[center][h1][color=F65772]H[/color]ilaria[/h1][/center]

Not too long after her brief, yet unique encounter with Faith did Hilaria gather herself enough to go ahead and seek out a means to reunite with her sibling. She could have asked the two who approached them at the diner but she needed just a moment or two to herself. This was happening much too often as of late, something that was relatively frightening for the centuries-old magical girl. If there was one thing she remembered about her life, it was that at every chance it beat the irrefutable fact that caring for people would only lead to despair. 

Which, compounded by the fact she was now going out of her way to find and interact with members of the Ascendancy, gave Hilaria quite the bad feeling. Though what could possibly go wrong with a dark magical girl approaching an order established to eradicate such things? She figured that if one group would recognize her as an ancient, that maybe another one would. Not the soundest idea she ever had. 

[color=F65772]“How do you do, fellow magical girls~!”[/color] she called out to a group she managed to stumble upon. They did not make it hard to tell who they were affiliated with, what with the standard bearing the Beacon’s insignia on it. Hilaria was donning her armor and had her scutum in hand. She did not trust these individuals to remain completely civil, but she didn’t want to provoke them by waving her shotgun around. Most people did not take such actions in a positive manner. [color=F65772]“Might Hilaria entreat you fellows for a bit of direction~?”[/color]

Unlike the previous patrol Hilaria stumbled upon, this group did not seem as eager for conversation; upon spotting her, the group immediately charged forth, using flanking tactics to surround her with weapons at the ready. One of the magical girls cast a spell on Hilaria before she finished asking her question, attempting to stun the girl with a psychic blast. Hilaria was mostly unaffected thanks to her endurance, and only felt slightly dazed by the attack as two girls elbow slammed into her from her sides, attempting to wrestle her to the ground.

“Surrender, or you shall be summarily executed!” The leader of the patrol, Amelie, shouted.

Their propensity for violence could almost be seen as endearing were it not for the fact she actually had an objective here. Having managed to shake off the mental attack, Hilaria raised her scutum towards one of the incoming girls and advanced with her shield, bashing the girl and, unless she had some way to prevent it, throwing her back and onto the ground. This left her back exposed to the other girl, who in their attempt to ground Hilaria, found herself being struck by the knight’s bombacious booty enabled by Dan’s blessing. 

Merely stunning the girl would not be enough, so before the spell-slinging girl or the one she knocked to the ground could respond, she took the opportunity to force the last one to the floor, her scutum sitting upon her neck. [color=F65772]“Hilaria thinks that’s no way to treat someone invited by the Cardinal~”[/color] It would be a simple matter to apply enough pressure to break a neck, what with her heavy shield and her strength. She hoped the threat of this would convince them to listen. 

The first girl was successfully bashed right in the face, though instead of falling to the ground she made a backflip and skid backwards, slowing her traction using her blade while holding a hand to her face, bleeding from her nose. The other girl did not react as quickly, and was subdued by Hilaria’s mastery over the unusual martial art Dan had gifted to her, groaning as she felt the scutum press into her neck. The other girls stopped their attacks, and simply glared at Hilaria. Amelie stepped slowly forth until she was within speaking distance.

“Invited by the Cardinal? That’s absurd. She would never invite a murderous beast like you!” Amelie responded with disdain in her tone, only for the eyes to open in realization for one of the other girls. “Wait, is she...I think I saw her before...”
Amelie turned to her. “Where?”
“She was brought to meet with the Cardinal. She is speaking the truth.”

Amelie scoffed. “Unbelievable. The Cardinal actually did release her then...”
She continued moving closer to Hilaria, slowing down as Hilaria pressed harder on her hostage.
“Any other corrupted would flee before us or draw their armaments. Very well then. What directions are you asking for?”

Hilaria wasn’t letting her guard down for a moment. It was clear another step or any sudden movement from either of the girls would not have a pleasant result, but she was glad they at least noticed she hadn’t come to fight. [color=F65772]“Hilaria wishes to see the Cardinal~ Or, well, the Cardinal wishes to see Hilaria~ But it’s hard for that to happen when Hilaria doesn’t know where to go~”[/color] she informed. 

