Sorry for this being a day late. I only got the chapter finished up yesterday, and it's my policy to sleep on every chapter before posting, to make sure I've done all I can.
As the flash in the sky disappeared, the swordsman in dark green looked back down at the lifeless girl lying in the snow. For a moment she stared at her in silence, then she turned away. As she completed the motion, her cape billowed out around her and she disappeared entirely, as though she slipped into an invisibility field.
She was gone, entirely gone. No answers, no explanations. Just the gently smiling body that stood as a monument to her deeds. The world was eerily silent, and no sound came forth to fill that void.
Everyone pull back, Caelina ordered to the Imperials, our job here is done. It was a slow process, but not due to any ongoing battle that had to be properly disengaged from. The knights merely wondered how everything ended so quickly.
Meryet was perhaps the only one not in awe. Her gaze dropped from the mountains lower and lower till she stared at the ground, then her legs fell out beneath her. The tears that had been stopped by the previous grandeur returned, and she quietly sobbed as she knelt there.
She felt someone lay a hand on her shoulder, and knew without looking that it was Lucine. That girl dropped to one knee beside Meryet, her arms moving to embrace the girl. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"It's not your fault," Meryet replied, not moving from where she was. "I'm the one who lost her in the first place." Around them, their comrades teleported in, but not a single spoke as they saw Meryet sobbing.
The traitor knights came as well, and they didn't hesitate long before the two gathered with the rest. But Meryet interrupted them, "Wait," she called. The blonde haired girl, arm still a bloody stump, turned to face her. "Why did you take Alicia?"
It appeared that the answer was simple, but the traitor had a hard time saying it. She opened her mouth, but it was a few seconds before any sound came out. "The truth, behind Athena." She explained. Her expression turned to one of sadness, and she solemnly said, "I'm sorry. I honestly didn't mean to take her forever."
Meryet narrowed her eyes at the girl. Her fury met Columbine's contemplation, and the two girls' stares didn't break for a minute. Meryet started to speak, anger coming from deep down in her heart. "It doesn't matter who has her now." She stated with absolute certainty, "What matters is that you are the one who took her in the first place." There was nothing but anger on Meryet's face as she said, "One day, I will kill you."
Columbine appeared to be surprised by the rage directed at her, but she was pushed aside by the girl that stepped in front of her. Ushio stared down at Meryet, not feeling any burning rage, rather it was an ice-cold glare. She was calm. "You can try to do that. I can promise that I'll stop you." The girl shook her head, "And besides, I'm the one who started all this, you should be blaming me." She glanced behind herself, back up at the mountain where Astikai lay. "I'm the only one left to really blame for all this." Ushio turned back to Meryet, and said, "So try. But I'll win."
"You say that," Meryet whispered, "You might even understand my anger." A crazed grin started to appear on her face, as she slowly began to stand up. "But if you really do, then you know that I'll get my revenge…on all of you traitorous bastards."
Ushio nodded, "If that is how it shall be, then so be it." She turned around. "It's inevitable that we'll meet again. Sooner or later, our paths must cross once more." She stepped back into the group and met Meryet's eyes for one last goodbye. "I'm sorry we hurt you. In a way, that too was inevitable." Then they were gone.
Tentheta was the one to break the silence that followed. The frozen undergrowth cracked beneath her as she shifted her feet, and said, "Meryet, I'm sorry that there was nothing we could do."
"Don't apologize," Meryet insisted. She was all too content with saying yet again, "It's my fault."
After the initial shock and awe had passed, barely ten minutes passed before the forces had separated from one another. Vlasta made some effort to organize her forces on the ground, while Caelina recalled everyone to prepare for extraction, and what was left of Astikai's forces slowly realized that they were stranded with nowhere to go.
I apologize for the conduct of the Inquisitor, Caelina sent to the ruler of the world, she's already been declared a traitor, and will be dealt with as swiftly as possible.
Nothing too much to worry about, the girl replied with a heavy sigh, we had our own share of betrayals today. You're free to go, I won't call in anyone else. Just don't come back here for a little while.
It's not my job to make promises to traitors, but I think I can give you some assurance on that. Caelina replied. The Thunderhawks were already descending, and though it was an awkward end, it was an end nonetheless.
The girl clad in red armor stood on the mountaintop, blind to the rest of the world, only looking at that trail of destruction carved by the duel. Memories of years long past flowed through her mind. She couldn't cease thinking about that girl. The one in green. "It's been so long it's almost hard to remember it…" Caelina whispered to herself.
Her fists clenched as the weight of hundreds of years of emotions came down upon her shoulders. "Juno…" the name slipped from her mouth like it was unintentional. She shook her head, as another squad teleported in near her. Her attention was drawn to this one, for it was Meryet's.
