"Still no word on Merry…"
Corona leaned on the front of the balcony, a frown on her face as she looked down over the town that Butterfly Family's Noble branch was put in charge over. Morel stood a few feet behind, a sympathetic expression on his face. They'd had another meeting with the captains again, and she'd stayed behind to talk to Oswald again.
Ever since Merry had gone missing, she had been asking the captain if any of the scouts or spies who worked under him had picked up any sign of her. The answer had been a very saddened no every time, and Morel suspected that this time would be no different. At this point most of the other ranking knights had accepted that… she probably wasn't coming back.
Knight died in battle. Scouts went missing and never returned. These things happened, and while it was never easy, they had to keep moving. If they let the loss of every one of their brothers and sisters in the Queensguard break them, they would never be able to carry on with their duties.
And they had to carry on.
Otherwise their losses, their sacrifice, would be for nothing.
It wasn't easy for Corona to just forget about Merry however. They were childhood friends. They had grown up with one another. She had joined the guard alongside her and Morel. So it was no surprise that she was still holding out hope.
"She's alive, Morel. I know she is," she muttered. "I don't know how I know, but I just do. She's out there somewhere, and I can't just give up. I just… I can't."
She knew she sounded ridiculous. She wasn't oblivious to just how slim the chances were of Merry being alive. But she just wasn't able to shake the feeling that she was still hanging on.
Morel walked up towards her, putting an arm around her. "You know it's a longshot don't you? I mean I'm not telling you to give up, but… I just don't want you to be hurt even more by this. I don't want us to end up finding her and it not being…" He looked down, his eyes narrowed. Even if they did find Merry, if it ended up being as a corpse it would devastate her.
"I know," Corona said. "But I just… even if we find the worst, I need to know. Her family deserves to know. And if we find out what happened, we might be able to catch who's behind this and put a stop to them."
Morel hummed, reaching up and rubbing the back of his neck. He had a feeling that even if they stopped whoever took her, that there wasn't going to be much of a decrease. The rebels weren't the only people in mewni working against the Queenguard.
So many of the knights that were in the Queensguard came from noble families or small villages. They hadn't seen the underbelly of mewni. The dark little corners mewmans and even most monsters didn't come back from. But he had. He'd lived there for most of his life. And that was what going to help hopefully find Merry.
"I have something…"
Corona turned towards him, a surprised expression on her face. "What?" she asked, confused. "About Merry?" Morel nodded. "But how? From who?"
Morel frowned and looked down to the ground. "My old man…" Corona winced. She knew just how strained his relationship with his father was. He hated going back home. He hated talking to him. The fact that he did in this case was only because he knew just how much this meant to Corona.
"Oh Morel…"
"It's fine. This is important. Merry was… she was my friend too." Merry was one of the few people in Corona's social circle that didn't treat him like some peasant when they were younger. A chance to bring her back safely, no matter how slight, was worth a trip to his father's. "It's not concrete, but he did know something."
Corona's expression changed to one of focus. "What did he say?"
"Apparently, a small town was being preyed on by some kind of crazy dark magic users or something. From what my father said, they were trying to use them for some… ritual or something. And recruit a few others into their ranks. Fortunately for the town, one of my father's most profitable brothels is there, so the succubus working under him there reported to him almost immediately after the attack started."
"He showed up, killed most of them off. And he… captured and questioned a few others," Morel said, not wanting to get into details. His father didn't take to anyone who crossed him, his workers, or his business very kindly. And those who were unfortunate enough to be captured (mostly women) more often than not ended up working for him.
When the deal was death or a life of servitude, most were more inclined to choose the latter. The woman who his father had taken him to to question about the issue had clearly been one of those people.
"Dark magic users? Everyone knows dark magic corrupts the body and soul. Even just a few times using it can damage you beyond repair," Corona said. Why would anybody willingly choose to use it? It was essentially a death sentence.
"Well, it's not as potent as the dark magic Astro uses. The way she talked about it, it's like a… I don't know, a subset I guess. Blood magic."
"Hermomancy," Corona said, narrowing her eyes. She had read about it in her studies before. A form of magic used to manipulate blood. It was forbidden of course, so there wasn't much detail on it. But it was, needless to say, very dangerous. "You think they're the ones who took her?"
"Maybe. The ones my father captured said there was a scout from the guard who was brought in a while back. One their leader seemed pretty fond of. There's no guarantee that it's her though. Or that she's still alive. They said a lot of the ones they bring in are… bled. Used as fuel for their magic."
