the promise: a violet evergarden story

7

(time skip to after the battle of Intense, due to my laziness)

Violet's pov 

As I awoke in the hospital all I could think about was where Major Gilbert was and if he was alright. And ever since that day he saved me I haven't forgotten that promise he made me, that he would protect me. And due to me being armless and in a hospital I think that he kept the promise but did he break the second promise. But something kept biting at me which was what do the words "I love you" mean. 

I heard the nurses around me taking and I found out that I was going to being leaving with a man named Claudia Hodgins, who was a commander in the army. When the man entered my room, I remembered him. He was the Major's friend. The man I saw before the battel of Intense.  

After I was told a few things I asked a question to the commander "Where is the Major and how is he?" 

"He was the one that sent me to collect you, and he said that I'm going to be looking after you" Commander Hodgins said. And I nodded and with that I was told to pack up my things and get ready to leave with him. 

time skip

It was a bit weird to call the commander President but it made sense due to him not being in the army anymore. When we were on the way to Presidents work place, we just sat in silence. Once we got there, I just saw a huge building and people entering and exiting it. When inside I figured out that it was a place where people write and send letters, with the help from the President. 

After he had introduced me to Iris, Erica, Cattleya and Benedict, he left and told us to get to work. At first I was told to work with Benedict and his job was to deliver the mail. 

On the way back to the office after having a meal. The meal we had was fish with salad. After being told what Benedict meant by 'I meant you could deliver the mail tomorrow.' The streets where empty and it was peaceful. He asked me about what my last order was I told him and stopped midsentence. 

"You've been in the army ever since you were a child. You've spent your life fulfilling your duties. You're going to learn a lot of things. But it might be easier to keep living if you didn't learn them, if you didn't know them. You don't realized that your body is on fire and burning up because of the things you did..." President told me.

I looked all over my body and I wasn't burning. "I'm not burning."

"Yes, you are" President told me yet again. 

"I'm not. You don't make sense" I replied with. He was confusing me. 

"No. You are burning. I saw you like that, but left you alone. That's why when Gilbert left you with me, I thought this was my chance. You'll understand one day. And then you'll realize for the first time that you have many burns" and with that was the last thing he said before we arrive at the office. 

But me working in the mail department changed the next afternoon when I was cleaning and a man asked me to write him a letter. And I just told him that I would take him the Cattleya and he thanked me. Once we got to her she started to write the letter for him. And when she started to write the letter she read it aloud for him to hear. 

"You were the first person who was kind to me. You were everything to me. I would have done anything for you. I want to know what you're feeling. I want to understand what's in your heart. Even though we're apart now...I love you." It was those words again. The words that I didn't understand. After the man left I looked at Cattleya and asked her "How did you know? How did you know that the man just know wanted to say "I love you?" 

"You want to work as an Auto Memory Doll?" President asked me after listening to my question. 

"Yes. It's still hard for me to hold a pen. But I can operate a typewriter." I answered with. 

"No, that's not what I meant. I wanted to ask why you want to do this work." He relied with wanting to know my answer.

"I want to know! "I love you." I want to know what it means! The Major said those words to me after he gave me my last order. That was the first time I heard those words from the Major. I can't understand... what it means" I told him while looking down at my feet.

"Normally, people become Auto Memory Dolls because they understand that. But... It's ok" And that is what he ended with. 

And from what I could tell was that my new journey was about to begin. 

Claudia Hodgins pov

She had always just followed Gilbert's orders in the past. That was the first time she asserted her own will. Everyone said she didn't have a heart and that she was a tool, but she said, "I want to know what 'I love you' means"

flashback

Gilbert's pov

As Violet sat there with both of her arms gone looking up at the roof. I just felt as if I had let her down. I promised that I would protect her and yet she is protecting me. All I could so was sit there crying. Then Violet turned around and spoke "No way! There's no way I'm going to let you die!" and after she said that she grabbed my blood stained shirt with her teeth trying to move me. 

"Stop!" but she kept trying with tears filling her beautiful eyes "Stop already!" and once I said that she stopped and sat down. "Live. Violet. Live, and... be free. From the bottom of my heart... I love you" and once I said those last words I smiled. 

"Love? What is Love? What is...Love? I don't understand! Major..." as Violet said that with tears running down her face all I could do was cry. 

I then heard a strange sound. And than I realised that it was the sound of bombs and before we were buried with all of my strength I push Violet out of the way in hope that she would survive.