Leviathan's Daughter
GoldenEagle
Author's Note: Hmm. Forgive me if the next few chapters suck. I can rewrite them if I have to. I stayed up writing these chapters like all night long, even though I have school tomorrow. Please, read and review.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The girl stood as four figures entered the room, each freezing at the sight of her. Allen stood by Persephone's side, trying to show the others that he didn't find his companion as alarming as she had appeared to be before. "So you found her." Van muttered darkly as he stepped into the light, the other three following his example. They approached Allen and the red haired girl somewhat reluctantly, throwing cautious glances at the knight. He only gave a slight smile and nodded, expressing to them that all was well.
"It seems that she found me." Allen said, an amused edge in his voice. This only earned him a few doubtful stares and one, fiery, annoyed gaze from the girl at his side. He ignored her continual bouts of mood swings and introduced her as if she were a noble. "This is Lady Persephone, a... strong... woman who has come to visit us on the Crusade. She is to be looked upon as an honored guest-"
"Visit?!" Merle yelped, her self control snapping under her immature impatience. "She nearly killed Lord Van, and she's an honored guest?!" The cat girl was slightly alarmed to receive a cool and expressionless glare from this "Lady Persephone". The blankness of the look was much more alarming than if it had been a look of pure rage.
Persephone stared down at the cat girl coolly, slightly annoyed by her words. Kill "Lord Van"? She glanced at the Prince (King?) carefully. He was staring at her almost as coldly as she was staring at him. Yet he didn't seem to have the same confidence that she mustered. He didn't seem to really know what to feel towards her. Oddly enough, this made her feel better.
But Millerna was a different matter. She recognized the cloak around Persephone's shoulders, she also saw the bare legs that glanced through every once in a while. And it only made the princess grumpy, jealous, and very ill-mannered.
"What ARE you wearing, child?" The woman asked, hands on her hips. Millerna expected the girl, though obviously older than her, to be intimidated by her stance and disapproval, but was embarrassed to find otherwise.
Instead, the guest merely raised an eyebrow before letting the cloak fall to the floor, revealing her long legs and Allen's loose shirt. Persephone stared at the girl challengingly, the princess's eyes going wide, her face developing an angry and embarrassed blush. Merle merely gasped, and Van looked away, a pink adding to his own cheeks. Hitomi just stood there, smiling a bit at the girl's defiance in amusement. And then the girl from the Mystic Moon let out a small laugh as she saw Allen's face fill with embarrassment. Through all of this, Persephone stood there, without shame, without doubt. She was trying to get her way, show that she wouldn't be treated like any other person. She was prideful. She was stubborn. She was the most amusing and amazing person Hitomi had ever laid her eyes on in a very long time.
Allen stooped quickly, grabbing the fallen material and hurriedly placing it back around Persephone's shoulders. Two blue eyes met his own, filled with annoyance and amusement at the same time. All the knight could do was cough, his pale cheeks going redder as her deep eyes met his gaze. "Quite a guest, Allen." Hitomi said, smiling broadly at the girl, but not showing her teeth in the slightest.
Persephone felt odd as she met the girl's gaze. She stepped forward, lightly holding the long cloak around her, for the sake of the poor knight behind her. She approached the girl and she noticed the others near to them grow nervous, fidgety. But not this emerald eyed child. Persephone cocked her head to the side, taking the girl in fully, her strange relaxed attitude, her nonmenacing smile, her odd attire... Where the hell had Persephone seen something like what she wore? So long ago, she couldn't remember. Her first visits to the towns of Gaea, far distant places? She shook her head slightly before speaking.
"Are you all right?" She asked with a tone a commander may use. Hitomi stared at her confused. Persephone rolled her eyes. "Your leg, child. How is it?"
Hitomi gaped at her a moment before smiling, the warm color of a strange, innocent joy filling her cheeks. "Oh, fine. I completely forgot about it!"
Instinctively, the ex-Zaibach warrior laid her hand on the top of the girl's head and gave a small, compassionate smile. "I apologize about that, um...?" Her voice gave hint that she wanted the girl's name. 'I was once like her, long ago, before I lost everything-"
"Hitomi." She said with a shy smile. "My name is Hitomi."
It was like Persephone had run into a brick wall. Her expression faltered, her eyes grew slightly glazed over, her mouth hung open. Hitomi was confused by the look as the girl stepped away, her hand pulled back suddenly.
It took Persephone a few seconds to regain her wits before she realized the look that must cover her face. She jerked her mouth closed and forced her mind to clear, but the thoughts still came. 'It can't be... No the same Hitomi, not the same child...' But it was all too clear and somehow, Persephone felt suddenly relieved, as if she had gained some hope off of the girl. She forced a nervous and shaky smile.
"Hitomi. What a beautiful name."
************
Little was said amongst the group as an hour or two passed. It was obvious that they knew that Persephone was somehow connected to the Zaibach empire. They invited her to find refuge in their ship, but she knew well enough that she was more of a prisoner than anything else. After a small discussion of her allegiances, the others were seeing little hope of any form of trust being placed on her. She was wild, and made it clear that she didn't want to be a servant to anyone, whether to the warriors for Gaea, or for the soldiers of Zaibach. She just wanted to be left alone. And with that on their minds, they left to go back to their own chambers, one of Allen's men leading Persephone to where she would be staying. Coincidentally she was right next door to the Heavenly Knight, so that they could keep a close watch on her. She didn't mind. People always stared.
Author's Note: This one was shorter and not that great, but read and review anyways!
