Shivered Timbers
by Kaline Reine
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or any of the characters/settings. This is just a fanfiction story. I do own Shiori, she is my character. I also own a few other original characters in this story (not affiliated with One Piece), which will be introduced as they are needed. c;
WARNINGS: This story contains (or may contain) graphic adult content and language, explicit sex scenes, possible violence, gore, cursing, adult themes, etc. I do not censor my writing, but I do my best to warn people about the subject matter and potential subject matter. So if you don't like that kind of thing or can't handle it, then I suggest not reading this story. You have been warned. Also, I know this doesn't follow canon but it doesn't have to, that's why it's a fanfic. xD
Also... The beautiful cover image for this story is by my friend, EzariaUmiko on DeviantArt. All credit for the image goes to her. c:
**Extra warning for excessive violence and gore in this chapter!
Chapter 5: The Massacre
"Shiori..." Chiaki sighed. "Listen. You must never ever go back to that part of the forest! Is that understood?"
"Y-yes, Chiaki-sama..." The child muttered, with her head bowed. "I'm sorry."
Shiori had more than learned her lesson... She knew it had been a foolish idea to wander around the forbidden part of the forest. They'd warned her countless times about how dangerous it was, but she was naive and didn't listen. And she'd nearly paid for it with her very life.
While examining her frail body, Ruhi was able to easily tell that she'd been strangled somehow. The willow vines had left dark visible marks and bruises on her pale neck. When she realized the medic would be able to tell many things about her ordeal, that was when Shiori had come clean and told them everything. No detail was spared.
There was no use in hiding it anyway. She would need to warn the other Nuns about the dangerous tree spirit. It turned out they'd already known about him for a long time. He used to be a wood Nymph who haunted the forest, sewing his seeds of hatred and trying to take the lives of as many humans as he could. He'd been sealed into the willow several generations ago.
She'd also learned that Ruhi had been telling the truth about the whole cat thing too. She couldn't wait to hear from the Grand Priestess of their order and get her very own someday... She might even be willing to re-locate to a different Order, if it were necessary. She knew it would take years, but it would be worth it in the end. The others hadn't liked the sound of that, though. Chiaki had continually mentioned how important it was that she always stay here. She'd been taught that, ever since she was very small.
"Good," The Elder continued to scold her. "I'm glad you understand. I can't believe you did this! It isn't like you at all to just run off like that! One of those men said they were after you, so we can't have you just running about. For right now, I don't want you to go anywhere alone. You must have someone with you at all times. Preferably Michiko-tan or myself."
"Yeah." Was all she said.
Shiori hated being scolded. That was the main reason she was usually so obedient. She hated the feeling of guilt associated with causing problems for others... She already felt like enough of a burden as it was. She just wanted her family to be proud of her. She felt like such a jerk for what she did. She knew they were just trying to look out for her and protect her. What she'd done was really stupid.
"And another thing!" Chiaki continued to waggle a finger in her face, sternly. "As punishment, you're going to have some extra chores to do around here! You've messed up big time, missy!"
"I'm sorry Chiaki-sama..."
Her lower lip began to quiver. She was on the verge of tears.
"You're going to be cleaning up around the Monastery and scrubbing floors for weeks! And dishes too, we could always use some help with that."
There was no chore that Shiori hated more than washing dishes, and the Elder knew it. She wasn't trying to be mean to her, but she wanted to make sure the girl would learn her lesson. Shiori just nodded while her punishments were doled out. She didn't care what they made her do. Nothing they could do to her could be worse than what she was doing to herself in her own mind right then. She felt she deserved all of it for disobeying. She knew the others would be sad if something happened to her, the same as she'd felt when they'd lost so many of their Sisters in the fight with the Marines before...
"Yes. I'll get to work right away."
Shiori waited until she was finished yelling at her. Chiaki had always been really nice to her, but she knew when she'd crossed the line.
"Alright," Chiaki sighed once again, shaking her head. "I hope you realize that it was the wrong thing to do. You can never run away from your problems... They always follow you."
"Those are wise words, Chiaki-sama. I-I'll keep that in mind from now on."
"See that you do. Go ahead and get some sleep, you'll start first thing in the morning."
There were no bedtime stories that night, or any other. She was sent straight to bed without dinner. It wasn't the first time she'd gotten in trouble for something, but it was the most severely she'd ever been punished. She knew this wasn't going to be fun, but she resolved to do all of the extra work she'd been assigned without any complaints. She knew that she deserved this. She headed straight to bed, without talking to anyone. Michiko watched her go, in a stunned silence.
