Midgar Kingdom
As the morning sun arose on the next day, Kagari rushed out of his house and began walking towards the train station which had a secret entrance to the underground caverns of the Midgar Kingdom.
Kagari's Thoughts: (These wanted posters of Rose are everywhere, around every block and every corner. There have also been more soliders from Oriana pouring in every day to hunt her.)
Kagari's Thoughts: (I have no doubt that Alexia and Beta are looking into this too. I need to find her before either of them do.)
Kagari heard a familiar piano song being played which caught his attention.
Kagari: The Moonlight Sonata. There's only one person other than Cid and myself who knows how to play that piece...
(Timeskip)
Inside of the Music Hall, Kagari was inside watching the performance as it reached its end and the performer took her bow as the audience clapped.
Kagari's Thoughts: (Not bad, Epsilon...)
(Timeskip)
After her performance, Kagari went to go visit Epsilon in her private room.
Epsilon: I never would have dreamed that you would come to hear me play, My Lord. I'm not worthy of this honor.
Kagari: Well, I did say that I might come to your performance. You do play the Moonlight Sonata like no other.
Epsilon: Thank you, my lord. Of the many pieces you and Shadow have graciously taught me. It is the one I like the very best.
Kagari's Thoughts: (Back when we were kids, she'd always listen in on when Cid and I practiced on the piano. To fit her alias, she was trained by Lambda and she learned some songs from us.)
Epsilon: Thanks to your wisdom, my lord, I am building connections with influential people as a pianist and as a composer.
Kagari: As a composer, huh?
Epsilon: Yes, my lord. The "Moonlight Sonata", the "Turkish March", the "Minute Waltz". They're very popular among the nobility and the Royal Capital has even given me awards.
Kagari: I see. Good for you.
Epsilon: The Oriana Kingdom, the kingdom of art and culture, has invited me to visit as an up-and-coming composer.
Kagari's Thoughts: (-_-...Beethoven, Chopin, please forgive us...)
Epsilon: As I'm sure you are aware, there is a lot of profitable work to be done in the Oriana Kingdom right now.
Kagari: The kingdom of art and culture could be quite useful, actually.
Epsilon: Yes, my lord. This time, I think there is an especially worthwhile job to be done.
Kagari: Is that so? Well then, I wish you the best of luck in Oriana.
Epsilon: I shall perform my duty and my music in a way worthy of the sublime masterpieces you have bestowed upon me, my lord.
Kagari: I know you will, Epsilon. You always do. Now then, if you'll excuse me...
Kagari gets up.
Kagari: There are a few matters that I must attend to. If I have time, I may come and surprise you in Oriana. I'll see you again, Epsilon.
Kagari: As always, seeing your beautiful appearance is as lovely as watching your performances.
Epsilon blushed.
Epsilon: Y-You're too kind, my lord! Humble Epsilon is still nowhere near...
Kagari: Hehe. I'll see you soon, Epsilon...
Kagari leaves.
Kagari's Thoughts: (Looking past the obvious plagiarism, I'm glad she's less prideful than she was back when we were children...)
When he was all alone, Beru appeared out of his shadow.
Beru: My liege, it is time.
Kagari: Yes, I know. Let's go, Beru.
Kagari's Thoughts: (I'm coming, Rose...)
(Timeskip)
Train Station
Upon his arrival to the train station, Kagari hiding in his Shadow Cloak, snuck into a secret doorway within the train tunnels. Stepping outside of his shadow, Kagari looked to see the stairway below him.
Beru: My liege, descending down this path will bring you to the underground caverns.
Igris: But we must warn you, my king, our soldiers have also spotted Princess Alexia and Beta within the caverns. We must not let them find you.
Kagari: Unfortunately, I can't go and see Rose as myself if I want to cure her demon pssion which means...
Beru: You must be Eclipse again..
Kagari sighed.
Kagari: *sighs* -_-...Yes, annoyingly.
Kagari raised his hand and swiped it across his face. As he did, a black mask appeared on his face. As much as he wanted to help Rose, she couldn't let her find out who he really was.
Kagari: Now then...
Kagari: Let's get going.
Not wanting to waste time, Kagari jumped off the railing and dropped down into the darkness of the stairway. When he reached the bottom, he flipped and landed on his feet.
To begin his search, he began to sense for a trace of Rose's magic until he picked up on it.
Kagari's Thoughts: (Don't worry, Rose. Just hang on a little longer. I'll be there soon, I promise...)
(Timeskip)
Meanwhile with Rose....
Soldiers from her own kingdom, her closest friends, and the one she loved the most were all now searching for her.
