"Then, let me enlighten you." She brought her clasped hands up before her, as though in prayer. "While Irene was not a Senora, the body in the Galdheim reactor was. It was all that was left of her host, mutated by The Bozorgh, almost beyond recognition. When Harland injected your true mother with Irene's cells, you received those of my ancestor, as well."
Irish lowered her hands and took a gliding step forward. "Like me, you are half-Senora."
Xander cursed inwardly. "That is why Mother was able to speak to me so clearly," he muttered with comprehension. "It was not just my alien cells she was accessing, but those of the Ancient, as well."
The young flower girl only nodded. "It is why you were able to block Holy once it was summoned, and why your cells did not deteriorate like those of. . . the others."
"Raphael," he murmured on a rough sigh, "and Zacky. Why didn't the Senora's cells protect them, as well?"
"Because their mothers were not genetically strong enough to overcome Irene's mometic influence."
He looked exhausted suddenly, defeated in a way that defied all Aeris knew of the man, and her expression softened. "It has been a long fight, brother. You've earned the right to rest, if that's what you want."
Xander laughed suddenly, darkly. "What I want has never mattered."
"You're wrong, Xander." Her voice suddenly echoed as the distance between seemed to increase. Her form began to glow as she receded, yet her voice seemed to echo around him. "What you want has always mattered."
The last Ancient disappeared in flash of bright white light that blinded his mako-sensitive eyes. The world seemed to tilt around him as he clenched his eyes shut. He could hear voices in the distance, familiar yet unknown, rising in an oddly harmonious cacophony. He felt something solid at his back and reached out to brace himself on it, realizing belatedly that it wasn't the world that roiling wildly, but himself.
Xander gasped as pain ripped through his mid-section. He pressed a hand to his stomach as he slid to the ground, his legs no longer able to support him. His heart hammered in chest as he smelled the coppery, unmistakable scent of human blood. He opened his eyes and frowned as his vision wavered. He closed them for a few moments and wondered what the hell was going on?
"Xan!"
He heard his name and struggled to respond, forcing his heavy lids open once more. The sight that met him stole his breath and nearly caused him to black out. "Raphael?"
Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess. We seek it thus, and take it to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface. The wandering soul knows no rest.'
TANTARA 1st Class Raphael Redwood dropped to his knees, ignoring the blood that pooled out beneath him and stained the knees of his thigh-high black boots. "Goddess!" he breathed, horrified as he realized that one of his closest friends was bleeding to death right in front of him. "What the fuck happened, Xan?"
He watched with disbelief as Xander blinked, his pale, cat-like eyes unfocused. "Raph?" he asked, his too-deep voice wavering precariously. "Is it... really you?"
Raphael blinked with surprise and not a small amount of concern. "Yeah, who else would it be?" His gaze dropped to the gaping hole in Xander's abdomen and rage coursed through him. "I'm going to fucking kill Harland!"
Puzzlement knitted Xander's brow. "Why?" he asked with confusion.
A choked laugh was his only response as Raphael pulled out his phone and flipped it open. "Just stay calm, Xan. Zacky and I will take of this."
"Zacky?" Xander struggled to focus as spots danced across his eyes. "But he's. . .dead."
"Not as dead as Harland's going to be," Raphael muttered under his breath, swearing as he dialed and waited for the other man to pick up. He ignored Xander's strange declaration. The other man was never all 'there' after one of his sessions with Professor Harland. Although, he wasn't usually bleeding to death at the end of them!
"General Santoso."
Raphael scowled into the mouthpiece. "Don't you ever check your caller I.D.?" he snapped.
There was a moment of silence. "Occasionally," came the typically calm response. "What's up, Raph?"
"It's Xander," he said, biting his lip as he looked down at his bleeding lover. "Harland really did a number on him. I need you to bring a Obat materia down to the lab."
He could feel Zacky's frown as he spoke. "You know that Xan's body doesn't take well to curative magic, Raph."
Raphael turned away, lowering his voice, as he hissed, "Get your ass down here, Zacky. He's fucking bleeding to death!"
"What?" There was a brief rustle of moment, the low intonation of a voice that wasn't Zacky, and Raphael rolled his eyes.
Fucking puppy, he thought with irritation. "I'll be right there, Raph. Just keep him awake and try to stop the bleeding, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it, Zack. Just fucking hurry." Raphael snapped the phone closed and tucked it away, turning his attention back to his the other man. Xander was slumped against the wall, his six-foot-five-inch frame folding in on itself as he clutched at his bleeding stomach, making him look smaller than he actually was. Raphael swallowed hard, realizing that he'd never seen Xander so. . . so vulnerable. He had never imagined that Xander could be so vulnerable-at least, not physically.
"Raph?"