A/N: Thank you for giving Shepards of Light a chance! After watching the anime, I wondered what could happen if another reincarnated person was present in the Kingdom of Midgar, alongside Cid/Shadow...so this story was born.
This is an OC-centric work, and will be a bit of a slow-burn. I am trying to develop and flesh out characters, scenes, and other storytelling elements - especially when it's based around an original character.
I hope you enjoy reading this story as I enjoy writing it! Please leave a review if you feel it deserves it.
The rating will be M.
OC x OC (maybe harem, who knows)
Italics = Flashbacks or Monologue
"Who the fuck are you? A little early to dress as a priest for Halloween, isn't it?"
"I'm a simple wanderer, here to help those in need."
"We don't need any help from you, weirdo."
"Oh? Looks like you're robbing the store that this young lady works at...looks like she needs the help. I can help you too - let me guide you back to the Light."
"...alright, I'll bite. Who the hell are you?
"I bring light where shadow looms. I light the way for misguided souls. I'm the Lightbringer."
"What a lunatic, this guy...kill him."
Gunshots. Grunts. Cries of pain. Screams.
Silence.
"...again," a male voice cried out.
The clangs of metal hitting metal rang throughout the courtyard as the two combatants struck at each other. The battle was fast-paced. A boy with a fox-like tail and ears was the faster of the two, dashing in and out of the human's strike.
"Not bad, Jinsoo... you're getting better, huh?" the opponent mocked as he readied his stance. His ears and tail twitched in anticipation. "But don't think you can take a Beastkin's power head-on!"
"Well...I can't stay weak forever now, can I?" I replied as I readied myself. Slight gasps rang through the crowd as I took on a stance outside of the common sword styles known in the kingdom. "Been working on a new style recently...care to see if you can win?"
Let's see how you handle Kendo, I thought to myself. I felt awkward in my stance, as the one-handed broadsword wasn't made for this particular style. I gotta make my weapons somehow...would be much better with a katana.
"Jinsoo's inventing new sword styles now?" one of the human observers mumbled.
"I mean...he is considered the genius of Resta..." another observer, an elf, replied.
"The stance looks so weak," another replied, a Beastkin.
"It looks that way...but there's balance in his stance, and the sword is within striking or blocking range..." an elf replied.
"Orenda, you think this...new 'style' has merit?" an older voice asked.
"Well, let's see..." Orenda trailed off as my opponent started to growl.
"You...I am going to tear that pretty face apart, Jinsoo!"
"Bring it, Therghar!" I shouted.
Therghar was part of the Beastkin tribe that resided in Resta. His father was a well-known brawler and multiple-time champion of the Colosseum. Not quite prestigious as the Bushin Festival Tournament, but still well-known. And like his father, Therghar was training to become the next Colosseum Champion.
"Hope you're ready...' cus here I come!" He declared as he charged directly at me. For an average person my age, this sight would be intimidating. If you had the image, it's as if his beauty aura was blackening the sky.
It took Therghar no time to close the gap with his right hand outstretched, poised to remove my head from my body.
Wait...wait...wait...now!
I waited until his claws were within a foot of my face before I used a combination of a sword parry and sidestepped to redirect his momentum, leaving his torso open for me to strike. The ferocious look on his face changed to one of surprise, but it was too late. I took the pommel of my broadsword and struck his open ribcage with about half my strength.
Unfortunately, that was enough to fling him across the training ground and through the padded walls.
"And that's...checkmate," I said as I approached my downed training partner. I sheathed my blade and extended my arm, a yellowish glow emanating. The glow only took me a second to focus the glow into an orb. "Let me heal that rib...I think I broke it."
"Ah...aha...I'm made of tougher-ow..." Therghar hugged his torso after he tried to move. He stopped fidgeting when the glow in my hand flowed to his body. The healing magic was working, if the look on Therghar's face was any indication. After healing, he stood up, jumped, cheered, and hugged me.
