Of Assassins, Samurai, and Magic
A/N: And the next chapter is up! I've tried to keep everyone as close as possible to their characters in the anime though I'm sure there will be a few OOC moments. Comments and reviews are much appreciated. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The characters and the worlds I write in do not belong to me. The stories that I write are intended for entertainment purposes. I do not make any money from them.
*** ~ Chapter 13: The Battle for Fate ~ ***
"Signum-san! Good morning!"
"Good morning Harlaown-sama." A bow.
"Come in, come in," Lindy said with a smile. She ushered the samurai standing at her door inside, closing the door behind them gently. "Fate-chan is just changing. She'll be down in a moment."
It had been three days since the captain of the samurai delivered the imperial propositions to both Fate and Nanoha. Much to the swordswoman's relief, they both accepted the proposition and agreed to cook for the Empress. However, waiting for those three days to come and go had been a grueling trial for the pink haired samurai. Despite being known for her incredible patience, Signum wanted nothing more than for the days to flit by so they could finally get to the matter at hand.
"Fate-chan! Signum-san is here!" The teal haired woman stood at the bottom of the stairs, shouting upwards, having already seated her guest in the waiting room.
"I-I'm coming!" came the frantic reply, followed by a few thumps from upstairs.
Lindy chuckled as she made her way back to Signum. "You'll have to forgive Fate-chan for her tardiness" she said. "The poor girl could barely sleep last night. And when she finally did get to sleep, I didn't have the heart to wake her up until a few minutes ago."
Signum accepted the mug of tea Lindy set out of her with thanks before taking a sip. Leave it to the eldest Harlaown to always have a kettle of hot water at the ready. The woman absolutely loved her exotic teas, something she had no doubt developed a taste for over the years as co-captain of the City Guard, when Clyde was still alive. And this particular brew did not disappoint. The fruity taste of apples, mint with a hint of cinnamon. An interesting blend.
"She couldn't sleep?" Signum looked at Lindy curiously.
Lindy smiled, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Would you be able to sleep if you were meeting the Empress for the first time?"
Signum looked at the reflection in her tea thoughtfully. "Probably not." Signum smiled inwardly.
The first time Signum had met Hayate, the brunette had just turned ten. Hayate was being escorted by a pair of guards through the back alleys to the imperial palace at the time. Gil Graham, after a year of struggling to get the empire back under control with no success, finally conceded defeat and had summoned the young Hayate to take her rightful place at the head of the nation. Such matters however, required a great deal of secrecy, especially considering the current state of the country. And that is why Hayate and the rest of the group were dressed like peasants taking a Sunday night stroll.
Shamal also accompanied Hayate, as did Vita, though the red head was just a babe at the time. Living in the high court, it was not unusual for nobles to already have attendants. And as Shamal had known Hayate from the time she was born, the blonde attendant refused to separate from the girl, no matter what anyone said. In fact, when one of the magistrates tried to separate them, Shamal broke the guy's nose with an open palm heel strike.
Signum chuckled at the memory. Shamal may not look it, but she was quite the fighter and a feisty one at that. But even that wasn't enough back then. Traveling under the blanket of night, the group was attacked by a band of thieves looking for some quick silvers. The two guards did their best to protect their charges, but under the sheer number of men that attacked them, it wasn't long before they fell. Shamal did her best to protect both Vita and Hayate, but holding a babe in one hand with another clutching to the back of your cloak made things rather difficult. And that was the scene Signum had stumbled upon.
Signum was a rounin when they had first met. It had been less than six months since the death of her master. Six months before that, fate bestowed upon her Levantine, the mystical blade only told of in legend. Neither Signum nor her master understood why she of all people was chosen by it, only that things would become more challenging from then onwards. Despite their efforts to conceal it, others found out about the mythical blade and soon she became a target for the greedy and merciless.
Signum's master was slain in the thirteenth attack. A band of assassins had been hired to take the blade by force for a greedy lord. Signum's master defended his young prodigy to the bitter end. She vowed vengeance that night. The night she watched the light fade from her master's eyes, her hands drenched in his blood. And vengeance Signum took.
Six months later, all of her pursuers had been dealt with, may it be by dismemberment or through the embrace of death. At that point, life no longer had and meaning, but she could not bring herself to commit oibara seppuku. So she wandered aimlessly instead. Stumbling upon the surprise attack, Signum didn't know what overcame her. One moment she was staring wide-eyed as a group of ten or so thieves surrounded a blonde woman with a babe in hand and another clutching to her cloak. And then in the next moment, the men had been slain, by her hand, Levantine stained red as proof of that act.
Thumping from upstairs drew Signum from her thoughts. Both Signum and her host looked up to the ceiling, Lindy smiling. "I believe she's almost ready" the woman said rising to her feet.
