The Pagemasters Vol 2 Chapter 3
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Author: Literataku
Chapter 3:
I Run Through
I was set down on a desk, confusion running fairly rampant in my head. Looking up at her with a tilt and a puzzled expression trying to figure out what she was saying. “I’m a little confused… Who’s the Bastard? And last time? What last time?”
It as her turn to look at me with equal confusion on her face. She opened her mouth to say something and then looked away, walking around at a quick pace. Muttering something under her breath before turning back to me.
“Who is that man the king is calling Hero?”
“That’s Pagemaster Red. Harmon-san. The angry muscle guy from the library.”
“Wait… Harmon-san? The guy you said you didn’t want in your adventure?”
Was this woman a mind reader? I’m pretty sure I hadn’t said that out loud.
“I never told anyone that. Maybe if I had a choice before I met him, but he’s actually a pretty cool guy. Though don’t tell him any of that…”
She stared at me looking quite dumbfounded. Taking a seat behind the desk she suddenly looked very tired, staring at me with half-dead eyes. “What do you remember? About me.”
“I remember the library… You were… You were….” I stared at her for a hard minute trying to place her. “You had the Harajuku jacket… But other than that I…” I stopped as something flashed through my mind.
The two of us battling a demon, working in tandem with our powers alternating between smashing him with ice shards and gemstones. The shadows underneath it trying to hold him down as he advanced swinging a giant club down. My sight cut off as she screamed while I felt only pain and blackness.
We were standing quietly watching the sunset together with the foreground of a kingdom set ablaze, tired and emotionally dead inside, the darkness creeping up behind us. The demons laughing at their victory. Both of us surrendering to the feel of blades impaling us from behind.
Holding her close as the waves crashed over us, a storm like no other tossing our rickety ship about the water. A flash of light as the sea god loomed over us with judging eyes. I gather what power I could to protect us, but it was too late, the lighting struck downward and I felt and saw nothing but pain.
“Blue, Stop!”
Breathing heavily, my vision came back to the desk and her face watching me with a worried expression. She was leaning in close, stroking a hand across my head and down my back.
“I… I see things that haven’t happened yet… Or didn’t happen… Or will happen… What the hell are those?”
Her eyes seem disappointed in my answer, pulling from me and looking away. Were those tears starting to form in her eyes? I was feeling guilty but I had no idea why I wanted to apologize to her. But I didn’t know what or why.
“So this is your plan… Throwing away everything… do you think it will fix our souls?”
She spoke quietly, I think to herself more than me. She spoke again louder, I could hear it wavering a little as she asked me another question. She was holding herself trying not to cry in front of me.
“Who else is with you?”
“The librarian, Clarion-sama. Though he has no human form. I summoned him to teach me so he isn’t a Pagemaster like we are.” I answer and try to press her. “What are these things I keep seeing? It’s just flashes of things, but they disappear like-”
“Like they’ve been overwritten?”
“Yes…”
She sighed and spoke again. “In a way that is because it’s literally being overwritten. Those are things that happened, and yet they didn’t because you used ****.”
“I used what?”
Her eyes widened as she stared at me again. “You can’t hear it? Well, I guess that makes sense. You removed your memories of using it too..” Her eyes started to well up with tears again. “You removed all of your memories.”
I felt lost and yet, something was strange about it, I could feel it on the tip of my tongue I knew what **** was. But I wasn’t able to reach that point entirely. Like something was purposely blocking me.
She smiled slightly, though it didn’t reach her eyes at all. No, she was on the verge of a breakdown I could feel it deep inside me. “If you can’t hear it I can’t explain it. You have to experience or use it first. And you must have a reason not remember… “ She turned away and whispered quietly. “You must have a reason to throw it all away, right?”
I swallowed and turned away, my heart was feeling heavy in sympathy. I didn’t know what I had done to her, but she was visibly hurt inside. Jumping down off the table I canceled the |{CAT}| spell. She gasped and jumped out of her chair pushing against me, burying her head into my shoulder, her body shaking as she began to cry in long heaving sobs.
I held her while she poured out her tears onto my shoulder, just standing there and letting her empty out those feelings. Wishing I knew what to say or do for her, but having nothing I could do aside from being there. From those glimpses we had been fighters together, was it just the two of us at the time? Had we become more?
