Here we go back to Lloyd and Emil's group's perspective and close this part about the Iselia Incident.
July vacations are coming here for me. For those that don't know or don't have it in your country, here in Brazil we have the mouth of july as a middle-year break. Though middle and high school stundents just get one week vacation in general, college ones get virtually the whole mouth! Well, whatever works for each culture, are they say.
Anyway, here's another skit to open the chapter, with Lloyd, Emil, Ratatosk, Marta, Lumen, Sheena and Raine:
Travelers 2
Lloyd: Hey Emil, can I ask you a personal question?
Emil: Um… ok. What is it?
Lloyd: Do you like girls that are cute like Marta or mature ones like Raine?
Emil: W-what? W-why are you asking that?
Lloyd: It's just that I never had a buddy guy to talk about things like that. Plus, you and Marta have been traveling together for quite some time right? Maybe I could learn a thing or two from you.
Emil: Um… I'm… n-not really... I mean...
Ratatosk: Man, you're so pathetic. What are you, a schoolgirl? Anyway… I can't speak for this wimp, but I don't mind either. Females are beautiful, each on their own way.
Lumen: You should listen to boss. After all, he dated Celsius and almost dated Luna.
Ratatosk: If just it wasn't for that stupid, overprotective bird-brother of hers…
Lloyd: You sound like you have a lot of experience on it.
Ratatosk: More than you can imagine. If you're into curves instead of cute, let me say this: women like Sheena and Raine tend to be quite assertive about what they want. Thinking now, most women that are worth are like that.
Lloyd: Oh. So you mean Celsius led you around in your relationship like Marta does with you.
Ratatosk: I don't let her lead me around! Emil is the one that does! I, for myself, when don't want to do something I simply say I don't and that's the end of it.
Lumen: Yep. Boss is like that. He likes to be obeyed.
Lloyd: You mean he's the dominant one in the relationship?
Ratatosk: I'm a high ranking Summon Spirit, what so of course I'm not going to bow my head for just anybody.
Lumen: Um… boss.
Ratatosk: Besides, girls sometimes need to be called to reason. Not that I don't respect their feelings, but they might not see the bigger picture when it comes to…
Lumen: Boss.
Ratatosk: What? Can't you see I'm talking here?
Marta: Hello… Ratatosk…
Ratatosk: … she is right behind me, right?
Lloyd: Yep.
Ratatosk: And she heard what I said before… right?
Marta: Pretty much, yes.
Ratatosk: … fuck…
Marta: So, you like being the big dog, huh? Thinks girls should bow to you, right?
Ratatosk: I-I never said that.
Marta: Oh, don't worry. I'm not going to scold you or anything. Your head is too thick for any lecturing to sink in. So, I'll just have to bring in heavy artillery.
Ratatosk: W-what kind of artillery?
Marta: Hey, Sheena! Ratatosk said girls are sentimental and thus inferior and was saying he thinks they should be submissive.
Lumen: Is she crying?
Lloyd: No, I think its fake.
Sheena: What? He said that!
Marta: Yes… and he said if they don't hear him and ask him for anything, he scolds them and tells them they are being stupid.
Ratatosk: I never said that!
Sheena: Y-YOU CREEP! I always knew you were an insensitive jerk at times, but I never thought you were also a stuck up, abusive pig!
Ratatosk: I-I-I-I-I… !
Sheena: I'm not going to allow domestic abuse here, so prepare for a lecture in pain!
Ratatosk: No! Please! I didn't… !
Raine: What's all of this ruckus ab… oh, I didn't know a body could bend that far and that certainly might not be very healthy for Ratatosk if Sheena keeps twisting his arm and leg like that.
Lloyd: I think you are going to need to get your first aid kit Raine and maybe some Life Bottles just in case.
Raine: Definitely, travelling with all of you is quite an experience.
Ratatosk obtained the title *Dominant Spirit*
Chapter 19
The three of Mizuho
Forcystus was barely able to hold onto his anger. He was so angry that the urge to shoot something just to vent out some of the frustration was near to impossible to ignore. Good thing his subordinates knew better than to disturb him in such situation.
He was outsmarted by a demon woman and deceived. Yes, deceived. He found it simply impossible for his employer not to have known about Colette having elven blood and Amelia being a demon. He swore the next time he saw that guy's face he was going to…
"You failed," Forcystus thought that maybe lady luck had started to smile to him once more as he turned and saw the very same person that had employed him for that mission. His troops stopped at hearing the voice. "And here I was, thinking you actually meant what you said about being the most efficient of the Grand Cardinals. Seems that having a conflict-free zone has made you soft."
"SHUT UP! This is your fault! You didn't say anything about that blond woman being a demon and the girl having elven blood," Forcystus yelled, pointing an accusing finger to his acquaintance.
"I had my suspicions about the mother having turned into a demon according to what Nebilim had told me and, yes, I do know they descend from a particular half-elf. But I thought that you would actually be able to adapt to the situation and capture them. Instead, you simply played with the two," the figure shook his head, speaking in the tone of a teacher displeased with his student's latest stunt.
"So you're going to simply throw the blame on me?"
Forcystus was two steps away of transforming into his demon form and mauling the person in front of him in the bloodiest way he could think of. His former employer sighed in what sounded like disappointment and gave his back to him, saying:
"It seems I'll have to do it myself after all. You Desian ranks are just too into making humans suffer to even stop and consider the bigger picture."
At that, Forcystus finally snapped, his eyes reducing to the size of dots as he raised his arm-cannon, quickly charged and shot at the offender. However, the person soon turned half way and raised his hand, stopping the shot in a fashion similar to what Amelia had done, absorbing the energy and closing his hand to dispel it in the end. Forcystus' rage turned into surprise when the figure disappeared from his field of vision and reappeared near him, with his hand centimeters away from the green haired marksman's neck, pointing to it like he was going to pierce the Desian's throat.
The figure had a deadly, serious look on his face. Forcystus finally realized why this guy was given the command of an entire different section of the demonic invasion troops. The person then said:
"Attacking your superiors is considered treason, or did you forget that? I could report you or simply execute you myself, but…" he retracted his hand and Forcystus let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. "You're from a different division, thus outside of my jurisdiction. However…" he then shot his hand to Forcystus' left before the Grand Cardinal could react and brought it up. The grip was so strong Forcystus' face twisted as he tried not to let out a scream of pain at feeling his muscles and bones being strained very near to their limits. "Attack me again, and I'll make whatever way you lost your arm look like a mere tap on the shoulder."
With that said, the figure let go of Forcystus' hand, who immediately brought it near his body as he tried to blot out the pain. His former employer then turned and left. One of the Desians that had stayed behind him dared to ask what they should do now. After two minutes, Forcystus sighed and said:
"Let's just… go back to the ranch. I want to forget this ever happened…"
- / - / - / - / -
Marta peered out of the tent she and the other women were staying in. She then pointed out that the rain had stopped. The boys also came out of their tents as they saw that she was right. Raine looked at the skies, as Ventus and Aqua appeared. Both Centurions said this would be a good time for them to go to the city.
