Hello!
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"How do I look?"
"You look great!"
"You sure? My hair isn't messy? My clothes aren't wrinkled? I'm not-"
"You're fine, really!" Aila tried to comfort her older sister as she got ready for her date with her boyfriend. Her sister, Red, was dressed up in a nice, pale pink dress that complimented her short red hair, which while usually a mess, Red had tried her best to wrangle in, and Aila thought she did a good (enough) job. She also wore black shoes, not high heels, though, since she hated them. Aila ultimately knew it didn't matter, and that he thought she looked great no matter what she wore. "You're just overthinking it." She made sure to look her in the eyes as she said it, always surprised by how bright of a blue they were.
"I…I know, but-"
"No buts!" Aila stopped her. "I swear, sometimes I feel like the older one." The Candidate said, making Red give her a nervous laugh. "Hey, before you go, have you figured out the situation with Tarou?" Red scoffed as she walked over to the mirror.
"No, but you know how he is. I'm honestly surprised this is the first time he's missed a meeting. Not that I minded, he scares me." Red said as she touched up her hair even though it didn't really need it.
"What?" Aila asked.
"What? He just gives off that kind of…aura, you know? He's always creeped me out." Red explained. Aila thought over the few times she'd actually met the CPU, and eventually, she had to agree. He always seemed to have a sort of…darkness in his eyes. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about him." Red said, shocking Aila out of her thoughts. "I just want to think of-" She was cut off by a knock at the door, and she immediately began to panic. "Oh my god, he's here! Is my dress nice?! I-is my hair okay?! Ahhhh, maybe I should cancel, since I-"
Aila walked over and opened the door, finding Boken standing there with a smile as he somewhat towered over the smaller girl. "Hey, Boken!"
"Hey, Aila." He said, and then looked up at Red, his eyes immediately going wide as he visibly exhaled, a smile creeping onto his face. "Oh…wow…"
"H-heyyyy…" Red said with a light blush. Aila rolled her eyes.
"You two have been dating for how long now? And yet you always seem to treat him as if he's your longing crush, instead of your boyfriend." Aila said with a sigh.
"I-I'm easily flustered around him, okay?!" Red shouted, her blush getting deeper. She looked up at her boyfriend and felt it get even deeper. Instead of his usual red jacket, black shirt, blue jeans and excessive accessories, he was wearing a nice black tuxedo that complimented his black hair, which was probably just as equally messy as Red's usually was. Boken walked over to her and put a hand around her waist, pulling her close. The gesture made her yelp, embarrassed to be doing such a thing in front of her sister. To top it off, he planted a kiss on her head, and she nearly fell over.
"You look…absolutely gorgeous." He said with a wide smile. Red glanced over to see her sister giving her an 'I told you so' look.
"Th-thanks…you also look…gorgeous…" She sputtered, and a blush of his own overcame his face. The two stood there for a bit in silent awkwardness, smiling at each other, until Aila cleared her throat.
"You guys gonna stand there all day, orrrr…?"
"Ah! Right, sorry." Boken said as he took Red's hand. "I've got a great restaurant I found in Bios that I'd like to take you to."
"Y-yes, let's go." Red said, not even bothering to ask what the restaurant actually was. Boken led her out the door, but just before he exited, he shot a wink at Aila, and she mouthed 'good luck' at him. Not that he needed it, she was absolutely head over heels for the boy. The two left and as soon as the door closed, Aila walked over and flopped onto the couch with a sigh, but also a smile.
Now then…there unfortunately was some work she needed to do…
"Wowwwww!" Red said as soon as she saw the incredible view.
The restaurant was a giant building called "The Dark Tower", but despite its ominous name, it was actually fairly nice and fancy. Boken had gotten them a seat all the way up near the top, next to the windows for a beautiful view of Bios.
"Surely seats like this are expensive!" Red said, and Boken shrugged.
"When you're the CPU, it's really not all that hard. But, even so…" He looked her in the eyes, "even if I had to pay that much for it out of my own pocket, for you…I would."
"Heh…hehehehehehe!" Before she could stop herself, Red found herself giggling wildly as her face flushed. God he was good at doing that, wasn't he? "S-so! Wh-what are we eating?"
"Whatever you want. It's a pretty all inclusive place." Boken said as he held up his menu, already knowing what she was gonna order.
"Oooooh! Steaaaaak!" She said, drooling a little at the sizes. Boken couldn't help but laugh. She was a big meat eater, and especially enjoyed steak from restaurants. On top of that, he already knew what he wanted, having scoped this place out for weeks. When the waiter came by, she ordered the steak and a coke, and he ordered their Crab Cakes with a side of potatoes, and some champagne. After that, the waiter took their menus, and Red looked out the window again. Boken smiled as he reached out and grabbed her hand, which she laid on the table. She jumped in surprise, but quickly gripped it back and turned her attention to him.
"Just how long have you been planning to go here?" She asked, and he laughed again.
"You seem to know me just as well as I know you, huh? Several weeks." Boken answered.
"Is something special happening? Some announcement again?" She asked.
"Maybe~" he said, and she used her free hand to flick his forehead.
"Come on! Don't be coy now!" She demanded, but he just laughed once more; such a beautiful laugh, it always made her smile.
"You'll see, I promise you won't leave here wondering." He said, and she huffed, but dropped it, knowing he was always one to stand by his promises. They chatted while waiting for her food, with Boken talking about his new weapon and the modification he and his friend Mojin had done to it, and Red discussing the RPG video game she and Aila had developed recently that she'd become addicted to. Whenever one of them talked, the other listened intently, the interest evident on their face.
Eventually, the food arrived, and though neither wanted to, they separated their hands and started eating. Red, of course, wasn't very delicate as she tore into the steak and ate it, practically moaning at the delicious flavor. Boken was more neat and methodical, but seemed to enjoy his own food just as much. Under the table, he kept putting his hand in his pocket to check on what lay inside.
After both had enjoyed their meal, Boken ordered them a cake, and while they waited, they continued talking, holding hands once more as they looked out the window.
"Where would I be without you?" Red asked.
"In your room, playing video games either naked, or just in your underwear." He answered, and she turned bright red.
"K-keep your voice down!!" She exclaimed, hoping no one had heard them. "Th-that's…"
"And I keep telling you how I'd love to join you…both in playing games…and in that first attire~" Red stared at him for a moment as the image formed in her mind of the two of them…sitting together…playing games…naked…and her face somehow got even hotter.
