A/N: Welcome readers to the re-write of Consumed by Shadows. Named: re: Consumed by Shadows. I hope you enjoy. My writing has improved a lot in the last few months and I promise this will be better written (and planned) than the last iteration of this plotline. Well…no more hesitation. Let the story begin!
-Prologue-
Shadow King
Firelight reflects off the onyx and amethyst jewels adorning the silver headpiece giving them the impression of glittering. A pair of guards stand either side of the black velvet cushion the circlet sits upon, watching the crowd mulling around the throne room like hawks. Their hands are perpetually hovering above the hilts of their swords, stance alert and ready to leap into action at any moment.
All 10 members of the Shadow guard are dressed in formal uniform. Black pants and a white shirt make up the base along with pristinely polished heeled black boots. However, it's their deep, almost black, indigo jackets that make them stand out from the crowd. Silver tassels decorate their shoulders along with double silver bands at the cuffs. The final touch is the ceremonial crescent shaped swords hanging from each of their belts. Ceremonial they may have been but just as wickedly sharp and deadly as any regular blade.
It's such a rarity for the Shadow Guard to be in formal uniform, let alone together, many civilians can't help but stare. Then again, it's also an incredibly rare occasion, something that only happens once or twice a century.
After all it's not everyday a new king is crowned, particularly not one so young.
Kagami Taiga twitched nervously, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. His sense of duty the only thing stopping him breaking ranks and high-tailing it out the door. Oh, and Hyuuga glaring at him from the opposite side of the throne.
Formal occasions really weren't something the redhead particularly enjoyed. Bashing things up on the battlefield and burning anything and everything to death, now that was more like it. He was made for fighting, not standing in over-crowded halls attempting to look pretty. Why was he even there anyway? It wasn't like the new king was going to turn up anytime soon, the royals did have a nasty habit of being perpetually late.
After what feels like hours the great ebony doors of the hall are finally thrust open, moonlight flooding into the hall like a tidal wave. In the entrance stands the new king flanked by his main advisor, Aida Riko a petite brunette girl severally lacking in the frontal department.
The prince himself is small and thin, almost feminine in appearance. His powder blue hair shines silver in the moonlight, giving him an air of angelic grace. However, the magic is gone once the doors slam close with an almighty crash.
His face is expressionless, set completely in stone. Sky blue eyes stare blankly ahead as he makes his way down the black carpet. The purple and silver cape all previous Shadow kings have worn swallows him, the end trailing as a short train behind him. It just makes him look small and insignificant, like a mouse attempting to be a lion. Then again, he is only 16, the youngest king ever to be crowned. There's still plenty of time left for him to grow into his father's shoes.
The boy ascends the steps leading to the throne. Every single person holds their breath as he takes his seat. He arranges the cape to flow around his body engulfing him in a wave of inky darkness accented with silver stars. Instead of making himself look more regal he simple succeeds in appearing smaller, weaker, more insignificant than the regular person. It's like he's a ghost, always there but nearly invisible, something nobody ever bothers to look for.
A large, pear shaped man, most likely somewhere in his early 70's steps forward out of the line of officials attending from the capital. He wears neatly pressed black dress pants and a white thigh-length coat with gold emblazing. On someone younger and fitter the ensemble would have been quite flattering, on him? Not so much.
"Kuroko Tetsuya, you are the sole living descendent of Kuroko Kenta." The man pauses to clear his through, leaving the audience hanging on tenterhooks. Kuroko himself looks impassive, it's creepy just how little seems to faze him. Any other teenager would have been feeling something akin to fear or dread in this situation. Instead, Kuroko acts as if being coroneted is a completely ordinary everyday occurrence.
"You must now read the pledge that all kings must take. The pledge is not taken lightly; every word you speak is tied to you for the rest of eternity by the original elementals." The man continues. Kuroko nods taking the roll of parchment offered to him by another Daichi representative. This time a young adult, probably in his early 20's, dressed in the black and teal uniform of a capital soldier.
