I was inspired by eliegloryofficial to get back into fan fic writing. Check out her stuff, you'll have a good time. This chapter is technically a prequel to my original one shot and later I'll be uploading an epilogue chapter, so if you want to read this story in order, you can read it chapters 2,1,3. Not the best planning on my part but I originally thought this would just be a one shot.
I don't own Rave Master.
Frozen in my boots, I couldn't believe this was happening. Haru and Lucia fought against each other with a ferocity and reckless abandon that I don't think I've ever seen before, but it's hard to remember to be sure. It's hard to focus on anything else except for what's happening right now.
First Haru has the edge in their fight, than Lucia, and on and on their battle went. It was evenly matched for so long until now. My best friend is laying there, bruised and broken with Lucia's combat boot resting roughly on his face and I'm too terrified to even move. It doesn't feel real. It can't be real.
My heart is pounding hard enough in my ears I can hardly make out what Lucia says to him.
"NOO! STOOOOOP!" I shout. Is screaming all that I can do? Light from the stellar memories burst up from the ground like a steaming hot geyser and no one can even get near them.
I think back to before this battle started.
"Just you watch me, okay? I'm stronger than he is."
Haru's words echo in my ear. This can't be where he meets his end. He promised me. This is unthinkable.
"WAIT" I hear Shuda's commanding voice. "You are the final winner, but Haru cannot die here."
"Funny." Lucia sneered in response. "But this is OUR life and death match."
"I have something to offer." Shuda pulls out Sinclair from under his cloak. When did he get that?!
"Haru's life for Sinclair."
Lucia looks amused by Shuda's attempt at negotiations. "Are you trying to trade with me? Save it. I can just kill you all and take Sinclair."
"I'll take that as a no. Fine"
Before I can even comprehend it, I feel Shuda's Katana hovering under my chin. He was terrifyingly fast. I had no time to even react.
"If you kill Haru, I'll kill this girl. You wouldn't want to loose Etherion would you?"
I can hear my friends shouting for me. They sound as taken aback by this as me. Still I'm too stunned to move a muscle. Even though there was a time when Shuda was our enemy, I thought he had changed. I never expected this from him.
"Shuda!" Musica points his spear at the man, Trying to take control of the situation. He's nearly as panicked as I am and desperate to do anything.
"DO NOT MOVE!" Shuda commands. He moves behind me, snaking his strong grip around my wrists to keep me in place as his katana inches closer to my pale, clammy skin.
"Acting now?" Lucia rolls his eyes, not buying it for a second.
"They are not my friends and I WILL kill her." He threatens and I can feel the blade sliding across the skin of my jugular. The cut is only a slight deeper than a paper cut. Just enough to draw drops of blood and prove his resolve. Shuda doesn't want to do this, but if it comes to it. I know he'll do anything. That's what I'm coming to understand.
For only an instant I could see an emotion flash in Lucia's eyes. Something vulnerable. Fear? Whatever it was it lasted only a moment before he falls back into a silent, composed state. His face is unreadable but I know he's working something out. I wait, holding my breath for his answer.
After what seems like an eternity, Lucia arrived at a conclusion. "Fine. The life of Haru Glory in exchange for the Sinclair AND the Etherion girl. Put it around her neck and send her to me now."
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" I hear Musica call out in rage.
"That's not the deal. I'll give you Sinclair but the girl remains with us." Shuda retorts.
"I let the girl stay with you for this long because my focus was elsewhere and I believed her to be safe here until I was ready to claim her." Lucia explains with cool anger. "You have shown me just now that she is not. She and Sinclair will be leaving with me and I will spare the Rave Master's pitiful life. That is my ONLY offer."
Shuda's grip tightens, he wants to be perceived as a person who means business but for every second that ticks past that he doesn't have an answer, his control over the situation slips.
"If she dies I can't get Etherion. If she never comes to me, I can't get Etherion. The result is the same for me. I want her, you want the Rave Master to live. The answer is simple."
"Elie…. No…". Haru croaks out. His barely conscious body lays weak and helpless at Lucia's feet. He shivers as he tries to summon any strength at all to retake control over himself. He was beaten too badly to get up.
"Elie…"Lucia speaks my name in a condescending tone. "You can do this. You know you can. It's for him. You'd do anything for him wouldn't you?"
The way Lucia talks to me is as though he's coaxing me into doing the brave thing.
"Wouldn't you?"
