"As if I'd give up!" - Speech
'Just do it already…' - Thoughts
"For him, it was easy." - Flashback / Emphasis
"Here we go, guys!" - Inhuman Speech
'Hah, ignorance.' - Inhuman thoughts
*Kaboom!* *Kabam!*- Sound effects
-=Chapter 10: A Lovey-Dovey=-
"I love you! Please go out with me!" She cried out, instantly lowering himself into a bowing position, face and bright blush overshadowed by her hair that flowed down from her head, dangling straight and silky smooth. She remained there, waiting for his response.
He said nothing. Just great. He took some time to register her words.
And when it finally clicked in him, he snapped!
"W-What? What? What? What?!" Riven blinked in disbelief, a bit too much actually. Obviously, that would've been the most probable reaction of anyone who's asked to be someone else's date from out of nowhere.
"L-Like I said Riven, I… I want you to go out with me!" Yuuma, now standing at her full height, stood her ground, her face clearly flushed.
"I-I don't know! It was just so… so… random!" He acted as if he had been blown by a great amount of wind. "It's just, shocking, Yuuma! This is way too sudden!"
"I-I know, but…" She twirled her hair in her fingers, seemingly trying to find the words she needed.
"Yuuma, I'm so sorry, but I can't be your boyfriend. I just… can't…" He shifted his gaze to the ground, ready to walk away, until she gripped his hand.
"W-Wait, Riven! I know it's so sudden, but please! Give me a chance!" She practically begged, slapping her hands together as she gave her… Ah, damn it! It's the god damed puppy eyes trick again!
"B-But…" The prince felt a surge of embarrassment washing over him, later turned into a snap of confusion. 'Wait a second, could she be…'
A thought entered his mind. What if… What if she came here, to confess to him, just to take his life somewhere? Maybe, just maybe, it could be it.
It has to be it! There was no other explanation! She was a hitman, sent here to kill him when he least expected it. He was her target. It made sense.
But then again, why was he being so paranoid? Was it because he had never been on a romantic relationship with anyone, that he just had a fear of falling in love? He wanted to know what it was like, but if he was going to push her away, then maybe the chance to really feel it would just… slip from his hands.
'No… No, there must be something behind all this,' he was beginning to think like a detective. Damn it, Sherlock. 'I'll have to play self-underestimating to really get deep in this little puzzle.'
He had his cards all laid out now. He would play the guilty person, constantly trying to make her reconsider. Maybe, maybe then, she would change her mind. And he'd be able to pry the real reason she came here, to 'confess' to him.
He had his game, prompting him to adopt a guilty look. He had to make this sound and look as convincing as much as he could if he wanted to get past her possibly misleading role.
"…But, why me though? I'm just a random person who had recently just transferred here yesterday. There's way better boys out there, Yuuma," he began, putting his tone down and soft to really get the crack on her.
"Really? 'Cause if you ask me who, I'd say I've already found that person already. I like you just as you are either way, Riven-kun," Yuuma giggled.
"B-But… I'm not a talented person at all. I perform horribly in my academics," big fat lie. "I don't think of myself rather sociable," another big fat lie. "And I don't even have friends. No one finds me enjoyable to be with."
Tell that to his freaking fan club. Yes, he already has one, in a day.
"Riven… It's okay even if you are any of those things. I'll just stand by your side then," she smiled, her words sounding so honest, yet he couldn't help himself feeling as if he were being tricked right now.
"I-I… What if I can't protect you?" At his words, she blinked back. 'Bingo,' he caught the fish, he thought. "A boyfriend has to be capable of defending his girlfriend. I… don't think I could ever do that. I'd fail horribly at that."
"Riven…" She frowned a bit, before a cute little grin surfaced. "I wouldn't mind."
'Of course you—Hang on, what?' The boy blinked, not fully comprehending what he had just heard. "Wait, what?"
"Silly! You think a bit too much! People say that having a girlfriend may be a lot of responsibility, but you don't have to go that far!" She giggled, wiping away the tear of laughter from her eye. "It's alright. You don't have to protect me. Instead, let's protect each other."
Each other… Oh damn, she wasn't kidding at all. There was no way someone who was sent to take him out could have managed these sort of responses. They were too normal, too human. Too…
'Too full of emotion,' he finished, blush forming on his own skin, portraying his surprise and embarrassment in response to her words. "Y-You really don't mind..?"
"Of course!" She nodded, happy smile plastered on her face. "I don't mind if you're popular or not. I don't mind it if people don't like you. They're probably just jealous of you. And it's okay if you can't protect me. Like I said, we'll keep each other's backs safe. I personally think that you're amazing. And I like you just as who you are, even if the world stands against you."
"I-I see…" He couldn't deny the butterflies in his belly, sheepishly smiling as he averted his gaze away from her. "That's pretty surprising for me… Thanks."
"I just said what was real, Riven-kun!" She tittered back, before adopting a shy look. "S-So, will you..?"
"I-I…" He paused, trying to get his bearings. He almost fainted there and then. He was taking the first steps to a beautiful path of love. "I… I accept, Yuuma. I'll be your b-b-boyfriend.
