Chapter 1 (Takes place between Seasons 3 and 4 of the anime.)
===== Castle Black Rose XI =====
She floated in the pool, her long, black hair stretched out above her head. She was naked, with the exception of a black rose with three pairs of wings mounted on a leather choker. Every now and then, a small wave would lick the edge of her ears. Other than that, the room was still, with soft music drifting in the air. She was at total peace. And she deserved it, as hard as she had been working to prevent a total apocalypse, at least as she envisioned it. She was in the middle of thinking about absolutely nothing when the door to the pool room opened.
"Forgive me, Lady Arceus." She heard the voice of Genjuko, her closest friend and servant. "I know you said you didn't wish to be disturbed…"
Arceus smirked silently. "And yet, here you are... I trust whatever you have to say is important enough to warrant the interruption."
"One of your recon units has returned ahead of schedule."
"Which one?"
"Kansai Squad."
Arceus did some quick thinking. Kansai, Kansai, Kansai... She sat up with a start, almost falling below the water's surface. "Kansai's not due back until after the New Year."
"Which is why I'm here, letting you know they've returned."
"Where are they now?"
"Showering after their long trip. I told them you'd meet them on the seventh balcony in an hour."
"An hour? I don't need an hour to get ready to see members of my own household."
"I know that, milady. Which is why I waited 45 minutes to tell you."
Arceus looked towards the doorway. Genjuko wore that familiar self-assured smirk, the one that screamed without a sound, I know you better than you give me credit for, milady. She could do nothing but shake her head because she knew that to be the truth. The two had grown up together, and despite Arceus having ten blood siblings of her own, nobody was closer to her that the poor servant's daughter her father had adopted all those years ago.
She stood up, barely breaking the surface of the water. She bent over at the waist, letting her hair hang perilously close to the pool. With a snap, she stood straight up. Every bead of water flew from her naked skin and her hair wove itself into a neat simple braid ending right at her waist. She stepped onto the dry dock and walked towards the door. As she walked, a simple robe wove itself around her body, seemingly out of thin air. She and her ladyservant walked side by side to the balcony, where her recon unit awaited.
On the seventh floor of a massive castle, a balcony was filled with a light din. A dozen teenagers were enjoying such food and drink as they had not had in quite some time, their reconnaissance mission into the human realm lasting more than a year. They considered themselves lucky to find what they were looking for slightly halfway in, considering their assignment was meant to last two years. Their leader had found something she insisted was significant and worth their lady's immediate attention, however, so they packed up and traveled home during a school vacation, hoping to use it to cover their absence. Upon their return home, they had spoken with their lady's right hand, who advised them to gather on the balcony of the seventh floor in an hour. Their leader knew exactly what that meant: she was in her private bath and did not wish to be disturbed. The recon members thus took some time to clean up and put on clean clothes before gathering on the balcony, where a feast had been laid out for them: roasted meat, grilled vegetables and seafood, plenty of fresh fruit, tea and wine. They ate, drank, and conversed with other members of the house as they awaited Her Ladyship's arrival. Right on schedule, a woman in a simple silk robe with a black braid entered the balcony. Those who were sitting made to stand, but she quickly waved them off. "Lady Mother," the recon members greeted Arceus, with a sense of formality that showed the difference between them.
Her recon element was made up of half-humans she had sired, so while they were in fact her children, they would never be on the same level as Arceus and her purebred children.
Arceus herself, was a dragon.
The eleventh heir of the Black Rose clan of the Bronze Dragonflight, retired Auroch of Ages, and retired 3rd Legion Commander, to be more precise. So while she might love all of her children – and she had given birth to hundreds over the years – they would never be considered more than servants due to their human blood. Which suited them just fine; they were treated like the family they were, despite the expectations to perform as servants. It suited Arceus just fine as well, for in her mind there was no better way to create a retinue of loyal servants than to give birth to them. They also made excellent spies in other realms, as their bio energy passed them off as mere humans, whereas a dragon might be sniffed out somehow.
As she greeted all of her children, the other difference between them became evident. She was at least a foot taller than the tallest member of her recon squad, who was exceptionally tall himself. In her human form, she stood seven feet and one inch tall, a height only the rarest of humans ever reached (certainly none that she had even mated with).
Finally, she found the child she had been looking for. An unassuming green-eyed girl, who probably wouldn't have stood out among a crowd except for her pink wire-framed glasses and twin shoulder-length brown pigtails. She was the daughter who had shown exceptional observational skills, and thus been chosen to lead this particular element. Daughter and mother embraced, and then the daughter produced a DVD from her bag. It looked to be from a children's show, which caused Arceus no lack of skepticism. It must have surely shown on her face, because the daughter said, "Just watch." So she pulled out her laptop and watched.
And watched... and watched... and watched. The more she watched, the bigger the glint in her eyes became. She couldn't believe it; no wonder her recon element had returned almost half a year early. This was exactly what she had been looking for these last several decades.
