Author Notes: Heavily inspired by "Forced to Listen" by LangstonHugeD; "NATSUKI SUBARU" by NeisseriaMeningitidis; "A Broken Screen" By: TheGimbler; and of course, "Watching Him Die Again And Again", by the ever famous Reactionist. This fic follows the same trend… only there's no Subaru to interrogate or answer the insanity… They must figure out the horror on their own, and sort out the mysteries, volume by volume, at random.
At first, I thought about doing it in the order of the anime followed by a light novel and then base the reactions on post-reading speculations between the limited cast of Arc 6. However, while curious and fun, when I read TheGlimbler's fic, I just discovered what a treasure trove it could be to do things through the dice gods hand and simply make the cast go nuts with randomness. And hey, there's no indication that the books of the dead in canon had any difference between them (something that I'll defy here for simplicity's sake) and while it is highly presumed that Amnesiabaru did read them in order, he was in the end, desperate… rapidly reading book after book, throwing them away, all while climbing up and following Cor Leonis's guidance in pursuit of his memories.
So yeah… that could be an excuse to make them find the book at random and simply go from there… That's all this fic is about. Madness is abound, and feelings will rush indeed. I will admit though that I'm very tempted to write and release both fics (the correct order and random order) at same time… I know someone else did the same, hehe.
As for my Code Geass one… well, the thousands of notes are still with me. I just have to reread them and get back to track. No excuses this time.
Anyway, enough waffling. Enjoy the fic.
Prologue - Discovery Out of Greed
Amidst the so-called Augria Sand Dunes, as the night falls over the starry skies, cold winds blow onwards in the direction of the legendary Pleiades Watchtower. Its imponent visage, once pristine and immaculate in the days past now bore dilapidations and wreckage on its walls, proof of the lengthy chaos that occurred a few hours ago to the dismay of the few that actually managed to survive and conquer its trials.
With the gluttony twins defeated, the witch beasts tamed or killed, and the shadowy miasma that once assaulted them banished by the breath of the divine dragon Volcanica, the remnants of both Emilia's and Anastasia's camp could only rest with uneasiness after the loss of their knight-ish friend and the sleeping beauty they so prized to help and defend. With them gone, all that is left for them to do now is to proceed with their initial objective and pray that their loved ones survive in the days ahead, far flung beyond the borders on the far south of Lugnica…
…
"...Well, I suppose this should be enough for the people of Priestella..." Wrapping up the last vial of crystalized ice over their carriage, it inwards carrying the red tinge of sacred blood, Julius Juukulius, the Greatest of Knights, pondered somberly, "I hope its essence will be enough to cure them, otherwise…"
Clad in the tattered white caped garb of the royal guard uniform, both his violet hair and yellow eyes had lost their impeccable shine after the intense fighting he endured against the broken legend of his land. In fact, even though victorious, he still wonders if their efforts in this tower actually rendered worthy fruits. He seemed… disillusioned with everything.
"Yelp, I say we've done our part. None of ya folks expected this journey to be so messy." Unworried however, his direct liege lady, the purple haired Merchant Princess Anastasia Hoshin, draped in the thick furs of her snow white dress over her jade eyes, simply waved her hand and assured him, "Even if that blood don't solve anythin', at least we captured another bishop to rub in dem' noses. That should net us some extra prestige to work around."
"Even so…"
Against her chipper accented tone, an angelic bell-chiming voice signed in response, "It is worrying though, gambling on everyone's hopes like this… I don't like it…"
Sharp in the ears and adorning a glowing amethyst gaze, the half-elf Emilia sat right beside the bonfire of their camp, letting the heat warm her fair skin under her overly decorated clothes. Its winged white-golden design, trimmed in purple, certainly painted her as an unmistakable noble lady of unparalleled beauty, not that she did herself as such due to a certain stigma born from her unfortunate appearance and bloodline...
"Heh~, if anything I would rather blame the grown ups for lying so~ much."
