(A new Canon has arrived. Let us see where the path now leads for Sora Minakaze and those who have been roped into this path.)
Bold = English Conversations
Bold + Italics =Japanese Conversations
Canon 20
In the streets of Kagutsuchi, far from the location he had just waged a battle against Hunter from, Sora couldn't help but look towards the slowly changing sky as the cig in his hand slowly burned away from his hand. His thoughts were allowed to be free for that moment as he didn't know how he should progress with what has happened to him currently. 'First it's Jin and Tsubaki not knowing who I am... to Hunter not knowing who I am and trying to kill me... The next I know, Noel will not know who I am and run away from me and Makoto... I don't want to think about that possibility.' Sora thought as he crushed the cigarette with his bare hand, allowing the pain to faintly linger in his hand as he soon tossed the crushed cigarette to the ground.
"God I need a seat right now..." Sora mumbled to himself as he took a seat right on a nearby bench as he was still near the park area of the Hierarchical city of Kagutsuchi, the park being rather expansive which Sora would have not mind if it were not for the fact that right now he just wanted to stare at a plain color. Thus in order to get what he wants, he simply laid himself on the ground, face staring into the sky as he sighed deeply into the sky, wondering what his next move should be.
"Excuse me young man. May I sit right next to you right now?" A voice spoke as Sora tilted his head back to ground level to see who was speaking to him. It was an old man but he was rather different. Unlike old men his age, this old man had a rather stylish aquamarine suit with gold trim throughout and had long white hair that had a pink bow tied at near the end as the old man softly smiled at him, making Sora scratch his head a little.
"If you insist..." Sora mumbled, giving the old man space to sit down as he simply smiled as the two focused their gaze right into the flower field that was right in front of him however the old man could notice that the young man next to him was not focusing on the flowers. "You know... if you stare at the flowers with the intensity you are giving them, you risk making them wilt." The old man said as Sora couldn't help but scratch his head at that, wondering what could that mean.
"It simply means that you must cool down right now. Your body is acting faster than your mind can think." The old man continued as Sora couldn't help but nod his head at understanding that before looking at the old man again. "And you sure like butting in to other people's business huh..." Sora said as the old man simply laughed. "It might be just old age... or from experience, but you have the same eyes I once had when I was younger. When I was rash and eager to fight anything in sight. I just wanted to say something that's all." The old man explained as Sora looked at top to bottom at this man.
"And you like taking walks and talking with random strangers? You look like the type to be busy with something at this time like taking care of a store or a young lady?" Sora said as the old man couldn't help but laugh at that. "When you say it like that, I cannot help but agree. Why yes, I am supposed to return to where my lady waits for me with the tea she had requested me to acquire, but I cannot help but start thinking about things while I do these tasks." The old man said as Sora couldn't help but nod his head at that.
"I guess when you put it that way. it's the things that we often wonder about the most that makes us think the most..." Sora mumbled as the old man simply smiled. "So what is lingering in your mind if I can be kind to ask. I can assure you that I am just curious about your current predicament and don't wish commit anything that would anger you." The old man asked, having warmed Sora enough to make him want to talk about his current predicament as Sora simply figured that there was no harm in letting what was essentially a senile old man listen to him ramble for a bit.
Sora: Well... I just have been having a bad day that's all. My friends either forgot who I am or want me dead or both... and I cannot help but feel like I am in a bit of an in pass right now.
Old man: An in pass? Now what do you mean by that?
Sora: I mean...I know I should be moving forward and try to press on through the bullshit. But I don't know how I should be doing that. Should I simply just focus on what's in front of me and deal with that as it goes? Or should I take each problem one by one, thinking as I go.
Old man: Have you tried both options before you started thinking about this?
Sora: Yes... Yes I have. But both have lead me to not reaching a solution. Walking in blind has gotten me into trouble so much in my life so for this problem, I tried to think reasonably and reason with the people around me... and even then that doesn't work as people just want me dead for some reason.
Old Man: Hmmm...it seems you really have stumbled upon a predicament indeed young man...
"Predicament is an understatement... it's more of a rock and a hard place for me..." Sora complained, placing his head on his knees in frustrations, rubbing his forehead at the misfortune that had been directed at him. "But as one man would say, hardships are the world's way of testing one way of life against each other." The old man explained as Sora couldn't help but look at the old man with a face that simply screamed, "Oh really now old man... if that's the case, please explain to me what you mean by that?" as the old man couldn't help but laugh as he cleared his throat for his explanation.