"Whew...thanks, boss man! You always know what to do," he said as he finally put me down. He started to check my body frantically. "How's boss man? I didn't do anything permanent right?"
What a complete personality change...I thought to myself as I sighed. And honestly...why does he keep calling me boss-man?
"Sorry, I went a little...overboard? Didn't want to turn up home in 10 pieces..." We both chuckled at the joke. "It was definitely a good match though; you've gotten much better."
It became quite busy after the match. Orenda, the city's guard captain and head of training, grilled me on the sword style I 'developed' while everyone in the crowd tried to pull me in every way to congratulate and ask me about the sword style. I dodged the questions, of course. After a while, the crowds broke up, and each returned to their daily tasks. I remained behind, enjoying the moment of clarity, calm, and solitude.
I am Jinsoo Kim, an 11-year-old boy living in a small city called Resta. I was born into a long line of magic spellsword soldiers called Dark Knights. I train and study every day and night diligently, hoping to enter and become an honors student in the prestigious Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy when I turn 15.
The city of Resta wasn't like most cities within the empire. Where a vast majority of the population are humans the kingdom of Midgar, Resta had an equal mix of Humans, Elves, and Beastkin living in harmony. As the three races live together, they share their knowledge and expertise and develop a new approach to inventing, improving, or problem-solving. Resta was a stellar example of how a society can develop when its differences and greed are set aside. This city truly is an example of what is possible when they allow the Light to guide their ideals and work for the betterment of others.
I was considered a genius and a bit of an oddball in Resta. I was mature, articulate, and had a level of intelligence beyond anyone my age. I was studying advanced sciences and mathematics when I was 4 and creating more efficient processes for the community by the time I was 7. Instead of being shunned as some crazy devil with forbidden knowledge, I was welcomed as a once-in-a-generation talent. The clergy even believed I was sent by the Heavens to lead the next generation of Heroes.
I felt terrible, as the reason for my maturity, knowledge, and skills aren't some blessing by a fictional "god."
This happens when you retain your skills, knowledge, and memory of your past life.
"...are...are you okay, Lightbringer-san?" a female voice asked tentatively. "Your robes are...covered in blood..."
"Ah...most of it isn't mine, thankfully," I responded in kind. "I'm just glad I got here in time...sorry about the store though..."
"It's not a problem...but please, call me Yui," the girl, Yui, spoke. "I'd like to thank you somehow..."
"No need. I'm just happy that you're safe," I said as I turned around to leave. No need to stay at a place longer than necessary.
"Will I...will I see you again?" Yui asked.
"I hope not...as that mean the shadows of evil is hovering you again."
"Alright...let's do this," I said quietly, covering my face with a black bandana. Tonight's training program: raid and clear out a nearby bandit camp. The past few days, there were rumors around town about thieves stealing food, livestock, and weapons from the local storage warehouse. It wasn't that hard to guess where the bandits could be, and there was a small cliff with an enlarged cave about a mile or two from the city itself.
I should probably mention that it used to be my training ground for magic when I was 5.
Disguise...check. Camo paint...check. Weapons...check, I thought to myself as I checked my inventory. My attire made me sigh in disappointment. I really hate the all-black color scheme...I mean, it's cool, but not my thing...
I channeled some magic before leaping from one cliff to another, landing softly and without a sound as I walked silently through the thick forest toward the cave. It didn't take long until I made it to the clearing of the cave's entrance. As I looked around, I noticed two guards by the entrance.
Here we go...throwing knives for multi-target takedown...I pulled the knives from my holsters and was about to throw them when a third guard joined them.
"You boys awake or slackin'?" the giant of a man asked.
"Hey, Capt'n...all's quiet here," one of the men spoke as he turned around. "Honestly...that hick town is a mile away. No need for two of us to guard..."
"Shut it, Charles...our employers were clear that particular package must make it out of the kingdom," the captain replied. "I want no problems in this job. Money's too good, and that thing is disgusting as fuck."
