20 - Ame Undone (1)

Ame Undone (1)

The strength leaves my body as I hold Kay’s grotesque orb above my head. Only a moment passed here in this world. My hands hold high, the tendrilic-eye I pulled out from Kay. An ominous light surrounds it for but a moment before it turns to ash. The flash of light is so great that it briefly blinds us all.

I see Fennis recovering first and slicing his way through Ame. As she falls backward, Rose uses that moment to run to Mimi. She rips the chains from the wall.

Below me, Kay squirms, waking up. She gasps when she sees me, confused. I get up, bringing her with me. I offer her the eyepatch that fell off during our fight. She looks at it for a moment before sliding it over her left eye.

“Th-Thank you.”

A mad cackle breaks the atmosphere. Fennis has Ame on her hands and knees, his sword of ice at her throat. Instead of killing her, he looks over at us, or, more specifically, at Kay. Fennis seems to understand that this is a conflict Kay needs to resolve by herself. If I hadn’t seen it myself, I don’t know if I ever would’ve believed that Fennis could show compassion.

Kay focuses in on Ame, her eyes gaining a sober lucidity once thought lost. She looks on at Ame in both recognition and disassociation. Kay tries to stand and stumbles. As I help her regain her footing, our eyes meet. With a slight tilt of her head, I can tell that she still doesn’t quite know who I am. With the most genuine smile I can muster, I give her a nod.

She understands what must be done.

“Kay, you mad dog, what is it you wish upon this cur?” Fennis asks.

Kay offers the briefest of glances toward Fennis, the man she perceives to be Zero, but she doesn’t respond. She hurries to meet the woman from her past. I would have never thought she could show such a range of emotions, even before I ran back to my world.

Kay’s heavy steps thud, thud on the ground as she places herself before Ame.

Ame looks up at Kay with her wild and frantic eyes. Hers are red, black, and twisted; Kay’s, an almond-brown. Ame cackles, her sharp teeth nearly reaching her eyes.

“My, how long has it been Kay, since you and I stared so lovingly into one another’s eyes?”

“Why? When?” Kay asks.

“Because it feels so good don’t you see? Master Gehenna came to me when you were but a child. She told me so many things, so many unbelievable things, but she had the right of it, all of it. It was then that I learned what I had to do, but never in my wildest dreams would you have been so perfect. She needed you ready for Zero."

Kay brings her fist down on Ame, knocking her head to the side, not once or twice, but over and over again.

Tears fly from Kay as she wails on her past. The memories of her orphanage seep into every blow. Her feelings, whatever they may have been for Ame, are washed away by the end of it. Kneeled and coughing, she looks up at Kay with that never-ending smile.

"Are you going to kill me Kay? You don't have it in you."

A small smile touches Kay's lips. One of happiness, twisted as it may be. She brings a dagger to Ame's throat.

"I am the Vagar of Murder, Ame. Nothing would make me happier."

A slice cuts through the momentary silence that follows, and Ame's body lands on the floor. Her head rolls towards me. A look of shock, and perhaps happiness, stares at me.

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"Are you okay?" I ask Kay.

A cruel smile dances her lips, but her voice comes out clearer than ever before. "You saved me."

She wraps me in a hug. I'm not quite sure how to feel about this, but oh well. I squeeze her in return.

"That wretched Queen. Where is she?" Fennis demands to no one in particular.

Gehenna is nowhere to be seen, so I make my way to the others to check on them. Charlie is the first to see me and holds up a small wave. Adorned on her face is a spectrum of colors, from black and blue bruises to the red of blood, but beneath it all, she still has that same stoic expression as ever.

“What happened to you all?” I ask.

She grunts as she gets up to talk to me. “An ambush hit us harder than we expected. We were doing fine, then that crazy bitch you all just killed came out of nowhere and took Mimi. Fennis and I were able to follow her, but then more Eld jumped us and I fell long before he did.”

“You and who?”

“Why does no one believe me? That man may be strong, but he is not Zero. His name is Fennis Haslothun.”

I pull her toward me and embrace her. “How are you able to see through the Title?”

She squirms awkwardly as if she doesn’t know what to do. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, girl. One day our Zero was gone. I’m not sure what happened, but I just never saw Fennis as anyone else besides Fennis. No one did in the beginning. And for some reason, everyone else eventually forgot who he was. This must mean I am not alone. You too, can see him for who he is?”

I pull away from her as Rose brings a hobbling Mimi to us. I embrace her as well and breathe deep of my beloved Mimi. “Are you okay? I’ve missed you so much.”

She gets a confused look on her face, but assures me she is fine.

“More importantly, I’m just glad to be able to talk again.”

“Ame did mention something about that. I can’t even imagine a mute Mimi,” I chuckle.

“You act as if you know me,” she retorts.

“Oh, Mimi, we have so much to fill you in on,” Rose tells her before coming over and giving me a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe, Eve.”

She turns and nods to Kay. “I’m glad you are, too. As much trouble as you have caused us over the years, it wouldn’t be the same without you.” She pulls Kay into an embrace, nearly smothering the poor girl in her bosom.

Yep, Rose has still got it.

“Yes, yes. Everyone is well. We still run into the issue of not having the Queen present. And you!” Fennis points to Dom.

“What the fuck did you think you were doing, not assisting the stupid red-head?”

“Hey!” I retort, faux-offended

Dom looks at us and scans his eyes over the group. His face is downcast and forlorn. He wears an expression you’d expect to see on an inmate heading to his own execution, not the joy one should feel after winning a hard-fought battle. He offers only a glance towards us before speaking to seemingly no one.

“It is time for you to come out. What point is there in pretending as if things can ever turn out differently?”

“Dom, what are you-” I begin but a mortifying laugh cuts through the otherwise empty chamber and silences me.

I stiffen at the sound. It can only belong to one person. “Gee…”

The space in front of us cracks and distorts. Out steps a lone figure of a woman. She’s short, with olive-colored skin. Upon her head is black hair that travels in waves to her shoulders. Her eyes are fully white, with no color to her pupils. There stands the one who took Nina from this world, from my life. The others expressions show a mix of displeasure and fear. They didn't know Gee in the end as she was my personal demon who stalked my every move.

Her presence, however, was felt all the same as a fear passed through my group. This was the woman who has lead the Beta to bring the downfall of their world. Even if I am the root cause behind everything, I stand here today in opposition to her and the pain she has cultivated.

“Ah, the pleasure of seeing you all again. My body is set aflame,” she declares as she wraps her arms around herself and squirms. My body feels on fire from seeing the woman who betrayed us, who led me to believe she was my friend… my wife, for so long.

“Yeah? Well, so is mine!” I scream and charge at her despite everyone else’s protests, I throw caution to the wind.

She disappears into a portal and appears behind us. “Eve, Eve, Eve. You are so weak.”