Castle Windbloom They had originally put the two groups of unusual guests in cells next to each other, but that led to nothing but insults and threats being spat back and forth between them. It became so bad that the guards feared a brawl would erupt if they were taken out of their cells for whatever purpose. The two groups of girls were separated and taken out at vastly different times to prevent chaos within the prison section of the castle grounds. The first group had GEMs on their ears, which were taken off to prevent materialization. The other, more peculiar devices in use by the second were taken away, as were their combat suits. They naturally became subject to an intense study that was led by Garderobe's Director of Medicine and GEM Technology, Yoko Helene. She and several of Windbloom's finest scientists were tasked with various objectives to determine who the prisoners were and where they were from. Now she had to add why they wanted to kill each other to the list, as well as the nature of that other kind of device. Language barriers proved to be a bit of a problem at first. When they brought in translators from Zipang after the arrival of Takumi and his staff it became easier, just as Yoko had hypothesized. The languages were similar. Only the ones who had admitted to be Otome were talking. The other group refused to answer questions. Yoko adjusted her clipboard as she wrote down something on one of her documents. "So, to make sure I have this right, your name is 'Hamasaki Izumi' and her name is 'Uematsu Naomi.' You are both Otome, of the Upsilon Type variant, as you called it. Is this correct?" The translator from Zipang sent the message in that nation's ancient tongue, and returned with. "That is correct, ma'am." Yoko continued on, looking straight at this Izumi woman (she would have to take care to remember the surname reversal) as she stated her follow up inquiry. "We only have one variant of Otome here. Would you care to explain the features of whatever variants you have where you're from?" The message was translated, and, in quick phrases, the answers was translated back to her via the interpreter. Izumi spoke frantically, like she was trying her best to get on Yoko's good side so that she might be freed. "She says... 'There are three variants of the Otome. The first one created was the X-Type, or Chi variant. It had no flight function and could only be used in short bursts. It was limited to only a few specific GEMs. The revision to that was the Y-Type, or Upsilon variant. Flight was introduced, and lots of people could use a generic mass produced GEM.'" "Rather like our Corals and Pearls," Yoko assumed. The translator shrugged and continued speaking for the young woman in the cell. "The last was the Z-Type, or Zeta variant. Z-Types did not have to rely on an 'Emulator,' I think she said, and could be powered simply through a bond between keys and Otome. Keys? I don't know. That sounded weird. Said something about how X-Type GEMs got upgraded to Z-Type GEMs over the years, and we probably have some." What would keys have to do with a contract between and Otome and their client? Never the less, she scratched all the information down for future reference. "The first real Otome here was using the Pure White Diamond." Izumi's eyes widened after hearing that from the translator. "That was the first Zeta variant GEM ever used, she says quite happily. That would mean Garderobe also has the first five GEMs ever made, which were scheduled to be upgraded to Z-Types during transit. The Firestring Ruby, the Ice Silver Crystal, the Dazzling Lapis, the Lovely Onyx, and the Continental Topaz." "How old are they? Carbon dating indicates they're a little younger than the Diamond, but if they were significantly altered, I suppose that would make sense," Yoko asked. Izumi struggled with her memory for a moment. Eventually, she said, "They were made around 2020, I think. The first people to use them were defeated by the HiME, but after that, the Otome became a prominent force on Earth." "HiME?" Yoko repeated, falling into thought. Highly Advanced Materializing Equipment? That was certainly a phrase known in the Otome system that Garderobe used. She thought 'Z-Type HiME' only referred to a program that governed the weapon materialization system, not an actual type of warrior. "What is, or who are, HiME?" The translator simply said, "They are the enemy." - - - Natsuki, as the leader of Garderobe, was to oversee all discussion by the rulers of the twelve kingdoms and the other regions who had sent in diplomats. The job involved a lot of sitting and listening, and little else. Every once and a while she would have to step in and play mother to the bickering kings and queens, but that had not happened for some time. So, her job was to sit, listen, and occasionally draw epic stick figure battles all over the backside of her documents when no one was looking – while still paying attention, of course. The rulers all filed into the room and took their usual seats, a new one reserved for Midori of Aswad, and began their meetings in the traditional fashion. When it came time to get to the subject at hand, those supposed citizens of Earth, it was easy to see that the group was split down the middle on the 'hoax' versus 'legitimate' issue. "Yoko, would you please step forward and give your report?" Natsuki ordered after some preliminary discussion. "Perhaps there is irrefutable evidence in their favor." The doctor approached the podium with a stack of papers, and gave everyone a humble nod before she began to speak. "Thank you, Headmistress Kruger. I have not had long to analyze the various people taken in from their respective crashes, but a large amount of information has been accumulated. I will not say whether I truly believe they are from Earth or not. I will leave that to you. From what evidence I have uncovered, their knowledge of the Otome system extends far beyond what most students in Garderobe and world officials are aware of. They know things that are classified to the top level of the academy's staff." "The subjects Izumi Hamasaki and Naomi Uematsu have explained that they are Otome from Earth – specifically from the city of Kyoto, a city within the region of Nihon. Their language is different from our traditional one, having words and sentence structures more commonly found in the older tongue of Zipang. They can communicate slightly with me directly, displaying that our languages are perhaps based on two older languages of Earth," she continued. "And, much like in the eldest records of Zipang dating from just before the War of the Twelve Kings, their surnames are listed before their given name." The leaders were all listening intently, the staff from Zipang paying extra special attention at that point. Yoko continued on, never really feeling comfortable with public speaking, but managing. "They claim three different variants of Otome exist or have existed. The first was the X-Type, which they call the Chi variant. It was created circa 2020 AD, but was very basic in its abilities. The Y-Type, or the Upsilon variant, was apparently developed around 2400 AD after a pause in the program, and by then the Otome had become the guardians of the Earth nations, like we have here. The Z-Type, or Zeta variant, is what our Otome are, and it was developed on board the colony ship that took the first people here. Transmissions sent back to Earth while they were in transit allowed those on Earth to make their own Z-Type GEMs." Natsuki stopped drawing, then, quite intrigued by that kind of information. Some elaborate hoax, indeed. The headmistress offered a question. "Why have they come here, if they are indeed from Earth?" "They keep saying that they are involved with some kind of war with a rival group known as the HiME that has lasted for generations. It seems to be some kind of war of attrition, neither side willing to compromise. It seems to almost be a cultural thing, to kill a member of the rival 'tribe,' so to speak. They are here... to ask for the aid of our Otome," Yoko said. "The other group that Meister Armitage captured are apparently HiME, but they refuse to speak a word to me." Mashiro held up her hand. "They want to take this world's Otome back to Earth to help in a war? Did I just hear that right?" Yoko nodded. "I'm afraid so. They want help fighting against the HiME, and young Miss Izumi wishes to speak to the lot of us to plead her case." "We can't risk that, regardless of what she has to say," the king of Annam stated. "What if it is a hoax and some kind of trap? Or, even if it is true, we have been separate from Earth for this long, and should not feel compelled to enter their conflicts." Natsuki crossed her arms and sighed. "There is a written code in Garderobe dating back to the foundation of the academy that states that against a common enemy, the Otome are to come to each other's aid at all times. If they are indeed Otome, then that may still apply. If they have a similar code, it could be seen as a very negative political statement to deny them our assistance. Assuming they are indeed from Earth." "Could the Otome even materialize on a different planet without the Shinso or Surrogate system?" Mashiro asked. "May I suggest that we le--" Yoko began to say, but found herself interrupted by a most... unexpected visitor to their discussion. Mikoto, the guardian of the Black Valley, kicked open the doors with a very excited face. She ran into the center of the room, Mai Tokiha following behind and shouting various requests for her to stop. Mikoto did not until she had gotten all their attention, almost bouncing up and down. "Did they come back? Where are they? I wanna see!" Natsuki and all the other members of the assemble paused in utter surprise and confusion. What? The headmistress