Hey guys! After another long layoff as I got my life back in order, it's on to more updates again! I will admit here now, that due to commitments in the morning and my desire to get this out today since I won't have time to finish this during the week, I did have to rush through some parts without as thorough a check as I would like. If there are any typos or anything, please bring them to me, and I will fix them as soon as possible in a later version….but you guys have already done a good job of that already. Maybe that says something about my proofreading skills….anyway, enjoy!
- Ketchum Kid
Chapter 11: The Ties that Bind
In front of the hotel, the road that heads into town goes borders a steep ravine. Behind it are a series of mountains, which makes for a beautiful view of the twin moons once they rise over the peaks.
That is where Misaka was at evening, looking out into the sky. She was leaning against the railing which bordered the edge of the cliff.
"Oy, Misaka!" The brunette turned around, and saw Guiche walking up towards her. "It's nearly time for them to start serving dinner! What are you dilly-dallying for?"
"Oh, is that so?" she replied. "Coming...huh?!" Just as Misaka was turning to the hotel, the ground began to shake
"W-W-What's h-happening?!" Guiche exclaimed, nearly falling onto the ground. "An earthquake?!" Misaka was looking around, and soon saw what was the cause.
"Guiche, move!" she shouted. The blonde only had time to turn and brace himself, as rock and dirt suddenly whizzed inches from his face.
"Woah!" he exclaimed. The three looked up. A massive golem, hewn from stone, was standing in front of the balcony. Even with the two being on the balcony, the golem towered some fifty feet above their heads. "I-Is that a golem?!"
"Don't tell me that it's -!" Misaka was cut off by a loud laughter from atop the golem. The two looked upwards. It was hard to see in the evening light, but there was a figure on the top of the golem's left shoulder, clad in a green cloak. "Fouquet!"
"Fufufu," she chuckled. "It is such an honor to be remembered by my adversaries."
"What are you doing here?!" Guiche stated. "You should be rotting in jail!" The green haired thief smirked.
"Let's say that some people have kinder hearts than you do, and we'll leave it at that," she answered. "Besides, a beauty at me shouldn't be locked away in jail like that." She flicked her wand out. "As for being here, I'm here to thank you for that long vacation in jail, by sending you to your deaths!" The golem lunged towards the two, a hand reaching out to crush them. Misaka fired an electric spear at the hand, but it bounced off. "There's no need to panic, this golem is made of stone, not dirt!"
"N-Nobody's panicking!" Guiche shouted, as he and Misaka dove away from the hand, missing it at the last second. The hand demolished the stone fence as if it was cardboard.
"Che…!" Misaka groaned. "I guess I'll need to use a Railgun for-?!" Before she could reach for a coin, the golem's hand began moving towards them. There was no time to set up a Railgun.
"Partner!" Derflinger shouted. "Use me!" Misaka did a double take.
"Are you crazy?!" she shouted, as she and Guiche began to move again. "That thing's stronger than the last one I faced!"
"Do you want to live?!" the sword replied. The hand was almost on them, moving faster than it appeared. With no more room to run, Misaka unsheathed the sword, and swung it in a slicing motion behind her. It connected with the hand's wrist, and to her surprise, cut it in two. The hand fell off to the side, crumbling right next to Guiche, who hastily jumped out of the way.
"Huh?" Misaka stated, looking at Derflinger. "So you are sharper than you look."
"I AM a magical sword after all," said the sword. "Do you think my looks alone would indicate the condition of the blade?"
"Well it's probably why you were in that shop for a long time," she replied. "That, and your brash attitude."
"How rude!" it scoffed.
"So there's still more to you than what I have seen," Fouquet grumbled. "It matters not!" She flicked her wand towards the cliffside. The golem moved its hand towards the cliff, and absorbed the stone from the wall to make a new hand. "This golem's a lot tougher than the one you faced last time!"
"That's not going to make me run away this time!" countered Guiche. "After all, I'm an Earth Mage as well!" He flicked his rose, releasing several petals that turned into bronze Valkyries. "Attack!" The Valkyries began swarming Fouquet's golem, flying all around the rock monster.
"Tch!" Fouquet grumbled. "No matter what you do, it's useless!"
"Let's see you say that after seeing the power of Guiche de Gramont!" the blonde replied. Fouquet flicked her wand, and the golem swatted away the Valkyries away. One of them crashed into Guiche, sending him sprawling across the ground.
"Amateur," she grunted. The golem readied a fist to crush the noble into the ground. However, an electric blast rocketed through the right arm, obliterating it before it could do any damage. Fouquet looked down, watching Misaka rush in front of Guiche.
"Don't forget it's not a one-on-one match!" the brunette stated, pulling out another token. Suddenly, an fiery explosion came from the hotel's entrance. Several people spilled out of the entrance, some burnt to varying degrees, and proceeded to run away from the hotel. Following them were Kirche and Tabitha. Kirche fired a fireball towards the fleeing group.
"Ohohoho!" the red-haired girl laughed. "You see it, you get it now? If you don't want to get burned by my flames, you better run home now!" She noticed Fouquet. "Ara? If it isn't our friend, the old thief!" This comment incensed the green-haired woman.
"Old?!" she replied angrily. "I'm only 23!" She began to wave her wand, but stopped, seemingly noticing something. She smirked. "Well, I've already done what I needed to do, since I stalled you long enough."
"Stall…?" wondered Misaka. Suddenly, Fouquet jumped off of the golem, and began to float away. "Hey!" Misaka quickly fired a lightning spear at Fouquet, but the fleeing thief dodged the attack, and made her escape. The golem, meanwhile, began to crumble apart, and the group watched as the rock monster fell back into the ravine.
"That seemed rather fast…" stated Kirche disappointedly.
"I-I'm rather glad it was," Guiche said, knocking off the remains of his Valkyrie in order to stand back up. "That woman is certainly a force to be reckoned with."
"But she wasn't acting on her own…I think…" pondered Misaka. "Anyway, is Louise alright?"
"Yes," Kirche nodded. "She and Wardes continued on to the port as arranged." Misaka and Guiche frowned.
"Huh?" quizzed Guiche. "What do you mean by that?"
