Vengeance.

((Seperate topic, but an ending to my Spirit Dancer Thread ))

--- It was hard to sleep this night. The desert grew cold at night, but it was nothing compared to Kitetsu's cold aura she was used to in the past. All it did was serve as a bitter reminder of someone who was now long gone. How long would it take before she could let this all go and move on with her life? When will she be able to look at this as though it were 'okay' like everyone else was? She couldn't help but wonder, when she was killed in battle will the others forget her as well or downplay her death as well? Will they act like her death was insignificant because of my profession? Arietta curled up into a ball and couldn't help but to laugh as she thought these things, "They can act and think as they wish. But so can I... I won't downplay this, and I won't forget. They think it's okay because the person wasn't important to -them-. How self-centered. One day, they'll have a fit of rage when they lose someone important to them, and I'll be there to remind them of this event." Arietta spoke out loud and pulled down the covers, a skull with the name "Kitetsu" rested beside her under the covers. She stared at it with a wicked smile before she finally closed her eyes as sleep finally took her in its embrace.

--- Arietta suddenly found behind a curtain, a swam of people were tending to her make-up, hair, clothing as they tried to make some final adjustments. "Arietta-hime, you're on in exactly thirty-five seconds. Are you ready?" She heard someone behind her call out. Arietta blinked, finding herself absolutely confused, and tried to study her surroundings. Her hands slid down her body to find herself covered in a familiar silky fabric. She looked down, finding herself covered in an elegant flowing skirt that was the color the running waters in the Country of Springs, it ended just above her knees, a matching corset clung to her torso as a wintery jacket was thrown over her to cover her back and shoulders.

"Why do you look so confused? It's time to get on stage. Is everyone ready? We'll start with the opening song Winter Song. I need everyone to prepare everything for the 'Ice Queen' dance solo right after. So make-up and dress people please get your things ready." A authoritive voice shout out behind her. The voice grew closer and closer to her as it spoke, and then suddenly she felt a strong pair of hands rest onto her shoulders. "Good luck, Onee-san. Break a leg, but not really." The voice was familiar now. Arietta looked over her face only to see Mikoto's face light up with a reassuring smile, expressing that he had the utmost faith in her. But without another word, she pushed her past the curtain.

--- Arietta stumbled forward before she finally caught her footing. Her eyes were blinded by the large lights hanging from the ceiling that were pointed directly at her, but her eyes managed to adjust. Looking past the lights, she saw thousands and thousands of people. Their clapping in unison created thunderous noises, but that was nothing compared to their cheers and whistles. These people, these people were here for -her-. She finally understood what this was all about. This stage, the audience, this was her wish to one day OWN a theater. To leave behind her duties as a princess and a shinobi and finally do something she was good at. This was it, it was her moment... She didn't know how but she knew what to do. Almost as though the real Arietta, and the Arietta of her dreams merged and became one...

--- Taking in a deep breath she prepared her lungs and clasped her hands infront of her chest as she closed her eyes. Words began to slip out from her lips, from a song she never remembered studying but yet she knew them and they felt so right, so close to her heart. The words swept into the air with a perfect pitch as her angelic voice carried the sounds to the audience. The immediately hushed and not a sound came from them, it was as though she were the only one in the entire theater. "Mirror... Tell me something. Tell me who's the loniest of all?" As she sang, her voice echoed in the theater but something wasn't right. Something warned her, something tugged on her conscience and her heart.


--- The all too familiar voice rang in her mind, causing Arietta's eyes to shoot open. "Ki--" She opened her mouth to speak but shock stopped her from speaking. She was no longer in the theater, the audience no longer watched her. No one watched her besides a hulking armored figure before her. It was on it's knees, bowing to someone before it finally rised and turned to face Arietta. The giant knight held his sword out to her and Arietta gulped, she felt something dangling beside her waist and eyed the rapier that rested on her side. Fear and panic clasped her heart. Was she to fight this thing on her own? Impossible...


-- The voice spoke again, and as it did Arietta noticed something. Unsure if the voice was trying to hint her, but the giant knight had no soul. The soul already departed from it's body which means this was a work of necromancy. Arietta jaw clenched as she gritted her teeth with uncontrollable anger. The Knight must have seen the sudden spark of confidence and determination that the anger sparked within her, because it lifted it's massive blade and attempted to send it crashing down onto Arietta. Her skills as a dancer immediately came to use now as she used her flexibility and agility to perform a flawless back-flip from the blow. The sword smashed into the ground, creating debris and a cloud of dust. Arietta pulled the rapier from her waist and narrowed her eyes. "Very well..." She slid back her left foot and leaned forward ever so slightly as she pointed the tip of the rapier towards the massive beast. She kicked off the ground and sent herself launching forward.