managed to say, "Who are you referring to, Miss Minagi?" Mikoto was swaying back and forth in impatience. "The ones who just came down. My teachers always said that they would always come back to check on us. I've been waiting very patiently, like I was told to. Mai, am I good?" Mai shook her head and then managed a nervous laugh, very self-conscious in the room full of the world's leaders. "I'm sorry, everyone, she just took off yesterday like a crazy person. I could barely follow her. Mikoto just said she had to be here. I'm sorry, again. I'll get her out of here. Come on, Mikoto, I'll... I'll make you ramen." "But...!" "Mikoto, I mean it! Let's go!" Mai tugged on her arm, but Mikoto refused to budge an inch. Several of the rulers just wrinkled up their faces in disappointment and embarrassment. Others, however, merely looked intrigued. It was Natsuki who spoke up. She had always wondered just how old this cat goddess was. "Mikoto, just how exactly old are you? Something had been guarding the Harmonium since the days of the great war, but you couldn't possibly..." "Mikoto is 319 years, 3 months, and 15 days old." Or she could be. Natsuki almost glared, both because the girl had proven her wrong and because it was simply ludicrous. "How is that possible?" "Um, well, the people who took us here in the first place poked me with a needle when I turned fourteen years and said that I would live for a long, long time," Mikoto informed with a nod. She held out her arms wide for reference. "They told me to watch the big piano and make sure nobody touched it! Mikoto only grows one year's worth in about two hundred years." "Who are those people who took you here?" Mashiro questioned. They were my instructors from the Dammerung Otome Academy!" Mikoto said. "My friends and I were part HiME and part Otome. We were special, they said. Fumi got to have the pretty rock. Mikoto didn't get one. It was not finished. Can I talk to them now?" "You knew Fumi?" Haruka asked from her position next to President Yukino. "Why didn't you say anything about that until now?" "You never asked." Haruka paused. "...Well, of all the stupid-!" "Haruka, don't!" Yukino warned, putting her hand on Haruka's arm to calm her down. "All right, I know this is a lot to take in for everyone, but I suppose if Mikoto is truly that old she could spot someone just pretending to be from Earth. Why don't we bring in the one who wanted to speak and let her voice her opinions?" One by one, the leaders relented and agreed. What did they have to lose? Yoko stepped down from the podium and signaled for the guards to bring in Izumi, who had been waiting patiently and silently in another room. She gulped and sprang up, her hands still bound. Never had she expected to be jailed. She was just a messenger. She knew her task was to get aid, but she found herself incredibly nervous now that she was facing a grand council of the world's rulers. She had instructions to speak with whoever was the leader of the Otome, not try her hand at diplomacy. "You have the floor," Takumi said in his country's native language, trying his best to act as a helping hand. He offered her a gentle smile as proof of his character. "T-Thank you," she said. She would speak in English, to suit the rest of them, even if it might end up being a bit rough around the edges. "My name is Hamasaki Izumi, and I speak to you on behalf of the Kyoto Guard branch of the Otome. I was told to go to the leader of the Otome and ask for help, but now I ask all of you. My people have been at war since I was a baby, and well before that. We always hoped that the Otome who left would go back to Earth to save us. I ask that you help. Please." "You expect us to send our most valued warriors to the home world just to help in a war that isn't even ours?" The king of Annam said, still holding fast in his mindset that they should have nothing to do with it. Several rulers backed him. "The others in the prison?" Izumi continued, waving her hand to the door absently. "The HiME? They are fanatics who want to kill every Otome they find. Now that they know that Otome are on here, they will hunt you down too. If you don't help and attack first, they will get you. We can go to Earth using the ship I came from, and we'll seal off the gateway we used before they can enter it. Then all we have to do is defeat them before they can find a way here. Travel through gate is instant. Fast." "Threatening us will not--" the same king began, but was cut off. "Please! If you do not, your Otome will be breaking a code of honor!" Izumi cried, utterly frustrated already. "You don't have to give your most precious Otome. You can give volunteers. Anything, anything at all. Please. You don't know how horrible it is. Mothers, sisters, fathers – all are killed just so the HiME can get to us!" Natsuki sighed. She was afraid of that. Garderobe's rigid codes, laid down by Fumi herself, almost