ABSOLUTION

By the way, Final Fantasy is not mine. However, the story line, the original characters and the ranking system are.


Convict_Panthress Presents:


ABSOLUTION
Chapter VII

A sigh escaped from his lips as he pressed his forehead into his hands before leaning back and allowing said hands to wipe at his eyes. He could feel the exhaustion in almost every part of his body. Deftly he swiped a cigarette from a pack hidden in his breast pocket, tucking it in his mouth before lighting it.

“I thought you didn’t smoke, Heero?”

Said brunette’s brown eyes glanced over at his partner sitting at the computers. The wild blue hair was looking a little greasy but he answered the questioning blue eyes, “I do now.” The Third Class Warrior allowed himself to stretch and yawn. “Shit Van, I’d think that anyone would start after having to look through all of this.”

Van took a sip from his eighth cup of coffee and nodded, “Sorting video feed is a bitch.”

Heero sniffed, “Hell, I’m not used to smelling like this, not even when I was a pilot long time ago.”

“You get used to it after a while,” The blue haired Fourth Class turned to see his partner giving him a strange look, “Dragon rider, remember?”

A smirk played on the tanned ex-pilot’s lips. “Great piles of Dragon shit much?”

“Ha ha, very funny. Let’s see how you would fair after being thrown into something like that.”

Heero turned back to his computer, “You just made my day, Van.”

“So glad to be at your service, Sir.” The ex-rider replied sarcastically.
Heero smirked at his computer screen. He had always found it fun to bait the blue haired Warrior. A few minutes passed in silence before the brunette haired man cursed.

“Holy Shit!” Heero nearly choked on his very breath. “I found the intruder.”

Van quickly crossed the room to his superior’s section to watch the stream of feed. Blue eyes focused on the black and white video. He watched as a person in a black robe (female by context of the silky curves barely hugged by the black material) half carried a beaten and most bloodied First Class Warrior Cloud Strife. For a moment both stopped; the Warrior’s arm slipped from around the black clad person’s neck, resulting in her hood being pulled off. A wolfish angular but beautiful face looked down at the one clinging to her for dear life. In amazement, Van and Heero watched as the woman, while lithe and smaller than their First Class Warrior, ripped off her robe and swung the lean man into her arms all in one fluid movement. Her right arm hefting Strife’s torso to her, his head resting on her shoulder and her left arm over his knees, bringing them to her left hip. The woman looked comfortable heaving his weight, but it was nearly mind blowing as she spurred forward suddenly with a burst of speed that belied her structure.

“I—I,” Van stuttered, “I just can’t believe this…”

“Can’t believe Shin-Ra was broken into or that that chic just took off with a 200 pound plus man-cargo at an unreal speed?”

The blue haired man rolled his eyes, “Well that and said chic was the one to shimmy inside SOLDIER base and ruffle Rude’s feathers!” The dragon rider took his seat, face sour. “She wasn’t even that big.”

“Don’t ever underestimate the opposite gender.” Heero growled solemnly, a flash of long blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes ringing in his mind made the former pilot wish to be alone in his barracks, watching over his group of Grade Graduate SOLDIERS. Reaching forward, Heero popped the disc out of the computer, grabbing his black jacket, and dropping the circular little object into one of the pockets, he started for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Mr. Shin-Ra needs this disc.” He answered without looking back as he moved quickly out the door. “I suggest you get back to your regular duties. We have what we were looking for.” Heero smirked as he heard the dragon rider curse.

The former pilot tried to keep his mind peacefully blank as he made his way through the hallways to his boss’ office. But he couldn’t seem to do it. It had been yesterday that the person (now known to be a woman) had broken into and royally screwed their system, sending the lower Grade SOLDIERS into a near panic.

Opening the door to the anti-chamber to the rooms of Rufus Shin-Ra’s offices, Heero was less than pleased to see a flight of Grade 12 SOLDIERS occupying the large forum.
Someone closer to him stood to attention and shouted, “Officer on deck! Room ATTENTION!”

