*rubs hands together* This is gonna be quite the test for me...Let's just see how dark I can go!
Set in the second chapter of Sora no Kiseki (Trails in the Sky), more precisely Estelle has just left for her training in La Locel.
Estelle isn't in this first chapter...She might be in chapter 2...If I do another one...Unsure right now...
The time is 23:50. (11:50pm).
The skies off The Liberl Kingdom were shrouded in darkness. Fog was everywhere...You couldn't see too far...The clouds themselves (almost) prevented Moonlight itself from hitting the ground. Claps of merciliess thunder crackled overhead. The general advice was to stay indoors...For good reason.
Ice cold winds shot through the streets, circling around lampshades as a lone person walked through them. A smile on the person's face as the lights from the lampshades faded away as this individual walked towards the capital city, slowly, but moving none-the-less.
Five army soldiers raced down the roads that lead towards the capital city of Grancel. They were panicking. They fired their guns behind themselves, at the various creatures that jumped out to kill them, but they weren't working. "FUCK!" They screamed, as they ran...This wasn't an ordinary night.
After reaching the two garden either side of Grancel's Entrance, a new lieutenant by the name of Lorna Inovancy brushed her blood yellow hair to the right out of her eye vision. She was stunned that only FIVE soldiers were coming back - She had sent over 14! A WHOLE squad!
She intercepted the person who was leading the five as they panted heavily. "What happened!?" She asked, she was panicking herself, but she couldn't let him see it.
The man in front looked up at her. "It was a massive ma'am! We tried...Honestly we did-" He was cut off as a Golden-looking blade sliced him in two, before Lorna could get a good view of the weapon, it was gone again. She looked to the other four as she pulled out her sword. "GO!" They nodded, not needing to be told twice, and raced into the capital city - The gate closing in moments.
A rustling in the bushes had the lieutenant gulp but she held her grip on her sword. This was what she had been trained to do. Guard Grancel at night...and that...was what she was going to do - NO MATTER THE COST.
"WHO'S OUT THERE!?" She shouted in half-fear and half-anger.
There was a soft giggle then nothing again - Not even a sound...It was eerie.
"Who are you!?" Lorna tried to get a visual on the target but failed - It was moving FAR to fast.
"Ready or not, here I come!" A child-like voice yelled out as the rustling suddenly increased
Lorna held her sword in a defence posture and closed her eyes. She had heard stories about the person who's voice this was and she was almost certain off it.
Lorna heard three sounds and was confused. She lowered her sword and opened her eyes. She was unharmed. In front of her stood a man in his late teenage years. Twin blades and a cold expression on his face. His back was turned to Lorna so she couldn't get a look on his face.
'Hang on...Isn't that the guy who was in the tournament? His name...What was it...J...Jo...'
Lorna's fear was confirmed while the Grancel City's Alarm went off. That meant either the Royal Army was being mobilised or someone of Royalty was coming to help.
Standing in front of the Teenager was a girl. She didn't look that much older then 11. She had a REDICULOUSLY MASSIVE Golden sythe in her right hand, Purple Hair, Hazel or perhaps Golden Eyes...White and Black dress...
"Fuck..." Lorna whispered. "That's..."
The teenager stepped forward two steps. "Renne. Or should I say, Angel of Slaughter?"
Renne giggled. "Its been awhile Joshua. I should call you Black Fang according to the professor but...Meh" She shrugged her shoulders. "I can't be bothered."
Lorna was stood...Directly behind one of the most influencal people off the modern times in Liberl as far as she was concerned. Yet in front of her and Joshua was one of the most lethal...Renne: Enforcer number 15...Angel of Slaughter. While Lorna trained she had heard Renne had Extermination at the end...But that had changed...What matter did it make though? Still was the same thing...Slaughter...Extermination...Same result: Death.
Renne tilted her purple haired head and looked at Lorna again. "That's odd" She looked to Joshua's left. "Where's Estelle?"
Joshua frowned and charged Renne not saying a thing. Renne swung her sythe and tried to jump, by the time Renne was on the floor again, she was on one knee with a gash of blood seeping through her white dress. She frowned. "My dress..." She moaned as she tried to stand up but failed, hitting in the dirt.
Joshua turned around and walked towards Renne, the purple haired girl lifting her head but then finding that Joshua had one off his blades holding up her head for her.
"You are defeated. Don't make me angry Renne Hayworth, or I will be the last thing you see on this world"
Renne growled just as 2 squads of Royal Guard appeared from behind Lorna.
