#//finished chapter 8 of crestoria recently so now this convo be hitting different

[valiantxunion]

Yeah, as much as Kanata hated to admit it, his father being found out wouldn’t have changed anything. The Vision Orbs would still be a problem and it was only going to be a matter of time before someone had turned on Kanata or the orphans again. Aegis would have likely still been framed, if Queen Rebecca was still infatuated with him. Yuna would have eventually been condemned due to her articles, Nash would have still hated him, Sonia would still be in mourning over their father– Nothing would have changed for long. The only difference is that Kanata would have likely never met Vicious. They likely would have never met each other.

Where would they be then? Kanata was certain that he didn’t want to find out.

“All we can do is just keep moving forward, right?” Kanata reached over to rest a hand on Aegis’ shoulder, in some tiny attempt to comfort the man about his doubts. “Stressing over what could have been won’t do anything for us now.”

As for the king, Kanata could only agree with Aegis’ words. The king was definitely in a position where he was definitely in danger of causing more harm than good. Him being alive and in power was a danger and Kanata hoped that by taking care of the Vision Orbs that it would also help with the king but… well, they had never been so lucky.

Once they took care of the vision orbs, maybe they would have to put their efforts in stopping the king and his corrupt reign over Medagal…? That alone sounded so far-fetched as it was but at the same time, they were literally considering facing the goddess Kasque which was miles above a single corrupt King.

“If more people knew the truth, more people could avoid the potential problem of falsely getting accused by the king or… getting wrongfully executed by him.” Kanata’s face twisted in disgust. He was still haunted by how easily the king was able to order the Queen to be killed with no remorse. He… definitely didn’t want to hear about that happening again.

That... was true enough, Aegis supposed. Justifying his crime, or at least trying to, wouldn't have really done himself any favors back then. Still, Aegis couldn't help but feel as though he understood the reasoning a little better now. It didn't change the fact that Kanata had committed a crime. Certainly not. All of them had, even if Aegis's own crime was merely taking half measures and being halfhearted about how he approached the matter of Rebecca. He still regretted that much, truth be told. But... no. This wasn't about him, Aegis reminded himself.

"Even so..." The way Kanata described his father sounded very much like what Aegis could only picture as a narcissist. Or maybe he had been more than that. In any case, Kanata hadn't deserved to have someone like that as a father. Nor did Sonia.

"You are right," he admitted. "Even back then I probably wouldn't have budged in my belief. If someone had just broadcast your father's..." Would simply branding Cody as a transgressor have really solved anything? They knew now what happened to transgressors who were caught by the enforcers. It would have saved a lot of lives. Kanata would still be free of his own stain of guilt. It also would mean perpetuating the system they now were trying to undo. So, Aegis shook his head.

"Never mind," Aegis said. "It would have taken care of one thing, but then none of us would have met. We wouldn't know what we know now. Nor would we be on our quest to try and get rid of the vision orbs." He hated to think that things had happened for a reason, especially with Kanata's insistence that Aegis himself shouldn't have been branded. Kanata even had said as such, saying he didn't like to say that he was glad Aegis was part of the group. But fate had seen fit to make all of this possible. Hadn't it?

Slowly, Aegis allowed a small smile.

"I do appreciate that, Kanata. And I'm glad we aren't enemies anymore, too. I just... wish I'd done things differently sometimes, I suppose," he said. How else would he have handled the situation with Rebecca, though? Lie as she laid dying? Tell her what she had wanted to hear? Would that not have been equally halfhearted? He sighed.

"I know it does little good now, but I hope the king faces some kind of justice for what happened," he said. How would that happen? The king had the people wrapped around his finger. There could easily be another woman he treated just as he treated Rebecca. Someone else could take the fall just the same as Aegis had.

"I suppose it's just wishful thinking," he admitted. "A man like him won't be toppled so easily. But I suppose that should give me more of a reason to work toward our goal. So that maybe someday... the truth of what happened can be revealed. I doubt that it would erase my stain, or anything like that, but... if more than us knew the truth, that would be enough."