Chapter 5: A Saturday To Remember Part III

Chapter 5: A Saturday To Remember Part III

1

Making sure she was as far away from the Headmaster’s domain as possible, Lissandra finally muttered.

“Calling him my child… Those two are so similar it hurts.”

Lissandra looked up at the towering building expecting a hurl of fire to come raining down on her, but when nothing happened for a while, she sighed, relieved. That was quite possibly the second hardest thing she had ever done. The first was telling her mother that she lost another duel with Tuvira, but that time she asked for enrollment into Dragoon Academy. It practically turned the Kingdom upside down, but she paid for it with interest.

“I hope the others are having better luck than me….”

Lissandra pulled out her PDA and saw the locations of her Squad. They all seem to be congregated at the Mall, though, in separate areas. Like she had no idea why Baron and Alexis were hanging out at a maid café, nor did she understand why Ash was at a lingerie shop, that pig.

“Wait a second, that’s not Ash—Pick up. Pick up. Pick up.”

“Hello.”

It was a woman’s voice and one that Lissandra did not recognize. Bad sign. “Who are you? And why do you have Scott’s PDA?”

“Well, Scotty’s busy right now, and you called like five times.”

“You didn’t answer the first question….”

“I’m Désirée, one of the Academy’s nurses.”

“Ok, why are you with Scott at a lingerie shop!”

A couple of students passed by and stopped to stare at Lissandra as they heard the words slip from her mouth. Yet they quickly dashed off the moment they made eye contact with her. Lissandra’s hair was already ignited, and she was a couple of seconds away from turning the area into her own personal wasteland.

“Relax, we’re not at a lingerie shop.”

“Y-you’re not?”

“Of course not. If we were, don’t you think Scotty would be the one to answer the call? Since he wouldn’t be the one trying things on.”

“I-I guess so,” Lissandra didn’t like the desire in her voice but conceded as she did not feel like going to the Headmaster’s so soon after leaving. “Alright, say I believe you. Why does my PDA say that you’re there?”

“The Tinkerer club’s booth is stationed there. Those perverts are trying to spy on the girls changing the room.”

“Well, that’s a different problem. But by Dragons, I completely forgot the Club Fair was today.” Lissandra facepalmed. “And I didn’t hang out with Scott… So he probably went with the first person who asked.”

“Yup, you’re right,” Scott said, switching out with Nurse Désirée

“Scott, I’m so sorry. I was just busy with Ash, and I know how much you wanted to—”

“It’s alright, Lissandra. I understand—And wow! I didn’t know you could do that with your tongue!”

Lissandra stuck out her tongue, which wasn’t even forked at the moment. “Uh, Scott?”

“Huh?”

“Do what with my tongue?”

“Oh, I wasn’t talking about you—Yeah, I’m watching—Sorry Lissandra. I’ll um talk to you later. I’m about to miss something important.”

“Uh, ok, well bye….”

Lissandra trailed off, wondering what the hell was with that noise in the background. Not only that but should a nurse even be hanging out with Scott? And why did she call him Scotty?? But on a more important note, if it was Scott at the Lingerie shop, where was Ash???

2

Scott hung up before Lissandra could even say goodbye as he was in the middle of watching Désirée, with her super long tongue, build a counter to the Tinkerer’s peeping machine. It was a literal battle of the ages to which he had front-row seats. He was so engrossed, in fact, that he didn’t notice the blur of grey and cyan that passed him as they were exiting the lingerie shop.

“I can’t believe you took me in there….” Ash said, finally free to look around without the fear of being labeled as a pervert, while Tuvira simply enjoyed the ride.

“I can’t believe that woman had a tongue that long.”

“What woman?”

“Did you not see her build an entire set of blinds using her tongue?”

“Uh no, my eyes have been a little preoccupied.”

It took a minute for Tuvira to connect the dots, and then she gave a wide grin showing off her shark teeth. She was currently wearing an open jacket and tube top, which left little room for the imagination. It even had the words: I bite, ya know! Written across it, almost like the shirt was made for her. And with an aerial view, Tuvira was sure Ash couldn’t keep his eyes off her.

“So, would you say that this getup is super-effective?”

“I meant the road! It’s hard to maneuver with all these people.”

“Sure, sure, whatever you say. Pervert.”

“I am not a pervert!”

“Mmhmm. Mmhmm.”

Ash sighed as there was no getting through to her. Ever since they had gotten lunch from the maid café, which was entirely coincidental since Alexis messaged him if he had lunch yet. Of course, he hadn’t, so she suggested coming to her location as she was eating out with Baron.

Ash didn’t trust Alexis, but he did trust Baron not to go anyplace crazy, yet it was way worst. Nothing but butlers everywhere—and the occasional maid—Ash felt betrayed. Yet, Tuvira now assumed that he swung both ways and just wanted to see some guys after hanging out with her all day, making him the ultimate pervert. Which was not true at all! Ash was just being used as a guinea pig for Alexis’s Servant Academy.

