Ah, it feels good to be back on the site. And with one of my new fandoms.
Gotta say, BRS caught me off guard and it never let me go. It's a good thing this year brings SO many BRS related stuff for the fans. New trailer for the game and finally reading the new manga, Innocent Souls, made me want to write a little something for a future fic in the OVA universe.
It won't make much sense unless you have been over Space Battle and been in the Battle Fantasia threads. Sorry about that.
Oh, that reminds me, Battle Fantasia is a big project being worked on over SpaceBattles in the Creative Writing section. It even has a TvTropes page. OVA BRS is one of the series that is being worked into the project. Their meeting with Nanoha's Signum is a must read, believe me.
Well, a little background info for this piece:
Mato/BRS are learning the ropes on this whole supernatural being business when they face a couple opponents that mess them up good. Black Gold Saw's Human counterpart "help" them a little and now Mato is looking for answers on her own in Otherworld, the place of checkered patterns and post-apocalyptic lands.
Black Rock Shooter
Your Otherself and You
A sheathed black blade hung from her shoulder, the one opposite from the one covered in plates of samurai armor. A black jacket covered her torso, black thigh highs covered her legs and black steel-studded boots for her feet. With a serene air she stared out into the wasteland, orange eyes burning with neon orange colored flames. Jet black hair flowing in the cold breeze, long and free strands fanning behind her.
Gave her a pretty damn heroic look if she had admit it.
The winds died down and she brushed a few stray strands away from her face, looking around. There were a few dust devils still in the area -tiny pitch forks, spade tipped tails and all- but they left soon enough. The black haired girl narrowed her eyes, idly thumbing her blade just a little bit out of its resting place.
Even the cascades falling off ruined skyscrapers were oddly quiet as a black clad figure approached.
More like limped actually.
The girl with the orange flames turned around to get a better look and winced. Big scars, bruises, skinny body -those ribs could be seen from all the way there-, a tattered long, black cloak and the minimum amount of fabric providing a sense of modesty... not that there was much to cover mind you, the girl had the proud figure of a ten year old boy.
Ironing boards would be jealous!
Long hair tied back in two messy and uneven ponytails.
And a blue flame flickering in the newcomer's eyes.
The newcomer stopped about a dozen steps away from the sword carrier. Glowing eyes met for all of two seconds before the newcomer gaze lowered a little.
"I'm not looking for a fight," the blue flame said in a subdued voice.
The orange flame shrugged an armored shoulder. "Hnn, I was just sightseeing," she replied in a neutral tone. Making eye contact for as long as possible the taller girl finally turned around, watching over a valley that extended in front of them. A step, another step and then the girl with the blue flame tentatively came next to the taller one.
A smile spread across the orange eyed girl when she heard the newcomer's sigh of appreciation.
The water falling from the ruins pooled into the valley, creating a mass of water that stretched far, framed by humble vegetation, rivers and a few hints of what could have once been piers. Islands and half sunken ships of all sizes and shapes were scattered around.
It was a beautiful sight.
They spent a few comfortable minutes in silence before the orange flame felt the newcomer's discomfort. There was unease and wariness mixed with fear. Feeling a little self-conscious at the thought of having such effect on somebody else the orange flame turned towards the smaller girl. An Otherself that didn't want to fight, didn't even bother trying to hide her weakened state... Then, she wasn't just an Otherself.
"I am Great Black Sword," the girl with the orange flame said.
"My name's Hinata," the girl with the orange flame said.
The other girl stared for a moment before a brittle smile crossed her lips.
"I am Black Rock Shooter," the girl with the blue flame said.
"The name's Mato," the girl with the blue flame said.
Then Mato winced in pain, but Hinata pretended to not notice.
"You aren't going around defanged, are you Mato-san?" Hinata, the girl inside Great Black Sword, asked.
"Defanged?" Mato inquired. Hinata shrugged her sheathed sword and understanding dawned on Mato's face. "Yeah, yes," she opened her cloak and patted a dagger attached to her thigh, unaware of the little twitch from Hinata's fingers at the action.
"A bit on the small side."
"There's no problem," Mato pulled out the dagger and it suddenly grew into a black, single edge sword. Hinata gave her an expectant look and Mato nodded in understanding. Hinata had been expecting a more exotic and just as splendid blade but instead the sword turned into a monstrosity, a giant black cannon as big as Mato was tall and yet it was held in a single hand.
