[IC] Akame ga Kill! - An Alternate History (Lasrever & Otaku95)

[Lasrever]

Skye

So, this was the imperial capital. Tall buildings, high walls, tyrannical government. The ultimate tourist destination! Fun for all the family! Why not come on down? Get beaten up in the streets, robbed of your last coin, and executed for not bowing low enough to your imperial masters! Well, at least that was what the flyers said. The flyers that Skye may or may not have been sticking up around the city to annoy the guards. You couldn't prove anything.

Besides, a girl needed to find some way to entertain herself. She didn't have any money to do it, so she figured the next best thing was to express her creativity. Sadly, the guards just didn't seem to appreciate art, as was evidenced by the way some of them were yelling. Just don't look suspicious, Skye. she hurried away from the guards, completely failing to not look suspicious. In this part of town, though, the most suspicious thing would be not looking suspicious at all. They'd probably just assume she was a pickpocket or something else not worth chasing after.

Still, there was the problem of having nowhere to sleep. Apparently, if people thought you were a musician, you couldn't walk into an inn without them wanting a tune. She'd seriously considered showing them exactly what she could do with her 'instruments', but revealing her imperials arms seemed stupid, even for her. Where was she, anyway? It seemed like the side of some kind of river. I wonder if there's anything cool in there! Maybe a message in a bottle or something! she peered over the side of the canal, going a little too far and tipping over the railing. This day just keeps getting better.

---

Once she managed to climb out of the canal, she looked (and felt) completely miserable. It was almost night-time too, and there was no way she'd get into an inn in this state. Day one's going really well so far! she thought angrily. This is probably karma for the stupid posters. Skye was just about ready for a full-blown temper tantrum, but decided she was as well settling down at the roadside. She was in a pretty well-lit area, so at least she wouldn't run into many crazy people. She propped her head against her music case, and decided to try and sleep.

Not long after, she was woken up by someone poking her face. "Huh? Who're-" before she could finish questioning, she found herself being stuffed into a carriage by the strange, face-poking girl'sguards. She considered complaining or stabbing one of them, but before she could, the girl smiled wide at her, and explained what was going on. "I just can't stand seeing people stranded outside like that!" she said. "It just melts my heart! I'm sorry for not asking, but I promise my family will be happy to look after you!"

Deciding a warm bed sounded good, Skye sat back and enjoyed the ride.

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

The young man took a breath, coughing because of the polluted air. So this was the capital. "This place blows!" he exclaimed in frustration. He punched a tree to vent his rage. He'd come here to join the army so he could make money, only to find out that he had to win a freaking raffle. "Goddammit!" The young man sat down on a bench, sighing in aggravation.

Rex felt the collapsible spear at his waist. "Jeez," he said. "Should look for someplace to stay tonight." He was used to clean air, small buildings, and grazing animals. Not places like this.

[Lasrever]

Tatsumi

Tatsumi was not having a good day. He was supposed to make it in the capital and become a hero for his village, but all he'd done was get tossed out of recruitment and lose all his money to some stupid bo- woman. Ugh. He'd really been wrong about the capital. There was something wrong with the people here. They all seemed to be able to tell that he wasn't from there, and they kept taking advantage of it. He hoped that Sayo and Ieyasu were doing better.

He realised that he hadn't been keeping track of where he was going, but it wouldn't matter. Not like he knew much about the city anyway. Maybe he would run into someone he could talk to. He sat next to some black-haired dude on a bench at the side of the road. He looked as unhappy as Tatsumi felt. He thought about talking to the guy, but considering the way everyone in this city acted, he'd probably get mugged or something. Black-haired guy didn't look too friendly anyway. "What's with this city..." Tatsumi muttered angrily. "You can't trust anyone here."

