Hiiiiiii! Sorry, I disappeared for a long time. But I'm working on Nanowrimo, so don't really expect an update. So Sorry again!
Thank you to Anomonist, InvisableTarget, BlueCandyStar, DemonFoxBK201, and ScarkitTheMadaNeko for reviewing last chapter!
We see children behind a mask of a beast,
We see friends who would sacrifice their own souls for our sake,
We see the sun shining with its rays soothing our beings,
We see smiles that break the darkness and we see lives that fight for peace,
We see suffering in war but we also know of the rest after dawn.
-Subarashii
Kirito
Asuna wrung her hands together as she waited obediently in the empty room they locked her in. Her clothes were still fresh with Kazuto's blood and it made her head spin in fear. Her heart ached as she prayed for his survival silently. From the moment they thrown her in this room, she never stopped praying. She hoped for the best and begged the Goddess above to not take her friend away.
But, what if Kazuto never accepts her, never forgives her? Well, it was quite a reasonable thing to do since she did attempt to kill him. No, wait. Attempt? What if he doesn't survive? Then that would be murder.
She would be declared as a murderer. Everyone she tried so hard to come back to for seven long, hard years would hate her. They would make her an outcast for killi-no murdering Lady Ellonie's only son. Asuna was fine with that. She would accept anything that they would throw at her. She wouldn't dare to harm those she loved in this village. It was, after all, her first memory of her amnesiac life.
Kazuto was there, holding a hand to her. He told her that he could bring her to a place that could help her. And true to his word, he did bring her to a place that helped her in so many ways. He gave her a home, friends, and even emotions that never seemed to come easily. Smiling was never easy at first. But living with him for a good year, she learned to love those closest to her, learned that there was something that was willing to help her.
He was her very first memory.
"Please, Kazuto. Live. I'm begging you, please. Live. If not for me, then for Kirito. Please, live for Kirito." she muttered as tears threatened to fall. The door behind her suddenly slammed open. Asuna spun to her feet and gripped the edge of her chair as she addressed the person.
"Klein! How is he? How's Kazuto?' she demanded desperately. The red head seemed to be a taken back by her sudden question, but he was quick to recover with a harsh glare.
"Kirito abandoned that name. He's Kirito now. Remember that." he snapped. Asuna bit the back of her lip and looked away for a moment. She reluctantly sat back down properly under Klein's pressuring glare. She clasped her hands together and held them in regret. They remained in their places before Klein broke the silence.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked her. Asuna lifted her head slightly in surprise. His tone wasn't harsh. Instead, it was soft, barely audible in the dead silence as if he was scared to even ask. Asuna gave a tiny, shaky sigh.
"If I didn't do it, Heathcliff would kill him himself. I couldn't let that happen." she answered gently. There was another thick silence before Klein broke it with a sigh.
"Kazuto's still unconscious, but the wound stopped bleeding. We just have to hope for the best now. If anything, we'll be lucky if he doesn't fall into a coma because of the blood loss. Lady Ellonie said that he should be able to return to his duties in about three months if all goes alright. Well, the easy tasks anyway." Klein said. Asuna tilted her head when Klein suddenly switched to using Kazuto's real name.
"Then I'll hope for the best." she said.
"I knew you'd say that." came a wise, elderly voice. Asuna smiled sadly, immediately recognizing the owner. She waited as the footsteps approached to the other side of the table. She looked up as the steps stopped. There, standing at the opposite side with the table up to her chest, was Lady Ellonie. The woman who took her in seven years ago.
"Hello, Lady Ellonie." Asuna greeted. The woman waved a hand, dismissing Klein. Asuna flinched when the door slammed closed. Lady Ellonie sighed and placed her bony hands on the table. She stared directly into Asuna's eyes.
"Asuna." she began, "if only things were different, then I would've thrown a party to celebrate your return. But, of course, even I cannot bring myself to accept that you have returned to us. Although, I have a feeling that Kiri-no, Kazuto, would forgive you. Maybe in a heartbeat."
Asuna blinked in disbelief, mostly because the Elder stopped herself from saying "Kirito". "I'm sorry?"
Lady Ellonie chuckled softly. "Not once did Kazuto forget you. Nor did he bother to stop asking me why you were taken when it should've been him."
"So you knew then." Asuna said. "You let them take me because you knew what they would do to Kazuto."
Lady Ellonie nodded.
