Silent Lamb

by xeveningx

In silence lay secrets that have haunted her for years and she's ready to give up everything in order to take them to her grave. At this point,there's nothing to make her waver.Or is there? In the end,it's her choice: unravel the truth and destroy everything she's come to love, or forever be the scapegoat and lose herself in the process? (Rated M for themes.)

16. Tearing Down Walls

Chapter Sixteen

Tearing Down Walls

---

Thousands upon thousands of able soldiers and their tents spread across the vastness of the plateau. Their presence was just as greatly spread, her eyes unable to see where they ended and the rest of the prairie began. But with over half a million men to fight this war, Ceara supposed that a whole plateau was necessary to hold the fort that was their headquarters.

A light tug of her ropes broke her out of her stupor and got her to walk forth following after Chuu'un into an empty tent. It wasn't small by any means and it was well furnished. Surely it must be their new General Commander's.

"Wait outside. I'll call for you to retrieve her in a few minutes."

Ceara held the sigh she wanted to let go of before meeting Koumei as his household member left the tent. His light crimson eyes scrutinized her and her stark blue ones did the same wanting to know why exactly she was there.

I have my suspicions, though.

"What happened between the two of you?"

Her mind reeled back for a few seconds. She wanted to ask him what he was talking about but they both knew exactly what it was. Playing coy with him wouldn't do her any good, not when he was the most serious she'd ever seen him. So instead, Ceara opted to tell him the truth.

"A mere carnal need on both our sides." A lie. At least where she was concerned. Ceara knew exactly what she felt for Kouen and why, but telling that to his little brother wouldn't be good at this moment. She still was doubtful about Kouen as well even after last night. One thing kept her hope alive, though. Words he never once uttered but that Ceara swore she felt with every kiss and every touch he gave her. But again, that wasn't something to say to the little brother. "He was willing as was I. There wasn't really much more to it than that."

"He wouldn't be trying to make up excuses if that were it," Koumei countered, his brow furrowing and quickly turning irate.

"He isn't."

Koumei's frown turned more prominent at hearing this but it didn't deter her from the answer she gave. His reply did make her stop to think about things, though. "Whatever it may be, I assure you that if your intentions put him in peril, I will personally rid us of you."

"There won't be a need." Ceara didn't want to spill the truth about her running away after the war. Kouen was already doing enough to help her with what he could. All she could do now was try and maintain the status quo and get suspicion away from herself as much as possible. But Koumei didn't seem like he would leave things just like that. Especially now when they concerned his brother.

Frankly, though, she understood his concern. And there was one way she knew she could dispel that doubt.

"Koumei, I love Kouen."

His eyes widened at the declaration that came out of nowhere. Ceara almost felt the embarrassment crawl up her neck at saying those words, ones she hadn't even told Kouen himself, but she knew they were true. After all that happened, Ceara knew they were. Koumei's bafflement didn't disappear for a solid second and gave her enough time to explain herself as a smile came to her lips.

"And I am never telling him that," she confessed, letting that same smile falter but keeping his gaze locked with hers. "I'm fighting this war to save my siblings, to give stability back to the country I grew up in, and to bring the man I love a step closer to his goal. I'm doing this out of selfishness and because I am, you should know that I'll do whatever's in my hands to make it come true." Ceara chuckled dryly after saying that, wiping her cheek with her joined hands. "So don't worry, Mei, I'll do my best to end this war with you all."

The second prince remained speechless for another second before sighing and calling out for Chuu'un. Before the older household member could enter, though, he gave her a quick word.

"Then end it and begone from our lives and his once it's over."

"I will," she promised, knowing it to be the best for them all. Chuu'un entered quickly thereafter and took her away from Koumei's tent, taking her instead to another where Parisa and Seijin awaited. Although pleasant, it'd been a surprise.

The two hurried her way as she entered. Seijin questioned if the restraints were really necessary while Parisa went ahead to check on the condition of the bangl around her wrist. Chuu'un's reply was that they were orders; she couldn't be let off of her constraints unless it was necessary. And according to Koumei's order those necessities narrowed down to self-care and fighting. Nothing else. And to top it off, Chuu'un remained with her since he had to escort her back when Koumei briefed the generals and captains about tomorrow's deployment.

"Where are you being stationed?" Ceara asked them both. Seijin eyed the household member that remained by the door skeptically. Ceara simply waved her hands dismissively—as best she could, anyway—before asking again. "He's here. Forget about it and answer me."

Parisa went first seeing as she was the one less bothered by Chuu'un's presence. "I'll be with Prince Kouha and the first army."

"I'll be supporting Princess Kougyoku with the second army," Seijin told her.

"Be on your guard, both of you." Ceara turned to Seijin first, her eyes steeled with solemnity. "Seijin, don't try to conjure up your household vessel. Even if I have Murmur while I'm fighting, you haven't had any time to practice. So don't put your faith in it when it's never been tested before." The blond nodded in agreement, his hand brushing up against the cuff earing that held the household vessel.

She then proceeded to address Parisa who simply sat listening intently. "Parisa, I know you're strong and can handle yourself but I don't believe you've ever been in a real battlefield, have you?"

"Not really." The young magician averted her gaze, tilting her head sideway with a pout to her lips. "Magnostadt allowed those who didn't want to fight to leave. So I left with enough time to escape the big fight that happened. Wasn't my country to protect anyway."

That's not disconcerting at all.

"Would you do that now?" Ceara asked.

It was then that Parisa turned to face her fully again with a grin that spread from ear to ear. "I may not fight for a country that's not mine and that I owe nothing to but I'll certainly fight for the people that I'm close to. And you two're certainly that. So no worries there, Miss of Eriu. Rest assured that you have the great magician Parisa on your side for this."

"Good," Ceara breathed before smiling and returning to face her vassal. "In that case, be sure to remain by Junjun, Reirei, Jinjin, and Kan Meihou. They're Kouha's most trusted which means they're well trained as well. So even if by some god forbidden happenstance something occurs, you'll be safe with them. We're fighting to stop this, yes. But, you guys, don't die on me," she reminded them tenderly. "Whatever happens, I want you to live."

"As do we," Parisa told her and gave her a cheeky grin before she continued. "We want to live beyond this war as well. After all, we've got all those projects and stuff to take care of, don't we?"

Ceara watched the small smile that grew on Parisa's and Seijin's lips when the magician said that. They knew that she could no longer lead the orphan houses or the memoirs and both had stepped up to claim ownership over them. Ceara had expected Seijin; he always talked about how proud he felt about working for such a good cause. Parisa had been the surprise yet again. The young magician had been smitten with the idea and volunteered to join the cause. It was because of them that she was so sure that she could leave without either project suffering.

They're in good hands.

"Plus, after this war, I don't think your incarceration will be permanent." Seijin grinned at the thought, leaning forward. "His majesty never ordered for imperial punishment, after all. Surely it'll take some years but you'll be able to come out and work with us again after this."

Ceara couldn't help the smile that came over her along with the happiness his words gave her. It pushed aside the gloom that also arose when they were thinking so much about a future that she wouldn't be a part of.

It's okay, though. Even without me, they'll pull through. They're capable of that.

And that was enough reassurance for her. She took an hour more to talk through with them some of the things she knew they would encounter out in the battlefield. None had fought in a real battle, certainly not a civil war. Without a doubt, this fight would be different than others. Here, they wouldn't be fighting strangers. Here, they would be fighting their own country. And that was something they had to be ready to face.

"It's time." Ceara heaved a sigh and nodded to Chuu'un over her shoulder before all three of them stood up.

Seijin and Parisa came up to her, touching her bound hands tenderly and smiling at her. She reciprocated the gesture knowing nothing else that there could be said except for a quaint 'take care of yourselves.' Chuu'un wasted no time and took her away. It was the middle of the day still but Ceara surmised that this meeting would take most of what was left of daylight to discuss.

But as she walked through the multitudes of soldiers, Ceara noticed a tangible animosity that crawled under her skin. At first, it'd been something she could ignore when they arrived at the camp. Now that they were heading to their General Commander's tent, though, she felt all eyes on her, digging into her like daggers. Murmurs came above the shuffling of their walk but she ignored them the best she could.

Those she heard outside were nothing in comparison to the ones she heard the instant she entered, though. All eyes turned to her once more, some accusatory, others purely of hatred. Heaving a sigh, Ceara scanned the place quickly, noticing that mostly all of them were people she knew or had heard of. There were generals and captains, about twenty or so altogether, gathered there. Amongst them, Ceara instantly noticed the pair of magenta and pink eyes staring at her. Kouha's was definitely more somber than Kougyoku's but certainly both intense for the position they were in. The princess and princes joining their people in the battlefield as metal vessel users gave them a much higher responsibility, especially in this civil war. Now they had to uphold an image. It was one that Ceara once held. One that she didn't have to hold anymore. And that was good because what some of them were saying was definitely meant to upset her.

"Traitor."

"Why is she still alive?"

"She shouldn't be here."

"His majesty said they'll be using her for the war. It's imperative we keep her alive."

"Surely, she will be dealt with once the war is over and she's served her purpose."

They weren't even trying to hide their enmity. It was more than apparent where they stood where she was concerned. But Ceara wasn't about to let them or anyone have their say with her. Not anymore. Not ever again.

Stopping in her tracks and making Chuu'un stop with her, Ceara took a deep breath so that her voice would resonate well through the space. "Say what you will—you can wish for my death all you want or even derogate me and what I've done—the fact still remains that I'm here because you need me. You need us to win this war. So I could care less how you treat me or what you say."

In the end, I'll be glad to see you writhe in the embarrassment once you realize you actually need me.

With her piece said, Ceara finally followed after the household member as he stood off to the side with his hold still tight on her rope. Ceara watched from her place behind Kougyoku, the princess shifting a bit and her glance wanting to turn over her shoulder, and listened intently at what Koumei had to say.

They would position themselves tomorrow and advance when the time arose. As of now, Koumei would be commanding them as General Commander, just like she had thought, while Kouen commanded both the western and northern armies. From the recount of their current territory, Ceara could see that their western faction held a good portion of the continent with Rakushou and its nearby territory being exempted.

On paper, Hakuryuu appeared hilariously overwhelmed by their numbers. They had almost ten times his troops and much more terrain to work with. And that wasn't even mentioning the fact that they had ten metal vessels and six metal vessel users where he had up to two.

