~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Certain Point of View
by Shade
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, other series
not belonging to me have
been used. All praise the
fair use clause!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-1,000 years ago
I hate the rain.
This is not the gentle showers of Neptune, or the quiet
mists of Saturn, but dark and heavy torrents of freezing
water that pound the ground into a thick frothing mud
that sucks at my boots.
A furlined cloak keeps me mostly dry, but inevitably
the icy wetness creeps its way in. I would give much
for the warmth of a fire and some hot broth right now.
Duty is indeed a harsh mistress.
My single condolence is that I am not the only one
out here suffering in the midst of the elements.
"Curse this storm! Why have I been summoned here?!"
His whining is hard on my ears.
"Hmmph."
He quickly turns to stare daggers at me, but whatever he sees
in my eyes in return is enough to make him turn away just
as fast. I admit that a small mean part of me enjoys his
nervousness. But even fear is not enough to stop him from
firing one last verbal barb my way.
"Do you find something funny, peasant?!"
I would not call this man standing across from me "companion"
if he were the only other soul left in the Universe.
We have been the bitterest of foes from the day
that we first knew of each other's existance.
He is the darling son of King Coal, the butchering backstabber
who seized Earth's throne in a bloody coup over twenty years ago.
A spoiled sadist who delights in finding beauty,
luring it into his clutches, and then destroying
it utterly.
He is my half-brother.
Endymion.
The irony is not lost on me.
He is a prince. I am a mere commoner. Yet we both possess the gift
that will determine who will fullfill the long vacant position of
the Guardian of Earth. Coal searched far and wide for the girl
marked by the old prophecy, my mother. And when he finally found her
he took her back to his castle and raped her until she finally bore him
a child. Then he killed her to ensure that there would be no others
of her blood to challenge his bastard son's claim to the Earth's power.
They spent years hunting down the rest of my family.
None were spared the butcher's blade, from the oldest crone
to the newborn babe, every last one of them was slaughtered
without mercy. And always Coal's minions searched for any sign
of my mother's other children.
They killed them wherever they found them.
My brothers. My sisters. All of them.
But they never found me...until it was too late.
I had finally been marked. And so was the younger
half-brother I would eventually come to meet and
loathe similarly selected.
None dared to try and thwart the Planet's will after that.
But this is only a temporary reprieve.
One of us will be chosen, and he knows that as well as I.
If it were not forbidden by ancient law and custom,
I suspect he would have tried to kill me long before now.
Emphasis on the word "try", of course. He and the other nobles
of his father's court have preyed too long on the meek and helpless.
They've gotten soft, forgetting that I am no fearstricken serf to
simply wait for the killing stroke.
I had to learn fighting the hard way. And I still have the scars
to remind me of each and every mistake I've ever made along the way.
The Outer Regions of the Silver Millenium do not suffer fools gladly, or for very long.
Yet I survived...and learned. Necessity is an excellent motivator.
Some things I learned faster then others.
But learn them well I did.
And when I finally came back, I met her.
Princess Serenity.
I will never forget that day.
Grass stains on her knees, a smudge of brown dirt
on the tip of her nose and her royal shoes tossed
carelessly aside as she waded along the shore
of one of the Moon Kingdom's countless ornamental
lakes. Not so much as a hint of shame to be found
when her royal guards finally found her a few moments
later.
It was love at first sight.
The innocent little minx stole my heart without even trying.
Her honesty, her compassion, even her simple enjoyment of life,
everything about her was so different from anyone else I'd
ever met before.
I who knew only darkness, had finally find my light.
But within my newly found hope, I also learned fear.
If anyone else were competing for her hand,
I would at least be comforted in knowing that
the woman I love would be with someone who
loved her almost as much as I do.
With Endymion, this battle has become one that I dare not lose.
The very thought of that bastard's clammy hands touching her
is enough to send a bitter chill running down my spine.
Oh, he says the right things. Acts like a perfect gentleman
while on the Moon. Everyone believes that the prince is
a different sort of man from his father.
I know better.
There are times when I see him looking at Serenity
and there is not a single trace of real emotion in
his eyes.
