Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Courtship in Emerald (XXV)

MACUSA Headquarters, Woolworth Building, New York City

May 13th, 1946
Spoiler: Muramasa and Shayṭān

Delilah de Breuil stared at the report that had come to her from Far East Department. It listed individuals in custody that were awaiting trial for crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity.

Her eyes locked on one name on the list once more and her hands shook as she reread the list through the tears in her eyes.

Muramasa-no-Norimune.

Father.

Wha̦t͇ ̼̩͔͠ri͡gh͘t҉ ͏̳did M̼̤̗A̦̖̗CU͕͉SA̸̙͔̟ hạ̠̜ve ͈̬̤t̨o̙͇ p͎͟u̴t̖̣͙ ͎h҉e̢̜͎r̵͚͔̫ f̯a͔̜̦ţ̘͙he͞r͜ ̸on̗ ̬͙͉̕t͢r̭͕i̬ͅa̡͓̼̻l̞̬? ̘̫ ̞̰

T̹h̺̻̠ey ̖̳́ha̘d̺̜̱ ̶a̺̟l̼͜r̛͎̩̠e̦̠͜a͏̦͉d̤y̫͓ ̵wr̡̝̝ͅi̪t̛t́e͇̬͡n h̡̹e̻̩r o͜u̡t̙ ̴o̷f ̨̙t̪he͔̭ir̯̬͜ͅ h͕i̛st̯̙̕oŗi̻͕͙͘e̛͉s̩̳̖!̖̬̝ ͈̘̖͞

T̪̘̤hey̮ ̻͜ha̦̜̣͞d ͕̟ͅc̤͕o̪n̜̳͘c̜̦̕e̻̗̫ale͔̥͜d͕ ̹̹̀a͚̺l̴l t̖h͔at͠ ͠s͞h͓̺͈è̯ ̳̀h͙̘̦͘ad do̲̱ͅn̘̭͚e͚̯̗ ̮̜f̣o̱̙ͅr ̻̺ṭ͔h̠̭e͕m̼͟!̫

Th͜e̛̠͖͔y ̖had ͠spa͏̙t ̮͝u̹̬po͝n̨͕ ̞̦h͚e̺̭̯r br͙̼a̧v̤̲͇e̲͉̖ry̼̜͠ ̩͡a͓͞n̦̳̳d̩ ҉s̗ac͚̞̲r̤i̹f҉i̸c̤e̤͞ ̤͍͎a͝nḓ͞ ̕he̬͓r̜͙̩oi̲sm̷!

She felt her anger flare at the whispers coiling their way from the depths of her soul.

Á̭͎̰͒̑ ͧͨͨ̋̑ͦ͗c̲o͏ld̹̪̼̘̠̺̜̒̇͆̀̓́͒,̻̳͉̲̼ͅ r̔͊ͥe̳̙͓ͅͅmo͖͚͉̼̟ͅrs̨̤̰̞ē̟̺͖ͮ̂l͎̮̥͓ͧͩͪ͐e͠s̩̯̪̼̯s̈́̅̔̆ͭ̊҉̹͎̳̖̦͇ ̮̂̀kͭͥ̒̿̔̀i͛̀ͦ̀͊̽̈l͂̍l͂ͪ̔i͖ͬn̵g̷̗͉̮̘̙͎̉ͫͪ͌̎̎ ̏ͥa̾͌̑̄ͪn̤̫̮͇̙̮̮g͇͓̼͚̗͔̜e̽̃͊͗̊ͣr̷ ̰̻̩̝͆̀ͩ̆a̯̺͉̲̠ͅt̠̱̠̩̥̰̜ th̫̣̠̳̻͊̊́̽̈͜e̟̝̼̩͕̗ ̷̠̳̦͚͓͖̩f͔͂o̠̹̲̻͉͠o̙̪̥l̅͆͒͗̍̚͝s ͞of̢̖̪̦̲̭͍͑̉̽͗̔̑ ̦̫̝ͩ̊̇͡M̷̤̖Ȃ͎̤̪̺̥̔̎̓̓C͉͕̗͙̺͚ͅU̮̪̹S͚̣A̰̠̞ ̯ͣtͪͤ̿ͮ̇́͏̤̩͉̘̺ͅhå͑ͫ͗̇ṯ̤͎̬͛ͨ͑̽ ̼̱͖̞̂ͧͤ̋͜wȅ̸̬̪̬̥̝̉͒͐͆r̭̦̘̟e̕ l͈̺̻i̡͙̙̐͑ar̹̼̣̹͠s̬̜̽ͭ͘ ̶̔ͭ̒ͥͭa͒̀́ṉ̖̤d ̳͇̳̝͌̉̾̽h̠͓̜̬̞̥́̉̍̃ͧͧÿ̛́́ͪ̇ͮ̋p͗̈͒ṍ̫̪̮ͯc̺r͓͑į̞̩̱̫t̽̽̌̾͒̌͊ẹ̣͍̟͈̝ș̤̙̪͙͉̺͛͑ͨ̆́̓͋.͔͔̳̫͑͗́̈.̀ͭ̑ͨ̾͘.͓̜̈́ͨ

NO!

She checked her hand's involuntary movement toward her true body -- hidden in a shoulder holster under her robes -- and focused on the door.

She plastered a false smile directed at the man silhouetted there over the seething anger at MACUSA gnawing at her self-control.

"Ben! When did you get in?" She asked.

Ben Arnold walked into her office and closed the door before speaking in a furious voice. "Just today. I got replaced by fucking Jenkins and reassigned to headquarters posting now. Archives if you can believe it. But then you already know about that bureaucratic power play, don't you Delilah!"

Delilah's own eyes hardened as her temper flared. "I have no idea what you are talking about Benedict Arnold. I have been busting my butt here and not messing with you at all."

"Don't play dumb with me, Delilah, it doesn't become you. I know that you are jealous of me so you set up that bullshit security review of my actions last February to get me sent back here in disgrace while you schemed to advance past me! Father told me how your family pulled strings to get you promoted too, despite the postwar draw-down and reorganization in MACUSA!" Ben lashed out hotly.

"Ben," Delilah said, as she rubbed her throbbing temples, "Last February when all this knife in the cloakroom shit you are accusing me of went down I wasn't here. I was in Persia putting paid to the Reds' plan to take control of an entity out there with this amulet." Delilah opened a locked and warded desk drawer and rooted around, eventually pulling out the bronze amulet of Erlik Khan, which she tossed underhanded to Ben.

As he fingered the amulet and his eyes narrowed, Delilah finished. "Go and ask your father if you don't believe me, but I was out of the country in Persia from leaving here January second to returning March tenth. That whole operation is AQUA BEAGLE if you want to check my time card. Oh and I'd like my little souvenir back since I'm hanging onto it until we can put it in a Dark Artifact containment box."

He handed the amulet back and stormed out of the office. Delilah sighed and waited for several minutes before asking Zamarad to come in and take dictation. Once the privacy wards were up, Delilah looked at the Ifrit.

"You saw?" She said quietly.

Zamarad nodded sadly. "I saw. It is unbalancing him. Very little is left of his humanity now, soon it will be like a scorpion wasp that has devoured its host from the inside out. And... I suspect that it suspects you now."

Delilah nodded. "Stay out of sight so it does not pick up that I have you as an ally. If it goes for me, well what must be must be."

A hour and a half Ben reappeared and nodded. He spoke in a obviously controlled voice. "I was out of line, it wasn't you who back-stabbed me. Congratulations on your promotion." The final words were in a sugary sweet voice.

"Thank you," Delilah responded, fighting for control against the insidious whispers. "I got it when I got assigned to put together Near Eastern operations for my sins along with the promotion to Lieutenant Colonel."

"I see. What's the memo that had you worked up earlier?" Ben responded as he extended his hand for a shake and leaned over her desk.

Delilah automatically glanced at the header on the copy of the memo which she was saving to hand to her mother to confirm that it was not classified. "Just a list of the Kamo-supporters that we caught." she spoke with forced calm in her voice as she handed it over.

Ben scanned the list. "Hmmph. Bunch of damn worthless Nips. Do the world a favor and send them all to the Death Potion. Just need to burn the cancer out and start over fresh out there."

Below the desk, Delilah's fist clenched as a cold light flickered deep in her eyes behind her pleasant facade. "You plan to tell your friends and family that then?"

"I sure do. Say, Delilah, we really need to talk in private sometime soon. I found out something that you need to know since friends like us need to stand together against the REMFs back here who hid out to screw us rather than put it on the line." Ben agreed with a pleasant smile and an unctuous voice.

Delilah nodded as behind her smiling face the cogs and gears of her brain spun in overdrive. "How about a week from Friday, so the 24th? I'm pretty much tied down by work for this upcoming week," Delilah gestured at her overflowing inbox in wordless apology, "and this weekend Mother has already claimed my time to supervise some home renovation. She's putting in new carpet and woodwork downstairs, which means I will be handling the remodeling for the dining room."

"That works for me, Delilah. I have some people to talk to about trying to fuck me over and need to get unpacked myself. I'll see you at the Five PM staff meeting then." Ben agreed as he turned to go.

"Catch you then, Ben." Delilah agreed as she watched him go. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

------------------------------------

"I need some fall guys for a murder." Delilah said as she paced in her family's parlor in front of her mother (both sitting and watching and painted) and Zamarad. "Scourers, preferably." Firelight and candles flickered to drive back the evening darkness.

Jezabel nodded, "I can make arrangements through the network to have him suffer a run-in with suspected scourers. But, what did you have in mind, Del?"

Delilah turned and pointed at the ring on Zamarad's breast. "The problem with that damn binding spell is that if the jinn breaks momentarily free it latches back on her and drags her back into its thrall. Trying to brute-force break it will just cripple if not kill Zamarad. However, if the targeting can be diverted to another Jinn instead like the one possessing Ben...."

Jezabel's portrait finished, "Then Zamarad would be free and the Shayṭān would be bound in the ring for disposal."

Delilah's smile was feral. "Exactly. I have enough knowledge to do that by redirecting the targeting parameters, but I'll need someone else to control the ring and direct it at the Shayṭān while Zamarad and I duel it once I lure it into the trap I have in mind. That's where you come in, Mother, once we weaken it enough to be trapped."

Zamarad spoke, "You know that it will try to kill you, and unlike myself, it will not hesitate in deploying its powers to their fullest extent."

Delilah nodded soberly. "I know. But I'm reasonably certain Ben knows that I'm onto him. He has to know by now that I made copies of the files about him since he knows my magical signature. Basic precaution there if you are going covert is to cover your trail. He was looking for an excuse to get to me earlier."

The flames in the fireplace leapt up wildly as Zamarad snarled furiously, "Over my dead body!"

Delilah's smile was cold. "Over his dead body is my plan. Now, this is what I intend to do about our foe...."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Am I Now Who I Was?

Norimune's farm in Uenohara-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, 74 miles west of Tokyo, Japan

22 June 2014

I am a part of all that I have met;
Yet all experience is an arch wherethrough
Gleams that untravelled world, whose margin fades
For ever and for ever when I move.

Tennyson - "Ulysses"
Spoiler: Toku's Return

Masamune-no-Tokunotakai stepped out of the Vanishing Cabinet that connected Norimune's farm in a mountain valley to the hidden basement of her youngest daughter's family home. Where yet another Vanishing Cabinet rested, connecting the basement where American slaves had hidden once on their trip to freedom in Canada with the ancestral Belgian castle of Moulbaix where her love Colombe du Chasteler had been raised.

She paused to deposit a thank-you letter and note that she would be in the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū shrine for the next few weeks as she caught up upon her duties there upon the table in the hall. The invitation to visit was clear in her hand-brushed and heart-felt words.

Toku silently reflected on the castle that she had just come from as she walked down the lane leading from the farmhouse. Moulbaix had started as a place where Colombe had grown from her infancy as an adopted bastard daughter of a noble, to womanhood. She had learned how to fight and fence, learned of her heritage of magic. A castle that she had left for schooling, to wander and explore, yet always returned to. A castle that had seen her grow up with her half-siblings, stepmother, and Papa to forge the unbreakable bonds of family, learning that fundamental fact that defined her perhaps more than any other element. A castle that had see her return in disgrace and failure, triumph in trophies in tow. It had seen her celebrate a birth, mourn the death of her beloved Papa and her merely mortal family members one by one. It had seen her betrayed by the last and most treacherous of her adopted kin, seen her duel him to the death and seen her triumph over Hippolyte turned to ashes in her mouth as his Grudge had risen as an onryo ghost to haunt and torment her for over a century. It had seen Colombe slowly refill it, refill her life from that dark day that nearly shattered her love as she repopulated it with friends, half-sisters of her blood, daughters of her own adoption and blood, and finally her as a lover.

Toku smiled briefly as she remembered how Co-chan had shared her home and welcomed her inside in that moment where she saw all the hammerblows of time and fate and the past that had forged her love into what she was today. The Miko walked to the side of a flowing stream that the lane crossed, looking into the crystal-clear water.

She caught glimpses of her reflected avatar staring back at her. Dark hair down to her mid back in her preferred hime cut, traveling clothes, her true body sheathed at her waist, the walking stick marked with the trail stations of her ascent of Mount Fuji four short months ago.

And blue-green eyes that revealed what her avatar's form hid so well. The scars that had marked her spirit in the hell of Verdun.

She could close her eyes and think and return to that foul and corrupted land that she had fought through alongside Norimune and Colombe. Three Blades of Hachiman fighting as one against souls shackled to the Wheel of Suffering with manacles of such evil and cruelty that it caused her soul to weep.

Sometimes in the darkness of the night as she clung to Co-chan's comforting warmth, she had felt equally tainted just by enduring contact with the monstrosity that Verdun was.

It made a Gashadokuro look relatively tame, which Toku had not believed was remotely possible before faced with the Hell that Verdun had been. A Hell that her lover Colombe d'Aubigny du Chasteler had endured in 1916 and then again short weeks ago.

Before she had faced true evil and corruption.

Before she had had to confront the shrieking terrible realization that the air, the soil, the water, everything in that dreadful place was tainted, foul, and hated her with the desire to not just kill her but consume and enslave her.

Before she realized in that shrieking moment that her survival or destruction was reliant upon her skill with spell and steel, yes but also the efforts and strengths of the other ten souls fighting through Verdun alongside her, and would be judged mercilessly by blind chance.

Before she felt the machine-gun slugs rip through her right lung and Norimune drag her and Colombe to shelter in a shellhole at the risk of her life. Just as she in turn would save Norimune minutes, hours, perhaps days later in the desperate attempt to hold the line as the breach slowly closed when a shell knocked Norimune from her feet. Toku stood over her, fighting two-handed as her blood flowed to give the dazed nodachi the time to come to her senses and recover her blade.

She looked at her reflection and whispered "I thought I knew what War and Cruelty and Evil were. But Hachiman-dono was right when he said that I would be forever scarred when I entered their realm"

The babbling brook seemed to give agreement in the voice of water over stone as she squared her shoulders and spoke contemplatively to the ghost of her reflection. "And yet, I have truly experienced what my rival from birth, my sisters, and my love bear willingly. I have now seen the scars of their past and their failures on their souls. I have tasted of the wine of the brotherhood forged among warriors who stand together against great evil and mingled their blood shed to protect each other with those who stood alongside me against Verdun. I have seen the quality of their steel in the heat of the furnace of war, just as they have seen mine." She paused and finished solemnly. "I find myself closer to them in ways that I cannot define. For truly, I have been forged by blows of the same cruel hammer upon the anvil of conflict and have my own blood spilled and lives taken staining my hands, just as they have upon theirs."

She knelt and placed her hand into the cool water, clenching it as she watched, then pulling it out and opening it to let the drops fall through her fingers. "I am more and less than I was, I fear. I have grown in skill and power and in many ways, truly Co-chan was right when she said that the choice that I made to determine who lived and who died marked me for all times and it is a burden that I shall bear forevermore. But... I have also lost something precious and fragile that shall never return."

She looked into the stream and sighed. "Was the price of my experiences truly worth it? For I can never return to the innocent maiden who I was. I must learn to live with this Masamune-no-Tokunotakai who has killed others, who has faced death alongside others, who has nightmares of the evils that I fought."

"And yet, I have helped Co-chan and Norimune-chan find a measure of peace and understanding and reconciliation in the aftermath of our struggle. For the look in Co-chan's eyes when Norimune told her of her mother," Toku spoke with tears tricking down her face, "I would endure a thousand upon a thousand Verduns to forge that understanding that let them both share their pains and find some measure of healing."

She resumed her walk to the train station. "It is odd. For the past centuries, I thought little of Norimune, and when she met me half a century ago, drunk and angry, I was upset with her disturbing the sanctity of the Shrine." Toku gave a wry chuckle as she walked across the bridge spanning the river. "Just as Miko Punchable Face was upset when Co-chan showed up. And now, now knowing of what she endured, both of them endured... I pity them for the pains that they suffer and yet am moved to compassion and a wish to help share their burdens. Just as they have helped share my burden of understanding."

With that insight, she bought the ticket to Tokyo as the first step of her return to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū that she had grown up in for the past four centuries of her life.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

23 June 2014

The predawn sky was a faint gray as Tokunotakai made her way up the eight-hundred year stone staircase to the top.

As she climbed to the top, a cooing caused her to look up and see the mated pair of wood pigeons looking at her from atop a torii gate. She bowed humbly to Hachiman's sacred messengers and spoke into the predawn hush. "Please inform the Lord of Eight Banners that I have returned home and shall report to him as soon as I can. Also... tell him that he was right. The innocent shrine maiden who left here was seriously wounded saving the family in Aokigahara and Verdun was her death blow. I shall mourn her, mourn myself forevermore both for what I have lost," Toku's voice broke as she finished, "And what I have found in myself to gain."

As the doves took flight to vanish into the sky beyond her sight, Masamune-no-Tokunotakai changed into her Miko robes, and purified herself at the well. The shrine steps awaited sweeping, after all, along with the rest of her duties for the day.

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord Khuzdul

A small bit from the friend I have mentioned earlier in the thread, who was helping me do the research for the writing. He is currently working as a teacher in a small village school in the Kurdish areas, so he has an unique perspective. He got inspired by what he has seen there.

Can't say good guys never get reinforcements.

---

"I turned and prayed to Jêle
Bright Jêle, like a friend
Consoled me, and said 'worry not, He will come
Düzgün is His name, He is Düzgün Baba'…"
From "Baba Düzgün", a traditional Zaza song
First light of the new day was gleaming over the snow-capped peaks Dersim's mountains; the Silver Gates of Anatolia; the place where one can still smell the death in the earth, hear the dirges in the wind, and tremble with the hopelessness at the chill of winter. The home of both stalwart defenders and foulest traitors of the whole peninsula. The place with harsh winters, limited farmland, and mountains whom only most stubborn goats may discover.

In a small, isolated village, a young woman was in labour. She tried to push, many times, with no success. In another one, a man suddenly woke up with a vicious howl. The times were dire, it was no surprise that wolves dared to descend near human settlements. A mother was desperately trying to lower his youngest son's fever. Almost instinctively, these three unrelated people of Eastern Anatolia muttered the same plea; "Oh Düzgün, chief of 366 wali(1), help us!"

The cry of a great, silver-winged eagle echoes upon the valleys of all Dersim. The young woman's pain was soothed, just as the child's fever. Wolves, like they were given an absolute order, started to head back to the wilds. The chill winds started to slow, while birds started to chirp happily.

Qahs, The Chief of Dersim's Marids, the tribe of Djinni who dwell around water sources, also heard the eagle's cry, which was quite familiar to him. "He is awake…" he told silently to Khoolm, his seneschal. "How would he miss all this ruckus?"

A man in his forties was sitting on a mountain while all these happened; eyes closed and head resting on an oaken staff. Strangely enough, there were grass and flowers around him. A great, silvery eagle descended and sat upon his shoulder. He raised his head, stood up, and lowered the hood of his kepenek(2) over his head. He turned to the east, as if he was saluting the sun. "Peace be upon you oh dales and rivers of my home.," he muttered "for I am ready to defend you and the people you graciously fed thousands of years against the wretched hordes of shayatin." He gently tapped the ground with his staff, and vanished in to the winds.
Düzgün; the spirit of Dersim, chief of 366 wali, Mithra, the Father of Dersim was finally awake.

(1) Wali means both "friend, supporter" and "holder, protector" in Arabic. In Islamic context, a "wali" -or "awliya" in plural form is a person who has a close connection with Allah.
(2) Kepenek is the traditional garment of Anatolian shepherds.

 

[darthcourt10]

Third Summer Holidays - Summer THREE

START

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Sitting in seiza, Harry listened as the music in his radio changed and snorted a little in amusement as he recognized it as being a Nightwish CD that Regina had gotten him one year as a gift. For a few moments he continued to listen as his mind drifted to when she had given him said gift. However, soon enough, he shifted his position slightly and looked at the bubbling cauldron beside him on a hot plate. The cauldron itself was not very big, about the size of a large tea cup. But within it bubbled a potion that he had prepared.

With a small nod, Harry reached to the side as he got ready for what he needed to do. Picking up a long object in a silk sleeve, he pulled it out from one end to reveal a Bokken made of wood. The very same one that Juuchi had carved for him personally.

Well, one of the two.

There was a second one carved to resemble Tsukiakari. That one though he only used every once in a while when Tsukiakari gave him a few training pointers. But the one in his lap was the one he currently used for training from Hoshi and had been carved to resemble Juuchi. The memories of the harsh training sessions from the Kyuubi rose up in his mind. The pain, humiliation, embarrassment, frustration... for a few moments it rose in him before he took a deep breath and let it out.

Instead, he pulled out a soft cloth and began to run it along the Bokken, gently cleaning it. With the practiced motions, he could feel all his negative emotions just... drift away. Almost as if though they were being absorbed by the blade with each stroke of the cloth. This was the first step in the maintenance of his Bokken. Something that was practically pounded into his head by Hoshi as well as Tsukiakari. From them, he learned that many people who had such often forgot to maintain them. A fact that often caused the wooden swords to crack and splinter, of outright break, in a sparring match.

Being as he was taught from a young age to take care of his things, he learned how to maintain his Bokken properly... with some deviations from the norm.

One of those deviations happened as he completed the cleaning of his Bokken. Bringing it up to his eye, he examined the wood for any signs of splintering, it cracks, or any damage. There was, of course, a few dings and scrapes from his sparring with Hoshi. It would be impossible for there not to be any. With a soft hum, Harry picked up his wand and began to gently stroke the wood of his blade with the end as he focused his magic. He had learned that the sensors to detect magic didn't pick up his transfiguration method of making art. Something that he latched on for to work his blade since under normal methods, he would have had to sand them out.

Repair charms, while they would have also worked, were limited unfortunately. One could use them only so many times on the same object before they started to fail. And the object in question was not quite as strong as before where the repair charms had fixed the damage. It was not an issue with shipgirls as the Repair Baths took care of that issue. But he still felt more comfortable with transfiguration just the same.

As he watched, his magic went to work and slowly, the dings, scrapes, and other damage vanished as if they had never existed. But other than that, he could not spot any damage to his Bokken. No cracks or splinters, which made him nod as he ran his hand along the wood that made it up. From Juuchi, he knew, it had been carved from the heartwood of an English Oak that had fallen in the Forbidden Forest where it had looked out over the Black Lake. Once, the tree it had come from had drank deeply of that lake. And it had lived in one of the last, primeval remnants of the great forest that had covered the British Isles after the last ice age. The tree itself was old, and having counted the rings, the oak had been at least eight hundred years before it fell and died.

Hand brushing along the smooth wood, part of Harry wondered... What had the oak seen in its centuries of life? What wonders and horrors had it observed silently in the dark wood where it grew? And what secrets had it kept? Perhaps it had even seen Hogwarts raised! As well as the argument between Salazar and the others that broke their friendship and sent the founder of Slytherin House away from the castle it had once built.

With a slight smile on his lips, Harry chuckled and gently patted the wood, "I guess that I will never know, huh?"

Not getting an answer, he shook his head before proceeding to the next stage, which was also not conventional. Once more reaching to the slide, he pulled out a small case the size of a small pencil case before flipping open the lid. Inside was a paint brush which he pulled out and examined it for a few moments before nodding. Said brush was made by him personally, as noted in one of the Potter journals on maintaining wooden weapons and parts there or. Within the book, it mentioned that the brush had to be handcrafted by the one using it, which Harry had followed including the bit where it had to seem right. The wood of the brush itself was made of holly, like his wand, with the grip made of jet. However, the bristles? That was made with hair from Hoshi as he had not felt right using unicorn hair for a weapon.

Of course, when he had asked her hair, the Kitsune had given him an odd look. After which, she had asked his reasoning and why, though once she had heard? She had given him some fur from her tails with a bemused smile.

Gently picking up the brush in question, Harry rolled it around between his thumb and fingers. As always, it seemed... warm, welcoming his touch. Humming, he dipped the brush into the bubbling potion after turning off the hot plate and let the excess drip off before brushing the rest onto his Bokken. Slowly, methodically, but surely, he coated the wood of the sword with the potion. Even as he watched, it soaked into it, slowly vanishing. From the potion book, it was used to make wooden weapons more durable. The potion as it soaked in repairing any damage deep within the wood while strengthening it. It did not do anything other than that, but that was more than enough for Harry as he didn't need more.

After all, he wanted his Bokken to last for a very long time to come.

Soon enough, the last of the potion was brushed on and he set the now empty cauldron aside. Due to it needing the potion to fully soak in and dry before he could perform the next step, Harry gently placed the Bokken on a rack to do so before getting up. After all, he needed to clean and dry the brush before putting it away. That only took him a couple of minutes, though when he came back, he noted that Barghast was looking at his Bokken curiously as was Scruffles. Lightly smiling, he patted the two, who enjoyed it before chuckling, "Hey, you two. Enjoying being home?" Getting soft growls, Harry just nodded, "Yeah, same here."

The smile still on his face, Harry once more sat in seiza before placing the brush into the box it had been in and closing it. Once more picking up the Bokken, the thirteen year old examined it yet again for any real damage. Finding none though, as he had expected, he placed it on his lap and prepare for the final part.

Reaching beside him, he grabbed a small can of boiled linseed oil and a soft, Cotten rag. Softly humming under his breath, he soaked the rag in the oil before rubbing it along the Bokken. Methodically, he massaged the oil into the wood as he worked, sometimes setting the cloth with the oil he used. The only spot that Harry did not rub the oil into was at the boot of the Bokken. Not because he could not, for he could have. But the oil that was used there was the same that came from his skin. Something he had been told would help bond the blade to him.

Finally, after some work, he was done and tossed the rag into a metal pail. Best not to leave it dry somewhere that it could cause problems. Especially as the fumes could be flammable. With the Bokken's maintenance complete, Harry examined with a soft smile, "There we go... all nice and clean. Beautiful."

Yet again, Harry set the Bokken into the rack to dry and allow for the oil to soak in as he began to clean up the area. One had to clean up after themselves you know. By the time he was done, he glanced at the clock before nodding with a slight smile and sending off a text to Nagato that he was going out. Getting a reply, he walked out of the apartment and closed the door...

And returned five minutes later before looking at his Bokken on the rack. Considering it, Harry reached up and grasped the hilt of the blade before humming as he put it into a small carrying case, "You know? I bet that Okita-San and Uesugi-San will be interested in seeing you since I'm meeting them and the others. They're the top kendo experts at, well, my non-magical school." For a brief moment, he paused in thought, "Well, Nobu-San as well, but she doesn't bother much with the Kendo and Kenjutsu clubs. Not really her thing, though I wonder why she said it feels wrong to use another blade...?"

Shrugging after a few moments of thought, Harry picked up the case and walked out of the apartment and down to where his velomobile was parked. After so long of not using it due to being at Hogwarts, he relished using it once more. Well, after getting everything checked out to see if it was in working order for much the same reason. But it was, and thus he enjoyed it and soon, off he went.

Unknown to him, both Barghast and Scruffles were watching from the windowsill of the apartment. Both of them had noticed something... a little odd about the Bokken. There was a slight miasma that sometimes rose from it. A miasma that was bloodthirsty and contained battle thirst. It wanted to fight, to harm. Since February after he had gotten it and begun his training with Hoshi, they noticed it from. And it had slowly gotten stronger and stronger.

Granted, oddly enough, for some reason it did not seem harmful or threatening to Harry. The miasma seemed almost... welcoming to his touch. Both of them wondered if the Small Lady knew about it. As it did not seem harmful though, they decided that it could be brought up later.
___________________________________________________________________

Parking his velomobile, Harry smiled at the small cafe that met him before opening the cockpit and getting out. He did grab the carrying case though, and started to walk over with a wave, "Hey guys!"

Somewhat bemused, Natsumi waved back at him as the others gave greetings as well, "Good afternoon, Harry-Chan." As he reached them, she held out a cup of bubble tea, "Here, I bought this for you."

With a soft sigh, Harry gave her a smile, "Thanks, Natsumi-Chan." Taking a sip, he chewed on the tapioca pearl in his mouth, "I really appreciate it."

Just chuckling, the Kitsune smiled back, "You're welcome, Harry-Chan."

Glancing from one to the other with a raised eyebrow, Nobu hummed before gesturing with her cup, "Ah! So now it becomes obvious why you did not take me up on my marriage proposal! You and Natsumi-San are already together!" Ignoring the sputters from them, the reincarnated warlord nodded, "Makes sense."

Moments later, Okita smacked her upside the head with a growl, "Stop that!" With a sigh, she bowed towards to two embarrassed teens, "Sorry about that, Harry-San. Sometimes Nobu-Chan speaks before she thinks."

However, the lone Inugami of her group smirked and waved her off, "Don't worry about it. It's true after all." Crossing her arm, Ayaka gave the now flustered Natsumi a grin, "Well, that and the rest of their harem."

Eyebrows raising, Nobu grinned, "Hooo? Tell me more about this!"

Facepalming, Okita groaned, "Please, just stop, Nobu-Chan..."

Amused, said girl cackled, "Nope, can't be helped. I want to know more." Turning towards Ayaka, Nobu hummed, "So when you say harem...?"

Crossing her arms, Ayaka ignored how Natsumi was glaring at her, vengeance promised, "Well... Harry-Chan here has a number of girls after him. Mostly shipgirls... though one is an Abyssal, Regina a Re-Class. And Louisiana, the Battleship? She's in love with both Natsumi-San and Harry-Chan."

The whole time, the two teens in question got redder and redder. Especially when Ayaka mentioned cuddlepiles and got real looks of interest from Nobu-Chan as well as Uesugi. The later frowning thoughtfully and muttering to herself with a slight blush on her face, "A true man..."

Pinching her nose, Natsumi took a deep breath, "Harry-Chan?" Getting a nod, she continued, "No more peanut butter treats for Ayaka-Chan for at least a week now that you're back."

Briefly, there was a pause before the Inugami gained a look of horror on her face, "NOOOO!"

However, Harry just nodded in agreement while glancing at her with a frown, "Sure thing, Natsumi-Chan."

Rather amused at the now depressed Ayaka, Nobu turned back to Harry with a thoughtful look as she rubbed her chin, "Truly, you are a Conqueror. Yes, to triumph over even an Abyssal, I could have used you at my side to conquer Japan." Inside her mind, she sighed a little in fond remembrance of her first life time. More than one warm body pressed against her, then him, 'Ah... I miss such days...'

Already guessing what her friend was thinking of, Okita sighed a little, "Just... ignore her, Harry-San."

Deciding to listen to the advice, the thirteen year old wizard nodded, "Hai, I think that I will..." Pausing, he gave a small shrug, "Anyways, since I went back to my boarding school before I knew the results, what happened?"

Usagi gave him a small grin at that before hopping a bit, "Actually? We did great! Our class made the most money this year which means that we got a school trip to Hakone. And since our group made the most? We won a two day trip to some hot springs just outside of Yokosuka."

Surprised, Harry glanced between them, "Wait, really? We won the trip?"

Arms crossed over his chest, Kaku gave him a smirk, "We sure did, Harry-San. And thanks to you and your help too."

Rika shook her head in amused disbelief after glancing at the still depressed Ayaka, "Hai, the movie sold pretty well when all was said and done. I mean, I was amazed at how many copies we sold."

Just nodding, the British born boy frowned slightly before a thought occurred to him, "Uh, about the Onsen... do we know anything about it? And the area in particular?"

Eyebrows furrowing at the question, the various teens glanced at each other though Natsumi wonder as she guessed why. After a moment though, Okita frowned a little, "If you want, I can give a small check?"

When he nodded, she pulled out her phone with one hand and unlocked it. At the same time, she placed her cup of bubble tea and sat it on her chest before using both hands to do a quick search. She did miss how Nobu was giving her a slightly annoyed look though as she worked. Well... Nobu and some of the other girls. Natsumi only grumbled a little and shook her head as she knew that their friend was not meaning anything by it.

For her part, Asuka looked more amused than anything and wondered if she could have Jin meet her.

Soon enough though, Okita was done on her phone and grabbed her cup as she took a sip, "Well, it's a few years old? Just a normal Onsen, though there's some ruins that are from the Second World War nearby, nothing much though. Oh! And there's a development within walking distance, but according to this it keeps getting delayed for various reasons."

Looking over her shoulder, Uesugi frowned a little, "Says here that construction has basically stopped for the past year or so? Huh... odd."

Unnoticed by her, Harry had a slight frown on his face, '... I'm bringing one of my knives in my hidden sheath. Just in case...' A glance at Natsumi and he noticed that she had the same thought, 'Yeah... hopefully nothing happens.'

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu



Omake-

The Mandate Pt.1


…it is a quiet thing to fall…

"We live in interesting times," the brush glided across the paper. "Do you not agree?"
A vacant gaze was the only reply.
"You understand," Eyes briefly rose. "President Hu?"
Silence.

Graham nervously folded the parchment. It was a great risk, but one that his superiors were currently ignoring for some cockamamie scheme involving something called 'TOTEM'. The last crease in place, he took the letter to the window and opened it. He raised the folded letter to his face and blew.
The method of transit was common across the pond in merry old England, but it was never meant to travel this far. And Owl Post was right out because of the potential for interception. He needed help, and she was perhaps the one he could trust. She was most knowledgeable about the workings of the Far East and his interactions with her during his time in Canada as a junior diplomat and subsequent investigations might give him the evidence needed to convince his superiors.
The paper airplane disappeared into the distance.

