June Twara, weeks after the event that nearly took what little in this universe she had left, sits by herself at a table at the cafeteria within the JB's bunker. “The JB...” she mutters to herself while starring at her food “Seems a little strange that the organization that I'm in would be named after me....”
“June's Battalion... seems a little weird, I guess.” she says before deciding to take another bite of her food. She lets out a sigh, and looks around the area, with not another soul in sight. “It's abandoned here today... I wonder why....”
Soon after muttering that to herself, she hears footsteps behind her, and turns her head to see her legal guardian and protector, Sherah Yulir. “Oh, hey....” she then turns back to her food.
“Hey kiddo.” Sherah says, walking over soon after and taking a seat at June's table across from her. “How have you been? I know we haven't talked much in the last two weeks. I just want to make sure that you're doing alright.”
“What for? I didn't think it would matter to you anymore, not after what happened.” June says, not taking a single glance at Sherah in the process.
Sherah's vision turns from June, her word's clearly hitting a scar. “Listen, June I-”
“I don't want to hear it! You nearly got me killed! You killed Raphael, my Guardian! Do you realize how bad this could have ended if anything had gone differently! If I hadn't have my one ability to revive Raphael, this whole group would be messed up beyond any kind of help!” June screams at Sherah, getting to her feet and throwing her chair behind her in the process.
Sherah looks at June, clearly flabbergasted that she just exploded the way she did. After June has finished, Sherah stands up as well, and stares June directly in the eyes “I know what happened June, I could see every second of every moment with my own two eyes while I was possessed, but I had no power to stop it. When a Demu possesses you... you have no control of yourself, they command everything that your body can do. I wish, with everything in my power, that I could go back in time and make myself not react the way I did to Raphael, but I can't. The only thing I can do is move forward, and do everything in my power to redeem myself, not just to me, but to you too. In time, I will avenge myself in your eyes, I promise.”
All the while that Sherah is saying those words, June's anger had begun to subside and be replaced with something else. Fear, and sadness. When Sherah's statement reaches it's end, June explodes in tears and throws herself into Sherah's arms, to which Sherah hugs her back “Sherah! Why the hell did that have to happen! I don't... I don't understand!”
Sherah simply hugs June back, holding her adopted daughter close and remaining quiet. After a few moments pass, Sherah speaks up once more. “June... I've been through more than you know. Keeping you safe and away from the Demu has been... difficult, for both you and me. I... I've had to leave many friends and loved one's behind, simply to keep you safe. All the while I knew that there was a Demu trying to get control of me, and if it were to gain what it wanted, it would have you within a moment. I would have failed everyone, and... you have no idea how heavy that weight was on me, in every way. It was going to happen in time, but I loved you too much to let that happen, that's what I believed. All that time with a Demu trying to force it's way through my mental barriers, through my willpower... it was going to come to a head soon, and I knew it. From everything that I saw, it looked like you chose Raphael over me. It... it was the last thing necessary for the Demu to take control.
“Why....” June mutters through her tears, her head jammed thoroughly within the confines to Sherah's shirt. “Why would you think that!? You're my Mom! I would never choose him over you! I love you!”
“I... I know that now, and I should have known that from the very beginning, from the very second that Raphael came into our lives. I was a fool, and now, all I can do is make up for it!” Sherah emphasizes, holding June close all the while.
“Mom...” June mutters out, her tears starting to cease.
Sherah lightly pushes June away from her, and is now looking at her tear-soaked face. “No more tears now, June. I am the normal me, the mom you know and love, and I won't leave you ever again. I promise, with all my heart and soul. Okay?”
June's tears have ceased by this point, her now knowing that she has the mother back that she had before. “Thank you, Mom...”
Time passes by a few hours, with June and Sherah spending some quality time together that they had missed during the last two weeks. Within time, June asks Sherah if they can go back to the ship they came here in, the luxury escort vessel that had been shot out of the sky by the Demu only three weeks ago. Sherah agrees, but gathers a hold of Miyra and Chiot along the way.
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Within a few minutes they have returned to the downed ship, it still being abandoned in the middle of the forest behind Raphael's house. “That's weird....” June mutters under her breath.
“What's the matter, kiddo?” Sherah asks, surveying the area all the while for hostile forces.
“I thought that there would be someone here searching the ship, like forces from Raphael's country or something similar, but instead, there's no one here....” June exclaims, noticing the lack of anybody in the area.
