18 Chapter 18 Dream

As Marie looked at the call circle, she pressed the middle to answer it and placed her hand close to her ear, and as she did that...

"Hello, Marie!" Helena said from the other side with a cheerful tone.

"Hi, auntie Helena..." Marie said as she smiled.

"So Marie, how are things going, in Takamagahara?" Helena asked with a curious tone to Marie, that had a hint of worry.

"More or less fine, a lot happened today, but I was able to get to Kurokami Tatsurou's place..." Marie said in an informative tone to Helena.

"You did? You work fast!" Helena said with an impressed tone to Marie that made her blush a bit.

"But Marie, I'm calling you, because something unexpected happened..." Helena said with a tone filled with worry.

"What happened, auntie Helena?" Marie asked also with a worried tone to Helena.

"I got some information from our Supreme Cross branch in Britain, that a knight from the Lion Emperor, is in Takamagahara..." As Helena said this Marie's eyes opened wide.

"Auntie..." Marie said as she almost knew who the person in question was.

"Yes, Marie...it's Kay Cross..." Helena said this with a tone that had a faint hint of anger, as she informed Marie.

"No way...what is he doing here?" Marie asked as she clenched her fists.

"There can only be one reason...he is after the sword Excalibur, that's being exposed in district 3's museum..." As Helena said this Marie became silent for a while, something that worried Helena.

"Marie...?" Helena asked with a worried tone, to the now silent Marie.

"If he's going to district 3's museum, it's not too far, I'm going after him!" Marie said with a determined tone to Helena.

"Wait, Marie! I called you to let you know that he was in Takamagahara, not for you to engage him!" Helena said this to Marie, but it was mostly useless.

"I'm sorry...auntie Helena...but I won't let that man run free!" Marie said as she turned the call circle off leaving no chance for Helena to disuade her, and she did that Marie gave off an aura that was filled with anger and hate.

As for why, she was like this, it was rather simple, the man in question, Kay Cross, a sadistic knight of the Lion Emperor, was the one that killed Marie's mother, 5 years ago "I have waited so long for this, I will avenge you, mom! I will take him down!" Marie said as she went to grab her school uniform and change to it, to go after this knight...

In the morning, as Tatsurou got up and went to the kitchen, from the corner of his eye, he saw Marie sitting on the couch with her arms crossed, and with her school uniform on.

"Is everything ok...Chateunoire-san?" Tatsurou asked as he got close.

"Yes...everything's fine, I was just waiting for you to wake up, as I have something to tell you..." Marie said as she got up from the couch and looked at Tatsurou.

"Listen, something showed up, and I have to take care of it so I will deal with you later!" Marie said as she turned her back to Tatsurou and made her way to the door, prepared to leave.

"Wait, that's why you were sitting there? Just to tell me that?" Tatsurou asked a bit confused.

"Yes, exactly, now if you excuse me..." Marie said as she went to the door but as she grabbed the handle.

"Wait a sec, Chateunoire-san, you almost forgot this..." Tatsurou said as she handed Marie, her nuns habit that was on the couch.

"T-Thanks, now if you excuse me..." Marie said a bit flustered as she grabbed her nuns habit and placed it on her head, after she was done, she left without saying anything else and as Tatsurou saw this he crossed his arms.

"This girl, she's going to get into trouble..." Tatsurou said as he sighed and looked at the door, shaking his head and as he said this, but at the same time.

"Tatsurou-san..." Shirayuki called Tatsurou with a worried expression on her face as she got close to him...

Meanwhile, Marie was on the monorail, going towards district 3, to where Excalibur was being held, she was sitting in one of the seats of the still empty monorail, and Marie looked at her hand, as she was holding something, that looked like a card.

"I'm sorry, for taking this Kurokami Tatsurou..." Marie said as she looked at Tatsurou's monorail pass.

"I'm sure, he will forgive me for this..." Marie said as she looked out the window of the monorail, and as she did her eyelids started to become heavy, as she was up all night, thinking about what she was about to do.

"Mom..." Marie said with a soft tone, as she closed her eyes and began to enter the world of dreams and as she did, we were now witnessing something that happened 5 years ago...

