Scars of Battle and Betrayal (Rated T for Teen for Violence and Blood plus some mild language)

Natsume was hating captivity already as her jailors seemed to enjoy smacking her around. Anytime she defended herself or antoher prisoner she'd then get shocked into unconciousness. One guard was even considering doing worse to her than just simply beating her and she feared it wouldn't take long for the others to desire the same thing.

Kyle dusted his hands off as he walked back the beaten soldiers. He heard talking coming from a nearby room and he kicked the door in sending it flying across the room and slamming an unsuspecting soldier into the wall. He looked at the soldiers and prisoners in the room and his eyes fell on Natsume as he drew Ravanger.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that's no way to treat a lady?" Kyle asked as he flashed Ravanger.

"Who the fuck are you?" said a soldier.

"Your worst nightmare!" Kyle responded.

He jumped from the staircase slicing the soldiers gun in half and then slammed his elbow into his nose before flipping him on his back and kicking him into a table.

"Any more of you retards want to take me on?" Kyle asked.

Natsume was too out of it to understand what was happening. She was barely conscious enough to even see the fight. "What brings you...he-ugh..." she cut off passing out from all she'd endured in her short time in captivity.

Kyle took no time in all in taking out the soldiers. He pointed Ravanger at the one dishing out punishment to the prisoners.

"Unless you want to end up like your worthless buddies, you'll back down" Kyle threatned.

"No way"

"Have it your way then" Kyle said.

He ran over to the soldier and kicked him so hard that he was knocked into the wall and fell to the ground unconscious. Kyle cut the chains binding Natsume to the wall and then caught her before she hit the ground. He took out some bottle of green liquid and poured it into her mouth and tilted her head back so she swallowed it.

"Hey snap out of it, we need to get you out of here" Kyle said.

Natsume awoke feeling a bit better. "What? Kyle? Why're you here? What happened?" she looked around seeing all the dead guards. She knew it hadn't been her and then she realized. 'He came and saved me...but why we just met?' she thought not sure how this could be. She wasn't used to being save by a guy she met in Nautilus. 'Well at least my first knight in shining armor is cute...' she thought to herself.

Kyle pulled Natsume to her feet and then stood up sheathing Ravanger.

"I was ordered by my superiors to track you down and bring you back to base and by the looks of it we aren't the only ones. Whatever they had planned couldn't have been good. Just know we're on the same side here" Kyle explained.

A soldier came through the door prepared to attack but Kyle blasted him back with the Firaga spell from his hand.

"We need to get out of here before more of these idiots show up, and oh" Kyle said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace and handed it to Natsume.

"I believe this belongs to you unless one of those soldiers was a cross dresser" Kyle said.

Natsume took the necklace and wondered to herself if he'd seen the file. She then walked over to the table and took up her blade and pack. "Let's go..." she said figuring they'd have time to talk once these jerks were done with.

There was a shaking sound and soon the place crumbled around them and soon a giant mechanoid spider with gattling guns and rocket launchers was in front of them. Kyle drew Ravanger.

"It's party time it seems, but dude where's the drinks and food at?" Kyle taunted.

He pointed Ravanger at the mechanized trash can.

"Ahh...the wielder of the legendary katana Ravanger, Kyle Ravenscroft. Don't expect to walk away from this battle, either of you. It's the girl we want not you Mr. Ravenscroft, you can die!"

"What a idiot, you're the one who's not walking away from this fight, don't start them if you can't finish them" Kyle said as his eyes glowed red.

"You need to learn how to talk to a lady. I'll show you what this 'girl' can do..." natsume said unsheathing her Himura Blade. Her eyes seemed to change even altering in color to a bright orange. 'Now he'll learn why I'm called the Manslayer by those monsters...' she thought to herself.

"Here we...go!" Kyle started slashing at the machine.

Kyle dodged a couple of bullets and fired a Firaga spell at the overgrown can opener. He then sliced off one of the gattling guns while avoiding a rocket.

"Come on out and quit hiding behind your toys" Kyle taunted.

He thrusted Ravanger into one of the legs causing it to spark. He then sliced it off crippling.

"You may have severed one leg but I still have seven more"

"And that's why..." natsume cut off seemingly disappearing. she then reappeared in the air above the spider and dived at it sword edge ready to strike. "You aim for the head! Hiten-mitsurugi style! Hi-Sen!" she shouted as she made contact making a depression in the ground below the spider from impact.

