Chapter 3: Outcast

Windbloom, a few weeks later…

White Rock Shooter

The first thing I saw when I woke was paper. Slowly lifting my head up as the drowsiness left me, I realized that I had been writing just before I fell asleep. Looking down, I saw that the letter was nearly finished, and needed only my signature. Smiling, I signed the paper and put it away in an envelope before going to get dressed. This had become a part of my routine over the past few months. Writing letters seemed to be the only way I could communicate with Yuu, the only way we could stay in touch with each other as the war dragged on. In the beginning she would contact me through her mind, and we could see each other when I slept. But then she told me that her daughter was becoming too suspicious of how she was using her ability, and so we began sending letters to each other every week by means of a special bird that could cloak itself while it flew. In two more days the bird will come again, and we'll exchange messages once more. Thankfully no one knew who I was writing to, as everyone who knew I wrote just assumed I never sent the letters, and used the writing as some kind of distraction. I won't lie, being away from the one you love and surrounded by people who are either suspicious of you or hate your guts (both in Mato's case) simply because of who you are has made living in Windbloom no easy task. Not that I can completely blame them, I'm well aware of how troublesome I was for the few people who knew of my existence in the past. However, being close to my family has helped me try to become a more respectable person in their eyes. Thinking of my loved ones reminded me that I was going to make a special stop today, so I finished putting on my jacket and headed out the door.

"Good morning, Ms. White." said Nasumora as I passed the home where he lived with Oxymi.

I smiled warmly at the young boy. "Good morning, Nasumora. How is your mother today?"

"Worried about me as always. Although, since I brought Nana home she's been plaguing me with questions." he sighed in annoyance.

I couldn't help but smirk at this. "Oh? What kind of questions?"

I saw him glance to the side as a blush crept onto his face. "Y-you know, questions about Nana and me."

"As in whether or not you've decided to admit that you like her yet?"

"Not you too? Come on, I've barely known her for more than a few weeks. I can't just decide something important like that…even if she is really cute…"

"You know, it only took one look at my partner for me to realize she was the one for me. We did all kinds of fun things together…"

I couldn't help but laugh as the implication of my words made him blush even brighter.

"Well, regardless of what you do, good luck Nasumora. Now, I must be on my way. I promised to visit her today."

He perked up at that, and waved as I walked away. "Tell her I said hi, and that I hope she gets better soon."

I nodded and continued to walk. A few weeks ago, Nasumora left on a mission with my daughter's good friend Roxas. When he came back, he brought a sweet young girl by the name of Nana with him. The girl's arrival helped to soothe the pain that Hisana and particularly her boyfriend felt upon hearing that Roxas had perished in battle with one of the Agent's Acolytes. Poor Axel, from what I heard he and the keyblade wielder had been very close. Though he seemed to be better now, I could still see faint signs of grief in his normally carefree expression. From Nana we also learned that she was something called a Diclonius, a type of subhuman brought about by a highly contagious disease in her dimension. The Diclonii possessed strange weapons called vectors, and were incredibly violent in nature towards humans. Apparently the number of deaths brought upon by Diclonii resulted in a government order to kill all infants born of Diclonii descent, which, along with the many horrific experiments that awaited those who survived, was most likely the cause of the species' hatred toward normal humans. According to Nana, a very powerful and very dangerous Diclonius by the name of Lucy had joined up with Strife, in exchange for liberating the Diclonii and giving them a place to call home, thus adding more powerful foes to the Covenant's ranks. The news troubled the heads of the EOT's military, and they've been frantic ever since. However, now was not the time to be concerned with the war effort right now, so I shoved those thoughts aside and continued walking until I reached the hospital.

"Yes, I'd like to check up on her." I told the doctor at the front desk after being asked why I had come here.

He looked at some papers on his desk for a moment before responding. "Well, looks like her condition's finally stabilized. Go ahead, but do be quiet. She's probably resting right now."

"I'll be sure to keep her comfortable."

