Hey people!
Thanks to Emily-at-random and Cinnomonandsugar.
This chapter isn't that great. There's a lot of setup to be done, it's part and parcel of an AU story. If you're reading this then you must have at least somewhat like the first few chapters, so bear with me for one more. Then it will get interesting.
I kept up easily with Nagihiko, old memories springing to the surface with every step. Being here, being seen, with a dagger from my homeland...I would figure everything out later.
"Amu-chan, are you sure you'll be okay?" Nagihiko second-guessed himself.
Rima caught up to us for a moment, short legs working furiously. "She'll be fine. She agreed...and you've gotta... be tough to... agree to something like that... Besides, who would... accept something…. like that without... experience?" Gasping, the seemingly non-athletic girl fell behind.
As an open clearing shifted into view, Nagihiko pushed himself to breakneck speed. I followed, eager to fight once more.
"Amu, this isn't just a dagger." Rima faced me as we skidded to a stop. "I mean, we wouldn't even need you under normal circumstances, but Ikuto and Utau are our strongest fighters. Without them, we're in trouble."
"This dagger is magical. Just twist the hilt, and you can summon several different powers to your aid."
"R-really?" I tried to muster up a surprised face, but I was never very good at acting.
"I know it's a lot to handle, but we're begging you. There are demons out there, and the rest of us are struggling. So basically, to fight..."
I sighed. How much longer were they going to explain? I already knew all of this. Back home, these demons had been the only thing that threatened us. We had sparred with them often, and seemed that these people did the same. Maybe, just maybe...were they like me? Ex-Guardians?
I scrutinized them closely as they huddled, heads bent in strategy.
Not possible. I couldn't sense magic from them. They were just using the weapons for magic. So who were they?
"Amu!" Rima yanked me forward, jarring me out of my thoughts and into battle.
A demon with jet-black hair, red clothing and unnaturally pale skin spun a spear between his long fingers. "You're not human." he hissed, red eyes narrowing into slits.
"I believe I already knew that." I charged, twisting the hilt like I had done so many times before.
"Spiral Dagger!" I thrust the dagger into the air, watching in twist in the it spin out of control, I whispered a spell that the rest could not hear.
I blew gently over my palms. "Dance, wind, to my command." Pulling my fingers like they were a puppeteer's strings, I let the wind wreath around the dagger. It shot towards the demon, who caught it deftly on the point of his spear and snatched it. I cursed, knowing that now the demon had a double advantage of both weapons.
It's magic powers were definitely less than mine. So I could use powerful magic as long as no one could see me-
"Stupid. You Guardians always thought too much about strategy." The demon's voice hit my ears not a second too soon. I whirled around and pulled the wind once more, bending the spear until it shot off to the side. I leaped deftly to the side and caught it.
"Weapon switch, huh? Fine by me." The demon cackled.
"No way. I'm not using your Shadow Spear."
"Shadow Spear, huh? So you know what it is…"
I broke the spear cleanly in half, but inspiration had struck the demon's face.
"You've fought someone who's used a Shadow Spear, haven't you." It was a statement, not a question.
"I have. What of it?" I asked in a fake-casual voice, though I stiffened involuntarily.
"You're Amu Hinamori, aren't you? The Guardian who failed her own Character." The battle had stopped, I had stopped, my heart had stopped.
"Stop. Stop, or else I'll attack." I threatened, though it was just barely a whisper. I was shaking, shuddering with every breath. I could already feel the tears burning at the corners of my eyes.
"Are you serious, Guardian? I happen to know information about your Character, what was her name? Ah, that's it. Nadeshiko."
"No. Stop, demon, I'll do anything-"
"You wanna know what happened to her? Of course, she couldn't frolic around in our world forever. The soldiers tracked her down quite quickly, and-"
"STOP!" The tears were pouring down my face by now. I knew what happened, but I couldn't bear to hear it in words. I knew what happened to a Character who trespasses in the world of the Guardians.
Before I knew it the demon had knocked me onto the ground. I sank into the snowdrifts surrounding me and accepted the dagger plunging towards me, because I knew I deserved it-
"Nightmare LORELEI!"
Burst of purple, flash of a trident, tears, shouts, confusion. In the midst of the chaos, I did what I did best. I escaped.
"Amu! Amu, wait!" Voices called out after me, but I wanted to flee from them all. I wished-I wished, more than I wished for Nadeshiko, more than I wished for happiness-I wished to disappear. I wished for what I had wished for three years not to be.
A hand snatched my shoulder. Whirling around, I thrust myself out of Ikuto's grip though he was quick to grab my wrist. His eyes were dark and glinted with some kind of hidden emotion. What was it? Anger, pain...I didn't know.
"You're an idiot, running off like that. I know they freak you out at first, but at least tell us. Then we wouldn't have to go dashing after you."
"D-don't, Ikuto. J-just leave m-me alone."
Ikuto sighed. "You really are an idiot. That demon was using magic to fool you, to entice you into feeling awful about everything you've ever done. Who were the idiots who gave you a weapon and expected you to fight anyway?"
