Archive of Our Own

The glimmering pitch tears clouded her vision as she wept silently. Of course, this was only expected after everything. How foolish was she, that she truly thought she’d be able to protect everyone. Her stubbornness was the only reason she was the last to fall, but even she knew it was inevitable.

After the Servant traded her courage for the one she cared for above all else, the wrath at the betrayal clouded her mind indefinitely. Soon, they lost her. Even after defeating her, they never could find the Servant. Did she leave out of her own shame? Or maybe she hated the other three now… The Knight knew it didn’t matter, but still…

Soon, their Queen began to doubt. After so long of having to fight what had, at the time, been their greatest enemy, when it all finally stopped, she never recovered. She still fought little things from time to time but there was never… an explicit root. A lot of the problems were caused by those who she wanted to protect.

She hated that. A love so strong corroded into hate. She loved humanity, but hated their actions. She had nothing to fight though, so as the feeling of uselessness set in, so did her own transformation.

She too had to be taken down.

Only the two left. A King and her Knight. The Knight had her justice, but the King found it hard to keep her own happiness. She’d lost two of her closest friends… so quickly… so easily. Didn’t she deserve happiness too? She spread it to others… what if she took some for herself…

There was no fight. Only an amber glow and the figure of a beautiful woman floating inside a golden egg.

Finally, the Knight herself was left. A pitiable fool of a knight. She couldn’t save anyone. Not even those she loved.

She wandered, unable to keep the tears from falling. Her eye ached. Surely, there couldn’t be anything left in the socket anymore. The night had filled her with a starless sky and painted her hands and face with its endless void. The blue starlit blades floated close to her body; if she succumbed… she could easily end it before others got hurt. Lucky her, nobody came. She wouldn’t fail anyone ever again. She wouldn’t harm anyone ever again. She wouldn’t betray…

A fallen magical girl, trapped forever in her transformation.

In the back alley, letting the rain hit her face, she aimlessly meandered. The rain was a comfort at least. The cool droplets washed off the dribbling blackness that soaked her remaining eye. It would have been a day like any other, but the clatter of footsteps against rain washed stone told her otherwise.

So it was them who came to take her away, she couldn’t even resist that. The rumors of the other captured “magical girls” ran rampant. Only a matter of time before they came for her.

She hoped they hadn’t hurt the others…

Willingly, she followed, her eye weeping the black inky tears and staining their thick gloves. Needlessly aggressive they were, grabbing her arms and shoving her inside a box. The last bit of light escaped her with a push of a button. The doors whirred shut, leaving the broken Knight to dwell in despair alone.

She had to have fallen asleep. Or, at least maybe tranquilized. That wouldn’t be too far out of the question, considering how forceful they were to a creature who didn’t even resist.

The room she currently resided in was bigger than the box from before. Similar in design yet not the same. Technology whirred in the walls along with the sound of footsteps outside of the door. Silhouettes flashed by the window, casting darkness in her already dim room.

Using the wall to brace herself, she rose to stand. She pondered and entertained the idea of looking out of the window, but found no point in it. Why should she? Wouldn’t change anything. Hopeless...

It was then that very same door opened. It slid back with little beeps and clicks, revealing a tiny little human clad with strange clothes. They fumbled their clipboard upon seeing her, losing their composure. Quickly, they righted themself. They nervously smiled at her. So full of life… so full of hope.

If only she could protect them…

“Why did I have to be the first one… what if I mess up… ah… okay, okay… manager said insight? I could try that…”

The little human muttered under their breath. They spoke aloud, but not to her. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of annoyance at their rudeness… she herself knew manners, a Knight had to. But… did she even deserve such frivolous things after everything? Probably not.

The little human poked around the room, inching closer to her and prodded at her star shifting dress with a pen. They stayed a good distance away. Scared out of their mind maybe. Nervous? Also a possibility. Even if she was no threat (which she knew she definitely was), the Knight was much, much taller than the little human. She towered over them easily.

A little beep, and they sighed. Relief clear on their face. Quickly, the little human ran towards the door— they stopped.

Hesitating, if for a moment, they turned around and— unsure if they should —waved goodbye and smiled.

Even the grieving, hollow, empty Knight felt a small seed of hope bloom where the void overtook her heart.

They came back the next day. And the next. Each time, they did insight. Each time, they always brought something new to her prison. Some of those things included: a couple books, a small plush animal, star covered blankets and pillows, and the newest addition to her collection of comfort items.

