Let me just clear something up really quick.
Do you all remember, way back in chapter two, when I said that you can "choose what you want to consider canon"? Okay, well, that means that you literally choose what can be, or what can not be, considered canon. Let me put this into perspective.
I initially posted this with the intention of making it a clean one-shot, inspired by Flugel124's original one. Though, demand for more rose and I felt motivated to continue; but, I didn't want to create an unnecessary story for those of you who just liked the one-shot.
Essentially, I created a diversion in which this universe can go. The ending for chapter one was purposely ambiguous, and the text at the end being the exact same as my author's notes was no coincidence. You get to choose what happened after that moment. It can be this story, it could be a different awakening, or it could even be a reality in which they never escaped at all. It's all for you to decide; that was the intention from the start.
I hope that I conveyed that well enough.
I went back and added scene dividers into the last two chapters, to help space things out and make things look cleaner for you all. They are also in this chapter as well, as I am incorporating them more actively into the story.
Now with those things out of the way, let me apologize really quickly. The delay for this was way too long. This isn't even the full version of what I wanted to put out, too.
Essentially, the initial full chapter that I wanted to put out has… exceeded the amount of words that I want to use. In essence, I've written too much for one chapter. Last chapter was 20k and I don't want to surpass that. However, I didn't want to leave you with nothing for an extended amount of time.
Instead, I've decided to split it. This chapter isn't even half of what I've already written, and am still in the process of writing. I think it works pretty well on its own and serves as a good set up for what the next chapter will be. It gives me time to finish writing and release the next one within the next few days or so.
I'm not afraid to say that this isn't the most thrilling or exciting chapter yet, but considering what the next chapter will include… Well, I think you could use a little bit of tame before that.
In any case — this note has gone on for far too long — I hope this chapter is good enough to keep you interested for the next few days. Let me just say, the mist hyped and asked for chapter is very much on the horizon. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 8: Rehash
The morning came a little too fast for Subaru. It had been a bit rough; while he didn't have another vision, nightmare, or whatever it was, he was haunted by the stress and worry that his mind oh so graciously provided him. It kept him awake, as he became constantly burdened by his own torment. He held Pandora a bit tighter than he normally would have, but she reciprocated it without hesitation. Even in her sleep, she was still looking out for him.
That made him feel bad. The fact that Pandora was doing so much for him, yet he was doing little for her, weighed on his mind. Of course, he knew that wasn't true. He was aware that he kept her sane, in a way. Without him, she'd still likely be the Witch she used to be. Still, though, despite that knowledge he felt as if he were doing too little. He wanted to make up for that, not only through his show of love but through his support. That was his resolve and he'd be sure to stick to it.
Either way, morning had come and the two were 'ready' to start their day. They were both a little unenthusiastic about waking up, but they pushed through and reluctantly rose from their slumberous state.
Surprisingly, everything that morning played out smoothly. The two got ready for the day, performing some rather mundane routine activities to do so. Afterward, the two took Beatrice's carefully written instructions to the kitchen, where they did their best to replicate the recipe. It wasn't as hard as either of them initially thought, with every ingredient being fairly easy to find and the directions Beatrice left being just as easy to follow.
In the end, they'd ended up with the correct concoction. Upon drinking it, the substance helped with any and all bodily deficiencies, essentially restoring them. It even allowed them to become a little more energized, despite the rough night they'd had. The rest of the day was, more or less, rather tame. Later on, Pandora and Subaru went outside to practice and train the Authorities better.
That was how the week itself played out. The same general routine repeating itself in a smooth, fluent cycle. Neither of them could complain, nor necessarily wanted to. It was nice and even peaceful. To them, it sorta felt like a taste of a private, married life, just without some of the other added aspects.
During this time, they kept things consistent in their routine. Wake up, get ready for the day, make Beatrice's remedy and train. Those were the four main things they did each day.
During training, Pandora did her best to guide and help him learn new and unique ways to use his Authorities. There were also the occasional visits with Geuse and Regulus, just for the extra help and support.
For the Authority of Sloth, or the Helping Hand, while Subaru was unable to overcome his limit of five hands, he was very much able to utilize them in many different ways.
For example, since the hands could emerge from any part of his body, he could cover a large amount of area. One instance of this was when he had all five hands extrude from the same horizontal line around his waist, like a pentagon. This allowed him to effectively use them to surround his body in both a sudden offensive and defensive manner.
With that, they also tested the hand's strength and general durability. Subaru's initial analysis hadn't been completely inaccurate; each hand was no more than a little above his ordinary strength and could take a bit of a beating. It wasn't much, but, to Subaru, it was still a vast improvement from his old Invisible Providence. Additionally, their reach, while unimproved, remained impressive.
Other than that, they found that the hands had one hell of a grip. This meant that each of the hands on their own were capable of applying an incredibly tight hold onto any surface or object without the risk of letting go, unless they were destroyed or called back to him.
Subaru also found himself in complete control of how tight or loose the hands could hold onto something. That, combined with the reach, was exceptionally useful for scaling certain terrain, or even just grabbing and moving large things around.
For Cor Leonis, things were a little bit different. The Authority of Greed worked differently than Sloth, with different effects and properties. Though, while they weren't able to practice with this one as much, they were still able to find some changes.
For starters, Subaru's very new Shift Three. It was useful, given he and Pandora's unique circumstances, but outside of that it didn't seem to serve much of a purpose. Pandora explicitly noted that the ability seemed to connect two individuals' souls together, allowing each person to feel and experience the same things.
The experiences were odd, more than anything else. Subaru and Pandora both preferred to stay in physical contact over using the ability, finding the aftereffects rather uncomfortable. Even the slightest of emotional and physical feelings would be conveyed to the other. Needless to say, it made using the bathroom infinitely more awkward for the both of them.
Both of them decided to only use Third Shift in unique circumstances, being if they needed to get changed or separate for long periods of time, for whatever reason, just to make things a little more convenient. If there was anything beyond Third Shift, Subaru was unable to discover it just yet.
Regarding First and Second Shift, their changes were minimal to none. They were particularly harder to test, since most of the conditions weren't exactly met. He had no burden to share nor any burden to take, and neither of them were really willing to injure themselves in order to better test things out.
With the week coming to pass and night falling upon them, the two decided to stay out a little later. Together they lay outside, backs pressed against the grass as their heads aimed up toward the sky. The stars above twinkled and shone above their gaze.
Neither of them talked. They didn't need to. The moment itself spoke for them. Their hands remained intertwined under the night sky, light smiles on their faces all the while.