She was rapidly growing into adolescence. Shiori was not a child anymore...
"What are we even doing here?" A dumbfounded Marine officer asked one of their commanders. He was a scrawny man with a shaved head and a very slight mustache.
"I've told you," A young man with wild shoulder-length orange hair grinned deviously. "We're here looking for a treasure. It's definitely in this area. Have you not been briefed on the mission on the way here?"
"I was late reporting in and had to catch up with everyone, sir. How do we know that for sure?"
"Because we have intel on it, you idiot..." Cold hazel eyes glared at his subordinate. "And keep in mind this is a top secret mission. No one is to know about this. As for myself, I'm here for something else."
"What, sir?"
He leaned in closer to the other man, and spoke a single word, in a deadly serious tone. "Revenge..."
The two had to speak in hushed voices anyway. Their entire platoon was hiding, lurking in the underbrush in the depths of a snow-covered forest. Everyone was on high alert. Even though they were surrounded by their comrades, something felt very off about this situation. Everyone was on edge. It was like the very air itself crackled with anticipation.
"So... What'd they do to you?"
"Well," He smirked, seeming to almost enjoy this... "Our previous platoon was almost completely wiped out. There was only one survivor. He came back from fighting these wenches, and told us everything... Our Captain ordered us to come through and wipe everything out completely."
"E-everything?" The newer Marine gulped. "You mean, we have to kill everyone too?"
"Yep. Everyone. Captain Akainu said there can be no survivors. This girl is our main target."
He showed the other man a picture of a little girl. It was just a sketch, most likely an artist's rendering based on accounts from the witness, but she had the most peculiar coloring... She looked to be an albino. Her image was etched hastily across a wanted poster with a three million Beri bounty.
"What?! But she's... She's so young!" His subordinate's jaw dropped.
"Don't underestimate her! According to our source of information, she has these weird powers... Just watch out for any suddenly-appearing snow or ice you might see. You never can be sure about it. Due to the fact that she's killed one or more of our men, she's earned herself a nice little bounty. She's wanted dead or alive, if that tells you anything about how dangerous she is."
The other Marine nodded. "Makes sense. Guess it can't be helped. Still, feels weird knowing we're here to kill a kid..."
"Well, we could bring her in alive. I've got no qualms about killing kids though," His superior officer grinned proudly, puffing on a cigarette he'd just lit. "Sometimes it's part of the job. But it's this bitch I'm really after..."
He showed his friend another composite sketch. It was also printed onto a bounty poster. This one was a young lady with long brown hair and striking green eyes. She wore a Nun's habit, with a full veil and everything. She looked to be very old-fashioned and in the drawing, she appeared soft and demure.
"Alright. I'll try to remember her face. But why? I mean, she's a Nun. How bad can she be?"
"That's the bitch who killed my brother!" The redhead cracked his knuckles, holding the cigarette between his teeth. "She's why I've decided to come along. Word is, she took him out with one shot, straight to the head, before he could even tell her why he was here. It's our job to follow orders, no matter what. So if they say we have to wipe this place clean, then we'll do it. But I want to be the one who takes her out, so if you see her, you come find me. Got it?"
"Oh, I see... Absolutely. There's nothing worse than having a vendetta against someone."
"Commander Xerod," A female Marine of a lesser rank approached the two men. "You're needed on the front lines, sir."
"Damned straight! Either way... We're gonna wipe the floor with 'em! Come on!"
He clapped his hands together, seeming to delight in what they were about to do... The man picked up a large sharpened spear on his way out of the small clearing. The others followed suit.
Things hadn't quite gone back to normal yet. In the following weeks, most of the Nuns had recovered from their injuries. Shiori had continued her studies, and whenever she wasn't at school, she was cleaning around the Monastery. She carried out her punishment chores as if they were normal for her. She really just wanted to be another one of the Nuns, to blend in... She hated how much her oddly colored hair and eyes made her stand out.
She was scrubbing the floors persistently, making sure she got each and every speck of dirt. Then she'd moved on to the dishes. She needed a stepping stool just to reach the sink, but she did them. The dishes clanged together as she cleaned them, one by one, scrubbing away at the disgusting stuck-on food. She hated it, but that was the point of being punished. Her fingers were already wrinkling up like prunes. Yet, she was still determined not to complain, even once.