"Yes. I knew if they took Kazuto, they would do the same thing as they did with...him. Please forgive me, Asuna. I never thought that you would have to make such a hard decision." the Elder said with a tone of heavily sadness and regret. Asuna only nodded as she thought over her next next words. Something had been bothering her while she sat here, waiting for any form of news about Kazuto.
"Lady Ellonie," she began with a slight frown. The Elder acknowledged her with a questioning hum. "Please tell me...tell me about Kazuto's brother."
Lady Ellonie flinched as a look of utter regret crossed her face. She didn't speak for a short moment before she answered Asuna. "You mean…" she trailed off, unable to say the name anymore.
"Yes, I mean Kirito." Asuna confirmed with a set look. "Heathcliff told me that Kirito was a Demon that many feared. He even bragged about how he killed him. For a moment, I thought he was insane… But, I have a feeling that it's a lie. Everything he said about Kirito didn't sound right. Destroying a whole town with raging flames... Heartlessly killing innocent people with his two swords… Using trickery to turn people against each other… Freezing a whole temple over in anger… turning the forest sprites against humans… It sounds like a good story for naive idiots with what I heard from someone in the village of Trancey."
The Elder's shoulders slouched and she suddenly looked several years older. "Trancey, you say? What did that person tell you?"
Asuna managed a half smile. "That it was a lie. All of it. That, among the spirits that guard our realm, Kirito was known as a 'Renewer' or the 'Restorer' of the Good, the Strongest Mage. And...that Kazuto was his little brother. Even you said that those two were brothers. So, why...? Why did everyone hate Kirito?"
Lady Ellonie shook her head and stared at a distance. "It's true. Kirito was Kazuto's older brother. He was a wonderful child that was a master at the dual bladed style that I never truly taught him. But, he possessed a gift that brought fear into the hearts of many. They feared him because they didn't know just what Kirito was capable of. They feared his power and called him a demon. Soon, he was labeled as a demon throughout our world."
Asuna took every word in and urged Lady Ellonie on. "So, what caused all this? What did Kirito do?"
Lady Ellonie smiled sadly. "He did everything in his power to protect everyone he loved most. He lied."
._._._._._.
Swirls of thin, silver-white, ribbon-like strands of magic twirled in the air as it danced near a small child. They shimmered in the dying light of the setting sun, seeking the child's warmth. It loosely wrapped itself around the child's body, gathering mostly at the his hands. The small child's dark eyes were focused on his small palms. A magic circle filled with several symbols slowly turned as the strands of magic spilled outward, caressing the child in its gentle touch.
But even with its comforting touch, the child's heart was in turmoil. He wanted to ignore the world outside, but he knew he shouldn't. The world outside hated him. The other children called him names. The adults harmed him, burned him, closed him off, threw him out. Many have even cursed him to die a pitiful death. And for what? For being the son of a farmer? For living in his home? For just existing?
"Akuma!" called a teenager. Hatred was clear in his glaring eyes, daring the boy to do something.
No, he wasn't an Akuma. He wasn't an evil person.
"How dare you...how DARE you! You did it, you did it! You made ME kill my husband! YOU turned MY husband against ME by making him tell ME that YOU were just a kid! LIES! YOU killed him! YOU KILLED him!" cried a furious woman with a knife gripped firmly in her hands. Blood coated the knife's blade and dripped steadily to the floor. A body limply laid on the ground behind her as its blood slowly seeped into the soft soil.
What? No. He didn't come near her husband. How could he kill someone he never touched? She was the one who killed her own husband. Right?
"Ah! NO! Get away from me! I HATE you!" screamed a little girl as she waved her arms and threw a rock at him. She had stumbled back several steps until her back smacked the wall behind her. Her eyes were filled with fear and anger.
But why? He didn't do anything. He just wanted to give her the ribbon she dropped. Did she hate him because he was being nice? Or was it because he healed a near dead bird? But, shouldn't she be happy? That bird was sitting on his shoulder, alive and well now. Is that why she was angry at him? Because he took her bird away? No, he only wanted to help. She can have her bird back.
"Stay away from ME!" snapped a boy as he swung his lantern at the child. His expression held pure annoyance and frustration.
No! He didn't want to be left alone! Not in this dark forest. Please! Wait! Don't go! It's dangerous! Please, take him home. Please…?
"If only they never gave birth to you, Demon."
