"This is why you wanted to scout ahead without Flora..." Valentina breathed, looking upon the broken and bloated corpses left in the scarred battlefield with Allura at her side.
"Yeah, if I can avoid subjecting Flora to this... I will."
"But why didn't you scout ahead with Axis?" Valentina pressed as they made their way through the battlefield, carefully avoiding disrespect to the fallen.
"Gives us a chance to get to know each other, while keeping Axis out of trouble. He's not the best at first impressions," she explained with an awkward smile. "I don't want to scare any survivors. I'm sure they've been through enough."
"You can be rather intimidating," Valentina stated dryly, and Allura's grin grew more crooked, "and quick to the draw."
"Well... You kinda have to be with my life," Allura quietly commented, and Valentina sighed.
"I suppose such is the life of a two sided coin," she relented, and Allura looked to her in confusion. "To be revered as Unicus, and feared as Sicarius," she clarified before Allura came to a stop, and Valentina looked to her, resting the butt of her halberd on the ground.
"I'd appreciate it if you would consider them both dead," she politely requested with a troubled look, and Valentina nodded.
"Of course," she hummed with an understanding smile. "But you need a title. You should come up with one so others do not choose it for you. "
"Why does it really matter?" Allura's confusion returned as they resumed their path.
"Your title sets an expectation of you that people will hold and follow upon meeting you."
"I never really met with anyone. I was more of a rumor than anything, but a few noticed, like you... So you're the Sentinel, huh?"
"Yes. Valentina The Sentinel," she stated proudly, propping her halberd up on her shoulder, and Allura smiled faintly.
"I guess... I'll try coming up with one... So, how did you get into being a hero?"
"My father was a knight, and my mother a noble," she revealed. "Mother and Father were all too happy to support me in joining the knights, while my older sister scorned me for it - not feminine enough for her liking," she chuckled. "I became one of the youngest knights with my father's help, and was confronted many times about not earning it... But the fact was I earned it, and I deserved it. I defeated each naysayer without issue."
"Wow, so you really are Flora's knight in shining armor," Allura snickered, making Valentina laugh again.
"I suppose so. What about you? How did you gain your skills and fall into this life of rescue?" Valentina pressed, but Allura hesitated.
"Well... I just don't want anyone to have to be a victim like I was."
~*~
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE BUYER IS GONE?!" a large man roared before glaring accusingly at the young Allura. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" he snapped, and grabbed her by the throat, earning her tears.
"Let go!" Allura whimpered, but he landed a heavy blow to her stomach instead before tossing her to the ground.
"I swear! I will fucking kill you if the next buyer falls through!" he vowed. "You've cost me more than you're worth."
~*~
"Allura?" Valentina pulled her from the memory, and Allura shook her head clear.
"Flora was my first real rescue." She began with a smile on her lips. "Her leg was caught in a trap, and the gravase almost killed us... Well, actually she saved us in the end..." Allura's voice trailed off for a moment. "As for my skills, I learned them through necessity and pain, then survival, and eventually Rixa."
"Rixa?" Valentina pressed while raising an eyebrow.
"If you haven't figured it out yet, the gods just love fucking around with my life!" Allura chimed with a bitter laugh. "Rixacaelus taught me about war and fighting, and honed my skills. She was really the closest thing I ever had to a real mother... Well... that's not true I guess..."
~*~
"It's a miracle!"
"What do you mean?!"
"There's a heartbeat!"
~*~
"But it's easier to live telling myself that," Allura added in a whisper with her heart twisting, and Valentina placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Living is never easy," Valentina spoke with a gentle smile. "But what we endure, we can use to provide a better future for those we love, and those we have yet to love," she added, earning a soft smile from Allura.
"Thanks, Val."
---
The fire crackled with a small pink-haired woman perched upon a log beside it with a less-than-happy expression on her face. She tended to the pot of stew suspended above flames while a set of steps agitatedly fell in a straight line. They twisted in the dirt, angrily retracing their path, increasing the exasperation they brought in her.
"Stop pacing," Flora whined, but the pace did not even falter.
"Why didn't she ask me to go?" Axis growled to himself.
"Because, hothead, you're not the best at first impressions, and not to be mean but you're pretty useless with injured people," Flora sighed the honest truth, and he stopped to glare at her.
"And what's that say 'bout you?!" he snapped before a smirk twisted onto his lips. "Aren't you supposed to be a doc now? Trained by Sanocuro himself!" he taunted while dramatically throwing open his arms. "And they still left you here."
"'Cause someone's gotta dogsit, and make sure you don't bite your own tail," she muttered, bringing his scowl back in force.
"Well-! Fuck off!" he barked before plopping down beside her with a defeated sigh.
"What's got you all worked up, anyways?" Flora did nothing to hide her agitation. "It's like you've had a stick up your butt since that town," she grumbled, but after a thought she softened her tone, "Is this because we couldn't wake her up this morning for a bit? 'Cause I get that, I was scared too, but... She's okay now."
