Arc 8 End

"Exactly, Cyrus. Orb is at risk of getting his personality erased, just like me."

"That's why you're strange?"

Spinning around, Atalanta says, "Oh, there is nothing strange about me, this is how I usually am, Cyrus. But my body is always under the intense influence of that FUCKING MAGGOT!"

Stopping her dance, Atalanta's empty face fills with furry as she says, "Because of his influence I am always having sex left and right, it is essentially all my mind can ever think about, he makes me touch all of those gross human bodies, and everything that comes out of my mouth is so crude, yet for some reason that piece of shit sun god thinks it's elegant.

And it is never any good men, I want a man with a giant ass, but that bastard only ever goes for the men with the most muscles, I swear if I ever get the chance, I will rip his stupid little head off."

"Are you o-o-o-o-ok?"

Calming down, she says, "But whatever, I can't do anything about it. I will just get over it. So, in summation, this is the reason why I look different, and also this is the reason why I was looking for research in the underground. I thought I might be able to find some way to undo this, but it was to no avail."

"But how are you n-n-n-n-normal now?"

"I reached an agreement with Ahmed and allowed him to see some of my memories in exchange for him trying to bind my legacy with his chains. And it worked a bit as you can see, but it is slowly coming back, and soon, Atalanta supernova will disappear yet again." Lying with her back against the balcony rails, she says, "And there is nothing I can do about it."

Sitting down and looking over the city, I say, "Maybe it will be good for me to be taken o-o-o-o-over."

"Cyrus."

"I a-a-a-a-am no good, so if I became mo-o-o-o-ore like my legacy I might be a-a-a-a-able to actually do-o-o-o-o something with my wor-r-r-r-r-rthless life. Beca-a-a-a-ause as I am, I don't even know why I am alive."

"Hey Cyrus, the person you see in front of you will soon be dead, then her body will be puppeteered by someone she hates until the death of her flesh, and that very fact caused me untold despair.

But I decided that the girl is still alive, so why don't I engrave her image in the lives of people who she cares about? So, I set out to look for such people, those who would remember the girl who would die, and I think I found them."

A group of kind, shy, stupid, and fun people who I can laugh and fight with, people who will surely remember me."

Walking up to me, she pats my head, and says, "Both of us have made mistakes that have cost us greatly, but the past can't be rewritten, so all we can do is move towards the future, so Cyrus, think carefully about what you want and walk towards it."

"Atalanta," I say, staring at her face, but I see a sick expression appear on her face, so I say, "Are you ok!!?"

"Well, you're part lizard, so I thought touching you would work, but I feel like I am going to pass out."

Walking away, Atalanta throws something back at me, catching it, I see it is my horn. "I found that after the battle, oh and another little titbit. If you died, I would be super sad."

As Atalanta walks away, I grab my horn and hold it up to my face.

-Break-

Opening Orb's door, I walk in to see Orb struggling on the bed with Suzuka's tails over him. So, I kneel beside both of them and hold my body over them both, then whisper, "I promise f-f-f-from th-h-h-hhis point on I will never allow any suffering to come to any of you guys, I will get strong and make sure no one I love will ever die again. So, please, Orb, wake up."

-Break-

Feeling something weird against my tail, I twitch it, and then I hear, "Oh, how wonderful this is."

Recognising the voice, I open my eyes to see Orb holding both mine and Suzuka's tails against his face. "Good morning, Cyrus, how are you doing?"

With tears filling my eyes, I say, "Oaaaaarob."

"Don't butcher my name like that, Cyrus!"

Across the bed from me, Suzuka wakes up and says, "You're awake!"

Continuing to rub our tails against his face, Orb says, "Well, of course I am Suzuka. When people sleep, they wake up."

"No, you idiot, you were asleep for 6 months!"

"NOOOOOOO! That means I have missed 543 meals, oh why God have you done this to me."

"IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT?"

"Of course, I am, you don't know the struggles of a man who was forced to eat the same tasteless burning fruits for 14 years, you idiot."

"You're the idiot!"

As Orb and Suzuka continue to call each other idiots, I say, with my eyes watering, "O-O-O-O-O-Orb you-u-u-u-u-u're aw-w-w-w-w-wake."

"Please don't cry, Cyrus, you're worrying me more than anything else."

"But Orb, how are you awake?"

"Well, it looks like you and Cyrus slept beside me last night. So, my theory is that sleeping in such close proximity to two beautiful people gave my body all the energy it needed to wake up."

Blushing Suzuka hide her face with her mask and says, "DON'T CALL ME BEAUTIFUL BASTARD."

