Chapter VIII: A Past Untold

"Tch, great idea Ragna. You finally find a group of decent people to trust you and what's the first thing you do? You summon a giant Black Beast head from the ground." The Reaper sighed to himself in the middle of his self-lecturing. He and the rest of the Shepherds were walking back to the capital of Regna Ferox with the rest of the nobles. Well the Shepherds were walking, the nobles were taking their carriages. "Well at least those noble dicks aren't talking to me anymore, but that just means they're probably taking their brown nosing to Chrom, poor bastard."

Indeed, since the battle Ragna had gotten very little attention from the nobles, of course that might be less about the move that Ragna used and more about his apparent gruff attitude and hatred towards most of them. It didn't help that every time a noble attempted to congratulate him on the fight, his words to them were usually along the lines of 'piss off.' They didn't like his attitude? Well, he wouldn't be this way if he didn't have to fight for some self-serving nobles now would he?

Truthfully, he'd always act like this around the so called 'nobility.' Recent events had just given him a good excuse to have this attitude towards them. Funny thing was this was only the third time he'd ever dealt with nobility. The second time was at the ball last night where he'd manage to knock the shit out of that perverted noble in one punch. The first time… well that was a different story.

*Flash Back- Two months ago*

"I really don't understand why you're coming with us," Jin Kisaragi said to his older brother. "What we're about to deal with has nothing to do with you."

"You realize that couldn't be further from the truth?" Ragna said to his younger brother. "This may be your show, but I'm coming with you, like it or not." Kagura sighed as he walked behind the group, at least he had an actual reason for coming along.

"Moral support is it?" Tsubaki sarcastically asked the Reaper with a steeled gaze. "Ragna, you'd be doing more harm than good coming to this. Why are you so insistent on this?"

"Someone needs to speak their mind here, it might as well be me. Though I'm surprised you're not trying to stab me in the back, Yayoi."

"Currently you're the lesser of two evils so I've decided to endure working with you for now," the red head told him as they walked up to the front door. She took a deep breath before knocking on the door. An elderly gentleman in a butler's tuxedo (not Valkenhayn) opened the door, looking upon the new comers with narrow eyes. "Claud," Tsubaki said to the man, one of her butlers and oldest friends.

"Yayoi," the man said, refusing to even call the young woman by her title. "You're late everyone arrived less than an hour ago. You're not sending a respectful message starting off."

"Apologies," Jin told the man. Ragna gritted his teeth. 'Don't those damn nobles remember that we're the ones fighting the whole damn war here?'

"You, Master Mutsuki and Tsubaki will come with me to the meeting. Ragna the BloodEdge can wait here," Claud said before addressing the man in red. Ragna's glare at the older man was menacing, the slightest amount of Seither was coming out of his right eye. This was when the butler realized what dancing with the Grim Reaper entailed. "Or perhaps he'd prefer to join us?" Claud offered nervously.

"Damn straight I'm gonna," Ragna said following his brother and Tsubaki. The young Yayoi heir sighed to herself. They'd just made it here and already things were off to a bad start.

The five walked through the mansion until they reached the room known as Tsubaki's father's study. Claud opened the door for the four. "Master, they've arrived," he said simply. Seated inside were several of the members of the Duodecim. Included in that was Jin's adopted father and both of Tsubaki's parents.

"Thank you Claud, you can leave now," Tsubaki's father, told the butler. Claud nodded as the four made their way into the room. "Tsubaki."

"Father," she said to him. The old man shook his head.

"What's the Grim Reaper doing here?" one of the nobles demanded in shook.

"I told you we had a trump card to winning this war," Kagura told them. "This is it."

"Just be sure to keep your dog on a tight leash," a woman demanded. "I don't want us to be responsible for the damage caused by his rampage."

"Feh." With that Ragna walked over to the side of the room and leaned against the wall. It looked like Tsubaki had been right, but he'd stay and let this play out, for now.

"I suppose we'll have to get down to business. Tsubaki, this talk of your impregnation with Jin Kisaragi's child, is it true?"

"Yes," Tsubaki told him. Ragna could tell she was already on the verge of tears, but was holding out to do whatever she could for her lover and child.

"Unbelievable," her mother said disgusted. "I thought we'd raised to you to have more sense than this. Haven't you remember our talks to you about our traditions?"

"Whoa, hold on a minute," Kagura voiced aloud. "This might actually be for the best. You've been unable to produce another child due to generations of inbreeding and Jin's one of the best Ars Magus users today. In a way, it sounds like he was the only choice to begin with."

Ragna might've seen Kagura as a womanizer, but he'd grown to respect the guy over the fights the two had endured and he was certainly respecting him now. Kagura was able to keep a level head in this situation and lead with sound logic instead of violence. Had Ragna been in his place, he would've gone berserk two minutes into this.

"Logic choice or not, that doesn't change the fact this child was conceived out of wedlock!" one of the other nobles shouted. "What would that say of the Duodecim's leadership role and policies? This cannot go unpunished!"

"Oh really!?" Kagura challenged. "After all of the skirt chasing I've done ever since I've taken over Ikaruga you're punishing Tsubaki!? What the hell's wrong with you dad!?"

"Your actions haven't led to the conceiving of a child now have they!?" Kagura's father yelled back at him.

"However Kagura's words do ring true," one of the elder Duodecim members seated began. "Tsubaki and Jin are perhaps destined for wedlock after all."

"I suppose that would be for the best," Tsubaki's father admitted. The Kisaragi member simply nodded, he'd seen Jin and Tsubaki since they've been friends at young kids. Jin may have been branded traitor, but this was still his son.

'Thank god,' Ragna thought to himself. 'I don't know how much more of this either of them can take.'

"However, there is still the problem of the child. We can't have a child conceived out of wedlock in the Duodecim."