Wei Ying put away the last of her reports, her fingers brushing the latest trinket and letter sent to her from her father's family when a paper airplane appeared and crashed into her desk. She blinked. The purple color was a dead giveaway as to the method of conveyance, but the fact that it traveled this far was most definitely a surprise. The contents, however, were not was she expected.

To the most honorable Wei Ying, HRCMMP,
I write this with most urgency as you are perhaps best able to make use of this news. My name is Graham Sinclair, and you might recall me from our work together involving the recovery of several…misplaced artifacts of Chinese origin in Seattle. It has come to my attention that the Magical Court of China has undergone a serious shift and fallen under the influence of a woman by the name of Wei Xiao. We can find no record of this woman anywhere, and her sudden appearance coupled with the death of Yin Ping soon after has raised many red flags in our department, but our leaderships seems to ignore the potential crisis. Despite our lack of knowledge in the Far East Magical World, I do not think it is normal or accepted that such a person can simply appear and be accepted as the Honorable Yin's successor and heir. If Magical China falls it could create further stress on the SoS, and the problems in Japan are only exacerbating the issue. I implore you to take this to your superiors and possibly investigate this threat before it could shatter the Statute.

Respectfully,
Graham Sinclair

Ying folded the memo and leaned back. The problems in China are not new, but this new player could create a great deal of chaos. Her thoughts raced back to the Treasure her mother held. Lately she has been feeling a great foreboding every time she visited, and she knew something was coming. Colombe might know more.

Wei Xiao set down her brush and held up the paper. The black ink burned into the paper as she turned it to the assembled throng.


任務丟失…

The Mandate is Lost…

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Three Cups Of Tea

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

23 June 2014
Spoiler: Toku's Homecoming

Masamune-no-Tokunotakai finished sweeping the shrine steps as the sun cleared the horizon and illuminated her ahead of the incoming storm that would arrive around noon and drop several inches of rain on the area. She bowed to the kami of the gingko tree at the base as the last act in her morning ritual of preparation and meditation. Always before she had done so both to honor the tree and to honor the ghost of the murdered Minamoto shogun who had been assassinated where she stood.

But this time was different, she reflected to herself. This time she did so in the dear-bought steel-deep knowledge of how it felt to take a life. For she had watched in numbed shock as the Reserve Guard who she had slain in protection of innocents and her fellow Blade of Hachiman had his life fade from his despairing eyes.

His blood still stained her blade, her hands, her soul.

She had felt something deep inside her spirit shift in this instant as she contemplated the tree, the shrine, her home for long centuries that she now stood as a stranger within. She walked up the steps in a thoughtful mood and to her humble dwelling in the rooms attached to the dojo where she taught.

The flashing light on her cell phone recharger's answering machine showing messages that had come in while she was gone caught her eye as she contemplated the emptiness of her refrigerator and cabinets. Vaguely she remembered that she had planned to go grocery shopping alongside Co-chan the day after returning from Fuji-san.

That thought curled her lips in a wryly reminiscent smile as she remembered the past, since fate and the kami had other plans for her.

Instead of a simple ascent to test herself against the tallest mountain in Japan and witness the coming of Amaterasu to illuminate the Land of the Gods, it had taken unexpected turns.

Being guided to the magical trail down from the peak of Fuji-san that led into the haunted depths of Aokigahara Forest, the Sea of Trees, that hid one of the Reserves where the yokai of Japan were penned up in deteriorating conditions by the Magical Diet.

Hearing the desperate call for help from a jorogumo who was protecting her family both of blood and adoption from the cruelty of some of the Reserve Guards.

Toku's eyes darkened as she remembered the first fight for her life that she had ever been in. The moment when she, as Co-chan had explained in her hard-earned wisdom later, had to weigh the monumental choice of which life to save and which life to slay in that instant when inaction turned to action.

Fleeing with the Injured Yokai to Colombe's home castle in Belgium via emergency Portkey that her love had packed just in case of this kind of trouble. Not the way that she planned to make her first visit, but such was life, Toku reflected as she pulled down a canister of tea leaves and began to brew a cup.

Exploring Moulbaix alongside Colombe, helping exorcise the demons of the du Chasteler family's darkest shame both from the castle and from her love's soul where it had sunk its claws and whispered venom in her ear for decades. Meeting her future stepdaughters Claire and Ehren. Then the unexpected arrival of Colombe's sisters escorting Co-chan's oldest daughter, unknown to Co-chan until that instant. Her own sister Masamune-no-Fudo coming with them and challenging Co-chan to a fight to test her steel, a fight that had not quieted the festering grudge that her hot headed older sister had for her lover, but at least had established some level of wary and grudging respect.

Toku sipped her tea as she looked over the display of messages on her answering machine. One from last week struck her as she recognized Fudo's number.

She punched in the command and her sister's voice sounded. "Toku-chan. When you get home, call me as soon as you can. We need to talk. It is about family business including what you told me about in Belgium."

Toku smiled warmly at the thought of her gold eyed and dark haired sister's face. Fudo-chan was hot headed, true, but Fudo's steel was as strong and true as hers. With that thought, she punched in the familiar number.

"Moshi moshi?" Fudo's voice was full of frustration and banked anger under the control.

Toku smiled at the familiar words. "Older sister, it is I. I am back in Japan at the shrine now. I just got your message and wished to talk."

"Toku-chan!" relief filled her sister's voice, then Toku heard the honking of a car horn. "I'm on the road down to Yokusuka to tend to some family business. I'll explain more this afternoon when I can drive by, but the short and dirty version is that Kote called a family meeting. Everyone but you and Truman attended and we had a long talk about what you found out. Listen. I know you don't do politics, that's Kote and Honjo's thing, but for the love of all that is holy, don't do anything about the Reserves until you get a chance to talk to me and then Kote. Also Kote told me to tell you that she needs some information on hitobashira, so if the temple archives have anything about them, especially magical versions of it, dig it out and give her a call so she can go over it with you."

Toku frowned at the note of concern in Fudo's voice. "I... see. I just got back early this morning, and am still unpacking and will be talking to my superiors here. I should have this afternoon free if you wish to come over and have dinner. I'll have to buy groceries though."

Fudo laughed. "Hold that thought. I'll treat you out to a welcome-home meal for dinner tonight. No need for even you to cook after all that you have been through."

Toku smiled, "I confess that would be pleasant to do. Call me when you are on the way to pick me up?"

Another horn blast sounded then Fudo came back on the line. "Traffic's picking up so I'll have to go soon. Just..." A hesitant pause before the tanto spoke again with a note of caution in her voice. "I saw the photograph from Verdun as you prepared to go into combat Toku-chan. It was in the magical papers here. I'm sorry that I was not there to fight alongside you and..." another hesitant pause. "If you ever need to talk, I'm always here for my imouto."

Toku wiped tears from her eyes as she understood the unspoken message. "I understand and I have unburdened myself to Co-chan and some others who fought alongside me there. If my beloved Fudo-oneesan wishes to hear my tale, I shall of course tell it, although..." Her eyes shadowed at the flashes of memory as she paused before resuming in a melancholy voice. "It is a dark tale and I make little sense of it."

Fudo made a sound of agreement. "Battle is often like that. I... should tell you about my first experience, perhaps. It can bring perspective and some measure of acceptance to the survivors. I..." A deep sigh and tears in her sister's voice. "I wish that I could have shielded you from what you endured there."

Tears trickled down Toku's cheeks. "As do I, Fudo-nee. As do I."

---------------------------------

After the end of her conversation with Fudo, Toku took her refilled tea cup to the porch to contemplate the temple's rock garden behind her dojo. She knelt in seiza with the cup in both hands, letting the heat of the tea warm her hands as she slowly sipped it and contemplated the steam rising from the cup and the patterns of the drifting tea leaves in the liquid as the first drops of rain fell.

She had not comprehended before now how much of Fudo's stifling protectiveness was formed by her sister's desire to protect her from the cruelties of war that had scarred her soul in turn.

Unbidden, rising from the steam of the tea and the patter of raindrops on stone, she remembered a conversation seventy years in the past here during the spring of 1942....

"Tokunotakai-sensei." The hawk-faced young man in the uniform of an Imperial Japanese Army Officer knelt beside her at the miko's gesture.

"Gorōta-kun." Toku responded as she poured the tea for them. "It warms my heart to see an old student and a good friend. Congratulations upon your promotion to Captain."

He sipped the tea with a bow of his head. "I truly do not deserve it, but my superiors disagree, so what am I to do but humbly accept?" The note of melancholy caused Toku to mentally frown.

"You seem troubled in spirit, Gorōta-kun. Your balance is missing. What can your sensei do to help you regain that which you have always had before."

He hesitated. "Sensei, you have always taught me that while we are blessed and unique among nations, true heroism, true honor, true bushido is not unique to us but can be found in the other nations, who are as strong in their own ways as we are in ours."

A flash of the memory of a heartbroken face under bloodstained and mud-spattered blond hair filled Toku's mind as she nodded. Her memories remembered the moment as the gaijin rapier spirit turned to leave the Hachimangū in obedience to her oath despite the agony that it would cost her for decades. Along with the sad words that were said to her by the Lord of Eight Banners as she watched the defeated but not dishonored form of Colombe du Chasteler descend the stairs in obedience to the demands of her honor.

"Who has a better understanding of The Way of Bushido, the miko who studied it her whole life without acting upon it, or the gaijin who had never set foot in The Land of the Gods before this year, and yet refuses to compromise herself or quit fighting for what she sees as right no matter the cost to her?"

Her lips moved and she responded after a sip of her tea. "That is correct, Gorōta-kun. Your sensei is pleased that her pupil remembered one of his lessons."

He sighed, "A lesson which I have had reinforced in China. We win victory after victory and yet they fight all the harder." He paused and looked into his cup, clearly measuring his words. "How can I prove myself as worthy of Fudo-chan in truth if I am the inferior warrior on the battleground? I see my men fall around me and mourn them. I hold their hands as they die and I weep. And I know that this weakens me. The way of the warrior is death, and yet I love life too much."

Toku did not know what to say. She knew that Tokugawa Gorōta had strong feelings for the spirit of her sistr Masamune-no-Fudo, the tanto who was sworn to the service of his branch of the mighty and honorable Tokugawa Clan. She even approved in her inmost heart their budding relationship, seeing in her prize pupil a warrior of honor and legend, perhaps a reborn hero of the Warring States who would inspire generations of schoolboys to follow his example of bushido. Truly he was a man who was worthy to wield the peerless steel forged by the Pure Smith Masamune.

She hesitated, feeling her inadequate experiences as a sheltered shrine maiden as never before. Finally she spoke. "Gorōta-kun. As you know I cannot speak to the battlefield, for I have never truly drawn my steel in honorable victory with my death a heartbeat away. Save that I know that there is a path for you to achieve that honorable victory that you desire to prove your worth to yourself. I shall pray to Hachiman-no-kami when I participate in the yabusame tournament in four days time that He shall provide a path for you and my sister to consummate your true love and wed. All I can say once more is that I know in my steel and my soul that you are indeed worthy of the love of my elder sister."

His lips twitched as he drained his teacup and looked at the garden. "I wish I shared your confidence. But all I have learned is that war is a cruel, bitter, hideous affair with none of the honor of my boyhood stories and dreams. I will never subject Fudo-chan to such, for I truly fight to defend her."

Toku finished her teacup and paused, measuring her words. "Gorōta-kun. Fudo-nee will be visiting the shrine to watch me participate. She has spoken to me that her thoughts have frequently turned to the second son of the Owari Tokugawas in her loneliness and," the miko blushed, "she perhaps has the insight in her arms that I lack in my words."

Gorōta blushed scarlet. "I... would not know where to begin, sensei! I have not even taken advantage of the comfort women in the military brothels! Some pillow books, yes, but..."

Toku's own cheeks pinked, "I fear that your sensei cannot help you there. Save to say that she believes that her sister is likewise equally inexperienced and waiting to relieve that inexperience in the arms of the man whom she loves so deeply. If nothing else, Honesty is one of the Virtues of Bushido as I have taught you, as is Compassion and Courage. As my sister Musashi would say, the Way exists in all things."

---------------------------------

The ringing of her telephone caused Tokunotakai to stir from her memories of the past. She drained the now cool cup of tea and headed to the kitchen. She picked up the phone and spoke as she began to pour a third cup of tea.

"Moshi moshi?"

The voice on the other end of the line was that of a teenage boy with a cawing undertone.

"Tokunotakai-sensei? I need to speak to you." A pause as the teacup filled. "You may not remember me, but I remember you and how you gave me the advice that I needed before. Or... one of the men that I was in my past life remembers you."

Toku's eyes filled with tears at the next words as the memory of that voice resounded in her soul. "I am Uesaka Yoichi, but you knew me as Tokugawa Gorōta...."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Courtship in Emerald (XXVI)

Blind Pig Speakeasy, New York City

May 24th, 1946
Spoiler: Del And Ben

Delilah de Breuil gave a happily smug smile at the sight of Ben Arnold entering the speakeasy. "Ben, I'm glad that you could make it!" She felt the reassuring solidity of her true body in the concealed shoulder holster as he entered, and set down the last of her glass of watered-down Gigglewater.

The disguised Shayṭān walked over with a knowing smile on his lips and kissed her wrist as she stood. "For you, I'll be happy to make time, Del."

Delilah grinned. "I made arrangements to reserve a private upstairs room. I suppose I will have to read in the New York Ghost that I'll be the next in a long list of your romantic conquests."

He took her elbow, and her eyes narrowed as she felt her skin crawl as she realized that he had coincidentally pinned her gun arm. "Lead the way please, Del."

She headed upstairs, and then fished in her purse to unlock the door. The room beyond had a table with a bottle of spirits in a bucket of ice set up and two already full glasses. "Very nice, Del." His wand moved and privacy wards formed.

Then his eyes turned sooty red. "Such a fool that you are..." he hissed as his grip on her gun hand began to burn.

Delilah's eyes widened in apparent shock. "Ben, what are you doing?"

He forced her back to bump against the table and his voice began to roil. "What I should have done a long time ago. You always were calling yourself as better than me, always in my way. What's the matter, Del?"

He laughed cruelly as his teeth became more pointed. "Cat's got your tongue?"
Spoiler: Shayṭān Vs Revolver

Delilah raised an eyebrow as her scrabbling hand found the bottle of cherry schnapps. Her voice was ice cold and filled with a calm smug glee. "Actually, I did owe you a drink."

He laughed as his grip on her wrist burned her and an aura of flame surrounded him. "Defiant to the last, child of mud...."

She swung the bottle to shatter against his shoulder with a nasty smirk on her face. "Checkmate, Sucker."

With a flash, the disguised Portkey discharged as it shattered.

Sákpe Mázasu Pteyúha (Six Bullet Ranch)

Black Hills, Southwestern South Dakota, USA

As the two staggered from their long-distance Portkey travel, Delilah lashed out with a knee to the crotch and then used the momentary weakening of his grip to roll free across the bare granite of their arrival point past a campfire. that barely illuminated the shadowed ground.

Delilah flipped to one knee as her hands blurred into her blouse and came out with her revolver and wand leveled. "Time to meet your maker, Ben. Or perhaps I should use your true name. Gaumâta." Her voice was frigid and her eyes were two chips of green ice in her smugly grinning face.

The Shayṭān's eyes widened in surprise. "You know! How?!" They then became burning slits and he gestured "Tell me and I will give you a swift death, otherwise, you burn!"

Flame surrounded Delilah and then vanished as the campfire suddenly roared to four times the height of a man. The dancing flames illuminated the circular granite hilltop that they stood upon.

A hilltop that over the last week Delilah and Jezabel had carefully carved two interlocking equilateral triangles within a bounding circle into. Trenches that in turn had been filled with pure snowmelt water while the rock surface had been equally carefully stripped of anything that could burn save the campfire logs.
Spoiler: The Seal Of Solomon


A hilltop that had been turned into a trap for a Law-Breaker as it symbolized and was enchanted as the seal given by God to King Solomon to rule over the tribes of the Jinn.
Spoiler: Ifrit And Shayṭān

As the campfire flames subsided, they formed into Zamarad aibnatu Alnaar, who stared with fiery seething loathing at the rogue jinn as she walked to Delilah's side. The Ifrit spoke in a voice as harsh and powerful as the man-made firestorm that had obliterated downtown Tokyo just over a year ago. "We know, Law-Breaker. Your crimes end here!"

Dark fire poured from his hands in response, only to slam into a shield of brilliant emerald flame with a roar that shattered the heavens.

Delilah ignored the blasts of flame as the jinn fought in a duel to the death as she concentrated on the spell that she was weaving. She began to chant in Arabic in time with her wand motions, "Ya rahim aldhy yamnah alsiyadat ealaa qabayil aljini..."

The Shayṭān's eyes widened as a second voice from outside the circle sounded as Jezabel chanted in turn. The binding ring on her finger glowed with a golden aura as her voice and wand joined her daughter's in the enchantment. "...al'iifraj ean Zamarad min alsiyadat alhalbat li'iiedadih lialmakhalif lilqanun..."

The Shayṭān flung a hand at the elderly witch, and a bolt of flame flew forth, only to extinguish as it reached the water. Delilah's voice soared as a set of glowing golden shackles appeared at Zamarad's wrists, ankles and neck and began to shatter. "...yaqif alkharij ean alqanun 'amamak fi euyun Allah subhanah wataealaa liahkum ealaa jarayimih walkhiana..."

"NO!" The Shayṭān screamed and gestured at the revolver as the shackles began to form on his own limbs and neck. He pointed at Delilah's revolver body and screamed. "Explode!"

Delilah's lips curled in triumph as flames danced over her true body to no avail. "...qum biribtih 'iilaa al'abad fi alhalbat almueadat lah, ya Allah!"

With a hideous despairing scream, a shape of dark flame writhed as it was pulled out of Benedict Arnold's body. It howled in hatred, terror, and fury as chains of golden light connected it to the ring on Jezabel's finger. Burning red-black eyes of flame looked at the smugly smiling Delilah and the Shayṭān hissed in fury. "I curse you and yours to a barren womb and an early tomb, Child of Mu---"

Dark flame surrounded Delilah and then suddenly extinguished as a pure white aura that shed no shadows formed around her. To Zamarad, the spirit surrounding and sheltering Delilah seemed like a great white buffalo cow at one moment and a beautiful Indian girl the next. A voice with the power in it of a million-strong stampede sounded. "Not my Medicine Woman, interloper. I sentence you to the eternal hospitality of my kinswoman Awaeh Tegendji in the Great Sea!"
Spoiler: Aftermath

The Shayṭān trembled under the disgusted gaze of White Buffalo Woman and then vanished into the ring on Jezabel's finger. The elderly witch staggered briefly then surveyed the Shayṭān prisoner with an expression of disgust. "Hush you. I made my choices a long time ago and have been paying the price willingly ever since. Tempt someone else." Her voice was commanding and stern.

Delilah walked over to the semiconscious Ben who was whimpering with no sanity in his eyes. Delilah sighed and waved her wand over him as the weary Zamarad walked to her side. "Obliviate!" the wizard curled into a ball and quietly moaned.

Zamarad gestured at the revolver in Del's hand. "It did not explode. But he struck you with his powers so how?"

Delilah laughed and hugged her love around the waist, then opened her cylinder to reveal that she was unloaded. "Look, love, no gunpowder. It was a calculated risk, but I suspected that he would try for the gunpowder rather than to melt me with all the flameproofing and cooling spells I wove into my steel."

She looked at Ben's broken expression and sighed. "At least I can tell myself that the man I knew died a long time ago, and I am only putting him out of his misery and giving his family a body to bury. One more casualty of this war that I serve in. Damn it."

Zamarad hugged Deliah as Jezabel evaporated the water in the trenches to join them. Jezabel walked to the other side of Delilah and hugged her daughter in turn. The Ifrit whispered. "You would not do things differently if you knew how this would end up?"

Delilah sighed as she took the offered ring from her mother and shook her hand as she closed her fist around the prisoner. "No, not really. Maybe some minor things, perhaps. But I had to do what I did, and the end result is your freedom from those who enslaved an innocent. It was the price of liberty that we have paid, and will continue to pay, because it is worth the cost." Delilah's voice was sad and introspective.

Zamarad placed a hand on Delilah's cheek so that the Muramasa could look into her flaming emerald eyes. "And that is why I love the woman that I shall marry, Delilah Naomi de Breuil. Because you are a true hero, one who puts others before herself, and willingly pays the price that your beliefs in what is right and good demand of you."

She leaned closer and whispered to Delilah in the second before their lips met. "And that greatness of spirit is a powerful flame that shall sustain me and my daughters forevermore, my love."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Taking a sip of her bubble tea, and chewing on a tapioca pearl from it, Okita glanced towards Harry who she noted was having a silent conversation with Natsumi. Something that made her raise her eyebrows a little internally. Back during her previous life, she, though back then it had been "He", had known people who could have silent conversations among themselves. Best friends, close siblings, and couples as well. However, said people had grown close over years and through shared tough experiences. So to see an example now? In two teens?

It spoke of quite a bit to her.

Part of her, that which adored curling up with a good mystery novel, was intrigued by it. After all, one had to wonder how the two had forged such a bond. There was more to it other than the two being friends, and perhaps shifting into a more romantic relationship. Okita truly wanted to know more about it, especially as it would fill in the mystery of who Harry truly "Was". Her, Nobu, and Uesugi all suspected that he was magical, but... nothing confirmed. But there was enough similarity between his looks and one Ian Potter, who she had known only from Tokugawa Shogun Onmyouji that had met him, that she wondered.

After giving it some brief moments of thought, however, Okita shook it off. She would find out, in time after all. No reason to rush quite yet, and it was not like her and the others did not have their own secrets. Perhaps though, they would know one day, on both sides. Despite not seeing him that often recently, she always felt that he was someone who could be trusted. That if you became a friend, Harry would rather die than betray you. Something that she knew Nobu felt as well, what with them wishing Harry had been among his forces so long ago.

Rather than focus on that as she took note of something else and raised an eyebrow, "What's in the case, Harry-San?"

Blinking at her, Harry glanced down at the case in question before suddenly smiling, "Oh, this?" At her nod, he rubbed the back of his neck, "It's a Bokken that I got for Christmas. I thought that I would show it to you as well as Uesugi-San since the two of you are the top Kendoka at our school."

Moments later, the British born boy blinked as the two girls in question had pinkened cheeks. But before he could question it, Nobu huffed a bit, "Hey! What about me? I'm as good at Kendo as Okita-Chan is!"

Somewhat amused, Harry gave her a shake of his head, "Well, you don't often show up for Kendo. Not to mention that you don't like other blades."

Nobu frowned at that and scratched the back of her head, "Can't be helped, I suppose. There's really only one blade for me and... never mind." Waving off Harry's interested look, she grinned, "Besides which, not using one myself does not mean that I cannot take a look at someone else's blade and compliment them on it."

Rubbing her chin, Okita glanced at Uesugi and nodded, "We have a space in a nearby park where Uesugi-Chan and myself practice. If you want, we can go there."

At that, the lone Nekomata spoke up, "I'm good for that. Besides, I'm sort of interested in what sort of Bokken it is myself." Seeing the looks, Rika shrugged, "One of my male cousins teaches Kenjutsu back home. Pretty good at it as well."

Each of the disguised Yokai had their lips twitch a bit at that as they could well remember said cousin and had the same thought, 'Considering that he was one of the last students of Miyamoto Musashi, that's not surprising.'

Needless to say, they began to follow Okita as she lead them towards the park in question. Glancing at Harry, Uesugi tilted her head some, "How long have you been practicing with the Art, Harry-San? From what I remember, you didn't used to practice it."

Just scratching the back of his neck, Harry lightly blushed some, "Not as much as I should is my guess. But... I started learning the very basics back in December with a pretty good teacher. A really good one... about, maybe, four hours a day?" Seeing the raised eyebrows from the three reincarnated warriors, his flush deepened, "Two hours in the morning and two at night with the morning being practicing the forms and the night being sparring." Internally, he grimaced, 'Well, more like eight hours with the time turner...'

Quickly doing some calculations, Uesugi adjusted her glasses some, "Hmm... that is a decent amount of time for a beginner, I suppose." Her lips twitched a little and curled upwards, "Perhaps a practice match?"

The Wizard gave her a look before commenting in a dry tone, "I get my arse kicked on a routine basis alone." A shudder went through him and he shook his head as he grumbled to Natsumi's agreement, "Maeda-Sensei is harsh."

Unnoticed by him, Okita's, Nobu's, and Uesugi's eyes all widened a touch at that.

Meanwhile, Harry just continued, "Anyways, I started to learn it because, well... Juuchi Yosamu as well as Tsukiakari no Suzu are my family blades. And I don't want to dishonour them by having them and not knowing how to use them."

After a few seconds, Okita gave him a proud smile, "That is a very good reason, Harry-San. One should always honour one's blade after all..." There was a wistful look on her face, "They are as much a part of you and your soul as you are a part of theirs."

While not quite understanding why she seemed so melancholic, the thirteen year old Magical simply nodded. Nobu, meanwhile, placed her hands behind her head, "Is that all you know? Because I heard that you knew other means of fighting."

Only blinking at that, Harry turned to her and gave a shrug, "Can't he helped." At hearing her catchphrase, Nobu laughed, "But... I know how to use a knife if that is what you mean."

Having recovered from her despair, the lone Inugami looked at him curiously, "Wait, you know how to fight with a knife, Harry-Chan? Really?"

Just nodding, the British born teen smiled, "Hai, I do. Was taught by some marines how to do so and have some knives of my own. Likely never going to use it, but... I know it. Same with how to shoot a gun, handguns and rifles in particular as Aunt Arizona taught me."

Eyes closed, Nobu rubbed her chin in thought as she hummed, "Interesting... and useful! Ha!"

Simply glancing at each other, everyone just shook their heads in amusement.

It did not take them long to reach their destination and the non-reincarnated teens looked around the small clearing. Around it, one could find trees rising upwards while, along one side, a small brook burbled as the water within flowed past. As for the grass itself, it was not that tall, and looked freshly mowed. Seeing the look, Uesugi shrugged some, "We mow it once a month as it is where we practice outside."

Okita gave her a nod of agreement before turning towards Harry with a look of interest on her face, "Could we see your Bokken now, Harry-San?"

Blinking for a moment as he had forgotten why they were even there, Harry put the carrying case down, "Ah, right. Just one moment..." Unlatching the clasps holding the case shut, he opened it to reveal the Bokken laying there. With a nod, the thirteen year old picked it up in one hand, "There we go."

Unseen by him, Rika, Usagi, and Kaku all flinched a little at seeing the blade and frowned. The Tanuki having similar thoughts to the other two, 'Why is that blade leaking a bit of miasma? And one containing bloodlust and battlelust...?'

For his part, the thirteen year old wizard simply held it out for Okita to examine alongside Uesugi and Nobu. Eyebrows raised, Nobu glanced at him in interest before turning her eyes back to the wood, "What sort of wood is this?"

Lips curling a bit, Harry gave a small shrug, "Royal Oak as a matter of fact, which can be considered something of a national tree for Britain. The trees itself was about eight hundred years old at the least."

That got a low whistle from the genderbent Warlord. Uesugi, however, just nodded as she examined it, "Is the wood strong though? I assume that being oak, it is, not to mention the age of the wood."

Simply nodding, Harry rubbed his thumb along the hilt of the Bokken, "Hai, a very strong wood."

Head tilted to the side, Okita's eyes roamed the wood of the blade. She could see the whirls and the like from the ancient tree on it. To her practiced eye, however, she noted something else, "You just maintained it today, didn't you?"

Despite being surprised, the thirteen year old wizard still nodded, "I did as a matter of fact." At the question of how, he shrugged, "Once a month I run a soft cloth along it to clean the blade. Then work at fixing any damage that could be on it, before finally using boiled linseed oil with a drop or two of blood orange oil added to it. Does a good job."

Nodding as she placed her hands in her pockets, Uesugi smiled a bit, "Hai, it does at that. And it is good that you keep a good amount of maintenance for your weapon. One must keep their weapon in very good condition." A scowl crossed her face as she shook her head, "Okita-Chan and myself? We have seen far too many bakas mistreat their Bokkens and Shinai. And then they act shocked when they break or splinter! No pride whatsoever in their duties, none!"

With a glance to her friend, Okita gave Harry a smile and patted his shoulder, "That means that, like myself, she is impressed with you, Harry-Chan."

A distant look in her eyes, Nobu sighed, "Yeah, a properly maintained weapon is a good weapon that will see you through the worst and protect you always." Much to their surprise, there was a fond smile on her face, like she was remembering something, 'Ah, I remember all the times I maintained your true self, Kote-Chan. It made you always so pleased by it and enjoyed myself applying the choji oil to your blade...'

Over in Tokyo, a certain Breadknife paused in her work and flushed deeply as for some reason old memories bubbled up. It took her a few minutes to get herself under control and get back to work. Thankfully, no one caught her little incident... for them, that is.

Back in the park, Okita hummed a bit before looking at Harry and bowing slightly, "May I have the honour of holding it, Harry-San? To see how it feels?"

Upon seeing Harry hesitate, she internally smiled a bit at the reaction. If anything, it made her respect him a little bit more. But he just held out the Bokken, "Here you go, Okita-San."

The light haired girl gave a nod as she wrapped her fingers around the hilt. She did raise an eyebrow as she felt... something. Glancing at Nobu, her mind went to all the times that she wanted to hit her before she shook it off, 'That's... odd.' Internally shrugging though, she went into a stance and took a deep breath before bringing the Bokken down into a strike, "HA!" Bit by bit, she went into more and more advanced movements until the Bokken was a blur. Finally, Okita came to a stop with her taking deep breaths. Looking down at the Bokken, she smiled before handing it back to Harry with a bow, "Thank you, Harry-San. It is a good blade. An excellent balance to it as well."

Bemused, Harry bowed back as he took the Bokken, "Thank you, Okita-San, though I knew that already."

Lightly chuckling, Okita looked towards Uesugi and tilted her head. After a moment, the other girl nodded and so Okita turned back to Harry, "If you wish, Harry-San, you can join Uesugi-Chan and myself for morning practice. It helps centre the mind after all for the day ahead."

Widening his eyes, Harry looked between them, "Really? I mean..."

Uesugi gave him a small nod and smiled, "Hai, we mean it, Harry-San. Besides the fact that it gives us a sparring partner, one can learn more from teaching than just practicing the motions. And you wanting to do honour to your family's blades is very impressive." She gave a small shrug and gestured at Nobu, "Sometimes, Nobu-Chan joins in with us, so we always have an extra Shinai with us. Just know that we will not go easy on you."

All Harry did though was grin and bow, "Hai, but that does not bother me."

Laughing Nobu slapped her knee, "It can't be helped, I knew that I liked you for a reason!"

In return, the messy haired boy shrugged.

Just shaking her head, Okita suddenly became thoughtful, "Harry-San?" At his sound of acknowledgement, she made a motion with her hand, "How about you show us some of the stances and such. We have the time after all."

Giving it some thought, Harry smiled and went into a stance with his Bokken in his hand, "Sure."

The three reincarnated swordsmen, now teenage girls, simply watched in interest as the messy haired boy went though stance after stance, move after move. Adjusting her glasses, Uesugi gave a slight smile as she glanced at Okita, "Very rough. But..."

Nobu sipped some of the last of her bubble tea, "Rough, but it is there. Given time, he'll learn and polish up, though it will be years before he can be called a Master of the Blade." Her voice powered a little bit, "Still, better than some of the fools I've seen. He at least understands one needs to maintain their sword and also get the basics down."

Arms crossed, Okita just gave a nod of her own, "Agreed. We've all taught a few people the basics after all."

Then, she gave a shrug and walked over to Harry as she noted a flaw in his stance. A quick tap on his leg, and he fixed it before testing it out. With that done, and a nod, he moved to the next stance.

Eventually though, they did leave the park and when the group split off, Nobu noticed something and held up her hand, "One sec!" Rushing off, she soon returned and tossed something to Harry, who easily caught it, "Here, for your Bokken."

Raising an eyebrow, Harry looked at what he caught and had to smile a little. It was one of those cheap charms, in this case being a fox, "Really? You want me to put it on my Bokken?" At her grin and nod, he frowned, "Isn't that bad manners though?"

When he glanced at Okita, he blinked as said girl had a thoughtful look, "Well, you're not going to be using it in competition, right?" She waited for him to nod before continuing, "I don't see why not, it's up to you."

Once more looking at the charm, he considered it before shrugging, "I'll think about it..."

For her part, Nobu shrugged, "Eh, I figured that it would be a little bit neat. Like that Shinai from that video game series..."

All they got was headshakes, eye rolls, and chuckles as well as sighs.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

The Butterknife of November (A Courtship in Emerald Epilogue)

The Pinnacles, Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royale, Michigan, USA

September 23rd, 1946
Spoiler: The Ghosts Of Gitchi Gumi

The North Wind in the trees howled and screamed as it ripped across the fourth-largest lake island in the world. Just as the storms of fall and winter had for uncounted millennia as Earth stood solidly in the way of the furious might of Water and Air.

Delilah de Breuil, clad in sturdy hiking boots, a thick wool mackinaw checked shirt, heavy blue jeans, and a knit cap made her way over one of the trees felled by the hurricane-force winds that were raging from this storm formed on the largest freshwater lake in the world.

She muttered to herself through near-frozen lips. "Fall equinox she told me. Well I should have checked my Farmer's Almanac because it's definitely stormy today."

Free me.

Her lips twisted in a smug smile. "No. I won't miss you. You are a boring conversationalist anyway. Always free me and I'll give you wealth, power, shooting people in the face. You never understood what makes humans tick, beside our basest desires, I suppose. What I desire you cannot give me anyway."

She slipped on the other side, her boot landing in a hole carved in the rock where thousands of years ago the ancestors of the Ojibwe people had crossed the thirteen miles of water in canoes to tear the purest natural copper in the world from the veins in rocks of the island.

All of them had made the trip knowing the risks of the treacherous and cruel lake that they called Gitchi Gumi, "Great Sea". For the depths of her bottom were littered with the bones of the countless dead who she had claimed by wave and wind, fog and reef to rest in her freezing-cold depths over a hundred fathoms below her violent surface.

