End of the Shougatsu ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Angel of Ra School, (City of) Cath Maige Tuired "That's it! Keep up with the swift attacks!" It had been two months since that dark event known as Ten Sekai Sentou Kyousou. All participants had escaped off the island alive. And the details over the events had reached the Neo World Federation. But Ra El Khahid did not bother to focus on any of it. The staff fighter and former mass-murderer gave warm smiles to his pupils as he walked back and forth ahead of them. In that large echoing gym they all made synchronized attacks with their individual staffs until the instruction of Ra. They were all progressing well. And if he could pass this style onto as many people as possible, it would help future generations of people deal with evils that were at work in this world. Ra had broken free of the control of the Quetzacoatl. And thus returned to his normal self. Though his hands had been stained with much blood along the way; he knew that the blame lay with nothing else other that the Quetzacoatl staff. But thankfully had been sealed away in one of the shrines in the city of Cath Maige Tuired. There, it would never be able to hurt another living being. And Ra kept close to it. He knew the kind of damage it could do. So he stayed near by to make sure no one ever used it again. Ra smiled at his students again. "Alright, Class! That's enough! Take a break!" The collective group of about twenty or thirty people stopped in their actions and flopped to the floor. They took deep breaths and regained their energy. Ra could be one tough task master. Not that it wasn't worth it. For such an extensive training regime, he didn't charge a lot for an entrance fee. While his students took a break, Ra El Khahid walked back to the front of the room and took a look at the wooden table that was there. It had a thick stone there, with some of the names of the people that the Quetzacoatl had killed. Ra clapped his hands together and gave a short prayer for them. But thoughts also turned to Setsuya Seisuji. He would eternally be in that boy's debt. For finally breaking him free of the curse. Ra smiled to himself. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Setsuya." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Mazda Family Training Camp, Fuzhou, Neo-China "Do you have any idea what you have done!? Adding two failures to our previously untarnished name! You have forsaken yourself, Ming Lo!" Ming Lo Mazda, the only current female descendant of the Mazda Family slapped one of her eyelids shut as she listened to her grandfather, Ahura Mazda, bellow his fury. She had gone to Ten Sekai Sentou Kyousou to defeat Ra El Khahid. But even more than that; to prove that she was worthy of the Mazda name. And that women should have every right to be apart of the First Assassin Line. To fight alongside the men. But Ming Lo had failed. And it didn't go down too well with the Family. Least of which, her grandfather. Ming Lo had left Baal in her room. And had come to Ahura's room in the main tower. She had expected him to be angry after what she had done. But he was even more furious than she could have possibly imagined. "You foolish girl!" Ahura yelled, "You have brought shame to me and our Family! How dare you take up an assassination attempt when I warned you not to get involved? Not only did you deceive me but you failed the mission anyway!" Ming Lo lowered her head, bowing before her grandfather. "I apologize, sir. I know what I did was wrong. But I only wished to show you that my merits as an assassin have nothing to do with myself as a woman. Women should be allowed the same status in the Mazda Family as men have." Ahura curled his hand into fist and rested his cheek on it. "Merits? Status? What does any of that mean to you now? You failed. You added to our problems. You did not rectify them. Such actions are unforgivable. But since you wish to be treated like a male Mazda, you shall be." Ming Lo's eyes brightened as she looked up. "Really, grandfather?" "Of course," Ahura replied, "Just like any male member of the Mazda Family who fails to kill their target, you will be excluded from our camp and our family." And suddenly enough, her smile fell. "W-What are you saying, grandfather...?" Ahura Mazda's dark and powerful eyes looked down upon the young Ming Lo. He had cared deeply for her. It was one of the reason he sent her to train in Japan under the best teachers he could find. But she had done further damage to the image of the Mazda Family. Her time as one of them was over. The old assassin stood upright from his throne. "The failure of someone in our own ranks is never tolerated. Ming Lo Mazda. From this moment on you are formally banished from our family and our order." Ming Lo's heart fell. Was she... no longer a member of the proud and illustrious Mazda Family...? ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ McAmish Manor, Edinburgh, Scotland In two months of life in Scotland, Ayame Nakagawa could officially say that it was nothing like Neo-Japan. Since it lacked its own Safe Zone, life here was far more loose and rural. There was very little good that could be said for life outside of the Safe Zones, but this country was the slight exception. Its people were friendly and polite in most ways. She could understand why Simon was so patriotic about the place. Which was one of the reasons she had come to visit him today. In the morning, Ayame had quickly got out of bed, got dressed, and walked up the snowy hills of the outer reaches of Edinburgh. On a tall, wide hill over looking the so-called 'Frozen Lake of the Snow Maiden', was a tombstone. One that had been erected for the late Simon McAmish. Ayame walked up to the tombstone, wading through the snow, and stepped up to the slab of stone. She wiped off all the snow that had gathered up on it during the night and let out a visible puff of air. "Hey, sir," She spoke, "It's me, Ayame. I know its sort of weird, me coming to visit you in the cold-ass morning like this. But I guess I needed to say a few things. Life these past five months has been hard. First with losing you and falling for Julia, then that fiasco with Ras es-Shamrah. And then adjusting to life here in a foreign land. But I've come through it all so well. And so has Julia. We love each other and we wanna make it work. But... I wouldn't have her in my life if not for you. If we hadn't met on that day, five months ago, then I'd still be the Dark Katana. I'd still have Nobunaga perpetually strapped to my waist. And I'd probably wind up dead eventually. It's thanks to you that I've avoided that and found something worth while to live for. So I guess what I'm trying to say is... thank you." Ayame crouched down and stroked the black-tone tombstone. "Thank you so much, sir." "Ayame!" The girl of Neo-Japanese origin stood up as she heard a beautifully familiar voice coming from behind her. She swung around and stumbled a bit as Julia flung herself into Ayame's arms, with a noticeably large diamond ring on her wedding ring finger. "Where've you been?" The shorter woman prodded, giggling, "I didn't see you in bed this morning when I woke up. It was kinda lonely..." Ayame shook her head quickly. "I just had to say a few things to your Father before we made all the arraignments. I still can't believe they allow same-sex marriage in your country." Julia waved a finger at Ayame, smiling. "Well remember that this isn't a Safe Zone! Things are different here. And we are going to be so happy here together. I even heard that the leader of the Shougatsu Financial Group was killed a while back. I doubt we'll ever have to worry about them again. Now we can concentrate on the important things. Like what we'll be doing for our wedding. You know, what we'll all be wearing, who's coming, what we'll be serving at the reception. Stuff like that." And Ayame sweat dropped. All she really wanted to do was just get married! "Uh... I'm not sure if I'm the right person to handle all of that stuff... you know I've never been that kind of girl. I'd just be happy with some beer or something..." Julia frowned playfully. "Forget it! We're a couple. We make joint decisions, remember? Consider it my last act as a McAmish. After all, in a month or so, I'll be Julia Nakagawa." And that was the only real thing Ayame cared about. Julia being her wife. The two of them living together alone, maybe adopting a kid and starting a family. The silver-eyed woman smiled and stole a quick kiss from Julia, then began walking back down the hill with her. It was the beginning of the rest of their lives. Together. "I'll live to make you happy... Julia Nakagawa." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Dragon's Breath Forest, outside Neo-China There was a great party taking place in Lin-Lin's village. She had just gotten back home today, even though Setsuya had freed her two months ago. It was decided that Lin-Lin should see a little more of Europe before she went home. And that was what happened. With Setsuya as her guardian, Lin-Lin toured the European Safe-Zones. Enjoying the left she thought she would lose at the hands of the Shougatsu Financial Group. Eventually Lin-Lin and Setsuya met up with Ingrid and Aarin in Prague. From there they went back to China so that Lin-Lin got home okay. It was a proud moment when Lin-Lin returned there. Everyone was pleased to see her. Especially her grandfather, Chen Hu, whom had been worried about her the most. But they were also equally cheerful and thankful to the three heroes who rescued one of their own. Setsuya, Aarin, and Ingrid. The village held a party in their honour. The whole of the village populous turned out to give a hand in the preparations for it. And Setsuya couldn't resist in giving them a hand. Soon a huge assortment of Chinese foods were gathered together around a burning fire in the centre of the village. And the party was started. It carried on into the darkness of the night. But the people here had no intention of stopping the celebrations. It was in honour of the people who risked their lives for a member of their own village. They were actually bound to such activities. And it was no less than what the trio deserved for their efforts. Ingrid sat within a small ring of boys her own age who, unsurprisingly, were spellbound by the beautiful young woman. And being the kind of person that she was, Ingrid took no qualms in enjoying that attention. Lin-Lin sat with her grandfather; telling him all that had