Naomi had now been brought to safety. What exactly Zantanel did remained unclear. Still, it was strange that she had been left alive, which made Fiona unsure whether it had only been an attempt to terrify her or if there was something more behind it.
Sophie: "W What?...Zantanel was with her?"
Fiona: "Yeah…That's why I brought her here."
Sophie: "I see…Yeah…That really is important."
Fiona: "Mhm…Any news? How are things with missions?"
Sophie: "Well…yeah…Uhm…We still don't have one."
Fiona: "Weird…It's already been several days and still nothing new…"
Sophie: "Yeah…oh by the way…Fiona, Violet is coming back today."
Fiona: "Really?...That's cool…then introduce Cossette to her."
(A few hours later)
(Ding…Dong)
Sophie: "Oh…"
She opened the door.
Violet: "Hey."
Sophie: "Hey…Violet…I'm happy to see you again."
Violet: "Hehehe…Yeah…Sure…Happy to see you too…"
Sophie: "And how was the mission?"
Violet: "Very…exhausting...…"
Sophie: "Hmm?"
Violet: "Ah…Nothing…Uhm…I…had to kill him."
Sophie: "Who?"
Violet: "….Javier.."
Sophie: "What…why him?...He was an old man…"
Violet: "He wanted it…He said nobody was allowed to find out. And he was afraid he would be hunted down and tortured…so…"
Sophie: "…at least he knows now that you are his…granddaughter…"
Violet: "Mmm."
She shook her head.
Violet: "No."
Sophie: "Violet….."
Fiona: "Hmmm...oh...Violet.."
Violet: "Oh...Fiona..hey.."
Fiona: "….Hey….I heard about your grandpa...I'm sorry."
Violet: "It's alright….One thing makes me happy…My grandpa was an honorable man...I'm proud to be his granddaughter."
Sophie: "Hmm…"
Lina: "Miss Sophie..ugh…"
Violet: "Hmm..is that the new girl everyone's talking about?"
Sophie: "Yeah…Lina Adelheid…."
Violet: "Hey...Nice to meet you...I'm Violet Miranda…"
Sophie: "Hmm."
Lina: "Very nice to meet you…Miss Miranda."
Violet: "It's alright, just call me Violet…"
She walked inside.
Violet: "Hmmm…"
Cossette: "Hey Sophie can you help m...oh…..who is that?"
Sophie: "Oh, Violet.."
Violet: "Ughhh.....hahhh....."
She blushed.
Violet: "A child!...So cuteeeee!!!...Why didn't anyone tell me?...Oh she's so adorable!!
Fiona: "By the way…it's 'she is' not 'she's is.'"
She slowly walked toward Cossette.
Cossette: "Ohh…...Uhm….Fiona….She's as pretty as you and Sophie.."
Violet: "Oooohhh...You think so?...hehehe…"
She patted her head.
Fiona: "Yeah...By the way, Violet is actually the youngest out of us two…"
Violet: "Yeah...But I'm not a teenager anymore either, I'm 18 years old…"
Cossette: "Oh...."
Violet: "Hehe..(Smiles)
Sophie: "Hm…."
Violet: "I heard about Tom Fog….Sorry I couldn't come."
Sophie: "You were on a mission…"
Fiona: "Yeah…"
Violet: "Hmmm...What actually happened with the Owls?...I heard they caused a lot of trouble."
Sophie: "Yeah….This was one of their victims."
Violet: "Huh?"
She looked at Naomi.
Sophie: "A good friend of Fiona's…..Hmm."
Fiona: "Yeah...She lost an arm."
Violet: "Hmmm…...It really seems like it was terrible…"
Sophie: "You must be tired…Do you want to eat?"
Violet: "Uhm...First I want to take a really long bath."
Cossette: "Ohh….I wanted to bathe too...Fiona, can I bathe with her please?"
Fiona: "Hmm?...Uhm..Violet wants to rest."
Violet: "Hehehe...It's alright..Come with me Cossette."
Cossette: "Yeah...hehe."
Fiona: "If that's the case…"
Violet: "Okay...See you later, come on hmm?"
She stretched out her hand. Cossette held it while humming.