Pandora blinked a few times, her gaze shifting into more of a daze as she became lost in her thoughts. After some time she came back, slightly tilting her head against the grass, "It is fascinating." Subaru didn't move his head, nor did he respond. He stayed silent, letting Pandora finish her speech, "There are so many stars, with so many possible worlds around each of them."
This time he hummed, agreeing with her. It certainly was fascinating, to say the least. They were both space fanatics, so it was a given that they'd be enthralled in the mysteries surrounding the stars.
"Your world is one of them, Baru," she stated matter-of-factly. "I do wish that I could see it."
His smile momentarily became bigger, before settling on its previous state, "I wish that I could take you there. I think it'd be fun to show you around, take you all over the place so you can experience everything my world has to offer."
"That does sound quite enjoyable," she commented. From her voice, he knew that she found the prospect exciting.
"Yeah, it really does. You could even meet my… meet my parents…"
Pandora noticed the tonal shift, his smile dropping with his mood, so she applied a light squeeze to his hand in the form of reassurance, "It is okay to miss them."
He was silent for a moment, sniffling once before he spoke again, "I know, I know. I just… I never appreciated them. Now I'm here, I don't know if I'll ever be able to go back, and they could be dead for all I know-"
"Do not think like that," she squeezed his hand again, turning her head along the grass to face him. He was inclined to do the same, similarly turning his head and allowing their eyes to meet, "We will find a way, someday, I promise."
Subaru did nothing for a few seconds, only giving small nods once they'd passed, "Thanks, Dora." He smiled again, letting his appreciation show, "I'm really thankful for this."
Deciding to lighten the mood a little, she let herself smile more cockily, "Thankful for what, I wonder? Is it me, perhaps?"
Subaru, realizing exactly what she was doing, hummed snarkily, "No, of course it's not you. I was referring to the general moment. I'm appreciating the moment."
"That does not make much sense," she laughed.
He let out a mock sigh, "Sure it does. I'm saying the stars are better than you. Aren't you jealous?"
"I believed that I was your star, no? That I 'lit up the darkness of the void', for you?"
His face reddened, eyes slightly averting themselves from her, "I never said that."
"I seem to recall that you did. A~ll whilst we were trapped together."
"Well…" his eyes fell back on her, "there's one that took your place as my favorite."
"Oh~? Which one?"
"Uh… Betelgeuse."
"Is that so?" her eyebrow playfully twitched once or twice. "Perhaps I should go ahead and speak with him about this."
"Uhm… he doesn't want to talk to you, I think he's busy babysitting right now."
"I insist."
Subaru sighed, "You won't give up until I admit it, will you?"
Pandora smiled wide, "Nope."
Subaru shook his head, "Okay, okay. You are my favorite star, the one that brightens both the literal void and the one that filled my heart."
"See, Baru? That was not so hard, was it?"
"Yes, actually, it was. I really have to get better at teasing you…"
Silence followed thereafter, the conversation left on a high note whilst the sounds of the night occupied their ears. It was relaxing, their eyes sinking into the other's. Almost instinctively, the two slowly drew their heads closer together in an intimate show of love, ready to gently press their lips against the other's.
Then their moment got interrupted.
A light hum, followed by a loud buzz, then another light hum sliced through the void of silence in the air. The two, curious and on guard, quickly sat themselves up and faced the noise, ready to defend themselves and each other if need be.
"Betty is… very tired… I suppose."
Before them was not some sudden threat, or mysterious figure, but the overly exhausted form of Subaru's Great Spirit. Subaru and Pandora both relaxed themselves, watching as Beatrice slowly wobbled toward them.
Subaru looked at her with concern, "Are you okay, Beako?"
She looked up, attempting to put on a more confident and sturdy face, "Betty has… never been better… in fact."
He slightly raised an eyebrow, "You sure about that? You look like you'll keel over and collapse at any moment."
She then tried to shake her head more than a plethora of times, but only managed to do it twice, "Nonsense. Betty feels… Betty feels…"
Subaru could only sigh at his spirit's stubbornness. He supposed that he had no right to complain though, since he'd been just as stubborn with a great many things in the past. He closed his eyes, wordlessly activating Cor Leonis: First Shift.
"Betty feels… invigorated, I suppose!" Her mood flipped, her back straightening and hands forming into clenched fists, which found their way to her waist. She stood epicly, or even heroically, under the moonlight, now. Suddenly, she began hopping and moving around almost erratically. "Betty feels strong and energized- Subaru?"
Ahead of her, Subaru had almost collapsed, only able to even remotely stand up with Pandora's support. He took deep breaths, very much feeling the burden he'd taken hold of, "Geez, Beako… what the hell were you even doing all this… all this time?"
"Hmph! Betty was doing important things. And I was completely fine, in fact! You didn't need to take my burden!"
Subaru only ignored her protests, continuing to hold the burden on his own. Pandora lowered her head a little, leveling hers to where his was so that she could properly look at him, "You should have warned me, Baru." She pouted, but it turned out to be more playful than anything. He did his best to cockily smile back, but had a hard time doing so. Seeing this, without hesitation, she added, "Share it with me."
After that comment, he looked at her strangely, "You sure?" Pandora quickly nodded. With her confirmation, he activated Cor Leonis: Second Shift and promptly divided the burden between the two of them equally.
They felt the effects immediately, both having to quickly adjust to the sudden changes they were feeling. For Pandora, she felt a lot heavier, more tired and definitely a lot more exhausted, but it wasn't totally unbearable. In Subaru's case, it was as if someone lifted an entire piano off of his back. It felt so relieving.
The two composed themselves rather fast, standing with the support of one another just to be safe. With that out of the way, Subaru looked at his contracted wonderingly, "Did you at least find what you were looking for?"
At the inquiry, Beatrice perked up, "Yes, in fact. Though it was no easy feat."
"Did you not rest?" Pandora then questioned, she herself curious as to why the spirit's burden was so severe.
Beatrice slightly flinched back. Her expression screamed guilt, "Well…"
At her trail off, Subaru perked up and pointed at her accusingly, "Why didn't you rest?! You need a break every once in a while, Beako! Not resting isn't healthy!"
"You're one to talk, I suppose!" she exclaimed back, pointing at him just as accusingly. Subaru sighed, realizing his hypocrisy and lowering his arm. Soon after she also lowered her arm as well, looking at her hands and beginning to move her fingers together individually, "You don't know how hard it is to even get comfortable there. So, so cold… so much snow…"
Subaru just put a hand to his face, letting out a deep, moderately exasperated, breath into it. Pandora, surprisingly, was the one that stepped up, "You can rest properly now, so do so. We will, as well."