"I-I…u-umm…I-" She stuttered, and he laughed.
"You're so adorable when you do that, you know~" he teased.
"I-I can't help it when you say stuff like that!!" She exclaimed, but she found herself smiling back. "B-but…despite how embarrassing it would be, it…sounds nice. Just…feeling your warmth…holding me…t-touching…" She blushed again. "Ahhhhhh!"
"See, you did it to yourself that time." Boken said with another laugh, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything back, since he was right after all. The two of them went silent for a bit, staring out the window, before Boken cleared his throat. "Red."
"Yeah?"
"I…I love you."
Red was taken aback by the sudden declaration. She'd heard it a million times before, but it felt somehow different this time. "Huh?"
"I absolutely love you with my entire being." He said, and let go of her hands, which was immediately concerning.
"Boken? Are you okay?" She asked.
"More than okay. How can I not be okay when I'm with you?" He said, reaching into his pocket under the table. "Whenever I'm with you, it's like…I'm with the other half of myself. You…truly complete me."
"Boken…" Red said, watching as he stood up, facing her.
"Red. I love you. To the end of the universe and back, with everything that I am, I love you. So…" Boken reached into his pocket as he went down on one knee, and pulled out a small blue box, "will you marry me?" He asked as he opened the box to reveal a beautiful ruby ring, the red gem glinting in the light. Immediately, it felt like Red's entire body shut down as a million incomprehensible thoughts flooded her mind. Thankfully, Boken knew this would happen, so he simply waited for her to 'reboot.' Once she did, her entire face lit up a bright red.
"I-wh-wha?! I-I…y-you…w-we…r…ahh…!" She stuttered, unable to form a complete word. Even so, Boken continued to wait as everyone around them stared, waiting to see what she would say. "I…I…I…!" She finally took a deep breath. "Y-Y-YES! YES!" Boken smiled wider than she'd ever seen before as he took out the ring, set the box on the table, and held his hand out, which she happily took, even though her entire body was shaking. He, with a little difficulty due to her shaking, placed the ring on her finger; a perfect fit. Red could barely comprehend what was happening as Boken stood up and placed his lips on hers. The familiar feeling somehow felt amplified, his warmth and softness enveloping her as she kissed him back, the crowd around them applauding. Red barely even noticed though, as she became lost in the kiss, a kiss that felt like it lasted for eternity before he broke it.
Just then, the waiter arrived with their cake. "Right on time." Boken said, as he grabbed one of the forks and handed it to Red, which she happily took, the smile never leaving her face. As they ate the cake, she kept looking at the ring, looking at how the moonlight glinted off its surface. Boken laughed, happy with how mesmerized she was by it, before he leaned over and whispered. "Hey, Red?"
"Yeah?"
"You know…if you want…after this we can go back to my place and…consummate the marriage~" he said, and although it took a moment for it to sink in, once it did, Red froze, the intense blush overcoming her entire face once again as she looked at him.
"R-really?!" She whispered, and he couldn't help but laugh, nodding his head. "Heh…hehehehehehehehehehe~!" she giggled again as she started to quickly eat the cake as fast as she could, despite Boken's assurance that they didn't need to hurry. Even so, they were both soon full, and after they'd paid (with Boken covering it all for her of course, despite her saying she could pay for some of it), he transformed, picked her up bridal style, and carried her off back to Bios' Basilicom, while she giggled the entire way.
It was several hours later when the pair finally returned to Red's Basilicom, where although Red wanted to be quiet, expecting Aila to be asleep, she was embarrassed when they wandered into the living room and found Aila sitting on the couch.
"O-oh! Heyyyy, I just…uhh…" Red started.
"I can tell your bra isn't secured~" Aila said, and with a deep blush, Red fixed it, and cleared her throat.
"Whyyyy aren't you in bed?" Red asked, wondering if anything else seemed obvious. Her hair was a mess, but that was usual.
"I wanted to make sure you got home. Oh also, I can see your panties." Aila said, and Red groaned as she fixed that too. "Also I wanted to talk to you."
"Well, that's my cue I guess." Boken said, and he grabbed Red hips to turn her around. "Thank you for the wonderful night…I hope we get to have more in the future~" Red nearly fell over as her legs wobbled remembering the time they'd just spent together, and she started to giggle again, while Aila just rolled her eyes.
Boken bid them goodnight and he left, leaving Red to walk over and flop down onto the couch as she sighed happily. Aila scooted up next to her and smirked.
"So? You said yes?" She asked.
"Huh?"
"You said yes to the proposal?" She asked, and Red shot up.
"You knew?!" Aila giggled.
"Of course I did!" The candidate said. "He actually asked me if I was okay with it and asked my opinion on how to do it." She glanced at Red's hand. "Can I see? He didn't actually show it to me." Red blushed and held up her hand, the red gem once again beautifully reflecting the light as she held it up. "Wowww! So pretty!"
"I know, right? It's perfect~" Red said with another sigh. The two looked at it for a bit before Aila bumped her with her shoulder.
"Sooo…how was it?"
"Oh the food was delicious, and the view was-"
"No, no…I meant after~" Aila said, and Red immediately felt her blush deepen considerably as she got off the couch.
"I'M GOING TO BED!" Red shouted as she ran off to her room, leaving Aila smirking after her.
"So, how was it?" Mojin asked as the two of them worked.
"How was what?" Boken asked, though he had an idea what he was talking about.
"I saw you two come home last night. I'm assuming the proposal went well?" Mojin said with a smirk, and Boken felt himself blush.
"A-are you sure this is something we should be talking about right now?" He asked.
"Oh come on! This is important!" Mojin said, looking over at him, and Boken sighed.
"She said yes, and was super embarrassed, which was adorable, and then-" he paused, and became silent.
"And theeeeen?" Mojin asked. "The sex was great?"
"DUDE!" Boken exclaimed, his face red, and Mojin laughed. "Can we please just get back to work?"
"Yeah, yeah. Congrats man, I'm happy for you." Mojin said.
"Thank you. It…still doesn't feel real, to be honest." Boken said as he tightened a screw. "Like…I'm gonna be married soon."
"Do you have a date yet?" Mojin asked. "Can you hand me that wrench?" Boken tossed it over, knowing Mojin would catch it easily, which he did, and continued working.
"Not yet, but I want to talk about it soon." Boken answered. "Be sure not to make it too tight or the pressure will cause it to explode."
