Disclaimer: FLCL storyline with my own, Yuri Hyuga does not belong to me,
he belongs to Shadow Hearts, and Yevonites belong to Squaresoft's FFX!
Shadow belongs to Devil May Cry—not from Sega!!!
Prologue
BGM: FLCL – Beautiful Morning
With Florina in front of me, I walked slowly in the gloomy night. I opened my mouth to speak, but quietly shut it, not knowing what to say. Then her game boy dropped to the ground, so I slumped down to pick it up for her, but couldn't.
She was too far away, and I didn't have the courage to call to her. "She must've heard the conversation...huh?"
The game was on and the main title screen with words, which brimmed brightly in front of my eyes. The game was called "Endsville, City of Devils".
I remember...but it couldn't be!
Flashback
"Why doesn't Flonne like school, dad?"
"Hmph. Don't bother with that...she thinks that school corrupts the minds of God's Children..."
"I wish they'd all just burn down!!!"
End Flashback
Episode Four: The Glare of Fire
BGM: FLCL – Stalker (Instrumental)
"No, I'm telling you. There's nothing special about her...I mean she sure is cute an' everything, but man...what a good for nothing angel. It's almost as if God made a freakin' mistake sending her here...yeah, yeah, I know, I know. God never makes mistakes, blah, blah...some healer she'll turn out to be..." Yuri's shadow shone through the dim light of the room, he was lying on the ground and talking to it for some weird reason.
"What? Yeah, I was able to get him under control, but he's f—kin' bulls—t! I mean Joshua's just plain useless!" He swirled a finger above his head to indicate his point.
"The guy's d—n crazy in battle, but an absolute wimp when—what the?! My Malice's changing...talk to ya later!"
"Another fire?! Everyone stand back! The police are on their way!!!"
"Flonne...she set those schools...she's the arsonist!!!" Aria's face became livid, trembling he stuffed the game boy into his pocket. "Wait...where is Flonne?!"
He ran down the side of the road as fast as his short legs could carry him, coming to a stop by an abandoned schoolhouse. Florina sat with her large Bible upon her lap, deep in prayer, and an empty gasoline tank next to her.
Ignoring the candles around her, forming a circle, their flames appeared to mock the breathless brother, as he stepped closer to his sister.
"You're an angel...but you're also the arsonist...the one who burned down all those school buildings..." Lowering his head, Aria stared at the bandaged cat that purred by his feet. "...Why?"
"Do you remember this place...? They arrested me...the Yevonites..." She raised her head, voice dark, dripping with hatred. "I don't like hypocrites, A- kun...and they called me something I would never like to hear associated with me...The Maesters called me a devil...locked me up in the schoolhouse's attic...let rats nibble at my flesh...if it hadn't been for Leehalt I..."
She stopped short, closing the Bible, and set it beside her. The cat perked its head up when she stood and it ran away.
"I want to go home...I miss the company of my family..." Her eyes glimpsed up at Joshua, who picked up another piece of his Malice, while the cat landed on his sleeve.
"But now..."
The shy teen heard her voice and ducked sheepishly behind the ruins, then peeked at her; she smiled.
Finding the courage, Joshua treaded out, standing in front of the debris, watching Florina approach him, her wings spread behind her, opening her arms to him.
"Now I have someone like me...someone who can comfort me...please..." Her hands clasped his sleeves, pulling her profile close to his.
"Ah...ah..." Aria started gasping, observing the entire scene.
"Kiss me..." Their lips met, Joshua felt himself freeze, a warmth flooded into his body, causing him to groan.
"I-Itai!!" The other youngster however screamed in horror, great pain coming to his eyes and head once more, and Malice red.
Aria's scream broke Florina away from the receiver, before he could hold her like he wanted to, "A-kun?!"
BGM: FLCL – Advice
"M-my...head!!!"
The horrendous sign appeared once more, terrifying the angel. "Oh no...that symbol...ah..."
