Chapter 19: The Arisen
“I think sometimes, a happy ending is deserved.”
IXH
The Bloodmoon Mercenary Camp was alive with movement and noise, with people rushing back and forth in all directions. Ophelia did her best to direct the chaos, but more often found herself simply sighing or shaking her head at the directionless mass. She never would have guessed that their mercenaries would be so excited over a wedding, but apparently Isabella and Haruka had made a strong impression. The fact that it meant a huge party probably helped, as well. They had set up their largest tent – a massive one that covered a large square area – for afterwards, where dozens of people were setting up food and drink, and Ophelia had to handpick and post guards to prevent idiots from getting into it early.
The actual invited guests were much more well-mannered – herself, of course, and Dalgus; Able and Suria, who were there already; and obviously Freya, who had – on request from the brides – brought a doctor from the north by the name of Vivian Heart. Ophelia had never met her before today, but she was far better behaved than the people Ophelia ordered around, so she was quite happy to have her. Ophelia sighed as another crash came from nearby, followed by the sound of an argument beginning. Putting on her strongest no-nonsense face, she stalked over to deal with the situation.
In one of the smaller tents near the staging area, Isabella was doing her best to get ready. The actual ceremony was being held outside, as there was no tent large enough to incorporate the entire camp at once, and then everyone (aside from the named guests) would filter in and out of the reception area. Bella was glad, then, that for once, it wasn’t raining on them. “No, in Areya our traditions were very simple,” she was explaining to Suria as she got ready. “Usually weddings there are a very small, very private affair with no more than ten people; it’s intended to be a solemn occasion acknowledging the weight of the event.”
“That seems a lot different from this,” Suria said as she peeked out of the tent flap. “Are you nervous doing it in front of two thousand people?”
“Nope,” Isabella said with a smile. “I don’t get nervous in front of people, or embarrassed. But even if I did, I wouldn’t be noticing those things anyway.”
The crimson-haired girl pulled back and looked at her. “You’re still that affected by Haruka?”
Isabella nodded. “It’s not something that changes, really. I mean…” She lowered her hands and looked into the mirror she’d been provided. “If we had… years of time left, I’d still feel the same way after all of that.” She looked back at Suria. “Love is strange; it comes easily, but you still have to work at it. You choose it. And it’s hard – don’t think it’s just some easy romance-novel thing that sweeps you away. You have to put effort into it and into your relationship, you have to work together to make it work. But if you do it right, that just makes it stronger. Something you work at will always be stronger and better. It’s like steel, tempered in fire and pounded by iron and made stronger through the process. And in the end you’re left with something beyond value, something shared between two people that can’t be truly explained to anyone outside of it.”
Suria sat down and watched as she picked up a blue dress, apparently a modified version of one she had already owned; according to Bella, it had been made much longer and fancier thanks to a friend, but retained the deep blue color she loved. She had said that it meant far more to her than any new dress she could get, and she wouldn’t get married in anything else. “You talk about it so easily; I hope I can understand it like you do someday.”
“Oh, I don’t understand it,” Isabella said with a laugh as she looked back at her. “I just feel it.”
IXH
“You look sharp,” Vivian said with a whistle as she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms and crossing her legs.
“Aye, I wouldn’t kick you outta bed,” Freya added with a wink.
Haruka smirked at them both, looking over her shoulder and raising one eyebrow. “Is that appropriate for today, Freya?” She was wearing what was similar to a formal military uniform, a deep green suit with gold embroidery along the edges. It was actually an outfit from her days with the Black Sun that she had never worn, meant to be used in the most formal of occasions. She had never cared for such occasions and hadn’t dressed up despite her father’s wishes, and she enjoyed repurposing it for this, an occasion that she actually cared about. Additional pluses were that Bella would love it and her father would have hated it, so it was a win/win for her.
“Lass, when’ve I ever been appropriate?”
Haruka chuckled. “There was probably one time. The law of averages says there has to be one example.”
“I’ve only known her for the trip here,” Vivian said, “but I would be willing to bet that this is an exception to that law.”
Freya grinned at her. “D’you ‘ave a problem with my inappropriate ways?”
“I’m not going to dissuade you.”
“Really now? What about inappropriate advances?” The pirate captain set a hand on her hip and cocked her head. “Say… Aimed at you?”
The red-haired doctor smiled slightly. “What makes you think they’re inappropriate?”
“You two better not disappear in the middle of this thing, Bella will kill me,” Haruka interrupted, drawing laughs from both of them.
“No worries, lass – I can wait,” Freya said with a wink at the doctor before slipping out of the tent.
