Apocalypse -trial of soldiers-

[DJ OMiY]

It seems that I'm not the first to be leaning toward apocalypse for inspiration, but hey, I have an original story. It includes MANY MANY bemani references, most are overly blatant, but to a person that had no knowledge of BEMANI, it would sound convincing. Let's see what you think:

APOCALYPSE -trial of soldiers-
by XepherBeatM

Chapter 1: A Warning

The first rays of the sun broke through the castle window. Dawn was breaking in Oratorio. Yuu woke to the sounds of birds singing outside of the window. She smiled softly, and got out of bed. She was held as the most beautiful woman in Oratorio, and was constantly being asked to marry by various rich suitors. Of course, being a princess of Oratorio helped her standnigs, but that's beyond the point.

"Not now, Taek," she said, as her cat wound through her legs. She picked him up and walked out of her room. Yuu often walked through the castle in her white nightgown. She felt like an angel in it.

The hallways were bright with light coming in from the large windows in the wall. Yuu was looking out of one when she was startled by another person.

"Princess Yuu?" someone said.

"Yes?"

"Your father wishes to see you in the library." The boy said. Yuu smiled.

"Thank you, Oliver." She looked around. "I'd better hurry. Daddy will be mad if I'm late."

She ran down the main stairs and across the hall to the library, where her father was waiting.

"Yuu, you're up." he said, grinning.

"Yes, Daddy. I'm up. Now, you said you wanted to see me?"

Her father came over. "Yes, I did. Yuu, I need to talk to you about something."

Her father's mood seemed to darken. Yuu got worried. What could be worrying him?

"Yuu, there have been some...issues... with Oratorio's neighbor, Arrynet. And I'm not sure how it is going to turn out."

Yuu looked away. Her dad knew how much she hated war and tensions between countries. Why was he discussing this with her then? It didn't make any sense! "Why are you telling me this?" Yuu asked.

"Look, darling. I only want you to know what is happenning, so that if things do get dangerous, you can get out of harm's way."

She pushed away and began to pace the room. War, with Arrynet? She knew the royal family at Arrynet. Why would they be warring?

Too many why's!

She ran out of the room and back to the upper hallways. She sat in the sill of the large windows and begn to cry softly. Why war? Why NOW!

Her brother, Zane, was walking down the hallway when he saw Yuu crying.

"Yuu? Yuu! What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

"Everything," she weeped. "Everything is wrong."

"What are you talking about?" Zane replied. "Your birthday is in a few days, and the celebration will be fantastic!"

"Not if there's a war going on..."

"War?!"

Yuu had to explain to situation to her older brother. After the explanation, his look was grim. They both knew that Zane was part of the army. If there was a war, he would have to join the fight.

"Yuu, you have to listen to me. Yuu!"

She looked at him.

"Listen, we have to do something ourselves, we have to find out some things ourselves. Let's go. We have to find out what's going on at Arrynet."

Yuu nodded.

-----------------------------

[DJ OMiY]

Chapter 2: A Question

Yuu and Zane went to go change into civilian clothes. After they had done so, they sneaked down a back stairwell and out of a servant's door. Zane and Yuu had to hide their faces like beggars to keep from being noticed. After walking for a few hourse, they reached the border of Oratorio.

"Are we sure we want to do this?" Yuu asked.

"I am, so you can come with me or not," Zane replied. Yuu followed. They crossed the Border Bridge, and continued on toward the Capital City of Arrynet, Arperald. Now, unknown to the bulk of the population, they no longer needed to hide their faces and could be a little more open.

"Yuu, do you know anybody besides the royal family here?" Zane wondered.

"No, I don't."

"Good. That's makes everything easier. You can ask questions without being suspected about anything."

"Do you know anybody, Zane?"

"Nope."

"Ok, then..." They split up and agreed to return to the Border Bridge in two hours. Zane started asking around, but wasn't getting much out of anybody, until a castle servant said, "Yeah, there's a rumor in the castle, but I'm not sure if it's true or not."

Yuu talked to a few townspeople who had heard the same thing. After two hours, they were back at the Border Bridge.

"So," Yuu began. "Rumors, no solid fact, and no reason either."

"Yeah, but that doesn't rule anything out yet."

Yuu looked down the road toward Oratorio. Would this road become a path to destruction, or stay a peaceful traveler's road? Only time will tell.