"We're going to Iselia, right?" Lloyd asked as he and Emil starter dismounting their tent. "I've heard the city is very strict about letting outsiders in, even if they have business with the commerce there."
"Strict isn't the word I would use," Marta said as she helped Sheena and Raine with their shelter. "Those guys are downright fanatic. The city also serves as the headquarters for the Purge Inquisitors of Sylvarant."
"The Martel Knights?" Sheena inquired to which Marta nodded. "Ugh, I can't stand those guys. There was once a division training near Asgard and they stayed in the city. Thing is they demanded us to give them lodgings and food for free, since they are the forces of this world chosen by Cruxis to defend and blah, blah, blah."
"Sounds like you had an unpleasant experience with them," Tenebrae pointed out.
"Let's just say some rookie soldiers tried to convince me to accept their faith. I swear I would have castrated them then and there if that wouldn't have caused problems to Asgard and mother. Thankfully, Tanny and I came up with something that could pass as a 'training incident'," Sheena gave a malicious smile as she recalled the memory.
Lloyd and Emil thought it was better if they didn't ask what Sheena and her friend had done. Lumen seemed to be about to ask, but Tenebrae anticipated that and held the cheetah-like Centurion's muzzle with his hand-like tail, making Lumen only able to mumble incoherent words.
Raine called their attention back to another problem that they would face:
"Our main concern will be to pass by the test they pose on entrance to the city. I've heard it's able to pick up the signature of chaos energy. It'll already be hard to convince them to let a half-elf enter in Iselia, a chaos user half-elf would probably warrant you all an immediate death sentence."
"Even so, there must a way or Iselia would be considered an isolated city, closed off for commerce," Ventus said.
"I've heard people have to bribe their way into the city to not get interrogated by the Martel Knights," Lloyd said.
"Bribe?" Ignis asked.
"Oh, you mean like buying tickets?" Lumen asked in his typical, innocent tone. The group shot another look at the Centurion of light before disregarding his comment.
"And that's another thing I don't like about the church," Sheena said. "Speaking about salvation and redemption when they demand things like that."
"It's easier to blame the other than to accept your own guilt," Ventus recited in his wise tone.
"Hey, do you all hear that?" Marta asked. Everybody turned to her and Emil asked what she meant with that. "This… sound. Like something flying through the winds."
"Your senses are probably getting better thanks to receiving the other half of your soul," Aqua pointed out.
It was then Sheena, Raine and Emil felt four distinctive presences in the forest. One of them was above it, the chaos energy it emits making it clear it was a demon. The other three in the ground of the forest were what worried them. Emil and Raine recognized Decus' unmistakably unstable aura right next to Alice's. The fourth one, however, they had trouble making out. It was clearly a human aura, but none that they recognized.
Sheena's eyes widened. She recognized that aura. It was one she hadn't felt in six years. One she never thought she would see again. And it seemed Alice and Decus were en route to find her.
"Strange…" Ignis said. "I think I just felt a familiar aura, but I don't which one it is," the draconic-woman Centurion said.
"Wait. I know! It's…"
Before any of them could say anything more, Sheena darted out of their camp site in lightning speed without a word. The expression she had on her face told Lloyd that whatever she had sensed had greatly disturbed her.
"Let's go after her!" the red clad swordsman said. As the group ended packing everything and ran to the direction Sheena was going…
- / - / - / - / -
She stopped just when her legs had finally lost all their strength and forced her to go all on fours. Colette was panting. She looked absolutely miserable. Her clothes and hair had stains of dried blood all over while having already turned into a rusted red. Her eyes lost all gleam and her face sported just the deepest sadness.
I'm… I'm a monster… Colette thought. No. A monster is even better compared to me.
When she left Iselia, her only thought was to run, run until she couldn't anymore. Run until she disappeared or something came to finish her off. Her mother, Frank, Phaidra, Lilla, Maki… all of them suffered because of her.
"I would be better off dead!" Colette spoke in frustration.
"If that's your wish, I can make it come true," a familiar giggle and baby voice sounded, making Colette stand at once and turn back to the path where she had come from.
She saw the honey-eyed, blond, Desian girl that was with Forcystus. Alice was her name, wasn't it? Right behind her was the blue haired man with the iron maiden. Alice smiled with glee as she saw Colette seemed ready to run and spoke:
"What's the problem? You looked so desperate a minute earlier. Guess survival is the most dominant of instincts," Alice said. Her sweet smile then turned into a fanged, malicious one. "After all, it was your instinct to survive that caused this entire trouble, isn't it?"
Colette stopped dead in her tracks at hearing that. Yes, it was because she fought back to live and refused to give herself to Forcystus that he launched the Exbelua and Maki ended up being killed. Alice saw her physiological tactic had effect and pressed it:
"Oh, poor, poor, pathetic Colettie," she sang. "Her best friend, killed by the Exbelua. Demon mommy had to save your back. Banished from Iselia you were. And now, everybody's sad," Alice continued singing with a visibly happy smile.
Colette brought her hands to her head. It was true. It was all true. All of that was her fault. She sank to her knees as her face showed an expression of horror and shock at having all the memories of the last events come back to her.
Alice could say she had never felt this excited at having a prey that she could do whatever she wanted with. Nebilim generally demanded her to end her targets as quickly as possible, so she never had the chance to revel in their pain, see the pathetic and shocked expressions in their faces as they begged for her to stop and have mercy. Colette was a pool of misery right now and Alice would drink and swim in it as much as she liked.
Decus didn't know what to do in this sort of situation. As much as he liked to see Alice smiling, he had to admit he was feeling jealous she did it just when she was inflicting pain on others. He wouldn't mind if she asked something of him. If it was her wish, he would happily strip, tie and gag himself and let her have her way with him. However, Alice never even once asked him anything like that and reserved that treatment only for their targets and adversaries.
Oh Alice. What wouldn't I give to at least once be the one to put a smile on your face. the blue haired man thought. It was then he was taken out of his thoughts as Alice spoke:
"Decus, patrol the perimeter and warn me if anybody comes."
"We aren't going to turn her in to Lord Nebilim?" he asked.
Colette looked up in absolute terror. These two were going to take her to the lord of all demons and Desians on Aselia. Just the thought of seeing the one that was responsible for all tragedy and suffering the world was facing made her heart stop.
"Of course we are. But I want to have some fun with her first," Alice said, putting emphasis on the word "fun" as she beamed a smile. Decus seemed to get a little unsettled by that.
"I think we should just hand her over at once," he said, trying not to let his jealously become too obvious.
"Don't be a Dumbo-Decus and spoil my fun," Alice protested in a pout.
"Why, thank you my dear Alice. Your compliments absolutely flatter me." Decus said in a flustered tone as he gesticulated with his hands in his typical, flashy manner.
