Saber Dolls G

A Saber Marionette Fanfiction

By BG-57

Program 02: Confession

Dawn rose on the city-state of Japoness. Only the top floors of Castle Japoness were aglow; the rest of the city was still in darkness. Clouds obscured the peak of Japoness Fuji. An edifice called the Faust Diner stood in the shopping district. It had an alpine chalet façade that was out of place among the oriental buildings. The streetlights shone through the window blinds, casting bands of lights on the faces of two Marionettes, both dressed in their Gartlant uniforms.

Luchs leaned back in her booth seat and sighed. "Master took me to an elegant café downtown. It was just like a dream!"

Panther for once didn't look bored listening to her. Her hair was brushed back, revealing a transparent red eyepatch in the shape of a star. She smirked. "How nice. I for one finally got to spar with Master Faust!"

Luchs cradled her chin on the back of her hand and smiled. "Did you let him win?"

Panther blinked. "I-er beat the stuffing out of him."

Luchs laughed behind her hand. "Oh, that is so you, Panther."

Panther snorted and looked off to one side. "Lay off."

"I think we need to do more research before next time," said Luchs.

Panther rubbed her head. "Not again! Leave that Otaru boy out of this."

Luchs frowned. "But he's a human male, just like our Master."

Panther shook her head. "Yeah I know. But I want Lord Faust, not Otaru Mamiya."

"You're right of course," she replied, looking lost in thought.

"So how can we win Lord Faust's heart?" asked Panther.

Luchs regarded her with her violet eyes. "My tactical programs aren't going to help."

Panther sighed and they sat there in silence. They gasped as the fluorescent lights flickered on.

Faust stood at the foot of the stairs his hand on the switch. "What are you two doing sitting in the dark?" he asked.

They both knelt in front of him. "Master Faust, forgive us for disturbing you!"

He gestured them to stand. "Never mind."

Luchs and Panther rose. "Can we do something for you?" asked Panther.

Faust nodded and removed his jacket.

"Hold this," he said, handing it to Luchs.

He crossed behind the counter and began to rummage in the refrigerator. Luchs and Panther stared at each other then at Faust.

"Master, we should be doing that!" protested Panther, putting her hands on the counter.

He began sorting eggs. "Don't worry. The First was an excellent chef. I haven't practiced much since his time though."

Panther and Luchs crossed into the kitchen.

"Let us help," offered Luchs.

He nodded. They were halfway through preparing the omelet when Tiger came down the stairs.

"What's going on?" she asked.

Panther handed her four glasses. "Set these on the table, okay?"

Tiger set the glasses next to the four plates already on the table. Faust walked over and sliced the omelet into fourths and used a spatula to put one piece on each plate. Luchs poured juice into each glass. Faust handed the skillet to Panther who returned to the kitchen. He took a seat in the booth. Luchs sat across from him. Panther returned and sat next to her. Tiger hesitated, then sat next to Faust. They all tasted the food.

"Wow! This is great!" exclaimed Panther.

"It sure is!" chimed in Tiger.

"Really?" asked Faust.

"Absolutely my Lord," added Luchs, "You're a great cook."

He sighed. "I'm not sure if you really mean that."

"Why would you doubt us?" asked Tiger.

He smiled at Tiger. "No I didn't mean it like that. I've grown accustomed to flattery, so I tend not to believe honest praise. Forgive me."

Tiger returned the smile. "You don't have to apologize to us my Lord."

Panther and Luchs glanced at each other.

Faust reached into his pocket.

"I have an assignment for you Saber Dolls," he said.

"You want us to deliver a letter to Lady Lorelei?" asked Luchs.

He shook his head and smiled. "You know me too well," he said, pulling out a letter with 'GF' embedded into a wax seal.

Halfway to Castle Japoness Luchs abruptly stopped and turned to face Tiger.

"What is it Luchs?" asked Tiger nervously.

"You were acting too familiar with Lord Faust this morning," replied Luchs.

Tiger looked away. "I don't think so."

Panther leaned in close to her. "Then why did you sit next to him?"

"And the way he was looking at you," added Luchs.

Tiger held up her hands defensively and reddened. "That's not true! He treats me just the same as you two!"

Panther put her hands on her hips. "Yeah right! You were the first one of us made! You even got to raise our current Master! But that doesn't mean you can have him all to yourself!"

"Exactly," said Luchs, "We love him too."

