Re:Zero FF Beatrice Heart Crossing

Chapter 22: Look to the Sky

A line of sunshine cut through the drapes as Subaru began to stir. He blinked several times to clear the sleep from his eyes and noticed that the bedroom he had woken up in many times seemed to be different. It was then, that the memories of last night started to come forward. After the fireworks display, he returned to the town square with Beatrice feeling refreshed. The couple rendezvoused with Adella and Niki to close up the stage before making one final pass of the festival. By the time that they made it to the cart to return to the castle, it was far too late and Kobe had insisted that the group stay with him at the lodge. And so, after using the bath, the four festival goers placed futons in the guest room before succumbing to their exhaustion. It was now morning and Subaru looked around the room and saw that Adella and Niki were nowhere to be found. This was normal as Adella was usually the first one up at the castle and he surmised that Niki must have left with the head maid to have a chance at getting an early breakfast. However, the part that was abnormal was the drooling spirit girl who was clinging to his midsection. Now that he was fully awake, Subaru became aware of the pair of hands clutching his night clothes from the side. Looking down, he saw that Beatrice had entwined her legs around his and was peacefully snoring away. With her hair down and her chest gently rising with quiet breaths, Subaru couldn't help but think that she was cute. Although he would not be able to declare such a thing without earning the small spirit's wrath, he basked in the opportunity to observe her like this. Feelings of happiness at the adorable scene quickly turned to worry as Subaru wondered just how much Adella and Niki had witnessed before they left. Just as the thought crossed his mind, the door to the room swung open and Adella came into the room with a hasty stride. Gently jostling Beatrice, Subaru sat halfway up before blurting out a defense for their current arrangement.

Subaru: "Adie! Please don't jump to any weird conclusions!"

Beatrice: "Ahn… What is it, I suppose… Betty is still resting, in fact…"

Emerging from the blankets and rubbing her eyes with closed fists, Beatrice sat alongside Subaru and shifted her gaze between him and Adella. After realizing the situation, her attention was drawn to her legs which were still wrapped around Subaru's. Her ears began to tremble as blush filled her cheeks.

Beatrice: "Err… Um… Thank goodness you are here, Adella, in fact! As you can see, I was at my wits end trying to satisfy this dog, in fact!"

Subaru: "WHAT! You are the one that-"

Beatrice: "N-nonsense! Betty is a lady, in fact. This is obviously your doing, I simply allowed it to happen, I suppose!"

Adella, who had stood quietly with a stern look since entering the room, tried to interject.

Adella: "Masters-"

Subaru: "Don't believe her, Adie! She was happily squeezing me in her sleep!"

Beatrice kicked her legs to extricate them from Subaru's before jumping to her feet. With clenched fists on each side and her brow furrowed, the indignant girl began to raise her voice.

Beatrice: "S-squeezing! I'll admit… I was close… to you… but I had no choice, I suppose! Betty was quite tired and the pillows were limited… you were simply a means to an end, in fact!"

Now it was Subaru's turn to leap to his feet with a twinge of heat filling spreading across his face as he angrily offered his rebuttal.

Subaru: "'A means to an end', is that really what you think? If I had to guess, I'd say you're a cuddling spirit since you do it so often!"

Unable to form a coherent thought, Subaru spat out the first words that came to his mind. While the insult was comedic at best, Beatrice's face turned crimson as she froze in response. The couple stared at each other with energized glares and began to prepare their next retorts. However, before either combatant could speak, Adella interrupted with her voice rising to a panicked yell.

Adella: "MASTERS!"

The head maid's loss of composure warped the atmosphere of the room as the lovers' quarrel was brought to an abrupt end. Giving her his full attention, Subaru saw the pleading look in Adella's eyes as she pressed her fingernails into her palms. He had never seen her in such a state and gave her his full attention, while Beatrice sensed the same and stepped forward to listen.

Adella: "I-I'm sorry for raising my voice just then…"

Subaru: "No, Adie. We're sorry for ignoring you. What is going on?"