On theory it should be a flawless victory. But Ceara knew better than to ride on theories and plans.

"And what happens if we're defeated?"

Kouha's abrupt and grim statement caught everyone's attention. It also corroborated the same fear she harbored about this civil war. Ceara had fought her share of battles, few as they were, and the one that most vividly resembled this was Hakucho. The conquer of that city should have been clean: they hadn't the numbers, the techniques, or the strategy that she had had. And yet, despite everything pointing to a flawless victory, they had failed.

And Ceara knew that this could turn out the same if they became overzealous. This was why she greatly appreciated Kouha's words. It grounded their minds to the reality of what there was to win and, more importantly, what there was to lose. They were fighting to protect the Kou Empire they knew. They were fighting to protect what Emperor Hakutoku and his sons built. And what Koumei added to it only fueled their determination.

We have to win for everybody's future.

And his last request to them was a simple one.

"Please win."

Everybody present took a knee and saluted, vowing that they would win. Knowing it to be right, she stood and took a knee as well, simply bowing down her head when she couldn't salute seeing as her hands were held up by the rope Chuu'un held.

And Koumei made it clear to them how they would know they have won. It would be when they had Hakuryuu's head. And that was her grim reminder of the price of war they would pay.

---

Night was passing quicker than she thought possible. Even the few hours she had alone were been restless. Ceara's mind was full of voices and her body tense from vibrations, both of which she quelled with a well-deserved holler. She startled the group of soldiers that were left to guard her in the tiny tent and unintentionally dazed them at letting out the shout. It made her feel bad for about a second.

But just for a second. Too bad she had to do it to safeguard her sanity. Otherwise she would start losing her mind before she even entered the battlefield. Raising her tied wrists, Ceara watched the bracelet on her left wrist as its light dimmed from the waste of magoi. But after that, she couldn't ignore how the exhaustion of not having replenished her own magoi for the last couple of days took its toll on her.

"Dawn's coming already, isn't it?" she said to nobody in particular, wanting to waste the magoi from the seal as much as she could to let hers recover. Ceara tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling of the small alcove she was in. Despite being unable to see the outside, she could tell from the clamoring of voices that her ears caught instead that a new day was beginning. The whole of their troops would be moving on towards the Kannan Plains soon. Every soldier and magician would already be mobilizing to their ranks in order to advance east.

"Your highness."

Ceara lowered her gaze to meet Kouha's stare as he walked in. Deliberately and with a kind smile, he dismissed the two from their posts so they could wait outside. She wasn't so sure what for. At least not until she saw the mound of clothes he held in his arms. Coming closer to where she sat, he laid the clothes aside on a table before staring down at her. A long strenuous silence came over them that she decided to break when she saw one of his fine brows raise.

"Are these for me?"

"You can't very well go to battle out in rags." Taking a small dagger from behind him, Kouha swiftly undid the ties on her wrists. He sighed and walked over to the exit, lifting the flap of the tent and eyeing her over his shoulder. "Get dressed while I bring you some armor." Kouha left her quickly thereafter, surely with the guards still outside for privacy.

Reminding herself to thank him, Ceara took the time to change into the simple blue and white hanfu Kouha brought her. The colors were simple as was the design. The sleeves were just long enough and the breeches comfortable enough to move under her skirts. Funnily enough, they fit just right, too. It was as she adjusted some of her hair into a bun at her nape of her neck to let the rest fall when Kouha returned with the light armor he promised. This time, though, he wasn't alone. Kan Meihou and Reirei were with him, the former carrying the light armor and the latter carrying a small chest with her hands.

Kan Meihou left the light armor for her on the same table Kouha had left her clothes. Ceara took the pauldrons and put them in place on her shoulders along with the rest of the armor before turning to nod at Reirei and the chest.

"What is that?"

"Your weapons." Kouha took the lid in his hands and opened the chest to reveal her metal vessels neatly nestled inside together with a zircon necklace she recognized.

This time it was Ceara who raised a questioning brow. "I thought Koumei said that I wouldn't get them until we reached the battlefield."

"You're under my command and I want all my soldiers able and ready to enter a battle as soon as we march out onto the plains." He motioned to Reirei who promptly placed the chest on the table. It wasn't until she did that Ceara noticed the sheathed sword that the magician held on her hip which she also drew out and held in her palms.

These weren't just her metal vessels. These were Suisei's and Sousei's household vessels too. Ceara wanted to ask how Kouha got ahold of them but refrained after a second. She didn't need to know. Having them close was good enough. She thanked him for bringing them to her before she placed them on herself. Beleth's crimson feather fit well between the folds of the ribbon on her waist. Seeing as her left wrist was now occupied by Parisa's bangle, Marbas' bracelet had to go on her right. There wasn't really a difference either way. Murmur was the one that she promptly placed in her bun, some more of her hair falling down her back as she accommodated him. A distinct and familiar warmth rushed through her body, one that she relished in after not having had them with her for what felt like an eternity.

Their presence comforted her days of solitude and madness. That she had their household vessels as well let relief come over her like a calm wave.

"Thank you for bringing them safely to me," Ceara said with a genuine smile. "And for the equipment too."

Kouha nodded and dismissed his attendants, speaking only after they left. He tapped at his neck, just at his collarbone, before a wicked half-grin came over him. "You have fun with someone?"

Feeling the blood rush up her neck and to her cheeks, Ceara brought the edges of her garments closer to hide her own collarbone where she knew faint marks were still left from two nights ago. "It's really nothing for you to poke around in."

"It is if it's with who I think it was." Kouha's mischievous grin changed into a more sincere one. "Was it?"

Ceara didn't want to lie. She hadn't to Koumei. There wasn't really a reason to lie to Kouha, either. "Yes."

The young prince let out a scoff followed by a chuckle. "Who would've thought, huh?"

The giddiness that he gave off despite their current situation lifted her mood a bit. "He's not as distant or difficult as he comes off as. Rather caring and gentle, actually."

Kouha scrunched his nose in feigned disgust before chuckling again. "Stop. I don't want to hear about your sexual endeavors with my brother." The two shared a small laugh before his tone turned serious again. "We'll be moving out soon. With you, we will have three metal vessel users and five metal vessels. The plan is to reach Hakuryuu—"

"And finish it all using our Extreme Magic against him," Ceara finished for him with a weary smile. "I know. I was there when Koumei told us the plan. I wasn't spacing out all of the time."

"I hope you weren't," he pointed out. "You're a type of secret weapon for us. That thing—" he said pointing at the gleaming bracelet on her left wrist then at her shoulder "—Mei-nii told me about it. It casts magic, right?"

"Yeah," Ceara replied, rotating the bracelet around her wrist anxiously. "What I can do is limited by itself, though. But with Beleth I should be able to exploit it."

"Then keep that hidden. We'll use you as a trump card if things get worse."

"Our hopes are they won't," she finished for him.

Kouha agreed and motioned out toward the exit. "Shall we?" Ceara took his lead and both left the tent but as soon as they did she felt their glares and heard their whispers. Again the hatred seeped into her ears but Kouha said just enough to calm her down. "Don't listen to them. They're afraid without even knowing it. You're the easier target right now. Things will change when we get out on the battlefield."

"You sound so sure," she whispered under her breath.

"I am," he replied, "Trust me, once we're fighting, they won't care about you much when they're busy trying to kill off Hakuryuu."

He's not wrong.

It took them another hour to round the battalion. The first army of which she was a part of consisted of 220,000 men. That was an unfathomable number to her. Even the second army with its 200,000 men amounted to so much more than she had ever commanded herself. Now a young prince and princess commanded them. And those were just the largest of their armada. It certainly didn't account for the 100,000 of the third army or the 90,000 of the fourth which were nothing but dungeon creatures.

After gathering the huge army, it was easier to move them toward the Kanan Plains. By the sound of the information Junjun, Jinjin, and Reirei gave them, Hakuryuu's army had advanced towards the center of the plains. Ceara supposed that he chose his battlefield; if so then there was a good possibility that he'd be joining the battle himself. That would make their jobs much easier.

As they rode on their horses towards the center of the plains, Ceara heard the hoard of rukh surrounding them. Or her, more like it. She knew that as the beacon she was, Ceara could garner rukh that was compatible with sound magic. And from the side glances that the three magicians kept giving her and the fact that she could hear them loud and clear, she supposed they were fluttering about.

A sudden disturbance shook the rukh around them, though, their fluttering became suddenly more erratic a second before a familiar voice thundered through the plains. Ceara crushed her hands against her ears as Hakuryuu's voice rang through the air, the volume hurting her eardrums as the boy spoke.

"This is a message for all the soldiers in the rebel army—"

Too loud.

"Allow me." Beleth dispersed the particles around them, nullifying the vibrations. Even with Beleth's protection, she could still hear the message through her soundproof sphere.

Hakuryuu wanted Kouen's head. And if they delivered, they would avoid annihilation.

At least according to him. Not only that. He spread lies, claiming that Kouen was in league with Gyokuen and had aided in Emperor Hakutoku's and the crown princes' murders. Ceara knew, far more than anyone, that that was a huge lie. And by the looks of it, his soldiers went with that lie, chanting 'usurper' at the top of their lungs as they marched towards them.

Ceara held tightly onto the reins of her mare, disassociating for a split second. There wasn't any stopping Hakuryuu. He'd gone through hell and back to finish this, something that Ceara presumed had been boiling deep in him for much too long.

Kouen had been somewhat right. Having left Hakuryuu to himself because they thought him a lost cause due to his deep-seated hatred had been a grave mistake. One they should have dealt with from its roots. But thinking about what could've or should've been done was useless now. Now, to take action was necessary.

Hakuryuu needed to die.

No matter how against it I am.

In a fell swoop, Ceara caught the sight of Kouha bringing down his arm, bellowing to the air for their advance. Gripping the reins tighter, she rode ahead at full speed flanking Kouha as Kougyoku did the same. Thousands upon thousands of hooves stampeded through Kanan's terrain, causing an uproar of noise that Ceara felt crawl under her skin as the rukh around her went crazy. As they neared the enemy brigade, Ceara drew her brother's sword from its sheath praying that this ended swiftly.

And as they clashed, army against army, she pierced through a soldier before the monstrosity it had become could take her off from her horse. The next came and just as swiftly, she dealt with them. But the more they came after her and the rest of the army, the more Ceara noticed something wasn't right. Despite their overwhelming numbers, these people weren't backing down. It's like they felt no fear. And that kept their momentum going. Even with the disparity of their numbers, they weren't deterred.