"I thought you had told them to go on to Albion while the two of you held Fouquet here," she explained. "Wardes stated that you had told them that, Misaka."
"How could I have?" the brunette replied. "I was out here the whole time, and I haven't seen Wardes since the duel earlier today."
"And the only thing he told me was how much I resemble my father, about two hours ago," explained Guiche.
An awkward pause filled the air.
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
…
"…we were tricked…" stated Tabitha, breaking the silence.
On the deck of the ship, Louise looked out across the railing. She sighed, thinking about her friends that had sacrificed themselves in order to further her progress. When Wardes rushed to her room urgently, explaining that they had been ambushed, she could not believe it. But when she saw the group of mercenaries attacking Kirche and Tabitha in the main lobby, the reality of her journey, which had been shrouded under a merry bliss for the past two days, was thrusted straight into her face. She and Wardes escaped out a back exit, and made their way to the port, where Wardes secured passage. They had only recently set off on a journey that would take at least a full day.
Wardes came up from behind her. When Louise turned to face him, she could see he had a grim expression on his face. "It seems that the situation in Albion is worse than Princess Henrietta thought."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"It seems that Reconquista has been making ground on one final push to rid the Royal Army," the Viscount explained. "The captain said that the unit led by Prince Wales is the only division left, and they are holed up in the Newcastle Fortress along with their remaining loyalists. It's only a matter of time before Reconquista launches a massive strike that will overwhelm the limited remains of the Royal Army."
"Oh no…" whispered Louise, bringing a hand over her heart. Wardes placed a hand on each of her shoulders.
"Do not worry," he stated. "We will land in nearby Scarborough, and then go under the cover of darkness to Newcastle. If they try to attack us, I will protect you with all my strength, as only I can do."
"I'll still stand up and fight for you." Louise jerked slightly, as a memory briefly came flushing to the forefront, before disappearing just as quickly.
"Are you alright?" Wardes asked, noticing the jolt.
"Ah, it must be the ship," she said, dismissing the thought immediately. Still, her face remained one off sorrow.
"Look, I can see your friends down below," Wardes stated, looking across the side of the boat. "It seems they repelled the mercenaries. They're even waving to us in sendoff." Louise looked across the side, and saw her three classmates and her Familiar running after the vessel, waiving up to her. However, Louise could not bring herself to wave back.
'You liar…you can't fight for me from down there…'
"The hell is that thing?!" gasped Misaka, as the four ran after the ship from the ground.
"That's…our ship…leaving without…us!" Guiche stated, wheezing for breath.
"I mean, why the hell is it FLYING?!" the brunette exclaimed. "Aren't ships supposed to stay in the water?!"
"Wind stones that store wind magic!" Kirche explained. "It allows it to fly for a period!"
"Then how can you call that thing a ship?!" Misaka replied. "And more importantly, why aren't you two flying after that thing, isn't that something that wizards are able to do here?!"
"We're not as practiced like Fouquet!" the red-haired girl stated. "Besides, it looks like it either has a lot of stones, or someone's helping them!" The vessel sped ahead, and disappeared behind the mountaintops. The three stopped running, with Guiche collapsing onto the ground.
"The…they're gone…" Guiche wheezed.
"Louise has run off with that grey-haired hottie all on her own!" said Kirche.
"Is sex all you can think of?" groaned Misaka. "Think for a second: why would Wardes have lied to you two?"
"I was only joking," the red haired girl stated. "Besides, I know the answer to that; he didn't want us to join them to Albion."
"Right," the brunette nodded. "It makes it worse that Fouquet admitted that she was stalling us, which only points to one grim direction: Wardes wants to jeopardize the mission Henrietta trusted to us. The two looked at the brunette.
"What makes you think that?" Guiche stated, as Tabitha landed nearby with Sylphid. "Not that it isn't sound, but even Kirche's joke answer could be just as correct."
"It isn't," Misaka stated. "I rode with Wardes here. He was telling me how Louise was important to him, and how he wanted to rekindle the love between the two. But the reason I dueled him earlier today was because I overheard him wanting to develop Louise's power, which he was emphasizing more than his love for her. It was something he never mentioned to me, and with the way he was pushing it, I was surprised he never told me. Don't you think that is a little odd?"
"That would be strange," Kirche noted, placing a finger on her lips. "I at least tend to stay to the single reason why I like a man."
"Now if only you limited that reach to a single man," deadpanned Guiche.
"Furthermore," the brunette continued, "there was what happened right now. How would Wardes know of an attack that caught Guiche and I by surprise?"
"More importantly, why does it seem that the attack was conveniently placed so that he and Louise could slip out unnoticed?" Kirche added.
"You're right," Guiche stated, seemingly reaching a conclusion. "If what Misaka is saying is correct, then that means that Viscount Wardes and Fouquet are working for the Albion rebellion."
"I wish you guys weren't being serious, but that's what I think as well," the red-haired girl concluded Guiche and Misaka nodded.
"We have to think that Louise isn't the only person in danger then," the brunette added. "Those two will breeze through to Prince Wales, and they'll get close enough that Wardes might very well kill him."
"Then we don't have a moment to lose!" Kirche stated. "We have Tabitha and Sylphid here, so we should be able to get to Albion by ourselves.
"But how are we going to know where to go?" Misaka wondered. "All we know is that the royalty is holed up in the area of Newcastle. But we don't know where exactly that would be…"
"And the ship has already disappeared, so following it's direction may only get us lost if it turned…" As the group pondered the problem, there was a small rumble underneath Guiche's feet. Before he could react, the blonde was thrown off his feet. A familiar mole popped out of the ground. "Ooh…V-Verdandi, why now?" Looking closely, the mole had a small emerald jewel in its mouth.
"Of course!" Misaka stated in excitement. "We can use the mole as a tracker for Louise!" The others were lost.
"Tracker?" Kirche repeated. Misaka turned to Guiche
"Guiche, remember what happened before we left Tristain?" the brunette asked.
"Hmm…didn't Verdanti attack Louise…because he could smell the princess's Water Ruby!" Guiche said in realization.
"Louise still has that ring," explained Misaka. "If we can get close enough, Verdandi can be able to pick up the ring, and we can find Louise, and stop Wardes before it's too late."