"Dammit, that hurts." Delilah groused at the pain in her ankle as she finally reached the cliffs above the storm-lashed waves. Even here, a full fifty feet above the storm-tossed waters below, spray broke over her from the waves slamming hatefully against the granite stone of the island.

She grabbed several downed branches and leaves and stacked them in a hollow carved by some long-ago shaman or prospector and then pulled out her wand and medicine pouch from under her shirt.

A golden ring on a necklace followed. In the carved ruby gem, a dark flame writhed and hammered at the spells binding it.

You! What are you doing, Child of Mud!

Delilah's lips curled in a nasty smug smirk as she finished her preparations. "Calling someone for you to meet. Incendio!" The fire ignited with a flash of magic and she sprinkled tobacco leaves that she had personally hand-gathered bound with various magical herbs into twists into the flickering flame.

As the first of the offering was consumed into whipping smoke lashed by the storm winds, she began to chant in the throaty sounds of Ojibwe. "Waabanoowi-zaaga`igan, niizhwaaswi. Mino dibikad..."
Spoiler: The Witch Of November

As she finished, there was a brief, almost shocked calm in the storm and then the wind and wave redoubled their furious motion, howling savagely. Delilah grinned in smug triumph and pulled the necklace containing the trapped Shayṭān over her head to hang from her right hand.

"Which Child Of The First Peoples Calls Upon Me!?" The powerful voice carried on the storm winds was that of an old crone filled with a cruel dark glee, and the storm clouds in the sky began to shift and build. The storm formed into a gray-black cloak covering a hooded figure with her eyes formed from flashes of lightning and her staff in her crooked hand became a white-gray waterspout formed from the lake.

Delilah stood, holding the necklace with the ring in her outstretched hand as she shielded her eyes from the fury of the storm with the other. "It is I, Delilah Naomi de Breuil-Muramasa. Ptesanwi humbly greets her elder sister." The howling wind tore her words from her throat.

"Speak Then!" The rock shuddered as a wave slammed into it and snow and sleet began to fall horizontally carried on the Witch's icy breath as the storm redoubled its fury.

Delilah carefully made her way the the very edge of the cliff where she then stood against the storm. Spray, sleet and rain lashed her and froze into ribbons of ice. "She wishes for me to give you a present, Great Awaeh Tegendji. The Creature of Fire imprisoned here has been sent to your care."

CHILDREN OF MUD, HOW DARE YOU SPEAK ABOUT ME, A PRINCE OF THE CHILDREN OF FIRE!! CRAWLING WORMS AND MAGGOTS, KNEEL BEFORE YOUR BETTERS!!

A gust of wind caressed the wildly flickering gemstone on the ring as the trapped Shayṭān suddenly cried out in flaming rage and fear as it received the full attention of the other spirit present. Lightning flashed and sparkled under the hood of the Witch.

The cruelly sadistic laughter that the wind brought to her ears next caused Delilah to blanch in primal terror. "A Fresh Pet Then... Very Well Delilah Naomi De Breuil-Muramasa! I Accept Your Gift To Me As A Medicine Woman Of My Sister!" The laughter of the storm and wave became insanely gleeful possessive cackling that sent a chill down Delilah's steel spine as she felt the Great Spirit that she had summoned coil itself like a predator ready to strike and kill.

A gust of wind ripped the heavy wool knit cap from Delilah's head and flung her chestnut hair around her face like the lashing of a whip. The Shayṭān screamed in redoubled terror as it understood the doom that was now at hand.

A wave, greater than all the ones previous, hammered the rock and the Muramasa staggered as it broke and foamed around her ankles. As she did, her fingers loosened on the necklace and tendrils of wind and water ripped the ring from her grasp to fly sparkling into the heart of the lake. "Now Go Before I Change My Mind And Claim You Too!"

Delilah staggered back to a safe location to Apparate out as the merciless vicious delight of the Witch of November echoed in her ears in the booming of the waves and the howling of the winds. A faint distant counterpoint that she could pick up from time to time was the despairing curses, threats and pleadings directed at her and the Witch from the newest resident of the ice-water mansion at the bottom of Lake Superior.

A.N.-The Big Fat Muramasa Revolver Wedding Next

 

[darthcourt10]

Digital Historian

"Ben Ick van Duitsen Bloedt"
KMA Breda, The Netherlands
June 2nd, 2014

The Gathering of shipgirls in the large lecture hall of the Royal Military Academy in Breda was unprecedented. They had started to arrive weeks ago, their duties on stations being temporarily taken over by allied nations. They ranged in age from the Aeolus, flagship at the first naval triumph of the republic, to the ships that served in the great wars of the twentieth century. Those that had come from furthest away, De Ruyter from Australia and the O- and K-class submarines from the pacific, had arrived first, followed by all those that became available as they were taken off station. At least half of the current Dutch Kanmusu navy was crammed into the seats, excitedly chatting and gossiping. After all, some of those present had been recalled for the occasion from Asian postings that they hardly left, so there was finally time to catch up on family affairs. Which is why van Galen was listening to Abraham Crijnsen excitedly telling her about her visit to 'Big Sister Vaïna', the Finnish coastal defence ship the little minelayer had found kinship with.

"… So I was saying to her, do you like liquorice? So then she got out this bag of Salmiakki, and then …"

Van Galen noticed the little minelayer was the only one still talking as the room quieted when the main speaker revealed himself. She shushed the excited little ship before having her watchkeepers focus on the platform in front of the room.

Walking in was none other than the King himself, followed by the prime minister, and several other men in suits and uniforms. Van Galen recognised Admiral Zouthwater, who had replaced Admiral Schippers as head of the shipgirl fleet. While everyone else sat down, the Admiral remained at the lectern, checked everyone was present in the room, and nodded to the soldiers guarding the doors.

"Guards, seal the room." He gave a stern look to his audience: "Nothing of what will be discussed today may be shared with anyone outside this room, nor discussed outside of meetings dedicated to the subject; secrecy is paramount." This set some murmurs going, which were quickly quelled when the admiral continued. "Ladies, would you all make sure your entire crews hear what will be said next? Your Majesty, if you would, please?"

The entire room stood as the Monarch stepped up to the lectern. He exchanged a look with one of the suited men sitting to the side, before raising his hand to show an intricate silver ring with a large orange sapphire set into it. Oddly enough, the stone seemed to shine with a light of its own, and Van Galen felt a tingle running along her keel.

"To all assembled here, I speak as the prince of Orange and of Nassau, as Stadholder of the Netherlands. By this token, I am free and without prejudice. I declare that the protocols enacted by my ancestor, Maurice of Orange, are now in effect, and that the old arrangements sealed in blood trump the new sealed in ink."

A second man stepped up. "I am Mr. Veldhuis, Land's Advocate of Holland, holder of the office as direct successor of Johan van Oldenbarnenveld. I declare that the States-General have accepted the act of division of 1689 as rescinded. So the High and Mighty Lords have ruled."

For a second, all the shipgirls in the room felt confused. What was this whole thing for? What arrangements did he mean? Then, the heads of various parts of the ship's company began reporting in; crew members divulging their true nature to their shipmates. They had had magical crewmembers throughout their careers without any being the wiser. Not many of their returned fairies were wizards though. Van Galen had two, a stoker and a gunner's mate; Crijnsen had one, one of her navigation officers. The sailshipgirls, oddly, had many more, with Zeven Provinciën being able to form an entire division of magical sailors.

After the temporary ruckus had died down, a man in an old-style suit took the stage. "Thank you, your Majesty, Mr. Advocate. I am happy to confirm that the Magical Republic of the Netherlands stands ready to rejoin our common brothers. Preparations are underway, though with four hundred years of separation to be undone, they are progressing slowly. We are at the moment proceeding …"

Van Galen had, at this point tuned out the auditorium, and focussed her gaze inwards, to her bridge, where two of her fairies, Gunner's mate Willem Zeezwam and stoker Tobias Ravensveer were waiting for her. She fixed the duo with a glare as intense as one of her spotlights. "You two. Explain."

The pair looked at each other, before bombarding her with a flurry of 'hoi'. This did nothing to satiate the blondine's temper. "Not both at the same time. So when the magical population withdrew from the world in the late 1600's, the Dutch magicals didn't want to?"

'Hoi! Hoi hoi hoi. Hoi. Hoi hoi hoi."

She sighed. "Right. Because they fought together against the Spanish only years before they felt kinship, and because the Republic was tolerant of Heretics and Magicals they didn't feel the need to hide very hard. So why did they?"

The fairy Thomas frowned. "Hoi hoi hoi. Hoi hoi, … hoi." The two shared a grin: "hoi hoi!"

Despite herself the Destroyer smiled. "Clever. So to avoid being brought to heel by force in a war they knew they could not win they complied, but not by sealing themselves away fully, but making sure they would not stand out. As the statute said they should 'conceal themselves', they could lawyer about it. So they only hid where they had to, to give kids a place to grow up open about their magic until they could control it. And all this because hiding away would mean losing lost of money, and no one wanted that, because wizards were mainly tradesmen and traders, they didn't. So the Dutch Golden Age was brought about by magical traders making a killing off enlarged holds for ships carrying spices?"

"Hoi! Hoi hoi hoi hoi. Hoi. Hoi."

She had not known it was possible for the spirit of a 93-meter long ship to have a headache – but she suddenly felt an odd connection to shipgirl base commanders everywhere. Brushing that aside, se continued to interrogate the two now-revealed wizards. "So how did you end up on me, then?"

"Hoi hoi hoi. Hoi hoi."

The answer gave her a newfound respect for the magical world. A tradition to serve in the armed forces, to defend the country that had given their families refuge. Most went to the army, as it was somewhat easier to hide their nature in an infantry barracks as opposed to onboard a ship.

Dismissing the two sailors back to their post, she returned to the physical world, where the man [minister of magical affairs], her lookouts supplied, was winding down the ways in which the hidden communities were ready to merge back into mundane life – through an inordinate amount of bureaucracy. She almost snickered to herself, until the minister got to the reason they were being brought in the loop now. It made her blood run cold.

"The reason we are breaking this to all of you now is simple. Magical Germany is behaving erratically – and those are not words I whish I had to say. They have closed all borders and are said to be expelling foreign citizens. We all know what this led to last time around. With permission of his majesty as their commander-in-chief, the magical members that serve in the armed forces are deploying to be ready to counter any attack on our soil, but it might not be enough." His gaze passed over the room. "Ladies, we humbly ask your aid in the defence of the fatherland."

Silence was deafening for a moment, before a roar of ascent swept the room.
==================================================
Note: this is not cannon for anything until the Kaju sais it is; it is just intended to give him options to play with: either the soft landing envisioned by the Dutch Ministry of Magical Affairs sticks, or it doesn't.

My headcanon for Dutch magical society is based on the fact that the Netherlands was historically extremely tollerant of religious minorities: the general consensus was that everyone was free to choose to be wrong about faith, so long as they had cash to spend. (there are medallions from this era that read "Rather be Turkish instead of Catholic" from the hight of the war for independence: pragmatism overruled religion) This meant that Witch Hunts in the Netherlands were very tame (also, at their hight in europe we were, kind of, having that whole 'Spain is a d*ck'-thing going). The last recorded Witch to be excecuted was in Almelo in 1649, after which Fines and Banishments are the norm.* The former can be explained as the magical world policing itself, the latter as a way to take those that can't control their own magic (yet) into a safe space untill they are ready to do so.

* Source: Frijthof & Gijswijt (eds.) Nederland Betoverd: Toverij en Hekserij van de 14e tot 20e eeuw, Amsterdam 1987

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

It's My Wedding and I'll Butterknife If I Want To! (A Courtship in Emerald Epilogue)

Qalb ar-Rīšāt (Eye of The Sahara) French West Africa

June 21st, 1946
Spoiler: The Wedding Day

Delilah de Breuil smiled happily to the rest of her bridal party inside the tent reserved for their preparation. "Thank you for all coming for this." She felt her henna-dyed hands, layered with symbols and prayers for happiness in marriage twitch automatically with the stress of this moment.

Lyra Potter was grinning happily. The elderly witch was clad in a ruby red Victorian silk dress that had caused her sister Colombe's eyes to bulge and her to blush red as a tomato. There had to be a story there, Delilah knew it since surely the low-cut neckline could not have hit Colombe that badly, right?

Next to Lyra, Jacklyn was in her own low-cut blue dress in the style of the 1760s with the wide spreading skirts of court dress of that time. Delilah had it on her sister's authority that dress was a prize that she had captured off a ship sailing from Mexico back to Spain along with the emerald and silver necklace that Jacklyn was wearing.

On the other side, Colombe was dressed in turn in a matching light blue silk dress from the 1750s too, only hers was distinctly French in style. According to her sister, this was an inheritance that her Papa had willed to her as a young lady from the du Chasteler estate and that her oldest sister had selected as her formal dress to wear at weddings.
Spoiler: Colombe's Dress

Her mother, clad like her in a white Chanel dress made of pure white silk lace from the last decade instead of her normal mourning black smiled tearfully. "I just wish Norimune could be here today, dear."
Spoiler: Delilah's Wedding Dress

Delilah nodded, "So do I, Mother, so do I. At least we can show her the memories one day." Diamonds sparkled at her throat (a gift from Colombe) and ears (Jacklyn) as she took a deep breath and then nodded. "Well it's time."

With that they stepped to the carpet strewn with rose petals to make their way to the carriages that would carry them to the actual marriage site. Beside them, a group of jinni attendants picked up the golden cases inscribed with mother-of-pearl that held their true bodies in cushioned black velvet.

Delilah had raised an eyebrow as Colombe explained that the wedding was in large part for the jinn clans responsible to show off their wealth and power. She understood and accepted that intellectually. It did not change the fact that the gold-ornamented and jewel bedecked carriage holding her at the head of the bridal procession was being pulled by tamed NUNDU of all things! At least she hoped that they were tamed and docile! At least her sisters only had their carriages pulled by equally tamed lions, while the bridal procession was pulled by desert elephants.

She reassured herself as the carriage began to move that the Nundu pulling her past the colorful tents containing all the assembled guests were either tamed or the next wedding would have a hell of a lot less guests.

She whistled at the forest of colorful tents covering the circular rock formation that , she had heard, was observable from aeroplanes high overhead. as she spiraled through the tents clockwise, she reminded herself at that the same time Zamarad and her family would be doing the same from their starting point on the opposite end of the encampment. Clouds of thrown rose petals and germinated wheat (for good luck and fertility) filled the air, and as per the tradition she had been briefed on, she reached into the space expanded purses in the carriage and flung golden dinar coins engraved with her name and her bride's name to the onlookers. Behind her, Colombe, Jacklyn -- she hoped! --, Lyra, and Mother showered the crowds with silver coins.

Unbidden a happy smug smile curled her lips. This was actually quite fun.

Finally the procession reached the center of the Eye. An arch formed of flowering roses with a red carpet waited for her to dismount from the carriage and enter. Escorted by her mother, her sisters, and her friend she walked down to where the Imam waited to have her swear her undying loyalty to Zamarad in the eyes of Jinn, Mortal, and God.

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After that moment, the next step was to meet the guests to exchange rings in their sight. As the other bridesmaid, groomsmen, and family members Portkeyed out to the Faroukhay Palace which was doubling as a reception hall, she gave a smile to the veiled form of her love.

Zamarad's own dress was layer upon layer of emerald silk, each individual layer was transparent and in fact near-invisible, but the whole was alternately concealing and revealing her love's slim figure. Emerald eyes, glittered from atop her orange silk facial veil encrusted with pigeon's blood rubies, matching the silver earring heirloom that her mother had let her youngest wear for her wedding day, and the bridal tiara that had purchased her parents approval.

Delilah whispered as she extended her hand. "Time to make our grand entrance, love."

Zamarad's hand was hot in hers as the Ifrit smirked smugly behind her veil. "I can't wait."

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Faroukhay Palace, Beirut
Spoiler: Here Comes the Bride (And Bride!)

In the throne room, a double line of bare-chested Djinni marched inside, hammering a wild rhythm on the flaming drums that they carried with equally flaming drumsticks. Colombe smirked smugly as she swayed to the music then whispered to the others. "Now for the really spectacular part..."

The lights dimmed and the family members and guests lining the corridor began to juggle colorful fireballs back and forth as the drumming picked up a notch.

Suddenly the first set of fireballs closest to the door formed an arch of emerald fire and the crowd roared.

Now visible, Zamarad and Delilah were dancing down the corridor.

Zamarad spun, flexed, and writhed like a rope of living flame in time with the wildly hammering drums and musicians as Delilah matched her motions with a succession of dance steps from the ballroom waltzes that she had learned in the halls of MACUSA and Ilvermorny, to a tango that Colombe had taught her, to a sailor's hornpipe courtesy of Jacklyn.

Zamarad suddenly gestured to summon a scarf of emerald fire between her palms. She began to play with it as a prop as Delilah danced with her.

As they passed under each shower of fireballs, it morphed to another arch of green flame to mark their progress down the corridor.

Finally, still dancing, they reached the center of the floor in front of where Zamarad's parents and uncle sat enthroned at the apex of the steps. At the base rested a second divan-throne made of solid gold and encrusted with sparkling jewels.

The other guests began to dance in time with the bride and groom as the drummers circled them. Colombe shook her head fondly as she saw Jacklyn dancing arm in arm with two of Zamarad's male cousins, twins they were from the look of it.

The rapier leaned close to Lyra and whispered as they danced, "I told you that this would be a lot of fun, love."

Lyra gave a perverted grin, clearly thinking about story ideas, as the Revolver and the Ifrit danced together in the open area in front of everyone.

Zamarad suddenly reached up and unhooked her veil. She whirled it around over her head, the rubies which it had been embroidered with glittering in a stream of crimson light, then flung it blindly into the crowd to be caught by a lucky maiden who would be the next to wed according to tradition.

As the veil landed in the hand of an eligible Djinni girl whose sisters all congratulated her, Delilah curtsied to Zamarad and then and went to one knee before her wife.

The Muramasa gestured and a goblin silver ring containing a fire agate gemstone inscribed with the Seal of Solomon surrounding Delilah's full name in Islamic script appeared in her hand. The symbolism of Delilah binding herself to the wearer by the most powerful magical symbol known to the jinn was unmistakable. There was an impressed stir through the crowd at the sight.
Spoiler: Zamarad's Wedding Ring


Zamarad gasped with flaming tears of joy in her eyes as Delilah presented it to her. "{As we have been bound in the sight of God, Zamarad aibnatu Alnaar, so I bind myself to you eternally in the sight of the Children of Fire and of Earth, my love.}" Delilah said into the silence, as Zamarad slipped the ring on her finger and kissed it lovingly.

Zamarad then went to one knee as Delilah stood. The flame scarf that she had danced with solidified into a platinum and diamond ring that seemed to be frozen fire as it contained a large orange Imperial topaz which gleamed and flashed with the same fire that burned in her soul. "{As we have been bound in the sight of God, Delilah Naomi de Breuil, so I bind myself to you eternally in the sight of the Children of Fire and of Earth, my love.}"
Spoiler: Delilah's Wedding Ring

Delilah's tears of joy trickled down her cheeks as the ring slipped onto her finger, She then took Zamarad's hand and kissed her passionately after raising the Ifrit to her feet. "Forever, my love~" was whispered from two hearts beating as one. The crowd erupted and showered them with rose petals and germinated wheat calling blessings upon the union and wishes for many children.

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Now enthroned alongside Zamarad on the divan as they took a break to congratulate well-wishers and accumulate gifts, Delilah grinned at the wild celebration. Judging from the activity around the 'buffet line', the de Breuil contribution of various American hardwoods was very well received. She had overheard more than a few compliments for the redwoods, sugar maple, and American Chestnut in particular, along with remarks on Zamarad's good fortune to marry someone with such bounty for her table.

Even Jackie vanishing with those two Djinni couldn't dent Delilah's happiness. Much. She was sure Jackie would take precautions. Or she would have some piratical nephews and nieces in nine months, she supposed.

With that in mind, she glanced over at a throaty sultry giggle. Zamarad had just peeked inside a Japanese cherry-wood case that Lyra had given her as a bridal present. The glimpse inside caused Delilah's face to flame scarlet and she hastily jerked her eyes away from the... objects.... inside. And the apparent illustrated instructional book.

She would have to ask Zamarad about those. Later. Much later. In private.

Colombe was next and the rapier curtsied. "Congratulations, Zamarad, Del. I have something that you may enjoy." With that the Rapier pulled out an ivory scroll-case. "Something I picked up from a bazaar in Damascus in 1753. May you both find as much pleasure in it as I have."

Delilah looked up from unrolling the scroll as alarm bells sounded in her head. "Oh, Sis?"

Then her eyes tracked down to the now revealed scroll as Zamarad leaned over. Her stunned brain read 'The Tales Of 1001 Erotic Arabian Nights' numbly.

Colombe smirked smugly at her blushing little sister and finished. "I didn't translate it, so you will have to enlist Zamarad to help you with it. I'm sure she will be delighted to." Her eyes twinkled at the clear point scored in their continuing game of Muramasa one-upsmanship.

Zamarad agreed with her eyes sparkling as she hugged the stunned Delilah around the waist. "Indeed I shall translate and demonstrate for Shaelat ruwhi!"

A.N.-And that's a wrap!

 

[darthcourt10]

Snippet 127: Harry Leferts

Hiking boots hitting the cut stone stairs, Harry glanced around and blinked a bit as his eyes stung some from the suphuric fumes that filled the air. His nose, too, burned a little though more obvious was the heavy smell of rotton eggs that he could catch with every breath. Sometimes, the shifting of the wind brought a cloud of mist over the pathway and made him blink all the more, "It definitely deserves the name 'Great Boiling Valley' alright."

Beside him, Natsumi nodded some though she grimaced at the smell, "Hai." Under her breath, she muttered just loud enough for the thirteen year old to hear, "Thanks for that potion, Harry-Chan... it would be horrible to walk here without being able to put it under my nose."

From behind him, Ayaka sighed loudly, "Are you sure that there's no more positions, Natsumi-San? Because just for that..."

Loudly giggling at the glare the Kitsune gave the Inugami, Usagi grinned, "I would be tempted myself."

Facepalming, the fourteen year old Kitsune groaned, "You too, Usagi-Chan?" That only got Natsumi snickers before she shook her head and her nose twitched with a breath, "Still..."

With a glance towards her, Harry frowned slightly, "So the potion is working then?"

Softly smiling, Natsumi gave him a smile, "It is, though..." She grimaced a touch, "Just enough to make the smell bearable really. For a human, they wouldn't notice it."

Knowing about her much better sense of smell than he had, the teenage wizard only winced, "I suppose that it at least is something though." Getting a nod, they glanced at the rest of the class as they walked through the valley behind a guide, "Still... this place is rather impressive."

Just having walked up, Okita missed the earlier part of the conversation and caught that last bit, "Hai, it really is." Looking around at the barren ground, hot springs, and plumes of vapor coming from cracks and holes in the earth, "Desolate."

Hands in her pockets, Nobu shrugged a little bit, "I've seen more impressive, though it is something to see." At the looks from Okita and Uesugi, she frowned, "What? It's true."

That made Harry snort a bit before he shook his head, "Well... I've been a few places." Frowning, he had a considering look on his face, "Sort of reminds me of Phlegraean Fields."

Cocking an eyebrow, Nobu gave him a look, "Gesundheit."

Simply snorting, the messy haired boy shook his head but it was Natsumi who spoke up, "It's a giant volcano in Italy. There's portions this big in the giant caldera." She grimaced a little, "Though... parts of the city are inside of it as well."

For a few moments, everyone just stared at her. Wiggling a finger in his ear, Harry gave a small nod, "Hai, Naples as a matter of fact. Hundreds of thousands live inside the caldera. And because it's right on the shore, you can see it inflate and deflate over years as ruins and such get submerged or raised upwards via uplift." He frowned in thought some, "Aunt Roma also showed us Pompeii and Herculanium when Mum brought me to Italy with her due to business."

At that, the others blinked before glancing at each other and shrugging while wondering why someone would build a city in a place like they were in.

Unknown to him, several other students overheard him and boggled a bit before whispering to each other in stunned amazement. So not only did Harry apparently go to an exclusive school in the Scottish Highlands, he also went to Italy! And other foreign places as well!

Meanwhile, Nobu placed her hands behind her head as they continued to walk and looked at Okita, "So... once we're done with all this, are you going to be buying some of those black eggs?"

Glancing over at them, Kaku raised an eyebrow, "Black eggs? Do you mean the ones that they boil in the hot springs in the valley here? And which turn black due to the sulphur?"

Sheepish, Okita nodded, "Um, hai? And I am..." After a moment, she scratched her cheeks with a tinge of redness there, "They say that eating one will add seven years to your life."

A cackle made her turn to find the "Demon" grinning madly. Nobu then brought her hand up to her mouth before speaking in a stage whisper, "Last time we came here with our families when we were eight? Okita-Chan ate so many of those eggs she got sick! It just shot out all over the place. Just 'Blargh!' all over her Otou-San's shoes and-"

Utterly embarrassed, Okita rushed over and grabbed Nobu's cheeks and began to pulled them out, "SHUT UP, NOBU-CHAN!"

Cheeks pulled out, Nobu whimpered as she struggled, "Itai! Itai! That hurts!"

Eyes glowing in rage, the former Shinsengumi snarled, "IT'S SUPPOSED TO!"

Lips twitching, Harry snickered a bit in amusement as everyone else besides Uesugi shook their heads as they watched. Glancing at Natsumi, he shrugged, "How energetic."

The other former Warlord besides Nobu sighed and gave the other two a look, "Stop it, you're embarrassing yourselves."

Okita ignored her and merely switched from pulling Nobu's cheeks to placing her in a headlock as the other girl continued to struggle and flail.
_________________________________________________________

Sighing, Nobu leaned back into the hot waters of the hot spring as she listened with half an ear to the other students. Being as it was a mixed spring, all of them wore swimsuits, including herself. With a hum, she tilted her head back in thought. Having caught the movement, Uesugi raised an eyebrow at her friend, "Something on your mind, Nobu-Chan?"

With a slow blink, Nobu glanced at her before shrugging, "Just a few thoughts."

From where she sat on Nobu's other side, Okita muttered a bit, "Probably something perverted."

Bemused, the former warlord shook her head, "Actually, just thinking of what our former selves would think of this." At the confused looks, Nobu shrugged, "Imagine how we would have reacted, if our previous incarnations were here to see this right now."

Uesugi closed her eyes and simply hummed, "I would think that... mine and yours would have been confused. And likely beating some of our men for certain thoughts."

Humming, Nobu scratched her cheek, "Hai, most likely I would think. Some of them..."

That got a grimace from Okita before she considered the question herself and let out a breath, "In my case, likely confusion at what we were wearing, I would think. After all, mixed bathing was not a huge issue, though how swimsuits look it would... well..."

At that, the other two girls closed their eyes and nodded. Opening one eye, Nobu chuckled a little, "True, it would likely get a response." Suddenly, she grinned, "Though I would not mind seeing Kote-Chan and Kitsuno-Chan in swimsuits." Raising her hands, Nobu made a groping motion, "Especially in bikinis."

Eyebrow twitching, the pale haired former Shinsengumi growled as she flicked her friend in the side of the head, "Pervert."

Just shrugging, Nobu placed her hands behind her head, "Can't be helped, I am a teenager after all."

Uesugi gave her friend a long look before sighing, "You miss them in this life, don't you?" At Nobu's glance, she shook her head, "Kotegiri-San and Lady Kitsuno."

Okita blinked as Nobu's gaze became saddened, "Nobu-Chan?"

With a deep breath, the former Warlord nodded, "It's fine, Okita-Chan." Tilting her head back, Nobu looked up at the fluffy clouds, "And hai, I do miss them. Kami... I miss them both." Eyes closing, she felt a tear slip past her eyelids, "Kitsuno-Chan... she gave me beautiful children and was taken far too early. And I remember that night, simply sitting on my porch and... crying, as Kote-Chan held me close as she, too, wept. We used to look at her grave from our castle, that was why I had it placed there." Opening her eyes, Nobu gave a chuckle, "Those two... it is odd, but they were close and fit together far too well. Where Kote-Chan was steel, Kitsuno-Chan was soft silk. Kote-Chan was the rock to Kitsuno-Chan's river. That gentleness..."

Simply reaching over, Okita gave her friend's shoulder a gentle squeeze and made Nobu look at her. Understanding was in the former Meiji Era's swordsman's, now teenage girl's, eyes. On Nobu's other side, Uesugi did much the same as their friend gathered herself some.

Just nodding, Nobu rotated her shoulder a little before Okita's soft voice reached her ears, "Kotegiri-San is still around, you know. You could go and see her. And maybe Kitsuno will return as well."

There was something... brittle... about the smile on Nobu's face, "Hai, I could Okita-Chan. But... what would I say to her? It has been centuries since I left her alone and now she serves the Imperial Family. And I have no doubt that she does as good a job as she did when she served me all that time ago. Besides which..." She gestured at herself, "I'm not a male, Okita-Chan. No... it is perhaps for the best that I don't bother her with such."

About to say something, Okita caught Uesugi giving a slight shake of the head. Catching it, the Shinsengumi nodded. But it did not escape her notice that Nobu did not mention the possibility of Kitsuno. Though she could remember that one day a year, Nobu would become somewhat depressed and stare out at the night sky simply drinking tea.

Now... she had a suspicion why.

However, thankfully, two minutes later they noticed Natsumi smile brightly, "Hey, Harry-Chan."

More than one head turned and did a double take as Harry was there in swim trunks and a grin on his face, "Sorry about the wait, Natsumi-Chan." Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed a number of female classmates turn redder and internally frowned, 'Huh... maybe it has to do with the hot spring?'

Before he could wonder much more about it, Natsumi patted the water beside her, "Come on in, Harry-Chan, beside me." Her inner Kitsune cackled at some of the glares she got from various female classmates as they kept looking at Harry. Though a part of her did note that the exercise and training that Hoshi was giving them both helped him out some... before shoving a voice that sounded suspiciously like Tamamo's back into the depths of her mind at some of the things it suggested, 'Stupid hormones...'

Not having known what went through Natsumi's mind, the British born teen slipped into the hot water and sighed a bit, "Now this is what I call nice. Best thing after all the walking that we did is soaking in a hot spring."

Lips twitching and snickering as Natsumi sided up a bit more to Harry, getting more grumbles and glares, Nobu shook her head as she had been making her way over with the others, "Hai, nothing like it." Once she was seated as well as Okita and Uesugi, she gave him a questioning look, "So ready for the group trip in two days?"

Harry chuckled at that and gave a small nod, "As a matter of fact? I am, Nobu-San. You?"

The former Warlord grinned and laughed a bit as she told him that they were ready as well.

 

[darthcourt10]

Shaithan

Headaches

Kicking a hornets' nest. That was the best way to describe happenings. The Archmage of Germany looked over dozens of papers detailing how deeply an unfortunate confluence of events had chucked everyone into trouble.

By itself, Kalthafen would have been a headache. Manageable, annoying to put down, but something one could deal with.

Canada summoning Halifax and causing magical quake could have been written off as an oddity, yet there were those that postulated that the quake had caused the second headache. Namely, Verdun. The reports had gone through so many redactions until they reached her office, it was a miracle they even spelled out that things had gone down in Verdun. Still, here it became apparent that timetables and plans had been grossly optimistic. Magical Germany had flat-out refused to help with that crisis. Not a new development, really, but coupled with their withdrawal from the ICW on the 6th of June, it had made everyone around Germany and even the Archministry go to brown alert.

The next days had confirmed that Magical Germany was not joking about their decision to live in splendid isolation and not letting foreigners stay in their country.

Looking over the reports, the Archmage cursed silently. Of course Germany's neighbors were worried. Were she a betting woman, she would have put money on this being the prelude for a new war. Thankfully, as far as her sources within Magical Germany were concerned, this really was what Magical Germany declared it to be. A retreat into isolation and an attempt to deal with realities many powerful people were very invested in not being real. Like the reality of the statute being on its last legs.

And in their infinite wisdom, the isolationists may just have given it the coup de grace. There were worrying reports from the borders. Wizards and sailshipgirls had been spotted near the borders and if reports were to be trusted, a lot of people there were arguing for an intervention in Magical Germany. Meanwhile, the Archmage's office was caught completely flatfooted and handled everything the wrong way, which was to say, they doubled down, unable to accept that their initial course of action may have been wrong. Classical sunk cost fallacy.

With the whole shitshow right now in their laps, Kalthafen would have to wait. Thankfully that hadn't been disclosed to anyone but the chancellor just yet. "Don't worry guys, we're dealing with the madmen at home. Also, just FYI, they lost control of a battlefleet they kept around for WWIII," would basically just reinforce the view that something needed to be done and an invasion was needed. And while watching the people currently in charge of Magical Germany getting blown up would have been incredibly satisfying, this wouldn't be a quick and precise operation, this would be messy, bloody and blow up the statute. This had to be avoided at all costs. And then there was the worrying silence of the two people who had gone off to inspect the harbor.

Looking up, the Archmage saw Preußen entering the room. "Frau Erzmagierin, the chancellor and the ambassadors are waiting for you," she said softly.

"Time to face the music then. Bloody fools making my job harder. Mark my words, whenever someone goes on how young people should steer the ship of state remind them that the Archmage that possibly killed the EU was 34," she grumbled, while straightening her robes.

Preußen gave the Archmage a laconic stare. "I am well aware of the damages young men with big egos can wreak," she gave back dryly.

The Archmage boggled before slapping her forehead. "Right," she said, remembering things.

The meeting room was in the midst of heated arguments, not just between the German diplomatic team and various ambassadors, the French ambassador and the French magical ambassador were among the few where the dispute was also between the magical and non-magical side of things.

Stepping to the dais in the middle of the room, the Archmage steeled herself. This would either make her career or she would break things in new and interesting ways. "Your excellencies," she greeted the room. "I will not waste time, we have too little of that anyway. You are aware of the situation with Magical Germany. To solve the current crisis, the following things will happen. From this point onward, the Erzministerium für Zauberei der Bundesrepublik Deutschland will act as the sole representative body for German magicals, both citizens of Magical Germany and non-Magical Germany alike. All concerns about actions by Magical Germany are to be sent to both my office and the diplomatic corps. We are already working on dismantling the old government of Magical Germany with minimum disruption. We don't need a situation where people start going on arson sprees," she laid out severely.

