Alright here's the next chapter for you guys. Hope you enjoy yourselves and have fun while reading.
Broken Angel: Rising Demon
Chapter 10: By the Sword
-Seireitei, Soul Society. November 10th 1998-
"A Zanpakutō is the weapon of the Shinigami, or more specifically, my soldiers. The idea for a Zanpakutō was developed from a Reaper's soul weapons, like my Tanto or Scythe. The basic principle is that a weapon is forged from pure soul energy that is already aligned with aspects surrounding the soul. For instance a Hollow-Type demon or a reaper like myself. Then the weapon is imprinted with the users own soul, developing it's own personality, and, in essence, becoming a living weapon." The Shinigami explained as the two slowly moved through the halls of the large castle in the center of the Soul Society.
"So these weapons carry souls within them, and that would naturally make them more powerful then regular weapons. So what about them makes them possess limitless potential?" Riley inquired.
"The Asauchi is the basic form of a Zanpakutō. In this state the Asauchi is a blank slate. Through constant contact, training and interaction, the Asauchi will develop it's own inner soul, based off of your own. This will cause the sword in question to grow a personality and evolve into a full fledged Zanpakutō. Because of this, while Asauchi are the weakest form of the Zanpakutō, they also possess limitless potential as they can become anything." The Shinigami answered, earning a nod of understanding from Riley.
"Wow. Alright then. Has someone like me ever had one of these swords?" Riley asked, as the Shinigami made a motion with his hand, as they passed through a doorway, that suddenly caused it to lead them onto an open courtyard, instead of into the room that was clearly where the doorway was supposed to lead.
Riley paid the teleportation little mind, as she turned to face the Grim Reaper, eyeing him curiously as she did.
"No. Never before in this world's history, has a being like yourself ever wielded a weapon such as this. An Asauchi will have to be made with the capacity to withstand the pressure from your power. It will be special in it's own way, though beyond being more sturdy then a regular Asauchi, I intend to leave it as black and open to possibilities, as possible. That way it's ability to evolve into a true Zanpakutō, is left unhindered." The Reaper again answered, earning a nod of understanding from Riley.
"Well, you've sparked my interest, to say the least. I think I'll accept your offer. You realize what'll happen if I cannot defeat the Archdevil that seems to be eyeing our world." Riley stated.
"That I do. If he is victorious, then he will drag this world into the dark realms and lay claim to all of the souls of humanity. I will cease to be, my purpose ended. My existence means little to me, but my purpose is everything. You are a monster, one that threatens life, but you have other ideas in mind for this world. Ideas that, at the very least, allow me to maintain my purpose. That makes us allies when facing this threat. I may not be able to do much, when the time comes, but perhaps this weapon will shift the tides in your favor. Or perhaps not. I cannot say for certain what will happen. But if I can prolong my existence, and continue my work, then I will do so, regardless of the allies or actions I must take. So, if you are certain, we can begin?" The Shinigami responded to her, earning a nod of agreement from Riley.
"I'm certain. I accept your offer, Shinigami." Riley stated to the reaper.
"Good. Then let us go and speak to the creator of the Zanpakutō." The Shinigami responded, guiding her towards another doorway. Just like before, with a wave of his hand, they passed through and appeared in a place, that was not what was visually seen through the doorway.
"This Soul Society must be tied into his very essence. He can seemingly bend and twist it to his will." Kurama noted.
"Indeed." Riley thought back as she trailed after the Shinigami.
The two were quick to approach a large palace and enter into it. Riley was led quietly through the sparsly populated building, until she was led into a chamber that housed a single individual sitting and quietly drinking something. He appeared to be thinking about something.
The man was rather interesting looking. He was a dark-skinned man with thick black hair, that was shaven on the sides and dyed green.
"I had hoped to find you before you set up one of your elaborate entrances." The Shinigami noted as they approached the man. Comically, the man stiffened, slowly turning his gaze towards the Shinigami.
He offered a wide grin to the Grim Reaper, that Riley couldn't quite tell if it reached his eyes or not. He wore thick, gold trimmed glassed with blue lenses that hid his eyes.
"Yo. Been a long time since I've seen you here in person, boss. I thought I felt something off about today, like a weight in the air. You were lookin' for me? What can the great Ōetsu Nimaiya do for you?" He asked, as he offered a respectful bow to the Shinigami.
"I have need of your sword-crafting skills. I require an Asauchi specially crafted for this one." The Shinigami responded gesturing to Riley. "No regular Asauchi will do, the sheer weight of her soul will snap those blades meant for the Shinigami below. She requires one specially tailored to withstand the sheer magnitude of her Soul Pressure. Beyond durability though, I have no further requirements, the blade must simply be able to survive long enough to develop into it's true state. Do please see it done."