'Why do I make such stupid promises...?' She wondered.
Something caught her attention. She heard a loud commotion coming from outside. It sounded like yelling... Pulling her hands out of the murky dish water and drying them off with a ragged old hand towel, Shiori made her way out into the hall. She was sure the rest of the dishes could wait until later.
A faint orange glow had garnered the attention of many of the Nuns already. They'd noticed it outside the windows. It seemed to start just beyond the patch of land that their Monastery was planted on. At first, they'd believed it to be the hues of the setting sun, but there seemed to be something particularly bright about the sunset tonight. Then they'd realized the horrifying truth...
The forest surrounding their Monastery had been set ablaze.
Marines poured forth from seemingly out of nowhere. They'd survived the long trek across the frozen tundra, so they were clearly here for a reason. The Nuns immediately began to panic. They had already been anticipating an attack, as retribution for what they'd done to the first platoon that had come out. They'd already been gathering wood from the forest and fashioning it into weapons, the most popular of which being bow and arrow sets.
There were many among their Order who were very skilled in archery. They didn't need any orders from their Elder to know that they were to fight back. They had all been over this possibility many times. They were already lining up along the windows and ledges. Several had even ventured out onto the rooftops. But they were forced to retreat back inside when there was a flurry of bullets, all fired at once. Nuns' screams could be heard. Someone in the Marines had a machine gun, and was putting it to good use. He was perched on top of one of their outer walls. He had good aim.
Everyone scrambled to go outside to keep the intruders out of the Monastery. But dodging bullets while fighting wasn't easy, and some of the Nuns were already hit. They saw that the Marines had set fire to the closest trees and underbrush, surrounding them and effectively trapping them. They were slowly burning their way toward the center, creating a ring of fire around the buildings and walls.
Then they noticed the second rank of Marines... They were mostly men, but there appeared to also be some females mixed in with them. Some of them used an ancient technique known as Haki, to jump high into the air. They were dropping something... The Nuns could only look up in terror, as they threw down flaming Molotov cocktails. The glass bottles were filled with liquor and stuffed with old rags, before being lit on fire and thrown. They exploded upon impact, spreading the alcohol everywhere, and setting everything below them on fire too.
Many of the Nuns had already been taken out by the men with machine guns, but some of them still remained. Others' dresses were caught on fire by the flaming bottles of booze that were raining down on them from above. It was an all-out assault! The Nuns didn't know what they could do, but their archers were still trying to shoot as many of the Marines as they could. Sometimes they were successful, but it was hard to aim while everyone was scurrying around trying to put out fires that had sprung up.
"Hurry!" A Nun yelled, while launching a flurry of arrows from her longbow. "We've got to get them to leave! Force them back!"
"We need to put those fires out first!" Another added. "They're spreading everywhere!" She was busy tending to a wound she had gotten on her arm.
"The Monastery is burning!" Someone cried in the distance.
"There's some water from our well, take it over there, hurry up!"
Each of them scrambled to do as they'd been ordered. The men were jeering at them and saying nasty things, but they ignored it. They had to protect the Monastery, first and foremost. They were surrounded, and each knew they were most likely done for, but they went out to fight and defend their home, regardless.
There was a guy walking around with two bottles in his hands. He was one of the men who had used Haki to bomb the Monastery with flaming bottles of booze. His stance was instantly recognizable to many of the more experienced Nuns. It was the classic starting pose for the Drunken Fist technique. He began swatting away the women that surrounded him, causing them to fall like flies... His movements were very hard to read. But they soon gained the upper hand on him. Drunken Fist style was no match for their specialty, Baransu Jujitsu.
He continued to try to fight them off, armed with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and rum in the other. It must have tasted terrible... He kept drinking to fuel his incessant rage. He seemed pretty balanced, but eventually the Nuns won that round. As they finished several tricky fighting maneuvers, he fell to the ground, unconscious. His comrades scattered, fearful of the veiled ladies' inherent fighting abilities, now that they'd seen them take out such a strong opponent.
Another man with long black hair was walking around and laughing maliciously, while wielding an enormous flamethrower. His cackles filled the chill night air, as he set everything around him ablaze with ease. He looked like a demon... It was clearly helping the Monastery to burn even faster. The Nuns knew they were most likely outmatched, but they had no other choice than to go out fighting.