Beatrice gave her a peculiar look, but didn't disagree. She crossed her arms, though, as if to contemplate the proposal, "Very well, Betty will indulge herself in a little rest, I suppose."
The Great Spirit had been the first one to start walking toward the mansion's front door, but her contractor and the former Witch weren't far behind. As they walked, the spirit wondered aloud, "I take it that you have suitably practiced during my time away?"
"As much as we could, yeah," Subaru easily responded.
Beatrice nodded, finally reaching the door. She held out her hand to open it, speaking at the same time, "Good. We should be prepared for-"
A sudden crash boomed, the door erupting off of its hinges and hitting the floor with a loud bang. Subaru and Beatrice instinctively flinched at the noise, while Pandora remained still and quietly watched as the door settled on the ground.
After a moment, the former Witch's gaze slid over to the Great Spirit, an amused smirk appearing on her face as she snarkily remarked, "Nice job."
Both contractor and spirit recomposed themselves, the latter glaring at the former Witch, "That was not my fault!"
"You insist upon that, yet you were the one to break the door."
"Why you-" Beatrice stopped herself, taking a deep breath before she got too heated. Despite what she wanted to think, this woman was only teasing her; there was no need to get so upset about it. She calmed down, looking at her hands with an unsure face, "Betty feels unusually energized and strong, I suppose."
Subaru's head snapped to her in less than a moment, blinking once or twice before he quickly came to a conclusion. "Wait, wait, wait," his interjection turned the girl's heads toward him, "was this a problem before you came back?" When Beatrice shook her head, he had all the confirmation he needed. His head turned to Pandora, "Cor Leonis."
Her eyes momentarily widened before settling again right away, "Ah, that is true. After you took her burden, she did describe herself as being 'invigorated'."
Beatrice began rapidly moving her head between the two of them, "What are you talking about, I wonder? Did you not know of this beforehand?!"
Subaru didn't even need to look at Beatrice to know that she was annoyed, having heard it plenty well through her voice. He just kept looking at Pandora tiredly, mumbling, "Takes the burdens and grants energy and strength…" he sighed, "I really hope that we can figure out a way to filter that, because if not… that's going to be really annoying."
Pandora smiled at him, "I am sure that we will. Now," she paused, the door immediately reappearing back on its hinges as if it'd never been broken in the first place, "let us get some rest."
Although the sudden show of her Authority surprised the contractor and spirit duo, they didn't outwardly show it. Pandora, seemingly in a rush to go to bed, began walking forward, lightly taking Subaru along with her. Beatrice followed after them shortly thereafter.
Soon enough everyone found themselves in bed, huddled together in their 'usual' position. Subaru and Pandora hugged one another, while Beatrice held on tightly to his back. It was surprisingly rather comfortable for all of them.
For Subaru, the past week had gone swiftly by without another vision. Its absence helped clear his conscience of the built up anxiety, allowing him to better fall asleep. It was one of the reasons why he was so comfortable going to bed, currently, other than Beatrice now being back.
However, that didn't stop an odd feeling of existential dread from creeping up his spine every time he woke up. Every. Single. Time.
He felt as though he was being watched, very scrutinizingly so. It unnerved him, scared him even, every time he awoke, not knowing who, what and where it was. Although when he thought about it, he knew what it was. He just wished that they'd stop.
When the next morning came, everyone all around felt at least a little bit better. Beatrice wasn't as fatigued, nor were Pandora and Subaru. However in Subaru's case, the morning still came a little too soon. He knew that he was being watched, but didn't let his internal feelings show.
After getting ready for the day, Beatrice turned to him, "Subaru, could you do Betty a favor and activate your Cor Leonis: Third Shift?"
He'd looked back at her, both confused and unsure, "Uh… why would you want me to do that, Beako?"
"I would like to talk to your lover for a few moments, privately," she wasted little to no time in responding, further making Subaru confused, and a little worried.
He slightly tilted his head in a questioning manner, "…Why?"
Beatrice only sighed, "It is rather important, I suppose. That is all."
Subaru blinked at her a few times, thinking to himself on what his Beako could possibly want to privately talk to Pandora about. Then, he'd come to some sort of conclusion, smiling a little, "Alright, just don't be too harsh."
Their hands separated, with Pandora taking her time to leave his side and follow Beatrice to the door. The Great Spirit commented, "Don't worry, Betty won't be, I suppose," before shutting the door and leaving Subaru in the room, alone.
Both Great Spirit and former Witch faced one another once more, both of them looking at the other expectantly. Pandora started, "What do you believe he thinks we'll be talking about?"
Beatrice glanced at the door, then brought her eyes back to Pandora, "If Betty were to guess, he probably thinks that I will be lecturing you about doing those rather unsavory deeds. Though, I really should, in fact."
After considering it, Pandora uttered a simple, "Ah." Silence followed for a short few seconds before Pandora began again, "As you said yesterday, you found what you were looking for?"
Beatrice nodded, reaching into a small pocket in her black dress in order to pull out a small, black box. "I have," she stated.
Pandora recognized the box immediately, "I see. Do you intend to repurpose this box to contain my Authority?"
"Correction, I have already repurposed this box to contain your Authority, in fact." She looked at the box in her hand, examining it closely, "I made sure to memorize the process before I left and experimented with it before I came back, I suppose. This box, once containing the Witch Factor of Sloth, will now be able to contain the Witch Factor of Vainglory."
The former Witch started to slowly nod, with them becoming faster as she better mentally prepared herself, "I understand."
Beatrice glanced up, narrowing her eyes once she saw Pandora's face, "Your expression looks unusually guilty, I suppose." At her confusion, Beatrice spoke again, "Do you perhaps regret your past actions?"
Pandora shook herself out of her daze, looking down at the Great Spirit, "What are you inquiring about?"
Said Great Spirit sighed, "Betty means what she said, in fact. At the memory of the box, your face became abnormally guilty. It's almost like you care, I suppose." She took a breath, continuing by asking, "That is why Betty asked: do you regret your past actions?"
Her eyes relaxed, as did her body. Pandora understood, now. She thought about it for a little while, genuinely trying to understand her own feelings. Some things were still foreign to her, but she believed in herself to understand just as Subaru believed in her.
She gave a small nod, looking at Beatrice with a downcast gaze, "Yes. I believe I do."
Beatrice hummed, thinking to herself, "Betty can perhaps somewhat see what her idiot contractor sees in you, I suppose." Pandora's eyes widened, ready to question Beatrice's statement, but the Great Spirit didn't give her any time to do so, "I will start the extraction process now. Prepare yourself."
