Tokyo Blossom tried hard to keep focus on this situation. She was in the
barren, people-less grassland area outside of Tokyo. She had just been
attacked by a small selection of the Asuka Group's many combat brigades.
She had to get back to Tokyo to protect Ryoko from any danger she might
face. Suddenly and inexplicably, all of that seemed to just... roll off
Tokyo B's back, like so many wasted thoughts. The moment she saw this
brown-haired girl... something just changed. Tokyo Blossom felt
different somehow, as if seeing the mere image of this girl had altered
her.
It was almost as if they were destined to meet each other.
Tokyo B tried to shake that odd feeling of distortion off. "Man, what
should I do? This girl must be with the Asuka Group. I should probably
just head back to Tokyo as soon as I can... ah, but I can't just leave
her here."
Her mind had already made itself up though. "God, I must be asking for
trouble."
Tokyo B sighed, just before reaching into the Land Golem and gently
pulled the young girl out of its chest and into her arms. While holding
the brunette, Tokyo smiled briefly at the sleeping angel, and then
jumped out of the Land Golem and back onto solid ground.
"It's getting late." Tokyo B said to no one in particular. "I better
find some shelter for the night."
**********
"Mmmmm."
Akari watched as the brunette girl's bright emerald eyes rolled in her
sockets, her eyelids fluttering as she was welcomed back into
consciousness. It was hard, but Akari tried to keep her focus away from
the mysterious girl, directing her attention to the outside. She had
managed to de-link with her armour and find some shelter all before the
girl had woken up, but it was going to be difficult to make it back to
Tokyo without using her Mobile Shell. Luckily, the cave that they were
hidden in was large enough to hold the both of them effortlessly, but
small enough to remain... conspicuous.
When she realized that the starry sky couldn't distract her any longer,
Akari looked back at the girl whom she had retrieved from that Land
Golem. She seemed to be looking around the cave with slight worry,
looking up and down as if she were searching for something.
"Hey." Akari said. "So you're awake."
The girl blinked, looking back at Akari. "W-Who are you?"
"Akari." The white-haired girl had no idea why she blindly gave her name
out like that, considering that the girl she was talking to was dressed
in Asuka Group combat uniform. "Akari Minako."
The girl looked downwards. "Oh."
"Something wrong?" Akari asked curiously.
"I thought that... hearing your name might bring back some memories of
something. But... I still don't remember anything... I can't remember
anything..."
To keep the other woman at ease, Akari tried to make her next comment,
and the smile that went with it, as accommodating and as warm as
possible. "Can you at least remember your name?"
The girl nodded. "Yes. My... name is Kagome."
"Ka... go... me..." Akari let the syllables roll off her tongue. "You
have a beautiful name."
Kagome smiled awkwardly. "T-Thank you..."
Akari suddenly felt joyful now that Kagome was smiling. All of a sudden,
that previous rush of lightning surged through Akari's body again, her
senses bamboozled by a feeling so frank it shocked her, but so quick
that she couldn't rightly place it. All from seeing some stranger smile.
Akari looked down as Kagome had done before, sliding down to the cold,
slightly damp floor of the cave. Though the darker areas of it, reaching
far into the back, seemed to lead to nowhere, moss grew along the walls,
even when going further in. Moss in turn meant oxygen, and oxygen meant
another exit. Since the campsite for the Asuka Group's failed attack was
a few minutes walk away, Akari doubted that the AG was involved with
this cave.
Good thing too, because there was no way she could use her armour now
that Kagome knew her real name. One thing still bothered Akari though.
Why would the Asuka Group just chuck a young girl into a Land Golem and
expect her to defeat the White Orchid? Either they were making
ridiculously low estimations of the Mobile Shell's power, or they
weren't taking Akari seriously. Either way, it didn't matter much.
Akari's ambition to destroy the Asuka Group had not changed.
When a new silence fell, Akari tried to open up conversation between
herself and Kagome, before things started to get awkward. "So... have
you any memory of where you might live or in what town you live at?"
Kagome shook her head, still looking downwards. "No. I remember nothing.
And I... I don't know what I will do right now, either. But I must find
out why I am here, why I have no memories." Kagome finally looked back
at Akari when a certain question crossed her mind. "H-How did you...
where did you find me?"
That wasn't an easy question to answer. How could Akari say that she
found the girl inside a war weapon of a specialized military unit that
had been set up by the Asuka Group to kill her?
"Uh..." Akari was never a good liar, especially around a pretty girl.
"Uh... well, I was making a trip from Yokohama to Tokyo, when my car
broke down. Anyways, I... uh... found you by the roadside, and I
realized that you needed help, so I carried you here."
"Really?" Kagome was shocked at this. "I don't know what to say to that.
But... thank you so much for doing this for me... I should not be
burdening you with my life like this..."
Akari twisted on the inside. "Uh... well it was my pleasure... I guess."
"I have no idea what I shall do when morning hits us." Kagome stated.
"Well..." All of a sudden, Akari's feelings were commanding her mouth to
say things she might have thought better of four hours earlier. "Why
don't you let me take care of you?"
Kagome looked up. "W-What?"
"I can take you back to my place." Akari said calmly. "I mean, you can
stay there as long as you like, as long as you don't mind the mess.
Plus, I've never had a room mate before, and, you haven't got a memory
of your real home, so..."
An even brighter smile appeared on Kagome's pink lips, a smile that shot
straight through Akari like a silver bullet through flesh. Deep in her
mind, Akari was asking herself 'why in the hell am I going to such
effort for a stranger' but the moment she dared to glance into those
sweet jade eyes of her new friend, such questions meant nothing.
"Thank you." Kagome said politely. "Thank you... Akari."
Silly as it was, Akari felt herself smiling from the simple fact that
Kagome had spoken her name. But then, Akari turned her gaze to the way
the fire was flickering. She had scrounged up some firewood from the
surrounding forests above the hill overlooking the grasslands and
leading to Yokohama, just while Kagome had been sleeping. From the palm
blasters of her Mobile Shell, Akari (or rather, Tokyo Blossom) managed
to get a small blaze going. Though the fire was small, it was managing
partially to keep she and Kagome warm. But for some reason, the fire was
starting to flicker. At first, Akari had no way to explain it, but then
she looked back out to the outside. The winds were picking up once
again.
