Chapter 27: Pandora part 2
Subaru (PoV of the event from last chapter)
Subaru looked at the river and the simplistic beauty and peace got him carried away, not noticing the distress in Emilia.
"Pandora! You have no business here. Whatever you want from me I won't give it to you!" Emilia suddenly yelled slightly enraged.
"E-Emilia-tan who are you talking to and who is Pandora?" Subaru asked startled and confused.
"Don't you see her?" Emilia asked as confusion as fear started to overtake her.
"See who Emilia-tan? Are you feeling alright?" Subaru was growing worried.
"Didn't you hear her?" Emilia asked in disbelief.
Subaru didn't know what to say. Was he wrong and not noticing something? Suddenly Emilia focused on an empty spot next to the river. She seemed to be listening to something. Subaru tried to hear anything other than the water flow, there was nothing for him to hear.
"Never!" Emilia said angrily. "Subaru turn around and run." She demanded facing the river.
"Wh-what? What's wrong? I can help!" Subaru was starting to get scared and was looking to call Beatrice.
"Just get out of here Subaru! It isn't safe!" Emilia ordered turning to Subaru.
"Like I would just leave you like that." Subaru objected her orders only to be followed by silence and Emilia giving him a sad face as if he had indeed left, she then turned back to the empty place near the river.
"Emilia-tan? Emilia-" Subaru tried to get her attention, but she seemed to not hear him.
"So again, this door?" Emilia asked, spawning mana crystals as if getting ready to fight someone.
"What door?" Subaru asked confused while following her gaze not finding anything.
"You won't take him away from me!" Emilia yelled as she started an attack of strength that Subaru hadn't seen until now.
Emilia then spawned an ice sword in her hand and in a blur dashed forward to slice the air. She then made two ice hammers and stuck them against one another above her head creating such noise that Subaru flinched at the pain it caused his ears.
"Emilia-tan please stop!" Subaru yelled hoping she would hear him.
"Why won't you just die!" Emilia screamed clearly containing some anger within.
After another swing of one hammer, she creamed enraged "Why won't you leave me alone!"
The very silence seemed to answer her as she let loose her rage and started to attack seemingly randomly with icicles. Subaru desperately tried to get her attention, to snap her out of it but couldn't get close.
"No, you don't!" Emilia said as she turned around and dashed towards Subaru and impaled him, moving too fast for him to react or realize what happened.
"E-Emilia-tan?" Subaru asked afraid and confused while griping her shoulder.
"I've got you." Emilia whispered into his ear with her eyes closed as Subaru's grip loosened.
"Wh-" Emilia shot her eyes open and for the first time in what seemed like forever she saw Subaru.
"Emilia…" Subaru struggled to say, relieved that she was back "I though…you were losing it." He continued with much effort.
"Subaru don't talk. I can fix this." Emilia said panicking and applying healing magic.
"Emilia-tan" Subaru called trying to get her to stop for he could feel it was useless.
"Subaru don't talk!" Emilia panicked, noticing that her magic was not doing anything.
"Emilia-tan…it's not your fault…" Subaru cough out trying to comfort her.
"Emilia-tan…" Subaru used what little strength he had left and hugged her. "…it's not your fault…I…I love…you…" He said between breaths.
"Subaru…Subaru please…don't…" Emilia said sobbing.
"I…love…" Subaru was no more.
Roswaal's Mansion: 17:00 hrs. 23/11/1538
Subaru was back, he was outside Roswaal's mansion in the garden. The flying machine being inspected by a seemingly frustrated Roswaal in the distance. "So, I'm yesterday…I mean. Tomorrow all goes wrong…" Subaru was saddened by his death. Thankfully it wasn't as painful as others had been, but it still left quite the impression being killed by Emilia's hand and it broke his heart to see her so sad and full of rage.
He was determined to fix it. The date was already organized but he figured he could get Beatrice to shadow them from afar or scout the area for whatever curse or magic could have overtaken Emilia.
"Of course, I can't have Beako be all alone. I need…Garfield, he is in Macragge if I'm not mistaken." He said to himself while heading for the telegraph to send his message and wondering who else he could call.
