Light Bringer

I'm redoing the older chapters of Light Bringer (probably up to 5) to edit out the things I think don't make any sense. Fun fun fun.

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Chapter 1-Introductions and Old Friends

''Freyja do you really think that's a good idea?''

''…. Not really, why?''

''If this goes wrong….''

''If this goes wrong we get in a shitload of trouble with Xerxes, but he can't really do anything about it, me being his daughter and all'' Freyja grinned and her companion, a rugged blond, attempted to hide his smile.

''Freyja''

''Yes?''

''You do know that everyone thinks you're completely insane and wonder how you're related to your father''

''I don't think I'm insane'' Freyja murmured thoughtfully.

''Good for you''

''I know I'm insane'' Freyja giggled and Ryuu smiled faintly. She started to say something else but she was interrupted by a furious shriek.

''Where are they?!?'' They both looked up to see a soaking wet, angry-looking person striding towards them.

''Where's who Kali?'' Freyja asked absently, still focused on the previous topic of conversion.

''The idiot and the harpy'' Kali yelled. Freyja struggled to keep a straight face and Ryuu took a step back. Kali was known for her short temper and having enough weapons to support a small military force.

''Well?''

''Well what?'' Freyja replied.

''Have you seen the pair of them?''

''I suppose you're talking about Taboo and Siren?''

''No! Well why would you think that?'' Kali snapped.

''You could be talking about August and Siren'' Freyja grumbled.

''August isn't an idiot!''

''He isn't? News to me'' Freyja murmured. Kali frowned.

''I suppose you know where they are but you're not going to tell me?''

''Yeah…that's about right'' Freyja smiled at Kali, then glanced at the mercenary's soaking wet clothes.

"You better go get changed I don't think my father would be impressed if you went to his tactics discussion like that" Freyja giggled again but went quiet when Kali glared at her. Then Kali frowned at looked at Freyja suspiciously.

"What are you doing this far out anyway?"

"Well, we uh…"Freyja said nervously.

"Patrol" Ryuu interjected smoothly. Freyja glanced at Ryuu gratefully. Kali looked at him and quirked an eyebrow.

"Patrol?" Kali nodded reluctantly and spun on her heel and walked in the direction of the camp. Freyja glanced up at Ryuu.

"You think we should go warn Taboo and Siren that Kali is gonna try and kill them once she's changed?" Freyja said worriedly. Ryuu laughed softly and looked down at Freyja. It made her feel like a little girl again. The feeling was not welcome. Freyja scowled at him. He merely shook his head.

"What were we talking about?"

"I was saying that we should try and take out the enemy with only a small force because it would be completely pointless to use the whole army"

"And I was saying…" He asked, and Freyja had an idea.

"You were saying that it was a good plan and we should just go alone"

"I was?" Ryuu frowned "It doesn't seem like the sort of thing I would I say"

"Well you did" Freyja said, smiling slightly

" Fine, we'll go after the tactics meeting" Ryuu shrugged and left Freyja, who, once he was out of hearing range, started to laugh girlishly, eyes dancing with humour.

"Hey Freyja, you alright?" A person asked in her ear. She shook her head and smiled at the girl standing next to her.

"I'm fine Siren" The cheerful blonde's smile grew to dangerous proportions when Freyja to not use the name she seemed to have picked up from August. She hated being called 'harpy' and everyone knew it. She threw her arms round Freyja's neck and hugged her.

"No problem Siren…. just, one thing"

"Yes?"

"Let go of my neck…I can't breathe!" Siren released her and pouted.

"Awww, Freyja doesn't love me anymore?" Freyja groaned. Siren smiled again.

"It doesn't matter, I know you love me!" Siren skipped away leaving a bemused Freyja in her wake.

A flash of red caught Freyja's eye and when she looked harder she could she a person streaking after Siren. As if feeling Freyja's gaze he turned and winked at her, before disappearing into the woods. Freyja followed at a slower pace, thinking about the meeting between the resistance forces that she had spoken to Kali and Ryuu about.

"What does Mae want to talk to father about?" she thought aloud. She nodded to a few of the soldiers as she wandered into her father's camp. She caught a glance of red again and started towards it. The person jumped over a bench and sprinted in Freyja's direction. He ran behind her and then Freyja saw why. Kali was heading in their direction with a killing look in her eyes. The person behind Freyja ducked but it was too late. Kali stopped in front of Freyja and glared at her.

"Don't tell me you're defending him" Kali said angrily. Freyja looked calmly at her.

"Let him be Ravenholme"

"He-" Kali began.

"You have a meeting to go to" Freyja stated calmly.

"But-"

"I'll take responsibility for Taboo. Since you're hired you can't deal out punishment" Freyja folded her arms, eyes telling the other to back down.

