(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"Gah!"
Mary shot up with a shout, bedsheets tumbling down around her waist. She scrambled from her bed, hair askew and eyes wild. One of her blankets tangled around her legs, sending her to the hardwood floor with a loud crash!
"Mary?!" A masculine voice called from outside the room. Several heart pounding seconds trickled past, as muffled footsteps rushed towards her door. Mary paid them no mind, too busy fighting for her life against her blanket.
The door slammed open, the sound of an oddly familiar gait storming over to her.
"Mary! Mary, are you alright?" The person, a man, knelt at her side. "I heard your shout; what happened?"
Mary finally managed to push herself back into a kneeling position, trying to ignore how the wooden floorboards had tasted and how crammed her nose felt after her face's impromptu make out session with the floor.
"Ugh, yes." She looked up, "I'm-"
Her eyes widened.
"Are you sure?"
An achingly familiar face stared back at her, concern and care mixing in equal parts. One of his eyes was closed, a scar running vertically across it. The other was a warm caramel brown, the specific shade of which she hadn't seen in years. Not since-
"F-father?"
The man tilted his head, his brow furrowing.
"Yes? Yes, Mary, it's me. Are you sure you're alright? Do we need to visit a doctor?"
"I- no. Father, you're…" Mary couldn't believe her eyes. It didn't feel real. "You're… wait, your eye. What…"
"My eye?" Anson touched his scar, "Ah, I'm sorry. I forgot my eyepatch in my rush over. I know it makes you sad to see."
"You, but… you're- what, what's going on. I don't-" Mary bent over, her forehead nearly resting against the floor. Tears pooled the corner of her eyes, "How is this- is this real? No. No, where is… huh…?"
She trailed off. Her brow furrowed in confusion.
Anson gently gripped her hands, pulling her up slightly so that they could look each other in the eyes.
"Where's who? Mary, what are you talking about?" He leaned in, letting go with one hand and bringing it up to rest against her forehead.
"Where's… I don't… I don't know. What was I…?" Mary's cheeks were wet with tears, and she had no idea why. "I can't remember. There was someone else- you were dead? But, you're right here. And- monsters? A city… magic…"
For some reason, it felt like she had finally woken up. It was a dream. It had all been a dream.
And now, it was all fading away. She blinked, wiping at her face.
"I… had a bad dream."
That's right. She remembered now.
She was Mary Sue. 20 years old, living with her parents in Os City of the Legadonia Entente Alliance. Her favorite fruit was apples, and she had recently gotten over a hatred of mangoes. Her favorite color was an odd shade of teal-blue that almost seemed to glow from certain angles.
Just last week, she and her parents had gone to see a showing of Dracula. Yesterday, she stubbed her toe and had fallen, scratching her across her left shoulder. Her best friend was meeting with her today at one of their favorite cafés.
"I forgot myself for a moment. I'm sorry."
"That sounds closer to a nightmare than just a bad dream." Anson pulled back, sighing. "I'm glad you're alright. Do you think you can rest more? I know it can be hard to sleep after such a… well, I understand."
Mary slowly shook her head. Her nerves were wound up too tight; sleep wouldn't be coming back to her anytime soon.
"Alright. I suppose I won't be able to either, so let's make the most of it." Anson huffed, "You know, your mother is still asleep somehow; sleeps like a log, that woman, though perhaps it's the old soldier in me waking up at the slightest noise. Here, I'll make some coffee. Compose yourself a little, my daughter, then come down for a cup. It would do us both good, I think."
"I- yes." Mary nodded shakily, "Thank you, Father."
"You're my little girl." Anson chuckled, patting her on the head. "Even if you shot up like a sprout and have passed 2 decades, you'll always be that to me. Of course, I'll take care of you before anything. That's my job as your father, isn't it?"
"Right…"
For some reason, that sentence struck a chord. But it was gone in an instant, and she thought of it no further.
-=-
One coffee had turned into two, and then four. Soon, it was time for breakfast. Her mother did not come down. Anson explained that she was feeling slightly under the weather and didn't want either of them to catch anything.
Before long, it was time for Mary to leave.
"I'm off now."
"Are you sure you're alright to go?" Anson frowned, crossing his arms. "You were so shaken up this morning. Tanner is a good lad. I'm sure he'll understand if you wish to cancel."
"I told you, I'm fine."
Mary rolled her eyes good naturedly, pushing a strand of hair back behind her ear. She adjusted the strap on her leather satchel, the movement rustling her warm maroon turtleneck and black and maroon striped scarf. She reached down, brushing some lint off her black knee-length skirt.
"Tanner would understand, but I don't want to cancel at the last minute again. He seemed so put out last time, I couldn't do that to him a second time."
