It had been, well, only a week since their last visit. Nasura's demands had only exponentially multiplied since the news had reached her of the Xalia's disappearance. But why hold a meeting at the dojo? she thought, a concerned welling in her heart. What could be so urgent?
She smiled briefly at her blond locked husband, who replied a striking sparkle in his eye. He enjoyed working with the girls, training, teaching. Having recently paid for the land, he had returned to his training, giving fine instruction to the small wealth of students by which they were blessed. It would be the Kei's first visit. The vibrant woman bowed her head, poking at her dinner with a lax hand. It troubled her. There was such an attitude of foreboding about it.
'Mai-san, my dove, what troubles you?' he uttered softly in Japanese.
Her eyes met his sharply, watering. “My dove," a term of great endearment between them. For a flickering she recalled the snowy creature as it paled in her hands.
'Nasura-san will be joining us soon.'
He merely frowned at her as he set his fork upon a barren plate. She stood, not bothering to excuse herself from the table as habit dictated. The loveseat caught her in all the silks of her kimono, her slender weight beset by breaching emotions. It was several moments before she felt his presence, and noticed the altering light of his shadow upon her.
'At least they're not asking of Tenma and Kai,' he offered with a thoughtful calm.
He joined her in a fashion that placed her head on his broad shoulders, bodies meeting gently, for comfort, yet incalculably more, their hands grasped such as had been at the point of their marriage. Mai's mind was blanketed by the frigid culmination of events many years past.
'Would you exchange any of the discourse for what she has brought us?'
Her reply was without hesitance, 'Never.'
'Are you sure it was a good idea to send the twins away?'
She nodded. 'Makoto is sure they'll be safe with her friends. That way they can't get hurt…' she paused and took a deep breath. 'And Tenma's baby…'
'I understand. There's no sense in endangering them.'
Silence transcended their intimacy, and watched them in their concern, and alighting fear. A white flash suffused the dimness of the room, drawing Andy to his feet as a sharp bolt of wind and a humanoid shadow carelessly dismantled the pane-glass patio door. The table collapsed upon itself as a laugh sailed to the ears of the battle ready pair, who marshaled their forces, expecting combat.
'Get up! Fight if you can!' wailed a ferociously determined female voice.
‘Get up?’ murmured Mai, who turned and noticed the bruised and bloodied form of Haisha, a young warrior of repute. ‘Andy…’
‘I’ll get Nakio, Mai - go!’
‘Right.’ Mai pronounced her attack, and presence, with spoken phrase and motion of hand, after which her white fans soundly battered the silhouetted target, who fell with the abrupt breaking of water.
'Pick on someone your own level!' she snapped dramatically, hearing someone twenty years her junior. Sputtered and coughing, the blond creature flipped backwards out of the pool, water favouring her lithe form.
'A challenge!' smirked a woman of considerable nerve and hair length. 'Too bad about the Neo Girl, really… though much too weak for my tastes.'
'Crescent Slash!' was the calling, the summoning not far behind, though easily evaded by the limber Mai. She hissed angrily, seething. With a long legged run, she leaped at the woman, leaning forward, all weight and crimson heat in her elbow. The woman smiled, and ducked back, rolling back on her shoulders. As the back of her head met the earth, she pressed her hands palm down, and with a blinding surge, boosted herself upwards.
'Mina!'
Mai glimpsed Makoto standing in the gaping portal of the patio doorway as a splitting agony threw her, like so many sandbags, into the shimmering manufactured oasis.
'Not quite, baby-girl…! I've still got my face!' she winked, tossing a 'peace' gesture at the more than fuming Makoto, who growled as her iridescent broadsword came free from its scabbard. Andy's foot, in the white heat of a beautiful roundhouse kick, caught the back of the familiar looking stranger's head and sent her flipping into the pool where she failed to surface.
