Oh no you've hooked me. Few things make me invested faster than questions about ones own identity and sense of self, which more than one of your stories has made use of. It's a pity this only updates twice a month or so, but I'm sure you have your reasons for the reduced update speed, even if it's nothing but getting sick of updating nearly every day previously.
Miss Cheese's Training Diary
- Thread starter AnonymousRabbit
- Start date
Spectral Waltz
Scatterbrained Writer
- Location
- Walking the Endless Corridors
(It's a commissioned work and the commissioner is only paying for a certain wordcount per month. There is usually another chapter or two up on Rabbit's Patreon.)
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
HOLDUPHOLDUPHOLDUP...
Is Brie on a timer?
Is Brie on a timer?
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
I don't know why you're surprised, certain cheese's go off if left in the open.
The Start of the Song
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
"Salieri, my friend… It has been so long," Mozart greeted with a somber smile and tone.
The man called Salieri grit his teeth and spat, "I… Am not your friend, coward."
Brie was more sensitive to the flow of prana that was present in her surroundings now. She didn't know if it was thanks to Scathach's gruelling training or it was the help of Mozart's melodies but her senses were sharper than ever. From where she was standing, looking up at the man standing on top of the building's roof, she felt an intense bloodlust coming from his form.
It felt raw, primal and inhuman.
Brie realized that this man was not human but was of the same cloth as Mozart. A Servant or something close to such an existence. This man was clearly dangerous and Mozart knew it too. This might get dicey if things go awry.
"Coward you say? Now let's no resort to name calling, Salieri. We're better than that," Mozart said as he stepped forward with a frown.
Two silhouettes appeared behind Salieri and they drew upon their violins, unleashing a vicious sound which cut through the air. Brie's eyes widened as she moved and knocked Mozart out of harm's path, tackling him into the ground.
"This is bad! This is real bad!" Brie said in a panic as she held her spear.
"I think so too. Our job here is done, let's run!" Mozart decided with a nod.
"Should have said that before answering him, idiot!" Brie snapped as she dragged the man to his feet as Salieri summoned a few silhouettes to attack. Brie shoved Mozart back and raised her spear.
She parried and deflected each of the silhouettes' blows before spearing each one of them with her fastest strikes. Looking past them, she saw a line of these gray figures raising their rifles and aiming at her.
"FUCK!" Brie snapped as she drew a rune and the earth mold itself into a wall to catch the bullets that flew. She then screamed, "Mozart!"
"Oh I'm on it!" Mozart replied as he raised his hands as he swept his hand in a flourish and manifested brass trumpets behind them, moving his arm the other way before unleashing a wall of sound which thundered towards Salieri.
The man simply manifested a row of piano keys and played a few notes, using the magic from his music to harmonize the harmful blast of sound into nothingness, effectively negating the attack. However in this action, he noticed that Mozart and the girl had vanished.
Gritting his teeth, Salieri's eyes burned crimson.
"You will not get far, you fool," he snarled as he turned away and vanished into smoke.
…..
….
…
Brie and Mozart tumbled into an alleyway following their escape from the man known as Antonio Salieri. They ended rolling and sliding across the floor before scrambling back on their feet as Brie held her spear in preparation for any pursuers.
"I think we should keep moving. It's much safer that way," Mozart coughed as he cleared his throat.
"You think?" Brie blinked as she stared at him, "I don't know Mozart, that guy looked pretty pissed. I know he claimed to have killed you but damn he really hates you."
"Ah, but that's only because you don't see the bigger picture. Salieri… He's a talented man. He would have been the greatest composer in the world," Mozart said as he leaned against the wall and ran his hand over his head.
Brie found that suspect as she pointed out, "What about you?"
"Well, I did say he would have been. But I existed at the same period he did so you would see where his anger comes from," Mozart said with a small sigh.
"So you stole his thunder by being too good. Either he's got a big ego that gets hurt easily or you're an asshole for showing him up too much," Brie noted as she leaned on Gae Bolg.
"I wasn't truly the best man I was in life. Devoting myself solely in my craft and look at where it got me in my deathbed," Mozart chuckled to himself, "I wish I could help him, Brie. I truly do. He's simply blinded by his anger, an anger I helped fuel."
"You blame yourself for how he turned out?" Brie wondered as she glanced his way.
"There's many things I regret… But I hope to make them right this time," Mozart admitted as he straightened up and nodded her way, "He is… Still my friend."
Brie cracked a smile and said, "Well, you know I'll help you as much as I can. We're pretty much stuck together now."
"We've done our part for now," Mozart said as he looked ahead, "This city needs more music in it, don't you think? We can't stop here, not now."
"We better keep moving then to your next venue," Brie nodded as she slung her spear behind her back.
Mozart smiled before the two of them ran off into the alley, vanishing into the dark.
…..
….
…
Salieri tipped over a piano and kicked the chair across the room. He picked up a violin in its stand and threw it into a mirror. His rage, his seething hatred, it was merely one meeting yet he could control himself, he could not stand it…
"Damn you… Amadeus…" Salieri growled as he punched the wall, only for it to receive a mark in the form of his fist, "Why do you run, coward? Why would you run? Why would refuse me the chance of finding out which one of us is better?!"
The man let out an anguished groan as he fell down his knees and clutched his head.
"Poor Antonio… So close yet so far," Marie spoke as she stepped out of the shadows, her yellow eyes looking down on the distraught man before her, "So you've met with him, Mozart and his girl."
"She's not human but not like us. A mere Doll wielding a red stick. She's no threat," Salieri replied as he slowly stood up, "I will capture them."
"Make sure that you do," Marie replied as she spread a fan before her face and began fanning herself, "I grow weary without Amadeus' lovely tunes. I also do not appreciate him wasting his talents on sparking hope in the masses. For better or for worse, we must capture him to prevent an uprising."
"And what those that he had already begun stirring?" Salieri asked as he turned to her.
"You want to surpass him, no? Then leash those with the spark of his hope. Bring the people back into the fold, return peace to the city if you must, do everything your power, Antonio," Marie said as she stepped towards the window, "And I'd advise you do it quick. Amadeus is already on the move."
"As you command," Salieri replied as he nodded.
"And take this with you," Marie said as she held out her hand as a flow of prana soon entered Salieri's form, giving him a surge in strength as his eyes widened. Marie then smiled, "Bring them to me, Salieri and we can both get what we want… I shall receive Amadeus and you will receive the recognition you deserve."
Salieri narrowed his gaze before vanishing.
Marie was left alone in the ravaged room, humming to herself a tune, one that Amadeus would play for her during his visits. She sat down on a chair and stared out into the glistening moon above the skies.
"Go, Salieri, go… I shall be waiting," Marie whispered as she shut her fan, "And dear Amadeus, let us end this farce of a play of ours and see who gets the final laugh. It's all coming to a head now…"
The man called Salieri grit his teeth and spat, "I… Am not your friend, coward."
Brie was more sensitive to the flow of prana that was present in her surroundings now. She didn't know if it was thanks to Scathach's gruelling training or it was the help of Mozart's melodies but her senses were sharper than ever. From where she was standing, looking up at the man standing on top of the building's roof, she felt an intense bloodlust coming from his form.
It felt raw, primal and inhuman.
Brie realized that this man was not human but was of the same cloth as Mozart. A Servant or something close to such an existence. This man was clearly dangerous and Mozart knew it too. This might get dicey if things go awry.
"Coward you say? Now let's no resort to name calling, Salieri. We're better than that," Mozart said as he stepped forward with a frown.
Two silhouettes appeared behind Salieri and they drew upon their violins, unleashing a vicious sound which cut through the air. Brie's eyes widened as she moved and knocked Mozart out of harm's path, tackling him into the ground.
"This is bad! This is real bad!" Brie said in a panic as she held her spear.
"I think so too. Our job here is done, let's run!" Mozart decided with a nod.
"Should have said that before answering him, idiot!" Brie snapped as she dragged the man to his feet as Salieri summoned a few silhouettes to attack. Brie shoved Mozart back and raised her spear.
She parried and deflected each of the silhouettes' blows before spearing each one of them with her fastest strikes. Looking past them, she saw a line of these gray figures raising their rifles and aiming at her.
"FUCK!" Brie snapped as she drew a rune and the earth mold itself into a wall to catch the bullets that flew. She then screamed, "Mozart!"
