Carnival Babel - - - "Sometimes I think defeating Searrs would be a whole lot easier if someone would just bring me enough metal to construct a loyal army of robots." - Radulf Sayers, 2046. - - - For countless years, the sacred city of Kyoto had been warred over systematically and routinely. Everything had been very simple at the core of the conflict. It was the Otome facing against the HiME, and that had been it. When one advanced, the other counterattacked. There was no outside opposition. For however bloody the war had been, there were several constants that those in power had taken for granted. Now, the well oiled war machines broke down and lost their direction. People who had been used to taking city block after city block were now forced to deal with something unprecedented in their generation. This was massive destruction. Kyoto was now in absolute chaos. The presence of three thousand Orphans signaled a halt in the great war between the long time rivals. That did not mean there was cooperation. No, each side let the other fend for themselves. The swarm had come on so quickly that it was difficult to give orders. While the monsters were the obvious new threat, there were still other options to consider. The Emulator's strange behavior, the Global Materialization System... and all of it had gone hand in hand almost like a well thought out plan! It was a new game. The Kyoto Emulator, the eldest in all the worlds, stated that it would only reopen if it was given eleven keys. What had that meant? What keys? Why had the Emulator summoned such a great mass of monsters that attacked both factions? It made little sense, but it was obviously all linked together somehow. In just a short period of time, Natsuki Kruger was forced to deal not only with that, but with the incoming Ikusahime as well. It was all chaos, and yet she remained disturbingly calm. Even the most logical and reserved meisters, Ann and the rest, had felt overwhelmed. In an odd way, Natsuki felt as if she preferred this chaos to the straightforward war against the HiME. Countless possibilities were made available to her now. She didn't have to concentrate on incessantly rebuffing HiME Heir attacks. It was a wonderful time, was it not? Her body visibly shivered a moment in rebellion, though her mind did not notice the movement at all. With all Otome depending on her sage wisdom, she gave her orders. It was time to put her status as the highest scoring tactical graduate of her year to good use. She had been conditioned to lead and command. If a new game was being played, then she would gladly participate with a smile in her heart. "Ann," she began, "I want you to take the Dammerung Y-types to the northern side of the palace and put up a defensive line a good distance out. Haruka, you take our Otome and do the same for the south side." "As you wish, Headmistress," Ann said with a curt bow. Haruka grinned wildly and pumped a fist into the air. She finally had a chance to rip these monsters some new assholes! "I have a special project for some of you, however. Mai and the other traitors still need to be apprehended and disarmed before they can pose an additional threat. While the rest defend Garderobe from the monsters, I want you people to help bring them down." Natsuki's eyes, devoid of a certain spark that had been there before, darted to a few faces. "Akane." The young ex-Trias member looked a bit surprised at the appointment, but nodded briskly. "Yukariko." Always one to rise to the call of duty, Miss Steinburg gave her a humble bow. "Shiho." No one had expected that. The black robed meister seemed eager to fight, regardless. "Akira." The sullen Zipang native pushed herself off of the wall she'd been leaning on. How odd a request. Her orders given, everyone broke into their respective teams. Natsuki, clad in her robe, stepped down from the commander's chair to join her special little task force. Before she could fall into line with them, however, Ann stopped and grabbed hold of her arm. Natsuki was forced to spin around and face the elder meister, who seemed mildly concerned at the headmistress' idea of strategy. "Forgive me, Natsuki, but why have you selected those people for such a dangerous task? Shiho and Akane are inexperienced and Miss Okuzaki is a diplomat. She shouldn't be fighting at all." "Stop questioning me, Ann, it's becoming an annoyance. I know what I'm doing," Natsuki hissed, ripping her arm free of the other woman's grip. "Respect your elder, you impertinent child," Ann snapped back. "I am the senpai of the one who taught you how to fight. You should not take such a tone with me." "Given how she assaulted Windbloom Castle and tried to kill several of her former allies, I can see just how good a teacher you are, Princess." Natsuki smirked somewhat sadistically and turned on her heel, leaving Ann to fume