Amelie’s eye twitched. “Figures. Stacy, see if the Cardinal is available.” The psychic girl nodded, and placed two fingers against the base of her ear as she contacted headquarters. “HQ? This is Bravo 3, requesting the Cardinal. Apparently a corrupted one she has released wishes to speak with her.” After a moment, she lowered her fingers and spoke to Hilaria. “The Inquisitor has ordered to forbid the Cardinal’s contact with non-members of the organization. However, the Cardinal has requested to speak with you herself.” She turned to Amelie, who in turn grit her teeth with crossed arms. “...I suppose it can’t be helped.” Stacy removed her communication device and placed it on Amelie’s open palm. “Here, catch.” She carefully threw the device over to Hilaria, allowing her to equip it on her ear. “You have five minutes. Meeting protocol.”

Hilaria leaned over her shield to catch the communicator, careful not to put herself in any situation where she couldn’t just apply pressure to the girl beneath her. After receiving it and eying it for any trace of unwanted magics, she placed it in her ear. [color=F65772]“Mmm, is this Ishtar, Hilaria wonders~? Hilaria was told you wanted to check up on her so here she is~”[/color]

At the very moment Hilaria spoke, she heard Ishtar cry out in surprise. "Helewisa!" She began sobbing, sounding weaker than the last time they met. "It's you...My heart was so heavy with worry, I felt like it would be crushed. I'm so happy to hear you again."

Being oblivious to the night of the Rave, Hilaria was questioning her sister’s sanity. There was no reason that she was aware that anyone should have had to worry about her, so it came off as Ishtar being clingy. Was she like this before? [color=F65772]“It hasn’t been that long, has it~?”[/color] But knowing her own forgetfulness, maybe it had been longer than she recalled. Considering her age, it wasn’t impossible for her to have just forgotten a week or so. Maybe even longer. What’s a year to someone who has lived a thousand? There was something else, too. [color=F65772]“You sound off, Hilaria thinks~ Did Hilaria contact you at a weird time~?”[/color]

Hilaria heard a distant noise of Ishtar blowing her nose before she returned back to the communicator. "So you don't remember...I was cursed at the park. And there, I saw you...Consumed by the darkness in your heart. I called out to you, hoping our hearts would connect and illuminate through the black...But I was foolish. I...I've been a horrible sister, abandoning you for so many centuries. I understand why you rejected that bond."

[color=F65772]“Eh? But you’re alright, then?”[/color] Hilaria was astounded. It sounded like Ishtar was saying that Hilaria went berserk, but that wasn’t right. That sort of thing required a big spike in emotions -- Hilaria was woefully lacking in that department. She moved through life caring little for anything save a delicious meal and someone to share it with. [color=F65772]“Are you sure it was me?”[/color] she felt the sweats and a severe headache coming on. Her head was splitting as if it was desperately trying to come up with something, but the memory just wasn’t there, at least yet. 

"As much as I wished to, I could not deny the consequence of my sin. That rage, that despair...It was your raft on the turbulent sea of fate. It was the only thing you could hold close to yourself." She paused, and Hilaria heard her handle her napkin, as if she was cleaning her tears. "But it doesn't have to stay that way, Helewisa. I can help you," she stated quietly.

And as much as Hilaria wished it wasn’t true, she did not believe her sister had reason to lie to her. To lose herself to her darkness… that hadn’t happened in a long time, and it should not have, either. She prided herself on being above such feelings, yet here she was, a kid again. [color=F65772]“What do you mean, ‘help’?”[/color] she asked. She did not forget the other girls, and since they had yet to try something, she at least lightened the pressure on the girl beneath her. It was probably not the most comfortable position to listen to an ‘enemy’ have a conversation.

