*Disclaimer* I do not own any characters or titles of Blazblue. Blazblue rightfully belongs to Arc System Works

Crimson Camellia- Chapter 1

"Guh…" moaned Tsubaki, strength fading away. She was kneeling, the end result of a vicious fight. Cuts and scratches marred her skin and ripped her clothing. It was all she could do not to collapses from pain and exhaustion in front of the man who stood before her.

"That's why I told you that, you idiot." Ragna snarled at her. He had not suffered too badly from the fight. He made no hesitation to hold back. She attacked me first. Slight pain arose from the wounds and bruises he received, but he refused to show any signs of weakness.

"…Ragna the Bloodedge." Tsubaki managed to mutter the criminal's name. She refused to succumb just yet. She found enough strength to raise higher, despite of the threatening injuries.

Taking note of the soldier's action, Ragna dared to take a step forward. "The Murakumo Unit Prototype, huh? Unfortunately for you I have a lot of experience with opponents with this trick up their sleeve."

"What are you doing? Hurry up and kill me." Tsubaki pleaded

A wave of pity washed through Ragna. He sighed, "I'm not going to do that. Don't be in such a rush to die, you idiot. Aren't you Noel's friend? I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but you were the one who drew out that weapon."

"Shut up! Whose fault do you think that is…? Ugh." Tsubaki was slowly losing consciousness. Why won't he do it now? Noel, Makoto, …Jin. And with that, she collapsed, unable to fight the fatigue any longer.

Ragna shook his head at the insensible girl and sighed. Now what the hell do I do? Leave her? I could make good distance by the time she wakes up. With that, he spun on his heel and began to walk away. He turned back once more and stared at her, eyes filled with pity.

Tsubaki moaned as she woke up. Immediately a splitting headache erupted. It wasn't before long she had realized that she was floating, the movement of trees shifting away. She held a gasp at her next realization, she was being carried. An arm wrapped under her knees and the other around her back. She found herself glaring at the man above her. She instinctively reached for her treasured Izayoi, ready to attack him right then and there, only to find her blade missing. Figures, of course he would leave me unarmed. Where is he taking me?

Ragna noticed her awakening to the soft sound of her moan and glanced down. "Good you're awake. Been asleep for about an hour. Don't know when the hell we'll find a hospital or a clinic or shit. Your wounds need more attention that I thought." He paused for a moment to look at the sky. "Damn, sun is setting. Guess we'll make camp and leave in the morning."

As he set her down gently, she could only stare at him, face full of astonishment. "Why are you doing this? Why did you spare me? Why-"

"Shut up. God you're talkative, you know that. Well for one, I spared you because I know Noel'd be pissed if she knows I killed ya."

"You spared me on Noel's behalf? A distortion that doesn't belong in this world."

"Yeah. You seem to know too much. Probably talked to Terumi or Captain Hazama or however that bastard prefers to go by. Whatever." He produced a loaf of bread, wrapped in a napkin, from somewhere in his jacket. After splitting it into what looks like half, he shoved her sharing in her hand. "Here, eat. I got some medicine crap on me, but not enough."

Tsubaki accepted the bread without a word. It was warm. After a moment of deliberation, she took a bite. As she ate, she watched as Ragna was getting small packets of medical supplies from inside his blood-red jacket. Why is he helping me? He's the enemy. If Captain Hazama finds out, is would ensure my execution.

He came towards her, a clear substance around his fingers. When he brought his hand to touch her shoulder for support, she dealt it with a slap, fearful. "The hell? I'm trying to help you, goddamnit."

"Why would you want to help me? You're the enemy. All you do is kill with little or no regard for others."

"Too be fair, I don't go off killing random people for my entertainment." Ragna sighed loudly as he closed his eyes for a moment. "Fine, whatever. Just brace yourself. This shit will sting."

Tsubaki nodded and prepared herself. At the ginger touch of the coating on her deepest cut on her arm, she shrieked. On instinct, she clutched his shoulder, nails burying through his clothes and in his skin. He winced, but made no effort to cease caring for her wound. A moment later, the pain subsided. Tsubaki looked up, "What is that?"

"Just some medicine I got from the last town I was in. This crap mainly keeps any wound from getting infected, or at least that's what the label promised." He paused as he searched for the next noticeable cut. One on her leg was found. "Ready?"

She nodded and braced herself once more. She grinded her teeth as pained flared through her cut. After a minute, it was finally over. Tsubaki looked up, "Thank you."

"No problem." After a few silent minutes of packing the gel and contemplating, Ragna finally spoke. "I spared you because I believe in second chances. Noel told me that there might be hope for you."

"…Hope?"

Tracing lines on the ground with a stick, he nodded in her direction. "Yeah. Hopefully you'll be able to open your eyes to what the Library is truly doing."

"The Librarium works hard to keep peace among the people and world."

"Bullshit, right there." Ragna looked away and heaved a sigh. No way I'm telling her. At least not yet. "I've said my piece. Now go to sleep. The next town aint that far away and I want to get there early."

Tsubaki obeyed without a word. As she laid on the ground, she gazed at the stars. They were beautiful. Back home in Naobi, she never witnessed anything like this. Her thoughts returned back to the events that happened that day and everything that Ragna did to help. Why is he showing care towards me? We're enemies. He's almost nothing like how to stories make him out to be. A breezes, as cold as a winter's night, darted by. It went through the thin layers of her clothing and she shivered, teeth chattering against their will.

Ragna, hardly awake himself, opened his eyes to the noise. He watched her as she shivered. I'm not an asshole. Quietly, he raised to his feet, shucking off his jacket. It aint that cold anyways, I'll live. After tiptoeing to her, he draped her body with it, acting as a blanket. At the moment of contact, her shaking stopped. As her heavy breathing calmed down, she fell into deep sleep. Ragna made his way to a tree, leaned against it, and fell asleep, eyes closing with content.