Inspiration: He Isn't Worth It - Shi Shi
Nothing Stopping Me - Vicetone ft. Kat Nestel (just a little bit)
The title is more of a video game reference to having three hearts or three lives.
Not sure how I feel about this one and sorry for the crappy summary.
Enjoy the two-parter!
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They were all fools. Too focused on themselves. And while Munto tried to reason that they were under attack - busy defending themselves - it did nothing to ease the guilt.
He should have been watching.
The Girl of Destiny. A bright sun, filled with life. Capable of saving his dying world.
Lady Ryuely's vision has shown a bright, young woman. Beautiful and lively emerald eyes. Honeycomb hair that reached down her back, braided with a white bow at the end.
Not the ashen, slim figure that sat in the corner of a room too small to be considered anything more than a closet. Dull, green eyes that were a bit sunken. Stringy hair that lost some of its color.
Did she even remember the sun?
Moments before, Gntarl had been sneering that the girl was not the savior of their world. Powerless. Useless. A waste of precious resources.
His parents' sacrifice all in vain.
Munto couldn't bring himself to believe that. It was all he had left. This vision of this girl restoring his home.
"Munto?!" Rui's voice wasn't far. If he was close, so were the reinforcements.
He ripped his cape from his shoulders and concealed her with the smooth fabric. Then, he lifted her from the floor and ran from the room.
She was so light! Were they even feeding her?!
They must have. She'd been up here - hidden away - for years.
"Munto!" He quickened his pace at his general's call.
Meeting with his forces, they made a hasty retreat for the kingdom. He knew they had questions. They continuously looked to the girl nestled in his arms, to him, and then away. However, now was not the time to stop and explain.
The girl also looked at him. Concerned the first time she saw him in a breathless daze in her doorway. Shocked at how he wrapped her up and carried her off. Confused at exactly who these people were. They didn't look to be the usual people she saw. Then, it all settled into an indifference. Why did it matter?
But, on she stared until he could feel the blood rush up his neck and to his cheeks and a tic started in his jaw.
Just what the hell was she staring at?!
Gntarl's forced blocked them, pulling Munto from his irritation. They tried to backtrack. Avoiding conflict would be best. They didn't want to lose the precious cargo they've been trying for weeks to get.
The enemy surrounded them. Their escape route officially cut off.
Munto grew annoyed. He should have been paying more attention to their surroundings.
He swung the girl around and placed her in Shuza's arms.
"I'll clear a path. Take her and run." Without a moment of hesitation, Munto flew straight into the enemy line.
Rui followed, covering him, as the others faced the ones behind them.
Shuza waited for an opening, then squeezed through. He kept her shielded from the carnage as they passed. He didn't wait for the others or even turn to see their progress, he flew as quickly as he could to where the main brunt of their forces waited.
The others did eventually catch up with them, but just as quickly broke away. More and more enemies continued to come.
For someone who claimed the girl was a waste, he sure didn't want to give her up just yet.
Munto lagged behind the rest, a large gash in his leg hindering. Still, he guarded their rear as best as he could, Rui only yards ahead of him.
"Shuza!" Munto had seen the oncoming attack aimed in the man's blind spot. His voice didn't reach him in time as he got bulldozed off to the side and the girl slipped from his grasp.
The attacker was unable to grab her as the others rushed to defend. Unfortunately, they didn't catch her either.
Munto dove, despite how much his leg protested with burning spikes. He needed to reach her. He couldn't-
As he got closer, he saw how limp she fell. Not crying. Not screaming. Not even reaching for his outstretched hand.
She wanted to fall... at least, she didn't care.
Gntarl really had broken her. Her heart shut tight. Rejecting this world. His world.
Munto almost stopped in his pursuit. Almost. But that vision, that bright, life-giving girl saving his dead - unworthy - world.
Unworthy him.
He grabbed her, struggling to stop their descent and reverse direction. She may not have clutched to him, but he clutched onto her like a life-line. She wouldn't be leaving his arms soon until she was safely back at the palace.
Shuza opened his mouth upon his approach, but Munto shook his head.
