Episode 16- Hard Truths
Castle of General Mash Aikawa
The morning sun shines on the beautiful castle owned by General Mash Aikawa and his family. Mash sits on a chair with a white cast on his left leg from the knee on downward as he holds the mask of Red Dawn in his hands. A silver pot is thrown and misses his head by a mere two inches. A spoon hits his forehead, then he tilts his head slightly to the right to dodge a knife thrown at his face. "Where is my friend!? Where is my sister!? Where did that beast take my sister!? How could you let this happen!?", shouts Morgiana. "How did a dark rat best 'Godfist Mash'!? Was he stronger than you? Were you too weak to beat him?", continues Morgiana. Mash gets visibly irritated at the comment. "Do you doubt my strength!? If my strength is not good enough you can find someone strong enough to have you comfortable in a large castle with dishes finely crafted enough for you to throw at me!", shouts Mash. "Choose your next words carefully.", says Mash in an eerily calm tone.
Morgiana falls to the ground on her knees, sobbing loudly as Lundee runs towards her with a hug. Mash calms himself and continues, "If he was going to kill her, he would have in that moment. She is alive and I will find her.". Mash leaves the room while holding the mask of Red Dawn, ignoring the pain in his heart.
Creston- Paradise Inn
Red Dawn wakes up abruptly, jolting her body upwards from the lying position she was in. She ignites purple lighting on her eyes as small bolts of static spark from them. Inoko looks down at her body to see that her armor from her hips on downward is still on and in tact, but her armor above her hips has been removed. White bandage wrapping covers her stomach, lower back, and wraps her arms. The chest garment that she wears underneath her armor lies underneath the bandages. She then looks around to see that she is in a room with a familiar feeling. She looks around more to see a man sitting in a chair in a dark corner. White pants and a white shirt can be made out, but the face of the man is too dark to see. Inoko stands to her feet fearlessly.
"You are Zero Justice aren't you?", asks Red Dawn. "Yes", replies Zero. "Where have you taken me?", further asks Red Dawn. "Somewhere safe", replies Zero. "Why am I alive?", asks Red dawn.
Zero stands up from the chair, and walks closer, into the light. Red Dawn immediately takes two steps back in shock. "No. No. This is not real! This is not my life! You! You! You planned this!", shouts Red Dawn. "No, I only realized after the battle, and after I was in full control. I'm just as surprised as you are.", says Zero as he looks at the floor. "My....my duty is to kill you! You destroyed areas in Grandoria! You sent a man clinging to life in the hospital!....You....killed a general of the Grandoria Army!", says Red Dawn as she forms a purple bolt of electricity with her right hand.
"You told me that you trusted me, and you know that if I wished you harm you would be dead already. I want to talk.", says Zero. "You're a monster!", shouts Red Dawn, as she raises the bolt higher.
"No. I'm a man pushed over the edge, literally. I'm a man that lost everything that there is to lose. The reason why you don't recognize me is because despite being a general, you don't participate in the barbaric practices of the other generals. I was impaled through the stomach by a catapult, split in half, and left to die in a hole, all at the command of your leader." "You're the cursed child?", asks Red Dawn in disbelief. "It's not a name I gave myself, but yes. I was resurrected by a dragon. If you were me, if you were killed simply for being alive, then granted the power to change everything, what would you do?", asks Zero. "I would use that power to find peace! I would use that power to change my own life! I wouldn't exact revenge on people that had absolutely nothing to do with it!", shouts Red Dawn. "And what is peace!? How can you expect me to find something I've never seen!?", angrily says Zero. Zero calms down then continues, "I've never known peace. I've never had anything to truly smile about. Until I met you. I found something, or rather someone, that I can call peace. Have I lost you too?".
"You don't have the right to ask me that!", shouts Red dawn. "At least hear me out. Let me tell you my story. Let me give you the truth about Grandoria. If you want to kill me afterwards, then that's fine", says Zero.
"I will ask you again, where are we!?", demands Red Dawn.
"Paradise Inn. The same room we had the last time. It was the only place I could think of to take you that's safe for both of us. I got your bandages and my clothes from here.", says Zero. Red Dawn inhales deeply, exhales hard, then allows the bolt of electricity to fade away. Zero grabs the chair he was previously sitting on, picks it up, and slowly moves it next to Red Dawn. "Please. Sit. There is a lot to discuss.", says Zero. Red Dawn sits in the chair while never turning her eyes away from Zero.
Zero talks to Red Dawn about his childhood, his parents, his real name, his dealings with General Teno, his death, his revival, the truth of the dragons as told by one, and how he plans to get justice.
"How come I've never heard of this princess egg?", asks Red Dawn. "General Teno keeps his lies closer than any of you generals apparently.", responds Zero.
Zero looks at the illuminated eyes of Red dawn. "So, you could see me the whole time?", asks Zero. "No. Not the whole time. I turned on my ability during small moments where you weren't paying attention.", responds Red Dawn. "How did you get that power?", asks Zero. "That's a story for another day.", replies Red Dawn. Red Dawn notices herself calming down and quickly rises to anger again. "Why would I trust anything you say?", asks Red Dawn. "At this point, there is nothing to gain from lying to you.", responds Zero. "If your words are true, then I can prove them", says Red Dawn, "If this stolen egg is known to all of the dragons, my friend will confirm it".
"Then let's go meet your friend. You'll know the truth", says Zero.