The Curse Doll
Pain.
He thought he knew it before; thought that all the shit he'd been through would have prepared him for this, but the fire coursing through his veins was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
His body was pulled apart and rearranged repeatedly as the energy of the void burned off his remaining skin.
He tried to breathe, but he had lost one of his lungs to the abyss.
He tried to scream, but his windpipe had been crushed by the vacuum of space.
He tried to die, but God wouldn't let him.
All he could do was wait…
…and wait…
Time had no meaning in this place, but he swore he had been there for years. He was a shell of himself, resembling a classroom skeleton more than a man. He no longer felt pain, or anything, really. He had been numbed to it all.
At least, he had thought that he was. Colliding with solid ground and breaking his remaining bones brought him to a harsh reality.
White filled his vision. So, he was finally dying.
"—er, we…help—"
Actually, it was more of a silver…Was that a face?
"—going…right."
He had never seen a more beautiful woman. Perhaps sending an angel was God's way of apologizing for his torture.
A hand rested on his cheek as warmth spread throughout his body.
"Rest. You're safe now."
He closed his eyes…and awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling.
He took a deep breath. He couldn't do that before.
Finally, he could be at peace.
"'Tis good to see you awake," came a voice like a silver bell. He looked over and found the angel from before. She was even more stunning now that he could see her clearly.
"Where am I?" He tried to ask but found himself unable to speak. The girl seemed to understand, though.
"You are at my mother's home. You're still healing, so please exercise caution before moving."
Healing? So, he wasn't dead?
He didn't know how to feel about that.
If he wasn't dead, then he shouldn't feel this…whole. He felt his arms, legs, torso, and everything else that was lost.
It wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. Yes, he knew what he wished for, but this wasn't what he meant! He wanted it to be quick, not for—
"Shhh…" A hand threaded its way through his hair, calming him immensely. It was a pleasant, albeit foreign sensation. He hadn't felt a touch like this since…well, ever.
"Everything will be all right," soothed the woman. "I know this is scary. You're in an unfamiliar place, and you're wounded, but do not worry about a thing. I will take care of you."
So many questions ran through his mind, but there was one thing he needed to know. This kind, gentle, beautiful stranger…What was…
"Wh- ah…"
"Take your time."
"Wh…Wh…What…"
"Here, I shall get you some water. That should help." She stood up, but with what little strength he had left, he grabbed onto her arm.
With his eyes, he pleaded, "Don't go."
Her eyes—a mezmerizing shade of amethyst—softened at the sudden gesture. "I suppose I can stay," she said quietly. "But please, do not stress your throat."
He could handle it. He just needed to ask: "Wh-what's…y-your name?"
She smiled at him, causing his heart to beat frantically in his chest.
"My name is Satella."
Patrasche's claws clicked against the stone, jerking Subaru awake. He flexed his fingers, took a deep breath, and twisted his neck, taking inventory of his body parts.
It was disorienting, remembering that void. He'd love to forget about it, but, if he did, he'd also forget what happened after.
He'd forget one of his reasons for fighting.
Perhaps it was a bit morbid, but Subaru was thankful for that dream.
By the time Roswaal's mansion came into view, the sun had dipped low into the sky. Twenty-four hours remained. Subaru would make it count.
"Come on, Patrasche," he murmured, coaxing her to move faster. "We're almost there."
He squinted. Off in the distance, he saw a ground dragon dashing toward him, a silver-haired rider on its back. "What on Earth…Oi! Emilia-tan!" He waved his arms above his head, grinning as she noticed him. "What are you doing? Being out late is bad for your skin!"
He urged Patrasche further and met Emilia by one of the mansion's fountains. "Where were you?!" She stomped over to him, her face red with indignation. "I was worried sick! You disappear in the middle of the night, telling no one where you're going, and now you're asking about my skin?!"
"To be fair, I didn't exactly plan to leave," he said dismissively. Apparently, that was the wrong answer.