Demon? Why? Why won't they stop? What did he do? How was he a demon? Did he do something he wasn't supposed to do? How come no one else could do what he could do? Why? Why did they hate him so much? What made them fear him? Did everyone hate him?
Why...? Why? Why?! WH-
"I'm so sorry, Kirito. But please, remember. I love you. Mama loves you so much. Nothing could ever make me hate you. Nor will anything make me love you any less." said a woman with her black hair in a loose bun. She held the child in her arms tenderly, yet fiercely, scared to lose her dearest son. A man stood next to his wife, smiling brightly as he held his son's face with a calloused hand. He ran his other hand through his son's dark hair as he spoke in his strong, fatherly tone.
"Papa loves you, too, Kirito. Nothing will ever replace you. You are my dearest son, I will never left anyone destroy you. You are a strong child with a gift that makes you amazing. Even if you didn't have this gift you would still be an amazing child. You are MY child, and no one, no one will ever change that. Why? Because both me and your Mother love you so much. And you are no Demon. You'll never turn into one."
The small child slowly looked up. Before him stood a massive tiger seven times his size. The tiger softly padded over to him and curled its body around him. Its large, fluffy tail laid in front of the boy and its head rested next to the boy's side. The boy blinked sadly and leaned heavily on the tiger as he felt his energy drain from him. The strands of magic slipped away as the magic circle in his hands faded from existence. The boy's leg buckled under his own weight as he landed softly on the tiger's waiting side.
"You have summoned me, Byakko, the Spirit of the West, Ruler of Fall. I will take you under my charge, and I will teach you everything you need. I will teach you the ways of the 'Restorers', as I have been doing for centuries." the tiger muttered in his ear. The boy suddenly felt at peace in the tiger's presence. All the harsh voices that constantly plagued him were gone, and he could still hear the comforting voices of his parents, coaxing him to sleep. As he began to slip into unconsciousness, he heard the tiger's strong voice whisper to him.
"You can never be a Demon... for you are human."
._._._._._.
This wasn't supposed to happen. He was only supposed to restore the damaged contract between the forest sprites and his "Guardian", not running for his life. How could a simple ten minute ceremony become such a disaster? But, then again, luck never seemed to be in his favor.
A branch snapped loudly as a black-haired teen trampled it. He felt his heart jump into his throat when he heard the voices of his chasers. His green-white sword glowed slightly, begging him to stop and fight. But, he shook his head and tightened his grip around his other sword. The blade gleamed in the twilight, telling him where to go.
"Hey! I heard him! He's up ahead!"
"We got him now!"
An arrow whizzed past his head.
"An archer?!" the teen exclaimed as he knocked another off course with his sword. The arrow embedded itself into tree nearby. With a quick glance behind him, he bit his lip. Three imperial knights were hot on his tail. One was holding a crossbow, already reloading. Another was holding a steel lance, ready to throw it at him. The last one had a silver sword drawn. Thinking quickly, the teen snatched a loose leaf from a branch and held it to his lips. Half of his energy was spent on the interrupted ceremony, but he couldn't stop now. If he didn't live, then there would be no one else to take his place as "Restorer". A cliff was close ahead of him, but he kept running. He whispered a few words and felt a bit of his energy slip right into it easily. Desperately, he threw the leaf as hard as he could.
"Please make it!" he begged as he neared the ledge. He heard his chasers close behind him.
"Stop right there!"
"No, stop! You'll die!"
As a last ditch effort to stop him, an arrow stabbed into his leg. He faltered, but kept running. The assault didn't stop there. He cried out as the lance grazed his side, ripping through his black coat and cutting deep into his skin. Warm, bright red blood splattered on the ground, making him worry about his gash in his side. The lance itself soared right over the edge, falling a good eighty yards. The teen didn't dare to look back as he leapt off the ledge. His chasers all yelled in shock and looked over the ledge in worry.
"We were supposed to get him alive, dammit!" one growled. A sudden gust of wind swept them off their feet and onto their rears. The three looked up in shock as a gigantic leaf flew above them. One of them spotted the teen pulling out the arrow in his leg.
The teen bit the back of his lip to keep himself from whimpering at the excruciating pain lacing his left leg. He held the arrow in his bloody hands and aimed it like a spear. As the gigantic leaf began to float away, he focused a small amount of his magic into it and threw it. A bright flash of green sparked from the arrow, the magic propelling the arrow forward.