"If life was not filled with challenges, then we would not grow as individuals. If you are not being challenged constantly in life, then how will you know if you are truly growing and not stagnating." The old man explained as Sora couldn't help but scratch his head at that. "Are you telling me gods throw challenges at us because they like to torture us that way?" Sora asked as the old man simply smiled and nodded his head at that.
"If that is the case, the gods are being fucking dicks about the way they choose to torture me right now and I deserve at least some compensation after all the bullshit they put me through." Sora complained as for some reason, talking to this old man has somehow helped him to clear his mind a bit to what was stressing him before. "If that is the case, all you can do is simply endure what has been given to your way and fight your way back to a chance in life." The old man explained as Sora simply nodded his head at that.
"You know what... you're right about that old man. I should probably just endure and fight my way through this bullshit that the gods have decided I deserve." Sora said as he stood up and stretched a little, revealing to the old man his stump. "In any other case... thanks for the pep talk old man. I really needed that right now." Sora said as he simply bowed in respect before he started walking away as the old man couldn't help but smirk at that.
"Say young one. You're not going to ask this old man for his name just in case we do meet again?" The old man asked as Sora simply turned his head towards him, tilting it a bit before nodding. "Sure. what's your name old man?" Sora asked bluntly as the old man simply chuckled a bit before giving his answer. "The name's Valkenhayn R Hellsing though Valkenhayn would suffice." Valkenhayn said as Sora couldn't help but place his finger on his chin, realizing why that name sounded familiar.
"You're one of the six heroes aren't you?" Sora said, realizing why the name now sounded so familiar as Valkenhayn simply smiled, amazed at how the man could simply speak to him in a calm manner when most would freak out in some manner or demand some respect hearing his name. "And I am just surprised you are showing some restraint. Are you actually nervous speaking to me now that you know who I am?" Valkenhayn questioned as Sora simply tilted his head.
"Why should I? You are just a normal person like everyone else. You may be a famous person but that doesn't mean that you get my respect, you have to earn that like everyone else in life. In any other case, I need to go right now Valkenhayn. There is something only I can do right now." Sora said as he simply bowed a bit before leaving Valkenhayn to ponder on the words that Sora had said as Valkenhayn sat back on his seat, amused by the answer given to him.
"How long have you been listening old friend?" Valkenhayn questioned as out stepped from the shadows a strange sight for most normal people. It was a fully grown cat standing on two of it's legs, had twin tails and wearing an orange cat hoodie with black trim that came with large over sized paws. On this cat's back was a pair of two blades sheathed with one singular red sheath and strapped to his body with a brown strap.
"Just long enough to know that you told him your name." The cat beastkin replied as he showed his face, revealing a belt eye patch over his eye as Valkenhayn chuckled. "I did not take you for the eavesdropping type Jubei. You could have joined the conversation if you wanted to old friend." Valkenhayn replied as Jubei simply scratched his head. "It's alright. I wanted to see him from a distance to see if he really has been worth the fuzz that your missus has been making him out to be." Jubei replied as Valkenhayn turned his head towards him.
"And what is your opinion on the boy then?" Valkenhayn asked as Jubei simply pawed his head. "He already reminds me way too much of my former disciple... it's kind of like looking at some mirror... yet at the same time he's different enough that I can't say he's an exact copy. Look I know I am not being direct but that guy's too hard to read from just a distance." Jubei said, shaking his head several times as he looked at Valkenhayn in the eyes.
"And what about you? What do you think about the kid after having a heartfelt conversation with him?" Jubei asked, turning the question Valkenhayn had asked back at him as Valkenhayn simply laughed. "Well... If I can be frank. While the boy lacks delicacy and tact and is rude to his seniors. At least he's not a vulgar foul mouthed individual unlike a certain other white haired individual I know off..." Valkenhayn replied, his tone becoming low at the end as Jubei scratched his head.
"You are still mad with Ragna for the way he treats the rabbit?" Jubei questioned as Valkenhayn's hand accidentally broke a piece of the bench when he applied too much force into it. "Yes... because regardless of who he thinks he is. The way he treats the mistress is simply appalling and deserves a stern correcting of such appalling behavior." Valkenhayn replied as his teeth grinded a bit with each word that come out of his mouth, making Jubei realize that he needed to refocus their conversation before things change.
"Well...regardless of personality... do you think he's going to be alright?" Jubei asked as Valkenhayn realized why Jubei was changing the conversation as he cleared his throat a little. "I do not have to see him fight to know that he will be alright. Even if he's missing an arm, he's at least not missing some heart." Valkenhayn said as Jubei looked back at the direction that Sora was running towards, wondering if Valkenhayn's words were true.
