phantasm - the fanfic

7/26/2019 Phantasm - The FanFic

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Prologue

She was merely busy killing things.

Wandering aimlessly on the shores of La Noscea, near Costa del Sol. Butchering any and all

thing before her with her sword, not caring about the blood staining her shining white armor. Shewasn't even seeing them, her eyes hollow, devoid of emotions.

Why

She was killing because she was feeling like it. Without any sense of !ur!ose. She was taughthow to wield a blade and carry a shield to !rotect others, yet she was using them for straight u!

slaughter. Was she com!letely nuts "robably, though the seeds of insanity might have been sown in

her long before. She was #ust killing. But that sim!le act was arousing something in her, even #ustslightly.

Why

She'd !robably answer that those things would have hurt someone at one !oint. $verythingdoes. She would #ust have been distorting her oath to do what she felt like.

Cho!, cho!, s!lash.Blood s!lattering, a thing falls. Something else a!!roaches her. She swings her sword without

care nor hesitation.%et she is sto!!ed. Not mentally, mind you, she was way beyond that !oint. &ore like a blade

clashing against hers, and shied ramming into her head.

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When she reo!ened her eyes, that was because of the feeling of ice cold water on her face. Shewas lying on the sand, under the !rotective shadow of a rock. She could hear the sound of a waterfall in

the distance. She was feeling rather light too.

(amn girl, you sure do !ack a !unch with that sword. Sure you're a fellow "aladin)Such a dee! voice. *itting for the huge white+skinned oegardyn sitting right ne-t to her.

hulking mass of muscles, with arms almost bigger than she was large. /r maybe she was #ust

hallucinating everything. 0he sun could have hit her head along with that big shield the man wascarrying.

%ou'd be !retty ama1ing if you weren't that reckless. 2 mean, going full retard on those birds What

was going on in that little head)

Birds What birds She looks at him with an almost sur!rised face.%ou were murdering Colibris. 2 know !eo!le find their !ink color baffling, but to the !oint of going on

a ram!age against them 0hat was as ridiculous as it was fun to watch3)

&aybe she wasn't that cra1y after all. /r com!letely !ast any salvation.

nyway, my name's 4arkos. 4arkos (iealot3 2 manage the human resources at the "hantasm freecom!any. Could 2 interest you in #oining our asylum)

sylum s in, where they !ut mad and deranged !eo!le in Was he thinking her cra1y 0hatwas understandable. $ven though, she must have furred her eyebrows considering how the oegardyn

was kind of uneasy.

W+We're an honest association of cra1y !eo!le3 nd 2 guess you could !ursue your Colibri ram!agewithout any interference, so long as you don't rid La Noscea off of them...)


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Whatever. She doesn't care anyway.So, you're in)

Something was off. Somehow she doens't want to turn him down. (efinitely something new.

With a heavy sigh, she nods.

W/N($*5L3 Welcome aboard then3)6e a!!roaches his big hand from her. 6e's got such a stu!id smile on his face.

By the way, what's your name)

She #ust launches a strangely cold glare with her wide blood+red eyes. Slightly disturbing. Shewrites letters in the sand.

Lea...drinne 0hat's your name re you mute or7)

nother cold glare. Slightly cree!y.+nyway, 2'll accom!any you to our residence so you sign the register and officially become a

member. nd meet the others too3)

Without a word still, she lifts her frail body on its feet.

%ou might want to !ut your armor on though7 2 had to take it off to treat any wounds those Colibrismight have done. nd they sure did a lot. 2 don't even know how you were still standing. (idn't know

those birds could do such damage neither.)

nother glare. &urderous. So, someone saw her ugly body She didn't like how she looked like.She hatedit. 0oo small, too weak, too bony, too morbidly !ale, tooscaly. 0hat was what she hated the

most. 6er black scales, horns and tail. 0hose little white horns above her wing+like black ones, so

ridiculous. 6er wild hair, which she tried to dye black as soot, only to have if wear off on some !laces.6er stu!id face, which was more like that of a child, with full cheeks and wide cree!y killer eyes.

$very little details that made her so different from the others. 0hat made her so akin to a monster. She

was #ust finding herself disturbingly, sickly ugly.But worst of all, he saw the scars on her body. 0he brand on her back. 6ell, she wasn't even

bothered that he might have seen her com!letely not attractive female features.

B50, she was covered in bandages. Bloodied bandages. She'll have to thank him. 8ross.

With a sigh, she !icks u! her armor and e9ui! it, without so much trouble. She'll have to get itre!aired. She always forgets to.

%ou're ready to go)

%eah, she was. 0hough a bit reluctant to. But maybe that was #ust the real beginning of herstory. story of madness, of de!rivation, of !ain, of deaths. cree!y smile on her face, she went with

4arkos, looking forward to it.


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Silence in the Snow

6ey, you awake Lea bro)%es, she was. She was #ust remembering how it all began. 6ow she ended u! with all of them

right here. 0hey were standing in front of (usk :igil, once a !roud bastion of the 2shgardians. 2t was

#ust laying abandoned now, after the Calamity changed everything. 0he climate in all of Coerthasturned for the worse. Snow and ice were burying the ho!es and dreams of hundreds, if not thousands of

!eo!le.

%et here they were, standing on the fro1en lake. small grou! of four !eo!le, !lanning tointrude in this gods+forsaken !lace. 0o lootit. fter all, since !eo!le tend to fear this !lace, there might

still be a great deal of valuables to !lunder. nd what better !eo!le than themto do so, the ones with

shady morals and s!arks of insanity.She was standing in the front, donning a com!lete suit of black armour. She was covered from

head to toes, a huge claymore on her back. h, yes. She threw away the shining armour, the shield, thesword she had when she was a !aladin. *or she was one no longer. 0hat shield was #ust getting in her

way when she was killing things. nd that tooth!ick they call a sword was #ust too ridiculously small.With time, she even learned to ta! in inner self to bring forth manifestation of darkness, of her

monstrosity. Because she got closer to the monster than the woman. nd that wasfine.

ight behind her, was the man who s!oke before. Who called her bro, though she was a woman.0hat was fine with her too. Nobody knew who, whatshe was. 0hey were only given her name. Lea

rkfiend. 0he guy was a midlander. She knew he ended u! in la &higo as a child, and was raised as

&higan. 0hat was showing in his !hysical attire. 6e was the tallest of the grou!, for whatever thatmattered since they were all !retty small. 6is skin was brown, due to the sun of his home city. 6is hair,

stu!idly dyed white, were kind of unattended and falling in front of his brown eyes. nd he was

wearing such dumb looking clothes too. fancy red coat, o!ened u! to reveal a bit of his chest. 6owhe wasn't dying to the cold of Coerthas was a mystery. &aybe he was #ust too hot+blooded for that. But

his !ants though7 0he dumbest of the dumbest !ants. Black !ants. Black clown!ants. 6ow could he

even move around kicking and !unching things with those h, yes. 6e was also a monk. Some

military and religious order from la &higo, whose fighting style was as sim!le as !unching andkicking. No real wea!on. 0hat was dumb too.

