A/N: Another idea...I have got to stop producing ideas...sigh. Anyways, enjoy regardless!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Akame ga Kiru belongs to the rightful owners.

Chapter 1: Kill the hatred

They say that there's no such thing as freedom. Weak humans live like cattle, shackled, chained and bullied to do the bidding of the stronger ones. And yet...why am I so obsessed on achieving just that? Why am I driven by this force to continue fighting for something that had a slim chance of being obtaining? The Capital has been shackling their inhabitants beneath the noses of the public, ruled with an iron fist and tortured their enemies till they're dead. The only way to survive is to obliterate the weak or at least that is what the prime minister constantly bitch about over the radio. 'The strongest last longer. The only role the weak serve is to die a gruesome death for their uselessness' his words stirred a lot of hatred and there were rebellions. Unfortunately the elites-a group called Jaegars lead by General Esdese- appeared and quelled them. It was horrid and inhumane. The terrified screams of men, women and children filled the sky, the smell of death hung in the air as the bodies were nailed on wooden post for all to see. I worked in the mines at another location, hauling my cart filled with dirt to and from the site. My older brother Roan was three years older than I was, an odd ball but a great guy with a heart full of justice. He was charged with digging. We heard tales about those villages caught in the cross fire of the Rebellion Army and the Capital from time to time.

"And then, BAM!" The story-teller smacked his hands together one night. "Gone! General Esdese wiped out every single person in her path after giving them torture as punishment. She is such a sadistic psychotic bitch if you ask me. They say that she basically showers in her victim's blood with a grin on her face."

"Damn...this world is slowly coming to an end." Another guy commented, placing a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. "Like hell I'll die a gruesome death by her hands. She can suck my dick."

"You won't be able to get the chance cause you'll die in an instant. She has what they call a 'Teigu'."

"What is a Teigu?" Roan asked, intrigued by the story.

"Teigu are super weapons created by the empire. It's said that about half of them are lost in history, there are only forty-eight of them in this world; all different shapes and sizes."

"Is it possible for a Teigu user to kill the Prime Minister with one of those weapons?"

"SHHH!" The group quickly looked around before fixating their scared looks on him. "You're so lucky none of our guards heard that! You could be hung for spouting such words."

"Sorry." Roan scratched the back of his head. "But is it possible."

"There is a possibility but the opportunity to strike is slim to none. The bastard's private guards are Teigu users, we stand no chance against them. We've been in this mine enslaved against our will before you kids appeared. If we had a chance to fight back, we could have. However this lifestyle started to grow on us so it feels...normal." The story-teller shook his head with a laugh. "Look at me, look at us. Acting and working like mules for the Capital, toiling away till we die. Hearing your words is like a fresh glass of water, it's refreshing. It's getting late and you kids need to go to bed. Tomorrow is a busy day as usual." This was met with groans and mumbles from the others as they filed to their sleeping quarters, giving the two kids nods or encouraging. To them, having rambunctious kids around cheered them up from the tedious work. To Roan and I, these miners were a second family.

"Right! Come along Sonya." My brother held out his hand for me to take. "Let's do our best like we always do."

"Yes!" Smiling I took his hand. Little did I know that was going to be the last time I would ever hold my brother hand.

"Sonya, take these to the dump area." Roan told me the next day, piling in a bunch of dirt and rocks into the cart. The sun was pretty high but the workers never stopped working. Using the towel around my neck to wipe away my sweat, I nodded. The Capital even modified so that even humans could pull it; it's like a Rickshaw except with four wheels. Bidding my brother good-bye, I quickly pulled the cart out, kicking up dust as I left the site in a run. The dumping area was quite far but I managed to arrive in good time. Backing the cart up, I moved to the back and unhinged the door. Dirt and rocks slowly exited the end, flowing like a grainy river down to the bottom. Once the last particle of dirt left, I closed it up and made my way back to the mines. The first thing that caught my attention was the stench, my nose quickly puckered up and I had to resist a gag. It smelled like charred human remains. Ditching the cart, I ran through the wooden post and stopped dead. Bodies laid strewn on the ground; the visceral gleamed in the sun as if waiting for the flies to land. Dismembered heads whose eyeballs were wide with shock stared at me. Clasping my hands over my mouth, I ran out and threw up in a patch of grass. Once I was done emptying the contents I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Steeling my courage I wondered back in and began to search for my brother. I grimaced when I stepped in a pool of dark crimson blood but I reminded myself that my brother was my top priority. Rummaging around, I ended up in the middle of the mines and that's where I found him. My dear brother Roan, impaled on a stake with half his body missing. It looked as though they removed his legs and his right arm; his eyes were closed and I could tell that he had endured a lot of whippings, the marks were evident on his body.

"Brother..." I sank to my knees, looking at him through blurry eyes. "Can you...hear me?"

"S...S...Son...Sonya..is that...you?" His voice came out in a choked whisper. He opened his eyes and fixed their gaze on me. My sadness overwhelmed me for my brother was now blind.

"Roan!Yes I'm here! I'm here Roan!" I clasped his left hand with my own and gave it a small kiss.

"I'm...sorry. Your...brother...won't make it." He stopped to cough, blood coming out in small clots. "T-t-they...came...out...of...n-nowhere. It was...madness."

"Please! Don't talk! Save your strength while I'll go and get a doctor, you'll be safe!" I stood up and turned only to feel him latch on to my wrist. Turning around I gave him a pleading look but he shook his head slightly.

