Lost Bonds

The City of Lucen was in ruins.

Mai stood in the plaza, surrounded by destroyed and burning buildings. The fountain was reduced to rubble, and no water flowed through the cracks. Smoke filled the air, blocking light from the sky. The only illumination was from the red-hot flames.

She looked around frantically, her ears folded and tail curled. This was all just a nightmare, she knew it. Yet…fear was still overtaking her. She was all alone, with nobody to save her…

“Terrence…Bjartbrandr…” She murmured, clutching her chest.

Suddenly, Mai saw them. They were on the ground, face down and unmoving. Someone else was standing over them, their form obscured by black mist. Still, she could see a pair of scarlet eyes…shaped much like her own.

“Will you continue to deny yourself?” The figure said in a warped voice.

She gulped and shook her head. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Don’t play dumb, you know the truth. How long will you continue to run?”

The figure began to approach, and Mai backed away. However, she tripped and fell against the destroyed fountain. She groaned in pain, then gasped as the figure loomed over her. Its eyes, so much like her own, stared into her very soul…

“Do you really think…you can reject who you really are?”

Mai shut her eyes and brought her hands to her ears. She did her best to will the nightmare away, wishing to be safe again.

“Leave me alone!” She cried. “I just want to live in peace!”

______________________________________

She awoke with a gasp and sat up, then panted heavily as she looked around in fright. She was in her room, on the bed. Morning light could be seen behind the window curtains. When she realized everything was alright, she started to calm herself. Her heart pounded against her chest, and it took a few moments to settle down.

Mai let out a heavy sigh and curled in a fetal position, feeling exhausted. She recalled the dead forms of her fiance and his Sacred Treasure, and tears welled in her eyes. She shook her head and wiped them away.

“That will never happen.” She murmured. “But even so…I am worried.”

She found the energy to get off the bed, then went to the window and opened it. She let out a relieved breath, seeing that the courtyard was not ablaze. The flowers were in bloom, proof that everything was as peaceful as always. Yet, the uneasiness in Mai’s heart remained…She clasped her hands in a prayer, closing her eyes.

“...Please come back safely, you two.”

_____________________________________

Later, Mai was working with the maids and butlers in the kitchen. She was in charge of beating flower and molding the resulting dough, as usual. Her natural strength as a Cait Sith made her adept at this duty, so she had learned to take it with pride.

Beside her, Patricia watched with a stern gaze. Mai’s ears couldn’t help but fold back, as she had yet to feel comfortable around the Head Maid. It felt like she was scrutinizing the Cait Sith, for some unknown reason.

Still, Mai focused on the dough in her hands, molding it into the desired shape of a bread loaf. When it was finished, she moved onto the next lump of dough. This was her way of helping, as the future Queen of the kingdom. It wasn’t much, but it made her feel useful.

In a way…that didn’t involve putting herself in dire situations, and endangering those she loved.

She was torn from her work when someone called for her. Her ears perking up, she turned to see Captain Lucius waving at her from the door. When Mai went over to him, he gave her a proud smile and said the words she had been waiting to hear.

“We have received word that Prince Terrence’s group is returning. They’ll be here soon, so do you want to meet them at the gate?”

Mai smiled with relief and nodded. “Yes, I’ve been praying so much for their safety. I want to be the first to welcome them!”

___________________________________

Earlier that morning, Terrence’s group was camping along with the knights.

He watched as General Howard sent a messenger off to Lucen, with word of their impending return. The General then turned to the Prince, giving him a big grin and a pat on the back.

“After we eat our grub, we’ll finish this trip!” Howard said jovially. “While I have the time, I want to say it was an honor to march with you, Prince Terrence!”

Terrence smiled wryly. “Thank you, but I don’t deserve the praise. I have to express my own gratitude, for not making a big deal of me being the Hero of Light. You even got your soldiers to keep quiet. I don’t know how I would have dealt with an uproar amongst the townspeople.”

“Don’t mention it! I know you’re new to being a Hero, and you’re far from ready for all that responsibility. Just keep improving yourself, and I know you’ll become worthy of your title!”

