Ashes of the Golden Tiger
Chapter 1
Prologue of the Monarch
"Ashes to Ashes
Dust to Dust
The Monarch's
Throne Crumbles.
Yet from the Ashes,
The Golden Tiger Rises.
Hic Erit Tigres
(Here Be Tigers)
15 years ago
A young fifteen year old girl was tossing back and forth as she had the most terrible dream. She grasped her nightgown as rivulets of sweat poured down her forehead. Her usual drill curls were surprisingly damp and flat, as if the life and buoyancy of them had fizzled away. She hugged her brown cat pillow (Fuck Puck) as she shivered due to the conflicts of temperature. Her eyes twitched behind her eyelids as the storm of her thoughts battled incessantly with her mind.
It was late at night and she was in her bedroom, curled up in a fetal position as tears kept falling down her eyes. However, the nightmare kept her in its grasps, refusing to let her wake up. Her tiny fists clenched the linen sheets, decorated with adorable gray cat figurines.
She tried to subconsciously wake up but fell deeper in the dream. A dream of better times, a dream that occurred a scant 4 years ago, when she was a budding 11 year old.
(Dream Sequence 4 years ago)
She was walking with her beloved brother Subaru, she always liked going to Shinjuku station and eating the delicious vanilla parfaits at the local ice cream store. Alongside the black haired youth she felt in total control, victorious at all challenges.
"Hey Beako, let's go to the botanical gardens afterwards, I know you like checking out the butterflies."
Said Natsuki Subaru as his eyes held a soft spot for his beloved sister, yet they seemed to look upon the rest of the world in a disinterested manner. Certain events had happened in the past, very painful ones that made him gradually lose touch with the world.
Everything was grey, people were grey, the buildings were grey, the sky was grey. Nothing seemed like it mattered, yet when he looked at his family they shined with radiant colors. Natsuki Kenichi shined a brilliant orange, as the lights of the sun gently breaking through the morning clouds.
Natsuki Naoko shined a vibrant verdant color, as if all is at peace in her mind. The way the tranquility and serenity can be found within nature and forests, so is the tranquil mind of Naoko.
And his daring and dazzling sister Beatrice, shined with a thunderous magenta, the stunning purples mixed with some cyan left her aura resembling an abstract painting, full of life and wonder. Everything and everyone else had lost their colors to him, however from time to time Emilia and Crusch's colors would come back, yet fizzle out. However he had blocked all contact with them and switched houses under an alias.
He couldn't permit himself to see them, not after everything that happened. Now when he should've been smarter and could've prevented real tragedies from happening. No one ever blamed him, yet they should have.
He wanted to die at times, yet his sister and family held him back. It didn't stop him from trying once, yet he was luckily intercepted by one of his true friends and his beloved Beako. Afterwards, he dedicated himself to trying to improve.
However, he didn't expect his vision and the everyday colors he took for granted to lose their meaning, as if nothing but what is colorful matters. All he cared for was his family, he really tried with his past friends, or the ones still alive.
Yet, he couldn't see them in his current self. He knew they would be shocked if he admitted his condition, that simply something must've happened in his brain to be wired wrong, to have been a tragic accident after the despair he felt during those moments. He didn't even want to think of Sat-….
He stopped his train of thought as he continued onwards and they finally arrived to the botanical gardens. They sat on a familiar park bench where a girl had celebrated her desire to live. Subaru observed the butterflies alongside his sister, and couldn't help smiling at her face. How excited she would get observing the Monarch butterflies in all their glory. The orange colored butterflies swirled around his dear sister as if calling her part of their own.
"It seems just like yesterday brother when we came here with Emilia, Satella, Rem, and Ram, in fact. Time truly flies by, and some things will never be the same, I suppose." Here Beatrice caught herself before getting more sentimental and looked at her brother with worry. Those days in the past are long past, the circumstances of each individual mentioned drastic and life changing.
The black haired youth, dressed in army fatigues stopped a grimace of pain from forming on his face, as memories of each person Beako mentioned threatened to drown him in sorrow. Yet, he shook it off and tried his best to give his sister a genuine smile, per their contract they had to be honest with each other. She made him sign a quite comprehensive contract not even a year ago that would have made a lawyer's jaw drop.
He couldn't self-harm.