"Right." Mojin said as he turned it just the right amount. "There we go. I think…" he paused as he examined the machine, "…yep, I'm done over here. How about you?"
"One second." Boken said as he twisted a few more screws, and flipped a switch underneath the machine, allowing it to turn on. "Yep!" He got up, his clothes now covered in dust and filth. "Should be good, but we need to run a few tests first."
"Of course." Mojin said, and the two stood next to each other to examine the machine: a prototype for a machine that would automatically scan a blade for imperfections and suggest ways to fix it. The two had hopes they could add modifications that allowed it to automatically fix some of those mistakes, but they needed to make sure it worked first.
"Oh, hey, before I forget, I found your blade." Boken said, and Mojin went wide-eyed.
"You did?! Where?!" He asked.
"Um…you left it trapped under a box of metal scraps." Boken said with a laugh. Mojin's smile fell for a moment before he laughed.
"Oh my god, really? I mean…now that you mention it, I guess I did forget to pick it up after training…" he said, and shook his head. "Doesn't matter! Where is it?"
"I just put it back in your armory, where it usually goes." He said.
"Thank you, man. I was really worried I'd never see it again, and…I felt really bad asking for help after you made it for me." Mojin said, looking at his feet, but Boken patted him on the back.
"Hey, no worries. People lose things all the time, doesn't mean you don't care about it any less. Hell, the fact that you panicked so much showed that you cared a lot." Boken explained, walking over to grab a blade they'd prepared for testing.
"Thanks, man." Mojin said.
"No problem. So, for this machine, I think we should-" Boken was interrupted by the door slamming open.
"Apologies, My Lord, but we have a problem." One of his officials said.
"What is it?" Boken asked, setting the sword down and rushing over.
"An unidentified army has been rampaging through the nation, and is on route to the capital, likely here to the Basilicom." The official said, his face pale.
"Understood. Rally the army immediately." Boken said, before looking over at Mojin, who nodded back. The two followed the official out, their faces grim.
"Did you hear? It's Lord Blue Heart's army!"
"Oh god, were the Four Horsemen there?!"
"We're screwed."
"Are we gonna die?"
"Surely they can't expect us to fight those guys!"
"What if Lord Blue Heart is with them!"
The army was busy chattering among themselves as Boken stood in front of them. It was true that the army had been eventually identified as Tarou's army, wearing his colors. As for if he or his candidates were with him, that wasn't confirmed, but it didn't matter. He needed to speak.
"Army of Bios!" Upon hearing him, everyone immediately went silent. "I will not sugarcoat it. Blue Heart's army is indeed heading our way." There was murmuring among the army, with some of them looking like they wanted to flee right away. "But!" The army silenced again. "Who cares?" Now some of them gave him a look of confusion. "We've faced tough adversaries before! We crush the bandit organization that threatened our lives with ease! Back in the War, we were the most powerful army! There is no reason to be scared of such an enemy." The various people among the army began to look a little more confident, and Boken continued. "We are the most powerful nation in Gamindustri, full of warriors taught by veterans, some of which were taught by me or Mojin ourselves." He gestured to his friend standing next to him, who nodded. "We are not ones to back down in the face of an enemy!" The army gave a low cheer. "We are the army of Bios!" The cheer grew louder. "We are powerful! And even if we must feel fear, we do not let it stop us!" The cheer was loud now, and Mojin found himself smiling. "We will not falter! And we will not lose! Not now, not ever! I swore to protect this nation, no matter what, and that's what I will do! With your help, there is no adversary we cannot conquer!" In the distance, Boken could see a blue mass approaching, and he took a deep breath. "Now, men and women of Bios…today we fight, and today we win!"
"YEAHHHHHHHH!" The crowd cheered, before Boken got off the stage, and headed towards the front, with people turning to face the incoming threat as he passed, until he was at the front.
"Come and get me, Tarou." He whispered, holding up his blades. "You won't stand a chance." Then, with a booming voice, he shouted, "ADVANCE! FOR BIOS!" The army cheered, and they rushed forwards, with Boken leading the charge, ready to fight for the nation they loved.
The next morning, Red was sitting in her pajamas watching TV, still exhausted from last night's…activities. She kept holding up her hand to examine the ruby ring on her finger before giggling to herself. Aila was still asleep, since Red felt so restless that despite her exhaustion, she'd gotten up early.
The exhaustion was quickly washed away as somebody burst into the room. "LADY RED HEART!" The voice was so loud that Red nearly jumped out of her skin.
"H-hey!" Red shouted as her Foreign Affairs officer Marc burst into the room. She felt a slight blush on her face as he saw him look her briefly up and down, seeing her…somewhat revealing pajamas, which consisted of only a thin shirt and shorts. She drew her knees up to her chest in order to hide it. "What's the matter?"
"M-my Lady…it's…it's…" He seemed to be winded, having run here apparently very fast.
"Breathe, Marc. What is it?" Red instructed. He took a deep breath, and looked her in the eyes.
"My Lady…Bios…has been attacked." He said slowly. As soon as the words sank in, Red jumped from her seat and rushed towards Marc, subconsciously going HDD as she did, temporarily blinding the poor man before, now an entire foot taller, she grabbed the man and lifted him up by the collar.
"WHAT HAPPENED? WHO? IS BOKEN OKAY? TELL ME, SO I CAN BASH THEIR FACE IN AND CRUSH THEIR-"
"What is going on out here? What's with all the yelling?" Aila said as she walked out, becoming immediately alarmed at the scene. "Um…sis?"
"M-My Lady! P-please calm down! W-we need to-" Marc started, but before he could finish, the door burst open again. All three looked over to find…a girl. A young looking girl with long white hair, dazzling purple eyes, and a somewhat empty expression. It took both girls a moment, but they eventually recognized her.
"Shose?" Red Heart said as she finally set Marc down and walked over to Boken's sister. "What are you doing here? Is…is it true? Was Bios attacked? How's Boken?" She laid a flurry of questions on the girl, but Shose simply held up her hand to silence the goddess, turning away. Red Heart wanted to say something, but…then she saw it. A single tear fell down the side of Shose's face. Red Heart wasn't sure why…but she felt a small ball of dread begin to form inside her, one that was already starting to grow bigger. "Shose…what…"
"He's…" Shose finally said, her voice soft and quiet. She bit her lip, visibly trembling. "He's…"
"He's…?" Red Heart asked, the ball growing larger and larger by the second.
