I'm
speechless... I know I had forgotten a lot, and that they were
keeping secrets from me, but something like this? There was no way I
could predict it. The dreams, the red eyes, the way they were
acting... It all makes sense now... I'm speechless...
“Kind
of a long story, ain't it,” Trace says, yawning. I just nod. I had
to have been sitting there listening to them for about a half hour,
at least... “Blue.” Trace speaks again, not facing me. “Are you
scared of me?”
Of
course I am... Part of me feels like I should lie, but at this point,
I don't see a good reason to. “...yes.” Trace looks at me, not
showing the slightest bit of surprise. “Trace, I understand that
you're not a murderer anymore, but it seems like those violent urges
are starting to come back. If you revert all the way back to that
same person...”
A
heavy silence falls between us. I'm having a hard time even looking at
Trace... She hates me... I'm supposed to be her friend, and I just
said I'm scared of her. Somehow, watching her expression... I can
tell she's thinking something similar... that I hate her.
“...hey!”
I shout at Trace, which seems to shock her a little. “There's no
point in getting all depressed. You've made it clear that you want to
change, right? That you want to be a hero... I can help you do it!”
I continue to speak after taking a deep breath. “It's true. I am
scared as hell of you... I'm scared of you, the things you've done,
and what you might do... but you're my friend... I wouldn't give up
on you like that!” I embrace her... “Me and Cleo... we're not
gonna leave you. It's true that I don't have to help you, but I want
to... I'm your friend. I'm here for you.” Trace looks like she's
holding back tears...
“Thank
you, Blue... that means a lot to me...” She starts to smile... I
feel as if the doubt and suspicion I felt earlier has just been
washed away...
It's
nighttime. We've been out for a while...
Cleo
stands up. “You guys wanna go do something?”
“I'm
kinda tired, Cleo. I'm a little surprised you're not tired, either.”
“You'll
get used to that, Blue,” Trace says. “Cleo's still a vampire,
remember? She doesn't get tired that easily, especially at night.”
Oh. This causes me to wonder exactly when she sleeps... “Well, I'm
getting on a bus home. We're all getting on the same bus, right?”
As
we ride the bus, I fall silent and just think about everything that
had happened. Trace was a killer... Cleo was not only a killer, but a
vampire as well... Trace was, in fact, the girl in my dream... It's a
lot to take in, y'know? So much that I had nearly forgotten about
the whole thing with Shadowhand and the Swordsmen. “Hey, Cleo.”
“Yes?”
“What
happened with Sesto and Septimo?”
Cleo,
who sits next to me, says, “They're back at their home. I don't
know what Primo's gonna do with Septimo, though...”
"Me neither...” This whole thing is getting way more complicated than I
ever would want it to be... It's become clear to me that I'll have
enemies within the Tredecim Armis et Salvator, and I'll have to stain
my hands with their blood. What am I supposed to do if the strongest,
Salvator, turns out to be evil? I should try and prepare myself for
this moment...
“Blue...
try not to worry about it. Even if we do end up fighting the Armis,
I'm sure it'll all work out.” Cleo smiles, as if to assure me that
everything was going to be okay.
“I
hope you're right.”
Later,
I arrive home. When I go in, I see Miko and Gramps are worried I came
home so late... I explain that I had been out with my friends and
lost track of time. For some reason, it feels like grandpa knows I'm
not telling the whole truth, but he seems relieved that I'm okay,
regardless. Looking at my watch, I see it's way past when I usually
go to sleep. I'm going to sleep kind of late, but I feel I'll sleep
better than I had in years, because I know I won't have that awful
nightmare...
It
is now the next morning. I awaken refreshed and in a good mood.
Shower, breakfast, out the door, like always. It's a rather cold
morning, being winter and all that, but I don't mind. I sit and wait
for the bus to arrive. As I sit waiting, I sense the familiar feeling
of telepathic communication. Azure, who had fallen silent for quite a
while, has come to talk to me again.
“Good
morning, Azul.” It's nice to “hear” Azure's voice again. I
can't really see her... but I can kind of sense her smiling face as
she makes her friendly greeting.
“Long
time no see.”
“It
hasn't been that long...”
“Just
kidding. Seriously, though, I'm happy to see you again.”
