Author's Notes:
Hello! This is the start of my first ever fanfiction, can't say if it will be good or not and I most definitely did not proofread so chances are it won't but hey, it's the first for a reason. The idea for this one actually came off of another I was hoping to write, however, that one would have been a complete AU of Bell's life which seemed much more difficult than a cannon divergent, so I am starting here. Any advice or criticism you can give is helpful, I know this chapter was mostly exposition with almost no dialogue which is something I struggle reading sometimes but do not be alarmed I will try to balance it more in future chapters. The next chapter will be a flashback to how exactly the thing at the end happened so stay tuned for that!
A groan escaped her lips before her mind caught up to her surroundings. She opened her eyes to the ceiling of a hospital room, straining them to make out details in the refreshingly blinding light.
How did I… what happened?
"… uu! …. Ryuu!"
Syr..?
She tilted her head to the right to see a watery smile coming from the grey-haired waitress.
"Syr? I don't understand.. what happened? I thought I was with…"
All at once images crashed into her mind.
Jura.
Bell.
Explosions.
Bell.
Calamity.
Bell.
Arm.
Bell.
Worm.
Bell.
Darkness.
Bell.
But.. what happened? I.. don't understand, Bell was with me, so where is he now?
…
The funeral was a somber affair. Ryuu watched on from the back with dull, lifeless eyes. Her face refused to show this slightest hint of emotion but anybody looking closely could see the slight quake in her hands anytime his name was mentioned.
There were many in attendance. The executives of the Loki familia, Take familia, Miach, and Naaza, even a few members of the Guild. Luvis made sure to attend the funeral of the man who saved him. Ottarl watched from the sides as his beloved Goddess wept in his arms. The entire city felt the impact, even those who didn't like him for his previous success couldn't help but mourn for an adventurer who met such a terrible fate.
Bell Cranel was laid to rest five months after arriving in Orario.
…
Aiz Wallenstein wasn't sure how to handle the news, all she felt was confused, lost. Bell has always been.. peaceful.. uplifting. Seeing his body in the state it was in, mangled arm, cuts marring his now pale, blue skin, and a gaping wound widely cauterized. All it seemed to do was hurt. Bell wasn't supposed to die, he wasn't supposed to lose, he was good.
If even his pure white flame goes out, then why does her black flame keep burning? Why is the good that is stamped out? Her parents? Bell?
Aiz was confused but the Sword Princess was furious.
Riveria tried her best to help Aiz in her grief, even is she didn't know she was grieving herself, but nothing seemed to help.
In the months that followed, adventures city-wide would talk about the severe drop in monsters in the dungeon but nobody ever knew the cause. The only ones who knew were those of the Loki familia who were sent out night after night to get the Sword Princess to take a break and step away from the dungeon.
…
Three months have passed and Riveria had had enough, her adopted daughter refused to talk, not to her, nor her friends, nor Finn or Gareth. She needed to snap out of her denial so she can begin to come to terms with what happened. If it took another cinderblock and a river then that is what would happen.
Riveria expected many things when she set off towards Babel to find her daughter. What she did not expect was to find the fearless Sword Princess on her knees weeping as she clutched a familiar black dagger with a raven-haired goddess held her.
No matter what she had been expecting, the tears were a good sign, so she turned around and began retracing her steps to Twilight Manor.
…
Aiz wasn't sure how to handle the news.
He loved her?
He loved her enough that his drive manifested a skill that allowed him to grow that fast?
It didn't make sense. Bell was good, she wasn't like him. He was a hero, she was a girl whose heart burned with the flames of vengeance. It didn't make sense. It doesn't make sense.
Why would we love her?
…
Riveria was thinking over the plans for the Knossos assault when a knock rapped against her door. After a quiet 'come in,' the door shifted open to reveal a meek-looking girl.
".. Riveria?"
"Yes, Aiz?"
"Can we talk?"
"Of course, I'll make some tea while you make yourself comfortable."
Riveria returned minutes later with a porcelain kettle and began pouring two cups. She sat down and held her cup and the plate it rested on in her hands as we waited for Aiz to collect her thoughts.
"What is love?"
Well, that was not what I expected.
"Bell's Goddess spoke to me today, she explained things to me. She said Bell wouldn't want me to continue the way I am. He wouldn't want me to keep hurting myself the way I am. I wasn't really sure what she meant, but she explained it to me."
As Aiz continued, Riveria elected to remain silent and allow her to get everything out.
"She spoke about grief and about love. She said that Bell had loved me, that he went into the dungeon every day with two goals in mind. He wanted to protect everyone, his friends, his family the Xenos. But she also said he wanted to grow stronger.. to stand by my side?"
Aiz took a breath and glanced down at her cup of not-so-warm tea.
"I don't think I understand, she made it sound like Bell needed to improve to stand by my side. It doesn't make sense to me. Bell was good, he was always good. I don't know.. my parents never explained these things to me, my mother just said one day I hero would come for me as my father did for her. Was that Bell? Would it have been Bell?"
