FAN FICTION: Nightmares and Dreams
SERIES: Bubblegum Crisis
STORY 1: Sylia's Choice
part 2
by
David Lindquist
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Disclaimer: Bubble Gum Crisis and all characters are
the copyright of AIC. All Oriental adventures are the
copyright of TSR. They are used without permission.
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FORWARD: This is part 2 of my fan fiction. Unfortunately
I won't be able to begin writing part 3 until after March.
But to make up for it, I might make a timeline based on this
fanfiction. Enjoy!
This story takes place one week after BGC video
no. 6 (Red Eyes).
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Sylia sat and stared at her half-eaten meal while she
regained her composure. *I must keep my mind on our
job, * she thought as she started to finish her meal.* If
Mason is alive, I will need all my abilities to defeat
him. I can't afford any distractions. * She quickly
finished her meal. * I've better get started,* she
thought. Setting her teacup back upon the tray, Sylia
slowly bowed her head and closed her eyes.
"I AM DONE WITH ALL YOU
PROVIDED," she spoke, then Sylia clapped her
hands together twice and commanded,
"BEGONE!! "
At her command both the tray and futon
disappeared in a flash of white light, leaving nothing
behind to indicate their existence.
"Again you have my thanks," she
whispered. Sylia then stood up and walked towards
the small shrine of Walakomu, at the far end of her
small bed chamber. On the shrine laid her weapons
and the various parts that made up the O-yorio
armor she wore into battle. She stopped a few steps
from the front of the shrine, untied the belt that
secured her night clothes and let them slide down
into a pile at her feet. Her nude body shivered
slightly despite the warmth of the chamber. She
knelt on one knee and bowed her head.
"Walakomu, again I must ask you to
grant me the use of your armor so I may defeat my
enemies?" she spoke. Sylia lifted her head to look at
the small statue of an o-yorio armored warrior set in
the middle of the shrine. In her mind, the weariness
she felt a few days ago again resurfaced and a part
of her hoped that Walakumo would not grant her
request. That hope vanished as statue gradually
begun to give off a golden glow. The glow expanded
until it covered her katanas and every piece of
armor on the shrine. *The die is cast,* she thought,
*Walakomu has granted my request and I must
succeed in my goal.*
"My thanks," she sighed. Sylia leaned
forward, and picked up the undergarments she wore
under the armor. She quickly put on the various
garments, slightly thankful for the distraction from
the emotional turmoil that plagued her. The task
finished, Sylia gave her clothes a final check.
Satisfied, she began to don the O-yorio armor. As
Sylia put on the armor, she carefully adjusted each
piece, until it comfortably set in position. *I think
I'll put on the kabuto before I leave,* she decided,
while she made a final adjustment to her hachi-maki.
She then reached for and retrieved the two
scabbards that held her katanas, Kotetu and
Muramasa. *I have gone through a lot of battles
with these blades,* she reminisced, *but I think this
is going to be the true test of my skill with them.*
Sylia proceeded to strap the katanas on her back.
"Tap.....tap....tap."
"Come in Nene-chan," Sylia said.
She watched the chamber door slide open and her
student enter. Nene wore her normal journey attire;
blue pants, a pair of high boots, and a pink blouse
with the opening tied all the way up to the nape of
her neck. Attached to her belt hung the two
tai-fa. Her blue hooded protection cloak perfectly
accented her clothing. The hood folded back,
showing Nene pinned back pinkish-red hair. * She
looks so mature in those clothes,* Sylia thought with
a bit of pride. * Like a true sorceress of power. She
has learned well.* Nene bowed then spoke.
"We are ready to leave, sensei," she stated
in a level voice.
"Excellent," Sylia replied, "I want
you to get three necklaces of adaptation from the
armory then meet me at the entrance." Nene turned
to comply with her order. As Sylia watched her
leave, her mind came to a decision. * I'll give the
brooch to her before we leave,* she thought. She
retrieved her kabuto and put it on. Sylia then
concentrated her thoughts on the O-yorio armor.
A second later, she felt the mempo appear in place
over her face.
"Perfect," she said to herself. With a
thought, she dispelled the facemask. *I won't need it
until the battle,* then she remembered. *I almost
forgot.* She grabbed her pouch of holding and
hooked it on her belt. *Now I'm ready.* Sylia left her
chamber and walked through the hallways towards the
main entrance. As she strolled around the last
corner, Sylia couldn't help smiling slightly. By the
entrance stood her student, with the necklaces in
her hand, waiting for her arrival.
"Sensei!" Nene said, an eager look adorned
her young face. "I have the necklaces you wanted."
"Thank you, Nene," Sylia replied.
