Chapter XXXVI: Our Fathers

            “Search every nook of the marketplace! I want her found and captured immediately!”

 

            Crisostomo has been sending out soldiers everywhere to find Yvaine. He didn’t really want the chase to end with something as humiliating as what happened to him, and unfortunately his men are taking all the heat from his temper. He was ordered back to the palace because the king had finally come back from collapsing and he had an important assignment for the guard captain. As of now, he’s making his way to the king’s chambers and sending every guard that passes him to find Yvaine.

 

            He better calm down or I’ll describe him as a villain and edit the story into a plot-twist where he’s actually King Orion’s son or something.

 

            Pacing quickly, he finds his way into the spiral staircase in the middle of the palace. The bricks that made up the walls and the stairs themselves were made of materials that nullify magic for security measures so he had a hard time climbing up without using his powers. For a guy, his black hair was pretty long, making it all the way to his shoulder-blades. Even though he doesn’t care to tie it up, he looks pretty dignified in his uniform with Berial Magus’ crest stapled to the chainmail he puts up. Adding up that blue cape behind him and the cutlass on his waist, he looks pretty much like a musketeer.

 

            Once he makes it to the top most part, a small door fashioned from crystals faced him. He knocks three times, causing a clanging sound to reverberate up to the bottom of the staircase.

 

            “Password”, says what seemed to be a young girl from inside the room.

 

            Surprised by the utterance, he hesitantly questions: “...I don’t remember being given a password-“

 

            “Just let Crisostomo in, Cebu”, says the king’s voice, also from the inside.

 

            “Yes, daddy”, says the girl while unlocking the clasps.

 

            “Cebu?”

 

            Perplexed by their words, Crisostomo pushes the door open with much effort against his back since it can only be opened easily from the inside.

 

            He’s heard the name Cebu before. Apparently the king’s daughter, Cebu, had gone missing about a year ago and the king shut himself in his room since then, most likely due to the depth of his depression. He only went out on Sundays during the early morning mass, and after that he’d leave his brother, a wealthy Aristocrat, in charge of the orders he would give him. Fortunately, the king’s brother had a clear conscience and took care of Berial Magus for him; otherwise, the writer would make me write a paragraph spouting non-sense about how corrupt government officials are. The king’s brother had to change his ways, you see, because word spread about him having an illegitimate child with a barmaid seventeen years ago. Covering it up with good deeds was the best way to go.

 

            And incidentally, the child’s name is Crisostomo.

 

            “You called for me, Your Majesty”, he says while taking a bow.

 

            “Welcome”, the girl greets with a warm smile.

 

            Raising his head, he sees the king without his crown sitting on a chair near his desk and a little girl sitting on his lap while holding onto a stuffed bear. Come to think of it, he’s seen this girl before.

 

            “Princess Cebu... You’ve returned...”

 

            “Indeed she has”, says the king while petting her head. “I was so over-joyed that I knocked myself out-cold.”

 

            “How are you feeling, sire?”

 

            “Nothing to worry about. I’m too young to die of a heart-attack.”

 

            Really? You look pretty old to me.

 

            He’s actually just 32.

 

            Wow. I thought he’d be at least 40.

 

            “Cebu, why don’t you collect your presents from under the bed? There are puzzle boxes that you love so much with it that you’ll have to solve to get the key that opens each present.”

 

            “Presents? What are the presents for, daddy?”

 

            “You missed Christmas and your birthday last year, didn’t you? I’ve been saving them for your return home.”

 

            “I’ll solve them right now!”, she says while running toward the bed at the other side of the room.

 

            “This child is amazing”, Crisostomo thinks in his head.

 

            “Now, then, about your assignment, Crisostomo...”

 

            “Yes, sir.”

 

            “I take it that you haven’t apprehended this... Yvaine?”

 

            “I’m terribly sorry, your majesty, but I have not captured her.” He bows humbly. “I have no excuses, my king.”

 

            “I will pardon you for now, but eventually you must get her, for our world is in need of her abilities.” The king’s eyebrows furrow. “In any case, there is someone I need you to accompany. I owe her very much for saving my daughter and coincidentally she and I have the same goal to achieve.”

 

            “Understood.” He takes a bow. “If I may ask, sire, where am I to accompany her?”

 

            “I am not quite sure, but she most certainly will disclose you to that information. After all, she knows of a plan.”

 

            “A plan, sir?”

 

            “A plan to defeat the Demons.”

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            Let me just... pan the camera back to where Naiya and Yvaine are...

 

            There we go.

 

            So here we are back at Naiya’s room. There were two cups of tea (I don’t know where it came from) laying on the small round table next to the window. Seated next to the table on each of their chairs were the two ladies discussing about some sort of plan whereas their cats were on the bed talking about sensitive spots of the human body.