That seemed to convince him, so he told me where I wanted to go and sent me on my way. I thought I heard him mutter something like "creep" when he thought I was out of earshot. I paid it no mind and simply continued on my way. Soon enough I arrived at the room I was looking for. Slowly and quietly, I opened the door and crept inside. Lying on a bed, with her wings folded inward and bandages covering nearly every inch of her body, was none other than Valkyrie. I hadn't heard all the details, but apparently Hisana's other self had received serious wounds from a Covenant general named Astaroth, and because the injuries were inflicted through hellfire, they had yet to heal. Valkyrie's face was one of the few areas devoid of injury, and the only thing besides her wings that remained uncovered. As if sensing my presence, her eyes began to slowly flutter open. Her violet ringed irises scanned the room until they found me sitting in a chair beside her.

"I must be a pitiful sight, aren't I?" she said. "I'm an other self, and yet I've been placed in intensive care because my injuries won't heal fast enough. How sad is that?"

"It's not your fault. The enemy has become increasingly dangerous the longer this war continues. I doubt I would be in any better condition had I gone in your place. Were it not for the king forbidding me to leave the city…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad I was the only one who took this kind of damage, I fear for what might have happened to you even had you been there. And don't be mad at Siegfried, he's only keeping you here so that people can learn to trust you."

"And just look at how well that's worked out."

She laughed lightly. "Just give them a little more time. If they can learn to trust me, I'm sure they'll trust you too."

I sighed and lowered my gaze. "I hope so…"

"Hey, Hisana trusts you. That's got to count for something."

I smiled at this and nodded in agreement. To be honest, Siegfried's men couldn't restrain me no matter how hard they tried. The only thing stopping me from leaving was my daughter, both halves of her. If it weren't for Valkyrie and Hisana, I probably would have ran off a long time ago. Mato would never put her faith in me, despite my attempts to put the past behind us, and Rukia (who has finally regained her memories) was of the same mind as her. But Hisana had chosen to accept me, even after hearing about who I once was. Both her and Valkyrie were willing to accept me as part of their family, a dream I had long believed to be impossible. They were as much my children as they had been Ebony's, but now I was finally being treated as their mother, finally able to express my love to a girl who I had watched grow and become a capable young woman. I stayed by Valkyrie's side for a little while longer before deciding it was time to leave. She thanked me for visiting her, then bade me farewell as I exited the room. I spent the rest of the day sharpening my skills in the training grounds and talking with the queen (who despite the fierce look in her eye, was quite gentle) about various matters until evening came. However, upon entering the flat I shared with Mato and Rukia I found the former leaning against the hallway leading to my room, almost as if she was waiting for me. The angry glare she was sending my way told me she had something to say.

"Can I help you?" I asked, preparing for what was probably a lecture.

"You think you've got them all fooled, don't you?" Mato began.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You think that just because you've done a few good deeds everyone will forget what you are, that they'll just accept you? Don't be so naïve. You may have Hisana and the others fooled, but Rukia and I know that it's only a matter of time before you show your true colors. I know you're up to something, there's no way you'd just give up being evil all of a sudden."

I sighed in annoyance. "For the last time, I'm not planning anything. All I want is to have a peaceful life with my family. Believe it or not, that includes you. Why can't you just let go of the past, and move on like I did?"

Mato huffed in frustration. "'Your' family? Don't be ridiculous! You don't have a family, you just want to take mine! I won't fall for your petty tricks, Ivory. No matter what you do, I'll never accept you!"

At this, I had had enough. Without responding, I pushed my way past her and made for my room.

"You can't hide! I'll expose you for what you are, just you wait!" she called just before I closed the door.

I let out another sigh as I undressed and got under my bedsheets. As I began to drift into sleep, my thoughts once again went to my love. In my dream, she was there beside me, smiling down at me while her arms held me in a warm embrace. She stared at me lovingly for a moment before pressing her lips to mine. My love wasted no time with foreplay and immediately went for my chest. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as her small hands fondled and massaged my bosom.

"Yuu…" I moaned.

She smiled in response and removed one hand. Slowly it drifted downward, leaving featherlike touches all the way down to between my legs. Then, bit by bit, she inserted a finger into my center. I struggled not to let my voice out in response to the pleasure I was feeling. Her finger started going in and out of me, steadily working up a rhythm. I could feel my hips rocking to match her movements as the tension building within me mounted.

"Yes…Oh god, Yuu…that's it…"

A few moments later, and the tension reached its peak. My lust filled cry died in my throat as I came. I gasped for breath and closed my eyes as I rode out the last few waves of my orgasm.