This abnormal behavior only became starker as their second battalion came through, the brutes slashing cleanly through soldiers and horses alike with tremendous strength. That fearlessness and perseverance was killing their soldiers. They had little against them in strength with whatever had been done to them.

They weren't normal.

I can't fight them like they are.

Sheathing her sword and calling out to Murmur, Ceara summoned her weapon equip, the chains of the lantern wrapping around her waist as she held the reins of her horse and part of the chains in one hand and the scythe in the other. Without hesitation, she sprung forward at the same time she flung her scythe out towards the enemy. The long reach and sharpness of the blade caught six enemies right through the throat, decapitating them, before it returned, the chains clanking against each other as she caught it above her head.

Soldiers of theirs she saved by killing those six backed off, letting the next line of men step forward. Ceara was about to attack again when two blurs of pink rushed by the corner of her eyes. Following them, she saw Kouha and Kougyoku protecting their soldiers the same as her as they kept fighting.

But even so, she also saw something in Kougyoku. Something that she recognized.

Hesitation; it was as clear as day.

"Regardless of the situation, she's killing her own people," Murmur told her, "That would cast doubt in anyone's heart."

"Kougyoku! Look at 'em!" Kouha shouted as he swung his sword to deal with the enemy that came at them. "They're fighting against their wills—"

Ceara couldn't agree more with Kouha. These people weren't themselves anymore. They needed to take care of it. Hesitation would only cost them a larger number of casualties. Kouen, Koumei, and Hakuei were elsewhere. And all they had to take care of the war, to finish it all, was the three of them.

Her breath hitched for a second when Kouha was about to be struck but was shocked to see Kougyoku pushing forward and slashing the soldier with her sword, protecting her brother.

That's right. This is all to protect the people we care for.

Calling Murmur, Ceara conjured the souls of the soldiers that died in the battlefield. Their rukh fresh from their bodies retained some awareness for a couple of seconds before it was gone, the lantern by her hip burning brighter the more of their rukh she took. With enough in the lantern, she armed them and sent them forth to deal with as many of Hakuryuu's men as they could.

The specters weren't sturdy to begin with, so a single hit from those behemoths destroyed them easily. But the small openings they made for their soldiers were worth it.

"First and second armies!" Kouha called out, the call getting her attention as well. "Follow me and Kougyoku; we're going according to plan. We're putting an end to this once and for all!"

Reining her horse towards Kouha, she rode next to him all the while letting her scythe recover and conjure as many specters as it could.

"We're not supposed to waste our magoi!" Kouha shouted at her.

"I'm not wasting it!" Ceara corrected. In reality, she couldn't. Using Murmur and Marbas would deplete her own magoi, true, but anything she wasted, she could easily replenish with Beleth and her seal. And despite how constrained the flux was, it still filled her at an unbelievable pace. It would hurt like hell but if it helped them stop this massacre sooner then it was worth the pain.

Without a word, Ceara followed after Kouha and Kougyoku as the rest of soldiers at the sidelines encircled the enemy army. It proved useless, though. Normal strategies wouldn't work on soldiers who didn't feel fear or hesitation. But it appeared that the brothers had thought of this as well seeing as Koumei's transfer circles appeared before them. Ceara watched Kouha dismount and summon his weapon equip, sending hordes of gravity magic to destroy the enemy's surroundings and creating cliffs around them.

Undeterred, the enemy fell through wanting to climb to the other side but the oil and fire that they shot at the pit all around turned the moat into an inferno. But it didn't end there. Slabs upon slabs of stone fell from the sky through Koumei's transfer circles, creating a makeshift furnace.

Her mind racing, Ceara understood their logic. If they couldn't fight them head on, it'd be easier to entrap them and kill them all off at once. Not to mention that such thing would decrease the number of deaths.

"Ceara!" Turning her horse, she sped off after Kouha and Kougyoku after he called out for her. Everything was going as well as could be expected. With their magoi mostly intact, the three of them could finish this.

The earth shook as both of Hakuryuu's generals landed before them, impeding their path. "We can't allow that!"

Impatient and rash as he could be, Kouha struck first but his Niyoi Rentou got sent flying with him. And Ceara could see how. One look was all it took for her to realize that those two were Household Members, surely of both Zagan and Belial.

Full assimilation?

Yes, but not normal either. And Kouha agreed with that. These assimilations were too fast, too forced. But their powers were just the same as those of fully assimilated members. Belial manipulated their own soldiers against each other and Zagan sucked the magoi out of the magicians it caught in its vines.

And it was forcing them to fall into their hands by getting Kouha to use his magoi.

I don't have that problem.

Summoning Beleth in Murmur's stead, she brandished her sound staff before vaulting over her horse to send sound sickles towards the two generals.

"Anegimi, you can't—"

"I can't waste magoi!" she told her, redirecting her question into the answer. Feeling the noise under her skin, Ceara felt it travel through her as she used the seal's magoi to augment the power of her attacks, effectively drawing the two behemoths back. Landing next to Kouha, she urged him back, reminding him of what Kougyoku had. "Don't waste it here."

"A path needs to be cleared for us," he reminded her, holding his sword tightly in his hands.

"I know." A sound from the distance caught her ear and got Ceara to recoil, bringing her weapon up to protect the boy beside her. It was needless, though. The attack hadn't been meant for them. Following the trajectory from whence it came, Ceara saw Ri Seishu and Kin Gaku in their fully assimilated forms. Ceara couldn't help the grin at Seishu's cheekiness but ignored it as she pushed Kouha to his horse, urging them to leave.

They still had to finish this.

"Their headquarters aren't far!" Kouha shouted through the ruckus of hooves clashing against the plains. "Once there, we attack with everything we have on my signal."

"Understood!" Kougyoku agreed.

Ceara only nodded; there wasn't much to say. Not when they were so close to ending this. When the enemy headquarters caught their attention, Kouha bellowed his order to djinn equip. Neither she nor Kougyoku hesitated.

Dwell in my body, Murmur.

Murmur's was the most destructive Extreme Magic she had. Able to manipulate the rukh and magoi of the dead, with all that she collected in this war, Qahr Al'abria' would implode the rukh of anything alive and drain it from them. Death rukh would fuel its power and implode more of the life rukh, killing it; a vicious cycle that wouldn't stop until there was nothing else to destroy or she stopped it. With this, Lelazzo Madraga, and Vainel Ganezza nothing and no one would survive.

Not even Hakuryuu.

But as they casted their magic circles, a noise caught Ceara's attention. It was fluid—water rushing towards them. Turning, she saw the king of the Kina Kingdom with reinforcements.

So this was what Koumei meant with 'a third country that would aid Hakuryuu.'

Kina, a part of the Seven Seas Alliance. And it wasn't just him. Another king, a knight by the looks of it, was also there. The instant those two points connected, a horrible thought clicked in her head. And the king's words only affirmed her suspicions.

"We, two kings, have come to assist our fellow ally of the Seven Seas Alliance."

Hakuryuu...please, tell me you didn't do what I think you did.

Lowering down as Kouha and Kougyoku did, Ceara stood before Hakuryuu as King Takeruhiko and King Darius stood alongside him. It wasn't until Kouha questioned their belligerent invasion in their civil war that King Darius gave them an answer; it was the one answer she had hoped wasn't true.

"We come to the side of the legitimate ruler of the Kou Empire, Emperor Ren Hakuryuu," Darius Leoxses claimed, brandishing his arm outward to showcase Hakuryuu as he stood between them. "The Kou Empire has already pledged an oath to the Seven Seas Alliance, and became one of our allies!"

"...damn." She couldn't keep the curse from escaping under her breath.

That single proclamation made all of this make sense. Hakuryuu's start of this civil war was nothing more than an excuse for the Seven Seas Alliance to interfere since the beginning. Their creed to 'not invade nor allow themselves to be invaded' played right into Hakuryuu's and their plan.

As did they.

"Such cowardice…" Ceara didn't fail to hear Kougyoku's anger underneath her bated breath.

But her attention from the princess was quickly deterred when King Takeruhiko took a hand to his sword, unsheathing it. "I must aim for the head of the enemy general."

The sword aimed directly at Kouha, Ceara stood beside him with her sound staff held at the ready. A sound barrier would be enough to protect them from anything that the man would hit them with. But King Takeruhiko didn't give them a second to think. Equipping his djinn, he gave one slash, one that broke cleanly through the shield she barely managed to call forth but clearly missed both her and Kouha as it flew between their heads.

"My king, his objective—"

Her breath hitched as Kouha called out Koumei's name.

No, way. He couldn't have.

"With Caim, he could," Murmur told her.

Killing their commanding general would certainly halt things. But she couldn't believe in that outcome yet. Not when this was still three metal vessel users against three. Even if Koumei was indeed hit, even if the rest of the Seven Seas Alliance was on their way to Balbadd like she feared by now, there was still one last thing they could do to stop all of this.

"Kouha, listen!" Ceara called out at the boy as he began to lose his temper in this critical situation. "We must continue. The Seven Seas Alliance won't have a reason to stay if—"

"If we defeat Hakuryuu. I know," His grip on his weapon grew tighter as he turned to tell this to Kougyoku. "Kougyoku, lend me your power."

A horrendous ringing came to Ceara's ears an instant before Kougyoku spoke, her voice distorted and her body contorting. "No...brother…" Hearing the contractions of her muscles and knowing what Kougyoku meant to do, Ceara tried reaching Kouha but was too slow to do so before Kougyoku grasped him in her arms, Vinea's blade leaning dangerously close to his neck.

"W-What are you doing…?" Kouha muttered, utterly confused. "What is the meaning of this?"

Ceara grinded her teeth in anger as a familiar voice spoke through Kougyoku, one she hadn't heard since the battle in Magnostadt. "Prince Kouha, could you please lay down your weapon? It would be difficult for me to bear any more bloodshed…"

The man announced himself and proclaimed his purpose: Sinbad intended to aid Hakuryuu in dethroning Kouen from Balbadd and bring about world peace. What Sinbad intended wasn't far from what Hakuryuu wanted which gave more sense as to why he joined their alliance.

They wanted Kouen off the throne to stop any further wars. They wanted to stop this at all costs.

But in the wrong way.

