Damn this chapter had a lot of grammatical errors. I'm glad I re-wrote it lol.
Chapter 2: pre re-write, 5.4k words. Post re-write, 6.9k words.
...
(This is pre re-write so I'm leaving it.) You guys wanted more wholesome Subaru and friends moments, and I'm here to deliver.
Enjoy.
Joy-filled laughter echoed out across a silent cell. It was as if the entire world had gone silent with the only noise being the laughter of one that was condemned to a fate worse than death. One whose suffering was caused by almost everyone present.
"Hahahaha such a good joke from you guys!"
Emilia's desperation was etched on her visage. She had been tempted to freeze everything just so she couldn't hear the taunting laughter of the one she loved. She utterly despised herself.
Reinhard felt as if time stopped for him. He knew that it was all his fault for not speaking. His lack of action condemned an innocent man. No, a friend to this horrific nightmare.
Garfiel stood in disbelief. He couldn't believe what happened to his brother. He could feel his cheeks wetten but he didn't know when that had happened. The moment he saw the state of Subaru, or the moment Subaru started laughing manically.
Ram for the second time in her life felt true misery. Not only did the most important person in her life hate her now but she also saw the fate of the person she thought of as a little brother. The one who remembered her precious sister when she did not. For the past 8 months, she was wondering why Roswaal suddenly stopped responding to anything. She wondered if this was why.
Rem meanwhile was truly furious. More enraged than when her clan was wiped out. The man she loved has been reduced to this by the people he cared about, including her sister. All the while she was asleep after meeting those monsters of the Witch's Cult. It took immense power of will to not summon her horn from how angry she was. She was murderously glaring at everyone responsible for her hero's state.
"So good! So fun! So EXCIIIITING~ I really was dying of boredom here lately, you know? I've been waiting for your prank for three whole days!" He exclaimed while giving them the biggest smile his face could muster.
Felix's already dangerously fragile sanity was shattered. His broken state was getting irreparable. He silently started laughing mixed with crying when he heard Subaru's laughter all the while mumbling apologies after apologies.
Julius felt that this is the greatest dishonor he could ever bring on himself.
"Ahh, I really love you two. Thank you both so much! Also, big thanks to my imaginations. Can't forget that too, especially that performance!" Subaru continued on his tirade of laughter at their good joke. And those expressions they gave him were even more entertaining. So much more entertaining than the usual interactions he had with the imaginations he conjured every night.
He admitted that he got bored from seeing the conjured illusions repeatedly accusing him and having a face of anger. But now he was truly enjoying this new expression from them. Was it sadness? Misery? Pain? It didn't matter because it was refreshing!
He started summoning invisible shadow hands for each imagination he saw, all to clap for their magnificent performance. Making the cell go loud with clapping noises.
"You deserve a standing ovation for such a magnificent! Marvelous! Masterful! Amazing! Awe-inspiring! Incredible! Impressive! Surreal! Spectacular! Superb! Exquisite! Entertaining! Exciting! Delightful! Wonderful performance! Like a wise man once said. My brain trembles!"
Beatrice regained her consciousness from the loudness of the claps.
"S-Subaru..." She called him in a trembling sad voice. Bringing him out of his laughter and stopping his clapping.
"Huh? Oh, Beako! I almost forgot that you were here. Hey, it's about time you joined in on this prank! Speaking of, do you have any good jokes to tell me this time?"
"F...F-Forgive me, I suppose...Please.." Her voice was so weak that it was barely audible. Her sad eyes were looking at his feet, unable to meet his gaze.
"Hmmmm~ well this is unexpected." He raised his eyebrows in confusion at Beatrice. "Usually you don't stutter or ask forgiveness, you don't even call me by my name."
"You just call me out on being Pride and accuse me of lying, repeatedly dare I say, before condemning me to literal hell. Or should I say condemning me to this currently-exciting-but-most-of-the-time-boring-place. It's something that I like to call... A good joke." He said in a serious accusatory tone and emphasized it, before shifting into a more joyful one.
"Oooh, I get it! My imagination of Beako is pranking me too, I suppose? Hahaha! Wait, I wasn't tryna copy you. It was just a slip of the tongue. It was an accidental joke." Subaru raised his hands in a surrender motion as he said that.
