Three days later...
They had been traveling the last three days as fast as possible to make it in time to the meeting with Esdeath's commanders. Esdeath kept going at an relentless pace which didn't make her any more popular with Night Raid and Mine, Chlesea and Leone grumbled the whole way. Luckily they didn't say anything directly to Esdeath for Tatsumi feared what she would do. Nothing would suprise him anymore, he came to expect the unexpected with her. Now they were at the meeting point, a small abandoned hut near a road, and as they were waiting Mine and Leone were becoming more and more nervous. Run tried to calm Leone but it was as useless as if he comanded the clouds in the sky to clear. Mine on the other was twicea s nervous and as she tried to speak she was silenced by Akame and she didn't speak for a few hours after that.
"Perhaps they simply won't come." said Seryu. Seryu was quite hesitant as she didn't want to contradict Esdeath but it was clear that she didn't believe that Esdeath's commanders, Rin and Shin, would show. No one from Night Raid didn't believe either judging by their expressions. From the Jaegers only Run and Wave looked like they had some faith left. Tatsumi didn't really believe that Rin and Shin would come but he had to be there for Esdeath and support her as she did for him so he stood there lookignas sure in his lvoer as he could be. He looked at her. She didn't seem to mind it the least that everyone else thought that they were wasting time. She looked as confident as when they arrived. She currently was toying with a frozen flower. It was not the first time he had seen her with that flower. He approached her. He was curious how come that she trusted her people so much. It didn't exactly suprise him but he was curious.
"Could you tell me about these... Rin and Shin?" asked Tatsumi. He was generaly curious about which kind of people worked with Esdeath.
"Hmm... well first off they are brother and sister. At least they treat each other as brother and sister even though they are not related. Their adopitve fater sold Rin into slavery and Shin rescued her after killing their father. After that they turned to banditry to survive. One day they attacked me thinking me easy prey. Even though they lost I was impressed by their skill and offeered them to work for me. As you cna imagine they accepted."
It was a touching and twisted story, but then again neither Tatsumi's was much better. Thinking about his past his thoughts wandered off to his village and he wondered if the villagers were alright. His village was not very far from where they were now so maybe he could go and check. He asked Esdeath to do that but she siad that she will think about it. Tatsumi also feared to return knowing that he still had to tell the villagers that Sayo and Ieyasu were dead. He had to worry about that later thought so he supressed the thoughts.
"Esdeath, how are you so sure that they will come?" he asked her. Tatsumi looked at the frozen flower in her hands. It could be considered a work of art how beautiful it looked.
"I know them. They will come and then they will hear me for being late." said Esdeath and she pocketed the flower. She looked over to some trees and after a while Tatsumi heard rustling sounds. He reached for his swords but Esdeath stopped him with her hand. Two people in white Imperial army uniforms came from that direction and they brought a smile to Tatsumi's face and to the face of the Jaegers and Night Raid. Only Mine and Leone remained neutral but for Mine to do that much at seeing soldiers was an enormous improvement.
Of the two one was female and that meant that she must be Rin so the other person must be her adopted brother Shin. Rin had an almost childish appearance although it was clear that she was at least seven years older than Tatsumi. Her green hair and equally green eyes distracted him from seeing the twin schimtars which were hanging from her hips.
"She is using her child like feautes to distract her opponent. Very clever." said the Tyrant and Tatsumi nodded in agreement. He then looked over to the man. The man was the pure opposite of his sister. He was taller than her, had a lot of muscle, a shaved head and yellow eyes, his whole appearance screamed that he was a veteran of many battles. On his back there was a giant sword. Calling it a piece of iron was more fitting by how big it was but Tatsumi didn't doubt for one monent that the man could swing it, considering the man's muscles. His face was all seriousness while his sister looked like she laughed for most of the time she was awake.
But they both smiled as soon as they saw Esdeath and they smiles disappeared when they saw Night Raid. Esdeath too smiled when she saw them which would have Tatsumi earlier but he just shrugged now. He suspected that she cared more for the people working under her than she let on but he didn't thought that she would smile at seeing two of her subordinates. They came towards Esdeath with their hands near their weapons glancing over at Night Raid and the Jaegers. Tatsumi was near Esdeath and he had a bad feeling. He was ready to use Incursio any second.
"Maybe they came but that doesn't mean that they came alone or that they were friends." was what Tatsumi thought. Rin and Shin stopped three feet from Esdeath and looked at Tatsumi with narrowed eyes. They obviously didn't like him being so near her.