“Sorry
I haven't spoken to you. I've been in thought...” After a
moment of silence, Azure asks me a question. “What do you
think?”
“Of
everything they told me yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“It
was shocking. It was just so surprising, learning Trace was a killer.
Also, Cleo's really a vampire! I wasn't even sure they existed until
now.”
“Okay...
so are you fine with these things?”
“Of
course. They're my friends. It'd be silly if I couldn't accept them
because of that.”
“You're
a funny person, Azul.”
I
chuckle, then “say”, “What makes you say that?”
“Most
humans are terrified of vampires, and murder isn't something easily
forgiven...”
“Well,
the murders were all in the past... Trace feels bad about it, so why
would I try to make her feel worse? Might as well help her, keep her
from doing something else she'll regret... It worries me to think
about what would have happened if she never made friends with me and
Cleo, and if she loses us, it'll probably be even worse... I want to
try and trust her, give her the second chance that I think everyone
deserves. As for Cleo being a vampire, if it becomes a problem, maybe
we can find a cure, or something. Everything's gonna be fine...” It
makes me feel at piece, thinking like this... Yes, what happened was
horrible, but I feel like I can trust them again. I hope those who
died can rest in peace... and I hope those of us still living can
move forward with our lives.
“Your
bus is coming.” I hear the bus moving closer, and I look up to
see it approaching as I stand up from the bench.
“Well,
we can talk later, okay?”
“Sure.”
I get on the bus, pay, and go to my normal seat. Is that a
different bus driver? Ah, what does it matter...
A
little later, Trace gets on. “What's up, Blue?”
“...”
“Something
wrong, man? You look real focused...” It must show on my face that
I'm concerned with that bus driver, despite not worrying about it
earlier...
“Hey,
Trace,” I whisper, “Do you think I could pass a telepathic
message from Azure, to Grey, to you?”
Trace
nods. “Me and Cleo have done that before. When're you gonna try it
out?”
“I
dunno, just keep your 'channel' open... I'm waiting for Cleo.” The
tension's biting at me. If I listen closely, I can hear a beeping
sound from somewhere...
In
some time, Cleo gets on the bus. “Good morning, Blue.”
“Hi.”
After that, I try to reach Azure with telepathy... I've never started
one of these mental links, but luckily it's about as easy as thinking
something like “I want to talk to you.” I reach her and began to
send my thoughts. “Azure.”
“Yes?”
“I
need you to speak with Grey and Flèche. I need Grey and Trace to
search for a bomb. I'm sure there's a bomb on this bus somewhere...”
“Are...
you sure?” Azure seems a little surprised that I suggested this
bus might be in danger...
“I'd
rather be safe than sorry. I'm going to confirm my suspicions on the
bus driver. Tell Flèche and Cleo to keep everyone calm if a fight
breaks out.”
“I
got it. I'll be with you ASAP.”
The
link is cut, and movement begins... Trace soon begins her search for
the bomb, and Cleo is alerted to danger, ready to keep the passengers
from panicking or getting in the way. I approach the front of the
bus... “Hey, are you a new bus driver?” He nods. Somehow, he
seems nervous that I had approached... I could feel a Knight's Force
with him, too. “Does the word Shadowhand mean anything to you?” I
look at his mirror, and can vaguely see that Trace is holding a
flashing object... His eyes grow wide... I can't help but grin...
With
all the speed I can muster, I grab him, lunge forward, and send both
of us flying out of the window. While in midair, I go fishing in his
pockets for a remote control or something, but to no avail. Within a
few moments, I stand to face him. “Good day, Baronet of
Shadowhand.” I can see the anger and shock on his face... It takes
everything in me to not laugh out loud.
“How
did you know!?”
“How
could I not know!? You put the bomb in a place I could hear it, you
didn't even bother to hide your Magic Knight's Force!” With that,
I let out a little chuckle. This guy... “Forget being
a Baronet, you seem more like the King's Fool.”
“You
snot-nosed brat. Trying to piss me off with childish insults isn't
going to fix anything.” Without saying a word, his Mystic Coat
covers him. While likely to be durable, it doesn't seem too thick, so
he shouldn't be that hard to hurt.
“Hey,
can I ask a question?” I say.