"He's…he's gone…"
Red Heart felt like the world had shattered into pieces along with her heart. She didn't even need to ask her to specify who, and all she felt for a few moments was numbness. A shocking numbness that sent her to her knees, much to Aila's alarm, who immediately rushed over. Before it even fully set in, tears were already falling down her face as she reverted back to her human form in a dull flash of light. As soon as she turned back, it came crashing in. "…Boken…" She whispered, and looked down at the ring on her finger, which somehow seemed more dull and dirty than before. "N-no." She refused to believe it. He couldn't be. Not after everything that had happened. Not after all the promises he'd made to her. It just…it wasn't possible. Nobody could possibly…! "P-please…tell me you're just joking. Even if it's the worst joke I've ever heard, please!" Shose simply looked at her, and shook her head.
After that, it finally fully sank in, and Red couldn't hold it back anymore, and she began to sob, a sob that eventually turned into a river of tears that flowed down her face as she screeched and wailed, covering her face with her hands as her world collapsed around her.
So while everyone stood around her, she simply cried and cried, for a long time.
Once Red eventually calmed down enough to actually hold a conversation again, the four of them became seated at the kitchen table as Shose explained what had happened.
Apparently, early that morning, when almost no one was up, a large army attacked Bios, quickly making its way through the various cities along its path as it headed straight for the capital. Boken was exhausted from the previous night, and caught off guard by the attack, not getting news of it until it was nearly on his doorstep, he went out to put a stop to it…only to be brutally killed, though not before he cut most of the army to pieces. The Bios military, along with Boken's friend Mojin, were able to protect the capital…but not Boken himself.
Shose had to take several breaks during the story for Red to recover and keep going, but once she was done, a look of pure rage was visible on the small girl's face.
"Who?"
"Tarou." Shose answered. "Him and his 'Four Horsemen', the nickname he gave for his four candidates." Red trembled with rage.
"I'm gonna kill him." She said, and started to stand up, but both Shose and Aila stopped her by grabbing her arms.
"He'll kill you first." Shose said simply. "Besides, I'm not done." Red growled, and yanked her arm away from Shose's grasp.
"I can't just sit here and do nothing! I need to avenge him, I can't-" Red was cut off by Shose standing up and slapping her hard across the face, much to both Aila and Red's shock.
"Boken wouldn't want you to follow him and run off to the grave. You have to remember you aren't the only one who lost someone." Shose said. Red stared at her in shock, but…it seemed the slap had sort of knocked her back to her senses, and so she sat back down. "The only reason Bios didn't fall was because Tarou didn't fight directly. I'm not sure why, but I'm sure he'll be back, and when he does come back…" Shose didn't finish the thought. "Bios is one of the most heavily fortified nations in Gamindustri, with one of the most well trained armies, and he nearly took us down with his army and candidates alone. If he attacks any of the other nations, which I'm sure he will…to put it simply, they're screwed." Red sighed. She was right. She'd have no chance against him. But also…
"Then what are we supposed to do? Morkom is right next door! We could be next!" Aila exclaimed what Red was thinking.
"Boken absolutely destroyed most of his army, so I'm sure he'll just need some time, so we need to start a meeting as soon as possible." Shose offered. Red thought it over, and eventually she nodded, agreeing that it was probably the best option.
"Alright. You should head back then and work on bolstering your defense in case Tarou attacks again." Red offered, but Shose looked down at her lap.
"I can't." She said.
"What? Why not?" Red asked. Shose didn't answer, simply continuing to stare down at her hands.
"I…can't go back…to where he was…" She said quietly, and that was enough for him to understand. With how Red felt about…him…she couldn't imagine how she must feel right now. Her own brother…
"You can stay here then." Aila offered, and both Red and Shose looked to her.
"Huh?" They asked simultaneously.
"You can stay here with us as long as you need. Plus, it probably wouldn't hurt to have some extra muscle in case Tarou does attack us." Aila said with a smile as she stood up and walked over to Shose, wrapping her in a hug that made the girl stiffen up. "We'd be happy to help comfort you as much as you need." Red wasn't completely sure, but she swore she saw a light blush on Shose's face.
"…Thanks." Shose said, her expression as flat as ever. Red smiled at the display, but that smile quickly faded.
"Hey…Shose?" Red asked.
"Yeah?"
"Would I…be able to see his body? To…say goodbye?" She asked, and Shose closed her eyes.
"If…you really want to. I was…planning on doing a sort of funeral anyway. I just…needed to be away for a bit first to steady myself." Shose admitted. Red nodded in understanding.
"Then…whenever you're ready, we'll be there. I'd…like to see him." Red said, and Shose allowed a hint of a smile to appear on her face.
The next few days were somewhat of a blur as Shose hung out around the Basilicom, maintaining communication with Mojin, and assuring him she was alright. They also worked to set up a funeral for Boken, though when Red heard that they had to "clean up" his body, she couldn't stop herself from crying again. Even so, the days went by where Red had to continue running her nation even though she would've rather stayed in her room and moped around. The other CPUs agreed that a meeting would be held after the funeral, to which many of them told Red that they'd be coming as well to pay their respects. The teleportation mechanism connecting Tarou's nation to the neutral island where they held meetings was also disabled, so he would not be attending the meeting, of course.
Shose finally began to start leaving to work on the funeral and help Mojin, who'd been basically running the nation all by himself, though he seemed pretty good at it all things considered. Nevertheless, Red and Aila had gotten so used to her being around that it felt weird when she left.
Before long, they received a formal invitation in the mail, and after picking out the proper attire, both of them wearing knee length black dresses, Red tried to tame her mess of hair as much as she could, before she realized Boken probably would've preferred it the way it naturally was, and she started crying again. Once Aila had calmed her down, and they were all set, they used the teleporter to head to the neutral island, Husei Island.
Once there, as soon as they appeared in the large room of teleporters, they were immediately greeted by some of the other CPUs, which were in similar attire to her own. Red looked around the room, before spotting Tarou's blue teleporter, which was deactivated, and they'd said.
As soon as Red stepped out of the main building and saw the entire service set up, and saw Boken's beautiful coffin resting up at the top of the hill overlooking the cliff, looking out into a gorgeous view of the ocean, she once again started crying, and Aila had to take her aside to help her calm down.
"Sis…are you gonna be okay?" Aila asked as Red was sniffling and wiping her tears. "You…really don't have to do this."