"And what guarantees can you give that Magical Germany doesn't simply decide to start something with us?" the Magical Polish ambassador asked pointedly. "Taking over the foreign affairs of a nation that doesn't care for foreign affairs will help us how? The non-magical side of things may be well-integrated, as my colleague reassures me, the magical side is anything but!" he asked hotly, earning nods from all the magicals present.

"We're aware of the recent troubles caused by the Magical German government and their supreme petulance," the Archmage allowed. "We're not asking for blind trust on this, either," she added slowly. "Herr Kanzler?" the Archmage said, making way for the German chancellor.

The chancellor went to the dais. "We had debated ordering the German Archmage to be present at this initial conference, but judged his presence counterproductive for now," he admitted. "We are committed to resolving this crisis peacefully, but we're not blind. As things stand, something has to give and asking for blind trust in these circumstances is counterproductive," the chancellor continued. "We therefore judged it prudent that we are the ones giving in to a degree," he finished, leading to various degrees of surprise around the table.

"As it stands, all of our neighbours are eyeing their borders with us with varying degrees of trepidation and we are quite aware that some people argue for a pre-emptive strike against Magical Germany. Make no mistake, we will not tolerate such an action, as it is, to the best of our ability to judge it, neither warranted nor wanted," the chancellor laid out, which lead to various people starting to protest. "However," he began, getting louder to make himself heard, "we are quite aware that this will do nothing to actually reduce the tensions on our border and in the interest of Germany not becoming a battlefield, we cordially invite groups from our neighboring states to act as observers while Germany takes care of Magical Germany. We can not promise a quick resolution to these troubles, but we are working on them. We hope that by subsuming their foreign representation, we can at least stop the hotheads from creating any more troubles than they already have," the chancellor finished.

"That does not address the question of how you want to ensure that Magical Germany doesn't simply start attacking any one of us," the Magical Polish ambassador reiterated.

The chancellor nodded. "Frau Erzmagierin," he said, stepping aside.

The Archmage looked over the room for a moment. "We do have sources on the inside of Magical Germany," she began. "As it stands, Magical Germany is completely baffled by the reaction to their stunt and they're deeply paranoid about a pre-emptive strike against themselves. This state of affairs isn't helped by the fact that Magical Germany is currently driving several magical species to extinction. From what we understand, they're hitting predatory species like rye aunts and erl kings. This has been consuming a lot of manpower and money on their end," she explained.

"So that's why there are a whole lot of nixes and necks in our rivers!" the Austrian, Dutch and Czech representatives exclaimed almost simultaneously. The Austrian representative took point. "So they fear being next and run away before the Prussians get their hands on them," he accused.

The Archmage shook her head. "We don't think there were any plans to go after them, the waterpeople merely remember the bad old days of being forced into toxic rivers or slavery and getting worked to death," she admitted. "Therefore they are fleeing, as they don't want to chance things. They've lost basically everything ever since the 1850ies and now they can't take the chance any more," she laid out. "There's too few of them left these days," she finished.

"As for Magical Germany's situation, their attempts to kill various magical species are currently overtaxing their available manpower," the Archmage explained. "We assume that they are doing this because they are aware of the statute breaking down and they want to be done exterminating their target species before the collapse. Lest people start championing erl kings or something like that," she finished with a chuckle. "This extermiantion campaign takes most of their time and efforts," she added. "From what we can gather, Magical Germany did not expect the reaction they provoked. They seem to have expected that their neighbors would close their borders as well and then pretend Germany does no longer exist," the Archmage laid out. "Not surprising, really, considering how much the statute and their desire to be left alone have warped their perception of the outside world," she continued.

"Now that you have to explain," the Danish ambassador cut in.

The Archmage sighed deeply. "Quite bluntly, we wizards ultimately scored a brutal own goal with the statute," she began. "Regardless of the facts at the time, by retreating into secrecy, we more or less decoupled ourselves from the mundane world. Those strongly removed from the non-magical side of things had lost touch and forgot what Unkönner are capable of. We began regarding them as rabble. It didn't take long for someone to do the math and to come to the conclusion that for all any wizard should win a one on one with an Unkönner, there's far more of them than us. Thus keeping hidden became paramount, as simple attrition would tell. So we hid, secure in the belief that as magicals we were superior and paranoid about not getting found out or we get ground down by the hostile masses," she explained. "A perfect recipe for an isolationist, paranoid, xenophobic society," she continued. "Now, the statute was seldom as absolute as touted, contacts between the magical and non-magical side of things were kept up by the simple expedient of Neumagier children bringing in outside perspectives, not to mention magical governments being in contact with the nonmagical one," she laid down.

Heaving a deep sigh, she continued. "However, here's where things get problematic. The Cold War. It basically began by the complete mismanagement of the occupation and the piss-poor job done at weeding out Grindelwald's enablers. Oh, sure, the really big names were executed, but the system that Grindelwald got to co-opt in the early thirties survived surprisingly intact. There was only one real coordination, which was the Seilschaften of the old regime working to weather the regime change and where possible to undermine the efforts of the occupying powers. Magical Germany fundamentally operates under a Cold War mindset. With generous helpings of people remembering the time before Germany got to turn the rest of Europe into a charnel house and fighting happening in Germany. They see themselves as the desired battlefield of their neighbors, the battlefield their neighbors will have no compunctions about destroying," she finished pointedly.

Around the table, uneasy glances were shared by the non-magical ambassadors. The words second strike hung in the air unsaid. Something the magicals began to realize as well.

"So, what you are telling us is that we are dealing with a nation that not only operates under the impressions of the cold war but one that also hates its neighbors and sees them as a threat to their national survival?" the Czech ambassador wanted to know.

"Pretty much," the Archmage confirmed. "Now, even the Cold War mindset needn't have led to the current madness if not for one other quirk. Citizenship. It is only conferred to those who went through the Brockenakademie. The Brockenakademie is not an accredited school, so the parents of especially Neumagier children or Magical German families discontent with the state of affairs at home that send their children to foreign schools do not acquire citizenship for their children and are systematically excluded. So we magical Germans that were discontent for the longest time simply stopped interacting with Magical Germany. Why bother with the hidebound maniacs, after all? Let them stew in their conservative society, anyone who isn't willfully blind had the option to just leave," she explained slowly. "This created a strong filter. Choose a foreign school and Magical Germany closes its doors to you. Choose the Brockenakademie and you turn your back on the world," she finished.

"Such societies radicalise," the Polish ambassador threw in.

"Indeed they do," the Archmage agreed. "And part of that was a fundamental disconnect about everything. As far as people in Magical Germany were concerned, foreigners are enemies that need to be kicked out and kept out. For them, there is no legitimate reason for foreigners to be in Germany. Talking with foreigners is just as alien a concept. After all, that's fraternizing with the enemy," she laid out. "The perspective of their neighbors was something they simply weren't able to model as the fundamental axioms they operate under are incompatible with reality. To them retreating into isolation and walling themselves in is a sign of peace. They don't want to bother the outside world and would really prefer it if the outside world did them the same favour. A sort of 'Leave us alone and we leave you alone' mindset. Very simple and like all simple solutions™, it doesn't work," she explained. "Right now, we are working on Magical Germany, both to get them to back down on the isolation and at least allow representatives of their neighbors into the country and to ensure they don't trigger any potential second strike capability they have," she reassured the assembled diplomats.

"Why not everyone?" the American ambassador wanted to know.

The Archmage turned to the chancellor.

The chancellor stood up and went to the dais again. "We have judged it best to start with the neighbors as those are the nations directly impacted by the current crisis," he explained diplomatically. "Too many representatives coming in at once is unlikely to have any desirable effect," he added.

The American ambassador nodded in understanding. Unfortunate, but understandable.

"We hope that the current course of action meets your approval, if there aren't any other urgent problems, we shall meet again tomorrow," the chancellor concluded the meeting.

The magical ambassadors left the room as the non-magical ambassadors started talking amongst each other. It wasn't much, but at least there was now a chance that they could see for themselves what exactly was going on.

As the last ambassador left the conference room, the chancellor groaned. "I'm not even five years into this job and I wonder how pear survived sixteen years and Schröder eleven," he muttered darkly.

The Archmage shrugged. "Better timing, I assume," she mused.

"The only way the timing could be worse would be Kalthafen's fleet shelling Britain the day after Germany kicks out all foreigners, flying the Reich's war flag," the chancellor gave back. "I really, really hope that we can bring these fools into line before we have to disclose a rogue battlefleet near the Arctic," he continued.

The Archmage nodded. "Yes. Disclosing it now would have ended with a war," she stated simply.

The chancellor nodded in assent. "Well, time to get to work," he said. Turning to his secretary, he nodded. "Bring the Archmage to my office," he ordered.

Preußen gave a small salute and left the room, followed by the chancellor and Archmage. There was work to be done and while some things they couldn't do anything about, trying to pound sense into the current Archmage was on the list of doable things.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Game Of Go

Ninomaru Garden, East Garden Of The Imperial Residence, Chiyoda, Japan

June 8th 2014
Spoiler: A Game Of Go

Three female figures dressed in kimonos knelt on embroidered quilts underneath the trees that had been donated from every prefecture and feudal domain of Japan. The youngest of the three, a teenage girl growing into what promised to be a remarkably beautiful specimen of young womanhood strummed a biwa softly.

The older two women, their blood ties of sisterhood apparent from the matching stamp of the features on their faces, intensely concentrated on the golden kaya wood of the go board between them. Matching antique mulberry-wood bowls rested at each woman's right hand containing the black and white jade of their stones, while to the left, matching sheathed Masamune katanas rested.

The younger sister plucked a white stone from her bowl between index and middle finger. Her focus on the pattern on the board was razor keen as she placed it. She softly spoke as her fingers lifted. "I must return the invitation for another game at a later date once matters permit, Eldest Sister."

The raven haired elder sister with thin threads of steel gray in her hair nodded sharply. "It has been too long since we contested a game, imouto." Her own hand dipped to place her black stone with a sharp clack on the wood.

The younger adjusted her glasses absently as she surveyed the new pattern being formed as white and black fought for domination across the board. "Bold. Daring. Ruthless and strong yet cunning and subtle to cleave toward the heart of matters and build strongly where your sword has cleared the rot. Your First Master is honored by your remembrance and obedience to his lifelong teachings." Her soft voice was filled with respect.

The elder gave a warm smile as a white stone was placed to escalate the current ko battle that was raging in a flurry of feint and counter, wit and bluff and weighing the moment to strike to claim territory and kill enemy stone chains. "Indirect. Patient. Subtle to the point of formlessness, yet precise and perfectly devastating in the attacks when the web closes upon the unwary to win the battle whose outcome is already decided. As ruthless as my Master when ruthlessness was called for, but infinitely more patient to create a mighty edifice upon the cleared ground. I could say the same of how you honor your Master." Her voice in turn showed equal respect for the man whom she described.

A small smug smile was given by the younger sister as her hand lifted from her latest move. "True. We have both been greatly blessed by all the kami in the quality of the men who have Mastered us. I have often wished that our Masters were present to help lead us through matters as they have been developing of late."

The elder nodded in agreement as she reached for another stone. "Indeed, I have thought such of late too. We have fought against each other before with steel and words, and I always found you to be my most difficult foe to face. But we have also allied before to accomplish great things when events allowed it and it warmed my heart greatly when you returned. We have agreed on much and disagreed on much, yet we have always shared the same dream... in our own ways."

The younger smiled warmly. "Hai. Your words mirror my thoughts. I was pleased to see you orchestrate the victory for your second Master when we fought last, for I knew that there was no dishonor in my defeat and that Japan would thrive under your advice to him." With that a black stone claimed territory.

The elder matched the warmth in her own smile. "Indeed. Just as I was pleased to see your Master resolve matters after my Master," a flash of old bitter anger flickered in her golden eyes and froze her voice, "was betrayed and murdered. I must ask, did your Master...?"

A sharp shake of the head and words of firm denial. "No. While he was certainly capable of it as you well know, he was honestly shocked and saddened when the news reached his ears and I was there when it did. I believe up to the point when your Master was slain, his plan was to have his blood marry your Master's blood and eventually forge an alliance to rule. You know how he thought ahead to play the long game. Afterward," silk embroidered with the triple hollyhock mon of her family rustled as the younger shrugged, "he elected to plan otherwise and the rest, as the saying goes, is the history that every schoolchild knows."

The elder subsided and quirked a smile. "Thank you. I was never sure afterward if my great failure had been... assisted... in that way." A hand reached out after her move to pluck six white stones from the board. "Kyushu has changed allegiances and matters have begun in earnest."

The younger placed her own stone to capture a chain of black pieces. "Indeed they have. Now we see what fruit our plans shall bear."

A cough interrupted them and they glanced at the biwa player. The girl swallowed nervously at their intent glances but spoke in an admirably steady voice. "Masamune-sensei, Masamune-sama. I have a letter from Sōsobo here that arrived in the muggle post this morning. It may have relevance."

She reached into her kimono and handed over the sealed envelope to the elder sister. As the rice paper changed hands, the younger focused on the Clan chop in the sealing wax. "Mōri... her Sōsobo was your lady in waiting and star pupil in 1898, yes?"

The elder smiled with a flash of teeth. "Indeed Seikōin was my star pupil then after the Restoration. How did you know that she personally wrote me to request that I train up and develop her great-granddaughter Mōri Kiku-chan?"

The younger gave her own smile. "I always suspected that you two were close since her first daughter was named Lady Toku. Not a common name at all, in fact the only other one I know of was the daughter of Oda Nobunaga who married Ieyasu-dono's eldest son to form their alliance. I know how much you respect Youngest Sister and any lady of waiting of yours would have a Masamune-steel fist inside the silk glove by the time you finished training her to manage her husband and household properly."

Kotegiri laughed. "Indeed she does, would you not agree Kiku-chan?"

Kiku nodded with a shy, soft smile. "Indeed, she rules our clan with iron underneath the velvet. She told me that I remind her of herself as a girl upon the day she told me that you had agreed to have me as your apprentice."

Honjo smiled, "As someone who faced Duchess Mōri in the Diet and the Court, I can see the potential there, and you remind me of someone else who I knew before." The Honjo Masamune frowned as she tried to pin down the memory of who Kiku reminded her of in some indefinable way before dismissing the thought. "So what does your pupil say, Sister?"

Kotegiri read the hand-inked characters and then folded the letter. "Hiroshima will be holding a referendum, as will Okayama. More stones are being removed from the board. She is of the opinion that they are looking favorably upon Kyoto, especially with the other defections. And since Hiroshima is a major naval base covering the Inland Sea...."

Honjo took the letter and read it. "Hisshi. Checkmate is near-certain now."

With that she turned to the board and raised her eyebrow at the patterns present. "Score the game?"

Kotegiri nodded and agreed. "Score the game. Well played, Sister."

"I was honored by a masterful opponent, Sister." Honjo agreed as she began to compute the territory that she had gained and stones captured.

 

[darthcourt10]

Tackweld

Timeskip 1:

This happens soon after Magical Germany goes into total isolationist mode.



Adm. Kazimierz Wawrzaszek' s office,
Naval Base Gdyna
Gdyna, Poland

An unpatient hammering on his door drew Adm. Wawrzaszek from stirring his coffee.

At his call of "Enter", Kamchatka, His acting secretary, nearly threw the door off its hinges.

"Sir! this just arrived by courier, He said < The first phase of the United Poland Protocol has been triggered, Look West>"
Kamchatka presented the large packet. It was bound with golden and black string, and sealed with black wax.
Wawrzaszek had instantly seized the parcel and broke the wax before the parcel had hit his desk.
"My predecessor had warned me about this, said the day may someday come where we would need to make use of the Protocol. I never thought that I would live in such times." Wawrzazek said sadly as he cut the strings. Kamchatka moved to leave, feeling as though Wawrzaszek had just neglected to dismiss her.
"Kamchatka," Wawrzaszek continued, "As you are currently a member of the Polish Navy, Please stay to be witness to what comes out of this packet."

The first paper he had pulled read as follows,

Supplement to the United Poland Protocol -
to be distributed to all Base, Ship, and Camp Commanders that will receive the UPP Packet

----OF UTMOST SECERECY----
A Witness of Lower Rank within your command is required Per UPP Directive 1.0 General Procedures.

Attention
You have been selected to receive the UPP Packet .
Read the entirety of the UPP Packet.
Within the UPP Packet are the Protocols and Directives that will govern upcoming operations.

Specifics of what Incident Initiated UPP Phase 1:
Read UPP Missive A.23 before continuing
The Established Magical Government of Germany has just closed their borders and began expelling foreigners.
View Missive 226 for complete intelligence report.
The Magical Sejm of the Republic (See Missive A.23) has requested Military Unified Action in order to Secure the Borders of the Republic from possible German attack. (See Look to the West Directive).
The Magical Sejm of the Republic is Currently taking a defensive stance on the matter. If issues on Germany come to a head, we shall be ready

End Supplement
UPP
Be Ready for further packets.




-----------------------------------------------
A.N.: The Polish Magical Sejm had established UPP as soon as they had separated from the USSR
They wished to have a Military Cooperation procedure in place in case the Sovereignty of Poland was threatened by either of the Old Enemies (Germany and Russia) on either side of the Statute of Secrecy.
UPP 1 is not a total Unification of Magical and mundane Poland, but could be used as a groundwork, especially if UPP 4 is enacted.
UPP 4 is essentially the Magical Sejm's Doomsday Protocol.- Total Mobilization of both sides of Poland, the Statute of Secrecy be dammed.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Humming to himself, Harry frowned slightly as he opened a small, locked chest that was on his desk. Inside were three knives inside their sheaths which he considered as he looked them over, "Now... let's see... which one should I take?"

From where she was on a laptop, Juuchi looked over, "You could take either myself or Tsukiakari, Master."

With a glance at her, the thirteen year old had a look that stated he had been thinking about it before he shook his head, "Honestly? I would love to have either of you two along, Juuchi. Something just... sort of twigs my senses, you know? Like something will happen." Then, Harry sighed and frowned, "But as much as I would wish otherwise? You and Tsukiakari would be too noticeable and would get question." Turning, he gave an apologetic shrug to the Kyu Gunto in question, "Sorry, Tsukiakari."

Slightly smiling, Tsukiakari shook her head, "No, Master, it is perfectly understandable and you are right. Both myself and Senpai would be far too noticable." She then gestured at the case, "A knife is much better and at least you'll be armed."

Eyebrow cocked as she looked at the knives before going back to trolling on SGO, Juuchi had a slight frown, "While true, I would wish to be there ourselves."

Glancing at her, Harry considered it for a few moments before giving a shrug, "Perhaps you could come separate and watch from a distance if you want? That is about as much as I can do in this case."

Both swords looked at each other and gave a nod of agreement.

A little bit happy now that things had been settled, Harry turned back to the knives and tapped his chin some as he considered things, 'Now which ones... ah! That will work.'

With a nod, he removed the bowie knife and the diving knife. Opening a drawer, he pulled out two harnesses. First, he pulled up his pant leg of his jeans before placing one there with only a few moments. Into that, Harry slid the sheath for the diving knife into before pulling his pantleg back over it. For the second, he pulled off his shirt and put on an undershirt before placing the second harness over his back then placing the bowie knife there, easy to pull out once he placed his shirt back on.

Pausing, Harry walked over to the mirror and looked at himself before nodding, "What do you two think? Does it hide them?"

Juuchi and Tsukiakari paused their planning to follow Harry and looked him over before the Muramasa gave him a thumbs up. For her part, Tsukiakari smiled, "Yes, Master, it does hide them well." Walking over, she ran her hand down his back and hummed a little, "Hai, it is not very noticable at all that you have them. Which is good for when you need to hide the fact that you even have them."

The Muramasa gave a smug smile as she nodded slightly, "Indeed, it is best to be ready for almost anything."

Eyebrow raised, the thirteen year old gave her a look, "Almost?"

With a shrug, Juuchi shook her head, "Unfortunately, one cannot be prepared for anything, Master. It is... impossible to do so. But one can prepare for most things after all, which helps out."

Only sighing, Harry shook his head a little, "Hopefully it won't be needed."

Gently hugging him, Tsukiakari nodded, "Hai, hopefully not. But at least we can be certain that you have some protection at least until we can arrive. And both Juuchi and myself agree that something is not right about this place, though not the Onsen."

Frowning, Juuchi crossed her arms, "By which, Tsu means the surroundings. You are quite right to be somewhat concerned, Master, by the fact that the local construction has been having delays for very odd reasons. Perhaps it is an old magical site and the Diet has simply ignored it."

A sigh escaped from the wizard and he shook his head, "That's what I suspect myself. Maybe it is nothing but one of their staging areas or an old home. Not impossible, but... my gut says something else."

Suddenly, Tsukiakari snapped her fingers, "Right! Before you forget Master there is something else that you need."

Blinking, Harry turned to her in confusion. Furrowing his eyebrows, he glanced at his backpack and then at the clock which showed that it was rather early, "I... have? What?"

Lips curled into a slightly smug smirk, the Kyu-Gunto walked to another drawer in his desk and opened it before reaching inside. Tsukiakari then pulled out something that she placed in his open hand, "Here you go, Master. A Potter should never leave behind the most important tools they can have as a member of the family."

Opening his hands, Harry chuckled a little at seeing the multi-tool that was in his hand. With a practiced motion of his hands, he pulled out one of the tools to reveal it was a small, wire-like thing, "Ah, yes... lockpicking tools."

Just winking, Tsukiakari nodded, "Hai, one of the most important tools that a Potter can have." Giggling, she shook her head, "I'm just glad that I tracked down Kuro-Chan to have her make and enchant them."

That made Juuchi blink as did Harry, but it was the Muramasa who answered, "Kuro-Chan?"

With a nod, Tsukiakari hummed happily, "Hai! Master Ian met her long ago and got her out of some trouble. So she was happy when I mentioned that perhaps Master could use some tools of the trade as it were." She giggled a bit at their raised eyebrows, 'Ah, Master Ian... only you could steal something so precious from a Dodomeki as her affection...'

Glancing at Harry, the Muramasa shrugged some, "Well, Tsu is quite right that you should bring that along. And it is well enchanted to help open locks and the like..." She frowned a little and looked at the Kyu-Gunto, "Right?"

Tsukiakari shook her head a little, "Hai, most locks won't be able to stand up to it as long as it is not some place such as the Department of Mysteries. Well, that and as long as you know how to use it, Master."

Folding the wire back into place, Harry chuckled, "Well... Fubuki-Nee taught me some when I was younger. But I think that a certain relative of mine is responsible for her knowing." Ignoring the giggles from Tsukiakari and the smug from Juuchi, he continued, "And Harder-Nee as well as the other American Submarines taught me more." The thirteen year old grinned and gave a shrug, "They stated that I needed a well rounded education."

Both Tsukiakari and Juuchi looked at each other and snickered a bit as they nodded in complete agreement.

A short time later, Harry was stretching some as he carried a gym bag at his side while waiting. It was not long until Natsumi and the other Yokai Heirs showed up. They had just started chatting when a car pulled up and a man leaned out the driver's side window with a grin on his face and what seemed like five o'clock shadow on his face, "You're Potter Harry-San, right?"

Eyes narrowed slightly, Harry gavea nod, "Hai..." He paused before snapping his fingers, "Lieutenant Commander Ryoma, correct?"

Grinning, the young man laughed, "Hai, that's right." He gestured into the backseat of his car, "Brought the gaki and her friends."

The back window rolled down to reveal a grinning Nobu who waved and laughed loudly, "GOOD MORNING MY FRIENDS, MY FRIENDS GOOD MORNING~" Opening the door, she hopped out, "Well, everyone looks like they are here, though we do have an issue."

Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Natsumi glanced into the backseat to show a dozing Okita, "Okita-Chan is not much of a morning person, is she?"

Hands on her hips, the reincarnated warlord shook her head, "Nope! Not in the slightest!"

Uesugi came out from her side and walked over to the trunk with a sigh, "That was because you got into the mood to strum that guitar of yours, Nobu-Chan." Shaking her head, she grunted a little, "Thankfully, I was able to place some earbuds into my ears and sleep."

Scoffing, Nobu waved her off, "My playing is awesome, trust me on that."

Bemused, Ryoma snorted a little as Nobu walked over to the now open trunk herself, "You may play well, Nobu-Chan. But you still should not have been playing last night as late as you did... though thankfully it only bothered those of us in the apartment."

Just raising an eyebrow, Nobu looked over her shoulder, "And? Who is it to say that it was me that kept her awake and not you and your wife." Glancing into the passenger seat and seeing two eyes glaring back, she smirked, "You can get loud~"

Coughing into one hand, the JMSDF Officer didn't need to look to know his wife was looking away with red staining her pale skinned cheeks, "Perhaps." Reaching into the backseat, Ryoma poked Okita in the cheek, "Wakey, wakey, Gaki. Time to rise and shine~"

All Okita did though was grumble and slap his hand away, "Not a gaki."

Lips twitching madly, the thirteen year old wizard walked over to the bench where a box sat, "Thankfully, if there is one thing that an Admiral should be, it is prepared to fight any battle! And I have come with just such a preparation!"

Intrigued, Nobu looked towards him, "Oooh? How so?"

Box in his hands, Harry winked at her, "Just watch, something that I came up with knowing Okita-San for a while and that she is not a morning person." Opening the box, he reached in and pulled something out before waving it under the sleeping Okita's nose, "Here we go, Okita-San..."

Nose twitching, the pale haired girl opened her eyes a crack to see a double chocolate dutch muffin in front of her. The early morning sunlight glinted off the sugar crystals that encrusted the top and she swore that it was calling out to her. Calling out for her to bite into the moist, chocolately goodness that was its form. To devour every bit.

And, who was she to deny it, it's fondest wish?

However, when she reached out for it, she missed as it moved away. In the distance, she could hear laughter, but ignored it in favor of following the muffin out of the car. Once outside, she finally grabbed the delicious baked good and bit into it with happy sounds, 'Yes... this is what victory tastes like...'

Meanwhile, in the car and unable to help himself, Ryoma cackled loudly, "Oh Kami! I love it!"

Bemused, Harry simply nodded with a smile, "Hunger is the great enemy." Getting a hum of agreement from Okita, he turned to Ryoma and offered the box, "Here, you and your wife can have some."

Grin on his face as he rubbed his chin, Ryoma turned to the passenger seat, "Thanks, so which one do you want, Oryō-Chan?"

In the passenger seat, a pale skinned woman turned and looked at the box with Harry blinking a bit as he noticed that she had an odd, reptilian look in her red eyes. But then, it vanished as she smiled at her husband and nodded, "Ah... which ones do you have?" Quickly, the teenage boy listed them off and she took a raspberry one, "Thank you, Harry-San."

Chuckling, Ryoma shook his head as she made a happy sound and looked at Harry, "I often bring her home some of the stuff from the mess hall. She loves raspberry and some of the other pastries there." Ignoring the finger flick to the ear from his wife, besides to rub it, he took a blueberry with a grin, "Can't really get them often as Teitoku always grabs as many of them as he can get."

That got a snort from Harry, "Hai, I know. Goto-Oji is like that unfortunately."

Only grinning herself, Nobu licked her lips, "Well, I'll have a strawberry!"

Reaching for a muffin in question, she nearly had it when her hand was smacked away. Blinking, she looked up at Okita who was finishing her own muffin off and tried again, only for the other girl to slap her hand away again. Each time after gave the same result to the amusement of the others, complete with Okita grabbing another muffin.

Sighing, Uesugi groaned and grabbed one herself, "Can you two not embarrass us?"

Just shaking his head, Harry grabbed Okita's hand and gave her a smile like those Tatsuta had, "Ara, ara~ Everyone can have one, Okita-San..." Closing his eyes, he gave a nod with that smile growing a touch, "Right?"

Wide eyed, Nobu stared at him and then at the frozen Okita before taking the muffin she wanted, 'Damn... he can be scary. I rate that maybe 0.8 Annoyed Kote-Chans.' Biting into the moist baked good, she hummed, 'But also, he can really cook! I love the modern day and the treats it has...'

For his part, Ryoma waited until Okita grabbed her bags from the car and gave a wave before heading out. Glancing in the rearview mirror, he shook his head some, "Hopefully they have a fun time at the Onsen."

Moments later, his hand was grasped in Oryō's and said woman leaned against his shoulder, "Perhaps... we should go to one as well."

Considering that, her husband nodded some as continued to drive, "Hai, perhaps we should..."

Back at the school, Nobu was looking at the steaming paper cup in her hands and blinked, "So this is what you drink, Natsumi-San? Black tea?"

Sheepish, the Kitsune nodded, "Hai, it is." Turning, she gave a mock offended look at Harry, "You can blame Harry-Chan. He corrupted me with regards to what I need to drink to wake up."

Only shrugging, the former warlord looked at Uesugi and Okita who also had cups of their own, poured from a large thermos, "Can't be helped, I suppose. Besides, I've heard of worse... like those energy drinks."

Upon Okita's face was a look of disgust as she shuddered, "Ugh... don't remind me of those, Nobu-Chan. Every time I see someone at early morning practice drinking one or doing so before competitions, I have had to stop myself from yelling at them." Looking at the drink, she took a sip and swished it around in her mouth before nodding, "This though... is not bad."

Beside her, Uesugi took a sip herself and nodded, "Hai, though coffee is not too bad itself..."

Mumbles and such met her as the others all took sips of their own tea as they tried to fully wake up while eating muffins. Until, that was, the small bus arrived to pick them up and drive them to their destination. As they placed their luggage into it, Harry raised an eyebrow at the guitar case that Nobu placed in, "Bringing a guitar with us?"

Nobu gave a small shrug, "Hai, I'm pretty good and enjoy playing. I mean, I can play the Koto as well, but... sometimes you just want something different, you know?"
That only got her nods and, soon, they were off to their trip.

Meanwhile, a large "Landcruiser" of an American car pulled into a makeshift parking lot and a certain Masamune got out with a frown on her face as she sighed, "TIme to figure out what is going on." Rolling her shoulder a bit, she looked at her phone and sent off a text, "Hopefully, it is done with early enough that I can meet up with Toku-Chan." Putting it away, Fudo shook her head, "Well, let's get this over with, maybe I can beat something up to work off some frustrations..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Sidestory - Snippet 123: Yellowhammer

A Honeymoon Of Fire (A Courtship in Emerald Epilogue)

Two Bit Saloon, Gardiner, Montana

June 23rd, 1946

The flame in the basement fireplace flared green and Delilah de Breuil stepped out of it. Automatically she swept the stone-floored room that she was in, then nodded. "Clear. You can come out now."

The orange imperial topaz on her ring finger flamed, its light caught by the diamonds surrounding it. The fireplace behind her flamed and Zamarad stepped out of the flames. The Ifrit, clad in a thin and nearly transparent top and pantaloons hugged her from behind and nibbled her ear. "This is an interesting way to begin our honeymoon, love."

Delilah smugged and reached down, giving a gentle squeeze to Zamarad, which produced a squeak and then a gasp of delight. "Oh, this is just our arrival point. Now let me change us into something less conspicuous and we will get to the first step of our trip."

She waved her wand, shifting her traveling dress and Zamarad's outfit to tooled leather lace-up boots, brown trousers with a leather belt with a silver tooled buckle, a gray flannel shirt with a black tie, a three button short green coat with an arrowhead patch and a silver badge reading US PARK WARDEN and stetson hats. She then smirked and holstered herself openly as Zamarad looked at her outfit with curiosity. "This is... interesting, Delilah. I am more and more curious."

Delilah grinned and climbed out of the cellar through a ladder leading to a trapdoor. She nodded to an elderly cowboy with weathered leather skin at the top then turned to help Zamarad up. "Mornin' Hank. How's things?"

"Tolerable, I reckon'." was the answer 'Who's the greenhorn?"

Delilah grinned. "Name's Emma, she came over from Europe in the War and I'm showing her the ropes. Since it's my turn to check on things, I'm giving her some on the job training and showing her the ropes on the ward renewal here. You have the horses and the gear for me?"

"Sure do, Del. Livery stables expects you, and Parker at the Fort has your shootin' irons and kit." Hank paused to spit some tobacco into a brass spittoon "See you still got that hogleg of yours?"

Delilah laughed and patted the butt of her pistol. "Sure do, she hasn't failed me yet, and can't be too careful out here. Grizzlies don't care about us keepin' Old Smokey from blowin' her stack. Anything I should know about?"

"Newp, Del. See you back in a month." Hank opened the back door. Delilah reached into her pocked and tossed him a silver half-dollar underhanded to him. "Raise a snort for me tonight, old friend."

Outside Zamarad stared with interest at the small western town in the river valley. She could feel a primal buzzing in her bones as Delilah guided her to the livery stable where a string of horses with camping gear awaited.

After checking the horses expertly, Delilah rode south through town. Zamarad felt the buzzing in her bones Intensify and become more insistent and then she blinked as she approached the end of town. Ahead there was a fieldstone wall with an arch set in it to allow the road to pass through.
Spoiler: Roosevelt Arch

Delilah tipped her hat to the words FOR THE BENEFIT AND ENJOYMENT OF THE PEOPLE above it as they approached it. Zamarad, now curious, spurred her horse to ride alongside Delilah. "This means something to you?"

Delilah nodded with a touch of melancholy. "I was here in 1902 when Theodore laid the cornerstone. He was a good man and a better friend with a greatness of spirit. And of all the people I have known, he loved America the best perhaps. He," Delilah reined in to let several cars go past them under the arch, "helped me do so much necessary work and I knew he knew about who I represented, but he never asked so I never had to lie to him."
Spoiler: Land of Fire And Smoke

With that she passed through the Roosevelt Arch. As Zamarad followed she whimpered in bliss and awe as she sensed a set of wards linked to the fieldstone structure. On the other side... was Fire. Sleeping, and restful now, yes, but she could sense the power under her horse's feet. Power sufficient to reshape a continent, slumbering and only letting a fraction of its true might and grandeur loose to show the world the power of her element.

Delilah leaned close as they rode down the road, and she felt the power and anticipation build with every step of her horse's hooves. "You feel it too?"

Zamarad nodded, blushing intently. "Y-yes I do. What is this place?"