 

            I don’t know how or why the writer thought up that last sentence so let’s just listen to what Yvaine and Naiya are talking about.

 

            “There are seven Primal Elements”, Naiya begins with her hands folded on her lap while Yvaine was lazily slumped against the chair, somewhat ready to listen. Raising both her hands, Naiya starts counting with them while reciting the Primal Elements: “Frost, Flame, Light, Darkness, Wind, Earth, and Lightning.

 

            “The origin of Elementals are unknown, but when the Matrices of each type of Primal Elemental react with each other, it was assumed to open, or close, the gate to Hell, sealing the Demon’s power along with it. The assumption was wrong, however, because there was nothing to stabilize the reaction, and that is the reason why I was created...”

 

            Unbuttoning her top, it is revealed that there was something surgically placed inside her chest. I’m a little too fascinated to be aroused by this right now so forgive me if you’re a lolicon and I can’t elaborate that much.

 

            “They... put all the Elements in you?”, Yvaine asks while leaning for a closer look and placing her arm on the table.

 

            “Just the Primal Elements. Inserting the different Elements inside me would result to instability and eventually death.”

 

            “If all the Elements are inside you, what do you need me for?”

 

            “I was created to harmonize with the reaction, therefore, I am only partly needed. So are you and the other six that each possess a different type of Elemental Matrix.”

 

            “There’re six more?”

 

            “Yes, and I can tell they are alive somewhere because my Matrix is connected to theirs.” Naiya takes a sip of the tea while Yvaine processes all that information.

 

            “So you’re saying that all we have to do is find the others and... ‘react’ with them to make some sort of key that closes the gate to Hell”, Yvaine speaks up with a hint of arrogance in her voice.

 

            “Simply put, yes, but there is one more thing that needs to be done. The key we are to form is only one of two keys. There is another key that will lock the gate, and that key was taken from me not too long ago. I believe that if we work together-”

 

            “That’s quite a nice story you got there”, Yvaine rudely interrupts. “But if all the things you said were true, what’s in it for me?”

 

            Naiya paused before answering. “...Redemption.”

 

            “For my crimes?” Yvaine laughs at her answer. “I couldn’t care less about-“

 

            “That’s not what I was talking about.” Naiya looks right through her with an empty stare while faintly elaborating what she meant. “Redemption for your father is what I-“

 

            An electrical blast from a quick-draw fires right at Naiya, but Yvaine was none the wise when she assumed it hit her. She’d be paralyzed and inflicted with agonizing pain right now if she hadn’t noticed her guest’s malicious intent. Her fast reaction caused her to disintegrate the bullet while it flew to trajectory.

 

            The gun was still smoking and pointing at Naiya when Yvaine started to question.

 

            “[1]Father? I don’t have a father... I’m just some guy’s daughter, and so are you. Am I correct?”

 

            “I never knew my father, but I was told that he was a man who valued justice. He shared the same ideal as your father and they worked together to bring their country into prosperity.”

 

            “Really, now?” Yvaine lowers the gun and switches into a more amused posture. “I can’t imagine that old man being like that after what he did to me.”

 

            “You met him...”, Naiya utters in a silent tone.

 

            “What does it matter to you? He only stayed for a year, and before leaving, he drops the same bomb you’re talking about on me.” She takes the cup and spills the tea all over the floor. “What the hell kind of father comes in your life and disappears for no particular reason?” She drops the cup to fall on the floor and shatter to pieces. “Sorry, but I’m not interested in whatever that man is hoping to happen so I can’t help you.”

 

            “That’s quite an attitude you have there.” The glass on the window starts to crack. “Have you any idea how fortunate you are?”

 

            “Fortunate?” She glares at Naiya. “I grew up alone in some dark alley in this town. Some crack head kept me scarcely fed until I was three when he died of an overdose on [2]stim-pack. He left me with these guns saying that he found it in the baby basket where he found me. Imagine that: A grown man lending a little girl a hand-gun. How the f*ck is that supposed to be fortunate?”

 

            “Your father sacrificed his life to save the world”, Naiya speaks calmly, but a little more and it looks like she’s about to snap. The cracks on the glass are starting to branch out. "He even found time to spend with you and yet-"

 

            “Save the world? He couldn’t even save his own daughter from becoming like this.” Yvaine stands up and leans on the table with her eyes fixated on Naiya. “What about you? Aren’t you the slightest bit frustrated that your father left all this sh*t for you to clean up?”

 

            “What are you saying?” Naiya also stands to equal her eye level with Yvaine. “My father would never-“

 

            “Oh, my... I thought you might have known. No wonder you were so confident about your little ‘plan’. Sorry, but your information’s a little lacking.”

 

            “You mean to say...”

 

            “Four people opened the gate: Osiris Luno, Antonio Solidad, Ryan Perez, and Zachery Marquis. Your father, Antonio Solidad, and his wife were the ones who held the two amulets that form the second key.”

