Sonata to Memento Mori
A/N: Something came over me and I decided to write this fic… it's more of a for fun thing but eh, let's see where I can make this go.
Chapter 1: Blaze
The air was filled by the sound of a tune being played on a leaf whistle, the soft music drifting through the air of a wooded island. The location was one of many deserted islands that dotted the seas, this one covered in woodlands with peaks of earth coming up to plateaus that were perfect for observing the surrounding areas, and it was on one of these hills that the figure playing the music on the leaf could be seen.
The figure was a young man who appeared to be at least eighteen in age, who stood at a good height for his age, with fair skin and a face that could get him being mistaken for a girl. His head was topped by tussled, spiky azure blue hair that reached down to his chin with a thin braid at the nape of his neck that extended down to his waist to where it was tied in place. His eyes a sharp azure color that both matched and contrasted his hair. His build was thin enough that it just added to how easily he could be mistaken for a female, but, the blue and black sleeved jacket with red highlighting some parts helped to hide this, and one could see a grey shirt under the jacket. The young man also wore black army pants and dusty, dark grey boots, and a white scarf hung around his neck, and on his waist, one could spot a belt that held a combat knife and pistol on the back of it.
"… come in… do you copy?"
The young man stopped playing, and he pulled a clear visor with black segments near where it fit over his ears out of his jacket, putting it on.
"I'm here. As for the location, the island doesn't have much to report on it from what I've seen. Just another empty set of woodlands and beaches in the middle of nowhere. As per the usual really." The young man replied to the person on the other end of the communications line, nodding his head as they replied, "As for any kind of activity I haven't seen any around here yet. But, if there is, don't bother sending a team in… not like there'd be anything left for them by the time I mop up anyway."
Another moment of reply passed, the young man sitting back down and continuing to play the tune he had been earlier as the one on the line continued speaking.
"Don't be cocky? Jill, I'm simply stating a fact. Me and Barbatos have a track record for this and you know it. Besides, since when have I been one to boast about my achievements?... Gloriatio pro stultis. Boasting is for the foolish."
The young man's look then went flat and he puffed out a cheek a small ways in minor annoyance.
"Roger that. I'll be back soon. I'll be sure to file a report if I come across anything on the way there."
The young man lifted the visor so that it sat in his hair, standing up and tossing the leaf aside as the wind blew by, watching it swirl off as he lowered his arm, then pulling out a pair of black fingerless riding gloves and slipping them on as he made his way down the plateau and to a clearing below, and in it, was the machine known as the Barbatos.
The Para-mail's flight mode design was streamlined, like the frame could pierce through the atmosphere itself, it's thruster wings nearly bird like in design, set into "feathers" that all had their own exhaust ports, numbering up to four "wings" in total, unlike most Para-mails. The machine was colored a matte blue with thick, black, angular lines decorating it in all but the nose, which remained a solid black with gold highlights, and unlike most Para-mails, which had open seats behind the nose, the nose segment itself was a cockpit in full with a segment behind it that had what looked like docking ports on it, the top of the cockpit currently open and showing the seat within, and set behind the cockpit was a golden v-fin that had one part damaged like a scar behind it. The a customized assault rifle was mounted under the frame as well, and the lower wings had two swords held on by binders as well.
"Hey there old friend. Done with your nap eh?" The young man ran a hand along the Para-mails cockpiy and jumped it, lowering his visor so it sat over his eyes, the clear visor then darkening to black, also adjusting the controls as the initial startup booted. "Alright, let's head home!"
The Barbatos lifted up into the air, it's wings aiming downwards until the Para-mail reached a proper altitude, then blasting off as it's wings faced the normal position, it's pilot making the machine roll in midair as it did.
And, once the Para-mail had reached the open seas, that was when crimson thunder and lightning began to crash down from a particular cloud.
"Blaze, a Singularity is opening up right at your location!"
"Hannibal ad porta… Hannibal is at the gates… I can tell." Blaze nodded in reply, lowering his visor.