Yet, adding sarcasm to the discussion, a mocking bark echoed from the ground, belonging to none but one Meili Portroute, Beast Mistress and Child Assassin. She was laid there, resting under a blanket, playing with a certain crimson scorpion in her hands as the group sat down for the night, "All~ those fairytales of sages and saints… In the end they all ended up being nothing but wicked and na~ughty. Onii-san said it best: This place is absolutely the wor~st!" She paraphrased, throat still a little hoarse after all the damage she endured to keep said scorpion in check a while ago when it was much MUCH bigger.
"That may be true, but we also cannot deny what we witnessed with our own eyes."
But, to the surprise of them all, a rebuttal sprouted from where Anastasia stood, even though it didn't come from her mouth or voice per se. Rather, the scarf over her neck suddenly decided to move on its own to reveal the face of a fox right beside the merchant girl's face, revealing itself as the spirit they have become acquainted with during their journey together. Her tone was distinctive and rare to hear, carrying a certain majesty and mystery of some kind, being rather familiar to some with all that inquisitive and curious manner, hungry for knowledge…
"Echidna…"
"Only someone like the Sage Flugel would be capable of creating such a powerful guardian like Shaula, not to mention the curses and rules behind the trials themselves. The Library of Taygeta alone is a mystery none of us can even begin to decipher, and as far as I know, the swordsman of the second floor, brute as he was, certainly had the power of a Saint. So, there is little reason for us to doubt the power of the divine dragon even if its blood doesn't come directly from its heart."
"..." At her words, few disagreed, already recalling the struggle they had endured conquering the tower. Given how such a feat was sought for centuries, it was guaranteed that their return would spark rumors and gossip about their survival, as well as the mystery behind it on their account... Or so will Anastasia make it so, if only to spread and improve her image further among her future subjects. There is a royal selection in play after all…
"At any rate, working or not, what really matters is that no one will be able to deny what we've accomplished here." Blunt on that peculiar note though, the harsh and dry monotone of the remaining oni twin affirmed her assertion, the pinkish red eyes of Ram boring themselves unto her elven 'superior' as to convey some masked feelings, "Ram believes Emilia-sama should kindly focus on how to find a way to cross the border once we depart tomorrow…" She expressed.
"..." Facing her straightly, the half-elf didn't have any words to give... Given the circumstances, it was easy enough for them to figure out how worried the pink haired maid was for her twin sister spirited as she was alongside black-haired knight who sacrificed himself for their sake. Who knows how much in danger they could be right now in the foreign lands of the Vollachian Empire known for the ruthless stance of "might over right" that they have there.
And that's not counting the presence of the ominous third archbishop of Gluttony that was sent alongside with them. They all know the panic that can be born from losing one's memories or name with but a touch… What tragedy could form should they suddenly "forget" them…
…
Faced with such nightmarish thoughts, silence soon spread among both camps, the winds breezing gently over the sandy floor until a certain blond haired spirit among them had enough of the rising depression. Standing by herself, away from Emilia's side, Beatrice, the Great Shadow Spirit of Natsuki Subaru, ever adorned in her pink frilly ornate dress, let her drill-shaped twin tails wave down so that she could distance herself from her peers, walking straight with an unchanging expression on her cream colored face under the tiny crown.
"...Beako?"
"...Betty will take a walk to distract herself, I suppose." The Great Spirit affirmed, gazing up at the night sky, "With Betty's Subaru gone, I won't be able to sleep tonight, in fact. If you need me for something, you can find me on the third floor…" Her tone and expression betrayed nothing of what she felt, but everyone who saw and knew her manners already had a clue about what her true feelings were.
"On the third floor… ya mean the library?" Alas, bling to this, Anastasia perked up quite abruptly upon hearing the spirit's words, her eyes bearing this little glint on it, like the spark of an idea - or more likely, ambition - that had crossed her mind there for a second, "Forgive me for askin' but, whatcha gonna do there?" She poked for answers, already implying the dangers everyone knew of that peculiar floor.
"Who knows? Walk around; work my legs; wipe off the dust or organize the shelves in some way… it can be anything to pass time, I suppose." Beatrice affirmed before sparing an annoyed glare, "If you are worried about me trying to read the books themselves, just don't. Betty is not like you simpletons who fall so easily to temptation for knowledge, in fact." She blurted with impunity.