Then the siblings fell to their knees with their heads bowed before their general. Tatsumi was genuinly impressed and so was everyone else. He knew that Esdeath's army was loyal but he never thought that they would be that loyal.
Then they looked up and even Shin who looked like he never smiled was smiling from ear to ear. "It is good to see you, general. We missed you. We are terribly sorry for being late. There was a snowstorm when we left but that is no excuse." said Rin in a sweet, almost melodic voice. It was clear that Shin liked to let Rin do the talking. Not that Rin was bad at it.
"It is good to see you Rin. And you too Shin. I missed you too." said Esdeath with smile. Tatsumi smiled.
"Punish them, hear me for being late, eh?" snorted the Tyrant inside Tatsumi's mind.
The siblings weren't expecting that kind of response and it was written all over their faces. "We are at your service." responded Rin and Shin in unison after exchanging glances.
"That is good to hear. As you probably know I and the Jaegers have joined forces with Night Raid. It is a long story btu in short the Prime Minister set us up. We requier your assistance." said Esdeath. She gestured for the two to stand and they did.
"Whatever you need. But general... is it alright for that man to be so close to you?" asked Rin as she locked eyes with Tatsumi. Tatsumi opened his mouth to respond but Esdeath cut him to it.
"That is Tatsumi. He is my second in command, and also my lover. Tatsumi, this are Rin and Shin." Esdeath said and she leaned in and gave Tatsumi a kiss on the cheek which got him as red as a lobster. It also got a few chuckles from behind them, from the Jaegers and Night Raid. Rin and Shin on the other ahnd went as pale as snow when a few moments before Rin had a nice medium skin tone while Shin had a natural olive tan from being in the sun for long amounts of time. Now they were as pale as Esdeath as they stared wide eyed, mouths open, at Tatsumi and Esdeath. Esdeath didn't give them time to recover from the c+shock however.
"I, or better to say, we willl need for the army to leave the North and go near the Capital as soon as possible so that once we kill the Minister we can seize the city. It would be best if it is done without anyone knowing you are there."
"As you command general." said Rin and she and Shin exchanged glances again before she added "Shin will go and deliever the message to the rest of the army and I would like to acompany you for some time before I go back. I that is alright with you, general?"
Esdeath looked at Tatsumi not sure wheter to take Rin along as Tatsumi had told Esdeath about wanting to go and check if his village is alright. Tatsumi looked at Rin and her green eyes which looked like they were smiling even when her mouth wasn't. He nodded.
"What's the worst that could happen?" he whispered.
"Alright. You can come with us. Shin, please hurry, the message is urgent."
"Yes, m' lady." said Shin. He looked at Rin and to Tatsumi's shock and suprise he kissed his adopted sister. Not on the cheek but on lips like they were lovers. She returned the kiss and they kissed for a few very long moments. Then Shin said goodbye to everyone and left.
Rin noticed Tatusmi's suprise and she winked mischeviously at him. Tatsumi looked away not sure what to do.
"They sure are as close as it gets." said the Tyrant and Tatsumi had to chuckle despite himself.
As Rin introduced herself she immediatly got along well with the Jaegers, especially Seryu and Wave. As she got off to such a good start with Wave, Tatsumi saw Kurome glaring at Rin. He wondered if by the end of the trip Rin would join Kurome's undead puppets. With the Night Raid members to Tatsumi's suprise Rin was being very polite. Then it was time for Mine and Rin to meet. Everyone knew that it could only result in a disaster.
"I'm Rin. Nice to meet you." said Ren cheerfully and to everyone's suprise Mine actually smiled for a splitsecond as they shook hands. After the introductions were done everoyone breahted a sigh of relief.
"Where to now?" asked Rin and Wave at the same time before they looked at each other and started laughing while Tatsumi was afraid that Kurome was seriously going to kill someone.
"We are taking a detour to visit a certain village." Esdeath said as she picked up pace, Rin at her side like she was used to that kind of thing, everyone else folowing closely behind. Tatsumi looked at Esdeath walking before he picked up pace so he wouldn't be left behind. As he was passing by Mine and Leone he heard them talking.
"Why do we have to go so fast?" groaned Leone and Mine teased Leone that she was getting old.
"Nothing interesting here." said Tatusmi quietly and he continued until he was next to Kurome and Akame but after seeing in how much of a bad mood Kurome actually was in he passed them too, fearing for his own safety.
"I wouldn't want to be in Wave's shoes." remarked Tatsumi.