silently. Seniority ignored, Ann was still subject to Natsuki's command, no matter how irritating in recent days. "Go to post and contact me when you have something productive to say." Natsuki led her new group, the four flanking her on either side, out into the city. The roaring of beasts invaded what would have been a fairly quiet night. It was haunting, but also majestic. It was in the city that Natsuki would lay a trap for her beloved. The Dammerung archives said that the Ikusahime could be defeating in one of three ways. The first was to kill the HiME. Given how skilled they were at combat, that simple approach was also a difficult one. The second was to kill their most precious person, the one they relied on for power. She could not hunt them all down. The final option? To kill the Child. While she did not want to kill the Children outright, as something in her told her that that action would harbor bad results, she sought only to capture them and hold them hostage. Surely the Ikusahime would bend to her if that could be done. When they'd gotten outside of Dammerung's defensive perimeter, they fell under attack. It was an Orphan scout, hunting for blood, and it sprang forth from the shadows. Akane jetted out of the way with trained reaction time, and the beast then went for the next best target. Natsuki. Shouts of warning were heard from her teammates. The monster's talons lashed out in Natsuki's direction, and the Headmistress held aloft her artillery in hopes of blasting it away. In the last moments, the beast halted. A red Searrs emblem appeared on its body, and it stopped to examine her. With some sense of recognition, the purple skinned Orphan withdrew without causing harm to the beautiful Ice Silver Crystal. "Are they on our side?" Yukariko asked. Akane shook her head. "No, it tried to attack me just now." Natsuki idly watched as Akira leapt up with theoretical human strength and sliced through the beast's neck with a surgically sharp tanto blade. It bled to death on the cracked and frozen streets below, groaning in agony. The Zipang kunoichi landed on the ground again and nodded to the group after eliminating the not so deadly threat. Her blade was sheathed once again after she'd done away with the blood. "I guess they like you, Headmistress!" Shiho called from the rearguard of the five member formation. Something inside Natsuki smiled. Of course they did. - - - Kagutsuchi's fiery wings carried him over the ruined city of Kyoto, and his mistress merely looked down in awe and horror. Mai initially thought they were Slaves, as any good Otome would, but they were most definitely not. Her inner spirit screamed out, though she couldn't understand the message at first. Flashes of Takumi and Natsuki entered her mind, and she remembered the rite of passage undertaken at the mountain. They were not Slaves, oh no. "Orphans! Thousands of them!" Mai exclaimed. "How is this possible?" "Rena was programmed to summon Slaves. Most of the Slaves in that final battle against Nagi came from her. Perhaps the Emulator here is the same way, but with Orphans," Yukino offered. "It's an older Emulator, so it probably mimics the Obsidian Lord more closely than subsequent models." "It looks like a damn plague," Nao muttered on the other side of their flight. "But why?" Yukino continued to ponder. "Orphans were only truly featured in the first half of the Carnival, weren't they? They were meant to break us in as warriors." Mai shrugged. "Who can say? With the Obsidian Lord gone, anything goes." Midori, for however shocked she was at the scene, found her strength. Ever the motivator, she held up her labrys and cheered. "If this isn't a job for the HiME Sentai, I don't know what is! Only one thing to do – go get 'em!" Their formation broke up as the Children spread through the air, each one heading for a specific concentration point in the beastly horde. Kagutsuchi dove down and inhaled, taking air into his massive turbine lungs. Fire was mixed in, and he released the blaze unto the helpless enemy. A row of Orphans was incinerated in his mighty blaze, and he began to pull up from the dive after his attack was complete. Mai and Mikoto hung on, the G-forces pushing them down and backwards. Their ascent, however, came to a swift and immediate halt. There were four shrieks, and Kagutsuchi found himself snared in four separate grappling hooks. With the sudden change in forward momentum, Mai and Mikoto were flung skyward while the dragon was dragged back down to Earth. Mikoto screamed, but Mai swooped under her like a hero from an old comic, catching her in the fall. Mai's Elements allowed her to hover, much like her robe would have, and she turned to check on her Child. The metal ropes attached to the grappling hooks were tightened rapidly, and he was held firm, no matter how many times he tried to flap