Tiger sighed and hung her head. "I know. But we have a worse problem."

"Which is?" asked Panther.

"Lorelei," said Luchs sadly.

All three of them stared at the ground. Eventually Luchs took out the letter.

"Do you think he wants to ask her how she feels about him?" she inquired.

Panther snatched the letter and held it up to the light.

"Hey!" yelled Tiger.

"Tch!" said Panther. "I can't see anything!"

Tiger snatched the letter from Panther. "Show some respect for our Master!" she shouted.

She clutched the letter close to her heart until Luchs snatched it from her.

"Stop fondling our Master's love letter," she said.

Both of them stared at her. "How do you know that?" asked Panther.

Luchs shook her head. "What else could it be?"

Panther punched a nearby wall. "Argh! I wish we could destroy this letter!"

Tiger frowned. "We will obey Master Faust's will. It doesn't matter how much it hurts us."

Luchs stared at the letter. She broke the seal and read it.

"Hey!" said Tiger.

"What does it say?" asked Panther.

"Oh my," said Luchs.

"What?" said Tiger.

Luchs held out the letter to them. It read: "Dear Lorelei, will you meet with me to discuss something important? -Gelhardt von Faust-."

"That could mean a lot of things," suggested Tiger.

Luchs refolded the letter. She took out a bar of wax and melted some across it. She took at ring and imprinted Faust' seal into the wax.

Panther gaped. "Why are you carrying all junk that with you?" she asked.

Luchs smiled. "I was in charge of our Master's letters in Gartlant. I kept the seal just in case."

Tiger smirked. "You're too clever for your own good. Let's go."

At the gates of Castle Japoness they met up with two elegantly cool Marionettes.

"Identify yourselves!" said the one with long silver hair that formed curls near her ears. She was dressed in a red kimono with black trim and carried a blade on a pole.

"GSM-01T," said Tiger.

"GSM-02L," said Luchs.

"GSM-03P," said Panther.

"Identities confirmed," said the other one with spiky green hair carrying two blades across her back. Her kimono was cyan with blue sleeves.

"Tamasaburo, is Lady Lorelei in?" asked Tiger.

The silver haired Marionette nodded. "What is your business with her?"

"We're delivering a message for Lord Faust," said Luchs.

"What is the message?" asked the green haired Marionette.

"None of your beeswax, Baiko!" snapped Panther.

Tiger held her arms in front of Panther and Luchs. "What we mean is we would appreciate it if you admitted us."

Tamasaburo and Baiko wordlessly regarded each other.

"You may proceed," said Tamasaburo, "But leave your weapons here."

Tiger handed her blade whip to Baiko and Luchs handed her shuriken blades to Tamasaburo.

"Panther, your weapons?" asked Baiko.

"You wanna chop my hands off?" asked Panther holding up her hands with a smirk.

"Proceed," repeated Tamasaburo.

They walked across the footbridge across the koi pond into the main building. They ascended up several flights of a narrow staircase. They reached a patio filled with a field of flowers. A woman stood among the flowers with a watering can and a trowel. She was dressed in a green checkered shirt and blue overalls. Her orange-brown hair was mostly hidden under a green baseball cap but her blue eyes were clearly visible. She ran over to them.

"Tiger!" she cried, "Luchs and Panther! How are you?"

Tiger smiled. "Fine my Lady."

"We have a message from Lord Faust," said Panther, elbowing Luchs.

Luchs handed the dog-eared parchment over. "It got a little messed up."

Lorelei nodded and broke the seal. She read it intently and frowned. "He wants to meet me?"

Tiger nodded. "We would appreciate it."

Lorelei smiled. "How can I refuse then?"

"We'll tell him then," said Panther.

Lorelei looked thoughtful. "Except.."

"What is it?" inquired Luchs.

"I wish I could go and meet him instead of receiving him here," said Lorelei sighing.

"Do you have Marionette repair facilities here?" asked Luchs.

Lorelei looked lost. "Yes.but why?"

Panther and Tiger knew what was coming next.

"I have a plan," said Luchs, smiling evilly.

As the Saber Dolls returned to the main gate they met up with some human guards.

"Hey there," said the first guard, "Have your weapons back."

They handed the blade whip to Tiger and the shuriken blades to the blue haired one.

"T-thanks," she stammered. She bowed to them and followed Tiger and Panther down the road.

