For the Last

[A/N: UA where instead of fighting Porco Loco in manna-Hamelin, you fight a corrupted Marcassin. (I also kind wanted to pay homage to the fact that even like ten levels lower than everyone else in the party, Marcassin has by far the strongest melee attacks of the characters themselves (with his weapon equipped, that is), so there's that.) ]

"Look! Pea, it's the last black crystal!" After fighting back waves of zombified citizens, Oliver's party finally broke into the center of the Hamelin palace. Having barely slipped the notice of a cursed guard, they worked to calm their heartbeats.

"Finally. After this one is destroyed, the three kingdoms will be at peace once more." Marcassin let out a relieved breath.

"But..." Esther frowned. "In Ding Dong Dell, we had to fight off King Tom, and in Al Mamoon, the Cowlipha. Shouldn't there be someone here too?"

"But that would have to be Marcassin, wouldn't it? He's the ruler of Hamelin, after all. But he got out in time to avoid the curse." Swaine reasoned.

"Ah, you're right. That does make sense now that I think about it."

As Oliver, Swaine, and Esther talked amongst themselves, a particularly large ash drifted down, moving back and forth as it fell, in a sort of hypnotizing dance. Marcassin's eyes locked on it.

Pea looked from Marcassin to the ash in concern. Drippy seemed to notice this as well.

"Oi, you lot! 'ave you not been paying attention to what's going on with princey over here?" Drippy brought the group out of their thoughts. Marcassin's eyes held a strange, purplish glow as he watched the ash fall, mesmerized.

"Dammit Esther, you jinxed it." Swaine held his head in his hands. Esther huffed.

"Excuse me? I jinxed it? How on earth could I have known this was going to happen? It's just a coincidence, for crying out loud!" Esther retorted angrily.

"U-um, guys?" Oliver interrupted, gesturing behind the two as they ceased their bickering.

Marcassin stood alertly, staff raised and shimmering with blue light. His eyes were completely blank.

"The manna got him too..." Pea breathed, trembling. Drippy stood in front of her protectively (he'd never say it, but he'd grown fond of the girl).

"Let's see if I can't snap him out of it." Swaine muttered, advancing towards Marcassin. Marcassin took a step back as Swaine got closer. He held his staff tighter; the light at the tip intensifies as he readied a spell.

"What do you think you're doing, Marcassin? You're stronger than this." Marcassin seemed conflicted.

"I..." The light in his eyes flickered. Several more flakes of ash rained down upon him, and the light blinked out.

"Watch out!"

Marcassin swung his staff in a wide horizontal crescent, which would've hit Swaine dead-on had Esther not yanked the older man down by his arm.

"That was close..." She said. Swaine blinked in astonishment. He opened his mouth to say something, but Esther shook her head.

"You can thank me later," she said, just barely evading another of Marcassin's strikes. "But for now, let's save your brother."

-

Marcassin fell to his knees, heaving. His staff had rolled off to the side after he dropped it. His hair fell like a curtain, concealing his face.

Oliver looked concerned as he approached.

"Marcassin? Are... are you back to your old self now?" Oliver knelt down, offering him a hand. Marcassin looked up, smiling softly. He took Oliver's hand gratefully.

After picking himself up, and brushing off his robes, Marcassin retrieved his staff.

"Everyone... I'm sorry. I was too weak to stand up to the manna..." Marcassin refused to meet any of their eyes. Swaine could see tears beginning to form.

He shook his head affectionately. Still a wimpy crybaby...

"Too weak? Any one of us would've caved too. It's not a matter of you being weak; it's the source of this manna that's insanely powerful. Not your fault." Swaine slapped Marcassin on the shoulder as he passed, moving towards the crystal.

Esther smiled slyly. She waggled a finger in Swaine's direction.

"So you do have a heart~" Swaine scoffed.

"Oi lovebirds! Save it for after we save the world and all that, yeah?" Drippy smirked and hopped after Pea, who was making her way to the crystal.

Oliver laughed as a blush spread across both Swaine and Esther's faces.

"With him-?"

"Lovebirds-?"

"I would never-"

Oliver laughed again.

"Come on guys, we've got work to do!"