The little human had, in their hands, a multitude of little plastic stars. The Knight tilted her head to the side, kneeling down to get a closer look. The human had long since stopped flinching at her sudden movements. Instead, they beamed at her, thrusting the stars up.

“Okay, okay, I have no clue if you know what these are but… I promise you’ll love them, okay?” The little human brought the stars back towards their chest. Such silly trinkets to hold so close and protectively.

“I will accept anything, little human. I do not deserve these gifts, but if it brings you happiness for me to use them, I will.” Her only eye opened, the small remaining starry pupil focusing on the human’s cute face.

They hummed, tilting back and forth on their heels. A habit of theirs, the Knight had learned.

It didn’t take long for them to go around and slap those little stars around her cell. A couple, they even gave to her to place upon the ceiling.

“Okay, now we just needta dim the lights. Here!”

She understood now why they were so excited. The room lit up with stars, woven into little constellations much like the ones that appeared in her hair. Her gasp must have been more audible than she thought, because the little Agent just got even more excited.

Even if this gift wasn’t one she cared for, even if it wasn’t a beautiful speckling of stars, the smile the agent had shone brighter than them all.

She would protect them, with all she had, she would uphold justice.

Firenze. That was their name.

She had learned it once when they’d tripped and fallen into her containment. Clipboard lost and scattered in the fall. When she’d picked it up for them, she saw it clear as day.

“A beautiful name,” she said.

Of course, they got all flustered at that. Rubbing the back of their neck and flushing a deep scarlet. She bet if they were to open their eyes completely, they’d be looking down away from her in their bashfulness.

They tended to get all shy around her at times. While they still did insight, attachment work was the new normal. Instead of gifts, they instead brought stories. They talked about their times in this place, talked about friends they had made, and even rambled on about some other “abnormalities” ( a word that she supposed meant creatures like herself.)

It was easier to not break down into tears when they were around. Other agents still hadn’t been able to just… be around her yet. She didn’t quite know why the simplest word could cause her to sniffle and cry, or the reason behind the scared looks she got. But Firenze? Nowadays, they’d never even flinch around her, even if she did tear up. It was soothing actually. To know there was someone around her that could listen to her woes and make her feel as if she was whole.

It wasn’t until a couple days later could she return the favor.

Firenze had startled her, opening the door to her containment and pushing the button multiple times to slam it shut. She opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but stopped herself as she saw the streaming tears running down their face.

“Agent Firenze, what seems to be ailing you?” She knelt down to her knees, moving her head to the side.

That was all it took for them to run up and bury their face in her chest. They held tight, each sob physically wracking their small body.

She placed one of her clawed hands to the back of their head. A part of her worried they were too sharp. The last thing she’d want to do is harm them. But no harm came. If anything, they appreciated her thin fingers combing through their sliver-white hair.

After their sobs died down, they jolted. Immediately, they began to try and wriggle out of her grip, whispering small sorries and looking horrified at their actions.

“I’m so sorry, Miss Knight, I don’t know what got into me—“

She hushed them, placing a thin finger against their lips. They stopped their squirming.

“You have done nothing wrong. Now tell me, if you will, what has happened? Did someone hurt you?”

Was this how she once was? A true knight?

She would uphold justice.

Firenze sniffled some more. “N-not exactly. Something else breached, I think it was that Snowy Apple one, and— and I was sent to suppress it.”

They wiped some tears away with the sleeve of their EGO. It was one that looked so much like herself. The stars embedded into the very fabric of the suit shimmered softly as they cried.

“As soon as I got there though, I was too late— I saw my friend get— if only I wasn’t such a coward.”

Their tears picked up once more. Her own heart ached seeing their once hopeful face now completely crushed with the realization and dread of a place such as this. The Knight knew she was a monster, after what’d she’d done, and if they had her here whatever else could there be? What other horrors?

She cupped their face in her hands, gently rubbing the tears away with her palm. “It will be okay, my dear Firenze. No matter what, I’ll always protect you.”

In but a moment, one of Firenze’s tears shimmered, like that of a newborn star, before falling down on their cheek leaving nothing but the inky blackness of space behind. A small tear shape, sharpened much like the once on her own cheek.

They touched it, hesitantly, feeling the strange but still familiar texture of the tear that now laid on their face.

“I don’t know what to say… thank you, Miss Knight.”

She nodded, standing back to her full height now. “You’ve given me many gifts, so I thought it would be kind to return the favor. A symbol of my protection.”