A fat teardrop rolls down my face. I hate this. This whole situation is wrong. I know that the moment Lucia gets his hands on me… I shut my eyes tight trying to block out the horror before it creeps into my thoughts.
"E-Elie…". Haru cries out weakly. His fingertips stretching out to me with all his pitiful strength. Until Lucia applies pressure to the side of Haru's head with his foot. The sight of Haru in such pain stabs at my heart. I could end this. He wouldn't have to be hurt tonight anymore than he already was. I could save him and he could go on for another day.
"You love him, don't you?" The question comes so suddenly and Lucia acts so calm as he asks it. His words are so soft, almost as if he thought the notion was sweet and romantic but in reality he was taunting me, the cruel monster.
I don't want to say it. Not now at a time like this. I didn't want the first time I admitted that out loud for Haru to hear to be like this. I can't possibly conceive a more terrible way to confess my true feelings than to do so while he lay so helpless and I'm coerced into saying it under threat of his death. Not to mention saying it just before I would have to walk away with his greatest enemy. My heart cracks apart painfully at the mere thought.
I glance at Haru only for a moment before I turn away in shame. His eyes are wide and vulnerable. He seemed to be as taken aback by Lucia's accusation of my love for him as much as I was. He's waiting for my answer with a tinge of hopefulness on his face. I cry harder. I can't hold my emotions in. Sobbing now I wonder why it had to be this way?
"Ugh!" Haru cries out as Lucia continues to cause him pain with every second of silence I produce. Slowly he presses harder and harder on Haru's head with his combat boot.
"Don't you?" Lucia presses on, urging me to give an answer.
"…Yes!…" I manage out in between sobs. I can't bare to bring myself to look at Haru's expression again even if I wanted to. The tears make it impossible to see clearly. I feel such utter shame and humiliation for this to be the first time Haru hears me admit to loving him. I wish the stellar memories would blast out of the earth and annihilate me.
"That's how I know…." Lucia continues on. "You'll do this. You'll save him." He holds out his hand for me to take it.
I want from the depths of my soul to think of another way, but nothing is coming to mind. I can only think of doing whatever I have to do for Haru's sake right now. Lucia's right. I could do this. I'd do anything if it meant protecting the man I love.
As I step towards my fate, I slip out of Shuda's grasp with ease. I imagine he understands as well as I do that we don't have any other options.
"ELIE, THE HELL'RE YOU DOING?!" I hear Musica and our friends call out to stop me. They trie to charge forward but the stellar memories burst out of the earth to block their paths.
I walk so slowly, you'd think my legs were the heaviest weights in the world. Every instant I could stall was an instant longer I'd be free and Haru alive, two things that might never occur simultaneously ever again.
As I finally make it within range of Lucia's grasp, I suddenly feel Lucia's strong hand pull me towards him. Before I can react at all, My back is pressed against his cold, hard armored body, his arm, tight against my neck in a choke hold. I struggle to get enough oxygen and the growing panic only decreases my ability to breath properly. If I move in anyway he doesn't want me to, I'd suffocate. He moves with purpose towards the way out while I struggle to walk with him, my toes only barely touching the earth below us.
I can hear my friends behind me in a frenzy. My heart hammering in my chest with a mixture of heartbreak and terror. What was to happen now?
The next thing I know I'm being dragged into a dark carriage, Lucia's ride out of here. The doors shut and lock behind us as we take a seat. Lucia, not slackening his grip even as we sit, forces me up against his body.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
I'm able to shift my eyes just enough to see out the window. Haru bounds up to the carnage as fast as he can, his body limping in such a broken way. I can tell that it's adrenaline alone that allows him to do this.
He pounds his fists against the window in a fury. If Haru were at full strength, He'd demolish this entire carriage with a single blow but not after all he's been through tonight. The glass cracks but he doesn't have enough power left in him to break it, even with the adrenaline boost. He looks like a wild animal, driven by instinct and desperation as he flails, kicks, claws and screeches violently in order to reach me beyond the glass. His knuckles bleed from the force but he doesn't slow down for an instant. Nothing is going through his mind right now but getting to the both of us.
"LUCIAAAAA! LET HER GOOOO! LET HER GOOOOO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU CAN'T TAKE HER!"
