[FFML] [MST] [Icz/Tekno] Operation Lightsphere, Phase 3 Ch. 7 -and- [Iczer] Companionship

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In the Knight Productions Theater:

Nicole: Hey all, We're just waiting on Brian..

<Brian comes in>

Nicole: What kept you?

Brian: Family business...my family suddenly got a strange start spring
cleaning early.

Yui: ...in the middle of winter?

Brian: Like I said, strange. Anyway, are we ready?

Athena: Yep, got the popcorn and everything!

Brian: Okay! <to Catty> Roll it!!

**5**4**3**2**1**

At 03:48 PM 12/19/2000 +1100, you wrote:

"Okay, here they come." said Nami as the first wave of

spider-crabs from

the Rhadam mothership approached. "Get ready."

"No need to tell me, Nami, I can see them." Kiiro replied. The Gold

Iczelion, flying alongside Nami, already had her Tornado cannon on standby.

Nicole: <Kiiro> Yeah, it's not like I need glasses or anything!

The Delos Zeta Custom pointed its fist at the wave of Spider

Crabs, and a

pale blue energy beam swept through them, annihilating most of the first

attack wave.

Nicole: <trying to figure that out> That...sounds a little strange.

"Good work, Ivory. Iczelions, and Mizuki, you handle the rest of the

spider-crabs, and the Teknomen when they arrive." Said Cyan from the

/Seriphos/' bridge. "Ivory, you attack the Rhadam ship."

"Hai. We know the battle plan." Ivory replied.

Yui: Which according to the rules of warfare, is going to come apart within
thirty seconds or so...

Aboard the /Seriphos/, Cyan looked over the monitors showing the

battle

from various angles. So far, her strategy seemed to be working, but she

felt more than a hint of unease.

{Is it just nerves?} She wondered, {Or is my intuition telling

me that

something's wrong, that there's something I haven't taken into account?}

<Cue dramatic music (Track 18 from the Lunar 2 soundtrack>

Nicole: Since when did we have music tracks?

Brian: <grins> Since I like that game.

Athena: And *how* many times have you been killed by the last boss?

Brian: <sulks> Shaddup.

For now, there was no way to tell.

* * * * *

OPERATION LIGHTSPHERE

An Iczelion/Teknoman crossover fanfic

by Andrew Dynon

Phase 3

Chapter 7

"Tomodachi no Koe"

Brian: <tries to translate, but....> Err...translation please?

OP: "Time Distortion" by Two-Mix, from the album "Dream Tactix"

The Iczer series (c) Toshiki Hirano/AIC. Tekkaman Blade (c) Tatsunoko

Productions.

Any resemblance between the Delos mecha and the title mecha of a certain

long-running anime is purely intentional.

* * * * *

All: <Try to see the connection, but fail>

"My daughter, you have been named for the heavenly guardians, the

angels

of protection that our religion speaks of - the Iczers. Many of our

legends speak of innocents being protected from harm by Iczers, especially

as they slept. Iczer-1, what remains of our race are now at their most

vulnerable, as they sleep on their journey through the darkness. It is

your duty to act as the heavenly Iczers do, and allow no harm to come to

them."

- Excerpt from Violet's message to Iczer-1, received immediately upon

Iczer-1's awakening.

Athena: That's...quite a wake up call.

"When Latshen ("Sunlight-eyed") finally escaped from the Sorrows,

she was

exhausted, and knew she was too badly wounded to fight. Yet she still ran

through the darkness, her vision aided by the sunlight she had retrieved

from the deepest part of the forest, and at last she came to the lake of

Princess Elithtae ("Purifier"). As soon as Latshen set foot in the lake,

she collapsed, and Princess Elithtae carried her to her palace in the

lake's waters. But the Dark Lady's demons, in pursuit of Latshen and

hoping to prevent her from releasing the sunlight, attacked the palace and

slew Elithtae's guardians. Princess Elithtae drew the symbol of protection

around Latshen and prayed, and an Iczer, seeing Latshen's vulnerability,

appeared before her armed and armored, and slew the demons. Then, the

Iczer said to the sleeping Latshen, "Bearer of the sunlight, as you were

unable to defend yourself, it was my duty to do so. But soon, you will

have to face demons more powerful than the ones I fought, and you will face

them alone. Understand that you may fall in that battle."

- From the Kthulhu legend of Latshen

* * * * *

Nicole: Heh, wonder if that has anything to do with Nagisa's current situation.

Yui: Given the laws of probability, probably.

Iczer-1 floated effortlessly inside the large, spherical chamber,

not even

needing to spend the tiny amount of energy required to fly - there was no

gravity here. Soft, peaceful silver-blue light, emanating from a complex

pattern inlaid in the walls, filled the room, which was otherwise

featureless, apart from a translucent sphere a little over one meter in

diameter, which was suspended in the exact center of the room.

Iczer-1 had thought she would never come to this place again, and

she knew

that nobody else had. There were no entrances to this room - it was only

accessible via teleportation, and the only other people with that ability,

her sisters, were completely ignorant of its existence.

But now, she had reason to return to the chamber she had awoken in.

Nicole: <blinks, and Fireballs Brian>

Brian: <charbroiled> What was that for?!?

Nicole: To forestall any "return to the womb" jokes. <smiles>

In her arms, she cradled the limp, still-naked body of her

beloved Nagisa.

The poor girl, she had undergone such sickening torture at the hands of

the Rhadam, and now her body and mind were paying the price for it. Sheer

desperation had enabled her to make her escape, but shortly afterward, she

had collapsed. She was in shock, and Iczer-1 knew that the slightest

disturbance could have at best horrific, and likely deadly, consequences.

