"�Hello?"
The child was surrounded by a cool, deep blackness on all sides. Her only
means of support in this void, a small wooden pedestal, felt cold and dry
beneath her bare feet. She was illuminated by on overhead light that she
couldn't make out. The shadows it cast seemed to exemplify her now dirty
blonde hair and pale skin. Her eyes were partially cast in shadow, and all
that remained of her clothes consisted of a tattered green battle garb.
All around her, the young girl of about ten years could feel some kind of
presence. It was in the very air around her, yet she couldn't see it. She
was tired, hungry and frightened, but her battle training was still tuned
enough to tell her one thing; she wasn't alone.
As if to prove this fact, a woman's voice cut through the darkness, startling
the young girl. The voice was soft, calming and eerily mother-like. To the
young girl, it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
"Its all right. You're safe now. I won't let that monster torture you
anymore."
The child spun around, trying to see who was talking. She was trembling with
fear, yet still had enough control to assume a haphazard battle stance.
"Who are you? Where's Sensei? What have you done to him?"
The voice seemed closer now, and as the girl tried to focus on it, she
noticed a soft, blue light slowly pushing back the darkness around her. In
the dim shadows beyond her pedestal, the girl could see that she was in what
looked like an endless tower, filled with floating islands adorned with tall,
greenish things. She had known what those were at one time. Something� A
tree? Yes, that was it. They were trees.
She was in a giant nursery.
"You need not worry about him, that abomination can't hurt you as long as
you're in my care, little one."
The girl turned, and in the growing light she saw a tree centered in a giant
pond. Around the tree, tiny bits of energy danced like flotsam on the
surface of a pond. The girl was sure that the voice was coming from this
direction.
"What are you talking about..?"
The water before the tree started to gently ripple, then explode upwards in a
column, soaking the branches of the tree above it. When the water subsided,
a woman was left standing in its place.
The woman herself was beautiful. Her face was slender, pale and delicately
beautiful. Her soft eyes and warm smile looked as if they had been stolen
from some rare painting or even a goddess, only to be perfectly reformed and
amplified here. The woman's hair was a soft, silky blue that seemed to
stretch to her feet, which were standing on the surface of the water. To
complete the effect, she was clothed in an array of multi-colored robes that
were strangely dry.
The girl was frightened at first, then felt herself go numb. The pretty
woman in front of her was moving towards her� or was she moving towards the
pretty woman? The girl didn't know. She tried to move, but found she had no
control over her body. She knew that she was in trouble of some kind, but as
she approached the beautiful woman on the water the little girl felt her fear
just melt away. Something about her seemed to put the little girl's mind at
complete and utter ease. With the last of her curiosity, the little girl
weakly asked, "Who are you?"
With a voice that seemed to wrap around the little girl, the woman said, "I
am Tsunami, the ship of Jurai, and we are inside of myself. Tell me, what is
your name, little one?"
"Anata."
***
The Villains Crusade
Chapter Two: Getting to Know You�
By: BGlanders
***
It had been a good hour since Kagato had regained consciousness, and at the
moment he and his new associate were seated in what Misa had referred to as
the 'War Room'. It was a small side room to the bridge equipped with a
smooth, reflective black table and several holo-projectors which remained
hidden in the walls. Evenly spaced glow globes that dotted the sleek, purple
metal of the walls supplied the lighting, and the room itself seemed to give
off an air of seriousness.
Kagato sat in what would be considered the captain's chair. Misa, sitting
across from him, had her feet propped up on the table as the holo-projectors
showed the mad scientist and magical girl what their target would be. After
reviewing the battle statistics, Kagato gave his detailed scientific opinion.
"We're screwed."
Misa, who had been dividing her attention between the screen and the baton
she was twirling in her hand, yawned and said, "Nonsense! With the two of us
together we should be able to get in and do the job in two shakes! You worry
too much�"
Kagato sighed, mentally counted to ten, then responded. "And how, little
girl, do you figure that?" He gestured to the projection between them.
"This is the planet Jurai we're talking about! Even at full power I don't
stand a chance in hell at breaching their defenses, let alone fighting off
the Royal guards and to top it all off, what makes you think this ship would
last two seconds against the Imperial Fleet?"
