They were never a normal person in their town. Their heterochromatic eyes made them alien to everyone else. Blue sapphire and green emerald would stare at people as they were mocked and ridiculed. Rotten fruits or even stones tossed at them. However their eyes weren't the only reason they were ridiculed. Their body and the jealousy for what they were destined to weild. You see, he was extremely girlish for being a guy. Hips, gait, facial definition, and even their voice. Because of this, the people of the village had no qualms with using their body for their own needs. As for what they were to wield, it was one of the imperial arms. Number 48 of the imperial arms, Faded Glory: Mors. The last one ever built by the first emperor. Not many knew of it, and those that did felt insulted by the fact that it was going to be his. One did steal it during the night, however it came at a price. Mors didn't take kindly to those without an affinity to it, driving them insane as it drained their life. This didn't stop the slaughter of their village. The once small Imperial village laid dead before him as he stood before the shroud of the armor that was Mors. The person inside Mors prepared to strike them down, but as fate would have it, their time ran out. By the time they even raised their hand, they were already dead. It was then that they figured out that they hated pointless violence.
Many years later, a young girl with long black hair that reaches down to her knees and red eyes came towards the deserted village. She wore a dark sleeveless tank top with a white collar and a red tie. A red belt that has a red side skirt cover over a black, pleated skirt. Long black socks and black shoes. She also wore red gauntlets and black gloves. Her long dark cloak covered faded red scars all over her body. Looking around, all she saw were graves by each door. She shuddered to think what had happened here to not bury people at the graveyard. Approaching what could best be described as a ziggurat, she heard the motion of an armor. Quickly, she drew her blade. An imperial arms as they called it. Murasame. Her eyes stared on what could best be described as the avatar of death itself. The black armored marched down the steps. A tattered and torn scarf around their neck. There was a skull adorned like a full helmet with red glowing eyes. Stepping forward, the imposing figure looked down at her.
"Why have come here girl?" Their voice was slightly feminine as it spoke to her.
"I heard you have imperial arms. I was hoping that it could help my friend." She spoke calmly despite her evident hunger.
"No. It cannot help your friend….It can lead you to a time when you could."
Her eyes widened hearing this. "How?"
"Faded Glory: Mors. It has two trump cards. One causes death. The other opens the gates of time and space, but only briefly." They pointed to the armor they wore.
"Please. You have to let me help him."
The figure looked down at them and looked away. "What is your name?"
She was….hesitant at first. However she wouldn't get them to use their trump card if they were dead. Sheathing her weapon, she replied, "Akame. My name is Akame."
"Let me ask Akame….Do you know the price of this trump card?"
"No."
"It is a high one I suppose. Once active, it takes the user and whoever is with them, putting them in another world. An alternate timeline or universe. Doing so, you will remember everything, but you will be in the life of a different you. You won't remember their life and will be playing catch up on the events that had come to be. Friends will treat you like an alien if you tell them that you're from another timeline. If you tell anyone, you will be thought of as insane. Are you willing to pay this price? To take the life of another you as your own for one person?"
She was hesitant again. This time for much longer. It was clearly an easy decision, but was it one she was willing to make. 'For Tatsumi,' she thought. "I am."
"Are you willing to make me pay that price too?"
Her eyes went wide, forgetting she wasn't the only one who'd be dragged to another world. She could feel her hands tremble at the idea of ruining another person's life after trying to make life better for everyone. Then she tightened her resolve. "I am. If you are too."
The figure looked down at her silently. A low laugh escaped the armor, betraying the grim reaper persona it had. "You know Akame….I like you. At first I was worried you'd say yes without thinking. Now I know I can trust you." She looked down unsure what to say. "I will help you. But you must do something for me. I want you to find me in the next life. And right now…. I want to see you smile." Her eyes glistened at this sudden request. A smile? It's been so long since she had. Placing a hand on her chest and thinking of how they were going to help her save Tatsumi, she gave the best smile she ever could to them. Their claw-like gauntlet patted her head before they turned. "Alright Faded Glory: Mors. It's time for the last resort." A massive key began to appear out of thin air, landing in their hands. Pushing the key forward, it was like inserting a key into an invisible door. "Gate….keeper."
Their voice followed by a massive gust of wind which blew Akame's cloak away and she winced as she watched in awe. The space that once was invisible began to open up like a massive doorway. All she could see beyond this door were a rainbow of colors. This was until they were both pulled into the door suddenly by and gust of even stronger wind. Her hand instinctively reached for theirs just to watch as the armor faded. He floated with her in a pair of black pants that was held to their waist by a blue belt. A blue keyhole top and long silken gloves that were attributed to their more feminine body. Their hair was a short shiny brown with ice blue colored ends that was longer on the left than the right with a slight bit of curl and bounce to it.
They smiled and shouted to Akame. "Remember what you promised right? You said you'll come find me." They smiled. "My name. It's Aura. Please keep your word Akame."
Everything blurred from there. Akame stirred as she woke up. She was….at the Night Raid hideout. Feeling something around her head, she reached up feeling what could only be bandages wrapped around her head. What happened? Was it all a dream? Slowly sitting up, she noticed something. Eyes went wide when she realized the markings given to her by Murasame were gone. It wasn't a dream.
