Chapter Forty: Bonds Beyond Worlds
Wyndia sat in her chair, still and silent.
The tense atmosphere that had permeated the tent for the last few hours was about to break. Tersia heard noises coming from outside. She walked over to the tent flap and looked out.
"The camp looks busier than usual." The blonde mage commented.
It had begun to rain outside, yet the camp was bustling with activity. Wagons were being loaded. Weapons were being sharpened. It was like the dormant beast that was the military camp had suddenly awakened. And it had affected every single individual in it besides their small tent.
Wyndia heard the sounds too but still didn't say anything.
The older nun sighed. "Wyndia, please, I know you don't want to talk. But I just want to help you. Please. Is there anything I can do?"
The food she'd gotten for her a while ago was still sitting on the desk, untouched. The dog girl remained silent and didn't turn her head to look at her.
Tersia looked ready to cry from the silent treatment. "I'm sorry… I just didn't want another one of my friends to die… not after Welt and Bakta… please, Wyndia..."
Wyndia still didn't look. The silence from her continued.
The blonde-haired mage hung her head.
It was hopeless… some friend she was...
"Psst, Tersia."
The nun looked at the entrance again, and let out a small gasp. "Wha- Raphtalia, and-" But she was pulled out before she could finish her sentence.
…
...
Wyndia sighed. Were they finally choosing to leave her alone?
Her hands moved to her sides. She'd managed to untie the knots to her bindings a while ago but hadn't felt like moving.
Why?
What good would it do?
Not when they were right.
…
She had to face it. She was just getting in everyone's way. She was too weak and pathetic and stupid to do anything good for Ren. She'd really made some boneheaded mistakes recently. Now she understood in part why Naofumi had gone off the deep end for a while. She'd been just as stupid as the Shield Hero had been.
To think she couldn't forgive him before. Now she couldn't even forgive herself.
There wasn't any point in her helping out when she was incapable of helping anybody out.
They were right… they were right…
They were right.
There was nothing she could do to find Ren… nothing she could do to help him…
So why even try when all she'd do was fail...
...
The tent flap opened again, and Wyndia paused. She internally panicked, wondering if she should move her hands to a bound position again, or, or…
Odd, Tersia wasn't trying to speak to her. Wyndia turned her head to glare at the older nun, to put up some semblance of a mask to hide what she was feeling… only, her mouth hung open, and her eyes widened in surprise.
"H… Hi, Wyndia."
It was Therese.
The gem girl briefly looked down at the ground in nervousness. She wasn't sure about this. She thought that she was the last person Wyndia wanted to see right now. But then, she squared her shoulders and looked up at her friend again. "I was told about what happened."
"... Y-Y-You…" Wyndia looked shocked. For a moment, she just sat there. Amber eyes wide at the gem girl's entrance.
What, what was she- how was she... what was… how…
It wasn't possible. How was the gem girl standing here in front of her?! Wasn't she supposed to be back in her world?! Wasn't she supposed to be trying to save it and, and-
Wyndia felt a sudden rush of guilt and regret wash over her. She remembered the last time she'd seen her. What she'd said to Therese on the wave boss's carcass. How she'd called her a Bitch. How she screamed that she hated her. The destroyed look on the gem girl's face as she whispered...
"I… I truly am sorry."
How she'd then put in a lot of effort to read those scrolls. How she'd searched for a way that'd allow them to help Therese's world out. How the Spirit Tortoise had ruined everything. How… how… Ren was…
Therese walked in. She opened her mouth, unsure of what to say. Only knowing that the others had tried to help Wyndia and failed and that they were relying on her to-
"THERESE!" With a cry, Wyndia bolted out of her chair and tackled into the Gem girl.
The girl was shocked, but Wyndia wrapped her arms tightly around her and buried her face into the girl's chest. Her ears laid flat on her head. Tears dripped from her tightly closed eyes. No amount of fighting would have stopped them.
"Wahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
"Wyndia-" Therese gasped in shock.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Wyndia continued to bawl in the messiest way possible while clinging to the Gem Girl like a lifeline. "I'm sorry for what I said to you before! I don't hate you! I could never hate you!"
Therese continued to stand in shock... but then, one of her hands subconsciously moved up to the dog girl's hair, rubbing along the younger girl's french braids.
"ImissRenImisshimsomuchItreatedmyfriendslike&^%$whenalltheywantedtodowashelpmeandIblamedEclairforRen'skidnappingwhenshewasonlylookingoutforourwellbeingandIgotmyselftrappedinamonster'snestandwasalmosteatenandIstillyelledatherandRaphtaliafortryingtohelpmeandFarriewasrighttocallmeaselfishbitchsinceI'vebeenutterlyuselessthrowingallthesestupidtantrumsbecauseIfeelsohelpless!EverythingthatcouldgowrongdidgowrongandeventhoughBaktaandWeltdiedIdon'tfeelanythingaboutitbecauseallIcanthinkaboutisRenandI'masuchaterriblepersonbecauseofit! I'm garbage! I'm nothing!" Wyndia continued to cry, her words hardly intelligible as her tears left a damp spot on Therese's chestpiece.