"R-Really?" Her eyes shifted to stars, hopeful and ecstatic, before she started bursting into a giggling fit when he gave her a good nod. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"
And it was much thanks that he didn't fall over when she suddenly jumped at him, pulling him into a tight hug.
'Yup, I am officially screwed…' He sweat-dropped, not because he was being hugged by this beautiful fallen angel, or that he realised the fact that they were in the open.
It was the fact that he was being hugged by his beautiful fallen angel, and it was because they out in the open, and that they were currently being watched by a horde of students from Kuoh Academy, with the Occult club, Tiamat and Issei part of the crowd.
'I am so getting killed back at home…' He smiled at them, shakily.
Evening—Riven's Home
It was hard.
After everything was settled, with Yuuma going home, he was basically bombarded with all sorts of questions from his sister, Familiar and friends.
Rias looked like she was going to burst, Issei was as jealous as any other guys who didn't get the girl, Tiamat had a deathly look in her eyes—he knew that look; it was one she gave towards her prey—and Koneko was surprisingly disturbed by this.
Everyone else shared an amount of surprise, but not as much as these four.
Once he got back home, he had to break the news to his parents.
"So a fallen angel came over and confessed her love to out of the blue?" Satan whistled, dipping his head low in shame. "Why didn't that happen to me..?"
"So I'm not good enough for you," Yuri chided, her husband perking right back up to apologise, but she had began talking to Riven. "So you said 'yes', and you had a sort of suspicion?"
"Yeah… I was wondering why a fallen wanted to be my girlfriend, of all things. I was wondering if there was some sort of plan behind all of this, but maybe it was just me being paranoid," he hummed in thought. "In any case, I suppose that everything is fine for now, don't worry."
"Hey kid, make sure that you don't let your guard down, right?" He warned, earning a firm nod from his son. "Good… Also, when is your date?"
"She wanted it to be two days from now, a Saturday," he informed, taking a look at the clock on the wall. "I'll need to get a gift for her by then…"
"Maybe an accessory? Girls love those sort of things," his mother suggested. "A necklace, earrings, brooch? Oh, get her a necklace!"
"A necklace, huh?" He pondered on the thought, before a smile slowly etched on his face. "Yeah, that'll work. Thanks, mother!"
"Anytime," she smiled, kissing her son on his forehead and watching him as he rushed upstairs, possibly to go to sleep.
He had other plans.
Sure, he really was planning to fall asleep, but not to get up early the next day.
"Igor…" He whispered, thankful that Tiamat was currently in the bathroom. "You better give me the answers I need…"
He settled himself in his nightclothes, getting into bed after drinking a warm cup of chamomile tea. It helped someone to sleep easier, which was what he needed.
"Well, no time like now…" He sighed, punching his pillow once before comfortably laying his head on it. He screwed his eyes shut, chanting nonstop. "Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep…"
And night came forth.
That Night—Velvet Room
Waking up, he realised now that he was in the same room as he first appeared, dressed in the same sort of outfit.
"I may be a prince, but those two treat me like a prisoner. What the heck..?" He chuckled at the thought, deciding to truly find out what everything means.
He left the room, walking down the same corridor, not even sparing a glance around him. His focus was solely on the Velvet Room, which was just a little bit more to the front.
Reaching the door, he twisted the knob, and entered.
*Rune Factory 4—Obsidian Mansion (Play Song)*
"So you're here," Justine, on his left, spoke. Her soft tone was just as calm as ever. "Well, take a seat."
Nodding silently, he sat on the same chair as always, awaiting the master of the room to speak.
"First off, let us celebrate our reunion," Igor began, his eyes still bloodshot, and his smile still the same. "It seems that you've awakened to your powers long before we have even made contact. Truly, you are someone special indeed."
"I don't know… Those monsters came, and I had to do something. My father, Satan, gave me the Kurikara. I unleashed it, and the dragon in my SacredGear made me do a sort of… vow, I think," Riven began recounting, making sure not to leave any of the details. "It was something like 'I am thou, thou art I'. After that, I gained my demonic form, tails and all, and wore a new outfit. I even have a mask."
"I see. It is safe to say that your weapons are directly linked to your SacredGear then," Igor nodded in understanding, looking more interested.
"That's what I believed as well. My SacredGear only activated when I unsheathe Kurikara, apparently," he had thought it strange, but came to accept it in the end. "Is it possible for me to activate my SacredGear without needing to wield Kurikara? It would be useful if possible."
"It seems not. When you made the contract with your dragon, your sword was unsheathed, no?" At the man's question, he received a nod. "Then it is as that. There is no possible way to wield your special power without wielding the blade. Though, I suppose we could make it do so if you so wish."
"I see…" He nodded, until another thought came to mind. "Master Igor, is it possible if I could truly make my weapons become part of my SacredGear? That way, I don't have to keep it separately. I merely have to activate my SacredGear if I want to wield my swords."
"Hmm… It is possible, though I wonder why you want it to be so?" The boy before him was interesting. Though he was a prince, he was talking to him as if he were on a lower level.
