Train station.
PA Speaker: "Last train to Cait village."
Bakku: "Let's move."
Soba: "Why the hell is it called a "train to Cait village", when it doesn't actually go to Cait village."
Bakku: "It goes close enough."
Bakku smiles weirdly.
Bakku: "Cait village."
Soba: "Are you gonna be ok?"
Bakku snaps back to reality.
Bakku: "Did you say something?"
Soba: "Nevermind."
Train Station outside of Cait village. 4 hours later.
Soba: "We don't have to be there until tomorrow so let's book a hotel room here for ton-"
Before Soba can finish his sentence Bakku frantically interrupts him and grabs his arms.
Bakku: "No! We need to go to Cait village as soon as possible!"
Soba: "Get the hell off me! What's wrong with you?"
Baku: "Soba you don't understand! Cait village homes women exclusively. But not just any women, CAT WOMEN!"
They stare at each other in silence before Soba grabs Bakku by the collar.
Soba: "Did you take this job just so you could perv on cat girls!"
Bakku: "No it's nothing like that! My intentions are purely noble."
Soba: "Noble my ass. No wonder Meiji put me in charge. You're barely holding yourself together."
Bakku: "So, can we go now?"
Bakku drops to his knees.
Bakku: "Please!"
Soba sighs and hands Bakku his bag.
Soba: "You're driving."
Outskirts of Cait Village. 15 minutes later.
Bakku: "We need to walk the rest of the way. The caits don't like horses in their village."
Soba: "You would know that."
Soba and Bakku walk into the village and are greeted by a brown haired girl.
???: "Are you the knights here to watch over the meeting with the hounds?"
Bakku: "Yes. We're members of the White Petals guild."
???: "The queen wasn't expecting you until tomorrow. We'll put you in one of the guest rooms of the castle. Follow me."
Bakku smiles at Soba. Soba tries not to make eye contact.
Bakku: "Seems like I had the right idea coming here tonight."
Soba: "Shut up."
They walk to the castle in the middle of the village. Once inside, the brown haired girl leads Soba and Bakku to a room.
???: "The queen will want to see you at 10am. Her throne room is down the hall."
The girl exits the room.
Soba: "I'm going to sleep. Try not to harass anyone."
Bakku: "Night."
Soba closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep. Eventually he wakes up in an all white room with a girl sitting a few feet in front of him, humming with her back turned.
Soba: "Chikara?"
Chikara: "Oh. Hey Soba. I was wondering when you'd show up."
Soba: "Where are we?"
Chikara: "In your head."
Soba: "Why is it so empty?"
Chikara stares at him blankly.
Soba: "Oh. How did I even get here?"
Chikara: "Didn't you come on purpose? I've been calling you for hours."
Soba: "I didn't hear you. Even if I did, I don't know how to enter my own head."
Chikara: "You must've come subconsciously."
Soba: "My own mind shouldn't be this confusing."
Soba sighs.
Soba: "Well why am I here?"
Chikara: "Two reasons. One, I wanted to thank you for standing up to master Luke. It meant a lot to me."
Soba: "You don't have to thank me for that. You're my friend so I'm always gonna help you out. Especially when it comes to Luke."
Chikara smiles.
Chikara: "Thanks."
She pauses.
Chikara: "I also want a room."
Soba: "What?"
Chikara: "Make me a room."
Soba: "How the hell do I do that?!"
Chikara shrugs her shoulders.
Chikara: "I dunno. It's your mind. Just think something up."
Soba sits on the ground and starts thinking. After 30 seconds he opens his eyes.
Soba: "This is stu-"
He sees a white box in front of him. It's a few feet taller than him and has "Chikara" engraved on the door. Chikara walks out of the room.
Chikara: "Thanks."
Soba: "How in the hell?"
Chikara: "It's your head."
After that the pair talk to each other for a few hours after that. Chikara mostly listens as Soba tells her about his life.
Soba: "Haven't been to school since. It's like they forget that I was the victim."
Chikara: "You put a five year old in the hospital."
Soba: "He started it."
Chikara rolls her eyes. She suddenly picks her head to the side and points.
Chikara: "By the way, what's that?"
Soba looks behind him and sees a giant door with chains wrapped around it. He notices that there's an emblem on the door that matches the mark on his hand. He walks to the door and places his hand on it.
Soba: "I've got no idea."