“No.”
“I
didn't notice a detonator on your person, so how were you going to
blow up the bus?” I continue to speak, still not seeing Trace
anywhere. I assume that Cleo is handling the situation inside the bus
itself. “Don't tell me that thing is timed. You weren't planning on
going down with it, were you?"
“I
guess I can humor you. Yes, it was timed. Should be going off in a
few seconds, now...” he says, chuckling. “Boy, do I feel sorry
for...”
He
looks up, and so do I. The bomb is in midair, still ticking... I
assume Trace threw it up there, and will shoot it, where it will
explode harmlessly. However...
I
go running towards the Baronet, who is still looking up. Closing the
distance in less than a second, my fists burn with beautiful blue
flames, and from my knees, I rise, sending my fist right into his
jaw. Sending him right into the sky.
He
goes flying right into the bomb...
Which
should go off... right... about...
NOW!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
Pretty
big explosion... Big enough to take the bus if it was still on it,
that's for sure.
“Ugh...”
I
go over to where he finally falls, seeing that he is still alive.
Perfect.
I
pull out my phone a dial Primo's number. “Primo.”
“What's
up, Blue? I'm on my way to school.”
“Can
you come here? I've got one of the Shadowhand, here.”
“Really!?
Awesome!” It's rare to hear him say a word like “awesome”, but
eh... “I'll send Tercio down there. Where are you guys?”
I
tell him where we were and let him know the details. “I'll see you
at school, right, Primo?”
“Uh-huh.
See ya.” He hangs up.
Trace,
Cleo, and I decide to walk the rest of the way. “Pretty exciting,
don't you think?”
Trace
laughs. “You're a funny person, Blue. I didn't expect you to be
that calm and brave about it.”
I
think about how I laughed and smiled through the whole thing, then
answer, “Haha, yeah, I guess that was pretty unexpected of me,
huh?”
“Hey,
Blue,” Cleo says, pulling me aside for a moment. “I think he knew
that we were on this bus because you won't have your Knight Force
possess something...”
...yeah.
She's absolutely right. I remember that conversation from a few
months ago. “Hilariously enough, he made a similar mistake.”
“Ugh...”
“Come
on, Cleo, it's because of these silly mistakes that we caught the
guy!” I say, smiling like that's a good thing.
“Blue,
that's not really something you should be proud of...”
We
just talk like this for a while on the way to school...
“Cleo,
you look cold,” I say, after some time.
“Hm?
No, I'm f-f-fine...”
Liar.
You're clearly shivering... “You sure feel cold,” I say, grabbing
her hand. Cleo starts to blush...
“Um...
I, uh...”
“It's
okay. Look, do you want my jacket?” She shakes her head. “Come
on, Cleo, You're gonna catch a cold acting like this.” We're
silent. It's as if the only two people standing here are Cleo, and
me. I start to look into her eyes... Ah, That's right... how could I
have ever thought these were contacts? Looking into those red eyes, I
can tell that those eyes are her's...
“You
two? We're gonna be late. You can make puppy dog eyes at each other
later. Come on.”
I'm brought back to reality by Trace, who is
walking up ahead (but probably watching and listening in on us). I
quickly pull off my jacket and give it to Cleo, looking like the cold
isn't going to bother me... As I start to walk, I realize it doesn't
have to. I can always ask Azure to...
“Blue?”
I feel a soft hand in mine. “Let's stay really close, alright?”
“Uh...”
“That
way we won't be so cold, okay?”
“I...
O-okay. Let's go. Trace is waiting for us.” We walk the rest of the
way like this...
“You
three sure took your time getting here.” When we get to school,
finally, Baek says this to us.
“They're
here. Is it okay, Primo?” Emerald asks, walking away. “I'm going
inside.”
I
then ask, “You guys waited for us?”
“Yeah.
I wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“Alright,
Primo, We should go in now,” Baek says heading inside.
“Okay.
Come on, Blue, Cleo, Trace. Homeroom is going to start in a few
minutes.” So we go to class. Aside from the incident on the bus,
this was a pretty boring morning.
Lunchtime.
