Complete Private Vintergard [S4: Camp Hope VI Side Story] Soul Binding Promise.

[Magi Heart]

Soul Binding Promise

[Set Here]

Wendel's eyes opened as a warm power enveloped her. It didn't take her long to recognize it.

Her friend had come.

"Raina-chan... you...came"

What was she doing? No really what was Raina doing, was she actually... feeding her?

The weakened and exhausted Dark Heart reached out her hand and grasped Seigi's. Her pale fingers interlocked with the fighters as dark red oozed over Seigi's bandaged hand staining it the same. Just what the Sunset Sage was trying o do spiritually to her friend. How unfortunate it was that Seigi Ling Ling in all of her experience did not have the knowledge, training, or blessing to understand her efforts were in vain.

In fact they have made her own situation worse when it came to Dissonance. Of course, that was Raina's accepted consequence, and Wendel even could tell that with her groggy mind. She also was weak and she did hunger for energy.

This was Raina-chan.
Wendel did not...
Or did she?

If all was hopeless, what better way to keep Raina safe than to link?
Wendel herself had never did it before but the strongest of the beings she associated part of her identity with did. So why not? This was the only one who she cared for in any remotely normal way anyway. They would never be apart no matter how far. Something in the power that flowed from and into the two also felt somehow nostalgic...

"...Raina-chan. It's hopeless but... wowzers you are stubborn *cough* just like a mahou shoujo should be...hehe*coughcough* hehe...."

Her memories, they flowed back drip by drip. What she was, how she spoke, how she emoted, what she hated then vs hated now. Similar things really. Her mindset may change but her goals really didn't. Her grudge was strung but the memories kept her busy for the time. Was it from the evoking, from Raina, or both?

It's so pitiful how all of these memories were stained.

"You are my best friend... I want to help *cough* you... Will you help me... more?"

She smiled as blood dripped down her chin. Looking ironically vampiric
The power of Raina Raythean, Seigi Ling Ling's slowly filled Wendel's body.
It helped heal her on the outside, closing a few wounds, and reducing her cough.
She felt Rania's will as well.

"...Do not let this change you. Let's promise again, You... me... happy ending... for us. No matter what."

No distorted voice, no snickers or creepy giggles.
Edgy?

More like broken and unable to control herself in the same vein as others. Wendel didn't even care if she was Wendy or Magi Heart. Was feeding on someone this strong the key to this sort of development?

It made things easier anyway...

@Seigi Ling Ling

 

[Seigi Ling Ling]

Seigi rarely felt so insecure.
She knew the Dissonance wasn't her friend.
That it wasn't her ally.
That Nanami, Titania, the others, were simply biding their time to strike at her lowest low.

Had this time come now?
Had she become desperate? Impatient? Hoping that the expertise over Mind and Soul she possessed would be of help? So far, Seigi had done a damn good job at staying true to herself, more-or-less. Morals set. Rules to follow. A role to play. But what was all of that really worth if it meant losing her most treasured companion?

Yet, somehow, it seemed to work. At least, it looked like it worked! The hero's sacrifice always worked in fiction! So, why was it that she felt a stinging unease? Doubt? Suspicion? When all she could really do, right now, was blindly trust in the thing that got them into this mess in the first place?

... Maybe it was an innate feeling of superiority, ever since Zeus salvaged her. That, no matter what, the corruption that she carried had to either learn to co-exist with Seigi, or be caged up for all eternity. A promise was a promise. Even if it was a deal with the devil. Thus, it came as no surprise that Seigi could feel Nanami closer than ever right now. A weird feeling, simply too difficult to describe, as they were unified not just in mind, but also body. More than ever, anyway.

Though, for all she knew, this could have simply been the result of her decision. Unable to tell if she were to ever regret it, yet.

A strange connection indeed.

"Magi!" As @Magi Heart was slowly regaining her consciousness, Seigi was undoubtedly relieved as she hugged the other girl once more. "Wendy." Correcting herself. The name of 'Wendel' not having slipped her lips even once yet.

"Of course I'm stubborn! I'd never ever give you up, especially not to some stupid edgy shenanigans. I'll help you! We will always help each other! You just have to fight it and..." She squeezed Magi's hand. "...never lose hope even if it's hopeless!" Yeah, whatever Seigi was dealing with right now, she'd deal with later. Right now she had to be a burning torch for Magi. "Are you feeling better?"

 

[Magi Heart]

Soul Binding Promise

"Feeling.. better?"

The girl's face was stained with blood and several cuts still leaked black. She would blink and grit her teeth in some pain, it had been a while since she had been attacked by someone who could do this much damage to her so quickly... it made her think of her escape from Tertoria at one point.

Hopeless... pointless... why bother...
Because she cares.

She cared about everything so damn much.. and Raina... and the other presence here... made her care even more...

"Hehe, edgy people are pretty... dumb aren't they? Having to show it is really childish. Yep... I just want to save people and be kewl and stuff but... hehe this world doesn't let you do that... meanies have it easier but... Look at me, I wonder.. am I still like this cause *cough* I'm just cute♥ or cause I'm stuck somehow. ...You're a lot taller you know that? "

Wendel was rambling, blood loss, the high of soul-eating on top of the energy Raina was trying to steal from her. Anyone watching this was strong spirit magic or magic sensing definitely could feel the abnormality in these two.

Would this have long-term consequences? Perhaps it depends on the Astorean leadership to decide. Luckily everyone's focus was on a more immediate machine nightmare than the eldritch one. Astorea sure does have a lot of problems. The Dark Savior would like to end that for them someday... but...

Lost too much blood.
Blood keeps flowing... do something.
Preserve it...

A groan.

"Raina-chan please.. take off my ribbons or use your bandages...to stop the blood. ...Pretty... dizzy..."