Beatrice said nothing. How could she? He was right; she did do all that. This was all her fault. She was the guiltiest of them all and she knew it. A hypocrite for asking his forgiveness. A monster for doing this to her contractor.
Subaru watched her heavily defeated expression and started to smile even more. "What a wonderful day I'm having, don't you guys feel the same? Not only are we all gathered in my respectable small home, but we're all having such a fun time together, right? We really should do this more often. Hell, you could even join in on the daily fun activities that happen at least every 3 to 4 hours hahaha."
Rem embraced him in a tight hug. She needed to get her hero back. She needed to get Subaru out of this accursed place and help him recover. She cursed herself for being asleep while he suffered.
Her hug surprised Subaru and stopped his laughter as his Rem imagination just made physical contact with him.
He sighed in satisfaction and looked at Julius and Felix again. He didn't remember the last time he had this much fun. He could never thank his two best friends enough for this good joke.
Usually, they'd just frown as he told them joke after joke, while also repeating the same tiresome lines of getting him to admit something he doesn't know. They must've been saving this gift for him for a long time! Such good friends he had.
"Juli, Ferris. You should be very proud of your prank! I'm definitely naming my firstborn after you two! This is without a doubt the most authentic version of Rem I've ever imagined! Can you tell your best pal on how'd ya done it? I promise to keep it a secret. It'll just be between us three bros. It's just for enterta-"
He didn't finish his sentence as Rem had cast a spell to put him to sleep. She then princess carried him out without waiting or even looking at any of them. She left them alone to wallow in their misery at that lonely depressing cell.
Soon enough the Emilia camp decided to follow Rem. The first to follow was Garfiel followed by Ram with the last being Beatrice and Emilia. All of them walked with slumped shoulders and heavy eyes.
Reinhard didn't have the heart to join them. He opted to go home to the Astrea Manor. He wondered how his lady would react if he were to tell her of what had transpired... Without all the gritty details. He could only wonder how she would react if he told her that Subaru was imprisoned here for all this time. Would she hate Reinhard for not acting to save him? He thought.
...
As Rem carried Subaru out, memories of Subaru played out in her mind. Of the times when they worked together and she distrusted him due to his smell, then him risking his life to save the children's lives, before saving hers.
Then there was the memory she had of him during their time in the Capital. When she supported him when he was at his lowest. When he begged her to leave everything and go with him to Kararagi.
And finally their fight against the whale. When after the fighting was over he admitted he loved her and they almost shared a kiss together before she departed with those that were injured. The last time she saw him.
Subaru's face and shirt soon started to get wet with Rem's angry and sad tears. Why was the world so cruel to both of them? She thought to herself.
She also noticed it was raining heavily and there were rioting going on in Priestella in the distance. Was this the world responding that it pitied them both for once?
Her tears were matching the rhythm of the rain.
As she reached the Carriage, she noticed Meili looking genuinely surprised and frightened by Subaru's appearance. She tried to ask but Rem didn't answer.
Rem then opened the doors, then slowly and very gently lowered Subaru's sleeping form onto a bed inside the large carriage. She stayed there, looking at him with sorrow before cradling him. If only she took his hand.
=Three days ago=
-Crusch Karsten's residence in Priestella-
"Felix.. No..."
Crusch Karsten was a woman with a sense of justice as well as a strong will. Even when her memories were taken, even when she was infected by the dragon blood of Capella from the attack on Priestella. She never lost that part of herself. She accepted her fate and she wanted to move on even if there wasn't a cure. Despite the fact that her knight was working hard to obtain information from the so-called Archbishop of Pride.
The knights serving as bodyguards for where Duchess Karsten resided in Priestella, would often murmur of how Felix would use all sorts of methods to get Pride to speak up.
Then the knights would discuss how Pride always called himself Subaru Natsuki and denied that he was being a cultist. A lie to be sure. She was always disgusted when she overheard them talking about that Archbishop.
That is until her memories returned to her of her own past life and the memories of a boy that the kingdom acknowledged as the reason for her and her army's survival from the Whale. A kind-hearted man who always treated her with respect even when her memories were gone.