"Shooter, huh?" Hinata mussed.
The rock they were standing on cracked under the strain of the cannon's weight when Mato gently put it down on its muzzle. The taller girl narrowed her eyes, seeing the sudden strain on Mato's pale features.
"You ok?"
The other girl tried to wave the question away, muttering a quiet, "Yeah, yeah, don't worry."
Great Black Sword gave Mato a long look before walking a few steps away. "Mato, how long's it been since you awakened?"
The other girl blinked at the question before tilting her head to the side. "Almost two months."
"You have survived this long, but you look like this," her free hand gestured to Mato's battered body and torn clothes, making the smaller girl squirm in place. "If you insist in coming here to Otherworld in that condition, that means you either have a suicidal thing going on or you just don't know the rules."
In a supernaturally fast and smooth movement, she did a perfect textbook sword draw. Wrapped in black flames her left arm turned into an inhuman limb, large enough to easily handle her transformed blade. The black katana grew thrice its size at the speed of thought, its supernatural edge digging gently into Black Rock Shooter's neck.
"I can help you with both," Black Sword said in a gravelly tone, complete at odds with Hinata's carefree voice.
Otherself and Real Self inwardly sighed when they noticed that Mato and Black Rock Shooter simply narrowed their eyes. The other girl had seen the attack coming and she had known it wouldn't be lethal. Yet. Mato's hand was still resting comfortably over her black cannon, and given its shapeshifting skills, it was very likely she could morph it into something that she could attack Hinata with before the swordswoman could finished her off.
Not suicidal then.
"This isn't how you usually look like, is it?" Hinata's voice inquired and the Paradox known as Mato and Black Rock Shooter and they shook their head in negative, heedless of the cuts on their neck caused by their movement. "A fight picked you up, right?"
The wince and averted look kinda gave it away, but Hinata still waited for Mato's reply. "Yeah, a couple days ago... I didn't think they would be so extreme but..."
"It's in all of us, Mato, this desire for battle," Hinata whispered and the other girl nodded slowly, "but this wasn't battle, they really tried to kill you, no?" a contrite nod was her answer. "If you were in fighting condition I wouldn't mind clashing swords with you, Mato-san. The joy of doing our best, giving our best, right?"
"I would like to see what that weapon of yours is capable of," Black Great Sword said with a smile, shrinking and sheathing back her sword in and making her black arm go back to its normal, Human state.
A wistful smile drew itself on Mato's face, and the flame in her eyes seemed to dance in merriment for a moment before a pained look took over. A hurt that wasn't caused by the very obvious wounds... "They would have really destroyed my Soul then?" she asked in a small and scared voice.
"Most likely. There are wicked ones out there, Mato, there always are. Usually the wicked hearts will be powerless or driven to ruin, by their own or by others hands," Hinata said in a solemn voice, sitting on a nearby piece of debris. "There are, however, many more who embrace Life, who enjoy Life; we will seek out for others like us, wishing to live a Life we can be proud of and helping others live the way they want to live," Hinata said, solemnly looking over the crystal clear waters.
"... you've been practicing that, haven't ya?"
Hinata flushed red, pouting a little, "Shut up."
Mato chuckled a little, sitting on her own piece of debris. "Sorry, sorry, Hinata-san."
"Still, that's pretty much it, Mato-san. You'll find your own share of idiots who want to spread pain and suffering, just like in the Upper World, but there are many more who, well, are good people... even if they are jerks about it."
"A good meanie, huh?" Mato whispered, looking down to her boots.
"You need to keep your guard up for the wicked ones, Mato-san. Destroying your Soul isn't the worst they can do." At the incredulous stare from Mato Hinata gave her a very somber look, "In Otherworld, it is relatively easy to change a person's mind and soul and through it reach the physical aspect of a person."
"Soul shapes the body," Mato muttered to herself.
"Yeah, that'd the most basic way to look at it, but not quite." Seeing Mato's undivided attention on her, Hinata elaborated; "Think of it as a two way street. If you modify the Soul here in Otherworld then you Real Self will be affected. Attack the Otherself and the Real Self will feel it. Most people affected tend to forget things, they see the world in a different way, things like that; you could make a person hate others if you wanted to, or even make them love you, and for the victim it would be perfectly normal."