happened to her after the Shougatsu Financial Group's kidnap of her. But the one person who kept back from all the festivities was Aarin. The English swordsman stood leaning against a tree just a few paces away from some of the other villagers who sat around the fire. He was never very comfortable with big crowds of people. And Setsuya had noticed this. The Japanese man stood up from his seat next to Lin-Lin; while the villagers sang, drank and ate, and walked up to the pensive blonde. Setsuya stopped in stride and snacked on a bowl of rice he was carrying. "Penny for your thoughts." "I was..." Aarin looked up to the starry sky above, "Thinking about what Zephaniah said to us back on the Island of Creation. He said that we would one day see the 'true nature' of the world. What did he mean by that, I wonder?" Setsuya shrugged. "Who knows? But we have nothing to worry about now. The word is that the Shougatsu have disbanded ever since Neuschwanstein Castle. I guess they didn't have all that much organization after Zephaniah died. Good riddance, if you ask me." "But Zephaniah wasn't the only issue," Aarin's mind cast back to that day, two months ago. And the woman he saw within the halls of the castle, "Diana. What of her?" "Probably dead," Setsuya said bluntly, "Unless she escaped Neuschwanstein before it burned down. And I seriously doubt that, Aarin. But you shouldn't worry about things like that. It's a good day. Lin-Lin is back home where she belongs. And the world is safe from whatever plans the Shougatsu have. Once the Neo World Federation enshrine these swords from the public; nothing like that will ever happen again." Aarin cast his glare upon the Wind Soul, strapped to his waist. The Neo World Federation had decided that the swords must be buried away; never to be used again. They found the Shadow Edge within the ruins of Neuschwanstein Castle. Setsuya, Aarin and Ingrid had readily accepted that the swords be put to rest. They could not be destroyed but their power was too great for the world. It was better that way. The young Aarin let a smile cross his lips. "...I hope so." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Fifty Years Later... ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Great Desert, Arabia The past fifty years had been a blur for Diana Angelinous. She had felt like the whole of the earth was beyond her. Nothing felt the same anymore. Even though she had only been dead for three years before revival. The woman had escaped the fires of Neuschwanstein but for no reason other than the fact that she couldn't bare to stay there after Zephaniah died. She managed to savage his body and bury it in a secret gravesite back in Bristol, Neo-England. But no funeral was held for him. Diana did it all on her own. And burying that man she loved was the most haunting thing she had ever had to do. Ever since she did that; Diana had been a walking ghost. She drifted from country to country like a phantom. No goal. No destination. Just travelling throughout Europe in the hopes of forgetting the death of her intended husband. But it obviously wasn't working. Diana had finally begun moving out of Europe and moving towards Asia. When she ended up in a huge place known only to the common folk as 'The Great Desert'. Diana had found herself in this shabby shanty town that surrounded her presence. Full of poor people, foul-smelling homes and no hope. This was the kind of place that world was like outside of the Safe Zones. Diana held much hatred for it. It was one of the few emotions that Diana could still feel. Hatred. The girl looked downward from the sight of the shanty town to the dusty ground below her, as she sat upon one of the ramshackle benches dotted around the town. She didn't look up until she felt a shadow being cast over her. "You must be... Diana Angelinous." Her beautiful eyes looked upwards again. Someone who knew her? Standing above the girl was a tall man of Arabic Descent. He was aged, looking to be about 60 years of age; his light brown face covered with age marks and wrinkles. He was dressed in black and gold robes that were far richer in design than anything else that the people wore around here. Diana spoke to this elderly man cautiously. "W-Who... are you...?" "My name is Al Gul Jehed..." He replied, "...and I have been waiting a long time to meet someone like you, Miss Angelinous..." Little did Diana know... this man called Al Gul Jehed was going to have an impact on the fate of the world as she knew it. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Scary's on the wall Scary's on his way Watch where you spit I'd advise you wait until it's over Then you got hit And you shoulda known better And we die young Faster we run Down, down, down, you're rollin' Watch the blood float in the muddy sewer Take another hit And bury your brother And we die young Faster we run Scary's on the wall Scary's on his way Another alley trip Bullet seek the place to bend you over Then you got hit And you shoulda known better Faster we run And we die young ~ We Die Young, Alice in Chains ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ END OF NEO COMET SWORDSMAN SETSUYA ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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