So this is a redo of my previous fanfic, but I'm planning to actually continue this one beyond a few chapters. I plan for about 5k words every chapter, with hopefully two chapters every month.
Sunlight peaked in through Luna's curtains as she shifted in her bed, woken by the gentle rays. Her bed already messy, Luna didn't hesitate to kick the remaining sheets off of herself, springing out of bed and arching her back she let loose a massive yawn. But, unable to keep her eyes open, she fell back onto her bed, and with a heavy arm opened the curtains just in reach to reveal the brilliant sun rising over the horizon.
Though it was only seven in the morning, the sun's beams were already vivid and pure. Shifting her gaze down, Luna let her eyes wander down the slope of a gigantic mountain, following a straight path of land to the horizon. The looming mountain her house was situated on was part of a great chain called the Yuhrals. The house partially hung off a cliff, but was well grounded in the icy soil.
The Yuhrals were home to the legendary Siumo Academy, a combat school that trained some of the best fighters in the world. They took in three-year-olds and turned them into assassins, bodyguards, commanders, gladiators, whatever they would best serve as. Only the best were accepted, based off of genetic potential and complex aptitude tests.
Partially making her bed, she slipped out of her pajamas and donned a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She slowly walked over to her bathroom mirror, her short, red hair and pale complexion still looking decent. She settled for minimum effort, brushing her teeth and splashing naturally icy water all over her face.
"Woooooooo! " Energetic, Luna threw open her door, running down a short hallway before crashing into her brother at the upstairs landing and tumbling down three flights of stairs in a mess of limbs.
"Ow, ow, ow…" Luna moaned, pushing herself off her brother, rubbing her throbbing elbow. Ara meanwhile, lay in silence, with a frown on his face as it was smushed by his sister's foot.
"And a good morning to you, Luna." Dusting himself off, Ara stood up and rubbed his nose.
"Aww, come on, you can't stay angry at me." She protested, giving him a tight hug, "I'm sorry." She pleaded with puppy dog eyes. Though the hug wasn't returned, his expression softened.
"Kids, breakfast." Their mother called, walking over to them, wafting the smell of delicious food in their direction, before depositing them on a table.
Luna sprinted over to the table, where her father was already sitting, while Ara calmly walked over, taking his seat. Ara flipped open a book, and Luna gave her father a big morning hug, which he returned, adding a ruffle of her hair.
Under the granite tabletop was a glass floor which overlooked a drop of over 500 feet. It may have scared some, but all at Siumo were a stronger than that. Out of Ara's and Luna's family, the Serins, four of five were present, their uncle was estranged and they didn't know him well.
Breakfast started when their mom returned to the table bringing one final round of dishes. After a pause, an air of tensity permeated the room, and on some hidden mark the four began ravenously devouring the food.
The Yuhrals were cold, their frigid climate unforgiving, and to ensure protection from the cold, as many calories as could possibly be obtained were needed. In the layman's terms, the more you eat, the more you live.
Luna ate with a ferocity matched by only a few others, her mother being one of them, also eating ludicrous amounts of food at a bewildering pace. And while the men didn't eat with the same gusto or drive, they used a cold, calculated approach to shovel food into their gullets in the most efficient way possible. Needless to say, even the piles of food that almost made the table buckle were gone in a few minutes.
Sighing happily, their father couldn't help but comment on his wife's splendid meal, "Delicious as always, Miriam."
Ara and Luna brought stacks of dishes in, and their father left for his work as a teacher at the Siumo Academy, kissing his wife goodbye. The towers of china teetered dangerously, taller than the children carrying them. Luna was nine, Ara eleven, however the former was tall for her age, so they stood at the same height, 4'3''. The pair piled plates and bowls into the sink and Miriam gave them their lunches.
"Bye Mom!" Luna said brightly, giving her mother one of her classic, tight embraces. Ara switched places with her, but this time Miriam was the one to give her child an endearing cuddle, and as he pulled away she ruffled his ashen hair. "Bye Mom." Ara pouted.