As they left the second guard turned to the first. "Wasn't that Marionette acting strange?" he asked.

"I think they're all strange," replied the first guard leisurely.

After they turned the corner Tiger breathed a sigh of relief. "I think we fooled them Lady Lorelei."

Under the blue hair and Gartlant uniform, Lorelei looked exasperated. "How can your wear this all the time?"

Panther looked at her own jacket and baggy pants. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Lorelei tried to pull down her miniskirt and shook her head. "Never mind. I shouldn't have agreed to this."

Tiger touched Lorelei's arm. "You need to get out more often and spread your wings."

Lorelei smiled weakly. "Yes, but I'm going to get you all in trouble."

"Hey, we're used to it," said Panther putting a hand to her chest, "We're the bad girls, remember?"

Lorelei took Panther's hands. "No you're not! You only did bad things because your Master ordered you too!"

Panther looked down, embarrassed.

Lorelei turned to Tiger, her eyes watering. "You all carry part of me. If you are evil, it is because I am evil."

Tiger looked distraught. "My Lady, do not blame yourself. All that is good in us is because you are a good person."

Panther looked up. "I'm with Tiger."

Lorelei dried her eyes. "Thank you both."

They made their way down the streets of Japoness. As they entered into Faust Diner Tiger called out: "I'm home!"

"Welcome back!" came Faust's down the stairs.

"Good luck," said Tiger as they reached the stairs.

"You're not coming with me?" asked Lorelei.

Tiger shook her head quietly.

Panther folded her arms across her chest. "Be nice to our Master, or I'll have to hurt you."

Lorelei nodded and went up the stairs. After she was gone Tiger turned to Panther.

"Now we wait," she said.

"For the Imperial Guard," finished Panther.

Lorelei hesitated at the top of the stairs. She looked left then right and headed straight down the hallway. She knocked on the door to the right.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

The door slid open. Faust stood there.

"Ah there you are Luchs," he began, "What did Lorelei-" he stopped in mid- sentence, his eyes growing wide.

Lorelei bowed. "Greetings Master Faust," she said playfully.

Faust looked too stunned to react. "Lorelei!" he finally said.

She smiled and spun around once, showing off her outfit. "What do you think of my Luchs imitation?" she asked, giggling.

Faust gestured for her to sit down. As she did he sat across from her.

"What would you like to discuss with me?" she asked. She removed the blue wig and unpinned her hair.

Faust made a tent with his fingers. "Two things really. Once concerning our past, and one concerning our future."

Lorelei brushed her hair a bit. "What about our past?"

Faust looked uncomfortable. "I waited three hundred years to rescue you. In the end I failed. I had to leave it to Otaru Mamiya and his Saber Marionettes."

Lorelei smiled at him. "No, you were a great help. They wouldn't have reached me without your Zaubelberg."

Faust nodded. "I did it because of my love for you."

Lorelei looked at him sadly. "You mean the First Faust's love for me?"

Faust frowned. "Originally yes. But I was given his memories and his love for you was part of those memories."

Lorelei wrung her hands. "So you were programmed to love me."

Faust slumped in his chair. "You may be right. That would make me just like my Saber Dolls."

Lorelei covered her mouth with her hands. "No, I didn't mean that your love or theirs isn't genuine. But would you love me if you didn't have the First Faust's memories?"

Faust shook his head. "I don't know. But I would like to think so. It's funny though, I was the first clone whose first love wasn't you."

Lorelei smiled secretly. "I think I know who."

Faust coughed and fidgeted. "Well I do not deserve your love, nor do I expect to ever get it. But I would ask that you forgive me someday."

"For what?" she asked.

"I do not regret helping to rescue you," he said, "I only regret what I did to do it."

Lorelei clasped her hands together. "I'm sorry I was the cause of so much suffering."

He took her hand. "You are not to blame."

She began to cry and embraced him. "Oh Faust! Please forgive me! You tortured yourself for three hundred years for me!"

Faust closed his eyes and sighed. "It was worth it."

"No!" said Lorelei, pulling back, "I cannot accept your love! What about the Saber Dolls?"

Faust looked her in the eyes. "They were supposed to take your place once they had matured."

Lorelei tried to stop the tears. "And I was supposed to live down here happily down here with you why they suffered for eternity in my place?"

Faust looked forlorn. "I suppose not. You are too kind for your own good. You care about everyone's happiness except your own.

