Two weeks later…

At the top of a hill, kneeling before the Beheaders memorial, Tomoe is carving on it. Chisel in one hand, a hammer in the other, and a tiny amount of white Aura applied for a higher level of detail, Tomoe finishes carving the names of those Beheaders who died while defending the Aquamarine Port City. This is a practice that usually is done right after the bodies are sent to the Styx sea, but because of the circumstances, the time only allowed for it to be done now.

Standing back up, Tomoe steps back a couple of steps, back to where Lady Aquamarine, Bran, Lorelei, Oscar, Priscilla and Daisy are, together with many other Beheaders.

“If you may, Priestess.” Lady Aquamarine says.

Daisy nods and steps forward. Removing her hood, she brings out a bottle with red liquid from under her sleeve. Tomoe knew very well what this liquid is: Water from the very Styx sea, appeased after a ritual done in the deepest part of the old Cathedral.

Taking off the tap, Daisy raises the bottle over the Beheaders memorial and says “Many… have left us. For your service and sacrifice, we thank you. Your time to rest has come, maybe too soon, but you were true to yourself until the end.” Then, tilting the bottle to pour the Styx water over the memorial, she continues “Now, accept the slumber. Let go of the chains that hold you afloat, and accept the embrace of the sea, your passage to the next life.”

Boiling up for a while, tears start once more, pouring from Tomoe’s eyes. Looking up, the sun starting to reach the horizon hits her in the eyes. Adverting her eyesight, she turns it to the entrance. There, at the shadow of the entrance arc, another person is standing, with his face covered in shadows. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Tomoe turns to her left, meeting Lady Aquamarine’s face.

“Who’s he?” Tomoe asks.

“He is… Lacus’ father.”

Tomoe’s eyebrows raise in surprise, and she turns again, only to see that the man hiding his face in the shadows is now gone.

Giving her attention back again at the memorial, she sees that Daisy finished pouring the waters of the Styx sea. Putting the tap back again and puts the bottle back under her sleeves. Taking some steps back, she says “Everyone,” at which the attending people all turned to the memorial. When Daisy stopped hearing people moving, she bows down forward, and says “Thank you for your hard work.” Everyone else followed suit.

Right after saying it, tears start pouring even more from Tomoe’s eyes. A pressure starts building up in her chest, and Tomoe starts to take deep breaths. Putting a hand to her mouth, she tries to get back up, but she is unable to, and falls to her knees, sobbing. Many Beheaders make echo of her sobs with one of their own.

Finishing the ceremony, Daisy hugs Tomoe before returning to the old Cathedral.

Lady Aquamarine kneels beside her daughter and hugs her “Let it all come out.”

“Mom…”

“Yes, sweety?”

“I… I…” says Tomoe, between sobs “I would give everything… anything… to have them back… everything…”

Lady Aquamarine embraces Tomoe even more. Tomoe hugs her mother and buries her face in her mother’s shoulder.

They stay like that all the way until the sun completely hides behind the horizon, giving way to the night.

Standing up, Lady Aquamarine says “I’ve to go back. Many things still need taking care off.”

“I understand, mom… See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow sweety. Enjoy the rest of your night. Tomorrow it is back to work.”

“Will do.”

Waving, Tomoe then sees Lady Aquamarine going into the city, back to one building that she has occupied while the Aquamarine mansion is rebuilt.

Taking a last deep breath, Tomoe starts walking too, exiting the memorial’s graveyard and walking down back into the city.

Seeing left and right, many buildings are in dire need of repairs. Burnt marks from the Fire and Electrical taming can still be seen. Some buildings were completely destroyed, being unable to be repaired, and so many empty spaces can be seen now along the streets.

Finally, it was time to deal with the material losses, since the very moment the Beheaders came out of the Grand Castle, they had to deal with the remains of the invading army, pursuing them off all the way to beyond the Forest corridor. Tomoe was at the front of the counter-attack, flashing her new white Aura to induce fear in the enemies, and pick them with a constant rain of water spears. Coming back from the chase, Tomoe sounded the disk at the shore of Lake Butterfly, lowering the water walls that were still raised at that moment.

As one group dealt with the fleeing enemy forces, another stayed in the city, dealing with all the Cinders that were roaming around. Many boats had to be prepared, many visits had to be done to the Stardust forest to procure the materials. Not only for the roaming Cinders but for all the other bodies present that needed to be sent off too. Suffice to say, the old Cathedral was full to the brim and active non-stop for a couple of days.

Reaching the central marketplace, Tomoe takes the streets that take her to the bay plaza. A slight breeze caresses her cheeks. Aquamarines are moving up and down the street, Beheaders stationed at the beginning and end of it to keep the peace. As she moves on, she can feel the burning sights of almost everyone on her. Even so, she can’t blame them. She couldn’t find the missing ruby earring, and so she decided to not cover her ears in any way or form… not anymore. Still, it has been two weeks since she has walked on without her earrings, and no one has come forward to mistreat her. Tomoe finds that this is nice, even when this means that almost everyone is just avoiding her, isolating her.

Turning left to a street that she knows very well, she keeps walking until almost reaching the end of the street. She is going to that place that she knows very well, and when it gets in sight, a white-haired figure is waiting for her at the entrance. A warm feeling envelops her chest seeing the building still standing.

“You took your sweet time.” Lorelei says as Tomoe draws closer.

“Master…”

Lorelei snorts. Giving a warm smile, she replies “You still insist on it.”

“Since I have memory, mom always has put emphasis on respecting your superiors.”

Raising her eyebrows, Lorelei retorts “I have hardly anything else to teach you.”

“Still, I wouldn’t be here today without your guidance.”

Giving a sweet look, Lorelei says “Still stiff… Maybe I can teach you a thing or two after all. Come inside.”

Tomoe nods and enters after Lorelei into the Muscle Squid. From the entrance, Tomoe can see Bran, Priscilla, and another white-haired girl sitting giving her back, all in a table. Besides them, only other two tables are occupied, with the rest of them being empty.

“Owner, a stream of burning Hydras! The night will be long.” Lorelei says as she sits beside the other white-haired girl.

Coming closer, Tomoe says “Titania?” as she sits.

“What?” Titania replies as she turns her sight to Tomoe.

“Thought you would be more time in emergency.”

“Come on. I can’t be taking a bed when I don’t need it… besides, at that rhythm, I... would get fat.”

Tomoe snorts, and a slight smile appears on her face.

The waitress comes by the table, leaving the first round of burning Hydras on it. “Enjoy it!” she says. As she is leaving, Tomoe sees that Bran is tense.

“Come on girl. Take your jar.” Lorelei says.

“I wonder.” Tomoe says.

“What is it?” Lorelei asks.

“With this white Aura… would I ever be able to get drunk?”

A combination of snorts, giggles and a laugh cross the table.

Lorelei then looks at her jar, and then back at Tomoe. A slight smug appears on her face and then says “Come on. I bet that even with your white Aura, I can resist more alcohol than you can, you weakling.”

Tomoe chuckles, then asks as she readies her jar “Will it be enough?”

“No…” Lorelei says “It may be never enough… though it doesn’t mean that it can’t be good.”

Grabbing the jar, Tomoe sees her reflection on the burning Hydra, and then gulps the entire jar in one go.