He hides it well, well enough to fool the Queen and the rest of the Court.
But I have seen the maidens of Earth that he and his "Guardians" raped
and discarded like so many bottles of cheap wine after they were done
with their "fun". Girls whose only crime were to attract the roving eyes
of their social "superiors". Some do not survive the brutality. Others
kill themselves out of shame or as a way to escape the pain. Those who
survive always bear the horrible scars to their dying day.
I know this, but I can never prove it.
At least not to the Moon Kingdom's satisfaction.
If I were to try, Coal's ambassaders would be quick to stall the courts
with legalities stacked upon legalities while the Prince's four henchmen
"clean up" any unsightly evidence. They've done it many times before,
and always the accusations have been ruled as being "without merit".
All my life, I have seen nothing but poverty and suffering on Earth.
A far cry from the peace and prosperity of the Silver Millenium.
And yet for all their power and their advanced technology, they
can do nothing to help my people. Because the very principles
that defines the Millenium's society also prevents them from
interfering with worlds outside their jurisdiction.
I understand it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
If there is to be any change, it will take power, not politics-
"Hmmm?"
I sense the change in the wind before Endymion does.
It seems the reason for this night's summons will finally be made clear.
For the Watcher is coming.
I have only seen it once before, when it came on my
twelfth birthday and marked me with the sign of the Earth.
Out of the corner of my eye I glimpse a similar recognition
appear in the Prince's eyes. It seems our long rivalry is
about to come to an end tonight. One way or the other.
I have heard stories that say the Watchers are actually physical
embodiments of a planet's very soul. Having seen one of them
up close and personal, I'm inclined to agree with those tales.
Picture a luminous being over fifty feet tall with a sparkling
frame of spinning crystal and rainbow light that dwarfs even
the legendary titans of old. One that walks through the sky
as easily as you or I might stride along the ground.
It is both magnificent and a frightening sight to witness.
Especially when it is coming towards you.
I can hear the Prince's mount screaming from the nearby grove
where he tied it to one of the trees. His horse is panicking,
and I really can't blame the poor thing. If I had a choice,
I'd probably be running too. Even though I know in my head
that it won't hurt me, my blood screams at me that to stay
is to die.
The same internal battle must be going on in Endymion's head,
but I do not turn to confirm my suspicions. It takes every
ounce of courage I have to simply stand straight and keep
looking at the glowing giant that approaches.
It looms over the two of us like a hungry robin contemplating a juicy worm.
...Bad metaphor. Very bad. I really shouldn't have thought of that.
{ Placid crystal waters of a silent lake shrouded in mists. }
The Watcher's mental projections are so overwhelming that we can't
even comprehend them in the form of words, but instead "see" them
as abstract images.
{ Trees in stillness over a rusting mail plate. Drought
parched riverbanks cracking under the merciless sun.
The clear starry night sky watching over the funeral
pyres of a bloody field. }
My mouth suddenly goes dry as the implications of the message begin to sink in.
It seems there will indeed be a reckoning.
The sudden silence that follows is overwhelming.
I am distracted, time seeming to cease its endless flow.
One of us must die tonight.
I should be rejoicing, is this not what I've strived my whole life for?
But what about Seren-
*hsssst*
It is the quiet rasp of steel being drawn that saves my life.
I duck and turn in one motion, ignoring the saber at my hip in favor
of the kodachi stuck in my belt. My sudden maneuver seems to catch
Endymion off guard, was he really expecting this to be as easy
as simply stabbing me in the back? I'm not sure whether to be
insulted or amused by his arrogance.
"Sss!"
But I do not escape totally unscathed. The tip of his long sword
slashes through cloak, shirt, and the battered leather armor
I wear beneath it to cut a red line across my upper ribs.
Son of a bitch! It stings something fierce, like a line of
raw flame slapped across my side. A brief glance reassures
me that he didn't hit anything vital, but its going to add
another ugly scar to the hundreds that already mark my body.
"Die, you filthy bastard!"
I can see the surprise and anger in his eyes, but another
unexpected emotion is there too.
Fear.
"I'll kill you!"
