Fate's Catalyst
Formerly Teal Isn't Just a Color

Thanks for the reviews :) Review responses located at the end of this chapter (you know, the usual)

I hope everyone had a happy/nice/wonderful/merry *insert holiday of choice here* and a Happy New Year. Sorry about the large amount of time between chapters due to lack of something to connect point A to point B. Be happy - I found a solution this time! Plus, I'm happy with myself - I can write fight scenes! WHEE!

Bet you thought I gave up again, eh? Expect 1 to 2 months between chapters, and maybe a little sooner as well. I only write when I'm in a bad mood because things tend to come off more vividly XD. Believe me - I WILL finish this this time.

Strangely, I cut this chapter off 400 words earlier than I was going to… I figured this would be a bigger, better, cliffhanger. So, technically, the next chapter will be out earlier.

Warnings: Dark, angst, reference to rape, language, and of course violence. Rating will go up as the story ascends into darkness and it's own little rabbit hole.

Thanks and I hope you're not disappointed.

Devine Shadow
こくえいです


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Fate's Catalyst :: Part 1
うんめいしょくばい :: いち

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...July 15th 2019...
Seven years prior to the incident...
Kyoto Underground Fighting Syndicate...

Her leg swung around in a perfect equal motion, striking into the man's ribcage splintering each or all of the bones with little effort. Like a rag doll, his unconscious body slammed and sharply contorted into the cement at such a speed unmatched by a peregrine's dive.

Unwavering and unnerved she pulled her body back into stance and stared at the worthless mangled mass lying there from the eyes of her Hannya mask. His blood flowed freely sinking into the uneven cracks beneath their feet and mingled with that of others whom shared his fate.

This made the crowd roar with a sadistic happiness, and they wanted more. A number of shoddy speakers cracked and reverberated the outcome, as it always was; infinite. Nothing had changed or would ever change...

"Round fifteen has been taken by miss Akuchi with ease! Another unparalleled victory!"

Those words hadn't even reached her ears… She knew what was going to be said, and there was no need to hear them once more.

Instead, she glared at the man that she herself had cut down in a single strike… She viewed through unfeeling glass eyes, and the eyes behind them also unfeeling and neutral in intent.

Things were equal in kind.
He was in his desired place and all was well.
However what was this desired place?
That's quite easy, It was obstacle to another.
But what does an obstacle such as this desire?

No matter.
The need to be cut asunder by those WHOM desire.


*****


...October 3rd 2013...
Three months after Genkai was placed in government custody...

Over the crest of that cemetery hill came her worst fear and apparent future - two civil servants. Both laden in black, angels of despair, sent to drag her into a hell made just for those unlucky to have equal or near circumstances.

And all her supposed friends let them take her as she stood there in absolute fear…

They wanted her to suffer, didn't they?
Or maybe it was because they had not suffered in kind.
Or maybe because they were afraid of taking responsibility.

The fact remained, and when it all boiled down, they left her to rot.

So here it is, the very thing that irked the marrow in her very bones and coagulated blood… Her assumed hell for the past three months of her life, and with all her luck combined, for the rest of it as well. For now, and forever, she would remain a statistic and a number for the government's silent infractions and blatant ignorance.

Her home was now that thing of a cardboard box called and orphanage in the slums of Kyoto… An obscure fabrication of the social ladder and a neglected reformation.

Such wonder and genius held by organized government society in this millennium…

So smart in their political markets and bid wars in order to maintain peace and prevent unorganized chaos… And what is our price?

Simply to be left in the dark and be led to believe anything that enters our ears.

To someone better off it would be something only to be acknowledged in movies and on television, yet ignored when placed right under once eyes and face. Eyes do make contact and brains draw conclusions, yet conscience is preferable to naiveté even when jadedness is deathly apparent. It is so sad and depressing, yet no one wants to take responsibility and they choose to shove it into the cracks and crevices of their hidden subconscious.

Simple as this.

The mind strives to constantly maintain one thing…

Denial.

Those who wish not to encounter the truth and continue living sad, little lies as well as accept anything they hear as true… lackeys of the machine…

And even worse… they will fight to the death to prove that there is, at least ,an inkling of truth in such distorted frauds.

One could only hope for something more than this… For someone to break the chains of government propaganda and do something for those with no fortune… Especially those who have witnessed the dreaded system of government creation… At least, those who chose not to deny and choose to differentiate fact from fallacy.

