sigelphoenix

Title: Becoming Queen
Characters: Sae, Reika, Gunnar, Khag, Mizuki, Otonashi
Warmakers Adventure: 26
Word Count: ~1600
Summary: Sae conquered Hell. Now she finds out what that means.
Notes: Thanks to shadawyn, beta reader extraordinaire.

When Sae asks for the Ruby Rod of Asmodeus, she isn't asking for it the same way as Nariko, who takes the weapon of the Lord of Nessus in order to purge it of its evil power. She isn't asking for it the same way Rex would ask - or, to be accurate, would not ask - for a cool new toy. She's asking for a trophy from her kill.

She could also take an ear, perhaps, or even Asmodeus' head. But that's messy, and besides, she isn't sure she'd want an actual piece of the Lord of the Ninth Layer of Hell. The rod, at least, has been purified by Nariko.

But when the young goddess hands over the rod, and Sae reaches for it, she feels a preternatural understanding that she is getting much more than a souvenir. She doesn't comprehend that feeling until her fingers close upon it - or maybe the comprehension is what makes them close - and she realizes that taking Asmodeus' Ruby Rod means taking Asmodeus' kingdom.

She has taken Hell. As Gaia Earth guided her, as Gaia M-Tor instructed her, as she herself vowed to Asmodeus.

***

The longer she holds the Ruby Rod of Asmodeus, the more Sae understands. The Ninth Layer of Hell is hers to rule. Forever. And the artifact has already started taking measures upon her body to ensure that "forever" is an option.

She cries, just once. As shock begins to recede and the full significance of her fate registers in her mind, the weight of it presses upon her and makes her chest feel too small for breath. This is what I defied Asmodeus for? she thinks. Just to be trapped by him in the end? Her hand tightens on Reika's - she was so numb she didn't notice her sister taking her hand - and Sae hugs her twin as tears flow silently down her face.

Reika holds onto her as she cries, until the weight crushes less and the burden begins to recede.

Sae will always have Reika. She knows this, because of Reika's words and their blood. She has her comrades, here in the Cathedral and outside, fighting through the army of remaining devils to reach her. Reika murmurs in her ear the message from the Celestials, that the Mother of All Dragons has been defeated, and she knows she has Gunnar too.

The throne of Asmodeus may be lonely, but Sae is not alone.

***

When Sae and her teammates leave the Cathedral to retrieve the troops she and Reika left behind, they find that they don't have far to go. The army has advanced deeper into Hell than when she left them, and the obvious reason for their progress is Gunnar, brandishing Balmung and covered in dragon blood, leading the charge.

She's pretty sure that's a giant heart tied to his back.

Sae doesn't even bother joining in the battle, but runs straight through the chaos and leaps to hug him, bloody heart and all. She kisses him soundly, heedless of the blood from the Mother of All Dragons on his body, even as the places where it mixes with Asmodeus' blood start to smoke and hiss.

Eventually Sae disengages and draws her scimitars to start in on the devils that still surround them. Between Gunnar and Earth's army, and the other Guardians joined by the newly released Celestials, the remaining devils don't stand a chance.

The sight of Gunnar's smiling face has banished the vestiges of her sadness, and she informs him of her success with pride: "I'm the Queen of Hell." She even smiles a little at the absurdity and wonder of it.

Gunnar blinks, caught in mid-swing as his blade tears through a devil. He's used one of his special techniques, which takes the power from his attack and pours it into Sae's body, healing her wounds. It's a holy technique from Saint Joan of Arc. "Uh ... did that work?" he asks.

"Yes."

"Good," he says with relief. "Then congratulations."

***

After the fighting ends and they lay down their arms, Sae finds Khag to make sure that he is safe, and thanks him for his leadership in the battle. She fills him in on what happened in the Cathedral, describing the defeat of Asmodeus and all its repercussions. For her, the war in Hell is not over; in one way or another, she will be fighting it for the rest of her unending life.

And for that war, she will need her army. She has one question for her lieutenant: "Will you stay with me?"

Khag goes down on one knee - he's still taller than her - and bows his head. "Of course I will, Your Majesty."

His words make her inexplicably sad. "Khag, don't -" she begins, reaching out to pull him up.

He catches her hands, remaining kneeling but looking her in the eye. "And you will allow me to make this choice for my friend."

Her protest dies on her lips, and she bows her head in return. "Thank you."

***

Telling her parents is hard, because it means telling them that she won't be able to go home with them. All this time, they - and Sae herself - had been holding to the thought that, once the Guardians succeeded, their year-long separation would end and the twins could go back to living with their parents.

"Mom, Dad," she begins, taking her parents to a quiet area away from the party noise. "Since I killed Asmodeus ..."

"You're going to live here now," her mother finishes her sentence.

Sae blinks.

"You became Queen, so now you're tied to your Kingdom," Mizuki says matter-of-factly, sipping her tea. But when she lowers her cup, she looks at her daughter with a wistful gaze. "I wish your duty didn't take you so far from us, though."

"Cheer up, girls!" Otonashi says, hugging his wife with one arm and his daughters with the other. "Forever isn't really forever, and rules are broken all the time. We'll come up with something, so just enjoy the party."

The twins look askance at their father. "You've been acting really weird, Daddy," Reika says. "What happened during -"

She is interrupted when Otonashi accosts a group of battle nuns and space marines, who are bearing tubs of ice cream to the banquet tables. "Over here!" he calls, pulling them over before they have a chance to say no. "We'll eat directly from the tubs. We just need spoons! Come on, dig in."

Mizuki raises an eyebrow at her husband, but just says, "Your father is right, girls. This is a time to celebrate. Eat up."

***

Reika, of course, designs Sae a new outfit.

Sae protests at first that she doesn't need one, and it would just get in the way during battle. But Reika presses the red and black bodysuit into her arms, telling her to just try it on, and Sae has to admit that it's not that bad. The Khar ceramic armor is incorporated into the ensemble to provide protection, and whatever material her sister used hugs the body while still letting her skin breathe. The stark colors of the design make her look a fierce sort of majestic.

"Now you look like a Queen," Reika proclaims, as Sae turns this way and that in front of a mirror.

"What if I don't want to look like a Queen?" she mutters.

"I know you don't like drawing attention to yourself like this, oneesan. But you're still conquering this realm - you have to make everyone believe that you're the ruler," Reika advises. "If you're going to rule Hell, then you need to look, and act, the part."

"It's not like I have a choice," Sae says petulantly.

Reika sighs. "I know, oneesan. I wish you did."

Sae shakes her head. "Sorry. You're helping. And ... well, maybe I would have chosen this, even if I knew what would happen. I want to keep the devils in check, and make sure Hell never invades our plane again. Besides, fighting devils is what I'm good at - not any of the things that need to be taken care of on Earth, like working with governments and designing new cities. What would I do up there anyway?"

She doesn't meet Reika's eyes when she asks the question, peering instead at a random detail of her costume. Sae lets out a breath as Reika just nods, letting the lie go unremarked between them.

Neither of them mentions the plans Sae once shared with her, like going back to school or living with their parents again like a normal girl. Or even working for their parents' organization, like a less normal but still human girl. Reika had plans like that too, once, and if they have to give them up, at least they're doing it together.

"So," Sae says loudly, her voice banishing brooding silence. "What's this for?" She fiddles with a circular sheath attached to her back.

"Oh, that." Reika's face brightens instantly. "That's for your Mega-Rod."

"My what?"

"I read it in a comic book. I thought you might like that name better than 'Ruby Rod of Asmodeus.'"

Sae gives her sister an exasperated look. "You're enjoying this too much," she grumbles, only to be met with Reika's cheeky grin.