Had to make efforts to at least talk to people, even if that was just his parents.
Had to tell her everything whenever he felt bad, or out of control.
And promised that he would always be honest with her regarding his plans.
He looked down at his hands, they looked normal. Rather refined for a young man's hands, yet filled with calluses. It was hard to imaging they had ever been awash in blood during the tragic elements of his university life. He gulped and banished the thoughts again, least they come up and drown him in anguish.
"Beako, I'll be leaving soon, despite my wishes to stay I have too." He declared while looking into the distance, as his plans started becoming more solid.
Here she nodded, for she was no fool. She understood he had to leave the country of Japan for a while, perhaps five or more. She didn't hold it against him, she was very mature for her age after all. A pang of sorrow hit her nonetheless as she grasped his sleeve and uttered:
"I understand, but can't Betty go with you brother, I wonder? I don't wish to leave our parents without children but I worry for you a lot, in fact."
His heart clenched in pain at the thought of departing from his family and lovely sister. So, he gave her head pats, one of the most comforting things in the world for her. He took his time indulging his sister as he dearly wished he didn't have to go, yet the die had been cast and his fate locked in. For one can steer through fate yet the end result remains the same.
After indulging her he stood up on the bench and pointed his finger at the sky in his typical Subaru pose and stated:
"I'm Natsuki Subaru, clueless at life, forever clumsy, yet I will always be there for you Beako. So smile because im going away, but that doesn't mean I'll ever leave you, mom, or dad. Or else our dad would Suplex me and that's painful as heck! So choose to believe in me Beatrice."
Here the drill haired loli smiled and with a pout she replied:
"Hmph, I guess if brother says he will be back then Betty just has to have hope, I suppose. Don't worry Subaru, I trust you, in fact. Don't ever let me down and I will continue to shine while you're gone. Make sure to bring Betty lots of sweets upon your return!"
Subaru smiled and with a nod of his head the pair returned to their house, and that was the last time that Beatrice saw her brother alive.
(End of Dream Sequence 4 years ago)
She woke up wrenched out of her nightmare with sweat coating her whole body and she shivered as she fumbled around and turned the night stand light on. When she did that her breathe hitched as she felt she wasn't' alone, yet she was confused if she was still dreaming. She decided to hesitantly ask:
"Is anyone there, I wonder? Show yourself this instance or Betty will be truly mad, in fact!"
However, there was no one there that she could see but she felt a wind from her open window, one that seemed to curl around her. And without a doubt she knew it was her brother. How? She cared not for the tears in her eyes started again as she sobbed:
'Brother, where are you?! PLEASE show yourself, Betty has toiled and struggled all alone. Our parents cry when they think Betty doesn't know, but your loss has crushed us all, in fact. Plea…. Please show yourself Subaru."
Nothing but silence seemed to answer her. Yet she seemed to hear words from the wind:
"I'm sor… sorry Beak…. Beako, for leaving all of you alone…."
She might have been hallucinating, yet she refused to believe this was madness of the mind, and instead Subaru trying to reach out to them, as her tears poured like a waterfall she continued her spiel:
"BROTHER, please don't leave Betty… I can't stand living without you, it's like there is a gnawing absence in my heart. Subaru that is you, you're the one Betty needs in her life. I can't continue being strong for our parents. Please come back brother…."
The only sound were her sobs, as she tried not to wail due to her parents sleeping, if they found out she was crying by herself then she would never be able to leave without them being around her all the time. And as much as their love is welcomed and it helps to slowly heal the gaping wounds caused by Subaru's absence, she needed to be alone.
She felt guilty for not trying harder at saving her brother, at preventing Natsuki Subaru from leaving their home and going to war. She can't stop shaking. She seems to hear the voice again, albeit weaker than before:
"I'm sor… sorry Beako, but eve….. even I'm not invincible. I trul… tried, yet I didn't expect for the… these things to happen, it's my fault…."
Remarked the voice, if one squinted hard enough as the drill haired girl was doing, she could almost see a dark haired boy with sad eyes.
She tried reaching for him but as soon as she moved, it was like a desert mirage, it seemed to vanish. She curled up within herself, her pretty nightgown torn asunder by the shocking force she displayed as she gripped her arms and hyperventilated.
