Owen Changes His Mind

6. Violence 3/4

Present Time

"I have called this meeting to let you know what's really going on in the maze, and to find out if you'll help me achieve justice," Rasbi started. She'd called Krow and Guts to Red's house where Apo was, then asked Red to wait outside. Red had wheedled her about it though, until she relented and told him to stay quiet. He gave her a thumbs up and Rasbi realized she'd been glaring holes into his weird red suit.

"Is this about Owen?" Krow groaned.

"...yes," Rasbi admitted carefully.

"Rasbi..." Guts started, "Graecie told us what you told her. She said that you remember that Owen hates demons."

Rasbi scoffed. "Is that it!? That he hates demons!?" Her voice trembled with rage.

"What did he even do?" asked Krow.

"Rasbi-" Apo cautioned, but she interrupted them.

"Owen killed my sister, in cold blood. My sister, the princess who would marry the human prince and stop all this madness. He couldn't handle that there might be peace!" She was shouting now, standing over everyone else who was sitting. "He murdered her, at the engagement party, during the announcement, some guards tried to hold him back but he killed them-" Rasbi's body was shaking, but she was still pacing, walking over her chair without realizing it. "-and then he killed her, and he was laughing, laughing-! They didn't even have the decency to kill the b-"

Krow tilted its head.

Guts leaned back from Rasbi, eyes wide.

Apo was too shocked at her behavior to speak.

"Hey Rasbi," Red said from the corner, "Are you okay?"

Rasbi threw a knife in Red's direction that thunked deep into the wall. "You said you wouldn't speak."

Red held up his hands in silent surrender.

Guts glanced at Krow, who was grinning.

Apo and Red exchanged glances.

"Rasbi, when did you remember this?"

"When you came back, Apo. And- I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not believing you before. I let Owen drive a wedge between us."

Apo glanced nervously between the other people in the room; anyone but Rasbi. "That's alright Rasbi, I did lie to you. I pulled the lever." Krow shifted minutely towards Apo and grimaced. They leaned away from it. Rasbi didn't notice. "Um, a-anyway, Rasbi, did you just want to tell your story, or..?"

"I also have an invitation. But first," Rasbi angled herself towards Guts, "Graecie called a meeting to discuss whether we believe Owen is a danger to the clearing. She didn't invite Apo or I, the two people with the most history and knowledge about Owen's crimes. What did she say?"

Krow burst out laughing. For a moment everyone stared, but it kept going. Finally, Guts spoke up over the manic giggles. "She told us you'd said that Owen hates demons, and Krow said that's the same thing Apo said. We discussed the possibility you two hatched this plan up before, but I now I don't think you did."

"Now that's just ridiculous!" Red exploded from the corner. Everyone turned to look at him, and he mimed zipping his lips, locking them, and putting a key in his pocket.

"You're serious," murmured Krow after finally getting its gales of laughter under control.

"Yeah," Apo and Rasbi chorused. Apo continued, "I remember something different than Rasbi. I remember before, when we were still at war, he- my village was one of Owen's- ah. Um. Conquests, let's say."

"Wait a second," Krow interrupted. "You saved Owen's life. You dragged him back here. Why did you do that?"

Apo looked directly at Krow, squaring their shoulders. "Because I remembered his past a long time ago, when I was in the maze, and Owen was different when he didn't have his memories. Because, I didn't get over it, but the Owen in the maze is- or at least was- my best friend."

"You're weak," Krow accused.

"Apo is not weak," Red called.

"What the fuck?" Guts asked Apo, blinking.

"You...what?" Rasbi breathed, voice still shaking. "You could have killed him and you saved his life instead?"

"Fight! Fight," Krow chanted, "Fight! Fight!"

Rasbi stopped pacing. She slowly stalked towards Apo, who shrank back, tumbling out of their chair in order to step back again. "Apo. I will forgive you this once. This one time, because now I have a chance to fulfill my vengeance. But if you ever. Save. Owen's life. Again." She stopped, their noses an inch apart.

"Rasbi, please," Apo tried.

"I don't care how many people I have to go through to kill him. I don't care if one of them is you."

"Rasbi-" Apo gasped. A single tear squeezed out and raced down their cheek.

"I will kill my sister's murderer. I vow it. The only question is, will you help?"

"Great," Krow chortled. "But you're on your own. It won't mean the same thing if other people do all the hard work, wouldn't you say?" Guts didn't say anything at all.

Rasbi didn't look away from Apo. "Your sister wouldn't have wanted this for you," they pleaded miserably. Rasbi said nothing as she shoved her way past them on the way out of Red's house. Apo turned to Guts, Krow, and Red. "Does anyone know where Owen is now?"

"Yeah," Guts replied. "Graecie and Magic wanted him in prison. I keep the key on me at all times. She'll - she'll have to go through me. Oh god." Guts tore out of the house.

"Her sister," whispered Apo, touching their horn stumps, their eyes, their shoulders with nervous fluttery movements. They felt queasy. "Owen-"

"Now that's just sad," Krow drawled, and walked out the door without looking back.

"Can I talk now, or?" Red asked.

Apo got up in a daze and wandered out the door with Red calling out behind them.