The sword-smith turned his gaze to Riley as the Shinigami spoke. Despite not being able to actually see his eyes through the glasses, Riley could tell he was sizing her up. She stared back, cool and aloof as normal. Her Rinne-Sharingan, while relatively dull due to her passive state, still held a godlike intensity that was unmatched, even by the Shinigami itself.
"This one seems strong enough, without a blade." Ōetsu Nimaiya responded after a moment.
"She is most definitely powerful, but this isn't about increasing her powers, not entirely. She is an ally, and may serve an instrumental role in the continuation of our 'way of life' as it were. To ensure her success, offering her the instrument of the Shinigami, seems like the only intelligent decision. She isn't human, as I'm sure you have surmised, nor is she dead. The blade you craft will not remain an Asauchi for long. Her magic and soul are powerful enough to generate intelligent beings quite rapidly. With that in mind though, I already know that any regular Asauchi will shatter the moment she tries to pass her energy through it. So as a preemptive action, I have approached you to forge her a blade that can withstand her raw power, and thus save us from having to ruin so many of your other creations, just trying to find one that can withstand her power. Once more I ask that you see this done, as I said, nothing more then durability is needed, in differentiating this Asauchi to all the rest. Ensure that it will survive, and we will then allow things to proceed naturally." The Shinigami explained to the sword-smith.
"I see. Well… if you came all this way to ask in person, I'd hate to disappoint. You want me to put on a show and make something that can handle this one? Then first I need to know what I'm dealing with." Ōetsu responded, taking his gaze off of Riley to the Shinigami, and then back again.
"Very well then. If you wouldn't mind?" The Shinigami turned it's gaze towards Riley, earning a curious look from the demoness.
"What do you need from me?" Riley inquired.
"Give me a taste of what you've got. I've gotta know exactly what I'm dealing with so that when I get to work, I don't go overboard, but I also don't wanna go to light, you feel me?" Ōetsu responded.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about going overboard." The Shinigami noted as it drifted back several feet, earning a snort of amusement from Riley.
"Alright then, I'll try not to break anything." Riley stated as she took in a breath and then smirked.
Power tore out from Riley's body, the ground shook and if possible, the Shinigami grimaced and floated even further back.
The master Sword-smith was knocked back by the sheer weight of the power he was experiencing. The ground beneath Riley's feet suddenly buckled, collapsing downward, creating a small crater beneath her feet.
Riley simply hovered in place over the slowly expanding crater, her arms folded over her chest, her hair rapidly whipping around, and her eyes glowing brightly with excitement as she slowly increased the power she was unleashing.
After a few more seconds, Riley finally let loose and really flexed her power, releasing a shockwave of energy that tore out from her body in every direction. Ōetsu Nimaiya was quick to turn and run away from her, making it to the other side of the room, where he dove behind a column and braced as the shockwave tore past him, shaking the building itself.
"I believe enough has been seen..." The Shinigami muttered, causing Riley to reign in her power and let out a laugh.
"Too much?" Riley inquired.
"Holy shit!" The sword-crafting Shinigami stated as he walked back over to them. He eyed Riley up and down for several moments before turning to the Shinigami. "And you're sure about this?"
"You've had a taste of her Soul Pressure, and as you can see, she seems very relaxed. I think you understand now what no regular Asauchi will do. This one needs to be stronger. Strong enough to survive long enough to evolve. Her control is a welcome bonus, but I have strong doubts that anything less then a personal construction will survive. So… can it be done?" The Shinigami asked in response.
"Well… we're going to find out. I've never run away from a challenge before, and I can't be the number one Zanpakutō craftsmen if I turn down a challenge simply because it's hard. You can count on me Lord Shinigami! The Great Ōetsu Nimaiya will craft you exactly what you're looking for!" The sword-smith stated with an enthusiastic salute, and a toothy grin.
"Good. We shall return upon it's completion. I leave this task in your most capable hands." The Shinigami said, as it turned, motioning for Riley to follow after it.
"Later." Riley offered a smirk and a halfhearted wave as she followed after the Shinigami. The two passed out the door they entered through, and once more teleported to another part of the Soul Society.
"You're not one for taking your time, are you?" Riley noted as they entered into a large open room with dozens of flowing waterfalls that fed into it, leaving the floor covered in about an inch of water, that drained off through gratings in the center of the room.
These gratings surrounded a central platform that rose up about two inches over the water. The Shinigami quickly floated over to the platform, Riley following close behind.
Once upon the platform the Shinigami turned to face her.
"The Soul Society is massive, and we haven't much time. Nimaiya is the best at what he does, and I'd rather not have you here longer then necessary, your dark powers will be hard enough to cleanse from this place as is, but the longer you're here the greater the risk is to my own soul well." The Shinigami explained to her.
"So that's what the Soul Society is? This place we're in, is the physical manifestation of your soul well. Huh..." Riley noted as she glanced around the white marble, stone room.