As Jubei and Valkenhayn pondered, Sora himself continued to run ahead, running like he had never before as his eyes focused on what was in front of him while his mind was thinking about the path that he had to take in order to ensure that he lived to figure out the mystery of who is trying to kill him while making sure Makoto was safe. 'That's all I can do at this point. All I can do for myself... for the people around me... Is to simply keep looking forward and not let anything hold me back from my goal.'
...And thus, with that simple goal in his mind, Regardless of where he ended up next, Sora simply continued to run on forward...
As Sora tried to find Makoto, Makoto herself was quite busy at that moment. Her day has been getting rather hectic from going to meet Tager only to meet with Hunter who she thought was dead this entire time and finding out that Sora has life needing medication that Hunter needs in order to live, to now trying to find her friend Noel in the mess as she held her head a bit. "God... this whole thing is starting to get out of hand..." Makoto thought as she took a seat on the ground to recollect her thoughts.
To think, all of this started when she was given that task by her former superior Hazama to head to the ruins of Ibukido and find out what was going there only to be brought to an alternative timeline where Hunter was her lover and Noel did not exist. Then from that same timeline, she had her mind raped by the masked freak and would have been a goner if it wasn't for the fact that the rapist brought back memories of her boyfriend which she didn't even knew existed until that point.
And now here she was, in Kagustuchi trying to not only find her missing boyfriend, but also deal with the fact that one of her best friends is trying to kill her other best friend and she doesn't even know the reason why and was with a woman famed for her masochistic tendencies. And now she just found out that Hunter Long, the person who was supposedly dead from the Ikaruga war is alive and now depending on life saving medication that her missing boyfriend had supposedly stolen from the red devil himself and now she needs to find Sora and stop a murder from happening at the same time.
"I just need to do all of that before..." Before Makoto could even finish her sentence, she felt a massive gust of wind blow her down to her ass, making her moan in pain as she looked around to see who had made her fall down. "My My, to think you would fall down with such indignity." Rachel Alucard's voice boomed as this got Makoto to look around quickly, realizing that Rachel Alucard was somewhere in the area until she looked at the sky and couldn't help but gawk at what she was seeing.
It was Rachel herself, descending down from the heavens holding onto a umbrella as she gracefully touched the ground with the tip of her feet. Makoto at this point should have been used to the appearance of the Gothic Lolita but if she kept doing weird stuff like this, then she could simply just throw getting used to things out of the window completely. "I...I see that you have picked up the ability to fly... when do you think I can start doing that myself?" Makoto questioned as Rachel simply chuckled hearing that.
"Well now, if you would like to learn how to fly, please show to me your aptitude for wind magic then." Rachel questioned as Makoto simply looked at her with confusion in her eyes. "Oh...I don't think you can cast magic now... very well, Wind Ars Magus will have the same effect so you can demonstrate to me that instead." Rachel said as Makoto simply curled herself into a ball hearing what Rachel said in depression.
'Looks like you are going to have to wait for that hoverpack or jetpack technology in the future... Makoto Nanaya...' Makoto thought in a depressed manner as Rachel simply cleared her throat to bring the squirrel beastkin back to reality as Makoto pushed away her crushed dream to fly in order to learn more about what brought Rachel here to talk to her in the first place. "So...Rachel, what brings you here to speak with good old me again?" Makoto questioned as she couldn't help but feel that Rachel was starting to have a growing interest on her for some unexplained reason.
"Well... I have some good news...and bad news..." Rachel said as that immediately got Makoto's attention as she sat herself down in a proper position, her face looking towards Rachel as she took a deep breath once more to focus. "Right... tell me then Rachel... good news first please then the bad news. I would rather have some good in my life right now rather than pile up the horrible on top of each other as I am suffering through right now." Makoto said as she prepared herself to hear what news Rachel was going to give her.
"Firstly... I have managed to find Sora Minakaze for you... he's currently in Kagutsuchi as we speak." Rachel said as Makoto immediately felt a sigh of relief flow into her as she took a deep breath of relief. Finally, somehow.. someway... she has finally managed to find Sora. Even if someone else had to find him for her... but at least she knows that her boyfriend is safe right now. "Can...Can you give me a moment please... I just need to process this for a second..." Makoto said as she closed her eyes, happily processing what she was hearing.
'Finally... it took forgetting and remembering that you exist... but we finally get to meet after so long Sora.' Makoto thought as she opened her eyes happily back at Rachel Alucard. "Right... tell me the bad news now...please." Makoto asked as she got herself ready to hear the bad news. How it was most likely the world was trying to kill Sora right now. "The world is trying to kill Sora Minakaze right now." Rachel said as Makoto couldn't help but wince at that, unable to believe that her thoughts predicted the exact lines Rachel would use at that moment.