"Can that even be possible?" Kirche asked Guiche. Guiche smirked, crossing his arms together.
"Once Verdandi smells a jewel, he never forgets it," the blonde told her with pride. "We'll be able to track them down in no time!
"Then we have no time to lose!" Kirche stated. "It'll take at least a full day to reach Albion, so we'll need to supply ourselves up quickly." Misaka frowned.
"Can't we just catch up to them now as is?" she asked.
"If we did that, then he might use the ship as a hostage," the red-haired girl replied. "As wonderful as you are, Misaka, I don't think you can save an entire ship in the middle of the air without at least one casualty."
"And Kirche is probably right in that ship getting help," Guiche suggested. "I heard that the merchants were waiting for tomorrow to when Albion is the closest to La Rochelle. Wardes is probably using wind magic to help them along, since the merchants do not like taking more wind stones than they need to."
"But by that same token, can't we use the closing distance to our advantage?" the brunette said. "If the distance is shorter, we will be able to close the gap faster than we would be able to otherwise."
"Misaka, do you really think we'll be in good shape to fight once we do that?" Kirche stated. "It's already past sunset. By the time we catch up, we'll be as good as Guiche was a minute ago."
"Hey!" the blonde interjected.
"There's no time to lose!" countered Misaka. "The sooner that we rescue Louise and Prince Wardes, the sooner they're out of danger. There's not a second to lose!"
"…we should follow the coast north, before turning west to Albion…" Tabitha stated. "…we will stop at the cape for a short rest before the second stage…"
"You're going to have to rely on us for passage, Misaka," replied Kirche. "How else are you going to get to the flying continent of Albion?"
"I'm sure that I'd be able to get there with a metal disk and…" Misaka paused. "Wait, did you say flying?"
Daybreak in the clouds. The merchant vessel was making steady progress, but Albion was still not in sight. Louise looked out of the window in the room that she and Wardes shared, but there was no sign of Albion. The pinkette went out to have breakfast with the Viscount. She and Wardes had just joined the ship captain when the Lookout called down to them.
"Albion in sight!" he bellowed. The three of them went out onto the deck, and looked up. Above the clouds, a large ominous rock formation appeared. Mountains appeared at the top, and the bottom penetrated well below the clouds. Rivers cascaded from the top, disappearing into the clouds below.
"'The White Country'" Wardes stated. "It really lives up to its name, huh Louise?" Before Louise could respond, the Lookout called out again.
"Ship approaching starboard side!" he shouted urgently. "No nationality flags to be seen!"
"No nationality…what in blazes?" the captain stated. To the starboard side they looked. A much larger ship, clad in black paint, loomed towards them. Twenty or so cannons pointed out from the visible side, and all were locked towards their ship.
"Pirates?" Wardes asked.
"Most likely," the man said worriedly. "They've been active in the area since the rebellion. Full speed! Get us out of here!" His order was too late. The ship was almost on them. Suddenly, a cannon shot rang out, from the front of the other vessel. The cannonball disappeared into the clouds ahead. Louise noticed a four-colored flag being hoisted up the black ship's mast.
"They're requesting us to stop, captain!" the lookout stated.
"More like ordering us," the man grumbled. "Sir, can you help us in any way?" Wardes shook his head.
"Unfortunately, my magic's been used up in propelling us ahead," he admitted. "We can only do what they say, or risk death."
"There goes my bloody fortune…" the captain sighed. "Wrap sails, men. Stop the ship." Louise, who was now holding onto Wardes' cape, watched as the sails were taken down.
A man on the black ship stepped out onto the port side. About a dozen men, each with a bow and a rifle, took aim alongside him. "We are pirates! Do not resist!" The men shot hooked lines, which hooked onto railings, creating a link between the two ships. A second group of men, wielding axes and sabers, slid down the ropes, and boarded the ship.
"Stay close, Louise," Wardes ordered. "Louise did not need to be told twice. She watched as the men rounded up the deckhands, bringing them to the top. Wardes' griffin, which had been sitting on the top deck, growled at the approach of the pirates. However, one of the pirates casted a bluish-white smoke over the griffin's head, putting it to sleep. "They even have mages…"
"Which one of you is the captain?" one of the pirates shouted. Shaking, the captain raised his hand. "State your ship's name, origin, and cargo."
"Tristainia's Marie Galante," the captain replied. "The cargo is sulfur." A murmur went through the pirates.
"We're taking this cargo from your ships, in exchange for letting you live," he declared. He then noticed Wardes and Louise. "Oh? Looks like we have a couple of nobility, boys. Take those two with us as well; they'll fetch a good ransom from Tristain."
"H-Hey!" Louise objected, as two pirates closed in on her and Wardes. "Get away, you low-lifes!"
"Now isn't the time for you to fight. Now is the time to get to safety." Another memory bubbled up. Louise stopped. She looked at Wardes, who was shaking his head. Reluctantly, she complied, and followed the pirates onto the warship.
Soaring high above the clouds in the early morning light was Sylphid the wind dragon. On the Familiar's back were four occupants: Tabitha, Kirche, Guiche, and Misaka. In the dragon's mouth was Verdandi; the mole was too big and cumbersome to stay with the humans, and needed a more secure harness. Despite leaving hours after Wardes and Louise due to the need to supply themselves, they were making good time to the flying continent; however, they could not hope to catch up to them in their current condition.
"You couldn't have told me that Albion was a flying continent?" Misaka said.
"You never asked," Kirche stated. "Besides, I thought you knew about it."
"Does it look like I would know something out of my area of experience?!" the brunette complained.
"Can you please stop mistreating my lovely Verdandi?!" Guiche grumbled. "He's a delicate creature, you know!"
"He'll throw us off if he's back here!" Kirche grumbled. "Jeez, can we go five minutes without you complaining about your Familiar?!" Unfortunately, this continued until they landed at the cape in the mid-afternoon.
While this was happening in Tristain, on the pirate ship, Louise and Wardes were escorted into a lavish room on the pirate ship. It was rather large, with a big table in the middle. Sitting with his feet on the table, and playing with a crystal-embedded cane, was the head of the pirates. He was very gruff-looking, with black curly hair, a long black beard, and an eyepatch over his right eye. He wore white gloves on his hands.