his blazing wings. Mai's eyes followed the lengths of their fibers and saw several of her comrades below, having operated the machines that now held her Child hostage. She was initially filled with rage. What did they intend to do with Kagutsuchi? Kill him and leave her powerless while condemning her dear Takumi to death? "Akane-chan!" Mai shouted to the leader of the group. Shiho stood to her left. Akane placed her hand next to her mouth, hoping to project her voice. "Mai, surrender at once or else we will be forced to destroy this monster!" She opened her mouth to answer, but heard another roar in the near distance. She spun around again to see Kiyohime fall from the sky, victim to the same trap as her own Child. Gakutenou soon followed. Diana and Julia climbed high into the sky to avoid the same fate, fortunately for their HiME. Mai bit her lower lip in worry. Damn it, now what was she to do?! Her eyes turned back to Akane and Shiho. They were HiME! Why had Natsuki ordered the other HiME to do this task? Regardless, Mai couldn't damn well surrender with all the Orphans running about. Who else would stop them? The Otome were only protecting their structures and people. The rest would be doomed, and Mai would not be able to discover the truth behind it all. She tightened her fist. "No, Akane! You listen to me! I do not take orders from you, and never have. As your elder, as a senior meister, and as the Queen of Heaven, I order you to back off and let my Child go." The graviton rings on Akane's robe activated, glowing a dull yellow in the darkened area. Shiho's lit up soon after. Well, if it was war they wanted, they would just have to learn that cheap imitations could never stand up to the real thing. Shiho shouted next. "You stupid woman! You've sold your soul to those cultist freaks!" Mai turned to her attention to the girl dangling from her left hand. An order that did not need to be stated aloud. "Mikoto." The Mistress of Kagutsuchi dipped lower and the released the girl, who summoned up Miroku and charged forward with a fountain of sparks in her wake. With a mighty spin, Mikoto sent her weapon hurtling towards Shiho in wide arc. The young Otome summoned up a shield at the proper time and prevented the strike from reaching its mark. Shiho then jetted up and down again, hoping to land a kick. Mikoto rolled out the way and slammed her weapon into the ground, causing a multitude of obsidian stalagmites to rise from the ground. Shiho rapidly adjusted her flight path with a loud squeal, almost skewered by the unnatural spears. In the air, the two former Trias leaders circled each other – one powered by a robe and the other by her Elements. Kagutsuchi groaned below as Mai let loose with a large flare that cut through the sky right towards the other female. Akane shot up and out of the way, spinning and then coming back down to dive right at Mai. Knowing of the explosive powers the Otome had at full speed, Mai chose to avoid her all together, darting to the side. When Akane slowed to come about, Mai moved in. And as they fought, the red star twinkled. - - - Kiyohime had been pulled out of the sky so roughly that Shizuru had blacked out after hitting the ground below. Her eyes flickered open a short time later, but everything around her was covered in a thick haze. She brought her head up slightly, her red eyes trying to take in her surroundings. There was deep roaring to the distant right – Mai and Mikoto were in peril. To the distant left was the clashing of metal – Midori and Miyu locked in their own battle with the enemy. There were large, fast moving blurs in the sky. The others? As she focused, all of Kyoto vanished around her. The roars faded into nothingness. The shrieks of metal on metal fell silent. The world narrowed into nothing but that one single, broken street. Nothing else mattered. She saw the faint outline of her beloved, heading into one of the buildings, and Shizuru was compelled to follow. She stood on shaky legs and stumbled forward, into the poorly lit home, and there she felt her legs give out. Would Natsuki execute her in this weakened state? It was the most logical time to strike, although the most dishonorable. Her vision blurred again, and her head fell back onto the asphalt ground below. She distinctly felt a hand brush sandy brown locks of hair out of her face, tenderly and lovingly. Comfort and confusion gripped Shizuru at the same time. Those soft fingers traced her jawline, her lips, and then trailed down her neck. Why had she been forgiven so easily for her betrayal? Had the other girl finally come to her senses? Shizuru's heart leapt with hope at that thought. Natsuki and Duran, charging into battle with the rest of them in order to have her revenge on those who harmed sweet Alyssa. Together they would bring down that horrible organization who recreated