Joar washed the Coelestin's feet with rosewater and massaged them gently as Coelestin sat on a bed, under grey candlelight. Joar had switched off the lights of his room so that no one would bother them. Once he was done washing Coelestin's feet, he patted them dry with a cotton towel and wrapped a broad black tape around them. He smiled and looked at Coelestin, "I still remember doing this for you while you were learning the art of using weapons,"

"I remember...Loan," Coelestin looked down at Joar, "Calling out my name. Making paper crowns for me, each one of them was a perfect fit. And that made him so happy. But look how we've grown; how badly it aged. He gave me a thousand paper crowns and snatched the one I wanted right before my eyes. I should've killed him the then,"

"Calm down, your highness. He hasn't been crowned yet. We will stop him, I will lay my life down to ensure that that crown gets its rightful owner," Joar got on his knees and held both of Colestin's palms in his hands, "Your words have always been harsh, but your hands are soft and so is your heart,"

Coelestin pulled his hands away and got up. He reached the door and pressed his hands over it,

"Your highness?"
"I'm fearful, Joar. I fear I know I cannot fight forever. It appears as if I am some abomination,"
"The only defence against fear is courage, your highness," Joar walked towards him and Coelestin turned back, "So, have courage, till the very end," Joar spoke as he looked into Coelestin's black eyes, "Tell them you are enough. Tell them you are strong. If you are afraid of not being able to fight forever, if you are afraid, your highness, of death that awaits in the battlefield, then remember," Joar broke the gold chain around his neck and leaned down. Coelestin looked down at his white head as he wrapped his gold necklace around Coelestin's ankle,

"Only the good die young,"

He rose up and Coelestin looked at him, "I will lead the forces, get strong, loyal men to the coronation hall before dawn surfs the sky,"
Joar smiled, "Certainly, Prince Coelestin,"

.

"Now, follow them quietly," Brussels said as Axel, Jimmy, Valorie and Slaine raised their arms. X grabbed Axel's arm and pulled him away from them.
"Walk, and don't try anything smart," Brussels said.

"Did you just say smart? We have a blonde here, mind your language," Slaine said.

Jimmy pushed his elbow on Brussels' face. His gun fell from his hand and fell on the floor, "SLAINE! RUN!" Jimmy shouted as all the guards surrounded him. Slaine took Asselyum on his back and held Valorie's hand. They ran in the opposite direction.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING? FOLLOW HIM!" One of the guards shouted.

Another one of them ran after Slaine but Jimmy pulled him back by his collar and smashed his head into another guard. While Jimmy was busy fighting them and protecting himself from the bullets of their guns, X and Brussels took Axel inside a airship. Slaine and Valorie ran towards a scrap garage to hide from them.

Some guards followed him, "Stop or we'll shoot you!" They fired at him but Asselyum's metallic body was covering his back.

"DAMMIT!"

"AXEL!" Jimmy shouted and suddenly felt a dart on his neck. He felt dizzy and fell on the floor.

Slaine could feel himself slowing down from Asselyum's weight. The guards were coming closer to him, "Asselyum," His grip loosened, "I'm sorry,"
He left her on the street and ran faster while holding Valorie's hand.

One of the guards grabbed Asselyum while the other one threw a shackle-like object on Slaine's leg. He fell on the road and groaned in pain. His face was covered with sweat and dirt, he tried crawling but felt shadows above him. Valorie just stood aside as they got hold of him. Slaine turned back and saw two men pointed their guns at him, "Kill him,"

"Yes, captain," They said and suddenly their guns began melting.
"What is happening?" They said and dropped the guns which melted to vapours by the time they reached the ground.

"WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING NOW? I SAID KILL HIM!" He shouted as he picked up Asselyum and felt a strong wind on his back, "How did the weather change so fast?" The wind speed increased and soon, a cyclone wrapped itself around him and carried him away with the other two guards while they screamed.

Slaine looked up and saw a spaceship. His eyes widened, "Dad!" Evelyn flew out of it with Lucifer and two other creatures that resembled Ben.
"Evelyn!"
Evelyn flew towards and wrapped his arms around his neck.