"Show respect to the boss by greeting him properly!" their escort demanded. Wardes bowed slightly, but Louise remained unmoving, staring straight at the pirate boss.
"Hm?" he said, noticing Louise's defiance. "You do not carry yourself like a child; I like a strong-willed woman. Now, what are two nobles from Tristain doing heading to Albion? Surely you can't tell me it's for sightseeing purposes."
"I demand the treatment of an ambassador," she curtly stated. The boss raised an eyebrow.
"An ambassador?" he repeated. "What business do you have in Albion. We are opportunistic pirates that work partly for the royals, and partially for the nobles; we will take you to the closest port of either faction." Louise kept on glaring at the pirate boss.
"I am an ambassador, and an ambassador only recognizes the legitimate government of the country," she answered. "As long as the Albion Royal Family remains in the country, Tristain will only recognize them as the legitimate ruling power."
"And what message will you be trying to give to the royal Fyamily?" the boss asked. "The noble's last offensive will occur tomorrow, and they will wipe out the royal family."
"I won't tell you," Louise stated.
"Are you willing to betray the nobles?" the pirate boss said. "Otherwise, I might not be able to guarantee your safety for any price, even if you are an ambassador."
"I'd rather die," the pinkette responded. The boss was about to say something, before he noticed the Water Ruby ring on Louise's hand.
"That ring…" he stated. "That is the Water Ruby, is it not?"
"I do not need to answer that to you," she replied. "Besides, what would you know about this if it was what you thought it was?"
"I know that the Water Ruby is in the care of the Tristain royal family," he stated. "And if you have it on you here, then that means Henrietta has sent you to Albion personally." Louise was flustered.
"H-H-How dare you speak about Princess Henri-!" She stopped as she noticed the pirate boss taking off his gloves. On the ring finger of his right hand was a ring, which looked very similar to the Water Ruby, save for a slightly darker hue. "I-Is that…?"
"This is the Wind Ruby," he stated. "From what I have heard, a Water Ruby and a Wind Ruby will shine brilliantly when they are in close proximity to each other." He held out his right hand, the gem pointed to Louise. "Please, indulge me." Louise was hesitant, but she complied, holding out her right hand in a similar manner. As the two rubies were brought together, they each gave off a brilliant right that shone throughout the room. Louise was blinded so much, that she reflexively took her hand away, which cause the light to dim, but not go away completely. "Water and the wind make the rainbow, a rainbow which is formed between royal families. Forgive me for the treatment you have endured up until now."
"W-What do you mean?" Louise asked. The pirate boss removed his eyepatch, then removed his hair, which was a wig, and his beard, which was also fake. Standing in front of him was a much-younger blonde-haired man, who was not much older than Louise. "Y-You…"
"I am Prince Wales Tudor, general of the Albion Royal Air Force," he introduced himself as. "Though, admittedly, the 'Eagle' is the biggest and the only remaining ship we have; even people from the street could beat it with ease." He noticed that Louise was still dumfounded. "You are wondering why I dress myself like a dirty pirate. It's a tactic to cut off the rich rebel's supply line. I dress like this in order to disguise myself." He laughed. "No, it was really impolite of me to treat an ambassador like that, even if you are not the typical ambassador to a country. I hope you accept my apology." Louise was still speechless, her mouth opening and closing in shock.
"It is all right," Wardes said, bowing gracefully towards Prince Wales. "We come with a secret letter from Her Highness, Princess Henrietta."
"Ohh, from Her Highness?" Wales stated. "And you are?"
"Captain of Tristain's Griffin Knights, Viscount Wardes," the noble replied. "And this is the ambassador Her Highness has sent from the Vallière family, Louise."
"H-Hello…" the pinkette greeted, bowing her head. "Forgive me for my earlier impoliteness…"
"Please, do not be so humble," Wales insisted. "You are such splendid guests for us, and yet I only have ten bodyguards to greet you. Do you have the letter on you?" Louise nodded, procuring the letter from her skirt pocket. Wales took it, looking at the letter lovingly. The prince kissed the signature, before carefully removing the seal, and reading the letter. "Is the princess…marrying?"
"Yes she is, to the King of Germania," Wardes answered. Louise noticed that Wales was shaking slightly, and a small tear formed in his eye.
"He is getting a lovely bride," Wales stated. "My cute, beloved…cousin." He continued to read the letter, smiling at the last line. "I see. The princess wants you to return that letter. More importantly, the princess also hopes that I return a letter from her." Louise smiled. "However, that letter is back in Newcastle. There is no way I would carry it on a pirate ship. It is troublesome, but please come with me to Newcastle. We can have dinner, and you can head out in the morning, before our final battle."
It was nighttime on a certain iron bridge. The moonlight was reflecting beautifully off of the water. Streetlights flickered on either side of the road.
Misaka looked around. She recognized this place. She walked down the center of the bridge. No traffic was coming in either direction, so she was free of worrying about an accident.
She noticed a girl besides the railing. She was looking over side of the bridge, and seemed to be crying. She had long pink hair, and gave a familiar feeling to Misaka.
"Help…" the girl whispered. "…help me…"
"Um, are you okay?" she asked the girl. The girl turned towards Misaka, allowing her to see the girl's face.
"Oh, it's you," said Louise. "I don't need you. I have Wardes to protect me."
"Louise, Wardes is tricking you!" Misaka said to her. "He's working against Tristain, against Henrietta, against you!" Louise shook her head.
"You're just being a stupid Familiar!" Louise countered, dismissively. "How would you know, since you've never known him for more than a few days! He loves me, more than anyone else has!"
"Louise, I-!" Before Misaka could finish, there was a sudden burst of energy behind Louise. The pinkette went wide-eyed, before slowly slumping onto the ground. "Louise? Louise!" Misaka ran over to the noble's body. There was no feeling of movement from the body.
Misaka looked up. A shrouded man, clad in a blue coat and a blue hat, stood looming over the two.
"Wardes…!" the brunette hissed.