something that should have faded away entirely. She saw Natsuki smiling, and it filled her with joy. "Shizuru..." Beautiful Natsuki. Shizuru's right hand, on its own accord, came up to try and touch that wondrous angel before her. Natsuki's fingers met hers, and the younger woman's smile widened. A light laugh was heard. How marvelous, indeed. Shizuru instantly fell at ease, despite however illogical this behavior was. Because without Natsuki, she was nothing. "Shizuru, my hime, you would do anything for me, ne?" "Yes..." The reply was automatic. Of course she would. Yet, Natsuki's voice was somewhat different. Why? "Kyoto and this new Earth disgust me. Everything here is monotonous fighting, with no grace or beauty in the battles. This incessant warring between the Otome and the HiME is pathetic and redundant. Wouldn't you like to see it done away with?" Shizuru nodded absently. "Then help me make the world new again, Shizuru." She opened her mouth to agree, but something within prevented the words from leaving. As her vision sharpened, so did her wits. This wasn't right, was it? Natsuki was speaking in fluent Japanese. Old Japanese, from their previous time, not the Zipang dialect or the distinct dialect now found amongst the current Nihon natives. It was a sign, wasn't it? Natsuki was an Ikusahime again, just like her. That was surely the only explanation. But she was never the less hesitant, given the girl's odd behavior. Natsuki sensed this, and moved forward, climbing atop Shizuru and lowering herself down to the point where their lips almost touched. Shizuru felt the curves of her lover's body pressing down on her, and it was then she realized just how much it felt like she hadn't seen her in years, thanks to all the chaos. So very tempting. Like a serpent offering her forbidden fruit. Natsuki nearly kissed her, but held back at the last moment. "We're a perfect match, you and I. We're destined for each other. I was so blind not to see it before, Shizuru. Our souls depend on one another for survival, don't they?" Is she referring to the HiME-Key relationship?! A hand ran up her thigh, and she trembled. She feared it. Something was very wrong. Natsuki would never act like this so randomly, especially not in the middle of a battlefield. She could faintly hear Kiyohime wailing outside. Natsuki's voice became low, demanding her attention. "Shizuru, my hime, I need you. None of the others can possibly compare with your splendor." "Natsuki..." A feather soft kiss graced Shizuru's neck, and she froze. Not right. Not familiar. Something was off. Hands continued to roam in places where they had certainly touched before, but it was not the same. Natsuki moaned. "Normally, I would say that claiming someone's body would not make them mine, but you have always submitted quite willingly to such things, ne? Shizuru... make love to me." Natsuki leaned forward again, her dark hair cascading around the both of them. She smirked and moved to kiss Shizuru, who darted her eyes up to properly look at Natsuki just before. Within Natsuki's green orbs were strands of yellow and gold. Yellow eyes. With one swift movement, Shizuru flung Natsuki off of her body. The headmistress flew back as Shizuru scrambled to her feet. The Krov bardiche was out in a second, pointing right at the other woman's heart. Despite the sudden attack, Natsuki calmly got to her feet and strolled over to a plush but dusty couch that rested in the middle of the room they were in. She lay back, draping herself across it like a cat, her blue trench coat rustling as she settled. She was not using her robe. How odd, indeed. A leather clad leg was slightly brought up. Gone was the prudish officer, replaced by what appeared to be a seductress. "So aggressive," Natsuki commented with a smile. "That was what I always liked about you. You're so predictable in your unpredictability. Throw a little bit of emotional distress your way, and you lash out like a tiger hit with a branding iron. It's a wonderfully useful reaction." Mai. Reito. The Obsidian Lord always strategically chose a host that could seduce the HiME most likely to win the Carnival. But Mai also had Tate, which ruined that tactic. Yellow eyes. This was not right. Shizuru snarled. "You aren't real. The Emulator is just a digital copy of the Obsidian Lord and it's core. This shouldn't be possible." "But it is." Natsuki sat up, that smirk still present on her face. "The true body may be deceased, but it alone was still a machine. Humans are so amusing, aren't they? They are nearly wiped out entirely by a weapon they have no idea how to use, and then they make a copy of it for their own purposes for the sake of power. Always to backfire. Always to betray. When they made an exact copy of the Obsidian Lord via the original Emulators, well, what would they expect to happen when