"Fine" Kali swept away. Freyja turned to the redhead standing behind her. A lazy grin played on his face.

"Punishment?" He echoed. Freyja smiled at him.

"You know as well as I do that I couldn't keep you in one place for long" She smiled again "You'd break out and start wreaking havoc"

"Sounds like me all right" He seemed to think for a moment "You haven't seen the harpy have ya? She ran off when the bitch turned up" Freyja shook her head and he grumbled something under his breath and turned to leave but then he glanced over his shoulder.

"Your daddy wanted to see ya" He grinned maniacally "He sounded mad …what did ya do?"

"No idea…that's what worries me"

"Well, he starts giving you grief call me and I'll deck him for ya" He smiled recklessly.

"Thanks Tab… You'll just have to fight through his ten bodyguards, who, may I add, are trained killing machines" Freyja smiled at Taboo, who blinked.

"Eh...on second thoughts..." Freyja smiled at him

"Does he think Mae's gonna try and have him assassinated or something?" Taboo asked, falling into stride with Freyja.

"That's pretty much it…also I think he's scared of Roxy"

"Roxanne? Why her?"

"Well she's a brilliant tactician right? And she's liked by loads of us" Freyja said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"So?" Taboo said blankly.

"Well if she decides to go off on her own most of the resistance will probably go with her, 'cause they like her better than my father" Taboo shrugged when she finished.

"Point"

"You bet it is" Freyja said grimly "He's probably going to take his bad mood out on me" Taboo smiled sympathetically.

"Good luck with him then" She smiled back then trudged off in the direction of her father's tent. She looked up at her father's Shikane. His death knights. They nodded to her and gestured for her to go inside. She pushed the flap aside and was disturbed at how…neat it was.

'You would think' she thought 'that since he's in charge here he'd be up to his neck in papers but no, this place is completely clear of so much as a single file'

"General Xerxes" She called. The man she hadn't noticed sitting at the desk started and spun around. His face relaxed when he saw her. She gave him a mock salute, smiling sardonically as she did so. He scowled.

"You wanted to see me?" She asked, keeping her voice and attitude formal.

"I want you to keep quiet at this meeting"

"Why?" Freyja asked, falling out of etiquette.

"I don't want you to say anything that could pit our two groups against each other" he replied.

"You mean you don't want me saying anything about how terrified you are that she's going to kill you or that Roxanne is going to up-and-out on you" Freyja snickered at his expression.

"How did you know that?"

"Through powers of observation…and Tab told me"

"Figures" Xerxes snorted. Freyja raised an eyebrow.

"Hmmm?"

"You, that damn redhead and his friend" he grumbled.

"Siren?"

"That's the one"

"What's wrong with her?" Freyja frowned.

"She's winding up the mercenaries"

"Only Kali. She leaves August alone" Freyja protested. "And Siren is a valuable asset to us. She's the only way we have any idea what the 'government' is doing"

"Just keep them out of the way at the meeting…and stay quiet yourself"

"Is that an order?" Freyja asked mockingly, knowing she was trying his patience.

"I shouldn't have to order it. I am your father" he snapped.

"I vowed never to call you father to your face ever again after mother died" Freyja hissed, and the air around her suddenly turned cold.

"I did not kill Altariel"

"Mother killed herself because of you" Freyja's voice had an edge of steel in it.

Xerxes watched his only daughter in worry. She had been distraught at her mother's suicide and had rounded on him, blaming him for her death. He had merely shrugged it off, telling himself it was a phase she was going through in which she just wanted to blame someone. But when she hadn't stopped insisting it was his fault, he began to wonder if he was truly to blame. It seemed nothing had changed in the 2 months he'd been away.

"I'll see you at the meeting, then" Freyja nodded to him, her face impassive. She strode out, seething with anger. She glared at the Shikane as she passed, and they shifted uncomfortably, except one, who glared back. She took a mental note of his face. Blue dreadlocks with grey eyes…. there's a look you don't see everyday she thought to herself. She jumped when she walked straight into somebody. A hand caught her arm as she slipped, and gracefully put her back on her feet.

"Whoa. You ought to be more careful, cheri" the owner of the hand commented. Freyja smiled at the person.

"Thanks August"

"Anything for a pretty girl" August smirked.

"Don't you mean anything for a pretty anyone?" Freyja asked. August smirked again.

"Damn. I've been found out."

"Thought you were with Kali at the fun and interesting tactics meeting?"

"Looking for you, cheri" he replied, waving a hand airily "And Xerxes 'cause Mae's here"

"Is Roxy talking to her then?" Freyja knew that her father would purposely be exactly 5 minutes late so that if the visitors were here to kill then he had a chance to escape. August glanced down at her.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" she lied, she looked up at him "I'm annoyed 'cause everyone is so much bigger than me"

August smirked and Freyja wondered if he did anything but smirk.

