Welcome to Gaia! ::

Caedus seemed perplexed. "How can you fear a future that has not yet come to pass? How can you put your faith in such a thing that you do not even know to be certain? You speak as though it has already happened, but…the future is malleable. The future in your hands. There are infinite possibilities. Do not fret or focus merely on what could come to pass. If you have seen anything, I suspect it is only one of an infinite number of options. Any future that you have seen is a future you can change. That you know it already means you know it will not come to pass. Not exactly."

He shrugged. "Seeking power is a wise start. But no matter what power you have, power is not everything. Who you are and what you do—what you are willing—to do is every bit as important. It is not weakness to fear. It is wise to acknowledge it. But you can overcome it. I look at you, and I do not see weakness. I see strength."

As soon as the tears erupted, Caedus seemed alarmed. He reached out, as if to reassure her, but retracted his hand in fear of worsening the situation. But when she spoke, she did not seem distressed—and she eve smiled.

Caedus breathed a soft sigh of relief and nodded. "I am glad to hear that. I was worried I had offended you."

He seemed to relax and leaned back a bit. "…I worry. Someone in your life should remind you of that often. And I know it is not much…"

And he knew he wouldn't be around forever.

"…Perhaps I can find something to remind you…"

He turned then, and began to fish through his robes until he produced a weathered bag; it was brown and crinkled and looked as though it had seen better days, but he held it carefully and lovingly. Pulling the faded gold cord, he opened the bag and fished around; whatever he hid inside clinked as he moved it around, and finally he let out a pleasant sigh.

He produced a small, round crystal. It was not entirely smooth, and looked as though it had splintered off of another piece and been worn down through the ages. It was myriad of colors and seemed to resembled moonstone. It looked like someone had caught the rainbow in a crystal. The light caught the gem, and it looked different from every angle.

He offered it to her.

"…To remind you that things are not always what they seem, and that there is always another way. If you would have it."

Caedus nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good plan. If any other question should come to mind, you are welcome to join me. Rest and sleep sound like a fine plan for the rest of the evening." He dipped his head a bit, seeming respectful and relaxed. "You should do the same. Protecting this world cannot be an easy task. I will see you soon enough. I hope you will take care until then."