Therese embraced her friend back at last. She didn't let her go.
It was a lot. Almost too much for any person to bear alone. Wyndia continued to bawl like a child, but Therese was there for her. She wasn't saying anything, but just by being here, she was helping her friend.
She somehow knew. Wyndia didn't need words. She didn't need help.
Right now. She needed a shoulder to cry on, and someone who'd listen. So she tried her best to listen as Wyndia's words slowed enough for her to finally understand.
"I wasn't strong enough. Even after regaining full control of Earth Vein, I… I still wasn't strong enough for him…" Wyndia sobbed. "I thought I'd finally grown strong enough to help him and my friends. But I couldn't do anything. I wouldn't have been able to help him even if I'd been there that night to protect him."
Therese began to hum.
"I wanted so badly to try. But I'm weak and pathetic. I wanted to be enough to help him, just like in the beginning when I realized I wanted to help him become the strongest hero instead of killing him. But then, Ren kept growing stronger and stronger, and, and I didn't want him chaining himself to a weak girl like me."
"I just wanted to be strong enough to be there for him. But I couldn't even be strong enough for myself when I found out he was kidnapped!"
She continued to cry, and Therese said nothing, only continuing to hold the dog girl close while humming a comforting melody. "I don't understand Therese! I don't know what to do! I just wanted to help him! I wanted him to be happy! I swear to the Gods, that's ALL I wanted to do! WHY MUST THE GODS PUNISH US LIKE THIS!? WHAT DID REN DO TO DESERVE BEING TAKEN WHILE HE WAS SUFFERING!"
"WHY COULDN'T THEY JUST LET US BE HAPPY! I JUST WANTED US TO BE HAPPY! WHY'D IT HAVE TO BE HIM AND NOT ME?!" Wyndia broke down completely into a fit of unintelligible sobs.
…
"It's okay… it's going to be okay. I'm here now. And I'm not going." Therese finally spoke, rubbing her face against Wyndia's hair.
For a while, the two stood in the tent. With Wyndia crying out everything she'd been harboring in her soul. All of her fears. All of her pain. All of her self-doubts and negativity that she'd stockpiled inside of her not only from the last week but ever since her father had been killed by the Sword Hero.
Her stubbornness had been broken. Her tsun attitude couldn't protect her heart right now. So there was nothing to stem or hold back the tide pouring out of her.
But Therese stayed. She continued to comfort her friend. She helped the smaller girl through the rough patch she was wading through as any good friend would.
…
…
...
Gradually, Wyndia's sobbing fell to crying, which fell to hiccuping, which fell to sniffling… and finally, silence. Only broken by her tears hitting the floor of the tent.
For a minute more, nothing was said. Tears continued to leak from her amber eyes.
…
…
…
"I… I miss Ren…" Wyndia finally whispered, the words of her greatest pain coming from the deepest depths of her soul. "I miss him... so much…"
"I wish… I wish that I'd been kidnapped that night instead of him…"
…
…
...
Looking down at her, Therese judged that Wyndia had cried herself out. At least, for now. Her eyes were red, and a line of snot was leaking from her nose.
Therese let her go, pulling a handkerchief from her outfit. "Here."
Wyndia took it, blowing her nose. After a little while, she looked at the gem girl again. She looked a little more composed than before. However, her eyes were still weighed down with guilt.
"I-I'm sorry…" Wyndia said sadly. "I… I hurt you before… even though I knew you didn't want to kill Ren or the others… I hurt you..."
"It's okay." Therese had a gentle smile on her face. "Looking back, I would have been surprised if you hadn't felt betrayed."
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" It was like Wyndia had ignored her. "I never should have said what I said to you." Wyndia looked down at the floor. Her lips quivered as she whimpered.
"It's okay… you don't have to apologize," Therese told her again.
"I've… I've been such a horrible person… I… I don't know what to do…" Wyndia sniffled and blew into the handkerchief again.
"... It's okay." After a moment of thought, Therese spoke again. "Your pain is real and valid. You shouldn't try to avoid it." She rested a hand on Wyndia's shoulder, and the dog girl finally looked at her again. "I don't think any less of you for what happened. And I'm sorry that it did happen. But I'm here for you. You don't have to go through this alone."
"But… but I said such hurtful things to you. To all of my other friends." Wyndia started tearing up again. "It hurts. It hurts so much Therese…"
"I wasn't enough to help him… to help anybody… I wish I could be special in the way Raphtalia and Rishia are, but I'm… I'm not… I'm just Wyndia..."
"... Not special?" Therese began to wipe the tears from Wyndia's face as she chuckled. "I'm sorry girl, but that's a lie, and you know it."