"Morning sunshine. You took quite the fall there." Her eyes went wide as they turned to a young, curvaceous woman. She had short blonde hair with two long tufts that frame the sides of her head and golden eyes. Wearing a revealing outfit with a black tube top, detachable sleeves, pants, boots and a scarf around her neck.
"Leone. You're alive. I…." She tried to stand before stumbling.
"Wow easy there. You took quite the hit from that danger beast on our way back to the hideout." Leone helped Akame back to bed. "And what do you mean I'm alive? Of course I'd be alive silly. Besides, I had Tatsumi with me. The kid seems to know how to fight. Just glad Sheele got you back."
"Sheele? Does that mean Bulat's here as well?" Akame asked almost excitedly.
"Who's Bulat?"
It was like her heart was shot down in seconds. The words coming back to her mind. 'An alternate timeline or universe.' Taking a deep breath, Akame spoke again, "Of course. I….hit my head a little hard out there."
"We know. You just get better okay. If not, then we'll have to pull more work patrolling the Emerald Forest alone." Leone grinned fiercely.
"Emerald forest?"
"Wow you really did hit your head hard." Leone's grin disappeared. "It's our base here in Vale. We have a sweet deal with the headmaster of the academy in the backyard of our base. We keep the forest clear of danger beasts, ignore the grimm unless necessary until the academy's initiation is over, then we get a base until we remove prime minister Honest. Technically they aren't part of the Revolutionary army and have nice ties with the Emperor, but they support our cause."
"I see." Akame replied, trying to process this information. Then another thing hit her. "Leone I need your help."
Leone jumped at the sudden urgency Akame showed. "Jeez girl, don't scare me like that. You know I'm always willing to help. Just tell me what you need."
"There's an imperial arms user that I made a promise to. Their name is Aura and….I promised I'd find them."
"Aura? That sounds familiar actually."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Boss gets dossiers of the students to know who to suspect in case they come near the base. She mentioned an Aura but we only skimmed through it. You say they're an imperial arms user?" Akame nodded repeatedly. "Well I'll talk with Mine and Chelsea. They'll keep a lookout for them."
"Chelsea's here too?"
"Yeah. They haven't just been hiding Night Raid. They've been expediting the Revolutionary army here for years. Now don't tell me you don't remember that."
Akame looked down, suddenly feeling the need to play catchup. This new world was interesting to her in so many strange ways. Perhaps talking with the boss would help clear a lot of these things up. Right now though it would probably be best to recover after a danger beast attack. With Aura on an airship on route to Beacon academy. They opened their eyes and groaned as they sat up. Some people were around them wondering what happened. He did see a person leaving the group, a very angry looking man. Then a fair-skinned blonde with lilac eyes came up to them. A cowlick standing atop her head of golden hair. She wore a tan jacket that bares her midriff, with golden brown piping and short, puffy sleeves with black cuffs that feature two gold buttons. Underneath this, she had a low cut yellow crop top with a symbol on her left breast. Further down she wore a brown belt covered by a pleated brown piece of material reaching from hip to hip around the back of her waist, with that same emblem. A long, white, asymmetrical piece of material reaching to her knee on the right side, as well as a pair of tight black spandex compression shorts that reach her upper thighs. She wears a pair of brown, knee-high boots and orange over-the-knee socks, with the right sock pushed down just below the knee. A gray bandanna is tied around her left knee. Aura blushed as she reached down to help him up.
"You okay? That guy that decked you was a jerk." She informed him as she pulled him up.
"I-I am. T-Thank you miss?" Aura stuttered nervously. "Oh sorry. I-I should say my name. I'm Aura."
"Yang Xiao Long. Don't wear it out." She winked with a grin. "Anyways if you want help getting back at that guy, I am more than willing to help ya."
Aura laughed cutely. "I thank you for the offer, but I think I can handle him in an actual fight."
"Really? So you're saying you let him deck you?" She grinned at them.
"T-That's not what I'm saying at all." Aura blushed, getting rather flustered.
"Chill, I'm just teasing." She laughed at their expense.
Aura pouted. Then they grinned thinking of a way to lighten the mood in their favor. "I guess this is what they call showing up with a Yang."
She covered her mouth trying not to laugh at the awful pun as people groaned and dispersed. "You know what. I had you pegged wrong. You and I are gonna be awesome friends." Aura couldn't help but smile at the compliment. "Come on. Let me show you my sister." She practically dragged Aura with her. They brought him up to a girl with black hair, fair-skin, and these beautiful silver eyes. This girl wore a black long-sleeved blouse with a high collar and red trim on the sleeves, over which is a black waist cincher with red lacing up the front, and a matching skirt with red lining. A pair of thick black stockings and black combat boots with red laces, red trims around the top, and red soles. There was a red hooded cloak. "Ruby I'd like you to meet Aura. Already his first day and he's getting bullied so…."
"Your eyes." Aura blushed deeply looking at Ruby's silver eyes with their green and blue ones. "They're very pretty." They said almost unconsciously getting a lot of blush out of the black haired girl.