"Yuu…I love you…"

I opened my eyes to greet her, but found that I was alone. Looking down, I realized that the hands on my breast and between my legs were my own. Sighing in disappointment, I straightened out my covers before rolling over and going back to sleep. Yuu…please come back to me…

Two days later…

I eagerly walked towards my house with a smile. Today the messenger bird used by me and Yuu would come, and I could send her my letter while reading the one she sent me. I had spent the whole day impatiently waiting for it to be mid afternoon. While I knew the bird was trained not to leave until I had given it a message, I still wanted to get back as soon as possible. Just as I was leaving the palace from another visit to the queen, someone suddenly blocked my path. With a start, I realized it was not Mato, nor Rukia, but Ebony who stood before me.

"Wha-what's the meaning of this?!" I said, dumbfounded.

"We've decided it's time we got back together. Now we are Ebony once more. However, our fusion is still incomplete. It seems that despite the presence of both Mato and Rukia inside of me, you are still needed."

My eyes widened in horror. "No…are you saying that…you want me to…?"

Ebony nodded. "It's time you went back to where you belong. You don't have a place in this world, and if you join with me again I'll be able to keep you out of trouble for good."

As much as I wanted to remain calm, something as drastic as this made it impossible to not glare at her.

"You've got a lot of nerve if you think you can just waltz up to me and demand that I go back to being alone for eternity. I've told you countless times, I'm not going through that again, I'm not giving up my freedom!"

Ebony smirked uncharacteristically at me. "I figured you'd say that. That's why I took the liberty of acquiring some interesting bits of information."

She rummaged around inside her jacket for a moment before pulling out an envelope addressed to me.

"Does this look familiar?"

I practically froze in fear. "Where did you-"

"I decided to do some investigating, and I came across this sitting on your desk. I'm not sure how it got there, but it looked important enough that I had a look inside. You wouldn't believe what I found in this."

While I trembled in fear, Ebony opened up the envelope and began to read it aloud.

"Dear White, Although we are miles apart, it warms my heart to know that things are finally going well for you. Every day we are apart it feels like I lose a little more of myself. Our numbers have grown exponentially since last I wrote, and I fear that soon Strife will unleash her horde on Windbloom. I still regret not bringing you with me, but knowing that people are starting to trust you puts me at ease, if only a little. I pray that you will continue to believe in me, and that soon enough everyone will like you. Eagerly awaiting your next letter, Yuu."

Despite the emotional intention of the letter, I knew that Ebony was bound to take it the wrong way. Putting Yuu's message back in the envelope, she looked back at me smugly.

"It seems I was right after all. You're not just up to something, you're manipulating Yuu as well. While you're sweet talking her into thinking you love her, you're handing away valuable secrets to the enemy. What would Hisana say if she saw this?"

"You don't understand! I only write to Yuu so I can stay in touch with her! Hasn't Hisana told you how much I care for her? Haven't you ever wanted to do something for the one you love, even when you're miles away from each other?"

Her expression told me she wasn't buying it. "Oh, I know just how much you 'care' for Yuu. I also found your letter while I was in there."

As if to prove her point, she took out my most recent letter as well.

"No doubt this is full of more of the EOT's military secrets. Well I can say for a fact that you're not getting away with this little covert operation of yours any longer."

Ignoring her words, I reached for the letter. "Give that back! That's for Yuu!"

Ebony withdrew it just out of my reach. "I don't think so. This letter is going straight to Siegfried and the others. Once I do that, they'll finally realize they've been tricked and get rid of you for good! But…"

A devious smile spread on her lips.

"If you don't want this to go public, then become a part of me again. If you do that, I'll never tell a soul, and say that you just ran away. Look on the bright side, if you return to me you can still see the world through my eyes, and nobody will be able to bother you ever again."

I felt my hands clench into fists at this. How could she do this to me?! Did she really think she was doing what was right?

"Never…" I growled.

"What?"

"Never! I'll never go back to that prison! I'm not letting go of what I have! I can finally have a chance to live a real life, and I intend to live that life with Yuu! As soon as this war is over, we'll be together again, and you can forget all about me."

Ebony paused for a moment, then glared at me.

"Perhaps you weren't listening, so I guess I'll just have to give some incentive!"

With that, she tore the letter I had written to pieces.

"NO!"