After that, Beatrice opened the box and pressed it to Pandora's chest. It took less than a second for her to feel it: the unrivaled pain of something being forcefully pulled out of her body. She cried and screamed aloud, feeling every ounce of what was happening within her. Her very soul being pulled apart, as something that has been with her since her birth was forcefully ripped and torn away.
It only lasted a mere few seconds, with Beatrice hastily retracting the box and closing it. Pandora took deep breaths, falling to her knees, unable to promptly stand.
The Great Spirit looked at her handiwork before shifting her eyes to Pandora, "It is done, I suppose. I'm certain that you now will be able to live your life rather normally, with a better grasp on your emotions." Pausing for a moment, she added, "I should note that only Betty and her Subaru will be the only ones capable of opening the box, if need be."
As Pandora caught her breath, she searched within herself, metaphorically feeling around for the power she's always possessed. After doing so, she slightly looked up, "You… You did not… take it all. Why?"
Beatrice critically kept her gaze on the girl, "As you stated a week ago, the Witch Factors are the source of your longevity. Completely removing it would also rid you of that, which is why I decided to only split your Witch Factor in two, I suppose."
Pandora's eyes moved to the side, contemplating the spirit's words. She wasn't even going to start questioning how someone could have only half of a Witch Factor, though she supposed that it was likely similar to what the Gluttony siblings had. Either way, she was satisfied with the outcome. However, she couldn't help but ponder on how limited her abilities were now. Perhaps some practice of her own would be beneficial.
Suddenly, the door to the room burst open. Subaru stood there, looking back and forth between his lover and spirit with worry and fear clearly present on his face. He leant on the doorframe as he rapidly tried to catch his breath, "What happened, is everyone okay?!"
Both of the girls instantly winced, realizing that Subaru must've felt everything through Third Shift's connection. Beatrice quickly went to his side, grabbing hold of him comfortingly while her eyes traced his face, "Everything is fine, in fact."
Subaru looked down at her critically, "Then what happened to her?" His head referenced over to Pandora, who was starting to try and pick herself back up.
Beatrice looked over to her for a moment, then back to Subaru, "It was nothing she didn't want, in fact."
Subaru shook his head in small, rapid motions, as if in disbelief, "Nothing she didn't- okay, can you two please tell me what the hell is going on?!" Beatrice and Pandora then, promptly, shared a mutual glance.
Following that, after they all went back into the room, was a rather short, yet hard, explanation as to what Pandora and Beatrice were up to. Subaru remained silent the entire time, intently listening to every detail being said without any kind of interruption.
At the end he sighed, all whilst hugging Pandora's backside, his chin lightly perched on her shoulder. The two were seated on the bed; Beatrice stood in front of them with a guilty look on her face, mainly because she kept such a secret from her contractor. "I really wish you would've told me about this," he mumbled.
"I know," Pandora answered back, her head hanging a bit low. "I did not want to worry you."
Subaru smiled at her confession, placing his hand above hers in a vote of reassurance, "And I really appreciate that. But this was important, because it's entirely about you and who you are. I would've supported you, no matter what, because I know who you are."
She smiled, turning her hand over so that their fingers would intertwine. Turning her head a bit, she complimented, "Quite the speech there, Baru."
He shrugged, "It wasn't that good. I just spoke the truth."
Taking in a deep breath, Beatrice spoke up as well, "Betty's sorry for hiding this from you, Subaru…"
Subaru turned his head to look at her, still smiling, "Don't be sorry, Beako. If anything, I'm proud of you."
She looked up, surprised, "Huh?"
"You helped her, didn't you?" Subaru let his arm squeeze Pandora just a little bit tighter, which was something she didn't mind at all. "I didn't even need to ask you to. You did it all on your own. I'm starting to think that you're warming up to her, Beako!"
Beatrice took a step back, her face flustered, "I- I'm doing no such thing, in fact!"
Subaru laughed, while Pandora developed a rather teasing smirk. Beatrice, still flustered, did her best to compose herself by straightening her back and coughing into a fist.
"Perhaps it would be best for you to confide in us now, too, in fact," Beatrice commented without warning, throwing Subaru off.
Before he could question what that meant, Pandora spoke up as well, "Baru, you have been stressed lately. Anxious, nervous… afraid that something will jump out at you at any moment of the day. I am not blind, despite how hard you attempt to hide it."
Subaru just looked at her for a good, long moment before sighing. He took his arm away from her so that he could properly sit by her side, their hands staying intertwined at their sides. He thought to himself for a long moment before relenting, "I had a vision about a week ago."
"Is this why you had such a strong reaction so suddenly that night?" Pandora inquired, to which Subaru nodded. "What did it entail?"
He thought again, "It was more like I was watching something play out in front of me. I was at the watchtower, but… shadows swallowed it. Just… completely engulfed it whole."
Beatrice pondered to herself, as did Pandora, but it didn't take long for the both of them to reach the same conclusion. Beatrice had been the one to say something first with narrowed eyes and a grim expression, "The Witch of Envy."
Subaru nodded, "Yeah. And let me tell you, she didn't sound very happy."
Pandora averted her gaze, understanding full well what the issue was now. Subaru continued in a somber tone, "I heard voices. So many voices. All of them pleading, scared, angry…"
Beatrice lightly hummed to herself, a hand pressing to her chin as she thought, "You said that the Witch spoke to you? What did the Witch say, I wonder?" Her tone was quiet and careful.
"Not much," Subaru answered simply. "But… there were actually two voices. One was the Witch of Envy, but the other… I think the other one was Satella."
Beatrice raised an eyebrow, "Are they not one in the same?"
Subaru shook his head to deny the statement, but Pandora was actually the one to verbally deny it, "No. After Satella absorbed the Envy Witch Factor, it created a second personality within her. Satella and the Witch of Envy. Not unlike my situation, except hers is worse."
Beatrice looked at Pandora blankly, but nodded only once to convey her understanding. Soon enough, she opened her mouth again, "Well, what did Satella say? Was it a threat, I wonder?"
"A warning," Subaru quickly answered, more so surprising Beatrice. Pandora remained silent, thinking to herself at his side while he spoke again, "After the voices… after Satella spoke to me, I was brought to this room." He used his free hand to gesture to the room itself, then pointed at a specific desk, "I saw that desk. On top of it was one of your books, open and highlighting words as if they were being read."
Beatrice perked up a little, "Which book?"
