Dedicated to carrine for being such a great supporter of my work. Thank you so much!
Drawing of Mundus (that you'll find in the middle or so of the chapter) is by cantou15 from DeviantArt. She's so great...really...just...amazing. XD
6.
Apples and Flowers
Reyna closed the bathroom door and leaned on it. Her head ached and she felt like she had been torn apart and crudely sewn back together. Pains ate at her chest and nausea gripped her stomach, forcing her to slide down to sit on the floor. Its cool touch on her legs chilled her and when she looked down, she was surprised to see tiles.
The bathroom seemed more modern than the room she had come from, as if the rest of the building had been built around it. The sink and toilet was made of matching porcelain, and the shower was encased by glass doors that looked homey despite the crude plastic bottle it had for a shower head. It wasn't till she saw the little hotel bottles of shampoo and conditioner lined up on the shower floor that Reyna realized she was on earth.
Mundus. He did this, huh? She smiled despite her dizziness. Why didn't he tell me though? Maybe...maybe...
"He didn't tell you because you pretty much told him to leave you alone, and it's not like you would've believed him anyway," she answered herself.
With good reason. He left you. He killed your kind. He destroyed your home.
"But he also saved it. He saw the wrong in it and he saved this. He saved people," she whispered.
A small laugh escaped her as she brought her hand up to her head, her eyes on her bandaged arm. "I'm going crazy. You think I would've thought that when I actually did have a voice in my head."
Reyna took the bandages off and looked at her arm. It didn't look like an arm that had been severed a few days ago. The wound was closed, skin wrapped over it like it was an injury from her youth. Her fingers traced over the skin, the sensation an odd one.
She sighed, her thoughts a whirlpool of information from everything Mundus and the others had told her. It was Auronmar's words that had stood out the most to her. He had planned on making her and Dante Dark Bloods so they could ascend as the new pillars of the balance. When had he planned this? Was he even going to ask them if that's what they wanted?
Her hand clenched in a fist as she remembered all the anger she felt towards the demon king while she was at his castle, but it melted away when she remembered Auronmar's other words of plea.
He had been betrayed by someone he loved. His son was stolen from him along with other people he cared about. Those that remained by his side slowly died out until Gahn was the only one left. By then, his heart had iced over and he had refused to allow himself to get close to anyone anymore, but that didn't mean he didn't ache from what had happened to him and to top it off, he forced himself to come to the decision to kill someone he still loved.
Reyna didn't know how she knew all this or why it was racing in her head, but she felt it as the truth.
"Please understand."
She didn't know if she understood how Auronmar felt exactly, but she knew how it was to be betrayed by someone she thought cared for her, and now...
Now what?
Verden was the only one with Magika, but it was fading. If the Magika disappeared, it would probably mean the end of it all. The balance was broken and the first step to at least trying to repair it was to have two Dark Bloods to bring back the Magika.
And Reyna knew how to do that.
She stood, using the doorknob to help herself up. After a few steadying breaths, Reyna dug into her pockets, looking for the flower Mundus had given her. The image of its crushed form coming back to life was vivid in her head. That meant the flower still had to be alive, right? She hoped the jeans she had on where the same ones she had left it in.
Her left hand felt clumsy as it dug into her right pocket, but she felt something. Reyna pulled out three withered petals attached to a dry, short stem. Her heart raced with relief, the realization of what she planned to do not yet hitting her. The flower lay on her open palm as she waited for it to revitalize itself, but the immediate effect she was waiting for never happened.
Reyna stared at the dead blossom on her hand until tears blurred her vision. "No."
Why was the flower dead?
Mundus' words from when he first gave it to her rang in her head. "It is only activated when a Dark Blood bestows it upon one of his choosing."
He wasn't a Dark Blood anymore. He no longer had the power to give her the flower and its abilities. Reyna clenched her teeth. This was supposed to help save her world and her friends and her friends' world. This was supposed to work.
Rage overtook her, burning her sorrow and sickness away. It wasn't fair. None of this was. To know all this and not be able to do anything about it. Maybe she should have taken up Mundus' offer from long ago to have her uncle cloud her thoughts.
Reyna was about to crush the flower in her hand when something occurred to her.