forced her to dispatch forces to help. She drummed her fingers against the table, pondering what to do. If it were a team of volunteers, that would be all right, wouldn't it? As Natsuki continued to ponder, Mashiro spoke up. "Do you have any non-Otome political leaders on Earth?" The young queen asked. Izumi nodded frantically. "Yes. That is why we are called Guard. Groups defend a region from the HiME and all other enemies. Guards can be very big. Kyoto Guard had several hundred warriors. The rulers of Nihon would certainly love to meet and ally with you. Trade, too. Lots of trade. Earth still has a lot of ore left, ah, and... we still have an Emulator to power your Columns! They can use the one we do!" She felt that she was losing an already uphill battle. She was getting so flustered that her English skills were failing her. "Maybe," Mashiro began to suggest, "we should send some representatives to see their rulers, and bring a group of volunteer Otome with us for protection. After we establish a proper union and learn about what's really going on, we can make a more informed decision." The king of Annam and several other did a double take. Mashiro was, for once, sounding wise beyond her years, but what she was saying was out of the question. "Have you gone insane, young queen? If you send that kind of group in, we'll practically be signing the lives of our Otome and our diplomats away if there's a real war going on!" "Earth is still home," Mashiro said, "and if we can stop the war and the carnage, all the better for everyone there. If Earth still exists, then there's hope all the other colonies are still full of people. We could go to Earth and then link up with all the other colonies to rebuild the lost stellar territories. We can regain everything that our ancestors lost. Right?" Midori, who had remained silent thus far, finally spoke up in her calm and almost emotionless voice. It was the perfect chance to recover all the old technology necessary to save her own people. If she could get her hands on it first, then there was a chance everything could be righted. There were still many who needed aid. "I would be willing to go with you to Earth." That stunned the other rulers even more. Perfect, now there was no way out of it. If Aswad leapt ahead in technological terms, then they could become a legitimate threat! Then, natural greed set in with every country wanting to stay on top of the arm's race even despite all their treaties. Most agreed to send ambassadors. A few rare individuals were willing to go themselves in hopes of making a more solid bond. Midori al-Aswad, Mashiro blan de Windbloom, Yukino Chrysant, Arika Yumemiya and Haruka Armitage were the first volunteers. Akira Okuzaki would also be dispatched by Zipang as its representative. Izumi breathed a sigh of relief. Two Otome. It was not much, but it was a start. That just left the rest of the Otome to stand up and volunteer. Natsuki Kruger stood up after a moment, and excused herself. "I will have my answer to you by tomorrow. If I return with volunteers, you will have temporary support. Do not treat this like a permanent alliance." Izumi nodded. Mikoto, finally happy to see someone, ran up and shook Izumi's hand. "They did come back. It's really them. The symbol on her hair clip is Dammerung's symbol. Mikoto wants to go home!" There was another. Mai waved her arms. "What? You can't go!" "Mai goes too. Mai cooks the food." There was another, whether the redhead wanted it or not. Mai shouted something in protest, but knew that it would probably do no good. Either way, she was obligated to go. She had a duty to protect Mikoto, who had become both her friend and master over the years. Mai sighed in defeat. Crap. - - - "Well, what do you think?" Natsuki asked her companion. Shizuru merely shrugged. "It is a very risky move in either direction. The temporary volunteer force may be your only path to take. No support and you will break our own laws. Too much support and you may threaten Garderobe and lose unnecessary life." The headmistress groaned in frustration and chugged the glass of tea she had been given. "I can't send in Corals or Pearls. They're too young and inexperienced. Our best bet would be the Columns and Otome who have yet to find a master despite having graduated. Assuming their 'Emulator' can be calibrated to deal with us." "I will go, if you like." She said it very casually, like she was willing to go run to the store for a gallon of milk. A simple errand. Natsuki was still unnerved that Shizuru was willing to die at her command, and was not willing to let the woman go on such a task alone. "Those contracted to the diplomats are givens – Arika and Haruka. I will make a general announcement for extra volunteers and whoever shows up, we will take," Natsuki said simply, already going for the GEM communication line. She was stopped by Shizuru, who gave her a mildly surprised