"Oh I'm on it!" Mozart replied as he raised his hands as he swept his hand in a flourish and manifested brass trumpets behind them, moving his arm the other way before unleashing a wall of sound which thundered towards Salieri.
The man simply manifested a row of piano keys and played a few notes, using the magic from his music to harmonize the harmful blast of sound into nothingness, effectively negating the attack. However in this action, he noticed that Mozart and the girl had vanished.
Gritting his teeth, Salieri's eyes burned crimson.
"You will not get far, you fool," he snarled as he turned away and vanished into smoke.
…..
….
…
Brie and Mozart tumbled into an alleyway following their escape from the man known as Antonio Salieri. They ended rolling and sliding across the floor before scrambling back on their feet as Brie held her spear in preparation for any pursuers.
"I think we should keep moving. It's much safer that way," Mozart coughed as he cleared his throat.
"You think?" Brie blinked as she stared at him, "I don't know Mozart, that guy looked pretty pissed. I know he claimed to have killed you but damn he really hates you."
"Ah, but that's only because you don't see the bigger picture. Salieri… He's a talented man. He would have been the greatest composer in the world," Mozart said as he leaned against the wall and ran his hand over his head.
Brie found that suspect as she pointed out, "What about you?"
"Well, I did say he would have been. But I existed at the same period he did so you would see where his anger comes from," Mozart said with a small sigh.
"So you stole his thunder by being too good. Either he's got a big ego that gets hurt easily or you're an asshole for showing him up too much," Brie noted as she leaned on Gae Bolg.
"I wasn't truly the best man I was in life. Devoting myself solely in my craft and look at where it got me in my deathbed," Mozart chuckled to himself, "I wish I could help him, Brie. I truly do. He's simply blinded by his anger, an anger I helped fuel."
"You blame yourself for how he turned out?" Brie wondered as she glanced his way.
"There's many things I regret… But I hope to make them right this time," Mozart admitted as he straightened up and nodded her way, "He is… Still my friend."
Brie cracked a smile and said, "Well, you know I'll help you as much as I can. We're pretty much stuck together now."
"We've done our part for now," Mozart said as he looked ahead, "This city needs more music in it, don't you think? We can't stop here, not now."
"We better keep moving then to your next venue," Brie nodded as she slung her spear behind her back.
Mozart smiled before the two of them ran off into the alley, vanishing into the dark.
…..
….
…
Salieri tipped over a piano and kicked the chair across the room. He picked up a violin in its stand and threw it into a mirror. His rage, his seething hatred, it was merely one meeting yet he could control himself, he could not stand it…
"Damn you… Amadeus…" Salieri growled as he punched the wall, only for it to receive a mark in the form of his fist, "Why do you run, coward? Why would you run? Why would refuse me the chance of finding out which one of us is better?!"
The man let out an anguished groan as he fell down his knees and clutched his head.
"Poor Antonio… So close yet so far," Marie spoke as she stepped out of the shadows, her yellow eyes looking down on the distraught man before her, "So you've met with him, Mozart and his girl."
"She's not human but not like us. A mere Doll wielding a red stick. She's no threat," Salieri replied as he slowly stood up, "I will capture them."
"Make sure that you do," Marie replied as she spread a fan before her face and began fanning herself, "I grow weary without Amadeus' lovely tunes. I also do not appreciate him wasting his talents on sparking hope in the masses. For better or for worse, we must capture him to prevent an uprising."
"And what those that he had already begun stirring?" Salieri asked as he turned to her.
"You want to surpass him, no? Then leash those with the spark of his hope. Bring the people back into the fold, return peace to the city if you must, do everything your power, Antonio," Marie said as she stepped towards the window, "And I'd advise you do it quick. Amadeus is already on the move."
"As you command," Salieri replied as he nodded.
"And take this with you," Marie said as she held out her hand as a flow of prana soon entered Salieri's form, giving him a surge in strength as his eyes widened. Marie then smiled, "Bring them to me, Salieri and we can both get what we want… I shall receive Amadeus and you will receive the recognition you deserve."
Salieri narrowed his gaze before vanishing.
Marie was left alone in the ravaged room, humming to herself a tune, one that Amadeus would play for her during his visits. She sat down on a chair and stared out into the glistening moon above the skies.
"Go, Salieri, go… I shall be waiting," Marie whispered as she shut her fan, "And dear Amadeus, let us end this farce of a play of ours and see who gets the final laugh. It's all coming to a head now…"
Encounter
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
The entire city was stirring.
Mozart played his melodies to those who would come to listen and Brie would protect him from the city guards every time. Each time his plays were dispersed, more doubt was cast upon the people, the spark of rebellion began to light up and the wool that have been placed upon their eyes was beginning to pulled.
It was on the same night that Salieri gave chase to Mozart and his charge but the two would elude him every time. They would be on one part of the city and then on the other, the forces of the city guards were dispatched and handily defeated, sometimes commotions would stir in places not even touched by Mozart and his companion but by other people who had been to Mozart's performance.
The game was afoot and Brie was exhausted.
"Just… Gimme a break… It's like 2am," Brie wheezed as she hid under a bridge with Mozart on the lookout for pursuers.
"Well, I'm surprised you've made it thus far. We can take a short break. Though I must say, your talent for wielding those runes seems to be getting better and better as time goes on," Mozart noted with an approving smirk.
"What can I say? I work best under pressure," Brie answered as she slowly got up, "Plus this whole thing was supposed be training. Either way, think we're making a dent on this whole operation?"
With a grim look, the Composer responded, "We must be… But it's not enough."
"It'll be far easier if we had some sort of magic speaker we can just plug and—You know what, I'll just shut up," Brie growled as she held her head.
"As convenient as that would be, I don't think your modern knowledge would be of much help to our situation. As you've declared, you're not actually all that good yet," Mozart chuckled as he glanced her way.
"Glad we got that cleared up. So, where to next?" Brie asked as she turned his way.
"I'm thinking of the Church. The main Church," Mozart suggested as he had his hand on his chin, "It was a place where people would gather. It'll be much easier to reach people there than in the open."
"Plus let's not forget that your previous performances have managed to lift the curse from several hundred people. Paris is stirring and if anything, we might find ourselves staring at a new revolution," Brie replied as she leaned on her spear.
"Time must be corrected lest thing go awry," Mozart reminded her as he rubbed his forehead, "Truly, the work of a Hero is never easy."
"I could write a book about that. A Composer came back to life to save Paris from the mind controlling clutches of a Dark Queen," Brie said with a wink.
"That would be amusing. Though, Marie is simply someone who did all this out of desperation. The mere fact that the revolution hadn't taken place tells me that she most likely had a hand in stopping it," Mozart guessed as he looked up the moon, "The tragedies of the revolution, the bad people would die for sure but there are also good people who would surely perish as well."
"Having second thoughts?" Brie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No. Merely thinking to myself," Mozart said as he turned to Brie, "Well then, shall we?"
"Right behind you," Brie nodded as they began to move once more. Two shadows, darting into the night, freeing Paris from the clutches of its Empress one person at a time.
…..
….
…
The night has yet to end. There was an hour or so until daybreak and Brie stood on top of the Church to keep a lookout on her surroundings. Without the veil upon her eye, she was able to see Paris for what it was. She didn't know if this was good or not seeing the entire place simply continue as it did.
The people lived in misery but they did so with dreamlike smiles as they went about their lives. They thought that everything was perfect, that nothing could go wrong under the rule of their Empress as they slowly wasted away in the streets.
To rob them of that bliss and shoving harsh reality upon them, wouldn't that be cruel?
"Your thoughts, child?"
"Look who's back," Brie sighed as she looked up, "It's just I was thinking about this whole deal. Normally I wouldn't care but you know, considering a few things, that Empress woman might not be so bad."
"You sympathize with her?" Scathach asked with a curious tone.
"No, of course not. She's brainwashed a while city for Christ's sake but what I'm wondering is if taking away this false peace is a good idea. People will die and that's obviously bad," Brie said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"That's amusing coming from someone who wouldn't think twice on blowing up an entire city," Scathach scoffed from her throne.
"You're never going to live that down, huh?" brie sighed as she shook her head.
"What I want, Brie," Scathach huffed as she was no doubt crossing her arms, ""Is for you to learn. I want you to learn not just in the matters of martial prowess or intelligence when on the field, but I also want you to learn the lesson of being a decent human being."