"Yes, as understanding as that boy is, he's awfully attached huh?" Anson said, scratching his chin, "Well, that's not a bad thing. He'd certainly make for a loyal husband, if you ever decide to stop playing around with his heart."
"Father!"
"What?" Anson chuckled. "You know, I'd almost say that boy is head over heels for you. And I know for a fact he's better than most of the rabble, given that he was under my command for a short time before the war's end. He'd be good for you too."
"As if." Mary huffed, spinning on her heel and starting to walk away, "We're just friends, good companions at most."
"Yes, that's what I told my own parents when I was courting your mother. 'We're just friends' I would proclaim, hay needles still sticking out of my hair." He sighed wistfully, "Things never change, do they?"
"Gross." Mary shot an annoyed look over her shoulder, "I'd never even think of Tanner in such a light-"
"Right, right." Anson waved a hand, "You're still young, a happy 2 decades and counting with plenty of life left. You don't have to say it again; I was only joking."
"Thank you-"
"Besides, Tanner's a man."
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
Anson raised an eyebrow.
Something flashed across the back of her mind, a spark of familiarity that disappeared before she could pay it any attention.
"Thank you, Father." Mary turned, not deigning him with any further responses. Her cheeks burned as she sped walked away. "I'll be going now."
Anson's belly laugh chased her, even after she was well out of earshot.
Mary slowed down her walk after a few minutes, the suburban areas of her family's home fading into the bustling buildings, sidewalks, and city blocks of Os City.
She sighed a bit, adjusting her scarf as a particularly chilly breeze caught along her neck. Her hair, which reached just past her shoulders and was probably due for a touch up, ruffled and blew about, a few strands smacking her across the face.
Mary frowned, annoyed. Internally, she lamented at her own hurry. If she'd taken more time, she could have done up some sort of ponytail or a braid. But it was too late now.
Instead of complaining – externally, at least. Internally, she would complain all she liked – Mary merely ignored it. Her and Tanner would be meeting inside a café, anyway, and it wouldn't be a problem there.
Will I be on time?
Mary pulled a pocket watch from her satchel, the gold-colored metal and size of the device striking an odd chord in the back of her mind. She ignored it.
Huh. I should be early, for once. Yay, Mary.
Not that Tanner wouldn't understand if she was late. He was reasonable like that and understood that things happened. That's what made him such a good friend.
Mary nodded to herself after a moment, putting her pocket watch away. Her hair swished behind her, the tail end of her scarf coming loose at the same time. Mary grabbed at it, tucking it back into the folds of the rest of her scarf.
As she did so, she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Mary looked up.
Oh. It's just my…
She blinked.
…reflection?
It was her, and yet it wasn't. The Mary that stared back at her, from the window of the random storefront she'd stopped near, shared her basic traits. That much was true. That is to say, they had the same facial features, they were the same height, and their hair colors were the same.
However, the similarities ended there.
This Mary, this odd unmatching reflection of hers, had short, somewhat spiked and messy – and even choppy, at points, good lord who did this reflection's hairstyling? Not that it looked bad, per se. It actually looked pretty cool, and weirdly familiar – hair, nearly buzzed along the lower back of her head, with twin braids framing her face.
Her clothes were… odd, to say the least. She almost looked like a ronin from one of those novels her mother liked to read, with a short white cloak covering black clothes, and a green sword sitting sheathed at her waist through a white belt. Also, she had white boots.
Wouldn't those get stained really easily?
Her eyes were different, also. They were… brighter, in the literal sense of the word, the green of her irises much more glow-y. Emotionally, however, they seemed a lot heavier. It was odd. There wasn't really a great way to describe it. There were also slight bags under her eyes, emphasizing the heavier look, and her hands were calloused and rough, with a scar in the shape of a rough starburst in the center of her right palm.
Mary glanced at her own hands. Delicate, smooth. Unburdened by labor, or war-
War?
She looked back up, noticing then that her odd-looking reflection was banging wordlessly against the glass with one hand, the other still pressed flat against the surface. Her reflection yelled something, her expression frantic and angry.
Mary tilted her head, glancing around quickly before stepping closer.
"Are you me?" Mary whispered to the not-herself, leaning in. She lifted a hand of her own, placing it along the same spot her reflection was touching.
A jolt shot through her. That same chord from before sung in her soul.
Her brow furrowed, and the reflections actions grew more agitated, her yelling more pronounced yet still silent to the real Mary's ears.
…Was she the real Mary?
The Mary that wasn't a reflection blinked, shaking her head and focusing on her counterpart's lips.
