Guardian(Part IV): Revelation

Chapter 21: Madelyn

We began to bring refugees to the relief platform of Safe Haven soon after our mission to the island north of Chardan. All of the ones we found had come from towns and villages that were caught in the middle of fighting between the Chardanish Regulars and the rebels who went by the name of "Trident". They would be provided with food, water, electricity, shelter, and protection. I would be a part of that protection, along with the Silver Hawks that defended Safe Haven. It was the most we could do for them, considering what many of them had been through for the past three years.

"The population of the relief platform is already over five hundred," I reported, landing next to Morgan.

"There'll only be more," Morgan sighed.

"I know," I agreed. "But we've done all we can for now."

"I guess," Morgan understood.

I began to sense a feeling of sadness from the Guardian. I understood why. With my help, Morgan was able to bring all of these refugees from Chardan to Safe Haven, but she couldn't protect her father, Lord Thatch. According to my analysis, a parent's death was nothing a child moved past easily. Morgan told me that after her mother's death, she was devastated, and was unable to stop crying for weeks upon weeks. I remembered how I reacted to my parents' deaths as well, but that was after I was placed in a Valkyrie's body. I could feel the grief, but I couldn't weep for them. Thinking about that now, I felt that same sadness again. I didn't remember the kind of monster that killed my parents, but I remembered Mikael and I going to see their bodies, and all that was left of them was ash. My brother and I were lucky to survive long enough to become Valkyries.

"Hey," Morgan blurted, and I felt her finger brush my face, right beneath my eye. When she took it away, I saw a drop of water on its tip. Given that she touched my face to have it on her finger, and considering that I was thinking of a painful moment of my life, there was only one thing the drop could have been. A tear. Was I... crying? My Mark Two body wasn't capable of it, and after going through every diagnostic in the Mark Three's systems, I saw nothing that informed me of the ability to shed tears.

"I didn't know I could do that," I said.

"What were you thinking about?" Morgan wondered.

"My parents," I answered. "I'm only... remembering. Most of it is... painful."

"I'm sorry," Morgan whispered, with a hand on my shoulder. I wiped the last of my tears away, and my smile returned to my face as I wrapped my own arm around her shoulders. There was no one else I would rather have called a friend. We shared similar pain and understood each other. She had risked her own life for me more times than I could count, and I had done the same for her. Studies showed that people who fight together on the battlefield form closer bonds, and which has definitely happened with Morgan and me.

"Have I expressed how grateful I am to have you as a friend?" I wondered.

"Yes," Morgan answered. "But I'm glad you're my friend, too."

"I know you want to see your former teammates again," I sighed. "Where do you think they are right now?"

"I'm sure they're getting into as much trouble as they can," Morgan guessed, chuckling. "But I honestly can't even begin to guess what they could be up to. I imagine John went back to Camnora, because he's always wanted to go back there. Penny's always wanted to explore as much as she possibly could, and Zephyr may very well be fighting some kind of horrible monster right now. I just hope they're safe."

"They are," I promised. "All of their vital signs are normal."

"That's a relief," Morgan chuckled. "I just wish I could see them again."