Nicole, Yui, and Athena: <growl and tighten their grips on their respective
swords>

Brian: <edging back slightly> By the way...where's Natsumi?

Catty: <on intercom> She called in sick for this one...I think she on the...

<Several loud explosions are heard outside>

Catty: ...target range.

Brian: Can't blame her one bit.

The translucent sphere in the center of the room split neatly in

half, and

Iczer-1 carried Nagisa inside and allowed it to close around them.

Somehow, it seemed to be larger inside than out. Iczer-1 laid Nagisa's

unconscious body down, and it naturally curled into a foetal position.

Gently, the blonde android repeatedly ran her fingers through the girl's

wet, dark green hair, whispering what was almost a mantra in her ear.

Nicole: "fetal"

"Nagisa, you're all right. It's over."

* * * * *

Star sat on her bed aboard the /White Shield/, silently cursing

the state

of inactivity she had been in since she and her companions had retreated to

the ship. For what were supposedly the front lines of the war, things had

been far too quiet recently - there had been no major battles in the time

she had been here, only a few minor raids, skirmishes and probing attacks.

And neither she nor the ship she was aboard had been involved in any of

them. It was probably just as well - even with the Kthulhu's advanced

medical technology, Kawai, Shara, and Blade would need time to recover from

their wounds, but common sense did not dampen the desire she felt to

retaliate against the Rhadam and their Teknoman servants for hurting her

friends... and hurting Blade.

Yui: Wait a sec...<re-reads> Shara and Blade I can understand...but when
did Kawai get injured?

In particular, one specific servant of the Rhadam.

"Blade..." she said aloud, not caring that her addressee was

absent and

unconscious. "You want to kill him yourself, don't you?"

Nicole: Of course he does, it's in the rules.

Athena: Angsty main characters with evil siblings are *always* drawn to
kill them.

Yui: Okay, there are a few exceptions, but generally that's the rule.

Her eyes flashed with anger.

"But after what he did to you, I won't let you. I know how angry

you'll

be at me for this. And I don't care."

She stared at the image of Saber she imagined, her green eyes

burning with

the fire possessed only by one who had seen the one dearest to her heart

come to harm.

* * * * *

"Floating..."

"What's floating?"

"I'm floating."

"Who am I?"

"I am us."

"Where am/are I/we floating?"

"I/we don't know."

"I'm/We're scared!"

"What of?"

"There's something following me/us!"

All: <eyes going swirly after following that verbal tennis>

The merged soul of Nagisa Kai and Raura Karura, who called

herself Nagisa,

asked and answered questions as she traveled through alternating areas of

light and darkness. This place, if that was what it was, was quite unlike

the terrible realm where Iczer Zero had tortured both of her, but, in its

own way, it was a place of doubt and fear. Her form was alternately

engulfed in the darkness and the light, and wisps of things she knew should

be familiar, but were not, played around her body, becoming insubstantial

when she tried to grasp them. And, only ever seen in the corner of her

eye, a demonic shape followed her like a hungry wolf.

Nicole: A wolf demon with Iczer-Zero's face, no doubt.

If she screamed, the wolf-demon would catch her. Her instincts

told her

that, and she had no reason to doubt them. But, nonetheless, the fear she

was feeling grew, and with it grew the overwhelming urge to scream, to

allow the predator to catch her, to end the horrid pursuit. It was all too

much. She prepared to release the scream^�

But before she did so, she was surrounded by a warm, white-gold

light, and

her fears dissolved as she felt someone's arms around her. Gradually, her

eyes adjusted to the light, and she saw the form of an albino boy her age,

who looked at her as if he were gazing upon a sister he had never before seen.

"Really, Nagisa." The youth said. "After what you went through

against

Iczer Zero, I'm surprised you just gave in to that little thing. You must

be exhausted."

Nicole: <growls, pulls out a Zero dummy, and slashes it in twain>

"Who are you?"

"I'd hoped you'd recognise me. Well, my name used to be Tabris,

but now

it's Kaworu."

All: <facefault>

"Ka... wo... ru..." Nagisa tried to remember where she had heard

the name

before.

"Grandfather?" She hardly dared believe what her instincts knew

to be true.

"Yes. Although my mortal form died before you were born. Please

forgive

me for that."

All: HUH?!? <facefault again>

A sudden wave of worry ran through Nagisa's being. "Am I

dead? I can't

be! Iczer-One needs me!"

Brian: <Billy Crystal impression> "No, you're just mostly dead."

Nicole: <groans, and pulls on a rope>

Brian: <is buried under a pile of "The Princess Bride" hardcover books and
videotapes>

"No, you're not dead. Just in shock. You'll recover soon. But

before

that, you need to meet someone." He held her hand, and flew towards a

rainbow-colored portal which appeared a short distance ahead of them.

Nicole: <Flare Arrows Brian before he can make the "Going into the light" joke>

* * * * *

While Nagisa's body lay unconscious, the pod she was inside began

to glow

with soft blue light, and the air around her began to cool rapidly.

Unbeknownst to Nagisa, words appeared on a screen outside the pot.

[Body confirmed compatible]

[Mental scan complete]

[Commencing transfer process]

Yui: <blinks> Okay...now, transfer of who?

Athena: Remember, she's kinda sharing parking space in there...so to speak.

Nicole: Even though they've kinda merged at this point.

