Father please forgive me for the sin of making a WHDAA fic….
Chapter 0: Prologue
In the fiery blaze of Lugnica's capital city, a hero faced a villain. That villain fell to the ground, defeated by the hero. The hero towered over the villain asking him "Why?" over and over. In his dying last breath the villain told the hero something he had kept to himself for a very long time.
"I love you" Natsuki Subaru gave his last words to Emilia. For the final moment Subaru drew his breath and faded into cold death, permanent death. Emilia stood still, Puck accompanying her as he always did.
"Love?" Emilia murmured out, tears beginning to form. "You did this for love? All of it? Why…Why…WHY!?" Emilia felt as if she'd go into a frenzy.
"Lia…" Puck tried to reassure her, but failed. Emilia burst out with emotions "Why did you have to love me!? What did I do to be loved, why did I need to be loved!? Is this the consequence for being loved? Is this the consequence of being selfish? Is this the consequence for being me? All I ever wanted was to help, help the people of Lugnica, help my people, help my family…" Emilia broke into tears, trying to find any reason why Subaru would love her.
"Lia please…he was insane, he'd never met you before. He was a witch cultist, a sin archbishop no best, he could've loved you simply because you look like the Witch of Envy…" Puck wanted to give words of comfort to Emilia, to reassure her that she did nothing wrong, that she did not have to hate herself for simply existing but Emilia would not listen.
"You heard his speech, Puck! He told me face to face everything he did from killing the knights to burning the nation…he did it all so that he could make me ruler." Emilia lashed out at Puck, how could he not see the reality that stood in front of them?
"You don't do that out of some stupid love for the witch, he specifically did this…all of this…for me." Emilia collapsed to her knees, she did not want anymore of this. It was a day that for sure would haunt her for the rest of her life, a day that will forever leave her in depression. How could she be the ruler of Lugnica when there is no Lugnica to govern?
Puck watched as his daughter broke in front of him, a tragic sight he couldn't stop, the damage was already done. He wanted to help badly but knew that it's best for Emilia to let out all her emotions of this chaotic day until nothing was left to give.
"Lady Emilia!" a yell coming from the distance, Puck and Emilia turning their heads to see the person. The person being a man, Reinhardt Van Astera, with blazing red hair and deep blue eyes filled with anger. "Thank the dragon you're unharmed!" As Reinhardt got closer to Emilia he noticed the body of Subaru, the corpse of Pride. It's finally happened.
"What…happened?" Reinhardt had a lot to take in from the sight, the sight of an emotionally wounded Emilia crying over the corpse of the monster who took away everything from him.
"He let himself be killed…he let me kill him. He told me…everything he did was for me." Reinhardt went into shock from Emilia's words, 'everything for her?' Emila began to speak again in the dead silence "It wasn't my fault…it wasn't my fault, it wasn't my fault, it wasn't, it wasn't….it wasn't!" Emilia yelled, denied, and bargained with Reinhardt.
"It wasn't my fault he loved me! It wasn't my fault he was infatuated by me! It wasn't my fault he became a monster….it wasn't my fault he thought this was the only way to make me ruler…" Reinhardt stood fast at the flurry of emotions coming from the half-elf, he can notice her being so close to breaking completely.
That's when a sudden surge of energy representing a bright light came from the sky and blasted all three of them.
"What in the world just happened!?" Reinhardt immediately took in the bright flash and the sudden scene change. He could no longer feel the heat pressing against his cheeks, the flames had all vanished.
"Lia! Are you okay?" Puck made sure first and foremost that his daughter wasn't damaged by the sudden light and called out to her.
"Yes..yes I'm alright but…where are we?" Emilia took a look at her surroundings, everything felt so weird. She had been in Lugnica just a few seconds ago but now she, Puck, and Reinhardt were standing in a room that seemed alien. Two rows of red chairs, each row having 7 seats was what made the most sense to her.
"The arrangement of those chairs…perhaps this is a theater?" Reinhardt spoke out to Emilia. He looked around, if it was a theater then where was the stage? What play were they supposed to watch?
"What even is that supposed to be?" Puck stated the elephant in the room, the most unexplainable object being a giant screen which was placed in front of the chairs.
"Can you all hear me?"
Being met with a sudden loud voice seemingly coming from the ceiling, all three attendants stood on guard.
"Identify yourself!" Reinhardt yelled at the ominous voice, his hand gripping onto his sword. "Just what did you do with us?" Emilia yelled with fake confidence.
"Good you can. Hear hear, I'm not a threat. I'm the one who brought you all here."
"The one who brought us here? Could you just explain what exactly happened for us to be teleported here and why?" Puck quickly asked his most important question.
"I used my…'powers' to bring you three here, and as to why will be explained soon when I'm finished bringing the others."