With her uniform shirt removed and her rapier sword by her side, Rose was sitting on the wall catching her breath all alone with only her thoughts.
Rose's Thoughts: (What was I supposed to do back there...? What was the right thing...?)
3 days ago, when Rose went to go have her audience with her father, she was happy as she reminded herself of what Kagari told her.
But all of that changed once Rose saw her father and her fiancé.
She was shocked to she her father's vacant condition and once she saw her fiancé, Perv Asshat's devious smile, she knew that she was in a trap.
In her anger, she drew her sword and attacked Perv. All she did was graze his arm, but that was enough to make Perv's accomplices say that Rose has gone mad, making the soliders attack her.
Rose began to walk, dragging herself on the wall.
Rose's Thoughts: (At the time, I thought I had made a rational decision. If I could have settled the matter then and there, we could have treated it all as a domestic affair within the Oriana Kingdom.)
Rose's Thoughts: (We could have stopped the problem from spreading to other nations, like the Midgar Kingdom.)
She managed to escape, but Perv told her to turn herself in before The Bushin Festival was over, or else he would use is father to kill one of the guests of honor.
Rose's Thoughts: (But what I did was not a rational thing to do. I was only acting on my anger and desperation...)
Rose: I wanted to protect them...my one and only father, my one and only homeland.
Rose: Perv is just one of the Cult's disposable pawns. Killing him won't change anything. The Cult's roots have already spread too deep within the Oriana Kingdom.
In pain, Rose fell to the ground, laying on the wall.
Rose: If I do manage to get away, what then? I'm hurting the knights of my own kingdom, pointlessly making the problem worse. What good will that do?
Rose: Maybe I should just turn myself in. Then we can at least avoid a war.
Rose: And Father...
She looked down to her chest and saw the wrapper from Kagari as she thought of her last conversation with him.
"Would you keep believing in me, come what may?"
"Yes, I will."
Rose: Oh, Kagari, surely you know what's happened by now.
Rose: Do you still believe in me?
Rose: I wish I could eliminate Perv and his ilk, and get my father back. Then I'd marry you and live happily ever after. If only such fairy tale endings were real....
Rose's demon possession began to spread, making her pain increase.
Rose: But in reality, I'm possessed. None of my dreams were ever meant to come true....
Just then, the beautiful melody of a flute could be heard echoing from the tunnels, catching Rose's attention.
Rose: A flute?
Wanting to find the source of the sound, Rose began to follow it through the tunnels, the closer she got, the louder the sound became.
A/N: If you wish to know the music that is being played on the flute, click this video. Then, continue reading.
As Rose cleared her way through holes in large piles of rumble, she found herself face to face with the source of the music.
It was a tall hooded man in all black holding a small ocarina to his face which was half covered with a black mask as he continued playing the soothing tune.
Rose: It's you...
Rose: Eclipse!
As his song ended, Eclipse placed his ocarina in his coat as Rose began to clap in applause.
Rose: That was a very beautiful song.
Eclipse: Princess Rose Oriana, daughter of King Oriana. Heir to the Oriana Kingdom, fiancé of Perv Asshat, A Former Student now turned Fugitive....
Rose: H-How do you know so much about me...?
Eclipse: I know a lot about you, your highness. But that's not why either of us are here, so tell me, Rose Oriana...
Rose: "..."
Eclipse: What reason did you have for doing all that you have done so far...?
Rose: What..?
Eclipse: With all of your current actions and consequences, what is it that you hope to achieve? What is the goal you wish to accomplish?
Rose: "..."
Eclipse: "..."
Rose: I....I wanted to protect them...But I couldn't...I couldn't do anything...
Eclipse: So does that mean you're ready to just give up?
Rose: "..."
Eclipse: Has the despair of your current situation surrounded you so much where you're ready to lay down your sword and no longer fight?
Rose: It's not like I wanted it to end this way! I wanted to win the brightest future for everyone!
Eclipse: Is that so...
Eclipse charges a magical ball in his hand.
Eclipse: Hear me Rose Oriana, if what you say is true and you still have the desire to continue fighting....
Eclipse: Then I shall give you power.
Rose: If I use that power...will I be able to change the future?
Eclipse: That only depends on you. If you want to change the future, then prove yourself worthy of the power bestowed upon you.
Rose: I...I am the Princess of Oriana, and as such, there are things that I must do!
Rose: As Rose Oriana, there are hopes I want to keep alive!
Rose: I want the power to achieve that!
Eclipse: So let it be done, Arise.
Hearing her resolve, Eclipse crushed the magic ball as his dark magic began to surround Rose's body.
Rose: What's happening?