"Newsflash, I'm not exactly human," Brie chirped.
"You know what I mean," Scathach snapped making the Doll wince.
"Right… But still, don't take this as me hesitating. I know what I have to do and why I should do it… It's just," Brie grimaced as she walked to the edge of the Church's roof to look down on the people below all of them listening to Mozart's music, "While I did some questionable things in the past, I still think it's cruel. The consequences of what we're doing… I've realized the weight of it all, especially what I tried to do."
"I see," Scathach noted before speaking, "Just remember, Brie. The amount of difficult decisions you'll make will be plentiful. Especially with your goal of taking back your Queen, you'll be expecting a lot of them. This is one of the more simple ones."
Brie sighed as she shook her head, "Joy."
As soon as she said that one of her runes started shrieking. A cold feeling ran down her spine as an explosive crash erupted behind her. A crimson… Demon... It held a blade in its grasp and had an inhuman appearance about it.
"I found you, girl," a familiar voice rasped within the Demon's body.
Was that Salieri?
"That's not a Demon, it's that Servant you faced before! Prepare for battle!"
"Way ahead of you!" Brie replied as runes burned upon her flesh as she raised her spear in response to Salieri's appearance.
The two of them stood on top of the church as the moon hung low in the distance.
Mozart played his melodies to those who would come to listen and Brie would protect him from the city guards every time. Each time his plays were dispersed, more doubt was cast upon the people, the spark of rebellion began to light up and the wool that have been placed upon their eyes was beginning to pulled.
It was on the same night that Salieri gave chase to Mozart and his charge but the two would elude him every time. They would be on one part of the city and then on the other, the forces of the city guards were dispatched and handily defeated, sometimes commotions would stir in places not even touched by Mozart and his companion but by other people who had been to Mozart's performance.
The game was afoot and Brie was exhausted.
"Just… Gimme a break… It's like 2am," Brie wheezed as she hid under a bridge with Mozart on the lookout for pursuers.
"Well, I'm surprised you've made it thus far. We can take a short break. Though I must say, your talent for wielding those runes seems to be getting better and better as time goes on," Mozart noted with an approving smirk.
"What can I say? I work best under pressure," Brie answered as she slowly got up, "Plus this whole thing was supposed be training. Either way, think we're making a dent on this whole operation?"
With a grim look, the Composer responded, "We must be… But it's not enough."
"It'll be far easier if we had some sort of magic speaker we can just plug and—You know what, I'll just shut up," Brie growled as she held her head.
"As convenient as that would be, I don't think your modern knowledge would be of much help to our situation. As you've declared, you're not actually all that good yet," Mozart chuckled as he glanced her way.
"Glad we got that cleared up. So, where to next?" Brie asked as she turned his way.
"I'm thinking of the Church. The main Church," Mozart suggested as he had his hand on his chin, "It was a place where people would gather. It'll be much easier to reach people there than in the open."
"Plus let's not forget that your previous performances have managed to lift the curse from several hundred people. Paris is stirring and if anything, we might find ourselves staring at a new revolution," Brie replied as she leaned on her spear.
"Time must be corrected lest thing go awry," Mozart reminded her as he rubbed his forehead, "Truly, the work of a Hero is never easy."
"I could write a book about that. A Composer came back to life to save Paris from the mind controlling clutches of a Dark Queen," Brie said with a wink.
"That would be amusing. Though, Marie is simply someone who did all this out of desperation. The mere fact that the revolution hadn't taken place tells me that she most likely had a hand in stopping it," Mozart guessed as he looked up the moon, "The tragedies of the revolution, the bad people would die for sure but there are also good people who would surely perish as well."
"Having second thoughts?" Brie asked with a raised eyebrow.
"No. Merely thinking to myself," Mozart said as he turned to Brie, "Well then, shall we?"
"Right behind you," Brie nodded as they began to move once more. Two shadows, darting into the night, freeing Paris from the clutches of its Empress one person at a time.
…..
….
…
The night has yet to end. There was an hour or so until daybreak and Brie stood on top of the Church to keep a lookout on her surroundings. Without the veil upon her eye, she was able to see Paris for what it was. She didn't know if this was good or not seeing the entire place simply continue as it did.
The people lived in misery but they did so with dreamlike smiles as they went about their lives. They thought that everything was perfect, that nothing could go wrong under the rule of their Empress as they slowly wasted away in the streets.
To rob them of that bliss and shoving harsh reality upon them, wouldn't that be cruel?
"Your thoughts, child?"
"Look who's back," Brie sighed as she looked up, "It's just I was thinking about this whole deal. Normally I wouldn't care but you know, considering a few things, that Empress woman might not be so bad."
"You sympathize with her?" Scathach asked with a curious tone.
"No, of course not. She's brainwashed a while city for Christ's sake but what I'm wondering is if taking away this false peace is a good idea. People will die and that's obviously bad," Brie said as she shrugged her shoulders.
"That's amusing coming from someone who wouldn't think twice on blowing up an entire city," Scathach scoffed from her throne.
"You're never going to live that down, huh?" brie sighed as she shook her head.
"What I want, Brie," Scathach huffed as she was no doubt crossing her arms, ""Is for you to learn. I want you to learn not just in the matters of martial prowess or intelligence when on the field, but I also want you to learn the lesson of being a decent human being."
"Newsflash, I'm not exactly human," Brie chirped.
"You know what I mean," Scathach snapped making the Doll wince.
"Right… But still, don't take this as me hesitating. I know what I have to do and why I should do it… It's just," Brie grimaced as she walked to the edge of the Church's roof to look down on the people below all of them listening to Mozart's music, "While I did some questionable things in the past, I still think it's cruel. The consequences of what we're doing… I've realized the weight of it all, especially what I tried to do."
"I see," Scathach noted before speaking, "Just remember, Brie. The amount of difficult decisions you'll make will be plentiful. Especially with your goal of taking back your Queen, you'll be expecting a lot of them. This is one of the more simple ones."
Brie sighed as she shook her head, "Joy."
As soon as she said that one of her runes started shrieking. A cold feeling ran down her spine as an explosive crash erupted behind her. A crimson… Demon... It held a blade in its grasp and had an inhuman appearance about it.
"I found you, girl," a familiar voice rasped within the Demon's body.
Was that Salieri?
"That's not a Demon, it's that Servant you faced before! Prepare for battle!"
"Way ahead of you!" Brie replied as runes burned upon her flesh as she raised her spear in response to Salieri's appearance.
The two of them stood on top of the church as the moon hung low in the distance.
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
I'm not convinced Brie is physically capable of winning the next grail war.
Even if she gets the grail and manifests Medb, she's on the clock before Celine wakes up.
My vote is for Hans to win the next grail war. Dude has fought in 8 of them so far just to try and bring back his dead sister. The sheer single-minded effort required to do all of this is really impressive, and he seriously needs a break more than Brie who will probably suffer personality death whether or not she wins, unless she wins and chooses a wish that stops that, but then no wish to manifest Medb.
- Location
- Somewhere North of south
I hope that if/when that quest comes out, everyone else can see that too.
Discordance
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
Brie's mind was working fast as she eyed her enemy from afar. This guy was a Servant and everything bad that entailed. He was probably here for Mozart but why was he gunning for Brie? She grimaced once she realized that he probably thought that she was the weakest link between her and Mozart. If he was sent by the Empress then she'd want Mozart alive.
"You're biting off more than you could chew," Brie hissed as the runes on her body shined bright.
"We shall see, Doll," Salieri declared as he held his sword up.
The wind blew over the rooftop, the two combatants with their weapons bared. The man clad in crimson armor looked through his mask and fixed his gaze upon the orange haired girl and her flesh filled with runic symbols.
"Come," Salieri snarled as he brandished his blade.
Brie moved first, utilizing her inhuman gifts to push herself to the limit and shoot forward. Dashing across the roof, she held on to her crimson spear and performed a blindingly fast thrust. However to a Servant's eyes such speed could still be tracked.
The armored man managed to dodge it by jumping over her. The entire roof shuddered as tiles flew apart upon Brie sliding to a halt. She then dashed to the side and shot forward, pushed forth by the power of her runes as she gave chase.
Salieri chose to dive down and meet her, prompting Brie to activate the runes on her arms and legs as she swung her spear upwards to meet with the Servant's blow. An explosive blast erupted from the point of contact, shaking the air.