"It's because it would be so much more efficient for me," he admitted. "Say, by chance, that a situation comes when I can't wield Kurikara, then I will not be able to tap into the power of my SacredGear. It would undoubtedly put me at a loss. No… Instead, I wish it so that I can activate my SacredGear when I will it to, then I can merely materialise my weapons when I wish to."
"An interesting food for thought, and I am willing to help you accomplish this," Igor chuckled. "But do know that you will not be able to wield your weapons anymore, unless you activate your Persona."
"Of course, I—Wait, Persona?" The prince blinked.
"Personas are, to put it simply, a 'mask'—an armour for the heart when you are confronting worldly matters," the cryptic message was not truly comprehended. "The dragon that is part of your SacredGear is your Persona."
"What? Eve is my Persona?" Riven asked once more, earning himself a nod from the master of the room. "I see… But she is her own being. She was a separate entity, before she merged herself with my SacredGear. Does that still..?"
"The SacredGear, based on what I've read before, is a weapon fused in your soul. It is a part of it," Igor never ceased to impress, apparently. So much knowledge. "As such, when the dragon sealed herself within your SacredGear, she became part of your soul, thus becoming your Persona in the process."
"O-Okay…" The human-demon halfbreed nodded, still a tad bit confused.
"Very well then, let us begin with your request," Igor took a paper from the stack beside him, writing something on it with the quill dipped in ink, before handing it to Justine. She, in turn, gave it to Riven. "This is all there is. It is a contract for you to truly bind your weapons to the SacredGear, thus making it whole. You need only sign it if you truly accept it."
Riven took a time to skim through the papers, containing exactly everything as he wished it to be. Ascalon, Gram and Kurikara would be sealed within [Royal Arcana], and can only be wielded once he activated his SacredGear. When he activates [Royal Arcana], he would instantly turn into his demonic form, so that meant Kurikara would have no use other than acting as his weapon. Eve was his Persona, apparently, but given the free will to talk to him. There was also something strange detailed about [Royal Arcana]…
"Master Igor," he raised his eyes from the paper to look at the man. "It is stated here that I have something called the 'Wild Card'..? I'd like to know what it means."
"You need not worry about that for the time being. You'll come to understand it," Igor spoke, resulting in the prince sweat-dropping.
"Alright… And, there's one more request I have," the master of the Velvet Room perked up once more. "I was thinking, considering that I can form a peerage of sorts, I was wondering if I could form a contract with those I wish so that they could join my peerage. I was thinking of the term 'arcana', and…"
"Aah, you are referring to tarot cards, possibly?" At his question, Riven gave a nod. "Indeed. Unlike devils who use the chess system, so to speak, and angels who use cards, you are a bit of a mystery. You do not have a set of 'Mutation Pieces' or… I'm not certain what angels use, so it's hard for you to truly register someone into your peerage."
"I see… So is it impossible to do so?" Truth be told, he wanted to at least know what it would be like. Rias had her own peerage, so does this mean he can't?
"I never did say that," Igor chuckled, switching his legs' positions. "Instead, you can form contracts, as you mentioned previously, with them to make them your own."
"But what roles would they have?" Riven asked, feeling a sense of hope. "Chess has things like pawns and queens, and cards have those like jack and joker, so what would mine be?"
"It depends on the tarot cards," immediately, pictures of a devil, a tower and other things came to mind. "Nonetheless, I shall bestow upon you that ability, only after you've signed the current contract."
"Ah, right," though the prince was curious about the 'Wild Card' thing, he'd let it pass for now. He signed it, passing it to Justine, who gave it back to her master.
"Our master is being very generous to satisfy your every whims. You'd better be grateful!" Caroline chided, as loud as ever.
"Of course. It means much to me that he's helping me," he smiled at the girl, before looking to the master of the room, a guilty expression adopted. "If only I could repay you back somehow, sir…"
"Ahaha, you need not worry yourself with that. The only payment I expect from you, is that our bonds continue to strengthen, and that your rehabilitation will continue on," he chuckled, watching as Riven take another contract from Justine.
Riven wasted no time in reading the contract, and it was just as he thought. With this, he would be able to form contracts with those he chooses, making them part of his peerage. This would assign them roles such as the tarot cards, instead of those like chess. Truth be told, he was kinda' scared, as this would be the first thing to ever exist, but he supposed it had to start somewhere.
There were all sorts of tarot cards that he had read on. The Chariot, Devil, Empress, and the one that had him curious about was the Fool. Zero, yet holding infinite potential.
'That sounds cool…' He thought with a smile, continuing to read the contract. He took the quill on his own table, signing his name below, and handing it to Justine, passed back to Igor.
"So, are you prepared, prince? To walk down the path of rehabilitation?" Igor asked, keeping his smile up.
"Of course. I was prepared for it long when I signed those contracts," he nodded, earning himself a chuckle.
"Very well. Then let us forge our own contracts, here and now," the prince's eyes shot forth in surprise. "No need to fret. I will not be fighting as part of your peerage. I will merely be offering you assistance as time goes on."
