Make the Right Decision

The sword trembled under her chin, dangerously close to slitting her throat. Velvety red covered in gold sent from Heaven made up the sword's lovely hilt. Her once harsh gaze wavered as she realized she could finally be in a situation she couldn't evade. Mitsuki was a fierce warrior and bounty hunter acknowledged worldwide as one of the strongest female assassins on Earth, known for her uses of daggers, bows, spears, and pretty much anything she could get her hands on. Yet now she had met her match and stood precariously on death's edge.

The two were situated on a cliff's edge, too. The two figures stood outlined on the star-covered horizon high above the ocean. An ideal place to murder someone by pushing them off the cliff, if it comes to that. Hopefully not...

Mitsuki narrowed her gaze, raising her eyes to meet her opponent's stare. Her hands inched towards her belt where she kept two daggers. Their silver blades gleamed in the moonlight as ocean waves roared behind Mitsuki and her enemy. Since his mask shone dark, she couldn't figure out who she had been fighting. Finally her hands reached the cold hilts of the daggers and she whipped them out, gripping them tight, and stabbing both ruthlessly into her opponent's side. He gasped, flinching in pain, and as she withdrew one dagger, he coughed up blood, gripping his side in agony. Mitsuki stepped away, but as she held her dagger high, about to deal the final blow, her enemy held up his hand. "Wait," he croaked out. "You must—", he coughed up blood again, "—listen to me." His knees gave way and he crumpled to the ground.

"What is it?" Mitsuki spat out fiercely. The stench of fear hung without question in the air surrounding the figure.

"You're in—" More blood. "You're in danger."

"Who are you and who do you think you are barging into my life? You don't even know who I am." I think, Mitsuki added silently to herself, grimacing. Her dagger still wavered viciously over her opponent's heart. She thought her enemy was male; his voice being in the low tenor range. Mitsuki almost decided to run away, right then and there, and never look back, though she assumed this man had answers to something large and forced herself to stand still.

"You work for The Anarchy Pirates." To her surprise, her foe shed his mask, revealing a masculine shaped face, defined by sharp lines. Mitsuki's eyes widened. He rose to his feet.

"How... did you know?"

"Simple. I used to lead The Anarchy Pirates. Evil organization, tons of members, spread out along every inch of Earth... they're everywhere..." The figure before her, still weak and injured, stood tall, defying the wind dancing through his short and messy hair.

Mitsuki bit her lip. This guy really does know what he's talking about... "Why must you be here?" she stammered. I'm shaking... "What do you want with me?? If you're not lying, and you really did used to lead us, what would you want with ME?!"

"I'm not only here for you. I'm here for every young member who hasn't been in cahoots with TAP for that long. Like you." He paused, ferociously coughing up more blood, before continuing. "The Anarchy Pirates have planned something grand. Something immoral. They have been corrupt and overthrown with the temptation of power, and with the amount of people working for them, they're almost completely unstoppable."

"What... do you mean..."

"Only one man can stop them, yet he is halfway across the world on another adventure, saving other people. It's all up to you. Rally the others."

The man began to disappear into the shadows, but before he could disappear completely, she yelled out.

"Wait!"

He turned back around, staring her dead in the eye. Mitsuki's gaze pierced him, savagely tearing into the figure's heart.

"You don't know me. You don't know who I am!! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH!!" Tears began to run down her face, falling silently and leaving behind remains of an unknown past.

"You're right," her opponent replied quietly, dark undertones in his voice. "But neither do you," he grinned, "Mitsuki." Mitsuki's breath caught in her throat, her once rational thoughts in chaos and disorder. Her heart pounded relentlessly. Answers?

But The Anarchy Pirates are all I know.

"Everything will be answered," carried on the figure, as if reading her mind, and he began to grow dim against the darkness of the midnight sky. "Step away from the dark side." His voice began to fade. "Make the right decision..."

And then he left Mitsuki alone on the cliff, staring off the ledge into the dark and menacing waters below. The waves, crashing mercilessly against the rocks, licked up every trace of ocean life that dared come near human civilization. How easy it would be to abandon all of her responsibilities... Just forget everything the mysterious figure spoke of, and leave the world to fend for itself... Sweet relief of disregarding life was just out of reach... Mitsuki stumbled forward. Three feet, two feet... The gap between her and the cliff's ledge was closing... Seven inches... Three inches... Only one inch remained. Mitsuki stared breathlessly over the moonlit water, basking in its beauty.

Make the right decision.

Mitsuki felt herself tearing up again, but the stormy wind dried the droplets up almost immediately. Rain began to lightly fall. Thunder clouds rumbled in the distance.

Make the right decision.

Mitsuki, breathing in and out deeply, took one more final glance into the raging sea below, and slowly walked away. Not looking back.

Make the right decision.

The right decision...