Caelina turned slowly to face her, though the recollection on her face didn't disappear. Meryet strode towards her, telepathically sending what she was shown by the traitor. The girl halted a few feet away, and slowly, grimly demanded, "Who were they?"
The captain glanced back to the mountain, then to Meryet. "I don't know," She whispered, before walking away.
Meryet grabbed her by the arm. Not merely a request. She gripped down tight, and didn't let go. "Tell me," She demanded furiously, "You know, don't you?"
Not here. Caelina sent to her privately. Wait, and I'll say what I can. She ripped her arm from Meryet's grip and, after pinning her with a harsh stare, walked away. Meryet watched her go, almost motivated to storm after her and demand an answer now. But the presence of her comrade dissuaded her from that.
"Meryet, please, stay calm." Lucine said quietly, as she took the girl's hand. Her own helmet dissipated around her head, and she stepped in to try and embrace the girl. But Meryet shoved her aside.
"I lost her," Meryet stammered, as she started to breathe faster, breathes growing deeper at the same time. "I couldn't save her," her eyes glittered. "I don't deserve anything but to spend my life getting her back." Then the tears started again.
About a third of the mountain range had been obliterated. The station, the rest of the debris, Astikai's attack. All had made their mark in some way. Forever scarred was the formerly pristine land. Over the course of the battle, nine knights had died. Many others were incapacitated or close to the event horizon. Luckily there were no witches on this day.
They were gathered in a loose group. Unsure looks sat on the faces of those without their helmets. It was an awkward sight, for while Vlasta's girls technically outnumbered them, many of those had recently changed sides once more after Astikai's death. Indeed, that girl had been the driving force behind the conflict. Without it, even the Khornates and Slaaneshi found little pleasure in continuing the slugging match.
Every single girl's attention was gotten by Columbine's mere arrival. Cherepia and Ushio at her side, and the rest of her squad around her, the girl stood on the small hillock that overlooked the group of them. Hand clutching at the slowly-regenerating stump of an arm, Columbine seemed only able to stand steady and face them thanks to the hand that lay on her shoulder.
She knew just how dark her gem was, thanks to the whirlwind of emotions that ran through her, chief amongst them being regret. Regret felt for the mistakes that she had, mistakes that had hurt more people than just her. But still, she had to stand. Columbine was the leader, it was her job to stand up and speak. Perhaps merely pride motivated her to force herself in front of them, despite her shame. However, the girl liked to believe that she had some more altruistic motive.
Columbine briefly scanned the crowd and met the gazes of a few. We're not punishing anyone for this. Columbine said as she spoke to Vlasta, enough blood has been shed, and Astikai can't be accepted as the norm.
Fine, the girl replied, you're probably smarter than I at this point. Columbine heard her hesitating, but Vlasta spook sooner than she thought, and please don't push yourself. You've done good in your life.
Columbine cut the link without a second thought, and as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other, she started to speak. "I know that I'm not exactly qualified to hold myself higher than any of you, but I do know that any further conflict here is pointless. Astikai was the cause behind all of this, and there's no reason to keep fighting now that she's gone." She shut her eyes and breathed in, then continued, "There's no grudges held here. Those who were under Astikai are free to go wherever they wish. I don't care, and I know Vlasta won't care."
The blonde tapped her foot against the grass for a few moments, and announced, "My intention is to eventually set out in pursuit of Hjalma and the Inquisitorial forces responsible for this current debacle. The eventual hope is that we can end the legacy of Athena and what happened there for good." A brief pause, "You're free to join me if you desire it, but I won't force anything."
No one replied instantly. Rather, the gathered girls glanced at each other for a few moments, before some kind of consensus was reached among them. Clementine would be the one to speak up in the end. "We shall most likely go our own paths, but if you would accept some of us, then we'll join you. Perhaps we were never friends, but that doesn't mean there was never any disrespect."
Columbine, had she been in a better sort of mood, would have smirked at that, perhaps even remarked about some comments made towards her by a select few individuals. As she was, she merely nodded, and tried her best to smile. "Thank you," She replied quietly.
She realized that there was only so much more time she had before the show would fall apart, so she moved towards concluding, saying, "Good luck to all of you. I hope that some of us will see each other again." That she didn't entirely mean, but it didn't hurt to try and ensure one's own safety.
It was then that she finally realized something. The Tzeentchians are entirely gone. None of them are here. She realized, speaking to Ushio and the others. So they're all with Ciuatl.
Columbine nodded, and finished with, "Goodbye, and again, thank you." With that, she turned away, a bit hastily. She said nothing to Alice, so it must have been Ushio that told her to get them out of there. They disappeared in a blink of an eye.