nd further away from them, was two last !eo!le. 0he first one was an u'a, #ust like her. %et

unlike her, she was blindingly beautiful. She had a healthy skin tone. 6er scales were white. 6ercheeks, always having a slight red hue, like she was always embarrassed by something. 6er hair !ure

white, forming two small tails behind her head. 6er left eye was blue, while her right eye was red, yet it

didn't look strange. She was carrying a staff behind her, as she was an ade!t of the White &agic, a

school that was banned after what ha!!ened to mda!or, but was getting somewhat revived recently.S!eaking of revived, she was the one in charge of healing wounds. Because that's what White &ages

do. 0hey tend to wounds, they soothe !ain of body and mind, they could even bring back !eo!le from

the brink of death. She was wearing a long white coat, with red clothes that revealed her black bra foreveryone to take a !eek. 6er tights were also revealed, a fact reinforced by her long black boots,

coming u! all the way to her knees. sweet e-hibitionist, one could say. 6er name was Sohalia

;aisuri. real white angel of life, treating her friends with care, weaving healing s!ells after healing


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s!ells. definite o!!osite to her, who was a mad harbinger of death.nd last there were that cat. "ardon, &i'9ote. "ocky 6unter. stu!id name for a stu!id cat. She

didn't like him. lways sniffing around, always intruding on other !eo!le's affairs, always following

Sohalia. Courting her. nd she wasn't deaf to his advances. Sim!ly thinking that, Leadrinne clenched

her fist. Why was she even reacting this way She had nothing to do with them. %et somewhere dee!down a !art of her was getting unnerved at that sim!le fact. 2t was fuelling her lust for blood even

more. 0he cat was wearing a black nin#a garb. Something from (oma, far in the east. 6ow he did get

his dirty !aws on it however, she didn't know. Like she didn't know many thing about him. Not like shecared anyway. 6e was also carrying wea!ons. (aggers, to be !recise. Black ones that were so

ridiculously dis!ro!ortioned for that ty!e of wea!on. 0hey were almost short swords. %et the stu!id cat

could use them, she granted him that much. 6e had a tan skin tone, and black hair and fur. What was itwith !eo!le not caring about their hair anyway Not like she could s!eak anyway, she hadn't taken care

of herself for ages. 6is hair were always unkem!t, troubling his line of sight. 6is stu!id cat ears were

!ointing out from them, his stu!id cat tail that she #ust wanted to cut off coming out from the lower end

of his back. Stu!id, stu!id, stu!id cat. She couldn't think of any other words for him. Stupid.nd here he was, s!eaking to Sohalia. She was smiling, laughing even.

5nnerved, Leadrinne only drew her wea!on and !lanted it in the ground to gather everyone's

attention. nd their eyes turned on her.Bro)

Lea's voice was kind of unsure. Whatever. She !oints to her right. 0hey weren't coming in from

the front doors. 0oo risky. 2nstead, they'll have to take the !ath that lead to some sort of serviceentrance. Not really a back door, but still a better idea than barging in carelessly. Without waiting for

them to answer, she !icked u! her huge sword, !ut on her shoulder !late and began marching forward.

0hey had work to do before the day was done.

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0he snow was thick on the ground, yet at each ste! she was sinking a bit in it. 0he others didn't

seem to have that !roblem. So far, the e-!edition was going without trouble.


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S!eaking of which, the cat voice irritates her. She was sure he was !lotting some stu!id thing todo to im!ress Sohalia. 6e had that look in his eyes. Leadrinne #ust sighs. Without warning, she dashes

toward the beast. She'll certainly en#oy killing something like that. 6olding her sword firmly with two

hands, she lifts it toward the &ylodon. bolt of dark energy shoots from the ti! of the blade,

!enetrating the beast's right shoulder. 0he thing howls. mi- of !ain and rage in its eyes, its clawsreach out for Leadrinne body.

0hat was kind of bad. She'll !robably end u! torn in half, even with that big armour. Whatever.

0he steel of her chest!late hardens. She was imbuing it with dark energy to resist the blow.0he claws did not !enetrate her armour. 0he im!act was still strong. %et she stood her ground.

ight afterwards, Lea, who 9uietly followed her, strikes the beast's !aw with a !owerful !unch. 0he

sound of bones cracking, of flesh being s9uee1ed, of muscles tearing. Whatever. 0he beast's sufferingwould soon come to an end. Lea's ne-t blow was aiming for the head already.

nd it was reduced into a bloody !ul!. 0he skull obliterated, the blood s!lattering all over the

snow, !ainting it red. Such a beautiful red.

Nice work holding it in !lace, bro3)6e was congratulating her. She didn't do much. 6e even stole her kill. She was kind of

infuriated. Sheathing her blade, she a!!roaches the door, not res!onding to Lea. nd o!ens it.

/nly to find an even bigger beast. 2n a small court, there stood a beast, an /li!hant to be e-act. magnificent creature, with some sort of trum!et as a nose. idiculous. %et that creature was

towering. 2f the !revious &ylodon was big, that thing was enormous. 6er heart starts to race in front of

the fight they were going to have. Behind the beast, a blasted door leading to a corridor. 0hey had to!ress forward. She'll carve a !ath inside that beast if she had to. 0he blood was rushing inside all her

body. eadying for battle. ll of her being was craving for it. nd she lunged.

s if !ossessed, not thinking anymore, she rushed at the mastodon. 0his one was making funnoises with its trum!et. Lea and "ocky were on her heels, but she'll be first to strike.

!owerful blow on the trum!et, almost slicing the ti! of it off. Stu!id cat was climbing on the

beast's back, shouting stu!id things. She heard something along the lines of 2'll be the !irate king3).

"irates don't go in snowy dark fortresses, dumbass. &eanwhile, Lea was kicking re!eatedly at one ofthe creature's feet. 0o make it fall !erha!s. But the /li!hant was retaliating. She only had time to free

her sword from the thing's flesh, that it stood from all it's height on its back legs. 2t was obvious what it

was attem!ting to do. 0o sim!ly crush this small dark one that mutilated it.0hat was the !erfect o!!ortunity. Stu!id "ocky was having a hard time standing on the beast's

back, and clowny Lea was standing sur!rised. She'll #ust kill it now. $m!owering her blade with her

dark arts, she waits for the right moment to strike. nd that moment was coming. s the beast wasfalling on her, her blade found its way directly to the heart. 0he blood was dri!!ing on her. %et that

didn't sto! the fall of the /li!hant, of course. She knew that was a stu!id move. She could have #ust

moved away, but she wanted that kill. Now she was about to be crushed by a dead carcass.