"We're…"
"No, don't send a squad out. Besides, the moment they get here I'll be long done with cleaning up anyway. Just tell me what's coming through and I'll take care of it!" Blaze cut off the operator, and he let out a small hum once the familiar portal opened above him, and DRAGONs began pouring out of it, dozens of small ones that compared to the size of the Para-mail, and following them, one massive purple colored DRAGON that dwarfed the Barbatos.
"Okay… we're estimating 30 Scuna-classes and a Galleon-class!"
"Tch… this'll be easy then." Blaze swiped a thumb across his nose and let out a breath, his gaze hardening, "Let's do this, Barbatos!"
Blaze maneuvered to swoop through the incoming Scuna-classes, firing with his assault rifle and downing a few as he ascended at high speed, looking back as the DRAGONs gave chase, then stalling immediately and diving back down, changing his controls to Assault Mode.
The Barbatos' assault mode kept the streamlined look of the Flight form, but now one could see a certain, elegant bulk to the armor as well, the shoulder's coming to a soft point, and the machine's four wings letting out a burst of light as they activated. The head of the Barbatos was different from most Para-mails as well, while being highly angular, the damaged v-fin could be seen in all it's glory, and the head even had a "face" shielded by the tip of the v-fin and two protrusions from it's "helmet", also seeming to bear a solid facemask. And instead of one solid sensor light, two gleaming blue "eyes" could be made out under the v-fin's tip, which lit as the machine readied it's assault rifle and drew a sword, using it to slash a DRAGON clean in half before righting out and lifting up from the water, Blaze letting loose as he shot down the DRAGONs and slashed at those who came close, practiced skill in his aim and technique as he weaved through the Scuna-classes, whose numbers dwindled until all but the last one impaled on the Barbatos' blade had plummeted into the water below, and Blaze then kicked the one left off of the sword to let it fall to the waves below, blood streaming from it's wounds.
"One to go. Save the best one for last as they say." Blaze popped his neck, and as the Galleon-class launched a storm of orb like projectiles at him, he switched to Flight Mode and swerved through the onslaught, switching modes and blasting away the orbs before diving down to make the converging streams crash into each other, once again switching and blasting upwards, Barbatos streaking across the waters surface so fast it caused a very large wake to form behind it as Blaze weaved back and forth to continued dodging the onslaught of orbs that pursued him, "Tch, pesky little things. Barbatos, fly!"
The Barbatos shot upwards at a sharp angle, Blaze having to lean back against his seat because of the sheer force he was putting on himself from that move, and he shot straight for the Galleon-class above him, swapping forms and blasting the orbs before they reached him, then wheeling in the air and firing on the Galleon with rapid bursts and even grenade shots, the Galleon-class roaring as it was hit, rearing back. Blaze could see the opening clear as day, sheathing the sword he had out, his machines left arm activating it's freeze cannon, a golden spike bursting out of the elbow section.
"Now fall!" Blaze roared as he charged and shot past the snapping jaws of the Galleon-class, aiming right for it's belly and letting the freeze bullet loose, and Blaze growled when the DRAGON was still airborne even after getting the freeze shot right to it's gut, "Tch, that wasn't enough eh? Well then, I'll end you with one move!"
Blaze made the Barbatos draw both it's swords, scraping the blades against one another and whipping them to the side, the sun gleaming off of the shining silver blades, the Galleon-class roaring in response and letting loose another storm of orbs, Blaze charging forward and slashing through the orbs without hesitating, his machine a flurry of motion as it shot downwards, and Blaze yelled as he broke though the storm, raising his blades high as the Galleon-class reared it's head back to attack him, slicing the beast right through it's snout and jaw, blood spurting from the massive cut and getting on the Barbatos as Blaze then slashed once more, finishing the beast off, and, as it fell, he fired another few freeze shots into the beast, a pillar of water that soon froze with the DRAGON's death shooting skywards.
"Requiesce in pace. Rest in peace." Balze opened up his cockpit and stood up in his seat, putting his hands near his visor, "This is Blaze. All targets confirmed silent. Returning to base."
"Confirmed."
Blaze nodded and sat back down, swapping back to flight mode and shooting off, patting the side of his machine as well.
"Good work Barbatos. Let's head on home."