"Felix... No... No, no, no! What have you done?!" Her eyes were opened wide once the revelation reached her brain.
What have they done.. What has her knight done?
She fell from her wheelchair in an attempt to reach the door. "Wil..helm..Wil...lm" She lost her voice once the pain of her curse reached her from the fall.
However, her priorities weren't on herself. She needed to stop Felix from what he was doing and urgently.
Mustering all her strength she roared out with pain towards Wilhelm.
-Outside the room-
Wilhelm was as always. Diligently guarding the door of the room of his lady. He would always stand near the door, in case Crusch would request something from the old swordsman and butler.
He was enraged at what had befallen his lady. He had often been greatly tempted to walk into the jail with Felix and make that abhorred cultist speak the cure to heal Crusch. What a truly horrible monster that cultist was. To willingly let his lady as well as countless others suffer from the dragon blood, all the while he knew how to cure them.
He remembered how he mewled for his innocence in front of the great spirit, lady Emilia and his own grandson. Even when he was dragged away, he continued the lie that he was innocent, despite the fact that he had attempted to end his own life mere seconds before he was dragged.
What a trickster he was. Such was the Sin Archbishop of Pride. It made Wilhelm bitter as he remembered the accursed Vollachian emperor, Stride.
Continously claiming that he wasn't a cultist just so he could escape punishment. Wilhelm had as much hate for this new Archbishop of Pride as the one before him. The name Subaru Natsuki would bring hatred and anger into his eyes whenever he thought about it.
Until..
"Ghk!..."
Wilhelm had clutched his heart as he felt like he was having a heart attack. Memories hit him all at once of a boy who he thought of as more of a grandson than Reinhard. He fell to his knees. The sword that Wilhelm carried in his hand dropped to the ground.
His eyes shook and his voice trembled. "...Subaru-dono? I-Impossible... Not him..."
Wilhelm's gaze could not move from the ground. His muscles wouldn't move. He was transfixed in a kneeling position as the memories played out.
"Wilhelm! Come here this is urgent!"
Crusch's voice brought him out of his stupor. He managed to stand up with difficulty.
"You called for me, my lady?" He asked her in a voice devoid of life as he opened the door.
He saw her lying on the ground with a pained expression visible on her face. He walked over to pick her up and help her back on the chair.
"No, forget about me... Head to the garrison now! Rescue and retrieve Subaru Natsuki!" She exclaimed.
She prayed it wasn't too late. She knew the alliance between the camps will be no more. If the news were to be found out about Felix then the entire kingdom will want their heads for this.
...
Wilhelm took off in desperation, a speed that rivaled his younger self. He would stop at nothing to reach that accursed place. He didn't pick up the sword that he dropped. He didn't even pick up a dragon to ride to prison. His legs were in full command of his body.
The people who recognized him when they saw him running in desperation across Priestella felt anxious. Why would the famous and venerable Sword demon run as if his entire life depended on it? Was there an impending attack again, perhaps? They started wondering where their hero could be.
For some of the people, however, they remembered a particular scene that happened months ago. When the knights were parading the captured Archbishop of Pride who kept calling himself Subaru Natsuki, and was tearfully yelling and claiming he was innocent.
They remembered how the knights had held the Archbishop. Now remembered as the hero Subaru Natsuki, the knight of a royal candidate. In the garrison to be interrogated which more than likely meant he was getting tortured.
News and gossip started to spread out across Priestella in the coming hours and days. Soon after that, riots started happening around the city. All for that man who united and led the camps to end the invasion on their city. The man who saved them and whose voice brought hope to them.
Wilhelm finally reached his destination. He did not even pause once to catch his breath, if he were to die now from exhaustion then it would be a far kinder and merciful death than the one he deserved.
A feeling of dread washed over him as he walked inside and through the jail's corridors.
He saw how the knights looked grim. Some of them had their eyes stuck to the ground in shame. Seven or eight were crying and muttering how it was not their fault.
He wondered why they all looked like that.
Walking further and further. He heard a familiar voice that kept repeating the same lines.