She was saved.White magic wasn't only for healing !ur!oses. Sohalia also knew how to mani!ulate water, air,

stones. 0hat was the kind of trick she used. stone flew right !ast Lea, hitting the dead beast's side.

&aking it fall not directly on Leadrinne, but slightly to the left. But that slight bit had been enough.Well done Soha'3 %ou're #ust so good3)

0he cat was congratulating her, of course. Whatever. She had her kill. She didn't need more. %et

Sohalia was a!!roaching Leadrinne as she was !icking u! her bloodied sword. 0he white u'a's fisthit her helmet. She had tears in her eyes.


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(on't do that again, you73)Was someone afraid of that she'd died What a stu!id thing. Nobody cared for her. Without a

word, Leadrinne #ust !assed the door, leaving Sohalia somewhat angry against her.

Someone caring about her 0he more she was thinking about it, the more it seemed strange. She

was always #ust being used. Like a mindless wea!on. 0hat's why she doesn't s!eak. wea!on doesn'tneed words. wea!on doesn't need to be liked. wea!on was #ust a wea!on.

0hey followed behind her, s!eaking amongst themselves. 0hey were in the barracks. (ead

bodies were lying here and there, lying in there beds. 0hose guys died from the cold. &aybe of hungertoo. 0hey were abandoned there, and they died.


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griffin. fuckinggriffin.

beast of legend, thought e-tinct. So that's why no creature dared to come further in the

fortress. 0hat was the griffin's nest.

6m7 2 don't think we should !ress on...)Sohalia's voice. So hesitant. She was scared. 5nderstandable.

But the best loot they were looking for was !robably with that thing. Leadrinne was already

en#oying the battle to come. s such, she !ressed forward. She didn't care if they wanted to leave now.She'll see the end of it. wea!on serves its !ur!ose until the end.

"ocky was following her. (anger didn't seem to hinder him. /r maybe that was the a!!eal of

the loot. Lea was also following. *or what reason, she didn't care. /nly Sohalia was remaining behind.8uys...)

She was in fact, very reluctant to continue. But either she followed, or she turned back now and

had to go through the fortress alone. But she was staying there, conflicted. So she stayed behind.

0hey arrived shortly after. 0o the griffin's nest. 2t was !robably a religious !lace, as a giantstatue of the 6alonne, the *ury, venerated goddess of 2shgard was standing in the far end of that

circular room. shriek !ierced the silence, as the griffin descended on them.

0hey rolled. 0hat was waytoo close. 0he griffin's claws left a mark on the stone where the beasthad struck. dee! one. Being hit by that was meaning a certain death. While descending on the ground

again, the griffin's body hit the statue of 6alonne, with such great strength that the head went off falling

on the ground. Like a bird of !rey, the beast was choosing its ne-t victim. 2t's ga1e turned on to "ocky.2'm so !oking those eyes out.)

0hat could have been the cat's last word. While he was standing there, smiling stu!idly at his

own stu!idity, the beast took a lea! toward him. With intent to kill.So, what, stu!id cat would die here, eaten by a big lion+bird thing She didn't care. She didn't

care. She didn't care.

%et it was in her body that the griffin's beak ended u!, !iercing her armour all the way to her

stomach. WhyWhy did she move, !ushed stu!id "ocky out of the way, only to get herself lethally wounded in

his stead 0here was no way she'd survive that. 0he griffin embarked her all the way too the end of the

room, so hard that her helmet fell off. Blood was dri!!ing from her mouth. Lea and "ocky saw her uglyface for the first time. So what She was about to die anyway. She could feel the griffin's claw burying

in her flesh. 0rying to tear her in half. %et there was no !ain. 6er bones were cracking, her s!ine,

surrendering to the !ressure the griffin was e-ercising on her frail body. body that wouldn't withstandsuch treatment for any longer.

Lea and "ocky were ga1ing in awe, as Leadrinne's lower half was falling on the ground. 0he

griffin threw her away, in front of the door, her innards !ainting the floor. Why

Why was she even still alive She was lying broken on the cold ground, ga1ing at the ceiling.She could feel her life esca!ing her, yet she wouldn't die. She heard Lea screaming. furious scream.

She couldn't even see what was ha!!ening.

W60 (2( %/5 (/ 0/ &% B/, %/5 S05"2( B2(3)Still calling her his bro. $ven after seeing she wasn't a man. 6e was the stu!id one. She could

hear !ummelling. Bones breaking. 0he beak of the beast flew right !ast her. 0hey were handling it

9uite well without her.%eah, you even turned him into a girl3 6ow did you do that, birdy3)


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"ocky was so stu!id. s always. 0hings like that will !robably never change.6+6ang in there3...)

Sohalia's voice. nd here she was hallucinating. She could swear Sohalia was here trying to !ut

the two halves of her body together again. very strange feeling, to have someone !laying with your

organs.nd there goes your eyes3 0old ya 2'd !oke them out3)

With a !o!) sound, the eyes of the griffin went off. 0he beast didn't have enough strength to

even shriek in !ain as the two men were ravaging its body. S!eaking of strength, hers was wearing off.She was slee!y.

So.

Slee!y.Can't kee! her eyes o!en. She hears Sohalia's voice, but can't understand what she's saying.

Whatever.

She'll #ust slee! there, rest for a bit7

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0he sun was warm on her face. 0hat was the first thing she felt. She was lying in a bed, wearing

some sort of white !y#amas, her body covered in bandages.Again. So, she wasn't dead, huh She

o!ened her eyes. Slowly. 6ow long had she been aslee!Sohalia's face was so close to hers. With tears in her eyes, and a gigantic smile on her face.

0hank the 0welves, you're with us3)

Wha+

0he u'a's arms !icked her u!. kind embrace. Leadrinne didn't know what to think anymore.What was she doing Why was she here

h, she remembered. 0he griffin. 6er death. Well, a!!arent death.

2 was so scared 2 made a mistake when !atching you u!, you wouldn't wake u!...)She was scared /f her No, not ofher.Forher. Scared she died. Why She was merely a

wea!on. (oes one gets sad when one's wea!on is broken No one ever cared for her. 0hat was

something entirely new. She didn't know how to react at all.Someone knocked on the door. 4arkos entered.

(amn Leadrinne, you had us all worried there3 "oor Lea was crying for his bro. (idn't understand

what he was meaning though.)

6e was smiling at her. reassured, stu!id smile.Soha' tended to your wounds. 6er work is miraculous. 2 heard you were torn in half, and here you are,

still alive3 nd 2'm sure you'll be kicking around in no more than a few weeks.)

Sohalia sighs.

Well, 2'll be letting you two together. Leadrinne, if you show any sign of com!lication, !lease call outfor me.)

