Soul Chains

Chapter 46: Cold Justice

After a few solemn hours, Hilda offers us some warm food to cheer us up and catches up with Aislinn specifically, telling her that she's always here for her and she's welcome to visit any time she wants to.

"Normally, I wouldn't advise a meal at three in the morning, but it seems your sleep schedules are all messed up and you could all use some cheering up. My grandmother always said nothing cheered someone up better than a nice, warm, home-cooked meal," Hilda says as we sit around her living room and she smiles as she brings in angel food cake and chicken noodle soup.

As Hilda brings in the food, Aislinn pulls out a locket from her pocket and opens the golden framing, smiling as she brushes her hand across a photograph of her and Mercury, him smiling and making peace signs with a red shirt and a white collar, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows with bandages covering his forearms and his red and white hair somewhat unruly as she's standing beside him, smiling softly with her long wavy hair down and two small braids on either side of her head in silver elven styled wire and a white sundress with silver glitter.

"Hey, Aislinn..." I start, unsure if I should ask this, "do you mind if I ask you something about your family?"

"No," Aislinn sighs and shuts the locket, putting it back in her pocket as she looks at me, "go ahead."

"How come Phoenix said your family ruined his?" I ask and Aislinn glances down at the table as Hilda places a plate down in front of her and glances at her.

"Phoenix..." Tsukumi whispers quietly as she looks down at her soup, her eyes sad.

"That's..." Aislinn sigh and lowers her gaze to her plate, "my family owns a major corporation and they essentially rob people blind. Phoenix's family went bankrupt because of my family, which is another reason why Phoenix became a street fighter. He was on edge about trusting me at first, but...he opened up to me once I told him some things about myself."

"That's terrible," Renee sighs and shakes her head.

"Yes, it is," Aislinn says quietly and continues staring at her steaming soup.

"Hey," I say and place a hand gently on her shoulder, "you're nothing like them, just remember that."

"I know," she smiles sadly before her smile falls, "perhaps it's that I wish they were more like me that makes me the most sad."

"You may not be able to change who they are, but you can change the way your family name is seen," Ciana says with a bright smile from across the room, making Aislinn's eyes widen, "make the world remember you for you."

"Thank you, Ciana," Aislinn smiles fondly.

"This looks amazing!" Nathan interjects as Hilda places food down in front of him, which makes Hilda chuckle.

"I'm glad you think so," Hilda grins as she walks off.

"Thank you for so kindly taking us in, Hilda," Reine says as she crumbles off a piece of her food cake.

"Oh, it's no trouble," Hilda waves, "I love cooking for people and helping others, especially Aislinn. She was such a nice little girl to take care of, never made a fuss whatsoever and showed kindness to everyone."

Aislinn bashfully returns her gaze to the table as Hilda chuckles and walks back to the kitchen.

"We should still probably figure out where we're going next," Mikasa says, "are we still planning to head to the frontlines in hope of finding a relic holder?"

"That's most likely our best bet," Renji says from beside Mikasa.

"Are you certain your brother will be back, Mikasa?" Dimitri asks.

"I..." Mikasa trails off for a moment before she smiles and meets Dimitri's gaze, "I have faith that he will."

"Aislinn," Ciana starts with a sudden realization, "we wondered while you were gone if you were able to open a portal to Medea's garden. We decided that you probably can't, but...can you?"

"I don't believe so, no," Aislinn frowns.

"Darnit," Ciana sighs, "it looks like the frontlines really are our only option."

"I thought you loved fighting?" Ayette raises a brow.

"Don't get me wrong, I do," Ciana grins but her smile slowly falls from her lips and her expression gets replaced with one of past hurt, "but...I'm tired of seeing people get hurt."

"Well, whatever we have to do, I'll do it," Kaltrina says sternly after a spoonful of soup.

"Kaltrina..." Shitau trails off, his eyes sad as his breath hitches and he looks over at her.

"Heading to the frontlines will most certainly prove dangerous," Tsukumi says and the rest of us turn towards her.

"Hey," Nathan frowns, "I know Coralyinn wants all this power and stuff and to rage wars, but does anyone actually know why?"

"Coralyinn was...monumentally wronged," Mikasa says hesitantly and my eyes flicker over to her.

"Could you tell us?" I ask.

"I..." Mikasa pauses for a few moments, "yes, I suppose so...Coralyinn never knew her father and she grew up as an only child to a single mother who constantly worked three jobs just to pay the bills. Coralyinn grew up knowing almost nothing of her Iegashyia abilities because her mother was a human and her father wasn't around. In short, she was...very lonely and very conflicted inside. Coralyinn struggled to find who she was. She grew up very angry at the world, having watched her mother struggle alone all her life. She only ever made one friend, who was a boy who lived down the street from her. And, whenever Coralyinn was eleven, her mother was found dead by a broken mirror and several shards of bloody glass inside of their cottage by Coralyinn. Coralyinn picked up the glass in horror as she sat there, eyes fixed ahead wide and broken. Coralyinn's friend was blamed for the murder because he came from a poor family who many of the townspeople didn't like because they had to beg for food. He was the perfect scapegoat because everyone knew he always visited. Despite Coralyinn's protests, he was taken away and he died due to negligence. It is...unknown to me who Coralyinn's father is and if her friend truly did die, but that's just part of it."

"What happened to Coralyinn after that?" Ayette frowns.

"Coralyinn grew enraged to cover over her sorrows," Mikasa says sadly, "she realized her powers when she accidentally froze her entire house solid in a fit. Her desire for justice warped into something more, something deadly, something...inhumane. She wanted to do whatever it took to show the world what she felt was true justice. So, she made a deal with Medea, whose garden opened to her. Medea gave her a gift, a special pair of daggers that allow her to drain the powers of others and take them for herself. She was allowed to ask for anything she wanted, within reason, due to surviving Medea's garden and proving her worth. And now...nothing will stop her from continuing on her mission."

"I believe that you'll be successful in stopping her," Hilda says with a small smile, "after all, the world could always use a few heroes."

"Yes..." Aislinn trails off, "but heroes don't always get to see what they risked their lives for, nor do they always get the happy ending, leaving nothing but death and sorrow in their wake for their loved ones while everyone else celebrates unknowingly. And those heroes hope, they just hope, that they didn't give every last bit of themselves for nothing, because they'll never truly know."

"Aislinn..." Ciana's breath hitches and she watches sadly as Aislinn excuses herself from the table.

"We will depart for the frontlines at eight," Reine says, clearing her throat and standing up, "be ready by then."