Title: Fire, Wind and Death
Chapter One: Black Hair and Two Lines
Author: middnites0ul
Summary: The one thing Clare has never done in the story yet? Kick Priscilla's ass. And she's going to, right here and right now.
Disclaimer: I don't own Claymore, just the plot of this story.
A/N: This is probably my first non-yaoi/romance fan fiction I've posted up XD I'm getting kind tired update after update of Claymore and Clare still hasn't kicked Priscilla's ass yet so I decided to make up a story where she does. Three things to rant on about: 1) Miria isn't dead here because I think she's awesome and strong. 2) It has my OC Lloyd in it. She's the "scientist" and nerd of the group. 3) It takes place after the war in the North.
I remembered back to the time where Priscilla had just turned into an awakened being. She killed Ilena, Noel, Sophia and the one I cared for so much, Teresa. I remember her walking past me, not even noticing me as if I didn't even reflect in her eyes. She walked past me with her Claymore in her hand and flew up into the sky, leaving me alive. I could feel my heart beating so fast and hard. I kept thinking, was I going to die at that moment? Was it my fault that Teresa is now dead?
It had been seven years after the war up in the North. I still needed to find Raki. But even if I did, he wouldn't be safe from the fights against the awakened beings nor the fight I dreamt for. The one against Priscilla. I kept my hands together on top of my lap with my forehead leaning against my hands. I wanted nothing more but for this whole thing to end already. I looked up into the sky and asked,
"Raki, Where are you?" I asked myself.
Behind me I heard footsteps, crumbling the grass it stepped on.
"Hey Clare! Miria has something to announce," Helen yelled, even though they were only about two feet apart.
As Clare, Deneve, Helen, Tabitha, Cynthia and Yuma all gathered up to Miria they all noticed another women standing next to Miria. She had the same silver eyes and uniform as they did but her hair was pitch black. Her bangs were low and spread out and covered most of her forehead. She also had a low ponytail that made her hair go over her shoulder beside her neck. Her glasses were thick, square and a shade of dark purple. On her neck, her symbol showed, ⧺. They all wondered what she had to do with Miria and about her symbol. The organization's warrior's entire symbol's had only one line through it.
"This is our eighth member, Lloyd. Even though her hair color remains she's still one of the strong ones," Miria introduced.
"Hey, hey wait a minute. Miria, where is she coming from? And why is she one of us?" Helen interrupted.
Not only Helen, but also the other members of the group were disturbed that another one of their own kind was just joining in on the group. Though Deneve could care less.
"She is the same as Dietrich. However Dietrich is still also working for the organization as well as us so we can't call her a member. Lloyd has separated from the organization and has pledged to help us defeat the abyssal ones and take down the organization-"
"Che. I still don't have any approval for her," Helen cut off Miria's sentence with her own and unsheathed her sword, "let's give this new warrior a try."
She attacked Lloyd head on as she quickly dodged it.
"95% chance that you would've attacked me to see how strong I was," Lloyd said as she pushed up her glasses and added, "being the hot head you are."
"So she's the nerd of the herd?" Deneve asked.
Helen stretched her arm out so that it would go past, and around Lloyd.
"I guess you could say that," Miria answered.
Lloyd jumped up and into the sun's gaze where Helen could not see her.
'92% chance that you'll dodge my attack and aim for my back.' Lloyd thought to herself. Helen looked up to where Lloyd had jumped but couldn't see a thing because of the sun. A split second later she saw that her head was being aimed at, and so she moved out of the way as Lloyd landed on her feet, knees touching the ground. Helen thought that this was her chance and aimed for Lloyd's back. It had gone just as planned. The dark haired warrior did a high back flip as Helen attacked, and made the tip of her Claymore touch Helen's back.
"Satisfied?" the warrior asked.
Helen, paralyzed at the fact that she was just that much weaker, and so she sheathed her sword onto her back as Lloyd did the same.
"Hey why's your hair black even though you're so strong?" Cynthia asked.
"Yeah and why do you have two lines in your symbols as apposed to the one line straight down?" Yuma added.
"Because I have my data to rely on," Lloyd laughed a little hearing herself say that, "and the reason I have two lines is because the organization ran out of ideas."
There was a slight awkward silence at that answer.
"Ah jeez I was just trying to add a little humor."
Still no one said anything.
"The reason is because my body rejected the yoma flesh that had been put inside of me at first. The organization was going to kill me, realizing that I was a failure experiment but that scientist kept persisting on keeping me for at least another day. And so after that one day had passed, the organization noticed that my body had been well and that my brain remained unharmed from the yoma's flesh. After training and sending me on missions they realized no matter how much energy I release, I won't awaken. One line for human, the other for yoma. And that's when they had created the next evolution of warriors. Well, they only have me as of now."
Lloyd took a deep breath in after her sharing her story. The other warriors, besides Miria and especially Clare, were astounded and feared by the thought that no matter how much they tried, they would not be able to kill Lloyd.
"If you're thinking that you can't kill me, then you're incorrect," it was if Lloyd had read their mind, "I'm weaker than your typical warrior. I'm not as strong or as fast, so I have to use my knowledge and my data to fight. Otherwise I would be dead by now."
There was nothing but the sound of the wind that swayed the claymore's hair towards the east direction as they all stood there.
"There are four warriors coming this direction and there's two awakened beings further from here that I assume they're going after," Tabitha sensed.
"We should start heading out," Miria ordered.
They all agreed with Miria and began to walk away. Lloyd walked beside Clare in the back of the group. She said,
"I noticed that arm doesn't belong to you. Its yōki is on a different level than yours."