Misa shrugged, then gestured to the wall control panel behind her. "I did my
homework, Kagi old pal�"
"Don't call me that."
"�and boy oh boy did I learn a lot about you. How you've been on the GP most
wanted for the last five thousand years, how you decimated entire fleets
without even blinking, how you and your demon practically destroyed Jurai
seven hundred years ago. Honestly, what's the difference this time?"
Kagato calmly took out his makeshift saber. When he activated it, the
familiar hum of an energy weapon, coupled with the warm sent of ozone
assaulted his senses. "Because," Kagato held out his left arm, then let the
sword graze it slightly, drawing blood. "I'm not immortal anymore. I don't
have my powers anymore. We don't have any powers to help us! This can't be
done, plain and simple. We would need nothing less than an entire army just
to get within a thousand leagues of the palace!"
Misa stared wide eyed at the open wound on Kagato's arm, then watched as he
deactivated his sword and headed for the door. "I'll be in the infirmary if
you need me. Please see to it that you don't need me for at least an hour."
With that, Kagato walked out of the room.
***
An hour later, Pixy Misa was standing outside the doors to the sick bay,
debating whether or not to enter. Just before she was about to turn around
and head for the bridge, the sleek metal doors in front of her hissed open.
>From inside, she heard Kagato say, "It's rude to hover, little girl."
Kagato was sitting on the same operating table he had awoken on several hours
before. He was unconsciously rubbing his arm as his eyes danced across a
blindingly fast read out screen on the wall next to him.
Misa strolled in, her defensive 'I'm better than you are' attitude
practically dripping from her words. "It's also rude to sulk, little boy."
Kagato shot Misa a glance that could kill, then turned his attention back to
the readout panel. Before Misa could walk out, Kagato spoke up, His eyes
never leaving the readouts.
"I've been giving our problem some thought. Seeing as how an assault in our
current condition would be suicide, I've been looking at some possible
alternatives." Misa wandered over to where the scientist was sitting. Her
curiosity temporarily overrode her ego as she examined the display before the
good doctor. After realizing that it was moving far too fast for her to make
heads or tails of it, she decided to do what she was best at.
Talk.
"So tell me, Kagato, how'd you lose all your powers? Someone zap you with
some kind of energy sapping thingamabob or something?"
Kagato pushed some buttons below the readout. Instantly a flat screened
notepad and digital pen slid out from a slot in the wall. While watching the
readouts and writing on his pad, Kagato answered.
"Not quite."
"Then how'd you get so weak so fast?"
"I died."
"�Oh."
Kagato continued to work as Misa wandered around the infirmary, idly twirling
her baton and pushing buttons here and there out of sheer boredom. After
awhile, she remembered something that had been playing in her mind since
Kagato had woken up.
"Whose Anata?"
Kagato froze in mid scribble. Misa turned to look at him as he slowly put
the notepad down beside him. With a snap, the readouts stopped and the wall
slid closed, hiding the panel from view. Without turning, Kagato answered.
"How do you know that name?"
Misa could tell Kagato's mood had dramatically changed at her question, but
she wasn't sure what way it was steering. Cautiously, without any hint of
sarcasm or disrespect she said, "You called me that when you woke up,
remember? It was when you first got here�"
Kagato nodded. After several seconds he turned, sitting sideways to Misa.
For the first time since she entered the room, Pixy Misa could see the
scientist's face. She had seen his expression many times before, staring
back at her in a mirror. She knew what Kagato was feeling inside.
"She was my pupil. I found her, I don't know how, but I did. She was alone,
dying, desperate� I don't know why I took her in, but I did. It was through
her I was learning meaning in this world, but now�"
Misa nodded, taking a step forward. "They took her, didn't they? The people
we're going after."
Kagato nodded. "I don't know why they stole her from me, why I'm alive or
even why I accepted this impossible mission, but I do know this; to give up
is the unforgivable sin, and I can't give up on her being alive. Not yet,
anyway�"
When Kagato turned to face Misa, she saw that the contempt and scorn he had
held in his face earlier seemed to have vanished, at least partially.
Whatever the case, she knew he wasn't spiteful towards her at the moment, and
that was good enough for now.