"I spent over a year there." He distracted himself with another reason, and she raised an eyebrow. "I used to be 'friends' - or whatever - with all the people that worked in that bar."
"What happened?"
"Nothing. I just left," Axis muttered, leaning his arms on his knees. "I got bored."
"Nothing?"
"Yeah, I got what I wanted, so I left."
"What was it you wanted?" Flora questioned curiously, and Axis smirked.
"To fuck all the girls there!" he chimed, and Flora smacked the back of his head.
"If you don't want to tell me that's fine!" she spat. "But don't make up stuff that makes me think Al deserves better!" she snapped without mercy, and his eyes widened before they fell to the ground.
"She does-"
"STOP RIGHT THERE OR MAY THE GODS HELP YOU CAUSE I SURE AS HECK WON'T!" Flora shouted in his ear, making him wince with a scowl finding his lips again. "Regardless of what you think, you are exactly what she needs! AND ON THAT NOTE when am I going to get to be an aunt?!"
"Wh-what?!" Axis stuttered with an instant blush from the abrupt shift, and Flora smirked.
"You two are like dogs in heat," she taunted, and he furrowed his brow. "And I want puppies to play with, but my lesbian butt ain't having any."
"There's something wrong with you..."
"You're almost thirty! And I want our little family to grow!"
"Back off!" Axis barked right back, and Flora began laughing with Axis unable to resist joining her at the absurdity of the topic.
"I sound like a mother desperate for grandkids!" Flora snickered, and Axis let out a happy sigh before looking to the sky.
"War time isn't really a good time for it," Axis hummed as his mind mused the idea.
"Have you talked to her about it?" Flora questioned.
"No, I'll make her my wife before that talk comes," Axis confidently answered, and Flora gave him a sly smile.
"If you say so."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" he snapped, and Flora raised her hands in a questionable shrug.
"I'm just saying! You keep at it like you do, there's bound to be an accident. You're not like me and Val. It's one of the greatest benefits and downfalls to being a lesbian, if you ask me..."
"Why don't you just go adopt a kid?" Axis grumbled, and Flora's eyes lit up.
"THAT'S A PERFECT IDEA!" she beamed while jumping to her feet, and Axis grabbed the back of her shirt, pulling her back.
"Not right now," he sighed before letting her go.
"Right!" she grinned while her eyes glimmered in excitement. "After I make Valentina mine forever Imma mom it up!"
"What was that dear?" Valentina's voice sounded softly, and Flora's face turned red as she nearly fell off the log.
"N-NOTHING!" Flora shouted entirely too loudly while the puppy hopped to his feet to greet Allura, and Valentina claimed his abandoned seat.
"Are you sure?" Valentina continued to tease, gently brushing the hair from Flora's face, and quickly found herself kissed.
"What were you two talking about?" Allura pressed in amusement, not failing to notice the lingering blush in Axis's cheeks.
"It's nothing," he muttered while standing closely before her. "How'd everything go?"
"We found a small camp of survivors not far from here that are in need of treatment," Allura revealed, and Axis brushed the bangs from her eyes.
"You okay?" he pressed, and she nodded with a sweet smile. "Good," he returned it before placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Hey Flora," Allura called out while looking past Axis. "Is that stew done?"
"Yep!"
"Then let's eat and pack up so we can go treat the group," Allura suggested, and Flora accepted without hesitation.
"Excellent plan," Valentina approved, moving to her feet to assist her beloved in serving it.
Allura stepped towards the women, but her phoenix quickly caught her arm, pulling her into a deep kiss. She froze before melting with a blush gracing her cheeks, and after a lingering moment he gently pulled away.
"Missed you," Axis hummed, earning a sweet smile.
"I missed you too," Allura lovingly returned the sentiment, making his heart melt.
"Woof Woof," Flora barked teasingly, stirring more than the pot of stew.
---
The sun was laying itself to rest as Allura and the others reached the survivors' camp, and Flora wasted no time in triaging the injured, tasking her friends with what they could handle. Darkness would settle in the sky by the time they finished treating the five survivors, and Allura sat herself beside the one she had been aiding while Axis set to work cooking for them.
"I can not thank you enough. All of you," the man breathed, running a hand through his short white locks. "I don't know what we would have done if you and your friends didn't come along when you did."
"Die," Axis grumbled, and Allura shot him a glare.
"Don't worry about it Max!" Flora happily chimed in, making up for Axis.
"Just try to keep the weight off your leg 'til it heals," Allura instructed with a gentle smile, and Max's crimson eyes focused on hers.
"You're truly a hero," he warmly commented before raising his gaze to the stars. "This war..."
"I don't even know what the point of it is any more," a woman sighed, shoving one of her long braids off her shoulder. "I mean... did mages even choose to be mages?"