As she entered, she saw the girl she sought reclining in a chair. She faced the window that showed the space beyond. Warp entry was not for a little while yet, but the shutters would close when it came.
The chair was a soft, padded one, though it stood strangely alone amidst the rest of the room. A crimson dress covered the girl, not in her armor, as she crossed her legs. Her hands were clasped in front of her face, and she didn't appear to notice Meryet as she entered. At least she didn't pay her any mind.
Ensuring the door was shut behind her, Meryet immediately stated, "I deserve answers."
Caelina's eyes moved in the corners of their sockets to look at her. Then she looked back to the window, and stared out at the starry void beyond. "Why do you think that?" she wondered.
Meryet narrowed her eyes. "They took Alicia. You clearly knew something about them. I want to save her." She growled, "Tell. Me."
"Didn't those girls say that Alicia wouldn't return even if you found her?" Caelina asked, still not looking at Meryet.
"They could be lying." Meryet shot back instantly, "And even if they weren't, I'm sure they fooled her, tricked her into believing that."
The captain's mouth almost opened as though to laugh, but she suppressed the impulse and questioned, "Why do you think that?"
"Alicia…she'd never…she'd never run away from me." Meryet said, at a loss for words. "She's-not a bad person."
"Discovering one's true nature is a negative desire now," Caelina observed, "Interesting…"
"What's your point?!" Meryet shouted, enraged by the girl's indifference, "Are you going to tell me or not?! Do you even care?!"
Caelina waited a few seconds before saying anything more. Meryet grew more and more impatient, ready to burst out, right before Caelina said simply, "What gives you the right to decide what is best for Alicia?" Nostalgia appeared on her face, transitioning to sadness. "I thought I knew what was best once but…" She shook her head.
The girl stood up. "Never mind that." Caelina turned to face Meryet. "How far back can you remember? Your childhood? Your infancy?"
Meryet was taken aback by the question, but recovered quickly from her perturbation to say, a bit unsurely, "Maybe when I was five or six years old. I know that I can remember much further back if I desired, but I've never taken the time to recover those memories."
Caelina nodded. Her eyebrows raised, "Do you know how old I am?"
Meryet instantly replied, "I don't, you've never told me."
"Three hundred and sixty-one." Caelina said, voice suddenly quiet. "I've been around for a long time. I hit my maximum potential in terms of magic a long time ago, however. I'm not one of those girls who can just keep getting more powerful." A sad smile came onto her face as her head dropped down to stare at the floor. "But I can remember quite far back. Though sometimes…I question if my memory is real."
She looked up at Meryet, and something strange was in her eyes. The word fear described it, but it was not without it sorrow, maybe even longing. "I don't know anymore," Caelina said, bringing a hand up to her face. "But three hundred years ago, my memory tells me that I saw those cloaked girls."
The girl in red shook her head in despair, as she explained, "But the records don't exist. We wrote them down, I saw the repots myself, but they're gone." She looked Meryet in the eyes, "They're gone!" Caelina shouted, "All gone, someone erased them."
She exhaled a deep breath and shut her eyes. "All that's left is my memory. And that memory tells me that the ones we saw are the same." Caelina shook for a second, before she stumbled and let herself drop back into her chair. "I saw one in black, one in white, and glimpses of another girl not like the others." She shook her head, "No green, and I don't know what exactly Ciuatl is."
Caelina covered her face with her hands, and Meryet swore she could hear a sound like crying. "I don't know who these girls work for. I don't know where they're from. But I know that they can't be beaten. Going against them is futile." She took her hands away from her face, and her tear-covered cheeks glittered in the dim light as she looked at Meryet. "Don't try. Alicia's gone, and there's nothing you can do."
Meryet was in shock. Eyes wide, jaw gaping, she slowly brought a hand to her head as she tried to wrap her mind around what she'd just heard. Then that hand on her head balled into a fist, right as the warning klaxons sounded. The shutters began to descend as Meryet stormed across the room towards the girl.
Caelina gasped as Meryet's armored hand wrapped around her throat and lifted her up. "You're telling me that I can't save her?" she asked madly, "You're telling me that no matter how hard I try, I can't do anything?!"
She shut her eyes for a few seconds and took a deep breath. Caelina squirmed in her hands, for Meryet was squeezing the life out of her. When the dark-haired girl's eyes opened again, they were full of a life previously missing. "You're a coward." She spat, "Just a coward. You don't understand my determination. I'll do anything to save her, to save Alicia!"