"I shall not abandon my kingdom,
As that is the greatest sin a King can commit,
I will defend my people without hesitation,
As that is my duty as a ruler
It is my duty to protect any carrying the seal of the shadow,
Along with any other elemental that wishes to seek refuge.
I swear upon the goddess,
That gave this magic to humans.
I will not fail my kingdom.
I therefore promise my life.
To live as the Shadow King."
Kuroko speaks calmly, in a bland matter-of-fact tone. If he didn't know better Kagami would have thought the younger teen didn't know what he was getting into. However, the redhead knew the gravity of the situation was far from lost on the small blue-haired teen. Kuroko knew exactly what was going on. No question about it. He was ready to become the Shadow King, not that he had any choice in the matter.
The same young soldier who gave it to him takes the parchment from Kuroko's hands. Hyuuga, as captain of the Shadow Guard, carries the pillow that the circlet sits upon down the carpet. He's flanked by Kiyoshi, one of the most senior members, and Izuki, his second in command. The trio kneel at the base of the dais, Hyuuga offering the crown to the elderly Daichi official. He takes the grown with little grace, fumbling slightly. The crowd goes completely silent, not a single sole dares to breath, as the silver circlet is lowered onto Kuroko's head.
"Hail, the new Shadow King Kuroko Tetsuya!" Riko proclaims as soon as the crown is lowered onto Kuroko's head, effectively flattening the teen's usually messy hair. Her brown eyes twinkle with happiness and pride as the room explodes into celebration. A genuine grin slowly makes its way across her delicate features. The people haven't been this joyous since the former King's death over a month ago.
Kuroko watches the festivities with a blank expression as per usual. The Shadow Guard stands five either side of the throne, Riko in-between Hyuuga and the throne on the left side. They stand like that for nearly 3 hours, silent ant motionless. It's tradition, for the Guard, main advisor and King to stand vidual on coronation night while the entire kingdom celebrated the beginning of a new era.
By midnight the festivities begin to slow. Citizens trickle out of the castle to their homes many stumbling from drunkenness. The castle residents finally retire to their rooms at 2am, content and satisfied with how smoothly the ceremony had gone. Sleep, for the first time in over a month, came easily for all residents of the Shadow Kingdom.
"The final miracle has been crowned Hanamiya-sama." A non-descript foot soldier stated kneeling at the base of the Magister's throne. A sly grin crept it's way across Hanamiya Makoto's face as his eyes twinkled with malice. Finally, every single miracle had taken their place as King. The first stage of his plan was complete.
"You are dismissed." He waves the young man away with a flick of his hand, tendrils of purple flame curling from his fingertips. The soldier scurries away without hesitation, like prey running away from a predator.
Hanamiya cackles, standing from his throne and snatching the black and gold staff from the attendant standing beside him. He strides from the room, cloak sweeping behind him.
"I am not to be disturbed by anyone other than Seto. You are all dismissed." He announces glancing over his shoulder at the occupants of his throne room, fixing each in turn with a venomous glare. "Understood?" Various sounds of agreement and nods are what he gets in return before sweeping out of the room doors banging shut behind him.
"Let the games begin. May the odds be ever in your favour my kings."
A/N: THE REWRITE BEGINS!
Please follow, favourite and review if you enjoyed. Constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms, flames; I have plenty of marshmallows for those. (wait… I don't even like marshmallows.) Also, the changes are just going to keep coming. The prologue I know is almost completely different but the other chapters will be a bit closer to their original forms, just longer and with more content. Just as forewarning. Updates are going to be slow, I've got a lot on my plate at the moment and am attempting to rewrite literally everything, whilst working on music/abridged series VA stuff and other things. Please, be patient with me, I'm trying really hard. Also, the plot is going to be darker than the original Consumed by Shadows, particularly the characters of the Generation of Miracles and Hanamiya.
-Angel