"Stay focused, girl!"
Brie flew back as she opened her eyes to see Salieri roar and reach out towards her, grabbing her by the ankle and swinging her downwards. Her back slammed into the roof before he crashed down and thrust.
Brie parried and deflected two of his blows before she leaned back and sidestepped a couple more, drawing a Rune on the ground.
"Flames!" Brie screamed as fire burst between her and Salieri.
She then jumped as the Servant slashed through the pillar of fire with his iron sword before Brie drew another Rune in the air. It shined bright before gravity was amplified and she shot downwards with increased force and velocity.
The Servant was forced to take a step back and evade as dust and rubble was kicked up into the air. Salieri tensed before a flash of red streaked through the air as the crimson spear was thrown right at him.
On instinct, he deflected it into the air before Brie dashed past his side.
He immediately reacted, swinging his iron sword towards her as she screamed.
"AEGIS!" golden light erupted from the girl's hand, forming a golden shield filled with her prana, creating an imitation of pure light as she stood before the Servant's blow. Her eyes widened as she rooted herself on the ground and took the strike.
Every bit of her body shook from the blow, her breath nearly taken away as she held on.
Salieri snarled, "Insolent child!"
However Brie wasn't looking at him. She smiled and dismissed the shield and let the sword fall unto her body, drawing blood as she was split in half. Salieri was surprised for a moment before realizing that the body cut down was made out of mud and dirt.
Which meant..!
He looked up to see the Cursed Spear reach the grasp of a girl mad enough to take flight in the midst of a battle. The light, the decoy and the show of strength, it was all to corner him at this one particular moment!
Salieri sought to move but Runes filled the ground, wooden roots lashing out and holding him back, delaying him.
Brie dived down, spinning her spear as she roared, feeling the heat of her core rising as he imbued the spear with her magical energy. It burned scarlet, turning into a fiery crimson comet which filled the rooftop with light.
Brie roared as she drove the spear downwards, calling its True Name, "GAE BOLG!"
She turned into light and zipped through the air, tearing through the skies before zipping across the rooftop and driving the spear into Salieri's heart. Her body returned to normal, streaks of scarlet fading from her form before she saw what happened.
The Servant had anticipated the blow and was indeed hit but…
"Shallow," Salieri growled as he held the spear lodged in his chest.
Brie's eyes widened in surprise before vague silhouettes wielding rifles all aimed their guns down at her. There was a collective click and their fingers pressed on their respective triggers—
"BRIE COVER YOUR EARS!" a voice roared behind her.
Brie reacted and let go of her spear, shutting her ears as a violent blast of sound tore through the entire rooftop. Brie smashed her foot on the ground and rooted herself on the spot to keep herself from being blown away.
The blast of noise knocked away the silhouettes alongside Salieri as he was sent sliding back away from the girl. Brie fell down her knees as Gae Bolg speared itself beside her.
"Sorry I was a little late. I had to do an encore," Mozart said as he glided to the girl's side.
"Timely. I suppose that's one thing that hasn't changed," Salieri snarled as he brandished his blade.
"Greetings to you too, friend. I hope you weren't too rough with my charge," Mozart said as he placed a hand on Brie's back, "Are you okay? We have to hold out until the Church Goers evacuate. I cannot let them be caught in this."
"I can manage," Brie said as she grabbed her spear, "Fuck, I can't get a good hit in."
"Well how about a little pick me up then?" Mozart said as he spread his arms to manifest a ghostly ensemble that played a soothing song which surrounded the girl. The melodies healed her wounds and eased her pain as she stood back up.
Salieri saw this and tightened the grip of his blade, "How quaint… To heal with your god given talents. To rid the illusions of peace from the eyes of the masses. HOW QUAINT, AMADEUS! TO BE ABLE TO BRING CHANGE WITH YOUR SONGS!"
"Brie, you need to go all out," Mozart warned Brie as he continued conducting, "I will support you!"
Salieri's visage cracked and spikes burst from his armor. A guttural snarl emerged from within his body as black and crimson miasma filled the roof. A haunting discordant song began to play as Salieri's jaw unhinged itself, turning monstrous as he roared with anguish and rage.
Hatred.
A monstrous form towering over the girl appeared. Salieri gripped his blade and stretched his claws as he roared straight at Brie.
"AMADEUS!"
The fight continued…
"You're biting off more than you could chew," Brie hissed as the runes on her body shined bright.
"We shall see, Doll," Salieri declared as he held his sword up.
The wind blew over the rooftop, the two combatants with their weapons bared. The man clad in crimson armor looked through his mask and fixed his gaze upon the orange haired girl and her flesh filled with runic symbols.
"Come," Salieri snarled as he brandished his blade.
Brie moved first, utilizing her inhuman gifts to push herself to the limit and shoot forward. Dashing across the roof, she held on to her crimson spear and performed a blindingly fast thrust. However to a Servant's eyes such speed could still be tracked.
The armored man managed to dodge it by jumping over her. The entire roof shuddered as tiles flew apart upon Brie sliding to a halt. She then dashed to the side and shot forward, pushed forth by the power of her runes as she gave chase.
Salieri chose to dive down and meet her, prompting Brie to activate the runes on her arms and legs as she swung her spear upwards to meet with the Servant's blow. An explosive blast erupted from the point of contact, shaking the air.
"Stay focused, girl!"
Brie flew back as she opened her eyes to see Salieri roar and reach out towards her, grabbing her by the ankle and swinging her downwards. Her back slammed into the roof before he crashed down and thrust.
Brie parried and deflected two of his blows before she leaned back and sidestepped a couple more, drawing a Rune on the ground.
"Flames!" Brie screamed as fire burst between her and Salieri.
She then jumped as the Servant slashed through the pillar of fire with his iron sword before Brie drew another Rune in the air. It shined bright before gravity was amplified and she shot downwards with increased force and velocity.
The Servant was forced to take a step back and evade as dust and rubble was kicked up into the air. Salieri tensed before a flash of red streaked through the air as the crimson spear was thrown right at him.
On instinct, he deflected it into the air before Brie dashed past his side.
He immediately reacted, swinging his iron sword towards her as she screamed.
"AEGIS!" golden light erupted from the girl's hand, forming a golden shield filled with her prana, creating an imitation of pure light as she stood before the Servant's blow. Her eyes widened as she rooted herself on the ground and took the strike.
Every bit of her body shook from the blow, her breath nearly taken away as she held on.
Salieri snarled, "Insolent child!"
However Brie wasn't looking at him. She smiled and dismissed the shield and let the sword fall unto her body, drawing blood as she was split in half. Salieri was surprised for a moment before realizing that the body cut down was made out of mud and dirt.
Which meant..!
He looked up to see the Cursed Spear reach the grasp of a girl mad enough to take flight in the midst of a battle. The light, the decoy and the show of strength, it was all to corner him at this one particular moment!
Salieri sought to move but Runes filled the ground, wooden roots lashing out and holding him back, delaying him.
Brie dived down, spinning her spear as she roared, feeling the heat of her core rising as he imbued the spear with her magical energy. It burned scarlet, turning into a fiery crimson comet which filled the rooftop with light.
Brie roared as she drove the spear downwards, calling its True Name, "GAE BOLG!"
She turned into light and zipped through the air, tearing through the skies before zipping across the rooftop and driving the spear into Salieri's heart. Her body returned to normal, streaks of scarlet fading from her form before she saw what happened.
The Servant had anticipated the blow and was indeed hit but…
"Shallow," Salieri growled as he held the spear lodged in his chest.
Brie's eyes widened in surprise before vague silhouettes wielding rifles all aimed their guns down at her. There was a collective click and their fingers pressed on their respective triggers—
"BRIE COVER YOUR EARS!" a voice roared behind her.
Brie reacted and let go of her spear, shutting her ears as a violent blast of sound tore through the entire rooftop. Brie smashed her foot on the ground and rooted herself on the spot to keep herself from being blown away.
The blast of noise knocked away the silhouettes alongside Salieri as he was sent sliding back away from the girl. Brie fell down her knees as Gae Bolg speared itself beside her.
"Sorry I was a little late. I had to do an encore," Mozart said as he glided to the girl's side.
"Timely. I suppose that's one thing that hasn't changed," Salieri snarled as he brandished his blade.
