Ch 27: Vespera, Queen of Love and Justice

Loth'nex obliterated, Bella falls unconscious. Gunther moves to blame everything on Mana and her friends, but when the lamia stone goes out of control, the Queen herself arrives to save the day.

            Dropping to her knees as her rage and power subsided, Bella muttered, “It’s over?” As Mors Aurata began to evaporate, Mai apprehensively replied, “Looks like it. Whatever’s left of his essence is torn into so many pieces that I can’t even sense them. You’re one scary piece of work sunshine…” Relief washing over her, Bella fell flat on her face as she thought, “I did it… Instructor…” In confusion, Mai said, “What the…?! You alright?! Hey!” But Bella had lost consciousness. In concern, Mana and Andy rushed over to her as Mana exclaimed, “Bella?! Bella are you ok?!” Quickly everyone else hurried to Bella’s side as well, and taking charge, Mythra shouted, “Everybody give me space to work here!” Before she could actually get to work though, Gibolu said, “I think this is more my cup of tea Mythra. She’s been exposed to a mass amount of an unusual combination of all forms of normal magic and forbidden magic. As a matter of fact, we were all exposed to it, but curiously enough it’s something that shouldn’t even affect a living creature under normal conditions. The fact that we are unaffected rules out many possible reasons for her reaction, though regrettably nothing useful comes to mind…” 

Scratching his head, perplexed by all the technical talk, Mutzy said, “That sounds bad, y’know?” Letting out a frustrated sigh, Mythra said, “If nothing ‘useful’ comes to mind, then butt out and let me concentrate! I’m still waiting to hear when the hell you became such a bigshot spellcaster Gibolu! Forbidden magic isn’t something anyone can learn from your neighborhood library you know!” Looking rather unenthusiastic about the subject, Gibolu laughed nervously and stammered, “C-c-come now Mythra! Have you forgotten who you’re talking to?” Striking a dramatic pose, his enthusiasm returned as he exclaimed, “I am Gibolu, ringmaster and magician extraordinaire of the unparalleled Gibolu’s Travelling Circus!” With a pouting expression, Mana said, “No fair ringmaster! I wanna know too!” Heaving a sigh, Gibolu turned back to Bella and said, “There will be a time and place, but not here and now…” In agreement, Mai exclaimed, “Yeah, c’mon! Don’t just stand around talking, do something!” Still clutching his burnt hand, Andy said, “Indeed, this is no time for stories. I do not know if it will help, and I am hesitant to reveal it without her permission, but I am certain I know why she is reacting so strongly.” As all heads turned to him, Andy continued, “Our fair Bella is no ordinary sprite. She is a…”

            Proceeding up the mountain path with a great number of heavily armed Sentinels, as Gunther White appeared on the scene, he finished Andy’s sentence, calling out, “Chimera.” Everyone turned their attention to the new arrivals as the Sentinels quickly surrounded them. Once all routes of escape were sealed off, Gunther stepped forward and said, “You’re all under arrest.” With a look of utter bewilderment, Mythra exclaimed, “Arrest?! You been eating some bad carrots or something?! What did we do?!” Looking agitated, Gunther said, “Such a waste of time to explain… Very well, your charges are as follows!” Looking over at Mana, he said, “First off, aiding in the escape of Mana Blossomheart, who was officially placed under house arrest.” Mana started to object, but Gunther continued, “Secondly, the offense of destroying the sealed shrine and aiding in the release of the being known as Loth’nex, who was sealed here by Queen Shiema.” 

Glaring at him, Andy said, “Gunther, you cold hearted monster! You’re plotting to use this incident to take Lady Mana down along with the rest of us, aren’t you?! Just because she’s the heir to Shiema, you see her as a threat to the Queen’s sovereignty!” Narrowing his eyes as he looked at Andy with loathing, Gunther said, “You are going to be facing other charges related to your disregard for your position in the Watchers, Andy. Do not add treason to your list. There is no heir to Shiema, and those who say there is are merely attempting to usurp the crown. Though treason could be comparable to the final offense you all face…” Turning his gaze to Bella, Gunther said, “Aiding and abetting a chimera. To think how far you’ve fallen Andy, associating with a being born from such foul and twisted magic. It seems that overly-romantic philosophy of yours has been your undoing, knight of chivalry…”