Delilah grinned as they reached a sign that said MAMMOTH HOT SPRING ----> and led them down the indicated roadway. "Yellowstone."
Spoiler: Mammoth Hot Springs

Zamarad blinked in confusion, then gasped as they reached a hitching post and Delilah dismounted. she could feel the tingling calling to her innermost soul as she walked down the trail with tears of joy in her eyes.

She looked around at the terraces formed by the boiling mineral-rich water that had day by day, year by year, century by century formed castles, fortresses, ropes of frozen limestone stained bright gold, dark red, emerald blue, creamy white, and verdant green with the bacteria that lived in the hot mineral-rich water bubbling up from the fires beneath her feet. Clouds of superheated steam drifted and billowed from the thermal vents, showing that in this place, Air, Earth, and even Water were all servants of the Fires beneath her feet churning within the molten rock coming from the heart of the planet.

It was only Delilah's hand on her elbow that prevented her from running around to cavort among the majestic fires of this wild and wonderful land. Only her promise to keep her human guise up to keep the existence of Magic a secret prevented her from assuming her true form to dive and frolic among the pools. Delilah leaned closer and her lips tickled her ear. "I know of places like this hidden away off the beaten path where no prying eyes will see us."

Zamarad shuddered in anticipation and bit her lip as her eyes hooded.

---------------------------------------------

That night, they camped beside a nameless hot spring in a lush meadow.

The unclouded stars shone down from heaven upon them and in the distance coyotes howled mournfully at a crescent moon.

Delilah cast a series of flame repellent and cooling charms upon her avatar before joining Zamarad in a midnight swim in the steaming water, feeling the caress of flame upon her bare skin. The fiery passion in her wife's eyes made the boiling water seem like ice as the Ifrit drew her into a loving kiss and cried tears of joy in her embrace.

---------------------------------------------
Spoiler: Yellowstone

That night set the pattern for the ensuing days and weeks.

They traveled from place to place in the day, pausing to explore, to hunt for game, and to enjoy the marvels of nature and each other's company. While Delilah did check and reinforce the needed wards as she had told MACUSA, that was secondary to the joy that she and Zamarad shared as the Ifrit discovered the beauties of Yellowstone and Delilah saw them once again anew through the eyes of her love.

Zamarad gasped at the thunder of the Lower Falls of the Yellowstone as sixty thousand gallons of water a second fell three hundred feet into the canyon carved through the pinks and golds of the rhyolite lava rocks of the Yellowstone Plateau. Her hand found Delilah's and squeezed hard, her wedding ring touching that of her love as the voice of the water made conversation impossible, yet the understanding of the perfection of the moment a rainbow formed in the spray of the water was unspoken and accepted.

Zamarad had tears of joy in her eyes at the rainbow color of the waters of the Grand Prismatic Spring, ranging from the cooler reds and oranges around the edges from the bacteria feasting on the minerals in the water, to the pure blue of the center of the spring where the water was too hot for mundane life. Delilah was quite glad that the spring was deserted that night as she watched an Ifrit swim happily in water that would have boiled her alive.

The geysers, steam vents, and fumeroles amused, delighted, and enthralled Zamarad. She danced through the vents in a small field in the east of the park, gesturing to make the boiling waters erupt at her will and command. Delilah, after casting privacy charms and Fireproofing Charms, joined her love in that dance. It turned into a symphony of bare skin, passionate kisses, hot steam, boiling water, and sheer delight shared by Jinn and Muramasa. Delilah did come out red and giggling and it was not just because of the scalding water.

---------------------------------------------
Spoiler: Wildlife In Yellowstone

Zamarad crouched next to Delilah. It did not escape her that the Muramasa's hand was hovering an inch from the butt of her pistol as she watched the pair of bull moose approach each other across the meadow with a head-wagging motion. Delilah whispered. "Dominance fight. Heads are down, they are keeping eye contact and their hackles are up. Just watch."

Zamarad nodded and then her eyes opened wide as one they charged each other and locked antlers. For endless seconds, the combined ton weight of the massive deer heaved back and forth trying to force the other back. Gradually the more gray of the two slid back and then they broke apart. The gray trotted off as the black one snorted and then began to strip the bark off a tree for lunch.

Delilah relaxed visibly. "Wolfpack might take one with some risk. Humans of course. Maybe a grizzly when they are half-grown. Nothing else."

Zamarad swallowed and then hugged Delilah around the waist. "My family will not believe this place when I tell them."

Delilah nodded. "It has been a sacred site for the Indians since man first set foot in this part of the Earth. You see why. Now, let's head up Sleeping Giant Mountain and check the wards there."

Zamarad laughed like a crackle of a campfire. "Sepulcher Mountain. Undine Falls. The Thunderer. Hoodoo Peak, Devil's Den. And now Sleeping Giant Mountain. If the no-maj knew of what those names really meant."

Delilah smiled. "Indeed, although," she paused and her smile faded, "It can't go on forever. Sooner or later, probably sooner, the Statute of Secrecy will come down. Every year it gets trickier and trickier to keep it going. That's one of the things that Mother and I have been working toward for decades. The more plans we make now to help smooth the path for integration, the better it will be for us all."

Zamarad nodded as they reached their campsite. "I can see. This is something important to you."

Delilah looked distant. "Yes, for many many reasons, but there is one personal one. Father... Norimune was written out of history to preserve the Statute of Secrecy. She did so much for us all, for America, and was discarded because her story, her sacrifices was not convenient for MACUSA. It's not right, and Mother and I will correct that injustice. Just like how Sis gets into hot water for doing the right thing."

Zamarad hugged Delilah as she waved a hand to ignite the campfire. "And I will stand beside you every step of the way to make that happen. Your father, she must have been a extraordinary person to sire you, my love."

Delilah paused in pulling out coffee beans for Zamarad to roast and nodded with tears in her eyes. "I never met her, and she does not know of me, but from all Mother's stories, she was. And I promise you, one day we shall meet her, and you can see for yourself what kind of a hero Muramasa-no-Norimune is."

----------------------------------------
Spoiler: Geyser Eruption At Yellowstone

Their last day In Yellowstone, they spent at the Old Faithful Lodge. Zamarad and Delilah had dropped off their horses, camping supplies and the rifles that Delilah had checked out for use on their backcountry trip with the MACUSA Auror assigned to this post in Yellowstone and changed their clothing from erzatz part rangers to normal tourists. Passing through the crowds, and taking the chance to enjoy the comforts of cooked food as opposed to trail rations and an actual bed, the Ifrit and Muramasa checked in and then enjoyed a peaceful meal.

Later, after a walking tour, the two curled up in bed together, speaking of what they had seen and experienced together. Zamarad's head perked up and she looked out the window, followed by Delilah.

In the distance under the moonlight Old Faithful , the most famous geyser on earth, erupted with a roar as it had done every sixty minutes for untold centuries. Boiling water shot a hundred feet in the air, slowly building up the cone surrounding the vent.

Delilah and Zamarad watched, enthralled all over again as after five minutes, the geyser vanished, gathering its power for the next eruption.

Zamarad kissed Delilah passionately and then cuddled up to her. The Ifrit whispered. "I would like to come back one day with our children. To share this place, these moments with them."

Delilah agreed as she hugged Zamarad tighter to her, "When we can have them openly, then yes. Once they are old enough to understand what we have been given stewardship of and how precious and important it is."

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

Okay, so. This is something that's been bugging me for a while, so I decided to finally get it over with and put it out there. For those wondering about the Select Snippet, don't worry. It is almost finished, and coming along... one... paragraph... at at time...

what am i doing with my life

Anyhoo. Here's a thingy with Takumi, Nemo's boyfriend.
-----

Someone was rapping at the door again. Mom just wouldn't let up, would she? "What now?" Haruka groaned, pulling her covers up and over her head. Sitting up where she was, she turned towards the door. "What is it?" she called.

"Tachibana?" she heard a familiar voice call through the door. "I came to check up on you—brought the homework, too. Are you okay in there?"

Inoue? Why the hell was he here? Why hadn't he just left the homework with Mom and been on his merry way? Why…

Haruka glanced at the curtains—pulled to so that the room was dark as possible, but with enough light shining through that she could tell that it was substantially later than when she had locked herself in. She grasped about for her phone, unlocked the screen, and huh. Today, it turned out, was now tomorrow afternoon. Or maybe it was today instead of yesterday evening. Had she been… asleep or awake?

Eh. Not like it mattered.

"Thanks," she replied, shuffling out of bed. "Just slide them under the door or something."

"… Right." A few seconds later, several sheets of paper peeked in from the hall, and Haruka pulled them in. She almost didn't care what's on them, probably going to use them as so much more scrap paper, wait, what was Inoue saying? "You sure you're okay in there?"

"M'fine, why asking?" she grumbled, tossing the worksheets aside. Inoue was quiet, probably looking thoughtful as he put together what he was going to say next. Then he sighed, a heavy rush of air that came out in a 'hoof.'

"Okay, look," he admitted, something that was probably his arm thumping against the door softly. He must have leaned against it. "Yakumo just asked me to come over and check up on you. I have no idea why—as far as I understand, something happened last night, and she doesn't want to face you over it but she's still worried. If… if it's my place to ask, what happened?"

"It's not," Haruka muttered under her breath. She sat down, slumping against the door herself. Last night had been…

"We went to see a movie."

They had been talking, feeling out more and more a while now. Yakumo had—she'd told her, obliquely, somewhat, and she'd been willing to give it a try somehow. The movie… it had preceded a dinner together, just eating at a family restaurant, but with the potential to be something more.

"We got dinner."

Conversation was a bit sparse, a little bit awkward, each one trying to send out feelers. Trying to connect something. Finally, Yakumo had sighed, clasping her hands on top of the table.

"We thought that, that there might be something there."

Slowly, hesitantly, hopefully Haruka reached over, taking them in her own.

Yakumo looked down at the joined hands. Haruka looked back at her, resisting the urge to lean down and look up, get some idea of what was on her face and in her head.

Finally, Yakumo raised her head again. "I'm sorry," she said mournfully.

"… but there wasn't."

They had walked home silently, splitting up at the usual place. Haruka had walked until she was running, fleeing from her friendship, or what it could have been, or she didn't know what, slamming through the door and rushing up to her room so fast that she almost forgot to say "tadaima." She cried. She raged—not at Yakumo, she still couldn't feel angry at her, but at anything else she could think of. At some point, she'd grabbed her sketchbook, huddled in bed, and started drawing, trying not to think about how she'd gotten into this stuff because Yakumo recommended this and that and she thought that maybe it would be fun to try, and Yakumo thought her art looked great, and… and… and when Mom called her down for breakfast, she'd told her to just leave it at the door, she'd come and get it later, and next thing she knew here was Inoue.

At the thought of breakfast, her stomach growled.

"… I see."

Haruka choked back a bitter response. Easy for someone who'd gotten it right the first time to say, as if somehow he'd read all the right things in between the lines. "Look, Inoue. Yakumo's… well, she's a good girl. A great girl. She's kind, but she's willing to put her foot down when she has to. She studies hard, gets good grades, does her best for the people she cares about…" She choked again, this time on the lump that was crawling up towards her mouth. "She's… just… Treat her right, okay?"

Yes. Yakumo loved Inoue. That was very definitely true. And Inoue, he was a pretty decent guy himself. He'd stand by her, make her happy. They may not have been able to find what they were looking for, but Yakumo still had a chance at happiness. With the boy she loved. That… Haruka could live with that.

"I can't," Inoue replied.

What?

"What?"

"I can't treat her right," he reiterated, "not the way that you're asking me to. I already have Nemo."

"Y-you're kidding, right?" Inoue… he was joking, right? Had to be joking. Nemo was open to it. Joked about it from time to time. There was no way he couldn't want this. Couldn't be. No. Of course he wanted it. Had to want it. She'd want it, wouldn't she? Yes, he—

"Nope," he cut the thought off apologetically. "She… if I'd never met Nemo, then honestly? I probably would have accepted her. Maybe not immediately, but in time, I think that I probably could have fallen in love with her."

"Then why?" The lump in her throat popped, fell back down into her stomach. It churned, broiled, and she couldn't rightly tell what it was. "If you could fall in love with her, then, then do it! They're both willing, they, they, how is she not good enough for you, is that it? Yakumo, she, you're not—why?"

The boy behind the door was silent.

"Why?" she pleaded, huddling against the wood, sniffling as the tickling sensation of tears running down her cheeks registered.

"Because Nemo was there first."

The voice was solemn, direct, definitive. He… meant it? But why?

Because…

Because he would have been the weak link.

Because for Inoue, it would never be Nemo and Yakumo. It would always be Nemo and Yakumo. There were no equal shares in the equation. However he tried, one would ultimately come before the other. The ship… well, it had already sailed.

Haruka's sobs bunched up until they came out chuckles. "Look at us," she laughed, not sure if it was bitter or some kind of odd amusement, "look at us." A solution that could have had them all happy, or at least one they could have accepted, and it was impossible. Actually kind of funny, if you squinted and didn't care that you were stepping on your own heart just a little.

"What's to look at?" Inoue replied, and she burst out laughing all over again.

"Is there food out there? Like, right outside the door."

"Uh, no?"

Well, it just figured. "I'm coming out to get something to eat. Clear the door."

Haruka must have gotten really used to the at best dim light in her room. She felt blinded for just a little longer than usual as she stepped into the hall.

"You look terrible," Inoue said helpfully.

"Yeah," she agreed, "I'm probably going to faint and sleep until tomorrow morning once I've got some food in me."

"That sounds like a good plan for you."

She didn't feel better. Not entirely, not just like that. Just… well, if she'd had to put a word to it, maybe it'd be clearer. Like she understood what as going on inside and outside a little better. She had her feet on solid ground now, even if it could crumble away and leave her floundering just as badly as before. Something solid was better than nothing.

So she told Mom that yes, she was okay, dug some old curry out of the fridge, and told Inoue that she'd see him at school when he left. Then she paused, looking down at her food.

"What's the matter?" Mom asked, glancing over at her worriedly.

"Nothing, it's just…" Haruka frowned. "I'm pretty sure that I drew a girl with some kind of laser wings last night, but… I'm not really sure why she'd have those."

Mom laughed. "It sounds like a story. Why don't you make it into a manga? I'm sure one of the magazines that your brother reads is having some sort of contest."

"Huh. Maybe."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

After dropping their luggage off at the Onsen, the group of teens went out to explore. Granted, not before the receptionist told them to be careful due to the fact that the forecast was for rain later in the afternoon. Looking up at the sky, with dark clouds gathering? They could well believe it.

But, as with all teens, they decided that was something for their future selves to be concerned about, not them.

Walking along, the group decided to get to know one another a bit better than before. Hence, they began chatting though everyone felt that the others were hiding something from them, though they did not mention it. At one point, Harry tilted his head as he looked at Okita in curiosity, "You like reading mystery novels, Okita-San?"

Just humming, Okita nodded as she fixed her hair into a loose ponytail, "Hai, there is nothing better than to curl up on a comfy chair with a good detective story."

Hands behind her head, Nobu chuckled, "And I can confirm that, though she started out with ones like Detective Conan and that American series... Encyclopedia Brown."

As everyone looked at her, the pale haired girl blushed, "Nobu-Chan!" Getting a cackle, she sighed and scratched her cheek, "I... came across them in the English section back in elementary school and thought that they were interesting. They helped me learn how to read English as well."

Slowly, Harry gave a nod and smiled, "That's not a bad thing, Okita-San. Besides, they're good books as well... though I prefer other ones like Redwall..." Pausing, he tilted his head, "Maybe the second of the Welkin Weasels trilogy would interest you."

Now perking hp, Okita gave him an interested look, "Welkin Weasels? I've never heard of that book series."

Harry gave a small shrug in reply, "There's two series actually and involve, well, intelligent animals like weasels. Unlike Redwall, they live alongside humans for the most part. The first is sort of a mixture of Redwall with Robin Hood with more adventure and magic. But the second? Follows a weasel detective and his group. He's sort of like Sherlock Holmes... if he was a normal sized weasel and Doctor Watson was a female weasel. Add in it being steampunk? And it gets rather interesting."

Considering what she had just been told, Okita hummed, "I'll have to look it up then. Sounds rather interesting, which is always a good thing. And at least you I can trust to suggest a good book."

That made the teenage wizard blink some, "Poi?"

Lips twitching, Uesugi turned from the conversation that she was having with Kaku and adjusted her glasses, "Okita-Chan got a suggestion from one of the older foreign students to read some thrillers by an American author named Cussler Clive. So she read this one book she found in the back of the library."

Disgust on her face, Okita threw her hands into the air, "Ugh! It was just... bad! I tossed the book when I got to the end across the room!"

Laughing loudly, Nobu nodded as she pointed at her friend, "Hai! I remember that! It was so hilarious with how pissed you were at the author!" Dodging around a swipe, she brought her hand up and stage whispered, "She really did find the book bad and went on a tirade about the author."

Eyebrow raised, Harry gave them a look, "Oh? How bad are we talking?"

Pinching her nose, the former Shinsengumi sighed, "Okay... it was called 'Night Probe' and the story starts in the First World War, right? Britain was getting a lot of debt from war loans from the United States and needed a way to pay them so that it could continue funding the war... so they come up with the perfect way to do so." Her tone flat, she looked at a snickering Nobu, "By selling Canada to the United States."

Utter silent met her before Harry gave the answer that was going through their minds, "Wat."

Waving him off, Okita shook her head, "Gets worse. See, they made an agreement complete with a treaty, but as it is being transported via train, said train derails and into the Hudson, I think." With a shrug, she continued, "Anyways, it gets forgotten about and buried. Move forwards to the 'Present' in the 1980s. The United States has issues economically and peak oil is going to happen, as well as other stuff when someone finds out about the treaty. The President then sends a group to retrieve it because he believes his economic problems would be solved by having Canada added to the United States. The British send someone to also retrieve it or destroy it because of the damage it could do... long story short, the Americans find it, somehow still intact inside a train after being submerged for decades, and retrieve it. The President then announces it at the end of the book at a press conference and declares that Canada is now part of the United States legally, and it gets accepted."

Everyone who had not known about this book just blinked before turning to the one British born boy in their midst. Said boy stared for a few moments before placing his face in his hands, "Oh for... that is just plain freaking stupid. There's so much wrong with that... that I cannot even begin to find a place to start!"

Nodding, Okita crossed her arms over her chest, "I know, right?"

Just shaking his head, Harry sighed, "You're right... I mean, it is not even the entertaining type of stupid like... Konpeki no Kantai."

Confused, Uesugi looked between them, "Konpeki no Kantai?"

Facepalming, Natsumi groaned and shook her head, "Hai, it was an... alternate history anime. Yamamoto died in the plane crash and wakes up on 1905. And instead of, you know, avoiding the war? He instead builds up a fleet to defeat America complete with performing the Pearl Harbour attack the 'Right way' this time including invading the islands and occupying them. He has such things as having giant Carriers, Super Battleships, and nuclear powered Submarines as well as intercontinental Bombers. Which he uses to destroy the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos and force the US to surrender."

Harry's lips twitched a bit and he snickered, "I remember doing a video with Naka-Nee actually about that. We had Mum, Enterprise, Admiral Yamamoto, and Admiral Halsey watch and react to the anime. Yamamoto-Oji's face was downright hilarious as was Mum's and the others!"

Holding her arms around her middle, Nobu cackled, "I have got to see that video! Just imagining it!"

Simply ignoring the cackles from her friend, Okita sighed, "Can we go back to talking about... good stories? Please?"

Everyone had an amused look on their face, other than Nobu who was still cackling, and went back to talking about better things.

Roughly two hours later found the group examining what looked like a concrete lined depression in the forest floor. There were two tiers to it and a flat floor... though it was covered with decades of forest litter. But from the leaves, one could see a few bits of metal sticking up. Examining it, Nobu tilted her head before turning to Harry, "What do you think was here?"

Humming, Harry looked around in thought, "I think it was likely one of the smaller AA guns. Now, over there, however..." Everyone turned to look at what looked like a scarred, and rusted, metal box, "That I think was a Type 98, Ten centimetre gun turret."

That caused them all to blink and Asuka looked at him in confusion, "What? Isn't that a ship mounted weapon?" Let it not be said that being Yokosuka meant that the young Tengu did not recognize some things. When Harry nodded though, she frowned and looked back at it, "But... what is it doing all the way out here?"

Also frowning, Usagi scratched her head some, "That... is a good question. I mean, it doesn't make much sense for it to be out here, right? And they just discovered all this two years ago when they started building the new development."

Unnoticed by her, Harry and Natsumi exchanged a concerned look. As they continued to chat, the black haired wizard sided up next to the Kitsune, "Natsumi-Chan? Do you have...?"

With a glance to the others, the Kitsune lowered her voice, "Hai, I have Carnwennan sheathed in the small of my back. So I'm ready... You?"

Eyes flickering to the woods, Harry gave a nod of his own, "I got two of my knives, my Bowie knife and diving knife. Juuchi and Tsukiakari are nearby as well watching just in case something happens. So I'm as ready as I could be, just in case."

Only nodding, Natsumi perked up a bit as Rika said something, "What was that about bunkers, Rika-Chan?"

The Nekomata blinked and frowned, "Hmm? Oh yeah, they found some old bunkers that looked like machine gun nests as well as an old road. Otou-San thinks that is what all the rumours about tunnels in the area were about. That there was some bunkers for military commanders to come here just in case of an American Invasion and protect the area."

If anything, that made Harry and Natsumi both more concerned. Because you did not put defences like there was around for anything less than something really important. And the fact that the ruins in the area were only discovered recently really caused some feelings of alarm.

Meanwhile, Nobu was grinning as she hopped over a fallen branch and ran to where the old turret was, "Hey! Hey! Okita-Chan!" She then went into a pose like she was trying to be thoughtful, "Take a picture!"

Just sighing, the girl in question brought up her phone and took a picture as asked, "There we go, Nobu-Chan." Coming back over, the grin suddenly fell from Nobu's face and she turned to the trees. Something that made Okita frown, "Nobu-Chan?"

Nobu shook her head and motioned for them to come over quick, which they did. She then pointed towards the woods, "There's someone moving around, just inside the gully there."

Frowning, Harry brought up his binoculars and looked down into the forested gully between two hills. Here and there, old, crumbling edifices could be seen. But it only took him a few moments to catch sight of a young woman making her way through the undergrowth apparently grumbling about something, "Huh... so there is. Weird, she's wearing a suit."

Blinking, Okita gave him a frown, "A... suit? Out in these woods? But... why would you...?"

Soft chuckles made her turn to see Nobu rubbing her hands together with a grin. At seeing everyone looking at her, she shrugged, "Let's follow her and see what she's doing. Could be interesting."

Holding out her hand, Uesugi frowned as she observed the woman, who seemed to be looking for something. Every once in a while, she paused and looked around before motioning with a Tanto in her hands, "She looks like she searching for something. And has a knife in her hands."

Concerned, Asuka looked at the others, "Could she be a Yakuza?"

Everyone paused at that and considered the thought. Then, Nobu shrugged, "Could be a Yak, I guess. Maybe searching for something that they hid out here. Or maybe... she could be searching for something hidden after the war. You know, like gold buried by an Ojii-San or some such."

Needless to say, that got her looks from the others of disbelief. Sighing, Okita shook her head some, "Nobu-Chan... maybe we should just leave it. Who knows what she's doing around here, could be anything."

Looking over her shoulder, Nobu smirked a bit even as she started down the hillside, "And here I thought that you loved mysteries and wanted to be a police officer, Okita-Chan! Yet here you are ignoring a mystery in front of you right at this very moment!"

Stunned, all the pale haired teen could do was stare before groaning as she began climbing down the incline herself, "I cannot believe you, Nobu-Chan!"

Cackling a bit, Nobu grinned back at her, "Hey, it's an adventure! What's the worst that could happen?"

Harry closed his eyes at that and pinched his nose as he muttered to himself, "Oh bloody hell... she did not just say that..."

Expression blank, Natsumi nodded with a dry tone, "She did..." With a sigh, she shook her head and began to descend herself, "Better keep up with them or else we can't help if something goes wrong."

As the others followed, the teenage wizard grumbled, "And invoking Murphy, it will. Believe me, it will. When it does, I'm slapping her upside the head..."

It did not take the group of teens to get to the bottom of the gully between the hills. Nor was it hard for them to follow the woman as she left behind a good trail. One that even the worst trackers among them could follow, though that was not saying much. Looking at a bush that had part of the branches sliced off, Kaku frowned, "What the heck is she doing?"

Picking up a broken branch that had been whacked against a tree, Asuka shrugged, "Maybe she's angry about something?" With a glance at the deep footprint, as if the person who created it was stomping around, the Tengu frowned, "Like, really angry about something?"

Softly snoring, Nobu waved another branch, this one cut at one end around like a sword as she hopped up into a rotton log with a big gouge taken out of it, "Maybe she's getting frustrated because she cannot find any of her Ojii-San's treasure!"

The others sighed, gave each other looks, and then continued on.

Over stream and through dell, the group followed the winding trail until, suddenly, they all paused. Harry himself frowned and glanced around as Usagi, who was beside him, muttered, "Did you feel that, Harry-San?"

Very slowly, the wizard gave a nod, "Hai, I did. That was some sort of... ward line that we just crossed." Glancing at Nobu, he noted that the girl furrowed her eyebrows before shaking her head much like an animal might to shake off flies, "Maybe NoMaj repelling?"

Cocking her head to the side, Usagi noticed that the other two non-Yokai girls were also shaking their heads and muttering, "Most likely, and it would make sense." Suddenly, she perked up and looked at him, "Do you think that is why all the work on the development has been delayed? Because they're stumbling across it?"

Frowning, Harry nodded slowly, "It would fit." Clearing his throat, he gave a smile, though it was faked, "Hey, Nobu-San, maybe we should head back-"

However, the girl in question laughed and shook her head, "Nah! Anyways, she went that way!"

Slapping his forehead, Harry internally groaned and followed after Nobu as did the others, "Yay, this is going to turn out great, I can just feel it..."

The various Yokai with enhanced hearing found their lips twitching and snickers escaping from them. Just a few minutes later though, they were not so amused and looking around the lightly forest hillside that they were at the bottom of. Scratching her head, Nobu frowned, "Where did she go? The train ends right here..."

Also looking around, Harry frowned as well, "Odd." Noticing Rika with an odd expression that was equal parts confusion and nervousness as she examined the area, he frowned, "Rika-San? What's wrong?"

Eyes narrowing, the Nekomata sniffed a bit, "There's something wrong... really wrong." With another sniff, those next to her noticed her pupils become slits, "But... I don't know what."

It was then that the others also noticed that something was wrong. All of them felt their skin crawl, until Kaku noticed something, "Guys... where are the birds? And the insects?"

Right then, everyone stiffened as they realized that besides the rustle of leaves and branches from the wind, which had picked up, there was nothing. No bird song, no buzzing of insects. Absolutely nothing.

Okita narrowed her eyes into a glare, "We shouldn't be here. Something is... evil."

About to say something, Harry paused as suddenly there was a loud boom of thunder that seemed to shake the ground and they looked up in time for the rain to start pouring as the storm that had been brewing above them broke. And it broke hard as soon they could barely see much in front of them as they ran around the hill looking for some sort of shelter. They knew, of course, that staying under the trees would be a bad idea with a thunderstorm around them. But then, Asuka pointed at a section of the hillside where there was a concrete rimmed hole, "Hey! Over there, a bunker!"

With another flash of thunder, they all ran for the bunker and rushed inside and out of the rain. Suddenly, there was a growl as a female voice spoke up, "What are you bunch doing here?!" In a flash of lightning, they all jumped as the woman they had been following stood up from where she was crouched in the back of the bunker, "Well?"

Looking at each other, they did not say anything right away. After she asked again when two or three minutes passed, Harry shrugged, "Well, um..."

Completely unrepentant, Nobu spoke up, "We were following you to see if you would lead us to your Ojii-San's treasure from the Pacific War that he hid here."

Fudo blinked slowly in complete befuddlement, "I... say what? Treasure? Ojii-San? Just... what?"

One eye closed, the former Warlord cackled, "Admit it! There's piles of gold and silver! Historical treasures from the rest of Asia buried here somewhere and you know where it is!"

Yet again, Fudo blinked before furrowing her eyebrows in complete befuddlement. Looking around, she did raise an eyebrow at the realization that most of the other teens were Yokai which surprised her. And one of the two boys, she did recognize, 'What the... wait, isn't that Potter-San? What is he doing here?'

Before she could ask, there was another boom and the entire bunker shook before there was a rumbling sound from outside.

Meanwhile, at the same time, Tsukiakari was watching from a nearby stand of trees. The rain didn't bother her much as the witch's hat on her head deflected the water. As well, her uniform was rather waterproof so all she did was hum before glancing at Juuchi and giggling which got her a dirty look.

Unlike her, the Muramasa was getting wet as the only thing that was keeping the rain off her was an enlarged leaf that she held over her head, "Shut. Up."

Lightly smiling, Tsukiakari made a zippering motion with her fingers over her lips. When the glare increased, she hummed, "It's not that bad, Senpai."

Now smiling herself, Juuchi gave her a nod, "Then you would not mind giving me your hat."

Giggling, the Kyu-Gunto gave her a closed eye smile, "Not going to happen, Senpai." Ignoring the grumbles, she turned back to the bunker and began to frown, "Are you sure that they will be alright, Senpai?"

With a small shrug as she continued to huddle under the leaf, Juuchi scoffed, "It is just Fudo, Honjo's sister. She may be almost like a Muramasa, but they're safe enough. At worst, they might get a Buddhist sermon."

Almost like it was to proved her wrong, one of the lightning bolts struck the hillside. Slowly, one of the giant trees began to tip over, the roots tearing out of the ground and bringing boulders with it. Soon, it was joined by others as the hillside began to slide down towards the bunker. Eyes wide, the two began to rush across the muddy ground, rain and storm forgotten.

But not... fast enough as the landslide buried the entrance and they had to take steps back as they called out Harry's name.

Inside the bunker, all the teens rapidly ran for the back of it as earth poured over the opening and soon, they were left in the dark inside. They pulled out their phones and some of them activated the flashlight function, while Harry and Natsumi as well as Fudo pulled out small flashlights and shone them on the pile of dirt that now trapped them. Blinking, Harry frowned, "Well... that is a bit of an issue, isn't it?"

Eyebrow twitching, Asuka began to hyperventilate as she gestured at the now blocked entrance, "A bit of an issue?! A bit of an issue?! We're trapped! And no one knows that we're here!"

With a glance towards Harry, Usagi walked over to Asuka and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Asuka-Chan? Look at me, just look at me." When the Tengu did, the Inaba smiled, "We're okay, we're safe."

All that got was a whimper before Okita joined in, the former Shinsengumi placing a hand on her other shoulder, "Asuka-Chan? Listen to my voice, listen to nothing but my voice..."

Slowly, Okita got her to calm down with soft words. Watching her, Nobu glanced at Uesugi, "She really is great, you know. Wish that I had her in my army back then." Getting and agreeing hum, Nobu scowled, "This is all my fault, dammit... still a fool."

Lips curling a bit, Uesugi shook her head, "Ah! You may be a fool, Nobu-Chan, but then what would we be who followed?"

For her part, Fudo was shining her flashlight along the ceiling and walls of the bunker as she frowned in thought. Eventually, she nodded though and walked over to where a now calmer, though still frightened, Asuka stood being comforted by both Usagi and Okita, "Hey, kid, your name is Asuka right?"

Swallowing, Asuka gave a nod, "Ha-hai, Miku Asuka."

A soft smile on her face, the Masamune nodded, "Miku Asuka, huh? Nice name." Getting a ghost of a smile, she gestured around them, "Anyways, do you know what I do for a living, Miku-San?" When she got a shake of the head, Fudo chuckled, "Construction as a matter of fact. Been doing it for years if you'll believe it. I know enough that just by looking around? The bunker is in good shape and won't collapse on us, so we're perfectly safe."

Unsure still, Asuka shifted a little, "But... what about us being stuck in here? No one knows where we are after all."

Just shaking her head, Fudo patted her gently, "Not true. The company that I work for? They know that I'm out here and can bring up my last known GPS coordinates. If I'm not back in a few hours, they'll come looking for us. And they got earthmoving equipment that will make short work of that landslide, trust you me."

Relaxing, the teenage Tengu nodded, and the tension slipped more out of her with Harry's next words, "Besides which? I got some friends nearby who know where we are. They're pretty... sharp... about things."

Giggles slipped out of Asuka at that, and so missed the confused look on Fudo's face become a sour expression as the Masamune realized who he likely meant.

Kaku crossed his arms some and nodded towards the landslide, "And if needed, some of us are good diggers. We'd be able to dig ourselves out."

Glancing at him, the Tanto raised an eyebrow as Usagi and Natsumi nodded, but said nothing. Internally? Fudo felt her respect for the teens grow, 'Willing to take a risk for their friends? Heh, now that is loyalty.'

Near the back of the bunker, Harry was frowning though as he examined the walls. Walking up to him, Natsumi lowered her voice as she noted that his eyes were glowing softly in the darkness, "Harry-Chan? What's going on? Can you see something?"

With a glance to her, Harry gave a small nod as he also lowered his voice, "Hai, right there in the corner there's magic and what looks like a hidden door." Looking at the others, he walked over to the door and felt Natsumi place an illusion over him. Muttering an Onmyoudo spell under his breath, he could see the door way light up to his vision as well as what looked like a tunnel going further into the hill behind it. With another, he could see points on the door that would open them, the spots lighting up in a repeating sequence that they needed to be tapped, "I think that it could be a way out... there's a tunnel behind there according to my divination."

Eyes wide and hopeful, Natsumi watched as he crouched down and picked up a leaf, "Are you sure?"

Holding the leaf next to a crack, the wizard watched as it moved a bit in a breeze, "Hai..." Lips curling, he called over his shoulder, "Hey! Asuka-San! Can you come over here for a moment! I need you!"

More than a little confused, Asuka walked over, "What is it..." Pausing as she got close, she looked around in confusion before it became hope as she crouched down next to Harry, "There's a breeze here!"

Overhearing, Fudo made her way over as well followed by the others, "Seriously? A breeze?"