"Greetings to you too, friend. I hope you weren't too rough with my charge," Mozart said as he placed a hand on Brie's back, "Are you okay? We have to hold out until the Church Goers evacuate. I cannot let them be caught in this."
"I can manage," Brie said as she grabbed her spear, "Fuck, I can't get a good hit in."
"Well how about a little pick me up then?" Mozart said as he spread his arms to manifest a ghostly ensemble that played a soothing song which surrounded the girl. The melodies healed her wounds and eased her pain as she stood back up.
Salieri saw this and tightened the grip of his blade, "How quaint… To heal with your god given talents. To rid the illusions of peace from the eyes of the masses. HOW QUAINT, AMADEUS! TO BE ABLE TO BRING CHANGE WITH YOUR SONGS!"
"Brie, you need to go all out," Mozart warned Brie as he continued conducting, "I will support you!"
Salieri's visage cracked and spikes burst from his armor. A guttural snarl emerged from within his body as black and crimson miasma filled the roof. A haunting discordant song began to play as Salieri's jaw unhinged itself, turning monstrous as he roared with anguish and rage.
Hatred.
A monstrous form towering over the girl appeared. Salieri gripped his blade and stretched his claws as he roared straight at Brie.
"AMADEUS!"
The fight continued…
Overpowered
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
The Man in Gray howled with a bestial fervor. Brie felt his hatred, it sparked the same emotion in her soul as she held her spear in defense against his rage. However Mozart's melodies were able to bring her back from the brink, allowing her to keep herself from drowning in the discordant tune Salieri played.
Brie's Runes burned bright as her constitution allowed her to resists the effects of Salieri's song better than the first time. She braced herself before allowing Mozart's magecraft to flow through her body and allow her to shoot forward, charging straight at the Servant.
She was buffed by Mozart's song, she could feel strength flowing through her limbs as she stopped by the side of the Servant's side. Finding an opening, she thrust hard but the Servant managed to evade.
Faster.
She had to go faster.
She slashed and thrust before stabbing the roof beneath her and launching herself into the air, spinning and slicing up whatever was in her path before Salieri snarled. He dragged his iron blade to retaliate, meeting her blow for blow as she weaved through his last hit.
Her body became light and her movements grew sharper.
Scathach's blows were faster than his!
Brie drew a Rune on the ground and a violet gust burst from the floor, knocking her and Salieri back. The Servant cleaved through the stream of air before Brie drew several more Runes, burning bright before launching themselves at Salieri.
The Servant dodged and danced out of the way as Mozart continued to play. Salieri stabbed his blade into the ground, calling forth a firing line of riflemen to rain bullets down on her.
"AEGIS!" Brie snapped as a golden shield protected her from the projectiles.
Her eyes widened as Salieri shattered it with one cleave and landed in front of her. The girl leaned back and narrowly dodged a claw to her neck before she raised her leg and smashed her foot into the Servant's stomach.
The blow carried the strength of twenty men but Salieri barely flinched. She did use the time to slash Gae Bolg across his face before he swung up and caught her right under her chin. She was lifted off the ground and the blow blacked out her vision for a second.
A gasp left her lips before Salieri grabbed her by the leg and smashed her into the roof. Brie grunted before rolling away from being stabbed by the Servant, she then swung her spear upwards as her foe backed off.
She stepped forward and exchanged blows with the monstrous Servant before she was pushed back. Mozart played with greater intensity, allowing him to power her through the fight as she clashed and weaved through Salieri's hateful strikes.
Her arms went numb with each clash as her own magecraft barely held on.
"Scathach, any word of advice?!" Brie screamed as she was starting to take minor hits, cuts appearing on her arms and face from blows she could barely defend against.
However there were no words that reached back to her, nothing save for the chaotic melody which Salieri seemed to have wrapped around himself. He smashed through the roof, creating a wall of dust and Brie ducked low to evade being skewered by his iron sword.
"Brie, get out of the way!" Mozart called before he manifested brass instruments and blasted a violent song which hammered Salieri through the church's roof. His body crashed into the Church's interior where he collapsed among the pews.
Brie went after him, jumping into the hole and landed on the aisle.
Salieri snarled and charged towards her and the melee began anew. An opening! Just one more opening!
Her eyes sharpened as she reinforced her limbs to allow her to jump high into the air. She then drew Runes which pinned her foe to the ground.
"MOZART! GIVE ME EVERYTHING!" Brie roared as she was adorned with an inspiring melody which augmented her body, "Once more! GAE BOLG!"
Salieri's monstrous form looked up her way as he rasped, "You never learn…"
Brie's eyes widened as the Servant gathered darkness upon himself.
"Dio Santissimo, Abbi Misericordia Di Me," Salieri declared as he unleashed his curse filled Noble Phantasm.
His hatred and agony turned into a loathsome mixture that sought to breakdown the bodies and souls of those who would hear the tune he was about to play. For Brie it happened in an instant the moment he declared the True Name of his Noble Phantasm.
Her vision turned dark and pain wracked her body, but she fought through the killing intent and clung to the melody given to her by Mozart as she roared.
"SHUT… UP!" the girl howled as her crimson spear left a trail of scarlet as she smashed it right into the chest of her foe.
Yet the flames of hatred burned stronger.
"Again… Too Shallow!" Salieri shouted before he raised his clawed hand and smashed it down upon her. The girl's body hit the floor with a loud crash before the Servant kicked her through several pews and had her body strike the altar.
"BRIE!" Mozart gasped before he descended upon the church.
"Don't!" Brie snapped but it was too late, Mozart had descended but to her surprise Salieri didn't go after him. Instead he came for her.
She was punched into the altar as Salieri howled in a rage fueled madness, her consciousness blinking in and out as she was grabbed by her neck.
"ANTONIO!" Mozart boomed as he stood before the other Servant, "Let her go."
Salieri let out a guttural hiss as he turned to the other man.
"This is between you and I. She has nothing to do with this… Petty rivalry," Mozart declared as he stepped forward and raised his hands, "Come! Take me! That's what Marie asked of you, did she not?! Then here I am but you must let the girl go!"
"How noble," Salieri rasped before he dropped Brie, allowing her to fall into a crumpled heap, "But it's not enough. Oh how my blood boils, Amadeus."
Salieri stepped on the Doll's body as he snarled.
"Take me to Marie… Then we can settle things. An abandoned church with nary an ear in reach would make for a poor orchestral hall. If you truly wish for an end to this, then you will do as I request," Mozart said as he lowered his hands.
Scoffing, the Avenger growled with his monstrous throat, "Even in this circumstance, you still display such arrogance. God's gifts to you has inflated your ego. Worry not, allow me to revel in this victory for a little longer, Amadeus."
Mozart wore grim expression before he glanced down on the unconscious girl.
"We admit defeat here, Salieri," Mozart conceded as he lowered his head.
The Avenger Servant took his foot off Brie's back and raised his head, unleashing a howl which echoed through the abandoned church's walls.
Brie lost.
Brie's Runes burned bright as her constitution allowed her to resists the effects of Salieri's song better than the first time. She braced herself before allowing Mozart's magecraft to flow through her body and allow her to shoot forward, charging straight at the Servant.
She was buffed by Mozart's song, she could feel strength flowing through her limbs as she stopped by the side of the Servant's side. Finding an opening, she thrust hard but the Servant managed to evade.
Faster.
She had to go faster.
She slashed and thrust before stabbing the roof beneath her and launching herself into the air, spinning and slicing up whatever was in her path before Salieri snarled. He dragged his iron blade to retaliate, meeting her blow for blow as she weaved through his last hit.
Her body became light and her movements grew sharper.
Scathach's blows were faster than his!
Brie drew a Rune on the ground and a violet gust burst from the floor, knocking her and Salieri back. The Servant cleaved through the stream of air before Brie drew several more Runes, burning bright before launching themselves at Salieri.
The Servant dodged and danced out of the way as Mozart continued to play. Salieri stabbed his blade into the ground, calling forth a firing line of riflemen to rain bullets down on her.
"AEGIS!" Brie snapped as a golden shield protected her from the projectiles.
Her eyes widened as Salieri shattered it with one cleave and landed in front of her. The girl leaned back and narrowly dodged a claw to her neck before she raised her leg and smashed her foot into the Servant's stomach.