* * * * *

Ivory fired the Zeta Custom's thrusters, and flew through the

next wave of

Spider-Crabs, powerful beams of pale blue energy from the mecha's hand

killing many of them. The Rhadam mothership was almost within firing range

now, and as she approached, she focused her targeting device on the

sickly-looking organic vessel's spine-like hull. She fired as soon as she

entered effective range, energy pulsing again from the Zeta Custom's

outstretched arm, and tearing along the Rhadam ship's hull. Ivory shot

past the vessel, strafing all the way, and then turned around to prepare

for another pass.

"Only minor hull damage? That's a well-armored ship." She said to

herself. A tekno bolt shot toward her, only to be blocked by the Delos'

force field, and Ivory activated one of the Rion Lancer's energy blades,

instantly vaporising the Teknoman as it struck. Receiving a telepathic

warning from Cyan, she took cover behind the Rhadam ship as the /Seriphos/

launched a volley of fire, unfortunately only managing to graze it. Then,

she saw the hull in front of her open like a snake's mouth, and she felt a

wave of pain inside her head.

"A Tekno Mega? Kuso..."

All: <All the good guys in the area> OH SH**!!!

Ivory had seen reports about, but never encountered,

these. While normal

Teknomen retained some semblance of their identities, however twisted it

may have been, if the Kthulhu's theories were correct then these were the

result of an even more terrible process. The theory was that the creation

of a Tekno Mega required a large number of victims, at least ten and often

more, whose minds were split in a sort of psychic fission in the pods and

the resulting energy used to form its massive body. The only thing that

remained of the victims' former selves was the psychic agony the new

creature wielded along with its physical weaponry. As Ivory shielded her

mind, she was thankful for the psionic training all Kthulhu received from

childhood. She fired a burst of energy from her mecha's arm, but the

creature, with unnatural speed for its size, dodged aside, and flew at her.

* * * * *

"It's been a long time. Too long, for you. Am I right?"

Nagisa Kai instantly recognised the girl of her age who stood in

front of

her as her grandmother, and ran to embrace her.

Nicole: Take one guess who that is. :)

"Oh, grandmother! I missed you so much when you died! Did you

know?"

"Of course. I remember how you stayed up crying every night for

more than

a week. I wanted to come and comfort you, but you needed to learn how to

deal with what had happened on your own. As all mortals do."

"I wasn't alone." The younger Nagisa said. "Mizuki-neesan

helped me.

And so did my parents, and my cousins. But now, everything's different.

My parents died, and Mizuki and my cousins left on that ship..." she broke

off, trying to fight the tears welling in her eyes.

"Let the tears come, Nagisa. It helps." The elder Nagisa

said. "And

you're right on both counts. You know that my life changed just as much at

your age."

All: NO kidding!!

"As did Raura Karura IV." Another girl, slightly older than the two

Nagisas, appeared. She was athletic, with long blonde hair and the

distinctive red eyes of the Kthulhu, and dressed like an Earthly mediaeval

knight, in plate armor with a blue-bordered yellow tabard over it, carrying

a spear in one hand and shield in the other. Nagisa gasped as she

recognised the young woman.

Brian <deep thinking> Why does that description remind me of something?

"You're from the legend! Latshen of the Sunlight!"

Nicole: And here's the connection with the beginning!

Latshen smiled, but Nagisa detected a hint of sadness behind it

as she

spoke. "And the story is still known by the Kthulhu in the present age."

"It's true?"

"Metaphorically, yes. Literally, even I can't say. It's hard to explain,

but I'm a manifestation of the ideals Latshen represents. Of course, the

Kthulhu have lost their sun's light in a different way, now, and I can't

bring it back this time. I can only hope they understand the deeper

meanings of the story, rather than the words that are written down." She

shook her head. "I've seen too many people from too many worlds take what

their religion says too literally. But that's another matter. As for the

reason I came to speak to you..." She paused briefly, as if trying to

figure out what words to express her thoughts with.

"Along with others, you now hold the hope of the Kthulhu. It is your

responsibility to do your utmost to protect them and other races from the

current threat. And, while I cannot guarantee that the Kthulhu will

succeed, or that you yourself will survive, I can promise that we shall try

to help anyone who does their utmost.

"Nagisa Kai, Raura Karura V, you have earned something that may

help you,

when the time comes, in the war against the Rhadam. However, what we are

about to do will require you to drop your psychic defenses completely."

Nicole: <Nagisa> EEEEHHHH??????

Nagisa hesitated. To be completely defenseless against anyone and

anything that wished to invade her mind, take what they wanted from it,

manipulate it for their own purposes? Even here, she felt unsafe doing it.

Nicole: <notices the line forming for just that and Ra Tilts it>

Not just unsafe, afraid. Very afraid. Raura's fears, for the same

reasons, served to redouble her own. She shook her head and involuntarily

backed away a couple of paces.

Athena: Me, I would have backed a couple of parsecs away.

Then, she felt her grandmother's arms around her shoulders.

"Nagisa, don't be scared. If I believed anyone was even possibly going to

do anything harmful to you, I would not have permitted this."

Yui: And most likely kicked their arses for even suggesting it.

"I believe you. But... this way, I'm relying on other people, again,

aren't I? Like I've been doing too much."

Kaworu looked her in the eye. "You proved you were worthy of it, when you

brok free of the mind control. And we do this only because you're likely

to face something that is out of your depth. If you could do it by

yourself, we wouldn't be helping you."

Nagisa stared into the eyes of her grandparents, silently, as if in deep

thought. Finally, she spoke.

All: <try to figure out Nagisa (elder) and Kaworu...and fail utterly>

"I'll do it."

* * * * *

{Iczelion units, our battle plan has changed.} Cyan

sent. {Ivory will

engage the Tekno Mega. You are to attempt to break off your current battle

and attack the Rhadam ship.}

Nicole: "Attempt" being highly understated here.