--- As she flew forward, dashing forward through the air as though an angel with wings carried her. She attempted to cut at the knees of the beast but only made contact with it's obsidian sword as it parried her tiny rapier, but before it could counter attack Arietta didn't skip a second as she bent her knees and kicked off the ground, somersaulting over the large beasts head and landing behind it. She studied it for a moment, looking to see where it's armor is weakest. But the Knight wouldn't allow her to gather her thoughts as it once more used its massive strength in attempt to crash the blade down onto her. Daringly, Arietta ran -towards- the blow and the creature and sword that was threatening to flatten her if it made impact. She ran in a full out sprint and thrusted her rapier out as she ran past the side of the creatures knee once more, attempting to cut between the boot and the thigh armor. But it was no use, she slid past the beast once more as she stood behind it.

--- The beast couldn't keep up with her speed, but Arietta couldn't keep up with it's defense. Her calculating eyes narrowed as she began to perform a flurry of strikes at the back of it's legs, and then leaping up to cut at it's back then the back of his helmet. She knew there -had- to be a weak spot. Everyone has a weakness, and so did this. She only had to find it. Her flurry of slashes were cut short as the beasts agitation grew. The large knight turned sharply and using the turning momentum to swing the blade at her in a beautiful and mastered arc. Arietta let out a loud gasp as she was taken by surprise. She was still in the air, there was less than a second for her to think. The young heiress curled into a ball and held the rapier out vertically infront of her. Steel met steel, but the impact sent Arietta flying backwards like a baseball. She spinned backwards and uncurled as her feet hit the ground. She skid backwards until she would come to a full stop.

--- If this was a dream, it was far too real. Her lungs burned as she gasped for air. Her body was fatigued and she felt cold sweat drip down her skin. But there was no time to rest, the beast used this time to get out of the defensive and get offensive instead. The two switched places as the beast jumped forward and held it's sword over head, attempting to swing down onto Arietta. She cursed out-loud, and cartwheeled sideways. But the knight didn't give up. Swinging again and again. Even getting caught close to it's blow would be dangerous. Arietta was forced to somersault and flip away from each attack. The knights speed didn't match it's hulking size. Arietta misjudged one of it's swings, there was no time to dodge. Once more she held the rapier out infront of her just before the knights sword threatened to cleave her in two. And yet again she was flung into the air like a rag doll. She crashed onto the ground and skid backwards before rolling back onto her feet and catching her footing. "Shimatta..." She was growing weaker, and tired.


--- The voice boomed into her head. She narrowed her eyes at the massive knight. Something about it looked smug that it could handle her so easily, though maybe it was her imagination. With a scoff, she held up a hand and performed an Inkan hand seal and the spiritual chakra formed a decorative glyph under her. "I'm Arietta, the 9th Princess and Sibyl of the Inka Clan. Today, I will let your spirit rest in peace as I destroy this monstrosity of a vessel." Arietta bent forward and stretched out her right leg and like a graceful ice-skater she glided across the ground and moving to make her way behind the Knight. The large metal creature wasn't sure how to react, never seeing a form and stance like this before. It let out a large growl as it swung the massive greatsword at her like a baseball bat. Arietta somersaulted over the blade. She danced around it's massive leg, striking it. As it swung it's sword at her she smirked and the drew another glyph onto the ground with her foot. The spiritual chakra shot her upwards into the air. She sliced at it's forearm. It tried to swing at her mid-air, but Arietta kicked at the air, conjuring more spiritual chakra at her feet as another glyph propelled her forward. She darted through the air and past the Knights shoulder. She turned to her side while in the air and spun, sticking out her blade to slice at it the creatures shoulder blade with each side-ways ballerina twirl. Making her way past the shoulder, she spun and turned in the air. Her feet burning with the spiritual chakra. Drew another glyph in the air, landing on it as though it were a flat surface. Arietta revealed a cocky smile as she looked at the beast and flattened her skirt. She was in awe with her new-found power. Finally, her dance training can be put to use.