XXXX
Blaze finally arrived at what was home base for him, the island known simply as Arzenal, located in the middle of nowhere right in the open ocean, a plateau with a massive vertical drop and a small cove visible as well, the hanger for Para-mails one of the most notable structures as it jutted out from the front of the cliff, the other structures of the military base like area also notable.
Blaze streaked down to the hanger and slowed until he landed within, Barbatos' thrusters quieting as he rightened the machine out on one of the catapult pads, then taking off is visor and shaking his hair free from the forced compression.
"Well well, the Azure Ace has returned from the sky once again."
Blaze let out a long, heavily annoyed sigh as he stepped off of Barbatos, crossing his arms as he faced the tall, blonde woman before him, whose uniform was skimpy as once could get outside of the female pilot suits.
"Captain Zola. To what do I owe the pleasure of you visiting me by yourself?" Blaze kept his tone flat, but there was a hint of crass annoyance to it now, and he simply staked past the senior officer, Zola chuckling in amusement as she followed the teenager.
"What? I can't say hello to a friend?" Zola reached a hand towards Blaze, who swiped it away with a quick movement when her fingers came near his chin, Zola earning a hard glare from Blaze, "You look so cute when you're angry, you know that?"
"Tch. Go mess with one of your other "toys", I've told you not to mess with me at least a thousand times now." Blaze simply scoffed, stepping ahead, Zola chuckling.
"But I'm the mood for something a bit… different."
Zola started reaching down to a certain area… and not more than a millisecond later, Blaze had the woman pinned to the wall of the hanger hallway with his knife mere inches from her left eye.
"So violent…" Zola licked her lips as Blaze glared at her, his mouth a line but an angry fire in the young man's eyes that only encouraged the captain's smirk.
"Back the hell off. Cause next time you try that, you'll lose the other eye." Blaze growled, his knife's positioning emphasizing that, and after a moment, stepped back and sheathed his knife with a slight flourish, and one could hear footsteps rushing along, "Fuck it. Not worth my time. Good day to you, Captain Zola."
As Blaze stalked off, Zola chuckling to herself, three girls stopped him in his tracks, a red head, another blonde, and one with tealish gray hair that also covered an eye, and each had a show of annoyance about their face.
"Well if it isn't Hilda, Rosalie, and Chris yet again." Blaze crossed his arms, referring to the three girls by their names respectively.
"What do you think you're doin' huh Blaze?!" Rosalie snapped, and Blaze sighed, drawing his knife again as he caught Zola again.
"I said not to try again. And to answer, the usual routine I have to put up with on a daily basis." Blaze stuck his knife back down when Zola moved over to the other three, brushing past as he did as well.
"You're lucky we haven't taken you down ourselves yet, you know?" Hilda glanced back, and Blaze merely looked back with a little smirk on his face that caused the shyer Chris to shy away, hiding behind Zola as the woman chuckled.
"Now no Hilda, we don't need that. Blaze is a valuable asset to us after all. He does hold the record for most DRAGONs downed after all." Zola stated, Hilda growling in annoyance as Blaze shrugged with his hands in his pockets.
"Kinda have to after all… else I risk being bought out by the likes of you. Good day, Captain Zola, and the rest of you. Oh, and a note: The area I was just in should be relatively clear for a while in terms of sorties, so expect some new scenery… well, not that there's much of anything different about open waters. And, also, you three, try to remember this… I am still your superior officer here. Just a warning from me as a captain, and not as a fellow pilot."
Blaze turned and walked off at a steady pace, ignoring the fact his skull was being bored into by angry death glares, trotting off and up the stairs…
XXXXX
"And as for the result of this sortie… well over 10 million… yeesh… just more to go into the savings deposit." Blaze tossed a stack of money onto a pile on a sofa opposite his simple bed, the rest of his room within Arzenal rather simple but having been renovated a few times to be more comfortable by comparison of some, namely with the addition of a bathroom so that Blaze could avoid the locker rooms as much as he could.
"Hmmm… another easy sortie too…" Blaze took off his scarf, and from his neck, he pulled off a pendant that was kept on a worn leather chord, and simply made of silver, but with a gleaming blue gem inlaid in it as well, "Wonder what mom and dad would think if they could see me now… to see how they're son has turned out because he's the only male on this damn rock."