They turned to leave when, suddenly, someone grabbed Yuu's shoulder.

Yuu tried to scream but a hand was clapped over her mouth. Her brother turned and saw her.

"Yuu!"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna go anything. Just be quiet!"

"Who are you!" her brother yelled, getting right in his face.

"Geez, sorry. I just needed your attention." He let go of Yuu and she went to her brother, holding hi sarm tightly.

"Now, who are you?" Zane asked again, annoyed.

"Name's Zektbach. Seer. And you two need to know something very important Prince and Princess."

"How did you know who we were?" Yuu said, sounding alarmed.

"I know almost everything," Zektbach answered. "Now, you two were here to verify if there is to be a war, right? Well, let me tell you: A war is coming! You two need to get back to Oratorio and act as if you were never here, but, the war will be at hand shortly!"

The two looked at each other, unsure of what t do next.

"Don't linger! GO!"

Yuu and Zane broke off into the evening toward Oratorio.

----------------------------

[DJ OMiY]

Chapter 3: A Sin

Yuu and Zane had made it back to Oratorio, and got back into the castle. Changing back into royal garments, they quickly resumed normal activities. Yuu began drawing the vista from the windows like she did as a child, and Zane read next to her.

The King was running down the hallway, and stopped when he saw Yuu and Zane. "There you two are! We've been looking all over for you. Come quickly, there is to be a announcement made and you two must be there."

Yuu and Zane put down what they were doing and follwoed their father. They stepped out onto the balcony where their mother was waiting.

"You two have got to stop moving around! It took us hours just to find you!" She said quietly.

"Sorry, mother." They both said.

They took their seats as the King stepped up and made some announcements, all of which were quite dull. Yuu noticed that none of them dealt with war or Arynnet. She leaned over to Zane and he said he had noticed the same thing. After the announcements, Yuu and Zane went back to the large windows and continued what they were doing, until it was too dark to read or draw. Then they went to their bedrooms.

Yuu fell asleep with Taek in her arms.

---------------------

The next morning, she was awoken by Zane.

"Yuu. Yuu! Wake up!"

"Wha...Zane?"

"Yes, Yuu it's going to happen!"

"WHAT?!"

Zane was already in armor and had his sword. Yuu looked at him in horror.

"It's really going to happen?" Yuu asked, beginning to feel tears.

"I know, Yuu. I know. And there is nothing we can do to stop it." He felt a tear fall from his eye too. A captain came running by the door.

"Let's move it, soldier!"

"Yuu, be strong." He kissed her softly on the forehead and ran off the join the troops.

"ZANE!" She cried and ran out into the hallway, seeing her brother cast one last glance over his shoulder before turning the corner.

She ran, once again, to the windows and surveyed the field. She could she, faintly, blue glistening armor to the west, coming from Arrynet. Green armor was coming from the castle gates.

She tuned away and sat against the wall, crying severely. She tried to push the images of her brother out of her head, but to no avail. She began to sing a song her mother taught her when she felt sad...

Swans sing before they die.

There songs resound throughtout the sky...

And I drop a rose petal,

down the sea of blood and tears.

Yuu could take it no longer, she flung herself to the windowsill and began to scream out onto the field.

I keep praying WHY DO YOU FEEL NOTHING?

WHY DO YOU INJURE ONE ANOTHER?

WHY? AGGRESSIVE CULTURE OF DESPOTISM!

WHY? YOU NEVER WIN THE CURSED WAR!

Images continued to flash through her mind.

First a picture of the her, her brother and her parents on the balcony. GLORY...

Then a picture of her father worried face. DECLINE...

Her brother kissing her forehead. DELUSION...

Zektbach giving them the warning that they did nothing about. ARROGANCE...

Yuu crying when Zane found her. SILENCE...

Zane attempting to strike Zektbach. ANGER...

Yuu crying again this morning. SILENCE...

Seeing Zane cast the last look over his shoulder. MADNESS...

A loud noise distracted her from her thoughts. The Arynnet army had begun to charge. Yuu looked on again in horror as the armies charged.

Before they met, she screamed, "NOOOOOOOO!!!"

The battle raged. he kept trying to find her brother among the soldiers, but she couldn't find him. He was just like them. He would become just another soldier lost in the battle.