"Ferris is sorry. Ferris is sorry. Ferris is sorry. Forgive Ferris. Forgive Ferris. Forgive Ferris."
It greatly alerted Wilhelm. He steeled himself as he reached closer and closer to that voice. He saw the knight of his lady on the dirty grounds of the jail. He was rocking himself fully crying as he repeated those phrases.
"Felix." Wilhelm said in a tone filled with trepidation. "Where is Subaru-dono?"
Felix didn't lift his face or even acknowledge the presence of Wilhelm. He kept muttering the same apologies almost as if on a loop.
"I will ask you once more for the sake of the lady we serve." Having said that, Felix started crying even more.
"Where is Subaru-dono?"
"F-forgive Ferris... F-Ferris is sorry.."
Wilhelm was losing his temper at the nonanswer.
"Where is he?! Where is Subaru-dono?!" He shook him to bring him out of this delirious state. Which seemed to work.
"Old Man Will.. I.. Su...Subaru-kyun...He's over.. there..." He trailed off with his hand pointing towards a corridor that led to the right. Where they kept their most dangerous prisoners. Before losing his grip on reality again.
He immediately headed in that direction. Along the way he again saw several knights that looked very dejected, with several of them looking like they wanted to vomit or even vomiting. Then he saw the finest of knights, Julius Juuklius slumped on a wall with his hands on his face.
Before he could ask Julius where Subaru is. He heard laughter in the background. Laughter of a familiar voice. Wilhelm's heart started beating rapidly.
'What is this horrendous feeling I sense? I can feel my own heartbeat increasing with each step. Theresia give me strength...'
Reaching closer and closer to the cell and hearing the laughter starting to become clearer and clearer made the sense of dread he felt grow more intensely.
Until finally, he came across him.
It took all his strength to not fall on his knees as he saw the state of Subaru.
His hair looked completely white, even whiter than Wilhelm's hair. He looked utterly malnourished and his tattered clothes were covered in both fresh and dried blood. Blood also covered the walls of the cell, as if was used to draw. Looking around the cell he noticed there were many hands, bones, and rotted flesh parts all around. It must have been the reason for the stench of the cell.
Wilhelm's gaze met the grounds. He couldn't look him in the eyes after seeing this scene.
"Subaru-dono." He choked out to the laughing remains of the boy in front of him. Making Subaru pause his laughter and looking at him with complete surprise.
"Now there's an old face I haven't imagined since last night. Oh, woops. I didn't mean to insult your age, Wilhelm." He started to chuckle heartily at his unintentional joke.
"Hahaha It just came out like that. Hey, what's with this new expression on your face? You must be some knight in disguise, right? Well played I say! I bet you're here to convince me to leave the cell for the prank. Or perhaps you're the prank that Jules and Ferris were planning for me? Awww~ you guys truly TRUUUULY~ have my best intentions at heart!"
He started to call them out. "Oi, Juli! Ferris! Come out! Let's have fun and share a laugh on this prank together like best pals do!"
After a second or two he pouted at them not coming out. "I miss you guys already and it's only been 24 minutes, 18, wait no, 19 seconds since I last saw you! Usually around this time you guys take turns showing me your physical humor."
Wilhelm grit his teeth and clenched his fists in frustration. What had they done to him?!
"Subaru-dono.. I've come to take you out of here. Please.. Come with me." Wilhelm pleaded with him, his voice getting weaker with each word.
Subaru looked at him with confusion for a moment. "Huh...? Y-you really mean th-that, Wilhelm?" He asked him with sincerity.
Wilhelm nodded solemnly.
Subaru's lips quivered. "I-I... I can't believe it... Do you mean that this is finally... O-over...? That I get to go..." He trailed off. A look of genuine hope appeared on his face. "Home..."
It tore at Wilhelm from the inside to hear those words.
"I am truly, utterly sorry that all of this happened to yo-" He got interrupted by the sound of laughter.
"Pass! Hahahaha! You fell for it! I can't believe it! Just like Ferris and Juli fell for it earlier too!" He paused his laughter and took on a more serious look. "Like I told you brave, honorable, gallant knights before. I would rather stay in this cell, that I call home, and let the prank come to me, you know?"
