Chapter one
Okay, this has been along time coming, and I finally have a good idea on how I want to execute this story. So without further ado, I present second chances, please leave a review, both positive and negative feedback accepted. I DON'T OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MY OCs and Imperial arms!
"Speech"
'Thoughts'
(Chaperone)
Tatsumi sprinted for all his worth, he needed to get there, he needed to get to her before it was too late.
"Damnit Chelsea! Why didn't you wait for me!" He growled in frustration, as a line of trees came into view. He didn't slow down, if anything he sped up and with a powerful roar he slammed his fist into the tree, reducing it and several other trees in the surrounding area to splinters. As he burst through the line of trees, he noticed that he was no longer running through a forest, but through a meadow filled with a wide variety of different, brightly colored flowers. The air smelled heavily of rose and lavender. The sky was a bright light blue, that was dotted with big fluffy, white clouds, and the weather was perfect. He would have stopped to admire the view, if it wasn't for the sight of Chelsea in the far distance about to be decapitated by one of Kurome's many puppets. He felt something inside him snap, before the warm, numb feeling of pure, raw adrenaline began to pump through his veins.
"I've already lost too many friends! First Shelee, Then Bulat! And I'll be damned if I lose another!" With an inhuman warcry, he dashed off in Chelsea's direction.
Scene shift
Chelsea tore through the forest, holding onto her Teigu for dear life, as she desperately tried to escape her pursuers. She glanced over her shoulder, and felt her heart crawl up into her throat, as she caught sight of one of her pursuers. He was dressed in an all white jacket that was zipped up to his neck, and wore a white face mask, that covered his jaw and nose. He silently leaped into the air, and raised his spear well above his head, ready to disarm her, quite literally. Chelsea yanked her arm out of the spear's path, just as he swung his spear, but she didn't escape unscathed. The tip of the spear cut across her forearm, leaving a good sized cut. She yelped in pain, and lost her grip on her Teigu, which smashed to pieces on the dirt floor. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, as she watched her precious disguise kit smash to pieces, and clutched her forearm, in an attempt to suppress the bleeding until she got to the rendezvous point.
'That is, if I make it to the rendezvous point.' She spared another frantic glance over her shoulder, wondering if the last thing she'd see, would be the shimmer of a blade, just before it cleaved her in half. But much to her surprise, her pursuers were nowhere in sight, as if they'd just vanished into thin air.
'There's no way in hell I lost em. But who am I to look a gift horse in the face.' She thought, as she burst through the treeline. The moment she did, she couldn't help, but stop and admire the beautiful meadow, and perfectly blue sky.
"Tatsumi, would love this place." She sighed, as a thunderous gunshot filled the peaceful air. Time slowed for Chelsea, as the force of the bullet tearing through her left shoulder, forced her off her feet. She slowly craned her neck to look over her shoulder, and saw both of her pursuers. The one that had shot her, was a woman, dressed like a cowboy. She even wielded two Six shooter Revolvers, one of which had gun smoke spewing out of the barrel. The pursuer dressed in all white, leaped over the cowgirl, and swung his spear at Chelsea's neck, mid arch. A sad smile spread across her face, as she watched the blade slowly inch its way towards her neck.
'I wanted praise from the others when I returned, from killing both Bols and Kurome. But, now it is my turn to face retribution.' She thought to herself, as she closed her eyes,
'What do you think Tatsumi? Did I do good?' She asked, as she waited for the painful embrace of the steel spear tip, when the clang of metal on metal, rang in her ears. Chelsea's eyes snapped open, and standing above her, with incursio raised high above his head, was Tatsumi. Sparks flew through the air as the puppet's blade collided with Incursio's shaft.
"Tatsumi...What are you...Doing here," She grunted in pain, as she struggled to rise to her feet. "You...Should be...At the rendezvous point...With the others!"
"I was...At the rendezvous point...The others told me...You weren't there, so i came...looking for you!" He grunted.
'He came looking for me? Why? All i ever did was burst that optimistic little bubble of his, and mock the death of his comrades, to make him more realistic.' She thought.
"Because...I promised...that we wouldn't...Have to say goodbye to anymore...Friends!" he growled, as if he read her mind, and disengaged his bladelock with the spear wielding puppet, before he kicked him to the ground. Tatsumi turned to grab a stunned Chelsea, and saw the second puppet, grinning wickedly, as it took aim at chelsea's back. Without a second thought, he quickly wrapped Chelsea in a protective bear hug, and squeezed his eyes shut.