The blow carried the strength of twenty men but Salieri barely flinched. She did use the time to slash Gae Bolg across his face before he swung up and caught her right under her chin. She was lifted off the ground and the blow blacked out her vision for a second.
A gasp left her lips before Salieri grabbed her by the leg and smashed her into the roof. Brie grunted before rolling away from being stabbed by the Servant, she then swung her spear upwards as her foe backed off.
She stepped forward and exchanged blows with the monstrous Servant before she was pushed back. Mozart played with greater intensity, allowing him to power her through the fight as she clashed and weaved through Salieri's hateful strikes.
Her arms went numb with each clash as her own magecraft barely held on.
"Scathach, any word of advice?!" Brie screamed as she was starting to take minor hits, cuts appearing on her arms and face from blows she could barely defend against.
However there were no words that reached back to her, nothing save for the chaotic melody which Salieri seemed to have wrapped around himself. He smashed through the roof, creating a wall of dust and Brie ducked low to evade being skewered by his iron sword.
"Brie, get out of the way!" Mozart called before he manifested brass instruments and blasted a violent song which hammered Salieri through the church's roof. His body crashed into the Church's interior where he collapsed among the pews.
Brie went after him, jumping into the hole and landed on the aisle.
Salieri snarled and charged towards her and the melee began anew. An opening! Just one more opening!
Her eyes sharpened as she reinforced her limbs to allow her to jump high into the air. She then drew Runes which pinned her foe to the ground.
"MOZART! GIVE ME EVERYTHING!" Brie roared as she was adorned with an inspiring melody which augmented her body, "Once more! GAE BOLG!"
Salieri's monstrous form looked up her way as he rasped, "You never learn…"
Brie's eyes widened as the Servant gathered darkness upon himself.
"Dio Santissimo, Abbi Misericordia Di Me," Salieri declared as he unleashed his curse filled Noble Phantasm.
His hatred and agony turned into a loathsome mixture that sought to breakdown the bodies and souls of those who would hear the tune he was about to play. For Brie it happened in an instant the moment he declared the True Name of his Noble Phantasm.
Her vision turned dark and pain wracked her body, but she fought through the killing intent and clung to the melody given to her by Mozart as she roared.
"SHUT… UP!" the girl howled as her crimson spear left a trail of scarlet as she smashed it right into the chest of her foe.
Yet the flames of hatred burned stronger.
"Again… Too Shallow!" Salieri shouted before he raised his clawed hand and smashed it down upon her. The girl's body hit the floor with a loud crash before the Servant kicked her through several pews and had her body strike the altar.
"BRIE!" Mozart gasped before he descended upon the church.
"Don't!" Brie snapped but it was too late, Mozart had descended but to her surprise Salieri didn't go after him. Instead he came for her.
She was punched into the altar as Salieri howled in a rage fueled madness, her consciousness blinking in and out as she was grabbed by her neck.
"ANTONIO!" Mozart boomed as he stood before the other Servant, "Let her go."
Salieri let out a guttural hiss as he turned to the other man.
"This is between you and I. She has nothing to do with this… Petty rivalry," Mozart declared as he stepped forward and raised his hands, "Come! Take me! That's what Marie asked of you, did she not?! Then here I am but you must let the girl go!"
"How noble," Salieri rasped before he dropped Brie, allowing her to fall into a crumpled heap, "But it's not enough. Oh how my blood boils, Amadeus."
Salieri stepped on the Doll's body as he snarled.
"Take me to Marie… Then we can settle things. An abandoned church with nary an ear in reach would make for a poor orchestral hall. If you truly wish for an end to this, then you will do as I request," Mozart said as he lowered his hands.
Scoffing, the Avenger growled with his monstrous throat, "Even in this circumstance, you still display such arrogance. God's gifts to you has inflated your ego. Worry not, allow me to revel in this victory for a little longer, Amadeus."
Mozart wore grim expression before he glanced down on the unconscious girl.
"We admit defeat here, Salieri," Mozart conceded as he lowered his head.
The Avenger Servant took his foot off Brie's back and raised his head, unleashing a howl which echoed through the abandoned church's walls.
Brie lost.
Bound
AnonymousRabbit
Rabbit Faced
Brie slowly stirred from the darkness of her slumber. Her eyelids felt heavy, she struggled to raise her head as her vision blurred for a split second before her body adjusted to her present state. She recognized the stone floor in which she sat on before she grimaced as she looked up to see iron bars stand right in front of her.
Torches lit the hall beyond her reach as she looked down to see that her wrists were cuffed in enchanted chains. She tried to decode its inner workings but she didn't have the strength to even give it a try. She felt battered and beaten, a few of her injuries haven't even healed before she was thrown here most likely.
Her breath smoked as she leaned against the cold wall behind her as the moonlight shined from the open window above her, too small for her body to fit through. Her orange hair was messy and her clothes were a mess but she was warm enough for the temperature to be not an issue.
Her thoughts began to wander back to the fight. She got her shit kicked in by a Servant and she lost the fight that most likely led to her capture. Mozart didn't seem to be around, he most probably taken somewhere else. Gae Bolg was somewhere nearby but too far for her to get to, Scathach wasn't going to let her live this down.
Everything that could have gone wrong just went wrong. It wasn't even funny. She could barely keep up with a Servant even with all her training and enhancements done to her body. Those Heroic Spirits, they were simply a whole another level to her.
Heroic Spirits that didn't hold back… Medb didn't count since that idiot didn't actually mean to kill Brie.
Brie sighed as she lowered her head in defeat, how was she going to get out of this situation? The walls weren't exactly enchanted but they were weaved with a charm which would act as an alarm. The only way out of here would be to quietly slip out the front door of her cell.
"I see you."
Brie tensed before she looked around, hearing the familiar whisper of a woman's voice.
Brie made a difficult face before sighing, "Come to gloat?"
"To do my duty as your Teacher," Scathach spoke into Brie's mind, "Do not bother making excuses. Your performance was extremely subpar. Even you cannot deny your own mistakes. Now, perhaps if you reflected a little bit, you may find where you may be wanting."
"I was distracted. My mind was all over the place and… I couldn't exactly decide on what to do. Fighting the Undead or monsters of the Land of Shadow, it's different from facing an actual Servant," Brie whispered as she looked at her hands, "It's not enough… What I have, it's not enough. I'm not clever or smart like Hans, I don't know how to make use of this body's full potential."
"Comparing yourself to that man would be akin to comparing your candle light to his bonfire. The gap in experience is simply too wide were he not limited by his physical state. But you have your own potential to cultivate, namely in those you come across," Scathach advised with an amused tone.
"Even if Mozart was supporting me, I still couldn't do anything," Brie replied with a grim tone.
"While in a true fight barring miraculous luck you've often displayed, you would have died. Yet fate seems to favor you in allowing you to live. As long as you draw breath, the opportunity to fight once more remains, honor be damned," Scathach spoke with a low chuckle before she faded from Brie's mind.
Footsteps echoed in the distance, causing Brie to raise her head with a frown as a familiar man came into view.
The Servant Avenger whom resided within this Knot came to a halt before the girl's cell. Antonio Salieri's crimson gaze rested upon Brie as he regarded her with a cold look. Brie braced herself and forced herself on her feet, rising up unsteadily, she would not sit on the ground to be looked down by this man before her.
…..
….
…
Mozart heard music. A chorus of heavenly melody, those he was able to recognize as his own composition played by others like him. He opened his eyes to see an entire orchestra playing before him on the Royal Stage, a Conductor and his ensemble played with vigor and grace, giving their all in a masterful performance which would have brought critics to tears.
On the surface level, that was Mozart's impression but as a man of music whom built up his legend with his divine talent he was able to see the horror of what he witnessed. Hollow.
The sounds were all hollow.
The performers, the conductor, the entire ensemble… They lacked the soul of a musician performing for the masses. The drive to create melodies, to soothe souls and ease pain, it was not there. What Mozart beheld were the stifled screams of despair as dozens of men and women were under a twisted spell to mimic his masterful compositions.
It was a twisted perversion of his work hidden away in an illusion weaved by magical means.
"Perhaps that is the correct reaction, Amadeus," a honey-like voice, as sweet as it was venomous echoed to his side.
Mozart soon found himself beholding a beautiful noblewoman with features one could only describe as Divine. She was dressed in a dark velvet dress, skin with a dazzling pale complexion with half of her face hidden behind a furred fan, leaving her piercing golden eyes to stare right back at the man beside her.
