[Story] Joining the Legion...

[Madoka]

Hay, look what I found on some of my old disks!

 

Natsukashiii~~~ This brings back many fond memories... I hope Kendricke-sama and Starlight-sama will forgive me for re-posting it, but this is the story of how I joined the Legion, waaaaaaay back in history when we were in AM.

 

My apologies in advance if I bore anyone... This WAS a long time ago!! But for those of you who remember, I hope you remember with fondness, and re-read with joy, as I have!

 

Madoka.

[Madoka]

TIME: 6 Months Ago, Terra Ager 1.

 

"My Lady!! Our border ashigaru reports a large mass of armies headed our way!!"

 

Conversation in Madoka's conference hall halted at the sudden outburst by the Captain of the Guards.

 

Madoka stood up and hurried out of the room, followed by her most trusted general, Hikaru Ichijo, a samurai Warlord. Racing up the steps to the lookout on her fortress, Madoka snapped, "Hikaru-san, send Baldur-san the Bard to lead our Archangels. You know the plan. Next, get my Sprites to report in. I want the army identified immediately."

 

"Yes, m'lady."

 

"Get word out to Shaka-san and Starlight-sama. Let them know of my situation, and see if they will send reinforcements."

 

"They have already been notified by our Sprites, m'lady."

 

"Good." Madoka continued racing up the stairs when a sudden thought occured to her. "Hikaru-san?"

 

"Hai?"

 

"Send another Sprite to Shaka-chan. Ask him NOT to send me his Preachers again. We're warriors, not clergymen."

 

Hikaru suppressed a grin. "Already done so, m'lady."

 

Reaching the highest tower, Madoka accepted the spyglass offered to her. Putting it to her eye, she could just see the invading army at the outer reaches of her border.

 

Thousands of marching cavalrymen on horseback filled her spyglass. Above the horses Archangels and Angels flitted about, their wings glowing with unprecedented whiteness. Madoka panned her spyglass to the front, immediately seeing a colossal figure, clad entirely in fearsome white armor, at the head. Next to his steed a large banner rested, claiming the army to be that of Lord Kendricke, Order of the Rose, Legion of the White Rose.

 

"Hmm... The Legion? I have done nothing to the Legion..." Madoka mused.

 

The door opened again, admitting a Sprite scout.

 

"M'lady, we have been mistaken! The army is bypassing our borders and attacking our neighbor!"

 

Madoka nodded. "Yes, I see. For the meantime, keep our defenses up. Just in case."

 

"Yes, m'lady."

 

Madoka mused for a few seconds, before absentmindedly saying, "Hikaru-san?"

 

"Hai?"

 

"Get Malein-san. Inform her to pull my samurai sheep back from the border... I don't want the Legion to get hurt by my sheep."

 

"Of course, m'lady."

 

Madoka's face glowed red briefly as it reflected the balls of fire reaching up into the sky. Thunderous, but distant, booms reached her eyes, the all-too-familiar sound of war.

 

[CONTINUED]

[Madoka]

TIME: 2 Months Ago, Terra Ager 1.

 

Thundering hooves snapped Madoka out over her reverie. Looking up, a man cloaded in crimson leapt nimbly down from his chestnut colored steed, landing on the ground with nimble grace. His features were hidden underneath his hood, but Madoka recognized him immediately.

 

Her armor clinking as she straightened herself, Madoka gave her liege lord, Starlight, a deep bow. "My Lord, what can I do for you?"

 

Starlight gazed at her with a warm smile. "My samurai, have you heard of the Legion before?"

 

Madoka's eyes crossed slightly as she thought deeply. "By Legion you mean the Legion of the Red Rose?"

 

Starlight chuckled. "White Rose, actually, but yes, you get the idea."

 

"Ah, yes. White Rose. Yes, I have heard of them. From what I've seen, they are a very honorable guild of knights. They have not harmed us in any way, have they?"

 

"No no, not at all. What do you think of an alliance with them?"

 

"An alliance?"

 

"Yes, I have been speaking with Lord Kendricke, their guildmaster, and I have found him to be a very good person. I feel that Metalium will benefit with an alliance. As Warlady, I seek your counsel. Do you have any objections?"

