2 Chapter 51: Yuki Returns

It's been over a day since Lucilla disappeared in front of everyone. Judieth and Cristina have been busy planning on how they were going to convince the denizens of the Enchanted Forest to stick with them. Despite not trusting each other they were oddly enough on the same page for the most part. Judieth missed having Morella around for company, however.

Sara spent her time completing her daily training routine that her teacher taught her. She hadn't left her room since yesterday, unwilling to interact with anyone. Judieth and Cristina checked in on her from time to time, knowing how attached Lucilla was to the young girl, but neither of them knew how to approach her themselves.

Anastasia would also check in on the girl, noticing how she seemed to always be hanging on to the crimsoned eyed woman. She had even less of a relationship with the girl and didn't really know what to do when she found her sulking alone in an empty kitchen by herself late at night. Opting to just leave her be, she silently kept watch outside the room throughout the night.

'Why am I doing this I wonder?' Anastasia thought to herself, one of her spider legs restlessly twitching as she relaxed in her room.

The reason she agreed to even let them stay was because they promised access to some rare resources and yet... "That's not really the real reason behind my decision."

The spider woman was truly vexed by her own actions. She didn't know why she took such a liking to the woman known as Lucilla, but her she was thinking of her. She wouldn't go as far as to say she's fond of her, but she definitely favors her far more than normal. Part of that reason would be how casually Lucilla treated her she supposes.

"Auntie we need you. Lucilla's other sister is about to arrive." Eleanore called out from the opposite side of her door.

"Yes, yes. I'm coming." Answered Anastasia, wondering what Lucilla's sister personality would be like.

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---Yuki's General POV---

"I wonder how Lucy and Ella are doing~!" Chirped the pink demon sitting down at the kitchen table.

Yuki missed her sister and couldn't wait to see them again. For some reason Sable stop giving her updates on them for the past few days. She assumed it's because they got tired of her asking multiple times a day and didn't really care for the reason. She was just annoyed they wouldn't answer her anymore.

"Ms. Saki what do you think they're doing? I wonder if they miss me?" Yuki looked at the tired looking maid sitting across from her.

"I don't know." The exhausted sounding maid said. "Please, can we talk about anything other than your sister?"

"Why would I?" Yuki asked confused. How could she not want to talk about her sisters? What grater topic is there? "Oh! do you want brainstorm on the most effective ways to kill people getting in way of Ella and Lucy?"

"... That's not what I meant."

Shrugging Yuki went back to eating her food. She just didn't understand what else would be interesting other than her sisters. She took a bite out of her baked potato, savoring the salty buttery flavor that just melted in her mouth. Morella loved potatoes so that meant Yuki loved potatoes. Unfortunately, she just couldn't get behind the ungodly amount of sugar Lucilla loved to put in things. Normal sweets were fine, however.

Sable walked into the room at that moment, carrying two bags. They set them down on the table between the two occupants gesturing for them take them.

"We're leaving. The portal is finished growing yesterday, and after checking to make sure it was stable I've confirmed it's safe to use." Spoke Sable.

"Really!? Then waiting are we waiting for, let's go!" Yuki said jumping up from the table and running from the room.

Both Shizuka and Sable both let out sighs as they watched the Demon run off. She knew where the teleportation room was, but not the exact portal she needed to use. She'll realize her mistake soon enough. With one final look at each other the two of them followed the Changeling out of the room.

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"Heya Judieth! Where's Ella and Lucy?" Those were Yuki's first words the moment she and the others stepped through the portal.

Judieth hesitated when she heard the pink girl speak. Shizuka silently stepped to the side sensing the awkward tension in the air and not wanting to find herself in the middle of the incoming incident. Everyone in the room stood there silently as Yuki slowly realized something was wrong. Cold sweat ran down Judieth's back as she thanked the heavens that Sara wasn't in the room because she felt like this area was about to become very unsafe.

"Judieth where are my sister?" Yuki asked again with venom coating her words.

"Well... before you get mad you should know Lucilla is probably safe." Judieth said trying to carefully reveal the news.

"What do you mean probably safe?"

Judieth wanted to kick herself. The amount of bloodlust that Yuki was giving off was staggering. Normally she kept it to herself to not make a scene for her sisters convenance, but right now that restraint was unraveling.

"Well Lucilla seemed to have made some kind of deal with Ovana and is currently in the afterlife for the next week." Judieth started. "She said she'll be back more powerful than before to protect you."

Some of the blood lust that was seeping out of the demon seemed to lesson on hearing her sister was working hard for her sake. "Okay... then what about Morella? Where is she?"

"... I think it's better to just show you." The doctor said with a hint of grief in her voice.

Yuki wasn't the most observant individual. Not because she was incapable, but from a lack of interest in other people that aren't her sisters. Right now, however a sudden feeling of foreboding overshadowed any type of anger she could possibly feel. She no longer wanted to know the answer, for she felt that if she got her wish, she would be crushed.

She searched the red-haired womans face, trying to see what exactly made her feel this way. The faint signs of grief that was on the womans face didn't make her feel better.

"What do you want to show me?" Yuki asked nervously, her bloodlust retracting allowing everyone in the room to breathe.

"Follow me." Answered Judieth turning around to exit the room.

Yuki cautiously followed the older woman through the citadel. Her nerves making so she couldn't even register her surroundings, ignoring everything and everyone she passed. She followed Judieth all the way outside the fortified walls of the flying fortress to a small, isolated grave with two-day old flowers sitting atop it.

"So, this is Morella." Judieth said faintly.

Yuki just stared at the tombstone sticking out of the ground, the name Morella Crimson etched into the stone. Yuki fell to her knees, her legs unable to support her any longer. She couldn't understand what she was seeing, because this wasn't possible. Morella can't be dead. She and Lucilla were always going to be with her. Always.

'This isn't real. This can't be.' She thought, her mind racing. 'Morella is so strong, so reliable. She couldn't just die like that. Why? Is this a joke? A nightmare?'

Yuki felt something running down her face. Lifting a hand, she touched her cheek and felt something wet. Pulling her hand back she inspected the substance and found it to be water. She was confused on why there was water running down her face on such a beautiful sunny day with no cloud in sight. She tried whipping the water away, but no matter what she did it just kept coming.

"Why? What's happening? Where's Ella?"

Judieth watched the weeping demon silently, letting the girl cry. Her reaction was far less violent than she anticipated, but she also didn't tell her that Morella was killed either. She'll wait for Lucilla before informing her of that. For now, she decided to watch over the demon till she was ready to go back inside to rest.