The Heart of Gears

Chapter XI

I feel someone to the left of me tapping my shoulder, I wake up and look to my left to be greeted with Amy looking at me. "Listen, I'm. Sorry that I tried to kill you before. I.. Always hated you guys, I did. You guys got the better relationships and more reputation than us. And what I got as a Wingson from my citizens? Nothing but the rich and powerful, not giving a damn about anything, even the low paying citizens in Mestra. That's why I hated you, hated that smile of yours. Your happiness. Happiness that I never got. I was trapped in my own mind, my own city. Scott was the one who broke me out, that's why I owed him my life. He saved me from taking my life. But, after hearing your mother tell me that were related. I.. Had to really think about how I felt about you, our family. And to be honest, I've always wanted a younger sister, and now I do." She Hands me her Katana. "Christine, I want you to know, that even if I hated you. That after this battle, I will be always here. As your older sister." I gently shove the sheathed katana back to her. "I accept your apology, and I accept you as a little sister. But right now, the fate of every universe hangs in the balance with Scott. I have a feeling we are going to need him, and you are going to need that for the fight. You know the game plan?" She nods, I grab my scythe from below and activate the weapon, as Amy and Tori draw out there weapons as well. The light turns from red to green, as we rush out from the back of APHC. I twirl the scythe backward, pointing the end of the pole towards the tanks. The tanks turning their turrets towards us open fire with machine guns, I press the trigger rapidly. Slashing the top machine gun ports on the top of the turrets. "Go go go!" I see Amy and Tori rush into the compound. A tank's coaxial machine gun fires at Amy, I quickly slash the barrel and fire in the back of the tank. The tank lit on fire I slid off the turret and run to Amy holding her. "Amy, Amy!" "G..Go. Go without me." She's bleeding out a lot, I activate my shield to block the machine gun fire. "I'm not leaving without you, it's going to take more than that to harm my big sister." I put my left hand on her, healing her wounds. We run inside the main building of the castle. As I opened the first door and peaked around the counter. I was pulled in and shoved to the floor, with the D-60 aimed at me and Scott behind the trigger? "Scott?" He stops aiming it at me and helps me up "Christine?" "I thought you were going to talk to my dad?" "Well that was until you decided to show up.. Were falling back-" "no, were killing my dad." He sighed. "Fine. But you're going to need this." He hands me the D-60 "it's only got 1 shot in it left." "It's good, all I need is one shot to end his reign." The four of us rush to the hall. As we rushed to the hall, I see soldiers with guns loaded aimed at us. "Go, I got this." Said Amy "what? Why-" "go! I'll hold them off. Leave this to big sis." "I'll stay with you. You're going to need my intelligence." Added Tori. "Very well. Go!" We both nod, as Scott and I rush another way and reach the hall. Scott took out his M1 Garand "on three. One. Two. Three!" We barge in and I aimed the D-60 at my dad's head, as he turned around I fired. As time stopped and my vision around me was dark red with flames surrounding us and a spotlight on my dad. I try to move but I couldn't, as I hear someone humming the song Only You beside me, as I see my dad walking from the left of me to the front of me, I look up, as he took my pistol and unload the magazine. I begin to panic, thinking n-no. W-Who did I shoot?! N..no. I.. it can't be. "Hey. Only you could've gotten away with this. Only you could pull a shoot as amazingly as that. And. Only you~ have ended his life." As time continued I see Scott drop dead on the floor with a headshot bullet to the head. As I begun to remember something, I close my eyes.

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I was outside of the dance hall.. as I hear the song Only You play behind me, I turn around and see Scott walk up to me, he grabs my hand. "Have you ever Slow danced before?" I shake my head. "No." "Here, I'll teach you." I feel him grab both my hands, as we begin Slow dancing, putting my left foot forward them going right then back and then left and repeat, he lets go one of my hands then twirls me around and brought me closer to him and puts his arm around my waist as we swayed together. "You remember, don't you?" "Of course. This was the song that was playing when you almost kissed me." As we continue to slow dance, "yea, about that, I'm sorry I confessed to you and tried to kiss you. I want to thank you, for showing me what love is.. I felt so dead inside until I meet you. The most cutest, smartest, loving, and voice of an angel." I began to feel happy and excited. "Stop flattering me, I bet you have someone you like already." "I do." He stops Slow dancing, as I do the same he turns me around and kisses my forehead "she's right in front of me." I look up at him. "M-me? N-no, your joking I know it. After all I.. I'm just a shy girl who can't make friends-" "that's not true, that's not true at all Christine, you care for others, put yourself in harms way to protect those in need, I don't care if your shy or not, to me, only you can order me to leave your protection.." As I felt a wave of embarrassment come over me. Mother. I can't believe you were right about him liking me.. "Close your eyes." As he closes his eyes, I tippy tow up to him and kissed him on the lips.

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I open my eyes and come back to reality, as I began to cry. I rush to his body while looking at his lifeless body, as I bend down on my knees and cry. The cassette tape my mother gave me drop out of my pocket and begun to play. It was the song True Colors, as my dad looked at me with wide eyes, dropped down on his knees and begun to cry, looking at the floor. "Ethel. My wife. W.. what have I done? W..why have I done this?.." He looks up at me, then walks up to me and extends his hands to hugs me. "Christine. My daughter. I'm so sorry I did this to you please forgi-" I shove him away. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" as I kept crying. "Christine-" I hear a gun rack beside me. "Get away from her." Said Amy's voice. As I held Scott's lifeless body, I cried for hours on end while holding him.

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A month later, I was living on my own in Clockwork, it was a day before Christmas, and it seems like I am spending it alone... I never got in touch with Amy, or Tori. When they asked if I wanted to join, I refused. Because I knew, deep inside, I felt dead inside like Scott had. I wake up and walking to the kitchen, I turn on the light and walk over to the fridge while playing Scott's favorite song All out of love by Air supply on the cassette player. I open the freezer and take out the whole bowl of ice cream and begin eating it out of the container with a spoon, crying. I Feel someone tap my left shoulder, I see my dad as I shove him away. "You. You made me kill my boyfriend.." I say while crying. "I.. Came to apologize.." I look at him suspiciously and turn the cassette player off. "Why do you always lie?" I Sniffle "I am deeply sorry Christine." He hugs me with a fatherly hug, as I hear him cry. "I'm sorry I killed you and your mother. I'm so sorry." I hug him back. "You. Harmed me." "I know, I know Christine. Please. Do you have it in your heart to forgive me?" I nod. "Yes, I do." As I sense a very powerful goddess behind me, as I turn around to see who it was, it was Scott? Standing behind the counter. I go around the counter and looked up at him, as he smiled back with tears running down his cheeks. "Ah, it's good to be back with my little hime." "How are you still alive?" "That's a question, for another story. For now. We've got a lot to catch up on." He extends his hand, as I was about to grab his hand, I remembered a flashback to the time I shot him in the head. I put my hand to the side and shoved him away, looking away from him. "I..I'm sorry Scott, I. No longer want to be your future wife. I.. am not good enough to be with you.." As I was about to run away, I feel his hand grab my left hand, gripping my hand tightly.