She leaves.Well girl, you sure had it rough. 0he others didn't even cared about the loot, they went straight back

here with you in a !retty sorry state. Well, aside from "ocky. "ocky #ust couldn't resist the loot. 6e's a

nin#a after all. 2 guess he might have s!end all the money on drinks and stri!!ers with


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B503 6e did take a souvenir for you. *or your recovery. nd he said something like, in thanks forsaving my life.)

With a smile, the oegardyn !oints out to the window. She turns her head.

Laying against the wall, was the most beautiful greatsword she ever saw.

=uite nice, isn't she %ours was in !retty bad sha!e. %ou should be more cautious with your gear3)Leadrinne turned her head back to 4arkos.

W+Why7)

6er voice was so fragile. s frail as she was. She hated the sound of it. nother reason to nots!eak. 4arkos was watching her with the greatest, stu!idest smile ever.

So you're not mute after all3)

6e e-tends his hand to her.Well, Leadrinne. %our our dear friend.)

*riend What was that Can it be eaten

nd because of that, it's normal that we care for you.)

single tear rolled from her right eye. Why was she even crying What he was so saying wasway too silly.

So, take some rest and be well soon, alright)

She couldn't hel! but nod. nd smile. "robably for the first time since7 Since she was born, infact. frail, uncertain smile. But a smile nonetheless.

6uh7 2 think 2 should call Sohalia back.)

Blood was leaking out of her mouth. h well. &aybe Sohalia was a bit 9uick to !ut her gutsback in !lace. She didn't care.

ight, she wasn't caring about anything.


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The Phantom Agony

What the hell was even ha!!ening around her.

Sohalia was watching the scene, !art amused, !art disgusted. *eeling sorry for Leadrinne.

6er She was #ust making thatface. 0hat face showing she was annoyed, yet not caring at thesame time. What the hell was even ha!!ening. Lea was on her right side.


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$or1ea. ll those memories that defined her. nd the brand on her back. 0hat mark, that sim!le yetterrible to bear mark. She was #ust a monster.


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6er reeducation started, too. She had a lot of difficulty standing on her legs, and e-ercising was!utting a huge strain on her. She was tired after so much as one hour worth of working. So Sohalia was

still driving her around the mansion with the wheeled chair.


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&ust. Calm. (own.She was alright. She was alright. 0here was nothing touching her, no blade or needle, not even a

hand. She was alright. Nothing was hurting her. 0he !ain wasn't real. She was alright. 2t was only in her

head. /nly because they !ut a blindfold in front of her eyes. She was alright. She had to calm down.

She was alright. She was alright. She was alright.Slowly, she was regaining both her breath and her vision. 0he thing in the back of her head was

also calming. 2t was still annoyingly !ainful, but bearable. She was alright.

She was gri!!ing 4y-'s arm. "utting so much !ressure on it the metal of her armor wascreaking, almost bending. But she was alright.

She was alright.

lright.lright.

nd standing on her feet.

2t's alright. %ou can let go.)

0here wasn't any anger in 4y-'s voice. /nly !eace and kindness. &otherly.2t took another full minute for Leadrinne to com!letely come back to her senses. 0he digging in

her brain ceased com!letely. She was master of her body again.

&an7 Leaky sure does some weird shit...)Shut u!


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0wo more weeks !assed. She could walk alone. With the hel! of a wooden cane, but alone

nonetheless. 0o reward her !rogress, Sohalia started to teach her cooking. 6er first try was a disaster.

total and utter disaster. She was making a cake. very sim!le cake, mind you. 0hen Sohalia told her to

add some fruits to it. *or taste. 2t was an innocent idea. 2t ended badly for !oor


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had on


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The Beloved and the Hated

2t was late at night. She was sitting on the side of her bed, looking at the night's star+lit sky

through her o!ened windows. She's been staying at the house for more than a whole month now. t

times, she had urges to kill, but she managed. She managed because they were there, in truth.nd here she was, sitting. light bree1e !assing through the window gently touching her skin.

soft caress. She sighs and closes her eyes.rms embracing her, skin against skin. She lets herself get dragged behind. Now she lies on the

bed, her head resting on someone's la!. 0he contact of their skin was so familiar.

6ey, tell me, Leadrinne7 6ow does it feel)

0hat voice s!eaking #ust now was her own. She o!ens her eyes. familiar face. 6er face. ;indof like staring into a mirror.

0he !erson kindly holding her was an almost !erfect reflection of herself. She had dark skin, the

color of the night. "ure white, non+dyed hair. 1ure eyes. n almost !erfect reflection.0ell me, tell me7 Can you tell me)

0he dark one was staring directly in her eyes, her head slightly tilted on the side like a curiouschild. Leadrinne wasn't saying anything. She didn't want to.h, but 2 forgot7 %ou can't, right)

/ne of the dark one's hands is holding her head. 0he other is busy e-!loring down Leadrinne's

chest, !laces itself on her heart.0hat's right, you can't, not with what you have there...)

She ta!s on her skin delicately. Where her heart is. Long minutes !ass. 0he dark one's finger

continue !oking her on a regular rhythm, like the ticking of a clock.

Leadrinne's li!s, but there's no sound. Sto! it.%ou know what goes there, right 0hen maybe you can tell who 2 am. What 2 am.)

She #ust glares at her. murderous glare.

(on't bother. %ou can't #ust kill me.)0he !oking soon cease. 0he dark one takes Leadrinne's hand, !laces it where she was ta!!ing

not long before.

What is this, Leadrinne 2s it !ain)No.

2s it sadness)

No.

2s it love)No.

2s it hate)

No.

2s it !ride)No.

2s it #oy)No.

2s it life)

Sto! it already7What is it then, Leadrinne)


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Sim!ly her beating heart. Slow. /n a regular rhythm, like a clock ticking.No that's not it. %ou're wrong.)

6er hand is moved again. 0his time to the dark one's chest. 0o the dark one's heart.

2s it !ain)

%es, it is. 0he !ain of being broken.2s it sadness)

%es, it is. 0he sadness of being left all alone.

2s it love)%es, it is. 0he love that can't be told.

2s it hate)

%es, it is. 0he hate of men, who want forever more.2s it !ride)

%es, it is. 0he !ride of still being there des!ite the hardshi!s.

2s it #oy)

%es, it is. 0he #oy of finding a friend.2s it life)

2 don't want a life like this7

What is it, Leadrinne)Sim!ly her beating heart. Beating with rage, with a burning !assion. heart bursting with

emotions, like an endless whirl.

6ey, Leadrinne...)6er voice is right ne-t to her skin.

2 want7 2 want for us to be whole again7 0o be as one...)

0he dark one's hand is undoing the buttons of Leadrinne's !a#amas.Can you tell Can you tell how 2've been longing)

6er chest is laid bare. 0he dark one's hand is caressing her breast. She #ust looks at her.

2 told you7 %ou can't kill me7 So don't stare at me with those eyes...)

