Title: Good girl
Author: Lily
Series: Tales of Legendia
Characters/Pairings: Chloe, slight one-sided Chloe/Senel
Slash. Left. Parry. Block. Right. Thrust.
Adjust your hold so that you're handling the sword properly or else your wrists will get tired too fast and you hurt yourself.
There's cloth wrapped around your hands because you were holding it too tightly last time; tight enough to draw blood and you can't train with bloody hands-- your grip would keep slipping, you think. Concentrate so that you won't stumble 'cause they're looking with their feline eyes, you know. They're waiting for you to trip because there is nothing more amusing to them than watching you play knight.
"...Oh how the mighty House of Valens has fallen..."
"…Just a child…"
"...It was only a matter of time before it was dis- nobled..."
But you are a Knight, you tell yourself. You are a Knight from the noble House of Valens. You are, you are, you are--
Rub your eyes and bite your tongue to keep from crying; carry yourself on like others expect of your status, never, never show weakness because then
There is a black mist that coalesces into a little girl. A lovely little girl in a pretty dress with long dark hair and bright round eyes. She smiles and beckons you with a small, too pale hand.
----"Come on."
And you realize that you are her and she is you and you are--
Who was it that killed mother and father? Why did you take up the sword and practice until your arms shook? Who did you vow to kill?
You screamed and begged him to stop, please stop, please just
---"Come on," repeats the girl. The you of five years ago. "It's time."
You don't apologize when you strike at Senel and neither does he but he pulls his blows and it only hurts more because he is so kind to you. So very, very kind but you don't want his kindness, do you? Maybe in a different time he could've looked at you the right way, not just as an equal but something more; a time when you still wore elegant gowns and had beautiful long hair, maybe, maybe, maybe not.
One moment you are gasping for breath and the next, you are stabbing him as far as you can push the sword into him. And it is so, so messed up, but you are thankful. No place for you to return now, there's only Stingle and his blood on your hands (you don't dare call him Alcott because then you will think of Elsa, and you do not want to think about her at all). Try not to think of how you will miss Norma's jokes and Will's smacks and the fights between Moses and Jay and
---"Good girl," The voice is back, cold lips at your ear. "Easy now, don't be afraid."
The blade glistens with blood and you sway slightly on your feet before sheathing it. Too bad you promised revenge. Too bad you saw that snake tattoo. Too bad you had to befriend Elsa. Too bad--
You scrub furiously at your stinging eyes and bite your tongue until blood fills your mouth. Just the rain, you tell yourself.