And now...it begins.... The Tales of Shampoo vs. Magic Knight Rayearth Book One--Tokyo Tower Does Not Have a Monopoly on Wierd Events.... by Elizabeth "Libby" Thomas Based on characters and storylines in: 'Ranma 1/2' by Rumiko Takahashi 'Magic Knight Rayearth' by CLAMP and 'The Tales of Shampoo' by Rob Barba AUTHOR'S RAMBLING Hello, and welcome to my first major story! I was reading the fantastic fanfic, 'The Tales of Shampoo', when I thought about something. One of the main characters, Liberty "Libby" Windham, looks an awful lot like Fuu Hououji, a character in a manga that Ranko reads. Libby, despite her disdain for anime and manga, knew about Fuu instinctively, and knew about her before she met Ranko. Why? This, I hope, will move to answer those questions. It should be noted that although I'm a CLAMP fan (I LOVE 'X:1999' and 'RG Veda' especially), I have never seen 'Rayearth' in its TV, OVA, or manga formats--most of this stuff I'm taking from the Sega video game, websites, or hearsay from others. Before all you die-hard 'Rayearth' enthusiasts get mad at me, I'm doing it this way for a reason; I want a flawless world (story-wise) to come about from my work here (this also means that I'll be tweaking a bit with the TOS universe as well, and even using some things about the Windham clan that Rob will hopefully let me get away with ^_^), as well as explaining why Libby is the way she is (though this is something that Rob should be doing, so he'll decide if this story fits into TOS canon or not). Don't worry though; after the TOS vs. MKR series is done, I promise I'll write a REAL Rayearth story. At worst, this is an alternate 'Rayearth'. Oh, lest I forget: 'Ranma 1/2' characters are the property of the manga megami Rumiko Takahashi. 'Magic Knight Rayearth' characters belong to the shojo masters at CLAMP, and the 'TOS' characters (namely, the Windham ninjas) belong to that uber- writer, Rob Barba. All other characters here are mine. Thanks that I can get to actually say: to Rob, for letting me get away with this and letting me use his TOS characters; my fellow writers and editors at Studio YOGIPIGS for waiting for my glacial writing speed to produce some this incoherent; the 'Welcome To Cephiro!' (http://cephiro.anime.net) Site, which I accessed for information when I felt I needed it (and those gritty SD drawings are so kawaii!); and Studio Yousei's 'Magic Knight Rayearth' (tsunami.anime.net/ukyou/rayearth) site for a lot of style oriented content. If I'm wrong on everything, you can all send me hate mail at: Bucket_O_Fanfics@bigfoot.com. Now, on with the show.... NOTES The following are provided for explanation: [[Telephone conversation]] ((Thoughts)) For those who are interested, although part of this story takes place in the TOS universe, you won't find Shampoo or most of her friends in it, as this takes place about two weeks before TOS1, about the time that Libby is on vacation at her family's home in Seattle, and well before Ranko's arrival in San Francisco. Additionally, this story takes place after Rayearth II (the anime) (I think). For those who haven't read it yet, the initial meeting of Coral Mizuno and Tatewaki Kuno came from TOS2, which takes place eight years before both TOS1 and this fic. TOS2 is not required to understand this fic, but it'll help when it comes to some of the Windham backgrounds. CHAPTER ONE A quiet day in the town of Everett, Washington. Just a normal day here in the quiet town living near the grunge capital of the world, the Town that Kurt built; namely Seattle. Everett was a nondescript town, a place just like every other suburb in the state. It did, however, as towns in this state did, have something that set it apart from other cities in the US that would look very much like it. Bremerton had the USS MISSOURI. Redmond had Microsoft and Nintendo. Everett had Windham Hill. Admittedly, there was a place in California that had the same name and was just as popular (due to the music company that named itself after that place), this place was just was important; however, only the locals called it Windham Hill. It was better known to the world as the Yosai no Windham Shinobi Ryu--the Windham Compound--the ancestral lands of the Windham Shinobi Ryu--the Windham ninja clan, the only American- originated clan. It had been there since the day Jeremiah Windham found the spot during America's frontier days, and built a farm there. It had been a base for ninjitsu operations when Jeremiah's grandson, Thomas, saved the life of Shinayama Rin-- the daughter of a travelling ninja master; Thomas married Rin, and Shinayama Kenichi taught him and his descendants the Art. Since then, the Windham clan became the premier clandestine organization in the US, though other clans eventually began operating here. From the frontier days, through two world wars and countless crises, everyone knew that a Windham ninja stood for honor and justice; you were safe when one was nearby. Even now, the Windham compound was the national stronghold for the clan, whose interests ran from Law Enforcement assistance to training military Special Ops forces to CIA operations. And Liberty Aileen Windham, the oldest surviving child of Kyle and Molly Windham, was heir apparent to the title of Master Shinobi--leader of the clan. Some said she was as powerful as Kyle, stronger and faster than anyone who had ever wore the mantle of a