The Palace was closer then ever, he could see it.
He felt somewhat faster as he ran, and the desire to see Savannah's smiling face again fuelled him onward. Even though it was only a short amount of time, it was the closest he'd even been to being loved by someone.
And that's all he wanted, and all he needed, to be happy.
Fern had gone against Safroth's orders and swum through the throng of people through the lower-levels of the Palace, now extremely loud and bustling with hurrying people, officials yelling and people being lined up and accounted for.
She had spent a long time trying to find her mother, and she was already tired as it was.
That's when suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a plump, chubby woman being rushed outside with the first wave of evacuations.
"Mum!!"
Her mother would never have heard her over the yells, but Fern smiled slightly. At least her mother was safe. She was on the first fleet of evacuations, and for that, Fern was content.
She turned to hurry back to the upper levels, but found it too hard to get to the back.
An officer yelled, "You there! Get back in line!"
"I'm supposed to be higher-up!!"
"What!?"
"HIGHER-UP! MAIDSERVANTS!"
The officer eyed her suspiciously for a moment, then pointed to a crowd of people, "MAKE WAY, EVERYONE! STOP CROWDING AROUND; THIS IS AN EMERGENCY! MAKE WAY!"
Fern bowed quickly and mouthed a thank you before rushing back off to the upper levels where the highest in the Palace were being accounted for and briefed.
Fern was supposed to be with Eleanore, but decided against it, as she might annoy her again. She was going to be with the special guests.
"Uhh... Who are the special guests, by the way?" asked the evacuation officer politely.
Eleanore looked up from her thought, "O-Oh, Siberius! Where is he!?"
Safroth shrugged, "Bowen's probably got him so-"
The doors opened, and Bowen came inside, accompanied by a High Officer, who quickly bowed and left, and Tactics Co-ordinator Jeral, another who would accompny Eleanore's private evacuation team.
"Bowen, did you see Siberius?" Safroth asked.
"Huh? N-No..."
Safroth turned back to Eleanore.
"...We have to find him," Eleanore spoke.
Bowen, embarrassed and uncomfortable about being near Eleanore, spoke up, "I-I'll go look for him right away."
Eleanore sighed as he made his way out of the room.
Eleanore raised her head, "How is the Demon suspect going?"
"Hmm?" Jeral asked, putting down a teacup that he had brought in with him, "Oh. We haven't kept track due to the emergency but I'm sure the situation's fine."
Eleanore frowned, "Of course..."
Safroth bowed, "I should be letting the first fleet go then."
Eleanore smiled once more and nodded, "As you do, Safroth."
He left.
Eleanore really hated formalities.
As he got closer to the Palace, the buildings gradually became more spaced apart and larger, and it was harder for him to stick to shadows. No-one would think a little orphan boy running around barefoot with ash, burn marks and bleeding was okay. Anyone would be immediately suspicious of something.
And he wanted no suspicion, though he was just being stubborn to the truth, which was that soon enough he would probably die or kill in the process in order to feel love.
It hadn't even occured to him that maybe by doing so, Savannah would lose her love for him...
The evacuations units began hurrying through the streets, all from the Palace Gates.
At first, Rine was in horror, fearing them to be tanks, but soon he realised they had no weapon systems visible on them.
He was still cautious as they passed, and as soon as they were gone, he moved in closer to the Palace.
His heart raced. He was nearly there.
What would happen when he arrived was all another story.
Savannash continued walking forward, finally feeling a little more comfortable after being freed from her room.
There were no guards about, when she heard a few before...
Where is everyone...? And where is Rine...?She swung around to see Siberius and Montecore.
"Why are you still following me?" Savannah demanded, "If you're gonna make yourself useful, tell me where Rine is."
"Rine? Is that..."
"The boy... My son is Rine, the one I was with when I saw you."
"Wh...what?" He burst out, almost giggling at the remark, he stuttered for a few moments, trying to hold back the confusion,
"What're you talking about!? How could he? You don't even remember being with me at all, and I surely don't remember Rine!" He yelled in a confused, yet righteous tone.
"If you're gonna laugh about it, you can stay out of my life. I'm sorry, whoever you are, but you're too late to want to find me now. I waited and waited for someone to help me, to come into my life and tell me who I was, and y'know what? It never happened.
Link was the only one good to me, and he's a tiger for crying out loud! Don't try to break in and ruin happiness when I've finally found it! You're a terrible, terrible person!"
