Chapter 24: Return of the murdered prince of Albion. A heartbreaking decision.
I do not own anything from any media
Opening 2: Asura's Wrath - In your belief
-Night before the sudden arrival of Agnès-
Henrietta was at her room, recalling her times with Prince Wales. Memories of her past three years ago began to surface when she was at Lagdorian Lake with Wales.
-Flashback-
(Play Zero no Tsukaima OST – Akogare)
"Sir Wales, the Spirit of Water isn't just called like that. It is also known as the Spirit of Oath. I was told that an oath made here can never be broken." Henrietta said.
Wales looked to Henrietta with a soft smile in response.
"It's a tale of legend, Henrietta." He replied.
"I believe it does occur." Henrietta responded.
By then, they were at the shores. Henrietta was walking along the shores, about to make her oath to the spirit.
"I, Henrietta of the Tristain Kingdom, hereby make an oath to the Spirit of Water. I will love Prince Wales till the end of time." Henrietta pledged.
Wales was speechless, unable to think of any reasoning of Henrietta's feelings that came with the pledge.
"Please come and swear your love to me." Henrietta said, outstretching her right hand.
Wales took a deep breath to rid himself of nervous thoughts.
"I, Prince Wales of the Albion Kingdom, hereby make an oath to the Spirit of Water. To walk along the side of this Lagdorian Lake while holding Princess Henrietta of Tristain's hand under the bright sun where we can worry not from the eyes of others." Wales pledged.
They both went back to the shore, facing each other.
"Henrietta…" Wales said.
"Sir Wales…" Henrietta responded.
Both raised their left hands and showed their respective rings. Both glowed beautifully.
"The Ruby of Wind, passed down from the Albion Kingdom, and…" Wales said.
"The Ruby of Water, passed down from the Tristain Kingdom…" Henrietta finished.
"Both wind and water can create a rainbow. One that bonds us together." Wales said.
"Let there a rainbow forever be with us… Star-crossed lovers…" Henrietta said.
(Akogare OST ends here)
-Flashback end-
Henrietta was crying, mourning Wales's death. She had the Ruby of Wind, unable to let go of Wales from her mind.
"You're no longer here in this world… I don't want to believe this… How am I able to live in a world? A rainbow can only show itself with wind and water." She said tearfully.
By then, she noticed the ring started to glow.
"What is happening?" She questioned.
"Henrietta." A male voice called out.
This spooked her, hearing her name being called.
"Who's here? Identify yourself! You insolent man, coming to the Queen's room after dark. I will call the guards!" She said.
"Do you recognize my voice, Henrietta? It is Wales." The male voice said.
Henrietta gasped lightly upon hearing the name.
"Wales?" She said, uncertain.
"Open the window for me, my dear Henrietta." Wales said.
Henrietta saw a familiar figure at the window balcony. It was Wales, who was waiting.
"Wales? It can't be… How? You were reported dead…" Henrietta said with disbelief.
"I am not dead, for I am alive before you. The one that died was my doppelganger, a double." Wales said.
"It can't be… That…" Henrietta said, unable to believe what he said.
"I will show you proof that I'm really me." Wales said.
He caused the Ruby of Wind to float back at him. He then presented a false Ruby of Water to Henrietta, making her believe him.
"On that windy day…" Wales said.
"The oath of the water…" Henrietta said.
This brought Henrietta to tears as she went out to the balcony.
"Sir Wales! You are alive!" she said tearfully, hugging him.
"I've come to return to Albion… Come with me." Wales said.
"I can't leave my kingdom, for I've become the Queen of Tristain." Henrietta said.
"Please come with me. We'll be able to stop the real threat." Wales said.
-Present Time-
Shadow and Tiffania was with Louise, Saito, Charlotte, and Silver. They relayed what they heard from Agnès.
"By the Founder… This is grave news! We have to find where the Queen is!" Louise said, worried for her childhood friend.
"We have been too careless… Reconquista is using guerrilla tactics to strike down Tristain." Shadow said.
"That term… What does that mean?" Louise asked.