Windham ninja. Some said she was more than a match for her father, with every chance of surpassing his strength. There were a few in the know that even said she could be a match for the legendary Mist, the Master Shinobi of the Ghost Wolf clan. Of this, there was no doubt: she was extremely powerful and talented. A young woman of 26, with a thin, athletic body, short dusty blonde hair, and enchanting, expressive green eyes (albeit encased behind a pair of everyday eyeglasses), she looked every bit the mixture of competent woman and innocent waif, with a little unstoppable assassin thrown into the mix. Yes, it was clear that there were few that could match Libby Windham. Unfortunately, there were some whose abilities outstripped hers in certain areas.... "Nabiki!" Libby grumbled, "this is my VACATION, for cryin' out loud!" The sultry tones on the other end continued, unabated. [[Please, Libby? It's just for a day or two....]] Libby could swear that on the other end of the line, Nabiki Kuno was smiling a grin that was part friendly, part predatory. No one could escape Nabiki's charms--not even her husband; what made Libby think that she could? "Nabiki, c'mon--you KNOW I haven't been able to take a vacation in the longest time!" the blonde huffed. "Plus, I was hoping to just unwind for a few days after that favor Shampoo and I did for you." Libby's commentary was understatement; that "favor" took the combined fleet-footed thinking of both women to save Nabiki from utter embarrassment; and the subsequent combined martial arts talent of both women to ensure that Nabiki would be okay once the other side began to play nasty. It was not something that the three women would forget easily. It was certainly something that Libby hoped Nabiki owed her for. Or so she thought. [[Look, Libby. This isn't some small company that we're dealing with; this is Microsoft. If I don't have Kunotech's best there, Gates'll eat us alive!]] the voice on the other end pouted. [[You know that Kunosoft needs the contract to produce on the Win98 platform, so...]] Nabiki trailed off, hoping her dramatic pause would have an effect. When it became clear that it didn't, Nabiki broke down and tried a new, sure-fire tactic: honesty. [[Libby, listen. You're the only one I can trust on this, and I'm not talking just because you're the best that Ktech SF has, both in biz law and negotiation; I'm saying this because you're one of my best friends.]] At once, Nabiki's voice changed, transforming from the tones of Libby's employer to that of one of Libby's closest pals. [[Libby, I'll be honest--I didn't want to ask you, especially so soon after Nat...the Chambers affair. I was hoping to keep you and Shampoo low-key, but with this meeting, I-I-I...]] she paused, then continued, even though hesitantly. [[I was supposed to go, but I don't feel...comfortable right now. Not so soon after...well, y'know....]] Libby's mind faded back to that event, neither too much in timeframe nor distance away from where she was. It was a difficult time for all involved in that incident, and she could hear the pain in the voice of a person who was usually a pillar of strength. "I understand, Nabiki. I'll do it," she said into the receiver, her way of being sympathetic to her longtime friend. "But ," she said, mirth creeping into her voice, "I'm taking off two more weeks, and they'll be paid ones, ya got that?" [[Do this for me, and your whole vacation won't count against your balance.]] The fact that Nabiki was willing to do this spoke volumes about her concerns--and her faith in her friend. [[Thanks a lot, Libby. I owe ya.]] "Nothing new, there," she said. "So, are you going to fax me the info or FedEx it?" [[I'll have someone bring it to you,]] she said, in a manner that indicated she figured that Libby would agree. [[Be careful, though: I heard that Gates' people are being led by one of their own hotshots. You might wanna watch your back, girl.]] "I'm shinobi, remember? He's gotta be quicker than me to get at my back," Libby huffed, thinking that for once, she may have gotten the better of Nabiki Kuno. Sure, she had to give up part of her vacation, but she was getting back something in return, and she was also helping out a friend. "Well, I gotta get going. I gotta go to town and pick up a business suit--I didn't bring one with me." [[Okay; make it an expensive one and put it on the company tab,]] Nabiki replied. [[I'll let you get going then. Hasta la vista, amigo.]] Both women said their goodbyes, hanging up the phone. Libby went upstairs to her old room, still absently carrying the cordless. She had to grab her purse and her keys, change out of her workout gear, shower, toss on some clothes, and get racing. It was a short hop to Seattle, and she could hit the Neiman Marcus there, maybe pick up a Donna Karan or two... The ring of the phone in her hand jump-started her back to reality. Clicking the phone active, she commented, "Windham residence. Libby speaking." [[Libby!]] There was no mistaking the bouncy cheerfulness in the voice on the other end. [[How long were you planning to be in town and not tell me?!?]] Libby smiled, despite the implied admonishment. "Coral, when was the last time you checked your e-mail?" [[You know I don't like that thing,]] the voice on the other end responded. [[I always prefer the human contact. Ya coulda left a message on my answering machine, y'know. But...never