{I hear ya, Cyan!} Kiiro replied, as she ducked a thrown

teklance and

fired at the enemy that had thrown it. {But Teknoman-han here doesn't seem

to want me to go!} She blocked another Teklance thrust with a well-armored

part of her lower leg, and flew backward, attempting to put some distance

between herself and her current opponent.

Yui: Is she always so...polite?

Athena: You should have seen her at the Christmas party.

{They just don't give us a break, do they?} Interjected

Tina. She tried

to manuver behind the Teknoman she was fighting, but the Teknoman spun to

face her and she was forced back onto the defensive.

{Just keep trying, Kiiro!} Nami sent. {You're handling him so

far!} She

turned to concentrate on her own battle. The Teknoman she was fighting

flew at her, her teklance spinning like a metallic whirlwind. Nami set

herself, waiting for the attack, and, with her enemy nearly upon her,

ducked underneath, using one of her beam swords to deflect the teklance.

The beam sword sheared through the lance, sending one end of it flying

through space, while Nami brought her second blade up to stab through the

Teknoman's armpit and. The blade emerged through the top of the Teknoman's

shoulder, and she screamed in pain and rage. Nami ran her through with

another beam-sword thrust, then turned and headed for the ship. Nearby,

Jalir fired an energy blast through her enemy's torso, and did the same.

*

On the /Seriphos'/ bridge, Cyan observed the situation on her monitor.

Kiiro and Mizuki were still having difficulty disengaging, and she doubted

Nami and Jalir would be able to defeat the Tekno Warlord alone. Now was

the time for her to act. She turned to her second-in-command.

Yui: Wait a sec...where's Mizuki? It only went through Kiiro and Tina.

"Amber, take command - contingency plan delta. I'm going out."

Nicole: <Cyan> Because we already used Alpha through Charlie.

"Understood."

Cyan's Iczel appeared beside her, and she prepared for the rush

of energy

through her body as she transformed.

"CHARGING!!!!!"

Brian: <grins and changes the music to Tracks 7, 14, and 15>

*

The Delos Zeta Custom dodged and twisted, trying to evade the barrage of

energy the Teknos Mega was letting loose, attempting to incinerate it. One

of the energy blasts struck the mecha's hip and, in the cockpit, Ivory felt

the mecha vibrate. The mecha's AI, however, reported no internal damage.

{Not yet, anyway. But this thing's making life difficult for me.} Ivory

thought. The Zeta Custom was agile for its size, but its opponent seemed

just as much so, if not more. She occasionally managed to get

counterattacks in between dodging the Mega's energy blasts, but none of

them so far had looked close to hitting.

Nicole:<wince> I know how you feel.

{Kuso... this isn't getting me anywhere. I gotta try a different tactic!}

Unfortunately for Ivory, the Mega did not allow her time to think in

between dodging energy blasts. She could only see one option present itself.

{Better than nothing. But if this doesn't work, I think I'm sunk.} Still

attempting to dodge the Tekno Mega's fire, she turned and dove toward the

Rhadam ship.

*

Nami slashed with her beam sword, this time creating a gash in

the hull of

the techno-organic Rhadam ship, which bled pink goo as she and Jalir flew

through it. The pair flew through the narrow, dark passage, in the

direction they hoped the Tekno Warlord's sanctum lay. For this type of

attack, greater forces would have been preferable. For now, though, they

would just have to provide a distraction for the Warlord until greater

forces could be brought to bear. She slashed at any spider-crabs that came

near her, while Jalir blasted them with energy bolts. None managed to do

harm to either of them as they flew threw the dimly-glowing tunnels.

After what seemed far too long a time, the pair flew into the Tekno

Warlord's chamber. The dim, pinkish light of the ship's corridors was

replaced by a bright, blood-colored illumination as they entered, and laid

there eyes upon red-and-gold armored, feminine figure, wielding a

double-ended spear, standing nonchalantly to face them.

Yui: You're missing an "a" in there.

"Welcome to my inner sanctum, my enemies." She said, her refined,

haunting voice barely above a whisper. "I am the Tekno Warlord Devass. It

is unfortunate, I think, that your friends are not here to be killed with

you."

"Yeah, right." Nami spat derisively. "I don't think you can

kill any of

us."

"You try to put on a brave face, Nami Shinma." The Warlord said,

and a

look of shock appeared on Nami's face at her enemy's knowledge of her name.

"But within, you know as well as I do the truth of my words. You shall

die in this battle."

"Oh, will I?" Nami hefted her twin beam swords and flew at Devass,

intending to slice her into three pieces. Devass simply waited for the

Black Iczelion to come at her, then, far faster than Nami could believe,

parries the beam sword strokes with her weapon, and launched a

counterattack, smashing her in the side with her knee. The momentum hurled

Nami sideways, and she moaned in pain, unable to stand.

All: <wince in sympathy>

"And Jalir." Devass turned to the other Iczelion who was in her

chamber.

"I was hoping you'd come." Devass raised her arm, and bloody tendrils shot

from it. Jalir attempted to dodge, but the tendrils followed her

movements. One bit into her head, then another, then more and more,

attatching themselves like alien leeches. They coiled around her limbs

like chains of living slime, immobilising her. And, when she was unable to

move, she heard Devass' voice inside her mind.

Nicole: Since when can Teknomen do the fusion trick?

Yui: <shrugs> Dramatic effect?

"Jalir, why do you serve the Kthulhu? Why do you further the aims of

those who let me die?"

Jalir stared in disbelief at the image of the cheerful girl with

ponytailed black hair. Her greatest friend.

"Tayah?"