Meryet stared deep into the eyes that life was quickly draining from. "It's not even about what I think is right. If she wants to find the truth, then I'll go along with her, but I won't let anyone else take her, because I know that they'll want to hurt her!" The body hit the ground with a hard thud as Meryet turned away in disgust, with tears dripping down her cheeks. "I'll keep searching till I find her. I won't give up." She looked over her shoulder, "You've just given up on everything, haven't you?"
The silence lasted for a minute, then kept dragging on without the slightest disturbance. Eventually, Caelina just started to chuckle. Slowly, she pushed herself to sit up, barely managing to stay upright, but kept that pained smile on her face. "It's you who doesn't get it." Her eyes met Meryet's, and in that moment they were both shocked as the vessel ripped open the walls of reality and slid into the warp. Massive waves of pain hit both girls, Meryet stumbling back and Caelina merely shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth. For a brief instant, a thousand voices echoed in their minds, but then all faded into silence once more.
Caelina continued as though nothing occurred, saying, "Meryet, they killed people I knew. People who were close to me. People I cared for, people I loved. They killed them, effortlessly, and I didn't even receive the mercy of learning why." She almost started crying again as she explained, "At least you know why they stole Alicia. I don't get to understand why they murdered so many of my comrades, only that there was nothing I could have done to save any of them."
Her knees were pulled up to her chest, and the three-hundred and sixty-one year old girl put her head in between them. "Really, I just pretend to be so mysterious and strange because I don't want to admit that I'm scared. Scared that one day those girls might target my existence for elimination, only to fade away into non-existence as the records of them disappear." She stared down at the floor in between her knees, and whispered, "If, even now, you still desire to challenge them, then you're either awfully brave or awfully foolish." Caelina sighed, "I knew a girl like you, all those years back."
Slowly, she got to her feet and stared at the closed shutters. A different demeanor came over her, and she looked a bit happier than before, but she still spoke slowly and her words were not without sadness, "I'm sorry for all that, Meryet. I'm scared but…if you really want to then…then I'll do what I can to help you."
Meryet shakily reached out, but grasped Caelina's hand. "Has it really been three hundred years of terror?" she wondered.
The captain was hesitant, "Sometimes, I really can't say myself." Her voice was solemn, but not entirely consumed by despair. "I'm scared of them but…the fear isn't always there." She looked at Meryet, uncertainty in her expression, "Someday, you might understand what I'm speaking of, or someday, you'll have overcome it." Caelina found herself clenching Meryet's hand tightly, as though it was the only thing saving her. "But until the day I die, I'll never forget those…" She shut her eyes and smiled as though remembering a fond moment long ago, "Those ghosts." The captain nodded, "That's what we called them, ghosts."
Columbine wasn't sure if "throne room" was the right term to use. Though the high-backed seat was certainly a throne of sorts, and the room was wider than others in the building, it didn't seem fit for a large audience. Indeed, the balcony that sat through the door behind the throne made it seem more like a personal lounge, albeit a strange one.
A trio of chairs sat on that balcony, which were occupied by Columbine, Ushio, and Vlasta. Cherepia reclined against the railing to face the rest, with the occasional glance behind her to look out at the expansive city below the mountain that the mansion sat upon, which sloped down from the hills to give way to a sea that went all the way to the distant horizon. It was late in the day, and the sky was turning a brilliant burnt orange with the setting of the sun. Columbine's arm was fully regenerated at this point, but she still slumped in her chair, a sort of melancholy air around her.
"I've always wondered," Cherepia said, no particular subject having been established for the conversation Vlasta invited them to. "Why is it that worlds like this can exist, even thrive, right next to the Imperium?"
Vlasta just smirked, as though this planet was a testament to her ability. "These days, for a long time now in truth, people desire protection. But, it's only human to seek the freedom of choice." She explained, "I do rule this world, but I don't seek to tyrannize my subjects. The Imperium is a big place, and that leads to certain facts of existence there. People who don't believe in that Goddess, people who want more freedom, people who want something different for once, they all come to worlds like this. Traders, especially those rogue ones, provide the commerce and wealth, and self-sustaining economies form eventually. Magical girls too, so the Imperium knows better than to try and fight for these places. We won't threaten them, and they won't threaten us, simple enough." Vlasta shrugged, "In all honesty, I don't dislike the Goddess, I even think of her myself some times. But here I am, seen as a traitor nonetheless. Sometimes I feel like the actual worshippers of the chaos gods are more a liability than anything," She glanced to Ushio, "No offense, of course."
The girl had a thin ponytail of dark blue hair, and was dressed in a dark black suit with a long indigo coat worn over it. Her gloved hand supported her slumped head as she leaned over the table. A glass of wine sat mostly untouched in front of her. She looked at Columbine, "Are you alright?" She wondered.
