[82.5] Golden Tears

Asmonious suddenly jumped out in front of me seemingly from the shadows, "MASTER!"

I was so shocked by his sudden appearance that I couldn't even question how he had gotten here, "Asmonious? What-"

"It's Alora! She's in trouble-"

"Trouble?"

"She's outside the barrier and my father found her!"

-One moment of carelessness was all it took to lose everything-

I pushed a sleeping Astra into his arms as my heart raced anxiously, "Asmonious. Protect the children on the mountain. I will go save her."

I jumped on my ice chunk and flew to the base of the mountain where he pointed.

Bale's words kept echoing in my head.

Orphelio is alive!!!

Why did I get so comfortable thinking I actually succeeded in killing him!?

Is it because he isn't in the future!? 

I should have known my attack wouldn't kill him!!

A vision of two people suddenly appeared. The closer I got, the more in focus the scene became.

A small girl covered in blood lay on the ground with a small dagger stuck into her eye. She was being held down by a young man's foot, even though the force was unnecessary.

His eyes were crazed as a smile was drawn across his face, ear to ear.

It was a smile I once saw looking down at me from a man in my past.

Fire made from fury blasted around me, melting the ice chunk and propelling me further.

The sword pointing straight to her heart suddenly slowed to a stop the faster I flew.

At that moment, I didn't care about anything.

I didn't care about magic.

I didn't care about the transformation of my body.

All I cared about…

Was her.

I slashed my arms forward, simultaneously grabbing a small body while landing on my feet as time resumed.

Orphelio let out a surprised gasp, falling backward in shock. He managed to catch himself just as I landed a safer distance away with Alora in my arms. I quickly checked her over, making sure she was still alive.

"Alora!? Alora!" 

Her good eye fluttered open, staring at me in a daze. "Great… Fairy…"

"That's right! It's me!!!" I pulled her close as tears stung my eyes, "I came to save you."

Her eyebrows furrowed painfully, "But you… Hate me…"

"Oh, you silly girl. How could I hate you!?!" I pushed her hair to the side, "You're one of my beloved disciples."

"Heh… Hahah… HAHAHAHAA!" Rambunctious laughter echoed behind me causing my face to snarl. 

"One of your disciples!? You think she's your child!? How could she be!?!

I turned around to glare, only to be surprised by the man who was barely standing. I had no idea what happened after I found the two of them or before grabbing Alora from him. 

However, half of his body was missing, leaving a gaping hole in his torso, a lack of an arm and leg on his right side, and a ghastly half of his face left attached to his skull.

He stood on one leg as he wobbled, "You do realize who she is right!? She's a Holy Priestess! She's the ACTUAL daughter of the temple! She belongs to US! SHE BELONGS TO VIRA!"

I sneered, "But Vira's dead."

"Vira's not dead you DUMB B*TCH-" He was suddenly screaming with ferocity, "She's alive and THAT BRAT BELONGS TO HER!"

I shouted back, "She doesn't belong to anyone!!!"

"You can't just STEAL her!" Half of his face twisted as he mocked me, "What are you!? A child kidnapper?!"

I met his gaze without backing away, "Nope. I'm this broken world's version of child protective service. I will become their guardian when their parents can't care for them."

"Oh?" His screaming voice died down as something cold and terrifying took root instead, "Did she tell you her purpose for going to the mountain?"

I felt Alora start to tremble in my arms.

I turned to her in confusion only to see a trail of blood from one eye and golden tears from another. 

"D-Don't… Listen… Please!"

I was shocked by the sight of her tears, only to hear Orphelio speak through his teeth, "She was sent there to infiltrate and kill you all. She was ordered to do it at all costs and die if she couldn't. Did you know that!?"

My eyes closed as I took a deep breath, "You're right. I didn't know."

"G-Great fairy! Please!" Her bloodied hands clawed at me, "I-I can explain!"

If I hadn't been from the future…

I might have been shocked.

I ignored her and spoke, "But it hardly matters."

Because I know the kind of person Alora becomes.

My eyes flared open as I stood up, holding Alora in my arms. I shouted in defiance, "She is just a child!"

He chuckled, "And do you not care that she was also on the mountain the day we killed three of your children?"

I hesitated.

She was?

Alora choked on her sobs, unable to defend herself.

Seeing my hesitation, his smile twisted maliciously, "We wouldn't have noticed that panther demon was still alive if it wasn't for her stabbing him in the chest!!! He might have lived if it wasn't for her!"

My eyes jumped open as I looked down at her, "...So that was you."

"She was the one who came up with the idea to cut the baby from the womb to raise it as one of us."

My hands gripped tighter around her as the temperature around us dropped significantly low.

He suddenly burst into laughter, "HAHHAAHA! TOO BAD THE BABY DIDN'T MAKE IT!"

Ice crawled up his legs, freezing him to the spot.

He laughed louder, "I should have kept the corpse and given it to you! It was such a waste to throw it away!"

I suddenly shouted furiously, "What the F*CK happened to you in your childhood that would turn you into such a f*cked-up person!?!" 

As the ice started spreading to his mouth, he smiled as if recounting a pleasant memory, "Believe it or not, my childhood was amazing. I had loving parents and everything. I just grew a bit bored."

I turned my back to his frozen corpse and flew off with Alora in my arms. As her arm healed, she grabbed onto me tighter while she cried.

"Please! Please- I can explain! I-I didn't want to get her killed! I thought that I could save her baby by convincing them to take it, B-But I had no idea it died! I didn't know! I-I-"

"-Alora." I smiled down at her despite knowing she couldn't see it, "Do you remember what I said? When no one else trusts you, remember that I always will."

She sucked in her breath as her tears flowed down freely. Once the tears hit my skin, my body felt lighter and my magic felt stronger.

I rubbed her back to soothe her, "I know it wasn't your fault to get Lovi killed… I also know you didn't kill Bale." 

I smiled at her tearful expression and used my sleeve to wipe away her tears and snot, "That demon you stabbed that day… He's still alive. You saved his life."

"I… I did?"

I nodded and whispered softly, "You saved him. You are a good person."

"I… I am?"

"Yes. So there's no need to feel guilty… You did everything you could to save as many lives as possible."

She suddenly burst into tears, crying hysterically as she clung to my waist. I continued to rub her back as she sobbed uncontrollably as if all her years of suffering and turmoil were finally able to be released.

"Hazel… Hazel, I'm so sorry." I hugged her tighter as I spoke to a person who had yet to exist, "I'm sorry I never treated you like a friend. I never had your back when you needed me most. Everything looked so suspicious, but all you wanted was to be believed. I promise that if I ever get back to the future, I will be a better friend."

I will find a way to bring honor back to your name.

I will overturn those false accusations.

Because even though the evidence of killing Rose pointed to you…

Somehow, my intuition tells me you are innocent.