"Yes, Jalir. It's me. Please, fight alongside me. Fight for

the Rhadam."

Brian:<groans> I can see where this is going. <Changes music to Track 22>

* * * * *

Nagisa's surroundings faded to a silver-white glow, with glittering

fragments of every color in the spectrum surrounding her, resembling

many-hued stars. She felt a hands touch her shoulders, and, without

needing to look, was aware that the hands were those of her grandmother and

grandfather. Latshen stood in front of her, and stretched her hands out so

that they, too, touched Nagisa's.

"Sisterhood, scource of all light and the life it gives..." Latshen

began, and Nagisa recognised what she was participating in as an archaic

Kthulhu religious rite.

"Sisterhood, with those who provide light..." Nagisa Kano continued.

"Sisterhood, with those who are aided by light..." The next line was

Kaworu's, and Nagisa saw him and her grandmother exchange subtle glances as

he said the line.

All: <smirk and snicker>

"Sisterhood, with those who find light within

themselves." Latshen said,

reaching to gently touch Nagisa between her eyes.

"Sisterhood within all of us, this one is yet to face her darkest

hour.

Please, when the time comes when what she must do is beyond her own power,

arise from her."

The fragments of multicolored light drifted toward Nagisa, seeming to

stick to her astral body. More and more drifted toward her, and her body

glowed with the multicolored light of the particles. For a moment that

seemed like an aeon, she felt, for the only time in her life, at perfect

peace with herself. Then, an exhaustion she was previously unaware of

overcame her.

All: Cool....

* * * * *

Ivory looked worriedly at the Delos' sensors. She had made her move

towards the Rhadam ship's hull so that she could use it as cover for

hit-and-fade tactics. At first she thought she was having some success -

she had scored hits, albeit minor ones, on her enemy a few times and been

able to dodge its counterattacks. But now, it had begun to use the ship as

cover itself, and she had no idea where it was - other than still nearby.

The mild disorientation she felt due to its psychic attack confirmed that,

but made it even more difficult for her to determine its location.

Her mecha's sensors alerted her just in time as the Tekno Mega

appeared

from her leftward rear. Ivory tried to manuver out of harm's way, but did

not have enough time to evade the hurled teklance, which struck the Delos'

side and knocking it off balance. Before she had time to recover, her

opponent was upon her, its shoulder plates opening and beginning to glow

with fire-red energy. The mecha's right arm was pinned - she couldn't

bring the Rion Lancer to bear.

Athena: <wince> This is gonna hurt...

{Great. How am I gonna get out of *this*?} Ivory thought as she

watched

the energy for the Tekno Bolt build up. She glanced at the Delos' pinned

right arm again.

{Channel reserve power to the right arm!} she commanded the

Delos' AI.

{That will result in a loss of power to shielding} The AI responded.

{We can't survive the blast at this range anyway. Do it!}

Nicole: Makes sense...

The Delos' right arm glowed with pale blue energy, causing the

Tekno Mega

to pull away from its pin due to the shock. As soon as that happened,

Ivory activated the mecha's thrusters, taking it out of harm's way

milliseconds before an energy blast sliced through the spot she had been

pinned. Now, the tables were turned. She brought the Rion Lancer to bear

and concentrated, sending energy resonating between the weapon's two

blades. When enough energy had been built up, she fired, the blue-white

wave striking the Mega in the chest, leaving its torso a burned-out shell.

Exhausted almost as much physically as mentally by her battle, she held the

Delos' control sticks to keep herself from collapsing.

{Ivory, return to the ship.} Came a telepathic message from Amber.

{I ... can continue.}

All: Yeah...right!

{Negative, Field Lieutenant-Gamma Ivory. You are mentally

exhausted, and

your mecha's circuits face imminent overloading. Return, and that's an

order.}

Nicole: <blinks> was Gamma her rank or last name?

{Okay.}

* * * * *

"Tayah? Masaka... Tayah, you died. I felt you in pain...

you..." Jalir

struggled to really believe the fact that her friend was alive and standing

face to face with her.

Nicole: <groan> just completely ignoring the fact that she's currently a
Warlord.

"I'm not dead, Jalir. I'm right here. I'm not in pain any

more. Look at

me. You can see that, can't you?"

Yui: <Jalir> Well...not really. Can you take the helmet off first?

Tears of joy welled in Jalir's eyes, the vision of the lifelong

friend she

had thought forever lost to her being far too much for her to have any hope

of keeping in control. Tayah approached her, and clasped Jalir's hand in

hers, and then wrapped her other arm around her shoulders. For what seemed

like hours, the pair simply stayed in that position, words being

unnecessary - unsuitable - to express the pure joy Jalir felt, and knew

Tayah felt as well, at finding a friend she had believed to be forever

lost. Finally, Tayah was the one who spoke.

"You'll kill them, won't you? The people who let me die? The

Kthulhu and

those who serve them?" She looked at Jalir pleadingly. "For me?"

"Yes, Tayah. I promise. I'll kill them all for you."

Athena: Err...Nami? Run. Now.

* * * * *

"I'm getting tired of you, damn it!"

Tina dodged out of the way of the teklance her enemy thrust at

her, and

twisted sideways to avoid another slash. Her fight against this Teknoman

had been going on for far too long, especially considering that Nami and

Jalir were inside the Rhadam ship at the moment. She glanced briefly in

Kiiro's direction, wondering if the Gold Iczelion could assist her, but

Kiiro was too tied up with her own fight. She returned her attention to

her enemy, to see him almost upon her. She tried to intercept his teklance

with her beam glaive, but she couldn't bring it to bear in time. The

teklance thrust carried past her attempted parry, and toward her chest...

