"What say you and I make some art together."
Bo says…
"Old man..."
Smirk on his face as his eyes begin to glow and the tattoos form from neck down.
-Sometime later-
… [Lucy and Xavier] …
Continuing to run across the Oasis.
The sound of the battle behind them becomes less and less audible.
"Haaaa…. Is he really gonna be okay…"
Xavier thinks to himself.
Looking ahead.
He notices how Lucy continues to drag him forward.
And how despite everything that's happening right now she doesn't look back
Not once.
Her unwavering belief in Mark intimidates him a little
But he is also envious her.
Xavier continues to examine his surroundings…
And watch as more and more people appear lifeless around him.
While the ones who don't can barely be called alive either
Broken.
They either sit up or leaning against walls
Simply watching everything unfold
Deprived completely of their will to live
It's sad.
They look as lifeless as the dead and he wonders if he too…
If he too had had that look once today.
If he too looked like someone done with life.
But he doesn't dare dwell on that.
Because he already knows the answer to that question.
Xavier.
Facing the back of the little devil who saved him.
Makes a new promise.
A promise to never let himself be that dissolute or broken.
To be stronger.
That way the people around him never have to look like that either.
And so they can depend on him.
The way he now depends on her.
"…"
They continue to run when they come reach the area he and his mom were right before the first explosion.
"Wai-wait."
Xavier says trying to stop.
"WHOA—HEY!!!!"
But is instead flung to the ground!
"Huh?"
Lucy sounds looking back.
"Ow ow ow ow…"
Xavier exclaims rubbing his knee
"Ouuuu…"
"..."
"Sorry hehe…"
She says awkwardly smiling
"Something wrong?"
She asks
"Apart from my knee?"
Xavier responds pouting
"Hehe-haaa…"
Lucy laughs awkwardly
"…"
"Well can we stop for a bit…"
"There's something I'd like to check."
Xavier says
"hmmm."
Lucy thinks
"No."
She says
"Great I'll start--"
"What?"
Xavier asks confused standing up
"I said no."
She reiterates
"We can't right now…"
"We have to keep moving okay."
She responds turning back and reaching for his arm.
"Wa-wait hold on."
Xavier tries to say stepping back
"Why?"
She responds bluntly
"ah it's just--"
"This isn't a game Xavier."
Lucy says seriously cutting Xavier off.
"…"
-silence-
"…"
Silence falls on the pair who stare at each other
"…"
"I know that already."
Xavier responds equally as serious
"But this is where mom and I were before the first explosion."
He says reaching down to re-knot his laces
"Mylo..."
Xavier continues
"Mylo?"
Lucy asks
"…"
"Yeah Mylo."
"We were with him right before the explosion."
Xavier says standing up and facing Lucy
"…"
"I see…"
Lucy says
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Well ya shoulda led with that dontcha think?"
Lucy says brightly
"what?"
Xavier asks confused
"We should probably split up then."
"ah.."
"Might find him faster."
Lucy begins speaking over Xavier
"Where were you when--"
"hmm…"
"Is something wrong?"
Lucy asks Xavier who looks confused
"…"
"Well it's just…"
Xavier begins fists clenched
"What about the--"
"Xavi what's the point in surviving if you're going to be all on your own."
Lucy says cutting him off once more
"…"
-silence-
"…"
Xavier stares at Lucy for a while.
From the way she said it to the conviction in her voice when she did
"How can she be so strong…"
He thinks…
"…"
"Well?"
Lucy asks blankly
"Hm."
Xavier smiles to himself
"Nothing."
"Let's go."
He says going ahead of her
"…"
"Hmph."
Lucy smiles to herself watching him before following behind him
"Today…"
Xavier thinks
"Today I lost not just my whole family but my home too."
He thinks
"And all the way through it all I've realized is how little I know of everyone."
He thinks
"Should I survive this…"
He thinks
"Should we all survive this."
"I promise I'll take the time to get to know everyone better."
He thinks
"And to show them just how much they mean to me."
Xavier thinks
Lucy and Xavier continue forward to the exact spot he was when the explosion happened.
Lucy deciding it'd be best if they use a shortcut through the alleys seeing as how they don't know when one of their attackers might spring up on them.
On the way.
Xavier decides to make good on the promise he just made with himself and begins to ask Lucy questions of her past before the Oasis
At first she's puzzled by the sudden interest.
But proceeds to tell him how Uncle Mark isn't her real father….
And how he actually isn't even from this continent.
She was kidnapped from her hometown on the Tila continent because of the unique color of her hair.
The kidnappers?
A shady organization called Gomorrah.
But before she could be sold off to some sick asshole somewhere she was saved.
By Uncle Mark.
After that he made attempts to return her back to her continent and her home.
But by the time they had arrived all they found was ashes
Gomorrah thought they could make a profit off people of her kind and had returned.
Luckily not everyone was wiped
And some people like Aisha and her father had survived.
