Ch. 9: Revolution

Cagalli cut her way through another tree with the night black sword, still carrying the eagle on her back. Other little creatures saw it and scurried out of sight in freight. Cagalli didn't smile or wince. She just pressed on with a forward look of determination.

After another 2 minutes she was finally able to hack her way out of the forest. Looking across the area, she saw it was just a small rundown town. As she walked toward the house close to her, she saw the remains of a number of men and gasped, clenching her mouth and dropping the sword. No...what happened? Her mind began to race with possibilities from starvation, to suicide, to murder.

Finally it hit her. Those men from that night. They must have tried to go after the bandits and got killed! She reached down and felt for anything left, but it was only filled with dry flesh, bone, and blood. Clenching and shaking her hand, she grew ever more furious. I'll kill them. I will destroy them with my own hands. For Lacus; for Sage Clyne; for all of the victims. She grabbed the sword and rushed off into the night.

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Durandal was sitting on a boulder near the outskirts of the ruined village, staring out at the mountains with a grim face of despair. He had no explanation to give, because anyone could guess. The question is 'what happens now'. With the village gone, how can we live like this? It's useless to send an envoy to the emperor under these circumstances. We've suffered more than enough already. I guess all we can hope for is the emperor's awareness and mercy.

As if his words struck a chord, a group appeared on the horizon carrying crates and barrels on wagons. Seeing this made him jump in amazement; his eyes were bulging out in relief before he ran back to the camp. "The army has arrived! The army has arrived!" His words continued to spread from his mouth until some people caught the message and echoed. Women were cuddling their young and the remaining men were rushing to the mountainside to see for themselves.

Men soon made it down from the mountain with the wagons in tow. Inside were many supplies of food and wood, plus any other means of rebuilding the village. At the top of one wagon was a crimson flag with a yellow emblem in the center; the mark of the empire.

One of the cavaliers had them halt by raising his hand. He then dismounted his steed and approached the men in front. "Which of you is head of this village?"

Durandal stepped forward. "That would be me sir. And I must say I have quite an amount of questions to ask."

"We will likely answer most of them, the soldier responded, so now I will give you news from our emperor. He has heard of your great loss and extends his hand of sorrow to you. He has provided us with the supplies that we are to give to you. It should be more than enough to prolong your lives."

Durandal sighed in relief while many other men and women began jumping for joy. "I give my deepest regards and thanks to the emperor, and hope you will pass that on to him."

The soldier sighed. "I'm afraid we have only told you the good news. There is a drawback to this act of kindness."

The people went silent and Durandal looked surprised. "What could his majesty possibly want from us?"

"You assistance, the soldier replied, my lord has decided to put down the rebels in our empire, but he will need more people. In return for these supplies, he commands that you, as well as the rest of the village, fight for his victory in the name of the empire, alongside his army."

"What? That's preposterous!" Any other villagers listening began to chatter. "Can't our lord see what state we have fallen in? We are in no possible shape for a war!"

All the soldier did was shake his head. "Those are his majesty's orders. Either take the supplies, or you can fend for yourselves. And you don't have any time for a discussion either; we are to report back immediately after the choice has been made."

Durandal scowled as the soldiers eyed him. Then he turned back to the people who's joy turned back to despair. What can we do? Even if we live today, we'll surely die in this attempt to ward off our enemies. Some of the men stepped up.

"I'll fight Durandal, one said. I'll fight to protect our people and destroy those damn rebels!"

Durandal gave him a shocking look. "What? That's ludicrous! Our people need us to survive, not die!"

"To hell with your ideal!" another one yelled.

"We've suffered so much; now let's make them suffer for us, like they should!"

Soon, the whole village was in an uproar, and many men and women fought for and against this choice as Durandal watched helplessly. The shouts when back and forth, varying from: "remember all the dead and kidnapped!", to, "we've already lost too much!"; it never ended.