Irlam Village: 11:00 hrs. 24/11/1538
Emilia and Subaru where in the Village contemplating the statue of Puck and just like last time Emilia seemed sad. Subaru wondered if he should ask her, knowing she would get sadder. 'But she will want to vent eventually…' He thought, deciding to just do what he did in the last loop.
Beatrice, Garfield and Otto were shadowing the duo from afar, they would make sure everything was ok here and then rush to the river Subaru told them about to find any anomaly and try to fix it or destroy it.
"Everything seems alright I suppose." Beatrice said.
"It does." Garfield said bored.
"Yes…" Otto said distracted catching Beatrice's attention.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"Hm. I don't know. I feel weird, uneasy…Observed." Otto said looking around.
"No one is looking at us man." Garfield laughed off.
"There. In the tree I'm aiming at." Otto said worried pointing his finger at a tree far beyond the barrier.
"There is no one there." Garfield said somewhat tired while looking in the same direction.
"How does he look?" Beatrice asked.
"It's she…she's beautiful in an unsettling way, unnatural. She wears a white sheet and has platinum hair like mine. Maybe she needs help." Otto described as he started to walk forward.
Otto was approaching the edge of the forest, but Garfield stopped him in his tracks by pulling his clothing.
"W-what are you doing?" Otto asked slightly mad.
"Stopping you from dying." He replied dryly.
"Whatever it is its dangerous in fact." Beatrice said slightly unnerved.
"What are you talking about?" Otto asked.
"Look behind the trees man." Garfield answered pointing at the nearby trees just beyond the barrier.
Otto looked and saw an Ulgarm waiting for him and another two behind the other tree. 'A trap' he realized.
"I've heard of fairies that use such lure…but them working with mabeast. It can't be good I suppose." Beatrice said aloud.
"Fairies? So far south?" Otto asked her.
"I can't be too sure in fact. Do any of you have a better explanation?" Beatrice justified herself.
The trio decided to let it be for now since according to Otto "She is gone. I don't get the feeling anymore." They continued towards the flower field and from there they would head for the nearby river. All the way they were looking about making sure to not overlook anything.
Flower Field: 11:30 hrs. 24/11/1538
The trio had arrived at the flower field that Subaru described. They all found it lovely and Beatrice even got somewhat jealous reminding herself to ask Subaru for a trip there later.
"I've never seen flowers like these in fact." Beatrice said as she kneeled close to a platinum flower to examine up close.
"This species is supposed to be white I think." Otto said aloud.
"How could you possibly know that?" Garfield asked in disbelief.
"It's commonly used to make spices, cheap spices but spices nonetheless." Otto replied.
"So, we have an anomaly I suppose?" Beatrice asked Otto.
"I'd say so…but I don't see how these could be dangerous." Otto admitted.
"Pull one out to see." Garfield told him.
"W-what? What if I get cursed?" Otto objected.
"I can fix it in fact. So just do it." Beatrice assured him.
Otto swallowed some saliva and knelt down, he slowly enveloped the stem of the flower, he then pulled the flower with root and everything.
"Nothing, just another flower." Otto informed while Beatrice searched him for any curse.
"Is there any curse?" Garfield asked curious.
"No, he is clean in fact." Beatrice said aloud "Let's get moving I suppose."
The group continued to their destination, the river.
Flower Field: 12:05 hrs.
Subaru and Emilia had arrived at the flower field and continued their date there practically the same as last loop.
River: 17:40 hrs.
Like last time they were approaching the river, Subaru somewhat nervous hoped that the trio he sent before had fixed whatever made Emilia go mad. 'Damn I should had brought the communication metia with me to know.' He regretted.
They then reached the point from where the river was visible, both stood frozen in fear, both for different reasons. Emilia saw a black door with a Lock and next to it Pandora while Subaru saw two corpses, one was wearing Otto's clothing but had its head splattered about, the other had Garfield's clothing and a Minya crystal piercing its chest and head.
Like before Emilia started screaming and attacking, but Subaru didn't pay attention to her. 'Where is Beako?' He desperately searched for his link with Beatrice but couldn't find it. The loud noise of two hammers colliding at supersonic speed snaped him out of his thoughts. This time it was even louder than last almost bursting his eardrums.
