Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Dark Moon Ascendant ❯ Dark Legend Revealed ( Chapter 6 )

Disclaimers: I don't own anything related to Weiss Kreuz. I wish I did so that I can retire happy. ::sighs:: Such a pity…

***************************************

Chapter 6: Dark Legend Revealed

It is said that in the chaos of Time, two distinct entities made their presence felt. Perhaps they could be simply labelled as the force of Good and the force of Evil. Whatever they may be, they serve to shape the universe into its current state of affairs. Two opposing forces; each serving to override the other yet at the same time forming a strange unity in keeping a balance. It may be argued that the force of Good would eventually triumph over that of Evil but that would be circumscribing to religious dogma. It does make it rather interesting though; the proverbial struggle of Good over Evil, however one wishes to look at it. But that was the way it started, and therefore not really relevant to what is happening now. Or is it?

It is through this perpetual conflict, that both forces choose to manifest themselves in various physical and even metaphysical forms to continue their struggle for dominance. The force of Evil opting for the darkness and fear to overpower that of Good which in turn choose to embody that of light and hope. On this plane however, the force of Evil chose to manifest itself as the Great Demon, harbinger of the prophetic Apocalypse.

As for that of Good, the manifestation of its force was that of the Hunter and the spiritual Guardians to aid him or her. Good never chooses to define itself purely, it instead chooses those who are courageous enough to accept the fate cast upon them to fight on its behalf. This is why at times when that courage falters, the force of Evil is then able to corrupt it. Yet as it always is, the balance will then begin to tilt back and the endless struggle continues with the victories and losses on either side. And it is throughout this plane of existence the battle rages on.

For over a thousand years, the being known as the Great Demon slumbered within the place bound by the Four Seals. The knowledge of these Seals have been lost within the mists of human memory but they have been described as being that of the Sacred Beast gods representing the four directions - Genbu (North), Seiryuu (East), Suzaku (South) and Byakko (West). The previous battle that threatened the fate of all upon this world had been averted with serious casualties on the side of Good. The Demon remained sealed away yet even so its power persisted even in its greatly diminished form.

Over the centuries, various foolish attempts to release it had been averted with much effort on that of the successive Hunters and their spiritual Guardians. No matter how secure the seals have been created, that which is of the raw power created from before the dawn of time could still leak through. It is this leaking power that draws those sworn to Evil to it, seducing and tempting them to free it from its current captivity. Even now, its power calls out throughout the world searching for one powerful enough to release it. And to that challenge, the Three Elders had responded.

The first attempt to shatter the seals failed when the Hunter and the Guardians had interfered in the Summoning ceremony. The seals were then reinforced through the sacrifice of one of the Guardians and the result was another fifty years of peace. Unfortunately for the Hunter, the three who started it managed to escape and had since then remained elusive. With the eventual passing of that Hunter, the successor had yet to appear. However, given the peace there had been little need for a successor.

That is, until the Three returned to perform the ceremony once more. But the Hunter had not surfaced to disrupt the proceedings as before. Instead, two groups of individuals each serving their own needs brought about the final downfall of the Elders. It could be said that miracles do happen but at what cost? Even now, with the arrival of the new Hunter and her Guardians, it seems as though Evil is preparing itself for the final showdown. Will it be averted once more or will this time be the last stand for the force of Good on this plane of existence?

***************************************

Momoe-san leaned back into her seat as she tiredly rubbed the bridge of her nose. It had been difficult to relate the legend but there could be no reason to deny the newest Hunter the knowledge that was her destiny. Now came the difficult part - would Aya be able to accept this and learn to embrace her promised role or would she turn away from it?

That was the problem when it came to such things, the choice made could either save the world or damn it. Momoe-san certainly hoped that Aya would save it. The alternative was too horrible to bear. Inwardly, she too hoped that the two groups would aid Aya in her new role. While Weiss would prove to be more willing given the ties that bind, Schwarz could be the biggest obstacle after Aya's decision. Momoe-san knew that the situation was approaching a crisis stage and that if all the necessary parties were not in place, all hell would literally break loose.

Aya kept her increasingly chaotic thoughts to herself as she listened to Momoe-san's narration. Things appeared to be overtaking her and Aya never felt lonelier than she did at this moment. The weight of the world seemed to be literally upon her shoulders and she did not know if she could handle it. 'Nii-san, I wish you were here!' her mind cried out. Aya felt her fists clench as she recalled all the once-exciting discoveries she had made since her awakening.

Memories of her attempting near supernormal feats to the night of her first encounter with that creature flooded her mind, and she felt herself almost drowning with the full realisation of her current situation. She could not handle such a responsibility, could she?

Aya had never had to worry too much about anything throughout her life, even from the time she had awakened from her coma. All that she had to worry about was overcoming the grief she still felt over the loss of her family, everything else having been taken care of by her late brother. That is, until this earth-shattering news. And all that Aya wanted to do was to scream at the injustice of it all.

"Aya-chan, are you alright?" Momoe-san asked gently, her eyes watching the now eerily silent girl. Aya looked ready to explode but whether in anger or hysterics, the old lady could not guess.

"Why me?"

Momoe-san took a deep breath at the strangely calm tone. Aya was walking an extremely fine line and Momoe-san had to come up with a good answer not to tip the girl over. Biting her lower lip, the old lady reached out to grasp the girl's icy hand. Jerking up at the warm contact, Aya finally looked her in the eye. It was now or never.

