Chapter Text
Scylla's hands shook. "No." Anacostia looked at her in pity, trying to cover up her own pain. She had to be strong for this girl that was in front of her, she had already lost so much in her young life now this. "You're wrong!" Scylla began to pace back and forth her shaky hands covering her ears. She faced away from the drill sergeant, her back the only thing Anacostia could see. "I wish I was. Truly." She placed a comforting hand on Scylla's back.
"Dont touch me!" Scylla darted away from her. "This isn't real. It's a dream. Yes! that's what this is a dream! Willa, she's playing a trick on me to get me back right?" Scylla began laughing maniacally. "I didn't bring Raelle to her so she's doing this to punish me for it." Scylla turned towards Anacostia looking deeply into her eyes trying desperately to seek the truth. "Raelle's safe. She's at war college with Tally and Abigail." Her eyes glazed over. "Yeah." She swallowed thickly then smiled. "With Tally and Abigail..."
Anacostia could tell Scylla was elsewhere. "Scylla." She moved closer approaching carefully. "Raelle's unit got deployed early. The mission didn't go well. According to General Alder and Private Craven Raelle was stabbed in the heart. Private Bellweather ran to save her, unfortunately the carmilla surrounded them and the team had to leave. There was an explosion-" Anacostia had to stop herself a lone tear escaped from her eye. "They sent a team to retrieve the bodies, but when they got there, there was nothing left. They are still holding a funeral in their honor. We can sneak you in to say goodbye." Scylla's own stream of tears fell down her cheeks. The beautiful bright blue fading from them.
"She was suppose to be safe." Scylla said moments later. "I chose her... I chose her!" Scylla screamed and fell to her knees. "I chose her." She started fiddling with her left hand. Frantically tracing something on it. Anacostia allowed a few moments to pass allowing the girl to feel her grief. When she noticed that Scylla was starting to make the skin raw from unknowingly digging her nail into the flesh as she went. The sergeant slowly bent down onto her knees in front of the young teenage girl. She took both of Scylla's hands in her own and rubbed gently. "She died thinking everything was a lie." Anacostia could barely hear what she said.
"No, she knows you loved... love her. She knows." Anacostia took Scylla into her arms and held her as her wrecking sobs shook her tiny frame. "She still loves you too. Dont forget that. She died still loving you." Anacostia linked with Scylla allowing the girl to see that moment under the tree. Raelle's tears streaking her face as she said "I still love her". The last memory Anacostia had with Raelle flashed with her begging Anacostia to make sure they go easy on Scylla wherever she was going and that she wasn't a bad person. The sergeant also tried to heal some of Scylla's pain from losing Raelle. After the link broke she just sat there on the ground holding Scylla while she wept and finally allowing her own tears to spill.