"E-" Subaru was struck by a giant icicle in his foot, demolishing everything below the knee. Screaming in agony he suddenly saw Emilia slowly making her way towards him.
Emilia was convinced that she finally caught the real Pandora, why else would she be screaming in agony? She was taking her sweet time deciding her next move letting her feel the pain of the wound. First, she just watched from afar and after a few seconds she commenced her approach while deciding what her next blow would be. 'I'm not like this.' She suddenly noticed, repulsed by the pain she was inflicting needlessly. "I'm sorry for making this wait." She said in a low voice extending her hammer.
Subaru heard and watched in pain how Emilia extended her left arm and prepared to deal the finishing blow. "Emilia-tan wai-" Emilia slung her hammer horizontally smashing his head much the same as a golfer hits a ball, but unlike a golf ball, Subaru's head exploded upon contact with the hammer in a bloody show, brain matter and bones thrown about. She delivered an instant death.
Roswaal's Mansion: 17:00 hrs. 23/11/1538
Back again, Subaru flinched at seemingly nothing. This time with too many questions and no useful new information. "Damn it! I wasted my time!" he said angry at himself for not taking this threat seriously and worst of all leading his friends towards death. 'I must postpone the date with Emilia-tan it's the only way.' He thought angrily. 'But Emilia needs to vent her emotions…what if we go else were? Then we go to find out what is happening in that river.' Subaru started to plot his course of action for this loop on his way to the telegraph.
Roswaal's Mansion: 03:00 hrs. 24/11/1538
Fast, Subaru was riding Patrasche as fast as he could crying for reasons he did not know. The sun shining bright above their heads, he has been riding for what felt like hours. He finally arrived at what seemed like a small military camp and dismounted rushing towards a group of soldiers that seemed familiar yet were strangers. They opened a way for him to advance and he arrived at the sight of a young men who's face had been blown to pieces any features that could identify him gone, all he had was white hair and somewhat elvish ears. "I'm late!" Subaru yelled in despair.
Subaru awoke form his nightmare. He was alone in his bed. Tears forming on his eyes. 'What was that dream?' He wondered as sadness overtook him. "I'm getting too sad for just a dream!" He told himself trying to raise his spirits.
"You are in fact." Beatrice said as she entered the room.
"Where were you Beako?" Subaru asked somewhat startled.
"Opening the door for Garfield since he just arrived, I suppose." Beatrice explained "Now what where you dreaming about I wonder?" She asked before Subaru could change the subject back to Garfield.
"Oh that…it doesn't matter it was just a dream Beako, nothing to worry about." He replied dismissively.
"I've heard that dreams can make good stories so tell me in fact." Beatrice insisted.
"Alright, come here I'll tell you." Subaru gave in knowing she was not going to stop. He started to narrate his dream.
10:00 hrs.
Subaru and Emilia were going for the date, they would first go to Irlam Village and then in the opposite direction from where the flower field were. Emilia had been told by Subaru that there could be difficulties or problems in the way so Garfield, Beatrice, Otto and Ram would shadow them from afar once outside the village, just in case so she would be prepared to fight if needed. They would remain in contact using the communication metias they stole from the Witch Cult.
Subaru though was still uncomfortable, he wanted to ask Emilia who Pandora was, but remembering the rage and sadness she ran into the last two times they seemingly ran into Pandora deterred him. Whatever was in that river he wanted to avoid it at all cost.
Irlam Village: 11:00 hrs. 24/11/1538
Otto got a general feeling of uneasiness, of impending doom. He looked around to see if anything was off in the village. 'But according to Subaru the village is ok…when he says these things, he isn't wrong.' He thought to himself trying to comfort himself.
A few minutes later the feeling grew and now he felt as if someone was observing him. He looked around and after a few moments he spotted behind a distant tree a woman more beautiful than anyone he had seen before, beautiful in an unsettling, unnatural way. She was wearing a white sheet and had platinum hair like his. 'Maybe she needs help.' Otto thought as he started to walk towards the woods hypnotized.
Garfield stopped him by grabbing the collar of his shirt. "Where are you going man?" He asked.