"You are correct in your assumption. This realm, in an of itself, is made up of my soul well. It is bound to a physical plane by my physical body, which remains here, and acts as a sort of lynch-pin, holding everything together. Your dark powers are dangerous to have here, but it's also the best place for me to train you in the art of crafting a new soul well. So… while we wait for your sword to be crafted, shall we begin?" The Shinigami inquired, earning a nod of understanding and agreement from Riley.
"Well, if I'm gonna spend some time here, might as well let the ladies know." Riley thought to herself, sending a message to her mates via the Gravemind Link, letting them know she may be gone for a while, doing some impromptu training.
Once that was done, Riley dropped down to a sitting position and allowed herself to relax as the Shinigami began his explanation. Riley listened with great curiosity as the Shinigami explained to her the fundamentals of forming a Soul Well and how to tie it into her own soul.
The explanation, seemingly took hours, but eventually the Shinigami had finished walking her through the steps of generating a new soul well alongside her current one.
Once that was accomplished, she began the arduous task of generating a new soul well. Most of this time was actually spent within Riley's mindscape as she tried and failed to shape the living vessel for souls that was naturally granted to all higher beings such as herself.
As with most things, Riley didn't allow failure to deter her. This was a new area of magic, and expanding her understanding of special soul magics, would elevate her overall abilities, even if the art wasn't an offensive ability, simply knowing how to do it, could prove quite valuable in the coming days. It was one of those things that you never knew you'd need until you did, so Riley persisted despite numerous failures.
Eventually she was successful in the generation of a new soul well. Within her mindscape, it took the form of a red, blue, and black sphere of energy. It started out small, barely bigger then a soccer ball.
The Shinigami informed her that she was successful and that it was supposed to be that way since it was empty. Her normal soul well was massive because it housed her own soul as well.
Upon it's creation, Riley allowed the Shinigami to place a backdoor into this new soul well, leaving her original one alone. In this new soul well, Riley would place all the souls she cared nothing for. The nobodies that dies in the crossfire and the faceless people that went down trying and failing to fight her. She held little malice for those people, so she'd pass them into this secondary soul well, allowing their lifeforce and actual souls to pass onto death, while she'd still gain their knowledge and magic.
"You have accomplished the construction of a new soul well. Well done. It is time for us to return to Nimaiya. I believe he has finished his task." The Shinigami stated as they exited Riley's mindscape.
"Hey uh… how long have we been here?" Riley inquired as they headed towards the exit.
"A while." The Shinigami answered, almost sounding amused.
"Oh that's not good." Kurama muttered as Riley's stomach sank.
"What the fuck does he mean by 'a while'?" Riley thought to herself as she mentally reached out to her mates, only to find that she wasn't able to reach them. Her eyes widened at the implication. She could still feel them, but here within the Shinigami's own soul well, her connection to them was weakened enough that she couldn't communicate with them any longer.
"Yep… you're fucked." Kurama noted.
"Son of a bitch…" Riley thought to herself as she suddenly adopted a frown.
"Problem?" The Shinigami inquired.
"Let's just get this damn sword before I strangle you with your own living body." Riley muttered, knowing full well the asshole knew the source of her displeasure.
"Just so you're aware, it's only been about a week. No need to lose your mind or anything." The Shinigami informed her with a chuckle.
"No fuckin' windows in that room, and I can't tell time in my mindscape. Damn fuckin' time fuckery!" Riley muttered to herself as they teleported into a large entrance hallway.
A few seconds after their arrival, two large doors leading into the room from the opposite side, burst open, the loud banging of heavy drums, accompanying Ōetsu Nimaiya, as he entered into the room. He approached the two, stopping a few meters in front of them before dropping to a knee, extending his arms outward, palms facing the ceiling as he bowed to the Shinigami.
"Where are the drums coming from?" Riley muttered as she heard the Shinigami let out a sigh.
"I had hoped to arrive back before he had the chance to set up one of his famous entrances, but it seems we just barely missed our chance. Regardless..." The Shinigami muttered before floating forward, addressing his servant "Have you done as I've asked?"
"As if I would ever disappoint! The number one Zanpakutō Sword-smith, does not fail! Ask and you shall receive. Behold!" Ōetsu Nimaiya answered as he withdrew a katana from his waistband and offered it up, resting it upon his hands, and presented to Riley like an offering.
The Shinigami floated off to the side and gestured for her to take the offering. Riley stepped forward, analyzing the exterior of the blade as she did. Her eyes could immediately tell that this was not an ordinary sword. There was power within it. Unnatural, deathly power.
Riley delicately took the blade in her hand, feeling it's weight, while within it's scabbard. The scabbard itself was a plain black with no distinguishing traits about it.