Wake. Dream. Serk? Berserk? No, that's not it. She squinted. Wake up… Serk-says? No, Zerk-says? Okay, so it's "Wake up. This"… then something else. Then "dream", for sure. Then, Zerk-sees?
Her reflection dropped their head, visibly sighing, before straightening back up with a look of determination. This time, she only said one word.
"Tanya"?
Mary's eyes widened. The sparks in the back of her mind blazed, and suddenly, she remembered.
Wake up. This is a dream. Xerxes. Tanya. A dream. I'm dreaming right now? Yes, obviously I'm dreaming!
As she remembered, her appearance shifted. Green sparks of energy flickered around her eyes, a wash of green flames engulfing her. The world around her bled and shifted; it was like she'd been colorblind until just now, the world's rainbow pouring back into her senses.
I'm in Xerxes! Xerxes, with Tanya! We're on a mission! I need to wake up!!
The fire slowly burnt out, green energy smoldering away as her dream appearance finally matched that of her real self.
Her reflection was just that. A reflection.
Mary sighed, comforted by the familiar weight of her katana and the warmth of her boots and pants. The cold breeze tickled the back of her neck, no longer held back by long hair or a scarf.
It was liberating.
She looked back at the window. This time when she moved, the reflection mirrored the action the way reflections typically did. It was her now, as it should have been from the start.
Mary remembered. She was Mary Sue. 20 years old, and a resident of Tempest.
Now, it was time to wake up.
-=-
It quickly became apparent that Mary did not know how to wake up.
Usually, when you reach the status of "lucid dreaming", you could control your dream. Or at the very least, you would wake up immediately.
Neither of those occurred, much to her chagrin.
Mary was still stuck in this odd dream world of hers.
So, this is Os City?
Mary ran through the streets tirelessly, her enhanced physical abilities thankfully having returned with her awareness of her situation. Or perhaps it was this dream world that allowed her exhaustion to never come.
She didn't really care.
It was odd. This place. Or maybe it wasn't. The citizens and passerby of the bustling city block she was on didn't spare her a glance. She even knocked one of them over on purpose, and they merely cursed at their own shoes like they'd tripped themselves.
Okay yeah, it was pretty odd.
It's surprisingly detailed. I've only been here once, that was when I wasn't even ten. Is my mind just… I don't know, filling in the gaps?
Mary leapt onto the roof of a bakery, jumping and darting across it and its neighbors.
A statue caught her eye, of one of the Council of Ten's members that she couldn't bother to remember the name of. The style and position in particular made her pause, nearly stumbling and falling down the slanted tiles of a barbershop's roof. She caught herself right before the edge, observing the statue for a second before continuing on.
Yep, definitely filling in the gaps. I'm pretty sure Os City wouldn't have statues in the exact same style and make as the ones in Moskva.
Mary reached the end of the block, leaping off and landing with a roll along the cobblestone road. She popped up from her roll, landing on her feet and looking around for another area to search.
This is a dream. I should be able to wake up somehow. Still, why here? Os City is an weird choice. Wouldn't the Unified States make more sense?
Her boots pounded on the cobblestone pavement.
Well, maybe not. Mother always wanted to live here, since this is her hometown and all. And, well, if Father hadn't-
Mary froze, skidding to a halt with a shower of loose stone kicking up in her wake.
Father. Father's here. He's alive in this dream. Would-
"Hey, Mary!!"
Mary blinked, looking over in the direction of the voice. Then, she did a double take.
"Mary, you never showed up to Zolka!" The man ran up to her, stopping and hunching over to catch his breath. After a few seconds of exaggerated breathing, he straightened, fixing her with an annoyed glare.
A shockingly familiar annoyed glare.
"You could have at least come by and-" The man, who looked exactly like one Tanya von Degurechaff, except skinnier, slightly taller, and male, did a double take of his own at her appearance. "What are you wearing? Shit Mary, is that a sword? Where did you even get that?!"
What the fuck. Mary could only stare, mouth open slightly in shock. What the fuck. This is… this is so wrong.
For some reason, Mary couldn't help but think that she much preferred the appearance of the real Tanya, way more than that of this male fake her dream world had for some reason conjured up. Her eyes drifted to his relatively thin forearms, bare thanks to the rolled-up sleeves of his white button up.
She found herself oddly disappointed. Mary had no idea why that was.
Tanya had scars. Tanya was tanner and more toned than this twink, power clear just from the lines of her body and the air about her. Her hands were rougher, and filled to the brim with magic that could be felt thrumming just under the skin.
Even without Magic Sense active, as long as the other woman was close, she could feel it.
Mary blinked.
…Why was that what she focused on?
She shook herself internally.
"Don't worry about it."
"How can I not worry? Mary, what's going on? Your hair is shorter too, and your hands, and I just…" He placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's all so much. Does Anson know about this?"
