OLN: Hopes Requiem

[caparo]

I'd be interested in a story about the afterlife ^_^

[Arcsol93]

Here is the one of the short stories for Hope's Requiem.

For the second story I have the general plot down now, my only problem is coming up with a decent title for it lol. Once I figure it out I'll make a separate thread and put the synopsis down for it.

Spoiler! :

Kat's training day:

"A...rc...Ar...c! Wa...ke u...p!"

In a small house in the middle of a forest, a white wolf girl was shaking a male red wolf that was sleeping on a table full of machinery.

"*huff* Geez what am I going to do about you two? You're so impossible to wake once you're asleep."

The wolfess sighed and backed away. Blue markings began to wrap around her body and her hair dyed a deep blue.

"Fine if it's going to be like that this calls for drastic measures!"

Water started to swirl around her hand as she gritted her teeth, spraying water on the sleeping wolf and startling him awake.

"G-Gaaah! What was that for Svette, I was having such a nice-"

He turns to see the girl behind him full of killing intent, making his hairs stand on edge.

"Did you forget what we were supposed to do today? Do I need to drown you until you actually remember something?"

"S-Sorry, I've been up late working on my project...is today my day to do the cleaning?"

He flinches as more water gathers around Svette.

*Guess not...think Arc think! Your life is on the line here. Hmm...ah ha!*

"H-Happy birthday?"

...

She then mercilessly let loose a torrent of water that would rival that of a waterfall.

"I-Idiot! We're supposed to be training Kat today so she can use her soul arm to defend herself!"

Svette's cheeks reddened in rage, stopping her deluge and grabbing the collar of his shirt.

*Ahahaha...ha whoops. Good one Arc, my attention was drawn to the project a little too much it seems.*

*Koff, hack!* "S-Sorry about that. I really have no excuse to defend myself this time around. I was drawn too much to my work, so it's unforgivable of me to forget like this."

"...Well as long as you know what you did wrong I'll forgive you...as long as you show me what you're messing with."

Svette gave a sly smile, leaning over Arc's shoulder to get a look at the "project" as her anger and markings disappeared.

"What are you working on to begin with? Usually you never lose focus so easily."

The boy gave a sheepish smile as he turned and cleared away some of the clutter to give her a better look.

It appeared to be wings sprouting out from a small device. Svette reached out cautiously and ran her hand along them, showing a look of surprise at the detail of them.

"I wanted to keep it a secret but it's a pair of wings. I feel they will give those without them equal footing against an aerial enemy. They still have some bugs to iron out though."

"Wow, these actually feel like real feathers. It never ceases to amaze me how real the nerve technology makes things like this seem...so if I'm not mistaken these will work as an actual appendage when you connect it to the nerves on the back?"

The red wolf showed a big grin as he spun a wrench between his fingers.

"That's the idea anyway. Only problem is getting the nerves adjusted to them and training to use them like an actual appendage. Though after four all nighters they should be ready for their first test flight"

Thanks to angels lending their resources, technology has made leaps and bounds. Covering everything from functional prosthetics that can act just as well as the lost limb to something that would have seemed a fantasy not long ago.

The technology makes use of the optical, sensory and motor nerves. In a sense it uses them to trick the body or mind into believing they are a natural part of it, enabling humans to do things never thought possible.

"...I see, so you're not useless if it's something for yourself. And to think I was concerned for you being -sick- those four days."

The female wolf mumbled with a scowl. Shaking as she gripped Arc's shoulders tight.

"P-Please don't look at me like that...Ah! Ahhhh!!! Y-Your claws, they're digging into my shoulders! T-They hurt!"

"Hehe...ehehehehehe. I'll show you what real pain is like, you'll be making up for the work you've been skipping out on with your blood, sweat and tears! Prepare yourself!"

And just like that the morning was filled with bloodcurdling screams and manacle laughter.

-----------------

"Go away and let me sleep, meow!"

"K-Kat it's time to get up! You...ugh! Know very well you are practicing today!"

Svette gritted her teeth as she pulled at the little lynx holding onto the bed frame.

"You know that's useless with those claws of hers right? Hell has a better chance of freezing over before she ever lets go."

The red wolf mumbled from the corner of the bedroom, covered in cuts and bruises.

"G-Get your butt over here then and help me you lazy idiot!"

"And chance getting scratched in the face by her?"

Arc laughed while the white wolf stared daggers at him.

"I'll be sure to kill you personally later, I'll make you die so slow your lungs will pop before you lose consciousness!"

Kat used that opening as her chance and squirmed out of Svette's hands, latching on to her blanket and curling up into a ball.

"Haven't you ever heard the term let sleeping cats lie? Let this cat lie, meow."

"That's let sleeping dogs lie Kat, totally off there."

Arc sneered as Svette struggled to unravel the blanket.

"Ok, then how about this one, meow. You know how cats do what they want? Well let this cat do what she wants, meow."

"Grrr fine...then this wolf will do what she wants and will give the kitty a wake up bath."

With that the lynx struggled out of the blankets and poked her head up, staring at Svette's smirking face as water gathered around her hand.

"You wouldn't dare, meow..."

"Would you like to try me? I'll be more than happy to entertain the thought."

It wasn't long before Kat rushed out of the bed, grabbing her clothes and running into the bathroom.

"No no, kitty is fine with not having a bath. I'll be out in a bit meow."

"Just so you know I'll be giving you a bath later, you're long overdue."

"...kitty was afraid you would say that, meow."

Arc let out a sigh as he walked out of the room.

"Should've done that sooner, could have saved so much time. Even I could have thought of that first."