The hilt of the blade was covered in alternating black and red handle-wrap, that formed the typical diamond pattern seen on many katana. The cap at the end of the hilt stood out a bit as it appear to be made of a darkened metal, that gleamed like polished gold, and yet was smoky in appearance. The crossguard of the sword was much the same. It was round, and on either side, facing the blade, were the images of the sun and moon, which were reversed and reflected on the opposite side, facing the handle.
The blade was of glimmering steel, and in an of itself, just over thirty-four inches in length. It was a bit longer then Kushina's twin katanas, but that suited Riley just fine, she was taller then her mother and physically stronger, so a larger blade was well within her ability
Riley's eyes ran up and down the blade, memorizing it as she pondered the newest addition to her arsenal. Riley had never been one for swords, while she was talented at utilizing them, being a swordsman was never an ideological goal for her. More often then not she saw swords as simple tools, just like kunai and shuriken, meant to be used and cast aside when they we no longer of use. Swords like Gryffindor's sword were ceremonial weapons, meant to represent status, rather then as a means of combat, despite it's impressive craftsmanship. Then Riley received the Sword of Kusanagi from defeating Orochimaru. It did little to change her opinion of swords, though she did learn how to utilize it to the best of her abilities.
The sword never connected to her though, and it was that thought that made Riley ponder if that was the true reason for her rather aloof disregard for most swords? She had to wonder, as while most weapons she utilized were treated as simple tools, there were three that she held onto, and held a personal connection with. One was her wand/staff, for obvious reasons. The second was Madara's Gunbai Fan. And the third was her hand Scythe. The latter two she had received from Madara, and she treasured them, as valuable possessions. Perhaps the true reason why she never felt anything towards the blade was due to this lack of reverence for them in her early life, and later her lack of true connection with a sword.
The answer didn't immediately appear, but Riley had to wonder if this living weapon would be different. It was lifeless now, but it had the capacity to grow into something incredible, she simply needed to give it a chance.
"I thank you for your efforts, master sword-smith. I look forward to seeing just what a weapon forged by the number one, Zanpakutō creator, can really do." Riley stated as she sheathed the blade, and locked eyes with Ōetsu.
"Only time will tell what becomes of that blade. I did exactly as I was bid. The sword wont break under the weight of your soul, at least, not as easily as the others. It'll survive long enough to thrive, and become something amazing. I hope you treat this one well, as I look forward to seeing what becomes of it, out in the world." Ōetsu stated, earning a nod from Riley.
"Well… now that I have the blade, is there anything else?" Riley inquired, turning to face the Shinigami.
"Only a few things. The blade you carry right now is classified as an Asauchi. It does not yet have the spirit of a Zanpakutō. In order to manifest such a spirit you must carry that blade with you everywhere. Eat with it, sleep with it, bathe with it, if you feel the need. The blade will drink in your essence and develop a soul of it's own. Once that occurs, it will become a true Zanpakutō, and the blade will enter into a sealed state. Once that occurs, I bid you to open this scroll, and read it's contents. It will explain how to advance from there. Normally this process takes decades to accomplish, but as you are fully aware, you are special. I cannot say for certain when it will happen, but I do not anticipate it taking long." The Shinigami explained to her, gesturing to Nimaiya to pass her a scroll, containing the relative information she'd need for later.
"Alright then. I'll keep that in mind. I've been away from home for too long as is, and I know my friends and family will be worried about me. So… I believe it's time a I depart. Master sword-smith, I look forward to our next meeting. Shinigami, I hope to never see you again." Riley offered her farewells earning a dry chuckle from the Shinigami as it waved it's hand, banishing Riley from sight, sending her back to the place they had originally met in London.
"You sure it was a good idea, giving her that weapon?" Ōetsu inquired.
"A good idea? No. empowering beasts like her is never a good idea. But this is about our survival at the end of the day. We need her to win the coming war, otherwise our purpose will end. I don't like our chances, so by providing her this weapon, we tip the odds a bit more in our favor. Beyond that, we simply need to stay out of her way, and with any amount of luck, that will free us from the threat of her wrath." The Shinigami responded, earning a nod from the Master Sword-Smith, and one of the chief bodyguards of the Grim Reaper himself.
"I guess we'll see then." The Sword-smith responded, and just like that, with a blink of the eye, the Shinigami was gone from sight. With a sigh, the man turned and headed back into his home, there were many other things he could be dwelling on, for now, he'd simply try and forget about the monstrous being that had just left his home.
-Riley's House, London. November 17th 1998-
"Home sweet home." Riley thought to herself as she made her way up the stairs of her house, and through the front door.
She passed inside and was quickly greeted by Dobby. She offered the little House-elf a smile before removing her shoes and heading into the kitchen, where the aroma of food, more specifically bacon, drew her in. She was vaguely aware of the time as she entered into the kitchen, the sun having just risen over the horizon not that long ago.