Mary froze.
Anson. Right, her father. That's what'd she had been thinking about.
She'd woken up at a house. She had woken up in this dream, in that place, where everything had been different. In that place, where her family had never been torn apart by a vengeful deity and world war.
Where everything she would have wished for once upon a time was true.
"Don't touch me. You're not Tanya, nor my friend." Mary brushed Tanner's hand away.
"What? Mary, we've been friends for-"
"Didn't you hear me? You aren't Tanya. You're just some poor mockery this weird dream decided to create. I bet she'd hate you." Mary turned. She knew where she had to go. "I've never known a 'Tanner' in either of my lives. You aren't real. Goodbye."
If only that were the end of it.
"Oh really?" Warmth fell across her back, two much more familiar arms rounding her waist and linking in front. A warm hand pressed against her shoulder, the scar cutting just under the knuckles unmistakable to Mary, "I'm not Tanya? Are you sure?"
Mary chanced a glance to her right, reeling back slightly as a face that was unmistakably Tanya's sat just centimeters away from her own.
"H-how-" Crimson splashed across her cheeks.
"You already know, don't you? This is a dream." Dream Tanya leaned in slightly, her lips brushing against the hollow of Mary's ear. "If I'm just some mockery, then why does this feel so good, huh?"
Tanya's breath was hot against Mary's skin, her face tingling and heating up rapidly as her blush spread even further.
"Come on. Don't act so shy. You can stay here, you know? This dream is nice, isn't it?" Dream Tanya's hand rubbed her shoulder in calm, soothing circles. "Stay. It's everything you've wanted, in both lives."
"I-"
"Come on. Just say yes."
"No!" Before Dream Tanya could try to persuade her further, Mary shoved her away, her face burning hotter than it ever had before.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Mary unsheathed her sword, holding it up threateningly to the other's throat. "But the real Tanya would never act like- like whatever it is you're doing! You aren't real!"
"Am I not?" Dream Tanya held up her hands. "I suppose so. This is a dream. In other words, this landscape is shaped by your subconscious. You get it? This is all you." She sighed. "Well, if you really want to get out of here so much, you should have figured out already how to do it. Unless I'm overestimating you, Sue?"
"That sounds a little more like the real Tanya." Mary muttered. She sheathed her sword. "Er- Degurechaff I mean. And yeah. I know where to go, at least. I'm sure I can figure it out from there."
"That's good enough." Dream Tanya shrugged. Her outline slowly blurred, her voice becoming harder to make out as she faded from view. "Go on now, Sue. Meet your father. And remember, this is only a dream. That's all it is."
Mary watched her disappear, before walking off. Her pace slowly picked up, from a stroll to a fast walk, to a jog and then to a sprint.
She bolted down the streets, wind rushing past as she approached the confrontation she hadn't expected to occur. At least, not until she died again.
-=-
The door slammed open.
Anson Sue jumped in his seat, narrowly avoiding spilling his coffee. He placed his mug on the table, quickly looking over.
"Mary?" Anson burst to his feet, rushing over. "What the- what's going on?"
He blinked, his expression twisting with confusion.
"What is all this?" Anson made to place his hands on Mary's shoulders. She stepped back, avoiding it without a word of response. He let his hands fall to his sides.
"Mary, your clothes, your hair… is that a sword?!"
"Father." Mary clenched her fists, the door settling into its frame behind her, "I'm sorry."
"Mary, what are you-"
"I'm sorry, but this isn't real. You aren't real."
"I'm not real?" His face twisted, hurt clouding his features. "Mary, tell me what's going on. Please. This is almost too much for me. You need to explain, right now."
"I need to explain?" She repeated incredulously. "Oh sure, I need to explain. Why don't you explain why- no. Forget it."
Mary looked away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"You aren't real. There's no point asking you anything." She said quietly, "None of this is real. This is just a dream."
Anson's expression saddened, unseen to her.
"You're dead. You died years ago, on the battlefield. You went on an unofficial mission, and during that mission, you blew yourself up to try and kill the Devil of the Rhine, White Silver Tanya von Degurechaff."
"Mary, I-"
"You!" Mary shut her eyes tight, head bowed and shoulders trembling, "The second you could, you went back to the battlefield. You went back! When you could've-"
She choked back a sob.
"You left us! You left me! Why?!" Her breath caught in the back of her throat, tears flowing freely down her face now, "You could have gotten away! You could have come lived with us! The war was over for you! So even if you aren't real, tell me! Why?! Why did you-!?!"
Anson cut her off, swallowing her in a hug.
"I'm sorry Mary." He rested his chin on her head, his good eye closed. "I'm so, so sorry."