"The others?" Puck resumed.
"Well yeah, the dead ones. The ones who didn't make it all the way through?"
"So you're saying that you can resurrect people?" Reinhardt scoffed "Please, don't humor me anymore. You can't bring back the dead, no matter how much you wish…for it to happen."
"Hmm…I watched that whole ordeal, sucks for you. However I am the one who just teleported you here so just watch Rein, just watch."
Reinhardt took it that the voice was mocking his inability to save anyone, to which it was absolutely right. However Reinhardt quickly formed another thought. "You watched the whole 'ordeal'? As in you saw that monster burn and kill everything and didn't once stop him?" Reinhardt spoke with conviction and a rising sense of anger.
"Hey I wasn't allowed to interfere, and what's done is done. I'll partially answer Puck's question and admit that we're here to watch someone's journey, someone you'll all know."
Reinhardt narrowed his eyes at the last sentence, "Someone we all know?". Emilia and Puck thought the same.
"Now then just let me do my thing…and poof!"
Emilia, Puck, and Reinhardt all jolted back at the sudden bright burst of light. Their jaws all dropped at the same time.
Before them were the moving, breathing, and living bodies of Elsa Granhiert, Meili Portroute, Felix Argyle, Otto Suwen, Roswaal L. Mathers, Ram, and Felt. Along with the unconscious but alive body of Subaru Natsuki, the monster known as Pride lying on the floor dressed in his normal black-orange schemed witch cultist cloak.
Each of the suddenly resurrected attendants had their own words to say.
Subaru Natsuki being most obvious, nothing.
Elsa Granhiert looked around with shock and confusion, she was supposed to be dead. The feeling of death felt strange but comforting to her, and she had just fallen in battle against Reinhardt in a last ditch attempt to keep Subaru alive. Was she dreaming?
Meili Portroute was confused and scared, nothing made sense to her. She was sure she had died protecting her big brother from the Sword Saint to her last breath. Why was she suddenly here?
Felix Argyle desperately wanted to know what just happened. He knew he failed his highness, he knew he couldn't defeat Reinhardt and he lost. It was a gift to know that it was all seemingly a dream and that the reality was that they're still alive.
Otto Suwen cried tears of pain realizing the implications that he was just revived. He didn't want to come back, he never wanted to come back. He wanted to be free and death had offered him just that but even a slave as unlucky as him could not enjoy that for long.
Roswaal L. Mathers was confused and remained cautious, suddenly being back in the body of L. Mathers made him feel relaxed as he was still getting used to being in the body of Annerose. The questions quickly started to form in his head. How in the world had he even come back? Was this the work of Subaru? Most importantly, why does he remember it?
Ram was confused but quickly felt comfort knowing that Roswaal is still by her side. The memory of her seeing him be killed by the Sword Saint must have been a false one, everything was fine and she'll make sure it stays fine.
Felt took a deep breath, she never wanted to meet her demise. The thought of being ripped away from Reinhardt made her cry, she had already known how close he was to depression as everything he loved was taken away by Pride and how it was only hatred, a sense of duty, and herself that drove him to live. If she had really died, Reinhardt would've had nothing but hatred and tears left.
"Just how…" Reinhardt was left speechless, he felt grateful that the unknown voice could actually bring back people, he was angry that most of the people brought back were known evil doers that he had to put down, one of them being Pride himself, but most importantly he felt overjoyed that he could see Felt again, a fragment of his past that was taken away from him by Pride has finally come back. Reinhardt felt as if a vital piece of his soul came back to him.
Emilia and Puck had many questions in their head form as the voice proved capable of bringing back the dead, questions directed at those brought back. Why were you working with Pride? A question for Roswaal and Ram. Why did you willingly die for Pride? A question for Elsa and Meili. What did Pride do to you? A question for Otto and Felix.
"My, my…all of this is very interesting to take in." licking her lips, Elsa made sure to maintain her composure as the bowel hunter. The enemy was still in front of her.
"Sis! Big brother is on the floor, we have to help him before the sword saint gets him!" Meili wanted to stay a helping hand, even in the state of confusion. The enemy was still in front of her.
"Nya! That's right Meili, even if all this is…confusing, we've all got his highness' back!" Felix made sure to assert himself. The enemy was still in front of him.
"Stop it…just stop this nightmare already." Otto continued to cry, he couldn't stay dead, could he?
"This is aaaaall a lot to take in, I hope you still don't want to kill me Reinhardt." Roswaal made sure he could diffuse the hostility caused by this miracle of sorts.
"Make no mistake, Sword Saint, I can sense anger in your eyes. I may be a part of Lugnica but Master Roswaal comes first and I will not hesitate to commit treason to protect him." Ram made her stance. Her master absolutely will not be hurt, not before she's dead.