"Evelyn? What are you doing here?" Slaine asked as he slowly got drenched, "...Get away from me,"
"Okay," He moved away but hugged him back, "No, I wanna hug your more,"
"Welp, goodbye dry clothes," Slaine hugged him back.

"To think this brat acted all grown up a few hours ago," Lucifer slipped the shackle out of Slaine's ankle. He was wearing a long, oversized white shirt and aubergine shorts reaching till his red knees.

"Lucifer, I'm not usually into fashion but seriously?" Slaine looked disgusted.
"I know right, it couldn't be worse," Evelyn looked back at him.
"SHUT UP! I HAD NO CHOICE! I LEFT MY FUCKING CLOTHES IN THE DESERT! Plus, it's purple and purple is my colour,"
"It's aubergine,"
"Same shit, different names,"

"Lucifer? It's you right?" Valorie brought his hands forward.
"Hey Valorie," Lucifer shook his hand and Valorie pulled him closer, hugging him tightly and patting his back.

"Dude–"
"I thought you were dead,"
Lucifer pushed him away, "Okay okay, stop being so gay," He shuddered, "Weirdo,"

Ameradite and Clanthido looked at Slaine. He looked at them while sitting on the road, "You guys... Are Kastrians, aren't you?" They looked at each other.
"What did he say?" Clathido asked.
"He knows about us..." She said.
"Wait, you know about them? Why did you never tell me?" Evelyn asked.
"What? You didn't know about yourself?" Slaine asked.

"I...I forgot," Evelyn realised how stupid he sounded.
"How is that possible? Ben still remembers who is?" Slaine said to himself.
"We came to take Xevelyni," Ameradite said in English.
"They mean Ben," Lucifer yawned and his stomach groaned, "Dammit, I need some food and sleep,"

"You're Ben's friends?" Slaine asked.
Lucifer opened a packet of Cheez-It.
"Where did you get this from?" Evelyn asked.
"It was laying around in the spaceship,"

"Yeah...Ben or Xevelyni, whatever you wanna say. Do you know where he is?" Ameradite asked him.
"No, but you guys took your time," Slaine said.

Lucifer ate his snacks, "They'd taste better with some Mountain Dew," Evelyn ate with him.

"Trust me, we would have come faster if we had a better technician," She looked at Clanthido.
"What? What did you say?"
"Nothing,"

"Hmm, I'm running out of Cheez-It," Lucifer said, "Kid, get me a new packet,"
"I don't own a Cheez-It factory,"
"Then, stop eating,"
"No,"

Lucifer snatched the packet from him and Evelyn snatched it back.

"I can sense Xevelyni," Clanthido said, "When we are in a hundred-metre radius." Ameradite translated it to English.
"GIVE IT HERE!" Lucifer shouted.
"Then, maybe we should just walk around. You might sense something," Slaine suggested.
"Yeah-Wait, is that a robot?" Ameradite looked at Asselyum.

"Oh, yes, but she doesn't work anymore," Slaine said.
Ameradite walked towards Asselyum and looked at her, "Oh! This is a precoid model! I remember seeing Xevelyni working on it before he left for Earth. So, he finally completed her!"
"Evelyn could make a robot at that age?"

"Xevelyni is a genius since birth. I am so proud," She smiled. Suddenly, an epiphany struck him and he turned back to Evelyn, "EVELYN!"

"Yes dad!" He dropped the packet of Cheez-It and choked on the ones that were in his mouth.
Slaine smiled, "Could you fix a robot real quick?"
"Oh," Evelyn lost the smile on his face, "Asselyum? Nope, no can do,"

"But why?" Slaine asked.
"Dad, I am kid," Evelyn replied.
"You have made her in the past,"
"Maybe you forgot that I forgot my past, dad. I guess if you were more sensitive towards me, you would notice that I don't remember anything," Evelyn ran away.

-To be continued

Evelyn Benjamin 
5500 Rebellion