"There! Now it should be easy for you to decide-"

Whatever she was about to say next, it died in her throat as my sword slashed across her chest, spilling blue/black blood onto the pavement. My vision began to blur as rage unlike any I had ever felt overtook me. Objects and shapes seemed to fly by in a matter of seconds, and when next I could see clearly, I was standing over a severely injured Ebony covered in bruises and deep gashes. Her zanpakutou sat broken in half beside her black katana somewhere on the edge of the crater we were in, and I could feel the red flame burning out of my right eye. My anger kept me from thinking about how or when we had gotten here, and only a single thought became clear. Kill. After what Ebony had just tried to pull, it was difficult for me to fight against that thought, and I felt my arm raise as I positioned my sword downwards.

"STOP!" a voice suddenly cried out from behind me.

Without thinking, I wheeled around and pinned the speaker to the ground with my sword at their throat. I froze when I saw just who it was I had put in this position. Staring up at me with pure horror was none other than Hisana. Finally regaining control of my actions, I quickly pushed myself off from her. She slowly sat up, still staring at me fearfully.

"Why…why did you do it? Why do you have those flames?" she said in a trembling voice.

With a start, I realized that my sword was completely encased in bright red hellfire, just like my eye. Wanting to try to calm her down, I put away the deadly weapon.

"Hisana, I can explain…" I tried, taking a small step toward her.

She backed away in fear. "Explain what? Explain why you attacked my mother for no reason? Explain why you can use hellfire just like Evelyn and…and…"

I lowered my head and partially removed my jacket, allowing her to see the small teeth marks on my shoulder signifying my bond to Yuu.

"You should have realized it when I told how much Yuu meant to me. Don't worry, I didn't get this until after you were born, so it won't transfer to you."

She didn't seem to relax much at this. "Why did you attack Ebony?"

"I didn't want to do it! She did something that made me so mad that I lost control!"

"What do you mean, she did something?"

"I'll tell you what she means…" came a hoarse voice from the crater.

Ebony weakly began to rise to where she was just barely standing.

"Mom!" Hisana cried.

I felt her shove past me as she ran to Ebony's side to keep her from falling. By now people and armed soldiers were starting to gather around us as Ebony prepared to speak.

"I found out that she was somehow sending private letters to Fury of the Cobalt Covenant. It seems that every week on this day they exchange information, no doubt about the EOT's movements and weaknesses! I'm not sure how long it's been going on, but I managed to destroy the last letter she wrote before it was sent. She tried to kill me, so she could cover it up and continue to diverge our secrets!" she declared.

Everyone sent either glares or looks of suspicion at me. I heard the sound of several firearms being readied, and turned around to see Siegfried and a platoon of elite guards with their weapons drawn and aimed at me.

"And what's more," Ebony continued. "it seems that she possesses the power to control hellfire, and ability which we thought to belong only to our enemies. Just look at all the damage she's caused!"

I turned with the crowd to look at the streets around us. As far as I could see, there were scorch marks and damaged buildings all across the city. Did I…do this?

Siegfried turned hos attention back to me. "Is this true?"

"No! Well, yes I sent letters to Yuu, but I don't know anything about the military! The only thing in those letters were words of love! We were sending each other letters because we missed each other! I never intended for any of this to happen! Please, you have to believe me!"

I desperately turned to my daughter.

"Hisana, tell them! You know I only want peace! You trust me, don't you?"

"I can't believe it…" I heard her whisper.

"What?"

Hisana looked at me, awestruck. "Mom was right all along…you really are a monster."

It felt as though something died in me just then. Some small glimmer of hope that my efforts to connect had not been in vain. But now, it was gone. My daughter no longer trusted me. She was just like everyone else. I hung my head so that my bangs hid my slowly watering eyes.

"I see…that's how you felt all along, isn't it? It seems that I was wrong about you," I looked up just enough so she could see the rims of my eyes. "You really are just like Ebony."

I saw her eyes begin to widen in surprise, and I thought I saw a tinge of regret, but I was no longer in the mood to care. I turned away from her and began walking towards my apartment. Without looking my way, Siegfried put a hand on my shoulder to stop me.

"I already know we can't kill you, so I'm placing you under house arrest. Go home, and don't come out again unless instructed otherwise." he said sternly, and yet somewhat understandingly.