"H-How is it a lie?!" Wyndia returned to a semblance of her usual self as she glared at the older Gem Girl. "My personality is trash! My boobs are small! I'm not very tall! My… my weaknesses, my fears, my self-doubt stick around even when I'm proven wrong. I've been hurting all my friends for wanting to help me, and I've been so stupid…"
"No matter how many times I try to convince myself. No matter what others say or do. I always come back to this, Therese. I always think that I'm not special. That I'm not strong. That I'm not the girl for Ren! He told me he loved me, and I still doubt that he does! How can I not be a horrible person?!"
"What you said about yourself may be true. But I think it's obvious that Ren doesn't care." Therese firmly told her.
"And how would you know that?!" Wyndia snarkily asked.
"Didn't you say that he loved you?" Therese asked curiously. "Doesn't that imply that he told you that he loved you?"
…
Judging by the look of shock on Wyndia's face, she hadn't realized what she'd admitted to. "I don't think Ren was talking about Raphtalia and Rishia or anyone else when he said that he loved you. Do you?"
Wyndia trembled. Therese continued to hold her shoulder. "It obviously doesn't matter to me either. I knew all that about you before, and yet I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Th-that doesn't change who I am or what I'm like! I'm not the strongest girl in the jungle! I'm not some apex predator like my dad! He'd be better off with somebody else that could match him in battle! Someone like Eclair! Someone like Raphtalia! Somebody that isn't me!"
"But don't you see? He doesn't care if your chest is small. He doesn't care if you're rude or bratty or afraid or weak or whatever else you want to list about yourself. He doesn't even care if you're not the strongest girl out there."
Wyndia trembled at the look the gem girl was giving her.
"He loves you for you. You don't need to do anything to be more special to him." Therese said. "Because in his eyes, you're special because you're you."
...
Wyndia began tearing up again at that. She wanted to believe her words. She wanted to believe that Therese was right. But... "If that was true, why did Ren unlock his Curse Series?! Why didn't he come back when I tried to help him?! Why, just, WHY THERESE!?"
Where strength failed, love was supposed to prevail. So why had it failed her? Why had she failed to save Ren from himself?!
It had to be because it wasn't love! That had to be the reason! Maybe she didn't really love him, or… worse, maybe he was the one that didn't love her. Because why else would she be hurting so much from this if it wasn't because of love?
Therese moved to hold Wyndia's hands as the dog girl neared the verge of sobbing again. "I ask myself that in regards to Glass every time I think about her Cursed Series. She still had me. She still had L'Arc and so many other friends around her. But when she lost someone she cared about, she forgot even about us. And for a while there, we weren't able to reach through to her at all."
"But we still tried to help her. And eventually, she remembered that she still had people in the world who cared about her. And though she's come close, she hasn't used that Curse on anyone else ever since."
"Just because you failed this first time doesn't mean that you're weak. You're a strong girl, Wyndia. I know you are."
"But… that's only my stats." Wyndia looked down at the Hero Service Seal painted on her chest under her shirt. "If it wasn't for this-"
"That's not what I mean." Therese interrupted Wyndia, forcing her to look up again. "I know I wasn't there, but from what Eclair told me, you stood up to help your Hero. You raced to assist your teacher without being asked for help. Then, when Ren defeated Eclair, when you were fighting his Cursed Series all by yourself, you tried everything in your power to bring him back."
"But I gave up on him!" Wyndia tearfully admitted. "When I failed, when he told me I was nothing, I believed him! I stopped trying!"
"..." Therese stared. Wyndia thought she'd finally stumped the Gem Girl. That she would now believe her when she said that she was nothing. That she was worthless and of no use to anyone.
But then, Therese began to smile again, and that thought was thoroughly smashed by her next words. "If you gave up on him, then why did you work so hard to find him?"
"H-Huh..." Wyndia trailed off. She didn't have a response to what the Gem Girl had said.
"If you'd truly given up on him. Wouldn't you have wallowed around everyone like a depressed cloud instead of going out each day by yourself to search for him?" Therese asked. "Or were the others lying when they told me you were doing that?"
"But… but... but I didn't find him…" Wyndia whimpered.
"And don't you still want to try?" Therese asked.
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...
There was a long silence. The whimpering dog girl was forced to confront what Therese had said.
The gem girl remained silent. Staring down at her friend with all the love and care in the world.
...
...
...
...
...
"... how…" Wyndia eventually spoke again. "How did you help her?... How did you help Glass?"
"We didn't, really." Therese shrugged sadly. "I wish I had a cure-all for handling a hero's Cursed Series. But it's different for every hero. L'Arc and I failed several times in our attempts to try and reach her. And when we finally did, well... all we could do was help her pick up the pieces."
"She's still angry with her life. And she gets depressed whenever she thinks about our missing friend. But… we're there for her, and she knows we're there for her. Whenever she needs it. And sometimes, she's able to find something to focus on to keep her going."
"I don't think she'll ever truly get better until we find out what happened to our missing friend. But we're still there for her. And I think she appreciates that far more than she lets on." Therese smiled. Wyndia continued to whimper.