The dam burst. Mary wailed, gripping the front of his shirt in a vice grip.
"Why?" Her voice cracked. "Was it-"
"I'm not real. We both know that. I'm afraid I can't give you any answers." He rubbed her back soothingly, even as her painful cries continued to echo through the room. "None that will fix my mistakes, at least."
Mary sobbed, clinging to him even tighter than before.
"I was a bad father, wasn't I, Mary?"
They stood there for several moments, tears trailing down both their faces.
"You were the best father." She murmured quietly, shaking her head, "Because you were mine."
Anson sighed.
"Is that really all it takes? I should have been your father first, but… I put my country ahead of my family. Then, I put revenge ahead of both. I made far too many mistakes. Mistakes that fell on your shoulders. I'm sorry."
His voice hitched, tears of his own beginning to trail down his cheek.
"Dear daughter of mine," He took a shuddering breath, "I can never be sorry enough."
Mary pressed her head against his chest, sniffling slightly.
"No matter what, you're my father." She said after a beat, "And I will always, always love you."
Anson smiled sadly.
"I love you too, Mary." He pressed a kiss against the top of her head, tightening his hug.
Outside, the wind rushed noisily past. Steam from Anson's coffee drifted up to the ceiling. Neither said anything for a while.
"…It doesn't have to end, you know." Anson loosened his hug just the slightest bit, bringing his hands up to rest on her shoulders, "This dream. It's yours. You can stay here with me, with your mother. We can be happy together, like we always should have been. This can be our happily ever after."
We can be happy together…
What was it Tanya had said all those months ago?
"…have you decided to stay in dreamland, where angels and devils do battle in black and white storybooks?"
Mary pulled away with a sad smile, wiping at her cheeks.
After a moment, she shook her head.
Anson looked back at her, tears still trailing from his good eye.
"That's my girl."
A proud smile adorned his face, even as he slowly faded away. Mary's tears began anew. This time, however, she couldn't help but smile right back.
"I love you, Mary." Anson hugged her one last time. "Never forget that."
"I won't."
Mary rested his forehead against his chest, her arms wrapped tight around him. And then, he was gone. As if he'd never been there in the first place.
Mary let her arms drop.
She looked towards the floor, wet spots appearing on the hardwood below.
Her eyes glowed.
I know.
-=-=-=-
The scene shifted.
Mary blinked, zigzagging neon green tracing her cheeks.
This was yesterday, just after Tanya got back from talking with Scylla. A memory?
"…I've done what I can, and to be honest, I have no genuinely solid leads. My study of runes was with a slightly more than casual interest, and my knowledge of alchemy symbols is limited to the most common ones. At best, I can make an educated guess based on my observations of our enemy plus the meanings behind of some of these arrays."
"That's better than nothing."
"Better is not really the word I'd use. It implies improvement." Tanya frowned. "Well, whatever. Somehow, using this circle, I think Scylla is trying to influence everyone in Xerxes. Or at least, the majority. The structure seems to have some sort of mental component, but," She sighed, "to be honest, I barely have an idea past that."
"Well even just that is... bad. Doesn't Xerxes have nearly a million people?" Mary asked, her expression shifting.
"Just over a million, actually."
Mary crossed her arms, a troubled look on her face masking the horrified look she'd briefly let through at the other's words.
"That's horrible. Whatever it is, we defintely have to stop them."
"I'm not sure how though…" Tanya murmured.
"I know how. Let's go kick the shit out of them.
"Gas? Some sort of magicule-based compulsion? Maybe."
"Oh, wait. You weren't responding to me there. Okay."
Tanya did not respond to her then either, confirming it.
"It seems like the magic involved is just going to alter the mental state of the person. Restructure thier mind itself? Their consciousness? But that just wouldn't work by itself. Even just subconsciously, it makes sense to assume that a person's mind would resist unwilling alteration. And doubly so if the person were conscious of the fact, or even just conscious in general; it's not like making such a change would be a painless or unnoticeable process."
"Do you think-"
Mary's vision blurred. The scene changed yet again.
Another memory?!
It was weird. She was in her own body but couldn't control it. It's like she was spectating the events of the memory from behind her own eyes.
Weird. This is the same evening.
"…I'm going to get arrested tomorrow."
"WHAT!"
"Quiet down." Tanya frowned. "I said, I'm going to get arrested tomorrow. Scylla controls at least half of the military in Xerxes. They don't want me interfering, and I know they'll have a guard up to that end. So, I'm going to get arrested. That way I'll be inside when everything goes sideways. I did a little exploring earlier today. The main holding cells are located on the lower levels of HQ. And whatever they're planning, it sounds like the centermost section of Xerxes won't be affected."