"You have always been special, Aya-chan. Your family knew it and your brother knew it too. That was why he continued living while you lay sleeping. Your well being was all he cared about, he knew you would make it even if he didn't. He protected you not only as a brother but also as the hope for the future. Without realising it, Ran sacrificed himself for your sake. He was more than your brother, Aya-chan; he was your Guardian as well. By ensuring your survival, he ensured his too. I don't really know how to explain this Aya-chan but I hope that you will believe me when I say that we need you. All of us."

"I-I don't know… I'm so confused," Aya replied, tears spilling from darkened eyes.

'Nii-san was my Guardian?' The thought kept chasing itself around in her mind.

"I know that it is too much for you to take right now, but I hope you'll understand that this is not an elaborate hoax we planned for you. There is a crisis approaching and we need to prepare for it. Last year when it happened during your coma, you were rescued through sheer luck of having your Guardians there to save you. This time however, you will have to be a part of it." Momoe-san said as she gently patted the girl's clutching hand.

"Whatever you may feel or think Aya-chan, please remember this - you are not alone. You now have us here for you. And when fate is willing, you will meet with those whose destinies are entwined with yours."

***************************************

A week later…

For the seventh consecutive night Aya stared at the ceiling, wide-eyed and troubled. Ever since Momoe-san's startling explanation of the Hunter's legend and all its attending mysteries, Aya had swung from near hysterics to bone-shaking fear. On several occasions, she wondered if she had gone mad and that it was all some strange hallucination brought about by eating expired cheesecake. But her greatest fear was that she was still trapped in her coma dream and there was no escape from it. No matter how she wanted to look at it, the fact remained that she was destined for the role of the Hunter.

"Why me?" she whispered to the wispy shadows dancing by her window. "Why not Nii-san? Why not Sakura-chan? Why me?" This had become her new mantra. A part of her chided her for wishing this fate upon others but she did not care anymore. Events were overtaking her and she could not find the brakes to stop it. Sighing heavily, she turned over to look out the window.

The moon was high in the sky, its silver-gold crescent struggling against the darkness pressing around it from all sides. It felt to Aya that she was like the moon then, fighting so hard to understand, let alone accept the plans Fate had laid out for her. Staring at it, Aya began to feel herself relaxing. Despite the moon's weak light, its glow remained, even from behind the few clouds that crossed it. And like the moon, Aya felt the loneliness of facing the world with no one but yourself to lean on. Momoe-san, Sakura-chan, Seki-san, and even once upon a time, her Nii-san may support and care for her but in the end, Aya had to survive on her own. Didn't she?

She loved the moon; its waning and waxing a metaphor for her life now. Her past was fading yet what few memories lingered bittersweet and true, and she would forever cherish them. But the future called out to her, a strange promise that was both threatening and exciting in its intensity. In spite of herself, Aya shivered at the primal call. She was the Hunter, it had been determined since her birth and she could never run away from it. Momoe-san had warned her of the choice she had to make. Aya closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, the answer she had to give finally releasing her from the pain and confusion that had smothered her for a week. Now secure in her decision, Aya was barely aware when sleep claimed her.

***************************************

The next morning…

Gazing into the old woman's eyes, Aya felt the calm returning. She wasn't alone; she never was and in a way, never would be. There were her Guardians out there waiting to meet her and to join her in this coming battle; all she had to do was to find them and prove to them that she was worthy of their protection. A part of her began to stir in excitement, the thrill of the impending challenge awakening her Hunter's instincts. Maybe now she would be able to prove herself as being more than what she had once thought she was.

Aya was no longer the weak girl she had believed herself to be. Her destiny was now laid out before her and all it needed was for her to take that first step on it. So what was there to hold her back? Even as she looked deep within herself, Aya knew that she had already accepted the role from before. All the fears and worries for the future would be dealt with in time but until then, she had to give her answer. Before that however, she had to offer a small prayer of thanks and to seek a blessing from her brother. Closing her eyes momentarily, she prayed.

'Nii-san, I know I can be strong for your sake. I promise to make your sacrifice worthwhile and to follow the destiny I have been given. Please guide me wherever you may be. I love you so much.'

Opening her eyes once more, she noticed that Seki had appeared to stand by Momoe-san's shoulder. His clear green eyes seemed to glow in anticipation and hope, as did Momoe-san's. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, Aya spoke the words that sealed her fate.

"Momoe-san, what do I have to do to become a Hunter?"

***************************************

Author's Notes: Finally completed this chapter. It feels as though I ripped off the explanation for the Demon from the Slayers. Heh, maybe on some subconscious level I did. As for the four Sacred Beasts thing, it is a perfectly legitimate and not something copied from Fushigi Yuugi blindly. Representing the four directions, I thought they would serve as a metaphor for the four corners of the world. Like I said earlier, I'm not all that good coming up with detailed things like this so I tried the best I could given the circumstances. I prefer to write character stories as opposed to explaining all the technical stuff that unfortunately seems necessary to give the story a little more credibility. [How we suffer for our art… ^^]

Although it's quite late into the story and I'm only beginning to start tying things together, I will be honest in saying that the story will not be moving as fast as it supposedly should. This is simply because I want to explore and build upon the characters' interactions with one another and the development of the overall story and characters. I'm a very particular writer as I've recently discovered. I guess it's because I want to write a fic that I would in fact enjoy reading. Btw, Action/Adventure is very loosely used here as I plan to focus more on Drama/Angst and some Supernatural. But I will definitely have a chapter dedicated purely to Action!

So, please drop a review to let me know what you think of the story thus far. Till the next chapter, ja ne!