"You're a strong girl, Wyndia. You're allowed to have your fears and doubts. But I want you to know what I think. And what I think is that you won't give up on Ren. No matter what happens or what he does. You're special to him, and he's obviously special to you. I don't think you'd be hurting this much otherwise.
"I believe that if you try your best, you'll be able to accomplish far more for your Sword Hero than L'Arc and I ever did for Glass. Then what Raphtalia and Rishia are doing for their Heroes right now."
"I…" Wyndia hiccuped. "I do want to try… I do... but I don't think my best is enough for Ren. Not after… not after…"
"Whether that's true or not." Therese cupped her hand against the dog girl's cheek, and Wyndia stopped talking and looked up into the gem girl's sincere eyes. "You're still a strong, brave girl. You have more courage than me. If all of this had happened to L'Arc, I would have folded and never wanted to go outside again. But you pushed on by yourself. You've done everything in your power to look for him, even if you didn't think logically during that time. But now, you'll have your friends backing you. Including me."
Wyndia hiccuped again. "You're a good friend, and you have worth. Nothing you say will convince me otherwise. And I'll be willing to help you even if you try to push me away again."
"After all, we're friends, aren't we?"
...
As Therese's kind words sank in, Wyndia's ears flattened once more, and she buried her face in the gem girl's chest again as she started bawling. "Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Therese wrapped her arms around the dog girl in a comforting embrace.
"Wyndia… I'm allowing you tonight to cry. But starting tomorrow, you'll have to become a big strong girl again."
"You're going to work hard. Not only for your Hero but for everyone else who cares about you too.
"It's not going to be easy. But you have people who'll be there for you every step of the way. You'll show Ren that he still has people that care about him, just as you have people that still care about you."
Therese looked to the entrance of the tent and nodded, letting the dog girl go as she stepped back.
Everyone else who'd been standing there waiting in the rain rushed inside. Rishia, Raphtalia, Eclair, Tersia, Rachel, Crystal.
Wyndia continued to cry and hiccup as Therese stepped away. She wasn't even mad that they were seeing her like this. Seeing her sad and broken down.
She couldn't hide behind her walls anymore. She couldn't bottle this in.
She was hurting. And she needed her friends right now.
She needed them desperately.
"I-I'm so sorry for everything I did! Please, I know this is asking too much, I know I don't deserve anything, but please, forgive me, I need help-"
Eclair suddenly cut Wyndia off with a tight hug. Surprised, the dog girl barely heard the words the swordswoman said as tears leaked from her shining blue eyes.
"Dummy, I already forgave you."
Her amber eyes widened. Then, more tears filled them. "B-But I didn't even-"
"You didn't need to say anything. I've always wanted to help my students to be happy. And I've wanted to help you ever since Ren was taken. You just wouldn't let me.
"You were pretty stupid for a while there. But I'm here now. And I still want to help you. That's all that matters to me right now." Eclair took something out of her pocket, wrapping it around the dog girl's neck.
Looking down, Wyndia saw that it was Ren's scarf.
The swordswoman had it on her ever since the monster nest. She'd taken the time to clean the spider webs and everything else out of it so it was nice and clean.
Wyndia teared up as she held the precious cloth in her hands. 'Ren…'
"Eclair… thank you…" Wyndia sniffled as she hugged the swordswoman gratefully.
She looked around, at everyone's smiling faces. Even Tersia was smiling a little bit at last. "I… I can't hold last night against you… against any of you... I was being stupid, and stubborn, and, and you girls only wanted to protect me from myself… thank you for going so far to look out for me."
…
But even though she was already going through so much… Wyndia still saw that one person was missing. She remembered what she'd been told earlier that day.
"I'm grateful. I really am. You all really wanted to help me… even though I didn't want any help, and even though I hurt you..." Wyndia's hands fell at her sides. The scarf came loose from around her neck.
"But… there's someone else who needs your help more than me right now."
"..."
Wyndia was met with silence.
"Wh-What do you mean?" Raphtalia asked. She was starting to frown.
"I… I've been selfish," Wyndia admitted. "I made you all worry for me… but there's someone else who has been hurting more… more than me…" She took the scarf off from around her neck. And then, because she was listening to what was around her once again, she walked over to the opposite tent flap, and opened it.
...
A light green-haired girl stood there. She'd been listening in on them for all that time and was now wet from the rain because of it. The other girls stared.
"Farrie…?" Tersia whispered in confusion.
Upon being discovered, Farrie's face paled, and she looked afraid.
"Wasn't she…" Crystal trailed off.
"Oh no…" Rachel murmured.
It was probably then that the others finally realized it. The light green-haired girl was very sad and very alone. These last few days hadn't been kind to her. She'd definitely lost weight, and her eyes were tinged with red. Her hair was stuck to her head, wet from the falling rain. The remains of tear tracks rested on the sides of her face.
The bubbly, carefree girl… the one they hadn't observed closely the last few days… was suffering. Cold, and alone.