"THERE IS NO POINT OF THIS WAR!" another of the survivors snapped as he attempted to move but only managed to wince in pain. "We didn't ask for what the gods did!"
"Calm down, Kallis. I'm sure Selena meant nothing by it," Max interjected.
"The Cardinals killed my sister!" Kallis barked in hatred.
"Did Selena kill your sister?" Allura flatly questioned, earning the umber-eyed man's ire.
"It doesn't matter!" Kallis snapped.
"It does," Valentina stated dryly. "Hate breeds death. How many sisters, or brothers have to die to sate your anger?"
"IF THERE'S LESS OF THEM THERE WILL BE LESS HATE," Kallis argued, earning Allura's full attention.
"Kallis," Allura pressed, trapping his eyes in hers. "How many would you have to kill to make her smile?" she questioned with her own, and silence fell between them. "How many lives would it take to make your sister smile from wherever her soul resides?... She's gone. She's at peace. You need to accept that and push forward. Make a better world for those you love and have yet to love," Allura hummed while glancing at Valentina to see her eyes widened, and a proud smile graced the sentinel's lips.
"The Cardinal Command was blinded by fear when they started this war," another man commented, and Flora helped him to sit up. "I should know. I was there," he revealed with a shameful smile. "But I see that now," he carefully breathed with a soft chuckle, gently touching the bloodied bandage covering his left eye.
"Leon and Allura are right," Max declared, earning everyone's attention. "The Cardinal Command were lost in fear while we, The Mystic Dragons, were blinded by anger at being made a victim, but now we have a chance, thanks to... do you have a name for your group?"
"Ehnhhhhh," Rune chimed, and everyone found a soft laugh.
"I'm not sure Ehnhhhh will really cut it," another man commented while pushing the short crimson bangs from his face.
"We're not really a group," Allura spoke softly with a warm smile. "More like a family."
"That goes out of their way to save the world apparently," Max teased.
"A bunch of bleeding hearts if you ask me," Kallis grumbled, and Allura's eyes widened slightly.
"Be polite," the crimson haired man sighed.
"Shut up, Blaze!" Kallis snapped with a glare, earning another sigh from the man.
"Foods done," Axis grumbled before plopping down behind Allura, and he pulled her into his lap.
"You're not going to serve it?" Flora whined, and Valentina got up to do so.
"Fuck off," Axis huffed, wrapping his arms around Allura, and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I'm done."
"I got it," Valentina assured Flora, earning a loving smile.
"Looks like Kallis has a twin," Max chuckled while looking at Axis, and Allura laughed softly, causing her phoenix to grumble.
"Thanks for cooking, love," Allura praised Axis while gently petting his head, earning a smile.
"Anything for you." Axis nestled into her, tightening his embrace, and Valentina began passing out bowls of stew.
"Thank you," Selena nodded to her, earning one in return.
"What will all of you do now?" Valentina questioned.
"I'm not sure," Selena quietly spoke, staring at her stew. "But Leon and I can't go back to the Cardinals," she added while looking at the man with the bandaged eye, and he nodded in agreement.
"Everyone wants a better future..." he sighed. "At least that's what I tell myself."
"I want one," Allura quietly affirmed, and the group was once again focused on her.
"Then make it happen," Max stated with an encouraging smile. "The way you are going and helping people will quickly gain you support. We may have just met, but I would join the side for a better future for everyone in an instant."
"Me too," Selena softly commented while Leon agreed with a nod.
"Fuck it," Kallis grumbled. "It would make Delilah smile... I'm in too."
"Yeah, same," Blaze hummed, and Flora enthusiastically raised her hand.
"Sign me up!" she chimed, earning a laugh from her heart.
"You are already there, dear," Valentina teased. "But the same goes for me. Allura?"
She froze, and she looked up to her phoenix in silent conference before he shrugged at her.
~*~
"If you want to join the war, I'll follow you. I'd follow you anywhere, Allura, I wouldn't even hesitate, I'll always be by your side."
~*~
"It sounds like we need a name then," Max declared before focusing on Allura, and she slowly looked at each person there.
The fallen hero was at a loss. The five survivors before her were strangers to her, and had fought against each other not even a day ago, but with a promise of a new dawn they were willing to stand together. They were willing to change for those they love and those they have yet to love for a better future. Allura was a long way from the girl in shackles she had once been. She had held on, and life was becoming worth its struggle.
"Cordis Sanguinem," Allura stated, and as the words slipped off her tongue the world would be forever changed.
"What the hell does that mean?" Kallis pressed. "It sounds... badass."
"Bleeding Hearts," Allura answered quietly, and laughing erupted from Max and Leon.
"That's perfect!" Max chuckled. "To the Bleeding Hearts, Cordis Sanguinem, and its founder, Cassum!"