You’ve got mail!

“Do you just not turn that off?” Tuvira said, walking beside Ash.

“What can I say? I like the robotic voice.”

“Pervert.”

“I-I’m just going to read the message.”

To: Squad S

From: Lissandra Starlight

Guys, I know we missed most of the Club Fair, and I’m sorry. But we can still enjoy the fireworks together. Let’s meet on the central highrise at 7:30. That way, we have some time to hang out before they start. Also, Ash, please be there by 7:00 since you like to be late.

“Why am I the one being called out….”

“Because you’re late to everything. Even our date.”

“So today was a date.”

“Yup, but it’s not over yet.” Tuvira smiled as she snuggled deeper into Ash’s arms. “I have something I want to ask you, but first, let’s get to the top of that building. Don’t want Lizzie to gut you like a fish for being late.”

Ash looked up at the skyscraper, which helped connect the Kingdom to the Stars and the other Domains. It was akin to a central hub which was closed off to most people, but visitors were allowed to look around. Obviously not everything due to the sheer amount of security within the building.

Luckily, Tuvira and Ash could make it to the top by showing the guards a message from Lissandra that decreed it was ok to let them through. Just one of the many perks of having a Princess for a leader.

3

“Man, I’m so glad we took those clothes back earlier,” Ash said, leaning against the rails and staring at the starry night sky. Even from that unknown position, it only took him seconds to pick out which ones were his parents. It was like they called out to him, yet whenever he called back, they never answered.

“If your sponge ever had any water, you’d be able to think ahead like me.” Tuvira laughed as she joined Ash in their reoccurring stargazing.

It was just them two. Alone. On the rooftop. Doing one of the things they strangely had in common. Which could be seen as uncharacteristic for the loud mouth Human with an attitude and the bitey-bitey Princess of Water. Yet that thought didn’t even cross their minds.

Ash chuckled. “I’ll be honest, now that I get it. That’s pretty insulting.”

“It is, isn’t it.” Tuvira beamed with joy.

“Only has me wondering, what the hell is a goblin shark?”

“Hehehe, look it up. It’s a terrifying creature of the deep.”

“Yeah… never mind.” Ash never liked it when Tuvira’s smile grew wider beyond normal means. It was always bad news. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

“Ask what?”

“You said you had something you wanted to ask me?”

“W-well… Um… Why do you have such a good memory! You-you goblin shark!”

Ash watched Tuvira’s face light up in a perfect shade of crimson akin to her eyes that looked away for a moment. And that was all he needed to close the void between them.

A part of him wanted to place his arm around her and pull her close just to tell her yes. But the other half was afraid of pushing it too far, that it might not come out right, that he was fighting her battle when she wanted to do it herself. It was funny, wasn’t he supposed to be the one to ask her out?

“You know, you’ll never hear my answer if you don’t ask?” Ash teased.

“Mmmm, fine! Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine. Fine!”

Tuvira stomped the ground avoiding Ash’s royal gaze. It didn’t matter if he was the Prince of Darkness or just some stupid naïve guppy. She just wanted him by her side. That comfort, that care he had for those around him. Was it love? When was the last time Tuvira loved anything? Could a monster like her even understand the vague concept? For once, Tuvira didn’t know the answer, which most of all pushed her forward in her infatuation. As Ash wasn’t just a crush, he was her prince.

“Ash.”

Tuvira’s voice was meek and meager, ringing true to her petite figure where even her teeth looked untampered as she opened her mouth all pampered:

“Will you be my—”

“Yes.”

“—Vanguard.”

“What!”

All at once, the Stars that bound the three of them severed as this was not supposed to happen. Tuvira was supposed to ask Ash to be her boyfriend. Ash wasn’t supposed to agree to being Tuvira’s Vanguard. And Lissandra was not supposed to hear Ash say yes.

Yet that all happened, making one-star fall. One after the other. Lighting up the sky.

“So that’s the pride you spoke of.” Lissandra spat as the bone-chilling air made the two unable to speak. “Changing sides because what? You like her? Sure, I get it. You hate me because I give you shit. But what about Scott? Huh! What am I supposed to say when we lost the one member that makes us an eligible Squad?”

Lissandra’s hand moved towards her chest as Ignis wanted to be free so badly it burned. Yet she wasn’t dumb enough to fight so close to the MDN (Main Domain Network). Especially since if she let Ignis out right now, she was sure the inferno would go supernova. So instead, she ran but not before taking at least one stab at Ash.

“You know, I went to see the Headmaster today. To fix your Astrology issue. Dragoon considers you to be a Dragonoid. And for a moment, I did too. Funny you’re just like the rest of them, Halfbreed.”

And like that, Tuvira and Ash could speak as the air returned to normal. In fact, it became ecstatic as Tuvira buried herself into Ash’s chest, giggling.