"Dear, dear, it looks like you couldn't protect her in the end," the man stated. Misaka's heart skipped a beat. The voice out of the man's mouth was not Wardes, but it was one well familiar to her.
"W…Wh…" she gasped breathlessly. The man took of his hat. Instead of an older man and grey hair, it was a much younger face. He had moppy white hair, and blood red eyes.
"It's just like back in the day," the person stated, grinning maliciously. "Back when you were helpless to save your 10,031 Sisters!"
Misaka woke up with a jolt, so fast, that she hit her head on the tree she was resting against. "Ow!" She rubbed her head with her hand, and noticed that it was covered in a cold sweat. Her eyes shifted from left to right and back again. It was just after sunset at the northern cape of Tristain. They had reached the cape not long after lunch, stopping to rest after being up through the night and into the day. The others were still asleep, getting in some rest before the second stage of their journey.
"It…It was a dream…" the brunette sighed, relieved. She heard footsteps approaching, and saw Tabitha walking over. Tabitha had been on watch, in case that the group was ambushed while they were resting.
"Misaka, are you okay?" the blue-haired girl asked softly.
"Y-Yeah," the brunette stated, looking away from Tabitha. "J-Just a bad dream, is all…"
"…" Tabitha simply stared at her. "You're worrying about Louise, aren't you?"
"…How'd you guess?" the brunette asked, getting up from her spot.
"We've all seen it on your face since last night," Tabitha explained, expressionlessly. "You've been showing more concern for Louise than Wardes ever did."
"Well, this is a matter of life or death," Misaka stated. "If we don't hurry up, we'll not only have to tell Henrietta about Wardes' betrayal, but also the deaths of two of her dearest companions. Besides, she, and you, and Guiche, and Kirche…you're all my friends, in some way, shape, or form. Even if I just met you, it would be the same as losing Kuroko, or Saten, or Kongou." Tabitha seemed puzzled by the last statement Misaka said. "Ah, those are some dear friends of mine." The bluenette nodded in understanding.
"You take it differently with Louise," she responded. "Why?" Misaka thought for a moment.
"I guess…because I can relate to being forced into a lonely corner," she explained. "She's been picked on for so long because she was powerless. Now, her past comes back into the front of her life, and she has to decide whether to leave the status quo, or to break out of the chains around her. I had the same problem when I found out about the Level 6 Shift Program I told you about." Tabitha nodded. "Unfortunately, she's acting just like I did."
"Like you?" Tabitha asked.
"Back then, I thought that my decision on how to fix everything was the right one," the brunette continued. "I hadn't thought that there was any other way to deal with it, and charged blindly towards something that I now realize would have only made things worse." She looked out into the darkening sky. The two moons were growing brighter and brighter by the minute. "However, it took somebody else to tell me that. I needed them to tell me that I was going to regret my choice, that there was something that would be best for everyone, not just myself. Louise doesn't think she has any other way, so I need to be there to tell her there is another way…I just don't think that she trusts me…" A short silence permeated the air.
"I have a feeling that Louise is more trusting of you than you think." The two turned to see Kirche walking towards them.
"K-Kirche?" Misaka said. "When did you wake up?"
"Long ago enough to hear all of that," the red-haired girl stated. "I think that Louise doesn't want to admit that she's uncertain about her decision to go off with Wardes, even before knowing anything about what he is doing."
"What makes you say that?" asked Misaka. Kirche smirked.
"Call it a woman's intuition, my dear," she said slyly. "Call it observations from seeing her since our days in the Academy. Louise has changed since you were summoned, Misaka. She looks much less tense than before. Sure, she has her brash exterior, but that armor has been dented. My thinking is that she can rely on you for any trouble that comes up." She finished with a wink. Misaka thought about this for a second. "Speaking of trouble…" Kirche took out her wand, pointing it to the tree where the still-sleeping Guiche was loudly snoring. The red-haired girl casted a fireball at the blonde, torching him out of his slumber.
"HAHOWOWOW!" he yelped, running around in frantic patterns, before making a beeline for the ocean.
"Oi, hurry up, Guiche!" Kirche called out. "We have our princess waiting in another castle!" Misaka raised an eyebrow.
"Princess in…just where did you hear that phrase?" she asked.
"It was from something my father had," the red-haired girl admitted. "I forget if it was an Artifact or not."
"I can answer that by saying yes, it is," the brunette said, beginning to wonder just how many 'Artifacts' had slipped into this world.
Dinner for Louise had been lavish. Wales, his father King James I, and the remaining 300 or so soldiers had thrown a lavish banquet in her honor. The men had constantly been asking her to try all sorts of food, or share in their war stories. It was so much, she had to recuse herself for a moment, using this as the time to retrieve Henrietta's letter. She and Prince Wales headed to his main quarters. It was rather ordinary-looking for a noble's, with a simple wooden bed, table with two chairs, a painting of a battle scene, and a desk.
"I once had a room five times as large back in Londinium," Wales stated. "But when the capital fell, we had to rush out in a hurry. That painting and Henrietta's letter were the only things I could save before they torched our palace." He took out a small key from a necklace that had been hidden under his collar. Opening one of the drawers, the prince took out a small box, and placed the key in the lock. The box opened, revealing a tattered letter, and a small portrait of Henrietta. It was rather detailed for being the size of a small postcard. Wales took out the letter, and read it for one last time, smiling lovingly at its contents. He then gently folded the letter, and put it in an envelope along with the letter Louise had brought. "This is the letter I got from the princess. I am returning it to you as well."
"Thank you," Louise said, graciously bowing as she received the letter in her cupped hands.
"The Eagle will take you back to Tristain tomorrow, along with the final refugees," Wales explained. "It's too small for us to use in the battle, so we'll be putting it to where it can be useful." He turned to leave, before noticing Louise. She was staring at the letter, but with a puzzled face. She looked at Wales.
"Your Highness…if I may ask, you mentioned at dinner about a glorious defeat," she stated hesitantly. "What do you mean by that?" Wales smiled, but the look on his eyes was that of someone resigned to fate.
"It is just as I said, dear Louise," he answered. "My army has a little more than 300 men, while the enemy is amassing more than 50,000. There is no chance at victory, so we shall at least fall in glory." Louise looked down.
