Chapter 17

"Get down!" Ingrid dove into a Chevalier Pandora tumbling across the ground as an Interceptor slammed into the ground behind them. The explosion made them both shield their faces from the heat of the blast. The Pandora grunted in pain as a shard of debris lodged into her thigh. She grabbed her leg in pain as Ingrid quickly began removing the piece of metal. The girl looked at Ingrid in disbelief breathing heavily.

"You saved me." She said at last and Ingrid nodded pulling the piece free from her leg. She cringed as Ingrid pushed a piece of cloth against the wound to stem the bleeding.

"Yeah." The redhead answered tying the cloth around her leg tightly.

"Why?" The Pandora was older than her by a few years and the tone of her voice was one of fear and even curiosity. Ingrid could have killed her, but chose to aid her instead. A girl that she was told had betrayed Chevalier and become a traitor now knelt beside her tending to her wound. Ingrid finished tying off the bandage and looked at the girl.

"I don't know. It's just second nature to save each other I guess." She answered. The Pandora matched her gaze as the wrecked burned nearby.

"Why are we fighting each other?" The girl asked and Ingrid looked back at the ruins of West Genetics.

"I'm fighting for my home. For my friends, alive and dead. I'm fighting for what's right. Why are you fighting?" Ingrid asked her. She looked down at the bandage and shook her head after a long pause.

"I don't know anymore." She answered. Ingrid put her hand on the girl's shoulder and a squeezed.

"Come on, let's move." Ingrid said helping the girl to her feet. She put her arm over her shoulder and wrapped her own arm around her waist.

"That band on your arm, you're one of those Nightingales aren't you?" She asked as Ingrid helped lead her away.

"That's right." The redhead answered.

"What's your name?"

"Ingrid Bernstein." She answered and the girl smiled slightly.

"Thank you Ingrid Bernstein." The girl said and Ingrid couldn't help but smile back.

"Get away from me!" Charon yelled as Varen dashed forward cleaving the air with Anti Nova. The black haired Novaborn slashed her katanas in a wide arc trying to keep him from getting too close. He dipped slow reaching the clawed gauntlets out and Charon jumped high into the air narrowly avoiding her legs being severed.

"You died! You aren't real!" Charon screamed landing on her feet and sending both her blades into the armored gauntlets. Sparks exploded from the impact, but her katanas slid off the surface as the talons reached forward for her once more. It forced her to throw her body sideways out of reach sliding along the ground.

"Sister Margaret, what's happening?" Michelle asked her old teacher. Sister Margaret watched as Charon desperately fought to stay out of reach of Varen who had fallen silent and mercilessly attacked her with no emotion on his face. His speed had multiplied to the point where at times all you could see was his eyes still glowing a bright blue.

"I believe she is seeing something altogether different than we are. The weapons of Maria Lancelot were handed down to her daughter Chiffon Fairchild. A Pandora whose combat prowess left any who stood before her filled with terror. The Unparalleled Smiling Monster of West Genetics. That is who Charon now faces, her spirit coming forth from those gauntlets Varen now wields.

"Give me back my sister!" Charon cried ducking low to avoid a slash from Varen and piercing her katana forward. He raised the offhand gauntlet pushing her attack aside and stepped forward running his shoulder into her chest. She staggered back and slashed both katanas wide. Before Varen could engage again she sprinted forward raising her blades to strike.

"It's over." Sister Margaret said closing her eyes sadly.

"Give her back!" Charon screamed with all her might as she thrust both katanas forward. A breath before they impacted she vanished and reappeared behind Varen plunging them through his back and out his chest. Her back arched and she let out a breath of air as his after image disappeared from in front of her. She looked down seeing the talons of Anti Nova protruding from her chest covered in her blood.

"Illusion Turn…" Charon said her voice shaking. The katanas in her hands fell from her grip shattering into fragments of light as she slid free from the claws. The gauntlets disappeared from Varen's arms as he caught her before she could hit the ground. She stared up at him her eyesight unable to focus very well anymore.

"Stand down…" Michelle said into the radio attached to her ear. She hadn't blinked once in the last few minutes and her voice shook as she spoke. Chevalier Pandora around her looked to her questioningly.