...only to be intercepted by a large disc of pale blue energy. After

blocking the teklance, the disc circled back toward the figure of Cyan,

landing on her left arm to become a shield. Cyan wasted no time - she flew

toward Tina's opponent, slicing him in half with her beam sword, and then

turned her attention to the Teknoman Kiiro was fighting. The teknoman

managed to dodge Cyan's first shot, but flew straight into a burst from

Kiiro that knocked him backward. The next shot from Cyan went straight

through his chest.

All: <applaud that cool fight>

"Thanks, Cyan." Said Tina.

"No time for that. Let's get into that ship."

* * * * *

Nami stood, shaking off the effects of the blow the warlord had

landed on

her. Focusing on Devass, she hefted her beam-sword and charged again.

Devass did not move as Nami ran at her. She slashed with the beam-sword,

only to have it suddenly impact against another energy blade. Nami gasped

in shock as she saw who wielded the weapon.

"Jalir?"

"You let her die! You let Tayah die!!!"

With that, Jalir summoned another beam sword and slashed at

Nami. Nami

parried, not wanting to attack the poor girl. In the dim light, she

thought she saw slim tendrils attached to the base of Jalir's neck,

radiating a faint, pink-orange glow that seemed to be flowing into Jalir's

body like some kind of electricity.

Nicole: Question: Wouldn't her armor had prevented this, somehow?

"Jalir, this isn't you!"

Jalir ignored Nami's words, and continued attacking. Nami bided

her time,

continuing to dodge and parry. Finally, she saw an opening. Dodging to

the side on one of Jalir's thrusts, she parried with one blade, slashing

the other in a rising arc at the tendril attatched to the back of Jalir's

neck. Jalir screamed in pain, and collapsed to the ground. Immediately,

Nami knelt by the girl's side.

"Jalir, it's okay now. You're free."

Jalir stirred, and then opened her eyes, which glowed

pink-orange. Before

Nami could react, a beam sword appeared in her hands, and the stabbed with

it. The blade pierced straight through Nami's heart.

All: <gasp and wince>

"Tayah, I did it. I killed her for you." Jalir announced to the

Tayah in

her mind.

"Thank you. Please, Jalir, you have to kill the rest of

them!" Tayah

replied.

"No... wait..." Jalir looked down at the corpse of Nami, dead by her

hands. Or *was* it Nami? As she looked, the body's form shifted, the dead

woman beconing younger, shorter-haired, seemed more familiar... the dear

friend whom she had lost to the Rhadam.

"Jalir, please." Her friend said. "Remember what we are

fighting against."

Jalir remembered. The corpse changed back to that of Nami, and

the image

of Tayah disappeared, replaced by that of Devass.

Nicole: And now she figures it out.

"How dare you??" Jalir demanded. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ME???"

Violet-colored light surrounded her body, and once again she summoned her

twin beam-swords. Devass hefted her weapon, and the pair clashed. A wave

of force emnated from the Tekno Warlord, and Jalir was hurled backward,

crashing headfirst into the chamber's wall. She lay there, stunned.

"I regret your betrayal of me, Jalir." Devass said

calmly. "Your anger

at the Kthulhu would have been a great asset to our masters' cause. But

you chose to betray us." She walked toward the fallen Iczelion.

"And in doing so, you have chosen to die." She raised her weapon and

prepared to stab it through Jalir's heart.

"SUPER TORNADO!!!!"

A blast of energy struck Devass in the chest - the Tekno Warlord

staggered, but retained her footing. Kiiro, Tina and Cyan stood at the

entrance to the chamber.

"Sorry we're a bit late, Jalir!" Kiiro started - then she saw

Nami's dead

body on the floor of the chamber.

"Nami! Oh, my god!"

"It's my fault." Jalir said as she stood up. "I'm so sorry...

it's my

fault." Her beam swords appeared in her hands, and she once again prepared

to attack Devass. The other Iczelions moved to join her.

"Don't help me!" Jalir shouted. "I want to fight her myself!"

"Sorry, girl." Kiiro replied. "You're getting our help whether

you want

it or not."

All: Go Kiiro!!

Jalir shrugged contemptuously, and charged at Devass, the others

joining

in as soon as she made her move. Once again, she felt herself knocked

backward as Devass' weapon penetrated her defenses. The Tekno warlord

dodged a shot from Kiiro, before striking Tina when she thrust at her with

her beam-glaive. Cyan attacked with her beam-sword, but Devass parried,

her teklance glowing with sinister orange-pink radiance. The weapons

glowed brighter and brighter as they pressed against each other, both

combatants attempting to break through and strike their opponent. Finally,

the blue light of Cyan's blade seemed to shatter, and Devass' teklance cut

into her shoulder, knocking her, bleeding, to the floor. Devass raised her

teklance, preparing to stab Cyan through the chest, and swung downward...

...only to find herself struck through the heart by a beam-sword

wielded

by Jalir. The brown-haired girl's whose eyes burned with a rage few would

believe possible - especially those who did not know what she had gone

through.

Nicole: <growls> No comment.

"Jalir!" Cyan gasped in surprise... then, she stopped abruptly,

as she

realised that Devass' teklance had pierced Jalir's chest, too. Jalir

hardly seemed to notice at first, as she spoke to the slain Tekno Warlord.

"I got you. I got you, you bitch." Then, she winced in

pain. "Tayah,

did you see me? I'm gonna... see you again... now. I'm... coming..."

With that, she collapsed, her blood intermingling with Nami's on

the floor

of the chamber. Cyan looked on, with a question running through her mind

that refused to allow itself to be answered.