But, in her heart, she grew afraid it wasn’t enough. She needed something else as well.

She summoned her swords, letting them float around her body while she prepared the spell. From her heart, she produced a small, charm-like shield of the same kind she once was associated with. She held it out to Firenze, smiling for the first time in a long time.

“Please, accept this blessing.”

They reached out, their fingers nudging the bottom of her palm as they moved the small charm up and away from her hands. As they held it, it shimmered into place as part of a small chained charm bracelet, with the shield as the sole charm. They stared at their wrist, moving it around to get a better look at it.

Firenze opened their mouth to speak. No words came to them, so instead they just ran back into her, hugging her as far up as they could go.

“Thank you—“

She patted the top of their head. This time she had no fear that she could harm them.

Due to the nature of the spell, they were only supposed to use it to aid in suppressing other abnormalities. Thus, she didn’t quite see them as much as she would when gifting it to them, but she figured it was a fair trade as long as they were safe.

They still came back to renew the charm and do some attachment work. So, she got to hear all the stories of their adventures and victories (which they attributed to her aid). Despite her protection, she couldn’t exactly see through them, but she could tell the state they were in. She could feel the justice that flowed through their body as they dealt finishing blows, and she could feel their heartbeat entwining with hers as they fought for their friends.

It was bittersweet, in that sense. But alas, her memories would forever stay memories of the past that she may only dwell upon.

Firenze had grown. They were much more confident in themself now, exuding an aura of one not to be trifled with. Deep down though, she could still tell they had the same love and care as the shy little employee she had first met. Still easily flustered as ever despite their skill with the blade.

Today, they were fussing with her hair. She’d said something about how one of her sisters used to do it, and they’d jumped at the chance.

“Maki is always losing his hair ties, so I tend to keep some around for him. Plus, doing his hair has given me plenty of practice! He’s really bad at putting his hair into his usual twin buns without help.”

They drew their brush through her hair. From the deep blue to the fading black at the tips. Each brushstroke jostled the miniature constellations that’d made their home in the strands. Firenze gathered the hair together, and began to do a simple braid. Her hair was so lengthy that anything more complicated could take longer than the time they were given to do the attachment work, so this would have to do. Once they were done though, they could add the hair clips and ribbons!

“Are these also from Maki?” the Knight asked. She poked one of the small heart shaped clips that Firenze made her hold onto.

“Well, the clips are! But the ribbons are from my friend Cessair! She’s really interested in meeting you actually. I mean, she is resonating with your EGO quite well, so I think she’d be a good match.” They tied one of the black ribbons around the top of the braid.

“I don’t think anyone could resonate with my EGO as well as you do, my dear Agent,” she spoke so smugly about that, a certain sense of pride welling in her chest. “If I were still able, I’d request for your own knighting ceremony immediately. You’re rather chivalrous and kind, after all.”

Firenze blushed, rubbing the back of their neck. “Ah, you’re only saying that because we’re friends.”

“Does being friends make it less true? It’s not just to lie, so I never do.”

She covered a laugh at the (now even more) flustered face they were making. Their cheeks all red and mouth agape made for quite a cute and silly sight.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but then they thrusted a small pocket mirror into her hands. She opened it, finding her thin claws to be useful for such small treasures. Ah, it’d been a while since she’d seen her reflection.

She hadn’t really changed much. Half her face was still consumed with the endless void of despair, and her eyes still had that empty, starry glow.

In her peripheral, she saw Firenze’s expectant expression. Right. She shan’t dwell on the past. She moved her head to the side, pulling the braid to the forefront to properly view it. A simple, yet effective hairstyle that was only made better by the knowledge that her newfound friend did it for her.

She shut the mirror, extending it back to Firenze. “It’s beautiful, thank you.”

They gladly took it back, absolutely beaming. A small beep sounded behind them, marking the end of the work. Bashfully looking back to the Knight, they asked the question they’d asked dozens of times. “Could you, uh, grant me your blessing?”

And as always, she smiled, and began the spell.

“You sometimes mention something about sisters? I’m curious, especially because of the other two that have arrived in the past weeks.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Firenze was laying with their back on the hem of the Knight’s long dress. Comfy, they claimed it to be. Part of her felt a tad annoyed, but then again, she found the excuse to sit down next to Firenze and fiddle with their short white hair.

“Well, they were originally just called ‘magical girl’ like you were, but then they were given their own titles,” Firenze said halfway through a yawn.

