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Session 94

Forgiving Myself

Fatemon had known this would happen sooner or later.

But as he stood before the judge in Witchelny, all he wanted was a bit more time.

The courtroom in question was quite a plain room, with marble walls and a blue carpet. At the very least, this place didn't have that stupid grey carpet that always seemed to find it's way in somewhere in the building process. The judge, some guy Aegiochusmon had never seen before sat towards the back and appeared to be wearing the traditional black robes and white powder wigs. The media had also come, bringing with the usual sort of riffraff. You know, cameramen, reporters and the tabloid scum.

"You have been charged with the involuntary manslaughter as a result of your part in the deaths of your entire class. How do you plead?" the judge announced, focusing in on the harem mage. Camera flashes seemed ready to capture it all, leaving little for him to hide. Not that he could to some extent.

"Guilty." he joked and awaited the flashes, which came a couple seconds later than he expected.

"Take this seriously, Mister…" the judge threatened, only to realize that he didn't know Fatemon's last name. Not that it really would do anything in the hellhole he found himself in.

"Just call me Fatemon." he whispered and closed his eyes, saying a silent wish to his partners. Maybe once this was all said and done, he could find a ring of sorts. What he did know of her in the past was vague at best, possibly contradictory at worst. It never did really say if the technically reborn girl really had a favorite gemstone. He asked Chacha once, but all she gave him was a shrug and told the harem mage to ask Polly directly.

"Fatemon, are you paying attention?"

Fatemon's gaze snapped back onto the judge, who still looked the same as before.

"It is time for your testimony." someone, possibly the prosecutor announced, only for the harem mage to already be on his way over. What followed was the same old story of ignorance and mistakes, told through the light of a man who was ready to atone for his sins. Yet, no opportunity seem to come of such magnitude to enable such request. What followed, were people attempting to tear him apart from all directions. And no great stone pillar or beam of lava could save him now. It probably would help if he actually used his upgraded spells.

"Wah." Fatemon whispered and watched the judge call a recess of sorts. Why such a break would be named after something from education seemed to wear at him, taunting him to some extent. Maybe it was his short time teaching. Or it was a reminder of just how long it had really been.

"Mr Fate?" a voice called out and Fatemon turned around, catching a glimpse of someone he had long thought dead. "Mr Fate, where are you?"

He took a deep breath and shrugged, muttering something about the author under his breath. Yet, he walked out of the courtroom and into the hall.

"There you are!" Usagi announced and wrapped her arms around the harem mage. She was still dressed the same way she had all those years before, just a green sundress and leather sandals. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Fatemon stayed silent, unsure of how to really answer Usagi. On one hand, he was happy to see her in a far better than her last meeting. Yet, by that same token, it served as a reminder of what remained of Mahora.

"I'm sorry, Usagi." he whispered as tears began to fall down his face. "Do you think you can forgive me for this mess?"

He got a confused glance, only for the hug to tighten.

"I forgive you." Usagi responded and let go. "So, what do you plan on doing after this?"

Silence fell over the harem mage as he debated his response. On one hand, Usagi at least appeared to be in some semblance of a stable state and no longer looked ready to die a cruel and painful death. Yet, this was the first time the two had met since she had technically died.

"I was going to find Polly again and pop her the question." he finally answered as Usagi just stared at him.

"Pop her the question?"

"You know, ask her to marry me." Fatemon explained and took a deep breath. "How about you? Anything interesting coming up in you?"

Usagi let out a laugh and smiled.

"Not really." she answered as her smile faded away. "Not much, outside of waiting for my master to return when he goes."

"And you're fine with that?"

Silence fell over Usagi, who seemed ready to break down in tears. To some extent, Fatemon felt sorry for the former complaints girl. So he wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. She did the same for him, leaving some trace of warmth as a buzzer rang.

"This is goodbye then." Usagi whispered as a portal appeared. "I wish you the best of luck, Mister Fate."

"You too, Usagi." Fatemon whispered as he watched her slip through the portal, with him making his way back into the courtroom. While the room looked the same as before, the atmosphere seemed to change just slightly. Maybe it was the result of him talking with Usagi or him just feeling slightly more at ease about all of this. But he suspected that even that would be tested by the very forces that were running this.

"Bring it." he thought and watched as the judge and the rest of the court returned to their positions. Yet this time, they all stood silent, awaiting their orders from an unseen master. "This isn't funny!"

Yet, he got no answer, since everything around him seemed to freeze in place.

Pylóna tou Ádi (Pillar of Hades)!

A large sandstone pillar sprouted forth, which the harem mage gave a slight tap. He watched it fall over and smash through the courtroom, only to reveal an unknown land outside.

It was a land in ruins, having once resembled a tropical paradise for some group of people. Sandstone buildings were scattered about, having been reduced to rubble by an unknown force and in the distance, a sole figure stood in silence.

"Figures." Fatemon whispered and ran towards the person, only to watch them just disappear on him. "Fucking whore."

He took a deep breath and gazed about the area once more, trying not to let thoughts of past events cloud of his judgement of what was happening around him. If nothing else, they could be used as comparison, hopefully in order to atone for the mess that he helped create. So the harem mage closed his eyes and kneeled down on the rubble, saying a silent prayer to himself.

It was one of forgiveness for what had happened, brought forth by guilt for past events. He pondered Usagi and her arrival, of what he could of done differently. Of Chacha and her purpose, of what it meant to be 'human'. He thought of Polly and her survival, of the odds of such a coincidence and all that she was put through in order to live another life. Then he turned his attention back to himself. His thought shifted to that of second chances, past lives and the future. Yet, he came to one conclusion. It was a strange one, brought forth by a mix of inferences and truth brought forth by his pondering.

Fatemon opened his eyes and walked over to a nearby mirror, pulling his hood for the first time in what seemed like forever. He saw not the monster in a golem's body, but the man who had chosen to bury the hatchet and head forth with his life. It was a weird feeling, seeming to be a cross between joy and humility. To some extent, you would only feel once or twice in your entire lifetime, yet could accurately pinpoint the feeling once it happened.

He let his gaze focus into the glass, watching it shift with each subtle movement. The harem mage probably would've spent a lot longer on it too, if he hadn't gotten a tap on the back. He turned around, finding the figure from earlier just standing there. On closer inspection, they appeared to be a silver-haired boy in a gray jumpsuit.

"You're me, aren't you?" Fatemon whispered and watched the boy give him a nod. "Good. I'm guessing you're here to take my place?"
All he got for that was a shake of the head.

"Then why are you here then?"

The boy sighed and pulled a ticket out. It wasn't anything that special, just enabling one to take one free ride on the space elevator.

"I wish you safe travels then." Fatemon whispered as the two went their separate ways, with the harem mage being whisked away to parts unknown by a portal. The other fatemon continued to walk onward, their goal within sight...

Notes:

Originally, there was going to be arc related to a trial for then Aegiochusmon on Witchelny. It would've occurred sometime after Chapter 38 and result in Aaron getting a purple sabertooth tiger as his second partner. Though in that plan, Elena was supposed to be whisked away and became a pirate for some reason.

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Next time: Black and white, with shades of gray.