If another Dark Blood offered her the flower, would it be reenergized? The Magika isn't completely gone, not with Verden still holding to the last of it. The flower should still have the Dark Blood power in it somewhere. It should still be able to give it to her if she eats it, right?
There were two people left that had the Dark Blood in their veins: Lina and Verden. Reyna didn't feel confident asking either of them what she wanted, but she guessed her best bet would be with Lina. Verden would probably take it away from her until he figured out what was the best course of action. No, Reyna needed to eat it now.
She caught her reflection on the small mirror hanging over the sink. Reyna made a face; she could see the stink on herself.
Okay. Shower first, then I go find Lina. Somehow.
Showering with one hand wasn't as difficult as Reyna thought. It was easier than undressing had been. It was when she tried to shave her legs with a razor she found in an unopened package under the sink that she started cursing. She only shaved up to her knees half out of frustration but also half out of fatigue. Her stomach rumbled and her head filled with fog.
When Reyna stepped out of the shower, she found some clean clothes in the towel cabinet over the toilet. She picked out jean capri pants and a faded t-shirt that fit too loose around her shoulders. She put the flower in her jean pocket, crushing the petals even more. Reyna cringed, but she figured as long as she had a piece of it left, she'd be able to get it to revive to its full bloom. Hopefully.
Reyna stepped out of the bathroom to see Ayame sitting on top of the bed. "I was waiting for you," she said.
"Ayame." Reyna stopped and tucked her right arm behind her, embarrassed of it. "Are there no locks on the front door?"
She smiled. "Yes. You just forgot to use them. I came to see if you needed help. Dante told us you had awakened and was worried about you."
"I'm fine." Reyna stared at the Spirit.
Ayame was radiating confidence, something she did not have when Reyna would see her at Verden's. The way she was sitting was odd too. Usually, she sat with her legs tucked underneath her but now she was sitting with them crisscrossed, despite her short skirt. Her laced hands in front of her kept the skirt down though.
Reyna frowned. "Ayame, are you...you?"
She stood up. "Ayame the human or Ayame the Spirit? I am both and neither. My mind is fuzzy. Sometimes I feel like myself and other times I feel like I'm asleep. Verden says it has to do with the balance.
"With everything falling apart, the memories of all the Spirits, come and go, but mine seem to linger. When we returned from the Spirit realm, I was the only one that returned with my memories still intact and unlike the other Spirits, they haven't disappeared."
"So you remember everything? Even what happened when Ram, Aleric, took us to the Spirt realm?"
Another sly smile. "You mean do I remember how Mundus wanted to disappear when he saw both of us in the room with him?"
Reyna couldn't help but grin too. "Yeah."
"Have you eaten? I see Gahn brought you your usual fruit. I don't care what Verden thinks of him. He's a darling and cute too. I guess you can say I have a thing for demons," Ayame said as she walked past Reyna.
She grabbed Reyna's hand and led her to the small table where the fruit was placed in its basket. The two sat and it wasn't till Reyna caught the scent of apples, strawberries, and figs-some of her least favorite fruits-that her hunger hit her. She ate each strawberry in one bite, their sour and sweetness like candy on her tongue.
"There was something I also wanted to ask you," Ayame said.
Reyna looked at her from her bite on the apple she picked up.
The Spirit laughed. "I should probably wait until you finish eating."
She swallowed her bite. "No. I should slow down. I haven't eaten food in so long. Everything is delicious."
Ayame laughed again. It was a sound that brought light to her dark eyes and Reyna found herself thinking this was probably one of the many things Mundus had once loved about her.
"Reyna, do you know from who Dante descends? Where his Berserker power comes from?" Ayame asked.
A faint, familiar pain streaked across Reyna's chest. She knew the answer, but it had never bothered her. Dante wasn't his ancestors.
"Kibito," Reyna said, her hunger gone.
"Yes. It was his clan that was known for their Berserker power, rare as it was even among them. Kibito was a Berserker himself," Ayame said.
"Does that bother you?" She bit her tongue at her stupid question. Kibito was Ayame's fiancé, the man that betrayed her and that set off the events that led to the near destruction of Ayame's family and clan.
Ayame shifted in her seat and her young face aged with malice. "I can't say I feel nothing when I see him. Though Dante looks nothing like Kibito, it's like I can feel the bastard standing there and no amount of Dante's sweetness can make that go away."