"Are you alright?" At his affirmative, he relaxed. "Good. Let's hurry."
They raced back to the kingdom.
"I'll return shortly." Munto headed further in, quickly realizing that the damage hadn't left a lot to be desired when keeping company. He headed for the garden, mainly untouched.
He summoned a few servants to care for her. He needed to return to the battle.
Upon returning, he was directed to a small spot in the garden where she sat on the grass. They had dressed in her long, flowing pants and a shirt a bit too big for her at her request. His cape remained wrapped around her shoulders.
Munto quietly sat beside her, observing. She picked at the grass, feeling the smooth blade across the pad of her forefinger. Then, she tossed it aside for another. Her feet played idly with the soil, stopping to dip her toe in the water for fun.
"What's your name?" He kept his tone soft.
"Gntarl-sama called me 'girl', mostly." He strained to hear her but cringed at Gntarl's title.
"What did your parents call you?" Munto figured a different wording would suffice. Or perhaps, she was dodging the question.
It had been a while since she thought of her name. A three-syllable, six lettered word. She had sought to carve it into her skin at some point, but there had been no tools to use and she gave up on the idea. She settled for tracing it - scratching it temporarily into her flesh. Desperate to remember anything before her life revolved around metal walls and tests.
She gave up on that idea too.
"Yumemi." She picked another green blade. "Is this grass?"
"It is." He scowled as she ripped a clump of dirt from the ground.
"And soil?"
"Yes."
She hummed, placing the clump back where it had been and patting it into place.
Munto noticed the basket beside her, filled with fruits.
"Are they to your liking?" At her confusion, he nodded to the basket.
"Oh, yes. Thank you." Yumemi returned her attention to the grass.
Munto wasn't sure where to go from here. He needed her help, but he doubted she would comply. He had no intentions of forcing her.
"Yumemi… I need your help." She looked surprised.
"My help?"
"Yes. Your help." Munto rose and offered her a hand up.
Wordlessly, he led her through some of the ruins around the palace. Letting her see the destruction and the wounded in the makeshift clinic.
"You haven't told me your name…" No life returned to her eyes. No, they only darkened at the scenes before her.
"I am Munto. King of the Magical Kingdom." There was an undeniable pride in his tone and he stood just a little taller.
"I see, Munto-sama." A bitterness hung off her words. One he thought best to leave alone for now.
Munto continued to guide her forward to a quiet courtyard that contained rubble scattered about. It had a pool in the middle where a woman and a young boy waited.
"Munto-sama." The two bowed at his approach.
"Lady Ryuely. Toche. Please meet Yumemi." At the introduction, Yumemi politely bowed.
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Yumemi." Lady Ryuely had a kind look to her with her gentle eyes and polite posture.
"Pleasure to meet you!" Toche quickly bowed her way. A bit nervous and loud in greeting her.
"Our world is dying, Yumemi." The prophetess waved the girl over to the edge where nothing but clouds rolled by underneath. "And when we fall, we will crash into yours."
"I see." Her voice remained apathetic.
Lady Ryuely cast a worried glance Munto's way.
"Do you remember anything about your world?"
"No." The lie rolled off her tongue almost too quickly.
The truth was she did remember. She remembered it being warm and happy. Plenty of sunlight and soil between her toes. Her memories were small and fleeting, but warm. Like a candle's flame before it hit the liquified wax.
She didn't want to remember anymore.
So, she lied.
"I understand." Lady Ryuely backed away from the ledge. "Will you help us anyway?"
Yumemi followed her back to where Munto and Toche stood.
"I…" Yumemi bit her cheek took a breath, and replied, "of course."
Lady Ryuely eyes widened for a fraction of a second from the response, but nodded nonetheless and thanked her.
Munto glanced to the pool, but the prophetess shook her head.
Before any more could be said, an explosion rocked the ground. It knocked them off their feet and kicked up dirt. Once Yumemi could see again, she noticed Munto helping Lady Ryuely up, searching for the source of the attack with hurried eyes. Toche laid a few feet away, blood dripping from his head.