Beatrice nodded in affirmation as Adella broke eye contact and began to wring her apron nervously. Exhaling heavily, the stressed servant continued.

Adella: "It's the castle… While I was making breakfast… Mister Kobe approached me and informed me that the foragers from the forest saw something strange this morning. The sky… is torn open..."

Looking to Beatrice for support, Subaru was met with a blank stare. The color had drained from the spirit's cheeks and her bottom lip quivered as she desperately searched for words.

Beatrice: "Adella… did they… describe it, in fact?"

Adella: "Apparently, it is quite large and appears to be… purple? I'm afraid we will have to go see for ourselves. They were afraid to get any closer."

Beatrice: "I...see…"

Seeing his two friends in such clear turmoil was more than Subaru could handle. The boy reached out and took both girl's hands before speaking in a gentle voice.

Subaru: "Hey, let's not get so upset before we see exactly what is going on. What do you say we have breakfast and then head over?"

Surprised by his touch and even more so by how calm he seemed, Adella forced a smile and nodded in agreement. Beatrice, however, maintained her blank stare as if she was lost in thought. She began to murmur and linked hands with Adella, forming a circle.

Beatrice: "No… Now…"

Subaru: "What? Beako?"

In response to his confusion, a screen of white light clouded his vision as it engulfed the group. His body felt weightless and numb with the exception of the warmth from the hands he was still holding. Tightening his grip, Subaru attempted to yell to the girls to see if they were still with him. To his horror, no sound escaped from his mouth while the light only grew more intense. With his senses dwindling, the blinding light suddenly disappeared from existence as Subaru's feet felt the sensation of sand beneath them. Pangs of nausea spread throughout his body as his legs gave way, bringing him to his knees. Looking around and seeing a familiar ornate swing, Subaru realized that he was kneeling on the beach next to the castle. How was this possible? His mind scrambled for answers while his stomach churned from the after effects of what he could only assume was some type of teleportation magic. Beatrice and Adella were still standing next to him, yet made no movements nor acknowledged him. Fighting against the queasy sensation from his body, Subaru rose to his feet and called out to check on them.

Subaru: "Beako… Adie…"

However, there was no response as the girls had focused their attention on the sky with stunned expressions. Following their gaze, Subaru realized what had captivated his friends and fell silent. Seemingly floating overhead was an enormous opening that Subaru could only compare to a scar or tear. The inside of the opening had a deep violet glow and periodically would crackle as bolts of energy danced across its jagged boundary. While each end of the opening came to a fine point, the stability was in question as the energy within caused it to expand and contract as if slowly breathing. The notion that the enigmatic structure in the sky could rip even further sent chills down Subaru's spine. Quelling his feelings of dismay, he gathered his resolve and turned to ask Beatrice for her appraisal.

Subaru: "Beako, what is-"

Adella: "Lady Beatrice!"

However, his inquiry would have to wait as the small spirit's frame wavered before tumbling backwards to the ground with a soft thud. Adella rushed over to kneel at her side and placed a hand on Beatrice's forehead.

Adella: "She is cold… but it appears she fainted."

Subaru followed Adella with an intense look of worry in his eyes and an uneasy scowl as he instinctively scooped up the unconscious girl in his arms. Indeed, the spirit was cool to the touch and her face looked to be even more flushed since leaving the lodge. Still clad in her nightie, her legs dangled haphazardly while Subaru cradled her in his arms.

Subaru: "Beako, can you hear me? Please be okay... Beako..."

What started as concern had now spiraled into panic. Subaru tightly held Beatrice in hopes of imparting his own warmth to her. He sporadically threw glances around the area as if searching for something that would indicate the proper next move. Seeing her master grow more crazed by the second, Adella placed a gentle hand on Subaru's shoulder before speaking in a calm and reassuring voice.