She froze for a moment. How should she tread? Reveal too much about her past? Or make Firenze feel as if she didn’t trust them?

…change the subject it is.

“Well, I suppose there is a lot of ‘magical’ things around here. I’d give you that title, but you aren’t exactly a girl so,” she pondered for a moment, “magical knight?”

They laughed at that, smiling up at her. Their eyes were closed as always, but she could tell they were looking up at her.

“Eh, I suppose so, Miss Knight. Feels fitting especially with how much you say I’d be a good one.”

Their smile dampened for a moment. “But, the other two…”

The Knight watched their face, levying the two opposing sides of her mind on a delicate scale. “They are my sisters. Both the King and the Queen were, along with another that isn’t yet here.”

Firenze moved their head slightly. “You already knew it was those two exactly? I didn’t even give you a hint yet…”

She booped their nose at their sad tone, earning a small giggle from them. “You said it yourself, I’m a magical girl. And, they’re my sisters, I can just sense them.”

That, and she’d heard those rings of joyous laughter in the halls, accompanied with the wingbeats and signature sound of the Arcana Slave.

“I miss them…”

Firenze yelped. An ink black tear hit their cheek, sending a small shiver down their body. Ah, she hadn’t realized she’d started to cry. And once she’d started, it’d be hard to stop.

“It’s okay, it’s okay! Maybe… maybe since they’re here, you could see them again! Some abnormalities tend to passively breach without issue, and since you’re so kind, I bet you could do that and see them!”

Oh, she was so happy she had Firenze.

Something was wrong.

A startling cry awoke her from her sleep. She gasped for air, clutching her chest as if she’d been stabbed through the heart.

Did someone attack her while she slept? Did her magic run dry? Did—

No.

Please no.

She slowly unclasped her hand. The dreadful crawl of time between her and gazing at what she could already feel in her hand was torture. One by one, her fingers uncurled. In her hand, she saw it, clear as day, spattered with tiny droplets of red.

Her shield, broken and stained with Firenze’s blood.

In all the months she’d been in this place, awaiting Firenze in her cell she now called home, she never attempted to teleport out before. Could she even? Was it even necessary? It was now, she decided to risk whatever would happen if she did.

And it worked. The simple casting with her swords allowed her to instantly travel to where Firenze now laid.

Their body lay broken on the floor, bits of their blood here and there mixed with the inhuman blood of the abnormality they’d been fighting. The coagulated bits and pieces of long gone bodies now stabbed through and ripped to shreds splattered the sides of the place. Others lay dead too, in the already horrific scene. Most sported huge bitemarks and what looked to be the remnants of a highly putrid acidic substance.

She knelt down next to Firenze, picking up their small body and holding it close. They were still breathing, if barely. Black sludge covered half of their face, eating away at the skin below. She tried to shove the murky slime away, resisting against the black damage she recieved, but all she earned was Firenze’s body tensing up in pain. Their now sole eye shuttered open, and for the first time knowing them, she saw the color of their eyes.

A deep brown, so dark it was almost black, with tiny flecks of gold like that of a star.

“Sorry, Knight… Haah…. I think this may be goodbye…”

They smiled through both the blood in their mouth and the newly punched out teeth. They coughed, flecks of red stained the front of the Knight’s dress. She couldn’t care though, not when they looked at her with so much guilt in their eyes.

She gingerly held onto their face, angling her swords behind her towards any threats she could perceive. She fought back the urge to cry, to weep, to wail. She didn’t want to make them feel any worse than they already did.

“Thank you for everything…” Firenze croaked out, their breath hitching.

And like that, after a few more shallow breaths, they faltered. Their hands went rigid, and their tiny body’s heartbeat petered out. The small, little star-like bits of gold deep within their eye faded to null. Nothing left but a hollow, unfocused pupil.

With that, the Knight of Despair let out a bloodcurdling wail.

A blue streak shot down the narrow hallway, seconded only by the tell-tale thunder and the familiar swearing of its user.

“Dammit— Meat, fall back! You know how this gun works,” the wielder of the gun yelled out to the women now running straight on to deal a blow with a knife-like axe.

Another shot rang out, but this time, from the woman named Meat. “Meat will be fine, she can’t die, remember?” Meat said. She shot again, and narrowly missed a blade aiming straight at her. It hit the ground, embedding itself for a moment before being mercilessly yanked back.

The Knight had been wandering for some time now, teleporting at random to different parts of this place. What was she even looking for in the end? What was the point? Firenze was dead, she had failed them.

