Book VI: Prince and Assassin
Chapter XLIII
"Gabriel come out!" Kasandra cried while pounding on his door. "You've been in your room all weekend! I want to spend time with you!"
"Not now Kassy! I'm in the middle of something. I'll get back to you later!" he replied in his usual, proud voice.
"That's what you've said for the past two days!" she retorted.
It went silent for a moment, and Kasandra knew he wasn't going to open the door.
"Is it because of what the lady said?" Kasandra finally said. "About Mom and Dad?"
Kasandra knew Zeke and Mòrag weren't her dad or mom, blades didn't really have families like that, but she had always called them as such because that's what Gabriel did. And, as expected, she was met with silence.
"Gabriel... I'm coming in," Kasandra said, finally making up her mind. It was unlike her to go against her driver's wishes, but in this case she was going to make an exception.
She opened the mechanical door and shut it behind her, the room was completely dark, so she turned on the light. And, just as she had thought, Gabriel was sulking at the foot of his bed. He hadn't changed clothes since the fight with Violet in Alba Cavanich, and his face hadn't been shaven either. She sat down next to him, not saying a word. She gently placed her arm on his back and rubbed it.
"So she wasn't lying after all?" Kasandra queried.
Gabriel shook his head, he had finally lost his composure as his voice cracked. "I didn't think it was possible for Mum to lose a fight... Especially to the point of death. I mean... I knew Dad was really close to kicking that bucket, that's one of the reasons I left. I... didn't want to be around when it finally happened. I always imagined that that was why Mum spent all her time in Garfont helping out the BAP."
"How did you find out it wasn't a lie?" Kasandra asked.
"There was a message sent to the ship, from Dromarch. He... asked me if I wanted to be the one to resonate with Aegaeon," he stopped to chuckle. "Of course... I said no. I... don't need that kind of responsibility."
"There's nothing wrong with that Gabe...," Kasandra said, trying to calm him.
Gabriel shook his head. "It's not just that, I don't take responsibility for anything!"
At this point Kasandra was unsure of what he was referring to.
Gabriel picked up on this and began to explain. "Mor Ardain was Mum's homeland, and something she took great pride in. The way I saw it... the way I left it... there was no pride to be found. It was just people... suffering, and I did nothing to help!"
"That's not our responsibility!" Kasandra argued. "What have we been training to do since we met?"
Gabriel sighed. "To help and protect the Aegis and her driver."
"And we've done that so far, haven't we?!" Kasandra added.
"You're right," Gabriel responded. "I can't afford to be weak right now."
Kasandra smiled at him before she hugged him. "We both knew this day would come, and I'm here for you. We just... had a string of bad luck is all! But I'm the luckiest charm I know, so I guess I just need to try harder!! You with me Prince?"
Gabriel chuckled. "Kassy I'm with you all the way."
"Good," she said simply. "Now go take a shower, shave, and meet us downstairs, you still need to get better acquainted with Sonata, remember?"
"Right, right... can leave the poor girl in suspense, I'll get to it," Gabriel laughed.
Kasandra hopped up cheerfully and pulled her driver to his feet. She then skipped merrily to the door.
"Oh and Kass...," Gabriel said, stopping her.
"Hm?" she stopped.
"Thanks."
She giggled before making a heart with her hands and skipping out the door, shutting it behind her.
Gabriel took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror. "Titan's foot," he said, a common slang in Alrest. "I do look a mess."
He chuckled before he stopped and made a solemn swear to himself. "If I ever meet the bastard that killed them, I'm holding him accountable."
...
"She still hasn't woken up yet?" Sheba asked me.
"No, she took one hell of an ether beating though, not to mention that bleeding gash in her hip," I pointed out.
"And what of the other peon? The stranger," Sheba continued.
"He hasn't woken up either, both of his calves were shattered to nothing, and his lungs have a lot of water in them. I'm not sure he'll make it at this rate," I said.
"Water? We can help with that," Sheba said as she stepped out of her floating bath tub, stretching her hand out to help her water counterpart step out.
"Can she absorb water or something?" I asked, curious as to what they were doing.
Sheba picked him up by his ankles and lifted him up and the water spirit began repeatedly punching him in the chest until he coughed up a bunch of water.
She then dropped him and got back in her bathtub before laughing. "No, that's stupid fiction magic, we just know how lungs work."
I wasn't sure how to react, but the man was breathing much easier now. "Oh... well ok then."
"Glad you're healing up though!" Sheba said, and up until this point I had completely forgotten that I was unconscious just a few days back.
"I guess we can't keep people healthy around here," I said, laughing nervously.
We went silent as Acacia grumbled in her sleep before waking up and standing normally.
"What's going on here?" she asked.
Her injuries were severe, much too severe for her to just stand up like that...
I immediately walked over to her and examined her hip, the gash that was there when KOS-MOS brought her to us was completely gone.
"Uhh... hell if I know," I responded.
"Where's Malos?" she asked.
Sheba and I looked at each other, she was just as confused as I was.
"Are you... feeling alright?" I questioned.
She gave me a weird look. "Yeah? Why?"
"Because you weren't alright a few hours ago!" Sheba interjected.
Acacia seemed even more confused before she sighed. "Look, if this is about the story I told you, leave it. I got over that years ago."