Corona balled her fist up, and Morel could feel her magic spiking. Though her face had remained calm, he could sense her anger flaring up. "How do we find them…"
"Every now and then they go to some village to take more villagers and recruit members. They almost always make a move during a full moon," he said, looking out towards the sunset. There was going to be one tonight. "A lot of the villages that've been hit are around the same area. Not next to each other, but still close enough that we could probably pinpoint when they show up if we're-"
"We can't tell the others about this," Corona said simply. "They'd want us to wait. To make a more proper plan and go when the next full moon appears. And I'm not waiting that long. I'm going to go. Are you coming with me?"
Morel scoffed. "Of course I am. And don't even try telling me I don't have to," he said, looking rather irritated. "And I'm not waiting for the damn Commission or Astro to give us the go ahead. I want to get my hands on these bastards, tonight..."
Corona nodded, pushing her glasses up before making her way inside. She needed to go and get her amour. Ideally she'd be able to find out where Merry was and get to her without a fight, but if it came to blows, she wasn't going to hesitate.
Not for one of her friends.
Sabrione looked up at the sky, admiring the sight of the full moon. The night, especially one like this, made her feel so powerful. Unlike their earth counterparts they weren't totally helpless when underneath the sun. But it did indeed weaken them. The night however was the opposite. It gave her strength. Made her feel all the more powerful.
If she still had a heart, it might have been fluttering right now.
"Everyone is gathered mistress."
She turned her gaze from the moon and towards one of her loyal followers, who was kneeling before her. She hummed. "Good. Let's begin, shall we." Usually when she sent out her followers to bleed villages like this, she didn't bother showing up. Not unless she thought there would be trouble. Her forces could handle common folk.
But on nights like these? Well, it seemed such a waste not to take advantage and breathe in some clear midnight air. "Come along, pet. We have work to do," she said, tugging on the leash she held in her hands. The figure behind her nodded and followed.
She made her way out into the town square, where all the villages had been gathered and made to kneel. They all wore looks of nervousness and fear on their faces, and she spread her arms out as she stood before them. "Villagers. Victims. Pawns of the kingdoms of mewni. I'm here to relieve you of your burdens. To help you escape the cruel fate the monarchs have planned for you," she began.
"To them, you are little more than sheep. Animals to be kept herded and docile, so that they may use you to sustain their wealth and power. But I come here to offer you a chance to break that twisted wheel of fate. To contribute to the destruction of this corrupt way of life. And all that we would ask in return, is your blood."
Many of the villagers gasped, their eyes going wide. A few of them looked like they were about to rise and move, but some of the hermomancers around them raised their weapons, looking ready to any who would raise a hand to their mistress.
"Fear not. Your blood need not mean your lives. As I said, my desire is to free you all, not end you. So, do not resist. Simply comply and allow us to take what we need from you, and you will be allowed to go free. Those who resist, will be dealt with accordingly. And those of you who may be fortunate enough to be destined for a greater purpose, will be brought up and allowed to join our ranks."
The villagers all exchanged glances. None of them wanted to die obviously, but could they really trust this woman at her word? She was literally asking for their blood. They really didn't have much of a choice. It wasn't as if they could fight back.
"Liar!"
Everyone flinched at the sound of the voice, and Sabrione narrowed her eyes. Most of the villagers looked down and away, not wanting to be mistaken as the one who had yelled out. But she had spotted the brave soul almost immediately.
It was a young boy, who had quite the glare on his face. His mother, who had been kneeling down beside him, pushed his head down with one hand and covered his mouth with the others. But she could still practically feel the intense stare aimed towards her.
She smirked and then began making her way towards him. Everyone quickly moved away from her, including the mother, who tried to pull her son back. With one twitch of her fingers however, she was stopped dead in her tracks.
The boy seemed to sense something was wrong with his mother, and looked at her worriedly. But then turned back to Sabrione when her shadow loomed over him. "My, what a brave little boy you are…" she said, kneeling down in front of him. "Come here sweet child. Let me get a closer look at you."
The boy hesitated for a moment, and then looked towards his mother, who was still frozen. He slowly got up to his feet, and then timidly made his way towards her. As he did, Sabrione noticed something in his hands. It was a toy. One made in the image of a certain prince. She frowned, looking at it with disgust.
"You're a fan of Prince Asterossa I take it…"
The boy clutched the toy to him, shooting his best glare once more. "Astro is Invincible. And… and he beats up rebels like you all the time. Him or his friends are gonna show up and beat you guys," he said, his voice still trembling despite himself.