Though the temperature outside was beyond freezing neither of siblings took any especially heavy clothing. When they were first tested by the academy at three they were left outside for two weeks to see if they had the adaptive and physical capability to survive their next few years.
Miriam opened the door for her children, ushering them out. "Ara, do you have your books?" A nonchalant thumbs-up was her reply, but Luna rummaged around in his bag, pulling out the aforementioned books.
"I said I had them." he shot coldly, shaking her off with annoyance. Luna just shrugged, determined to stay happy even with her brother's depressing mood, and ran off to walk with other the other students, leaving Ara to pull out the novel he had been reading.
The bell rang at eight o'clock sharp, and all fifty three students were seated in the Siumo Academy. The students were split up by age, three to six, seven to eight, nine to eleven, and so on. School hours were long, eleven hours per day, but the payoff was evident. The school day began with the basic classes, languages, math, history, though these basic courses were almost over for Ara, crammed into the young students' heads as quickly and efficiently as possible to make way for all the training they would receive. After the basic classes and lunch finished at twelve, Luna and Ara's class began the more interactive lessons.
First was lying and lie-detection, then hostage negotiation, followed by handless wall climbing. But the only thing anyone was looking forward to today was hand-to-hand combat training. And today's was even more anticipated due to the semi-finals of the class tournament.
Ara and Luna were known as the Perfect Siblings, as they were the two best performing in the history of the Academy. Every year Ara would set new records, and Luna would either match or exceed them. Obviously, these two were in the semi-finals, but this year it wasn't obvious who would be moving on to the final round. Rol and Viri, both eleven, had rapidly improved the last few months and were quickly the approaching the levels of the Perfect Siblings. This would be there proving ground.
Luna and Viri would spar first, no weapons and a thin, long area to fight in. The two girls stood at opposite ends of the space, sizing each other up. Their instructor stood outside the zone, next to a line marking the middle of the long rectangle. He waved his hand, "Begin!"
Viri charged, and though she was much taller than Luna and was a more muscular fighter than her opponent, she was still lightning fast. The ensuing fight would appear only as a series of blurs to any regular person, but the attendants and teachers at the Siumo Academy were anything but regular.
Blocking Viri's first several strikes, Luna bent down to sweep the other girl's legs out, but she jumped back performing a flip midair to check what Luna was doing, but to her surprise she wasn't there. A palm slapped Viri's back, bringing her to a halt mid flip. Behind me!? In that quarter-second she moved that far!
Viri, breath forced out her lungs, turned her head slightly, then reached back to grab Luna's hand, pulling it from herself, then swung the smaller girl around her left side, bringing up her right hand for a powerful punch. All of this, midair. Luna swiveled herself around, two feet headed for Viri's fist, sure to break her hand if making contact, Viri wasn't nearly as strong as she had anticipated, and Luna was content on fooling around for a little longer.
Seeing the outcome, Viri swung Luna over her head, buying herself time or the option to throw Luna to the ground, but Luna changed this simple plan by using her viselike grip on Viri's arm. Luna adjusted her trajectory, bringing around her right arm for a devastating blow to Viri's ribcage.
The punch knocked Viri all the way back to her end of the fighting area, and while Viri landed on her side, rolling a few times, Luna landed softly on her feet.
Pushing herself up, Viri scowled at her rival, her enemy. I guess she really does live up to the title, 'Perfect Sibling.' It seems I have no choice but to use my trump card.
Breathing a bit raggedly, Viri limped forward, holding her side, but collapsed a few steps later. Come here, Luna, let me finish you! Viri pretended to struggle to get up, in the end, slowly pulling herself towards Luna with one hand. Her plan was straightforward: The match wouldn't be called until unconsciousness in one competitor, and Luna without long range moves would have to come closer, letting Viri defeat her with her finisher.
Realizing what she had to do, but unsure if Viri was plotting something, Luna approached cautiously while she contemplated different ways to knock out her fallen opponent. When Luna got within a few feet of her, Viri made her move. Summoning every ounce of power inside of herself, Viri exploded off the ground with both legs and an arm, her remaining limb poised for her final attack.
