A Fallen Comrade

"Why didn't you tell him?" asked Z, resting his Igor hands on Mavislin's abnormally broad shoulders.

"He is not supposed to know about his own demise. Once a Time Mage tries to change his own timeline, a whole bunch of nasty paradoxes will occur. It will kill us all. At that point of time, he wasn't old enough to understand the responsibility behind having such thinking," explained the girl, sighing.

"Then when he is old enough?"

"He won't be having such thinking. It won't be in his vocabulary of solutions."

"I don't think it is just because of that reason. How much longer can you withstand the pain? How much longer are you going run from his death?" asked Z, shaking his head slowly. Mavis, with fury held behind her eyes, turned towards Z.

"And what do you expect me to do? Forget about him?"

"No, I didn't mean that. You've been denying everything and I've tried to help you out. You shut out everyone, even Ysabeau. You completely cast yourself out when Raiyen died. How long do you intend to do this?" asked Z, with his big-sized body looming over Mavislin's less than burly physique.

"You would never understand how much I have been through, Z. You can never be able to comprehend the pain that I've been through. Each time I tried to trust someone, they betray me. From Valokia to now. The one who knew about all this was him. So what's the point," explained the girl, with tears of anger brimming from her eyes.

"You didn't even try to tell us about what you've gone through. How could I understand if you don't tell me? Are we not your friends, Mav? We've known each other for so long, so many years. We've even made an almighty civilization within a greater one together. And yet, you are still pushing us away as if we were strangers met on the street." Mavislin blinked her eyes as the man before she said the truth. It was true, she had been denying them. Casting them off after Raiyen's death. And she didn't even try to ask them about how they felt. How selfish had she been?

"Mavislin, have you spared a thought on how I feel? How does the rest feel? We treat you both like our kids. I treat you as a best friend. Don't you think how I feel when my own best friend does not even share with me her pain and memories? I can't even help you to move on because I don't even know what you are going through. How much you've witnessed. How much you've loved. How much you've lost. I haven't got the faintest idea about you."

"And yet you are my friend?"

"Because you aren't telling me anything!"

"Why should I? After god knows how many betrayals I've experienced, did you really think I would just share my darkest of pains towards you? For the sake of that word, 'friend'? I have tried, tried all my life. Did you really think that I would still the courage to even make friends again? Can you imagine how painful it is to look into the eyes of a previous friend, knowing fully well that you are incapable of doing anything to smooth the rage between? How much it hurts to see, someone that you cared for, for so long, to walk past you like you were nothing? And worse, blame you because you were their only scapegoat, their only 'friend' that was daft enough to be friends with them in the first place!"

"We don't treat you like that, Mavis. Don't assume that we are all like that," said Z, eyes livid.

"Then don't assume that I have not tried at all," replied the High Queen, with an emphasis of displeasure behind her words. She need not scream or raise her voice to rival the man before her.

"Don't try and tell me that I should've tried to tell you, people. Don't you dare assume I did not try to speak out my pain. Did you know how much anguish it was for me to come to terms with the death of my family? How painful it was to know, that every time I saw a family, I can never get my own back? I can never see my family, my twin, my friends back again. I can make new ones, but they would never get the pain that I've held in my heart. I can't pour it all out, I just, I just can't do it. You think its easy to just tell others of your backstory? Does it ever occur to you what my background history is? The last of the Valkyries. That's all you need to know. I am the last of my kind. I had to slaughter my own twin just to save others. And yet, they'd still died. And one more thing; don't you dare say that you are the last of your kind. I know we are all the last of our kind; don't give me your witty remarks. Gillian, Ysabeau, and Baldwin had been friends for the longest of times. They've got each other. I had Raiyen, but he's gone now..."

"You still have me. Mavis, you'll always have me," whispered Z, barely audible.

"For how long would I still have you? How are you so sure that you'll still be there for me?"

"Long enough for you to trust me entirely. And for many more days to come."

"That was what he promised as well." Silence fell between the two as they had their silent, heated argument.

"What special password do I need to access the 'trust' side of your mind? What must I do to get you to be trusting of me?" asked Z, his hands covering his eyes.

"You were right, I'm not the same from before. I will never be the same girl you've known years back," she answers, turning her back against his penetrating gaze. It was lucky that Z did not bear witness to the tears that had fallen onto Mavislin's gown as she walked away.