"And what about me? Am I supposed to just sit here and hope everything goes according to plan?"
"Mary."
Mary froze.
"That's not it at all. Even if I hadn't sent Souei's Body Double and Souka back to Tempest, you'd still be the key part of our counteroffensive. Don't you get it? Scylla is so focused on me. I'm the one who nearly killed Nin. I found their base and made an agreement with their strongest member."
Tanya's gaze pierced her to the core.
"They won't know you're coming."
Why am I remembering this now? I need to wake up. I need to-
-=-=-=-
…I think that I've been acting a little… childish, up until now. Unintentionally or not, it's time to move forward. I… haven't been doing so well. Not as much as I'd like to pretend.
It's difficult. It's so, so goddamn difficult. I've been content with this odd in-between. Accepting what was happening, bottling up any grief or sadness and refusing to think about that past.
I can't do that anymore.
I have to go forward.
I want to be happy again. Truly, genuinely happy.
Still…
I don't know… if I believe in happy. Or in happily ever after.
Sometimes, oftentimes, I wish… someone had been around… to make me happy, back then. Happier. To take away the heartbreak, and the pain. But… that's not how the world works. It's cold, and harsh, and people die. People I care about. People I don't know. It sucks.
But, sometimes, it's also…
"Good!" Hakurou said. "You've improved again, I see."
"Hey! We did it." Trya smiled at her. "Nice work!"
"Right?" Rimuru nodded, "Maybe we'll send the Goblin Riders on a fishing expedition some time. We could have genuine sushi!"
"Oh, one more thing." Tanya placed a hand on her head. "You've improved. Nice work back there."
Tanya waved a hand. "To be honest, Sue, you're a lot stronger now. You don't need me looking over your shoulder anymore."
Tanya shot her that usual half-smile of hers. "I'll count on you to back me up, then. Okay, Sue?"
Fun. Warm. Worth living for.
The best moments are the ones they've given me.
Tempest gives me hope. It gives me joy. Everyone there, they've helped so much. I feel like a person again. Ever since coming here, I…
For the first time since I learned of my father's death, I feel like I'm my own person again.
Rimuru. Hakurou. Trya. Everyone else.
And…
Tanya.
Thank you.
I think I'll tell you that in person, when I can. I think… I should look for happiness now. For real, this time. No more faking it. That's my choice. I'm, what, 20 years old now? It's high time I made some decisions on my own. If that's alright?
Oh, what am I saying? I shouldn't be asking.
That's kind of the point.
-=-=-=-
Monday
The Maj Inn
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
"Gah!"
Mary shot up with a shout, bedsheets tumbling down around her waist. Vibrant cracks of green energy trickled down to her jawline, slowly crumbling and fading away as she looked around.
She was in her room.
To be specific, she was in her and Tanya's shared room at the Maj Inn.
Mary gasped for air, the ragged spurts of breath only worsening the dryness in her mouth. Her vision blurred, righting itself after a moment as she desperately worked to regain herself.
Is this real?
With a hand, Mary reached up and pinched the side of her neck.
"Ow."
The whisper was hoarse, practically nonexistent. But the short, sharp pain from the pinch was all too real. Her other hand reached to her left, to where her bright green katana sat, comfortably sheathed and propped against her bedside.
Maybe real. Probably awake for real this time.
She was still in her day clothes, Mary realized with a start. Even her boots were still on, with one leg haphazardly off the bed's side and the other dirtying the lower half of her bedspread.
I fell asleep on top of the covers. And in the same clothes from…
What day was it?
Mary glanced out the window, an odd emptiness in her chest making itself known. Sunlight poured lazily through the room's window, tinted in a green shade.
It's noon?! She nearly fell from the bed in shock. It was just evening! How long have I been asleep?
Through the evening, night, and morning, that was for certain. At the very least, it was the next day.
She hoped it hadn't been longer than that.
What the hell happened?
"Even just subconsciously, it makes sense to assume that a person's mind would resist unwilling alteration. And doubly so if the person were conscious of the fact, or even just conscious in general; it's not like making such a change would be a painless or unnoticeable process."
Conscious…
Something clicked.
She had fallen asleep sometime in the early evening, when every previous night in Xerxes she'd gone to bed much later on.
And that day, – yesterday, Mary assumed and hoped – the day in which Tanya had gone and done whatever it is she'd planned to do in order to get arrested. The day after she'd done parley with Scylla. And she hadn't returned, leading Mary to believe she had been successful.
That meant Tanya with Scylla. Scylla's plan could go into effect at any moment, and she had to be prepared. These thoughts filled Mary with enough nerves and tension that even the thought of sleeping was way beyond her considerations. Fat chance of that, when she needed to respond to the start of Scylla's scheme and come to back Tanya up.