"Aww is Freyja sad because Freyja is so small? Does Freyja want a kiss to cheer her up?" August asked hopefully. Freyja laughed.

"I may be small but I'm not stupid, August" She laughed again when he pouted "Why don't you pester Kali or Roxy?"

"I haven't gotten round to Kali 'cause she'd probably beat me up and hand my ass back to me gift wrapped but I asked Roxanne and…. well" He trailed off.

"Well what?" Freyja prompted.

"As well as having big blue eyes she has a mean right hook" He grinned crookedly, catching several glancing from the female population of the camp. He winked at them, making the younger half of girls giggle and blush. Freyja rolled her eyes at his behaviour, poking him in the arm to try and make him desist.

Freyja noticed Xerxes walk past them, flanked by two of his guards. He gestured for them to follow him. They both fell in just behind him, covering his back. They entered another tent and she saw a familiar woman talking to a person with knee-length bluish black hair. She reached up and tugged August's coffee-coloured ponytail. When he looked at her she gestured to a chair set so he see (and shoot) everything and everyone in the room. She strolled over towards the guest and as they both turned towards her Freyja smiled and nodded to her.

"Mae, this is Freyja Luxferren, Xerxes' daughter, Freyja, this is Mae, of the Musurao Tatsu"

"Pleased to meet you Freyja" Mae said quietly. Freyja noticed she had a lilt in her voice and was about to ask about it when a sharp prod in her back from her father reminded her of her manners.

"Sorry. This is August Leoren and Kali Reika Ravenholme, and you've already met Roxanne" Freyja said waving her hand towards the purple-haired lady standing next to Mae.

"Good Evening Mae" Xerxes stood behind Freyja and she wondered why before realizing he was using her as a human shield 'that coward!' she fumed mentally, and physically she turned and gaze him a withering look. He returned her glare with one of his own the stepped round her and started to speak to Mae. Roxanne looked at Freyja. She stepped closer to her.

"Is it just me or is our dear leader a bit paranoid tonight?" Roxanne said in a quiet voice so Xerxes couldn't hear her.

"He's afraid that Mae will try to kill him" Freyja smiled darkly "And that you'll leave and then try to kill him"

"Idiot" Roxanne snorted. "If I did leave I'd have no where else to go except Lucrecia's house and I'm a pain to her anyway"

"She doesn't think that" Freyja objected "She loves company, except when you try to…" She bit her lip. She had been about to say 'when you try to kill yourself' but she knew that it was a sore subject. Roxanne shook her head

"It's fine" A bitter smirk showed on Roxanne's face as she ran her thumb over the scars on her wrists. She shook her head again at Freyja's sympathetic face.

"I don't want your pity" Roxanne hissed, in a rare moment of controlled fury.

"Sympathy and pity aren't the same thing, Roxy" Freyja argued, and Roxanne looked at her in surprise before smiling again and turning to Xerxes and Mae, who seemed to be having a heated argument. Roxanne rolled her eyes and mouthed 'children' to Freyja who giggled. Roxanne cleared her throat and both Mae and Xerxes turned to her.

"Shall we get down to business?" she said calmly.

Ryuu sidled in behind August and Freyja chuckled softly when August whirled around, almost hitting Kali with his Peacemaker as he did so. Kali pushed the shotgun away from her and glared in mock anger at August. Ryuu laughed as August took a step back, holding his hands up.

"Well, anyway" Roxanne seemed to have noticed August and Kali's antics. "We need to work out what to do with the deserters because they seem to be joining up with what's left of the Government".

"There's a problem" Freyja said "We can't keep up with their movements as they're moving all over the European Islands and what's left of Russia" Mae stood up.

"They are starting to spread to Asia now" Mae said "A few of the groups there have joined them as they have promised protection from the Kaijuu…sorry, monsters" she said at their confused looks. Freyja sighed.

"But they'll probably abandon them when they need help with the monsters then laugh as they're torn to shreds" Freyja said gloomily. Mae looked shocked.

"How do you know that?" She asked. Freyja just shrugged.

"It's happened before" She gestured vaguely in Ryuu's direction. "Ask Ryuu, he's seen it as well as me"

Ryuu nodded slowly. He was watching Xerxes carefully. He didn't seem happy that Freyja was ignoring his command to keep quiet.

"The Night Hawks were a smaller group who were lured in by the Government's promise to help them should they be overwhelmed by Kaijuu as you call them." He said.

"And?" Mae seemed genuinely interested.