She panicked, cried, sobbed and wailed, then she screamed:
"NOOOO, Betty will be good, I won't bother you when you go on dates anymore. I won't try to get all your attention. Betty will be the best there is, the best sister ever. I won't be a burden to our parents, I just want you back. DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE PICK ME!"
Again silence answered her sonorous pleas, she cried however felt a soft rustle of wind clear her cheeks, as if an invisible hand had gently caressed her face. Yet no one was seemingly there. However, she still heard the voice struggle and speak:
"Please don't cry Beako." Here the voice seemed to gain substance and with a final push continued:
"You are smarter, more amazing, more dazzling, more diligent, more incredible than anyone I know. I think that's if it's you, then all will eventually be well. I dearly miss you, mom, dad more than anything. I wish I could stay, you are my pride and joy, the reason that I was able to leave in the first place. Please, take care of mom and dad, please help them with everything you can, and tell them I'm sorry for everything. I… have to go, I've stayed here too long, think of this as a quiet nighttime dream. I love you Beatrice with all my heart, and will always remain with you when you doubt yourself, when you cry, when you need me, just think of me. And I will be there, however I feel like I'm needed on the other side. I….. Farewell Beatrice, farewell my amazing sister."
The feeling of phantom limbs embraced her briefly, a warmth that she had missed seeped into her soul. Yet, as quick as they were to embrace her, they were even quicker dissipating , like if it was all a dream. And all that could be heard were the incessant sobs from the blonde haired drill girl, pleading for her brother to come back and make all the pain go away. As when they were kids, to support her and be her stalwart champion, vanquisher of all her troubles.
To give her head pats and reassure her that everything will be alright, yet nothing would be the same again. Her pleas went unanswered, and when Kenichi and Naoko busted in the room they immediately went to hug her. Her cries infectious as there was only one thing that could make their mature child cry in such despair. So the Natsuki family once mourned the death of their hero and the glue that stuck the family together, Natsuki Subaru.
15 years later.
Location: Outskirts of Quebec, Canada
The sound of flesh hitting flesh was heard throughout a small cabin in the woods. The typical leaves that would cover the tall and aged trees where gone, due to the winter season in one of the most populous cities in the French part of Canada. Inside this cabin where four individuals.
One of them, seemed to be massaging his swollen knuckles on his right hand, as bruises and specks of blood could be seen. The other two remained behind him, stoically watching their prisoner who had just been brutally backhanded.
A blonde haired young woman was chained with manacles on her wrists and ankles. Furthermore, the wrists chains where pinned to the wall and her ankle chains pinned on the floor, making it so she had to be upright and her hands up at all times, leading to a very uncomfortable position.
Her head dropped slightly to her chest, as she spat out drool, blood, and a tooth fragment. She licked her nicked tooth and winced in pain, yet never screamed nor cried. She weakly yet unbrokenly lifted her head as her captor resumed his questioning:
"So me and the lads are preparing for our mission, we have the specs and debrief when all of a sudden one of our cameras catches you acting all sneaky around here. So what's the deal? Who're ya? Who do ya work for? Also why are you decked out in bleeding edge military gear, not even our spec ops have this invisibility weave that your clothes carry. Nice gun you have by the way, I'll be sure to treasure it."
He motions to a table where her equipment was located at, and a slight frown is seen on the prisoner as she stared at her Matilda three round burst modified gun with a stock, as well as her various knifes, communication jammers, and miniature explosive sticky devices, used to open doors silently by blowing up the mechanism of the keyhole.
Good thing she had left the other vital equipment buried under the snow half a klick away. She just shook her head as her dazzling cyan eyes with purple monarch butterfly irises stared at her captor and replied deadpan:
"I work for your mother, in fact. She asked me to come here and put a stop to the bad things that you and your pitiful followers engaged in. It's been fifteen years since the end of the war, people should be at peace, I suppose. Yet you're part of the growing fringe mercenary groups trying to pray on people and cities that are still struggling to rebuild. It's sickening."
The captors looked at her in surprise and roughly laughed at the audacity that this short little woman was displaying. They laughed and shockingly she started laughing too. As if everyone were close friends and family, and it wasn't her that was currently chained up and helpless. After the laughter died down the man sat down and continued speaking:
"Well ya either bold, brave, fearless, a dumbass, or all of them combined. Why you laughing with us like we pals. You think this is a game, yes? After getting whatever Intel we need and relaying it to command, we'll be getting started on the true fun."