@Seigi Ling Ling

 

[Seigi Ling Ling]

Of course.
What a stupid question.

Magi was here, bleeding out, and Seigi had asked if she is feeling better. Though she had meant mentally, anyway. Maybe the heroine got simply too used to all this physical pain.

As @Magi Heart then went on about being kewl and cute and meanies and all that she wasn't actually too sure what had happened. Four years had passed, and she'd never forget the kind of girl Magi was, but clearly not this? Then again, Seigi hadn't expected Magi to just magically recover that simply.

"O-Of course! I'll fix you right up." With these words, Seigi removed her own bandaging she had always around her arms, revealing her void arms below that seemed to absorb the light itself. Apparently, the healing aura hadn't been enough. "Just focus on recovery, I won't forgive you if you die! We can worry about the other stuff later! And once we're done here we have a heroic adventure together! Pinky promise. Like..." Like what even? What was this feeling of anger? Someone or something did this to Magi, did this to everybody in this room.

For a moment, Seigi's eyes were looking frantically for the perpetrator, thirsting for blood. Yet there was... nobody?

"They will pay for this..." She whispered to herself, tying up one of Magi's arms just a little bit too strong.

"What happened...?" Of course, she had to ask.

 

[Magi Heart]

Soul Binding Promise

Wendel's eyes never left Seigi as she worked. How badly she just wanted to pull her away from these people persons. There was a powerful enemy and she wasn't going to be strong enough. Everyone in this room would likely die or suffer needlessly far more than just this.

It was pretty normal.
Just another day, another torment.
Life.

Wince

"Ę̴͠ỳ̷̻ą̸̛a̷͖͑h̶͚͆! Gee whiz... you seem a little bit angry Raina-chan? I don't... blame you..."

The bleeding was slowing.

A promise yes, that was what she needed, a reinforcement of a vow, and oath, a Magical Girl tie that for once Wendel actually could make... in theory. Everything she did now was a mix of instinct and the tidbits she had learned over 4 years of life in a world where the rules were so different and complex. The pinkette was really not all that smart but dissonant instinct, astral foresight, divine affinity, and experience added up.

She grabbed Seigi's hand firmly ignoring the pain. Pain is normal.

"...I'm angry too. I'm so sick of it... All these hurt people around us. Want to go...fix it? Together we can anything. Or more like It would be good if we could find a way to stop the baddie of the week right?"

No we can't.
No one can do anything but die.
It's so much easier to die than to live.

The pinkette would not say such things tho. It would be a mistake. She wanted her help. Help for what though? if everything was pointless maybe she could take herself and Raina out of here right now? They were both trapped and Raina would possibly not come back.

It was tempting but then there would be no more of this. These moments still mattered. At this point, the Dark Heart had the damn right to be selfish. Then came the question of what happened...

What the fuck DID happen?
I grew.

"I had a weird dream and umm..".

Hopeless...
I learned how little anyone can do...
A blink of light, to be eclipsed by dark.
The old voice is gone, now me.

Wendel never did see what she had looked like, but she felt it. People hated what they didn't understand the hermit had said.

"Dark"
"Monster"

Not true, she was just Wendel and she cared damnit!

"I think I've gained a new power. Hehehe, it's pretty cool beans but you'll juj me when you see.".

She laughed harder and some blood came out. Her red eye twitched.

"*Cough* ...A robot person, Magia. I felt like someone was moving me against my will and then,... look at pitiful little me... I don't think the Magia liked me much... or anyone else."

Yet, Saviors.
Saviors should feel pain.
A hero is a sacrifice.
A hero always fails.

@Seigi Ling Ling

 

[Seigi Ling Ling]

"Angry...?" Seigi tilted her head. Was she angry? Of course, but, it was only natural? Wasn't it? She had always been angry! Yeah...

Yeah... she... felt weird. But good! It was a strange situation indeed, and while Seigi was still herself she also felt like she wasn't! It wasn't like the times before, back in the forest, or the red fever, or all the times in between. Right now, it was as if something had become unhinged. Even if ever so slightly. In a way, she had promised, no? And in a way, she needed to follow up.

You're quite the stubborn one, aren't you? Not satisfied with your friend? Just look at her, she's as nearly as good as new! Is this not what you wanted, Hero?

"A Magia did this to you?" Seigi asked. Robot person. From Vintergard? "I, we..." As she held Magi, the medics finally arrived, promising @Magi Heart the kind of aid Seigi could not provide.

"We're going to disassemble this Magia real good, alright. But for now, you need rest. I..." Got a plan? Everything had been delayed, no? "I won't leave camp without you, but don't do anything stupid again!"

With these words, Seigi would give Magi into the care of the medics.

 

[Magi Heart]

Soul Binding Promise

Dismantle?

From what Wendel understood so far, it felt like Magia had an unfair advantage over other races, especially humans like she and Raina. It was good then they had magic, guts, effort and.. a development that other humans didn't.

It will not be enough.
Becoming a monster is the only way to destroy other monsters.

The arms of pitch black were not lost to Wendel's eyes. She had known from before that they shared much in common, both in goal, origin, and their "changes". It was up to Raina to fight the other monsters, it would be up to Wendel to save the rest.

A Dissonant Savior.
A Dissonant Hero.

Was a... what's the word from school? Wendel recalled it as the medics entered and prepared to take her away. She didn't want to be apart from Raina but was too weak to resist. If they kept them apart for too long, she would take the necessary measures to get them back together.

An oxymoron yep. That was the word. Well, the Dark Heart was not one to worry about details. From here on many things would be simpler. Even if the battles themselves would be difficult.

"I won't leave camp without you, but don't do anything stupid again!"

"My Hero... it's a promise..."

<Thread End>

@Seigi Ling Ling