mind that.]] Libby, on her end, could help but smile--Coral was, as always, speaking at her bright, bubbly, and energetic pace, her voice moving at a hurricane speed of 75 words per minute, with occasional gusts of up to 120. [[Reason I called is to say that I'm glad it's you.]] That comment made no sense. "Say again, Coral?" [[Oh, we got a call two days ago here at Bill-ville on the Kunosoft contract. I'm the principal negotiator on this, and from what I was told last week, the main person on the Ktech end was gonna be Nabiki Kuno, herself--I don't know if she remembers me from Vietnam eight years ago, but we didn't get along. Then we got the call two days ago saying that you'd be handling the negs. Wow--I didn't even know you worked for Ktech, Libby.]] ((Two days ago? OOOOOOhhhhh, NABIKI!!!!)) Libby steamed mentally--Nabiki had set her up again. However, instead of verbally exploding on the phone, she merely calmed down and said, "Didn't know you worked for Bill, Coral." [[Yeah; they picked me up a while back when they bought out that small programming firm I was with. My contract's almost up with them, and I'll be looking for somewhere else to go--I'm not really comfortable here. Maybe I'll go up the street to Nintendo. But...never mind that. Anyways, I'm glad that you'll be the rep. Tell ya what: what're you doing for lunch?]] "Was planning to go to Seattle to pick up some suits for the meeting. Left them all at home." [[Oh, that reminds me: how's Shampoo doing? Tell her hi for me next time you see her, 'kay? Tell me about her during lunch. How's the Space Needle Cafe at noon sound? It'll be just you and me--we can set up the ground rules for everyone else...after we get caught up. Great. Gotta go, bye!]] Coral hung up without even waiting for Libby's response; she knew Libby would be there. That was Coral for you--perpetually on the happy vibe, and trusting in the goodness of other people. Reaching the top of the stairs, she scarcely had time to think about what she was going to wear to lunch (fortunately, this was going to be just her and Coral, so she could go the grunge grrl route), when the doorbell rang. Since no one else was home, and the compound's "executive manager" (Libby thought it was a fancy way of saying "butler") was on vacation this week, the Windhams managed on their own. She bellowed out, "Coming!" as she descended the steps once again. As she reached for the door, a fleeting thought came to her. ((Nabiki said that she was sending the info by courier. That was quick, even for her. Wonder what's going on?)) Never did she once consider an attack: anyone attempting to attack someone on the Windham grounds was virtually committing a bizarre form of suicide. The fact that Libby would be answering the door expanded that problem by a factor of a trillion. She opened the door and without looking at first, said, "Hi. Can I help you?" She then faced the person she was addressing, and facefaulted. A well-mannered gentleman, stood at the door. His appearance, though leaning towards the casual side of dress, showed a neat and topical personality. He smiled once, a rougish grin that somehow accented his gleaming, childlike brown eyes and his perfectly tousled brown hair. He spoke briefly, as though the weight of the world rested on every syllable he uttered. "Oh, what a fine day this is, to be gazing upon the flaxen-tressed defender of the law and justice as she stands there, present in all her fiery glory, as though she knew of my tribute to her greatness. It is to my credit that I, T--" "Can the speech, Tate," she grumbled, shaking her head and muttering under her breath, "You even sent your husband, Nabiki. You're REALLY gonna owe me for this." She then turned back to Tatewaki Kuno and said, "Gimme fifteen to change, Tate old buddy. We've got a lunch date at the Space Needle at noon, and then you can tell me what your grand plan is for this mess." "Um, my plan? And what lunch date?" he commented, as though he had no idea what she was talking about. It took her a few minutes to realize that indeed, he HAD no idea what she was talking about. "Aren't you here for the Microsoft deal?" "Yeah, but just to give you a brief on it. Nabiki said that you had everything well in hand, and..." He stared at her numbly when he saw that flicker of annoyance in her eyes. "I thought that's why you came here." "No, I WAS on vacation up until fifteen minutes ago." Tate Kuno's eyes darkened in bemused sympathy. "I'm sorry, Libby. I had no idea. I'll have a talk with her when I get home." He sighed in exasperation. Although Nabiki had gotten rid of her mercenary ways for the most part, there were still a few unfortunate times when she reverted to form. "In the meanwhile, I guess I'll be staying in town to take care of the deal, huh?" Libby smiled; it was just like Tatewaki to think of others before himself. Nabiki once commented that he was once the exact opposite, but Libby, knowing him as well as she did, couldn't picture it. "We'll talk about it at lunch. We're set to meet the head Microsoft negotiator there, just to lay down the groundwork." She paused, then continued. "Let me go change, and then we'll get going." CHAPTER TWO Far away, beyond the veil of space and time which kept the universe in order, there was another dimension, another universe in which the rules of reality shifted in a slightly different manner. This