0he dark one's finger now descend, dancing on her skin, dodging the scars.%ou should #ust acce!t me already...)

6er finger runs along a scar on her left side.

2 remember that one...)0he !ain fills Leadrinne. 0he !ain of being stabbed by a knife.

0his one, too...)

6er finger touches marks right under her right breast. 6er body bends from the !ain of beingburned with a candle.

nd of course, that one...)

*rom the !elvis to the chest. She almost !asses out from the !ain of being cut wide o!en.

2 remember them all, Leadrinne...)Needles in all of her being. 6ot li9uid !ouring into her. Needles in her eyes. 0he sound of her

ribcage cracking, o!ening, revealing its content. Needles in her brain. 6er !ulsing heart, so small and

fragile, e-!osed. Needles in it.0he !ain sto!s suddenly. 0he dark one's li!s are !ressed against hers. She feels they are o!ening

u! under the !ressure of an adventuring tongue. tongue that comes !lay cheerfully with her own.

Can't. Breathe. Sto!, that's7Wrong)


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0he dark one sto!!ed. Watching her with a1ure eyes, screaming she was longing for it. 6ow shelusted. 6ow she hungered.

But 2 know you want it. 2 know you're aching for it. 2 know you too want to be one again...)

0he dark one's mouth descends slowly. (own her neck, covering her skin and her scales,

caressing it with her li!s. Leadrinne is out of breath.6ey, Leadrinne7 %our body is telling me the truth7 Let's be one, let's devour each other...)

She couldn't bear it anymore. She moans slightly as the dark one's tongue lick around her

breasts, against her own will.


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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

She woke u! still on the floor. 6er eyes were big after crying so much. 0he window was still

o!en. 2t was early in the morning. She had to get u! before someone finds her like that, half naked and

crying like a baby. But she couldn't.Some time !assed. fter a while, she got u! on her feet. 2t was at this moment that 4arkos

entered.(amn girl, you +)

6e sto!!ed. 6is eyes on her breasts. Smiling like an idiot.

Wah, Lea bro has tits3)

Lea was right behind him.Small ones at that. But sometimes, si1e doesn't do everything3)


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smile she could !ut on her face.0hat was dumb. So ridiculously dumb. 6ow could that other one smile like that, looking so

good while doing so She had the same face as her. n ugly face she hated. %et her do!!elganger

looked stunning. nd Sohalia was blushing.

%+%ou are...)Leadrinne's little sister. 8ood to meet you, miss7)

She was doing a reverence while !resenting herself, like some kind of highborn lady. Sohalia

was blushing even more.S+Sohalia...)

beautiful name, if 2 ever heard one.)

She wanted to smash her. She wanted it so badly. She had no right to be here, to intrude in theirlives like that. nd the more she was thinking about it, the more the sound in her head was !ainful.

+nd your name is7.)

%eah Lea sis, tell us3)

0he dark one turned to Leadrinne once more.&aybe 2 should let my dear sister introduce me.)

She was biting her lower li!, to the !oint of o!ening it slightly. 6er whole body was ready to

#um! on that im!oster. %et she couldn't. 0he taste of blood rolls on her tongue.But everyone was waiting, waiting for her to tell the name of that thing here. thing with no

name. 2t was #ust a thing, a thing messing with them. %et she had to think of something, and 9uickly.

She tries to calm down a little. She takes a dee! breath, then sighs. She looks at 4arkos. t


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Well, what do you think)She was smiling. Showing off her feminine attributes. 6ers were bigger. Like, a lot bigger.

Bigger than Sohalia's, even. S!eaking of her, she was almost fainting. 4arkos was risking a death by

blood loss by now.

Whoah, 2 didn't know dragon chicks could have such big ones3 5sually, they're so frail and smallthere.)

6er heart was such a slut. But she wouldn't let that slut take them from her.

ight, she wouldn't let her very own heart se!arate her from her friends.


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Resign to Surrender

Since the dark one showed u!, her urge to kill was slowly getting worse.

0he first few days had been alright, e-ce!t for Noircoeur unnerving her every single time shecould. 0hat and her getting close to !retty much everyone going in and out of the house, and being

liked for various reasons. She was serious and methodical at doing the chores, could cook for different

tastes, was acting like a well educated maid all the while being rather !leasant for the eyes.nd all of that angered her so much she could barely contain it. 6er body ached to tear that

thinga!art. nd that was bad.

Since Noircoeur's arrival, Leadrinne wanted to sim!ly erase her, but she couldn't. Not becauseof the others, she was already a bloodthirsty killer and she didn't care of her image anyway. ather

because of that metallic cringe at the back of her skull com!letely forbidding her to do so. 0he more

she wanted, the greater the !ain. nd the more she was getting denied, the more she wanted. viciouscircle with no end in sight.

She was isolating herself again, like she was when she arrived.6ey, 2 can see you getting more7 tense, Leadrinne.)

ight, she almost forgot 4arkos was in her room. 0rying to get her out. 2t was a sunny andbeautiful day, for sure. She !referred rain and snow anyway.

She launched a glare at him.

See 2t's e-actly what 2'm talking about3 %ou're like that since your sister #oined us...)6er glare turned murderous, her fist clenched. 4arkos sighed.

%ou obviously don't like her much. &ay 2 ask why)

Well, that's a good 9uestion actually. 0hat thing was an aberration, something that shouldn'te-ist. &erely a container for something she herself couldn't hold. %et she was chaos !ersonified. She

feared Noircoeur, her heart, as much as she hated her.

We should do something to change your mind.)%eah, something like killing. 6er fist was still clenched, her fingers starting to hurt. 6er nails

slowly sinking in her !alm.

2 ha!!ened to do a good #ob recently, we have new recruits. 0wo of them are training now. We could

#oin them, it would do you good too.)0raining Like, with a wea!on, and not #ust muscles

6ell you could even show them some of your moves3)

6e was smiling stu!idly at her. s he always does. She nodded.t last, she could have a sword in her hands again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

2t was a fairly o!en field near the entrance of the 8oblet. Somewhere they wouldn't be bothered.

Leadrinne was #ust wearing a leather chest !iece above her clothes as only !rotection. 0hey weren't

going serious anyway. 6ell, she was disa!!ointed because they would only be using wooden wea!ons.s to not hurt each others.

When 4arkos and her arrived, only one !erson was there. nd she was yet another u a. With

black scales. s if Sohalia's white ones were a rare thing.


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0he woman was humming a song softly, watching into the distance. She didn't even saw themcoming. Leadrinne could only see her from behind. She was wearing a long back coat. nd she had

long, long red hair. nd she had a bow. great one at that, white and gold with adornments, like a

horse's head. Strange.

