Chapter 45: Genny's Parents
AN: Hey everyone! Another chapter is ready for you. It's been awhile, I know, so I tried to make this a bit longer than the last couple of chapters.
I hope you enjoy it and I'll get working on the next one right away!
***I don't own anything in this story, so please don't sue me.***
Samantha was lying face up on some kind of beach. She could feel sand and the skies were a bit cloudy, but they were clear, for the most part.
'Fuck…I can't move…' She thought to herself as she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. 'That really hurt…my whole body hurts…'
"Oy! Are you hurt?" A stranger with a thick accent spoke towards her. Samantha couldn't move a muscle or even look at him. She winced and inhaled sharply before speaking.
"Well…I can't move…I am in a great deal of pain…I don't know where I am…but…you know, aside from that…I'm fine."
"Right. How about I give you a ride home?" The man questioned followed by a bark. He walked towards her and Samantha saw him. He was a short fellow with brown hair and a thick brown beard.
"Who are you?"
"Name's Dirk. Up you go." He pulled the princess and, to her surprise, he was quite strong. He picked her up and put her inside a wheelbarrow he was pushing. She was then able to see an animal standing near him. The animal had white and green fur and incredibly large ears.
"Noishe, let's take her home." The man instructed and Noishe slowly walked behind the stranger. Though Samantha was powerless to stop him, she felt bad that he was pushing her towards the town. "We can stop in town if you like. My son should be arriving soon. I'm sure he can tend to your wounds. Otherwise, I live in a small house just beyond that town. I can provide you with food and shelter if you need a few days to recover."
"Why are you being so nice to me? Forgive me, but you don't even know who I am."
"Dwarven vow number two-"
"Never abandon someone in need." Samantha finished his sentence.
"You're a dwarf?" He asked.
"My…my mom taught me…a lot when I was younger." Samantha smiled as she was thrilled that she remembered that fact. She knew there was a lot for her to remember, but right now, the little memories were worth celebrating.
"You have pointed ears. Are you a half elf?"
"No. Well…I don't know." Samantha admitted. Dirk thought it best to leave it at that as they walked into town. Many of the townsfolk stared, but no one approached the princess.
"There goes Dirk. Bringing in another one of those half-elves in our town…" One woman muttered.
"Filthy half-elf…" A man quietly remarked under his breath. The words of these strangers were actually hurting the princess more than her injuries. A man approached the two of them and he folded his arms.
"Why are you bringing this…this…creature into our fair town?"
"She is in need of help. I won't turn a blind eye to someone in need. Ever." Dirk replied with a stern tone. Though he was quite shorter than the other man, the taller man seemed intimidated by the dwarf. "You may be the mayor, but you don't scare me." And with that he pushed the wheelbarrow, along with the princess towards his home. "Sorry about that." Dirk apologized.
"Everyone seems to be afraid of you in town. Are you, like, some kind of super dwarf or something?" Dirk chuckled as he pushed the wheelbarrow.
"No. I'm just a friendly fellow. Looks like you'll be staying at my home. I hope you don't mind company."
"It's not a problem. Thank you for having me. I'll repay you somehow."
"Ah…" Dirk shook his head. "Just be sure to pay it forward. There are two beds upstairs. I suppose you could take one and they could take the other."
"They?" Samantha asked, but she felt a bump as she grunted by the sudden discomfort. She felt another bump a few seconds later and she saw a house less than twenty yards away.
"Hi Dirk." A feminine voice chirped from a distance where Samantha couldn't see who said it.
"Give me a hand. We've got another guest." He set the wheelbarrow down and a female walked up to the wheelbarrow. Samantha gasped as she immediately recognized Serena.
"Sam?" Serena asked.
"Hi." Samantha replied.
"You two know each other?" Dirk asked.
"My girlfriend is her sister. Speaking of, you…haven't seen her….have you?"
"I thought she was with you. Wait! Where's Genny? Genny!" Samantha called out, but she was unable to move.
"Ssshhh! Genny's sleeping. What happened to you?" Serena hushed the princess.
"Let's go inside and then she can tell us." Dirk suggested as he picked up an arm. "Grab her other arm." Serena complied and helped Samantha to her feet. The two of them brought Samantha inside and helped her down on the couch. "Now. What can you tell us about your circumstances?"
"I got into a fight with my husband and it was a pretty nasty fight."
"You and Marcus got into a fight?" Serena asked.
"He was purple…like…it wasn't him. It looked like him, but it wasn't him. He pulled a gun and was going to shoot someone, but I pushed them out of the way before tumbling through a red door and waking up on a beach not far from here. What are you doing here?"
"I'm…uh…looking for someone." Serena scratched the back of her head.
"Who?"
"No one important." Serena's eyes darted away from the princess.
"Dwarven vow number eleven: lying is the first step down the path of thievery." Samantha stated. "Who are you looking for?"
"…Raine Sage. She was supposed to be in this town, but I can't find her and if it's not her…" Serena closed her eyes and held her breath for a second. "…well…let's just hope it's her."
"Don't leave yet." Samantha requested. "Give me…nngh…give me some time to recover. I want to go with you."
"You'll come with us? Are you serious?"
"We look for my sister. Then we search for Raine. Besides, this will give me a chance to get to know you." Serena nodded and Dirk walked away.
"Let me call my boy. His wife can help a bit. She's no Raine Sage, but she knows far more than I."
"Thank you…um…you said your name was Dirk?" He nodded his head and walked towards a phone. Samantha closed her eyes. She quickly fell asleep and she was once again, dreaming of an event from her past. She was about to fight her mother and she approached the stage. Zelda walked up to her and kissed her forehead before embracing her daughter.
"You mother and I love you so much. I speak on behalf of her when I say we're so very, very proud of you." Her words warmed the princess' heart. "Now, go beat her or don't come home." Zelda said jokingly. A great big smile spread across her face as she giggled and she stepped towards Samus.
'Marcus proposed to me a couple hours later. Best. Day. Ever.' Samantha's eyes watered as she watched on. Suddenly, everything seemed to shake and the princess looked around.
"…sam? Sam…wake up…" A feint voice called out. Samantha sniffled once and opened her eyes to see Serena looking down at her.
"…hey…" She weakly said and stretched as much as she could.