“I knew it. I knew it. I knew it! I knew you’d say yes, My Prince!”

Tuvira had proved her wrong that stupid Cinder thought she knew Ash better than her. Like hell she did. Even now, without digging her teeth into him, Tuvira knew he was overjoyed from the revelation of being freed from Lissandra’s tyranny. His trembling body, the way his hands couldn’t even hold onto her from the shock. Tuvira wondered if she would feel the same way when she was finally freed.

“Why?”

Tuvira barely heard her prince’s voice, but he had clearly asked why and he sounded sad. That couldn’t be right. Maybe she was overthinking it—why were his eyes so dark? And why was he not looking at her? Why was he looking towards the spot where Lissandra stood moments ago!

“My prince, I know she said some things which may be painful, but quite frankly, they aren’t true. You don’t need to listen to her. You may be a Human, but you’re the greatest one I’ve ever met. Way better than that foolish entourage hired to take care of her. They couldn’t even pretend to like her.”

Tuvira felt Ash’s trembling stop, so she tried to make him understand that everything would be ok now that they were together.

“Lizzie is just a sore loser. She could never handle being beaten by me. Even as kids. It hurts her ego. It’s why she always avoids me.” Tuvira chuckled. “But enough about her with you now a member of Squad T, who should we get rid of?”

Tuvira poked at her cheek. “I know that one blobfish whose name starts with a T would be the most obvious choice, but—Oh right, all their names start with a T—But that just proves my point they’re all replaceable. So how about we just pick the one you hate the most—”

Ash laughed. A weak, pitiful laugh made Tuvira finally notice how he looked at her. “You know, Tuvira. I thought you were going to ask me out. You know, boyfriend girlfriend make whatever hurricane this is official. I‘d be with you in a heartbeat.”

Tuvira stumbled away from Ash at the mention of them being an official couple. That was something that hadn’t even crossed her mind, but she wasn’t opposed to the idea. In fact, it was incredible news. Her heart couldn’t stop going Doki Doki Doki Doki Doki Doki. They would become an actual Prince and Princess couple! What a wonderful thought! She just had to let him know it was ok.

“Th-There’s no rules against squad members dating….” Tuvira pressed her fingers together as she mustered the last of her courage. “Honestly, Leaders and Vanguards ending up together is pretty common…. So we can still… Date… If you want. I-I’d like that—”

Tuvira paused as Ash was still looking at her like that. Like how her father did when she was first sent to the Fire Kingdom all those years ago. Like he was going to break her heart.

“That’s not the point. I can’t be on your Squad. I’d be kicking someone out of the school they worked so hard to get in when all I did was send in a joke application.”

Ash’s laughter grew as he finally admitted he didn’t care as much as everyone else did. But after meeting Lissandra, Scott, Alexis, Baron, Tekka, Tinto, Tomsk, Taniss, and Tuvira. He started to understand what it meant to be a Dragon Guard. If only a little bit. It was enough to make him press forward.

Ash didn’t hate Squad T. How could he when they gave him a good brawl? Not to mention if it wasn’t for them, he’d never know how much the people around him actually cared. Or have even met Tuvira. So he could never choose to replace one of them.

“Hell, even if it wasn’t that,” Ash touched his left cheek with a pitiful smile. “I’m already a member of Squad S. I could never leave them. Don’t you see the marking on my face? It means I’m a Dragonoid just like you guys. And my pride would never allow me to abandon them. So I’m sorry, but I can’t join your Squad, my Little Princess—”

Ash’s body froze. Tuvira had her tail out and her finlike horns with sharpened ruby eyes that highlighted the tempered blades that were her teeth.

“Don’t say that. Don’t you fucking dare call me that! You don’t get to be sorry when you break my heart. When you trap me in darkness filled with people who despise me for simply existing! You don’t have that right… He doesn’t have that right…. No one does… I-I hate you!”

Tuvira ran off in a trail of tears that seemed to twinkle in the night, leaving Ash alone under the Stars’ gaze. They all seemed to mock his inability to move even after Tuvira left. But the kicker was that Ash could have moved the entire time. Tuvira never took hold of Ash’s body. It was something that she promised she wouldn’t do again. Not to her prince. Maybe out of fear of hurting him or out of love for him.

But either way, it didn’t change the fact that Ash couldn’t move. He could only slump down to the ground as his legs gave out. He clawed at his chest at the pain he felt. How his heart cried out in agony as the tears that flowed from his eyes were blood.

It was a trait that only Devils carried. Devils whose real name could never be uttered else, you’d be struck down by Drakos themselves. An ingrained fear of the darkness that hid beneath the surface further below than any Aqua Dragonoid could travel. A descendent to the perpetrator behind Prukis’s betrayal.

And Ash knew deep down there was something wrong with him, but what could he do except accept the pain? The one that couldn’t be blocked. The one in his heart.