Agape's Memoria

A Force of Will Series by Midori


Summary: AU. Just when Mariabella is about to finish his experiments successfully, sacrificing her own life for its sake, Machina finds her in the brink of death. The scientist manages to save her before it's too late, but he must take drastic measures to assure his beloved assistant will survive another winter in the Mechanical City. If only he had listened, if only he had told her she had more time on her hands than he initially believed…

Rating: R-15/T

Pairing/Characters: Machina/Mariabella (can be romantic or not, I'll leave it to you), Valentina, Shion.


Author's Notes: It's weird to be writing about a TCG's lore, one that's not so popular yet, at least. I got obsessed with them ever since they revealed Marybell was "alive". Once the story developed her character with Mariabella's Diary, there was no turning back. I had to write something. Agape's Memoria will be a series of short stories, which all trigger from Mary's "death", each narrating a different outcome which explores the beautiful relationship the scientist and his assistant had.

Posted on Fanfiction, Ao3 and Wattpad

Written from October to December 2016


Agape is the Late Latin word from Greek ἀγάπη, literally, love. It's often referred by Christianity as the love for each other and love for God, as a supreme form of affection, also described as unconditional love, given from parents to children or between spouses. Agape is contrasting to Eros, a form of love that refers to desire and physical pleasure; Agape is selflessness, sacrifice and devotion to the loved one.


TIMELINE 1
~Memory of Unconditional Love~


Chapter 1: Resurrection

The steam ship announced itself the minute it became ready for departure. With doubtful hands, the young girl held onto her master's clothes, as firmly as she possibly could. Her still-weakened body barely allowed her to move freely. The man reached down to her side to help her walk, bringing her closer to him as possible and he wrapped his scarf around her neck carefully. He was warm. He had always been.

"I hope this trip does help your health." Machina said once they had boarded the silver-colored ship, glancing at his small-framed assistant shiver from the breeze. "At least the weather will not affect your situation much."

"It's fine." Mariabella answered with guilt on her eyes. She fixed the scarf on her face as her master walked her to her cabin. He'd go to the captain to set the course and he'd be back in a minute to check on her. "Please, don't waste your time on something like this, Master."

"It is no waste of time. You're my responsibility, after all." The scientist admitted, patting her head with tenderness. "...I am also to blame for everything that happen. I must atone for it and make sure you have a safe recovery. Shangri-La is known for its healing waters and enjoyable weather; it will be nicer than letting you freeze here in Leginus."

The scientist closed the door after making her lie on the bed, making sure she rested until he came back. Machina stopped halfway through on his way to the captain's cabin. He closed his eyes, grabbing firmly onto the steel bars on the side of the boat. He could feel another headache coming up.

The ship was about to depart, setting course to the tropical southern lands beneath the Mechanical City. The new engine would make the trip faster, yet it would still take them at least a few days to reach their destination. The newly appointed emperor truly despised Shangri-La –not the city itself, but its future queen made his skin crawl– but he knew it would help Mariabella get a fast recovery.

"Stupid girl" Machina cursed under his breath as he tried to repress the pain in his head. "If she hadn't disobeyed my orders, this wouldn't have happened...", but no matter how much he tried to deny it or how much he wanted to place the blame on Mariabella, he knew it all had been his fault. If only he had paid more attention to her actions. If only he'd have shut his mouth for a second.

Machina glanced at the ocean waves as the ship began to gain speed. He wasn't prone to seasickness, yet the headache and the lack of sleep he'd been through the past days made it impossible for him to keep still on the boat's deck. He sighed, removing his lenses to rub his eyes as he began walking around.

Ever since the incident the week before, the researcher must have only enjoyed around five scarce hours of sleep. The images of the tragedy were still fresh on his mind, with clear detail of the girl's bright blood bathing her clothes, tainting his white coat as soon as he reached to help her. His whole time and energy had been focused on keeping her stabilized from then on, afraid she might vanish within the bat of an eye. Whenever he closed his eyes for a few minutes of sleep, he was woken up by the bloody images of Mariabella's broken body, her thorax wide open and her artificial heart exposed. No sleeping at all, barely even eating, Machina felt completely tired, even sick.

