BASP[ONE]GO

It was kind of concerning and made the Ribika’s tail sway thoughtfully behind him.

This person... he isn't human, is he?

His sister is a true Intoner, unlike himself and as much as it bestowed her abilities that could easily be mistaken for that of a living goddess, it unfortunately came with a downside. Her sisters got it somewhat easy, as poor One was birthed into the world with all five of her senses augmented. While it could be useful to some, he knew his sister only found it irritating as it grew stronger with each passing day. Often, he had to speak softly and calmly so as not to deafen her ears.

❀ Her flat tone would be accompanied by an exasperated sigh that indicated that she had stopped listening to his idle chatter, his praise for their sibling. She didnt care about it, she didnt want to hear it. It would put her in a fouler mood.

Still, Zero was not convinced this male had the same conviction as One herself. One had some sense of justice, and pride, but there was a slight waiver in this mans voice, it made just enough of a difference that Zero took interest in it. His disgusting glare, his annoying tone of voice which seemed to talk over her in some sort of attempt at intimidation. ❀ 

"As if there wasnt some reason for such selfless acts.”

❀ She had enough of his silly praise for One, he held her on a pedestal like some sort of goddess, when all of them were nothing but monsters.  He understood nothing, and neither did any of her siblings. Setting the record straight wouldnt change a thing, so she would simply kill them. Still, another statement found its way to Zero’s ears, slightly amused she would scoff.❀ 

I wouldn’t be the same person I am now if it wasn’t for her.

Still, to have a direct conversation with Zero put him at an uncomfortable unease. His sister's warnings hovered over him, watchful of what Zero may do next. For now, it seemed neither party was interested in pointing at each other with their respective weapons.

He could tell that she held no interest for whatever he had to say to her. No wonder One hated her so much. Her last response to him, however, caused him to fall silent.

It was a lot to take in.

The fact that this place was above and beyond what they could ever hope to comprehend. If his sister, One, the most knowledgeable and wisest of the five Intoners, could not grasp just what it was that sent them here, then what hope did he have of ever understanding this city? It was an alarming realization, one that intimidated him to his very core. To think that such beings existed with power above an Intoner's... it was a scary thought.

If they can pluck people as easily as they did him, his sister and even Zero, then One could only imagine what these men in white were fully capable of.

He perks when he hears that she had encountered her nemesis in this city. "You have? Then, you fought?" he questioned, deducing it to be the only outcome. He remembered what she said about their eldest sister. In the end, any familial feelings she may have once had for Zero, had died long ago. "A different timeline... so that means, she isn't the same Zero I killed that day." He watched his sister's expression for a few moments, noting how she talked about Zero. So despite them being 'different', the hostility remains.

He smiles as she does, only to frown when her words fell upon his ears. "...Not fight her? But...!" He attempted to protest, but caught and stopped himself from doing so, biting his lower lip. It would be rude to his sister and she knew what was best. She is wise for that reason, and it would be foolish of him to not heed her words as she instructed, despite feeling wholly against it. 

"I understand..." he answers hesitantly, crimson irises glancing on the wooden weapon he'd been given. His brows furrowed as he frowned. He wasn't at all pleased, but he understood. 

"Perhaps I'd been too hasty to show you how much I've grown, dear sister. I wanted to show you what I could be capable of. I wanted you to be proud of me..." He smiles faintly and returns his gaze to One. "I'll do as you ask. I'll avoid fighting her if I do see her. But sister... if she does ever threaten you... I'll protect you. That, I promise."

His words were filled with conviction. Likewise, he did not doubt his sister's abilities. In fact, she was much stronger than he could ever be. But he wanted to protect her nonetheless. She worries for him, and he wouldn't want to make that worse by putting himself in danger. Thugs like the ones they had encountered he could take on no problem... but Zero was a whole different ball game.

Armored digits made their way to her chin, nudging her upwards, gently, so that he may look at her face. One smiles. "I promise. I'll keep myself out of danger for you." He leaned in, closing his eyes and touching her forehead with his. He lets the moment settle, slowly finding himself to be lost in it. Being this close to her always had this effect on him.

His heart felt a great ease when she reaffirmed his feelings for her, smiling briefly as he felt himself accepted by his dear sister once more. She must have felt it too, then? At the time, he had no idea. Before he grew up into the world without her and before his experiences had molded him into maturing outside of the tower, One never did understand why she thought their relationship to be so immoral.

But now, he knew more and understood why. It was understandable, but he wouldn't throw away how he felt despite it. They were a lot alike in this aspect and frankly, so long as she was with him, nothing else would ever matter.

These feelings of joy and love were welcome to someone who had been alone since fate had dealt them tragedy. Though this reunion was heartfelt, it brought with it troubling news. A twisted form of reality that he will eventually have to accept.

When she gave him that stern expression, One immediately became attentive. She was always so serious about a lot of things, but whenever she made that expression, he knew it could be beyond mere seriousness. And he was right.

"A different... timeline?" Was such a thing even possible? His sister was proof of that, but it was confusing all the same. The news that she came from a different timeline disheartened him somewhat, but it was not enough to completely dissuade him. This is his sister One, no doubt. She may have come from a different time, but the bond they had still endured.