"That's... that's messed up!" Mato growled in righteous anger while Black Rock Shooter hissed her agreement. "But, what d'ya mean a two way street? How could I affect an Otherself from the Upper World?"
"That's a bit more complicated," Hinata replied, "You and I belong to the Upper World, we are Real Selves, Black Rock and Black Sword belong to the Otherworld, right? But you must have realized it pretty fast, Great Black Sword looks just like me, I suppose it's the same for you and Black Rock."
"The same but different."
Hinata nodded and kicked a pebble down the valley. "An Otherself is born out of your Soul, Mato-san, fleeting thoughts, your prayers and desires, your dreams, your happiness, jealousy, anger, sadness or your hate. They are the parts that are good, bad and ugly and everything in between in your Soul. They are born out of what we are, if we change then our Otherselves will change."
"And if the Otherself changes then the Real Self changes and..."
"A vicious cycle begins that can only end up with the Soul unable to handle the stress. Normally the process is a harmless and natural thing that happens all the time, but if you force in a radical way to happen, well yeah," Hinata finished.
"... is that... is that what is happening to me? Black Rock used to look, well, fine when I came to the Otherworld... am I... breaking down?"
"Calm down, Mato-san. I can see you wincing in pain with every step you take," Hinata said.
"I can see Rock doing her best to heal. If you were breaking down, you two wouldn't be feeling like this," Black Sword supplied, calming the other two a little.
"H-how long... how long will it take to go back to normal?" Mato's quiet voice made Hinata frown.
"To be honest I would have expected you to be fine if you two managed to merge again," she crossed her arms and leaned back, giving the other girl an once-over.
"Somebody told me I should remember Who I am to get better," Mato admitted, fidgeting a little under the scrutiny. "It helped a little."
"That's another very simple way to see things," Hinata murmured, narrowing her eyes a little. "I don't know what they are playing at, but giving halfassed advice can be harmful."
"Yeah, I think she is one of those who are good but jerks at the same time," Mato replied with a sigh. "She didn't really explain why I should remember Who I am, only that it would help me."
"Hmm, well it is a good advice all things considered, especially if it managed to get you here. Well!" the girl stood up and clapped once, "I need you to hit me with that cannon of yours!"
One, two blinks.
"What?"
"Blow me to bits!"
Mato looked over at her cannon, back to Hinata and then into empty space. She appeared to be listening to something only she could hear and Hinata was sure Mato and Black Rock were holding a conversation. Finally Mato stood up and picked up her cannon and aimed it in Hinata's general direction.
"Why?"
"I'll show you what happens to a Black Paradox as long as they can remember Who they are," Hinata replied with a big smile on her face, jabbing her thumb against her chest in a display of bravado.
"... are you really sure?"
"Sure! If you have so much problems, here aim for my arm," she said, stretching an arm away from her body.
"... just for the record, I think this is a bad idea," Mato muttered, "Really bad idea."
Before Hinata could say anything she saw a flash of blue and then she blinked.
Orange eyes looked to her right and she noticed that yes, she was one arm short... damn gun was fast. And strong! It didn't even hurt!
… ok, scratch that.
"Crap!" Hinata whined, waving around the stump that ended about an inch or two from her shoulder in a supernaturally clean cut, watching a few specks of... burnt bone and tissue falling off. It had vaporized the whole thing before she could notice anything had happened!
And the girl packs this much firepower in her weakened state?
"Are you-of course you're not okay!" Mato shouted, causing a small thunderclap when she let her cannon fall to the ground so she could rush at Hinata's side. "I thought-I thought you said it was going to be okay!" the blue glow in Mato's eye intensified and a blue flame burst for a moment.
"Her body was reinforced," Black Rock Shooter's quiet but powerful voice replied through Mato. The shorter girl suddenly winced and clutched her chest in pain.
"Don't try to merge deeper in that condition, you can probably mess with something in you. Black Rock Shooter, let Mato keep control for a moment," Hinata said and the other girl nodded, clenching her eyes shut for a moment. After a couple seconds they both straightened up and looked at the other in the eye.
"Why... why did I have to, you know?" Mato gestured lamely at the stump on Hinata's arm.
"Mato, pay attention. My arm is ruined beyond repair... there's literally nothing left. Watch.
"I am Great Black Sword/I am Hinata."