At last the men went up to Durandal and began to overwhelm him with their words of hate and vengeance. It was harsh and difficult to ignore for him. What can I do now? he thought, I just can't let us be slaves of the empire after this. What do we live for if we can only suffer? Cagalli is already gone, and most of our strongest people have disappeared or died. And Lacus is gone too. If only Siegel were still alive. He couldn't hold for much longer and had to make the choice.

After many minutes, he finally looked up and walked to the soldier. "Very well. Drop the supplies and give us our orders." The men cheered in triumph after hearing him and the others groaned, defeated.

The soldier smirked. "No orders for now. A messenger will arrive in one week to give you orders. Our lord is sane enough to let you recover from this blow you have taken." He turned to leave before looking back again. "One week sir. Remember that." He got back up on his horse and signaled the other men who also turned their backs on the small group behind them.

Durandal watched them regrettably and looked back at the people. The men were the only ones would who probably sleep tonight.

Miriallia was among them. This is my chance to kill them! For Meer and Flay! She ran back into her covers excitedly.

As Durandal watched her, he saddened.

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The fields were usually peaceful and lively, filled with animals that would walk to the lake and drink while the birds hovered from overhead and the chipmunks claim berries from the plants.

However, it was nowhere near peaceful, but it was lively, of people, soldiers in fact. Camps and tents were made with many ranks of men with all kinds of weapons and ambitions. They were all going back and forth with drinks and orders, or just to talk and prepare.

Torches and many lights showed their position to nearby villages, so they were always armed for any approaching person, whether a civilian or not. Some rode horses, and all of them had some kind of armor, but the common thing was, all the steel was black as the night sky and they all wore the emblem of their highness, symbolizing their loyalty.

The fields they were in had virtually no cover for someone to hide in, and yet 3 men were hiding in the darkness with the absence of the moon, hidden behind the coated clouds. They were on a hill, only yards away from the army, watching; waiting. One turned to the lead and he nodded in response. With that permission, he disappeared while the other 2 stood there.

Minutes soon passed by and nothing happened, but neither of the 2 left moved form their spots. They continued to wait patiently for their chance.

As for the members of the camp, most had fallen asleep, rejuvenating themselves for their battle ahead, while others stood watch for any sign of enemies. The new dark clouds thundered in the air, but they only saw it as a sign for war.

Suddenly a bolt cracked in the air and many screams and shouts were heard. The soldiers were alerted by warning, but even then, dark waves seemed to overcome them as they to fell, screaming. One of the robed men was holding a small onyx jar, shaped with a wide base and a thin neck, and a design carved into the stone with care. The pointed lid was gone, and a black mist was spreading though the camp. He then set the jar down, and vanished with the lid as the mist consumed the soldiers.

After what seemed like hours, the camp was completely covered with the plague, but as it spread, its effect seemed to wane. It was a large group, and looking at the odds, hardly any of them died, but many seemed to be as sick or on the brink of death. A lucky number avoided any problems, but the mist seemed to thicken in time, and they knew that they would have to move. It was truly a way to start a battle; to weaken the foe with a sneak attack.

The 2 robes awaited their 3rd friend who soon returned, and they simply walked away from the scene.

But in the group, chaos spread through the camp like wildfire; the soldiers were starting to run off, abandoning their posts and trying to escape the terror upon them. Some thought that the enemy had arrived and picked up their weapons, but most of them were frightened enough as it was. However, as one tried to flee the camp, a spear went hurling through the air and struck him in his bare head, the edge poking out from in-between his eyes. He fell and the other men turned to see who threw it. From the camp emerged a man in black armor, wielding a large flamberge that had a black hilt and a long silver blade in his left hand, and wearing no helmet while riding his steed. His hair was slicked back, dark blue and near the point of black, but his face was actually quite gorgeous and handsome. The steed was a dark brown coated horse with very dark eyes, both physically and metaphorically; he was ruffling and trouncing the earth beneath him.