Mariabella had disobeyed and wandered inside the warehouse, after learning the secret details of the investigation he had been working on for the past years. A human heart, the Willpower of a human soul was needed to create the perfect, functional artificial living being. Machina had reached that conclusion several months ago, back when he'd saved Mariabella the first time. But as he spent more time with her, teaching her and appointing the girl as his personal assistant, he had begun to become invested on her.

The scientist had promised her a year, but she was quickly improving, surpassing his expectations. After just some months of being with her, he was unable to use her as he had initially wished. If he had only listened, he would have noticed she felt she was running out of time. If they had talked about the possibilities of her life' expectancy, she'd have probably thought twice before offering her own life as payment for everything he had done for her. But Machina didn't listen. He never stopped talking about his research. Mariabella asked what would make him happy, insisting she had never been happier before, just from being by his side. If only he had paid her the attention she deserved, she'd have not attempted to end her life in a stupid sacrifice for his sake.

That terrible evening Mariabella had asked for a break to go for a walk. Machina conceded, acknowledging she was making a swift recovery and assumed he'd go pick the missing pieces he had asked her to buy. After a few hours since the girl had been gone, Machina decided to head to the shop. Right at the door, he was unable to remember one of the components he needed. Mariabella had written them down, she must had left the notes on her desk in the main lab. He made his way down to the room, finding the door unlocked. He found it odd, since no servant had a key to the lab but him and the girl.

As Machina made his way inside, he noticed the lights were on and that a strong smell of blood and machine oil reeked inside the place. He panicked for a second as realization dawned on him, Mariabella's request for a break was nothing but a ruse. She sat on his chair, in front of the main desk with the mechanical core of her chest cracked open. Veins and wires leaked blood, water and oil as the girl operated on herself, trying to detach the artificially-enhanced heart Machina had managed to give her some months before.

Her eyes opened wide as she was discovered, unable to pronounce any word, but she evidently perceived Machina's grief. After a brief moment of indecision, he removed the scalpel and tools from her hands. He screamed, calling one of the maids for help.

"We have to move her, but I have to stabilize her first." He ordered. The maid was surprised to hear him shout, as Machina rarely raised his voice. She covered her mouth the moment she noticed what the emergency was all about. The maid applied anesthesia to the girl and waited for further instructions, while the scientist continued to mend the clumsy cuts Mariabella had made on herself. He had to stitch and fuse quickly, applying more mechanical parts to the few organic ones that had been compromised.

After six hours of continuous work, Mariabella's pulse started to beep normally. The scientist had ordered the maid to prepare her room for her recovery, carrying the girl on his arms steadily as he was afraid he might harm her if he moved her carelessly. Once inside her room, the maids placed the IV drop and the heartbeat reader on Mariabella, while the researcher returned to the lab to check on the desk his assistant had been working on. The plans and notes from his research were all opened on the discarded drafts about the operation. He was amazed that Mariabella had managed to figure how to do the surgery on her own, though in a very rudimentary way.

In some of her own notes scribbled at the moment, with trembling and bloodstained fingers, she even wrote some comments on how to make the procedure a success. She even suggested a prototype that had shown a lot of improvement, a large steel doll they'd been working for a while, model MYB II. It was incredible than in just a couple of months as his assistant, she had managed to proceed with the operation and even make her own conclusions for the project. He shivered. If he had gone to the supply shop as he had intended, she'd have succeeded. She'd have finished his research, but he'd not have arrived in time to save her.

He was unable to sleep that first night, waiting to hear the heartbeat stop at any moment, yet he rested by her side until she regained consciousness, almost two days afterwards. He had dismissed the servants and asked them to stay alert if an emergency happened, but she didn't falter at any moment.

"Master... does it hurt...?" She groaned, waking him up violently.

"Mary! You're finally awake..." He tried to conceal his excitement, but the girl noticed he had jumped abruptly from his seat and he smiled widely as she woke. It was also the first time he called her Mary. "I should be asking you, not otherwise."