Svette growled softly as water gathered around her, blasting the red wolf with scalding hot water.

"Agggghhhhhh! Hot hot hot!! D-Dammit Svette!"

--------------

"Ok so how I see Kat's soul arm working is like this..."

The trio was now outside in the forest. Svette was explaining the use of Kat's soul arm and how she could use it.

"It doesn't just manipulate fire and add the element to it like my trident or Arc's khopesh. It sucks in the air around her and heats it up inside the SA itself."

Svette draws a diagram in the dirt of the idea she has in mind.

"Basically what this does is create air pressure according to what she needs. Basically what this does is it adds a large amount of force to her punches or kicks, making the illusion she has super-strength or speed."

She draws a few more points into the mud drawing and looks up at them...finding them asleep.

"You two aren't even listening to me! Wake up!!!"

Blue once more wrapped around the wolf, the girl summoning up a deluge of water and washing the duo into the trees.

"*koff, koff* C-Cool it on the water already, this is an abuse of power!"

"I wouldn't need to use it so much if you two weren't so lazy! Take things seriously for once!"

"B-But we already knew how my SA worked from the get go, me-meow."

Kat mumbled as she hugged herself, shivering a little from the cold.

"You would know that if you weren't so dim."

Arc mumbled as he wrung out his shirt.

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing at all...must have been the wind you heard."

Kat stood up and began walking towards the house, shivering violently.

"I'll be back, meow. I'm going to change my clothes and grab some tofu."

Arc placed his shirt and hoodie on a rock to dry while Kat went back inside.

"Something I just realized. Svette you remembered to pick up her tofu right?"

....

"WHERE IS MY TOFU?!"

A scream that could be heard from miles away echoes out through the forest, scaring away the animals near the house.

"...Now you've done it, and you get on me for my laziness."

"I-I'm sorry! I was busy preparing for today and it completely flew by me."

The ground began to shake as the door to the house turned to ash, standing in the frame was a figure covered in flame, clad with a pair of gauntlets and sabatons.

"...Time to go."

Arc rushed over to the white wolf and lifted her into a princess hold, rushing off into the forest for dear life.

"W-What are you doing?! P-Put me down, this is too embarrassing!"

"Ok I'll be glad to leave you to a raging flame clad cat. It was your fault to begin with."

In a flash the cat in question appeared behind them, knocking down a few trees as Arc dodged some of her attacks.

"I-I'm fine with this, just don't slow down or drop me please."

Arc grinned as she clung onto his chest tight, dodging a few more attacks from the enraged Kat.

"Uh-oh...well this could be problematic. Close your eyes and hold on tight, whatever you do don't let go."

"W-What do you-"

She looked ahead and saw something that made her hairs stand on edge. A cliff was approaching fast and she knew exactly what he had in mind.

"Y-You can't be serious! No! No, no, no..."

"Here we go! Brace yourself!"

"Nooooooooooo!!!"

Svette screamed and wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life as tears streamed past her face. The ground approaching very fast.

"Test run one, please please work! Wings activate and integrate!"

The white wolf closed her eyes tight and pressed her face into his chest, not being able to bear the sight any longer for the inevitable splat.

*S-So this is how my life will end, falling off a cliff from an idiot of a man...*

...

"Svette...Svette. You can open your eyes now, everything is fine."

She half opened an eye to catch a glimpse and both shot open wide at the sight she saw.

Clouds so close one could almost touch them, and far below a lush green landscape that curved in the distance.

"Test flight success, we are successfully the first humans to fly through the air without the help of a vehicle...beautiful isn't it?"

Svette looked up at the smiling wolf and blushed softly. Clinging on tightly as he flapped his wings steadily.

"I-Idiot! What would you have done if they didn't work?"

"Hehehe...didn't really think about that. It was a spur of the moment, though what scientist doesn't put their life at risk for their work...agh! The claws Svette, your claws are digging into me again!"

*Hmph, serves him right for scaring me like that. But I do have to admit...it really is beautiful*

She smiled as she eases her grip a little, leaning into him as she gazes out at the expansive scenery once more. It would be a sight she would never forget.

------------------

"We'll cut you a deal."

"What kind of deal, meow?"

A few hours had passed and the group was back at the house. Svette and Arc were sitting at a table across from the now calm Kat.

Thanks to the link between Kat and Arc he knows when she leaves her other form or when she enters it.

"We'll get you the best tofu money can buy, but you have to start practicing with your SA from now on. No being the pacifist when we need a hand."

Arc said with his head on his hands with a serious look. Svette looking back and forth between the two with disbelief as to what she was hearing.

"Hmm...you play a hard bargain, meow. How do I know you're telling the truth?"

Arc reached down into a bag by his feet, pulling out a small container from it and passing it across the table.

"Some incentive for your troubles."

"Yaaaaay tofu, meow. You have a deal copper."

Svette laid her head down onto the table and let out a groan as Kat practically inhaled the tofu without a thought.

"Uuu...what are we are we a bunch of gangsters now? The world is doomed with these two goofballs."

For the rest of that day she stayed in her room and moped, not comprehending the events that unfolded.

---------

And from that point on Kat has been able to use her soul arm in battle...as long as she has her tofu.

Where is the training you ask? I...am still just as confused as you from the moment they told me this story. I guess maybe it was mental training or something?

Or rather maybe it was Svette's training to deal with these two? I honestly never expected Arc to be so unreliable, compared to now he is actually pretty dependable.

Though I did love their fly through the sky. Makes me want to gush more thinking about it, though I'll spare you that...for now hehe.

Anyway I hope it was interesting enough for you, I'll try to give you a better story next time you come to visit.