'Oh no!' Andy cursed, before diving down to meet his wife who fought valiantly for air. The doppelganger's hands fit nicely around Mai's neck, despite the brunette's urgent struggles to remove them. Makoto neared the edge of the pool, watching them closely enough to see the deathly buildup of scarlet light before it solved her problem by tossing Mai's unconscious bodiy from the pool and to the grassy earth.
'Is that how you want to play it,' Makoto growled, watching the sputtering blond extract herself from the blast site tiredly. A silver light extended itself from the rune blade, encompassing the enraged senshi, who exuded an aura of righteous anger.
'Huh?' she gasped eloquently, staring stupidly at the iridescent woman before her.
With a fearsome snarl upon her face, she raised the blade above her head, her target transfixed by the beauty of the attack. Makoto screamed the following as she leapt at her intended deathmate: 'Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!'
As though the sun had quadrupled it's divine luminescence, every eye closed, every ear rapt/horrified in the audibly singular piercing of flesh…
'No!!'
Makoto's defeated voice rang, drawing Mai's hallowed focus from the dire depths of blackness, and her blurred sight upon the eerily suspended figures. The rune blade caught in the blond woman's stomach… and as recognition dawned… the crimson spire protruding betwixt Makoto's shoulder blades, beyond wind tossed earth brown hair.
'Nakio-san! No!' cried a youthful voice in unfathomable loss. Ayla knelt over the inert form of Haisha, struggling to secure her life as it fled though the crimson marking the fragmented oak table. Whilst Masurani's fury ascended, a heavily muscled figure appeared just underneath the still-motion forms, a large club in hand, a handsomely dark snarl upon his roguish face.
'Die…!' Masurani vehemently declared, fists clenched to whitening, her form alight by a scarlet force. 'DIE!!'
"Mako-!"
A surge, like that of scarlet flame, became the aura of seething energy about her, and she uttered no word, but a fearsome cry as she jab-punched the nimbus of power at the already dying blond. The blood coursing from the left corner of her mouth dissipated as the rest of her, a raw burst of ashes the only remnant. He caught Makoto's body, and was gone less than an instant later. As the emotional bonfire abated within the heaving breast of Masurani, her eyes grew wide, as did a spark of fear.
'Did… I…' she panted, drawing a hand through her thick turquoise hair. 'Did I just kill Minako?!'
'No Masura-chan,' Andy noted gravely as he took Mai into his arms.
'And did he say…?'
'Masurani, I need help!' Ayla interrupted fearfully.
Masurani hustled over to Ayla's side as she proclaimed: 'Help me get her into the spare bedroom. Quickly!'
'Hai!' she acknowledged, easily gathering the limp girl into her arms. As they proceeded, there was a subtle knock at the door. 'Andy-san, would you get that? I need Mai with me!'
'Hai Ayla-chan!'
Inside, Mai did what mothers do: Organized the chaos and protect her own. 'Set her down here. Where's…' the deep crimson haired girl glanced about. 'Ah, Naritha! Come here.'
Naritha bowed slightly. 'What is your need?'
'I…' she closed her eyes and shook her head. 'You're an empath, right?'
'Hai? How know you?' she blinked.
'Doesn't matter. Can you tell if she's bleeding inside?'
'Hai. I will tell as best I can.' Naritha set her hands lithely upon the copper-haired girl's forehead as she bowed her head and drew her mind to bear on the victim.
'There's no time, Ayla!' declared a studious voice, quite accustomed to the challenge of command. 'She'll bleed to death well before Naritha's done.'
Ayla whirled about on her toes to address the speaker. 'Nasura! I… I mean… um…'
'Forget it! Catch,' she issued, tossing a crimson toned crystal towards the stunned young woman. 'Naritha, place this crystal on Haisha's chest,' she continued, handing her a purple crystal. 'You're the only one who can get her to activate it.'