It was at this moment that time slowed. Only Rol, Ara, and their instructor could clearly see what happened next. Unprepared for an assault such as this, Luna couldn't think of anything else to do but guard, but that was just what Viri wanted.
Viri's trump card was a Shirya-type attack, a move from an ancient school of fighting monks. Simply, it was the concentration and delivery of the body's energy to one point, a final attack of great strength and self sacrifice, as it would leave the user incapacitated for several hours. But all Viri wanted to do was win her match with Luna, not the tournament. Beating one of the Perfect Siblings would be enough this year.
Viri soared through the air at speeds that nearly tore her body apart, another Shirya-type move, and steeled herself for her imminent pain. Luna, barely able to keep track of Viri, even though she moved in a straight line, panicked, but she knew that any other action would only prove worse. Judging from Viri's speed, even just touching her would be bad, much less an actual hit. If I drop my guard to dodge, I won't make it in time, and I don't really have any other options.
Inches away, both girls had smiles on their faces, both determined to win, exhilarated by the fight, and equally terrified of the outcome. The three who could see what was going on were also thrilled by the fight, and entranced by this final clash as time seemed to halt, as seconds became eons.
And then time continued. Viri's fist connected, but even before she had hit, a vacuum made by her approaching knuckles had pulled Luna closer, disrupting her block. A great blast of wind resounded around the dojo, throwing the scant furniture and loose items around, while their instructor cancelled out some of the wind around his students.
Viri's attack ground against Luna's guard, the two forces clashing for an instant before Luna was knocked off her feet. Viri stalled in the air before collapsing on the ground. Luna was launched into the air, but kept her guard up. She skidded to a stop, almost out of the fighting space, and stood panting, glaring at her opponent. What was that? Dropping her arms to her side, she stood panting. I thought Viri would be a pushover; when I was going easy on her, she could keep up, but that final attack…
Taking tired strides, Luna walked over to the fallen girl, ignoring her glower, and touched a pressure-point on her neck.
Silence broke, "Match! Luna proceeds to the final round!" It was over.
Viri lay on the floor, defeated while Luna stood panting over her.
Starting with a solitary clap, applause quickly grew to a storm. The other students could hold nothing but admiration for the fight. Some started cheering, running over to the exhausted Luna to congratulate her on the victory. Even their instructor, a normally stoic character had a smile on his face, clapping politely. A few students helped Viri up and one of the school's medical staff shortly came to take her to the medical bay.
Everyone had been thrilled by the fight and was in high spirits, except one. Ara leaned against the wall in a corner of the room, reading his book. Even to an experienced observer he would seem to exude only disinterest, but this was a cover for something more serious.
Can't they see? Are they that blind? I've learned nothing at this school for months. The two strongest at this school, ever, and we're being held back. This school isn't helping us at all, not as it as is now. I need to change things. Something big… I need to see some change—
"-ra, Ara, Ara, hello?" Coming out of his inner monologue, he glanced away from his book, an inch away from the smiling, slightly dirtied face of his sister. Luna had come over, and was trying to get his attention for his upcoming fight. Leaning around his sister's head he saw the Rol was already in his spot for his fight.
"Sorry Luna, I kinda fazed out for a second." He smiled sheepishly as she shook her head. "Just get over there, good luck!"
Setting his book just outside his side of the fighting area he cracked his neck, his typical fighting smirk splayed across his face. He wagged his finger at Rol to come at him.
And these tournaments, if they were really supposed to help us they'd expel the losers, creating more focus on us. Our potential can't be wasted during our youth. Steeped in tradition, the school won't be easy to change, if it will budge at all. But I need some change…
Rol took up a fighting stance at his end, recognizing Ara's actions as a trick to enrage him, "Don't think I'll be as prone to anger as Viri. I'll win this fight and this tournament."