Yuri was pushing his gas again, trying to make it in time to actually be in the battle, while another legion instead of dragging itself out, leapt high into the air. It was a black panther, dripping with darkness that resembled sin.
"Shadow!!" The now positioned target exclaimed, opening his wings.
Spinning, it landed itself into Joshua, sending him flying through the sky, the impact tore the halo from his head, and the cat into the air above Florina. Her eyes widened, comprehension marking her visage. And she gasped, tears threatening to flood.
In the mist of the battle, Aria was smacked by the panther's tail, dispatching him into the atmosphere, where he crashed into Yuri's speeding motorcycle, in the front wheel and out the other.
"Hey!!" Yuri skidded to a stop, "how dare you do that to my great- grandson!!!"
"Autumn-sama!!!" Florina cried to the cat, opening her arms, catching him only to get smacked down by Shadow's tail's impact, as it hit the ground around her. "Kyah?!"
Meanwhile Joshua slammed into a brick wall, breaking them, he was about to pick himself up, but Yuri charging towards the panther, smashed his foot down in his private area, and sprung off his head, rendering the poor teen unconscious.
The adult, high in the air, brought his guitar around, driving the legion's head to the ground. "Hyah!!!"
Another part of the panther, which formed an outstretched arm, kept the now awakened semi-angel distracted, a large hand smashing his body and tossing him from rock to rock. Each time the skull met against the hard mineral.
The grown up continuously bounded all of Shadow's assaults, leaping from different parts of its body, which sprayed itself like rain, trying to land a blow. Yuri sprang upside down, readying another blow, but the panther turned to face him, "uh-oh!"
It clamped its teeth down on Yuri's stomach, blood spewed out, along with his painful outburst, waking the unconscious junior.
"Great-grandpa?" Aria's head ached, eyes screwed. "Flonne?!!?"
Poor Florina was caught in a fight with the panther's tail, despite the fact that she wasn't the target, each time the sword like tail slashed her, she cried, blood splattering the earth, as she tried her best to shield the cat in her arms.
"Ah!" Aria's head jerked to see Joshua, spinning on the floor, then the hand flicked him with its finger, transmitting him into the empyrean, and his landing spot—right into Florina!! "Flonne, look out!!!"
The brother scrambled to his feet, catching his sister in his arms and falling to the ground, just before the failing grandfather crashed beside them.
Aria clinched Florina tightly, staring up to his doom, with Joshua sitting closely in front of him, watching Shadow's large mouth, hungry to eat.
"Noo!! God, please save our poor souls!!!!!" The reluctant boy sobbed.
Then something happened, as if a miracle, Joshua's eyes enlarged, and his fist connected itself with the panther's jaw, clobbering him into the air for once.
At that time, he stood up, lifting Aria into him, a large cake hole swallowed the boy!
"Joshua...just ate..." Yuri, sat up in disbelief, fully awake now.
"...A-kun!!!" Florina shrieked, "Baka!!! You're not even an angel, but the complete opposite! Why did you eat my best friend!?!?!"
BGM: FLCL – Little Busters
Hurt filled the teen's eyes a moment, but a cross appeared on his chest, and then a bright beam of light cast itself over him. Now, Joshua stood with a black mage's hat, one eye turquoise and the metallic, a blue cape torn at the bottom covered his shoulders, and a devil wing on one and angel on the other.
Raising a calm hand, Joshua stopped Shadow in his tracks, gaze still on Florina the entire time, he spun his body to land a flying kick on the panther's jaw.
With a tender smile crossing his features, Joshua pushed her lightly to the side, the Émigré Document appeared, floating over his palm, as he drew back the other, uttered a spell, and sent it flying straight into the legion.
The spell's center was black, but white sparkles decorated around it, uniting itself with Shadow's body, rendering his form to shreds. Yuri hopped himself on top of the panther,
"Chance!!"
He took the final blow, slamming his guitar hard on its head, "Ano?"
Shadow's head burst, black muck spraying into the air, before an explosion followed.
