A/N: For October 2021, I had an idea for a what if scenario that, under the right circumstances, easily could've happened in the main timeline to a similar degree. I'd like to think that my work on Superb Song of the Fate-Defying Valkyrie Part 3 was to blame for this idea, but it could've also been the Halloween spirit bringing me a crazy idea or two.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy as you ponder the question "What If...?" :)
Hands that were no longer her own. What if Garie could steal souls?
Our story begins shortly after Hibiki's first encounter with the alchemist Carol Malus Dienheim. As Hibiki laid in the crater from Carol's barrage of attacks, someone else arrived at the scene.
"You can be such a pain, you know that?"
"Were you watching us?" Carol asked. "That's just like you, Garie. Rotten to the core as always."
Garie Tūmān, an Autoscorer as cold as she is brutal. Among the Alchemic Cult, she was responsible for collecting memories from humans to give her fellow Autoscorers life.
"Please don't say that about me, Master. You're the one who made me this way." Garie teased as she landed on the rock next to Carol.
"How goes the collection of memories?" Carol asked, changing the subject.
"All according to plan." Garie answered. "Micha-chan's never satisfied, though. She's so greedy!" Garie began to pretend cry when saying this.
In one timeline, Carol would order Garie to retreat to harvest more memories and to fight Hibiki upon their next meeting. But here, having waited far too long for her plan, the alchemist would not be so patient...
"How close would you say you are to awakening her?" Carol asked.
Garie pretended to think about that before giving a blunt answer to her master. "At my current rate, early tomorrow."
Carol scoffed at this news, before getting an idea. "And if you used that method?"
Garie was surprised to even hear Carol recommend that method. "Well, in that case, only one more victim should be more than enough." She said. "But are you sure I should use it? On her of all people?"
Hibiki became nervous when Garie said that while making direct eye contact with her. "Use what?" Hibiki asked.
"They have more than enough Symphogear wielders for the plan to continue flawlessly." Carol said to Garie. "Furthermore, getting her out of the way may be better in the long run."
After a brief moment of staring at Hibiki, Garie simply shrugged. "Okay... But remember, if there's any complications like last time, it's your own fault." She said as she slowly began to approach Hibiki.
"W-Wait... What are you going to- ACK!" Hibiki shouted as she slipped on... "Ice? But it's May."
"I think ice is the least of your worries right now." Garie said in a sinister tone as she continued to approach.
Confused by that comment, Hibiki started to reach for her pendant, but soon found that her hands had been frozen to the ground by more ice. Soon her entire body except for her head was covered in ice, immobilizing her completely. "H-Hey! Let me go!" Hibiki shouted. "Why are you doing thi-"
Hibiki's cries were silenced as Garie went in for a kiss. At first, Hibiki was flustered by this complete stranger kissing her, but she would soon find out that this was no normal kiss. Suddenly, she began to feel the life draining from her body and practically out of her mouth, causing her to scream as she did what she could to try and free herself from Garie's kiss.
"It's useless to stop her." Carol said. "In less than a minute from now, your memories, as well as your soul, will be nothing but fuel to advance my plans for the destruction of all things."
As much as Hibiki hoped this was some nightmare, the painful truth kept creeping in on her as she could feel less and less of the cold ice engulfing most of her body. In fact, she couldn't feel anything in those areas anymore. Slowly but surely, Hibiki's ability to fight became less and less as her consciousness also began to fade.
"Rest assured. You would've died either way thanks to my plan." Carol said, her voice starting to become harder and harder for Hibiki to hear as darkness began to fill her vision as well. "Consider this an act of mercy."
This was the last thing Hibiki Tachibana heard as her body was completely drained of life by Garie Tūmān. With their task complete, Carol and Garie left the scene, leaving behind the husk of Hibiki to be received by S.O.N.G. personnel.
From this moment on, the wielder Hibiki Tachibana was dead. However, this is not the end of her story.
Hibiki's soul floated in a void of nothingness for what felt like days. During this time, her thoughts were on her family, friends, and most of all, her sunshine. But one day, her vision started to come to again, and she was shocked by what she saw.