The man looked to the dead prey and then back at the other troops. "If you would like to end up like him, by all means keep running. If not, get back in there and pack up! We leave for the enemy immediately!"

One soldier attempted to complain. "B-b-but great major Ruthward, the black plague in there…w-we can't go-"

The major jumped down from his steed and walked toward the now speechless, trembling boy. With a single disgusted look, he swung his sword straight through the soldier's heart and he fell. "I have no use for a pathetic coward!" He turned back to his men. "If I hear even one more complaint from any of you, you will die as he just did; at my sword! Now get back in there and get to work! NOW!"

No one dared to question him and ran back into the camp, readying equipment and preparing for their leave. All were hasty as they knew what would happen if they were slow. Either the major would kill them, or the sickening mist would save him the trouble.

After many minutes of work, the rest of the men were ready. The major, along with 5 other paladins, galloped to the front. His steed took further steps as he spoke. "You saw what happened to those 2 men who tried to escape their duty. If any of you do the same, you will also die in treason, not by just me, but by the enemy you face! The enemy shows no mercy to any; if you treat his with mercy, he will slaughter you as a gift! You are all vassals of his majesty, and you will fight for him and die for him in honor, in battle! No exceptions! Is that understood?"

The whole group yelled out in support, regardless of their fear. Not one of them were even magicians, and were all armed with various weapons to make up for it.

As if the major's hope had been answered, 3 dark waves boomed and blasted away many of the soldiers. They all dropped dead as the major turned. In the distance were 3 men in dark robes, walking towards them at a normal pace, faces hooded. Ruthward was stunned at the incredibly small number, but was ready for anything. "Now! Charge and destroy them all! In the name of the emperor, CHARGE!"

And the soldiers did just that; they rushed at the men who were still walking toward them from the plain and the battle began. Many of the already weakened soldiers were starting to fall in their dash and were crushed by others. Some of those men tripped and were also crushed by the stampeding feet. The numbers began to dwindle, but they were still very high. Once the soldiers finally reached them, they were blasted back with dark beams from 2 of the robed men. The 3rd of them, Kira, jumped forward and slashed at a number with his whip. Dearka and Athrun followed suit, drawing their swords and hacking at any man they could. The fray had finally broken out, and the fight for a revolution was set in motion.

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A large boom was all Cagalli heard as she made her way through the town. Looking at her surroundings, she knew that it wasn't from within. Could it be a battle? The bandits! Maybe I can find them! She grasped the black sword in her hand and sped off into the night.

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Dearka had just pulled out his sword from a soldier's gut and cut the neck of another while blasting one behind him with a narrow, knife shot straight through the head. He had no time to rest as more kept on coming at him, and one was lucky enough to get his swords in his leg. Dearka fell, but he blew up his surrounding area and quickly healed himself after pulling out the weapon and tossing it through the heart of another soldier.

Athrun on the other hand was doing a better job, tossing his knife everywhere while stabbing and hacking every soldier in his sight. His barrier kept any of them from hitting him directly and shoved them off. He saw one try to jump Dearka from behind and he blasted him away. He didn't even bother to stop for a "thank you" as he had no time to with all the men swarming around him. A cavalier galloped toward him, but he cut the ground unevenly and the horse fell back with some of the soldiers.

The 6 paladins were at the rear, finding no way through the populated fray to gallop through. One had enough and dismounted to join the battle, but Kira sped through and cut his chest open with his whip. Ruthward saw him and attacked in haste, along with the others. 2 came at Kira with spears, but he jumped to avoid them and kicked both off their steeds. Then he tried to blast them, but the major hit him with a bolt himself, knocking him back. So he can use magic too, Kira thought, as he jumped back up and rushed at Ruthward.