"The enemy is trying to sabotage or make Tristain feel just as hopeless as Reconquista was." Shadow explained.
"Does that mean someone else must have become the leader some time ago…?" Saito asked.
"Most likely. A random assassination attempt is no coincidence and the Queen's disappearance confirms everything." Shadow said.
"But where is the Queen?" Silver asked.
"Agnes had sent out a search party, but it's not looking good. The kidnapper must have fled Tristian rather quickly, leaving no chance for the search party to find her." Shadow replied.
"Are there any leads?" Charlotte said.
"No… The person who kidnapped her definitely knew how to cover the tracks that can lead us to the perpetrator." Shadow said.
"We have one other option…" Charlotte said.
Shadow realized what she meant and looked to Silver.
"Silver, your psychic powers have been getting stronger, haven't they?" Shadow asked.
"Yes, but why are you asking me?" Silver questioned.
"I'm thinking of using your psychic powers to track down the Queen." Shadow said.
"How though? My recently developed clairvoyance has limits… I need a physical object from the person to find them." Silver said.
"Hence why I planned ahead… Louise, you still have the Ruby of Water?" Shadow asked.
"Yes I do… Will this work to find the Queen?" Louise asked.
"We'll leave Silver to this. His newly developed power will help." Shadow said.
"Silver said something called clairvoyance… What did he mean?" Tiffania asked.
"It's a psychic power in which a psychic can supposedly see where the person is. For instance, Silver is using the Ruby of Water, using the remnants of Henrietta's magical aura to track her down. The ring had some of her magic on it so we're lucky." Shadow explained.
"I found her…" Silver said.
"Where is the Queen heading to?" Louise asked.
"She's with…Wales…! They're on their way to Lagdorian Lake!" Silver said with shock.
"What…!? Prince Wales is alive!?" Louise said with shock.
"It can't be… I saw him die from Wardes when he…" Shadow said, trying to think of something.
"He did suffer a fatal wound… I have a feeling something must have reanimated his body…" Saito said.
"Given the circumstances, we have to notify Agnès immediately. Let's hurry, post haste!" Shadow said.
Using Chaos Control, the group teleported back to the royal castle.
######
In the royal castle, Agnès was visibly anxious due to her constant pacing. She was trying to think of any possible to try and find the Queen. A flash of green light stopped her train of thought in response. The group came out.
"Zero, this isn't the proper time for me to speak." Agnès snarled.
"Calm your thoughts and hear us out. Silver managed to track the Queen down via his psychic powers. She and the ruffian are heading to Lagdorian Lake." Shadow said.
"Lagdorian Lake!? What purpose are they going there for?" Agnès questioned.
"I'm uncertain, but it appears this is someone who is close to her. I have a feeling I know who and it ain't good." Louise said.
"Alright, thanks for providing a possible lead. Musketeers! Get on your horses! We'll be heading to Lagdorian Lake to apprehend the ruffian!" Agnès commanded.
"Yes Sir!" The Musketeers responded.
"Shadow, if by chance we're unable to apprehend the ruffian, it's all on you with your group." Agnès said.
"Roger… Zero, out." Shadow said, using Chaos Control to teleport to Lagdorian Lake.
######
Prince Wales was with Henrietta, on their route to Lagdorian Lake.
"We'll be at the lake shortly. I have a ship hidden nearby." Wales said.
His moment with Henrietta was interrupted when the Musketeer force was hot on their trail.
"We found you! Unhand the Princess this instant!" Michele said.
Wales retaliated by sending powerful gusts of wind to the Musketeers, forcing them to split up lest they get caught.
"Damn it… He can use magic that equates to a triangle mage…" Agnès said with angered defeat.
'The rest is up to you, Zero… Don't fail us. She thought.
######
The group was waiting patiently in Lagdorian Lake till they heard a distant explosion. Everyone noticed a dust column several meters away.
"Looks like the Musketeer group managed to catch up. The ruffian in question sure knows how to retaliate." Shadow said.
"It couldn't be though… Wales was supposed to be dead… How did he come back from death?" Louise questioned.
"Save the rumination for later. They'll be arriving here soon." Shadow said.