At his words he motioned towards a cart filled with tools, including claw hammers, knifes, scalpels and a pair of rusty pliers that still had dried blood on them. She licked her teeth lamenting the loss of one of them already, and dared not lose the rest of them. However, her composure was nothing short of legendary as she seemed to stand up even straighter.
A faint twinkle was heard as the lock picks she had embedded in her finger tips scraped the metal of the manacles. Cursing inwardly as the three of them frowned at the noise she decided to speak loudly to distract her wannabe wardens:
"Well, I laugh with you fools since it seemed as if you had already figured out, I suppose. You see, you've underestimated me for I have never been held a captive long, in fact. I was thinking the three of you would let me out quite soon before I get angry."
She smiled with menace and the three shivered, yet they started laughing again and replied back to their fearless prisoner:
"You are quite tough aren't ya? Just wait unti-!"
He was interrupted from his monologue due to the sounds of an explosion, it sounded faraway yet they still frowned as they looked through the window. The ground slightly trembled as another explosion was detected. As his two fellow mercs looked at him he spun around while shouting in visible rage:
"You think those pig headed fucks are gonna-!"
Interrupted twice in less than a minute he is shocked, not due to the explosions this time. But, due to his captive having escaped the manacles of her wrists and as he was talking she finished the ankle ones, and the chains fell. She rubbed her sore wrists and looked with narrowed eyes at her previous captors:
"To answer your previous annoying questions, my name is Monarch, and I will make you pay for the undue humiliation you've made Betty suffer, in fact."
As her body was free she was able to finally concentrate on the surroundings. She already saw how two of the mercenaries besides their stupid leader had a keen sense of adaptability. However, they weren't simply at her level so she registered the weapons they had.
Two M16's heavily modified with armor piercing rounds, as well as three additional clips on their ammunition belt. Her monarch irises were able to see through their equipment and categorize all weaknesses present. She noticed they had a comm jammer already installed so she couldn't ping anyone for help using a button on her clothes.
She looked at the leader as he finally gained a measure of composure and gritted his teeth while laughing again. Making Monarch frown as to how this buffoon seemed to enjoy such silly actions while in the middle of mercenary operations.
"Monarch!? You can't be her. She who bears that title is rumored to be at least six foot eight inches, with demonic butterfly pupils who constantly eats the flesh of her vanquished enemies. She is said to have singlehandedly massacred 40 highly trained soldiers in the Serbian bloodbath that was called the Belgrade massacre. You? You're barely 5 five feet five inches, and we captured you quite easily. Stop trying to intimidate us with this boasting." He chuckled as he didn't notice how the woman's stare increased in intensity and loathing.
"How absurd have these rumors gotten in fact! Betty hasn't been trying to save numerous people and cities just to be labelled a blood thirsty warmonger. I'll need to have stern words with the media about these baseless accusations, I suppose. Also what is that even supposed to mean about my height. Betty is a cute lady who strives for the best results. I wasn't going to hurt these people too badly but I've changed my mind." Finished thinking Beatrice as she remembered her rendezvous with Hetaro, she cursed again.
She slightly got in position and breathed deeply, she opened her eyes and the three hadn't noticed but her magenta monarch irises had changed to luminous crimson. She spoke loudly and confidently"
"Gentlemen of poor taste, Betty bids you farewell and thanks you for your time. Betty has learned a lot of information here for my next objective, I suppose. It's time for a departure, so either get out of my way or prepare to fall, in fact."
As she finished her words a faint pink sheen could be seen surrounding her body, unbeknownst to them she had entered combat mode and her adrenaline peaked as cortisol was released. Furthermore, she cracked her neck and her knuckles as she prepared to get out of this cabin.
"Do you hear this woman? She's a fucking nutter! Pascal, go and slit her throat, I tire of these barbs and her annoying face." Grunted the leader as he was done being nice, and the sounds of the explosions getting nearer to their location was worrying him quite a bit.
The man in question Pascal, already determined to get back to his drinking just nodded and brandished a wicked looking serrated eight inch Nano carbon fiber knife and stepped forward.