Siberius tried to find the right words, she was hurtful, very hurtful, he had been searching for her forever... Her AND Montecore, whom she seemed to know as 'Link'... To be told that no-one had ever looked for her was like pins piercing his skin.
It hurt him to talk, and through a quiet, tear-filled voice, he said some very powerful words...
"...You don't even know what happened... How long I looked for you... How much I cared about
you.... How much I loved you... You don't even know what it feels to lose everything, EVERYTHING you ever cared about, and then to get a second chance with them and be told by THEM, that I never looked for them.
Every night, I looked out towards the skies and searched for you, wondering where you were..."
All the while, Savannah contained her personal annoyance.
You obviously didn't search enough.She felt somehow sorry to see him like this, but she spun around.
"...I... I know I used to know you. I know you used to know me. But the Savannah you once knew is better off dead. I don't remember her, anyway. I don't even re-"
Bowen turned the corner, having the worst possible timing, "S-Siberius!"
Siberius turned around, his eyes watering, teetering on a breakdown.
"Huh?" he looked from Savannah to Siberius, to Montecore.
He had seen Savannah once before... In the Phoenix, when he and Recko faced Sei. She was there, and Siberius too. He hadn't seen Siberius in a long time, and the news of his arrival back in the Palace was surprising indeed...
Then it occured to him that a lot of strange events had happened so close together...
Siberius looked distraught, "A-Are you... Nevermind! We have to evacuate, guests are top priority! You'll be travelling with Eleano-I mean, the Empress' evacs! So hurry!"
Savannah raised her head, "Does that include me?"
"No-one mentioned you... Sorry..."
"I'm a guest, aren't I?"
Bowen frowned, "I guess. Come with me."
Siberius stayed a fair distance behind as they rushed down to the meeting room.
To be honest, if that was the way Savannah felt about him, Siberius wouldn't mind if the entire Palace
did come toppling down on him.
He didn't feel like
rushing anywhere.
The Palace was bathed in light, but Rine was surprised to see that there were hardly as many guards as usual stabnding outside it, however more of the unarmed vehicles gathered.
One in particular had quite a beautiful design, and to Rine's demise, was flanked by two armoured tanks, however he didn't think they were meant for him somehow..
They seemed somewhat ceremonial.
Would he be able to make it inside?
He bit his lip and felt the myst around him.
Now was his only chance...
The door burst open and Bowen returned, followed by Savannah and moments later by Montecore and then Siberius.
"Did you find him?" Eleanore questioned, having yet raised her head.
But when she did, she was focusing not on Bowen, nor Siberius or Montecore, but on Savannah.
"...What!?"
Savannah looked shocked. She quickly bowed, unsure of etiquette.
"S-Savannah... You should be locked away!"
Bowen looked shocked and turned towards her.
"Well, umm, I'm sorry, that idiot let me out!" Savannah indicated toward Siberius.
Siberius protested, "I was searching all the rooms! It's an evacuation, how're we supposed to just leave people there!?"
Eleanore sighed, "...You're right. Please have Savannah escorted by the military. She'll be leaving in the third fleet."
Safroth nodded, "Yes."
Siberius sighed and looked at Savannah once more, who who caught his eye for a moment before tearing away.
Why did she forget? Why can't she remember... Montecore... He's the 'link' that connects us... If there's someway I can...High Officer Loren entered the room and saluted, "Your evacuation vessels are prepared."
Safroth nodded and waved his hand, "Thank you, Loren. We'll be right down."
He finished writing something on a piece of paper and stood, "Let's hurry, then."
The group was escorted by numerous guards and military down to the lower levels. It was mostly deserted save for certain groups of people and workers who were held back by military.
Savannah felt out-of-place. She didn't like to stand out. She prefered it when she was a nobody - free to roam and not be noticed, although she wished she was noticed sometimes... But only by someone with whom she can trust, and someone with whom she could share love.
They finally arrived at the Palace gates and soldiers gathered on the outside of the Palace.
Rine saw this and cursed, "There's so many...
...I have to..
I have to do it now!"
Eleanore had only just exited the building, and breathed in the fresh air, when suddenly someone called out.
She moved her head, as she'd always done as a soldier, towards the direction of the call.
A dark object moved quickly up through the Palace grounds and towards the stairs.
Eleanore cursed loudly, and yelled, "Everyone duck! GET SAVANNAH OUT OF HERE!"