Some Marines were running around just slitting their throats, or in some cases, trying to. Many of them were also taken care of, but it was a constant struggle. The fight was going back and forth. There was another onslaught of Molotov cocktails. Everything was burning up before they could possibly do anything about it. Their precious Monastery, their last place of refuge, was being systematically burned to the ground.
Shiori ran outside the moment she heard all of the noise. "What's going on out here?" She asked, a look of shock and panic spreading across her face.
No one took the time to answer her. They were too busy fighting for their lives. The attack had happened so suddenly. There were lots of people scrambling everywhere. This had to be some kind of nightmare... Everything was burning, all around her. The flames were already working to consume the outer buildings. She knew she had to get out of there... But once outside, she realized there was no way out! All of the areas surrounding the Monastery were on fire too. The flames were too high to jump over and too thick to get past.
While she was looking around and taking everything in, Shiori stumbled. Her boots caused her to trip in the snow. She'd been running too fast and not paying attention to where she was going. So much was happening around her... And being fairly clumsy anyway certainly didn't help any. Then she noticed that she'd actually tripped over a fallen Marine. His dead eyes stared up at her, glazed over and empty...
"Aaahhhh!" She let out a horrified scream, as she fell onto the freezing ground.
The snow around the Monastery was melting, leaving behind many puddles. It was just a wet mess. Just as she'd fallen, she felt something whoosh past, over her head. She looked up to see a giant boomerang, with blades on either side, as it whizzed back past her. A strange man on the far side of the grounds caught it, and threw it again at a group of Nuns who rushed by. It caught one of them in the leg, slicing off her limb just below the knee. The woman bled out in mere seconds, losing consciousness as soon as she hit the ground.
Whether it was from the wound or the impact was hard to tell.
Shiori winced when she realized that she'd just come very close to death again. That strange weapon had almost gotten her. She didn't know what to do, but staying out here was probably a bad idea. Her eyes widened, taking in the surreal scene, as a feeling of dread made itself known in the pit of her stomach.
Meanwhile, Michiko was inside, frantically looking for Shiori... She and Chiaki had split up, in order to cover more ground. She'd already taken out a good number of Marines on her way. The more she could disarm or disable, the better off they would be, in the long run. She knew she needed to find Shiori, since one of those other men that she'd encountered in the forest had said they were after her. There was no telling what kind of danger she could be in!
"Help!" There was a voice echoing from the top of the stairwell. "Someone, please!"
"Shut up, you stupid bitch..." A man's stern voice was then followed by the sound of metal grating against metal and wood.
She ran into the medic's office, just in time to catch the end of a scuffle. There was a Marine who had ensnared Ruhi in chains. It appeared to be his specialty. The redhead struggled to free herself, in vain.
"Stop it, let her go!" Michiko screamed at them.
But it was too late. It was no use for her to fight them off. There was another Marine in the room, and he looked really strong. He had huge muscles and his hair was styled into a wild mohawk. All in all, he looked really intimidating. And that wasn't the worst part...
The Marine who'd used the chains to bind her in place had already left through the other exit. It seemed he'd just trapped her there for the other man to dispose of her. And he seemed to be doing a pretty good job. The man with the mohawk held two enormous maces, one in each hand. He proceeded to hit Ruhi with them, repeatedly. He looked over at Michiko, who was still standing in the doorway, and laughed sadistically, as he did it. It looked like he was using some type of armament Haki on his weapons to fortify them.
"Wait right there," He told Michiko and several other Nuns who had appeared behind her. "And I'll be with you shortly, lass. Heheh..."
"Stop it..." His current victim whispered, barely able to speak anymore. She was covered in blood and bruises. "Let them go... You monster..."
"Oh? A monster, am I? Let's see how scary of a monster I can be, then."
He then began a series of quick attacks, designed to inflict the most painful damage possible. Poor Ruhi had already lost a lot of blood, so this didn't bode well for her. Each blow collided with her skin, removing it, along with veins, sinew, and bits of muscle and bone. He started near her feet and worked his way up to her neck. Finally, he finished her off with a crushing double blow to the head.
Ruhi slumped over in her chains, clearly defeated. She was no longer breathing.
It was all Michiko could do just to keep her composure... It had all happened so fast, before she could get to her. She ran frantically from the room. She knew that she couldn't protect the other Nuns from whatever that guy was about to do. She'd been watching his fighting style to see if she could beat him. He was clearly too strong of an opponent for her.