But there is no time to ponder about the where's and why's of it.
My blade catches his second swing high and with a sudden push
to take advantage of my position's lower center of gravity
I shove him off balance long enough for me to unsheath my saber
and get a little more distance between us.
"Oof!"
My half-brother has much of his father's brute strength,
if I'd been a hair slower the cut along my side would
have spitted me like a roast sheep.
But I inherited our mother's agility.
And with both of my swords out, its time to take full advantage of it.
"The power is *MINE*! You won't take it from me!! Its my destiny!!"
Stupid. He should be saving all of his breath for fighting, not ranting.
The thick mud here hampers us both, but I've fought in this kind of terrain before.
Somehow I doubt that Endymion has ever had a similar experience.
His sullen dark platemail offers better protection then my battered
old leathers, but its also a lot heavier. That slows him down twice over
here, between the weight and the mud I should have a clear advantage in speed
as long as I'm careful. But there is a glint of madness in his eyes
that disturbs me, there's nothing worse then an unpredictable opponent.
They tend to do the last thing you expect.
And in a battle, surprises are all too often fatal.
I circle him warily, testing his defenses with a few controlled thrusts.
"Coward!"
He's slower then me, but not by enough of a margin that I'd be
willing to risk closing with him now in order to try and finish
this quickly.
"Fight me, damn your eyes!"
Time is on my side.
Endymion favors his right, not surprising since most men-at-arms are trained as such.
He covers his left side with an oversized black tower shield emblazened
with Coal's symbol, the red two-headed serpent. Dear Earth, how I hate
that standard and everything it stands for.
With an effort I reign in the rage that threatens to ignite in my veins.
I need Ice, not Fire.
"What are you waiting for, you whoreson! Say something!!"
I can almost smell his increasing nervousness as I continue to circle him patiently.
I look for even a single hole in his defense.
Just one slip up and he's mine.
His boots have sunk even further into the mud, he must outweigh me by a good
ten stone at least even without his armor. I'm suddenly glad that Endymion's
such an idiot, if I were in his shoes I would have simply used the initial
surprise to grapple and finished the job with a dagger. Simple but effective.
Ten years in the Outer System will do that to a person.
It also teaches patience...if you survive long enough.
On my sixth pass he finally makes a mistake.
His ankles get caught for a moment too long in the mud.
It throws his timing off, and for a few precious seconds his guard is weakened
as he tries to compensate for the uncertain balance that he suddenly finds himself in.
I'm already moving.
Frantically he brings his shield arm up.
Angry blue sparks fly as my saber is parried away from his armor's shoulder joint.
Shit!
His shield's got some kind of magic on it.
Has to be Black Market Millenium casting. The embargo of Earth
is still in effect as far as I know. But greed respects no planet's
boundaries. I should have known that Endymion would have a few
tricks like this up his sleeve.
But he only managed to stop one of my blades.
I feel the slender blade of my kodachi bite into his left thigh,
slipping between the thick steel plates like a deadly little wasp.
"Gyaaah!"
Just a few more seconds to reach the artery and its all ove-
My field of view suddenly turns black and red.
*WHAM*
"Whuuuf!"
I nearly fall over backwards as blood spurts hotly from my nose and a ringing sensation fills my ears.
That damn shield again!
My eyes begin to tear up, but I fight it off as best I can.
Lose sight of him now and I'm dead. Sloshing in the mud from
his direction alerts me to his charge.
I dodge back out of his reach with difficulty. My whole head is sore,
and the semi-solid footing doesn't make it any easier.
This time he tries to take the offensive.
I yield ground willingly enough. My nose is starting to go numb,
which means its probably broken again. As if I didn't already
have enough bumps in it to last a lifetime.
He barely seems hampered by the slash on his leg.
Damn.
Looks like the idiot is finally starting to catch on.
He's finally ceased his childish taunting and actually
seems to be completely focused on the fight now.
I notice also that my back is getting too close to the trees.
On the next attack, I finally move forward to meet him.
I lose a few more hairs near the nape of my neck, but avoid
anything more permanent in the way of injuries this time.
Again his shield comes up to stop my shorter blade from connecting.