6ey there ;ira3)4arkos saluted her to get her out of her dreaming. Somewhat sur!rised, she turned to face the

arriving im!robable !air consisting of a huge oegardyn and a somewhat short grum!y u a. ;ira,

for that seemed to be her name, waved to them.6er skin was dark gray, only reinforcing the red of her hair. 6er outfit was a bit revealing too.

What was it with girls revealing their chest for everyone to see, lately 6er long boots and skirt were

also revealing a bit of her tights. 6er outfit was a bit similar to Sohalia's, somehow. nd ;ira also haddifferently colored eyes. 0he left one was a slight !ur!le, while the right one was a slightly red orange.

/ne more face and name to remember.

6i 4arkos3 nd who's that with you)

;ira, 2 !resent you Leadrinne. She's7 not the talkative kind, but 2'm sure you'll get along nicely.)What a lame introduction. She was only one ste! away from the woman. nd damn, she was

tall for a dragon lady. Leadrinne's head only arrived at her chest. s if everything was trying to remind

her how small hers was. Lifting her head, she looked directly in her eyes.Well met, Leadrinne3)

She was smiling. "eo!le were overly nice these days. /r maybe it was #ust how cra1y this

com!any's members were. She ke!t looking her in the eyes without a word.2 like the color of your eyes. 0hey're a nice, beautiful red3)

Leadrinne stared wide+eyed at ;ira. 6uh 6er eyes, beautifully+colored

%ou seem sur!rised3 Nobody told you that before)Whatever. ;ira turned to 4arkos, smiling.

%ou two are together)

Wha+)

0he big man turned red. Leadrinne sighed, annoyed. She #ust wanted to hit something. N/W.N+No, we're not37 (amn, what kind of 9uestion is that nd by the way, where's Lehli)

Lehli %ou mean, the big girl in armor She left not so long saying she'll be back shortly.)

6uh7 2 guess we'll begin without her.)8ood, finally, a bit of action. 0hough she a!!eared cold as always on the outside, she was

eagerly awaiting the fight on the inside. 4arkos handed her a wooden two handed sword. Which she

took without hesitation.But, that was so ridiculous.

Not considering the fact it could no be called a wea!on, the sword was way too light com!ared

to a real one. nd 4arkos was looking even more ridiculous with his.

She sighed. Whatever./k, we'll do that sim!le for now. 0ry to hit me3)

nd he assumed a battle stance, shield first to !rotect the front. ;ira ste!!ed back and sat on a

rock, directly hit by the sun. 6ow could she bear the heatLeadrinne took a dee! breath. lright. She had to consider it like it was really a fight and not

some stu!id game. She gri!!ed her sword with two hands. nd charged at 4arkos.

0he first blow landed on the shield. 0he im!act was !owerful enough to throw her off balance.0hat sword really lacked mass to it. She couldn't wield it !ro!erly because of that. nd 4arkos hit her


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head with the !ommel of his sword, with enough force to make her feel the blow. She 9uickly #um!edback to dodge another blow.

Boom, you're dead.)

Bye, dumb 4arkos. 6e was all very serious for once.

Were you wearing your armor, you wouldn't have been able to dodge the second strike and would beheadless now.)

Were she wearing her armor, she wouldn't have suffered at all from the first blow.)

0hat voice was strong, and new. woman was standing near ;ira, wearing a shiny suit ofarmor. She had white hair and tan skin. &higan, !erha!s She'd go well with Lea. She was a bit taller

than him though. nd looked stronger. 2n every as!ect. But still !retty, while being fierce. $-ce!t for

the white li!stick.She faced a griffin and got torn in half, Lehli. 2t didn't care at all about her armor. 6aving armor for

!rotection is fine. Not getting hit, either by blocking or deflecting strikes, is way better.)

6e was right. 0hough her misadventure with the griffin was a tad more com!licated than /h, 2

fucked u! and let myself get hit).eadying again, she observed 4arkos !osture. 6e definitely had the advantage of si1e, and she

wasn't !articularly nimble, so she wouldn't be able to get behind that shield easily. 6e was damn 9uick

for something this big.But he wasn't actually attacking.


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Sto! worrying ;ira. %ou don't know her. t all.2f you want to surrender, #ust say so.)

Surrender %ou're the one who should run, 4arkos. 6er eyes were glowing. She had to hit him

once. She had to get that blood. 0o see it flow, to feel it on her skin. She charged.

She was 9uicker than before, sur!rising the !aladin. 6er sword was blocked by the shield, andsna!!ed at the force of the im!act. Wood against steel wasn't a good idea. 0hat sur!rised the oegardyn

also.


26/32

ight, if she had stayed obedient from the beginning, maybe she wouldn't have had her insideschurned like that, she wouldn't have been !layed with this way. She wouldn't be the mess she was right

now.

She should have stayed a doll de!raved men !layed with.

0ic, 0oc, 0ic+0he ticking sto!!ed. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't feel her body. 0he blood sto!!ed in her.

0hat feeling of drowning in your own blood. She was falling down. nd she was scared.

Someone !icked her u!, she couldn't see who, but it seemed like it was 4arkos. 6er eyes werestill o!en, but she could barely see. 6er brain was on fire, fighting to stay. 0he grinding in her skull was

kee!ing it awake.

0he oegardyn must have used the aetheryte system, because they were in front of the housenow. She could almost hear him say she was cold, hear him shout to get Sohalia, to get anyone who

could do anything.

6ow could she be cold, when she was boiling inside

Such a strange thing.4arkos stormed the entrance, rushed to the chambers. &ade her lie in her bed. She was feeling

like something was building u! inside of her, like too much !ressure was !ut on her insides. 4arkos

yelled again. 0ears were rolling on his face. Such a stu!id big man, to care for her that much.She wasn't worth it at all.

"eo!le were rushing into the chamber.


27/32

Built to Fall

"hew, that was7 lot of hard work.)n unknown voice, that of a man.

2+2f only 2 had been there when it ha!!ened7 2f only 2 had known she was7 she was...)%ou couldn't have done anything about it, miss Sohalia. 2'm not even sure she herself knew that she

was like that inside.)

0hey were talking about7 her

nd here we go.)0he man !ressed somewhere on her chest. She could hear the clock ticking again. Blood

flowing.

/kay, let's test this. &iss Leadrinne, can you hear me 2f yes, #ust close your right hand !lease.)She could. nd she closed her hand. 6er hand felt rather7 small. Smaller than she was used to.

8ood, good. /!en your eyes slowly.)She did again. She could barely see anything because of the light !ut right into her face. fter a

few seconds, her eyes got used to it. She seemed to be in a bed. 82N. 0here was a man with short

silver hair and a magnificently grown beard watching her, using some sort of technologically way too

advanced device around her. She knew him, everybody did. Cid nan 8arlond, the famous magitek

e-!ert, that was advancing the realm further.0he 9uestion was, why was an engineer such as him bothering with her and her body She

couldn't remember a thing. She was training7 nd then there was light7

Sohalia was right beside her. 6er eyes with big and swollen, as if she cried way too much. Shewas still showing worry on her face, and it looked like she hadn't been slee!ing for days.