A storm started to gather at the vicinity of the lake. Wales and Henrietta arrived at the shores, causing the group to be ready to strike down Wales.
"We're here and the ship is…" Wales said before he noticed something.
"Don't even think about it, Wales… This isn't the right path." Shadow's disembodied voice said.
"Who's there!? Show yourself!" Wales said, alert on what he heard.
Shadow and everyone came out from the bushes, surprising Henrietta.
"You're not the Wales we all know… We saw you die in Albion thanks to Reconquista playing their part. It seems there are some parts they left behind to take down Tristain through any means." Shadow said.
"You have astute eyes for someone like you… I did come back from the dead and now I'm planning to take the Princess with me." Wales said.
'He doesn't know that Henrietta has become the Queen… Guess his spirit is stuck in the past.' Shadow thought with a frown.
"Snap out of it, Wales! You don't realize that you're being used as a hidden agent for Reconquista!" Shadow yelled.
"Henrietta is someone whom I've been close to for years. I won't allow anyone to take her away from me." Wales said, charging a powerful spell.
Shadow and the others moved out of the way when a powerful wind tunnel was shot out from his wand.
"Damn it… Words won't be able to reach him… We have to stop him here and now…" Shadow relented.
Louise tried to talk with Henrietta, trying to move her out of the battle.
"Your Highness, please move away from him! He's not Sir Wales! He's only a phantom brought back from a cursed, magical item!" Louise urged.
"Louise, stop saying that! The one that died was a double of Sir Wales! The real one is HERE!" Henrietta said, not believing Louise.
'Damn it… She's being forced to comply with what Wales is doing with that ring… I have to get that away from him and destroy it.' Shadow thought.
A storm began to form, causing rain to fall in a downpour. Shadow had his eyes face the ground, unconsciously switching his element power to wind. Hien changed from orange to green in a moment.
"If that's how you want to comply against anyone's will, then I will set your soul free from this false life, Wales!" Shadow yelled, changing his sword into its wind form.
"Shadow, stop! This isn't like you!" Henrietta said, trying to stop Shadow.
"Conversations are not the right choice now, Your Highness. This man is without a doubt a dead body. I can feel the dark magic flowing in him like a flare. He's trying to brainwash you, thinking that he didn't die. You recall I was there when he died, due to Prince Wardes." Shadow said, trying to pressure Henrietta.
"Have you had someone you truly loved from the bottom of your heart, Shadow!? Did you have someone whom died just to protect you from a threat!?" Henrietta screamed in question, uncertain what to feel.
Unfortunately, this had the unintended effect of making Shadow look down on the ground. The same question began playing in his head. Henrietta was trying to find out what Shadow was doing till a blast of wind occurred. Everyone saw Shadow look with a ferocious expression, aiming at Wales.
"You bastard… You made her asked the wrong question on me… Now you'll see what I'm truly capable of…" Shadow said with a horrific tone.
Shadow swung his sword, channeling wind on the blade. It then created a wave that nicked Wales on the face before it flew to the lake, creating a split.
"A blade of wind? How petulant. For someone like you, I'll have to commend you for that demonstration." Wales said.
Tabitha aimed her staff at Wales in response. She began to chant for a spell.
"Lavis fortal is hetha wind."
A salvo of icicles was fired upon Wales. They pierced through him, making the dead prince stagger on his feet. Henrietta watched with horror as her lover was impaled.
"Sir Wales!" She screamed.
Everyone then heard Wales laugh. They were all shocked to see him standing and laughing, despite having several holes that would kill a normal person.
"It's futile… Your attacks are meaningless to me." Wales said, taunting the group.
"How about a taste of your own medicine?" Shadow said, unleashing a stream of flames from his hands.
Tabitha used her magic prowess of the wind to make the stream stronger. Wales smirked in response, creating a barrier in response. Shadow and Henrietta were shocked on what they saw.
"That accursed spell…!" Shadow said in surprise.
"The same one, Shadow… Counter…" Hien said.
Wales stopped the spell, showing an evil smirk on his face.
"I told you before. Your attacks are futile." He said.