"Colette is here. She wants you awake so she can-" A yelp was heard followed by the impact of falling onto Samantha's torso. She clenched her teeth and groaned in pain.
"I'm sorry!" The girl stated before she stood up once more. She had golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Her clothes consisted of a white shirt with light blue trim, black leggings, and white leather boots with gold buttons on both sides of her boots.
"Colette…" The man shook his head. This wasn't Dirk who spoke. His voice was strong, but there was no accent on his voice. The man had messy brown hair, a red jacket with silver buttons along the front of his shirt and his sleeves, black pants with a brown belt, and red boots.
"Sorry…" She apologized once more and helped the princess to a sitting stance. "I…my name is Colette. I know who you are! Princess of Hyrule!" She spoke with confidence.
"Colette…I mean, Ms. Brunel." Samantha corrected herself as Colette helped her up.
"Well, it's Mrs. Irving now. I got married!" She squealed with excitement.
"I have another surprise for you." Serena smiled and almost ran upstairs. "You should probably brace yourself. This might hurt." Samantha already knew what the surprise was going to be; Genny was asleep when she arrived and now, Serena was heading upstairs to go bring the little laguz girl to her. "Genny. Genny! I have a surprise for you."
"What is it?" The little girl asked. Hearing her voice made Samantha's heart melt. She couldn't wait to see the smile on that little girl's face. Serena carried the girl downstairs and the moment their eyes connected, Genny smiled and squirmed in Serena's arms.
"SAM!" She almost screamed in joy. Serena let her go and she flew as quickly as she could into Samantha's arms.
"Genny…sweet, little, Genny…I missed you so much."
"I thought you left me…" Genny said as her smile disappeared.
"I would never leave you on purpose. But I'm here now. And I'm never, ever, ever, going to leave you again. I pinky promise and swear I'll never leave you." Genny giggled and remained in the loving embrace of her former guardian. "How is the search going for her parents?"
"I've been looking for Raine. I…sort of haven't been…"
"Ok. That's quite alright. Let's stick to the-ah!" Samantha winced in pain.
"Oh no! You're hurt…" Genny began crying.
"Don't cry, honey. I'm…a little banged up, but I'm ok. I have you and Serena with me. Colette is going to take care of me and get me on my feet at least."
"You'll be back on your feet in no time." Colette smiled. "But, I really should keep working…and she's kind of-"
"Genny, can you sit here?" Samantha patted a place next to her. Genny didn't want to let go. "Please, Genny?" Genny reluctantly moved, but she held out her hand and Samantha held the little girl's hand while Colette was using the tactics she learned from Raine. Samantha looked over towards the stairs where Dirk and the other man Samantha knew to be Lloyd Irving were speaking. They were talking quiet enough where Samantha couldn't hear what was being said, but she had hoped to gain some insight to the whereabouts of Raine.
"I really wish Raine were here. She didn't meet us in Altamira like we said we would." Colette shook her head as she finished wrapping Samantha's legs. "I…I think that's the best I can do." Samantha stood up; with the help of Serena and Colette. She was a bit wobbly, but she remained standing. "I did it!" Colette exclaimed with joy.
"So, you were planning on going to Altamira?" Samantha asked. "I don't suppose you could take us with you." Colette turned to Lloyd and waited for him to finish speaking with Dirk. He noted that everyone was looking at him, so he approached the group.
"Samantha has her legs again? Great! We should really be getting back."
"Lloyd…if it's alright with you. Would you mind taking us to Altamira? We…I'd like to have a word with…um…"
"Regal?" He asked and she nodded her head. "The rheards we have aren't equipped to carry more than one person…" He scratched his head. "If you want, you can wait in Iselia with-"
"No. I hate the guy who is mayor of that town." Samantha glared at Lloyd.
"Oh, come on he's-"
"He called me a creature and the people in town referred to me as a half-elf." Lloyd looked concerned and sighed.
"Alright. Wait here. We'll come back for you in a day or two. We've got some…ah…business to take care of."
"What kind of business?"
"It's personal." Samantha nodded and remained quiet. "If she can stand…can she walk?" Samantha walked towards the steps and back to the couch to sit down.
"It hurts a little, but I'm good." Samantha smiled.
"Alright. Dad, is it alright if they stay here for another day or two?"
"I'll be fine. Everything will work out just fine. Dwarven vow number seven-"
"Oh no." Lloyd held up a hand. "First off, I wasn't aware that you knew dwarven vows. And second, don't say it. Do not say it."
"But it's my favorite vow. Mom used to tell me that one every night so I'd have sweet dreams when I was Genny's age."
"…seriously?" Lloyd smirked.
"What's dwarven vow number seven?" Serena asked. Despite Lloyd insisting Samantha not say it, she went ahead and said it loud and proud.
"Justice and love will always win!" Samantha cried out followed by a hearty laugh. Lloyd sighed with frustration.
"Look, just stay here. We'll come back for you. Feel free to walk around. In fact, Sam…I'd recommend it. Stretch those legs of yours, but stay around the house. I think Iselia is a bit far for now. Regal has some kind of special equipment that will help you."
"He runs the Lezareno Company, right?"
"That's right." Lloyd nodded. "His company supplies most of the equipment for the tournament."
"Lloyd…" Colette quietly uttered. "We have to return."
"Right." The two walked towards the door. "Don't get into any trouble and stay by the house." Lloyd repeated and the couple left the house. Samantha slowly walked towards the door as Genny flapped her wings next to her.
"Where you going?" Genny asked.
"Just outside. Want to come?" Genny nodded her head eagerly and the two went outside. Samantha saw Lloyd and Colette taking off before she looked around.
"Doggie!" Genny waved to Noishe and the dog approached the two of them. He licked Genny and she flew onto his back and sat down.
"Sam! Look!" She hopped up and down and Noishe began walking around the side of the house. "Weeee!" Genny cheered and Samantha slowly followed her around the side of the house. Once she made it, she saw a tombstone and behind that, a red door.
'No. Not again.' Samantha shook her head and gulped hard.
"So, you found Anna's resting place, have you?" Dirk quietly said behind her. Samantha turned and saw Dirk standing there. "Lloyd's mother."
"Do you know about expheres?" He asked. Samantha shook her head and he nodded. "Well…let's not get into it." Dirk added. "Anna was a wonderful mother."
