Rising Shards

Ovie watched in disbelief as the car bringing her entered the castle. She could feel it in her soul. Jeans was here.She didn't know how she got there, or what her captors wanted with her, but none of them could stop her now. Her faith was rewarded as the throne came into sight. Her eyes welled just seeing the outline of Jeanette Dusk. As soon as the car stopped, Ovie reached for the nearest door, almost fumbling the daggers to the ground. She felt someone’s stare.

“Ovie…” 09 said.

“What?” Ovie snapped. She would instantly drop 09 in a heartbeat if she stood in the way of Jeans, especially now.

“Just…” 09 said. She shut her red eyes and looked downward. “Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Ovie said.

Ovie rushed out of the car and ran forward.

“Well, er,” a woman said, her voice booming on the speakers surrounding the arena-like throne room. She laughed nervously. “I’m not sure. I just got a ping that…something was… Wait…no…hm. Yeah, are they in the battery cars? Right?”

Ovie sprinted ahead. The soldiers rose and started to move to protect Jeans, but she made some kind of gesture I couldn’t see to stop them.

“Jeans!” Ovie screamed. “I’m…I’m here to rescue you! From…” Ovie looked around, immediately intensely confused. “The Sharai…?”

 Jeans glared at Ovie. The last time the two were together, Ovie rammed her minivan in a can into Jeans. It was complicated, and it helped Zeta and her friends to stop Jeans, and it separated Ovie and Jeans. She had regretted it every day after. With Jeans now on the throne of a giant castle, it seemed like she was managing to do well in spite of everything. Ovie flinched, not sure what she expected Jeans to do first. Instead of whatever Ovie’s deeper subconscious thought would happen, Jeans beamed.

“You’re so precious, Ovie,” Jeans said. “Come here.” She held her arms out and embraced Ovie, patting her back. “I missed you so much. You followed my message!”

“Your…what?” Ovie asked. She was close enough to Jeans now that her voice came through on the speakers as well. She hated the sound of her voice in that moment. It was so weak. 09 could probably hear it.

“Don’t make me immediately explain something, you know I hate that.” Jeans said.

“After we were tragically split up, someone from Wildfire Hearts found me right away.” Jeans said. “And they helped me build this army.”

“Your highness,” the Corinani said.

“Don’t interrupt me when I’m having a moment like this,” Jeans said. “Don’t you know who this is?”

“I’m…sorry, your highness,” the Corinani said. “I am not aware of the young lady.”

“This is my girlfriend,” Jeans said. “And I’d like you to show her the respect you show me.”

“Right, thank you, your highness. I will. Ma’am, you are a princess as well!” the Corinani said.

“Ovie Chirhart!” Jeans yelled. “Her name is Ovie Chirhart, you moron.”

Ovie was surprised that she flinched again at that.

“My deepest, sincerest apologies, your highness,” Ms. Corinani said.

“Surely this isn’t the person from Wildfire Hearts who helped you.” Ovie said.

“Oh, definitely not.” Jeans said. “The person that found me is a great man. Too great to even stay here all the time. Only our school’s most pathetic teacher was suited for this job.”

Corinani saluted.

“Is Rem here?” Ovie asked, Aira and Laenie’s faces suddenly flashing in her mind’s eye.

“Who?” Jeans asked.

“Laenie’s brother?”

“…who?”

Ovie sighed. She just wasn’t talking to Jeans properly, this happened all the time. In a way, that felt almost normal. It’s not that that Jeans is hard to talk to, I’m just bad at it.

“I thought the Sharai captured you…” Ovie said. “They said a group tried to find you, and they got captured too. I’ve been searching for so long…”

“It’ll take me forever to explain…” Jeans said. “Let’s just say I sent someone to tell you to look for me, and you found me. Can’t you just be happy to see me again?”

Who sent us here? The Exile...? Ovie thought. That didn't make sense. The Exile warned her about the growing threat of a Sharai army. But that did bring Ovie to Jeans, so...?

“Oh, also. I got…these…” Ovie sheepishly held out the Sharai Daggers. The soldiers around all knelt instantly.

“I see…” Jeans said, squinting at the sight.

“They’re out of energy.” Ovie said, easily handing the dangerous artifacts over to Jeans, who waited to see if the Sharai continued to kneel for her. “But I know how to charge them, so…”

“Yes.” Jeans said. “We can do that here. Let’s get them taken care of before anything else.”

Jeans made Ms. Corinani bring the daggers to the nearest Sharai soldiers, who rushed to the center of the vast room. After pressing some kind of mechanism I couldn’t see, another statue rose, another bestial monster, this one with its arms crossed in front of its chest, its fists firmly clasped. The Sharai put a dagger into each hand, which made a loud “SCHINK” sound as they locked into place. The ground shook, and the vehicles assembled before them began to descend.

“I want you to go down there with them.” Jeans said.

“Huh?” Ovie asked.

Jeans’ smile faded. “Did you think I forgot?”

Ovie felt her legs get weak. Something escaped her lips, a babbling, pathetic and desperate string of apologies that Jeans cut through with her strong voice.

“I didn’t forget what you did to me,” Jeans said. “I’ll never forget it. But I’m giving you a chance, a last chance to fix this.”

“I can!” Ovie said.

“Go down there to the charging station and make sure those pins you brought are powered up, and that nothing stops them,” Jeans said. “If you brought anyone with you, give them the beast tendency.”

“I will.” Ovie said. “I promise, I’ll do everything you wanted.”

“I hope so,” Jeans said. “This is your shot at redemption, Ovie.”

The weight of the task was heavy on her. In all honesty, she had no idea how to charge the daggers, but a Sharai castle seemed like the right place to do so. Jeans sent her away without another embrace, even a brief hand hold, leaving Ovie feeling empty as she made the long walk across the throne room alone until she reached a smaller elevator, a lonely platform that floated toward the statue before bringing her downwards.