Columbine shifted in her chair, shame still obvious on her face. "I'm sorry for bringing this whole mess here." She said quietly, though Ushio gave her a look that told her such talk wasn't necessary.
Vlasta made a gesture of indifference. "I lost a few girls, plenty of cubes were lost, and there's a sizable gap in orbit, but Sifras Astikai is dead, and that was quite a show she put on. More importantly, not too many died, and I also got to tell a Blood Angels captain, one quite old as well, to get out of my system." She smiled, "So I'm pleased in the end."
Columbine just nodded a little. Ushio just laid her hand on the girl's, and gently interlaced their fingers. "Where do you intend to go from here?" Vlasta wondered, "I can give you a ship, we're still friends even though it's been a while. And I'm sure I can find a crew, it's not like many here are friends of the Inquisition."
Columbine nodded again, in a repetition of that previous motion. "She's a bit overwhelmed right now," Ushio said carefully, "Just let her think, if you could."
Vlasta gave a short nod in reply, "My apologies," She said.
Cherepia sighed, "That was far too much excitement for a few weeks. Hopefully things will calm down for just a little while," She glanced over her shoulder, and gazed at the setting sun.
A moment of nothing but silence, and Cherepia shut her eyes, a peaceful expression coming onto her face. Suddenly Columbine would interrupt the silence, "Did you know?" she asked.
Cherepia took a deep breath. Her eyes opened as she exhaled, but she didn't look back at the girl. "You wouldn't have believed me.." She turned her head now to meet the girl's eyes, "There's nothing you could have done to avert that, Columbine. She genuinely was your friend and comrade, but was prepared from the start to cast all that aside for her mission."
"When?" Columbine almost demanded it angrily, "When did you know?"
"Shortly after I joined you all on the Wellgunde." Cherepia explained, "She was far too intimate with them. The kind of air that suggests that either she's good at lying, or she's already one of them. In either case, she wasn't someone to be trusted, and probably their mole."
Columbine's response was to slowly start crying more and more, till she was once again sobbing uncontrollably. Ushio reacted instantly, and stood from her chair. "She's had enough today, she needs sleep." She pulled the girl up from her chair and looked to Vlasta with a question.
"I've shown you around, make yourself at home," Vlasta said, and waved them off as Ushio took Columbine's hand in her own and started to walk away.
Cherepia looked aside from the sight, feeling somehow responsible for the other's sorrow. But as they crossed the threshold of the door, she called. "Columbine." The blonde and the other turned around to see Cherepia standing straight up. "We'll catch her. We'll make her pay." She promised.
Columbine started to smile, but only burst into further tears, and Ushio quickly led her away. Thank you, the formerly meek girl sent back. Cherepia just smiled, almost sadly.
Vlasta looked slyly at Cherepia as the others left, and after the sound of the throne room doors closing, commented, "You don't seem like a loyal type."
Cherepia confirmed with a grin, "I'm not. Can't even say that I'm loyal to her." She continued after a moment with cheeks tinted a little red, but couldn't that just be the light? "But without her around, I'm not sure what I'd do." The girl smirked, "So I'll just keep stabbing backs for her, that's a joy in and of itself."
Meryet looked away from the girl before, almost worried to hear any more from her. "These ghosts…" She asked quietly, "Can they be killed?"
Caelina let out an exasperated sigh. "I don't know." She was tired, but also sounded relieved to an extent, "From what I've gathered on them, it seems that different ones appear every now and then, and there's some rumors of some being killed but…nothing is clear. We don't even know how many there are, so perhaps they merely rotate posts." Her tone became more formal and serious as she said, "Meryet, I know you'll tell Lucine, but she and you must tell no one else. We don't like people knowing of the existence of these individuals, knowledge of them would do more harm than good."
She strode quietly back over to her chair, and collapsed back into it. The only sound for a few moments was Caelina wiping away her tears, before she whispered, "Ah…three hundred years. It feels so long ago, yet the moment I take a step back and look at the time in between I realize that it was lifetimes ago."
The captain sat up a little and looked at Meryet. "You must feel the same, no?" Then she shook her head, "You should get going. Go see your comrades, they're probably waiting for you."
Meryet hesitated for a few seconds, before she reluctantly nodded. "I will find her." She stated like it was an absolute, undeniable fact. "And I will save her." Then she turned for the door. Right before she exited, Caelina called to her.
She smiled. "And as I said, I'll do everything in my power to help you."
