AU

R&R

Same disclaimer applies. Sorry for not updating this fast enough.

Note: italicized are flashbacks. Thanks

"Who are you?"

"One of Althea's four guardians, Hallard Chie."

Vita e Morte: The Beginning

The heaven was a place of purity, solemnity and integrity. It was a world of the gods and goddess. Overtime, the heaven's serenity and propriety were kept well preserved and protected. Two pillars of morality that separate the heaven from the earth. And its importance was honed and treasured by the gods and goddesses for centuries.

But,

The course of destiny had broken this silence….

Shinio, the god of creation and death, was betrothed to the goddess of creation and life Althea. Shinio was a kind, gentle and loving god. He was dedicated and honorable. And Althea's heart without a doubt softened in no time. They were happy, contented and were living in peace.

-x-

"What does this have to do with what's going on right now?" Natsuki asked.

"Everything." came out the short reply from Chie

-x-

But Shinio was jealous.

Althea was beautiful. She was gentle, sweet, kind, and tender. She was affectionate. And this affection what drove Shinio jealous. His jealousy turned sour. Shinio locked Althea in their room day and night. He kept the goddess of life all to himself and secluded her from the outside world. Shinio was changing. This changed enveloped Althea's heart with fear. And what Althea had once fallen in love with shattered in an instant.

The guard of the heaven's gate, Eiko, saw things clearly. She saw Shinio's changing behavior and took calculated steps to stop his growing insanity. But Shinio knew what Eiko was planning against him. And that night, marked the end of the heaven's tranquility and gave birth to destruction.

Eiko, wounded and bleeding, ran along the corridors in course to Althea. She bulged through the doors, seeking for Althea's voice. She heard her, pleading and crying. Eiko, stepped back, and as she breathed deeply, she began chanting a spell. The doors flew open. Althea ran outside and caught the bleeding goddess around her arms. They ran and ran along the raging fire around them as they both seek their way through the gates of heaven.

As soon as they reached the gate, Eiko pushed Althea away from her and chanted quickly a spell under her breath. A swirl of black hole appeared through the air and sucked Althea out of the heavens. But beneath the fire behind them was Shinio running in fury. Shinio stretched his arms and caught Althea's hand but Eiko was fast enough to chant the spell to close the hole. Shinio was left only with the charm bracelet he had first given to her beloved in his hand.

-x-

Natsuki stared at Chie and pondered out loud "And where did this hole brought Althea?"

"This hole was the gateway between the heaven and the earth."

-x-

Althea slowly woke up from her sleep and stared at the unrecognizable surrounding around her.

"Ahh.. Finally you're awake." A man's voice said happily in relief. The goddess instantly looked over at the voice's direction and saw a man smiling at her. "Here you go. This'll make you feel better." He said as he handed Althea a cup of tea.

Althea was reluctant at first, but seeing the innocent and genuine smile on this man's lips made Althea accept it wholeheartedly.

The goddess of creation started living her life with him, learning the ways of human by his side. This man, who unconditionally and wholeheartedly took care of Althea without expecting anything in return, made Althea open her heart once again. The love and affection she had longed for and once felt before, she found it all in him. They bore their first child, their first daughter, and named her, Inka. They lived peacefully for three years until the day of the full moon.

The wind soared wildly, the water was raging, and the earth was rumbling. Then the moon started to glow; it radiated the color of fire, the color of blood. That night, the gateway to heaven was finally opened.

-x-

"Shinio?" Natsuki guessed and Chie nodded in return.

-x-

Shinio casted fire all over the earth as he looked for his wife. But when he found her, he didn't like what he saw. The god of death killed Althea's human husband without any remorse and was about to kill Inka but a gust of strong wind stopped him.

"Thea…" he muttered as he cupped his bleeding cheek. "This child Thea must be killed."

"Shio, stop this madness already…"

"NO!!! This is an act of betrayal, Thea!"He stated angrily.

"This won't resolve anything."

"Come back to heaven with me."

"Shio…"

"If I can't have you," Shinio stared maniacally at Inka and called out his sword. "then I'll kill everyone you love!"