glance. Actually, for Shizuru, that was the equivalent of a jaw drop. "We will take?" Shizuru inquired. "You intend to go?" "It is only proper for the leader of the Otome to join the other representatives to meet with their rulers and their warriors. Do you disagree?" Natsuki asked. Shizuru tilted her head to the side. "Well, no, I just was not expecting it. We will take them with us, will we? You make it sound like we're bringing the kids to the amusement park or the zoo. Who will watch Garderobe while we're away?" Natsuki glared at the comment referring to being parents of the other Otome, and simply said, "Maria can handle administrative duties. Sara and Maya will act in our places until we return. They are fully capable of watching over the students and coordinating classes and activities." "Fair enough, I suppose," Shizuru said. She smiled. "Ara, it's been some time since we had a genuine adventure together. This is rather exciting, isn't it?" Natsuki rolled her eyes and simply opened a communication line with every Otome who was wearing a GEM within a fifty mile radius. "This is Headmistress Natsuki Kruger. The objects that fell from the sky were ships from Earth, and the occupants were fellow Otome requesting assistance on the home world, where a war is underway. Any Meister-level Otome interested in becoming a volunteer to defend the nation's representatives must report to my office within twenty-four hours. Over and out." "So businesslike." "Thank you," Natsuki replied, not realizing that it was not exactly a compliment. She kicked back in her chair with a long sigh. While she had honestly been a bit bored with nothing but endless peace, this kind of adventure was a bit much! A quick battle out in the desert would have been good. Jetting off to a different planet where a catastrophic war was taking place? Yes, that was slightly overkill on the excitement. She shifted in her chair and scratched at the lower left side of her back. It had been itching like hell all day. Burning, even. She hoped she hadn't been scratched by something poisonous during her various outings in Grauwald (or that Shizuru had somehow given her something vile – not that she should have been contracting any of those kind of things from any random or not so random people). Maybe it was just those mosquitoes. God damned mosquitoes. - - - Volunteers were few and far between. Sara and Maya had agreed to take up the place of temporary Headmistress and Archmeister, respectively. Both were wanderers by nature, and used to long covert missions, but if duty asked for them to fill in, so be it. They were professionals in that sense. Arika Yumemiya and Haruka Armitage were confirmed on the trip, as expected, sworn to defend their masters. Arika had raved and ranted about putting a stop to all the bloodshed, but her overwhelming passion and youth was quieted down by the rapidly maturing queen and the other Meister. A Column member did indeed show up. Nao coolly looked at both Shizuru and Natsuki, who were giving her an expected look of surprise. Natsuki tapped her fingers on her desk. "And your reason for going?" "Bored out of my ever loving mind," Nao said. The left side of Shizuru's mouth twitched up into a small smirk. "I'm sorry, we were looking for something along the lines of 'I want to help defend the supreme rulers of the twelve nations and possibly help improve life on Earth.' I don't know, Natsuki, what do you think?" As Natsuki made a thoughtful noise and pretended to ponder the issue, Nao rolled her eyes. "What in the hell. When did you two fur traders end up as my parents? Do I have to sign triplicate permission slips next? Give you a note that says Nao has been a very good girl and is free to go on a field trip?" "We don't tolerate that kind of attitude," Shizuru said. "I'm afraid you'll have to go to the corner for ten minutes so you learn your lesson." Natsuki was surprised Shizuru did not volunteer to spank her. She twitched an eye when Nao spoke, echoing her thoughts. "I'm surprised you didn't make some smartass comment about spanking me, you pervert. Look, am I going or not? I don't have time for this." "If you're bored out of your mind, then surely you have too much free time," Natsuki countered. "Kruger, just write my name down on your little list and shut up," Nao demanded, her hands tightening into fists. Natsuki smirked from her desk, resting her chin against both of her hands, taking great satisfaction in irritating the hell out of someone who could have very well filled the void of sister. Her rivalry with Mai was one thing, but Nao fought back with ferocity. It made it all the more amusing. Natsuki cleared her throat, moving to write a name down. "Very well, you may go. Do remember that this is a mission of diplomacy, first and foremost. You'll have to be a well mannered woman. No swearing, no drinking, and no flipping off anyone who looks at you." "Well, just