That thing is really starting to piss me off.
He manages to get his long sword into position quickly
enough to block my kodachi on the bluish grey steel.
The force of his counterblow nearly rips the light blade
out of my grip.
I step back again, both blades out as I continue to try and wear him down.
Again he presses the attack, and this time I meet his charge
with a flurry of strikes that fail to penetrate his defenses,
but also drive him back a bit.
Time passes.
How much, I don't know. All my concentration is on the fight.
But our battle gradually begins to assume the form of a stylized dance.
I can't match his brute strength, and he can't move fast enough to force
me into close combat. So we jockey for position, pitting both my blades against
his sword and shield. Our breaths steam in the moist air, the only constant
sound the ring of steel on steel and the slopping squish of the mud.
My arms and legs are beginning to feel as if red hot coals
had been thrust deep into them.
But bad as it is for me, I can see in Endymion's face that it's even worse for him.
He's slowing down, his swings getting more and more clumsy. Only that enchanted shield
remains unaffected by his fatigue, time and again it keeps me away from his vitals.
But that's okay.
I've already figured out how to deal with it.
My cuts and thrusts start working their way lower and lower,
forcing him to keep his guard concentrated near his middle.
Even he can tell I'm up to something. Its almost a textbook
example for a bait and switch attack. Force your opponent to
defend one area, then hit them in a totally different spot.
He knows what's coming. And I'm counting on it.
On my next pass my swords come in high and close together.
Endymion growls in triumph as he sees his opportunity.
The shield comes up to block both blades, while his own sword
comes out wide in preparation for the strike against my open
side.
Exactly as planned.
Because as the shield rises to protect his neck, it blocks
his sight for a crucial second. For that single precious
moment, I am free to move.
There is a sickening tearing sensation from my leading ankle
as I twist it sharply around, abrubtly redirecting all of my
momentum toward his sword arm. The pain makes me want to retch
and vomit, but I push it aside.
Everything I have left goes into this attack.
All or nothing. Live or Die-
<snip>
He soils himself, literally sobbing in utter terror.
A hoarse growl of anger sounds.
I almost don't recognize it for a moment. It hardly sounds human.
Then I realize that it's coming from me.
I want to savor this moment. I want to feel *something*,
sastisfaction, joy, relief...instead there is only this
frustration.
"Nooo!!"
Blue grey steel stabs downward.
"...*Gasp*...*whimper..."
The blade misses his throat by two fingerswidth
and slams point first into the muddy ground.
I can't do it.
Honorless bastard though he is, he is still my brother.
No matter how much I hate him, I just can't kill him
in cold blood like this.
I want to rebuild the land and restore the people,
but if I slay him here and now I would be no better
then Coal and his minions.
Justice. Not vengence.
"Get up."
He looks at me in confused disbelief.
<snip>
His screams finish several octaves too high.
Success.
I take some small comfort in that. No power in the Galaxy
will ever be able to restore what I have just taken from him.
Whatever else happens, at least he will never
be able to hurt another woman in that way again.
I laugh.
My left lung starts to collapse as the splintered ribs finally
force their way through, but the laughter continues without pause.
Even as my life's blood runs freely from my mouth and the world
swims dizzily in my fading sight, I laugh at him.
Endymion the Eunach.
Something pops inside and sends me into a spasm of white hot agony.
Bile mixes with the blood already in my throat. It burns worse then
the venom of a Uranian Veilcrawler, but there is nothing to do
except endure it.
I can see nothing but darkness now.
My time has nearly run out.
Whoever is listening to this final prayer,
please protect the Princess. Keep her safe,
don't make her pay for my failure, my weakness.
...Please.
It's grown very cold all of a sudden.
My legs, can't feel them anymore.
Can't feel anything at all now.
The pain has finally stopped.
Tired...so very tired.
Serenity.
I will find you again, my beloved.
Even...if it takes...a thousand lifetimes...I...will...find...y-
-Not an end, but a beginning...
Ever have one of those fics where you just need to connect the scenes to finish it?
Something else I want backed up in case my hd ever goes on the fritz.