"By fall, do you mean…?"
"Of course; I will die as well," he declared. Louise swiftly brought her face up.
"T-Then, forgive my impoliteness, but there is more I need to ask!" she demanded sharply. "The content of the letter…are you and Princess Henrietta….you had the picture, and both of you looked gloomy when speaking about each other…?" Wales continued to smile.
"Do you want to ask if Henrietta and I have a romantic relationship?" he asked. Louise nodded. He placed a hand on his forehead, as if worrying about what he should say. "It as just as you guessed. That letter, if foolishly passed to Germania, might become a great threat to Tristain. In the letter, Henrietta is swearing her eternal love for me in the name of the Founder Brimir. It is like the oath of marriage, love sworn in his name. If this were to come to light, she would be accused of bigamy, and the marriage would be broken off, causing Tristain to be isolated politically." He smiled again. "It's an old story, but-"
"Y-Your Highness!" interjected Louise feverishly. "I beg of you, return to Tristain with us!" Wales shook his head, and placed a hand on Louise's shoulder.
"It cannot be done," he said with a laugh. "Henrietta did not ask me to run away in her letter. She is of royal blood as I am. She knows that she has to give priority to her country above all else." Louise looked down.
"I disagree…" she stated. "I know the Princess very well, and she is not someone that would abandon the people that she loves so!" She quickly bowed, then ran off, tears in her eyes. Wales extended a hand to reach her, but the pinkette was too quick for him to catch, and she left back for the party.
"Oh dear…" he sighed. "She is an honest girl, Vallière is, but an ambassador should not be that honest with herself. Wouldn't you agree, Viscount?"
From the entrance of the door walked in the grey-haired man. "I am surprised you noticed me, Your Highness."
"After this bloody war, there is not much that gets by me," the blonde stated. "Now tell me, is there something on your mind, Wardes?" Wardes cleared his throat.
"To tell you the truth, Prince Wales, there is a favor that I would like to ask of you…"
Guiche sniffed loudly, then coughed, choking at the scent of his singed hair. "You could have woken me in a much more painless way."
"I already said I was sorry, Guiche," Kirche laughed. Misaka simply rolled her eyes, as they started their journey to Albion under nightfall.
Early in the morning, Louise was quickly awoken from her slumber by a knocking at her door.
"Louise? It's me, Wardes. May I enter?"
"Yawn…yes…" the pinkette replied. She had cried herself to sleep after thinking about Prince Wales' situation, and had not had a good night. Wardes opened the door, bustling hurriedly. "Y-You seem to be in a hurry…"
"I would like to marry you, in the chapel here at Newcastle," he proposed. Louise was taken aback.
"E-Eh?!" she said in surprise. "W-W-Why so soon?! I-I said I needed some time…"
"I want our wedding to be in the presence of Prince Wales," the Viscount explained. "I have already spoken to the Crown Prince, and he has graciously accepted to be the go-between. All we need now is your word."
Louise didn't know what to say. Her mind was still in a jumble of thoughts, mixed together between Wardes, Misaka, Henrietta, and most of all, Wales. She could not understand how the prince could choose death, when there was a suitable option of life that he could have. It saddened her to no end. She hated Albion, how their foolish people could cling to death so much, yet still be as joyful as of a jubilee. There was no comprehension.
So, when pressed with Wardes' request, there was only one way she could answer.
"…Y-Yes…" she answered. "I will marry you, today…" Wardes smiled fondly.
"Then I will go make the arrangements with His Highness," he replied. Just as suddenly as he entered, so too did he leave.
Louise sat back down on the bed. The thoughts in her head continued to swirl violently in her mind. This time, one particular statement floated to the forefront.
"Are you buying into the fact you were arranged to be with this guy when you were young?"
'I did say that I would do it…' she thought. 'But…was I really being serious…?'
With the sun rising from above the ocean, the four continued their journey across the sea to Albion. Still, however, there was no sign of the White Country. There was, however, the continued questions by Guiche.
"Are you sure we are going in the right direction?" Guiche asked.
"For the last time," Kirche answered, "YES! We've been following the general direction that the ship Louise was on went in!"
"But wouldn't that mean nothing?" he pointed out. "The ship could have turned after it left our site!" The red-haired girl shook her head.
"That was a merchant ship!" she replied. "The merchants try to use the fewest wind stones in order to reach Albion! They'll always take the shortest route to port!"
"I hope so!" the blonde said. "If my Verdandi has to endure this trip only for us to be misled - !"
"For Brimir's sake, is all you think about involve that mole's well-being?!" the red-haired girl shouted.
"Will you two just shut up?!" demanded Misaka. "You've been doing this since we left the cape!"
"…Castle…" Tabitha stated, pointing ahead. The group looked past the clouds. With the sky beginning to lighten, a rocky dark land appeared before them. Mountains carved the landscape, with wooded forests far into the distance. At the top of the cliff, at a cape, was a large castle.
"There's Newcastle!" Guiche exclaimed.
"All we need to do now is to get inside and get Louise out!" Kirche said in joy. The joy was short-lived. Out of the cloud next to them appeared a huge ship. It had an incredible number of sails, a large battery of cannons. A dragon was painted on the surface of the ship, giving it the appearance of a fire-breathing dragon. "Woah!"
"…Back into the clouds!..." Tabitha said to Sylphid. The wind dragon made an abrupt turn, nearly throwing of its riders, and retreated behind cover.
"What was that?!" Misaka stated.
"Nothing good!" Kirche stated. "I think that's one of the rebellion's ships!"
"Do you think it spotted us?" Guiche asked. As if on cue, a cannonball whizzed through the clouds no more than 50 feet away from them. "Hyee!"
"Yes!" the red-haired girl exclaimed. "Tabitha, get us out of here!" They began to fly in sharp, fast motions, trying to avoid any cannon fire, some of which barely zipped by their heads. They dove deep below the clouds, and appeared underneath the ship. The cannons continued to fire, but they were being fired into the cloud, not underneath them where they were.
"Looks like they can't see us here!" Guiche said.
"But they're blocking our route to Newcastle!" Kirche noted. "We'll need to blast through them if we want to save Louise!"
"We can't!" Guiche stated. "We'll tell all of Reconquista that we're here! Then what will happen when they step up their efforts sooner?!" Misaka thought for a moment.
"That water coming off the waterfalls of the continent…" she wondered. "Is that what supplies the ocean?"
"Goodness no," Kirche answered. "But they do turn into the clouds that form the weather patterns over Halkeginia. That's why it's always cloudy at the bottom of the White Country."
"I see…" the brunette responded. "Then , I can give that warship a distraction that can help us!"
"What do you mea…" Kirche's eyes went wide in horror. She watched, as Misaka willingly jumped off of Sylphid, and began to freefall into the clouds below. "M-MISAKA!" The three watched in horror (or as much horror as Tabitha would express) as Misaka disappeared into the cloud directly below them.
"T-Tabitha! Go get her, now!" Guiche pleaded. Tabitha was torn. If they went after Misaka, they would need to drop out of the clouds, meaning they would almost certainly be spotted by the large warship. However, she knew that Misaka would not be able to survive a fall into the water from such a distance. She was about to instruct Sylphid, when there was a large boom from a distance away from them. The three looked, and saw a large electrical blast sail over their heads about 200 yards above them, coming from a direction in front of their location.
"T-That was…Railgun…" Kirche noted in surprise. "But…that couldn't be Misaka…?" Just then, a figure burst out from the clouds, and came up to their level.
"That warship seems to be turning away from the castle now," Misaka said. "We should be fine going through." Kirche and Guiche had their mouths agape, as all three stared at Misaka…or rather, what was on Misaka's back. Sparks were radiating all from her back. Some of them were short and quick, like lightning, while others were thicker and more concentrated. Two very large sparks, about five times her height, parted at diverging angles, giving the impression of fairy wings. They seemed to be the reason as to why she was able to be flying next to Sylphid.
It took a second for the brunette to understand her friend's shock. "Oh, this is another one of my abilities, similar to the Iron Sand Sword. I can only do this around a lot of atomized water vapor and a large body of water, which is why I asked about the waterfalls." Kirche was still speechless. Guiche had his mouth open and close several times. "Anyway, let's get going. I also saw an entrance under the castle that the ship seemed to be guarding. We can use it to get inside the castle without alerting the rebels." Tabitha nodded, and instructed Sylphid to follow Misaka, who led them further below the continent.
Kirche finally regained her composure….sort of. "Man, Misaka is absolutely the COOLEST! She's going to have to tell me what else she can do when we get back to Tristain!"
"…no fangirling…" Tabitha stated, as Sylphid followed Misaka into a cavern, passing an airship heading the opposite direction.
Aside from Louise, Wardes, and Wales, the Newcastle church was empty. All of the commoners, women, and children had evacuated towards Tristain and Gallia, while the remaining forces were preparing for their final stand against Reconquista. The tension that was thick in the air, however, could not penetrate the walls of the chapel. The wedding was to be the last peaceful act by the old Albion royalty, before they would die at the hands of the rebelling nobles.
Wales was dressed in the Crown Prince's formal uniform. He wore a bright purple mantle, the symbol of the royal family, and a hat with seven colored wings, the symbol of Albion's royal family. Wardes was still wearing his Griffon Knight's clothing that he had worn on the journey so far, yet it did not feel out of place against Wales. It was Louise, however, that clearly stood out. Wearing a white bridal veil on her head, but still wearing her Tristain uniform, she radiated innocence to the highest degree. The veil was nicely made, and the flowers, which were eternally fresh due to magic, made it look indescribably beautiful.
However, Louise had a mixed mood. She had been rushed out of bed by Wardes in order to prepare for the wedding, and was only just coming to her senses. In addition, the sudden departure from La Rochelle that left everyone behind, and the news that Wardes was to die in battle after the ceremony, had left her mulling over desperate feeling all night. Now, in front of the altar, they were swelling up into her mind once again.
The port that they had landed in was virtually abandoned. Discarded papers littered the ground by the dock, symbolizing the rapid escape the remaining people of the Royal faction had performed.
"This is going to be hard from hear on…" Misaka said. Her electric wings disappeared as she landed, and she walked towards the cavern that led towards the surface. "It will be a maze to get to the surface."
"We could use Verdandi to burrow to the surface quickly," proposed Guiche. "He can direct us to wherever Louise and the Water Ruby are."
"That would be a good…ah…"All at once, Misaka began to sway back and forth. She leaned against the nearby cave wall, nearly falling down in the process.
"Misaka, are you alright?!" Kirche asked in surprise.
"Partner, what's going wrong?" Derflinger asked.
"Ah, my eyes are acting weird…" the brunette replied, slowly standing back up. "No…it's just my left eye. My vision's blurring in it…"
"Maybe you are tired from the long night staying up," the sword stated, seemingly unconcerned for Misaka's condition.
"No…" she said, rubbing her eyes. "It's something different…I can see something…"
"What do you mean?" stated Guiche.
"It's a vision of somewhere not here…" the brunette explained. "I can see…the insides of a church." The others were confused.
"A church?" Kirche asked.
"Keep looking," urged Derflinger, who was suddenly taking interest. "What can you see, Partner?" Misaka focused on the vision in her left eye, accounting for every detail in that vision.
"There's nobody in the church…wait…the person's next to Wardes! And there's another person, a young blonde male, that's standing at an altar!"
"Could that be Prince Wales?" Guiche surmised.
"I think…this is Louise's vision!" Misaka declared.
"Are you sure?!" Kirche said in surprise.
"It is," Derflinger stated, surprising them all. "That's the power of Gandálfr."
"…Gan…dálfr..?" Tabitha said.
"The legendary familiar of the Founder Brimir…?" Guiche asked.
"Yes," the sword replied. "My first memories were of a person who was Gandálfr, just like my current partner's status."
"Wow…" Kirche said in amazement. "You're just full of more and more surprises, Misaka!"
"That isn't important now!" urged Derflinger. "If Wardes is with both Wales and Louise alone, we can only fear the worse. Partner, is there any way to identify the location of this church?"
"There's sunlight coming from the windows,"Misaka stated. "We need to get to the surface!"
"Verdandi!" Guiche said, calling to his familiar. "Dig a path to the surface, towards the Ruby of Water!" The giant mole grunted. It ran towards the cave wall, and began burrowing into the cave wall.
"We've got to go through there?" Kirche said with some distain. "Can't we just walk through the paths already dug out?"
"If we can't get to the church directly, we might not have anyone to go and rescue," Misaka said. Reluctantly, the red-haired girl agreed.
"Well then, let's start the ceremony," declared Prince Wales. He turned to the Viscount. "Bridegroom, Viscount Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes. Do you take this girl as your wife, and swear to respect and love her in the name of the Founder Brimir?"
"I swear," Wardes replied, nodding solemnly. He looked lovingly at Louise as he did so.
"Bride, the third daughter of the Duke of La Vallière, Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière…" Wales continued, turning towards the pinkette. He stopped, noticing that Louise was staring into space. "Louise?"
"Ah!" she gasped softly, snapped out of her daze. She looked frantically between Wales and Wardes. "Ah…um…"
"Are you nervous?" Wardes asked. He smiled. "That's alright. It's your first time, so it's normal to be nervous."
"Oh dear," sighed Wales. "We still have to hold the etiquette. This marriage would have meaning only if we are to follow etiquette. Then, let me repeat." As Prince Wales repeated his lines, memories started to flood into Louise's mind, forming a voice louder than that of the Crown Prince.
"Bride, the third daughter of the Duke of La Vallière…"
"To hell with your noble's pride! Can't you see that if you die, nothing else matters?!"
"…Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière…"
"And you are so blinded in your love for him that he's placed on a pedestal!"
"…do you take this man as your husband…"
"Don't go telling lies to yourself, saying that you're okay. Instead, go and try again…"
"…and swear to respect and love him…
"…And if you can't try again, carve your own path."
…in the name of the Founder Bri-"
"No," She said flatly. The two men blinked in surprise.
"Bride?" Wardes asked.
"Louise?" Wales stated.
"I'm sorry," she said again.
"Are you feeling ill?" Wardes asked.
"No, it's not that…"
"If you do not feel ready now, then, by all means-"
"The timing isn't it either. I'm sorry, Wardes; I cannot marry you." Wardes looked doubtful at her.
"Bride, this is not the marriage you want?" he asked. Louise nodded.
"That is how it is," she stated. "I want to apologize to both of you. It is rude for me to make this decision on the altar now, and a very painful one at that, but I do not want to marry." Wardes quickly turned a bright red, visibly embarrassed.
"Then Viscount," Wales stated, quietly and regretfully, "I am terribly sorry, but the bride does not want the ceremony to continue.
"…You are just nervous, dear Louise," Wardes said, taking Louise's hand gently. "Surely you cannot be serious about this."
"I'm sorry, Wardes," she said. "Once, a long time ago, I yearned for you, maybe even loved you. But something my Familiar said to me has stuck in my mind, that I need to be who I am now, and not hold on to feelings left to the past. My yearning for you is something left behind in time." Wardes looked away. Louise noticed a scowl on his face.
"Damn that lightning thief…" he muttered. "She had told me to watch out for her, but I didn't think it would be like this…" Before Louise could inquire, he suddenly gripped Louise's shoulder hard. He looked her straight in the eyes, not with his usual kindness, but with a chilly, feverish rage. "You are who I need, Louise. The world is who you need, Louise. The world, Louise! I will rule the world! And you are necessary for that!" Louise and Wales were taken aback.
"Viscount?!" the Albion royal said in shock.
"Your ability, your power as a successor to the Founder Brimir!" Wardes continued. "Have you forgotten what I have told you, of what your talent can do once harnessed?!" Louise began to tremble.
"W-Wardes….y-y-you…" she said fearfully. Wales stepped in, placing a hand in front of the two.
"That's enough, Viscount," he stated. His extended hand was met with a surprise slap from Wardes.
"Shut up!" the Viscount hissed. "Louise, you are just not aware of your power!"
"I said that's enough, Wardes!" Wales repeated, this time grabbing the man's shoulder. Wardes turned around and pushed him to the ground. The brief scuffle allowed Louise to scurry behind the altar, away from Wardes.
"You, what impoliteness!" Wales stated, his face red with anger. He pulled out his wand. "I ask you again, move your hands from Louise now, or this time, I will not show mercy!" Wardes paused. He placed his hands in the air, but turned towards the altar.
"Louise," he said more calmly, with a forced smile. "Even if I begged, you would not marry me?"
"I-If there were any lingering feelings, you erased them just now," the pinkette said shakily. "I understand now that you only loved me for a magical power you believe I have, not for who I was. It's a cruel insult to marry someone because of a reason! I will never marry you!" Wardes sighed. He looked at the ceiling, then spread his hands wide while throwing his head backwards.
"And I made such great efforts to capture your feelings…" he said. "Well, it cannot be helped. I guess I will have to give up on one of my goals."
"Goals?" Louise said, looking doubtful. Wardes broke out into a sly grin, giving the pinkette cause for concern.
"That's right," he stated. "There were three goals for me to achieve during this journey. The first was you, Louise; however, it seems I have no chance to get you now."
"Obviously not!" she huffed, looking away. In her mind, she was working at full power, trying to figure out what was going on.
"The second goal is in your pocket, Louise," the Viscount stated. Louise did not initially understand, then remembered after placing a hand on her pocket.
"Her Highness's letter?!" she gasped. "Wardes, you…!"
"And the third…huh?" As Wardes was speaking, a rumbling sound came from below him. He jumped away as the ground beneath him burst open. Wales ran over to Louise's side, and the two watched as a large mole popped out of the ground.
"Verdandi?!" Louise stated in shock. Guiche poked his head out next.
"We're just in time!" he stated. Kirche popped up next, followed by Tabitha, and finally Misaka.
"Y-You all…?!" Louise was very surprised indeed.
"Ha!" Kirche stated triumphantly. "We've found you, Zero!" Wardes stared blankly at the scene, then frowned in anger.
"…the third," Wardes muttered, "was Prince Wales's life. But that may yet change..." As he said this, Misaka turned to face the Viscount, and stared down the man that had so readily lied to them all.
To Be Continued…