Vivian watched her go before leaning back. “She is… very interesting.”
“I guess your trip up here was nice,” Haruka said with a chuckle.
Vivian smiled. “It certainly wasn’t bad. It’s been a long time since I went anywhere; it reminded me of my days as a field surgeon, travelling with a military regiment, only less bloody. Well… slightly less bloody.”
“Freya likes her fights,” Haruka said with a smirk.
“Yes… She reminds me of a few soldiers I served with, only she’s much more… intriguing.”
“I trust Freya with my life,” Haruka said as she looked at Vivian. “It would be hard to do better.”
“I’ll certainly trust your opinion on that; you seem to have done well yourself.”
Haruka smiled. “Well, you can’t do as well as I have, there’s only one Bella. All you can do is almost as well, but that’s still really, really good.”
Vivian chuckled. “I won’t even try. During our check-up, she seemed to feel the same way.”
Haruka nodded, growing a little more silent. “How is she, by the way? I mean…”
The doctor looked away before sighing and forcing herself to look back at Haruka. “Not well. She should be okay for today, but… Are you really sure you want to hear this?” Haruka nodded again. “Given the rate her body is degrading at, I’d say you have… two months, at most.”
Haruka looked down and set her hands on the desk, giving a slow nod. “And there’s no way to slow it down?”
Vivian shook her head. “Her body is shutting down. She’s going to get worse over time; her body has warred against itself for too long, and the stress put on it over the past year has only made it worse. Given the cause, only transplants would slow it – and in that case you would have to replace every organ, despite matches being virtually impossible to find given her racial nature, and even then it wouldn’t help because there are organs we can’t transplant. I’m sorry, but the only thing we can do is what you’re doing – make the time she has left worthwhile.”
Haruka nodded, pushing herself off the desk. She paced for a few seconds before sniffing and folding her arms, staring at nothing in a random direction. “I won’t focus on it today; I can’t. Today will just be about today. We’ll live in the present.”
“That’s the best thing you can do,” Vivian said as she stood and laid a hand on Haruka’s shoulder. “Focus on how lucky you are to have the time you do.”
IXH
The ceremony was short and simple, as befitted the two brides. Isabella laughed as she came out and Freya had to lead her through hundreds of people. “Girliest bunch o’ mercs I ever seen!” the pirate said as she waved them out of the way, eventually making it to Haruka before passing her off with a wink. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That includes… nothing,” Haruka said with a smirk, drawing a laugh from Freya as she moved to stand with Dalgus, Vivian, Able and Suria. Haruka turned and smiled at Isabella, taking her hand. “You look amazing.”
Isabella laughed and cut herself off with a grin. “I’m sorry, I can’t stop laughing. This is all so unbelievable; it’s hard to believe I made it here.”
Haruka chuckled. “You can laugh as much as you want; you’ve earned it.”
“Not without you I didn’t.”
“You won’t have to do anything without me again.”
Everyone else was quiet enough to listen to them, but they didn’t care. Ophelia waited to start and then performed the short ceremony with a smile, aside from when she silenced a section of the oft-rowdy crowd with a harsh look. “Either one of you may kiss the bride,” she finished with an amused smile, having given up silencing the people, and to no one’s surprise the kiss lasted quite a while. The crowd erupted into a mercenary’s idea of celebration, with a lot of cheers and shouts of encouragement and humorous lines.
They finally broke apart laughing and Freya thrust her captain’s hat in the air to be seen, raising her voice above the rest. “Now let’s bring out the drinks!” The cheers multiplied and the crowd began to split, some heading for the tent, some remaining to talk and wait their turn, others going to congratulate the women.
In the end Isabella found herself sitting beside Haruka in the tent, with her hand in hers. Freya and Dalgus were engaged in a drinking contest in front of them while trading insults, Suria was right next to them talking to Able about the kind of wedding she’d want, and Ophelia was speaking with Vivian about something far more intelligent than she was willing to try to understand. Isabella just smiled and closed her eyes, listening to the conversation around her.
“No one’s paying attention.”
Isabella opened her eyes and smiled at Haruka. “I know. I don’t care.”
Haruka shook her head. “No, I mean… No one’s paying attention to us.”
“Well, they’re…” Isabella blinked, studying Haruka’s eyes. “Wait… You’re not suggesting…” Haruka simply raised an eyebrow. “Ditch our own reception?”
Haruka shrugged, tilting her head and flashing a grin. “I found a really nice private area.”