"Do you miss her? Your wife, I mean?" Samantha asked. "I…recently fought against my husband. I'm holding out…hoping that some kind of miracle will happen. But…after what happened…I don't know."
"It will all work out, child. Your husband…is that Marcus your husband?" Samantha nodded. "As long as you hold him dear to your heart, he's never really gone. Dwarven vow number one. Let's all work together for a peaceful world."
"Thank you, Dirk." Samantha smiled at the man.
"I'll get started on dinner. I think I've got enough fish for four tonight."
"Thank you for everything, Dirk. You didn't know who I was and to open your home to a complete stranger…I can never repay you for your kindness."
"You have a heart of gold. That child cares for you and you have the respect of many people. My son included. You're alright in my book." Dirk walked towards the house to start preparing dinner.
"Genny, come on." Samantha called out. Genny flew off of Noishe's back and flew next to Samantha.
"Bye bye doggie!" Genny waved and Noishe returned to his doghouse. Samantha began walking towards the house after Noishe left them.
'Samantha…' A voice called out and she turned around.
"…um…h-hel-hello?" She quietly called out, but received no response.
'Through that door…happiness awaits on the other side.'
"Happi…what?" She quietly questioned as she looked around again.
"Sam?" Genny asked and the fire fox pokémon Serena had appeared around the side.
"Sam, everything ok?" Serena asked.
"Do you…is there anyone else here?" Samantha asked.
"No. It's just Dirk, Genny, my pokémon, and myself. And you, now that you're here."
"I hear a voice. A voice that's telling me to go through that door." Samantha pointed to the red door behind Anna's tombstone.
"Another one? Uh uh." Serena shook her head. "We've had some bad experiences-"
"Serena, I need this. Happiness awaits if we go through it…that's what the voice said." Serena looked uneasy and worried.
"How hard did your husband beat you?" Serena questioned.
"I'm serious. Please." Samantha begged.
"I don't know." Serena rubbed the back of her neck.
"Serena…" The pokémon trainer looked up at the princess. "Do you trust me?" Serena hesitated for a minute and looked at her first pokémon.
"Braixen, brai…" Braixen whimpered, but Serena smiled and nodded.
"Yes. I trust Virginia and therefore, I will trust you too. Let me go tell Dirk we're leaving so he doesn't make too much food." Serena ran inside to inform the man of their departure.
"So you're her pokémon, huh?" Samantha asked and Braixen stood tall and proud. The last time she saw this fire pokémon, she looked absolutely gorgeous. In person, her fur looked like silk. "Oh my God, you are so pretty." Samantha smiled and Braixen chirped with approval. Serena returned and she smiled.
"Alright, we're good to go. Lead the way." Samantha walked towards the door and gently pushed it opened and walked through. She managed to walk towards another red door and she carefully opened it to walk out. The group now appeared in a forest somewhere.
"Where are we?" Serena asked.
"I don't know." Samantha shrugged.
"You said happiness awaits if we walked through…I don't feel happier."
"Well…let's give it time. We just got here and…" she trailed off as she saw a purple Lucina walking in a direction. "…oh shit." She barely uttered. "Let's keep our distance, but let's tail her."
"Mmmm…." Genny began flying in a different direction than the one Lucina was walking.
"Genny!" Serena called out, but Samantha quickly placed a hand over her mouth and knelt down; quietly wincing in pain as they hid behind a tree. Lucina turned around, but she didn't see anything worth her attention. She turned back and continued walking away from them.
"Don't say anything." Samantha whispered. "We'll go get Genny and then tail her. But don't yell. She'll kill us if she finds us." With her mouth covered, Serena nodded as Samantha removed her hand and they looked over to see Genny still flying towards some kind of sweet smelling aroma. It smelled like freshly made cinnamon rolls and both girls were practically salivating at the aroma.
"That smells so good…" Serena smiled and Samantha's stomach gargled.
"We'll go get Genny, buy a cinnamon roll…or two…and then we'll tail her." Samantha said as she slowly got up. They began walking carefully towards Genny.
"Almost there. I think I see a small town just ahead." Serena whispered as Braixen tiptoed behind her.
Snap!
Samantha froze and looked down as she stepped on a decent sized stick. Lucina turned around once more and there was no hiding now.
"Serena! Grab Genny and run!" Samantha called out while slowly hobbling towards them. Serena sprinted and grabbed Genny before bolting towards the village. Samantha managed to clear the forest and she saw a few huts, a gardening area, and a dozen people. Though she tried to run, her legs wouldn't cooperate and she felt a sharp hit to her left shoulder blade. She grunted in pain and tumbled down to the ground. Lucina kicked her and pushed her away from the Ylissean princess with her foot.
"Fuck, come on. Lucina, please don't." Samantha begged, but before she could hit the finishing blow, there was a small explosion that connected with her face. Samantha looked and saw Serena and Braixen were ready to fight.
"Braixen, use flamethrower!" Serena ordered. Braixen complied with an exceptionally hot flamethrower which missed the Ylissean princess. Lucina charged the fire fox and slammed her shoulder into her chest which knocked Braixen back.
"Can you still fight?" Serena asked and with only one shot, Braixen was injured. Her ankle was seriously messed up and she whimpered in pain. Lucina measured her attack and was prepared to land the finishing blow on Serena's pokémon.
"Hey." A female's voice called out. Samantha looked over and though the individual was upside down, she could easily tell it was the chief of Mizuho, Sheena Fujibayashi.
"Lucina…" Sheena spoke quietly while her hands trembled, but she swallowed hard and took a fighting pose. "Last time, I was too scared to fight. This time…please leave. You know we have rules about outsiders. Leave now, or I will be forced to remove you." Lucina raised her blade and Sheena closed her eyes.
"Damn it, Lucina." Sheena cursed under her breath. "I'm sorry it has come to this, but know that I will always love you. Hana will live a full life. I promise to forever speak highly of you." She tossed a smoke pellet to the ground and shrouded herself in smoke. She then appeared to Lucina's right. And then her left, a third appeared behind her. Pretty soon there were a dozen ninjas; all bearing Sheena's identity stood around her. Lucina's expression didn't change as the ninja behind her charged, Lucina turned around and was prepared to block the attack when one last Sheena appeared from the smoke; this one, however, was holding a small dagger and was obviously the real one. Lucina swung her sword, but it passed right through her. Lucina had no time to react as the real Sheena plunged the dagger deep into her back. Tears streamed down the ninja's face as she knew she had just killed her wife. The woman she promised to spend her life with was now gone. A bright light shone and everyone had covered their eyes, except Sheena who had her eyes tightly shut while crying. Lucina returned to the appearance of a trophy. Sheena sniffled and dropped the dagger before approaching Samantha.