"O-Oh, alright," he nodded, calmed down when he got the man's explanation. 'I could never imagine Igor fighting with a sword, or… whatever he would use.'
"It is simple. You will continue on your path to rehabilitation, and I will offer you the benefits of the Velvet Room, as well as my own assistance so to help you grow into a better prince," his words sounded tempting, and Riven was ready to accept. "Do you accept?"
"I-I…" Riven blinked, lacking any words to say. "It's just… strange, is all."
"Yet it is necessary. You should be prepared to use even myself, or your ambitions will not come to fruition," the prince swore that he had heard him say this phrase before, or it could just be his own silly mistake. "Hahaha… We have a deal then."
*Khh!*
I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the wings of rebellion that breaketh thy chains of captivity.
With the birth of the Fool Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new power…
"W-Whoa…" Riven could hear the voice of a woman, later on followed with the surge of power into his cross-earring, which had only materialised now. The light that shone from it died down after a while, leaving it as normal as before. "So the contract…"
"Is done," Igor nodded. "I have high expectations for you, prince."
"Words of praise from our master is truly rare indeed. Take them to heart, inmate," Justine spoke, surprisingly sounding calm despite it supposedly being a big thing.
"Well, the night is waning, and you would soon need to return to reality. No need to worry about what we've discussed about. The contracts will act as soon as you wake up," Igor continued to smile. Oh, fudge, he looked scary… "With each of these, I have no doubts that they will help you grow as a prince. Well then, may we meet again in the future, prince."
*Rune Factory 4—Obsidian Mansion (End Song)*
Two Days Later
"So technically speaking, I'm your Persona?" Eve asked, sounding a little happy. "Man, I like the name! Persona, Persona…"
"Well, it still doesn't answer the question of the 'Wild Card', but at least you're happy," he smiled, chuckling when she continued to repeat the word 'Persona'.
Anyways, Riven was currently preparing to go for the date with Yuuma. He had received funds from his family, which Tiamat was fine with him using for the date. Although, he could've sworn he saw her left eye twitch.
"Alright… Done!" He fixed finish wrapping his gift in black box, complete with pink ribbons. "Time to put this away for now."
Riven was currently adorned in a long-sleeved black t-shirt that shifted to white at the bottom part, with black trousers. He put on his glasses, checking his hair in the mirror. His black sneakers were outside, and he'd wear that later on.
"Eve, mind helping me out later on?" He asked.
"Of course! You can count on me!" The dragoness cheered out in excited determination. This earned them a smile from Riven, and as he left for the door of the house, he gave his parents a quick kiss on the cheek, a good wave and out he went. His gift was in his left pocket, well wrapped and concealed, just for a surprise.
Mall
With much time spent wandering around in Japan, he had gained a fair mapping of the place, happy with the fact that he now knew how to get around the place.
'You know, I can't help but feel that you're more excited about using [Royal Arcana] more than this date of yours,' Eve giggled, a straight hit on the bullseye.
'Well yeah! It's so strange! And Igor was right, I can't wield my weapons anymore. But it's okay! It's just easier for me now! All I have to do, is activate [Royal Arcana], and I'm ready for action!' He grinned in his mind, pushing the spectacles up to fit properly on his nose.
Truth be told, he liked it. It gave him the look of someone studious. Well, he was hoping not to gain attention on himself today, so it was like a perfect mask in the public.
'Mask… I wonder why I wear a mask when I activate [Royal Arcana],' he thought to himself. It was a black mask that looked close to a mask of a certain princess he knew, when she was hiding her identity and acting as a male, but was black instead of blue. 'Oh well, I don't mind it. It's cool-looking.'
For now, Riven had time to spare. Yuuma was running late, it seems, but he couldn't blame her. The trains were possibly slow, for reasons he doesn't really know.
"Perhaps I could have gotten my hair cut a bit," he pondered, realising that his hair was now flowing just above his shoulders, possibly chin-length. "Then again… It doesn't mean I'm a girl or anything. People still recognise me as a boy, so it should be fine."
He, to be honest, liked his hair just as much as everyone else did. It was surprisingly soft, silky even. It wasn't long, so he didn't have to worry about getting his comb tangled up in it. It was fully black, but every of his bangs had now been left white. He supposed it fine, since the white hair could be his own father's fur.
But his time to think to himself finally ended when the fallen arrived.
"Riven-kun!" a cute voice called out for Riven, and he turned to look to the source of the voice, now seeing Yuuma's figure in his peripherals.
"Ah, Yuuma-chan! Good to see you're alright and well," he smiled at the girl, watching as she stopped before him, panting slightly. "You were running?"
"W-Well, yeah…. The trains were running late, apparently. Something about faulty railways," she told him.
He supposed it makes sense. Putting the principles of friction to thought, constant use of the trains would slowly wear out the rails, causing it to grow weak and possibly break, thus needing attention. The fact that she was late only solidified her excuse. There must have been maintenance.
"Well, it's alright. As long as you're here," he chuckled.