“Haruka, we can’t… I mean…” Isabella stared at her for another few moments. “…Where is it?”
Haruka laughed, Bella grinned, and no one noticed when they disappeared from their seats. It was noticed eventually, but as it turned out, Isabella and Haruka could be very hard to find.
IXH
“I can’t help it, I’m excited!”
Haruka chuckled, smiling at Bella’s adorable bouncing. They were in a carriage bound for the Imperial City, the first destination of their planned travels. For the next two months that was what they would be doing, travelling from place to place to see and experience what they could. Freya’s unexpected generosity had made it possible – the pirate captain had given them a sum of money so sizable that there was literally nothing they couldn’t afford to do. When Haruka had attempted to talk about repayment, Freya had threatened to send her to the ocean floor, forcing her to accept it as a gift. She had explained it didn’t matter anyway, as the amount of money she actually owned was far higher than that, and it truly was a small part of it. Knowing the Pirate Queen of the Eastern Seas had certainly worked out for them many times, Haruka thought.
Being from a land where they had no real technology, Isabella wanted to go to the Imperial City more than anywhere else. Before she had met Haruka she had avoided it, along with any other large population center, fearing that her old self could come out at any time and make her a threat to the people. That was no longer a worry, and now she wanted to see all the things Haruka had told her about.
During their trip, Isabella often wrote in some sort of journal, but when Haruka asked about it she would always get the same reaction: Isabella would say “It’s nothing” and change the subject. Haruka was curious about her new habit, but if she wasn’t meant to know now, she would accept that. Perhaps Isabella was writing down their story, and that of her parents – she had said she thought it should be remembered. If that were the case, Haruka would get the chance to read it eventually, and she would guard it closely.
It was night when they arrived, and Isabella was struck speechless. Ravakan City - more commonly called The Imperial City - was like nothing she had ever seen; spanning thousands of square miles and with a population in the tens of millions, saying that it dwarfed any city she had ever seen was akin to saying an adult dragon dwarfed a fly. The capitol of the Ravakan Empire’s skyscrapers lived up to their name, stretching high overhead like monoliths beyond anything Isabella had known mortals could create. They looked far different than the buildings she was used to; they were rectangular with smooth sides filled with endless windows, most of which had non-flickering light – “electric lighting” as Haruka said – inside of them. The skyscrapers and other buildings themselves were minimally lit up on the outside as well, highlighting them against the night sky.
The city was encircled by a thick wall upon which soldiers in strange black armor patrolled, holding weapons from swords to spears to what Haruka called “rifles”. “Spotlights” were placed along the wall and scanned around the ground and air surrounding the city, and Isabella wondered just how many things would have to be explained to her here. Haruka pointed out the train tracks she had mentioned before, and Isabella watched as sleek metal trains lined with blue lighting – with more electric lighting visible within the windows – sped along the tracks at dangerous speeds, at least to her. At the gate they were allowed through with no trouble, and inside Isabella was overwhelmed.
Haruka had to explain everything; the roads with horseless vehicles speeding along them, the lights along the streets that held no fire, the screens showing moving images of reporters and distant places, the vehicles that flew – without wings! – in the sky overhead. Fortunately, Isabella didn’t feel stupid – every so often she would see another person or group of people who seemed as fascinated and shocked as she was. “The Imperial City is the center of this part of the world,” Haruka explained. “It gets more visitors and travelers than any other spot on Sanctum. Every day a thousand people experience exactly what you are right now. It’s a technological and cultural marvel.” She pointed along a street showing various small buildings, seemingly endless, along with people standing outside with stalls. “We entered into the Market District, which is probably always the busiest, hence the crowds. Due to the melting-pot nature of this city, I guarantee you can find anything here, to the point where if there’s a food or type of item you miss from Areya, someone will have it.”
Isabella shook her head. “I had thought you were exaggerating, at least a little bit. I see now that if anything, you were understating this place. I can’t wrap my head around it; it’s like I’ve stepped through a portal to another world, another time.”
“The Empire is ridiculously advanced compared with the rest of the world. In a manner of speaking, this is another time – they’re way ahead.”
Isabella beamed at her. “I’m so happy I got to come here. I want to see everything! I want to try everything!”
Haruka chuckled. “We’ll do whatever we can. Where do you want to start?” Before Isabella could answer, she jumped as the sound of gunfire suddenly broke out on the wall. She spun around to see why, but it ended after only a few seconds; most of the people around her didn’t seem bothered or surprised, including Haruka. “All the light and sound sometimes attracts curiosity,” she explained in response to Isabella’s questioning look. “Monsters mainly, being able to smell and hear the masses of people and hoping to pick off one. They’re too stupid to know it’s impossible; the sentries shoot them down before they ever get close.”
