Book IV:
Of Princesses and Peons
Chapter XXXVI
As we went full speed back to Alba Cavanich, a vessel passed on the way back.
"That was one of Juliani's ships," Gabriel pointed out.
"Her ships are much faster than this one, odds are, even at full speed, we'll only be moments ahead of her," Acacia added.
"So we'll mount a full-on attack and kill them all," Malos said, however no one was sure if he was being serious or not.
KOS-MOS shook her head. "Alba Cavanich is already unstable as is. If the citizens found out Juliania's club withstood a major attack, there is a high probability of a local gang war. We must strike quickly and quietly."
"I already have our in," Acacia said, pulling a core crystal out of her bag.
"Is that a core crystal?!" Kasandra asked.
Acacia nodded. "This is their entertainment blade, Sonata."
"You sure she ain't edited?" Gabriel question.
"Positive," KOS-MOS said. "We crystallized her ourself."
"You take her Gabe," Acacia ordered.
"Why—?" Gabriel started.
"I have two blades, Silas has three, Rafi's not here and I don't think he can even resonate with blades, and this blade's too cheerful and I'd probably slap her," Acacia said abruptly.
"You ok with that Kassy?" Gabriel asked his blade for permission.
Kasandra fixed the mask on the back of her head and tightened the wrappings on her arms before responding. "Mhm! I could use a new friend!"
Gabriel nodded and grabbed the core crystal, however it wouldn't resonate.
"You can't resonate with it?" Acacia asked.
"No, the core crystal isn't ready yet," Gabriel explained. "Core crystals have a cool down time after the blades return to their crystals."
"Well you seem to have everything under control, so I'll go check on the brat," Malos said before leaving, not waiting for a reply.
He opened the door to find Mythra sitting by him, as he knew she would be. She's the real reason he went back there.
"Malos? What are you doing back here?" Mythra asked.
"Checking up on the slacker, how's he doing?"
"He suffered a lot of ethereal damage, but he's healing. But that's not why you came back here. What do you want?" Mythra questioned again, more aggressively.
"Heh, couldn't expect anything less from my partner. Who was your first driver?" he questioned.
"Mine? Addam. Addam Origo," she answered.
Malos thought for a second, bringing his hand up to his chin and closing his eyes, with his usual smirk. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell. Blue skin? White hair? Who was my driver?"
Mythra gasped.
"What? Cat got your tongue? You know something... don't you?"
"How do you remember that? You shouldn't have any memories of that time!" Mythra argued.
Malos sighed, not losing his smirk. "Look, I don't care about what rules I am or am not supposed to follow, I want answers."
"I... don't feel right telling you, he wanted you to have a fresh start...," Mythra sighed.
"Who?" Malos asked impatiently.
"I... I don't remember, but that doesn't—"
"Fine, I've lost interest. You watch yourself Mythra," he said, but not necessarily rudely. Mythra herself wasn't sure if it was a threat, warning, or just a simple "be careful".
He left, leaving Mythra confused.
[C]...
"Who the hell are you?" the large Ardainian man said to Rafi.
Rafi, dressed up in a complete mechanic uniform he had bought, spoke nervously. "Juliani call shop yesterday for emergency repair of sink!"
"And it took you an entire day to get here?!" the man said, aggravated.
"Why, yes, Juliani call the Argentum shop, Rafi made it here as absolutely quickly as possible!"
"Are you saying Lady Juliani made a mistake?" the man asked angrily.
"No, no! Of course not! Juliani wanted very best sink mechanic, and Rafi happens to be best sink mechanic in Alrest. Juliani simply knew who to call!" Rafi said quickly.
The man sighed, before opening the door. "Get in. Fix it. Then get out. Juliani will be returning any minute and she deserves to have everything working when she gets back."
"Right, right!" Rafi responding before running in quickly.
He began poking around immediately, Poppi had to be somewhere in the building.
Most of the ladies in the club were focused on other things and too busy to notice Rafi, which made it all the easier to sneak around.
Rafi had never snuck in anywhere before, so he started roll around as he'd seen in action movies. He pretended to be a secret spy, it definitely helped him feel less terrified.
"What the hell are you doing?" a voice said behind him.
"Aah!" he yelled as he jumped three feet in the the air and spun around quickly to see a girl he recognized. It was Lila, the artificial blade designed by the same person who'd designed Poppi.
"Wait... I know you, don't I?" Lila said in thought.
"Nope! Rafi never met Lila before in life!" Rafi said, at first he thought he messed up by addressing her by name, but he then realized she was famous and him knowing her name wasn't unheard of.
Lila giggled. "No... you're Poppi's driver, aren't you?"
"No!" Rafi started before sighing. "...Yes."
"Good, then let's get you to her then," Lila said as she led the way down a hall.
"What what?!"
"She's waiting, you're not going to make me change my mind are you?" Lila questioned.
Rafi wasn't sure what was going on, but he was still terrified of this place, and decided this was better than nothing.
He followed her quickly to a back room, where he found Poppi, she was shut down and standing lifelessly.
"What did Juliani do to Poppi?!" Rafi exclaimed as he ran to her, looking over her carefully, he soon noticed a large wire going out of her head into a machine.
"What... is that?" Rafi asked.
Lila sighed. "Juliani decided it was best that Poppi forget her experiences with you and your kind. That way you can't get in the way of her 'change of ownership'."
"So why is Lila helping Rafi?" he questioned.
