A/N: yowhadup. i promised i was still working on it, and here it finally is. A lot of shit happened to me between last chapter and now, but life goes on and so does this story.
btw if you don't follow the collection i have a tahmblr now, username Kaponoss, and thats an easier place to contact me should you have questions/suggestions.
-oOo-
'Hot... it's so... it burns...' As Akko once again grabbed hold of her consciousness from whatever void it had been tossed into, the first thing she knew was heat; sweltering and all consuming, like she was the wood in a homely hearth. The second thing she knew was noise- voices, two of them shouting in muffled fury, a steady commanding tone in her right ear, a ferocious and violent one in her left.
Were they arguing? The defender tried focusing harder on what they were saying, receiving only a throbbing headache for her troubles.
'What was I doing last...?' She thought, remembering a loud screeching noise, memories that didn't fit in her own head, and then-
Overwhelming darkness, knowledge of an evil that had always been hiding in plain sight, and a burning hatred both her own and very much not.
"KillKillKillKillKillSmiteTheDemonsBurnTheEvil"
Ten white dots.
"ProtectThePrincessByHerSideAlways"
Akko grabbed her skull tightly; the voices that were once separate and distinct entities had begun to meld in their clash, complete sentences and articulation giving way to a steady stream of thoughts and phrases.
"BurnTheBeastBurnTheBeast"
The strength of the magics clashing within her weighed like mountains. She thought of Her Highness, of the godly Gifts she had been given: was it like this for her too?
"HerHighnessYesThePrincessLoveProtectForever"
Utterly overwhelmed, Akko pictured Her Highness's smug smile: sharp teeth and creased eyes, how the defender wanted to see it again, keep it safely on her face for all time.
"PrincessYesProtectKillEnemiesSmiteBeastSavePrincess"
Which voice was that one? Were they merging? They all sounded the same now.
Finally opening her eyes, Akko swore she could see Her Highness in the snow, though there was no smile to accompany her.
"Your... Highness...? Please... smile for me..."
Sucy watched with horror, through the looking glass of green, as her dearest suffered within the monstrous pyre. Flames of scarlet red and azure blue struggling against one another in a twisted tug of war, with Akko as the rope.
On one end, her father's oath: an all encompassing duty to king and country.
On the other, the lost light: a godly strength not seen for an era. Capella's light.
She could barely comprehend the ramifications, looking back on months of bizarre behaviour with new eyes. The pressure was always there, a feeling of strong magics she attributed to her father or the cursed snow or even anxiety, but now that she had a face for the nameless feeling, she felt so many things at once.
Her noble blood felt envy that a mere peasant girl could possess such strength, her loving heart felt sorrow at the thought of one she held so close suffering without her knowledge, but most of all, deep within her young soul, she was afraid.
Afraid of the unknown, afraid for the life of her defender, afraid for her kingdom, dying beneath the frost.
Afraid of the future.
All of a sudden, as if something within Akko had gave way, the two magics ceased their combat. Once opposed in their dance- enemies in a magical debate, they now shifted together, melding into something else entirely.
The pyre began to rapidly shrink, vicious red rushing into the core of calm blues, disturbing the snow on the ground of the physical word such was its intensity.
What remained was a wispy ember of red and blue, bigger than the gentle candles in the hearts of her fellow knights; the duo of colours continuing to mix in a lazy waltz.
The defender stood straight once more, her head tilted up to the cloudy skies as her eyes, once fogged and hazy, gained the sharpness of a warrior.
She slowly looked down at her hand, clenching and relaxing her fist. A deep breath followed, muscles relaxing.
'This will do.'
Sucy blinked away the Gift of Knowledge to better focus on her shield, who marched back her way with purpose, like a woman with a plan.
In spite of her fears, she couldn't stop herself when Akko finally drew close, her hands flew to the defender's face, her chest, her arms, looking for something- anything wrong.
Atsuko, unfazed, kneeled before her, head bowed. "Apologies, Your Highness, I was merely scouting the terrain with the sight you granted me." Their eyes met.
There was nothing, her posture, her cadence, it was perfect.
"You are truly Chosen of the Nine. Praise be unto They."
It was the kind of obvious statement she was used to: nobles and peasantry alike reaffirming that yes, she was the heir to the throne, but in this moment, in this place, the words made the princess blink hard.
"Yes. Yes, praise be." Sucy parroted after a second of pause. "-But what were you even looking at dearest? You seemed quite focused."
The edge in her features receded, returning to the sullen frown the defender had carried throughout the journey thus far, and as much shame as it brought her, Sucy felt the slightest bit relieved.
"You see it often don't you?" Atsuko asked in an almost meek murmur. "That choking evil in the air, sucking the life from the earth- such an ugly thing your lovely eyes must bear." Her tone was mournful and genuine, the adoring words welling up naturally rather than from an intent to flirt.
"The sight steals my courage, weighing down upon me like the snows It follows. Knowing the source, I am struck with fear... overwhelming fear that tells me to run and hide and cry." Gently grasping one of Her Highness' hands, Akko brought it to her face with both of her own.