"Didn't they say that was some experiment gone wrong or somethin'?" another guard asked. "Some Elf or some other shit breed..."
"Don't know, don't care," the captain replied. "We get paid big for this. The gold we got was only a 5% downpayment. Don't fuck it up."
"Ok ok...sheesh," Charles replied as the captain walked away. He breathed a sigh before leaning against the mountainside. "You know...they say that blob used to be some hot elf babe. Tried to find a cure for some magic disease..."
"I was reading a book and it had...shut up, dick," the other guard said as he noticed Chales stifling a laugh. "...anyway, the only disease that comes close to that thing is this Demon Possession or whatever."
"Bro, that's from some fairy tale, isn't it? No way there's an actual disease that turns you-"
Two metal knives lodged themselves in the foreheads of the two guards, killing them instantly. I moved quickly into the cave even before the bodies hit the floor and progressed into the cave. I slit the throat of every sleeping bandit, ensuring they died silently. It didn't take long until I found myself in the large opening of the cave, where the stolen goods were located.
Alright, so far, so good...I don't sense any hostility, I told myself as I moved within the shadows created by the torch. However, it didn't take long for one of the livestock to notice me and start crying for help. Which, of course, meant all the other livestock followed suit.
Well...so much for stealth...I thought to myself as it didn't take long for the bandits to spot and surround me. I drew my two thinned-out broad swords. Time to try this out...
"Shit...I guess most of that blood was mine..." I cursed as I managed to get into my apartment through the fire escape. The living room was covered in a blue tarp; it was easier to dispose of if I came home bloody, just like today.
After a slight struggle, I managed to get the blood-soaked robes off my body as I dragged myself to the small cleaning station I had set up. It was a kiddie pool that I filled up with a mixture of water and anesthetic I 'borrowed' from the university's medical department. I quickly entered the pool and used the washcloths to clean my body with the solution.
"Shit...the bullets did graze me, huh?" I said aloud as I looked down at my body. My chest was covered in bruises and bleeding in a few spots. Unfortunately, both femoral arteries were bleeding freely.
Thanks to the anesthetic, I could move with minimal pain as I grabbed and threw a few brands into the fireplace in the room. Unfortunately, I had nothing to use as a tourniquet, and the dizziness from the blood loss was getting to me.
"Damn it...come on, heat up you stupid thing," I said as I sank into the water. "Next time...I'm stealing the tourniquets from the closet..."
My thoughts trailed off to Yui, the girl I saved tonight. It took me a bit to remember, but she was one of the girls in my science classes at university. She was cute, but what attracted you to her is how she looked at you and smiled. I studied body language reading as part of my training as Lightbringer, and I knew she only smiled at me in that special way. I couldn't help but smile.
"I'll...definitely talk to her tomorrow..." I mumbled. The anesthetic was in full force, as I wasn't feeling any of my wounds. "I'll take her out for lunch tomorrow...but first...got to...close..."
I took a few calming breaths as I relaxed my battle stance, looking at the carnage around me. Twenty dead, dismembered bodies laid around me. The one bandit remaining was the Captain I saw earlier in the operation, a mixture of anger and fear mixed in his expression.
"Who...what the fuck are you?!" he asked me as his sword and shield arms started to tremble. "How do you have so much power?!"
"Power...that's a simple answer. You train for a while," I smirked. He doesn't know I had two lifetimes...and magic this time around, I thought to myself. "In terms of who I am...I'm a simple wanderer, helping those in need and lighting the path for a better future. I am the Lightbringer."
"Well, Lightbringer, the useless fucks you killed are nothing compared to me," the captain retorted with a smirk as he went into the opening Royal Bushin stance. "I was an officer within the Dark Knights of Midgar before this and was within the top 8 of the Royal Bushin Festival."
Silence rang through the cavern as we both readied ourselves. The captain's body was tense, the previous slaughter of his men fresh in his mind. I pretended to be nervous and gave a slight tremble through my swords, which he took as a sign of weakness as he charged.