            Just as Mythra was debating whether they would have to fight their way out of their current situation, the ground began to rumble. Erupting from the direction where the lamia stone had fallen, a swirling torrent of magic power sent all the Sentinels nearby flying, the power itself flowing unrestrained from the stone. Turning in great surprise, Gunther exclaimed, “What?! But he was supposed to have been defeated! What is the meaning of this?!” The storm of power continued to grow, and as some of the Sentinels began to flee in terror, Gunther struggled to regain control of the situation, shouting, “Hold your positions! You are all proud members of the Queen’s Guard! Deserters shall receive zero tolerance! Now hurry up and use magic to seal it off!” Backing away from the energy storm, one of the Sentinels said, “B-but sir! This is far beyond the power of even our highest level sealing magic!” Angrily, Gunther replied, “Don’t waste my time with excuses!” Watching the chaos around them, Mana said, “Should we escape?!” Speaking from her blue gem, Mai said, “Depends. The lamia stone is completely out of control, and it’ll probably destroy everything on the island. Poof. Gone. If you don’t give a damn about that, by all means…” A grave expression on his face, Andy muttered, “Of course we can’t abide that, but… with what power can we stop such an unrestrained force?!”

            Suddenly a voice called out, “Why, with the power of LOVE of course!” A chill running up his spine, Gunther turned to look in the direction of the voice and exclaimed, “Y-y-your Majesty?!” A female fairy sprite, who appeared no more than a child, with yellow butterfly wings, golden eyes, and almost luminescent blonde hair adorned with a golden leaf shaped hairclip slowly made her way onto the scene and said, “The one and only, teehee! We’ll be having a long talk about this Gunther, but it’ll have to wait until later.” She wore a ruby necklace and an elegant golden dress with matching heeled shoes, and carried with her a folding fan. Her jaw hanging wide open, Mythra exclaimed, “THAT’S the current Fairy Queen?! She’s just a kid!” Laughing, Andy replied, “I wouldn’t say that too loudly milady! She may appear a child, but she is indeed our esteemed Vespera the Fairy Queen!” 

Suddenly turning her gaze to Mana, Queen Vespera said, “Oh, Mana dear? Do you think you could assist me with this?” Taken aback, Mana stammered, “A-all right Aunt- I mean, Queen Vespera… What should I do?” With a giggle, Queen Vespera said, “Auntie is fine dear! As for what to do, just sing Shiema’s enchanted song. I’m sure Loth’nex could never figure it out, but that calming song can soothe the stone without weakening its power. It gives rest to the energies it touches, and continuing to draw upon those powers only aggravates them, causing nothing but pain for the user. It’s like trying to stop a cranky baby from getting any sleep! I think it’s time for this little one to take a nap, so sing us a lovely lullaby would you? I’ll take care of the rest with my Ultra Super Duper Sealing Magic!” 

With a nod, Mana began to sing Shiema’s song, and as magical lights gathered around her, everyone, including Gunther and the Sentinels, watched in awe. The flow of dangerous energies from the lamia stone slowed, and rising into the air on her wings, Queen Vespera’s body glowed with magic as she opened her fan and said, “Now, taste the power of love and justice! Sadness begone! Florebit Sigillum, Septem Petala!” With a dramatic wave of her fan, seven grand rune circles formed above and around the stabilizing energy storm, forming a complex seal that quickly suppressed the churning energies, pushing them back into the lamia stone.

            Floating down to the ground, Queen Vespera reached down and picked up the lamia stone. Walking over to Mana and the others, she stared at it with a look of interest as she said, “Hmm, it’s a really pretty stone isn’t it? If it weren’t so dangerous, a girl like me couldn’t resist keeping it for herself, teehee!” Bowing graciously, Gibolu said, “I would advise against that Your Majesty. I suggest placing it back under a permanent seal, lest it once more be sought out and exploited for evil purposes.” Nodding merrily, Queen Vespera said, “Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right! Such power must never fall into the hands of evil again! Thank you all for your heroic actions in defeating Loth’nex and ending the ancient curse! Yahoo!” 