In a sense, they were like she had been. No matter the means, no matter the sacrifice, this needed to be dealt with. This needed to end. Kougyoku was being controlled. Kouha was alone to fight against four. As would she if she fought against them.

Even so, this would end horribly for all of them if this wasn't done. Kouha didn't have the power to fight against them. Not alone.

But I do.

"Ceara. Are you sure about this?" Murmur inquired, his voice reverberating in her head. "With what you're thinking of doing, you could die."

If that risk weren't applicable here, then I wouldn't be doing everything I can to stop this.

If Sinbad and Hakuryuu won, Kougyoku, Kouha, Koumei, and Kouen would be executed. All of them would be. She couldn't let that happen.

The one question I have is will you accompany me to die, my friends.

Simultaneously, Ceara heard Beleth, Marbas, and Murmur speak.

"Always."

"Then it's settled." Undoing Murmur's equip, she stood bare to them all. Kouha mumbled his confusion and she saw that same puzzlement in Hakuryuu, King Darius, and King Takeruhiko.

"Ceara...?" Kouha murmured in disbelief of her actions, "W-What are you—"

"What I have to," she whispered back before grabbing Beleth's metal vessel and equipping it without a word. Swiping her staff outward without warning gave none of them time to avoid the attack that pushed them away from her.

"Ceara of Eriu, was it?" Hakuryuu asked as he stood with the other two kings beside him. "Whatever noble cause you might think you can achieve is meaningless now. Desist from this futile struggle. You are the same as Ren Kouen. Nothing more than an usurper."

"Unlike him, I am," she admitted as she took a step forward. "Thirteen years ago, I killed my one and only friend and took her place. Thirteen years ago, I met you and the rest of your family and thought that maybe I could live long enough to amend for what I had done. But thirteen years ago is a long time past now. Neither you nor I are the same. You have done terrible things, as have I, and today will be the day we both pay for what we've done."

Concentrating the vibrations around her, Ceara pierced her sound staff onto the ground letting a wave traverse the space around them. The sound intercepted with Kougyoku's mind making Sinbad lose control of her and letting her body fall against Kouha's as she lost her equip. The same vibrations reached the bracelet on her wrist, shattering the crystal.

Without it, Ceara felt the surge of magoi all at once. It was invigorating but within seconds she could feel its heaviness on her and hear the voices that roared to life as the rukh around her became manic.

"Forgive me for this. But if killing you is what must be done to safeguard them, then—"

Her sentence was cut short as King Takeruhiko rushed forward coming face to face with her. A grin came to him, his sword halfway down with his strike at her. Willing it with her staff, Ceara caught the slash of his blade with her sound barrier, the cracks on it making it explode outward and parting them both away from each other.

"Sorry, lady, but that won't be possible. 'Sides, you're betting a lot on just you fighting against the two of us." He raised a fine eyebrow in amusement. "You seriously think you have what it takes?"

"That and more," she admitted. Without a word, she called upon the seal.

The Silver Echoes reacted to her call, the mark burning deeply on her chest as the noise became louder in her head. But before she could do anything, both King Takeruhiko and King Darius rushed towards her to attack. Not having a second to waste, she parried their attacks with her barriers, each breaking and sending them off from which they quickly recovered. Ceara knew that she could easily get Hakuryuu by himself using Beleth's Extreme Magic but with these two bullying her to a corner, it wouldn't allow her to even begin casting.

Takeruhiko had been right on one thing. She couldn't deal with the two of them by herself. She gritted her teeth at seeing no other choice but to change equips. She could stop them using Murmur, but that would only be temporary. Only when using Beleth did her attacks become more powerful. Murmur and Marbas were still the same.

Then I'll deal.

But the second it took her to undo her equip was enough for both kings to step forward with the clear intent to kill her. In a split second, just as they stepped forward to strike her down, two blurs took her by the shoulders as they ran at her from behind the kings. Two hands grabbed at her at the same time—one grasping at her neck while the other grabbed at the sword on her hip—as a blur of light and noise took her by surprise.

The moment she opened her eyes, Ceara couldn't understand why they were there, why they protected her. But a part of her didn't want to know. She was just happy to see them.

"Sousei! Suisei!"

Both her siblings stood against the metal vessel users, holding their attacks from reaching her as they used their Household Vessels. Sousei parried Takeruhiko with Sakhiba Shafarat and Suisei held off Darius with Sharisa Bahima as best as they could.

Sousei chuckled under his held breath, concentrating on holding the metal vessel user away from her. Even then, though, he managed to give her a glance over his shoulder, the same cockiness in his grin that she heard in his chuckle. "What? You thought we'd leave you?"

Ceara couldn't keep the truth from escaping her, "I did."

"Well, you thought wrong," Suisei grunted as she struggled to keep Darius back. "We figured things out. We're not dumb, you know?"

"You figured…?"

"We know the truth. Not what Masami told us," Sousei corrected her before her mind ran off to that idea. "We know what actually happened. And most importantly, we know you, Ceara-nee."

The one word made her tear up a bit even during all this.

"We promised each other that no matter what happened, we would always be together to face whatever would come," Suisei called, baring her teeth. "And we're keeping that promise."

"And that's our choice!" Sousei called out forcefully. Out of the blue, Ceara watched an intense light shrouding both of them as their voices carried over.

"Household member born of Beleth—"

"Household member born of Marbas—"

"I surrender myself. Grant me greater power...become one with my body!"

Ceara, blinded by the light that emanated from them, brought her arm over her eyes for a brief instant. Once gone, she couldn't believe her eyes as to what stood before her now. It was still them—it was still Sousei and Suisei—but they weren't human anymore.

Sousei took a lithe form, a young man with long, flowing dark ruby hair and long horns sweeping from his ears backward against his head. He held the longsword that his blade became in clawed hands and was robed in white silks from his hips down. His bare chest was marked with red while gold necklaces laced around his neck.

Suisei took a miniature form half the size of Sousei's. But despite it, she held her stance better against King Darius, her overtly large claws digging against his lance. Her fur a dark brown was accentuated with flares of gold, her tail glowing in its golden hue. Golden fur covered her chest and silks were on her hips as they fell to just above her knees and tied off to the side. Her legs were completely transformed into talons and her hands were razor sharp claws.

Her ears perked as she lunged forward, pushing King Darius back before she went on a rampage giving hit after hit to draw him back. Following her lead, Sousei used his long sword to parry against King Takeruhiko, backing him away from their sister. Over his shoulder, the boy smiled and gave her a nod before driving the two metal vessels out of range.

Their giving me the space I need.

It was doable. Without them to protect him, Hakuryuu was hers to have.

"Beleth!" she bellowed, her voice carrying the magic that her seal cast across the fields.

"Of course."

Taking back Beleth's djinn equip, she stood before Hakuryuu and began casting her Extreme Magic circle. From the corner of her eyes, she the saw a few of Takeruhiko's followers coming forward to stop her. They were too slow, though, as she stabbed the floor with her staff sending off waves of sounds to keep them at bay.

Sousei and Suisei would be able to held those two back for only so long. She had a small window of time to do this, but it had to be right. Her barrier had to last if they came to attack her.

Ceara didn't know if this would work, but she had to try. "Silver Echoes of this world, bestow upon me your gift. Grant me and mine greater power as I give my body and mind to you." The simple call for it worked and she felt it as the voices rang louder than ever, the rukh more manic than before. Her body hurt as if a thousand blades were piercing her from the inside out, but she held onto her staff as she aligned it against her forehead, the rings on it ringing out.

This will be enough.

"Grand champion of pride, lay waste upon the conquered and let your mighty warcry surrender them to their knees: Sijn Altanafur!"

The small sphere that conjured at the top of her sound staff wavered in shape, its vibrations much too fast to keep contained for long. Ceara wasted no time and struck the ground between her and Hakuryuu, casting the magic and creating the small dome around them that expanded out of proportion. She felt the noise tear her muscles as the dome expanded farther than it ever had, and when it reached its end, she saw the uncontrolled vibrations lashing out, creating blades that spun around and shredding anything and anyone who came close into ribbons.

This would be enough. As she took a step toward Hakuryuu, she noted how he could no longer stand with the vibrations that ravaged his mind. What's more, she felt the muscles in her legs tear and the pain drove her to her knees. The warmness of her blood seeping from her eyes and mouth was more than tangible and Ceara could guess that it was from using Silver Echoes so carelessly.

And she knew that continued usage would tear her open from the inside if she didn't finish this now.

Ignoring the pain, Ceara dragged herself to stand before Hakuryuu. Now only arm's length away, she held tightly onto her staff as the boy glared up at her.

"Y-You," he grunted through gritted teeth, his stance wavering as the vibrations made it hard to speak or concentrate on his balance. "W-What are y-you…?"

"A monster apparently," Ceara replied with a smile despite the blood that she felt seeping from her lips. "Or something to that effect at least. But, in the end, it doesn't matter anymore."

"My king, hurry," Beleth urged her. "Your body won't last much longer like this."

Then this would be the last thing she did. Brandishing her staff, Ceara conjured the vibrations again, this time around the top of her staff to create a razor sharp sound blade around it. Her grip tightened as she looked down at Hakuryuu's glaring blue eyes and her own gazed softened.

Despite what he had done, there was still a part of her that saw him as the little boy he used to be. There was still a part of her that saw him as the young man that wanted to do good, the one that had talked about having made friends after capturing Zagan.

But he isn't that boy anymore.

And she had to accept that. Hakuryuu had done too much harm to a lot of people. And he wasn't going to stop until Kouen was dead.

I hope you can forgive me, Hakuryuu. And I hope that your sister can too.

Raising her staff, Ceara readied it above his head to lunge down.

"Kohaku onee-san, why do you pray so much?"

"For forgiveness."

"You did something wrong, onee-san?"

"Yes but I believe that if we try our hardest to amend those wrongs then anybody can be forgiven. At least, I hope I am someday."

His little hands grasped onto her joined ones, smiling as his eyes shone brightly. "Then I forgive you, Kohaku onee-san! That way you don't have to be sad about all the wrong stuff you did and can be happy."

"...Hakuryuu."

Choking on her tears, Ceara's grip wavered as the staff fell from her hands, clattering on the floor in front of Hakuryuu. The pain too much to ignore now drove her to her knees before him as her mutterings increased in volume.