I nodded in compliance, and he released me.

"You're letting her live? But your highness, look at what she's done! Shouldn't she have a more serious punishment?" I heard a soldier say.

"No. I can tell just from looking at her…"

I partially turned and saw the king staring at me in mixed anger and sympathy.

"She is already receiving a punishment more severe than any I can give."

With that, I turned back toward the road and walked until I reached an unoccupied street. Now that I was out of sight, I broke into a run. Soon enough I was at my apartment. I calmly walked inside my room and closed the door, then let out the tears I had been holding back.

"Why…I believed in you…I thought you were different…I thought you understood…" I said in little more than a whisper.

A small rustling drew my attention to my open window. There sat the messenger bird, still waiting to receive my letter. In the midst of my frustration and sorrow, I grabbed my pen and some fresh parchment, and quickly wrote a new letter for Yuu. As soon as I was done signing, I sealed it in an envelope and put it in a pouch tied around the bird's neck.

"Be sure that she gets this as soon as possible."

It seemed to almost nod in understanding before flying off, turning invisible with a flap of its wings. Once the bird was gone, I closed my window and fell on my bed, still letting out tears.

"Hurry Yuu…take me away from this awful place…I want to be back in your arms…I don't want to be alone again…never again…"

I finally lost the ability to form words, and cried out in grief. Even though I knew Yuu would come once she got the message, it would still be awhile before I was out of here. Now all I can do is wait for my beloved to rescue me from solitude, just as she did before.

The Otherworld, Strife's Fortress, at the same time…

Yuu

I sat looking out at the vast expanse of a world that was once empty, but now was filled with thousands, no, millions of demons, monsters, and any other nonhuman race that had suffered the plight of mankind's hatred. Below me, warriors trained and traded stories of battle and glory, neither of which I held any interest in. I had known from the start that standing by my daughter's side would require me to once again become the enemy of all that is good, but that hadn't made it any easier to reenter the position. I was named high commander of all of Strife's forces, and she was crowned queen of all demons. Under my daughter's rule, countless worlds have been lost to death and damnation, most of which was brought upon by her own hands. Despite my warnings of the damage her strenuous activities would due to her child, Strife refused to stay put in the fortress for anything other than rest. She was always on the front lines, burning both innocent and guilty alike in the inferno of her rage. It was just as I'd feared, she'd become an even greater menace than me, only it was her own will that drove her, and not that of the lord of Gehenna. I remembered with a shudder how she had acted on a campaign to a place called Camelot City. When we first arrived, two of the local humans, a father and his daughter, recognized Strife from some earlier encounter they'd had with her. As the father tried to convince his angry brethren that Strife was still Evelyn, and was the only demon to be trusted, Strife gutted him, right in front of his little girl. That poor child…she tried to understand why Strife had done such a horrible thing after being shown kindness, and as a result my daughter decided to explain by making an example of her. She ordered our men to slaughter everyone, and spare only the child. Then we left her, alone and scared out of her mind. I fear for my daughter, I fear for what will become of her and her child. And though she is far away, I fear for White as well. I just hope they're warming up to her, god knows she deserves a chance. I was broken out of my thoughts as someone knocked on my door.

"Commander, she's asking for you." came a mature woman's voice.

"I understand, I'll be out in just a moment."

As much as I wanted to stay and receive my weekly letter from White, my daughter took priority. Composing myself, I exited my chambers and found Lucy waiting for me in the hall. The queen Diclonius had become an important ally in the war effort, especially now that we had her entire race on our side (though they were small in number). The Diclonii have turned the tide on many battlefields, and seem to bare a hatred for mankind that runs just as deep, if not deeper, than that of Strife. This and the persecution they received were just some of the many similarities that caused them to side with us. Lucy was probably the most violent among her race, as I have witnessed firsthand just how deadly she can be in combat. She was the type of person who didn't talk much, and let their actions speak for them. Which is why it was quiet on the way to my daughter's quarters. Lucy nodded to me, then left to carry on the rest of her duties. Taking a deep breath, I entered Strife's chambers. The room wasn't too extravagant, despite her social status, and the only regal looking feature was the large bed with curtains surrounding all sides. However, my daughter was nowhere to be found. I noticed an open passageway that appeared to be hidden inside the wall, as I had not seen it before on my previous visits. But I had a feeling that wherever it led to, Strife would be there. Sure enough, as I made my way down a long and dark staircase, I found her standing before a transparent casket. With a start, I realized that the body inside the casket was that of Shinzo, my daughter's lover whose death had been the ignition to the war. Strife stared lovingly down at her husband's still form, gently resting her hand over Shinzo's chest. This was one of the rare occasions when her eyes returned to their original amber hue, instead of the fiery sapphire she used most of the time.