“What about something big?” Isabella asked as she looked over the wall. “Could they shoot down a dragon?”
“Their scales tend to be pretty invulnerable to gunfire. If something like that came, it would either be taken out by elite soldiers or one of the Order.”
“The Order?”
“The Order of the Black Rose, the most elite group in the world.” Haruka smirked at her. “They’re pretty much all like you in terms of ability. That’s the Order Tower up there, beside the Imperial Tower and across from the Council Tower.”
Isabella followed Haruka’s pointing, spotting the trinity of the tallest towers in the city; they were positioned in the very center of the massive city and surrounded by other skyscrapers, but separated in an inner circle and still visible above the skyline. The central skyscraper narrowed at the top in a pyramid-like style, while the other two had flat tops. All three buildings had decorative things on them, some of which Isabella assumed were gargoyle-like things, and others being long banners. “I guess an empire of this size would need a group like that.”
“It’d be more impressive if you weren’t equal to them. To the common man, they’re like gods; around here, they’re celebrities. People know the names of all the members, they have trading cards and games and fictional books and shows about them, they appear on the news, teenagers have posters of their favorite member, kids have action figures of theirs; it’s a really big thing.”
“Wow,” Isabella said, thinking. “It’s kind of like the next step after what I was; a leader having a powerful person at their side, but this emperor has a whole team?”
Haruka nodded. “Yep. Many of them hold different positions in the empire as well; one is the Archmage and one is a general, for example.”
“It’s kind of eerily similar to my own situation.”
Haruka tilted her head. “I suppose so, except they all have different reasons for joining. I find it interesting – had you been born here, you probably would have been a member.”
“You think so?” Isabella looked up at the Order Tower. If she had been born here, she may have ended up as a member living there, Haruka said… “I don’t know if my life would have been very different.”
“I think it would,” Haruka responded. “The Empire spreads tolerance and order. It’s definitely not perfect, but racial crimes are not permitted or at all common.”
“So my parents would have been accepted?” Isabella looked back at Haruka and smiled. “Even if it doesn’t change what happened, I like knowing that a place like this exists, where others of my kind are accepted.”
Haruka nodded. “It gives you a bit more faith in people, doesn’t it?”
“It does.” Isabella sighed, looking around. “This whole city gives me faith; I’m amazed at what people can accomplish. Being able to see this place… It couldn’t have been built without so many people working together. And here, all these different kinds of people live and work together, talking to each other without caring about their race. This place is the opposite of Areya in every way. My parents would have loved it.”
“Then they’re probably happy that you’re here.”
Isabella smiled at her. “I think they’re happier that you’re here.”
IXH
A vehicle flew along a highway at a ridiculous speed, veering around others with wild abandon. The car hovered about a foot from the ground and was a sleek red in color, and was breaking quite a few laws at the moment. In the passenger seat was a thin male human with even thinner black hair, glasses, and a tight grip on two handles inside the car. “Left!” he was screaming, “Left, left! There’s a left curve up here – LEFT!”
The car slid around the turn and narrowly avoided a truck, picking up speed once more after the turn was complete. “I saw it, I saw it. Calm down, will you?” said Isabella, who was in the driver’s seat with hands more relaxed on the wheel than the instructor would have liked. “There’s no need to panic!”
“Yes, you wouldn’t want to die panicking, would you?” Haruka said dryly from her seat in the back, behind the passenger seat so that she could see Bella. She was trying to focus on surviving this, but that certainly didn’t mean she was planning to ignore her duty of providing appropriate commentary.
“We’re not going to die,” Isabella reassured them despite the instructor’s whining, which was followed by a scream from all of them as the car flew through an intersection and somehow managed to avoid all the cars crossing. Isabella looked over her shoulder at the intersection as they left it. “See? Those cars barely even came close to killing us.”
“Oh, we’re only almost dead. I feel better.”
“Would you prefer to drive, Ruki?”
“Would I rather drive or ride in a screaming death trap and die in a fiery crash? That’s a hard call.”
“I’m not that bad-“ The instructor screamed again and she looked back to see a transport crossing in front of them. With a yank on the controls she veered the car to the side, flying right alongside the transport before moving away from it. “See? I totally avoided that.”
“We are more or less alive, I’ll give you that.”
“Stop the car!” the instructor shouted, his body tense from bracing himself.
“Um, how do I do that again?” she said as she scanned over the controls.