She threw her arms up in frustration. "That makes it worse! Who kidnapped you?! Who hurt you?!"
"Relax, Emi—"
"I can't relax!" she screeched before her face fell, all traces of anger fading. "You…Someone took you, and I thought I'd never see you again. You promised me, Subaru. You promised you'd stay by my side."
A pit of regret formed at the base of his stomach. He scratched roughly at his arm through his sleeve. "I'm right here, Emilia. I came back as soon as I could." He gathered her in his arms, and she gripped his nightclothes as if to assure herself that he was actually there. "I would never leave you behind."
'Never again.'
Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. "Promise?"
"I promise, Emilia-tan." He held her for a moment longer before pulling back. "I need your help."
It had been a rough day for Emilia.
It had started out fine, of course. She got up, Puck did her hair, and she studied. She didn't see Subaru at all, which wasn't strange in and of itself. It wasn't like she knew his daily routine. However, she couldn't deny that she was hoping for another morning visit or at least a quick 'hello' at breakfast.
She immediately berated herself for being so selfish. He was busy getting adjusted to his new home—his new life—and she was pining for his attention.
Puck, sensing Emilia's thoughts, went to console her. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to see Subaru. He's your friend, and friends like to see each other."
She nodded slowly. "I guess that makes sense," she admitted. "It's just sooo strange; I've never had a friend before. He doesn't even care that I'm a half-elf."
"Yeah, and there's no ill-intent or ulterior motives. All I sense is a desire to protect you and stand by your side. Well, that and…"
"And?" she asked, her curiosity peaked.
Puck waved her off. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll tell you in time."
"That's not fair!" she whined. "You can't just tell someone that and expect them to be okay with it."
"Then forget I said anything."
"That's not…hmph, fine." She pouted, but it was hard to be mad at an adorable floating kitten. So, she studied for another couple of hours, causing the topic to be pushed from her mind.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. She was always thinking of her knight-to-be, even though she didn't fully understand why.
Eventually, a voice broke through her concentration. "Miss Emilia, it is time for lunch."
Emilia looked up from her notes and smiled at the blue-haired maid in front of her. "Thank you, Rem. Did you get Subaru yet?"
"I have not," Rem admitted. "I was about to ask you if you've seen him today. He didn't show up for breakfast, and his room is empty."
Emilia grimaced. "That's…not good." Then, with barely-concealed panic, "What if he's lost? Oh, I knew I should have checked on him!"
"Do not worry, Miss Emilia," Rem soothed. "I will have Sister use her clairvoyance. If he is outside, Sister will find him. I will check the inside of the mansion."
Emilia took a deep breath. "Thank you, Rem. I will—"
"You will enjoy your lunch," Rem said sternly. "Please do not concern yourself."
Emilia wanted to protest, but she was meek. "O-okay," she said, cursing herself for her weakness, "but if there's anything I can do, please let me know!"
Rem gave a slight bow, saying, "Of course, Miss Emilia."
Lunch was a delectable selection of meats, fruits, and vegetables; the finest chefs in Lugunica would clamor to emulate it.
Emilia's plate remained untouched.
"You need to eat, Lia." Puck's voice was gentle and was typically enough to knock Emilia out of any funk, but her face remained listless and lost.
"I'm not hungry," she insisted, as stubborn as ever.
He sighed. "I know you're worried, but Subaru wouldn't want you to starve himself for his sake."
She nodded, ate a single grain of rice, and resumed moping.
"Lia, please—"
"Do you think he ran away?" She shoved down the traitorous tears, but Puck wasn't fooled.
Puck floated in front of Emilia and placed a paw on her cheek, telling her, "You're overthinking again. Don't you worry about a thing. Subaru would never abandon you."
She let a single tear slip as she protested, "But what if he realized how horrible his life would be if he was a half-elf's knight?"
Puck rolled his eyes at his daughter's abysmal logic. "You said it yourself: he doesn't care. Besides, he's declaring war on the Witch's Cult. He's probably glad that you're a half-elf."
