Pocketville Lost Diamonds: VOLUME 2

Chapter 4: killer

Warning: triggering content such as suffering animals and references to violence.
- I politely ask to Eva's stans to  not beat me up at the end of this chapter. :)

The other Royal Guards and Steel Wool were sitting in one of the beautiful living rooms of the duchess’ residence.

More specifically, Steel Wool was trying to observe that masterpiece of architecture while Mela and Danny were loudly playing hide and seek in only one room.

Balloon was sitting on a sofa while helping Mela to find Danny. She promised to be impartial, but she of course was on her best friend’s side.

Suddenly, Mela finally approached the armchair Danny was hiding behind and jumped on his tail, hissing. Danny stood up and turned over the armchair, hitting a coffee table and almost destroying a vase put on it. Balloon caught it just in time, but all the noises made Steel Wool lose his patience.

He walked to them and they all snapped to attention, remembering the training years.
Now he was more friendly, but it was better to not make him angry anyway...

- You three! - exclaimed - Are you really acting like children?!
- It’s not my fault! - answered each of them, in chore.
- If Princess Ava comes back and sees you destroying this place, what would she say?!
- I’d be more worried about William’s reaction... - mumbled Danny.

- I thought you were exploring this castle, like you are supposed to do as Royal Guards!
- We did! This level is a green way.
- I had no doubt, this place has been abandoned for years! What about the other levels?!
- Well, the Princess asked for not being disturbed… - meowed Mela.
- And William is with her! - added Balloon.

Steel Wool looked at them for a couple of seconds, then relaxed.
- Nevermind. You deserve a break, it’s been a long day for everyone. Just don’t destroy anything, okay?

Seeing them standing in line, like they were used to do in his training camp, gave him a weird feeling of nostalgia. They were older now, stronger, trained and most importantly they were a team. They wore the collars of Royal Guards, collars they gained with determination, completing the training and all the skills asked for their job. Added to this, showing him how they still used what he taught and gave their best for that mission, a mission during the one they asked his help, made him feel proud.

- Thank you… - was saying Balloon.
A female voice interrupted her:
- Balloon! Mela! Danny!

Princess Ava ran in the room, panting. She looked very nervous and her eyes were very weird, teary and shining.

- Your M…
- Who has the Magic Shell? I need it.
- It’s here. - Balloon turned to the corner where they put their bags, opened one of them and took the black spiral shell with teeth.
When Ava was given it, she softly shook it to activate the magic.

William reached them, trotting. He was holding some pieces of paper in his mouth.
- We found some important signs!
- Really? - asked Steel Wool, curious.

Kate’s voice stole William’s attempt to answer:
- Hello?
- Kate, it’s Ava here!
- Princess! Finally you phoned me! I was anxious!
- Is Eva there? 

Kate, sitting on the carpet of her bedroom, was holding the shell in one hand and using the other one to hug Magic.

Only a few minutes ago, she carried Eva back in the room and now the silver siamese cat was lying on a pillow, next to Krakia. The pain was much less, but her eyes still betrayed a suffering expression.

She raised her head, hearing Ava’s voice, but she decisively shook her head when Kate eyed at her.
- ...yes, she is. - answered the girl, flashing her.
- Please, I need to talk with her.
Eva shook her head again.
- Erm, princess, she…
- It’s very important! It’s about Musika!
The cat’s expression changed into surprise when she heard that word.
- W-what…? - meowed, shocked.
- Eva, is that you?! - asked Ava, from the shell.
- Why Musika?! How do you know her?!- Eva stood up and limped to the shell, stumbling a bit.

Kate swore to have never seen Eva that much terrified: she was shaking badly and her back was arched in a weird way, while tail was vibrating.

- We met a fox who told us to be dad’s friend. He told me… he…
A little pause.
- Eva, we have another sister!

Kate and Magic gasped and Krakia jumped back for surprise, but Eva didn’t react. She was paralyzed.

Ava continued, stuttering and frantically talking:
- Dad-dad had a kitty from a cat who wasn’t mum and- and grandma Talia knew it, b-b-but she wasn’t how we believed… s-she abused him and then-she menaced her life, but also our sister’s mother was mean and…

- I know. - murmured Eva.

Ava’s voice blocked.
- W-what?
William’s voice, in the background, exclaimed something like “I’d bet it”, followed by a series of not very nice words.

- Eva, we have to look for her! She may have the Diamond! - screamed Ava - Do you know where she is?!
Eva started shaking more. Her legs almost couldn’t let her stand.
Ava started again: - I think she might live somewhere near Pocketville, maybe at the water-lilies river! She may be our same age, we found some letters…

- No. - whispered the other cat. Her voice was broken and weak.

- W-what? - asked Ava - Do you know where she is?! You have to tell us! We can find her! Can you understand?! She’s dad’s daughter! She may know more about him, and having the Diamond…. We still had a family, Eva! It’s not totally gone!

Eva staggered, just like those words hit her like a punch. This time she answered screaming:
- No, no, no, no, WE DON’T! NO ONE IS STILL HERE!

- Yes, we have! We…

- WE DON’T HAVE A SISTER! SHE’S DEAD, AVA, SHE’S DEAD TEN YEARS AGO!

This shut everyone up.
Some noises came from Kate’s parents bedroom.
- ...what? - mumbled Ava’s voice, choiked.

Eva lowered her head. Tears were rolling on her cheeks and her back was moved by spasms. Her legs ceded and she keeled over on the floor.

- She’s dead… she’s been killed…. - whispered - ...I killed her.

“I’m sorry, Ava…” tried to say, but it was too late. 

Ava almost let the shell fall.
The last words needed a few seconds to be assimilated, meanwhile she heard Kate’s voice shouting Eva’s name and the noise of a door being opened and a winged animal flying away.

- E-Eva…? - asked.

A thunderbolt suddenly hit her heart. She closed her claws around the small black object and screamed louder than those noises:
- EVA! EVA, WHAT’S HAPPENING?! KATE, WHAT HAPPENED?! IS SHE OKAY?!

Some far-away voices, human voices, were the only answer.
- EVA! - said one last time, in tears.

This time, Magic answered:
- She fainted or something. She.. she doesn’t breath… Katie and her parents are taking her to the doctor!

The calling ended. 

Ava didn’t move a single centimeter of her body, staring at the shell with the same expression she had if she just saw the hell.

- Princess... ? - meowed Balloon.

Ava didn’t even hear her voice.
Claws retreated and paws lost their grip, letting the shell fell. It hit the floor with a terrible noise, while the top broke and rolled away.

Ava fell down too, lying on the floor on her belly and closing paws around her body, like a small ball.

She realized how that place was cold.