Meryet walked from the room with a face almost entirely without expression. She wasn't entirely sure what to think after all she heard, and knew only that a greater weight than ever before was on her shoulders. Even if it's just for a little while, can't I just forget it all, let it slip aside? Meryet was surprised to find herself posing that question to herself, but she already knew the answer. I can't, if I do it'd just be giving up on her, giving up on what I just said. It wasn't without reluctance that she told herself, I can't, and I won't. However, the burden on her mind hadn't even been carried for ten minutes, and she felt as though she might burst.
So lost in thought was she that she paid no mind to the sound of footsteps echoing through the short and narrow hall, nor the person who was their source. That girl too was deep enough in concentration that she didn't notice the exit until she almost ran right into Meryet.
Lucine and the other gasped as they found themselves inches away from one another. They looked each other in the eyes for a few seconds of silence, then Lucine broke it by asking, "How was it?"
In a way, Meryet felt like she'd wandered into a different world. She took a deep breath, before reaching out to grab Lucine's hand. As the girl flinched in surprise, Meryet dragged her down the hallway, "We need to talk," she said, desperate to release, to validate, to confirm that what'd she heard wasn't of her own mind's making.
For the ruler of an entire world, the mansion was quite fitting, despite the modesties taken with the throne room's construction. The quarters bequeathed to Columbine and her compatriots were relatively massive. For girls who spent most of their lives cooped up in the tight quarters of starships, the apartments, with their five expansive and richly-furnished rooms, were more than enough to satisfy them. But despite all this, Columbine could not be shaken from the stupor that had come over her since Ushio ushered her away from the others.
Columbine lay on the bed, looking lifeless. She'd stopped crying some time ago. Ushio sat on the edge of the bed, perhaps wondering how she might cure the other's affliction. Outside, the sun was finally dipping below the horizon, exposing the full breadth of the starry sky and the moon close to fullness.
Ushio opened her mouth, as she had many times. But truthfully, she didn't know what to say. She'd never been one for words, even before she sealed away those memories of long ago. Columbine always managed to make me feel better. Ushio looked over her shoulder sadly, but I can't even pay her back for that. It was then the girl realized that her glasses were still on.
She reached up and plucked them from her face, examining them with a strange look. They were purely cosmetic and she felt that somehow they weren't very fitting at the moment. The 'new' Ushio had made that choice. She tossed folded them up and tossed them aside, to land on the pillow.
Her hands came to her face and rubbed her tired eyes, but a voice interrupted her. "Why'd you take them off?" whispered the girl lying behind her. Ushio paused, and glanced once more back at the girl.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused by the simple question.
Columbine mumbled something, which Ushio heard to be, "You look better with them on." Ushio just sighed, and reached out for them to stick them back on her face.
"It's the least I can do," She replied. Both girls were out of their armor, in their normal outfits. Though 'normal' is questionably used, for their armor was just as much their homes. Ushio smoothly brought her legs onto the bed and lay down on her side, facing towards Columbine. That girl's eyes were aimed down at the sheets, but Ushio stared at the sockets nonetheless. "You've been told so many times not to blame yourself, but you do anyways." Ushio looked sad, "Do you want to bear such a load?"
"It's the least I can do," Columbine whispered, "After what I did to my mother…" Her knees curled up to her body.
"Your mother?" Ushio was perturbed, then the other girl's face flashed in surprise.
"Ah-I never…" Columbine quickly searched for words to explain, and stammered out, "T-those memories that I hid from you." She sighed and collapsed down from her initial surge of energy and buried her head in her hands. Ushio was about to speak, but Columbine was first and said, "I'll show them to you…"
She reached out to her mind, and began to interconnect herself with Ushio. It got easier every time, and both were entirely accepting of the process. When it was done, Columbine just fell limp, and let Ushio be free to see whatever she desired. Ushio reached out for one of the girl's hands, and took it in both of her own. "You can tell me what to look at, you know?"
Columbine brought one hand away from her face, and then started to show her the most important ones. Ushio held her hand the entire time. Not once did her grip falter.
The discomfort on Lucine's face had only grown as Meryet had told her what she had heard from Caelina. Meryet finally finished speaking, and collapsed down onto her back. Lying on the soft bed, she stared up at the ceiling in exhaustion. "I honestly don't know what to do anymore." she said in a hushed voice.
Lucine stood beside the bed with her hand sitting on her face in contemplation. She let out a heavy sigh and took a step towards the wall. "This is…" The girl stated as she spun about and leaned back against the metal, "Really something." The usual lightness of her voice had vanished. Lucine crossed her arms, "You don't mean to give up, right?"
"Would you prefer it if I did?" Meryet replied. The girl didn't sound as though she was in despair, and couldn't even be said to be really sad. Fear and anxiety were what made her lay there and speak in subdued tones.