Sadly, her family didn't make it though.
Despite all that she claimed to be fine though and didn't want revenge against Gomorrah.
Uncle Mark took her in after that
And she loves him like her real father now.
She also picked up Rusty along the way as they wandered the lands before settling in the Oasis.
The stupid bird wouldn't stop following them…
"Isn't my family great."
Lucy says to Xavier a big smile on her face
Their conversation is calm…
And happy…
Just like how it used to be before today.
She smiles all the way through narrating her adventures.
From trying to rescue the dumb bird from drowning and ending up drowning herself.
To naming Rusty after Uncle Mark's merchant wagon 'Rusty Works' from their earlier days together.
And also Rusty's apparent telepathic ability to know whenever they're having Tuna for dinner.
And then…
"I swear that stupid bird definitely understands every word I say."
Lucy says as they laugh together.
"Hahaha…"
Xavier laughs
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"So…"
Xavier begins.
"Yeah?"
Lucy responds smiling.
"What exactly is… (souls)?"
Xavier asks prompting Lucy to flinch and stop.
"L-Lucy??"
Xavier calls a little hesitant.
"Uuhh…"
"Well you don't have to tell me if you don't want to…"
"I just heard you shout it back there is all…"
"Haha…haaa"
Xavier laughs awkwardly
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"'(souls) is the harmony of the 'soul and physical energies of the body."
Lucy cuts in before continuing forward.
"It's the ability to 'project your soul energy to the things around you' and use it."
She says walking ahead of him, arms folded behind her.
"I've been learning it from Uncle Mark for as long as I can remember."
She says
"Ability to project your life energy??"
Xavier thinks curiously before following her.
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"Your soul…"
"Your mind, works on a different wavelength from the rest of your body."
"And while each wavelength is important for you live."
"They are remain separate."
Lucy says
"The ability to connect the two is called (souls) and using it, 'projecting'."
She says.
"S-So I take it Uncle Mark can use it too??"
Xavier asks curious.
"Ofcourse he can you idiot!!"
Lucy shouts
"Anyone can learn souls."
She says.
"…"
"If that's the case then maybe you can--"
"No."
Lucy says cutting him off
"W-why not…"
Xavier asks hesitant
"Because I said so"
Lucy says
"Maybe after all this blows over."
She says
"Okay??"
Lucy says smiling trying to move on from the topic
"…"
"… right"
Xavier responds low
"…"
-silence-
"…"
"What's with the markings and the glow though??"
Xavier asks
"Oh those…"
Lucy responds
"Well apparently everyone is born with them."
"They're just not visible because 'soul energy' is confined to the brain."
Lucy says
"So they only show when it flows through your whole body I guess."
"I call it the color of the soul."
She says smiling.
"The brighter the glow the higher the soul."
She says staring upwards towards the sky.
"So the glow is like an indicator that soul energy is flowing through someone?"
Xavier asks
"Yup pretty much."
Lucy responds
"Or maybe even a warning sign…"
She mumbles to herself.
("...…..…")
"Right we're here…"
Lucy says
"Ursula's kebab isn't far from here."
She says checking the perimeter before beginning forward and coming out the alleys into the open.
… 'Ursula's kebabs' …
Last time Xavier was here he was blown away…
"I wonder if Mylo is okay."
Xavier thinks.
"Oh!"
"Oh yeah Lucy I had one more question."
Xavier calls out to Lucy.
"Hm?"
Lucy responds.
"Why…"
"Why did Uncle Mark teach you souls anyway?"
Xavier asks.
"Hm."
"To protect the heir to the Beyaz throne ofcourse."
She responds
"Heir to the Beyaz throne??"
Xavier asks
"Yeah..."
Lucy responds blankly.
"Beyaz?"
Xavier thinks
"Where have I heard that word before…."
He thinks
"Ever since Uncle Mark took me in I was sworn to the throne."
Lucy says
"Am sure I've heard it somewhere."
Xavier thinks racking his brain
"So since then..."
She says
"AHA!!!"
Xavier exclaims as the light bulb goes on!!!
"I, Lucy sworn name Beyaz..."
Lucy begins
"Hey Lucy, when you said Beyaz did you mean like the fountain??
Xavier asks!!!
"Is in lifelong service to the heir and last remaining member of the Beyaz 'original' family."
Lucy continues, ignoring Xavier!!!
"Because if so that'd be crazy…"
Xavier says wrapped up in his own thought…
"Marissa…"
"Beyaz!!!"
Lucy shouts smiling!!!!!
"Cause y'know like the jewel in the gold tab--"
"…"
"wait."
"What!?!"
Xavier shouts the name Lucy shouted finally registering in his mind!!!
"aka your mom."
Lucy says smiling and winking.
"…"
"HUUUHHHHH!?!??!"
… (???) …
-To Be Continued-
-5 HOURS TILL THE INCIDENT-