Yumemi moved to help him stand and he gladly took her helping hand. He swiped at the wound, hissing as he did so.
"Yumemi!" She instinctively turned at the sound of her name, wishing she hadn't.
Munto tried to reach them, but another blast sent him back. Regaining his balance, a soldier - not one of his own - stood before her. Another just behind it and both ready to strike Toche and her. Their first attack had missed.
Yumemi didn't cower to his surprise. No, she stood tall with feet wide and arms spread out. She shielded Toche from their sight. The red cape bellowed back from the gust of wind, no longer hiding the oversized clothes she chose to wear. Or the scars that lined her arms like bolts of lightning.
Unlike the moments before, Munto didn't see a dullness to her features. The grayscale that covered her gone.
Her eyes brightened with deep anger. Her skin glowing from the Akuto.
The Akuto?!
Her heart wasn't closed!
Perhaps to them. Stangers. To Gntarl. To the soldiers before her.
Munto understood then how wrong Gntarl had been. She had the ability all along. Never lost and never far from her.
Yumemi had simply lost her will. Until now.
But, unbeknownst to anyone, Toche had reminded her of something. And while she had hoped to be rid of vague memories that brought more pain than joy, she couldn't deny them some space in her life.
She still needed them.
The soldier tried to fire on her, but it ricocheted. Her powers raging wilding in front of her like a storm's barrier between the outside and the calm inner eye.
When more soldiers arrived, Munto ushered Lady Ryuely and Toche away. Harka made sure they were safely on their way as Munto's men rushed to the scene.
"Yumemi?" The wall of Akuto she had formed had yet to dissipate and he feared she might turn it against them in her anger.
But, he saw the way she shook under the warmth of his cloak. How she kept the enemy at bay even when their attacks shook the ground beneath them and would have even broken Munto under the pressure. Her anger stemmed from a profound hatred.
Fear didn't close her heart and he had Gntarl to thank for that. As well as shaping a few her abilities. But, only anger fueled her.
Munto knew anger intimately and used that often in battle. At the end of the day, however, it was his duty to protect his citizens, friends, and family, that fueled a lot more and a lot longer.
Yumemi didn't share that same resolution. At least, Munto didn't think she did. Not yet anyway.
"Yumemi." Gently, he pulled her back, silently noting how she bit her lip hard enough to bleed. Her anger began to die under his touch. "Marty is going to escort you back inside." She nodded and finally, the last of her anger gave way for something more sorrowful. Almost apologetic.
When Yumemi turned away, taking Marty's kind hand, her shield dropped. Munto and Rui were the first to counter the enemy, keeping her retreat safe.
Marty led her back to the gardens where Lady Ryuely waited once more for her.
"You'll be safe here, Yumemi-hime." Marty gave her a toothy grin before bowing and departing.
She frowned at the title. It seemed a bit odd to call her such a thing, but it did make her want to smile.
"Shall we talk?" Lady Ryuely gestured to a stone bench.
Munto returned late into the night. Exhausted and freshly bandaged. He had every intention of retiring for the night. However, the garden's dark, dome figure caught his eye and his feet carried him down the steps and to where Yumemi rested by the water.
She played in secret with the water. A smile gracing her face as she splashed around. Not caring if her clothes got wet. Yet, occasionally glancing around, not wanting to get caught.
He watched for the longest time, entertained. He didn't want to disturb her, so he kept himself to the shadows. Only when she slipped into the water by accident did he make himself know, chuckling at her.
Munto approached with a towel in hand and called out to her. A moment of panic washed over her, but the small smile and mirth in his eyes had her relaxing.
"We do have a pool." Her eyes lit up at the prospect. "Let's get you appropriate clothing first."
After changing, Munto led her to the pool where he helped her in. She explored the shallow area without him as he preferred to prop himself up on the rocks by the waterfall. Being as exhausted as he was, he wasn't surprised to find he had fallen asleep. He often did that at his desk in the study. He was surprised to find Yumemi not too far away, lightly snoring under his cape the very next morning. The towels laid underneath her as a sort of cushion.
It brought a smile to his lips.