Terrence nodded, then looked around the camp. The soldiers were chattering merrily while they ate. Julia was writing a note, a blush and soft smile on her face. Kayla was inspecting the carts, making sure they were loaded and secured. Cress and his friends were laughing, and tapping their cups together. Lorica and Mea were away from everyone else, their eyes closed as they were in meditation.

Despite this happy scene, Terrence couldn’t help but think of the battle at Cocola, and the few lives they did lose. Those brave men and women who were unable to come back…He felt guilty for being unable to do more.

“...I’m still far from being worthy.” He said in a solemn manner.

________________________________

Later, the group was approaching Lucen. When Terrence saw its walls, he felt some more relief. He would be with Mai again soon, and finally be able to rest alongside her and Bjartbrandr.

Then as the group came closer to the gates, Terrence saw someone waving. It was Mai, who was beaming with her ears perked up and tail flicking. Beside her was Captain Lucius, who wore a particularly proud look.

When Terrence saw his best friend and bride-to-be, he smiled wide and hurried to meet her. She welcomed him with open arms, and they hugged each other tight.

“Welcome home.” She said with joy.

“I missed you.” He replied happily.

Kayla came up next to face her Captain, her expression expectant and nervous. Even her voice came out in a slight pitch.

“I-um, completed my mission, Captain Lucius.”

He chuckled and placed a hand on her head. “Good work. But don’t slack on your training, alright? Next time, show me how you’ve improved.”

She blushed and nodded hastily. “Y-yes sir!”

Mai giggled as she watched the exchange, then she blinked and turned around. When she froze up, Terrence curiously looked to see Lorica and Mea approaching. Oh, right…

“It’s been awhile, but you’re seeing your princess again.” He told Mai awkwardly. “Were you two friends back then?”

“...Something like that, yes.” She said timidly, looking aside.

Mea’s eyes narrowed. “So this is what you’ve been doing since you left. Living like a coward…”

There was a heavy silence between them, and Terrence didn’t know what to say to break it. Thankfully, Lorica was more able to shift the discussion, being more cool about it.

“Let’s head to the castle. We have to meet King Randolph, then take a very needed royal bath.”

She gave Terrence a small smirk and chuckled in amusement.

“Then we can finally spar with you, Hero of Light. I hope you’re prepared.”

He chuckled nervously, sweating a little. “Y-yeah…”

Mea just huffed and stomped past everyone. Mai stepped aside for her, looking down with an expression of guilt and sadness. Being concerned for his best friend, Terrence put a hand on her shoulder and brought the other over his heart.

“If you need to talk about it, we’re right here.” He said softly.

She looked at him with eyes full of tears, then she brushed them away. She nodded after a moment of hesitation, a small smile forming on her lips.

“Maybe…I will.” She murmured.

_________________________________

Later, the three Heroes of Arum were in the throne room, standing in front of King Randolph. The old King was giving his grandson a proud smile.

“I had faith that you would complete the commission. You are surely growing, Terrence.”

Terrence frowned and shook his head. “Not really, I’m still relying a lot on Bjartbrandr and many others. I need to keep training, so I can catch up to everyone else.”

Lorica crossed her arms. “That reminds me, has he taken his Trial of Power?”

Terrence became curious. “Trial of Power?”

“It’s part of the tradition of inheritance. When it’s time for an older Hero of Arum to pass their Sacred Treasure to the successor, they lay it to rest in a Sacred Dungeon. The successor must go through this Sacred Dungeon, and defeat its guardians to prove their worth as a Hero of Arum.”

“Ah…I guess my inheritance of Bjartbrandr was skipping a few steps. If I never completed the Trial of Power, then I can’t say I’m worthy of her.”

“Then would you want to try it?” Bjartbrandr said gently. “You don’t have to, I consider you worthy enough as-is.”

Even as she said that, Terrence already knew he could never feel comfortable as her master, if he didn’t truly prove his worth. He placed a hand over his heart, and gave his grandfather a determined frown.

“Grandfather, I want to take the Trial of Power. Will you take me to the Sacred Dungeon?”

Randolph coughed a little. “Yes, I had been meaning to tell you. But this will be the most difficult challenge you’ll face, at least for now. So please, train more until you feel ready.”