Suddenly rushing up to Queen Vespera, Gunther sputtered, “Y-y-y-your Majesty! You misunderstand! These people are not heroes! They have defied the law, attacked our guards, destroyed the sealed shrine and loosed Loth’nex themselves, no doubt attempting to take the throne by using his defeat as a claim to Shiema’s legacy!” Snapping her fan shut, Queen Vespera said in a thoughtful tone, “Oh, you really think so? It’s rather odd though. After all, why would you be putting my beloved niece Mana under house arrest in the first place Gunther?” As Gunther fumbled for words, Queen Vespera went on to say, “As crazy as it sounds, it seems to me you were trying to come up with a way to get rid of her before I learned about her return. As for the destruction of the sealed shrine, there have been signs that the ancient curse has been doing nasty things for a good while now. When you consider that and the amount of energy that was escaping from the stone just a moment ago, it’s more than likely that Loth’nex could have broken loose and destroyed the shrine himself, am I right? Do you have any proof it was actually them? Well?” 

Sweating heavily, Gunther adjusted his shirt collar nervously as he sputtered, “Y-your Majesty, you’re getting the wrong idea! These people… they’re even associating with a chimera! Such monsters were exiled from our lands for their heinous crimes, surely anyone who would side with them are just as deserving of the same punishment!” Putting on a fake look of surprise, Queen Vespera said, “Oh my, a chimera you say?! How scary! Just where is it?” Pointing directly at Bella as she still laid there unconscious, Gunther exclaimed, “Right there Your Majesty! Surely you yourself can tell?” Quickly, Andy started to say, “Your Majesty, Lady Bella is the one who truly defeated Loth’nex! I implore you, do not persecute her for her birth, she-” Looking over at Bella, Queen Vespera quickly put on a tone of urgency as she said, “Oh my! Sorry Gunther, but I’m afraid I don’t see any chimeras! All I see is a brave young sprite who is in need of medical assistance! Have my guards carry her down the mountain, will you? This is an emergency! I want a healer for her ASAP!” With a brief look of joy and relief, Andy quickly bowed and said, “Thank you, my most esteemed Queen!” Removing his top hat and bowing as well, Gibolu said, “You have our utmost gratitude Your Majesty!” Jumping for joy, Mana said, “Thank you so much Auntie!” Unable to believe this was happening, Gunther choked, “B-but… but…” Shooting him a smug look, Mythra said, “What’s this? Are you questioning your Queen’s orders?” Nodding, Mutzy said, “Sure sounds like it, y’know?” With a look of defeat on his face, Gunther weakly said, “As… As you wish… Your Majesty…”

            Blossomheart Estate. Saturday July 21, 520NA. Awakening to find herself lying in bed in Mana’s room, as Bella opened her eyes, she heard loud snoring. Turning her head, she saw Gibolu asleep in a chair next to the bed, snoring loudly. Then Bella turned to look at the nightstand, where the brooch she’d been wearing on her chest had been placed. Mai’s voice called out to her from the blue gem, saying, “Oh finally! Poke this idiot or something would you?! It doesn’t matter how loud I curse at him, he won’t stop snoring!” Feeling a little disappointed Mai hadn’t bothered to show a little relief at her recovery, in a sour tone Bella said, “Glad you’re okay too…” Sighing, Mai was unfazed as she said, “Hey, I’ve been looking after you the whole time! Not that I was able to do anything to help with your treatment, but at least I made sure nobody did anything funny with you while you were out cold! So please, make him stop…” 

Getting up, Bella poked Gibolu on the shoulder, and with a half conscious grunt he uttered, “Finished with the decorations then Ace? That one there looks a little crooked…” As he returned to snoring, Bella poked him again and said, “C’mon.” Stirring from his slumber, Gibolu looked at her with a smile and said, “Ah, well don’t you look remarkably better. Excellent news!” Getting up and looking to the window to see it was morning, he yawned and said, “I don’t know about you, but a bit of breakfast sounds like a fantastic idea to me!” As they both headed for the door, Mai called out to them, “Hey! You just gonna leave me sitting here?!”

