A/N: Hey guys, Shizukana Yuki here. This is my first Elsword fanfiction, so I hope I do okay. I've only written for obscure fandoms like the Earthbound series before, so I've never gotten many reviews, let alone reviews with constructive criticism in them. So, feel free to criticise my writing in any way, but no flames please. Flames will be fed to my lovely friend Desuchi's RS. ^^
So this fic will be a songfic based around the song Last Night Good Night by Miku Hatsune. It will be a tragic oneshot so get a box of tissues ready if you're overly empathetic like I am. Enjoy!
Many thanks to Jetstream Girge and MidnightPaladin for being my beta readers.
Disclaimer: Elsword and Vocaloid belong to their respective companies, not me. I own only this fic. I am making no profit out of the writing or posting of this fic, it is simply for fun.
Note: I am Australian so I use British spelling. This means words like 'color' will be spelt 'colour' and 'favor' 'favour'. 'Criticize' will become 'criticise' and 'plagiarize' will become 'plagiarise' etc. Please do not correct me on these perceived 'spelling mistakes'.
Classes
Aisha: Dimension Witch
Elsword: Sheath Knight (Because Sheath Knight is more pure and innocent and cute than Infinity Sword. ^^)
Last Night Good Night
Suyasuya yume wo miteru
Kimi no yokogao
Your profile
Dreaming peacefully
Aisha lay in bed, the thin covers drawn up around her. Her eyes were fixed on the almost indiscernible line between the top of the wall and the ceiling, the light purple orbs wide open in the almost-darkness of the room.
The night air was still and quiet, a warm, light breeze flowing through the open window, bringing with it the heady scent of summer flowers. The silver moon shone brightly in the pitch black sky, bathing everything below it in a pale radiance. The occasional night bird called softly, breaking the sleepy silence.
Elsword was nestled in the cocoon of her arms and the blankets. His breathing was deep and regular, and his face was harbouring a gentle smile, no doubt already asleep and lost in a pleasant dream. Long strands of his hair spilled in a halo around him like crimson silk.
Everything was normal; everything was as it should be.
'Why? Why does everything stay the same; why does the world still carry on like nothing has happened when… when I'm…"
Trembling, Aisha lifted her arm from around Elsword's shoulders and reached for the unobtrusive piece of folded-up white paper sitting on the bedside table. Unfolding it, she scanned its contents with her violet eyes for the millionth time, in the weak moonlight. Then, letting her eyelids fall to conceal the purple orbs once more, the girl clenched the hand holding the letter, crumpling the fragile paper into a tight ball, and threw it across the room.
Kizukazu koboreta namida
Hoho wo tsutau
Without even realizing it,
These tears fall on my cheek
Tears sprang from behind her tightly shut eyelids. They ran in silvery rivulets down her cheeks, and dripped down to her neck. Gritting her teeth, she tightened her arms around Elsword and buried her face in his hair, desperately trying to reign in the sobs that threatened to escape. The redhead slept on peacefully, completely oblivious to the turmoil his lover was experiencing.
"Dammit, stop being so weak," Aisha whispered furiously to herself. "You'd resigned yourself to your fate as soon as you saw those words on that letter… so why are you letting yourself break down now?"
She sighed and uncurled herself from around Elsword's body as the sobs retreated down her throat. Wiping her tears away, she shook her head lightly as if to brush off the hindering emotion.
Setsuna no tokimeki wo
Kono mune ni kakushiteta no
I'm trying to hide
The heartbeats of my sorrow...
She remembered it so clearly: the day when her whole world crashed down around her. The day when any hopes she had had for a normal, peaceful life with Elsword had been brutally and mercilessly shattered.
The weather that terrible day had been as pleasant as that of current: clear skies, gentle winds and warm temperatures. Aisha had once read somewhere that on days when something life-changing was to happen, the weather would reflect the nature of that event, becoming turbulent and stormy.
How wrong that had been.
Having returned home from running various errands, Aisha had just settled down on the sofa in front of the TV when a knock sounded on the front door. Little had she known that those knocks, those three simple quiet but firm knocks, would bring down all that she had.