He created a blast of wind on Tabitha, who had no time to react. Silver used his psychokinesis to protect her from the attack.
"Shield of Light!"
A wall of psychokinetic energy was created, blocking the blast. Silver's body was glowing in a cyan aura with the amount of energy he's using.
"I won't allow you to harm my friends, Wales!" Silver snarled.
"Such petulant attempts. Don't take me for a fool!" Wales said.
"You're the fool, Wales… By taking that attack, it confirms my theory of you now. You're being reanimated by the leftover power from Andvari's Ring. You were dead this whole time." Shadow said.
"So what if I died? I only came back to meet my lover." Wales said.
"This is not the way, Wales. What you're doing is hurting her and everyone in this kingdom." Shadow said.
"Enough! I will not listen to such bicker from you. My time is being wasted for nothing and you're interfering with our vow!" Wales shouted angrily.
"Wales… I intend to leep my promise of living him for eternity. Louise Françoise, under my last order as your Queen, I command you to open the path!" Henrietta ordered.
Saito moved with Shadow, drawing Derflinger out. He assumed his stance to fight alongside Shadow.
"Talking with the Queen is only going to be heard on deaf ears. Clearly, she doesn't know that she's being brainwashed by Wales and that accursed ring. We have to separate them and destroy that ring." Shadow said.
"I'm with you on this, Shadow. I don't like it when one of Louise's friends becomes a pawn from a terrorist, especially if they're being controlled by a marionette master!" Saito said, channeling Chaos energy through his body.
"You should realize that we won't follow orders from those who are being manipulated. This isn't you, Queen Henrietta." Saito said.
"Saito, Shadow… Move away you two… This is an order from your Queen for your fellow masters." Henrietta said.
"We won't move from this spot, not till we bring you back home, even if it kills our hearts." Shadow said.
"Wake the hell up, Your Highness! This is not love…" Saito said.
"If you insist on blocking us, then we will have to fight." Wales said.
"Let's go then!" Shadow said, clashing his sword with Derflinger.
Both familiars moved to Wales, who began firing blasts of wind at them. Saito used Derflinger to absorb the wind blasts. Shadow used his sword at its wind form to cancel the blasts heading to him.
"Don't come any closer!" Henrietta shouted.
In response, a wall of ice formed. Saito and Shadow halted from their run to Henrietta, lest they get skewered by the icy menhirs.
"Damn… She's proficient with wind magic as well… No wonder she can create this wall…" Shadow snarled.
"I won't allow you all to lay a finger on Sir Wales. Please… Don't get in my way!" Henrietta said, her hands shaking from her staff.
"Leave this wall to me…" Silver said.
Silver began to channel his psychic energy to his hands. He then made a blade of pure energy that was shaped in a wide arc.
"Psychic Knife!"
The wave managed to cut through the icy menhirs, forcing Henrietta back from the blast the attack created. Her hands were noticeably shaking from the force. Wales held on to Henrietta's hands to stop her shaking.
"We only wish to pass. Stay out of our way." Wales said.
"Like hell we'll leave you aside." Shadow confuted.
(Play Blazblue OST – Endless Despair)
"So be it then… The Triangle of Water and the Triangle of Wind… Come together and combine our strength!" Wales commanded.
A waterspout formed, due to Henrietta's involvement of the spell. The wind combined with the waterspout, creating a powerful tornado.
"Oh no… Shadow, you must move away from that spell! It's much more powerful than a pentagon mage!" Hien said.
Shadow felt his cheek getting a cut from the tornado, forcing him to move back. Blood was trickling down from the wound.
'A tornado of wind blades… That's a powerful spell, no doubt about it.' Shadow thought.
Summoning his vigor, Shadow attempted to cut through the tornado using Zenyōso. It proved to be a reckless maneouver, but Saito joined in to absorb the attack.
"Damn… This attack is too powerful… I don't think I can endure long enough for Derf to absorb it…" Saito grunted.
"Louise, Tiffania… Have a look at the book the Queen gave you. Now would be a good time to find and use a spell to stop this." Derflinger commanded to Louise and Tiffania.