He quickly closed the distance and placed a well-aimed thrust in my chest. I feigned shock and moved slowly, allowing him to nick me on my left shoulder. Having a false sense of confidence, the captain landed blow after blow, nicking me at areas of my body that bled profusely but not fatally.
As the captain's confidence grew after each strike, I channeled my magic into resealing the wounds as they were made. I delayed the healing process for a few seconds to convince the captain that it was a lasting injury. Battlefield Healing...check. Glad I won't bleed to death like the last time. I told myself. Time to finish this.
The captain went from confident to shocked when I disappeared from his line of sight. I reappeared behind him and slashed him cleanly from his right shoulder blade to his left hip. The shocked look on his face was the last expression he made as the two pieces of his body slid off, separating in different directions and landing with a wet thud. I whipped my swords in a large arc, splashing the blood of both blades before wiping it clean between my bent arms and sheathing it.
"Clearing out Bandit Camp...success," I spoke aloud as I walked towards the back of the large cavern to inspect the stolen look. "Foodstuff...gold pieces...livestock...and what is this?"
I found a large box covered with a few large blankets. Curiosity getting the better of me, I pulled the blankets, revealing a large cage with a giant, misshapen blob with eyes and tufts of golden blond hair littered throughout its body. It reeked of rotting flesh.
"...this is the rotting flesh experiment thing they mentioned earlier..." I trailed off as I inspected it. The blob radiated dark energy, if the crackling and pulsing of purplish-black energy was any indication. "Demon possession...hmm...dark magic..."
Magic in this world has unlimited potential, but the people using it are relatively simple and non-innovative. The standard practice is to channel one's energies into magical devices, like relics or swords, for the magic to take shape. That's why Dark Knights tend to have anger issues and aggressive manifest fire energies. Though inventing the devices are somewhat creative, people don't realize that you don't need something to channel it to form. It takes imagination to create your ideal magic and determination to see it through.
I discovered this while training my magic control in this cave a few years ago. I was trying to make my magic take shape until I blasted a hole in the walls in anger. It surprised me at first, but I eventually discovered that emotions could affect the element of the magic itself. So, I first trained in controlling fire and blasting magic and eventually carved out this cavern. After that, it was hours upon hours of training, discovering and mastering which emotions controlled what element.
I did find a slime, and interestingly enough, it helped to channel my magic easier and morphed into any shape and size I imagined. It was seemingly indestructible, too, as its density and durability depended on the amount of magic I channeled. Despite that, I decided against using slime; it'd be much more rewarding to develop the essence of the magic itself, in my opinion. This experimentation did open my eyes, though. This world, specifically its magic, was an unlimited sandbox of possibility.
Especially those that were reincarnated, like me.
And it also helps that my imagination is fueled by all the Anime I watched.
I gathered light energy into my palm as I opened the cage with the other. The blob's mismatched gaze fixated first at the light, then at me.
"This may hurt...I never done this before. Let's see who you are beyond the dark energy corruption..." I said to the blob, unsure if it understood. "I'll do my best to bring you back to the light."
The process in itself was simple: counteract the dark energies with light. While the light went in and healed the body, I would have to redirect that dark energy to the atmosphere, where it would dissipate. Unfortunately for the blob, however, it was a painful process. The cave was filled with its shrieking, making the animals in the cave get agitated and make noise as well. Thankfully, the process didn't take long as my light energy totally engulfed the blob before its energy exploded outwards, leaving me blinded for a second.
When my eyes readjusted from the surprise flashbang, I saw an elf girl in place of the blob. Her smooth skin, flowing blond hair, and pointy ears were a dead giveaway. No marks, scars, or anything would indicate she was possessed or tortured.
Light healing magic...successful, I noted as I grabbed a blanket and covered her with it. I took my hip flask and sipped, waiting for her to wake. I removed my mask and used a small rag to wipe away the camo paint. Wouldn't want to scare her when she woke up...though the reaction would be kinda funny...