"But—"
"No more buts," he said sternly. "Subaru didn't run away. I'm not a fan of his incessant flirting with my innocent daughter, but even I can vouch for his loyalty."
Emilia visibly deflated, and her eyes filled with shame. "You're right. I should have more faith in him…I do have faith in him. I just feel so useless." She perked up, saying, "Maybe Roswaal has seen him! We should go ask."
At that moment, Rem entered the room, saying, "Lord Roswaal left this morning on important business." She bowed her head to Emilia in greeting before continuing. "I have been informed by Sister that Sir Subaru is not within the mansion grounds, the forest, or the village. I have checked every room in the mansion, but he is nowhere to be found."
Emilia's breath hitched. "Please, no…"
"What about Betty?" asked Puck. "She would know if he's still in the mansion, right?"
"Lady Beatrice has hidden herself," Rem answered. "I am afraid no one will be able to visit her."
With that, Emilia made up her mind. "Thank you for informing us, Rem. Please get me a ground dragon. I will be leaving within the hour."
"Yes, Miss Emilia." With another bow, Rem turned and left.
Puck floated in front of Emilia, asking, "You're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?"
"I am," she said stubbornly. "Don't try to stop me."
He shook his head. "I would never. I go where you go, my daughter."
She let a smile bloom on her face. "Mhm. Thank you, Puck. Let's go find Subaru."
A short time later, Rem presented Emilia with a beautiful green ground dragon, saying, "He is young, but he is the fastest ground dragon in Lord Roswaal's possession. I hope he helps you find Subaru soon."
Emilia cast a sideways glance at Rem. "How did you know what I was doing?"
"To be quite honest, Miss Emilia, it was so obvious that I didn't know you were hiding it."
She cast a wry grin at the maid. "I suppose it was the most sensible course of action. Thanks for your help, Rem. I won't leave Roswaal's territory, so it shouldn't be too hard to find me if I'm not back in a couple of days."
"I understand. Good luck, Miss Emilia."
With a nod, Emilia kicked off, determined to find her friend. She was prepared to go without sleep if need be, just to make sure he was safe.
She found him within a minute. Go figure.
Subaru was riding towards her on a brown ground dragon, barefoot, and in his nightclothes. It was obvious he hadn't planned for this excursion. Things went as one would expect: she yelled at him, cried, hugged him, and made him promise to never leave her again.
'Pathetic. I'm such a child.'
Still, in the end, Subaru was back. Everything was okay…for about five seconds.
"I need your help. Elsa is going to be here in twenty-four hours."
Her eyes widened as panic threatened to overtake her. "Wh-what? I don't understand."
"Just trust me on this. I can't fight her alone. I'll need your help, and preferably Rem, Ram, and Ros, too."
"I'll help you, and I'm sure we could get Rem and Ram, but Roswaal left this morning on important business."
"Damn it!" Subaru growled. "Of course, that bastard has a hand in this."
"You're not making any sense, Subaru." Did something happen on his unplanned excursion that was messing with his mind? "What's going on? How do you know that Elsa's coming?"
Subaru hesitated. "I can't tell you."
That hurt more than she'd like to admit. "But…we're friends, aren't we? Don't friends tell each other everything?"
He scratched roughly at his arm. "I mean, some friends do, yeah, but I can't tell you this."
"Can't, or won't?" she asked, noticing his emphasis.
"Can't," he asserted. "Honestly, you're the person I want to tell the most."
She nodded. She wasn't sure if that made her feel better or heightened her worry. "I understand. I trust you, Subaru."
His face broke into a huge smile. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Emilia-tan. One day, I'll find a way to tell you everything, but until then, just keep putting your faith in your loyal knight."
She grinned back. His enthusiasm was simply infectious. "I think I can do that." She walked towards the mansion, filled with determination. "Now, let's go find Ram and Rem. I trust you have a plan?"
"Your plan is stupid, Barusu. End yourself."