Signum did the same and followed the teal haired woman out of the waiting room. Standing by the front door, Signum turned back to look up stairs, catching sight of a black and yellow blur rush towards them.
"I'm so sorry Sig-"
Fate slipped.
"Fate-chan!"
In her rush to meet up with the samurai captain, Fate missed a step, causing her to stumble forward. Arms flailed as she lurched down the stairs head first. The blonde yelped, wide-eyed as the stairs raced towards her face. Burgundy eyes snapped shut.
Silence.
"Are you alright Testerossa-san?"
Fate cracked an eye open, rather confused she had not felt pain of her face plastering against the edge of the stairs. She was so sure she had been tumbling head first awaiting a rather painful demise, but when her burgundy eyes opened, all she saw was pink. And the glint of gold. Wine colour eyes looked up.
"S-S-Signum-sama!" the blonde exclaimed, her cheeks flushing red. Signum held her gently.
"I am relieved you are unharmed."
How the samurai closed the distance between them so fast and so soundlessly, Fate did not know. Neither did Lindy. It was a good fifteen steps from the front door to halfway up the stairs. But even so, the eldest Harlaown was very thankful that Signum caught Fate when she did. The thought of explaining to Chrono just how Fate ended up with a broken neck was not all that appealing to the eldest Harlaown.
Signum took a step back, releasing Fate before straightening out the blonde's black kimono with cherry blossoms printed on it. This action caused Fate to flush even more, the younger girl utterly embarrassed at her clumsiness. Thankfully, Fate was no worse for wear, and the outfit she had spent ten minutes rifling through her closet for before settling on this one, was unwrinkled.
"While your haste is appreciated, I believe the Empress values your safety over promptness." Signum grinned at the embarrassed Fate.
"H-hai" Fate said looking to the side shyly.
"Well, I think I've had enough excitement for today." Lindy clapped her hands together and giggled. "You two best be going. You still have Nanoha-chan to pick up and you don't want to be late for the Empress."
Fate merely nodded, still red as a beet, as she trailed behind Signum down the stairs at a much slower pace.
"I promise to return her at a reasonable time Harloawn-sama." Signum bowed to the woman before making her way out the door.
"There's no rush Signum-san. Keep her for as long as you need." For that, Lindy received a curt nod from the samurai.
"Good luck with your cooking today Fate-chan" Lindy said hugging her adopted daughter. "I'm sure things will come out great! Show the Empress what you're made of!"
Fate beamed. "Hai!"
"Testerossa-san."
"H-hai!"
"Is something wrong?"
Signum looked over to her companion in concern. They had only left the Harlaown residence a few minutes ago (three minutes in fact, but who was really counting?). The whole time, Fate checked and double checked and triple checked her outfit. It wasn't until Fate checked things over again for the fourth time did Signum feel the need to speak.
"Wrong? I-Ile…" Fate shook her head, looking down at her kimono once again.
Signum sighed softly as she watched Fate fidget yet again from her peripheral vision. As much as the samurai hated to admit it, this was a nice change from the normally calm and collected blonde Signum knew Fate to be. It was even cute (but you never heard that from Signum). But even so, it was now starting to border on irritation for the pink haired captain, Fate expelling a great deal of nervous energy. Signum had to remedy that somehow.
"Contrary to popular belief" Signum began. "The Empress is a rather kind and tolerant person. There is no need to be nervous."
"But Signum-sama, we're talking about the Empress" Fate said all but whimpering. "What if she doesn't like how I look?" Fate swallowed, paling briefly at the thought. "Do you think she likes black?"
Signum gave Fate a sympathetic look. While she understood Fate's worries, such fears were unwarranted. "Testerossa-"
"What if she finds a wrinkle in my outfit somewhere?" Fate looked down at her favourite kimono again, searching frantically for invisible wrinkles.
"Testeros-"
"What if she doesn't like what I cook for her?" All the blood drained out of Fate's face, the blonde shivering at the thought.
"Testo-"
"Kami-sama! She could have me executed for that!" Burgundy eyes went wide. "What-"
"Fate-san!"
Fate was whirled around by the shoulders to face Signum. "Calm down."
The younger girl stared at Signum wide-eyed and ramrod straight for a moment, before relaxing. "S-sorry…" Fate took a deep breath, her rapidly beating heart still thudding away in her chest. "J-just a little anxious about things…"
Signum sighed before releasing Fate's shoulders. "I assure you Testerossa-san, things will be just fine. The Empress will not be executing anyone today, especially not you." Though she may give me a good scolding when she finds out it was Fate and Nanoha who was hired to cook for her…
Hayate had absolutely no idea that her two best friends would be cooking for her today. When the Empress received the request to use some local talent to prepare the meal, no names were listed on the parchment. Shamal had put forth that proposition, saying that she was looking to add some variety to the meals in the palace. She apparently had heard about a few local chefs who may be worth trying out. Hayate approved the request without a second thought, trusting Shamal with the finer details as she was distracted with more important matters.