Lorelei sniffled. "I deserve to be alone forever! I deserve to dry up into a bitter old maid!"

Faust looked pained. "That's not true. You deserve happiness most of all. More than Ieyasu or myself."

He touched her cheek with the back of his hand. She smiled bravely and covered his hand with hers.

Tiger and Panther emerged from Faust Diner as Baiko reached the main entrance. She regarded them coldly.

"Return Lady Lorelei at once," she commanded.

Tiger drew out her whip blade. "Master Faust just wants to talk to her privately! Leave them alone!"

Panther curled her hands into fists. "Even if Master Faust chooses to abandon us, we will always fight for him!"

Baiko drew out her swords. The blades glowed with a greenish tinge. "That is unacceptable. Return her at once."

"Make us!" spat Panther, lunging toward Baiko.

Baiko parried Panther's fist with her blade as Tiger's whip wrapped around the other blade. Tiger retracted the whip, nearly pulling Baiko's sword out of her grasp. She swung her free blade at Panther, who nimbly sidestepped.

Tiger glanced around. "Where's Tamasaburo?" she asked.

"I don't know!" replied Panther, swinging her fist again.

An explosion rocked the rooftops above them. They saw Tamasaburo sparring with an orange haired Marionette wearing overalls.

"Luchs!" yelled Tiger.

Baiko pulled on the entangled blade, causing Tiger to fall onto her face. Tiger retracted the whip, which formed a rigid blade. She attacked Baiko from behind while Panther swung at her from the front. Their arms disappeared in a blur of motion as Baiko expertly blocked their blows. Still, she looked agitated.

"Release Lorelei!" said Baiko.

Tiger grinned. "We don't have to win," she said.

"We just have to keep you busy," jeered Panther.

Above them Tamasaburo and Luchs landed on opposite ends of a roof.

Luch smiled as she fanned out a set of shuriken blades. "A standoff is a victory for us," she said.

Tamasaburo leapt forward and slashed at Luchs, who had jumped out of the way just as Tamasaburo's blade cut through the chimney behind her. She spun her pole arm just in time to deflect the shuriken blades thrown by Luchs. Luchs landed on a rooftop across the alleyway. She put a hand on her hip and smiled.

"Enough!" Lorelei cried.

The Saber Dolls and Imperial Guard froze in place. Lorelei walked out onto the street, followed by Faust.

"Lady Lorelei, are you uninjured?" asked Baiko.

Lorelei nodded. "I'm fine."

"We feared the worst when the Saber Dolls abducted you," said Tamasaburo.

"They didn't abduct me!" countered Lorelei, falling to her knees. "I wanted to go with them. I'm sorry to have deceived you. It's all my fault."

Tamasaburo and Baiko sheathed their weapons. The Saber Dolls gathered around Faust.

"Thank you for everything," said Faust to them.

"It was nothing," said Luchs as she removed the wig.

"Faust," said Lorelei rising to her feet, "What did you want to tell me about the future?"

Faust regarded her. "I want you to promise to make a pure clone of yourself."

"Why?" asked Lorelei.

Faust looked grim. "Because you won't otherwise."

Lorelei looked down. "You're right. I don't see why I should inflict my burdens on another version of myself."

Faust smiled. "Then don't. Just let her make her own memories."

Lorelei laughed. "Alright, but I want you to promise to make another pure clone of yourself."

"Without my memories?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded.

He turned to the Saber Dolls. "I will entrust the Eleventh to your care. Raise him with firmness and compassion. The memories of the First Faust will die with me."

They knelt before him. "We are not worthy for such a task," said Tiger.

He smiled down at her. "You did a good job with me."

She gasped and looked up at him. He took her hand and helped her up. He then put his hands on Luchs and Panther.

"You will help her," he said.

"Yes my Lord," said Luchs, her voice faltering.

"It will be an honor!" said Panther trying to keep control of her emotions.

Lorelei walked over to Tamasaburo and Baiko. "Let's go," she said to them.

They nodded and started to leave.

"Wait!" cried Luchs.

"What?" asked Lorelei.

"Can I have my clothes back?" said Luchs.

Preview

Finally Lord Faust returns from exile! But many in Gartlant are not happy to see his return! Who is friend and who is foe? What lengths will our Master go to prove himself? No, not the machine! Next time on Saber Dolls G: 'Redemption'. Lord Faust, I love you!