Skye

This girl seemed sorta freaky. Listen, Skye could appreciate kindness and all, but who goes around picking up homeless strangers off the street without getting paid? Ehh, whatever. Maybe she'd seen the flyers? Yeah, that had to be it! She just had an appreciation for Skye's artistic talents. Skye nodded to herself smugly, feeling like she'd managed to figure everything out. Sometimes even I'm amazed with how smart I am. Just as she'd figured this out, the carriage suddenly stopped.

"Does that person not have a place to stay?" said the girl, pointing to a pair standing near a bench at the side of the road. Her guards seemed especially annoyed at this point. "Another one?" the nearest guard sighed. "Lady Aria, are you sure that this is a good idea?" the girl just ignored them and ran over to the guys. "Do you two need a place to stay? My family's house has enough space for both of you!" she said happily. "Please, come with me!"

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

"Tell me about it," said Rex. He looked up at the other young man. He was dressed much the same-- simple clothes, worn and old. Must have been from outside of the city like himself. "I tried to enlist in the army, but they said that I had to win some kinda raffle." He huffed, shaking his head. That hadn't been the whole truth, but he didn't want to tell anyone his other goal. Not just yet.

He offered a weary smile, even if it was a bit forced. "Name's Rex. Not from around here like me, huh?" He paused, surprised by the young woman's sudden appearance and offer. "No, I've got nowhere." He still had money, but he was hoping to save as much of it as possible. "Although, as grateful as I would be for a place to stay, I don't wish to be a burden."

"Just give it up, kid," one of the guards sighed. "Lady Aria can be quite insistent when it comes to things like this. She's always helping people."

[Lasrever]

Tatsumi

Tatsumi couldn't really think of any more reason not to go with the girl. He didn't completely trust this, but he'd feel pretty stupid if he turned away the first kind person he met in the capital. "Better than sleeping outside, I guess..." he grumbled, allowing Lady Aria's guards to guide him into the carriage. He looked back at the black-haired guy. "Hey, you coming? You'll probably feel better after getting a warm bed." After saying this, he entered the carriage and was placed in a seat next to a girl who seemed to have blue hair. Great. Back to the crazy people. He quickly found out that he was right. Yay.

Skye

Wow, these guys looked miserable. Like, they were probably nice people, great to talk to, blah blah blah, but they just looked so gloomy. Like, brown-hair guy just seemed like he thought she was going to beat him up or something. Huh. Should I beat him up? I don't want him to be disappointed if I don't. Skye seriously considered this for a moment, but decided not to. He looked like a kicked puppy already. He owed her one now, even if he didn't know it. Sky made a note of this in her head.

Anyway, she decided to call out to black-haired guy, who she would call Gloomy until a better name came along. "Come on, Gloomy! The carriage is amazing! They even have little cushions on the seats!" There. He had to agree to come now. Who could resist the offer of tiny cushions? Maybe brown-haired guy. He didn't seem as excited about them as she was. The world was sometimes a cruel place. Considering this, Skye looked down at the floor, sadly shaking her head. Why couldn't she just meet people who appreciated the important things in life?

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

"My name is Rex," he grumbled. The young man sat down, shifting his pack so that it sat on his lap. "And if you keep calling me 'Gloomy', I'll start calling you Dopey." A faint smile crossed his lips. "But, thank you, Miss Aria. I've come a long way from home. I got kicked out of a military recruiting center... literally. No bueno."

[Lasrever]

Skye

Skye wasn't happy with this guy, and pouted angrily, looking like she was about to throw a tantrum. "Dopey? I can see why they kicked you out, Gloomy... she muttered, crossing her arms and staring pointedly away from him. She had decided to go for the silent treatment, forgetting that that only worked when they wanted to talk to you in the first place. She heard Lady Aria replying to Gloomy. "Oh, no! I hate how they mistreat you poor people out there! And after you came all the way from the countryside too..." she smiled at all three of them in the carriage. "Still, I'm sure my family will be delighted to meet you all! They simply love looking after new guests!"