Joshua walked over to Florina, who was shuddering to each of her sobs, and placed a comforting hand on her toddler-like head. She looked up at him, Autumn in arms, her cries halted.
Their stares disconnected, when the teen covered his mouth, and threw Aria up.
"A-kun!!" The female sibling rejoiced, "You're all right! "
"Itai..." The boy however wasn't so happy, "That hurt...huh?! What happened??!!?"
"A-kun...you stink..." Florina frowned, wiping him with a small handkerchief. "Here."
Yuri was staring at the flames the entire time, but with a cat-like smirk, placed a hand on Joshua's shoulder, "Maybe you're not so useless after all..."
Sirens made the adult jump, "Holy s—t!! It's the cops!!!"
Aria, not wanting to get in trouble ran over to Yuri's side, as he hopped onto his motorcycle.
"Hey you two!! Quit standing around!!! Huh?"
It just started raining...
Epilogue
With the rain pouring down heavily, I didn't even notice the sirens coming towards us, and I doubt she did too. All we continued to do was stare, unable to break away.
I'm not sure how I felt right at that moment, but I asked myself...what could I do for Florina? What can I do...? My answer was to stay by her side, and protect her for as long as I can... so I took her delicate hand in mine, and we walked together after Yuri and Aria.
-Ending Credits/Preview-
Land of Mercy
This is a strange familiar place
Where I am living
The world that was and what's become are not the same
I see the evidence of grace
Without forgetting
How far I've had to come to get me where I am today
If justice had the only say
Well I would not be here
Cause less than anything is more than I deserve
But I can put the past away
For I've discovered
There's nothing left to judge, forgiveness is the final word
Everywhere I turn I see compassion but I'm learning
I'm just a fallen man
In the land of mercy
Love is free to grow where Heaven's healing waters flow
Though I may not understand
I'm living in the land of mercy
It seems I never have to ask
For what I'm given
I see the answer long before I see the need
No longer looking to the past
As just a prison
For what has been helps me remember what I used to be
Though I may walk through the valley below
I will not fear because I know who rules this world
I'm walking through
Love is free
I'm living in the land of mercy
Tell me what you see
I'm living in the land of mercy
Prologue
BGM: FLCL – Beautiful Morning
With Florina in front of me, I walked slowly in the gloomy night. I opened my mouth to speak, but quietly shut it, not knowing what to say. Then her game boy dropped to the ground, so I slumped down to pick it up for her, but couldn't.
She was too far away, and I didn't have the courage to call to her. "She must've heard the conversation...huh?"
The game was on and the main title screen with words, which brimmed brightly in front of my eyes. The game was called "Endsville, City of Devils".
I remember...but it couldn't be!
Flashback
"Why doesn't Flonne like school, dad?"
"Hmph. Don't bother with that...she thinks that school corrupts the minds of God's Children..."
"I wish they'd all just burn down!!!"
End Flashback
Episode Four: The Glare of Fire
BGM: FLCL – Stalker (Instrumental)
"No, I'm telling you. There's nothing special about her...I mean she sure is cute an' everything, but man...what a good for nothing angel. It's almost as if God made a freakin' mistake sending her here...yeah, yeah, I know, I know. God never makes mistakes, blah, blah...some healer she'll turn out to be..." Yuri's shadow shone through the dim light of the room, he was lying on the ground and talking to it for some weird reason.
"What? Yeah, I was able to get him under control, but he's f—kin' bulls—t! I mean Joshua's just plain useless!" He swirled a finger above his head to indicate his point.
"The guy's d—n crazy in battle, but an absolute wimp when—what the?! My Malice's changing...talk to ya later!"
"Another fire?! Everyone stand back! The police are on their way!!!"
"Flonne...she set those schools...she's the arsonist!!!" Aria's face became livid, trembling he stuffed the game boy into his pocket. "Wait...where is Flonne?!"
He ran down the side of the road as fast as his short legs could carry him, coming to a stop by an abandoned schoolhouse. Florina sat with her large Bible upon her lap, deep in prayer, and an empty gasoline tank next to her.
