Reaction Prologue
So as it turns out, I'll be posting my fanfic up here as is... mainly so my RL friend and I can share it with each other when we're not in the same place. XD
So... without further ado... the prologue to "Reaction"
Please feel free to comment. Discussion and commentary are muse food.
Prologue
It was a moment that seemed to be trapped in time, as she asked a single question, her voice catching as she did so.
“Why are… you here?”
To her, it was a moment of shock, the kind of stunned denial that came from not wanting to even dare to hope, to realize that what she saw standing in front of her was no dream or illusion. Such a hope would hurt far too much if extinguished, after all. Reason and emotion warred from within, and for one of the few times in her life, she had no strength to quell the fighting.
To the three behind her - the princess, the adolescent girl and the young swordsman - it was a moment similar in emotion, if not in intensity. There had been so many nights like this, nights where they’d stood here and waited, and hoped and prayed. Nights wear they would hear that same melody the young woman in front of them had been singing such a short while ago, mournfully echoing throughout the valley. For them, however, it was a moment tinged with joy - and the tiniest trace of melancholy for one of their number.
Meanwhile, to the colonel standing in the back, it was a moment of truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
To the sixth figure, however, the red-haired man who stood facing the other five, it was a moment of relief, of happiness, and of barely-contained excitement. In that single eternity, it was all he could do to not burst out and tell them that, not only had things gone well, they’d gone well beyond what any of them would have believed.
But he didn’t. Instead, as the moment passed, he shrugged and said, glancing back behind him as he did so, “This place has a nice view of Hod. Besides…” his gaze returned to the young woman in front of him, “I promised, didn’t I?”
For a long time silence reigned, as the young woman finally lost the battle with her emotions. She took one step forward, then another.
“Wait!” his hand came up to stop her, as well as the three behind her - only the colonel hadn’t moved. Instead, he stood, waiting, observing, his red eyes narrowing ever so slightly at the red-haired man’s command.
As for the other four, they pulled up short, different mixtures of surprise, confusion and even distress flitting across their faces, especially the young woman’s.
Seeing the reaction his exclamation had caused, the sixth figure winced, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said apologetically, his mouth curling into a sheepish grin. “I just didn’t want you guys to start celebrating to early…” He paused, glancing behind himself once more, “There’s still someone else coming.”
Having said that, he paused for a moment, before turning all the way around, folding his arms and scowling out at the empty field.
Only suddenly, it wasn’t empty anymore.
The new figure stalking towards them looked as alike to the sixth figure as to be mistaken for him, and had they not known who it could be, who it must be…
His hair was a few shades darker, and as long as they remembered, but for the first time, his bangs fell forward into his eyes in a similar way that they did for the man standing next to him. He met the green pair of eyes that were twin to his own, though they were slightly softer despite the glare he was now being given.
“Took you long enough,” the first red-haired man groused.
The second rolled his eyes. “Shut up, idiot,” he retorted, though his words held no real malice.
Meanwhile, an even more stunned silence had fallen over the watching five. Seeing the first had been shock enough, after so long. But for both of them to be there…
It was the princess who spoke at last, giving voice to the sentiment that was, more or less shared by the other four.
“L-luke?” she said softly, “Asch? B-both of you? You’re here?”
The first of the two - Luke - turned and smiled. “Yeah, it’s us. Sorry we took so long.”
And after that, the spell was broken. The young woman and the princess each rushed forward to embrace the person they’d missed most. The young swordsman and the adolecent girl were not far behind them in coming to greet the two redhaired men.
And meanwhile, in the back, the colonel merely shook his head, smiling wryly in incredulous amazement. At last, he looked back down upon the group, adjusting his glasses with one finger before stepping forward to join them.
------------------------------
It was another night, five years later, when a third figure inexplicably appeared in Tataroo Valley. One who, like at least one of the two before him, should rightly have been dead. He blinked uncomprehendingly around himself as he walked, seemingly unable to understand why he was here, among the cliffs and selenias.
And when he reached the edge of the fields, he found that there too was someone there to greet him, though the reception was considerably less warm.
He found himself facing two men and a woman, three faces he vaguely recognized, though more by reputation than anything. It was impossible to say why they might be here - this particular group was known for their unique array of talents, almost as diverse as their choices in profession: aiding refugees, circus performers, banditry and espionage, to name a few.