I suddenly come to the realization that I don't often talk with my
friends during lunch. Me, Trace, and Cleo do all the talking we need
to on the bus to and from school. However, I still haven't said much
to Baek, or Emerald... I think, knowing what I now know, I should try
and speak to Emerald, because her relationship with Trace bothers
me... I stand up from my usual seat and start to walk.
“Where
are you going, Blue?” Cleo says, understandably confused by my
unexpected action.
“I want to talk to Emerald.” Cleo seems
surprised. Trace, from the seat across, says...
“Blue,
are you sure that's okay? She knows about—”
“I
know... that's why. We're supposed to be allies, right? We can't work
together if we're too busy treating each other like enemies, y'know?”
Saying this, I walk towards Emerald.
I
sit next to her, at first saying nothing. Emerald stares for a
second, confused about what I've just done. “What's up?” She
eventually says.
“Listen
closely. I don't want to have someone else hear what we're talking
about.”
Emerald
raises an eyebrow.
“Come
on, I'm not going to say something dirty or anything like that.” I
almost chuckle, but I hold it back, trying to be serious. “Emerald.
Do you hate Trace?”
After
a moment, she tries to wave away the question. “Haha, what are you
talking about?” She says, trying to smile. “Me and Trace are
just—”
“I
know.”
“Huh?”
“Emerald, I know about 'that'. Just tell me, from your point of view, what happened with you two.” She seems shocked that I had even brought it up...
“...look,
remember the friend I told you about?”
“Yes.”
“My
best friend's name was Karen. I met her in my family's church when I
was little.”
“You
go to church!?” How rude of me. On the Central continent, there
aren't many religious people. Not even La Salvato, the followers of
the biggest religion in the world, are all that common, so to have
one talking to me right now is a bit of a shock.
“Yeah.
I even have a Savior's Blade. Wanna see?” She shows me the charm,
shaped like a small sword, that hangs around her neck. People of La
Salvato wear these things, believed to be blessed with holy spirit.
It's meant to symbolize that the Savior's blade is always protecting
you...
“Hmm...
so Karen was one of the followers of your religion?” I say, getting
back on topic.
“Kind
of... You see, Karen was really rebellious, even as a kid, and she
didn't listen to anyone. She would steal from people, sneak drugs,
money, boys... into her room, she'd get into fights...”
“...was
she still your friend?”
“Of
course,” she replies. “A lot changed as we grew up, but the one
thing that remained was our friendship...” Emerald starts to look
sad... “Then Trace killed her.”
I
remain silent, as there's nothing I can say about that.
“Do
you understand my point of view, Azul? Yes, Karen did a lot of bad
stuff, but nothing worth killing her over... Trace just killed her
because she's twisted.”
“That's
not--” I pause. Yes, Trace is my friend, but honestly, even Trace
admits that killing her was pointless. I don't have it in me to say
it isn't true, and telling Emerald that she regrets it isn't going to
fix anything.
“Think
about it, Azul. Didn't she get really excited to kill Septimo? Didn't
you watch her try to kill me? Do you really feel comfortable fighting
alongside someone like that?”
“Ugh...”
Emerald
sighs, then says this: “I don't know what Trace told you, but she's
not a hero. She just acts like one so she can have an excuse to hurt
people. The way she sees it, as long as no one cares about her
victim, she can butcher and slaughter them as she pleases. It's
sickening... It's only a matter of time before she relapses, and she
has yet to truly pay for her sins. I'm sorry, Azul, but this story
ends with Trace facing my justice...”
“I...”
Before I can say anything else, Emerald looks at her watch.
“I'm
sorry, I didn't mean to eat up all your time. The bell's about to
ring, so I should get ready for afternoon classes. See you.” She
walks away...
"Dammit...!"
This is depressing. What was I supposed to say to her? I don't want to think
about it, but it won't go away... I have to deal with the fact that
my friend was/is a criminal, and one of the few people who know the
truth about the murders from back then is supposed to be on our
side...
I can't seem to catch a break. After I pull myself over one mountain, I realize that I'll have to deal with this. I intend to find a solution in time, but for now, I'll try to go about the rest of the school day normally...
I can't seem to catch a break. After I pull myself over one mountain, I realize that I'll have to deal with this. I intend to find a solution in time, but for now, I'll try to go about the rest of the school day normally...
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