"N-no…what kind of…girlfriend…" She paused as she looked down at the ring, still on her finger, "…or rather, fiancée…if I didn't come?" Aila sighed, and then took her hand, squeezing it.
"Then, I'll be here for you, alright?" She said, giving her a reassuring smile. Red mustered up the best smile she could, and embraced her sister tightly.
As the two walked back, they met the various other CPUs and talked with them, a lot of which Red never usually saw outside of meetings. It seemed like everyone was there, except for Tarou and his siblings, of course. Just thinking of that man made Red's blood run hot with anger. She wanted to beat his face in, and she hoped she'd eventually get the chance to.
After mingling with the other CPUs, where Red had to try her absolute best to hold it together, they all sat down for things to start. Mojin was the first to come up, wearing a black suit and pants instead of his usually dark blue pants and light blue shirt. His usually matted hair was done up, unlike Red's. He cleared his throat.
"Thank you all for coming today. It…means a lot…to me…to Shose, and…to Red." He said, looking over at her for a moment. He eventually returned his gaze to the others, and continued. "There's…a lot I could say. But…I don't really want to stand up here for an hour talking about all the ways he helped me out." He let out a light chuckle and got a few in return. "So, I think I'll let some of you all come up here first and talk about your experiences knowing him, since I think…for most of us, he helped out at least once." He stepped down and the first to go up was a CPU Red recognized as Chena. Her long blonde hair was up in a pigtail, as usual. She cleared her throat before speaking.
"I…always enjoyed having Boken around because he was always willing to lend a hand." She said. "Whether it was something small, like handing over tools for me, or something big, like helping me with my dyslexia. No matter what it was, he was always ready and willing." She said. "And…even now…I'm sure he did his best…to help protect his nation, even…even at the cost of his life." Red could see she was beginning to tear up, and despite her best efforts, Red was as well. Chena stepped down, and the next to come up was Ema, whose head barely peeked above the pedestal. It was obvious she'd been crying, and even now, she was sniffling.
"H-he…he always played with me. No matter what the game…no matter what else was going on…he always made time for me…" She stopped to take a breath. "I…I can't believe that…h-he's…" She took another pause to calm herself, and seemed to be whispering something to herself. "I…will…miss…him…and…I hope…he's having fun, playing games…" It seemed she couldn't hold it anymore, and quickly got down as the tears started running down her face. Red sighed. Ema had always seemed a bit childlike to her, and something like this…for someone like her, it was probably really hard.
Next to come up was Gorudo. His golden hair shone in the bright sunlight, and his cat Jinx rested on his shoulder. He cleared his throat as well, and started speaking. "Just like Chena said, he was always willing to help. Some of you may know that I'm not always the best when it comes to doing tedious chores and the like, so he was great with coming up with ways to help me do things more easily, to expend less energy on boring things. He was always willing to listen to my problems, no matter how small. He was just…a good person to lean on for support, whatever kind you needed." He smiled. "I'll miss him and his ideas a lot." After that, he stepped down. Red sighed. She was next, and she wasn't sure if she was ready. She felt Aila grip her hand again, and looked over at her. Her sister gave her a nod, and a small smile, and Red took a deep breath, before standing up, and walking up to the podium. She looked out at the crowd, and took another breath.
"Just before…he passed, Boken…proposed to me." She started, her voice wobbly. "Ever since the day we started dating, my life felt complete. It felt like no matter what chaos, sadness, anxiety would come, he could always show up and wash it away." She could feel herself trembling as she felt all their eyes on her. "H-he was…kind. He was smart. He was strong. He was…a good friend. He was always there when you needed him, and he would always protect his friends and nations to…to the bitter end." She glanced over at his coffin, and she could feel the tears start to flow. "H-he…he always knew what to say in every situation somehow, and I…I felt like I had found a true reason to live. And…now…he's gone." She looked down at the ring, and her vision became blurry with tears. "I…I miss him. I miss him…s-so much…I…I don't know…h-how I can…" She could barely speak. Her throat felt tight, her breathing was rapid, and she couldn't stop the tears from coming down. Aila immediately leapt to her feet, and grabbed Red's hand, leading her away from the podium, and back to her seat, apologizing, though nobody seemed offended or surprised. As they sat back down, Aila gripped her hand tightly, and held it as Red cried. Mojin walked back up to the podium and continue talking, talking about some of the fun times him and Boken had together, and the adventures they'd gone on, but Red wasn't really listening anymore. She just couldn't. The tears wouldn't stop.
After that was done, it was time for everyone to line up to see him, with just the top half of the coffin open. Red and Aila went to the back of the line so Red could calm back down and steady herself.
"Are you sure?" Aila asked. "You barely got through that, are you sure you can handle-"
"I-I'll be fine." She lied. "I…I need to see him. Just…one more time." Red said, and Aila sighed, but didn't say anything. They slowly made their way up as the others said their condolences and goodbyes, and as they got closer and closer, it felt like there was a grip around Red's heart that grew tighter and tighter with each step. Before she knew it, she was next, and she felt frozen to the spot. Her entire body trembled, and she felt sick. Aila gave her a gentle shove, and Red stepped forward. As soon as she saw him, she felt the tears coming back. "B-Boken…" she said softly.
"I'm here if you need me." Aila said as she walked up next to her and gripped her hand tightly, moving close. Red was pretty sure her sister standing next to her was the only thing keeping her from completely losing it.
His body was bandaged up, a large bandage underneath his outfit wrapped around his stomach. Red realized it was probably because he was stabbed there, but she tried not to focus on it. Instead she focused on his face. That…face. Even in death, he was beautiful. His face was pale, not full of the life it usually was, and his eyes were closed, which was probably for the best. If she saw his gaze…she didn't think she'd be able to handle it. Even now, her legs trembled and she had to put her free hand against the coffin to steady herself as she tried to focus on her breathing, tears falling down her cheeks once again.
"B-Boken…" She sniffled, "…I…you…" She took a deep breath.
"It's okay, take your time." Aila assured her. Red inhaled deeply.
"I…think…no, I know…you would've been the best husband…in the world." She said with a slight laugh. "And…I know you wouldn't want me to give up, even though…even though you are gone, so…I-I'm gonna do my best…to keep going." She wanted to reach out and hold his cheek, but she managed to stop herself. "I…I love you. I…I'll always…love you." She said, and finally moved away, sure she would break down if she stared for any longer.
"You okay?" Aila asked, embracing her. Red hugged her back tightly.