 

Madoka shook her head. "I have no objections at all, liege lord. No member of the Legion has invaded my land, I have no quarrel with them, and I have found them to be entirely respectable. I would be honored to be allied with them."

 

"Good. I'll speak to Sauron, Aileron, and MrFurious, then. Barring Armageddon tomorrow, we should be allied pretty soon."

 

Madoka bowed deeply. "I understand, liege lord. Let's welcome them into our new alliance."

 

[CONTINUED]

[Madoka]

TIME: Present Day, Terra Ager 1.

 

Madoka sighed heavily, tossing and turning beneath her blankets. Realizing that sleep had eluded her yet again, she sighed yet again and tossed her covers off. Swivelling, she placed her bare feet on her tatami floor, her right hand grasping her katana next to her pillow almost unconsciously. A slight breezed wafted into the room through the open window, ruffling her raven-colored hair and tugging at the bottom ends of her shift.

 

Madoka gazed at herself in the mirror, noticing her black panda-eyes and the lines of fatigue etched into her face. News that her liege lord Starlight had given up the leadership of Metalium had struck her hard, making her, by samurai tradition, a ronin; an outcast with no liege lord. A samurai in dishonor. She didn't understand why, but as Starlight was, and always would be, her liege lord, it was not in her place to question his decisions. But why? Why had he forsaken her? Madoka's mind screamed at the thought of being without a lord to follow. Her eyes drifted to her wakizashi, her short sword within her grasp. It would be easy, Madoka reflected, to end her life. A samurai without a lord loses her meaning. It would be easy to unsheathe the short sword, plunge it into her neck, twist, and it would be all over.

 

Her hand reached out, absentmindedly patting the sheathe of her katana as Madoka fought her inner demons. Summoning up her courage, Madoka's eyes hardened and her hands began to unsheathe her wakizashi.

 

A discreet knock sounded on her door. "M'lady? Are you well?"

 

Biting back a curse, Madoka composed herself and answered, "Iie, betsu ni... It's nothing. Please come in, Hikaru-san."

 

Hikaru slid open her door and stepped in. "Ojamashimasu," he said softly, bowing towards Madoka. "Please excuse my intrusion."

 

"You will never intrude, Hikaru-san. What is it?"

 

"A messenger from Starlight-sama, m'lady. He requests a meeting with you as soon as possible."

 

"A meeting?" Madoka echoed. "Very well, Hikaru-san. Saddle up my horse and we shall go to his place at once."

 

Hikaru coughed.

 

Madoka raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

 

"There is no need, m'lady. Starlight-sama is here."

 

"Starlight-sama? Here? Now?"

 

Hikaru nodded. "He is waiting for you in your meeting chamber. He says to please meet him at your convenience."

 

Madoka scoffed. "Don't be absurd. I am honored that he would come here. Call my chambermaids at once! Please apologize to Starlight-sama for waiting, but I am currently in an unpresentable state."

 

Hikaru bowed. "At once, m'lady." He turned and disappeared out the door as Madoka's chambermaids came rushing in, carrying Madoka's kimono.

 

Dressed, Madoka hurried to her conference chamber, entering and bowing immediately to Starlight, who was drinking jasmine tea at her table.

 

"Starlight-sama, welcome. I apologize for my lateness."

 

Starlight looked up at her with a warm smile. "It is not a problem, my favorite samurai. I am sorry to trouble you so suddenly."

 

"It is no trouble," Madoka assured him. She sat down next to him.

 

Starlight placed his teacup down on the table. Clearing his throat, he stated, "I have submitted my application to join the Legion."

 

Madoka felt as if her heart stopped.

 

Starlight continued, "I feel that the Legion follows closely to what I had envisioned with Metalium. Lately, my lands had been in strife and I cannot afford the time needed to lead Metalium. As such, I felt it was necessary to step down and hand the leadership over to Sauron. You, of course, will stay in Metalium and give your assistance to Sauron. You have a new liege lord now."

 

Madoka shook her head. "I refuse."

 

"Metalium will stay the same -- eh?" Starlight stopped, focussing his eyes on her. "What did you say?"