Sabrione hummed, and then reached out, cupping the child's face. "Oh you poor naive soul. You think that fool and the other monarchs care about you. How sad," she said, shaking her head. "Tell me something. How many other villages do you think we've been to? Do you think your hero Prince Asterossa helped those people? I've not seen him once, save for when I lured him to myself and my beloved specifically. And rather than stay and face his past sins, he fled."
"You're… you're lying. Prince Astro wouldn't lose to you. Or run. He's the strongest."
She pinched his cheek, not enough to harm him, but enough for him to twist his face in discomfort. "Oh, but it's true. And it's also true that he isn't here to help you now. And even worse, just look," she said, turning and gesturing to the figure behind her. "My pet here is a prime example of just how much the royals care for their own."
Everyone, the boy included, looked towards Merry. The former scout had looked far different that she had when she'd first been brought to Sabrione's liar. Her skin was paler, her mouth sewn shut, she had lost more than a little weight, and her eyes… it looked as if there was nothing behind them. They were empty.
Dead.
"This poor creature was one a member of the Queensguard. A knight, loyal to the royal family. And when she was taken by my beloved, and brought to me as a gift, did her comrades come for her? Did the great prince Asterossa come storming my gates to come to her aid? No, he did not. He left her, his sworn sister of the guard, to her fate. As did the others who she once called her allies."
The boy grit his teeth, clutching his toy even tighter to his chest. Sabrione smirked and continued. "Your prince doesn't care for her. Or for you. He simply acts as such to keep you controlled. He's not coming to save you. Nor are any of his friends. Only by helping us to bring him and his evil ilk down will we really be able to-"
"Enough of your lies, witch…" Sabrione stopped and turned towards another voice. This time it belonged to an old man. "Leave the boy alone, and stop spouting your nonsense. I'd not hear another word of it."
She rose back up to her feet and began walking towards him. "And who might this brave elder be? The village chief?" she asked. If she had to make an example of one of them to get the others in line, she might as well start with this one.
"Just an old soul sick of hearing your shite," he said, narrowing his eyes right back at him. Unlike the child, he had no fear in his eyes. Sabrione wasn't sure if he was just a fool, or just too old to care. It really didn't matter to her either way. "I'm not wont to sit here and listen to you prattle all night. As I know your kind is wont to do."
Sabrione hummed. "My kind… yes. I suppose that is how someone who grew up in your time would refer to one such as I," she said. Yes, this one would be an example. A doddering old fool from a bygone era. He would have no place in the world she and her beloved planned to create. And even if he did, at his age he'd be unlikely to see it.
"Don't you try and look down on me girl. You don't scare me. Death doesn't scare me. I've seen and lived through far worse than you. At the hands of my own…" He hissed towards her, and it was then she noticed the fangs in his mouth.
Sabrione looked surprised.
A Dhampir.
But how?
A union of a vampire and mortal had rarely ever happened, and those that were discovered rarely lived long due to the Commission's influence. This one however… he was old. He would have had to have been born ages ago.
She glared at him. "You still have your heart…"
"I lost the need for the art of Hemomancy long ago."
"You say that as if our kind isn't still being-"
"You're kind. I'm not one of you. You and yours left me for dead when I was hardly older than that boy. And it was only by the grace of this village and the Queendome that I lived on and found some measure of peace. I cannot pretend that I have, or ever had, the strength to stop you. But I will not sit here and listen to you babble on. So either take your leave, get on with your business, or kill me. But stop your rambling. I'm too old to pretend to care about your whining."
Everyone seemed to tense up, villagers and rebels alike. Both Sabrione and the old man however remained unfazed. Sabrione stared at him for a moment, shaking her head. "Fool. To speak in their defense after everything they've done to us. It's ignorant ones like you who have allowed mewni to become what it is today."
She raised her hand, and a blade of blood began to form in it. Meeting this one had certainly soured her mood, but she was glad nonetheless. Monsters like him didn't deserve to carry on wallowing in their ignorance. She would end him here and now.
The old man looked down at the blade, but then back towards her. "Go on then…"
Unbeknownst to everyone in the village, two figures were flying towards the village at a rather blinding speed. Morel frowned and he tried to keep up with Corona. She was making a barrier around the two of them, and using cloaking magic to keep them hidden. But with how quickly she was moving, Morel was almost falling out of it's range.
