The Ether Conflict
Chapter 16: Memories of the Past
Saturday
27th of May 2 Y.A.
Hospital building of Blackout's main base
Room 45
Opening her eyes slowly and tiredly, Annabelle gazed upwards at a white ceiling. Her mind was blank, no thoughts occupying her headache ridden head, her whole body feeling as if it was hit by a train. Though she hadn't moved her gaze from the ceiling, she could tell she was lying on something soft at a large space.
Stirring up a bit, she noticed she was lying on a bed, white sheets covering her body. Sitting up on it, a jolting pain shot through her back and head, with Annabelle groaning in response, her hands gripping the sheets hard. Rubbing her head a little, she took some time to let the pain mitigate, before scanning her surroundings.
It was a usual room you would find in a hospital. White walls, blue floor and fluorescent lights hanging from the ceiling.
There were six beds inside the room, all with an injured Blackout soldier. Despite their injuries, which ranged from bruises and broken bones, to concussions and lost appendages, they seemed to be in a stable state.
What am I doing here, Annabelle thought, before flashbacks of the battle flooded her head, another jolting pain grasping her brain. This time the pain is so intense, that she grabs her head with both hands, gritting her teeth.
"Are you okay?" she hears a female voice say. Looking up, she spots a woman with a white nurse's uniform approach her.
"Yeah, my head is just killing me right now," Annabelle says quietly so as not to wake up the other occupants.
"It's just from the exhaustion," The nurse says back. "You should rest a bit more."
"No, I'm fine," Annabelle says, taking a few deep breaths. "Had anyone came to see me?" she asks the nurse, noticing the plastic chairs placed at the sides of her bed.
"Yes, there were six visitors. If I recall, they were two boys and four girls, though two of the girls didn't seem to get along."
It must have been Odysseus and Assam, she guesses, already sweatdropping at the prospect of leaving Odysseus alone with Assam. "Do you know where the two girls that didn't get along are?" she asks politely.
"I think they left about 10 minutes ago and went to the upper floors, though I am not too sure," the nurse answers.
"Thanks," Annabelle says, before getting out of the bed.
"You shouldn't move around yet, your wounds haven't healed enough," the nurse says quickly, stepping in front of her.
"I'm just going to take some fresh air on the rooftop," Annabelle excuses herself.
"In the middle of the night?"
"Wait, what time is it?"
"It is 3 in the morning," the nurse responds after checking her watch.
"Well, at least the air is gonna be cool," Annabelle says, before sidestepping and passing the nurse, exiting the room.
"Youngsters these days," the nurse sighs, shaking her head, before going back to checking the rest of the wounded people.
Walking up the stairs, Annabelle can feel the stitches pulling her skin of the wound that runs horizontally in her back, making it difficult to even move.
Damn this piece of shrapnel that hit me. Though I was saved by the bulletproof vest, she thinks, thankful that the vest stopped the piece from grazing her deeper and potentially severing her spine.
Reaching the final flight of stairs, she can hear two voices speaking, though she can't hear them well. Approaching slowly, she sticks to the wall next to the opened door that leads at the rooftop. Peeking from the side, she spots two blonde girls arguing, though one of the girls is at least a head taller than the other.
"I am telling you, you should convince lady Annabelle to come back to the carrier," Assam tells Odysseus with a calm voice.
"And I am telling you Assam, I won't," Odysseus answers back.
"Lady Annabelle is of noble birth, she should not do such jobs, such as being a mercenary," Assam tells Odysseus with slight anger hidden in her voice.
"Oh, so she should be in Tea Garden, doing nothing but drinking tea, eating cakes and gaze at one of the lovely decorated walls all day long," Odysseus says with sarcasm.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't insult Tea Garden. I'll have you know that the best students gather there and almost everyone strives to become part of it," Assam says, irritated by Odysseus' comment.
"You know, I was part of Saint Gloriana, I know what Tea Garden is."
"Than you also know that she should be there and not in some kind of battlefield," Assam says with a serious expression, her patience starting to wear thin.
"Listen Assam, she chose to be on a battlefield by her own volition."
"Then why didn't you stopped her? Do you really care for her so little?"
"Look, I care for her and as her best friend, I want her to be safe. But I cannot restrict her freedom by telling her to do something she doesn't want!" Odysseus says loudly, also having grown tired of Assam's constant nagging.