Rubbing her tail more, Orb says, "I refuse!!!!"

"Why?"

"BECAUSE I WILL TELL NO LIES HERE!"

Shyly taking off her mask, Suzuka says, "Well, if you have to continue."

"Wow, you really are easy, Suzuka. Fling you a few compliments and you immediately become putty in my hands."

Putting on her mask, Suzuka says, "I will kill you!!!"

As they continue to fight, Orb says, "It was a joke, please stop, IT WAS A JOKE!!"

Grabbing Suzuka, Orb says, "I can tell from the softness I have been feeling that you have been by my side nursing me back to health, thank you so much Suzuka you really are the best."

"You mean it?"

Hugging her, he says, "Of course." Under his breath, he mutters, "So easy."

"I HEARD THAT!!"

As the two of them fight, I just laugh with a smile on my face.

-Break-

Φ Feeding Anto and Mime snacks by my bedside, I sit up as Avram continues his long explanation, and when he finishes, I say, "I understand the situation, sorry I put you guys out for so long."

Beside me, Iancu says, "Instead of an apology, give me some money for all my effort. Not to mention the sun in this country made a vampire like me feel like I was dying, so I need more money for my pain and suffering."

"Ehhhh, but didn't you do this out of your utter love for me?"

With fierce eyes, he says, "I have no such thing for you."

Suzuka says, "He is lying! When we were taking care of you, he was super attentive like you were his own child."

"NO, I WASN'T!"

Mocking him, I say, "You would do that for me, aww you big softy."

Embarrassed, Iancu says, "THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED, YOU DUMB FOX!"

"SAY THAT AGAIN!"

Breaking up their fight, I say, "Well, thank you all anyway, those who cared for me, and for those like Anto who fought with me."

"I did a lot of work too, Orb!" Mime says.

"I know you did, Mime," I say as I give her another sweat.

Walking into the room, Elia says, "Mime what did I say about eating more than a set amount of sweets per day?"

Hiding behind my back, Mime says, "Save me, Orb, that girl is the devil!"

"Why?"

"You don't know what she did to me." Shaking Mime says, "Never again, never again."

Staring at Elia with confused eyes, she says, "Don't worry about that overdramatic brat, I just thought her some manners. Now come here, you're bothering the patient."

Almost as if she were a trained dog, Mime gets up and walks towards Elia. "Good girl."

Anto, getting up as well, says, "What do you want to do next, Orb?"

"Well, I think the first thing to do is to head back to Maple and Willow. 6 months without any contact is really bad, they must be freaking the hell out. So, everyone, go get prepared to leave immediately. Also, please get out because I need to get changed."

In my lap, Anto looks at me with weird eyes and says, "You're not actually a girl?"

"No, I just don't want everyone staring at my naked body, so scram!!!"

"Ok, ok."

After I say this, everyone who was in the room leaves. Then, moments later, I try to get up and begin to walk shakily.

With tears falling from my eyes, I say, "It still hurts so much. I feel like I could pass out any second."

As I try to walk towards where my clothes are, the pain makes me feel more and more nauseous to the point where I feel like I am about to pass out just existing.

Unable to hold my balance any longer, I trip and fall, but before I hit the ground, I am caught by Avram.

Holding me, he says, "Don't be an idiot."

"Why did you come back?"

"Are you forgetting I am a vampire; I could hear your heartbeat going crazy from pain. You really did a good job pretending you weren't in trouble."

"I have already made everyone worry for me for 6 months, I can't allow them to do so any longer. But could you leave now because I have a lot to do?"

"If you can't move, you should rest."

"Sorry, but I need to get moving. I have no idea of the situation of the people back in the tunnels, so I need to get back, and the kids from Skydust have been living in this city for 6 months, I need to help them as well. I still have lots of other things to get done as well, so waiting is not an option."

"Are you serious?"

"Of course, I am. I also have to apologise for keeping you hear for 6 months, you planned to return to your home country, and I delayed you."

Sighing Avram whispers, "Damn you Captivant. Listen here, you stupid child, I am not going anywhere!"

"What do you mean?"

"Captivant asked me to look out for you, so I will, I am not going anywhere. I can go to Blestemate whenever, so I have decided to stay with you guys."

"But!"

"No buts, I have decided this out of my own free will, so accept it and say thank you."

Φ Looking down at Orb, I see him make a smile and say, "Thank you."

Φ As Avram helps me back on my own two feet, he asks, "How did you even wake up?"

"I don't know, but I do remember feeling the pain subside."

"Doesn't look like it subsided at all."