universe was more populated, more explored, and less a mystery to mankind. That did not make it any less dangerous for its inhabitants. There were at least four known worlds on which human civilization had taken root, but none of the four were more important than the world that was the very pillar of the cosmos. Cephiro. A world governed by the laws of magic, and until recently, besieged by countless wars and conflict. A world that had only recently found peace, though it took the sacrifice of its beloved leader and the near destruction of the universe itself. It was only due to the return of three legends from the past, three legends from beyond the crystal blue skies, that the world stood today... ...and that Crown Prince Ferio ruled the kingdom. A young man of perhaps eighteen years or so, the current monarch of the world was well-loved by his people, though not to the degree that his sister Emeraude was. That was no slight against him, but instead, a celebration of how much his sister had been vital to the well-being of the land. Since her death, though, the world was now having to learn to live without a central Pillar-- the very essence of Cephiro--but still they moved on, regardless, under the kind-hearted rule of Ferio. And it was that very kind heart that brought Ferio, along with a small contingent of men, to the small town of Delvis. There had been reports coming from the town that spoke of some invading army. Those reports disturbed Ferio mildly, to say the least; he knew he was on good terms with the neighboring nations, and there was no civil unrest in the land since time before time-- that sort of thing being not in the nature of your average Cephiran. Still, there he was, alongside two of his finest men-at-arms-- the driven Lafarga and a younger, aristocratic archer named Hisame, yet his mind was elsewhere. Admittedly, though he was not the type to daydream, the slight breeze on the move in the air brought memories to his mind, of a young Japanese woman with enchanting green eyes and a smile that spoke volumes, despite her shy demeanor. ((Fuu, how I wish we could be together, my love. How I wish that we could all be together. I miss Hikaru and Umi almost as much, my dear friends.)) The slightest smile came to his lips as he remembered their brief moment of admitted love between them before she returned to Earth; kissing her had been the moment of his life. He also knew that he could not be truly the King of Cephiro until he chose a Queen to rule beside him; he claimed long ago that there would be no other woman in his life save that of the Wind Knight. ((Fuu, my love, how I wish you were here with me now to--)) He was brought out of his reverie by the cursing of Hisame. The young man, recently in service of the Cephiro Royal Guard, had risen through the ranks quickly, becoming a trusted aide of Ferio's. An androgynous-looking male, he had soft blue hair, and eyes the same deep shade of reddish-sienna that Hikaru's were. Although delicate looking, the man was dangerous with a sword and even more lethal with his stock-in-trade, the longbow. He was currently wearing a simple mail shirt that was colored somewhere between gray and lavender, and the fact that he was swearing was a sign of how unnerved the usually even-flowing man was. "Bloody hell! Look at this place! We're not even near the town, and I can smell the stench of evil. We should have brought more mages with us, Ferio. Maybe Caldina, or even Guru Clef!" The young man pointed to a great blackish-blue cloud in the sky, as though the very air had been bruised. "I think you worry too much," Lafarga said, his quiet tones soft and dangerous as always. "We don't need magic here; the spells of brute force should be more than enough!" Ferio, knowing his friend well, caught the undertone of Lafarga's words. He had recently married Caldina, and did not want to endanger her any further; that also went for all his friends at the palace. "Lafarga, you misunderstand me. I have no doubt in our skills at armaments, whether it be the blades of you and Ferio, or my bow. But there is little our skills can do against that, for that is what I fear is the cause of the troubles at Delvis!" Before Lafarga could continue, Ferio spoke up. "Personally, you may be right, Hisame. However, it's far too late to anything about it other than continue on and hope for the best. The people there may be in trouble, and I can't allow any of my people to suffer like that!" With that, he spurred his horse on, heading on towards the threatened village of Delvis. It was thus, then to their surprise that the sky suddenly darkened above them, as the cloud moved with an unnatural speed to blot out the very sunlight that made the small band of fighters so readied. As the horses began to grow uneasy from the sudden change in lighting, a lightning bolt rocketed down from the darkened sky, an unnatural jag of violet that burnt into the earth before the contingent of twenty. As the bolt of plasma connected with the terrain, a blinding flash of purple filled the sky, causing all to shield their eyes from the optical assault. When the light cleared once more, three people stood before Ferio's band. Two men, and one woman, each standing before them, imposing and yet calm in their composure. One man, thin as a rail with close-cropped spiky blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, stood, arms