In response, Ruthward pulled out his sword and it collided with Kira's whip. The other 4 men rushed at Kira from behind, but he only vanished and reappeared behind them, clashing with one's sword and blasting another one away. The other 2 came at Kira with the spears again and they too fell on the blades. Kira finally broke the stalemate and crushed one with the whip while throwing a sword into another. The last one grabbed the sword out of his comrade who screamed at the pain and tried to stab Kira, who twirled about and stuck a dagger into his neck.

As the man fell, Ruthward jumped off his horse and faced-off Kira, sword pointing down. Then he charged forward while Kira did the same and the battle started anew.

Athrun and Dearka felt the soldiers stopping and looked to see Kira fighting with the head of the army. Without any further hesitation, they cut through as many as they could in this distraction before they turned back on them. With signs of fatigue plaguing them, both knew they had to stop them soon or die trying. The jumped high and used their magic to rejuvenate some of their strength. Then they dived and pierced the soldiers below with their swords and the fight continued.

Kira's battle with Ruthward was intense; each of them traded blow for blow as fast as lightning, and Kira already had to fend off incoming foot soldiers that tried to get him. Each of them hardly lifted a hand for magic and focused on brute force channeled through their weapons. Soon, Ruthward got Kira on the defensive and managed to knock him back before blasting him hard with a dark ray. Kira deflected it with a barrier, but it cost him some strength to rush back forward.

A soldier knocked Athrun down hard and plunged his spear into his right arm. Athrun's scream was more than loud enough for Dearka to catch and he threw his dagger into the spear-arm of the man who stumbled back. Athrun quickly healed the wound and jumped up, kicking the man between the legs which made him fall squealing. He didn't bother to kill him yet, because more were coming for him. He was panting much, but he wasn't too tired and could still go on.

Dearka then threw down an energy sphere that blew up and blasted some soldiers off their feet. They all got up and rushed after him, but he was flying into the nearby forest. "I'll take care of this! Hurry up and heal!" And he rushed off with the soldiers in tow, giving Athrun no time to respond. So he did as asked and replenished his strength before some soldiers finally gave up the chase and came back. With such a small number left, and most of them finally feeling the effects of the mist, Athrun slaughtered them all with his blade and magic.

Then suddenly, he heard whimpering and turned to see the soldier he had kicked. Walking towards him, he raised his sword at the scared man. "This is the end for you. Goodbye."

A green beam hit him straight in the chest and he dropped his sword in pain and surprise as he hit the ground flat on his back. He groaned and got up slowly to see his attacker and was shocked at the sight. It wasn't a soldier, nor a man, but a woman who had hit him. She wore a green dress as pale as thirsty grass, and her eyes and hair as gold as treasure. The aura lingering around her shimmered light green and she held a familiar black sword in her hand.

Athrun gasped at the sight of the sword and stood up, holding out his hand. "Give me that sword," he said.

Cagalli only smirked. "So this is your sword then?"

"It makes no difference who it belongs to. Now hand it over and I'll let you go."

"No. I'm here for only one reason. And that's to kill you with your own weapon." She boosted forward, knocking Athrun back who landed on his feet. She then formed her fighting stance and charged. "This is for Sage Clyne!" And she slashed at Athrun who blocked it with his own sword.

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The men looked through every tree and every lump on the ground, but couldn't find the man they were hunting. Still they pressed on with high hopes for their chance at fame and glory. If they could slay the rebel, they would likely be known for their deed.

However, some of the men were falling; the plague was weakening them every second and they could feel it. Soon, only about 30 men were left in there, and they were the last of the army to have survived. Taking cautious steps to avoid detection, they ventured deeper into the forest, always alert for the slightest trace of movement.

Then suddenly, spears of wood came raining down on them and pierced a good number of them. The screams were so loud that the survivors turned and tried to run away. As they made haste, Dearka followed them silently through the trees until they reached the edge, where the men stopped to rest. As soon as they slumped, Dearka jumped out of the tree and cut one in half before slashing the rest in the neck or heart. That takes care of them, he thought, now it's only their leader left.