Opening the door, she came face to face with three figures; two men and one woman. All of them wore the armour of the Royal Hamel Army, their cloaks held closed by clasps depicting the Hamel symbol of a Laguz and Iz with their tails entwined. The woman stepped forward, her sharp features arranged into a professionally neutral expression.
"Good afternoon, miss. Are you Aisha Sumire?"
"Uh… y-yes." Aisha replied nervously. 'What could soldiers of the Hamel Army – one of them a lieutenant even, judging by the intricacy of the woman's armour – possibly want with me?'
"It has come to the attention of the Hamel officials that your results in the combat section of the final examinations were particularly outstanding. As you may have heard, Hamel is currently at war with the land of Fahrmann, and we have a considerable shortage of soldiers. Due to your proficiency in both magical and physical combat, you have been selected to captain one of the squadrons we are sending out to Fahrmann. We regret to tell you that this is a mandatory order and that you cannot refuse."
The flatness of the woman's voice coupled with the contents of her message sliced through Aisha like a razor-sharp knife.
Rummaging in her shoulder bag, the woman fished out an envelope stamped with Hamel's royal seal, and handed it to her. "You have three weeks to prepare. Please report to Hamel's Military Base on the 20th of August. Further details are enclosed inside this letter."
Standing in the doorway, frozen in place with her purple eyes wide, Aisha let the envelope slip through her outstretched fingers. It fluttered slowly to the ground, meeting the pavement with a final-sounding rustle.
The woman's emotionless mask seemed to slip, her face softening in sympathy and understanding. She made a small motion as if to put a hand on the girl's shoulder, but in the next second, stepped back. "I'm sorry." She said quietly, then, composing herself, said in the same monotone, "We wish you a good day, Miss Sumire." She turned and walked away, the two men following behind her.
It was a stroke of luck that Elsword had not been home when those soldiers had come. If he'd known, he would be devastated. He would plead for her to not answer the summons, to take him and their belongings and escape to Bethma or some other neutral far-off land. And she would give in; she'd never been able to resist those tear-filled crimson eyes; they tugged at the most sensitive part of her heart. Then the stealth unit of the Hamel Army would hunt them down and the both of them would be punished severely. The purple haired girl's eyes narrowed; the things she would do to anyone who laid a hand on her Elsword…
But Aisha thanked the El Lady that that was not the case. That way, she'd been able to hide the visit from the soldiers and subsequently her own inevitable fate from the redhead for the entirety of the following three weeks.
In a way, she herself had also been hiding from the truth. She resolved to enjoy the remaining days she had left with Elsword the best that she could. She took him to amusement parks, fancy dinner restaurants, a tropical island paradise; all his favourite places and the best destinations, and all the while pushed the thought of leaving and most possibly never returning to the very back of her mind.
And she had enjoyed this time, both she and Elsword. The redhead had asked no questions about her sudden special treatment of him, and simply just basked in the attention and love. Really, he was too oblivious – she would say "for his own good", but this time it was actually doing good for him; it helped her hide from him what needed to be hidden.
And in this way, she had concealed her sorrow and turmoil from him for three weeks. But now… she found that the thought of her impending demise was pushing itself to the front of her mind again.
LAST NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
LAST NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
Kono yoru kimi no te
Nigitte nemuru yo
This night, I hold your hand
Tight, and fall asleep
Oyasumi
Good night
Aisha's eyes lost their misted-over look as she emerged back into reality from her reminiscing. An almost inaudible sigh escaped from her lips, and she moved her head slightly to look down at her lover. He had not moved from his original position at all during the time. His face was still a picture of innocent contentment in sleep.
Aisha thanked the El Lady a second time that Elsword was only sixteen. She knew that he was almost as powerful a warrior as she, and that he would also have gotten scores high enough to be enlisted into the army, if he was eighteen and had taken the final exams.
He was so bright and fiery and full of energy and love for everything he did. It was the reason that she'd fallen in love with him in the first place. He was too precious to have die in such a trivial war, and too untainted and pure to witness the horrors and gore that she would most probably witness when she went into battle.
Aisha grasped Elsword's hand, lifting his arm up from its curled-up position in the space between their chests. She brought it to her lips and kissed it gently, lovingly. Then, with his hand tightly in hers, she closed her eyes.