“Well I’ll be,” smirked Noir of the Dark Wings, sliding off the rock she’d been sitting on to get a closer look at the new arrival, “Looks like Asch was right after all. I’m glad - for a while I was worried he might have cracked under stress at court. Would have been such a shame…”
He scowled at her flippant attitude. “ Are you only here to mock me?”
It was one of her underlings - Urushi, if memory served correctly - who replied. “Nah. The boss said to go to Tataroo Valley and wait there to see if anybody turned up. Said it may be you, maybe not. Thought he’d gone crazy. Everyone knows you’re dead.”
“Well, maybe not,” his companion, York commented indifferently, “He is standing right there. “
He didn’t reply at first, staring at the three Dark Wings. He didn’t like how they clearly had the upper hand in this conversation, but he was still too disoriented, knowing that there was truth in Urushi’s words. He had been dying. He ought to be dead, and yet now he was here. Why?
Finally, he asked, “Why are you here then?”
Noir’s sultry smirk grew. “Asch told us to deliver a couple messages to whoever actually turned up here. Especially if it was you.”
This was an interesting development. “And those messages?”
“He says he wants to meet you as soon as possible,” Noir relayed, turning and walking towards the trees a bit before stopping. Her words made his eyes widen slightly, his body tensing unconsciously. Did this mean he finally -
“Oh, sorry sweetheart,” Noir exclaimed suddenly in mock sorrow, glancing back at him, “He first wanted me to tell you that the year is ND 2025, for some reason or another.
Just as excitement had been flooding him a few moments ago, anger and incredulity slammed down and flattened the emotion. He glared at the woman.
“Impossible,” he snapped.
“Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not the truth,” York said, looking at him pointedly, “Just look behind you if you don’t believe me.
He glanced behind at the fields he’d just left, and past, to a set of unnaturally-shaped spires and mounds, covered with greenery. “And what exactly is that supposed to be?”
“It’s Eldrant,” Noir informed him coolly, “It’s been there ever since it fell apart seven years ago.”
He turned back, shaking his head. It was not possible that that was Eldrant. They were trying to confuse him. There was no way it could be the year 2025. The world would be long gone by then.
“Let him believe whatever he wants. He’ll see for himself soon enough,” Urushi shrugged scornfully, “In the meantime, we gotta get back to the boss.”
Noir nodded, turning to face him, “We’ve been given instructions to take you back to Baticul with us to meet Asch. Now… you being who you are, I suppose we can’t make you come with us, so long as you promise to be a good boy and go see him, but… it’s quite a ways to the City of Light, don’t you agree boys?”
“Yeah,” Urushi grinned, “And crossing borders is kinda hard if you’re supposed to be dead.”
He closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to lash out. Normally he held his temper in better check, but disorientation was impairing his self-control. Not to mention that it had been years since anyone played with him like this, unless you counted that damned Malkuth colonel. His position had always afforded him a certain degree of respect, and to go from that to being mocked and scorned by common bandits was aggravating.
“Well, are you coming?” York asked, interrupting his thoughts.
He needed to see Asch, especially if the boy was so willing to speak to him, and he was not so foolish as to be blind to the validity of the points they had raised. At last, he nodded. “Very well. Take me to see Asch.”
Noir nodded.
“No sense wasting any more time around here, then,” York said as they turned towards the trees.
His mind began to churn with thoughts and plans as he followed. As much as he disliked this, he could not shake the feeling that there was something else wrong, something that had nothing to do with his dislike at being forced into this situation.
But no matter. The world was still here. Obviously not much time had passed since he died and… whatever had happened that made him appear here. It may not yet be too late to save the world. Now if he could only find Asch and convince him-
“Oh, I actually did forget,” Noir said suddenly, glancing over her shoulder at him, her expression and voice suddenly deadly serious, “Asch had one message that I was to give specifically to you, and only you, Van Grants.”
He eyed her coolly, “And what was that?”
The bandit came to a halt. “He said that whatever you decide to do, whatever plans you may have or make, to leave his replica and your dear sister out of it.”
And with that, she resumed walking, leaving the fallen Commandant to ponder what her words might mean.