Three words that would haunt her for the rest of her life…
Corruption, death, and greed.

She sat with porcelain gaze locked on her sole possession… The slightly dented black box with a pink ribbon in now stringy tatters tying it shut… Her only connection to her life before this hell and hopefully her life in the future… Maybe it was something that would help her find her mothers family or learn more about the past… Probably old diaries, letters, photographs, and keepsakes…

Her mother had acted strangely when they spoke about it…

Could it be something more than just that?
What if I don't want to know what's in here?
Or what if it is something I don't like or don't want to like?

These thoughts remained securely sealed in the back of her mind and they lead her to fear it…

and…

She dealt with this dread as she had tried to deal with everything else on this world that was associated with her… She ran away from it.

…She had never opened the box.

She turned her eyes from it and sat it down next to her on sheets as tattered as itself. Despite how much she didn't want to know about it… She still wanted console or something firm to keep a grasp on…

Even though, it still ran through her mind…

What… if?

She struggled to shake the thought off, and put the source of her confusion back under her bed where it resided and belonged - out of mind and out of sight.

And with her bad luck, she forgot to remain aware of her surroundings and completely forgot about stability in vigilance…

"Hey."

She temporarily froze in her movements, shocked.

The boy gave an answer to her immobile functions, "I see you have something" He cocked his head slightly to the side, looking into the immediate direction of the door, "I won't tell... Well, that only applies unless you don't give it to me."

She mentally cringed.

Obviously, her critical mistake was made upon an encounter with someone much older and stronger than herself.

And even better, she ignored that annoying little feeling of being watched.

That wasn't all…
They were the only souls in that very room…


Her gaze thickened as she recovered from the apparent surprise he had so suddenly applied to her defenseless mind. Pivoting on her left knee and replacing the right, she shifted her weight to stare back at him.

She glared into his eyes almost burning holes into his skull confident in her actions, even stranger, she was snickering slightly. "You'll have to go through me first" was her apt contradiction.

Rising to her feet she made her intentions of standing her ground quite clear, and apparently he planned to defy her. She wouldn't be going down without a fight, even if it wasn't on just terms.

To her chagrin, he made the choice to advance with a view of something much less than equality, and with her answer to justness…

He totally slipped past her mental fort defense and artillery.
And this is her punishment, as usual.


The sixteen year-old pulled out and flipped it into an ample position, finishing with a click…

Twice as hard and dually terrible than the worst thing that even Satan himself found conceivably possible.

He snorted in malevolent nature, eyes covered in a foggy glaze… "I hope that isn't your final answer."

Oh damn…

A switchblade…

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End :: Part 1
おわり :: いち

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First Draft: January 22nd/23rd, February 2nd, February 10th, February 14th/15th 2004.
First Revision: Pending.

So, did you like/hate? Are you completely lost? Please review and let me know! That includes you, lurkers!

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Glossary Thingy:
Definitions that were used in my word choice are underlined. I usually use nouns instead of traditional names for characters.

Akuchi :: あくち
1) Impure blood; 2) Marshland

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Japanese Custom Glossary:
Information on the customs I have researched and stuck in the fic to make it accurate in setting & place.

Hannya (はっんや) Mask:
Mask from the Japanese Noh plays. One of the several masks used for women, this one specifically represents a jealous and angry woman who became demon through those feelings and sought to attack as revenge. Has horns and sharp looking fangs - many westerners would recognize it if they see a picture. Sort of a female form of the original Yoshimitsu mask.

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Review Responses:
WHEE!

Forevermore:
Thanks for all your wonderful comments as usual. I'm happy to know you like it better than my last attempt. I was hoping people would be happier with it this time around - I tried as hard as I could to make a better storyline and close in all the gaps that made my story need braces to fix (lol). I have nearly ten pages of footnotes and plot elements in size 8 font. I hope it was worth the long wait to you :D

Baccus Cremaeus:
Thanks for liking it and commenting on my writing skills as well. You'll have to keep reading to find out what's going on - I know I'm evil :D

Tombaraidergirl:
Thank you as well :D
I wouldn't question Kazzy's motives either, I think it's pretty clear and he's the kind of man to cover up his tracks. About the box… Well… I'm willing to give you a hint on that… Well, maybe not. Think of it as a diary or sorts… :D

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