all puzzle pieces came back together?" "Give her to me!" Shizuru shouted. "I just tried," came the laconic reply. "So what? You want another Carnival held in your honor? Only a few of us have our powers. The rest are clueless to their past. It's not going to work." "For now. They're fighting with the others as we speak. Can you not hear the roars of Gakutenou and Kagutsuchi? Everything will come back to them in time," Natsuki said. "And if necessary, I will force them to remember. Do not worry, my depraved maiden, I am an expert at moving power figures around like pawns. I've been doing for thousands of years." "If you want me to be the last one standing, I won't fall into that trap again." A promise. A hopeful one, anyway. Natsuki stood and came a few paces closer, her chest pressing softly against the tip of Shizuru's bardiche. She grabbed hold of the weapon and moved it to the side without resistance, coming closer still. Natsuki ran her fingers down the side of Shizuru's face. "Oh, but you must. Because if you don't defeat all the others, this body will perish with you. You'll steal her life away, and she won't even know it. You'll have murdered your beloved because of your rebellion." "Shut up!" Shizuru nearly wept. "You don't have any leverage this time. There is no HiME Star to come crashing down to Earth." "Oh, really?" The other figure laughed. "I'm afraid you're wrong, my love. There's a Star forged by man on an impact course for Earth, though few have seen it. Your new world's Otome Star was originally designed to be a replacement for the one you destroyed. It was planned even before the Last Carnival began. Its purpose had just been altered. But I have made it mine again. And I will use it to force you to fight." "Then we'll just destroy it again," Shizuru stated. "You will try," Natsuki agreed. "But you will find that time is not on your side and the situation itself is unfavorable. If you want to ensure the world is made again for a new era, rather than destroyed outright, you must be the last one standing." No, she would not play this game again! She had done it once and had learned from it. The only reason the Last Carnival had gotten out of hand was a mess of misunderstandings and elevated emotions. Would that air of insanity descend upon them all again just because the cycle had technically been reactivated? Perhaps not dwelling on that would be for the best. It was all just an artificial Carnival, anyway. A fake. It could never be more than that, could it? Fake at its very core. "I refuse you. All I have to do is destroy the Emulator and the Star, and then you will be sent back to the hell you deserve to be in," Shizuru spoke. "The others will be there to help me this time. You don't have the same element of surprise as you did last time." "If you knew!" Natsuki laughed. If Shizuru knew what? Natsuki then pointed to herself, and the laughter grew even louder. "If she knew!" Shizuru chose that moment to strike. She could not kill Natsuki, of course, but she could still render her unconscious. The sooner Natsuki's body was sedated and stored somewhere, the better. The last thing anyone needed if the Carnival was restarting was to have the Obsidian Lord free to walk around as he... she pleased. She lunged forward, bardiche twisting up toward her face. Natsuki ducked out of the way, looking mildly appalled by the action. Her gazed darkened and she held her arm out, a thin weapon materializing from gathering photons. It was not her artillery. It was not her HiME Element. It was, rather, the same katana used by Reito during the final battle of the previous Carnival. The blade was sharper than any other. The guard was the same as Miroku's. The sheath was a fine obsidian. Natsuki held it out and summoned her robe for additional power. "Such a rebellious destined wife," Natsuki taunted. "You will see in time that I am your only savior, Shizuru-san. I am the only one who can help you in the miserable situation you don't even know you're in. It is unwise to make me an enemy!" "Tricks and lies, those are the only things you excel at," Shizuru shot back. The possessed Natsuki smirked again. Ah, how she wished to let it all out right now! But she could not, because that would ruin the emotional impact, and that was so very vital. She was now feeding directly from the sorrow and emotions of the Ikusahime, as had been done for thousands upon thousands of years. Such a bittersweet taste it had. Absolutely beautiful. Her grip on the katana tightened. "If you wish to temporarily pursue this act of defiance, I can only allow it to you. Sometimes youth must find themselves in hardship before they are ready to see the truth. I am a very patient being, my hime." I can stop the Obsidian Lord now! Shizuru thought. I just have to be quick about it! Her bardiche swung out in a wide arch, and