Eyes closed, the Tengu ran her hands close to the crack and hummed, "Hai, there's a decent breeze here and... the air, it's only slightly stale, but breathable."

Acting as if he was just running his hands over the crumbling concrete, Harry nodded as he pressed his fingers into the proper points and added a bit of magic, "If there's air... then there might be a way out."

Suddenly, there was a grinding sound and the wall pushed inwards before moving to the side to reveal a tunnel cut into the rock. The sides of the tunnel had markings on the rock made from tools that had dug it. And the floor was flat and even, showing that it was no natural tunnel.

Flashlight shining down it, Harry could see that it continued on into the hill. And, in the distance, he could just make out a light, "Huh... it might go all the way through the hill..." Trailing off, he paused as his instincts screamed at him. His gaze then went to the tunnel walls and he frowned, "Natsumi-Chan... the tunnel, what does it remind you of?"

Confused, Natsumi frowned and looked at them herself. It took a few moments, but it clicked, "... The deeper tunnels beneath Yokosuka. Really deep in the tunnels..."

Eyebrow raised, though something told her that it was not right, Fudo frowned, "You've been in those tunnels?"

His flashlight playing over the rock, Harry nodded, "You'd he hard pressed not to find someone who has been in them. There's miles and miles of them. But the ones we're talking about were... well, apparently dug with slave labor. You get a feel for them and they're really deep, you got to go five miles into the tunnels to see them. And these? These are just like them..." Right then, he frowned as he thought he saw something down the tunnel, "Guys? Is there something down there?"

Frowning, Rika narrowed her eyes some, "I can see your guys' flashlight beams, and the far light at the end of the tunnel-"

Right then, the "Light" that marked the end of the tunnel split into two.

And then two more appeared.

Four more...

And suddenly there were twelve such lights rushing towards them with things glinting in the darkness and they all began to back away as Rika shouted, "Look out! They're-"

She was cut off as the first pair of lights reached them revealing something on decaying Samurai armour and a skull for a face with the eye sockets filled with ghostly blue flame as it screamed at them and lashed out with a sword...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Past Sins

Imperial Palace, Chiyoda, Japan

23 June 2014
Spoiler: An Order Given

Two men and one woman knelt upon spotless tatami mats in a room paneled in hardwood. The artisans had fitted the planks together so that the grains and colors were near perfect and it seemed as if the entire room was formed from one complete tree.

The elder of the two men handed the report that he had just finished reading to the younger by his side on the platform raised above the floor and examined the woman kneeling in seiza before him. "You spoke to your sister?"

Masamune-no-Kotegiri bowed her head to the mat before her. "I did, Tennō Heika. Masamune-no-Honjo agreed to your request to act as your advisor in my stead." Her voice was calm and placid with only bare hints of the emotions churning underneath her iron control.

A pause as the Crown Prince finished reading, his brow furrowing. He then looked at his father with a silent question. In response his father spoke quietly. "Observe and learn."

His focus then returned to survey Kotegiri. "You taught me that your First Master taught you that obedience is the first duty of a ruler, for one must serve in order to lead." His voice invited her comment.

Kotegiri prostrated herself again. "I did so for you and your Heirs, Tennō Heika."

"Just so." His voice sharpened. "But you also taught me the lessons of history, that blind obedience is a sharpened blade held in the hands of a blindfolded warrior. Necessary only when demanded. Knowing obedience is far greater. It is true that I intend to have the Blade of Ieyasu serve in your stead."

He nodded to his Heir. "The report."

Kotegiri took the report, and began to read. Her golden eyes widened in naked shock and her lips pursed as she trembled violently in rage. Unbidden her voice came out in a furious hiss. "If Shōwa Tennō and I had even suspected...."

"Otōsan would have given you different orders." The Emperor finished, his voice compassionate. "But he did not know what we now know. The timing is... not ideal, for matters with the Magical Diet are in flux. The Chrysanthemum Throne must have wise advice to keep a steady hand upon the wheel of the ship of state through these rough waters."
Spoiler: The Emperor's Blade

His voice was resolute and firm as an air of anticipation formed in the room. "Hence your younger sister shall serve in your stead to assist with the politics of the nation. She can perform your normal role for me in this time, for I have another duty for you."

Kotegiri looked up from the report with powerful emotions burning in her blazing eyes and a thin, razor edged, merciless smile upon her face. "This unworthy samurai humbly awaits your command, Tennō Heika." Her voice was soft, polite, formal, and hungry with anticipation.

"Go. Take My Warrant to review the materials found and compare the names and offices of all those individuals and organizations responsible to those you know of who were... overlooked... by Otōsan at the end of the Pacific War. If the report you have read and shall now destroy and never speak of to anyone save myself and my Heir is true, and I fear that it is, the crimes contemplated are a stain upon our national honor." The Emperor's voice was edged with solemn duty, filled with the sound of razor-edged steel sliding from a silken sheath.

The Emperor of Japan finished in an unyielding voice as Masamune-no-Kotegiri bowed her head to the tatami mat once more. "A stain that can only be washed away by the blood of the guilty."

His voice became more formal as he spoke the same words that his father had in this room in 1945 as the Decision was made to save Japan from catastrophe.

The same words spoken by his great-grandfather in 1868 during the struggle of the Restoration when the course of Japanese history was changed.

The same words now spoken to Masamune-no-Kotegiri, the Armor-Cutter of the Greatest Sword-smith of Japan, the blade of the most ruthless warlord in Japanese history.

"Is there none among the Oda who will answer the call of the Chrysanthemum Throne?"

-----------------------------------------------

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

Masamune-no Tokunotakai's hand clenched on her telephone as she listened to a young boy's voice speak words that caused her eyes to fill with tears.

"I am Uesaka Yoichi, but you knew me as Tokugawa Gorōta."

Toku schooled her voice to calmness. "I see, Uesaka-san. I wish to meet you to confirm for myself. You must understand that extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence."

A cawing laugh. "Indeed. I can say that when I returned from China as a new-minted Captain we spoke on your porch. You said then that you would deliver my request to Hachiman with your yabusame performance. It may have succeeded... although in an unexpected way."

Toku's teacup slipped from numb fingers to splash upon her kitchen floor. He must be Gorōta. Only three people in the universe knew of that prayer,. herself, Hachiman-dono... and Tokugawa Gorōta, who had died on Saipan in 1944 in the doomed defense of Japan during the Pacific War.

"G-Gorōta-kun." She spoke through her flowing tears. 'Fudo-nee will be overjoyed...."

"Wait!" A panicked squawk. "Don't tell her yet!" A pause then his voice broke, "Fudo-chan is alive?!"

"Hai, and she serves your family still, Gorōta-kun. She saved your nephews and sister-in law during the bombing of Tokyo and your family now thrives." Toku explained, grabbing a towel to wipe up the spill. "I am supposed to see her for dinner."

A nervous silence. "I... was hoping to have you look at me. I have been having memories that are not those of Uesaka Yoichi come back. Those of Tokugawa Gorōta, but also ones from earlier, during the Warring States. I remember... I remember Fudo-chan from then. Ordering her to take the message the Fushimi-jō woudl fall to my liege lord as I prepared for my seppuku."

Toku nodded. "Hai, I will be happy to have a look at you. It may be possession by a Yuurei of course, and if so I shall handle matters, but also," she paused, "I have heard some rumors of mages tampering with souls awaiting their turn upon the Wheel of Reincarnation. It may be that."

Another squawk. "That is good. My family will be moving down from Hokkaido to Yokohama next week, Father got a post at the expanded hospital there. I will see you then?"

Toku smiled. "I shall look forward to it. I am still teaching kendo and kyudo in the shrine and will always have time for one of my best pupils."

Another laugh. "Um, about that...." a pause. "'I am a kotengu now. How can Fudo be with a Yokai?"

-----------------------------------------------

Thunder boomed and rolled as Toku looked at her phone. She could sense that Tokugawa Gorōta was deeply conflicted, but his concern for Fudo was clear as day. And while she would not breathe a word of her love's apparent reincarnation to Fudo-chan, not yet, she could at least subtly sound out her older sister's feelings.

With that determinaton, she nodded sharply to herself and then punched in Fudo's number to ask her when Fudo would be free to meet for dinner.

But the phone rang and rang with no answer.....

---------------------------------------------

Yokosuka Naval Base

Admiral Goto's eyes widened as he finished reading the handwritten and sealed authorization letter that the lady who had arrived carried. He had met her before, when the Caldera ships were summoned, but considering the nature of the request....

"It will take some time to access the location in the Archives. We must have two cleared people escort you and of course no paper copies." He finally spoke, aware of the creaking thin ice that he stood on.

Blood-red silk rustled and gold heraldry flashed. "Understandable. This is a matter of extreme delicacy, and must be handled precisely. Hence my arrival here with the needed authority. Once you can free up two cleared people I shall review the information that you collected with my own memories of the events of those days to determine how to dispose of matters."

A crash of thunder shook the headquarters building and the rain hammered the windows harder. "Perhaps the storm will break by then."

Goto nodded as he returned to his paperwork, breathing a sigh of relief as the visitor sipped her tea.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Cue Kotegiri pulling off the Rogue 1 Vader hallway scene when she arrives at said sealed off bunker.
When it comes to Kotegiri...

Everybody be gangsta, until the Oda Kimono comes out.​

A.N.-Well, how can I resist this setup over on SV?

Playing With The Bread Knife Now....

23 June 2014

Shortly After The JMSDF/JGSDF Enters The Bunker

At a tunnel junction, an apparently middle-aged woman in a blood-red kimono with five Oda Mokka-mon crests in gold visible looked at the rest of the reinforcements. Over the din of battle, her calm clinical voice was heard. "I have this corridor."

With that, she began to walk unhurriedly down the hallway. Her wooden sandals clattered in her steady stride as she advanced. Meanwhile, her left hand held her sheathed katana in a comfortable grip where it was resting in the obi of her kimono. She was the very image of a matron enjoying a walk through a pleasant scene that she loved.

A double dozen of the undead swordsmen appeared in her path and she raised an eyebrow at the sight. She sensed the ghosts of some of the fallen warriors of Japan bound into their desecrated remains and shackled with magic to serve a monstrous evil.
Spoiler: Oda Kotegiri

Her razor-edged smile at the sight would have frozen their blood if they were alive for all the warmth in it.

The nearest one, faster than his fellows, sprinted at her with steel drawn.

An instant later, she was on the far side of the swordsman.

Click.

The sound of the iron tsuba swordguard of Masamune-no-Kotegiri touching the gold at the mouth of her sheath as she resheathed herself in a movement too fast to see.

A half dozen feet behind her the swordsman's arms --both severed at the shoulder -- dropped from his body, and his head fell from his neck.

All by a single precise, perfect killing stroke of Masamune's second greatest creation.

Kotegiri's eyebrow raised in wordless inquiry at the double-dozen samurai blocking her path.

Bound by the magics of some of the most foul wizards ever to walk the land of Japan, they attacked.

Kotegiri's smile widened fractionally as she blurred into action. Blades whistled around her form as she advanced. Her movements were impossible to discern save as afterimages of red and gold silk and ebony hair from the speed of her motions.

An overhead Men kendo strike that split an opponent from crown to crotch flowed into a one-handed thrust through the heart of a second foe with the motion as she kicked the chest of that target to free her steel accelerating her through a horizontal cut that bisected a third foe at the waist.

As the pieces of the first began to fall apart, she had already moved on to her next target.

Each received one precisely clinical killing blow in the style of Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū, one of the oldest of the kenjutsu schools of Japan.

Click.

Once more the Armor-Cutter was sheathed with her purpose fulfilled for the moment.

Kotegiri continued her advance down the corridor, leaving none alive in her wake. Throughout it all, her razor edged coldly happy smile had not changed. In that instant, if any had been alive to see, she looked disturbingly like Juuchi Yosamu's joy as she experienced the depths of the blood rage forged into the greatest of the Demon Blades.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Waving around her blade, Juuchi mumbled under her breath before breathing a sigh of relief and turning to Tsukiakari. The Muramasa didn't even care about the rain that was soaking her as she smiled smugly, "Master is alive, and so are the others. Thankfully, their life signs are not weakening, so there is that which tells me that none were badly injured in the fall."

Relieved, the Kyu-Gunto sighed, "That's good to know, Senpai." Pulling our her phone, she paused for a moment, "Should I call Honjo-Senpai as well to let her know what happened to her sister? She might want to know."

For a few seconds, Juuchi considered it before she shrugged, "It would likely be best. If only to avoid her yelling at us later on. Also, contact Chisuheri as I believe that the Tengu is a friend of hers."

Tsukiakari just nodded and began to dial as Juuchi cut one of the trees laying on the landslide in half, and then removing it to either side, 'Hopefully Master is safe in there...'

Inside, Asuka screamed as the undead Samurai lunged at her, only for it to split in half with each piece flying past her to smash into the ground. In front of her, Fudo looked back, "Get back to the landslide!" Dodging under another swipe, she decapitated the skeleton, "Go!"

Another was about to hit her from the side when a gauntleted band grabbed it around the wrist and twisted, shattering the bones before punching it in the face. Fudo blinked at the young man there who smirked back at her, "Lovely weather today, hmm?"

Dodging around another, she lashed out at the same time as the male stranger did breaking the one they aimed for in half, "That's one way of putting it!"

Not far off, Nobu hit the floor with a grunt before rolling as a sword spat sparks as it struck the concrete where she had been seconds before. As the skeleton swiped at her again, the sword was blocked by Harry using his Bowie knife. Grunting, he glanced at Nobu, "Can you use a knife!? Bottom left leg!"

It took only moments for Nobu to grab said knife and pull it from the sheath. Blocking another skeleton's attack, she grunted for a moment before redirecting the blow, following up with taking the hand in question off, "Huh, nice knife!"

With his own blade sliding down the other skeleton's sword as sparks flew, Harry grinned himself, "Thanks... it was a gift." Pushing the sword to the side, he made a twisting motion with his wrist and his wand appeared, "Reducto!" As the skeleton practically detonated from the point blank attack, Harry spared a glance for Natsumi. Said Kitsune was holding her own with Carnwennan in her hands as she bisected a skeleton vertically. More surprising was how one skeleton in front of Rika was fighting the others, 'Good, less for me to worry about.'

Suddenly, Nobu shouted for him to look out just in time for him to catch sight of another skeleton about to strike him as he blocked another blow... only for it's head and both arms to fly off. A moment later, it was cleaved in half to reveal Okita, "Don't get distracted!"

Her eyes widened at the breeze that whistled over her ears before the bang of another skeleton hitting the ground could be heard. In reply, Harry winked as he pulled back his wand and made a slashing motion, cutting a skull on half, "Back to you." Internally though, he was frowning, 'One strike... that was all she needed to take both shoulders and head? But... the only person that could pull that off according to the history books is...'

Taking the head off another, Uesugi groaned a bit, "Guys? They're regenerating!"

With a blink, Nobu frowned as she buried the borrowed knife up to the hilt in another, which stumbled back, "Huh... so they are." Huffing, she scowled a little, "Now that is not fair!"

Eyebrow twitching, the lone wizard shook his head, "Dammit..." Reaching into a pouch, Harry quickly pulled out an Ofuda which began to glow as he muttered before closed his eyes, "Everyone! Look away!"

Moments later, the room was filled with a pulse of light and when they opened their eyes, just smoking piles of armour remained. For a few moments, Fudo looked at her now destroyed opponents and then at Harry, before looking once more at the smoking armour. Giving it a kick, she gave him a look, 'How...?'

As everyone took note of what had just happened, one of them had a thoughtful expression on her face as she ran one finger along the diving knife in her hands, 'Hmm... this is a rather nice knife. Perhaps I should consider getting one?' Humming, Nobu gave a nod before walking over to Harry and holding it out, hilt first, "Thank you, Harry-San."

Chuckling, he smiled a bit, "You're welcome, Nobu-San-"

Before he could continue, Nobu grinned and her next words caused everyone to freeze, "So, you're an Onmyouji then?"

Moments later, she winced as Okita slapped her upside the head, "Nobu-Chan!"

Pouting, the former Warlord sniffed a bit, "What? We might as well not bother to hide it. We know about magic after all. Best handle it like that time you taped my mouth shut and just tear it off."

Usagi raised a finger and took a breath before pausing and shrugging, "Never mind, that would be too easy."

Everyone glanced at her before turning back to the three "No-Majs".

A thought suddenly struck Natsumi and she blinked, "Wait. You're not surprised? Or... or anything?"

Sharing a look with the others, Uesugi sighed a little as she cleaned her glasses, "No, we are not. All of us are... aware, as it were, of the fact that magic is real."

Lightly laughing, Nobu placed her hands behind her head, "Haaa! That's right, we all do. Besides..." She then jerked her thumb at a thoughtful Harry who was looking between them, "I'm pretty sure that Harry-San here has figured out the truth, or most of it." Nobu shot a grin at a confused, though concerned, Okita, "You weren't the most subtle there, Okita-Chan. Not that I think that he would mind since you saved his life there, maybe."

When they all looked at him, he chewed his lip a little, "I... Natsumi-Chan? Hoshi-San and what her and Tsuki-San found under Yokosuka. I think that they're from that."

Utter silence met him as the Kitsune looked between Harry and a grinning Nobu, "That... you mean...?" Getting a nod, she frowned as she ran a hand through her hair, "So you're really..."

Just shrugging, Nobu hummed some, "Yeah, trust me, it was a surprise to me as well."

A shout made them turn to where Fudo looked frustrated as hell, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?!" Chest heaving, she looked from one to the other, "I have no idea what just happened, or why, and I want some answers!"

Leaning against the door and staring down the dark tunnel, Carnwennan frowned, "Well, part of this is most certainly your fault, I'm afraid."

That made the Tanto twist around and glare at him, "Excuse me?!"

Unconcerned, Carnwennan shrugged and gave her a look, "What you were doing as we were following. The youngsters might not have recognized it, but I certainly did." Narrowing his eyes, he frowned, "You were breaking the wards here."

Upon spotting Harry wince, Asuka frowned as she looked at him, "Uh... is that bad? I mean..."

Glancing at her, the lone wizard sucked his teeth, "In a way? Yes." He jerked his thumb towards the doorway, now ominous with what they knew lurked within the shadows, "This place was likely a Sub-Unit-942 facility at the very least if those are the guards. Which means that breaking the wards would have set off security measures..."

Face paling as she came to a realization, Fudo swallowed, "Which means that their guards would be heading for entrances to protect it against anyone trying to get inside."

More than a little freaked out, Asuka pointed at the door, "S-so we just shut the door, right? And stay here until someone comes and digs us out. We'll be safe, right? Right?"

Walking over, Natsumi placed a hand on her shoulder, "Unfortunately... it would not work that way. If they're an automated defence system, then they would be opening the door from their side to investigate and to stand guard. And we would still be trapped in here with them, this time without warning."

Right then, a soft voice spoke up, "I have worse news for all of you." When they looked at her, Rika continued as she looked at the pile of dust that was once an undead Samurai, "These things are being controlled by something... or someone deeper inside the facility." Looking up, she gave a shudder, "And whatever it was, it knows that we're here."

Everyone looked frightened or disturbed at that before Fudo held up her hands, "Okay, everyone just calm down." Turning towards Rika, she took a deep breath, "What can you tell us about these things? Because I'm assuming that by how you controlled one, you're a Nekomata."

Glancing at the piles of armour and ashes, Rika took a deep breath, "Despite what it may seem, they're not mindless. Their souls have been shackled to the bones somehow, their skills put to use with their personalities suppressed so that they can be used as guards. But... they do understand what is happening and are displeased with it and having been torn from the afterlife. This one fought in the Battle of Sakigahara for example. From what little I could see, others might be more recent.
And there's more of them... a lot more."

Several moments passed as everyone just stared at what had been a desecration no matter how one looked at it. People torn from the afterlife and their souls bound to there earthly remains. And why? To act as guards for some place.

It... was horrific at a deep level.

Fudo, for her part, was just staring at the piles as her expression shifted through various emotions. Yes, she had heard from Kotegiri about some of what they had discovered at the end of the last war. But... she had not wanted to believe it. The idea of some of what was spoken of on that August afternoon, just after the surrender was...

She could not bear the thought of what she had been involved in, even through just her support for the government and the war itself.

With a deep breath, Fudo walked over to the doorway and scratched some symbols into the concrete before muttering. One by one they lit up before a web appeared across the entrance and she nodded, "Okay, that should buy us a little time by repelling any that come. But I need more answers before we can decide on anything such as..." Turning, she fixed Harry with a look though she glanced at Nobu, "What exactly is it that you know?"

Wincing, the thirteen year old wizard took a deep breath and let it out. Briefly, he considered stating that it was classified, but... soon dismissed it. What they were in was beyond that by this point, "It has to do with an old project that Sub-Unit-942 was doing." He paused and looked towards the reincarnated teens, "...Oda Nobunaga and Okita Souji, I presume?"

Now grinning widely, Nobunaga laughed, "Correct, Harry-San! You're as clever and intelligent as I always thought." She turned and fixed her with a smirk, "Was I not right?"

Before either of the two could comment, a certain Masamune spoke up, "Wait a second! Oda Nobunaga?! Okita Souji?! That is a little difficult to believe!" Shaking her head, Fudo frowned, "Even if they reincarnated, they would not remember any part of their past lives."

Natsumi looked uncomfortable and shifted a bit, "The... Project was exactly to do that. To have them forcibly reincarnated with all their memories and skills, but in new bodies. They planned to do it to several leaders and heroes from Japanese history such as Miyamoto Musashi. We... kind of have encountered such before."

Gritting her teeth, Fudo took a deep breath before crossing her arms over her chest, "Prove it."

A sigh made her turn towards Okita who had a slight blush on her cheeks, "As Nobu-Chan would say... it cannot be helped." With a deep breath, she let it out, "In 1865, during one of my stays in Kyoto, you came to the headquarters for the Shinsengumi looking for me as I was an instructor there. You wished for me to teach your sister, Masamune-no-Tokunatakai the Mumyo-Ken. You explained to me over drinks that she had been beaten in a fight against a 'Gaijin Rapier' and that you wished me to teach her as she was foretold to one day face her once more. I... turned you down, stating that it would not be an easy thing for me to do. You rather got angry, especially when I stated that I was not interested in money, after which, you opened the top of your Kimono and stated that you were willing to do what was needed to protect your Imouto. Thankfully, your sister Musashi, knocked you out and carried you away."

Utter silence descended on the group as they noted that Okita and Fudo were both heavily blushing. For her part, Nobu blinked, "Oooh? Now this is rather interesting. Though hopefully you would agree that the Masamune are quite... beautiful."

Needless to say, that made both girls blush even more and Okita gave her friend an hear universal gesture, which only made Nobu cackle. Closing her eyes, Fudo attempted to centre herself, but it still took a bit, "That... yes, only myself and two others knew that happened." Glaring, she fixed the others with it, "Do not spread it among anyone else."

All of them, barring Nobu who grinned, nodded in agreement.

Still leaning against the wall, Carnwennan looked down the hallway, "We still need to decide what to do. As Miss Fudo stated, her spells will only keep them back so long. More than that, staying here means we could be overwhelmed as we have nothing with which to barricade ourselves with. So... do we stay, or do we try and go in to find another entrance?"

Chewing her lip, Usagi looked at the others, "If we do go, how are we going to inform anyone? Especially if they come looking."

Arms crossed, Harry shook his head, "Since I can use magic freely... I'll send them a message. And also inform them of what is going on." Ignoring the questions how, he closed his eyes and focused on the memories he had with Natsumi and others before bringing his wand up, "Expecto Patronum!"

Everyone gasped as a giant, silver stag appeared, the light from it driving back the darkness far better than their flashlights. Jaw dropping, Uesugi stared at it, "Beautiful..."

For her part, Nobu nodded, "Hai... it really is."

With a smile and glance at them, Harry cleared his throat, "Okay, find Tsukiakari and Juuchi with the following message..." Two minutes later, Prongs walked to the landslide and disappeared between the stones, "And there we go."

Rubbing her chin, the former Oda Clan head nodded, "Impressive. And it can travel across the country in minutes, you said?" At Harry's confirmation, she frowned, "It is certainly something that I wish I had access to. Would have made giving orders so much easier as well as receiving reports. Ah, what I would have given to have you at my side, Harry-San. Along with Kote-Chan and the others, we would have conquered Japan so much easier."

Under her breath, the Masamune muttered a bit as she thought back to the Boshin War and the like where western magic got used a lot, "You don't know the half of it." Briefly, she thought of Nobunaga having had access to instant transportation via things like portkeys or apparation allowing for one to appear in the middle of a defended area and shuddered, 'No, it would have been much quicker...' Shaking that off, she frowned, "That said, are we staying or going? I know which I would like, but I cannot make the decision for all of you."

They all shared a look and what followed was a conversation between them. As they talked, Harry had a look of deep concentration before he frowned, "If we go, we have three advantages in the form of people. Carnwennan, and perhaps Natsumi-Chan, can scout ahead with their abilities. But more important is Asuka-San and Rika-San."

It went without saying that both girls blinked at that in utter confusion, "Us?"

Glancing at Rika, Asuka shook her head and waved her hands around, "I-I mean... how am I an advantage?! I don't know how to fight! Ai only taught me a few things and I know some stuff from my... from my Otou-San before he died. But I don't really know how to fight. And I panicked before..."

Softly smiling, Carnwennan placed a hand on her shoulder, "Now, don't be putting yourself down like that, Asuka. Trust me, you did fine for your first real battle. I could tell you about some of the guys I know... Culhwch was not much older than you were when he set out on a grand adventure with Arthur's Knights. The point is, Asuka, you did fine and better than most. I would much rather have you than Dagonet any day at my side."

Lips twitching a bit, she hummed and nodded, "Thank you." When Carnwennan backed up a bit with a smile, Asuka turned to Harry, "I still don't know how I could help..."

With a chuckle, Harry looked between her and Rika, "Asuka-San, as a Tengu, you can sense the air currents and give us a warning of movement up ahead. And Rika-San? She can sense the unquiet dead, which is another warning. With Carnwennan and Natsumi-Chan? We got a good chance of knowing they're coming before they arrive."

Asuka stared at him for a few moments before looking at Rika who gave a nod herself. Then, slowly, she nodded as well as she fixed her expression into her best impression of a serious Ai. After gathering the weapons, and sending out another Patronus, the group began to make their way into the complex.

Into the Heart of Darkness hoping for light on the other side.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

"We have intruders, they tripped the wards and destroyed the guard contingent sent there."

Two eye sockets filled with witchfire turned away from where they were observing the glass cylinder that contained a fox's pelt, "And so? Send more teams, it matters not."

A dry, rattling chuckle could be heard before the second being froze as the first spoke, "Well then... and here I thought that you would be interested in how there is a... Demon among them that you thought dead."

Slowly, the second turned and fixed the empty eye sockets, also burning with witchfire, with it's own, "A... Demon."

Humming, the first looked at the glass tube which began to have cracks spiderwebbing along it as the pelt thrashed in it's liquid filled capsule, "Or perhaps a great fool." One could almost catch a glint of amusement in the flame that filled the skeletal being's eyes, "I believed that you should know."

Not saying anything, the second clenched it's fists with a creaking sound as a third spoke up, almost sounding bored, 'I see. Anyone else of concern?"

Turning towards him, the first was silent for a moment, "A few as a matter of fact. However, the Dragon shall be dealt with by myself, the Tiger. For I know that he will not be stopped by the fodder in the corridors." He then paused before nodding, "An old comrade of yours is with them, who never got the chance to die on the field of battle."

Upon seeing the eyes of the third light up as it checked the spells wired into it, glowing wires revealing bone that they were wrapped around, the second snorted, "Not going to comment? Or is your back aching enough not to spea-"

Voice colder than the arctic drifted past as the third spoke, "Be. Silent." After a few moments of contemplation, it nodded, "I see, so one of my Captains has returned then. Very well... we both wanted to see Japan saved and while I had my death on the battlefield, he did not. Though it is good to see he, too, has returned. Together, we shall save Japan and fulfill our last orders, last true orders."

Scoffing, the second spoke up as the sound of glass finally shattering could be heard as well as the rush of liquid, "He has perhaps grown soft and will not agree with your methods now. What will you do then?"

For a few seconds, none of them spoke before the third sighed, "Then I shall give him the death he should have gotten, not one where he wasted away."

Turning, he regarded the fox's pelt which slithered from the now broken containment tube. It moved across the floor until it reached a skeleton laying there where it had fallen as the original owner had died from his magical oath turning against him with the surrender of Japan to the allies. A slit appeared along the torso of the pelt as it split apart, opening like some sort of mouth before red strings whipped out and attached themselves to the bones, pulling the skeleton inside the empty fur, filling it and giving it form before the slit closed and the sound of bones reforming could be heard as the pelt twitched.

Other containers glowed in the labratory as well. In one, a skeletal arm, almost human though somewhat deformed and tipped by dirty claws floated. Beside it, another tube held a large skull within it that resembled a human's. From the head rose two long horns with smaller spikes along the eyebrow ridges and around the lower jaw as if they composed a beard. In another containment vessel, was a human skeleton floated, with frogs trying to get inside of it, while beside it was a long object in a tube of it's own that resembled a giant oni's horn, but one the size of a human and broken off at the bottom.

With a motion of his arm, the third silently ordered one of the guards to one tube in particular. Inside, glowing with a darkness, was a sliver of bone. One fed on suffering and the like, and it had gorged itself. At the bottom of the tube was the Kanji for "Eight" as well as "Death", able to be seen despite the dirt and rust. Moments after arrival, the skeletal warrior reached out, even as the soul inside recoiled in horror before pulling the switch that drained away the fluid. Watching, the third sighed, "By order of one of the Three Captains of the Guard of this facility, I release you."

Curious as the tube slowly retracted, the first hummed, "So you are releasing that then? Are you... concerned? As there is a Masamune, an unidentified dagger spirit which is quite powerful, an Onmyouji, and a number of powerful Yokai though one... has the touch of one of our prisoners to her."

Voice flat, the third watched as the skeletal guard he had sent reached out and grasped the bone shard, it suddenly seemingly become liquid and slithering up the guard's shoulder as it screamed, merging as it did so, "No. But to save Japan, to bring it back to what should have been and was even before our... benefectors brought us back... what is must be burned as the diseased thing it is. Those others can provide the raw materials."

Already, the unfortunate skeletal guard was writhing with dark power as bones cracked and broke, reforming as what seemed like a tail formed and large fangs grew in the mouth as the face stretched out into a muzzle and the neck lengthened.

In another part of the room, the fox pelt pulled in another skeleton, stood up and once more opened the torso, this time pulling in one of the skeletal guards with it not fighting back against the tendrils. It's head shifted and filled as bones beneath grew and shifted. The nose twitched and it turned it's head, eye sockets glowing ominously.

"MakE uS WhoLE..."

_________________________________________________________________________

Pausing as they snuck along the dimly lit corridor, Natsumi shuddered before looking around. Behind her, Harry frowned a bit as the atmosphere seemed to change, feeling far more oppressive, "What was that?"

Fudo, for her part, gripped her true body even tighter as the other yokai looked around in concern, "I don't know. But whatever that was? It was not good. Not good by far."

Suddenly, as if melting from the darkness, Carnwennan appeared and pulled back his hood some, "There's a room about twenty feet that way. No idea how big it is, but... the door is locked."

Lips twitching, the lone wizard nodded, "Well... let's see about it staying that way then." Slowly, they made their way up to the door, and upon reaching it Harry reached inside of a pouch and pulled out the lockpicking tool, 'Thank you, Tsukiakari. I got to get you something nice for your birthday.' Placing a hand against the metal of the door, his eyes glowed as he used divination to look inside, "It's not big, but... it looks like there's some desks and such. And what seems to be a locker." Cocking his head to the side, Harry frowned, "We... could take a break in it. Rika-San? Can you feel anything?"

The Nekomata walked up and focused on the door. After a few seconds, Rika shook her head as she whispered with her ears and tails twitching due to how the atmosphere changed with her next words causing the thirteen year old wizard to nod, "No, it's clear."

As he worked at the lock, Harry overheard the others talking to each other. That was, until Uesugi adjusted her glasses some and turned to the only other British member of their group, "So, Carnwennan-San?"

Keeping an eye out and alert, Carnwennan still gave her a glance, "That's right, Miss Uesugi."

While she nodded, Fudo glanced at him in thought, "You know... Honjo-Nee-San did mention you. Going by what she had told us, it is a good thing that you are here." Lips twitching, she gave a small chuckle, "Granted, she stated that you act as if you are quite old despite what your apparent age is."

Uesugi's next words caused the chuckle to die, "That is because he is." When everyone other than Harry, who continued to work, and Natsumi, who kept an eye out with her ears twitching, looked at her she continued, "You see, we covered some interesting stories a few years ago in English class. Ones that had a lot of the students asking Harry-San a number of questions and the like. Due to what he stated, I became interested in them and looked them up." The former warlord nodded towards Nobu and Okita who made sounds of agreement, "As did my friends."

His lips curling into a smile, the British Dagger chuckled, "I see, so you know who I am?"

Eyes thoughtful, Uesugi made a sound of amusement, "Hai. Carnwennan, whose name means 'White hilt'. A powerful dagger of legend who was originally..." Adjusting her glasses, she smiled, "One of the three great weapons of King Arthur of the British Iles alongside the sword Excalibur and the spear Rhongomyniad."

With her expression lighting up, Okita nodded, "A dagger said to be able to kill anything it was used against, no matter how powerful. Once, it was thrown at a witch and cut her in half down the middle. And another, it slew a giant by cleaving it's head in two. When unsheathed, it cloaks the person using it in shadow and makes them invisible." Seeing the amused glance that Harry gave her as well as Carnwennan and Natsumi, she blushed, "I like swords and it was so interesting."

Shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter, Carnwennan shook his head, "Well then, it seems that you have done your homework. Yes, that is who I am. And yes, King Arthur was my first Master."

About to shout, Ayaka found a hand over her mouth. Glancing at the equally shocked Usagi, she took a deep breath from her nose before pulling the Inaba's hand away from her mouth, "You mean to tell me... that... that Natsumi-San has a dagger from King Arthur?! Where did you...?!"

Natsumi was extremely amused as she looked at her "Rival" and motioned at Harry, "Harry-Chan gave Carnwennan to me. So that I would be able to protect myself against anything that might come."