"Speaking of. Are you here to tell me a joke while disguised as Old Man Wil?" The excitement was evident in his tone.
Wilhelm looked into Subaru's eyes this time as he wanted to convince him. Wilhelm's own eyes opened wide at this. What he saw filled him with more dread and desperation than before.
Subaru's eyes looked as if he was older than Wilhelm himself, despite how young he looked. As if he was locked in this cell for ages and died thousands of times in all the most horrendous of ways. it was indescribable for Wilhelm to witness. He couldn't stare at those eyes for more than a few seconds otherwise he felt as if he would surrender himself to insanity if he stared any longer.
"My boy..." He spoke with heartbreak. "What have they done to you?" He asked himself rather than Subaru. He didn't need to know the answer to the question as it lay right in front of him.
Wilhelm couldn't even hear Subaru's answer. His heart began aching again, wanting to be let out of his chest.
'There is no hope here. I have failed you. I have failed you both.'
He knew he could never ever atone for this grave sin committed against the one who has helped him achieve his revenge. The boy who had been like a grandson for him.
The sword demon was no more, in his place was an old man who is now experiencing the second worst grief of his life.
Subaru started to clap. "Bravo! BRAAAAVO~! You've captured the whole aged veteran warrior with a heavy sad expression perfectly! You really remind me of Wilhelm now, you know? Such a good performance from you!"
Those words further hammered into Wilhelm. It hurt him more than any physical injury did.
"I have failed you.. Theresia.. I have failed you.. my boy.." Wilhelm got up and looked at Subaru one last time in heavy sorrow before he slowly walked out of prison. He now knew why all the knights looked that way.
He walked for a very long time without direction, all to mourn his failures. It wasn't until the next morning that he returned to his lady. He didn't have the strength to tell her of the horrifying news.
Crusch had bags under her eyes from staying awake all night waiting for news of Wilhelm.
"Wilhelm? Where is Subaru Natsuki?" She asked once she saw he was all alone. Silence was her answer. He didn't even gaze in her direction.
As Wilhelm got closer to her. She gasped at his appearance. He looked very misshapen and devastated. His knees seemed to have dirt on them, his hair wasn't styled like usual and his eyes were darkened. It looked as if he had just gotten out of a fight.
"Wilhelm? What happened?"
She asked him again. Silence reigned over the room.
"Subaru Natsuki is he...?" She decided to ask. She was fearing the worst as she knew what the silence implied. It finally prompted Wilhelm to speak for once. A voice that sounded tired.
"I wish he was.. If only death would have been kind and merciful."
Crusch had a look of confusion and worry from hearing that. "What do you mean?"
"I failed him. We have all failed him. Our sin is far too great..." He told her. He could never shake off the desperation he felt from looking at his eyes.
Crusch felt her heart sinking at those words. Just what exactly did Wilhelm see in that prison for him to become like this?
"Wilhelm, what did you witness? Why isn't Subaru Natsuki with you? And what about Felix?" Crusch asked. Greatly worried now.
Sleep once more refused to visit Crusch Karsten that night. Her mind kept replaying what Wilhelm had told her. Her candidacy is utterly ruined if it was true. Her eyes started crying without her knowing over what. Her ruined candidacy, Subaru Natsuki, or the fact that her knight was one of those responsible. Soon it became about all three at once.
-The Capital-
The council of the Sages were conversing over the newly heard rumors and reports of insurgence within Priestella.
"Proceed with your report, Captain Gildark." A sage by the name of Mikolotov McMahon sounded.
"Very well, your excellencies. It started no less than few days ago. The reports do vary, however, from what the merchants and travelers have been saying. It seems the riots begun due to the unjust treatment and imprisonment the knights gave towards the one they call 'Hero of Priestella'. There is a demand and a call out for retribution for the cruelty inflicted upon this individual. I have not found their identity yet. Furthermore, the garrison in Priestella seems to have gone completely quiet. We have lost all contact with them while trying to investigate these rumors." Marcos told them with a stoic expression.
"Hero of Priestella? Who might they be?" One of the sages asked Marcos.