it was met with that sharp and ancient katana. Despite Natsuki having never mastered the art of bladed weapons, as she had always concentrated on firearm use and martial arts, she used it remarkably well. Then again, it was someone else in control. Natsuki brought the blade down, and Shizuru was forced to block it with the shaft of her own Element. Sparks flew at the contact. The senpai spun and came back around with the blade, but Natsuki jumped back. Perfect. Shizuru was still in range, while Natsuki's shorter blade became ineffective. That was just what she wanted. Jamming her thumb on a small, nigh invisible, button, she activated the chain portion of her Element. The blade segmented and stretched, and she whipped it forward. Natsuki ducked, and the south wall of the house was taken out entirely. The structure began to shake, already battered from ages of war, and the pair bolted out before it tumbled. As the roof collapsed, they made it into the street, where Kiyohime was still bound. All of her heads roared in anger as she saw the fight, but was otherwise unable to help. A Child could not face the Obsidian Lord until the Star was gone. Robe enhanced, Natsuki launched forward and met Shizuru's weapon with incredible momentum. The augmented blow threw Shizuru off balance, but she quickly recovered as Natsuki slowed herself down and returned to the ground. Shizuru used the chain whip again, leaving multiple scars in the street as Natsuki danced and flew around the attacks. Natsuki went high and then dove down at great speed, her right leg stretched out. The kick connected with the ground, to her dismay, as Shizuru expertly avoided it. The asphalt below shattered upon impact. She then used the katana to lash out repeated, all hits blocked by the large blade of Shizuru's bardiche. A thrust from the katana. It was batted aside. A horizontal slash. Parried. A vertical strike. Evaded. Such a different warrior from Tokiha Mai-san. Equally strong – just different. Wonderful. One of the best in history. So much like a Canaanite girl who had been the Mistress of Gakutenou in a Carnival prior. Same spirit and professionalism. Finding a hole in the timing, Shizuru made a downward diagonal slash towards her lover's body. Knowing that the katana was too slender a blade to properly match the full weight of a thick bardiche, Natsuki slid to the side using her robe. Shizuru was left momentarily weak as she used all her muscles to lift that weapon back up. Darting in, the Obsidian Lord reverted to Natsuki's wonderful martial arts skills, letting his host's instincts take over. The back of Natsuki's hand slammed into her opponent's jaw, and in the second that followed, a knee was driven equally hard into Shizuru's gut. Knocked to the ground, Shizuru scrambled to get upright once again, all while trying to get air back into her lungs. The jaw stung horribly, but she didn't have time to concentrate on it. Natsuki was darting in at an alarmingly high rate of speed. Shizuru rolled to her back and used the shaft of her Element to block an incoming strike. The Obsidian Lord's katana was right in the middle of her weapon, pressing down on it with Natsuki's full weight. Shizuru's arms struggled to keep the weapon from sinking further towards her face, and her body trembled involuntarily. Unable to push Natsuki back, Shizuru kicked up with her leg and hit Natsuki's in the stomach. That did the trick. In that lapse of time, Shizuru sprang up and spun around, using the whip to strike. The Crystal robe was able to form a shield that deflected it. "I'm always so limited by the virility of the host body," Natsuki's voice stated. "She is much better than Kanzaki Reito was at the art of warfare! How amusing! How excellent!" Shizuru ignored the upbeat commentary and moved in to spear her lover's leg. The katana came down, slicing through the air like a crescent moon, slamming the bardiche off course. Before Natsuki could attack, Shizuru tried to slam the pole end of her weapon into her. The dark haired woman only ducked out of the way.Anticipating an attack, Shizuru leapt out of range in two great bounds. A grand flurry of rapid attacks from what should have been a very heavy weapon followed suit, Shizuru managing great speed with her Element. Natsuki had a difficult time keeping up, blocking each shot as quickly as they came. Three in a second! She counted them all, awed at the skill. She lost the tally somewhere around twenty-six. The burst of energy did not last long, and it left Shizuru drained. All the better for Natsuki, yes? They had traversed half the length of the street in that one single volley of attacks. Now, Natsuki tried to push her back in the other direction with a combination of well timed katana strikes coupled with a barrage of martial arts moves. A backhand, a roundhouse, and a thrust from the