"I see, I see…" Not that the merchant paid any mind however, not even blinking an eye at the sting. Rather, "In that case, ya don' mind if me and my knight accompany ya, right?" She instead made a simple offer, clasping her hands in a petty begging gesture.
"Anastasia-sama?" That left Julius a bit uncomfortable. It was a required courtesy for anyone to treat spirits with the necessary deference, especially for a spirit knight such as himself who courts his own powerful maidens. Yet, here was his lady shamelessly prodding on a great spirit with greed imprinted on her face... Such uncouth behavior did occur before in their time together but with his name (and subsequently, her memories of him) still forgotten in her soul, the merchant princess was far less subtle in her pursuit when it came to consorting such noble beings…
"My little Echidna only gave me a summary 'bout what happened and I didn't quite get the chance to explore the library on my own. So I figured, since the night is still young, I wanna try to give it a little peek and maybe learn much about it with a Great Spirit by my side~" Anastasia explained with a smile, charming outwardly, but also clearly vain and pressing on the tone.
Beatrice was far from amused, "Hmph, Betty has no intention of babysitting anyone tonight, much less one such as yourself, in fact. You are free to do as you like, I suppose, as long as I'm not bothered in the least." Barked the little librarian as she left without expecting an answer.
"Ah, Beako, wait!" Seeing this, Emilia felt nervous and worried, speechless for a second before rapidly intersecting on the spirit's behalf, "And she's gone… *sigh* …I'm sorry for Beatrice's mean words, it's just that-"
"-It's fine, it's fine, she can't be blamed." Yet, dismissing the issue with a waving hand, Anastasia obliged the hollow insult a little, after all, "…Even I would be moody if I lost someone close to me…" She uttered, sympathetic to both her rival and her companion.
Under normal circumstances, this is where the story would end, their journey and trials ending with a reflective tone that would push them all to sleep with no more addressing so that they could simply travel back home next morning… It's here that the main route would continue from.
However, here, Fate had other plans…
"Oh well, let's go, Julius~"
"A-ah, yes, by your will."
Led by desire and curiosity (to not say other words), the merchant princess had already made her decision to follow up with her greed instead of being compassionate… In other words, the duo would soon shadow the loli spirit right as she departed, with the former giggling fun at her knight's formality and etiquette on the way while Emilia just observed them, her expression of anxiousness never once leaving her face as the three left the encampment on the remains of the fifth floor…
The Library of Taygeta… Or, as Echidna morbidly put it, the Library of the Deceased. It is a place to be seen...
Just hearing about it filled Anastasia with a sense of awe and inspiration. To think that the notorious sage of 400 years ago invented some way to access and record the memories of every soul that died from the cradle of history all the way to the modern present… it boggles the mind! Just think of the possibilities! To reach into the minds of famous figures and uncover their most hidden and profitable secrets in life? The merchant princess could NOT miss her chance to see this for herself.
Anastasia knew that her personal greed wouldn't allow her to remain idle, especially when it gives her the possibility to invoke the name of her foremost idol: The one and only, Hoshin of the Wastelands! Fufu~ Yes! If only she manages to gather his book, fortune would ve guaranteed.
"...Fufufufufu~ Well then, Julius-kun~"
"Hm?"
"Echidna told me ya guys read some of the books yourselves and got hurt or somethin'. Care to comment on that?" She fished for information, already putting her gossip skills into use, "All she said was that it looked uncomfortable because it touched ya mind and left somethin' behind."
On her word, the knight gave her a glance and closed his eyes, thinking, "That is the most apt description, yes." Bringing his gloved fingers up as to hold a phantom headache, he continued, "Unless you are prepared, its texts just drown your mind with its contents, putting you into slumber and making you go live on a person's innermost moments and feelings, second by second, from the day one can recall their memories until someone either snaps you out of it, or until… well…" Julius couldn't finish his sentence, finding it a too bitter subject to mention the actual finality of a life.
"Uhum…" Anastasia did get the message however, "Dying must be quite the harsh feeling to experience then. Say though, could some of ya fancy spirit magics help dull the bad experience?"