"I dunno," Subaru admitted, shaking his head. "Before I could get a closer look at it, I was thrown at the wall and shadows filled the room…"
He trailed off, but he was sure that they got the idea. Silence consumed the room whole, with nobody willing to speak. Pandora in particular opted to show her support through physical contact, slightly leaning her head against his shoulder in a comforting manner.
After a while, Beatrice uttered questioningly to Subaru, "Did… Did it seem as though she would rampage, I wonder?
Subaru thought about her question for a second, "I think so."
Pandora quickly narrowed her eyes at the notion, "Then we must stop it." She received two rather surprised looks after that. She only looked at Subaru, though, with a rather deadpan obvious look, "What? I am not going to let anyone like that lay their hands on you."
Beatrice coughed, "While that reasoning is certainly flawed… for the most part, I believe that focusing on some of the current issues now will help solve this one, I suppose." At her suggestion, she successfully gathered the other two's attention.
"What current issues?" Subaru inquired,
"The issues that we spoke of over a week ago, regarding the remaining Archbishops, I suppose."
At the reminder, Pandora's eyes softened as she hummed in thought, "Let us take care of the harder ones first."
Subaru nodded in both agreement and understanding, "Let me guess, Capella?"
"Indeed," Pandora confirmed. "Capella Emerada Lugnica, or now the Archbishop of Lust. Her Authority is very versatile, allowing her to transform herself and others into various different creatures with only a mere touch. In addition, she can use her Authority to self-heal and regenerate, making her seemingly unkillable."
"Fighting at a distance might be better too, if it comes down to it," Subaru added.
"Betty remembers all of this, in fact," Beatrice said. Proceeding with an annoyed tone, she added, "And, if I'm remembering this correctly, she's also really hard to put down. So, the question is, how do we kill an unkillable person, I wonder?"
Silence filled the room as each of them individually thought to himself on the matter. When Subaru began considering certain things, his head moved in odd, funny motions, only stopping when one idea was ruled as implausible and unable to work. Eventually it seemed as though the head motions completed their cycle, with Subaru finally concluding his thoughts on some sort of plausible idea.
"I think I have an idea," he said aloud, getting the girl's heads to turn toward him. "But first, I need to ask you guys… is there any way that we can manipulate her into going somewhere specific?"
"Most probably," Pandora confirmed, turning Subaru's head. His expression became more hopeful, and dare they say excited, at the notion. She continued, "If she still follows her gospel, I can most certainly change and alter its words so that she feels compelled to go someplace in particular."
"Alright, good," Subaru nodded, turning to Beatrice next. "Beako, I know you have that weird new teleportation portal spell now, so how far could it actually take us?"
Beatrice didn't take long to respond, her tone even somewhat proud, "Quite far, in fact. Betty would say that it could take us at least halfway across the world without any trouble."
"Good enough!" Subaru exclaimed with an usually excited expression, which made the girl's minorly confused. "With any luck, this'll be quick, then."
"Would you like to fill us in on your grand plan, I wonder?" Beatrice asked, with Pandora's gaze sneakily coming her way after hearing the 'us'.
Subaru only smiled in response.
Capella Emerada Lugnica wasn't having a very great time. After that… After that bitch Pandora disappeared, things started falling apart. Her gospel started to act weirdly and her entire standing was left without structure. Everything fell apart so easily, quickly making her become lost in what to do with herself. It didn't help that every other Archbishop was either captured or dead, too.
That didn't last too long, though. Even though some things fell down, she was able to build them back up from the ground. Take the ashes and make something new out of it. That was fine.
It was harder than she'd necessarily thought it would be, taking way too much time to actually get a proper handle of. A lovely lady like herself didn't deserve to go through such grueling labor for something so simple; for something she deserved. Why couldn't those meat bags just do things for her, like they were supposed to?
After rebuilding her structure, gathering more followers and taking in some personal pets, she found that things seemed to be looking up for her. But she wouldn't deny that things were getting too boring. All of the chaos she caused and love she received wasn't enough, she craved more. The time that passed only served to fuel this.
Out of habit, she checked her gospel everyday. She needed to know if something changed; if something interesting would happen to alleviate even an ounce of her boredom. She needed the Witch's love, her approval, her acknowledgment. That was what she deserved, so she would wait until she received it.
That was why, when her gospel suddenly told her that she'd be getting a new pet, she was absolutely elated. She was still loved, after all!
The gospel wasn't too specific, but it'd told her that this particular pet would be her best one yet; that she'd be able to go so further beyond with it unlike any other pet she's had. She shivered in delight just thinking about it — about what she'd do to this pet — as she eagerly flew to the specified location.
As she got closer to her destination, the area around her became strangely foggy, a strange must wholly surrounding her. Her nose shriveled in disgust, feeling the parts of her skin dampen with an unusual moisture. She hated it, but she kept pressing forward. She told herself that this pet would be worth the defilement of her precious, beautiful, flawless skin.
Finally, Capella arrived at the designated location. She landed gracefully on the ground, wasting no time in looking around for the pet she troubled herself and came all this way for.
The fog was thick, limiting her sight to a mere few meters in front of her. No matter how much she tried to swat it away it just came back like an annoying dog, like it was being pulled toward her or something. She groaned in disgust, still pressing forward despite her immense irritation. Then, she saw him.
A boy standing alone in the fog. His features were to kill for, his body stature was reasonable and mildly erotic… oh, he was to kill for. Just by looking at his face, she could imagine all of the different expressions he'd be making within the hour. Capella shivered in delight once more, licking her lips desirably, barely able to refrain from just rushing over and taking him for herself now.
"After these ten years of boredom and dissatisfaction," she began, gathering the boy's attention, "I, Capella Emerada Lugnica, have finally found a pet worth my time! Worthy enough to love me!"
The boy's face remained in a neutral state, but an eyebrow raised, "Ten years? Is that how long it has been?"
Capella took in that statement, deciding to play the part of the ever so caring mama, "Oh, you poor thing… you must have been lost for so long! Let this lovely lady show you the light… come to me."
He tilted his head, feigning confusion. Capella eagerly, yet very impatiently, waited for his response. Sure, she could just take him… be off with him right now and get to the fun stuff as soon as possible: but, where was the fun in that? If these animals, these poor lost creatures, came to her willingly, licking her boot and begging for her to take them home, then that was all the more better.
The boy gave her a small, genuine smile, "You are correct. I have been lost. Could you show me the way out?"
He didn't need to tell her twice. She stepped closer to him immediately, wasting no time in extending a hand out to grab him. When it was close enough, the last thing she expected was for the boy to move so incredibly fast that her eyes couldn't even keep up. He grabbed her wrist and, within an instant, she found herself being flipped over his shoulder.