"Take one for yourself and give the other two to
Priss and Linna. We may need them on the job."
"Hai, Sensei," Nene confirmed as she took
one of the necklaces and placed it around her neck.
"I'll do it as soon as I see them."
"Nene," Sylia said, her smile replaced
with a slight frown. "I want you to wear this." She
reached into her pouch, pulled out a small emerald
brooch and handed it to her. "It's enchanted with
a one charge teleport spell. It will take you to
a place near Raven's knoll." Nene looked at the
brooch with a confused expression.
"Thank you, Sensei," Nene responded
then asked, "But why give this to me?"
"If we fall into a trap and there is
no way to overcome it," Sylia said, her face
expressionless, "I want you to use it to save yourself."
"I can't do that, Sensei!!!" Nene wailed,
her eyes wide with shock. "I have a responsibility to
you....."
"And _I_ have an responsibility as your
sensei to protect you," Sylia replied, cutting Nene off
in mid sentence then she sighed. "Nene, "She
said," It would put my mind at ease to know that you
have a means of escape so please don't argue with
me on this point." Sylia noticed her student's
resigned defeated expression.
"O..o-kay," Nene said. She brushed back
her cloak and pinned the brooch on her blouse. She
then returned her cloak back to its original position.
"Besides," Sylia said with a sly smile. "If
anything happened to you Mackie would never
forgive me." Sylia watched Nene as she lowered
her head and blushed furiously at her remark.
"Are you ready to go?" Sylia asked
after it looked like Nene regained some of her
composure.
"Hai, sensei," Nene said still showing
some redness in her cheeks.
"Let's go then," Sylia replied as she
opened the door. Nene followed right behind. They
walked through the opened entranceway and exited
the cottage. She noticed the red hue of the dawn
casting its rays over all of the countryside. *Another
bad omen,* Sylia thought glancing at the red sky.
"It's about time you two showed up," Linna
said, as she held three of their mounts, "The horses
are getting restless."
Sylia turned and looked at her fellow kensai. Linna
wore her forest green chainmail, her razor chain
coiled and attached to her belt. Her blue hachi-maki
keeping her front bangs out of her eyes. In her left
hand she held the reigns of Sylia's and Nene's
horses. With her right hand she held her own steed.
Next to her, Priss already sat in the saddle of her
horse. Her blue leather armor creaked softly as she
leaned forward in the saddle. She wore a very amused
expression on her face.
"Nene," Sylia said, "would you go and
relieve Linna of our mounts?"
"Hai, sensei," Nene replied. She walked
over to their horses and took the reigns from Linna.
"Here," Nene said," Sensei wants you
and Priss to wear one of these."
Linna took the necklace and placed it around her
neck. She then marched to the side of her horse
and lifted herself into it's saddle. With an angry
expression, she turned and glared at Priss.
"You could have at least went to see
what was keeping them! " Linna hissed.
"They're here now aren't they?" Priss
responded with a smirk on her face as she slipped
on her own necklace .
Sylia ignored the bickering that developed between
them and turned back to the cottage. She smiled as
she raised her right arm to the sky.
"ORIGAMI COTTAGE!!" She commanded,
"REVERT!"
As Sylia finished the command words a blue light
surrounded the cottage. The cottage shimmered
slightly changing into a colorless version of itself. It
then folded itself in half. It continued folding itself
until it was the size of a teacup. The storage process
done, Sylia walked over and picked up the small
paper replica of the cottage. As she walked to her
horse she pushed the paper replica together,
flattening it out entirely and placed it in a small bag
that hung on her horse's saddle.
"I wish I could create things like that,"
Nene sighed.
"Keep studying and someday you will,"
Sylia said, settling herself in the saddle. " Now get
on your horse so we can be on our way."
Sylia watched as Nene climbed onto her horse,
petting its neck gently after she settled into the
saddle. Sylia then looked at the others.
"Everyone ready?" Sylia asked them.
"Hai!!" the other three Knight Sabers
replied almost in unison.
"Knight Sabers! Sanjo!!" she shouted,
digging her heels into the horse's ribs and galloping
down the road. The other three followed right
behind her. They traveled for most of the morning
noticing the gradual change in the countryside from
flat green fields to rocky brown hills. As they rode,
the moods of the Knight Sabers changed with the
terrain, becoming grim and determined. The sun
approached midday when they neared the
rendezvous point.
"How much further? " Linna asked,
wiping the sweat from her eyes.
"It should be just over this hill, " Nene
replied, pointing at the hill in front of them.
Sylia looked around the area as they rode towards
the hill. *Something's not right, * she thought.
"Knight Sabers! Stop!!" she ordered.
The others halted their horses, slight confusion
shown on their faces.