"Mmhm! And hey, the glasses look nice on you!" The girl complimented, earning herself an embarrassed chuckle from the boy, as his face turned a few shades of red.
"Well, it's alright, at least," he shrugged, averting his gaze from her.
"Then, what do you think of my dress?" She asked, giving a light twirl.
She looked absolutely amazing, he couldn't lie. She was wearing a soft white sweater over a black top, with a similarly white skirt that only ran above her knees. The pink heels she wore only made her look cuter, for some reason. Her hair straight, flowing down to her back.
"W-Well… Words wouldn't be enough, unfortunately," he scratched the nape of his neck, uncertain of what to say. The blush on her face was a huge reliever for him.
"Aww, thank you, Riven-kun!" She giggled, before she looked back at him. "So, where are we going for today?"
"Hmm, I don't know. Go shopping, go get something to eat, play some games, and… I don't know," he admitted. The last part, he obviously didn't know. "I hadn't planned ahead beyond that."
"Oh well, we'll think about it along the way!" She smiled at her 'date', and so they began walking to their destination; the mall.
'Tch! This is going to be a long day…' The fallen thought in disgust, before eyeing her 'date' with a little bloom. 'Well, to be honest, he is a little… handsome. And to think he managed to think that much, he sure really knows his stu—Urgh! Damn it, focus! You're just gonna' kill this loser and be done with stupid date!'
Later
So, they didn't really do any shopping. The funds he had were mostly enough for the food and games. And so, they went to an arcade first to play some games. Riven was literally acing every available game, ultimately proving himself to be the best gamer, despite his protests. Yuuma actually discovered that trait of him that day.
'Never play a game with him, you'll just lose…' she made a mental note to herself, sweat-dropping when he managed to nab himself a Pikachu plush, size not as large as the other ones. She accepted it with an honest smile. She had been dying to get her hands on this plush.
Pikachu is cute, after all!
Next, they went to a nearby cafe to get something to eat. Riven decided to take a simple toast whereas Yuuma got a strawberry cake. For a fake date, she was enjoying it, the more after hearing that Riven was ok with paying for everything.
"Mmm! This is delicious~!" She hummed as she felt the taste of strawberries flood her tastebuds, accompanying the taste of the fruits with honey. She saw how Riven smiled at her, forcing her to look away from him. 'W-What the hell was that..?!'
"Sorry if I couldn't get you anything more," he apologised, eyes taking a turn to the table with slight disappointment, before he flashed a smile at her once more. "I hope this is enough."
"Trust me, it's nice!" She lied; it was way too nice. She never knew the same foolish beings called humans were able to create such delicious treats. Even the Fallen back at home couldn't achieve these results.
Unfortunately for her, she only knew half of who he really was. Based on the reports, he was a human whose mother had 'divorced', and they took in a pet… wolf. Yes, the reports she had read sounded weird, but she decided to believe it nonetheless. Then he had a sister, Tiamat.
If only she knew that the wolf was actually his father, that the 'sister' was actually his Familiar, and that he wasn't just human. His demonic blood came from the wolf, after all.
"Well, if you say so. I just wished I could've gotten you something too," he muttered the last part, loud enough so that only the two of them were the only ones able to hear.
"You don't have to blame yourself for anything," she shook her head, spooning a bit of the cake before putting it in her mouth. "You've been patient with me, this feels great!"
"Funny. You took the words right out of my mind," he jested, chuckling together as the Fallen joined in.
'Urgh, so bothersome… Why can't I just kill him already?' She mentally grimaced, already feeling the boredom catching up. 'Oh well. At least the food tastes great.'
Later
After their 'lunch', the pair got to the town's square, trying to stick together due to the massive amount of people in the area.
"Amazing… To think that there's so many people here," Riven wondered out loud, whistling when he saw a kid skating down the stair's handles. 'Skills…'
"Must be a break from work or something," Yuuma said, with her 'date' humming in response. 'Jeez, what the hell is going to happen next? Him trying to kiss me? Urgh, if he even tries it, I'll—"
*Bang!*
"HYAAH!" The people in the area immediately broke into a scream, lowering themselves into crouching positions to get themselves as close to the ground as they could.
Yuuma flinched from the sound of gunshot that rung through the area. Riven sniffed the area, pinpointing the culprit's position from the smoke, by tracing it all the way to the gun.
"Yeah, just like that, you cowards!" The culprit was a tall man that wore an outfit that resembled a cowboy's, as he held a revolver in his right. "Why not just hand me your money, eh?! If not—"
*Bang! Bang!*
He shot his gun upwards into the blank air twice, eliciting even more screams from the cowering crowd. He snickered, ready to make his way towards a young teenager, before Riven stood in his way.
'It's just like before… Before Beelzebub took over his body…' The prince thought, before speaking. "Sir, please don't do this…" He requested, frowning when the man scoffed in response.
"And why should I listen to a weakling like you?" He spat, now pointing his gun at the lad. "You're not strong, so get out of the way. Unless, you'd want to be the first person to taste my gun's bullet?"