"You haven't even heard it yet!"
"The look on your face is stupid. Therefore, your plan is as well."
"That…that doesn't even make any sense!"
Subaru didn't expect Ram to joyfully jump into his arms and declare her undying loyalty, but she could at least hear him out.
"Please, Ram," Emilia pleaded. "We need all the help we can get, and we'd love to have you and Rem on our side."
Ram's demeanor instantly shifted to that of the perfect, polite maid. "Apologies, Miss Emilia," she replied with a curtsy. "Please continue, Barusu."
Ram kept her expression carefully blank throughout Subaru's entire explanation, patiently waiting for him to finish. Then, in the same tone as before, "Your plan is stupid, Barusu. End yourself."
He rolled his eyes as he grumbled, "Gee, thanks, and after all the time I spent working on it. You know, there are more polite ways to say 'sorry, can't help.'"
"But I can help. I just don't want to."
Rem—who had remained quietly by her sister's side—spoke up. "I won't be anywhere near as useful as Sister, but I would be happy to aid you."
Subaru grinned. "Thanks, Rem-Rem! I knew I could count on you."
Emilia matched her knight's expression. "Mhm. I appreciate your help as well, Rem. Meet us in Subaru's room—"
"The Knight's Quarters."
"…Subaru's room," she said emphatically, "at dusk tomorrow."
Rem giggled at the banter while Ram looked like she swallowed something distinctly unpleasant. "Fine," Ram relented, "I suppose I will offer my aid. After all, I cannot in good conscience leave my pure, innocent sister alone with a perverted fiend like Barusu."
Subaru gasped dramatically. "Could it be? Is there some dere to your tsun? You've been holding out on us, Ram!"
"You're right," she admitted. "I've held back on strangling you. Please, keep convincing me to loosen my restraint."
Subaru argued back, but his heart wasn't into it. He couldn't stop thinking about the upcoming battle. Last time, they had the absolute powerhouse that was Garfiel, yet they only defeated Elsa by burning down the mansion. This time around, Subaru's best bet was Beatrice, and he fucked that up big time. His only Plan B was a potential loophole in how Elsa's immortality worked, and there was no guarantee he was right.
Despite the bleak outlook, Subaru wouldn't give up. He wouldn't die. He'd make it work, and he'd get a happy ending.
'You're going down, Elsa.'
The next day came and went. Soon, it was well past midnight. Subaru put on a brave face and gave a motivational speech, Rem nodding along happily.
However, Emilia saw through Subaru's façade. She saw the way his hands drifted to his scar, the same way her hands drifted to her own. It was strange: while she could derive some small comfort from knowing she wasn't alone, she hated the feeling of powerlessness one felt against a foe like Elsa and hated herself even more for dragging others into this mess.
It never crossed her mind to blame him for dragging her into this.
"It is late, Barusu," chastised Ram. "You're going to give my dear sister eye shadows if you keep her up this long."
"It's okay, Sister." Rem's smile lit up the room, and Emilia couldn't help but notice how cute it was. "Think of it as our thanks for Subaru's help in the kitchen the other day."
"It disappoints me that you refer to that display as 'help.' He couldn't even—What the hell?!"
A silver throwing knife embedded itself in the wall behind Ram, just inches away from her neck. Recovering quickly, she pulled it out of the wall and flung it into the darkness. The gut-wrenching sound of a blade piercing flesh reverberated around the room.
"Oh, my," came a voice that Emilia hoped to never hear again. "This is…unexpected." Elsa stepped out of the shadows, casually tearing the knife out of her heart like it was a mere splinter. "I was told to expect only one person."
"It looks like we got the upper hand, Elsa," Subaru proudly declared. "You may as well go crying back to your Mama."
Elsa giggled. "Oh, I disagree! The more corpses, the merrier. Say, I wonder which one of you has the most beautiful bowels. Is it you, young man?"