It was a lovely morning, in the town of Paris, in a small garden close to the Notre Dame, there were two girlson that said garden, one was a small child with short aqua blue hair and silver eyes, wearing a blue dress, this child was Marie, the other girl, that was older than her perhaps in her mid 30's that was still a beauty despite her age, also had aqua blue hair but it was longer, and tied into a low ponytail with a black scrunchie, her eyes were also the same color as her hair and she was wearing black leggings and a sweater dress, this woman was, Alia Chateunoire she was Marie's mother.

And they were in this garden, having a sparring match with wooden swords, this looked to passerby's like it was some harmless mother and daughter playing time, and it looked like that, but they were actually, having a serious match as they attacked and blocked each other with various moves until.

"I got you to know!" the young Marie said with a smug tone as she blocked one of her mother's attacks and moved forward with a small hop to do a piercing attack, her mother just smiled.

"Not so fast!" Alia said as she vanished, making the young Marie trip and fall and the ground, as she got up and turned around, Alia pointed her wooden sword a few centimeters away from little Marie's face, this caught her off guard a bit.

"So, my dear Marie, what do we say?" Alia asked as she kept pointing her sword to Marie.

"I-I give up..." Marie said as she sighed, then Alia put her sword away and smiled while she helped Marie getting up, and a sudden clapping was heard, the clapping came from a woman, with short white hair and pale violet eyes wearing a black dress with long sleeves, that woman was Helena.

"Not bad, not bad, looks like little Marie, is getting better every day!" Helena said as she got close to Alia and Marie.

"Lena! What brings you here?" Alia asked with a happy tone as she saw Helena.

"Well, I was just doing my usual morning stroll and I happened two see you two, and after all, it's been so long, since I saw my cute little niece!" Helena said as she got on her knees with her arms open, so that Marie could hug her.

"Auntie Helena!" Marie said as she ran towards Helena's arms, she then got up as she hugged Marie tight.

"You've grown so much Marie...what's wrong sweetie?" Helena asked as she kept holding Marie in her arms.

"Mommy is such a meany, she never lets me win..." Marie said in a sad tone, this made Helena look at Alia a bit angrily.

"Don't look at me like that, if I let her win, she will never learn how to be good at fencing!" Alia said this, as if, she tried to defend herself, this just made Helena sigh.

"You know, that letting her win from time to time, is good as it helps build self-confidence, right?" Helena said with a stoic tone as she looked at the now flustered Alia, Marie just smiled.

"But you know something Marie, it's better to work hard and get better at fencing, so when you get a win from your Mommy, it feels even better, knowing that you got it, thanks to your hard work..." Helena said as she looked at Marie that had an impressed expression on her face.

"Your right, auntie Helena! I will do that and get better, so that I deserve that win!" Marie said with a determined tone to Helena.

"That's my girl!" Helena said as she put Marie on the ground, and as she did she turned to Alia.

"Say, Alia how about we go eat something and do some catch-up? On me of course!" Helena asked with a happy and inviting tone.

"Wait, Lena..." As Alia was about to come up with an excuse, she was interrupted by Helena.

"No excuses here! It's been so long since we last saw each other, I insist!" Helena said with a tone, that had a hint of anger for her trying to come up with excuses, the fact that Alia wanted to refuse, was not because she disliked Helena, on the contrary, she was like the little sister she never had, she wanted to refuse as she didn't like to a bother, and after a while of thinking.

"Alright then, I can't really refuse you, and we haven't eaten anything yet..." Alia said as she sighed, but Helena on the other hand.

"Yay! Let's go then, there's a nice patisserie, really close!" Helena said as she began walking with a smile on her face, Alia followed behind her, while she held Marie's hand...

A while later after having eaten and done some catch up with Helena, Alia and Marie went back to they're house, it was a very small house with wooden framework in a calm neighborhood in Paris, the house had a first floor with a small living room, kitchen and bathroom, the second floor, had two bedrooms.

Inside the house, Alia was sitting in an armchair in the living room, with glasses on reading a book, and even when doing something as simple as this, she looked beautiful, but her calm and silent reading was suddenly interrupted.

"What are you reading, mommy?" Marie asked with curiosity as she placed her hands on Alia's legs, this surprised her as she was a bit engrossed in her book

"Oh, Marie, you scared me a bit..." Alia said as she patted Marie's head.

"I'm reading the story of Romeo and Juliet..." Alia said as she closed the book and placed it on a small table next to the chair she was sitting in.