Where had these two been before? Couldn’t they have kept Firenze from dying, if only they assisted them! If so, why? Why should they be here when they were long gone?

Why wasn’t she there to protect them? If only she had realized… if only….

She sobbed some more, haphazardly firing another blade, this time towards the one in the back. They attempted to dodge it, but still recieved a small slice against their shoulder of the pale attack.

“Ara? You okay?” Meat asked, turning her head back for a moment.

“Yeah, god it just stings real bad.”

The Knight of Despair, no longer a knight practicing her codes of chivalry, moved to attack the woman while her back was turned. She must have been expecting it, because she immediately clashed with the Knight. The small axe struggled to keep the enchanted blade at bay. It didn’t struggle for long. Meat pulled out the gun, and shot a hollow point shell straight towards the Knight.

Maybe she should have been focusing on the woman, for red damage was her own downfall. Unlike her sister, the King, she bled quicker and easier.

The shotgun fired again, hitting her square in the chest. It hurt, but ultimately, it was powered with the same sort of endless despair she had been burdened with. A hollow, and fruitless, endeavor that clawed at her heart. Or in the case of the abnormality who was the source of that magic bullet’s EGO, clawed at the empty hole where a heart once was.

She shot all three swords this time, a couple did hit their mark on Meat, but even when pulled out and covered in blood, she still seemed to be going. Meat ran forward, shooting a couple rounds in and slicing her horizontally with the axe.

The knight staggered. Teal blood poured down her dress and onto the floor. She choked out another broken sob, wiping the inky black away from her eyes.

She’d failed in more ways than one. What would they say if they saw her doing this? Taking out her anger on the others she should’ve been protecting? The others that she now failed to protect.

The faces of those who had faced the turning of her swords came back to the forefront of her mind. This wasn’t justice, this wasn’t even despair, this was just her own cruel heart.

She turned the swords away, pointing them at herself. Each one pierced her through. The final one, hitting her blackened heart.

Justice had turned its back, leaving only hollow despair in its wake.

She wasn’t surprised when she had been left alone for so long. It was all on her, what had happened. She’d let herself be consumed by the same despair that’d taken her the very first time.

Her tears were more constant now, no one to hear them except the walls of the room. The stars on the ceiling still shined in the dark, a reminder that they existed, they were a person.

She couldn’t let their memory disappear. Not like the rest in this place. She’d remember them, just as she remembered the days where she’d fight alongside her sisters in battle, bringing hope to the world.

She nestled herself into some of the comfort items she’d been given. The soft blankets and pillows helped calm her somewhat. Maybe if she calmed, this loneliness would end.

(She wanted them back. Please give them back.)

For the first time in a long time, the door clicked open.

She startled, watching the door in anticipation. Part of her knew she wouldn’t see Firenze, they’d died right in her arms, but a small part of her hoped, anyway.

Instead, an Agent she’d never seen before entered. One that was almost the opposite looking of Firenze, but still wearing her EGO.

“Hello there miss! I’m Cessair, and I’ll be working with you today!”

At the sound of that name, she realized who this was. Oddly enough, the bows she had seen on this woman in passing were now gone. (But, the more she thought about it, the one who’d defeated her that last time was wearing braids that ended in black bows…)

“Were you… one of their friends?” she asked. Her fingers wrung themselves against each other, nerves choosing now to go off.

She didn’t even have to say her name for her to understand. Cessair’s happy expression fell to a more solemn one.

“Yeah, they and I used to talk a lot. They used to always say such kind things about you. Firenze cared about you a lot,” Cessair sighed, letting her emotions settle before giving a gentle smile.

“But, I know I can’t replace them, but I hope you don’t mind me working with you more from now on,” she tapped her clipboard, “My girlfriend and another friend of mine are also going to start working with you as well!”

The Knight nodded, a bit hesitant, but understanding.

Maybe this was for the best.

She was right in that these others could never replace Firenze, she doubted she could ever get as close to another agent as she did them. But still, she found she couldn’t just completely close off her heart.

Cessair was as kind as they came, but also already seasoned both in combat and using the Knight’s signature sword. It was interesting, actually, to know that Firenze was just a newbie when they first met. Especially interesting because Cessair definitely was not.

She found the differences between the two agents to be a blessing. While small things Cessair did reminded them of Firenze, the majority was just her as her own person. She wasn’t a replacement, or a distraction, but someone with their own experiences and outlooks on life.