Sophie: "Wooow...Violet is really good with stuff like that."
Fiona: "Yeah….She knows how to deal with others...Probably the best out of us."
Sophie: "Hmm.."
(Meanwhile)
Zantanel: "Hmmmm...."
She was in the middle of the clouds…The clouds that were lilac colored…Here, the clouds were the sea and the sea was the clouds.
(Weeee)
Zantanel: "Hmmm...a whale?"
She looked upward…a whale was swimming there.
Zantanel: "Weird that things like that don't eat humans."
Remy: "Hmmm…..Either way…you can't really reach up there…"
Zantanel: "Hmmmm…..I thought Dukewood was an upside down kingdom, right?...For them the sea is below and the clouds are above….So from here, when we see them…we see them upside down?"
Remy: "Have you ever been there?"
Zantanel: "No…..And you?"
Remy: "Yeah...I was there once."
Zantanel: "I see…"
Ruslana: "Hmm…..Where are we going now?"
Zantanel: "Hahh I just need to leave the Slavic Empire…At least for now….How about we just take a break?"
Ruslana: "Uhh..Yeah..a break….hehehe….."
Jack: "Hmmm…"
Benedik: "Then I'll prepare a delicious meal for you Miss Zantanel."
Zantanel: "Sure…"
Remy: "Hmm…."
Zantanel: "For now I just want to relax….hahh...Come here Remy….Lie down next to me."
Remy: "Hmm?"
Jack: "Huh?...(Pouting).."
Ruslana: "Ohh….Looks like someone's jealous …..Right, little Jack?"
Jack: "Don't annoy me….mmmm….."
Zantanel was lying on a huge summer bed…..Remy was only sitting beside her..
Zantanel: "Hhahh….the sea is beautiful…...The stars too…."
Three layers….the clouds…...the stars…..then the sea….Whether it's like that in Ceres or Venus…Nobody really knows.
Zantanel: "Hmmm...Regeleus really is an insane dimension ...don't you think?"
Remy: "Hmmm...Yeah.."
Zantanel: "Hmph….Come on..Lie down next to me….Remy….we're taking a break.."
Remy: "Hahhh...okay."
He lay down beside her...She was wearing an undershirt for the first time without her long outfit.
Zantanel: "Hmmmm…"
Remy: "Hhmm….What is it?"
Zantanel: "Hmm..I'm just thinking about cutting my hair..It's gotten really long."
Remy: "Hmmm…."
Zantanel: "Hahh Sadly nobody here can cut hair and I can't exactly go to a hairstylist..."
Remy: "Uhm...I...can cut hair."
Zantanel: "Ugh...Really?!"
She stood up with red cheeks.
Zantanel: "Really now?"
Remy: "Yeah..Do you want me to?"
Zantanel: "Gladly..gladly…"
Remy: "(Sweating...Why is she suddenly acting childish)...Uhm….Okay."
Zantanel: "When can we start?"
Remy: "Whenever you want."
Zantanel: "Is now okay?"
Remy: "Sure….."
He stood up.
Remy: "Well then."
He took a blanket and wrapped it around her.
Zantanel: "Hmm?"
Remy: "So the hair doesn't fall everywhere...Normally you use a special cape...but since we don't have that here, I'm using this old blanket….Is that alright?"
Zantanel: "Sure.."
He started cutting her hair.
Remy: "How long should it be?"
Zantanel: "Uhm…..I'll leave that to you…Besides, aren't you supposed to ask that beforehand?"
Remy: "Hehehe…..Yeah…Well if that's the case…I think I'll make it medium...Not too long and not too short.."
(Snip) (Snip)
Zantanel: "Hmmm…"
Remy: "Mmm…"
Zantanel: "Do you like blonde more?"
Remy: "Huh?"
Zantanel: "I thought guys liked blonde hair."
Remy: "Hehehe….Not necessarily…..Personally I don't care about hair color…"
Zantanel: "Ahhh….Your partner Casper, what about him?..hmm?"
Remy: "Ohh...We aren't friends anymore."
Zantanel: "Oh...And Fiona?"
Remy: "Hmm...She probably wants to kill me now since I joined you."