0he heart seems to function normally. No sign of overheating too.)

Cid was concentrated. What the hell were they talking about/kay now, miss Leadrinne > 2 have good news and bad news for you.)

6e wasn't even looking at her.

8ood news is? you're still alive, and you'll be kicking ass even more now. %ou're really lucky your

friend here went to us. %ou're heart, or rather, the machine that's acting like it N( doing weird thingsto your blood, was melting because it was overheating.)

/h. 0hat e-!lained things.

W20. W60*irst !iece of bad news is, since your heart went into overheat for so long, !ieces of it went awry. 2t

can't sustain a fully grown body now. nd you e-!loded because of it.)

$-!loded, really 6ow was she even alive then

But, most of the inorganic !arts of you body were left intact, and your brain was not damaged at alltoo. Whoever turned you into thatmade sure your brain was well !rotected in case something like this

ha!!ened.)6e sto!!ed for a moment.

2 think you'd better see for yourself.)

6e grabbed a mirror from somewhere on an overly encumbered shelf, and directed it at her.

6er first reaction was sur!rise. So. *reaking. Sur!rised. She let out a s9ueaky sound, staring at


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her reflection with wide o!en eyes and mouth.2ndeed. 2 couldn't make any better, that was either that or a child. nd since we thought you wanted to

kee! being strong enough to lift a blade7)

2+2 thought a grown u! Lalafel's body would be your best suit...)

She was a midget. bloody midget. Lalafel. 8reat, she'll be even more troubled with her si1eand her body now, N( she wouldn't be able to strike efficiently at an enemy's limbs if they were taller

than say, a fucking table. nd, she was dark skinned. dark skinned midget with !ointy ears, short

white hair, wide differently colored eyes, one blue and one red, and a s9ueaky annoying voice.*or fuck's sake, she was almost wishing she died back then.

We7 kinda made with what we could. Lots of e-!erimental technologies and forbidden magics were

used to bring you back. nd you have more mechanical !arts now than before in you.)She was not even understanding half of what he was saying.

Now, the 9uestion 2 have is...)

6e was now sitting, looking her straight in the eyes.

Who's the madman or woman who did that to you Who used you as a living test sub#ect forsomething 2 know 8arlean military is refusing with great force)

She sighed. Closed her eyes. &emories from her !ast were surging in her. &emories she wanted

to su!!ress right now.27 2 was a slave7 to some 8arlean high+ranking engineer...)

6er voice was so irritating herself.

Last 2 remember, slavery isn't a thing in the $m!ire.)2t was a !rivate affair7 2 was locked away all day and night7)

2 know this is hard, but 2 need to know. 0his is some serious business you have into you, miss. Who

was slaving you)She couldn't remember the name now.

(amn it, why did she had to talk about her !ast now

2 was sold7 to7.)

She reo!ened her eyes.27 2...)

0ears were rolling from her right, blue eye. Sohalia came closer to hug her.

%ou don't have to tell.)0he u a launched furious glare at Cid. Who sighed.

&iss Sohalia, do you even know what she was designed for What this tech does)

2 don't and 2 don't care. Look, she's crying, she almost died, and now her life is all messed u!.)Well, only slightly more messed u!.

Let her rest at least a little.)

She was built to destroy.)

Silence followed for a moment.0he main engine that serves as her heart em!owers the aether contained into her blood. 6er muscles

and bones have been im!roved with mechanical !arts to use that aether to boost her, allowing her to

virtually be able to com!ete in strength and s!eed with even a great wyrm. 0here's a chi! in her brainthat allows it to handle information faster and augment reaction time. 6er eyes were also mechanical,

im!roving her sight and 2 believe she could theoretically see aether currents with them. Long story

short, she was made into a wea!on. 2 wouldn't be sur!rised if the monster who did that to her alsobrainwashed her and added some sort of failsafe in case she backfired).)


29/32

Silence again.2t's e-!erimental, and it doesn't work as intended. 5sing #ust a slight !ercentage of the main engine's

!ower !uts great strain onto the body and on the engine itself, resulting in overheating, creation of

waste materials which will either lead to an aetherochemical e-!losion or into-ication. No matter

which one, it means death. 6er nerves were altered so that the !ain from this strain is reduced a lot,otherwise she'd be dead because of the shock.)

Sohalia was hugging her closer.

$ven not using it at all will lead to that eventually, if the main engine is not attended to on a regularbasis to dis!ose of the waste. nd that's not talking about her blood getting to-ic to the organic !arts of

her body with time.)

So, in short77 she's going to die soon anyway...)

Cid smiled. What an odd moment to do that.

0here was an unfinished device in her digestive system that survived the e-!losion. 2 believe it was

made to counter that effect. way for her to get the waste out.)Sto! talking about !oo!ing and !eeing now.

nd, also, 2 did make im!rovement so that the main engine does not overheat like it did. smaller

body is a first ste!. 0he second one...)6e !aused for a moment. (ramatic !ausing. *uck that.

0he second one was using that unfinished device and make it so it can also !rocess blood that is not

your own and send it to the main engine. 0hat way it won't use yours.)6ow does that hel! the overheating7 2 don't understand a thing you say...)

6er voice was still so weird.

0he reasons it's overheating is because, first, your blood is getting to-ic and it tries to !urge it andsecond, there's not enough aether in it to kee! it running soundly. So the solution is basically for you to

consume blood from other living beings...)

Sohalia released her embrace and sla!!ed the engineer.

%ou're saying she'll have to kill even more now3)Calm down a bit !lease miss3 She doesn't have to kill at all3 Small 9uantities are fine so long as she

doesn't use the engine for what it is su!!osed to be. Besides, the more concentrated in aether the blood

is, the less she'll have to consume. 0ake yourself for e-am!le, a small si! or two from yours and she'dbe fine for a cou!le of days, and you wouldn't feel the effect of it at all.)

Leadrinne looked at Sohalia. (rink7 her blood 0hat sounded wrong on so many levels.

2'm sorry, that's the best solution 2 can !ro!ose for now. *urthermore, 2'll have to see her at least oncein a month to check how her various technological bits are working and if there's anything to change.

nd, maybe, with time, we'll be able to im!rove on it so that she can live a normal, adventuring life.)

n adventuring life as a Lalafel you mean, you ass.

But, 2 think you have another !roblem at hand in your free com!any for now7)6uh She raised an eyebrow, sur!rised. Sohalia gas!ed.

ight3 2 forgot3 Leadrinne, when you huh...e-!loded, the contaminated waste you had in you s!read

all over the room and had7 devastating effects on everyone !resent at the time...)She means you shrunk them all. $-ce!t for that guy.)