-Shade
A Certain Point of View
by Shade
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon, other series
not belonging to me have
been used. All praise the
fair use clause!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-1,000 years ago
I hate the rain.
This is not the gentle showers of Neptune, or the quiet
mists of Saturn, but dark and heavy torrents of freezing
water that pound the ground into a thick frothing mud
that sucks at my boots.
A furlined cloak keeps me mostly dry, but inevitably
the icy wetness creeps its way in. I would give much
for the warmth of a fire and some hot broth right now.
Duty is indeed a harsh mistress.
My single condolence is that I am not the only one
out here suffering in the midst of the elements.
"Curse this storm! Why have I been summoned here?!"
His whining is hard on my ears.
"Hmmph."
He quickly turns to stare daggers at me, but whatever he sees
in my eyes in return is enough to make him turn away just
as fast. I admit that a small mean part of me enjoys his
nervousness. But even fear is not enough to stop him from
firing one last verbal barb my way.
"Do you find something funny, peasant?!"
I would not call this man standing across from me "companion"
if he were the only other soul left in the Universe.
We have been the bitterest of foes from the day
that we first knew of each other's existance.
He is the darling son of King Coal, the butchering backstabber
who seized Earth's throne in a bloody coup over twenty years ago.
A spoiled sadist who delights in finding beauty,
luring it into his clutches, and then destroying
it utterly.
He is my half-brother.
Endymion.
The irony is not lost on me.
He is a prince. I am a mere commoner. Yet we both possess the gift
that will determine who will fullfill the long vacant position of
the Guardian of Earth. Coal searched far and wide for the girl
marked by the old prophecy, my mother. And when he finally found her
he took her back to his castle and raped her until she finally bore him
a child. Then he killed her to ensure that there would be no others
of her blood to challenge his bastard son's claim to the Earth's power.
They spent years hunting down the rest of my family.
None were spared the butcher's blade, from the oldest crone
to the newborn babe, every last one of them was slaughtered
without mercy. And always Coal's minions searched for any sign
of my mother's other children.
They killed them wherever they found them.
My brothers. My sisters. All of them.
But they never found me...until it was too late.
I had finally been marked. And so was the younger
half-brother I would eventually come to meet and
loathe similarly selected.
None dared to try and thwart the Planet's will after that.
But this is only a temporary reprieve.
One of us will be chosen, and he knows that as well as I.
If it were not forbidden by ancient law and custom,
I suspect he would have tried to kill me long before now.
Emphasis on the word "try", of course. He and the other nobles
of his father's court have preyed too long on the meek and helpless.
They've gotten soft, forgetting that I am no fearstricken serf to
simply wait for the killing stroke.
I had to learn fighting the hard way. And I still have the scars
to remind me of each and every mistake I've ever made along the way.
The Outer Regions of the Silver Millenium do not suffer fools gladly, or for very long.
Yet I survived...and learned. Necessity is an excellent motivator.
Some things I learned faster then others.
But learn them well I did.
And when I finally came back, I met her.
Princess Serenity.
I will never forget that day.
Grass stains on her knees, a smudge of brown dirt
on the tip of her nose and her royal shoes tossed
carelessly aside as she waded along the shore
of one of the Moon Kingdom's countless ornamental
lakes. Not so much as a hint of shame to be found
when her royal guards finally found her a few moments
later.
It was love at first sight.
The innocent little minx stole my heart without even trying.
Her honesty, her compassion, even her simple enjoyment of life,
everything about her was so different from anyone else I'd
ever met before.
I who knew only darkness, had finally find my light.
But within my newly found hope, I also learned fear.
If anyone else were competing for her hand,
I would at least be comforted in knowing that
the woman I love would be with someone who
loved her almost as much as I do.
With Endymion, this battle has become one that I dare not lose.
The very thought of that bastard's clammy hands touching her
is enough to send a bitter chill running down my spine.
Oh, he says the right things. Acts like a perfect gentleman
while on the Moon. Everyone believes that the prince is
a different sort of man from his father.
I know better.
There are times when I see him looking at Serenity
and there is not a single trace of real emotion in
his eyes.