“Brake! Braaaaake!”
Isabella looked up to see a support column approaching rapidly, which caused her to yelp and yank the handbrake up as soon as she remembered it. The sudden stop jerked them all and the poor instructor’s face hit the dash in front of him, breaking his nose. Isabella squeaked and clapped her hands over her mouth. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that! Are you okay?”
“Out! Out of the car!”
Isabella and Haruka got out and watched him switch to the driver’s seat before shooting them a glare and speeding away. “…Well he was certainly rude.”
Haruka smirked. “No manners at all. So did you enjoy driving?”
“It was great!” Isabella beamed at her. “So much fun! I don’t know why he was panicking so much though, I’ve run as fast as I was driving before.”
“Yes, well, most people can’t run at faster-than-eyesight speeds.”
“Oh, right.” Isabella clasped her hands behind her back, smiling. “Whatever. I got to drive one of those floating vehicle thingies, so I’m happy.”
“That’s all that matters.”
IXH
“So a spa is just like, a relaxation thing?”
“More or less,” Haruka said as she opened the door for Isabella. She had hoped to bring her here – more for one reason than any other. She would enjoy most of it. Probably. It didn’t matter, Haruka was really here for her own entertainment. “I’ve got our schedule. Ready to enjoy a day of nothing strenuous?”
“I think we deserve it.”
“Agreed.”
It did go just as well as expected, although Haruka did get a few odd looks for the mask she refused to remove. The woman who was helping them smiled kindly, saying, “Your mud bath is ready in room three,” before leaving.
“What.” Isabella blinked at the door before turning towards Haruka, who seemed to find something on the ceiling incredibly interesting. “What.”
“Hmm?” Haruka spun back to her. “Oh, we should get going to room three!”
“Wait! Ack!” Isabella struggled as Haruka dragged her into the hallway. “No one told me about this! This is abuse! Help!” Two minutes later she stood in front of said mud bath, staring into it. “So… Mud… My old nemesis… We meet again,” she said before going silent for another minute. “…I’m not getting into that.”
“Oh, come on! It’s good for your skin!”
“It’s mud.”
“It will cleanse you.”
“It’s mud.”
“It will help with joint pain.”
“I’m twenty-nine! And it’s mud!” Isabella whirled on her, narrowing her eyes and pointing at her. “You planned this. You want me to suffer.”
“I just want to help you, that’s all.”
“Lies! I saw that look in your eyes – this is for your own amusement, and I won’t be part of it-“
Haruka rolled her eyes before simply shoving her in. She snickered as Isabella rose out of it with a venomous glare. “Aww, did you get dirty?”
“I shouldn’t have this all to myself,” Isabella said. Haruka really should have seen it coming, but Isabella was still incredibly fast – she had caught her wrist before she could attempt avoiding it, and immediately afterwards she yanked her in. Haruka yelped before plunging headfirst into it. “Wouldn’t want you to miss out!”
Haruka stuck her head out of it and spit out a bit of mud. “Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it,” Isabella said with a grin, dripping more mud onto her head.
“I don’t see how this bothers you and yet being covered in blood doesn’t.”
“Believe it or not, blood is way easier to clean out of curly hair.” Isabella sat back down. “I don’t get why people do this. Mud is something we avoid. Haven’t your people conquered the elements?”
“Yes, and now we use them to our benefit.”
“Your whole society is insane.”
“Because of mud?”
“Because of mud!”
Haruka chuckled, leaning back and closing her eyes. “Relax; soon we’ll get out of this and head over to our spider massage.” She made sure to hold her breath before, as she expected, her head was dunked under once again.
IXH
Isabella smiled as she flipped through the large number of photographs they’d just taken. “This technology is incredible. It looks real!”
“It captures an image of real life,” Haruka said with a nod. “Just like your eyes do, except you get to keep it forever, you can show other people, and it doesn’t fade with memory.”
“Getting pictures of us was a smart idea.”
“Well, it was yours, so of course you’d say that.”
“Credit where credit is due,” Isabella said with a smile. “Besides, it wasn’t as good as my second idea,” she said as she lifted the camera they’d purchased and took a random picture of Haruka.
Haruka blinked after the sudden flash, smirking. “Thanks. I really need more pictures of myself.”
Isabella grinned and took one of herself instead. “There. And now you’ll always remember me annoying you when you look at these pictures.”
“You aren’t annoying-“ Haruka was cut off as the camera was shoved in her face and another flash went off directly in her eyes. “Gah! Bella!”