suck all the fun right out of it, will you?" She turned on her heel and marched out of the office, her mission finally accomplished. No need to hang around if they were just going to be wise asses all day long. Roughly twenty minutes later, another redhead, albeit of a more natural shade, slowly trudged into the office. Her face was downcast, not believing that she had gotten pushed into this kind of situation. That young (or not so young) companion of hers was nothing but trouble. "So, you're officially going?" Natsuki asked. Mai nodded her head once. "It certainly looks that way. My status as an Otome Meister sort of obligates me to go and defend Mikoto, who's been bouncing all around incessantly since she saw the two ships fall. So much for being a hermit. Adventure calls." Natsuki shook her head and put Mai's name on the list of confirmed volunteers. Mai, Natsuki and both of their onee-samas fighting together again. How sickeningly nostalgic. Perhaps the mission would prevent both sides from warring against each other, but she knew better. "Well, you know you're always welcome, Tokiha. The additional support will no doubt come in handy." "Hopefully giant flames of death won't be necessary, but we'll see." With that, Mai sighed and said her farewells, heading back out the doors that lead into Natsuki's office. To be trusted with securing relations with the home world, and to defend all the diplomats from harm as a war between the Otome and these... HiME tore the place apart. No pressure there at all. She just had to let her GEM get swallowed by that silly immortal girl. She was snapped from her train of thought by something that had been bugging her all day. She darted her eyes down the halls that lead up to her path, making sure no one was around. Then, confident that she was alone, she frantically scratched at her right breast, which had been itching and burning like hell all damn day. A red mark had been starting to appear. Mai whined in aggravation and then began to head down the hall. "I hope I didn't get ringworm. For god sakes." - - - The ship that had landed outside Windbloom, belonging to the two Otome, was just large enough to seat all of them quite uncomfortably. It felt very much like a sardine can, but was otherwise good to go in terms of flight. It had survived the impact well, the two Y-Type Otome from Earth only having to repair a few minor things beforehand. They kept saying they had to go as soon as possible, which left the Earl natives with only two days of preparation time. They were given little in terms of extra information. There were Five Columns on their world as well, who acted as the leaders of the Otome rather than just specialist agents to be used. Likewise, the HiME had their own elite time known as the Twelve. They were the strongest of their breed, wielding ancient and unique weapons and apparently having the ability to summon Slaves like the Schwarz agents they had encountered in the past. The team of volunteers was all accounted for: Akira, Midori, Natsuki, Shizuru, Nao, Mai, Mikoto, Yukino, Haruka, Mashiro, and Arika. It was a motley crew, though for some reason they all felt quite comfortable around one another. No time for flight training. Izumi and Naomi left the surface regardless of the collective constitution of the people on board. Most were Otome and used to the feeling of high speed flight. The diplomats, however, paled and grew nauseous. "Oh, god, I'm gonna hurl," Akira muttered, clutching her stomach as the g-forces shoved her back into her seat. Shizuru, sitting next to her, slid to the side as far as possible, tugging on her girlfriend's clothing as she (gracefully, of course) scrambled to get clear should there be any release of stomach fluid. The gateway that had been used to get the Otome there in the first place was still active. Izumi turned back to explain. "You will see blinding white before we emerge on the other side. That is basically a device to secure and maintain a wormhole. Instant transportation." "What's a wormhole?" Mashiro asked. Too late. Izumi flew into it, and the universe around them was lost for several long moments, jaws dropping in shock and horror before space and its brilliant stars once returned. In front of them was a blue world vastly different from their own. It was covered in gray, dead clouds. The continents were white. The seas had lost the brilliant blue shade that had once been. Ripped metal floated around them, orbital installations long ago destroyed. Earth was, in essence, a dead and lifeless looking world. Naomi turned back around, stating one simple command. "Hang on." Oh, they did – for dear life. The ship shook and rocked as they broke through the atmosphere, flamings biting at the outer hull. After several minutes it finally broke through, heading back down to the surface and to a landing area that they had been shooting for in particular. An