Ignoring the candles around her, forming a circle, their flames appeared to mock the breathless brother, as he stepped closer to his sister.
"You're an angel...but you're also the arsonist...the one who burned down all those school buildings..." Lowering his head, Aria stared at the bandaged cat that purred by his feet. "...Why?"
"Do you remember this place...? They arrested me...the Yevonites..." She raised her head, voice dark, dripping with hatred. "I don't like hypocrites, A- kun...and they called me something I would never like to hear associated with me...The Maesters called me a devil...locked me up in the schoolhouse's attic...let rats nibble at my flesh...if it hadn't been for Leehalt I..."
She stopped short, closing the Bible, and set it beside her. The cat perked its head up when she stood and it ran away.
"I want to go home...I miss the company of my family..." Her eyes glimpsed up at Joshua, who picked up another piece of his Malice, while the cat landed on his sleeve.
"But now..."
The shy teen heard her voice and ducked sheepishly behind the ruins, then peeked at her; she smiled.
Finding the courage, Joshua treaded out, standing in front of the debris, watching Florina approach him, her wings spread behind her, opening her arms to him.
"Now I have someone like me...someone who can comfort me...please..." Her hands clasped his sleeves, pulling her profile close to his.
"Ah...ah..." Aria started gasping, observing the entire scene.
"Kiss me..." Their lips met, Joshua felt himself freeze, a warmth flooded into his body, causing him to groan.
"I-Itai!!" The other youngster however screamed in horror, great pain coming to his eyes and head once more, and Malice red.
Aria's scream broke Florina away from the receiver, before he could hold her like he wanted to, "A-kun?!"
BGM: FLCL – Advice
"M-my...head!!!"
The horrendous sign appeared once more, terrifying the angel. "Oh no...that symbol...ah..."
Yuri was pushing his gas again, trying to make it in time to actually be in the battle, while another legion instead of dragging itself out, leapt high into the air. It was a black panther, dripping with darkness that resembled sin.
"Shadow!!" The now positioned target exclaimed, opening his wings.
Spinning, it landed itself into Joshua, sending him flying through the sky, the impact tore the halo from his head, and the cat into the air above Florina. Her eyes widened, comprehension marking her visage. And she gasped, tears threatening to flood.
In the mist of the battle, Aria was smacked by the panther's tail, dispatching him into the atmosphere, where he crashed into Yuri's speeding motorcycle, in the front wheel and out the other.
"Hey!!" Yuri skidded to a stop, "how dare you do that to my great- grandson!!!"
"Autumn-sama!!!" Florina cried to the cat, opening her arms, catching him only to get smacked down by Shadow's tail's impact, as it hit the ground around her. "Kyah?!"
Meanwhile Joshua slammed into a brick wall, breaking them, he was about to pick himself up, but Yuri charging towards the panther, smashed his foot down in his private area, and sprung off his head, rendering the poor teen unconscious.
The adult, high in the air, brought his guitar around, driving the legion's head to the ground. "Hyah!!!"
Another part of the panther, which formed an outstretched arm, kept the now awakened semi-angel distracted, a large hand smashing his body and tossing him from rock to rock. Each time the skull met against the hard mineral.
The grown up continuously bounded all of Shadow's assaults, leaping from different parts of its body, which sprayed itself like rain, trying to land a blow. Yuri sprang upside down, readying another blow, but the panther turned to face him, "uh-oh!"
It clamped its teeth down on Yuri's stomach, blood spewed out, along with his painful outburst, waking the unconscious junior.
"Great-grandpa?" Aria's head ached, eyes screwed. "Flonne?!!?"
Poor Florina was caught in a fight with the panther's tail, despite the fact that she wasn't the target, each time the sword like tail slashed her, she cried, blood splattering the earth, as she tried her best to shield the cat in her arms.
"Ah!" Aria's head jerked to see Joshua, spinning on the floor, then the hand flicked him with its finger, transmitting him into the empyrean, and his landing spot—right into Florina!! "Flonne, look out!!!"
