Blazblue: Ashes to Ashes

Memories Part 2

Jubei entered through the gates. "Master Jubei is that really you?"
"Well, if it isn't the lizard kid. Yeah, it's me, Jacky. Haven't seen ya in a while, have I? I knew ya couldn't be dead, considering yer corpse was nowhere to be found at the church. What are ya doing in this place?"
Jacky laughed nervously and turned to Rachel. "I am teaching a few things," Rachel said simply, sipping her tea. "More like you threaten me with pain if I don't learn," Jacky thought.
"Thanks for takin' care of him for me, Rachel." Rachel nodded her head and continued to drink from her teacup. "Master Jubei, do you know what happened to the others?" Jacky asked. "Well, Jin and Saya have gone missing. Ragna's still kickin', though. In fact, he's causin' the NOL a lot of problems."
Jacky looked happy as he heard the news that Ragna was still alive. However, his expression grew serious once again. "He's opposing the NOL? Why is that?"
"Well, the Librarium has caused him a lot of trouble in the past, so he's paying them back. He's a stubborn kid, Ragna. Of course, rebellion against the Librarium went without saying. You know better than anyone how the NOL roles, kid," Jubei explained. Jacky had to admit, the way the Librarium handled things was a little strict. If someone were to show even the slightest amount of rebellion, then they would be apprehended. It's been that way since the Ikaruga Civil War. Even before that, the NOL has kept the Grimoires to themselves, allowing as few people as possible to use Ars Magus, which made a lot of sense, considering that without it, there would be very few people left to oppose them. Even still, this strict rule has made the NOL appear greedy and power-hungry. This was understandable.
"Alright then, can you tell me what the NOL did exactly?"
"I imagine that they are setting the stage for a grand play. Terumi is the one who attacked your home and ruined your childhood. He's the guy who founded the NOL. He's manipulating everything to make sure that things go according to plan. Ragna's been made aware of this, so that's why he's attacking the NOL."
Jacky almost couldn't believe this. All this time and he thought he was working for a noble organization, but in reality, he's just been assisting the enemy.
"Excuse me for a moment, Master Jubei, but I need to go retrieve something." Jacky left towards the castle, leaving Rachel and Jubei alone.
"You've certainly done a bang-up job taking care of him, Rachel. Why'd ya make him a butler though?"
"His events will not come to pass until another day….also it amuses me." Jubei chuckled and couldn't help but wonder what Jacky might have experienced. He turned the conversation elsewhere after a bit of laughter.
"Does he know about his power's drawbacks yet?"
Rachel shook her head and it almost looked like she was sad, but her expression remained stone cold. "I have not, but I will make sure to inform him."
Jacky searched the castle for his old NOL uniform and, after finally locating it, he burned it to ash. His work, his studies, they were all pushing him to support his enemy. After the ashes touched the floor, he picked up a broom and swept them into a dust pan before throwing the ashes into the trash.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Valkenhayn, I just feel lied to." Valkenhayn understood and handed him a glass of water. He thanked him and drank the water. "I was sent to tell you that Madame Rachel requests your presence."
"Very well, I'll go tend to our little vampire."
Jacky walked off towards the gates of the castle and Valkenhayn looked on, a blissful smile on his face.
When Jacky returned to the front gates, Master Jubei was gone. "May I ask where Master Jubei has run off to now?"
"He came here to settle an important matter with me, but now that that's finished he has left. That doesn't matter, though. I must speak with you." Jacky nodded and paid close attention to her.
"Are you aware that dragons once existed in this world, Jacky?" Jacky shook his head. He'd heard legends, but nothing concrete, so he assumed that dragons were nothing but myth. "The dragons once existed before the Black Beast came into existence and when it attacked, the dragons were one of the first to be eliminated. Now extinct, people pass them off as a fairy tale. Before the dragons were driven to extinction, however, their power was gathered and forged in the form of a Nox Nyctores. Many were told that only ten Nox Nyctores existed, but that is a lie as there is one more that was kept hidden. Your sword, Drakos, is that very weapon. The weapon can only be wielded by an individual capable of bearing the power of the dragons. However, for the sake of caution, thirteen restraints were added in order to lock up the power so that it would not rip the wielder apart. This is both a blessing and a curse as you must be strong enough to unlock the restraints with a certain level of power. This ensures that individuals who are incapable of wielding the sword do not destroy themselves with it. However, this also serves as a limit that must be broken in order to reach maximum potential."
Jacky was going to say something, but Rachel stopped him and continued.
"There is one other piece of the Drakos that you must be made aware of. There is a curse laid upon the sword and the power of the dragons that was created when they were exterminated. This curse activates once the wielder of the power dies. Upon death, the body of the wielder will burn to ash and his entire existence will be obliterated. Along with his existence, the memories that others hold will disappear as well. All records and memories of the wielder will be completely destroyed and very few will have any recollection of the individual. Quite poetic, wouldn't you agree. It is just the same as the fate that the dragons have suffered. They too have been forgotten after their deaths."
All this new information took a while to sink in, but Jacky soon understood every bit of it. He summoned Drakos and placed it on the table. "And what if I handed it off to someone else?"
"There would be no change in your fate. All who become the bearer of Drakos, past, present, and future will suffer the same fate as the dragons upon their inevitable end. Therefore, passing Drakos on to someone else will do you no good."
Jacky dismissed Drakos after hearing this and sat down in the rose bed. "So I guess the best I can do is live as long as I can?" Rachel nodded her head and looked off at her castle. "It is a depressing concept and unfair concept, I admit."
Jacky thought to himself for a moment and stood up, taking a bow. "Rachel, I would like to ask that you let me leave your castle's realm."
"What on earth will you possibly do while you're away?"
Jacky gave her a fanged grin.

"I'm going to rebel!"