Yet, suddenly, as she sat on her bed to rest her feet, the world seemed almost to quiet down just a little bit. Then, her eyes had started growing heavier, and heavier…
It's already started.
Mary moved.
She swung both feet onto the hardwood flooring, pushing to her feet and rushing for the door. Her sheathed blade was slipped through her belt on the left, her hands moving up to adjust her white half cloak and comb through her hair immediately after it was secure.
I need to hurry. Hurry, hurry… wait.
She paused at the door, quickly spinning around and rushing to Tanya's bedside. She knelt down, rifling through the other woman's travel bag while making a mental note to apologize later.
It should be-
"Ahah!" Mary pulled free a metal hip flask. She unscrewed the cap, glancing inside to confirm its contents. A familiar sky-blue liquid met her gaze, and she let a brief half-grin show as she redid the cap and shoved the flask in a pouch along her belt.
She dove back into the travel bag, grabbing one of Tanya's spare combat knives, sheathe and all – How many of these does she have? – and strapping it around her thigh.
"They won't know you're coming." Tanya had said.
Mary intended to use that to her advantage.
-=-
Everyone's asleep.
Was Mary's thought as she rushed through the Maj Inn's foyer.
The entire area was silent. There wasn't even snoring, despite the fact that several of the large men slumped over unconscious at some of the tables looked exactly like the type to snore.
I must be right.
That odd emptiness from before panged yet again.
Mary frowned, stepping outside. An odd light tinted the city, though she paid little notice to this right now. Without pausing, she turned, leaping up onto the roof of the three-story Maj Inn with ease. Then, she jumped again, landing atop the twice as tall building across the road.
Not high enough. Where should I…?
Mary looked around from her higher position, quickly locating an even taller building to scale several blocks away.
Less than a minute later, Mary was leaning to the side, one hand gripping the spire atop a surprisingly large basilica-like structure's dome and one foot pressed against the spire's base.
From here, Mary could see a good amount of the area around her. The Southeastern Sector sprawled out before her, though the well designed grid wasn't really her main concern right about now.
Instead, she focused on the centermost section of Xerxes, which she could just barely make out at this distance.
Her brow furrowed at what she saw, and she glanced behind her to confirn she wasn't seeing tings incorrectly.
She wasn't. The walls of Xerxes came into view. And along those walls…
Something else Tanya had mentioned just before leaving stuck out then.
"An indicator? I think it will be obvious. You friend Eve mentioned it. She referred to it as Quetz. A nickname, I assume. You'll know when to act when you see the giant winged snake."
Well, there was the giant winged snake, Mary noted with annoyance and rapidly building anger. Though, merely calling it "giant" was doing it a disservice.
The beast was beyond massive, the lengthy, multicolored serpent laying easily along Xerxes' walls. Its head rested just past its own tail, reminding Mary of the world serpent, Jörmungandr, of Legadonian myth.
This serpent obviously wasn't wrapped around the world. This one instead was content to outline Xerxes, with its many wing-like appendages fluttering slightly on an unseen breeze. Around these wings, great circles of viridian magical energy spun and crackled.
And that explained that emptiness she was feeling. A dome of the same green energy was sprouting from the serpent, covering Xerxes entirely. Hence the muted, oddly colored sunlight she'd noticed earlier through the window.
"Damn it." Mary tsk'd, the sound eerily similar to Tanya's own favorite expression of minor disapproval. "That barrier, it's like Charybdis, huh? Magic disruption, coming from the serpent, Quetz, was it…?"
Looking back to the central area, the large dome of red energy surrounding Xerxes Military HQ made a lot more sense.
"And I bet the one around Military HQ has an opposite effect. That would make the most sense. That's what you'd say, right?"
Movement caught her eye down below.
"Hm?"
One of the main streets, running from Xerxes' eastern gate into the central section, was lined with familiar large, shadowy beasts. Crimson lined the cobblestone beneath them, the Shades prowling along the length of the road, gaping maws and gushing openings spewing copious amounts of a bubbling, viscous red fluid.
Shades. And is that blood? Are they…?
"They're connecting the central area to the walls with blood?" Her brow furrowed, "Connection. Blood can conduct magic. The circle?"
Everything had gone to shit, it seemed like. That was the impression she gathered.
The problem was, what was she supposed to do? What needed her attention first?
Tanya was inside the central area. The tentative plan was for her to attack from the inside, while Mary attacked from the outside. She was counting on Mary to come and assist the assault. Together, they would take on Scylla.