'This...Is gonna hurt.' Chelsea was surprised by the sudden embrace, and tried to push him off, when she was suddenly jerked to the side. As Tatsumi twisted his body, Chelsea got a glimpse of the second puppet over his shoulder, and expression of true horror spread across her face, as realization hit her like a strike of lighting. She wanted to scream at him, hit him, push him out of the way, something, anything that would prevent him from doing this, but it was too late. Five gunshots rang through the air, like the toll of a death knell, and with each shot, she felt his grip on her get weaker and weaker, before finally, he let go.
Scene shift
'Where am I?' He thought to himself, as he took in his new gloomy surroundings. Instead of the flowery meadow he was in moments before, he was in a dead forest that had a thick fog hanging over it.
"That was very heroic of you, Tatsumi" A voice called from behind. "But, it's time to go." Tatsumi whirled around, and saw a woman, who wasn't there a couple seconds ago, sitting on an old tree stump a couple feet away. She had jet black hair, that went a little past her ears, fair pale skin, and stormy grey eyes.
"Time to go? What do you mean it's time to go? Where am I going?" He asked cautiously. Her midnight black lips curved into a frown, as she rose from her seat on the tree stump.
"I mean. It's time for me to lead you into the afterlife." For a moment, Tatsumi just stared at her in disbelief, before he lowered his gaze to the floor.
"So...I'm dead?"
"No, not yet. You're more on the verge of death. In a minute or two, i'll lead you, and your friend, into the afterlife." She said calmly.
"WHAT!? You can't take Chelsea to the afterlife, she isn't dead-!"
"-Yet. Your friend isn't dead yet. But shortly after you die, the puppets will finish her off, and then I'll have to lead you both into the afterlife."
"Then i'd like to make you a deal, my soul for hers!" The woman sighed, as this wasn't the first time someone's made her this kind of offer.
"It doesn't work that like that," She explained. "I'm Death, not the Devil. I'm sorry, but I don't have any control over if a person dies or not, I just simply ferry their soul over to the other side." She said, in a saddened tone.
"Then...Could you at least give me a little more time? Just enough to save my friend?" He asked weakly. "I promised someone, she'd never say goodbye to another comrade again! So please! Please let me make good on my word!"
"Just...how much time, is…'Just enough'?" She asked after a couple moments of hesitation.
"Five minutes...That's all I need."
"I can give you the time, but...You will be indebted to me until i see fit." She said, after a couple moments of consideration.
"I accept."
"Careful Tatsumi," She warned, in a grim tone. "Offering your services to me, is similar to selling your soul to the devil. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
"Absolutely." He answered, almost instantaneously. Death looked surprised, before shook her head and gave him a small smile.
"Your friends are lucky, to have a guy as noble as you." She said, before she snapped her fingers, and his vision went white.
Scene shift
Chelsea quickly caught him, and locked her arms around him, to keep him from collapsing.
"You...Idiot...You big, dumb, stupid idiot!" She choked out, into his shoulder.
"Why...Did you do that!"
"I...Already told you...Why." He croaked, as his grip on her began to strengthen. Chelsea sniffled, and couldn't stop the wide smile from spreading across her face, as his voice reached her ears.
"It's because...I made...a PROMISE," He growled, as he got his feet back under him. "And i'll be GODDAMNED...If I don't make good on it!" He shouted, before he quickly swept Chelsea off her feet, and carried her off into the woods. She could hear the crack of gunfire behind them, and the whistle of bullets whizzing past her head, but she didn't care. Chelsea buried her face in his chest, just below his chin, and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Ch-Ch-Chelsea!?" He squeaked in surprise.
"What are yo-!?" She quickly silenced him, by placing her index finger over the faceshield of his helmet.
"I'm thanking you for saving me." She said, as if it were obvious, before smiling up at him. Even though the helmet was blocking her view of his face, she knew his face was redder than maraschino cherry, by the way he stiffened up, and seemed to gain speed. She giggled at his reaction, and let her eyes wander away from his helmet, and felt her heart skip a beat as she laid eyes on a small cabin, fifty feet away.
"It's the rendezvous point! We made it, Tatsumi! We-!" Before she could finish her sentence, she heard him gasp in pain, right before she was sent tumbling from his arms, and face first into the ground. Chelsea groaned as she brought a hand up to her throbbing head, and slowly rose to her feet, using her good arm.