"You use 'idiot' a lot, don't you?" I managed a weak smile. "Where are the others?"
"Rima, Yaya and Utau stayed behind, Kukai was supposed to come but dunno where he is, Kairi is probably on his way and there comes Nagihiko." Sure enough, there he was. Nagihiko stumbled forward and literally threw himself at my feet.
"I am so sorry, Amu, so sorry." He gasped, indigo hair tumbled all over the snow like ripples of water. Ikuto yanked him off the ground and scolded him lightly, as I fake smiled while feeling extremely stupid.
Magic. How had I not known? I was supposed to be strong, but maybe three years had dulled my senses. And thanks to that, I had ran off like some scared rabbit and made everyone tear after me.
"Amu, how many times are you gonna space out today?" Ikuto groaned.
"Huh?" I glanced up and saw that everyone had arrived, through covered head to foot in nasty cuts and bruises.
"Tough bunch today. I can see why Amu bolted." Utau brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Let's head home. My place." Murmuring amongst themselves, the eight of them began to leave. I stood uncertainly, but Rima caught my gaze with her huge yet cold brown eyes. "Come on, Amu. Do you want to freeze to death or what?"
Stuttering in my usual clumsy way, I followed the others.
But Nadeshiko still haunted my thoughts, just as she haunted my every move.
Kairi pushed his glasses higher upon the bridge of his nose. "You are most likely confused as to what the creatures you fought were and the magical weapon you weided. Which you did a surprisingly good job with, by the way. I give you my congratulations."
"Thank you…?"
Kairi rolled on as if I had never said anything. "We are a group of people who fight these...demons, for want of a better name, who are the main cause of drastic evil events and which we can see. We are, as you might say, flukes, it's not natural to be able to see demons. As a result, we have been drawn to one another and now we are fighting to survive rather than to repel evil. Demons track us, and though we lead everyday lives, we are constantly fighting them."
If I had been able to go home, I would have left there and then. This was groundbreaking news! Characters, humans, fighting the demons. My heart began to race and I listened intently to what Tadase said next.
"You might ask, how do we know this? Mostly through what slips out of the unruly mouths of the demons. We have also developed the ability to use the tools and weapons of the demons and the good counterparts, Guardians. While demons work to destroy humans and unity, Guardians work to protect them."
My throat went dry at the mention of Guardians. Protect...I had failed to protect.
"There is one Guardian for each person in this world, while demons travel in groups." Rima took over, speaking with cold precision. "We can see demons, but only once we have truly mastered the art of Guardian magic may we see Guardians."
How stupid. You've already reached that level. All of you are sitting there and staring right at me- a Guardian. You talk like you know everything, but there so much more.
I probed within them with my sensory powers, searching for their Guardian. Of course I had wondered about their Guardians, but our kind weren't stalkers. We came and went as we pleased, but in this time of real danger their Guardians should have come.
I found nothing, though, and frowned. Had they been abandoned? No...that wasn't possible, nor was it allowed. Looking closer,I thought I could see just a glimpse of the Guardians of these eight, mere shadows.
Of course. The 'fluke' Kairi was talking about was just that their Guardians never fully separated from them.
"That's about all we know. When I dragged you along today to fight demons I completely forgot about the fact that you shouldn't be able to see them." Nagihiko studied me intently. "But it seems like you truly are one of us. I don't know how, but you were drawn here. Kukai? That's your cue."
The brown-haired boy flashed a thumbs-up and darted into Ikuto and Utau's kitchen. When he returned, he was carrying a huge leather case.
My eyes widened. I knew what would be in there.
"We always have a bunch of spares. Pick one, whichever one." Kukai flung the case open.
"I…" A dark sheath embroidered with intricate patterns at the base caught my eye. I pulled the sword out, marveling at the luster it cast over all of us. It was a little like like the old one I wielded at wasn't like a cliche story where the character finds a sword that "fits" them perfectly. It was nice, it was flexible, I could work with it. It wasn't perfect. It was okay.
But why should I join in the first place? Most likely they would try to drag me off to school or someplace else, and when they found out I was a Guardian…when they found out what I did to my Character, my human, it would be harder for me to let go of them than if I just left now.
But they would suspect me if I didn't join, too.
Reluctantly, I lifted the sword. Soon, I promised myself. You'll leave them, soon.
You have to.
Chained to a filthy stone wall, she looks up with deadened amber eyes. Her violet hair lies limp and bedraggled. Her clothes are tattered and she is wounded in several places.
The guards come for her, holding large clubs. "Human."
They must knock her out, so that she does not see who will be coming, who will be passing by.
This is not abnormal. She has never seen anyone from this world, apart from these guards and the demon who captured her.
And Amu-chan.
The guards raise their clubs and she braces herself. This is the price, she tells herself. You should have listened...
Screams fill the air.
Interesting enough for you guys? Like it? Hate it? Any guesses as to what the real plot is? Sorry for the times in the story when it didn't flow properly, I cut a lot of parts because the chapter was going around in circles.
ReachForTheSky is out.