 

Madoka looked up at Starlight, her eyes glistening with tears that she held back. Taking a deep breath, she forged on. "I have followed you since I came to these lands, and I shall follow you now. You have always been my liege lord, and you shall always remain my liege lord. You are not Japanese, so I forgive you for not understanding Bushido. When you resigned your leadership of Metalium, my ties with Metalium were sundered. I am a samurai -- it is my duty to follow you wherever you go. When you did not inform me of your plans, I assumed you did not need me anymore, and such, have decided to commit seppukku. A masterless samurai lives in dishonor, and I cannot live in dishonor. I wish you a good life, Starlight-sama. Please excuse me."

 

Madoka stood up, bowed deeply to Starlight, and began to walk out of the room sadly. Starlight's mouth gaped open, then closed, then open again, as he tried to formulate his thoughts into words. At the last second, he decided.

 

"Madoka!"

 

Madoka stopped, tears running down her face. Not facing Starlight, she replied softly. "Hai?"

 

"Turn around and face me!!" Starlight thundered.

 

Madoka drew a deep breath, nodded, and turned around, her eyes cast on Starlight's boots.

 

"I said, face me, dammit! Look into my eyes!"

 

Madoka flinched visibly at Starlight's words which lashed at her soul. She raised her head slowly and looked into Starlight's eyes.

 

"I said I'm resigning! I didn't order you to commit suicide!"

 

A flash of anger burned briefly in Madoka's eyes. "Yes, but that's all I can do! When you resigned, I became masterless! I am a ronin! I am disgraced! My samurai legions are disgraced because their master is masterless! Even my SHEEP are disgraced!!"

 

"And what will committing suicide prove to your samurai? That you were a disgraced AND dead samurai?!"

 

"My DEATH, liege lord," Madoka snapped, "will prove my absolute loyalty to YOU. Because of samurai tradition, my entire samurai legion will commit seppuku because *I* committed seppuku!! Such is the way of life for a samurai!! Giving up the leadership of Metalium is YOUR right, but consequences will result! This is one of the consequences! Understand THAT!!"

 

"Metalium needs you, but it doesn't need me!"

 

"If Metalium doesn't need YOU," Madoka emphasized slowly, "It certainly doesn't need ME."

 

"I am telling you -- committing seppuku won't make anything right! It won't make me change my mind!" Starlight said.

 

Madoka nodded slowly, tears cascading down her face. "I understand." She turned around again and began to walk out.

 

"Stop! I ORDER you not to commit seppuku! As your liege lord I command you so!"

 

Madoka stopped and faced Starlight again. "I respectfully disobey."

 

"Then -- what do you suggest I do?!"

 

Madoka stared hard at Starlight. "If you join the Legion, the Legion shall gain not one new member, but two."

 

Starlight stared back at Madoka. "Are you certain of what you're saying?"

 

Madoka nodded. "My time in Metalium is over."

 

"I will be an Initiate. I cannot command you anymore."

 

Madoka shrugged. "Whether you be a guildleader or an Initiate, you will always be my lord."

 

"You will have to enter the Legion as an Initiate. You won't command other mages anymore. You will lose your commission in Metalium."

 

Madoka scoffed. "I expected no less."

 

Starlight sighed. "Are you certain?"

 

A grin broke out at the edges of Madoka's mouth as the candlelight reflected off the drying tears on her face. "It's either that or commit seppuku. You decide my fate, my liege lord."

 

Starlight nodded. "Very well. I will be honored to have you at my side. Please come with me to the Legion."

 

Madoka bowed deeply. "Your wish is my command."

 

One week later, Starlight and Madoka entered the Halls of the Legion, pledging their loyalty to Lord Kendricke and their new guild. Looking around, Madoka felt at peace -- in the arms of fellow Knights, and no longer a disgraced samurai. So long as Starlight served the Legion, so shall his samurai. For a samurai, loyalty is life.

 

[END]

[Starlight]

And more memories I wish had more stuff like this saved away myself...

 

(note that of course the "present day" in the story was when we joined the Legion, which was what... 2000? hehe, time flies...)