Before Capella hit the grass, the boy's other hand pressed itself against her head and further thrusted her into the ground. Just as suddenly as it started, she found herself buried in the ground with only her head sticking out.
"Huh? What is the meaning of this?! How dare you assault me, Capella-sama?! You taint my flawless skin with this… this… disgusting dirt." She made noises with her mouth to convey her discomfort and disgust.
He pressed a hand atop her head, keeping her stuck in the hole. Despite how much she tried to pull herself out, to transform, she found herself unable to do anything. She felt stuck to her current spot, and that immensely irritated her.
The boy let out a smug hum, "On second thought, I have already been shown the light long ago. I would rather be dead than let anyone, such as yourself, lay a hand on the one that gave that light to me."
Capella's eyes widened in disbelief before they narrowed in rage. She'd been tricked! "You pathetic, no-good meat bag! You'll-… huh?"
Confused, she looked around. He was gone. Where did he go? How could he even do that? Just who was this boy and what kind of mysterious powers did he have? If it was what she thought it was, her rage surged; she wanted nothing more than to get out of this hole and take that love away from him. He didn't deserve it, she did!
Before she had much of any time to think more about that, a peculiar smell invaded her nose. She sniffed once, then twice. Was something burning?
In her peripheral vision, she could see a bright light becoming ever so slightly brighter each passing second through the fog. Looking to the side, she saw a big ball of flame splitting through the fog and making its way toward her.
Silently to herself, she muttered a small light, "Oh." Following that, in a rather fast thinking move, she transformed the lower portion of her body and quickly began spinning, digging herself deeper into the hole so that she could avoid the blast.
The ball of flame passed over her past position soon after without issue, after which Capella herself popped out of the ground a little further back. She groaned in disgust once more; now she had even more dirt all over her skin. Whoever this attacker was, she resolved to make them pay for doing this to her.
When she gracefully put her feet against the grass, she had little time to adjust. A strange, dark hand hurriedly descended from the sky, striking at her position with vigorous enthusiasm. Capella barely dodged it in time, the hand missing and striking the ground instead. The impact created cracks on the ground's surface, but she had little time to marvel at it as the hand quickly moved up and made a swipe for her head.
Unwilling to let someone's ugly, disgusting hand touch her beautiful form, she dodged it again by ducking underneath it. However, another hand descended, striking the ground beside her. Then two more.
The hands attacked in almost perfect sinc and coordination. At times they would swipe at her, other times they'd pick themselves up and attempt to crush her head as they moved positions; sometimes it would even be a combination of both, making the attacks more difficult to avoid. She found herself being momentarily pushed back, dodging as one hand after another pressed the attack on her.
Capella grit her teeth as a hand picked itself up from the ground, raising above her head and thrusting downward. She moved out of the way, the hand striking the ground while another did the same move, a different one swiping at her feet. She jumped sideways to avoid them. She was getting thoroughly annoyed.
After ducking and rolling under another swipe, she transformed her hands into sharp claw-like appendages. Wasting no time, she began to swipe at those annoying hands in an effort to eliminate their abominable presence.
She aimed for the wrists and, with one swift strike, she destroyed them. Smiling satisfyingly to herself she kept up the pace, using her claws to promptly destroy the hands one after another with ease.
However, she found herself annoyed once again when the hands began reappearing like they'd never been destroyed in the first place. Groaning, she transformed more of her body, giving herself even more appendages in which she used to swiftly cut down all of the hands at once.
She looked up into the sky with a snarl. Enough games; that boy would pay for tricking her, attacking her, and ruining her flawless body! Wings immediately grew behind her back, her body quickly lifting off of the ground as she took to the skies in a hurry.
Though, the mist shrouded her vision; she couldn't see anything. Nobody was there; nothing at all. She looked around, teeth grit and clearly angry. She was frustrated, furious even.
Suddenly, something wrapped around her ankle. She didn't even bother looking down at it, slashing her claws and cutting whatever had grabbed hold. Dim light began to flow all around her, steadily emerging from the mist as thin, gold glowing string-like tendrils.
Confused, Capella could only watch as they circled her from all sides. The thin string-like tendrils sprung forward, wrapping around her body quickly. She gasped, her disgust rising as they invaded her skin's surface, wrapping themselves around her ankles, wrists and stomach.
She grit her teeth again, the tendrils wrapping around her limbs tighter and tighter until they completely sliced through her flesh and bone. Her hands, legs, and lower chest all promptly gravitated towards the ground while she stayed in flight. Capella didn't scream — that wasn't ladylike — but she groaned aloud in clear vexation as the tendrils hurriedly retracted.
She hurriedly began trying to heal herself, regenerating her lost body parts as fast as she could. Soon enough, her body was almost completely healed, allowing her more freedom to frantically and frustratingly look around herself for anything to target her anger on.
A whizz sounded behind her. Capella quickly whipped her head back, her eyes meeting someone very, very familiar to her. A long, platinum-haired girl with her arm extended back. Capella opened her mouth, "Pandora-sam-"
Before she could finish, Pandora thrust her arm forward to let her palm collide with the Archbishop's face. Capella was immediately thrown back with great force, skidding and bouncing off of the ground once before swiftly stabilizing herself in the air using the wings behind her back.
She shook her head, gathering her bearings and thoughts. Pandora… that bitch was fighting against her? Her? The Great Capella-sama?
Gritting her teeth once more, Capella groaned loudly. She was frustrated and furious. She didn't deserve this. She was Capella! She deserved all the love in the world! She shouldn't have to deal with these bugs dirtying her perfect form.
She'd had enough. She'd show these insects what happens when you try to mess with her. Despite the mist being in her way, she began to transform. Her body arrayed changing and altering itself in every way possible, becoming bigger, stronger and more fearsome than anything ever before seen.
"Beako, now!"
The sudden voice erupted in the mist before she could complete her transformation. As if on cue, she felt heavier than she'd ever had before. It wasn't exactly foreign or strange to feel heavier, especially with some of the bigger forms she could transform into, but this was different. She felt as if she would be pulled straight into the floor.
Capella hadn't even realized that she was already falling; infinitely so, in fact. Nor would she ever likely realize this fact. Even if she did, it was far too late to save herself now.
A trio emerged from the mist, the fog suddenly beginning to dissipate upon their ermersion. They carefully approached the edge of the world, each of them looking down into the void below. Subaru smiled, satisfied with their handiwork, "Nice job, everyone."