Blaze sighed and placed the pendant back on his neck, hiding it with his scarf once more, tugging the item up over his mouth as he sat up on the bed, reaching under the pillow and pulling out a book, a photo album, and flipping through it, many of the pictures simply those of him as a child alongside some of the girls, the Norma, who were outcasts in this world due to an inability to use Mana, considered the lifeblood of the world by those who could use it, who he'd grown up with, and even some of him on the Barbatos, which, in the photos, looked much different than it currently did, along with a woman who had the same hair and eyes as him, and some of the same woman with a man dressed in black with pale gray hair to his features.
As for being a Norma, Blaze was anything but… but neither was he capable of using Mana. He was something else entirely… unique among the soldiers of Arzenal, and not just because he was male.
A knock on the door came through, Blaze glancing over at it, once again reminding himself of the fact that he had five locks installed, a deadbolt, a chain slider, a latch, a thumb scanner that was on the outer side, and to make things even harder for someone to bust in, a deadbolt that only closed from within the room.
"Coming, coming." Blaze slid the album back under his pillow and hopped off the bed, undoing the locks that needed to be undone and simply cracking the door open to peek out and see who was there. "A second year pilot? Who the heck sent her?"
The pilot saluted, and Blaze opened the door in full, leaning on the door frame with his arms crossed.
"Captain Blaze, the commander sent me to tell you to visit her office for a meeting." The pilot stated curtly, Blaze humming.
"Hmm… and what does Jill want from me this time?" Blaze requested, his question coming out in a split second.
"I don't know the details. I was just simply sent to relay the message to you sir." The pilot stated, Blaze sighing.
"Alright then. You're free to go." Blaze waved a bit, closing an eye as he did, and the pilot nodded, saluting again as she walked off, "Oh, and you don't need to be so formal around me y'know? I may be a captain but I'm still a fair guy when it comes to this."
"Uhm… y-yes sir!"
Blaze rolled his eyes as the girl was now embarrassed, stepping away from his door and being sure to close the external locks. There was a record of certain Norma on the island busting into his room when they could, so he had to take… measures, to prevent that… namely the thumb scanner on the outside of the door.
"Now, what could be so important Jill would call me down eh? Normally doesn't happen unless it's important so this better be worth it…"
XXXXX
"You called?"
Blaze stepped through the doors of the commander's office, more or less barging in without bothering to knock, and the dark haired woman at the desk, who wore a more elaborate version of the Arzenal uniform with a cape added on, and to add to things, a mechanical left arm, simply sighed and shot the young man a glare.
"Honestly Blaze, for someone who keeps five locks on his door you have a bad habit of simply barging in." The woman, Arzenal's Norma commander, Jill, stated as Blaze approached the desk, the young man simply putting a hand on his hip.
"Well it's not like I barge into bedrooms now is it? So, why the hell am I here now? Did someone file a complaint about me again?" Blaze didn't even bother sitting down, and whether or not the amount of moxie he was speaking with annoyed the commander or just simply made her shake her head with an eyeroll and nothing more couldn't be seen.
"Well, to put it simply, we've got another new recruit." Jills pulled out a clipboard and slid it to Blaze, who picked it up and glanced at the paper on it.
It was a profile sheet, one that every Norma in Arzenal had, though it was mostly the older ones. The profile pictures depicted a young woman who, as the sheet said, looked about sixteen, with messed up blonde hair from being roughed about, which Blaze guessed from the blood on her face. And the codename simply read "Ange."
"This girl looks familiar for some reason… I swear I've seen her face before." Blaze set the clipboard back down, then taking a seat, more or less flopping down as he slouched, leaning his chin on a hand.
"That's because she is the now former princess of the Misurugi Empire. No doubt you saw or at least heard about her during some of your more… secretive missions off of Arzenal." Jill folded her hands in front of her, and Blaze hummed in amusement.
"Now I remember. So, turns out she was a Norma huh? Tch… so, let me guess… Custodem me, non putoi?" Blaze broke out in that habit of his, getting a sigh from Jill.