Within the kitchen, Kushina busied herself with making breakfast, with Snape at Hogwarts, Kushina spent a lot of her time at Riley's house or at the hidden village. Riley didn't mind, she loved spending time with her mother, and having her around more often, was more then welcome.
"Smells delicious." Riley noted, earning a startled jump from the redhead who quickly spun around, catching sight of Riley, and adopting a wide grin.
"Riley! Welcome home!" Kushina greeted her, quickly crossing the room, to hung her wayward daughter.
"Sorry I was gone for so long, I didn't think that training would take so long." Riley stated as she returned her mother's hug.
"Your girlfriends mentioned that. They said they heard a message from you about a week ago saying you had to go do some training, and then they got nothing more. We were starting to get worried about you." Kushina explained.
"Yeah. Again, sorry. The Shinigami approached me. Wanted to make another deal. I got a sword out of it." Riley lifted her new blade to show to her mother, earning a curious gaze from the Uzumaki Swordmaster.
"Really?" Kushina responded, eyeing the sheathed blade.
"Apparently, this sword will draw upon my essence and develop a soul of it's own. It'll become a living weapon, one that can destroy the undead, and kill things that aren't alive. Like demons for instance." Riley stated, earning a nod from her mother.
It didn't take much thought to figure out why Riley would be interested in such a weapon. Anything to hedge the bets further in their favor when the Day of Wrath came.
"So… looks like I'm gonna need to work on refining my sword skills." Riley noted after a moment of thought, placing the sword back at her side.
She used one of her tails to hold it in place, as if it were attached to her belt.
"Well, any help you need, you know I'm there for you." Kushina responded with a smile.
"Thank you mother. I think I'll take you up on that offer when time permits. For now though, I think I have some worried ladies to apologize to. Wish me luck." Riley said to her mother, turning and heading for the stares, sensing her mates, sans Gaia, sleeping in there room above.
Kushina smiled after her daughter, offering her a silent 'good luck' as she departed.
Several hours later Riley found herself tracking down her previous 'gift' from the Shinigami. Her mates hadn't exactly been to happy with her, for being gone for a week, but they did end up accepting her apology and explanation for getting caught up in training with the literal Grim Reaper.
Riley had then taken the opportunity to gather Hashirama, Tobirama, Madara, Izuna, Kaguya, Itachi, and Shisui to discuss the new things she had learned from the Shinigami, and the deal she had made for her own Zanpakutō. They all seemed genuinely interested in the idea of the Soul Society and the Shinigami's army of soldiers that were actively aiding it in passing souls on to the next life and dealing with the rampant issue of Hallow-Type demons.
With a promise to keep them up to date on when or if anything happened with her sword, Riley then ventured out to Suna to find Gaia and explain what had happened to her and bring her up to speed. With that done, Riley was now on her way to find Arturia.
Kushina and Artoria had been two of Riley's primary sword-fighting instructors, ever since she had gained the Sword of Kusanagi. Now though, with an actual sword to call her own, Riley had a vast collection of possible teachers to aid her in expanding and developing her own personal sword style. Of those included Kushina, Shisui, Izuna, Tobirama, Hashirama, Itachi, Kakashi, and basically any and all of her Shinobi friends that knew how to use a sword. Hell even Katie had taken to learning how to wield swords in battle, on top of firearms. In fact her style was following in line with Kushina's twin sword style though it was being adapted to suit twin short swords, instead of Kushina's duel katana.
No matter who Riley went to, in regards to developing her sword style, she did intend to drag Artoria along for the ride. She saw this as a great opportunity for her and the ancient King to spend some more time together, bonding, and developing their relationship.
Artoria was currently in a meeting with the round table, Riley kept out of sight, sitting on the roof of the building, using her Byakugan to admire the ancient king while she waited for their meeting to finish.
Despite what was probably a mind-numbingly, boring endeavor, Artoria maintained an air of professionalism, confidence, and focus on the meeting. The room held magical runes to keep people from eavesdropping, but with her Byakugan Riley could tell what they were saying by reading their lips. Just from what Riley could gather, this seemed like a budgetary meeting of some sort.
Riley smirked at that and laid back, gazing up at the sky, her mind drifted towards her new sword and she spent the next two hours pondering just what kind of weapon it would evolve into once it developed a soul.
It was mid-afternoon when Artoria's meeting finally ended, and it was as she was leaving that Riley appeared next to her beloved girlfriend, offering her greeting.
"I see you've finally returned." Artoria noted as Riley seemingly appeared from thin air by her side.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Lost track of time while training with the Shinigami." Riley responded, causing Artoria to stop and stare at Riley with obvious curiosity. While she had heard from Riley's other mates that Riley had departed for training of some sort, no one knew much more then that.
Riley offered her mate a smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. Using the Hiraishin, Riley quickly brought the two of them back to Riley's house, landing them just outside of Artoria's room.
Artoria quickly entered motioning for Riley to follow after her, and once she did Artoria closed the door behind her and stepped into the center of the room before turning to face Riley.
