astraea had been his partner for quite a while after all. "I still love him.. Despite the memories I have, I can't shake that feeling. Regardless of whether or not I want to hurt him, I can't stand by and let him take innocent lives anymore. I threatened to kill him the next time I saw him, but.." An sad smile on her face, the woman shook her head, looking down and knowing now that her warning had been nothing but momentary rage.
It made sense, her uncertainty. For a while now Azusa had been suspicious of a third party roaming around changing the course of history and bending it to their own needs; even if it meant controlling the minds of those around them. For awhile he believed it to be pirates, revolutionaries, but seeing as he was one of the few with a clear memory of past events he was beginning to believe that the source was someone within their own home. However, this wasn't something that he could say aloud lest he be charged with treason for even uttering such blasphemous allegations. A big part of his decision of joining the faction he did was to find the answers he was looking for, and what better way than diving headfirst into what he presumed to be the enemy's stronghold in full disguise.
Of course, he knew that they all weren't bad people, like his new friend here, but they weren't being told the full story.
As the woman collected herself, Azusa gathered his thoughts and gave a simple nod of the head in response."Yes. I figured. He was always a fighter, even as a boy."Finally, he went back to the table, picked up his cup, snagged his favorite gourd, and poured a bit of alcohol into the rest of his tea."For now, all I can do is train you for that moment. Until I am able to recover, I'm afraid that I won't be of much use against a man like that in close-combat."Azusa explained as he raised an arm to her. He presented his hand as it shook and trembled involuntarily. It was clear that he was suffering from an old wound; nerve damage. Severe nerve damage.
With his other hand he placed the cup to his lips and tilted it back, downing its alcoholic contents. For a moment the tremors stopped long enough for him to flex his fingers into a fist a few times. It was a special concoction, medicinal alcohol that stilled the nerves and temporarily instilled life into them; unfortunately it didn't last very long."This is only a temporary fix. However, I have enough experience and enough functionality to at least pass down what I know so that you may knock the rust off. Think of me as...your traveling teacher."The man placed the cup within his vest as he figured best that they be off now.
He stopped at Astraea's side and set a hand onto her shoulder to lift her spirits. A small but genuine small graced his lips.
"Do not worry girl. We will get him back. The light will always find a way to pierce through even the darkest of shadows. So let us go."
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