Shrunk 6ow come

Well huh7 %ou see7 %ou're not the only one with a Lala !roblem...)/h 8ods, where were they heading now.


30/32

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

0he scene was ridiculous and scary at the same time. 2t looked like 4arkos was kee!ing

children. bunch of overactive children running around in armor, looking sur!rised at each otherbecause all this situation was weird as fuck. Weird, but fun. She couldn't hel! but chuckle at the sight of

it, which brought a sur!rised look from Sohalia.

4arkos was trying to gather miniaturi1ed versions of ;ira, 4y-, a !aladin with silver hair and aLalafel with white dreadlocks. 0he man looked their way when they entered the room, and sto!!ed

running around behind the Lalas, to come see them.

6ey Leadrinne, you look7 different.)%ou mean 2 look small and even uglier now...)

She crossed her arm, sulking.

No. %ou look adorable.)6e was smiling at her. Stu!id man.

nd more talkative and lively, too. 2'm #ust glad you're there...)6e gently !at the to! of her head. Somehow, that was feeling good. She could feel her cheeks

getting red.See, adorable3)

nd7 0he other Lalafels there7 0hose are7)

4arkos sighed.%es indeed. 0hose are the ones who were with you when you went boom. 2 think you recogni1ed 4y-

and ;ira, the !aladin is Bunsel, and the last one is Luna. 6e's had it the worse of the bunch, 2 think.)

6e *rom there it looks more like...)%eah. 2 know. (on't mention it.)

0he !ack of Lalas seemed to reali1e they were there. 0hey all went toward Leadrinne. 4y-

s!oke first.%ou'll have to give me an e-!lanation on this...)

6er voice was s9ueaky too. *unny. 0he !aladin > Bunsel > was ne-t.

&y buns3 %ou shrunk my magnificent buns3)

%ou look fabulous now though Buns...)Luna talked. nd regretted it. S9ueaky voice too. ;ira was the last. She a!!roached slowly, with

a malicious grin on her face.

Leadrinne, it looks you are...)She took red sunglasses out from her coat. "ut them on her little nose, and took a glorious

!osture.

B/&B3)

nd an ele1en entered behind them, sliding half naked on the floor, wearing only !ink leather!ants. nd screaming %$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$63 *or no reason at all. 4arkos and

Sohalia sighed in union.

ctually7 2 think this onehad it the worst...)8ods !reserve. 0hat guy, was


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8uys, 2 know it's hard to live with that but7 We have to get back to the house7 2t's getting late, andLeadrinne has to rest a lot > 82N > and she's getting s!ecial treatment for her7 uni9ue condition.)

Sohalia, the !eacebringer, #ust calmed four Lalas in five second while 4arkos couldn't do it for

days. 2m!ressive.

nd like that, they headed back to the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

2t was early at night now. $veryone was going to slee!. She was in Sohalia's room, because

obviously hers wasn't in any way usable. ll day, !eo!le from the 2ronworks, Cid's worksho!, were

coming to work on making it livable again. !!arently, half a do1en !eo!le already became Lalasbecause they lacked !rotection against the contaminated waste in there.

6ere you go...)

Sohalia was sitting in a chair, !ouring blood from her wrist into a glass. 0he sight of it made herstrangely thirsty. When the glass was half full, she closed the wound on her skin with her magic. She

handed the glass to Leadrinne. nd she drank fast, really fast. 2t had a taste of strawberry, somehow. sweet taste. When finished, she !ut the glass on a desk.

%ou're7 you're strangely cute like that, you know.)She looked at Sohalia, who was observing her. Leadrinne was only in her underwear. No more

scars on that new body, e-ce!t for one at her chest where the machine heart was !ut. 2t was taking time

for her to get used to it, and she was clumsy because of it. &ust be really fun to see her having troublesitting on a chair too. 8ood thing, her muscles were stronger than what she could ho!e for considering

how light she was. She could #um!. =uite high, actually. She'll have to see how that could be used in

combat.2 think 2 look ridiculous...)

nd her voice was worse than before in all honesty.

Well, your blue eye sure doesn't make things easy.)2'm okay with that7 2t's the si1e that bothers me...)

2 think you're doing fine.)

She smiled at the Lala.

Sto!7 looking at me like that...)Leadrinne looked away, almost hiding herself.

2 also notice you e-!ress yourself way more. Not only by talking, but also body language.)

Leadrinne #um!ed to sit on the bed. Sohalia was looking away by the window.When 2 saw your scars and that brand on your back, the first time7 2 felt sorry for you. nd now7 2

don't know, it #ust seems so cra1y. %ou're like7 half machine, right)

2 think...)

6ow old were you when7 when that ha!!ened)2t was long7 2 was maybe...)

She counted on her fingers.

&aybe @A when he started...)0hat's horrible7 What kind of sick fuck would do that to a growing child...)

Silence.

6ow old are you now (o you know)


32/32

2 think 2 lost count at one !oint7 &aybe huh7 Not older than A...)%ou're so young, and you looked so weary of life already...)

%eah. 0hose years seemed like an eternity to her.

So7 2'm guessing Noircoeur isn't really your sister then.)

She+ no, itis not...)2t What is she then)

She's something that shouldn't e-ist...)

6ey, don't say that, she's !robably as much a victim as you are...)No. She really was a monster. Born one. nd en#oyed being one.

She's7 she's a container for something terrible, a !art of me that was locked away until 2 was made

strong enough to carry it7 She's the one that made my esca!e !ossible7 She7 She rebelled7 No,actually, 2 think she's been the one leading after some !oint...)

%ou mean...)

%es7 She's the one that turned me into that.)

Sohalia got u!, and hugged the little Lala with all her might.We'll slee! in the same bed tonight. 2'm not letting you alone with all that. /kay %ou're not alone

anymore.)

Sohalia7 2 think you're the one who feels more alone here...)Why do you say that...)

%ou're7 you're always isolating yourself on !ur!ose7 Like 2 do7 But you seem so7 sad 2 don't

know...2'm7 2 wasn't made to know !eo!le's emotions, sorry7.)/nly silence.

%ou have a mechanical heart7 nd yet7)

What was it with her heartnd yet, you're not emotionless at all...)

2t's because Noircoeur's !ur!ose failed...)

2 am glad it did.)

Strange events ha!!ened all the time around this world. 6er e-istence wasn't that weird of anoccurrence. She was but a fragment, a small broken fragment, but she was alive. She closed her eyes.

Sohalia's embrace was really warm indeed. ight here, she was feeling calm. 0hings would go better

now, thanks to Cid's work on her body. With a smile on her face, she let her tired self get taken away byslee!.

Sohalia was her dear friend. *riends worry for each other, hel! each other, care for each other.

New emotions were bursting inside her.ight. She cared for Sohalia. *or 4arkos. *or 4y-. *or

phantasm - the fanfic

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