"Brrr!" Akari joked, rubbing her hands up and down her sides to keep
warm. "It's freezing. Those blasted winds out there are to blame. I'm
gonna move to the south one of these days."
Kagome continued to smile. "Maybe you should... come closer to the
fire."
"Nah, I've got to keep an eye out. Who knows what could find its way in
here. You enjoy it."
Another silence fell. But this time, Akari didn't begrudge it. From the
expression on Kagome's face, it seemed as if things weren't going to
overwhelm her right now. Which was good. Considering the fact that she
was stuck in a cave with someone she hardly knew, Kagome was very calm
and reserved. At first, Akari had assumed that this was just an act that
Kagome was putting on to keep herself under control and away from the
madness of panic, but this proved to be false. The charmingly trusting
and quiet nature of this girl was a part of her personality. It made
Kagome that much more... interesting, at least in Akari's opinion. And
when it came to women, Akari's opinion was worth quite a bit.
"When we get to Tokyo." Akari began talking again. "I should take you to
a restaurant."
"What one?" Kagome asked.
Akari thought for a second. "Hmm. Probably to Shinbunjou. They're a bit
overpriced over there, but for a Shinjuku place, the crowd is fairly
decent, too. Candles, lights, no smokers, and heavenly food."
"It sounds wonderful."
"It is." Akari confirmed, giving a brief yawn. "You'd enjoy it, Kagome.
There's a real great menu in Shinbunjou. You and I should go there as
soon as we reach Tokyo. Of course, I'll have to drag Ryoko with us,
too."
Kagome's smile fell a tad. "Who is... Ryoko?"
"Ryoko?" Akari said slowly. "She's my best bud. Hopefully I can get back
to Tokyo quickly enough to catch up with her before..."
Kagome gave Akari a questioning look when she cut herself off,
mid-sentence, but Akari thought nothing of it. Though she trusted
Kagome, maybe even more than she out-rightly deserved, Akari wasn't
stupid. Revealing the truth behind Ryoko and her connection to the Asuka
Group was dangerous, not only for Ryoko but for herself. Not to mention
that Akari, in reality, had found Kagome inside an Asuka Group Land
Golem. The reason behind that was still a mystery.
"Before what?" Kagome asked.
Akari shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't tell you."
The brunette lowered her head again, and, like before, her smile
dropped. "You... you care a lot about Ryoko, don't you?"
Akari's eyes became heavy with nostalgia. "Yeah. She and I have been
through a lot together. Through thick and thin, through good and bad,
she's always there for me. I feel that it's my duty to protect her, as
her friend, and as someone who knows her as well as I do. But I guess
everyone feels like that at some point. When your friends and family
need your support, you feel it's your duty to give it to them.
Compassion is just a typical human weakness, I suppose."
"You are a very special person to think like that." Kagome said in
earnest.
Akari just shook her head with a giggle. "Nah, I don't think so. Once
you get to know me better, you'll change your mind."
"I hope I will get the chance."
"Well, we're gonna be living together, won't we?" It was just now that
Akari realized how sudden a move that was, but still, she wasn't afraid
to do it. "You'll get to see how much of a slob the modern Tokyo girl
is."
"I am glad." Kagome smiled again, and then looked over at her new
friend. "Akari...?"
Just a bit too late. As Kagome looked over in her direction, she
realized that Akari had just fallen asleep. The girl had nodded off, her
body curling up along the floor. For a while, Kagome simply stared at
the white-haired woman, watching her sleep, looking caringly at Akari's
sleeping face. Then she noticed the slight tremble Akari endured as she
slept. Kagome reasoned that it was due to the coldness of the winds
outside. Without thinking, she stood up, walking past the flames of the
fire and towards the sleeping Akari. Kagome bent down by the knees to
look at her 'rescuer'.
It was obvious that Akari was very cold by the cave entrance. There was
no way Kagome could move the fire closer to Akari or move Akari closer
to the fire, but she mediated on a different way to keep Akari warm.
Kagome crawled around the form of Akari, and lay down next to her,
Akari's back to her front. With tender care she wrapped her arms around
Akari's thin waist, and moulded her body into Akari's, their bodies
seeming to bond together with great ease.
Kagome wasn't completely oblivious. She knew full well how absurd this
might seem from an outside perspective, but it didn't bother her. Akari
was so kind and so generous, albeit a few rough edges. Keeping her warm
was the least she could do.
It was like that that Kagome fell asleep, her arms around Akari, her
chin resting sweetly at the shoulder of her newest friend. It was the
first time she could truly say she felt content.
**********
"What?! You failed?"
Shigure yelled into his cellular. He could not believe it. Even with the
power of the Attack Corp's mighty Land Golems and a Ground Crab, his
mission to destroy Tokyo Blossom had ended in utter failure. It was
ridiculous. The second in command of the Asuka Group scowled, as he held
the phone to his ear, sitting irately in his office of the level 26 of
the AGIST. He believed that the girl using the White Orchid, the so
called 'Tokyo Blossom' would die easily, breaking the ST-Link and
allowing the Mobile Shell to be used for someone else, preferably
someone in the Asuka Group. But as he was about to break out the
celebratory champagne, he received a call from one of the mission
coordinators. That person told him him that the effort was in vain.
Tokyo Blossom had survived.
"Blast you, incompetent fools!" Shigure bellowed. "You were armed with
some of the most advanced technical weapons created by this company, and
you have the nerve to tell me that you failed to defeat and retrieve the
White Orchid? I should have you killed!"
The man then gasped when he realized that... "Wait a moment... what of
Kagome? What? You lost track of her? Blast! Well... at least she's
alive. She could not have gotten far on her own. Search that area top
and bottom before word gets out of Kagome's disappearance. The Origin
Scheme depends on her... without Kagome, nothing will work as we have
intended. Over and out."
Shigure switched off the phone and sighed. It seemed that Tokyo Blossom
was not ignorant of the Mobile Shell's true power. There were only six
Mobile Shells, only two of which were active. Those were the White
Orchid, the one Tokyo Blossom was using, and the Omega, the one Shigure
was using. Though the world was scrambling over the marionette units,
the Mobile Shells were by far the most dangerous weapon mankind have
ever created. Their power, if misused, could destroy everything that
humans had built in their never-ending quest to become one with God. It
was frightening for the Asuka Group to know that someone out there had
their top secret technology. And if word got out that the Mobile Shells
were productions of the Asuka Group, their slowly thriving connection to
the government moderates would probably be weakened in a haze of
conspiracy theories and mistrust. Thankfully, only Prime Minister Kazuma
Minakami knew fully about the Mobile Shells. The Asuka Group had been
dealing with Minakami for years, his corruption was no new experience.
But the immediate was a different story. It would be bad for business
for people to know how technologically advanced the Asuka Group truly
was.
"I have to reclaim Kagome." Shigure said sternly, stepping out of his
chair and walking over to the wide window, overhanging the streets of
the oblivious Shinjuku. "Queen Sagi's desire will never come into being
unless I take action. The time for messing around with the Attack Corp
and marionettes is over. There is only one thing that can destroy a
Mobile Shell, and that is another Mobile Shell."
Shigure's eyes glowed with intent. "Be ready for Omega, Tokyo Blossom."
**********
"Hmmm..."
Akari sighed and moaned as rays of morning sun peered through the
opening to the cave. They hit her face slowly, as they parted the clouds
in the sky. The first thing she noticed as she awoke was how comfortable
she felt. Which was odd, considering that she had slept in a cave for
the night. Her lazy blue eyes managed to peer downwards as she felt
pressure around her waist, and it was then that she realized that
someone was holding her.
Akari was just about to panic, when she looked at the wall Kagome had
been sitting near. She wasn't there. It was then that she correctly
guessed that the person gripping her waist was Kagome. Akari sighed,
partly from relief and more specifically from appreciation. A keen smile
crossed Akari's lips, as she rolled around slowly, not willing to break
the hold that the sleeping Kagome had around her. As they came face to
face, Akari was served another taste of that strange surging feeling in
her body. This time it was a lot fiercer than it had previously been,
and she started to see that this kept occurring each and every time she
genuinely stared at Kagome.
Akari tried hard to suppress it, but found that she couldn't. Instead
she just went with the flow, continuing to admire the mysterious girl
sleeping next to her. The white-haired girl pulled one of her arms away
from her sides and reached up to Kagome's hair, stroking through the
long brown tresses carefully and slowly. Akari continued to play with
the girl's hair, while staring into her visage longingly. Kagome had
such an angelic face. So innocent, sweet and gentle, those full pouting
cheeks, those cute honey-coloured freckles, that sweet button nose. So
much about this girl was alluring the alter ego of Tokyo B.
It was so unusual, Akari mused, for her to be this fixed on a girl. She
had dated a lot of girls in her time, bouncing from Tokyo nightclubs in
Shinjuku, Akihabara and Shibuya. Normally she just hooked up one night,
tell the girl she'd give her a call (which she never did) and just kept
things sexual. One-night stands were Akari's norm and that's all there
was to it. At first she had believed that she was not ready for
commitment, but then she met with Ryoko, and descended into that lengthy
relationship. Though she cared deeply enough about Ryoko to make a
commitment, it was not love that she felt for her. Not really.
For the first time, Akari was feeling light-headed and bashful around a
woman she liked, something that had never happened to her before. Not
even Ryoko caused such a reaction in Akari, which was an amazing feat if
you took into consideration the value Ryoko had to Akari. To know that
Kagome was making her feel like this... it just seemed so strange to the
blue-eyed Tokyo girl. But these feelings felt so right...
Though all her thoughts about Kagome, Akari didn't realize that her head
was moving closer to Kagome's. All she was thinking of was how beautiful
and gentle this girl was, so much so that it was blinding her to her own
actions. It wasn't until her lips reached within a centimetre of
Kagome's that she realized what she was just about to do, so
thoughtlessly.
"Crap!" Akari whispered, nodding her head back. "Was I really just about
kiss Kagome like that?"
Akari figured it was about time there was some distance between herself
and Kagome, so she slowly disentangled her waist from the other girl's
arms, and rolled away. Akari stood upright, stretching her arms a bit,
and then she walked over to the cave entrance. She took only one look
back at the sleeping Kagome, and suddenly felt like jelly. It had not
escaped Akari's notice at how hard her heart was beating, or how
apparent the dull ache between legs was becoming.
Akari gripped her fist. "I-I can't even control myself around her."
Tokyo's defender needed a distraction. And though it wasn't the kind of
thing that she was looking for, it came to her. Akari looked out into
the distance, squinting her eyes because of the sonically bright
sunlight, then caught sight of what was troubling her. Armed troops, at
least eight of them, were probing the grasslands in the far distance.
Though Akari couldn't be sure what they were doing, she knew exactly who
those people were working for. The Asuka Group had sent out a troop of
private soldiers, to hunt out someone. Akari believed that she was the
one they were searching for.
Akari looked back at Kagome and raised her voice. "Kagome! Wake up!"
"Huh?" Kagome slowly awoke through the loudness and stern voice of
Akari. "Akari? What?"
Akari instantly ran over to the fire she had built last night, and put
it out, stomping out whatever embers were left in the wasted shards of
firewood. Kagome managed to get up, but was still confused about what
was going on, and why Akari was looking so agitated. Though Akari had
good reason to be.
"Dammit." Akari mumbled, so low that Kagome couldn't hear. "Now that
Kagome's with me, I can't link up with my armour. She can't know that
I'm Tokyo Blossom."
Kagome tilted her head to the left as she stared curiously at Akari. "Is
there something wrong, Akari? Did you just say something?"
"Yes... no... I mean." Akari could barely think straight. "Look, we just
have to get out of here, the sooner the better. I swear I'll explain as
best I can later, but right now, we have got to book it."
Kagome nodded, still confused. "Okay."
"Hold it!"
Akari and Kagome both turned around sharply as they heard a voice call
out to them, from the deep innards of the cave they believed they were
hidden in. Akari scowled when she realized that she was right about the
cave. It had another exit, some other way to get inside. Now someone had
gotten the drop on them, and she was pretty sure whom it had been, a
troop for the Asuka Group. Armed with a torch and a rifle, brandishing a
uniform in traditional gold and black colours, the standard code for
those who worked for the Asuka Group's private military.
"Okay girls." He said sneering at Kagome. "This little slumber party is
over. You are to come with us, Kagome. The will of the Asuka Group
cannot be resisted."
"Asuka Group?" Kagome said blankly. "What are you talking about? How do
you know my name?"
The soldier lifted his rifle, and aimed at Akari. "I'll have no
arguments! If you don't come with me now, I will kill this girl on the
spot!"
"You son of a bitch!" Akari spat.
Kagome was alert. There was no way she could allow Akari to be killed
here if there was an alternative. The young girl lowered her deep green
eyes and stepped forward, keeping her arms respectfully at their sides.
"Please don't." Kagome said in her frail voice. "I will submit myself
you."
"No, Kagome!" Akari pleaded. "Don't let them manipulate you!"
For the first time, Kagome's tone actually sounded stern as she replied
to Akari. "I don't understand... any of this. I don't think I ever will.
But I will not allow you to die here... like this. Not for me."
Akari growled under her breath. This was just perfect. There was
absolutely no way she could talk Kagome out of this. But she couldn't
call for her armour there, could she? If she summoned the White Orchid
in this cave at that moment, both the soldier and Kagome would know the
real identity of Tokyo Blossom. But if she didn't armour-up, Kagome
would be taken by the Asuka Group and who knew what they might do to
her?
"This is the last resort..." Akari mumbled. "I have to do this... I have
to protect Kagome..."
Akari stepped back, putting some distance between herself, Kagome and
the soldier. She pulled up both her arms, and suddenly the air around
her began to distort and warp. Waves of energy passed up and down
Akari's body, shocking the soldier and Kagome. But that was nothing in
comparison to the shock they got when Akari's body emitted a huge flash,
illuminating the entire cave. The sounds of metal attaching to flesh
were ringing in Kagome's ears, though she knew not of where it was
coming from, until that blinding flash died down. Akari was gone and in
her place was a feminine suit of futuristic armour, shining in
beautifully polished white and sapphire, gleaming with sheen. Kagome was
astounded, her mouth open and eyes wide, while the soldier had a shocked
look of realization on his stout face.
"You're..." He said surprised. "You're... the one who activated the
White Orchid. Tokyo Blossom!"
Kagome was shocked. "Tokyo Blossom? What is-?"
Nothing was spoken. Tokyo B charged over at the soldier armed with the
gun, and screamed as she landed a searing right hook, cracking his jaw
upon contact. The man went flying into the back of the cave, slamming
against one of its turning walls and losing consciousness as he slumped
to the ground. Tokyo Blossom then landed and turned to Kagome, who had a
slightly frightened expression on her beautiful face.
"Kagome." Tokyo B said. "You have to find some place to hide."
Kagome's bright green eyes widened when she heard that voice. Regardless
of how muffled it was behind the visor of that armour she knew whom that
voice belonged to. "A-Akari?"
"I can't protect you when you're out in open like this! Go and find a
place to hide now!"
The brunette nodded, taking note of the severity of Akari/Tokyo
Blossom's tone. She dashed down into the deeper areas of the cave, she
was sure that there would be a place for her to take cover until Tokyo
Blossom was finished doing what she had to. Tokyo B smiled behind her
visor, then grabbed the unconscious soldier and dragged him with her as
she walked outside. She had to dump him somewhere away from Kagome, just
in case he woke up and tried to capture her again. But there wasn't much
chance for that.
As soon as Tokyo B stepped outside the cave from the front entrance, her
sight showed her what was waiting. The eight other soldiers all lined up
with their laser rifles at the ready, aiming directly at the cave and
the Mobile Shell in front of it.
"Drop that officer!" One of the soldiers said. "Or we will open fire!"
Tokyo B dropped the guy, and then brought up her palm to fire back at
them. "Open fire, huh? Give it a try and see if I don't blow you
bastards away!"
"Hah! You would use your Mobile Shell against a bunch of weaklings like
that? Your arrogance has not left you, Tokyo Blossom."
Tokyo B looked around as she heard someone say that to her. It wasn't
one of the soldiers, but they did seem as if they knew the voice. Tokyo
Blossom then decided to use her scanners, and tried to get the White
Orchid's computer system to track down the voice. But still...
"It's no use." The voice said. "Scan tools don't work on this Mobile
Shell."
Tokyo Blossom would have been more focused on that last comment if she
had not remembered who owned that voice. "I remember you. You're that
guy from the train, the guy who set me up. You're Shigure Kagami!"
"That's right." A metallic figure leapt off the roof of the cave, then
landed down to the wet grass of the ground. Tokyo B gazed hard at
Shigure, or rather, what he was wearing. The man known as Kagami Shigure
was swathed in the clean polished dark green armour of a Mobile Shell,
his hand armed with a long spear, thin and sleek at its blade. Shigure
tapped the spear at his shoulder, staring back at a mystified Tokyo B.
"But for now, you can just call me Omega."
Omega branched out his metal covered left arm. "Leave us!"
All the soldiers nodded, lowered their guns then moved out, scrambling
around the grasslands, continuing the search for Kagome. Tokyo B would
have done something to stop them, but she got the feeling that taking
her eyes off Omega, even for a few seconds, was a bad idea.
"So..." Tokyo Blossom began. "You've got a Mobile Shell too, huh? I
thought you were just lying when you said that before."
Omega laughed. "Ha, ha, ha. Well as you can plainly see, I'm not much of
the lying type. I'll be honest with you though. I've wanted to match
myself with you since you robbed the power cell from the Izakawa
warehouse in Shibuya. Anyone with the bravery to stand against a whole
company and its illustrious leader must have the skills to support it."
Tokyo Blossom smiled behind her visor. "You keep talking about this
leader of yours. Are you going to give me a name?"
"If you defeat me," Omega said, readying his spear. "I will reveal all."
In that instant, Omega leapt off the ground and launched himself into
the air. Tokyo Blossom stayed alert, watching his movements as he neared
her. As Omega came down at Tokyo's defender, he poised his long piercing
spear for a quick and nimble strike. Tokyo B was too far ahead of him to
miss this, and somersaulted backwards three times over. Omega's spear
lunged into the wet grass and dirt, but did not connect with Tokyo B.
"Sucks for your aim, huh?" Tokyo Blossom said confidently.
Omega said nothing. Though she couldn't see Shigure's face behind that
glass-like visor, Tokyo Blossom had a faint idea that he was smiling.
Omega spun his spear around artistically, and then clasped it back into
a striking position, the tip of its blade pointing downwards. It was now
that Tokyo Blossom realized that the Omega suit had an external weapon,
just like the White Orchid. Well now, Omega wasn't the only one who
could bring out the externals, though, was he?
Tokyo Blossom reached behind her back and gripped the hilt of her sleek
sword, the one that sliced and diced that pathetic platoon from the
Attack Corp. She unsheathed her blade and smiled, the edge of her sword
gleaming with light as it was freed. Tokyo B knew one thing. If she was
going to defeat Omega, she needed to get rid of that spear he was
carrying to give herself a good shot at him. She jumped into the air,
just as Omega had previously done, and brought up her sword as her
trajectory switched from upwards to downwards. Omega snickered behind
his visor, then held up his spear horizontally, in an effort to block
Tokyo B's impending vertical attack. She released a feminine cry and
slashed, a flash of light quickly surging around the cold morning
setting of the wet grasslands.
Tokyo Blossom landed, holding the grip of her sword with both hands,
looking downwards. She was sure that a slash of that calibre would cut
through Omega's spear without any hassle. But it appeared that she was
gravely mistaken. Tokyo B gasped as she looked up to see that Omega's
spear was in tact.
"B-But..." The girl stammered. "This sword is supposed to be able to..."
"Cut through anything? Yes, that's true. But something can't cut through
itself. I am Omega, the pilot of the third Mobile Shell. Our suits are
made from the exact same material, Kowa-steel, including our external
weapons. Fighting me won't be as easy as you believed."
Tokyo B gritted her teeth. "But you'll still go down, easily or not."
"So you believe..."
The pilot of the White Orchid dashed back, putting some distance between
herself and Omega. Quickly she sheathed her blade, it obviously would
not be of use to her unless she could disarm Omega beforehand. But what
she did do, was bring up her arm, splaying out her metal-covered fingers
to reveal the crimson orb in the palm of her power gauntlet. If Omega
could resist steel, Tokyo Blossom was going to see if he could resist
pure energy. The man did not move, even though he knew full well what
was coming, and waited for Tokyo B to fire. The girl did just that, her
armour giving a bit of a jerk as blasts of energy shot out from her
palm.
Omega laughed outright, and began spinning his spear in front of him,
creating a sort of circular shield. Each of the energy shots hit and
were deflected by the spinning spear defence that Omega had assumed,
knocking back the blasts directly to the sender. Tokyo B screamed as she
was hit by her own deflected firepower, tossing her back and blasting
her down into submission. Omega let the spinning of his spear slow into
nothing, and then rested it against his shoulder, in a relaxed and
un-guarded position.
Tokyo B gritted her teeth. Part of the armour of her suit was damaged. A
chip of metal had been broken off by the reflected wrist shots and cut
into her skin. Though Tokyo B could still fight, her right arm was going
to be a bit weaker. It was then that she decided to finish it all off
and stop this 'Omega' for good. Though this was the second battle she
fought in a row with no system recharge, Tokyo still had about 67% of
her energy left. That was enough juice for three hyper blasts, each of
which absorbed 20% of her base energy. Anything more than that was out
of the question.
Tokyo Blossom groaned, feeling the pain of her injured arm, and
struggled to bring herself up into a standing position. There was a
furious glint in her eye, one that Omega could not see, but it was
obvious to anyone that she had something big planned. Omega just
continued to stand relaxed, not taking notice of Tokyo B's renewed
determination. The girl fixed herself still, relaxing muscles and flesh.
If she was too flustered, or her BP levels were too high during the
surge that was to come, the system of the Mobile Shell would probably
overheat. Tokyo Blossom calmed herself, watching Omega through the visor
with soulful eyes, while he continued to watch this proceed. Then, the
breastplates at Tokyo B's chest broke open, to reveal the energy charged
white orb at the centre of the White Orchid's chest.
Omega's relaxed position faded but he said nothing, just grabbing his
spear and spreading his ankles apart over the wet grass. Tokyo B kept
calm, she didn't even bother to throw out any trash talk, and then in a
huge bang of searing white-hot light, the blast came.
A massive wave of pure energy blasted out from the chest plate of the
White Orchid. It headed toward Omega and engulfed all of the area around
him in surging ashen flames. The sounds of the explosion rocked the
grasslands and the forests they eventually turned into, the birds and
animals running in the opposite direction from them. A tremor was felt
around that location, going as far back as the ruined Land Golems and
Ground Crab that Tokyo Blossom had destroyed the previous night.
After at least two minutes of utter destruction, the Hyper Blast came to
an end, the white light fading into the nothingness from which it sprang
forth. What was left it its wake had vanished equally, the former wet
grass and mud replaced by a smoking trench carved into the ground by the
focus of the energy shot. The trench was three metres wide and at least,
twenty metres long, the kind of reaction Tokyo Blossom had expected.
What was even greater was that Omega had vanished along with the grass
and dirt, there wasn't a trace left of him. Tokyo Blossom sighed; her
breastplates shutting back together automatically.
"So, you've unlocked the power of the Hyper Blast, eh?"
Tokyo B's eyes went wide. She searched for the direction of that voice,
but came up with nothing, until she looked upwards. There, hovering at
least 35 feet in the air, was Omega, his arms crossed and his spear
between them.
Tokyo Blossom couldn't believe it. "How did you escape the... how are
you..."
"Flying?" Omega filled in from above. "I must say that it astounds me
how little you really know about the power of the Mobile Shells. Do you
really think that we would go to such lengths to retrieve the White
Orchid for the simple fun of it?"
Tokyo Blossom didn't respond. She was too shocked by the failure of the
Hyper Blast. It was the first time that something had survived it. If
her ultimate attack couldn't stop Omega, what else could she possibly
do?
Omega noticed the hesitation in Tokyo B. "I see you've exhausted all
your possibilities. You should know that there are other weapons
available to the Mobile Shells, besides the ones you know how to use.
But I suppose you don't have a clue about them either. Ah well. I
respect that you have lasted this long against me, since it is obvious
that you have had no previous training. So at least you should feel
honoured by this defeat!"
Tokyo B was in shock. In a blink of an eye, Omega was gone. The only
time she even realized that he was still around was when she felt a
searing pain in her shoulder. Something had cut through the metal and
slashed into her flesh, then disappeared again without a trace. Tokyo
Blossom couldn't understand what was going on, till it happened again.
"Ahh!" She cried, as sleek metal sliced into the tender skin below the
armour. Her scanners just about managed to catch on to what was
happening. Omega was swooping around her with that spear, slashing at
her again as he passed by, zooming back up into the air. Tokyo B was
astounded. Those thrusters that gave Omega his flight ability were so
fast that the White Orchid's scanners could barely keep up with him.
Tokyo Blossom screamed once more as Omega's spear slashed at her leg in
lightning fast speeds, so fast that to the naked eye, it was invisible.
The girl fell to one knee, unable to stand on that leg anymore. Omega
flew around once more, still holding his spear. But this time he did not
attack Tokyo Blossom with it, instead he rammed his whole body into her
back. Tokyo B was pushed forwards, over the wide ditch that her Hyper
Blast had made, and was slammed into a huge rock face, one that was
attached to the cave.
"Oof!" Tokyo B cringed, as she was smashed against the tough rock, and
then fell limply into the ground. Omega was wiping the floor with her.
But whether he was or he wasn't, there was not much Tokyo Blossom could
do to respond. Her right arm and left leg were both injured, it was
going to be hard enough to walk, let alone fight. And she had still not
forgotten that she was in the middle of nowhere.
A powerful hand gripped Tokyo B's metallic neck, pulling her off the
ground, her limbs dangling in the air. It was Omega, who was hovering
himself, just a few inches off the grassy land. Tokyo B could hear his
laughter, but made no snappy comeback or threat. She knew she was in a
bad way, and Omega had the edge.
"So this is the might of the White Orchid." Omega sneered. "I suppose
you just haven't grasped its true power. Or maybe, just maybe, Queen
Sagi overestimated you."
"Q-Queen... Sagi...?" Tokyo B asked clumsily.
Omega growled irritably, and then punched Tokyo B with a furious strike,
right across the jaw of her headgear. Though the metal of the armour
absorbed most of the damage, Tokyo B still felt the shockwaves of the
blow. It was like she had been smacked with a brick.
While Tokyo B's head hung limply, Omega now gripped her neck with two
hands. "I told you, that you are not worthy to speak the name of our
glorious leader. Scum like you have no business even living in the world
she exists in."
Using just one of those mammoth hands, Omega thrust Tokyo Blossom back
into the wall, the sound of rocks and dust being shattered was now the
trademark sound in her ears. The defeated girl slumped back down into
the ground, rubble and pebbles clattering against the metal of her suit.
The cuts that Tokyo B had sustained during Omega's swooping slashes were
now bleeding profusely, so much so that blood began to leak through the
armour for Omega to see. They both knew that no more resistance could be
made.
Omega brought up his spear, spinning it around so that its blade tip was
only a few centimetres from Tokyo B's neck. One direct blow through the
neck was fatal. But Tokyo Blossom knew that there was nothing she could
do to stop him. Her three years of battle, of struggle, it all ended
here. After all that agony, her mother's death would never be avenged.
"Aren't you gonna... finish me?" Tokyo Blossom asked.
Omega laughed once more. "I really should, shouldn't I? After all, the
Asuka Group could finish all our troubles with your death. But I must
admit, you have amused me today."
Omega withdrew his spear, and pressed both of his legs fully to the
ground. He turned his back to Tokyo Blossom, walking away from the
downed fighter, much to her surprise.
"Wait..." Tokyo Blossom struggled to say.
Omega did not look back. "Fool. You cannot defeat me. But I enjoyed
fighting you. If you improve your skills and make it back to Tokyo
alive, I would relish a second duel. But for now, you may live."
Bastard. Tokyo Blossom couldn't stand the idea of being bested like
this. But all her concerns shifted to another angle when she heard a
young girlish voice, muffled by something. The armed soldiers walked out
of the cave with Kagome, her mouth gagged and her arms tied. And her
eyes filled with wetness when she saw Tokyo Blossom, downed and
bleeding.
"K-Kagome!" Tokyo Blossom yelled difficultly. "L-Let her go..."
Omega watched on as Kagome was taken with the soldiers. "She is ours.
You needn't concern yourself with her. Just make sure you are back in
fighting form before our next encounter. Mercy isn't something I offer
twice."
Thin drops of water suddenly rained down from the skies. Before long
this drizzle became a downpour. In the same way rain hit the ground, the
hopelessness of the situation fell on Tokyo Blossom. She had been
defeated, her first real loss since she established the ST Link with the
White Orchid. The thrusters that Omega had poised beneath the feet of
his armour, suddenly surged to life, and pushed him upwards into the
air, leaving the weakened Tokyo Blossom below him. The soldiers carried
a despair-filled Kagome to a nearby parking of three trucks, then began
to make there way out of the area. Omega watched them leave, as they
headed towards the main road that led back to Tokyo. He sped after them,
mid-flight, jetting over the grasslands like a bird on the winds. Tokyo
Blossom looked up and watched him leave, her fist shaking with rage.
Kagome was gone.
Rather than berate herself about it, Tokyo B lifted her undamaged arm
and tapped the button on the corner of her headgear. The button that
held the COM link with Ryoko. The frequency was jammed when the train
had revealed itself to be a trap last night, but it had been working
ever since. The only reason she hadn't contacted Ryoko was because of
Kagome.
"R-Ryoko...?"
Ryoko was irate. "Akari! You're just contacting me now? Where the hell
have you been!? I've been so worried about you!"
"... R-Ryoko..."
"Are you okay?" Ryoko picked up on the idea that something was amiss
when she heard Tokyo Blossom/Akari's voice sounding so downcast and
tired. "What happened?"
"R-Ryoko." She replied. "You've... gotta come get me..."
"Where are you? Akari? Akari!"
It was too late. She was already slipping into unconsciousness due to
the blood loss.
**********
"Akari... listen to me, dear."
Fire surged up from the rubble of the wasted buildings. Smoke floated
along and around the blaze. Man and women screamed as their flesh roiled
in the heat. What they thought was sweat was actually peeled skin, being
stripped off by the surging fire around. The throws of destruction
surrounded poor Akari, but her mind was on none of it, not even the
destruction of her home. All she was aware of was her mother, Asuka
Minako, lying down on the now warm stone ground of this secluded
Shinjuku street.
Akari watched Asuka shut one of her eyes, and grip down on the bloody
wound at her waist. The cut was so deep that the blood was actually
darkening, and the intense heat brought along by the flames only made
the situation worse. Asuka groaned then lowered her head onto a
shattered rock, some brief relief from all the carnage created by the
Izubata Company and its ridiculous marionette drones. She had managed to
drive them all away with the White Orchid suit, but the damage done to
her home and the surrounding district was beyond her ability to stop.
Though people were dying all around her, the only thing she could think
of was her sweet innocent daughter, Akari. There was such a look of fear
and desperation in her eyes. Though Asuka had fought to keep this kind
of horror from her daughter, this was inevitable. A 15-year-old girl
exposed to this madness. It was like a never-ending nightmare.
Asuka reached up, her hand covered in her own blood, and gently rubbed
away the tears that were soiling her daughter's eyes. "Don't cry,
sweetie. You have to be strong for your mother."
"Mom!" Akari broke into more tears, clutching at her mother's hand.
"You're dying, aren't you?"
Asuka smiled briefly. "We all have to die in the end, Akari. It's a part
of life you must face. It just happens to be my time now."
"I don't want you to go now!" Akari yelled sadly. "I need you with me,
mom!"
"You are stronger than you think. I have faith that you can keep
yourself together. But... we have no time for this. You have to listen
to what I tell you."
"Huh?"
Asuka gripped Akari's hand tighter. "Akari, there is a duty ahead of you
that only you can fulfil. It was my task to do, and unfortunately, I
can't keep it up any longer."
"What are you talking about, mom?"
"Look over to your right."
Akari did just that, slowly at first. She looked just briefly to a
distance around five metres away from herself and her mother. Standing
proud and strong amid all the fire, ash and smoke, was a huge futuristic
suit of full body armour, sleek, tall, radiating a powerful blue aura.
Akari was transfixed by the blue and white metal, the glimmering sheen
and mesmerized by the simple fact that it was untouched by all this
destruction.
Asuka watched the awe in Akari's eyes. "It is called the White Orchid
Mobile Shell. That is what I have been using to protect you all these
years. But I fear I can protect you no longer."
Akari looked back at her mom. "What are you talking about?"
"Akari..." Asuka began. "There are things you need to know. For most of
my life and yours, I have been working with a group called the Izubata
Company. I believed that they were going to help me fulfil my research
into advanced forms of AI. And they were, but their plans for my
technology were too horrible to imagine. I was too deep into the
nightmare to escape as I was. But I had an angle. An angle that gave me
power to resist the Izubata. And that angle is that White Orchid. I was
a part of that blasted Mobile Shell project, conducted so many years
ago, when I was just a teenager. It was the dying wish of Daigo Izubata,
the former head of the Izubata Company. I was one of the six people who
were first tested."
"Tested?" Akari said slowly.
Asuka nodded. "Yes. My form of AI was still in its infancy back then.
Due to the war in Korea, we were expected to create a powerful new
weapon to use on the battlefield of war. I helped to design those
destructive suits of armour, called Mobile Shells. All of the people
involved were requested to test these suits of armour, even... even the
daughter of the one in charge. We were all biologically advanced to cope
with the stress brought on by the armour, but I was the only one who
passed these tests. I was the only one in the world who was able to
pilot one of those suits. Despite their awesome power, they were
regarded as useless, because only I could pilot it. So they were
abandoned. For sixteen years I carried that enormous burden. But when I
learned of the Izubata Company's true intentions... I had to use that
power against them."
"Mom?" Akari became concerned when she heard her mother's voice get
weaker.
"Be strong..." She continued. "Be strong, Akari. You must hear this. I
have been battling the Izubata Company for so long. I have had to
protect you with all I had and I can't do it anymore. But you can."
Akari looked away. "I don't understand any of this!"
"I know, I know. But it is the truth. You can pilot the White Orchid,
Akari. Since you were born after my augmentation, it naturally follows
that you inherited those characteristics from me. You have to pilot that
weapon, and stop the Izubata Company, before they bring a horror into
this world."
"Horror?"
Asuka eyes began to fade, her hand shaking. "Stop them... please..."
"Mom?" Akari cried. "Please don't leave me! I love you!"
Hard as it was, Asuka managed a smile. "I love you too, Akari. But... I
also loved someone else... and it was because of my love for that
person... that things have gotten this far. You must defeat her and the
Izubata Company... use the White Orchid and do everything in your power
to destroy their plans. I know you will do this for me... and I know
you'll make me proud. Goodbye, my dear Akari..."
The hand in that was in Akari's grip stopped shaking. "Mom? No! Don't
leave me! Mom!"
**********
Akari opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she noticed was how warm
she felt. When she looked down at herself, she saw that she was not
wearing her armour anymore. The wounds she had taken from Omega had been
taped up with some white bandages. She also noticed the safety belt
around her chest. When she looked to her left she saw Ryoko, driving
slowly, smiling at her with some relief. She was inside Ryoko's car,
driving along the main road, the one that lead back into Tokyo.
"I'm glad you're finally awake." Ryoko said cheerfully. "How do you
feel?"
Akari sighed. "Like crap. I've never taken such a beating, Ryoko."
"What happened out there?"
Akari shook her head. "First things first. How did you find me?"
"I used a tracker to follow the signal of your suit's COM link." Ryoko
explained. "It took me a few hours but I finally found you. It was a
lucky break that you passed out leaving the COM link open. It was even
luckier that the Mobile Shell didn't disassemble either. If it had done,
you'd have probably bled to death."
"Thanks... I owe you."
Ryoko shook her head, looking out at the road. "Nah. You've saved my
butt so many times it isn't funny. So... are you going to tell me about
what happened or what?"
"I got to the train." Akari began. "But it was a trap. The CFL chip was
never really there."
Ryoko lowered her head. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think my information
was-"
"I'm not blaming you." Akari said haltingly. "Anyway, it was a trap.
They took me outside the city, and set some army-grade weapons on me.
They came from something called the Attack Corp."
"The Attack Corp?" Ryoko said shocked. "That's the Asuka Group's prized
private army. I had no idea that they would use something like that on
you."
"It didn't get them very far. I smashed all of them." Akari answered.
Ryoko tried to keep her eyes on the road. "So then... how...?"
"I was just about to finish the last one, I think it was a Land Golem,
and then I found this girl sleeping inside it. Her name was... Kagome."
"Kagome?"
Akari looked at Ryoko. "You know her?"
"No, but it's a name that has come around more than once. I'm not an
executive in the Asuka Group so I don't know any of its major projects,
but Kagome does sound familiar."
"Well, whatever." Akari looked back into the road. "She and I hid out in
a cave for the night. I thought I could take her to Tokyo with me
safely, but as soon as we woke up, some of the soldiers, for the Attack
Corps I guess, spotted us. It would have been easy to fight them off,
but then..."
"...But then?" Ryoko questioned.
"But then Omega, some guy using a Mobile Shell came, and he kicked my
ass." Akari said irritably. "He and the soldiers took Kagome and now I
don't know where the hell she is."
"Did... Kagome see you transform?" Ryoko asked.
Akari nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
"Well... the Asuka Group might question her and ask about your identity.
All they have to do interrogate her for a while and then they've got
you."
Akari didn't notice how her heart sped up from thinking of that
mysterious girl, the beautiful Kagome. "She wouldn't do that. I trust
her."
"Yeah, but..."
It was then that Akari became angry. "I said she wouldn't do that! I
trust Kagome! So just drop it, Ryoko."
"Okay..." Ryoko's eyes were wide. "I'm sorry..."
Akari said nothing to that. She just looked back out the window, to the
outside. The rain had not stopped, and cars passed by them quickly,
probably to get to Tokyo fast before the rain started to set it. Ryoko
looked over at Akari. There was something different about her since
yesterday. And, it seemed to have something to do with this 'Kagome'
girl.
"What was she like?" Ryoko asked.
"Huh? You mean Kagome?" Akari's mind ran a mile a minute. "She was...
very interesting. I can honestly say I've never met anyone like her. She
was so calm and so mild, so gentle."
"Maybe you have feelings for her." Ryoko said sarcastically.
Though that was said in humour, Akari didn't take it that way. "Maybe I
do."
Ryoko giggled like a little girl. "You're kidding me, right?"
Akari shook her head. "No. No i'm not."
"But..." Ryoko was a little confused by that earnest response. "You just
met her, Akari."
"I think I know that. I just... its not like how it was with my other
girlfriends, or even with you. It's different, it's special."
Ryoko chuckled grimly. "So I wasn't special to you, huh?"
"Oh come on, you know I don't mean it like that." Akari defended
herself. "My feelings for Kagome are just different, that's all."
Ryoko tried not to blow things out of proportion. Just because Akari was
the love of her life, it didn't necessarily work both ways. "Well, I
guess. So what do we do now? The Asuka Group knows they have a spy in
their ranks, me, they have Kagome and the CFL chip, and you're all
banged up. What's the next move?"
"I don't know." However, there was a strong resolve in Akari's bright
lively eyes when she added, "But I do know one thing. I'm gonna get
Kagome back."
**********
"Greetings, my queen."
Queen Sagi looked upon Shigure with pride. Though she was disturbed to
hear of the utter defeat of the Attack Corps unit that had been sent
into battle, she was pleased to hear of Shigure's success. Though she
doubted that even Tokyo Blossom had a chance against Shigure and the
Omega Mobile Shell. He had been fully trained to resist and defeat all
enemies to the Asuka Group. He was given the Omega Mobile Shell shortly
after the Izubata Company renamed itself into the Asuka Group, three
years ago. Therefore he had mastered all of its powers and abilities,
making him Queen Sagi's most loyal and most powerful soldier.
But her mind was not centred on her strongest soldier, but rather the
girl next to him.
Kagome.
The brunette had been stripped of her Asuka Group Combat uniform, and
had been redressed in a loose white dress, nothing flashy but it
probably wasn't supposed to be. Though she was being held here against
her will, there were no shackles or handcuffs on her; she was free to
move around as she pleased. But though she was free, Kagome knew better
than to think she wasn't a prisoner. Kagome didn't even know why they
wanted her, she had no memory of anything. But what she did have, was a
stern sense of... connection to the wondrous Queen Sagi, her powerful
aura felt somehow familiar.
Queen Sagi smiled at Kagome. "Welcome to the AGIST, Kagome. I have
longed to see you all these months... you have no idea..."
"Do you know me?" Kagome asked.
Queen Sagi still smiled at her. "You are very beautiful, Kagome, and
intelligent to boot. Though you look slightly different than I would
have imagined. I suppose that is to be expected. Things never quite come
out the way we plan them do they?"
"Answer me!" Kagome yelled. "You know me, don't you? Why don't I have
any memories of my life? Why have you brought me here? Please just tell
me!"
"Patience." Queen Sagi declared. "I will reveal everything to you on
that hallowed day, the day when you and I shall meet with our destinies.
When the stars are in alignment... and the moon looks down upon us with
glee... you will know everything."
Kagome was strangely curious. "The hallowed day?"
"Shigure." Queen Sagi said firmly. "Take my... take Kagome to her
quarters. It has been a long day and she needs rest in preparation for
our plans."
Shigure nodded. "Yes, my queen."
Kagome was grasped by the arm and brought along with Shigure, towards
the far exit of this large room. But she couldn't help throwing looks
back at Queen Sagi. She felt a connection to her, but couldn't place it.
What did mean? But, regardless of any connection, Kagome's main worry
was Akari. What happened to her? How did she transform into that huge
walking battle suit? Was she okay? Although though Kagome had no real
idea of Akari's well being, she know that the white-haired girl was
alive. She could... feel it.
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