"I wouldn't say so. My insides are all gross. You see, where I'm from, blood is actually identical to—ah, looks like I distracted you long enough."
"What—" Elsa whipped around to find Rem daintily holding Elsa's magic cloak, a mischievous smile on her face. Out of reflex, Elsa slashed with her knife, but Rem hopped back and placed the cloak on a hanger. "How…interesting."
"What's that? The invincible Bower Hunter was caught off guard by a cute maid? It's not surprising: Rem's so stealthy, she could hide a metal flail in that dress of hers and it wouldn't make a sound. Stealing your protective cloak is easy for her, so don't beat yourself up over it." Subaru smirked. "Actually, please do. It would make our job a lot easier."
Elsa frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand. You know enough about me to know about my cloak, yet you're acting like that gives you a significant advantage."
Subaru's grin faltered ever-so-slightly before it returned in full force. "I'd normally agree, but—shit!" He leaped back, narrowly avoiding Elsa's strike. "What was that for? We were having such a great discussion!"
"I'm here for an assassination, not a dialogue." She tilted her head ever-so-slightly, successfully dodging a burst of wind magic. "I must admit, I'm a tad upset. It's not nice to gang up on a poor, defenseless lady."
"Defenseless my ass!" he shouted as he tensed, his eyes flaming with anger. "Take this, you freak of nature!"
"You're mine." Upon seeing the look in his eyes, Elsa flipped into the air, preparing to skewer Subaru.
"Now!"
"Al Huma!"
A giant spear of ice, tall enough to scrape the ceiling, skewered Elsa, pinning her in place.
"Great job, Emilia! Your turn, Ram!"
Ram dashed towards the downed Elsa and jumped on her back, beginning her search. Elsa struggled, but Emilia and Rem pinned her down.
"It's reeaally weird," Emilia mused. Her expression remained determined, but wonder was evident in her tone. "I can feel her trying to escape, and it should be more than enough to throw me off, but I feel like I have unlimited strength. Her attacks aren't causing me any pain, either."
"Y-yeah." Subaru panted with exertion as sweat began to roll down his forehead. "Cor Leonis is a c-cool power, huh? J-just…mind hurrying up? She's pretty tough."
"I'm going as fast as I can, Barusu," growled Ram. "Your voice is not required for my task."
Elsa struggled and made a snide remark about bowels but was promptly ignored. If Subaru's pale complexion was any indication, they were on a strict time limit.
"Hah! Found it!" Ram pulled back one of Elsa's shoulder straps to reveal a strange marking; Emilia had seen a few tattoos in the streets of the capital, but nothing this…creepy. It almost looked like Subaru; that is, if Subaru were to be carved into someone's skin.
For the first time in her life, Elsa was at a loss for words. Of course, the icy spear in her lungs probably didn't help matters.
Ram pulled out her wand, gathered wind magic at the tip, and pointed it at Elsa's marking. "This is what happens when you try to hurt my sister." Ram plunged the wand into Elsa's shoulder, her magic carving dozens of lines into the marking. Elsa squirmed and knocked her shoulder into Ram's nose, but Ram wouldn't let up. Eventually, Ram lifted her wand, revealing an entirely new marking.
One that looked like Elsa.
The Bowel Hunter grunted and fell still. Blood pooled around her lips, and her wounds stopped healing. "I…I don't understand. My blessing, how did you know about my blessing? How did you nullify my blessing?"
Subaru knelt before Elsa, gathering his breath before speaking. "It's terrifying isn't it? Thinking you're one step ahead and realizing you're two steps behind…Being overpowered in the middle of the night by a foe much stronger than you…This is what your victims felt. It's called karma, Elsa, and it's caught up to you. You've lost."
"You—"
"I wonder what Capella would say when she finds out that you failed?"
A jet-black kukri flew towards Subaru's throat, stopping an inch before it hit its mark. Elsa's head rolled in front of them as the icy flowers that severed it disappeared into the ether.
"Don't you ever try to hurt my knight."