Bella laughed and dodged out of the way of her grab, sticking out her tongue and taking a picture of said expression before fleeing into the crowd as Haruka gave chase, neither paying any attention to the dozens of other people on the street.
IXH
It was late morning, and the weather was miserable – absolutely pouring rain, consistent thunder, heavy wind, and very cold – and Haruka couldn’t have been happier. They were inside their hotel room which, thanks to the crazy amount of money Freya had given them, was a very nice room near the top in one of the skyscrapers, giving them an extraordinary view of the surrounding city. Their curtains were open, allowing them to see the rain lashing the balcony just outside. Inside it was warm and comfortable, for once allowing them to enjoy the elements without being in them.
Haruka was seated at one end of the couch that faced the balcony, sitting upright against the back of it with one hand holding up the book she was reading and the other playing with Isabella’s hair. Bella was lying lengthwise along the couch with her head on Haruka’s lap, reading her own book that she had purchased in a shop the day before. Due to the weather they had decided to stay in and – after taking a long time before getting out of bed – had been enjoying it as much as anything they could’ve done. It was exactly the sort of thing they could only do now, with no danger looming ahead and nothing pursuing them. It was a normal day, and that was something special in and of itself.
“Oh, come on, just talk to her you moron!”
Haruka smirked as Isabella yelled at the characters in her book again, a habit Haruka had just learned about; on one hand it saddened her just how many little things she didn’t know – and might never know – about Bella, but on the other hand she loved learning about each one. She moved her book aside and looked down at Bella. “Is he still refusing to listen to your advice?”
“Yes!” she said with exasperation. “All of their problems and misunderstandings would be solved if they would just say something.”
Haruka smiled, curling blue hair around her finger. “We haven’t had a problem with that. We’ve been surprisingly drama free, between us at least.”
“Yeah, I don’t remember getting truly angry at you.” Bella put her book down and looked up at her. “We need more cliché in our lives, Haruka. We’re dangerously low. Do something for me to get angry at.”
“That doesn’t sound at all fun.”
“But if we have a fight, we can make up!”
“That part sounds fun… Can’t we just skip to that part?”
“Does it work that way?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Whatever, I like making our own rules,” Isabella said before tossing her book away and pulling Haruka down to kiss her.
Haruka chuckled. “Have I mentioned I love you?”
Bella smiled up at her. “I never mind hearing it.”
IXH
Three Weeks Later
Isabella let out a breath and sat down, looking over the massive canyon they were climbing along. They were a good distance south of the Imperial city, having left it two weeks earlier. Now they were surrounded by sun-bleached mesas of brilliant orange and red rock, the largest of which they were in the process of climbing. This area was apparently known for its beauty, and Isabella had to agree – Areya tended to be dim, wet and grey, so it had no areas that looked like this. This area looked like it was on fire, and they were trying to get to the top before sunset so they could see it from there, as the rock and the gasses within the canyon were said to have odd reactions to the lighting at that time.
Isabella had to take a break, though; Haruka said nothing and simply smiled and sat with her, but Bella knew she was worried, and she had good reason to be since her wife was finding it harder to do certain things these days. Bella could, for now, still get through a normal day with little to no trouble, but climbing and hiking like this was harder. She needed more breaks than she thought she should. She wanted to apologize to Haruka, but that would just draw attention to it and she knew she wouldn’t accept it anyway. So instead, they just pretended they were taking a break to look into the canyon. “Do you think this was created by natural causes?” Bella asked as she looked along it. “It’s oddly straight.”
“There are stories,” Haruka said, leaning back on her hands and looking over the area. “People like thinking of legends about places like this. One says that it’s where a great swordsman struck his final blow on his mortal enemy before laying down his sword – a blow so powerful it split the earth.”
“It could be true,” Bella said with a look at her. “What do you think?”
Haruka smiled. “I like to believe whatever’s the most interesting possibility. Everything should have a little magic.”
“In that case, it’s true. Not only that, but he laid down his sword afterwards to live a normal life with his family – he didn’t believe in fighting without need.”
“That could be why his name was forgotten. He probably didn’t care about fame or legend or wealth; he was probably fighting for the right to live normally.”
“Do you think he had a happy ending?”
Haruka shrugged. “Who could tell? But… I think sometimes, a happy ending is deserved. I’ll believe in one anyway – maybe someone decided he deserved it.”
Isabella nodded. “Or maybe someone made it happen,” she added with a glance at Haruka before standing up slowly. “Alright… Let’s get to the top of this thing before the sun sets, I don’t want to have to spend a day sitting there waiting for the next one!”
