Anti-bandit army camp - afternoon

The mood of the camp is animated as everyone parties the afternoon away. Seeing how we won today’s battle, I can’t blame them. I’m sitting with Nunnalé, who is watching everyone else dance and having fun.

“Master Richard, everyone seems to be in an elated state.”

“Yeah, we won a big fight after all, so it makes sense.”

“It would seem so, but I am only glad you are unharmed.”

“Thanks, but I’m glad we won without too many casualties.” Nunnalé resumes reading her book on flowers. “Hey, you’re almost done with this book?”

“Yes, it is not lengthy, so it was rather easy to get through it. However, I find myself going back to previous pages.”

“You really enjoy flowers, huh?”

“It does raise a feeling of calmness for me.”

“I see, so that’s what stimulates you. In that case, I’ll go to the bookstore in the Kingdom and buy you a new book.”

“I do not wish for you to waste your money on me.”

“Come on, it wouldn’t be a waste if you enjoy the book I get you, so relax. And besides, are you saying you wouldn’t enjoy sweets?”

“Yes, I see the contradiction in my statement… Very well, I would like to be given another book of flowers, if it is not too much to ask of you, my master?”

The expression on her face doesn’t change from her usual stoic look. However, her voice is lighter than it usually is. I think she’s embarrassed about asking me. She’s probably unaware of it, but it’s kind of funny, for some reason.

“What is funny?” she asks me, her eyebrow raised.

“Nothing, nothing at all,” I mumble as I push up my glasses.

“Master, you are displaying strange behavior.”

“As I said, it’s nothing…” I look at my hands. They are much callous than they used to be. “Nunnalé, I know I haven’t made things easy for you, and you haven’t made things easy for me as well.”

“No, you do not apologize, I must apologize for the disrespect I showed you before.”

“It’s okay. Actually, I want us to move on from that.”

“Move on?”

“Yeah, we had our ups and downs, and we might not always be thinking the same thoughts, but in the end, we’re in this together. So let’s move on from the mistakes we made in the past. Of course, I don’t mean forgetting them, but not constantly apologizing for them. Let’s do better, together!”

Nunnalé silently nods her head.

“Then I shall act as your sword and shield, as I already have. I shall not allow anyone to impede you.”

“I’m counting on you, but just know you can count on me as well.”

Proxy comes into the camp. I can finally give them back to him.

“Nunnalé, I’m going to go see Proxy.”

“May I accompany you?”

“If you’d like to.”

We get up and make our way to Proxy. He spots us and waves at us.

“Hey, Richard, how ya doing?”

“Alright, you?”

“Just got done helping transport the leftover cars.”

“Are they going to dismantle them?”

“Elizabeth is mulling it over, so who knows. But forget that. What happened with the evacuees?”

“They’re all okay, but we got attacked by a Flame Wraith captain.”

Proxy’s expression shifts to shock.

“Really? Shit, I fought one too.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think there would be another. What happened?”

“Nunnalé and I drove him away.”

“Sweet. guess Nunnalé did most of the ass-kicking?”

“I did indeed do a significant amount of damage, but master Richard was the one to deal a significant blow. Master broke his arm, doing enough damage to drive him off.”

“Wait, what!?” Proxy’s jaw is gaping open, his face dumbstruck at the revelation. He looks as if he’s frozen in place. “You...broke a guy's arm? You?”

“Yes,” I slowly answered.

He slumps his body, he’s vibrating, for some reason.

“Dude…” His body exploded towards me. He slings his arms around my shoulder. “You are the shit! You finally broke a dude’s arm, and a Flame Wraith captain! That’s my buddy!”

"Heh, it was nothing. I kind of had no choice but to."

"And you did! How did it feel?"

"I was shocked that it worked, and scared of what would happen next, yet, I felt excited."

"I know how that feels. Wish I could've been there to see it. I almost feel sorry for the poor sap. So who was he?"

"Right…about that."

I take out the goggles from my pocket. His eyes widened seeing them in my hand.

"Those are… So you fought that guy that poisoned you?"

"Yeah, I saw your goggles. I knew I had to get them back for you. Here."

He picks up the goggles from my hand. He just holds it in his hands, not moving an inch.

"I wanted to get these back myself."

"I know, but I wanted to pay you back for saving me. Getting them back was the only way. I'm sorry I ruined it for you."

"I…" He pauses, still looking at his goggles. He grips the goggles in his hands. "...Nah, don't worry about it, Richard. We both owe that son of a bitch one. I'm not mad at you for getting my goggles back, I'm glad. Because now, you showed him who's boss. Now I'll…" He puts his goggles over his eyes. "I'll be the one to kick his ass with these goggles on!" He puts his hand forward. "Thanks for getting these back for me. You really are the best partner a guy could ask for!"

