(Scene: SKJAM's den. He appears to be nursing a headache. Kira
seems amused.)
SKJAM!: Durn whippersnappers! Never should have let you talk me into
letting you prove you could win Mortal Fighter 3000 Super Turbo with any
character I chose...
Kira: I am the Champ! Though going all the way with the asthmatic
paraplegic was pretty tough. Back to our continuing MSTing!
On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, KOUMA RYODACHI wrote:
Okay! This is a long one!
SKJAM!: Uff da.
No real action happens in this one. The action begins in chapter 12;
this sets the stage for the action.
Some people might protest my portrayal of Presea in this chapter. To
those people I say, BEEDA!
Kira: Well, we'll assume any changes were due to interacting with
Emeraude for the past two years, I suppose.
On with the show!
***interlude: pillow talk***
SKJAM!: A slightly different meaning than usual, though if they start
doing naked mental images in there it'll raise the hormone level of this
fic pretty quickly.
<So, we're goin' to a volcano tomorrow?> Ranma
asked. > Hikaru nodded. <Yeah. It's time to wake up my Mashin.>
Ranma smiled. <You must be excited.>
<I guess so. I mean, I am kinda curious about it. Fuu and Umi said
that Mashins are wonderful.>
<Are you nervous?>
<A little. We have to go through some kind of test of heart for
the Mashin to accept us.>
<You'll pass. You've got a good heart.>
Hikaru blushed. <Thank you, Ranma-kun.>
<So,> Ranma said, <just remember to keep us in one piece.>
<I will, Ranma-kun!> Hikaru giggled.
Kira: Aww...All things considered, maybe Hikaru would make a good
fiancee for Ranma if he didn't have any others...
Chapter 11: Gearing Up
Hikaru yawned loudly as she awoke. She padded out of the room
she'd slept in, and sought out signs of activity in the palace.
She passed by the door to Emeraude's bedchamber, and scowled
slightly. She'd not by any means forgiven either her or Zagato for
the hell she'd been put through, but she did care about the rest of
Cephiro, so she'd help out any way she could.
SKJAM!: Since the Princess is essentially out of it, and Zagato is
nursemaiding her, they probably still haven't heard...
Kira: I wonder if between them they couldn't get Ranma and Hikaru those
separate bodies? As soon as Emeraude is well, of course.
She found Umi and Fuu just leaving the chamber they'd slept in.
"Ohayou, Umi-chan! Ohayou, Fuu-chan!"
They smiled back at her. "Ohayou, Hikaru-chan," they chorused.
"Are you ready to awaken your Mashin, Hikaru?" Umi asked.
Hikaru nodded. "More than ready! This'll be great!"
"I have to warn you," Fuu said, "The tests aren't exactly easy."
Umi nodded. "That's right. You were there when I got Selece,
remember?"
Hikaru nodded. "I remember." Smiling, she said, "I think I can
handle it though."
"You seem awfully confident," Fuu commented.
Hikaru thought about that. "Yeah, I guess I am." <Could that be a
result of my contact with Ranma-kun? It's definitely one of his
biggest traits...>
SKJAM!: Hikaru seems pretty self-confident all by herself in the manga...
Smiling, she headed for the armory. The others followed her.
Inside the armory, Presea was hammering away at something on a
crystal anvil. "Damn stubborn...what the hell happened to this thing
in the other world?" she groused.
Kira: Went through a small war, buried for a thousand plus years, worn
by a half-boy...
The Magic Knights entered. Presea looked up, and smiled, brushing
a lock of damp hair out of her face. "Good morning, girls," she said.
"Hikaru, I almost have your armor ready. It's taking a little bit
longer than I expected. The other world did something to it."
Hikaru nodded, and smiled. "Okay, we can wait a bit."
"I'll give you all your armors after I finish," she said.
The Magic Knights thanked her and left.
Presea returned to her anvil. As she grumbled and pounded, she
managed to hit herself on the thumb with the magical mallet she was
using. "Gah! Dammit that hurt!" She hopped around the room like an
insane woman for a few minutes, then calmly returned to her work.
SKJAM!: Magical mallet? She should compare notes with Akane...
Clef briefed everyone over breakfast. "Alright, this is the agenda
for today. Magic Knights, you will go to the Temple of Fire, in a
volcano, where you will find the last Mashin."
The Knights nodded.
"The rest of the warriors from the other world will train with
Presea and myself this morning. I'm assuming none of you know much
magic, so I'll be teaching you a few things, and Presea will provide
you with armor and weapons of this world."
The warriors nodded.
Kira: Well, Cologne knows some magic...
Presea commented, "Keep in mind, that the weapons are only on loan
to you..."
The Knights groaned.
"You're not going to send THEM after Escudo too, are you Presea-
san?" Fuu asked.
SKJAM!: I take it this was not a fun experience?