So... without further ado... the prologue to "Reaction"
Please feel free to comment. Discussion and commentary are muse food.
Prologue
It was a moment that seemed to be trapped in time, as she asked a single question, her voice catching as she did so.
“Why are… you here?”
To her, it was a moment of shock, the kind of stunned denial that came from not wanting to even dare to hope, to realize that what she saw standing in front of her was no dream or illusion. Such a hope would hurt far too much if extinguished, after all. Reason and emotion warred from within, and for one of the few times in her life, she had no strength to quell the fighting.
To the three behind her - the princess, the adolescent girl and the young swordsman - it was a moment similar in emotion, if not in intensity. There had been so many nights like this, nights where they’d stood here and waited, and hoped and prayed. Nights wear they would hear that same melody the young woman in front of them had been singing such a short while ago, mournfully echoing throughout the valley. For them, however, it was a moment tinged with joy - and the tiniest trace of melancholy for one of their number.
Meanwhile, to the colonel standing in the back, it was a moment of truth. Nothing more, nothing less.
To the sixth figure, however, the red-haired man who stood facing the other five, it was a moment of relief, of happiness, and of barely-contained excitement. In that single eternity, it was all he could do to not burst out and tell them that, not only had things gone well, they’d gone well beyond what any of them would have believed.
But he didn’t. Instead, as the moment passed, he shrugged and said, glancing back behind him as he did so, “This place has a nice view of Hod. Besides…” his gaze returned to the young woman in front of him, “I promised, didn’t I?”
For a long time silence reigned, as the young woman finally lost the battle with her emotions. She took one step forward, then another.
“Wait!” his hand came up to stop her, as well as the three behind her - only the colonel hadn’t moved. Instead, he stood, waiting, observing, his red eyes narrowing ever so slightly at the red-haired man’s command.
As for the other four, they pulled up short, different mixtures of surprise, confusion and even distress flitting across their faces, especially the young woman’s.
Seeing the reaction his exclamation had caused, the sixth figure winced, a hand coming up to scratch the back of his head with embarrassment. “Sorry,” he said apologetically, his mouth curling into a sheepish grin. “I just didn’t want you guys to start celebrating to early…” He paused, glancing behind himself once more, “There’s still someone else coming.”
Having said that, he paused for a moment, before turning all the way around, folding his arms and scowling out at the empty field.
Only suddenly, it wasn’t empty anymore.
The new figure stalking towards them looked as alike to the sixth figure as to be mistaken for him, and had they not known who it could be, who it must be…
His hair was a few shades darker, and as long as they remembered, but for the first time, his bangs fell forward into his eyes in a similar way that they did for the man standing next to him. He met the green pair of eyes that were twin to his own, though they were slightly softer despite the glare he was now being given.
“Took you long enough,” the first red-haired man groused.
The second rolled his eyes. “Shut up, idiot,” he retorted, though his words held no real malice.
Meanwhile, an even more stunned silence had fallen over the watching five. Seeing the first had been shock enough, after so long. But for both of them to be there…
It was the princess who spoke at last, giving voice to the sentiment that was, more or less shared by the other four.
“L-luke?” she said softly, “Asch? B-both of you? You’re here?”
The first of the two - Luke - turned and smiled. “Yeah, it’s us. Sorry we took so long.”
And after that, the spell was broken. The young woman and the princess each rushed forward to embrace the person they’d missed most. The young swordsman and the adolecent girl were not far behind them in coming to greet the two redhaired men.
And meanwhile, in the back, the colonel merely shook his head, smiling wryly in incredulous amazement. At last, he looked back down upon the group, adjusting his glasses with one finger before stepping forward to join them.
------------------------------
It was another night, five years later, when a third figure inexplicably appeared in Tataroo Valley. One who, like at least one of the two before him, should rightly have been dead. He blinked uncomprehendingly around himself as he walked, seemingly unable to understand why he was here, among the cliffs and selenias.
And when he reached the edge of the fields, he found that there too was someone there to greet him, though the reception was considerably less warm.
He found himself facing two men and a woman, three faces he vaguely recognized, though more by reputation than anything. It was impossible to say why they might be here - this particular group was known for their unique array of talents, almost as diverse as their choices in profession: aiding refugees, circus performers, banditry and espionage, to name a few.