crossed over an armored torso and a severe-cut suit, colored in tan, with a blood-red cape draped around his shoulder. A short sword hung at his side, ready to be loosed at a moment's notice. The second man was a small mountain of muscle, standing above even Lafarga's stature, wearing armor of cobalt over the same tan clothing that the first wore; a huge, opal-encrusted sword was strapped to his back. The black in his hair and beard was as night, but worse was the flicker of rage in his hazel eyes. Last on the list was the woman, a classic beauty with inviting green eyes and soft white hair. She wore neither armor, cloak, nor sword, but just the same garb as the other two; however, the red pulsing aura of energy that enveloped her showed that this was no dainty maiden. The three, standing together, made for a trio that spoke of pure danger. The thin man spoke first, addressing Ferio. "You, I take it, are going to the town ahead of us, Prince Ferio?" Ferio said nothing, wondering how the man coul have known who he was; he was not wearing his white clothing denoting his identity, but instead his old tan and brown woodsman's garb. Realizing that it would probably do no good to attempt a ruse, he leaned forward on his saddle lazily, commenting, "Well, you seem to have the advantage of me. You know who I am, but I am afraid that I'm not familiar with you." The man smiled, not at all friendly. "You don't have to be. I am Daimler, and these are my associates, Trabant and Passat," indicating the man and the woman, in turn. "We are the rulers of this world, now, the ones who will make it pure. You can consider yourselves retired. If you attempt force, I will have to respond in kind. Make it easy on yourself and go back from where you came, Ferio." Before Ferio could respond, Lafarga rushed his horse forward, bellowing, "I doubt it! You have me to face, and I assure you, it will not be pretty." He unsheathed his blade, readying for a strike at the enemy now revealed before him. "Trabant." Daimler spoke once and once only. There was a flash of blue, and the hulking behemoth disappeared. As Lafarga neared for a strike, a blast of blue erupted beneath him, flinging rider and horse skyward. The blast turned out to be a mystical geyser of water, controlled by the huge swordsman. Upon the return to earth, Lafarga landed easily and attacked his foe; the horse, not as prepared, landed on its neck and snapped it instantly, killing the beast. Ignoring the sorrowful pain that his steed had died in, Lafarga silently promised the beast justice by planning to run his blade through the large behemoth. In the meanwhile, Hisame waited for no attack. He whipped out his bow and began firing arrow after arrow, choosing as his target the woman named Passat. To his shock, she was easily outmaneuvering each of his shots, nimbly dancing around each of his missiles and softly tapping each with her finger, incinerating each in the process. Finally, she smiled a grin that could have been construed as inviting, if it wasn't for the next words she called out: "And now it ends. Fire Ballista!" A multitude of flaming arrows launched out towards Hisame, but he was not as quick as she was. Though he maneuvered to and fro, he managed to avoid most of them. Unfortunately, however, a few finally hit him, and he fell, defeated. Ferio, seeing one of his friends downed, finally entered the fray, ordering his men into battle. He leapt from his horse, unholstering his scimitar, and moving to strike out against Daimler, who had also unsheathed his own blade for the conflict. Had he bothered to turn around, he would have noticed that his own men were not involved in the fighting. They were instead being beaten to a pulp by giant golems made of stone that had leapt from the earth unexpectedly. Those golems in turn, were being controlled by a small woman dressed similarly to Trabant, her short forest-green hair and black eyes as cold and impassive as the burnished coppery color of her chest armor. In one hand, she held a short rapier, ready to attack should any of the Cephiran Guard break through her golems; while the other glimmered a bright orange in echo of the magic she wielded in controlling her creatures. In the interim, the combat between Lafarga and Trabant ended immediately. While the two were more than a match when it came to the skill of the blades, and indeed, it look for a moment that Lafarga would get the better of him, Trabant struck out with his magic. Instantly, the Cephiran master-at-arms was buffeted by high-pressure streams of water, slamming him with the power of a ton. Lafarga switched from attacking the other swordsman to fighting the torrents of water swinging his blade to and fro to minimize the damage. And though he managed to succeed at that, too, he was brought down by a fist to the back of the head, which crumpled him to the floor. As for the conflict between Ferio and Daimler, that was brought short. All it took was an emerald glow of Daimler's right hand, and a blast of wind launched Ferio away from his intended target. At the same time, Daimler brought his sword up over his head and down in a fast arc, shearing through Ferio's sword, cutting it in half. The broken half fell and buried itself in the ground, as Ferio, still holding on to the handle half, slammed into a nearby tree, knocking the wind out of him. Standing up, he wiped