The three chasers leapt back to avoid the arrow. To their surprise, the arrow only tapped the ground and fell over. Bits of white dissipated as the magic faded away. The one with the crossbow was quick to reload and aim another arrow at the teen. It sliced through the air and hit its mark. The teen was unprepared and paid dearly when he failed block it with his sword. He gasped in agony as the arrow buried deep into his open wound on his side.
Stars erupted at the back of his eyes as all his concentration shattered. The gigantic leaf quivered and popped back into its original size. The teen couldn't do anything as he felt gravity take over. His grip on his black sword loosened and the blade flashed bright red for an instant as it gradually fell away from his hand.
He was in midair. There was nothing to stop him from falling to his death. He stared at the sky, praying for the Goddess to somehow save him.
._._._._._.
The three chasers watched as the teen fell into the forest below.
"Goddess-damn! We lost him! We should've killed him." spat the Swordsman when he lost sight of their target in the green, lush forest below them.
"He wasn't trying to kill us." said the now lance-less soldier. He picked up the arrow and looked at his fellow companions. The Archer (or could she even be considered as an archer?) scowled in disbelief.
"Kill us? He killed half of our unit and you're telling me that he's not trying to kill us?!" she snapped. She lowered her crossbow and stalked over to the Lancer. She grabbed the arrow from him and snapped it in half. "This demon is the only reason we are living in fear! Him and his little group of friends are the ones who destroyed generations upon generations of peace for hundreds of years! They deserve to pay for what they've done!"
The Swordsman sheathed his sword. "Enough! Arguing here isn't going to get that demon back. Besides, he's injured right?"
The Archer huffed in frustration and threw the broken arrow to the ground. "Don't Demons heal fast? He'll be back for revenge!"
The Lancer shook his head and knelt to the ground, dipping his fingers in Kirito's small pool of blood. He lifted his hand to stare at it. After a couple seconds, a thought popped in his head. He turned to look at his companions.
"Hey, everyone said that the blood of the demon is black and burns a human, right?" he asked. The Archer had a confused expression on her face before she glanced at the Lancer's hand. Her eyes widened.
"You idiot! That's-" she cut herself off with a gasp when realization dawned on her. "...Oh, Goddess. No."
The Swordsman bent down to pick up the broken arrow. Crimson blood coated it and glowed slightly in the setting sun. He twirled it in his hand with wide eyes. "...Guys, I don't think we were chasing a demon."
"But, then that means-"
"He wasn't a demon in the first place."
The three shared a look of silent horror. The Archer covered her mouth.
"Oh, my Etra! He's only a child! He's-" she cut herself off again when a horrid thought crossed her mind. Her lip quivered as she spoke. "And Heathcliff wants to kill him?!"
Heathcliff, the newest leader of the Knights of the Blood Oath, the man that no one could beat, the person who claimed that a person named Kirito was a hundred-year-old demon to be feared. Everyone who followed him believed him. He seemed to tell nothing but honest truths. The Lancer gripped his fist tightly in restrained fury as the Swordsman gripped the handle of his steel sword.
Heathcliff lied to not just them, but to everyone in the whole country.
._._._._._.
Loud sounds of branches snapping and trees shaking echoed as Kirito fell into the dense forest. It took him a good thirty seconds before he landed in batch of undergrowth, softening his fall greatly. He cried out as he landed on his uninjured side. His black sword stabbed next to his leg, a little too close for comfort.
"D-dam-mnn…" he muttered as he reeled in pain. He could vaguely feel his leg pulsing in pain as his side injury overwhelmed his senses. He never had a damn arrow enter an open wound before. Kirito gasped as he forced himself to sit up.
"Uwagh!"
He got on his knees and used the closest tree as his support to help him up. His vision blurred as he leaned heavily on the tree. Knowing that the arrow wasn't going to help him, he gripped the jutting end. He snapped the arrow in half, biting his lip open and causing it to bleed. Not a good idea, but at least it turned his scream into a high pitched whimper. Kirito tossed the broken piece off to the side and tried to take a breather. It didn't help.
"Gah-hah…" he breathed as he tried to focus on anything but the pain. His dark eyes caught sight of his gleaming sword and stumbled over to it. He grabbed the hilt as a support and managed to yank it out of the ground without falling over. A green ball of light popped out of a tree and paused in front of Kirito. He forced a grin on his face.
"H-hey," he choked. He could feel something get sticky in his throat but he chose to ignore it. "Sor-ry , I wasn't able to fi-nish the cerem-mony. I'll have to come back l-later."