"You say that, yet you let her get injured. How can you call yourself her best friend, if you can't protect her."
Odysseus stays silent, her light purple eyes gazing Assam's. Assam feels a chill run through her spine, but she maintains her composure.
"I believe you shouldn't be with lady Annabelle. Not only do you cause her trouble constantly, she has to babysit you and make sure you don't do anything stupid. Couple it with your unstable mental state, you aren't trustworthy enough to protect her."
"You take that back right now Assam!" a voice yells, and both blondes turn to face a third figure with emerald green eyes and long red hair.
"L-Lady Annabelle, wh-what-" Assam tries to say, but is cut short from Annabelle.
"You take back what you said right now! Odysseus is my best friend and I trust her more than anyone! We have been through a lot together, so not being trustworthy is a lie!" Annabelle yells, pure anger escaping from her mouth.
"But she is mentally unstable, she can't be entrusted with someone of noble birth."
"If you say these words again, I'm gonna make you regret it Assam," Annabelle threatens, causing Assam to take a step away from her.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Assam asks, fear etched in her face.
"Never, ever, call me of noble birth or nobility. I have cast these titles aside from the day I was born. You don't know my past, so I do not expect you to understand why..." Annabelle trails off, tears forming in her eyes, before turning and running towards her room.
"Wait, Annabelle!" Odysseus yells, running behind the crying redhead.
Assam just stands there, not exactly sure what really happened at the end. The rooftop falls silent yet again, the stars shining light down at the building.
"I guess it didn't go as you expected," a calm voice says.
"You were here the whole time Darjeeling?" Assam asks, her voice sounding bitter.
"Yes, though I didn't reveal myself, so as not to influence the conversation."
Stopping in front of Assam, she offers her a plastic cup of green tea. "It's not as good as the one back in the carrier, but it should suffice for now."
"Thank you very much," Assam says, taking the cup and sipping some of its contents.
"You know, Elpida does have a point. We can't decide the future of others as though they belong to us."
"I just want to make sure she won't get hurt."
"Elpida wants the same, but not at the cost of restricting her freedom. There is a reason why Annabelle rejects her titles and social status so strongly."
"Mind if I join the conversation too?" a voice is heard saying. A girl with ginger hair and light purple eyes approaches Darjeeling and Assam with a plastic cup of tea. Her hair are tied in two braids tied in twist buns.
"Of course not Orange Pekoe. I was about to inform Assam of Annabelle's past."
Nodding, Orange Pekoe takes a small sip of her tea, waiting for Darjeeling to start.
"As both of you know, Annabelle was born in a noble family. Her mother died right after giving birth to her, so she grew up with only one parent. What you don't know is that her father saw her as nothing more than property. He treated her badly and always expected of her to do how she was told. Her every step had already been decided by him. She was like a bird living in a golden cage, with colorful shackles holding her in place. At the age of sixteen, she was to be married to another noble family as part of a deal between them. It was at this time when she managed to apply as a transfer student to our school. Due to her social status, she was immediately accepted. Shortly after coming though, a huge sum of English pounds were donated in our school."
"Her father donated the money?" Assam asks.
"Yes. In exchange, Annabelle was to not participate in any physical activities," Darjeeling says with a sad tone.
"So, her father wanted to show her that he had complete control over her life," Orange Pekoe says quietly.
"Yes. Do you understand now why Annabelle hates so much her social status?"
" I-I didn't know. I-If I knew I..." Assam tries to finish her sentence, but no words come out.
"Just remember Assam, never judge a book by its cover," Darjeeling says, before starting to walk slowly back at the room that was provided to her for the night, followed closely by Orange Pekoe.
Looking inside her now empty cup for a little, Assam crushes it in her hands, before depositing it at a nearby bin and following Darjeeling back at the room.
"Come on Annabelle, you have been crying for almost five minutes," Odysseus says, tugging softly at Annabelle, who is hiding under the bedsheets.
"Leave me alone Odysseus," Annabelle responds, her voice being muffled by the bedsheets.
"Is she okay?" the nurse asks Odysseus.
"Yes, she just remembered some bad memories," Odysseus smiles awkwardly at the nurse. Turning to face Annabelle, she sighs loudly, before hugging her over the bedsheets.
"Can you at least look me in the eyes?"