"Umm. Thanks." She replied shyly at the sudden compliment. "Yang you said he was being bullied already?"
"Don't mind her. She hasn't had a boyfriend yet." She winked at Aura causing more than just a little blush.
"Yang!" Ruby responded with a bit more than a little irritance at her sister's comment.
"What? I can't help that they got the hots for you." She continued her teasing of the two, grinning all the way.
"I-I'm sorry. It was my own fault I said that. That's a nice weapon on your back though. A transformable scythe with high caliber sniper rifle, assault rifle mode, and a war scythe transformation?"
Ruby's eyes instantly lit up upon them listing off the abilities of her scythe. "Oh my god! Yes. How'd you know all of that!?" She inched closer and closer with each word.
"W-Well I know a thing or two about weapons myself." Aura replied while rubbing the back of his head.
"Oh my god, oh my god!" She then pulled out the block that was her weapon. It transformed and extended into a scythe, causing some people to back up. "This is Crescent Rose. I made her myself. Isn't she cool!" She spoke almost a million miles an hour.
"Easy now. You're going to scare them off already, Rubs." Yang teased her sister.
"Your weapon too. It's a pair of gauntlets with concussive shotgun blasts."
"How did you?" She shook her head then smiled. The pair of bracelets around her wrists extending into two gauntlets. "Yes. Ember Celica."
"Oh my god, what's your weapon? Tell us." Ruby could barely contain her excitement as she bounced up and down.
Aura looked at her nervously before pulling out a pure black blade. It's blade, cross guard, and hilt were all black. "Faded Glory: Mors. It's an imperial arm so it does more than just act like a blade. It just looks this way because it's inactive."
"Hold on. Imperial arm? You mean those weapons over sea made from those weird monsters? Heard there were only forty-eight of those." Yang responded clearly knowing more than she let on.
"This is one of those forty-eight. It turns into an armor. I can call forth a scythe or a rifle while it's active. Though that's just one of its features aside from looking really intimidating." Aura had smiled as they informed them of their weapon. "Once active I can probably take on just about anyone, but only for a short while. It's a real drain on my stamina."
"Oh my god. Can you show us what it does sometime?" Ruby asked excitedly.
"Only for ten minutes at best. After that I'll be lucky if I am still awake."
Ruby's eyes glittered brightly as she stared at Aura. Yang messed with her hair, smiling happily. "Yang. Stop." She groaned, swatting her hand away from her hair.
"See I told you you'd make a new friend when we got there. I mean we aren't even there yet and already you got someone interested in you." She grinned happily.
"What can I say? I Rose to the occasion."
"NO! There's two of them!" Ruby practically screamed when he made the pun. Yang couldn't help herself but break out laughing.
Aura smiled at the cute sisterly duo as they talked to each other. Pulling out their scroll, a device similar to a phone, they saw the background picture. It was slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. Black eyeliner traced his visible left eye. There was a man with slanted, dark-green eyes and bright, long, orange hair, with long bangs covering his right eye. Black eyeliner traced his visible left eye. He wore a red-lined white suit with long black pants and black shoes. His accessories included a small gray scarf, black gloves with buckled sleeves, and a black bowler hat with a small feather tucked into its red band. One of his hands was on Aura's head in this photo while he smoked a cigar with a smile. There was also a girl with half pink and half brown hair, with white streaks on the pink side. She was up close in front of the camera giving only a shot of her head. Her brown left eye and pink right eye staring into the camera. Aura looked just as nervous as he usually did, but also….happy. He was sad he couldn't remember this body's memories, but at the same time they were excited. They wanted to meet these people again. Looking through the device, he tried to catch up through many notes he seemingly left himself and never deleted. This was going to be a fun new life, he could already feel it.
At the airship docking area, two girls stood talking to each other. One had pale skin, pinkish auburn hair, and pink eyes. She wore a butterfly headphone accessory on her head and a vocalist-like clothing consisting of a white long sleeve shirt with the collar tied with a red ribbon under a black vest, a red checkered mini skirt, and black leather below-the-knee boots. As well as carrying a cosmetic case with her. The other was a young girl of below-average height. She had very long pink hair tied in twin-tails on the right and left sides of her head as well as big pink eyes. Wearing a pink outfit, consisting of a tied shawl with a high collar, a pink long sleeve shirt, a gown, and black stockings with pink shoes. On her back was a big metal case almost as tall as her.
The girl in a lot of pink groaned. "Why are we doing this again?"
"Because someone on this airship has a teigu and we all owe Akame." The other lady replied while sucking on a lollipop.
"No I mean why us? I hate working with you!"
"Not my choice Mine. I would have preferred not to bring a billboard here while I searched." She teased her cuz of her flat chest.
"Billboard!? You bitch! If I had the choice I'd fill you with holes for that!"
"Oh there's the airship. Amazing they can make such impressive designs outside the empire." The one that was clearly Chelsea through the process of elimination ignored her.
Mine continued to yell at her while Chelsea smiled. This was going to be a long day of recon for the one they were here for. A long day and a bright new future for Aura from a dismal past.