"If it makes you feel any better" Signum continued. "I will be there with you and if anything were to happen, which I believe it won't, I will come to your aid."
Wine coloured eyes widened at Signum's words. Fate blushed softly before lowering her head. "T-thank you Signum-sama. That means a lot coming from you."
The pink haired captain smiled before facing the road once again. "Come along now, Takamachi-san must be just as nervous as you are. It would not be good to keep her waiting any longer."
"Hai!"
With renewed spirits, Fate turned to face forward again, ready to march over to the Midori-ya Café with Signum to meet up with Nanoha. In the action however, she didn't see the person passing next to her and accidentally knocked them down with an elbow.
A moan.
"Obaa-san! Are you alright? I'm so sorry!" Fate was already kneeling down next to the short, white haired elderly woman. The older woman's basket of fruits lay on its side next to her with its contents spilled all over the road.
"Oh my…" the elderly woman said looking around in confusion. "How did I end up on the road here?" The silver haired woman looked up at Fate.
"I'm so sorry" Fate said horrified. "I wasn't watching where I was go-Ack! Signum-sama!"
Signum yanked the blonde roughly behind her, Fate stumbling in the action but did not fall. Levantine was out, the tip of the blade pointed at the old woman's neck. Signum stood in a lowered stance with her weapon held tightly in two hands. "Who are you?"
Fate looked at Signum's back in confusion and shock. "Signum-sama! What are you-"
"I will not ask you again!" Blue eyes narrowed at the small elderly woman on her romp.
"Signum-sama-"
A laugh.
Fate froze, maroon eyes turning to look back at the elderly woman in front of them. The woman's laugh chilled the blonde to the bone. That was no ordinary laugh.
"You're better than they say" the elder woman said smirking.
Fate took a startled step backwards as the elderly woman jerked backwards performing an aerial back flip. The woman's komon shimmered out of sight along with the basket of toppled fruit. When her feet hit the ground, the person standing in front of them was no longer an elderly woman with white hair. No, this person was now an assassin, garbed head to toe in royal blue, their green eyes piercing into Fate with their gaze. On their back was their clan insignia. A circle of white with a navy blue border with the symbol 'II' embroided in blue in the middle. Fate's eyes lingered on the wicked metal claw on the assassin's right hand.
Signum gritted her teeth. It seemed the clans were openly attacking during daylight now. Before, they only ever acted under the darkness of night. Blue eyes quickly scanned the area before widening. Where were the patrols in this part of the district? Hayate had approved her request for increased numbers of samurai in the middle district, so why hadn't she seen any of them yet?
"If you're looking for your friends, they won't be coming."
A woman. The person in front of them was a woman. Signum's gaze snapped towards the blue clothed assassin, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"They're… indisposed."
Fate swallowed nervously, her hands clenched into fists. Signum inched in front of her, keeping herself between Fate and their attacker. The pink haired captain couldn't see it, but she knew the assassin was grinning mockingly at her.
"Word has it that some local Shefus will be entertaining the Empress today." The blue assassin chuckled. "You wouldn't by chance know anything about that, would you?"
Signum gripped Levantine tighter.
The assassin threw back her head and laughed louder. "No? A shame. I was hoping to take their place and give my regards to the Empress myself."
Fate's eyes went wide.
Signum darted towards the assassin, her blade held out at the side. The wind howled in her ears as she sliced upwards at the assassin's face once within arms reach of her target. The captain of the samurai wanted nothing more than to slice off the assassin's tongue in retribution of their arrogance. But metal screeched against metal, the assassin's claw-like weapon intercepting the blade before it got dangerously close. Signum jumped back two steps before lunging again, slashing horizontally at the assassin's throat. She refused to stand idle as this fiend threatened her Empress!
A split second before sword met flesh, the assassin vanished, dodging to the side as Signum's blade cut air. Even without looking, she knew her opponent merely darted behind her for a quick hit against her unprotected back. In one fluid motion, Signum spun around on her heel, slicing upwards, a whoosh of air blasting past her ears as her eyes caught sight of-
"T-Testerossa-san!" Signum barely stopped her blade in time, the tip hovering a mere inch from the blonde's neck. Signum was so sure it was the assassin behind her and not Fate! Was she losing it?
"Signum-sama!" a voice called out in warning. "That's not me!"
Signum looked behind Fate to see… well… Fate. Blue eyes widened as Signum realized there were two Fates looking at her. Signum's moment of confusion was a costly one, the Fate standing directly in front of the samurai smirking before her right hand shot forward like a spear towards Signum's stomach. Steel ripped through armor and flesh as it arced outwards.
"SIGNUM!"