Louise opened the book to find any spells, but nothing was shown yet. Wales began to explain the powerful magic.
"This is the privilege only the selected royal family can do: Hexagon Magic. A feat that no ordinary mage, even a pentagon rank, can hope to achieve." Wales said.
Saito and Shadow were holding off the tornado as much as they can. They were losing strength from the fierce spell, getting a few cuts and scratches.
"How long will this take!? This spell is not even losing power!" Saito said.
"This is the role you two must do! Gandálfr was born to protect their masters, acting as the shield as the mage chants their spells! Protect your masters while they find the spell and begin using it!" Derflinger commanded.
"Very well then. We'll leave this one to Louise and Tiffania. Let's hold this off while we have time!" Shadow shouted, surprisingly pushing the tornado back.
"Impossible… That magic is strong enough to overwhelm a Gandálfr… How can you two overcome a Hexagon spell with such ease!?" Wales questioned with shock.
"We believe in our masters and we also believe there's redemption in everyone. We can redeem you, Wales, by freeing you from Reconquista control with that ring." Shadow said.
Louise and Tiffania noticed the spellbook showing runes on one of the pages. They both read the title of the spell.
"Dispel magic?" The girls questioned.
"That's the spell needed to cancel out any form of magic! Use it to stop the tornado and free Wales!" Hien called out.
Louise and Tiffania began to chant the words for the spell. The boys were reaching their limits in holding the tornado off.
"Gyofu need nousis… Heilos iala… Elpeo Y's!"
A bright flash of light occurred. From the light, a lightning bolt was struck on Wales, who had a shocked expression. He screamed as the spell was canceling the replica of Andvari's Ring. The tornado also dissipated from the light as well.
(Endless Despair OST ends here)
######
(Play Zero no Tsukaima Futatsuki no Kishi OST – Tragic Memory)
The storm began to clear away, leaving behind a fog around Lagadorian Lake. Everyone casted a somber expression, seeing Henrietta crying for the fallen Wales. Shadow held on to the replica and destroyed it. Wales clutched his left hand, getting everyone's attention. He lifted his hand and gently placed it on Henrietta's cheek.
"Sir Wales…" She said tearfully.
"Henrietta… Please… Don't cry anymore… Even though I was the one being controlled, even in death… I want you to forgive for what I've done in my false life…" Wales said.
Henrietta couldn't speak as she was sobbing quietly, listening to Wales.
"Promise me, Henrietta…" Wales requested.
"I'll fulfill your promise, Sir Wales… What is your promise?" Henrietta asked tearfully.
"Please forget about me…and find another man…who you'll love." Wales said weakly.
Henrietta had a shocked expression on her face, hearing such a request from the Prince of Albion.
"I…want to hear those words from you… By this lake that houses the Spirit of Water." Wales said.
"How can I make a commitment to the Spirit if the one we made has been broken forever?" Henrietta asked.
"Please, Henrietta." Wales begged.
"I can't… I don't have the spirit to make a false promise!" Henrietta yelled with tears.
"My time here has been lost… I shouldn't be here…" Wales said, his strength ebbing away.
"Promise me this, Sir Wales… Promise that you'll love me, even in death that you'll love me forever! If you're not Sir Wales…the real one would swear and make that commitment!" Henrietta requested.
"If I was able to, I would make that oath… But the dead can't promise anything in eternity, Henrietta. Forgive me…for not saying these words three years ago… Our fate was never to be…" Wales said.
Wales grunted, showing the wound on his chest where Wardes killed him.
"I'm glad…that…I was…able to…see you…one…last…" Wales croaked.
Henrietta screamed in sorrow after Wales fully passed on. Shadow had his hair cover his eyes, but he too shed a silent tear, feeling Henrietta's sorrow. Tiffania went up to him and held him close as she saw him look down. Saito went to Louise, who also shed a silent tear. They held each other in a sorrowful hug as the loud crying from Henrietta was heard throughout the lake.
(Tragic Memory OST ends here)
Ending 2: Diamond - Alan
That's all from here.
More to come in the next chapter.