Heero glared at the quiet room of about 18 people making like statues.

“Sergeant,” he called; the timbre of his voice almost a whisper.

“Sir, yes, sir.”

“Why is your flight any where near this area?”

“To protect Mr. Shin-Ra, sir.”

The ex-pilot peered around at the trembling SOLDIERS. They were nothing but boys; the new flight. “You would need men to do such a thing, Sergeant.”

Turning to speak to the younglings as the man beside him floundered with rage, looking like fish deprived of water, Heero spoke. “Mr. Shin-Ra will not need your services. In the mean time I suggest you get the fuck out of here and find your dicks.”

Continuing through the crowd to reach the company owner’s offices, the young men poured out of the room, taking heed not to touch the brunette officer. Totally bypassing the young blonde secretary who was practically all tits and hips, he threw the door to the office wide open. Finally…

“I’ve got it.”

Startled grey-blue eyes fell on the deeply tanned brunette man perpetually stuck at the physical age of 22 for the past two hundred years. Realization dawned in the depths of those eyes. “You found the intruder?”

Heero nodded in affirmation. A smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. “You’re not going to believe this.” Strolling towards the computer connected to a large monitor on the wall, he slid the little disc into the drive. It took less than 40 seconds for the feed to finish, but it was the most satisfying yet mysterious 40 seconds of their lives.

“The intruder was—” Rufus started before being interrupted.

“A woman? A fucking woman?”

Heero turned, his dark blue eyes capturing emerald surrounded by brilliant red hair. The ex-pilot had to say, he was sorry for the First Degree Officer. The hell he went through with Mr. Van-Trouve showed. Reno looked like shit. Terrible shit. The expression on the Weapons Master’s face was sour and unbelieving for a moment.

“Reno I believe you should be resting.” Rufus said, standing from his desk.

The redhead paid his boss no mind as a smile cracked his lips. “She sure did kick ass though. I should pay her for fuckin’ up Goggle Man 1 for me.” Rufus and Heero looked at each other quizzically, wondering if the beatings the ex-Turk went through damaged his brain. “All that for Strife, eh? I guess these KNIGHTs don’t think him worthless after all, yo.”

The blonde man felt his face pale. Once he found his dear grandfather… Rufus’ hands itched at the thought of getting to strangle the life from the old dog. Sighing, he decided that perhaps he should go ahead and get it over with… “I’m sorry, Reno. I didn’t think that this would happen—”

“Oh can it already.” The redhead snapped, leaning on the crutch under his left arm hobbling toward the monitor, trying to get a good look at the woman. “I’ve had worse done to me either because of you or being drunk.”

Not paying attention to the looks that Yuy was giving him or the words that Rufus was almost shouting, Reno squinted at the paused picture of the Strife-napper. He could see the resemblance from the face of the woman he saw at the SRC-3 building. But the Strife-napper had a more angular face, and her lips weren’t colored black.

“We need to find Cloud.” Rufus’ statement brought the red head back to reality.

“You heard what he said just as well as I did.” Reno shot back, “The person who took him is part of his family—”

“How do you know that for sure?” the blonde man almost growled.

“Where the fuck was you? He wouldn’t have looked at her with such longing and relief if she wasn’t!” Reno couldn’t believe that he was arguing with his boss, but it seemed as if the younger man just didn’t get it. “It’s not like he was gonna say ‘Oh, hey, yeah and by the way this is my cousin. She’s come to kick your asses because she knew through some kind of fuckin’ power that my boss’ grandfather decided to torture me.’”

“Reno don’t patronize me, you—”

“GET FUCKIN’ REAL!!” The emerald eyed man roared; startling the blonde and brunette in the office. Reno turned, and hobbled as best he could to the door, stopping only to through back the last thing he needed to say. “You can’t take him from his family. It’s not your right.”

