Amidst the Ruins of a Past that Never Was

Leila let out a slow sigh as she prepared herself, allowing her eyes to close for only the briefest of moments. When they opened, she was filled with conviction. First one step, then another, and then she was rushing forward, left arm holding her buckler out in front, right holding her sword at the ready to thrust it towards Rosaline.

It wasn't until the very last moment that she moved, but when she did, it was agile and fluid, her body instantly and easily angling away. In her place was nothing but the open air as she danced around the captain, her movements and posture akin to that of a viper. When the other woman thrusted, she cut through nothing but the end of her pink-red hair, parting it in a beautiful, deadly display that lasted but a moment. She left her foot out just long enough to possibly trip up her fellow soldier, but she moved quickly, whirling the bow about and striking her back with the springy wood, not aiming to cut her, not willing to test the string on bone.

Leila's back arched at the blow, quickly twirling on a foot and sending the half-skirt of feathers spinning, laterally slashing so as to catch Rosaline in the side.

The blades struck her armored corset, a heaven-sent piece of appeal that, while causing surface damage to the article, saved her from injury. She faced her with her own weapons out and ready, and slashed back at her once more with the bow, targeting the skirt itself.

Leila skirted back, only to watch the bow slice through her skirt, causing her eyes to flare in anger. Her blade sang as is traveled through the air, the strike aimed firmly at the hand with which she held the bow.

Rose recoiled from the strike, forcing her grip to tighten on the bow, scraping her armor quite severally, even denting it a little. A grimace rolled over and consumed her face as the armored glove dug into the flesh of her palm. She dashed back, hooking and fixing the bow to the back of her violin-blade before holding it with two hands by the neck. "Shall we dance, capi-tan?"

Leila flourished her blade in response, ready to dash forward to begin combat once again. "It won't be as exciting as you make it out to be, lieutenant." That said, she dashed forward, once again aiming to thrust her blade towards Rosaline, the tip sailing for the girl's right shoulder.

She slid to the left, adjusting her footing and whirling, striking the soldier across the back with her weapon, hitting her with the open strings of her violin. There was no obvious mercy in her actions, but it would become apparent when she peeled the cloth away that she had gone more than easy on her, digging into the flesh but not causing life-threatening damage.

Leila grunted as Rosaline's strike hit the back of her cuirass, turning and spinning her blade so as to slice her across the stomach. "If you think that'll be enough to break a Royal Guard's armor, you're sorely mistaken!"

She scoffed, grunting as the strike pierced her own armor. The wound looked nasty, but it would heal; she would live. "I can do better, and so can you."

"I could try and kill you, but that would contradict my orders. You're wanted alive. General Rage will be happy to have you back." Leila slipped her second hand from her blade, flourishing it more like a rapier and beginning a series of fast thrusts.

She set about jumping back with her movements, dodging as best she could to avoid the blows, though a few nicked her arms and struck the armor. Glaring slowly, she forced herself into a double spin, whirling and using the momentum to strike her hard in the shoulders.

Leila winced as some of the blows caught under her pauldrons, marking her skin with cuts. She flourished her sword, lunging forward to impale Rosaline's sword arm once again. "You're coming back if I have to cut your arms to ribbons!"

"We both know that you can't do that!" She twisted away from that blow, swirling the weapon and striking her elbow with the blunt body of the violin.

Leila caught the blow on her buckler, launching another flurry of thrusts towards her sword arm. "Your arm can be healed, and I won't allow you to escape!"

"Allow me?" She scoffed, ducking low and ramming the pointed end of her key at her legs. "As if you'd get a choice!"

Leila dropped to a knee I. Response, sending Rosaline's strike skidding off her plated leg armor, and then using the extra force from her position to push forward, shield ahead of her. "Submit and return! There is no other option!"

"There are several other options." She said, sliding back in the dirt as she approached. "And none of them have to involve death." With that, she positioned a low-impact blow against the captain's skull, aiming to knock her out so as to allow her the time to escape.

Leila lifted her shield to block the strike, catching her sword for the brunt of the attack, only to have it skid off and hit her in the side of the head. She back away, disoriented and stumbling, trying to regain her posture.

Rosaline stepped closer, striking her again, just slightly harder this time, hoping to take her out completely, if only for the time being.

Leila brought her sword up to deflect, though her weak grip caused the blow to send her sword flying, clattering some feet away against the ground. She staggered back, holding up her shield in response. "S-Surrender!"

She stepped back at her word, the violin shimmering into nonexistance as she stood to her full height. "Do not follow." She said, though her voice was restrained. Saying no more, she darted to retrieve her things before heading back the way the soldier had come.

Leila stumbled to where her weapon was, shifting it into its gun form before turning towards her. She began taking shots at the retreating Rosaline. Her dizziness, however, caused the shots to go wide, none of them even remotely capable of connecting with the retreating keyblade wielder.

Rose was more than shocked that she had managed to best the Keyblade Hunter in basic combat, but she wasn't about to argue. She was, however, about to take her mount. Tossing her gear against the saddle, she hopped up, cooing the horse into gentle submission before taking the reigns and guiding her away, off into the distant wastes.

Leila dropped to her hands and knees, anger welling up inside her. She raised a fist up, flames welling around it. She punched the ground then, sending a wave of flames first out and then up, the explosion very easily observable from Rosaline's position.