Σ(。д°(o--(ಠ益ಠ )
Author
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Hotsprings Resort
Age: 37
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Alright. This is the last short for a while, I promise.
But at least, with this out of the way, the rabid ficbunny in my head has finally been put down. Now I can focus on writing Gospel.
Now then. This one is the result of listening to the Daughter of Evil, Servant of Evil, Message of Regret, and Re_Birthday vocaloid series on youtube one too many times. I'd definitely suggest others to go listen to it, but only for those who can handle tragedy. I also wrote it in a day.
Without further ado...
Spoiler for The Last Dance:
Today was the Saint’s Day Grand Ball. Both a religious and social event, hundreds of people
have gathered this day at the church headquarters to attend this historically majestic event. The
rich and the influential, leaders and celebrities alike mingled in this high-class party. Due to
Hayate Yagami’s growing influence, it was no surprise that the members of Riot Force Six were
invited to attend this ball – Carim would’ve done it herself, anyways. So here they were,
surrounded by Mid-Childa’s upper crust, clad in stunningly beautiful dresses, and treated to the
best food on the planet.
Still, the Four Aces of the Time Space Administration Bureau felt overwhelmingly out of place.
Especially when the hour of the dance was fast approaching..
“Wait, you mean all of you don’t know how to dance?!” Hayate looked incredulously at her best
friends. They had all been standing to the side, watching as the room shifted and cleared to
prepare the dance floor. Now, they realized too late their collective inability to participate.
Their silence and bowed heads only confirmed Hayate’s question, inciting a sigh from the short girl.
“Ah… well I guess I worried too much over nothing!” the Kansai native laughed nervously,
twirling a silver ribbon around a finger.
“What do you mean, Hayate-chan?” Nanoha asked, resplendent in elegant pink and red.
“I can’t dance either!”
“Oi. Don’t make us worry like that! We can get though this without dancing just fine…” Keroko
sighed, looking particularly uncomfortable in her black evening gown.
“Um… It shames me to say this, but I think even Erio-kun and Caro-chan knows more about
dancing than I do…” Fate couldn’t look up from the floor with that admission.
A moment of silence passed before all four of them heaved simultaneous sighs.
The lights dimmed, then, as the music grew louder. Immediately the dance floor was occupied
by a number of guests, a cacophony of twirling colors with their dark-suited companions.
Despite her earlier shame, the blonde Ace was quite pleased at seeing her dear children dancing
together.
Though the occasional childish awkwardness interrupted them, Erio and Caro glided across the
floor as elegantly as any of the other couples there with them. In fact, their presence attracted a
number of whispers and giggles among the watching crowd, a sound that only grew as the
red-headed boy was suddenly passed on to a young lady with long violet hair.
“My, Erio-kun’s quite the charmer!” Hayate laughed as the boy was passed to a new partner.
Subaru’s high energy steps, however, soon made her the leading dancer.
“Heh. He’ll have to be careful, if he wants to avoid stepping on any feet,” Keroko smirked.
“Ah! Look, Nanoha! It’s Vivio!” Fate pointed excitedly into the crowd, Nanoha quickly
following the direction. Indeed, there she was, utterly adorable in her sunflower yellow dress,
gracefully flowing over the dance floor with impeccable steps. But what was this child’s secret?
How was this girl dancing so well! Oh! So that was it… Her dance partner, Zafira, was careful
to avoid bumping into anyone, as Vivio danced with her feet on top of his.
“Ne, Hayate-chan, why didn’t you ask Zafira to teach you? He seems pretty good at it.”
“Ahaha… well… I didn’t know about that either,” the short girl admitted with a timid smile.
“Well, at least we won’t look as silly as Chrono-kun.”
“Aahh, he learned last night, didn’t he?”
“And zero practice. Poor Amy…”
“Waah—Mother!?” Fate yelped, bringing a hand up to her mouth in surprise. The other Aces
followed her vision once more, sighting another pair of dancers. Indeed, it was Lindy Harlaown,
capturing the attention of many with nigh flawless execution of the Belkan Waltz. What caught
the Aces’ attention, however, was her partner. Swathed in black and red, Noland Reiniger
appeared perfectly in place in the dance as his long Knight’s coat swept over the floor with
Lindy’s dress.
“Waa… Nice one, Lindy-san.”
They watched them dance to the end of the song, to which a practically giddy Lindy reluctantly
passed on her partner for a new one. With each new song came a new partner; though it all, the
knight smiled politely and indulged them. With each successive partner, Keroko found herself
growing more and more agitated, her hand twitching each time. Unfortunately, this did not go
unnoticed by the others.
“Ne, Keroko-chan…” Hayate started
“Hmm? What is it?” she answered without looking away.
“You really want to go up and dance with him, don’t you?” a sly Kansai grin crossed Hayate’s
face.
Keroko’s head whipped around to face the girl, “Wha—What are you talking about!?”
“Oho. What an energetic reaction! I must be right then!”
“Just go up and ask him! He’s not going to turn you away, definitely!” Nanoha added.
“Wha?! No! I can’t do that! I don’t even know how to dance!” Keroko had her arms up in
warding gestures.
“Then ask him to teach you,” Fate cut in. “That’s how Erio and Caro learned. Lutecia too.”
“Right on the dance floor? You’ve got to be kidding me!”
“Details! Just go ask him! What’ve you got to lose?”
“My pride?” the redheaded mage muttered under her breath, diverting her gaze away just in time
to see Noland finally turn down a lady then approach a refreshments table. This… this was
probably the best chance she had right now. Downing the contents of her drink in one go, a
slightly flushed Keroko stood with resolution in here eyes. “Alright! Here I go, then!”