"Hmph! It's only natural that Betty would play part flawlessly, in fact," Beatrice proudly boasted. "How long do I have to keep this up, I wonder?"
"I'll let you know," Subaru simply responded. Even though she probably had Vita activated long enough, it was still better to be safe than sorry. He looked over to Pandora, a cocky smile on his face, "I thought you said that this would be hard."
Pandora looked back at him, a small, proud smile of her own present on her face, "That was before you came up with this plan."
"And you're confident that this will actually kill her?" Beatrice questioned, still slightly unsure.
"Mhm," Subaru hummed in confirmation. "If this world is truly flat, with absolutely nothing after, or below, this point, then I'm sure this'll kill her. Plus, someone else that was really powerful died this way too; so, that also boosts my confidence in this."
Pandora nodded, understanding Subaru's thought process, "Not even her regeneration can save her from this."
Beatrice sighed, putting her full trust into her contractor, "Very well. Even though Betty's contractor is an idiot, he is still a genius, I suppose."
"Uh… thanks, Beako," Subaru lifted his head, turning it toward her with a smile and laugh. He loved Beatrice's tsundere-like compliments.
Pandora knelt down next to the edge, continuing to look down into it with a thoughtful expression, "A pity, she never got to finish her transformation."
Subaru looked at her, still smiling, "I think that makes it even better. Well funnier, anyway. She got sent into oblivion while her body was still compressing and morphing. She looked disgusting."
Beatrice smirked at the observation, "How poetic. She lived trying to be beautiful, yet died as a hideous abomination, I suppose."
Subaru's smile transformed into more of a smirk, accompanied by an audible, "Mhm."
"After her death, whatever following she has will likely collapse," Pandora voiced. "If not, their infrastructure will likely be too disorganized for them to actively do anything. They will be easy for any opposing force to eliminate."
After that statement, almost as if it was on cue, Subaru felt something new within him. He put a hand to his chest on instinct. It felt odd and out of place at first, bouncing every which way as if it were trying to find out where to go, but soon settled down. He waited for a moment, letting the odd feelings fade before he gave Beatrice the all clear, "Alright, I got it."
Beatrice promptly stopped using Vita, exhaling as she relaxed herself. With everything done and settled, Pandora gave Beatrice a hard look, "You have some things to explain."
Beatrice turned to look at her, "What are you talking about, I wonder?"
Pandora's eyes narrowed, "Capella off-handedly said, right before the confrontation, that ten years have passed. Is this true?"
Beatrice froze, fumbling any attempt of a response she could muster up with a continuous stutter. To Pandora, it just further proved her guilt.
Before either of the girls could properly add or say anything else, two dark hands picked them both up by the back of their clothes. They were lifted up into the air, moved back and further away from the world's edge before being gently placed back on the grass below. Their eyes tracked to Subaru, who himself used two hands to efficiently move himself between and past them.
Both Beatrice and Pandora looked at him silently. Even though his back was currently facing the both of them, they could just feel the grim and ultimately sad aura emanating off of him. Subaru probably didn't want such a conversation to take place so close to somewhere so dangerous.
"Beako." She reeled back under the weight of her nickname, lowering her head in silent preparation for what he'd say next. She expected the worst: harsh words, a scolding or even disownment. Though the words finally came out, "Is it true?"
It wasn't what she expected; just a simple question. Beatrice didn't try to open her mouth right away. Instead, her eye traced the ground below them, examining almost every single strand of grass. She had to pry them away, taking a deep breath. Finding even just a sliver of courage, she lifted her eye toward him, "I-I… Yes, in fact. It is true."
He stayed quiet, unresponsive to her stuttering confession. The Great Spirit gulped, feeling a mix of shame, guilt and depression all at once. It felt terrible, akin to what she'd felt years ago when Subaru first went missing. Looking at his back made it worse. She felt as though he'd never turn around; that he would simply march toward, leaving her behind and never coming back.
"Why?" was all that came after. Hearing his voice so low, so quiet… it didn't help the spirit at all. She could only imagine what he was thinking… Was he blaming himself? Was he scorning her, preparing to leave and break their contract for good? If either of those were the case, she didn't know if she would be able to take it.
She opened her mouth, raising a hand up as if to reach out and grab him. Yet, just as words made it to the tip of her tongue, she retracted them and closed her mouth, her hand lowering itself just after. Beatrice wasn't sure if she even deserved to speak, because what could she even possibly say? The truth? Even if she did, the truth didn't warrant her to keep it a secret for so long anyway.
Her gaze wandered for a while until it found the outlier in this situation. Pandora stood strangely alone, off to the side but not too far away. It momentarily confused Beatrice; at least, until she looked at the former Witch's face. It was downcast, the outlying characteristics of her face detailed in sadness. Why?
Beatrice found her answer soon enough. They weren't holding hands, so Cor Leonis: Third Shift was active. Pandora was still currently feeling everything of what Subaru was.
Realizing this, Beatrice redirected her gaze back to her contractor. His back was still toward her, but she understood his expression and his feelings. She needed to be honest. She needed to talk to him, to tell him the truth. He deserves that much, at least. What a failure of a spirit, she was.
She took in a puff of air, steadying her breaths so that she could speak more clearly. At last, she opened her mouth once more, words beginning to flow, "Betty… Betty has no excuse for lying to you, I suppose." Her head hung itself low, shaming herself for her incredible misdeed. "Betty saw how you reacted when she first released you. I… I was afraid that telling you the truth would hurt you more and make things worse. Betty didn't want you to blame yourself…"
At the end, she trailed off. That was all she could really say. All that she could hope for was forgiveness. Her face scrunched up as she tried her best not to cry, failing nonetheless. She could feel the first tear breach her left eye, staining her eyepatch yet still crawling its way out from under it. The tear started its journey down her cheek, where it would eventually fall to the ground with a tiny splash.
Then the second tear, breaching past the other eye this time. It would have the same journey as its friend from the other eye— or, well, that's how it should have been.
Beatrice was immensely surprised when something, or rather someone, rushed over to her and brought her into one of the tightest embraces she'd ever felt. Her arms reeled back as she was lifted into the air, the second tear flying from her cheek and onto the person's clothes, staining it.
As her bearings returned, she realized that Subaru was the one hugging her. She could hear his sniffles as he affectionately rubbed his face into her chest, crying all the while. The Great Spirit quickly became overwhelmed with sudden emotions, but mainly confusion. Why was he hugging her? Wasn't he mad at her? Wasn't he supposed to hate her?