With an uncertain curl at the corner of her lip, she set the flat octagonal crystal just above Haisha's small breasts. She then replaced her hands upon Haisha's crimson marked forehead before bowing her head. Ayla watched as a blue shimmering line washed over the badly brutalized young woman. Her broken arm, leg, and ankle set as a purple shoulderless bodysuit replaced her stained and vaguely torn clothes.
'Wow…' Masurani whispered, as if afraid of upsetting the process of change. To complete the mystic transformation, metallic-white armlets, shin guards, breastplate, belt, wristbands and choker took their place upon the now formal outfit. Upon close examination, Ayla perceived that she was not completely healed, for there were a number of small cuts and bruises adorning her abruptly remarkably clothed teenage figure, where former gashes and major wounds had once been.
'Kei! How she healed so?' Naritha gasped, swathed by a stunning wonder.
'Well, it's the Neo Senshi armor. It augments your strength, and all sorts of other things…'
Ayla smiled, her face lighting up with the knowledge. 'Then that's it! You've chosen the new senshi!'
Nasura frowned vaguely. 'No, I haven't. They chose for me,' she found a chair and sat down, head bowed solemnly. 'I take it the three of you were attacked?'
'Hai sensei,' Ayla affirmed. 'The woman looked like Makoto. I don't believe it though.'
'Good!' Nasura started, her gaze meeting Ayla's. 'I've got enough trouble without the complication of the clones. Nice to see you're thinking it through. You weren't hurt, either, I see. I have Masurani to thank?'
'Hardly,' Masurani frowned. 'It was Naritha that kept her off our backs… not that she had much of a choice. She really didn't seem to like her.'
'Shao-Enya. Most unpleasant woman,' Naritha nodded, a faintly matching darkness in her face and voice.
'Hm? She's still alive? Unfortunate. I was hoping you'd killed her. In any event, you're right Naritha, the lot of them are a murderous lot. Powerful in the extreme. They've killed the other squires. It's you five or nothing.'
The rush of gasps came so sharply that Nasura was surprised to note Haisha's among them.
'If there was a time to fight,' she snarled ferally as she sat weakly up, 'this is it!'
'Not like that you won't!' Ayla rebuked. 'You nearly died!'
'Do you think we can honestly afford to stand aside and wait for them to hit us? They won't be so gentle the next round!' Haisha winced as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.
'Ayla is right Haisha. Your senshi strength is only an amplification of your own. It cannot augment that which is not there,' Nasura explained gently. 'Besides, she's the leader of the Neo Senshi now, you must obey her.'
Haisha looked stunned, gaping as Ayla did. She stammered, 'Wha-at…?'
'I don't believe it!' Haisha blurted, plainly aghast. She glared at her 'superior,' not saving anyone face by hiding her feelings.
'I should be leading the Neo Senshi! I don't know that this bookworm has any experience in the field!'
'Bookworm!?' Ayla snapped angrily. 'How about you, you…'
'Neither do you, Haisha,' Nasura reminded her firmly as she stood, bringing attention to the state of command she had not ever quite fallen out of. 'Your father's involvement in the military hardly replaces the caring wit this young woman has already brought this team. Now, I won't hear any more about this matter.'
Both girls bowed their heads, and answered an affirmative 'Hai.'
'Kei-san,' Masurani requested gently, 'I meant to ask about kinship rites.'
Nasura seemed to sigh.
'They will be honoured. The traditional armour is part of the crystal, but be aware that it uses a great deal of chi,' Nasura warned. 'And know that we must move, now, to counterattack. Haisha's headstrong, but right. She will accompany me as we attempt to determine the whereabouts of the last member of the Neo Senshi. The three of you, and the CSM, will make the stand at the front lines.'
@~%~~~
Makoto watched in emotionally charged silence as the semi-transparent image shifted; Usagi talking calmly to Natole, then Ami and Shyanne as they awoke.
"Phate - how? Did you alter her thread?" Makoto prodded gently, wiping her tear reddened face.
"Nay child, this was a potential buried in her pure soul from birth."