"I-I was going to help her." Otto replied pointing his finger at the forest.
"Who? There is no one there." Garfield said assuming Otto was just confused.
"What's wrong you two?" Subaru Asked.
"Otto was walking into the woods like a muron." Garfield answered.
"Hey! I was just going to see if that woman needed help." Otto defended himself while pointing towards the woman.
"Her? She seems…off." Subaru replied as a feeling of impending doom settled in his mind.
"But there is no one there guys." Garfield stated.
"As much as it pains me, I have to side with Garfield this time Barusu." Ram replied from behind him.
"Betty doesn't see anyone in fact." Beatrice added after a thorough inspection.
"What are we talking about?" Emilia asked joining the group.
"About the…" Subaru felt the sensation of impending doom abandon him and couldn't see the woman anywhere.
"She's gone?" Otto asked half confused half relieved.
"She is." Subaru said somewhat worried.
"Whatever is was it was trying to lure Otto into those Ulgarms." Garfield remarked somewhat concerned.
"W-what?" Otto asked seeing how just a meter in front of him an Ulgarm was waiting for him in a rabbit hole.
"I've heard that fairies lure people like that…but them working with mabeasts, it can't be good in fact." Beatrice informed the group.
"Fairies? This far south?" Otto asked confused.
"Do you any better explanation I wonder?" Beatrice countered.
"So, what do we do now?" Emilia asked Beatrice considering the possibility of not going on a date.
"Nothing, just keep going with the plan we had in fact." Beatrice replied instantly much to Subaru's relief since he didn't what to hunt such a thing.
"What?! But it tried to kill me!" Otto was dissatisfied with her reply.
"We can't catch it in fact, it could be anywhere in the forest by now and with it only revealing itself to two people…" Beatrice replied.
"It could make us step into its trap." Subaru realized.
"As expected from my contractor. Now follow through with the plan and let's hope that fairy was just lost I suppose." She stated.
Subaru nodded and Garfield and Otto rushed forward to scout ahead.
Subaru was wondering if a fairy could have caused Emilia to go mad. 'That doesn't make sense…sure she dislikes fairies but not that much.' He calmed his anxiety a little but not satiating his desire to know what Emilia could hate so much.
Somewhere sometime later the same day:
Subaru and Emilia where walking through some grasslands, the wind blew across making wave like patterns that reminded Subaru of the ocean.
"You know if something dangerous is going to happen, then you should tell me dunderhead." Emilia said calmly.
"I know something is going to happen…I just don't know what it is…" Subaru said wondering if he should ask her about this Pandora person.
"Regardless unless it flies, we should see it approaching with ease. So please calm down. Please!" Emilia said as she started patting his head.
"Huh?" Subaru asked, suddenly noticing that he was in fact quite tense, as if expecting something bad to happen. "I-I didn't notice I was so tense…" He was cut off by a loud crackling noise.
Both looked at each other Subaru was confused and Emilia noticing this was somewhat scared. "Don't you know what to do in these situations?" She asked him as they started to run in the direction Garfield was at.
"Not this one, not yet. Like I said I only know something is going to happen." He replied and then took his metia and tried calling Garfield.
Garfield didn't respond probably because he was stuck occupied with whatever forced him to use his divine protection. Subaru gave up on calling him and instead contacted Beatrice who was with Ram, they would make their way toward Garfield and Otto but take longer to arrive than Emilia and Subaru.
"Subaru here!" Emilia said as she picked him up in a princes carry.
"W-what? What are you doing Emilia-tan?" He asked.
"We will arrive faster this way" she said starting to sprint faster and faster. Not near as fast as an earth dragon but fast enough to make Subaru shut his mouth since the wind made it uncomfortable to talk.
They arrived minutes later at a confusing scene.
Subaru:
He could see Garfield partially transformed struggling against something and running around, as if he was being swarmed by something and Otto was following him as if trying to stop him from running and waving his arms senselessly. He then looked back at Emilia who's teeth started chattering and had a mortified face.