"Beako!" he exclaimed, shockingly startling her further. He repeated the same exclamation a few more times, unrelenting in his affectionate embrace. Beatrice, hearing him cry and yell her name, over and over again, became further flooded with her own emotions, more tears threatening to fall as her arms threw themselves around his back to return the hug.
They cried together for a while; contractor and spirit, sitting in a depressed yet affectionate embrace. Pandora silently watched, her emotions conflicting as the scene played out in front of her. Breaking her neutral expression, her mouth twitched in different directions as if different feelings were clashing together for dominance. Nevertheless, at the end, her mouth settled on exhibiting a soft, small smile.
When Subaru and Beatrice separated at long last, they both were significantly red-eyed. Subaru looked at her face, taking his hand and wiping some of her tears away. She looked up at him, confused and desperately searching for answers, "Why…!"
Subaru slightly tilted his head, a small smile invading his saddened face, "My cute Beako shouldn't cry. It doesn't suit her."
Beatrice lightly pulled away, shaking his hand off of her in the process. She rapidly shook her head in denial, unwilling to just easily accept this affection without a liable reason. She looked back up at him, her red-eyes clear for him to see, "Why… Why do you show Betty this love! I… I don't deserve it."
His expression changed, his smile fading as he slowly processed her words. Then just as it disappeared it reappeared again, Subaru's eyes softly looking into her very soul with all the love she could've ever possibly hoped for. He spoke to her calmly and gently, his voice carrying an immense amount of care, "Beako, of course you deserve it. You deserve all the love in the world and more. You were just looking out for me… I-… If anything, I don't deserve it. I've failed you, failed everyone, by leaving for so long. I can't even fathom how much you suffered, alone with nobody to confide in… to hug you and help you fall asleep at night. I'm really, really sorry, Beako."
Beatrice widened her eyes, shocked by her contractor's words, "What… No, no-… You shouldn't apologize, Betty should be apologizing! You- You did what you did to protect us- to protect me, in fact!"
Subaru took in a light breath through his nose, then exhaled it the same way, "That doesn't change the fact that I left you, left everyone, for so long. Even if I saved you then, who saved you while I was gone…"
They both knew the answer to that. His hand moved and softly took hold of her hair, picking through certain strands until he held one of an odd, unnatural color. Beatrice understood his point, yet stayed unwilling to accept it. She didn't want to. He was doing exactly what she feared: blaming himself.
She opened her mouth to speak in protest, but found herself interrupted before she even began, "If anyone must apologize, it is I."
Both contractor and spirit's heads quickly turned toward the epicenter of the new voice, finding that it came from an unlikely source. Pandora had been the one to speak those sudden and shocking words, her head directed downward and her breathing circulating in a somewhat irregular fashion.
When she lifted her head, Beatrice could see that she was sad. The former Witch wasn't crying, but her eyes displayed enough of her emotions to clearly convey the message to anyone that looked. Her gaze softened, tracking to the ground once more as she put a hand over her heart.
"I may not be able to understand everything yet, but I know that I feel sad." Her eyes glanced at Subaru for a second, "Even through our mixed emotions, I am able to identify my own. I can better understand my own heart, what it feels and what it wants, and I know that everything that has happened is due to me."
Subaru's expression tilted for a moment, confused and contemplative. Beatrice was almost the same way, looking at Pandora oddly, as if she'd grown a second head. Subaru tried to deny her self-blame and apology, "Dora, no- this… this isn't your fault, okay? You-"
"There is nothing that you can say to change that fact, Baru," she shook her head a few times, both verbally and visually rebuking his statement. When her head settled, her eyes narrowed critically. They focused on nothing in particular as she expressed her truth, "If I had never shown up, you would have never disappeared. None of this would have happened. Everyone would be okay."
Subaru swallowed, only able to look at her after hearing those words. He knew that it emotionally hurt her to even say that, through both their connection and her expression. Despite being mostly lost for words, he was able to find some, "You were different then… you're different now…" He trailed off, his eyes wandering on their own until he found his words again, "Everyone would have been okay… except you."
She shook her head again, despite his plea. "I know. I have changed a lot because of you," as she said that, her eyes focused on him, soft, caring and full of undeniable love. "But that does not change that it was still me and who I was then. I hurt people, killed people… hurt you. Despite how much I have changed now, I cannot run from my past."
Silence then befell the space by the edge of the world. All of them wanted to speak, yet none of them could. They'd all said their piece, each of them blaming themselves for the same and different things all together at the same time. One could say that it was almost poetic.
Beatrice in particular thought to herself with anxious critique. The Great Spirit took everyone's words to heart, including her own, and decided to put them together. "Then let's face it, I suppose," she looked between her contractor and his lover, suggesting something the other two didn't much understand.
They both looked at the Great Spirit with confusion and interest. They wanted to know what she meant, eager and willing to take any and all suggestions into consideration for their own reasons, some of them similar or the same. Seeing as though she had their attention, the Great Spirit continued.
"Our pasts… we should face them, I suppose," she repeated. "Each of us have things we regret and need to face. For Betty, it is her failure." Her gaze focused on her contractor, "For Betty's Subaru, it is his guilt for being absent. You wish to make up for lost time and make things right, I suppose." Her gaze then went to Pandora, "For you, it is also your guilt of the past. You wish to face your mistakes, in fact."
Both Subaru and Pandora nodded at her, confirming that her statements were true. Pandora eased herself over to Subaru, finally reuniting their hands in a natural embrace. Pandora looked at Beatrice, both interested yet doubtful, "What do you propose?"
Beatrice looked between the two, contemplating her next words carefully before continuing, "Let's all go to the Lugnica Royal Capital, I suppose." Her odd, sudden suggestion caused the pair's eyes to widen. Beatrice continued, "There, we can find our answers. Confront our mistakes. Betty's Subaru can find and talk to everyone again; Pandora will have a chance to eliminate the last two Archbishops, while making things right along the way, I suppose."
Subaru almost shook at the sheer possibility of what Beatrice said, "They… Are they really there? Are you sure?"
Beatrice looked at him genuinely, "As far as Betty is aware; yes, most of them are, I suppose."
As Subaru silently thought to himself about what he wanted to do, Pandora pondered aloud, "What about the Archbishops?"
Beatrice's gaze shifted to her, now, "Roy Alphard and Sirius are still sealed away, locked away somewhere inside of the capital's prison. We can release and promptly eliminate them, in fact."
Pandora stayed silent, nodding her head to show that she understood. Subaru swallowed, anxiety clear on his face. Yet, he looked at Beatrice with an expression akin to both resolve and confidence, "Let's do it."