Haruka stood and caught her hand; she didn’t let go for the rest of the night.
IXH
Three Days Later
Isabella was coughing. It wasn’t pleasant for her – every few minutes it would include blood, but she didn’t complain. Her throat was raw to the point that swallowing made her eyes water, but she didn’t complain. She was finding breathing difficult and couldn’t speak very well, but she didn’t complain. No, Isabella had been in worse situations and worse states than this – perspective really helped when suffering something. She said she could think back to one of the times she was tortured or one of the harder battles she was a part of, and then this seemed like nothing.
Still, Haruka admired her stoicism. She was taking care of her as well as she could – making sure she was drinking water, keeping her in bed. Fortunately they had found a roadside inn, and thus they were staying there right now. Isabella lay on her side (the only way she could breathe) and Haruka held her, talking to her when she was awake. Despite the situation, Isabella’s mood was still surprisingly light – while she was awake she was rarely not smiling, and though she could only whisper she still said endless jokes. When Haruka got up the courage to ask her why, she had answered simply, “You look sad enough for the both of us.” Haruka couldn’t deny it – try as she might, sometimes she found it hard to keep a light-hearted mood. It seemed odd for Isabella to be the one comforting her, but that was just the way the knight was.
The next day Isabella was much better and was dragging her out of the inn to their next destination, allowing Haruka to be happy again – but the thoughts remained in the back of her mind, and they were never going to go away.
IXH
One Week Later
Isabella’s grin was an image that Haruka never wanted to lose. They were on an Imperial Airship, having – by some miracle – secured passage on one of the normally military-exclusive vessels. Haruka’s Black Sun stature had actually worked in their favor, since no one knew yet that the Black Sun no longer existed. Currently they were out on the deck as the airship flew high above the land, giving a breathtaking view of the full expanse of the Imperial City and the surrounding lands. Isabella was leaning on the railing and looking down, laughing at something Haruka had just said. “Freya’s ship was awesome, yes, but it was over the ocean – there wasn’t a lot to see. And as for the dragon, yes, I was too busy to notice the view or enjoy the flight.”
Haruka chuckled, giving her a sidelong glance. “A dragon took all of your attention? I thought you were awesome.”
“I am awesome! Hey, if you wanna go fight a dragon, go ahead.”
Haruka laughed and raised her hands. “Alright, I give up. I’m not as crazy as you are.”
“Damn right you aren’t,” Isabella said with a smile, looking back down over the edge. “When I was younger, I would have jumped this, you know.”
“I thought you didn’t have wings like the others of your kind do?”
“Oh, I don’t. That wouldn’t stop me though,” Bella said, grinning. “C’mon Ruki, we could survive this jump. You could still do it.”
Haruka peered down at the ground far below. “Mmm… Maybe. This looks about at my height limit. I still wouldn’t want to watch my wife leap over the edge.”
“I don’t plan to now,” Isabella said with a small smile, folding her arms on the railing and resting her chin on them. “It’s just a dream, really.”
Haruka looked at her, watching her for a long moment before looking over the edge again. She looked over her shoulder at the guards walking past, then slipped her hand into Bella’s. “If we die, I am so haunting you, even though we’ll both be ghosts.”
Isabella blinked, looking from their linked hands to Haruka’s face. “What are you-“ She cut herself off with a scream as Haruka leapt over the railing and pulled her with her. She began laughing as they fell, looking at Haruka’s grin as the wind rushed past them. “You are as crazy as me!”
“It’s your fault, too!” Haruka responded as she looked down. They were very high, which was going to work to their advantage – she started channeling her energy at a normal pace, since they had time. As they fell, Haruka sent her energy out in certain patterns that created wind resistance in front of them and caught it behind them, slowing their fall more every few seconds. She took it slow so that they could enjoy it, laughing with Bella and pulling her in closer.
“You’re more dangerous than any dragon,” Isabella said to her as she clung to her, and Haruka smiled as she turned herself and cradled her in her arms. She landed her feet on the ground at just enough speed to crack the earth and send out a shockwave of dirt, but doing no damage to them. Bella laughed again, kissing her hard before Haruka put her down.
“You didn’t look very scared,” Haruka said with a smirk, releasing her only to set her down before sliding her arms around her waist.
Isabella rested her own arms around Haruka’s neck, smiling. “I wasn’t. I trusted that I was safe with you. I’ve been doing that for almost a year now, and it hasn’t failed me yet.”
Haruka smiled and kissed her wife, lifting a hand to take one of hers. “I won’t let you down. Of course, now we have to walk back to the city.”