A spark of joy ignites inside me. I'm glad that he feels this way because I feel just the same as he does. Despite everything so far, we still have the other’s back, and that will never change.

"Yeah, you know I got you back, partner!"

We perform a hi-five. My hand is a bit numb, but it doesn’t matter.

"When we get out on the road, we're gonna have to kick a lot of asses, so let's show these bandits what a couple of Jersey boys got!"

"Yeah, I'll do my best!"

Proxy turns his attention to Nunnalé.

"Nunnalé, what about you? Got anything to say?"

"I will protect my master."

"We know that, but something cooler. Something to get us hyped!"

She puts a hand to her chin, pondering what to respond with.

"How about… I shall show them the power of a doll?" She triumphantly declares.

She's taking this pretty seriously, which is a good thing!

"That's what I'm talking about. Yeah, we can do this!"

Proxy puts his arms around us, pulling us closer towards him.

“You are invading Me and my master's personal space.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

“Seriously, you need to learn restraint, Proxy.”

“I said I’m sorry. I just want to be close to my buddies!”

“Not this close, at the very least,” I retorted.

It won't be long before we set out. I need to learn all I can from teacher. I will use this power to protect my friends, no matter what!

"But enough of that, let's go party," Proxy suggests.

He runs off to the epicenter of the cheerful commotion. Honestly, I don't think it'll be a bad idea to dance.

"Say, Nunnalé, would you like to dance?" I sheepishly ask her.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll make sure not to get in your way this time."

"Very well, then let us dance."

We head off to the party. I’ve been practicing my dancing skills, so I won’t be stepping on her feet as much, I hope.

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Anti-bandit camp - evening

"Everyone, may I have your attention!"

Everyone stops to see Alexander on the usual stone table. We all gather, forming a crowd.

"I have an announcement. Soon, we shall make our match toward the bandit's main base northwest of here. It shall not be a simple journey, I assure you. We will most likely encounter great dangers, and for this, I must apologize." Everyone voices their confusion from the sudden apology. It doesn't make a lick of sense to me. "I now realize that I have made a selfish request of you all to follow me to their home base. I was caught up in my selfish desire to fight them, that I never considered how all of you felt. For that, I am truly sorry. But I still wish to fight, so, please, let us all fight alongside each other! I shall understand if you don't wish to…"

The crowd is quiet, not a peep is made as the silence reigns.

"What are you talking about, we wanna fight," someone in the crowd says, breaking the silence's stranglehold.

"Yeah, we wanna take those bandit scum out!"

"I have a family to fight for, so of course I want to fight them!"

Various other people speak up about why they want to fight, showing Alex that he has the wrong idea. Good thing they are, cause at this point they better be willing.

"I see, I was mistaken. Hahaha! How foolish of me!" He is laughing off his speech as if it never happened. "Thank you, for sharing your reasons. I'm feeling invigorated now! But with that out of the way, I'd like to announce something else." He clears his throat as everyone settles down. "I'll get straight to the point: two ex-bandits are now joining us."

The news hits everyone like a truck.

"What, why are bandits joining us!?"

"What are you thinking, they're the enemy!"

"Yeah, that's right!"

Damn, these guys are becoming goddamn upset. At this rate, someone will probably get the bright idea to rush him.

"I shall say nothing other than this. I'll let them explain themselves to you all."

He steps off the stone table. Two others, who look identical to the other, take the stage.

"Hello, I am Zell, and this is my twin, Zeal."

"H-hey."

"I'd like to establish the fact that I used to be a Flame Wraith captain. My brother was my subordinate."

"Why are you here, bandit scum!"

"The shit you say, you asshole?" Zeal curses.

"What was that!?"

"Zeal, what did we discuss?"

"But…"

The brother named Zell stares into his brother's eyes. Zeal takes his eyes away from his brother, starting away from us.

"I will not lie to you, I have done terrible things as a bandit. While it was for my brother, I will not use that as an excuse. However, I wish to atone for my actions, and if possible, help bring in a world where we can live in peace by eliminating the bandits."

"That's a load of crap! They're lying, they're just gonna betray us!"

"Yeah, I say we kill them!"

Geez, they're getting restless. At this point, they'll rush them soon enough. I might have to step up and stop them if that happens.

"You don't trust us, fine!" Zeal jumps off the table, he walks to the crowd. Everyone is on edge as he moves to the middle. "...Listen you bastards, I don't care a single one of you, shitheads! However, my brother wants to make peace with you all. So…" He takes off his jacket, showing his muscular torso. "Then hit me, if ya want! The gut, head, balls, anywhere! If you hate us that much, start swinging!"