Subaru gaped at Emilia. "Emilia…you're absolutely badass."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what that means."
"It means you're kinda scary sometimes—"
"Hey!"
"—but also, you're super attractive and I admire you."
She blushed furiously. "O-oh…"
Slowly, the four backed away from Elsa's body. "What do we do now?" asked Rem.
"We'll report this to the capital," answered Subaru. "Elsa's probably on the Royal Guard's hit list or something like that. I'll send a letter to Reinhard in the morning."
"It's already morning."
Bewildered, Subaru looked out the window, finally noticing the light streaming into the room. "You're right." Amazement filled his voice as he threw his head back and laughed. "Holy shit, you guys, it worked! We made it!" He patted his stomach. "Look! There's no knife wound! I'm not dead!"
Rem eyed him wearily. "A-are you okay, Subaru? You must be exhausted after using your power. Why don't you take a nap?"
"That's not a bad idea, honestly, but I'm not sleeping in here. I mean…" He trailed off, gesturing in the direction of Elsa's headless corpse.
Her expression softened in understanding as she told him, "I will prepare one of the guest rooms. Please follow me."
"Hold on," Emilia interject, shooting an annoyed glance at Subaru. "Didn't you say that you could give us back our fatigue after using Cor Leonis?"
He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "I mean, I can, but there's no need. I'll sleep it off."
She shook her head vehemently. "None of that, mister," she chided. "We stand together, which means we suffer together."
"That's not—" He stopped at the reproachful look on her face. Disgruntled, he said, "You're a stubborn one, Emilia-tan. All right, you asked for it."
A massive wave of exhaustion and pain swept over her, knocking her off her feet. She could barely breathe, and it looked like Ram and Rem were in the same position as her.
Subaru—who looked perfectly refreshed—raised his eyebrows. "That bad, huh? Sorry about that."
"D-die, Barusu."
He rolled his eyes. "Geez, you're welcome for taking on your burdens."
"S-Subaru…" Emilia gasped out as a sharp pain hit her side. "All our—"
"All your wounds and fatigue, yeah."
"H-how…" She didn't bother finishing her question as she was struggling to breathe.
"How did I handle this from all three of you when you can't handle them individually?" The words stung, but Emilia managed a nod. "It's because you got it all at once and it caught you by surprise whereas I received it gradually. I wouldn't worry about it."
That sounded right, but she knew it wasn't. "Liar," she breathed. "This pain…this exhaustion…isn't normal."
"Emilia, I—"
"Who hurt you, Subaru? Wh-why are you so used to this?"
Subaru winced. "One day, Emilia-tan…One day." She was about to respond, but a tap on the window interrupted her. A beautiful white bird was perched on the ledge.
"I'll s-scare it off," Rem mumbled, managing to stand before she stumbled. Subaru rushed to her side and stabilized her.
"Relax, Rem-Rem. Besides, it's a dove. Where I'm from, doves represent true love." He turned and winked at Emilia. "Maybe it's here to give us its blessing."
"You're…teasing me again."
Subaru laughed and opened the window. The bird flew in and perched on Subaru's bed, warbling softly.
"Barusu, g-get that thing out."
"Nah, I think I like it. You can get rid of it later."
"And you can—" But whatever Ram was about to say was interrupted by the sound of childlike clapping.
"Wonderful! Amazing! My best assassin has been defeated by a group of worms! This lovely lady is truly happy she came!" Sitting on Subaru's bed in place of the dove was a young blonde girl with ruby eyes. She bore a passing resemblance to Felt, but the cruelty in her gaze guaranteed that no one would mistake the two.
Subaru shook in fear as he mumbled. "Y-you're—"
The girl laughed, a manic gleam in her eyes. "It's so nice to meet you!" She leaped off the bed with feline grace and looked straight at Subaru. With a nauseatingly lewd smile, she declared, "This lovely lady is a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult, representing Lust…Capella Emerada Lugunica. I believe you have something that rightfully belongs to me."