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When Sophie was done with Yun, mostly playing kissy face, she wanted to go for a walk. Just to see if she could. Yun had to help her for a bit, but soon, she was able to limb with the aid of crutches. It would take some time to heal and get used to her new leg.

Alexia would hear Sophie come up behind her.

"...Alexia?...Could I talk to you for a second?"

"I don't particularly need to get into better physical shape. What I do need is more formal battle training." Charisse replied, sitting down somewhere near Ai.

"Like, I don't know where to hit things or whatever. I just hit em hard."

Medus's scroll beeped. A reply from Alice. "I know. I'll try to fix it."

Alexia's search was stopped when Sophie spoke to her. She couldn't help but flinch when she saw her injury.

My fault.

"...Yes, Miss Sophie?"

Do you hate me? I'm sorry...I deserve it.

Sophie stopped right in front of her, dropped her crutches and then leaned over on Alexia, pulling her into a hug and using her as support.

"..I just...I wanted to thank you. For everything you've done this year. I've...I've played enough video games to know that being the princess can be the difficult job in the world. Evil monsters want to kidnap you...You have to oversee all the people in your kingdom...but you still have to try and look cute while doing it. And I just...wanted to say that you're doing an amazing job. I really feel like you are the heart of the group...we're all a bunch of weirdos...and ticking bombs...and...if you weren't here...I don't think anyone us would be together like you...Every video game princess has a hero...the main character of the video game who goes out and rescues them...Well...you've got like a few dozen heroes...who will defeat all the monsters, and storm every castle until we find you and bring you back home safe...I've never really had a family...so I'm glad I get to..feel like I'm apart of one....Um..I'm not so good with speeches or anything. I always take a long time to think about what I want to say but...yeah...I can't think of a single one of us in the group that wouldn't want to do anything it takes to protect you, and the family..."

edited 9th Jan '15 2:49:55 AM by Saturn

And with that, Alexia broke. Here was someone who was hurt directly because of her, and she-! Alexia sobbed. She couldn't control herself. She wailed. Her knees buckled, but she forced herself to stand, so that Sophie wouldn't fall with her.

"I'm...I...I'm not...I can't...I'm sorry...why.."

How long they stood like that, she didn't know. Finally, Alexia handed Sophie her crutches.

Wiping her tears, Alexia spoke. "...Thank you. You've given me strength."

That's right. Sophie's words had firmed her resolve. For Sophie's sake-! For Hope's-! For everyone.

....She needed to be stronger.

She gave Sophie one last hug, then, with renewed purpose, she looked for Pius.

One last goodbye. She could do this.

....For everyone's sake.

Ai flashed Charisse a charming grin. "You really do think you're too good for strength training!" she said. "Don't know if the Jades are the right people to be looking for formal battle training, though."

Alexia unexpectedly pulling away shattered Ai's attempt to appear cheerful. Ai held her arm and looked dejected. "Lexi?" she said. "Should I not have said that?"

A short time later, Ai followed Alexia and gently caught her wrist from behind. Damnit, wherever you're going, it can't be good.

"Lexi? Please, tell me what you're thinking."

Ai thought that she might teeter on the edge of tears, after trying so hard not to break down for the past few hours. At times, her mask almost suffocated her with fake smiles and humor.

"We all feel guilty and responsible for what happened. You can talk to us about this. I don't want you to think that you're alone or that you need to isolate yourself from us to protect us. We'll all miss you. I'll ... I'll miss you."

Ai had grabbed her wrist. Alexia felt it. And her heart cried out. Another goodbye. Why wouldn't they stop?!

She steeled herself. Stand firm. This is the right choice. For them, for them. Always for them.

"You haven't done anything to be guilty about. Ai...I envy you, you know? You're so strong, so confident. Not like me at all."

"...You and Charisse deserve to be happy together. I know true love when I see it."

A smile. It hurt so much, but she smiled.

"Don't worry about me, Ai. I'll just be working hard. I want to be strong too. You won't miss me."

Another lie. When have I started doing that to my friends?

"Ai, you and Charisse were my first friends outside the palace. You were the ones who showed me the outside world."

"I...want to thank you."

Pius saw Alexia talking to some of their classmates in this distance, and felt something...different in the air about his partner.

Today has changed her. The Nobel realized. Too much pain and anger. Something's snapped. He almost gave away his feelings when he sucked in a breath as he watched her move towards him.

She's exactly where I was ten years ago.

Oh boy. Here come the tears, Ai thought to herself, a familiar sensation of warmth running across her face. Damnit.

"I ... I provoked Arcana. Got into a fight. Trash talked Empress. That was such a stupid thing to do. I payed for it, just now, in watching them hurt you," she said. "I'm sorry."

She wrenched Alexia's wrist, yanking her into a hug.