Marcos nodded and explained. "It seems to be the title of this as of yet, unknown individual. As far as I can tell, they were involved in the attack on Priestella several months ago, alongside the Candidates and their camps. Likely contributing a great deal during that struggle, or at least it seems to be the case considering what the title suggests."
The sages paused for a moment to converse with themselves. Before Mikolotov spoke out.
"Those are troubling news indeed, Captain Gildark. You say the reports say that this 'Hero of Priestella' was imprisoned and treated unfairly by the knights. Do we know what charges is this person accused of? If I recall, there were no famous key prisoners in Priestella, unless you count Witch Cultists as well as the Archbishop of Pride."
"Of which we are still interrogating, at least Pride that is. We should have put him to the death in front of the public months ago. Him and his accomplices like that Sirius Romanee-Conti." A sage by the name of Bordeaux Zellgef sounded in a disgusted tone after his fellow sage finished talking.
Marcos shook his head. "No, your excellencies. What I do know is that some of our more known knights such as Felix 'Blue' Argyle and Julius 'Knight of Knights' Juuklius are stationed on Priestella and are likely to be involved with this person. To what extent I have no knowledge."
Saying those names, made the sages converse again with one another.
"You say those knights of the candidates were involved. Which means the candidates they follow are surely to be involved as well. What of the other knights of the candidates? What of the Sword Saint?" A sage by the name of Velmont decided to spring up the more important questions.
"Has old age whittled your memories, Velmont? The Sword Saint is likely investigating the Pleiades Watchtower by now." Bordeaux spoke, then continued in an angry disgusted mutter. "Alongside the wretched half-devil and her camp."
"My question stands, Bordeaux. Captain Gildark. Before I was so rudely interrupted by my "respectable" colleague." Velmont spat. "What of the other candidates' knights? Do we know where they stand on this?"
Macros held a hand to his chin in thought. "Hmm. Candidate Barielle's knight Aldebaraan is, I believe, accompanying his lady to Vollachia for some unknown purpose. Candidate Emiliia's knight Subaru Natsuki, I am uncertain. He seems to have disappeared from all records. His last whereabouts were in Priestella, around the same time as the Witch Cult's attack had happened. He was not reported to be in the trip alongside his lady towards the Pleiades Watchtower."
Marcos' words alerted the sages.
"Disappeared from all records?"
"How is this possible?"
"Last known location is Priestella of all places?"
Bordeaux grumbled in annoyance. "Bah. It's merely the disrespectful knight of the wretched half-devil. No doubt he deserted his position, the treacherous coward. Or perhaps he fled because he did not want to be used as a kindling or a sacrifice of sorts by the half-devil. Or likely killed. For which I am glad considering his disrespectful approach."
His words made the sages pause and look at him with disbelief.
"Have the wounds you suffered to your head in your younger years finally started to affect your brain, Zellgef? Do you not know whom you speak of? The reports themselves spoke of that man's actions." A sage berated him.
Bordeaux grumbled. "False rumors and ill-conceived lies no doubt. All to increase the popularity of the half-devil he served."
Then Velmont spoke against Bordeaux.
"Have you completely lost your mind, Bordeaux? I too remember his disrespectful approach, but you, I and everyone present here are fully aware of that man's deeds. He repelled the Witch Cult's attacks on the court mage's domain, as well as the reports by Duchess Crusch's troops that this man is the reason they managed to defeat the accursed Whale. Need I remind you that Margrave Roswaal himself admitted that man's defeat of the Great Hare? Or are you so scornful and petty as to deny the man his rightful claims, especially when he is hailed as a hero by the populace." Velmont said towards a disgruntled Bordeaux. His fellow sages nodded in agreement.
McMahon hushed the argument before he turned to face Macros to speak out again.
"Captain Gildark. The mission seems to be rather simple here. Send some of your knights to put the riots down peacefully and investigate the garrison, the prisoners as well as the knights involved. We need a list of names of all the prisoners in Priestella to uncover the mystery behind this individual.. this 'Hero of Priestella'. And lastly, investigate the mysterious disappearance of Subaru Natsuki, as well as his current whereabouts. I highly doubt the two are connected, but it's best to be cautious about this. We do not want the news of Priestella to spread out and incite more chaos from the citizens. Nor do we want to alert the other nations that we have lost control over one of our states."
