The Universe Key

Chapter 10: back to the cave

The group can barely comprehend the story that Session just told them. They take several silent and tense moments to process everything. The story their friend just told was immeasurably emotional but it was a lie. Session has a reason that he thinks he should be in this isolation but that reason isn't good enough to convince his friends.

"So that's it?" Brilan speaks up and breaks the silence. "That's why you're torturing yourself up here? For something you didn't do?" Brilan poses those rhetorical questions to Session.

"What are you talking about boy?" Session asks Brilan for clarification. He tries to intimidate Brilan a little bit so he'll stop his line of questioning. It doesn't work and Brilan persists.

"You say you're doing this because Clip is in the Gauntlet Clan but you didn't force her to go there. That was her choice. It wasn't your choice and it wasn't your mistake. Maybe you're right, maybe you could have done something different in the past. Maybe you could have handled things differently but it's all on her." Brilan says.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Session says.

"Yes I do. If she didn't like you any more then she could have just stopped hanging around you, she could have gone someplace else, she could have just argued with you and then maybe you could have told her how you feel but no. Out of all the options she chose to run away, to hurt you. She failed you, she betrayed you and all this time you've been hiding in a cave instead of dealing with it. You've been beating yourself up and punishing yourself but there are ways you can make things better between you two." Says Brilan

"And just how would I do that?" Says Session.

"By talking to her. By seeing her and by telling her how you felt. Are you over the 'she's better then you' faze because I hope you are. She's out there and you're living in this cave, you're not really on a level to compete with anything." Brilan foolishly says.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" Session says impatiently.

"Look, my point is you can make up for what happened back then. You can apologize to Clip and maybe you can convince her to leave the Gauntlet Clan and be a Zaubator again." Brilan says optimistically. "But if that doesn't work maybe you can just fight her and force her out of the Gauntlet Clan. But my point is every moment you spend in this cave is a moment that you could be making things better. If you stay here then you do nothing and if you do nothing then nothing will change." Brilan continues.

"You know one of the reasons I became a Zaubator is because of you. Ignis has probably told me a thousand stories about you. About everything you've done together as a part of the fearsome foursome. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. All of those stories were so inspiring to me. They've inspired me to go on this mission. My mission to meet the fearsome foursome and get them back together. I've known Ignis forever and when I met Cearulen and Altem I was so excited and happy to finally meet them. But with you I don't feel that way at all. We've all been through so much just to find you just so you could help us with a mission. But I guess you need some help too. We can help you, and you can even help yourself. As long as you're still alive then things can change. So please just get out of this cave." Says Brilan.

This emotional rant from a fourteen year old boy might have just touched the snowy cold heart that slowly beats inside Session's chest. "What's your name kid?" Session asks Brilan. "My name's Brilan. I'm Ignis' apprentice." Brilan says as the tension sucks the sound from the cave.

"Brilan. If I don't join you on your mission are you going to keep delivering annoying speeches like that to me every day until I join you on your stupid quest?" Session asks Brilan sarcastically.