Of course, this plan had been made assuming Mary could respond immediately, aka as soon as Scylla's plan began. But they'd passed that point now, hadn't they? She was late to the party, though it wasn't her fault in the slightest.
There was no use agonizing over it. She had to act.
...What should she do, though?
Would it be better to stop the Shades? If the circle was never complete, then wouldn't that stop Scylla's scheme as well? Or perhaps taking out Quetz should be her priority. That should get rid of the magic suppressing barrier. And it might allow everyone in Xerxes to wake up, assuming that the serpent was responsible for the Xerxes-wide impromptu snooze fest.
Wait, no.
Having everyone wake up now would be a bad thing, what with all the Shades roaming the streets. There was practically an army of them. That meant that Shades were the priority, before waking everyone up.
That could work. She could take out most, if not all of them. They were weak, and she still had access to her Unique Skill and her enhanced physical abilities.
The only issue was time. Did she have enough time to stop them? When would the next phase of Scylla's operation go into effect? Presumably once the circle was complete, but who's to say if that was part 2 or even part 3, 4, or 5 of their operation? Who's to say they weren't already in the final stages?
And what about Tanya? How long would she be able to hold out on her own? She was one of the strongest people around, but that didn't mean she couldn't be beaten.
What do I do? What should I-
BAROOOM!
Just then, a massive explosion rocked Xerxes Military HQ. One of the eastern inner walls crumbled and collapsed inward, a huge cloud of fire and smoke visible even through the red energy barrier.
"Shit." Mary blinked, "Shit!"
She leapt from the basilica's dome, landing and rolling on the roof of a nearby building. She popped up from her roll, retaining her momentum and sprinting until she reached the roof's edge.
You don't have time to be frozen with indecision! Make a choice and stick with it!
Mary pushed off, practically flying across a side street, and hitting the slanted tiled roof of a shop she couldn't make out the name of. Terracotta cracked under booted foot as she pressed against it, bolting across rooftops at top speed.
Tanya, I'm sticking with the original plan, okay? I'm trusting your judgment here! Just hold on until I get there!
-=-=-=-
Around the Same Time
Strategic Military HQ, Lower Levels
Xerxes, Eastern Empire
The area shook.
Even this far down, a few stories underground, the rumbling could be felt. Dust and small bits of rock slipping and falling to the cold stone floor, as the cell walls shook with shocks and aftershocks. The cell's bars rattled, the scraping of rune-inscribed steel against stone grating and painful to the ear.
"I suppose Garmstrong got my message then? How kind of her to provide the party with fireworks."
Tanya huffed amusedly.
The show must be starting. And, well, I suppose it'd be rude to leave everyone by themselves. And to be honest, my back's gotten pretty stiff. They really chained me up tight, huh?
Magisteel shackles, runes carved along the surface and chains, ensnared her wrists and ankles. Dried blood not her own stained the outer edges of the metal, them being the only blemish on the pristine condition of her restraints.
Unlike Souei and Souka, Tanya was pressed against the wall instead of sat in the middle of the room. The excess chain because of this fact had been made useful, wrapping tight around her body and keeping her arms pressed against her torso.
I was asking for it, so I can't really complain when I got exactly what I wanted. Still, this is a bit annoying. How many of Xerxes' soldiers are on Scylla's side, I wonder? Enough to take me from Charger's choice of cell and shove me in here, at least. I'm sure they thought they were getting one over on me.
Tanya narrowed her eyes and inhaled, filling her lungs to the brim. She held it for several seconds, slowly letting it trickle out. She did this again and again, her eyes growing brighter and brighter with each breath.
As this was happening, the runes along her shackles began to glow, brighter and brighter and in the same shade of teal-blue as her eyes, until they were nearly blinding to look at.
They wouldn't be the first. Really though, magic suppression? Give me a break.
Crash!
-=-=-=-=-=-
Known Skills List
Tanya:
Common Skill: Thought Communication
Extra Skill: Magic Sense
Extra Skill: Magic Aura
Extra Skill: Voice of the World Communication
Unique Skill: Formulaic Casting
Unique Skill: Tetrabattery Limit Enhancement
Mary:
Extra Skill: Magic Sense
Extra Skill: Magic Aura
Extra/Intrinsic Skill: Physical Enhancement
Unique Skill: [Two More Chapters]
Notes:
Did I get you?
I really wanted to make the dream the first thing in the chapter, so I just skipped the day that's between the Tanya/Scylla parley and Mary waking up. It's better this way, cause now I can jump right into the action. I really, really want to get to the fight scenes, and I will, because they start next chapter! 7.2k words, and I edited this kinda fast so it is what it is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Quick reminder, who did Drake tell to guard the gates? :]
The fighting begins next chapter, in: "Ruthless Counteroffensive".