So this person she was supposed to kill was a mad person.
Directly standing in front of the man, who was pointing his gun straight at his chest. He didn't move, and didn't seem to be afraid. If anything, he looked… calm?
'How in the seven Hells is he able to stay calm? He's about to die!' She mentally thought, surprised all the same. 'Oh well, it'd make my job easier, I suppose.'
*Click!*
"Move, kid," the man instructed as he pulled the barrel backwards with his thumb, gun still directed towards the prince.
"…I guess I have no choice…" Riven sighed, sounding disappointed, before he positioned himself into a stance. "Please, don't take this personally."
"Yeah, good luck even getting a hit on me!" The man mocked, instantly firing off his weapon. And yet—
*Bang!* *Whoo!*
"What the..?!" The man watched as his bullet whizzed through the air, not hitting its target. Riven did a sidestep, eyes now focused solely on him. "B-Bastard!"
More and more did he pull the trigger of his revolver, and even more did his trepidation grow when his bullets met no body, but rather flew through the air in a straight line.
Riven could sense and determine the trajectory of the bullets, putting his agility and skills to use as he dodged each attack. He flipped once, rolling a moment later and doing a side-step to dodge each bullets.
And then, he crouched, breaking into a full run towards the man, whose expression took a turn for the fear. He pulled—
*Kk!*
"H-Hhaa..!" The clip was empty.
Using it to his advantage, Riven let loose a flurry of blows towards the man as he dodged his opponent's own puny strikes.
The prince dealt a side smack, an uppercut, multiple blows to the abdomen, avoiding a roundhouse punch aimed for his face. He dealt another jab to the jaw, a powerful blow to his face, and to finish it—
*Thud!*
A back kick that held so much force that sent the man tumbling backwards until he hit the wall, bloodied slightly and bruised beyond recognition. The gun was kicked far away, sliding off into the hands of a child.
"W-What the hell..?" The man spoke, only to faint afterwards.
"Kid," Riven called to the child that took the gun. "Make sure that goes to the police, alright?" The child merely nodded silently, receiving a grateful smile from the prince.
"Amazing…" Was the only thing she could say.
Evening
After that little incident, Riven had found himself slightly exhausted, but otherwise good to go. He bought himself and Yuuma bottles of water, instantly rehydrating himself to replace all that water that was lost after his sweating from the heated battle.
She couldn't lie; he looked amazing back there. The way he effortlessly dodged every of the enemy's attacks, all the while landing his own to finally down the man.
Touching her left breast, she noticed how fast her heart was beating now—a blush formed on her face. Was… Was this infatuation? No way! She was here to kill him! Not fall in love with him! And yet, no matter how much she wanted to admit it, she had somehow fallen for him.
Hah, fallen. Get it?
And yet, despite her heart's yearning, she had to focus on her mission. And so, she walked over to Riven's side and began. She steeled her heart, locking away her emotions, ready to end her mission.
"Neh, Riven-kun?" Yuuma asked, flashing a cute little smile at her 'boyfriend'. "You'd do anything for me, right?"
"Sure, why not?" Riven replied while rubbing his chin in thought, not even looking into her eyes.
'Hmph, of course you'd say that. Just like every other humans I've met before,' she thought, much hatred present in her thoughts. Every human she had met before either wanted to take advantage of her, or either despise her for being different.
And could you really blame her on those? Humans were easy to fall down to the sin of lust, and would do anything to get the pleasures of life. And the second reason; humans were either scared or hated anything that was not them. Aliens, supernatural, ghosts… Being looked down on as inferior was always the race's weakness, so that was that.
"Well then," she began, eyes glinting with slight maliciousness. "Do you think you could d—"
"Oh God, I forgot! Argh, how could I have—Damn it!" He began sweating bullets, cutting off the Fallen before she managed to finish her statement. "I'm so sorry! But—Argh, I'm so useless at things like this!"
"Excuse me..?" Yuuma blinked, and her tone had shifted unnaturally. Rather, it sounded much more mature than her previous one. Even then, Riven never noticed the shift due to how he was literally screaming at himself.
"I'm really sorry! I was so focused on the battle that I forgot to gi—Hey!" Just as quickly as Riven was to pull out a black box, so were a group of children to snatch it from him, mischievous smiles etched on all their features.
"You want it, mister? You're gonna' need to catch us then!" One of the little kids laughed, running away as his friends trailed right after them.
"Oh, come on!" Yup, things weren't looking great for him. This was really not part of his script. Despite that, he placed back his glasses into its case that he brought with him this whole time, putting it away into his pocket before giving chase to the kid, calling out in a tone that resembled pleading.
"Oh, great… Missed my chance…" the fallen muttered, later on deciding to follow after her target. The next thing she could see was Riven begging the kids they met earlier for his 'box'.
"Please! I need it back!" the prince pleaded, trying to take it from their hands, but the kids were being a total pain. "Come on, now's not the time for games!"
A sixteen-year-old being made fun of by those whose age was eight to ten in the human calendar. Just amazing.