"N-no." She said with a small laugh. "But…I'll be fine…once I kick Tarou's ass." That got a chuckle from Aila, and after a few more seconds of hugging, they walked back over to continue talking with the other CPUs.
Eventually, they all gathered again as the coffin was closed, and slowly started getting lowered into the ground. Red couldn't watch, so she closed her eyes, as Aila embraced her again. She did eventually open her eyes as Koji, a slightly intimidating-looking CPU with dark eyes and dark hair, walked up to the podium.
"If I may." He said. "I know this may not be the best time, but I believe we should hold a meeting once the proceedings have concluded." He paused, looking at the coffin being lowered into the ground. "We need to discuss…him…as soon as possible, before this kind of thing happens again." He looked over at Red, almost as if asking for her permission. Red took a deep breath and nodded. He had a point after all, and the other CPUs murmured their agreements. He nodded back and stepped down, returning to the audience as the coffin finished being lowered, and dirt began to get piled on top of it. Once again, Red felt herself beginning to sob as she watched, so she looked away.
Eventually, it was finished, and the CPUs said their final goodbyes before they began making their way to the meeting, with Red and Aila being the last to join. They caught a glimpse of Shose as she was heading inside and she looked…different. Tired. She didn't acknowledge them as she went inside. Once everyone was seated at a large circular table, people began talking, with Koji leading, which was the norm.
"I think it's safe to say that Tarou, otherwise known as Blue Heart, has declared war on…well, all of Gamindustri, having violated the peace treaty we all signed." He said, and everyone nodded in agreement.
"WE NEED TO PUNISH HIM BADLY!" Ema shouted, nearly leaping out of her seat, her long twintails bouncing.
"I have to agree. We should move to immediately mobilize a combined army of several nations to advance on the Morkom Basilicom, and capture Tarou. We can discuss what to do with him once he's been captured." Gorudo said, momentarily glancing at Red when he said the last part.
"Who wants to volunteer some men and women to this cause?" Koji asked, grabbing a piece of paper to take notes. Various CPUs raised their voices to offer their soldiers, with Aila offering some of Reepage's people for Red's sake. Red wasn't one to talk much during meetings, and this time was no different. Aila usually knew what Red was thinking, so she was often able to make proper decisions in her stead. It's why she trusted Aila would be a good CPU when she took over.
Once Koji had written everyone down who wished to volunteer people, which was more than half of the CPUs present, he cleared his throat. "Alright, those who wish to present armies, you may stay. Those who do not may leave to prepare their defenses in case an attack may be impending, unless anyone has anything else to-" He was cut off by a melodic noise stringing through the air. For a moment, everyone was confused where it was coming from before Gorudo pulled out his phone. He opened it up, and answered it. He barely got out a "Hello" before he shot up.
"Really?! Right now?! I'm on my way." He ended the call and stood up. "Sorry Koji, I have to go, Tarou has started an attack on Stara." He started rushing towards the teleporter.
"Wait, let us send some people to help-" Koji tried to say, but Gorudo stopped him.
"I'm not letting anyone else die for the sake of protecting my nation. This is my responsibility, and I will not let this monster take my nation." He said, which was a little uncharacteristic of him. He gave one last glance towards Red before he ran off, using his teleporter to leave. A moment later, Chena got a similar message.
"My nation is being attacked as well! I'm sorry, I need to go!" She shouted, rushing towards her teleporter before Koji could say another word. Everyone looked at him, and he sighed.
"Those who wish to leave may, those who wish to stay and work on forming this army, also may." He said. Aila looked to Red, who stood up, and started walking towards her teleporter. Aila rushed up to her and grabbed her arm.
"Are you leaving? But-"
"Aila, Reepage is bordering Morkom. He's probably going to attack us too." She said. Aila groaned, and looked back at Koji. Koji nodded to her, and she turned back to Red.
"Alright, let's go." Aila said, and the two went through, while Koji and the others prepared.
Red and Aila prepared to defend their nation, and as they were doing so, they received news that both Chena's nation of Tetri and Gorudo's nation of Stara had been taken over…with Gorudo being killed in battle. Chena and her friend Eva's statuses were unknown. It was sad news, of course, but they didn't have time to mourn, as Red was sure they were next.
Back in Bios, though, Mojin was pacing around his room, also worried about a possible attack on their nation. He'd been busy running the nation, since after the funeral, Shose had left the island, not using the teleporter, but instead simply transforming and flying away, and nobody had apparently seen her since, meaning Bios was currently without a CPU at all. Being ever prepared, Boken had told his people that if anything ever happened that made it impossible for him or Shose to lead the nation, Mojin would be put in charge. He was the man's best friend, and also the main man behind the designs of their weaponry and defenses. But today, he was stressing out both over the next attack, which was likely imminent, and…another problem.
"You know, maybe just this once, you could listen to me."
Mojin tried to ignore the voice, the voice he heard in his head, just as he had for the past few months since he first heard it. He wasn't sure why, but this time however, he glanced over at the mirror. In it, he saw himself, dressed once again in his classic outfit. He hated dressing up in suits, and although he knew Boken probably wouldn't have cared, he wanted to be respectful for the funeral. But while the rest of his reflection was the same: there was one difference: his face. Instead of how it should be, his frowning as he pondered how to prepare, his reflection wore a smirk, and top of that…it's eyes glowed a bright white.
"Hey." It said. Mojin sighed.
"What."
"Ah, you finally acknowledge me, eh?" It said, smiling wide.
"What do you want?" Mojin asked coldly.
"I want what you want, to not die." He said, and Mojin rolled his eyes as he turned to face the mirror completely, and started walking over.
"You know, being an evil reflection in a mirror, I have a hard time believing anything you say right off the bat." Mojin said, and it laughed.
"Fair enough. But look, I get it. You're worried, you're stressed. Tarou is probably coming. That's why you should let me take over for a while." It said, and Mojin scoffed.
"What? What are you talking about? I don't even know what you are." He said.
"I'm you. A part of you you've never seen before." It said, still smiling. "If you want…I can prove it."
"How?"
"By telling you something you've never breathed to another soul." It said. Mojin raised an eyebrow. "Interested?"
"Just spit it out." Mojin snapped at it.
"Alright, alright." It said. "Well…if you're so worried about not having Boken to protect Bios…you could always bring him back~" Mojin felt his body stiffen as his face paled.
"How did you…?"
"I told you. I'm a part of you. I know your thoughts. I know it's something you've been debating." It laughed again. "I mean, you have his body, you could easily-"
"No." Mojin said.