An hour later, all was quiet. The soldiers had seperated, 100 feet between them. She looked on as the dead were left in the middle. At least none of them were her brother, she realized.

She began to sing again. This time loudly but still with a sad edge.

Now the fire has burned out and what is left is built of ice...

The soldiers from both armies looked at the window to see Yuu standing there in her flowing white nightgown singing words that they will remember forever.

This sounds like heaven! I vaguely hear a moan of pain.

She angrily pointed a finger at the soldiers.

IT'S A SOLEMN NOTE!

Yuu could see that she had everyone's attention now. In a flash of sunlight she saw a crest on one of the soldier's armor plates. Her brother!

She turned away from the window and ran down the stairs, out the dorr, and onto the battlefield to where the Oratorio army was located.

"Zane! I'm here!"

"Yuu!" came a weak cry. She ran over to where a soldier was helping Zane.

"This your brother?" the soldier asked.

"Yes," she said with tears falling from her face. "It is."

"Yuu..." Zane said, smiling.

"Is he all right?" Yuu asked the soldier, spotting a large wound on Zane's side.

The soldier nodded, "He'll be fine, but he'll need some help for a while."

Yuu looked at Zane and smiled. "That won't be a problem."

A soldier yelled. "They're leaving!" Yuu looked up and saw the blue army leaving the field. The green army began cheering. Zane grabbed Yuu's hand and sheepishly grinned. Yuu laughed lightly and tears continued to flow down her face.

Yuu walked over and saw the last blue soldier turn around and shoot an arrow. It landed next to Yuu. When she picked it up, she realized a note was attached to it.

-Princess Yuu,

You have saved not only your army but us as well. You made us realize the reason we were fighting. We didn't have a reason. Your singing made us stop before we did real damage to each other. This battle accomplished nothing and it should never have happened. Thanks to you it will probably never happen ever again. We are grateful for your actions.

-The Arrynet Army

She smiled and looked up at the sky to see the sun. It was going to be a fine fifteenth birthday after all.

-----------------------------------

[DJ OMiY]

Chapter 4: A Birthday

"Happy Birthday, Yuu!" Zane laughed as Yuu looked at the birthday cake. It was enormous. Zane moved on his crutches and Yuu kissed him quickly.

Her father and mother hugged her and she looked her father, who was now cheery and happy. Yuu sat down next to Zane, who, in spite of his wound, was recovering beautifully. The cake was cut and everyone had a piece. The servants, the army, and of course, the family themselves.

Following the battle, everyone needed something to take their minds off of it. Yuu's birthday was the perfect idea.

Yuu left the table with Zane after an hour or so, and they went out to the castle gardens to talk. They hadn't had a chance to since the battle.

"So, Yuu, I heard you up on the window. You sounded wonderful." Zane commented.

"It was just so surreal, I couldn't take anymore. You were cheating death every minute, and all I could do was just sit there." Yuu said. "It made me...angry."

Zane glanced at the full moon. "Still, you saved the army, Yuu. That's incredible!"

Yuu giggled and looked at the fountain. Suddenly, she turned her head. Was that a noise?

"Yuu, did you hear that?" Zane asked.

"Yes, I did."

They moved closer to the fountain, away from the bushes. Suddenly, someone stepped out of them.

"Wait...Zektbach?" Yuu asked.

"The one and only."

Yuu and Zane glanced at once another. What was Zektbach doing here?

"I needed to confess something to you two. I..am an Arynnet soldier."

"A what?" Zane said, surprised.

"It was me that shot the note to Princess Yuu. I was deeply moved by her singing. We all were. I wrote the note to let her know."

"But, why did you tell us you were a Seer back in Arperald?" Yuu questioned.

Zektbach half-smiled. "Because I am. I'm just also a soldier."

Yuu closed her eyes and shook her head. Still, Zektbach had given them the warning that they did nothing about. He knew because he was going to be part of it!

"Thank you Zektbach," Zane started. "For the things you did for us. You warned us and you helped the army because so. Thank you."

Zektbach smiled. "Anytime," then was gone as quicly as he had come.

Yuu opened her eyes. It had been a whirlwind last few days. Oh well, it was over.

Happy birthday to me.

---------------------------------------------

- END OF STORY -

[Byakko]

LOVE THE STORY

[Badb]

Loving it.

Keep up the great work!