A/N: EDIT: not a lot of feedback for this chapter. Maybe it's the site acting up again, but still that really hurts...T_T
I don't like having to beg for reviews, yet they really do make world of difference...
Short chapter is short, but I'm back~!
Update schedule might be a little scuffed today and tomorrow; as stated in an earlier post, there will be no updates for the 4th and 5th of November -that is to say Monday and Tuesday- as I'll be taking some planed personal time off those days to recover and decide what I want from writing going forward. But after that, by all means, let me know if you want another early update!
I'm sure you all remember the reason for my absence; when last I posted, my aunt had unfortunately passed on. That absolutely butchered my inspiration for awhile, but I've gotten back on my feet, circled back around -apparently there are novels for Eminence out now- and came back ready to take another crack at this story.
She would've wanted me to go out and live my life, not stew in my misery.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
TFS references are proper cheeky this chapter.
Another quote for AFK journey as well.
TIMESKIP IS A GO!
"People like us...LET OUR SWORDS DO THE TALKING!"
"That's fair, but can a blade say I love you?"
"SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"
~?
Fourth Deed
Iris Midgar lashed out with all her might.
Her longsword became but a fleeting flicker of flame, weaving death and destruction before her in a spiral of fiery death, a vortex of hazing, blazing inferno consuming all before it in a singular sweep to immolate the foe before her eyes. The very air itself seemed to burn as she brought her blade around, braved it with both hands above her head, and with a triumphant cry of-
"DIE!"
-brought it crashing down.
Smoldering scarlet sparks slammed down to split the earth for a mile in the opposite direction as pillar of heat bloom into the night. From there it spread outward, creating a wall of crimson fire to engulf the yard. Magical wards and glyphs prevented the blaze from spreading any further, yet pride preened in her chest nevertheless as she considered her handiwork. Nothing could survive such an assault. She'd done all that without a Relic, to boot. How much more powerful would she be once she finally got her hands upon a proper one?
She'd be unstoppable; such were the fruits of her training these last three years.
Three years. Thirty-six months. A hundred and fifty six weeks. One thousand and ninety five days. Innumerable hours, minutes, and seconds beyond counting, all spent toiling under the finest teacher known to man.
At now, here, at the end of said training, he gave her but a single command.
Try and kill me, Iris.
So she had.
The redhead grinned into the blaze, long hair lofting wildly around her head, crimson eyes gleaming with heady triumph...
.
..
...or so it was until she glimpsed a familiar silhouette in the flame.
Impossibly, her grin grew wider still. "There you are, coward~!"
Laughter was her richest reward.
"Coward?" a throaty chuckle rang from within the flames as the blaze continued to try and failed to consume the blond within. "In what world does self-preservation make you a coward? I told you to try an' kill me; I never said I'd let you."
She granted him a tight grin. "Then allow me to try once more, Nathaniel."
"Sure," a hand beckoned at her, seemingly still trapped in the flames. "But lets clarify. You, me, hard as you can. Are we clear?"
Her eyes flashed.
...crystal."
Steeling herself, Iris whipped her new black blade backwards-his latest gift to her!-over head once more and muttered a mantra under her breath for focus, just as she'd been taught. With sheer willpower alone, she forced fresh fire into it, feeding it with her magic. This time, her flames took on a brighter hue; still red, but more of an amber orange than the blazing crimson of her own hair. She let her newfound power surge within her, swell, grow now as she closed her eyes and polished her focus to a razor's edge.
To the untrained eye, her entire body seemed to pulse with crimson light.
Her blade began to glow and tremble in her grasp, threatening to shake free from her fingers if she didn't keep a firm hold of it. She grit her teeth against the strain and planted her feet for the sake of balance. A low growl began to rise in the back of her throat, building into a raucous roar now, a determined shout that seemed to carry on without end.
Nathaniel Griffey thrust his face through the flames that "held" him, grinning like a loon as her body bled red light. "That's much better! I can actually feel that!"
Iris snarled and braved her blade with both hands once more, adopting her signature stance. "In a moment, all you'll be feeling is oblivion!"
Her intended threw his head back and laughed. "Don't threaten me with a good time~!"
Her blade slammed down with a yowl, unleashing her new technique. "IGNIS!"
Nathaniel was a man of his word; he definitely didn't doge.
But he did draw his sword at the last second.
"EXCALIBUR!"
Gold met crimson. Light clashed with fire, two unstoppable forces of creations and destruction striving against one another with all their might, until finally something gave.
Or rather, their weapons did.
Iris felt her blade shatter in the same moment that Nathaniel's gave way; bereft of blades by which to channel their raging magic, their conjoined attacks engulfed one another and raced up into the night sky, intertwining with each other like long lost lovers in the heavens high above before-
THWOOM!
The explosion that followed emerged as a harsh thwump of sound to rattle her eardrums, leaving her momentarily deaf.
Still, she couldn't deny that it made for a glorious explosion, no matter the cause.
