Heavy modifications will be done to this chapter as it goes live. - Jambles
Tatsumi sat, laying against a tree. The tree was half dead, letting the leaves fall on his shoulder as he didn't care.
His newly acquired sword, falling from his hands, into Murasame's lap as she did what he called "Evil Magic". What she was actually perceiving, was a transfer of energy from her to the sword, making it the Teigu that Akame used, only more efficient.
He watched with half open eyes as he witnessed red essence drip off of her arm and onto the sword. She really was evil, to some extent wasn't she?
"How do you do all that so easily?"
"You don't need to worry about that."
"I think I do! It's not logical how you can just, produce red stuff out of your arm...its sort of disturbing."
"If you don't want this Teigu, then I can just stop-"
"N-no. I'm just thinking aloud."
"Can you think of something else that isn't negative? You're coming off as a stubborn, worry wart."
"Really? You're coming off as an evil embodiment of evil that helps me for no reason. I'm still suspicious of you."
She let the sword fall onto the ground, the sunlight touching it's now transforming blade. She sighed heavily and turned herself towards Tatsumi moreover. He was staring into the distance, allowing her to get a full side-view of him.
"You should really stop the suspicious crap, Tautsy~. I am not your enemy, and I have no intention of leading you into a trap, or doing anything bad. I've already told you that I love you, what else do you want me to say or do?"
"I'm sorry, but with everything that's happened, I don't like to trust much of anybody."
"When was there ever a time that somebody betrayed you?"
"There...well...you can't...y-you can't trust people from the Capital right?"
"You're so cute when you try to lie!" she let out a menacing giggle.
Tatsumi felt irritated.
"I can see why Esdese likes you so much..."
Tatsumi let out a heavy sigh, letting himself sink further with gravity. His head was now lying on the grass, lightly wet from the morning dewdrop. He let his eyes close as he listened to the wind. He didn't realize that his sword had fully changed. It looked more or less the same, but had the elements of Akame's sword fused into it.
The sword more or less looked gilded. When he looked over to his right, he smiled in delight, still laying down on the grass. 'This thing probably needs a scabbard, it looks sharp.' he thought.'That, and I remember Akame's Teigu poisoning anything that had the fortune of getting cut by it'.
He was snapped out of thought, feeling the thunk as Murasame sat on his lower torso, and started teasing him.
"You seem to be the submissive, wussy type in the relationship, huh?" she said as she tried to touch his hair, resulting in him lightly;lazily pushing her hand away.
"Not really showing anything back, letting her handle you the way she does, and letting her walk all over you, do you really want that?"
Tatsumi seemed irritated, but he was at her disposal;she had led him to two Teigu, and she also gave him Akame's Teigu, more or less. He didn't want to admit it, but she was kind of amazing. It was so abrupt, her way of helping. She planted the book there, and she wanted him to come along like this.
"I can't believe you put up with that. Or maybe you like being the pawn in the relationship?" she let out another one of those laughs.
"Can you stop..." Tatsumi seemed tired as he spoke, staring at the sword, not caring about Murasame sitting atop of him, staring down at his face, partly making out his green eyes and scar.
"How did you become so cute?" yet another laugh came from Murasame.
"Its not my fault." Tatsumi said with the same tired tone as before.
"Maybe not." she said with a seductive tone.
Tatsumi looked up at Murasame, and struggled to move his body upwards;Murasame's body disabling him to do so. She leaned herself down to his face, letting her hair touch his forehead, making him embarrassed.
"You aren't in love with her. I know you aren't. You're a hero at heart, Tatsumi. Why do you think you're here right now?"
"I need my family back. That's why-"
"Yes, and that's why I'm so in love with you...you are so good at heart. I know you'll save us all."
"Save you all? What do you mean by-"
Tatsumi was cut off by the feeling of her lips on his;heavily embarrassing him. AS the two looked each other deep in the eyes, Tatsumi started feeling very light headed, and as the time of their kissing went on, he felt transparent in a way. He saw nothing but Murasame's face, but it was getting distorted. More and more white light was enveloping his vision, until it all turned white.
Murasame separated her lips from his, staring at Tatsumi's eyes. His eyes had no dilation. His eyes have turned completely white. Quickly getting off of him, he started to vanish. Her plan was working out perfectly.
She definitely didn't want him finding out her secret.
Tatsumi leaned up, feeling water touch his body, making Falorin and himself wet, along with his hair. As he stood up, he examined his surroundings. It was a blank, never-ending space of foot deep water, but he could make out a tree atop a small hill. It seemed oddly rhetorical. He looked down at his feet to reveal that his shoes were indeed, engulfed by water, but he didn't feel any of it.
As he walked, he wasn't slowed down either.
He wore an amazed expression. 'Is this Carlian acting up again?' he thought;as he pulled the small flute from the makeshift pocket;designed to carry gold.
As he moved the flute around in his hands, he felt his hands move around the holes, and the chrome like substance. It felt nice;almost abnormally lightweight. The thoughts beckoned, as he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand;of course its abnormal, its a Teigu.
"Its a nice flute, isn't it?"
Tatsumi shifted his entire body frontwards, scared in the instant voice he heard behind him. Turning around in the blink of an eye, he saw a man. This man, however, didn't seem to be wearing anything of the current time. He had robes on, very much like Falorin, but more greyish. Almost dead-like.
"So you're the one who holds my flute now. How interesting."
"H-how do you know that?!" Tatsumi wore an angry expression. Readying himself to strike at any moment. This man looked like Run.