"...I can't…" Teary eyed, Ceara gazed up at him, his eyes wide in shock, as she reached up her hands to cradled his face. "...I can't do it…"

I'm sorry, En, but…

"I can't kill you." Bringing herself closer, she took him in an embrace that she hoped conveyed exactly why.

Despite what he had become and all that he had done, he was still Hakuryuu. He had made all those mistakes but it was still him. He was still the same Hakuryuu that was a part of their family, of their people. And she couldn't do that to someone she knew. She couldn't kill Hakuei's little brother; she couldn't kill Alibaba's and Aladdin's friend; she couldn't kill her own friend.

Even after all she hed repeated in her head, Ceara couldn't bring herself to do what needed to be done. Not when it implied killing him.

Even now I can't do what they so easily can. I can't set aside my heart to listen to my mind.

Because despite how much her mind screamed at her to end this all for the good of the many, her heart told her in a quiet yet stronger voice not to. Even after years of working on not listening to it, she couldn't deny it.

Ceara could not kill him.

Feeling her consciousness beginning to sway and the voices ravaging her mind as she began to lose it, Ceara held as tightly as she could onto Hakuryuu.

This war was over. They lost.

"...I'm sorry, En…"

---

Overhead where he sat over the cell, Rakah remained hidden from prying eyes using the water magic of the Blooming Waves to keep him that way as he watched the poor woman slowly lose her mind. After six days of not being properly restrained, Silver Echoes seemed to be causing havoc in Ceara's mind and body. Sitting back against the furthest wall from the door of her prison cell, Ceara sat panting heavily and muttering or at times yelling incoherencies to keep her mind as sane as possible.

Despite how much he had wanted to watch the civil war, Rakah had other things to tend to—a little sparrow among them. That last errand did a number on him, too. He had to admit that underestimating a Vastago had been a mistake on his part but one he lived to learn from. At least the woman knew now of their enemy's true nature.

But as devoted as Noé was of a follower, Rakah knew she would find any and all excuses to prove him wrong. It wouldn't be something she would accomplish, though. Not when the truth was on his side. But having her distrust now meant that the usage of his Light magic would have to be limited. From now on, he would have to make his moves as tightly woven as he could have them.

That is exactly what brought him here now: to find the little lamb distraught and on the verge of insanity. Silver Echoes was the worst of the bunch alongside the Peaceful Darkness where penances were concerned. The bearer of either gift would lose their minds one way or another. And as he watched her writhe in her pain, a part of him stirred in familiar grief.

In spite of all that had been done, their pain was never something he wished for. After all, this whole endeavor of his to attain the gifts was to stop their suffering. To stop the pain that was brought upon them by no fault of their own. The only reason he had killed Kijani and the others had been because he'd known of no other way to take their gifts when they wouldn't give them voluntarily. There had been no other way. So he blinded himself to his duty to save them.

And in that blindness, he killed his friends, the woman he loved, and his own son.

"Surely, there is another way. I know there is."

A pair of molten gold eyes flashed across his mind which he quickly dispelled with a shake of his head. No, a child like her couldn't understand. She couldn't possibly. This was the way things were supposed to be. This was how things could be fixed.

It was the only way.

The thought let his gaze linger on the woman below him before they shifted to the door that suddenly opened. From it, Reizei Masami entered, anger and grief marring her face. How curious that where he came from the woman had grown to be exactly the opposite of this wretch. The bitch walked up to Ceara more than likely ignoring the pain that Silver Echoes was causing her.

Through gritted teeth, she growled. "I hope you die in here."

Ceara's chuckle filled the room, louder than he expected it to because of the pain she was surely in, before raising her head to meet her gaze. "You and I both."

Masami was unable to contain herself and stepped forward to kick Ceara as she laid there incapable of defending herself. Rakah let his nails dig into the palm of his hands to restrain himself and simply watched from afar as the older woman continued to kick Ceara.

"You were supposed to die in that battlefield. Sousei and Suisei were never supposed to have joined the war efforts, especially not beside you," Masami hissed louder than she had intended to. "Even after all you have done, you still took everything away from us. You've done nothing but tear this family apart."

Look who's talking.

But again Rakah held his tongue and instead wondered how the little lamb could be laughing at this point. Usually when badgered like this, she'd retaliate. But it seemed like she was much too hurt to even do that. All she did was laugh and it irritated Masami rather quickly.

"What are you laughing at!?" she screeched.

"That you and I aren't really that different." Ceara laid her head back against the wall, swaying side to side from the dizziness before laying it against her shoulder to speak to Masami. "You and I worked in tandem to rip it apart without knowing it."

"I did no such thing," Masami countered.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Ceara replied. "I won't argue with you when you'll never see anything beyond what you want to see. I may have killed Kohaku, Masami, but I at least had the guts to stay and right my wrongs. At least I had the damn heart to not lie when faced with the chance to tell them the truth."

"I never lie—"

"You twisted this all for your benefit!" Ceara shouted and struggled to stand so she could face Masami as the older woman took steps back out of fear. "You never thought of what that would do to them! You only cared about taking your revenge on me!"

"You killed Kohaku!" Masami yelled back, having the strength to fight back. "You started this by not saying anything! Had you told us—"

"You would've killed me, all the same," Ceara said, calming down and falling back to a sit against the far wall. "I guess that's how things will always end."

You're not wrong, darling.

It seemed that a lifetime of suffering finally taught her that. Rakah couldn't blame her either. The Silver Echoes along with all the other supposed gifts demanded penance to retain balance. What was gifted to the world had to be the same as what was taken from them—prosperity for the world in exchange for their endless suffering.

And it was exactly what he wanted to put an end to. For all their sakes.

Seemingly tired of the conversation, Masami stepped back, readying to leave her. "As it should. And if the world is just and fair, then Emperor Hakuryuu will see it fit for you to die as well."

As well?

Curious, Rakah, still hidden by Blooming Waves, stepped down to fall just behind Masami to follow after her. Before the doors closed behind them, he heard Ceara's small gasp but couldn't see what she had reacted to. Had she seen him? No, he was well hidden. If anything, the disturbance in the vibrations could have told her something was amiss but nothing else. She wouldn't have known it was him.

Rakah followed after the wretch for a while to witness what became of the civil war this time. Despite knowing the outcome, he knew that they were never exactly the same. Sometimes, the princes died. Sometimes, Princess Kougyoku fought against Sinbad's control. Sometimes, Hakuryuu lost the war.

But in all of them, by the end of the war, Ceara had always come to die. That was the point he was betting on. If she was to die, he could disguise himself as the executioner and make it as quick and painless as he could for her while taking her gift all the same. It would certainly take down two birds with one stone.

This time around it seemed that the twins had chosen differently from before. This time they chose to assimilate fully to fight beside Ceara. That was new. Masami was still alive, as well, which dampened his mood a lot. He never liked the woman; in all, if not most of her incarnations, she'd been a truly vicious woman. One he hated having to work with. It certainly made his job easier, though. But it still struck him as odd that at this point all of the Reizei children were still alive when they had never made it past Kou's civil war before.

Why is this one so different than the rest?

That was the answer he really wanted. If he could figure out why this one out of all the rest turned out so different, then it could help him greatly.

Leaving Masami behind, he stepped out of the way to reach another cell's door, one that was heavily guarded. Must be where Ren Kouen was. And by the looks of it, he wan't alone in there. A ruckus cut his thought short and made him turn in time to step aside from the young magi that bolted through the doors despite the guards trying to keep him out.

Stepping in while avoiding the people was easy and got him inside to hear the back and forth between the magi and Emperor Hakuryuu. Aladdin wanted for him to not kill Ren Kouen; Hakuryuu, however, had his head screwed on bad since a long time past and knew exactly what he wanted.

"I am the one who won! I am the emperor! Therefore...who lives and who dies depends on me."

So this is what she meant by 'as well.'

Rakah hung his head in thought before gazing up to the man in question. Ren Kouen sat in solace and hung his own head in resignation. Well, he was ready to die. Not like he could blame the man. After all this, even he would throw in the towel. But his stakes were much higher than a mere country's future. Before any of them could stop him, Hakuryuu stormed out of the room and, even though he wanted to stay back, Rakah followed behind him as he headed to a familiar cell. The same one he'd been watching over for the last six days.

Smart enough to notice, the little emperor stopped at the entrance of the cell. Rakah watched Ceara from over his shoulder; she had fallen over on her side, breathing heavily and muttering under the gasps that escaped her. Aladdin, finally having caught up, startled at finding her in such a state.

"Hakuryuu," Aladdin called, drawing closer to him, "you can't keep her like this. You're killing her!"

He doesn't care. Rakah watched the little emperor with zeal; perhaps this time Hakuryuu would be the one to make his job easier. If he left her to die like this, he could simply step in and kill her himself to end her suffering.

Hakuryuu called out to the officials that had been following him since his visit to Kouen's cell. The old men stepped forward as he stepped aside to let them through, the old fools cowering before their emperor.

"Have the magicians place the stones in this cell."

Rakah's eyes widened at his order. What?

"Hakuryuu…" Aladdin breathed in relief for a small instant until Hakuryuu glared down at him.

"Don't misunderstand," Hakuryuu told him. "She had the chance to kill me but her weakness made her falter. Letting her die now without a punishment for that attempt would be meaningless."

That excuse...Rakah didn't buy it. The boy was ruthless but there was a reason to everything. Anger or hatred, those were the only two reasons why the little emperor functioned right now. There had to be another reason then. Rakah didn't agree with prolonging her pain but he couldn't bring unwanted attention to himself either.

Ceara had to die, and it had to be by his hand if that gift was to be his.

"Humilitas…please, stop."

"Rakah, desist from this."

Be quiet, the two of you.

His hand reached over to his arm where he felt his seal—the Rumble of Thunder—pulsing and heard the voice of those two speaking to him, hers becoming more prominent over his. What a pest she'd become, much more than Arikos when Rakah first began hearing him. After finding out the truth, Rakah knew that Arikos would oppose him. He never understood why or how Arikos, the first bearer of his gift and far-off ancestor, was able to communicate with him. Regardless of that fact, Rakah knew that something wasn't right about the man that spoke to him and taught him how to use his gift. He trusted his knowledge, not his motives. And that irksome feeling only became clearer when she began speaking to him. He ignored their pleas, though, and instead focused on his mission.