All he got in response was a raise of the eyebrow. "Begin!" Ara walked calmly towards Rol, who adjusted his stance. Though Rol was singularly focused on the challenge of one of the Perfect Siblings, Ara's mind was preoccupied.
They say they're training us, but I haven't grown because of them as of late. All progress I've made has been out of school. How do I change things? Run away? No, running away wouldn't do any good; our parents, faculty, bounty hunters, and who knows would come after us. Not to mention that Luna wouldn't want to go in the first place.
His thoughts were cut off as he was taken out of his autopilot fighting state when he had to dodge a kick by Rol. As he came out his automatic fighting mode, his smile faded. Though Rol thought this meant he was strong, the cause of the change was the opposite. Rol was disappointingly weak. Really? This is it? It's sad. I can't believe I actually expected a challenge.
Blocking a punch from Rol, Ara ducked down to sweep his feet out from under the larger boy. Rol jumped back, keeping his eyes trained on his opponent, but Ara was already gone. A palm on Rol's back forced the air out of his lungs, and he was sent sprawling back to the ground. Really? I just did the same thing as Luna. A bored expression was splayed across Ara's face. Disappointing.
Slipping back into his subconscious battle state, he continued brainstorming. But how would I reform the school if we can't run? It has stone set traditions, not something they'd change for two students, as strong as we are becoming. No, I need change outside of school. Something about my entire life.
Ara floated back to the ground still lost in thought. Several feet away, Rol already struggled to get up. Shaking his head to clear it, he charged at his rival, performing an intricate series of feints in order to land a hit, as again he was hit back.
Running's out. Reforming the school? Fat chance. There has to be something else…
Ara dodged a punch from Rol and was surprised when he felt some wind from the strike. The other students cheered from the sides for both of their peers. Again and again, Rol would attack Ara, a brief series of moves would be interchanged, and then Rol would be sent flying back.
We definitely have to leave, but Luna will always want to return, not to mention efforts to bring us back. I need a permanent solution. All our ties now are just holding us back.
Changing his strategy, Rol sidestepped Ara, who didn't particularly care and attacked his blindspot. As Ara was lost in thought he accidentally forgot to control his strength, send Rol skidding across the floor with a kick. All that, from one hit? Ara's a monster. But this is the fight I've been seeking. This is my des—
Ara had finally made up his mind. His fingers protruded from the left side of Rol's head. He lifted the boy's corpse up, then pushed him off his arm. If we can't leave without being brought back, I'll make sure there's nowhere to return! Schools are for the weak, they give people knowledge and power, the strong take it. The strong, like us should do whatever it takes to become stronger.
Turning to a group of horrified students, Ara bore no semblance of a smile. A thick line of blood ran across his face, while his right arm was covered with gore.
In a burst of speed, their instructor zipped behind Ara, bending both of his arms back to the point of breaking, only to have his neck snapped a second later. Another stream of blood fell on Ara's grey hair, staining the steel colored strands a dark red.
One student screamed, darting for the door while the others stood horrified. They all had seen death, Luna and several others had killed multiple times, but this was gruesome. Leaving an afterimage, Ara cut the fleeing student in half, and after a few second, everything above her waist fell to the ground. I guess this was the only solution. Either way, no going back.
Standing by the door in the otherwise closed-off room, Ara out stretched his hand.
"Luna, could you come here a second?"
Too mortified to even speak, the girl shook her head, taking a few unsteady steps back until she heard a squelching sound.
"Ah, ah ah, it's rude to stand on anyone, much less a dead friend."
Luna slowly turned her head around, her already terrified expression turning to one of complete despair. Her sneakered foot rested upon the neck of Rol. She slowly removed her foot, and then collapsed by her dead peer, trembling.
Some students took up fighting positions against Ara, arranging themselves in a line.
Some ran away screaming.
Some collapsed.
Some cried.
It was pandemonium.
They were all cut down in a matter of seconds.
Drenched in blood and guts, Ara walked over to her sister, putting a loving hand on her shoulder. Appalled, Luna took a fearful glance up at her brother, before curling up into a ball.