"That's not what I—" I began to say before she cut me off with another question.
"Who's this?" she asked, pointing to the stranger KOS-MOS had brought in.
I wanted to ask her more questions, but another, much more authoritative voice took control of the situation. "We don't know yet, he was dying and needed our help, much like you were. How the hell are you standing?" Mythra interrogated as she walked into the room.
Acacia rolled her eyes. "I don't know what game you guys are playing, but I have no idea what you're talking about. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Malos."
And with that, she left the room.
"Whatever," Mythra said before turning to me. "Silas where the hell are we going next?"
I thought for a moment, I wasn't sure. "Well with the random stranger here I don't really want to go back to Leftheria. And he might need to go to a hospital at this rate."
"The best one is in Torna from what I hear," Sheba pointed out.
"We're not... actually allowed there anymore," Mythra admitted.
Sheba looked shocked. "What'd you two do?!"
"Oh... I forgot you were still in a crystal," I realized. "We blew up part of the BCCHQ escaping General Adonis."
"What the hell?!" she said, taken aback.
"Yeah and now he's wanted for stealing a core crystal," Mythra added.
"Wait... you stole Mythra?!" Sheba asked.
I laughed. "No! The BCC tried to steal her from me, I broke in and got her back."
"So even with her power you couldn't beat some old General? Even with Pyra... I've never even seen you come close to losing to her Mythra!" Sheba pointed out.
"I was still learning how to be a driver, so I wasn't even using Mythra's arts at full capacity," I explained.
"And he was using his own weapons and not fighting as drivers and blades are supposed to," Mythra added again.
"Although he was definitely no joke...," I thought to myself. I wondered why he was so powerful, but I also knew that between the lot of us, there was no way he'd win.
...
"So everything went according to plan?" he asked his subordinate.
"Yes, Pyra was unable to take on Mythra, as you predicted," Violet reported. "And the Crimson Butterfly has been shattered."
"Good," General Adonis responded. "And have you confirmed the location of that damned titan?"
"Very impressive Lieutenant," Adonis mused. "If there's nothing else you need, then you are dismissed."
Violet stood thoughtfully for a moment, before she spoke. "Actually General, there is one thing..."
"You want your sister's rank, I presume?" Adonis asked, seeing right through her.
She blushed a bit before responding. "Y-Yes General, I hope it does not seem selfish."
Adonis smiled at her before turning away. "You know you've come a long way since we met. Do you remember that day?"
Violet looked down and nodded. "Very clearly."
...
"Hey mister, you like you could use a good time," the young woman asked him.
"You're absolutely correct, but I suspect you would require payment for your services, am I correct?" he questioned.
She nodded. "Gotta pay the bills somehow!"
"I see," he nodded. "And what would ten thousand G get me?"
She let out a gasp, she'd never even heard of someone giving up that amount of money for a prostitute.
"You new to these parts?" she interrogated.
"Sweetheart this is nothing new for me," he grinned.
She seemed skeptical. "Show me the money and you've got forty-eight hours of whatever the hell you want."
Forty-eight hours was way more than she was comfortable with, but she wasn't about to miss out on that much money. And odds were he didn't even have that kind of money.
To her complete shock, he casually held out a large sack of G, clearly the amount he promised.
She took a moment to compose herself before sighing. "A deal's a deal."
That night, he didn't actually do anything to her. Instead he invited her to look at a special operation of the BCC, a project, called the Crimson Rose.
"If you were to go through with this, you'd never worry about money again, and on top of that... you'll have strength men only dream of."
She looked skeptical. "How do I know you're not just screwing me over or offering me something that's going to ruin me for the rest of my life?"
He smiled. "You are much more clever than your sister. I know you'll survive because she survived, and I personally believe you'll be stronger than her."
Violet was taken aback. "So you didn't just choose me randomly!"
He smiled, "No, I've been watching over you in her stead, and I've decided that you're strength is much greater than hers."
Violet seemed pissed. "So you let me live these last years in agony as you simply watched?! I don't think that justifies itself as 'watching over someone'."
"Don't blame me," Adonis said, shrugging. "Your sister didn't exactly give me permission to go near you, talk to her if you're concerned. I simply tire of watching you suffer, so how about you suffer one more time to never have to do so again?"
Violet wasn't sure how to proceed, but she was tired... tired of life. "You've seen my scars, you know I won't live forever."
Adonis smiled, "This will help you heal, it will keep you from dying."
That day, Violet signed her life away to become the Crimson Rose. Not only for herself, but also to be stronger than her sister. She had developed hatred for Acacia, and after this conversation, the hatred soared ever higher.
...
"And stronger you have become," Adonis continued. "So, as a recognition of your strength, I have decided to promote you through the ranks. Congratulations, Colonel Violet Uzuki."
Violet nodded solemnly, "I thank you for this chance, and I will not fail you."
Adonis smiled the same smile he's always given her. "Reports show that Canaan is alive, is this correct?"
"Yes, he resonated with a blade that saved him and brought him to our targets, although T-Elos reported a low chance of survival. Would you like us to go drop that percent?"
"Negative, it's time I put these dogs in their place. Please tell Pyra to collect herself, we have work to do."
"Understood, General."
Readability Level: 11-12th Grade
Time Taken: 4.5 Hours