It's our last night. I'll keep hold of your hand tightly, and slip into the world of dreams alongside you. Goodnight.
Sutekina asa wo mou ichido
Kimi to sugosetara
Chiisana sonna kibou sae
Omou dake no kiseki
I think it would be wonderful
If I could spend another morning with you
Even if that's just a mere hope;
A miracle that I can only imagine
Aisha woke slowly, the chaotic technicolour of her dreams transitioning smoothly into the pale pastels of dawn that lit the room with its soft hues. Sometime during the night, Elsword had curled his body tightly, fitting it into curve Aisha's body made around him. Their fingers were still intertwined.
The mage was disoriented for a moment, her mind still filled with the fog of sleep. She disentangled herself from Elsword, then sat up groggily, raking a hand through her messy hair. 'Right, it's Wednesday today, that means a morning session of training with my master, and then after that-'
Her mental to-do list stopped abruptly in its tracks as the significance of today hit her with full force.
She was immobilised by shock. Her violet eyes were wide open, stunned tears leaking out and landing on Elsword's cheek. Slowly, she raised her hands to her face. She fisted them against her eyes, seeming almost awed by the wetness that lingered on them when she pulled them away. "N-no… no…"
And with those words, she broke. She flung herself upon the bed, burying her face deep into the rumpled sheets, and sobbed violently yet quietly at the same time, so as to not wake Elsword. In that moment, all her apprehensions, all her worries, everything that she had ever feared, crashed over her like a tidal wave, sweeping her composure and resolution along with it. The pain that had always been coiled tightly at the back of her mind broke free, a ferocious beast that tore apart her heart, her mind, her body. Noyoucan'tdothistomeIcan'tleaveElswordIdon'twanttodienononopleasenonoNONONO
Gradually, gradually, her sobs died down. She lay there for a moment, trembling slightly in her foetal position, before slowly hauling herself up, somehow exhausted to the marrow of her bones even though it was still early morning. She looked down at her red-haired lover. He was still in the same state as before her breakdown. How could he be so untroubled, so peaceful, when she felt like a wilted brown leaf in the dead of winter, barely clinging onto the tree branch of her sanity by a mere fibre?
But Aisha chased the thought away. She could not afford to be thinking like that now. This was what she had decided to do, and she would do it with her head held high and proud. With that more encouraging thought in mind, she began to prepare for the day.
She got dressed in her armour, brushed her hair, prepared her belongings in a lightweight bag… each movement she made was automatic. She was a mechanical being, a Nasod programmed to do her job without any emotion to hold her back. 'Or so Eve says… But everyone can see how she smiles and slips out of façade of being a "machine" when she is around Chung. Hmph.' A bitter chuckle escaped her mouth. 'Perhaps Nasods weren't the best comparison to use.'
Having finished her preparations, Aisha began to exit her room. With each step, her legs turned to stone. She resisted looking around at the familiar purple, red and gold bedroom, as that would only weaken her resolve. But, as she reached the doorway, she could not help but turn back to take in the Sheath Knight's sleeping face one last time.
She imagined him waking up later in the morning and finding her gone. She imagined him looking around the house for her, making his way to her master's residence, perhaps assuming that she had gone to training early, and inquiring after her everywhere before finally returning to their apartment and finding the note she had left for him under his pillow. And she imagined how his heart, already cracked from events that happened in his past, would shatter into tiny, irreparable pieces when he knew the truth. Her own heart clenched with sadness and guilt at the thought.
Nani mo tsutaenai mama
Sayonara wa ienai yo
I can't tell you anything, and
I can't say good bye either
Aisha wished there was some way that she could tell Elsword what she was going through, what she was being forced to do. She wished that she could say goodbye. A lifetime ago, they had made a vow, as lovers, to never keep any secrets from each other. And now? She was breaking the vow in the worst way.
In a fit of indecision, she rushed over to Elsword's bedside and extended her arm, about to shake his shoulder to wake him up and blurt out everything that had been roiling and swirling like a sea at storm inside her for the past few weeks. But she stopped, drawing back.