Blinking the spots from her vision, she cast aside the ruined hilt of her sword and drew a spare blade from her belt -a warrior must never go without- and brandished it at Nathaniel with a furious scowl. "You cheated!"
"In what way did I cheat?" Her intended paused in the act of unsheathing his own spare and looked her way with a bemused grin. "You made me defend myself." there could be no higher praise. "That would've really hurt otherwise, ya know?"
Oh.
Her face warmed, summoning a small smile.
Wasn't that not in and of itself an admittance of her progress?
Was he finally acknowledging her? Not just her skills, but her as a woman?
"W-W-Well," she sputtered, digging a finger into her chin, "Maybe that's not so bad."
"Good." Crisp black shoes trod over the dying embers as their own granted her a gregarious grin. "Now, en garde!"
He was on her in an instant, braving both hands against his blade to sweep into her rips and force a block. She realized her mistake a moment later as he all but trapped her weapon against her side, ripped one hand from the hilt and conjured a painfully familiar sphere within his palm; one he thrust at her chest a moment later.
Nope!
All the nope!
Every single bit of nope!
She wasn't getting hit by that thing this time! It hurt like a bitch!
Iris ceased all semblance of resistance and went limp, allowing the Rasengan to pass harmlessly overhead as she dropped to her knees. A keening whistling noise filled her ears, then it was gone and he was past her. She sprang back up the moment he did; overextended as he was, he couldn't react in time and they both knew it; his blue eyes widening ever so slightly as her own narrowed
She chambered a kick into his back that sent him stumbling forward with a rare grunt of genuine surprise.
Taking full advantage of the opening, she swung at his newly exposed flank, ready to lay him low.
Her lunge was seamless, her poise perfect as she drove her blade into the small of his back.
To his credit, Nathaniel tried to react and pivot, but she wasn't having it; stamping down on his right foot to hold him in place, she struck straight and true. forward and thrust for his torso. "You're mine!"
The love of her life whipped around so fast she got whiplash, physically breaking his leg to come about and grin at her. "Not until you put a ring on my finger."
Iris felt her face flame in a fiery flush brighter than her hair, and her concentration slipped.
She missed.
Not by much, really.
Barely an inch at that.
It was more than enough for Nathaniel; his hand swept around and caught the blade, sparks flying as it bit into his fingers.
Blast it all! She'd been so close this time! So terribly close!
She growled in a rare moment of frustration, but it was too late; his leg was already snapping back into place, fully healed, uncaring of the wound he'd sustained once more.
"Its not that you aren't strong, Iris." Golden eyes gleamed back at her, no longer his true, telltale blue as he held back her blade. "I'm just stronger."
He hadn't meant it as an insult, and she didn't take it as one. It was simply the way he spoke.
"That said...
All his words did nothing for her frantically hammering heart as Nathaniel thrust his forehead against hers, wearing a devilish grin.
His free hand settled on her cheek, gently caressing her her face, even as his own whiskered cheeks dimpled in a smile.
...I'm so very proud of you."
Be still my heart!
Still smiling, he stepped into her guard, swept her legs, planted that hand under her chin,and tossed her to the ground. Her blade went flying as she tumbled and in her haste to rise -to retrieve it!- she left herself all too vulnerable. She knew their bout was over, but even so she dared to hope...!
A hand seized her shoulder and spun her right round, exposing her throat.
Cold steel tickled the underside of her chin. "Yield."
Damnit.
She sagged in acknowledgement and plonked down, legs sprawling beneath her with a petulant sigh. "...another loss."
Nathaniel sheathed his sword with a tut and shook his head. "But was it truly your defeat?"
Iris blinked, momentarily flummoxed. "...yes?"
"Appearances are always deceiving. Take this gemstone, for example." as she looked on in silent awe, her crush conjured a ruby before her very eyes. "In your eyes, it may seem flawlessly perfect. But that's merely a refracted illusion. Its core remains a secret, hidden behind countless facets."
Much like him, she supposed. "Is this the part where you say human hearts are much the same?"
"You're learning~!" A grin split his face, and this one, unlike the last, felt genuine. "You might wonder, among all these faces, which one is the real deal? That's the secret." he snapped his fingers and the gem vanished up his right sleeve, only to reappear in his right hand, Beautiful beings invite curious creatures, but going too deep is dangerous." Rolling it around in his palm, he let the moonlight dance across its many facets for a moment before looking to here once more. "Just like so many people at a ball, adorned in their glamorous disguises, uttering enchanting lies, you must NEVER tear down the curtain to peek at the secrets within. Because this curiosity of yours...
Quick as can be, he did something with his hands and somewhere between one blink and another, she found that gorgeous red ruby attached to a beautiful silver ring, embossed with swirls of gold.
...might just cost you everything."
Her eyes bulged, tears tingling at the edges. "Is that what I think it is...?"
Nathaniel -Naruto!- beamed and held it out to her. "Its whatever you want it to be."