"So... Is the world trying to kill him via this phenomena intervention thingy you mentioned to me before?" Makoto asked as Rachel simply sighed and nodded. "Well... that and Mr Minakaze has made it difficult on himself by constantly getting himself into trouble. As we speak right now, the NOL are currently looking for a white haired individual who is missing an arm who stole an NOL police bike and was last seen near the park." Rachel said as Makoto couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"God... I cannot believe you got all of that from just spotting him..." Makoto said as Rachel simply shook her head. "Oh no. I do not have the time to follow such a charlatan. I simply had my butler do that for me." Rachel explained as Makoto could only look at her with a bit of amazement. Butlers... one of the things rich people have that a poor person like her would never imagine having. Though if it was her, she would prefer a hot maid instead.
"Wait a minute...if your butler has been following Sora this whole time... how can you be so sure it's him in the first place?" Makoto asked as Rachel simply sighed. "Because I talked with the man myself to confirm it. I must have caught him in a bad time because he was fighting against Mr Long and was trying to save him but I guess the appearance of a savior was too abrupt for his liking and thus he started talking to me like a rabid dog. The shame really." Rachel said as Makoto's jaw was simply left gaping at that statement.
'Maybe the reason why he was being hostile to you was because you freaking appeared out of nowhere and fucking kidnapped a friend he was trying to save!' Makoto thought aggressively as she couldn't believe what Rachel had done. She wanted to go on a further tirade but knew that in hindsight, Rachel was probably not raised to handle social interaction as well as she would have liked. "In...In any other case... Hunter's not dying and Sora's alive...right?" Makoto questioned as she waited for Rachel's response to her question.
"Well... you are correct to say that. As we speak right now, my butler has confirmed to me that Mr Minakaze is currently running in a random direction trying to find you right now. I do not know where he is heading to right now so I would recommend right now that you go and find him as soon as possible." Rachel explained as Makoto's eyes blinked for a bit before she took a deep breath, processing the information as quickly as possible as she finally stood up on her feet.
"Then I should probably try to find him before I meet up with Noellie later tonight. I just hope that he has not run away too far to find me... and that Noel will be fine." Makoto explained as Rachel smiled. "Then I should take my leave now and care for Mr Long's health. I propose that you take your time to breathe first before acting any further. After all... we don't know what the gods of this world have planned for Mr Minakaze." Rachel said before letting herself get engulfed in a wave of black shadows as Makoto sighed before looking for a place to sit as she realized that she needed to take a break at that moment.
"You just got to find ways to make my life more difficult for me huh Sora..." Makoto said with a small smile on her face as her hand reached for the necklace on her neck and stroked it affectionately. While normally she should be angry that Sora was causing trouble for everyone...again. She couldn't help but smile at the fact that Sora was still Sora in a way. Even if he had changed in some ways, there were still some things about him that would take much longer to change.
"I wonder... what will you say when we meet again? Will you question if I remember who you are? Or will you keep quiet and try to treat me like a stranger." Makoto wondered out loud loudly to herself as it's because of these moments that she's grateful she learned how to speak Japanese in the first place as if she spoke English at that moment, she would have probably not only brought attention to herself but also made herself look like an idiot in the process.
'I need to stop talking out loud to myself like an idiot in public...' Makoto thought as she finally found a place to rest, lying her back on the wall of a bridge as while she agreed that it sounded like an idiot speaking out loud. She cannot help but feel like she needed to voice out her feelings as she reached out for the flask and pulled it out, debating about drinking as a toast to the good news she has heard so far. 'Maybe later Makoto... after you find Sora.' Makoto thought as she kept her flask once more.
"Now... where do I go to find Sora right now?" Makoto said to herself as she began to wonder where she should go at this point. Does she go to where Sora was at last time and try to piece together his next destination from there? Or does she pick a random location and start searching from there. As long as she returned back to where she had promised she would meet Noel with later that night, she still had some time to search for Sora.
"Excuse me there lady. I have a simple question to ask you right now." A voice called out as Makoto immediately turned her head around wondering who could that be. The color on her face then briefly left her as she soon realized who it was she was talking to as she couldn't help but freeze a bit, realizing who on earth had just called oiut for her name. 'Oh shit... of all the people I know the NOL has in their arsenal... it had to be you of all people.' Makoto thought as she stared right at the person in the face.