"You are no longer cursed Shyanne," she was saying. She knew the honesty of the matter. Shyanne had been cursed with the powers and terrible needs of a Death's Hunger demon: The need to feed upon the energy of the living, the ability to fly, the gift of demonic strength and confusing emotions. Born a demon/canora halfing, always wanting to be fully one or the other, frustrated and pained by the inability to follow either.
"I have changed you… you are healed."
"Um… thank you…" she offered, her young soul behind the words awkwardly spoken. "What about Mama?"
"I helped her, she's safe now," Usagi answered easily, eyes sparkling.
"Is…" she blinked. "Is she like me?"
Usagi's heart abruptly thudded within her caging ribs. Makoto, twin in realization to her friend, saw the rising dilemma. How could a human mother raise an angelic child? Usagi's act, both inconceivable, and apparently unavoidable, had created a very unique and nigh impossible parental situation for the young mother.
It's not enough that she should understand…
Makoto whirled about to face a pulsing turquoise light. Uttering a slow gasp, she literally felt Ami's reaction, and returned her eyes to view the look of resplendent peace and joy within Ami's unscathed face. Ami's wings shimmered into existence, as blue as the gauze-like aura that illuminated the young woman. Ami's mortal born beauty suffered little adjustment but mere purification and enhancement of her already native fairness and child-like innocence, as well as the solidification of pale ocean blue wings and clearing of skin blemishes. The multitude of internal changes, the greatest of which was her induction into the universe of immortality, were known instinctively.
Makoto drew an exhilarated breath as an all encompassing warmth encircled her. Her eyes closed while her consciousness expanded. She did not, on any level, fail to notice the realization of the power of her very soul. She knew it to be different than Usagi's, knowing that her most basic nature; the warrior, the confident pillar of physical and emotional strength, the survivor, had not suffered change. Moreover, she knew she was not alone. The others…
Minako holding the shed cybernetic implants that had kept her alive. The half face had separated cleanly as the missing part of her face had spontaneously regenerated. Surrounded by strangers - the CSM standing all at once awed and aghast - and Dr. Carl Silver, a Silver Tail dragon and her lover, who gloried in her fantastic transformation.
Rei, as emotionally scarred as the rest of the group, wept openly as her expansive wings spread and caught the surging wind atop the ridge mount she enjoyed with the company of her soulmate. Adolphus held her hand and drew close to her, enrapt by the heavenly transfiguration.
As each opened her eyes, she found herself clothed in wafting silken robes:
Usagi, a cloud white; Ami, a crystalline sapphire; Makoto, a suiting khaki; Minako, a pastel gold; and Rei, a gentle, pale violet. The awareness was so abrupt, each knowing their teammate's purification in the recent, crimson spattered years of harsh dealings, and soul battering plight, that words, where insignificant, failed completely. Makoto's inhumanly vivid sight transmitted the image of a rarely smiling Phate, a loving mother more than generous benefactor or even bestowing mentor. For how great a gift could any mortal give comparatively?
"Never undervalue the worth of a gift of the heart. No matter it's size," Phate stated calmly, sensing the question. "For there is no greater gift than love in this infinite universe."
> "Why, mentor?" Makoto requested softly, comfort centering her tones and her being just then.
"You are not meant to lose," she explained, her voice full of sympathetic awareness. Knowing the enigmatic woman well, Makoto was mystified by the length at which she spoke. More words had been offered in the last few minutes than during her years of training. She fell silent, but her unimaginably powerful mind rang out amongst the newly born psyches of the Angel Senshi.
You are immortal now, and have the power to triumph. Know that I have done no more than accelerate your ascension. To honour this gift, you have to no more than use it. Illness, death, nor violence can take you. Only magic may affect your holy beings. Even for the telepathy and empathy you know of each other now, there is, furthermore, an intimate form of teleportation that will always join you.
Makoto stood and bowed deeply, weeping silently. There was a white flicker, and she disappeared. There was no explanation required.
Chapter 35
Husbands React