From the inside of the building, Savannah heard this, and only tried to get outside more.
Rine!?Siberius reached out and grabbed her wrist.
She swung around and stared at him, "LET ME GO! LET ME GO, HE'S MY SON!!!"
"He's not your son, Savannah! If he's a Demon, then trust me when I tell you
he's the reason for your memory loss!"
Her eyes widened for a moment.
Then shots rang out, and she ducked instictively.
Montecore growled and moved in behind her, nudging her forward. She fell forward more as urged, and fell into Siberius' arms.
She despised it there, but suddenly she felt warm and comfortable... Suddenly...
She could feel a time when maybe she'd been happy...
But it didn't seem quite right.
Rine dodged the impending shots with ease, the amplified myst inside his body allowing him to move about more swiftly and deftly then before.
He rushed around the group and blew open a hole in the great wall of the Palace Entrance.
He skidded inside.
Where would she be!? Where would they keep her!?He swung his head around, people quivering all throughout the large entrance room, when he spotted Savannah metres away from himself, in Siberius' arms, staring at him with fear in her eyes.
It took no words to break Rine's heart.
He felt somewhat jealous of Siberius, even though the love he felt for Savannah was that of a son to his mother, not a lover. And the fear in her eyes only strengthened this heartbreak.
He was at a loss for words, he had no idea what to say.
Suddenly, all at once, the pains in his back became stronger. He didn't know what to do. He didn't feel like crying. He just felt as if fate were against him somehow.
He felt as though the world was out to get him.
A roar broke him from his daydream, as Montecore, a blur, pounced on him swiftly.
He cried out in shock as he collapsed on the ground behind him.
Montecore raised a paw, but all at once Rine felt hurt from him. It was in his presence. It felt just as it did when he was with Siberius.
He knew what to do. Rine summed up the myst around him in a single bubble, and forced it unto Montecore, sending him spinning.
Rine scrambled back up, but Montecore got up just as easily; seemingly unharmed by his attack.
Siberius stared at Rine.
...So that's it!
That's..."The myst!" he yelled suddenly, pulling himself away from Savannah's nostalgic touch, and raising himself up.
Rine's eyes seemed like that of a wild animal as he swung his head to Siberius.
Siberius pulsed a bolt of aura towards Rine, who instinctively grabbed it with the myst, but it just caused a midair explosion.
Siberius remembered this happening when he fought Sei, how the myst and the aura contradicted and disliked each other.
Rine shot a bullet-sized section of myst at Siberius, which caused him to topple over with surprising strength.
Rine swung his gaze back to Savannah, who was edging away from him, her eyes more frightened than ever.
"...Mother!?"
She screamed, "DEMON!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM!? TO ME!?"
"What!? ...Mother, they took you from me! They-"
"GO AWAY! GO AWAY! GO AWAY!!!"
Rine felt shattered inside.
...They poisoned you, mother. Siberius poisoned you with his untruthful words, didn't he?Something in his heart told Rine he knew this would happen. That he should have already known the full extent of the consequences that would be thrown upon him by his acts.
He felt defeated, yet... Without defeat.
Soldiers took this opportunity to storm back into the room, confused and unknowing.
One of the High Officers entered also, "Fire! It's a threat!!"
It?The soldiers did as they were commanded, and gunshot rang out once more. Rine grew tired of this. They didn't learn.
He flung his arm in the direction of the bullets, feeling them all and sending them back where they came from. Soldiers cried out and toppled over. One fell next to Eleanore, bloodied yet alive, and Eleanore closed her eyes.
Not again, please not again...Bowen raised himself up and yelled. He retrieved the weapon from the fallen soldier and burst into the entrance room.
He was an ace shot, probably best in the dawn team. Anybody that knew him would've known that.
He fired.
Rine had no time to react. he was hit twice in the right arm, he screamed and cried as he did. Bowen fired again, but this time, Rine reflected the bullets with his left arm. Bowen dodged them hastily, his eyes never leaving Rine.
The weapon was ammoless, but Bowen rushed forward.
Rine darted off to the side, clutching his right him with his left, and burst through another door.
The Palace was a labyrinth to him, people were everywhere, confused faces to boot.
He rushed to the nearest window and blew it open from afar, before leaping onto it's sill.
The pain in his back was intense now, and he felt blood begin to stream from them almost endlessly, as if the wound had only grown bigger and bigger. It stung and burned.