Two voices sang in songs that were so different and yet the same. An unique voice that was none and both at the same time.
And just like that, Hinata's arm was where it was supposed to be. Even the sleeve of her jacket and black glove were back, as if they hadn't been destroyed to begin with. Spinning her arm exaggeratedly around Hinata smiled at Mato's amazed face.
"Knowing Who you are can be quite helpful, just like that."
"But... but you're changing your Otherself...?" Poor girl, Hinata was probably throwing her for a loop with each new revelation.
"Not quite Mato-chan!" Hinata leaned back, basking in the befuddled look on Mato's face. She raised a finger and she continued: "As I said, a forced change is a very bad idea, especially if it is caused by somebody other than oneself, what I did wasn't really a change. I just told my both Selves what we are supposed to be. You can say I actually made sure there wasn't a change to our body."
"I... we did something like that before. That's how Black Rock fixed us enough to merge again... So we just say who we are and we're fixed?"
Hinata let out a sigh and sat down, indicating Mato should do the same. "Nah, it isn't that simple. Mato-san, what you must remember is that even though Sword and Rock are their own Selves, they were born from you and me. In a sense you two are Mato but Black Rock is, ah, you can say her own persona but an extension of you too.
"Mato is the source and Black Rock is a reflection of your true self, so to speak. If somebody tries to modify Black Rock then you only need use "Mato" to get Black Rock back to her original form."
"That's... not that... hard to follow," the other girl muttered, cupping her chin. "But it's not that easy, is it?"
"You'll need practice to make the effect happen as fast as possible, otherwise you are better off staying the hell away from fights with other Paradoxes or learn how to escape really fast when things get too hot.
"You need to know very well everything that make Mato and Black Rock Shooter who they are, what makes them you. Meditation is a good place to start. Have a focus, an image, a symbol to guide your mind, prayer is a good way to go too, heck I have seen people who use speeches like those magical girls from manga and anime do to help them focus themselves."
"Oh, come on now."
"Really! If it works for them then more power for them, right? You don't really need to say it out loud, you just need to have this anchor in you that you can always count on."
"An image, huh?" Mato muttered to herself, touching the white star on her black cannon and then the one painted on the breast of her coat.
"That'd help. If your own soul came up with that image on its own then you could probably have an easier time using that to bring your Selves back in shape. You probably have heard something like "Empty your mind", well for us that is a bad idea; never empty your mind or you can run the risk of losing control of both of your Selves. Plunging into the depths of the mind is dangerous, so with a clear symbol in mind you can avoid going over the edge."
"Hinata-san, just how do you know all this?" Mato asked, not even bothering to hide her admiration.
Hinata certainly noticed if the blush was any indication. "Hee hee, well, first hand experience really, I became a Black Paradox a couple years ago, and I told you, there are plenty good people around who can help you if you need it. I'm just giving a little of what they gave me."
"That's pretty cool, Hinata-sempai!"
The blush on the taller girl's face increased if that was possible and she let a happy smile spread over her face. "Wh-why the sempai?" she asked, but didn't seem entirely against the honorific.
"Well, you have ben doing this longer than I have, right? And you are even willing to help me even though we just met... so, well, you know, it just seemed fitting, but if you don't wan-."
"I don't mind!" the other girl was quick to interrupt, a blush and a smile still firmly in place. Mato gave her a toothy grin and giggled at Hinata's antics, causing the taller girl to blush harder. "You get to be my kohai then."
"Sure, sure!"
The two fell into a comfortable silence, staring over the valley's lake. Several long minutes went by in silent contemplation but it wasn't really important.
Time in Otherworld just followed Real Time as a suggestion rather than a rule after all.
Mato reached for her cannon and Hinata's hands twitched instinctively, thumbing out her black katana, but nobody tried to attack the other.
"Hinata-sempai?"
"Yes Mato-kun?"
The cannon shrunk into the shape of a large revolver, glowing blue from the inside, before Mato put it inside her coat. Hinata's blade didn't move a millimeter back in its sheath, though.
"I wanna try patching myself up, can you watch over me?" She said in a quiet voice.
Hinata arched an eyebrow, sheathing back her katana. "You know, you could do it in Upper World. Much safer that way."
"Yeah, but then I wouldn't have somebody to check if I have done it right," Mato replied with a confident smile.
"Mato... Mato-kun, you are too trusting, you know? How can you be sure I wouldn't try to do anything to you?"