"The songs they may play would be enough to win over the rabble scurrying through the streets of Paris but they could never truly measure up to your talents," Marie Antoinette smiled as she shut her fan, revealing her alluring smile, "Do you find it disgusting? Repulsive? Does hearing your compositions played by the damned not make your stomach turn, Amadeus?"
"M-Marie… Release them!" Mozart snapped in defiance as he leaned away from the woman.
"But of course! You would sooner take the stage yourself than let these pretenders sully your compositions! How wonderful, Amadeus!" Marie cheered as she held her hands in excitement.
"No! Marie! Please, listen to yourself. Look upon yourself and the people. Do you not see how they are suffering? Their souls, they sing not in joy or in celebration for the illusion you've granted them! They cry out and scream in silence! Their despair and pain palpable, such anguish not even my music could heal, Marie!" Mozart answered in defiance though his visage was filled with fear and doubt.
Marie's eyes widened, her golden gaze meeting Mozart's before she slowly slid back to her seat. Her lower lip quivered as her body trembled, "And then what? So that they may face the same anguish in reality? For the flames of revolution to spark as you intended and cast down the peace I've sought for everyone? I've saved them, Amadeus! The streets of Paris no longer soaked in the blood of her sons and daughters! You would have me bring them back to that?"
"Because this is wrong, Marie! The world had not yet deemed it so but in our hearts, this was not how it was meant to be! While the streets are bereft of the people's blood, it does carrying the festering rot you had allowed to take hold in the people's hearts!" Mozart argued back as he stood from his seat in offense.
"You would have them die? To kill each other? To bring the guillotine upon others' heads?!" Marie hotly snarled.
Mozart stared at the woman before him and grit his teeth, closing his eyes as he recalled his death… His Final Days…
"Better to die a full life than to never live at all," Mozart breathed as he raised his gaze to meet the Empress'.
"You would go back to that wretched time… To that bloody revolution… You would rather waste away in your deathbed than seek a new chance, a chance which we could start everything once more?" Marie asked as she stared at the man before her.
Mozart let out a breath, bringing himself to his full height and said, "It is why the world sent me here. To restore this Knot in Time and let the flow run its course. Two wrongs does not make a right, dear Marie."
Marie grit her teeth and snarled, swinging her left hand hard as a pulse of black power erupted from the air. The ensemble on stage were forced to vanish into dark voids, Mozart turned to them in shock before facing Marie.
"What have you done?!" he exclaimed.
He then frowned as he saw Marie hold out a jewel in her hand. It pulsed with power, writhing with curses and energy as she had her hand be corrupted by its presence, darkening her fingertips as black veins crawled up her pale skin.
"By God, Marie… That's the Hope Diamond. But it was stolen… How did you?" Mozart whispered as he stepped back from the woman before him.
"All I wished for was for Paris to be happy. For the pain to cease, for the sadness to fade, for the bloodshed to end… And you would see them all continue?" Marie asked as her eyes dripped with tears of blood, "No… I refuse. I refuse to have you squander this life you were given. Amadeus, please… Please play me a song."
"MARIE!" Mozart cried out as he was bound by chains which burst from the dark puddle underneath his feet. He was dragged to his knees and he noticed he began to sink down the floor. Mozart grit his teeth as he looked up at the woman before him, "MARIE, RELEASE ME! YOU MUST CAST AWAY THAT OBJECT!"
"Play me a song, Amadeus… Just like old times, my dear friend," Marie whispered in a somber tone.
"MARIE!" Mozart cried out once more.
"Just like old times…" Marie sighed as she closed her eyes before Mozart's vision darkened and his senses were muted. Darkness came over his mind and he thought no more.
…..
….
…
"It seems that Amadeus has fallen," Salieri noted as he turned his gaze upwards, "A pity."
Brie's eyes widened at the man's words, "Fallen? What the hell did you do to Mozart?!"
"I have done nothing. It would seem the fair Empress has seen it fit to lock him away until she deemed him prepared for their next meeting. Consigning him to a world with no sound, bereft of the harmony and melodies he so loved, she intends to break him," Salieri said as he lowered his gaze.
Brie stared at the Avenger before her and stomped towards the iron bars of her cell, grabbing hold of them as she snarled, "So this is how you plan to win against him? From what I gathered, you have a fucking hate boner for him so is this how it really is going to end?! Letting the man you seek to surpass waste away just like that?!"
"Marie Antoinette is a fool," Salieri declared, his crimson gaze turning towards the girl in her prison, "If she believes that she could shatter Amadeus' Divine Talent through such means, she's sorely mistaken. The man I seek to overcome would not crumble so easily, girl. You do not know him… You do not understand him… Whereas I…"
The man balled his hand into a fist as he regarded Brie with a cold gaze.
"The man that would emerge from this trial would be worthy of facing me in a true battle. His god given talents… I would sunder it at his peak," Salieri declared as he crossed his arms, "This, I believe… This is what Marie Antoinette promised me. My music against his, only then would we come to an understanding on who truly reigns supreme."
"You want… To test yourself against him?" Brie whispered as she stepped back from the iron bars.
"The Amadeus you've seen has yet to show his true potential… To make use of his full talent. The man I seek, the man Antoinette desires, that is the composer we aim to draw out. A man who will shine brighter than any star! Who's legend would burn through the annals of history stronger than ever before, one who's music would surpass even the divine!" Salieri snarled before turning to the girl, "Only I understand his true potential, his capabilities, not even that wretched woman knows nor could she glean what he could accomplish!"
Brie glared at him from behind her cell bars and said, "If that's the case then you truly do not understand him or the man he is. You only understand his talent and what it could bring. But know this, Salieri, before the talent comes the man and unless you see Mozart for the human being he is, you will never be satisfied. The performance you aim to pit yourself against, it would be hollow compared to the real deal."
Salieri began to emit a dark energy as he grabbed on to the iron bars, "And I don't suppose you would know him in full?"
"Of course I would," Brie replied as she stepped forward, "Because unlike you I see people for who they are. Do you truly expect him to give a show at the state he's in, at the state we're all in now?"
Salieri gave Brie a venomous look before he relaxed his hold on the iron bars, the red aura which filled his form becoming less turbulent as he regarded the girl with a cold air. Brie understood then that there would be no more exchanges between them as she watched the man take his leave, marching out sight.
Torches lit the hall beyond her reach as she looked down to see that her wrists were cuffed in enchanted chains. She tried to decode its inner workings but she didn't have the strength to even give it a try. She felt battered and beaten, a few of her injuries haven't even healed before she was thrown here most likely.
Her breath smoked as she leaned against the cold wall behind her as the moonlight shined from the open window above her, too small for her body to fit through. Her orange hair was messy and her clothes were a mess but she was warm enough for the temperature to be not an issue.
Her thoughts began to wander back to the fight. She got her shit kicked in by a Servant and she lost the fight that most likely led to her capture. Mozart didn't seem to be around, he most probably taken somewhere else. Gae Bolg was somewhere nearby but too far for her to get to, Scathach wasn't going to let her live this down.
Everything that could have gone wrong just went wrong. It wasn't even funny. She could barely keep up with a Servant even with all her training and enhancements done to her body. Those Heroic Spirits, they were simply a whole another level to her.
Heroic Spirits that didn't hold back… Medb didn't count since that idiot didn't actually mean to kill Brie.
Brie sighed as she lowered her head in defeat, how was she going to get out of this situation? The walls weren't exactly enchanted but they were weaved with a charm which would act as an alarm. The only way out of here would be to quietly slip out the front door of her cell.
"I see you."
Brie tensed before she looked around, hearing the familiar whisper of a woman's voice.
Brie made a difficult face before sighing, "Come to gloat?"
"To do my duty as your Teacher," Scathach spoke into Brie's mind, "Do not bother making excuses. Your performance was extremely subpar. Even you cannot deny your own mistakes. Now, perhaps if you reflected a little bit, you may find where you may be wanting."
"I was distracted. My mind was all over the place and… I couldn't exactly decide on what to do. Fighting the Undead or monsters of the Land of Shadow, it's different from facing an actual Servant," Brie whispered as she looked at her hands, "It's not enough… What I have, it's not enough. I'm not clever or smart like Hans, I don't know how to make use of this body's full potential."