"I was a terrible friend, wasn't I?" Wyndia asked her sadly as she approached the girl. She grabbed Farrie by the hand and gently led her out of the cold night air and into the warm tent.
The younger nun fell to her knees. Fresh tears began to fall down the sides of her face.
"I… I wasn't… no, I mean…" Farrie began to tremble.
She hadn't known. She hadn't known everything Wyndia had been struggling with. To think she'd yelled at her earlier for being selfish when… when she'd been going through so much...
Suddenly, Wyndia wrapped Ren's scarf around the young mage's neck and Farrie froze in place. "I'm sorry." Wyndia smiled apologetically. "I wasn't the only one who lost somebody I cared about that day. And I should have cared more about Bakta and Welt than I did.
"I'm sorry, Farrie. I've been a terrible friend.
"It isn't much, but I was comforted every time I wore this scarf. It helped me to think of him and his smile every time I hugged it. I know it's not from Bakta, but I hope you feel the same thing I did."
"W… Wyn…" Farrie began to break down into a fit of sobs as she collapsed down onto the ground.
"I'm so sorry for yelling at you earlier… I was being such a selfish bitch..."
"... It's ok." Wyndia got on her knees, lifting Farrie up just a little bit before hugging her. "I was being a selfish bitch too."
The girl began to bawl harder than before as she hugged the bawling dog girl back. Water dripped off her onto the floor of the tent.
"I'm sorry," Wyndia whispered again. "You're my friend. And I should have looked out for you."
"I… should have been there for you too." Farrie tearfully said. "I should have helped... I should have cared."
Tersia, heartbroken at seeing her younger sister in so much pain, joined the hug as well. Everybody else followed one by one. Gradually forming a large group hug with the two young girls at the center.
To think, all those times Tersia had snapped at Farrie… all those times she'd tried to get her to care for the others. She'd been ignoring Farrie's own pain all along. Believing that the younger nun was stronger than she actually was. Believing that her little sister was strong enough to shoulder not only her grief but Tersia's too.
Tersia hugged her little sister more tightly. Her tears of guilt cascaded down the sides of her face. To think she'd blindingly ignored her plight for so long...
She swore she would never make such a terrible mistake in her life ever again.
"Tersia… can you forgive me for being a horrible sister?" Farrie suddenly asked.
Tears still fell from Tersia's eyes as she gave a light-hearted laugh. "I'm the one who's supposed to be asking you that, you dummy."
Farrie laughed. Others in the group also laughed weakly, including Wyndia. "Please, forgive me. I promise I won't neglect you ever again." Tersia said.
"Ok, just… if I ever develop a crush again, help me get together with him. Ok?" Farrie said back.
"Deal." Even if it ended up costing her a relationship with someone else, Tersia would help her younger sister first.
She deserved that much and more.
"Eclair, I already said it once, but I'm really sorry for breaking your sword." Wyndia addressed the knight next to her.
"And I already told you that it fulfilled its purpose. There's no need to apologize for it." Eclair lectured. "I will hear no more about it from you."
"O… Okay…" Wyndia smiled a little, her gaze then moving to the two girls she'd been so jealous of for a long, long while.
"Raphtalia, Rishia, I'm sorry for being jealous of you two. I just saw the way you helped your heroes, and the way they treated you, and your assets are so much better than mine, and… and I just wanted the same thing you two had." Wyndia admitted.
"It's fine." Raphtalia smiled. "Just know that I'm not perfect. I still make mistakes. But even if we're completely different, I'll still help you with Ren whenever you need it."
"T-Thank you." Wyndia nearly broke down crying again.
"Fueh? I still don't understand why you'd be jealous of me, Wyndia. Me and Itsuki don't have anything special going on. I'm just his friend and try to help him when he needs it…" The green-haired girl mumbled sadly.
At first, Wyndia thought Rishia had made a horrible attempt at a joke. But then, she realized, the girl was actually being serious…
Wyndia groaned internally. She felt like she was having flashbacks to that time when she learned that Raphtalia didn't know about sex! Goddamnit, were both Itsuki and Rishia denser than the Spirit Turtle's shell or something?!
There were more laughs, cries, apologies, and good times shared by the group of girls who spent the night together in that tent. It seemed largely empty before but now it felt almost cramped with everyone else there. But in a cozy way.
It was fun, and nobody wanted to go.
When Dou-Lon came to tell Eclair and Raphtalia that Naofumi was almost done cooking dinner, he was shocked to see the small gathering inside the tent. After receiving the subsequent head chop that the rose-haired swordswoman gave him for trying to interrupt their bonding time, the bakako was firmly kicked out of the tent and told not to bother them unless the world was ending.
For once, even though Ren wasn't nearby, Wyndia was able to sleep peacefully that night, with Therese and the others hugging each other close… and Ren's scarf wrapped comfortably around her neck once again.
Sometime during their moment of camaraderie, it had passed from Farrie back to her. It now helped with protecting her from the chill of the night... and the loneliness that had been aching her soul.
