THE END OF THINGS

Each stomp of the horse’s hooves brings them closer. The leader of the five horsemen shouts orders at the others as her good eye watches the road. She adjusts the eyepatch on her right eye before gripping the reins tightly.

“Ignore everything else,” she shouts. “Focus on getting Princess Cari out. The army should be able to hold off the demons long enough.”

“Yes, Commander Weiss!” the four say.

Weiss grits her teeth as she thinks. But deafening silence is all that meets them as they exit the forest, the horses rushing down the hill to a forsaken sight.

Bodies litter the field where the army was assembled. Tents, supplies, and wagons demolished beyond belief, but no dead animals are left. In the middle of the field, the princess’ tent is untouched.

Weiss tears forward towards the tent while her soldiers are still stunned. “Cari!”

She holds tightly on the reins until she sees something forming out of the corner of her eye. The woman jumps off not a moment too soon to avoid a sharp projectile slicing into her throat.

Weiss lands into a roll, drawing a pepperbox. She looks for a target until her men start to shout. Projectiles rip into the soldiers, their bodies falling off the running horses.

A clapping comes from the tent, a teen walking out. A grin is on her face, her golden eyes bright against the darkness. Blood all over her, especially in her purple hair.

“Your reaction time is impressive. You must be Weiss. Cari was worried about you. She’s unconscious. But she put up a good fight. Got a good stab in.”

Weiss gives a small sigh and stands up. “So, what do you want Cari for? Who are you?”

“Kana Fuji. And replacing the queen is a good start. There’s a lot of uses for a regent in my pocket. I’m not one for being in front of—”

Weiss fires a shot from her gun and a second one from under her cloak. Kana defends herself by sending the blood on herself and the ground into a floating shield that absorbs the bullets.

“I like you,” Kana admits with a chuckle. “Where I’m from it’s rude to do that. Which annoyed me. So, we don’t have to do this. You can join me.”

Weiss shakes her head and starts firing more shots, spinning as she does. But Kana knocks each out with the drops of blood, the projectiles from before. Kana advances against Weiss, her hands behind her back as she walks.

Weiss dodges more strikes before tossing the guns aside. But they vanish, rather than hitting the ground. Her hand wraps around an artifact and she pulls it from her cloak. She points it at Kana and shouts a phrase.

Golden bindings wrap around Kana, pressing deep into her skin. Causing her to fall to the ground. Weiss steps on her and pulls another gun, a rifle, from thin air and aims it at Kana.

“I don’t know what kind of magic you possess but this ends now,” Weiss barks. “You’re gonna give my girlfriend back and go straight to hell.”

Kana freezes for a moment. Her face regains control after a moment, and she laughs.

“I thought I had love too. But they had no problem killing me. Their cold, dead faces as they stabbed me over and over.”

“You couldn’t know what love is if you are capable of this,” Weiss says, pressing the rifle into Kana’s cheek. “So many dead because of you.”

“Kinda. I only interrupted things. They were killing each other. Guess someone caught the ones destroying the supplies before they were going to slip away. Your princess assumed I was leading the traitors.”

Weiss lets her guard down for a moment before kicking Kana. She attempts firing a shot, but the gun fails. Blood drips out, causing Weiss’ face to pale.

“I’m not a mage. All my power is in me,” Kana says. She nods her head towards the sky as she breaks the bindings. Above the two is a giant bubble of blood, the bodies across the battlefield being drained. The bubble expands and Weiss rips off her eyepatch. Her right eye glows white and she raises her arms, a magical shield forming above them.

The bubble bursts into thousands of weapons. The bloody armaments tearing through everything on the field but the princess’ tent. Weiss screams as she puts everything into the barrier. Each impact starting to crack the protection until it finally gives.

Weiss is knocked back and a sword slices into her abdomen. Then a spear in the shoulder and a dagger in her leg. The weapons slowly break apart, but the damage is done. She glances to see Kana in the same state.

“Why’d you try to protect me?” Kana coughs out. “I wouldn’t have.”

“I needed to know the truth. Couldn’t know for sure if you died.”

Kana gives a small laugh before spitting blood. “Don’t lie. You saw I hesitated. I didn’t want to do this… why?”

“I think your partners were under control,” Weiss says. “Like controlled. I’ve seen it a lot.”

“Fuck!” Kana groans out. “I… I hoped they weren’t. Then I could die knowing they wouldn’t miss me. I just hope I can see them… wherever I’m headed. Please.”

Her last words are shaky before her breath stops. Weiss sighs as she starts to feel cold.

“Weiss!” a voice shouts, Cari’s. “No… No…”

The armored princess rushes to Weiss’ side. She checks over the woman’s body, trying to stop the bleeding. But Weiss takes her hands, looking into Cari’s purple eyes.

“No use,” Weiss says as tears fall. “Guess we couldn’t run away after all.”

Cari shakes her head and softly kisses the woman and then puts her head on Weiss’ chest.

“I love you so much,” Weiss whispers as her hands go limp.

Yui Holoka (She/Her) was born in Jacksonville, FL. She spends her off time by playing video games or watching anime. She also plays in or runs tabletop roleplaying games.