The knight arched an eyebrow at that, "I'm… unsure. I didn't think of testing such a theory. The distraction of the trials was all in my mind and we didn't stay long to figure it out. Back then, we were more worried about the tower's rules and the consequences we wanted to avoid instead of exploring that morbid place…" He concluded.
"Right. (So I'll have to take the risk I guess.) What else?" The merchant girl prodded forth.
Echidna was the one to add, "From the little we could find, a glaring limitation we discovered is that you are only able to experience the memories of a book if you are acquainted with the deceased individual you wish to learn from." The spirit fox complemented, much to the hidden shock of her beloved consultee, "In other words, if the book you pick belongs to a complete stranger to you, the letters inside of it appear as nothing but gibberish to one's eye."
"(What!?)"
"...?"
Had it not for her personal experience as a business entrepreneur worthy of even royalty, Anastasia would have shown quite the shocking blunder there. In fact, branding the girl's poker face there was a mildly broken smile, as if she wanted to laugh in embarrassment while her sweat crawled down at the side of her temple, "I-is that so…? In-interestin'…" Inwardly however, the royal candidate just wanted to scream and cry in denial and frustration. This changes things… and not in a good way…
"Ah that's right. Out of everyone who explored the library, only me and Subaru managed to find tomes in which we could read the memories… with one of them, surprisingly enough, being that of an actual witch…" Julius revealed in a curious yet worried manner, "...Now I'm not one to judge a friend who once fought and risked his life by my side but I cannot just ignore the fact of how deep Subaru is entangled in the Witch Cult's affairs. Then again I suppose Emilia-sama's appearance does drive them both to be under their vile interests unfortunately."
"Uhum…" Half-nodding to her knight's words, the merchant princess was still reeling at the possibility of her initial plan crumbling… Or at least it did, until it hit her, "Wait, hold on, ya sayin' Natsumi-kun was acquainted with a Witch, as in, an actual livin' source of Sin and not, say, just an archbishop gal?" She asked rapidly, slightly remembering something.
"Well that's…" Julius tried, but couldn't recall it himself. The past days were too hectic for him to care for the small details. For all he knew it might have been just an archbishop, and that his friend might have been exaggerating in his manners. It wasn't too far fetched given it's Subaru they are talking about.
Echidna on the other hand… "He did, briefly and off putting it, but he did mean as such." The fox spirit, for all intents and purposes, had perfect memory in all things when it came to knowledge, relation or, in this case, gaffs. This is what marks her as one's Anastasia's personal trump cards in high stake negotiations with annoying, extensive legalese. In other words, she recalled everything better than most, "Natsuki Subaru specifically stated that he had a shallow relationship with someone who he described as a witch, and that his contact with her was, according to him, "far too brief to bother"... Personally, I find that hard to believe given what he had told us back in Priestella."
Hearing her words, Anastasia lightened up, "Oh, that's right! He did say he met a Witch back then… I had forgotten about that…"
This had brought her back to when the Witch Cult had made their demands, where Subaru had revealed about his mysterious encounter with Echidna's actual creator of the same name. Thinking about it, this was yet another of her many reasons as to why the fox spirit was wary of him. Though the half-elf's knight may be an ally, Julius-kun's words could not be dismissed… To be under the Witch's Cult interests is a dangerous prospect indeed, specially when meeting an actual living witch. Natsuki Subaru's hatred was rather… curious.
That said, Anastasia only cared about recycling her current ambition here, "I wonder how much he interacted with her to be so scared. Since she was only soul layin' about, did she meet him as a spirit or somethin'? Did he see her actual face or voice?"
"Hmph, only Natsuki would be able to answer that, Ana, and even then we would have to make an effort to make him talk..." Echidna retorted with a bit of a scoff, right before glancing at the back of a fellow spirit a few steps ahead, "Perhaps his closest companion could enlighten us about this. What say you, Beatrice?"
Being addressed, the loli spirit didn't even turn around, letting her acute, annoyed voice express her displeasure, "Hmph, bold of you to ask me of this when you treat Betty's contractor with such suspicion, I suppose. If Betty's Subaru wasn't inclined to tell any of you, then I myself won't either, in fact." She asserted with pettiness in tone.