As both opponents checked each other out for openings he adopted a combat pose, with his left foot planted back yet slightly elevated, while his right foot was posed to sprint towards his enemy. Yet, he introduced himself, as is customary for warriors and mercenaries when they fight will be one on one and physical:
"Pascal Aubert, former Corporeal of the French foreign legion, Legio patria nostra". ("The legion is our country").
Monarch saw his courtesy and decided to grant him the same honor, as she raised her hands and slightly clenched them into fists she declared:
"Natsuki Monarch Beatrice, Arbiter of the free world and defender of the oppressed. Hic erit Danaus." ("Here be Monarchs.")
No more words needed to be exchanged as they both stepped forward and exchanged a series of blows. Monarch tilted her head slightly backwards as the blade missed her throat and she followed with two quick jabs to his chins, she dropped on the floor and swept his legs under her with a side sweep kick.
However Pascal wasn't a former member of the Legion for nothing and he quickly adjusted, grabbing her arm and twisting it, causing a grimace of pain on her features. He was able to flick his knife and with surprising speed managed to impale it in her heart.
He sighed in relief as he detected if the fight would've continued things would've gone badly for him. Yet, he frowned when he didn't feel the sensation of soft flesh being pierced by his tactical knife. He looked and the sight of what he witnessed shocked him.
Around the knife where his target should've been, there was nothing but hundreds of monarch butterflies fluttering around. As he got up in confusion he detected that the butterflies that were flitting around seemingly converged in front of him and before his stunned vision, Monarch appeared once more with a smirk on her face.
"Let's try this again shall we, I wonder?" Asked Monarch as once more she split herself up in front of Pascal's eyes into a dazzling variety of butterflies, which made Pascal take out his assault rifle and start shooting while screaming:
"Meurs to creature du diable!" (Die you creature of the devil.)
He kept shooting, yet he hadn't noticed in his red haze and mania that the butterflies had converged behind him as Monarch shaped her hand into a knife chop, and with considerable strength struck the nerve clusters in the back of his neck. Pascal frothed at the mouth and went unconscious.
The leader was scared, for now he believed that she was indeed The Shadow Monarch. The Arbiter that all devious mercs and corrupt leaders feared. For she always went against corruption to deliver judgment on the evils of society. Just seeing her powers in action made him want to run. He cursed his stupidity to have let such an innocent butterfly actually turn out to be a devious one with fangs to back it up.
However, his associate wasn't as smart and he unslung his rifle as if he hadn't just witnessed how useless it was for poor Pascal. He started shooting but a word was uttered by the Monarch that chilled the minds of the leader and the shooting merc:
"Shamak."
Their minds were plunged into darkness as they felt all strength leave their body, their teeth chattered and they cried and wailed, confused as they didn't know if they were dead or alive.
She pivoted and using her strength slammed down the heel of her military boot onto the shooter's knee; while hearing a satisfying crunch as he fell to the ground screaming, clutching his knee, still blind and crying tears of pain and confusion.
For the captain she clenched her fists as the pink aura surrounding her body seemed to congregate on her right fist, while she pirouetted and delivered a backhand haymaker straight on the same spot he had given to her face, with about three times the force.
The drill haired woman just shook her head as they both laid there bleeding and broken, like toys that finally snapped. She unclenched her fists and was darkly satisfied with the face of the captain, happy she returned the damage inflicted upon her with interest.
She used the same chains they used on her to bound all three of them, making sure to swiftly knock out the merc that shoot at her with a kick to his head. Rather roughly but she cared not, since she had no reason to take the lives of these three low operatives.
She left the leader conscious and grasped his collar and looked him straight into the eyes. He shivered in pain and fear as her butterfly irises gleamed crimson in the low lighting, giving her the aspect of a spectral demon from hell. Ready to consume his flesh, he screamed:
"PLEASH DON'T EATH ME, I HAVEF CHILDREN, I'LL TELLTH YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT TO KNOWTH!."
She dropped him in disgust as she figured she may have fractured his jaw or broken too many teeth. Her nose wrinkled and explained:
"Does Betty look like a cannibal, I wonder? That couldn't be further from the truth. Betty would never engage in such disgusting habits, besides Betty is a vegetarian. These rumors are really getting out of hand, I suppose. Now I will ask two questions, and you shall answer or Betty shall not be kind and will hurt you severely, do I make myself clear?"