"But nothing that this world could do to me scares me more than what it could do to you."
Chocolate brown hair fell down over the defender's eyes, shrouding her face in shadow as she pressed the princess' knuckles to her lips. "I can imagine the stress, the fear for your people, too much for one woman, no matter how incredible." A grin tried to form on Akko's face, but it couldn't quite make it, looking more like she was about to cry instead. "Rely on me, Your Highness. Please."
"I am your sword and shield. I protect you from threats of all kinds: to the body but also your soul and your smile."
Her Highness's heart skipped a beat, bringing warmth to her face in spite of the icy wind.
"As long as you're safe and smiling, I can do anything." It was an oath of loyalty yes, but it was also a fearful plea, a grasping hand reaching for the light. A little voice hissed that she wasn't worthy of such loyalty and sacrifice, that such a malformed and weak thing like her didn't deserve it, but rather than bring despair, the thought only increased the princess' gratitude.
Had there not been so many spectators, and had Akko not just been sharing her deepest hopes and fears, Sucy might have just tackled her defender to the ground and kissed her right then and there.
"Continue to say such things and I shall do more than just smile." She teased, pulling Akko up to full height for a close embrace.
And yet, even as her heart fluttered and face split in wide grin, the image burned clear in the back of Sucy's mind: the lost light of Capella, crushing her shield beneath the might of gods.
-oOo-
Cold and uncaring as the winter, the day continued, with the princess and her protector assisting however they could. From Akko, brute labour: lifting pallets and raising beams, utilizing her not unnoticeable strength much to the princess' spectating delight. From Her Highness, gifts of the gods: golems of stone and magic to defend the gate and wards of life to dispel the dark miasma and halt its reclamation of the fort.
Lotte arrived with a hot meal just as sun reached its apex in the sky, pouring first a cup of the princess' favourite tea, and then lifting the silver cover that protected steamy soup from the wind. Akko visibly salivated, halted only by her heavy armour in crawling over the princess to get at the food.
"That's right, you have worked hard today." Her Highness hummed, wiping the drool from Akko's chin with the edge of her red cape. She giggled softly, flashing a toothy grin in her maid's direction. "Look at her- like a starving dog or infant."
"You both have worked hard, Your Highness." Lotte corrected, handing the bowl to Akko and the cup to the princess. "There's enough there for both of you, make sure to split it properly!" She punctuated her words with a meaningful look at the defender. "You both need to keep your strength up. We'll need it again before long."
Making sure to completely finish swallowing before speaking, Akko paused in her ravenous feast. "And what about you? You've been running around nonstop since we arrived- come sit with us!"
Her Highness seemed to agree after a second's deliberation, patting the spot next to her, motioning for the handmaiden to relax . "There's much that needs doing." Lotte explained, looking down at the snow and kicking a pile up in the air with her boot. "The plan is to move out within the hour, and then on to the next one."
The Kingdom of Luna never had a need for such intensive internal defences before: generally high civil obedience, the god given power of the Chosen, and the knighthoods of the various dukedoms doing more than enough to manage crime and beasts on their own. Focus had always been placed more on the borders of the kingdom; on the heathen hoards and demons from beyond that wished to claim the holy land for their own.
And yet, even in a land so blessed and so at peace, darkness was able to take root- seep into the land as if from nowhere and war had come home with it.
Would the land she loved ever be the same?
Lotte sighed, smoothing down a wrinkle on her skirt that wasn't there. "To be honest, I want to get these finished as soon as possible; who knows when the next village could be attacked, when the next family could be torn apart."
Humming with approval, the princess took another sip from her cup, breathing in the calming earthy vapours. "You are woman of two sides Miss Yanson. One of steel and rope, capable in all things- dutiful in the hardest work, and one of milk and honey, companionate and loving. A superior mother and wife there would not be."
She flushed pink at the praise, but turned to bow her head at the royal heir through her embarrassment. "Your words feel like a blessing from the Nine Themselves, Your Highness. I shall carry them in my heart always."
The three sat together for a while after, silently enjoying eachother's company and the sounds of life that surrounded them. It wasn't until the princess' tea was nearly gone that the soundscape was interrupted.
"ALLIED FORCE INBOUND, GET THAT GATE OPEN!"
Workers and soldiers rushed around to unlock the new gate, pulling it open just as a triple line of horses galloped through, Swordmaster Amanda O'Neil at its head. The line fanned out as they entered, moving to one of the multiple stables that lined the walls, but the Amanda continued to ride forward towards where Her Highness and her two most loyal sat.
Sucy rose to greet her, pulling her shield alongside and falling into their usual walking roles.
Hopping off of her horse with the grace of a dancer or acrobat, the swordmaster bowed to Her Highness, hand over her heart. "My liege, I arrive with my best to assist in this great endeavour. And to bring news." Her tone was serious, devoid of the cocksure pride and bombast she trained her men with.
"Rise O'Neil, mighty swordmaster, and speak of this news." The princess responded in kind, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin. "Has this to do with the enemy?"