"What part of that was a compliment exactly?" Alice asked in confusion. Sometimes she simply couldn't understand how Decus' brain worked.
"Well, it's clearly obvious that when you call me DUMBO as it's the short for Dashing, Undaunted, Majestic, Brilliant and Oh-so-sexy."
"What the… ? NO! I'm calling you dumbo because you're dumb, you idiot!"
"Ah… really? Are you sure it isn't…"
"Shut up and do what I told you!"
If Colette weren't so terrorized with the perspective of being taken to the Head-Lord of the Demonic Troops, she would have found the exchange between Decus and Alice quite comical. Decus decided to do what Alice said and save what little face he still had in front of his beloved.
Alice mumbled something about how moronic her companion was and turned to Colette, resuming her previous, gleeful smile.
"Now, where were we? Oh yes," she said in mock remembrance as she started approaching Colette. The other blonde crawled back as Alice approached.
"N-no! G-get away!"
"Resisting? And who are going to use as a shield this time?" Alice taunted with a clear piercing tone in her voice. Colette stopped at that. "C'mon. We both know that whoever defends you either end up dead or something terrible happens."
The blue-eyed blonde looked to the floor with a sorrowful expression. Why should she resist? Just for her to cause more pain and death? Didn't she just say she was better off dead? It would be better if she just let herself be caught by Alice.
"That's right…" Alice whispered, now very close to Colette. On any other situation, the girl would have scrambled out of Alice's range. The honey-eyed Desian then brought one finger to Colette shirt's collar. The finger became an ice claw as it tugged the other girl's shirt. "Don't resist. You know that deep inside…" Alice's finger ripped Colette shirt's collar, exposing her collarbone. "that you want somebody to punish you," she then grabbed Colette's face in an icy-grip as her hand transformed completely. "So, just accept your punishment and become my plaything."
Alice's face was drawing closer to Colette's, the Desian girl's lips parting as her grip on Colette's face tightened. Colette didn't react, nor tried to defend herself. She didn't have the will to do so. Not even when she started to feel Alice's teeth close to her, which she could swear now turned into fangs.
Suddenly, Alice stopped, her senses flaring in warning as she stood straight and turned, charging her whip-rapier just in time to intercept a powerful, light-charged punch from Amelia. Hadn't Alice reacted as quickly as she did, she was sure the punch would have sent her flying at least two kilometers away.
Grunting, she pushed Amelia away and jumped to the side as the demon woman assumed a protective stance near Colette. Alice pouted as she spoke, stomping her feet on the ground:
"Aw, no fair! Right on the good part too. I could almost taste her!"
"Stay away from my daughter, you sick girl," Amelia said in her twisted and wrapped voice. Her expression a fierce one as Colette behind her just seemed to be trying to regain her bearings.
"So, your demon mommy came to defend you," Alice said, recovering her sweet smile and baby voice as she spoke to Colette. "I wonder what will happen now. Hmm… oh, maybe she'll finally be killed."
Amelia looked from Alice to her daughter, taking in Colette's reaction at that line as the girl turned to her with pleading eyes. The demon woman let out a snarl as she looked at Alice again:
"So, you've played mind games on my daughter!"
"What can I say? She was just so easy. As easy as causing you all to be exiled because her mommy is a demon," Alice added with malice.
"Try as much as you want. Your words won't affect me. I did what I had to protect my little girl."
"Well, can't say I didn't try," Alice said with a sweet smile.
Amelia then stood in a fighting stance. Colette's heart jumped at seeing her mother would try to defend her again. In her mind, she couldn't let her mother continue to do that, or Amelia would end up getting hurt. She didn't deserve to be defended like that.
"Mom, stop. Stop it!" Colette exclaimed. Amelia looked back at her daughter. "I don't want anybody else to die trying to protect me."
"You should hear your daughter. After all, she knows what she's talking about."
"Shut up!" Amelia yelled, going after Alice and ignoring the calls of her daughter to stop.
Alice merely smiled as she raised her hand and snapped her fingers, two portals appearing beside her. The honey-eyed girl smiled maliciously as she said:
"Time to say hello to some old friends…"
From each portal came a Savage Slasher. Amelia was so surprised she turned when the creatures passed by her and one of them used its tail to snatch her from behind. The demon then spun on his place and used its claws to pin her on the ground by impaling on her arms and legs while the other grabbed Colette, who didn't resist, being petrified at seeing the nightmarish creatures again.
Amelia tried to struggled, but the claws of the spider-like demon kept her in place as she was left with just glaring at Alice as she pointed out:
"So, you're the one who control these creatures."
"Of course," Alice said in her typical sweet tone. "After all, what would be the use in me being a summoner if I can't control my summons?" her smile turned into a grin as she walked to the demon-turned mother. "I didn't plan on taking another toy home, but since you showed up…" Alice then knelled near Amelia, eying the demon woman. "I bet we'll have lots of fun. Even if Lord Nebilim keeps Colette, I'll at least have one toy to myself."
Alice stood and was about to order the demons when she sensed something approaching fast. The familiar aura was the only warning she had before someone punched her in the face, light glowing on the attacker's fist and burning Alice's aura slightly.
The girl was rocketed to a tree and the attacker quickly drew a fan of seal cards, which glowed with light, turning as sharp as a blade, and used it to slice the Savage Slasher's head off. Amelia was freeing herself as the other demon advanced against the newcomer.
The Savage Slasher threw its claws against the guardian user, who expertly dodged the sharp claws with only some minor scratches on her clothes. When the demon tried to hug her in a death grip, the figure jumped above it and threw several seal cards on the demon that circled the creature like angry bees. After some quick hand signals, the attacker shouted:
"Demon Seal!" light bombarded the demon, burning its aura out of existence as the cards dissolved into ghost-like figures of light. The demon then dropped to the ground, its smoking and burnt corpse soon turning into ashes and fading.
Colette looked at her and her mother's savior and was faced with brown eyes and dark-violet hair. Those eyes gave a feeling of familiarity to Colette, like she had seen them before, but couldn't remember. The violet haired woman looked back at Colette and her eyes widened. Colette thought it was because of the bloodstains, but when the woman spoke, her tone suggested it was because of something else:
"It… it's really you… Colette," the voluptuous female said.
"Oh no. Not you again!" Alice's pouting tone sounded as Sheena turned to her. "Why do you and Martmart always have to get in my way?"
"For one, we're enemies. Two, I don't stand sadistic bitches like you. Three, nobody attacks Colie without having to answer to me!"
That nickname brought back a memory to both mother and daughter from before they lived in Iselia. They had been to another village. A hidden city which held an unique and interesting culture. A city they lived ever since Colette was a baby.
Understanding dawned on Amelia as Sheena charged at Alice, who looked angry at being interrupted yet again and tried to swing her whip-rapier against the older woman, just for her weapon and Sheena's card fan enter in a deadlock, elemental energy seeping around them like electricity.