Signum stumbled backwards breathing heavily, clutching her left side. Crimson leaked through her fingers, a burning pain spreading across her ribs. Thankfully, her armor had absorbed most of the blow, the wound on her side merely a flesh wound. A non mortal wound, but a very bloody one. Signum cursed herself inwardly. She had underestimated this assassin. All of the other clan assassins she fought before now did not have this level of skill, relying mostly on the Spirit Seeds they collected for both offense and defense. Yet this blue robed assassin had no Spirit Seed of her own and remained on par with her. A very dangerous foe.
Signum's eyes widened in horror as the assassin in blue turned to face Fate. Their attacker was now between Fate and herself. Fate also realized this, a look of utter terror on her face when green eyes met burgundy. The assassin grinned wildly before dashing towards Fate with her claw-like weapon outstretched.
"Schlangeform!"
Green eyes widened as a metal chain whip intermixed with jagged sword segments darted past her on the right. Quickly it pulled a ninety degree turn, lashing out at her like a striking cobra. The blue robed assassin brought up her claw just in time to deflect the striking point harmlessly to the side, only to realize that was just a feint for the real attack.
The whip immediately circled the assassin, like an anaconda circling around its prey, before the metal cord went taut binding her arms at her sides. The green eyed assassin grunted as she hit the ground like a log, the sharp edges of the chain whip digging into her garb. Unlike normal metal, her clawed appendage could not cut through the chain whip leaving her defenseless and immobile.
Signum huffed, pulling back on her Levantine in its alternate form to keep the assassin bound tightly. Sweat rolled down the side of her face, stray locks of pink hair sticking to her forehead. She had made it just in time. Signum shuddered to think what would have happened if she didn't. But the fight was far from over.
"Signum! Watch out!"
Movement to her left caught her attention, the pink haired samurai turning her head to the side in time to see five glowing daggers zipping towards her.
"Panzerschild!"
Signum dove forward as her purple magical tri-shield intercepted the exploding daggers. Rolling to her feet, Signum stood in front of Fate protectively, her Levantine returning to its sword form and held defensively in front of her. Blue eyes raised skywards, catching sight of a second blue garbed assassin who was crouched at the edge of the building just opposite them. They wore a grey sleeveless vest overtop their blue garb. And on their back, like the first one, they too had an insignia marked in white. It read 'V'.
"Due" the second assassin said.
Due rose to her feet and dusted herself off. "Cinque" she said with a huff.
"Our Lord requested the girl be taken alive, not dead."
"I know that" Due grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "He never said I couldn't play with her a little first."
Things had just gone from bad to worse for Signum and Fate. Dealing with one of these blue garbed assassins was bad enough. Signum was just on par with just the first one. Now that a second one had showed up, their chances were quickly going downhill.
"Due" Cinque repeated. It was then Signum noted the one called Cinque had one eye covered. "Our Lord does not tolerate mistakes. Let's take the girl and be done with it."
"Tch." Due turned to look at Fate, green eyes narrowing at her.
Fate gritted her teeth, wine coloured eyes narrowing at Due. Fate quickly glanced to Signum before her gaze went back to the assassin. She had to do it. Fate made a fist. The yellow magatama jewel hanging off of her bracelet chimed softly. Burgundy eyes squeezed shut in frustration. Fate faltered. The reason? Signum. But still…
"DIVINE BUSTER!"
A beam of pure pink energy rocketed towards Due from the right, Due just barely dodging the beam as she flipped backwards and out of harms way. Dirt and stones kicked up into the air as the pink beam tore through the road where Due once stood. The ground shook and rumbled as the blast waned, Signum shielding Fate with her body as grit went flying. The blue garbed assassins along with Fate and Signum soon found themselves gawking at the damaged road in front of them once the dust settled. All eyes turned to the side in search of the source of the attack. They landed on a figure in the distance.
Fate swallowed thickly. Another one had arrived. Another assassin. This one garbed in white.
A/N: I'm pretty sure the Numbers are out of character. I shall put the disclaimer out now that the Numbers will pretty much be out of character for this piece. The anime didn't really go into their backgrounds and such too much, so I'm really just winging it when it comes to them. Bear with me. XD
For the purposes of my story, I have made Vita 9 years younger than Hayate. In the anime, they were only 1 year apart despite Vita being significantly shorter than Hayate.
For those of you unfamiliar with the non-English words, I have translated them below.
Hai = Yes
Ile = No
Obaa = Grandma (typical used when referring to elderly people)
Komon = A casual type of kimono
Rounin = Masterless Samurai
Oibara Seppuku = (also known as hara kiri) Ritual Suicide
Shefu = Chef
Schlangeform = Snake Form
Panzerschild = Armor Shield/Tank Shield
For an explanation of Japanese honorifics (eg. [name]-sama), please check out: http:/en[dot]wikipedia[dot]org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics