The Empress Wakes - - - "They called her the Queen of Heaven. She was the last HiME to truly walk through the Gates of Valhalla to meet the Obsidian Lord face to face. Though his defeat was not by her hand alone, the Queen of Heaven has the distinct honor of being the only member of the Last Ikusahime to stand tall and proud without having been slain or corrupted. She was the last and, for better or worse, truly managed to usher in a new era after the Obsidian Lord's defeat – something that each winner of the Carnival was promised but never received until that day." -- HiME Historical Figures Database, introductory article on Kagutsuchi users. - - - Haruka had a bad habit of cracking her knuckles when she was impatiently waiting for something. Yukino had reprimanded her about it thousands upon thousands of times, but it was a little quirk of hers that had yet to be fixed. She'd only gotten about five hours of sleep, and she had expected the Emulator to be up and running by then. At least, that was the ETA the Otome themselves had given them about how long it would take to fix the thing. To everyone's dismay, the machine still refused to work. Apparently the EMP weapon had been stronger than anticipated, which meant that the Otome had piled themselves into defensive trenches with guns in order to prevent the HiME from gaining ground. She'd been woken up early by Natsuki herself, who said the ship was ready to leave, and was then taken away to a small landing strip where the vessel that would be taking her back through the Lalande gate was waiting, engines up and running. It took less than a half an hour for final preparations to be completed, and she was blasted off, a magnetic rail propelling the ship into the air at amazing speeds. She fixed her gaze on the city and then the planet below, depending on where she was during the ascent, and couldn't help but continue to mentally beat herself up over her earlier failure. "Yukino," she hissed through clenched teeth. She damned the HiME for making her so utterly useless as a meister. Though hesitant to leave her master and the others behind, she really had no choice in the matter. Natsuki had made up her mind, and once she had done that, there was no debate. The headmistress was punishing her by forcing her out of combat for a time, and they all knew it. Humiliated, she simply told the pilot to land outside Garderobe, and spoke only enough to give him directions on where to go. Her silence, such a rarity in someone so loudmouthed and bullheaded, was proof of her deflated ego. The flight took three hours, give or take, and they were greeted by awed Corals and Pearls. She exited the vehicle with a stately appearance, not willing to let any of them see her in a less than confident state. Marching up the main stairs that led into the academy, she passed by familiar faces and new cadets alike. She paid none of them any attention, even if someone called out to her. She had a mission, and she was going to complete it come hell or high water. Most were rightfully surprised to see her back so soon. Sara Gallagher had rushed down from the headmistress' office without hesitation, her face naturally showing confusion and worry. Haruka stood at attention once the Column stopped, and Sara instantly got to the topic at hand. "Why are you back so soon? Where are the others?" "I'm here for reinforcements. It's more war torn than we were led on to believe," Haruka said sternly. "Natsuki's given me orders to bring back twenty Otome. She sent you a sealed and signed letter with the list of people she wants." Haruka handed it over, and Sara opened it, quickly gazing over the letter's contents and zooming right past the obligatory official bullshit at the beginning. "Shit, President Chrysant and Shizuru have been captured? We're going to have to keep that quiet. I'll call out the ones on her list, though I'm none to happy about losing Yukariko and the other members of the teaching staff. We'll have to have bring in alumni to teach, or put Pearls in charge." "No time for protests. We need them right now. Those are just the immediate problems. Midori's gone, Mai and some of the others are missing, and who knows what's happened since I left!" Haruka growled. "And I know how much you love waiting around for things," Sara managed to chuckle, despite her concern. "Chie's counter terrorism unit, Shiho, Akane, Yukariko... some of them are nearby so it won't take long. I'll call the others first. Follow me back up to the office." Haruka marched in front of her, finding her pace far too slow for her taste, hoping that her speed would make Sara move a bit faster. Corals and Pearls stared at them as they made their way up to the headmistress' office, all whispering to one another about what could have possibly happened to the volunteer team sent in only a day and a half ago. The gossip ceased when irritated teachers ushered them to class, and life continued as normal, the secret of their failures safe for the moment. - - - It was not often that Chie Hallard got a day off of work. Her counter terrorism Otome unit, each member of her team using a specially designed GEM linked up to one another, had watched over the Aries Republic since the incidents two years prior. Haruka Armitage, to her dismay, continued to receive the grand and epic tasks concerning the nation's defense. As for Chie? Every day was a crisis, but it was only a mediocre threat at best once all had been said and done. Try as she might, she never did manage to even see into the league Haruka was in when it came to the nation's love of their Otome. She shifted in bed. Damn that blonde woman and her infernal popularity – and female fans. Damn it, why didn't she have a thousand young women practically throwing her panties at her in praise? Well, okay, there was one who did. She was happy enough with that. Giving up on sleep, she shifted again and managed to nuzzle up against Aoi, who was on holiday in Mashiro's absence. There was nothing to do but lie in bed all day, and Chie fully intended to see that through. She smiled almost drunkenly in her half-awake stupor and sighed. Warm blankets. Soft pillows. Bitchin' hot babe. Life couldn't get much better, and it was little moments like this that kept her sane – regardless of what the Aries military threw at her. Oh, but fate was as cruel as a puppy murdering sociopath. Aoi's eyes flickered open and she gave Chie a gentle shove, clearly not amused with all this shifting around that Chie was doing as she tried to get to sleep. "Really, now, must you fidget so much?" With a devilish little grin, Chie rolled over and pinned the other woman by the shoulders. She tilted her head down to trail butterfly kisses down her neck. Between each gesture, she spoke. "Yes, I must, but I swear I'll make it up to you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" And then the world was lost as Aoi certainly forgave Chie for any irritation she may have caused so early in the morning. Light kisses transformed themselves into nothing less than expressions of true lust and carnal desire. Bodies pressed roughly against one another, both filling the silent morning with sounds of moaning and pleading. "Oh, Chie..." "Chie Hallard, do you copy?!" "Sara...?" In that instant, the hot world of passion froze faster than a winter at the poles, leaving the room frigid and frightening. Livid eyes stared up at the Otome, and Chie could barely grasp what had just happened. Aoi's nails, which had been lightly pressed into her back, were now threatening to break skin and it was not because the young maid was getting freaky. "What?" "The GEM! Oh, god, it's the GEM! Meister Gallagher, she just... I..." Chie faltered, and then pressed a hand to the jewel on her ear. "Meister, I'm busy, you'll have to..." As Aoi glared at her from below, Sara's voice once again invaded their privacy. "There is a serious issue concerning the volunteer team and President Chrysant. I need you to report in to Garderobe immediately with the rest of your unit. Over and out." Chie stared into space, wondering just what in the hell had happened out there. Then, she once again turned to the other female, and grinning innocently. God damn it. "I... It's not what you think, I swear!" - - - "You'll be accompanied by Leucosia, the mistress of Yatagarasu," Shizuru was informed by some faceless underling. "The First has ordered her along to make sure that you don't try anything funny. We understand Windbloom has no anti-air defenses or orbital satellites, and our pilot will take caution to avoid the few nations that do. You may have to help with navigation. You will not have your GEM, or a weapon of any kind. Ensure all prisoners survive." A white haired young girl with eyes full of laughter and a devious smile upon her lips stood next to him, no more than fourteen years of age. Her skin was almost as pale as her hair. The albino child looked a bit like a devilish specter, almost defining the age old 'creepy child' stereotype. She gave Shizuru a gentle little bow, and it was then that Shizuru remembered who she was. She had seen her during the battle that had gotten them all separated. She was the one who played that haunting melody on the flute, which in turn controlled that raven Child. "A pleasure to meet you, Shizuru-san," she said, her voice light and almost sing-song. She was reminded very much of Nagi. The red eyed Windbloom native did not trust her. Shizuru gave her a gentle bow, still a bit out of it and not properly healed, and fell back to her polite diplomat's voice. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Leucosia." A playful smile was the child's response, and the pair were ushered out of the complex and into the woods. They marched for about a kilometer before they came to a clearing where a small shuttle capable of vertical takeoffs was waiting. They entered, and before long, they too were headed for Earl. Once they had reached the Lalande gate, the pilot turned back around to them after a quick look to her displays. "Looks like someone went through about two hours ago. It wasn't one of ours. The Otome must have sent another team in," she said. "You might have to be extra quiet when you try and bust our people out." Shizuru nodded but said nothing, and her diminutive companion merely smiled at her worried response. Red eyes fixed on the stars, she wondered just briefly if it was Natsuki leading them back. It wasn't logical. The headmistress wouldn't abandoned a post so quickly, especially not with people missing. It was likely to be a call for reinforcements, which already seemed sorely needed. Whether or not Natsuki had sent any of the volunteers back or if she had sent more Earth natives to ask for more soldiers was another story. She hoped for the latter, and the former would only result in more people to potentially brand her a traitor. Three hours passed, and she had not said much to her escort, who was entertained enough by the ride. They broke through Earl's atmosphere and landed about ten miles south of Windbloom's capital, the landing quick and made after a very low pass above the treetops. Shizuru had directed them to a barren location to avoid being seen, and from there they would be walking. It would make extraction difficult, but it would have been impossible to get any closer without raising alarm. She descended down the boarding ramp and the young girl followed behind, a light bounce in her steps. The girl took a deep breath and observed the minor differences between her planet and this new colony world. Leucosia smiled up at Shizuru innocently and said, "Lead the way!" She complied, leaving behind the shuttle and taking long strides through the a forest path that she had ventured down many times. Natsuki at her side, she had often taken long walks through the area during what little free time she had. It was always calming – a wonderful break from paperwork and classes. She shook her head as she walked. Only a day and she was getting lovesick. What was wrong with her? She was used to long missions away from the headmistress. This was nothing. She turned her attention to the rather young teenager next to her, who was easily keeping up despite her fast pace. "You're awfully young to be partaking in such bloodshed." The girl looked up to her and managed a small laugh. "Ah, but I'm one of the more experienced members of the Twelve! I've been fighting quite incessantly for the last five years or so. I may not be much in a physical fight, but I've yet to suffer a defeat thanks to my strong bond with Yatagarasu." "If you willingly went into battle so young, then you surely must hate my kind," Shizuru responded. "It must be a chore to work with an Otome." "Not at all," she said in that same childish voice. "In fact, I find you quite interesting! You don't seem to act quite like those arrogant little savages, which is shocking enough on its own. The fact that you are from a colony world makes things all the more fascinating." "I guess I should be glad that I'm amusing." It was slightly sarcastic, but Shizuru was sure most of it didn't transfer over to the girl. They walked on quietly for a brief time before the silence was broken once again by her young traveling companion. "What is the name of this country?" She inquired, her eyebrows raising up as she saw the main capital in the distance. "This is the kingdom of Windbloom. I grew up here," Shizuru said, her pace not slowing down in the least after having traversed a mile, still injured or not. "You will find that very few people other than Otome speak your language. You will have to let me do the talking. I don't think you can pass yourself of as a native of Zipang, which is the only region that speaks your particular tongue." "I would not have it any other way. This is your world, not mine." Leucosia did not slow down once over the next several miles, and perhaps even outclasses Shizuru in her ability to travel. Perhaps the Archmeister had underestimated her abilities. As a member of the Twelve she should have expected the girl to be quite strong – even more so than Garderobe Corals her own age. As they neared the outskirts of Windbloom, Shizuru held out an arm, forcing Leucosia to stop. Garderobe was as easily seen as Windbloom castle from their position, and she caught sight of something that usually was not outside the academy – a vessel much like the one she had used to return to Earth. Again she wondered just who had returned, but without her robe the journey to investigate would take far too long. They would have to head immediately to the detention center in the underground of the castle and then head straight back. She started to lead the way once more, but then sighed as she heard Leucosia's next comment. "My goodness. A castle shaped like a sunflower. How... interesting." "An eleven year old was in charge of the design," she defended. Lord knew how many foreign dignitaries had made fun of the thing over the last few years. "Oh, I can see that." - - - Archmeister Viola strolled into Windbloom with little difficulty, and she was moving so slowly and was such a familiar face that no one seemed to even notice her or her diminutive companion. The woman weaved her way through traffic and took back alleys to stay out of sight should anyone bother to approach. The white haired young teen beside her followed along dutifully and without question. One would have thought that Shizuru Viola was babysitting a friend's child for some reason or another. The fact that the child could have killed Shizuru in an instant was lost on everyone. Yet, even still, one person caught sight of Shizuru, and she knew vaguely that the Archmeister had been on the volunteer team dispatched to Earth – such a momentous occasion, of course. In her hands was a bag of recently acquired goods that had come from one of Windbloom's more expensive retailers. She clutched it as she followed behind, curious and worried about the senpai's presence in the city. - - - To say that the diplomatic relationship between Ashura and Natsuki was strained was a contender for understatement of the year. The headmistress was being watched by both Ashura and many of the Column's armed personnel. Natsuki had caught onto it not long after her failed seize of power. She tried to pay it little mind. Ashura had kept her distance since then, and so the headmistress was thoroughly surprised to see the Column leader marching up to her a few hours after the younger woman had woken up. Ashura's expression was all business, and Natsuki mirrored it perfectly. Ashura hesitated for just a moment before she began to speak. "A few Iolites who were in the field captured some interesting video footage. They just reported it an presented it to me, and I think I would like to ask you a question or two," Ashura said sternly. She slipped a small drive into the computer terminal nearby and Natsuki turned her head as the captured images began to play. What she saw did not make her happy. Appearing on the display was the foreign yet familiar sight of Kagutsuchi the dragon Slave, bathing the Otome defenses in fire and flame. Behind him was a giant spider that was successfully capturing and stunning soldier after soldier, it's HiME having disembarked long enough to fight hand to hand with gauntlet weapons. A small and agile hydra was ripping through anything that was in it's path, woman with a giant red bardiche apparently controlling it. She paused on that image for quite sometime, feeling peculiar, before the video shifted to the skies, where a large red beast flew. That was... Natsuki felt her jaw drop. That was no HiME Slave. That was Gakutenou, and on board was Midori, holding her blades skyward in victory. Kagutsuchi dropped the EMP device that had left the Otome helpless, and Midori left with the enemy. She was not there to stop them. "Apparently, your team does not want to forge an exclusive alliance with my people." Ashura took another step towards her, trying and succeeding to become an intimidating force in the room. "Why did you not inform me that your world is trying to become friendly with our enemies? Are you intending to grow rich off of what materials each side has while condemning us all to hell? Perhaps you're hoping to annihilate us both and take the home world for yourself, colonist." Natsuki glared and stepped in, leaving only a few precious inches of space between the both of them. Natsuki was never one to back down, and would certainly not stand to be accused of such a thing. "The nations of my world are independent. What they do is their business. My team is only meant to escort them." And yet... And yet she couldn't help but feel as if she was losing yet another vital member of her team. Midori was not simply a diplomat. She was a warrior who had helped Garderobe against Artai during the war. Like Akira, she was a valuable soldier. To side with the HiME, a still largely unknown power and a dangerous force that had taken Shizuru – and Yukino, of course – captive... was Midori out of her mind? With the relations between the two Otome groups already tense, this would only further serve to complicate things! She had been turned on. Her soldiers were beginning to abandon her. Her fist tightened and her jaw clenched. "You're doing a damn fine job of protecting them, I must say," Ashura said coolly, purposefully biting at such a vulnerable spot of Natsuki's psyche – her fear of failure. She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. "As good a job as you're doing with your own forces, I'd say. How long have you been trying to take this single city? Months? Years?" "This is holy ground. This is where the Last Ikusahime fell and where the first Otome were brought into existence. You could not possibly understand the tenacity that both sides have when it comes to trying to seize Kyoto-shi." Ashura's voice was becoming low, as if threatening Natsuki or baiting her into doing something that would give Ashura a reason to fight. As if sensing that such a fight was surely going to take place if the two were left to their own devices, Mashiro ran in from the hall and put an arm between them, hoping that neither would be stubborn enough to push the little girl aside in order to brawl. "Stop this right now, the both of you! You're both representatives of the Otome, just... hug it out! I mean it!" The two just glared at each other. Natsuki clicked her tongue in distaste. "Blödes arschloch." Ashura, of course, did not understand but was right in assuming that it was not the most pleasant phrase in Natsuki's verbal arsenal. She turned away sharply and began to head out of the room to attend to her other duties. Before completely exiting, however, she managed to get the last word it. "Your people are betraying you and defecting to the enemy. I will be watching each of your soldiers for anything suspicious. It will be on your head if there are any more disturbances. The Otome here aren't terribly kind when it comes to such matters." - - - There was a rumble, and Shizuru found herself looking skyward. There, she saw the vessel that had been at Garderobe take off and streak towards the heavens. Leucosia watched as well, and Shizuru found herself breathing a sigh of relief. There would not be as much resistance from Garderobe should they be caught, then. It would take them a while to reach the Lalande Gate, but they certainly wouldn't turn around now. She turned to Leucosia, who was waiting patiently and saying nothing. For some reason or another, Shizuru found herself adjusting the slightly crooked collar of the girl's coat. She had to look presentable for Windbloom Castle, but maybe it was to sooth her own nerves. "That would have been reinforcements, I imagine. I doubt they'd just send a messenger back this soon. This is good for us, however, so let's move a bit quicker," she informed. Leucosia bowed her head and once again allowed Shizuru to lead the way. Shizuru's longer legs allowed her to cover more ground at a faster pace, essentially forcing Leucosia to jog along behind her just in order to keep up. It wasn't terribly crowded at this time of day, as most people were at work, but they kept to the alleys to avoid trouble. All the while, Shizuru planned for an extraction. Civilians wouldn't pay the group much mind, but any stray Garderobe students would. The way they were heading in seemed safe enough. It would prove effective on the way out. If not that, then there was the sewer system, as disgusting as it was. Having Leucosia fly them out on Yatagarasu would be entirely impractical. It was at the castle gates that she was forced to directly encounter people, who were rightfully shocked to see her. Sneaking around would do no good at all, especially in her weakened stated. Vaulting a wall did not seem likely. A guard naturally queried about her presence. "Archmeister, what are you doing here?" "My stay on Earth was a temporary one. I have duties to attend to here. Open the gate," she ordered. He stepped aside and opened it as commanded, but trained his eyes on the small figure next to her. "Who is she?" He asked. "She is a Coral from Garderobe, and is accompanying me for apprenticeship purposes." Shizuru walked into the castle without hesitation to leave no room for conversation. The young guard let them go, returning to his own tasks. Had he been a little more observant, he would have noticed the absence of a GEM on Leucosia's ear. Luckily for him, however, he was the blissfully ignorant sort. She would have hated to force her way in. The two marched through the castle, Leucosia keeping silent, as Shizuru had requested earlier. The Archmeister gave courteous nods to noblemen and politicians who were visiting the castle on business, but went straight down to the lower levels of the building. She worked her way beyond another set of guards with no difficulty and began the trek to the detention area. Leucosia looked up at her, finally speaking. "What did you have in mind for the journey back?" The girl was calm, of course, but displayed a required amount of curiosity should she be forced to leave Shizuru behind for whatever reason. As Midori and Yukino depended on Shizuru's cooperation, she answered. "The same way, if you let me do the talking," Shizuru spoke. "If things become difficult, then there is always travel by sewer system. It runs from the castle to beyond the city limits. There are many underground structures we can take advantage of if necessary." "I see. Very well." Leucosia kept pace with her as Shizuru slowly descended another flight of stairs. Halfway down, she stopped, detecting a familiar odor. She inhaled the air again, and widened her eyes. Leucosia, hardened warrior in her own right, was just as, if not more so, familiar with the metallic and stomach churning stench. "It seems there was some kind of fighting further down." Blood. Shizuru descended down the stairs rapidly, Leucosia hopping along after her, and rounded the corner that led towards the prison cells. Three guards were dead on the ground, a pool of blood around each of them. The guards all sported a very heavy laceration. One in particular had his arm entirely severed, and it was several feet away from his body. None were moving. Shizuru stepped over them, and concluded that the attack had been recent. Artai? No, they wouldn't have had the power. Leucosia was oddly calm. Perhaps the HiME had escaped for themselves? Or, perhaps... "Stand back. I don't have a key, but I have a much better alternative," a voice declared in