The Sisters

The doll stared at Velvet in complete silence, absolutely stunned. Frozen in shock, she remained that way for several seconds, not moving an inch, until suddenly she lunged at Velvet, tackling her into a hug. “Velvet! You’re really back!”

“Akira!” Velvet desperately struggled against her captor.

But Akira’s hug only tightened. “I missed you so much, Velvet!”

“I missed you too, but can you get off!?”

With a laugh, Akira released her sister. “Okay, okay, but, Velvet, where have you been all this time? I thought Edea had killed you.”

“Edea did kill me… It was because of him. This is Felix, my medium. He was the one who healed me and brought me back.”

“You mean he raised you from the dead?” She looked to Felix, studying him closely before her eyes shot open. “I see… That’s how it is…” she mumbled. With a smile, she continued, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Felix. I’m Akira, the eldest of the Gwehrtain Angels. I trust you’ve been treating my baby sister well?”

“Yeah, of course, it’s nice to meet you, Akira.”

“Very good, now come with me, Kaiser would love to meet with both of you.”

Akira led them through the mansion. It was almost like a maze, but Akira navigated the labyrinth without any problems. Eventually, they entered the dining room.

The dining room was as opulent as the rest of the mansion. The key features were the extremely long table, capable of seating dozens of guests, and the six foot long painting on the wall that depicted a young woman lying in a garden.

However, sitting at the head of the table was a man who looked to be about thirty. His hair was dark and slicked back and his face had a couple noticeable scars.

“Ah, welcome.” He said as he stood up. “My name is Kaiser. I am the leader of the Empire and Akira’s medium. Velvet, Felix, it is an honor to host you both. Now have a seat, please, dinner will be arriving momentarily.”

“Thank you, sir.” Felix said as he sat down.

“We’ve heard quite a bit about you two. Our spies are stationed all over the Republic. The Doll Corps doesn’t get a postcard without us hearing about it. We wanted to rescue you ourselves, but such an operation would’ve been very risky.”

“No, no, it’s no trouble. You accepting us is more than enough.”

“That’s good.” Kaiser paused before steepling his hands and leaning forward. “I’m going to cut to the chase. I want you two to join the Empire, and not just join, but to fight alongside me and Akira in the vanguard.”

This was a surprise, but not a shock. “Thank you, but I’m not sure if we can accept that.”

“I understand. Just let it be known that you, Velvet, are one of the Gwehrtain Angels. A goddess among goddesses.”

“And you, Felix,” Akira picked up where he left off, “if you truly did raise Velvet from the dead then you are a kind of alchemist that only comes around once every century.”

This time, Felix’s answer was silence. They had come only to escape the Republic. But you could only run away for so long. Both the Republic and Edea were after them. Still, this was a risk, but Felix wouldn’t mind taking the Republic down a peg. He looked over at Velvet. Her eyes were filled with determination. With confidence, she nodded her head. Felix smiled and they both looked back.

“We accept,” they said in unison.

“Great!”

As the discussion was wrapping up, the food was being served by three doll maids, one of them being Mia.

“Perfect timing.” Kaiser picked up his glass. “Now! A toast to our future!”

The three others at the table picked up their own glasses, each toasting in unison.

***

Dinner had finished and it was dark outside. Velvet was alone on the balcony, staring up at the starry night sky.

Peeking out from behind a corner, Akira grinned from ear to ear as her precious sister entered her sight. “There you are!” She ran up to her. “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Hi, Akira…” Velvet kept her gaze up at the stars.

“You’re still as gloomy as ever.” She leaned onto her sister. “That’s okay, though. I love your gloominess.”

“Did you need something?” Velvet asked, annoyed.

“Is it a crime to want to visit you? It’s been so long after all…” Now Akira was the one getting gloomy.

Without a word, Velvet kept her gaze up at the night sky.

“I did miss you, though… I never thought I’d get you back…”

After a long silence, Velvet finally said, “I’m sorry, Akira…”

“Oh, don’t be like that.” She leaned in more and gave a one-armed hug. “All that matters is that you’re here now.” After a pause, Akira let go. “Velvet, do you miss the old days…”

“Maybe… In some ways…”

“I miss them a lot. All I ever wanted was to live a peaceful life with you, Father, Ava, and Edea, and for a time, that’s exactly what I had. But then the war started… Edea killed Father… And then you…” Her eyes were getting moist. “Even now that we’re all back, we’re not all together.” She sniffled.

“Just forget about it. Edea at the very least is a lost cause. Trust me.” Velvet spat out the words.

“I know, I know, but it’s still so disappointing. All I want is what's best for her. I’m sure Father would’ve wanted the same. She stayed here for a time, but she couldn’t let go of her hatred for you. She’s given up everything for nothing.”

Velvet sighed. “You expect too much from her.”

“Maybe…but then there’s Ava too. She’s lost her way. I don’t even understand how she can think that the Republic is supporting Father’s vision.”

“I was upset too when I found out what Ava was doing…” Velvet looked down, sad. “But I guess it makes sense…” she mumbled, too quiet for Akira to hear.

“It’s so long since we’ve talked…if only I could get through to her… I know she could understand…” Her posture had slumped, it was like she was seeping into a swamp.

“Akira, there’s something I want you to know.” Velvet stood up tall, her eyes locked onto Akira. “From this day forward, I am an Imperial. It doesn’t matter who stands in my way. I’ll fight for what matters: myself, Felix, living dolls, and the Empire. Do you understand?”

Akira looked up and rubbed her eyes. With a smile and nod, she replied, “Yes.”

“Now how about we return to our mediums for the night?”

Upon hearing those words, a mischievous smile crept onto Akira's lips.