This person had jet black long hair tied to two tails with a red crimson hair ornament that resembled horns. The person wore a tight red NOL Dress with a cream coat that had a long collar extending up to her ears and exposing the middle of her chest, symbolizing that she came from the Zeroth squadron, the NOL's wings of justice as the woman noticed that Makoto was staring at her with a bit of fear in her eyes as she leaned in closer, her own light blue eyes staring right at Makoto's hazel's eyes.
"My, don't you think it's rather rude that you are just staring at me like an idiot?" The woman replied as Makoto couldn't help but curse her luck that she was currently face to face with the captain and considered head of the Zero Squadron, Meifang LapisLazuli herself as she didn't know how to feel about her current predicament at that moment. 'Oh shit... she's the one that those guards mentioned was with Tsubaki when she arrived at Kagutsuchi.' Makoto thought as she quickly recomposed herself at that moment, laughing nervously.
"Oh I'm Sorry about that. I was just amazed by your beauty that's all." Makoto said, trying to shake off the bad feeling she was feeling at that moment as she didn't know how to react at that moment. Here she was, face to face with one of the most dangerous people she knows in the NOL and she doesn't know how this woman was going to react at that moment. "Oh really now. That is a flattering comment to hear." Meifang replied as Makoto laughed nervously.
"So... what is the question that you have in mind... Uhhh" Makoto said, trying to get Meifang to say her name to start the conversation. "Meifang LapisLazuli of the Zero Squadron." Meifang replied, prompting Makoto to nod her head and gesture for Meifang to continue and ask her question as Meifang simply smiled. "Well... I just wanted to ask you if you are Makoto Nanaya, the recently reported traitor of the NOL who has NOL secrets with her." Meifang said as that made Makoto sweat even more as she chuckled nervously.
Makoto: Me? Makoto Nanaya? What makes you say that huh?
Meifang: Well.. according to intelligence, Makoto Nanaya's greatest trait is that she is a squirrel beastkin.
Makoto: Oh! Hehehe, well... to be fair, there is a lot of squirrel beastkins and not just me. So maybe you can be more specific with her appearance so that I can help you better.
Meifang: Well... she has brown hair... hazel eyes, and has a penchant for wearing orange clothing... just like you are.
Makoto: ! Oh don't be silly. I just happen to look like the person you're describing that's all. She went that way.
'Oh what are you doing Makoto. If your lie doesn't work out, Meifang is going to kill you!' Makoto thought as Meifang looked at the direction that she had pointed before Meifang simply smiled. "Thank you for directing me to the right way civilian. Now if you would excuse me." Meifang said as she walked right past Makoto, making her sigh very slowly as Makoto took one step before her senses to dodge kicked in, dodging out of the way of a suddenly and powerful kick thrown her way as the ground that was in front of her shattered when Meifang's feet touched it to recover.
"Do you really think of me as an idiot Makoto Nanaya? Because if you do... I cannot help but feel offended that you even got into intelligence in the first place." Meifang replied, Makoto realizing her bluff had just backfired as she sighed. "Okay look... to be fair that was more a shot in the dark than an actual plan so... yeah I was hoping you were gullable enough to fall for that." Makoto said, realizing her bluff had failed as Meifang couldn't help but smirk at that.
"Oh I am going to enjoy making you scream and beg for your life." Meifang said, cracking her fists as Makoto immediately pulled out her tonfas, now able to feel Meifang's killing intent leaking out of her as Makoto herself didn't know what she was going to do. 'If the rumors about her abilities are true... It might actually be better to find a way out of here than fight her in the first place.' Makoto thought as Makoto couldn't help that she had stumbled onto something horrible...
...and that something was now standing in her way...
GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION! HOW ARE YOU ALL ARE DOING!? I have been doing fine myself. I hope you all are taking care of yourselves especially with the whole Novel Corona Virus out in the world right now. At least we can't infected through the internet. The day that happens, the world is truly doomed but right now. Make sure to take care of yourselves and if you are feeling ill, please do stay at home. You are not going to do anybody favours if you get everyone else sick as well. If you do feel sick and you need to go out, try to stay out as little time as possible to minimize your contact with people. This has been your public service announcement for the growing Corona Virus.
SO WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT TO MAKOTO NANAYA!? CAN SHE SURVIVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE CAPTAIN OF THE ZERO SQUADRON HERSELF MEIFANG LAPISLAZULI!? AND JUST WHAT WILL HAPPEN FROM THIS POINT FORWARD TO NOT ONLY JUST MAKOTO NANAYA BUT ALSO SORA MINAKAZE!? Well... the only way we can find the answer to that question is to keep on reading and seeing to the very end the path that has been set for these two.