Zantanel: "Do you still love her?"
Remy: "Huh?...Hehehe….That's a misunderstanding...I don't love her…..I was only interested because of her figure….If you ask me, she's really boring…."
Zantanel: "Hmmm….."
Remy: "She only thinks about work….or her friends...She acts mean but she really isn't….That's annoying."
Zantanel: "Hahhh….Now you're here...or am I boring to you?"
Remy: "No..you're good….And by the way..she has white hair like an old woman and a cane…..hmph."
Zantanel: "Hmmm...Remy...You should stop that…"
Remy: "Hmm?"
Zantanel: "You shouldn't talk about other people's trauma like that…..Her hair wasn't white from birth…..I think it happened because of trauma...Though I could be wrong….And the cane thing….That's mean because of her leg….."
Remy: "Hmm."
Jack: "Ghhh..disgusting."
Ruslana: "For once we agree...I don't like him either..."
Jack: "Hmph….Talking about other people's illnesses and even making fun of them….."
Ruslana: "Hahh..Typical men….That's how they are...Breasts…sex…..desires….A disgusting bunch…"
Jack: "Women can be perverted too."
Ruslana: "Well I wasn't abused by a woman…so.."
Jack: "Hahh ….Are you sure you're not a lesbian?"
Ruslana: "I'm not a lesbian…..I'm attracted to nothing...."
Jack: "Hmmm.....Interesting...Then we're alike."
Ruslana: "Hmph…..Yeah maybe."
(A few hours later)
Remy: "Finished."
Ruslana: "Huh...ughh!!"
Jack: "Ughh.."
Zantanel: "Hmm?..What's wrong with you two?"
Her hair was much shorter now, only reaching the beginning of her shoulders…Not even longer than that…
Remy: "What do you think?"
Zantanel: "Hmmm…...oh….yeah….this is good.."
Remy: "Hmm…."
(Meanwhile at a certain place near Wonderland)
(Pump!)…...(Pump!) (Pump!) (Pump!) (Pump!)
(Howling)….(Howling)
(Splop)
(Crack!)
A slight crack appeared in the sphere…..And inside it was an eye…..This was the cold region of Grimmhoth, also called Snow Time…..There, one of the Guardians had been sealed as well….The daughter of Cinderella...Rapunzel…
(Pump!) (Pump!) (Pump!)
Cinderella: "Hahhh…...finally..I found you...My...daughter….I'm here….I'm here...I'll get you out of there…..I just need...help…..Hmmm….but how….hahhh….."
Suddenly a scream.
Rapunzel: "Aaaaaaarghh.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Cinderella: "Hahh….You have the same illness as me?..."
Rapunzel: "Ughhh…..hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....."
(Crash)...
She looked into the hole…there she saw it…
Cinderella: "Huh!"
Rapunzel: "Ughhh…."
An eye…
Rapunzel: "Ghhhhhh......hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."
Cinderella: "Rapunzel...It's me ...your mama….Mama will get you out of there..okay?...Just hold on a little longer…My dear….Okay?...I'll get you out…"
Rapunzel: "Ghhhh….aarghhh.."
Rapunzel wasn't awake...she was sleeping, but the pain was still there….The seal was created through this sphere and inside it looked as if she were trapped in some kind of plant…...or vines made from plants…
Cinderella: "Huhh...Maybe I can find a way…..I...will come back okay….Rapunzel..please hold on…"
Rapunzel: "Argghhh.."
(Splach)
Again, a huge amount of blood….
Cinderella: "Hahhh.....I have to get you out…...you've suffered enough...I need to talk to Rudeus…"
She took a deep breath…..Then hurried away.
(A few hours later)
(Crash!)
Cinderella: "Rudeuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuussss!!!"
She screamed loudly….The moon turned red once more….
Cinderella: "Come out!!!"
(Patch!) (Patch)
Rudeus: "My...goodness….You've barely returned and you're already screaming ….Nice to see you, big sister."
Cinderella: "You cursed bastard….Free my daughter Rapunzel!"
Rudeus: "Unfortunately that's impossible…Even if I wanted to…..Alice is managing the seal."