--- But her victory was short, the metal beast spun around back handed her through the air. You'd think by now, she'd learn that the beast was good at catching her in the air. She had no time to parry, metal hand smacked her and sent her flying backwards through the air. She crashed onto the ground and skid backwards. She layed on the ground face first for a moment and felt a warm liquid trickle down her face. Blood. Adrenaline pumped through her, she didn't feel pain but she knew it was there. She slowly got up onto her feet.



--- "Very well..." Arietta got onto her feet and held her rapier up in the air. Knight was already running towards her, greatsword in hand and ready to finish her. She broke into a vicious smile and did something unexpected. Performing a shamanistic dance, her limbs moved through the air sensually. Using her flawless figure to enchant as he hips rocked side to side, her mid-section moved like waves of the ocean like a belly-dancer. Her feet moving from under her and sliding across the ground as she drew the glyph onto the ground with her feet, using her Inkan Chakra. She danced to appease the spirits, calling for their aid. Who would answer? Her blade grew cold, and she felt life inside the metal. Arietta knew it was time, she twirled the blade in her hand and then stabbed it into the ground. Gigantic shards of ice speared out from the ground in a straight line towards the beast, it's feet getting caught by the ice and forcing it to halt. It cried out and Arietta began to dart forward, skipping from tip-to-tip on each of the large pieces of jagged ice. The knight swung at her in an arc. She leaped up in the air and landed on one knee on the very tip of it's blade. With a wink, she rolled forward long the flat side of it's blade and then slid down to the handle. Holding out her rapier, she would kick off the blade and jumped onto it's hand. Impaling the empowered rapier in a small space between the armor she found on the wrist. The giant's hand was forced open and dropped it's massive great sword during the arc swing, causing it to fly forward and crashing into the ground.

--- Kicking off it's hand. She landing in infront of the sword, and performed a beautiful twirl as she once more conjured the power of the spirit inside her blade. She drew a glyph under her, and narrowed her eyes at the beast. Simply waiting for it to take action. In a fit of confused rage, the Knight ran forward towards her and closed it's hand to form a fist and attempted to slam it down onto her. Arietta giggled triumphantly as she rolled to the side. The beast looked down, finding itself caught on the glyph apparently was standing on just seconds ago. With a thrust of her palm, the glyph ignited and bursted with Inkan chakra, sending it upwards into the air. "Heed me spirits!" Arietta shouted as she began to twirl her blade around her body as she danced, the blade performing beautiful flourishes around her lithe but curvy body. She continued to dance forward as the knight was erupted into the air. Then with one final twirl, she slashed the sword against the air. Sending aura spheres through the air, they fly over towards the knight and caught him. Each sphere made impact with both wrists, ankles, and his neck. They stretched the large knight out like a crucifix, leaving him vulnerable. "I'll release you from your torment." Arietta bowed her head to the knight, then dropped down onto one knee. Drawing another seal onto the ground which shot her up into the air and up towards the giant knight. She ran two fingers across the rapier, coating it in Inkan Chakra, as it was coated with beautiful designs from the spirit that now danced within it. As she sore in the air, she tilted front-wards and formed a seal onto her feet, kicking off it to launch herself through the air and towards the knight. She shot through the air like a missle, rapier first until she made impact with her target. The rapier cut into the knights neck like butter. Her Inkan chakra the coated the blade leaked into the undead beast, and caused it to disperse.

--- Arietta fell onto one knee, and slowly rised as she turned away from the fireworks that the beast erupted into it. She closed her eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. As she closed her eyes, the weight in her hand got lighter and noise started to boom around her. Surprised, she'd open her eyes and once more see the audience infront of her. Cheering, standing up and giving an ovation. Looking down at her feet, she found herself standing on the stage once more. Her eyes darted as she looked into the stands at the people who cheered her on with confusion, but finally she understood what this all meant. Arietta bowed her head and performed a curtsey. "My spirits will always be my audience... And I will continue to dance for you."

--- In cold sweat, Arietta shot up into a sitting position from her bed. She patted her sheets, slapped her cheeks, and looked around to make sure this was real. But to be honest, she couldn't to tell. The dream had been so realistic, how can she tell this was reality? "It doesn't matter... I know what I must do." She slipped out of the bed and made her way to the Inkan Reserve, barefoot and still in her night gown. "The dead must remain dead..." She said quietly to herself as she picked up a branch and held it like a rapier and slowly began to dance, and thrusted the branch into the air like a blade. "And those who do not obey will feel my vengeance."