"What's wrong?" Priss asked.
Sylia didn't look at Priss when she answered. Her
eyes fixed on the top of the hill in front of them.
Trying to get some clue as to what lay beyond it.
"There are no sentries posted," she
said.
"So?" Priss replied testily. "They
probably think everyone's too scared to bother
then, The arrogant bastards. "
"No, Priss," Nene interrupted. "It
is standard procedure to post them."
"Nene is correct," Sylia said. Taking
her eyes off the hilltop, she turned to the others.
"Ready your weapons but don't draw
them unless I tell you to, " Sylia ordered as she
reached back and undone the loops that held her two
katanas in their scabbards. Her preparations
complete, she watched Priss adjust her battle ax
for easier access. The predatory smile on her face
told Sylia that she hoped for the chance to use it.
*Always eager for a fight aren't you Priss?* she
thought. *Well I think you will have more than
enough opportunity to satisfy your bloodlust before
this is all over.*
"We are ready Sensei," Nene said,
her hands nervously fidgeting with the ends of the
her horses' reigns.
"Excellent," She replied. "This is what
we will do. I will take point. Linna, you're the
rearguard. Nene, prepare a fog cloud spell to cover
us in case we have to retreat and Priss," Sylia said
looking at the blue leather armored bushi warrior,
"your with me."
The others quickly agreed to the plan then moved
into their positions. After they signaled their
readiness, the Knight Sabers began their trek up the
hill. As they rode up, Sylia tried to mentally prepared
herself for the worst. When they reached the hills
summit, nothing could have prepared her for what
she saw on the other side.
The torn and mutilated corpses of numerous
soldiers and their mounts littered the hill slope. Their
blood created small streams that flowed to the
bottom of the hill. Among the remains laid their
weapons, most of them shattered and broken. The
trail of death and destruction continued through
the remnants of a large military encampment. Blood
from the hill pooled near the various shredded tents
deposited around the destroyed carts and shelters.
Beyond the camp, they spotted about forty stone
statues, all facing the same point in the road that led
to the abandoned temple. The statues appeared as
if they were attacking the same area, and some
even rode horseback. At that point road sat a
small chest with an unidentifiable, severed head
place on top.
"Who...what could have done this?"
Nene asked, eyes brimming with tears.
"Mason," Sylia replied, her face
emotionless except for a fiery rage building in her
eyes. "Let's move."
They carefully trotted down the hill and through the
camp, trying to avoid corpses and scanning the
scene in an effort to spot a possible ambush. The
stench of the bodies would have overwhelmed them
if not for the necklaces Sylia given them. Sylia
glanced at the statues as they rode past. *I should
change them back,* she thought. * They might
provide some useful information if nothing else.*
Her stomach felt ill with the very thought of her
giving aid to any Genom troops. * On second
thought ,* she mused, *I think I will wait until after
we deal with Mason. At least we won't have to worry
about an ambush when we leave the temple!*
Satisfied with her decision, Sylia shifted her
thoughts when she noticed they neared the
gruesome marker to the temple road. She suddenly
felt the aura of several powerful mystical spells
emanating from the head.
"Halt," Sylia commanded, stopping her
own horse about 15 feet from the chest. The others
also stopped their mounts, still on watch for a
possible ambush.
"Nene," Sylia said turning to the young
mage. "Take a magic reading on the severed head.
I felt some enchantments emanating from it."
"Huh...Oh! Hai, sensei," Nene replied,
her eyes red and puffy from the tears she cried at
the Genom Gaurd's fate. *Nene,* Sylia thought, as
she watched her pupil draw her staff from it's place,
* I sometimes envy your nativity of the way the world
truly works.* She continued to observe Nene as she
prepared to attempt the reading. Nene turned her
horse length wise and aimed the tip of the staff at
the head.
"STAFF OF DETECTION," she said,
"REVEAL THE NATURE OF THE MAGICS SET
AGAINST US."
At the finished of her words, a blue beam of light
streaked out of the staff tip and enveloped the
severed head. It pulsed around the head but the
color never changed then it shut off. Sylia knew
what that meant.
"I'm sorry, sensei," Nene said, her eyes
downcast, "There's an obscure spell among the
magics. I can't get a reading."
"Damn," Sylia said, a slightly
disappointed tone in her voice." I should have expected
the spells would be shielded somehow."
Sylia returned to her thoughts as Nene placed the
staff back in it's storage area. *What are you up to
Mason?* she mentally asked herself. * Unfortunately
there is only one way to find out.* Sylia looked at
the other Knight Sabers as they continued on their
watch.
"Okay," she said, instantly getting the
others attention. "The only way we will find out what
spells enchant that head is to activate them. I need
you three to get off your horses in case the spell
spooks them."
