Its here! After so long, the chapter that took several months to hit the daylight! I made my apology before, and have nothing much to say but thanks for not giving up on me and enjoy! On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own akame ga kill, its characters or respective property. All I own is this story.
Burn the village down.
"Kira?"
They are distracting him. You deserve every thought that flickers through his head, don't you?
"Hey, Kira?!"
Bury them in ice and crush what he knows!
Something shifted to her right. She kept her eyes shut.
A voice hissed in her ear, in perfect synchronisation with the other.
"Esdeath, get up and lets hunt!"
One voice was warmer and more soothing than the other. Esdeath cracked her eyes open, before smiling at the soft brown haired boy looking down at her anxiously. "Goodmorning to you too Tatsumi" He breathed a sigh of relief and started to move away from her. Quick as lightning, she rolled from the bed, taking him down and landing on him with a neat thump.
He "Oof"ed audibly.
"Aww Tatsumi, did you want to go hunting that badly? Why didnt you go without me?" Even she knew he would have suffered if he had. "Can't bear to be away from me?" She tested the waters for the millionth time in the week that they had been at his village. The villagers had celebrated his return, had sat and listened to his story and even built him his own hut in the week that followed on from their arrival.
The news of Sayo and Leyasu's deaths had been met with silence. Tatsumi forced himself to spin a golden tale of how heroically they had died, all the while clenching Esdeaths hand so hard he almost broke it. The village remained sombre until a few days after the funeral, but Tatsumi felt more at ease when the proper traditions had been followed.
Nobody had really played Esdeath any attention, other than the village elder. But he was convinced that she was a young girl named Kira that Tatsumi had taken a fancy to. The Kira part was the bit that she was unhappy with.
The best part of their arrival was that Tatsumi had been too joyful to know what he was doing. He was delighted enough to kiss her on the cheek at one point. She had enjoyed his touches, but it had left her wanting. Something in her gut. It hungered, thirstly yearning for more. More never came. Esdeath had to gain satisfaction herself but it wasnt the same.
Her eyes bright, she kept him pinned to the floor with ease. The voice still came to her every night, but instead of draining her, it strengthened her. Her limbs flowed with viciously frozen energy, pulsating rhythmically. She kept it hidden. Pretended she was sleeping. This was new power. Power to prove herself to Tatsumi. She was keeping it.
"Not likely. You would have murdered me if I had left without you, Kira."
'More likely murder your friends' was whaat she wanted to say. Her head gave a little hiss of delight.
"Oh come now Tatsumi. Nobody is around. Use my name." Was what came out. Curses.
"Kira, I don't want you to get caught."
Her eyes softened and a small smile wormed onto her face. Maybe it was working?
"They'll throw us out."
She leapt off of him in time to hide her snarl of disgust. The villagers were weak. Why wouldn't Tatsumi see that she was better for him than them? She kicked the door open and stalked angrily out. Why? Why couldn't he see? She was trying so hard for him. She didn't want to force herself. She wanted him to come to her willingly.
"Ah, there you are. Kira, isn't it?" The elder called her as she stepped out. Forcing a neutral expression, she turned to the elder who was over by another hut. The village, much to tatsumi's dismay, had been burned down in autumn after he had left. They had been forced to rebuild small, wooden huts. Tatsumi's was the biggest.
"Yes, elder?" She asked politely, grinding her teeth. Playing weak was sickening.
"Can I ask you to stay behind and help fix this hut today? We lack many tall and skilled craftsmen. Well, none of the tall ones are skilled anyway." She was about to spit a declanation at him, when a soft touch to her hip stayed her tongue.
Tatsumi gently slid a finger down her wrist before entwining their hands. "Kira, please stay and help..." She sighed. One day, he would touch her like this and call her Esdeath. His muss of hair touched her shoulder. She relented. For him.
"Of course I will." Tatsumi smiled, but Esdeath was too irritated to notice. How dare he chose the elder over her? The old man was going to have a slow death.
"Thank you so much... Es." Tatsumi whispered the end part and her foul mood lifted faster than storms set in. She beamed.
"You do listen to me then, Tatsumi..." She smirked, and went to kiss him. She narrowed her eyes in triumph. Surely Tatsumi would have to play along, to not cause suspicions.
He grinned and pulled her close for a tight hug. Her features did a 360, turning into a horrid snarl then back into a little smile as he rubbed her back slowly. Tatsumi knew when he needed to act. Far, far too soon, he let go and stepped back. Her body wanted to lurch to go with him, her stomach knotting painfully. She forced herself to stay. As he turned and ran off to the edge of the village, where he met with two other hunters.
She turned, unable to wipe the small smile from her face. She had no complaints for the elder, despite what had coursed through her mind earlier. Tatsumi was going to be hers. He was going to love her back, finally.
