Extra 2: A Queen's Paw

Author's note:

This Extra Chapter takes place after the final meeting of Chapter 55: Departure and before the Anti Order Brigade leaves Soula.

*

-Are you sure you're fine by yourself? You toss and turn a whole bunch, you haven't been sleeping well lately.- Terri said.

-What, you wanna join me up here and cuddle? Geez, buy me dinner first~- Lucy replied. She was lying on the top bunk bed, already in her pastel blue pajamas, looking down at Terri, who was half out the bedroom's door. The Titan was going out for a bit, while Lucy, who was dead tired from all the mercenary work, decided to go to bed early.

-Honestly, I feel like we're more intimate than a married couple, after sharing a room with you for a few months. I know your naked body like the back of my hand and memorized where all the pimples are on your bu--

-Shush and go! Don't keep Sobek waiting for your cutesy date!- Lucy grinned.

-It's not a date, I'm just helping him move some bags from his job.

-Let him do his own job! Gods, for someone who was forced into community labor, he and Albus sure have become chummy...

-It's called being a responsible worker, Lucy.

-I'm this town's hottest entrepreneur, a modern self-made business woman. "Responsible" is my middle name. And now, this bastion of professionalism is going to catch some Zs.- she said, plopping down in bed and pulling the covers over herself.

Terri was about to leave when she noticed something.

-Want me to close the window? You might get the chills.- said said, pointing to the slightly open window, the curtain swaying slightly from the wind.

-Leave it, I'm used to sleeping outside. A puny breeze like that is nothing to me.- Lucy yawned.

With that, Terri left the room, closing the door behind herself.

*

It was a warm, warm day.

Dark clouds had been covering the sky throughout all morning, but at midday, the sun shone through them, reflecting on the castle's white walls, making them twinkle. It was like a scene taken out of a book. A scene of a divine miracle.

I stood atop of a hill, looking onto the castle. I could hear the loud popping of fireworks raising and bursting above its towers. I could see the confetti being thrown around, hear the cheer of the people down on the castle town, near the castle's gates, laughing and celebrating their freedom from the evil feudal lord that had made their lives miserable for decades.

-Lucy.

I didn't turn back, but could recognize his soothing voice. A figure climbed up the hill, approaching me.

-It's---done?

-Yes.- I replied- It wasn't so bad. I managed to get into the castle's throne room easily enough. That feudal lord was there, surrounded by his guards. I told him he couldn't extort the people like he was doing, making them work the fields like slaves, making them live in hole-filed shacks, while all the money from their work went to him.

"Then all the guards came at me and I made them go beddy-bye-bye, just like you taught me. The lord kept shouting at me, though. So I made him go beddy-bye-bye too. They're all sleepy-sleep now. I then went out the door, but more and more guards kept coming. They were pretty weird, dressed in frilly uniforms, with frilly headpieces, some carrying brooms. Some were tinier than me. But they still came at me, so I helped them calm down and they're sleepy-sleeping now too.

I came out the castle and everyone started cheering for me! That I was a great hero, they told me! The town was so happy for me, so they started partying, but soon got tired too. I tried to tell them that the ground was hard and not good to sleep on, but they didn't listen. Weirdos."

-Didn't you come as a team?

-Humph! My brother is so useless. He said he had a tummyache and went behind another hill. He was just scared, I tell you. Wait until I tell him how easy it was to complete this mission! Hehehe~!

I turned around to face him. My white dress and platinum hair shone, blemish-free, in the sun, glistening just like the castle. I could see his deep lavender eyes widening in happiness upon seeing me. His lips parting through his thick black black to let out a gasp, he was so proud at my accomplishment.

-I'm covered in dust, though. I gotta take a shower.

-...Yes. Go on ahead back to the ship. I can't let---you like this.- he told me.

I then stepped towards him, looking at the man with a big smile.

-It's so easy! We'll win for sure! Thank you so much for letting me help out!

"I...lo...loooooo...veeeee...y-y-y-you...A...t....t.....i...l....l....a"

*

It was a cold day. Now made warmer.

The smoke rose into the sky, making thick clouds gather. The midday sun shone through them one last time. Descending upon the castle, making the countless pieces of broken windows twinkle. It was like a scene taken out of a book. A scene of divine, ruthless judgment.

The little girl stood atop of a hill, looking onto the ruins of a castle. She could hear the roar of flames raising from within the towers. Ashes and dust clouds covering the scenery, the screams of the few surviving people of the castle town echoing, as they wondered why their freedom from the evil feudal lord that had made their lives miserable for decades came at such a cost.

A caped man climbed the hill. He had deep lavender eyes and a thick black beard matching his long hair. He spotted the girl atop of the hill.

-Lucy.- he called. He looked at the destruction of the castle and of the area near the entrance- It's already done?