Annabelle reluctantly peeks out of the sheets, her eyes red from crying, with dried tear lines on her cheeks.
"Seriously, I want to know who takes care who," Odysseus says, wiping Annabelle's dried tears.
"Me, you dummy," Annabelle responds back, a small but unnoticeable smile forming in her face.
"I thought you'd say that. Anyway, I'm going to get something to eat. Try to get some sleep. Your wounds won't heal if you don't rest."
And with that, Odysseus get's out of the room in search of a vending machine. Annabelle finally gets the upper half of her body out of the sheets. Lying on the bed and closing her eyes, she starts feeling really tired, before falling asleep.
(DREAM SEQUENCE)
Opening her eyes, Annabelle finds herself lying on the ground. Sitting up and looking around, she sees nothing but darkness surrounding her.
Where am I? Standing up, she starts walking towards a random direction.
Suddenly, an orb of orange light appears in the distance.
What's this? Annabelle starts walking towards the orb, who seems to be floating in the air. Reaching the orb, she thoroughly inspects it. It seems like an orb of light that is floating...yep, I'm definitely dreaming. Though I do wonder what will happen if touch it.
Raising her right hand, she grabs the orb. Its light immediately starts snaking through Annabelle's body like water, covering it whole, before it becomes dim and vanishes completely. Her surroundings change in an instant. Blinking a few times, her eyes widen in fear, as her face becomes pale. N-No, th-there is no way I-I'm back here!
Annabelle looks all around her, panicking at what she is seeing.
I can't be back home in England! Annabelle stands in the middle of a huge room, filled with various expensive furniture. In front of a huge window stands a very expensive office desk, with a man sitting behind it, reading and signing some papers. The man's figure seems to be blurred, only its outline been visible. Suddenly, the two large wooden doors open and in comes a little girl, no older than 4, with red hair and emerald green eyes. She is wearing a pink dress which has white frills on its ends. In her left hand she holds a drawing, while on her right hand she holds a marker.
"Daddy, Daddy, I made you a drawing!" the small girl says cheerfully, running in front of the desk and placing the drawing on top of the papers the man behind the desk was reading. The man takes the drawing and rips it to pieces, before throwing them in a bin next to the desk.
"Why did you do this?!" the little girl screams, tears already running from her eyes. The man says something, though Annabelle can't hear it. "You are always so mean!" the little girl yells as she runs out of the room. The man then returns to reading the papers in front of him.
I remember this. I wanted to make something for him and the bastard just destroyed it like it was trash. Annabelle's eyes start to water, tears escaping them and rolling down her cheeks. The whole place becomes dark once again, before changing to a different location.
This time, Annabelle finds herself in a large room that has a huge dining table. On the head of the dining table sits the little girl with the red hair and emerald green eyes, though she seems to be a bit older. With her is a maid, keeping her company while she is eating, though once again, Annabelle can only make out the outline of the maid, as the rest are blurry.
"Why is Daddy always angry with me?" the little girl asks, playing with her food instead of eating it. The maid says something, but Annabelle can't hear it.
"But he always works! He never plays with me, he never talks to me and he always yells at me for not doing what he tells me!" the little girl says loudly, hitting with her small fists the table.
"Does Daddy hate me because I killed Mommy?" the little girl asks with a sad expression. The maid seems to be saying something quickly, before getting closer to the girl and hugging it.
"But you said that Mommy died after I was born. Doesn't that mean I killed her? That's why I make Daddy gifts and give them to him, so he can feel better," the little girl says slowly, gazing at her food.
Even if they would tell me it wasn't my fault, I would always tell them I killed my mother. And my father's behavior didn't really helped to make me feel better.
Everything becomes black yet again, before shifting at a garden.
This is the back garden of our house, Annabelle thinks, instantly recognizing the place.
Three figures stand on the freshly cut lawn, two of them arguing, while the last one spectates silently.
"I don't want to learn an instrument, I want to do Tankery!" the girl, that now seems to be around 12, yells at the man. The man responds back, which only makes the girl even angrier.
"I might be your daughter, but I am not your property! I refuse to do whatever you want!" she screams and the man slaps her in the cheek, the girl falling silent. Though the force the man uses isn't anywhere near enough to cause pain, the girl falls to her knees, before starting to cry. The third figure, a maid, rushes to the girl, before kneeling besides her and hugging her. She seems to tell something to the man, who just starts walking back to the mansion.