“Well I’ll be,” smirked Noir of the Dark Wings, sliding off the rock she’d been sitting on to get a closer look at the new arrival, “Looks like Asch was right after all. I’m glad - for a while I was worried he might have cracked under stress at court. Would have been such a shame…”
He scowled at her flippant attitude. “ Are you only here to mock me?”
It was one of her underlings - Urushi, if memory served correctly - who replied. “Nah. The boss said to go to Tataroo Valley and wait there to see if anybody turned up. Said it may be you, maybe not. Thought he’d gone crazy. Everyone knows you’re dead.”
“Well, maybe not,” his companion, York commented indifferently, “He is standing right there. “
He didn’t reply at first, staring at the three Dark Wings. He didn’t like how they clearly had the upper hand in this conversation, but he was still too disoriented, knowing that there was truth in Urushi’s words. He had been dying. He ought to be dead, and yet now he was here. Why?
Finally, he asked, “Why are you here then?”
Noir’s sultry smirk grew. “Asch told us to deliver a couple messages to whoever actually turned up here. Especially if it was you.”
This was an interesting development. “And those messages?”
“He says he wants to meet you as soon as possible,” Noir relayed, turning and walking towards the trees a bit before stopping. Her words made his eyes widen slightly, his body tensing unconsciously. Did this mean he finally -
“Oh, sorry sweetheart,” Noir exclaimed suddenly in mock sorrow, glancing back at him, “He first wanted me to tell you that the year is ND 2025, for some reason or another.
Just as excitement had been flooding him a few moments ago, anger and incredulity slammed down and flattened the emotion. He glared at the woman.
“Impossible,” he snapped.
“Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean it’s not the truth,” York said, looking at him pointedly, “Just look behind you if you don’t believe me.
He glanced behind at the fields he’d just left, and past, to a set of unnaturally-shaped spires and mounds, covered with greenery. “And what exactly is that supposed to be?”
“It’s Eldrant,” Noir informed him coolly, “It’s been there ever since it fell apart seven years ago.”
He turned back, shaking his head. It was not possible that that was Eldrant. They were trying to confuse him. There was no way it could be the year 2025. The world would be long gone by then.
“Let him believe whatever he wants. He’ll see for himself soon enough,” Urushi shrugged scornfully, “In the meantime, we gotta get back to the boss.”
Noir nodded, turning to face him, “We’ve been given instructions to take you back to Baticul with us to meet Asch. Now… you being who you are, I suppose we can’t make you come with us, so long as you promise to be a good boy and go see him, but… it’s quite a ways to the City of Light, don’t you agree boys?”
“Yeah,” Urushi grinned, “And crossing borders is kinda hard if you’re supposed to be dead.”
He closed his eyes, fighting back the urge to lash out. Normally he held his temper in better check, but disorientation was impairing his self-control. Not to mention that it had been years since anyone played with him like this, unless you counted that damned Malkuth colonel. His position had always afforded him a certain degree of respect, and to go from that to being mocked and scorned by common bandits was aggravating.
“Well, are you coming?” York asked, interrupting his thoughts.
He needed to see Asch, especially if the boy was so willing to speak to him, and he was not so foolish as to be blind to the validity of the points they had raised. At last, he nodded. “Very well. Take me to see Asch.”
Noir nodded.
“No sense wasting any more time around here, then,” York said as they turned towards the trees.
His mind began to churn with thoughts and plans as he followed. As much as he disliked this, he could not shake the feeling that there was something else wrong, something that had nothing to do with his dislike at being forced into this situation.
But no matter. The world was still here. Obviously not much time had passed since he died and… whatever had happened that made him appear here. It may not yet be too late to save the world. Now if he could only find Asch and convince him-
“Oh, I actually did forget,” Noir said suddenly, glancing over her shoulder at him, her expression and voice suddenly deadly serious, “Asch had one message that I was to give specifically to you, and only you, Van Grants.”
He eyed her coolly, “And what was that?”
The bandit came to a halt. “He said that whatever you decide to do, whatever plans you may have or make, to leave his replica and your dear sister out of it.”
And with that, she resumed walking, leaving the fallen Commandant to ponder what her words might mean.