Headless Mules - V

Cleidsman:

"Call the doctor, he's awake." The first words I've heard as I've opened my eyes.

White ceiling, white walls, a tv, a bed and... this is clearly a hospital. I guess I passed out and they carried me here...

I need to get up and check on them.

"Not so fast, we need to check a few things before you can get out of the bed, so stay where you are." The doctor said to me.

And so I went through the tests.

*Half Hour Later*

"Everything seems to be in order, now we can let the visitors come in."

Visitors? Who?

"How are you feeling?" A sweet voice came from the behind of a relatively tall human, Maverick and Stella, two of the people who saved us in the fight against the leader of the mules.

"Could've been worse." I said smiling. "Where's the other guy, you know the one who dealt the final blow?"

I asked the question, wanting to thank who I assume is the leader. My rage... my pain, he brought me back to my senses in the middle of the storm that clouded my judgement... but he also looked in pain while doing it.

I don't know if he did it for me, or for himself but it is irrelevant. Such an act must be thanked accordingly.

"He decided not to come, he said he'll be better off not witnessing this."

Maverick said to me. "Witnessing what exactly?"

"Cleidsman..." 

A figure made its way from behind the other two... it's Maddie. 

Her right leg is replaced by a robotic one, one that is powered by mana, but at least she's alive... I'm so glad...

"I'm so glad... thank you... oh lord above thank you."

Without noticing, tears started running down my checks as a sense of warmth covered my heart.

But that blissful moment was soon over as I noticed the expression on Maddie's face and I realized something... Madie was not here.

"Where's Madie, is she alright?" I asked, the hint of frustration and worry hanging on my words.

Maddie couldn't handle the pressure and she broke down crying.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry she weeped... if you didn't need to protect me, we could've run..."

Sorrowful and in pain she cried... and I looked up to the other 2 people accompanying her.

"Madie's alive but..."

"But what?"

Stella's face told me that there's something really bad going on, she doesn't want to say it... and so her boyfriend took over.

"She will never be able to do anything again... she's effectively in a vegetative state... there's nothing that can be done about it..."

Oh... so this is the price we had to pay for our survival...

I felt lost. It is good that she's not dead but what am I supposed to do... it is my fault that she's like this... if I use it sooner then...

"It's not your fault, you kept your promise to them, in this life you have to be ready to make sacrifices, more hardships will come your way, but you have to stick together... That's what it means to be a team."

Stella said, stopping my train of thought... I guess she can do that...

"You two better go and see her, the doctor will give you the proper explanation on her condition." Maverick continues, giving us a reassuring smile, trying to tell us that everything will be okay, without putting the actual words out.

...

Walking down the hospital hallway is depressing. I can't keep my head straight, and I'm still so tired. I passed out from exhausting mana and my body is so tired, the doctor said it will take at least a week to fully recover.

But at last we're here.

On the hospital bed, motionless yet pristine and beautiful is Madie, seemingly sleeping.

Holding Maddie's hand we passed through the door and we greeted the doctor, who started catching us up on her situation.

"Your friend here, she's a soul-forger, you already know that. But do you have any idea how you heal soul-forger injuries?"

We both shook our heads.

"A soul-forger naturally heals their injuries as long as their soul is not broken, for normal elementalists we do what we can do with their physical injuries, but as you know healing magic is the equivalent of creation magic which no one but Angels can use. We can replace limbs, and heal diseases through multiple means but some things are just off limits for us, ordinary folks."

Yes... I know all that... but I saw clearly that her sword was broken so how come she's alive, yet she can't heal...

"From the analysis we were given and what we could see for ourselves, thanks to some special individual who just happened to be passing around... Madie soul is split in two parts... We don't know when this rift was formed, and we can't guess which part of her soul is safe, but we can guess that the part she chose to sacrifice was the one that made her able to live well... Whatever she held so dear it was more important than her own self... but because of the rift and the damage that part of her soul can never be recovered... she'll be like this forever."

...

"I'll give you some time to decide what you'll do with her... seeing as she has no legal guardians is up to you to decide... I'm sorry for your loss."