 

            “That’s impossible.” Naiya starts to lose the straight face she was holding onto for so long. “My father isn’t like that. He would never do something like that...” Small pieces of glass start to break from the window.

 

            “That’s the truth behind everything, Naiya. Don't you get it? We were born to atone for the sins of our fathers.” She stares at the crack in her facade. This girl is about to breakdown, and she somehow enjoys ripping away her sense of security. By then, she could do nothing but deny it.

 

            “No...”

 

            “We’re just tools they made.”

 

            “No.”

 

            “That’s what we are; I'd even go as far as to say we're all just b******s.”

 

            “No!”

 

            “It won't make a difference-“

 

            “NO! NO! NO!”

 

            The glass shatters completely. A vicious gale bursts from the broken window and creates chaos that blows across the room. The wind violently whips the furnishings and collectively devastates the small debris that are scattered about the room, and the two Anima float along with them. Naiya’s blue eyes become covered with white like a snow-covered lake as she begins the first phase of her Awakening. Her hands were agape and focused on Yvaine as if choking her from afar.

 

            Strong winds lift up the Lightning Elemental from the ground as it starts strangle her. Since Naiya was a child, Edith took care not to disrupt her mood because she is prone to instability, which is why she was told to never show emotion. But apparently, someone with a big mouth just had to piss her off.

 

            “HOW COULD YOU BE SO UNGRATEFUL! WHO ARE YOU TO JUDGE THEIR ACTIONS! WE ARE ALIVE BECAUSE OF THEM! WE OWE THEM ENOUGH JUST BY BEING ALLOWED TO BE BORN IN THIS WORLD!”

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

            Just then, Crisostomo was headed to greet the person he was ordered to travel with. He reaches for the door, but it feels like it’s jammed from the inside. That very instant, he hears someone screaming from the other side of the door, almost like a struggle. Without a moment to lose, he takes a step back and then charges forward, breaking the door down.

 

            The room was a mess. It’s like there was a tornado inside because of all the wind blowing. His eyes caught glance of Yvaine being choked by the tempest and his guest that looked like she intended to do more than hurt her.

 

            “What is the meaning of this!”, he demands at the top of his lungs.

 

            Naiya hears this and the whiteness in her eyes started to subside along with the wind. The tempest was silenced and everything else succumbed to gravity, including Yvaine. Before she could fall, Crisostomo ran toward her and caught her in his arms. She was struggling to breathe as she coughed up the air that nearly popped the alveoli in her lungs.

 

            Meanwhile, Naiya was completely devastated. Her hair was messed up. Her top was completely unbuttoned as she trembled and fell on her knees. She’s never screamed like that in her entire life. She never even knew how to Awaken. But after her current actions, she realizes just how dangerous she is to herself and everyone around her.

 

            “I’m... I’m so sorry...” She faintly apologizes with her voice wrecked from all that shouting.

 

            Yvaine wakes up once she hears this and ignores Crisostomo while she stands up and makes her way toward Naiya. She grabs the girl by the collar and slams her back against the wall. Her eyes were filled with displeasure as she glares at her helpless victim.

 

            “I’ll make this clear to you: I never wanted to be born.”

 

            “Yvaine, stop it!”, Crisostomo shouts from behind, but he’s completely ignored.

 

            “I refuse to follow the path that son of a b*tch left for me. I’ll never give him the satisfaction of knowing that he was the one who saved me.” Despite her words, some tears started to drip from her eyes. “I hate him.”

 

            “He loves you, though”, Naiya gives one final rebuttal before going completely silent.

 

            Yvaine lets go of her and walks out with her Anima.

 

            Crisostomo was about to follow her but he knew he had to tend to his guest first.

 

            “Are you alright?” Crisostomo offers her a hand, but she bows instead of taking it.

 

            “I apologize for destroying this city’s property.”

 

            “You did all that?”

 

            “Yes. Please let me rest for a while.”

 

            Closing her eyes, Naiya reconstructed everything she broke. The shattered glass, the broken tables, the chairs, the sheets, all rearranged as if nothing happened, except for that one teacup that Yvaine dropped.

 

            “Just let her rest”, Maria appears from Crisostomo’s side.

 

            “To be able to do this, she’s quite powerful”, he remarks.

 

            “Yeah, but she’s just a little girl.”

 

            Crisostomo stares at her with a dumbfounded look on his face, until he notices that her chest is completely exposed. Maria also notices... that Naiya forgot to fix something else...

 

            “Why don’t you stop staring at my friend like some pervert and fix her clothes instead?”

 

            “...Sorry ...”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Quoted by Dante from Devil May Cry 3

2. Drug used to increase attack speed from Star Craft by Blizzard

Reviews

[❀Subaru_Nyaa!
..]

She fixed everything, what about her clothes?

[Oran]

Fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out.