Raising an eyebrow, Nobu looked at said black haired boy, "Did you know what he was?"

Simply continuing to work, Harry shook his head, "At the time? No. And before you ask, even after I found out, I wanted Natsumi-Chan to have him as her weapon."

There was a thoughtful look on the former head of the Oda Clan's face as she rubbed her chin and crouched by him, "I see, I see. Now that is rather informative, Harry-San." Inside her mind, Nobu's mind, her thoughts were awhirl as she reevaluated the relationship between the Kitsune and the British born wizard, 'To just gift such a weapon to someone. A legendary weapon that belonged to such a King, and not blink an eye as you see it insuring her safety.' Smugly smiling, she shook her head, 'You are truly an interesting person. If only you existed then...'

Unknown to them, Fudo was utterly stunned as she glanced at the dagger beside her before taking a deep breath, 'Honjo-Nee knew... she knew and never...' A realization occurred to her and she narrowed her eyes, 'You were waiting to drop this on us, weren't you?'

In Tokyo, Honjo sneezed before blinking as she looked around, 'Why do I feel like Fudo found out that I was going to prank her?' A sigh then escaped her and she shook her head, 'I'll always be thankful to you, Carnwennan, for teaching me how to do such.'

Back in the hidden facility, Harry paused as there was a click before nodding, "There... it's unlocked."

Opening the door and moving a ball of light inside, he moved to the side to let the others in while him, Natsumi, the Reincarnated, Fudo, and Carnwennan covered them. Once they were inside, they entered themselves one by one until finally Carnwennan was the only one outside with the dagger turning to them, "I'll go and scout out the area while you rest. When I return, I'll manifest next to you."

He then pulled his hood up and vanished into the shadows as if part of them. After a few seconds, Fudo closed the door and placed some spells against it, "Okay, five minute break. Do what you need to until Carnwennan-San gets back. Water and food, or if you need to do your business..." At the far end, she cast a spell and the air turned opaque between two of the lockers, "Do it over there and we'll vanish it when we leave."

Various members nodded and soon Harry conjured some cups and filled them with water before he began to unlock the filing cabinets so that Natsumi could look through the old, though preserved by magic, folders. Reaching the large locker, Harry considered it before going to work. It took him less than a minute before it was open and he whistled some which caught Kaku's attention, "You find something?"

Grinning, the wizard nodded before reaching in and pulling out a sheathed sword. One that he tossed to Okita who examined it and found that it showed no signs of corrosion, "You could say that. Seems I found a weapon's locker." Suddenly, he cocked his head to the side with an odd expression on his face, "What in the world...?"

With a glance at him, Natsumi noted the expression he had was one of complete and utter befuddlement, "Harry-Chan? What is it?"

Slowly, Harry blinked, "Uh... I'm not sure? I mean... is this real?"

Reaching inside, he pulled out something that caused everyone to blink. Said object was obviously a sword of some sort and was sheathed. But that was not the issue...
Mainly, the issue was that the "Hilt" was a Nambu pistol with the Katana-style blade coming up from where the rounds would be chambered.

Everyone just sort of stared in stunned disbelief at what they were seeing until Fudo looked over and blinked, "Oh, one of those?" When they turned to her, she shrugged, "A number of Officers had them made in the Imperial Magical Army. Kind of a... unique, idea. They're enchanted so that you can still place the magazine in without any trouble, while the sword's tang occupies a specially enchanted space. Heard a No-Maj had one made similar, but without magic."

Boggled, Harry just stood there for a few moments before looking at the serial number and mumbling to himself. After casting a spell, he shrugged and hung it from his side. At seeing the looks, he chuckled a bit, "It's a Pre-War Nambu going by the serial number. Means that it won't blow up in my hand from firing."

Poking her head around him, Nobu blinked, "Anything else interesting?"

In reply, Harry reached in and pulled out a handgun... if one that was apparently fitted to 25mm and sized for it could be called such, "Some stuff."

All Nobu did was grin and cackle in reply as she began digging around. Lips curling into a smile, she pulled out something and tossed it towards Asuka, "Here! Got something for you!'

Catching it, the Tengu felt her eyes widen as they closed around one end before bringing the object close. Asuka then flicked it open to reveal a fan with each rib ending in a small blade that had Kanji on it. In her hands, said symbols softly glowed as the weapon accepted her, "A Tengu iron war fan..." Holding it, she flicked her wrist and a burst of wind shot at the wall, cutting into it a bit, "Wow..." Then she cringed at the slight disapproval on Fudo's face, "Sorry."

However, Fudo just shook her head and waved her off before noticing something on one of the desks everyone was avoiding. Mainly because said desk had a skeleton slumped over it, still clad in tattered robes. Walking over, she moved one of the hands and ignored the cobwebs that stuck to her own hand, "Now what is this...?"

With a frown, Natsumi turned to her, "What is it?"

Not saying anything, the Masamune lifted up the object and blew the dust from it. Once the dust and cobwebs were gone, it was obviously a mirror which made them blink with Ayaka scratching her head as she looked away from the Tanto she had, "Uh... a mirror?"

Slowly, Fudo nodded as she turned it over, "Hai, but not an ordinary one. This is a message mirror." At the looks of confusion, she shook her head, "In Onmyoudo, it is known that one can trap spirits into mirrors. Back in the 1920s, using this as a basis and No-Maj film, government Onmyouji created a method that would record things on a mirror to be played back. It was often used to send messages, and this one... has one recorded on it." Looking around, she found a stand and rolled up her sleeves, "Let's see if I remember..."

Taking a deep breath, she went through the motions of the spell to activate it. For a few moments, there was nothing at all and everyone thought that she might have failed. Even Fudo did and she was about to try again, when a spark ran along the surface of the mirror, which seemed to ripple.

And when it cleared, it revealed a man with blood seeping out of his mouth and nose as he coughed more out, "{D-damn them... damn the No-Majs... and damn the No-Maj Emperor! He... he failed us... and we were so close. So damn close to final victory..."

Fudo had a grimace on her face as he suddenly seemed to have a fit with more blood spurting out, "No... no you were not."

Inside the mirror, the recording continued as the Onmyouji spat out something, smoke rising from his form, "{If only we had not taken... those magical oaths promising victory. A victory... that would have seen us magicals in charge as it should be... and Kamo as Shogun.}" Everyone stiffened at that and with Fudo paling while she trembled with rage, "{We had nearly perfected the... process as ordered... Our comrades in Yokosuka believed they had finally... managed to bring back those who were gone with all their memories. Yes... some of the subjects... were overwritten... by the past, but that... was acceptable to us as many more... could be awoken wit... no effects. Kamo himself accompanied... the data and told us... we were doing the work... needed. He was... pleased two days ago.}"

Within the Tanto's head, one it was silent from shock as one thought repeated, 'They knew... they knew and ordered...'

Meanwhile, the Onmyouji coughed out more blood, this somehow more thick as he clutched at his chest, "{WE WERE SO CLOSE! WE COULD HAVE BEATEN THE AMERICANS WITH MORE TIME... TIME THAT THE EMPEROR WOULD NOT GIVE US AND ABANDONED US WITH!}" Coughing, he snarled in the image, "{The others could focus on heroes and leaders such as Miyomoto Musashi... Tokugawa Ieyasu... Queen Himeko... Abe no Seimei... But we... we would have provided the true sword. we already... had subjects ready to be brought... their sacrifice would have provided... what was needed.}" Madness shone in his eyes, even as the blood vessels in one popped and blood began to flow like tears from that eye, "{I touched it, and held it... the pelt of Tamamo no Mae... the bones of Momiji, such beautiful power within them even now... the horn of Ōtakemaru... a shard of bone from the... of the Ya-}"

Briefly, he choked before puking something that steamed and was composed only partially of blood and he slumped a bit as everyone stared in horror before he started listing off again.

Finally, he groaned a bit, "{All we would... have needed was... material... bodies for their... essence... to consume and resurrect. And with the shard we took from the... Sword of Faded Memories... we could have manipulated their... minds and... controlled them. The Americans... the ICW... even Grindelwald... would have fallen... or burned before us and our weapons...}"

Jerkingly, he slumped to the desk and shook before a death rattle escaped him and the image faded away. Utter silence settled on the room as everyone stared from the mirror to the skeleton. For several moments, there was nothing before Fudo screamed in pure rage and kicked said desk sending it flying right before she shot a spell at the skeleton, shattering it. Not done, she stomped the skull into shards still screaming before lighting the whole thing on fire.

Having materialized next to Natsumi close to the beginning, Carnwennan blinked and raised an eyebrow, "Well... this is somewhat of a sticky situtation."

Nobu just continued to stare at the mirror before she gripped her sword, "Harry-San?"

With a slow nod, Harry glanced at her, "Hai, Nobu-San?"

Reaching up, the former Warlord lowered the brim of her everpresent hat and snarled, her eyes alight with pure rage and loathing, "Send out your patronus and let them know what is happening. If someone is active here, we are going to send them to Mugen Jigoku before this gets out of hand. This ends now."

It was then that Harry realized that who stood before him was not Nobu, a somewhat chunni teenage girl who liked to troll and tease. No, the person before him was the Warlord Oda Nobunaga, the man who nearly conquered Japan. With a glance, he could see the Captain of the Shinsengumi, Okita Souji as well as Oda's fellow Warlord, Uesugi Kenshin. Bowing, he gave a nod, "Hai!" Casting the spell, he sent off the longer message and watched as the stag vanished into the walls, "It is done."

Eyes widening a bit, Rika turned her head, "They're coming. A lot of them."

Breaking a chair, Kaku grabbed the chair leg and scratched some symbols into them before whispering a Buddhist sutra which caused said symbols to glow and the wood to become a staff. He could remember his grandfather, Shukaku's, lessons coming to the forefront of his mind, "Unforunately, they're dealing with us."

Usagi gained a smile on her face that had no right belonging on a rabbit, "Let's roll out the welcome mat."

Heart thudding and blood pounding in her ears, Asuka could almost feel her ancestors, adopted and otherwise, lending her strength as she snapped open the fan and grabbed a Tanto, wings spreading as the wind whipped around her, "Hai, let's."

Almost as one, they opened the door and walked out into the corridor with the Tengu already using the wind to map out a route to where the central labratory was likely located.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N-How about a nice WAFF/fluff break before the plunge?

A Pint At The Three Broomsticks

The Three Broomsticks, Hogsmeade

June 6th 2014
Spoiler: A Day That Changed History

Pomona Sprout entered the pub and placed her broomstick in the offered rack by the door. Across the bustling pub, the familiar blonde hair of Madame Rosmerta turned to survey the new customer.

"Good day, Professor Sprout, your usual?" The bartender asked as she bustled over.

Pomona smiled and shook her head. "Deliver it up to Room 13, it's that time of the year again."

Rosemerta blushed. "Oh your private party again. Professor McGonagall is already up there. I'll have it sent right up." She paused. "I always wondered what your yearly get together was about."

Pomona paused at the stairs up to the private rooms and looked very distant, seeing a time and place far removed from the peaceful village that she was in. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she smiled. "Just remembering friends long dead. Days great and terrible long gone by." Pomona finished with a wry smile. "You really had to be with us back there to understand."

With that, Pomona made her way inside the room. Minerva McGonagall was sitting there by the fire with an untouched pint glass of stout as she read a leather-bound book. Pomona gave her old friend a warm smile. "Minnie. You're here early."

Minerva returned the smile. "Pommie. Yes, I am. Augusta will be along shortly, she got sucked into that nasty business last month in France."

Pomona's lips twisted as she sat in a chair across from Minerva. "Verdun waking up? I heard the gossip, how bad was it?"

Augusta Longbottom entered and removed her vulture-crowned hat as a second pint of stout beer appeared on the table next to Pomona. "Verdun? It was a damn near close run thing. Albus, Lucius and I were all part of the ritual to help seal it back away. That said, I found some interesting news from it."

Pomona leaned forward. "Spill, Gussie. I can tell that you want to dish."

Augusta Longbottom sat down with a sigh. "Bloody hip's acting up. Well I was part of the ritual team chanelling through a forward strike force to slap a patch on the wards. I couldn't believe that Lucius actually called me to request my presence at first. But when I got there and briefed in alongside Albus, well he was right to do so. Lucius Malfoy came through and saved our bacon there, because if it had broken totally loose it would have been as bad as anything I have ever seen."

Minerva took her glasses off and began to clean them. "I must be going batty, because I just heard you compliment Lucius Malfoy. Saints preserve us."

Augusta laughed. "He actually has the semblance of a good point from time to time. Ruthless, scheming, and cunning though he is. But that was the second most shocking thing that happened at Verdun. While we were recovering from the strain of wrestling that thing back into submission, Lucius started working the room; you know how he is about that. So I decided to follow suit to see what he was up to and straighten out any lies that he told. Struck up an interesting conversation with an elderly witch from MACUSA who looked to be about our age who came across the Pond to help out." Augusta grinned as she dropped the bombshell, "Named Jézabel de Breuil in fact."

Pomona felt her jaw drop as Minerva dropped her glasses with a curse. "Merlin's Hairy Arse! DE BREUIL? Not The Major's sister is it?"

Augusta grinned as Minerva began to reach for her glasses. "By your left foot, Minnie. Oh, it gets better. She's related to The Major all right, but she is her mother. And The Major and Captain du Chasteler were, surprise surprise, right neck deep in the hairy end of the shit as part of the forward strike team who fought through to where they needed to be."

With that, Augusta, reached into her handbag, a mousetrap snapped, and then she pulled out a cut-out magical photograph that she placed on the table for the other two to examine while a third glass of stout appeared for her. "See?"

Pomona nodded her head as Minerva replaced her glasses and leaned over to look. "That's The Major, and Captain du Chasteler all right, they haven't aged a day either. I can't forget HER face, not after I followed her out the plane over Normandy. That crazy Frenchie's still carrying around her pigsticker too. The young blonde that The Major's talking to looks a lot like du Chasteler as well, daughter maybe."

Augusta shrugged. "Maybe a daughter. Good to see that they are still fighting the good fight in their own ways alongside us. Too many of us have fallen by the wayside over the years."

Minerva chuckled. "Well I hope you got The Major's address so we can invite her over to hoist a pint. She and du Chasteler both paid for entrance in our little club in the only coin that really matters seventy years ago today."

Augusta and Pomona both nodded solemnly in agreement. Augusta then spoke. "I'll write The Major and see if she knows how to get a hold of Captain du Chasteler. I'm sure that she does, she really never missed a trick like that all across Europe."

Pomona stood and took her glass, joined by Minerva and Augusta. "No, no she didn't. Saved me the first day when we hit that ritual site by drawing the Feldgeisters' fury onto herself."

Augusta spoke. "And me in Brussels when that Obscurial manifested."

Minerva finished "Dragged me to cover under fire during that counterattack in Chef-du-Pont after I took a bullet in the leg. She taught me how to fire your machine gun too."

Pomona laughed. "If the children we teach only knew where we got that machine gun mounted as a trophy in the back of my office."

Minerva smiled, "True, but it's time to remember. My turn to speak the words."

With that three glasses of stout beer were hoisted to touch in a toast and Minerva McGonagall began to recite from memory words written four hundred years ago by England's greatest playwright. Words that were later said on D-Day by an officer in the first wave leading the British troops on SWORD Beach as machine gun bullets pinged off the armor of his landing craft to inspire the men he would lead to liberate France. Words that had been lived by these three witches that had volunteered to risk their lives to go to war to save England from Hitler and Grindelwald despite official disapproval of their actions.
Spoiler: St. Crispin's Day

"What's he that wishes so?
My cousin Westmoreland? No, my fair cousin:
If we are mark'd to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live,
The fewer men, the greater share of honour.
God's will! I pray thee, wish not one man more.
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which hath no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made
And crowns for convoy put into his purse:
We would not die in that man's company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall see this day, and live old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian's
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars.
And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.'
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day: then shall our names.
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remember'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day!"

(Henry V, Act IV Scene iii)

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Tsukiakari snarled as she held her sword in front of her as wind began to swirl around it, "MOVE SENPAI! HAAAAA!"

Eyebrow raising as she jumped back, Juuchi watched as the spell impacted the dirt that was burying the entrance to the bunker. It ripped and tore its way through the debris, she watched as one boulder splintered and broke apart. Glancing at the huffing Tsukiakari, she gave a slight nod at the hole revealed in the slide, "Very good, Tsu." Going into a stance, she swung her true self, with it cutting into the dirt easily, "Very good indeed."

Using a banishing charm, the Kyu-Gunto could only watch as more debris was smacked away, "Thank you, Senpai." She grimaced though as she noted that they had not gone too far into the hill, 'Master...'

A sympathetic look on her face, Juuchi flung yet more spells at the landslide before she caught sight of something and looked up to find Hedwig landing with a large box and Shiromizu around her neck, "Well now, seems that the first of the calvary has shown up."

Just slithering from her position, Shiromizu took a deep breath before gagging a bit, "Ugh... that's disgusting, smells like... snake? But way fouler..."

Juuchi just grimaced, "We've been informed of more regarding the inside since you left Yokosuka, Shiromizu. The situation has deteriorated."

With the box opened by Hedwig, the rest of the Potter Armory appeared and Andraste looked at the Muramasa, "How bad?"

Glancing at Tsu who was continuing to dig into the hill, for a few moments the Japanese blade was silent. However, Juuchi then took a deep breath, "This place is... a sister to the one under Yokosuka, which tried to reincarnate people. Except in this case? It was for the monsters..." Lips pressing together thinly, she glanced at Shiromizu, "Including, apparently, the Yamata no Orochi."

Upon hearing that, the Mizuchi paled and turned to look at the complex, "You mean that aura... it is of..."

Slowly, Juuchi nodded with a grunt, "Most likely it is awakening even as we work. Master, brave fool he is, is heading deeper into the complex to end it before it becomes too strong." A sardonic smirk appeared on her face, "Something that is truly Potter, when you think about it."

Despite her panic at what her little brother had gotten involved in with now, Shiromizu took a deep breath before rolling up her sleeves, "Senpai is coming and will be here soon, same with her mother and some of the others. According to her, Kyoto knows and is sending Aurors as well as the First Oni Guard to help clear it out... but if it is that bad..."

Grunting as she took a breather, Tsukiakari looked over at her, "We've already been in contact with Yokosuka. They're sending a number of shipgirls and others as well as a... Kotegiri-San." A frown on her face, she looked at Juuchi, "Juuchi-Senpai apparently knows her and approved."

On said Muramasa's face was a smug smirk, "Hai, and with very good reason, Tsu." Her expression then hardened, "But first, we need to reach Master..."

Shiromizu placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her aside before walking forward and doing the same with Tsukiakari, "Allow me..."

Taking a deep breath, she lunged her head forward as she opened her mouth, steaming water streaming out like a firehose and impacting the landslide. As Juuchi watched, the water turned the dirt to mud, moving it away under the Mizuchi's control. Any rocks were shattered or cut apart by the spray as she kept it up, the landslide collapsing and moving to the side. Humming, she looked at Tsu and the two resumed launching spells to chew up what the Mizuchi could not, even as she noted Catherine kneel on the damp ground and draw her true self. The Sword of Jeanne d'Arc placed her forehead against her pommel and began to softly pray as it began to glow.

With a nod, Juuchi turned her head and resumed attacking the landslide, even as the others besides Catherine joined in best that they could. They all understood what was at stake after all, and would give it their all. And even as Hedwig noted the distant sound of Ospreys as well as pops in the nearby woods, Juuchi continued to work.

After all, they had a member of their family to save.
______________________________________________________________

Running down the hallway towards the group of undead charging at them, Harry and Natsumi glanced at each other before nodding. Looking over his shoulder, he shouted at Asuka who was following them, "I NEED A BLAST OF WIND IN TEN!"

Not saying anything, the Tengu brought back her war fan around which wind started gathering until it howled.

Meanwhile, Harry swiped with his wand as daggers appeared in the air around him, with a quick banishing charm sending them flying towards the undead, "NOW!" He could feel the wind blast past him, hitting the daggers and increasing their speed still further until they slammed into the guards. Those struck stumbled back, and some of the daggers punched through them and hit the ones behind. Which was when Harry did two things...

First, he cast a shield spell he found in an old book. It was not used much any more because it was only effective against physical attacks, and didn't do anything about magical. Secondly, the spell itself rotated to deflect attacks and the more magic, the faster it spun. In fact, it was a variant that some used to burrow through earth.

The second thing he did was cast the spell him and Natsumi had found in Voldemort's book as the Kitsune in question did the same thing beside him and they flew down the hallway.

Both of them impacted the guards at the same time as the rapidly spinning shield dug into the front ranks, ripping them apart as it touched them while Natsumi slashed at any that got flung to her side of the corridor. Meanwhile, in the rear of their group, Fudo and Carnwennan were fighting a rear guard action against those coming up from behind. Grabbing the hand of one, the Arthurian blade twisted and tore said arm off, bones splintering. He finished it off by taking said arm and shoving the broken end through the original owner's skull.

At his side, Fudo snarled as she struck down another undead, bisecting it with said creature bursting into flames. On her blade, the image of Fudo My'oo blazed with light and, from the warmth she could feel, her tattoo was doing the same, "HOW MANY OF THESE BASTARDS ARE THERE!?"

With a small shrug, Carnwennan hummed, "Enough, I would think." Snapping out with a kick that somehow glowed with shadow, he knocked the head off one of the undead, with the body collapsing, "Still, quite the refreshing walk! Haven't had quite this amount of fun in a long time."

Pausing for a moment, the Masamune blinked at that, 'Fun?' Ducking unconsciously under a slash, she returned it a moment later and ended the guard's existence, "You call this fun?!"

Unable to help himself, Carnwennan threw his head back and laughed, "Of course! And don't tell me that you're not enjoying blowing off some steam!"

Lightly blushing, Fudo took the head off another guard with a backhanded swipe. Instead, she focused on what was going on around them. Even in the head of battle, the Masamune had to admit that the teens were holding themselves together well besides the Reincarnated ones. Kaku cracking bones with his bo staff as it glowed and left damage behind that was unable to be regenerated as he muttered sutras under his breath. At the same time, Rika was grabbing control of some of the horde and sending them against the rest while the short sword in Usagi's grip blazed with light as she channeled her ancestry from the Hare of Inaba.

As for Asuka and Ayaka, the two were fighting back to back with the Inugami protecting the Tengu, who let loose bursts of wind to knock some of the guards back and give those there an oppotunity which made the Tanto nod before she turned her attention to her fight.

Nobu frowned as she parried the hit from one skeleton, twisting around and stabbing up and out of it's ribcage and into the skull. Even as it fell away, she grimaced, 'There's too many of them and they're regenerating.' Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the flash of light from either Harry or Natsumi using an Ofuda to vaporize their opponents. But it was seeing Rika do something that made her eyes widen before she grinned, "I have a plan! Asuka! How big of a burst of wind can you make?"

Rapidly blinking as her wind enshrouded fan threw one attacker away from her and into three more, the Tengu frowned, "Big, but I need time and-"

With a nod, Nobu grimly smiled, "We'll give you time! NATSUMI! TO MY SIDE, RIKA YOU AS WELL!"

Said girls didn't say anything, but did as asked, though Harry followed Natsumi with their area clear for now. Upon hearing what Nobu wanted, they nodded and prepared until Asuka let out a bird screech and thrust her fan towards the guards fighting Fudo and Carnwennan, with the Masamune throwing her true self at the wall next to Asuka and Carnwennan appearing beside Natsumi at Nobu's call...

Just in time for Natsumi and Rika to unleash their magical fire, combined with Harry's, down into the massive gust of wind.

All three different fires, one with the magic of Kitsune embued with purificiation energy, one of the Nekomata filled with necormantic energy, and just plain magical fire combined with the wind and Tengu magic to create a firestorm that swept through the undead guards. Their bones crackled and broke under the intense flames that left their weapons and armor glowing red hot. As they looked at the burnt corridor, everyone took a moment to rest.

Looking at Nobu, Harry shook his head, "Impressive."

The former warlord just shrugged, "I have seen enough wildfires to know what effects wind would have. Same with fire created in enclosed spaces, so it makes sense. With how Natsumi-San's and Rika-San's fires can harm them? With yours heating them up further alongside the wind from Asuka-San? It could only help." Looking around, she frowned, "Unfortunately, we only have a break."

Okita shook her head as she sheathed her sword, part of her wishing that it was one of the two she used in life, "Hai. The closer we get to the center, the more that there is. We're good... but only some of us are able to put them down on a permanent basis."

Considering that, Harry glanced at his pouch before nodding, "I can fix that, I think... never did it personally... but..." When he got a nod, he started pulling out Ofuda, "Nobu-San, Okita-San, Uesugi-San, I need your swords for a moment. Carnwennan, Ayaka-San? Your daggers."

Without a word, those in question did so and Harry wrapped the Ofuda around the hilts of their weapons as he muttered. Eyebrow raised as she watched him, Fudo nodded, "You're transferring the abilities of the Ofuda to the edges of the swords. Smart, but it won't last that long."

Just shrugging, Uesugi looked at her and brushed a bit of hair away from her sweaty face. "It doesn't need to last that long, just long enough. And we need every advantage we can get from it."

Nose twitching as she watched, Usagi gave Natsumi an intrigued look, "By the way... I've been wondering how your purification Ofuda can pull off what they do. My Onee-Sans have been Priestesses for years, same with my Onii-San... but they're just able to pull something like it off themselves with preparation."

Mood perking up a bit, the lone Masamune looked at the Kitsune herself, "I have been wondering the same. Toku-Chan can do something similar, but needs to be extremely careful while preparing them and she has experience."

Blinking, Natsumi gave a shrug and shook her head, "Harry-Chan made both me and Oba-Chan brush sets. Oba-Chan thinks that our Ofuda punch well above the normal level because Harry-Chan used unicorn hair in the brushes." She gestured at the hair ribbon she had, which glowed a soft silver in the dim light, "Same with my ribbons."

For several moments, Fudo only blinked at that before she gave a small nod, "I... see." Watching as the Ofuda burnt away, and left the weapons glowing softly, she frowned as a thought occurred to her, '... I wonder if I can have him make Toku-Chan a brush set much the same for her birthday...'

Unnoticed by the Kitsune, Okita had a thoughtful look on her face. And, glancing at Uesugi and the smirking Nobu, she could see that they had the same thought, 'To gift such a thing...' Looking at her sword, she could see it glowing with a light of purity and smiled a bit at her dirty reflection, 'Truly, you are lucky, Natsumi-San...'

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Seeking The Way

Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, Independence, Missouri

May 28th, 2014
Spoiler: A Meeting of Sisters

"It is difficult to realize the true Way just through sword-fencing. Know the smallest things and the biggest things, the shallowest things and the deepest things." - Miyamoto Musashi, The Book Of Five Rings

As the mid morning sun shone upon this suburb of Kansas City, a lone figure walked to the steps of the Presidential Library. Dressed in a red baseball cap on her light purple-pink hair, a red T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers and carrying a blue backpack, she seemed to be the image of a 20-something out for exercise. The only odd point was the black sword case that she had slung over her shoulder.
Spoiler: Masamune-no-Musashi

A sword case that contained the daisho katana and wakazashi paired set inherited by the greatest master of the Way of the Sword in Japanese history.

A sword case, now carried by the spirit of his weapons, his last apprentice, and the most skilled of the Masamunes.

Musashi hefted the case containing herself and began to walk up the steps to the museum honoring one of the most unlikely US Presidents.

She paid admission, and joined a tour group. Standing in the back, she raised a mental eyebrow as the displays, exhibits, and guide described the man who served as an artillery captain in the trenches during the First World War, then rose through the ranks of the Missouri political scene to eventually become a senator by the time that her country attacked America. The eyebrow raised higher as the man who this museum was about then was selected to run as Vice-President, only to then be forced into office when his legendary predecessor suffered a fatal stroke in 1945.

Musashi watched and listened as now-President Truman made the decision to use the then-experimental Atomic Bombs to destroy two Japanese cities as a last gambit before the invasion which would have gravely wounded America and destroyed Japan utterly. Hoping against hope that the Japanese government would see and accept that the war was lost and surrender rather than have their very culture obliterated. Her eyes shadowed as she remembered those days that she had lived through, the moment when she heard the scratchy recording of the Emperor of Japan ordering his people, ordering her to endure the unendurable and bear the unbearable.

She understood why Kotegiri called Emperor Showa Master.

She walked to the next exhibit and her lips curled in a fond, loving smile. A black and white photograph showed President Truman in the Oval Office of the White House being presented with an antique Japanese katana by the general commanding the Japanese Occupation Forces. A katana that was displayed under the photograph.
Spoiler: Truman And The Masamune

The woodgrain of the folded steel, waving hamon tempering like ocean waves breaking on the dividing line for her razor-sharp edge, and nioi martensite crystals like drifting clouds that had been formed by the smith's skill brought hushed expressions of awe from the people around her. She could hardly blame them for that, for her own eyes were filled with tears of joy to see her sister after so many decades in such a place of honor.

Masamune-no-Truman was known even among her own family for being the most beautiful and elegant of their sisterhood.

Musashi continued the tour, listening absently to the Cold War decisions of President Truman. Hearing of him removing General MacArthur from command for disobedience and dangerous adventurism brought an approving nod from her. After all, she reflected, her own country would have been much better off if a few heads of problematic junior officers had been taken during the Sengoku Jidai and then the 1930s.

But that was water under the bridge over a flowing stream. She paused to make a purchase of several souvenir pens and a button for her hat in the museum gift shop. She then flipped through a book about the library and frowned as she thought.

Truman had to know that she was here, so where was she hiding and why did she not appear to meet her estranged sister...?

Her eyes were caught by a passage in the book describing how every year since Truman's death in 1972 upon the anniversary of Japan's surrender and upon his death a bouquet of Japanese cherry blossoms had been discovered in the morning upon his grave by a secret admirer.

She hastily bought the book and walked to overlook the landscaped courtyard, seeing the subtle signs of a masterful gardener in its well-tended hedges and trimmed grass.

Of course!

With that she walked to the courtyard and approached the gardener who was replanting a flowerbed next to the graves of President Truman and his wife Bess. "{We need to talk, sister.}" She spoke quietly in Japanese as she stood next to the kneeling gardener.

The blond-haired young Caucasian woman spoke without looking at her. "{Sister. My answer is still the same.}" Her voice was polite, cool and utterly as strong as their shared steel.

Musashi's lips quirked as another flower was planted. "{I did not come here for a spar, much less to ask you again to return to us. The last time we spoke, I was in grave error and wish to tender my apologies. Kotegiri-han informed me that you had honorable reasons for your refusal to cross steel with me or return to Japan.}" With that she formally bowed deeply to complete the heartfelt apology.

A pause as a fresh flower was planted. "{Apology accepted, Sister. I see that you have learned wisdom since we met. Have you eaten yet?}" The voice under the straw hat was filled with more warmth than before.

Musashi shook her head. "{No. I have been sustaining myself upon the Way.}"

Truman's avatar turned to look at her sister, blue eyes full of patience and humility meeting Musashi's full of life and energy. "{There is a restaurant three blocks to the west down Highway 24. It is called 'A Little BBQ Joint.' I shall request permission to join you there for lunch for I sense that you did not come here merely to tender an apology.}"

"{No, I did not, Sister.}" Musashi said. "{Kotegiri-han asked for me to speak to you.}"

Truman nodded and resumed planting the flowers as Musashi left her.

A Little BBQ Joint, Independence Missouri

Musashi stood in the parking lot as her sister, dressed now in equally casual clothes, walked to meet her. Automatically Musashi sized up her sister's form. Gone was the raven dark waist length hair and equally dark eyes of the warrior maiden that she had been. Now instead her hair was short and blonde, framing her face in the waves of 1950s fashion and barely covering the nape of her neck. Her eyes were the warm blue of a cloudless summer sky.
Spoiler: The Truman Masamune's Avatar

All in all, she looked remarkably like the portrait of the daughter of Harry Truman that Musashi had seen, which caused the sword to wonder about the changes.

Truman paused and sized her sister up. "Musashi. You have not changed much. More wisdom, yes, tempered with the strength."

Musashi nodded. "You have changed a great deal from when we last spoke in 1954. And yet, underneath the skin you are still the same warrior who was one of my closest peers for skill in the Way. Do you not miss combat?"

Truman nodded once, her eyes unreadable. "Every day since the Surrender. But we should eat first. I recommend the smoked ends with baked beans, it a regional specialty."

Musashi surveyed the interior decor of Americana with 1950s cars, flags, and photographs from the postwar years from their seat in a corner booth. Truman was right, the food was quite good.

With that she looked across the table at her sister, who was savoring the last of her sandwich. "To matters. Kotegiri-han called a family meeting a week ago and everyone save yourself and Toku-han attended."

Truman nodded and reinforced their privacy ward using a french fry as a wand and ketchup for the ofuda ingredient. "What prompted it?"

Musashi chuckled. "Several things. First and foremost, Honjo-han was returned to us last year, and now serves the Tokugawas once more. One of the English wizards saved her from destruction and hid her away during the early stages of the Occupation, and when his great-grandson found out, he returned her to her family."

Truman stiffened briefly and then ate her french fry. "How is Honjo-nee?"

"Quite well, changed somewhat from her experiences. She actually has developed some level of friendship with Juuchi Yosamu-han, if you can believe that. Apparently the two were stored together for decades and came to some level of agreement. A Harry Potter was the responsible person. A young man of promise." Musashi said warmly. "Second and equally important, Father crafted a new sibling for us. The tanto Hogoshiri Odori-han was delivered by the Mizuchi Shiromizu-han to the manifest kami of the cruiser Jintsuu-han, who I and the others shall train to master her."

Truman looked at Musashi in shock and then nodded. "I see. Please when you see Honjo-nee and our youngest, convey both my sincere best wishes for their long and fruitful lives full of joy for themselves and their families and my sincere and humble apologies that I am restricted from departing from here to meet them."

Musashi looked at her sister and her voice sharpened. "Why?"

Truman gave her a sad look full of steel, "As I said when we spoke sixty years ago, I cannot say because of my oath."