Even when he didn't know who or what she was exactly, he knew one thing with certainty: she could be killed. And no matter what he had to do or who he had to kill, he would do his damndest to accomplish that.

"I wonder…would that really solve anything?" Those golden eyes had been gentle and appeared to have so much knowledge in them. He remembered they softened as her mind wandered until a smile spread across her lips that made her look so much like her mother.

In that split second, Rakah swore he had seen Ishtar in the girl's whole demeanor.

"I don't know, Rakah ojii-san. You and I have seen that same place. And I know that it's a place full of nothing but darkness now. But...that doesn't mean that there was never any light. I'm sure there's hope in there somewhere, and we can find it. We can stop this together in a different way. A way that...won't risk anybody. A way that we can all live happily in the end."

Her words had betrayed her youth and naivete. There was no such way. There was no way that would avoid their sacrifice or his. This had to be stopped—that woman had to be stopped—at all costs. This relay couldn't continue. He wouldn't allow it to.

And if he had to sacrifice himself and those he once called his friends and loved ones then so be it. Rakah swore he would see this to an end.

---

She didn't remember when or how the voices and pain stopped, but they had. Days that felt like months of torture left her somewhat absent-minded and unable to concentrate well. They also left her unable to figure who had walked into the cell just then.

The doors had opened. She heard their footsteps nearing her. But she couldn't see them, her vision blurry from crying out in pain. And yet she still felt the arms that slipped behind her back and knees as they picked her up from the ground.

Her ears so close to their chest, Ceara could hear their beating heart. It was rushing, beating louder than she ever heard, as if trying to pump blood to barren vessels. The sound went away as soon as she heard it, though, as the person who'd been carrying her set her down on the small stool they had placed in the cell.

Ceara's upper body hung forward unable to hold itself straight. A gentle hand put her back straight and allowed her to lift her head and focus on whomever had helped her from the floor.

The first thing that came into view were bright baby blue eyes—one lighter than the other—and a scar covering the left side of their face.

"Haku...ryuu…?" she whispered, her throat parched and tasting of blood.

Lips pursed, he sighed as he bend over before her. The gesture made it easier for her to look at him, not forcing her to lift her neck and aching muscles as much. "You seem more sane."

She chuckled despite the act hurting her throat. "It helps that it's quiet again. Thank you for placing the stones in here."

His grimace became deeper but returned to being the taut line after he heaved a heavy sigh. "Tomorrow is the execution," he told her.

Execution? Oh, mine.

It made sense to her muddled mind. It looked like Masami would get what she wanted after all.

"What about—" Ceara coughed feeling the blood starting to block her throat but gulping it down to speak. "What's going to happen to them? To Sou and Sui…"

"They'll be imprisoned with the rest of the retainers," he told her, his voice soft to her ears. "They won't be killed."

"Thank you for that…" she whispered.

"Tomorrow," he continued, "you'll be there to watch. That's all I can offer to them as appeasement."

Her brow furrowed at the words she heard, her mind unable to keep up with such simple sentence. Appeasement? "What are you—"

"You spared my life. As emperor, I see it fit to grant you the same."

What…?

"I'm not...going to die…?"

Hakuryuu didn't answer. He simply left her with those words. She couldn't decipher what he meant. She wasn't going to die? But she was part of the rebellion. Did that mean that Koumei, Kouha, and Kougyoku were pardoned too? And what did he mean by 'watch'... Watch what?

Ceara didn't know how much time passed after that, but after awhile, soldiers came to fetch her. Before even moving her, they latched two cuffs around her wrists, making space through the ropes that tied her wrists together. Her mind a little clearer, Ceara was able to hear the rukh that dispersed from her as they stepped out of her cell. Closing her eyes from the intense light of the sun, she heard the roaring crowd before she even opened her eyes.

What...is this?

The soldiers dragged her away onto the stage. She heard the jabs and jeers of the people, none of which she could discern. Not now when her mind was so confused as to why she was being made to kneel before the executioner and not before him.

It wasn't until a set of doors opened and she saw him that her mind finally fully processed what was happening.

This wasn't her execution.

It was Kouen's.

Panic and fear coursed through her and struck her out of her stupor. Ceara tried standing to reach him but the soldiers beside her held her down on her knees as the others brought Kouen to kneel before the executioner. Her cries were muffled through the man who claimed all of Kouen's crimes.

"Lies! Lies! LIES!"

But no matter how much she screamed it, nothing could be heard above the people's roaring voices or the man's claims. As the executioner readied his blade, Ceara couldn't contain the tears that spilled over as she cried for them to stop, struggling as she did. But the moment she lifted her gaze and met eyes of crimson tainted gold, her breath hitched, her body stilling from the intense look.

Those eyes held her still. Those eyes bore into her and got her mind to think. Think of only one thing. One thing that she fought her hardest to get past her parched and bleeding throat.

"I-I—I—"

In an instant, Ceara let out a cry that bled her throat dry the moment the sword swung down and in the end left her words unsaid.

---

She couldn't keep her cries quiet, no matter how much she shoved her face against the thin fabric of her robe. Parted away from the rest, Ceara sat in a small room of a ship meant to carry them to an island in Kou territory.

Her, Koumei, and Kouha.

Their fates had been declared alongside Kouen's two days ago: exile while he, as their leader, would be executed. An execution that haunted her every conscious hour after having seen it. Whomever Hakuryuu was trying to appease by having her watch that was the cruelest being she ever met. Even if they didn't know about her feelings, having her alone watch…

Why?

"You suffer because it's what is fated for you as a bearer of the gifts."

Ceara gritted her teeth, the sound of them grinding together from her frustration and grief making vibrations in her inner ears.

That voice...it wasn't one she'd heard before. This wasn't one of the multitudes she'd heard when Silver Echoes haunted her. Despite having only heard them in ruckus and in a manic state, Ceara knew those voices by heart. She could tell them apart from any other in the real world. And that made her that much more certain that this one—this woman's voice—wasn't one of them.

It only borne after Kouen's death. The mere thought choked her and let tears pour from eyes anew, tears she foolishly thought long barren.

"Be quiet."

"I know your grief, Ceara, but you mustn't curse your fate. You cannot fall."

"He's dead... I could've avoided that!" she shouted, startling the guards that stood but feet away. Ceara didn't care if they thought her crazy. By this point, she thought herself insane anyway.

"No, Ceara. That was his fate. But you shouldn't taint the memory of your love with bitterness and hatred."

Easy for her to say when she hadn't watched the man she loved die. That pain was rawer than she thought it to be. But despite the warning, Ceara didn't think this loss would cause her to fall. Some things in the past almost did, she was almost certain of that, but after so much loss she would grieve her piece and live on like she had before.

Overcoming the grief his death came with would certainly take longer than the others, though. Of that she was sure. And she wanted to have her time to grieve.

"...leave me be. Please."

Whoever was talking to her didn't heed her word and instead stayed for a while longer—Ceara could feel their presence despite being unable to see them—and didn't go away until the ship docked.

Dragging her behind them, the soldiers that escorted them to their exile, wrapped the ropes around her waist not bothering to tie her wrists together this time. Ceara covered her eyes from the light of dusk as it hit her obscured eyes. The island they landed on was one she didn't recognize. The young soldier that escorted her informed her that Samon Island was a deserted island to the east of Kou, south of the Eastern Isles. It had been mostly utilized for storage because of its spaciousness but Hakuryuu had deemed it the best place for their exile. According to the soldier, they would be delivered daily goods via ships. Anything else, they would have to conjure themselves.

She supposed it was better than nothing.

Those thoughts ran from her mind when a pink and a dark red head appeared at the corner of her eyes. She watched from the side as Kouha helped Koumei walk towards the house she supposed was where they would live now. Both were tied as she was and it let the young boy help his older brother carry himself. Ceara supposed that Koumei still suffered from the injury he got from King Takeruhiko.

At least he's alive.

The bitterness that thought brought to her mind shouldn't have overshadowed the gratefulness but it did. And she hated herself because of it. Out of nowhere, Ceara felt the distinctness of eyes on her and when she lifted her gaze, she caught Kouha's intense glare and it made her stop in her tracks. She had never seen that intensity of hatred in the young boy's eyes. Perhaps back when he was a child and they first met, back when he was still protective of his mother, but even that childish glare paled in comparison to the one he gave her now. This was just pure hatred mixed with sorrow.

Frankly, Ceara couldn't say she didn't deserve it. Koumei seemed to ask Kouha something before following his line of sight. He gave her a glance but there was no malice nor hatred in it. It was just a blank stare. It lasted only a second, though, before he turned to tell Kouha something that got the boy to continue walking.

None of this was unexpected to her. She had the chance to change the course of what had happened. Had she had the guts to ignore her heart and kill Hakuryuu, Kouen would be alive right now. She would be their living reminder of their beloved brother's death.

It's like Masami all over again.

Surely they, too, would hate her like she had. It was only natural. Heaving a heavy sigh of resignation, Ceara walked on, following behind them by a good distance. The soldier took her to the room that would be hers and untied the ropes to let her be in the small space. It wasn't empty like she thought it would be. There was a bed with sheets and pillows, a small desk and some extra clothes.

He explained the couple of rules that were imposed on them. First, there would be no contact with the outside. Period. Second and most importantly, they were not allowed anywhere near the port where the ships docked. Logical.

"I understand," she replied. The soldier left then and left her to herself. But she didn't want to be alone, the desire long gone after spending the time she did by herself in the ship. Not now, not anymore. In her selfishness, she went out to seek comfort from the other two people who were hurting just as bad if not more than her from their loss.

Coming without announcement, she slid the door of the room she saw them enter before slightly ajar. Koumei was laying on the bed of the room she supposed would be his, his back raising as she entered the room. Kouha sat by his bedside, apparently intending to take care of his brother's wound when she walked in, and turned only to glare at her when he noticed who had opened the door. Despite the hostility, she wanted to talk—she needed the company—but before she even got to breath again, Kouha stood up and with determined strides reached her only to grab at the neck of her robe.

"Get the fuck out of here!" he shouted vehemently.

"Kouha," she called out, her hand reaching up to try and pry his off of her uselessly. "Please, I just want—"

"I don't care what you want!" he shouted back, his teeth baring and his eyes puffing and beginning to get red. "You—you don't deserve to be standing here alive!"

He's right.

No, she told herself. She wasn't about to fall back into that hole of self-guilt again. No matter how much in the right he was of being angry at her and hating her, she wouldn't do the same to herself again.

