Look, it didn't even take me a zillion months for the next chapter! lol

Ch. 10

Viola spooned the last sip of soup into Z.W.E.I.'s mouth. He had fought her at first, declaring that he could do it himself and that he didn't need her to baby him, but she insisted and he reluctantly accepted.

"Thanks," he mumbled with a hint of displeasure over being treated innocently. Viola knew that he wanted to look brave and strong, but no one was around to see him treated as such. She sat down the bowl on the table nearby and patted her friend's shoulder.

It had been a week since the groups return. Z.W.E.I. had healed somewhat. His external wounds were closing, turning into puffy pink scars. The sword wound was still raw and his bones were of course very much broken. Still, his spirits had been up. He seemed almost back to normal in terms of personality.

"You know, Viola," he moaned, sitting up straighter with a moan, "you have seemed…" he searched for the words, "happy."

"Was I not happy before?" the fortuneteller asked quietly.

"Not really."

Viola knew… emptiness was no way to live. Since she met Raphael, however, she felt a spark within her. Not feeling was a road to contempt and apathy. She cared about no one and nothing… except Z.W.E.I. She was unsure if she had ever been able to tell him that.

"I'm happy to have you back," she admitted, looking at him with sad eyes. He tried to smile, but it just caused a flash of pain. He groaned, holding his stomach.

"Is that really why?" Viola took his hand. For a brief moment she considered telling him everything. She wanted to confide in him about Raphael and what she had read in Hilde's diary, but… she was unsure if that was wise. Z.W.E.I. may have been her friend, but he was Siegfried's soldier.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and muttered, "Yes." He squinted at her, his blue eyes probing, looking for something in her face. She just hoped he didn't read the lie on her continence.

Thankfully, he just sighed before shrugging.

"It's nice to be so loved," he murmured, causing his friend to blush, her cheeks flushing to match her eyes. She was unsure of how to answer that, and because of that she just sat there staring at his scarred face. Luckily, he yawned. "Perhaps, I should be taking a nap… that," he made a disgusted face, "liquid the nurses gave me is supposed to make me tired." Viola touched his face gently.

"Get some rest… I'll come see you tonight." He slid down so that his head was resting on his pillow, flinching as he did so. He smiled at her, closing his eyes, wordlessly. Viola said nothing more. She just stood and exited the room, allowing Z.W.E.I. to rest.

On her way down the hall a voice caught her attention. She paused, lingering outside the partially opened door.

"One man made it back, but no word on the other three," the voice of Siegfried was mumbling.

"No doubt it was him," a light female voice replied. It was Hilde. There was a pause. "What are we going to do about it?"

"I am uncertain. No doubt he is still looking for…"

"Oh, certainly. He must still suspect us."

"That is not good. He will be back." Another pause. "How does he still live? I killed Sorel almost two decades ago."

"He is not human." Viola's stomach started to churn. If he wasn't human… that mean neither was she. "I still have the scars from where he… bit me." There was a sigh.

"If he comes back we have a full force of men here… he will not be able to get to her."

"But if he comes at night… and keeps quiet he may… find her. And even if he does not… he could still kill more of our men trying." More quiet.

"We must repeat our attack from years past. We must hit him… before he hits us. Hilde, send a scout to find where he has been staying… it shouldn't be that hard to track him down. Raphael is an immense danger and we cannot allow him to get to us."

"Right away."

"Hopefully, this time he'll stay dead."

Viola darted down the hall, her heart thumping in her chest. They were going to kill Raphael. No, they couldn't… she wouldn't let them. But she couldn't fight them… not if she wanted to find the truth of her amnesia. No, she would warn him… tell him to flee before they discovered his location.

In a rush, Viola fled from the building, from the camp. She was in such a rush she didn't even bother to grab her orb. She never left without her orb. She didn't care about anything, but protecting him.

Once she reached the woods, she paused, taking a moment to catch her breath. She hoped that another golem didn't decide to attack her. She wasn't sure if she could avoid death when she had no defense and probably no timely intervention from the Lord of the Night. She leaned against a tree, looking up at the sky. It was blue and sunny. Raphael probably wouldn't be outside… Meaning he'd be back at his cottage in the nearby town. Viola took a breath and darted through the woods, rushing to her destination as fast as her feet would carry her.

Finally, after what seemed like forever of breathless burning she slammed her fist into the wooden door of Raphael's home. She bent over, holding her stomach, gasping. She hoped he'd opened the door quickly. She was feeling the heat of the sun scorching her skin. She felt as if all her energy had been sapped. Normally, she would be asleep right about that time.

A creak caused her to look back at the cottage, but she couldn't even see the Dark Lord before she was being pulled inside. The door slammed shut and she was pushed against it. Still breathing heavy, she looked up at the figure looming over her, his face close. The room was pitch black. Something covered the windows, so that light could not get in.

"Raphael," she whispered simply. A cold finger brushed softly down her jawline.

"What are you doing here?" he uttered. There was an odd tone in his voice.

"Do you not want me here?" she squeaked, surprised by his reaction.