ancient and ruined city. Flashes in the distance represented explosions. Natsuki looked on, calculating the dangers. "This place was once called Kyoto," Izumi said. "In the last few years, the war had taken center stage on these old and sacred grounds. The political leaders assemble here, however, underground in one of the old bunkers. No time for sight seeing. We'll take you to them immediately." Good idea, Natsuki wryly thought. They hopped out of their seats and exited the vessel, stepping on to the cracked and frozen street below. How desolate looking this place was. Never the less, they followed behind the two native Otome as they escorted the visitors to a more private path, further away from danger and more secluded, running through archaic and abandoned buildings. A ghost town. They moved quickly and silently, the less athletic diplomats finding themselves winded. When they stopped for a brief moment to let them recover, Mai looked skyward. Such dark and foreboding clouds. Had the sky there ever been clear and blue, or was Kyoto permanently tainted by such an atmosphere? As she took deep breaths to keep her body in the proper condition, she heard a dull rumble behind her. What? Looking up at the sky, a red glowing object caught her attention. It sailed through the skies, a faint screech become louder and louder. "Oh, god! The the First!" Naomi hissed. "What?" Natsuki demanded, following their glare. "Explain." "The HiME are governed by The Twelve, their elite warriors. They can control those dark gods and forbidden weaponry. That's one up there. Quick take cover! In here!" Izumi explained, running into one of the abandoned buildings. The others followed suit, watching whatever it was from their secure location, peering out a window. The faint glow and rumble became a distinctly serpent like form, and the rumble became a full roar. The beast dove down from the sky and flew overhead, racing through the ruined skyscrapers, looking for victims. The monster passed right next to them with only a short distance to spare. Aboard him was a young woman, hanging onto his back while spirals so similar to Mai's danced around her wrists. A sharp intake of air into the monster's lungs forced them to cover their ears. It cleared the area and twisted its neck down. The blast that followed was deafening. A large stream of fire poured from its hungry mouth, taking out a small structure in the distance. Otome dressed in blue suits scrambled across the battlefield, their cover lost. "We're too late, they're already here," Naomi hissed to Izumi. "We have to get back immediately. Let's get in there and support them!" "But, what about...?" Naomi tossed her head back to their guests. "You all stay here. Don't move unless you're about to be incinerated! We have a fixed Emulator here if you need to materialize. Help if you can, but it might be too much!" Oh, okay. The two Otome activate their Iolite GEMs, coating themselves in that same blue combat robe the other Earth warriors were wearing. They snuck out of the building and raced to help their comrades, while the visitors from Earl could only stare helplessly in shock. Well, time for robes. Could they even activate them? Mai and the others, without incident, summoned up their Otome robes, connecting to their Emulator, wherever it was. "Now what?" Mai asked. She was greeted by silence, no one really knowing how to answer that. The dragon and the Otome fought tooth and nail outside, the Iolites armed with the same kind of quarterstaves the Corals and Pearls used. They were amazed by the similarities between them. After several minutes, however, Natsuki heard something down a nearby street. She turned, staring at the buildings, seeing a shadow move. A screech of metal on asphalt, followed by a wounded howl. "Yafusa!" Someone shrieked in the distance, clearly frightened. Another of the Twelve, then? A dark metal animal limped into the street, lame and crippled in its movement. Blood red metal eyes accumulated targets. A solitary woman stood next to it, whatever that monstrosity was. One cannon was mounted on the left side of the creature's back, looking much like Natsuki's cannon Element, she thought. The right side of the beast looked as if something had been entirely ripped off, a large metal indentation left behind. The Slave-like animal hobbled whenever it had to use that side of its body. It groaned as it began its hunt, and let out one earth-shaking howl, full of pain and anguish. Slowly and sure, the lame Slave fixed its wrathful eyes on where they were hiding. Without hesitation, a cartridge was inserted into the chamber of the massive cannon, the barrel pointing at where they were ducking down. Natsuki widened her eyes in fear and shock. Well, so much for a peaceful diplomacy mission. "Move!" She ordered. They did so, the wolf howling yet again – a battle cry.
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