"Now don't think me rude, but I've been following you;and for quite some time now."
Tatsumi was about to begin to speak, but was cut off to him walking further towards him and having a "happy-go-lucky" type tone in his voice.
"For I know of a way to master that pesky Carlian you have there."
"Who are you?"
"Why I'm the Composer? Have you not heard of me my friend?"
"I have not. Why did you teleport me to a room full of water and a tree?"
"Ah. That...I don't like talking about this room...it makes me sad, but for you, I will tell you lots!"
"Really now." Tatsumi had had enough. It had been days since he's known fully about his journey.
"You're quite the clueless hero, aren't you? Let me explain my boy:
That flute you have there, was once my flute. I played tunes that could rival the best of music in shearing Rivalry, but unfortunately, I had the experience of death...I had to pass it down to someone else, and I was at a loss, but alas, now I've found you!
Carlian can manipulate time, by doing this, you play a certain tune, and the pathway of truth will show itself to you!
This flute was passed down from evil hands, my boy. This flute was once enveloped by The Emperor's Mask."
"The Emperor's Mask? Tell me more about that." Tatsumi was intrigued, wanting the strange man to continue even more. His mind has been so empty of explanations;he wanted a solution along with anything that could help him resurrect his friends faster.
"Let me tell you everything:
Long ago, the Capital was ruled by an Emperor, but you already know that bit. The Emperor was the most anxious of men, he'd constantly be blowing the nations money on prepping, beefing up armies, etc.
As a result, lots of the people left the Capital, resulting in the creation of the Teigu. Not very many people new that Emperor, but there was a legend. This legend was passed around, from town to town, directly after the Emperor's Royal Guard found suicide notes, and scribblings of his doings;talking about a mask he wore. He stated in his notes that it constantly talked to him, told him of 'payback', or insubordination of himself. A most sought after note however, is the ramblings of broken language he wrote down, talking about death, and how the afterlife is something to be chased after. The most noteworthy words however, were jotted down on a final, tattered piece of paper: "They will know the beauty in their suffering"
The legend itself: There was once a danger beast so powerful, that it could literally level entire lands with it's power. It could create tidal waves, just in and of itself being present. Nobody knows how it was killed, and I'm afraid we will never know, but one thing is for sure, the beast's powers were sealed inside that Mask.
The Emperor, learning of the Mask, quickly made weigh into the search for it. Once he found it, he immediately put it on, expecting the gain the ability to take over the entire world, but to his misfortune, the mask, literally, took control of him.
The powers of the mask were said to be so great, that it was literally sealed away into the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean available.
"Did...Did the mask have blackish, sort of trailed down eyes?"
"Yes...that is what the legend foretells."
"I see now...hey, uh...'Composer"?"
"What?"
"I've had visions...visions of a kid, wearing that same mask, running around a tree, and some kid sitting atop a bell tower while wearing it...does that mean anything to you?"
"It has already begun."
"What has already begun?"
"Your destiny of course."
"What are you going on about-"
"Why for you, by no means should this be a difficult task. You can do it, surely you can!"
"I can do what?"
The man stood there, staring down Tatsumi.
"I can do...what?!" Tatsumi added.
"I've left something for you in your lap, please, look into it."
"W-What?!...Hang on a second, don't just-"
Just like that. Through a non-existent snap of fingers, Tatsumi was back, still wet from the place he was in, laying against the tree that him and Murasame were at. Immediately remembering what The Composer had told him, he gazed hopefully at his lap to see three notes. Each note had writing on it:
You're looking for Trakunikiss, correct? Within a container I've placed next to you, you will find a "Trakunikiss Wing", okay? I have written notes for you because I can only talk to you for so long before I have to let the void we were in, "settle", sort of.
'We were in a void...my life just keeps getting weirder and weirder, doesn't it?' Tatsumi thought aloud.
The note continued:
These next words should make you happy. The Trakunikiss Wing I gave you can and will bring your friend back to life. However, you need to know that they will remember the last thing that happened to them, and that they will have a massive headache after the resurrection. It would probably be a couple days before they'd be able to fully become one hundred percent.
Trakunikiss isn't a single Teigu, rather, it is a mass of fallen wings from a very prehistoric danger beast. I can tell you more about that later if you want, but for now, you seemed eager to bring back your friend.
There are tons of these wings, and they are scattered throughout the land. You would have to find them on your own, as the map that Murasame created was only the pathway to one, but its a start.
I also left you a few scribbles of notes for Carlian. I'd highly recommend you learn those songs and use them to your advantage. I'm horrible at drawing formula's, so, don't judge me, boy. I'm dead, you aren't. You have an advantage over me.
I wish you luck on your journey! We will talk again...
Tatsumi quickly gazed over to his left and right, revealing on his left a old-looking box. He grabbed the box, wrinkling Falorin as he leaned over. Swiftly taking the top off the black, prehistoric box, there was a small, yellow wishbone looking object. Upon further inspection, he found that it resembled a wing.
As he lifted it out of the box, it began to glow, causing a surprised expression to shift across his face.
He hasn't been this happy in a week.
He finally had some ground to walk on, some leverage he could use. Tomorrow, he would reveal the news to his group, and turn the tide towards the last place Akame was located.
Now that there is known wings like this throughout the land, the same question from days ago still lingered in his mind.
Who else is looking for these, and rather, why are they so easy to find now?
You guys will never have to wait that long for another chapter again. - Jambles