"Yes, you are right about that. I was wondering, if you're from the organization, isn't your yōki going to be sensed by the others?"
"Yes, but no. I've already thought of a solution for that. Here feel this."
Lloyd pointed at her arm for Clare to feel. Clare attempted to touch the clothing but she couldn't. Her fingers were repelled just a bit, which shocked her.
"Yōki can't enter or leave this clothing. Of course your Claymore could pierce through it though. I have yet to create better armor."
Clare was already surprised at the fact that she was such a special warrior. She envied the fact that Lloyd could release all her power but not awaken. If only Clare could achieve that, she would have obtained more power and a new pinnacle. She looked at the palm of her hand, made it into a fist then released it.
"Clare-san, are you okay?" Lloyd asked.
"Yeah I'm alright."
A man had approached the group of warriors asking them,
"Excuse me lady, where is the next town loca-"
Miria, closest to the man, had sliced his arm off, causing the purple and stenchful yoma blood to spew out of the wound.
"Argh, what was that for?" Spikes along the man's spine had formed as he slowly transformed into a yoma, "You should've just cut my head off right from the start!"
The yoma slammed his claw down to the ground as the warriors jumped back and out of the way. All but Tabitha and Lloyd unsheathed their swords. The ugly creature bursted out a cry, which made the warriors fall to their knees, in pain from the sound of despair.
"Mwahahahahaha," the yoma laughed.
As the warriors struggled to stand Clare released her yōki and sent it to her right arm, using Ilena's Quick Sword technique to slice off the remaining arm. The yoma used his high-speed regeneration to bring back not only the arm that had just been cut off, but also the one cut off by Miria. They stood up as Miria ran in to make a move. She used her new mirage technique to confuse the yoma of which one she truly was. She then instantly flashed to his back and swung her sword creating a deep wound on the back of his throat. Miria stepped down and noticed that she had not swung hard enough to kill it.
"Oye, oye Miria what's wrong with you? Why didn't you finish it?" Helen asked.
"Its hide must've been a bit tougher than I thought. If you're complaining finish him yourself."
"Don't mind if I do!"
Helen jumped up as one of the yoma's finger stretched out to Helen. She immediately cut it off and used a weaker version of Jean's Drill Sword while extending her arm to reach the yoma from a distance. The yoma blocked it with its hand.
"Che."
Helen had failed to kill the yoma off in one move. From beneath, without anyone noticing, Clare shot up and sliced the yoma's head off of its body. As the blood showered out she swung her sword down fast to remove the blood on it.
"You guys were taking too long and making such a commotion," Clare said.
Though it was the truth.
"We should hurry up and leave," Tabitha suggested, "the other warriors noticed the disruption in the yoma's yōki."
"So Miria, where exactly are we going?" Deneve asked.
"I was going to ask you guys once we get nearby the central region."
"Can we stop by the Cathedral in Rabona? I have some of my research there that I've been wanting to pick up," Lloyd asked.
"It is on the way there so I suppose so," Miria answered.
The truth was, Lloyd had been waiting exactly three years, eight months and four days to get it. She placed sites in the Northern, Eastern, Western and Southern Quadrants for where she could keep her information retrieved in that are but the Central Region had her research in obtaining a new power that would make her a stronger warrior.
It had taken them a couple of days but they finally reached Rabona. They wore their cloaks to cover their silver eyes and their swords when they entered Rabona. As they passed by the guards Clare noticed that Sid and Galk were by the entrance as well.
"Well, well, well. Would you lookit this. Clare is back!" Sid said cheerfully.
He knew that he couldn't welcome them back at the entrance so he took them to one of the empty homes. Once they walked inside the door they all took the hoods to their cloaks off and took a seat all except for Lloyd.
"Miria, I'm going to get my research now. I'll be back in a few minutes."
"Wait, Cynthia, go with her. You can never be too careful."
Cynthia said okay as she put her hood back on.
"Well, welcome back," Galk said properly.
They were all served drinks even though not necessary and began to talk.
"Where is your research Lloyd?" Cynthia asked.
"It's just around the corner."
The 'just-around-the-corner' was the Cathedral. As Cynthia continued to follow Lloyd they went around the back area of the Cathedral and a little into the woods. Lloyd kicked one of the trees four times. On the second time Cynthia asked another question,
"Um, Lloyd-san, what are you doing?"
She pointed at the grass that was moving and revealing Lloyd's underground research lab. They walked down the steps in a dark, stony passage way. Spider webs had hung from above while ants and other insects had run across the steps. After about ten or so steps they had reached a dead end. Lloyd took her sword out and stuck it in a whole that was in the wall to her left. The dead end opened up from the middle horizontally and allowed Lloyd and Cynthia to walk forward. Lloyd snapped her fingers and lights had turned on, brightening the room. There in the room, was a desk, a chair, and a shelf with test tubes bubbling away. As Lloyd walked over to the shelf she laughed to herself like a mad scientist that finally her substances had turned a dark shade of red and a pale color that was almost transparent. She grabbed the tubes and an extra pack of supplies and put them in a brown box. Lloyd then looked through the scattered papers and wrote down a few things regarding the tubes. Finishing up the last few words she placed them in a folder and a large box, organizing as needed.
"Okay I'm done. Let's go," Lloyd commanded.
She snapped her fingers, stuck her sword in again in the same hole to close up the wall and walked back up and out the steps.
"May I ask what they're for? The tubes that is."
"Secret," Lloyd said as she laughed to herself on their way back.
A/N: In this story Clare obtains a new power because I don't think she's strong enough yet to fight and kill Priscilla with only Quick Sword and Windcutter techniques. So don't read it if you wanted Clare to kill Priscilla only on willpower and that crap.