"Tatsumi?" She called, a little disoriented from the fall. After a moment of staggering around in a small circle, Chelsea's vision cleared up, and several feet away, in a small ditch beside the dirt trail, was Tatsumi's still form.
"Tatsumi!" She cried, as she ran over to his side, ignoring the sharp pain in her left shoulder every time she swung her arm. When chelsea reached the lip of the ditch, she felt hot tears begin to well up in her eyes, as she stared down at his broken form. Small shards of armor were littered around his body, blood slowly oozed out of cracks in his chestplate, and the face shield of his helmet had shattered to pieces. Her light pink eyes met his fading emerald green, and he gave her a weak smile.
"Hey, Chelsea." He croaked. Chelsea quickly got into the ditch with Tatsumi, and gingerly slid his arm around the back of her neck.
"On the count of three...We're gonna try ta stand, alright." She said shakily.
"Chelsea, I-."
"SHUT UP!" She screamed, before she tried to hoist him up on his feet. Tatsumi got a couple inches off the ground, before he roared in pain, and flopped back down on the ground
"C'mon. One more try." She pleaded, before she tried again. This time, he barely got an inch off the ground.
"Again"
"Chelsea-."
"GUYS! I NEED HELP! IT'S TATSUMI!" She screamed, and after a couple moments pause, the cabin door banged open.
"Help's on the way, Tatsumi. Just hang on a little longer." She said, as shouting and rapidly approaching footsteps could be heard from behind.
"Chel-."
"I'm not gonna let you die in a ditch!" She cried, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"We still need you here," She whispered, as she lowered her head. "I still need you here." Tatsumi felt tears welling up in his own eyes, as he cupped her cheek and brushed away her tears with his thumb. Chelsea sniffled, as she lifted her hand and placed it over his .
" What happened!?" A woman's voice called from behind. Chelsea quickly pulled away from Tatsumi's hand, and looked over her shoulder at a woman in her mid twenties, with short silver hair, and one light purple eye, a faded black eye patch over where her right should be. She wore an all black business suit, that showed a bit of cleavage, but an intricate weave of black fabric, that connected to a choker, crisscrossed over the exposed flesh. But the most glaring part of her appearance, was her right arm. Instead of a normal arm, her right arm had been replaced with a bulky, army green, mechanical arm, after she lost it, along with her right eye, in a battle against the empire's strongest, Esdeath.
"Boss! He was shot, protecting me! I can't lift him on my own!"
"Understood," The boss said as she climbed into the the ditch, and faced the two subordinates that followed her out of the cabin. "Lubbock, Akame. I need you two to run back to the cabin, and get a stretcher and start making preparations of a blood transfusion."
"We're on it, Najenda!" A boy in his early twenties, with green hair, shouted, before he sprinted for the cabin.
"Akame, I know you want to stay with him. But if we don't set up a blood transfusion, he'll die." Najenda said to the usually stoic raven haired girl, who seemed to be hesitating about leaving his side. Her fingers absentmindedly tugged on the skirt of her sleeveless black mini dress, as her dark red eyes nervously glanced between Najenda and the cabin, before she nodded her head and turned towards the cabin, when Tatsumi spoke out.
"There's no...Time." Tatsumi wheezed. everyone turned, and saw his condition's gotten worse. He looked whiter than a sheet, and his armor had fallen off completely. Leaving him in his bloody, bullet ridden sweater vest.
"Don't say things like that! You're gonna be-!"
"Fine? Look at me Chelsea." He said weakly, as he started violently coughing up blood. Tatsumi shakily wiped the blood from his mouth before he gave them a sad smile.
"See?" Chelsea opened her mouth to deny his statement, when Najenda stepped forward, and crouched beside him.
"Do you have any last words?" She asked softly.
"We can't give up on him boss! We can still help him!" Chelsea cried, but her cries fell on deaf ears.
"Yeah," He whispered weakly, before he turned his eyes to Akame, who was at his side in the blink of an eye.
"I'm sorry...I couldn't keep my...Promise," He choked out, as the tears he'd been fighting back, finally escaped down his cheek. "But don't worry...I'll always be with...You guy's...right...here." He breathed, as he weakly tapped the spot over Akame's heart, before the light behind his faded emerald green eyes disappeared, a sad smile still on his face.
"Rest in peace Tatsumi. We will always remember you as an ally, and dear friend." Najenda whispered, as she brought her hand over his face, and closed his eyes.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter, sorry for posting so late into summer, but writer's block has been kicking my ass lately. I look forward to seeing you in future chapters, your buddy.
Lord of runes