{Jalir, your death... was it on purpose, or not?}

Brian: <changes track to Amazing Grace>

* * * * *

END PHASE 3, CHAPTER 7

Next Chapter: Star vs Saber: Round one!

All: FIGHT!!

Author's notes:

Okay, sorry I took so long writing this, but I'm done now. To make up for

it, I promise to get onto writing the next chapter quickly, as well as

other things. This was the first really big fight in the story for quite a

while, and I had trouble trying to develop the imagery for it. One of the

things anime can do better than prose, I guess.

Brian: Can't argue with you there!

One thing that I meant to mention in the last couple of chapters but forgot

to was that the practice of putting quotes at the beginning of chapters was

inspired by (of all things!) Jack McKinney's Robotech novels. Oh, well,

I've mentioned them now.

Brian: I always found that enjoyable.

Although I don't subscribe to any religion in particular, I do find

mythology and religion fascinating, and that's showing through,

particularly in recent chapters of Lightsphere. I'm trying to create a

belief system for the Kthulhu, and have tried to research many mythologies

and religions in the attempt - something I recommend all writers do,

because there's a reason that these stories have survived for centuries and

millennia. Elsa Bibat's "A Long Slow Walk Y2K" essay has a good section on

this. I'll also sneak in another plug for Joseph Campbell's work here,

including the "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth" series of interviews

conducted by Bill Moyers that my university has on video, and Chris

Vogler's "The Writer's Journey", which studies how the principles of

Campbell's "The Hero With a Thousand Faces" applies to contemporary film.

One way this fascination with mythology worked its way into my

story is

the fact that the Iczers were named for mythological beings. On Earth, we

borrow many names from old (and contemporary) religions, and, given how

important Violet saw Iczer-One as being to the Kthulhu (she intended her to

be the leader and guardian of her people), I think it would be somewhat

surprising if her name did NOT reflect this.

Nami and Jalir's deaths... I don't want to kill characters for

nothing but

shock value, but neither do I want to fall into the trap of "nobody ever

dies, and everyone lives happily ever after". Let's face it, sometimes

life, fate, God, or whatever you want to call it, is cruel, and there's

nothing that can be done about it. I still try and keep a positive

worldview, though. BTW, for masterful use of character deaths to advance a

storyline, watch Yoshiyuki Tomino's works, especially the Gundam series he

directed. I'm currently trying to think of a good Gundam story to write.

All: NO GUNDAM WING!!!

Brian: Anything but that. No offense, but I'm all "Winged" out, so to speak.

Well, that's about all. See you soon!

Yui: Okay! Ja...

Brian: Hold it!!

Nicole: What?

Brian: There's another fic to go through. It's short, I promise. <to
Catty> Roll it!!

**5**4**3**2**1**

Brian: <is charred by several Fireballs>

Just something that popped into my head overnight. I wrote it for myself,

but decided I may as well send it to the FFML.

COMPANIONSHIP

A tale of the far future of the Lightsphere saga

By Andrew Dynon

Any and all C&C needed. MSTs appreciated.

Based on the Iczer series by Toshiki Hirano

* * * * *

Most people would call this planet uninhabitable. It is, for most races

apart from my own. It is blisteringly hot, highly radioactive, and has a

toxic atmosphere and acid seas. Strangely, there is evidence that this was

once the homeworld of another, long-dead race. I have no sympathy

whatsoever for them, whoever they were. If they turned their planet into

this, they deserved to be wiped out. And yet, with its boiling oceans and

the deep gorges where acid rivers run, it has a beauty that is completely

unique. Truth be told, I'm ecstatic that my race chose this as their

homeworld.

*Nicole: <draws on her Explorer Mission experience> Ooookkkaayyy....

*Brian: I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder...

Okay, so, technically, Kalra isn't the Iczer homeworld. That honor goes to

Tshela. But we left Tshela untouched in order to preserve its environment

- an old joke is that we only use it for making love to our partners on.

All our technology, infrastructure and everything else is located either in

space or on this planet.

*Nicole: Okay, now that makes sense.

"Out here again, Tariyu?" I know without looking who it is, but I feel

it's polite to stand up and turn to face her. Not that I'm in the mood to

be polite at the moment.

"Athene-oneesama." She stands, smiling, her long, thick black hair blowing

freely in the wind, contrasting with the white bodysuit she wears. When I

first met her, she told me how she was named after a warrior-goddess from

Nagisa's original homeworld. Many of my sisters are named for goddesses

and heroines of legend - I myself am named for a legendary queen from Ishua.

*Athena: Grins, that coincides with the eariler fic, at least!

"How are you holding up?" She asks, concerned.

"I can handle it." I reply, somewhat defiant, not feeling nearly as strong

as I want to sound.

"Liar." Athene says in mock-scolding. Damn. I don't want to talk about

this. Even to her. I just want to think about it alone for a while.

"Let's sit down."

Her words are an invitation, but, even though I don't want to sit down and

talk to her, I feel I have to. Damn you, Athene. You really know how to

make me feel guilty, don't you?

*Yui: <grins> part of an older sister's charm.

*Athena: You? Charm? HA!

*Yui: <pulls a mallet from warpspace and bonks Athena with it> Quiet you.

"You know that I went through the pain you're going through." She says.

Oh, she's so sympathetic. Show me some sympathy by leaving me be, will you?

*Nicole: <Athene> Fat chance, sister.

"Yeah. Centuries ago. I doubt you even remember it." I watch as anger

flashes upon her face for a moment... and then clears away.

*Brian: <wince> Wrong thing to say...