Heero watched his dispatcher limp from the room. Never since joining SOLDIER had he ever seen the red haired First Degree Officer get any kind of angry at the president of Shin-Ra Inc. He was more than startled, and worried at what was going to happen to SOLDIER if there was tension between all the leaders and a Commander who had been taken back by his rightful kin. Was the world going to die? Snapped out of his thoughts, he turned back to Mr. Shin-Ra.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“Get the Grade Graduate Officers, 5th, 4th and 3rd Degree operatives suited up.” The blonde grey-blue eyed president ordered. “You and Rude will lead the operation.”

Noticing his dismissal as Rufus sat down, Heero saluted and left to do as ordered; a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach at what his superior was indirectly telling him. If they couldn’t take First Class Warrior Commander Strife, then they would attack the creatures, once found, and take the ones who broke into SRC-3 and the base for interrogation. ‘Interrogation…if only that were it.’ Heero shook his head, ‘I only hope she’s as strong as I think she is.’

***

She watched him carefully just to be sure that she wasn’t hurting him. The moment a whimper escaped his mouth, she quickly brushed her claws through his mane of wild blonde hair. It wasn’t easy for her to wait for a Healer to see him, as she stood watch over his body laying shivering, curled up to her on the bed of warm furs in the lightly incensed dimly lit room. If she wasn’t memorizing the sharp masculine slopes of his face, then she was examining the ridges and indentions for shelves in the stone of the room. She had to admit; the diggers and architects of her people were very creative and talented. She couldn’t imagine how hard it could be to have to map out a new area and re-create a base from a mountain side or underground every 100 years they moved. In her life time they had only moved twice. And yet it was coming close to having to move again. They would probably have to after the last mission of hers.

Absently she stroked the older male’s hair. She mused over the uniqueness of him. He was very different from them, but he was very much from their pedigree. He possessed many of their traits. The length of his arms, the toughness of his hide (and yet it was so soft), the ever so slight tip to his ears, the curve and hard sharpness of his nails, the nearly unseen point to his canines and the strong hollow density to his bones. All of these were traits, toned down somewhat, but they were there. But most of all that stood out was the color and peculiarity of his eyes. For those who knew what a KNIGHT was, they would know that the SOLDIER’s eyes screamed it. She was sure that people would think that he was abomination to them. He wasn’t. He was special to them. Someone who knew what they went through…

“Sky…”

White blue ice eyes struck sky blue. At that time a small woman with long black hair entered the cavern. She recognized the woman to be a Home Healer by the robes she wore and the white cord that wrapped around her waist.

“Lady Sentinel, I was sent to look upon the Warrior’s wounds.”

Frowning, she answered, “Send for the Lady Healer. Only she will Touch his wounds.”

Surprise flecked the young Healer’s eyes. Bowing demurely to the elite female fighter she left to quickly accomplish her order.

“Sky,” his voice cracked.

Taking to her feet swiftly, she crossed the stone room on bare feet. Coming back, she leaned down to lift his head gently and pressed the edge of the cup tenderly to his lips. She waited patiently as he drank the entire cup of water. After replacing the cup to its rightful shelf, she returned to his side, sitting legs akimbo with her right foot atop her left thigh; hands resting dutifully on her knees.

“Why did you rescue me?”

She was confused at the tone of his voice. Did he sound accusing? Finely trimmed silver and black malted brows furrowed, trying to touch ends, “You were in pain.”

A moment of silence spread between them as he looked at her before turning his head away from her. “I’m not worth it.”

“Would you care to tell me why?” she asked.

Cloud closed his eyes as her smooth refined voice washed over him, “I was too weak. I told them.” He waited for a growl of outrage to emanate from the woman beside him. It never came. Instead he could hear placidness in her words.

“It was to eventually happen. Do not let guilt overcome you. You were loyal and dutiful to your people over so many years.”

“How can you call me loyal when I admitted your existence to the worst people to have that information?”

“You were being tortured.” She rebuked him softly. As silence fell between them again, she was perplexed as to why she could still smell guilt and self-loathing on the older male. Why couldn’t he understand that he wasn’t expected to be perfect?

Just as she was about to open her mouth, a soft scent of lavender and clover warned her before the woman came in. “You’ve always got to turn away the Home Healers don’t you?”

