Mother Goose is a lifesaver for all the Fables in London; she has helped many Fables who were originally living on the streets to earn their own living. A case in point is my good friend, Red. Before she started working with Mother Goose, she was homeless and sometimes had to rummage through rubbish bins for food.
She treats everyone who works for her as her own children. However, that doesn't mean she'll reveal everything; she sometimes keeps certain things to herself, though this is often for their own good.
She is loved and will be protected by us Fables, no matter what, because she is the only person who truly understands the Fables in this country—or perhaps even in the whole world. She can recognise a Fable simply by their aura; she can sense what sacrifices they've made through a single touch; there's nothing she doesn't know about the Fables.
Yet the person admired by all the Fables was no more—her aged body lay slumped on the sofa, a gaping hole clearly visible in her chest. "Mother..." The name slipped out involuntarily, and from behind I heard the sound of two pairs of footsteps approaching.
"Huh?! What on earth is this?! How could Mother end up like this?!" Robin shouted, rushing over to get a clearer look at the body.
The tanned man and the female police officer exchanged glances. "Is she… your mother?" Romeo asked; hearing that, I realised he had never met Mother at all.
"Are you siblings?" she glanced at Robin before turning to me; she shook his head slightly. "Anyway, you'd best get out of here—this is a police zone."
As soon as those words left her mouth, I moved as quickly as I could to get close to her. Both my hands gripped the collar of her shirt firmly, and I floated with the help of the wind-generating card attached to my shoes.
"Outsiders, keep quiet" I said firmly. She looked a little taken aback before regaining her composure, her eyes fixing sharply on mine. Our blue eyes met, and from my expression she should have been able to see and feel my anger.
I could hear the sound of a bowstring being drawn. "Alice, may I?" Robin asked for permission—I was sure he was itching to shoot Ciel, especially as the two of them didn't get on. I shook my head, still gripping the collar of her uniform tightly.
"That old woman is the mother of all of us Fables in London; we're still alive today because of her, and you have absolutely no right to be in this area."
"Just because I'm teasing you doesn't mean I don't hate you; I hate you just as much as you hate us—I'm only teasing you to toy with your feelings and wind you up."
"I don't know why you hate us, but whatever the reason—I'm certain it can be resolved if you try to calm down and reflect on yourself."
Hearing that, her brow twitched and she shoved me; in that very moment—WHOOSH—an arrow whizzed past me but was aimed at Ciel; however, the arrow only struck her hat, which then lodged itself in the wall.
Her pupils contracted, and her sombre expression slowly shifted into a satisfied smile as she realised something. "...It hurts, doesn't it? It hurts when the people you consider family die and all you can do is watch their helpless bodies?" she asked, whilst Robin had already drawn another arrow and was preparing to aim; I raised my hand to signal him to stop.
"Imagine seeing your entire family murdered and mutilated right before your very eyes; they did it with such ease simply because they possessed greater power than an ordinary human—can you imagine that?! CAN YOU?!" She shouted and brandished her sword towards my throat, "Of course you cannot, because it is you who possess that power!"
Her breathing grew heavy before she shouted again, "Do you want to know just how much I hate you lot?! I hate how you're regarded as saviours; I hate it when you stroll about without a care in the world, oblivious to what your own kind are doing; I hate your weapons, which can so easily make ordinary people bow down before them."
"I've managed to survive until now just to ensure there are still people in this city who hate you—you're the destroyers! When those bean roots appeared, did you think about the people's homes that were destroyed? Did you consider the possibility that the owners of those ruined homes are now living in misery?"
"Of course not. You always want to look cool and be seen as saviours, but we—the police—are always labelled as useless by people, even though we've insisted on helping wherever we can."
"But all eyes are on you! Whereas we never get the spotlight; we only get a small spotlight whilst you, who have the opportunity at any time to abuse your weapons, get the biggest spotlight of all!"
"The police badge I've always wanted since I was a child is now just a little trinket that nobody pays any attention to! Because they'd much rather wait for the Fables to come to their aid."
I was stunned and didn't expect to hear all that coming from Ciel's mouth; tears began to well up in her eyes, but suddenly, without warning—Grab—a hand seized the blade of the sword. Alice lifted her head in surprise and saw a man with tanned skin and dark brown hair, his face full of determination, though a smile still played on his lips.
Blood began to ooze out and flood his own hand. "I understand. Make me your punching bag and vent all your feelings on me, but don't hurt anyone else," said the man named Romeo. Ciel's eyes widened in shock, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"Who are you...? And what are you doing, you fool!" She tried to pull the sword away, but Romeo was holding it far too tightly; his eyes fixed on the woman with unwavering resolve.
"Everafter is a weapon bestowed upon someone facing a tragic death; it is a second chance granted by the God of Casualty to a hapless soul, and it doesn't discriminate based on gender or age"
"So there's a chance that a small child survived thanks to the Everafter and managed to enjoy a future they'd almost missed out on."
"Then would you hate that poor child who nearly lost their future?" Hearing that, Ciel fell silent, unable to reply; at that moment, I knew that this man named Romeo might just be someone I could rely on.