the Zipang language. Shizuru poked her head around the next corner, which was where the main line of cells was located. There she saw a woman around her height and build, though a few years old, holding a massive black claymore with brilliant blue symbols that seemed to glow under their own power. A second stood next to her, wearing a HiME uniform. The Archmeister was about to move forward when Leucosia took Shizuru's hand, holding her in place and allowing this woman to bring the sword over her head. The figure stepped forward and swung the blade with the force only a HiME or a meister Otome could ever hope to muster. The blade, made of some otherworldly metal, was able to slice the door of the prison cell in two. The top segment fell in, and the woman kicked the other free, leaving an open doorway. Instantly, the three inmates rushed into the hall. They were without their Diadem devices, leaving them vulnerable. The woman with the sword grabbed hold of one. "Are you all right? The Otome dogs did not mistreat you, did they?" She inquired. "The Otome on this world don't seem the type to resort to such things." The woman with the sword spun around in shock, not expecting such company. There was Leucosia, standing and speaking casually. A small grin was on her face, and the other woman curved her lips up into a smile as well. "We were sent here to break you out, but I see you've managed to do that on your own. I don't suppose you had a plan for getting out of here, did you, Sharvari?" This Sharvari person rested her mighty blade against her shoulders, apparently not in a rush despite the severity of the situation. She must have infiltrated without being seen. "You know me, I never have a plan. Who's she?" Leucosia patted Shizuru on the shoulder. "This is Archmeister Shizuru Viola of this world's Otome organization. She's been conscripted to help me. It's a prisoner exchange operation, as they don't seem to want to fight with us. We have a few of their people held, you see. She's without her GEM, so there's no need to worry." "Working with an Otome, are we?" Sharvari's dark features tightened into a look of suspicion. "If she doesn't have a GEM, that's fine by me, so long as you watch her. I do not want to suddenly find myself with a knife in my ba--" Footsteps were approaching, no doubt guards from above spotting their fallen comrades. To confirm such an a notion, a voice called out, signaling that Windbloom personnel were closing in. "Form up! Secure the detention facility at all costs!" Damn. Shizuru found her body tensing, not sure what would happen. Perhaps she could smooth talk her way out of this, saying that she was conducting a prisoner transfer. Ah, but... the sliced door. That she could not explain. I'm sorry, gentlemen, I was having a rather stressful day and I used my katana to open it. She had a feeling that would not work. With no weapon, she planned for quickly disarming her countrymen using hand to hand techniques. The HiME had other ideas, however. When the first guard rounded the corner, Sharvari pierced his heart with her obsidian blade. The other HiME rushed forward as well, Diadem device present or not. He fell down dead, and when she slammed the blade in the floor, causing several spikes to shoot up from the stone below, his comrades followed him into the afterlife. An alarm was sounded. The fight was on, and her cover was lost. - - - In a daze, she saw flashes of similarly dressed superheroes on a children's television show forming up and leaping through the air. She felt her body bounce in excitement as she sat on a couch, notably shorter that she was supposed to be. "I want to be a person who upholds justice," she heard herself state, though her voice was so high pitched that she must have been a child. She did not remember this, did she? This had never... "Yoko, you crazy whore, slow down! Oh, god, I'm going to die!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Yoko was beside her, lovely as ever, yet she did not carry herself in the same manner as the one she had grown up with. They were drifting along a coastal road at what appeared to be over a hundred miles an hour. Yoko loved cars, sure enough, and was not to be trusted with them, but when had they been driving on a coastal road? She was digging in the desert amongst many ruined structures, but it did not look like her homeland. Beside her was a charming older man with a heartfelt smile that spoke of love and admiration. She found herself smiling back. The scene shifted. There was Reito as a teenager, but in some sort of odd looking school uniform as he sat and drank tea with someone who looked an awful lot like the Archmeister. There was Gakutenou charging through the land, heading towards a giant stone beast. "Spiral Dasher!" And then, there was Mikoto the cat goddess, holding a black sword. In that moment, her heart felt as if it was broken. Gakutenou went up in green smoke and her will to live went with him. Miyu was rising triumphantly from the confines of some machine. A flash later and she was charing in against a glowing star on the back of her