"I think I understand. Zero... she's still alive here, then? You've met her? I killed her, you know? Just like you asked of me to. But to know now that she still lives is..." He wondered if this Zero still posed as a threat to One. The male intoner mirrors her stern expression, and lifts a hand to caress and cup her cheek.

Still, Zero could see now that bringing up the female made him wrought with  feelings; and instead Zero was just so kind as to inform him that One had neglected his presence in this place and Midgard all together. At least to her knowledge. That ought to make him feel less embarrassed, right? ❀ 

"One becoming to new eldest means that she tends to forget a lot of unimportant things. It’s no question why she would forget you.”

But he didn't care for that. He knew how he felt towards One, and he was going to stand firm on that.

So when Zero let loose her sharp tongue, the male Intoner's previous bashfulness immediately disappeared, contorting into a disapproving glare. Slowly, he began to realize why his twin might have had such a loathing for their eldest sister...

When she fell to her knees to finally touch him, One practically threw himself over her. Oh how he longed for his sister's touch once more. How he missed her warmth and the feel of her presence against his skin. Her scent drew him even closer to her, wrapping his arms around his beloved sister as she pulled him into a tight embrace, his fingers digging into her clothing.

He continued to sob, resting the top of his head against her bosom as he let all the hurt and all the pain he had hidden away all these years be relinquished from their cage. It felt so good to just let all of it go at once, not even caring how he must have looked so vulnerable to the person he wanted to look so strong and reliable for. But that didn't matter now, did it? All that mattered that she was truly here with him now and that they were together once more.

Hearing her speak was like a lullaby to his ears.

By now, he had stopped sobbing, letting himself be lost in the moment of being reunited by someone he thought to be a ghost. "You're here... you're really here..." he whispered, repeating the same words like a mantra. All that hurt had now given way to happiness. One himself was now smiling, nudging himself as close as he possibly could to his sister.

Slowly, he raises his head to look at his sister's face. A slight shade of pink had made its way to his cheeks. It was like looking into a mirror... but she was there. It wasn't like how he would do it whenever he felt lonely. She was really there, for real this time.

"It was hard... I had to do a lot of it myself you know? But... I came through. I learned from the best, after all." he began, eager to tell her all about the things he had accomplished thanks to her guidance, like a younger brother would to their older sibling. "And... I, uh..."His eyes falter for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. His gaze is pried from her face as he reciprocates her heartfelt words.

"I... I love you too. I've missed you so much."

But his smile fades. 

He’s used to seeing her vulnerable side.

As he draws back and stumbles around, the gears in One’s head begin to turn and she is finally able to see his full appearance, rather than just his face. His hair… Is longer and more untamed than she last remembers it. Not only that, but his clothing style is completely different, along with his personality. True, she has only seen how he reacts in battle and how he reacts now, but everything about him… Seems different than before.

And perhaps a little colder.

His mind raced as a myriad of questions flooded into it, threatening to drown his sanity the longer he looked at his mirror image. His heart began beating faster with each passing minute and yet, this was not that of nervousness or extreme anxiousness. No, what his heart felt contrasted what the rest of his body experienced. His heart knew and it longed for her and her touch.

But this was impossible. It shouldn't be.

Was this a trick? Some sort of magic this city had imposed upon him when they took him in? That was it. That was it, wasn't it? That could be the only explanation, after all! He is unable to think straight now, the icy cold brutality gone in favor of what is akin to a lost puppy.

Speaking of stopping, a scene a few meters away had interrupted her aimless walking and excitable train of thought. There was a young girl surrounded by a flock of strange men. Well. A scenario like this screamed bad news anyway you looked at it. She locked eyes with her pegasus, and they exchanged a brief nod. Cynthia charged over to where the girl was standing and proceeded to jump  in front of the girl in a fierce protective manner.

"How dare you wretches prey upon this frail girl?" She raised the lance at them. "Do you have no sense of honor? No sense of decency?!"

She turned her head a little to face the person she was now hell-bent on protecting. “Have no fear, lass! Cynthia, the Bringing of Justice, has come to your aid!” Her grin was confident and her eyes shone almost radiantly. “These villains will rue this day!”

They chose this, he reminded himself.

The hooded male was about to take action when an ear-piercing voice tore through the intensity of the situation. The male Intoner, as did the men surrounding him, all whipped their heads at the direction of the source of the voice, who was no in front of him after a fierce jump and introduction.

"Frail... girl? Lass? Hey, wait...!"

He was absolutely dumbfounded. Was this his supposed savior? He couldn't exactly blame her for mistaking him as female. It had happened a lot of times, much to his chagrin. He was about to correct her when a keen eye spotted movement. Without warning, One shoves the girl aside to block a blow meant for her. He pushes the man back and turns to the girl.

Giggling dizzily, the girl took a few, unsteady steps to the right before starting to skip forward, arms stretched out wide. Weaving energetically through strangers, the end of her long scarf trailed behind her as she attempted to avoid colliding with a single person. Odd looks she may have earned, but Two wouldn’t pay them any mind. As long as she wasn’t hurting anyone, the Intoner wanted to have a little bit of fun! Not to mention, One wasn’t here to scold her moment of immaturity!