"Why can't you just tell me!" shouted Z, in pure frustration.

After that argument with her, Z had headed over towards the cold country to meet up with Gillian and Baldwin. He steadied himself not to let the other two know about his little altercation with the High Queen.

"Why do I always get the coldest areas?" complained Z, through chattering teeth.

"Well, your Ark is called the Blizzard Faction," replied Baldwin. Gillian's stare was the same as the area.

"Why did you let those soldiers go back to Amsterdam?" asked Gillian. Z's gaze was complex but did not hide the truth.

"Orders from the High Queen," he replied, swiftly.

"Question was why," asked Baldwin, irritated at the answer given. Gillian remained silent.

"Answer is; I will not defy the order given from the second in command. I don't wish for a death sentence," explained Z, calmly. Baldwin huffed.

"Her mission was to scout out, that's why I'd order her to go, alongside you lot. Didn't expect you guys to meddle with the civilian affairs," stated Gillian, in a rather annoyed tone. The blizzard did not hinder the three's view of the oncoming German Army. If Raiyen and I were known as Partners in Crime, those three were known as the Trio. Mavis had known about Raiyen's Time Frame Hopping, Z had played along by asking Raiyen why was he in Germany. Mavis then explained to him that he was supposed to be in Singapore. That was the place he was buried at, where his family will start to bloom.

"Pretty dumb for them to march through the coldest part of USSR," commented Baldwin.

"It won't bother since Z's power functions well in these harsh conditions."

"The USSR Armies has not been mobilized yet. Looks like a surprise attack," said Baldwin. Gillian shook his head.

"Soviets have arrived but are severely outnumbered compared to the Nazis,", explained Gillian.

Z stood in front, gathering up both wind and ice. Soon, the blizzard was now in his command. Both sides of the battlefield were now engulfed by the raging wind. But USSR had grown accustomed towards the freezing conditions. Hence, they continued fighting, leaving the Nazis at a huge disadvantage.

"Heed my command of the waves, Operation Barbarossa!" called Z, propelling the Blizzard to directly about a million of the Nazis' personnel, destroying their front line. Both sides were puzzled, how the blizzard be biased, only affecting the Nazis' side of the battlefield?

"This battle is not over yet," said Headmaster as he stepped closer to the snowy cliff edges.

"Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite! Confuse their strategy! Jumble their memories! Let them remember, what is fake. Let them remember, what is real. Destroy their minds, Memories of Nobody!" yelled Gillian as he engulfed both parties with the spell. Z was surprised that the man before him would pull off such a disastrous move. Blinded by rage, ignoring the fallen soldier's words, he had wreaked havoc upon both sides of the battlefield with the single incantation from the Book Of Code he held within his hands. He could've been helpful, kind even. But today, he chose not to. That's why the trio set out on this mission alone. To prevent the rest from seeing what Gillian was capable of when you push his bottom line. He wasn't a hero, a warrior or a monster. Not even a Headmaster. He was just a bloke who wants his brother back. Baldwin watched with a blank expression as if he had known that Gillian will respond to the humans in this manner. As the soldiers from both sides of the battlefield were screaming from the hallucinations, Gillian found it sadistically satisfying to watch. The man that stood above the rest, who was aloof from the fields of war was now taking part in one. Not for defending, but for vengeance. At that moment, he wasn't himself. And Z knew that far too well, he knew what was going to happen if they don't stop their own leader from trying to kill the rest of the human race. And that was the most terrifying sight to behold; seeing your own leader lose his sanity.

The soldiers were holding their heads in agony. Dropping their guns, they fell to their knees. Twisting in anguish, they shook their battlefield with their tormented wails. This was the ultimate of the man who wielded that spell. A leader's wrath. The anger of a respectable man. The rage of the Headmaster.

"Do you think Raiyen would be proud?" asked Z, as he looked upon the carnage that the Headmaster had created. By the time the trio had spoken a word, the soldiers were trying to yank their hairs out from trying to stop the misery they felt.

"They deserved it. They have taken our people and murdered them," replied the man who was seething with rage.

"We've worked so hard for the peace treaty to be in action. Don't you think you've gone a bit too far, Gillian?" asked Z, voice cracking. No reply. Z looked at the Headmaster in distrust. The man who willingly raised two kids and shaped them into great people was now killing, persecuting, the soldiers of the battlefield. The person who brought all of Pentacle Arks together was now going back on his word, the main mission of the organization he had founded.