"They were picked off, bit by bit, until about 6 of them were left from a group 40 strong." He paused again to gather his thoughts "They turned to the Government for help reminding them of the promise they made…they insisted that the Night Hawks would be fine without help. The six were killed a couple of days later. They never found the bodies".

"It seems that they can't manage without Kalani" Mae said.

"Kalani…why is that name familiar?" August asked. Mae started to answer but Freyja interrupted.

"You know the last Air Mage to ever have a place in the Government?" at August's nod she continued "He's her son, he was named after her"

"I heard she was kicked out 'cause she was a complete air-head" he grinned "No pun intended"

"Yep…then she had him and, well, you know the rest" Freyja waved her hand. "He murdered her when he was 15, took her place that had been empty for those years and then rose up through the ranks, killing anyone who got in his way to where he is now, completely in charge, with all the other places filled by violent maniacs" August let out a low whistle.

"That bad?"

"Yep" Freyja shrugged "I suppose you don't need me for the rest of this…so me and Ryuu will take our leave" She smiled at everyone and winked at Ryuu.

They left and started off at a quick pace away from the camp. Freyja picked up her glaive from where she had hidden it and smiled at Ryuu's surprised expression.

"I plan ahead"

"Obviously" He replied. He tapped his back, where his broadsword was strapped. Freyja snorted.

"How can you use that? I can't even pick it up, none the less wield it" Ryuu laughed.

"It's not my fault you're weak"

"I AM NOT WEAK! Say that again and I'll kick you into the middle of next month!" Freyja yelled.

"To this day I still don't see why your mother took it into her head to give you a name that means 'lady' "

"Hmph" Freyja muttered and Ryuu laughed again. Freyja turned and hit him.

"Hush, or we'll be caught"

"Let's see…it's pitch black, the guards are all looking the other way and we've both had stealth training…the chances of being caught are?"

"Shut up Ryuu"

"Fine"

"Fine"

"Fine"

"Ryuu…"

"Mm?"

"Shut up"

"Fine"

"I mean it" Freyja hissed.

"…"

"Better" Freyja blinked and concentrated on the lamps by the only way out. They flickered and died. She could hear the guards scrambling to re-light them as they sneaked out.

"Nicely done" Ryuu said appreciatively.

"Thanks" She smiled though he couldn't see her face "I'm good at that kind of thing"

They had just gone into the woods when a light re-lit and the guards started searching for intruders. After several minutes they stumbled upon a cleverly hidden camp that was concealed by long grass and the bottom of a mountain. They ducked as a couple of people walked by where they were and gave them (though they didn't actually know they were there) an odd look as they passed. Freyja cursed under her breath. She was similar to her mother in the fact that they both had been born with silver hair with black streaks. That was the reason why her mother had been proclaimed a witch when she was ten years old. The moonlight was hitting her hair, making it glow.

"That language is not pretty for a lady" Ryuu commented in her ear.

"Just as well I'm not a lady then isn't it?" She said softly, pondering the next step.

"Any ideas on how we should do this?" She whispered to Ryuu, who looked shocked.

"I thought you had a plan?"

"Well, I don't, and it's not like I can just ask Roxy 'cause she'd get suspicious" She replied.

"Fine"

"Don't start again" Freyja rolled her eyes.

"Why don't we just attack head on, push them against the rock, so they can't get away?" Ryuu said.

"That's what I was going to say"

"Course it was"

"Why are you saying that in a 'lets humour the mad person' way?"

"No reason" Ryuu snorted. Freyja looked at him, completely confused. He started to laugh and Freyja gaped at him like he was insane before smacking him on the head.

"What was that for?" He complained as they moved through the woods.

"For being" Freyja replied. She stopped dead when she saw the 'dangerous' adversary. There were about…13 of them.

"They were picked off by the monsters…or the Kaijuu as Mae calls them" Ryuu murmured.

"Xerxes considers these the enemy? Our group could take them out easily" Freyja snickered.

"They are few in number, but what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality" Ryuu raised an eyebrow at Freyja "They are very tough and very proud. At the time everyone wondered why they gave in to the Government…but then their leader got pregnant, and she wasn't with anyone at the time"

"Ouch" Freyja winced.

"Exactly. She disappeared just after the kid was born. No one knows what really happened to either of them"

"Nasty…why are we talking about this?"

"Don't know, why are we talking about this?"

"I was asking you" Freyja sighed.

"Well, we…never mind, lets just do this thing, okay?"

They both crept through the tents helped by the fact that clouds veiled the moon and the enemies were all against the mountain face. Freyja and Ryuu spilt up and moved out around the small group. They turned just as Freyja burst out from her cover, giving them only a split second to prepare themselves before she was on them. She sensed that Ryuu was somewhere behind her and she spun around to be confronted with an old friend.

"Cole?!?"