Blood spits from his mouth, His voice, horse and strained, but still he screams with all his might. Blood and tears streaming together down his battered face. His wild eyes, in the brief moments when he gains a semblance of focus beyond rage, dart back and froth between looking Lucia in the eyes with pure hated and revulsion and looking me in the eyes with pure heartbreak and desperation. Wanting nothing more than to rip his enemy limb from limb with his bare hands and then to reach out and hold me as tight as he can.
I gape unblinking at Haru's wild tirade with utter helplessness. More tears streaming down my cheeks. We exchange one final heart wrenching look into each other's eyes, until without warning Lucia's choke hold tightens. I don't have air! I claw at his arm around my throat with no avail, stricken with the kind of panic that could nearly rival Haru's outside. Nothing I can do makes a difference no matter how much I struggle.
Our carriage jerks forward quickly and we're off. Out the corner of my blurred vision
I witness Haru chasing after us, getting further and further away. No matter how hard he tries he can't keep up but he never stops his screaming as he runs. Finally he collapses onto his knees. He mouths something off in the distance, shouting something I can't make out.
My vision darkens as consciousness starts to leave me from the insufficient amount of air. Second by second my restless panic lessens alongside my dulling senses.
I can't see or move. All I can conceive of is Lucia's warm breath in my ear as he whispers to me. His voice echoing, barely reaching my slipping mind.
"Rest now, my queen, for when you awake, your new life will begin…..…"
My world is a foggy, blurred mess. I'm floating? No, someone's carrying me. I can't move but as time goes by I can make out the voices more clearly.
I'm set down some place hard and cold and something is happening to my arms and legs. Someone's…. Someone is tying me down.
"Watch this." I hear. Someone places something in my hand and forces my fingers to close around it.
"The dark bring will extract the Etherion from her so that it can be used anyway you'd like."
It starts slow but I feel a burning in my head that turns into a splitting head ache. My eyes squeeze tight as the pain increases. My skull feels like it's getting drilled apart and I can only breath through clenched teeth. I want it to stop so badly.
"Stop!" I manage to cry out
"She's awake!"
"She's resisting."
I hear shouting as people bustle around me. Suddenly I feel an oxygen mask shoved over my mouth and nose. Oh no! They're going to-
Before I can finish that thought, my senses are struck with a new sensation. a sweet cloying smell overtakes my mind, downing out resistance. "I want my friends" I mouth out, not sure if anyone can hear me. Lights and shadows blur together. The world is quiet and dark again.
I'm not sure but I think time is marching on but I don't know how long it's been. Flashes of light. The shape of people moving around me. They speak. Am I speaking back to them? Words fall out of my mouth but I have no control. Are my eyes open? Am I seeing, or only dreaming?
"You're doing much better. I'm glad." Finally I can make out the sounds I hear. They're words.
I feel myself smiling, giggling even, as I respond to his statement.
What am I doing? My body moves without my consent. I have to focus to try and stop.
Panic rises within me again as I realize I'm not in control, not even of my own thoughts and words. What are they doing to me?!
My breathing quickens and I force my mouth to vocalize the first thought I can produce on my own. "I want my friends! Where are my friends?" It's like wresting a ship captain for control of the steering wheel.
I hear a deafening loud finger snap as once again everything is pitch black.
"I see. You're not ready yet. But you're getting there…."
I lay in my big bed, waking up but not yet opening my eyes. I hear a voice before anything else. It's a voice that inspires feelings of love and affection within my heart. I know it belongs to Lucia. He's the man I love. But Who is he talking to?
"Sir. It's my recommendation that we continue with the mind erasing. We altered her memories, but if we alter her entire personality along with that than she can be even more- ARGH!"
That scream and the sound of a sheathed sword was all the noise I took notice of before the door slammed closed.
"What was that?" I asked my lover, sitting up in bed.
Lucia waves away my concern and smiles at me as he struts in my direction. "Just an idiot who works for me. Sorry to wake you, pet."
He plants a good morning kiss on my forehead before taking my hand and gesturing me towards the breakfast spread on the table by the window.
For an instant I feel a sense of concern before something in my brain inexplicably pushes it away. I sit at the table just as Lucia wants. Making him happy makes me happy.
As we begin breakfast, I begin a conversation.
"I had a strange dream last night."
"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow. "What about?"
"I-" something comes over me and suddenly the memory disapears.
"I don't remember…" the words fall out of my mouth and something feels unnatural.
Lucia reaches over to stroke my hand and smiles. "best to let it go then…"
My lips curl into a smile and I agree without giving it another thought. Making Lucia happy makes me happy….