"We can arrange a small ceremony immediately," Jin assured him. "We could even host it today if you wished. No one would know."

The older member shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not an option, there would still be questions asked which would lead to controversy." 'No, he can't mean to-!' "I'm sorry Tsubaki, but your child has to be aborted. This is the only way."

"What…? PLEASE NO!" Tsubaki shouted, tears falling from her eyes. She'd never felt so in danger, so helpless. "DON'T KILL MY BABY!"

"Guards!" the noble ordered. Within mere seconds twenty NOL elite guards surrounded the three, their Ars Magus weapons were already drawn. Kagura and Jin were about to go for their own weapons. "I wouldn't recommend that," the noble told them. "The slightest act against the Duodecim could get you branded as traitors. Your revolution would be for nothing."

"You don't have to do this!" Jin shouted. "The people would understand they'd-!"

"They'd see us as imperfect!" the noble shouted. "We are here to lead the people by both direction and example! Get them!" The guards moved forward. "An unborn child is a small price to pay for-!"

The noble never had the chance to finish his sentence as Ragna rushed forward and lifted the man from his seat, he right hand wrapped around the noble's neck and his left hand held blood-scythe. "Anyone moves and I'll tear his damn head off!"

"What are you doing!?" the female with the leash comment from earlier demanded. "Don't you realize you're throwing away your entire revolution!?"

"Wrong," Ragna replied, his voice steady. "I'm a wanted criminal against the NOL, remember? Officially, I have no ties to the rebellion. Now consider this, how would the masses react to the Grim Reaper killing the entire Duodecim? I don't think anyone would have that hard of a time believing it, in fact I think they'd rather like to. Now, how do you want to do this?"

"Why are you defending them?" one of the nobles demanded.

"Who says I am? You people just piss me off." Ragna threw the noble back in the chair, leaving the old man gasping for air.

All of the nobles were silent for a full minute until Tsubaki's father stood. "Tsubaki, as of this moment you are no longer a child of the Yayoi house. Any ties to us have been severed and that includes the Izayoi."

"Father! I-!"

"Guards, send her away! I never want to see her face again! You've cost us everything Tsubaki! The Yayoi family will die with us, ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"

With tears in her eyes Tsubaki ran out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her. Jin didn't even hesitate before following her. "Tsubaki wait!"

Ragna walked over to Kagura, the man gave him a silent nod before Ragna turned to the nobles. "And one more thing… If anything, and I mean ANYTHING happens to that child, you can't begin to describe how fast and hard I'll bring down hell on all of you!"

With that the Reaper turned to leave, the Black Gale following close behind, slamming the door behind them. "Nice job standing up to them back there," he told his friend. "I was worried how our options were looking."

"You wouldn't have let anything happen to Tsubaki… would you?"

"Though it's the mark of a poor commander, I would've given all of the support the Duodecim is giving us, just to save that kid."

"Glad we agree," Ragna said as the two walked off.

"Though I got to say I'm jealous Ragna," Kagura said with a smirk.

"How do you figure?"

"I've been wanting to strangle the members of the Duodecim ever since I met them. You just met them and you already managed it! Talk about unfair."

Ragna gave a dark chuckle. "Your lightheartedness in all of this never ceases to amaze me."

*Four hours later*

It was Ragna's turn to take watch at the campsite. Normally Noel, Tager, or Bang would be with him, but he'd assured them that he wanted some alone time. It didn't surprise him that he heard footsteps coming towards him. "I told you I'm fine, leave me alone."

"I can't as much as I'd like to." The voice belonged to Tsubaki, Ragna turned to the young woman. "I can't believe I'm actually saying this but… thank you."

"…It was nothing," Ragna assured as he turned his back on her.

"If you want to down play this that's your choice," Tsubaki told him. "But tell me, why did you do this?"

"As much as you hate to think about it, that kid you're carrying is my niece or nephew. And as much as I despise you and my brother I don't want you to have to go through losing your own child."

"Despise… well the feeling's mutual," Tsubaki assured him.

Ragna chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Tsubaki betrayed herself with a smile before sighing. "I'll have to keep my child away from you when it's born. Who knows what sort of a bad influence you'll be?"

"You won't have to find out," Ragna told her. "After this war's done, I'm going into hiding. You'll never hear from me again."

"You're sure?" Tsubaki asked.

"Definitely, this world doesn't need the Grim Reaper in it… But do me a favor would ya and look after my idiotic brother for me. Lord knows how he can manage to tie his shoes without me."

"Don't worry," Tsubaki said, looking down at her right hand where there was a diamond ring. "I'll be sure to look after him." With that the young former noble left.

"…Congrats."

*Current Day*

'Thank god she was alright after that,' Ragna thought to himself. 'Chrom and the others don't know about this other world that I come from, or my criminal background… but I'll have to tell him sooner or later. It'd be more of a problem if they found out on their own.'

It was then that Chrom and Lissa ran up beside Ragna. "So, how was it mingling with the upper class?"

"I thought I'd never get out of there," Chrom said shaking his head. "All of them were trying to congratulate me on our victory and ask if I had plans for my station after the war."

"He had it easy!" Lissa shouted. "I had to sit silent and look dainty and endure suggestive looks from this one creep who kept staring at me!"

"You know, there's an easier way to deal with nobles," Ragna suggested.

"And that is?" Lissa asked genuinely curious.

"Hold 'em in the air by their neck for a few minutes, or if they have to thick necks just smack them in the face. That'll shut 'em up."

"Ragna," Chrom groaned as Lissa giggled. "Please don't tempt me…"

Authors Note: I don't own Fire Emblem or BlazBlue.

I guess my forum is have problems, so I might as well shut it down. Let me know what you thought about the chapter and leave a comment about Robin joining the Shepherds.

Ciao.