The other sages nodded at this and said their agreement on this. Aside from Bordeaux who looked disgruntled. Although he agreed on the mission for Priestella.
Marcos saluted. "Your excellencies."
"And if the two are connected? What then?" A sage asked his fellow sages after Marcos walked out. Which started other discussions and arguments.
McMahon kept thinking about whether it is connected or not. He prayed it wasn't.
'I dearly hope the two aren't connected. I do not wish to imagine what the populace would think should a news that unfortunate spreads out.'
-Traveling on the road to the Miload Mansion-
The trip was truly horrendous for everyone involved. It was very hard for everyone to travel back to the mansion with Subaru. Rem refused to allow anyone near him. She kept watch on him almost constantly, never leaving him alone. Whenever they'd stop, he would be guarded by Rem and Patrasche almost the entire time until they were ready to move out. Making the guilty ones feel more guilty that he had to be guarded away from them.
The only time Rem let him interact with them was when it was time to eat. Rem was hoping they would give her an excuse to kill them where they stand instead of waiting for Subaru to regain his sanity. She wanted to have revenge for both of them on the people that betrayed him and the world that wronged them, then they could run away together to Kararagi or anywhere her hero wanted.
She had given them a very serious warning when they got on the carriage. "If any of you even look at Subaru-kun wrongly, then I will kill you without hesitation. You broke Rem's hero in Rem's absence.." Her eyes faltered for a moment before she scowled. "I will never allow any of you to hurt him anymore."
"Re-" Ram tried to speak to her sense, but she received a harsh hateful glare from Rem that shut her up. She could no longer feel her sister's synthesia.
Once he woke up from the slumber that Rem had put him to, he instantly complained to Rem and the others who were inside the carriage.
"Hmmm~ but couldn't we have taken some of the chopped right arms with us? They were sometimes fun to use as clapping instruments! Or using the bones as toothpicks. Take it from someone who always took care of his teeth, that place had no dental hygiene at all! Well unless you count the times when Juli tried to play dentist with a hammer. What a great friend he is! Made laughing hurts though, but it was fun! Entertaining! Especially when Felix healed me so he could do it again. Ahh, such good times." He spoke fondly in remembrance.
"Oh well, nothing lasts forever." His face grew a smile. "By the way, I slipped a joke or two in there. What do you guys think? Which also reminds me! It's your turn now for a joke." He smiled excitedly as he awaited their turn.
Rem simply hugged him tighter. Tears and a look of horror on her face were in full display as he described all those things.
Beatrice listened to every word he said while feeling as if she could crack under pressure. She wanted everything to stop.
Emilia on the other hand started listing all the things she hated about herself that had something to do with Subaru. Wishing more and more how he shouldn't have met her.
The worst was when he was asleep. His eyes would often tear up and he would start to murmur things in a sad lonely voice. He was suffering even in his dreams.
"..How...long...I don't know...Innocent.. I swear I don't know... No, no I'm innocent..."
"..I'm not with them..It hurts...it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!...S-Satella, please take me away...Everything hurts... Mom and dad..."
Emilia and Beatrice were heartbroken even further. What horrors did he have to endure to the point of resorting to using that name?
Rem was even further enraged. Her hero was so far gone as to use the name of the vile Witch just to escape from his torture at the hands of his 'friends'.
Meili started to think she should kill him. It's not bad if it's a mercy kill like her sister had taught her.
It was the most painful journey they had ever experienced.
Subaru meanwhile was having the time of his life in his waking hours. Throughout the trip, he was thoroughly entertained by all the expressions they gave him. Laughing at all the good jokes the world rewarded him with. He wished his two best friends would be here to share in the joy he now felt.
Although he did really miss his cell. He looked like an excited child whenever the carriage started moving. Excited by looking at all the things he missed seeing. Trees, shrubbery, road signs, Earth Dragons, other carriages, people traveling alongside the road, most especially the sky regardless if it's day or night. It was almost as if he hadn't seen these common sights in what felt like centuries.