a sliver of blood from his mouth and tossed the remnants of his sword down, crying, "You'll have to do better than that, Daimler. I've fought against everything that there was in this world, and I will continue, no matter what. You. Will. Not. Stop. Me!" "I'm sorry to hear that, Ferio," Daimler responded in disinterested tones. He snapped his fingers and spoke softly, uttering a simple phrase: "Targa, hither." A blast of violet once more descended to earth, shredding the tree--and Ferio underneath it. He screamed in pain as he was electrocuted, then slumped to the ground in a shaking fit of nerve impulse overload, his mind mercifully having slipped into unconsciousness milliseconds earlier. In the crater that was the remains of the tree, stood a man wearing an indigo version of the same suit everyone else wore. He wore a cape similar to Daimler's, and in his hands he carried two short swords. His features, including his shock of dark blue hair and gray eyes, would be handsome if it wasn't for the malicious sneer that was plastered into his face. His rail-thin body moved with a lithe grace as he bent down to check his victim. "He still breathes, Daimler," Targa responded in a hiss of a response. "He is stronger than we guessed." "Let him live then, Targa. We may have use for him and the others, who I can guess are also still alive, Jetta?" he commented, directing his query to the short forest-haired girl. She was looking over the body of Hisame. "He suffered a couple of second degree burns from Passat's attack, but he'll live. As for the other, he has a couple of chest bruises--Trabant's AquaStrike did the job nicely--and a concussion from that last punch, but he'll also live. As for the rest of their army, my Geoslaves tore most of them apart, but I think one escaped. He'll probably notify the rest of the Cephiro aristocracy and Presia will be leading an army down here." "Hah," Trabant scoffed. "This--" pointing at Lafarga, "--is the Head of the Guard. Do you think that the General of their Army could do any better against me?" "From what I understand," Targa said, in a haughty tone, "the one called Presia is very dangerous. She is the Weaponsmaster of Cephiro, an expert with any kind of weapon. Unlike where we came from, here that quality is rare. She is one not to be trifled with." "Personally," Passat said, leaning on Daimler's shoulder in a seductive manner, "I'm hoping they'll send that geriatric brat Clef. He's 700 years old and needs to reach the end of his life. I'll be more than happy to oblige the gentleman." She formed a fist, and instantly the red glow of fire magic surrounded it, as though it were a pet eager to do its master's bidding. "I will burn the little bastard to a crisp, I swear." Daimler looked over at her and smiled. "You can be so cruel, Passat. However, they stand no chance against us." Turning back to Targa, he commented, "Return us to the stronghold. We have much work to do before we bring this world to its knees." Nodding once, Targa stabbed the air once with his glowing dagger. There was the familiar blast of lighting... ...and then they were gone, destination unknown. <=+=> Hours later, a very weary and tired Clef was done speaking to the surviving guardsman, who'd barely escaped within an inch of his life; it would take many a healer many a day to totally bring this man to any semblance of total well-being. He was able to report all that he did before mercifully slipping into a comatose state. The guru sighed; at least someone would be spared the pain of the next few days to come. As he began to walk out of the infirmary and down towards the grand hall, his mind was a bitter, tangled mess. ((I thought we'd moved away from this,)) he thought bitterly. ((Through the incidents with Emeraude and Zagato, even with the world itself falling into nothingness. Our dear Cephiro was saved, though we could not do the same for Autozam. At least the remainder of their population lives with us, now.)) He felt a soft weight on his shoulder as his head sank behind the weight of the burden on his shoulder. A voice continued the comfort that the gesture of friendliness couldn't. "I know it can't be easy, Clef, but we are here for you, old friend." Clef turned his head, his wide blue-gray orbs looking at his friends. "Thank you, Presea, Caldina. I know it is just as hard for you two." That was all he would mention of Caldina's husband or Hisame, who'd recently begun courting the Weaponsmaster of Cephiro. "We'll manage," Presea said, tersely. In her gold and silver armor as General of the Cephiran Army, she looked very regal, the very image of a Cephiro Valkyrie. Her golden hair was in that ever-familiar topknot of hers, and she still looked very beautiful. However, her green eyes were embedded with a worry that the mage had never seen before, and her usual quirky humor was almost non-existent today. "Are you sure? I need you both okay and well. Not only because the nation needs you, but more so because you are my friends, and I am concerned." This next comment was directed not so much at Presea, but the woman next to her. The woman at the side of Presea barely looked at Clef. Despite her normally, enchanting, hypnotic beauty, today, she looked...well, as though the magic had drained from her body, the siren's call having been halted by deepening sorrow. On any other given day, the girl's garb, an Arabian-like