Cinderella: "Since when are you two friends?!"
Rudeus: "Watch your tongue…...woman…"
Cinderella: "Ghhh."
Rudeus: "Hmph."
He had long gray hair like the fur of a wolf….
Rudeus: "Hahhh…...It's like this..Rapunzel…..was responsible for dreams….Well…at least for fairies…..That's why she's also the princess of fairies…..or what people call fairy nobility…..Anyway….Rapunzel apparently didn't like living in that tower I gave her….and started annoying me…..So I sealed her."
Cinderella: "Start explaining when.....You promised me it wouldn't last long...Then you put me to sleep too…..You bastard..My daughter is in pain..she's crying….How could you do this to her!"
Rudeus: "Hahh..she has the same illness as you….That's why….She has the Curse of the Blood Organ…..where once every month you lose a massive amount of blood….I don't need to explain why it only happens to women, right?"
Cinderella: "Ghhh….She's my daughter..not yours….And by the way….I'm sure many people think we had something going on..but we're siblings damn it..why did you give her your name do you know how wrong that sounds?"
Rudeus: "(Sweating)..I have to...say…...I only just realized that."
Cinderella: "Get her out of there."
Rudeus: "Are you deaf?...Or hard of hearing…...It's impossible….Alice controls it….It's a type of cage only she can manipulate..If you want to complain, go to her….Though...she'd destroy you..."
Cinderella: "Hahhh...Maybe your new daughter...Zantanel...will help me."
Rudeus: "Hmph…..Forget it…."
Cinderella: "How did you even manage that hmm?..Getting a human woman pregnant...Your curse should've killed her."
Rudeus: "Hmmm...Well....I...found a way….to make it so the woman dies after only a few years...But in exchange there are years of torture."
Cinderella: "Hahh….You changed your appearance though, didn't you wolf?"
Rudeus: "Indeed…..The woman was a Kafka...and Kafka women..are really beautiful."
Cinderella: "Hmph….You always had weird taste in women….Only Rumpelstiltskin is worse.."
Rudeus: "Yeah…...That one…..should really stay in a cage...Nobody would miss him anyway.."
Cinderella: "Hmph….Why did you betray all of us?..Or put us into those cages….Hmm?..Were you afraid we'd stand in your way?…"
Rudeus: "Hhmm..."
Cinderella: "Or did you want to be the only member of the Rudeus family?...hmm?..."
Rudeus: "I had my reasons...If you behave like Lilly….then I'll let you…"
Cinderella: "I just want my daughter back..Give her back to me...please...give me my daughter back and I promise I'll never appear before you again...but please...give me my daughter back."
Rudeus: "For the thousandth time…...Go to Alice!….And don't show yourself again and never dare threaten me again...Or it'll be too late!…"
Cinderella: "Ghh...(Tears)…...I hate you!"
Rudeus: "Huh?"
Cinderella: "Looks like...someone forgot….Who took care of him…...I even fed you after our mother died!…..I destroyed my own body for you!…."
Rudeus: "Ughh."
She turned around.
Cinderella: "Go to hell….You and the Rudeus family.....That's why….I'll never take care of others again except my children...Unlike you...I treat my children...like something precious…...While you..Never...show compassion to your own children...With me...Rapunzel would never…never lose her mind….but you...are just….disgusting…."
Rudeus: "Hmm…"
Cinderella: "Hmphh….Mother was dead...and I took care of all of you..and this is what I got in return...Fuck all of you...You bastards really can all go to hell."
She left the castle ..
Rudeus: "Mmm......."
(Memory)
Rudeus: "Hahhh.."
Cinderella: "Shhh….shhh….Rudeus…..Let me...sing you a song….then you'll relax….Hahh...My dear..don't worry...about me...hehehe....yeah….Please..fall asleep….your little brother...needs food, he's probably hungry......…...yeah...Go to sleep peacefully… I'll come back ...and stay by your side...and stroke your head...okay?...So don't cry, I'll be right back"
Rudeus: "Mmmm…..mmm .."
(End of memory)
Rudeus: "Hahh...damn....why am I remembering that now…...but...she's right….she took care of everyone…..and back then....she was only....16 years old."