Lorica nodded, looking satisfied. “In that case, our sparring is even more needed. But first, we’re in need of a bath. Will you and Mai join us?”

Terrence was taken aback. “I mean, if you’re offering an invitation…then I don’t see why not. Are you okay with that, Mea?”

Mea scowled slightly and shrugged. “Do what you wish. Lorica is the one who invited you, so you don’t need to ask me.”

“A-alright…”

Lorica shook her head and sighed. “Whatever will we do with your attitude, Mea?”

________________________________

A little later, Terrence and Mai were entering the royal bath. Lorica and Mea were already in the tub, the latter sitting at the very back. The Elf beckoned the young couple, giving them a smile.

“Come in, it’s about time we have a proper conversation, in a more private space.”

Terrence and Mai nodded, then got undressed. He couldn’t help but feel very awkward, exposing himself to girls other than Mai. Especially since Lorica was staring at him…Her eyes were on Mai too, which caused the Cait Sith to blush.

When they both sat in front of the Elf, she laughed softly and spoke in a teasing manner.

“I must say, you both look good. I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold myself back this time.”

Mai turned even more red. “W-what are you saying?”

“Am I not obvious enough? I mean you’re both fairly attractive.”

Terrence blushed and gave the Elven Princess a look of disbelief. Just the other day, she was being condescending towards him, and now…

“...Are you really flirting with me, of all people?” He questioned. “I thought you looked down on me.”

Lorica shook her head. “I admit, I quite disapproved of you when we met. After all, I recognized that you weren’t fit to wield Bjartbrandr. But you have proven to me that you have the drive to become a true Hero of Arum. More than anything else, I admire that sort of strong will.”

She gave him a more serious look.

“But I must clarify, you still concern me. From what I’ve heard, you fought a Demon and let him go. As a Hero of Arum, your Sacred Treasure would have surely killed him. You even had the knights backing you up, so your own lack of strength wouldn’t have been a problem.”

It took a moment for Terrence to think about it. His reasons for sparing the Demon…

“I let him go because…there are still a lot of things I don’t understand.” He said with uncertainty. “The Demons, and even their monsters, act in ways that remind me of humanity. It makes me wonder…is fighting them really the right way?”

Lorica looked up in thought. “Hm…I admit, you aren’t the first to think that. I’ve had a similar doubt before. But at the end of the day, they’re corrupted souls, full of anger and vengefulness. Even when we kill them, they’ll just reincarnate back to Hell, and return to face us again. Would you really try to make peace, knowing that?”

“I suppose not…that’s why I’ll keep fighting our enemies. As a Hero of Arum, that’s my duty.”

Lorica nodded in a satisfactory manner, then gave Mai an encouraging smile.

“You’re lucky to have a respectable man like him. You seem like a very nice girl, so he’s quite blessed himself. I wish you well in your marriage, whenever it happens.”

Mai fidgeted, her ears ticking. “Th-thank you…Princess Lorica, I was wondering…why you invited me. I mean, I’m not a Hero of Arum like all of you.”

“I respect you as a royal, though you may not officially be one yet. You deserve to sit with us, don’t doubt that. Besides, there is a more important matter I wish to discuss.”

Lorica’s expression became more curious, and she turned to look at Mea.

“From what I understand, Mai ran away, correct? I suppose you used to be friends, or else you wouldn’t be so…cold towards her.”

Mea crossed her arms and looked aside. “...Something like that. But what’s done, is done. Mai has her own life, away from the tribe. I don’t care, either way.”

Mai’s ears drooped as she looked down in sadness, and it took a few moments for her to respond.

“I’m…sorry, for running away. For leaving you alone…”

Mea scoffed, but didn’t respond. A tense silence filled the hot air, and Terrence started to feel awkward. He was also a little surprised at what Mai said. She had not been forcibly separated from her tribe?

Lorica broke the silence with a sigh, then gave Terrence and Mai a dismissive wave.

“I believe that is all. Rest for a little bit, then we’ll meet for our sparring session.”

They nodded, then climbed out of the tub and picked out towels to dry off with. After that, they got dressed and left the royal bath.

_______________________________

When the couple was in their room and on the bed, Bjartbrandr appeared between them. She spoke to Mai, giving her a concerned look.