She helped with several of the huts in the end, silently working through what Tatsumi had said or done in her head. It was complex. Half the time he was adorable, submissive and fun, the other half he was trying to throw her off of him. It wasn't until the elder spoke up while working next to her, fixing the logs she placed down together.
"I know who you are." He smiled
She raised an eyebrow, not for a second losing her cool. "Even out here, we have heard of the famous Esdeath. The ice queen."
Esdeath looked puzzled. She didn't let up her cover for a second. Not even her heart beat out of place. She wasn't spoiling her false persona for the bluff of an old man.
"In all my years I never thought the empire would fall. It crossed my dreams frequently, but in other ways, no. But I never even dreamed that I would one day build a hut with the acclaimed Esdeath."
She finally spoke. "I'm from the same tribe has her. She didn't know I survived."
The elder looked at her with a blank expression. "Then why did you carry the uniform of a general with you when you arrived?"
She swore internally.
"I wore it to scare Tatsumi. He thought I was the general the first few times I wore it in the capital."
The elder looked unimpressed. "I am not fooled by your bluff, miss Esdeath. Give this up, and admit to it. How could we harm you anyway? Villagers and peasants like us."
His words struck her. With a throaty laugh of bitter appreciation and confidence, she replied with her vicious smile. "You aren't wrong there, old man." What did it matter? None of them could huft her. Tatsumi was stupid for wanting to keep it secret.
"Naturally, I ask you not to create any boulders of ice here. Other than that, I have no problem with you. Many of the rest are too uninformed to notice." She nodded, still smirking. A baby cried in its bundled of layers at her. She fixed her expression.
"Don't get in my way. I don't need tools to torture people."
The elder was impassive. "You love Tatsumi but think we are taking him?"
She whirled, teeth bared. "I need him. More than anyone else on this planet. I deserve him, I am better for him. Do you understand me, old man! There is nothing in this world that can keep me from him. Nothing. I will have him! If I have to step over your corpses with him in my arms I will do so."
She hissed out her last sentence. Blinking, she realized that several villagers were staring with saucer eyes at her. She had stalked down the elder without realizing it, teeth already bared like she was filled with the exhileration of battle.
The elder was paler than her. Pupils dilated in a shot of pure terror. The very wind had whipped up and mingled with her voice, making her hiss like a serpent. Her eyes were sparked, challenging.
"I-I of course give you permission to be with Tatsumi. I don't see why he shouldn't be with you." He stammered, losing his cool for the first time in years. He wasn't this bad, even after the village fire.
Esdeath seemed to embody something else, a monster in flesh, trying to be free. The mister hissed. "I didn't plan to ask permission."
Before a worried villager could grab a blade, one bloodied meat cleaver, Tatsumi burst into the area, carrying one of his comrades. The other was nowhere to be found.
"An ex garrision is on its way!" He yelled, startling everyone. Esdeath rushed to him, attempting to check for wounds but he pushed her aside and ran to the nearest hut.
"Get him a healer, now!" A shiver ran down Esdeaths spine as Tatsumi's voice churned out orders. It was a mystery how such a soft hearted man could be a cold blooded killer and commander should he need it. The drum of marching boots could be heard crunching through the snow.
"Tatsumi... They didn't..." The elder looked horrified.
"We three split up to have better chances of finding beasts. I went alone, while those two went together. By the time I had heard the sound of shouting and gunshots, I was too late. The best I could do was grab Ekiel-" he gestured to the hut "- and run..." His eyes grew cold, anger burning embers in his emerald orbs.
"Master Elder, come with Kira and I." He turned and paced towards the sound of marching, stopping at the edge of the village, back turned.
Esdeath paced over to join him, and put her hand on his shoulder. In a strained tone, she whispered close to his ear.
"Tatsumi, they must be after us. If we don't leave, your friends will be slaughtered!" She fought to keep a straight face. This was exactly what she needed to get him moving again. They couldn't saddle here, this wasn't where she wanted to be.
The village elder arrived at his other side.
"No. They are coming for the village. My village." He bared his teeth and spat out his next few sentences. "Ekiel told them we would provide them with shelter, but not food. I overheard. There was a row, then a small struggle as I made for them. By the time I got there, all I could do was pick up Ekiel. It seems that fate never did like putting me in threes."
His expression grew dark, and Esdeath wrapped am arm around his waist, pulling him close. She wasn't all that bothered for his friends, but if it upset Tatsumi she would deal with it. He sighed into her, putting an arm around her back before straightening up and stepping away as the drum of marching grew louder.
Esdeath gritted her teeth, a tight grimace fleeting into then out of view.
The Garrison came into view. They were led by a hulk of a man, obviously a noble, fattened from the taxes of the poor no doubt. Beside him marched a stocky, dark haired man. His eyes were hidden underneath his mop of hair.
Esdeath slipped out of view as they turned towards the village, knowing she would have a better shot at killing all of the men. It had been a long time since she had spread so much blood, and it sent pulses of anticipation and an almost pleasured sensation rippling through her body. A hungry smile spread on her mouth, like a beast that's cornered its prey.