Ren, her Hero… the boy she was somehow stupid enough to be in love with… the boy who was still somewhere out there… suffering… alone...
…
Wyndia missed him. The pain of his absence… the pain of knowing he needed help, badly... she couldn't bear to feel something like this in her life ever again.
She still had fears and doubts about her self-worth in the back of her mind. It would probably be a long time before she ever truly overcome them. If she ever did so.
But... Wyndia finally had real, genuine hope.
Her mind was clear at last. This experience had only made her more determined to find him. To help him.
But… not by herself. She'd realized that she couldn't do this by herself anymore. That had been selfish of her, and very stupid.
Everyone else has been hurt by what'd happened. Now that they'd acknowledged that hurt, they could work to move on and help each other. Whether by finding Ren, or dealing justice to the bastard that'd caused all of this to happen. Preferably both, if Wyndia had her way.
She'd been told before they went to sleep what'd they'd learned. About why Therese was there. About the plan for tomorrow. About Kyo, the name of Ren and Motoyasu's kidnapper.
Knowing the name of their enemy… the name of the person who'd awakened the Spirit Tortoise. Who'd caused the deaths of Welt and Bakta. Who'd kidnapped Ren at the height of his suffering. Who'd put her, Farrie, and the others through all this pain.
...
Wyndia felt a strange determination.
She'd had this line of thought before. However, this time, she began to truly steel every part of her for what was to come. Even the part that still doubted if she actually could do this or not.
Tomorrow, she resolved to start again.
They were going to find Ren. And after they kicked the Book Hero's butt and rescued Ren and the Spear Hero, she'd tell him the words that she wanted to say to him for so long. Words that reflected what Raphtalia had told Naofumi long ago. And what Rishia had told Itsuki recently.
'I'm here for you! We're all here for you! You hear me Ren?! I'll love you no matter what, even when you can't love yourself!'
Nothing was going to stop her from telling him those words. Not even herself. She wasn't going to wait for the perfect moment. She wasn't going to rely on her mother's fairy tales.
She was going to be a dragon. She was going to grow up and help the Sword Hero out.
She'd reach through Ren's sadness to his heart. No matter what.
She was Wyndia. The daughter of Gaelion, the mighty dragon emperor. The companion of the Sword Hero. Fighting alongside him and the other Heroes to save her world from the Waves of Catastrophe alongside their friends.
She couldn't fail.
…
…
No...
She wouldn't fail.
"..."
The Sword Hero was floating in the air…
No, that wasn't quite right…
He was standing on air…
…
No, that wasn't quite right either…
…
It didn't matter to him either way. His eyes were sunk low. His body sagged limply against whatever this cage was.
"Ren, come on man, get a hold of yourself! We need to figure out a way to get out of here!"
Ren's eyes glanced to the side at the noise. In a similar crystalline cage just like his, Motoyasu was looking at him. His spear was encased in crystal, just like Ren's sword. Keeping them from being able to use their weapons.
Ah, that was what their cage was. Crystal. Not air, not stone. It was solid, see-through crystal.
Not that it'd prevented the Spear Hero from trying to escape. But it was pointless. Where would they go? What would they do? It was pointless to resist.
"Hey, Ren! Are you listening to me?!"
…
Ren's eyes fell down again without any response.
"Ren…" Motoyasu stared at his catatonic little brother in sadness. To think, when he'd been captured, he hadn't known if he'd ever see the other Heroes ever again. But then to see Ren again, only for him to be this destroyed…
As the Spear Hero pondered on this, a figure appeared outside of the crystalline prison down below. Motoyasu scowled as he recognized their kidnapper. "You bastard! I'm going to make shish kebab out of you for what you did to Ren when we get out of here!"
"When you get out of there? Ha! Don't make me laugh. As if a buffoon like you would ever manage that." Kyo smirked up at the trapped Spear Hero. "Just be a good little battery and sit tight for now. The show is going to begin soon."
The place that all of them were currently in was the core room of the inner Tortoise. The gathering place for all the soul energy the Tortoise had accumulated. It was a large white room with a tall ceiling and walls seemingly cast out of marble. It would have been easy to mistake it for some grand man-made structure if it wasn't for the faint pulsating glowing veins that ran throughout the walls, ceiling, and floors that cast the area in an otherworldly faint green light as they all coalesced at the core.
"What the hell do you want from us anyway?!" Motoyasu yelled. "And why do you keep calling us batteries!?"
"You still haven't figured it out after spending nearly a week here watching me work?" Kyo asked mockingly. "Damn, you must be even dumber than I thought, and believe me, that's a major achievement!"
"And what, pray tell, was I supposed to figure out during this last week?" Motoyaus snorted. "That you're some crazy nutcase who keeps talking to himself and giggling at nothing at times while waving his hands around like a deranged maniac? Cause I knew that already from the moment I laid my eyes on you! Who the hell dresses like that anyway? Have you never heard about this thing called fashion?".