At least she was being nice. Skye didn't feel like talking anymore anyway, so she decided to have a nap for the rest of the trip. Brown-haired guy's shoulder made a nice headrest. He wouldn't mind, right?

Tatsumi

Tatsumi minded. He'd thought that by getting into this carriage he'd at least left the crazy people behind, and now one of them was unsing him as a pillow. Trying to ignore the girl snoring in his ear, he looked over and Rex. "So, you're Rex, huh? I'm Tatsumi! It's nice to meet you, I guess." once he'd introduced himself, he sat back in his seat. After a little while, maybe fifteen minutes of travelling, Lady Aria spoke to them again. "We're here! I simply can't wait to introduce you all!" she said with a caring smile.

Tatsumi grinned. Finally, he'd be able to get this girl off him and have a good night's sleep! He looked at the mansion through the carriage window. "Woah! It's huge!" once he'd made it in the Capital, he'd have someplace like this, and enough to save his village, too. He looked at Lady Aria. There really are nice people in this city.

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

"Well, I'm not really broke," said Rex. "Just saving my money to send back home. I live outside of a village near Joyou. We're not a poor village per se, but I don't have any family left. So I help out where I can."

Tatsumi, huh. He seemed like a good guy, if a bit naïve. The girl was a bit annoying, but maybe she had mental issues. Not something new in the Capital... he thought. But someone was kind enough to take in complete strangers. So perhaps this place wasn't that bad.

[Lasrever]

Skye

Skye woke up with a start. They had arrived at the girl's mansion. She definitely agreed with this Tatsumi guy - the place was huge! She leaped out of the carriage as soon as the guards opened the doors. It was pretty neat, for sure. Skye felt pretty lucky to have been taken in by this Lady Aria. Rich, kind and had a huge mansion? What's not to like? Apart from Gloomy over there. He didn't seem to like her - maybe she really should have beaten him up - she had an imperial arms for a reason.

No, that was stupid. Lady Aria's guards seemed to be escorting them inside, and Skye was happy to follow. The sooner they got done being introduced to the family, the sooner she could get a good night's sleep.

Tatsumi

"Oh, you're from a village? Same here. Tatsumi said to Rex, surprised. "I guess that explains why you're easier to get along with than most people here." he grinned happily at Rex. "Hey, we'd better follow Lady Aria. We don't want to get locked outside now, right?" as soon as he finished talking, Tatsumi hurried over to follow Aria. He wasn't sure what he was looking forward to more. Getting a good night's sleep, or having a decent meal. Both would be good.

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

Rex followed along silently. He was a bit surprised at Tatsumi. He had seen so many bad things, fought and killed monsters, but he was acting like nearly anyone their age. In a way it was a bit refreshing.

If the outside of Aria's home was impressive, the inside was breathtaking to a kid from the country. Rex's jaw dropped. I am way, way underdressed! he thought. Lady Aria instructed servants to take the three to separate guest rooms, where they could wash up for dinner.

But something prickled at the back of Rex's mind. Something about this place set off alarms in his subconscious. Whatever it was he couldn't put his finger on it. The young man glanced down at his gloves. Well, what is it? he asked them silently. He knew they wouldn't answer, but it helped his mind.

[Lasrever]

Skye

The servants weren't exactly talkative once Lady Aria had left. Skye had tried to start a conversation as they escorted her down the corridor towards her guest room, but they wouldn't even look at her. Not even when she told her best jokes! It kinda put her off a bit, almost like they had something to hide, which seemed weird. Was there something wrong with the house? Once she reached the room, she flopped down on the bed with a smile.

She stared up at the ceiling, deciding to take a nap before thinking more about the way that the servants had acted. If she wanted to snoop around, it made more sense to do it once the sun had gone down. Just in case, though, she kept the 'instrument case' within reach as she lay down for a short nap. She'd be awake a few hours later.