"Come on. This is probably our only chance at surviving a second attack, and you know it." It said, and Mojin growled, annoyed that he was right.
"He…he wouldn't want that." He said.
"Want what? To protect his people? Our people?" It said. "You can't let your fear get in the way. Trust me, it'll work."
"How can I trust you? I don't even really know what you are!" Mojin shouted.
"Were you not listening? I'm-"
"Me! Yes, that doesn't really explain it!" Mojin groaned. His reflection went silent for a while, and, despite himself…Mojin considered it. By all accounts, if everything went perfectly, there would be little to no consequences to bringing his best friend back. But…that was the thing, IF it went perfectly. And even then, there was a chance something might happen. And even then, he wasn't sure if Boken would be happy about it or not. He truly didn't know. He couldn't decide.
"Do it." His reflection finally said, which wasn't helping. "It's for our people, our nation." Mojin took a deep breath, and looked his reflection in the eyes.
"I will protect my nation." He said, and It nodded, smiling.
"I will be here when you need me." It said, and after Mojin blinked, his reflection had become normal again. Mojin sighed deeply and walked to his bed, falling onto it. But even before he could relax even a bit, there was a knock on his door. He got back up, groaning, and walked to the door. As soon as he opened it, he was met with a frazzled looking guard.
"Mister Mojin, sir!" The guard said shakily, her voice trembling.
"Yes? What is it?" Mojin asked.
"I-It's Boken, sir!" Mojin tensed up.
"What happened?" He asked.
"H-his body…we just received a report that…that…" She took a deep breath to steady herself before continuing, "his body was dug up and stolen!" Mojin felt all the blood drain from his face.
"Wh-what?!"
Red's worst fears came to pass a few days later, when she started receiving reports of an advancing army at the edge of Reepage, one that was quickly making its way through town after town. As soon as she heard, she mobilized her army and prepared to defend the Basilicom, not having enough time to send reinforcements to the other towns with the speed at which Tarou's army was advancing. She hadn't gotten confirmation yet whether or not he himself was part of the army, but either way, she knew the outcome: she was screwed. She was sure she was going to die.
"Sis, they're here!" Aila shouted as she looked out the window. Red's body was trembling, her breathing hitched, but she walked over to the window and looked out. At the edge of the capital, she could see it: a blue mass making its way towards them. She watched as her army in red walked out to meet them, before the blue army began tearing through them. Red tried her best to steady herself as she stepped back from the window and transformed.
Her body was enveloped in light as her hair grew longer, her outfit was exchanged for her more revealing CPU outfit, black straps positioned over her body, covering up enough of her breasts and other areas to be considered SFW enough, and her eyes glowed a bright blue, power symbols visible within them. She summoned her weapons, named Red Death, two short blades that glowed a dull red, powered by plasma. She supposed it had been foolish to hope that she'd never have to use them on anything other than monsters, though Tarou wasn't far from one. She started walking towards the door and heard Aila transform behind her. Red Heart turned back to her.
"Stay behind me, alright?" She asked, and Red Sister nodded. Red Heart took a deep breath and headed downstairs. She passed guards rushing by, hearing the sound of chaos as she reached the bottom, and walked out the doors. Immediately she was met with the sound of screaming, and she could see the front of the blue army approaching. Then, she saw…him.
Tarou.
He smirked when he saw her, and raised a hand for his army to stop, before he started making his way towards her. His dark blue hair caught the light in a way that made it almost appear beautiful, which only made Red Heart more upset. He wore a matching deep blue suit and pants, which also matched his piercing blue eyes. She readied herself as he walked closer, stopping several feet away. He twirled his naginata around above his head for a bit before slamming the hilt into the ground, electricity crackling through the length of the weapon as he did so.
"Red Heart." He said, his voice being enough to make her shudder. "Surrender now, and I promise to make your death as painless as possible."
"A-as if!" Red Heart shouted. He was so cocky that he wasn't even transformed. She raised her weapons in defiance, taking a battle stance. Tarou laughed at her.
"Look at you. You're shaking. I can tell you're terrified. Drop your weapons, before I deliver a painful end to your meaningless existence." He proclaimed. It was true, she was absolutely shaking in fear, but also anger. This was the man that took away her love, her happiness, and now he wanted to do the same thing he did to Boken to her.
"I-I will defend my nation!" She shouted, and he laughed again.
"You sound just like that pathetic man." He said, and Red Heart charged, weapons raised. Before she made it even a few steps, he pointed the naginata at her and bolts of electricity erupted from the blade, arcing towards her. She crossed her blades in front of her as the lightning impacted them, immediately sending her back a bit. She could hear the electricity crackling through the air as she deflected it around herself, looking back to make sure Aila was okay. Aila had her staff raised, before she blasted a bolt of magic towards Tarou. He quickly dodged it before letting up on his attack and rushing towards them. Red Heart rushed to meet him, and their blade connected with a loud tang. Sparks flew as metal pushed against metal, her blades humming as she stared the man in the face.
"You always made me sick." Tarou said suddenly. "So pathetic and weak. I'm surprised you think you have any sort of chance against me, when I destroyed your precious little boy toy."
"Sh-shut up!" Red shouted, and kicked at him, but he dodged and landed a kick of his own to her side, before swinging his naginata at her. She barely dodged it, with him only managing to slice off some of her hair instead of her head. She readied herself and turned to face him again, but to her horror, he rushed towards her sister, who looked terrified at the blade heading towards her. Red Heart moved fast, and lunged in front of her sister. She cried out as the naginata blade pierced through her back, and out her stomach, blood immediately oozing out of the wound.
"S-SIS!" Red Sister shouted.
"R-run! Now!" Red Heart shouted, the pain excruciating, making her feel sick as she looked down to see the blade protruding from her body.
"No! I'm not leaving! If we die, we die together!" Red Sister yelled back.
"Oh give it up with the sentimentality." Tarou shouted as he removed the blade from Red Heart's body, and flicked it, spraying her blood across the ground. Red Heart nearly collapsed, but Tarou grabbed her by the neck and held her up. "If you two want to die together so badly, I'd be happy to oblige!" He tossed Red at Aila, the girls crashing together onto the ground. Tarou readied his Naginata and struck, but Aila just barely managed to pull Red away in time, her back getting singed by the lightning. Aila leaned in to whisper.
"If anyone is gonna run, it's you. It's like Shose said, you need to live, for Boken." She said.