"Lady Mother?" Her daughter's voice broke her concentration. Arceus didn't answer her, turning instead to her sister. "Genjuko, fetch me a scale."
"At once, milady." She strode off, while Arceus began waving her hands in the air. By the time Genjuko had returned, Arceus had drawn a holographic map in the air. She seemed focused on an area in the southwest, on the shore of a vast sea.
"A scale as you requested, Lady Arceus."
"Thank you, Lady Genjuko." She took the scale from her ladyservant and began rubbing her fingers across it. Light etched patterns into the scale... it was a message in Draconic. "Deliver this to my father," she commanded Genjuko. Genjuko read it, then asked, "What if he says no?"
"When has he ever told me no?" Arceus laughed.
"Very well... as Your Ladyship commands." She set off to do her lady's bidding. Arceus then turned back to her daughter. "Kneel before me," she commanded. The young lady did as she was bid. Arceus stretched out her arms, and her robe began to twist and shape until it was a royal gown. She produced a round magical symbol – a clock with a rose, crossed swords, and the letter 'A' – and from it drew a ceremonial sword. "Let all who bear witness hear my words: by the powers vested in me by Arcturus, Lord Archon of the Black Rose clan; Malastrios, Auroch of Ages; and Her Grace, the Dragon Queen Alexstrasza, I hereby raise Aika Kiryuu to the rank of vassal, to hold court at Castle Whitesand. It shall belong to her, her children and their descendants, from now until the end of time."
Aika was stunned, at a complete loss for words. A clan vassal – human, dragon, hybrid or otherwise – was the same as being a lord or lady in her own right, except she was still governed by the clan she was vassal to. And a castle of her own, right on the sea? She had expected to be rewarded for a job well done, but this was beyond anything she might have expected. "Mother, I... I don't know what to say," she choked, fighting back tears.
"You have done me a greater service than you can possibly understand today," Arceus began to explain. "If I am to prevent a cataclysm, I will need as many allies as I can gather. And the more places I can find those allies, the better."
"Why not just try to talk to the Conclave?"
Arceus grimaced. "If what I fear comes to pass, the Dragon Queen herself will be of little help."
"Still, though... you think this pervert is going to help you when the most powerful dragons in the world won't?"
"That pervert is possessed of a power beyond anything the council can dream of. Besides, if he is who you say he is, my other recon units have already reported on his skirmishes with the Chaos Brigade."
"Wait a minute, you already knew about him? Then what did you need me for?"
Arceus picked up the DVD case and scanned the back of the cover. "Because thanks to your efforts, now I know how to find him. I know how to determine if he and his clan are truly the allies I seek. And I know without a doubt, if I fail, all is lost."
===== Osaka, Japan, several months later =====
The place seemed ordinary enough. Just a small seaside café in Osaka. So why did he have to come all the way out here?
A salty sea breeze ruffled his dark brown hair. He couldn't help but be suspicious, most likely due to his nature as a fallen angel. His suspicions were only heightened when he spotted two heads of hair approaching from a block away: one fire-engine red, the other golden blond.
All three of us in the same place... it's too dangerous. Could be a trap. He wondered if the legions the three factions had set as sentries would be able to help in time if shit hit the fan. He had thought so when he received his invitation, he had thought so when he found out the other two leaders had received the same message, and he thought so now. Someone was trying to get their attention, but the only clue they had as to who that someone could be was an unfamiliar sigil: a bronze clock, with a black rose and crossed blades superimposed on it, topped off by a stylish letter 'A.'
In the month since they had received the invitation, the three faction leaders had run the symbol through every archive they could find and found absolutely nothing. At least it eliminated the possibility of coming from inside their ranks, but it did nothing to quiet their general unease. Finally, the three leaders and a lady met in front of the café.
"Zechs, Grayfia, Michael, good to see you."
"Well met, Azazel," said the golden-haired angel in a soft tone. "Any word on who our host is?"
"I think we're about to find out," said the firey-haired Zechs as he motioned toward the door of the café. A woman came outside, fairly inconspicuous except for her height. She bowed politely as she approached. "My lords Michael, Zechs and Azazel, I thank you all for coming all this way. My lady Arceus is anxious to meet you. Please, follow me."
Lady Arceus? Is she talking about... A shudder ran up Azazel's spine as memories from a thousand years ago crept into his mind. He looked down at the sigil again. A clock, colored dark gold. Copper? Or was it really bronze? Then the black rose... It can't be...
Their guide led the three dignitaries through the bustling café to a room marked "Management." The room had a floor table with five place settings. The table was fairly large for just five people, but it was stacked with enough food and drink for at least twice that. On a wall next to the door was a large flat-screen TV, on which an episode of "The Grabbin' Dragon" was playing. The party removed their shoes and waited while the guide opened another door on the far side of the room. "Your Ladyship?"
"Are they here?"