"I-I know you're angry—"

"Anger doesn't begin to describe how I feel." Ceara was about to start arguing again but stopped, her breath hitching at seeing the tears that sprung from Kouha's glazed over eyes. He was upset, more than that even, but those tears weren't from anger. They were from grief. "It's your fault. You could've stopped this. If you had struck him down, En-nii would be—"

"Stop, Kouha."

Both were startled at hearing Koumei's request to his little brother. Ceara most of all didn't understand were Koumei's composure came from. It wasn't until she stared into his eyes that she saw a look she recognized all too well. It was a vacant stare—like he was there but not actually—one she had seen much of in the mirror the days after Cael's death. Koumei may not be crying like Kouha but he was suffering from his brother's death all the same. Perhaps even more than either of them.

He sighed defeated and asked him to return to his side saying he needed help changing his bandages. Kouha complied, shoving Ceara back and towards the door before returning to his brother's side. As he helped him, Koumei gave Ceara another blank stare. "Don't come back here. Neither of us want to see you right now. So it'd be best if you just stay away."

I can't. I don't want to be alone. Not for this.

But she understood his request. It was all she had wanted when Cael and Kohaku died. Yet even when all she wanted was somebody else's company now, she would forfeit that if it would help them.

I may have lost him but what we had was one-sided on my part. We were never anything to begin with. But them? They lost a brother.

And she knew and understood that grief all too well.

"If that's what you want." It wasn't anything but a whisper. Reluctantly, she left them and returned to her room.

As dusk began to turn into night, Ceara spent the time locked in the alcove that were her chambers. Appointed dinners were being served for the time being while Koumei recuperated but she skipped this one and instead went out of the small manor.

She'd been told that the southern docks of the island were off limits. They never mentioned anything about any of the fishing spots she spotted out towards the northeast when they first arrived. Figuring that the peace the ocean brought would serve enough as a companion, she walked the shoreline barefooted letting the waves flow and ebb and lick her skin as her feet sank onto the dampen sands.

It reminded her of home. The beaches of Shika were Cael would take her. The shores she would take Kohaku and Sousei and Suisei to.

As the moonlight rose overhead, it shone its light upon the sea, creating a mirror that reflected her face as she stared down at the lapping waves. Distorted. Broken. Sorrowful. Unconsciously, Ceara stepped on the waves as they rushed towards her, wanting to dispel the image of herself. But the more she broke it the more she hated the sight of it when it returned, making her stomp down on the waters more and more until she couldn't anymore. With all her will gone, she fell to her knees on the shore, the ocean coming by to comfort her as she cried into her hands.

This same scenario happened the next day and the day after that. She awoke empty and had no strength or desire to eat, so she didn't which only made her unbecoming nausea worse. From afar, she would watch Koumei and Kouha taking care of one another. From hour to hour, she would check on them from afar, leaving necessities that she saw they needed but were too distracted to get, and always making sure that she was far enough to not be seen by either. And each night when she couldn't sleep, Ceara would head to the far eastern shores of the island. Her intentions always to have the ocean's company but always ending in her hating herself and crying her heart out.

For three nights straight her meager tears added to the ocean. But like she was to the world, they were insignificant to the vastness of the sea. And by the sunrise of the fourth day she had enough. Not waiting til the night, she ran off to the eastern shores, her bare feet clapping against the wet sand as she neared the lapping waves. With her ankles submerged, Ceara bated her breath at the sudden decision her mind concocted.

Living like this...wasn't life. She didn't want to live like this again. Not with this regret and agony corroding her.

The thought had come in passing moments during the past four days along with the plethora of ways she could achieve it. A knife from the kitchen. Goading a guard to do it. Hanging herself. All were possible. But she didn't want anybody to discover her body and be scarred by that. Nobody deserved that. At that thought, her gaze lifted to the vast ocean that stood before her so bright in the morning.

The sea will carry me.

All she needed to do was walk towards to bottom. Determined to see it to the end, she distracted herself as she took slow and short steps towards the open ocean. She comforted herself thinking of the good things she'd experienced at sea. The wonderful times she had spent there with her brother, her siblings, and with Kohaku. The thought of seeing them again almost made the sensation of the water brushing against her knees forgettable.

Distract yourself. It'll hurt but just divert your attention somewhere else.

One way that always worked came to her mind and as she parted her lips to let her voice echo through the air around her, she felt Silver Echoes thrum within her as her voice escaped.

"Short steps, deep breaths.
Everything is alright

Chin up, I can't step into the spotlight—"

The vibrations were soft against her throat. There was no blood, no pain. It was like Silver Echoes was trying to soothe her in this time of need. How considerate.

"She said, "I'm sad,"

Somehow without any words

I just stood there

Searching for an answer

When this world is no more

The moon is all we'll see

I'll ask you to fly away with me

Until the stars all fall down

They empty from the sky

But I don't mind

If you're with me, then everything's alright."

It'll be over soon, she told herself as she felt the water reach to her thighs, the chill from it running up her body as her wet clothes clung to her legs making her feel heavier. Good, she thought, it would help her sink. Her steps continued slow and methodical, wanting this last breath to persist for a while longer. Just enough to let this sink in before she did.

"Why do my words

Always lose their meaning?

What I feel, what I say

There's such a rift between them

He said, "I can't

Really seem to read you."

I just stood there

Never know what I should do.

When this world is no more

The moon is all we'll see

I'll ask you to fly away with me—"

As the water reached her hips, Ceara felt the waves starting to sway her body back and forth. Surely the shore would end soon. Surely there would be a sinkhole closeby. Surely once she lost her step, the water would swallow her whole.

Surely…

Another step. Nothing. Another step. Ground. Another step.

The water rippled beneath her but it wasn't because of her steps or the ocean itself. It was her tears again, trying to fill an ocean full of everybody else's sorrow. But as insignificant as they were to its totality, they spilled freely, choking her words as the tips of her fingers broke the surface of the water.

"Until the stars all fall down

They empty from the sky

But I don't mind

If you're with me, then everything's alright

If you're with me, then everything's alright"

Another step. The edge.

Finally.

"You're really doing this, aren't you?"

His voice shocked her for an instant and got her to glance to her side to see Rakah standing above the water, his feet seemingly gliding over the surface of the ocean's surface.

"I'm tired of this. I'm tired of being sad, of doing everything I can only to stumble and ruin everything in the end. I'm tired...of seeing everybody I love die."

"You would've never done this. The SpeirrI know is a woman who loves life, who cherishes it because she knows what rarity and beauty it is that we even exist. She cherished herself and those she loved, even when they were gone."

"You don't know me."

Rakah took a deep breath and heaved the heaviest sigh she'd ever heard. "...apparently not. You're nothing like what I knew. You're different."

His words confused her but she didn't bother asking why. There wasn't a reason to when just one step would sink her deeper. Ceara was intent on walking past that line and took a step forward but before she could fall, Rakah dropped into the water before her holding her by the shoulders and keeping her feet on the ground. She didn't understand how he didn't sink, not until her mind recalled him standing on the surface of the water a few seconds earlier. His appearance also shocked her greatly. He appeared like a completely different person; his hair wasn't long anymore and instead had been cut to his nape, a small ponytail sitting at his neck and a small side plait falling before his ear with a couple of beads and blood red feathers tinted gold. A long wound ran from the right side of his temple down across his eye and ended at the edge of his lip; it wasn't even scarred. But the shock of his appearance didn't last long.

Shaking herself from that stupor, her hands shot up to her shoulders as she fought to pry his hold off of her. "Let-me-go!"

A whispered 'I'll regret this' came to her ears and made her stop a second before Rakah began talking. "I'm not going to let you kill yourself like this."

"Then kill me yourself!" she cried out, her tears spilling again but this time the sorrow mixing with anger and frustration. Her hand jumped up to her left shoulder, smacking the seal underneath her clothes. "You want this, don't you? Then kill me and get it, you coward!"

A tick ran across his temple but he gritted his teeth through his anger. "Contrary to any belief you may have, I don't actually want to watch you suffer, Ceara."

"Then let me go," she hissed.

"No," he answered, "this isn't you. This is your sorrow talking. This is that kid acting out of grief again. This is you when you don't want to live."

"So let me die already!" she cried out, the air in her lungs spent with the one shout.

"I'm not watching you die again!"

Her eyes snapped wide open at his words, confusion and bewilderment filling her irises. Stuck without words to answer, Rakah simply caught her eyes with an intense glare. His eyes flashed behind her for a second before the glare left them and tenderness, along with slight envy, clouded his sight.

Rakah gave her a crooked smile. "Not when you have so much to live for."

So much to live for…?

Before she could ask him what he meant, he gave her a genuine smile, one she'd never seen on him before. "You've impressed me this time around, Speirr. So surprise me again. Show me that we can live this kind of life, even through the pain. Because if anybody can teach me about the hope the little missy talks so much of...it's you."

Rakah stepped back and vanished in fractals of crystal that mixed in the sunshine. Ceara stood dumbfounded unable to understand his words or actions. After all this time of trying to get what she had, he simply let the chance go.

Chance…

He left her at the edge. He didn't push her away or towards it. It was still her choice.

Just one more step—

"Ceara!"

The voice that thundered through the arid morning air reached her ears and rumbled through her shaking body. Her heart stopped the moment it reached her and made her take a step back and turn completely. Far into the shore and several feet away stood three distinct figures under the sun. Two she recognized. The third Ceara swore her mind was playing tricks on her.

But her ears didn't. Her ears heard his voice clearly. And that was enough for her legs to move on their own, running underwater despite the heaviness of the ocean that tried stopping her. But now there was no being washed away willingly. Now she fought tooth and nail against nature itself as it tried to keep her away to reach them—to reach him.

By the minute, she managed to tear herself away from the water, tripping a bit on her own feet as she reached the sand but putting a hand out to catch her fall and pushing herself up instantly to keep running. And just as she reached them and the tears poured down her face, she ignored Koumei and Kouha and instantly threw herself at Kouen, grasping onto him with all her might and not caring that her throwing her full weight at him caused them both to end up on the ground. She ignored Koumei's and Kouha's protests about being rough with him and instead pushed her ear against his broad chest.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

The mere sound made her cry harder. Ceara lifted her gaze, fixing her position as she pulled back. She had never been happier to see those crimson eyes tinted gold that shone in the light of the morning sun.