"N-no! I can't lose you too!" Red croaked out. But before Red could protest further, the girl stood up and faced Tarou, who snickered as she walked closer.
"Thinking of staying back so she can run? What a shame that you're no match for me, but I'll kill you in front of your sister since she didn't get to see her little boy toy die in person." He said. Aila rushed forward and shot some magic at Tarou, who very swiftly dodged it and smacked Aila with the blunt end of the weapon in the side. Aila bent over allowing him to smack it into her face, sending her to her butt. Tarou pointed the blade and tried to strike, but she managed to move back, before he hit her with the blunt end again, sending her back over to Red, gasping. "You're even less of a match for me." He started walking towards her, smirking. "Open your eyes wide Red, this'll be my gift to you." Red looked over, and as Tarou once again raised his weapon with the blade pointed towards her to strike, she managed to get to her feet and lunge. She swiped her blade blindly, and actually felt it connect, cutting through his shirt and even his skin, leaving a large cut across his chest. He stumbled back in surprise, and Red took the opportunity to rush to Aila.
"Aila…we…we have to go…" she whispered.
"What? But…our nation! Our people!" Aila exclaimed, but Red Heart ignored her, grabbing her hand and taking off into the sky. Despite the intense pain as blood dripped out, she flew as fast as she could. Immediately, Tarou began growling as he lifted his blade and started blasting bolts of electricity at them. The two of them did their best to dodge each blast as they flew in a random direction, blue light flashing around them. Just before they were out of range, one connected with Red Heart's side, and she screamed, nearly falling out of the sky. Red Sister caught her, and the two kept moving, until they were out of sight, and Tarou stopped. He scoffed.
"Coward." He said, knowing she'd only bought herself a little more time before he slaughtered her. He looked towards the Basilicom, and smiled. "Kill anyone who doesn't immediately submit." He said to his army, who immediately spread out to find any people hiding away as he walked towards the Basilicom, having taken Reepage for himself now.
"Quick, grab everything we need for the Gateway!" Chena shouted at Eva, the lights blaring as Tarou's army rushed through their nation and their Basilicom trying to find them. Eva hastily gathered materials in her arms for the machine as Chena did the same, hearing footsteps in the floor above them, as well as shouting.
"Do you really think it'll work?" Eva asked.
"It'll take a lot of power, but I think so, yes." Chena said, grabbing the last thing they needed before the shouting erupting from down the hall to the lab. Eva immediately ran up next to her as Chena produced a single use teleporter she had set up for emergencies. "Hold on." She told Eva, who grabbed her arm. As soon as the door opened, and guns were pointed at them, Chena pressed the button, and the two were gone in a flash of light.
Eva was playing the memory through her head, already feeling homesick as the two worked on the Gateway. Chena had set up the machine outside of the town, away from any people, for multiple reasons. One, in case there was an explosion, two, so they could work on it in secret, and three, so they would build an area around it if it worked. Now though, it was simply a good place to hide as they frantically worked to install the final components.
"How's it looking?" Chena asked, looking over at her pale friend.
"Almost done, just need a few more…" Eva inserted a few more pieces, threw a switch, and the machine roared to life, glowing brightly. That wasn't good for hiding, but oh well. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "Turn it on!" Chena nodded and activated the machine, setting it to a random exit location, and the two looked over to see a beam shoot from the main module to a circular area of metal, the beam stopping midair, as if it hit a wall. The spot it stopped at expanded, eventually taking up the entire space inside the metal circle, creating a portal. "It worked!" Chena shouted, looking over to see all the lights of Tetri shut down, the machine requiring a lot of power. The beam stopped, and the portal remained open, though the machine made sure to warn them it was unstable.
"If we can perfect it, we can use this as a way to find somewhere safe, and then regroup." Chena said, and she and Eva hugged happily. Suddenly, there was a loud crash nearby, and the two looked over to see a cloud of dirt, and two people. There was a flash of light, and Chena and Eva ran over to find Red and Aila on the ground, with Red bleeding from a wound in her stomach.
"Red! Aila!" Chena exclaimed. "What-"
"Tarou…" Red said weakly, and slowly got to her feet, though now that she wasn't transformed, the wound only felt worse. As Aila helped lift her up as support, the two looked towards the portal. "What…is that?"
"It's…it's the Gateway. It's a project we've been working on to allow travel to other dimensions, but that's not important right now! We need to get you somewhere safe-"
"So…it'll take us somewhere where Tarou can't find us?" Red asked.
"W-well, I'm theory, yes but…it's unstable. We don't know where it'll take us until we run tests, and it could also close as soon as one person uses it." Chena warned her. She started going on about some of the specifications, but Red wasn't listening anymore. She stared at the swirling blue portal, and suddenly, she began running, pulling away from Aila as she made her way towards the portal.
"Red! Wait!" Aila ran after her.
"H-hey! Stop!" Chena said, but despite her wound, the girl was fast, and before they knew it, she was standing in front of the Gateway.
"Don't-!" Eva shouted, but Red turned back to them.
"I'm sorry." She said, before stepping through, immediately vanishing. The portal began to wobble as a warning flashed on screen.
"I-it's closing!" Chena said. Aila only hesitated for a moment before she looked towards the portal, and ran into it, jumping through just before the machine whined and the portal closed in a loud boom. Chena and Eva stared dumbfounded at the Gateway.
"Oh no." Chena said softly.
Aila could only see bright white as air rushed past her. She felt like she was falling, the white light eventually turning to bright blue, interspersed with white. Suddenly, she stopped, and felt a hard thud against her back as her vision became blurry, seeing spots of blue, white, and green. Her back ached as she groaned.
It took a few moments, but eventually her vision began to clear up. The green blobs eventually formed into semi-clear trees as the white formed into clouds against a blue sky. She was…lying down. Her entire body hurt, and she blinked as she groaned again. She tried to get up, but her body felt weak, and things started to become blurry again. While she could still sort of see, a face suddenly appeared above her. Bright purple eyes framed by a soft face and long purple hair cascading down into Aila's face looked down at her.
"Goodness, are you alright?" The girl asked softly. Aila opened her mouth to answer, but she could only get a single word out.
"Sis…ter…"
After that, everything became blurry again before fading to black completely.
Here's character descriptions and pictures of the characters, non spoiler: https/docs./document/d/1Q5wAntgA8fWCKaovwrTYsMZqLACCjOo9TiMr1nHpoRM/edit