Interesting, he thought as he saw how colorful everything was. After spending what must have felt like years in that cell. The boredom was finally over.
He had lost count over the time he spent there. He didn't know whether it was months or years as he had died several times trying to escape that boredom. And every time he tried to escape, he would always find himself back in that cell. The only home he knew.
During the road trip, he saw a multi-colored bird that reminded him of a certain clown.
"What an amazing looking bird don't you think?" He pointed at the bird. Making some of the ones inside the carriage look at it. "Reminds me of Roschi." He said with a nostalgic look. "Ahh I can't wait to greet him like he used to greet me."
Rem started to speak up but he beat her to it.
"You know, this reminds me, did I ever tell you guys that we're two clowns playing at the fate of destiny? Between you and me, he definitely is the more clown-ish of the two. Must be the makeup. Although recently I won the clown contest without even trying! Let me tell you how." He began detailing. "I used to always scream and yell I was innocent as they fried my nerves, or tore my limbs and reattached them, or chopped my right hand bits by bits when they figured out I could regrow it. Jokes on them though! They'd always think I was pranking them when I wasn't trying to! Hahahaha! Such a victory I have over Roschi!"
He started to think back on his days in that cell. He wondered where his best friends could be, as he genuinely missed Felix and Julius.
None of them said anything. Each word he said hammered further into their already extreme feeling of guilt. Describing some of his torture like that to them made them all unable to sleep that night. They kept thinking about what else he had suffered. And that it was entirely and utterly their fault.
Emilia felt her grip on sanity loosen more and more but she had to hold strong. Her silent tears continued each time she saw the way he looked. How he was amazed at everything his eyes caught sight of. Her heart shattered once she realized she never once answered him.
'If only I told you that..Subaru. How I wish..'
Beatrice's clothes were dirtied with her tears. Her eyes were puffy on a daily basis. She started doing what Subaru would often do. Scratching her arm just to feel better.
'Say, Subaru. If I hurt myself like you used to hurt yourself.. Would you forgive me? If I hate myself and berate myself constantly.. L-Like you used to.. would that help against the guilt, I wonder?'
Rem nearly had a permanent red glow on her eyes now. She tightly gripped her hidden Morningstar until her hand started to crush the handle.
'I should have killed them! They don't deserve to breathe the same air he does, They don't deserve to live after what they did to my Hero.'
Garfiel looked at his brother with sorrow and anguish.
'Captain.. suffered through all of that? This is worse than all the horrible stories my amaz-..No.. My.. cursed.. self read in sanctuary.' Garfiel sighed heavily at the new nickname he came up with for himself. Knowing he could never call himself 'Amazin', after failing his brother like that.
Meili looked on in silence. Mister seemed to suffer a fate as bad as when Mama taught you not to fail her.
Ram's misery further deepened. She had started to silently cry whenever she knew everyone was asleep.
She would look at her sister's sleeping form, right next to Subaru's, who was clutching her Morningstar in case anyone disturbed her and Subaru's rest.
'My precious little sister hates me, Roswaal-sama is unresponsive... And now you're like this, Barusu... How do I restore you and bring back my precious little sister?' She asked herself as her red eyes drew silent tears.
=Days later=
Eventually, they reached the mansion where Subaru breathed a sigh of content. He had been thoroughly entertained throughout the trip, but he still sorely missed his friends and the cell. He was going to call dibs on the mansion's cell and hope that his friends visit him again in this new one and share in on the new pranks with him.
He thanked Satella in his mind as he saw the mansion. Out of all the gods and goddesses he prayed to, Satella was the only one who answered. He couldn't wait to release her from her seal so they could both share a good laugh. She definitely looked like she needed it the last time he saw her.
"Ahh so much fun." He said as he stepped in. A happy smile at his face as he was ready to joke with more imaginations and be entertained at their expressions. Most importantly, hear their jokes.
Author's note:
Subaru had the best prank in the last chapter. The best road trip in this one. Wholesome all around.
I originally wanted to make this as a oneshot experiment, but joker-esque Subaru is fun:P
Anyways. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!