"Who...what...how..." the girl asked. As she pushed herself up, she noticed me standing before her, drinking from my flask. I noticed her fingers twitch as if she was ready to toss the blanket at my face to run. Her body language relaxed when she realized I wasn't a bandit: just a child like her. "Where am I..."
"You were afflicted with demonic possession. Do you remember what happened?" I asked her as I lowered myself into a sitting position, leaning against a nearby box. She covered her body with the blanket as she did the same.
"Only thing I remember is my friends, and I were playing...a group of people dragged me and my friends..." she spoke, surprisingly calmly. "When I was...possessed...I remember spots...evil looking men...poking and prodding..."
I remained silent as I took another sip from the flask. I offered her the flask but noticed her hesitation before accepting it. She had a surprised look on her face after she took a sip, which made me smile a bit.
"It's water from my private stash. Mixed with a few herbs and medicine for hydration, energy, and recovery," I stated. "Also mixed some honey, lemon, and lime for flavor."
"Thank you...who are you? Why did you rescue me? Heal me?" She asked me.
"Bandits were robbing the city I live at...I came here to wipe them out and return the stolen stuff to the rightful owners..." I trailed off. "...but the guards were talking about disposing of some experiment, so...yea...couldn't just leave you be." I finished as I scratched the back of my head. A nervous habit that I never was able to get rid of, especially when talking to girls.
She smiled at that before taking another sip.
"Do you remember anything besides your kidnapping and bits after you turned?" I asked her.
"No, I don't...and I don't even remember even that as clearly anymore," she spoke as she concentrated. "I don't remember my name, where I'm from..."
"Well, I can bring you to the nearby city, Resta. They have an orphanage there that can help you get back on your feet..." I told her. "You'll be able to start a new life there. The city's pretty safe, too. You'll be protected."
She'd most likely take the offer, especially in her condition. She didn't remember much of anything, and people with amnesia need a place to belong and reestablish themselves as they recover. It made sense logically, so I was surprised by what she said next.
"No. I want to join you, and serve you on your mission. You've saved my life, and my past no longer matters," she stated. She spoke with confidence and determination. "I can't be the only girl that was experimented on... there are more girls out there like me. We have to find them, cure them, protect them. We need to figure out who's doing this and stop them."
"Would you train me...let me join you?"
Our gazes locked in after she asked that question. I worked alone in my past life, with no support system. I knew it was dangerous, so I didn't want to involve anyone else. But what if I did have a few people like me helping me in my past life? Would I have died that night, bleeding out in a kiddie pool?
I broke eye contact first as I closed my eyes to think. Would I have turned down that offer if someone had asked me to join and work with me in my previous life? Probably, but that was then, and this is now. I would do it differently in this life. I'll form an organization, a public-facing one, that will be a beacon for all those that need help.
"My name on the field is Lightbringer. My life mission is to ignite hope in those that have lost it. I will be the light at the end of the endless dark, shadow-filled tunnel." I stated as I stood up. I extended my right hand, offering it to her. "Today, the Shepards of Light is born...and I would be privileged if you were its first member."
After processing what I said, she smiled, took my hand, and elegantly lifted herself into a standing possession. Neither of us let each other's hands go, understanding the moment's significance.
"I...I need a new name. I want you to give me one," she stated as she gently let go. "My old name...old life doesn't matter anymore. I am with you until the very end."
"What happens if you remember your old name...your old life? I won't hold you back if you want to return to it..." I said uneasily. "...are you sure?"
She only nodded once in response.
Ok...I'm really bad with names...Jesus. I thought to myself as I started to think. Ok...from what little I know of her, she's determined and I can assume she'll be hardworking and trustworthy. She reminds me of an anime character, actually...has similar personality traits...kind of cute, too...ah fuck it, here we go...
"Your name...if you like it, will be Alice."