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The battle between Kira and Ruthward was not going well for Kira; his arms were both scarred and his right leg was cut open. He could barely take the pain, but still he pressed on.

Kira looped around Ruthward and tried to strike from behind, but the major was too fast and kicked him back. The teen hit the ground hard and yelped loudly as dirt filled his wounds. As he tried to get up, he could hear Ruthward laugh. "You are a true joke for a rebel! You can slaughter a whole army, yet you cannot even slay this one man standing in front of you. This is so disappointing. I'm not even trying to kill you yet!" He stepped toward Kira, sword out in front. "Show me what you can really do! Show me, unless you'd rather die!"

Kira didn't answer and sat up in a struggle. Ruthward waited, but finally brought up his sword. "This isn't a joke fool! Fight me or die!"

Kira made no movement. "Or is it possible that all you can do is hide behind your little jar of tricks and cower in the dark against such a power that you could never defeat without a cheap attack, just like the one you did now!"

Kira's eyes grew cross. "What a pathetic sight I have here: a great sorcerer who can't even face one whole army with his own nerve! Just how long has it run in the family boy? Or maybe a stupid girl-"

At those words Kira dug his nails into Ruthward's heart and saw the man's eyes widen in shock. "I dare you to say that again," Kira mocked coolly, twisting the hand inside his body. Ruthward grunted and screamed and Kira pulled him off his hand to reveal the sight. His nails were no longer short and white. They were now as long a daggers and shining gold, even through the red blood covering their luster. And that wasn't all; his wounds were starting to heal at a rapid rate, and the pain disappeared from his now enraged face.

The facts made Ruthward gasp. "You-you're not-you can't be h-"

He fell dead before he could finish. Kira picked up his lifeless body and cut into the former major's head before tossing his body across the field to the castle. He was breathing heavily; his eyes filled with rage; obviously Ruthward had said something that had sparked him. He couldn't let go if it until Dearka returned. But as he was approached, he saw him step back in fear.

"What happened to you, Dearka asked, you look like you were hit hard on the head."

Kira finally calmed down. "It's nothing. So what are you doing here?"

"We killed them all, but Athrun's gone."

"Gone? Where?"

"I don't know. But I think we should go find him before something else happens."

As Kira nodded, someone started shouting from a distance and they both turned. "Hey guys, I'm back! And I've got some company!" It was Shinn, standing on a far side hill.

And behind him were a number of people, including one girl with yellow hair. Kira and Dearka teleported to them, confronting Shinn. "So you showed up late, Dearka started, we just got done." That made Shinn frown, but it didn't waver his mood. "I see; too bad I couldn't join you, but I did find some people you'd want to meet."

"Save the introductions Shinn, Kira interrupted, Athrun's missing and we have to find him."

"Missing? What happened?" Shinn was suddenly shocked, but Kira put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry; wherever he is, he can take care of himself. You know that right?"

Shinn looked down and nodded. Yzak stepped forward. "Should we help you?"

Kira turned to him to answer, but Dearka beat him to it. "Of course! The more the merrier, as they say."

Yzak grunted his reply and turned back to the others who started moving out. "We'll look around here then. You friend told us you're all sorcerers, so he might have gone somewhere else."

"Yeah, I know," Kira replied before disappearing. Dearka gave him a 2 fingered salute before he and Shinn did the same. Yzak turned back to Stellar and she gave a small reassuring smile.

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Cagalli jumped down from a tree, slamming her sword down on Athrun's and pushing him to the ground. But she still wasn't as strong and he shoved her off to get up. Their swords met again and again in the air and continued to clang and hum, while they occasionally blasted each other with beams, or used the nature around them. Cagalli made a sandstorm of woodchips that Athrun scattered with the wind and then charged again. The battle went on and on, where neither combatant seemed to give out. From tree jumping to debris tossing, it was a complete free-for-all with no rules.