Ballsy move, just letting people wail on him until they're satisfied. Unfortunately, I don't think it’ll work out all that much if they all hit him at once. I move through the crowd, stopping a punch.

"Now hang on, who said you can hit him."

"Let go!"

I push the guy away from me.

"So, you don't mind if someone hits you?"

"No!"

"Fine, mind if I give it a shot. Of course, this punch will be for everyone in the camp, so that means nobody else can punch you except me," I roar at the crowd who sling their insults at me.

“What are you getting at?”

“Nothing, nothing at all. But this will hurt.”

"Just do it!"

"Okay."

No need to prepare, I’ll just go for a quick hit. My fist homes into his gut, making contact with his skin. He spits out his saliva. He's pushed back, but he stays on his feet. He is clenching his gut. Despite the pain, he lets out a barely audible laugh.

"That was a nice punch. Damn, if you had hit me a little harder, you could've knocked me out."

"Yeah, well, you're pretty tough yourself." I turn my attention to the crowd. "You see that, he got hit. Now we're all good!"

"We didn't get to hit him!"

"Did you hear me before, dumbass? I said if I hit him, that's it. You wanna still try it? Then come and try it. You'll have to get through me. And trust me, I can kick all your asses myself!"

Nobody is moving an inch towards us. They all reluctantly look away from us, frustrated that they can't get a hit in.

"They were bandits in the past, this is the now. And now, they aren't. So let's just try to get along, okay? Besides, if they were bandits, they wouldn't be here with us, they'd be back with an even bigger force, right?"

I give the brother on the stone table a thumbs up. He nods at me.

"...It is true, I can no longer return as a bandit since I was the one leading the attack. If I do return, my brother and I will be killed. So I assure you, we are up to no foul play. I am not telling you to accept us immediately. Instead, give us a chance. Allow us to show you our sincerity by letting us aid you all!"

The crowd doesn’t utter a word; they are as still as a statue. I give him a round of applause. His brother joins in, clapping louder than me. Some people in the crowd as well after a minute. Several other claps follow from the crowd. Most of the people here agree to give them a shot, for now.

"Hey, kid, what's your name," Zeal asks me.

"Proxy."

"Weird name."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Well, thanks, for helping my brother get his message across."

"No problem."

"But why did you help us, if you don’t mind me asking?"

"Simple, I just wanted to help you guys have a fair shot."

"But we were bandits."

"Dude, man, I could give less of a shit about that. Just to make it clear, I don't care if you were in the past. As long as you aren't now, then we're good. Get me?"

“Wow, you’re a stand-up guy.”

“You think so?” While turning away from him for a second, I see Alex by the entrance of the camp. He beckons me. Well, guess it’s time for training. “Anyway, welcome to the army. Hope you guys enjoy yourselves."

"Where are you going?"

"To train."

"Want a partner?"

"Nah, already got one. Besides, hang out with your bro."

“Yeah, gotta make sure nobody does anything fishy to him. Maybe we can hang out sometime?”

“Totally, I’ll see you until then.”

I wave him goodbye as I walk toward the exit of the camp. The day isn't over yet, and I'm not even all that exhausted, and this time around, I’m going to be getting that strike in.”

…

I swing my sword at Alexander. He blocks the attack. No surprise there. We're interlocked in a battle that seems to go on forever. He goes for a strike that can knock me down, but I reflexively block the attack. Not wasting any time, I go for a counterattack. He barely blocks it in time. This is my chance. I perform a flurry of strikes against him. He's able to keep up with the strikes by blocking, despite the barrage of attacks coming his way. My next attack goes for his neck. He easily blocks it, however, this is only to distract him. My true aim is his legs. I go for a leg sweep, however; he jumps to avoid it. Now is my chance! I lift my feet off the ground and plant my hands against the floor. Using all the strength in my hands, I push off the ground. My feet hit his chest. Perfect, now for the finish. I push off him with my feet. He hits the floor while I roll against the ground. He's down, I actually got him!

"Yes! I did it! Alex, you see that? I got you! Alex?" He’s not moving. Did I hit him too hard? I get up from the ground, I run over to him. "Alex, are you okay!? I didn't hit you hard, did I?"

He's laying on the ground, his attention to the sky.

"My, it appears I finally lost. That was an excellent display of skill, Proxy. You have improved significantly."

"Thanks, but I think I still need more training."

"Of course, there's always room to improve."

I take a seat next to him. My attention turns to the sky. The stars shine like diamonds as they hang in the sky.