The pressured girl underneath Hilaria groaned in relief once Hilaria gave her a bit of respite. Ishtar answered: "I now understand that you are truly lonely, and need the warmth that only a person you trust can provide. If you could let me be part of your life again, I can help you forget your sorrow, and allow your heart repose after all the suffering it has endured. We can be...Siblings, who squabble and frolic, and share both the joys and hardships that the future has. Then, I believe your darkness will make way to new light."

[color=F65772]“Would that it be so simple…”[/color] Hilaria had once desired such a life. She knowingly had given her normal, human life so that she might be a shield for humanity. Yet she was also selfish and wanted some notion of an average life when she wasn’t fighting monsters. At the time, Beacon had felt like that for her. And so did Isabella. That, however, came to an abrupt, terrible end, and the beginning of the darkness within her. Only an idiot would deign to trust that combination of people and organizations yet again. 

Playing the fool had become second nature to Helewisa. It was an ineffective way to pass the time as she moved from one place to another. The ditzy, eccentric Hilaria had once been a hot-blooded thug. A girl with more heart than courage. A perverted, bold girl. She wore enough guises to begin to question which Helewisa was the real one. But if there was one thing she could not do now that she remembered it, was to pretend like that betrayal had never happened. 

[color=F65772]“You’ll understand that it’s impossible,”[/color] she spoke, a hint of regret in her voice. [color=F65772]“I was abandoned for becoming what I am. By Beacon… and you,”[/color] she then eyed the girls watching her. [color=F65772]“And it’s clear they have not changed in the slightest in their crusade against a dark one like myself. The Ascendancy’s actions and my inability to even have an audience with you without risking my own life is all the evidence I need,”[/color] she explained. [color=F65772]“And if they have yet to change their ways, then what about you? What assurance save your word do I have? Nothing. If you truly desire to rekindle a relationship such as you’ve described, then I present to you an ultimatum: Severe ties with this organization who persecutes me still, or discard any notion that I may place faith in you.”[/color]

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, both on Ishtar’s end, and amongst the forces of Ascendancy that have gathered. Finally, it was broken by Amelie. “Five minutes are up. Return the communication device.” Ishtar could be heard softly yelping in surprise, and spoke: “Please, return it. I will arrange things so that we may meet again.” 

Hilaria’s expression darkened. [color=F65772]“Very well,”[/color] she replied in a monotone. Taking the communicator off, she looked at it for a second before tossing it towards Amelie with a flick of her wrist. She didn’t like being put on hold, but she [i]would[/i] get an answer from the woman next time. Until then, she would keep her association with her and the Ascendancy to a minimum. 

Finally, the girl beneath Hilaria was allowed to get up once again. In fact, she wasn’t given much of a choice. Hilaria pulled the girl to her feet with ease and gave her a shove that could have been a bit more gentle towards Amelie. [color=F65772]“Hilaria is done here. She would rather not go through this petty rigamarole again,”[/color] she told them. [color=F65772]“Perhaps you may save us both the trouble, next time?”[/color]

The girl, who was up until now in a bind, quickly jumped back to join her compatriots, their hostility only reinforced by witnessing Hilaria shove one of them. Amelie was not amused by the antics, and scoffed as she caught the device, putting it to her ear. “We will proceed with the extraction, Cardinal. Wait, what?” It seems she heard something she didn’t want to hear, as she grit her teeth and clenched her fist. “We have clear orders from the Inquisitor to exterminate all corruption, Cardinal!” She paused to listen again, and sighed. “...Very well.” She turned away.
“Disengage. We have a report of a monster infestation.” The other girls looked confused. “But what about-” “I said disengage. That’s an order!” She gave one last glimpse of contempt at Hilaria, and left the area, followed by the rest of the patrol.

This encounter left Hilaria with a bad taste in her mouth -- perhaps the one of the worst things for her to experience. She knew not what would evoke a berserk state, she knew not what she did, and she felt disappointment that Isabella hadn’t given her an answer. But, more than anything, now she was wondering: 

Did she try to eat Faith? 

She hoped she didn’t.