Ice met silvery blue. “I know what they can and cannot do, Akira.” Sky glanced at the Lady Healer dressed in her signature Warrior’s Healer black and royal blue dipped robe over a black leather armor suit. Silver cords wrapped around her waist and forearms. Her white bangs pulled back, making a stark contrast against the rest of her shoulder length black hair. “And they,” she sniffed, “cannot heal him.”

Black marked lips pouted. “Okay, I’ll take care of Cloud-kun. You’re needed as the Lady Sentinel at the Command Bridge. Sesshomaru needs you.”

Unnoticed, sky blue eyes narrowed.

Sighing, the elite KNIGHT took to her feet. Reaching towards a nook near the door to the room, she picked up her sword and holstered it and the rest of its parts to her back before leaving silently.

Watching the older woman go, Akira turned towards the man in the pile of furs. Smiling gently she sat on her knees at his side, picking up a rag from inside a warm bowl of water, washing the bruises before she set to the actual work.

“You let someone see you at the SRC-3 building.” He spoke.

Smiling cheekily, she answered him. “I didn’t mean to, but…he was cute, so I’m not too worried about it.”

“So he did see your face?”

She nodded before moving the furs down so she could see his chest and ribs. “I got the information though. I think that’s what they were doing there. So if you’re worried that ya’ll lost the information, don’t worry about it. Good ol’ Akira’s here to help ya.”

He nodded, allowing silence to reign. She sighed, “Sky doesn’t know exactly how to say things in emotional situations; and that bothers her. She thinks people should accept what has happened and go on with your life. She’s right, actually. You were tortured, Cloud. But you shouldn’t beat yourself up over the fact that you did let slip what you are. Remember, you are a part of us. So you aren’t betraying anyone. Sky told you that she doesn’t hold anything against you. And no one else does either. It’s a large burden to hold something like that on your shoulders. I understand that.”

She felt him nod, and after a moment he turned to her as she set the rag back into the water, “Thank you, Akira. I just…” he shook his head. “I don’t know. I think at times, that she just overwhelms me, even though she doesn’t say much. And being away for so long until now, it was…”

“A shock?” she provided, as she allowed her hands to move over his skin, taking away all of the wounds and adding heat to the muscles to make sure stiffness wouldn’t be too much of a problem.

Cloud nodded, “I didn’t expect it to be her to come to me. I thought that maybe she wouldn’t handle the problem herself. If anyone was going to come, I thought it would’ve been Axel or someone.” Just the thought of the slender pyromaniac that reminded him a little of another red head made him want to either shake his head or laugh. He wasn’t too sure which.

“Aw, I’m not the first on your list?” the silver blue eyed healer faked a pout.

The Warrior smiled lightly, “They wouldn’t have sent you out twice in two days, Akira. I was trying to be reasonable in my thinking.”

“Logic is overrated.” She sniffed, before pulling back and taking a look at her handy work. “So the shock at seeing my sister put you into depression? I’ve gotta say Cloud, I think this is heading into an abusive relationship. Next thing you know, she’s going to be offering you heads of your enemies on silver, diamond encrusted platters telling you to take her back.” She joked, eyes twinkling.

He snorted, “Do you just think of these things off the top of your head?” shaking his head at her enthusiastic nod, he sat up to test the pain in his ribs. Finding none (for he should have never of distrusted the Healer’s power), he slouched, looking at the flickering of the lit candles on the shelves. “I don’t know…I just…argh!” he groaned into his hands, elbows propped on his knees.

Akira smiled at the older man, “You love her, don’t you?” Hearing an undistinguishable mutter, she flicked her ear at him, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What was that?”

“I said,” He started loudly, hands still smothering his face, “’maybe’.”

Akira couldn’t help but giggle inwardly at the way he sounded like a little kid with his hand in the cookie jar. Letting the subject drop, before she embarrassed him to the point of never speaking to her again, she patted his back and stood up, “Get dressed and go find my sister. I’m sure she has new information that you should know. If you need me I’ll be around.” And with that, the Lady Healer left to attend her duties.