Child, many others surrounding her. The Archmeister, President Chrysant, that redheaded Column member... A young blonde woman with sky blue eyes in tears, body convulsing with sobs as she mourned for her lost son. In the next instant she found herself trapped in a room with a few others, her body trying in vain to escape from metal bonds as she once again saw Gakutenou fade away. She felt a sting in her chest, and the world faded to black. Midori al-Aswad screamed and felt herself once again launched into the real world. A few feet away, Yukino collapsed after viewing similar images. Minako stood before her, along with a second HiME she hadn't met yet. What had happened. Minako turned to this pale haired HiME, who held an amused expression about the whole thing. Beside her was a large horse with glowing red eyes. The glow faded and he too vanished into thin air. What was... where...? "What's going on?" Midori asked. "A little interrogation. Don't be alarmed. It shouldn't have hurt." Minako was still speaking to her with a cold tone. Ah, but it did hurt. Her chest and head were on fire. Why had everything looked so damned familiar and yet so foreign at the same time. Yukino scrambled to her feet and stood next to Midori. "Well, Medea, what is your evaluation?" "My Child has looked into their souls, and I must say, I'm quite stunned." The woman approached Midori and began to push aside locks of her red hair. A mark was revealed, bright red and in the distinct shape of a tailed comet. "Very stunned. Do you know who you have captured, Minako? Or who you have sent to Earl with my sister?" "Tell me." Minako crossed her arms. "Their souls are very old. This is not their first lifetime spent in this mortal realm," the Medea woman said calmly. "Yukino and Midori are from the same spiritual cohort, if you will. They are the same age. With them is the third one you captured, the Archmeister. I see many people in their hearts, all of which date to the period of the Last Ikusahime. St. Vlas has told me this. Do you know who you've captured?" Minako had little patience for the repeated phrase, but her mind was already laughing a the implications of the statement. "You say I have HiME or Otome here from the days of the Last Ikusahime?" "The Mistress of Gakutenou and the Mistress of Diana stand before you," Medea informed with a smiling face. "They are the last true HiME. I saw it through Vlas and you know as well as I that he is always correct! They are the ones who destroyed the Star. Do you realize what this is? This is destiny fulfilled. They've come to destroy the Otome like they did the original Five Columns." "You're out of your mind," Minako hissed. She looked at Yukino's arm and Midori's head, both of which were hosts of HiME symbols. The leader sighed and put a hand to her head. "How could that be possible? It's crazy talk." "HiME Sentai... how quaint." Medea chuckled to herself as the others looked on in confusion. "What?" Minako asked. She then waved the comment off. "Nevermind. You say there are more of them? All twelve should be of the same general age? They have no memories, what good are they to us? I just cannot get my mind around this kind of statement. Your Child must be having some kind of malfunction. I am sorry, but I simply cannot..." Medea looked at her, not understanding the pause. Midori furrowed her brows in confusion as Minako put a hand to her chest. It looked as if she was short of breath, but she was so healthy, wasn't she? She couldn't be having a heart attack or something of that sort. Midori took a step forward but Medea held out a hand. The Mistress of St. Vlas spoke up. "Minako, what is wrong?" It hurts. That was all Minako could think of. She held an arm out and sank to the ground, and Medea rushed to her side. From elsewhere, Azumi came charging in, demanding to know what was wrong. Oh god, it hurts. Her spiral Elements formed around her arm and everyone took a step back, not knowing what was going on. In one instant, the weapons were there. In another, they vanished into green dust. Minako collapsed on the floor of the Altar of the Ikusahime, powerless and once again a mere mortal standing amongst the goddesses. - - - Nao opened her eyes and saw broken glass. Her head hurt like a bitch. Her body ached. She felt disoriented, and almost felt like throwing up. Her vision began to clear, and she found herself upside down. Her body was still strapped into her seat within the turned over vehicle, and beyond the smashed window she could see a very large crack in the road. At once, her memories flashed back. It had happened in just an instant. An antitank gun emplacement had fired. She barely heard the whistling shell before it slammed into the ground in front of the car, causing her to swerve and crash. So lucky that it had not been a direct hit. She twisted her body around to see Mai and Mikoto next to her. Mikoto was on the ceiling of the car, now essentially the floor, and was crumpled into a ball. Mai, like Nao, hung from her seat upside down. She was still unconscious. Nao reached out and gave her several shoves. "Tokiha. Tokiha, wake