"Don't kill us. We'll leave." Serena stated.
"I'm not kicking you out. I had a run in with her earlier. I'm just…I've become a single mother…" She rubbed her eyes and sniffled. "Fuck, man…this is tough."
"Hey Serena. Can you…nngh…get over here? Let's try lifting this thing."
"Lift it?"
"Yeah. Doesn't it…kind of look like a trophy or something? Let's move it to Sheena's room and she can decide what to do with it from there."
"What about Braixen? And you?" She asked with concern.
"My mom was a badass bounty hunter. I've been through hell…this is nothing." She dismissed it and crawled towards the trophy. "Come on, I'll…" She lightly grunted. "We can do this." Using the trophy as a helper, Samantha managed to return to her feet and Serena looked at her pokémon.
"Braixen, wait in here until we get somewhere safe, alright?" Serena held up her poké ball and returned her friend to her ball. She then walked over to the trophy and guided it towards her so Serena was holding the head.
"What are you doing?" Sheena asked before sniffling.
"We can't leave her here. We'll bring her to your room and you can decide what to-" Samantha tapped the base with her fingers and another white glow occurred. Everyone shielded their eyes once more and once the glowing stopped Lucina returned to life. Except this time, she was no longer purple. Her hair and eyes were a beautiful dark blue. She looked around in a state of confusion.
"Where am I?" She quietly asked before noting Samantha on the ground. "Samantha! Did we win?"
"Win what?" Samantha asked as Lucina offered a hand. "Stay away from me." She tried backing away from her.
"What is wrong? I am trying to help you." Samantha realized this was the real Lucina.
"I killed you…how are you still standing?" Sheena questioned as Lucina turned around and gasped. Lucina slowly approached the crying ninja. She wrapped her arms around her wife and passionately kissed her. After coming to the realization that this was indeed her wife, she rested her head on her shoulder and began crying while Lucina held her close.
"What are you doing in Ylisstol?" She quietly asked the ninja.
"So we're in Ylisstol?" Samantha stated with uncertainty. This didn't look like Ylisstol and Chrom, Emmeryn, Lissa, and Robin weren't anywhere to be seen.
"Ylisstol?" Sheena sniffled and wiped her nose. "I'm not in Ylisstol. You're in Mizuho."
"Mizuho?! How…how did I get here?"
"…are you serious?" Sheena asked with her red eyes.
"The last thing I remember…you were going to get shot by your mother. I…I did what I thought was necessary." Samantha's heart sank as she recalled the emotions her mother and father had as they mourned the loss of their daughter. "I…Sheena, Samantha…" Lucina turned to Serena. However, the two of them hadn't properly met so she had no idea what her name was. "…girl."
"I have a name!" Serena protested.
"…was I close?" Lucina asked and Sheena began laughing.
"That's my Luci!" Sheena kissed her cheek once more and wiped away her tears.
"So, we're in Mizuho." Samantha looked around. "I've…I've never been here."
"It's a small village. Give us twenty minutes and we could pack this place up and you'd never have known we were here." Sheena spoke with pride.
"Alright, help me up. We've got to find a couple people." Samantha had a hand up and Sheena and Lucina both assisted in helping the Hylian princess to her feet. The other villagers circled the group and quietly murmured amongst each other.
"Hey look, a vaporeon." Samantha pointed out. Serena examined the young pokémon and squinted.
"…Aqua?" She asked and she turned to Serena. She chirped with joy and ran towards Serena. "It is you."
"Who's Aqua?" Samantha asked. "Sheena, you have pokémon?"
"No. That's-"
"Sam?" Virginia asked with a soft tone. Samantha turned her head to see the younger princess of Hyrule. In the moment, it was as if time stood still. She wanted to find her sister and the world seemed to stand still. The sisters of Hyrule were finally together once again.
"Ginny." She quietly said with a smile as the younger sister approached her. She looked her sister up and down; worried about her condition.
"What happened to you? You look horrible."
"Thanks. You look nice, too." Samantha smirked.
"Virginia…" She turned to see her recent ex-girlfriend standing to the side. Her eyes water and she turned around. "Look, I know you're mad at me, but please…Braixen's hurt." She brought out her pokémon and Braixen was still clutching her ankle. Virginia turned back around rushed to the pokémon's side.
"What happened?" Virginia knelt down to examine her ankle.
"We tried protecting your sister. Lucinia…um…I mean the evil Lucina…she attacked and I think Braixen pulled a muscle or something." Virginia began running tests on what she could feel and she looked up.
"Could be a sprain…or maybe a fracture. Hopefully it's just a minor sprain… but I'll need x-rays to determine what to do next."
"Then we'll go to Altamira." A voice chimed in and made her way through the crowd. This time, it was Raine Sage.
"Doc!" Samantha exclaimed. "This is great! We need some help with a whole lot of stuff. First off, there's this book that we need you to look at."
"A book?" Raine raised an eyebrow.
"There's a phrase I-" Virginia began patting her chest and then her pockets. "Oh no. No, no, no no, no!" She yelled.
"What?" Samantha asked.
"There was a phrase I wrote down. I needed it translated. I don't have the book and-"
"It's right here." Serena hoisted the book out of her bag and handed it to Raine.
"Thank you, Serena." Virginia said quickly before turning her attention to Raine. "Can you decipher this book? I think it may lead to the answers we are looking for in regards to everyone turning into monsters and people killing other people." Raine spent a few minutes flipping through the book and examining the pages.
"I'm afraid I don't recognize the words." Raine closed the book and handed it back to Serena. Virginia sank her head in disappointment.
"Virginia…can…can we talk? In private, I mean?" Serena asked while Virginia was doing her best to tend to Braixen's hurt ankle.
"Raine, can you please help my sister?" Virginia requested while she worked on rubbing some ointment on Braixen's ankle. Raine observed Samantha's bruises and turned to Sheena.
"I need a private hut for her."