"I'll always remember it, Tariyu. The death of my partner, Kalyla, was...

well... the sorrow was as great as the joy I felt when I synchronised with

her. Then, she reincarnates, and grows old again, dies again, reincarnates

again... every time the pain gets worse." There is no way the pain in her

voice is anything but genuine. Maybe I was a bit too nasty with that last

comment of mine, but right now I don't care.

*Brian:<changes music to "Circle of Life">

*Nicole: <pulls rope>

*<Brian is buried under a ton of Lion King plushies>

"So the pain from Loru dying the first time wasn't enough? Why do I have

to have it repeated over and over, just so I can synchronise? If that's

what happens, what's the point?" I yell despairingly.

*<Aerith blows in>

*Aerith: Just wait, dear. <smiles>

"Well, Tariyu..." Athene says to me in her "mentor" voice, "How did you

feel about Loru?"

*Nicole: <Throws Athene a professor's costume>

"That is so obvious!" I respond derisively. "I was in love with her,

wasn't I? The same way all of us who have partners feel about them!"

"And that's the reason." Athene says, looking... well... smug. "You

loved her, so you need to feel the pain of losing her. The alternation of

love and sorrow... it's what saves us from our death wish."

*Aerith: There you go.

*<Aerith blows out>

*Nicole: What was Aerith doing here?

*Brian: I...have no idea.

"I don't have a death wish!" I fire back angrily. What the hell is she

thinking?

*All: Oh really?

"No, but you're only young." Athene responds, calm as ever. "But,

still... you've fought, and you've seen our sisters killed in battle,

haven't you?"

"Yeah. I've been fighting for sixty years now." Fighting for sixty years

against a powerful, implacable enemy, seeing dozens of Iczers, dozens of my

sisters, killed in many ways. Quickly and brutally, slowly and

painfully... I'm not some novice just out of her training! I know exactly

how terrible this war is, even for a race of warriors.

"It's something the shorter-lived races don't feel. When you're fighting

and killing all the time, you begin to wish to die yourself, to escape from

that life. The trinity were forbidden by their programming from

deliberately dying, but we Iczers have free will now, since we left the

Kthulhu and made our own civilisation in this galaxy. We can choose to die

if we wish. But that synchronisation, that love... it's what keeps us from

making that wish. The pain of loss is the price we pay for our desire to

live."

I don't respond. I want to, but I can't think of anything to say.

*Nicole: Neither can we...

Finally, Athene stands up.

"I'll leave you alone, now. I won't stop you from mourning her any

longer." She teleports away. But I don't want to mourn, right now. I

don't do all my mourning at once, it comes in fits and starts. Right now,

I want to shed my bodysuit and dive off the cliff into the acid ocean

below. I am an Iczer - the ocean cannot harm me, any more than it has any

other time I've done this.

*All: <wince anyway>

So, I strip, and dive, and feel the warmth of the ocean on my naked body.

The feeling of the ocean is relaxing to me. I can feel my body being

cleansed, and with it, the weight on my mind being melted away, at least

for the moment. I am going to synchronise with Loru again, and I'm going

to watch her grow old and die again. The pain's going to get worse, so

I'll have to learn to bear it better. But that's better than dying because

I don't give a damn any more.

*Yui: About life...or death?

END

Okay, as I said at the beginning, this one just popped into my head. It's

set in the far future of the Lightsphere universe. If I ever get as far as

I'm planning, the Iczers will leave the Kthulhu, and create their own

civilisation in another galaxy. I'm fascinated by cultures and beliefs as

well as being a big Iczer fan, so naturally the question "What would a

planet full of Iczers be like?" is a very interesting one for me. This fic

provides a glimpse into my thoughts on their lifestyle and beliefs.

*Brian: Nice thoughtful job there, Andrew!

*Nicole: Very insightful

_____________________________________________________________

Andrew Dynon

There are certain sincere practitioners who, out of ignorance

and lack of contact, believe only in their own religion and

consider other religions wrong. In some cases it is the result

of teaching, but usually it is due to lack of contact, lack of

awareness and real understanding of the deeper value of the other

tradition. Once you realise that there are wonderful people

among Christians and Muslims, you automatically develop an

appreciation for their tradition.

- The Dalai Lama, _The Transformed Mind_

Nicole: Okay...is there anything else?

Brian: Nope, that's it...until Warhammer's next chapter.

Nicole: Oh joy...

Athena: Okay, then...good night!

Yui: Ja ne!!

<the lights go dark>

Athena: OW!! WHo's stepping on my wings!?!?

Brian Yaple

BYapes@erie.net

BA Comm Arts 1998

http://members.nbci.com/BYapes/Knight/

MoonieCode (1.12.05) SM:5m- F:sInSa:vMiLe:aLuAr:pClS
X:*****a[Cl][R]Ss|ClRSd:2r|5s O:d+:s?:a-:h :x+ P:a24:s
:w?:f?:eBrg:hBr-:t-:cWh:*Li:y--:r+|+

http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/7933/mooniecode.txt

IRC handle: Stardancer

ICQ:57379741

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"Chinmoku no hoshi Dosei o shugo ni motsu. Hametsu to tanjou no senshi,
SailorSaturn!!" Sailor Saturn

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Currents:

Anime: El Hazard TV 1 (Wanderers), GW, SM, GranDoll

TV: M*A*S*H, Buffy

CD: El Hazard TV 1 (domestic release)

Game: Xenogears

Manga: Card Captor Sakura (NOT Cardcaptors, dang it!!!), Turn "A" Gundam,
Sailormoon

Fanfics: Destiny's Path 2, Running With The Light 2, two unnamed El-Hazard
fanfics...<eg>

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