-Yes.- she replied- It wasn't so bad. I managed to get into the castle's throne room easily enough. That feudal lord was there, surrounded by his guards. I told him he couldn't extort the people like he was doing, making them work the fields like slaves, making them live in hole-filed shacks, while all the money from their work went to him.

"Then all the guards came at me and I made them go beddy-bye-bye, just like you taught me. The lord kept shouting at me, though. So I made him go beddy-bye-bye too. They're all sleepy-sleep now. I then went out the door, but more and more guards kept coming. They were pretty weird, dressed in frilly uniforms, with frilly headpieces, some carrying brooms. Some were tinier than me. But they still came at me, so I helped them calm down and they're sleepy-sleeping now too.

I came out the castle and everyone started cheering for me! That I was a great hero, they told me! The town was so happy for me, so they started partying, but soon got tired too. I tried to tell them that the ground was hard and not good to sleep on, but they didn't listen. Weirdos."

The man kept silent. The intel said nothing about guards in frilly uniforms and headpieces. Aside from the lord and his guards, the castle's former noble owners were killed when the town was taken over by the bandit-turned-lord's crew, and only the maids and children were kept alive--

He stopped himself. He didn't want to believe that thought. He instead kept talking, to drive that logic away.

-Didn't you come as a team?- he asked, noticing that the two-men team he had sent to infiltrate the castle to defeat the guards, to let him take care of the leader lord, was broken in half.

-Humph! My brother is so useless. He said he had a tummyache and went behind another hill. He was just scared, I tell you. Wait until I tell him how easy it was to complete this mission! Hehehe~!

She turned around to face him. The man gasped in horror and almost threw up.

She was covered, from head to toe in blood. Her white hair was stained by whatever disgusting inner matter that had splashed over it. Yet, her bright purple eyes kept innocently looking at him, like she was squeaky clean.

-I'm covered in dust, though. I gotta take a shower.- she ended up saying. She couldn't see it. Or better yet, not recognize it.

The man gulped. He had to keep talking. He couldn't let her recognize it.

-...Yes. Go on ahead back to the ship. I can't let your brother see you like this.- he said, trying to protect the boy's eyes.

She stepped towards him, looking at the man with a big smile.

-It's so easy! We'll win for sure! Thank you so much for letting me help out!

Her smile widened through the gore. Her purple eyes kept shining as her lips widened more and more and more and more and more and more and more and more and more and more

"I love you, Attila."

and more and more and more and more and more and more and more until it turned into an abyss of black. Her eyes vanished into two circles of dark void. Her figure contorted, turning into some sort of vaguely humanoid shape of red.

It lunged towards Attila.

Beddy-bye-bye.

It jumped down the hill, towards the few surviving, crying, people of castle town.

Beddy-bye-bye.

It kept running and running, giggling all the while.

It went over to the hill where brother was. It climbed over it and saw him.

Laying on the ground, a pool of blood beneath him.

The figure could then see itself as it turned around. It gained lavender (clear?) eyes. Soft white (golden?) hair. White dress (robes..!).

Glowing sword (knife!) in hand.

Wide wide wide wide wide wide wide wide smile.

"I needed a big chunk of it."

"Run."

"Runrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunmeowrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunmeowrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunmeowrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunmeworunrunrunmeowrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunmeowrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrunrun"

"MEOW!"

*

Lucy's eyes crashed open. She felt her whole body covered in cold sweat. Her face awash in tears. Her bed's covered tossed aside, toppling over the railing of the bunk bed, tore from the mattress. But she felt warmth in her stomach. And a stinging pain in her nose. She looked down to see...

-N-Noelle?

The pudgy orange cat mewed, her claws shining as she retreated them, looking at the woman with a pair of of spiteful, bored eyes.

-Where did you come--

Lucy then remembered the open window.

-You...I was having a nightmare...

-Meow.- she let out in a bored tone.

-You were walking nearby and heard me tossing and turning?

-Meow..!- she nodded.

-And mumbling in my sleep? Gods...Terri was right, I shouldn't be sleeping alone so close to the raid...

-Mew Mew Mew!- she let out, like she was laughing.

-Y-yeah...silly me. But...why did you come to wake me up, anyways? You...you hate me! I hate you!

-Mewww...- she let out.

-Tch..."Felt sorry for me". Self-important fatass...- Lucy chuckled.

Noelle yawned, spinning around and curling up atop of Lucy's stomach, before beginning to purr.

Lucy's lips trembled.

-I really can't understand cats...

With that, she fixed her bed sheets. Keeping Noelle over her stomach, she pulled the sheets over both of them, the purring from her feline nemesis erasing the bad memories of the nightmare.

-Thank you, Your Majesty. Goodnight.

-Mew...~

With that, both closed their eyes, carried by a dreamless sleep.