Next he came to someone normal. It were Run, Wave and Chelsea who were having an arguement over which sea food was best. Wave looked like he didn't have a care i nthe world. He was for fired fish, Run for ramen and noodles and Chelsea was for shrimps. Tatsumi was about to join in when the Tyrant warned him that if Tatsumi joined he would not shut up the whole day. It looked like the Tyrant didn't like the sea very much. Tatsumi was alredy moving on but he was angry at the Tyrant and so he decided to have a little chat with the annoying Danger Beast inside his mind.
"Do you want me to come inisde and kick your ass again?" asked Tatsumi being careful so that he didn't say it out loud.
"You are welcom to come and try!" taunted him the Tyrant but to be honest Tatsumi didn't know if he could go inside his own head again.
"You will see later." responded Tatsumi with no intention of doing that. As he looked forward he saw Rin, Esdeath and Seryu walking at the head of their small column. Rin turned around and looked at Tatsumi who smiled at her and she smirked. Then she said something to Esdeath at which they both chuckled but Tatsumi couldn't hear what it was. He walked even faster but then Rin whispered somehting to Seryu and then the three of them chuckled together. "Tyrant, could you somehow improve my hearing for a few moments?"
"No." the response was quick and short. Tatsumi rolled his eyes as once again the three women chuckled.
After some time he caught up with them and he was greeted by a storm of laughter and even a seductive wink from Esdeath. Tatusmi had not seen Esdeath like that with other people beside himself and once again he was pleasantly suprised by Esdeath even when he was expecting the unexpected. He also wanted to get to know Rin if for nothing else than curiosity. She seemed like an intersting person to him.
"Tatsumi, I'm happy you could join us." said Esdeath and smiled at him as he slowed down and walked beside the three. He slowly tried to take Esdeath's hand into his own, careful not to be seen and he suceeded in that mission.
"General how long dio you know Rin?" asked Seryu. Esdeath explained how she and the siblings first met and how it turned out. Tatsumi was proud at Esdeath. She had helped someone, she did it for her own reasons but she chose to help someone. Then Tatsumi remembered the kiss which Rin and Shin shared and curiosity got the better of him.
"So Rin... you and Shin are lovers?" asked Tatsumi with the word siblings still hanging in the air. Everyone went dead silent and Rin turned away from him. Tatsumi wanted to sink into the earth or maybe ask Esdeath to freeze him as it looked like he both hurt Rin's feelings and embarassed himself on a grand scale.
Then Rin laughed out loud and turned her head to look at Tatsumi.. "I win!" she exclaimed and Esdeath and Seryu shook their heads in dissaproval.
"What are you talking about?" asked a more than ever confused Tatsumi as he scratched his head.
"We bet on when you were going to ask. I told them before we stopped to rest and it looks like I win. And as for your question, yes, we are both siblings and lovers."
Tatsumi knew that he shouldn't poke any deeper. "Sorry for being rude but um... how?"
Seryu looked at Tatsumi and shook her head but Esdeath remained calm with a small smirk on her face, like she had heard the story a thousand times and Rin still had an adorable smile on her face. "Shin rescued me when our father sold me. We were there for each other when no one else was and one day it just happened. We had no one but each other then and even once general Esdeath recruited us we continued. The general doesn't mind as long as it doesn't affect our work. And why should ti be wrong? We are not blood related and we love each other. What is wrong with that?" said Rin looking at Esdeath. Rin looked at Esdeath like she was an godess and a mother to Rin. Tatsumi was even more sure of all of his decisions now that he had seen that Esdeath truly had a good heart.
"I think that it's nice that you are there for each other." said Tatsumi and all three women flashed him a smile.
"They are so annoying holding hands. What are they ? Kids?" said Mine as she shook her head.
"Jealous are we? Miss flat-chest?" teased her Leone.
Mine slowly turned her head to look at Leone. "Don't go there. Why don't you go to your boyfriend, Run? Oh yeah he is with Wave and Chelsea right now."
"Actually, not anymore." said Run as he ce up behind them with such a grace that it seemed almost feminine and yet still so masculine. If he left behind sparkles Mine would have no trouble believing that he was an angel.
"Oi, Run what are you doing here?" asked Leone in her playful manner.
"I came to see how you were doing." he said and they shared a long moment looking into each others eyes. It amde Mine want to puke but deep down she also wanted to have someone like that. The two blond lovers then looked forwards, past Chelsea who was walking alone and towards Rin, Tatsumi, Seryu and Esdeath
"She does seem to have the uncoditional loyalty of her soldiers." commented Leone as she hugged Run.
"She is the best commanding officer one can hope for." added Run.