Musashi nodded in reluctant agreement at her sister's unbending honor code. "Toku-han finally went out of the shrine to practice the Way in the service of Hachiman-dono on a warrior's pilgrimage. In the company of the rapier who took her down in 1864 who is also a Muramasa if you can believe it." Truman made a noncommittal sound of agreement at the family gossip and ate another french fry. "Apparently the Lord of Eight Banners wished for her to kick over the festering problems in the Reserves to get that cleaned up before the Statute of Secrecy falls."

Truman froze and spoke with precision in her now sharp voice. "Musashi-nee. Repeat that. The Statute of Secrecy is falling?"

Musashi met her sister's firm gaze unflinchingly, testing her spirit. "Yes. First it was Shipgirls and Abyssals a decade ago, then more and more matters have begun to emerge into the light of awareness. The ICW cannot hide matters as they have before, memory alteration spells lack effectiveness and with the strain that the Abyssal War puts on magicals, more things come to light. Earlier this month one of the tainted battlegrounds from the Great War nearly awoke in France and it took heroic efforts to ward it off again. Toku-han and her Muramasa were involved in that too." Musashi grinned with pride. "Imouto has certainly followed the Way in her life. From what I heard, I would have been hard-pressed to do better with what they faced in Verdun. In fact, after this I should track her down for a spar and see for myself how she has progressed. Fudo-han is coming along well in that regard too, when we last tested our steel."

"The Statute, Musashi-nee." Truman said patiently.

"Hai." Musashi said after a bite of her baked beans. "In brief, Kotegiri-han and Honjo-han estimate one year, two at the absolute most before matters are brought fully to light. Possibly much less. When that happens, the assumption from Kotegiri-han and Honjo-han is that the bulk of the various magical governments will be folded into their nonmagical equivalents as some cabinet department. So the Ministry of Magic, MACUSA, the Magical Diet and the like will go the way of the han system during the restoration that Kotegiri-han and Meiji-dono masterminded."

Tears filled Truman's eyes and she bowed her head. "I see," she spoke in a voice hoarse with emotion, "I can tell you this much, Sister. During the surrender negotiations, trust between Japan and America was at an extremely low point. What they claimed we did during the Pacific War was truly reprehensible. So they demanded... sureties... of the Diet and the Chrysanthemum Throne. Some were easy enough, such as handing over Minister Kamo and members of his government to stand trial along with those who committed crimes. Other ones," she paused and spoke quietly, "you know how matters were done among daimyo in the Jidai when treachery was feared."

Musashi nodded, remembering how noble children and heirs were used as hostages on the chess board of politics back then. Then her eyes widened as she looked at her sister in a new light. Her sister who had lived her life with honor every day of her existence, who had served her highly born magical family for centuries as one of the peerless weapons of war of Magical Japan, and who had willingly given herself up to be removed forever from the land of her birth that she loved so deeply.

Truman nodded in response to the unspoken question. "As Emperor Showa said to me, 'one must bear the unbearable and endure the unendurable'. It must be either myself, Kotegiri, you, or Honjo. Honjo vanished and Kotegiri was the Emperor's blade, representing His Honor."

Musashi bowed her head. "Then the Statute?"

Truman spoke. "Will bring certain matters to light then. Perhaps..." She shook her head. "I cannot and shall never ask for reappraisal of what was agreed to. But you shall know why I did what I did, and maybe one day I shall at least be permitted to practice with my hilt in my hands once more."

Musashi slid around to hug her sister. "And upon that day, we shall walk the Way together in honor, Sister. Forgive your sister's ignorance and rudeness, truly I have failed my Master's command to see all things clearly."

Truman returned the hug. "Admitting error is the first step upon the Way, Sister."

Musashi released her. "I see you have found some measure of peace. I must ask a personal question."

Truman nodded, "If I can answer, I shall."

"The cherry blossoms?" Musashi said quietly.

Truman closed her eyes. "They did not have to accept our surrender, you know. We were defeated. Many voices then and some even now said that he was too soft on us, that we were utter monsters deserving of obliteration. After reading of what they saw in us and comparing it to my own memories of those dark days, I cannot say that they did not have an argument."

Her voice softened and she looked at Musashi as she spoke warmly with pride in her words. "Toku-chan was right back then when she argued that other nations, other men had honor and strength equal to ours. The man I wept for when he was laid to rest in front of me never for an instant saw us, saw me, as the monster that I had striven so hard to be in the Pacific War."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N.-Chapter quote is from this monument https://www.508pir.org/events/images/1984/1984_reunion_10_petry_25.jpg

She Ain't Heavy, She's My Sister

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura, Japan

23 June 2014
Spoiler: Musashi and Toku

"This Fudo Myo-o, whose name means "Immovable Wisdom King," is represented with a sword to cut through our ignorance and a rope to bind up our emotions"-Miyamoto Musashi, Book of Five Rings

Masamune-no-Tokunotakai slowly hung up the phone. This was the second time that she had tried to contact Fudo to arrange the dinner meeting and both times there had been no answer.

She frowned and looked out the window at the falling rain. The worst of the storm seemed to have passed. Perhaps that was responsible.

But a twisting in her gut told her that the storm was the least of her concerns.

Suddenly there was a deafening thunderclap and a loud crash.

Perhaps a walk around the courtyard to check for damage to the shrine should be done.

With that in mind she grabbed an umbrella from the stand near the door and walked outside after slipping on her sandals.

At the base of the steps, a lone figure began to climb the eight hundred year old stone staircase, watched by the mated wood pigeons who had returned from their errand for the Protector of Warriors.

Toku used her magic to carefully move a damaged tree branch away from the building that a toppled tree was leaning against. Suddenly a firm hand clapped her on the shoulder and Musashi's joyful voice spoke in her ear. "Toku-han! Shibaitaro ka?" (Toku! Do you want me to give you a beating?)

Toku smiled happily and nodded. "Once I finish moving this tree so it does not damage the shrine further, Musashi-neesama. Then I would be delighted. Have you had tea yet?"

Musashi drew her katana and gestured. A wave of force sliced through the next limb and Toku floated it clear. "A warm cup before the spar would not be amiss. I heard of Verdun, imouto."

Toku sighed deeply. "Verdun was... bad. Very bad and it has scarred my spirit."

Musashi stopped at the note in Toku's voice and then turned to face her. "Toku-han, look at me, please."

Toku did so, the miko's shadowed blue-green eyes meeting the bright energetic blue of the avatar of Masamune-no-Musashi, the most skillful and battle tested of their sisterhood.

Musashi nodded, "So ka. You have taken a life then."

Toku whispered, "Hai," as the last of the downed tree was safely removed.

Musashi walked with her sister inside the dojo and removed her sandals and hat. "Tea and conversation then. You need to talk about this with one who has traveled the path that you have begun to walk."

Toku nodded as she brewed a pot of tea. "Co-chan... Colombe du Chasteler and I have spoken about what happened. She has centuries of bitter experience that I lack. She explained to me that in that moment I had to chose between her life and that of the man I slew and that burden of choice weighs us down."

Musashi made a sound of agreement. "The Way of the Sword is the Way of Death. It should never be traveled lightly. I have known many, many warriors who have taken the step that you have. The ones who felt that burden, understood it as you have begun to, and accepted the weight have been those of the most worth in my experience."

The daisho took the teacup and sipped it after giving thanks. "Good tea, Toku-han. I confess increased curiosity about the Muramasa you favor and wish to meet her soon to test my steel against hers. She seems to be as worthy a training partner as yourself, Fudo, or the others."

Toku smiled as she sipped her own tea. "When I return to her side, I shall let her know and we can make arrangements for you and she to meet. Kote-neesama and Honjo-neesama also wish a friendly match. Hachiman has chosen well with her to be one of His Blades."

Musashi hummed and then sipped the tea. "Battle is never easy, nor should it be. But only in the heat there can you find and refine yourself into your purest form."

The phone rang in the kitchen. "Sumimasen(I'm sorry), Musashi-nee. I am hopeful that is Fudo-chan returning my call now that the storm is passing us."

Toku stood and hurried to the ringing phone. Musashi watched as she picked up and spoke. "Moshi moshi? Honjo-neesama! This is...." Toku's face paled and the grip on her phone tightened as she listened. Musashi's eyebrows raised and she hastily downed the tea in turn to go to her clearly shaken sister's aid.

"Honjo-neesama, Musashi is here with me at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū. Let me put you on speaker and tell her what you just told me." Toku snapped out.

Toku punched the button and a moment later Honjo's voice spoke over the sounds of a helicopter. "Musashi, this is fortunate. Fudo-chan ran across an old bunker from the Pacific War outside of Yokosuka and is now trapped inside with some schoolchildren. It was used by elements of the Kamo government looking to bring back monsters for use back then, including Lady Duckweed, Momiji, and the Eight-Branched Serpent. Plus many yuurei bound into their desecrated corpses. Kotegiri is in command of the rescue operation now and I am hastening to join her."

Musashi's face split with a joyful smile as Toku began to pull ofuda and her gohei wand from her cabinet into a small pack. "Honjo-han, if you can send someone to transport us to the scene, Toku-han and I shall assist Kote-han and yourself in dealing with matters. We cannot let Fudo-han have all the fun, although I have no doubt that she will perform admirably."

Honjo's voice was a study in relief. "I will have a mage transport you to the site as quickly as is possible, wait in the courtyard."

----------------------------------------------

Sub-Unit-942 Bunker Complex Outside Yokosuka

With a bang, Musashi and Tokunotakai appeared in the waistband of a Kyoto Auror who had Apparated to and from the shrine. Instantly manifesting, Toku grabbed the pack that he carried and hastened through the chaos to where a visibly winded Tsukiakari stood.

Behind her Musashi followed with the unhurried stride of Miyamoto Musashi, who knew the importance of timing in battle. Her stride paused minutely and her eyes widened as she sensed the power and quality of the weapons spirits surrounding the kyo gunto that Toku spoke to as an old friend. Including none other than that of Juuchi Yosamu-han

Or a comrade who had shed blood with her upon the field of battle, Musashi realized as her eyes narrowed fractionally and her smile widened. Toku knew these other spirits, each Masters of their own bodies, styles, and techniques from across the word. Certainly after fighting monsters from the darkest legends of Japan made whole once more, a few of Toku's friends might wish to cross steel in the days ahead with a fellow Master of the blade for the joy of the Way and of learning, neh?

 

[darthcourt10]

lt_agn02

After she dropped off her gear at the armory, Aso took a deep breath as she fished her rucksack from the hold of the cargo ship. While it was true that she had her own hold to store her personal items, something felt off about it to her. Sure, it would be natural to use her own hold instead of taking up space, but the Japanese carrier felt an odd sense of assurance when she left her things on the cargo ship instead of carrying them with her. It was that same feeling when she delivered goods to the village. The feeling of having to protect something behind her instead of carrying it with her.

She pushed the thought from her mind and laid her eyes on the katana that she brought from Japan. She picked it up and drew the blade only slightly, admiring the craftsmanship in the fluorescent light.

"What the heck am I supposed to do with this?" She asked herself. In truth, even though her thoughts of Japanese superiority had waned, she still held onto this one thing: a katana she had literally begged a student of the Masamune school to commission. It was by far the greatest expense the carrier ever had, costing up to six months of her salary. It was her most prized possession.

At least, until that day.

Since then, she honestly didn't know what to do about it. It used to be her pride and joy, even if she couldn't take it with her into battle. But now...she couldn't make heads or tails of it. The only reason she even brought it with her was because Katsuragi said so.

She steeled herself and grabbed the obi in her bag, ready to tie it around her waist and carry her sword with her to the dorm, but…

The thought left her mind. If she did that, she thought, she would be no better than the rumor mill made her out to be. Instead, she wrapped it in a thick cloth and secured it to her bags.

By the time she left the cargo ship and descended the gangplank, a car and two cruisers were waiting for her.

The larger of the two had wavy black hair tied in a ponytail and was dressed in what Aso could recognize as something like a camouflage-pattern Hawaiian shirt, jeans, and an Alaska-class parka tied around her waist.

The smaller wore a double-breasted coat on her shoulders over a simple white collared shirt, navy blue skirt, and thigh-high boots. A pair of black ribbons tied her hair in a pair of twintails. She stepped forward to greet the carrier.

"Aso, it's good to see you again. Been well?" She asked.

Aso nodded. "Yes, Honolulu-san. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, at least a year or two," Honolulu responded, crossing her arms. "Since we had that international fair over at Yokosuka, anyway."

The carrier bowed deeply. "Please excuse my behavior from back then."

The cruiser waved it off. "Meh, don't worry about it too much. I'm a Pearl Harbor survivor. It happens to me at times too."

"Y-You're a Pearl Harbor survivor?"

The light cruiser turned her head and exposed the scar on her jawline. "Got hit that day. Nothing too serious, but damn was it sore for the rest of the war."

Hawaii stepped forward. "All that aside, I never imagined you would come here, let alone be stationed here for six months."

Aso nodded. "I think you gai- I mean, Americans, say… 'shit happens'?"

"Regardless, we're happy to have you," the large cruiser stated. "We could always use more eyes in the sky. Last week, an Abyssal battle group managed to give us the slip until they got well past the pickets. The Air Force had to send in The Motherfuckers for that one."

Pausing, the carrier turned inquisitively to the large cruiser. "The...huh?"

"The Air Force's Maximum Force Kill and Reconnaissance Squadron," Honolulu answered. "It's a land-based air group specially trained to kill Abyssals anywhere within range of an air base."

This time, the carrier let out an amused snort. "Did the admiral name them?"

Hawaii tilted her head. "He gave the suggestion to the Air Force. Why?" A catlike grin emerged on the large cruiser's face. "It's because he looks like the guy, right?"

"You think the Admiral looks like him too? I thought I was the only one!" Aso commented. "The resemblance is uncanny!"

"I know, right? He doesn't like it when we say he looks like him, but come on! You can just picture him saying something like 'English, Motherfucker! Do you speak it?!' to an Abyssal, you know?" Hawaii put her hand to her chin. "If the stuff we do here ever gets turned into a movie, that guy should play Admiral Smith. It would be so cool."

"When I get to go on SGO again, I'm telling my sisters at home about this! They are going to be so jealous!"

Honolulu's mouth morphed into a smirk. "Well, I'm glad you at least managed to see something good out of this. I almost never see you carry on like this."

Aso blushed. "S-Sorry…"

"Don't be. You being friendly like that is so many degrees better than you being a ultra-nationalistic jerk. Anyway, the dorms are a bit far off, so we're here to take you to your assigned dorm with Bowfin." Honolulu gestured to the car in front of them. "This is a special car only ship girls like us can use. It's foot-powered, but it can easily make highway speed."

Next to her, the Natural Born Hawaii nodded. "When we do start it, you have to yell 'Yabba Dabba Doo!'"

"Y-Yabba…"

"Makana, that's not really…"

Hawaii hastily held her hand over Honolulu's mouth and smiled at the Japanese carrier. "Trust me, we all do it."

The carrier shrugged and placed her bags in the trunk, then made her way to the back seat. Before she could step in, she noticed the one glaring flaw in the car that she didn't notice at all before she opened the door. Yes, there were no windows, and she could deal with that. But if she were to step into the car, her feet would go straight through the nonexistent floor.

"Uh…"

"Yeah. Unlike cars on the mainland, this one is only geared for 'park', and 'neutral'," the smaller cruiser explained. "I wasn't lying when I said it's foot-powered."

"...Uh…"

A firey-haired light cruiser wearing Honolulu and Brooklyn's uniform suddenly appeared behind them. "Allow me to explain!"

"HOLY FUCK, SIS! Don't do that!" Honolulu shouted.

Phoenix ignored this. "Now, normally, a car requires an engine to move. However, with the lack of fuel, alkaline metals, et cetera, we had to make sure that any mode of transportation is both renewable and reliable. While bicycles are a very good substitute, we also have to keep in mind that we have cargo. That's where this comes in! Ship girls have many times more horsepower at their disposal than your average car! Regular humans already find it hard to push a car while on neutral, but it's nothing for a ship girl! Just kick off with your feet and let inertia do the rest of the work! As for braking, I modified it to use a handle on the steering wheel instead of a brake pedal."

"Nobody asked!" Honolulu scolded. "And don't sneak up on people like that!"

The other Brooklyn-class cruiser pouted. "Aww, but I wanted to introduce my baby to…"

"Wrong place, wrong time!" The other Brooklyn shouted. "And don't call your invention your 'baby'! It's weird!"

"It's not weird if it's true!"

Honolulu groaned. "Look, we're late. Save it for when we have the time, all right?"

Phoenix raised a finger in protest. "Then allow me to accompany you to the dorms. If I don't give back Sendai's Kikaida box set, she's gonna kill me."

Aso's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she loaded her rucksack and sword into the trunk of the car. "Sendai-san?! Is...Is she all right? I heard about what happened and all…"

"Oh, she's doing pretty well." Honolulu crossed her arms confidently. "There is no job too impossible for the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard! We can even bring battleships back from the dead!"

"Terms and conditions may apply," Hawaii added, entering the car and fastening her seatbelt. "You'll meet her soon, but for now, you have to meet your new roommate."

The carrier nodded as she entered the car.

To her embarrassment, she was the only one who yelled "YABBA DABBA DOO!" as the four ship girls pushed the car forward with their feet.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

"Commander Tsubaki-San."

With a blink, the Oni turned from where she was observing the various Yokai get set up and smiled a little, "Captain Itami." At the twitch in his eyebrow, she grinned, "So you guys were sent in here as well then?"

Just sighing, the JGSDF Officer nodded some with a slight frown, "Hai, because we know about magic and can at least work together with you." He glanced to the side where Tengu landed with a box that was enlarged. Moments later, the group of Itachi inside of it drove out in one of their mini-tanks, the guns already swivelling to aim at where the entrance to the bunker would be, "What's your thoughts on this?"

Glancing at him, Tsubaki sighed a little with a grimace, "My thoughts? Probably unprintable with what we've been told already..."

Not saying anything, Itami took a deep breath for about a minute before speaking up, "I see... and do you know about..."

Tsubaki looked at him directly, "That those fuckers desecrated my parents' remains? Hai. And before you ask, if somehow Shuten and Ibraki were to be brought back..." Her hand clenched hard, "I'll kill them just the same before they get too far, my parents or not."

All the young man next to her did was nod with a frown, "Might not be much, but I'd be giving you as much backup as I could."

Moments later though, he stumbled as Tsubaki laughed, "HA!" She grinned a bit at him, "Are you sure that you don't have a little Oni in you?"

Smirking, Itami shook his head, "No... and frankly, no offense, I don't want one."

It took a few moments, but the Oni realized what he had meant and laughed again, "That? That was a good one and I'll have to tell the others about it." Looking up, she noted another Tengu drop a crate and walk over, "And it seems that our armament is here."

Following her, Itami raised an eyebrow in askance, "Armament? I know that you have your assault rifles..."

Just snorting, Tsubaki shook her head, "No, no, those would be too much right at this moment. Especially in the tunnels with possible richochet. We're going in and going in hard as it was." Reaching the crate, which had another armored Oni rip off the top of it, she held out her hand, "Toss me a shield!"

When one was tossed to her, he whistled a little as it had to be at least five inches of high grade steel thick in a form similar to a riot shield. On it was the painted form of a Tsubaki blossom and a Haiku on the back extoling strength of character. However, Itami noticed something else and raised an eyebrow, "What the heck happened to the front to make it discolored like that?"

Shouldering the shield, Tsubaki shrugged a little bit, "Direct hit from a five inch shell during the Bonin Battle which had to be welded back into shape. I was one of the first to hit the beach and we put up a shield wall when the Abyssal Destroyers on land tried to shell us. At least one guy broke his legs and had to be carried back, but we shrugged it off and continued on."

Yet again, Itami could only shake his head some at hearing that. While he had reports and such detailing how the Kamo Government had used Oni as shocktroops, hearing things like this mentioned offhandingly brought it truly home. What happened next really did as one of the Oni tossed Tsubaki a double barreled shotgun...

One bigger than any Itami had ever seen before.

Blinking slowly, he brought up a finger and pointed at it, "Uh... what the hell is that, Tsubaki-San?"

With a hum as she also accepted a number of massive shells, Tsubaki raised an eyebrow at him, "A shotgun."

Simply sighing, Itami pinched his nose some, "Hai and I can see that. But not one that was ever that big..."

Realization dawned on the Oni's face and she gave a nod, "Right, right... well, you know how the IJN used 25mm guns, right? As did other Japanese forces?" When he nodded, she continued, "Well, there were several supply depots laying around. Some of the guys and myself knew there were some that had been missed which were for when the Americans invaded and we raided them in the early days. We found one with a large stock of 25mm barrels... but no gun parts. So basically useless, except..."

Eyes widening, Itami stared at the shotgun, "The barrels were good. Do you mean you took those barrels and cut them so you could make shotguns out of them? But that would mean..."

Tsubaki gave a small shrug, "We had to make the shells for them ourselves due to the size, but that's not too hard. Recoil is something of a bitch, though we can handle them easily enough." Grinning, she chuckled a little darkly, "A number of Abyssal ground troops and cultists found out that they are very useful in close quarters."

After a few moments, the JGSDF Officer nodded before pausing and raising an eyebrow, "And the reason why they look like the Super Shotgun from the DOOM games?"

Placing some shells into the chamber and cocking the gun, Tsubaki smirked, "Because us Oni respect strength. And who better to emulate than the Doom Marine himself?" She gave a bark of laughter, "Damn guy is practically the sort that male Oni look up to and many females would drape themselves over."

Only nodding, Itami snorted a bit, "I'm not too surprised at all."

His eyes went to the weapons that hung from the Oni's waist. As part of the deal with the deal with the JSDF, the Yokai Self-Defense Force got them some new weapons or spares for the ones they had. Tsubaki had gotten the "First Oni Guard" equipped with sidearms in the form of the Zeliska Revolver. Apparently the Oni absolutely adored them... and could remember hearing her squee in pure joy when the first shipment of them came in as well as bullets (which he swore never to mention, though it had made the giant, muscular woman seem... adorable, somehow).

Add in that they had a singlestick baton with bumps also hanging at their side and made out of tungsten... he sort of pitied anyone who fought them.

Just as he was about to comment though, he noted everyone become silent, Yokai, magical human, and normal human soldier as an Osprey touched down. As the back was lowered, a woman walked out clad in an red Kimono and a sword at her side. Out of the corner of his eye, he noted Tsubaki and all the Oni, as well as other Yokai, pale and snap to attention. While he did not know who she was, he did much the same as she passed them before pausing.

For a few moments, he felt like a mouse in front of a tiger being sized up to see if it would make for a good meal or not.

But then, the woman gave a small smile at the Oni, "Ah, Lieutenant Doji, I have heard of the work that you and your group have done." She smiled softly, though there was something... disturbing... about it, "Keep up the good work, the Chrysanthemum Throne is pleased with the First Oni Guard."

She was about to move on when Itami cleared his throat and she turned to him. Despite wanting to wet his pants, he took a deep breath, "Ma'am? With all due respect, Commander Doji is a good soldier."

There was something in her eyes before she smiled, though this seemed warmer somehow. Turning, she bowed slightly towards a shocked Tsubaki, "My deepest apologies for getting your rank wrong, Commander. It is a well deserved one."

With that, she continued walking towards one of the Kyoto Aurors in charge of the magicals who seemed rather pale.

Confused about it, Itami turned and looked towards the Oni behind him with a question on his lips. One that died due to them looking at him in utter shock and surprise. Expressions that soon turned into measuring looks and ones filled with respect and interest... as well as what looked like lust in the case of the females such as Tsubaki?

Only shaking his head free of those thoughts as he was certain he could not be right, Itami cleared his throat, "So... any idea who that is? Because she's rather frightening."

For a few moments, Tsubaki stared at him before shaking her head, "That, Itami, was Masamune no Kotegiri, the Emperor's Sword. Or as she is right now... Oda Kotegiri."

Lost, the human Officer blinked, "As she is now?"

Slowly, one of the other Oni gave a rumble, "Aye... When she puts that Kimono on, she wants to make a statement, Itami-San. And that statement usually means that someone will die."

Tsubaki gave a nod as she had a far off look, "Back in 1945, Oda Kotegiri arrived at the small base we were stationed at. We had been returned to Japan to be ready for the probable invasion of the Home Islands when the Emperor surrendered after the atomic bombs. She came to our base and told the Commander, who was one of the oldest, meanest Oni you have ever seen... he was a survivor of my parents' band after all, that we were to lay down our arms as was the Emperor's Will. Unfortunately, he was high up in the Kamo Government as well and told her that he would not."

Glancing between the two, Itami coughed, "So... what happened next?"

All Tsubaki did was fix him with a look, "What happened next is that he should have washed his neck." Trailing one claw along her own throat, she continued, "Single stroke, too fast to be seen. Needless to say, we all know better than to cross her."

Not saying anything, the human considered that as he could almost feel a ghost of an pain in his neck. Scratching his neck though, he shrugged as he looked back at where Kote was talking to the rapidly nodding Auror, "Well, even if I knew that, I would have told her to use your proper rank." Turning, Itami gave a shrug, "It is only respectful."

Every Oni there could hear the truthfulness in that statement and once more, Itami found himself blinking in confusion at the looks he was getting from the Oni females...

It was shortly after when Kote made her way over to where Juuchi was watching the excavation work being done magically while various Yokai and human soldiers set up positions. While a group would be heading in, they had to prevent anything from also getting out. Raising an eyebrow at the Masamune, the Muramasa hummed some, "Interesting to see you here, Kotegiri. Though from what I heard from Honjo, you don't often wear your old Kimono. What seems to be the special occasion?"

Cocking an eyebrow at the other sword, Kote hummed a bit, "The Emperor has asked for a member of the Oda to answer the call. Thus I have done so."

Lightly chuckling, Juuchi smugly smiled a bit, "Is that true? Hm, very interesting." She got a bit of a glare from Kote, but it washed over her like water over a duck's back. Instead, the Muramasa scratched her chin in thought, "What are your thoughts on this?"

Head tilted to the side, the Masamune considered the question. After a few moments, she gave an answer which made Juuchi chuckle, "That perhaps his execution in Death Potion was much too easy for Kamo and his. And that when I made sure he could not run, I should have made it... slower."

With a small shrug, Juuchi hummed, "Perhaps. But then, such things never truly concerned me since my Masters have always not cared about such when needed."

About to answer, Kote paused for a moment at seeing something in Juuchi's eyes as they gazed at the landslide. There was a spark of worry and concern well hidden behind the mask of smugness. Something that made Kote internally nod, 'It seems... Honjo-Chan was correct when she explained such to me.'

Right then, their attention was grabbed as a Portkey deposted a motely group of Yokai and the like. A snarl on her lips as she tasted the atmosphere, Jin glared pure hate at the bunker as scales began to climb up her neck and her eyes wept black, toxic ichor. Beside her, Kogamaru was dressed as his ancestors had when going to war with Shisashikon at his side while the circling mirror that was the great shield, Kawaakari no Shinju-kyo hovered over his left arm and the stones of the Omotenashi no Magatama around his neck glowed.

Koga noticed Kote and jerked, but relaxed as she gave him a slight, approving nod before he headed off to join the others.

Besides Koga, Sarutobi was also there and armored with an expression on his face that might well have been carved from stone. He glanced at Kote, gave a slight nod of approval, and walked off alongside Chisuheri who gave her sister a slight nod as well. Jin's mother, Mary Maleficus was also there alongside a somewhat nervous Kisei who was also armoured up with a dragon hide vest and the like. More than a few gave the two MACUSA Aurors a look, but stopped when Jin gave them glares back.

Shortly after, both Musashi the Sword and Toku arrived, with the second heading over to talk with Tsukiakari and the other. Looking away from the conversation, Juuchi gave a slight nod of respect to Musashi, who returned it. Of course, when said Masamune came close, Juuchi spoke, "I do hope that you are not looking for a spar here, Musashi."

Laughing, Musashi smirked back at her, "Not today, no. Because today, we draw our true steel and test ourselves in our mastery of the Way."

Clad in her muscle cuirass, Goldie opened one eye and gave a nod, "Very well said, Umu. Perhaps at a later date, but today, we must seek out our Praetor and give him aid."

His lips curled into a slight bemused smile, Bill tipped his hat to the dual-wielding Masamune, "I hate to say it, Little Missy, but I'm afraid that when the day comes, I'll have to sit out." Thumb spinning his cylinder, he nodded, "Only one way for me to duel."

Just laughing, the Masamune shot him a grin, "A shame, though I suppose that you have your own form of the Way, as I have mine."

Bill just smiled and tipped his hat again in reply.

A snort made them turn as Norimune appeared from thin air with an Kyoto Auror holding onto her and Umitsubame, "Well now, it seems that the gang is all here." Glancing at where Kote was talking with one of the non-magical commanders, she raised an eyebrow, "Hmm..." Suddenly, she paused and looked towards Yokosuka, "What in the world...?"

For her part, Tsukiakari blinked and looked in the same direction, "I think that Hoppou is... quite angry. And the others as well."

It was only fifteen minutes that a Chinook touched down with Mikasa stepping out with a look of Command on her face that even Kote nodded at while most of the military personnel saluted her. Behind her, Nagato strode down the ramp of the helicopter as well as Naka and Harder with Jintsuu beside her. Maruyu also walked down the same ramp with Hoshi, Haru, Sakuya, and Natsumi's grandparents walking down, all of them dressed for war and with Kogitsune-maru. For once, said blade did not have any humour in their expression. Suisan, too, walked beside them with a dagger in her hands and teeth exposed in a snarl

What came down the ramp behind them made more than a few people stiffen though.

Mainly because Hoppou's eyes were glowing as she stepped forward, mittened hands clenched in rage. Behind her, Regina and her escorts also walked, the Re-Class' tail snarling in rage as Aeroprin glared daggers at the bunker.

And, finally, Sakura and Ume also stepped off the transport, and came to a stop beside Hoppou. Slowly, said Princess took off her mittens and everyone could feel another cloud of darkness push back that of the Orochi's. An aura joined a few moments later as the Twins' eyes glowed as well. Almost everyone swore that the auras in the bunker seemed to turn their attention to the three Installations, with them weathering the storm and glaring back at it.

When, finally, Honjo arrived, Juuchi looked at Norimune and smugly smirked, "Now, the gang's all here."

Right then was when a call went out and everyone turned towards the hillside, "WE'RE ABOUT TO BREACH THE BUNKER! EVERYONE INTO POSITIONS AND GET CLEAR OF FIRING ZONE!"

Everyone did so and waited just a few seconds before there was a series of explosions and the dirt blew away from the hole, revealing part of the entrance to the bunker inside which there was darkness. For a few moments, there was stillness until one pair of blue lights appeared. And then another... and another...

Slowly, Catherine opened her eyes and rose to her feet as her blade burned brightly, pushing back the oppressive aura of what was inside the bunker and burning away the darkness it touched. At the same time, her clothes burned away to glowing embers, revealing her clad in shining armour. Behind her, the cape she wore flapped in the wind as she glared at the location where the Last Potter was trapped and fighting for more than just his life.

It was only moments after when the first skeletal guard appeared and charged into the hail of bullets that met it, a second being practically vaporized from the waist up as one of the Oni unloaded their shotgun into it. One, a skeletal Oni itself, charged forward, only for Catherine to meet it partway, unheeding of any bullets. With a swipe of her blade, the giant undead was cut laterally and seemed to crack and break apart even as it fell until only ashes remained.

Around her, the others were also fighting various undead, Norimune and and Toku lashing out as the doves on their hilts glowed brightly. Juuchi, Kote, and Honjo becoming like a whirlwind of death and destruction as they tore through any that faced them while Amalie, Bill, and Big Iron fired at any undead that they could. The Revolver once blowing the head apart of one, his bullet richocheting against the skull of one and sending it into Tsukiakari's waiting blade, while said richochet blew out the knee of a third one, sending it toppling.

Vala charged forward, meeting blow with her shield that destroyed said weapons and limbs, her sword slicing through the undead as Dracul lashed out alongside Umitsubame, both spears back to back. The vampiric weapon laughing gaily as her true self drained even the unlife from the creatures, "Yes! Come at me more~ Let me feed until there's no more~"

For their parts, Andraste worked alongside Sabah, the shield turning aside any blow and smashing said foe aside while the Arabic blade would strike like a snake, poison eating away the guards and preventing regeneration. Not far away, Goldie had a sneer on her face as she slashed again and again, her blade preventing any of her fallen foes from regenerating though she gave a nod as Jin simply impaled herself on the sword of one guard, her deadly blood dissolving said weapon and the user while Shiromizu was a dervish with her own swords to give her Senpai an easier time to hit. Raising her blade, Goldie brought it down splitting a skull through the middle "FOR THE PRAETOR!"

The Chinese swords, Xing and Feng, were a whirl of destruction as they fought alongside Nightbane who was humming as he struck out again and again with his true form at the end of a rifle he had gotten from a JGSDF soldier, "A nice little tussel, this. Look alive, boys! Wave's nearly done!"

In her part of the fighting, Musashi fought not too far from Tsukiakari. Blocking two blows with both blades of her true self, the Masamune took a moment to take in the Kyu-Gunto taking out four with a minimum of moves, using her scabbard as well as her blade to do so, 'Such interesting people you know and have fought beside, Toku-Chan...' Grinning, she cleaved one of the two attacking her in half, the second joining it a moment later, 'I look forward to testing her on the Way.'

Slowly, they managed to destroy the first wave. Striding towards the bunker, Catherine didn't bother to block one skeletal guard that lunged at her with it's hands out as if to claw out her throat. Even as it came close, it touched her aura and broke apart into ash. Ignoring what happened, she pointed her sword at the bunker, "Come, we have little time to spare with such. May their souls finally find peace."

With nods, the other weapon spirits joined her as they entered the bunker. They were followed by the First Oni Guard, Itami's squad, the shipgirls and Abyssals, as well as Jin, the rest of the JNHRO there, Mary, Kisei, and a number of Aurors. All of them stepping into the dark abyss that was a shadow of the past to prevent it from clouding the future.

On a nearby hillside, Uzume ignored the drizzle that was coming down as she watched alongside Susanoo and Kushinada-hime, the two other Kami armoured for war. With a growl, the storm Kami turned to the fourth member, "You better be right that this will stop it."

Not bothering with her usual wolf, Amaterasu was also armed up for war, "It will, because I believe in them. Mortal or not, they are able to do so..."