"Romeo and Juliet?" Marie asked with a curious tone.

"It's a story, about two people that love each other, but can't be together because their families are rivals..." Alia said as she grabbed Marie and placed her in her lap.

"Heh? Isn't that mean from their families, to do that to them?" Marie said with a confused tone as she looked at Alia.

"Well, it is but even so, the love they had for each other only grew stronger..." Alia said this as she patted Marie's head.

"I like this story, because it reminds me a lot about me and your dad..." Alia said as she looked at a framed photo that was on the wall with a sad expression, in it was Alia holding Marie when she was 3 months old, and next to her, was a young handsome man, that had black messy hair and silver eyes, dressed in black clothes, that man, was Marie's father.

"So...you couldn't be together too?" Marie asked with curious tone again.

"Yes, but even so we kept seeing each other and in the end, we got married and had you, Marie!" Alia said as she patted Marie's head once more.

"I miss him..." Marie said as she lowered her head.

"Me too, Marie...but he is always with us!" Alia said as she looked at the photo once more.

"Say mommy, how did you meet Daddy?" Marie asked with a curious expression and tone that made Alia look at her surprised.

"My, my, haven't I already told you that story, a lot of times?" Alia said with a smile but Marie just looked at Alia.

"We met just like in those fairy tails, I was being harassed by some mean men and your dad suddenly appeared and saved me from them, it felt like I was a princess being saved by her knight, and I was so surprised when I found out that he was, actually a knight..." Alia said as she smiled and placed her hand on her cheek, Marie just looked at her in awe

"I wish that one day, I find my knight, just like you mommy! But how do I know that I found him?" Marie asked with a happy tone and expression, Alia just smiled.

"Well, you got to look out for these, he has to be a good person, helping someone even when they weren't asked, ready to protect the weak from the strong, these are the things you have to look out for when looking for your knight and you will find him, Marie, just like me!" Alia said as she patted Marie's head once more and hugged her as she smiled.

This was a warm and beautiful sight to see, the one of a loving mother and her child, but suddenly this scenery began to fade into darkness, as if it was static, the next thing that was seen was a hospital room.

"Mommy...please, no, don't leave me..." Marie said as she cried and held Alia's hand, that was in a hospital bed heavily injured.

"Don't cry Marie...everything is...going to be...alright..." Alia said as she placed her hand on Marie's cheek and cleaned the tears that were falling from her face.

"Listen, Marie...your not alone, I just like your dad will be always with you...and Helena...will take good care of you, and when you still feel lonely, remember...that one day...you will find your knight...just like I did and then...you will never be alone again..." Alia said to Marie, as she started to tear up.

"Marie...please...forgive me for this...forgive me for leaving you..." Alia said as her hands began to lose strength, shaking as she kept her hand on Marie's cheek.

"I love you...Marie..." Alia said this with the last strength she had to Marie, as her hand fell from her cheek and her eyes lost it's color, as they slowly closed.

"Mommy? No! Mommy! Please don't leave me..." Marie said as she begged and placed her hands on Alia, tears falling from her face, like a waterfall...

"Attention, we will be arriving at district 3's main station shortly... Attention we will be..." Marie woke up upon hearing the robotic voice of the monorail announcing, that they were arriving in district 3, as she did she looked slowly to all sides, and after that, she touched her cheek.

"Mom..." Marie said as she noticed that her cheeks were wet with tears she shed while sleeping, she quickly cleaned her eyes with her sleeves.

"I can't cry, now when I'm so close, I got to be strong, I'm going to do this and be a step closer to avenge my mother..." Marie said to herself, as she got up with a determined expression.

Meanwhile back at Tatsurou's place...

"Are you sure about that, Shirayuki-san?" Tatsurou asked Shirayuki while he crossed his arms.

"Yes I am, I heard a loud banging last night, when I went to take a look I saw Marie sitting on the couch then she received a call I think, it sounded really serious, and she got a really angry face, saying that she was going to district 3's museum to the person she was talking to..." Shirayuki said in an informative tone to Tatsurou.

"I see, so that was why she acted like that just a while ago..." Tatsurou said as he scratched his head.

"So what are we going to do, Tatsurou-san?" Shirayuki asked with a worried tone.

"I think it's obvious, we're going to help her!" Tatsurou said with a determined expression and tone as he began walking towards his room to get changed and go into action...