Fox's Glade she is collecting pieces of the broken hearts

She is so lost in thought, pressed into the passing moment they share with one another and Collision briefly wonders what it is that goes through her mind. Excusing it as none of his business. Though, it was fair to argue that she had queried him of his own thoughts and he could do much the same? Alas, he was in no place to offer thoughts of his own. He was in no state of mind to return the favor of advice. She was the stronger, mentally, in their greeting. He found himself wishing he was in a better place. She was a respectable girl and it was considered, had he been in higher spirits, there would have been enjoyment to be had. This was something he was well aware he would not be able to do this day.

Her advice…her encouragement–it was to believe in himself. How? How was he supposed to think he had the strength to keep going through the motions and give his devotion to those that it didn’t seem to matter anymore: To Reiko. If it hadn’t been for his friendship to Yuudai, Vespera, an Hiromi he already would have run off. He already would have abandoned the Empress to continue in her fruitless efforts. Naturally, he knew this to be a lie. Even if not for them and the bond they were all forging he would want to liberate Reiko from the hell she had cultivated for herself. He would want to make sure the life for her and her children became rich and prosperous. Takeshi was in the way of all of it. Not for too much longer; he prays.

 He felt a peace in her presence. For a moment he didn’t feel weak or like he was incapable of achieving the goals set before him. For a moment he thought himself strong enough to actually do it. That was what she suggested: To simply believe in himself. Though, after all of the events that transpired he found himself wondering what about himself he was supposed to believe in. Was this all manufactured? Was this all some long test? Perhaps it was another tribulation he faced to see what he would do. This was Valhalla all over again to see if he had it within himself to change the course of destiny. Yuudai would emerge once more, he would smite the unholy one, and their lives could return to normal.

No, this was their new normal.

A sigh falls from betwixt inky lips and he sits himself upright before her. She had been through it herself to speak so carefully and to actually make a good point. Collision didn’t like when advice was given from those with no ability to understand. This was not the case. Polaris had faced uncertainty at one time and had overcome it. That was the only conclusion the grey man was capable of coming to. To hear the support, from she who knew nothing of him, be sung so unabashedly brought Collision to turn his gaze from her and his eyes to find a new focus far into the distance. Tears threatened their way out of his eyes as his throat tightened in immediate discomfort. He was incapable of speaking for a long moment past when she finished. There was no argument: She was right.

 Many moments pass, many uncomfortable minutes, before he finds himself ready to answer her (though certain she would understand had he not) he finds himself able to speak once more, “The rewards of this adventure will be worth it to the others. It will answer some questions about myself. There are things I need to see through until the end, but that doesn’t mean I’m dismissive of the fact there will be long-standing consequences to my involvement in all of this. There will be relationships that will never return, but it’s all for a greater good,” He finds himself with a small smile on his face. If @Reiko never spoke to him again but she was happy then he would never question that he had made the right decision.

“To sacrifice one’s self to the benefit of another is the greatest form of love one can offer–the greatest sign of friendship,” Collision now looked her directly in her eyes and he knew he would never regret these things again, “I’d give up everything for another to have a happy life any day. That's what I believe about myself,” After all, who was he to argue destiny? Who was he to be above the odds?