Lucine bit her tongue even as she opened her mouth to speak. She glanced at Meryet before instantly turning away, eyes finding one of the corners of the room as she admitted, "In a way, I do." A finger idly toyed with her silver hair as she added, "I don't want to see you destroy yourself." However, Lucine just shook her head, realizing how neither way was better. "Yet if you give up, that'll destroy you too." A pause, "And I'm not sure which I can save you from better."
Meryet couldn't even come close to a reply for a minute, as she considered what the girl had told her. But in the end, the answer was the same it had always been. "I won't give up on her. That's what I said, and I won't break my promise."
Lucine appeared to be content with that answer. She had expected it, after all. "But…" Meryet continued after a few seconds, "Sometimes, even now, I wonder if things would be better if Alicia never became a knight."
Immediately, Lucine shut her eyes and clamped her lips together. Her opinion wouldn't make anything better. Meryet did pause as she saw the girl's reaction, and though she continued right after, it was with a voice quieter than before, "But I know that wouldn't make anything better. Alicia would still have been taken, and she wouldn't we nearly as brave as she is now." Meryet smiled, "And she wouldn't know that someone will give anything to save her."
Lucine grinned, "Always so virtuous." She said, while her hand came up to her eyes to rub them.
Meryet spoke again as Lucine scrubbed the tiny bits of moisture clear of her eyes, "I'm sorry Lucine, I just…can't understand what you're feeling." She sighed, "I want to, but I just don't understand why you'd wish Alicia worse."
"That's wrong," Lucine denied quietly, "I don't wish Alicia worse. Really, I just lament the fact that there's nothing I can do about this. Because I understand you. I understand wanting to protect someone. That's why I'll never try to convince you to throw away Alicia, because I know precisely what you're feeling."
Meryet nodded, and whispered, "Thank you, for understanding." Lucine said nothing in reply, merely turning her whole body towards the bed and climbing onto it. Meryet didn't struggle as Lucine wrapped her arms around her and laid down on top of her.
"Even if it's against these ghosts, or whatever, I'll be with you." Lucine promised, simultaneously wondering if she could really stay true to what she said.
Meryet lay still for a few seconds, till her arms reached up to hold the girl back. She didn't say anything. Meryet had nothing more to say.
"Let's just rest for a little while," Lucine whispered, "Before you run off and face the whole universe." So they did, for both were tired, and the night was sure to be long but thankfully uneventful.
Columbine was weeping like a newborn by the time she'd finished. Her knees were pulled up close to her chest, while her head was buried in the pillow beside her. Ushio sat with a gentle smile on her face, hand still holding onto Columbine. Slowly, the last images faded away as Columbine started to try and pull away from Ushio, trying to rip away from the girl's grip.
But Ushio didn't allow that. She kept hanging on, refusing to let her go even as Columbine tried to squirm away. Ushio just smiled at first at the childishness of the sight, then scolded her, "Columbine, do you remember what you told Alicia? That if her friend truly wished to protect her, she'd understand? If your mother really loved you, then she'd understand." But Columbine didn't accept that.
"I missed Ingwe. I missed that Hjalma was Inquisition. I missed everything." She mumbled, "I'm a failure of a person."
Ushio squeezed down tighter, "Columbine, we've both made mistakes, there's no need to be ashamed of yourself. There's no need to hate yourself."
The girl calmed for a moment, but replied with a vague mumble. "I'm a traitor and fool, you were betrayed, by someone you seemed to trust. It's not the same." She insisted. Ushio just sighed. It wasn't an exasperated sigh, more an amused one.
She tugged the girl's arm, trying to pull her. But Columbine remained where she was. Ushio shook her head, almost bursting out into laughter as she grabbed with both hands and forcibly yanked the girl from the bed. Columbine cried out as she fell to the floor. She looked up at Ushio in a mix of confusion and anger, but the girl in the glasses just kept smiling. "Come on," she insisted. Ushio gazed right into Columbine's tearful eyes, and asked, "I trust you, you know? Can't you trust me?"
Columbine realized there was no way to deny it, so she pushed herself to her feet, and let Ushio lead her out to the balcony. "You're not a bad person, Columbine," Ushio said, immediately turning around to face her as they arrived. "I know that, because even when I was nothing to you, you protected me." Her hands reached up and cupped the girl's cheeks, "You gave up on what you wanted, to protect me." Ushio realized she too was about to start crying, "And while you'll yourself that it was for some other selfish reason, I know that you did care, because I've been in your head."
She reached down and grabbed Columbine's hand again, turning to face out at the wilderness surrounding the mansion. Then she pointed her arm up, up at the sky high above them. A dark sky filled with stars and a bright moon. "You see that?" She asked, "This beautiful starry sky?"