He hides it well, well enough to fool the Queen and the rest of the Court.
But I have seen the maidens of Earth that he and his "Guardians" raped
and discarded like so many bottles of cheap wine after they were done
with their "fun". Girls whose only crime were to attract the roving eyes
of their social "superiors". Some do not survive the brutality. Others
kill themselves out of shame or as a way to escape the pain. Those who
survive always bear the horrible scars to their dying day.
I know this, but I can never prove it.
At least not to the Moon Kingdom's satisfaction.
If I were to try, Coal's ambassaders would be quick to stall the courts
with legalities stacked upon legalities while the Prince's four henchmen
"clean up" any unsightly evidence. They've done it many times before,
and always the accusations have been ruled as being "without merit".
All my life, I have seen nothing but poverty and suffering on Earth.
A far cry from the peace and prosperity of the Silver Millenium.
And yet for all their power and their advanced technology, they
can do nothing to help my people. Because the very principles
that defines the Millenium's society also prevents them from
interfering with worlds outside their jurisdiction.
I understand it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it.
If there is to be any change, it will take power, not politics-
"Hmmm?"
I sense the change in the wind before Endymion does.
It seems the reason for this night's summons will finally be made clear.
For the Watcher is coming.
I have only seen it once before, when it came on my
twelfth birthday and marked me with the sign of the Earth.
Out of the corner of my eye I glimpse a similar recognition
appear in the Prince's eyes. It seems our long rivalry is
about to come to an end tonight. One way or the other.
I have heard stories that say the Watchers are actually physical
embodiments of a planet's very soul. Having seen one of them
up close and personal, I'm inclined to agree with those tales.
Picture a luminous being over fifty feet tall with a sparkling
frame of spinning crystal and rainbow light that dwarfs even
the legendary titans of old. One that walks through the sky
as easily as you or I might stride along the ground.
It is both magnificent and a frightening sight to witness.
Especially when it is coming towards you.
I can hear the Prince's mount screaming from the nearby grove
where he tied it to one of the trees. His horse is panicking,
and I really can't blame the poor thing. If I had a choice,
I'd probably be running too. Even though I know in my head
that it won't hurt me, my blood screams at me that to stay
is to die.
The same internal battle must be going on in Endymion's head,
but I do not turn to confirm my suspicions. It takes every
ounce of courage I have to simply stand straight and keep
looking at the glowing giant that approaches.
It looms over the two of us like a hungry robin contemplating a juicy worm.
...Bad metaphor. Very bad. I really shouldn't have thought of that.
{ Placid crystal waters of a silent lake shrouded in mists. }
The Watcher's mental projections are so overwhelming that we can't
even comprehend them in the form of words, but instead "see" them
as abstract images.
{ Trees in stillness over a rusting mail plate. Drought
parched riverbanks cracking under the merciless sun.
The clear starry night sky watching over the funeral
pyres of a bloody field. }
My mouth suddenly goes dry as the implications of the message begin to sink in.
It seems there will indeed be a reckoning.
The sudden silence that follows is overwhelming.
I am distracted, time seeming to cease its endless flow.
One of us must die tonight.
I should be rejoicing, is this not what I've strived my whole life for?
But what about Seren-
*hsssst*
It is the quiet rasp of steel being drawn that saves my life.
I duck and turn in one motion, ignoring the saber at my hip in favor
of the kodachi stuck in my belt. My sudden maneuver seems to catch
Endymion off guard, was he really expecting this to be as easy
as simply stabbing me in the back? I'm not sure whether to be
insulted or amused by his arrogance.
"Sss!"
But I do not escape totally unscathed. The tip of his long sword
slashes through cloak, shirt, and the battered leather armor
I wear beneath it to cut a red line across my upper ribs.
Son of a bitch! It stings something fierce, like a line of
raw flame slapped across my side. A brief glance reassures
me that he didn't hit anything vital, but its going to add
another ugly scar to the hundreds that already mark my body.
"Die, you filthy bastard!"
I can see the surprise and anger in his eyes, but another
unexpected emotion is there too.
Fear.
"I'll kill you!"