Rounding a corner suddenly the ever-humming, azure crowned girl found herself standing in a dark alley. Blinking, Two took a cautious step forward, the sound of disgruntled voices drawing her forward. Where was it coming from? Was someone in trouble?! The heels of her boots clacked hard against the pavement, signaling her approach, as she darted towards the next corner, chasing the noise. This time, the Intoner located the source – or, in this case, sources.

It appeared that there were several men surrounding another individual, who’s sex and gender she could not identify from her current position. Well, it didn’t matter! This was clearly an unfair fight! But, with her here now, they didn’t have a thing to worry about! Sliding between the two people closest to her, the songstress threw herself between the group and the stranger in need, arms outstretched. Taking in a deep breath, the girl would finally speak, voice full of confidence.

He could see exactly six men and those were the ones who decided to come out from the shadows from whence they hid. The hooded Intoner deduced that likely, there could be more of them hiding just in case one or two of them fail to apprehend him, or whatever disgusting thing they planned for someone like him. The Intoner shut his eyes and shook his head.

Foolish. They should have heeded his warning when they still had the chance.

This was not the first time he'd been surrounded by hostile men who were itching for a fight with malicious intents. If so, then why does he live still if they so posed a threat to a regular person? Because each and every time, he had prevailed and won such fights. He was no ordinary man with a pretty face, after all. All these thugs had signed up for would be nothing more than broken bones and rearranged faces. Or worse, perhaps, even death.

He raised his sword, ready to deal with these scum of the earth when out of nowhere, someone else had joined the impending fray. The male Intoner took a step back, momentarily startled by her arrival yet strangely at ease with her loud and radiant presence. The thugs too, seemed to be perplexed by her arrival but soon, their threatening auras loomed once more, unconvinced that this new girl could do them any real harm.

Oh, how utterly wrong they were.

The hooded male wastes no time, using the girl's timely arrival to his advantage. He uses her unintended distraction as an opening, sending his wooden weapon slicing into the air. It connects to the nearest man's cranium, a sickening cracking sound following the strike. He strafes to the girl's side, and addresses her without turning to look.

"Let's save introductions for later. For now, help me put these bastards down!"

"…I should ask you the same question, I never—"

Someone she absolutely hates.

"Y-You!? But how...!?"

A foreboding feeling now builds up within her chest, as she starts to approach one conclusion. It’s a conclusion she doesn’t want to admit could even be possible, due to her own stubbornness in a way. That person back home… That person she holds in higher regard than anyone else and the one she needs to ensure never dies… No, no; he can’t be here. Surely the scientists even knew that. They wouldn’t bring him here.

They wouldn’t.

They wouldn’t.

They would.

Red optics widen as her sparring partner for the moment gets thrown against the wall, One turning to the last remaining foe in the alleyway. She can’t help herself from taking the sharp intake of air or temporarily feeling far too light on her feet. Why… Why, why, why!? Why have they taken him, of all people? He needs to be back home… He doesn’t deserve this! If she must suffer through this hell of sorts, then so be it, but she won’t allow him to fall from his grace and join her.

I must protect him.

A battle cry of sorts is exclaimed as the weapon itself is dropped, the Intoner opting to draw back a fist instead and clock the thug right in the jaw before he has the chance to deal another blow to the person she holds more dearly than any other. It’s strange, how she feels such rage from this act, but she knows she would react the same if any of her sisters were in harms way, as well. With that in mind, she picks the foe back up by his collar, demonstrating surprising strength for someone so small in stature, and proceeding to hit him over and over again.

And again.

And again.

Satisfied with her anger being relinquished, she lets go of the shirt’s collar, allowing the stranger to flop back onto the ground. A few deep exhales are made, not from exhaustion, but rather, from stress. After a few more breaths, she finally gathers her courage and turns around to approach the one who had been thrown against the wall.

Armoured hands slowly and carefully reach out to the face of the other as she kneels down, as if he could disappear at any moment. Her face shows a surprising amount of emotion for one who masks it so well, and her eyebrows furrow. It takes her a moment to bite back tears and draw her hands back, as if the fear of touching him would make him disappear.

He had been thrown off balance and even tossed aside by a regular human being. That had never happened before. Was he really so distracted that he had his guard down that much? The experience was humbling as it was infuriating. Luckily enough, he wouldn't be suffering from any long-lasting injuries. Bruises, perhaps and an aching pain at the back of his head, but nothing more.

Shut eyes flicker open as the once hooded Intoner fought back the pain, thoughts of getting back up quickly to join the fray rushing through his mind. That is, until a ghostly image passed by him, yelling in utter fury. Eyes widened as he saw the figure dash for the man who had managed to topple him, a mix of fear and admiration swelling in his chest as he watched this tiny girl deliver a beating he had never seen. 

His breath became shallow as he watched a mirror image of himself destroy the man's face, unable to believe what he was seeing before him. Even the remaining men stood still in utter awe of the woman's strength, eventually fleeing for their lives as soon as she was done rearranging the bone structure of their fellow thug.

But... how was this possible? 

How is she alive...?