Sheena brought her free hand back and Alice froze hers, the two throwing a punch at the same time, charging it with their respective elements of affinity. There was a backslash and the two were repelled backwards. Alice wasted no time in summoning a line of ice stalagmites, but Sheena jumped above it and threw her seal cards at Alice, who destroyed them with a swipe of her whip-rapier after charging it with chaos energy again.
Alice scowled and summoned more Savage Slashers. Sheena decided to get serious and entered in her spirit form as the demons advanced against her.
"Take this," Sheena raised one hand and several, spectral, seal cards made of light appeared, forming through the symbols in the ethereal rings around her wrists, and organized in a circle above her, standing in the horizontal. "Dawn Beacons!" the cards shoot light beams on the earth, forming a cage around Sheena, which started to spin and expand. The demons collided with the cage, the light burning their energies and forcing them away. When the cage expanded and spun, the beams cut through the demons, burning their auras away with the strong light.
Alice pouted again, looking at Sheena in her spirit form. It was then Decus came running. He stopped near Alice, appearing to be out of breath as he said:
"Alice, Emil and the others are coming!"
"I know. Thanks for the late update, Dumbo-Decus," Alice said, meaning Sheena with her head.
"I-I'm so sorry, Alice. I tried to get here as fast as I could, but she was simply too fast and…"
"Quiet. We're leaving," Alice cut him. She threw a look at Sheena. "You've got lucky this time, Sheeny..." Alice then looked over to Colette and smiled her malicious evil expression. "I wonder how long you will live with this walking disaster Colettie around you."
The Desian girl then stood in a casting stance, a white runic circle appearing below her. She and Decus glowed and turned into two dots of white and violet light before disappearing in a flash.
The rest of the group then arrived. The first thing they saw was the demon-looking Amelia going to Colette and immediately drew their weapons. However, before they could spring into action, Sheena shouted for them to wait. She then turned to Amelia, throwing a serious look at the demon woman.
"It's been a while… Sheena," Amelia attempted, with a smile that showed her now fanged canines.
"A... Amelia, is that you?" Sheena asked, eyes going wide in surprise.
Said woman only nodded. Lloyd and the others were beyond confused at that point. Raine decided to first check Colette, asking if she was alright. Colette nodded and Raine helped her up. When that happened, the half-elf saw the ripped collar on Colette's shirt and, in turn, her collar bone.
"What the… !" Raine exclaimed.
The Centurions appeared and approached Raine. Lumen looked at Colette and saw the symbol in her collarbone, which was impressed there like a birthmark. The Centurion of light grinned as he said:
"I knew I felt a familiar aura. Hi Gnome!"
"What?" Lloyd, Emil, Sheena and Marta all exclaimed.
Amelia looked surprised too and Raine sighed. Ventus looked to everybody around, taking in the situation, and decided:
"It seems explanations are in order…"
- / - / - / - / - / -
The group set a campfire and Amelia had finally managed to calm her daughter down, although Colette was still in a sour mood. Sheena shot worried looks every now and then to the blond girl. Lloyd and Emil were finding the suspense unbearable and the Centurions were trading ideas between themselves.
Finally Colette and Amelia sat over the campfire with the others. There was silence for some minutes until Raine decided to start the conversation:
"Why don't you two start explaining to us how you know each other?" the silver haired woman regarded Sheena and Amelia. The guardian user was the first to speak:
"You all heard about the massacre of Mizuho, didn't you?" she asked the younger members in their group, who nodded. "Well, the reports said there were no survivors, but they were wrong. There was a survivor of the massacre, or rather, survivors…" she looked at Amelia and Colette before returning to the subject. "I am from Mizuho. I'm Sheena Fujibayashi, granddaughter of Chief Igaguri, the leader of our community. My mother was the next in the succession line."
"Wait. You mean you're like, a ninja leader?" Lloyd asked.
"Yes. I was…" she gave a pause at that, which everybody understood. "Anyway, I've met Amelia and Colette roughly eighteen years ago. They were outsiders who my father and his squad found in the forest."
"We were fleeing from the demons," Amelia explained. "Colette was but a baby at the time and I was not like… this," she meant her demonic body. Lloyd and the others were surprised by the statement, but realized that if Sheena knew her and looked surprised at Amelia's state, it was probably true. "Her father died when the demons attacked and we ran to the Gaorachia Forest in hopes of losing them. However, we were almost caught, that is, until Sheena's father arrived and saved us," she flashed a thanking smile to the ninja.
"We were quite aware of the two at first and tried to decide what we should do with them, since we simply couldn't let them walk away knowing where our village was located. Itwas then Amelia here proposed to let them live in the village. If I'm not mistaken, you said you were ready to do anything to prove that you wouldn't betray us.
"Grandfather asked her why we should simply let her live in our community when she had nothing to offer in return and what could she possibly do to earn her place since she didn't have any combat or intelligence-gathering skills. And you know what she answered?" Sheena asked with a smile.
The group shook their heads and Sheena let Amelia answer as the woman said:
"I answered: 'Whatever it takes to give my daughter a place to live. Even if I have to directly put myself in the line of fire, I will do it if it will grant her a peaceful life.'"
The others couldn't help, but feel admiration for the woman. Marta had her eyes shining at the display of motherly dedication. Lumen and Ignis seemed surprised too, while the other Centurions kept a neutral stance. Raine seemed to reflect about that, lowering her head. Marta then spoke:
"So amazing… I hope someday I can become such a great mother like you."
Amelia blushed by the compliment and stuttered in response:
"I-I just said what any mother would."
"And I bet that's what convinced Sheena's grandfather," Lloyd guessed with a smile.
"It was," Sheena confirmed. "He just laughed and decided to give her and Colette a chance, lending them a cottage in the limits of the village, saying he would give her work that would provide her living, but the rest was up to them. Needless to say, Amelia took it and applied herself wholeheartedly to her work, so much the others started to ease around her and accept her.
"As for Colette, Amelia often took her where she worked, since she couldn't leave her alone in the cottage. One of those days, I was training near where she worked and Colette saw me. I think you were two years old at the time, right?"
Colette nodded to Sheena. Hearing that story, she started to recall her days in the village of Mizuho, little by little. It felt like it had occurred in another lifetime. Over the course of the story, she felt her mood getting better. She felt something stir in her heart when she saw and heard Sheena. Now she remembered that she knew her and looked up to the young woman.
"I… walked to her and asked what she was doing," Colette timidly said. "And she said she was training to be stronger. I asked if I could train too and she said when I got older I could."
"Actually, I just didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't, since she was an outsider," Sheena admitted. "Anyway, from that day on, Colette would watch me train and spar with my instructors, always cheering on me. Amelia got really happy when she saw that, since Colette didn't have many friends in the village. My parents also didn't mind, since they were on good terms with Amelia too."
"So she's the one you told me that was like a little sister to you?" Raine inquired. The others looked at her and then at Sheena.