sword. All avoided. Using the robe, she rushed forward and attempted to knee Shizuru again. It did not connect. There was a brief pause in her assault, and Shizuru could have easily attempted to strike her down right then and there. She did not even try to attack. As a result, Natsuki would punish Shizuru for lack of follow through. In that gap of time, Natsuki flew forward and sent a powerful uppercut right into Shizuru's already pained jaw. A yelp. What a melodic sound. The katana came down and sliced into Shizuru's leg. Nothing vital, of course. Natsuki needed her alive. The real Natsuki nearly broke free and took back control at the sound of Shizuru screaming in pain, but the Lord quelled her mental rebellion. Natsuki sent a well placed kicked into Shizuru's chest, which knocked her to the ground. Once down, Natsuki sprang and impaled the katana in the asphalt right beside her head. Natsuki got so close that Shizuru's Element was useless, and Natsuki held it down as well. That smirk was still on her face. A small laugh, like a parent amused by their child's tantrum. Natsuki planted a small kiss on Shizuru's lips. Foreign and wrong. Someone else. "You are much too arrogant, Shizuru-san. You most definitely underestimated the abilities of your kohai, and you failed to commit to several of your attacks because of that damned sense of attachment," Natsuki criticized. "I won't stand for that kind of hesitance when you're slaying others for me – for your love." Shizuru turned her eyes away, but Natsuki let go of her katana and clamped her fingers around Shizuru's bruised jaw, forcing her to turn back. "I forgive you for this outburst. I trust it will not happen again." Another horrible kiss. "How delicious. I hear her screaming with worry inside. Oh, don't snarl like that. It is a most unbecoming look for a maiden. Now please, be careful in this Carnival. I do not want you any more injured that I have just made you." Natsuki backed off and shot into the air before Shizuru could use her weapon. The Kyoto woman called out after her, but it did not good. Natsuki left. In pain, Shizuru sat up only to clutch at her blood drenched leg, grunting and whimpering with every move. Her hands covered the cut and prevented more blood from draining out. The limb was already paler than normal. That was worrisome. Her leg, her jaw, her torso... all of it gave a tortured howl. Damn it all, Natsuki was not supposed to be better than she was! She had never defeated Shizuru in a Garderobe match and had never defeated her in genuine combat as a HiME! This was not fair! The horribly arrogant side of Shizuru Viola inwardly bitched at the outcome of the fight while the more mellow Fujino side simply tried to mentally deal with what had just happened. She stood, after several minutes, and hobbled over to where Kiyohime lie. Shizuru dropped down next to one the hydra's head and lay next to it, placing her hands on the purple metal for some sense of companionship. "Kiyohime, are you all right?" An affirmative purr. Shizuru took her bardiche and slashed through one of the metal cords holding her Child down. With the release of one, the machine beast took over and wrestled herself free of the others. Another head came to rest next to Shizuru, asking her to climb atop it so that she could rest. The young woman obliged, falling into Kiyohime's protection. Ah, but the others! What if they defeated a HiME? At that thought, Kiyohime took to the sky. - - - Kagutsuchi became airborne after Kiyohime freed him from captivity. Shiho and Akane rightfully froze in fear and contemplated retreat. With both Kiyohime and Kagutsuchi looming above, they dare not attack. The Mistresses of each alone could have stood as worthy opposition. Mai and Mikoto looked confused, but welcomed the assistance. Shizuru, on the other hand, simply wanted to end this before it got out of hand. Thank god that no one had slain each other. "This needs to stop right now. Natsuki is not herself!" Shizuru warned. Mai and Mikoto jumped to attention, but the other two refused to initially believe the accusation. Mai was the first to inquire. "What do you mean?" "The Emulator is duplicating the Obsidian Lord's wave patterns so perfectly that the Carnival is restarting. Natsuki is under the control of this new digital Obsidian Lord." Shizuru pointed to the sky above, and all followed. A red star was next to the moon, bright as any other. Why had they not noticed before? Mai's jaw dropped. "Oh, god..." "What do we do, Mai?" Mikoto kept one eye on the other pair, just in case. It seemed as if Akane and Shiho were just as interested in the discussion, and they did not attack. Mai absently scratched at her jaw. "Um... well... not killing each other would probably be a good first move." "We have to destroy the HiME Star in order to properly combat the Emulator, but