Chikara: "I couldn't get it open. I thought it was some repressed memory or something, but that wouldn't make sense."
Soba pushes against the door. It doesn't budge. He pushes harder. Same result. He starts kicking the door.
Chikara: "Seems like you'll have to get stronger to open it."
Soba: "I'll figure it out now!"
Chikara: "Calm down!"
Soba: "I can't just calm the fuck down! I've been screaming that this is just a birthmark my entire life! Now I find this goddamn door with the same mark, and it's in my head?!"
Soba kicks the door one last time and sighs.
Soba: "I'm gonna figure this out. Until I do, I'm gonna keep this a secret from the others. Can't give my new friends a reason to hate me."
Soba suddenly falls over, unable to move his legs.
Soba: "What the hell?"
Chikara: "Oh. I'm pretty sure that means you're waking up. This form will stop moving until you come back."
Soba: "Why does my head work like this?"
Chikara shrugs her shoulders.
Chikara: "See you later!'
Soba sits up suddenly and sees that the room is empty. He checks the time and sees that it's 10:15.
Soba: "Motherfu-"
Soba jumps up, gets dressed, and runs to where he thinks the throne room is. He bursts into the room and sees Bakku kneeling in front of a brown haired woman on a throne. The brown haired girl was standing next to her.
Bakku: "You're late."
Soba walks over and kneels next to him.
Soba: "You could've woke me up."
Bakku: "I tried."
The woman on the throne spoke.
Queen: "I am the queen of the Cait. You've already met my advisor, Selin."
The brown haired girl raised her hand.
Selin: "You two already know the job we offered. Watch over our meeting with the Hounds and step in if they get too antsy."
Soba: "Why are you meeting with the hounds? Aren't they your sworn enemies or something."
Queen: "We're trying to reform that."
Bakku: "This should be simple enough."
Soba smiles.
Bakku: "I hope you don't have an idea."
Soba: "Nope. I have five."
2 hours later.
Three people walk into the room. Two Houndmen, and a female Hound. A man wearing a crown speaks first.
King: "Felicia. The last time we saw each other you were beheading my brother."
Felicia: "After he…. assaulted my sister, Barron."
Bakku realizes the full situation and winces.
Barron: "How is Dallia?"
Felicia: "Dead. She couldn't live with herself."
Barron: "Oh."
Barron pauses and the room falls silent.
Barron: "I'm sorry for your loss. Damian wasn't always able to control himself. Probably would've killed him myself eventually."
Felicia: "Yes well, I can't exactly blame you for that. But waging war on us after his death was more than uncalled for."
Barron: "You killed our king. The people were outraged. I didn't have a choice. There's not many who saw Damian for his true self. Most of the Kingdom is up in arms that we're even having this meeting."
Barron tilts his head to the right.
Barron: "You hiring help from the humans didn't help."
Felicia: "Just a guard. You know some of your allies can be rowdy."
???: "Watch how you speak about us cat!"
The hound right of Barron steps forward while growling. Bakku takes a step as he grabs the hilt of his sword. Barron puts his arm in front of the hound.
Barron: "Calm down Bruce. This is a peace meeting. Be civilized."
Bruce: "You want me to act civil in front of the bitch that killed my father!"
Felicia: "You're Damian's son? I'm sorry you had to see what happened to him."
Bruce: "Don't be. I'm not gonna be sorry about what's gonna happen to you."
Barron sighs and looks to the female hound on his left.
Barron: "Can you try to talk some sense into him, Talia?"
Talia: "I somewhat agree with him, uncle. While I recognize the war with them isn't ideal, I can't help but want to watch them burn."
Barron: "You too huh?"
While Barron is distracted, Bruce rushes towards Felicia. Bakku draws his sword and steps in front of her. Before Bruce could reach Bakku, Soba drops from the ceiling and slams Bruce's head into the ground.
Soba: "Sit."
Bakku: "I think that's racist."
Talia: "Unhand him at once!"
Soba looks at her blankly.
Soba: "Make me."
Talia rushes him and he starts to aim his sword at her before he notices that his arm is being pulled back. He looks back and sees Bakku holding his wrist.
Soba: "What are yo-"
Before he can finish talking Talia punches him in the jaw and sends him flying back into Bakku.
Barron: "Both of you, OUT!"
Talia picks Bruce up and walks out of the room.