assortment of silks and lacy, gossamer fabrics would entice any man to hormonal madness; today, they limped at her side, pathetic and spent; she looked like she was on day 1002 of the 1001 Arabian nights. Caldina looked at Clef, the pain showing in her dark eyes. Her normally tanned skin looked paler today somehow, and her rose-hued hair didn't have that usual just-so sheen to it. Clef spoke again, directly to her this time. "Caldina, will you be okay? I need your assistance in this crisis, old friend. If you cannot lend your talents to this crisis due to your own, I will understand." Caldina's dark eyes flickered for a second. She then spoke, in that lilting Chizetam accent that Umi always said somehow reminded her of the city of Osaka, on her homeworld: "I'll...be okay, Clef. You needn't worry about me, okay? We'll get through this together. There's no choice." "Good." Clef breathed a sigh of relief. As much as Presea was hurting over Hisame's disappearance, Caldina was in worse shape over the loss of her husband. "As you said, Caldina--we'll make it through this together." His words came out hollow, in his opinion, and he wasn't sure if he'd said them to console Calidna, Presea, or himself. Down at the end of the grand hall, a young man's voice rang out, as the youth ran up to the trio, his figure a dashing sight, resplendent in Cephiran armor. "Presea, the FTOs are ready to launch. Conventional forces are also ready for deployment." Zazu brushed the black hair out of his eyes; like Ascot before him, he'd benefitted from enhanced growth; the adult that strode beside them was not the child of old. "Presea, I tell you, I don't like the idea of using the FTOs. We have so few of them and it takes a LOOOONNNNGGGG time to build new ones. If these guys are--" She cut him off with a piercing glance. "NO. Get those units airborne, and wait at the outskirts of Delvis. My cavalry will join you there." She softened her gaze, adding, "I know that the Cephiran military is more magic based and less tech-based than the old Autozam forces, but until we find a way to compromise building tech without doing environmental damage to Cephrio, you'll have to live with what we've got." "I understand. Don't worry, we'll get them back." Showing his pearly whites in that lop-sided grin, he saluted haphazardly and took off towards his mech. A short flight would get him to the newly-renamed ARK CEPHIRO, the space cruiser that was once the flagship of Autozam's military operations. "He certainly is still impetuous," Clef said, as he watched the pilot race into the distance. "I just hope he's right. Stars, if Ferio is killed, not to mention Lafarga and Hisame..." He shook his head. "Presea, you're the military expert, but is a full assault on Delvis the answer? There may be innocents held hostage there!" Presea fought back tears as her face went into a cold, dispassionate beauty; Clef could see that she'd spent hours worrying about this decision. "The...safety of the kingdom is paramount. We have to stop whatever's out there. If these people are as powerful as the messenger said, we have a battle on our hands." For a second, she looked as though she were about to cry. Then the moment was gone, and General Presea had returned, Cephiro's Ice Shieldmaiden. "Excuse me, my friends; I have a war to run, just as you have a kingdom to lead in this crisis." With that, she turned and strode away purposefully; in truth, it would be so that they wouldn't see her tears. She had to be strong, for Hisame, for Caldina, for Clef, for her friends, and for her world. She could fail them. She couldn't afford to. Once Presea strode away, Caldina turned to Clef. "Call them." Clef said softly but firmly, "No. We've put them through enough. Besides, Mokona is no longer with us. We can't guarantee the safety of this world any longer." "SHE can. She is the Pillar," Caldina countered. "The Pillar can--" "There is no more Pillar. She abolished it, remember?" Clef's face took on a sorrowful look. "You remember the last time they were here, right? They looked so happy, all but Fuu, who knew that she and Ferio couldn't be together. When Lantis and Ascot left, did you see the looks of joy on Hikaru's and Umi's faces? They were going home to lead normal lives." He looked at Caldina sadly. "They're our friends. Do you want to destroy the happiness they've built?" "They'll fight for us again, I know they will. Especially my little brother." Her eyes were now pleading, begging. "We need them, Clef. If anything, we need HER. She is the Pillar, whether she likes it or not. It is she who should rule, not Ferio, since she is the true soul of Cephiro. This is her responsibility, whether she likes it or not." She calmed down and said, "Don't get me wrong. Ferio's a very good ruler, and I'm not advocating anything rash or insane. What I'm saying, is that in the end, Cephiro is not something Hikaru can walk away from. Whether she says the people are the Pillar now, as much as she can deny it, SHE is the One True Pillar, the True Soul of Cephiro. She cannot walk away." "I suppose you are right. Let me go to the tower and send the summoning signal," said with a heavy heart, as the eternal mage moved to the spiral staircase that would lead to the summoning tower. As Caldina watched him walk away, she felt shamed that she had drove the Guru to this. Sure, this was to protect her husband and