we can't do that without everyone's help. It's too big for just the small group of us. Shizuru's eyes then turned to Akane and Shiho. "The pair of you, you must understand that Natsuki is no longer herself and is not to be trusted." "That's it, everyone's out of their mind," Shiho ironically commented, and Akane nearly laughed at the statement. "I give up." "Is that why the Emulators have gone so haywire? Some sentient thing has taken control over the machine and the network?" Akane dared to be one of the first to actually talk to the so called traitors. All thanked her curiosity and sense of logic in times of crisis. "Yeah. The Obsidian Lord has Natsuki under control, just like he had hold of Reito," Mai answered, forgetting that neither of the Otome had recovered their memories. The two gave Mai a blank look, but she was too busy focusing on the Star to notice. Mai's eyes flashed with something, and she then laughed slightly. "Hey, I feel cheated here! I thought I was the one most likely to win these things!" Shizuru looked at her for a moment, but was too angry about Natsuki's use as the host to reply in an equally light tone. She returned her attention to the Otome. Pointing her bardiche at them, she said, "The Otome don't know how to deal with this crisis. We need you on our side immediately, or all will be lost. Afterwards, you can do as you like. But know that your place is with us. You are reborn legends, and it is your destiny to take up your Elements again." "Why should I believe you?" Akane asked. Mai and Shizuru tossed glances to each other, and it was the redhead who found the winning statement. "Akane. Did you know that as a HiME, you can have sex with the person you're supposed to guard... and not lose your powers?" Bingo. - - - Midori ducked out of an energy arrow as Yukariko fired from a distance. Akira was up close and personal, and their weapons clashed repeatedly. Gakutenou was still tied up, and Nao had only recently dropped down to try and support her by fighting with Yukariko. The nun never the less managed to try and cover Akira at the same time. An admirable feat of fighting spirit, really. It would have been far easier, however, if Miyu had stuck around long enough to be of assistance to anyone. Curse that robot! Midori hadn't even had time to try and talk sense into Akira. The kunoichi was simply too swift. All of Midori's energy was invested in fending off those lightening fast attacks. It was difficult to move her labrys at such a speed, and her muscles were starting to burn from the activity. Finally, more reinforcements arrived. Gakutenou was freed by Akane of all people as the others gathered around. Akira stopped. Yukariko held her ground. Nao was irritated with the interruption – she had been doing well, damn it. "Where's Miyu?" Shizuru asked. If anyone knew something about the detailed plans for an artificial Carnival, then she would. "Ran away, muttering something about some damn 'prime directive' or whatever!" Midori complained, waving her Element around in frustration. Akira had halted the moment the massive HiME group had gathered around. She had no desire to be fried by a dragon. "Prime directive? Is Arika in trouble, then? She's on one of the Otome defense teams, right? I thought I saw a Bolt from the Blue go off in the distance at one point, so maybe Miyu is worried about the beasts getting to her," Yukino chimed in from above, having dropped down once the fighting stopped. Diana was, after all, not the best when it came to conflict. "We don't have time to chase her," Shizuru said. "Midori, Akira, and the rest of you. Look up." "Guiding Star? But I'm not an Otome." Akira furrowed her brows in confusion. Nao chuckled and turned back to face the young diplomat. "If you can see that, then you're a HiME. That's not the Guiding Star anymore. Now it's something more sinister and destructive. I hope you like angst, little ninja girl, because there's probably going to be a lot more of it heading our way." - - - Natsuki watched from one of the buildings of Kyoto, and shook her head. Uniting for truth and justice, were they? Well, so much for the opening games of the new Carnival! What a way to ruin her newly found fun. She supposed that it didn't matter. They always started out united. In every Carnival, in every region of the world, they always tried to stay united. It never worked, and death always seemed inevitable by the end of things. That was what gave the Obsidian Lord that sweet taste of human sorrow and rage. Every building emotion was like an aging wine. It would be perfect after it had time to fester. They could try to work as a team... but the moment that predictable unpredictability took hold, that would all be gone in a heartbeat. That untamed rage of hers was absolutely magnificent.
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