"No, no," he said. She could see the shadow shaking his head. "This is just… not a time that I prefer… company. Even if said company is someone who is as amazing as you."

"I… I came here to warn you of something," she uttered, but now that she was where she needed to be… she couldn't remember what she needed to say. With him so close, his sweet scent attacking her… it had just slipped away. The burn of the old kiss had come back, making her lips ache.

"What is it, Viola?" he hummed. She fidgeted.

"I-I," she uttered. A low rumble of a chuckle vibrated from deep in his chest.

"Do I make you nervous?" he hummed.

"No!" she almost shouted. "Just… I…" There was another deep laugh. She felt his breath move closer and brush against her neck. She reached up, placing her palm on his chest, and breathed raggedly as his lips folded around her throat. For a moment she reflected on how strange this was, but at the same time… it felt… right.

"Raph-Raphael," she uttered, trying to remember the important thing that she needed to say. "I… n-need to tell you…" His lips cupped around her jaw, his hand sliding up her short skirt and grasping her butt.

A thump against the window startled Viola. She shoved Raphael away and spun around, looking at the source of the noise. A small stream of light managed to break through the cover where a tiny hole had been ripped away. Through the hole she could see an eye, peeking in at them. She gasped, stumbling into the Dark Lord.

"Siegfried is sending a scout to find you," she uttered. Viola pointed at the window. "And I think he may have followed me here."

"What?" Raphael growled. He stormed across the room, grabbing his weapon. The eye jerked away.

Viola rushed to the door, throwing it open just in time to see a man retreating back towards the woods. He may not have been able to see them, but what if he heard them? Not only would they know where Raphael was, but they would also know that Viola had been speaking with him. If she was ousted then she would not be able to gather more information on her memory loss.

"He's getting away!" she called, looking at Raphael. He was shying away from the sunlight, seeming physically harmed by it.

"I cannot go outside," he uttered with urgency. "I have no real energy and the light is too harming." Viola looked back at the man, who had vanished.

"I do not have my orb," she uttered, looking at him with desperation. He was silent for a moment, thinking. Then, he tossed her his Rapier. She caught it, looking at it in confusion. "I don't know how to use this."

"You did," he said. "You can do it, Viola," Viola was torn, unsure if she really could. "Go, Viola!" Raphael urged. There was no other option… she had to stop that scout.

She shot from the house, slamming the door behind her, and chased after the man. She pumped her legs hard, her hand squeezing the pommel of the Rapier. She took a deep breath, trying to ready herself. She had no idea how to use a sword. Though, she had watched Z.W.E.I., Siegfried, and Hilde practice a lot… she had never picked up any of it… or wanted to. Even still… this was not the kind of sword that you just brutally attacked with… no… this sword was thin and light. There was an art to using it… a style. She had seen that after watching Raphael fight. This wasn't something that she could just make up as she went…

In the distance she could see the man sprinting.

"Stop!" she yelled. She could see now for certain that it was one of Siegfried's men. She had seen him before in the camp. She had to stop him, make sure he could not tell them about her and Raphael.

She pushed herself faster and faster until finally he was right there, within swords reach. She squeezed the Rapier and thrust it, catching him in the thigh and causing him to fall to the ground. She leapt over him, skidding to a stop. Viola raised the sword, pointing it at him. He climbed to his feet, drawing his larger sword. She took a breath.

"Why, Viola?" the scout hissed. "Siegfried trusts you!"

"Siegfried lied to me," she murmured as the two circled.

"He also took care of you!"

"He took away my memory! I'm not going to let you tell him."

"You can try."

The scout forced his sword forward. Viola dodged to the side, tiptoeing around him. She glanced at her own sword. She could do this. She forced the Rapier out towards him. He smacked it away with his sword. Viola backed up. Dodging to the side of a blow from him, she slashed down, cutting him across the arm. He jerked back. She… actually cut him? She actually CUT him! The scout looked at her, anger burning in his eyes. That was when he charged at her, knocking her to the ground. He thrust his sword down at her, but somehow she managed to move the Rapier between his weapon and her body, the tip of the sword clashing against the flat end of her sword. She kicked up, knocking the man away from her, and jumping to her feet. Before he even had time to attack she was moving in on him, her adrenaline burning inside of her. She slashed left, right, at his feet, and then thrust the thin sword forward impaling the scout. She breathed deeply, her eyes wide with shock at the sight of her victory. She withdrew the weapon, causing the man to hit the ground, dead.

Viola looked down at the Rapier, glistening red in the gleam of the sun.

Something in her mind… unlocked, and she realized… she remembered how to fight with that sword. She knew every step, every jab, every slash… she remembered it all. There was something else too... a tiny little pale hand, holding the hilt of a sword awkwardly. Then, there was another hand, reaching down and turning the sword the right way before folding around the little hand. It was big and cool. Viola could almost feel it.

"Like this," a voice hummed in her ear. The little hand squeezed the pommel. Viola squeezed in return. "You can do it, Amy," the voice hummed again, tingling in her ear. Viola bit her lip.

"Raphael," she uttered. Viola turned and rushed back, anxious to see him.