Roswaal mansion, Lugunica over 1 year ago

Subaru sits in his room having finished up his studies on the Lugunican writing system for the night. Suddenly his door creaks open.

Rem: "Good evening Subaru-kun."

Subaru: "Oh, hey Rem. What are you doing here?"

Rem: "Rem wanted to hear one of your stories about these "Guardians" from your home. Like this Saint-14 you always talk about."

Subaru: "Alright let me think. Oh I know I don't think I've told Emi or Ram about Lord Shaxx yet. I can tell you about him if you're interested."

Rem: "Rem is always interested in stories about Subaru-kun's home."

Subaru: "Alright I wasn't too many stories about Shaxx mostly because I enjoyed the stories about Saint-14 more but Shaxx is definitely a badass.  Let me begin."

Subaru clears his throat.

Subaru: "Many long ago the fallen marched on my home "the last city".  It was one of the largest forces of fallen the city had seen only outshined by the armies of the battle of six fronts.  Shaxx single-handedly brought down hundreds of fallen ripping through the battlefield like a raging bull."

Rem listens intently taking in every word Subaru says until the riveting story comes to a conclusion.  (You want more details go look up BYF's lore video)

Subaru: "Nowadays Lord Shaxx runs the crucible. My dad actually brought me to a mayhem match I can't remember ever laughing so hard."

Rem: "Subaru-kun...?"

Subaru: "Yeah Rem?"

Rem's body is suddenly covered in blood and her limbs are all twisted and bent.

Rem: "Why couldn't you save me?"

New light dorms, the last city, early morning

Subaru wakes up screaming and sweating.

Subaru: "What the hell was that!?"

Subaru's ghost materializes.

Subaru's ghost: "You alright partner?"

Subaru: "I'm fine Alavaerum. Just had a weird nightmare."

Alavaerum: "Weird how?"

Alavaerum tilted himself showing for his guardian.

Subaru: "It was like a memory but wrong.  I was telling Rem a story about lord Shaxx and suddenly she's all bloody with her limbs twisted out of shape."

Alavaerum: "Well from what I gather it's not uncommon for Guardians who have only dead for a relatively short time to experience flashes of their past."

Subaru: "But Rem is still alive. So what the hell is going on."

Later at the twilight gap

Subaru and his fireteam stand just outside the structure as Shaxx stands in front of them.

Lord Shaxx: "What you see before you is the Twilight gap once the site of a great battle which decided the fate of the last city. Now, we use it as an arena for crucible matches and training new lights like yourself. I will teach each of you how to use your powers and fight. Once I deem you fit for action you'll be free to take on missions for the city."

Subaru raises his hand.

Lord Shaxx: "Yes guardian?"

Subaru: "It's Subaru."

Lord Shaxx: "Not to me. As far as I'm concerned you're just the same as any other guardian fresh from the grave. You want me to call you by your name you'll have to impress me. Now what's your question Guardian?"

Subaru: "I was gonna ask how are you gonna teach us how to use our powers?"

Lord Shaxx: "Simple."

Lord Shaxx's fist courses with arc light as he punches Subaru square in the face snapping his neck and killing him instantly. Alavaerum then promptly revives Subaru.

Subaru: "Ow! You killed me!"

Lord Shaxx: "And I'll kill you as many times as I need to bring out your powers. You're a striker like me your power is in your fists. Allow the energies within your body to flow into your fists and then release it in a devastating punch. And if you fail I'll keep beating you to death until you figure it out."

Shane-0: "And what about us?"

Shaxx snaps his fingers and robots resembling Shaxx wielding shotguns and auto rifles transmat in.

Lord Shaxx: "Pretty much the same idea.  Now a little something to set the mood."

Shaxx's ghost materializes.  And starts playing music.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

(Cue training montage)

Lord Shaxx: "Allow me to personally welcome you to hell."

Subaru and his fireteam over the course of the day try to get a grasp on their powers however end up coming short being killed by Shaxx and his drones over and over again until the next day.

Lord Shaxx: "Allow me to bring a few teaching assistants."

Lord Shaxx brought more experienced guardians in who killed the fire team of New Lights over and over again in comedic fashion.

Subaru: "How does this help us!?"

Lord Shaxx: "It teaches you what not to do obviously. Now show me what you've learned so far."

Subaru clenches his fists and tries punching Shaxx only for Shaxx to catch the punch and blast him in the face with a shotgun.

Lord Shaxx: "You're still not getting it! You need to let the energy course through you not just get angry!"

The next day is more or less the same the new lights fighting for their lives, dying, reviving, and repeating the process.

Shane-0: "This is stupid how are we supposed to learn like this!"

Emilia: "Maybe we're thinking about this wrong. Ikora said to me once that to a guardian wielding the light is like flexing a muscle and we need to train that muscle."

Shane-0: "Oh yeah and how do we train said muscle while getting killed on the regular!"

Shane begins glowing with a fiery golden aura as his handcannon turns gold however he doesn't notice.

Shane-0: "We don't even know the feeling we're looking for!"

Shane pulls the trigger of his gun and accidentally kills a guardian in one shot. Shane now noticing this.

Shane-0: "Okay I think I found the feeling."

Shane fires his golden gun two more times killing two guardians instantly. Meanwhile Subaru is sparing with Shaxx still.

Lord Shaxx: "Come on now you're getting closer!"

Subaru: "I am so tired of this!"

Arc light crackles across Subaru's body however Subaru notices it this time and focuses it throughout his body and finally into his arms slamming down on Shaxx with the fist of havoc.

Lord Shaxx: "That's what I was looking for! Now then let's take off the kid gloves."

Shaxx's body floods with arc light as does Subaru with both charging each other their light crackling against one another in a deadly sumo wrestling match.  However Shaxx clearly holds the advantage until suddenly.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]

Subaru quickly dashes away using his newfound powers as his aura of arc light dissipates and a nova bomb from Emilia slams into Shaxx vaporizing his body. (End music)

Emilia: "I just cast my first nova bomb.... I JUST CAST MY FIRST NOVA BOMB!!!!"

Emilia is ecstatic with Shane right behind her spinning his golden gun in his hand.

Shane-0: "I could get used to this.  What do you think Dink?"

Dink materializes.

Dink: "It's a start."

Shaxx's ghost revives him with the fireteam expecting the worst only to hear him laughing hysterically.

Shaxx: "I guess the vanguard was right.  There is potential in you.  Just don't let it go to your head I was holding back after all."

Subaru: "That was you holding back!?  What kind of monster are you!?"

Shaxx: "The kind that doesn't go all out against new lights.  For now though I officially clear you for duty and I hope to see you three in the crucible some time I'll have weapons and armor ready if you're up for a little competition."

Subaru: "I'll keep that in mind.  Thanks for teaching us how to use our powers even if it was painful and we died a lot."

Shaxx: "You'll come to learn pain and death are the best teachers for guardians."

(And there we go I hope you guys liked this chapter.  Next time we'll be getting more into the actual black garden storyline so stay tuned and I'll catch you all later.)