He would always make my life a living hell, unless I did what he wanted to. Too bad I never learned any instruments, she thinks, smirking at the blurred man, before everything becomes dark.
This time, Annabelle finds herself inside the room with the large office desk yet again. A few meters away from the desk stands a girl that resembles Annabelle a lot, though two years younger from how she looks now.
"I will not marry a guy that I clearly don't know and hate!" the younger Annabelle says loudly. The man seems to say something, which causes the girl to roll her eyes.
"I couldn't care less of our family name or for what you will get out of this political marriage!" she says with disgust. The man seems to say something, causing the girl to smile deviously.
"Are you sure? Because I have news for you," she says, tossing a stack of papers on the desk. "I leave for Japan in two days as a transfer student. And you can't do anything to stop me," she grins. The man instantly stands up, but stops dead in his tracks from what he hears next. "If you touch me, I'll make you regret it," she says with an emotionless voice. "And one more thing, from now on, my last name is Morris. I'll use my mother's last name and not yours." And with that, the younger Annabelle exits the room.
I felt so satisfied with his powerlessness, like I finally got rid of his control over me. How wrong I was, she thinks, while the scene shifts once again at a very familiar place.
Looking around her, she could see a very nice building, surrounded by a small brick wall. A part of the wall has been replaced by two big metal gates. From the gate comes a girl with red hair that are tied in a braid, her emerald green eyes shining under the afternoon sun. She is wearing the Saint Gloriana's school uniform, along with white gloves made of silk. On her left hand she is holding an envelope, its edges decorated with a flower pattern.
It must be the day I was invited to join the Tea Garden. So that means it is the day I met Odysseus, she thinks, before dashing to her younger copy, standing next to her.
Opening the letter, the younger Annabelle starts reading its contents aloud with a bored expression.
"Miss Morris Annabelle, we would like to formally invite you to Tea Garden, due to your excellent grades and behavior. We believe that your addition would greatly benefit the school as a whole. Should you accept the invitation, you will be given a soul name. I am truly sorry, but I have no intention of sitting on a chair and drinking tea for the rest of my life," she murmurs, before sliding the invitation back to the envelope and putting it in one of the uniform's pocket.
What I am interested in is, Annabelle thinks, knowing very well what will happen next. The younger Annabelle passes by a notice board, where a leaflet about the Senshadou club is pinned. Looking at it briefly, she stands there with a thoughtful expression, before walking towards the Garage, where the tanks of the Senshadou teams are being kept. While walking towards her destination, several whispers can be heard coming from the school girls she passes by.
"Isn't this Lady Annabelle?"
"I heard she is from England, isn't that awesome?!"
"I heard she is from a noble family."
"Really? No wonder why her composure is so elegant."
"She has that air of a proper lady."
Not paying any attention to them, she reaches the Garage and enters it. Looking around, she finds no tanks, meaning that the club has practice now.
"May I help you?" she hears a voice calling. Turning her head, she spots a short girl with brown eyes and brown hair.
"I'd like to join the Senshadou club," the redhead says as politely as possible.
"Oh, umm, L-Lady Annabelle," the short girl stutters, her mind going blank.
"Is there a problem with me joining?"
"N-No, not at all! Umm, please wait here for a moment!" she responds, running off somewhere in the garage.
After 2 minutes, she comes back with a form in her right hand. "Please, fill this form. The club will handle the rest."
"Do you mind if I fill it here? And could you lend me a pen or a pencil please?"
"N-Not at all, here!" the short girl says, handing her the form and a pen.
After filling the form, she gives it back with the pen and bids the short girl farewell.
I think I know where this is going, the older Annabelle thinks, as the scenery changes once again, this time finding herself in the principal's office.
"What do you mean I can't join the club?" the younger Annabelle demands, standing right in front of the desk.
"I am truly sorry, but due to certain circumstances, we cannot allow you to participate in it. You could always choose another activity, such as flower arrangement or calligraphy," the principal says, sweating bullets.
"What circumstances?" the younger Annabelle asks threateningly, a very severe look on her face.
"Y-You see, y-your father made a huge donation to our school and in return, he asked that you are to be refrained from any physical activities," he responds, his voice getting quieter as he keeps speaking.
The younger Annabelle says nothing at first.