That innocent smile, full of an almost naïve hope, suddenly hardened, turned into something darker and fiercer. It made something within Hinata's chest swell and she could hear Sword's thoughtful hum.
"I just feel I can trust you Hinata-sempai and you too Great Black Sword."
It wasn't misplaced trust, naivete or foolishness. There was something behind that smile, those blue eyes and blue flames... something so nostalgic.
With her sheathed sword firmly placed on her lap Hinata smiled back at Mato. "Then, go ahead, Mato-kun!"
Mato sat cross-legged on the ground, closing her eyes and Hinata felt the other girl's inner fire rekindled, burning like they hadn't done before. A pain that Hinata knew to be indescribable crossed Mato's face but she managed to keep from crying out; the first time trying to fix the amount of damage Mato and Rock were in caused an agony sudden and unforgiving.
Still, the payoff was worthy.
Already the tatters Mato's Soul was in started to come back together, mending the connection between Soul, Mind and Body. It wasn't a perfect job, Mato and Rock hadn't managed to fix anything substantial, but the change was like dark and light.
Rock's body no longer looked battered and malnourished, the clothes no longer looked washed out and torn, and even the hair gained some volume to it.
A far cry from the "about to die in a ditch" look she had when Mato had first dragged her sore butt into the ruined city.
Mato's eyes flew open and she fell on her back, clutching her chest. She tried to speak but only pained gasps came out. Burning blue eyes searched out for Hinata's and the taller girl nodded.
"You did good, nice speed and amount of damage fixed," Hinata nodded approvingly, shouldering her sword and standing up. "You're still long ways to go, Mato-kun!"
Mato rolled on her stomach, trying to get herself back on her feet but she stumbled halfway there, falling flat on her face. "I feel good," came the muffled reply said in a strained voice, earning a chuckle from Hinata.
"Yeah, first time hurts a lot but you'll get used to it soon enough!" Hinata giggled, pulling Mato to her feet. The other girl almost stumbled again but she was held upright by her "sempai". "You got the hang of it now, maybe you'll be better off doing this in Upper World."
"Yeah... yeah... sounds better. Bed. My bed should feel better... yeah..." Mato muttered, still disoriented.
"One thing before that, Mato-kun." Seeing the other girl giving her full attention Hinata continued. "I felt you and Rock coming closer and closer. Never merge completely into a single entity, Mato.
"You two need to create a repression among each other, a barrier that keeps you two apart. While the closer to each other the stronger you become, reaching the point where you two become one also marks the point where you two stop being who you are. The parts that made the whole stop existing to become something that can't support its own existence anymore. Do you understand what I'm saying, Mato?" Hinata asked with uttermost seriousness.
Mato nodded numbly, looking properly cowed. Good.
"Well, I better go back," Mato said, giving one last look at the giant lake, "It was good to meet you, Hinata-sempai."
"Same here, Mato-kun. Hope to see you again," Hinata gave Mato a friendly smile and they waved each other good bye. Mato turned around and started to walk away, obviously needing some time alone to think.
Hinata turned back to watch the lake and stepped on a piece of debris, leaning forward. It wasn't long before loud, metallic steps were heard in the background. The steps came closer and closer until they were practically behind Hinata.
The black haired girl turned around to see a delicate girl, clad in a little black dress with a veil tossed over her light colored hair.
"Heya, Sakura-chan!"
"Gesshumaru."
"Why are you here, and not with me?" the refined looking girl inquired, causing the black haired one to flinch.
"Ah, well, you know, Dragon Slayer told me to come here, so I did."
"And you don't question why that monster asks you to do something," Sakura said in understanding.
"You just do," both girls said, sharing a little smile.
"Will it take long?" Sakura inquired, getting a negative from Hinata.
"I think I already did what I was supposed to do," Hinata replied, shouldering her katana and walking along with Sakura. She spared a look at the path Mato and Black Rock Shooter had walked off and wondered just what that monster wanted with them.
She shrugged and put an arm around her friend's shoulders.
If it came down to it, she would back up her kohai if needed. It was her duty to watch out for her new friend after all.
Fin
For some reason, Great Black Sword always stood out among the rest of Huke's creations. Always had this "Heroine" look to her in my opinion, so I decided to use her along with Mato.
Hope you people liked it.