"Maybe that was a bad way to put it, it is like my pain tolerance raised, like I was once exposed to pain this bad before and learnt how to deal with it."

"Must be another strange thing you legacies have. Truly a god-given power."

"Or maybe it was this bracelet I had on when I woke up."

"Oh, that was made by Raqiue. She stopped by a few times."

"I got to th-." Before I can finish, I am tackled from my right side by Atalanta.

Hugging me, she says, "Oh, how I missed you, my darling little Orb."

Her hair is as scarlet as ever, and I think she might be even livelier than before. Sighing, I say, "I see you never change."

"Of course I don't, because this body is going to be enjoying the bodies of men until it is old and wrinkly."

"Stop being so gross, I just woke up!"

"I need to get the past 6 months of conversation in as soon as possible."

"Back off, don't you see I am in pain?"

"Well, all of that pain is your fault. Like in all honesty, you can be preachy at times, so if I was Ahmed, I would have cursed the shit out of you so you can shut the hell up."

Shocked for a moment, a smile soon overcomes my face, and Avram says, "Now you have done it."

Confused, Atalanta says, "Did what?"

With the back of my heel, I hit Atalanta directly in her temple. Letting out a scream, Atalanta says, "OWWWW YOU HIT ME!"

"IT IS WHAT YOU DESERVE."

-Break-

Bowing, I say to Scheherazade, Adi, and Easifatan. "Thank you all so much, if it wasn't for your help, I would have never gotten better, and all my friends would have starved."

"Don't worry about it, our king ordered us to do so."

"I am also sorry for how hard I hit you!"

"It is alright, I'll punch you a few times in your sleep as revenge."

Raising my head, I say, "But are you guys going to be ok?"

"I see they informed you of our current crisis."

"Yes, the fact that the protective sandstorm around the country has disappeared. Apparently, during our battle, it started to fade and eventually disappeared."

"And now the thing keeping most foreign powers away from us is gone."

"Do all of you guys want to come with me? I am sure I can ke-."

Adi says, "Stop there. Sorry, abandoning this country is something none of its citizens will ever do."

"Our king has done far too much for us to ever leave."

"So, we will protect it until he comes back, and besides, you have done enough."

"What do you mean?"

"Our king had a sadness inside him for a long time that nothing couldn't be erase, but thanks to you, I think he can finally start smiling truly now. For that, you have our thanks."

"I see."

Walking up to my face, Easifatan says, "Helix battle arts."

"What?"

"That's the name of my grandpa's fighting style, you best remember it or my grandpa will haunt you until the day you die.

"I promise I will!"

Seeing something staring at me from behind a house in my peripheral vision, I dash over to the corner of the house and say, "Raqiue."

Looking at me, she bows and says, "Thank you, Orb."

The face she makes is lifeless, and her eyes are swollen, almost as if she had been crying recently.

Getting on one knee, I ask Raqiue, "Would you like to come with me?"

"Huh."

"You might be lonely by yourself, so would you like to come with me?"

Stuttering Raqiue says, "N-N-N-N-N-No, if I leave him all alone, I think Baba may be lonely."

"I see Raqiue, but you gave me a gift, so let me give one back to you." Taking my scarf from Skydust off, I wrap it around her and say, "This is made by an old woman with a lot of warmth, so if you ever get cold at night, use it to keep you warm."

"Orb."

"Yes, Raqiue."

With tears, she asks me, "Am I a good girl? Because if I am one such, why would Baba leave?"

Hugging her tight, I say, "Of course, you are, more so than you ever could know. I don't have all the answers, but one day in the future you will meet your parents again, and when you do, show them how amazing you are, ok."

"Ok."

"If you ever need anything, just come look for me."

As she nods her head up and down, I run off and wave towards all of them, "GOODBYE, next time we meet, why don't we all have a meal!"

They all wave goodbye towards me, and with all of the people currently with me, we head towards the ship.

-Break-

Continent: Terrafide

Location: ?

Φ I don't know what to do or how to live from now on, the principles I lived by are gone. But I do know that if I can walk this path correctly, I might be able to break free from the hole that devours my soul, and because of that, it might take a while for me to return. "Scheherazade, Adi, Easifatan, be safe, and Paribanou, I hope you're ok."

As Katk lands on my head, I continue to walk and say, "It is just you and me again."

Name: Raqiue Grandslam

Age: 5

Birthday: Aries 6th

Hair: Sliver

Eyes: Pink

Height: 110 cm

Description: The daughter of Yamal and Tarina Grandslam, she is a kind attentive young girl who cares for both her parents with all her heart. She is incredibly brilliant for her age much like Orb and is as adorable as her mother.