I'm back, the story is not dead.
I'm sorry about the delay, my muse shifted, and the release of the Fallout TV show caused me to start working on a different fic.
Anyway, this story is back with another chapter.
All was normal for a moment. Reinhardt just shook his head as Felt looked over her cut. He could see Miss Emilia and Rem, the maid, giving Felt concerned looks, while Subaru gave him an apologetic look.
Then it happened.
An uneasy feeling flooded the room for a moment. The sickening presence of the Witch's miasma made itself known. Rem's eyes narrowed as Felt and Emilia seemed to freeze for a moment. Reinhardt just watched as Subaru's eyes grew empty at that very moment. Then Subaru jerked forward, taking shaky breaths with each second.
"Subaru?" Emilia asked, concern clear in her voice.
Reinhardt's Divine Protection of Empathy let him feel the fear and panic tearing through Subaru. He could also feel the intense hatred and anger radiating from both Emilia's Crystal and Rem. Reinhardt put himself between Subaru and the others, his hand now resting on Subaru's shoulder. A small sense of comfort washed over the boy as his stance straightened and he braced himself against a nearby table.
"Whale..." Subaru wheezed out as he calmed himself.
"Whale?" Emilia inquired in confusion.
"Big Bro, what the hell is that?" Felt joined in.
"Sir Reinhardt, you recognize it?" Rem questioned Reinhardt.
Reinhardt just frowned as Subaru said nothing else. He knew only one whale that could cause such damage, such a case made even clearer by the Witch's Miasma that now permeated Subaru's self. "Subaru, What did this Whale look like?" Reinhardt asked cautiously.
Subaru said nothing, just breathing slowly.
"Did you see the Great White Whale? just nod your head," Reinhardt asked. Subaru nodded, his breath slowly evening out. "How did you see it?" Reinhardt inquired.
He stepped closer to Subaru, ignoring the growing questions from the others in the room.
Subaru looked over them, taking in a sharp breath. "Close the door, this can't leave the room," he said in a serious tone. Reinhardt's eyes widened at the sheer change in tone as he heard the door being shut.
"I... can't fully explain it." Subaru began, now taking a seat.
"Is this why you are afflicted with the Witch's Miasma?" Rem spoke up.
"I think, I still don't know how it works," Subaru said, even as Reinhardt felt the winds of truth blow falsely.
"Is it related to the metal?" Emilia inquired.
"No... The Metal in my hand and This are two different things, but they are similar." Subaru answered. "I... I can see..." Subaru trailed off, his eyes glancing to his chest as Reinhardt felt a brief wave of Miasma wash over them. "I can see the future, sort of..." Subaru said before he let out a sigh of relief.
"No way, the future?" Felt asked.
"That... that makes sense," Emilia said as she cupped her chin.
"Really?" Rem inquired.
"Not like I can control it," Subaru said.
"I see, this power of yours allows you to see the future, but not what you wish to see?" Reinhardt stated.
"I guess..." Subaru said.
"So that's why you chose to help me," Emilia stated.
"Damn big bro, you jumped in to save us." Felt chimed in.
Subaru just straightened his stance and ran his hand along the back of his neck. Rem just narrowed her eyes at Subaru as Reinhardt clasped his hands together. "Just... don't tell anyone, it's more a curse than anything else," Subaru said.
"I understand," Reinhardt said before anyone else could speak. 'You and I are more alike than I thought Natsuki Subaru,' Reinhardt stated in his mind.
...
...
No one said a word. Emilia and Rem remained silent, their faces unsure. Felt just sighed and crossed her arms while shaking her head.
"Back to the point, you saw the White Whale?" Reinhardt inquired.
"It.. attacked our carriage while we were traveling back to the Manor," Subaru said as Emilia and Rem's eyes widened.
Reinhardt nodded before his face turned grim. "If you can remember where it attacked you, Miss Karsten is planning on hunting the Whale," Reinhardt said.
"You.. you aren't going after it?" Subaru inquired.
"I am stuck following orders from the Sage Council," He lied, even as a bitter taste stewed in the back of his throat.
"Cut the shit Rein, if we know where the Great Mabeast is we should go for it," Felt interjected. Reinhardt didn't say a word, giving Felt a small smile.
"Hold on, what if we all hunt it," Emilia suggested.
"Us... with the Valkyrie?" Felt inquired.
"It would be for the best, Crusch has both the manpower and The Sword Demon Sir Wilhelm," Emilia explained. Reinhardt stilled his body as Emilia continued. "Alongside the powers our two camps possess and Subaru's knowledge we can bring down the White Whale." She stated in a commanding tone.