Tatsumi

This place is amazing! Tatsumi thought as he looked around his room. He hoped that Ieyasu and Sayo had met someone kind enough to look after him. Well, Sayo, anyway. Ieyasu probably got lost on his way to the capital. The guy's sense of direction was really, really bad. At least if they got to the capital, Aria might find them too.

Maybe he'd reapply to the Imperial Army later. He could go with Rex, maybe. He'd have to find a way to thank Lady Aria for her kindness someday. There wasn't any way he could do that now, but someday he'd make sure to pay her back. For now, though, he lay down to sleep.

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

Rex was exhausted, but his mind didn't slow down at all. That's how it was for him most of the time. He sat down, with his back to the wall. The young man decided in the night to write in his journal by candlelight.

"Dear Journal,
I've finally reached the Capital. The place is worse than I expected, and that's saying a lot. But at the very least, someone named Aria has been kind enough to let me stay in her home, so long as I work. Sounds doable, since she said she could get me into the military more quickly. At the very least I'm not the only person who was out in the streets."

The young man glanced over at Tatsumi for a moment.

"This guy Tatsumi seems good enough. From a small town like me, but he seems a bit naive. Then there's this girl named Skye. She seems to be a few bricks shy of a full load, and crazy to boot. Too damn chipper if you ask me. But she seems to be here for the same reason as me and Tatsumi. I gotta respect that much."

[Lasrever]

Skye

Ahh, snooping! Skye loved snooping! It was one of her favourite hobbies, along with meddling, interfering and causing chaos. She couldn't appreciate anyone who didn't enjoy a good snoop. Of course, it wasn't exciting if you did it safely, which would explain why she'd decided to climb out through the window and climb along the outside wall with her spears instead of, you know, using the corridor.

She thought that she remembered where the boys' room had been, so she thought she'd see if either of them were awake. Not for any real reason. She just got bored walking around be herself. It wasn't long before she reached their room. There seemed to be a candle lit up, and Gloomy was writing something in a book. She looked at Tatsumi, but he seemed to be fast asleep.

She opened the window and silently entered the room. "What're you scribblin' there Gloomy?" she said loudly, hoping to surprise him. "I'm bored! You want to come and snoop around the mansion with me?"

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

At the sound of his nickname, Rex's face contorted a bit. He closed his journal, looking up at Skye. "Why are you sneaking around?" he whispered, so Tatsumi wouldn't wake up. "That's a good way to get hurt. Sticking your nose where it shouldn't belong enough times means you usually lose it. My teacher taught me that."

He stood up. Curiously, the young man still had his gloves on. They looked quite old, and the back of the hand had a metal plate with what looked like a paw stamped into it. "There are hallways for a reason," Rex sighed. "I won't snoop. But for now, I need a drink."

[Lasrever]

Skye

As soon as Rex agreed to leave the room, Skye grinned happily, although she was a bit worried about her nose. She quickly checked that it was still there before they left the room. In her excitement, she grabbed Gloomy and pretty much dragged him out of the door before realising that he might not appreciate that and letting go of him. He still had his gloves on, which was kinda weird, so she decided to ask about it.

"Why're you still wearing your gloves, Gloomy? It's pretty warm in here, you know." she said as she walked along the corridor. Before he could reply, she yelled out, forgetting that they had to be stealthy. "Oh, I get it! You're like one of those clean freaks or whatever, right?" she shook her head, looking disappointed. She hadn't expected something like that from Gloomy.

"Anyway, I don't normally snoop around everywhere I stay. But the guards were being really weird when they were showing me my room! They wouldn't even look at me, which made me pretty suspicious." she pouted angrily. "I mean, they didn't even laugh at my best jokes! Can you believe that?"

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

Rex flinched at the question. "These belonged to my father," he murmured quietly. "He died in a battle, and these were sent home with a letter from him. After that... Mom just gave up the will to live."

=======

Five years ago...

"Hey, bro? How long are we gonna wait?" The funeral had ended hours ago, but Rex and his brother, Ryūji, were still sitting by their mother's grave. Their only other parent had died. They had no family left. "I'm getting hungry."