The soldier controlling the spider was ejected out of it and flew to the ground in front of Kyle.

"Hi, remember me?" Kyle asked.

He shoved Ravanger through the soldier and pulled and then kicked him into the wall.

"We should get out of here I don't think this place is going to be standing for much longer" Kyle said as he started climbing the stairs.

"Yeah." Natsume said following him. He didn't know how right he was as her attack was basically like a sonic boom. "Hey did you examine my necklace or just stuff it in your pocket and come after me?" she asked as they walked.

"It's just a necklace, no cause for further investigation" Kyle said.

When they reached the outside Kyle removed a capsule from a pocket on his tactical vest and pressed a switch and tossed it. Soon a massive motorcycle emerged in a cloud of black smoke. It was big and had a massive tire on the back and front. It was black and had blue lights on it. Kyle jumped on and punched in a code and the motorcycle roared to life.

"Come on, let's jet" Kyle said.

He sheathed Ravanger and waited for Natsume.

Natsume hopped on. "It isn't....it's also evidence of how much of those monsters people call Fal'cie really are." she said wrapping her arms around kyle's waist once on the cycle. "I'll show you here after a bit what I mean." she added.

"Stop them!"

Kyle looked behind him as soldiers tried to catch them out.

"Later,much!" Kyle said.

He punched it and soon they were racing through Natulis taking turn after turn. Soon the roar of motorcycles could be heard behind them. They were getting closer.

"These guys don't quit, Lucifer take care of these guys" Kyle said.

Soon Ravanger began to glow red as a beam was shot into the sky. Soon a summon portal opened up and out crashed a black dragon. It flew behind Kyle and Natsume and engaged the soldiers giving chase and then flew back and accompanied them until they reached the harbor then shot back into Ravanger. A boat rested on the dock. Kyle pressed a switch and the motorcycle transformed back into a capsule. Kyle then headed for the boat.

Natsume figured she was supposed to follow. "So ready to see what atrocities the Fal'cie have kept under wraps? Or am I going from one prison to another?" she said. She was thankful for the rescue but she was still weary of what was going on.

"Prison, where we're headed isn't a prison. It's a place where others like me and apperantely you plan to put an end to the rule of the Fal'Cie. Best save that for when we get to the base" Kyle said.

Kyle walked onto the boat and greeted the driver.

"This is our driver, our base is under water. This baby can go from boat to sub and vice versa" Kyle explained.

Kyle took a seat while waiting for the driver to submerge them underwater.

Natsume wasn't sure at first. 'Oh well if it's a trap I'll just have to take em down...' she thought to herself sitting down next to Kyle. She liked him but wasn't sure if she could trust him or not.

While they were making their way toward the underwater base Kyle decided to polish Ravanger. He spent several minutes it was shining like it was brand new. Kyle smiled proud of his handy work. He held it up to the light where it shined with radiance.

Natsume saw how Kyle treated his sword. "Be careful how much polish you use or the blade will eventually be crusted and dull cause of it. Short and conservative is the best course to keep a blade sharp and deadly..." she said before quickly unsheathing her sword. She then applied her cleaning methods and soon the blade was sheathed once more.

"I don't ever have to worry about Ravanger crusting or getting dull. It's an enchanted weapons. Nothing can ever wear this baby down, and plus it indestructiable" Kyle explained.

Kyle's hand started to glow blue and he grabbed the blade and froze it solid. He then slammed it as hard as he could against the floor. The ice shattered but the blade remained unscathed.

"Ravanger has been around for a long time passed down from generation to generation. It shows no sign of being an ancient weapon. I love this sword, its a good weapon and I wouldn't trade it for anything" Kyle said.

"Reminds me of this blade of mine...I took it from a beast named Yojimbo. He put up a good fight but ultimately I took him down claiming his sword as he disappeared to nothingness." natsume said. "It seemed to realize the difference in our fighting styles and transformed to a reverse blade." she added.

"Yojimbo, I read about him when I was a kid. Idolized him really" Kyle said.

Soon the sub shook softly and soon the porthole opened up. Kyle stood up and sheathed Ravanger and made for the porthole.

"Well we're here" Kyle said.

He walked through and stopped at the check in gate. On the wall opposite him the initials I.C.R.S. were visible.

Natsume followed looking at the initials. She still was on guard in case of deception as she looked around. "So how long until we're where I can show you what I mean and why my fight with those monsters is so important to me?" she asked.