But there is no time to ponder about the where's and why's of it.
My blade catches his second swing high and with a sudden push
to take advantage of my position's lower center of gravity
I shove him off balance long enough for me to unsheath my saber
and get a little more distance between us.
"Oof!"
My half-brother has much of his father's brute strength,
if I'd been a hair slower the cut along my side would
have spitted me like a roast sheep.
But I inherited our mother's agility.
And with both of my swords out, its time to take full advantage of it.
"The power is *MINE*! You won't take it from me!! Its my destiny!!"
Stupid. He should be saving all of his breath for fighting, not ranting.
The thick mud here hampers us both, but I've fought in this kind of terrain before.
Somehow I doubt that Endymion has ever had a similar experience.
His sullen dark platemail offers better protection then my battered
old leathers, but its also a lot heavier. That slows him down twice over
here, between the weight and the mud I should have a clear advantage in speed
as long as I'm careful. But there is a glint of madness in his eyes
that disturbs me, there's nothing worse then an unpredictable opponent.
They tend to do the last thing you expect.
And in a battle, surprises are all too often fatal.
I circle him warily, testing his defenses with a few controlled thrusts.
"Coward!"
He's slower then me, but not by enough of a margin that I'd be
willing to risk closing with him now in order to try and finish
this quickly.
"Fight me, damn your eyes!"
Time is on my side.
Endymion favors his right, not surprising since most men-at-arms are trained as such.
He covers his left side with an oversized black tower shield emblazened
with Coal's symbol, the red two-headed serpent. Dear Earth, how I hate
that standard and everything it stands for.
With an effort I reign in the rage that threatens to ignite in my veins.
I need Ice, not Fire.
"What are you waiting for, you whoreson! Say something!!"
I can almost smell his increasing nervousness as I continue to circle him patiently.
I look for even a single hole in his defense.
Just one slip up and he's mine.
His boots have sunk even further into the mud, he must outweigh me by a good
ten stone at least even without his armor. I'm suddenly glad that Endymion's
such an idiot, if I were in his shoes I would have simply used the initial
surprise to grapple and finished the job with a dagger. Simple but effective.
Ten years in the Outer System will do that to a person.
It also teaches patience...if you survive long enough.
On my sixth pass he finally makes a mistake.
His ankles get caught for a moment too long in the mud.
It throws his timing off, and for a few precious seconds his guard is weakened
as he tries to compensate for the uncertain balance that he suddenly finds himself in.
I'm already moving.
Frantically he brings his shield arm up.
Angry blue sparks fly as my saber is parried away from his armor's shoulder joint.
Shit!
His shield's got some kind of magic on it.
Has to be Black Market Millenium casting. The embargo of Earth
is still in effect as far as I know. But greed respects no planet's
boundaries. I should have known that Endymion would have a few
tricks like this up his sleeve.
But he only managed to stop one of my blades.
I feel the slender blade of my kodachi bite into his left thigh,
slipping between the thick steel plates like a deadly little wasp.
"Gyaaah!"
Just a few more seconds to reach the artery and its all ove-
My field of view suddenly turns black and red.
*WHAM*
"Whuuuf!"
I nearly fall over backwards as blood spurts hotly from my nose and a ringing sensation fills my ears.
That damn shield again!
My eyes begin to tear up, but I fight it off as best I can.
Lose sight of him now and I'm dead. Sloshing in the mud from
his direction alerts me to his charge.
I dodge back out of his reach with difficulty. My whole head is sore,
and the semi-solid footing doesn't make it any easier.
This time he tries to take the offensive.
I yield ground willingly enough. My nose is starting to go numb,
which means its probably broken again. As if I didn't already
have enough bumps in it to last a lifetime.
He barely seems hampered by the slash on his leg.
Damn.
Looks like the idiot is finally starting to catch on.
He's finally ceased his childish taunting and actually
seems to be completely focused on the fight now.
I notice also that my back is getting too close to the trees.
On the next attack, I finally move forward to meet him.
I lose a few more hairs near the nape of my neck, but avoid
anything more permanent in the way of injuries this time.
Again his shield comes up to stop my shorter blade from connecting.