"The Hunt family next-door invited us over for supper," Rex mumbled. "You go on ahead. I wanna stay here. Figure things out." Ryūji stood, sniffling. At eleven he was coddled a bit, and looked almost like a miniature version of his big brother. Now he was all Rex had left.

The sound of his brother's footsteps disappeared. Hours passed, until the sun went down. The boy shivered against the chilly May air. Rex moved, laying down by his mother's tombstone to block the wind. Soon he was asleep.

When he woke again the full moon was high in the sky. Someone had placed a blanket over him, and that someone was still sitting on the ground beside him. "S-Sensei?" he murmured. "You know, you should give up smoking."

The man smiled a bit and put out the cigarette butt in the dirt. His golden hair and eyes shone in the moonlight. "I haven't had a reason to quit yet," he chuckled.

"Mom said girls don't like boys with bad breath."

"Well, girls usually overlook it sometimes when they get older." Sensei tousled Rex's hair. "I'm sorry about your mother. She was sick after your father died." Rex looked down at the oversized gloves on his hands.

"She didn't cough, or bleed, or have a stomachache though." Sensei sighed quietly.

"Not all sicknesses are physical, Rex. Many illnesses are in the mind." He paused for a moment. "Your mom loved your dad very much. She broke down because she couldn't live life without him. But she didn't think of you and Ryūji.

"You have to be strong now," he continued. Teacher wrapped his arm around Rex's shoulders. "But it's never a bad thing to cry, Rex. Tears aren't a sign of weakness."

"Why are you bringing that up?" Rex sniffled.

"I haven't seen you cry once since your dad's letter and gloves came. Holding emotions in like this hurts. Sometimes, you just have to let them out."

And Rex did. He wept long and hard, for losing his father, and his mother. They had been the two constants in his life, and now they were gone. Sensei waited until the boy calmed down. "But you have to be strong for your brother's sake, buddy," he said quietly. "You're all he has left. You can't break, Rex. If you do, then odds are we'll be burying you two next to your mom within ten years."

He was answered only by a soft snore. Loosing all of the emotions had tired him out. Rex may not have heard the last part, but Sensei carried him back to the Hunts' house. But whether or not Rex had heard it, he had promised himself to take care of his brother.

=======

Rex was silent for a minute. He hadn't meant to talk so long. He just had to let it out, even if it was to a random person like Skye. "So, yeah," he murmured. "Call me Gloomy, Grumpy, whatever you want. Not everyone can be so happy and carefree like you. "

[Lasrever]

Skye

For once, Skye was speechless. She felt as though she was getting a telling off from her parents, and stared at the ground awkwardly. Had she really upset him that much? Nah, didn't seem like it. Maybe he just needed to get it off his chest or something, who knows? After a minute, she decided to say something serious for once. "Look, I'm sorry-"

She broke off mid-sentence at the sound of a loud crash. It was pretty close - had to be one of the windows. "Hey, Gloomy - Uh, Rex, was it?" she looked at him, eyes wide. "You heard that too, right?"

There was another sound, slightly closer to them. Someone was panicked, screaming. "Well, I guess I was kinda bored. Whaddaya say we go help out the rich guys, kid?" she said cheerfully, with a grin that seemed like she wasn't even slightly worried. If anything, she just looked excited.

Tatsumi

Tatsumi was woken up by a loud crash, and rushed over to the window of the room. There were people outside, all decked out with weapons like they were planning to start a war. "Hey, Rex!" he looked over to the bed where he assumed his new friend would be sleeping. It was empty. "Dammit! I need to find Lady Aria!" grabbing his sword, he rushed downstairs, the yells and screams of the guards making him run even faster.