"I know you're here, father." my daughter said suddenly, startling me. "Don't worry, I'm not angry at you. I was planning on telling you about this when the time came anyway."

She turned towards me, an unusual amount of sadness in her normally emotionless eyes.

"I miss her so much…" she looked down at her slightly distended stomach. "We miss her…"

I suddenly lacked the courage to face her in her current state, and looked away.

"I know. I'm sorry…if only I still had his power I could of-"

"Do not blame yourself, father. Satan would not have loaned you his power for something like this. And besides, you had no way of knowing the gate had been destroyed."

I nodded, but still felt guilty. When Strife was still gathering forces, I had tried to convince her that I knew of a way to revive Shinzo. She was willing to listen, so she followed me into the depths of the fortress, where the old Gehenna Gate I used during my time as Fury should have been. When we got there, we had found out that the gate had been destroyed. I thought I could just open up another one, but no matter what I tried it didn't work. It was then that Astaroth explained to us that only Satan himself can open and control the gates, and that the only reason I could so at one point was because he was in possession of my body and was allowing me to use his power. In other words, without the lord of Gehenna's power, we could not bring back Shinzo using the gateway. If only I still had that power…I could've stopped this war before it began, and had my normal daughter back. Strife looked back at her lover's body and slowly rubbed circles over her belly.

"Just two more months, my love. Two more months, and our baby will be born, our little Ryunoko. I promise, I will do everything in my power to bring you back before then."

Hearing her promise rekindled my resolve to help her, and I was once again able to look up at her.

"And I promise to do all that I can to make sure you succeed on that end." I swore.

"By the way father, I think it's time you came clean about your secret as well."

My eyes widened in surprise at this. "What? What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about your sending letters to that woman you call "White". Did you honestly think you could hide it from me?" she looked back at me now, her eyes once again a fiery blue.

"It's not what you think! I was just-"

"Sending love letters to a woman I've never fully met? A woman who you have bonded with, despite her not being my mother?"

I was struck speechless. How did she find out? More importantly, what is she going to do now that she knows?

"I have known for quite some time now, thanks to a few associates of mine. I've seen the letters written by both you and her."

I averted my gaze, awaiting the cries of anger that were sure to follow.

"I am happy for you."

Confused, I looked back at her. Strife was smiling at me in a sort of half comforting, half devious sort of way.

"You truly love this woman, and from what I have read in the letters she sends you, she loves you as well, more than anything else. From what I've gathered, she is no different from us, and her deepest wish is to become part of a family, specifically one that involves you."

"That's…correct."

"I would like to meet her in person, so that I may see for myself if she is truly worthy to become my mother. Evelyn feels the same way."

I couldn't help but smile hopefully at this. Somehow, despite all of her dark qualities, it seemed that Strife had at least one genuinely good side to her. Perhaps she really was of the same heart as Evelyn.

"As much as I'd like that to happen, I'm afraid it will be a bit more complicated than that." she said in a much more serious tone. She reached into a pocket of her nightgown and produced an envelope addressed to me. "This is the message she sent today. Once you read it, you will understand what must be done."

Strife handed over the envelope, and I quickly took out the letter to read. I could hear my teeth grinding as I read about the cruelties she had undergone, and how my efforts to give her a chance at happiness were ruined by the last person I would expect: Ebony. And to think, at a time I used to love her… White was calling me for help, but I knew that freeing her would be no simple task.

"You understand now, don't you?" Strife asked, a cruel smile forming on her lips.

I could feel one begin to form on my own as I answered.

"Yes, I understand exactly what must be done. You were planning on going there at some point anyway, why not speed things up a bit? They've gone too far this time, and now its time for them to finally get what they deserve…"

"Yes, the time has finally come for the kingdom of Windbloom, no, all of the EOT, to fall.

It is time to destroy the source of our pain."