Althea flew towards him and grabbed him from the back, lifting him up from the air.

"THEA!!" he groaned angrily.

"This has to end Shio." She stated calmly as she tightened her grip around his body. "Four Gods of the heaven, hear my plea. Open the gate of eternal…" Althea chanted. Darkness started engulfing the sky and the whole world was stopped in motion.

"THEA!!!" Shinio struggled but the goddess kept chanting continuously. A ray of light then shone upon them.

"I'll never let you harm this place again…" Althea whispered enraging the god of death even more.

Shinio punched Althea across her stomach as he shouted "Oiurma kus!" A blade came out of his skin piercing through Althea's skin. Shinio pushed his fist further, thrusting the blade deeper her body.

Althea only kept her grip tighter and ended her chant with one final breath. "... lock us for all eternity."

-x-

"So if that happened, this reincarnation is--?" Natsuki was confused. If a spell was casted to lock them away from eternity, then how did this reincarnation happen?

"Before they were locked into the gate of eternal damnation, Shinio casted out a spell and transferred his soul into another body." the other woman explained, crossing her hands together.

Natsuki placed her arm over the table and rested her chin on her palm. She breathed deeply before spilling out a guess. "And the body was from the Kanzaki clan?"

Chie solemnly nodded. "A child born under the full moon will be my rebirth. His body will seek for you and slay your being. Your death will be my salvation as your heart and soul will be mine."

"That is?"

"Vita e Morte-- Life and death. Shinio casted this spell from the three sealed scrolls."

"And what happened to Althea?"

"Inside her daughter. But in the process her Mimiko was divided into four and was spread all over the world."

"Mimiko?"

"The earth, the air, the water and the fire. Four elements represents four guardians each controlling one particular element."

Chie lifted a small glass tube and opened it up. She poured it over and sands started falling from the table. Chie placed her hand over it and began controlling its flow. Natsuki stared in awe as she watched the sands forming up in the air.

Althea's guardian, from the sand, averted her gaze back to Natsuki. "My element is earth."

Natsuki stayed still as she looked at the swirling and floating of sand; staring deeper at the manipulative hands of Chie. She was doubtful at the stories she just heard but as soon as she saw what Chie can do with the sand, she can't help but think that maybe this is all true.

Silence encompassed the room not until a woman's gentle voice penetrated the room.

"It was all true." Chie and Natsuki propped from their position and turned to look at the woman standing behind them.

"Althea!" Chie uttered in shock. Shizuru looked at the two and walked towards them. "You must rest, Althea. Please go back to your room." Chie pleaded concernly.

"So this is real." Shizuru muttered. She looked at Chie who only turned away from her gaze. She sighed and sat in front of them. "So what happened earlier wasn't a dream. Those men with guns, those powers, and that guy from before wanting me dead were all true."

Neither of the two answered.

"And I'm really Althea's reincarnation…" she mused.

Chie still kept her eyes intactly staring at the table. Shizuru continued. "I don't remember anything happened after Kuga-san got shot but,"

By this time, Chie took a quick look at Natsuki then rested her gaze on Shizuru.

The other continued "but if this is really happening, what should we do to stop this?"

"We?" Natsuki blurted out in surprised. "Don't include me on this. I already repaid you for your gratitude."

"Do you think after what you did, Kanzaki will let you live?" raising her eyebrow at Natsuki's direction then sneered. "They'll hunt for your body." Chie informed.

The cobalt beauty glared as she stood up "If that happens then I'll take care of it. But your problem is your problem not mine."

She walked across the room towards the door but stopped midway after hearing Chie speaking once more. "How about your partner, Tokiha?"

Natsuki swiftly turned around and squinted her brows at Chie. "My partner is dead."

"Iie. Tokiha was captured by them." Chie continued. "Don't you want to save her?"

"Why would I believe you?

"I saw couple of Kanzaki's men carrying her into a van."

"You saw and you didn't do anything?!"

"I don't have any use for Tokiha-san so I don't see any reason why I should." Chie simple replied enraging Natsuki too much for anyone's liking. The angered woman stormed her way to Chie and grabbed her by the collar.