With her friends quietly supporting her from behind, Keroko strode towards the knight, her heart
louder in her ears than her own footsteps. Ten meters. Five meters. Two. One. Within arm’s
length, the ace breathed deeply and steeled herself to ask that fateful question. Her voiced died
in her throat, however, as she saw a mysterious girl appear rather suddenly and literally pulled
the knight back to the dance floor.
Who…?!
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Drink in hand, Noland sighed as he allowed a short rest for his feet. So many people had come
up to ask him to dance after Lady Lindy’s request, an exhausting ordeal that sapped his energy.
Still, it was a nostalgic setting, and he was having fun. It was to his surprise, however, that his
arm suddenly be captured by a small pair of hands and pulled him to the side. Before he could
voice a complaint, however, the stranger spoke with haunting familiarity.
“May I have this dance, sir Knight?”
“Wha—” Noland’s breath hitched up in his throat, his heart almost exploding as ancient
memories flooded his mind. This voice, this presence, a sense of charisma he had not felt in
centuries! But how could it be? It was impossible! She had died! His speech dropped to a
frantic whisper, “Who… who are you?!”
“Hush. There is no need to theatrics, Reiniger,” the woman murmured, grasping the man’s hands
and guiding him gently to the dance floor. “Just dance with me, please? Time is not my ally this
night.”
How he wished he wasn’t blind! Then he could see for himself if this person was truly the one he
wished to both believe and deny. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Noland only nodded his
consent and followed the lady’s pull, seamlessly stepping into the music.
“You’ve become quite popular with the womenfolk of this era,” she observed with a small, wry
grin.
“I…”
“Oh, still in shock? I would not have expected you to be affected so.”
They glided across the floor in perfect harmony with the music, attracting the eyes of the
partygoers. Other dancers moved out of the way for this pair as they flawlessly danced the
Belkan Waltz, as if they had done so for years.
“Is… is this a dream?” he whispered, the knight’s mind both a blank and a frenzy of thoughts.
“I am merely a fleeting wish, a selfish request, dispelled by the midnight bell,” she smiled sadly,
squeezing her partner’s hand as she gazed at him. “I’m glad that I could see you one last time.”
“I wish I could say the same, my lady. But to feel you this close… it’s enough.”
“Do you… resent me for what I had done? To rob you of status, sight, and sanity; I’ve done
horrible, unforgiveable things to you, all for selfish reasons…”
There was only the briefest moments of hesitation, barely a pause before Noland spoke, “You
were… you are my Kaiser, and I am your servant. Even if the world turns against you, to
protect you, I will become an evil by your side.”
Noland felt her grip stiffen, her steps almost off. There was a slight tremble in her voice as she
spoke again, thick with emotion.
“You… how could you say that to me? That’s unfair! Don’t lie to me, Reiniger!”
“Since when have I ever lied to you?”
They fell silent, merely dancing to the song amidst a sea of other dancers. Even as the music
paused and changed, the two missed not a single beat. Soon, however, they became the center
of attention, the sole dancers upon the floor, their space given by the impressed and the eager.
Yet, the two dancers could not see the world around them. They could only see each other.
“Do you know what I did the night before that fateful day?” she finally broke their silence, loud
enough only for the two of them to hear “I remembered something you told me once, and I called
it silly. But then, that night, I could think of nothing else.”
Noland spoke no louder than a murmur, “What was it?”
“I took a glass bottle, sealed with a message written on parchment, and threw it into the sea. As
the waves carried that little bottle away, I knelt before the rising moon, my hands clasped in
prayer. Tears clouded my vision, for I knew the tragedy that would soon unfold. I had sinned,
and I could not repent. But even then, I begged…” her voice dropped to a whisper that even
Noland could barely hear, “If we could be reborn… then I’d want to be with you again.”
Though she spoke in pained recollection, a brilliant smile was spread across her face, and tears
slowly fell from red and green heterochromatic eyes.
“My wish was granted.”
Noland gave no response, but his small smile spoke volumes more than any words could.
“Can you listen to one last request? Not as your leader, but from me as a person…?”
“Yes,” he nodded gently. “Ask me anything.”
“This child’s life, her destiny, is her own. Please, let her live the way she wants.”
“By your will, with all my strength.”
The music faded to an end, leaving the two of them to finish their waltz. It was over. An end to a
dance, an end to a dream. She laid her head upon Noland’s chest one final time.
“Thank you, my wonderful Knight. Thank you for this last dance.”
A deep, rich bell rang once, and with it, the room was enveloped by darkness. By the second
bell, the lights had returned, leaving guests bewildered but unharmed. His arms still held in front
of him, the warmth left on his hands quickly fading, the knight stood by his lonesome in the
middle of that empty floor. Twelve times the bell rang, each one sounding more forlorn than the
previous. At its end, Noland’s arms fell to his sides, but still he did not move from his spot.
Though the bustling, confused crowed, Keroko managed to push her way to the dance floor.
None paid her any heed as she approached the knight, not even himself. She had felt rather
frustrated and a little angry during the entire dance, but such anxiety bled out quickly as she came
close. Now, she felt a little worried…
“Hey, are you alright?” Keroko let a gloved hand touch the man on the shoulder.
The contact seemed to startle him awake, his shoulders jerking as he suddenly breathed in.
Slowly, he turned to face her with a melancholic smile, “Ah. Lady Keroko. I just had an
amazing dream…”
Keroko stifled a gasp as she took in his appearance. The fabric that wrapped around his eyes
were slightly damp, a water stain slowly growing upon the blessed material.
He… he’s crying?
“What kind of dream was it?” she asked gently.
“It was… a wonderful, sorrowful dream.”
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