Adella: "Master Subaru… please do stay calm and listen to me. Lady Beatrice is probably tired from using so much mana at once. Ugh…"

Subaru's listless eyes were trained on Beatrice but were momentarily drawn away by Adella's uncharacteristic groan. Regaining his lucidity, Subaru noticed that Adella was wavering in her stance and came to the realization that the head maid was in worse shape than she let on. Her normal cheeriness was replaced with a look of exhaustion as she clutched her stomach due to the trauma of teleporting. Instead of despair, feelings of shame filled the boy. Once again, Adella was trying to console him even while dealing with her own worries. No matter how terrible the situation seemed, they simply did not have all the facts. Right now, Beatrice needed to rest so that they could come up with a plan. Heat filled Subaru's chest as he decided to focus on what he could do about the current problem. Shaking Adella's hand from his shoulder, he rose to his feet with Beatrice still in his arms.

Adella: "Master Subaru?"

Subaru: "Adie… Thank you. Are you okay to walk?"

Adella: "Y-yes…"

Subaru: "Then let's get Beako to bed and take a break. The sky doesn't seem to be getting worse right now. We need to regroup and see if Beako knows what is going on."

Shocked by his initiative, Adella's eyes went wide as she nodded at his suggestion. Painting on an unconvincing smile, Subaru trudged along the beach and up the stairs to the castle with Adella in tow. They adjourned to the bedroom where Subaru placed Beatrice in the bed while Adella prepared tea. After seeing that the small spirit was comfortable, Subaru took a seat on the edge of the bed and motioned Adella to sit in a nearby chair. The two quietly sipped tea as the sickly feelings from before were lessened by the passage of time. Before long, Adella softly spoke her thoughts.

Adella: "I am glad you were able to regain composure."

Subaru: "Well, I didn't want you to slap me again."

His response elicited a small smile from the head maid as they both tried to push their worries aside while they waited for Beatrice to awaken.

Adella: "How is she?"

Subaru turned his attention to Beatrice, who was still breathing softly in her slumber.

Subaru: "Still out like a light. She must have really overdid it…"

Adella: "Such a roundabout way of handling things… Any time we might have saved by using magic is moot if you faint after using it."

Subaru: "She can be a handful, as I'm sure you know."

Adella: "You two have that in common, I would say."

Adella took a long sip of tea after making her half hearted tease. With a slight smile, Subaru gave the head maid a glance and saw that she appeared to be in better spirits.

Subaru: "I'll take that as a compliment, I guess. Are you feeling better?"

Adella: "Yes, the tea seems to have settled my stomach. What about you, Master Subaru?"

Subaru: "I'm fine. I just hope the village is okay, we left in such a rush..."

As if prompted by his inquiry, the sound of knocking echoed through the building. Before Subaru or Adella could react, loud footsteps accelerated quickly from the foyer and up the stairs before arriving at the bedroom door. The boy and the head maid looked at each other with puzzled looks and back at the door as the sound of strained breathing permeated from the other side. Without announcement, the door slammed open as a familiar cat girl tumbled forward onto the floor with tears in her eyes.

Niki: "Y'all left me behind! *Sniff* I was worried that ya were eaten by the sky!"

Niki scrambled up from the floor before embracing both Suabru and Adella. The cat girl was visibly shaken up after viewing the sky outside but found relief in seeing her friends. Her attention was naturally drawn to her sleeping best friend who she inspected with worried eyes.

Niki: "What happened to Bea!?"

Adella: "Lady Beatrice is just taking a small nap. She overexerted herself earlier."

Niki: "What! This is no time to be sleepin'! Bea, ya gotta wake up now!"

Making her statement, Niki pounced onto the bed. Deftly dodging Subaru's attempt to catch her, she leapt onto the sleepy spirit and began to shake Beatrice by the shoulders. Seeing no reaction, Niki smiled devilishly and began to press her outstretched tongue against Beatrice's face.

Adella: "Oh my…"

Sharing confused looks, the others could only stand by and watch Niki's earnest attempt to wake her best friend. After a few seconds, a weak and slightly broken voice emerged from the spirit in question.

Beatrice: "H-huh… why Subaru, you are so aggressive today, I suppose…zzz…"

The sleep drenched murmurings caused the room to fall silent as Niki turned a bright shade of red. Adella covered her mouth to suppress a giggle while Subaru flailed his arms in protest.