"Simple. About five hundred years ago Poppi beat me in a fight, even when I was more advanced in every way. She said it was because 'Her masterpon told her not to lose, so she wouldn't.' To this day, that still seems illogical, so I want her to wake up, so I can beat her down," Lila explained.
"That... pretty weird reasoning if you ask me," Rafi responded.
"Hurry up, you have about ten minutes before her memory is unrecoverable," Lila said before she started to leave.
Rafi started carefully examining the wire before Lila spoke up from down the hall.
"Oh!" she called. "And if you're here by the time Juliani comes back I'm ratting you out, so get to it!"
Rafi simply unplugged the machine and started Poppi back up.
Her eyes sparked to life and she blinked.
"R-Rafi? Where is Poppi?" she questioned.
"Poppi is ok! Rafi don't even think stupid machine was even turned on!" he laughed.
"Rafi, what is going on?"
Rafi composed himself before answering. "Rafi heard that Poppi gave herself up willingly, but then Juliani kidnap friends and leave Poppi behind, so Rafi come to save Poppi!"
"What?! Are friends ok? Where is Juliani?"
"Are you looking for me?" a female voice said as fear gripped Rafi's very soul.
He turned around slowly. "H-Hello Juliani..."
"Oh...," she said, annoyed. "It's you."
"Right... Rafi was just... fixing... a sink?" he responded, not sure exactly what to say.
She groaned. "Poppi please go wait by the wall, I'll deal with our uninvited guest."
"No! Poppi heard you kidnapped friends! Juliani said there would be no problems! Juliani not friend!" Poppi scolded.
Juliani sighed before she pressed a button, immediately, the area Poppi was standing on electrocuted her.
She let out a piercing scream before she fell down.
"Poppi!" Rafi yelled out of concern.
Juliani looked at him fiercely. "Are you happy now?! You've turned her against me and now it's going to take even more work to edit her cpu. It was already complicated enough, with her not even being a normal blade."
"Maybe if Juliani wasn't so lazy she could create her own Poppi and quit using other people's inventions!"
Juliani slapped him. "How dare you! Poppi and Lila are part of my heritage. I'm taking back what is rightfully mine. Now, since you were so kind as to bring her to me, I'll make sure I overlook your whole outburst and that sink you failed to repair. Get on the floor and beg for my forgiveness and I won't drag you to the arena and watch you get bludgeoned to death for my entertainment like your father!"
Rafi stood there, tears in his eyes. He was so... so scared. He didn't know what to do. He had watched his father go into the arena, he had even screamed, begged to not let Rafi watch as he was brutally murdered by the horrid beasts he was forced to witness. Juliani and all the girls had sat there... and laughed. Simply because they thought he was lesser than them, because they thought he deserved it. He said and believed things they didn't, and because they disagreed, he died. That's how it worked with her.
"Well? I'm waiting peon, I have to round up your friends, so if you could please hurry up," Juliani demanded again.
Rafi trembled before he dropped down on his knees. "Rafi... apologizes for this intrusion."
Poppi sat up, in a daze. "Rafi... what... is Rafi doing?" She then realized just how terrified he was. He was drenched and sweat and trying really hard not to cry.
"Stop! This not how you treat other people!" Poppi shouted.
Juliani shocked her again.
"Honestly! Do you see what you did to her? She's all uncooperative now, this is all your fault. You're just as worthless as your father."
"Don't talk about my father like that!" Rafi shouted, before immediately silencing himself, bracing for what was to come.
Juliani, needless to say, was furious. She knocked him to the ground and repeatedly beat him with her ear flaps. Even as a small nopon, there was power in their limbs, as normal human arms.
"You insignificant. Pathetic. Disgraceful. Ugly pig," she said as she beat him to the ground. "How dare you speak to me like you're on my level?! That's it, you're going to die the same way your ignorant father will!"
Poppi began crying. "STOP HURTING HIM!"
Juliani shocked her again.
Rafi stood to his feet, clenched his feet, and gritted his teeth.
Juliani gave him a fierce look, one that still scared him to his core. "Stand. Down," she ordered.
He stood his ground, refusing to move.
She slapped him again, but he blocked it, only infuriating her more. "DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? DO YOUR EARS NOT WORK? YOUR FATHER RAISED YOU TERRIBLY AND HIS WIFE DESERVED TO BE SOLD LIKE A SLUT!"
With everything Rafi had, he went back, and he slammed his fist into her face, throwing her back and slamming her into a wall. He then proceeded to tackle her and punch her again, and again, and again.
Poppi eventually pulled him off of her.
"Rafi that quite enough!" she pleaded.
"She killed Rafi's mom too!" he said, crying as he turned around and gripped Poppi, hugging her tightly. "R-Rafi's daddapon never told Rafi... Daddapon said sh-she died when Rafi was littlepon..."
"Thanks for helping Poppi, Rafi, but let's go, it time to find friends!" Poppi tried to encourage as Rafi tried to dry his tears.
"R-Right, it time to go."
As they left, they saw a note on the floor.
"I'm holding them hostage, bring Poppi," it said.
"It must be Lila," Rafi reasoned.
He turned to see a full grown woman next to him. She had long, blue hair, was wearing a skimpy, black and red outfit and had red eyes and a headband that resembled small demon horns.
"Poppi QT π initialized," she said. "We need all power Poppi has! Let's go save friends."
"Right, Poppi."
Readability Level: 11-12th Grade
Time Taken: 7 Hours