            Stepping out the door and into the hall, Bella and Gibolu were met by Jubilee, who had just been coming to the door. Seeing Bella up and about, Jubilee said, “Oh my, so you’re awake too! I was just coming to see if Gibolu was still up and wanted me to bring him up some breakfast.” Beaming at her, Gibolu said, “Ah, wonderful! I wasn’t sure if we’d be in time.” Smiling back at him, Jubilee replied, “I would have saved it for you even if you wanted to sleep for awhile. I honestly think you should get some rest after spending all night taking care of Bella.” Turning to Gibolu in surprise, Bella said, “Still up? All night?” Hesitantly, Mai said, “He only got to sleep about an hour ago…” 

Taking off the brooch and glaring into the blue gem, Bella grumbled, “Selfish fox…” Mai fired back defiantly, “He sounded like a hover engine for crap sake! We Yugure have sensitive ears!” Breaking them up, Gibolu said, “Now, now ladies! Enough hostilities! The fact that young Bella here has made a full recovery is worth far more than a mere night’s sleep to me.” Mai simply let out a “Humph!” and went silent as Bella put the brooch back on and faced Gibolu with an apologetic look in her eyes, saying, “Sorry.” Waving away her apology with a floating hand, Gibolu smiled and said, “Think nothing of it. After all, in my line of work, all night jobs are just par for the course.” 

Then Jubilee suddenly said, “If anyone should be thanking anyone, it’s me.” Bella quickly turned to her in shock as Jubilee graciously bowed and said, “As the future Duchess of Verdend, I extend my most sincere gratitude to you Bella! Thank you for saving the lives of my mother and of my people!” Turning red, Bella fumbled for words as she said, “No, I…” Standing back up, Jubilee giggled and said, “Sorry if I startled you. I’d never hear the end of it from Mom if I didn’t thank you properly. She’ll probably do the same thing the moment you meet her.” Turning redder just thinking about it, Bella said, “So embarrassing…” Laughing, Gibolu said, “You’d better get used to it! You are a member of Angelorum Lux after all! Now, I think we’ve dallied here long enough…” Striking a dramatic pose, he exclaimed, “Onward! To breakfast!”

            Arriving in the dining room, the three found Mana and Maribell Blossomheart already at the table. Seeing them come in, Mana excitedly said, “Bella! Oh, thank goodness you’re ok!” Nodding, Bella said, “You too Mana.” Then wondering what happened to Mythra, Andy, and Mutzy, she added, “Everyone else sleeping?” Rising from her chair, Maribell said, “The Spellweaver and Andy have been out since last night attending an emergency audience with the Queen to debrief her on the situation. As for Mutzy…” Maribell looked slightly irked as she said, “He’s already finished his breakfast, so I’ve sent him on an errand in town to keep him out of my garden…” Then walking to stand before Bella, Maribell said, “That aside, it seems I owe you more than words can express.” As she started to bow, Bella quickly motioned for her to stop as she said, “Pass.” 

As Maribell stood up straight and looked at her in confusion, Bella crossed her arms and turned her gaze away as she continued, “Mana and the others helped more than me. Thank them, I’m good…” Staring at Bella in surprise a moment, Maribell suddenly chuckled and said, “My, my… You’re truly quite the humble one Ms. Bella. When I awoke only a few hours ago, wondering what had happened, my dear Mana couldn’t stop going on about how you’d saved our entire homeland from certain destruction. With someone like you among the ranks of Angelorum Lux, my heart is at ease.”

            Just as Bella and the others were finishing up breakfast, Mythra and Andy returned, along with the Queen herself. Walking into the dining room, Queen Vespera said, “Hellooooo! Oh my, they’re both back to perfect health! I was so very worried about you when I heard you were ill Maribell! I’m so relieved, you look better than ever! Yahoo!” Surprised to see her, Maribell said, “Sister? Not that I’m unhappy that you’ve decided to come to visit, but wandering off without any attendants or guards… I know you said you were replacing Gunther with someone more trustworthy, but any new advisor will have a heart attack dealing with this on the first day!” Glancing at Andy, Mythra smirked and said, “Oh, I don’t think you need to worry about that.” Catching on quick, Mana said, “You don’t mean…?” 