The doctor left, leaving the door open for Maverick and Stella to enter... Stella...

"Please, I beg you!"

I kneeled down to Stella's feet and begged her.

"I want you to try and read her mind, you've already heard the doctor's explanation... Please try and tell us what she doesn't want to let go... whatever it is we must protect it."

Following me Maddie also kneeled and begged, and cried and screamed like a small child, just the same as me.

"Please do it! Please help me protect my sister!"

"You two get up!"

Stella said furiously.

"What do you take me for? I would do it if you just asked nicely..."

That's true... for a short time we got to know this girl so why did we react so instinctively.

5... 10... 15 minutes passed and the girl who we begged for help didn't seem to move...

She was concentrating... but soon we got the answer...

Tears started rolling down Stella's face as she told us what Madie didn't want to give up on...

"It was you... both of you... she chose to preserve her feelings for both of you rather than everything else making up her own self..."

... Curses...

As both me, and Maddie started feeling guilty for this outcome, Madie woke up and her hands reached both of us, tugging our clothes from behind.

There were no words, just a blissful smile on her face, and tears as she gestured us to get lower... and so we did.

She hugged us...

She tried to speak... but she couldn't.

She tried to hold herself up... but she soon fell back onto the hospital bed.

And drifted back into the sea of weaving dreams.

"I'm so sorry Maddie... all the misfortune I brought upon you and your sister... from the very beginning... I'm so sorry."

I said, knowing full well that words can never return to her what was lost...

I gently brushed Madie's face as she instinctively returned to me a smile, unconscious.

The weight of the world felt heavier on me more than ever...

"It's probably better that we talk outside, and put our friends here up to date with our plans, isn't it... after all... we wouldn't be here without them."

Maddie said, showing a sorrowful smile to the two people who dared not to say a word.

...

"Everything started a couple of hundred years ago... when my father... killed their mother... My father was an alcoholic and all three of them were slaves to our house... one night when he got too drunk and wanted to assault their mother, she refused and in exchange... he killed her with the same technique I used to weaken the leader of the mules."

Recreating this image in my head is beyond disgusting... I saw it... I was forced to see it... brought there and forced to watch...

"Looking at that poor woman suffering, forced to do it... I couldn't take it, my mother died in the same way and so I killed him... I killed him and took both of her daughters in as my companions... no... as my new family."

Maddie noticed that I was shaking and she took my hand... reassuring me that it's alright...

"Our race was aware of magic for a long time and we thought we will have more time on our hands, after I took them in, I tore down the house where I grew up in and became Hunters... our goal was to make money, buy supplies and avoid war by going to a non populated planet... living there until the end of times."

They could've called us deserters... traitors... or whatever... I didn't care and I still don't.

All I could care and now care about are the two sisters that became my family that day... I would throw this whole world upside down even for the smallest chance that their dream of peace would become a reality.

"But now that is off-limits isn't it... Maddie's injured... Madie's... I'm so sorry."

I can't hold back any longer... the truth is I've failed... in the beginning they hated me, but they were reliant on me... slowly we grew closer together... but now I've failed them... and myself... 

"It's fine, I'm sure if Madie could she would say the same thing..." Maddie said, hugging me from behind. "We will be fine... we might not participate in the war now and if you don't want to... we will keep you hidden even if it costs our life..."

Her grip onto me is getting tighter, and I can feel how fast her heart is beating.

"You gave us a chance... you gave us a life, family, hopes, dreams, we know you shouldered a lot for our happiness and you are the most selfless person when it comes to us... but it's fine... this isn't your fault, this is a choice both me and my sister made... so don't feel sorry..."

Her tears are so cold... I can feel them going down my neck but beyond the tears what I feel right now is a different kind of warmth, one that I could've only dream about a long time ago...

"Let's keep on living, we will take care of Madie and we will survive whatever comes our way!"

...

"Yea... thank you... both of you!"

Albeit she is not in the hallway with us and she is most likely sleeping... I can feel her presence from above me...

Thank you...