"N...no. Don't...be...stupid...You already...know...this...is...already...fatal." Removing his hand, he pointed at a pile of rubble on my right. "You...see that...rock?"

"The one you always said looked like an ass?"

"Yes...that one." He chuckled softly. "There's an...opening...go...inside. There will...be...a pile...of freshly...piled...dirt. Dig...and...you'll...find something...I found in...this mine." Leaving his side, I quickly found the entrance and crawled in. Noticing the pile he was talking about I started digging, the splinters and rocks bit at my hands but I didn't care. It wasn't a deep hole but it never attracted any attention from thieves or travelers, kudos to Roan for finding the perfect spot. My fingers finally brushed against something small and I took out the object.

"Here! It's a box!" I hurried back and placed it in his hand, hoping that I wasn't too long. My brother fumbled with it before grasping it tightly.

"Please...open it." Popping open the lid, I saw something shiny. I guided my brother's fingers and he took out the item. It looked like a dog tag with some weird writing on the back. He traced the letters and smiled.

"What is it brother? What are these letters?" I asked.

"R-r-remember that...story...yesterday? The...one about...T-Teigu?...I...found...this...embedded. ...in...the...rocks...these...words...are...ancient...Sadly...I don't...h-have...the...k-knowledge...to... ...decipher...them." Another coughing spasm rocked his body.

"Don't go! Please! It can't end this way!" I placed my head on his chest, holding him tight.

"Sorry...little...sis." He placed his arm around me, I didn't care if his blood was staining my body all I wanted was for him to be by my side. "Your...big...bro...is going...on...a-a-a-." His breath hitched and he spoke no more, his hand became limp at his side.

"Brother?" I lifted my head and gently shook him. The dog tag laid on the ground as I attempted to wake him up. "Come on, this isn't funny. Brother!" I shook him harder but deep within my heart I knew he passed on. I sat there, holding his hand until coldness took a hold of him. No more tears could be shed at this point. It took awhile but my body moved on its own and I found myself removing his body from the stake. I dragged his body to my cart, a trail of blood right behind me. Laying him gently on the wood, I made my way to our secret hideout. It was a small cave but the natural lighting was beautiful. I carried him up the steps, each step I took felt like eternity. Finding a good place I started digging. Satisfied at the size, I placed him gently within, crossing his only arm over his chest. Filling the hole back up I grabbed a slab of cement and carved words on its face, a sweet epitaph to be exact. Wedging it on the head, I stood back to look at my make-shift grave. With the sun shining from behind, it looked like a giant halo. I never realized it but I had my left hand clenched tightly for some time now. I unfurled my fingers and I found myself staring at the dog tag in my palm.

"Roan...your death will not be in vain. Thanks for being by my side all these years, for protecting me when our parents abandoned us. Remember when we had our first bath?" I couldn't stop my tears from coming but I let them. "We were so carefree back then. When our parents abandoned us, you carried me all the way here on your back, regardless of the pain. You walked through it all and by the end your feet were raw and bloodied. But you never gave up hope, you even found us a job. I remembered when you picked a fight with the boss because he said that we were a bit young but you firmly believed that we could survive here. Roan, are you in a better place now? Has your pain...healed?" I looked out the window and as if he was answering my questions a warm breeze brushed past me, toying with my hair. I felt as though Roan's spirit wrapped his arms around me, embracing me in a warm light. I smiled, "Thank you, it would seem...that I am still left in this hell just a little longer. Good bye brother." Bowing, I turned on my heels and walked away. Loading my cart with whatever I could salvage from the mines, I took one last look at the cave then at the dog tag around my neck. The blood stains on the back, likely from Roan, fueled my increasing hatred for the Capital.

Two years later...

I traveled for days and on my journey I saw things like I did back at the mines. Each place much more devastating than the last. As I remained in hiding, I witnessed the brutal strength of the Capital. They showed no mercy as they pillaged a non-violent village. Oh the horrid screaming! I had to bite myself to keep from going insane.

Hell hath no fury like the Capital conducting a massacre without batting an eyelash. How disgusting! I thought after they staked the last head on a pike. After laughing, jeering and saying crude things they left. Wandering out, I approached the dismembered heads with sadness settling in the pit of my stomach. After saying a few words, I rummaged around to see what I could dig up. I figured out that I would start my life as a merchant. My business was going well as the villages that weren't ruined yet had good merchandise.

"I'd be careful if I were you dearie." A nice woman told me as I traded some fur for clothes. "Traveling merchants are having trouble making some dough now that the Capital has increased security." She placed a bag of coins in my hands and when I started to protest ,she held out a hand. "Please take it. I have enough to keep me alive."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." I replied and continued on. The fact was, she wasn't kidding. Guards and patrols have increased and I encountered brutal treatment on the trails. There were broken wagons, bloodied corpses left to rot. Seeing these mishaps made my blood boil but I kept it inside. The moment wasn't right. I kept fingering the dog tag underneath the dirty cloak I was wearing, keeping the memory of Roan fresh in my mind. I finally arrived at the Capital, the massive pillars of white marble towered over me and pointed outward toward the west.

"Halt! State your name and purpose!" The guard ordered me as I pulled up with my cart. He eyed me suspiciously, calling over some more guards to do a check. "And don't attempt any funny business, this is mandatory check of all items coming in."

"My name is Sonya Reizen, I am 16 years old." I spoke calmly as they searched me for weapons before moving off to my cart. "and my purpose is to break out of these shackles and obtain freedom."