"Now now ladies, I believe we should put an end to this topic." Not wishing to inflame hostilities, Julius chose to interject, "Surely, Subaru and his camp are entitled to some secrets of his own. After all, given what he had accomplished so far, isn't it clear to us all how he made himself the Witch Cult's foremost nemesis at this point?"
Neither of his peers responded beyond a silent nod, much to Echidna pondering. Anastasia didn't quite get the answer she wanted though, still reluctant with fear thinking if she will be able to read Hoshin's memories or not. So far, she kept her expectations low, a stance that quickly changed once they arrived at the top of the stairs, coming across the vast, ever expanding rows of bookshelves and floors, stretching as far as the eye could see above their heads…
Finally, the Library of Taygeta was within her sights.
"Wow… this is… this is incredible!" Acting much like an impressed child seeing something new, the three of them, Beatrice, Julius, and Echidna, observed as the merchant princess immediately went on to inspect what she could within her reach, making sure to keep her hands behind her back as to not accidentally touch anything as she stepped in. That said, her knight did keep her in check though, for the library wasn't as clean or organized as they had left it before…
The last time they had visited it, the place was remotely immaculate, with its books safely placed in their shelves with one exception or two under the trial's illusory constraints. Now however, the place was shaken and disturbed, with several covers sprawled on the ground as if an earthquake had occurred. And of course, some of them had their texts wide open…
"Hmm, looks like the fighting has reached all the way up here, I suppose. That annoying scorpion lady did a poor job as a guardian trying to wipe us out, in fact." Commented Beatrice on the mess in sight, "Oh well, I guess this is the distraction Betty will have for the night, I suppose…" She concluded raising her hand to summon mana and enshroud the open hazards under a distorting mist, preventing anyone from accidentally reading them.
"Do you require my aid?" Julius offered in disposition.
The loli spirit didn't bother to show him her face, "No, I told you that Betty doesn't want to be perturbed, in fact." She barked, "Go babysit your master or something, I suppose."
Thus, leaving them behind with a trail of books floating above her head, the merchant princess took this as her cue to explore freely… only to find her prize rather… dull looking at first glance.
Like she had been told, be it on the side of the spine or the front cover itself, the tomes themselves shared practically no difference in appearance except for the names of the individuals they supposedly hold the memories of. Most of the titles were written in the usual tongues of common folk, with some few exotic writings here and there wildly mixed along them. Some were tribal looking and savage sounding, some were rustic and polished, with dynasty to back up, some were cryptic yet familiar, written in jargons one would find among secret guilds, while others resembled nothing but aliases…
Yet none of those names ever drew the merchant girl's true attention until she came across an unexpected find on the ground that Beatrice had missed: A single closed book, whose letters bore a type of calligraphy has quite the historical significance to where she was "raised"…
菜月・昴・ 巻・ I
"Oh my, is this what I think it is?" Anastasia reacted, picking up in her hands.
"It does look like it…" Echidna nodded, giving a glance.
This made Julius curious, "What is it?" He was unable to decipher these letters that impressed his lady, but he knew it was a name, "You can read this?"
"Hm, I won't say I can per se, but I can tell ya it's important. This is written in the legendary syllabary of ancient Kararagi language: The Ka-letters." The girl explained, eyes shining, "I only have seen those in academic studies datin' back when Hoshin founded the first city. It is said that he invented and used a personal set of characters in his personal documents so that no one could crack and learn his trade secrets. Many back home would pay a fortune to get one of these, even more if ya could find a way to read 'em!"
"I see… In that case, may I assume you intend to keep this one in your possession?" Julius implied in a question.
To which Anastasia recoiled, waving her hand with poorly disguised elegance, "O-oh, I wouldn't go that far…"
The knight sighed, revealing a sad smile, "Please my lady, I know you very well." He pointed out, "In fact, I figure your plan is to in fact read one of these texts yourself if you get the chance."
Pausing like a deer in the highlights, the merchant girl then pouted, cheeks a little flushed, "It ain't like that… (No, it's exactly like that! How could he!?)"
"Heh, he got you there, Ana." Echidna giggled softly from her back, "You really weren't so subtle with your greed to begin with. It is bad to try this behind Emilia's back after warning Natsuki though. Makes you look a little deceitful."