“I- I’m sorry for this, Violet-san.”
“N-n-no… Please… Call me Vi..”
“Vi-san?”
“No! Jus- Just Vi… Please?”
It felt very awkward to me but I pushed that aside and nodded my head slightly even though she couldn’t see it. “Okay. Vi.” [1. AN: In case it isn’t entirely clear, dropping the -san from someone’s name is a sign of deep intimacy in Japan. So Blu is half taken aback by her desire to do this with him. There are many couples who don’t do this even after marriage.]
We stood in silence a while longer, only the heaving of her body and the soft sounds of her crying occasionally breaking the quiet of the room. She was reluctant to move away and I let her stay as she pleased out of guilt. Her voice broke the silence, a little hoarse from her sobs.
“Those men claiming you are going to destroy the city… they don’t belong in this story. They don’t even belong in this timeline. I’m not even sure how they came here in the first place. Their leader, he’s been one of the worst problems we’ve faced. But he should have been kept in check by Peter Pan…”
Welp, I get to bear more bad news. “Peter Pan is working with the Fairies to try and stop me… He rescued slash kidnapped the Gingerbread Man away from me and took him to Neverland.”
She looked up at me with a strange expression. “That’s not supposed to happen… If Pan is bringing things that don’t belong to Neverland, that means the barrier that kept him trapped isn’t there anymore. That person is more dangerous out and about in this world than most Demon Lords. And now…”
I felt a shiver running up my spine. “What exactly does he want?”
“Probably revenge on you and every Pagemaster that worked with Pan to fight him. If he sees the right triggers he remembers everything, even from Pagemasters before us. Captain Hook… Blue. He’s not like any other villain or Main Character. Though Pan is sort of the same way, except he forgets anything that doesn’t hold his attention.”
I sigh and shake my head. Great, a pirate who potentially can be the most dangerous man in this fantasy world is loose and most likely wants to kill me. A presence that’s essentially the embodiment of nothingness trying to destroy the universe wasn’t challenging enough?
“Is there anything you can tell me about what is going to happen?”
“Actually, I can’t. Clarion-sama. Harmon-san. They changed everything. Bringing those two with you. We worked alone… Before you used the ****.”
We were just standing together quietly as a knock came to the door, making us both jump as the thin man barged into the room. “Madam the King is… The Blue Warlock! Guards!”
I pulled away from Vi and was about to try and talk the man down when a jolt suddenly happened and I was back to holding Vi close. Her face looking sorrowful as she looked up at me. “You need to change back now… Before he comes in.”
I’m sorry… What just happened?
She hit my chest and pleaded up at me. “Don’t be stupid and change. I don’t want to go through this again.”
I nodded and managed to transform back into cat form just before the thin man knocked and barged in again. “Madam, the King is… “
He stopped and looked at her and then me. “Are you hurt, madam? Did this beast attack you?”
What the hell are you on? Oh right she was crying and her eyes are all red and puffy. I guess I look guilty even though not for the way he was thinking.
“No. I was just reminiscing about someone. He’s been a good kitty for me.” She said while picking me back up and carrying me out of the room. “What does the King need from me?”
“He requests your presence in making sure the enchantments on the nursery are properly in place.”
She laughed, wow it’s actually kind of pretty like a clear sound of bells. “Tell His Majesty I will be there right away. I just need to get my little friend on his way back first.”
Carrying me out and down toward the entryway of the castle, sighing and stroking her hand along my back again, petting me as she walked passing out into the gardens, I could feel her reluctance to let me go growing more with each step as he hands pressed into my fur a little harder.
“Blue… I don’t know how much magic you have, or how strong you are right now. We didn’t meet this early most of the time. But don’t fight Hook, I don’t think Harmon-san could beat him even if he is strong.”
“The plan was just to make sure this story got a smooth start maybe deal with another story if there was one or two. I’ll try to run if he shows up. I’m not going to fight someone I don’t think I can handle”
She smiled slightly, looking relieved. “Thank you, Blue… I’ll see you at the Christening…”
She pulls me in for a hug, holding me before setting me down on the ground and summoning a small purple wand. “|{Guide}|”
My shadow changed shape under my feet and turned into an arrow pointing out past the castle walls. “That will lead you to Harmon-san.”
“Thank you, Vi. Until we meet again?”
“Yes.. Until we meet.”
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