Emilia:
She saw Garfield fending off against a horde of witch cultist, some of them hanging from his body trying to stab him but uncapable of piercing his thick hide. Guiding them was a cultist that seemed to be casting some type of magic and observing them was a woman, Pandora who greeted her. "I was expecting you elsewhere if I'm being honest, but this will also do. You have curious friends you know. I wish to examine the one you brought." She then reviled a mangled Otto and smiled at Subaru who seemingly didn't see her.
"Beako! I'm going to need your help here quick!" Subaru hurried Beatrice "Emilia-tan can you restrain Garfield, he could hurt Otto if he is so careless." He told her.
She couldn't believe his instructions; they just didn't line up with the information her eyes were giving her. She steeled herself and decided to follow Subaru's instructions. "He has a knack for these things." She told herself which brought a bit of peace to her mind.
As Garfield ran from the group of witch cultist and destroyed the ones that where clinging to his body an ice wall appeared before him, making him crash into it stopping him dead in his tracks. Then more ice walls appeared behind and to the sides trapping him within.
"Good, I'll go get Otto and try to calm down Garfield! Keep your distance Emilia-tan I don't want you to go mad like Garfield." Said Subaru
"But Otto is…" Emilia said confused wondering if what she was seeing was an illusion. Suddenly noticing the direction Subaru was heading towards. She made an ice wall in front to stop him.
"Emilia-tan is there something wrong?" Subaru asked her.
"You shouldn't get near. Don't you see the cultists?" She asked him.
"The cult-?" He was cut off.
"Enough magic you mage!" Garfield yelled almost completely in beast form. He jumped high and landed in front of the mage that was according to him casting the cage that trapped him. He caught his head between his hands and squeezed it popping it like a balloon.
"Otto!" Subaru yelled remembering the time when Garfield slaughtered all the villagers in sanctuary.
"S-Subaru that isn't Otto. Otto is there." She pointed to the place where she saw Otto's mangled body.
"Enough fun for now, you lose your arms." Pandora said.
"M-my arms!" Garfield yelled as his arms disappeared and started to bleed uncontrollably.
Subaru was frozen wondering what type of nightmare he was watching. Garfield was yelling and looking at his arms as if they had been cut off, but they were still there. 'An illusion?' He wondered. "Emilia this is all an illusion. Get Garfield out of here and…" He turned in Emilia's direction only to see her dashing at an empty spot to swing an ice sword at the air.
Emilia sliced Pandora in two but as she feared another popped into existence somewhere else.
"More of your friends. Let me secure my prize." She said as she made Subaru disappear and reappear into her hand miniaturized.
"Huh…that...that." Emilia was confused 'It doesn't make sense.' She thought. She then saw Beatrice and Ram land behind her. "Don't attack her she has Subaru!" Emilia warned her allies. "Beako tend to…" She couldn't see Garfield anywhere 'She must have taken him too.' She convinced herself.
"So you won't attack…Let me…" A small chest appeared popped into existence and she threw Subaru into it. "There let's have fun." She finished calmly.
"You-Give him back!" Beatrice yelled firing a Minya that pulverized the woman.
"You'll have to kill me." Pandora taunted her appearing where Ram was.
"I will!" She yelled firing another Minya.
"B-Beatrice-sama?" Ram asked her with a Minya crystal piercing her chest.
"Ram?" Beatrice asked, now noticing that she started to disintegrate. She had been cut in half by wind magic.
"So much for a great spirit." Pandora said from behind her. Beatrice reluctant to go out without harming the damn woman fired another Minya crystal at her.
Subaru watched it all unfold and was yelling his lungs out desperate to make them stop. And suddenly noticed a Minya crystal in front of him flying into his head. It pierced his head killing him instantly.
Roswaal's Mansion: 17:00 hrs. 23/11/1538
Again, Subaru flinched at seemingly nothing. This time knowing that whatever it was made the others also go mad and didn't affect Otto and was probably an illusion of some type. He also knew that whatever it was would apparently follow him or his intended plan.
Next Chapter: "Pandora part 3"
(Damn, took me a while to decide the details of how Subaru and the rest would conduct these loops and make a somewhat consistent way to explain Pandora's powers without giving her godlike powers. Anyways hope you enjoy. Until next time.)