"You!" Natsuki was infuriated at Chie's cold and insensitive remark. She swung her right arm and was about to punch the other woman across her face but-

"KYAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

In an instant, Chie's face was masked with worry. She wasn't able to say anything or to react until Shizuru and Natuski uttered in unison "Who-…"

But before they could finish, Chie harshly removed Natsuki's grip on her and hastily ran outside shouting "AOI!!"

-Mai Parallel-

Mai continuously struggled her way out of the cell. She frustratingly tried and tried for hours removing her hands from the tight cuffs encircled around her wrists. She hissed as blood started dripping down her skin.

"There's no use doing that." A voice from behind her commented. Mai jumped from her position then quickly turned around at its owner. "Those chains can't be destroyed that easily." came the short reply from the figure sitting from the floor.

"Who's there?!" Mai demanded angrily. The other person in the room just smirked and kept her silence. Having her ignored and laughed at, infuriated Mai even more. But instead of lashing out on the unknown being, she continued removing her hands from the chains.

"The only way you could remove it is by cutting your hands off." suggested the same person.

"What do you want from me?!"

The other chuckled "We don't have any business with you." then paused. The dark figure stood up from the floor and walked closer. "but our boss has some unfinished business with your partner, Kuga-san."

"Natuski?!" Mai bolted up from her position and ran closer to the other end. "I swear if you do anything to Natsuki-…"

"That's unfortunate, Mai-san. One of the sentinels is already there to kill her."

"Sentinels?" she gaped "What is going on?! Who the hell are you?!"

The figure stepped out of the dark and looked up at Mai. The other stood a few feet shorter than her, but has an aura of a killer. Her dark cold and vicious eyes pierced right through Mai taking her to take steps backward.

She intensely gazed at the prisoner and spoke out "Mikoto. Lord Kanzaki's second sentinel"

Chie stopped from her tracks and circled around her position. The wind blew her hair fiercely and the next thing she felt was something dripping down her cheek. She raised her hand up and hissed as soon as her hand made contact on her cheek.

'blood?' she thought to herself.

The wind stopped and the night was in still silence, only the sound of the cicadas chirping penetrated her ears.

Slowly, a sound of laughter started filling the air. Chie turned countless of times around but found no one.

"Hallard Chie, eh? The guardian of the earth…" the unknown invader spoke out.

Chie kept her mouth shut.

Laughter once again filled the air. "Not much of a talker eh? Don't worry, you won't be talking after I'm done with you." A wicked smile pawned over the invader's lips.

"CHIE!!!" Aoi screamed in a near distant.

"AOI!" came the earth guardian's worried reply. The said girl screamed in pain not long after. Chie bit her lips and clenched her fists together. The other laughed again. Indeed, the invader was enjoying this, enjoying at seeing the guardian of earth angry.

Chie closed her eyes and murmured under her breath.

"Nani? Praying already? No fun." She mocked "I'll make this short." She drew her sword out but-

BANG

Natuski shot her gun randomly and was able to hit it at the invader's direction. She quickly turned around and radically glared at Natsuki. She drew her sword out again but this time something was quickly crawling vastly on her body.

"WHAT THE?!" she growled.

"My element… it's wrapping your body." Chie spoke out, finally looking straight into the invaders eyes. "the times you spent talking nonsense, I used that opportunity to call them out. Now you can't move your body the way you want to." The guardian quickly ran towards her and grabbed Aoi away from her. She placed the brunette on a safe zone and turned her attention back on the unknown female.

"Now, say your prayers."

Instead of hearing the other plead for her life, she laughed out loud, more maniacally than before.

"Do you know why I'm called a sentinel?" she spoke looking straightly at Chie's eyes then to Natsuki's. She smiled sadictically. The sands enveloping her body instantly burst out.

Chie stood there, not believing what she just saw. "That's-…"

The wind blew stronger once again.

Flexing her arms then shaking her head sideways, the woman then took deliberate steps towards them.

"I, Nao, the fourth sentinel, will show you why."

Thanks for reading! Sorry in advance for all grammatical errors!

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