"You were with the Shinigami all this time?" Artoria asked, earning a nod, she continued, "What did he want?"
"He wanted to make me a new deal. He offered me the chance at my own living weapon, that can smite souls and kill demons, and all I had to do was offer to let him keep reaping the souls of the people I kill. Seemed like a good deal, so I accepted." Riley simplified everything, earning a strange look from Artoria, and a slow nod, that showed that something was troubling the ancient knight.
"What's wrong?" Riley inquired, sensing Artoria's growing uncertainty and anxiety in regards to something.
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong." Artoria responded, but the look on Riley's face showed that she didn't believe her.
"If nothing is wrong, then why are you so flustered?" Riley asked folding her arms over her chest and tilting her head to emphasize the question.
"I just wish to be certain that you are alright. The Shinigami is a deceptive wretch and should not be trusted." Artoria stated, her eyes darkening as she spoke of the Grim Reaper.
"He's a dick, I know, but what's got you all worked up?" Riley asked, easily picking up on the fact that something was bothering Artoria.
"I just… it's nothing." Artoria responded, averting her eyes as she moved to sit on her bed.
Riley waited for several long moments before she approached Artoria, sitting next to her, and eyeing her curiously.
"You're not a very good liar, you know that right?" Riley stated, earning a slow blink from Artoria.
"We're a couple Artoria. You and me, we're together in this. If something is bothering, you know you can talk to me about it. So what's up? I know the Shinigami was responsible for bringing you here, and I know he's got you all tied up in that thing you have to do for me to get what you want, but is there something more you haven't told me?" Riley asked, reaching out and placing her hand on Artoria's shoulder as she did, earning a quiet sigh from the ancient king, as she slowly lifted her gaze to meet with Riley's once more.
"I… I think I figured out what he wanted from me. I think I know what I'm supposed to do for you to get what I wanted." Artoria stated after a few more quiet moments.
"Really? What is it?" Riley asked, taking a mental note that Artoria said 'wanted' instead of want.
"I can't be certain, but I think I've already done it and… if I'm right, then… well… It's not something that sits right with me. In fact, it upsets me, just thinking about it." Artoria admitted as she rose to her feet and began to pace in front of Riley.
Riley watched her carefully for several long moments, wondering just what it was that could be so bad that it would make Artoria feel so agitated and conflicted.
"Well… try and tell me what you wanted from me. If you can, then you'll know you've accomplished his task." Riley offered, causing Artoria to stop and turn towards her, her eyes a bit wider then normal as she processed the possibility. After a few quiet moments of pondering, Artoria composed herself and stepped forward, placing herself before Riley.
"I was a king who did not understand her people. I did everything as a king should. I was fair, and honest. Noble and direct. I did not play political games, nor did I treat my subjects as simple pieces on a board to be moved around and directed. I never thought I was a cruel king. Nor have I ever thought that I was guilty of any wrongdoings when it came to my rule. No… my issue, my fault, lay in my inability to allow emotions to dictate my decisions. My people considered me the perfect king, and therein lies the problem. They needed a strong king. They needed a good king. They needed a king who could understand their pain, and shoulder it. Someone to bare the burden of the kingdom and uplift them and encourage them to rise to new heights. I was none of those things." Artoria began explaining, garnering Riley's full attention. Riley said nothing, and allowed any and all judgment to retreat from her gaze as Artoria bared her soul. Riley could tell this a was a sensitive issue, one that had plagued Artoria for a long time, hell it was the reason she was here after all. So Riley kept her interpretations of Artoria's words to herself, and allowed the old King to speak, without being judged, to unpack her issue and unveil it, in it's entirety, before Riley offered any sort of input.
"They called me the perfect king. But behind my back, I heard their words. I heard them as they whispered about the unfeeling king. The impossibly perfect king. The godlike king, who was without fault, and without humanity. My subjects did not see me as human. I did everything I could to rule as well as I could, but in the end, the people could never truly bare such a perfect king, someone who was nothing like them. I didn't understand. Nor did I allow myself to see where I went wrong until everything had collapsed and I lay dying on the fields of Camlann." Artoria continued.
"Perfection is something we all aspire towards, but the wisest of us, knows we'll never reach it. It's an unattainable goal. But you were perfect. You were the king that was needed to save the kingdom. But your people didn't want perfect. They didn't want a machine. They wanted a man. A human being. Someone with faults, and vices. Someone who was imperfect, like them. Someone they could relate to." Riley surmised, earning a nod of agreement from Artoria.