That thing is really starting to piss me off.
He manages to get his long sword into position quickly
enough to block my kodachi on the bluish grey steel.
The force of his counterblow nearly rips the light blade
out of my grip.
I step back again, both blades out as I continue to try and wear him down.
Again he presses the attack, and this time I meet his charge
with a flurry of strikes that fail to penetrate his defenses,
but also drive him back a bit.
Time passes.
How much, I don't know. All my concentration is on the fight.
But our battle gradually begins to assume the form of a stylized dance.
I can't match his brute strength, and he can't move fast enough to force
me into close combat. So we jockey for position, pitting both my blades against
his sword and shield. Our breaths steam in the moist air, the only constant
sound the ring of steel on steel and the slopping squish of the mud.
My arms and legs are beginning to feel as if red hot coals
had been thrust deep into them.
But bad as it is for me, I can see in Endymion's face that it's even worse for him.
He's slowing down, his swings getting more and more clumsy. Only that enchanted shield
remains unaffected by his fatigue, time and again it keeps me away from his vitals.
But that's okay.
I've already figured out how to deal with it.
My cuts and thrusts start working their way lower and lower,
forcing him to keep his guard concentrated near his middle.
Even he can tell I'm up to something. Its almost a textbook
example for a bait and switch attack. Force your opponent to
defend one area, then hit them in a totally different spot.
He knows what's coming. And I'm counting on it.
On my next pass my swords come in high and close together.
Endymion growls in triumph as he sees his opportunity.
The shield comes up to block both blades, while his own sword
comes out wide in preparation for the strike against my open
side.
Exactly as planned.
Because as the shield rises to protect his neck, it blocks
his sight for a crucial second. For that single precious
moment, I am free to move.
There is a sickening tearing sensation from my leading ankle
as I twist it sharply around, abrubtly redirecting all of my
momentum toward his sword arm. The pain makes me want to retch
and vomit, but I push it aside.
Everything I have left goes into this attack.
All or nothing. Live or Die-
<snip>
He soils himself, literally sobbing in utter terror.
A hoarse growl of anger sounds.
I almost don't recognize it for a moment. It hardly sounds human.
Then I realize that it's coming from me.
I want to savor this moment. I want to feel *something*,
sastisfaction, joy, relief...instead there is only this
frustration.
"Nooo!!"
Blue grey steel stabs downward.
"...*Gasp*...*whimper..."
The blade misses his throat by two fingerswidth
and slams point first into the muddy ground.
I can't do it.
Honorless bastard though he is, he is still my brother.
No matter how much I hate him, I just can't kill him
in cold blood like this.
I want to rebuild the land and restore the people,
but if I slay him here and now I would be no better
then Coal and his minions.
Justice. Not vengence.
"Get up."
He looks at me in confused disbelief.
<snip>
His screams finish several octaves too high.
Success.
I take some small comfort in that. No power in the Galaxy
will ever be able to restore what I have just taken from him.
Whatever else happens, at least he will never
be able to hurt another woman in that way again.
I laugh.
My left lung starts to collapse as the splintered ribs finally
force their way through, but the laughter continues without pause.
Even as my life's blood runs freely from my mouth and the world
swims dizzily in my fading sight, I laugh at him.
Endymion the Eunach.
Something pops inside and sends me into a spasm of white hot agony.
Bile mixes with the blood already in my throat. It burns worse then
the venom of a Uranian Veilcrawler, but there is nothing to do
except endure it.
I can see nothing but darkness now.
My time has nearly run out.
Whoever is listening to this final prayer,
please protect the Princess. Keep her safe,
don't make her pay for my failure, my weakness.
...Please.
It's grown very cold all of a sudden.
My legs, can't feel them anymore.
Can't feel anything at all now.
The pain has finally stopped.
Tired...so very tired.
Serenity.
I will find you again, my beloved.
Even...if it takes...a thousand lifetimes...I...will...find...y-
-Not an end, but a beginning...
Ever have one of those fics where you just need to connect the scenes to finish it?
Something else I want backed up in case my hd ever goes on the fritz.
-Shade