"Nope! If you want it, well—" the boy quickly flung his arm upwards, and Riven followed suit, accompanied by a groan from the prince and a smirk from the kid. "You're gonna' have to climb up!"
'Son of a—Dang it!' The prince sighed, but didn't want to waste his time.
Riven spared no time getting up. He jumped from branch to branch, easily reaching the tree top. He had had to, however, avoid a beehive for one was close and he wasn't exactly wanting to disturb them, let it be they were sleeping or working. After reaching the top, Riven searched for his black 'box', and upon finding it, he pocketed it and slowly climbed back down. The kids were seemingly impressed, as they watched Riven in awe.
The kids immediately ran off, waving to the prince and shouting their 'Sorries'. As they did, Yuuma just continued wondering of how fit her date really was. Upon seeing him approach her, she broke out of her thoughts.
"Riven, what's this?" She asked, her tone serious and mature, and yet it passed through Riven's ears—in through one and out through the other, as the saying goes.
"Sorry, sorry. I honestly didn't know that was gonna' happen…" the prince chuckled sheepishly, then proceeded to pass the Fallen the box he so desperately tried to get back. "It's a gift I got for you with half of my total allowance. Err, I mean the money my parents gave me."
That blew her away, she wasn't expecting this! She was being given a present? This was too good to be true. She carefully took the box, and was hesitant to open it. Could it be a trap? Probably a bomb? An insect? All these thoughts clouded her mind, until she finally removed the cover from the box.
And what she saw was everything she never expecting, nearly forcing her to tear up.
*Final Fantasy XIII—The Promise (Play Song)*
The content of the black box Riven gave the Fallen was a dragon bracelet. It looked as if the dragon shaped itself into a loop, with its jaw bit on it's tail. In it's jaw, before the part where its teeth hooked onto the tail's hole, was a red gem that shone like a fresh oyster; completely new and cleaned.
Yuuma gasped at seeing such a beautiful gift; she was trembling, albeit only a bit. Riven gave off a smile, asking her to wear it.
"Come on, this thing ain't going anywhere without its new owner, ya' know," he said and helped Yuuma wear the accessory, after her two previous attempts, where she kept on nearly dropping it. She looked at the treasure that she wore around her wrist, its gem reflecting the light that hit it.
Why… Why did he get her this? So many thoughts, but nothing could properly be processed as of the moment.
"Beautiful, isn't it? Yuuma, literally meaning 'evening daze'. Mmhm! Suitable for this sort of timing!" He grinned in triumph, proceeding to fold his arms behind his head. "Although it wasn't a real date, knowing that someone probably dared you into doing this, but hey! Who cares? It was fun, so that was that!"
Riven gave a shrug at the end of his statement, but Yuuma managed to pick up a certain phrase he said; dared you. She started pondering at first, while Riven had gotten off track of his explaining, going from the evening to the bracelet and then to the 'Big Bang' theory… Yeah, weird indeed.
"R-Riven?" this caught the prince's attention and he looked straight into her eyes, something he noticed about them was that they were glassy, slightly wet from fresh tears that threatened to leak. "What do you mean by dare?"
Just as she had said it, Riven gave a sad smile and looked away, scratching the back of his neck nervously. All the confidence just disappeared, now replaced with a nervous aura. He couldn't lie; he meant what he said earlier. No doubt that it pained him to explain himself, but he had no reason to hide it now.
"W-Well Yuuma, it's like what I said when we first met. I'm really just a nobody. I have what others think is talent, but really… its just dumb. I used these talents not to earn money, honest. I've been using my talents all this time to get people to at least know that I exist," Riven's answer forced her eyes wide apart with surprise, as she watched him walk towards the fountain, and looked up to the dark red sky.
The wind picked up, adding a little bit more effect to this dramatic scene.
"All I wanted was for people to actually accept me as a person, but some don't know who I am. Obviously, I'm a nobody," he recalled the way he was treated back at the orphanage, blinking away the tears that bit his eyes. "And I just thought that some of your friends forced you into dating me, even when you didn't want to. But still, I guess as long as you were happy, that was more than enough."
'Wow, Riven. You're good at this acting thing,' the black dragoness in his SacredGear whistled, somewhat amazed.
'Ehh, it's okay, at most,' he replied with a mental shrug. Still, the part about the orphanage, he was being honest. Opening up to her about this part was difficult, but he deemed it necessary to break down her barriers.
"Y-You thought all this time, I was playing a trick on you?" Yuuma gasped, her mouth covered by her hands.
"No offence, but yeah," Riven looked to Yuuma, and slowly nodded.
"B-But you still did all this? Why!" Yuuma was on the verge of breaking down, her outburst completely unexpected, even by her.
"Because I don't want to hurt others when they're with me. Being with me, life will never be a good one, so I always try my best to give a smile, even in the harshest of times," the prince chuckled. "So I'm glad. Glad that I used my energy to have fun with an amazing person like you. Yuuma Amano, I thank you for opening my eyes, and I was hoping… We don't need to love each other, I just hope we can just be friends."
