Folly & Agendas & Talulah

-[Chapter 01]-

"Tis a fateful day, is this your coronation?"

Almost there... running through snow, trudging through mud.

"Your beloved stands stalwart, but he will be the first to betray you..."

Almost there... covered in wounds, drenched in blood. 

"And the sanguine future you beseech, is fraught with calamity...

Almost there...  gasping for breath, crying for victory.

A metallic taste lingered in my mouth. My legs ached, adrenaline coursed through my veins.  Immense pain seared through my lungs as I put a hand to my chest. Rain pelted me from above, licking my wounds, soaking my hair. I stabbed my sword into the ground and fell to my knees, gripping the hilt tightly with my arthritic hands.

"Talulah? Talulah!" Someone called.

I pushed some hair out of my eyes and lifted my head up slowly. A tall, handsome man rushed towards me and held me by my arms. I wrung my arms over his shoulders and pulled him in for a warm -long awaited- embrace. My body felt limp and lazy, my legs gave out, the ground scraped against my knees. 

"Kaiser Rye... we... are almost there," I spoke through bloody lips and ragged breaths.

"We are," My companion, Kaiser Rye, wiped the dirt off my face.

"I killed Koshchei. Now we're free."

"His lackeys are still after us, but at least we have each other. Now that we're together..."

I gazed into his warm, golden eyes. A bright smile accentuated his cheekbones. Pitch black hair rested on his head; each strand as sleek as can be. A strong physique made up his body, flaunting his muscles and virility. 

My hands trailed down his body until I touched something unpleasant. Fresh blood ran down in thin rivulets, coming from an opening below his chest. His bare ribs were exposed to the weather; a gruesome display of gore. A white light emitted from his body, regenerating his wounds, but it won't heal fast enough for the rest of our journey.

"Rye... you're-" I uttered.

"I'm fine," He proclaimed.

He held his hand out, asking me to move forth. I held his palm as doubt slowly invaded my head -But I didn't wish to fear what's left of us, what will happen to us, or what the future holds. On our ring fingers were two identical rings, a pure diamond on top of a golden base that spirals down before it converges into a small tip. 

The terrain began to change as we traversed the land. Past the pine trees, over the berry bushes. Beneath the cloak of night, above the ground, alight. A flash of thunder danced above the clouds, threatening to strike us down. The cries of mortars echoed far behind us, sending tremors throughout the land. Vicious flames burned brightly; a trail of fire followed. The wind howled throughout the night, accompanied by the torrential rain. 

I tried my best to keep myself awake; fatigue began to overcome me. My companion, Kaiser Rye began to slow down. He fell to the ground with a loud thud, and held his ribs tightly. Black blood dripped between his fingers, staining the ground below. 

"Agck! Can't... stop... now," He cried.

"Rye! Your body, you... no..." I didn't know what to say. 

I reached for his face and cupped his cheeks. His body grew weak, slowly succumbing to his wounds. My eyes slowly welled up with tears as I watched his remaining life leave his eyes. A lump grew in my throat; the fear of my love dying here consumed me. 

"Don't worry," He said, resting his head on my body, while he tried to move.

"But you're not healing quick enough. We need to get out of this county's borders!"

"We'll get there. We'll get there."

Smoke seeped out of his body, followed by a blinding, white glow. The putrid scent of blood invaded my nose. I found my fingers wrapped around his blood-soaked hands. My Arts started to escape my fingertips, warming his hands, drying the blood into a repulsive crust. 

"Hey Talulah?" He asked weakly.

"Yes Rye?" I replied.

"You go first. I'll catch up." 

Each word that came out of his mouth sounded akin to smoke. His eyes defied his fading life. His golden eyes dazzled beneath the twilight. I found my own eyes reflecting off of his orbs. And soon, the white in his eyes turned to dark, dark red. The world close on us, sucking away our lives as the storms roared ceaselessly...

---
The ghastly future:
---

When all the horrors went to rest, we still made to paradise nonetheless. An angel awaited our arrival along with an elderly cat. Our escape started our years of bliss, where our days were brighter, nights starrier. We found a future bearing fruit; one sweeter than we imagined, before our wonderous spell came to an end. 

With the slip of a blade, a blow of a kiss, the memory falls deep into a chasm of regret. Our peace was short-lived –our feelings fleeting. Time gnawed away at my soul, feeding off the catastrophes lining the walls. The gray skies loomed over a desolate wasteland, belonging to the regretful –ones once filled with sparkling eyes and brighter hopes. 

Oh, how the world betrays you. Oh, how the nights grow colder. Oh, how the tears run dry.

"Worry not my love... Worry not... the world is not ready for you yet..."

A pillar of glass stopped my advance. My words flowed through the crevices, into the being within. When I resolved to see my appearance, I wasn't shocked in the slightest. My skin has long turned pale, my hair an ashen gray. I have long since lost the colors in my eye, the hue of my lips, the smiles on my face. 

"When you wake up, you'll never face fear again..."

I held my slender fingers out and touched the cold glass in front of me. A sliver of warmth imbued a sense of serenity within me. An ephemeral light upon a glistening fortress, vanquishing the terrible night. And wrapped around one finger, a diamond ring graced my hand. With one deep breath, I let go and bid my farewells. 

"I will be with you soon..."

But first I'll have to finish the calamity driving –home...

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 (A/N): Thank you for reading Chapter 1

- For all of my new readers, Welcome! Thank you for choosing to read"Folly & Agendas & Talulah" 

- And I'm here to tell you - MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!

- I hope you enjoy this tumultuous journey!

"Fate save the Kaiser..."

"Fate save the Queen..."

- For all of my current readers, I am sorry for the long wait. With exams finished I am able to continue writing this story to my heart's content. I have missed all of you when I was gone.

- This story is a FanFiction written specifically during the canon Arknights Timeline with a twist

- If you want to know more, I will SHOW you 

- I hope you enjoy this tumultuous journey!

PLEASE NOTE: 

- I am currently writing new chapters that will replace current chapters

- This Chapter is now the (NEW) Chapter 1 and it replaces the current Chapter 1

- The story will progress as usual, but I am making these changes to improve clarity, deliver a better first impression, rewrite plot points, and make overall better chapters.