Felicia: "Selin, take the knights to their rooms."
Selin: "Are you sure?"
Felicia: "Yes. It'll be better if we spoke alone."
Selin: "Yes my queen."
Selin leads Soba and Bakku back to their rooms.
Selin: "Wait here. I'll be just outside the door."
As soon as the door closes Soba punches Bakku in the face. Bakku's nose bleeds.
Soba: "What the hell is your problem!? You've been nothing but an asshole since I met you, and now you're getting in the way of me fighting and letting me get hurt!"
Bakku looks up at him.
Bakku: "I don't trust you. More importantly, I don't trust you around Meiji. You seem like a magnet for harm and trouble, and I won't let anyone harm her."
Bakku stands up and gets close to Soba, looking down into his eyes.
Bakku: "But what happened in the throne has nothing to do with that."
Soba: "You gonna explain or are you gonna keep spewing bullshit."
Bakku steps back and sits on his bed.
Bakku: "Got a story to tell, if you're willing to listen."
Soba flops on the ground.
Bakku: "I was hoping you wouldn't be."
Bakku sighs.
Bakku: "When I was young, my father would beat and abuse my mother. Day in and day out. It was constant. He enjoyed it. Whenever I asked him why he never beat me, he'd say "You're a boy. Don't want ya growing up and kicking my ass." It pissed me off. One day he got drunk. Went further than usual. Killed her. The knights came and arrested him, but I was gone by then. I just ran. Everywhere I went it was the same. Men beating and taking advantage of women. Eventually Meiji's family found me. Took me in. From the second I got my sword and magic turned out to be reflect, I knew my goal. To become a knight who can protect all women from men that would do them harm. Maybe it's a stupid goal. Maybe it's a pipe dream. But it's mine."
Soba looked him in the eyes and walked up to him. He wiped the blood off Bakku's nose with his sleeve.
Soba: "It's your dream and a good one. I'll help you as much as I can. But there's gotta be some situations where you let somethings slide. When we're on missions if we have to fight a woman, I'm not gonna expect you to get involved. But don't get in my way either. Because that's how you'll get us both killed."
Bakku places his hand on Soba's shoulder.
Bakku: "Thank you. I'm sorry."
Soba: "So, still think i'm untrustworthy?"
Bakku: "I know you're a danger to have around. But maybe who you are will make up for that. I stand by what I said though. Become a threat to Meiji, I'll kill you."
Soba: "That's fair."
2 hours later.
Selin walks into the room.
Selin: "The queen will see you now."
Bakku: "Let's move."
They start to walk by her and Selin grabs Soba's arm.
Selin: "Can I talk to you?"
Soba looks at Bakku.
Soba: "I'll catch up with you."
Selin closes the door.
Selin: "I want to thank you for saving my aunt. I fear your comrade may not have been able to guard her."
Soba swats his hand in front of his face.
Soba: "Naw he definitely could. Bakku's pretty strong."
Chikara: "You don't know that."
Soba ignores her.
Selin: "Still. Thank you."
Soba: "No prob. Sorry to hear about your mom by the way."
Selin: "It's fine we weren't really that close."
Soba: "Then why are you so sad?"
Selin steps back.
Selin: "I'm not-"
Soba: "Yeah you are. You wouldn't be so blank otherwise. I'm guessing that at least. You've shown the most emotion when you thanked me."
Selin: "I- well I…."
Her sentence faded off.
Soba: "You don't have to tell me anything. It's none of my business."
Soba opens the door.
Soba: "I think you should talk to your aunt though. Make sure she doesn't get too busy and start ignoring you."
Soba walks down the hall leaving Selin to her thoughts.
Selin: "I think I'll do that."
Throne Room
Soba and Bakku walk into the room with Selin trailing behind them. They see Barron and Felicia chatting.
Bakku: "I'm guessing things went well."
Barron: "Yes. Turns out it's a lot easier to talk when there's less growling."
Felicia: "We'll still need to sort out our personal problems but other then that, things should be peaceful. Selin, could you retrieve the knight's reward?"
Selin nods and walks to a safe next to the queen's throne. She walks up to
Bakku and places a case in his arms.
Selin: "50,000 Peons. As promised."
Bakku: "Thank you. Time to head home."
Soba and Bakku start walking away. As they're walking they hear Selin ask Felicia to talk. Soba smiles to himself.