The Unwilling Protagonist

Chapter 28: Reighland's Very Enthusiastic Walk

"Reighland, who is this?" Hanged Man asked.

Reighland held the sleeping girl in her arms.

"I don't know. I found her in the Southern lands." Reighland replied, "I couldn't just leave her to die."

"Are we going to allow this child to stay here?" Justice asked, "I don't think this is a good place for her."

"I don't know...I think the poor dear needs a place to stay." Said Empress, "Reighland, why don't you take care of her in the meantime? Until Magician finds a suitable host for Hierophant, he'll be gone for some time. When he does return, I'll explain everything to him."

"Thank you." Reighland smiled. She carried the child with her as she traversed the corridors. To her left, she stopped to see Devil humming a tune while wiping down his torture devices. He looked right at her with that intolerable smile of his and she groaned in disgust. Then his gaze fell on the little girl, and his smile quickly changed into a look of concern. He quickly stood out of his chair and approached her.

"Where did you find that girl?" Devil interrogated, "Who left her to die like that?"

"Go away, Geralt! I won't let this little girl be involved in your antics; she's endured too much already..." Reighland said spitefully before she walked to her chambers. She was grateful that she lived in a room far from him, and even more so that it was next to the Empress, someone whom she could go to for help.

Reighland tucked the still-sleeping girl into her bed and stroked her hair.

"Rest well, my darling lune..." Reighland said to the girl, kissing her head, "You're safe now..."

Opening Theme:

Reighland and Monica were facing each other as the blizzard blew all around them. Monica's orange eyes and Reighland's white eyes stared directly at each other as they held their swords up.

"It's not too late to stop this Monica...I don't want to hurt you..." Reighland said.

Monica lowered her sword for a moment with a sad expression. Then she collected herself and held it up again. If either of the two could cry, they most likely would have.

After all, it was a mother fighting against her daughter.

Theme of Monica:

Monica and Reighland circled each other for what felt like an eternity. The whooshing winds blew snow past their faces.

"I must say, I truly am happy to see you improve like this. You even affected me with little effort..." Reighland said.

Monica said nothing; she just continued to circle Reighland.

"Monica...I'm sorry. I really am." Reighland said sadly, "I'm sure that you thought I abandoned you when I left. Do you know how much I wanted to take you with me? Do you know how much I wanted to just run back into the tower just to bring you with me? The reason I didn't do so was because I didn't want you to get hurt. Everyone was afraid of anything that looked like Magician whether they were harmless or not. You couldn't maintain a human form for very long, and I didn't want someone to try and kill you."

Monica stopped moving and raised her sword in a combative stance.

"I don't know if you can ever forgive me, but please, don't fight me. Just release your spell on everyone on the mountain, and we can try to compromise. Tell me that you want us to be together again, or tell me that you never want to see me ever, and I'll do it." Reighland said.