"Reinhardt!" Felt ran towards her knight in joy. "I'm here! I'm here…please don't leave me again." Felt felt the most emotion seeing Reinhardt, to be finally reunited with him made her forget all her worries for a moment.
Reinhardt clutched Felt to his chest with absolute joy but made sure not to take his eyes off the enemies that appeared in front of his eyes. "I'm sorry, Felt but…I need to make sure you're protected from them!" Reinhardt quickly moved his hand to his hip and held a grip on his sword, readying himself for the soon to be bloodbath. Elsa, Meili, Felix, Roswaal, and Ram also prepared for battle against the Sword Saint whilst Otto just walked away not feeling in the mood for a battle he couldn't care about.
"Hey! No fighting is allowed here! I knew that would've been a problem but this soon? Sorry but I'll have to take away your weapons and combative magic."
The ones who were just summoned looked up at the ceiling with confusion to see where that voice came from.
"Oh, for the ones who just got summoned by me. I'm the one who revived all of you and please don't worry if I'm a threat or not, I don't intend to harm any of you."
With everyone's weapons and powers suddenly disappearing, no means for battle could be done anymore. Except for Reinhardt who's fists could annihilate almost anyone.
"Revived!?" Meili and Felix thought out for different reasons.
"I am ever so grateful you were the one that allowed me to be with my esteemed client again, strange voice." Elsa took a deep breath.
"Oh, noooot a work of Subaru then." Roswaal frowned.
"You admit to it…and you'd likely expect me to be grateful for such a thing but sorry…I can't be. Everyone should still consider me dead with this cursed life." Otto formed a thought in his head, he wanted to be desperately left alone but fate just won't allow it.
Felt almost felt like tears were forming just for the strange voice. "Thank you so…so much" repeated in her head.
"In my kindness I humbly thank you for reviving me to be with Master Roswaal again." Ram thought, if she could see where that strange voice exactly was she'd bow to it.
"Oh and Reinhardt, sorry but I'll have to keep you bound to one of the chairs. You're too dangerous to be left unchecked."
Reinhardt suddenly levitated towards the chair on the first row farthest to the right and could not escape anymore. "Are you finished playing your games? Don't you see that Lady Felt and Lady Emilia are clearly in danger just by being near these criminals?" Reinhardt retorted, he had to be put in his place?
"I'll say it again, absolutely no fighting is allowed and that goes for all of you. Sure I'll allow some fist punches but that's it, no blood will be spilt at this theater except on that screen."
"That last bit, what do you meaaaan by 'that screen'?" Roswaal made sure to question the voice.
"A fine question to ask Ros, as you can all see we're in a theater. Not like the theater you know as this one has no stage. Instead we're going to watch another person's journey through that screen, a person all of you know about."
"A person we all know about…" Roswaal attempted to decipher who that person could be. Remembering what the voice said earlier, blood will be split on the screen…that would leave two choices, Reinhardt or Subaru. It was Subaru who was unconscious and lying on the ground, why him specifically? Roswaal thought about it a bit longer and came to a conclusion "This is about Subaru, isn't it?" A smile rose on Roswaals face, "This will be sooooo interesting."
"Now take your seats and relax yourselves."
Roswaal immediately went to the 2nd row which stood at a higher elevation than the 1st row and sat in the middle. Ram followed and sat to the right of Roswaal.
Elsa picked up Subaru and decided to lay him onto the middle seat of the first row, then sat to the left of Subaru. Meili followed and sat to the right of Subaru. Felix also followed and sat to the left of Elsa.
Otto slowly walked to the 2nd row and sat at the chair farthest to the right, he wanted to be as far away from the gang of murderers as possible.
Felt walked to her knight and sat to the left of him. Making sure he won't lose sight of her again.
Emilia and Puck stood, slow to make their decision. She didn't want to sit on the same row as Subaru, that made her feel too guilty and uncomfortable, but sitting on the row with Roswaal also made her uncomfortable knowing he willingly worked with Subaru. She decided it was better to sit on the same row as Roswaal and went to the 2nd row then sat on the chair farthest to the left. Puck remained on her shoulder to make sure she stayed calm.
"Everyone's taken their seats? Good."
The attendants braced themselves for what's to come, for who's journey they could possibly be watching.
"I present to you the story of Natsuki Subaru, from the very first day he arrived in Lugnica."
"The story of Pride!?" rang out in the heads of some.
"This should be fun to see." rang out in the heads of some others.
"I knew it." rang out in the head of one.
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Every attendant gulped in anticipation. Just what exactly happened to Subaru for him to be…so evil? Was the thought everyone had as the screen flickered.
Author's Note: hahaha, I'm so sorry for the teasing but that's what a prologue is supposed to do right?