GoldenEagle
Author's Note: Hmm. Forgive me if the next few chapters suck. I can rewrite them if I have to. I stayed up writing these chapters like all night long, even though I have school tomorrow. Please, read and review.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The girl stood as four figures entered the room, each freezing at the sight of her. Allen stood by Persephone's side, trying to show the others that he didn't find his companion as alarming as she had appeared to be before. "So you found her." Van muttered darkly as he stepped into the light, the other three following his example. They approached Allen and the red haired girl somewhat reluctantly, throwing cautious glances at the knight. He only gave a slight smile and nodded, expressing to them that all was well.
"It seems that she found me." Allen said, an amused edge in his voice. This only earned him a few doubtful stares and one, fiery, annoyed gaze from the girl at his side. He ignored her continual bouts of mood swings and introduced her as if she were a noble. "This is Lady Persephone, a... strong... woman who has come to visit us on the Crusade. She is to be looked upon as an honored guest-"
"Visit?!" Merle yelped, her self control snapping under her immature impatience. "She nearly killed Lord Van, and she's an honored guest?!" The cat girl was slightly alarmed to receive a cool and expressionless glare from this "Lady Persephone". The blankness of the look was much more alarming than if it had been a look of pure rage.
Persephone stared down at the cat girl coolly, slightly annoyed by her words. Kill "Lord Van"? She glanced at the Prince (King?) carefully. He was staring at her almost as coldly as she was staring at him. Yet he didn't seem to have the same confidence that she mustered. He didn't seem to really know what to feel towards her. Oddly enough, this made her feel better.
But Millerna was a different matter. She recognized the cloak around Persephone's shoulders, she also saw the bare legs that glanced through every once in a while. And it only made the princess grumpy, jealous, and very ill-mannered.
"What ARE you wearing, child?" The woman asked, hands on her hips. Millerna expected the girl, though obviously older than her, to be intimidated by her stance and disapproval, but was embarrassed to find otherwise.
Instead, the guest merely raised an eyebrow before letting the cloak fall to the floor, revealing her long legs and Allen's loose shirt. Persephone stared at the girl challengingly, the princess's eyes going wide, her face developing an angry and embarrassed blush. Merle merely gasped, and Van looked away, a pink adding to his own cheeks. Hitomi just stood there, smiling a bit at the girl's defiance in amusement. And then the girl from the Mystic Moon let out a small laugh as she saw Allen's face fill with embarrassment. Through all of this, Persephone stood there, without shame, without doubt. She was trying to get her way, show that she wouldn't be treated like any other person. She was prideful. She was stubborn. She was the most amusing and amazing person Hitomi had ever laid her eyes on in a very long time.
Allen stooped quickly, grabbing the fallen material and hurriedly placing it back around Persephone's shoulders. Two blue eyes met his own, filled with annoyance and amusement at the same time. All the knight could do was cough, his pale cheeks going redder as her deep eyes met his gaze. "Quite a guest, Allen." Hitomi said, smiling broadly at the girl, but not showing her teeth in the slightest.
Persephone felt odd as she met the girl's gaze. She stepped forward, lightly holding the long cloak around her, for the sake of the poor knight behind her. She approached the girl and she noticed the others near to them grow nervous, fidgety. But not this emerald eyed child. Persephone cocked her head to the side, taking the girl in fully, her strange relaxed attitude, her nonmenacing smile, her odd attire... Where the hell had Persephone seen something like what she wore? So long ago, she couldn't remember. Her first visits to the towns of Gaea, far distant places? She shook her head slightly before speaking.
"Are you all right?" She asked with a tone a commander may use. Hitomi stared at her confused. Persephone rolled her eyes. "Your leg, child. How is it?"
Hitomi gaped at her a moment before smiling, the warm color of a strange, innocent joy filling her cheeks. "Oh, fine. I completely forgot about it!"
Instinctively, the ex-Zaibach warrior laid her hand on the top of the girl's head and gave a small, compassionate smile. "I apologize about that, um...?" Her voice gave hint that she wanted the girl's name. 'I was once like her, long ago, before I lost everything-"
"Hitomi." She said with a shy smile. "My name is Hitomi."
It was like Persephone had run into a brick wall. Her expression faltered, her eyes grew slightly glazed over, her mouth hung open. Hitomi was confused by the look as the girl stepped away, her hand pulled back suddenly.
It took Persephone a few seconds to regain her wits before she realized the look that must cover her face. She jerked her mouth closed and forced her mind to clear, but the thoughts still came. 'It can't be... No the same Hitomi, not the same child...' But it was all too clear and somehow, Persephone felt suddenly relieved, as if she had gained some hope off of the girl. She forced a nervous and shaky smile.
"Hitomi. What a beautiful name."
************
Little was said amongst the group as an hour or two passed. It was obvious that they knew that Persephone was somehow connected to the Zaibach empire. They invited her to find refuge in their ship, but she knew well enough that she was more of a prisoner than anything else. After a small discussion of her allegiances, the others were seeing little hope of any form of trust being placed on her. She was wild, and made it clear that she didn't want to be a servant to anyone, whether to the warriors for Gaea, or for the soldiers of Zaibach. She just wanted to be left alone. And with that on their minds, they left to go back to their own chambers, one of Allen's men leading Persephone to where she would be staying. Coincidentally she was right next door to the Heavenly Knight, so that they could keep a close watch on her. She didn't mind. People always stared.
Author's Note: This one was shorter and not that great, but read and review anyways!