Presea smiled brightly. "Of course!"
"Aiyah! What Escudo?" Shampoo asked.
"It's a mineral of this world that makes glowing weapons," Ferio
said.
Hikaru frowned. "Why do they need Escudo weapons? They aren't
going to have to awaken Mashins..."
Presea grinned. "Because Escudo weapons are so much COOLER, don't
you think?"
Everyone facefaulted.
Kira: If you say so, Presea. And I wouldn't bet on some of them not
having to waken Mashins....
After breakfast, Presea presented each of the Magic Knights with a
felt-wrapped package, in their respective colors. "I upgraded your
armor slightly," she noted. "The altered state of Hikaru's armor gave
me the idea for it."
The girls unwrapped their packages, retrieving the jeweled
gauntlets for their left hands. "All you have to do is put those on,"
Presea noted, "And your armor will appear when you will it to. Remove
the gauntlets, and your armor will return to them."
"Arigatou, Presea-san!" the girls chorused.
"And, of course, your weapons are inside the gems, as always," the
master armorer finished.
SKJAM!: Now that's convenient, providing you don't lose the glove.
The Nerima bunch entered the vast foyer of the palace at this
moment, to bid the Knights farewell and good luck. The Knights slid
their gauntlets onto their arms.
A pale green body armor with a flowing green cloak, short white
boots trimmed in green, and enormous white-trimmed green
shoulderguards appeared on Fuu, with a soft breeze rippling her hair
and cape. A shimmering green gem flickered into existence on her
chestplate, and an obscenely long sabre appeared in her hands.
SKJAM!: Phallic symbol!
Kira: Hentai! *telekinetic slap*
With a watery ripple, a gleaming sapphire armor with dark blue
shoulderguards and full-length sky blue boots formed on Umi. A blue
gem rippled onto her chestplate, and a jet of water formed in her
hand, solidifying into a slim rapier.
A bright red flame engulfed Hikaru. When it settled, she was
encased in a light scarlet chain mail, with white shoulderguards, and
knee-length white boots. An elegant broadsword with golden accents
flared into her hands.
"Your armor will upgrade to a full plate when you awaken your
Mashin, Hikaru," Presea informed her.
"Sugoi..." she said.
Kira: It *is* like a computer RPG.
The other Knights were no less impressed with their own armor.
The bunch from Nerima was simply astonished.
"Aiyah...is magic armor..."
"Indeed, child. Isn't it wonderful?"
"Wow..."
"Ditto on that, sugar."
"It's incredible."
"Wish I could see it better."
SKJAM!: Try putting on your glasses, Mousse...
After a moment, Clef approached the Knights. "Good luck, Magic
Knights. Remember that the will is the strongest force in Cephiro,
and let your will guide and protect you."
The three Knights nodded. Mokona hopped into the room, and said
"Puuuu" appreciatively. Then its gem flared yellow, and a large
crimson bird appeared outside the chamber.
"Clef-san, when did Mokona learn to use spirit beasts?" Fuu
wondered.
Clef chuckled. "I don't know. Mokona is still a bit of an enigma
to us, to tell the truth."
Kira: More foreshadowing...
"Puu, puu!" Mokona hopped on the spirit bird. "Puu!" it said
insistently.
Clef clucked his tongue appreciatively. "I have to admit, this is
a great choice of beast. What better way to enter a volcano than
riding a Phoenix?"
Everyone gasped. "That's a real phoenix?" Umi asked.
SKJAM!: (Ranma voice) Sure looks neater than the phoenix I had to fight
back home...
Clef nodded. Mokona said, "Puu!"
"Sugoi!" the three Knights chorused. They hopped on the phoenix,
and took off for the shrine of Fire.
The warriors from Nerima stood around, in a loose semicircle, in
Presea's new armory.
"I've developed new and advanced methods of creating armor in the
days since the Magic Knights arrived here, and I'm going to test my
prototype armor on you guys, okay?" the armorer of Cephiro said.
Kira: Run away!
SKJAM!: You will enjoy your safe and fun new armor. Anyone who does not
enjoy your safe and glitch-free new armor is a mutant Commie traitor and
will be used as reactor shielding. The Computer is your friend.
Kira: You really think anyone will get the reference?
SKJAM!: I don't know, what do you think, citizen P-R-EC?
They looked at each other, shrugged, and nodded.
Presea smiled and produced a container, which held six fist-sized
crystal globes.
"Each of you take one of these, and concentrate on it. Think about
what you like to wear to fight in, what works best for you in a
battle situation. Focus on that image and hold it."
Kira: Okay...but...
The six each took a crystal, and closed their eyes, concentrating.
After a few minutes, Presea closed her eyes as well, concentrating
on the six orbs. Each began to glow as Presea was surrounded with a
barely perceptible aura.