She had decided it was completely hopeless. She would never find Shiori now, the girl was probably already taken prisoner or worse... These men had already shown just how ruthless they were. They seemed to want to deliberately kill off all of the Nuns. Those were probably their orders, to destroy the entire Monastery...
Michiko knew there was no way out. She'd already been outside to check the surrounding areas, and just as she'd suspected, they were closed in. A ring of fire would prevent their escape, while the Marines slaughtered them all like cattle. Well, it was more like shooting fish in a barrel, technically.
Unable to bear the thought of dying in the same fashion that Ruhi had, she ran down the stairs as quickly as she could. She stumbled down them, not caring that she'd left some of her Sisters to die. It was probably already too late to save them. It had been too late for their medic by the time she'd arrived. She didn't like to think of herself as a coward, but her first instinct had been to run away. She couldn't take it... This was too much, even for her.
Michiko ran into one of the side rooms, closing herself off in the parlor. It didn't look like anyone was in there. They'd only made it into the main rooms so far... Good. That might buy her some time...
Hurriedly, she tried to hide herself. There weren't very many places she could fit. She thought maybe she could hide behind the curtains, but that was one of the first places they would look. And it would be very noticeable too. She saw the sofas on the far side of the room, and made a mad dash to try to squeeze herself under one. She was halfway there, when she felt someone grab her ankle from behind.
"Well, well, well... What have we here?" A really tall redheaded Marine sneered at her.
She looked into his eyes as he pulled her up, they were a very odd color... He picked her up like she was just a rag doll and held her still in front of him. He held several large spears in his other hand, but he tossed them aside. They fell onto one of the sofas with a clattering sound, as they hit one another. He wore black leather fingerless gloves, which seemed to make handling the spears easier.
The same Marine who had tied up Ruhi in chains earlier peeked his head in the door. "Need some help there, boss?"
"Perfect timing," He smirked. "Yeah, chain her up! Make sure it's nice and tight too."
"What do you want from us?!" Michiko shrieked, her every thought nothing but pure panic. "Just leave us be! We don't want to hurt you!"
"That's rich, coming from you... Personally, I don't give a damn about these other idiots. You're actually the one I've been looking for!"
"What... What do you mean?" Her great big green eyes widened, as she struggled frantically.
Chains clanged around on the hardwood floor, scraping against each other, while his subordinate rapidly encircled her with them. He fastened them around her chest and waist, and then secured her limbs. Her legs were tied together and her arms were tied to her sides. She couldn't move at all.
Her assailant waited for the other man to finish tying her up and leave, before he made his move. He grabbed the chains, yanking her in close to him.
"Please let me go! I haven't done anything to you!" Michiko cried.
"Oh, but you have..." He got even closer, right in her face. "And I want to ask you a few things. Do you recall the day, several weeks, maybe about a month and a half ago, when the first Marine platoon came to your precious little 'Monastery'?" He practically spat the word at her.
"Y-yes..." She answered, trembling all over. The chains rattled with her effort. Michiko knew that she could never forget that day.
"And did you perhaps confront a man by the name of Lieutenant Kumamoto, by any chance?"
Grim recognition flashed in her eyes. That was the first time a Marine had ever pulled a gun on her. She remembered his name. He was one of first few people that she'd ever actually killed. "Yes, I remember him." Though she wished she didn't.
"First off, I want you to know my name... It's Commander Xerod Lee Kumamoto. That was my older brother that you killed that day. Can you guess why I'm here now?"
"B-because you... want revenge?"
"Damned straight I want revenge! And I'm going to get it, too..."
Meanwhile, Shiori had rushed back inside and headed straight for the kitchen. She figured that was the most logical place for her to stay, considering it was where she'd been assigned to do her chores. Maybe someone else might have some kind of plan to escape? She would be better off if she could find Chiaki and Michiko, she knew they were really strong. Most of all, she just wanted to be with her family during this crisis.
She'd had to dodge several Marines on her way through the Monastery. Some of the other Nuns had protected her and held them off long enough for her to slip away. She was grateful for that, but she hoped they wouldn't be hurt because of her.