"What are you going to do Sylia?"
Priss asked as the four warriors began to dismount
from their steeds.
"Try to activate the spells, "she replied
swinging her right leg over her saddle and setting
it on the ground. "by becoming their target."
Sylia removed her left foot from the stirrup and
turned towards the others. The other three held their
horses, concern etched in their faces.
"My armor will offer me some
protection besides," she sighed in an attempt to
reassure her team, "it's our only viable option."
The other reluctantly agreed with her assessment
of the situation. She walked her horse over to Nene
and handed her the reigns.
"Nene, I want you to watch the
horses, If they spook, just let them go. We will
retrieve them later." Sylia said. "Priss? You and
Linna prepare to assist me just in case I need
it."
"Right," Priss said, as she confirmed
Sylia's orders. While the two moved into position,
Sylia watched Nene take Linna and Priss's horses.
She still wore a concerned expression. Sylia barely
heard the whispered words a few seconds before
she started on her walk to the chest.
"Be careful, sensei," she whispered.
Sylia slowly walked towards the chest. Her eyes
transfixed on the severed head in an attempt to
detect any spell activation. About three feet from the
chest, Sylia stopped. Her mind felt the various
spell's activation. At the same moment, she heard
the horse's neighs of protest and Nene's attempts to
calm them. *Here we go,* she thought as she
took a tentative step forward. Sylia watched the head
stir from it's resting place. Then the head slowly rose
until it equaled Sylia's height. Suddenly, the head's
closed eyes flew open, the sockets filled with an eerie
black light. Sylia unconsciously took a small step
back from the gruesome visage. It stared at her for
a few seconds then spoke.
"Greetings Sylia. I've been expecting
you," it said in a light tone."Sorry for the mess but
my 'pets' and I got a little bored. We decided
to go play outside."
*That's Mason's voice!!* Sylia thought, a sick feeling
rose within her at the recognition of his voice. It took
a supreme effort to keep her expression neutral.
"So you did survive," she said coldly.
"You don't sound suprised Sylia," the
head stated, his face in a mock pout."After all the
time and effort you put into trying to kill me, I
thought you would be more upset at your failure."
"I've come to the realization that
sometimes I don't mind being wrong," she loftily
replied then a predatory grin spread across her face,
"Just as long as I get a chance to correct my
mistake."
"Oh you'll get your chance soon
enough," it said venomously, "but first I need to get
rid of some excess baggage." The head rose up
at an angle away from Sylia. It stopped about ten
feet away from her.
*Excess baggage?* She thought as she watched the
head's ascent. *What could he mean...by.. oh no,*
Her eyes widened the moment Sylia realized his
intentions.
"Nooooo!!!" She shouted. Sylia leaped
towards the head, her katanas drawn. She
desperately prayed she could stop it before the head
carried out it's goal. The pulsing eyes told her she
would arrive too late.
"TRANSMUTE ROCK TO MUD!" it said
as it's eyes emitted two cones of black light. The
cones swept over the statues placed around the
battlefield. The cones abruptly stopped when Sylia
swung Kotetu down and cleaved the head in half.
Her follow through caused Sylia to descend a good
ten feet from where the halves landed. She came down
in a crouch, not wanting to turn around. The
slurping sound bitterly confirmed her guess. Sylia
reluctantly stood up, turned around and walked
towards the split head. She stopped when she saw
the now melting statues. *Damn you Mason," she
thought her anger rising within her. *This ends now.*
She noticed the horses gone as the others walked
up to her.
"There went our reinforcements," Priss
said, her face a mask of anger. "What do we do now?"
"We finish this," Sylia replied."Once and
for all."
end of part 2
APPENDIX
HACHI-MAKI= headband
KABUTO=O-yorio armor helmet
NECKLACE OF ADAPTATION= Necklace that
protects the wearer from various environments.
Including needing to breathe.
POUCH OF HOLDING=A magical pouch that is
holds far more that it looks like.
TELEPORT BROOCH=a brooch that when
activated instantly teleport a person to a
specified location. It can teleport more than
one person at a cost of one additional charge
per person. It can NOT be recharged.
WALAKOMU=The legends say Walakomu started
as a pheasant who craved vengeance against the
Dragon Lord, a tyrant who through a series of
artifacts could transform into two powerful forms;
a warrior immune to all magic and a sorcerer who was
immune to all physical weapons. Not even the gods
themselves could defeat him. Three of the gods,
found Walakomu and taught him the ways of the
kensai and the Wu jin. When the Dragon Lord
began his assault on heaven Walakomu was waiting
at the gate. They battled and Walakomu won. In
gratitude they elevated him to godhood.
