An one-shot AU, where Serena sacrificed herself to save the group instead of Veronica. how would Veronica deal with the loss of her sister?
SPOILERS - Please complete the game first before reading this.
After Re-Grouping and undoing most of the problems caused by Mordegan, the group had visited Arboria, but found Serena...gone...
This had cut deep into the group, but none were more hurt than Veronica, who was in utter disbelief the entire time.
The group now spends the night in Arboria. Axel awoke to see his companions asleep.
But Veronica was nowhere to be seen...
Axel frowns, "Alright, You guys just... take a well deserved break." He thought to himself as he'd leave the inn.
The Knight scours the village for the little lady. However, unable to find her... Until he heard sobbing. Quiet, but hard sobbing.
Axel follows the crying near the tree beside the inn, finding Veronica sobbing for her lost twin.
Axel was gutted, he never seen her like this.
Veronica saw him and gasped, trying to straighten herself up. "W-What?"
Axel frowned, stepping towards her, "I saw you crying... it's fine..."
Veronica's hard exterior quickly rebuilds itself as she shakily breathed in. "I wasn't crying...! I had... I had something in my eye!...both eyes!"
Axel walks up the steps and sits beside her, opening his arms to hug her and she pouts, "I'm not a child...! I'm alright, Axel! .. I'm alright..."
The exterior suddenly shatters and Veronica hides her face, "I'm not... I..."
He'd wrap his arms around her slowly.
Jade, who was hiding behind the edge of the inn, finds the two and she held her chest, where her heart was. Sylvando had also accompanied her.
He was very saddened by this ordeal. Veronica was a happy, tough girl and all it took was the death of her twin to make her like this. "That Mordegan. He will never get away with this!"
Veronica was quietly shedding tears...The Luminary held her tightly. "I called her slow...I told her... that she caught onto everything too late...I'm sorry you had to see me like this..." She whispered.
Axel shook his head, "No, don't... don't apologize..."
Hendrik sees Sylvando and Jade. Upon finding that they had watched the Luminary and Veronica, he quietly pats Sylvia and Jade on the back.
They needed some time alone, so the three leave, with Sylvando looking back with a sad look on his face.
Axel looks to the sky. Mordegan had taken everything from him, his Luminary powers, his home and now one of his... friends...
"We said both of our leaves of Yggdrasil would fall together... And yet, she sacrificed herself to save me...to save us."
Veronica pulls away from Axel slowly, "Why was I trapped in a damn tree trunk...? Why didn't I do anything!?"
Axel frowns. "We were all unconscious..." He lowered his head, the shade covering his face turned black. His voice grew weak, "I wasn't able to protect anyone... again..."
Veronica looked down with a frown. She'd give a shaky inhale before wiping her eyes...but they didn't stop falling...!
Yggdrasil above, she felt stupid...but at the same time...she missed Serena already.
Axel looks up at her, tears in his eyes.
"Serena...!" She whispered as she'd begin to sob...but then it suddenly becomes full on crying, prompting Axel to hug her tightly.
After she took a full hour of crying, she eventually stopped...she had no tears left.
"I'll kill him... I'll KILL him." She says Peps Up.
Axel hugs her tightly, "Veronica. We fight him together."
She pulls away suddenly, "Then why are we just sitting here?! Why are we not going to him?!?! Better yet!? Why didn't you grab the sword immediately!?
Instead you let Jasper hit you from behind and allowed Mordegan to completely SCREW EVERYTHING UP!!!!"
Veronica didn't realize she screamed, and as soon as she heard her echo, she stared.
She held her mouth and...hugged Axel. "I'm...sorry..."
Axel held her tightly. "I know... I lost so many people too..."
"I mean...when I was imprisoned, I was worried sick about my Mum and my friends...when I returned to Cobblestone to see the place tarnished, I was...crushed. but I couldn't break down. People needed me..."
Veronica sniffled. "I... I want Serena back..."
Axel cringed in pain. Not the cringe where someone did something utterly ridiculous. But the cringe where you can't say no...or deny the request.
He couldn't say it, and responded with a tight hug.
"I'm sorry, Veronica..."
Veronica frowned...she could imagine Serena now. Telling her to push forward, motivating her as usual to beat up the baddy. She flashes back to their childhood, pretending to fight off some evil figure... She always called it, the baddy.
The thought made Veronica smile...
She'd suddenly stand up... Axel looks at her
Veronica smirks, tears in her eyes, running down her cheeks, "Serena wouldn't want me to cry for her... She'd want me... Us, to carry on and kick Mordegon's butt! She'd want us to throttle him!" She continued, addressing the kicking with a hard punt, kicking a stone into the sky.
"Serena isn't going to be avenged if I just sit here..." She turns to face Axel, frowning, "I don't want her death to be in vain...and I made an oath to protect you.
Axel pulled her into a tight embrace. "I'm sorry..."
The little lady smiles, "It's me who should apologize...I screamed in your face..."
She'd then pull away. "I'm feeling better, Axel... Thank you."
Axel smiles as he began to walk back to the Inn, leaving Veronica to think and reflect.
As she sat down again, she'd take out Serena's wand, and looks at it for a while.
Looking up at the sky and the stars, she swallows before whispering out three words.
"I'll miss you..."
A shooting star flies past just after and soon, Veronica's eyes tear up and slid down her cheeks, "Guess you weren't as slow as I thought..."
She said at no one in particular as she stands, she'd undo her pigtails and her hair runs down her back.
And she'd take off her iconic hat. It saw her through a lot. She'd cut her fringe off, puts it in the hat and allowed the wind to take it from her hand.
With a small sizzle, the hat vanished into fire, along with the hair. But what surprise Veronica was a green light that had come from the stars. It flew toward her before slowly phasing into her chest.
Veronica felt...odd. she felt calmer. With a open
hand, she puts to herself. That irritating injury she suffered a while ago was healed. She inherited her sister's Healing powers.
She now looks up at the stars again a look of determination on her face. "Don't worry, Serena. I'll make sure Axel remains unharmed and I'll beat the Baddy! And I'll keep Erik in check!"
She feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns and sees a faint figure vanish. She'd take of few steps forward, hand extended, but it was too late... the figure was gone.
Veronica wipes her eyes for one last time before slowly walking into the Inn to sleep...