#8 A Smile That She Always Had

Around the past five year before their arrival in the city, Gatto Nera were never been this close to him. She finally could leave the place where she usually live yet she hasn't smell the breath of freedom. A shadow of a being called Beneath The Sun still haunt her even after she has been released from the abandoned mansion and walked further away from the place.

Emptiness, she felt a hole inside her chest. Even though, there's Cade always stay beside her and not leaving her side. Wherever she go, wherever she follows, she's always felt lonely until she reach the point where she always drooping her face. Cade realize her and her feeling of emptiness but he choose to remain silent and letting her to fix her problem on her own.

Under the shining bright moonlight, Cade makes a bonfire like he always do. Fortunately, he found a place where the mist is thinner so they could rest well right on that place. The cold wind blows, the fire warmth their body, and Cade is cooking the fishes he catch by himself. On the other hand, Nera is still drooping her face and not in a mood to eat something.

"Want some?" ask Cade.

"I am going to sleep." answer her in a lifeless tone.

Thus, Nera wrap herself in a cloth to defend herself from the night wind while Cade is watching their surroundings before he switching with her. The sparks of bonfire helping him thinking in the night, the calmness of the wind and warmth of the fire is relaxing his mind. So then, he have an idea to help Nera from her confusion.

Nera sleep peacefully inside her cloth, Cade then stand up and leaving her side for a while to search something inside the darkness of the night.

The fire turn blue, the trees burnt, Gatto Nera is alone in the middle of the night. She's then awake, seeing her surrounding has been black burned. Nobody is around, Cade has leave her side and left nothing for her, except for the cloth she use as a blanket.

Alone in the darkness, she venture by her own legs without knowing where her legs will bring her. The only thing she know for real is that she's going to live in the darkness once again. But from now on, there's no one to stay beside her, evil or not. Again, she drop her face.

Walking, walking, and walking is the only thing she could do despite found nothing on her path.

After a long time she walks, she found a lone chair standing in the middle of nowhere. The place surrounded by an eerie looking tree, inviting her to sit on the chair. Such a coincidence, her legs are tired and looking for a comfortable resting place. Thus, she bend her legs and sit on the chair. Leaning her head on the chair headrest, she then saw a shadow of Beneath The Sun standing before her.

Fear, terror, overwhelm her immediately as soon as she sees the shadow. She can't move her body, trapped on the chair she sat on. The shadow moves closer, approach her ears then whisper with a calming voice of The Unknown Being.

~~~Show me the true fear and I'll give you what always belong to you~~~

Gatto Nera's body tremble, she's so scared of her which makes her unable to think straight. A cold sweat dripping from her face, damp the only clothes she had. On that time, only Cade is appear on her mind, she calling out for him but she's unable to reach him since they have parted from a long time ago.

A servant, she's created for. She's feeling guilty because after all these days she's still unable to serve nor giving something useful for him. Deep down on her heart, she's determined to be a Servant of Light, serving her master conveniently. She's trying so hard to be determined, as long as she could always be with him.

But the horror always follow, destroying her determination and swallow her body.

"Nooo....!" she's screamed.

Gatto Nera is awake from her dream. Damp by her own sweat, she's having a very terrifying nightmare. Looking around for her master, she feel relieved that her master is still around and cooking something inside the pot which she not recognize.

The fragrant of tea then passing beneath her nose, living up a dead eyes of her into a shining bright indigo eyes. She then approach him while covering her body with the cloth she used like a blanket. Slowly, she tried to put the cloth on his back but unfortunately he's aware and reject her kindness instead.

"It's so kind of you. But you're the one who's need it more, not me. Well at least, not for now."

Hearing his answer, Nera drop her face. She's frowned that she couldn't do a thing for now. "But I am your servant. How am I supposed to be useful for you ?"

Cade is smiling, he feel touched while shaking his head. "Now now, just drink this. I'll be grateful if you accept this tea. Relax and enjoy the tea with all your heart content."

Then, Gatto Nera accept his tea. She know that they don't have a tea in their inventory. So whatever the taste is, she must gladly accept it since her master has working so hard just to make this tea for her own goodness.

Gatto Nera sip the tea heartfully. Unexpected, the taste of the tea is amazingly good. She couldn't help but to drink it again and again until it was finished. The sweetness of the tea combined by the aromatic fragrant of the tea make her mind calm again. She's blushed after drinking the great taste of the tea.

"How's it ? Is it good ?" ask Cade calmly.

"Mhmm...." Gatto Nera nods.

So then, that's how she regain her confidence back to be able become his servant. Even though, Cade doesn't like to be the one who's being served, she's still persist to become his servant. But then for once in a while, they switching role and make Nera the one who's being served by her master. But not long after, she's getting used to it and now Gatto Nera is the one who's being a boss.

Cade honestly don't mind if she's the one who became the boss. As long as he could see the happy face of her, he would do anything to protect that face. She's all he had for now, she is the source of all of his happiness came from. This world is become brighter again thanks to her cuteness and kindness.

A smile that she always had since he lost everything.

.

.

.

But unfortunately, that smile is never last longer than the happiness itself. That shining bright eyes she had must dispersed at a time that we never know. That cheerfully smile she had also could bent at anytime. After receiving a single punch on the epigastrium from Tania, Gatto Nera is spitting blood and immediately lost her consciousness. She's hanging lifelessly in the hand of Tania Bloodtide.

With only a single light push from her hand, Nera bounced from her hand and lying around like a ragdoll.

"NERA !!" shout Cade.

Seeing her lifeless condition, Cade panicking and immediately crawling closer into her body. Even though he had no legs to stand, he still persist to came over and protect her. Struggling to move, Cade spilling his blood along the way he crawled.

Gatto Nera closed her eyes, her head is covered with blood, dozen of wound created by Tania's fist is spread all over her body. Seems that Tania punch her so hard until much of her bones were broken at a time. She's also approach her and precede Cade by just walking normally.

Tania smiled, she then stomp her face over and over again using soldier boots she always use. While laughing so hard, she enjoy to torture her unconscious body and humiliate her face using the boots in front of Cade.

"Ne... Ra... " Cade letting out her last call.

The result came unexpected, both of them lost their consciousness after a while losing dozen liters of blood. Tania sighing, she didn't believe that her former subordinate is weaker than she expected. She thinks that she may way too much spoiled him by giving him that rifle attached with bayonet. But seems that wasn't the problem, she's the one was too strong for them even before unleashing her stronger version.

Tania turn around, ready to leave the expanding daydreaming domain. But before she leaves, she's stand still as she feel an unknown aura overflowing from inside Nera's body. She's smiled, waiting for this moment finally came.

"The unexpected one, finally came right away."

+-----+------+-----+------+