Why me? Why... Why all this to me? I didn't ask for... Any of it... I don't want power... All I need... Is...Bowen yelled as people crowded around the window, "All of you MOVE!"
Quickly they did so, but Rine was already gone.
Using the myst as support, he leapt to arches on the Palace until he felt he could safely climb the rest of the way, even in his position.
His goals were destroyed, everything gone. His only last happiness would be to die in the most beautiful way he could imagine.
And after his entire life he knew had been commanded and controlled by others - he wasn't going to let his death end the same way.
Montecore growled and followed Bowen. Siberius, bleeding from a tiny wound in his skin, rushed to comfort Savannah, who drew away from him as he came closer, "Just... Just go. Stay away from me... PLEASE!"
Siberius thought... Maybe she was right.
Eleanore felt terrible inside. After everything she vowed, everything she promised and dreamed for... After all at, it was worth nothing.
She wished she could find peace just once - atone by making others smile.
And now... She dreaded that the price of peace was far too high for her to burden. And for that, she was worthless. Worthless to her people and herself...
Fern sat with Violet, who had been allowed to tag along, and she hugged her close.
Her heart raced with confusion and terror.
She didn't know what was going on, but... She knew it wasn't good.
She just wanted to make sure... That everyone else was safe first.
The day was still dark, but it felt like sunrise would be just around the corner.
Central was truly beautiful from up high. The dark night sky still hung over it, as he stood looking over everything below him.
He saw the tiniest of blurs below him scrambling about.
He bled all over; he felt as if his entire being was in pain.
The pain in his back and the bleeding just got worse and worse. He rested his back against the giant spire on the tower, and suddenly felt something unusual.
Turning his head to a glance, he notice two bloodied and dark limbs hanging from his back...
...Wings? ...Whose are these?He stood and used his hurtful breaths to speak to himself, as if someone were actually there listening to him, "...Does this prove it, now? I'm a demon?"
The wind pressed against his face, it felt nice despite the pain.
"I'm... Not a demon. It's... Not that I'm different... Is it really... Me?"
Please...He couldn't tell whether it was his imagination or the wind that replied, but he smiled.
"No-one will ever love me... A life without love... What is it worth living, huh?"
The wind picked up; he stood at the edge of the Palace tower.
The blood had stopped spilling as these 'wings' had settled down on his back. He hated them. He hated himself. Perhaps he was a demon on the outside, but what humanity had failed to see, in that case, was that inside, he was quite the opposite.
Humans are not capable..."I don't... Belong here..."
....
"What's it worth; living this life... Of pleasures and desires...? They're all... Gonna be taken... In the end... Anyway."
Bowen returned to her side, and she felt glad to be with him, though her face didn't say that much.
Guards crowded Eleanore, and she stood.
"Wait. I can't go inside yet. What about the evacuation? The Palace is still a danger."
Bowen put his arms around her, "Eleanore, smile."
"Bowen... The land... This... This is..."
"We don't know anything for sure, Elle," a familiar voice spoke.
Bowen turned to see Safroth rushing down the stairs, and nodded, "Yeah. We don't know what this means..."
Safroth smiled, "Don't jump to conclusions... What if... Perhaps... His intentions aren't that bad?"
Bowen frowned, "Not likely... He's hurt too many people in his acts... And his acts alone tell us he means trouble."
Safroth wasn't sure. He admittedly felt jealous about Bowen and Eleanore, but inside of him somewhere... He felt glad that she had someone. Someone other than himself.
As long as she was happy...
He allowed himself to fall, tugged by the wind, and he felt a mixture of emotions inside as he did.
The world, a flurry. His memories? Well, he had none really.
He must have felt something, though, because he cried.
And it's quite rare to see a demon cry.
Don't cry."Why?"
You... Inspire me."Huh...? Inspiration...?"
Someone must love you...Tears flowed from Rine's eyes as he fell, only the fleeting consolations he provided himself urging him to live and easing him to death.
...To give you those wings, they really must..."They... Must...?"
...They must really care for you.Eleanore raised her head.
It was a truly unique sight, as he fell.
No-one else saw it, until she raised her hand.
Bowen looked up first, then Fern, and then Violet
As, above them, he spread his wings and flew.
It was ominous, and it seemed strangely beautiful.
The first rays of a new day stretched across Central as he flew, his tears still flowing.
"...If you exist, I'll find you. Why... Why do you make me feel...
Like I want to live here... Just a little longer?"
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wrong thread ?