Reyna could only stare at her half eaten apple.
"Do you love him? Dante?"
She answered with a chocking sound that prompted Ayame's laughter.
"Is that a yes?" the Spirit asked.
"I care for him. More in these past few years than the eight that I knew him when I was in school."
"Eight years. How astute of you to know exactly how long you knew him."
Her cheeks flushed but she met Ayame's eyes. "Is there a point to all this?"
She shrugged. "Only my curiosity and maybe my desire to connect with the only family I have left."
Reyna sighed, her hand cupping the end of her arm.
"That wouldn't have happened if I had trained you. I was taught to be creative with my Magika. We all were. Humans."
"Creative?"
"We used our Magika outside of simple face-to-face combat. We found out way to support each other in battles and we even learned how to create a temporary body."
"The body construction! I made it for Mundus. Uncle Amon helped me with that one. He..." Reyna gripped her arm tighter as she realized something. Ayame considered her as the last of her family, and Reyna now found herself on the same boat. Her uncle and parents were dead. She could still say she had a brother, but she wasn't sure if she would ever consider him family. She shook her head
"So what else did you do with the Magika?" Reyna asked, wishing for a distraction from her thoughts.
"We gave our Magika personal, unique twists. Sometimes two Teleporters of equal power didn't have the same techniques. It was to give us the edge when going up against demons. We needed all the help we could get," Ayame placed her elbows on the table and leaned closer to Reyna. "It's how I defeated Mundus. As a Summoner, I learned how to extract a soul through a summoning."
Reyna's eyebrows shot up. "You took out his soul?"
"It obviously wasn't an easy thing to do. When I first met that idiot and he defeated me, I resolved to find a way to beat him. Someone of his power can't be taken down easily. If only I had been stronger, older even with a wiser body and mind, maybe his soul would've have escaped me as it did to latch onto the body of one of my sister's children."
"And he ended up awakening inside of me."
Ayame made a face. "Don't say it like that. It sounds so crude."
She laughed.
There was a knock on the door but before Reyna could stand up, it flew open and a little girl in fluffy pigtails burst through the door and ran up to her.
"Reyna!" Anna said with a huge smile. "Awake?"
"Anna. I told you to wait," Diorela said.
She and Michael chased after Anna, but the two teens seemed just as energetic as her as they came up to Reyna. She smiled as two pairs of arms enveloped around her torso and a smaller pair wrapped around her legs. The warmth and emotion that radiated from them made her eyes teary.
"Shoes." Anna said as she revealed the flats she was holding, one shoe on each hand.
"She kept bringing you the shoes every day because she wanted you to see them," Diorela said.
Michael nodded with a smile. "She wouldn't let them go."
"Anna, you remembered I like these shoes," Reyna said as she bent down to accept the gift.
"We also brought you some sexy bras and panties. They're totally clean and fresh, I promise," Diorela whispered in her ear.
She laughed.
"Where is Verden?" Ayame asked.
"He's talking with Mr. Guerrero again," Michael said.
Reyna noticed the change in everyone's faces. "Who is Mr. Guerrero?"
"Immanuel Guerrero. You can say he is the leader of this quaint, little sanctuary Mundus made," Ayame said.
"And he doesn't like demons here. It's been a little complicated since we arrived. With the Magika gone, the seal is gone too. Stray demons have come in the past few days. Most just end up leaving, but there are some that have attacked. People are afraid and Mr. Guerrero thinks it's our fault the demons are attacking again," Diorela added.
"Doesn't he know it was a demon that saved him?" Reyna asked.
"When he was a child, probably. I'm sure he has forgotten the gratitude in the twenty years that have passed since Mundus left," Ayame said.
"What about Auronmar? Don't the demons have to follow him now?"
"That is exactly why the casualties have remained so low since the seal went down, but as always, there are those that do not comply."
A sharp crunch was heard. Everyone looked down to see Anna munching on one of the apples Reyna left untouched.
"Anna! That's not yours," Diorela said.
"It's okay. I'm not that hungry anymore. I was actually hoping to see someone right now," Reyna said.
"Dante is back in our place. We can show you where it's at," Michael said.