The first to be affected was Cologne. Her orb flared dark green,
and disappeared into her chest. Her usual green robes were replaced
by a dark green chainmail cloak which shrouded her body. A
shoulderguard appeared on her left shoulder, trimmed in green. The
design from her old robes was still present, but it was encrusted in
small gems. Her staff disappeared, and reappeared in an empty rack
along one wall.
Mousse was next. His robes became white chainmail, again with a
shoulderguard on his left shoulder, the same design on the front of
the robe, and a gauntlet on his left hand, which had a pair of
gleaming white blades protruding from the handguard, surrounding a
white crystal. Once the new armor formed, a veritable shower of
weapons skitted out of his robes and even from his hair, and flew
into the rack next to Cologne's staff.
SKJAM!: He must feel naked...
Akane followed. She now wore a variation of her yellow karate gi,
with armor replacing the top of the gi, and midcalf white boots. A
white bracer appeared on her right wrist, a white shoulderguard
appeared on her left shoulder, and a gauntlet with a yellow gem
formed on her left arm. Her usual headband was replaced with a small
gold circlet resembling the one Presea wore. A large mallet appeared
out of nowhere, and flew into the rack with the others' weapons.
Ukyou went next. Her bandolier with all of her spatulas flew away
and landed in the weapons rack. Her tunic became a light vest of blue
armor. Her leggings remained unchanged, but white knee-length boots
formed on her legs. The obligatory shoulderguard formed, as well as a
bracer and a gauntlet with a dark blue gem. She also gained a
metallic weapons harness, where her old bandolier would be.
Shampoo's armor formed next: an open-skirted, short purple Chinese
dress, with tight white armor on her torso. She also sported knee-
high boots, the shoulderguard, bracer, and guantlet formed as well,
with a purple gem. A pair of bonbori floated away from her and landed
in the weapons rack.
Kira: ...but a skirt? Shampoo tends to favor her Amazon pantsuit to
fight in...The skirts are for romance.
Finally, Ryouga had his turn. His yellow tunic was replaced by a
light vest of yellow armor, while his trousers remained unchanged.
His leather ties and shoes became ankle-length white boots, with
leather ties up to the knee. The obligatory shoulderguard, bracer,
and gauntlet appeared, with a bright green gem on the gauntlet. His
umbrella flew into the weapons rack, and his bandana transformed,
becoming a metal band around his head, yellow with black studs.
SKJAM!: (Ryouga voice) Piiig Tiara Action!
They looked down at themselves and around at each other, and made
murmurs of approval.
Presea examined their weapons, and blinked. "Pardon me for saying,
but a couple of you use some very strange weapons." Clearing her
throat, she said, "Alright now. You must choose a weapon to use here
in Cephiro."
"Why can't we just use our own?" Ukyou asked.
Presea closed her eyes. "All weapons and armor in Cephiro are
enhanced with magic, and are much stronger than simple weapons. Your
weapons, no matter how skilled you are with them, would be destroyed
the second you struck anyone's armor here." She smiled. "Don't worry.
Kira: I'm not so sure about the mallet...
Your own weapons will be safe here, and when you retrieve the Escudo,
I will forge weapons matching the ones you're accustomed to. But for
now, close your eyes, and concentrate. Weapons suited to you from my
armory will come to you."
The six closed their eyes.
Cologne chose a shiny staff, three times as tall as she was.
A large, extraordinarily heavy cudgel became Ryouga's weapon. He
took a few practice swings with it, and grinned.
Shampoo selected a pair of studded metal maces. "Aiyah! Is almost
like bonbori! Shampoo like!"
A gigantic metal mallet flew into Akane's eager grasp. Presea shot
a concerned glance at the girl upon seeing her reaction. <If she was
any more excited, there'd be a mess on my floor,> she thought. The
thought gave her a brief, strange mental image, but we won't get into
that here.
SKJAM!: Just as long as you don't mention it to her out loud...
Ukyou received a large battleaxe, and looked at it curiously.
"Well, I guess I can spatula someone with it," she remarked. She also
selected several impressive-looking shuriken, and loaded them into
her harness.
Finally, Mousse made his selections. Everyone hit the deck in
alarm as a swarm of weapons of all shapes and sizes flew towards him
and disappeared into his voluminous armored robe. Presea scowled.
"What the hell was that?"
SKJAM!: (Mousse voice) I feel so much better with the secret
comnpartments in my underwear filled!
"Mousse is master of hidden weapons. See big pile of chains and
stuff in case? Almost every weapon there is Mousse weapon," Shampoo
explained.
Presea blinked. <This guy really likes weapons,> she thought. Then
she grinned inwardly. <I really like this guy!>
Kira: Possible romance? Possible happy ending for Mousse?
With the warriors geared up and ready to go, they left the armory
and sought out Guru Clef.
SKJAM!: Not Madoshi?
Kira: Time to check out!
SKJAM!