She looked down to her chest to see the magic was curing her of her Demon Possession.
Rose: Incredible...This is Eclipse's magic?
Eclipse: Arise, Rose Oriana. You will show me that you have the resolve to continue your fight. Remember my words....
"The path of Strength doesn't mean you need power, but you must be true to your very being."
"No matter what it takes, you must do what needs to be done."
With that Eclipse vanished into thin air, faster than he appeared.
Suddenly, multiple cloaked men can be seen jumping in the area around Rose.
Rose: Those uniforms. So you belong to the Cult of Diablos.
Rose drew her sword and she began to imbue her magic as her blade glowed in a green light.
Rose: The fact that your appearing here, at this particular moment means...
As all 9 assassins tried to kill her, in a swift swing of her sword, Rose slashed all 9 of them into pieces as a shower of blood fell to the ground.
Rose: Eclipse. He is a ray of moonlight that pierces the darkness. If I could have my wish, I, too...
(Timeskip)
Alexia and Natsume can be seen running towards the scene.
Alexia: What was that enormous burst of magical energy?
They stopped as they saw Rose walking up the stairs.
Alexia: Rose!
Rose: Alexia...
Alexia: Look at you! What was that burst of magic?
Rose walked passed Alexia in silence.
Alexia: Rose?
Rose: I have obtained power. I will follow the path I believe in.
Alexia: Wait a minute! What are you talking about? Why did you stab your fiancé?
Rose: I'm sorry. I don't want to drag you into this.
Alexia: That doesn't tell me anything! Answer the question!
Rose: If I tell you, you will get dragged into it.
Alexia: Back at the Sanctuary, we promised each other. If we were ever more than spectators, someday we'll lose everything we care about.
Alexia: That's why we promise each other that we'd protect those things together...So how can you talk to me like this?
Alexia: Do you think I'm only good as a spectator, too?
Rose: I'm sorry.
Alexia: Answer me!
Rose: There's no turning back for me now. And I envy you...
Alexia: Why?
Rose: I've lost a number of things already, and I'm going to lose more.
Rose: Everyone will reject me, denounce me as evil.
Alexia: Yeah, so what?
Rose: I'm sorry. I have to go.
Alexia: Alright, then fine!
Alexia dropped the lantern and drew her sword.
Alexia: If you won't give me the answers, I'll force them out of you!
Rose and Alexia both clashed swords, destroying the stairwell as Natsume watched.
Rose dodged Alexia's attacks as their fight continued deeper within the tunnels.
Alexia: I'm not just a spectator anymore!
Both Princesses began to implement magic in their attacks which caused a small shockwave in the area.
Silence fell in the tunnels as Rose reappeared with an unconscious Alexia.
Rose: Alexia, when did you get to be this strong?
Rose gave Alexia to Natsume.
Rose: Miss Natsume. I'm sorry, I have to go.
Natsume: I won't try to stop you.
Natsume: I don't have the right to stop you.
Rose: Miss Natsume?
Natsume: But I am a little surprised. I suppose even fools try in their own foolish way to find the best solutions.
Natsume: We each have different nationalities, different affiliations, different creeds, but maybe the ideals we strive for are the same.
Natsume: It's possible that this alliance of ours wasn't such a bad idea after all.
Natsume: I wish you success. I suspect our paths will cross again before too long.
With that, Rose began to run further into the tunnels until she was now out of sight.
Beta: Eclipse, Shadow, is this what you've chosen?
(Timeskip)
Sunset
It was now sunset in the Midgar Kingdom, Kagari was now sitting on the roof of his home, thinking to himself.
Kagari's Thoughts: (Rose, I'm happy I was able to save you, but I'm saddened knowing that there isn't much I can do for you now...)
Hiding in the shadows, Rose was waiting until nightfall to make her next move.
Rose's Thoughts: (Kagari, I really wish I could see you right now. But, I can't. I don't want to get you involved in my mistakes. I've lost so much...but I don't want to lose you...)
Kagari: Where ever you are...
Rose: Please...
Kagari/Rose: Just be safe...
Meanwhile, inside of a cave far away from the Midgar Kingdom...
Norn: So, why are we here again?
Baran: Foolish Child, if we are going to make Ashborn come to us, then we are going to execute the next part of my plan.
Norn: And that plan is...?
Baran: Ashborn's magic was sensed in the Midgar Kingdom...
Baran: So to draw him out, we are going to take the entire Midgar Kingdom hostage. If he doesnt meet our demands, then we will burn the entire kingdom to cinders. But first, we are going to need the army...
Norn: An army?
Baran: Yes...
Baran smiled.
"My Army..."