"I had always wondered where I truly went wrong, and what I could have done differently. I didn't fully understand until I met Lord Hashirama. He and I are so much alike. Our desires, our goals, the things we stand for. I admire him. And it was from him that I learned where I truly went wrong. We were both the person that was needed for our people, but where I did everything I could to be perfect for my people, he simply did everything he could for them. It didn't matter how well he did it. It didn't matter if he always made the right decision. What truly mattered was that he always had them in mind when he went about ruling. He did what was best for them, but he also never allowed his ideals to be compromised. He argued and fought with his wife, brother, and advisers, whenever the issue of death came about, because he was not a militant man. He was kind and caring and he didn't enjoy hurting people. He was not defined by his title. People speak of the First Hokage with the utmost of reverence, not just because he was the first, but because he was such a great man, that everyone loved him, friend and foe alike. He is such a powerful person, both in pure strength, and in character. He told me something once, when I asked him how he had done it. How he had been such a good ruler. He simply shrugged and smile, and he said, 'the people of the village were parts of my body. My people believed in me, and I believed in them. That's what it means to be Hokage.'" Artoria continued on, earning a fond smile from Riley, who was in full agreement in regards to her Great-Grandfather.
If only Hashirama had been gifted with immortality like Artoria was, if only he had remained around, even if not as Hokage, if he'd been there to keep the Will of Fire burning, and encourage the villagers to trust in love, and not paranoia, maybe the Hidden Leaf village could have been something amazing. At the very least, maybe it could have been more then what it was.
"It saddens me when I look back at all the things I could have done differently. What I wanted from the Holy Grail War, what I wanted from you Riley, was the chance to go back, and put another in my place. I know in my heart of hearts, after meeting Hashirama, after meeting you, there are people out there who could have done better. People with the strength of ideals, and the power to protect the people that they love. My wish was to change the fate of my kingdom, not for myself, but for them. I became king for them, and I would gladly put someone else in that role, if it meant the kingdom would prosper and grow. It was my failings as a human being, that led me to being a terrible king. That was what I wanted from the Grail. That was what the Shinigami said that you could aid me in doing. He said that one day you'd have the power to send me back in time to change things." Artoria explained to Riley, causing Riley's eyes to widen and then narrow as she considered what she was hearing.
"That doesn't sound right..." Kurama noted, in regards to the offer made to Artoria.
"Yeah, you can't change the past, everything is set in stone. That's what the older Elizabeth told me. Either she was lying, or the Shinigami was. Even if I did have the power to send people through time, I could only generate new time streams by sending them back, they wouldn't actually be changing the future, they'd just create a new timeline, and they couldn't actually live there because they didn't belong and that time's magic would try and drive them out." Riley recapped to herself, all that she recalled about time travel.
"Yeah. You think that's what she's so pissed about? She knows the Shinigami only fed her a half-truth?" Kurama asked.
"Maybe." Riley thought back, returning her attention to Artoria.
"I know Elizabeth has such a power, and that gave me hope that he was telling the truth. But… the more time I spent here. The more time I spent with you, and your family… the more I wanted to stay. I knew it was selfish, and I hated myself for feeling that way, but the longer I was with you, the more I wanted to stay with you. Our meeting with the Queen, didn't help matters. Her insisting that I had done well, despite my failings, it was very confusing." Artoria had continued, not noticing Riley's darkened mood, which was quickly elevated at hearing Artoria's current words.
Riley smiled fondly at that, which Artoria seemed to notice, as she averted her eyes, and her cheeks tinged red, with a shallow blush.
"The longer I was here, the more I considered that maybe this was where I was meant to be. With each passing day, with each new job… I find myself back in a position to help in deciding the fate of my people, and yet, I am not king. That burden is placed on another. I am merely a cog in the machine, as it were. In a way, my dream has come true. I am where I wanted to be. Helping my people to the best of my abilities, but not burdening them with my failings. And… more then that… I get to be with the people that I care for… with the woman I have come to love..." Artoria offered up, her words earning a gentle smile from Riley.
Hearing Artoria admit that she loved her, pushed away all of the dark feelings and thoughts, that had been brewing within the demoness. Riley didn't hesitate to reward Artoria's words with an affectionate gesture of her own. Riley rose to her feet, stepping forward and scooping Artoria into her arms, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss that held for nearly a full minute.
When they separated, Riley continued to hold her future mate aloft, one arm wrapped around her keeping her pressed to Riley, and holding her at eye level, while with her other hand, Riley reached up and gently ran her fingers along Artoria's cheek.
The stared each other in the eyes, Artoria, was blushing deeply, while Riley was smiling brightly. Riley could feel Artoria's hands on her cheeks, gently caressing her face.
"I love you too, Artoria Pendragon, and I always will. I'm happy you've decided to say here with me." Riley said to her, earning a smile and a resolute nod from Artoria.
After a few more seconds of staring into each others eyes, Riley gave her lover a peck on the lips, before lowering her to the ground.
"So… what was it that you had to do for me to tell me what you really wanted?" Riley inquired.