"Oh. So that's what Colette meant when she came home the other day calling you 'onee-chan'," Amelia recalled with a giggle. Sheena blushed at that.
"I just wanted to know who taught her that word…" Sheena whispered to herself. "Anyway, yeah, Colette pretty much acted like that around me."
"I remember now," Colette said. "I looked up to you and said I wanted to be just like when I got older. And you even called me Colie."
"'Colie'? Isn't that a dog's race?" Emil asked in confusion.
"I don't know, but she really liked dogs, so I thought that suited her," Sheena admitted. Marta, Ignis and Aqua giggled at her. "Oh, don't give me these looks. I was just seven when I thought it up."
"But what happened then?" Ventus asked.
"When Colette was around ten we started thinking about training her, since she and her mother had been living in our village for quite some time. If I'm not mistaken, my father even caught you training some warming exercises with my mother," Sheena looked at Amelia, who blushed, thought the green color of her skin and the night time made it impossible to see.
"I thought it would be interesting to know how to defend myself," the demon woman said, looking down.
"Anyway, Grandpa had to unite with the other elders to discuss the subject. They decided to open an exception and that Colette would begin with the basics in one year," she gave a pause at that. "It was in that year that Mizuho was attacked by Nebilim and destroyed."
Sheena went silent at those words and Colette felt another memory coming back at her. This one made her feel a pain in her heart. She recalled feeling it before, when Iselia had been attacked. The group didn't seem to notice as Raine asked:
"So, was it true the demons attacked you due to your support to the Renegades and the Vanguard?"
"Yeah. We were the best at gathering intel all over Aselia, so it was obvious the demons couldn't simply ignore us. I remember some things about the attack. It was a complete chaos. Father and mother took me away from the village and into the forest as fast as they could and I didn't have time to go check on Colette or any of the others.
"We were chased by the demons and the entire squad, including my parents, were killed. I was knocked out and when I came to myself I was in a wagon with Asuka, already bandaged. She said she found me in the forest and she went back to the village, but found nobody alive."
The group stayed silent for one moment, not pressing Sheena on the subject. Amelia also lowered her head in respect for her departed old friends. Tenebrae then turned to Amelia and asked about her part of the story. The demon woman sighed before saying:
"That is the reason why I… turned into this… during the attack, I tried to flee with Colette, but those that protected us were quickly killed by the demons. We found Igaguri when the entire village was already burning in flames.
"He was fighting against Nebilim," the youngsters in the group, save Colette, gulped at those words as Amelia continued. "I will never forget that smile… Nebilim was having fun tormenting Igaguri in a battle that he knew he couldn't win. Eventually, Nebilim attacked him and all I remember was that he struck his hand inside his chest and it came out with blood."
At that, Colette, felt like her consciousness was slipping away and suddenly she wasn't in the meadow with her mother and Sheena anymore, but back at Mizuho:
Amelia hugged her daughter as Nebilim noticed and looked at them. The red haired, demonic leader smiled a malicious smile at seeing the two and started to approach, his metal, clawed boots making his footsteps echoes in the grim scenery.
"Just who I was looking for. Hello Amelia," Nebilim said in a soft tone, as if he was trying to attract Amelia. "So… ready to come with me? Don't worry. Your adorable daughter will come with us, of course."
Amelia hugged Colette with even more strength as the little girl in her arms trembled, tears coming to her eyes. She heard her mother, the elders and other people talking about that man; that he was a terrible person, responsible for all the bad things going on in the world.
However, what scared her more was that aura he had about him. It was so heavy it seemed to suffocate her to the point that breathing became difficult. She knew he would kill her mother and her without a second thought.
"Come with you? After all this bloodshed you caused? Stay away from me and my daughter, you monster!" Amelia hissed.
"That's just plain rude, coming from you," Nebilim said, adopting a neutral expression. "And here I was, thinking we could do this the peaceful way…" he then looked at Colette and the girl had to avoid her eyes from his. There was something about those blood-red orbs that made her shake to her very core. "You should know your chances of getting away from here without my protection are none. We wouldn't want anything to happen to your lovely daughter, would we?" he said with a grin, showing pointed canines.
In that moment, Amelia snapped. She wouldn't allow that monster to threaten her only daughter. She saw a nearby fallen ninja and a kunai laying near him. She quickly let go of Colette and picked up the weapon, ignoring her daughter's cries for her not to go and lunged at Nebilim, who stood motionless, his expression now turning emotionless as he calmly saw the blond woman coming for him.
There was a moment of silence and then the sound of metal being broken. The point of the kunai flew in the air and stuck in the ground. Amelia could just look in utter astonishment at her stretched arm still grasping the other half of the kunai near Nebilim's right cheek. She hadn't even touched his skin before the weapon broke like it had been forced through a wall of mythryll. Near Nebilim's face, she saw a flicker of what appeared to be a barrier of flames.
"I guess you really are her daughter after all…" Nebilim said in an emotionless voice as he shot his hand up and grasped Amelia's right wrist in a powerful grip that made her grit her teeth in pain. "She would also defend her loved ones with equal fierceness. However…" he smirked at that. "it never stopped me from taking them from her."
"Colette, run!" Amelia said to her daughter. If she couldn't even harm Nebilim, maybe she could stall him long enough for Colette to leave.
The little girl seemed torn between obeying her mother or staying and make sure she would be alright. She knew she couldn't do anything against the Head of the Invasion Troops, but she couldn't leave her mom with a monster like that. Nebilim shot a look at the little girl and suddenly Colette found her legs shaking, completely unable to obey her.
The red head then looked back at Amelia, and quickly changed his hold from her wrist to her chin, lifting her from the ground easily as she tried to struggle, grabbing his gauntlet clad arm with her hands, but to no avail. He then brought his other gauntlet clad, free hand back, the crimson crystal on its back glowing as he spoke:
"A pity that body of yours have been tainted so much by human blood it makes you unable to tap into the legacy of our people. However…" his smirk turned into a malicious smile. "that's something I intent to remedy now."
Without as much as a warning, Nebilim thrust two, clawed fingers into Amelia's throat, who could just widen her eyes in surprise and pain, unable to produce any sound. Nebilim's hand then glowed and started to pump some kind of energy into Amelia's neck by her wound. The woman seemed to have recovered her voice in time to let out an unearthly wail of pain as she felt like her insides were being burnt by pure acid.
Colette could just observe with wide eyes as her mother started to change: skin turning green, scales protruding from hands, feet and shoulders and one, big, black wing sprouting from her back and ripping her dress. All the while, Nebilim smiled.
The fearsome red head then ripped his two fingers out of Amelia's throat, blood flying out as the demon-turned mother fell limp to the ground. Colette could just stare at the gruesome scene, looking at her mother, or what that monster had transformed her mother into. She just came back to reality when she saw a pair of metal-clad boots in front of her. Against all the warnings going on in her head, Colette looked up and met Nebilim's eyes.