"If you forget the slaughter which she is responsible for. And the sadism. And Wave siad that she threatened to torture him on a few ocassions." muttered Mine.
"That opnly goes for Wave. He is rather... special in that regard." Run said with a sly smile.
"I hate saying this but maybe she isn't as bad as we think." Leone said turning towards Mine with her arm still around Run. Leone squeezed every word through her teeth making it clear that she didn't want to say it.
"Do you wnat to go and join us up ahead? We would like your company." said Run. Mine snorted.
"Well when you ask like that... come on Mine let's go." responded Leone lookingat RUn like she was condemned to be with Mine when Leone wanted to be at the back.
"Yeah, you do that. I will in the meantime remain here with Pumpkin." said Mine pretending that she didn't care when in fact it hurt her a lot that her friend would betray her like that. But there still was some truth in Leone's words.
"If only we had horses or an Air Manta." said Mine as Loene and Run picked up pace to join the others. Then out of nowhere there came a shriek from behind them. Mine thought that she heard the voice before and when she turned she saw that she was right. It belonged to Wave who was lying passed ou in front of Kurome and one of Kurome's puppets. The puppet was a man with blond hair who was in white and had a spear like weapon. After some thought Mine deducted that the undead knocked Wave out for some reason. Akame then picked Wave up by his feet and started dragging him behind her. Mine had to stiffle a laugh when she saw that.
The next day...
Esdeath could smell the destruction long before they first saw the smoke even with the rain falling as much as it was. As soon as he saw the smoke Tatsumi started running towards where his village was. Esdeath ordered the others to catch up to him and her while she ran after him. She knew that he inevitably would need someone to be there for him. As the village became visible the smell of death and burning wood in the air became more noticable.
Esdeath looked more closely towards the burned but still smoking remnants of the village, in front of the first few black village huts she could see a person standing there. Tatsumi was entering the village. He needed to do it and she wasn't going to stop him so she slowed down, walking at normal speed so that Tatsumi could inspect everything by himself before she came. She knew that when her village burned down that she needed someone but that was a few hours after seeing her father die. The first few hours were a shock for her and no one could have helped her then. Tatsumi also needed some alone time. She wanted to be there with him but she woul have to wait first.
Tatsumi couldn't believe it. He didn't want to believe it. He had hoped the rumors were false, then he hoped that the smoke was not huts burning but something else. When he saw his village he hoped that the people at least escaped but as he was standing in the village center his hopes were once again shattered. On the ground there were the remains of the villagers. Some were charred skeletons, some were butchered corpses, some even half eaten by wild animals. Tatsumi puked when he saw it.
He searched the entire village but he didn't find a single survior. With every burnt down hut he entered to find it empty his spirit dwindled like a candle light under a strong wind. He sat down on the earth and leaned against a half burnt wall, the only part of what was once a hut which remained. He took out the wooden idol which he got the day when he left the village alongside Sayo and Ieyasu. Everyone from then was dead. Sayo, Ieyasu, the villager elder, all the villagers who believed in him. As tears came runing down his cheeks and hsi fist clencehd the idol he heard footsteps. Tatsumi didn't even raise his head to look who it was, he didn't care. He didn't even bother trying to guess who it was. Then the person without saying a word embraced him into a hug. By then he knew it to be Esdeath. He pushed her away. He wanted t be alone. But then she hugged him again and he didn't try to fight back, he was just too tired. He was too tired to do anthing. Instead he cried in her arms.
Esdeath held Tatsumi as he cried and she looked around. The village was totally destroyed with no survivors. It reminded her of her own village the day after the attack once all the fires were extinguished. After half an hour he spent crying in her arms he ran out of tears and so he got up. His face treathened to break her heart. The fire was burning brighter than ever before but Esdeath recognized those eyes and they hungered for revenge. She knew all too well that revenge was a poison. She saw it among ehr troops and she once longer for revenge herself but she let it go. Everyone else was waiting outside the village and they tried to comfort Tatsumi but he kept quiet and so did Esdeath. The rest of the path to the Path of Peace monastary was spent in solemn silence. Esdeath remembered Tatsumi's dream on the way there.
"But why should not the strong protect the weak instead? True strenght is the ability to protet those in need. I want a world where people like you will not trample on the corpses of the weak but will instead offer protection to those who need it." That was his dream. His foolish dream.
She didn't care for such a world. The only things she cared about were fighting and Tatsumi but if Tatsumi wanted such a world should she not help him? She glanced at him. His every gesture and movement were screaming with anger.
Author's note: So... here is another chapter finished. Hope you will enjoy it.