Bella grinned. “Worth it.”
IXH
A Few Days Later
Haruka looked back at her wife worriedly. The museum they were visiting had a lot of steps, far more than she would have liked. It did have a large collection of all sorts of art from all parts of the world – something Bella had specifically wanted to see – but the knight seemed distracted as she walked it. She seemed happy and smiled softly as they walked, but several times Haruka caught her staring distantly at nothing. They took another break outside in a garden area, sitting on one of the benches there.
Isabella sighed, leaning heavily into Haruka as she watched an insect fly around the flowers a few feet away. “It’s nice here… Quiet… For a long time I didn’t appreciate silence, but now I’m starting to understand its appeal.”
Haruka slid her arm around Bella’s waist, watching her. “It’s restful.”
Bella nodded. She raised a hand to run it over her eyes. “I’m so tired these days,” she said, truly sounding it in that moment. “Sleep doesn’t seem to do as much as it used to. And… it’s a little frightening, to be honest. I no longer feel like I once did.”
“That happens to everyone,” Haruka said, taking Bella’s hand in her lap. “You don’t need to be like you once were. It’s just us now.”
Isabella smiled, lifting her head to look into Haruka’s eyes. “That’s what makes it work. A day with you is worth a thousand others.” She laughed softly. “Maybe that’s why I feel so old.”
Haruka chuckled. “So now we not only act like an old married couple, but we are one.”
Isabella raised a hand to Haruka’s cheek with a softer smile. “Every other accomplishment I’ve achieved pales in comparison to this one.”
“You’re becoming quite the poet in your old age,” Haruka said as she turned her head to kiss her hand. “Do you want to go? You did say you wanted to write more in the Mystery Book.”
Isabella smiled, answering the unspoken question, “I’ll tell you eventually, don’t you worry.”
Haruka helped her stand up, taking her arm as they went to leave. “I’ve got patience.”
“Since when?”
“Since I’ve had to deal with you.”
“I’m a problem, huh?”
“Yes,” Haruka said with a smile. “And the solution.”
IXH
Two Weeks Later
Haruka yawned, glancing out the windows of the train. The countryside sped past, a blur of peaceful beauty. This train connected the Imperial City to a town in the west, the previous destination on their trip; at the moment, they were on their way back to the Imperial City, which had served as their sort of base during the past few weeks. She looked back at her wife, whose head rested on her shoulder as she slept. She’d been excited for the first hour or so of the train ride, but had eventually grown tired and had taken Haruka’s advice to take a nap. Bella slept more often these days – she went to sleep earlier and it was more difficult to for her to wake up. Twice Haruka had experienced difficulty in waking her up, and both times had panicked her enough that Bella had been worried after waking.
Isabella was trying, she knew that – she pretended not to be tired in the evening, she jumped up and bounded around with energy in the mornings, she didn’t complain while walking or climbing or running. But all of that took effort for her now. Haruka knew that if Bella didn’t actively try, she wouldn’t be so energetic or alert. At least, since she had given up transforming or actually using her power, she didn’t have a lot of pain most of the time. There were still some days where she couldn’t do much of anything, but mostly she just seemed generally drained and tired, even weak. She no longer carried anything while they travelled – Haruka handled their supplies and belongings. She no longer wore any kind of armor or her cape, and often dressed in a simple light robe. It helped, and she wasn’t going to be fighting anyway – if anything interrupted their travels, Haruka took care of it.
Haruka took care of a lot of things these days, and she wished she could do more. Isabella had her hands full with staying awake and energetic. Haruka knew Isabella as a childish girl with boundless energy, one who preferred to skip rather than walk, who preferred to climb things and hop over obstacles and walk along railings, and who had a heart that was a third of her real age. It pained her to watch her walk slowly, to notice her eyes travelling the paths her feet would if her body could still perform such actions, to see her struggle to lift something and try to hide it.
For as long as they had been together Haruka had known Isabella was dying, but knowing it and seeing it were two different things. Only now did she get the stark reality that she was watching her die, and it hit her harder than anything she had ever experienced in life. Twice now she had broken down only for Isabella to smile softly and reassure her, and it was only the fact that Bella was so upbeat and accepting of everything that let her keep herself together as much as she did. They had fun every day and did everything they could think of; they bantered almost constantly; they went on all kinds of dates and saw all kinds of shows, ate all kinds of food and talked about all kinds of things. It was without a doubt the best period of both of their lives, but as Haruka looked back down, she realized that it was time to face the truth: their time was out.
Isabella was dying; it was time to go back home.