Part 36: The Dark Prince

Chapter 35: The Dark Prince

Hello everyone, and welcome back.
Look Prince, it's the principle of the thing.
I don't get why you're getting so worked up about this.
It was MINE. And you took it!
Etna... Laharl... Please...
You're my vassal. It was as good as mine anyway!
Yeah? Well I'm not any more. I quit!
......
You WHAT?!
You heard me! I'm out! Gone! Finished!
You can't quit! I wont' allow it!
Watch me.
Oh... This is all going so wrong...
What was that all about?
Nothing. She'll come crawling back any time now.
Well, if it's nothing, then I'm going to continue. Today, I'll tell you about the end of our little time trip and the birth of the Dark Prince.

We went to Angelique's house for dinner that night.

VIDEO






That potato stew was the best!
You're quite an interesting person, Prier.
Really?
Yes. You're always true to your own feelings.
I have to admit, I'm kind of jealous.
I have the feeling that you honestly will help a lot of people someday.
Oh come on. You're making me blush!
...What time are you expecting him?
Him? Oh, Croix?
Well...
He said he would be back by nightfall, so I would think he should be back soon, but...
You seem worried about him.



...Just the opposite. His dark nature has always been very strong.
His dark nature...?
People have both dark and light powers.
Neither one is good nor evil, but if either one becomes too strong bad
things can happen.
Our powers have caused Croix and me many problems in the past...
People have always branded things they don't understand as evil.
...It must have been terrible for you.
Yes...
It wasn't so bad for me, but Croix...
His dark nature sometimes made him hurt people...
But somehow we've made it through, supporting each other all the way.
I'm so grateful to the Goddess for her protection and guidance.
The Goddess? You don't mean...



What?! Really?
Then you're the same as us!
You too?!
This certainly is a lucky day! The Goddess must have had a hand in this.
......
Um... Angelique?
If your powers made you suffer so, then why are you like this?
Like what...?
I mean, didn't you ever resent your powers and hate the people who persecuted you?
No, never.
I can use my powers to help many suffering people.
There's nothing better than that.
......
(This is complicated...)
(She seems so nice.)
(I was all set to hate her when I heard she was Croix's fiancee, but now...)
(I just can't bring myself to dislike her...)
(This is so depressing...)
(It's like she's better than me as a person and a woman...)
(Is this what it feels like to have a broken heart...?)
Prier, can I ask you something?
Huh?



Well...
Talking to you like this, it's hard to believe that we just met.
It's like we're sisters.
Well...
You wouldn't happen to be that Croix's girlfriend, would you?
Wouldn't that be interesting?
Well...



Did I say something wrong?
No. Hahaha...
Angelique...
There's something I want to ask. Are you pregnant?
W-what?! Why?
I can sense another tiny life in your body.
You can sense that?
Your powers must be amazing.
You're right. It's been three months. I still haven't told Croix.
(P-p-p-p-p-p-p-pregnant!!!!!! They're THAT close?!?!)
Uh-oh. Big Sister's frozen again.



I'm sorry. I must go.
Please stay here and rest.
Is there anything we can do?
Thank you, but I'll be fine.
Angelique!
...B-be careful.
What's wrong? Did something happen?
There was an accident up on the hill.
...Do you think Angelique is really OK on her own?
......


Angelique was gone for an awfully long time, and we began to get worried. Sort of like your friend.
Hey! Just shut up about that!





She won't be coming back.
What?! What do you mean?
Tonight... she will be killed. By witch hunters.
I saw it when I was talking to her earlier. I had a vision of her
future.
And her death will cause the birth of the dark prince.
No!
Why didn't you tell us earlier?!



We must see the birth of the dark prince with our own eyes.
No! How do you know she didn't send us here to change the past?!
We have no right to change the past.
If it were that simple, the Dark Prince would have disappeared long ago.
No, the Dark Prince's attachment to this world is very strong.



And so...
And so you expect us to watch Angelique die?
I can't do that!!
I agree with Prier. You may be right, Sister Alouette.
But I can't just stay here and do nothing!
You've been acting so strange recently, Sister Alouette.



Wow, Alouette's pretty hard core.
I agree with you guys, though, you can't just allow her to die.
Alouette seemed really tough on the whole 'preserving the space-time continuum' thing. She was all 'blah blah don't kill things blah blah don't become your own grandparent blah blah paradox'.
Caring about screwing up time is for pussies in my opinion.
I have to agree. Anyway, we went to the hill to interfere with history.