"Proxy, thank you for all your hard work," Alexander gently utters.

"It's nothing. I'm just doing what I can. I should be congratulating you. You and Marie really did a number on the bandits today."

"I suppose we did… Oh, where did you get those?"

He points to my goggles, which are resting on my forehead.

"They're mine, but a Flame Wraith captain took them a while back. Richard got it back for me during the fight today."

"How kind of him. He truly is a dependable person."

"Yeah, I'm glad to have him as a friend."

"Good, you should always cherish friends…" He sits up from the ground. "May I confide in you, Proxy?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Before the battle…I was scared."

Alex, scared? I can't even imagine that when I think of him.

"Scared of what?"

"Of letting you all down. What if the battle did not go according to plan? What if I couldn't defeat our enemy? What would I do if I lost someone, like you, or Marie? I couldn't bear the thought, so I pushed it all down, but I most definitely feared this."

Wow, I never thought he could feel that. He always seems to be confident, yet here he is, sharing his anxiety with me. It’s surreal, yet a relief.

"Did you tell Marie?"

"No, I do not wish to worry here. I need to present a strong face in front of her, as well as the others."

"Why share this with me then?"

"Because I feel as if we're the same in that regard. I feel as if you put up a brave front for Richard's sake, as I do for everyone else. Am I correct?"

"I guess."

"So that's why I am confident in talking to you about this matter." Maybe I should motivate him, don't want him feeling bummed out. "...However, now that we won, I feel these worries slowly fading. Not completely, but it is easier to breathe. I will most likely feel anxiety during our journey when we encounter various problems. So, if I ever need to rely on a confidant, may it be you?"

Man, he's got his shit together more so than I do. Even when he shows his weaker side, he still manages to be strong-minded. That’s one hell of a thing to pull off, and that’s why I come to respect him.

"Hell yeah, you can count on me. Just think of me as your personal therapist."

He lets out an invigorated laugh.

"In that case, I hope to not be too much of a bother."

"Don't worry, that's what friends are for."

He seems surprised, yet happy at the same time. Did he just figure out we were friends?

"Y-yes, friends… We are friends."

"Yep, we are, and don’t forget it."

"Yes, we are, and to honor this friendship, and your success in knocking me down, I shall give you something. However, you must close your eyes."

“Why?”

“It is a surprise.”

"Heh, okay."

I close my eyes as he commands. I can hear him running somewhere. I can hear bushes rustling in the distance. Is he getting something from the bushes? His footsteps grow louder as he comes closer to me.

"Put your hands out." I do he instructs. Something weighs down on my arms. "You may now open them."

I open my eyes to see a red jacket in my hand and two swords on top.

"This is…"

"These are now yours! These are for downing me in training, I hope you like it."

"I don't know what to say..."

"Do not think anything of it. Besides, I thought the jacket you are currently wearing is quite tattered and beaten up. So I thought a fresh one was in order."

First my goggles, now these. Honestly, it's like it's my birthday or something. I feel a joyful feeling in my gut, it's overpowering; I feel as if I'll cry or something. I bite back the urge to.

"Thanks, Alex… Thank you for all this. I'll pay you back for all this, I swear it."

"No need, we are friends after all."

He puts up his hand for a hi-five. Man, I am totally overwhelmed by this guy. He is unlike anyone I have ever met before. I guess you can say he's one of a kind.

"Yeah, you're totally right!"

I clap his hand by freeing up one of them. My hand is a bit numb from the hi-five, but it doesn't matter. I'll accept this numbness. I already decided to help him fight them, since I owe him for all the trouble I caused him. However, that is not the only reason. He's putting his faith into me, so I can't be caught slacking.

"So now that this is settled, would you like to stargaze before heading back to the camp?" He asks me.

"You really like stars, huh?"

"Of course, whenever I gaze at them, I feel as if nothing is out of my reach, including my goals and dreams."

"Really?"

"Of course, don't you?"

"Well, I never thought of things like that. I never thought of dreams, or goals when I was in NewPort Island. Fighting was all I looked forward to."

"Hm, I see. Then why don't we look at them together, and maybe you can think of something you'd like to accomplish. Is this agreeable?"

"Yeah, I'd like to."

The stars shine as we look at them with nothing but curiosity. I never thought much about what I wanted out of life, or what I wanted to do with it. School was too much of a bother, the clubs were boring, and anything outside of school besides being a misfit and fighting was boring to me. However, I never had a reason to fight outside of personal enjoyment, so I eventually lost meaning in that. I lived with no idea about what to do with my life. But now, I can use my abilities to help someone else achieve their goals. So for now, that’s good enough.