Instead, she leant down and pressed her lips gently against Elsword's. "Goodbye, my dear. I love you so much, always have, and always will. I'm so sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I am. Don't mourn for me when I am gone. You have many happy years ahead of you. Live your life without burden, and find another who will love and cherish you as much as I did. Just remember that I will always watch over you." A single, crystal tear fell from her eyes onto Elsword's cheek. There it sparkled, reflecting the light of the rising sun.
Crimson eyelashes fluttered slightly, lifting up to reveal sleepy ruby eyes. Elsword made a small sound, and reached a hand up to rub his eyes. As he did so, he felt a wet spot on his cheek. Confused, he wiped at it. Was I crying? He wondered, but dismissed it, and rolled over to go back to sleep. In the process, he thought he caught a flash of purple near the bedroom door, but by the time he registered it, sleep had already overtaken him once more.
LAST NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
LAST NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
Kono koe karete mo
Kienai MERODII
Even if this voice fades
This melody shall not fade
LAST NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
LAST NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT
Itsuka wa mukaeru
Saigo wo omou yo
Yozora ni negau no
Tokiwa no egao wo
Oyasumi
And because the end
Will someday come
In this night sky I pray
For your smile to remain forever
Goodnight.
THE ELRIOS TIMES
A Brave Young Soldier's Sacrifice Ensures Hamel's Victory in the Battle Against Fahrmann
After a long and weary month of continuous war of the Hamel Royal Army against the Fahrmann Imperial Troops with the opposition seemingly about to overwhelm us, the tide was finally turned through the valiant sacrifice of Dimension Witch Aisha Sumire, Captain of the Battle Mage Squadron, and the youngest soldier in Hamel's history to hold her rank.
During a scouting mission, Sumire discovered that the Fahrmannian soldiers had been using specialised Pure El energy to strengthen and improve their physical and magical abilities. Then, accompanied by Raven Falkain and Rena Truemark, two of the most elite members of Hamel's Stealth Unit, she entered unseen into the Fahrmann Troops' base. The three located the control room in which the Nasod-made El Energy Device was held, and managed to deactivate the machine's energy output ports.
What they did not anticipate was that the machine possessed a function that caused it to self-destruct if its ports were disabled by any personnel other than the Fahrmann scientists. The resulting explosion was extremely violent, and destroyed the entire control room. Truemark and Falkain were injured severely, but survived and made it out of the base successfully. However, Sumire, who had been standing quite near to the machine at the time, caught the full brunt of the blast. She perished almost instantly.
Through Sumire and her companions' efforts, Hamel's soldiers were able to defeat the weakened Fahrmannian soldiers in a matter of hours. They drove the opposing forces back, and reclaimed their land. On Friday 23rd September, the soldiers of the Hamel Royal Army returned to the kingdom with their fists raised high in triumph.
It was impossible to recover Sumire's body from the wreckage of the Fahrmann Troops' Base, but a funeral will still be held for her on Monday 26th of September.
"We urge anyone who had any relation to Aisha Sumire to attend her funeral and bring along with them any item that might be associated with her. They will be placed in her coffin to commemorate her life and the imapct she left on everyone around her," says Noah, Commander of the Elemental Mage Squadron of the Hamel Royal Army.
In her will, Sumire has left all her wealth and possessions to her lover, Elsword Seighart.
The death of Captain Aisha Sumire is a deeply regretful event. She was a strong, brave and intelligent young woman who served her kingdom well. It was because of her sacrifice that Hamel was able to win the war against Fahrmann and regain our territory. Her selfless deeds will be honoured forever.
Ariel Cobonagin, Editor
A/N: Phew! Finally finished! I'm so happy, yet so sad at the same time… ;-; You must all be hating me right now for killing off Aisha and leaving Elsword all alone in the cruel world. *OTLs in corner.*
Well anyhow, I'm glad this fic turned out how I wanted it to be. I apologise if my writing became slightly static and forced in the end; I kind of got writer's block around that part. I hope I made it emotional and realistic enough. Please leave reviews with constructive criticism, and as I said earlier, flames will be fed to Desu's feggit-stripper RS! XD
Welp, here's Shizukana Yuki signing off! OwO/