"I see. I'll be on my way then," she says politely with a smile, a smile that says 'watch your back from now on', causing the principal to nearly squeal. Exiting the office, she closes the door, before she starts running to the rooftop of the school building, the older Annabelle following her.
Exiting to the rooftop, she goes and sits at one of the corners of the chain link fence, sitting on her butt, with her head between her knees. Tears flow from her cheeks and into her legs, which inadvertently carry the tears to her uniform.
"It's unfair, why does this man has to always make my life a living hell!" the younger Annabelle screams, hitting the chain link fence behind her with her right hand.
Annabelle can't do anything, but gaze at her with a sad smile. Suddenly, the doors to the rooftop open and out comes a tall blonde girl with light purple eyes, she too wearing Saint Gloriana's uniform.
"Why are you crying?" the blonde asks, making her way towards the crying redhead.
"It's none of your business, so please leave me alone."
"But I could never leave such a cutie in such a sorry state," the blonde answers back, sitting next to the crying girl.
"You aren't going to leave me alone, are you?" Annabelle asks, having stopped crying and raising her head.
"Nope. I couldn't care less if you are nobility or from England, I'll do whatever I want," she answers back with a silly grin.
"You are the first one to ever talk to me normally. Most people talk to me formally and will do everything for me," Annabelle says, now gazing at the concrete floor of the roof.
"Being in a noble family must be hard. Me myself never had one, so i can't relate to your problems, but I can understand them to a certain extent," the blonde says with a small hint of sadness.
"You never had one?"
"Well, I had but I lost them. If you want I can tell you my past, though you'll have to promise me to tell no one."
"O-Okay, I promise to tell no one."
After speaking about her past, the blonde sighs loudly. "I'd understand if you wouldn't get near me from now on. Maybe I shouldn't have rushed it," she laughs awkwardly.
The younger Annabelle stares at her with a sad expression. "You don't have any friends, do you?"
"Nope. I just can't get along with anyone. They all seem so 'elegant' and 'ladylike'; it makes me feel weird," the blonde says sarcastically.
The younger Annabelle starts giggling, then laughing. "You must be the first girl in the whole school who doesn't wants to be ladylike!" she manages to say between her laughs. Wiping a tear from her right eye, she stands up and turns to face the blonde.
"My name is Annabelle Morris, nice to meet you," the redhead says, lifting her right hand for a handshake.
"Elpida Papaioannou. Though most girls here call me Odysseus, it is easier for them to pronounce it," Odysseus says, shaking Annabelle's hand, before standing up. "So, I guess we are friends now?"
"Yes," she says with a bright smile.
"Yes! Finally I have a friend!" she says in an intentionally exaggerated tone. "That reminds me, you were interested in Senshadou, right?"
"Yes, but due to certain circumstances, I cannot join the club," she tells Odysseus with a sad expression.
"Then how about I get you inside one of the tanks? I am a member of the club, and we have finished practice for today."
"Won't you get in trouble though?" Annabelle asks worryingly.
"Totally worth it in my opinion. You are my friend now and as a result, my family. So I don't mind if I get in trouble," Odysseus says with a toothy grin.
The last words make Annabelle to stop dead in her tracks, tears once again forming in her eyes.
"D-Did I said something that hurt you?!" Odysseus says in a panicked tone.
"No...that's not it. Its just that no one... ever treated me like their family," Annabelle says, desperately trying to wipe her tears with her gloved hands.
"Well, there is always a first time for everything," Odysseus says cheerfully, before grabbing Annabelle's hand and dragging her towards the garage.
Though I always say I am taking care of you, you are the one that helped me stand on my feet when I needed help the most, Annabelle thinks as everything become dark once again. A single tear runs from her cheek. This tear however is glowing with the same color as the one the orb that Annabelle touched previously had. Falling from her cheek to the ground, the void instantly becomes white, before a blinding light fills her whole vision.
A/N:And there we have chapter 16, with some insight about Annabelle's past, as well as her meeting with Odysseus. Next chapter will be about Saint Gloriana and what happened these two years after the earthquakes. After that is Kuromorimine. Don't know if I'll have the rest of the schools. Anyway, as always, suggestions, questions, corrections, reviews or PMs are greatly appreciated. Also, English isn't my native tongue, so expect some grammatical errors here and there. If you found the story interesting and had a great time, favorite and follow. Have a nice day/night and until the next chapter, stay safe!