He just nodded as he wanted nothing more to do with this arbiter of destruction. He hurriedly replied:
'Pleasef go ahead."
She wouldn't get much coherence out of him talking like that so she countered back:
"Just nod for yes once, and shake your head for no, in fact."
He replied with a nod.
"Good, where is the data cache that you and these amateurs you called professional mercenaries were going to use for your next mission? Do you have it on your person, in fact?" Inquired the young women with crimson monarch pupils
He nodded and she frisked him before she found it in his upper left breast pocket. She put it in her pockets and proceeded with the final question:
"For this question you must speak, do you know a man called Vincent Abellux, I suppose?"
She tensed as this question was of paramount importance for her, as she anxiously awaited the response she heard him try to speak, albeit more clearly than last time as he was making an effort:
"The wholef mercenary world knowfs him, We've never meft him. However one of his divine generals paid us for the mission, why do you ask if we know such an important man?"
He couldn't help his curiosity, despite being scared, the name Vincent Abellux invoked dread into everyone. Ever since the end of the war, he has been accumulating massive amounts of resources and power. There isn't a politician that doesn't owe him, and no government or organization can touch him, according to the rumors.
However, he sees this small woman and he thought that maybe, just maybe she could. As an Arbiter answers to no one but themselves and the coalition of the free world top leaders. Something tells him that this young Arbiter was going to stir up such a storm not seen since the beginning of the war, so many years ago.
Her eyes narrow and she humors the man one last time:
"Because he is the man that killed my brother and the last thing I will do on this earth is utterly destroy everything he holds dear, like he did to me, in fact. Then, when his whole organization and power structure is decimated and destroyed, Betty will put a bullet through his head, this isn't a threat it's a promise, I suppose. So tell Moguro Hagane to relay a message to the emperor. The Shadow Monarch is coming, and none can save him from mine vengeful wrath."
She knocked out the leader with a wave of her hand, as her aura put interfered with his active neural wavelengths and he fell unconscious.
She swiftly grasped her weapons as she was excited to finally have a lead to a possible location of the dodgy emperor, who had evaded her pursuit for the last 7 years. Twice she had fought against Arrachia, and Moguro. And finally she had a lead as to where one of the divine generals is.
With this information she can track Vincent down, and put an end to his reign of terror over the nations not in the coalition of the free world. She deactivated the communications jammer and got several pings at once straight to her internal headset. She flicked her eyes and a call came through almost immediately:
'Hey Beatrice-Sama, are you ok? We decided to start creating a distraction with these nice new shiny explosives. We haven't heard anything from you!? Inquired a worried Hetaro, as the sounds of battle grated on Betty's ears.
She huffed and sighed in relief they were ok, before immediately chastising him:
"How many times must I say, when we are on a mission, call me Monarch. Not my full name, also I need a pickup for I have a new lead. As well as a detention officer to come take three people to the Quebec jail, I suppose."
"Oi, no problem, Ricardo and Tivey are finishing up anyway. So what's next, what's the new lead?" Exclaimed Hetaro as he was excited to start pursuing the end game, of this long mission that had taken over their lives for numerous years
Beatrice thought and her eyes widened as she knew the next thing they had to do. So, she simply replied back with a smirk and renewed energy:
"It's simple really, we are going to need the best melee fighter I know, so it's time. Let's go get the Golden Tiger."
Author's Notes:
Hey its your boy Otey again, with a brand new crazy fic that came out of brainstorming. Damn, I have a lot of fics you say? Well I do, and I like writing down my ideas that are wild until they resemble some order of coherence.
So as always I made a new earth AU fic, which are my favorite to write despite not being as exciting and well liked compared to reading from zero fics.
This fic will follow Natsuki Monarch Beatrice as the main protagonist, alongside a host of re zero cast in order to topple the evildoers and emerge triumphant. It's after some years that a big war ended, which one, well it shall be discussed during chapter 2.
What's an Arbiter you may ask? Well in this fic think of it like a detective or agent with total control of investigation into any country by law, what will that mean? You shall see, does this mean Beatrice is the leader of the free world? She ain't got time for that. What's up with that aura and military stuff? Again you shall see, just bear with me and all shall be explained.
Any questions, concerns, and inquiries please let me know. Hope you liked Ashes of the Golden Tiger and Adult Beatrice.