He held a hand to the forest sprite ad it came willingly. A drip of blood started to trail from the edge of his lip to his chin. He held back the urge to cough to be considerate of the forest sprite. It seemed to blink and suddenly took off, flying in circles around him. Green dust sparkled around him. Kirito breathed a sigh as he felt a rush of coolness flow through him. The pain in his side dulled to a throb as it healed partially. He was able to stand easily on his legs as his leg injury completely healed. He was unable to thank the sprite as it suddenly flew away, leaving him puzzled.
Snap!
Kirito quickly spun on his heel, finally drawing his other sword and falling into a battle stance. His eyes narrowed as a shadowy figure of his enemy appeared before him. He gripped his sword tightly in his hands and took a cautious step back.
"Who's there!?" he called out. He already knew who it was by the huge shield his enemy held. A twinge of anger flared in his chest but he fought his urge to run up and stab the man. To do so would be foolish and rather pointless. He glared at Heathcliff as he stopped a good six feet away. The guild leader had a "pleasant" smile on his face. Kirito was not fooled.
"Are you the Demon everyone fears?" Heathcliff asked, brandishing his sword. Kirito sighed and shook his head as he sheathed his swords.
"Even if I answer yes or say no, are you going to kill me the same way you killed Ryoutarou?" Kirito asked as he stared at Heathcliff.
"Ryoutarou? Was that the man—no, I mean, demon I had vanquished the other day?" the man asked with a mocking tone. Kirito resisted the urge to draw his blades as rage surged though him. How could Heathcliff call his best friend a demon!
"Ryoutarou was no demon!" Kirito snapped. His magic flared and changed his eye color to a bright green for a brief second as he lost control for that moment. No doubt that Heathcliff didn't miss it with his sly grin. Kirito clenched his fist as he continued, "Sure he acted like a fool here and there, and even acted as if he was my mother or something, he was still a man! A person! What did he ever do to hurt you?!"
Heathcliff laughed as if he said something funny. "What did he do? He befriended you and became a demon. He even rode a creature of fire."
"How Goddess-damn dense can you be?!" Kirito yelled, swinging an arm around. Heathcliff suddenly stopped laughing and gave Kirito a serious stare.
"Enough of this nonsense. I didn't come here to talk about that dead demon. Nor did I come to end your long life… yet." Heathcliff said. Kirito felt a shiver go down his back at the tone. He gritted his teeth and took another step back.
"Then why are you here?" he demanded. A "happy" smile appeared on Heathcliff's face as he leisurely walked over to him.
"I'm here to offer you a deal." He said. Kirito took several steps back and was backed up into a tree. He gritted his teeth as Heathcliff came closer.
"I refuse." Kirito said, not wanting to hear it. He held Heathcliff's gaze as the older man impaled his sword dangerously close to Kirito's head.
"You might want to listen, Demon." Heathcliff growled.
Kirito glared at him, but he kept silent.
"Good. Join me, and I will spare you and your friends." Heathcliff offered. Kirito blinked. Join him? Join the man who killed Ryoutarou? No, he could never join him. He just knew that if he did, then he would be dead within the hour. But the look on Heathcliff's face told him he probably had no other choice. He bit his lip and looked away.
"If I say no, would you kill me?" he asked.
"Yes." came Heathcliff's blunt answer. Kirito closed his eyes and took a breath.
"Then, give me time to think about it." he said. Heathcliff frowned as he pulled his sword out of the tree. Kirito could finally breathe as the older man backed away.
"I will give you until the next time we meet. I recommend you take my offer." Heathcliff said as he sheathed his sword. Kirito stayed rooted at his place as he left. His hands were clenched in fury and his stature shook in frustration.
BANG!
A huge gust of magic exploded, but it didn't harm the vegetation of the forest. But what was left behind as Kirito walked away, was a dying blue flame.
"Live or die. Have friends or no one. Lie or don't. Protect or destroy. All these damn choices…suck as hell." He muttered.
And done. Tell me what you guys thought of this chapter!
"Where do you think you're going?" asked a voice at the doorway. He didn't bother to look over his shoulder as he opened the window. The familiar voice continued. "You're not well ye-"
"Sorry, but this is something I must do. You're not gonna stop me." Without another word, he leapt out the window from the second floor.
"Wait! Damn it! I'm coming with you!"
Later!
-CloudyLightning