"When I saw you, you reminded me of her. I guess I was a bit shaken at the
time. I apologize." Misa nodded. Both paused for a moment, letting the
silence do the talking. Finally, Kagato decided it was his turn.
"So tell me, why exactly are you here?"
Misa looked up, her mind already drifting off. "Eh?"
Kagato stood and walked over to a small square hole in the side of the wall.
After pressing some buttons, two cups of steaming, brown fluid appeared.
Taking on in each hand, the doctor turned to the magical girl. "I was
thinking while my arm was healing. I know you're evil otherwise you wouldn't
be here. I also know you have or at one time had considerable power, and
that you had some kind of revelation in your life. So tell me, what did you
do that was so horrible that you've been chosen to be my assistant?"
Misa paused, thinking about what had let to her being there. She thought
back to her life on earth, battling that blue-haired sap Sammy, the rush the
feel of battle gave her, the joy of watching Sammy fight for her life, Rumia�
Other memories started to creep in. Misa tried not to think about them, but
the more she tried, the faster they came. She remembered her friend, Sasami.
She remembered that she was Misao, the weak. She remembered her parents
that were always there but never around. She remembered the loneliness, the
tears, the�
"Let's just say I was a feared and respected villain where I come from and
leave it at that, okay?" Misa was doing her best to put on a false front of
confidence. Kagato didn't buy it, but nodded anyway.
"Fair enough. Now if you don't mind it's time to see what you're capable of,
little one." Kagato stood and headed for the door. Misa, somewhat confused
followed behind him.
"Excuse me? What are you talking about? We don't have time for sparing, and
besides I really don't feel like exerting myself today, besides, don't we
need to get going to Jurai or wherever it is we're going?"
Kagato started down the hall, not bothering to see if Misa was following.
"Not yet. First we need to pick up something on a brief stop, but after that
we should be ready."
"A brief stop? For what? Hey now you're not actually thinking of trying to
storm that palace, are you? Come on! You said it yourself, we would need an
army just to get close to the dumb place! What are we picking up, anyway?"
"An army."
Misa stopped deadpan in the hall, staring at the back of the good doctor.
She was in no mood to take orders from a second rate scientist who couldn't
even use magic, and now that they were heading somewhere, a somewhere that
she had no knowledge of, she wasn't about to take anymore orders, not until
she got some answers anyhow�
Kagato stopped, turned and shot her a glance. "You will accompany me to the
training room. Now." Misa started to protest, then saw the look Kagato was
giving her.
"Yes sir."
***
The training room was about thirty meters in height, width and breadth. Each
wall was equipped with various weapons, both projectile and hand held. The
floor was a maze of metallic sawhorses, bars, hoops and practice dummies. To
Misa, it looked like a quasi-futuristic Bond trap.
"While working in the infirmary I took the liberty of setting up this little
exercise via the ship's computer. I believe this should give me an accurate
picture of what you're capable of." Kagato pointed to what looked like the
starting point of a trail that ran through the maze of steel obstacles in the
room. "Begin."
Misa stared for a moment at the course, then at Kagato, then at the course
once again. After giving a weak laugh she turned to the scientist and did
her best not to sound too demeaning.
"Look, this is all well and good, but this isn't how I fight. You see, I�"
Misa didn't even have time to blink before the crackle of ozone through air
reached her ears. The blade at her neck shimmered in the ships processed
atmosphere.
"This is not a test of your offensive abilities. You will run the course.
Now. Understand?"
"Yes sir."
With a yelp, Misa started on the course. The energy blade behind her
swinging through the air only seemed to motivate her.
***
In a world that could have been a billion light years away one moment, then
right next door the next a woman sat amidst her shadows, watching the mad
scientist and the magical girl through eyes that could see more than eyes
should be able to. With a sigh, she watched as Misa pushed herself through
the obstacles Kagato had prepared for her. With a gesture, the training
session was gone, replaced with the image of a planet surrounded by a
crisscross of tree-like defenses, each one seeming to shimmer in the
starlight.
All the while a thought ran through the woman's mind, something that she
hadn't dared to think for what could have been countless millennium; then
again, for her it might have been only yesterday.
"Sister, what has become of you?"
***
Kagato & Co. belong to TV Tokyo, AIC and Pioneer
All C&C to BGlanders@aol.com or Ronoken@aol.com, please
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