~~~Show me the true fear and I'll give you what always belong to you~~~

Unconsciously, Nera's body lifted by an unknown force. A suspicious dark aura emitted from her body, leaving dark stain on the ground whenever she is stepping her foot. Transformed, her head grow a shining indigo horns and her hair turned white. Her body's grow a little, half of her arms turned black as it were an obsidian, she's now looks like a child version of Beneath The Sun.

She waves her hair, divide it into to two parts, and then spread her hair into the air freely. Gatto Nera open her eyes but those eyes were not the eyes which belong to her. The eyes stare at Tania souls, looking deeper to which part her soul are the same. The eyes that resemble a star clad in indigo color.

"You are an odd one, a human but also inhuman. Like that one ancestor of mine." said the person who reside in Nera's body.

"The same goes for you. I've never seen the other one like you before." answer Tania.

"Oh but you got the same one like me, who's always stand by your side."

Both of them then smiling at each other, like a family at the family reunion. Tania clench her fist, The Unknown harden her arms and letting out her claws. Like an athlete before unleashing their power to winning an olympic, they both doing a stretch before a clash. The more The Unknown moving her body, the darker and harder her skin gets. The same thing apply on Tania. The more she stretch the more her magic aura overflow from her body.

Without a single word to give, without a split second to waste, both of them start to attack at each other and a great clash blows the wind like an explosion. Both of their hand meet each other, fist by fist they launched kissing at each others. Their eyes were met, a kindred smile full of optimism and determination of pride carved on each other face.

"Let's end this with a blow, shall we ?" The Unknown ask.

"Bet you're ready." answer Tania with boldness.

Tania loosen her fist, take a slight distance away from her, then tried to punch her again in a split second towards her. The Unknown sees her attack pattern then grab her hand after Tania launch her fist at her. She tried to penetrate Tania's hand using her claw but then her claw stuck to Tania's clothing because somehow her clothing is getting harder as the claw tried to penetrate her skin through her cloth. Seeing a great opportunity to damage her, The Unknown smiled ominously at her.

And so Tania is.

The Unknown pulling Tania closer. But then, rather than her pulling Tania, she's the one who's being pulled by Tania instead. The Unknown just realize the great difference between their power after seeing Tania's eyes what's inside it. Thus, The Unknown has been trapped by Tania. In a flash, just before she want to release herself, Tania split The Unknown's trapped arm into two and drive her away but cutting her body open. Luckily, The Unknown successfully taken her arm back before she could kill her just with bare handedly.

The Unknown then attach her detached arm back to its original place. Not long after, The Unknown's wound is immediately recovered and she's as healthy as new. She then strengthen her arms again and growing much stronger claw. And the same goes for Tania, she's sharpen her eyes as her magic flow is strengthened around her. Together, they both ready to fight until their last drop of blood.

Without wasting anymore time, The Unknown screamed, letting out her war cry as loud as possible like a siren. She march towards Tania and trying to make the first blow. But instead of protecting herself, Tania grab The Unknown's hand and putting her down to the ground and forced her to kneel before her mighty presence. The Unknown then also grab her hand and tried to pierce her hand with her claw. She's successful penetrate Tania's glove but not about her hand.

Once again, The Unknown trapped by Tania. Tania then force her kneel harder before her until she broke her arms whole. Blood spurting from her arms, dampen her clothing and turn its color into red blood. Feeling low enough, Tania release her hand. The Unknown then freed for a moment but then Tania Bloodtide smash both of The Unknown's ear and blast her brain through her ears.

She's spurting blood from her nose, vomiting blood from her mouth, and every hole on her face is dripping in blood. Her eyes goes blank, a blood stream overflow inside her head and filling her white dead eyes. Unable to bear the pain, The Unknown fall while trying to reach Tania once again.

"You.... got.... me...."

The Unknown then lose her consciousness, leaving a glory reside on Tania's side. The Unknown then leave Nera's body alone, returning the blood and body she borrowed. In the end, Gatto Nera is saved. The only thing she lost is her own consciousness. As a result defeating her nightmare, Gatto Nera and Cade Valentine must agree to the agreement she prepared for them.

Tania took a candy inside his suit pocket. She suck the candy and relax for a bit before leaving the daydreaming world. A world which exist so she could rest well inside.

To be continued...