As she was running by, everything was just one big blur... Many places inside the large castle were on fire. The place probably wasn't going to last very much longer. Smoke was starting to leech into the main halls, from everywhere. They were burning the place to the ground, from the outside in! She knew it wasn't safe, but something had made her go back... She couldn't go forward, unable to leave because they had everything blocked off. When she'd gone outside, she'd seen that the Marines had them surrounded on all sides.
"Hey!" A male voice echoed from somewhere close by. "I've heard you Nuns were really flexible... Maybe I should unchain you, so you can show me." This was followed by menacing laughter. "But nah! This is way too much fun, hahaha!"
"You're disgusting!" A weakened, fading female voice responded. "Keep your... filthy hands off me!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that..."
"Aaahhhh!"
'Michiko!'
She recognized those screams instantly. She wasn't paying much attention to the words, but the voice was unmistakably Michiko's. Shiori ran to the room she thought it was coming from. She knew she had to be careful... She saw a redheaded man with a piercing gaze standing over her Sister. He leered at her, walking around her, circling her like a wolf circles it's prey. He was holding some long, sharp weapons.
To her horror, Shiori saw that there was blood everywhere. Michiko's feet didn't even touch the ground. She was being kept up by a large pike or spear of some kind. It appeared to only be strung through the chains that held her in place. He was currently driving a large spike through her legs, causing her to scream and writhe in agony. Each moment he was torturing her in a new way. He'd already sliced open her face, cutting her all over. He was letting the blood out slowly, to prolong her death. To make things even worse, fire was slowly spreading throughout the room.
"Are you ready to die, you bitch?!" The man slapped her across the face. "Are you ready to die in the same brutal, heartless way that you killed my brother? Are you? Huh?"
Michiko looked away defiantly, saying nothing. And in doing so, saying everything...
'Stop it... Don't hurt her anymore! You jerk, you... BASTARD!'
Shiori wanted to cry out, to yell at him to stop it, but she couldn't move. She was frozen in fear. She'd hidden herself under a small table that they had out in the hall. All she could do was watch the man torture Michiko, completely helpless to do anything about it. If she did anything, she knew she would be next. She couldn't even let them know she was there. And yet, for some reason, she was unable to tear her eyes away from the gruesome scene.
The man had speared Michiko multiple times, and all she could do was scream. Several of the spear-like weapons had been run through her midsection, going in from just above her hips on either side. They crisscrossed in an 'X' shape, coming out from her back. The pain must have been unfathomable. There were two aimed straight at her neck, limiting her ability to struggle much. Michiko's habit had been torn away and she was covered from head to toe in bright red liquid. It looked like her assailant hadn't even been hit once.
'He must be very strong...' Shiori did her best to silence her own thoughts from creeping in. 'Why doesn't she fight back? Can't she move?! What should I do? I can't... I can't do anything... He'll do that to me too, he'll kill me if he knows I'm here.'
She hoped maybe someone else would come along who could save her. But there was no one else around... All of the Nuns had fled the Monastery in panic, only to be slaughtered outside. And the Marines had chased most of them out, killing everyone who got in their way. These were not good men.
The sofa behind them was already going up in flames. This guy didn't have much longer to finish the deed, if he was going to. Every time the flames loomed closer, Shiori was silently hoping that maybe he would catch on fire too. But no such luck...
The man had slowly been setting up a series of spears on the other side of the room, in between taking his jabs at her. They were sticking straight up from the other sofa, which had been ruined, keeping them from falling over. He picked up the long spear that was run through Michiko's chains, holding her up.
"It's time to end things..." The Marine declared.
In a final blow, he lifted her high overhead, and slammed her down onto the tops of the spears he had set up, effectively impaling her entire body all at once. He knew he'd hit some vital organs. With a final twisted laugh, he picked up a smaller spear from the ground and lit it using the fire that was all around them. He tossed it haphazardly onto the sofa where Michiko was. Then, without another word, he left the room.
Shiori breathed a small sigh of relief when he used a side exit, going toward the main hall that would lead him outside. At least she hadn't been spotted yet. But that was the least of her worries.
She rushed into the room as soon as she was sure the bad man had really left, trying to get to Michiko... But she couldn't reach her in time. One of the beams holding up the ceiling fell with a loud cracking sound, and was now blocking her. The flames were too high for her to jump over. The young girl quickly attempted to use her snow abilities, summoning it to begin falling in the room, but it was of no use. The snowflakes just hit the flames and disappeared with a fizzle. She wasn't strong enough to put out the flames, they had spread too far and grown way too large.