"You were crying..." She said, trying to smile. Machina reached up to his face to find a trail of tears on his left cheek. "I suppose you were having a bad dream."

"I had", he answered and held her hand firmly.

It was the only way he could feel he had a chance of stopping her from going away.

Machina sighed, trying to focus his mind on something other than the memories of that day and the growing pain on his temple. He had sent a letter to Shangri-La two days ago, expecting to receive an answer briefly during their trip. He couldn't spare more time if he wanted to keep his assistant alive, taking her to the healing springs was necessary if he wanted her to recover. A year ago it hadn't been necessary, she was barely alive when he caught her outside of her parents' house. Her life wasn't worth saving back then, she'd just be part of the research he had been doing for years, forgotten after she'd proven to be useless as every other subject of his experiments. But things had changed so quickly, he even willed to talk to Valentina once again if it helped the situation. He would have laughed at himself if he knew he'd have grown so attached to her during the course of a year. She livened up the mansion so much it would have turned into a sour, somber place if she had never arrived, or if she had vanished during the operation.

The scientist reached the captain's cabin just as he had finished giving instructions to the ship's crew. They greeted him with respect and the emperor explained they needed to reach Shangri-La in no less than three days, working at full speed in order for that to happen. He rarely gave out instructions to his employees, as he trusted he'd searched for only the best, but he was worried time might be running short for the girl. He wasn't even sure the healing fountains would actually help her... But it was the best he could think for her at the moment.

He left the crew to do their bidding and walked back to the room with Mariabella. She wasn't asleep but she rested on her back, staring at the ceiling.

"You should be taking a nap" Machina scolded her with worry.

"I can't sleep. It doesn't hurt but the new insertions are itchy." Mary answered. She glanced down at her hands and Machina noticed her eyes had started to water. She was obviously lying. Perhaps her body wasn't aching, but she was clearly in pain.

"Lying is bad, Mariabella. What's wrong?" The girl shook her head, but he insisted on making her talk.

"I failed, Master... I could have finished it. Now I'm just a burden to you and I can't sleep thinking I just ruined everything you've been working on..." She cried, covering her face with her hands in shame. Machina reached to her and embraced her gently, making sure not to apply much pressure or she might get hurt. "W-why are you hugging me?"

"Because I'm glad you're still here." Mariabella pushed herself away slightly, looking at him with disbelief. "The requirements needed for success on that line of work are beyond inhumane, not to mention impossible and immoral. As researchers and engineers, we must use technology to help people, not to harm them. You opened my eyes towards a new project in the future, and for that I'm thankful. I just wish you wouldn't have hurt yourself in the process." Machina explained, sighing in defeat.

"What about your dream...? Making a living machine..." She asked. He made her lie back on the bed again and covered her with a blanket.

"There will be another chance for that." He said as he tucked her in and squeezed her shoulder with tenderness. "For now, I'm so sorry, Mary. I was such a blind fool, you deserved better than this. I hope you're willing to forgive me."

Mariabella shook her head, insisting there was nothing to be forgiven. She was grateful she'd been allowed to live longer, and she was happy she'd gotten the chance to be with someone as kind as her master.

"My only wish is to continue working as your assistant, Master, if you will." The girl said with a tired voice. Machina assured her that would be certain if she promised she'd make a full recovery. Once she had fallen asleep, the scientist sighed and laid his back on the wall, closing his eyes in a failed attempt to catch some light sleep. He couldn't leave Mariabella's side, in case an emergency happened. He'd have more than enough time to rest once he made sure Mary was going to make it through the night.

"I promise I'll make you better, dear." He muttered to the sleeping girl besides him, touching her forehead with his nonmechanical hand. "For as long as I am capable of protecting you, I'll never have you suffer like this ever again".


A/N: I like this chapter a lot but I'm not sure I'm ok with the next ones. I'll have to check them a little bit closer. So far, I've completed the firts timeline of the series and I'm halfway through the second one, which is my favorite, I think. It's also the closest to the lore, I believe. This one is merely my inner fangirling asking for more Small Assistant~