"Come on Luna, don't look at me like that. I've just given you the greatest gift I could! A fresh start!" He gave her a hopeful smile, patting her head.
He spoke passionately, but his sister wouldn't budge. A little disappointed, but not surprised, he lifted her up and set her down standing, embracing her.
"Alright, up you go. You see, I think I've understood something today. I realized what 'strength' means. Strength is the ability to live, no, to thrive even when circumstances aren't in one's favor. We live up here, in the freezing mountains, but nothing else is really to tricky. Rol and Viri grew stronger over the past few months, but they had every resource to do so. Arguably, so have we, but we've come much further."
"NO, NO, NO! SHUT UP!" She pushed out of his arms. "Why'd you do it? WHY?" She banged on his chest, but her attacks did nothing, heartless as they were.
"I did it for you, for us. I don't like killing. I liked some of the people I just killed too, and I do feel bad, but I think it was the best choice. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but this is the only way for us to become stronger." He frowned, but he hugged her again.
"It's not about your stupid strength! Why couldn't I enjoy myself? Why couldn't I just be happy with being happy?" Luna fell to her knees, her face buried in her hands.
Ara leaned down, "I know you're not happy with this, but trust me, get over this little issue, and we'll live a great life."
"I already was having a great life." She cried at him, fresh tears streaming down her face.
But wasn't this the right choice? To let the strong be strong!? Having closed his eyes in thought, he opened them, but unlike their usual cheeriness, his eyes were grim and set. What's done is done. I need to finish this.
Ara moved to Luna's ear, and he whispered the last words she would hear before her life would truly never be the same. "I'm sorry, but it's for us." With that, a blackness over took her, and her last sight was her dear brother's shoulder catching her as she fell into unconsciousness.
In the next thirty minutes, all but two members of a millennia-long institution were eradicated.
Luna opened her eyes to a ceiling, the light birch wood of the dojo. What a weird dream. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she sat up. A severed head greeted her, her friend Esder, his eyes as dull as rainy clouds.
Unable to control her stomach, Luna felt the bile of vomit enter her mouth and almost let it out, but she realized it would spill over Esder's head, so she sprinted and let it out at the door.
After vomiting enough, Luna stood up shakily, using the wall for support when her hand slipped, smearing a stain of still drying blood there. Heaving up more vomit until she could do nothing but cough, Luna opened the door with a blood slicked hand, barely able to walk.
Aimlessly, she wandered from room to room, building to building, occasionally stopping to spew up what little was left in her stomach. Everywhere there was at least one corpse. She visited the medical bay, only to find Viri, her nurse, and parents all on the floor dead.
Disturbingly, all the deaths were almost identical, one major wound in the upper chest or head, an instant kill. Eventually, Luna opened the front door to her house. Her mother lay on the floor, a spilled cup of coffee staining her already bloodied blouse. Her father's corpse rested on their deck, a shattered camera next to him.
Going into their shed, she fetched a shovel, carrying her parents' bodies into graves she dug in the frozen ground. Leaving the holes open, she cried softly, letting the elements fill their resting places. After she couldn't cry anymore, she returned to the deck, not caring as the broken camera crunched under her shoes on her path to the deck's railing.
Luna retched up some stomach acid over the side of the mountain, subconsciously counting the time it took to hit the ground, like she still did for fun. Eyes already dry she could only coulgh and sputter hopelessly.
An hour or two Luna spent like that, day becoming night. Leaning over the railing over a 500 foot drop she finally had a consensus of one thought. One more thing. One last talk to Ara. And if I'm here, I know where he'll be waiting for me.
The Yuhral mountains, home to the Siumo Academy, a combat school that had existed for several thousand years. Its tallest peak, Mount Ulhin, the third highest in the world lay just outside school grounds. Ara and Luna had often played there, and it continued to be one of Ara's favorite reading spot. With a direct view to the house from its icy slopes, Ara could see signals for when to come home for dinner. And I'm sure he's watching me now.