Before he knew it, he was outside, and racing through the garden. "Lady Aria! Rex! Someone! Where are you!?" he yelled desperately. She'd been so kind to him, to everyone. He had to make sure she was safe from these murderers. He drew his sword as he ran through the garden, aiming for a light in the distance. I have to protect her from them. No matter what.

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

Rex nodded, running quickly to his room to find his weapon: a collapsible spear. It wasn't anything special, but it would serve his purposes well enough. The young man grabbed it. Aria had helped him, but his room was closest to her parents'. He made a split-second decision to go there first. What greeted him was a gruesome sight.

=======

Night Raid

Everything was going according to plan. The majority of the group were dealing with the guards. Unfortunately for said guards, these assassins were too well-trained, too ruthless. Several individuals had broken off to deal with their intended targets. One stood before Rex: a bespectacled young woman with purple hair and eyes, wielding an oversized pair of scissors.

She and her weapon were covered in blood. Her victim, Aria's mother, lay on the floor, cut in half at the waist. The young woman noticed the boy, who seemed to be paralyzed with fright. "I'm sorry you had to see this," she said. "But if you're here, then I suppose you must be in training to be a guard?" She raised her blades.

"H-How could you do this?" he whispered hoarsely. "These people are innocent. They took me in when I had nowhere to go. And you're killing them?!" That gave the young woman pause.

"These people are nowhere near innocent," she said. The woman knelt down, picking up a book Aria's mother had been carrying--a diary--and tossed it to the young man. "Read a single page from that, and tell me that these people are innocent."

[Lasrever]

Skye

Sure could run, couldn't he? He ran off to his room, fast as...something. Something really fast. She opened up her 'instrument case' and pulled out one of her spears. It was probably better to keep the others hidden for now - she didn't want to reveal her Imperial Arms for no reason, and she could fly them out of the case pretty quickly if she had to. For now, she ran after Rex, pretty annoyed that he was leaving her behind.

She burst into the room, where Rex seemed to be reading some kinda book, while some weird chick with glasses watched him. "Seriously? This a book club meeting or something?" it was then that she noticed the massive pair of scissors and the body chopped in half at the weird girl's feet. Scissors like that had to be some kinda Imperial Arms. "Hey Gloomy, Rex, whatever you want me to call you. There'd better be a good reason you're away in library land right now - and don't bother giving me any books to read. Just tell me, quick."

Best to get ready for a fight, just in case, though. With a grin to Glasses over the other side of the room, she made sure her case was open. If she had to, she could fly a spear into the girl before she knew what hit her.

Tatsumi

Finally, Tatsumi had tracked her down! She had a couple of guards with her, so it seemed like they hadn't found her yet. "Aria! I found you! I'm so glad you're alright!" he didn't even get a thank you for his trouble, instead one of the guards shoved him back and she shouted orders to him.

"We're running to the shed! You need to hold them off, Tatsumi! Please!" Tasumi stared, wide-eyed. Are you kidding me? There's no way I can fight- before he could even finish his thought, a dark-haired girl emerged from the forest, jumping past him and towards Aria. By the time he looked over, the guards were dead, and she was standing over Aria, a deadly-looking blade raised to strike. He charged with his sword, forcing her to back off.

"You're trying to kill her, right!? I can't just run away and let you do that!" he yelled angrily. "If you want her, you'll have to go through me!"

[Jurassic Weeb]

Rex

Rex couldn't believe what was written in the diary. "Sh-Sh-She did all of this!?" he whispered breathlessly. "These poor people..." The young man fell to his knees, the book dropping from his hands. His hands couldn't stop shaking. "They were people like me, like Skye and Tatsumi."

The purple-haired woman knelt down beside Rex. "They never viewed you as people," she said. "Many people in power are like this here in the Imperial Capital. We came here to take care of people like this."

Akame

"Even though you're not a target," the young woman said, "if you insist on getting in our way, then I'll have to kill you as well." She charged, going in for a swift stab to the chest. But it didn't feel right, and she backed off. Her sword didn't bite flesh.