"Hmph, well this tower is past conquered, ain't it? It shouldn't be a problem If I get myself some reward after havin' my head risked." Anastasia exclaimed, holding the tome with unrestrained eagerness, "Besides, It's not like imma going to read the memories of anyone insane like a witch or those cult madmen. These letters here prove something far more important. For all I know, this one book might as well be Hoshin's alone!" She affirmed.
"I highly doubt that is the case…" Julius argued, shaking his head at his ambitious liege, "There were many souls who left this world since his time. Even if this one is written in Kararagi's hidden roots as you put it, you could be just holding the records of some unknown ancient commoner who happens to know the language, a lowly serf of Hoshin, if you're so inclined."
Hearing that, his liege lady didn't waver. Rather, her smile widened into a fierce expression of a challenge, "Heh, we can test that theory yourselves, can't we?" She asserted, "With ye fancy magics protectin' me and Echidna watchin' my back, it should be safer for me to find that out."
This left her knight somewhat apprehensive…
"Ana, do you really fancy yourself as being familiar with Hoshin for that to work?" Echidna asks with a skeptical, if mischievous, tone. Even to her, all this commotion seemed far fetched, curious as it was, "You might as well keep looking for more covers. Julius was sound in his argument." She argued.
"Heh, why do ya think I wasted half my treasure stakin' to earn his name as my own? I'm practically his descendant by now!" The girl retorted, the glint in her eyes looking both ambitious and mischievous at same time, "If this ain't the one, then I'll settle for readin' someone close to home. I already have some names I wanna find…" She revealed, already thinking of her unfortunate dead competitors.
"..."
Truly, Anastasia was unrelenting on her stance. That much was clear. But figuring they had nothing to lose beyond some headache and a slight mind scrambling, the risk seemed worth it in the long run.
So, the greatest of knights held his breath, "Very well… If that's your wish, I shall comply with it." He resigned, "I do plead however that you should not exert yourself too much in these memories. I do not want to see your life diminished with unnecessary stress." Expressing caution though, Julius feared for his master's life. Even now that whole discovery of the fox spirit spending with his liege's Od haunted him. For all they know, the wickedness of this place was specifically created to meddle with one's soul as a price to pay for disturbing the unknown…
"Alright alright, I know, just get on with it. As Hoshin-sama says: Time and money are equally valuable. Get on with it!"
"Hn… Come forth my maidens, I require your aid." Making a gesture, Julius summoned six flake-shaped stars above his hand, each one colored after the elements of nature and soul known to most magicians. They were his contracted spirits, the same ones that gave him the worthy title of a Spirit Knight: Red Ia; Blue Kua; Green Alo; Yellow Ake; White In; and Black Nes. And among these, the elements of water, light and shadow rose forth at his will, "Kua, In, Nes, take heed, your talents will be most tested now."
Meanwhile, several floors above them, Beatrice peeked up from her stack of books that she had since then separated by alphabet. Already sensing a change of mana in the atmosphere, she looked below from the handrail and observed the spectacle of glows forming down there to surround the greedy girl...
"What are those children doing, I suppose?" She wondered, eyes narrowing.
Anastasia felt power flow into her body, making her feel lightheaded for a second. As clarity returned with strength, both her skin and clothing began to shine in a semi-rainbowish aura, decorating her being with a layer of light trails, each one held by a spirit as they floated up and down her height.
Then came the chanting…
"O mana of water, wash away this body's fatigue… O mana of light, ward forth this one's mind… O mana of shadow, numb down this flesh from pain…" At Julius' command, once he uttered these words, the intensity of the lights faded, resting stable upon his liege, adhering his will. The knight thus opened his eyes and nodded, "...Whenever you are ready, my lady."
With a smile then, Anastasia opened the cover and immediately after, succumbed in an instant, much to the expectant faces observing…
From there, a whole day of memories would flash into the merchant girl's mind, flowing all the way until an iconic pain on the belly burned onwards on where she stood, the thoughts coming into her mind as if they were her own…
"(...This is bad! …This is really bad!)" She reflected with another voice in her mind, still lost in some aghast moment of terror.
And so the truth had been found…
…
To be Continued…