"No. I mean. I'll see him later of course, but I meant Mundus. I have to ask him something."
Ayame scowled and for a moment, Reyna felt like her plan had been discovered. If anyone knew where Lina was, it would be Mundus.
"He's probably at the apple orchard," Ayame said.
Reyna heard the contempt in her voice. "Is that bad that he's there?"
"No. Only that you're asking about him."
She scowled. "It's not like that. I just need to ask him something important."
"Of course. Well, I'm off. I'll tell Verden you're feeling better. He'll probably come to see you soon. This is your new home, by the way. Yours and Dante's. He was sleeping on the floor while you were out."
Reyna watched Ayame walk out of the room. She had been used to seeing a bounce in the Spirit's steps, but now she walked tall and straight with her eyes looking ahead.
"The orchard is outside the town. Just follow the river north," Diorela said.
She smiled at her.
"Better that than having you wandering around. Just take note on how to get back. Not everyone here speaks English, so you can't just ask for directions."
"So to get to the river from here I go...?"
"Just keep walking left. Though it's gonna take you a while to get there. Are you sure you want to go? You just woke up. Should we go with you?"
"No. I'll be fine. It's just something I have to talk to him. Personal."
Diorela gave her a look Reyna recognized. She was going to allow her to get away with it now, but later on, Diorela was going to come back, demanding what it was Reyna wanted to ask him. Well this time, Reyna didn't plan on sharing as much with her as she had before. She was going to have to come up with a simple lie to keep Diorela off her back.
"I'll be back soon. Feel free to search for me if you get too worried," Reyna said as she waved to them and stepped out the door.
The sunshine on her skin was as warming and inviting as the hug she had received from Diorela, Michael, and Anna. It also told her it was still early in the day which gave her hope in being able to find the apple orchard and wherever Mundus was in it.
Reyna turned left and started walking, eager eyes absorbing everything all around her. It seemed like she stepped into a small, picturesque town from a painting one would hang in her living room.
The houses were small and simple but appeared homey and sturdy. Many of them had window boxes growing strawberries, blueberries, and other crops Reyna didn't recognize. She caught peeks of even more crops in vegetable gardens she saw on the side and back of the houses. The fragrance made Reyna regret not finishing the apple she had started eating, but she was heading towards a whole orchard of the things. She could have all the apples she wanted once she arrived there.
Every few blocks Reyna would pass by held remains from the old world. Some of the older, taller builders in the background appeared abandoned with their broken walls and missing roofs. Broken streetlights, wooden poles with wires falling from them like fingers, and cracked sidewalks reminded her of the carnage and destruction that happened there.
Despite their dark disturbance, there was a sense of liveliness in the air. There were people and she was walking among them. If they weren't tending to their gardens, they were heading somewhere with bags in hand, or talking to their neighbors or family. They did not pay Reyna too much mind, some sparing a smile for her, but no one stared at her missing arm. She soon saw wounds like hers were a common sight, mostly among the older residents.
By the time the river came to view, Reyna had heard English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, several forms of Chinese, and other languages she couldn't find a name to. It didn't matter. Each annunciation, each syllable, each sound made her smile. It was the sound of people living.
Reyna stopped when she reached the rocky shore of the river. The water was a vivid white and blue color, the cleanest water she had ever seen that was so close to man. With this as their main water supply for everything, she imagined it was kept as clean as possible. She also wondered how it was being irrigated into the town and outside grown crops.
With the smell and sound of running water accompanying her, she went north, using the water's current and sun's positon as her guide. Reyna didn't walk far before she caught sight of Mundus. She had to do a double-take, still not used to seeing him dressed in human clothes. He was standing with a woman and a little girl. She saw they were talking though she couldn't hear the words.
Mundus' expression was one of confusion. Reyna could see how uncomfortable he was which seemed odd to her since she thought it would be the other way around considering Mundus' sword was hanging by his waist.
Her heart raced. That meant Lina had to be with him.
The small girl in front of Mundus ran to the rocky, cliff-like shore of the river, bent down to reach for something, and ran back up to him. With a smile, the girl handed him the item in her hand: a white flower. It wasn't till Mundus hesitantly accepted it that the child and her mother, Reyna assumed, left. The demon stared at the tiny flower, probably lost in thought since he seemed surprised when he saw Reyna walk up to him.