"Why?" Sheena questioned. Raine didn't respond, but she quickly nodded and left to find a private place for her and Samantha to be in. "Virginia, I'm taking Samantha to a small area. Do not leave this village." Raine and Lucina helped escort Samantha towards where Sheena was and the people all dispersed now that there wasn't anything exciting occurring. The only ones that remained were Virginia, Serena, Genny, Aqua, and Braixen. Aqua approached Braixen and licked her cheek before whimpering.
"Virginia-"
"Don't." Virginia said with a cold manner. "You made your point. No matter how I feel, you obviously don't feel the same way."
"Virginia-"
"Just drop it. I'll help you out and then, you'll never see me again." Virginia huffed as Aqua approached the princess.
"Hi!" Genny floated down to the ground and Aqua smiled. She got behind Genny and began pushing her.
"Do you want Genny to play with your siblings?" Virginia asked. Aqua chirped and Virginia nodded.
"Genny, do you want to play with Aqua?"
"Uh huh!" She nodded her head.
"Alright you two, don't go too far and stay with the others." Genny clapped her hands and began flying behind Aqua who ran off away from her trainer.
"Please…I made a mistake. I'm sorry." Serena apologized. "I didn't-"
"You know what the crazy thing is?" Virginia asked with anger and turned her attention to Serena once more. "No matter what I'm trying to do, I can't seem to forget you. You broke my heart, and yet…I will always love you, Serena. You hurt me so deeply…I-"
"Yes." Serena said quietly. "The answer is yes."
"What answer?"
"If you were to ask me…y-you know…" Serena stated. Virginia knew what she was referring to and she gulped hard.
"I was ring shopping. Misty and I were looking at rings and I wanted to buy you a ring before proposing. But I couldn't afford the fancy ones. But I want to marry you. I want you to be more than my girlfriend. I want to spend a lifetime with you…make memories together and grow old with you. But I can't afford that and here I am embarrassing myself and-"
"Ask me." Serena said. "Ask me." Virginia gulped hard and looked at her.
"But the ring-"
"Just. Ask." Serena said slowly with a smile. She bit her bottom lip and looked up. She was scared to be vulnerable once more, but she trusted Serena. She wouldn't hurt her again, would she?
"Serena Alice Yvonne…will you marry me?" Serena moved closer to her and kissed Virginia.
"Yes." That one word made everything better in Virginia's life. Sure, she was no closer to finding out what language that book was in, chaos still ensued throughout the world, and the world's a complete mess. But in this one moment, this one instant, everything felt right.
"Serena…"
"I guess that makes me your fiancé, right?" Serena smiled. "But…can I keep my last name? I'd really like to keep it."
"I won't force you to change it if you don't want to. My parents didn't so I see no reason why we can't keep our last names." Virginia snuggled in Serena's arms. "I have a fiancé!" The princess squealed with excitement.
"I caught me a princess! How about that?" Serena smiled before Virginia broke the hug and continued to try and help Braixen's ankle feel better. Meanwhile, Raine, Lucina, and Samantha were trailing behind Sheena as she searched for an empty hut.
"I think this one is empty." Sheena knocked and there was no response. She opened the door and checked inside. "Yup. It's all empty." Lucina and Raine helped get Samantha into the room and seated on the bed.
"When we're done, we'll find you." Raine stated and Lucina followed Sheena out and left the two women alone.
"Where's Genis?" Samantha asked.
"He went with Emil and Marta to Altamira. We're supposed to be peacekeepers for a special meeting."
"What kind of meeting?"
"The kind that isn't your business. Clothes off."
"What?" Samantha exclaimed.
"Samantha, I am your doctor. This is merely professional and I will handle it as such. Your body is coated in welts and bruises. I need to see the extent of that. Clothes. Off." She repeated the phrase once more. Samantha slowly removed her clothes until she was completely naked and, to her, it was a bit weird. Not that Raine was examining her. She was her doctor since she was a little girl. It was weird that this wasn't a doctor's office and she felt uncomfortable. Samantha was now completely naked and Raine set down a towel on the bed nearby.
"Have a seat." Samantha complied and sat down while Raine looked at her body.
"Welts up both legs…raise your arms." Samantha did as she was told and Raine gently put her hand on her ribs and slowly moved in up; Samantha gasped sharply and held her breath as she examined her.
"Bruises along the stomach and chest area…" She murmured to herself as she examined her arms. "Legs up." Samantha complied and Raine examined her feet. She grabbed the princess' feet and Samantha pulled her leg back, giggling.
"Really?" Raine smiled at her.
"I'm ticklish. What of it?" Samantha allowed Raine to examine her feet and Raine continued her examination. A few minutes passed and she began examining Samantha's upper chest and neck.
"Scratches on the neck…so you received it like…" she slowly motioned the attack like she had claws and was in the process of scratching her. "Stand up and turn around." Samantha did so and rain examined her back and the back of her legs.
"More scratches…upper and lower. Welts on the shoulders, and buttocks. Alright. Get dressed and sit down. I've got just the thing." Samantha did as she was told and Raine grabbed some mixtures.
"I don't see blood loss, so there's a positive. At most, the medicine I have will have you completely healed late tonight…so long as you don't do anything stupid."
"Whatever you say, doc."
"Samantha…I'm serious. No training, no fighting, to battling, none of that! No exceptions." Samantha finished dressing and nodded.
"I got it." Raine finished a mixture and handed the bowl to the princess.
"Drink all of this. You'll drink another one before bed." It was halfway full and had a pink color to it similar to the color of Pepto-Bismol. There was no odor as she sniffed it and she took a large gulp before spitting it out.
"Drink it, don't spit it out."
"It's horrible." Samantha complained.
"It's essence of fairy. What did you expect it would taste like?"
"Maybe…sweet? Like…candy? Or sugar."
"Because fairies." Raine shook her head. "Please drink it. I'll make you-"
"Raine!" Sheena yelled and the professor sighed.
"In for a penny, in for a pound…" Raine walked towards the door and opened it. "Sheena, what…what happened? She's…pale." Samantha quickly downed the medicine; ignoring the poor taste just so she could see what was happening. She finished the drink and quickly walked to the door. Genny was in Sheena's arms with a pale skin color.
"Can you help her?"
"I'd need to get to Altamira. I don't have supplies to help her."