Her fingers reached up for the ring, only to pause in the moonlight. Tremble now, as a thorn of hesitation pricked at her heart.
She was a Princess of Midgar, yes, yet no one held her up to unreasonable standards anymore. Because she lost. Always to Nathaniel. Over and over again. Soon she would be sent off to join the other students at the Midgar Royal Spellsword Academy, and then, perhaps, reach higher still. It was a good life. A normal life. She shuddered to think of what life might be like otherwise; to be viewed as some invincible girl, unstoppable, held in high regard for her abilities and accomplishments, both prodigy and pride of the city, its very symbol. Instead, she was simply Iris Midgar.
And she deeply, dearly loved the young man before her.
Alexia didn't understand. She could never understand. Her precious little sister was gifted, and undoubtedly smarter than her, but she knew not the sorrow of the truly strong.
Iris gulped as she eyed the ring anew, and all that it entailed. "What would the price for this be?"
Nathaniel hummed, quietly pleased by the question. "Well, that depends.
Her red eyes flit up to his, finding them blue once more. "On...?"
"What you want."
A simple question, with a simple answer. "...I want you."
"Are you sure?" a small, selfsame smile tugged at his whiskered cheeks. "I'm hardly a storybook hero."
No, but he was strong. And she was growing stronger under his tutelage.
And besides she l...lo...lov..
.
..
...damnation, she couldn't say it aloud.
She could feel her face burning. Gods above, they hadn't even kissed or held hands yet; but she didn't care and she knew what she wanted.
Still, he tried to warn her, bless his secretive soul. "There are secrets about me you don't know, who I am, what I'm working towards, the organization I'm looking for-
"I don't care." She shook her head to silence him. "I'll accept them. All aspects of you," and then, after a moment's pause because she knew she wasn't the only one pining after him, "As well as those you care for." There. Now Alexia wouldn't try to stab her in her sleep, at least. "If you give everything to me," she looked away and bit her lip, flushing but a bit. "I'll give my everything to you."
Evidently it was the right answer; because Nathaniel's gaze burned with delight. "Alright, then. Hold out your hand."
She held out her hand to him and he slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. Flawless.
A grin split her face in return, wild and carefree.
So what if she had competition?
She got the first ring.
Victory for Iris~!
A/N: Let the shipping wars begin.
Clearly, this will cause ripples, and there's more chaos to come~!
Would you like another timeskip soon, or should we continue at this pace?
Weeeeeeell~? How was it? Are you not entertained? Should this remain a story? Would you like weekly updates?
Yay or nay! Gotta let me know for the update schedule, ya know. As ever, the Embers Rule Persists; if folks don't like this tale, then... I'll not continue it. I can't bear to write something folks don't like, and working two jobs on a near back-to-back basis leaves my energy at an all time low. So by all means, speak up! Raise your voice! Make yourself heard!
Reviews are the fuel that sustain me and my team in these darkened times.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...Review, Would You Kindly?
(PREVIEWS!)
And as ever:
WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!
SPOILERS AWAIT THEE~!
YE BE WARNED~!
(Previews)
Sara was bored.
A bored Sara made for a dangerous Sara...
"BOSS~!"
His right ear twitched. "Waitaminute-
That was his first mistake. She waited for no one.
"Gah, Sara!" he grunted as she landed on his back, all but sitting on his shoulders. "Why are you even here?!"
"Sara was hunting!" her tail wagged, betraying the excitement in her eager voice. "Wanna go hunting with me, boss?"
...what were you hunting?"
"Strong people!"
"Oh, Sara...
"We owe you a debt we cannot possibly repay.
...you're like me, aren't you?"
Years passed...
A sword tickled his throat, drawing a bead of blood. "...is there a reason you're doing this?"
Alexia smiled at him. It was not a nice smile. 'Yikes, she's pissed.'
"Sorry, but I need you to be my boyfriend for a bit."
...might I ask why?"
"You should've just stayed on the floor where I left you...
"Hello, dear Cultist-San. Would you mind dying for me?"
"Ha?"
He looked up just in time to see a giant golden fox looming over him.
It bit down.
CRUNCH.
'I see, so that's how it is! He's like me! This feeling...for the first time in forever, I can actually...!'
Cid threw his head back and started to laugh.
"I have an adversary! An antagonist!"
EDIT: Hey, you made it!
As ever, the Embers rule remains: If people don't like this story? If they don't enjoy it? Well...I' won't be able to continue it. That's no joke, folks. I'm so busy these days with two jobs; holidays are HERE and basically, I don't have time off. Not anymore.
My free time is limited and as such, I can't afford to focus on something folks don't like. Reviews keep me writing in these times, and keep the daily updates flowing. Silence...silence only hurts. I hate having to beg for feedback, but without it...well, it feels like I'm not making an impact...
Looking forward to chatting with you all when I get back from work~!
Warm regards,
~Nz.
R ~!