Michiko saw her, just then, her eyes lighting up with hope for a moment. She couldn't speak due to all the pain she was in, and it looked like one of the spears might have pierced a lung too. She could barely breathe. But she'd managed to free just one of her arms from the chains, and she reached out a hand... Her fingers stretched out toward Shiori, if only she could reach just a little bit farther...
"Sh-Shiori-...chan..." The older Nun smiled at her. "Be... safe... Run. Protect your... self... "
"Michikoooooo!" She wailed.
Shiori reached out with her own little hand too, but they couldn't touch. The flames were growing larger, and she knew that Michiko's life was fading. Blood trickled down from her many fatal wounds. Eventually, she slumped over, not moving anymore. The flames began to consume what was left of her. Shiori pulled away. It was too late... It had already been too late to save her Sister, by the time she'd arrived.
"I wish I weren't such a coward..." She whispered to herself.
Another loud noise was coming from behind her. It sounded like someone was dragging chains across the floors. Shiori ran away from it, from the entire horrifying scene, cursing herself for being too weak to help her loved ones.
She went straight for the kitchen. She passed by a few other rooms, but there didn't appear to be anyone inside. No one alive, anyway. She had noticed there were many Nuns who were already burned to death or killed in various ways. She was in shock from seeing all of this and she didn't know what to do. So she went back to the place she'd been told to stay, thinking it was most likely still her best option.
As soon as she made it there, she felt a flood of relief. There was Lady Chiaki, waiting for her on the other side of the room. She was crouched down behind a long counter, between the sink area in the back in the back and the cabinets where they kept utensils. Several Marines lied in her wake, all of them dead.
"I may be old, but I took care of them..." She panted, explaining the sight of their corpses to the little girl who was staring at them. All Shiori could do was cling to her, terrified. Chiaki returned her embrace, holding the little girl close. "I'm glad you're okay. We've got to get you out of here, child."
"Ch-Chiaki-sama... I'm... I'm s-scared!"
"I know, dear. I am too. It will be okay. You've just got to be brave for a little while longer..."
"What can we do?! We c-can't get out, we- Th-they have the exits blocked and... There's f-fire, and I-"
"Calm down," Chiaki ran her fingers through her long silken hair, talking to her as a mother would speak to her own child. "The fight escalated so quickly, there wasn't much any of us could do. We thought we were strong enough to take on anything... But we were wrong."
"I, I just-"
"Listen to me... There's a great big world out there, Shiori-tan... Please never let anyone hold you back from your dreams. Go out there and make a life worth living. Don't become stuck in this stuffy old Monastery, between these dusty aging walls, like me... I know I said that you should always stay here, but I was wrong. I see that now. Once all of this is over... I want you to forget about all of this. Get out there and live your life, have an adventure! And never return to this place!"
"I-I'll do my best, Chiaki-sama!"
"Promise me you'll take care of yourself?"
"I w-will, but... I've s-seen Michiko-chan, a-and... She's... She's dead!" The tears just would not stop. Shiori was a blubbering mess. She was too upset to be able to focus on anything else right now.
"Now I know it's difficult, Shiori-chan, but you've got to listen to me, okay? We need to-"
Before they could continue their conversation or make any kind of game plan, someone passed nearby in the hallway. They were coming toward the two trapped Nuns... Shiori had never been so frightened in all of her young life. She could tell just by his footsteps or something... It was like she could actually feel the sheer power that this man exuded.
Chiaki began to frantically whisper to her, her voice sounding half broken. "Damn! There's no time!" The Elder let her go, opening the pantry door and quickly shoving her inside. "Hide in here, and do not come out, no matter what! This pantry is partially fire-resistant to help protect our food supply in an emergency. You can lock it from the inside. I don't care what you see or hear, stay there and be very quiet. Don't make a sound. Can you do that for me?"
Shiori knew she had to be brave. She nodded, the silent tears still flooding down the sides of her face. She let out a small whimper, and did as she'd been instructed, locking the bolt on the inside of the pantry to make sure it would stay closed.
It wasn't big enough for an adult to fit into, but she seemed to fit quite nicely. She crawled toward the back, hiding behind some stacks of canned goods, to the best of her ability. She leaned forward just enough to be able to see through a small crack. She could see and hear everything that was going on outside, but they couldn't see her at all. And the pantry was so small, she was sure they'd never think to look for anyone hiding inside of it.