He bowed, eyes closed as he waited for her response. Was he really prepared for rejection or death? No doubt, he was. He'd feel hurt at first for the first thing, but he'd just have to pull through. And the second part; he'll just have to make sure he never gets noticed ever again.
The trees rustled in the dancing wind, and animated birds decorated the sky. Riven still stood at his spot, still bowing. Yuuma stood there however, staring at the boy in awe and admiration, tears slowly dropping down her cheeks. Riven rose to stand up again, but immediately became frantic when seeing her tears.
"O-Oh wait! I'm sorry! I swear I didn't mean to make you feel bad! Really, I—" he would've continued spitting words out of his lips had Yuuma not embraced the prince, her arms behind his neck. "Y-Yuuma?"
"Thank you, Riven…" the fallen said, her face in the prince's chest, her tears seeping into his clothes. 'I-I can't do it. I've actually…'
"R-Right, no problem..?" Riven was hesitant, but proceeded to return the Fallen's hug anyways. 'Oh shoot, this wasn't part of the plan!'
'It seems you have succeeded in making another girl falling in love with you!' Eve's voice resounded in Riven's mind, hinted with joy and pride.
'W-What?!' The prince looked down to the girl below her, but couldn't help feel a curve at the corner of his lips accompanied by a slight blush to his cheeks. 'Well, I'd be lying if I said this wasn't ni—'
*Final Fantasy XIII—The Promise (End Song)*
*Zing!*
The sound of a blade of electric could be heard throughout the park, accompanied by the massive bleeding of a certain dragon prince.
You heard me there, Riven just got cut in the back. Immediately, he fell out of Yuuma's embrace and fell to the ground below. The fallen could only watch in horror as her beloved got cut down.
"Haha! Looks like that's one problem down! Come on, let's get—" The stranger paused before looking to the TriWings below him. "Hmm? You're still alive."
"Z-Zacharias! What the hell are you doing?!" Yuuma shouted, horrified and beyond pissed off at the same time. The man who slain Riven was Zacharias, another fallen angel.
He wore a black suit, completed with a white shirt underneath and a blue tie that sealed the deal. His boots, brown, went surprisingly well with his black pants. In his hand was a sword made purely from yellow thunder, cackling like a madman that its wielder was.
"Haha! I helped you from the human, of course! I finished your job for you!" Zacharias cackled even louder, relishing in the pained look on the prince's face. "Aww, does it hurt? How does it feel, little guy?"
"Hey, leave him out of this! He didn't do anything wrong!" Yuuma cried out, looking grievous.
"Hey, we were tasked with killing him, right? He had a SacredGear, and boss told us that he's dangerous," he whistled, shrugging innocently. "Plus, none of us know what it is, so wouldn't that make the human even more dangerous?"
"Well, yeah, but he's done nothing that would make him dangerous!" She reasoned, swapping glances between her fellow fallen angel and the lad on the ground, who was currently bleeding. "Look, I'm just going to heal him, and—"
*Zzzk!*
A spear of light whizzed past her, merely inches away from touching her. She jumped back, growling angrily at the fallen in front of her.
"Come on, Ray. You can't seriously be thinking of healing that weak buffoon there, are you?" He laughed. "Think about it! You want to be in the light so that Azazel recognises you, right?"
Immediately, she stopped, realising that his words were true. She practically worships their leader, and she wold give anything just to be his, but…
"No…" She shook her head, before it raised, her eyes gleaming with anger. "Not like this!"
"Ah well, pity. And I was hoping that we could just go back, all of us together, like one big family…" He sighed. "Poor Dohnaseek. Poor Mittelt. Mittelt, Mittlet? Agh, whatever. Poor Kalawarner. And Poor Freed."
'F-Freed?!' At that, Riven's eye shot wide, his heart beating ever the faster. Freed, the same exorcist he met years back, was here?! 'Damn, he better grow. If I'm the only one who grew tall, I'd have to have a chat with logic.
'Logic's not a real person though..' Eve sweat-dropped. 'And obviously he should have grown. Puberty, duh.'
"I'm not going to die, Zacharias. I'm better than you take me for granted," she spat, summoning a light spear in hand. She readied herself, both in her stance and her new outfit.
Riven caught a light glimpse of how she looked, and gone was Yuuma Amano, now replaced with a more mature-looking woman, clad in some sort of leather skintight outfit.
'Oh great, I caught the heart of some BDSM lover…' He gulped, but thought that maybe it was just the clothes.
"Then show me, Raynare! Show me how good you really are!" He laughed, and the duel was on.
A/N: Finally into the steps of cannon anime and manga! I think. Well, I'm certain about the anime part, but there are a few differences here and there.
So first up, I'd like to point out that the confession part is not entirely original, I guess..? I mean, I took the idea from another great writer, Retributus. Trust me on this one; his story is amazing. I mean, I liked it, so maybe you would too. Although, he doesn't know me, I don't know him, just as a fellow writer, I suggest you try reading his works. Hilarious, romantic, everything you could imagine.
In any case, things are starting to pick up, I hope. Let's see how this stupidly dumb story will go, huh? See ya'!