"I only have enough warp powder for four." Sheena whined.
"Take her." Samantha stated.
"Excuse me?" Raine and Sheena spoke in unison.
"Take Genny. We'll walk from here to…where are you going, again?"
"Altamira. Home of the Lezareno Company."
"Right. We'll start walking and meet you there. Just point us in the right direction and we'll start walking. It might be a day or two, but we'll get there."
"But…Altamira is on an island. You'll need a boat." Sheena stated. "And you don't even know which way it is." Samantha paused for a moment and realized that she might not have thought this through.
"We'll find a way there. Go!" Samantha ordered and Raine grabbed her bag.
"Southwest from our location. Look for an amusement park." Raine said before Lucina returned with a small bag.
"So…do we just-" Lucina reached in the bag.
"Stop!" Sheena yelled. "There's just enough for four of us. Don't waste any of it!" She yelled and Lucina pulled her hand back. "Lucina, take her." She handed the Ylissean princess the small laguz girl and took the bag.
"Safe travels, Samantha." A yellow glow surrounded the group and they were gone in a flash.
"Southeast." Samantha repeated and went to go find her sister and Serena.
"Sam!" Virginia cried out with excitement. "Guess what? Serena and I-"
"We're leaving."
"What?" Virginia asked with surprise. "I can't leave Serena!"
"She's coming with us. Genny's with Sheena and Raine. They took off to Altamira and we're doing the same. We're leaving."
"A-Alright." Virginia responded and quickly ran to get her girlfriend and her pokémon friends. The trio quickly met up and Virginia's pokémon followed her out.
"Where are we going?" Serena asked.
"Do either of you know what happened?" Samantha asked.
"We saw a guy…the same guy. You know." She turned to Serena. "The one who came to attack me at your house."
"What's was his name? Gavin? Galon?"
"Gannon?" Samantha asked.
"Yeah!" Serena exclaimed. "He as trying to hit Virginia and I pushed her out of the way. I thought it missed, but…" Serena looked down.
"You didn't know." Virginia reassured her. "But for now, let's get to-"
"Where is she?" The same voice Virginia recognized spoke up and she yelped.
"What was that?" Samantha asked and Virginia hid behind her.
"You heard it, right? I'm not crazy, right? I-"
"Virginia, I can't fight." Samantha said.
"Pancham, Sylveon! Help us out!" Serena tossed her poké balls out and two pokémon appeared; ready to fight…whatever was out there. Gulping hard, Virginia called upon her friends and the eevee sisters as well as K-9 appeared and were ready to fight. There was a quick movement to the side and Samantha was pinned against a tree. The strange woman had her hand around Samantha's neck.
"Any one moves, and I crush her larynx." She warned in a calm, stern manner.
"Let her go…please." Virginia begged.
"Where is she?"
"Who?" Serena asked.
"The little girl. We're taking her home."
"Where is home?" Virginia asked. Before the woman can answer, Samantha began laughing.
"Why are you laughing?" the woman asked as her grip closed ever so slightly.
"You kill me, you'll never find her." Samantha smiled. "I'll tell you…if you agree to a deal."
"You're bargaining? You have no level."
"You're looking for a girl named Genny, right? I know where she is. They don't. So, yeah…I have all the pieces. Make a deal with me, or you never see her again." She thought for a minute before glaring at her.
"You want money? Fine. Fifty thousand gold."
"No."
One hundred thousand."
"No, I-"
"Damn it, you're lying to me!" She yelled and closed her grip. This time, Samantha struggled to breath and her face was turning blue.
"Stop it! Please! Stop!" Virginia begged as K-9 charged towards the woman. She kicked K-9 with her boot and he whimpered back towards Virginia. Zap and aqua were about to charge, but Torch barked at them and they stood behind her. A flash a light connected with the woman's cheek and she let go of Samantha. Standing in front of her was a woman with green hair and white clothing.
"B, that's enough." The green haired woman said. "Let's hear her out."
"Are you serious?!" She exclaimed.
"Why are you being nice to this…human?" The young girl asked. Saying the last word with such disdain, it was obvious that she was disgusted by the term.
"Viridi." She turned her head and scolded the young woman before walking towards Samantha.
"Leave her alone!" Virginia yelled, but the green haired woman knelt down in front of her.
"Are you hurt?"
"Make a deal with me or you'll never see that kid again." Samantha spoke with a serious voice.
"What do you want?" The green haired woman asked.
"Take the three of us to Altamira. Then I will lead you to that girl."
"Is that it?" She questioned.
"I also want to know your names and what is she to you."
"Fuck. You." The taller black haired woman said.
"B, please…it's not unreasonable. My name is Palutena. And she…" Palutena pointed to the taller woman. "…is Bayonetta."
"Our relationship with her is none of your business." Bayonetta spoke sternly.
"Let's find her first, and we'll tell you everything." Palutena stated. "So, a trip to Altamira. That's…which way?"
"Southeast. Look for the giant Ferris Wheel." Samantha stated. Palutena flew up towards the sky to look around.
"I see it. It's quite a ways, but…" She waved a hand and she quickly returned to the ground. "All set. Ready?"
"Just like that?" Samantha asked with disbelief. Palutena waved her hand once more and a portal appeared. They were in front of some kind of major building.
"I don't…where's the ferris wheel?" Samantha asked and she felt a hard shove from behind her. Samantha went tumbling through followed by Bayonetta.
"Sam!" Virginia exclaimed and quickly ran through the portal before Serena jumped through Lastly, Palutena stepped through and it closed after they all passed through.
"So where is she?" Bayonetta asked.
"Why do you want to kill her?" Virginia blurted out. "She's just a child! Don't kill her…please?"
"Kill her? What makes you think we want to kill her?" Bayonetta scoffed. "You're dumber than I imagined you to be."
"Bay!" Palutena yelled. And the two women began arguing while Samantha looked around.
"Let's check in here." Samantha led her sister and Serena into the giant building and up to the receptionist.
"Hello! What can I-"
"Listen, we need to see Raine Sage. I believe she's here."
"Ah, yes. Raine is in the lab with a young girl. Mr. Bryant is upstairs with-"
"Can I speak with Raine?"
"Unfortunately, no. She asked to be alone at the moment."
"Then let me speak with…Mr. Bryant, was it?"