The Book Hero's eyes flared at the insult. But a second later, he was calmly smirking at the Spear Hero once again. "Heh, you know what? Fine. Do you want to know why you're considered a battery so badly? Then let me attempt to educate you in a way that even your single-digit IQ mind can understand."
"I'm using my power to take control of this damn turtle. And to ensure that it won't fall again, I'm going to use the power in your legendary weapons to give this Gamera-wannabe a significant power boost. You thought that its regeneration speed was crazy before? Hahaha! Just wait until this thing starts moving again! That's why you're batteries! You only exist as conduits for the power that will help me gather every single soul from this planet!" Kyo threw his hands out in theatrical fashion before continuing.
"Yes… It won't be long now. By this time tomorrow, that army out there will be completely wiped out, and there'll be nothing powerful enough to stop me!" Kyo began to laugh like a mad scientist as he finished his speech.
It took a while, but the Book Hero eventually realized something. There was someone else's laughter besides his own sounding in the room.
Looking up, Kyo found that Motoyasu was the source of that laughter. "What's so funny?!" The Otherworlder asked angrily.
"Ahahahaha! Ahhh, I just can't help it. Are you sure that I'm the one who's the idiot here?" Motoyasu asked, smiling widely at the fuming Book Hero before continuing.
"You know, you're probably right that I can't escape these fancy crystal bindings of yours." Motoyasu's smile turned to a devious grin. "So it's fortunate that I won't have to."
"Wh-What the hell are you talking about?!" Kyo demanded when realization suddenly came to his face and he smirked again. "Ah, you think that someone will save you? Too bad, your comrades are-"
"-on their way home to kick your &^%." Motoyasu interrupted with a laugh, making the Book Hero grimace. "What, do you really expect me to believe that Itsuki and Naofumi would die that easily?" Motoyasu stared down hard through his crystal prison. "You might have Ren convinced that they're dead. But I know those two well enough to know that they wouldn't die so easily."
"Mark my words, 'book hero', those two will march in here with all our friends. And when they do, they're going to kick your sorry little &^% so hard that it'll switch places with your brain. And if you're lucky, that just might fix some of those loose screws in your hea-"
Motoyasu's crystal prison suddenly electrified him. The Spear Hero nearly bit his tongue from the sudden punishment. When it was over, he was left hanging, breathing heavily inside the crystal.
"Do get used to it." Kyo spat out spitefully. "You'll be experiencing that every waking second for the rest of your worthless life until my task is done."
Despite the pain, Motoyasu continued to smile defiantly. "Adding that to the list. Heh, man, the anticipation is gonna drive me crazy at this rate. It's a good thing that I made sure to buy a recording crystal early on in this world. The image of your face, when you get your comeuppance, will be worth millions to the people of this world."
Kyo activated the prison again, and Motoyasu was shocked into unconsciousness this time. He then glared at the Sword Hero, as if daring him to speak.
But Ren didn't look at him.
He merely hung there, silently… doing anything… only focused on his regrets...
'Itsuki… Naofumi… Welt… Bakta… … Eclair… … …'
'Wyn…' Tears entered Ren's eyes again. 'Wyndia…'
They fell silently against the inner crystalline wall.
'I'm sorry… I'm so, so, sorry…'
Kyo laughed at Ren's pain. He wouldn't have to deal with the Sword Hero like the Spear Hero. He couldn't wait until that blonde pretty boy would finally break too. Then, he wouldn't be annoyed by the rest of this task ever again.
However, as he got to focus on the remaining things that needed to be calibrated before the Tortoise was to wake, he felt… ... a certain feeling starting to gnaw on him. And this annoyed him greatly. For there was no feeling that was more irrational than 'fear'.
"Kicking my butt?" Kyo muttered to himself quietly. "I'll show you who is gonna kick who you smooth brains," Kyo muttered.
He double-checked, then triple-checked his calculations for the power outputs of the Tortoise. He checked to make sure that the new familiars were ready. He then looked at the camp through a crystal ball to make sure that everything was still in place. It looked like the camp was preparing for war.
That wasn't a good sign. His face paled. "No, they couldn't have…"
He scowled again. How annoying it was that he was actually feeling afraid of those lowly animals down below. Every rational part of his brain knew that this world's heroes wouldn't stand a chance against the powered-up tortoise. But what if… no! He had contingencies in place! He'd made sure to hide the entrance that led deeper into the Tortoise! And even if they did reach the heart, there was no way they knew how to open the passage to the core room from there! And if all else failed… heh. Well, without that lanky black-haired loser there to fight on their side, they would be crushed into paste.
They were doomed. Nothing could stop him!… so why… why did he feel so afraid?
05:00:00
04:59:59
04:59:58
Whatever, in five hours, it wouldn't matter anyway.
He'd wipe that entire camp off the map, and make sure that the two heroes there would die as well. To hell with his original plans to capture them too.
The sooner it happened, the better off he'd be.
The following morning, Wyndia was out of the tent first. She felt very much refreshed as she stepped outside. It was still raining, but not as hard as last night.