"Ma'am?" The radio responded in her ear and she pushed her finger against the earpiece once more.

"I said stand down!" She repeated more forcefully still staring at Varen who held Charon in his arms.

"Oh…Justicar, it's you. Did you come to save me?" Charon asked looking up at him. His eyes were no longer glowing and he nodded.

"Yeah, got to you just in time." He answered. She closed her eyes a look of relief washing over her face.

"Thank you. Claire too, she's a good girl. Save her too." She said opening her eyes again smiling slightly. Varen put his hand on her cheek pushing her hair away.

"I will, don't worry."

"Why did they make us kill? All we wanted was for someone to love us. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore." Charon cried.

"I know…" Varen answered.

"Chevalier…made us do so many horrible things. We never wanted to, but they made us. Please…don't let them take us again." Charon said between fits of coughing, blood streaming out the side of her mouth. Varen wiped her lips and nodded.

"They won't I promise. Rest now, Chevalier won't hurt anyone else." Varen said. Charon looked past Varen and her eyes opened wider a bright smile crossing her lips.

"You came? I'm so…happy…Chiffon…" Charon said reaching a hand out before it went limp. Varen closed her eyes looking behind him towards where she had been looking. He couldn't see anything aside from the war-torn land, but felt hands touch his shoulder. A flood of energy coursed through him and beams of light ignited from his back like wings. A pulse of energy raced out from his body passing through everyone. The light disappeared as quickly as it had come and the invisible hands on his shoulders were gone.

"Chiffon?" He asked looking around, but still didn't see her. He looked back down at Charon and set her body down carefully. He knelt beside her for a few moments placing her hands on her chest. Claire and Charon were more victims twisted to do Chevalier's will. Looking at her face now he felt remorse for the life they were forced to live.

"Oh my god Ticy?!" Abel cried out making him turn quickly. His mouth hung open as she breathed frantically grasping at her throat. A faint scar ran along the length of her neck, but her eyes were alert and she clung to Abel's uniform as she caught her breath.

"What…" Michelle asked as everyone around who had been wounded found themselves uninjured. The physical fatigue remained, but the damage was repaired. Genetics and Chevalier Pandora alike checked each other in amazement. Amelia checked over Ticy's body before looking up at Varen with a smile and nodded.

"She's alright!" Amelia said happily and he smiled back nodding. He remembered a similar phenomenon in Spireach when Chiffon sacrificed herself and the release of the energy in her body healed all those around. A final gift from her before she departed. Ticy's eyes met his and she reached her hand out towards him. He knelt down and let her hug him tightly tears running down her cheeks.

"Chiffon…she said that this was for me. What little she had left…she did this for me." Ticy said and Varen hugged her tightly.

"Welcome back Ticy." He said and she pushed him back gently.

"She told me to tell you, thank you." Ticy said and he nodded, but she took his face making him look her in the eyes.

"Ticy?" He asked concerned, but she still smiled.

"And that you owe her…" Ticy finished making him look at her puzzled.

"Hey! I'm gone for a bit and you jump right onto Ticy?" He tuned hearing a girl shout and closed his eyes breathing the last sigh of relief left in his body. Arnette stumbled over a piece of wreckage her arm around Elizabeth's shoulder. The blonde Pandora helped her over, Cassie and Charles behind her. Ingrid pushed her way through the crowd as well as Roxanne, Shi-Jing, Andre, and Kyoichi.

"Hah! Look, he has a cape. He finally looks the part of a villain." Elizabeth laughed pointing to the cloth draped over his shoulders from the armor he wore. He shook his head letting his control on the armor go and it disappeared from his body as they approached.

"There's no feedback." Varen said as Arnette collapsed beside him throwing her arms around his neck.

"We never shared stigmata so our connection was cut when my heart stopped. We would have to reestablish it again." She explained and he swallowed trying to hold back his emotions holding her tighter.

"I want to go home." He said at last. They all knelt down hugging each other as the coalition and Chevalier forces watched. Michelle turned towards Sister Margaret and placed her fist over her heart. The headmaster reached out and hugged her former student who returned the gesture. Arnette looked up at the sky from the middle of her friends reaching a hand up once more.

"Thank you."