***

Why did it always take her so long to respond to a simple request? He noticed that it only happened when that boy was around.

Golden eyes narrowed.

He jealous of a boy? Don’t be absurd.

“Sesshomaru,” a voice accompanied with the scent of frost, Dragon’s Blood and Musk incense filled his mind. “You needed me?”

Turning he took in her slight form encased in a leather armor suit and covered in the white blue robe of her position as the Lady Sentinel that matched her eyes perfectly, black cords held the material to her wrists before crawling up her forearms. The mid-back length silver layer of her hair underneath the black shoulder length layer plus the silver and black malted color of her fine eyebrows made her look every bit like the KNIGHT that she was. Ignoring the skip of his heart at the sight of her, he answered bowing deeply, “Lady Sentinel.”

Sky inclined her head in a mock bow. “Any new information from the drive Akira got from the SOLDIER building?”

Turning away from the female warrior and towards the open space of the command room, he took in the sight of many faces lit by separate monitors; all working in haste, trying to prepare for what was to come…

“The SOLDIER humans are in search for their commander.”

“I know this. You would not have called me here to tell me something that I already know.”

“They have breached the first sector.” Reaching towards the console in front of him, he touched the monitor, bringing up the area he was talking about. A layout of the cavern entering the mountain side and sloping downwards to bring one underground showed dark. Switching the camera to night vision, Sky saw the green forms of trespassers stalking for revenge, hiding behind stalagmites and different rock formations created both by her people and by nature.

“Lady Sky!”

Turning at the new voice, all she saw was spiky red hair and emerald cat eyes. Taking a look at the pyromaniac’s dusty leather boots and long coat, she waited for him to speak. “What is it Axel?”

“They’ve entered the tunnels; settin’ bombs and what not, too. I watched ‘em, their remote detonate. I think when they get whatever they want and leave—”

“Their going to blow it to hell.” Sesshomaru sneered, interrupting the scout. “How come our race can’t do what the Gods created us for without humans to fuck it up.”

“Yeah, if it weren’t for us, they would’ve destroyed themselves long time ago.” Axel growled.

Nodding in agreement with the younger male, Sesshomaru turned toward the young Commander of the KNIGHTs Brigade; the elite of the race of Guardians. “What would you have done?”

“Ready the Brigade for battle, Axel. Sesshomaru, get a team working on that drive Akira got from that building. Send a squad of Ordinance disposal after the battle has ensued. I don’t want their concentration broke.”

“So they’ve almost caught up to us?”

Sky turned, recognizing the voice, “Are you willing to fight with us again, Cloud?”

Cloud stood form his leaning position against the rough stone were he was able to keep out of their sight; taking in the hopeful face of Axel, the Master Bomb Technician, the golden glowing eyes of the inu in charge of Information and Base Security, and finally carefully veiled winter blue eyes. He nodded, his wispy blonde hair whispering across his face. “I’d be honored to fight with you again. But I’m not going to fatally harm my own SOLDIERs.”

The woman nodded in understanding, “Thank-you. You’re armor is still in your old room. We will be heading out soon. Sesshomaru, if you will?” She asked, indicating to the blue eyed man.

“Of course, Lady.” He beckoned gently to the younger male. With practiced ease, the inuyoukai turned KNIGHT navigated through the twists and turns of the halls, taking the Warrior to his rooms. Passing the Med-Bay he paused minutely to lean inside as he saw the Lady Healer.

“What’s up, Sesshomaru?” the youth asked, after sending a group of Home Healers to some sort of task.

“Lady Sky has decided to go into battle. Axel is preparing about one sixth of the Brigade. Lord Cloud has decided to honor us in this encounter.”

The petite woman bowed, “Thank-you for finding the time and patience to inform me.”

“You are the Warrior’s Healer. You will be needed. Now I must excuse myself. My duties call.” Gracefully he bowed and returned to the blonde waiting outside the room.