"Is that... Kirika-chan and Shirabe-chan?" She thought.
Her vision started to become clearer as she watched what she thought was herself beating up her friends.
"Is this what Carol-chan did to me?! Turning my body into a weapon against my own friends?!" Hibiki thought. "Stop! I don't want to kill them!"
Hibiki began to scream and beg for her body to stop. But it was pointless. Nothing she said seemed to reach her body, forcing her to watch as she broke Kirika and Shirabe's Gears.
"No! Please!" Hibiki screamed. "STOP!"
With this scream, a light burst from Hibiki's soul that lit up the void. Once the light dissipated, she watched as her body dropped to the ground and everything was silent again. As much as she hated the silent void, she was relieved that she no longer had to see herself fight her friends. But she couldn't help but wonder why she saw what she did.
Thankfully, she wouldn't have to wait long for her answer.
When she woke up again, she found herself surrounded by the other wielders, all clad in their Symphogears and ready to fight.
"H-Huh?" Hibiki mumbled as she woke up. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
"We'll be the ones asking the questions, freak!" Chris retorted.
"We will ask this once and once only." Tsubasa added. "What is your master's plan and why did it involve the death of Tachibana Hibiki?"
"My death?!" Hibiki asked. "But I'm not dead, Tsubasa-san."
The wielders were surprised by this, but kept their guards up in case this was a trick. "Quit fooling around!" Maria shouted. "Tachibana Hibiki was killed by one of you Autoscorers. It's impossible for you to be her!"
"But I'm really me, Maria-san!" Hibiki replied. "Cross my heart and hope to-" She went to raise her hand to swear she was telling the truth, but what she saw was not her human flesh, but a metallic claw. Seeing this, Hibiki jumped out of her bed from the shock. "What happened to my hands?!"
Seeing this reaction, the wielders started to lower their guards. "Is that... really you, Tachibana?" Tsubasa asked.
"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" Hibiki shouted. "But what happened to my hands?!"
Everyone started at Hibiki in shock, reverting out of their Gears as they walked closer to her. "What did that little shit do to you?" Chris asked.
"It was Garie." A new voice said as a girl wearing a white dress entered the room. "Garie possesses the ability to steal memories from any human being on the planet, but she's also capable of stealing souls. However, that method is not perfect."
"What do you mean it wasn't perfect, Elfnein?" Maria asked.
"The only time Garie successfully stole a soul for power, it nearly destroyed the Autoscorer she implanted the soul into." Elfnein explained. "Because of this, Garie would only use this when ordered to by Carol. But I never thought she would be that desperate..."
"Does that mean..."
Elfnein answered Shirabe's question with a nod. "Tachibana Hibiki's soul was too much for Micha to handle, which destroyed hers during the fight with Kirika-san and Shirabe-san."
"I'm still very lost." Hibiki chimed in. "What happened to me?"
Elfnein looked over at Hibiki, grabbed a reflective surface within the room, and pointed it at her. "Hibiki-san, this is your new body."
Hibiki looked into the reflective surface, expecting to she her usual self, but that wasn't the case. When she looked, she saw an entirely different person with long red hair, pink eyes, and sharp teeth. Hibiki Tachibana was now in the body of Micha Jawkān.
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"
A/N: And with that, we end the story.
Of course, I tired to match the horror theme which caused me to focus on the events of this what if from Hibiki's POV. However, I at least owe you an explanation on how this specific timeline would be altered with Hibiki now possessing the body of Micha:
-From the moment Garie gives Micha Hibiki's soul, Micha's body is slowly taken over by Hibiki, until Hibiki takes full control.
-Miku, upon seeing the love of her life devoid of it, snaps and demands to be made into a wielder out of a need for vengeance. (Which would make for an interesting reunion later on.)
-Hibiki, once in full control of Micha's body, would take lessons in alchemy under Elfnein to try and understand her new body's powers.
-Part of the Gungnir relic would, eventually, be installed into her, granting her a similar amount of power as she was able to access in GX onward. (So no Berserk Micha sadly)
With that being said, I thank you for reading this one-shot. I shall see you all in the next one!