"Corona, slow down! If I fall out of the barrier they'll sense my magic and… of shit."
They both looked down and saw the scene unfolding in the village. The people crowded in the towns square, the hemomancers standing around them, the woman and old man, and…
"Merry…"
Corona couldn't get a good look at her from here, but she could sense it. Her magic. It was small, almost undetectable. But she managed to pick enough of it up to tell. Morel could sense it too. As well as Corona's, who had spiked tremendously. "Corona…" he said, worriedly. He could tell just how riled up she was getting.
The barrier vanished, and Corona sped down towards the village. Morel cursed under his breath and raced after her. Sabrione was about to plunge the knife into the old man's heart, but then senses two strong magical presences coming. She scowled and looked over as they landed on the ground.
Corona and Morel landed right near Merry, the former creating a barrier around them and spreading it out. It knocked back the hemomancers around them as Morel pulled out his knife. "We have to protect the villagers!" he said, spinning the blade in his fingers. He raised his hand towards Sabrione and the old man.
The vampire blinked, and suddenly found the old man now standing where Morel once was. Her eyes went wide and she stepped back just barely avoiding the knife that Morel, who had swapped places with the old man, swung at her. He scowled and pulled out two more knives before throwing them at her, but she knocked them away with her blade.
"Two of the top hunting hounds of the Queendom…" she muttered. How had they found her? Nobody should have known when and where they were going to strike.
Morel raised his hands, and even more knives floated out from his person. They began moving around the village, spinning around and keeping the hemomancers away from them. "Corona, we need to deal with these guys!" he said.
Corona grabbed Merry by the shoulder and looked at her. "Merry! Merry, it's me! It's… oh my god…" When she had finally gotten a proper look at her friend, her face twisted into one of horror. Her mouth. Her face. Her expression. She looked more akin to a walking corpse than to the lively girl she once was. "What have they done to you?"
Merry said nothing. She just looked down and away from them. Unless Sabrione had told her to do otherwise, she tended to just look and shrink away from anything that happened. Corona stared at her, tearing up. "Merry, I... " She turned and then looked over towards Sabrione, who wore an annoyed expression on her face. "You."
Sabrione turned towards her, feeling her magic spike once more. "Oh, so you know my dear pet do you?" she asked. "Were you acquaintances perhaps? You don't look like-"
"I'll kill you…"
Corona rushed towards her, Azure Force already activated and surrounding her body. She formed a sword of magic in her hand and swung at the vampire, who flew upwards and out of the way. Sabrione glared. She knew about this magic. And those cheek marks of hers were a giveaway as well. This must have been the captain of the Fourth.
The 'Azure Angel'.
And if that was her, then the orange haired one must have been the lieutenant of the third. Their reports said the two were practically glued by the hip unless ordered otherwise. But why were they here?
Corona flew up after Sabrione, who readied herself. "I'll deal with the Butterfly! Kill the spare!" she yelled towards her followers. She wasn't about to miss the chance to bring this one down. She was both a member of the guard and the royal family. Her defeat would be a massive blow to the Queendom.
"Right, guess I'm protecting the villagers then…" Morel said, turning towards the hemomancers, who were pulling out their blood weapons and moving towards him.. Keeping the villagers safe while dealing with these guys would be tricky. But he'd manage. "Fair warning. I'm not taking prisoners…"
As they rushed in at him, Corona continued to move after Sabrione. The usually calm and sweet looking bluenette had rage and anger in her eyes, and she wasn't even considering her usual defensive tactics. These Hermomancers, what they had done to her Merry and probably so many others was unforgivable.
And this woman. She had to be their leader, or at the very least a high ranking member. Taking her down would be key in putting an end to this.
Sabrione, who was having very similar thoughts, flew up higher until she was confident she was out of Morel's range. His little switching trick could be troublesome, and she'd rather not have to deal with it. When Corona reached her, she could see the sheer rage sprawled across her face.
"My, you're quite furious. Just what have I done to rile you up so? You surely can't be so angry over one little sheep. Your type don't fret over such things," the vampiress said, crossing her arm. "Or maybe she was a former servant of yours. Have you come to reclaim her? I'm curious. What did you pretend she was to you before this. A friend? A lover?"
Corona raised her hands, and two spears of azure magical energy appeared at her sides. "I don't know what you did to Merry. But if you don't surrender yourself right now, I promise I'll do it tenfold," she said.