Then Cagalli raised another chip storm which Athrun again deflected, but when he looked for her, she was gone. Suddenly she appeared behind him and stabbed his lower chest in Athrun's reflex to dodge. He fell and dropped his sword as he looked up at Cagalli who was advancing on him.

She was not smiling, but she was in a state of anger, as if even revenge would not make her feel any better. She took the black sword and stuck it to Athrun's neck. "And so dies the murderer of my mentor and my friend's father. I hope you enjoyed your life until then, because I'm about to end it."

"It makes no difference for your cause silly girl, Athrun informed, I'm not the one who killed anyone that night." Cagalli gasped, but Athrun wasn't finished. "In fact, I can't die just yet when I have things to do." He kneed the girl in the stomach and she gasped at the sudden impact. Then Athrun followed up with a kick that made Cagalli fly backwards on to the ground.

She leaped back up, but Athrun had already plunged his sword into her sword arm, and kicked her again in the side, so she fell. Cagalli cried out in pain as Athrun withdrew his sword from her flesh and snatched the black sword from her hand. He then took both swords and put them both to Cagalli's neck.

As he pushed them forward though, he hesitated. She was so innocent and defenseless, scared and weak; he couldn't kill her. He took back the swords and sheathed his while holding Kira's. "I'll spare you for now and wait for my friends. Then we'll decide what to do with you."

Cagalli looked at him angrily, trying to fight the pain. "Why don't you just kill me now? she asked, I'm an enemy! I'm a person you have to kill!"

"Enemies don't have to be killed in war," Athrun shot back, cleaning the black blade and then his own.

Cagalli looked confused when he said that. Don't have to kill? What the hell is that kind of thinking?

She suddenly felt something and turned to see 3 figures appear out of nowhere. Athrun turned as well. "So you finally made it," he teased.

Kira looked down at Cagalli. "Who's this?"

"Someone I ran into during the fight; she attacked me. She's probably from that village we raided; she was using your sword." He handed the blade to Kira who blinked.

"She was using this?" he asked. He looked back down at the girl who was clenching her wound and knelt down to her. "Who are you?"

"What does it matter to you?" she snapped.

"Not just to me, but to someone else, someone who thinks highly of you." Kira loved this trick and grinned as Cagalli gasped.

"Y-you mean Lacus?"

"So you're Cagalli. Well met." Without permission, he removed her hand form the wound and swept his over it. It was gone the next instant and Cagalli felt no pain. She clasped the site of the cut to be sure and felt nothing.

"What? What are you-"

"Come on; I'm sure Lacus will be happy to see you." Kira held out his hand to her. Cagalli was still uneasy and refused.

"What did you do to Lacus?"

Kira got up again. "Nothing at all. Nothing inappropriate at least. She's safe and has been for the past few days." Kira smiled at Cagalli's relief. "I'm sure that she would want to see you now after all this time."

"How can I trust a band of rebels like you? You could be leading me into a trap for all I know!"

Her reaction made Kira frown. "I don't have any proof, except this." He held out his hand, and a mirror-like sphere appeared. "Look inside," he instructed. Cagalli looked into the orb and waited. Suddenly a vision of Lacus appeared inside; she was resting peacefully on a bed.

"She is alive," Cagalli said emotionally. The orb then vanished and she looked back up at Kira. "Please take me to her."

"Of course I will. Shinn." The black haired boy walked toward him. "Gather the others and lead them back to our home. We have no time for a celebration, but we can sit and chat for now."

"Alright then," Shinn agreed as he disappeared.

Then Kira turned back to the others. "Time to go home." And they vanished with Cagalli holding Athrun's hand.

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So that's the beginning of the really battle, and most army fights will be like that in my story, short and boring. When I get to the better enemies, you'll likely see better fights. I'm lucky enough to have had time for this chapter, and I probably won't get one in for another month with my schoolwork coming in fast. Send in lots of reviews though and I'll be happy to fill in my stories in my spare time. So read and review people! Have a good day!