"It's funny you should say that you envy me. I envy you because you've always been so much more honest about yourself. That makes you strong. I wish I could be the same but I can't," she said. She gave Alexia a wry smile. "Guess that means we could learn from each other, huh?"

Finally, Ai let go, and held her hand to her chest, just over her heart.

"I'm proud I can call you a friend. So go. Do what it is you have to do. But promise me it's not something stupid."

Oh, no..I...

Alexia was crying again. It was almost too much. Only the thought of all of them kept her strong.

...It was the right choice. She had to...To keep them safe. She had to build a Wall.

I understand now, Pius.

She wiped away Ai's tears. "Hey, don't cry. Tears don't suit you. You're a tiger. You're strong."

She smiled. "...Ai, trust me. What I'm going to do is for everyone's sake. And my own too."

"...Tell Charisse that I love you both."

She remained in the hug for a few more minutes, then as they broke apart, she offered Ai one last smile.

She walked away, still resolute.

At last, she found Pius.

She looked at him, and her heart almost burst. Gods, help me.

"Hello, Pius."

"...I.."

One last goodbye.

"...I might...keep you waiting longer."

I might not even keep our promise...

"So...I.."

Pius said nothing, waiting for Alexia to finish what she had to say.

Waiting is...a specialty of mine, Alexia. His mind repeated from last night.

"...what do you think she's going to do, Medus?" Hope asked, staring after retreating princess. Her voice came back to normal, but even half-observant would notice how tired she sounded.

"So I-!"

I can do this! Don't be selfish!

"I...I may not worth be waiting for..so.."

Oh, Gods...

She walked closer, closer, until she war right in front of him. She had to look him in the eye! She had to say it. Face to face.

"I'm sorry."

Almost there.

"Pius, you're better than you think you are. You're brave, and compassionate and you always keep trying..."

Tell him everything!

"No matter what happens, you always get back up! I'm certain that your parents...they would be so proud of you. And I-!"

She was so close to him now. Steeling herself, she went forward. And kissed him on the lips. Softly, lovingly...sadly.

They broke apart.

One last goodbye.

"I love you."

She turned and walked away.

Silently Screaming

There was someone there. If Alexia tried to leave...when she tried to leave, there was someone else there, blocking her. Someone else who felt the guilt she did. "Princess." Francesca said simply as she stood in her way of leaving.

...Will this be another goodbye? Gods, she hoped not. If this was about Ieria...

"...Yes, Lady Francesca? I'm...ready for your training. Whatever it might be."

Francesca's eyes were hard. They pierced her and saw all the way in, staring as if she were an open book. "Your Knight, first." She said after a few seconds. "Then when you're done with him, come to the lakeside."

Yun helped Sophie adjust to the crutches, before he turned to Francesca. "You're training students? " He asked. "I want in. I need to expand my skills now that I can't fully rely on what I was good at."

Alfred. She almost screamed. Another goodbye. She took a moment to compose herself, then went off to find the boy she had so desperately wanted to help.

She found him. And once again, she almost broke.

"Alfred..." Her voice was choked. "My Knight, you have done...magnificently. You've grown so much. I can always count on you."

"I am...so proud of you."

Tears. For the millionth time. Tears.

"Alfred, I am so sorry. You deserve so much better from me."

As soon as Alexia was out of earshot, Ai kicked the ground beneath her feet. Damnit. There's nothing I can say or do to help, is there? No words that can fix this.

There's really no going back after this.

I'm not confident. I'm not even strong. I couldn't help you.

She turned and walked towards solitude. It was time to meditate once more, as she had promised her mother not to neglect.

Al looked at at Alexia as she cried walking towards him and speaking, he seemed rather unaffected by all the previous tragedies that the students experienced today, at last until now, most of today he kept a stoic look, but that's because he saw up until now things he was used to, things he knew already. But seeing someone cry so much in such a short time was new to him. It was weird. He never really saw it back home. He never actually saw someone going through the traumatising process. Most people he saw in his childhood were dead before they gained experience or already destroyed for a long time. Actually seeing the person going through the event is different, and it made him feel different than usual. It was the first time he was actually seriously angry at a person due to not fear or petty exasperation.

When she finished talking he clenched his fist tightly and looked at her with an agitated expression on his face.

"You're a fucking moron. You know that? You're proud of others when they're the lowest of the low, and yet you keep being ashamed of yourself even when you're higher than anyone else. How high are your damn standards for yourself? You don't have to be perfect. That chase is nothing but fantasy. It's stupid and it won't get you anywhere. You have flaws, I have flaws, and every goddammned person on this shitty-ass planet has flaws. You don't have to be some 'model princess' or something equally as stupid, unrealistic, and impossible to uphold!."

"You say you're proud of me for growing. But tell me this princess. When the hell are you going to start growing out of the walls you put yourself?"

"Every... Single... Little thing that happens you're blaming yourself over. Does that fix anything? Does that accomplish anything? Is the problem gone? Of course it fucking isn't, because you do nothing but whine about how incompetent you are and blame yourself, whether the problem is your fault or not doesn't matter. Whining and closing yourself off from the world isn't going to do anything. Stop complaining about it and actually start trying to do something about it. And let me tell you: what you've been doing so far isn't helping. It's making everything worse for everybody."

"Regardless, those people didn't die because of you. They died because some fucking asshole decided he wanted to have fun and kill innocent people. It's not uncommon. I've seen it happen daily in the past. And guess what? It's only their fault, no matter who they blame for it, or what moronic higher causes they say they follow. Did you kill those people? Did you do that to them? Did you shove a blade through the victim's heart? Did you put a bullet through their head? No, you fucking didn't. They did. People die Lexi, people kill, for really fuckin' stupid reasons."

"Look, I'm not about to coddle you like everybody else probably did. You made me your bodyguard, and my job is to protect you. I'm protecting you from yourself, and the only way I'm going to do that is if you fucking learn a thing or two. And I'm not about to sugar coat any of it."

Alfred breathed heavily as he finished his sentence. His anger not even dimming a bit, he was on quite a roll, he barely even noticed how much fury and emotion he was showing. He kept his stare into her eyes and continued."

"Are you going to say anything for yourself? Maybe I'm just blind or doing a terrible job here. Make me see why the hell you're doing something so dust-damn stupid."

edited 9th Jan '15 3:29:20 PM by LiorVal

Alexia listened to Alfred, barely even reacting to his harsh words. I know that already.

....Stronger. That one word. From this day on, that word was going to be her ideal.

"....You're right of course. You've always been right about me. I'm too naive for a world like this."

"...You say you want me to do something. That's what I'm going to do. Alfred, I thank you for doing your job faithfully."

"...But I don't want you to protect me anymore. I'm going to do this on my own. Don't worry, you'll still have your benefits."

"....You won't have to put up with me anymore."

As Lucas stepped outside, his mind was already thinking of what to do. For now, he probably rest — he'd be of no use at the moment with a broken arm — but afterwards, he needed to —

He soon noticed Francesca's Aura. Anger and grief swirled within the Faunus, with a steely edge, more like a snake on the hunt than the flirty pervert he knew her as.

So this is what Father meant, then he told about her taking out opponents in her rage. Carol's abduction has affected her greatly.

"She will be found," he said. He wasn't sure whether he meant this to Francesca or to himself. "I won't rest until that day comes."

"Iiimuka," Rufus inclined his head. "Ayers," He rumbled, addressing him directly, "Neither of us have any skills applicable here. I propose you and I go and be proactive."

Al grabbed Lexi's shoulders and began to shake them angrily.

"Listen to me for a second for shit's sake. Will you? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S PUTTING UP WITH ME! How in the name of hell are you the one at fault in any way? What in fuck's sake are you trying to prove? That you're strong? That you're capable of being strong and face obstacles alone? Let me tell you right now. Nobody can fucking do that. Not without either dying mid-way. Or only living as a shell of a person due to all the scars. I should know. I was thrown straight ahead into that shit early. And look how I fucking turned out."

edited 9th Jan '15 8:54:45 PM by LiorVal

"I...I may not worth be waiting for..so.."

Of course you are. He tried to say, but all the Nobel did was blink in apprehension of what she might say next. She was right there in front of him, so close, and he couldn't say a single word to comfort her, to stop her from feeling like he did every day, somewhere dark in the back of his psyche.

"I'm sorry."

Stop it! It's not your fault! If his gaze could speak, it would be screaming.

"Pius, you're better than you think you are. You're brave, and compassionate and you always keep trying..."

I'm not trying enough! I'm not saying anything! LET ME SPEAK!

"No matter what happens, you always get back up! I'm certain that your parents...they would be so proud of you. And I-!"

They— And then she took it from him: his first kiss. It was something emotionally powerful, deeply sorrowful, and wonderfully loving at the same time. As if trying to balance out the low he knew he would feel afterwards, his mind was set ablaze with a sort of wonder he hadn't known in a long time. And then, like most things that Pius held dear to his heart, embedding the memory of the experience in the reflection of his eyes, it ended.

"I love you."

He could only clench his fists and stare at the ground to fight back tears as she walked away from him, another confusing glow of white light in his heart next to a burning purple star.

And I you. He wished he could have said, or something of the kind. But he knew—he felt—the hollowness in her voice that until now was something he had only heard from his own mouth.

When he felt his breath beginning to hitch and his vision began to cloud, the gray-eyed orphan turned and walked away, with no sense of where to go next. He knew that in a few hours he'd have to come back, but right now it felt like he needed to wander the whole world before he could set foot back inside to pack up his things.

For all his power to fight those without a soul, he still had little idea how to contend with those who did, especially those who returned an affection he was so afraid would not be reciprocated.