A few more turns and down a special hallway, the inu indicated to the opening to a set of chambers. Turning to leave and complete the rest of his responsibilities, he left the blue eyed male with something to chew on. “While I may not like you, I respect you for your strength to the Clan, and love you as pack.”

Cloud froze in mid step, not expecting the taller white clad KNIGHT to speak to him. “What?” amazement writ over his features.

Sesshomaru gave him a bland look, “I won’t repeat myself, Cloud.”

And with that the demon was gone in a whisper of silk, around the corner and heading back to his Command Bridge.

Cloud felt warmth in his chest. He had always thought that there was an unspoken animosity between the humble demon (who was cousin to Cloud’s mother) and him. But it seemed as if the worry was for nothing. The golden eyed inu trusted and respected him; nor did he resent the Warrior for his mess up.

Shaking his head, the SOLDIER entered his chambers, and searched for his KNIGHT’s armor. Sure enough the heavy looking titanium, Dragon Scale, and demon bone mixed protective alloy was laid out full on his bed. Taking off the tunic he had worn out of the Med-Bay, two dark haired males, shorter than him but bound with muscle, entered silently. Cloud recognized the twins as young Pages; their duty to see to the combatants of their Clan.

He watched as one bent down to pick up the black haori and allowed the youngling to slip it over his shoulders after getting his arms into the tight sleeves. He remembered a time when his mother had told him stories about the Samurai of her era. He recalled her sweet voice telling him that, that was where the KNIGHT traditions of clothing ceremonies before a fight came from. The KNIGHTs were truly the last Samurai of the world.

The thought saddened him as the Pages adjusted an intricate breast plate made of flexible dragon scales that were covered soon by a leather suit of armor, tight in the torso but comfortable in the legs. The sensation of cool liquid being poured down his spine from the nape of his neck assured him of the presence of a special type of material that was made especially for him and installed inside along the back of his suit to protect him from behind. The weight of a familiar armor covering his left shoulder, and a golden claw merging itself with his left hand then crawling up to his elbow made him comfortable.

Too soon though, his nerves were jumping in anticipation of the last article. Both Pages walked towards a closet that was almost always closed. The last time it had been opened was a little more than a century and a half. Opening the wooden doors, Cloud’s eyes rested on the most precious thing he could ever own.

The pelt of his Mother.

The entire fur was pitch black, save for a white dust patch that resembled a sort of star between the empty spaces that the blue, blue eyes of his mother had once looked out of. Carefully removing the pelt, the Pages clasped the fur around his neck with a golden broach which rested on his collar bone, unmovable.

During battle, the head of his Mother’s wolf would come over his face. He would easily blend in with the Brigade, even with each KNIGHT wearing their individual furs. He didn’t think that Sky would call for an all out shift. Maybe a few would, but not the entire Brigade.

Minutely he wondered how this was going to work. The KNIGHTs rarely used anything but swords, and other specialty weapons of the past. SOLDIER might have brought a few snipers or gattling guns, as designed just recently by Reno.

Cloud snorted. The SOLDIER he commanded were very fond of the old age weapons themselves. There would be very few gats. But he already knew of the ones who would have them…

***

Akira frowned as she hesitated before the door she stood in front of.

“You know, you can come in, sister.” The soft voice was nearly muted from behind the thick wood.

Pushing her way into the dimly lit cavern, silver blue eyes watched as two tall, white short haired males with pale blue eyes removed the winter blue robe from Sky’s shoulders. One of the twins left the woman’s side to retrieve a complexly designed white breast plate that went over her black leather armored suit and covered her from top of breasts to hips. The right side was computerized allowing her, as the commander, to keep in touch with the base. A matching dragon scale shoulder pad connected to the top of the breast plate and settled comfortably on her right shoulder. Falling from it was a black cape, hiding the small stars and weapons of the sort from enemy sight.

Mystical eyes twinkled; proud that her sister was trusting to wearing something Akira herself made and designed; though she briefly worried if the warrior female should be testing the new armor out during this battle.