"You see now, child?" he said in a surprisingly soft voice. However, Colette felt like something was emanating from his eyes and invading her. She felt like she was being crushed from the inside out. "This is the only thing you will meet in this world: suffering and pain…" Colette fell to her knees. Her heart felt like it was painfully shrinking, being squeezed until nothing was left. "One with a pure heart such as yours have no place here, but don't fear…" she could barely make out his words now, feeling like her mind was shutting off from the indescribable pain she felt. "I'll make it all go away…" the last thing she remembered before darkness started closing in where those blood-red eyes and the attractive, yet dangerous smile.
"Colette. Colette!" the blonde shook her head and looked at who had called her. Marta was at her side. "Are you alright? You're shaking like crazy."
It was then Colette noticed her entire body was shaking and that she had hugged herself, like she was feeling cold. She stuttered that it was nothing, but the lie was easily seen through. Amelia seemed distraught by the look in her daughter's face. Raine turned to her and asked:
"So, what have you been saying, again?"
"Oh, yes. When I woke up I was like this. Colette was next to me, paralyzed and appearing to be in shock. I also saw Igaguri's body near us and realized we were in a different location, away from the village," Amelia said.
"Grandfather probably was still alive and used one of the Guardians to transport you two away, before he…" Sheena said, but didn't manage to end the sentence. The group didn't press her.
"Well, after that, I had to carry Colette to the nearest city, since she couldn't move. We were ambushed by some monsters in the field and I was forced to slay them. It felt… strange. I've never fought before, but when I did to defend Colette in this form it was… like my body knew how to react. I felt like I could control the energy around me with just a whisper."
"May I look at where Nebilim injured you?" Tenebrae asked.
Amelia seemed a little uneasy at the request of the Centurion. The others hadn't explained to her what Tenebrae and the other Centurions exactly were, but if Sheena was traveling with them then surely they would do her no harm. The dog-like entity floated closer as Amelia exposed her neck. He soon came to a conclusion and said:
"As I suspected. Nebilim inject pure chaos energy on you, effectively casting a curse."
"A curse?" Colette asked, not liking the sound of that.
"Yes. The chaos energy courses through your mother's body, but thankfully it isn't as corrosive as a demon's blood. However, I cannot tell what side-effects it could have. Professor Sage, it would be best if you examined her."
"I will. I'm also curious about this curse myself," Raine said, putting her hand under her chin. "Maybe I might find a way to dispel it."
"Please, don't bother yourself for me," Amelia said.
"Now that's just like you," Sheena commented with a smile. "You never want to worry others even when your own life is at stake."
Amelia blushed again and decided to continue her tale, going onto that after she defeated the monsters, she realized she couldn't approach the city looking like that and tried to concentrate on returning to normal. It worked after a certain effort, but her throat wound started bleeding again. Strangely enough, it didn't bother her and soon she found the Brunels on the road.
The demon woman then proceeded to tell them Colette had been diagnosed as having post trauma amnesia and briefly resumed their life of peace in Iselia, until the most recent incident involving the Desians. She tried to leave Colette's role in that out, but Raine asked:
"And what would be the motive for the Desians to suddenly invade a city blessed by Cruxis without getting caught right away?"
Amelia gulped. She thought that woman looked smart, but it seemed she had underestimated her. Colette couldn't help it anymore and said:
"I-it was my fault…" the entire group looked at her. Sheena seemed surprised. Colette was in tears once more. "Me and a friend of mine went to the ranch… th-they spotted us and I had to fight them off. They went to the city to arrest me because of that."
There was silence at that statement. Nobody in the group knew what to say and the regret in Colette's voice made it clear she had beaten herself over it enough already. Ventus was the one to break that silence:
"Just because of that they attacked an entire district of the town and promoted a bloodshed? A simple incident like the one you caused hardly seems to be motive for a Desian Grand Cardinal to mobilize troops and personally oversee the offensive himself. Pardon my words, but something like this is hardly worth the presence of a Grand Cardinal."
Amelia and Colette looked confused at what Ventus said, while the Centurions and the others considered that. Emil then said:
"Yes, that's very strange. This kind of thing could be dealt with a cover operation to not call so much attention."
"What are you saying?" Colette asked.
"What we mean is that the Desians probably had some other motive to invade Iselia," Aqua said. "They wanted to arrest you, right? So they probably found out you're a reincarnated Summon Spirit and used that as an excuse to capture you."
"But what is this story of reincarnated Summon Spirits?" Amelia asked. "What does my daughter have to do with it?"
The group looked between themselves and decided that since the Desians probably already knew, keeping Colette and her mother in the dark would not be fair with them. Lloyd was the one that told them the whole story behind their journey. At the end, Amelia seemed incredibly surprised and Colette shocked. The demon-turned mother then asked:
"So, what's going to happen to Colette now?"
Colette looked from her mother to those strangers. She simply couldn't believe that. How come somebody that only brought pain as her be a Summon Spirit, one of the guardians of that world? It simply didn't make any sense.
"We're going to restore her powers and she'll turn into a Summon Spirit," Lumen said with his goofy grin on. "Like boss and everybody," he motioned to Emil and the others.
"You're all Summon Spirits?" Amelia asked as they nodded. "I… I don't want to sound ungrateful for you saving my daughter's life and mine, but we simply can't do it."
"What? Why?" Ignis asked.
"All that I did until now was to keep Colette safe. If she turns into a Summon Spirit she certainly will be constantly targeted by the demons. That's not the kind of life I want for my daughter."
"Really now?" a harsh-sounding voice said. Lloyd, Sheena, Marta and Raine turned to Emil and saw his eyes were now a crimson color. "And what exactly is the kind of life you want for your daughter?"
"A peaceful, happy life," Amelia answered, even though she found it a little strange that the blond boy's voice and eyes suddenly changed.
"Then you're dumber than you look," Sheena exclaimed a "WHAT?" and Amelia leaned back in surprise. "Do you really think it's possible for anybody to live a 'peaceful and happy life' the way the world is now. If you really do, then not even being turned into a demon has opened your eyes."
"Ratatosk!" Emil protested. The Summon Spirit ignored him, weakening their connection.
"How can you say that?" Sheena said, standing up to him. "She just wants what's best for Cole…"
"What she wants is an illusion!" Ratatosk yelled, also standing. He then turned to Amelia, his gaze seeming to pierce her glowing, yellow orbs. "You think the world is going to be gentle to you simply because you want it to? Let me tell you something, this world isn't a gentle place! There are people who will use you, even if you never did anything against them. The demons will kill you simply because you are what you are and you and your daughter will be targeted anyway. Do you really still think you can have that kind of life in a world like this?"
Amelia lowered her head at that. She realized that he was right. The reason she was always on the run was because she was trying to find a place to settle down and raise her family, but her husband was killed by the demons and until now disaster seemed to be a constant companion for them. It was then Colette spoke up:
"Stop talking to my mom like that! It's not her fault!"
"When did I say that?" Ratatosk replied. Amelia looked up again and Sheena did a double take. "Man, you're all just too stupid…" he said, shaking his head. "I just said what you hope for isn't going to happen because you're simply just sitting back and waiting for it to happen," he looked at Amelia. "That's why we, Summon Spirits, are here. We're going to change this world. But we can only do so much. You need to do your part if you really wish for something to happen."
With that, Ratatosk walked away from them. The group stood agape at the Lord of the Monsters' speech. Emil was dumbstruck and blabbered through their connection:
"You… just… what… why?"
I don't have to give any explanations to you. Ratatosk replied.
Amelia stood silent at what she heard, not knowing how to answer. Raine decided that it was the time for everybody to go to bed and called Amelia to her.
"Can you return to your human form?" the blond woman closed her eyes in concentration, but after a few seconds she opened them again, saying she couldn't do it. "Hmm… just as I thought."
"Is my mom going to stay like this?" Colette asked.
"Let me see…" Raine took out her staff and pointed it to Amelia's throat. She murmured a chant in demonic and Amelia's body glowed. The scales started to recede and her hair and eyes ceased to shine. Soon Amelia was back to her human form. "I don't know for how long this will keep you human. It would be best you don't try to use your demon form before we can analyze it further."
"Um… Raine…" Marta said, seeming a little unsure.
"Yes dear?"
"Can you give her something to wear?"
Raine seemed confused for one moment, but when she looked to Amelia, she let out an "oh" of understanding. Amelia was naked. The mother's cheeks heat up in a blush as she tried to cover herself with her arms. Lloyd's face turned a shade of red deeper than his coat as he hastily looked to the side. Sheena was frantically searching for something in her bag as Marta and Colette couldn't help, but feel embarrassed and very conscious of their own figures as they looked at Amelia's.
"Sometimes, I almost forget how amusing it is to travel with them," Tenebrae said with a chuckle. Aqua glared at him…
- / - / - / - / -
The sun was barely appearing in the horizon when Colette woke up from the sleeping bag she had been in. Carefully, she tiptoed her way out of the camp so as to not alert the others that she had woken up. The blonde girl looked back one last time to her mother and the people that saved her. She sighed, wondering if that it was the right thing to do.
Of course it is. I can't let more bad things happen to mom and Sheena already has too much to deal with this whole Summon Spirit thing. Colette thought to herself. They're better off without a disaster like me.
Nodding to herself again, she walked away from the camp. However, she didn't get farther than entering in the woods when a soft and gentle voice sounded behind her:
"Where are you going?"
Colette almost yelped and turned around, meeting the blond boy that had talked back to her mother yesterday. If she remembered correctly, his name was Emil. He seemed calmer and nicer now and his eyes were back to a green color.
"Um… I…" Colette mumbled, not being able to come up with any excuse. She was never good at lying.
"You were leaving, weren't you?" the question sounded more like a statement. Emil's tone was serious.
"I am," deciding denying it wouldn't work, Colette decided it was better she was honest about it. "You're not going to try and stop me, are you?"
"No," Emil said. "But what about your mother? She'll be worried sick about you and Sheena, from the way she reacted when she noticed it was you, is probably going to be heartbroken. She thought you were dead for six years."
Colette saw what the boy was trying to do; convince her to stay. She couldn't back out now.
"They don't deserve to be around a pathetic person like me…" Emil tilted his head to the side in an inquisitive way. Colette sighed and decided to elaborate. "What happened in Iselia, it was my fault," Emil was about to counter it, but Colette pressed. "It might not have been by me going near the ranch, but it was because of me anyway. I don't want mom and Sheena to suffer. My mom was even turned into a demon trying to defend me."
"It wasn't your fault. Your mother would stop at nothing to protect you. That's the sort of person she is. You're lucky," Emil offered Colette a smile at that.
The golden-haired blonde looked away, feeling awful that her mother had to suffer because of her and was exiled from Iselia, a place that had been their home for the last six years. She had to get away before something more happened.
"You don't understand…" Colette pitifully said. "everybody close to me either suffer or end up dead. Even… even the person I loved…"
Colette's voice died in her throat. She hadn't thought of Maki since she was rescued by Sheena. That just made Colette's heart ache. She wanted to hide some place far away and rot to death. Even so, Emil was still there, looking at her with those emerald orbs in an understanding gaze as he said:
"I do understand what it feels like," Colette looked up at him as he continued. "The demons found out I was the vessel for a Summon Spirit when I was still a child. They killed almost everybody that protected me. Because of it, I had to leave my family behind to protect them."
"But… they're still around, aren't they?" Colette asked.
"That doesn't mean they are safe. As long as I am alive, the demons will try to find them so they can use them against me, or my friends. I left my parents to protect them, because I knew they couldn't defend themselves should Nebilim come for them," the mention of the red haired monster brought shivers to Colette, but she refrained from showing it to Emil. "But your mother and Sheena, they're willingly and capable of defending you. Do you think it's fair to them to just throw it all away by leaving?
"Plus, think about this person that you loved. Do you think he would want you to go away just to possibly get captured or worse?"
That made Colette remember Maki's last words: to never lose her smile. Should she really just ignore it and go on to protect the others from herself? Suddenly, the blond girl didn't know what to do anymore. It was then she felt Emil put his hand on her shoulder. She looked up, her sky-blue eyes meeting his green-emerald ones as he tried to give her a reassuring smile.
"I… I honestly don't know exactly how you feel, but I do know what it is like to feel like you will be crushed by the weight of everything that has happened."
Emil felt a little uneasy as he saw tears coming to Colette's eyes. He never considered himself to be very good at cheering up a girl, considering he barely could utter two phrases near them without Ratatosk stepping in to "save his pathetic face" and he really didn't know what to do to calm down a crying girl. However, Colette suddenly hugged him in quite a desperate way.
It was clear she was seeking comfort. With everything that she went through and considering the kind of person she was, Emil knew she wasn't the one to simply get up and go on after facing tragedies like this one. He suddenly started to think that maybe Marta was right when she said he was a lot stronger than he gave himself credit for. Anyway, Colette was in need for somebody that understood the pain she was in.
"Hug her and pat her back," Ratatosk half-whispered mentally to him, as if to make sure Colette would not hear him. Emil sent back a mental "What?" "Isn't that how you console someone? And they say I am insensitive… just do it, dumbass, or let me take care of the situation."
Knowing what Ratatosk's methods for cheering people up were like, Emil decided to take the initiative for Colette's sake. The whole mental trade and reflection occurred in less than a minute, so Colette never noticed Emil's hesitation before he wrapped his arms around her and gave her reassuring pats on her back as she sobbed.
Unknown to the two of them, a brunette girl with long hair had been observing them and put her back against the tree which she had been hiding behind as she analyzed the scene with a sad expression…
- / - / - / - / -
"Has anybody seen Lord Emil?" Ventus asked while Amelia was cooking them breakfast. The group looked back at the bird-like Centurion and shook their heads.
"I don't remember him coming back the other night," Sheena said. "Thought Ratatosk was probably taking him somewhere to think or whatever the hell he does when the two of them are alone."
Amelia took the time while she waited for the pancakes to cook to grab the notebook Raine had given her last night and wrote down a question:
Has anybody seen Colette?
Before going to sleep, Raine analyzed Amelia after the blonde received some clothes to wear from Sheena. Predictably, it consisted of a plain white t-shirt with a low cut that showed some cleavage of the blonde's fair-sized bust and black pants. Amelia asked (with the help of Colette) if Sheena didn't have something a little less revealing, to which the voluptuous woman replied with a "what do you mean with revealing?". Colette's mother decided to just forget it after that.
Raine diagnosed that Amelia's transformation to demon form was linked to her wound on the throat and was activated whenever her vocal cords were stressed. That explained why at one time, when Amelia had tried to talk, she entered in demon form unwillingly. Seeing this, Raine lent Colette's mother one of her spare notebooks. The silver haired half-elf still insisted on Amelia not transforming without necessity for she still have to study a little more about it. When Raine said "study", most of the members of the party cringed and looked between themselves, worried for Amelia's welfare should Raine suddenly decide she was a "fascinating", study subject.
"Don't worry. Lady Marta went looking for her," Tenebrae said in answer to Amelia's question.
"Shouldn't we help?" Lloyd asked.
"That won't be necessary. Lady Marta's powers have been developing accordingly. She is now able to hear the whispers in the winds if she concentrate."
"Wow. So you mean if we whispered a secret she would be able to hear it?" Lumen asked.
"Like what kind of secret?" Ignis asked the Centurion of light.
"Well, like the fact she is kinda like Colie. Both have cute looks but don't have any curves and…" before Lumen could continue, he was hit on the back of his head with enough strength to send him to the ground. Standing behind him was Marta, a vein throbbing in her forehead.
"Is that another joke about my figure?" Marta said in an angry tone.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Aqua questioned Ignis, raising her eyebrow.
"What?" the Centurion of fire replied.
"Make Lumen talk about Marta when she was right behind him."
"She was?" Ignis asked, looking surprised. A sweatdrop ran behind Aqua's head.
Sheena asked Marta if she had seen Colette once the brunette calmed down. Marta sat and said in a rather sad tone that Emil was talking to Colette in that moment. The violet haired woman noticed that and was about to ask what was the matter when Emil and Colette came back.
Lloyd noticed Colette's eyes were a little red, meaning she had been crying again. The young man asked if she was alright and the blonde girl simply nodded, saying she was much better now. Her mother looked at her, clearly questioning if it was true. Colette went to her mother's side and held her hand, giving a smile to the woman. Amelia seemed to have settled down after that, for she also smiled to her daughter.
The group settled to eat after the exchange between mother and daughter. Lloyd dug in the pancakes like a hungry wolf, saying they were delicious. Sheena also commented Amelia's cooking seemed to have gotten better from what she remembered. Amelia smiled to the two in thanks.
Once Raine and most of the group were done with their meal, the half-elf brought their current situation to light:
"Now that we discovered Colette is Gnome, we will need her to come with us in our journey. However, the problem is the same doesn't apply to Amelia. In fact, it would be better if we found a place where she can hide," Amelia replied to that by writing "Wherever my daughter goes, I will!" in her notebook with a serious expression on her face. "I'm actually speaking this for Colette's own sake, as well as yours."
Amelia shot a confused look at Raine when she heard that. Tenebrae was the one to explain:
"Some of the demons that are chasing us are expert trackers. They will be able to pick out the chaos energy in your aura with ease."
"Can't we hide Colie mother's aura like Shee-luni and the others do?" Lumen asked.
"I would like to, but I know nothing about manipulation of chaos energy," Sheena said, throwing an apologizing look to Amelia, who smiled a sad smile at her, saying it was alright.
"What about you Raine?" Lloyd asked to the half-elven woman.
"Considering this chaos energy was introduced in her aura through a curse, it would be dangerous to attempt to manipulate it without knowing the exact nature of the curse. I could end up forcing her to assume demon form permanently if I committed a mistake."
The group stood silent at that. Amelia wrote that she didn't mind if she had to turn into a demon, if that was what she had to do to protect her daughter. Ratatosk was impressed, not just by the words, but also by the gleam of determination he saw on that woman's eyes. She was serious.
It was then Lloyd came up with the solution:
"How about we ask the Vanguard or the Renegades to protect her? They are already protecting Emil and Marta's parents." Raine and the Centurions looked surprised at seeing Lloyd had actually proposed a good solution for the problem. The young man looked at them in confusion. "What?"
"That was actually a very intelligent suggestion coming from you," Tenebrae jabbed.
"Hey!"
"What do you think Amelia?" Sheena asked the blonde adult.
The cursed woman thought about that. Colette then held her hand in a firm grip, passing a message through the gesture. The mother looked to her daughter, who nodded. Amelia sighed, writing in her notebook and showing to the group:
If my presence is really going to cause trouble to you, then I'll hide. She then added. Just let me know that Colette is alright and promise me you all will watch over her.
"Don't worry, we will," surprisingly, it was Raine who said that, making the entire group look at her.
"That's the first time I heard something like that coming from you," Sheena said. "Generally you're all about 'not making any guarantees.'"
"I just so happen to know what it is like to be in Amelia's position."
Everybody looked at Raine with curiosity at that phrase, but the silver haired woman didn't go into any details. Sheena sighed, deciding to leave Raine's obscure statement aside and spoke to Amelia:
"Well, I am forced to agree with Raine on this. Don't worry Amelia. I swear on my ancestors that I will watch over Colie."
The blonde woman smiled at her as she wrote another sentence and showed to the voluptuous woman:
Is that one of those Mizuho-styled promises?
"Yep. So you know what happens if I don't hold it up."
"What does happen?" Ignis asked to her brethren.
"If I remember correctly…" Tenebrae said. "The one who breaks the promise has to shallow a thousand needles."
Lloyd and Emil gulped at hearing that and clutched their throats protectively. Marta then spoke up:
"Anyway, there isn't any Vanguard or Renegade cell in Iselia, so Amelia doesn't have to leave right now. We can take her with us to Meltokio and leave her at Cape Fortress. The Renegades established a base there."
"But... how are we going to Meltokio? Mom and I were banished from Iselia," Colette said with some sadness in her voice.
"Don't you have somebody we could contact to get a ship?" Emil asked the blond girl.
An idea came to Amelia and she was soon inscribing on her notebook. The group looked anxiously to the blond woman as she showed:
I think I might know of a way.
Note: Yep, I think a sadist of Alice's level (at least here) would rape someone just for the fun of doing it. Doubt she didn't think of doing it to Marta, just so she could break and beat the brunette into submission, literally. But that's just my opinion.
Review, or else Alice might turn you into her new toy (though I think her fans might not even mind).