Spinning on one foot like a ballet dancer for a moment as she giggled, as Queen Vespera stopped spinning and gestured to Andy dramatically, she said, “Dun dun da dun! Introducing my new advisor, Dandy Andy! Knock em dead!” Clearing his throat, Andy said, “It’s an honor to be entrusted with this position Your Majesty. I swear to pour my very heart and soul as a knight of chivalry into fulfilling my duties!” Queen Vespera clapped excitedly, and as everyone followed suit, Andy took a bow, his face slightly red. As the new arrivals all pulled up seats, Jubilee went to prepare meals for them as well. Sinking into her chair with a sigh, Mythra said, “Well, I suppose now that everything is settled we can finally relax.” Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Gibolu said, “Does that statement mean that we have accomplished our goal in coming here?” Feeling rather tired out by everything that had transpired, Mythra said, “I’d say we’ve accomplished more than we’d intended. I’d be happier if I’d killed him myself, but at least now maybe my parents can rest in peace…” Stepping in to properly answer Gibolu’s question, Andy said, “Rest assured Sir Gibolu, the Queen has already agreed to lend as much of our resources as we can to aid you all in your battle against the evil that dares threaten our world.” With a wink and a grin, he added, “I look forward to the day I will be joining you on the front lines of your most epic of battles!”

            The Queen and Andy soon went back to the Fairy Hollow, and while the others spent their time socializing with Mana’s family, Gibolu took his chance to go out and get some air. Walking out the front door and into the garden, he admired Maribell’s various types of flowers, and as he laid his eyes on a white rose bush, he stopped and seemed to become lost in thought. Suddenly Mythra’s voice shook him from his stupor, saying, “White roses hold some special meaning to you?” Turning to see her standing beside him, Gibolu quickly looked away and said, “You certainly do like to pry, don’t you Spellweaver? They were my wife’s favorite flower, and my daughter adored them just as much. On the day of the funeral, I bought them the most magnificent arrangement of white roses money could buy… and now every time I see them, I remember that painful goodbye…” 

Taken slightly aback, Mythra said, “I’m sorry… I know a little bit of what it’s like to lose everything you care about.” Turning to her with a sad smile, Gibolu said, “Yes, I caught your little comment in there. However, I’m afraid my family was not taken from me by the hands of another.” Holding his floating hands up before him and staring at them, Gibolu said, “Instead, it was by my hands…” As they stood there in silence for a moment, Gibolu’s hands started shaking, and as tears formed in his eyes, he choked, “It may have been an accident, a mistake… but the spell I cast that went awry that day took their lives from them… right before my very eyes…” Wiping his tears on his sleeve, Gibolu continued, “I should have learned my lesson then. We are not gods. Some things in this world are simply not to be trifled with by mere mortals such as we, but like an arrogant fool I continued studying forbidden magic, and eventually attempted to bring my wife and daughter back.” Pulling up his sleeve to show Mythra the empty space where his arm should have been, Gibolu said, “This was the outcome of that selfish venture.”

            Unsure what to say, as Mythra took in Gibolu’s horrific revelation, there was something that still bothered her. For a moment she considered whether she really wanted to keep prying, but then she crossed her arms with a sigh and said, “What were you doing with forbidden magic in the first place? It was banned a long time ago, by humans and halmans. Almost all of the research and records on it were destroyed. None of its secrets were allowed to be passed down. Before I left for Teramis a thousand years ago, it was basically extinct. How did you get your hands on something like that?” With a slight laugh, Gibolu said, “The one flaw in your deduction my dear Mythra, is that you assume you have a general idea of how old I am.” Her eyes going wide in realization, Mythra whispered, “No way!” Smiling in spite of himself, Gibolu replied, “Didn’t see that coming, now did you? Indeed, the very spell that stole my greatest reason for living, also cursed me with eternal life. Quite the ironic twist, wouldn’t you agree?” 

As Mythra stood there in utter disbelief, Gibolu continued, “Assuming Loth’nex was the one who did you the same favor, I’d estimate you still have about several hundred years on me. I’ve spent my time doing everything from mercenary work right down to my current profession as an entertainer, and I must say I find this particular line of work much more fulfilling.” Turning his eyes to the sky and the phantasmal landscape stretched across it, with a smile firmly on his face, Gibolu said, “I’ve seen and done so many wondrous things in my travels, but what has always bothered me is that no one seems to truly take the time to stop and appreciate the amazing world around them. Not everyone may have the kind of time on their hands that I do, but what is the point of living even for a short while if you do not take the time to treasure life’s simple pleasures?! That is why I brought into being the one and only Gibolu’s Traveling Circus, to bring people together and share with them all the wonders I can muster! That is my new reason for living!” Seeing Gibolu in a whole new light, Mythra could only stare in silent awe.