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
"What floor is he on?"
"The fifteenth floor, but-"
"Thank you." Samantha walked towards the elevator and pushed a button and the doors opened and all three girls entered.
"I'm afraid I can't allow you to do such a thing." The woman rushed to stop her, but the doors shut before she could stop them.
"You're going to get us arrested." Virginia huffed.
"We'll be fine. Besides, now we can get away from those two and make a plan."
"What plan? Braixen is still hurt, Genny's sick, we have no leads…and where are her parents? We have no idea."
"We'll figure it out." The bell dinged and the doors opened. The floor looked like a business floor level with board rooms and a recreation center. She walked around a corner and saw a board room with a velvet rope in front of the door. A sign in front of the door read:
PRIVATE MEETING!
DO NOT DISTURB!
"Private club?" Samantha asked.
"Hey you!" One man said. "You can't go in there?"
"Is Mr. Bryant in there?"
"Well, yeah. But-" That was all the motivation she needed to open the doors and walked in.
"Mr. Bryant, I'd like to have a word wi-" She paused and looked around the room. She saw Lloyd and Colette, along with the royal families of neighboring countries. Ylisstol, Nohr, and Hoshido were all here; talking, laughing, and discussing amongst each other. They all looked up at the princess.
"Young lady…" A blue haired man stood up at the end of the table. "This is a private meeting. I'm afraid I must ask you-"
"Oh, come now, Duke Bryant. Samantha is an exception. She can represent her home. Join us, please." Kagero smiled.
"Samantha?" Regal asked before looking over the young girl. "The young Hylian princess…please forgive me."
"What are you doing here?" Elise asked. "We're talking about what we should do."
"We should've attacked." Takumi stated. "Ryoma wouldn't be dead. And-"
"We can't live in the past." Hinoka stated. "What's done is done. We can't change it and we must decide what to do now."
"You didn't support him when he needed you the most." Takumi glared at his sister.
"Shut your mouth, Takumi!" She yelled at him. In the corner was Robin, Chrom, and Lucina. Robin was sobbing her eyes out while hugging her daughter. Chrom just held her hand and smiled. Lucina was happy as well. Sheena sat nearby and let her bond with her family while Emmeryn was gazing out the window.
"Is Robin going to be ok?" Samantha questioned as she walked inside. Virginia and Serena quietly followed her in and looked around.
"This room is HUGE!" Serena exclaimed.
"How's Genny?" Samantha asked the blue haired man.
"Genny? Ah! You mean that young laguz girl Raine is taking care of. She's in the medical wing. I believe-" A knock at the door before the door gently opened. Raine entered the room, holding a quiet Genny. She looked up and smiled when she saw Samantha.
"Genny will be alright. A small dose of toxin, but it's been flushed out of her system. Thank you again, Regal."
"Of course. Now then, shall we-"
"Fuck you, Takumi!"
"No! Fuck you!" Takumi yelled back and Regal sighed.
"I think we'll call it a day." He stood up.
"I don't like everyone yelling." A short pink-haired girl spoke up with a young white-haired boy sitting next to her.
"Presea's right. All you do is argue. I'm sick and tired of it!"
"Genis-" Camilla began, but he stormed out with Presea quietly following him out. Raine handed Genny to Samantha and they took a seat in a couple empty chairs.
"The toxin injected in Genny wasn't native to Sylvarant or Tethe'alla. Do you know who attacked her?"
"Serena and Genny told me Gannon attacked them." Raine lightly growled.
"I see." She replied and Samantha looked down at Genny before tickling the young girl and receiving a giggle.
"As long as she takes it easy, she'll be fine. Which reminds me…speak to Regal about getting a room for yourself. And perhaps grab a room for your sister and her girlfriend."
"But what about the book? Maybe Regal can help me out. Or perhaps-"
"Regal would not be able to translate that book." Raine informed them and Samantha sighed.
"I need some air." She huffed and began leaving.
"Take the elevator to the top floor There's a garden and the view is beautiful." Samantha carried Genny to the elevator and along with Serena and Virginia, they entered the elevator and took it to the top floor. The doors opened and the four of them were greeted to a remarkably beautiful garden.
"Wow…" Genny gasped in awe. They walked around and saw a tombstone in the middle of the garden rooftop. They approached it and it read:
Alicia Combatir.
Friend and family
Forever in our hearts
"Alicia?" Samantha questioned before hearing the flap of wings behind her.
"You shouldn't have run away." The sultry British voice spoke up and Samantha closed her eyes and breathed slowly.
"What is your relationship to her?"
"Where is she?" Bayonetta stated, with a calm, yet stern tone.
"We kept our end of the deal…please keep yours." Palutena pleaded. Samantha slowly turned around and revealed Genny in her arms. Instead of acting scared, Genny gasped and smiled.
"Mommy!" She yelled and reached for the women.
"Little Bird!" Palutena rushed towards Samantha and carefully removed the child from the firstborn's arms. She hugged the girl tightly and gave her a flurry of kisses on each cheek.
"…you're her parents?" Samantha asked with surprise.
"That's right." Bayonetta pulled a gun from the side of her boot. "Now, it matters not what happens to-"
"Bayonetta, stop." Everyone except Palutena turned to see Regal and Raine at the elevator entrance. "Killing them would be a mistake."
"No one will miss them."
"Ask for their names." Regal said. "If you wish to kill them after that, then you live with the consequences." Bayonetta thought for a moment with the barrel of the gun pointed straight at Samantha's head.
"Fine. What are your names?"
"S-S-Ser…Serena. Serena Y-Yvonne." Serena nervously stated.
"Sam McCloud." Samantha replied with a calm manner.
"V-Vir…Virginia. Vir-Virginia Hyrule." Both women's head snapped towards the girl.
"Did you say…" Bayonetta's voice trailed off as she turned back to Samantha. "And you said your name is Sam? As in…" Once again, her voice trailed off and she looked back at Regal.
"They would never raise their children to steal. If you kill them, they will be relentless." Regal warned and it was clear to everyone that he was referring to Samus and Zelda.
"Shit." Bayonetta put the gun away and walked away from the girl.
"I still have questions." Samantha stated. "How did she get away from you? Where did you meet her? Who is Miss K?" That last question had Bayonetta shooting daggers at her.