friends, but in doing so, she had implicated another set. And she could swear that somehow, the burden of all this, these 700-plus years of Clef's suffering; somehow, today, he was feeling every year of his age. <=+=> An hour later, a blast of energy tore into the nighttime sky, destination unknown. The beam, pulsing every so often, changed hues from red, to blue, to green and back again. Additionally, the beam seemed to change appearance every now and then: from a blast of energy, to a bolt of fire, to a column of water, to a tight hurricane, and back. The beam continued on its path, seeming not so much to transcend for another world, but more as if it were trying to break the dimensional barrier. >From a location in the Forest of Silence, Daimler and Jetta watched the beam streak on into the indigo-blue air. "I don't like the look of that," Jetta snarled. "It could be a distress signal to their allies on the other two worlds." "Doubtful. They have no idea what is happening here, and by the time they do it will be too late. We will be in power, and trenched in. They will have to fight us and lose, or deal with us." "Still, it could be worse...and could get worse if we don't do something about that message," the woman warned. "It could be nothing, but it's better to cover our backs, than to have to worry about what it could be, correct?" She leaned on his shoulder. "I personally would rather have a small decorative blast of energy nullified than to have a plea for help slip through." Daimler grunted. Jetta was correct; the problem had to be eliminated, and soon. Even if it was not a problem, to take a chance with that would be risky, at least; the need to lessen the chance of Cephiro receiving allied support was tantamount. His eyes scanned the beam as it continued to streak its way into the nocturne darkness. If he didn't act soon, the chance to stop the beam would be lost, and the possibility for furthered conflict could be inevitable. He continued to look at the sky, seeking some kind of sign. Epiphany struck him when his eyes descended on one of the crystalline sky-islands. Airborne mountains of dirt and quartz, these floating behemoths usually did nothing, save migrate with the clouds in the sky, a more solid addition to the cirrus and cumulus structure in the blue sky of this world. At night, they glowed with a barely ambient light, residue from the billions of shafts of starlight that constantly bombarded them. Tonight, they would serve a purpose. He closed his eyes, raised his hand towards the sky, and began to concentrate. Abruptly, his hand began to emanate a green aura of eldrich power, the mystical energies swirling and dancing in eddies and vortices around his hand. He opened his eyes, and those mirrors of the soul, the same effect could be seen. He felt nothing happening, no motion or effect; he poured more power into his spell, and the results showed as his body became bathed in the same eerie luminescence. Thousands of feet above, one of the islands began to move. Not the biggest or the widest, but the one that made the most sense: a small island, nearly one of the smallest, the one with the clearest crystal. The island began to glow with a faint hue of the same magic color, and began to move in a direction not normally associated with Cephiro's natural wind patterns. At the last second, the crystal moved into the path of the beam, neatly intercepting the beam. The prismatic nature of the mountainous shard began to glow, absorbing the light beam and its arcane sub energies. The beam's energy slowly began to overload the matrix of the stone, and within minutes, the floating island began to produce ambient energy bleed as the crystal began to overload. In the end, the beam was absorbed by the floating crystal island, which now resembled a miniature sun. The crystal appeared to have expanded to twice its size... ...then it exploded in a shower of sparks, crystal, and motes of light, as the remnants of the beam split into two thinner (and presumably, weaker) shafts of light. One stopped a few meters more from where the crystal island had been before dissipating in a ripple-like effect. The second beam went off in another direction before also stopping in that same ripple effect; it had only traveled a few more meters than the original had. As for the blasted remains of the crystal island, the burnt and blasted hulk, its magical crystal gone, began to fall like a slow moving meteor towards the ground below. If it kept to its present trajectory, Daimler noted, it would impact against one of the coastal towns, creating a huge crater; there was little hope that the villagers would be able to clear out of the blast radius in time. Oh well, if you wish to make an omelette.... With the surety that the beams had been nullified, Daimler and Jetta returned to their campsite. Tomorrow, the bulk of the army of Cephiro would be moving on the town of Delvis. Once they discovered that it was a ghost town, they'd begin to return to the palace--and walk right into a major trap. Daimler smiled; he already had his forces well in hand, but he wanted to make sure that no one could impede his chances of victory. With a jaunt in his eye, it was time to consult his personal mentor. He headed back to his personal tent, and the restricted area which lay within. It was time to pray and ask his deity for help, in doing what was right.