"Reyna, you should not be venturing alone," he said.
"Why did that little girl give you that flower?" she asked, ignoring his words.
The same coyness from earlier visited his face. "It was a token of thanks."
Reyna was so surprised she took a step back from him. "Thanks? For what?"
"Her mother recognized me as her savior from years before. The child said it was from my action that her mother lived and thus gave life to her."
She was speechless. It was something she had never thought of. Mundus had not only saved one life by rescuing the woman and bringing her here, but two. Maybe more. With each person he saved, there was a potential for a family and for growth. Reyna realized that Mundus had helped in restoring the human race.
Don't forget he was the one that also helped destroy it.
Reyna scowled at her own thought.
"Reyna?" Mundus said.
She couldn't find her voice, unsure of what to say. She cleared her throat. "That was cute of the little girl."
He gave a small, sincere smile. "I suppose so," he said and tucked the flower into his jean pocket so the bud could be seen.
"So, you're going to the orchard?"
"How did you know of such?"
"Um. Ayame told me I could find you there."
His eyebrows lifted a little. "Indeed."
"Are you going alone?"
"Do you not see me accompanied by someone other than yourself?"
She was about to cross her arms when she remembered. Reyna felt embarrassed and placed her hand on it. She felt Mundus' fingers on her own as he grabbed her hand. Reyna sensed he was about to say something.
"I like your ponytail," she cut him off, pulling her hand away from his and tugging on his hair. She did, in fact. His hair was as shaggy as ever, the now longer locks pulled in a loose ponytail.
Mundus scowled, giving the impression that he sensed her standoffish demeanor, but he spoke. "It has grown unruly."
"Why not cut it then?"
"I prefer it as so."
She gave a single chuckle that prompted a smirk from him.
"I wanted to ask you something," she said, her smile fading.
Might as well just get it over with.
Reyna glanced at his sword before asking, "Is Lina with you?"
His face darkened. "Why do you ask of Lina?"
"I was just wondering about the Spirits. Ayame told me their memories have been coming and going," Reyna said, surprised at her own swift lie.
"She has spent the majority of her time with Cerus."
"Oh. So he's around here somewhere too?"
Mundus' black eyes scrutinized her for a few seconds. "I am not aware of where he is."
You mean you won't say.
"Okay," she said instead and sighed.
Reyna felt useless, the weight of her plan crushing her. She would've been surprised if Mundus hadn't figured her out by now with her transparent questions. And even if she did find Lina, what guaranteed she would even consider what Reyna was going to ask her, especially if Mundus orders her not to grant Reyna her request?
She gave up.
"Would you mind showing me back to my place? I'm not sure how to get back," she said.
Mundus' look softened. "Are you fatigued? You should not have set off by yourself."
"I'm fine. I'm just lost."
"Of course." He grinned.
They hadn't left the river's bank and Reyna's feet ached. Mundus noticed, his teasing words pointing out her sluggishness as he laughed at her retorts.
"Are you quite sure you do not wish for me to carry you?" he asked.
"Shut up." She scowled.
It was deeper into the town when Reyna noticed the stares Mundus received. Most of them were from the older generation and there was revere and gratitude in their eyes. There were, however, other stares of suspicion, fear, and even hatred.
When they arrived at her place and entered it, they saw Dante sitting at the table. He stood up when he saw them, a flash of hesitation crossing his face. Mundus seemed agitated as he said his farewell to Reyna and left, most likely off to tell Lina not to do anything Reyna asks of her, just like Reyna figured.
"You should've waited for me to come back," Dante said when they were alone.
Something inside Reyna snapped. "I'm not some stupid damsel in distress! Why is everyone treating me like I can't do anything for myself? I'm fine! I just lost my arm. It's not like I can't walk. It's just my arm. It's just...just..."
Reyna was surprised at the lump in her throat. She opened her mouth to continue talking but a sob escaped her instead. Somehow, she found herself sitting on the bed with Dante's arms around her.
"I lost my arm, Dante. I don't have an arm," she said through her cries. "Dante...my arm..."
He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. The rough scent of his skin and the feel of his arms holding her to the sound of his heartbeat was enough for her to know it was okay to let it all out.