"Do not ever speak her name again." She said in an aggressive, venomous tone.
"Miss K is a horrible person." Palutena informed the princess.
"Was." Bayonetta corrected her wife. "Was a horrible person. And as far as how we met…perhaps we should show you." Bayonetta nodded her head and Palutena handed her daughter to Bayonetta. Genny snuggled against her mother's neck and the witch smiled.
"We've had Genevieve for about a year." Palutena explained. "But…how we met…I'd like to think we saved her." A portal was conjured everyone except Palutena stepped inside.
"I…I wish to stay with Genevieve. Go on ahead. I won't close the portal until all of you return." Palutena stated. The group looked around and saw both Bayonetta and Palutena walking towards an orphanage.
"Are you sure about this?" The past Palutena asked and Bayonetta looked up at the orphanage sign. The sign was rusted along with the rusted gates. It was quite run down and in the middle of nowhere, but Bayonetta seemed determined.
"I have a feeling this is the place." They walked up to the door and were greeted by a middle aged woman in an outfit that looked quite similar to a nun's outfit.
"You must be Bayonetta and Palutena." She smiled. "I welcome you to the finest orphanage around."
"Actually it's the only orph-"
"I'm terribly sorry to inform you that there are no children here today." The woman stated with a bit of disappointment. "All of our children have found happy homes to-"
"You said there might be one." Bayonetta stated. "Where is the one you said was here?"
"Oh…you…you don't want her."
"What is the harm in seeing her?" Bayonetta asked.
"She is a sub-human." Miss K said with disgust.
"Excuse me?" Palutena asked with anger; insulted at her disgust. "I want to see her."
"No."
"Let her see her. We can work out a deal or something. How about we discuss this inside like adults." Bayonetta insisted. Miss K looked around and gave a frustrated sigh.
"Fine, but it's not cheap."
"You just said she." Palutena grew angrier by the second. She didn't wait for Miss K and entered the orphanage to find the child.
"You need to keep your wife on a leash." She muttered and Bayonetta restrained her anger.
"Let us see this girl. Then we can talk." Bayonetta entered before the woman and she heard her wife heading upstairs. She followed suit until they came to the bedrooms. But to their disappointment, she wasn't there.
"Where-" They heard a loud thud above them followed by crying. "What is above this room?"
"The attic."
"You must be joking." Palutena looked for a way above and she finally found a drawstring. She pulled it and a ladder fell to the ground. She quickly climbed it to see another nun slapping some girl with her hand.
"Stop that! Stop!" Palutena yelled and rushed towards the child. She saw marks along her body and face. The expression on Palutena's face indicated she smelled horrible and was completely filthy.
"You call yourself an orphanage and you treat children like this?!" Palutena exclaimed with anger.
"Please…no…" The girl started crying and covering her face.
"She's a sub-human. She's not worth-"
"We are taking her! And we are not paying you a cent."
"We'll report you to-"
"If the police were to see the condition this child is in, it is you who will be incarcerated." Palutena knelt on the child's bed. Her bed was a sleeping bag on the floor instead of an actual bed in an actual bed frame. "Little one…please…come with me. We'll take you far away from here." The child cried and with each second, Palutena's heart was breaking. All she wanted to do was help this young girl. And from the amount of abuse she endured from these monsters, it would seem that she wouldn't trust anyone ever again.
"What the hell is this?" Bayonetta asked and walked slowly towards Palutena. "Who's that?"
"I want her. This is the one." Palutena stated and Bayonetta didn't object.
"Alright. Come on, young one. We're going to leave this place."
"No…" The girl cried.
"I'm afraid-"
"Don't fucking talk." Bayonetta warned the woman. "I may kill you without a second thought. And we are not leaving without her."
"If you come with us…I promise…your life will change completely. You'll have loving parents, a giant bed, plenty of food. You'll be clean and happy. I promise…all this will happen if you take my hand." Palutena held her hand out in hopes that the child would trust her. She stared at the green haired woman for a minute before reaching out and wrapping her hand around one finger. Palutena smiled and carefully picked up the girl.
"Let's go home, my dear." Palutena smiled and the little girl nodded. "Darling…we'll wait for you outside. Whatever happens…happens." Bayonetta understood the implication Palutena hinted at. The two of them left and she waited until she heard a loud door slam shut. Bayonetta pushed the woman to the wall before pulling a gun, placing it in her hand and pulled the trigger. Her now lifeless body slid down as the bullet casing hit the floor. Bayonetta left the gun in her hand and set it up like she had shot herself before walking downstairs. Before she left, she stopped by Miss K's office where she had hung the woman from the ceiling. Like the other one, Bayonetta made it look like she hung herself. Her expression showed that she had little care for the women who met their demise. She quietly shut the door and exited the orphanage.
"Should we call the police?" Palutena asked.
"Do we have to? They don't really deserve it." Bayonetta pushed her glasses up on her face as they slightly slid down.
"Bay…"
"Fine." She walked back inside to call the police. Palutena looked at the young child in her arms and for the first time since she was with her, the girl smiled.
"What's your name?" The girl shook her head and began crying. "Do you have a name?" The child stopped smiling and looked sad.
"No…" She whimpered and Palutena's already broken heart broke even more. Palutena sniffled and smiled at the young child.
"We'll have to change that, alright? We'll give you the best name in the whole, wide, world. How does that sound?" The child nodded as Bayonetta returned.
"We should leave." Bayonetta informed her partner and the two left in a hurry.
"And that's how we met her." Bayonetta informed the group. "Genevieve came with us to Angel Land and we've provided everything for her. Then, when all this occurred…Angel Land was attacked. There was a red door…Genevieve ran towards the door and before we could grab her, she was gone." Bayonetta stated.
"Where does 'Genny with a G' come from?" Samantha questioned. Bayonetta led the group back through the portal and back to the top of the Lezareno Company.
"Genny…it's a nickname I came up with. Genevieve is her formal name, but the children these days…they all have nicknames." Bayonetta explained.
"Well…" Samantha said with a satisfied sigh. "I…I suppose that's that. We did it, Genny. We got you home."
"Yay!" Genny clapped her hands and hugged her mother. Palutena laughed and smiled once more. Though Samantha was happy to have returned Genny to her parents, she was still upset. This was a major breakthrough…and yet, she had no clue to how she was going to fix the world.