Just after she'd locked herself inside, a big tall man had shown up. He had short brown hair and a small scruffy beard. He was really scary... Shiori tried to stifle a whimper, when she saw him towering over Chiaki. The man had the same white and blue cap as the rest of the Marines, but there was something different about him. He had a large white Marine coat draped across his shoulders. He wore a bright red suit under it. The golden buttons that adorned his oddly colored uniform shined in the light from the fire that surrounded them.
"Where is she?" He asked, his face stoic and unwavering.
"Where is who?"
"You know who. The girl. She came this way... Where has she gone?"
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," The Elder feigned ignorance. "There's no one here but me and the Marines I've killed."
"Well now..." He smirked, approaching her menacingly. "That does pose a problem for both of us, doesn't it?"
Chiaki faced down her adversary with bravery. She seemed to know who he was, already knowing that she didn't stand the slightest chance of winning. The elderly Nun tried anyway, launching herself at him in a full assault of the highest level of Baransu Jujitsu. Shiori watched from her hiding place inside the cabinet. It was like watching a beautiful dance, at first, and then she went in for the kill.
The man blocked her every move with ease. He didn't even seem the least bit bothered by her attempts.
"Leave this place!" Chiaki hissed, accusingly. "You're the one in charge, aren't you? You should not have disturbed one of the Goddess Kalaya's sacred shrines! This is a place of worship, and you have defiled it!"
"I've done no such thing. I did give the orders to attack your people, that's true, but I'm not going back on any of it. What I am doing is for a just cause. Simple as that."
The man looked like he was starting to sweat. The flames didn't seem to bother him very much. All of a sudden, he began to melt! His skin turned a heated red, and a glowing, dripping yellow undertone soon followed. It was like his body was becoming fluid... Shiori didn't know what the heck was happening or how he could do that and still survive.
He moved back and balled up his fist. It looked like he was getting ready to launch a massive attack. Chiaki tried to run away then, but it was too late. She was caught in the back of the head and a steady stream of red hot liquid poured from his body all over her. Blisters came up on her skin. She was being burned alive!
She screamed out in agony, as the seeping liquid continued to burn her, right down to her very bones. There was no escape from it. The red hot magma seeped in through everywhere. She was still trying to crawl away from it, but eventually she just stopped moving. The man's body went back to normal. It was as if nothing had happened.
It was horrifying for Shiori, having to watch the person she loved the most be killed right in front of her. She didn't know his name, but she knew that she would never be able to forget his face, for as long as she lived.
'He's not a true Marine, he's a villain!' Were her only coherent thoughts, at the moment. They were followed by a silent mantra of 'Leave, leave, leave!'
Stricken with terror, Shiori waited, holding her breath to see what he would do now. The man looked around, searching through many of the cabinets and hiding places in the kitchen. He didn't find anyone or anything of value. Her nerves were instantly on edge, as he came to the pantry, attempting to open it. He rattled the door so hard that he'd almost pulled it off it's hinges. Luckily, the bolts held, and he soon moved on to search elsewhere.
The man didn't seem to have much time left. The flames were closing in on them, even though some of them were already beginning to die down. He maintained a calm demeanor the entire time, not even seeming to care that he'd just wiped out the entire Monastery. There was no one left to fight him. It appeared that the Elder hadn't been lying and there really was no one else here.
Inside the pantry, Shiori was freaking out... Everything was spinning, the edges of her vision were going dark. She didn't know if it was from the smoke or being upset or what, but she had to fight the overwhelming urge to vomit. She hyperventilated, barely able to breathe...
And suddenly, the world went dark.
A/N: This chapter was so difficult for me to write... It wasn't easy to kill off so many characters in only one chapter, but I did it. Don't worry, it was all for a reason which will be revealed as the plot progresses. This story doesn't focus on too much gore throughout, it's mostly only the beginning and just at certain parts. This concludes the second arc of this story (there are about 16 different story arcs that I have planned for this, with varying lengths). The next chapter might take a little longer than usual, since I have to go back over all the plans for the next arc and make sure I know what I'm doing. But I'll try to have it done as soon as I possibly can. I'm really enjoying this story and I hope you are too.
Has anyone figured out the identity of the man who killed Chiaki? I guess it's probably pretty obvious, lol. But I didn't want to give it away just yet. What will Shiori do now? You'll have to wait and see! ;D
-Kaline