"Comparing yourself to that man would be akin to comparing your candle light to his bonfire. The gap in experience is simply too wide were he not limited by his physical state. But you have your own potential to cultivate, namely in those you come across," Scathach advised with an amused tone.
"Even if Mozart was supporting me, I still couldn't do anything," Brie replied with a grim tone.
"While in a true fight barring miraculous luck you've often displayed, you would have died. Yet fate seems to favor you in allowing you to live. As long as you draw breath, the opportunity to fight once more remains, honor be damned," Scathach spoke with a low chuckle before she faded from Brie's mind.
Footsteps echoed in the distance, causing Brie to raise her head with a frown as a familiar man came into view.
The Servant Avenger whom resided within this Knot came to a halt before the girl's cell. Antonio Salieri's crimson gaze rested upon Brie as he regarded her with a cold look. Brie braced herself and forced herself on her feet, rising up unsteadily, she would not sit on the ground to be looked down by this man before her.
…..
….
…
Mozart heard music. A chorus of heavenly melody, those he was able to recognize as his own composition played by others like him. He opened his eyes to see an entire orchestra playing before him on the Royal Stage, a Conductor and his ensemble played with vigor and grace, giving their all in a masterful performance which would have brought critics to tears.
On the surface level, that was Mozart's impression but as a man of music whom built up his legend with his divine talent he was able to see the horror of what he witnessed. Hollow.
The sounds were all hollow.
The performers, the conductor, the entire ensemble… They lacked the soul of a musician performing for the masses. The drive to create melodies, to soothe souls and ease pain, it was not there. What Mozart beheld were the stifled screams of despair as dozens of men and women were under a twisted spell to mimic his masterful compositions.
It was a twisted perversion of his work hidden away in an illusion weaved by magical means.
"Perhaps that is the correct reaction, Amadeus," a honey-like voice, as sweet as it was venomous echoed to his side.
Mozart soon found himself beholding a beautiful noblewoman with features one could only describe as Divine. She was dressed in a dark velvet dress, skin with a dazzling pale complexion with half of her face hidden behind a furred fan, leaving her piercing golden eyes to stare right back at the man beside her.
"The songs they may play would be enough to win over the rabble scurrying through the streets of Paris but they could never truly measure up to your talents," Marie Antoinette smiled as she shut her fan, revealing her alluring smile, "Do you find it disgusting? Repulsive? Does hearing your compositions played by the damned not make your stomach turn, Amadeus?"
"M-Marie… Release them!" Mozart snapped in defiance as he leaned away from the woman.
"But of course! You would sooner take the stage yourself than let these pretenders sully your compositions! How wonderful, Amadeus!" Marie cheered as she held her hands in excitement.
"No! Marie! Please, listen to yourself. Look upon yourself and the people. Do you not see how they are suffering? Their souls, they sing not in joy or in celebration for the illusion you've granted them! They cry out and scream in silence! Their despair and pain palpable, such anguish not even my music could heal, Marie!" Mozart answered in defiance though his visage was filled with fear and doubt.
Marie's eyes widened, her golden gaze meeting Mozart's before she slowly slid back to her seat. Her lower lip quivered as her body trembled, "And then what? So that they may face the same anguish in reality? For the flames of revolution to spark as you intended and cast down the peace I've sought for everyone? I've saved them, Amadeus! The streets of Paris no longer soaked in the blood of her sons and daughters! You would have me bring them back to that?"
"Because this is wrong, Marie! The world had not yet deemed it so but in our hearts, this was not how it was meant to be! While the streets are bereft of the people's blood, it does carrying the festering rot you had allowed to take hold in the people's hearts!" Mozart argued back as he stood from his seat in offense.
"You would have them die? To kill each other? To bring the guillotine upon others' heads?!" Marie hotly snarled.
Mozart stared at the woman before him and grit his teeth, closing his eyes as he recalled his death… His Final Days…
"Better to die a full life than to never live at all," Mozart breathed as he raised his gaze to meet the Empress'.
"You would go back to that wretched time… To that bloody revolution… You would rather waste away in your deathbed than seek a new chance, a chance which we could start everything once more?" Marie asked as she stared at the man before her.
Mozart let out a breath, bringing himself to his full height and said, "It is why the world sent me here. To restore this Knot in Time and let the flow run its course. Two wrongs does not make a right, dear Marie."
Marie grit her teeth and snarled, swinging her left hand hard as a pulse of black power erupted from the air. The ensemble on stage were forced to vanish into dark voids, Mozart turned to them in shock before facing Marie.
"What have you done?!" he exclaimed.
He then frowned as he saw Marie hold out a jewel in her hand. It pulsed with power, writhing with curses and energy as she had her hand be corrupted by its presence, darkening her fingertips as black veins crawled up her pale skin.
"By God, Marie… That's the Hope Diamond. But it was stolen… How did you?" Mozart whispered as he stepped back from the woman before him.
"All I wished for was for Paris to be happy. For the pain to cease, for the sadness to fade, for the bloodshed to end… And you would see them all continue?" Marie asked as her eyes dripped with tears of blood, "No… I refuse. I refuse to have you squander this life you were given. Amadeus, please… Please play me a song."
"MARIE!" Mozart cried out as he was bound by chains which burst from the dark puddle underneath his feet. He was dragged to his knees and he noticed he began to sink down the floor. Mozart grit his teeth as he looked up at the woman before him, "MARIE, RELEASE ME! YOU MUST CAST AWAY THAT OBJECT!"
"Play me a song, Amadeus… Just like old times, my dear friend," Marie whispered in a somber tone.
"MARIE!" Mozart cried out once more.
"Just like old times…" Marie sighed as she closed her eyes before Mozart's vision darkened and his senses were muted. Darkness came over his mind and he thought no more.
…..
….
…
"It seems that Amadeus has fallen," Salieri noted as he turned his gaze upwards, "A pity."
Brie's eyes widened at the man's words, "Fallen? What the hell did you do to Mozart?!"
"I have done nothing. It would seem the fair Empress has seen it fit to lock him away until she deemed him prepared for their next meeting. Consigning him to a world with no sound, bereft of the harmony and melodies he so loved, she intends to break him," Salieri said as he lowered his gaze.
Brie stared at the Avenger before her and stomped towards the iron bars of her cell, grabbing hold of them as she snarled, "So this is how you plan to win against him? From what I gathered, you have a fucking hate boner for him so is this how it really is going to end?! Letting the man you seek to surpass waste away just like that?!"
"Marie Antoinette is a fool," Salieri declared, his crimson gaze turning towards the girl in her prison, "If she believes that she could shatter Amadeus' Divine Talent through such means, she's sorely mistaken. The man I seek to overcome would not crumble so easily, girl. You do not know him… You do not understand him… Whereas I…"
The man balled his hand into a fist as he regarded Brie with a cold gaze.
"The man that would emerge from this trial would be worthy of facing me in a true battle. His god given talents… I would sunder it at his peak," Salieri declared as he crossed his arms, "This, I believe… This is what Marie Antoinette promised me. My music against his, only then would we come to an understanding on who truly reigns supreme."
"You want… To test yourself against him?" Brie whispered as she stepped back from the iron bars.
"The Amadeus you've seen has yet to show his true potential… To make use of his full talent. The man I seek, the man Antoinette desires, that is the composer we aim to draw out. A man who will shine brighter than any star! Who's legend would burn through the annals of history stronger than ever before, one who's music would surpass even the divine!" Salieri snarled before turning to the girl, "Only I understand his true potential, his capabilities, not even that wretched woman knows nor could she glean what he could accomplish!"
Brie glared at him from behind her cell bars and said, "If that's the case then you truly do not understand him or the man he is. You only understand his talent and what it could bring. But know this, Salieri, before the talent comes the man and unless you see Mozart for the human being he is, you will never be satisfied. The performance you aim to pit yourself against, it would be hollow compared to the real deal."
Salieri began to emit a dark energy as he grabbed on to the iron bars, "And I don't suppose you would know him in full?"
"Of course I would," Brie replied as she stepped forward, "Because unlike you I see people for who they are. Do you truly expect him to give a show at the state he's in, at the state we're all in now?"
Salieri gave Brie a venomous look before he relaxed his hold on the iron bars, the red aura which filled his form becoming less turbulent as he regarded the girl with a cold air. Brie understood then that there would be no more exchanges between them as she watched the man take his leave, marching out sight.