“It looks as if Dante and Vergil are taking quite good care of you.” Akira spoke, having to get rid of the want to squirm as those silent white blue questioning eyes bore into her.

The eldest twin, hair pushed back, looked at her. “As Sky’s seconds in Command, it is our duty.”

She took in his form; black leather cropped pants tucked into natural tan leather knee high boots, blue designed armor vest, and an open, high collared, blue leather, knee length armored coat. His silver dusted black fur lay on Sky’s low bed.

“She was making small talk, Verg. You don’t gotta make your ‘Honor in duty’ pitch to her.” The other, younger twin, hair down, was falling into pale blue eyes. He wore a black turtleneck under an armored blood red buckled vest; a matching pair of red pants that tucked into black calf boots. Strapped around his right thigh was a holstered black specialized gun named Ebony, to the other thigh was it's silver twin: Ivory. Lain across his broad shoulders was a twin silver and black dusted fur from the one on the bed.

Letting a smile flit across her lips, she nodded to the half-demon turned KNIGHT. “Vergil’s barbs for words won’t deflate me, Dante, but thank-you.”

The platinum haired man smiled and turned back to the fittings on his Commander’s armor. When both sets of hands pulled away, no doubt ready to start on the next piece of the ritual, Sky spoke, “Thank-you. I can handle it form here. Go find Alucard.”

“He should be in the Med-Bay or near a large group of my Home Healers.” Akira answered the confused look that flew across the younger twin’s face.

“And have D meet me in the 4th sector.” The older woman called to the two males as they started to walk out the door.

When the two brothers left, silence descended on the women; one fidgeting trying to decide how she was going to say what she wanted, and the other silently preparing for battle.

“I know that this is only a little fight, maybe only a skirmish,” Akira started, watching the elite warrior strap on a thigh holster filled with odd little dirty tricks. “But…it’s a big thing, whatever it leads to. After this, our entire lives are going to change. I don’t know if for the better or for worse.”

Sky looked up, dropping her booted foot to the ground from its raised position on the railing, and absentmindedly grabbed the black half skirt from her bed and belted it around her lithe waist, the material covering her multipart sword that hung from her left hip to the ankle. “The Gods have spoken to you?”

Numbly, Akira nodded, “Or its intuition. Either way, I just…” The woman bit her lip, and looked away from the burning in those ice winter eyes, “I want you to watch your back. I know this is only a play next to the encounters you’ve seen, but…”

“I understand.”

“What?!” Akira asked, taken aback by the soft admission. It always took longer than this for her older sister to see her reason.

“I understand. There is no reason to argue.” The smile on the seasoned warrior’s face made her look a century younger, almost…dare she say…childish? The long legs of the KNIGHT Commander took her quickly to the door, “Alucard comes. We leave now.”

Sure enough the scent of pine and the soft tang of copper filled her nose. “The battle calls upon us, milady.” The black haired Vampire dressed in black instead of his custom red, beckoned to her.

Snapping slightly from her shock, she glanced at the much taller, older male. “Yes…of course.”

It was as if Mother time had shifted her back on them, making it slow as she followed her Protectorate KNIGHT out. Bit by bit her mind processed the image of her sister’s black and white dusted husky patterned fur flanked by two silver and black dusted pelts. She saw Cloud in his Mother’s fur pass her to join the trio, the rest of the Brigade followed after the blonde. The black shadow to Sky’s left signaled the appearance of D, the mysterious dunpeal. Faintly, she felt Alucard slip the head of her wolf over her face.

Like it was a rehersed play, as soon as the KNIGHTs had entered the largest, but dimly lit cavern before the entrance tunnels to the base, Akira watched in slow motion as bright bursts accompanied with loud small explosions lit a small area more than 1,000 feet across the area, aimed directly at the leading Commander.

Vergil on Sky’s left sprang into action, his sword ,Yamamoto, twirled, catching each bullet fired, lining them up harmlessly on the ground, before flicking each one back at the enemy with the tip of his blade. Surprised cries came from the other side.

The battle had begun.