"AAAAARAAAAAAAAAAA!" She screamed, looking at him from more than a mile away.
Moving faster than she had ever before, she climbed to the precipice in just a few minutes, frozen wind whipping past her unable to turn her course.
Finally she saw his silhouette. He sat off the edge of the cliff, gazing passively at the landscape below.
"So, you knew I'd be here, huh? Just like I knew you'd come after going to the house. Now you've had some time to think, so what do you think?"
"What do I think? What do I think? I can't even think right now! I don't even know what I'm feeling! I'm furious! I'm miserable! I'm just…" She collapsed again, unable to face the perpetrator of the atrocities committed in front of her.
"What do you think?" He turned to look at her, and after no reply came, he walked over to her casually, looking down on her from a few feet away. "Do you understand now?"
"I understand that I hate you!" She leapt up and punched him, sending him skidding back, and he fell down, tumbling over the edge of the cliff.
"Ara!" she cried out desperately. Ara, no, I can't lose you too! I need someone!
But he hadn't fallen. He had grabbed onto a rock, and he propelled himself up, landing on the edge of the cliff.
Not sure what to do, she ferociously punched him in the face again. He didn't even flinch. He just took it and stood there.
"It seems you don't understand, though I guess you weren't really supposed to." He said wistfully, not minding the knuckles digging into his cheek.
"I think I've only just understood the real reason I did this. I wanted a point to my life. I loved my parents, our friends, our teachers, our home, our life, I still do, but I'm thinking bigger. I need a point to my life, or I may have just killed myself, the same way you were going to a little while ago. I'm not content to just sit around and play, I want to do something. With no ties, I can do anything I want. Tomorrow is my new life. I can do anything I want. You can do anything you want.—"
"I want to see my parents. I want to hug them. I want things to be like they were before!" Luna's fist still embedded in her brother's face, she took it out before plunging her other hand into the flesh. But she received no reaction. Ara, his back to the cliff, looked back over their home and the other buildings in Siumo Academy.
"No, there's no looking back. Maybe I shouldn't have dragged you into this, but deep down, we both know you want adventure. You strive for that excitement, that rush. You long for adventure, lust for battle. We both do. Today is not a happy day, but I can tell you that it will be the saddest of your make it through today, the darkest day, it can only go up from here!"
Ara gently removed her hand from his face, smiling, placing by her side as she stood shell- shocked. Luna took one step. Than another. She pushed past him, then raised her foot for one final step, then froze.
"Going that way?" Her brother asked. "I sat on the edge the entire time. I couldn't decide what to do, and then I remembered a quote we had learned from some crazy king. 'I won't die until I'm dead.' What an odd thing to recall when on the tipping point of death. But that's why I'm here, and you're there. I've made it to firm ground, you're still on the edge."
A shiver went down Luna's spine, and she turned around. With a mighty swing, a vacuum just like the one Viri had made earlier pulled Ara's face in, then slammed into it, throwing his body off the ground, a few feet back. "I love you, I hate you. I don't know if I'll ever forgive you, but you're right. 'I won't die until I'm dead.' I can at least do that. But not for your strength, for your sense of adventure. I'm honoring the dead by not looking back. I—No we will live to the fullest, every day of our lives. Agreed?"
Getting up, Ara beamed at her, a bruise already appearing from her last hit. "Agreed."
Luna walked over, and they laid down next to each other, watching the stars pass, "What are you going to do?" Luna asked him.
"I told you. Adventure, seeing the world, fighting strong people. Will you do the same?"
"Yeah, but first, I'll make some friends."
The Perfect Siblings held hands, gazing up at the last stars they would see in their old lives, a new frontier approaching with the sun.
Someday, you'll be strong enough. You'll find me, and we'll finish the final match I stopped.
So yeah, that's the first chapter. There was a lot of messed up stuff, it was pretty hard to write, but it's like Ara said, darkest day of your life and all that. Can't really get any more depressing than this. Anyway, I have a lot of arcs planned out, and I hope I actually write them this time.
R&R if you want…