It wasn’t long before she started giving out her blessing again. Not just to Cessair, but to the others too. (Specifically, the one others tended to call “bird boy” for whatever reason. Was it because he had a similar energy to the fiery bird?)

She even gave her gift to another agent, once again. This time, the one named Meat. She wasn’t exactly sure how it happened, but the normally stoic and tough Meat broke down in containment one day.

“She’s sorry she couldn’t help them… you understand, right? Meat knows the feeling of being afraid of losing someone you care about.”

She couldn’t not give the little agent her gift after that. So she smudged the same black tear on her cheek.

There was some close calls, and even times where the crippling despair broke her once more, leaving her to wander and pierce anyone she could, but even then, the new agents who worked with her were quick to end it. She wasn’t sure how Meat was able to consistently survive attacks that would kill the others, but she took it as a blessing. One less disappointed face to haunt her dreams.

The Knight watched as an agent left her containment, smiling and waving as they went out, clipboard tucked under their arms. She didn’t smile back, but did bow towards them, which seemed to be enough.

Despite the despair she wallowed in, the memories of times long gone and the reminders that she could once more be consumed by that emptiness once again, there was something else she had found to bring her back to the surface. Something more valuable than Justice.

Hope.

One day, things will get better. Even if there are days where she’d like nothing more than to fade into the liquid void and sleep for eternity. There was the future, that’d change the rules and rewrite whatever fate she thought she had. She just had to wait and see.

Hope could never be completely snuffed out, not even by Hatred, Wrath, Greed, or Despair.

Maybe, one day, she could meet them again.

Her book was a solemn place, the ruins of a once great castle laid forever underneath the endless patchwork of stars. A shadow of the place she’d once protected and loved with all her heart could muster. That is, till everything around her crumpled under the pressure and she found she could no longer protect the place. Her cries as she wandered the halls with her blades still rang potent in her ears.

It wasn’t until well into her stay at the place when she met three so-called librarians who had come to suppress the energy escaping from her book so they could use her once again. Her memories of before and during the suppression still stayed muddled, deep in despair and tears.

But after? It was like she had a great weight lifted off her shoulders. She could now see outside her book, watching the librarians fight and giving them her own abilities as a way to assist their endeavors. It was much like her time in the Corporation, but a lot more freeing, and possibly even more helpful.

Plus, one of her sisters was already there. Queenie hugged her as soon as she stepped outside the confines of her book for the first time. The younger magical girl had almost knocked her down, rambling about how happy she was to see her in the library with her outside of that “boring place.”

The King and the Servant even met back up with them. The King being a bit happier than she used to be (even though old wounds never could fully heal) and the Servant was much more at peace with herself (likewise.)

But, even then, the thing that surprised her the most only happened after the Servant rejoined them.

Someone had been resonating with them recently, though, she couldn’t exactly figure out who. She only really knew the four librarians on the Floor of Natural Sciences. Other than that, she had met some of the abnormalities from before once again. Namely, those young kids and that other blue despair ridden individual.

But other than that, she found herself unsure. She had been wandering around the floor’s bookshelves and windows that always had light shining through at all hours, only dimming slightly when it was supposed to be “night,” or whatever set of time this place had. Maybe she could find that someone, as they were obviously feeling similar emotions and thoughts as she. The other abnormalities she’d spoken too had mentioned a similar thing happening before with the Head Librarian…

While lost in her thoughts, she stumbled upon a little designated reading corner on the floor. A small fireplace, a couple bookshelves, and some soft looking sofas were all angled in a circular shape around a small rug. On that rug, leaning next to the couch, was the newly awakened librarian.

Her heart skipped a beat.

“Firenze?” She asked. The Knight took a couple hesitant steps closer to the librarian. They had the same silver-white hair as they once did.

They turned to look at her, and the familiar face and closed eyes confirmed her initial thoughts.

Not much had changed about them. Their hair was slightly longer than before; the long strands placed into two long pigtails that flowed down their back. And, the same side of their face that was covered in that black sludge had been replaced with the same void that covered half of hers.

Firenze gasped, practically climbing over the couch to get to her. They wrapped their arms around her and started to cry happy tears.

“Miss Knight—!”

The Knight fell to her knees, embracing them back in her long, blackened arms. She combed their silver hair with her claws. It was still as soft as it was back then. She laid her head on theirs, listening to them, even though their words were a jumbled mess of excitement and tears.

She cried as well, but this time, they were tears of joy.