chapter 10

Warning this chapter contains depictions of blood and violence . Readers discretion is advised

Shiro paced around his room nervously. The day of the siege had arrived and he had never felt so nervous; he wasn't sure whether it was the fearsome strength of the royal family or the fact that he had no desire to kill them. Either way, Shiro knew that he had to overcome his nerves to achieve his goals.

In an attempt to call himself, shiro sits on the ground crossing his legs. He breathes in and out clearing his mind, letting his breath carry away the things distracting him, his senses begin to sharpen themselves again. He focused himself on his goal, after the decades he would finally unite the shima empire, in the territories they had taken before, the black and white legion worked tirelessly to break down class and corruption. The battle had been bloody in many cases, the people were reluctant to change, but an empire free of class gave everyone opportunities they never had.

Shiro remembers his childhood and the time he met Kuro was always burned into his brain. He could still smell the smoke in the air. His small body exhorted all his strength at tugging at the burning beam. Using all his strength to try to free his grandfather. Though the heat burned his hands he ignored the pain and pulled with everything he had,

"Akio…" his haunting voice called to his grandson, a name shiro has not heard since that day "leave me, get away from here"

"I'll move it grandfather, don't worry." He cries. As men pass on horses, Shiro emplores them for help but none stop. A young boy near shiro's age runs around the corner dragging a beam behind him. With impressive force for a small boy, he drives the long piece of wood into the ground next to Shiro's grandfather.

"Grab his arms and pull when i say so" he says

Shiro readies himself grasping his grandfather's arms, and on the boy's mark he pulls him free. Shiro Quickly checks his grandfather, his chest blackened from the burning beam. It was easy to see that the damage to his body was fatal.

"Akio… go live your life, I'm an old man, I've lived mine."

Shiro shakes his head "no grandfather, i'll get you some help, you will be okay" he says, but his words fool nobody, least of all himself. He cradles his grandfather's head as the life leaves his eyes

" This is the noble's fault."the boy says with a growl "they start a petty war over a disagreement in the drawing room and we must go along with it. Just because of their lineage…" Shiro doesn't respond to the boy. "Come, i'll help you bury your grandfather, I'm kuro"

Shiro always wanted to stop the corruption that brought unnecessary war to his village. The lord of his land was all too happy to use his grandfather's talents as a blacksmith when he was needed but when his usefulness ended so did his life.

Shiro stands breathing out his nerves in a final breath, his convictions reaffirmed.

Shiro is surprised to hear a knock at his door,he opens the door to find that it is misa.

"Hi, I was going to ask if I could show you and his highness around town today?" She looks at him with trustworthy eyes. Shiro knew that he couldn't be out of the palace when the siege happened, he quickly tried to formulate an excuse.

"I think prince subarashi mentioned wanting to get a better look at the palace today…" he replies

"Oh… alright." She says a little confused, "maybe tomorrow?"

He nods "but… you should go around today, you deserve a break from Subarashii's madness" Shiro knew that Misa needed to be at the palace too for the siege. Yet he tried to convince her to go out

"Oh no, i'll just wait till tomorrow…" she says rubbing her wrist. Shiro can clearly see it is darkly bruised, even light bruising on her face from Kuros fingers. He knew exactly who was responsible, Shiro frowned at the thought of what would happen to Misa after the siege, if she was lucky she'd die in battle but shiro was doubtful that kuro would kill her. "I guess i'll see you at the mid day meal then" she says waving goodbye

Every time he saw her he felt unsure. He couldn't lose his edge for one girl, this he knew.

Shiro lays down on his bed shutting his eyes. He clears his mind once again, thinking of nothing… breathing in… and out. Slowly his mind drifts to sleep. And as he enters the world of dreams he is met with the same dream that has been plaguing him all week.

Only this time he begins the dream facing misa. Her eyes stare in the distance expressionless

"This is for the best,'' she says hauntingly. Suddenly her gaze matches shiros and she smiles with a grim look on her face. When she speaks again her voice is coupled with a thousand others echoing endlessly.

"I'm necessary, they were necessary, it's nothing personal. It's to better the world"

From behind her shiro watches himself step out, the other shiro glances at her frozen reflection "well she is cute, i can see why you're so distracted" he says stroking his chin "but it doesn't really matter. If you neglect your duty you will be like every noble, every royal who didn't do what was necessary for selfish reasons."

Shiro couldn't say anything to himself

"You think none of the people you killed we're loved? None of them we're good people?"

Shiro grasps his head groaning in pain "I want to be a good person… i want my conscience to rest easy" he says panting

"We don't have that luxury. A restful convince is a selfish thing to ask when you are on the verge of uniting an empire and freeing it. You're hands will be bloodstained you're heart never free from guilt- but it's not a luxury you can afford"

The other shiro takes the sword from his belt at caresses the blade

"Do what you must" she says her eyes black

"Do what you must" the other shiro says, stabbing her through from behind. Blood pours from her mouth

"Do what you must…"

They both repeat over and over. Until Shiro is suddenly awakened. He sits up as someone bangs at the door, the sun is down and it is now dark out.

"Shiro!" Misas voice calls from behind the door. Shiro runs to open it, hearing shouting and calling throughout the halls just as in his dreams except instead of corpses the halls are filled with many living soldiers, readying themselves for the nearby army headed their way. "It's the black and white legion! They've come!"