Subaru: "I-I have no idea what she is talking about! I've never d-done anything like that!"

Stirred by the sudden outburst, Beatrice sat up in the bed and pressed her palm against her face in a frazzled manner. After regaining her bearings, she addressed the room with an aggravated voice.

Beatrice: "W-what is everyone doing here, in fact? Why are you yelling, I suppose?"

An awkward silence covered the room as the girls were still reeling from Beatrice's sleeptalk. Seeing his chance, Subaru hastily interjected to avoid any further misunderstandings.

Subaru: "Nevermind that! Are you okay, Beako?"

Reminded of her sudden collapse, Beatrice met his gaze as she began to recall the events of the morning.

Beatrice: "I recall falling down, I suppose…"

Subaru: "Yeah, you teleported us and then you fainted."

Beatrice: "How embarrassing... That spell requires more preparation and concentration, in fact. At least you made it out alive, I suppose."

Subaru: "Well, you sound like your usual self. We are going to have a long conversion later about what spells you can use... For now, do you have any idea what is going on in the sky?"

At the mention of the anomaly outside, all sense of playfulness left Beatrice. Her hands that were holding the blanket clenched tightly as she exhaled in exasperation. Turning to address the room, Beatrice held a serious tone.

Beatrice: "I should explain, I suppose."

?: "That would be appreciated, little lady. We have a lot of worried folks back in the village."

To everyone's visible surprise, with the exception of Niki, Kobe slowly rounded the doorway into the bedroom.

Niki: "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that paw paw was downstairs when I ran up!"

In stark contrast to the serious nature of the room, Niki offered up a bubbly response. Normally this would have earned her a karate chop from Adella, but the head maid decided to let the cat girl be. Reservation was not Niki's forte and, depending on what Beatrice had to say, this might be the last opportunity for such jovial exchanges. A nervous laugh spread across the room as Kobe took a seat next to Adella. Once the group had settled down, Beatrice cleared her throat and began to make her announcement.

Beatrice: "Betty is unsure how to say this, I suppose. I… detected my mana outside… and the hole in the sky is the result, in fact."

The group fell silent as the small spirit paused, clearly uncomfortable with the topic. Facing four pairs of expectant eyes, Beatrice wriggled beneath the covers as Adella gently spoke to her.

Adella: "Lady Beatrice, perhaps it would be easier if we asked you questions instead of you explaining it all at once? You said it was your mana, correct? Does that mean that you opened up the sky?"

Almost jumping from the bed, Beatrice leaned forward as she became flustered and blurted out her response.

Beatrice: "I did not do it on purpose, in fact! It is an unintended product of the spell I used to create this world, I suppose."

Adella: "I see, that was quite some time ago. Then, is it possible to reverse the damage?"

At the mention of reversal, Beatrice's posture stiffened and caught the attention of Subaru and Niki who were still on the bed with her. Niki, who had been listening with her head cocked to the side in an attempt to process the information, called out in a tender voice.

Niki: "Bea… It's gonna be okay, right? Ya can fix whatever is in the sky, right?"

The cat girl leaned in towards Beatrice with a half smile on her face, but Subaru saw that her tail remained rigid as he caught a rare glimpse of her worried state. Beatrice tried to reassure her best friend by explaining.

Beatrice: "It will take Betty a few days... It is not as simple as casting a spell, I must repair the current spell and seal the breach, in fact. Luckily, Betty is a... brilliant spirit, I suppose..."

Her voice trailed off as she spoke the last words as if the arrogant tone had caused her to feel ashamed. To the surprise of the room, Beatrice bowed her head to the group and spoke in a tremulous voice.

Beatrice: "I am sorry, everyone… Betty will fix this, in fact. But… that does not excuse the fact that I put everyone in danger with this mistake! I am a bad spirit, in fact!"