Sabrione scoffed. "You have the gull to offer me a chance to surrender. The royals arrogance truly knows no bounds. You're not the one in control here my dear. I am. And I am going to break you like I did her, and offer you to my beloved as a present. Perhaps he'll parade you around to the other villages to show just how vulnerable the Butterfly family really is. Or perhaps he'll simply kill you. Either way…"
She formed two daggers of blood in her hand, and then rushed in towards Corona. The captain grabbed the spear at her side and quickly rushed to meet her. She swung first, but Sabrione moved out of the way and slipped right past her, laughing as she once again widened the distance between them and threw the daggers at her back.
Corona scowled and turned around, swatting them both away. She got ready to move in again, but then suddenly saw there was a dark fog around her. She looked around wearily, preparing herself for another attack. This magic felt strange… but familiar. She had picked up a similar sensation when Astro had drained the dark magic from those being inflicted by that sickness that struck those in her division.
She grit her teeth. "You. You were behind that infection too, aren't you?"
"Oh, so you're aware of my work. How did you enjoy that little display I whipped up. I had hoped kill off quite a few more, but that wretched prince has seemed to slow things down significantly," Sabrione's voice moked, hidden somewhere in the fog. "But now that you're here, I have a more direct method of cripping the Fourth Forces…"
"You left me…"
Corona's eyes went wide, and she turned her head to see an image of Merry approaching her. "You left me behind. When I needed you. I was being tortured, and… you didn't come to save me," she said, her voice coming through clearly despite her mouth being sewn shut.
Corona's face fell as Merry approached her. "You were supposed to be my friend. You were supposed to be there for me. Where were you? Why didn't you save me?!"
The captain remained silent, as Sabrione smirked and slowly approached her from behind. Mewmans could be such fragile little things. One simply little illusion left them wide open. She raised her blade, ready to cut her down from behind, but suddenly Corona turned around and hurled one of her spears at her.
Sabrione leaned back, just barely avoiding the attack. "If you think a simple two bit illusion like that is enough to bring down one of the Captain of the Queenguard, you're even more foolish than I gave you credit for," she said.
Sabrione scowled at her. "You're quite an arrogant one, even by Butterfly standards…"
"I've been more generous than anything, and that stops now," Corona said, moving both her hands upwards in a circle motion. Sabrione looked confused, but then saw something bright above him. She looked up and saw a massive sword made of blue magical energy above her.
Corona swung down in a slashing movement, and the sword mimicked her movement. It came swinging down at Sabrione, who quickly raised her arms and made a shield of blood to block it. Sword slashed against shield, and both women began trying to overpower the other.
Sabrione was using a bit more blood than she would have liked to fend off this attack, and Corona was pouring more and more magic into her sword. She was spending a lot of magic, but she didn't care. She needed to bring this woman down, no matter what it took. She yelled as she pressed on, and Sabrione realized that she was going to be overpowered.
She growled, moving to the side just enough to avoid the slash, and before Corona could swing again and finish her, she threw the shield towards the bluenette. With a few flicks of her fingers, the shield began spinning, growing sharp edges and turning into a makeshift buzzsaw.
Corona moved to the side and avoided it, but Sabrione brought her hand back, and it changed directions, coming at her again.
This time Corona made a barrier to block it, and Sabrione quickly rushed in, making a sword of blood and aiming at the girl's neck. Corona made another barrier, blocking it just in time. But Sabrione pressed on the attack.
Corona struggled to hold her back, having to split her efforts on both the vampiress and the buzzsaw of blood. ""I took great pleasure in enthralling her, you know? It was oh so easy to warp her mind. Enslave her. And all the while she kept thinking one name: Corona. But you never came. And little by little, she gave up…"
Corona glared, and the barriers began to crack slightly. She knew she was trying to throw her off. Make the kill easier. She knew it. But the words still cut her like a knife. "This is easier than I had hoped. Too easy in fact. I had hoped to bring you back alive. But I supposed my beloved will simply have to settle for your head," Sabrione mocked.
"Or maybe he'll have to settle for weeping over yours…"
Corona's eyes began to glow, as did her cheek marks. A burst of magic fired off of her, sending Sabrione flying back and destroying the buzzsaw. Corona was not in her butterfly form. Her skin was purple, her eyes glowed a bright blue, and the wings on her back were jagged and had patterns that resembled a peacock's tail feathers.
Sabrione frowned. So the girl had a mewberty form. She was under the impression only those of the royal line could achieve that state. This changed things. If she wanted a chance to contend with this one, she would need more blood. She got ready to move down towards her followers.