Riveria took a second to collect her thoughts and think through what she wanted to say.
"You've grown so much recently Aiz, Mr. Cranel truly had a great impact on you. I wish he was still with us so he could see who've you become since his loss."
"Bell was more than just a means to help me."
"Of course, Aiz, I seem to have misspoken. What I meant was that Mr. Cranel has finally opened your eyes a little, life is not all heroes and monsters. It is just as much the mundane in between. Bell Cranel was good for you, was he not? After his arrival in Orario you thought about things other than the dungeon and the dragon."
Aiz glanced up from her cup to see Riveria giving her a slight smile that was almost half-smirk.
"You miss him, don't you? Not the training you did together or the times you've watched him fight, but him and the times you spent together."
As Aiz thought about back, she remembered the times on the wall between each spar where it was just them sitting, or when they would get potato puffs for lunch. She thought back to their dance at the Apollo ball and the warmth that spread through her then. Before she knew it she could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.
"I.. do.. I miss him. Why did it have to be him, Riveria? Of all the people to meet such a fate, not even a quick death, but a torturous fight for survival? He was so good, and he didn't deserve that."
Riveria watched as the first tears in years began to stream down her daughter's cheeks, feeling totally helpless to help her daughter escape her current pain.
"I know it's hard Aiz, good people are lost all too often, and you've dealt with more tragedy than anybody your age should have. The only thing we can do in times like these is keep pushing forward, live our lives in the memory of those we've lost. Try to do our best by them to make sure their lives, their sacrifices, will continue to do good for the world even after they're gone."
Riveria watched as a small smile found its way onto Aiz's face, and then grew into the biggest smile she had ever seen on the Sword Princess.
"Live.. for him. I think I can do that!"
Aiz left for her room after a few more minutes with Riveria with a newfound purpose. Her hero never came when she was younger, so she swore to always be her own hero. Now, she swears to be the hero that Bell would have, should have, been. Instead of a hero for herself, she will be a hero for everyone.
…
Mikoto watched as her familia went about their daily routines without any of the joy they previously had.
Welf had thrown himself into his work, only exiting the scorching workshop to eat a meager amount of food. Hephaestus had stopped by a few times to force him to rest but nothing could keep him away for long. The grief he felt for his brother who dies because his gear wasn't able to protect him. He wouldn't let it happen again, not if he had anything to say about it.
Haruhime continued in her cleaning duties, dusting the furniture, sweeping the floors. When nobody was around, faint drops of water could be heard hitting the floor as she worked, continuing on despite the tears. Only one room remaining untouched as she could not bring herself to open it, to see where he should be, resting or reading their favorite hero stories.
Lili wasn't really sure what to do, she had promised to always be his side and his supporter. She had promised their Goddess to always keep him safe. She had broken both promises. She let him go on alone and he paid the price with his life, it was her fault, it had to be. He fell to the 37th without any of his supporter's gear, no potions, no rations, no water. How could he have survived without her? She had failed him.
Hestia was doing her best to encourage her familia, but it was difficult when she was feeling so utterly hopeless. The goddess of the home, family, and hope yet she couldn't maintain any of them.
Without their captain the family had all but stayed away from the dungeon, fearing what could happen if they were to step inside again. Fearing when the dungeon would bare its fangs again. The only time they returned was to travel to the 22nd with the help of Aisha to deliver to news to the Xenos who helped retrieve him and Ryuu.
…
Wiene was distraught, nobody knew how to help her. How could they? The closest thing any of them had to a parent was the dungeon who hated their existence, and Wiene had just lost her father. All she wanted was to curl up in a ball and cry for her lost hero, and so she did.
…
The regulars at Hostess may not have noticed a difference, Ryuu masked her pain well behind her mask of indifference, but those closest to her could see the downward spiral. Syr could tell she was returning to the state she was in after the death of her familia, the state she was in when she found her in that alley. She would just have to work twice as hard to help her.
Although it is somewhat difficult to help somebody when they leave with only a note saying they will be back in time.
…
Ryuu had never intended to find her Goddess again, she had hoped to not see the disappointment in her eyes when she learned what she had done. But she couldn't escape the pain that racked her body, making it hard to breathe whenever she thought about those she lost. Those that had died for her. Died. For a murderer.
Even though she knew she had forsaken the justice her Goddess was so fond of she couldn't think of anywhere else to go. So, she set out with no direction in mind just the hope that her feet would lead her home. To Astraea.
…
Finn had always been logical. Always thought through everything.
Some might say that relying on an ache in your thumb was illogical, but it gave results.
Despite this he couldn't help but laugh at how illogical his current course was. Ever since he began his journey his goal was the revival of the Pallum race, back to the age of knights of Phiana. However, he couldn't help the thoughts that lingered on Bell Cranel and his goals.
…
When the time came for the raid on Knossos it had already been six months since the death of Little Rookie. The assembled familias delved into the spirit realm to prevent the calamity that was rising beneath the walkways of Orario.