“Are you okay? It must have been tough to see your princess again, after so long.”

Mai shook her head. “It’s just…I have no idea how to speak to her. But I can’t really blame her for hating me…”

“You ran from your tribe…” Terrence said carefully. “Mai…what made you run?”

It took Mai a while to answer, and the look she gave her friends was one of guilt.

“I’m…the daughter of Princess Hikari III. I’m Mai V, and Mea V is my twin sister.”

Terrence’s eyes widened he processed that. That couldn’t be true…but when he thought about it, it made sense. Especially when he remembered their talks about running away from it all…

“Because you were a royal, you faced a lot of pressure you didn’t like, right?” He guessed.

Mai nodded hesitantly. “Yes…I was too cowardly to own up to my responsibility. I don’t blame Mea for hating me. If you hate me too…I can accept that.”

As Terrence looked at her downcast gaze, he thought about how she must be feeling. Scared of being rejected, of hated, of being alone…It was probably painful to see her sister again after so long, and be treated so harshly. Terrence couldn’t really blame Mea for how she was, yet as for himself…he saw no reason to treat Mai any differently than before.

Sure, she had been keeping this from him for years, and it hurt a little to be lied to…but he understood why. She just wanted to live like a normal person, away from all the things that brought her strife. So Terrence slowly took Mai’s hand, and spoke to her in a gentle manner.

“I get it, being a royal…is a lot to handle. I never wanted this responsibility either. I don’t fault you for leaving it all behind. I’ll never hate you, Mai. You’re still the one I love.”

Bjartbrandr smiled kindly and took the Cait Sith’s other hand, adding her own statement.

“He really means it, I can feel it. As for me, I don’t blame you either. We both know the struggles of such a big role in life, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Mai’s scarlet eyes gleamed with tears as she looked up at them. She held back a sob and shook her head, looking down again.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me…” She murmured. “But still…I abandoned my sister. That’s unforgivable…”

“Then while she’s here, try to talk to her.” Terrence suggested. “Get to know each other all over again, and hopefully be able to mend that bond.”

“Do you really think that’ll work?”

“I can’t say for sure…but don’t you want to try?”

After looking deep in thought for a handful of seconds, Mai looked up again with small smile and nodded.

“Yes…I want to try. I want Mea and I to be sisters again, like we used to. So when I have the chance, I’ll try to speak to her alone.”

“We believe in you, Mai.” Terrence said in encouragement.

Bjartbrandr nodded in agreement. “Right, we’re cheering you on. So when you see your chance, go for it!”

Mai withdrew her hands to brush away her tears, then brought her loved ones into a tight hug while sobbing a little.

“Thank you both. I don’t know where I’d be…without you.”

_____________________________

Later, the three arrived in the training hall, where Lorica and Mea were waiting, along with their Sacred Treasures.

“Right on time.” The Elf remarked, hand on her hip. “Who do you want to go first?”

“We’ll fight you and Naturia.” Terrence answered firmly. “Don’t expect me to back down.”

Naturia smugly flipped her hair. “Oh, how bold of you! But we’ll put you in your place, soon enough!”

Bjartbrandr giggled. “Try not to go too hard on us, okay?”

Naturia blushed. “O-of course! I could never forgive myself if you got hurt, my dear!”

Lorica stifled a laugh. “So be it. Let’s prepare for battle.”

The pairs stepped into the sparring circle and split up, then turned to face each other. Bjartbrandr turned to her weapon form in Terrence’s hand, and he readied himself with a stance.

Lorica narrowed her eyes. “Amateur indeed, this should not take long.”

She held out her hand, and Naturia took weapon form in her grasp.

The Sacred Treasure was a rapier-type sword with a narrow sliver blade, which was a foot longer than Bjartbrandr and also had a soft divine glow. Naturia’s gold hilt had a guard shaped like six flower petals, with an emerald embedded in each.

Lorica stood upright, her legs parted only slightly with one foot forward. She was rather relaxed with her blade, holding it low at a downward angle. Yet, her gaze communicated that she was taking this seriously.

“Show us your skills, Hero of Light.” She said in a lofty tone. “Let’s see how long you last against us.”