"What's the point of killing the rest of them? Will you be able to bring your younger brother back?" asked Baldwin, seemingly able to trigger something from Gillian's memory. Those words continued to ring within the mind of the Headmaster. Where had he heard it before? His wife? His brother?

"It was from you and your wife, you know. Those are the words you asked me when I had destroyed the town which burnt my daughter alive." Z looked lost. Since when did that happen?

"Time and time again, they've always betrayed us. How long more shall we wait to take action? How much more losses can we take?" asked Gillian, increasing the power of Memories Of Nobody.

"But no matter what, we can't stoop to their level. This isn't what we wanted. This isn't who you are," pleaded Z, trying to rescue the situation.

"How'd you think the kids would react if they see you like this? Mavis lost too much, we all did. You are our leader. What's gonna happen if the leader buckles down from pressure?" asked Baldwin. Gillian clenched his fists in fury.

"I'm sick of putting a front up against people. I'm tired of losing people. I can't win, every time I try to, I always end up losing someone important. Because of our defeat, I've taken away the one that made Mavis happy. I can't continue to be like this. Every time someone dies, I would end up facing the rest of you guys with bravery. Always the one to withstand the pain, the agony, the urge to break down and cry. Today, I'd have enough of this. Time to stop being brave," said Gillian, as his strong facade was starting to break down.

"And who said you have to stop being brave in order to save people? Who says that you've got to suffer alone? And who determined that you had to put up a front against your family?" asked Baldwin, getting somewhat pissed.

"I just want to win. If I'd won, he would've been still by our side. If I had tried to stop being compassionate for once, I wouldn't have detained my anger and power. He'd still be alive. Mavis won't be able to change into the ruthless person she is now. If we'd won..." Just then, Z took hold of Gillian's shoulders. And then proceeded to shake the crushed man before him.

"It's not about winning, man! It's never about that. Any old bloke could win under the right circumstances. It's more difficult to protect. Even harder to forgive. You would require great amounts of bravery to protect the ones that you love and not lose them. If you stop being brave, then who else is going to be as brave as you? And, it is almost impossible to forgive the people that you hate. It sounds mad, but it is better than killing all of them at once!"

"You expect me to forgive them for what they've done?! I turned a blind eye and lost a loved one!" Gillian's voice rang through the icy atmosphere with sheer animosity.

"Not all are like that. There's still some good among these species. Don't lump everyone in the same league as those killers. And certainly, do not ever be them. Be that person who fights for not war or winning, but for the sake of defending the innocent. Be the one who stands up for the weak. And above all, be the one to forgive your enemies in the name of compassion. You would be applauded for winning, but respected for being benevolent. Hailed as a hero, known throughout history as a merciful. That's why we appointed you as the leader. We knew, out of everyone, that you were the most capable."

"Just because I'm the oldest, it defines me of my rank. I can't hold this title of Headmaster just by virtue of being old."

"We chose because you are the bravest amidst us. You were the one who showed us all how to determine from right and wrong. Taught us the meaning of family. The meaning of kindness. You took us all in when you could've just let us die. You could be the king of the world, yet you were still contented with being the five of us. That's the reason why we chose you as our leader, our Headmaster. So please, don't throw away your bravery," reasoned Baldwin, as he grabbed Z's freezing arms in an attempt to pry the two away. Another wave of gunfire reverberated through the air, piercingly loud due to the stillness of the area. The screams had stopped. Gillian merely gave a small smile as turned his back on the sight before him.

"I still want that Club Sandwich, let's go back before Mavis finishes all the avocados," said Gillian, beckoning the two men to follow him home. At the very least, in Z's eyes for the day, it ended better than the earlier conversation with Mavislin. He'd hoped that she would have at least simmered down by now. He was right, as he found the High Queen sitting on Raiyen's bed with a bunch of cookies that Z had been saving up. She glanced at the huge guy and looked away instantaneously.

"Aren't you gonna complain that I've eaten your stash of cookies?" she asks, nervously.

"Nope, that was meant for you. I made them myself," replied Z, with a goofy smile on his face.

"Are you an avid fan of peanuts?" she asked. He sat by her side and snatched one away and shoved them in his mouth.

"Thank you, Peanut."