Amanda nodded, pulling a parchment scroll from her hip satchel. "Yes, Your Highness, scouts belonging to house Hanbridge, tasked with maintaining visual on the presumed enemy commander, just reported a change in heading. It's coming this way."
The princess read the scroll- a map of the area surrounding Fort Hanbridge -noting the marked waypoints and the path they estimated. "Unfortunately I must come to the same conclusion." She sighed, resting her head against Akko's arm. "But what could cause such drastic change? The beast marches unfalteringly eastwards for an entire fortnight, then suddenly reverses course in less than a day."
The defender clenched her jaw with anxiety, her chest seemingly dropping in temperature by several degrees. 'freezingburningithurtspleasesocold'
In that moment, something inside her shifted: her wide fearful eyes turning hard and stormy, her spine straightening, hand reaching to sit purposefully on the pommel of Claiomh Solais.
"It's reasons are irrelevant." The defender bit, interrupting the moment of contemplative silence. "If it comes here, comes after Her Royal Highness, Chosen Above All, I shall personally grind its bones to dust."
A shiver ran down Sucy's spine at the harsh and low tone of her shield's voice, warily side-eying the woman beside her.
"I expect your knights have been prepared to stall the beast's movements?"
Amanda stumbled over herself for a moment, surprised and a little confused at the seriousness and poison in Akko's voice.
"Uh- yeah. We'll buy you as much time as possible to create distance; when the next wave of reinforcements arrives my men and I will follow."
The defender lifted her chin a little higher, closing her eyes. "Very well." She nodded. "Then we should move out as quickly as possible, Your Highness?"
Reading the mind of her shield was fairly easy most days, not a drop of magic used; Akko was a simple girl, her every thought visible on her lovely face.
However, this was not most days, and this was not the face Her Highness loved so.
It took Sucy a few moments to comprehend what she was being asked, but she eventually understood, pulsing a wave of blue outward from her body. Her servants' internal candles responded in turn, and suddenly abandoned their tasks to begin packing up the carts for departure.
"Whoa." Akko gasped, the hard set jaw and cold eyes apparently blown off her face by the magical blast. "It's been awhile since I felt one of those. Still weird." Her free hand rubbed at her chest like she was gulping back heartburn.
"Do not get too used to it, dearest." Her Highness hummed in a sultry tone. "There are more direct ways of making you obey when the time comes."
"S- Your Highness!" Akko cried, scandalized.
Perhaps it wasn't the time nor place to be making innuendos, but Sucy desperately needed the stress relief, and the dark red flush against her dearest's fair skin was among the greatest in the kingdom.
"My liege if I may." Amanda interrupted, holding back a cackle from behind her fist. "Perhaps the royal carriage is a better place for this. More privacy."
Sucy chuckled but nodded in agreement. "Thou'rt correct Swordmaster. Then I wish thee luck and safety. May the blessings of the Nine be with thee in this most dangerous task."
Amanda saluted with a grin. "My soul for the Nine and my life for their Chosen."
-oOo-
They were gone within the hour as planned, leaving behind an almost fully furnished fortress and a single battalion of knights to hold the line.
The swordmaster sighed from atop the wall, stretching one side of her body and then the other, arms reaching out above her head. "God, the things I do for king and country. This is gonna suuuuck."
"Sir?" A knight at her side questioned, fist clenched tightly around his war hammer.
"I mean the trash won't be too much of a problem- new additions notwithstanding. I'm more worried about our guest of honour." Her arms came down to rest behind her, hands on the back of her head. "Just think about it, the only things we know about it are it's size and magic potential, both of which I hate enough on their own."
"I see, Sir." The knight nodded. "If it's any consolation, we aren't expecting the enemy commander for a few hours at the least..."
"It'll have to do." Amanda took a seat, dangling her legs off the side of the fortification, staring out at the sea of evergreens. The knight remained standing, fidgeting in place as if containing his words. She shifted her gaze to the side to glance at his face, bushy 'stache and green eyes, gesturing at him to spit it out.
"You spoke with the Royal Defender did you not, Sir? What is she like?"
The questions were somewhat expected, though still shook her balance. Whispers had been circulating throughout the knight's quarter and the castle as a whole: the Shield of the Princess, fearless, mighty, heroic. Flaming sword in hand, she purged Luna of evil, like an avenging avatar of the Nine sent down to save them all.
Amanda had brushed off the rumours with a laugh, imagining the doofus she trained with slipping on ice as she swung that sword around.
But after today, seeing her face, and hearing her voice- how far she had risen in such a short time, how much she changed.
"She's like hot coals: warm, comforting and bright, but also scalding, dangerous. You should try and stay out of her way, unless you're ready to become kindling."
A/N: Theres a lot of plotbunnies in this chapter. maybe thats why it took so long. i had to actually answer questions instead of just posing them. hope you liked it.
btw i realized a week ago that the beast looks a whole lot like the pokemon Regigigas. that was a complete accident but i guess now if you want to get a better picture of it in your head theres that.