Hopefully they had finished off that fool and bled enough of the villagers to give her enough-
"You really must have pissed her off to make her bust that out…" Sabrione looked over her shoulder, and was shocked to see Morel floating nearby. He was covered in blood, and his eyes were a solid blue color. "This isn't the villagers by the way…" he said, pulling out his knives.
Corona raised all six of her arms, moving them in a circle, and suddenly Sabrione had a barrier form around her. "You're going to come with us, and answer every question we have. And then… maybe you'll have a chance at getting out of this with your neck intact," she said angrily.
Sabrione grit her teeth. Dealing with a Butterfly was tricky enough. But the boy, his eyes… yes, that fool Torrad who had stopped one of their last raids and plucked some of her sisters from her coven's ranks. The resemblance was there. It couldn't be a coincidence.
He was an Incubus.
She just couldn't hope to take on both of them. Especially not with more blood to work with. "A shame I had to let such an opportunity slip by. But I suppose it can't be helped. I'll have both of your heads soon enough…"
Sabrione waved both of her hands, and suddenly a dark fog wrapped around her. Both Morel and Corona looked surprised, and Corona dropped the barrier and rushed in. The fog vanished however, and Sabrione was vanished along with it.
"NO!"
Corona balled her fists up, looked around angrily. "Where did she go?! Where is-?!"
A pair of hands grabbed her shoulder, and she turned and looked ready to attack. Only to stop when she saw it was Morel. "Corona… she'd gone," he said bluntly. "I can't sense her anywhere. She's gone. And that's… that's good. There are villagers down there that might need you. Merry, needs you," he said firmly.
Corona blinked staring back at him, and then looked down towards the village. They were all still in the town square, looking up at the two of them. And so was Merry.
"...right."
After they had cleaned up the remains of the hermomancers and made sure everyone was okay, Morel and Corona made their way to the Butterfly castle. The old man from earlier had offered them a wagon to travel in since they hadn't been sure about flying with Merry. Despite Corona's best efforts to comfort her and get her to talk, she remained silent and dead eyed the entire way.
When they had gotten back Corona took her to the infirmary and called Sirius in to see if he could do anything. Morel had left the room since Sirius said he didn't need anymore distractions, and it only seemed fair to let Corona be the one to stay since she was the closer of the two. Sirius also said her presence might make it easier to piece her mind together.
Judging from the look that she had when she stepped out however, things weren't looking like they turned out as positively as they'd hoped.
"How is she…?" Morel asked, already knowing the answer, but silently praying that he was wrong. That Corona was just...exhausted from the process.
Corona bit her lip. "I healed her scars and injuries. And… and everything else. Physically she's fine. But she's still not talking. Or… or doing anything," she said.
Morel felt his hearts sink. "I'm sorry…" He didn't know what else to say.
"Sirius said her mind is two fractured into pieces. It would take too much magic and too much time to…" She reached up and palmed her face with her hand. "Her tongue is gone, Morel. Even if wanted to, she couldn't say anything. They…"
Morel balled his fist up. Damn it. He felt so useless right now. They had gone through all this trouble. All this risk and blood to get her back, but… she wasn't. Not really. They still lost her. "She has to die…"
He looked up at Corona surprised, and saw that despite her tears she had a look of pure rage on her face. "That woman has to die, Morel. Her and everyone who followers her. She, they, can't do this to people. They just… they have to die," she said, tears spilling from her eyes.
Morel quickly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "It's okay Corona. It's okay," he said, ignoring how tightly she was gripping his arm. "I know you're angry right now, but we can't kill her."
"Morel-!"
"Not yet Corona. We have to find her liar first." Corona looked up at him, and saw he was staring back with a look of fury on his face. For them to not only harm his comrade and friend, but to drive Corona to this point. There weren't a lot of things that made Morel willing to kill. But this? This was at the top of the list.
"We track them down, and figure out where she and the other rebellions are hiding. Then… then we can kill them all..."
A/N: A one-shot of Morel and Corona taking on Sabrione! When I read that Mailmith toture fic by the end of it I saw some real potential to start building up the rivalry and grudges between the rebellions and the Queensguard, so I hit Prince up with this idea we got some brainstorming going! I have another follow up for this little story arc planned, but it's gonna be a ways off (after the Titanic Ten arc). But I hope you guys enjoyed. I tried to give this one some of the old fashioned emotional gut punching the Prince is so good at delivering all the time.