VIDEO




Where is she?!
Villager: A-Angelique's the bad one...
Not me!
She had to go and get engaged to Croix, when she knew I loved her!
Wait!
You've betrayed her?!
Villager: Yes! The Imperial forces have been rounding up Poitreene's most powerful followers.
They paid me a fortune to turn her in!!
She's probably being skewered on the Imperial soldiers' spears as we
speak!!
Hahahahahahaha!!
I...I won't stand for this!!
Villager: What? You looking for a fight?



Villager: These guys are followers of Poitreene!
They've come to rescue Angelique!
Why you dirty...
It's amazing the depths to which people can sink.
(Ghgg!)
(It's happening again! My body... feels hot all over!)
Villager: Hahahahahaha!



Guards: You witches!! Resistance is futile!!
Men! Destroy the Heretics!!
Prier, you know what we have to do, right? These people...
I know! It burns me up, but I won't hurt them!
We don't have time to waste on them anyway! We've got to save Angelique!!

Despite what Culotte said, I quickly tired of the nonviolent approach. I pretty much kicked the crap out of anyone who got in our way at that point. I also crushed some butterflies just for good measure, because Alouette had warned us not to.
Oh?
Yeah, when we eventually got back to the present for some reason everyone added an 'e' to the end of my name. I'm pretty sure that was the only change.

VIDEO




Don't come near!! You'll get mixed up in this, too!
I'll be fine. The Goddess will protect me.
What are you talking about?! Even the Goddess can't...
Please! I don't want you to get hurt!
But...!
Run! Quickly!
But...!
If you see Croix...
Tell him I'm sorry...



How can they do this to a fellow human being?
They're not human!
They're demons!!





Croix!!
Wait Prier!!
We must watch!
Watch! The birth of the Dark Prince!!



AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!



And in a flash we returned to our own time.




He's not Croix any longer...
He's... the Dark... Prince...
Sister Alouette!
I am Cro... Cro...
Human scum...!!
S-stop it! Leave me alone!!
Croix!
A small part of him is still there!
Prier! You've got to talk to Croix!!
OK!!
Croix! Look at me!!
...Pr...ier...
That's right! It's Prier!!
...Prier...


Together, we will destroy the humans...
Destroy... the humans...?
Yes! The humans must be purged from the world!
They must be destroyed!!








So Croix was the Dark Prince the whole time?
Yep.
If you hadn't interrupted me earlier I was going to say that.
I know.
Something's bothering me, though. I mean, you guys were responsible for the Dark Prince being created by bringing your Croix and theirs together on that hill, right?
Yeah.
But, then, how did you end up with a Dark Prince in the present?
I'm not sure I follow you.
Well, if they merged together there's only one Dark Prince, right? And he'd have to be in the past to do all the things he was supposed to do in Fatima, right?
Um... Crap, Lujei, I need you here.
Yes?
Explain that thing with the Dark Prince again.
Okie dokie! See, the Dark Prince was formed by bringing the dark energies of the two Croixs together at just the right time and place. And while it may have appeared to lay folk such as yourself that the Croixs merged, that simply was not the case. In fact, what occurred was a textbook demonstration of quantum tunneling. See, at the moment of the Dark Prince's creation there were two Croixs inhabiting the same space at the same time. This coupled with the quantum instability your presence caused sent you back to your own time, along with the Croix that belonged in your time. Meanwhile, the past's Croix remained in the past. It's all quite obvious.
Um...
You know, that was actually harder to follow than your crazy rants about whatever crazy crap you talk about.
Oh dearie me, I forgot. How to explain to the likes of you... So, let's say I've got two people in a room. Say, for example, you and Flonne. You two represent the two Croixs. Now, let's say Flonne starts talking about how amazing love is. What would you do?
I'd get the hell out of there.
Exactly. So, to extend the metaphor, the exact space occupied by the two Croixs was the room, and the fact that they were sharing that space coupled with the presence of time travelers was Flonne talking about the power of love.
Oh. That makes sense I guess. But I've got another question. If it was really so easy to kill Angelique why did they only catch her when someone sold her out?
Shh! We don't talk about that.
But, it's a fair question and- urk!
Anyway, next time I'll continue where we left off, with us stranded in Fatima. Assuming anyone's still conscious to hear it.