“There is kind of a reason for that.” Miyra announces, gleams of intelligence clear in her voice. “There is something a bit odd about this world. Demu corruption here is kind of, well, high. Not just in the people, but the planet itself.”
“Is June really safe here? And why would the Guardian be born on a place like this?” Sherah states, her movements and stance now more tense given the new information.
“Well, the land is less corrupted and more... polluted, is the best way to put it. It will only have an effect on people who can be possessed, so, given that Raphael has already used his exorcism magic on everyone in the bunker, we will probably be fine when it comes to people within it's walls. As for people outside of the bunker... well, as long as we aren't noticed by anyone, we should be fine.”
“Alright, kid, that makes enough sense, but why in all the merchant gods' halls would they not care about the ship we came here with?” Chiot asks Miyra with a tinge of confusion.
“Simple, “ Sherah says from near where they entered the clearing. “they know that June isn't there. They probably searched it thoroughly and know that there are no clues. Or they found everything they could, either one is possible.”
During the time that the group has been speaking, June has taken a few steps towards the ship, it's visage seeming to invoke a trance-like state in June “Why do things seem so different? Was it just a few weeks ago when things changed, or was it-”
“-Seven years ago?” Sherah says, her vision turning towards June during this moment. “Your life has taken many massive turns throughout the last decade, but I know that you will be able to make it through this. With Raphael, the JB, and the entirety of the UMA at your side, you will survive, I promise.”
June continues to stare at the ship, the sun above making the purple metal of the ship shine in a royal glow. “It's strange. So much has changed with me in the last seven years, and even more in the last three weeks.” Her vision turns from ship towards the palms of her hands, her staring at them as if examining her entire being. “Not just in my destiny, but myself as well. I'm different than I used to be. More determined, more courageous, stronger... and on top of that I have even inherited my own version of Raphael's angelic powers from his awakening as well, although I don't the name of the angel I am linked together with yet. I have this new strength, and strength of magic, but with great power....”
Miyra perks up at June's words, saying “There comes responsibility you must shoulder-”
“-Along with great danger.” Sherah says from behind June. She places a hand on June's shoulder, saying to her “There is a great and dangerous journey ahead of all of us, but most importantly to you, June. Have we finished here? Miyra spoke of the dangers of being out in the open earlier. We should leave soon.”
June turns her head upwards towards the ship once more, gazing at the purple visage once more. “I feel like I'm going to be coming back here, I don't know why, but it's just a feeling. Something... familiar?” She turns back towards Sherah. “I'm ready to go. Lead the way back home, Mom.”
Sherah nods towards June, and then turns her head towards Miyra and Chiot. “Alright, you two, we're heading home. Don't fall behind now!” Miyra and Chiot both affirm, and Sherah begins to lead the way home.
Back at the bunker, later in the day, around six o' clock in the afternoon, June is sitting in her room, playing a video game on the television next to her bed. Sherah is sitting at the back of the room, watching her play. She has a smile on her face “At least she has the ability to be a kid, despite everything. Her ability to take mental and spiritual blows never ceases to amaze me.” Sherah thinks to herself, commenting on the situation in her own mind.
Suddenly something clicks in Sherah's mind. Her mood dims, souring at what she has just remembered. Her gaze turns towards June once more as she knows that she has something she must tell her. “June, can you put the game down for a second?”
June's head perks up from her game “Hmm?” she mutters, soon pausing the game and turning back around to look at Sherah “Yeah? What's up?” the smile that was on June's face soon goes away when she looks at Sherah's demeanor. “What's wrong?” she asks, now concerned.
“There's... something that needs to be said-” Sherah says with an emotionless voice.
“Am I playing video games too much? I can slow down if-”
Sherah waves her hand, her gesture telling June to stop “It's not that, it's... something else....”
June nods her head at Sherah's reasoning “Okay, what is it then? From the expression you have, it looks like it's something important.”
Staring back at June, Sherah knows that June needs to know what she has found out, and with a stern look on her face, Sherah explains “It's... about my possession. I know who it was who possessed me. Hell, I've known for quite a while who has been trying to possess me for years. I think it is about time that you know who they are.”
June stares at Sherah, listening to her words, but remains silent for a few seconds after Sherah finishes speaking. After a few moments, June finally says “Who was it?”, now ready for Sherah's response.
Sherah looks towards June from the other side of the room with a look of resolution on her face. With a single motion of her jaw and lips, she says a single name.
“Zard....”