"Blaze, in English, if you would be so kind as to not speak in whatever language that is."
"I'm to keep watch, aren't I?" Blaze repeated the phrase, and Jill simply nodded, "So, seeing as how this, Ange, as she's called now, is former royalty, I'm guessing this has to do with that, doesn't it?"
"Well, she did have this." Jill produced an ornate silver ring with a shining green gem inlaid in it, and Blaze blinked in minor surprise.
"Well not surprising there. So, once she's here you want me to what, tag along with whatever unit she's tacked onto and keep an eye for anything that could make her valuable to your little conspiracy? Really, we have Barbatos, why is that machine so goddamn important to all of this?" Blaze sighed himself, and now it was Jill's turn to look annoyed.
"You know well enough how the plan works. Barbatos is… an oddity we didn't expect anyway. Besides, ever since you started modding the thing it's barely what it used to be… that, and you're the only one who can even fly the damned thing properly now." Jill pointed out the matter of how indeed, Blaze's Barbatos was more or less the one machine on Arzenal that couldn't be passed to another if need be, it had been that modified by the young man.
"Don't change the subject matter. Look, I'm not playing babysitter to someone two years my junior in age, and no way in hell am I teaching her the ropes. That falls on her squad, whoever that will be." Blaze's left hand fingers were moving in a rolling manner on the armrest of the chair, and his eye was twitching… both tics of his that were displayed when he was annoyed.
"I'm not asking you to babysit… simply observe and watch from the sidelines when you can... think of this as you being an exam proctor, and Ange is the one taking the test you have to administrate."
"Haaagh… I don't have a choice here do I? I guess this is coming from you as my superior officer, not as… whatever the hell else I can't think of at the moment!" Blaze threw his hands up when he hit that mental wall, causing Jill to smirk in amusement.
"Heh… no, no you don't Blaze." Jill chuckled in victory, and Blaze pulled a hand down over his face with a sigh.
"Quod oportet fieri? What needs to be done?" Blaze rubbed the back of his head as he said that, Jill nodding.
"Here are your orders then, Blaze. Observe the new recruit Ange as she trains and learns in combat. Though I'll be the final judge, your observations will be noted… and, use any methods you feel necessary to help get her used to her new environment."
"So, basically, you're giving me leeway to be an ass if I need to be? As opposed to how it's usually a defensive mechanism?" Blaze was amused by that concept, and Jill shrugged as if to say "more or less."
"Treat her as if you were also the captain she was assigned under. Oh, and by the way, she's going to be assigned to the to the first unit." Jill stated, and Blaze slammed his hands down on the armrests.
"DAMMIT! I knew this wasn't going to be that simple! You saved that for the last minute on purpose didn't you?! Di tibi male faciant meretrix!" Blaze shot up, and Jill gave him a flat look.
"Care to translate that for me?" Jill lit a cigarette as her gaze hardened, and Blaze huffed as he looked to the side.
"Nope. You don't need to know what that one meant. I'll suck down whatever contempt I have towards Zola for the time being… but I won't make any guarantees about whether or not she's gonna lose her remaining good eye because of me." To emphasize said point, Blaze flourished his knife a bit, the blade glinting in the light before he stuck it back into it's sheathe.
"Good to know. Alright then, you're dismissed." Jill waved an arm, and Blaze saluted before turning and leaving, stopping at the door.
"Oh, and, before I leave… Memento mori." Blaze looked back briefly, then stepping out and closing the door.
Once it was shut, Jill took a long drag on her smoke and sighed as she let it out.
"Remember to be ready to die." Jill knew the phrase well enough to know it's meaning, and she sighed again, "Of all the things that boy picked up from his mother, that one just had to be included… didn't it? I wonder what you'd say about him now…"
A/N
And here. We. Go. First chapter done! Now… pairings… friggin… pairing for Blaze…
Next Chapter Preview
Blaze: Welcome to Arzenal… aka the place where Norma are sent to die.
?: But I'm not a Norma!
Blaze: Look, Burn Princess, as far as the world is concerned, YOU don't exist anymore…