"Yes, milady."
"Excellent." From the door came another woman, even taller than the first. "My lords, my lady," she made a point of deferring to Lady Grayfia, "I have the honor to introduce Her Ladyship Arceus, Eleventh Heir to the Black Rose Clan of the Bronze Dragonflight." She turned to face Arceus, bowed, and extended an arm toward their guests. "My lady, I have the honor of presenting the Archangel Michael; Lord Azazel, Governor-General of the Fallen Angels; and Devil King Lord Zechs Lucifer." Arceus bowed, and her guests did the same. "It is such an honor to finally meet all of you. This is my lieutenant, Genjuko." 'Lieutenant' was the title Arceus used for Genjuko in formal meetings such as this, to convey just how vital she was to her. "And who might you be?" she asked Grayfia.
"My name is Grayfia. I am Sir Zechs' wife."
"Ah, I was not aware you would be joining us." She waved her hand effortlessly, and five place settings became six. "Please, sit. Eat and drink as much as you all like, anything you like."
"Got any sake?" Azazel asked dryly.
"Of course. You think I'd forget even after all these years?" Arceus smirked, pouring two drinks from a tall white jar and passing one to Azazel. "Kampai!" she toasted, downing her drink and taking her seat. After the delegation had seated themselves around the table – Michael and Azazel to her right, Zechs and Grayfia to her left, and Genjuko directly across from her – she poured herself a glass of wine and motioned to the TV. "Gotta hand it to you three, you really knocked it out of the park with this. 'The Grabbin' Dragon...' couldn't have come up with better myself."
"You couldn't, and you didn't, so why don't you tell us why you really called us here? Certainly not to syndicate it to the human world?" Azazel asked bluntly.
Arceus grinned. "Now which one of you was smart enough to figure that out? Oh well, it makes no difference. You're here because I need your help. You're also here because you need my help, whether you know it or not."
"Forgive me, my lady, but why would we need your help?" asked Michael, somewhat incredulously.
"Well, I would call it Armageddon, but the Church already trademarked that so I'm just gonna go with the end of the world."
"The end of which world, and why should we be concerned about it?"
"Hmm... I forget, humans are really the only ones bound to any one world, right? When I say 'the end of the world,' what I really mean is the end of all existence. Think of anything, anywhere, anyone, that exists right now. If I fail in my mission, it ends. Doesn't matter what, where or who you're thinking of. It. All. Ends."
"What makes you say that?" inquired Zechs.
Arceus produced a small black binder from beneath her place at the table and passed it to Zechs. "By now I'm sure you're all familiar with a little group of hellraisers called the Chaos Brigade?"
Zechs opened the binder; it was a dossier on some high-ranking devils who made up the insurrectionist faction. He closed it shut just as quickly. "That is a devil problem, and we devils will deal with it."
"Yeah, I kinda thought you might say that. And it's not that I don't trust you; it's just that you're wrong. Let me explain to you why. The Chaos Brigade is led by a renegade Void Dragon called Orphis. She wants to slay the Apocalypse Dragon and conquer the Dimensional Gap."
"Apocalypse Dragon... you must mean Great Red?"
"Precisely. Now, if Orphis accomplished that on her own, she would be executed as a traitor and that would be the end of it. But if she gets humans and devils involved, well... I guarantee you don't want to fight a war against thirteen different dragon flights."
The four emissaries nodded in silent agreement. Their own peace was new and tenuous at best, and the war amongst themselves had drastically reduced their numbers. Another war, this one against dragons, could see them wiped out completely.
"So what exactly is it you want us to do?" asked Michael.
"Since the ruling dragon council doesn't see me as anyone worth listening to in this matter, I have to operate alone. I'm looking for a small team within your factions to form an alliance with, to take down the Chaos Brigade and eventually apprehend Orphis."
"We're already fighting the Chaos Brigade at every opportunity. What good will one dragon do?"
"One dragon can do plenty good, so imagine what seven more can do."
"Eight dragons?"
"Merged with your sister's household, Sir Zechs, they could prove to be a powerful asset indeed," Michael mused.
"Very well," said Zechs. "But first, I would like to see your contingent in battle, to see exactly what they're capable of. Perhaps a friendly scrimmage battle against Rias and her family?"
Arceus' eyes narrowed. Her grin could not be contained. She picked up two small objects from the table and rolled them around in her hand. She held them up for the rest of the party to see; they were a pair of bishops from a chess set. "I had hoped you would suggest that."
A/N: Hey, this is TwistedViper20XX here. I've had it in mind to write an "Ace of Blades" OC fanfic for a while now, and now that I've finally found an anime universe she fits into I'm finally getting started. Please bear with me while I get the hang of formatting, document submission, etc. My goal is to put out a chapter every month *at a bare minimum.* Hope you all enjoy, and all feedback and constructive criticism are welcomed. Until then, this is TwistedViper20XX, signing off.