Rendered speechless by the humble apology, the others stared as Beatrice fought back tears. Subaru's eyes moistened as a sharp pain tugged at his heart as he watched Beatrice take responsibility. A strong urge to comfort her washed over him, but the fact that doing so would undermine her apology was not lost on him. Inspired by the spirit's submissive condition, Kobe calmly raised his hand and stood up before sternly proclaiming.

Kobe: "Little lady, please raise your head."

Following Kobe's instructions, Beatrice hesitantly moved her line of sight to meet the old cat man's eyes directly.

Kobe: "The way I see it, you didn't know this was going to happen and you had no intention of causing harm. I don't completely understand the situation, but if you say you can fix it… Well, I trust you."

Beatrice's eyes flickered with disbelief as she tried to understand his logic. She searched Kobe's face for signs of malice or deceit, yet found only a calm smile aiming back at her. After racking her brain, she furrowed her brow and raised her query.

Beatrice: "I-I don't understand, I suppose… Why aren't you more upset with Betty, in fact…"

Kobe chuckled at the question for a moment and gave his answer in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kobe: "Why… In my eyes, you became a villager back when you saved little Mina. Erhem...Say Niki, what is the most important rule for a villager in wishleaf?"

Seeing Beatrice's expression move further from understanding, Kobe called on his granddaughter to fill the gap. Leaping from the bed to her feet, Niki relished the opportunity to show off her knowledge.

Niki: "Villagers help each other out!"

Kobe nodded appreciatively at the starry eyed cat girl before turning back to Beatrice.

Kobe: "Exactly, so I trust that you will do your best to help us out like you have before."

Ending his statement with a cheery smile, Kobe stepped back and beckoned Niki to join by his side and the two bowed their heads toward Beatrice. Her bottom lip quivered as the spirit was at a loss for how to respond. The overwhelming faith that Kobe had imparted to her caused a twinge of guilt to swell inside of Beatrice. It was only a split second, but Subaru noticed that Beatrice's eyes held a deep remorse that he had not seen projected from the girl in quite some time. Nodding to clear her mind, Beatrice followed Niki in leaping from the bed and pulling both Niki and Kobe into a light embrace. Tears fell softly to the floor as she tried to speak through heavy breaths.

Beatrice: "T-thank you… for your kind words, in fact. Betty will do her very best, I suppose."

Responding with a hug of her own, Niki buried her nose into Beatrice's cheek as she spoke.

Niki: "Were countin' on ya, best friend!"

And so, with the reaffirmation between the villagers and battered spirit, Kobe and Niki decided to take their leave and inform the village of the situation. After seeing them off, Adella prepared a late lunch for the castle denizens before being ordered to rest by Subaru. The day had been straining in more ways than physical and the boy wanted to ensure that his friends were mindful of their limitations. The head maid begrudgingly obliged, but not before cleaning the table and preparing the bath. After taking turns washing up, Subaru and Beatrice met again in the bedroom. The sun was still low in the sky, but the conversation earlier had left a burning curiosity bubbling within Subaru. Finally alone with Beatrice, the boy called out to the spirit in a serious voice.

Subaru: "Beako, what is really going on?"

Beatrice: "H-huh?"

Meeting his gaze with a stunned look, Beatrice's expression became pained as Subaru continued to speak.

Subaru: "Something doesn't add up. You wouldn't mess up a teleportation like that… You seemed really apologetic, almost like you know something you aren't saying."

Beatrice shuddered as she forced out her breath and endeavored to meet his gaze.

Beatrice: "Please don't be mad, in fact. I planned to talk to you tonight, I suppose."

Subaru: "I'm not mad. Just tell me what is happening."

Beatrice broke eye contact and glanced at the floor as she began to explain.

Beatrice: "When Betty created this place… she stopped time in our old world, I suppose. Yet, Betty cannot create new beings like mother… so she simply copied our consciousness to a space where she and… Subaru could spend time together, in fact. It was necessary to leave behind a small hole to keep us connected to our original bodies… but now it appears that the hole has started… to tear, in fact… I feared it might be so when Adella described it this morning, I suppose..."

As her words began to sink in, Subaru hesitated and deeply considered what this new information meant for his friends back in the other world. Decidedly, he asked the most important question that came to mind.