Lorna glanced to her left, only to see Queen Alicia and her daughter Princess Klaudia standing there. Klaudia had her rapier to her hand but she was shocked - Joshua was there!? and...WHAT THE HELL WAS HE ABOUT TO DO?
"Would that make you happy?" Renne spat at Joshua. "After all this time...We've been apart" She winced in pain at both the blade and what he had done in the split second she had been in the air - He had plunged his right sword into her gut - Quite impressive really, especially when his left sword was the one that struck her leg!
"You'd honestly...Put that selfish airhead..." She let a few geniune tears go which shocked Joshua. "Above me AND Leowe? Leowe..." She coughed. "Told me about Karin...She'd think you were a coward if she could see you now..." She whispered.
Joshua felt his anger climb the minute she had said the word 'happy'...But now it was not anything beneath murder levels. He pulled both his swords back much to Renne's horrified look her face.
Kloe raced forwards even though her mother (along with the guards shouted/screamed at her to stop) and for what seemed like the second time (In Lorna's view) there were four sword clangs.
Joshua's growl made Renne look up, Kloe was stood behind her with her rapier on one of Joshua's swords while Leowe (who had just arrived) was stood to Renne's right.
Call it - A Mexican Standoff...But with swords.
Renne felt her conciousness fail her while Joshua growled even more.
Kloe sighed. "Joshua, what the FUCK are you doing here!?"
Joshua looked to Kloe just as Leowe took advantage, the Blade-Lord pushed Joshua AND Kloe's swords clean out of their hands, grabbed Renne and disappeared again.
Joshua grabbed his blades while Kloe grabbed her's.
Kloe turned to him as he turned to her. "Tell me what's going on! PLEASE!"
Joshua shook his head, his expression was slightly less cold now. "You would never understand"
"Then how about trying to explain it so we can?"
Joshua knew that voice. It belonged to the man who he had tried to kill all those years ago.
Cassius Bright.
Or rather now he was called, General Cassius Bright, head of the ENTIRE armies of Liberl.
Joshua turned to Cassius. "Now is not the time."
Cassius looked to Kloe (who was confused and angry), then to Lorna (who was exhausted and about to fall asleep - He made a note to talk to her as she would probably know the ENTIRE story), then to Queen Alicia (who wanted a good resolution to this - So, she could calm the residents down and go back to the castle), then finally onto Joshua.
"Normally, I'd force the issue. But you will tell me soon won't you?"
Joshua nodded. "That I will, I owe you after all."
Cassius sighed. "You are acting more and more like Estelle everytime I see you. Honestly, my daughter is a BAD influence on everyone"
Joshua chuckled. "Yeah, you can talk."
Cassius nodded and smirked. "That I can. I had to raise her you know."
Joshua looked to the trees. "Hardly"
"Very funny. Alright, off you go"
He nodded and disappeared while Cassius walked up to Lorna. "I know you're exhausted, but, we need as much as you can tell us." Lorna nodded. "I'll try General..."
[Over at the 'base' belonging to Ouroboros]
Leowe had put Renne to bed, after getting her injuries sorted, much to Renne's moaning and complaining.
Leowe walked into Renne's bedroom after reporting to Weissman who...Let's just say was LESS then impressed...But was amused by Renne's love for killing.
Leowe sat by Renne's bedside until the Eleven year old woke up. "Ugh...Feels like a train hit me dead on..."
He chuckled, making her look at him, slowly after she winced in pain. "That'd be because you faced Joshua. You really need to slow it down...You realise Cassius appeared not long after?"
Renne was shocked/stunned and with a face to match Leowe laughed at her, her cheeks turning purple as a result. "Yeah, yeah I would have been screwed"
Leowe fell to the floor for once in a very long time in laughter.
Renne growled. "What's so funny!? I didn't even say anything funny!"
Leowe clutched his stomach. "Y..y...yes you did!"
Renne STILL wasn't getting it. She put crossed her hands in a huff. "Gezz, just tell me!"
"You said screwed! That is so ironic!"
Renne went bright red, walked over to Leowe and kicked him, he then grabbed her leg, pulled her over, resulting in a soft thump and then they ended up in a rather light hearted play fight.
After all - Relationships that were THAT long in existence...You're bound to tease and have fun right?
One thought was on Renne's mind when she went to bed later on though.
'I wonder if I'll be able to kidnap that Brown haired airhead at some point...' She smiled at the moonlight that went into her room. 'Then I have to hear her scream...Oh, Estelle, am I going to LOVE tearing you apart...Maybe in front of Joshua? hmmm...Maybe? Nah...Well yeah maybe...' This carried on for over 3 minutes until Renne FINALLY fell asleep.