"I-It's you," she cried, her sobs choking her at times. Her hands reached up to cradle his face, chuckling as he gave her an odd look. "I-It's really you."

"Unsightly as that thought may be, yes." His reply only made her tears fall faster as her cries mingled with her laughter. Reaching up with his right hand, he took her cheek in his palm and roughly wiped at the tears that came. "Don't be leaving that far into the ocean again. At least not unaccompanied."

Ceara couldn't help the childish way she shook her head vehemently, her loose hair sweeping back and forth with the motion. A smile spread across her lips as her tears began to slow. "Never again. I promise."

"Good," Kouen told her, pulling his hand back to brush the loose strands of her hair behind her ear to clear her face. "Now, if you don't mind, would you let me stand?"

She chuckled and sprung back to her feet while the three of them helped Kouen back up. Ceara barely noticed the strangeness of both his legs and his left arm but was distracted at losing her footing on the wet sand. A firm hand caught her by the arm and Ceara turned up to see Kouha as he fumbled for words. The oddness of Kouha's help made her gaze at the boy as he sheepishly looked away.

"C-Ceara, I wanted to—"

"Don't." She didn't give him time to protest. In the same breath that she spoke, he turned to him and embraced him tightly before pulling back. Turning to Koumei who had the first genuine smile she'd seen in days, she hugged him as well out of happiness. "It's all right."

Pulling back one last time, Ceara gazed up at Kouen who only held the same stoic expression from always. But even through it, she could easily tell that he was just as pleased to see them.

Yeah, everything is going to be all right.

Rakah was right for once. She'd been stupid to try this. She had things to live for, if not Kouen, then for Koumei and Kouha, for Sousei and Suisei. For those that were gone and for those that were still here.

She'd been blind to that out of the pain—that always seemed to be the case—but now she saw it clear as day. There was always a reason to keep on living. There was always that one hope to live for. Always. And right now, her hope rested in the three people right here that would need her. That was enough of a reason for her to stay.

A grand smile spread across her lips as she trotted up to Kouen, placing a hand atop the one he was using to grab his cane. "Come, we'll show you around." With a glance over her shoulder, she reached out to Koumei and Kouha with her other hand as a smile spread across her lips. "Shall we?"

---

Three years later

---

The enthusiasm of that loud voice got Ceara to turn towards the horizon, her eyes scanning far off beyond the shores of Samon Island towards the west. Brushing the long strands of her caramel hair behind her ear, she cupped her fingers against it to make the sound clearer and sharper to her sensitive hearing.

Yes, it definitely came from the west. She hadn't been wrong about that. But that hadn't been the reason why she focused her hearing. Over the past three years, she had grown to ignore the noises that her much too sensitive ears would hear from all around her or from all over the world. But this time, it was different. This time she recognized the voice.

And yet...why can't I recall who's it is?

The perplexity brought by being unable to recognize such voice despite being able to hear it so clearly bothered her. Why on earth could she not remember whose voice that was? Ceara took care to lean against the nearby tree to help her stand up. Maybe if she heard it even clearer, then going closer to the western shores of Samon to see if she could differentiate the voice she heard wouldn't be a bad idea. Then again, she wasn't looking forward to such a long trek when she felt so tired.

Picking fruits from the small western orchards wasn't something she was supposed to do, but she'd been craving some peaches and plums all morning. And since nobody would know which were ripe without her, Ceara had to do it herself. But carrying a semi full basket of fruits in her condition wasn't easy. The way to the orchards was near the house but the western shores not so much, and carrying the basket of fruit with her didn't sound like a good idea.

Especially if anybody found her now. If anybody even saw her outside of that house, they would instantly rat her out. Seriously, even if they had her wellbeing in mind, the restrictions were unnecessary.

All the same, her curiosity wanted to be satiated. Ceara needed to know who's voice she heard that sounded so familiar.

"Cea-nee!"

Ceara froze in place, guilt and fear crawling through her body at hearing that worried yet chiding tone. Heaving a defeated sigh, she turned with the basket in her arms to watch as Kouha ran up the same small hill she'd climbed to get there. His long hair swayed back and forth as he quickly made his way to her.

Before she even got a word out, Kouha took the basket from her hands and began chastising her. "Are you crazy? You shouldn't be carrying this kind of stuff!"

"It's a basket of fruit, Kouha," she countered cheekily and chuckled at the slight pout he gave her. "Besides I was craving some and neither you nor Mei know which ones I like."

"Cravings…" he sighed, reaching his hand out to her to help her down the small hill. "I swear, you and your pregnancy are going to drive us insane with worry."

Ceara chuckled at that comment but could see why he'd say that. Her other hand came over her distended belly that was a much larger bump than some seven-odd months should have given her. But she didn't complain. She was used to it by now.

"You three worry too much."

"We worry enough," Kouha told her, placing her arm threw his so she could support herself on him while he carried her basket of fruits on the other. She was grateful for the support but Ceara always found it odd how much the boy had grown in three years. He was already her height for goodness sake. "You know En-nii hates it when you exert yourself."

"Now that man is the epitome of worrisome," she confided with a sigh.

"Not even," he countered himself. "He loves you. We all do which is why we worry. Especially after what happened."

Yeah, I couldn't imagine. That was the only reason why she let them coddle her like this. After that, she managed to listen to them more about her being on bedrest during her pregnancy. But then again, she could only stay in that house for so long before going crazy. Her and them two. If they had anything in common it was definitely her free spirit.

A soft wailing caught her attention as it spread from the center of the island—from their home—outward. Surely nobody would hear it until it got louder. But she heard it; she always did.

Over it, though, a sudden shout caught her ear, one that came again from the west. Stopping briefly and catching Kouha's attention, Ceara stepped back and turned her ear towards the western shores again, cupping her ear and letting the loud voices mingle.

"...hurrah for her majesty…"

"...hurrah for the empress…"

"...hurrah for the Kou Empire…"

A smile came to her lips at hearing that last voice stronger and above all others. Now that's a voice I recognize.

"Cea-nee?" Kouha asked, a bit confused.

Ceara turned back to him and shook her head. "It's nothing," she assured him and got him to continue walking towards their home. The lightness in her chest at hearing their enthused voices—Kougyoku's most of all after three long years—didn't let the smile falter from her lips. En would certainly love to hear about this later.

"...mama…"

But first, there were a couple of cherubs that needed her. Her husband could wait for now.

"I'm coming," she assured in a soft whisper. Surely, today would also be a long day.

---

A/N

Does it sound like an ending? Well, guess what, it isn't quite yet. There is still one last chapter to go before Silent Lamb ends.

Although I'm sad it's ending (I really loved writing this story) I'm also happy that it'll open the door for the future protects in the series. And seeing as Magi is also ending in 4 more chapters, I'd say next chapter will be enough of a farewell to such a magnificent series. I'll spare you all the details and my own personal thoughts on that.

I know it's been a long time since the last time I updated, perhaps a month and a half (at most), but now that I have lots more free time in my hands, I can really focus on keeping the ball rolling for this series. So I have good new and bad news about the next chapter (aside from it being the last one). Good news is that it's fully written. Everything, down to its 28k words. It'll be the longest chapter of this story, and any I've written by far. Bad news is that proofreading for this next one might take longer than I thought at first because of three things:

1) It's a behemoth of a chapter.

2) I really want to let you guys enjoy this one and ask as many things as you want. Because SL will be ending and new stories will be starting, this and next chapter will be the last that I focus on Ceara's story. So if there was still anything that any of you were curious or confused about, now would be the time to ask. PM or review, I'll be sure to answer. This exempts the last part of this chapter-that'll be delved in on the last one.

3) I have lots of fact checking to do. Fun fact: I am freaking OCD when it comes to plots. And because the series intertwines with one another, I need to have a good idea of what the other stories are going to entail (at least in important points) in order to not have plot points later on. Believe me, it's a headache especially since ideas are vague and not that concrete right now. But I will focus on dealing with that the best and fastest way I can to give you guys the last chapter as quickly as possible.

Now to talk a little bit about this chapter. I felt like I rushed it, especially with the Kou Civil War arc but truthfully there wasn't much for me to write for it except that added scene. So I guess it got down to just the right size.

Sou and Sui were a surprise. A similar scene was outlined but I deviated from it in the end. Masami was originally supposed to be her main obstacle in reaching Hakuryuu. I think I had planned for her to be a household vessel of his that assimilated too quickly like those other generals but went against it in the end. So sorry for those of you who wanted Masami to die and suffer (which was a good amount of you). I don't know if next chapter will be satisfying enough of an ending on that front with the way I wrote the resolution between Ceara and Masami, but at least it felt right to write so that's that.

There were two new characters introduced if briefly throughout this chapter(excluding the short snippet at the end). Both will be introduced properly (at least by name) in the last chapter. Both will also be prominent in the series as a whole.

And, of course, I'm sure you all are wondering about that whole time skip that happened so suddenly at the end of the chapter. I thought about not putting it there. I really wanted to just cut this chapter short and end it were they reunited and Ceara decided to keep on living. But~ what kind of cliffhanger would that be for a second-to-last chapter. It ends on a happy note for once so that's different （⌒▽⌒ゞ But aside from that, I don't have much to say about it that don't be discussed next chapter. Seriously, there's a reason that thing is 28k and why my wrist now hurts like a MF.

Now to give some thanks to the lovely people that Favorited and Followed:

-Kaiko Pyon

-GothicVampireLolita

-trouvaille

-annap310

-SoraMythos9276

-NinjaChipmunk

-Candy-orange

-Astrasky

And also to the great people that Reviewed:

-Esmee: I wish I could give you some more cute moments of the little ones. You'll get little ones next chapter though as that's something to look forward to x3 And yeah, that scene took me some time to write because of how dense they were. But after working so much on building their relationship throughout the story, I saw it was about time for it to happen. And ta-da, I think you got your wish with Kouha's small teasing. And yeah, nice catch on the GOT reference. Watched some of it but not completely caught up.
And here! Have some Cali sun! o(≧∇≦o)

-Avientei: I answered you already, friend, but I still just want to say hi ヾ(｡･ω･)ｼ

-kreizywordsmith

That's about it for this time. The next time I talk to you guys will be the last for a while. For now, feel free to drown me in any questions you may have. So hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and that you stay tuned for the next and final chapter of Silent Lamb! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