A reminiscent smile appeared on her face as Ushio's eyes began to cloud. "When I was young, I looked up to the sky and wondered what secrets it held. That's why I made my wish, to find out all I could about the universe." Her arm wavered, but she didn't stop pointing upwards. "And that wish drove me to plan, develop, and conduct the experiment on Athena."
Ushio's voice dropped into near silence, "To know the true nature of the universe and the realms beyond it. Specifically the warp." Tears slid down her cheeks, almost unseen by Columbine. "Of course, I failed to gain any data, and that was because my dream…the dream that I'd had since I was young, was one destined to bring about ruin."
Finally, her arm dropped down, back to her side. Ushio's eyes followed its path, staring down at the balcony floor as she whispered, "Columbine, my wish led only to despair for so many. But your desire is a righteous one. You became a magical girl to protect people, and that's what you've been doing all along, even if it's not as many people as you would like."
As Ushio finished talking, Columbine felt something amazing, almost like a light clicking on and illuminating her previously dark mind. Ushio turned quickly and grabbed the girl by her collar, and Columbine gasped as she did so. Partially from the act itself, but mostly from the realization in her own mind. I do want to protect people and…I did that for Ushio. She…she is right…For some reason, it felt wrong admitting that, as though it would deny her own guilt. But she accepted it, because she knew Ushio wouldn't lie to her.
Columbine thought this even as Ushio cried out, "So don't act like you're worse than me. Don't act like you're more of a failure, don't act like you have some great weight on your shoulders." Ushio smiled. It was a happy smile, not one burdened with sadness or pain. "I'm the one, alright? I'm the one who'll carry it all. You just keep on protecting people, like you've always wanted to."
But those words only made Columbine look more frightful than before. She shook her head, again and again, as Ushio failed to understand. "Don't tell me," Columbine stammered out, "Don't tell me that you'll only exist to finish what you started, to end Athena's legacy…"
Ushio's face lit up with surprise, before Columbine continued, "I can't imagine living without you, even though it's been such a short time since we properly met." She tightened her own grip on Ushio's hand, "So I'll let go of my regret, but only if you agree to keep on living, without any regrets of your own."
Ushio just stepped in and embraced Columbine. "Don't worry," She whispered, "Ever since I started to regain my memories, I was prepared to shoulder anything that they might unveil. In truth, if I were to lose you to despair, I'd regret that more than anything I've done. As for the Ushio you knew…well, the Ushio you knew is still me, and she's a part of me that I can never lose, but neither is the Ushio that I was."
Columbine's arms came up to return the hug, "I don't mind either Ushio. From what I've seen, both are someone I'd gladly be with." She whispered.
Ushio looked up once more at the night sky. For a moment her eyes twinkled with longing, then she looked back to Columbine. It was without hesitation that she settled on the latter. "That's good," she said, almost frightened, "Because I need someone to protect me from my own wish, lest it come back around to kill me."
The blonde just smiled, "You should know your magic theory, you idiot. You've caused so much despair that yourself can only feel hope." She told her in a half-humorous voice. Columbine's voice dropped low once more as she promised, "And I won't ever allow you to be overcome with despair." The two stood in the embrace for a minute more, neither really wanting to leave, despite knowing that there existed nothing else in the moment that could pull the two apart from each other.
Ushio was the one to step away first, her reason soon clear as she asked with a bit of humor in her voice, "Are you still afraid of sleeping?"
Columbine sighed, "Perhaps now, more than ever before." She said, and Ushio realized quickly she was serious. Taking the girl's hand once again, she walked back inside.
Ushio wondered in a hushed voice as she stood beside the bed, "You trusted me back then. Don't tell me the Ushio now isn't good enough to help you sleep?"
Columbine blushed, and then stammered, "W-well, I see no problem with it." A moment, and she said nearly inaudibly, "Really…I can, as long as you're there." She left unsaid I can do anything, as long as you're there.
Ushio herself was surprised by the other's tone, and as her hand came to pointlessly adjust her glasses, she insisted, "Come on, then."
Minutes later, Columbine found herself in a state of calm she'd never expected to be in. For once, she felt entirely relaxed, without the slightest fear in her heart. She was at peace, and the world around her seemed to be the same. Feeling Ushio shift beside her, she whispered, "Never leave me, alright?"
Ushio had no problem agreeing to that, "Just never leave me." She requested, arms wrapping around the girl without the slightest complaint. Neither felt a hint of fear of promising such things. If they'd been through what they had been and survived, something would ensure that they'd be together till the very end. Soon, both fell into a peaceful sleep. Perhaps the most peaceful and fulfilling in either of their long lives.
In Her Holy Majesty's should pick up again this week.