The Ark Of Then We'll Go

"Now that you have been informed about the location of the final battle... Duncan and Midori, are you mentally prepared to return to your original birthplace?" commanded the Headmaster as everyone in the room watched the two kids.

Rina wanted to protest but was held back by Bryan and Ashley while the Valkyrie softened her look as she crouched next to the twins.

"I'm not going to push you since, deep down, you were children born out of the horrors of what humans can do... You going there would be fantastic for me, but..."

"Then we'll go," replied both children, without blinking.

"Look, I'm not forcing you to go somewhere you hate. All your life, you've wanted to escape that place, and now, after being free, you have to go back. If you don't want to or aren't ready, I won't pressure you to do so..." said Mavislin softly as she took their hands.

"We know, and we are going to defeat the King. Or else we would lose this chance to show off our powers. Everyone pitched in to defeat the Knights, and now we want to finish this off with a bang. We're not going to stay there. So it should be fine for a couple of hours."

"And it would be very dumb for me not to go when I was the one who kept pressuring you and the Headmaster to join this Mission to back out at the last Tick. So, I'm going through with this plan and seeing it to the end," explained Mordred, with Midori's voice echoing back.

"Same here. I'm not too fazed about that place anymore, so it shouldn't pose a problem returning. However, it's nothing but an empty shell now and used for another evil, so it needs to be purged instantly. But, even if I'm terrified, I will swallow that feeling and tread on to victory."

"Because if I allow those small things to affect me, would I still be called the Dementor Pillar?" asked Duncan, with a big smile.

The Headmaster threw his head back with laughter as Ysabeau walked into the room, trying to find her husband. It was pretty awkward for the High Queen to see Mavislin crouching down at the twins while there were enough chairs to fit a church all around the room.

"Are you forcing our little Valkyrie to do squats again?! If you are, I will proceed to put every color of the spectrum between black and blue on your body..." growled Ysabeau as she stomped over to her husband and yanked his ear.

Mavislin jumped back up to a standing position as Gillian's cries rang out in the room, prompting the twins to hide behind the Valkyrie's back. Ashley could not help but laugh while Bryan and Rina looked terrified. They didn't know the Headmaster could be hurt in that manner.

"What does she mean by 'again'? Did the Headmaster punish Mavislin by asking her to do squats?" whispered Bryan to the Marksman, making Ashley laugh.

"That's one way to put it... Mavislin used to get in a lot of trouble by playing tricks on the nearby humans, and Gillian would punish her by squatting at the back of the room throughout dinner. But in most instances, she got that punishment from biting Minwoo's hand all the time."

"I'm surprised that she didn't eat the man... Sometimes, Minwoo deserves those bites because of how cocky he can be... What was he doing to get bitten by a Valkyrie?"

"Well, Minwoo treated Mavislin like a small human toddler by always feeding her food using her hand, so there's that. And when the Valkyrie gets too hungry, Mavislin can't stop herself when aims for the food, so most of the time it was accidental."

"No offense, but I think your brother might be mentally challenged. If three strikes weren't enough, I think he needs to rethink his choice of living and let nature take its course."

"I like your style, kid. I should've let you into the Mafia sooner, but now I'm glad I've met you."

"Likewise, Hawkeye."

"It serves him right for cornering Duncan and Midori like that..." complained Rina as she scoffed at Gillian.

"That question also applies to you, you know... Are you sure you won't be upset when you set foot in that place? It might trigger memories you have put behind," stated Bryan, glancing at the Flower Mage.

"I am not a child anymore and can face my demons without help, thank you very much. If I don't do this, then Lady Roydon would be disappointed with me..."

"Make no mistakes about what I see in my Pillars, Rina. I understand that it takes time to heal from a past experience, so I won't force anyone to participate if they don't want to."