"Uh... Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves? We would have to convince Crusch to join this alliance," Subaru said.
"Her Divine Protection of the Wind allows her to know if people are lying to her, if both our camps back up your word she would be open to joining our alliance," Reinhardt advised, pushing down the negativity stewing within his heart.
"Ah, so we are doing this, we're going to need to write something up for this aren't we?" Felt said, annoyance setting in the second part of her sentence.
"I can help you with that Felt," Emilia offered while putting a hand on Felt's shoulder.
"I will guard the door," Rem excused herself before she opened the door and walked out.
Reinhardt remained silent as Subaru leaned back in his chair.
"Hey..." Subaru trailed off. Everyone still in the room turned to him, brows raised in curiosity. "Thanks... thanks for accepting it, I could never really tell anyone about this power before," Subaru said.
"You used it to save both of our lives Subaru, if it wasn't for you we would have been killed by The Bowel Hunter," Emilia said.
"Yeah Big Bro," Felt followed.
"Natsuki Subaru, in the short time I have known you, you have performed more heroic deeds than many of my fellow knights have in their lifetime," Reinhardt said as his Divine Protection of Empathy flared up at Subaru's growing self-esteem.
"What... no way?" Subaru asked as his face flushed with embarrassment.
"Despite the risk of death, you stepped in and saved two Royal candidates from an assassin," Reinhardt said.
"You also saved the people of the village, if it wasn't for you the kids would have been killed by the curse," Emilia said as Felt and Reinhardt's gaze turned to her. "It was a Shaman and a Mabeast, but we've dealt with them," Emilia explained.
"Well at least the kids are all right," Subaru said in relief.
"Yes, we have the Shaman in the dungeon right now," Emilia said.
"You have done good Subaru, and I have faith that you will continue to do so," Reinhardt said as he put a hand on Subaru's shoulder.
"Thank you, all of you," Subaru said as his hand brushed against Reinhardt's arm.
...
...
The World itself froze around them.
Reinhardt's eyes traveled to Subaru's hand, the faint prick the only thing he could feel. He could see Subaru's gaze turning to his hand, the orbs widening in realization. Subaru's mouth widened in a silent scream as Reinhardt pulled his arm back. The world no longer froze as Emilia and Felt leaned closer, watching as a small pool of red soaked into Reinhardt's coat.
He was bleeding.
He, The Strongest Sword Saint, The Monster who destroyed his own family, who had never bled before, was now bleeding.
It was no injury, no attack, just a small prick on his arm.
No one said a word as the bleeding stopped and Reinhardt took off his coat to check his arm.
"Reinhardt... I'm sorry... I..." Subaru tried to apologize.
"It's nothing, I've just never bled before," Reinhardt said as he looked upon the bare skin of his arm. He could feel both Emilia and Felt's eyes were on them, wide open in shock at the scene unfolding in front of them.
"I... I think I should give you both a run down on how these spirits work..." Subaru trailed as Felt and Emilia stepped closer. "The first thing you should know is that they are called Stands," Subaru said as Reinhardt took another look around the room. He could see a strange casque not far behind Subaru, and numerous small white figures crawling off of Emilia's shoulders.
The Will of The World has listened, Fate has listened.
'Oh Kami, what have I done?'
'I gave the OP sword guy a Stand.'
Ram groaned as she awoke, her hand unconsciously rubbing her broken horn. Something had interrupted her nap, something strange and powerful that made her nub ache. She glared at the ceiling as the ache forced her to sit up. 'Who dared to interrupt me?" she grumbled before looking around the room. She blinked a few times, even rubbed her eyes as she looked at the strange being now floating not far from her bed.
It resembled a doll with broken parts, the most glaring of which was a large hole in the middle of its forehead. Its form was decorated with the same shade of pink as her hair. As Ram continued to stare at it, the thing shifted. It now stood tall, showing a rather feminine form with small chains running down parts of its form.
After all, she had heard, all she had seen since that perverted fool had joined them at the Manor. The Story he told of a family and their feud with a spiteful vampire, the bizarre powers possessed by both those in the story and the three of them in the Manor. The fact that one of the three in possession of said powers was her own sister, and the fool said that close family could manifest the power as well.
She had gained one of those Stands, an extension of her will and fighting spirit.
She would have to attend those training sessions with the others and let Beatrice note down what this being could do.
Her eyes narrowed as she felt the tug and the Stand moved on her command. She laid back down as the spirit tucked her back in and adjusted her pillow. They would discover it, it would only be a matter of time, but she wasn't going to waste such a gift. Her face still marked with a frown as she closed her eyes and lulled herself back asleep.