Her question caused Artoria's mood to sour, as she realized that she had been right. As she could now tell Riley what she wanted, that meant she had fulfilled the Shinigami's condition, and just as he had said, all it would take is to stay by Riley's side and she ended up doing it without realizing it at first.
Riley immediately picked up on Artoria's sudden mood change, and her eyes darkened in response.
"The condition he set out for me… for me to be able to tell you what I wanted… he told me it would happen without me realizing it. The condition was… in order for me to ask you to send me back in time… I first had to fall in love with you." Artoria stated.
"Wow." Kurama muttered.
"That DICK!" Riley snarled.
"It's alright Riley. As I said, I've decided I want to stay here. I only realized it during the Fourth Great Ninja War. This confirms it though. I suspect my willingness to offer my soul to Aleya, has angered the Death God, and that was why he did this to me. It was an upsetting slight, and I can't shake the feeling that he tricked me, but… I am happy to be here. I'm happy to be with you. So… as long as you are cautious in your dealings with him, I can be happy in knowing that I'm here, with this second chance to do better." Artoria said to her.
"Fuck, you don't know do you?" Riley asked, as she realized that Artoria hadn't once mentioned anything about the rules of Time Travel being a hindrance to her dream, despite the fact that it obviously was.
"Know what?" Artoria inquired in response.
"Time Travel, as in, changing the past, isn't possible. From how it was explained to me, the act of going back in time, doesn't actually send you into the past, what you're doing is creating another timeline, a copy of the one you came from, where the differences start with your arrival. You can't go into the past and change the future. You can alter another timeline if you want, but it isn't your time. It isn't your future, that you're changing. This is the only time we've got. If I had Elizabeth send you back in time, you'd actually show up in another timeline, and when you came 'home' it'd be here. To this timeline. Where nothing changed. From what I was told, you also cannot live in another timeline, as you don't belong there, and thus time itself will try to persuade you to leave, filling you with feelings of homesickness and or depression. The Shinigami never mentioned any of that?" Riley explained, to her, earning a dumbstruck look from Artoria which quickly morphed into depression.
"No. He never mentioned any of that. Even from the start, I was never going to get my wish." Artoria muttered in reply, looking downcast and despondent.
"Whelp… he managed to get off of your shitlist for all of half a day, and now he's back on it." Kurama noted, earning a nod of agreement from Riley.
"I hope next time I see him, this Zanpakutō is fully mature and I can use it to cleave his treacherous ass in two." Riley growled in response.
Riley was about to try and comfort Artoria, but the old King quickly shook her head, almost as if literally shaking off her depression as she refocused on Riley.
"Regardless of his reasoning, I have made my decision. This is my home now. No point in fussing over such things." Artoria allowed herself to push away the annoyance of this reveal, and focus on what was important. This no longer hung in the air between Riley and herself. The two of them were free to move forward, and continue to build a better world for each other and those they cared for.
Artoria, more then many, had taken Riley words to heart, after she had returned from Fairport. Riley cared nothing for the world as a whole, but she loved her friends and would fight for their dreams. Meaning so long as Artoria fought for Britain, the strongest magical being on the planet, would be by her side, fighting for it as well, if for no greater reason, then to see Artoria happy at the end of the day. Maybe that was enough? Regardless… it was for the best to put the past behind them, and keep moving forward.
Riley allowed herself to calm down. There was no point in worrying about it, if she ever saw the Shinigami again, she'd punt him the from the living world, back into the Soul Society. Until then, she'd bide her time and focus on something that was more important then revenge.
"Hey Artoria? When was the last time I gave you a back massage?" Riley asked.
"I don't remember." Artoria responded after a moment of thought.
"Let's correct that, shall we." Riley offered, taking Artoria's hand and guiding her back towards the bed.
Artoria smiled to herself, as she laid down on the bed. A guilty pleasure since beginning this relationship with Riley, her massages were absolutely heavenly. Artoria tried her best not to react when she felt Riley straddle her, and begin to run her hands her back. Despite everything that had happened, Artoria was set in her decision. This was where she belonged, with Riley, building a better world, a better Britain.
A few moments of soothing pleasure passed when she heard Riley giggle to herself.
"Hey, with everything we just talked about, I almost forgot to about my original reason for telling you about all of this." Riley stated, causing Artoria to shift slightly, glancing over her shoulder at Riley.
"I got a new sword out of the deal, and I was wondering if you wanted to help me train with it?" Riley asked.
"Of course. I am free tomorrow if you would like to begin then." Artoria responded.
"It's a date then." Riley said to her, returning her full attention to working the tension out of Artoria's back and shoulders.
In response, Artoria let out a content sigh and simply allowed herself to relax. Today seemed like the day for it after all.
-To Be Continued-
Alright, there's the next chapter for you, hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy the coming chapters as well. Hopefully this marks the end of my dry spell and I can get back to regular typing, so you guys don't have to wait a month between these.