The difference for her was night and day. Yesterday, the dog girl had resigned herself to being nothing more than a footnote in a tragic story. Now, she was dressed in her armor, her katana in its sheath, ready to march into the Spirit Tortoise and find her hero. His signature scarf was still around her neck. It felt good wearing it.
It felt like a physical reminder of what she'd promised the night before.
'This time…' She promised. 'This time, it'll work.' She'd kept the same mindset she'd made last night, a good sign. She had to hold to it at all costs. If she wavered, it could very well cost more than just Ren's life.
A despondent Blue stood nearby, ready to pull their carriage. She was able to tell that the Filolial was despondent because he didn't do any of his teasing or anything like normal upon seeing her. He was also dripping wet from standing outside all night.
"Hey…" Wyndia walked up to the Filolial, and in a bizarre twist of events, began stroking along his neck. Blue's head snapped to her in surprise.
"Don't worry, we'll find him. I know it." Wyndia said.
"Gwah?..."
"You miss him too. I get it. So do I. So how about we go and get him back together, ok?" Wyndia said in a surprisingly gentle voice.
Gwah..." Blue perked up a little bit. "Gwah!" Wyndia smiled a little. To think she was cheering a Filolial up...
Blue then shook himself rapidly, sending all the water resting in his wings all over the dog girl. "Gah! What was that for?!" She fumed in anger.
"Gwahahahah!" Was this stupid monster laughing at her?! To think she'd been crazy enough to have a bonding moment with this abomination!
Blue started rubbing his head against Wyndia, and the dog girl pushed it away. "No, I'm mad at you now!" She crossed her arms and turned away.
"Gwah!"
"Hmph. You should have thought before you acted, dumb bird." Wyndia snarked.
"GWAH!" Blue definitely sounded offended.
Oh well, they were both ready to go now. All they had to do was wait for the others to get ready, then the Heroes would come to gather them, and then they'd be off to… to...
Odd, it'd stopped raining. There was also a series of ominous, high-pitched whistles sounding from above. Other people in the camp were tiredly coming out of their tents in the early morning, wondering what the noise was.
Looking up, Wyndia saw the clouds up above rushing away from them. As odd as that was, she also noticed something falling from the sky. A series of somethings, actually.
'What the… is that a meteor shower?'
It didn't look like meteors. As the falling objects came closer, they looked more like falling black spikes. The morning sun reflected off their pristine, polished bodies that had sharp angular edges to them. There was a strange otherworldly beauty to them as if they were made out of volcanic glass. Wyndia almost felt transfixed on them as they fell in a circle around the… the...
"▂ ▂ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▃ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▄ ▅ ▅ ▅ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ !"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
And just like that, the horizon of a new day turned into fire.
Author's Notes:
HELLLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LN 7 Tortoise! I was wondering when the hell you'd get up off your lazy fat butt!
Did you know that a week is the amount of time it takes for the Spirit Tortoise to revive itself unless you somehow manage to deal with Kyo beforehand? Well, now you know.
This is going to be fun. Time to jump on the train ride that will be the rest of this arc.
Annoying is One of His Best Qualities
"Alright, I'm coming! I'm coming!" Naofumi yelled at Mirellia.
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Motoyasu suddenly burst into the tent with a maddening cackle.
Unfortunately, he was dragged back into the fourth wall seconds later, unable to do anything more.
The scene went on as normal as if Motoyasu had never appeared.
"Tell her I'm coming," Naofumi told the Shadow.
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Motoyasu suddenly burst through the roof once again. This time, a clearly visible hand grabbed him by the back of his collar, forcefully pulling him back to wherever he was coming from-
"HA, THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID-" The unmeant innuendo from the narrator gave Motoyasu strength, almost helping him to escape.
But alas, he was pulled back in, and the scene progressed normally from there too. A pity...
Odd, it'd stopped raining. There was also a series of ominous, high pitched whistles sounding from people in the camp were tiredly coming out of-
"That's what-"
"No! I said get back here!" Kyo screamed in frustration as he tried to restrain the Spear Hero with a small mountain's worth of magical paper sheets. "Stop being so annoying with this!"
"NO! WHERE THERE'S A HOLE THERE'S A WAY!" Motoyasu roared in defiance.
Wyndia stared up above in confusion at what was going on. The Spear Hero was enveloped in a paper storm.
"Get, back here!" Kyo screamed.
"NO, I SAY, I WILL FIGHT TILL THE BITTER END-" At last, Motoyasu was forcefully dragged back to the Book Hero's lair.
"What… what the…"
Wyndia tiredly rubbed her eyes.
Maybe this was just a sign that she needed more sleep. The last few days had been stressful after all.
She turned around, coming into the-
"THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!" Motoyasu burst through the fourth wall again.
"GAHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Never would the Book Hero meet someone as annoying as Motoyasu again.
And honestly, that was why we love Motoyasu.
May you continue annoying the antagonist with your stupid jokes until Naofumi saves your butt, you precious blonde simp you.
Till Next Time
Allen