Subaru: "Are we… Are our bodies in danger? Can we go back?"

Beatrice: "No…they are still fine, but our options are not ideal, I suppose."

Subaru: "What do you mean?"

Beatrice: "I can do as I said and close the opening… but… doing so would cut us off from the world we came from, in fact…"

Subaru: "So we would die?"

Beatrice: "Betty is not sure, I suppose. I've never tried to isolate a consciousness before, in fact. Since we were copied by my mana, I would presume that the original consciousness in our bodies would most likely take over once time started again, I suppose. I cannot make any promises about what will happen to us in this world, in fact."

The grim admission made Subaru pause as his body involuntarily shivered. He crossed his arms and gripped his elbows, striving to keep his thoughts in order.

Subaru: "So what are the other options…"

Beatrice: "My original plan was to open the hole and copy our consciousness back into our bodies once we were ready to leave this place, I suppose."

Subaru: "Why didn't you start with that!? That sounds much better than the first option!"

Almost shouting, Subaru found hope in Beatrice's words. However, she wasted no time in dousing his expectations while continuing on in a meek voice.

Beatrice: "Now that the hole has started to tear… if I open it to bring us back… I will not be able to repair it, I suppose…"

Subaru: "Does that mean…"

Beatrice: "Indeed. I cannot ensure the safety of those who remain here, in fact. The isolated space would be torn apart, I suppose."

Subaru: "So our options are to go back and… kill our friends here… or stay and possibly die ourselves... while leaving our friends there behind…"

Beatrice: "That is an apt summation, I suppose..."

With no words left and the weight of the conversation anchoring him, Subaru went still as only the sound of his erratic breathing filled the room. Visions of all the relationships he had cultivated in the other world ravaged his mind. Before he knew it, tears slowly ran down his face and plunged to the floor. Try as he might to find a solution, no suitable options were forthcoming. The boy cursed his situation and, as he wept, slowly slumped onto the floor. Beatrice stood by without once looking at him while each sound rattled her with agony. It was as if a small lesion had formed on her heart and every wail from Subaru was exacerbating the suffering. The couple stayed together in their individual torments for some time and eventually the moonlight began to cascade through the windows. Beatrice turned Adella away when she came to offer dinner and tried to coax Subaru into the bed. She was met with lifeless eyes as her exhausted contractor had neither tears nor motivation left. These were not the eyes of her boyfriend, Beatrice thought. They lacked the warm-heartedness and tenacity that had afforded her both comfort and support. Not allowing herself the luxury of pity, the defeated spirit used all her strength to pull him into the bed before laying near him with her back toward him. Beatrice maintained her composure but refused to sleep until she heard Subaru's breathing soften and felt his muscles relax. Surmising that he had found some semblance of peace, Beatrice wrapped her arms around herself as her own emotions came boiling forward. Suppressing her whimpers, she began to bawl into her hands while she lamented the pain that she had inadvertently inflicted on the boy she loved most. Her frame curled forward as she wished that she could disappear and calm Subaru's consternation. As Beatrice cowered on the fringe of despair, an unexpected warmth engulfed her mid-section. Was this her wish manifested perhaps? Removing her hands from her eyes, she was abruptly pulled backwards by what she soon recognized as Subaru's forearm. Unbeknownst to her, the boy had turned to face her from behind and drew her into an embrace. Beatrice instinctively tried to pull away but Subaru would not relent. Instead, he fervently tried to decrease the space between them. The small spirit sniveled as the boy nuzzled his face into her neck and lovingly shushed her while tightening his clutch. Subaru held Beatrice until she could no longer sob and the resonation of two heartbeats slowly filled her with ease. With that, her anxiety was momentarily assuaged which gave way to weariness. Without words, the couple agreed to defer any penance until they could properly understand one another. For Beatrice, the loving warmth she felt from Subaru was more than she felt deserving of. Yet, squeezing his hand with her own, she drifted off to sleep with tomorrow's tribulations at the forefront of her mind.

Chapter 22 End