Finn was maintaining a war on five fronts when a voice spoke up from his oculus.
"Captain Finn, the Hestia familia has come to give our support. Give Lili two of the fronts to take command of, Lili will be dispatching our members to three different sites to aide in the battles."
"Hello Miss Arde, I am giving you command of three, including the front with the Xenos, it is time I live up to the legacy Mr. Cranel left for this rest of us, don't you think?"
"Lili couldn't agree more, give them hell, Captain."
…
"Awaken Tempest."
"Come now Aria, we've danced this dance before, that wind will not be enough for you to keep up anymore, you know that, don't you? It wasn't enough before and it certainly won't ..."
Aiz didn't wait for her to finish and drove forward, attacking with a grace unseen before now.
Slash. Parry. Stab. Duck. Block. Slash. Spin. Slash. Jump. Stab.
Each attack, each parry, each dodge wove together as the wind breezed across her skin. As the fight continued each side wore each other down, cuts could be seen across each of their skin as Revis's dungeon armor and Aiz's light armor collapsed to the ground.
Aiz grew frustrated as time continued on, she wasn't getting through, how could she be a hero for Bell if she couldn't finish this one fight right here and now. Memories of her mother and father flashed through her mind, images of her heroes, but as quick as they come were they burnt in the dragon's fire. Aiz's eyes flashed dangerously and she leveled her sword at her crimson-haired enemy.
"Awaken Tempest-Avenger."
…
"We have reports of another demi-spirit present one floor down, they said it was called Nidhogg."
Lili's eyes grew wide, she had heard the story of course she had, she had lived with two of the three biggest hero story otakus in Orario and it isn't like you need to live with Tiona Hyrute to hear her speak. If they Nidhogg, or even something close enough to justify naming it Nidhogg.
"Raul, Aki. Take whomever you can spare from your battle and continue to the lower level, Lili needs a team to find the exact location of that demi-spirit and begin a counter-attack before it is released."
"Understood, we are en route now."
Lili held her breath as she waited for any information about the dragon and their chances of defeating it.
"Lilicchi! Ray has gone ahead to scout the floor, she will guide your team to the dragon, hopefully, we can take it down in time."
Lili let out a sigh as she heard Lyd's news.
"Thank you Lyd, Lili will inform the members of the team immediately."
"Raul, Aki. The Xenos Ray will be coming to locate the spirit and guide you to it, follow her and relay any information she has gathered immediately so Lili can reevaluate and respond."
"Understood, we are coming up on the lower floor now."
Several minutes passed before the oculus flared to life again.
"The dragon has been sighted; it appears to be asleep right now but any move we make will likely wake it. From what we can tell it is not a normal dragon either but an irregular from the Dragon's Vase. We have no way of taking it down safely."
…
Aboveground, a brunette Goddess and an elf walk side by side as they make their way through the empty streets.
"Did something happen? Where is everyone?"
"I do not know, let's hurry, we can ask Goddess Hestia or somebody in her familia when we arrive."
As they make their way to the metal gates of the Heart Mansion, they feel the ground begin to quake and a terrible shriek each throughout the city.
"Ryuu?"
"I'm going, please get to safety as quickly as possible."
And with those parting words, the blonde elf bounded off in the direction the shriek came from, Daedalus Street.
…
Aiz glanced down to the sword place at her neck, dread building in her heart, her hatred for this monster only growing, blinding her. The winds that once gently caressed her skin turned violent and sharp, devoid of all color.
As she looked in the eyes of the one who would be her end a tear escaped her eye, a tear not herself but for the boy she failed. She wanted to be a hero for him, to help those in need but all she could do was hate, and even with all her strength, she wasn't even capable of protecting herself. If she couldn't be her own hero how could she hope to be anybody else's, how could she inspire hope when she felt none herself.
Is this the end?
I am sorry Bell, in the end I couldn't follow through. At the very least we can see each other again.
Her eyes flashed as she realized what she was doing.
No! Bell would never give up so easily, so long as I live, I can protect others. I won't allow Revis to hurt anyone else.
As Revis began to move to finish the battle, Aiz ducked back and swatted Revis's blade away. Quickly jumping back Aiz landed with both feet against the wall. She gathered the black winds around herself as she prepared to make the final move. Revis responded in kind and gathered more of the spirit armor around herself.
As both fighters prepared to end the battle a sound resonated throughout the artificial dungeon. As the sound reached her ears Aiz couldn't help but let out another few tears as her persona shifted from Sword Princess, level 6 adventurer, to Aiz Wallenstein, hero. She let out a watery smile as the sound reached her ears again. The winds surrounding her body slowed as she stayed mounted to the wall.
"Awaken Tempest-Protector."
…
Lili couldn't believe her ears.
Welf thought he was hallucinating.
Mikoto and Haruhime just glanced at each other as tears escaped the corners of their eyes.
Ryuu continued her fight with Filvis even as tears streamed endlessly down her face.
Finn let out a knowing smile.
The grand bell had chimed.