The brother scrambled to his feet, catching his sister in his arms and falling to the ground, just before the failing grandfather crashed beside them.
Aria clinched Florina tightly, staring up to his doom, with Joshua sitting closely in front of him, watching Shadow's large mouth, hungry to eat.
"Noo!! God, please save our poor souls!!!!!" The reluctant boy sobbed.
Then something happened, as if a miracle, Joshua's eyes enlarged, and his fist connected itself with the panther's jaw, clobbering him into the air for once.
At that time, he stood up, lifting Aria into him, a large cake hole swallowed the boy!
"Joshua...just ate..." Yuri, sat up in disbelief, fully awake now.
"...A-kun!!!" Florina shrieked, "Baka!!! You're not even an angel, but the complete opposite! Why did you eat my best friend!?!?!"
BGM: FLCL – Little Busters
Hurt filled the teen's eyes a moment, but a cross appeared on his chest, and then a bright beam of light cast itself over him. Now, Joshua stood with a black mage's hat, one eye turquoise and the metallic, a blue cape torn at the bottom covered his shoulders, and a devil wing on one and angel on the other.
Raising a calm hand, Joshua stopped Shadow in his tracks, gaze still on Florina the entire time, he spun his body to land a flying kick on the panther's jaw.
With a tender smile crossing his features, Joshua pushed her lightly to the side, the Émigré Document appeared, floating over his palm, as he drew back the other, uttered a spell, and sent it flying straight into the legion.
The spell's center was black, but white sparkles decorated around it, uniting itself with Shadow's body, rendering his form to shreds. Yuri hopped himself on top of the panther,
"Chance!!"
He took the final blow, slamming his guitar hard on its head, "Ano?"
Shadow's head burst, black muck spraying into the air, before an explosion followed.
Joshua walked over to Florina, who was shuddering to each of her sobs, and placed a comforting hand on her toddler-like head. She looked up at him, Autumn in arms, her cries halted.
Their stares disconnected, when the teen covered his mouth, and threw Aria up.
"A-kun!!" The female sibling rejoiced, "You're all right! "
"Itai..." The boy however wasn't so happy, "That hurt...huh?! What happened??!!?"
"A-kun...you stink..." Florina frowned, wiping him with a small handkerchief. "Here."
Yuri was staring at the flames the entire time, but with a cat-like smirk, placed a hand on Joshua's shoulder, "Maybe you're not so useless after all..."
Sirens made the adult jump, "Holy s—t!! It's the cops!!!"
Aria, not wanting to get in trouble ran over to Yuri's side, as he hopped onto his motorcycle.
"Hey you two!! Quit standing around!!! Huh?"
It just started raining...
Epilogue
With the rain pouring down heavily, I didn't even notice the sirens coming towards us, and I doubt she did too. All we continued to do was stare, unable to break away.
I'm not sure how I felt right at that moment, but I asked myself...what could I do for Florina? What can I do...? My answer was to stay by her side, and protect her for as long as I can... so I took her delicate hand in mine, and we walked together after Yuri and Aria.
-Ending Credits/Preview-
Land of Mercy
This is a strange familiar place
Where I am living
The world that was and what's become are not the same
I see the evidence of grace
Without forgetting
How far I've had to come to get me where I am today
If justice had the only say
Well I would not be here
Cause less than anything is more than I deserve
But I can put the past away
For I've discovered
There's nothing left to judge, forgiveness is the final word
Everywhere I turn I see compassion but I'm learning
I'm just a fallen man
In the land of mercy
Love is free to grow where Heaven's healing waters flow
Though I may not understand
I'm living in the land of mercy
It seems I never have to ask
For what I'm given
I see the answer long before I see the need
No longer looking to the past
As just a prison
For what has been helps me remember what I used to be
Though I may walk through the valley below
I will not fear because I know who rules this world
I'm walking through
Love is free
I'm living in the land of mercy
Tell me what you see
I'm living in the land of mercy