"Greetings, little one!" The Garrison leader boomed at Tatsumi, thinking him the leader. In essence, he wasn't particularly wrong. "We have come to resupply at your village!" When Tatsumi had rescued Ekiel, he had kept hid hood up. The leader didn't recognise him.
"What is your intent?" The malice in Tatsumi's voice sent chills through the already cold air. The Garrison leader looked suspicious. "
We are scouting for the rebel army, to ensure the continued survival of mighty empire!" The man lied.
"The empire has been overthrown. You were fleeing weren't you?" Tatsumi bowed his head, glaring at the man through his bangs of thick brown hair.
"Ha! Rumors!" The man bluffed. The garrison was silent. They could feel the hate rolling from Tatsumi. Not only were they liars, but traitors, disloyals and scum.
"I was there."
The garrison leader roared and drew his sword, swinging it through the air. Tatsumi didn't flinch. Esdeath watched Tatsumi, biting her lip. Herr he was, facing an entire garrison, refusing to back down. He had come a long way since she had met him. And as he had grown, she only wanted him more. Her breath hitched slightly. The sight of Tatsumi, the prospect of bloodshed and fighting... It was getting to her.
"Listen brat! Give us what we want and nobody dies!"
Tatsumi shrugged. "What do you want?"
The garrison leader laughed, and it was echoed in his men. Tatsumi estimated there were 60-70 present. Not quite a full garrison.
"Not too much. Just shelter, all of your money, food water and women. So in theory... We want this town, minus the men!" The laughter rang out again.
"No."
There was silence.
"Pardon? Stupid brat, how are you planning on stopping me?"
He reached to grab Tatsumi by the throat.
His hand touched thin air. The brunette reappeared next to him, grabbed the arm with one hand and twisted. The hulking, 6 foot man flipped backwards over a metre of snow before landing with a broken arm. There was silence, then a synchronised ringing of steel as all the soldiers drew their swords in time. The leader struggled up as Tatsumi looked on, impasse.
"Kill him!" The dark haired man who had yet to reveal himself flicked his head up, causing his hair to lift. There sat the gleaming eye shape that Tatsumi had first battled and lost to. The teigu specter sat on his brow. With a snarl, Incursio was whipped from its sheath.
No matter where we go or who we become, the past always finds a way to catch us. Run all you like, but there will be no solace once you realize... There was always another way.
AN: There! Before we go through the usual, gotta explain some stuff. The chapter was indeed quite scruffy and almost contradictory in itself. This chapter was written to mirror esdeaths thought pattern right now. The Esdeath I have painted here is one free from boundaries. She has no loyalty to tie her to an empire, so she won't kill Tatsumi. There is no power left for her to fight for. Instead she has to struggle for him. I really hope you guys are picking up my low key vibes here, this is quite tricky xD
Some of you may have come to notice that recently the summary changed, and that there will be no TatsumixAkame in this story anymore. When I wrote up the draft of this it was basically non stop petty squabbling and tears over feelings, and it was dull. So to cut out the sickening one sided love triangle, for all purposes akame will not recieve any romantic consideration from Tatsumi anymore. My sincerest apologies if I got anyone's hopes up, but I can make a oneshot should it be requested. Make sure to either message me the specifics or drop a review. Cheers!
Before I forget, I think that a picture for this story is really important, but I haven't been able to find one :/. If anybody could direct me to a picture or something that they think fits the story, that would be awesome!
Again, sorry for letting the story down for so long, I really shouldn't have. Thank you for your continued support and I hope you enjoyed this! Have a pleasant-
A slim, raven haired figure stepped into the darkened cave. Almost hesitantly, her deep crimson eyes opened and drank in the scene before her. Several animal carcasses around a long abandoned fire pit. She padded cautiously into the back of the cave. It was empty, all except the thin dusting of ice fragments. She turned back in frustration. It had taken her this long to track them to this cave. Najenda had given her the go ahead days before. As she swept her trench coat behind her, something snagged her attention. The ice chips.
The girl turned back and picked one up for examination. It was sharp, clearly defined. This ice had been broken away, through force. Had he resisted her? Another thought only deepened her suspicions. Surely this ice would have melted by now? The cave couldn't be all that cold in day. She scanned again. The skulls of the animals were shattered near their bones. Sheer force had killed them.
She stood, and walked to the exit of the cave. There she looked out along the vase expanse of forest, making out the snowy tree peaks breaking the green at the horizon.
'How typical of you. The Ice Queen heads for the cold.'
She looked up at the night sky. "Tatsumi... I'm coming for you. Hold on."
Akame slid down the slope and vanished between the thick shadows of the forest. She was on her way.
I had to slip in this little overdramatized nugget of a spoiler! Have a good day, and see you next chapter!