up. Let's go." Mai's eyes fluttered open and she spent the next few seconds finding her bearings. She reached down to Mikoto and repeated Nao's calls, and it was then that Nao's thought process became lucid enough for her to realize the danger they were in. The gun could still finish them off and hit the car. They were probably reloading. She unbuckled her seatbelt and began to climb out. "Let's go, come on! Out of the car!" Mai was left reeling, but both she and Mikoto managed to follow suit, along with the Iolites they had with them who were seating in the backseat. The group crawled onto the pavement outside of the vehicle, and sure enough, the antitank gun was aimed right at them. Though still out of it, they scattered. The gun never fired. Instead, they found themselves surrounded by a host of HiME loyal troops, whether they were Heirs or just militia members. Guns were raised. Swords were drawn. People moved from positions inside buildings to the streets. They were now entirely outnumbered. Nao hissed in frustration. No way in hell was she going to captured. Mai, however, was not so reckless, despite being the only one with accessible Otome powers. She held up her hands. "Please don't shoot! We mean you no harm!" "What are you doing?" An Iolite grumbled to her. The woman took out her standard issue pistol and seemed intent on fighting to the death. She fired once, but it was wide. A HiME leapt in and elbowed her in the face, knocking her to the ground. They swarmed the other Iolites as they too tried to fight. It was over instantly. Mai, Mikoto and Nao stood firm, but did not attack. "Surrender your GEMs," a HiME Heir ordered. With great hesitation, Nao released hers. Mai followed. The GEMs were pocketed, and the Otome were left helpless. Mai preferred to keep things peaceful, so she cooperated. Mikoto, however, threatened to ruin their chance for survival. The youthful woman gripped her staff, which she kept with her at all times, and rushed forward to attack. Mai reached out to try and stop her, but failed. "Mikoto! Stop!" The dark haired 'goddess' tripped one with her weapon and leapt over an incoming counterattack. She met another incoming blade with her staff and pushed it away. She was firm in the belief that the HiME were vile creatures who would murder them all if they were taken prisoner. People like the HiME had no mercy, so she had been told. Mikoto would not let that happen to Mai! She fought on, taking them one by one. She was doing quite well, given her one versus thirty odds. Nao threw a left hook at another, while Mai stared on in confusion. It was in that moment that she saw a militiaman lining up a shot with his sniper rifle from a distance, aimed right at Mikoto. Eyes widening in fear, Mai rushed forward, but did not think she would make it in time to stop her companion in time. "Mikoto, move!" The girl looked up and turned around, but did not see the weapon at first. Then, slowly, she came to realize the gravity of her situation. The other HiME around her kept her cornered. Nao broke right, trying along with Mai to get there in time. The man gently squeezed the trigger. A single shot rang out on the street. Mikoto opened her eyes, and saw that everyone around her was looking forward in awe. She was not wounded, so had... oh god! Mai wouldn't have taken a shot for her, would she? Mikoto snapped her head around and then dropped her jaw. Even the HiME were staring in shock. One removed the Fire String Ruby from her pocket. "But... I have her GEM..." There, in the middle of the street, a crumpled bullet lay. Above it stood Mai Tokiha, arms held close to her body in equal confusion and surprise. Her mouth was open. The sniper several hundred yards away had dropped his rifle at the display. The major glow slowly faded. It was a skill she had used a thousand times before. Her ear was barren of a GEM, and yet she had managed. No Otome had ever been able to naturally summon up such things. In front of her, a large glowing ember danced elaborately. The powers of the legendary Queen of Heaven had awakened. The soul belonging last true mistress of Kagutsuchi once again came to possess the powers she was meant to control like no other before or after her. Her body fell to its knees and she looked skyward, and all were frozen in the presence of the true Last Ikusahime, even if she was not yet aware of her destiny. - - - My LJ will have some notes for this chapter, unlike the last couple. Feel free to check it if you're curious about my inane babbling. Mai will certainly not be the only one to get her powers back. Others will soon follow. ;) These have been insanely jumpy and for that I apologize. I will be bringing the groups together soon. Or at least some of them. Miyu got bumped to the next chapter, I'm afraid. As for my promised ShizNat, it will certainly happen. This is still in the 'build up' phase before the next major arc. I'll probably put an interlude up to mark the change. The next arc will feature Shizuru vs. Natsuki as Garderobe splits into war. Yup.
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